“Feng Bujue, Level 13
“Please select the game mode that your team wants to join.
“You have selected the Team Survival Mode (Normal), please confirm.
“Confirming, the team size has been randomized: a team of two.
“Your team has joined the team queue. Currently searching for other readied players or teams.
“Search completed. Team full.
“Adjusting nervous connectivity. Generating the scenario.
“Please wait for a moment. Downloading.
“Welcome to Thriller Paradise.”
This time, it was a woman who spoke, and the tone was light like she was whispering right into Feng Bujue’s ears.
“Download complete. You are currently playing Team Survival Mode (Normal). A scenario introduction is provided in this mode, and there is a chance for the trigger of side or hidden mission and special world-building.
“Reward for clearing the scenario: Random draw of a learnable Skill Card.
“Playing the scenario introduction. The game will start right after.”
The force of gravity on Feng Bujue slowly disappeared, and soon, the introductory CG appeared before his eyes. The scene showed the gate of a school, and the moon was hanging in the sky. The name of the school was written on the wall, Ye Jie Elite Academy. Looking from the main gate, there was a field and the main school building. Studying the image that was halted before his eyes, Feng Bujue could roughly tell that there were at least two more education buildings and a sports center at this school.
“Ye Jie Elite Academy, a place where the liveliness in the day formed a great contrast to the loneliness at night. Despite its current fame, the school came from a humble background. In fact, the school itself was built on cheap land, on top of a mass grave. In the twenty years after its establishment, many strange events had happened in this school, and the fear hidden within people’s hearts turned these events into different types of ghost stories that spread among the staff and students like a plague.
“Starting from who knew when, a song called ’The Academy’s Seven Ghost Stories’ was introduced.”
At this point, the system audio changed into the juvenile and detached voice of a young girl, and this eerie voice used a flat tone to enunciate the words that he saw.
“Save him, save him… Stuck in the well, unable to go home, don’t look, don’t look… or the well will gain a new soul.
“One two three, four five six… Count your steps going up the stairs, turn around, turn around… before you reach the thirteenth step.
“Drip drip drip, tap tap tap… The water keeps dropping, red like a rose, red like blood… Keep your head lowered, and don’t look into the mirror.
“So Fa Re, La So Re… The piano cries the mournful tune. Do not listen, do not listen… but do clap after the performance.
“Gu lu lu, Gu lu lu… The smell of a feast curls around your intestines. Try a taste, try a taste… which bowl of soup is made from human meat paste?
“Wu wa wa, wu wa wa… The baby’s cries fill your ears. Put on a smile, put on a smile… The bones as his cradle, skin as his clothes.
“Many many ghosts, deep deep blood… Vengeful spirits chasing after you, don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid… Evil spirits can be killed.”
After the ’song’ ended, the CG scene did not change, but the system audio returned to the usual robotic voice. In the next two minutes, what Feng Bujue heard was the most interesting setting that he had ever come across in all the internet games that he had played.
“You and your teammate will each be given a mobile phone. Such an item won’t be able to be placed inside your inventory and can only be held in your hand.
“The phones are fully charged and will show you the actual time inside the scenario. It only contains one speed dial number, and said number will connect you to your teammate.
“Said phone will not be able to call any other number and does not possess other functions like sending message. It cannot be shut off or have its caller ringtone changed.
“After the scenario starts, a countdown will officially begin. Starting from the tenth minute, you and your teammate will make a call that lasts for one minute at every interval of fifteen minutes. You and your teammate will have to take turns taking the role of the caller and the receiver.
“The role has been randomized. You shall be the first caller, and your teammate will be the second caller.
“If both parties fail to complete the call, until the call, the ’responsible party’ will suffer a targeted chase by the ghosts and spirit.
“Example 1: The time arrives, and the caller makes the call to the receiver. After the ringtone sounds, if the receiver is unable to answer the call, the latter will be viewed as the responsible party.
“Example 2: If the caller forgets or is unable to make the call, the caller will be viewed as the responsible party.
“You and your teammate are unable to directly communicate—limited by system—and all communication can only go through the phone.
“If you and your teammate accidentally encounter each other in the scenario, like one falling into the sight of the other, you have to separate within the time limit of one minute, or else the hoard of ghosts will start their targeted pursuit on both of you.
“After the scenario begins, please split up and enter the school grounds after five minutes. Failing that will result in the same punishment as previously noted.”
Then, the scenario started.
Feng Bujue was already standing at the school gate with a new black flip phone in his hand. He turned to look at his teammate, and he was startled because his teammate was Passing Rain. Before queuing up, Feng Bujue did not go to check his friend list, so he had no idea that she was online.
Passing Rain’s expression did not shift too much, but internally, she was equally surprised.
This was the first day of the open beta, and there were probably more than a million players online. Within this sea of players, they both queued up separately but were able to meet up in the same scenario, and the number of players for this scenario was just two. This kind of coincidence, some might call it fate.
What is fate? I shall attempt to answer that with the theory of reincarnation supplied by the ideology of Buddhism: nemeses will become father and son, and hated people will become husband and wife, so why wait for the next life? Settle everything today.
I personally believe that fate does not only limit itself to love and family. Coming to this world, making enemies, and causing hatred, that is also a type of fate. Therefore, some advice for my readers who believe in Buddhism, if you have any negative feelings toward anyone, try to resolve it in this life, or else they might become your son or daughter in your next life, and you’ll just spend more time trying to perfect their lives. If you owe someone money, please hurry to settle the debt, or else while you might escape from the debt in this life, you’ll need to compensate with your body in the next life.
Oh, by the way, the reason I am writing all this is because the song earlier sounded quite scary, so this part is merely to lighten the mood.
Back to the story, Feng Bujue tried to speak, and naturally, he could not. His voice was muted by the system, and even his intention to move his lips was prevented by the system. Therefore, he could only rely on his gestures. He first made the sign for six and placed it beside his ear, a sign for the phone. Then he pointed at himself, raising his index finger, and then pointed at Passing Rain, raising two fingers.
Feng Bujue was confirming the sequence of caller. His action was easily understood, so naturally, Passing Rain got it. She nodded. Then, she also gesticulated in response. She pointed at herself and then at the main building. After a brief pause, she pointed at Feng Bujue and then at the far side of the field.
Feng Bujue made the ok sign with his right hand and extended his right arm, because his other arm was holding the phone, bowing at his waist to allow the lady to go first.
The two split up the job in silence. Passing Rain entered Ye Jie Elite Academy first, and Feng Bujue followed closely behind her, each of them going in completely different directions.
After both of them stepped into the school, the system called out, “Main quest triggered.”
The quest details were: “Explore Ye Jie Elite Academy to resolve the seven supernatural phenomena. Current progress, 0/7”