Thriller Paradise Chapter 171

Sometimes, we would see the host play tricks in some sort of guessing gameshows. For example, there would be three curtains on the stage, and the host would tell the contestants that behind one of these curtains was a brand-new car while nothing was behind the two other curtains. He would then let the contestants choose one among the three curtains.

The contestant would then choose the first curtain, which the host knew fully well that it was where the car was hidden. He would instead go to the third curtain and reveal it. There would be nothing behind it, of course. The host, after that, would go to the contestant and ask, "Are you sure you still want to choose the first curtain? Do you want to change it?"

Most people would not change their choice due to fear or have a bigotry thinking that the host was playing reverse psychological tricks to entrap them. But in fact, no matter where the car was — let alone the emotional factor, based on statistic, according to the change in variants in making a choice — people tended to choose the second curtain.

Feng Bujue didn't pick the first door after a number of considerations. No matter if it was him in the time loop or just a mere hallucination, no matter if it was an interference or a hint, choosing to enter the other hallways didn't reduce the chances of finding the chemical bottles. Rather, the danger he would encounter, or 'the wrong choice' to be exact, should be much lower than in entering the first door.

Prioritizing in searching the other corridors could also prove what had happened in the first corridor. Once Feng Bujue had collected more information from the plot, he could then explain more precisely the previous event.

Ka-ta ka-ta ka-ta… Came the footsteps with high frequency.

After Feng Bujue had entered the third door, he started to dash. He ran rapidly like a purple panther gliding through the corridor. He was sure that he shouldn't delay further in this short of an endless-like corridor.

The first 23 minutes period was about to elapse, but he hadn't found even a medicine bottle, let alone the fact that when he found a bottle, he had to solve some games like in a Saw scenario. This kind of game could refresh and clear the mind and strengthen the body. If it happened in reality, besides permanent damage and psychological shadow, there was a high possibility that it would be some deaths. In Thriller Paradise, taking the current scenario for example, if players couldn't play it well, in a minor case, they would have to consume much of their Survival Value or waste a lot of time. In a critical condition, they had to offer the Contra Medal then.

As his [Dance of the Knight] hadn't been broken in the previous scenario, it was the big luck in Feng Bujue's bad luck. This divine effect, which helped him run faster and cost lesser Physical Value, helped him save a lot of time.

"Ah!" While Feng Bujue was running madly forward, he saw a door in the corridor ahead of him. It was a wooden door that looked quite old.

This was just somewhere in the middle of the corridor, and it was unknown how long the section ahead was. In any case, it was beyond his expectation to see a door here. He used to think that those monotonous corridors functioned to waste more time to players, or were connected to some different FLAGs on the ground. But it did have some settings here, in the middle of the way.

Feng Bujue didn't hesitate, as he stood in front of the door and extended his arm to hold the knob. He must get in there. What if there was a chemical bottle inside? Nobody said that the bottles had to stay at the end of the corridors. And, a question mark (?) would be put here to ask whether this corridor had an end and there were chemical bottles kept there. Just like what hid behind this door, everything was unknown.

The door opened quietly without the 'squeaky' noise that usually came from wooden materials as Feng Bujue had imagined. The room was pitch-dark as the light from the corridor was devoured by darkness right at the threshold. Feng Bujue didn't rush to come in. He took out the flashlight, shining inside to check the situation there.

This was a small, empty room without any furniture. Some empty cartons and large baskets were piled up in a corner. The room had a small window, but it was sealed closed by an iron plate. There was no other door, and the floor wasn't matted. The floor of the room was different from the corridor's; it looked ragged and terribly shabby. Moreover, it was bumpy with mottled imprints that looked like some kind of insects had caused them.

It was hard to tell if this room hid some clues or items. However, he could confirm that there was nobody inside and no place to hide there.

Feng Bujue had spent around 10 seconds before he stepped into the chamber.

When both of his feet passed through the door and his body immersed in the small room, a strong chill caught him. This feeling was like wearing only a thin shirt and standing in the middle of a world of ice and snow. This cold was so real that it wasn't caused by a psychological factor.

"Oh… What kind of air-conditioner is that? The temperature's normal, just one step outside the room…" Anyway, Feng Bujue wasn't scared as he could still breezily think aloud.

He raised the flashlight, attempting to observe all the corners which he couldn't see from outside the room. At this moment, the door behind him started to move automatically. Just like when it had opened, it closed quietly…

"Close the door?" Feng Bujue seemed not to be patient with the situation when players got into a close space and got killed. He turned around and grabbed the knob, trying to pull it to open the door.

The result was... he failed.

After the door had closed, Feng Bujue was like he was jailed. Moreover, the chill in the room was becoming intense. Feng Bujue couldn't make the door move but pant himself. The flashlight could shine the white smoke came out from his mouth when he was trying to gasp for his breath.

"Alright, alright… This is a trap to waste time. I can leave when I get the answer, right?" Feng Bujue shook his head, quickly turning around, and unwillingly rummaged through the room.

He looked at the four corners. They all looked normal. Nothing was there. Then he walked to the corner where the pile of cartons and empty baskets was put. Right at this moment, Feng Bujue suddenly felt something…

He could sense that there was a pair of eyes looking at him from above.

Feng Bujue slowly raised his head and shone his flashlight up there. He immediately saw… In the middle of the ceiling, there was a floating shadow made of air. Its shape wasn't clear, but it looked humanoid. Its body stuck closely to the ceiling, just like it could isolate the light or engulf it. When the flashlight shone over there, the aperture of light was shut off around its body.

Feng Bujue gazed at this shadow with calm eyes. The other was studying him, too. This eccentric atmosphere was struggling not for long as the dark shadow gradually faded and vanished…

Unexpectedly, it was roughly three seconds after the shadow had completely disappeared. And, all of a sudden, two blue beams shot out from above from the previous locations of the shadow's eyes.

If a random, ordinary person was standing there, they should have been jolted. However, Feng Bujue didn't move but stood right at his spot. His hands didn't even shake. He just said weakly, "Hey ~~ you've surprised people… Returned lively eh…"

Right at this moment, the shadow snatched down from above. Feng Bujue agilely took a step back and avoided that attack with ease. At the same time, he took out the [Kill in One Shot Pistol], pointed at the other, and said, "What do you want?"

That shadow gradually became real and more solid from nihility. It then turned into a black humanoid creature — an appearance like that of the murderers who got defeated by Conan. Anyway, this guy had blue eyes. There were some strange folds on his body, and they could vaguely see some sort of blood-like liquid flowing there. It was like this man had his blood vessels grown outside his body. Moreover, they were all transparent.

"Do you tell ghost tales?" the shadow spoke up with the voice of a middle-aged man.

"You... Ha ha ha ha ha..." Feng Bujue didn't know which nerve of his had misconnected as he suddenly felt this scene was hilarious. What the shadow man said had poked his laughing acupuncture point. After ten seconds, he could reluctantly control his mood. "I'm warning you. I'm in a hurry."

"Tell a ghost tale," said the shadow.

Feng Bujue put his gun away. He didn't worry that [Kill in One Shot Pistol] couldn't kill this dude, but he worried that killing him could lead to the situation where he would be confined in this room. "If I tell you a story… is there any benefit?"

Although this question looked quite simple and deliberate, Feng Bujue had considered carefully. He didn't ask 'Will you let me out' but asked about 'any benefit'. This would make room for the other to give more possibilities… If the FLAG in this room were to tell a story, then the door would open. It was the same no matter what kind of question to be given. But if after telling a ghost story, besides getting out of the room, there was something else, with this question, Feng Bujue could know the reward in advance.

"If you can scare me… I will let you out," answered Shadow.

"I can kill you with one shot and then get out, isn't it better?" Feng Bujue didn't aim his pistol as he was just trying to do the verbal probe.

"Hmm…" the shadow seemed to muse, "Alright, if you can scare me with your story, I will not only let you out but also bring you to the 'Prison' at the end of the corridor. You were running toward there, right? That path's really long, indeed."

Feng Bujue understood everything now. If he used the gun to deal with the shadow, he could get out eventually, but he would never get back the time he had wasted. If he told a story… although it would take several minutes more, he could advance directly to the end of the corridor. It should help him save some time. Heaven knows how long the remaining part of this passage was…

"Good. Then I'll tell ya a story," Feng Bujue seemed to be very familiar with this stuff. He held the flashlight under his chin and illuminated his face from there. He started his story with a dark, low tone. "Once upon a time, there was a taxi driver…

Upon this part, I think now you guys know why Feng Bujue was restricted to contact the other little buddies…

"... He usually worked late at night. One day, when he was driving on a strange road, he saw a woman in a white dress waving at him… " Feng Bujue had picked a story that wasn't very long. Besides, with the cultivation base of a storyteller, it was possible for him to perform for one hour or even fabricate the whole short horror novel. But at this moment, naturally, he should keep the story as brief as possible. "The driver didn't think much, pulled over."

"The woman then opened the back door of the car and got in. She seemed to be very light. When she got in the car, the driver didn't even feel the car sinking. The driver then asked, 'Where do you want to go—' while shifting his eyes to the rearview mirror…"

Chapter end