Chapter 51: Underground Parking Garage
Zhang Yuanqing listened to the notification chime in his ear, his expression perfectly composed even as realization crashed over him like a wave.
Designate the killer... Eliminate...
He had found it strange before. The dungeon had assigned him the role of squad captain, yet demanded he keep it secret. He couldn't vote out the traitor, couldn't reveal himself. What was the point of being captain at all?
Now he understood. This was where the captain's power lay.
His mind raced.
My role grants the power to eliminate. The evildoer must have a similar ability, which explains why River Lord died without anyone knowing how. But my power can only be exercised after completing a mission. If the killer wants to use their ability, there should be conditions too. What are those conditions? There's no way they'd just hand out a free kill.
I've already reviewed the footage from after we entered the dungeon and found nothing unusual. The trigger condition for the killer's elimination power must be something inconspicuous, something only they would know.
Who should he target, then?
Zhang Yuanqing's mind fired on all cylinders as he quickly narrowed it down to three candidates: Xie Lingxi, Fire Demon, and Xi Shi.
Among those three, the one he most wanted to eliminate was the girl with the long, straight black hair.
She was an exquisite little beauty, the kind that made you want to protect her on sight. But after learning that the Haunted House was among their upcoming attractions, he had genuinely felt the urge to point the finger at her.
That was only a momentary impulse, though.
The old strategy guide never mentioned anything about having to go through a series, or at least it wasn't written down. This must be a change triggered by the difficulty upgrade at Jinshui Amusement Park. Xie Lingxi most likely didn't know about it either. Now that it's at S-rank difficulty, perhaps it doesn't matter which attraction we choose, we'd end up in the Haunted House regardless. The only difference would be the order.
There's too little information right now. Rooting out the evildoer is nearly impossible. It's half-deduction, half-guess, and if I point at the wrong person, I lose a teammate for nothing and put myself at a disadvantage.
But if I do nothing, I'm definitely the next one to die. Then again, maybe I'll get lucky and actually pick the right one.
He found himself caught in a dilemma, torn between trusting his gut and gambling or playing it safe and observing a while longer. Both choices carried their own risks.
Since he couldn't make a decision as the squad captain, perhaps he should think from the evildoer's perspective instead. What would the traitor be thinking right now?
Their hidden mission should be to kill people, but I can't be sure whether they know the captain exists. I'll set that aside for now. But earlier, when I said I hadn't observed anything unusual and confirmed the eyes-closed strategy hadn't changed, that was a pretty obvious hint.
The killer isn't stupid. They should realize I 'suspect' there's a traitor in the group. So they'll proceed with caution, looking for the right opportunity to kill me. Exactly when that opportunity will arise is the critical question.
These roles are hidden missions, not the main questline. The killer also has to consider that killing too quickly will increase the risks they will face in the missions ahead.
Jinshui Amusement Park was S-rank in difficulty. Zhang Yuanqing refused to believe the evildoer's mission was simply to thin out the team.
If it were that simple, it wouldn't be S-ranked.
He continued to analyze the situation based on that line of reasoning.
Once the killer realizes these terrifying supernatural encounters can't be avoided no matter what, they're unlikely to kill at a high frequency. They need companions. They need cannon fodder. And someone like me, who's demonstrated a certain level of competence, makes for an excellent candidate to keep around.
That means the right time to kill me should be after clearing the Haunted House, or during the encounter itself.
These are all just my speculations for now. They still need verification. The Underground Parking Garage encounter will be the perfect chance to test the killer. There's half an hour until we have to reach the next place. I'll use this window to do another round of probing.
Having thought it through, Zhang Yuanqing decided to forfeit using his captain's power this time.
***
In the plaza, Fire Demon's composure crumbled the moment he received the Spirit Realm notification.
He glared at the delicate young girl. "Fuck! We can't avoid the Haunted House no matter what! Goddammit, you're going to get us all killed!"
Xie Lingxi pursed her lips, her voice small and aggrieved. "I... I didn't want this either. I didn't know the S-rank Spirit Realm would turn out like this. I've never been here before."
Fire Demon clawed at his fiery red hair in frustration, cursing as he went. "I knew we shouldn't have listened to you, throwing out random suggestions. Now what do we do? The Haunted House is definitely going to be extremely dangerous. What does the old strategy guide say? I think we should all discuss this."
Xie Lingxi shook her head. "I... I don't know. There are too many attractions in the amusement park. I only memorized some of them."
Fire Demon exploded. "You don't know? You think I'd believe that? Do I look like a three year old to you?!"
Xie Lingxi's eyes glistened, on the verge of tears. "Why are you being so mean?"
She looked about seventeen or eighteen, and was probably still a high school student. After being yelled at by Fire Demon, she stood there looking both wronged and helpless, as though she might burst into tears at any moment.
"Enough!"
The honest-faced middle-aged man spoke up for once, his voice cutting through their argument with rare authority.
He looked calmly at Fire Demon. "Nobody could possibly know what this amusement park dungeon would be like once the difficulty changed. This isn't her fault. Besides, the roller coaster was chosen through a group vote."
The middle aged man had a point, but Fire Demon's temper had already gotten the better of him. He refused to listen and glared right back.
"Who asked you to speak up when I'm talking? Are you playing the nice guy over here?" he demanded angrily.
"I'm not playing nice. I just want you to shut up. And if you won't shut up on your own, I can help you with that."
A flash of viciousness flickered through the unassuming middle-aged man's eyes, and vanished in an instant.
Zhang Yuanqing saw the situation escalating and knew it was time to step in. He hurried forward, wedging himself between the two men with a grin.
"Calm down, calm down. If you keep arguing, the half hour will be up before we know it. Uncle, do me a favor here. Once we clear Jinshui Amusement Park, drinks are on me. Fire Bro, after we leave the Spirit Realm, come find me anytime. I'm from Yangcheng. Yangcheng has the finest poached chicken, you know. Silky skin, tender meat, and so juicy..."
His clowning around and shameless grin diffused the tension like a pressure valve releasing steam. Fire Demon and the middle-aged man both took the offered exit ramp and let the matter drop.
The group of six followed the directional signs out of the plaza, winding through the brilliantly-lit amusement park.
A cool breeze drifted past them. The pitch-black sky stretched overhead like an endless curtain of black velvet. No stars. No moon. The dreamlike, dazzling lights of the amusement park were the only source of illumination in this entire world.
An empty roller coaster thundered along its tracks. The giant pendulum ride and the pirate ship swung ceaselessly back and forth. The carousel turned slowly to cheerful music. Unmanned bumper cars careened across their arena, crashing into each other at random.
As they walked, the atmosphere shifted from fairytale wonder to something distinctly unsettling.
Nobody spoke along the way. The mood between the team members was suffocatingly silent and rigid. Everyone maintained a certain distance from one another, neither pulling away nor drawing close.
Clearly, they had understood Zhang Yuanqing's earlier hint and had begun to harbor suspicions about the circumstances around River Lord's death. Now, he needed to probe them one by one. Not being able to reveal his identity was such a hassle, but at this point, Zhang Yuanqing honestly didn't care whether anyone guessed he was the squad captain.
It didn't matter. The moment the evildoer found a suitable opportunity, he would be the first to die, without any hesitation.
He quickened his pace toward Xie Lingxi.
"Lingxi, are you a high school student? Where are you from?" he asked cordially.
"I'm from Jiangnan Province, Bro Wang Tai. I'm in my third year of high school."
"What a coincidence! I'm a student at Jiangnan University. How about we exchange phone numbers? Once we clear Jinshui Amusement Park, I can tutor you on your homework. One on one, private lessons."
"Sure, sure!"
"So, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, if you have a boyfriend, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to give you private lessons."
"Huh? Why not?"
***
"Sis Xi Shi, what do you do for work?"
"I'm a nurse."
Oh, a nurse? The kind that puts on a uniform and gives injections?
Zhang Yuanqing composed himself and put on an expression of deep admiration. "I have the utmost respect for angels in white."
Xi Shi's eyes shimmered, her face full of flirtatious charm, and her voice turned honeyed and suggestive. "Actually, you don't need to be that respectful. I prefer men who are a little wild, a little rough, who just take charge."
Zhang Yuanqing went quiet for a beat, then broke into a smile. "We should sleep together sometime."
***
Zhang Yuanqing approached Ashamed Father next, and said casually, "Uncle, you have a daughter, don't you?"
The middle aged man narrowed his eyes and gave a low grunt of acknowledgment.
"Your relationship with her must be pretty bad, right?" Zhang Yuanqing asked openly.
The man's honest face darkened instantly, and his voice went ice cold. "That's none of your business."
"Sorry, sorry."
***
After putting some distance between himself and the middle-aged man, Zhang Yuanqing quickly caught up with the red haired young man walking at the front. The guy was rail thin, with small, sharp eyes and slanting brows that gave off an impatient, rough-edged impression.
A few compliments was all it took. Fire Demon broke into a grin, decided this kid had a way with words, and became willing to chat.
When Zhang Yuanqing asked for his take on their teammates, Fire Demon held nothing back. "None of these teammates are normal. The little girl's been playing the victim the whole time. The big chested woman looks easy, but when I asked her on the roller coaster platform if she wanted to go somewhere and have a go, she didn't even acknowledge me. And that uncle looks the least like a decent person out of all of us."
He glanced back at the flashy young man trailing beside Xie Lingxi, trying to curry her favor, and sneered with undisguised contempt. That was Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
"That guy's a useless piece of garbage," he scoffed. "Bro Wang Tai, I'd say you're the only one in this group I can stand to look at."
"You're too kind, too kind. Fire Bro, I think you're the most reliable one here."
***
Zhang Yuanqing finally sidled up to the flashy young man in his loafers and skinny jeans. "Great Sage, mind if we have a word?"
Great Sage Equal to Heaven cast a reluctant glance at Xie Lingxi before following Zhang Yuanqing off to the side.
Great Sage looked at the socially-gifted young man in front of him with questioning eyes. "What's up?"
"What do you think of those two girls?" Zhang Yuanqing asked with a sly grin.
Great Sage Equal to Heaven glanced at Xie Lingxi. "She's pretty, with a nice little perky butt. Her chest is on the small side, though."
Then he looked over at Xi Shi. "Great chest, and a round butt. But she doesn't give anyone the time of day."
As for Fire Demon and the middle-aged man, he considered the former too hot-tempered and hard to get along with, best kept at arm's length, while the latter was quiet, but occasionally offered solid advice.
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly lowered his voice. "If I die, do whatever it takes to kill that uncle. He's an Evil class."
Great Sage Equal to Heaven jolted with shock. His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open reflexively before he clamped it shut. His expression shifted to one of wariness and caution.
***
Ten minutes later, the group arrived at the underground parking garage on the west side of the amusement park and stopped at the top of the ramp.
Looking down the slope, they could see fluorescent lights glowing inside the garage. Rows of dust-covered cars sat in orderly lines, barely visible in the harsh light.
The garage was deathly silent.
Zhang Yuanqing turned to Xie Lingxi and asked the question on everyone's mind.
"What's the strategy for this stage?"
