https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-26-The-Mysterious-Shadow-City-Part-3-/13509873/
Chapter 25: Ghostly City Arc (Part 2)
Chapter 25: Ghostly City Arc (Part 2)
After the system voice announcement, Feng Bu Jue checked his game menu again and found the quest log had finally unlocked. This was his first official main quest. Previous training modes and common survival mode missions had been confined to small-scale indoor scenarios with limited choices, so the system hadn't bothered generating formal quests. Now, in team survival mode with its expansive open map, the system needed a central storyline to guide players toward the game's ultimate objective—otherwise, they might easily lose direction.
When Feng Bu Jue expanded the quest log, a new window popped up over the menu. The main quest's description was simple: [Search the city and locate the hellgate.]
"Feels like a fantasy setting", Feng Bu Jue muttered, closing the game menu after glancing at the quest.
"With this city's size, searching for a single gate would be like finding a needle in a haystack", Wang Tan Zhi said.
"The keyword here isn't 'gate'—it's 'demon,'" Feng Bu Jue replied. He walked to a nearby ticket vending machine, studying its subway map. "There are twelve subway lines, each marked by different colors... but look here." His finger traced the tangled lines before stopping at a specific area. "Among these overlapping routes, there's a section—" He spread his hands to cover surrounding lines, revealing only the central area. "Five intersecting lines form a perfect geometric shape—a pentagram."
"Bro, that's a stretch", Gudu Xiaoge interjected. "If you squint hard enough, you'll find all sorts of shapes in that mess."
"I stopped precisely because I'd already finished searching", Feng Bu Jue countered. Turning to face them, he continued, "Before ascending here, both the subway cars and platforms only showed single-line maps. This complete city map wasn't available below. Before the system prompt, we encountered no monsters and wasted little time—we'd done nothing substantial. Yet the quest triggered for a reason. If there were no activation conditions, we'd have received it while riding the subway. The system deliberately waited until we came up here."
He tapped the vending machine's map. "Twelve subway lines versus thousands of surface streets—this map wouldn't matter if it weren't significant. Unless we find a tourist map marked 'hellgate,' this subway layout must contain our clue."
Taking a breath, he concluded, "Unless someone presents a logically sound contradiction, I suggest we visit this area. If I'm wrong, we'll reassess. If I'm right, I'll claim the skill points, and we complete the quest together."
Silence followed his monologue. Wang Tan Zhi remained calm—he'd seen Feng Bu Jue's deductions countless times before.
Feng Bu Jue's analytical skills stemmed from his mastery of Reading Compulsion. A gifted individual with a balanced IQ of 69 in both brain hemispheres (138 total on the Binet scale), he possessed exceptional observational, memory, and reasoning abilities. Like Sherlock Holmes' famed deductive method, Feng Bu Jue meticulously organized knowledge—treating his mind as a library, discarding trivial information while keeping essentials accessible.
This disciplined approach wasn't theoretical. Through rigorous self-training, he'd transformed reading and deduction into habits. While most abandoned such self-improvement efforts midway, Feng Bu Jue persisted, turning intellectual rigor into second nature.
"Fair enough", Long Ao Min finally spoke, nudging Gudu Xiaoge. "Better than wandering aimlessly."
"Uh... yeah, sure", Gudu Xiaoge mumbled, still struggling to follow Feng Bu Jue's logic but instinctively impressed.
The five set out, with Long Ao Min leading. Feng Bu Jue guided them toward a surface exit, navigating past a corridor where an unexpected sight appeared—a hidden Terrifying Paradise game advertisement among ordinary posters.
Emerging into the moonlit cityscape, they found dim streetlights illuminating rows of parked, lifeless cars. Buildings stood dark—no neon signs, no household lights, only the steady glow of streetlamps. The air felt thick with unseen mist, muffling distant shapes. Underground, the subway's enclosed environment had felt manageable. Now, the oppressive silence outdoors became suffocating.
Four players' Terror Values fluctuated between 5-15%, their fear manifesting physically. Yet Feng Bu Jue remained unaffected. "Turn left after four blocks", he instructed casually, already mapping their route using visible landmarks.
Shield raised, Long Ao Min led them along well-lit sidewalks. Shadows whispered—bestial breaths, faint laughter, indistinct murmurs. Every sound teased the edge of comprehension.
After dozens of meters, Long Ao Min glanced back. "You must have a high-risk job in real life, right?"
"Artist", Feng Bu Jue replied flatly.
Wang Tan Zhi smirked—Feng Bu Jue's usual "occupations" were "artist" or "literary giant", both equally infuriating.
"Who calls themselves an artist?" Gudu Xiaoge scoffed.
"Fine", Feng Bu Jue adjusted, "I'm an artist with advanced aesthetic sensibilities and technical proficiency in creative production."
"You just defined the term!"
"More humble than claiming it outright, isn't it?"
"More arrogant, you mean!"
Jimo giggled as Gudu Xiaoge fumed. "If he didn't act clueless, how could I roast him?"
Suddenly, Feng Bu Jue halted, pulling out Mario's Pipe Wrench. "Just as the tension eased... trouble arrives."
Two shadowy figures darted through darkness ahead. Long Ao Min glimpsed only vague outlines—definitely not human. Feng Bu Jue's voice remained steady. "Deformed infant bodies with scythe-like arms. Fast. Multiple hostiles."
As he spoke, his Reconnaissance Proficiency activated, though he hadn't noticed yet.
(End of Chapter)
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