“Welcome to the Koala Park. All visitors, please observe the park's rules and enjoy your visit responsibly.”
Relaxing music echoed in the rest area of the tram transfer station, and a video of koalas sleeping on trees played on a nearby TV screen. A fluffy koala could also be seen on a eucalyptus tree nearby.
Iris looked up at the koala, which was identical to the one on the display board, then at the children trying to tease it, and a pleasant smile appeared on her face.
In the afternoon, she and Nan Xiaofeng hadn't had time to visit the Koala Park. They had been called back by the Suicheng Hero Association for a meeting at noon, and hadn't even had time to investigate what kind of barrier Xin Yuehu had set up.
Seeing these fluffy little animals now, however, gave her a sense of making up for not having enjoyed herself fully during the day.
“Hmm… It looks like Xin Yuehu also left us a hint here,” Hyacinth suddenly said.
Iris and Nightingale turned to look, seeing Hyacinth walking towards them with several flyers. Curiously, Iris took the latest flyer from her hand.
It had a map and promotional pictures exclusive to the Koala Park printed on it. The fox carrot symbol was also drawn on the map, but this time it was marked on the Swan Lake observation deck. They would have to cross the Africa Park to get there faster.
“Liza said that when they split up, she would meet us in the Africa Park. It seems we need to find a way to go and see,” Hyacinth said, after briefly analyzing the paths on the map.
Iris didn't say much, only nodding in agreement, but she still immediately flipped the flyer to the back and looked at the few rules on it.
【Koala Park Tour Handbook】
【Welcome to the exotic Koala Park. This park houses a large population of koalas. Please enjoy your visit while observing the following rules:】
【1. There is no path from the Koala Park to the Africa Park. If any staff member attempts to lead you there, please refuse.】
【2. This park only houses koalas. If you see any animals other than koalas, please ensure you are holding a fox plushie, otherwise, the park cannot guarantee your safety.】
Iris was slightly startled, her gaze unconsciously drawn to the dense eucalyptus forest around her.
Koalas are animals that only eat eucalyptus leaves, and she hadn't seen any animals other than koalas. It seemed that all the rules they had followed before were quite useful.
At least she wouldn't be like Nan Xiaofeng, who fearfully hugged a fox plushie and started shouting lines like, “Why is there a dark blue cat over there?!” which made no sense.
“See? What did we just say? Hyacinth, you shouldn't have gone and provoked the staff in pink uniforms,” Nightingale said, taking small sips from a can of coke she bought from a vending machine, complaining to Hyacinth.
Bai Lili, Siyecao, and Mai Sui calmly watched Hyacinth, who was holding up her fox plushie and shouting even more nonsensical lines like, “Fox, manifest and bless me! Fox, manifest and bless me!”
On the way to the Koala Park, Hyacinth, relying on the fact that she was holding both a fox plushie and a tail plushie, curiously approached a staff member in a pink uniform, trying to court disaster. She was severely disciplined by the Cheshire Rabbit, who suddenly appeared.
This discipline meant being chased and beaten with a Rabbit hammer for over a minute, and consequently, no matter where she went afterwards, she would see strange, inexplicable creatures—
“How was I supposed to know something would actually happen?! Didn't the rules say it would be fine as long as I held the plushie?!” Hyacinth said to her companions in fear.
In Hyacinth's eyes, a particularly conspicuous dark blue cat was lying lazily on a nearby tree, basking in the sun, completely unlike any creature that should appear in the Koala Park.
So, after the Rabbit hammer incident, a terrified Nan Xiaofeng chose to put her hope in the fox plushie she held, especially since its texture was quite nice.
Iris sighed and looked at Siyecao, who was curiously observing the koalas while holding her plushie. She then refocused her attention on the Koala Park handbook in her hand.
【3. If you enter the Koala Park with two or more companions, you may leave at any time. If your group consists of only two people, you must stay in the Koala Park for at least twenty minutes.】
【4. Always remember the members of your group when you first saw this flyer, and ensure that all current members have a fox plushie. If you accidentally lose your plushie, go to the nearest souvenir shop within ten minutes to retrieve or purchase one.】
【5. If you encounter a lost companion in the Koala Park, please confirm that they have a fox plushie. If they do not have a plushie and they try to tell you about the scenery of the Africa Park, please ignore them. That is not your companion.】
【6. Do not go to the Africa Park. If your next destination is a bit far, please wait for the sightseeing tram on the road. It will appear very soon.】
The rules ended, and Iris couldn't help but ponder.
More new rules… From her and Nan Xiaofeng's current experience, as long as they honestly followed these rules, no abnormal situations would occur, and there wouldn't be any danger like what Nan Xiaofeng just experienced.
Although that was purely Nan Xiaofeng courting disaster herself.
“…Uh-huh? Look, there's a note stuck under the coke can,” Nightingale suddenly said in surprise. Everyone turned to look at her, all gazing at the note taped to the coke can.
The group quickly gathered together, opened the note, and carefully read its contents.
“Do not approach the mini-train, do not board the mini-train…”
“Ah! Is this note warning us? Luckily, we didn't go on the mini-train!” Nightingale shivered, feeling a wave of lingering fear.
But this note only had two lines of text. Besides the warning about the mini-train, the only other line was: 【Do not let go of your fox plushie. Do not trust anyone who asks for your plushie, even if she is someone you once knew.】 There was nothing else.
Before the group could react to the unsettling content of the note, a panting sound from not far away caught Hyacinth's attention.
A dusty Cang Er and Liza appeared from a nearby corner. Seeing Hyacinth and the others gathered there from afar, they immediately cried out in fright.
“Waaah! Why is it you guys again?!”
“Don't, don't come over! We have plushies! Don't come over!” Liza cried loudly in fear, holding up the fluffy fox plushie in her hand as if clutching a lifeline.
“Liza? Cang Er? Weren't you with Liza and the others? Why are you in the Koala Park?” Bai Lili asked in confusion.
Hearing her captain's voice, Cang Er calmed down slightly and, pulling Liza who was about to run away, observed them carefully.
“Huh… You, what you have… Is it a fox plushie…?”
“Yes, didn't the rules say that holding a fox plushie guarantees safety?” Bai Lili said, puzzled, completely unable to understand why these two temporarily separated teammates were so scared.
The two tried to approach Hyacinth and the others. After confirming each other's fox plushies and rule flyers, Liza finally cried and threw herself into her captain's arms.
“Waaah! Captain! We were so scared just now! Wuwuwuwu…”
“Oh, don't be scared, don't be scared. Everyone's here, don't be afraid.” Bai Lili comforted Liza with a wry smile, and also consoled a still-frightened Cang Er.
…
Sitting in front of the snack shop, drinking water, surrounded by illusions of tourists admiring koalas, a calm Cang Er slowly recounted her recent experience.
“Liza suddenly disappeared around the corner for some reason. We found it very strange, and then we saw you, Hyacinth, and you, Captain.”
“Us?” Hyacinth tilted her head. “But we haven't met you all this time.”
“It seems that was Xin Yuehu disguised. This is her Mindscape World, and we can't use magic yet, so it's hard to distinguish,” Bai Lili said, realizing.
“So that's why the rules use the fox plushie to help us distinguish each other…” Iris also understood the essence of the rules and nodded in agreement.
“And then… and then we found a note under the coke can, telling us to stay away from the mini-train, but Violet and Edelweiss said they were going to take the train!” Cang Er's face was filled with terror.
“I was worried that they might also be Xin Yuehu's illusions, trying to trick Liza and me to go to the mini-train, so we… we ran away…”
After speaking, Cang Er lowered her head in apology, as if she had done something wrong.
“I'm sorry… Liza and I were too scared just now. We should have called Edelweiss and the others away then… It's all my fault…”
“You did very well. It's lucky that you two managed to escape,” Bai Lili said, comforting her with a wry smile.
“Anyway, let's just follow what the note says next. It tells you to go to the nearest restaurant. I remember the location is…”
“…Swan Lake, Lakeside Restaurant.” Iris opened the flyer map in her hand and looked at the mark on it.
And the handbook she had just gotten in the Koala Park… also pointed to the location of Swan Lake.
— — — — — —
Mercury's Secret Message: The horror atmosphere of the Fox Fox Rule Oddity isn't that strong, so it shouldn't affect sleep, right?