Chapter 14
Chapter 14
The second room was even more unsettling than the first. Faces were drawn densely across every wall, floor, and ceiling, creating an eerie, empty space with only a single safe sitting isolated in the center.
“This puzzle’s a bit too obvious,” Feng Bu Jue remarked, walking straight to the safe and crouching to examine it. “Then again, it’s a training mode. They probably assumed players wouldn’t think clearly under fear.” His tone hinted at boredom.
Wang Tan Zhi followed, unnerved by the lifelike faces staring from the walls. No two were alike, and the sensation of being watched sent chills down his spine.
“Senior Feng, should we move the safe out first?” Wang Tan Zhi asked.
“Three minutes max,” Feng Bu Jue replied, standing up and pulling out six face sketches. Holding them up to the wall, he scanned the drawings. “Approach the safe, and the system prompts you to enter a six-digit code.” His gaze stopped abruptly. “There.” He moved to a wall, tilting his head left. “All these faces are just distractions.” He pointed. “Six consecutive faces, aligned diagonally—matching the sketches exactly.” Comparing the grotesque faces one by one, he recited, “Four, one, six, three, five, two,” aligning the sketch numbers with the sequence on the wall.
Returning to the safe, he input the code. “If you’d only glanced at the first room without searching thoroughly, you’d miss the sketches. Without them, you’d never crack this.” He glanced back. “The answer was in the brightest area when the door opened, but without the sketches, even knowing the code’s here wouldn’t help.”
The safe clicked open, revealing a key and a card.
“Miscalculation,” Feng Bu Jue muttered after inspecting the items.
“What’s wrong?” Wang Tan Zhi, now calmer with his Terror Value at 3%, asked.
“The key’s useful, but this…” Feng Bu Jue handed him the card.
Name: Explosive Divine Fist
Skill Card Attribute: Active Skill (2 uses before disappearance)
Skill Category: Martial Arts
Effect: Detonates upon impact, dealing fire damage
Consumption: 50 Stamina Value
Learning Requirement: Martial Arts Proficiency F
Note: Boom!
“I expected equipment, not a skill,” Feng Bu Jue sighed.
“Wait—how did you know there’d be a reward?”
“Isn’t it obvious? While this mode offers no extra rewards beyond experience, the scenario still provides two paths to victory,” Feng Bu Jue explained. “We’re taking the puzzle route instead of brute force.” He handed Wang Tan Zhi the key and led him out.
“Players taking the combat route overcome fear, fight efficiently, and gain Proficiency Level. As their level rises, they unlock combat skills and earn Skill Points. Our approach prioritizes overall efficiency—solving puzzles reduces combat, letting us control the scenario. But we’ll lag in Proficiency Level, so the system compensates with more Skill Points.”
Wang Tan Zhi nodded. “But training mode has no Skill Points. So puzzle-solvers get direct item rewards instead?”
“Exactly.” Feng Bu Jue tested the third room’s locked door, then used the key. It vanished as the door opened.
The third room was clean, with a desk against the wall and a notebook atop it.
“By the way, how many Proficiency Levels have you unlocked?” Feng Bu Jue asked, picking up the notebook.
“Martial Arts and Universal, both F. What about you?”
“I’ve only unlocked Universal.” Feng Bu Jue flipped the notebook open. “How did you unlock Martial Arts?”
“I killed some monkey-like creatures in the tutorial. The system granted me F-level Martial Arts. Universal appeared after the tutorial ended.”
“I see. We should unlock all six Proficiencies soon.” Feng Bu Jue mused, then added, “Equip that skill card. You’ll need it.”
Feng Bu Jue had just acquired his first skill card too. When he picked it up, the system confirmed his skill slots were unlocked.
Terrifying Paradise allowed twelve skill slots, adjustable only before a scenario. Once equipped, skills bound to the player, becoming data in their menu. Selling required keeping cards un-equipped, as equipping erased the physical card.
Exceptions existed—like skill cards in item forms (e.g., tablets, boxes)—but players couldn’t carry extras into scenarios.
“But why does this skill disappear after two uses?” Wang Tan Zhi asked.
Feng Bu Jue, engrossed in the notebook, replied, “Skill cards fall into three active types: permanent, time-limited, or consumable. Passive skills are only permanent or time-limited. Yours is consumable—two uses, then it’s gone.”
“Feels cheap…”
“Not at all. At your current stamina, you’d barely land two punches. Use it wisely, and you won’t need a third.” Feng Bu Jue paused. “A permanent version would demand higher Proficiency and stamina. Otherwise, skills’d be too easy—imagine a level-50 shooter using a free F-level punch for 50 stamina. Unbalanced, right?”
Wang Tan Zhi nodded. “Makes sense. Though if a skill cost 101 stamina at F-level, that’d be unfair.”
“Also, F-level Proficiency means only a 20% chance to activate skills. Low-level players might fail entirely.”
“Still feels unfair!”
“That’s why I hoped for gear. I checked the forums—early guides say gear’s the biggest boost at low levels. But fine-grade gear’s rare. Once you hit level ten, low-level gear becomes useless. Without a marketplace, it clutters your satchel.” He closed the notebook.
“Wait—another miscalculation,” Feng Bu Jue suddenly said.
“What now?” Wang Tan Zhi tensed, gripping his fruit knife toward the corridor. Only bloodstains on the far wall greeted him.
“Next time, you should open chests. I’ll just give you the method,” Feng Bu Jue said.
“Pfft, luck’s just probability. You think you’d always get trash?”
“I’d love to go outside and chuck a stone at you.”
“Fine, I’m sorry.”
Feng Bu Jue stashed the notebook. “Let’s go. I’ll explain the scenario’s story as we move.”
(End of Chapter)
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