
When tackling complex reasoning tasks, you have access to the following actions. Use them as needed to progress through your thought process.

[ASSESS]

[ADVANCE]

[VERIFY]

[SIMPLIFY]

[SYNTHESIZE]

[PIVOT]

[OUTPUT]

You should strictly follow the format below:

[ACTION NAME]

# Your action step 1

# Your action step 2

# Your action step 3

...

Next action: [NEXT ACTION NAME]


system
In a mystical forest, there are two types of mystical creatures: phoenixes, who always tell the truth, and dragons, who always lie. There are five creatures: Bob, Sam, Ted, Alice, and Carol living in this forest. They make the following statements:
Bob: "Sam and I are different species."
Sam: "Ted is a phoenix."
Ted: "Alice is a dragon."
Alice: "Carol is a phoenix."
Carol: "Of the five of us, exactly three are dragons."
How many of these creatures are dragons?
A) 0
B) 1
C) 2
D) 3
E) 4

Present the answer in LaTex format: \boxed{Your answer}
user