Chapter 249
Feng Bu Jue hurried back to the zero-numbered cell and strode directly to the plastic bucket in the corner. He lowered the magnet tied to the cloth rope into the bucket, attempting to "fish" for the Key or any other clue.
But unexpectedly, nothing was caught.
"What's going on? Not close enough?" Feng Bu Jue muttered to himself. He hadn't let the cloth rope or magnet touch the contents of the bucket directly, merely dangling them in midair.
"Wait... No... The clue isn't here", he suddenly realized, quickly pulling the cloth rope back up and retrieving the magnet. "If the system placed the next clue in the zero-numbered cell, what if I found it before escaping the room? Then the false tooth and magnet would become redundant clues that skip part of the puzzle."
He glanced again at the magnet's item description:
[Name: Broken Iron Bar]
[Type: Plot-Related]
[Quality: Common]
[Function: Generate Magnetic Field]
[Can Be Taken Out of Scenario]
[Background: This iron bar segment is crafted from natural lodestone.]
"The false tooth is a scenario item that can be converted into a puzzle piece card, so it might be expendable in theory. But this magnet is a story item that must stay within the scenario—it’s definitely meant for something", Feng Bu Jue mused. "Hmm... If the magnet is necessary, the next clue can’t possibly be hidden here. Without it, I could still find whatever’s in the feces bucket, albeit with more disgust..."
Clutching the magnet, he began reconsidering. "So what exactly... requires..."
"Could it be...?" Feng Bu Jue quickly formed a new hypothesis. Trotting back to Cell 4’s door, he stared at the iron door. "Is this how it works?" He chuckled dryly, stood on tiptoe, and reached his arm through the small iron-barred window at the top.
With all five iron bars intact, the window’s gap was narrow—only allowing a forearm through. But after removing one bar, his entire arm could pass.
Leaning against the door, he stretched his arm through the opening, feeling upward. Soon, he located a Key lodged at the top of the door’s interior side.
[Name: Key to Cell One]
[Type: Plot-Related]
[Quality: Common]
[Function: Disappears upon use. The door to Cell One can then be freely opened or closed.]
[Can Be Taken Out of Scenario]
[Background: Hung by a thin string on the back of Cell 4’s door.]
"What a pointless detail—like I need you to tell me where I found it!" Feng Bu Jue grumbled.
The Key’s hiding spot was deviously placed. Positioned slightly above the doorframe and nearly flush with the wall, it was invisible from any angle outside the cell. Even if a player could see its location, reaching it was impossible without first removing an iron bar and inserting their entire arm through the gap.
"Damn it..." Feng Bu Jue cursed as he strode toward Cell One. "Does every step have to be this convoluted? Why not just hide it in the feces? Simple and straightforward!"
With a metallic click, Cell One’s door swung open.
Feng Bu Jue stepped inside, pausing at the threshold for a minute to confirm that opening the door hadn’t triggered any traps before proceeding.
This cell also contained a small wooden cabinet. Without hesitation, he opened the drawer.
Inside lay a small clipping, palm-sized, written in a language resembling English but not quite. Feng Bu Jue couldn’t identify the script, but Terrifying Paradise’s system had an automatic translation function, so reading it posed no issue.
The moment he saw it, Feng Bu Jue grabbed the clipping like a junkie spotting drugs, holding it up eagerly to read:
"Demon Still Active"
"Since Wolf Spider Month, over forty residents have vanished. The National Wizard Association and the Church have both declared themselves powerless. Official spokespeople claim all seals in the town remain intact, with no clear evidence of demonic activity. Victims’ families and local nobles have issued a bounty: up to 20,000 sati for anyone resolving the case or providing critical assistance.
Recently, this newspaper obtained reliable information from a bounty hunter: the perpetrator is an heir of the Xingzu Clan. The criminal..."
The text abruptly ended, the rest missing.
"What the hell is this—a news article or a novel?" Feng Bu Jue flipped the clipping, hoping the reverse side would clarify things. Unfortunately, the back was smudged and illegible. Judging by the paper’s texture, however, it was undoubtedly a newspaper.
"Hmm... So this scenario’s set in a fictional world. The setting includes a Wizard Association, demons, bounty hunters... Sati must be the currency, though its purchasing power is unclear. Timekeeping is also ambiguous—while months exist, I don’t know how many days they have, how many hours in a day, or even how many meals they eat daily... The scratch marks on the zero-numbered cell’s wall now make it hard to estimate elapsed time", Feng Bu Jue mused. "This clipping clearly explains the plot. Unsurprisingly, this must be where the missing people were imprisoned. The small figure in the opening CG is the culprit—the Xingzu Clan heir mentioned in the newspaper."
Feng Bu Jue sat cross-legged on the floor, his thoughts spiraling: "Given this setup, it’s no wonder he could drag me around with one hand. Maybe Xingzu Clan members are naturally stronger, or perhaps everyone here possesses such strength." Rubbing his chin, he added, "Come to think of it, what do the people in this world even look like? Maybe they all have three eyes, beards on both genders, or fur-covered faces..."
A normal person might assume this was a scenario blending Western magic civilization with post-industrial technology.
But Feng Bu Jue’s mind soared elsewhere. "Scientifically speaking, the opening CG’s single figure—unseen face—can’t confirm theories. I’d need to observe at least a hundred locals to form a basic understanding of what constitutes 'normal' here. Until then, I can hypothesize anything."
He hadn’t seen anyone’s face in this world, so they could look like anything. He hadn’t witnessed arithmetic, so they might use a duodecimal system. He hadn’t seen sati currency, so it might be made from animal tongues...
In short, the world is finite, but imagination is infinite. What limits people is their own thinking. To Feng Bu Jue, "worldview" was a flexible concept. Countless novels depicted protagonists entering human-dominated worlds with altered histories or civilizations. But to someone like Feng Bu Jue, true normalcy would be arriving in a parallel universe ruled by gorillas or rhinoceros humanoids.
He sat on the floor for a long time, cross-referencing the newspaper’s limited details with his observations since entering the scenario.
The daily items, bed dimensions, door sizes, plastic bucket—all were clues.
"Still no breakthroughs", he shrugged after ten minutes, grinning. "Interesting."
Pocketing the newspaper clipping, he removed the first drawer from the small wooden cabinet, inspecting it 360 degrees. After confirming no writing or carvings existed, he opened the second drawer.
Inside lay something that could bring tears of joy:
【Function: Use to instantly disappear. Afterward, the door to Cell 2 can be freely opened or closed.】
【Can be taken out of scenario】
【Background: A key that’s extremely easy to obtain.】
“This background feels completely unhelpful—it’s just mocking players…” Feng Bu Jue muttered, then tucked the key away. With practiced ease, he carefully checked the second drawer as well before opening the bottom drawer.
This drawer was empty, but inside, written in blood, were two Arabic numerals: 38.
“Following standard puzzle-solving taolu… this should be part of a password, right?” Feng Bu Jue said, pulling the drawer out for inspection. After confirming this was the only clue, he stood up and searched the entire room again.
Before leaving, he made a new discovery: on the inner side of the iron door—the side facing the room—was a painted arrow. The arrow’s line wasn’t straight but curved upward into a convex arc, pointing to the right.
“Ohoh… I see now,” Feng Bu Jue chuckled as he looked at the clue.
He then entered Cell 2. The setup was identical: a small wooden cabinet. The top drawer held another clipping, but its content wasn’t a continuation of Cell 1’s.
“The Royal Arcane Corps has finally taken action, dispatching three armed alchemists and five mechanical military unit officers to this town. The civilian bounty has reached an unprecedented 100,000 sati. According to sources, the mysterious black magic-wielding bounty hunter—Kongque—has also appeared in the town.”
“Heh… getting more interesting by the minute,” Feng Bu Jue commented.
Mirroring Cell 1, the middle drawer of Cell 2’s cabinet held the key to Cell 3, while the bottom drawer displayed Arabic numerals: 69 this time. The iron door’s inner side also had an arrow pointing left, its line curving upward in the same semicircular arc.
Cells 3, 4, and 5 followed similar designs.
The three clippings read…
“The corpses of Kongque and three armed alchemists were discovered at the town outskirts. Authorities refused to comment, and panic is spreading locally. This morning, the new sheriff announced emergency reinforcements from neighboring towns and the Iron Blade Knight Corps. A night curfew has been imposed—anyone found outdoors after dark may be arrested, and resistance will be met with immediate force.”
“The curfew has lasted two weeks, effectively containing the situation. According to official updates, the missing persons count remains at 67 with no further increases. However, the curfew shows no sign of lifting before the Huan Niao Month.”
The third clipping had a title: “Xxingzu Clan Abductor—Dead?”
“Yesterday, the long curfew finally lifted. The Iron Blade Knights have withdrawn, and neighboring forces are retreating in batches. The Royal Arcane Corps’ investigation team has arrived. All signs suggest the case is resolved, yet authorities remain silent. The horror that plagued this town for nearly a lunar season seems to have vanished—but not a single missing person has returned, nor have any corpses been reported. Have the Xingzu Clan’s culprits truly been captured… or are they merely lying dormant in darkness?”
Feng Bu Jue neatly stacked all clippings in order and pocketed them. As for the numbers and arrows, he memorized them.
Holding the key to Cell 6, he entered. As expected, no small wooden cabinet awaited—only a large safe.
“Hmm… a mechanical compass lock with 80 graduations… lock-picking triggers automatic code destruction, leaving no trace. Compact, fully mechanical structure, no power required, adaptable to harsh environments… classics never fade,” Feng Bu Jue muttered, crouching before it. “Pity I already know the password…”
“So first, clockwise to 38, then… counterclockwise…” he muttered, beginning the lock-picking process.
After seeing Cell 1’s clue, he’d guessed this puzzle’s pattern. Those curved arrows and numbers indicated rotation directions and scales, while the room numbers dictated the steps.
After a few adjustments, the safe clicked open. A fool could’ve guessed what lay inside: the key to the basement level 1F’s prison door.
But then…
“What the hell…” Feng Bu Jue stared, feeling thoroughly tricked.
Inside the large safe was… a smaller safe.
This smaller safe was half the size of the large one. On top sat a glass vial. Feng Bu Jue picked it up and checked the item description:
【Name: Perfume】
【Type: Plot-related】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: Unknown】
【Can be taken out of scenario: Yes】
【Background: Fragrant and enduring, its aroma lingers.】
“What nonsense… ‘A fragrance that lasts forever, a bottle that endures’,” Feng Bu Jue mocked. “Hmm… but this is the third item I can take out of the scenario. Soap, false tooth, perfume… what’s next? Toothbrush?”
Carrying it in his pocket felt risky, so he placed it in his satchel. Now a proud owner of a 15-slot satchel, life was much easier compared to his cramped 10-slot days.
“Alright, let’s see how to open this small one…” Feng Bu Jue immediately tried the large safe’s password. Failed.
“Haha! Expected!” He reset the lock and reversed the sequence. Still failed.
“Can’t underestimate you, huh…” He halved all scales and tried again. Another spectacular failure.
“Aaaaargh!!!” Feng Bu Jue now envied pure combat players. Clenching his fist, he glared at the small safe. “All martial arts under heaven… nothing is unbreakable…” He activated his title ability 【Here Comes a Move】 with his martial arts proficiency.
His fist slammed into the safe, unleashing a powerful air blast with a thunderous roar. The impact shook the room.
Three seconds later, the technique ended. The safe remained unscathed, but Feng Bu Jue’s vitality dropped 3%, and his knuckles throbbed.
“Okay, I just wanted to say that line,” he self-deprecatingly remarked.
Sighing, he resumed lock-picking… but as he’d said, this lock’s design was ten points classic, boasting millions of possible combinations. Could anyone realistically test them all? Even if it were a six-digit lock with nearly a million combinations, with his luck, he’d need at least half a million attempts.
“Arrgh…” A surge of frustration rose in Feng Bu Jue. “This scenario… is practically forcing people to bash their own eggs in frustration?”
He abruptly stopped, stood up, and entered reasoning mode again. “What clues did I miss? Reversed numbers… addition/subtraction/multiplication… prime numbers…”
He pondered, tested, and repeated. Unknowingly, half an hour passed. During these thirty points, he tried nearly every possible combination, confirming one thing… this small safe’s password had nothing to do with the large one.
“Damn it!” In a rage, Feng Bu Jue yanked the small safe from the large one. “If only I had grenades…” Before he finished, the safe’s inertia slammed it onto his foot.
Unexpectedly, the safe was far heavier than it looked. With his current game strength, he could easily perform a 100kg snatch, so he hadn’t thought twice about pulling it. But now, he’d lifted an iron block only to crush his own foot.
Another 3% vitality loss. Don’t underestimate this—Feng Bu Jue was now a respectable level 7. He wasn’t some level 1 newbie who’d bleed from elbow-striking a Putrid Wall.
“Damn… so heavy…” Feng Bu Jue muttered. “Lead-antimony alloy?” The thought sparked an idea. “Wait… could it be…”
He sat down, tipped the safe over for inspection. Sure enough, at its base was a small circular hole…
(End of Chapter)
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