Feng Bujue rushed back to Cell 0 and headed right for the plastic pail in the corner. Then he dropped the end of the rope with the magnet down into it to try to attempt to ’fish’ out the key or some other related clues. But to his surprise, nothing took the bait…
What’s the problem? Was I not close enough? Feng Bujue thought to himself. Because he did not allow the rope of the magnet to come into contact with the thing inside the pail completely, he merely dangled it in midair.
No wait… That’s not right… The thing is not here.
He was suddenly reminded of something and swiftly pulled the rope back up. He held the magnet in his palm.
If the system placed all the clues that I might have needed in Cell 0, what if I found the clue before I even escaped the room? It would mean that I could have missed out on the clues like the fake teeth and the magnet during the gaming process. The game would not have been designed like that.
He studied the description of the magnetic item again.
———
Name: A Snapped Iron Bar
Type: Plot item
Quality: Normal
Function: Produces a magnetic field.
Can be taken out of the scenario: No
Remark: This part of the iron bar is made from naturally magnetic ores.
———
“The set of fake teeth can be taken out from the scenario to turn into a puzzle card, so theoretically speaking, there is a chance it’s completely useless. But this magnet cannot be taken out of the scenario. It is an instrumental plot item, so it will serve a purpose somehow,” Feng Bujue analyzed. “Hmm… Since the magnet is deemed as necessary, the clue needed to proceed will not be hidden here. Even without the magnet, I could have searched through the content inside the sh*t pail, but it would have been much grosser. That is all…”
He held the magnet and restarted the analysis, “Just what… requires the use of magnet? Could it be that…”
Feng Bujue came arrived at a new conclusion. With a small jog, he ran back to the door of the Cell Four and studied the door. “So, this is it…”
He laughed drily. He stood on his tiptoes and reached through the gap in the small window. When the small window had all five iron bars, there was limited space within each gap. At most, one could stick one’s fingers through. But after one of the bars had been removed, one could stretch one’s entire arm through it. Feng Bujue leaned his entire body against the door and reached into the window. When his hand searched upward, it did not take long for him to search out a key on the top corner of the steel door.
———
Name: The Key to Cell One
Type: Plot Item
Quality: Normal
Function: Disappears after use. The door of Cell One can be opened and closed freely after that.
Can be taken out of the scenario: No
Remark: It was dangled behind the door of Cell Four with a string attached to it.
———
“This remark is just stating the obvious. What is the point of you telling me that after I have already obtained the key?” Feng Bujue grumbled with some annoyance. It sure was cunning to hide the key at some place like that. It was placed much higher than the door frame, almost up to the wall. Looking from outside the door, no matter from which angle, one would not have been able to notice it. Even if the player had the ability to look through the wall and see the key, before cutting out an iron bar, the player would not be able to reach it. Their hand would not be long enough. The only solution was to cut off the iron bar and then stretched one’s hand inside the window until the elbow was touching the window. Then, one would be able to grab the key.
“Bloody hell…” Feng Bujue cursed under his breath as he walked to Cell One. “Is this really necessary for every single step? Wouldn’t it be much easier to have it hidden inside the pile of sh*t‽ That would have been simpler and more direct!”
With a click, the door to Cell One opened. Feng Bujue pushed the door open. Before entering it, he stood at the door to observe for a minute. After he made sure that opening the door did not trigger any strange traps, he continued his action. There was also a small wooden cupboard inside this cell. Therefore, without the need to say anything, it was time to pull out the drawers…
The top drawer had a newspaper cutting inside it. It was only the size of one’s palm, and the copy was written in an unknown language with a Latin alphabet. Of course, Feng Bujue did not need to know the language because Thriller Paradise came with its own inserted translation system, and it would not have affected his ability to read the paper. Once Feng Bujue saw this item, it was like a junkie being given his snuff. He greedily grabbed the copy and started to read it.
The title of the article was ’The Devil Is Still Active’.
“Ever since the Month of Tarantula, the number of missing people in our city has climbed up to forty. The representation from the national association of wizards and the church both announced that they are unable do anything. The spokesperson from the authorities claimed that all parts of the city have been sealed, and there is no obvious trace or evidence of the appearance of a demon. The families of the victims and the local nobles have offered a large monetary reward to anyone who can solve this problem or provide any related aid. The reward money is as high as twenty thousand Sati. Earlier today, the paper obtained reliable information from a certain bounty hunter that the culprit behind this dastard crime is the last descendant of the Xin Clan. The culprits…”
That was where the article ended. It was unclear where the rest of the paper was.
“What in the world… Is this a news article or a fantasy novel?” Feng Bujue turned the copy that he held around and wished to get more information from the other side, but the writing on the other side was too blurry to make out or identify. From the material of the printed copy, this should be a local newspaper cutting.
“Hmm… It turns out this scenario has an unordinary setting. In this world, there is a national association of wizards, demons, and even bounty hunters… This Sita should be the currency of this world, but it is unclear how much purchasing power twenty thousand Sita has. Even the measurement used to calculate the passing of days is an unknown. Although there is a concept of months, I have no idea how many days there are in a month or even how many hours there are in a day in this world. I can’t even tell how many meals the people in this world have in one day.
“So, this throws into an unknown the number of days that was jotted down by the inmates that formerly took Cell 0. They might be using a different kind of calculation of time than I am used to…”
Feng Bujue expanded this series of hypothesis in his mind.
“This article is definitely used to explain the scenario. If there is no other accident, this place that I am currently at is the location where the missing people were held, and the small figure introduced in the introductory cinematic is the culprit behind all the crimes. In other words, he is the last descendent of this Xin Clan mentioned in the article.”
Without even realizing it, Feng Bujue slid down to the floor. He started to consider all the possibilities with some degree of interest.
“Since this scenario has that kind of setting, the fact that he was able to drag me along with just the use of one hand is not that hard to understand anymore. Perhaps the descendent of this Xin Clan is blessed with greater strength than normal, or perhaps a ’normal person’ in this world is that powerful.”
He scratched his chin in thought. “Hmm… Speaking of which, I still have not seen the actual appearance of the ’people’ in this world. Who knows, perhaps both males and females have beards on their faces?”
At this moment, a normal person would be thinking something like—This scenario should be a prediction of how the world would look like if western magic grew alongside the industrial revolution, right?
But Feng Bujue’s different than normal mind was contemplating something else…
So far, he had seen only one person in the introductory cinematic, and that was from the person’s behind. He did not get a glimpse of the person’s face. A single body was definitely not enough to be used as a basis to categorize the whole. He had to meet at least one hundred citizens of this world to be able to come to a rudimentary conclusion regarding the ’commonality’ of the people occupying this world.
Before that, Feng Bujue felt like he could come up with any kind of prediction regarding anything that he had not ’seen’ or ’met’ before. For example, he had not seen the face of any person in this world, so he could hypothesize about the features of the citizens of this world. He had not witnessed the mathematical formulas used by the people of this world, so perhaps in this world, it was correct that one plus one equaled three. He had not seen the currency of Sati with his own eyes, so there was no telling if the thing was made up from severed animal tongues…
In conclusion, the world was limited but one’s imagination was boundless, the thing that entrapped one’s own thought was the thought itself. For Feng Bujue, something like the ’world-building’ could be anything that it wanted to be.
In the numerous transmigration-themed novels, the main character would normally transmigrate into another world or culture where human beings were the general public, with a slight variation to the culture or history. But in the eyes of someone like Feng Bujue, if a person could travel between parallel universes, it would be considered normal for one to travel to a world ruled by chimpanzees or rhinos.
He sat for a long time on the ground. Through the limited information provided by the newspaper, he combined that with things that he had seen and heard after entering the scenario. He came up with a new conclusion and rearranged his thoughts. The everyday items, the size of the bed, the size of the door, the size of the plastic pails… those were his basis for forming hypotheses.
“Hmm… Things still have not gotten any clearer.” About ten minutes later, Feng Bujue shrugged his shoulders and commented with a smile, “This sure is interesting.”
He put the small copy of the newspaper cutting away and then pulled out the first drawer from the small wooden cupboard. He inspected it from every angle. After confirming that there was nothing hidden or written on the drawer, he put it down and moved to the second drawer. The thing inside was enough to make him break out in tears of joy.
———
Name: The Key of Cell Two
Item Type: Plot Item
Quality: Normal
Function: Disappears after use. The door of Cell Two can be opened and closed freely after that.
Can be taken out of the scenario: No
Remark: A key that was easily acquired.
———
“The remarks so far feel so useless and meaningless. If anything, they are there just to mock the players…” Feng Bujue grumbled to himself. He grabbed the key and then swiftly looked over the second drawer. He made sure to not miss any hidden angle. Then he pulled open the lowest drawer. This drawer was empty, but there was an Arabic number written in blood on the inside. It was ’38’.
“Based on the common puzzle types and how they are solved… this should be a part of some kind of secret code,” Feng Bujue murmured before pulling out the whole drawer to give it a thorough look.
After confirming this clue was the only one there, he stood up and then did a search of the entire room. Before leaving the cell, he came upon a new discovery. It was found on the inside of the steel door, the side that was facing inside the room. There was an arrow painted on it. Like the numbers that were painted outside the cell doors, this arrow was colored with paint as well. This was not a straight arrow. In fact, it was a curve that had a slight wave to the top. The head of the arrow was facing the right-hand side.
“Oh, oh… Is that so? I think I get it now.” Feng Bujue looked at the hint and then smiled. After that, he entered the second cell. It contained the same small wooden cupboard. There was another newspaper cutting inside the top drawer, but the article did not read like it was in any way connected to the previous cutting that he found.
“Following the death of the security officer, Mr. Carter, during the arrest, the rumors regarding the Xin clan have gotten further confirmation. The Royal Arcana finally has made their move. For now, they have sent out three armed alchemists and five company officers from the mechanical arms units to our town. The reward from the citizens for the capture of the culprit has increased to an astounding a hundred thousand Sita. Based on information from known personnel, the mysterious bounty hunter who uses black magic, Kong Que[1], has been seen around town.”
“Huh… this is getting more and more interesting.”
Similar to Cell One, the middle drawer of the small wooden cupboard in Cell Two had the key to Cell Three. The bottom drawer was also painted with an Arabic number. This time, it was ’69’. The inside of the cell door also had an arrow, but this arrowhead was pointing left. The body also had the same upward curve as the one before it. The Cells Three, Four, and Five all had the same design. The newspaper clipping from the other three cells were as follows.
“The bodies of Kong Que and three armed alchemists were found at the outskirt of town. The officials refused to give any comment regarding this discovery. Terror is currently spreading through town. This morning, the newly appointed security officer gave the announcement that he had applied for reinforcements from the adjacent towns’ security units and the Steel Blade Riders. The ban on movement after dark has been announced as well. Those who are found to loiter around the city or on the streets after nightfall can be arrested without questioning. Those who resisted will be apprehended by force.”
“The curfew has been in effect for two weeks, and things appear to be brought under control. Based on the latest news given by the official, the number of missing people has been maintained at sixty-seven, and there have not been any new reports of missing citizens. At least for now, the chance of the curfew being revoked is practically zero before the Month of the Starling.”
The third cutting had a title, and the title was ’Is the Xin clan Capturer Dead?’
“Last night, the long and arduous curfew was lifted. The knights from the Iron Blade Riders have departed from the town, and the units from the adjacent towns are retreating in batches. The investigation team from the Royal Arcana is coming over to conduct an investigation. The various signs prove that the case has been solved, but there has not been an official statement from the officials. The eerie and horrible shadow that has loomed over the town for more than a month seems to have dispersed. However, none of the missing people have been found, not even their dead bodies. Has the culprit from the Xin clan been apprehended, or has he been killed in the dead of night?”
Feng Bujue arranged all the newspaper cuttings that he had found and placed them in his pocket. The numbers and arrows, he had memorized. He took the key for Cell Six and walked out. It was just as he expected. There was no sign of a small wooden cupboard in this cell. Instead, there was a large safe.
“Hmm… A rotary dial with eighty calibration… The number will automatically be destroyed after the safe is unlocked. No trace will be left behind, and the safe itself is small. It is made entirely from machinery and cogwheels. It does not depend on electricity. It can adapt to multiple difficult environments… A classic is a classic,” Feng Bujue said admiringly as he squatted before the safe. “Unfortunately, I know the password. Right… first, we shall turn clockwise, thirty-eight and then… counterclockwise…”
He mumbled to himself as he started to operate the lock. After he saw the hint in Cell One, he had a premonition of the puzzle that he would face at the end. The curved arrows and the numbers were the direction of the dial and the calibration needed, and the room number clearly referenced the steps. After wiggling it about for a while, the lock of the safe was undone just like that. Even an idiot would be able to tell that the key that would unlock the door that led to first floor basement would be sitting inside the safe.
However, to this idiot’s consternation…
“What the f*ck?” When Feng Bujue saw the thing that appeared before him, he instantly had a feeling that he was being toyed with. As it turned out, inside this large safe, there was a smaller safe…
This small safe was only half the size of the safe that contained it. There was a small vail that sat on the top of the safe. Feng Bujue picked up the vial and held it in his hand.
———
Name: Perfume
Type: Plot Item
Quality: Normal
Function: Unknown
Can be taken out of the scenario: Yes
Remark: Comes with a great smell and lasting fragrance.
———
“What in the world? What is the meaning of this lasting fragrance? Do you think this is a Calvin Klein perfume commercial?” Feng Bujue demanded. “Hmm… but this is already the third item that I can bring out of the scenario. A bar of soap, a set of fake teeth, and a bottle of perfume… What’s next? A toothbrush?”
It did not feel right putting this in his pocket, so he stored it in his inventory. Now, Brother Jue was someone with fifteen inventory slots. Compared to when he was totting around a ten-slot inventory, his days were much easier.
“Alright, let’s see how to open this smaller one…” Feng Bujue tried to repeat the same password for the larger safe, and he failed. “Ha! To be expected.”
The lock returned to its original position. Then he tried the same password but in an inverse manner. He still failed.
“Looks like I have underestimated you…” He divided all the calibrations by two and gave it another attempt. It was another fail.
“Ah!” At this moment, Feng Bujue started to envy those players who faced scenarios with brute force. He gripped his fists tightly and looked at the small safe. “There’s nothing in the world… that is unbreakable…”
The next second, he used his fighting mastery and activated the title skill ’Kyaaaaa!’
A punch landed on the small safe. A wave of aura gathered, and it bloomed in succession. It looked quite powerful. Three seconds later, the skill ended, but the safe was unscathed. Feng Bujue’s Life Points though dropped three percent, and there was a dull pain that came from his fists.
“Fine, I was only itching to say that quote.” Feng Bujue was not below mocking himself. After a sigh, he continued to give the lock cracking another go… But just as he had said earlier, the design behind the lock was a classic. There were too many possible combinations. Could he try them out one by one? If this was just a six-digit code, in theory, there would be more than one million combinations, so with Feng Bujue’s luck, he would have to give it at least five hundred thousand tries…
“Ah…” An indescribable fury rose within Feng Bujue. “This scenario… is it purposely trying to make people angry, trying to push people to commit suicide?”
He stopped trying and stood up. He entered analysis mode again. “What other information that I possibly have missed? Inverting the numbers… minus, plus, divide, times… or could it be a square root?”
He thought for a while before resuming his trail. Without realizing it, half an hour had passed. In the past thirty minutes, he had tried all possible combinations that he could think of, and at least one thing was confirmed… the password of the smaller safe had nothing to do with the larger safe.
“F*ck me!” Compelled by anger, Feng Bujue dragged the smaller safe out from the larger safe. “You’re lucky I can’t use the grenades…”
Before he finished, the safe was pulled out from the elevation and landed on his feet. Feng Bujue did not expect the safe to be much heavier than he looked. With his strength value in-game, he would have no problem lifting a one-hundred-kilogram dumbbell. So, when he was trying to pull out the box, he did not anticipate the possibility where he would pick up an iron bar and let it fall on his feet.
This fall made him lose another three percent of his Life Points. It might look small, but Feng Bujue was now level twenty-seven; it was not at a level where his Life Points would drop from a normal damage. Even if he punched his hands against the wall until they burned, his Life Points would not be affected.
“What the f*ck? Why is it so heavy?” Feng Bujue complained. “Is it made from lead antimony?”
As that left his lips, an idea came to him.
“Wait a minute… Could it be…”
He sat down and pushed the safe over to its side. As he expected, there was a small circular hole at the bottom…
[1] Kong Que is a homophone for ’peacock’.