No one answered Xishi's question. Only a young girl named Xie Lingxi hesitated, her lips parting as if she wanted to speak, but then closing again.
Still not enough trust, Zhang Yuanqing thought. Are they reluctant to reveal their official affiliations, or is it that, aside from me, none of the Walkers here have official backgrounds?
Just as Zhang Yuanqing was considering giving a hint, the Black Hoodie Riverlord spoke in a cold tone:
"We've been in the Spirit Realm for several minutes now, and it hasn't given us any clues. This means we'll have to rely entirely on ourselves to clear it. If you know anything, it's best not to hide it. We're all in this together."
Xie Lingxi raised her hand slightly and whispered, "I know some information from the old version of the Instance. The Spirit Realm's description has changed."
Is she with the Official Organization? Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized the young girl.
Hearing this, Riverlord frowned. "The Spirit Realm's description has changed... I think I understand now. The reason Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty has been adjusted lies within the altered description itself. Does anyone remember what it said?"
"I forgot," the red-haired Fire Fiend said, scratching his head.
Xishi glanced at him and subtly moved away, smiling softly. "An indescribable being has come here. It was she who changed Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty level. She instructed the Spirits in the park to help her find someone whose name has four characters. Who could it be?"
"It doesn't matter who it is," Ashamed Father couldn't help butting in. "This person is just backstory. What matters is the 'Spirit' in the amusement park. Could it be that Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty was raised to S-Rank because the Spirit received the blessing of that entity, making it exceptionally powerful?"
The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, wearing beanies, skinny jeans, and a blazer, his eyes lit up. "That makes sense, Uncle! You're really smart."
Riverlord nodded slightly, acknowledging the middle-aged man's theory. "Then we should avoid rides with supernatural elements and stick to simpler attractions to minimize risk."
He turned to Xie Lingxi. "Do you know the detailed walkthrough from the old version?"
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing planned to preempt the girl and share the old version's information first, to maintain control of the conversation. But just then, a "ding" echoed in his mind—a Spirit Realm notification:
[ Due to your outstanding performance, you have triggered a hidden quest. You have been appointed Captain of the team. Warning: An evil-aligned individual is hidden within the group. Ensure the team size remains at 3 or more, or face punishment: your current level experience will be reset to zero. ]
[ Warning: Conceal your role identity. ]
A hidden quest?! Zhang Yuanqing's mind flashed with a curse, but his face remained impassive as his heart sank like a stone.
The Instance was already fraught with danger, and now a Werewolf had infiltrated the team, making the challenge exponentially harder.
My hidden quest is to ensure the team size remains at least three. Therefore, the villain's mission must be to reduce the team to fewer than three, or even wipe us out entirely.
To maximize our chances of success, exposing and eliminating the villain early would be ideal. But I can't prove my own identity, and the team's trust is too fragile. Any attempt to outsmart them could backfire, leading to me being falsely accused of being the Werewolf.
In that moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt he couldn't trust anyone, not even the sweet girl named Xie Lingxi, who now seemed like a wolf in human skin.
Wait! Jinshui Amusement Park is a Multiplayer Spirit Realm open to all classes. Could there be Evil Class members among us?
Given the inherent conflict between factions, an Evil Class member would undoubtedly be the villain. A ruthless idea flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind: use the Red Dancing Shoes to force the team members to reveal their abilities. The Evil Class member would be exposed instantly.
"No, that would be too reckless. It would leave no room for maneuver and, besides, is it really that simple? What if I'm wrong?" He exhaled silently, abandoning the idea of summoning the Red Dancing Shoes.
If there were no Evil Class members in the team, such an action would immediately turn his teammates against him, ending the game before it even began.
"So, I have to guide the team through the project while simultaneously uncovering the Evil Class members? Truly worthy of an S-Rank Multiplayer Spirit Realm. As challenging as the Mountain God Temple, though in a different way."
The instance hadn't even started, yet Zhang Yuanqing's heart already felt heavy.
"I know the old攻略, but I don't remember every detail," Xie Lingxi said.
"Aww, you're so smart, little sister! You must be with the Official Organization, right? Mind if I stick with you, sis?" Xishi cooed.
One overly naive, the other harboring ulterior motives. Zhang Yuanqing observed the two women with a neutral expression.
At that moment, Black Hoodie Riverlord glanced coldly at Zhang Yuanqing and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment before replying, "Based on initial assessment, the difficulty increase seems concentrated in facilities with supernatural elements. The other tasks might remain largely unchanged. Therefore, we should select a task with a very low difficulty level from the old攻略."
A hint of approval flickered across Riverlord's somber expression as he nodded. "Exactly my thinking. No wonder you're a seasoned player who's conquered multiple Spirit Realms."
He turned to the group. "Any objections?"
Everyone nodded in unison, as if lacking independent thought.
Riverlord addressed Xie Lingxi. "Little girl, which facility do you think we should try?"
Xie Lingxi pursed her lips, her dark, round eyes darting around before pointing to the steel tracks that undulated like a dragon's spine. "That one's the easiest."
The group's eyes twitched at the sight of the roller coaster. Xishi forced a smile. "Why?"
"The old method for clearing it was simple: get on the car, close your eyes the whole time, and wait for the roller coaster to complete three circuits of the track."
"This..." Qi Tiandasheng, the streetwise young man known as Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, glanced up at the towering steel tracks, his courage faltering. He pointed to the nearby carousel. "What about that one? It looks pretty safe."
Xie Lingxi shook her head, her expression earnest. "The carousel is only for children. Adults who ride it will never be able to get off. It's not physically dangerous, but it will keep spinning forever."
"If we go up there, we'll all be wiped out?" The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, silently took a step back and fell silent.
"Then, if no one objects, let's choose the roller coaster," Riverlord said calmly, then suddenly scoffed. "To be matched into Jinshui Amusement Park, I wouldn't guarantee everyone's brilliance, but surely none of us are fools."
This Riverlord was deliberately or unconsciously vying for control of the conversation. Xie Lingxi seemed naive at first glance, but could someone truly naive be matched into an S-Rank Spirit Realm? Xishi had been probing everyone's identities from the start, and her flirtatious demeanor might well be an act.
Ashamed Father, despite his outwardly simple and honest appearance, had pinpointed the "supernatural element" as the key danger, proving his inner complexity belied his humble facade.
The Great Sage, Heaven's Equal, was somewhat cowardly and lecherous, lacking any remarkable qualities. Still, he wasn't among the most troublesome of the group. I felt the Fire Fiend was the safest choice, provided we could confirm he was a Fire Master. Otherwise, he would be the most dangerous.
Analyzing his companions' traits, Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand in agreement. "I have no objections. Let's go with the roller coaster."
Without realizing it, he had subtly relinquished some of his initiative, no longer taking the lead in every decision while still maintaining a certain level of engagement.
Having read the walkthrough, he knew Xie Lingxi wasn't lying. The roller coaster might seem terrifying, but its gameplay was actually the simplest.
Of course, whether the roller coaster's gameplay remained unchanged was unknown, but surely the other attractions wouldn't be the same?
"I have no objections."
"Me neither."
"Fine, whatever. It's all just playing anyway."
Having made their decision, the group headed toward the roller coaster. Following the signs, they passed through a tunnel and entered the building beneath the tracks.
It was a small lobby. To the left of the entrance were lockers, and to the right was a ticket window. As they stepped inside, the Spirit Realm's notification chimed in their ears:
[ Ding! You have received a roller coaster experience ticket. Please proceed to the upper level within five minutes. ]
[ Ding! Your excess items have been sealed. Please retrieve them from the lockers after the ride. ]
Excess items. Zhang Yuanqing instinctively reached for the small blue pill in his pocket and found it still there. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Fire Fiend cried out in alarm:
"I can't open my Inventory!"
The group panicked and immediately tried to summon their Inventories, only to discover the function seemed to have vanished entirely.
Great Sage, Heaven's Equal's voice trembled: "I... I can't use my skills either! What about you guys?"
Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. Instinctively, he attempted to activate Night Roaming, but his Lunar Power remained firmly sealed within him.
The others made their own attempts, confirming they had indeed lost their skills.
This phenomenon weighed heavily on the Spirit Realm Walkers. Without their skills, what distinguished them from ordinary people?
At that moment, "Ashamed Father" spoke up:
"We can't use active skills, but our passive abilities remain intact, and our physical attributes haven't changed."
"We've come this far. Let's go up," Zhang Yuanqing said, taking the lead up the steps.
The group followed him, their hearts heavy, as they ascended the steps to the building's rooftop. The rooftop was a platform with two sets of iron rails laid across it, upon which sat a two-seater roller coaster.
The team members stared at the roller coaster in silence, no one making a move.
Sigh, this is where I, the Chinese Captain, need to set an example. It fits the persona I've been cultivating, Zhang Yuanqing thought with a smile.
"The last time I rode a roller coaster was back in my student days. I always loved sitting in the front row."
Under everyone's watchful eyes, he climbed into the front seat and fastened his seatbelt.
The others breathed a collective sigh of relief and began boarding the coaster as well.
"I'm afraid of heights," Xishi said, feigning a pitiful expression as she hesitated between Zhang Yuanqing and Riverlord.
In that moment of hesitation, Xie Lingxi, with her sleek black long straight hair, snatched the seat next to Zhang Yuanqing, leaving Xishi no choice but to reluctantly settle next to Riverlord.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her, and she returned a sweet smile.
Once everyone was buckled in, Riverlord, sitting in the second row, said calmly:
"Remember to keep your eyes closed. No matter what happens, do not open them. Of course, if any of you wish to test the rules with your lives, I welcome it."
"You really have a way with words," Fire Fiend muttered, pursing his lips.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at his team. Riverlord and Xishi sat in the second row, while Ashamed Father and Fire Fiend occupied the third. The somewhat timid Great Sage, Heaven's Equal seemed to have been ostracized, sitting alone in the fourth row.
At that moment, the track electrified, and a thud reverberated from beneath the roller coaster as it slowly began to move.
Before turning back, Zhang Yuanqing noticed everyone had closed their eyes.
He closed his own eyes, feeling the roller coaster crawl along the rails. Initially, it moved very slowly, as if climbing a steep incline. When the coaster reached the peak, it paused.
The next instant, a powerful sensation of weightlessness surged through him. The roar of wind filled his ears, punctuated by Xishi's small gasp of surprise.
Zhang Yuanqing tensed, listening intently to the sounds around him and silently counting the seconds.
Approximately two minutes later, the speeding roller coaster began to slow down, eventually coming to a complete stop.
Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes to find the coaster back on the platform atop the building. Nothing had happened.
Phew. He exhaled silently, only to hear a sudden gasp behind him.
His heart jolted. He twisted around and his pupils contracted violently.
Riverlord, seated in the second row, had an empty space where his neck should have been, his head missing.
In the third row, the Fire Fiend's face was covered in blood. He shakily cradled his own severed head in his arms, his voice trembling:
"No, it's no use.
"Closing my eyes doesn't work."
Riverlord's eyes were tightly shut, his expression serene, as if he felt no pain.
A chill crept into the hearts of everyone present.