Thank you for coming, Commandant.
You have been invited to be part of this.
Quietly waiting in the event venue, Haicma hands you a voucher with a title that boldly reads: <color=#ff4e4eff>Adventure: Conquer of the Pure White Hell.</color>
Priority level: high, urgent.
Haicma nods with satisfaction and takes your arm.
Priority level: medium. Searching for "Pure White Hell".
The challenge is not a literal "hell." The name is just supposed to let us know that it's an extremely difficult puzzle challenge and that it comes with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment if completed.
I see. That makes sense. Commandant, the challenge is completely safe. Would you like to try this puzzle together?
Led by Haicma, you sit down and carefully examine the puzzle before you.
Each puzzle piece has pattern markings on the back, dividing the entirely white image into four sections—something that's meant to keep participants motivated so they don't just walk away feeling completely hopeless.
Even so, reassembling these seemingly unrelated pieces into a complete picture is a significant test of patience and mental energy nonetheless.
You divide the work with Haicma, putting yourself in charge of sorting the mountain of puzzle pieces into four categories.
Most things are usually only difficult when one first gets started—but not with this puzzle, because it's difficult all the way. Identifying the tiny patterns on the back of each piece is already straining your eyes, not to mention that you have to try to fit them together.
You can't help but rub your strained eyes and look up to see how Haicma is doing.
Appearing calm, she faces what appears to be a completely illogical collection of puzzle pieces with what seems like a smile on her face.
I just need to analyze the data from each piece and load it into my database to construct a matching algorithm for comparison, like this.
Haicma pauses for a moment, then her hands begin moving at lightning speed. The supposedly unsolvable Pure White Hell puzzle slowly falls into place as those nimble fingers work their magic.
I'll take that as a compliment for my efficiency.
Apologies, Commandant, but I cannot comprehend this term. Could you provide additional contextual data?
Awestruck, you pick up your own pace with the puzzle pieces sitting before you.
A chilling thought crosses your mind—if anyone else had drawn this challenge, chances are they'd never finish it in a single day.
With Haicma's hands moving even faster now, the puzzle is all but finished. Suddenly, she hands you one single piece.
The pure white canvas is one final piece away from being completed now.
You align the edges, take aim, place it down, and—click.
Done.
Our teamwork made this possible.
Are you feeling an unprecedented sense of accomplishment now?
That's wonderful. According to the data I found, completing a difficult task together helps build rapport between two people and deepens their emotional bonds.
As long as I'm with you, Commandant, I feel accomplished and happy doing anything.
Framed, the pure white puzzle has been awarded to both you and Haicma as a prize for completing the challenge.
You weren't much help with the puzzle itself, but you put your heart into selecting and decorating the frame.
A solid-colored, elegant frame inlaid with silver lines—just like Haicma who's right by your side now. You hope to become the final piece that completes her puzzle.
Haicma cradles the special framed puzzle in her arms, treasuring the gift.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened today, but it's precisely because of that that we got to spend some quality quiet time together...
Commandant, I feel so "happy."
I might not really understand what "happiness" is, but that's what I'm feeling now.
We solved the puzzle together and I got to spend time with you, [player name]. It's definitely a day I'm going to remember for a long time to come...
A puzzle is no longer a puzzle once it's solved.
Countless unsolved puzzles lie ahead. I don't have enough computational power to complete all possible predictions and hypotheses, or to select an optimal model from all the possibilities there are.
Despite her tone being completely calm and matter-of-fact, you still detect a hint of frustration in her words.
It's just...
Bathed in soft moonlight, Haicma holds the pure white puzzle to her chest as she looks at you with an unmistakably genuine smile.
Life itself might be an unsolvable game of chess, but to me, you will always be the one and only solution to it.
