No one answered Xi Shi's question; only the young girl named Xie Lingxi looked as if she wanted to speak but hesitated.
*There's still not enough trust. Are they unwilling to reveal their official status, or is there no one else here with an official background besides me?* Just as Zhang Yuanqing was pondering whether to drop a hint, Hebo in the black hoodie spoke in a cold tone:
"We've been in the Spirit Realm for several minutes now, and it hasn't given us a single prompt. That means clearing it will depend entirely on ourselves. If any of you know anything, you'd better not keep it to yourself. We're all grasshoppers tied to the same rope."
Xie Lingxi raised her hand slightly and said in a small voice, "I know a bit about the old version of the instance. The introductory description of the Spirit Realm has changed."
*Is she from the official organization?* Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized the young girl.
Hearing this, Hebo frowned. "The Spirit Realm introduction changed... I think I understand now. The reason Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty shifted lies right in the introduction. Does everyone remember what it said?"
"I forgot," the red-haired Huo Mo muttered, scratching his head.
Xi Shi glanced at him, discreetly putting some distance between them, and chuckled softly. "An indescribable existence came here. She was the one who changed Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty rank. She instructed the spirits in the park to help her find someone—someone whose name has four characters. Who could that be?"
Ashamed to Be a Father couldn't help chiming in. "I don't think it matters who it is. That person is probably just background lore. What matters are the 'spirits' in the park. Is it possible that Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty rose to S-rank because the 'spirits' received that being's blessing and became exceptionally powerful?"
Wearing driving loafers, tight pants, and a blazer, Great Sage Equal to Heaven's eyes lit up. "I think that makes sense! Uncle, you're pretty sharp."
Hebo gave a slight nod, approving of the middle-aged man's reasoning. "In that case, as long as we avoid attractions with horror elements and pick some simple rides to experience, we should be able to lower the risk."
He turned to Xie Lingxi. "Do you know the detailed guide for the old version?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing prepared to jump in with the old guide's information before the girl could, so as not to forfeit his say in the group. But right then, a *ding* rang out in his mind, followed by a Spirit Realm notification:
[Due to your outstanding performance earlier, you have triggered a hidden quest. You have been appointed team leader. Note: An evildoer is hidden within the team. Please ensure the number of team members remains greater than or equal to 3; otherwise, you will face a penalty: your current level's EXP will be wiped out.]
[Note: Please conceal your role identity carefully.]
*There's actually a hidden quest?!*
A resounding *fuck* crossed Zhang Yuanqing's mind. While he kept his outward expression impassive, his heart plummeted.
The attractions in the instance were fraught with danger, and now a werewolf was mixed among the team members—the difficulty had skyrocketed.
*My hidden quest is to ensure no fewer than three members remain. From this, it can be deduced that the evildoer's quest is to reduce the team to fewer than three, or even wipe us all out.*
*If I want to guarantee a clear, weeding out the evildoer and eliminating them early would be the best choice. But I can't prove my identity, and there's not enough trust between team members. I might easily fail to catch the chicken and lose the rice instead, ending up framed as the werewolf myself.*
For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt that no one was trustworthy. Even the sweet girl named Xie Lingxi seemed like a wolf in human clothing.
*Wait! Jinshui Amusement Park is a multiplayer Spirit Realm open to all professions. Could there be an evil profession among the members?*
*Given the opposition between factions, an evil profession would definitely be the evildoer...* A ruthless thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind: use the red dancing shoes to force the team members to reveal their hands. Whoever had an evil profession would be instantly exposed.
*No, that's too reckless. It would leave zero room for maneuver. Besides, is it really that simple? What if I guessed wrong?* He exhaled silently, abandoning the idea of summoning the red dancing shoes.
If there was no evil profession on the team, doing that would turn the members against him immediately, and the game would be over for him.
*In other words, while guiding the team through the rides, I also have to weed out the evildoer? It really lives up to being an S-rank multiplayer Spirit Realm. It's just as hard as the Mountain God Temple, though in a completely different way.*
Before the instance had even begun, Zhang Yuanqing's heart grew heavy.
"I know the old guide, but I don't remember every single ride," Xie Lingxi said.
"Aiya, little sister, you're amazing! You're a member of the official organization, aren't you? You don't mind big sister sticking with you, do you?" Xi Shi cooed.
*One seems overly innocent, and the other harbors ulterior motives...* Zhang Yuanqing quietly observed the two women.
Just then, Hebo in the black hoodie cast a cool glance at Zhang Yuanqing. "Do you have any thoughts?"
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, "Preliminary judgment suggests the rides that increased in difficulty are those with supernatural elements. The other attractions might not have changed much. So, we can pick an attraction with very low difficulty based on the old guide."
A flicker of approval appeared on Hebo's sullen face, and he nodded. "That's exactly what I meant. As expected of an expert player who's been through multiple Spirit Realms."
He turned to the group. "No objections, everyone?"
Everyone nodded in unison, as if none of them had a mind of their own.
Hebo asked, "Little girl, which attraction do you think we should try?"
Xie Lingxi pursed her small lips, her dark, glossy eyes glancing around before pointing at a steel track undulating like a dragon. "That one is the simplest."
Seeing the roller coaster, everyone's eyelids twitched violently. Xi Shi gave a strained smile. "Why?"
"The clearing method in the old version was very simple. Once you board, keep your eyes closed the whole time. After the roller coaster completes three laps along the tracks, it's over."
"Well..." Great Sage Equal to Heaven, looking like a street-smart punk, looked up at the towering steel tracks with lingering dread. Pointing at a nearby carousel, he asked, "What about that one? I feel like that looks pretty safe too."
Xie Lingxi shook her head and said with a serious expression, "Only children can ride the carousel. If adults get on, they'll never be able to get off. Although there's no physical danger... it will just keep spinning forever."
*Getting on means a team wipe?* Great Sage Equal to Heaven took a silent step back, saying nothing more.
"If no one has any objections, then we'll choose the roller coaster," Hebo said flatly, then let out a sudden chuckle. "To be matched into Jinshui Amusement Park, I can't guarantee how smart everyone is, but there's definitely not a single fool among us."
*This guy Hebo is subtly competing with me for leadership. Xie Lingxi looks pure and innocent at first glance, but who could be truly innocent if they got matched into an S-rank? Xi Shi has been probing everyone's identity from the start; her coquettish act might well be a facade...*
*Ashamed to Be a Father looks simple and honest on the outside, but his ability to hit the nail on the head by analyzing that 'supernatural elements' were the key danger shows he isn't as simple as he appears.*
*Great Sage Equal to Heaven is a bit cowardly and lecherous, without any notable qualities, but he isn't a troublemaker either... Among these people, I think Huo Mo is the safest—provided it's confirmed he's a Fire Master. Otherwise, he'd be the most dangerous.*
Analyzing his companions' traits, Zhang Yuanqing raised a hand in agreement. "I have no objections. The roller coaster it is."
Without drawing attention, he yielded a bit of the initiative, no longer taking the lead on everything while still remaining somewhat active.
He had read the walkthrough and knew Xie Lingxi wasn't lying. The roller coaster looked thrilling, but its mechanics were actually the simplest.
Of course, whether the roller coaster's rules remained unchanged was unknown, but wasn't that true of any other ride as well?
"No objections from me."
"I don't have any either."
"Fine by me. A ride's a ride anyway."
With the decision made, the group headed toward the roller coaster. Guided by the signs, they went through a passageway and entered the building beneath the tracks.
It was a modest lobby with lockers to the left of the entrance and a ticket booth to the right. As they stepped inside, a Spirit Realm notification sounded by their ears:
[Ding! You have received one Roller Coaster Experience Ticket. Please arrive on the upper level within five minutes.]
[Ding! All excess items have been sealed. Please return to the lockers to retrieve them after completing the attraction.]
*Excess items...* Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously felt his pocket for the little blue pills and found they were still there. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Huo Mo cried out in shock:
"The inventory won't open!"
Alarmed, everyone immediately tried to summon their inventories, only to discover the function seemed not to exist.
Great Sage Equal to Heaven's voice trembled. "M-My skills aren't working either. What about yours?"
*!!!* Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank abruptly. He instinctively tried to activate Night Walk, but his Lunar force was locked tightly inside his body.
The others tested theirs as well, and sure enough, all of them had lost access to their skills.
This realization weighed heavily on the Spirit Realm walkers. Without their skills, how were they any different from ordinary mortals?
Just then, Ashamed to Be a Father spoke up:
"Active skills can't be used, but passive abilities are still there, and our physical fitness hasn't changed."
"We're already here. Let's head up," Zhang Yuanqing said, stepping onto the stairs first.
With heavy hearts, everyone ascended the stairs to the roof of the building. The rooftop was an open platform with two tracks laid across it, upon which sat a two-seater roller coaster train.
Looking at the roller coaster, the team fell into a tense silence, no one willing to step forward.
*Sigh, this is when Captain China needs to set an example. It fits the persona I projected from the start...* Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "The last time I rode a roller coaster was back when I was a student. My favorite spot was always the front row."
Under everyone's gaze, he boarded the first row and fastened his seatbelt.
The others breathed a slight sigh of relief and climbed aboard one after another.
"I'm afraid of heights..." Xi Shi put on a pitiful display, hesitating between Zhang Yuanqing and Hebo.
With just that moment of hesitation, Xie Lingxi, with her long, straight black hair, snatched the seat beside Zhang Yuanqing. Xi Shi had no choice but to sit with Hebo.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Xie Lingxi, who returned his look with a sweet smile.
Once everyone had fastened their seatbelts, Hebo, seated in the second row, said flatly, "Remember to close your eyes. No matter what happens, do not open them. Of course, if any of you want to test the rules with your life, you're more than welcome."
"You really don't mince your words, do you?" Huo Mo curled his lip.
Zhang Yuanqing turned his head to glance at the team behind him. In the second row sat Hebo and Xi Shi, and in the third were Ashamed to Be a Father and Huo Mo.
The rather timid Great Sage Equal to Heaven seemed to have been excluded, sitting all by himself in the fourth row.
At that moment, the track was electrified. A dull thud came from beneath the car, and the roller coaster slowly began to move.
Before pulling his gaze back, Zhang Yuanqing saw that everyone had closed their eyes.
He shut his eyes, feeling the train crawl along the tracks. It was very slow at first, seemingly ascending a steep incline, until the coaster reached the crest and came to a stop.
The next instant, a powerful sensation of weightlessness struck. Rushing wind roared in his ears, accompanied by a soft cry from Xi Shi.
Tense all over, Zhang Yuanqing listened intently to the sounds around him while silently counting the seconds.
After about two minutes, the speeding roller coaster slowed down and came to a halt.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and saw that the coaster had returned to the platform on the rooftop. Nothing seemed to have happened.
*Whew...* He let out a silent breath, only to hear a sudden cry of horror from behind him.
His heart seized. He spun his head around, his pupils contracting violently.
In the second row, Hebo's neck was entirely bare. His head was gone.
In the third row, Huo Mo was drenched in blood. Trembling, he cradled the severed head in his arms, his voice shaking:
"It... it didn't work...
"Keeping your eyes closed didn't work..."
Hebo's eyes remained tightly closed, his expression serene, as if he hadn't felt the slightest pain.
A chill crept up from the depths of everyone's hearts.
Chapter 48