Chapter 47: Jinshui Amusement Park

Chapter 47: Jinshui Amusement Park

A high-end apartment near the Security Bureau in the health and wellness district.

On a large bed cluttered with zodiac plushies, Guan Ya bolted upright, her remaining drowsiness completely shattered.

"Yuanshi, Yuanshi..."

She shouted a few times but received no reply. Frustratedly scratching her hair, she muttered to herself about how incredibly unlucky they were, and how that boy could possibly be so cursed.

An ordinary Spirit Realm walker might never encounter an S-class mission in their lifetime, or perhaps only once, and that single encounter would determine their fate forever.

Yet this boy, Yuanshi, had barely survived a bug-level trial mission before turning around and plunging right into a multiplayer S-class.

Why on earth did he choose the name "Yuanshi Tianzun"? Was that a name just anyone could carry?

Anxious and impatient, Guan Ya abruptly cut the call and dialed Li Dongze's number.

"You never call me after work hours. Let me guess what happened..."

Li Dongze was about to display his usual elegant humor when Guan Ya brutally cut him off.

"Yuanshi entered a dungeon. Jinshui Amusement Park."

"What?!" Li Dongze's voice instantly spiked in volume, all elegance vanishing.

Guan Ya heard a series of clattering noises over the phone, likely the Centurion leaping up in such a rush that he slammed into his desk and knocked things over.

"Oh, my God, my God..."

Li Dongze muttered repeatedly to himself, his mind thrown into utter chaos.

It was truly a case of whatever one feared most coming to pass. An S-class mission had appeared among the multiplayer dungeons of the extraordinary stage. Whether it was Centurion Fu or Li Dongze, their original intention in giving Zhang Yuanqing the old guide was simply to play it safe.

Just to be prepared against any eventuality.

Who could have known the boy would actually end up in an S-class dungeon.

At this moment, Li Dongze once again recalled the fear and anxiety of being dominated by the "Sheling Tunnel".

Taking a deep breath, Li Dongze forced down the surge of worry and agitation in his heart, along with a powerful, highly inelegant urge to curse, and said in a low voice:

"I understand...

"I am just as worried as you are, but no one can help him. All we can do is pray—pray that he is not a man of short fortune—and wait for dawn."

Dungeons at the extraordinary stage would not take too long, because Spirit Realm walkers of this level still needed to eat, drink, and sleep. If everything went smoothly, the dungeon would be cleared within twenty-four hours.

Otherwise, it meant the person had perished inside.

This was also why the forum posts dared to claim those official walkers had already sacrificed their lives.

"Understood," Guan Ya sighed, hanging up the phone.

She threw herself heavily back onto the soft bed, spreading her arms and legs wide in a star shape, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Her purple silk nightgown clung smoothly to her delicate body, tracing soft and alluring curves. The hem only reached her thighs, exposing her fair, smooth, long legs.

"So annoying..."

She murmured softly.

Li Dongze hung up the phone, fell silent for a few seconds, lit his screen, and dialed Centurion Fu's number. When the young centurion had given him the walkthrough, he had casually mentioned in passing: if Yuan Shi entered the Spirit Realm, remember to notify him.

Fu Qingyang had recently been run ragged by the Black Impermanence incident, yet he could still spare the attention to keep tabs on that kid Yuan Shi—proof enough of how seriously he took it.

……

The Villa.

On the open-air balcony, Ling Jun, dressed in carefree casual wear, curled lazily into a single-seater sofa, a laptop resting on his knees.

He lifted his gaze from the screen, looking across at Fu Qingyang, and sighed:

"I heard from Elder Sun that the revived boss is the Three-Way Mountain Goddess from the Mountain God Temple in the Sheling Tunnel. She went on a killing spree inside the Night Parade God Realm, causing high-rankers' power to leak out and invade some low-level dungeons, triggering dungeon alterations.

"Sigh, to be able to traverse Spirit Realms... this Goddess's rank is higher than we imagined."

Fu Qingyang cradled a high-stemmed wine glass, taking a sip of the crimson liquid, his tone light:

"How does the Taiyi Sect plan to respond? I gave the intel on the Mountain God Temple to Uncle Sun immediately; you should have been prepared long ago."

Ling Jun shook his head:

"For Spirit Realms that have already had their difficulty ratings altered, we have no solution. We can only hope the Night Parade gods clear the dungeons quickly and produce walkthroughs. The Taiyi Sect still has plenty of talent, and there are quite a few experts among the wild Night Parade gods.

"As for that Three-Way Mountain Goddess, it depends on whether my father and the elders can encounter her inside the Spirit Realm and nip the source in the bud. Or, if they encounter a scenario of equal rank within the Spirit Realm, using a Spirit Realm to checkmate a Spirit Realm."

The phenomenon of bosses roaming between different Spirit Realms was rare, but not unheard of. The authorities had observed the same phenomenon many years ago.

This was also one of the factors behind Spirit Realm dungeon alterations.

Furthermore, because this phenomenon was rare, officials speculated that traversing Spirit Realms required a steep price, though the conjecture remained unproven.

"Anyway, I'm just a Beast King; Night Parade business has nothing to do with me." Ling Jun shrugged.

At that moment, a bunny girl with a slender waist, long legs, and an hourglass figure walked over, respectfully presenting a phone, her voice soft:

"Young Master, your call."

The playboy sighed with emotion: "Young Master Qian, surrounded by flowers, embracing left and right—truly enviable."

Fu Qingyang ignored him. Seeing it was Li Dongze calling, his heart stirred, and he answered:

"Speak."

"Centurion, Yuan Shi has entered the Jinshui Amusement Park."

……Fu Qingyang's expression flickered with a moment of astonishment, quickly smoothing back to normal, his tone even:

"Understood. Get me the news by tomorrow morning."

He hung up, furrowing his brow: "That Night Parade god under my command went into Jinshui Amusement Park."

Ling Jun froze, then offered comfort: "My condolences, my condolences."

Fu Qingyang shot him a glacial glance: "How do you know he can't come out alive?"

Ling Jun laughed loudly: "Then care to wager on it?"

Fu Qingyang fell silent.

Ling Jun didn't press the matter. He pondered for a moment, then analyzed the situation with proper seriousness:

"He cleared the Sheling Tunnel, has experience clearing an S-rank instance. According to the Spirit Realm's matching mechanism, Walkers like him have a higher probability of being assigned to high-difficulty dungeons. But if he fails a few times in multiplayer instances, his rating will drop. What a pity—Jinshui Amusement Park is a death-type instance. He has no way out."

...

The scene before him shifted from blurry to clear. Zhang Yuanqing found himself standing in the amusement park's plaza. The first thing that caught his eye was the towering Ferris wheel—a colossal wheel-like behemoth rotating slowly, adorned with brilliant ribbons of light.

Beneath the Ferris wheel lay an open-air bumper car arena, with a giant pendulum ride and a pirate ship flanking it on either side.

Standing in distant opposition to the Ferris wheel were undulating steel tracks like a dragon. An empty roller coaster screamed along the rails, as though carrying invisible passengers.

His gaze swept slowly across the park. He saw a carousel playing gentle music, a drop tower shooting straight up and down, and several haphazardly arranged pavilion-style buildings.

And he stood right in the center of the plaza, the deep night sky stretching above him.

This amusement park blazed with resplendent lights, weaving dreamlike colors. Every facility was in operation, music playing everywhere. Clearly devoid of people, yet it felt as though crowds thronged every corner.

Desolate yet lively. Dreamlike yet terrifying.

"How beautiful..."

Zhang Yuanqing heard someone murmur beside him.

Following the voice, he saw a young girl—not very old, long straight black hair draping over her shoulders, a delicate oval face, eyes large and bright, reflecting the dazzling lights like the world's most exquisite gems.

Her figure hadn't yet filled out, but she possessed the tender beauty of early spring willow branches.

In this era when perms had entered every household, such purely natural long straight hair was precious beyond measure... Zhang Yuanqing marveled at the girl's rare beauty, but didn't linger. He turned his attention to the other Spirit Realm Walkers.

Seven Walkers in total had entered "Jinshui Amusement Park" this time.

At this moment, they surveyed their surroundings, some gazing at the facilities, their expressions exceedingly grim.

Zhang Yuanqing could understand their urge to curse.

He cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention, and called out loudly:

"Everyone, welcome to Jinshui Amusement Park. In the tasks ahead, we'll face danger together. So although we're strangers brought together by chance, we're now the closest of partners.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves? Get to know one another. I'll go first. My name is Wang Tai. I'm an experienced Spirit Realm Walker. I've been through four solo instances and seven multiplayer instances. Once cleared an A-rank dungeon. Heh, S-rank—I'd like to see just how difficult it really is."

His composed demeanor and confident tone seemed infectious. As he spoke calmly, he dispelled the panic in everyone's hearts.

At a time like this, a teammate brimming with confidence could provide an intense sense of security.

Zhang Yuanqing understood social dynamics well, and naturally knew how to liven the atmosphere and build rapport.

He only gave his name, not his class—considering that classes were sensitive information. Revealing one's class during introductions would make wary people refuse to cooperate.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing set the pace, someone immediately chimed in:

"Anyone who can enter an S-rank instance isn't a rookie. If we work together, we'll definitely clear it. Nothing to worry about. I'm Fire Demon."

The speaker was a red-haired young man, seemingly skin and bones, with small sharp eyes and slanted eyebrows that flew upward, giving off an impatient, crude vibe.

A Pyromancer, no doubt... everyone thought in unison.

A man in black trousers and a black hoodie, his face overcast, intoned flatly: "Hebo."

"My name is Xie Lingxi." The raven-haired, straight-tressed girl spoke in a soft voice, a smile playing at her lips, pure and sweet.

Wooden of expression, taciturn, the middle-aged man lifted a hand, introducing himself with awkward formality: "Unworthy of Being a Father."

What? Though Lingjing IDs were bound to be bizarre, Uncle, your name is a bit too flowery... Zhang Yuanqing brimmed with retorts, seeing the same stupefaction on everyone else's faces.

"What kind of name is that..." The young tough in loafers and skinny jeans muttered, then lifted his chin and declared loudly:

"I'm the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Just call me Great Sage."

All eyes turned to the final companion. A mature woman, thirty to thirty-five, bosom full, hips generously rounded, painted with blazing red lips and a whisper of eyeshadow, bewitching and alluring.

Ripe to the core.

Huomo and the Great Sage stole frequent glances; the black-hoodied Hebo wore a thunderous scowl, watching the guileless "Unworthy of Being a Father" listen with earnest attention.

She smiled radiantly: "I'm Xishi."

Liquid eyes swept over Zhang Yuanqing, coquettish and wheedling: "Little brother, you've got to carry me."

You're older than my aunt, Xishi? With a name that ostentatious, aren't you afraid you can't live up to it? Zhang Yuanqing sneered inwardly, but his face radiated heroic magnanimity:

"Relax, we're companions. We're all in this together."

At the same time, he gained a preliminary read on her style—a woman adept at leveraging her gender.

After the introductions, the strangeness between them thinned slightly. Zhang Yuanqing seized the moment to take the lead:

"An S-rank dungeon is fraught with peril. Before danger arrives, shall we discuss strategy?"

No one objected. Xishi's eyes flowed over them, voice delicate:

"Any members of official organizations here? I heard something went wrong at Jinshui Amusement Park, difficulty changed. An old walkthrough would be a godsend."

...