Outer Worlds 2: Should You Agree with Brun or Chao in ‘Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality’?

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In Outer Worlds 2, you’ll find many side quests to take a break from the main story. One of these, ‘Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality,’ begins at the Alexandra Monastery, a place you’ll visit naturally as you play. To finish the quest, you need to locate two books for the Anchoresses and then choose a side in a debate between Brun and Chao. Your choice will determine which reward you receive. This guide will walk you through everything needed to complete the ‘Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality’ quest in Outer Worlds 2.

Where to Find the Books for ‘Imprisoned by the Riddles of Reality’ Quest in Outer Worlds 2

Once you’ve restored power in the main room using the book from Brun and Chao, go up the stairs to your left and defeat the enemies you find. Continue forward until you reach a covered bridge, then descend the stairs to a basement.

‘Only Real Numbers’ Book Location

You’ll now meet Seer Wiley as part of the main story. Go through the ‘Be a Hero’ door and up the stairs. Turn left into the room with tables in the middle and machines around the sides, then defeat all the enemies inside.

On the upper level, south side of the room, there’s a door that you can open if you have the Brawny skill or an Engineering level of 5.

If the door is stuck, go back to the room with the puzzle. Look for a vent in the upper corner – you can open it and crawl through to reach the other side.

Once you’re inside the room, you’ll find the ‘Only Real Numbers’ book on the table.

Conflict and Deescalation Theory’ Book Location

Once you have the ‘Only Real Numbers’ book, go back to the ‘Be a Hero’ door, but this time choose the ‘Betray Your Values’ door. You can solve Wiley’s puzzle and rescue the hostages beforehand if you prefer.

Go up the stairs and you’ll enter a big room. Defeat any enemies inside, then look for the yellow ledges and shelves on the left – you can climb these to reach the next level. I’ve highlighted the best path in the screenshot below.

Next, find the book called ‘Conflict and Deescalation Theory’ on the desk at the far end of the room. Once you have it, take it back to Anchoress Brun and Anchoress Chao and put it in the slot by the window. Then, you can talk to them again.

Should You Side with Anchoress Brun or Anchoress Chao in Outer Worlds 2?

There are three dialogue options you’ll be given upon returning the books to Brun and Chao:

  • Anchoress Chao is right about it being a loop. Violence only ever begets more violence.
  • Anchoress Brun gets it now. Going to war is sometimes an act of self-defense.
  • What kind of crazy circular logic is that? I swear, you two just like to argue.

Okay, so choosing who to help in this quest really comes down to what kind of loot you’re after. If I go with Anchoress Brun, I’ll snag the Sawed-Off Heavy Machine Gun, which sounds awesome. But if I side with Anchoress Chao, I’ll get the Repellent Awakened Seer Robes instead. It’s a tough call – guns or robes, huh?

These robes offer 10 armor points and boost your abilities in several ways: you’ll have a 15% better chance to avoid attacks, take 5% less damage, and run 25% faster during combat sprints.

The Sawed-Off Heavy Machine Gun deals 83 damage per shot (with a x3 multiplier), fires heavy rounds, and holds 45 rounds in its magazine. It fires at a rate of 2.5 shots per second and has a 45% damage bonus when hitting an enemy’s weak spot.

Ultimately, choosing which Anchoress to support determines the reward you receive. Regardless of who you choose, you’ll get certain items in addition to the special gear unique to that Anchoress.

  • Advanced Decryption Key
  • Crude Biomass
  • Energy Canister
  • Foil
  • Scrap Metal
  • 1,080 XP
  • +1 Reputation for The Order

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2025-11-06 10:35