Chapter 41: Mountain Pool Haunted House Arc (1)
Chapter 41: Mountain Pool Haunted House Arc (1)
Feng Bu Jue frowned slightly. “They’ve even listed the studio names. Seems Dream Corporation isn’t opposed to professional teams and Classplayers joining the game.”
“This isn’t great news for players like us who don’t have an ‘organization’ backing us,” Long Ao Min replied. “If the game company doesn’t restrict these studios, the upper echelons of the game could end up monopolized by a few groups. They could collude to control equipment market prices, hoard high-tier resources, or even manipulate intelligence networks.”
“Or maybe Dream Corporation believes Terrifying Paradise’s balance is flawless,” Feng Bu Jue countered. “The studios’ profit margins might already be system-limited, and your scenarios might be technically impossible to execute.” He paused. “But honestly, none of this is our problem to solve.” Changing the subject, he asked, “Long Ge, I’ve been wondering… are you a Classplayer?”
“Haha, why would that be an awkward question? Classplayers aren’t some shameful profession,” Long Ao Min chuckled. “I actually admire them, but no—I’m just a passionate gamer.”
“I see,” Feng Bu Jue said. “I thought you might be a solo Classplayer type.”
“Heh… Truth is, my playtime’s pretty limited. My wife is visiting her mother out of town for ancestral tomb-sweeping and family visits these two days, so I’ve been online more. But tomorrow…” He hesitated, avoiding the phrase “back to the station,” and instead said, “…I’ll be on duty at work, so I probably won’t log in.”
“Then let’s queue up scenarios tonight. We’ll aim for two or three Team Survival Mode runs,” Wang Tan Zhi said eagerly.
“Join the queue then,” Feng Bu Jue replied.
“I’m ready too. Let’s go,” Long Ao Min added.
Xiao Tan hummed in agreement, and the system prompt immediately played.
This time, Feng Bu Jue wasn’t the leader, so his options were limited. The prompt skipped the opening segment and cut straight to:
[Your squad has entered Team Survival Mode (Common). Team size random value generated: six players.]
[Your squad is now queuing. Searching for other ready players or squads.]
[Match found. Nerve connection synchronizing. Scenario generating…]
[Loading begins. Please wait.]
“Welcome to Terrifying Paradise.” The voiceover sounded like a man with multiple personalities—halfway through, the voice abruptly shifted to a different tone.
[Loading complete. You are now entering Team Survival Mode (Common).]
[This mode provides a scenario summary, with chances of side quests/hidden tasks and special worldviews.]
[Scenario Clearance Reward: Randomly select one learnable Skill Card.]
[Scenario summary will now play. The game will begin immediately afterward.]
The opening cutscene began in a mountain forest, the camera moving forward in first-person perspective. A narrator intoned: [One autumn night, you and several newly acquainted tour group members lose your way in the mountains. Starving and freezing, you trudge through dense cattails, past withered trees, and miraculously discover a solitary mansion.]
The screen revealed an ancient manor under a sky choked with low-hanging, ominous clouds. Beside the mansion lay a mountain pool, its waters reflecting the house’s decaying silhouette. Two windows on the water-facing wall resembled hollow eyes staring at their distorted reflections in the lake.
[An ominous aura seeps from the house, rising from the withered trees, gray walls, and stagnant pond. But you have no choice. The cold air bites your bones, and hunger dulls your caution. You decide to enter the mansion…]
The narration cut off abruptly. Feng Bu Jue blinked, finding himself already inside the mansion’s living room.
The room was spacious and high-ceilinged, with wooden flooring and 19th-century-style furniture and decor. The chandelier overhead and wall lamps were clearly electric, but no other modern appliances were visible.
Opposite the living room stood a staircase two meters wide leading to the second floor. Several doors lined the walls, and a dim corridor stretched behind the stairs, its depths obscured in shadow.
Feng Bu Jue spent a few seconds scanning the environment before settling his gaze on three unfamiliar players in the room.
First was a male player named Yongzhe Wudi. His name differed by one character from the famous Level 20 player “Fearless Hero,” though Yongzhe was far from that level—currently at Level 15. His title was [Rash Brawler]. Physically, he shared the tall, muscular build of Long Ao Min, though he lacked Long’s Arnold Schwarzenegger-esque physique in height, muscle mass, and presence.
The other two were female players, clearly a duo. Their spawn points were close, and their names hinted at their relationship: Siyu Ruoli and Beiling Xiaogu. Both were Level 13.
Siyu Ruoli appeared mid-twenties, with short hair grazing her neck. Though her face was attractive, it strangely failed to command attention. In an era where Gaming Pods allowed players to customize their avatars into flawless beauties or androgynous heartthrobs, her appearance seemed oddly restrained. Why hadn’t she maxed out her looks like most female players? Was her real-life face so unremarkable that this was her “best possible” version?
As Feng Bu Jue studied her, she met his gaze. A person’s eyes often defined their impression. If Feng Bu Jue’s gaze was calm, Siyu Ruoli’s was icy—a cold, unconscious killer’s stare, not forced or theatrical, but the natural look of someone accustomed to violence. Her title, [Merciless Decapitator], only reinforced this. Feng Bu Jue mentally groaned: Is the Security Bureau recruiting agents through the game now?
Beiling Xiaogu, meanwhile, seemed more approachable. She looked about twenty, with a heart-shaped face, long hair, and a fringe-free forehead. Her lips often curved into a faint smile, though her eyes remained emotionless. Her title, [Shrewd Gunner], suggested she specialized in ranged combat—and likely excelled at it.
“What?” Siyu Ruoli suddenly asked, her cold eyes fixed on Feng Bu Jue.
He realized he’d been staring. Flashing a smile, he quipped, “Your names… they remind me of ‘Pili’ (a famous Taiwanese puppet series).”
Siyu Ruoli ignored him, treating the comment like background noise. Feng Bu Jue’s smile faltered.
Beiling Xiaogu noticed and interjected with a laugh. “Reciprocal. Your Ids are pretty interesting too.” She knew her cousin hated small talk and defused the awkwardness.
To clarify: Siyu Ruoli’s maternal grandmother was Beiling Xiaogu’s paternal great-grandmother—a distant but existent familial link. Both were 22. Siyu had been quiet since childhood but fiercely independent, never losing a fight—even against male opponents. Beiling, meanwhile, was a mischievous, playful type with a higher IQ than Feng Bu Jue himself, though she lacked his obsessive reading habits or deductive mania.
“But why explain all this?” you ask. Because these two are the main heroines! After over thirty chapters, how could the female leads not appear yet? Were you secretly hoping for a romance with a system girl? Go read a light novel if that’s what you want, you cretin!
“Heh… Flattering,” Feng Bu Jue smoothly recovered, turning to Yongzhe Wudi. “Brother Wudi, are you related to ‘Fearless Hero’?”
“Same studio,” Yongzhe Wudi replied curtly, his tone dripping disdain. “Don’t ask anything else. I’m sick of being bombarded by ‘casual players’ like you.”
“Oh~ A Classplayer senior! What an honor,” Feng Bu Jue shot back, his sarcasm sharper than a scalpel.
Yongzhe snorted, tilting his head skyward like a petulant peacock. If not for the system’s restrictions, he might’ve launched into a tirade.
The tense atmosphere broke when a system voice chimed:
[Main Quest Triggered]
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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