WTNL Chapter 116

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Fantasy Amusement Park
Chapter 116: Welcome to the Fantasy Amusement Park

The entire pirate ship seemed hollowed out, with crooked and narrow corridors stretching into the darkness.

“Ding-ling-ling——”

The piercing alarm sound echoed through the air, the monotonous and sharp metallic tone resembling a death knell, resonating again and again with an ominous meaning.

Amidst the darkness, Wen Jianyan was running alone.

At this moment, the previously almost-dead silence was shattered. In the resounding alarm, urgent footsteps could be heard approaching from all directions, closing in with each passing second.

Regardless, this was definitely not a good omen.

Separated by thin walls, he could hear the pursuit sounds coming from various directions. No shouting, no yelling—just the unsettling sound of heavy footsteps echoing in the air, drawing nearer in an eerily efficient manner.

Wen Jianyan retreated in the direction he came from at the fastest speed. Soon, he arrived back at the staircase leading downward. However, before he could run up the stairs, he caught sight of looming shadows at the end of the staircase from the corner of his eyes.

…Damn it, there are pursuers ahead too.

It seemed escaping through the way he came was no longer an option.

Wen Jianyan cursed under his breath, swiftly activated an invisibility prop on himself, and then turned to run in the opposite direction!

As he ran, he rapidly considered his escape options.

Using the invisibility prop repeatedly wasn’t a sustainable solution.

He was too unfamiliar with this map. With the exit blocked and the encirclement tightening, even if he could temporarily hide himself, he could only wander aimlessly like a headless fly. There was almost no chance of escape.

Just as he was contemplating, suddenly, footsteps resounded again from a corridor ahead!

Wen Jianyan’s breath caught, even though the invisibility prop was still active. Instinctively, he reacted, pushing open a nearby cabin door and slipping inside.

Inside the cabin, it was dim and stuffy.

Wen Jianyan held onto the doorknob with one hand and pressed his other hand against the door panel, keeping it in a state that appeared closed but was not actually locked. This allowed him to observe the movements outside the corridor while also ensuring that he was ready to react at any moment. 

Advancing when possible and defending when necessary.

His muscles were tense all over, and his breathing involuntarily grew lighter, like a feline creature lurking in the darkness, waiting silently.

Through the tightly closed door, he could hear the chaotic sounds from outside. The footsteps grew louder step by step, pounding heavily in his chest. They didn’t linger, passing directly by the door and gradually fading away.

Wen Jianyan let out a sigh of relief.

This instance was truly bizarre, and this pirate ship was the epitome of the strange.

Although the entire chase had lasted only a few short minutes, his palms were already covered in a layer of cold sweat, clammy and sticky. The sound of his heart pounding echoed in his ears, lingering and refusing to subside.

Soon, silence returned to the corridor.

It seemed they had already left.

Wen Jianyan slowly relaxed his grip on the door handle and turned his head to look at the room behind him.

The room before him was unlit, shrouded in an indigo shadow.

Empty and desolate, only a chair sat in the center of the room, with a red button beside it that stood out starkly in the darkness.

Wen Jianyan was involuntarily startled slightly.

He mentally retraced the route he had just escaped, overlaid it with his previous knowledge of the map, and quickly realized where he was on the ship.

When a “sailor” on the pirate ship felt thirsty, they needed to flip their badge and come to the room on the right side of the corridor to press the button.

And this was the very room where he initially pretended to be thirsty, prepared to enter, but changed his mind before going in, only lingering at the doorway for a while.

Staring at the eerily quiet room before him, Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but feel a tingling sensation on his scalp.

So, was it just a coincidence that he was chased back to this room? 

Or…

Was it some mysterious force guiding him?

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath.

Regardless, this room couldn’t be an ordinary place. There might be crucial clues here. He steadied his emotions, carefully avoiding the red button, and began to thoroughly search the entire room with expertise.

Unfortunately, the entire room was too empty, and within a few minutes, Wen Jianyan had searched through it all, but there was hardly any gain.

Wen Jianyan frowned, a faint look of frustration appearing on his face.

How could this be possible?

In a location so prominently mentioned in the rules, could there really be no clues? 

Or was it just that he didn’t know how to find them?

Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, walked forward slowly, and sat down on the chair.

He didn’t press the button, nor did he make any unnecessary movements.

He just sat there, motionless, and closed his eyes.

In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[???]

[What’s the anchor doing?]

[I don’t know, I’m confused too.]

[Could it be that he’s preparing to wait here until the end? Doesn’t seem like it…]

[Speaking of which, has any anchor been here before? Can any long-time fans of Fantasy Amusement Park give a quick rundown? How did it end?]

[Came here and die, it’s over.]

[…]

[…Damn, you’re making it sound too simple!]

[Waaah, I’m starting to get scared for the anchor, help!]

The young man with clown makeup on his face sat quietly in the center of the room on a chair. The makeup on his face appeared even more vivid and beautiful in the shadows and darkness. His features and expression were entirely hidden beneath the paint, making it impossible to discern what he was thinking.

The slender fingers hanging at his side moved slightly, lifting slowly and coming to rest on the button.

In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live  broadcast room:

[???!!!]

[Aaah, what is the anchor trying to do? I’m getting so anxious!]

[Damn, damn, damn, he’s not going to press it, is he? He can’t actually be about to press it?!]

However, the young man’s fingertip merely brushed lightly against the button, gliding gently along the cold metal edge. He moved downward, tracing delicately along the armrest of the chair, gliding through every seam. The motion was soft and slow, appearing almost like the caress of a lover’s skin.

In the barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[!! I understand now!]

[Huh? Upstairs, what do you mean you understand?]

[Haven’t you all realized? In this scenario, all the clues from the amusement park are not hidden. Whether it’s park rules or staff rules, they’ve been placed right in front of the anchors. However, this room has nothing, completely empty without any furniture or rules. It’s as if everything has been deliberately erased. So, if there really is a clue here, it definitely doesn’t come from the amusement park’s side.]

[Then who else is there?]

[Use your brain! Besides them, who else would come here?]

[Oh, I see now! This must be a simulation exercise. If you imagine yourself as a sailor sitting in a chair, about to press a button, where would he hide the clue?]

[Darn! I get it too. Thanks to the expert before us!]

[Everyone’s busy analyzing the situation, and I’m the only one recording the screen?]

[Upstairs, wait for me!! I can’t take my eyes off the anchor’s hands at all, ahhh!]

[Darn, seriously! Even though he hasn’t done anything, I’m even feeling awkward about this technique! Babbling nonsense!]

[I actually believe it, a wife’s hands are really good!!!!]

Wen Jianyan’s hand had already moved to the edge of the chair, and his soft fingertips brushed lightly underneath, seemingly discovering something suddenly, and his movement abruptly paused.

“Crack.”

A faint sound of wood being peeled off rang out.

Wood chips fluttered down to the ground.

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[?!]

[???!?!]

[Aaaaaahh, is this for real? Did he really find it!!! Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! (50 reward points)]

In the darkness, Wen Jianyan slowly opened his eyes.

Silently, he withdrew his hand from under the chair, and between his slender fingers was a small piece of white paper, neatly folded, just enough to fit into the narrow gap under the chair.

In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:

[Dammit…]

[Dammit!!!]

[Dammt!!!!!]

***

Whether on the deck or inside the cabin, the alarm sound echoed fiercely in the air, never ceasing.

The massive instruments continued to hum, and the floor underfoot vibrated slightly along with the operation of the instruments.

Since the conveyor belt had stopped transporting, no indicator lights lit up anymore. All employees stationed at their posts were forced to halt and stand in place, waiting.

In stark contrast to the noisy environment, there was an almost eerie silence among all the workers.

Due to the rules, no one spoke, and no new instructions appeared.

What had happened?

Had something gone wrong?

Not sure.

Everything was unknown.

Yun Bilan stood in place, her body confined within a thick headgear and suit. Whether it was the sound of her breath or the heavy thumping of her heart, it all came back to her with great clarity.

She discreetly glanced toward the spot where Wen Jianyan had just been standing.

Another employee had taken his place, and the clown who had been there before had vanished long ago.

… Did he do it?

What did he do? Was he discovered?

Countless speculations floated in Yun Bilan’s mind, but none of them were optimistic.

At that moment, the sound of footsteps reached the cabin from outside, mixed with the buzzing and roaring machine sounds, giving an extremely ominous feeling.

Soon, a group of new employees appeared in their field of vision.

The moment Yun Bilan saw the suits they were wearing, her breath involuntarily caught in her throat.

They were dressed in green suits, and the headgear they wore was a comical cartoon frog – Mr. Ribbit, of all things!

Up until now, within the entire park, they had only seen one employee wearing a Mr. Ribbit uniform, the one who provided explanations at the entrance. Besides that one, they had never come across a second one.

And now, more than a dozen Mr. Ribbits walked in from outside.

They didn’t speak dormake a sound; they just walked in silently. Coupled with the comically smiling frog heads, it gave off an inexplicable eerie feeling.

“…”

Amidst the intense buzzing noise, Mr. Ribbits walked in a row, each holding a peculiar-looking device in their hands, scanning the badges on each employee’s chest.

Yun Bilan watched with wide eyes as one Mr. Ribbit paused in front of her.

“Di—”

A faint light swept across the badge, emitting a mechanical sound.

Yun Bilan suddenly realized what they were doing.

They were screening.

***

In the dim room.

Accompanied by the rustling sound of paper friction, the small folded piece of paper was slowly unfolded. Its surface was wrinkled, and it still bore traces of dried brownish-red blood.

Wen Jianyan turned on his flashlight, examining the densely packed words on the paper under its light.

[(Neat and small handwriting at the beginning)

When you see this note, I’m afraid I’ve already died (the word “died” is crossed out and replaced with “disappeared”). I must write down everything I know. I don’t want to ■■■■ (the following words are smudged and unclear).

I’m an employee here, and I’ve been polluted or am about to be polluted. All the employees have been polluted. We are the living, we are the dead, or we are neither the living nor the dead. Employees with a low degree of pollution will start festooned vehicle parade, while those with a high degree of pollution will come to the pirate ship. Here, we will be categorized, ■■■■ (these words are crossed out).

If you can find this note, it means you’re just like me, digging too deep. You’re in danger, and you’re about to die (the word “die” is crossed out and replaced with “disappear”).

Fantasy Amusement Park isn’t a park, not a park, not a park. (These words are heavily crossed out with enough force to almost tear the paper).

Don’t explore, don’t think, don’t linger, don’t believe; leave. Leave as fast as you can. Run far away. My map is hidden on the deck. Find the map; run, run.

All the rules here are traps. Don’t believe in any rules. They’re trying to make you believe, believing is wrong, believing is frightening, believing is dangerous.

Don’t believe, don’t believe, don’t believe.

(The handwriting begins to gradually become sloppy, seemingly approaching madness.)

Frogs are food, frogs are tools, and frogs are sacrifices. Frogs won’t harm you; what harms you isn’t the frogs.

■ is dangerous, ■ will harm you, ■ is ■■■■.

(The handwriting becomes so messy to the point of almost being incomprehensible.)

After the festooned vehicle parade, the park will close. You must make sure to rush before…

(After a blank space, the handwriting suddenly becomes neat and proper.)

Welcome to Fantasy Amusement Park, where the gates of the Kingdom of Joy are open to you.

Fantasy Amusement Park is a wonderful place for family fun. Welcome to bring your entire family to play, bring more and more people. Welcome, welcome.]

The last few lines are hastily crossed out, and the dark ink extended toward the ragged end of the paper like an unfinished note, carrying a terrifying meaning that makes one’s heart stop.

Wen Jianyan flipped the paper over.

There were only two large, messy words written on it: [Escape quickly]

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The author has something to say:

 It’s okay if you don’t understand, you’ll understand soon enough.

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