《The Impossible Park: The World Watched in Disbelief》 1 - Parks Fate "This amusement park is so boring. I''m never coming back!" "The equipment is old, and some of it clearly shouldn''t even be in use anymore!" "Ugh, what bad luck. I finally get a weekend off, and I waste it coming to this place!" A few visitors walked out of Starlight Amusement Park, looking both frustrated and annoyed. Anyone would be upset in their situation! They''d planned to spend their weekend relaxing at an amusement park with friends. But instead of having fun, they were met with malfunctioning equipment and a generally unpleasant experience. Jake Johnson watched the departing figures, sighed deeply, and turned to look at Starlight Amusement Park behind him. Time seemed to rewind before his eyes! The desolate and dilapidated Starlight Amusement Park gradually filled with people. Adults held children''s hands as they played on new, shiny rides, their faces lit up with genuine smiles! Starlight Amusement Park once had a glorious history in Riverdale! In the 1990s, when people in the U.S. lacked much awareness of entertainment, Jake Johnson''s parents invested in building Starlight Amusement Park with remarkable foresight! Although Starlight Amusement Park didn''t have large-scale rides like roller coasters, in an era with limited entertainment options, it was enough to captivate the men, women, and children of Riverdale! As times changed, larger amusement parks and new forms of entertainment emerged, gradually leading to Starlight Amusement Park''s decline. Eventually, Starlight Amusement Park''s revenue wasn''t even enough to cover the basic operational costs of the park! Jake Johnson''s parents, in an effort to attract investment and revitalize Starlight Amusement Park, frequented various business dinners with potential investors. Tragically, not only did they fail to secure investment, but Jake Johnson''s parents also died in an unfortunate car accident! At the age of 18, fresh out of high school, Jake Johnson became the new owner of Starlight Amusement Park. Five years have passed since then. During these five years, Jake Johnson hasn''t sold Starlight Amusement Park. Instead, he has worked hard to keep it running. However, fate hasn''t been kind to Jake Johnson''s efforts, and Starlight Amusement Park''s situation has worsened day by day. Now, there are days when not a single visitor comes to the park! "Should I just give up?" Jake Johnson murmured to himself, his eyes filled with reluctance as he looked at the outdated and dilapidated equipment. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Making this decision was difficult. For him, Starlight Amusement Park represented more than it seemed on the surface. He truly didn''t want to make the decision to close the park unless absolutely necessary. He grew up here. He used to play here happily with his parents. This place is his home. Jake Johnson''s face was pale. He took out a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. At the same time, his other hand swiped across the screen of his phone, which was filled with missed calls and unread text messages. These were all from business people interested in acquiring Starlight Amusement Park. Of course, they were only interested in the land. Once they acquired it, they would demolish everything and rebuild, and what they would do with it was beyond Jake Johnson''s knowledge. Jake Johnson scrolled to a missed call and hovered his finger over the dial button, hesitant about whether to call back. A moment later, Jake Johnson dropped the cigarette butt and exhaled a cloud of smoke. He had made up his mind. But for some reason, his hand began to tremble. It was a simple action, but he couldn''t bring himself to press the button. Just then, a cold, mechanical, synthesized voice rang out in the air. "Super Amusement Park System activated successfully!" "Who''s there?" Jake Johnson jerked his head up and looked around, but he couldn''t see anyone. "This system has no physical form. It exists only in the host''s mind!" "System?" Jake Johnson''s expression turned bewildered, his eyes wide. He''d read a lot of online novels when he was bored, so he knew what a system was. He just never thought that systems were actually real, and that he would encounter one! Jake Johnson took a deep breath and said, "System, your name is Super Amusement Park System. Does that mean you can bring my amusement park back to life?" Jake Johnson didn''t care what the system was or where it came from. "Ding! The system doesn''t have such a direct function. It can only provide assistance. If you want to revive the amusement park, you must rely on your own efforts!" Jake Johnson was disappointed and snorted. "Then what good are you?" "The system can sell various magical amusement facilities, facilities that definitely don''t exist anywhere else in the world. They can bring unprecedented experiences to all visitors!" Jake Johnson paused, instinctively asking, "Magical amusement facilities? How magical can they be?" The next second, a blue projection screen appeared before Jake Johnson''s eyes. The screen displayed a series of amusement facilities, with descriptions and the Fame Points needed to purchase them listed below. [Hyper Velocity Coaster] Level: Two-Star Description: A hyper-velocity coaster that can reach speeds of up to 310 mph (500 km/h), allowing visitors to experience extreme speed. It can make people lose their minds even without loop-de-loops! Exchange Price: 10,000 Fame Points Note: All equipment sold by this system has special effects that ensure visitors'' lives are never in danger. "A roller coaster that can reach 310 mph? Is this even a roller coaster anymore?" Jake Johnson jumped back, shocked and speechless! As someone who worked in the amusement park industry, he knew how fast roller coasters usually went. Normal roller coasters typically have speeds of just over 60 mph (100 km/h)! Even the fastest roller coaster in the world has a top speed of only 150 mph (240 km/h)! The system''s Hyper Velocity Coaster has a speed of 310 mph (500 km/h). At that speed, your body is flying at the front and your soul is chasing from behind! Jake Johnson continued to look down the list, and as he saw one unbelievable amusement facility after another, he stood rooted to the spot, unable to say a word, completely dumbfounded. [Interstellar Voyage] Level: Five-Star Description: After the spaceship launches, all visitors inside the ship will be transported to the Andromeda Galaxy through space warp technology. You can cruise through the cosmos, viewing stars, neutron stars, magnetars, and all manner of celestial bodies along the way! Exchange Price: 1,000,000 Fame Points Note: All equipment sold by this system has special effects that ensure visitors'' lives are never in danger. At this moment, only one thought remained in Jake Johnson''s mind. "Damn you, system. Are you kidding me?" "Are these really the kinds of rides that should be in an amusement park?" 2 - Death Shack A moment later, Jake Johnson, his eyes glazed over, closed the system store interface, a bitter expression on his face, and sighed helplessly. "System, these amusement facilities of yours are pretty good, but I can''t afford them at all right now, not even the cheapest one!" Next to the system store was another interface, displaying the current status of Starlight Amusement Park. ---- Starlight Amusement Park Status: On the verge of bankruptcy Overall Rating: Poor Today''s Visitors: 3 Employees: None System Amusement Facilities: None Fame Points: 153 ---- 153 Fame Points... Forget about getting Interstellar Voyage or anything like that, he couldn''t even afford the cheapest amusement facility in the system store. "Ding, detecting the host''s predicament, the newbie gift pack has been successfully issued!" "Ding, congratulations to the host for obtaining the 3-star amusement facility, Death Shack!" "Sounds like a haunted house," Jake muttered to himself, and clicked on the Death Shack''s attribute panel. [Death Shack] Rating: 3-Star Description: This shack possesses a magical power that can evoke the deepest fears hidden within people''s hearts, guiding visitors step by step towards death. Note: At the moment before a visitor ends their life, a bell will ring to awaken them and clear all negative mental states. Jake frowned slightly after reading the Death Shack''s attribute panel. Just a few simple lines of text, yet they left Jake puzzled. Guiding visitors towards death? In other words, making visitors commit suicide unconsciously! This effect sounded way too far-fetched! Jake was somewhat skeptical of the Death Shack''s description. As an amusement park professional, he had been to quite a few haunted houses! If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Including some that were quite famous. But no matter what kind of haunted house, the essence was always the same. They simply used elaborate set designs and various props to evoke visitors'' inner fears. Fear would only make visitors jump and run around, but as for making them commit suicide, that was a joke... Jake sighed, feeling dejected, and said, "So, after all that, I got stuck with this gimmicky thing!" "Ding, detecting the host''s dissatisfaction, the system suggests that the host experience the Death Shack before making any evaluations!" "Go I will, I''m not afraid of you." Jake smiled faintly. Having been to many haunted houses, he had long since developed an immunity to them! Jake opened the system facility placement interface. It was a huge flat map, with every tree and shrub in Starlight Amusement Park marked on it. And next to the map was the area where system facilities were stored. Currently, there was only the Death Shack. The Death Shack was like a miniature 3D model, floating quietly above the map. Jake moved his mind, and the Death Shack model floated up and flew onto the map! Jake controlled the Death Shack to the upper right corner of the map, and silently said the word "Place"! "Boom!" The northeast corner of Starlight Amusement Park was instantly filled with smoke and a loud bang! By the time Jake rushed over, all the changes were complete. A brand new haunted house stood tall. The overall appearance of the Death Shack was like a huge wooden cabin, covering a vast area and reaching a height of several dozen feet! In comparison, the entrance to the Death Shack seemed rather ordinary. It was a rotten, pale wooden door, with a decaying atmosphere that assaulted the senses. A plaque hung above the wooden door, with a line of text written on it¡ªAre you ready to face death? For some reason, the moment Jake saw this sentence, it was as if countless eyes were secretly staring at him from the darkness, a chill went down his spine, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, making his scalp tingle. Jake couldn''t help but take a few steps back. "What''s wrong with me?" "I''m getting scared before even going in?" Jake swallowed, muttering to himself. This state lasted for nearly ten minutes. Jake took a deep breath, mustered his courage, and walked step by step towards the entrance of the Death Shack. He was ready! No matter what, as the owner of the haunted house, he had to try it out himself, otherwise he wouldn''t know what to say when promoting it to visitors! Moreover, he really wanted to see if the Death Shack was as far-fetched as the system described. Actually making people have suicidal thoughts! Jake slowly pushed open the wooden door of the Death Shack. With a "creak," the wooden door was gradually pushed open, and a decaying, ancient atmosphere seeped out through the crack. When the wooden door was fully opened, a whole new world appeared in Jake''s line of sight. Jake''s mouth slowly opened, his eyes widened, as if he had seen something incredible! 3 - Deaths Gaze The interior of the Death Shack that appeared before Jake Johnson was not the exquisitely decorated scene he had imagined, one still bearing traces of human presence. Instead, it was a world formed entirely by nature. What greeted him was a forest of towering trees with lush foliage, their thick trunks and dense growth rings hinting at an ancient history. Although the leafy canopies of the trees obscured the sky, scattered rays of light still penetrated through the gaps, as if a sun hung in the air. But from the outside, the Death Shack was clearly an enclosed building. This sun was definitely not the one shining on Earth. Jake Johnson slowly walked into the woods. As if moved by an invisible hand, the wooden door behind him closed on its own. Ignoring the closing door, Jake Johnson focused on the path beneath his feet. It was a path paved with what appeared to be white gravel, leading to a dimly visible wooden cabin deep within the woods! Jake Johnson crouched down and gently picked up a piece of the ''gravel''. His pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively threw the fragment away! He had seen it clearly. What he had held in his hand was not gravel, but a fragment of bone. To be precise, the path was not paved with gravel, but with pieces of snow-white bone! Jake Johnson gasped. From the touch, he was certain that these bones were not plastic imitations, but real bones! And on the bone-fragment path, he could vaguely make out relatively intact human skulls. The entire path was made of bones! Only then did Jake Johnson notice a wooden sign beside the path, with a line of words written in red blood. "Failure comes at a price!" "Could these bones be from people who died in the Death Shack?" A shocking thought flashed through Jake Johnson''s mind. The forest was empty and silent. No one answered Jake Johnson''s question, but he already knew the answer. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. A desire to retreat arose in Jake Johnson''s heart. If the system hadn''t repeatedly assured him that visitors to the Death Shack wouldn''t face any danger, he would have already turned and ran! Jake Johnson continued forward along the bone path. With each step, the weathered bones under his feet crumbled into pieces, the crisp cracking sounds sending shivers down his spine! Every step felt like walking on a razor''s edge, and he couldn''t help but imagine how the bones'' owners had died here. Jake Johnson''s face gradually turned pale, and he walked toward the cabin numbly and stiffly, like a robot. As he approached the cabin, a faint, fishy stench wafted through the woods. Jake Johnson instinctively looked around. He saw emaciated corpses hanging from the thick branches. Each corpse was skin and bones, their hollow eye sockets telling of their suffering. Jake Johnson felt the veins on his forehead bulge, as if ants were crawling across his scalp. He quickened his pace, taking two steps at a time, and in the blink of an eye, he reached the door of the cabin. "Phew!" Jake Johnson looked back at where he had come from and around him, a lingering fear in his eyes. It was a short path, but each step an agonizingly long ordeal. "Now, let''s see how you make me kill myself." Even now, Jake Johnson still didn''t believe that the Death Shack had the power to make visitors commit suicide. Although the path had awakened the buried fear within him, it only made him want to escape, not to end his own life. The cabin before Jake Johnson resembled a hut where medieval hunters would rest after a hunt. It wasn''t large, but it was fully equipped with basic furniture like tables, chairs, and benches. Jake Johnson pushed the door open and walked inside, immediately greeted by a ghostly face painted on the wall. The upper half of the face had wide, angry eyes, as if containing immense rage. The lower half of the face, however, was completely different from the upper half. The thin, evenly shaped red lips were pressed together, with the corners slowly rising, curving into a grotesque smile. It gave the impression of a smile that wasn''t a smile. Jake Johnson instinctively held his breath and walked into the cabin. Before him was a table, surrounded by five neatly arranged wooden chairs. Notably, the five chairs faced the ghostly face on the wall. Jake Johnson looked at the table, where a line of scarlet words was written. The words were blood-red and reeked of blood. "Death is watching you!" The words seemed to come alive, slowly wriggling under Jake Johnson''s gaze. Jake Johnson''s stomach churned, and he felt a wave of nausea. "One hour. Just have to hold on for one hour." Jake Johnson said through gritted teeth. He grabbed an empty chair and sat down, facing the ghost face. Actually, Jake Johnson didn''t want to sit facing the ghost face, but the chair seemed to be nailed to the floor, and he couldn''t move it no matter how hard he tried. He had no choice but to sit facing the ghost face. "I''ll see how you make me kill myself!" At this point, Jake Johnson had resigned himself to his fate. He admitted that the Death Shack did offer a different haunted house experience! The path paved with countless bones, and the corpses hanging in the trees, had awakened the fear buried deep within him, creating a desire to escape. But he still didn''t have any suicidal thoughts! "Heh heh..." Just then, a strange sound echoed in the cabin. "Who''s there!" Jake Johnson suddenly turned his head, looking around, but found nothing. But he knew, deep down, that with that chilling laugh, the challenge had officially begun. 4 - Deepest Fears "Heh heh..." Following the eerie laughter, the grimace on the wall, like the Mona Lisa''s smile, seemed subtly altered, sending a shiver down Jake Johnson''s spine. The hollow, violent eye sockets appeared to bore into him. No matter how Jake twisted and turned, he couldn''t shake the feeling of being watched, a gaze that shouldn''t logically exist. The curve of the grimace''s lips seemed to widen into a more sinister smile. Jake frowned, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He felt mentally unstable, as if countless venomous insects were crawling slowly across his back, making him restless and twitchy. "Weird, what''s happening to me?" Jake muttered, confused by the sudden change. He tried to calm himself, taking deep breaths, trying to regain control. But the more he focused, the more agitated he became. Images began to flash in his mind. These scenes were like vivid, disorienting dreams, shifting and changing, blurring the line between reality and illusion. As time passed, the images grew sharper. In the blink of an eye, Jake found himself standing on an endless stretch of farmland. "Where am I?" "Why does this feel so familiar?" Just as Jake was pondering this, a dark shape darted through the weeds at his feet! "Hiss..." A black and yellow garter snake slithered out, its red tongue flicking. "Stay away!" Jake cried, his scalp tingling, backing away quickly! He suddenly remembered why this scene felt so familiar! It was the time he''d been bitten by a snake as a kid! Once bitten, twice shy. Ever since then, Jake had harbored a deep fear of snakes. Cold sweat broke out on Jake''s forehead as a wave of terror washed over him. More than the fear of the snake itself, he was terrified that he was reliving this experience in a dream-like place. The fear of snake was his deepest secret, never spoken to anyone. "Could the Death Shack really be dredging up my deepest fears?" Jake wondered aloud. As Jake was lost in thought, the garter snake struck. Jake smiled weakly. "I may be afraid of snakes, but this is just an illusion. Once I remember that, there''s nothing to fear!" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Before the words were even fully out of his mouth, a sharp pain shot through his leg, and Jake gasped. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his calf. There was a row of crimson teeth marks. Blood gurgled from the wounds, and a stinging pain spread through his nerves. The unexpected sensation made Jake freeze in place. In his experience, dreams and illusions didn''t cause pain; only the real world could deliver that. Am I in reality? Jake''s expression was lost and bewildered. Suddenly, the sound of rustling filled the air. Snake after snake of the same variety arrived from all directions. The collective sound of their tongues flicking created a sound like waves breaking on a rocky shore, endless and overpowering. Jake was terrified and his legs were shaking. "I''m done! I''m out!" But no one responded to Jake''s shouts as one after another, the garter snakes crawled towards him. Jake struggled desperately, but against the onslaught of snakes, all resistance was useless. As soon as Jake shook off one snake, even more crawled over him. In no time at all, Jake was buried in a sea of snakes! Jake felt like he was in hell. The sensation of the snakes crawling all over his body sent his mind to the edge of insanity! "Death will set you free!" It was as if someone was constantly whispering in Jake''s ear, luring him deeper and deeper towards death. "No!" Jake gasped for air, screaming. He wouldn''t give up so easily! The next moment, darkness descended, and when his vision returned, he was in a completely new and unfamiliar environment. It was a straight highway, with cars speeding past. Jake looked around, disoriented. Based on his previous experience, he knew he was in a new illusion. He had no idea what he would experience this time. Suddenly, a black sedan appeared in Jake''s field of vision. Jake froze when he saw the car. "½­A242...That''s my parents'' car!" Jake exclaimed. Then he remembered the car from the accident that killed his parents. "Honk!" Suddenly, a deafening horn blared. A truck appeared on the highway ahead! The truck was moving incredibly fast, and based on its tires, which were strained, it was obviously overloaded! The overloaded truck sped towards the sedan in front of it. The middle-aged man and woman in the sedan were completely unaware, chatting and laughing. "Watch out!" Jake yelled, desperately. But no matter how hard he screamed, even until his throat was sore, the couple didn''t react. Jake and the people in the sedan were in different dimensions. He could only watch, powerless to stop what was about to happen. "Boom!" The speeding truck slammed into the back of the sedan. The sedan was no match for the multi-ton vehicle, and it began to twist and crumple. The middle-aged couple twisted and distorted along with it. "Thump!" Jake''s mind went blank, his eyes glazed over, and he slumped to the ground. Witnessing the moment his parents died was more than he could bear, and he began to fall apart. The illusion didn''t stop as Jake was falling apart. The crash scene replayed again and again. With each impact, Jake was falling further apart. At this point, Jake had forgotten where he was or what he was experiencing. Grief and pain filled every corner of his mind! The devilish whispers echoed in Jake''s ear again. "Does it hurt?" "Death will set you free." "Life is so hard. If you die, it will all be over!" Jake nodded dazedly, his hands reaching for a knife. A strange smile spread across his face as he lightly cut his wrist. "Boom!" At the critical moment, a deafening sound exploded in Jake''s mind! The illusion vanished! The whispers faded away! At the same time, the sound washed over Jake''s mind and the negative emotions dissipated. When Jake came to his senses, he opened his eyes and realized he had unknowingly walked out of the Death Shack and into the sunshine! The warm sunlight shone down on Jake, but it couldn''t chase away the chill from within. Jake glanced back at the entrance of the Death Shack, "That Death Shack is horrifying! It almost made me kill myself!" The sounds had erased Jake''s negative emotions, but it hadn''t erased his memories. Jake lifted his wrist and saw a white line! If he was one second later, he would have slit his wrist. "The Death Shack lives up to its name!" The shadows on Jake''s face disappeared, and a smile appeared. After experiencing it firsthand, he understood the truth. The realistic illusion was unlike any other haunted house. Anyone who went in would be driven to madness and death. Even if people were prepared for the experience, they couldn''t escape. "Starlight Amusement Park has hope! Thank you, system! Thank you, God!" Jake''s eyes glistened with tears. He knew that the Death Shack would restore the Starlight Amusement Park to life! 5 - The Challenge Jake Johnson took a short break outside the Death Shack before plunging back in. This time, though, he wasn''t there to re-experience the horror, but to shoot some promotional video. As the saying goes, even the best wine needs advertising. While the Death Shack might be the scariest haunted house in the world, hardly anyone knew about it. Plus, Starlight Amusement Park was practically deserted. Without promotion, who knew how long it would take for the first brave soul to show up? Jake''s plan was simple: create a promotional video for the Death Shack and offer a hefty reward. The challenge was straightforward: survive one hour inside the Death Shack and win a cool $1 million! Of course, Jake didn''t actually have a million dollars lying around. It was just a gimmick to attract attention. He knew firsthand how terrifying the Death Shack was and doubted anyone could last the entire hour. The promotional video was quickly finished. Jake posted it on Weibo, Tik Tok, and other social media platforms. After spending some money on promotion, it quickly gained traction, and comments started pouring in. "Starlight Amusement Park? Save your time, folks. There''s nothing there!" "Did I read that right? A million-dollar reward for lasting an hour in a haunted house? That''s easy money!" "For that kind of cash, I''d sleep in a morgue!" "Anyone want to team up for this challenge? We can split the prize!" ... At a local university, in The Guys'' dorm room. The four-person dorm room was occupied by three students, with one away home for the weekend. "A million-dollar reward for the Death Shack challenge?" Mike, lying on his bed, shot up, incredulous. The peace of The Guys'' room was shattered. Ethan and Liam turned to look. "Mike, what''s with the yelling?" Ethan, lifting weights, asked. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yeah, a million bucks? Did you find a winning lottery ticket?" Liam called over from his gaming station. Mike held up his phone, a grin spreading across his face. "No lottery win, but close enough. Ethan, Liam, come check this out." Ethan and Liam exchanged glances, dropped what they were doing, and gathered around. Mike showed them the phone. Ethan squinted at the video and read the title aloud. "The scariest haunted house ever, waiting for you!" Liam scoffed, "These marketing guys are all the same. ''The scariest'' is an understatement for these guys. They should start using ''Universe'' for this thing!" Ethan shook his head. "Mike, I thought you had something interesting to show us. Just a haunted house promo? We deal with cadavers every day; what''s scary about a haunted house?" Mike smiled. "Just watch the video." Amid laughter, the video played. It opened with towering trees forming a primeval forest. Even through the phone screen, the three could feel the ancient power of the place. Ethan and Liam exchanged glances. This haunted house was more impressive than they''d thought. It looked incredibly well-made. The camera slowly showed the landscape. A path paved with bones led to a wooden shack. The shack seemed normal, but a sense of foreboding crept in. "Those bones and corpses look realistic," Ethan said. "You can''t even tell they''re fake." Most haunted houses used plastic bones and corpses that only scared kids and girls. Liam said, "Fake or not, can''t compare to the real bodies in school." Ethan nodded. Soon, the video ended, and text appeared on the screen. "The Death Shack is officially issuing a challenge to the internet. Anyone who can spend an hour in the Death Shack will receive a reward of one million dollars!" The room fell silent. Time seemed to stop. Ethan and Liam stared, eyes wide, barely breathing. Finally, Ethan swallowed hard, his voice shaky. "A... million... dollars?" Liam licked his lips. "Is this a joke?" Mike nodded. "I''ve messaged the amusement park owner, and he says we can get it notarized if we don''t believe him. He swears it''s legit." Ethan and Liam''s eyes lit up. Ethan smacked his forehead. "A million bucks! That''s a lot of protein powder, and I could hire a personal trainer!" Liam scoffed. "That''s all you think about? I''m maxing out my game account, and everyone will call me ''bro''!" "Hey!" Mike said as he clapped his hand on the bed, "You haven''t even completed the challenge, why are you thinking about the money already?" Ethan grinned. "Mike, haunted houses scare normal people. We''re med students who deal with cadavers. We''re not scared of that stuff." Liam agreed. "I wouldn''t be scared even if the corpses were real." Mike grinned. "Then let''s go check it out tomorrow?" Ethan and Liam nodded eagerly. "Let''s give the owner a lesson!" "Hopefully, he won''t cry!" "I guess we''ll have to take the million!" At the same time, many other people in many other places were filled with the same excitement as in The Guys'' room. 6 - Death Shack The next day. As dawn was breaking, Jake Johnson, as usual, finished washing up and headed to the entrance of the Starlight Amusement Park to prepare for opening. Since Jake was the only employee in the entire park, he had to handle everything himself. He spent nearly an hour dealing with various chores before finally settling into the ticket booth, waiting for visitors to arrive. "I wonder if anyone will come today." Jake fidgeted in the ticket booth, occasionally standing up on tiptoe to peer into the distance. Whenever someone appeared, he would force a warm, genuine smile, ready to greet them. But each time, the people who appeared were simply taking a stroll or exercising nearby, not visitors to the Starlight Amusement Park. The smile faded from Jake''s face. Although the promotional video for Death Shack that he posted yesterday had garnered quite a few views and comments, whether anyone would actually show up was still uncertain. Just as Jake was sighing and feeling conflicted, a taxi pulled up in front of Starlight Amusement Park, and a man and a woman stepped out. "Is this the Starlight Amusement Park with that Death Shack thing?" "I think so." The man and woman got out of the car, talking as they walked. Jake perked up and immediately put on a fresh, energetic demeanor to greet them. "Hey there! Are you here for the Death Shack challenge?" Jake asked with a cheerful smile. The young man nodded. "That''s right." The young woman smiled. "Are you the owner?" Jake nodded, then took out two documents from the booth and handed them over. "The entry fee for the haunted house is $100 per person. Don''t worry¡­ it''s absolutely worth the experience for the price." "Also, everyone needs to sign a liability waiver." Normally, haunted houses in amusement parks don''t require such a document, but the Death Shack was exceptionally eerie and could potentially drive people to suicide. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Although the system promised that visitors wouldn''t experience any negative effects after leaving the Death Shack, Jake felt it was safer to have them sign a liability waiver. The man and woman exchanged amused glances. The young man said, "We''re used to these. We''ve been through haunted houses all over. We aren''t going to get scared." The young woman nodded. "You should know who we are. I''m Tammy Ray, and he''s Ian Smith." "Oh, it''s you two." Jake was slightly surprised. These two names were quite well-known in the haunted house community. They were seasoned haunted house enthusiasts, often invited to evaluate haunted houses and suggest improvements. Ian smiled faintly. "Well, it looks like you know who we are." "Try to survive first before you start thinking about the prize," Jake replied. Tammy gently brushed her long, fair fingers through her hair. "You must be hoping we fail, but you might be disappointed. There are some haunted houses that can scare us, but it''s obvious yours isn''t one of them." Ian and Tammy''s eyes fell on the dilapidated facilities of Starlight Amusement Park, and all the anticipation in their eyes faded, replaced by disappointment. Clearly, such a run-down amusement park couldn''t create anything particularly interesting. If it weren''t for the million-dollar reward, Ian and Tammy would have turned around and left. They enjoyed haunted houses, but they had to be of a certain caliber. Poorly made ones were a complete waste of time. Jake didn''t say anything, only shaking his head slightly. Once they experienced the horror of the Death Shack, they would realize how wrong they were! Just then, three more figures appeared outside Starlight Amusement Park. "We''re here, Starlight Amusement Park is right here." "Dude, this amusement park is so run-down! I would rather just stay in the dorm and play video games." "Are you always thinking about video games? We''re not here to have fun, we are here for the million dollars." Jake took out three more liability waivers and went to greet them, repeating what he had said to Ian and Tammy earlier. The guys took the liability waivers without thinking and signed their names! "Looks like you guys are really confident." Jake smiled. Liam chuckled. "Your props might scare newbies, but don''t embarrass yourself in front of us." "Ethan, why do you have to talk?" Ethan turned to Jake and said, "Sorry, he doesn''t know how to speak." Mike added, "It''s not that we look down on your haunted house, it is that we are medical students, we work with Cadavers. Props do not scare us." Jake laughed heartily. "It''s okay, I don''t mind." Seeing that all five had signed the waivers, Jake gestured and began leading them towards the Death Shack. Soon, the group stood in front of the Death Shack. Jake pointed to the wooden door in front of them. "Once you go inside, follow the path to the end and you''ll see the Death Shack. You need to stay inside for a full hour. Coming out early counts as a failure." "I''ll be watching your every move on the surveillance cameras. Any cheating will disqualify you from receiving the million-dollar prize, even if you complete the challenge." Ian shook his head. "Don''t worry, we won''t cheat." Tammy scoffed. "You underestimate us, even if it''s the scariest haunted house in the world, we wouldn''t cheat. It''s not like we''re staying in there for a day, it''s just an hour." Liam nodded. "That''s right, we spend all day with Cadavers. An hour is nothing." Jake made a gesture of invitation, saying, "I hope you can maintain that confidence once you''re inside." "Then please, lead the way!" The five stood in front of the entrance to the Death Shack, one after another. Ian, at the front, slowly walked to the door, just as he was about to open it, he caught a glimpse of the blood-red writing on the door. *Are you ready to face death?* In that instant, Ian''s heart skipped a beat, and his face subtly changed, becoming slightly pale. 7 - Real Bones "What''s wrong?" Tammy Ray noticed that Ian Smith seemed a bit off. She stepped forward, ready to ask what was happening, when her gaze was drawn to the blood-red writing on the wooden door. Liam and Mike, along with Ethan, saw the writing as well. In that instant, it felt like everyone''s chest was struck with a sledgehammer, making it difficult to breathe. Ian Smith gradually snapped out of it, muttering in disbelief. "What just happened to me?" "Why did I feel so scared?" Tammy Ray also recovered, the contempt in her eyes gone. She looked at Ian Smith, who turned to her, and they both nodded solemnly. Their instincts were sending warning signals. The Death Shack was definitely not as simple as it seemed. Ian Smith took a deep breath, slowly pushed open the wooden door, and stepped inside. Tammy Ray followed close behind. The Guys woke up as if from a dream. Liam cursed, "I feel like I just got punched! My chest is all tight." Ethan nodded, saying, "I don''t know why, but I feel empty inside, like something bad is about to happen!" Mike didn''t say anything, but that didn''t mean he didn''t feel anything. Those who knew Mike knew he was a very rational person. When he didn''t speak, it meant he sensed a threat and his mind was already racing, thinking of solutions. One by one, they crossed the wooden door and entered the world within the cabin. In that moment, their vision widened, followed by a deathly silence. A primeval forest of towering, emerald green trees appeared before them. Each tree was as thick as a millstone, with sturdy branches and leaves that formed a canopy blocking out the sky. Ian Smith gaped, stammering, "Th-this... this?" Tammy Ray, who seemed to read his mind, finished the sentence for him. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "This... this scenery, is it real or... fake?" Both of them were filled with awe. They had traveled far and wide, visiting countless haunted houses both in the U.S. and abroad, but none of them could compare to the scenery before them. It was a natural, primeval forest world, with no visible signs of human construction. The Guys were equally shocked. While Liam and Ethan argued about whether the trees were real or not, the ever-calm and rational Mike had already shifted his attention elsewhere. He crouched down and picked up a bone from the path, gently caressing it and examining it closely. "This texture... why does it feel so real?" "Could it be..." A chill ran down Mike''s spine, and he dared not continue the thought. He took a deep breath, staring at the path paved entirely with bones. "What''s wrong?" Ian Smith noticed Mike''s pale complexion and had a bad feeling. He quickly asked. Mike didn''t answer but turned to Liam and Ethan, handing them the bone he had picked up. "Liam, Ethan, I''m not sure, take a look too." A moment later, Liam and Ethan exclaimed in unison. "These are real bones! Not fake!" "What?" Ian Smith whipped around, glaring at them, and snapped, "This is no joke, don''t say things you don''t mean!" Mike shook his head. "We''re medical students, others might be wrong, but not us." "Are you saying that the bones under our feet are real human bones?" Hearing this, Tammy Ray felt nauseous and jumped back like a rabbit. The thought of stepping on someone''s remains turned her face white. She had played in many haunted houses, but those were just props. This was the first time she had faced something so real. "If the bones are real, then what about those?" Ian Smith''s expression was equally grim as he pointed with a trembling hand at the dried corpses hanging from the branches of the trees. "I''ll take a look." Without a word, Mike strode forward and carefully approached the nearest dried corpse. He covered his nose with one hand, circled the corpse a few times, and quickly came to a conclusion. "These are real too." Mike''s first words upon returning to the group confirmed their worst fears. Ian Smith staggered backward in disbelief, saying, "Impossible... impossible. There''s no way a haunted house in the U.S. would have such a large scale. Even some famous haunted houses overseas wouldn''t dare to decorate like this!" "Believe it or not, it''s all real," Mike replied. "But the most important thing now isn''t to dwell on this, but what should we do?" "Do we leave here, or continue the challenge?" The situation had developed beyond everyone''s expectations. For each of them, continuing the challenge might mean facing something more than just the need to be brave. Tammy Ray coughed and said with a pale face, "I''m out." She was, after all, a girl and couldn''t handle it. Ian Smith thought for a moment and said, "I''ll continue. So what if these things are real? We just have to stay in the Death Shack for an hour, we don''t have to do anything else!" "Honestly, I''m a little freaked out, but not enough to make me want to kill myself!" Mike turned to the other two. "I''m going to continue the challenge too, what about you?" Ethan took a deep breath and said, "Although the scenery here is shocking, we deal with bodies every day, so we''re not afraid of anything." Liam nodded. "It''s a little disgusting, but not enough to make anyone want to kill themself, right? I''m going to expose this haunted house''s tricks today!" Out of the five, only Tammy Ray chose to quit. The remaining four walked on the bone path, slowly moving forward. Everyone lowered their heads in silence, each with their own thoughts. Although no one said anything, silence was the best answer. The four who remained no longer had the same swagger as they did outside the haunted house. They had all become very cautious, observing their surroundings with every step. Without a word, they soon arrived in front of the Death Shack. 8 - Sinister Laughter Ian Smith took the lead, pushing open the door to the Death Shack. "Creak." With a grating, teeth-jarring sound and a cloud of dust, the interior world was revealed. Ian held his breath, not rushing in, but like a goose, craned his neck, cautiously surveying everything inside. Seeing that, aside from the bizarre grimace graffiti on the walls, the rest of the layout seemed normal, he relaxed and let out a breath. "Heh," Liam sneered, "A veteran haunted house player indeed, so cautious. Anyone would think you were here to steal something!" "You!" Ian''s face turned green, unable to find a good retort! Honestly, in a normal haunted house, he wouldn''t care, just barging straight in. But the Death Shack was too strange, and he had a feeling something was wrong, though he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. All in all, it was better to be careful. "According to the owner, we just have to stay in this room for an hour to succeed!" Mike said. "Then what are we waiting for!" Ethan, after confirming there was nothing obviously amiss, walked straight in. The other three watched Ethan enter without triggering any traps or anything, and followed. Once inside, the four didn''t waste any time, rummaging through everything. The Death Shack was simply furnished, without any hidden doors or mechanisms. In no time, they had turned the place upside down and inside out, but found nothing. Liam: "Seriously? That''s it? I could stay in a place like this for a year, let alone an hour!" Ethan nodded. "Liam''s words might be a bit harsh, but he has a point." Ian and Mike, standing nearby, both frowned, deep in thought. "It shouldn''t be this easy," Ian said, looking puzzled. His extensive haunted house experience told him this room was definitely not as simple as it seemed. Mike, though lacking Ian''s experience, was always quick-witted and knew that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. Without a word, the two began another round of investigation. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The result was the same ¨C nothing. "What are you two doing?" Liam laughed. "If there was anything wrong, we would have found it already!" Ian looked awkward. "Am I really overthinking this?" Mike looked at Ian. "Maybe we overestimated this place!" Ethan, already sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, casually said, "Mike, we all know you''re smart, but you know what they say, too much wit is half a fit!" Mike nodded. "Looks like I might have fallen for the owner''s bluff!" Ian and Mike relaxed and sat down too. "Heh heh..." Just then, a sinister laugh echoed through the room. It was as if an invisible person had walked up to each of them, breathing cold air and chuckling softly. "Who''s there?" "Who''s laughing?" The four occupants of the Death Shack felt a chill run down their spines, the hairs on the back of their necks standing on end! They all turned around at the same time, but saw nothing, just empty space. "Did you guys hear that?" Ian asked, unsettled. Liam forced a pale smile. "You guys are easily scared. It''s just a computer sound effect from a speaker, don''t be such chickens!" Ethan retorted, "If you weren''t scared, why the cold sweat on your forehead? Got some kidney problems?" "No... no, that''s not it!" Mike shook his head. Ian looked serious. "You noticed it too?" Liam asked, "What''s not right? There''s nobody here but us. What other explanation is there besides a computer sound effect played through a speaker?" Mike tapped the table lightly. "Can you hear this sound?" "Am I deaf?" Liam rolled his eyes. "Can you tell where the sound is coming from?" Mike asked again. "Yeah," Liam said, confused. Ethan clapped his thigh. "I get what Mike''s saying!" "What the hell are you guys talking about?" Liam was getting frustrated. Ian cleared his throat, his voice trembling. "When that laugh happened, I could feel it coming from right behind me, very, very close, like something invisible was whispering in my ear!" Mike and Ethan nodded in agreement. That was how they felt too. Liam felt a chill shoot straight up his spine. Now he understood. If the sound was coming from a hidden speaker, the direction and location of the sound would be fixed. It wouldn''t be so close to each of them, and it wouldn''t feel like it was coming from behind each person, since they were sitting around a table, facing different directions. "Maybe it''s hidden inside the chairs!" Ethan said. Mike immediately turned around and began inspecting the chairs, trying to find a hidden speaker! But as he was checking the chairs, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of the grimace graffiti on the wall! His pupils shrank suddenly, and he held his breath. The grimace on the wall looked like it was crying, its mouth turned down, its empty eye sockets seeming to express loneliness and sorrow. Everything seemed fine! But! Mike clearly remembered that when he first entered the haunted house, the grimace was smiling! "Look at the grimace!" Mike shouted. Three pairs of eyes turned to look. Ian frowned. "The expression on the grimace seems to have changed, like it''s angry." Liam glanced at Ian. "Maybe donate your eyes to someone who needs them. The grimace clearly doesn''t have any expression at all, how could it be angry!" Ethan was stunned, and blurted out, "That''s not right, I thought the grimace was laughing!" "You got eye problems too?" Liam was taken aback. Mike took a deep breath. "I see it as crying. It seems like none of us has eye problems. We''re all seeing different expressions on the grimace!" "Let''s switch places and see if the position is causing each of us to see different expressions on the grimace!" For the next while, the four repeatedly switched positions, but no matter how they changed positions, everyone saw a different expression on the grimace, and it never changed! The Death Shack fell silent, the air seeming to freeze. 9 - Insanity Ethan felt his mouth dry up. "How can this be explained?" he asked. At first, everyone thought the grimaces on the wall worked like 3D cards, changing depending on the viewing angle. But the recent experiment had disproved that possibility. "Mike, aren''t you supposed to be smart? Come up with a reasonable explanation!" Liam''s voice involuntarily rose in volume. Mike shook his head in distress. His brain was like a high-speed computer, constantly calculating possibilities, but none of them led to a correct answer. The high-intensity workload was starting to overwhelm him. Mike felt dizzy and heavy-eyed. He forced a bitter smile. "I can''t think of a reasonable explanation. Maybe there really are things we can''t understand in the Death Shack." Ian Smith said, "I''ve been to a lot of haunted houses. Some of them definitely have inexplicable oddities. The Death Shack must be one of those!" Right now, Ian''s mind wasn''t dismissive, and his emotions were like a stormy sea, churning with waves! The Death Shack was definitely in his top three haunted house experiences! Mike rubbed his eyes. "Let''s put that aside for now. Do we continue the challenge?" "Continue, of course, continue!" Liam licked his lips. "That''s a million dollars. Don''t you guys want it?" Ethan looked around. "The Death Shack is definitely eerie, and it makes you panic for no reason, but it seems to be within our tolerance range. Besides, we only have to stay here for an hour!" Ian laughed. "We''ve been around the block a few times. It''s not like we haven''t seen haunted houses like this before. Just grit your teeth and get through it!" The atmosphere of the Death Shack was indeed unnerving and unsettling. But the four of them weren''t ordinary people. Ian was a professional haunted house enthusiast! The other three were medical students, used to dealing with Cadavers, so they were already a bit desensitized! Mike nodded, a faint smile on his face. "I have to admit the Death Shack is an exceptionally good haunted house. We underestimated it before we came in, but it''s not going to defeat us!" "Just 40 more minutes, and the challenge is over..." Before he finished speaking, Ethan''s eyes suddenly widened, his face flushed, veins popping on his forehead, and his breathing became rapid. "Huff!" The heavy panting was unusually loud in the quiet Death Shack, quickly attracting the attention of the others. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Ian''s heart sank, and his expression turned serious. "What''s wrong with you?" This was too strange! One moment, Ethan was a strong, healthy guy; the next, he was flailing around like someone drowning! No warning signs whatsoever. It was like something had suddenly taken over his body! Liam was startled by this sudden change and hurriedly shouted, "Ethan, what are you doing? Don''t scare us!" Mike didn''t hesitate. He raised his hand and cleanly slapped Ethan across the face, trying to wake him up! But Ethan didn''t seem to feel anything, and his symptoms were getting worse and worse! Ethan''s pupils suddenly contracted, as if he saw something terrifying. He waved his hands in front of him, shouting and screaming. "Don''t come any closer!" "I really know I was wrong!" "Death, death won''t hurt anymore, I want to die!" Then, Ethan made a wrist-slitting gesture. This scene made all three of them feel chilled to the bone! Ethan must be experiencing something terrible, or he wouldn''t be acting like this. And if Ethan had really had a knife in his hand just now, his wrist would have been cut open! Ian asked, "Does he have any history of epilepsy or mental illness?" Mike shook his head. "Ethan likes to work out and is as strong as an ox. He rarely even gets a cold or fever, let alone mental illnesses!" "Then what''s wrong with him?" Liam''s voice trembled. "It''s like in the novels, like he''s been possessed!" Before he finished speaking, Liam stared ahead, as if seeing something unbelievable. His face instantly drained of color, turning pale and terrified. He cried out in horror. "Zombies!" "There are zombies!" "Ah... don''t bite me! I don''t want to turn into a zombie!" Ian inhaled sharply. "Another one''s gone crazy!" Mike gritted his teeth. "What''s happening to them?" "Looks like they''re hallucinating." Ian said, "Some famous haunted houses hire the world''s top psychologists to design the sets. There are lots of inconspicuous things that constantly give the visitors suggestions to cause psychological problems." "But can psychological suggestions be that powerful?" Mike asked. "That''s beyond my area of expertise." Ian said bitterly, "I am just a common guy who goes to haunted houses a lot, I don''t know those things." Ian Smith lifted his leg and moved toward the exit "Where are you going?" Mike already had the answer, but he asked anyway. Ian looked at Liam and Ethan, who were flailing their arms, took a deep breath, and said, "I don''t want to end up like them. I don''t know what they are experiencing, but they want to die to escape, so it must be very scary!" Ian didn''t want to say any more. He ran toward the door, trying to save time. "Heh heh..." A sinister laughter echoed in Ian''s ear. Ian felt something cold and clammy touching his ear. The cold sensation spread through his skin to his entire body, his scalp tingling, and his hair standing on end. Ian smiled bitterly and sighed. The next second, like Liam and Ethan, he experienced a drastic change of expression and began to shout and scream. Mike¡¯s breath paused. He hadn¡¯t been watching the others when Liam and Ethan changed so he didn¡¯t know what had happened. But this time he was watching Ian. He had a crystal clear view of the change that happened to Ian! Without any warning and in the space of a single breath, a clear headed man suddenly became a screaming, wailing lunatic! This was beyond the realm of science. Mike turned and looked at the death shack, grit his teeth, and hissed: ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What is here?¡± ¡°Does that mean there really are ghosts in this world?¡± Apart from the commotion the three men were causing, the death shack was deadly silent, and there was nothing or no one to answer Mike¡¯s question. Then, Mike heard that familiar, sinister laugh. Mike felt like he was hallucinating, but no matter how hard he concentrated, he couldn¡¯t focus. When his vision returned, he realized with horror that he was in a place that was familiar and yet unfamiliar! 10 - Hometown Visit The night sky was dotted with stars. Moonlight, like water, on the crisscrossing ridges of the fields. At the end of the ridges was a small village with hundreds of families nestled at the foot of the mountain. Most of the buildings in the village were earthen houses, interspersed with a few small Western-style houses with red bricks and blue tiles. "Isn''t this my hometown?" "How am I here?" Mike stared blankly at everything. His first reaction was that he was in a dreamlike illusion. So he started holding his breath. Although Mike didn''t know how to get out of the illusion, he thought this method of waking himself up from a dream might work. Time passed. Mike''s face turned red, his veins bulged, but he couldn''t return to Death Shack. "How could this happen!" Mike couldn''t hold it any longer and gasped for breath. Then, Mike reached out a hand and pinched the flesh on his waist hard. "Ouch!" The intense pain made Mike gasp. But compared to the pain, Mike was even more shocked! Pain! He actually felt pain! Wasn''t it said that you can''t feel pain in a dream? So what was going on? "Could it be that I really returned to my hometown?" Mike said in disbelief. He often read online novels during his free time, so he was no stranger to concepts like time travel and rebirth. Faced with such a strange situation, he naturally thought of it. Suddenly, a light shone from a distance and fell on Mike. Mike shielded his eyes with his hand and squinted. He saw a middle-aged man wearing a miner''s lamp slowly walking over. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. "Kid? You''re finally back!" The middle-aged man recognized Mike and his voice became strange. "Uncle Lee?" Mike was blinded by the glare and couldn''t see who it was, but he used his familiar accent to find the corresponding person in his memory. "Stop talking nonsense, hurry home and see!" Uncle Lee came up and pushed Mike forward. Mike was confused and said, "Uncle Lee, what''s wrong with my family?" "You don''t know?" Uncle Lee paused, his expression becoming serious. Mike shook his head and said, "I really don''t know!" Uncle Lee''s voice suddenly rose a few degrees, and he said with disappointment, "I''ve always thought highly of you since you were a kid, praising you for being smart and promising to everyone I met. Is this how you''re doing?" "Your childhood friends all said you''ve changed, that you don''t recognize poor relatives anymore. I thought those kids were just jealous that you could go to college and were talking nonsense, but I didn''t expect it to be true!" The more Uncle Lee spoke, the more excited he became. After every few words, he had to cough to catch his breath before continuing! Mike lowered his head, his eyes darting around, afraid to look Uncle Lee in the eye. He had grown up in poverty. After going to college, he saw the prosperous world outside! Everything in the outside world made Mike feel lost. He knew nothing about the celebrity cosmetics that girls talked about. He had never played the games and entertainment activities that the boys chatted about. He couldn''t even complete the homework assigned by the teacher that required a computer! This feeling of being out of touch with the world made Mike close himself off and avoid contact with others, so as not to expose the fact that he was an idiot! At the same time, he began to hate his background. He attributed everything to the mountains that gave birth to him and raised him. Even though he hadn''t been home for two years, Mike still easily found his way to his own door. With his home right in front of him, Mike was a little afraid to step inside. On one hand, it was the feeling of being near his hometown and feeling uneasy. On the other hand, he also felt ashamed and didn''t know how to face his parents. "Bro, you''re already like this, and you still haven''t told Mike to come home?" A rude voice filled with gunpowder came from inside the house. Mike recognized it as his uncle''s voice. Then, another slightly weak voice, barely audible, sounded. "Cough cough cough..." "Just a small injury... it''s nothing, Mike... is in college!" Mike''s face changed. How had his father, who he remembered as strong as an ox, become so weak that he could barely speak? He didn''t care about anything else, and rushed into the house in a panic! Mike''s sudden appearance startled everyone in the house! "Mike, you... how did you come back!" The man lying on the bed mustered some strength, picked up the quilt, and covered his thin body. "Dad, what happened to you?" Mike couldn''t believe his eyes. Two years ago, when he left home, his father was as strong as an ox, able to eat and drink heartily. But now, the father in front of him was almost indistinguishable from a junkie, skinny and without a trace of blood on his face! These were clearly two completely different people! "How did he become like this? Don''t you know?" The middle-aged man by the bed, Mike''s uncle, said angrily. "What does it have to do with me?" Mike protested. He hadn''t been home for two years and didn''t care about family matters! "Cough cough..." His father coughed violently and said after a while, "It''s... nothing to do with you, I was just careless..." "Bro, it''s come to this, and you''re still indulging this little beast!" "No, I have to say it today!" "You always want to be a good person, so let me be the bad guy!" "If I can''t even educate my own nephew, I''ll lose face when I go out in the future!" The uncle''s voice exploded like thunder, as if he had eaten gunpowder. "What did I do?" Mike also got angry and shouted, "Uncle, you''re my uncle, but you can''t scold me for no reason!" 11 - Mikes Downfall His uncle''s face was ashen, his jaw clenched tight enough to make his teeth grind. "I''m asking you, have you been hitting up your folks for money every other day?" Mike hung his head, his voice involuntarily dropping. "Yeah... but isn''t it normal to spend money in college? Food costs money, clothes cost money, right?" "If it were normal expenses, I wouldn''t say a thing," his uncle retorted. "What... makes them not normal expenses?" Mike''s face paled even more. Under the piercing gaze, the little confidence he had left was slowly draining away. His uncle sized Mike up and down. "Then tell me, where''s all the money you got from home gone?" Mike''s eyes darted around. "Tuition, and living expenses." "I did the math. Last year, you got ten thousand dollars from home. Your tuition and living expenses couldn''t have been more than three thousand. What about the other seven thousand?" Beads of sweat began to pop out on Mike''s forehead. His uncle''s words were like sharp knives, stabbing straight at him. Defenseless, he had no idea how to parry. "Answer me!" his uncle demanded coldly. "Or should I give you a hint? How much did that outfit and those shoes cost?" His uncle had left the sticks to work in the city at a young age, traveled all over, and although he hadn''t made much money, he had seen something of the world. He could tell at a glance that Mike''s getup was the kind of designer stuff people outside the backwater were after. "The clothes... a hundred bucks," Mike stammered. "The shoes are Nike AJs, cost like five hundred something..." "And the watch cost..." In the time that followed, Mike didn''t even know what he was saying. When he had finally answered everything, Mike was stunned. His heart felt like he''d just gulped down a mouthful of spoiled plum juice, sour and bitter. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Over the past few years, he had actually asked his folks for so much money. His father on the bed was also stunned, stammering, "You... you didn''t say you were spending it all on school?" The feeble voice, to Mike''s ears, was like a thunderclap exploding right next to him. In an instant, Mike''s brain went blank. He wanted to speak, but couldn''t find the words to reply. Every time he asked his folks for money, his excuse was that the school required it, or that he needed to go to tutoring classes... At first, Mike had felt a little ashamed. But as it happened more and more, his heart gradually became numb. All he wanted was to spruce up his appearance, to hide the hillbilly vibe on him. "Forget it," his father sighed, his withered, twig-like arm waving weakly in the air, wanting to end the conversation. His uncle persisted. "Why did you have to spend that money?" "I was afraid people would look down on me," Mike replied. "Hahahaha..." His uncle burst out laughing. But there was more mockery than mirth in his laughter. "Just because you care what other people think, you''ve put your dad in this state?" his uncle sneered. Mike took a deep breath. "I just asked for some money from home. How does my dad being like this have anything to do with that?" "You grew up here too. You know how much money you can make growing corn in a year, don''t you?" His uncle''s voice grew colder. "If you don''t, I can tell you." Mike fell silent. How could he not know how much you could make from farming in a year? "Do you know that your dad is no longer welcome at relatives'' houses?" his uncle said. "How is that possible?" Mike shook his head. His dad was just a farmer, honest and warm-hearted, always helping out when someone needed a hand. How could such a person not be welcome? "Now, whenever your dad goes to someone''s door, all he does is ask to borrow money," his uncle said. Mike''s chest felt like it had been hit hard by a boulder, making it difficult to breathe. "Since your dad can''t borrow any money, he has to work several jobs to save money." "Normally, to save money, your dad only eats one meal a day, willing to go hungry and hurt his body to save those few dollars!" "He broke his leg while working some time ago and couldn''t bear to go to the hospital!" Without another word, his uncle yanked back the covers. His father, from some unknown source of strength, grabbed at the blanket with his hand. After a period of stalemate, his uncle finally won. Mike looked at the leg under the blanket and suddenly felt a chill rise up his back, straight to his head. What a leg it was. The wound was swollen like a small balloon, twisted and deformed so badly that it was hard to recognize it as a leg. Mike couldn''t bear to look at it, feeling that every breath he took wasn''t air, but strong liquor. For the first time in his life, Mike felt what it meant to be heartbroken. "I did this?" "My dad is like this because of... me?" Mike couldn''t wait to take off all the designer clothes he was wearing and throw them where he couldn''t see them. For the first time, he hated himself like an enemy! "I''m an animal!" The next second, Mike made up his mind, gathering all his strength in his head and slamming it hard against the wall. 12 - Awakenings "So sorry, you''ve all failed the challenge!" The first thing Mike heard as he woke up from the dizzying illusion was Jake Johnson''s gloating voice! Mike rubbed his eyes, confirming again and again that he was free from the nightmarish hallucination and back in reality. He breathed a long sigh of relief, the suppressed emotions slowly releasing. He also felt a sense of survival, lucky escape. "Thank God that was all an illusion, if it were real..." Mike had never felt the world was so beautiful, the air felt fresher, and the wildflowers by the roadside smelled sweeter. At the same time, the other three also woke up from their illusions. Liam was the first to wake, leaping to his feet with a start, shouting in a panic. "The zombies are coming, everyone hide!" Jake walked over and gently patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Sir, what you just experienced was an illusion. There''s no such thing as zombies in the world!" Liam''s eyes widened in disbelief. "What do you mean? I just fought a zombie face-to-face, and it bit me! It almost made me pass out from the pain!" "If you don''t believe me, look at the bite mark on my calf!" Seeing Jake staring at him like he was crazy, Liam got agitated and rolled up his pant leg to prove he wasn''t lying. Jake glanced at it, scoffing, "Where''s the injury?" "Are you blind? Can''t you see this huge bite mark... Huh... Where''s my bite mark?" Liam stared blankly at his smooth, unmarked calf. Apart from a few sparse leg hairs, there wasn''t a trace of injury. "This..." "What''s going on?" "Was I really just in an illusion?" Liam found it hard to believe. The disgusting, nauseating stench of the zombie. The pain from the zombie bite on his calf. He remembered it all so clearly. If everything he had just experienced was just an illusion... Then the Death Shack was even more terrifying than he imagined! Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Honey, you''re finally awake!" "You scared me so much! You were shouting and screaming the whole time!" Tammy Ray, the only one of the five who hadn''t entered the Death Shack, hugged the awakened Ian Smith, overjoyed. Ian touched his nose, looking at Tammy in his arms, a warm smile unconsciously appearing on his face. For the first time in his life, he felt so happy to hear Tammy''s voice. "Honey," Ian said. "Hmm?" Tammy looked up at Ian. Ian smiled softly, took a deep breath, and, with newfound courage, said the words he never thought he''d say. "Can you come home with me in a couple of days and meet my parents?" "If things go well, I''d like to... marry you!" "Huh?" Tammy''s eyes widened, hardly believing what she''d just heard. "I said," Ian said solemnly, word by word, "I want to marry you!" "But," Tammy''s face flushed red, "didn''t you say you wanted to think about it more, that you didn''t want to rush into the next stage of your life?" Ian turned to look at the Death Shack. "Because I suddenly realized how terrible it would be if you weren''t in my life!" "So, will you marry me?" "Yes, I will!" Tammy''s face broke into a happy smile. Ian pulled Tammy into his arms, holding the "regained" woman tightly. Tammy suddenly remembered something. "Honey, what''s inside the Death Shack, anyway?" "Its horror is hard to describe without experiencing it yourself!" Ian said with an even more serious expression than when he proposed, "The Death Shack is definitely the most mysterious, bizarre, and terrifying haunted house in the world!" "Honey, even more terrifying than those haunted houses overseas?" Tammy asked in astonishment. She knew that Ian was a very cautious person and rarely spoke so definitively about anything. Ian nodded. "Although I haven''t been to those notoriously scary haunted houses, I doubt they could compare to the Death Shack!" Tammy was too surprised to speak. "Man, you guys have no idea what I just went through!" "I was working out at the gym when I was surrounded by a bunch of guys who were over 6 feet tall!" "They ate my muscle-building meals and drank my protein shakes!" "I couldn''t take it anymore and tried to fight them!" "But I was immediately pinned to the ground!" "Then they took me to a small room and started laughing creepily!" "I screamed and shouted for someone to come save me!" "But they said that even if I screamed my lungs out, no one would come!" "They told me to cooperate, or they''d kill me." Ethan, still shaken, was describing his experience to Liam and Mike. Liam scoffed. "That''s nothing. I encountered zombies! Zombies! I almost got eaten!" The more Mike heard, the more he felt that the Death Shack was eerie and unpredictable, as if watched by a divine entity. How else could it so easily see through a person''s facade and strike at the root of their deepest fears? Fears that even you didn''t know you had before they appeared! "Mike, what did you experience inside?" Ethan suddenly asked. Mike smiled. "My story is a bit long. I''ll tell you about it over drinks sometime." "Let''s do it tonight. I need a little something to calm my nerves," Liam said, patting his chest. "I can''t this week. I''m going home!" Mike said. "Why are you suddenly thinking of going home?" Ethan scratched his head. "By the way, I''ve known you for so long, and I still don''t know where you''re from." "My home is in..." Mike was about to make something up when the image of his father''s twisted leg suddenly flashed before his eyes. Mike took a deep breath, summoning his courage. "My home is in a remote, poor place that you''ve never heard of!" Now, Mike was more afraid of something happening to his family because of him than of being looked down upon. "I see. Then the scenery must be beautiful!" Ethan said, stroking his chin. Liam nodded. "I''d love to visit your home sometime!" Mike was taken aback. He had been prepared for mockery, but even Liam, who usually had a sharp tongue, had said something unexpected! Mike smiled, feeling relieved. He finally understood that many things only mattered to himself and that others didn''t really care! 13 - First Earnings After seeing off the group of five, Jake Johnson soon welcomed other visitors who came to take on the challenge. Without exception, they were all like Ian Smith and his group, full of bravado before entering, and looking like drowned rats when they came out. It took Jake Johnson a lot of effort to get them all out. Time flew by, and soon it was closing time for Starlight Amusement Park. Although Jake Johnson was exhausted from going in and out of the Death Shack and working hard all day. But after closing, he didn''t choose to rest. Instead, he sat in the room with excitement and began to record the day''s business. This calculation surprised Jake Johnson. "Today, I actually sold 23 tickets for the Death Shack, earning over $2,000..." The room suddenly became quiet. Jake Johnson stared at the numbers on the paper, his expression gradually becoming strange, splitting like the grimace on the wall of the Death Shack. He was clearly smiling, but hot tears kept overflowing from the corners of his eyes. $2,300 in revenue. This might be the highest-grossing day for Starlight Amusement Park in recent years! Jake Johnson wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and looked back at a family photo hanging on the wall. "Dad, Mom, today is the happiest day of my life!" "Do you know? I earned more than $2,000 today, and this is just the beginning. In the future, more and more people will come to visit the Death Shack. Then I will update some other amusement facilities, and Starlight Amusement Park will definitely usher in glory again!" "Starlight Amusement Park is saved, I don''t have to sell my house!" The problem that had been bothering Jake Johnson was solved. Now he felt extremely happy and even wanted to sing out loud. An hour later, Jake Johnson''s excitement gradually calmed down. He put away the day''s business records and opened the system interface. After a day of operation, the data on the system interface had also changed slightly. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Starlight Amusement Park Status: On the verge of bankruptcy Overall Rating: Poor Today''s Visitors: 23 Employees: None System Amusement Facilities: Death Shack This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Fame Points: 528 ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Looking down from the top, other data hadn''t changed much. Jake Johnson wasn''t surprised. After all, it had only been one day of operation. It would be strange if there were earth-shattering changes. However, when he saw the Fame Points, Jake Johnson raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "I remember the previous Fame Points were 153. How did it become 528 today? Didn''t only 23 visitors come today? How did it increase by nearly 400 Fame Points!" "System, how exactly are Fame Points calculated?" Jake Johnson was very concerned about the change in this value. After all, only with enough Fame Points could he redeem more magical amusement facilities from the system store. The huge Starlight Amusement Park couldn''t rely on just one Death Shack. It had to be diversified, with all kinds of facilities! "Visitors are the source of Fame Points." "As long as they are satisfied with their experience in Starlight Amusement Park, they can contribute Fame Points." "Different visitors can contribute different amounts of Fame Points." "Simply put, people with high reputations will contribute more Fame Points than ordinary people!" Jake Johnson suddenly understood! He immediately understood why only 23 visitors came today, but they provided more than 400 Fame Points. This must have a lot to do with Ian Smith. Ian Smith was a senior haunted house player. Although not a top-tier expert in this circle, he was still a bit famous and had a certain number of fans. "Then I should trick more high-level players like Ian Smith into coming to the Death Shack!" Jake Johnson''s eyes rolled, and he began to plan in his heart. The cheapest amusement facility in the system cost 10,000 Fame Points. If he relied only on ordinary visitors, at least several thousand people would have to come and play to provide it. But if twenty high-level players like Ian Smith came, they could basically provide 10,000 Fame Points! Thinking of this, Jake Johnson opened his phone. When he asked everyone to sign the liability waiver during the day, one of the mandatory items was contact information. Jake Johnson found Ian Smith''s waiver and dialed the number left on it. In a short while, the call went through. "Hello, who is this?" Jake Johnson coughed lightly and said, "Mr. Smith, hello, I''m the owner of the Death Shack. I don''t know if you remember me?" "Mr. Johnson, what''s up?" "It''s like this, I want to ask you for a favor. Of course, there will be a reward!" "Mr. Johnson, to be honest, your Death Shack helped me untie a knot in my heart. Just say what''s on your mind. As long as it''s within my ability, I will definitely help! And don''t talk to me about money!" Jake Johnson was stunned. Wasn''t the Death Shack supposed to scare people? How could it untie knots in people''s hearts? However, he didn''t dwell on this issue too much and explained his request to Ian Smith in a concise and clear manner. Ian Smith was also a straightforward person and agreed directly. Ian Smith hung up the phone, switched to WhatsApp, and found a group from it. This group was full of senior haunted house players, and there were many big shots in it. He was at best a newbie. At this time, the group was hotly discussing various well-known haunted houses at home and abroad. Ordinary people would be shocked to see these chat records. Many haunted houses that ordinary people were scared out of their wits after playing were crude products in the eyes of the people in this group, and they were boring to play. Ian Smith edited a piece of text and sent it out. "Brothers and sisters, I recently discovered a haunted house called Death Shack, which is really very good. I guarantee with my character that it is definitely the scariest haunted house in the world, bar none." "If you´óÀÐ are interested, you can go to the following address to take a look..." These two messages had not been sent out for long before the group exploded. Water group experts immediately responded, and even many eternal lurkers rarely expressed their opinions. "Death Shack, what is this thing? I''ve never even heard of it?" "If I hadn''t glanced at the ID and saw that Ian Smith sent this sentence, I would have thought that some haunted house owner was doing promotion here, and I was about to kick him out!" "Little Smith, we don''t have any opinions on you recommending haunted houses to us, but is it a bit of an exaggeration? This kind of haunted house that we have never even heard of can be called the scariest haunted house in the world?" 14 - House Pros Ian Smith regretted sending that message almost immediately! He had described Death Shack as the scariest haunted house in the world. While he believed it to be true, he knew others would disagree. It was a simple matter of opinion. Everyone had their own favorite when it came to the "best" haunted house, leading to endless debates. Anyone claiming a particular haunted house was the ultimate experience was bound to face backlash. Sure enough, Ian Smith saw the group chat explode with activity. The group was in an uproar! "Green Vine Hospital is the best! Green Vine Hospital is the best! Green Vine Hospital is the best! Repetition for emphasis!" "I''ve heard of many great haunted houses, but sorry, I''ve never even heard of Death Shack!" "Ian Smith, get your butt over here! If Death Shack is the best and scariest haunted house in the world, then what about Vampire Castle? You better explain yourself, or this isn''t over! @Ian Smith" Ian Smith gave a wry smile, shaking his head in resignation. He had stirred up a hornet''s nest! "Sorry, sorry!" "If I''ve offended any of you big shots, I, Ian Smith, apologize right here and now!" "But Death Shack is really great. At least, among the haunted houses I''ve experienced, it definitely ranks number one!" Though eager to apologize, Ian Smith didn''t back down from his stance. He still believed Death Shack was the scariest haunted house in the world! Only those who had personally experienced it could understand the soul-crushing horror of Death Shack''s illusions. No matter how strong someone appeared, each illusion would strip away their defenses, plunging them into an abyss of despair. Seeing that Ian Smith hadn''t changed his mind, the group exploded once more. This time, it wasn''t just those who felt offended speaking up; bystanders couldn''t resist jumping in either! Ian Smith wasn''t a lurker in the group; he often participated in discussions. Therefore, everyone knew he was usually witty and never as stubborn as he was being today! A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. "@Ian Smith, are you getting paid for this promotion? Is Death Shack really that good and scary?" "Yeah, you''re making me want to try it out!" "Everyone, stop arguing. Why not just try it and see for yourselves?" Ian Smith was struggling to find a way to convince others when he saw those messages. His eyes lit up, and he seized the opportunity, typing out a message! "Everyone, you can come with me to Death Shack. After the experience, if you still have objections, I''ll apologize in person!" Soon after that message, the group admin chimed in. "Alright everyone, calm down!" "We''re all here because we share the same interests. No need to argue!" "Just do as Ian Smith suggested. Those who have objections, go to Death Shack together!" "It''s been a while since we had an offline meetup. Anyone interested can come along tomorrow. All expenses will be on me!" The admin, an experienced veteran in the haunted house scene, had spoken, and the anger subsided. They agreed to discuss the details tomorrow! ... The next day. Before dawn, Jake Johnson yawned and climbed out of bed. He had stayed up late the night before, grinning like an idiot at the amusement park''s revenue reports. It took a while to calm his excitement and force himself to sleep. He managed to get only three or four hours of sleep. Though he was yawning and groggy when he woke up, the thought of more people visiting Starlight Amusement Park today instantly energized him. He straightened his back and beamed with enthusiasm! After a day of buzz, the Death Shack promotional video had reached more people, and more tourists were eager to play or try for the million-dollar award. As soon as Jake Johnson unlocked the park gates, six people immediately bought tickets and rushed into Death Shack, eager to try it out. Although the group was one person larger than yesterday''s first group, the quality was definitely lower. As soon as they entered Death Shack, four of the six people were so terrified by the bone-covered path and the desiccated corpses hanging from the trees that they demanded to be let out! The remaining two mustered the courage to walk past the bone path and into Death Shack, but they didn''t last ten minutes before Jake Johnson had to carry them out. Seeing the visitors'' pathetic performance, Jake Johnson chuckled without a shred of conscience. That''s just the way it is in the haunted house business. The owner''s happiness comes at the expense of the visitors'' suffering. Just as Jake Johnson finished hauling another batch of passed-out visitors out of Death Shack and hadn''t even had a chance to rest, he saw a large group of people walking towards him. "I was kind of excited, but when I got here, it''s just this run-down amusement park. I feel like I''ve been tricked!" "Agreed, I''m starting to think Ian Smith is really just promoting this place for the owner!" "Yeah, I''m a little disappointed." The group numbered about twenty or so, and Ian Smith, who had been there the day before, led the way. "Boss, the guests I promised are here!" Ian Smith said, greeting Jake Johnson enthusiastically. "That''s a lot of people." Jake Johnson was startled. He had thought Ian Smith might only bring one or two haunted house pros to try out Death Shack. What Jake Johnson found strange was how cold and distant everyone looked, as if he owed them money. "You guys are here to try to win the challenge money, too?" A young man who had just woken up from his stupor and was still pale in the face suddenly spoke. Ian Smith nodded. "Something like that. We''re all here to experience Death Shack!" The young man, devoid of color, forced a pale smile onto his terrified face. "I advise you not to go in. It''s too damn scary and terrifying!" As if on cue, a group of people who had just emerged from Death Shack nodded in agreement. But their well-meaning advice clearly had no effect. The twenty-odd haunted house enthusiasts didn''t pay any attention. They were all seasoned veterans. Could they be anything like ordinary people? 15 - Death Shack Debut Even though the people Ian Smith brought looked very indifferent, Jake Johnson still gave them a warm smile from the bottom of his heart! Undoubtedly, the people Ian Smith brought were basically well-known players in the haunted house community, possessing decent popularity, and would definitely provide a lot of Fame Points. Jake Johnson secretly pumped his fist in celebration, as long as he took care of these people, he wouldn''t be far from exchanging for the first amusement facility in the system store! "Come, come, come." Jake Johnson beckoned to the people Ian Smith brought, taking out the liability waiver he had prepared long ago. "What''s the point of signing this thing? What a waste of time!" A cry of dissatisfaction came from the crowd! The others didn''t speak, but expressed their agreement through their eyes and nodding. Ian Smith glanced at him and smiled, "Everyone, just sign it, it''s just signing a name anyway, won''t waste much time!" The leader of the haunted house enthusiast group also stepped forward to smooth things over at this time. Only then did a group of people reluctantly sign their names on the liability waiver. Jake Johnson put away the liability waiver one by one and said, "The Death Shack can only accommodate a maximum of 6 people at a time. There are too many of you, you need to go in batches!" "You decide who goes in first!" "We''ll go in first! We want to see where Ian Smith gets his confidence from, daring to say that this Death Shack is more terrifying than Green Vine Hospital!" A skinny, horse-faced man stood out. The horse-faced man picked out five other people from the crowd, quickly gathering a group of six. "They are all loyal players of Green Vine Hospital." Ian Smith whispered to Jake Johnson on the side. Jake Johnson nodded thoughtfully. Green Vine Hospital is a very famous haunted house in Japan, said to be based on real events, and it has even scared tourists to death inside. It can be seen that the level of terror is extraordinary. "No wonder they look down on the Death Shack." Jake Johnson said with a smile. Ian Smith shook his head and said, "They will regret having such thoughts." Ian Smith had been to the Death Shack once and didn''t want to go a second time. He had also been to Green Vine Hospital a few times. It was indeed very terrifying, but not to the point where he would never dare to go in again. "Then we Vampire Castle enthusiasts will go in the second wave." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. On the other side, another six people formed a team. Vampire Castle is also a very famous haunted house, designed according to Western mythology. Moreover, what sets this haunted house apart from other haunted houses is that it actually houses many vampire bats that attack people, posing a certain risk! These six Vampire Castle enthusiasts in front of him all had some unhealed wounds on their bodies, more or less. The people Ian Smith brought, except for the first two teams who purely wanted to stir up trouble, the remaining dozen or so were there to watch the fun. Those who were interested formed a third team and prepared to go in and take a look. Those who weren''t interested found a place, spread out a picnic cloth, and took out things they brought from home from their bags, playing like they were on a picnic. Jake Johnson watched the group of Green Vine Hospital enthusiasts enter the Death Shack and was about to return to the adjacent monitoring room to check on their situation. A middle-aged man blocked his path. "Hello, my name is Ethan, and I''m the leader of the haunted house enthusiasts group. Can I go with you to see the monitoring?" Ethan extended a very friendly hand. Jake Johnson nodded and said, "Anyway, the monitoring room is quite big. If you guys are interested, you can all come and take a look!" As soon as he said this, besides Ethan and Ian Smith, a few others also entered the monitoring room. The furnishings in the monitoring room were very simple: a long table with a row of computer screens on it. Each screen displayed images transmitted from surveillance cameras. The screen clearly showed the six people who had just entered the Death Shack standing blankly in front of the Bone Trail. "Haha, they must be stunned by the scene in front of them." Ian Smith laughed. Putting aside everything else, the scene layout of the Death Shack is definitely the best of all haunted houses. Whether it''s the towering trees rising from the ground, the Bone Trail paved with white bones, or the mummies hanging, it''s enough to overwhelm any haunted house. Ethan was also surprised and couldn''t help but say, "This scene layout took a lot of thought. From this aspect alone, the Death Shack is really quite good." The others nodded in agreement. "The scene layout is pretty good." "No wonder Ian Smith supports the Death Shack so much, it seems there''s some truth to it." "I wasn''t really interested before, but now I really want to go in and take a look." Ian Smith smiled faintly, wondering what these people would think if they entered the Death Shack and found that all the props were real, not the fakes they imagined! "Why are these people walking so slowly?" Ethan frowned and suddenly said. Everyone was stunned and also noticed this extremely strange thing. Through the cameras, they could clearly see that the six people in the Death Shack had stepped onto the Bone Trail and were advancing towards the Death Shack. The strange thing was that these six people were walking very, very slowly, like snails, wriggling forward. And the six people were back to back, confirming that there were no blind spots in their surroundings. "That''s not right, this isn''t Green Vine Hospital, why would they use this method to explore the haunted house?" "Look at Mike, his face is starting to turn pale, as if he''s been scared by something!" "That''s not right, there''s nothing around, what exactly scared them?" A group of people chattered. Ethan frowned, also very puzzled. "Ian Smith, what scared them?" Someone asked. Ian Smith shook his head slightly and said, "Heaven''s secrets cannot be revealed, but I can tell you a little bit, they were scared by the props used to set the scene!" "If you don''t want to say, just don''t say it, why use such a clumsy excuse to deceive us?" That person chuckled, obviously not believing Ian Smith''s statement. They weren''t ordinary people, they were experienced players who had played in countless haunted houses, how could they be scared by just a few props? Ethan looked solemn, staring intently at the Bone Trail and the mummies. He believed that Ian Smith was not a liar. If he said there was a problem with the props, then there must be a problem with the props! But Ethan looked and looked, thought and thought, and couldn''t figure out what was so special about the props in the Death Shack besides being somewhat realistic? What exactly is going on! A plain and ordinary road, yet it makes six battle-hardened haunted house veterans so cautious. 16 - The Bizarre Footage As everyone wondered why the six individuals were being so cautious, the camera feed showed them entering the Death Shack. Jake Johnson switched the view, and the interior of the Death Shack instantly appeared on the monitor. The crowd perked up, temporarily putting their doubts aside, focusing intently on the Death Shack shown on the screen. But after a few glances, they were somewhat disappointed. Ethan scratched his head, asking, "Boss, are you sure this is the Death Shack, the most crucial part of the entire haunted house?" The others also looked over, clearly awaiting an answer to their shared question. Jake Johnson nodded. Ian Smith chuckled, "Do you guys think this room is too ordinary?" Ethan blurted out, "Isn''t it?" The layout of the Death Shack was clear at a glance. There was only a table and a few chairs, along with slightly eerie ghost faces on the walls; the overall style leaned towards the gloomy side. Such a setup could only be described as mediocre. Ninety-nine out of a hundred haunted houses had a similar arrangement! "The overall atmosphere of the haunted house is decent, but that''s about it..." "Exactly, the only thing that might scare people is the ghost face graffiti on the walls." "It feels like false advertising; the outside scenery is so elaborate, but the most important part is treated like this. I seriously doubt the designer of this haunted house has a brain!" A group of people chattered in front of the screen. One of them looked at Ian Smith with a grin. He was the leader of the second team, a devoted fan of Vampire Castle. "Ian Smith, is this the world''s best haunted house that you said is even better than Vampire Castle?" He laughed, saying, "It doesn''t seem like much, does it?" "If you apologize to me now, I might show you some mercy!" Ian Smith laughed, "That won''t be necessary. I''ll apologize when I should, and I won''t when I shouldn''t." "I see you won''t give up until you''re faced with the consequences." The man snorted, wearing a stern face. He felt confident that he had Ian Smith cornered. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. To put it bluntly, he had stopped playing haunted houses of this level when he was a kid; they posed absolutely no challenge! He had no idea where Ian Smith got the confidence to say that such a haunted house was the world''s best, even better than Vampire Castle! "Look, everyone!" Just then, a surprised exclamation interrupted his thoughts. Before he could react and see what was happening on the monitor, he heard a collective gasp. "What''s wrong with him? Why is he suddenly convulsing?" "It scared the hell out of me; one moment he''s a normal person, and the next he''s like he''s possessed!" "Look, another one seems to be having problems!" In front of the monitor, everyone''s eyes were wide like saucers, and their mouths were open wide enough to fit an apple. They watched as the people on the monitor suddenly started shouting and flailing without warning, and the fear on their faces was definitely not fake! If they didn''t know the six people inside the Death Shack, they would have suspected that the haunted house owner hired actors. Weird! Too weird! Imagine, one second you''re chatting and laughing with your friend, and the next he''s convulsing and shouting strange things. Anyone would feel uneasy in that situation. Ethan was stunned, saying, "Can someone explain to me what''s going on!" Ian Smith patted Ethan on the shoulder, saying, "Ethan, the weirdness of the Death Shack can''t be explained. You can only understand its terror by experiencing it firsthand." The Vampire Castle enthusiast watched the bizarre footage, his Adam''s apple bobbing as he nervously swallowed. "Don''t be nervous," Ian Smith chuckled. "Who... who''s nervous!" he muttered. In no time, the six people inside the Death Shack had all descended into a state of frenzy. The monitoring room was silent. Everyone quietly watched the strange transformations happening to the six individuals. Large question marks seemed to float above their heads! Could someone tell them what was happening? Why did the seemingly ordinary Death Shack drive six people crazy one after another? Could there really be something sinister inside? Jake Johnson ignored the bewildered crowd, stretched, and got up from his seat. "Where are you going?" Ethan asked. "To carry them out!" Jake Johnson waved his hand, saying, "Do you guys want to lend a hand?" Before he finished speaking, everyone shook their heads like rattles. Jake Johnson pushed an electric cart into the Death Shack, loaded the six people one by one, and then took them outside. The moment the six were brought out, a group of people who hadn''t entered the monitoring room immediately swarmed around. Each of them was disheveled, pale, and looked utterly terrified. "Holy crap, what did they experience in there? Why are they all passed out?" "These six brothers wouldn''t be scared unconscious even in Green Vine Hospital; what happened?" "The haunted house owner must be playing dirty, arranging people to knock them out inside; otherwise, how could they all be scared unconscious?" "They were pretending to be haunted house experts, but they''re just like us, walking in and being carried out!" After a while, the six people woke up one after another. Ethan immediately rushed to the side of the first person to wake up, followed by a crowd of onlookers. Ethan asked, "What did you see inside the Death Shack? Why were you acting like you were possessed?" The person who had just woken up smiled wryly, looking at the curious faces, saying, "Can you guys let me rest for a bit? My heart is still pounding!" Jake Johnson walked over, saying, "Second group, it''s your turn. Go in quickly; don''t waste time. There are many people waiting in line behind you." Instantly, everyone''s eyes turned to the six people in the second group. The six looked at each other, unsure of what to do. With the first six as examples, they certainly wouldn''t underestimate the Death Shack. They were all veterans of the haunted house scene, and their psychological endurance was similar. If the first group was scared unconscious, they didn''t think they could perform any better! But if they didn''t go in... They had not only bragged to Ian Smith but also to the ordinary tourists in front of the haunted house. If they pretended nothing was wrong and didn''t go in now, they would be drowned in spit. The six felt immense pressure, trapped in a dilemma. 17 - Terror Unleashed "Oh, what''s wrong? Why does my stomach suddenly hurt?" One of the six suddenly cried out. His face was contorted, veins popping out on his forehead as he clutched his stomach, looking like he was in labor. Although he looked to be in great pain, it caused everyone present to laugh. The other five standing with him perked up, and then a variety of excuses rang out. "Oh, my memory is terrible! My girlfriend invited me to lunch, I have to rush over there, or she''ll definitely yell at me!" "What? My mom''s giving birth today?" "I can''t take it anymore, I have heatstroke! I need to go to the hospital right away." In less than a minute, the six people had vanished from sight with lightning speed. With that kind of speed, they could definitely get a good result in the 100-meter dash! Ian shouted from behind, "Hey, are you guys coming back to play Death Shack later?" The six people rolled their eyes, cursing inwardly! Play! Play my foot! Weren''t the six people before them miserable enough, being carried out of the haunted house in full view of everyone? They bragged so loudly before going in, only to be humiliated and embarrassed when they came out! "Ian, you''re right, Death Shack is truly the scariest haunted house in the world." The Green Vine Hospital fan who had woken up first had gradually recovered, but his body still couldn''t help but tremble when he mentioned Death Shack. His experience in Death Shack would be unforgettable for the rest of his life! Ian laughed, "What about you guys?" "Sorry, I was ignorant before." "Green Vine Hospital is completely insignificant compared to Death Shack!" "Agreed, I''ve been to Green Vine Hospital many times, but I really don''t want to come to this Death Shack a second time." "Ian, we were wrong. Whatever you say, we''ll do. We''re willing to be punished!" The other five were also completely convinced by Ian. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Ian waved his hand repeatedly and said with a faint smile, "We''re all good buddies from the same group, no need to be like that." "Actually, I understand your reaction at the time. The first time I came to Death Shack, I also felt that this haunted house was very average, and probably wouldn''t be very fun!" "Who knew..." Ian looked at Death Shack with lingering fear, unable to say the next words due to terror. The six people sitting on the ground, gasping for breath, felt a resonance when they saw Ian''s appearance, and nodded in unison. "Hey, where''s the group leader?" After Ian reconciled with the six, he looked around and realized that Ethan was gone, along with a few other people from the group who had come to watch the fun. Jake laughed, "They went in a long time ago, saying they had to figure out what''s inside Death Shack!" Ian put his hands together, made a prayer gesture, and said, "Let us mourn for our group leader!" "Mourn!" "Salute to the brave!" In front of Death Shack, tourists paid their respects to Ethan and the others. Knowing that there were dangers ahead, they still dared to charge in. Was this the legendary bravery? Half an hour later, Ethan and the others came out of Death Shack. Just like everyone else, they were all pushed out by Jake in an electric cart! Having been prepared, Ian and the others immediately stepped forward to help Ethan and his team up. "This... Death Shack is really damn weird!" Ethan''s first words after waking up were a curse! Ian was stunned. Ethan, who was always refined and easy-going, actually swore! Having known him for so many years, it was the first time he had seen it. After resting for a while, Ethan took out a small notebook from his pocket and started writing and drawing on it. Jake saw it and asked curiously, "What is he doing?" Ian said, "Our group leader is a senior member of the U.S. Haunted House Association." "The U.S. Haunted House Association has a Haunted House Recommendation Guide, which provides a simple evaluation of haunted houses around the world. Many haunted house enthusiasts look for haunted houses to visit based on this guide." "Our group leader, as one of the senior members, is qualified to write this guide." Jake became interested and wanted to know what Ethan''s evaluation of Death Shack was. After all, if the evaluation was high enough, many tourists who read the guide would be interested in Death Shack. The visitor traffic to Starlight Amusement Park would also increase. Ethan didn''t notice Jake approaching, and was concentrating on writing the evaluation of Death Shack. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Death Shack Scenery: Five stars Reason: Most haunted houses in the world use props for set design, and rarely use real objects. Even if they do use real objects, they only account for a small part of the entire scene. However, Death Shack manages to create the entire scene with real objects. Don''t doubt it, if you see a corpse here, it is 100% a corpse! Scare Factor: Five stars Reason: No matter how strong a person is, everyone has a vulnerable side. In Death Shack, you will directly face your vulnerable heart! This fear from the depths of your heart is too pale to describe in words. Overall Recommendation Index: Five stars Reason: If you are a haunted house enthusiast, then Death Shack is a must-visit place! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "Such a high rating?" Ian said in surprise, "Group leader, don''t I remember that you''ve always been cautious about rating haunted houses? Even Green Vine Hospital and Vampire Castle didn''t get a full star rating from you!" Ethan laughed, "It''s not that I''m cautious about rating, but until today, I hadn''t encountered a haunted house worthy of a full score." Ethan and his group left Starlight Amusement Park after spending the morning there. Originally, the team-building activity was planned for a whole day, with haunted houses in the morning, hiking in the afternoon, and dinner, drinks, and karaoke in the evening. But inside Death Shack, everyone''s spirit was severely traumatized, and they had no interest in continuing to play outside. They just wanted to go home and rest. And just as Ethan and his group had left, Jake received a system notification! "Ding, congratulations to the host for reaching 10,000 Fame Points." "Reminder, the host can now redeem some amusement facilities!" "A diversified amusement park will attract more visitors!" 18 - Speed Demon Chapter 18: Speed Demon "Attention, everyone! Starlight Amusement Park is now closing for the day." "All services will be suspended. Please exit the park in an orderly fashion!" Jake, who had been watching the clock all day, rushed to the microphone at precisely 6 PM to announce the park''s closing to all the visitors. After watching the last visitor leave, Jake hurried back to his office, eager to check the system interface. ---- Starlight Amusement Park Status: Gaining Recognition Overall Rating: Average Today''s Visitors: 51 Employees: None System Attraction: Death Shack Fame Points: 11528 ---- After a period of diligent management, Starlight Amusement Park was showing signs of improvement. Not only did it attract a steady stream of visitors each day, but its reputation was also slowly being restored. "Mom, Dad, watch over me from above. I will make sure your legacy will be in good hands!" Jake clenched his fist, silently encouraging himself. Ten minutes later, Jake reluctantly closed the Starlight Amusement Park status window and opened the system store interface. "System, show me all the attractions I can currently afford!" The store interface shifted. The previously overwhelming array of options was reduced to a manageable number, with only about ten attractions remaining. Jake examined them one by one. These attractions were nothing special. Ignoring the technological aspect, the types themselves were common in many amusement parks. They were mostly basic attractions like carousels, bumper cars, and kiddie drop towers. After reviewing all the attractions, Jake focused his attention on one called the Hyper Velocity Coaster! ---- [Hyper Velocity Coaster] Rating: Two-Star Description: A high-speed coaster capable of reaching speeds of 310 mph. Experience extreme velocity without the need for loops. Guaranteed to thrill! Cost: 10000 Fame Points ---- If park visitors were to vote for their favorite attractions, roller coasters would undoubtedly be top contenders. Jake remembered that during Starlight Amusement Park''s peak, it had a small roller coaster. Every time the park was open, long lines formed in front of the coaster, and it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that people at the back of the line might have to wait one or two hours for their turn. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Compared to the roller coaster, the lines for Starlight Amusement Park''s other attractions paled in comparison. This clearly demonstrated that while an amusement park could do without other attractions, it absolutely could not be without a roller coaster! More importantly, the system''s Hyper Velocity Coaster could reach speeds of up to 310 mph, nearly half the speed of sound. That was five times faster than a typical roller coaster, and twice as fast as the world''s current fastest coaster! The Hyper Velocity Coaster was bound to attract many coaster enthusiasts! Thinking of this, Jake''s lips curled into a slight smile. "System, redeem the Hyper Velocity Coaster!" "Redemption successful. Please select the placement method. Option 1: Generate the attraction directly within the park. Option 2: The system will generate workers who will complete the construction of the Hyper Velocity Coaster within three days." Jake pondered briefly before choosing the second option. Starlight Amusement Park was no longer what it used to be. Now, it attracted a significant number of visitors every day! If a large attraction like a roller coaster suddenly appeared overnight, it would be difficult to explain. Choosing the second placement method would only waste three days at most. And Jake could use that time to promote the Hyper Velocity Coaster. After doing all of this, Jake yawned, feeling a wave of fatigue wash over him. His eyelids felt as heavy as iron. He had been in and out of the Death Shack many times that day, carrying out dozens of people. Even with the help of an electric cart, it was still physically exhausting. Jake quickly washed up and soon drifted off into a peaceful slumber. ... The next day. Jake was awakened by a cacophony of sounds! "What''s going on?" Jake got out of bed, bewildered. He opened the door and saw what was happening. A construction crew of several hundred people had appeared in Starlight Amusement Park. They were wearing uniform work clothes and, under the direction of their foreman, were constructing the Hyper Velocity Coaster in an organized manner. A pile of materials needed for the Hyper Velocity Coaster had also appeared on the empty space. "Looks like I won''t be getting any good sleep for the next few days." Jake regretted choosing the second construction method. Since Jake couldn''t go back to sleep, he decided to get up and start working. Although the park wouldn''t open for another two hours, and he didn''t have to worry about that just yet, there were still plenty of things that Jake needed to take care of. First and foremost, he needed to hire employees! Currently, at least several dozen visitors came to Starlight Amusement Park every day to experience the Death Shack. Jake had to sell tickets and be responsible for dragging people out of the attraction. He could grit his teeth and bear it for a short time, but if it went on for too long, Jake was afraid he would overwork himself to death and end up eating Thanksgiving dinner with his parents in heaven! Jake created a simple job posting and put it online. Then, he opened the Starlight Amusement Park''s online review page and teased the upcoming launch of the Hyper Velocity Coaster. During this time, Jake also took a look at Starlight Amusement Park''s reputation on the online review platform. The ratings for Starlight Amusement Park showed a trend that leaned either positive or negative. The breaking point was the day the Death Shack officially opened to the public. The comments before that day were mostly negative. The rare positive review was clearly a default setting. However, the new comments that had appeared in recent days were overwhelmingly positive! "Thumbs up for Starlight Amusement Park! Although there is only one Death Shack to play with right now, it''s more than enough. I have never been to such a creepy haunted house anywhere else!" "Went to Starlight Amusement Park specifically for the Death Shack. I can only say that it''s even better than I imagined. If you like haunted houses, you must go and play it once, otherwise you will definitely regret it!" "Death Shack, good review! Death Shack, good review! Death Shack, good review! Important things said three times!" Three days passed in a flash. During these three days, the number of visitors to Starlight Amusement Park continued to increase. On the third day, it even broke one hundred, reaching its peak in recent years! The new employees had also been hired. Most importantly, the construction of the Hyper Velocity Coaster, which Jake had been eagerly awaiting, was nearing completion! 19 - Test Flight After three days of construction, the Hyper Velocity Coaster was finally completed. The overall track of the Hyper Velocity Coaster is relatively straight, with few curves, and the slope is also more level compared to other roller coasters. There aren''t any of those 360-degree loops. Of course, for the Hyper Velocity Coaster, these things don''t matter. The ultra-high speed of 310 mph will directly max out the riders'' blood pressure. If you were to add a few sharp turns or 360-degree loops, this roller coaster should probably be renamed the Death Coaster! "Boss, the construction of the Hyper Velocity Coaster is complete. Please sign here to finalize the procedure!" Jake took the documents from the foreman sent by the system and signed his name. Afterward, the entire construction team disappeared. Before leaving, the foreman handed Jake a file folder. Opening it, it contained various documents, including government-approved construction documents, inspection certificates, and other files. Every time a facility is built, the system provides such a set of documents, ensuring that all amusement facilities can operate legally. "Boss, this is our amusement park''s roller coaster? It looks very ordinary!" Three people walked up behind Jake. They were wearing Starlight Amusement Park employee uniforms, sizing up the newly completed Hyper Velocity Coaster! These three people were familiar faces: Mike, Ethan, and Liam, from the first group of visitors to the Death Shack! The three of them were nearing graduation and didn''t have much to do at school. They happened to see Jake''s job posting and immediately decided to apply for a part-time gig. Not many people applied to work at Starlight Amusement Park to begin with, and these three were familiar faces. Although they might not stay for too long, Jake still chose them. Jake nodded and said, "Let''s test it today. If there are no problems, we can open it to visitors tomorrow!" "Boss, why did you think of building such a roller coaster? If you have too much money, you can give us a raise!" Liam said, puzzled. "What''s wrong?" Jake asked. Liam pointed to the track of the Hyper Velocity Coaster and said, "Boss, look at it yourself. Don''t you think this roller coaster isn''t thrilling enough?" "Not thrilling enough?" Jake wore a strange expression. A speed of 310 mph isn''t thrilling enough? Does it have to be supersonic to be thrilling? Ethan nodded like a chick pecking rice, saying, "Other roller coasters have all kinds of vertical drops and 360-degree loops. That''s what''s exciting. Our amusement park''s roller coaster doesn''t seem to have any special highlights." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Mike rubbed his nose and said, "To be honest, people who ride roller coasters come to seek thrills. If it''s not thrilling enough, they definitely won''t find it interesting!" Liam sighed and said, "I understand why our amusement park is so run-down. With such a boss, building pointless amusement facilities, it would be a miracle if it didn''t go bankrupt!" "You''re supposed to be running an amusement park, and you understand less than an outsider like me!" Jake wore a dark expression and looked at Ethan and Mike, saying, "How do you guys put up with this guy''s smart-ass mouth?" Ethan and Mike smiled at each other. Liam huffed and said, "What? Am I not telling the truth?" "This kind of roller coaster that has no thrills is just a slightly faster-than-usual big toy train, isn''t it?" Jake laughed and said, "You''re right about that. This roller coaster really has no other advantages except for being a little faster!" Liam wore a smug expression, as if to say, "See? I was right!" The three of them didn''t notice the corners of Jake''s mouth slowly curving upward, a mischievous smile appearing on his face. "I need to test the roller coaster anyway to see if there are any problems. Do you guys want to try it out?" Seeing Jake''s expression, the three of them were instantly stunned, a chill running down their spines. That smile looked familiar! Jake had smiled at them like that before they entered the Death Shack. The story that followed didn''t need much explaining. The three of them sighed and shed tears every time they recalled their experiences inside. Damn it, the boss is smiling at them like that again. Could this be a trap? "Why aren''t you talking?" Jake raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "You''re not scared, are you?" None of the three spoke. Even Liam was uncharacteristically silent, secretly scrutinizing every detail of the Hyper Velocity Coaster, very cautiously. But no matter how much they looked, they couldn''t see anything special about the Hyper Velocity Coaster! It''s not like they had never ridden a roller coaster before. And they had ridden roller coasters with steeper tracks and more turns than the one in front of them. They did feel nervous and excited during the ride, but overall it was still within their physical and psychological limits. They could handle those roller coasters, so the roller coaster in front of them shouldn''t be a problem! Liam thought to himself, nodded, and said, "Dare? Why wouldn''t we dare?" "What about you guys?" Jake asked. Ethan scratched his head and said, "Let''s give it a try then." Mike nodded in agreement. But the moment he nodded, he suddenly regretted it. Jake''s smile made him feel uneasy, as if something was wrong. But since he had already agreed, getting off the thief ship would not be so easy. "Good, after today''s business hours, I''ll let you guys have a good try." Jake smiled. This time, he was smiling from the bottom of his heart. Where else could he find such a good thing as having someone test the roller coaster for him! After his experience with the Death Shack, Jake now had unwavering faith in the system! Thinking about how the Hyper Velocity Coaster could reach speeds of 310 mph, Jake felt his scalp tingle and silently prayed for the three unlucky guys in front of him, hoping they wouldn''t throw up all the food they had eaten this year. A busy day quickly passed, and after seeing off the last visitor out of the amusement park. Jake and the three others arrived at the loading platform of the Hyper Velocity Coaster. "Find a seat for yourselves." Jake said with some pity, reminding them, "I suggest you sit in the middle, not in the front or back!" The most thrilling positions on a roller coaster are the front and the back. The front has a wide field of vision, which is more psychologically impactful. The back is because when the roller coaster passes a slope, the last car will be slightly faster than the front due to the center of mass, which brings a stronger sense of impact. "Who are you looking down on?" Liam said with disdain, "Just this crappy roller coaster, I''m going to sit in the first row!" Ethan wasn''t willing to be outdone and sat in the empty seat next to Liam. Mike had originally wanted to sit in the front row as well, but after thinking about it, he quietly sat in the middle of the roller coaster. "Anyway, don''t regret it when the time comes." Jake felt that he had done his best, so he didn''t say anything more and went to the roller coaster''s control room, signaling everyone to get ready, as he was about to start the machine! 20 - Hell Ride Jake gently pressed the start button on the control panel. "Clang!" The sound of the roller coaster colliding with the steel rails as it started was enough to make anyone nervous. The roller coaster slowly began to move. It started off slowly, pushing all the cars out of the launch point to the first high point. This high point was about six stories high, with a slope of 45 degrees. Sitting in the front of the roller coaster, Liam and Ethan instinctively looked down. Liam''s face showed disdain! This height and slope wouldn''t scare anyone! Ethan also looked relaxed, looking around at the scenery. But behind them, Mike looked very solemn, taking a deep breath, squinting his eyes, ready to face the coming impact. "Here we go!" Jake watched the condition of the roller coaster on the control panel and muttered to himself. Before he finished speaking. "Buzz!" The roller coaster suddenly let out a long and dull roar! This roar was like the roar of several sports car engines pushed to maximum horsepower! Like a beast roaring. Mike suddenly opened his eyes, his face changed drastically! The thing he was worried about seemed to be slowly turning into reality. "Boom!" The roller coaster under the three of them was like being hit by a sledgehammer, and the speed suddenly skyrocketed! In Jake''s vision, the roller coaster flashed across the track like lightning, leaving afterimages. It seemed like it was traveling through space, and in the blink of an eye, it was about to rush out of Jake''s field of vision. Liam and Ethan hadn''t reacted yet, and were pressed against the back of their seats by an invisible force. The seat trembled slightly under the action of this ultra-high speed, bringing a current-like tingling push back to the three people sitting on it. At the same time, the strong wind brought by the extreme speed was also whistling in their ears! Liam''s hairstyle, which had been fixed again and again with hair gel and mousse, was instantly blown into a slicked-back style, revealing his round forehead. His face turned pale instantly, without a trace of blood, and his eyes were full of horror! If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Ethan next to him wasn''t much better off. This strong man who was almost six-foot-three was now like a little daughter-in-law, shrinking into a ball, holding his hands in front of his chest, and screaming in horror with his mouth open! At this time, the speed of the Hyper Velocity Coaster had not yet reached its peak, and it was still accelerating continuously. Mike, who was sitting in the middle, could barely open his eyes at first, but as the speed gradually increased, the wind blowing in his face was like the cold wind in winter, piercingly cold, and even opening his eyes became an extremely difficult task. What''s more, opening your eyes didn''t allow you to see anything at all. All the scenery on both sides of the roller coaster, whether it was trees or man-made landscapes, had been twisted and fused together into afterimages. The world seemed to be melted into chaos, leaving only color to distinguish. Half the speed of sound has exceeded the physical and psychological limits of ordinary people. Even professional pilots need to wear professional flight suits to resist such speeds! If the Hyper Velocity Coaster was not produced by the system, and there was black technology on it that could quietly protect the bodies of the tourists. I''m afraid that at the moment of acceleration, the three people would not be able to withstand the sudden acceleration and would instantly enter a state of coma. Even so, when the speed of the Hyper Velocity Coaster reached its peak, the three people on the roller coaster were about to be unable to bear it. Liam was fixed on the roller coaster seat like a dead dog. He felt that except for his brain, no part of him belonged to him anymore! His stomach was churning! Liam felt like he had learned the cow''s rumination skill, and every second he felt food rushing from his stomach into his throat. Through the judgment of the taste, Liam knew that these foods included the old̳ pickled cabbage beef noodles he ate last night, and the chicken leg rice he ate the day before yesterday... Ethan''s situation wasn''t much better! At this time, he would rather be in the Death Shack being manhandled by another man than stay on this roller coaster for another second! Damn it! He should have walked away quickly after the boss showed that weird smile! Fortunately, the track of the Hyper Velocity Coaster was not very long. The set number of laps, in front of a roller coaster with a speed of 300 mph, only took 30 seconds to complete the entire journey. The roller coaster slowly stopped at the launch point. Jake appeared on the platform on time, and was taken aback when he saw the three people fixed on the roller coaster seats like dead dogs! He knew that a roller coaster with a speed of 300 mph would definitely cause great physical and mental devastation to the people on it. But the extremely tragic scene in front of him still exceeded Jake''s expectations. "Damn, luckily I was smart enough not to experience it myself!" Jake patted his chest, feeling like he had escaped death. At the same time, he also decided that in the future, the amusement facilities he got from the system would be given to these three brothers first! Sigh! I really envy you guys for having a good boss like me. I''ll think of you first when there''s something fun! Jake was not immersed in his inner drama for long before he was awakened by the screams of the three people. "Someone... someone help me!" Liam was pale and wanted to get off the roller coaster, but his trembling limbs couldn''t support his body! Ethan climbed down from the roller coaster tremblingly. The first thing he did was to grab a trash can without caring that it was dirty, and vomit into it! After listening to Jake, Mike, who was sitting in the middle, was in a slightly better condition than the two of them, but at this time he was also squatting in the corner vomiting non-stop! Ten minutes later, the three people who had vomited until their faces were sallow finally stopped. Liam collapsed on the ground, his forehead covered in sweat, panting and saying, "This is the worst I''ve ever vomited, I feel like I''ve vomited out all my stomach acid, there''s really not a drop left!" Ethan wailed, "Boss, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after the day after tomorrow, I probably won''t be able to come to work..." Mike nodded. Jake smiled faintly and said, "Now, do you think my roller coaster is still plain and unexciting, is it more exciting than other people''s roller coasters?" Liam gave a thumbs up and said, "Boss, I haven''t admired many people in my life, but I admire you. This is not a roller coaster, it''s simply an express train to hell!" Ethan squeezed out a smile on his pale face and said with a strange laugh, "I''m starting to look forward to tomorrow coming soon. We can''t be the only three people who are so miserable, we have to let others taste the taste of this roller coaster!" "Let''s mourn for tomorrow''s tourists." Mike said. 21 - Coaster Cash Outside the gates of Starlight Amusement Park, a square-faced, robust young man approached. He held up a phone, aiming it at himself and the Starlight Amusement Park behind him. "What''s up, guys? Long time no see! Hope you missed me!" "A couple days ago, I saw on Yelp that an amusement park in Riverdale was about to launch a new roller coaster. After waiting for two days, it¡¯s finally open to the public!" "Old fans, shout out my nickname ¨C Coaster Killer!" The live-streaming platform on his phone was none other than Tik Tok, the hottest app around! A stream of comments flooded the square-faced youth''s live stream. "No way, it¡¯s the Coaster Killer back after a month!" "This guy''s hardcore. I once watched him take on the Jungle Dragon roller coaster. He didn¡¯t even flinch, didn''t blink once!" "Noob question: why is he called the Coaster Killer?" Seeing that some new viewers were unclear about his content, the square-faced youth found a corner and slowly explained his story before the park opened. "Two years ago, I was a pilot trainee, studying at the flight academy. I had excellent grades, and I was definitely on track to become a pilot!" Ethan''s eyes narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth turned up, obviously proud of what happened. "Liar! If you were that good, wouldn''t you be a pilot? What are you doing here streaming?" Seeing this comment, Ethan''s smug expression faded. He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and amidst the swirling smoke, his bright eyes gradually dimmed, and he looked dejected. "Wasn''t it because something happened at home? My mom got seriously ill and is now paralyzed in bed, needing someone to take care of her. Besides me, she doesn''t have any reliable relatives or friends. What else could I do but watch her wither away in bed?" Ethan forced a smile and said softly, "Sometimes, you have to give up either dreams or reality, right?" "Tears..." "Keep it up!" "I don''t have much money, but I''ll send a plane as a little token of my support!" Those watching the live stream couldn''t help but feel sorry for Ethan. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "Let''s not talk about these unhappy things; it''s all in the past anyway." Ethan smiled and continued. After leaving the pilot academy, Ethan began to take care of his mother''s daily life. In his spare time, he would start a live stream to earn some money to supplement the household income. Fortunately, Ethan had a successful run in the streaming industry and gained a solid fan base. His content was relatively unique. Relying on the physical fitness and mental resilience he developed in the pilot academy, Ethan started the emotionless challenge series! For example, bungee jumping with a straight face, riding roller coasters without a flicker of emotion! This unique live-streaming content was very popular among fans who were afraid to try various thrilling rides! So far, no roller coaster has been able to make Ethan frown. That''s how he earned the title of Coaster Killer! "Attention, everyone! It''s 8 AM, and Starlight Amusement Park is officially open! We''re open until 6 PM. The attractions currently open are the Death Shack and the Hyper Velocity Coaster. We hope you have a wonderful time!" Dozens of visitors who had been waiting outside Starlight Amusement Park rushed toward the entrance after hearing the announcement. Ethan dusted off his clothes and strode into Starlight Amusement Park, heading straight for the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Since most of the visitors were drawn by the Death Shack, there weren''t many people in front of the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Ethan easily got a spot on the ride. "Attention, everyone! Before you get on the roller coaster, I have two announcements to make." Jake stood in front of the crowd, holding a stack of liability waivers he had prepared in advance. "First, due to the Hyper Velocity Coaster''s extreme speed, it may put some stress on your bodies. Please sign this liability waiver and prepare yourselves mentally!" "Second, the amusement park is running a promotion! Anyone who can ride the Hyper Velocity Coaster and remain standing upright for one minute afterward will receive a $10,000 cash prize!" As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the people in line lit up. "Are you serious, boss?" "Holy crap, is this for real? Someone''s giving away free money?" "Someone slap me! I feel like I''m dreaming!" These visitors had mostly ridden roller coasters in other parks, so they were confident! Standing upright for one minute after getting off a roller coaster? As long as you have legs, right? Ethan was stunned for a moment, then he pumped his fist in excitement and laughed. What a stroke of luck! That''s ten grand! If he got it, he could buy some supplements for his mother and get himself a new pair of shoes. The ones he was wearing, bought for $20 from a street stall, were almost falling apart! In that instant, he had already planned how to use the $10,000, from medicine and supplements to basic necessities like cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar, all of it was accounted for. As for failing the challenge? Sorry, but it wasn''t going to happen, not to him. The viewers in his live stream thought the same thing! "The amusement park owner is up to no good. There must be something weird about that roller coaster that will make it impossible to win. But he doesn''t know that the host is not to be underestimated!" "Haha, if the host gets ten grand, he should send us some red envelopes as fan service! Not much, just $100 each to treat us to a meal!" "I can''t wait to see the owner''s face fall!" "+1, hope we get a fast forward to the owner looking like a clown!" "This is the owner handing out a free kill!" Ethan happily signed the liability waiver and confidently sat in the front row of the roller coaster. The remaining seats quickly filled up with other visitors who had heard the news. The Hyper Velocity Coaster was fully loaded on its first official run! 22 - G-Force Nightmare ¡°Attention, thrill-seekers! Prepare for launch. Your rollercoaster ride is about to begin, with an estimated duration of 30 seconds.¡± Jake announced, tapping the start button on the control panel. "Clunk!" The rollercoaster, packed with excited riders, slowly pulled away from the boarding platform. "Who knew a casual weekend could turn into a payday?" "I wonder if this reward is a one-time deal or if we can keep going. If it''s the latter, I''m camping out on this rollercoaster all day!" "+1!" The atmosphere on the rollercoaster was electric, everyone beaming with anticipation, blissfully unaware of the impending storm. Liam secured his live-streaming equipment to the safety bar in front of him, pointing it at his face, and launched into a lively monologue, gesticulating wildly. "Alright, folks, so far this rollercoaster is a snooze-fest. No thrill, no challenge, nothing! And probably not for you guys either!" "If you''re nearby and have nothing better to do, grab a duffel bag and come on down to collect some cash! They''re paying ten grand a ride. Where else are you gonna find a deal like that?!" Liam''s words struck a chord with some viewers, and a flurry of comments appeared on the screen. "Too bad I don''t live in Riverdale. Otherwise, I''d skip work and be there in a heartbeat!" "Copy that! Duffel bag''s packed, ETA soon!" "Me too, me too! Anyone wanna team up?" "Good lookin'' out, streamer bro! Let''s get this bread!" Meanwhile, the rollercoaster reached the peak of the first hill. The power unit beneath the cars roared to life, an engine scream that instantly filled everyone''s ears! "Haha, here we go!" "Showtime!" Liam and Mike had been assisting at the Death Shack, but as soon as they heard the first group of passengers had boarded the Hyper Velocity Coaster, they abandoned their duties to Ethan and raced over to watch the spectacle. They arrived breathless, but wasted no time, their eyes glued to the riders. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. "Don''t just stand there, grab some trash bags and hand them out to anyone who needs them!" Jake instructed. Mike chuckled. "Boss, I think you should open a snack stand next to the Hyper Velocity Coaster." Jake''s eyes lit up. That was actually a brilliant idea. Nearly everyone who got off the ride would throw up their breakfast. Empty stomachs meant more business! "That''s a solid suggestion. I might just throw a little extra in your next paycheck!" Jake said approvingly. As they spoke, the rollercoaster began its descent. In the blink of an eye, the speed went from a snail''s pace to a high-speed train! To Jake and his friends, the rollercoaster became a blur on the tracks, accompanied by a thunderous roar! The sheer volume of the noise grabbed the attention of the crowd waiting in line at the Death Shack. They stared, dumbfounded, at the speeding machine! "Is that a rollercoaster or a freaking plane?" A series of golden question marks seemed to pop up above everyone''s heads! Of course, the experience was even more intense for those on board! The moment the coaster launched, everyone''s expressions froze, replaced by a mix of terror and disbelief! The wind howled like a banshee, instantly turning every rider, male or female, short hair or long, into a slicked-back caricature, forehead gleaming in the sunlight! Mouths gaped open, as if to release the fear and panic in a primal scream. But no one could make a sound. The gale-force winds rushed directly into their throats! Talk about eating wind! Liam was faring somewhat better, thanks to his pilot training, and managed to maintain some semblance of composure. But only relatively! Faced with a top speed of 310 mph, no one could remain indifferent! Liam''s face cycled through a series of rapid transformations. First, calm and collected. Then, a hint of unease. Next, he held his breath, his face turning red, veins bulging on his forehead! A technique pilots used to combat G-force! But resorting to this tactic meant that the pilot was nearing their breaking point! The camera, mounted to the bar in front of Liam, recorded his every facial contortion. The live stream exploded! "Whoa, what''s happening to his face?!" "WTF? I heard a boom, and then the streamer went haywire!" "First time here. You guys called him ''Rollercoaster Killer,'' but he looks worse than me on the kiddie coaster." Limited by the frame of the camera, the viewers could not accurately assess the situation, sensing only that the ride was fast. The true speed, however, remained a mystery. Liam forgot all about his online audience and focused entirely on withstanding the insane speed of the coaster! He was floored. This rollercoaster! How could it be! How could it be so fast! Based on his training at the flight academy, he guessed that the coaster was approaching half the speed of sound. And along with that impossible speed came a sudden and brutal G-force! G-force is the force experienced by an object accelerating rapidly, expressed in units of G. "During my tests at the flight academy, I was able to endure 9G at my peak. "Right now, I am almost at my limit... which means that the G-force of this coaster is 9G or more than 9G!" Liam''s experience led him to a shocking conclusion! To put that into perspective: Most people have ridden a high-speed train, feeling a jolt as the train accelerated. The acceleration of a high-speed train produces just 0.2~0.3G! This coaster had more than 30 times that force! Liam felt his condition worsening. His head was swelling, his vision was blurring, and darkness descended over his eyes! "I... I''m blacking out!" Liam panicked. ps: Thanks to the gifts from Saozhongdaishuai, Yanyan, Zuihongchen, Q, User27231778, Chuchenchuchen, Fengbaidilong, and Aichirouchaodoujiaodeyulingshi. Please click on "Urge Update" after reading to support the author, thank you! 23 - Crash and Cash The term "blackout" is foreign to most people, something they''ve probably never even heard of. But for someone like Liam, who has undergone professional pilot training, it''s clear how terrifying this phenomenon is. Simply put, it means your body can no longer handle the current acceleration, causing blood to rush from your head to your lower extremities, leading to severe oxygen deprivation in the brain. The initial symptoms are exactly what Liam is experiencing right now. His vision starts to blur, followed by complete darkness, and he can''t see anything at all. And after the blackout, if he doesn''t adjust his condition and relieve the pressure on his body in time, he''ll enter a state of syncope, which can even lead to eyeballs popping out of their sockets, resulting in extremely serious consequences! Of course, such severe phenomena rarely occur in professional pilots. Liam remembers experiencing blackout shortly after entering the pilot academy when he couldn''t withstand the acceleration of the centrifuge during initial training. After undergoing professional training, he never experienced blackout again! But now, the long-lost symptoms of blackout are appearing on him again! Although Liam''s physical fitness has declined since leaving the pilot academy, but... "A roller coaster!" "This is a freaking roller coaster!" Liam roared inwardly! He actually experienced a blackout while riding a roller coaster! If his former comrades and instructors knew about this, they''d laugh their heads off! In the time that followed, Liam had no time to think about these things. Under the immense gravitational acceleration, the former pilot''s expression was out of control, his face contorted, and his consciousness began to fade! Every second that followed felt incredibly long! Fortunately, the Hyper Velocity Coaster only lasts 30 seconds in total. This extreme situation didn''t last long, otherwise no one would be able to walk off the Hyper Velocity Coaster alive, not even a pilot! The roller coaster gradually slowed down and pulled into the platform. Liam and Mike were already prepared, distributing trash bags to each of the riders! "Puke!" The riders, upon receiving the trash bags, disregarded any concern for their image, burying their heads in the trash bags as the contents of their stomachs surged out like a collapsing dam. An indescribable odor permeated the platform. It was the smell of many foods mixed together. Stolen novel; please report. Liam pinched his nose, spraying air freshener everywhere. "Finally over!" Liam said, his face pale, letting out a long sigh. As a professional pilot, although he had briefly collapsed during the roller coaster ride, he quickly adjusted his physical condition after the roller coaster came to a stop. "Damn, why does the streamer look half-dead? Did he fail the challenge?" "Everyone has their day, I didn''t expect the roller coaster killer to crash and burn!" "What kind of crazy roller coaster is this? It looks unremarkable, but even a tough guy like the streamer can''t handle it?" "Hang in there, streamer! Don''t forget about the $10,000 challenge reward!" Liam originally wanted to find a place to lie down like the other riders and throw up everything in his stomach, but when he saw the chat comments, he gritted his teeth and shakily stepped off the roller coaster! Ten thousand dollars! He was determined to get it! Jake also noticed Liam, somewhat surprised! Someone actually got off the roller coaster without immediately collapsing! "Damn, this guy''s a beast!" Liam muttered, stunned. As one of the victims of the Hyper Velocity Coaster, he knew how strong someone''s physical condition had to be to get off the roller coaster without needing to hold on to anything! Mike opened his mouth, his eyes filled with admiration! However, the two of them didn''t have much time to be amazed. They heard a "thud," and Liam, his limbs weak and his head dizzy, fell headfirst to the ground. The entire process took less than 10 seconds, and the former pilot was kneeling before the Hyper Velocity Coaster. The viewers in the livestream went wild when they saw this scene! "Someone tell me, what kind of godly roller coaster is this? It even made the streamer crash!" "Wow!" "Damn, this is the first time I''ve seen the streamer so miserable!" At this moment, Liam wanted to find a hole to crawl into. He had completely lost face! It was his own fault for bragging so much in the livestream! He claimed to have undergone professional training at some pilot academy, that a mere roller coaster was nothing to him! He also boasted about conquering so many kinds of roller coasters, earning the nickname "roller coaster killer"! Each of these words seemed to turn into merciless slaps, one after another on his face! Liam cursed inwardly. The designer of the Hyper Velocity Coaster must be a devil! Liam walked over to him and gently patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Bro, are you okay?" "My body''s fine," Liam said, tears in his eyes, like a wronged little wife, throwing himself into Liam''s arms, "but my heart isn''t!" "I understand, I understand," Liam sighed, "Bro, you''re already tough enough. Normal people crawl off, but you were able to stand." "It''s not that our army isn''t strong, it''s just that the enemy has Gundam!" Liam nodded heavily. Half an hour later, Liam finally adjusted his body, but his limbs were still a little weak. He limped, holding onto the railing, and got off the Hyper Velocity Coaster. As soon as he got off the roller coaster, he ran into a few people. He recognized these people; they were fans who often watched his livestream and had eaten with him a few times! "Liam, we''re here!" "See how fast we are? We dropped everything when we got your message about making easy money, and we came with sacks to pick up the cash!" "Damn, $10,000 for riding a roller coaster once? Where can you find such a good deal!" Liam''s fans shouted excitedly. Liam sighed, "Brothers, I advise... you guys shouldn''t go!" The people were stunned, not understanding Liam''s meaning. They had only watched the beginning of the livestream and then rushed over to make easy money, not seeing the rest of the livestream and not knowing what had happened! "This money... isn''t suitable for you guys..." The people''s expressions changed. "Liam, what do you mean? You found a way to make money and didn''t tell your brothers? You want to keep it all to yourself!" "I even sent you gifts; I didn''t expect you to be that kind of person!" "Okay, brothers, let''s ignore him and go make money ourselves!" The people pushed Liam, who was blocking their way, and went straight to the Hyper Velocity Coaster! Liam shouted and yelled from behind, but after being ravaged by the Hyper Velocity Coaster, his body was extremely weak, and he staggered, unable to catch up with them, so he could only watch helplessly as the people entered the Hyper Velocity Coaster! "Don''t blame me for what happens!" Liam murmured to himself. ps: Thank you for the gift support from A Smiling Harlequin, Please Don''t Be Addicted to Learning, Suave and Handsome, I am Sans, Wind White Emperor Dragon, User 11047855. Remember to click on the urge to update after reading, support the author, thank you everyone! 24 - Money？No thanks The trio boarded the Hyper Velocity Coaster''s platform, and what they saw was bizarre. Tourists were slumped against the walls of the platform. Each of them was pale, bloodless, and drenched in sweat, as if they''d just been pulled out of a pool. "What''s going on?" one of them asked, curious. The scene was just too strange; everyone looked like they''d been through something terrible, catching their breath, still shaken. "You guys here for...?" Jake approached them. "Oh," the first guy said, grinning. "We''re here for the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Heard you guys are giving out ten grand to anyone who can stand for a minute after getting off, right?" Jake nodded. "That''s right." "Haha, it''s true!" "Alright, we''re gonna get rich!" "Let me think... with ten grand, what should I do?" The three were incredibly excited. So hyped up, they didn''t notice the weird looks from the other tourists! The tourists watched them, a mix of annoyance and amusement on their faces. Annoyed because these guys were clueless, thinking they could pass the Hyper Velocity Coaster''s hellish test and snag the reward. Amused because they''d been just like that before, only to end up like *this*. "I''d advise you not to even think about the reward. Keeping your damn life is more important!" One kind-hearted tourist couldn''t bear to see them get on the Hyper Velocity Coaster and spoke up. The other tourists nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly! But these three were blinded by the thought of ten grand, completely ignoring everyone else. One of them even scoffed, "You''re a real piece of work, aren''t you? Can''t get it yourself, so you don''t want anyone else to get the reward?" "You...?" Seeing his good intentions thrown back in his face, the tourist who had offered advice got angry, his eyes wide as he glared at the three. "Enough arguing. If you wanna ride, get on with it. Don''t waste time," Jake called out. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The three immediately quieted down and found seats on the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Near the Hyper Velocity Coaster''s platform, besides the tourists who were resting after their ride, there were some waiting for the next batch! "Aren''t you guys coming up?" A young man with a bag, looking like he was there to collect the money, asked curiously from the coaster. The tourists all shook their heads violently! No way. They''d just witnessed everything firsthand. Watching the Hyper Velocity Coaster move like lightning, leaving streaks of afterimages in their vision. And watching the last batch of tourists get off, looking like they were about to throw up their insides! They wouldn''t dare get on that Hyper Velocity Coaster, even if you gave them eight guts! "Man, bunch of idiots who don''t know how to make money!" "Forget ''em. We''ll take the cash!" The three on the coaster shouted gleefully. The tourists exchanged knowing smiles, not saying a word about the horrors of the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Instead, they smiled at the three and cheered them on! "You got this, guys!" "That''s right, that''s ten grand, three months'' salary for a normal person!" "We''re rooting for you to succeed!" Amidst the well-wishing of the tourists, the Hyper Velocity Coaster slowly started moving. All the tourists stood up, watching as the coaster carrying the three brave souls climbed to the top of the track. At that moment, their frustration vanished, and a faint smile appeared on their faces. Most people have an instinct to compare themselves to those even more unfortunate when they''re feeling down or experiencing bad luck. It''s as if doing so can make them feel better. The three on the coaster were now serving that role for the tourists. With the tourists watching, the coaster finally reached the highest point of the track! "Here we go!" As one tourist spoke, the beastly roar of the engine they''d heard once before erupted again! In that instant, all the tourists who''d just gotten off the coaster involuntarily trembled! The experience on the coaster had clearly left them with deep psychological scars. Like the old saying goes ¨C once bitten, twice shy! Hearing the roar of the coaster''s engine, their bodies instinctively began to tremble, as if they were about to pee their pants! "Boom!" The Hyper Velocity Coaster''s acceleration was instantaneous. With a muffled thunder-like sound, All the tourists could see was the coaster turning into a streak of light, speeding down the track like lightning! "Holy crap, that''s fast!" "How did I even survive that coaster?" "Damn, that speed''s so insane, I almost had a heart attack just watching! What the hell possessed me to get on that thing in the first place!" The tourists were amazed. Seeing the Hyper Velocity Coaster from a different perspective, they were just as shocked by its terrifying speed! Thirty seconds felt like an eternity to those on the coaster, but for the onlookers, it was just a few breaths. Soon, the coaster carrying the three guys who came to pick up money with bags slowed down and entered the platform. The tourists immediately crowded around. The three were slumped in their seats, their eyes rolled back, faces pale, even their breathing was abnormal! Liam and Mike hurriedly stepped forward, holding out the trash bags. "Blegh!" The three made the same movement simultaneously, burying their heads in the trash bags and throwing up violently. "Little buddies, regretting it now, huh?" "I told you not to go, but you insisted!" "Haha, still wanna show off?" All the tourists who had been mocked by the three earlier burst into laughter, their frustration vanishing. The three looked like death, on the verge of tears. Now they understood that Liam and the tourists had been genuinely trying to help them with their earlier advice! But they never imagined... That a mere coaster could be so terrifying! It was just unfair! "Ten grand ain''t worth this!" one of them said, grumbling. 25 - Special Guest Arrives A week later. "Oh my god, I''m never riding a roller coaster again!" "Turns out, no boss is an idiot. This $10,000 ain''t worth it!" "Puking... I''m gonna hurl!" At the Hyper Velocity Coaster platform, a bunch of tourists stumbled off the ride, promptly barfed their guts out, and then started ripping into it! Liam and Mike weaved through the crowd, helping out wherever needed, keeping the Hyper Velocity Coaster running like a well-oiled machine. Ethan was killing it over at the Death Shack. All that working out he did made lifting passed-out folks out of there a piece of cake. Jake was chilling for the most part, only pitching in when things got too crazy. The rest of the time, he was holed up in his room, racking his brain for ways to promote Starlight Amusement Park. Business has been looking up at Starlight Amusement Park everyday, with a steady flow of visitors and turning a profit. But it wasn''t nearly enough to satisfy Jake''s ambition. This park was his parents'' life''s work. He''d sworn at their funeral to make Starlight Amusement Park a global sensation! With such an aspiration, how could he settle for small wins and stay put! As it stood, Starlight Amusement Park was hitting a wall. The Death Shack and the Hyper Velocity Coaster were major attractions for thrill-seekers. But, let''s be real, the park only had these two rides. Lack of variety could make tourist get bore real soon! The only way to break through the bottleneck that Starlight Amusement Park was encountering now, was by adding a new attraction! Thinking that, Jake pulls up the system interface. --- Starlight Amusement Park Status: Gaining Popularity Overall Rating: Above Average Today''s Visitors: 235 Staff: Liam, Ethan, Mike System Attractions: Death Shack, Hyper Velocity Coaster Fame Points: 6487 --- If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Sigh..." Jake sighs heavily, with a look of defeat in his eyes. Jake¡¯s was like a wilted weed, immediately losing all his drive, slumping back on the chair with no strength. He only had a measly 6487 Fame Points, with a 3000 fame point deficit to unlock the next attraction. If things keep progressing the way it is, it will take another half a month for him to scrap enough fame points. "Any way to get some famous people to come and visit?" Jake says as he puts a hand on his chin and thinking to do something fishy. Moments later, he grabs his phone. The first call went to Ian. After answering Jake¡¯s call, Ian said euphemistically that he was unable to assist with this endeavor. Ever since the previous incident with the horror house pros getting wrecked in the Death Shack, Starlight Amusement Park had become a forbidden topic in their group. Those lucky to have been to the Starlight Amusement Park, have expressed they''d rather rip their head off before returning to the horror house again. People who had never experienced the terror, are also spooked out and would never come now. Jake hangs up and calls Liam next. Liam said he could probably trick a few naive fans into riding the Hyper Velocity Coaster, but that''s the best he could do. Jake thanks him and ends the call. Then he tosses his phone aside, looking miserable as he flops back onto the chair! All Liam is offering, is a group of non famous, with no amount of benefit to Jake¡¯s goal of obtaining fame points. "System, isn''t there any way to boost my Fame Points faster?" Jake yells. "Ding!" "Special Guest System activated!" Hearing that, Jake shoots to his feet, shakes his head, wondering if he misheard in his daze, and asks again. "System, what did you say?" "Ding, Special Guest System is activating!" "Once activated, a Special Guest will visit the park randomly!" "Special Guest..." "Cut to the chase, what''s so special about them?" Jake interrupts the System''s spiel, asking with a burst of desperation. "Every Special Guest is extremely famous." Jake''s eyes light up, he asks, "How famous are we talking? Compared to Ian and those guys?" "At least a hundred times the Fame Points of Ian." Jake''s breathing speeds up, looking thrilled. He remembers Ian getting him around 400 Fame Points back then. A hundred times Ian''s Fame Points. "That''s gotta be 40,000 Fame Points, right?" Jake blurts out. He takes a huge breath, deeply stunned by the result! 40,000 Fame Points, meaning he could instantly get four attractions like the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Before Jake can even wrap his head around this, the System throws another surprise his way. "If you can fulfill the Special Guest''s requests, you''ll get tons of Fame Points, plus a special facility as a reward!" Jake asks, "What''s a special facility? Another ride?" "Special facilities are different from rides. Usually, they''re places for guests to eat, drink, and spend money." "A little heads-up, each special facility is super unique, so take a close look once you get it." Jake gets it now. Basically, restaurants and gift shops in the park. Bringing in way more revenue than just ticket sales. "Why didn''t you fire up the Special Guest System sooner if it''s so awesome?" Jake says, sounding a little annoyed. "Ding, the Special Guest System has ups and downs!" "If you don''t meet the Special Guest''s needs, the park will take a hit!" "Could be as minor as some bad press, leading to fewer visitors, or as major as certain rides disappearing." "Please think it over before activating the Special Guest System." Jake calms down, furrowing his brows as he starts to think it through. After a while, Jake decides to go ahead with the Special Guest System! It is important to take risks, and play the big shot if Starlight Amusement Park wants to rise through the sky fast! Moreover, there will always be hiccups in his journey for Starlight Amusement Park to develop into a large-scale, world renowned amusement park. Confronting these setbacks and challenges can allow to temporarily alleviate the tension. "System, turn on the Special Guest System!" "Ding, the Special Guest System has been activated. The first Special Guest will arrive at the park soon. Get ready to roll out the red carpet!" 26 - Challenge completed Jake''s enthusiasm for greeting guests at Starlight Amusement Park noticeably increased over the next few days. He made sure to glance at every guest who bought a ticket to enter the park. If he encountered a guest who was well-dressed and carried himself with a gentlemanly demeanor, Jake would immediately strike up a conversation, eager to uncover every detail about their family history. Jake diligently searched for the Special Guest amidst the crowds, but with little success. While he encountered several social elites, none seemed to possess the kind of renowned fame he was looking for. "System, can''t you give me a few more hints?" Jake asked, somewhat helplessly. "Ding, the appearance of the Special Guest is beyond the System''s control; I cannot provide an accurate time of arrival!" "Alright, then what good are you?" Jake waved his hand, feeling drained. ... Just as Jake was bickering with the system, a young man slowly walked into Starlight Amusement Park. The young man was dressed casually, and his handsome face gave him a approachable, boy-next-door vibe. As he walked, many girls glanced at him repeatedly. Unfortunately for the girls, the young man seemed to have a severe case of facial paralysis! His face looked as if it had undergone countless cosmetic surgeries, as stiff as a brick, unable to express any emotion. Even his eyes lacked any emotional fluctuations, as calm as two bright, clear glass marbles. "Young Master, this is Starlight Amusement Park, where you used to come as a child. Perhaps you can find something you lost here," Behind the young man, a middle-aged man in a crisp suit spoke, his face filled with obsequiousness. The young man didn''t reply, simply nodded slightly, and strolled leisurely through Starlight Amusement Park, looking here and there as if he were truly searching for something. "It''s changed a lot," the young man said coldly. The middle-aged butler nodded and said with emotion, "Yes, this used to be the most popular place for children in Riverdale, but now it''s become like this!" The two walked to the Hyper Velocity Coaster. "Young Master, you remember how much you loved the roller coaster here, right? Every time you came, you would drag me to ride with you!" the middle-aged butler said with a smile. The young man nodded, his eyes still emotionless. "I have some memory of it." "Then how about we relive those feelings? Perhaps it might help with your condition!" the middle-aged butler asked tentatively. Stolen novel; please report. The young man frowned slightly. "Never mind¡­ Let''s just do it to pass the time." "Then let''s go, Young Master!" The middle-aged butler said with excitement. The two walked to the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Since there was no line, they went straight onto the platform. Just then, the roller coaster hadn''t started yet, and there were plenty of empty seats. Liam walked over with two liability waiver forms, explaining the details and rewards of riding the Hyper Velocity Coaster. The young man didn''t even glance at Liam, remaining expressionless, and signed his name on the liability waiver form casually. Liam was stunned for a moment, then glared at the young man, annoyed. "Hey, are you even listening to me?" The young man shook his head. The middle-aged butler quickly said with a smile, "Young man, our Young Master hasn''t been in the best mood lately, don''t take it to heart!" "Why is he taking it out on me because he isn''t in a good mood?" Liam said unhappily. "I''m wasting my breath for your own good. If you don''t listen and suffer later, don''t complain to me!" The young man didn''t even give Liam a proper look, walking straight toward an empty seat on the roller coaster. After expressing a slight apology, the middle-aged butler quickly turned and followed the young man, sitting in the empty seat next to him. Liam snorted coldly. After settling the other guests, he walked into the control room with an unpleasant expression. Mike saw his expression and asked curiously, "Liam, what''s wrong?" "Some guest ignored everything I said, it''s pissing me off!" Liam pouted. "Haha," Mike said with a faint smile. "What''s so surprising? He''ll regret not listening to you soon enough!" "That''s right," Liam said. The thought of the young man throwing up his last meal after getting off the roller coaster immediately improved his mood. With a mischievous grin, he urged Mike to start the roller coaster quickly, because he was growing impatient. Mike checked the roller coaster, made sure there were no safety issues, and gently pressed the start button! The roller coaster immediately took the guests away from the platform. As it climbed to the highest point of the track, the engine roared, and it began to plunge downward, instantly accelerating to its maximum speed! The guests didn''t even have time to scream! "Hahaha," Seeing this, Liam couldn''t hold it back any longer and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach. "Laugh a little and that''s enough, don''t keep laughing!" Mike nudged Liam. "You''ll have to help them get off later. Don''t let him see you, or he''ll complain, and the boss will dock your pay. Then let''s see if you can still laugh!" Liam''s expression turned serious, and his laughter instantly disappeared. However, the joyful expression on his face didn''t fade, clearly suppressing his laughter! Half a minute was certainly an extremely long time for the guests on the roller coaster, but it was just enough time for Liam and Mike to say a few words. In the blink of an eye, the roller coaster had already begun to decelerate and slowly enter the platform. Liam waited eagerly on the platform, his eyes fixed on the slowly approaching roller coaster. As the roller coaster came to a stop, a group of weak-limbed, dizzy guests crawled off. Liam rejoiced inwardly, and began to search for the young man among the guests. However, a single glance revealed that the young man wasn''t among them. Just as Liam was puzzled, Mike patted him on the shoulder and pointed into the distance with a dazed expression. "Liam, look!!!" Liam looked over instinctively. The person Mike was telling him to look at was the young man he had been searching for so desperately. He had searched for him a thousand times in his dreams, then, turning his head, he found the man was right there in the midst of lights! However, this young man was not slumped on the ground as he had imagined, constantly vomiting, but rather stood tall among the guests like a crane standing among chickens, his expression still that of an annoying, off-putting, world-weary face. Time passed second by second, and the young man continued to stand there, seemingly completely unaffected by the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Liam''s mouth was wide open, and he suddenly didn''t know what to say. Mike took a deep breath, then took out a cell phone from his pocket, dialed Jake''s number, and shouted into the phone. "Boss, something bad has happened!" "A guest on the Hyper Velocity Coaster has passed the challenge we set up!" "Come over and see what to do!" 27 - Emotionally Numb The phone hadn''t even been hung up for long when Jake burst out of the house with the speed of a sprinter, panting as he ran to the Hyper Velocity Coaster. "Where is he?" "Where is he?" "Mike, where''s the guy you mentioned?" Jake, not bothering to catch his breath, grabbed Mike and asked fiercely. The moment Jake received Mike''s call, he instantly realized that the person who had passed the Hyper Velocity Coaster challenge was very likely to be the Special Guest! Mike was startled and stammered, "H...He''s over there, boss!" Liam watched in stunned silence, muttering to himself, "Never thought the boss was so deep. He usually seems so generous, but he''s acting like someone''s about to kill him because they got a ten thousand dollar challenge reward!" Jake turned to look in the direction Mike was pointing. Sure enough, he saw a young man who stood out from the crowd of tourists. The young man had his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless. Other than his slightly messy and disheveled hair, he didn''t look like he had just gotten off the Hyper Velocity Coaster. Jake''s eyes lit up as he sized up the young man, as if he were looking at a beautiful woman. How could Jake not be excited! This was a walking Fame Points gift pack, equivalent to four amusement facilities like the Hyper Velocity Coaster! If he could get his hands on him, the development speed of Starlight Amusement Park would be best described by a famous saying - Wuhu take off! "Hello," Jake said, walking over and extending a hand. "Oh, hello," the young man nodded, his hands remaining in his pockets. Jake''s hand froze awkwardly in the air, and the atmosphere became tense. Just then, a middle-aged man next to him struggled to get up, leaning against the wall, coughing violently as he managed to choke out a sentence. "I''m so...sorry, our young master...hasn''t been in a good mood lately!" Not in a good mood! Jake quickly grasped the key point. The system said that he had to fulfill the Special Guest''s requirements or wishes to receive the Fame Points and special facility rewards. If all goes well, the requirement of this Special Guest is to improve the mood. "Oh, so you guys came to Starlight Amusement Park to have fun and find some amusement, right?" Jake asked. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "No," the middle-aged butler shook his head, "We''re here to find something." Jake looked at the middle-aged butler in confusion. What could be worth looking for in his rundown amusement park? Could it be that someone buried treasure in his amusement park, and before he died he shouted ¨C Wanna get my treasure? It¡¯s at the end of the Starlight Amusement Park, let''s go, the wealth of the world is there! Jake instantly imagined a drama more intense than anything. The middle-aged butler carefully glanced at the young man, and seeing that the latter had no reaction, he whispered into Jake''s ear what they were looking for. "I''m helping the young master find his lost emotions." Jake raised an eyebrow, giving a ''are you kidding me?'' expression. The middle-aged butler quickly explained, "It''s like this, our young master suffered a huge emotional blow recently. He''s like a lost soul, uninterested in everything. Nothing can cause even the slightest ripple in his emotions!" "We went to see a psychiatrist." "He said it''s a rare mental illness. The young master couldn''t handle the huge emotional shock, so his brain activated a self-protection program, disconnecting the internet cable that connects to the world of emotions!" "Although this guarantees that the young master is not affected by negative emotions, he also lost his self-emotions and perception of the outside world, equivalent to a walking, talking vegetable." "Is there no way to cure it?" Jake glanced at the young man. Sure enough, the young man stood aside, listening to the two of them discussing his condition, but his face was expressionless, and his eyes showed no emotional fluctuation. It was as if he were listening to something completely unrelated to him. "There is," the middle-aged butler paused, then continued, "That''s why I brought the young master here. The doctor said that as long as one thing can stimulate the young master and cause emotional fluctuations, then everything will come back!" "I thought that the young master often came to this amusement park when he was a child, so I thought I''d bring him here to see if it could evoke some memories and find his lost emotions." The middle-aged butler sighed and said, "Now it seems useless." "It is a bit tricky." Jake fell into deep thought, "Even the Hyper Velocity Coaster couldn''t make his emotions fluctuate... wait." Jake seemed to remember something. The corners of his mouth slightly raised. With a smile, he said, "Are you interested in going to play a haunted house? You may feel some vibes after being frightened." The middle-aged butler shook his head and said, "We already thought of this method. I took the young master to Green Vine Hospital and Vampire Castle, it was useless." "In the end, he spent a lot of money to invite a master of psychology to set up a terrifying and bloody scene, but still the young master has no reaction!" The young man said coldly, "Don''t use such stupid methods again in the future, just wasting my time." "Yes, young master," the middle-aged butler nodded. "You can try the Death Shack, anyway you came here. Just try it. If you succeed by chance, you won¡¯t waste your time?" Jake said with a smile. In fact, Jake was not sure whether the Death Shack could work for people like the young man who had completely lost his emotions. "Thank you for your kindness, boss," the middle-aged butler shook his head and said, "When the master of psychology we hired was setting up the scene, he used psychological hints and hypnosis to stimulate people''s inner fears, but still the young master''s emotions didn''t produce a single point of fluctuation!" "That''s a coincidence. The principle of scaring people in our haunted house is also this, and it will definitely be more effective than the psychology masters you invited!" Jake said, "Just try it." The middle-aged butler was about to refuse, but the young man spoke first. "I don''t know why, I suddenly want to see." "I want to see where your confidence and self-assurance come from?" The young man looked at Jake condescendingly. The middle-aged butler was stunned and said, "Okay, then let''s take a look." "Great." Jake immediately took the two towards the Death Shack. On the way, the middle-aged butler looked at the excited Jake and couldn''t help but say, "I advise you not to be too happy too early." "Don''t worry, you''ll know if my haunted house works in a moment!" Jake replied. Soon, the three of them arrived in front of the Death Shack. 28 - Haunted Memory "Alright, you ready to go in?" Jake said, pointing towards the entrance of the Death Shack, his eyes narrowing with a smile. "Friendly reminder, you can still back out now if you want." "Showoff." The cynical youth scoffed, heading straight for the entrance without looking back. The butler trotted along behind him. Soon, they were standing in front of the Death Shack. "Are you ready to face death?" The butler unconsciously read aloud the line of blood-red letters on the wooden door. He didn''t notice, but as he spoke those words, the youth beside him twitched his brow slightly, blinking rapidly. "Let''s just go in." The youth felt inexplicably restless, urging them forward with a tone that, if scrutinized, seemed somewhat softened. "Yes, Master!" The butler positioned himself in front of the youth, taking the lead. It wasn''t that he was afraid the haunted house would scare the youth, but rather that he was worried about sudden props or mechanisms that could cause injury. Just like in the Vampire Castle, without him, the youth''s handsome face would inevitably have suffered some scratches. The wooden door to the Death Shack felt like a gateway to another world. Stepping through, they were astonished to find themselves in a magnificent and expansive realm. Countless towering trees stood in clusters, their spreading branches forming canopies that blocked out the sky and sun. The butler''s mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time. "This... Are you sure this is a haunted house? Not some national park?" Even the aloof youth couldn''t help but take a few more glances at the primordial forest before him. "But what''s the point of it being beautiful? We didn''t come here for sightseeing." Remembering the purpose of their visit, the butler deflated like a punctured balloon, his face listless, even his upright posture becoming somewhat hunched. The youth stepped on pieces of bone, heading toward the Death Shack in the center of the forest. The butler hastily followed. As they walked and looked around, they soon noticed that the path beneath their feet was paved with human skeletons, and dozens of dried corpses hung in the forest. The butler felt a shiver down his spine. His legs were weak, but he stubbornly persevered. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. If he hadn''t been accompanying the youth, he probably would have turned around and ran a long time ago. "Master, are you scared?" The butler looked at the youth with a hopeful expression. The youth shook his head, his expression calm, and said, "I just think it''s interesting." "Sigh..." The butler sighed deeply. If even a haunted house like this couldn''t stir any emotion within the Master, then was there anything in this world that could cure his condition? The two of them quickly arrived at the Death Shack. The youth gently opened the door and went straight to a chair, sitting down. "Hurry up and get this over with. I''m a little tired, and I want to go back and rest." "Alright." The butler sat in the empty seat next to the youth. Neither of them had any intention of exploring the Death Shack; they simply sat there quietly, waiting for time to pass. "The show''s about to begin." Jake leaned back in his chair, staring intently at the monitor screens. As soon as he spoke, the two people on the monitors began to undergo dramatic changes. "Master, we just need to wait another 50 minutes, and then we can go home to rest." The butler glanced at his watch, saying casually. The Death Shack was silent, and the butler''s voice echoed within it. "Huh?" The butler felt that something was wrong. Usually, no matter what he said, whether the Master was interested or not, he would give some kind of response. Why was there no reaction this time? He quickly looked at the youth. And then his pupils suddenly constricted, his heart pounded in his chest, and his heart leaped into his throat. He saw the youth as if choked by an invisible hand, unable to breathe, his face flushed, his expression contorted, struggling frantically like a drowning man. "This..." "Master... You!" The butler''s face flushed with excitement, and tears welled up in his eyes. It had been so long since he''d seen any expression other than aloof indifference on the Master''s face! "Lynn, why did you betray me!" The youth suddenly roared, like a beast''s deep growl. His eyes were wide, bloodshot, and completely red. The butler was shocked! The reason the Master had become this way was because of this woman named Lynn. Lynn was the Master''s college sweetheart. The Master was deeply devoted to her. He would fulfill any request she made, and if he couldn''t, he would find a way. But all that passionate love was ultimately rewarded with Lynn''s betrayal! Lynn took the Master''s money and left with another man. The Master was devastated by this event, becoming a muddlehead, passing his days in a drunken stupor. Eventually, he woke up one day and became the person he was now, incapable of experiencing any emotional fluctuations! He even forgot Lynn, a woman who had such great significance to him, due to self-preservation. When she was mentioned again, he was as indifferent as if she were a stranger. "Lynn, don''t leave me!" "Tell me what I did wrong, I''ll change, I''ll change everything..." "Just give me another chance, please, just one chance!" The youth leaned over, his facial expressions constantly changing, sometimes sad, sometimes angry, but mostly a heartbreaking despair. "Lynn, come back to me, or I''ll kill myself!" The youth''s expression suddenly turned sinister, and he shouted fiercely. "Master, you can''t die!" The butler was shocked. But before he could do anything, his vision blurred, and he suddenly found himself on a windy rooftop. Before he could figure out what was going on, he saw someone standing at the edge of the rooftop, slowly tilting! "Master!" The butler instantly recognized the person, shouting anxiously, "Master, don''t kill yourself!" But as he rushed forward, the Master had already fallen off the rooftop, shrinking from large to small in his vision, eventually becoming the size of an ant. Then, there was a loud crash! Screams erupted from below. The butler''s face was pale, and his bloodless lips trembled. "Ma... Master!" "This isn''t real!" "Master, what''s the point of me living without you?" The butler closed his eyes slightly and jumped. 29 - Haunted and Healed "Creak." The door of the Death Shack creaked open. Jake and Ethan walked in, looking at the two figures lying unconscious on the floor. "Make it quick," Jake said. "You got it." Ethan, ambidextrous as ever, hoisted the young man and the butler over his shoulders, carrying them outside to the electric cart. He then deposited them just outside the Death Shack. Moments later, both the young man and the butler stirred awake. The butler, eyes snapping open, sat up abruptly, looking around wildly, calling out anxiously. "Master, where are you?" Seeing the young man lying next to him, the butler let out a sigh of relief, his heart, which had been pounding like a trapped bird, gradually calmed down. "Thank goodness, thank goodness." The butler''s eyes welled up. After years of loyal service, he had come to regard the young man as his own son. The young man''s eyelids fluttered, and then he opened his eyes, a confused look on his face. "Master." The butler helped him sit up. The young man glanced around, still dazed, and then looked at the butler, smiling weakly. "Uncle Eric, why are you crying?" "What did you say?" The butler stared at the young man, dumbfounded, then blurted out, "Say that again!" "What''s wrong?" The young man scratched his head, puzzled by the butler''s reaction. "Master." The butler pulled the young man into a tight embrace, bursting into tears. "You haven''t called me ''Uncle'' in so long, not since Lynn left you!" "You''re back!" "You''re finally back!" Hearing Lynn''s name, a bitter smile crossed the young man''s face. His fists clenched involuntarily, his nails digging deep into his palms, bringing a sharp, stinging pain, but nothing compared to the ache in his heart. "Uncle Eric, should we go to the U.S.?" the young man asked. "I can''t live without Lynn. I''m going to bring her back!" "Tsk, tsk¡­" Liam clicked his tongue. "So high and mighty a minute ago, you''d think he was some hotshot celebrity. Turns out he''s just another simp!" Ethan scratched his head, adding, "Looks like he''s got money, but still gets dumped. Old saying''s true, simps never win." Mike nudged them both. "Keep it down, don''t let him hear you." Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Just then, Jake heard the system''s cheerful notification chime in his ear. "Ding! Successfully fulfilled a special guest¡¯s wish." "Reward being issued!" "Reward issued successfully. Please check, Host!" "Yes!" Jake grinned, clenching his right fist in a gesture of triumph. The butler approached Jake and bowed deeply. "What are you doing?" Jake asked, surprised. "Thank you for helping our Master rediscover his feelings." The butler maintained his 90-degree bow, presenting a business card with both hands. "I don''t know how to properly thank you. If you ever need anything, please call the number on this card!" Jake took the card, smiling. "It was just a small thing, no need for all this. And it looks like he''s still got a lot on his mind." The young man was still sitting on the ground, crying and laughing, and would have run back into the Death Shack for another round if Ethan hadn''t stopped him. For him, being dumped and mistreated by the woman he loved was a devastating blow. But the endless yearning and inability to see the woman he loves could sometimes be more painful. Even seeing her still meant facing her indifference. "Haha." The butler chuckled. "The psychologist we hired said the hardest part was helping Master rediscover his feelings. The emotional recovery afterward should be much easier." "Well, then, congratulations in advance," Jake said. The butler bowed again and led the young man out of Starlight Amusement Park. Outside, the butler pulled out his phone and dialed a number listed as Yannick. Yannick was the most famous psychologist in the U.S., known for pioneering new techniques. One example was using physical therapy to treat addiction-related mental illness. "Hello, Professor Yannick," the butler said. On the other end of the line was a spacious, bright office. Seated behind the desk was a middle-aged man with a square face, wearing a white coat and glasses. "Butler Zhang, hello," Professor Yannick replied in a gentle voice. "What can I do for you?" "I would like to ask Professor Yannick to help our young master recover from his heartbreak," the butler said. Professor Yannick frowned slightly. "Butler Zhang, it''s not that I don''t want to treat him, but as I clearly stated before, your young master must first regain his lost feelings before proceeding¡­" "I''m sorry," the butler apologized repeatedly. "Professor Yannick, I wasn''t clear. Our young master has already regained his emotions." Professor Yannick''s expression changed, and he sat up straighter, his voice rising several notches. "What did you say?" "Your young master has regained his emotions?" "Who did it?" Professor Yannick reeled off several names. These were all internationally renowned psychologists who were equal to him in stature! "Tell me quickly, which expert helped your young master regain his emotions! I want to know how they did it!" Professor Yannick was anxious, pacing around like a cat on a hot tin roof. "Uh¡­" The butler suddenly hesitated for a moment, then said weakly, "Our young master just went through a haunted house and came out all better." Professor Yannick paused. Silence fell on both ends of the line. After a long moment, Professor Yannick said with annoyance, "If you don''t want to tell me, you don''t need to fob me off with a ridiculous story." "No, Professor Yannick, I''m serious," the butler said hastily, explaining the events that had taken place at Starlight Amusement Park in a concise and to-the-point manner. "How is that possible?" Professor Yannick exclaimed in disbelief, jumping up from his chair. "You mean to tell me that in the haunted house you experienced a dream-like, realistic hallucination?" "You can fool outsiders with this kind of talk, but I am the most professional in this field. I have never heard of any hypnosis or other method that can achieve such an effect?" "Tell me the truth!" Yannick''s voice was getting more and more excitable. he was emotionally agitated, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Based on everything he had learned and seen, he absolutely refused to believe there was such a magical place in the world. ¡°Mr.Yannick, if you don''t believe me, you can come and see for yourself." With nothing else to say, the butler had no other choice. "Hmph." Professor Yannick gave a cold snort. "I must debunk your lies, and if I were duped I will force your young master to seek therapy from somebody else. But, if it''s true, then I will work to treat your young master pro bono without charge, no pay at all." 30 - Sky High Starlight Amusement Park Status: Getting Known Overall Rating: Above Average Today''s Visitors: 320 Employees: Liam, Ethan, Mike System Attractions: Death Shack, Hyper Velocity Coaster Fame Points: 50821 "No kidding! That was a Special Guest!" "That''s like, forty grand in Fame Points in one shot! Killer!" "We gotta be able to cash in for some good stuff now!" Jake stared at the Fame Points number on the system interface, eyes practically bugging out. Then Jake dove into the attractions exchange interface. "System, filter out all the attractions I can afford." Before he could finish, the system store interface shifted, and dozens of available attractions popped up for Jake to browse. Jake started sifting through them, one by one. This time, he had specific requirements for the new ride. The Death Shack and the Hyper Velocity Coaster were definitely intense enough, crushing the competition and drawing in thrill-seekers. But they also highlighted a problem. They were *too* intense. People came out half-dead, needing forever to recover. Basically, most folks rode them once, figured their lives were worth living, and never came back! Jake wanted something that was both thrilling *and* within the limits of what guests could handle, something they''d ride again and again. If he wanted a long-lasting business, he needed repeat customers. After half an hour, Jake zeroed in on an attraction that cost a hefty 50,000 Fame Points. ¡¾Leap Through Atmosphere¡¿ This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Level: Three-Star Description: If you''ve been to an amusement park, you''ve ridden a drop tower. But have you ever jumped from 30,000 feet? Experience the ultimate free-fall rush! Exchange Cost: 50,000 Fame Points Note: All equipment sold by this system has special features that ensure the safety of the riders. "Whoa, dropping from 30,000 feet." "There''s not a single drop tower that even comes close to that, and even skydivers rarely jump from that high!" Jake yanked open the curtains, gazed at the clear blue sky, and felt his scalp tingle. He couldn''t even imagine what it would be like to fall from that height. Must be crazy intense, crazy fun! He definitely had to hook The Guys and his visitors up with this cool and thrilling experience! Before buying Leap Through Atmosphere, Jake had a question. "System, isn''t this more like skydiving? Why is it classified as a drop tower?" Jake asked. "Ding! When riders jump from 30,000 feet, they will not carry any safety device such as parachutes." Jake paused. Then, he realized the horror of it and his face changed. "Woah!" "Wouldn''t this kill people." "Dropping from 30,000 feet and splatter all over the ground?" Jake furiously waved his hands and said that it was way too dangerous. "Ding! The attraction will deploy a Nano-level net on the ground capable of eliminating 100% of the impact. And, each Nano suit is equiped with a navigation system that guides the wearer to the center of the protective net" "Friendly reminder, a version of this type of activity has already been successful in this planet, you can do a search on the web if you want to understand it better!" Jake searched on the web for the video on his laptop as per the instructions of the system. He came across a video on one particular Extreme Games enthusiast jumping off from a 30,000 ft feet jump that lands safely at a special net that his team put in place to reduce the momentum "Nice" Jake clapped his hands once he''s done watching the video If that was the case, everything would be OK. "System, let''s get the Leap Through Atmosphere ride." Jake said. "Ding! Exchange successful!" "Please select where you would like it put?" Jake said, "Select Manual set up mode" "Ding! It will take a total of 1 day for the completion of the setup" "That''s so fast!" Jake now realized what''s up. Leap Through Atmosphere would just involve creating a big net to keep the visitors safe. One day later. Jake found himself standing in front of a big net. It was formed like a spider web. Except this one was about a hundred meters long in diameter All sorts of lines were connected like crazy with one another but it was stronger that one could imagine! Jake could not even burn it to dust. Like they say -- if it came from the system, you could rest assured of its quality "Boss, what''s all this?" Mike asked Ethan and Liam could not help but scratch their heads as well. A couple of days ago, they spotted a lot of uniformed workers doing one thing or another as to get things ready, and they knew that the amusement park will have something new for people. The three even sat down together just so they can come up with an answer to all these stuff And seeing the nets right now really got them confused as well. "Boss, what is it even?" "Don''t tell me its another trick in your sleeve" "Hmmmmm..... I know!!!! Is it the kind that lets little kids fly?? A jump pad!?!? Is that it?!? Geeez...." With a wide grin, Jake said, "What is it exactly?? Why don''t the three of you test it yourselves!!!!" Like it always has, all these new items need a couple of visitors here and there as to properly test its function. And with his dedication to the well being of all employees of the business, they are all bound to love it as well! 31 - High-Altitude Horror Jake¡¯s words were barely out of his mouth when the three guys shook their heads like crazy! ¡°Boss, I suggest you forget about it!¡± ¡°You should ask someone else!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer, or I''m calling the cops!¡± The three of them looked grim, staring at Jake as he approached, as if facing a major threat! No way! They would never trust their boss again! This was a hard-earned lesson paid for with blood, sweat, and tears! Jake smiled faintly. ¡°Well, one of you three has to be the guinea pig!¡± The three looked at each other. The air started to crackle with tension. Liam cleared his throat, trying to muster up some emotional leverage to sway the others with the power of friendship. But before he could even get his feelings warmed up, Mike suddenly contorted his face in pain, clutching his stomach. ¡°Crap, I accidentally drank some expired water last night, and my stomach is killing me!¡± ¡°You guys go ahead, I need to hit the restroom. I¡¯ll be back later!¡± The next second, Mike vanished faster than a speeding bullet. Ethan slapped his forehead and yelled, ¡°I forgot we have a few Cadavers still in the Death Shack! Gotta hurry before something happens!¡± Liam watched in disbelief, a feeling of betrayal washing over him! Mike running off like that, he could understand. After all, Mike was always quick-witted! But what he didn¡¯t expect was for Ethan, the reliable, straightforward guy, to also betray the cause. When did he learn this trick? Looks can be deceiving, after all! Jake patted Liam on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I found you a partner. If anything goes wrong, you¡¯ll have company on the way down to hell!¡± Soon enough, the other person Jake had called arrived. It was Liam. Liam seemed to have a soft spot for the Hyper Velocity Coaster, riding it every once in a while. He claimed he did it for two reasons. First, he wanted to win the $10,000 reward. Second, riding the Hyper Velocity Coaster gave him a feeling of being back in flight academy, training hard every day to become a pilot. He knew he could never go back to flight academy, never relive those days. All that was left for him was piecing together the dreams life crushed with this Hyper Velocity Coaster. Over time, Jake and Liam had become acquainted. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. When Liam heard Jake was offering $500 to test a drop tower ride, he came running. ¡­ "Put on these suits." Jake took two nanotech suits from the Launch to the Atmosphere preparation room and handed them to Liam and Liam. Liam took the suit, scratching his head in confusion. ¡°Boss, why do we need protective suits for a drop tower ride? Seems like overkill. And, you know, I used to be a pilot. The pressure of a drop tower ride isn''t really going to cut it, if you get what I am saying.¡± On the other hand, Liam remained silent, and instead already began changing clothes. Thanks to the Hyper Velocity Coaster experience, he was now ready for everything. Whatever the boss says, just do it, or you¡¯ll regret it! ¡°Nope, the suits have a GPS tracking device in them. Everyone has to wear them,¡± Jake said. "GPS tracking device?" Liam repeated, processing Jake''s words, trying to think what to make out of the device. Why would you need GPS on a drop tower ride? ¡°Don¡¯t argue!¡± Jake handed them two helmets. ¡°Put these on and follow me. You''ll see why the GPS is needed soon enough!¡± Liam put his helmet right away. Liam hesitated but eventually put it on, also confused about the point of it all. He couldn''t help feel uneasy. This was the first time a drop tower ride has turned into this official looking kind of situation! It all felt so stressful! ¡°Alright, follow me!¡± Jake shouted. They were wearing fully enclosed nanotech helmets with vision-blocking and soundproofing capabilities. Right now, all they could see was darkness and all they could hear was the audio coming through the earphones. Soon enough, Jake put them on a helicopter. It was a drone helicopter, capable of ascending to a height of 30,000 feet very quickly! "Okay, your altitude is gradually increasing. Once you''ve reached the required altitude, I''ll turn on your helmet visors, turn off the soundproofing, and you may then jump down and get this thing started.¡± Jake started the helicopter and informed them through the intercom about what was about to happen. The rapidly spinning helicopter rotor blades kicked up bursts of wind, and the massive lift started to rise, with the helicopter ascending towards the sky. ¡°Boss, where are they going? Isn''t this supposed to be a drop tower?¡± Mike and Ethan crawled out of nowhere, after Jake has departed the scene with the people. Jake narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°The helicopter will take them to 30,000 feet and then drop them off and tell them to do what they are supposed to be doing! Our drop tower is slightly taller than the usual one. The helicopter will drop them in and that should work.¡± "Woah¡­¡± Mike and Ethan simultaneously inhaled sharply. Just thinking about it sent shivers down their spines, sending cold waves from their spines all the way up to their heads, giving them goosebumps. ¡°Thank God, I''m quick!¡± ¡°Boss, the only kind of person you are is of a¡­ Dog that I should curse as an idot.¡± ¡°Say another word and I¡¯ll send you up too,¡± Jake said coolly. Mike and Ethan fell silent instantly. Fifteen minutes later. 30,000 feet up in the air. Jake was able to tell through information conveyed by the helicopter that the people has all arrived at the location that he has picked. He was talking through the speaker and he spoke what they needed to know for the rest of their journey. "Dear customers, you have arrived at the predicted altitude. Please release your helmet visors and audio insulation." "After getting your bearings and making preperations, jump down into this new exciting drop tower with a twist! Make sure that this is completed in the next five minutes for the tourists that you may inconvenience during this jump. In other case, there will be mandatory enforcement! So jump!" When he heard this, Liam screamed in horror, "Yes I am happy with that you mentioned and said. The words mean a whole lot, and can bring me to places that I never would of felt I would of dreamed." During those fifteen minutes, Liam''s heart felt like there were hundreds of ant''s scuttling and going back and forth on the inside, the entire time. With this, this gave the thought to the two, was they are being played a sick prank on one side. But then again, they could only hope for the best to get through. On the other side of this conversation, was Lynn trying to be the only way to resolve to all sorts of method that involved. Was he doing the hand gestures like some sort of mage back from some fantasy novels? He tried doing hand motions like that back in the time for many of times and the amount was countless to say on the end for him. The way on how all of it goes goes like some weird fantasy kind of book. The best, Lynn does not like what''s going to show on the surface when his view finally come to a end, and all there would be after his journey would be his family. The one''s who are on top for him and he treasures for his own needs for. "Ding!" Both of them heard a crackle and heard an explosion and they suddenly knew that all visors and features in term''s on insulating or insulating from sounds. From that day forward they went on, ready for whatever there would be on hold. 32 - Free Fall The sound of roaring wind suddenly exploded in their ears. The first thing they saw was a white, glowing skyline. Below them was a boundless, churning sea of clouds. Through the thin spots in the cloud cover, they could see the land far below, ten thousand meters away. The vast mountain ranges, winding and undulating, were laid out before them in their entirety. The magnificent cities built of steel and concrete were also compressed together, only the size of fists. The wide rivers were incredibly small, like white cracks on the earth. Liam and Liam stared blankly at the magnificent spectacle before them, their mouths hanging open, speechless, their hair being tousled in the wind. After a long while, Liam slapped himself hard in the face, looking dumbfounded. "Holy sh*t!" "Am I dreaming?" "Where the hell am I?" Liam looked heartbroken, raised his middle fingers with both hands, and cursed at the sky: "Heavens, Earth, please, make our boss act like a human being!" To be honest, he had prepared himself mentally before the masks came off. He figured this drop tower wouldn''t be simple; it might be very high! But he never would have imagined it would be this ridiculously high, above the clouds! It wasn''t just a little higher than other drop towers, it was a f*cking million times higher! Coming back to his senses, Liam twitched his lips a few times and said, "Your boss is too ruthless! I''d estimate this height is close to ten thousand meters!" Liam craned his neck, looking down at the sea of clouds, and said, "Now is not the time to marvel at this; how are we supposed to get down?" "Hey, what''s so hard about that? Have you forgotten what I used to do?" Liam laughed nonchalantly, "If you don''t know how to parachute, or if you''re scared, just hold onto me, and I''ll definitely bring you down safely!" "Oh, right!" Liam slapped his forehead, remembering that the person next to him used to be a pilot, so he must be skilled in parachuting! "Sigh! It''s still better that the boss has some sense, and had the foresight to assign a man with skydiving skills along with me!" "But didn''t your boss say this was a drop tower?" Liam scratched his head, saying in confusion, "But if we just jump down like this, won''t it become a skydiving activity?" Liam¡¯s eyes widened, and a bad feeling arose in his heart. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. He knew Jake never lied! Since he said this was a drop tower, it definitely wouldn''t inexplicably turn into a skydiving activity! "Not good!" Liam shouted, "Quick, look for a parachute!" "What are you talking about?" Liam laughed, "How is it possible to provide a parachute for a skydiving sport!" "Stop talking nonsense, start looking immediately!" Liam was anxious, roaring, rising and rising. Liam turned his head somewhat angrily and rummaged through the cabin. The cabin of this unmanned helicopter isn''t big, only has four seats in total, and there are no other storage spaces. All the items are clearly visible. Liam took a few glances, and his heart sank! He didn''t see a parachute pack! Liam didn''t say anything, his figure flashed and moved in the cabin, his eyes watching in all directions, and his ears listening in all directions! But the entire cabin was turned upside down by him. Let alone a parachute, he didn''t even see an extra screw. "Damn it, it seems like there really isn''t a parachute bag. Did your dog boss forget to put it in?" Liam cursed! "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Liam felt like he couldn''t catch his breath, his eyes went dark, and he slumped on the chair. Liam was also desperate. This is ten thousand meters in the sky. Without a parachute bag, let alone him, a former student pilot, even ace paratroopers would have no solution here. Anyone who jumps dies! "It''s okay, let''s just sit in the helicopter and wait for it to go down." Liam patted Liam on the shoulder, comforting him. Liam looked despairing, and said, "Brother, you don''t understand, you don''t understand our boss at all!" "I''ve had less contact with your boss, but can he send us down from here without a parachute? Wouldn''t that be an obvious desire for us to die?" Liam said confidently, "Your boss won''t do such a stupid thing, especially since we don''t have any grievances with him!" "Heh!" Liam was too lazy to explain, responding with a sneer. Just then, the helicopter shook violently. The two hurriedly hugged the chairs, looking around in panic. "What''s wrong?" Liam looked around. "Ding, five minutes are about to pass. It has been detected that the two people in the cabin have not yet jumped. Mandatory disembarkation measures will be taken!" A sweet mechanical female voice sounded in both of their helmets! The next second, the doors on both sides of the helicopter automatically popped open, and the fierce wind swept through, making it difficult for both of them to open their eyes! The seats of both of them moved, sending them to before the hatch. "Wait a minute, I don''t have a parachute bag!" "Hold on!" "My chair moved, I''m out of this f*cking ride!" Liam gesticulated wildly, his face filled with terror, shouting and yelling. Liam, on the other hand, had already accepted the arrangement of fate, with a bitter and tragic look on his face, squeezing out a sound from his teeth, word by word. "Mike, Ethan, I treated you as brothers in vain, but now you treat me like this!" "I won''t let you go even if I become a ghost!" After the two finished their "last words," the chairs suddenly shook, and the two of them were like arrows off a bowstring, instantly ejected out of the cabin and plunging to the ground! "Aah~" The screams of the two echoed back and forth in the clouds! It''s a pity that apart from them, there is no one here! The air temperature at ten thousand meters is very low, coupled with the howling gale. The temperature around the two instantly dropped below freezing point, and the bone-chilling cold instantly spread from the skin to the whole body, and their hands and feet began to freeze, becoming inflexible. But no matter how cold their bodies were, it couldn''t match half of the coldness in their hearts. Liam had given up struggling! He knew that if he kept falling from such a height, no matter what posture he used to buffer the impact of the moment of landing, he would not be able to save his life. If he was lucky, he could leave two more bones for his relatives and friends to take for cremation. If he was unlucky, he would have to ask his relatives and friends to pay for a few sanitation workers to clean up the trash. "Mom, I might have to watch the death of a child who is whiter than you and sends black people. I don''t know who will take care of you after I leave!" The two of them plunged into the layers of clouds like cannonballs. The heavy clouds completely wrapped the two of them, making it impossible to distinguish directions and positions for a while. At the same time, the helmets of the two lit up at the same time, and a sweet voice came. "Ding, the positioning navigation system has been successfully activated!" "Locating!" "Successfully located!" "Start navigation!" 33 - Plunge of Terror Hearing the voice, Liam finally remembered that there seemed to be a GPS navigation system in their suits. In that instant, it clicked. Why would they make you wear a suit with a GPS when all you are doing is a drop tower? It was to make it easier to find your body when you fall from the sky and help with a GPS navigation device. Liam wore a wry smile, at least the boss did one good thing! Neither of them noticed that the protective suit had developed rows of tiny holes. These holes were emitting bursts of air, constantly adjusting their position and speed in the air. Behind them, the drone helicopter was following closely, its front-mounted HD cameras capturing clear images of the two people falling. On the ground, the three were in the monitoring room watching the scene unfold. Except for Jake, who was somewhat prepared, Mike and Ethan were dumbfounded. Ethan, all 200 pounds of him, trembled slightly and said, "B...Boss, is this really a drop tower?" Mike gasped, looking at Ethan and said, "I think we might owe Liam a serious apology, this is way too terrifying, he must hate our guts!" Ethan nodded heavily. They had both guessed that Jake''s "drop tower" wouldn''t be simple. But they underestimated Jake. This dude threw them from 30,000 feet in the air without parachutes! ... The two in the air were accelerating rapidly, quickly piercing through the clouds, getting closer and closer to the ground! The world in their eyes was changing dramatically every second. The skyscrapers on the ground, looking like ants, were rapidly enlarging. The winding, miles-long mountain ranges could no longer be seen at a glance, becoming imposing, making the people inside feel like they were nothing more than tiny specks of dust in the world, incredibly small. At the same time, all the air holes on the protective suit opened, propelling the two toward the nano safety net on the ground. The two also discovered this. Liam¡¯s eyes widened as if a drowning man grasped for a life-saving straw, exclaiming in excitement. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. "Look!" "As long as we land in that net, maybe we''ll be saved!" "Boss, you have some conscience after all, leaving us a way to survive!" Liam nodded heavily, his eyes wet, and tears splashed in the air, connecting into a line! "Mom, I don''t have to die!" "I can continue to take care of you!" At this moment, no one could understand the feelings of the two. Just when they thought they were doomed, in utter despair, they suddenly saw hope, and that sudden reversal in their hearts was like fate, indescribable, wonderful. The two were traveling so fast that they arrived in front of the safety net almost in the blink of an eye from high up in the sky. In the monitoring room, Mike and Ethan breathed a sigh of relief together. "It''s finally over." "That was too intense." Jake smiled, "You guys didn''t think it was over, did you? We''re not even close yet!" "Huh?" Mike asked, taken by surprise and looking shocked. Ethan stared wide-eyed at Jake. Although they didn''t know what Jake meant specifically, they began to pray silently for Liam. At the same time, the two fell into different positions of the protective net one after the other. Carrying a huge impact force from falling from tens of thousands of feet, they instantly smashed a big hole in the smooth protective net. Each strand of wire weaving the protective net was stretched to the extreme. A dense crackling sound rang around. That was a special sound that a rope made when it was stretched to the limit. With the help of the nano-wires, all the impact force on the two of them was unloaded. Liam breathed a sigh of relief, made a celebratory gesture with his fists, and said, "Thank God, I''m still alive!" Liam was the same. Just as the two were happy for less than a second, an unexpected change occurred! The corner of Jake¡¯s mouth slowly lifted, and he smiled lightly, "When have you ever seen a drop tower in an amusement park only letting people experience one fall from a height?" Before he finished speaking. Mike and Ethan saw a row of threads stretched to the limit and suddenly contract! Some of the power that Liam and Liam carried when they fell from the air was buffered by the protective net, while some of it did not disappear, but accumulated in the threads of the protective net. At this time, all the accumulated power burst out. Liam and Liam were instantly ejected by the contracted and straightened protective net, like cannonballs straight into the sky. In the blink of an eye, they had flown into mid-air, at least hundreds of feet above the ground! "Ah!" The screams of Liam and Liam once again resounded through the sky! No one expected this move! It turned out that the protective net on the ground not only had a buffering effect, but also was an enhanced trampoline! The protective suit kept protecting Liam and Liam constantly falling from the air, and then the safety net bounced them back into the air. The whole process of rising and falling was repeatedly operating. Although with the protection of nano-protective clothing, the two people''s landing position and posture did not have any problems, and there was no physical harm. But the psychological damage can be felt through the gradually hoarse roars of the two people! "Boss, I must apologize to you!" Mike said solemnly. "Hmm?" It was Jake''s turn to be confused. Mike looked apologetic and said, "I''m very sorry, I still underestimated you. I can''t even think that this drop tower has such a backhand." Ethan exclaimed, "I guess Liam will never play a drop tower again after this time!" In the cycle of rising and falling again and again, the energy accumulated in the protective net finally could no longer catapult the two of them out, and the end was perfect. The screams that lasted for several minutes in the amusement park finally gradually subsided. The entire protective net began to slowly descend, releasing Liam and Liam, who were already pale-faced. Jake and the others walked out of the monitoring room and rushed over as soon as possible. Liam trembled, using both hands and feet, and crawled to Jake. His pale lips trembled and uttered a sentence. "Boss, this matter... we can''t end this amicably!" "Unless....... unless you add money!" Jake touched Liam¡¯s head with some pity and said, "You''ve worked hard." Then he looked at Liam, wanting to see what he would say. 34 - Chicken Shock ¡°Mike, Ethan, Jake!¡± Liam¡¯s eyes were blazing, his teeth clenched so tightly the words seemed squeezed out. The shrill, piercing cry echoed through the Starlight Amusement Park, as if someone were butchering a pig! Mike looked apologetic. ¡°Sorry, Liam, I¡¯ll make it up to you!¡± ¡°Heh!¡± Liam sneered. ¡°Some things can¡¯t be solved with compensation, or else there wouldn¡¯t be killings out of rage!¡± Mike gritted his teeth and said with visible pain, ¡°Liam, I¡¯ll buy you a +12 katana. How¡¯s that?¡± Liam was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly asked, ¡°Are you serious? No joke? You¡¯re really going to get me a +12 katana? That¡¯s gotta be over a thousand bucks!¡± Mike nodded weakly. ¡°Mike, no words needed. You¡¯re my best bro!¡± Liam shouted excitedly. ¡°Whatever makes you happy,¡± Mike said with a forced smile. Liam then turned to Ethan. In that instant, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by icy coldness! ¡°And you?¡± Liam asked coldly. ¡°Liam,¡± Ethan said, hanging his head, ¡°I need to buy personal training classes with my paycheck, but I can power level for you for a month!¡± Liam nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll reluctantly accept that!¡± Then, Liam turned to Jake with a jovial expression. ¡°Boss, don¡¯t you think you owe me an explanation?¡± Jake smiled back. ¡°They¡¯re all compensating you, so of course, I will too. How about this: I¡¯ll transfer you to a new position with a starting salary of ten thousand a month.¡± Liam''s body and spirit jolted with excitement, staring at Jake in disbelief, stuttering. ¡°B-Boss, are you serious? Can¡­can I handle the new job?¡± ¡°I think you can, and you¡¯re perfect for it,¡± Jake said, smiling. Liam¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m a piece of steel, forged and refined! Wherever you need me, I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll climb mountains of knives and seas of fire!¡± That was a ten-thousand-dollar job! Looking across the U.S., how many college graduates could earn that much right after graduation! Mike and Ethan watched with envious eyes, drool nearly escaping their mouths. ¡°Damn it, if I knew there was something so great, I¡¯d put my old life into it¡± Ethan beat his chest, full of regret. Mike was also filled with remorse. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Right, boss, you haven¡¯t said what the job is yet?¡± Liam asked, regaining composure. Jake rested his chin on his hand, speaking casually, ¡°I think our amusement park needs a professional equipment tester, someone who tests all the rides before opening every day to make sure there aren¡¯t any malfunctions!¡± Liam¡¯s expression froze, and his words died in his throat. Mike and Ethan exchanged a glance and burst into uproarious laughter. ¡°Liam, that job¡¯s great, really suits you!¡± ¡°Yeah, ten thousand a month! Where else are you gonna find a job like that right out of school!¡± Liam "thumped" and knelt on the ground, panicking. ¡°Boss!¡± ¡°Bro!¡± ¡°Please, let me go!¡± "How about you? Seeing you were so envious" Jake asked. Mike and Ethan stopped abruptly, scurrying away in an instant. Are you kidding me! That¡¯s trading your life for money! Only a moron would want a job like that! Even Iron Man couldn¡¯t withstand doing that stuff every day! Liam and Liam pulled themselves together, supporting their weakened bodies, crawling and scampering away. Jake watched the fleeing figures, lost in thought. Looks like I need to hire a new employee to do the testing! No sooner said than done, Jake returned indoors, opened the All-People Job Search Platform, and posted a job announcement. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Starlight Amusement Park Job Posting Due to business development needs, our amusement park is hiring a new employee. The job description and benefits are as follows: Job Description: Responsible for testing all the rides in the amusement park and identifying problems in a timely manner. Benefits: Base salary of $10,000 plus benefits. Note: No requirements for education, height, etc. The only requirement is to be brave and fearless. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Okay, done.¡± Jake pressed enter and published the job announcement. ¡°I wonder how many people will come for an interview. I hope they won¡¯t be too surprised!¡± Jake suddenly smiled. If Mike and the others were here, they¡¯d run as far as they could! Because whenever Jake smiled like that, it meant someone was about to be unlucky! With everything done, it was closing time at Starlight Amusement Park. After seeing off the last visitor and a few employees, Jake arrived at a construction site next to the Hyper Velocity Coaster. The day before, when he fulfilled the special guest''s wish, in addition to gaining a lot of Fame Points, the system also awarded a special facility. Jake had been busy with the park and only now had time to check it out. ¡°System, put the special facility here,¡± Jake called out. ¡°Choose the first placement method this time; just let it appear directly. No need for manpower. Anyway, it¡¯s just a small building; no one will think it¡¯s strange.¡± Before he finished speaking, a square building rose from the ground in front of Jake. The whole process took less than a second. As the dust gradually settled, the building''s full appearance came into view. It was a semi-open building. Except for the front, the other three sides were solid walls. A tin cabinet stood at the front. At the same time, a person wearing a chef''s uniform was standing inside. It was an artificial intelligence robot, identical in appearance to a human, specifically designed to make food for customers. ¡°Ding, special building generated successfully.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Ordinary Fried Chicken Shop Rating: Two-Star Description: A small shop that uses the most precious ingredients and high-end cooking techniques to make the most unpretentious food. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°Just a fried chicken shop?¡± Jake said with a disappointed expression. He thought it would be something special. A fried chicken shop wasn¡¯t anything rare. Just something you could find everywhere. ¡°I''m actually hungry, make me a fried chicken leg and lets take a look." Jake said. The robot in the fried chicken shop pointed to a QR code on the table and said coldly, ¡°Pay first!¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m the boss!¡± Jake shouted, dissatisfied. The robot didn¡¯t react, saying impassively, ¡°Pay first!¡± ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t argue with a robot!¡± Jake reluctantly took out his phone, ready to scan the code to pay. ¡°How much is a fried chicken leg? Five bucks or ten bucks?¡± ¡°A fried chicken leg is $198,¡± the robot replied. Jake looked up sharply, staring at the robot in disbelief, instinctively shouting, ¡°What did you say? One fried chicken leg is $198!?¡± Damn! This is a rip-off joint! A fried chicken leg for $198! You should be robbed instead of charging people like that! 35 - Chicken Leg Mania "We don''t cheat customers here. You get what you pay for. You''ll know once you taste it!" The robot replied emotionlessly. "Alright." Jake took out his phone to pay, then looked at the robot and said, "Make one for me now. I want to see what makes this fried chicken leg worth $198." The robot remained silent and started taking out various ingredients from the refrigerator cabinet to make the fried chicken leg. "What kind of chicken is that?" Jake''s eyes were drawn to the chickens in the refrigerator. This chicken didn''t look much different from ordinary chickens, but its legs were quite different. The legs were incredibly thick, twice as thick as a normal chicken''s, especially the claws, which looked like a piece of steel that had been forged countless times. Jake stared blankly. Could this chicken be the bodybuilder of the chicken world? How else could the legs be so ridiculously thick? "That''s a secret." The robot replied while processing the ingredients. He skillfully cut a chicken leg from the chicken in one swift motion, then quickly removed the claws and any remaining fluff. Then, he used a metal needle to poke holes in it and spread a fragrant sauce over it. "Then why is it so expensive?" Jake asked again. The robot replied, "It''s an extremely rare breed. " "Difficult to raise. Even now, humans can''t mass-produce it. The price is high, about $100 or more per pound." "You use such high-end ingredients to fry a chicken leg?" Jake was stunned for a moment and asked subconsciously. The robot nodded. In the meantime, he had finished marinating the entire chicken leg, and the oil in the pot had been heated to boiling. The robot turned the chicken leg in his hand, gently coating it with a layer of golden egg wash, then sprinkled on a thin and even layer of breadcrumbs. The whole process was smooth and seamless, like a top painter completing a masterpiece. "Are there any special ingredients ?" Jake asked. "The oil is a special tribute used by the royal family." Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Every egg is carefully selected and of excellent quality!" Jake clicked his tongue and couldn''t help saying, "Really upscale." He had never thought that a simple fried chicken leg could be so upscale. Not to mention that the ingredients were royal tributes, even the oil used for frying was a royal tribute! Suddenly, Jake felt that $198 for this fried chicken leg was indeed a bit cheap! "Your fried chicken leg is ready." Ten minutes later, the robot packaged the fried chicken leg and handed it to Jake. As Jake took it, an indescribable fragrance hit him, and he couldn''t help but sniff. Instantly, the fragrance went straight to his brain, and his brain felt like it was being electrocuted, tingling and intoxicated. Jake''s whole body stretched out, and the taste buds in his mouth went wild, secreting saliva like crazy, instantly flooding his tongue and entire mouth. Jake swallowed hard and took a big bite. "Crunch..." The moment his lips and teeth touched the chicken leg, an incredibly crisp sound exploded. Immediately afterward, his mouth was filled with a fragrance. The fragrance had the fragrance of egg wash, the fragrance of oil, and the meaty aroma of the chicken itself. The three fragrances mixed together, but they didn''t interfere with each other. Instead, they were very distinct, causing waves of impact on Jake''s taste buds. First was the faint aroma of oil, which instantly made him feel refreshed, as if the fatigue of a day''s work had been swept away at this moment. Then came the fragrance of egg wash, which purified all the odors in the mouth, as if chewing one piece of gum after another, and breathing out the scent of mint. The final meat aroma made all the taste buds immersed in a carnival, dancing in the mouth and secreting saliva tirelessly again and again! Jake''s eyes welled up, with a look of intoxication. "This is so delicious!" At this moment, he forgot all his fatigue and worries, and his body and mind were completely immersed in the food. Jake''s mouth couldn''t stop, taking bite after bite, and unknowingly swallowed the entire fried chicken leg. In the end, he didn''t even leave a single piece of fried bits. Jake licked the chicken bone again and again with a look of longing, and muttered, "Why is it gone in a few bites!" "Give me another fried chicken leg!" This time, Jake picked up his phone without hesitation and decisively scanned $198. "Do you think our fried chicken leg is worth $198?" the robot asked. Jake gave a thumbs up: "Worth it, absolutely worth it!" "This is the best fried chicken leg I''ve ever had!" "No, it''s the best thing I''ve ever eaten. Wagyu barbecue, River crab, and Australian lobster can all step aside!" "Don''t say $198, even if it sells for $1998, I don''t think it''s too much!" Jake''s words came from the bottom of his heart. The robot smiled slightly, and then began to prepare the next fried chicken leg. He first cleaned all the kitchen utensils, even the oil in the fryer was poured into the sewer and cleaned inside and out. Jake was stunned for a moment and asked, "Isn''t the oil still very clean? Why did you pour it away?" The robot replied without raising his head: "In order to ensure that the taste of the food is brought to the extreme, we will not use a pot of oil a second time." The corners of Jake''s mouth twitched! As expected of the system! As expected of a special facility! So damn cool! A pot of oil was used to fry a chicken leg and then poured away, and it was all royal tribute. Such a waste of natural resources is simply outrageous! Now he really felt that $198 for this fried chicken leg was really cheap! An hour later. Jake threw away the fried chicken leg in his hand and shouted at the robot fiercely, "Quick, give me another fried chicken leg! Make it faster, or I''ll pull out your battery!" This was the seventh fried chicken leg he had eaten. Jake touched his bulging belly. He never thought that he could become a glutton! 36 - The Interviewees The next day, bright and early. The Guys walked into Starlight Amusement Park and immediately noticed the newly-opened fried chicken stand. Mike chuckled, "Looks like our boss actually listens to us! That was fast!" Not long ago, he mentioned that tourists getting off the Hyper Velocity Coaster were always hungry and suggested a food vendor to generate extra income for the park. And here it was, a fried chicken stand! Liam grinned. "Perfect, I skipped breakfast in the rush. I''ll grab a couple of drumsticks. Mike, Ethan, you want any? "My treat!" Mike rubbed his grumbling belly and nodded. "Thanks, Liam." Ethan lifted his shirt, revealing his sculpted six-pack. He clenched his fists and flexed his arms, bulging out two rock-hard biceps. "I''m good!" "Gotta maintain this physique!" "Check out this back and abs, these biceps, and these bowling ball-sized fists! Seriously, one punch, one KO! Envy me?" Liam and Mike rolled their eyes, ignoring Ethan''s narcissistic rant, and headed for the chicken stand. "Two drumsticks, please," Liam said. "Payment first. $198 per drumstick, $396 for two," the robot replied emotionlessly. "Right, $396." Liam automatically pulled out his phone, ready to scan and pay. But as his phone came out, realization hit him like a ton of bricks. His eyes widened. "Wait... what?" "$396 for two drumsticks?" Liam almost choked on his own tongue. He considered himself worldly, having bought instant noodles at tourist traps and ridden in shady taxi cabs, but this pricing took the cake. Fried chicken drumsticks that went for five or ten bucks outside cost $198 here! Mike flinched and wiped sweat from his forehead. "That''s our boss, alright! Bleeding people dry!" "This is highway robbery! Are these drumsticks made of gold?" Liam exploded. "I''d rather starve, die, jump off a cliff before paying $198 for a drumstick!" Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. "Mike, let''s go! We''ll get $100 of fried chicken takeout later" "Our boss is out of his mind! A drumstick for $198! If anyone buys it, I''ll eat worms!" Just then, Jake walked out and headed towards the park''s entrance. "Morning, boss! Where are you off to?" Mike casually called out. "Oh, I posted a job ad for ride testers yesterday. Got three people coming for interviews," Jake answered. "Huh, some brave souls actually applied," Liam muttered, craning his neck to see the potential candidates. Mike chuckled. "Boss, can we watch the interviews? They''ll be our future colleagues. Good to get acquainted beforehand." Jake glanced at his watch. "Sure, it''s an hour before opening anyway. Come on over if you''re free." The Guys eagerly followed Jake! Soon, they reached the park''s side entrance. From afar, they saw three applicants already waiting. They immediately approached Jake. The first one was a middle-aged man with graying hair and a weathered face. As soon as he saw Jake, a practiced, sycophantic smile spread across his face. He pulled out a fresh pack of cigarettes, offering one. "Boss, I''m Chad. I''ve been a ride tester at other amusement parks. I''m experienced and meet all of your park''s requirements!" Jake waved his hand, declining the cigarette. "I''ve seen your resume. You are indeed experienced, but our park is a bit unique. You''re a little older, and I worry your body might not handle the constant thrills!" "Boss, I..." Chad said anxiously. "We will talk more about it later." Jake smiled. "Boss, I''m Kyle, I''m young, and I used to do extreme sports. I can handle any thrill!" Another young candidate perked up and quickly chimed in. Jake turned his gaze. This young man was trendy, with dyed hair, an ear piercing, and a random string of English letters tattooed on his wrist. "Not bad," Jake nodded slightly, then turned to the last applicant. It was a woman in a casual T-shirt and jeans. Even with such a simple outfit, she radiated undeniable charm. Her slender legs were incredibly alluring. Her delicate white hands triggered instant thoughts of those hands gliding over a piano. She wore no makeup, but her perfect facial features seemed like a masterpiece sculpted by Michelangelo himself. It was unnecessary to add anything; she was already flawless. Jake was momentarily stunned, forgetting all the words he had prepared. The Guys in the back were practically drooling, audibly gasping. "Wow~" "Is she a celebrity? How can anyone be this gorgeous?" "Oh man, this is love at first sight!" Mike quickly lowered his head, afraid that another glance would rekindle his insecurities. Liam became awkward and breathed more heavily. Ethan instinctively straightened his posture, his muscles bulging, striking a "Are you not entertained?" pose. "Hi, I''m Cindy," Cindy said, her eyes crinkling into crescents and lips turning upward. Her voice was like a clear mountain stream, pure and melodious, with not a trace of noise. Jake took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart, and extended his hand. "Hello, do you have any special skills?" Cindy blinked and smiled. "Does being pretty count?" "It does!" The Guys in the back blurted out in unison. "It does count, but it doesn''t seem too relevant to the job description at hand." Jake answered honestly. "If I had to pick an advantage, I guess it would be that I love challenges, the more exciting, the better!" Cindy''s eyes sparkled. "I believe that my passion will make me fit for the role!" Jake nodded. "I have a pretty good idea about your background. The way through the interview can be difficult or very easy. If anyone of you who can go through the three main attractions in the Starlight Amusement Park and insists to the end will be hired." Before he finished talking, Jake saw three people in front of him simultaneously burst out into laughter, which they didn''t regard the situation what Jake has just talked about at all. 37 - Death Shack Daredevils Chad smirked, casting a dismissive glance at the other two. Having worked in the amusement park industry for decades, testing various rides was second nature to him. He''d been on countless haunted houses, roller coasters, and drop towers. Chad said with a slight smile, "Boss, you can hire me right now. No exaggeration, I''ve ridden more haunted houses and roller coasters than they''ve had hot meals." Kyle scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "You should check out my YouTube channel. See what I usually do. Free climbing skyscrapers, skateboarding on rooftops. Even Jackie Chan would have to bow down to us!" Cindy remained silent, only flashing a sweet smile that betrayed her thoughts. Mike and the other guys chuckled, exchanging hushed remarks. "These guys are pretty confident. They''re gonna be in for a rude awakening!" "Haha... I can''t wait to see victim +1!" "Shhh! Keep it down, don''t scare them off. We won''t have any fun!" Jake''s lips curled into a faint smile. "Great, sounds like you''re all pretty confident. Follow me." That familiar smile sent shivers down the spines of the three guys. They involuntarily stumbled backward, furtively eyeing Jake. Luckily for them, Jake''s attention wasn''t on them. He was leading the trio towards the Death Shack. "The first challenge you''ll face is a haunted house called the Death Shack!" "Do you want to go in together, or one at a time?" Chad narrowed his eyes, a calculating glint in them, before adopting his most approachable smile. "Together''s fine. If anything goes wrong with them, I can look out for them." Beneath his gentle exterior lay a shrewd mind. In the haunted house, he could calmly navigate the trials, even lend a hand to the two who would inevitably be terrified. This would definitely leave the boss with a good impression. "Please!," Kyle scoffed, flipping Chad the bird. "Who needs you to babysit? Look at your old, brittle bones, I might have to babysit you!" Cindy shook her head. "I hate it when people see me as a girl and assume I can''t do anything, that I need help with everything! Plus, I love challenges, the wilder the better!" If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Jake ignored their bickering. In his book, skill was the only language spoken. This was best for everyone. Soon, Jake led the trio to the entrance of the Death Shack. "After you." Jake gestured. Chad cleared his throat, puffed out his chest, and strolled confidently ahead, pushing open the door. Not to be outdone, Kyle charged in second. Last in line, Cindy took a deep breath, her bright eyes ablaze with anticipation, radiating a captivating glow. She dove in expectantly. Once they were inside, Jake went into the control room to observe their performance through the monitors. "Creak." The ancient wooden door swung inward, revealing a world completely cut off from the outside, utterly primitive, appearing before them. Chad was stunned by what he saw, his eyes widening. "What...?" It was beyond belief! Having been in the amusement park industry for decades, visited countless haunted houses, and even helped build some himself, He had never seen such a magnificent set design! Even more importantly, everything before them¡ªthe towering trees, the undergrowth, the lake¡ªall seemed flawlessly natural, devoid of any hint of human creation. It was as if they''d been transported to a primordial forest tens of thousands of years ago. The ancient atmosphere weighed heavily on them, making it hard to breathe. "Holy crap!" The guy behind him swore loudly. In that moment, he didn''t feel like he was standing in the concrete jungle of a modern city, but rather in the heart of the world''s largest rainforest, the Amazon. He felt like an insignificant speck of dust in the vastness of nature, needing to tread carefully with every step. Cindy was equally stunned by the scene. Unlike the other two, who felt dwarfed and insignificant, Cindy viewed each step as a new experience, a challenge, a glimpse into a brand-new world! She felt her blood surging with excitement, her face flushed with uncontainable glee, plainly visible in her eyes and expression! Cindy skipped ahead, quickly overtaking the dumbfounded Chad and Kyle. Snapping back to reality, Chad knew that this was no time for wonder. To stay, he had to perform! He picked up his pace and hurried to catch up. Kyle followed closely behind. Soon after stepping onto the bone-paved path, they quickly sensed something was amiss. Cindy knelt down, picked up a fragment of bone, and rubbed it gently between her fingers, asking the others, "Is this real or fake?" "Of course, it''s a prop," Chad responded with a chuckle that quickly evaporated when he, too, picked up a fragment. He couldn''t be certain if the fragment was real, but he knew it wasn''t a prop. At least, none of the bone props he had ever handled felt this genuine! "This¡­ feels real," Kyle said, his voice slightly anxious. Chad whipped around. "How can you tell it''s real?" Kyle cleared his throat, paused to calm his nerves, and said slowly, "When we climb mountains or do other dangerous activities, sometimes we come across the remains of those who didn''t make it. As respectfull climbers we take responsibility for moving these cadavers away from plain sight ." "The bones here feel exactly like the remains of those guys we moved. " Chad fell silent. "What about these?" Cindy''s eyes lit up as she pointed to the desiccated bodies hanging from the trees. "Could those be real too?" Kyle didn''t dare approach, keeping his distance as he looked at the shriveled bodies. "They look real!" "These are real!" Cindy''s face had turned deathly pale with fear, but some unknown force was driving her on, pumping fear fighting power into her small body! She was like a natural-born adventurer, never considering retreat, but embracing every challenge! 38 - Grim Encounters "Let''s go, let''s go, let''s go!" Cindy''s voice was several notches higher, her face flushed with excitement. "It''s gotta be even wilder inside!" Kyle stared dumbfounded at Cindy, muttering to himself, "Never judge a book by its cover. Looks like this quiet, pretty girl is actually a total psycho." He, a grown man, was starting to get the creeps. This chick wasn''t scared, but was getting more and more hyped. What was that if not crazy? Right then, both Kyle and Chad were seriously thinking about backing out. Chad might have years of experience, but that was all with props. This was the first time he''d run into a real-deal haunted house, and he was feeling totally lost. All his experience had just flown out the window. Kyle looked hesitant. There were plenty of ways to court death in extreme sports, but never like this, waltzing with the dead. But then they looked at Cindy, who was clearly having a blast. They sucked it up and decided to stick with it. No way they could let a little girl outdo them, right? Besides, it''s just some bones and corpses. How bad could it be? The three of them pressed on. This time, Cindy took the lead. Chad and Kyle lagged a step behind. Both of them held their breath, eyes darting around, moving closer and closer. Before long, the three of them were standing in front of the Death Shack. "The boss said that if you hang out in this room, you''ll see the Grim Reaper," Cindy murmured, clenching a fist, "I wonder what the Reaper looks like? Tall? Fat? Hot?" Filled with anticipation, Cindy threw open the door to the Death Shack. "Creeeeak!" The ancient wooden door let out a teeth-grinding screech as it swung open. Chad and Kyle''s nerves were already shot, and they jumped, grabbing onto each other in mid-air. "What was that?!" "Get away from me!" Cindy twisted around, giving them a weird look. "You guys... scared much?" Chad and Kyle''s faces flushed crimson in an instant. Chad shoved Kyle away, blaming him preemptively. "What the hell are you grabbing me for? You scared the crap out of me! Disgusting!" The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Kyle blinked, then shot back, "Who grabbed you? I saw you were freaked out, so I was offering you the warmth of my manly chest to comfort your wounded soul." "Uhhh...wow!" Cindy covered her eyes. "Sorry, didn''t mean to intrude on this special moment!" After their little drama, the three of them edged into the Death Shack. As soon as they got inside, just like most people, they turned the Death Shack upside down, searching every nook and cranny. Once they were sure there were no human remains, bodies, or other creepy stuff inside, Chad and Kyle''s courage returned. They plopped down in some chairs, tossing words back and forth, trying to recoup the face they''d lost earlier. "This Death Shack is nothing. Nothing scary here at all." "Yeah, I could sit here for a year without a problem!" Cindy slumped into another chair, looking dejected. Not seeing the Grim Reaper that Jake had talked about left her feeling disappointed. Even her high spirits started to fade. Just then, A cold gust of wind swept through the room, ruffling the hair on Cindy''s shoulders. "Huh?" Cindy turned her head, feeling like something was off. Chad and Kyle''s voices died in their throats, eyes bulging. "The windows and doors are closed, where did the wind come from?" "Did you just fart?" "WTF?" The next second, a sinister chuckle echoed right next to their heads. Amid the unsettling atmosphere, Cindy''s body reacted on instinct. A chill shot up her spine, her scalp prickled, and the color drained from her face. Even so, Cindy steadied her trembling body, abruptly standing up and scanning the room. "Grim Reaper, is that you? Let me see where you are!" Chad and Kyle were shivering, instinctively huddling together again. Kyle started yelling, "You perv, don''t touch me!" "Are you kidding me? Who''s hugging who here?" Chad looked helplessly at Kyle, who was clinging to him like an octopus. "I don''t care, you''re hugging me!" Kyle was so scared he was almost crying. Cindy ignored the bickering and started searching the shack, muttering under her breath. "Grim Reaper!" "Where are you?" "Come out!" Suddenly, Cindy stopped, frowning slightly as she looked at Chad and Kyle. She had just realized that the Death Shack was unusually quiet. She hadn''t heard Chad and Kyle''s arguing for a while. She saw that the two had separated at some point, standing hunched over like zombies, the expression in their eyes constantly shifting. At times blank. At times terrified. Their facial expressions changed wildly, grotesque and horrifying. "What''s wrong with you guys?" Cindy asked as she walked over. As she approached, she heard a murmured rambling from the two. Kyle saw his close friends in extreme sports, the ones he had adventured with in the past, one after another encountered accidents, miserably leaving this world. Someone during the course of parkour, accidentally fell from a high building and became a pile of mincemeat, so stuck to the ground it couldn''t be scraped off by shovel. Someone during the course of scaling a snowy mountain, accidently fell into a crevasse, hopelessly watched as their limbs went numb, eventually freezing to death in the shape of a human popsicle. Someone during the course of wilderness survival was targeted by a group of ferocious beasts, watched as their body got torn into pieces and shred like burlap sacks, dying in terror. Seeing each and every friend meet with their unfortunate and bloody end, Kyle felt a blow and an aching heart as he cried ceaselessly. On the other side, Chad had collapsed to his knees, continuously knocking his head to the ground, as if he was begging someone. "Doctor, please save my daughter, she''s so young, she should have a bright future!" "Mom, you have to stay strong! We''ll definitely be able to find a way to treat your cancer and find a good doctor!" "Wife, you are the only one I have left, are you going to leave me too?" "God, why are you doing this to me!" Chad, a grown man, was now a hysterical little girl, tearing at the seams and crying to the skies! "What''s wrong with you two?" Cindy watched the two in front of her. Even though her body was shaking, the emotion dominating her heart was not fear but excitement. She was very curious to know what Chad and Kyle were experiencing. She wanted to give it a try too! 39 - Trial One Concluded Cindy didn''t have to wait long. The thing she had been anticipating finally happened to her. As a chilling laugh echoed in her ear, Cindy''s mind began to unravel. A hint of captivating allure flickered within her dazed eyes. Her eyelashes fluttered. When her vision cleared, she found herself in a magnificent bedroom, decorated with lavish extravagance. "What?" Cindy frowned slightly, feeling inexplicably irritated. "How did I get back home? This sucks!" Cindy grabbed a glass from the table and hurled it violently against the wall. With a crash, the glass shattered into countless pieces. Barely two seconds passed before the butler rushed in with two servants. "Miss, are you hurt?" the butler asked with concern, while urging the servants to clean up the mess on the floor. Cindy said with a shrug, "Can''t you just let me clean it up myself?" "Miss, your hands are far too precious. What if you get hurt? Leave such trivial matters to us, the servants!" the butler chuckled. Cindy rolled her eyes and retorted, "Am I really going to injure myself by picking up trash?" Cindy watched the servants cleaning, feeling incredibly vexed. Ever since she was a child, things had been like this. Even something as simple as getting dressed was done by servants. It was as if she was a crippled person with no hands or feet, requiring assistance for everything. Cindy detested this! "Miss, where are you going?" The butler watched Cindy leave the room and hurried after her. Without turning her head, Cindy said coldly, "Out to have some fun." The butler replied cheerfully, "What car would the Miss like to take today? I''ll arrange for a driver and security immediately." "Can''t I go out alone?" Cindy asked. "That would require Master''s permission," the butler said truthfully. "Master is only doing it for your own good. It''s not safe for a young lady to go out alone." Cindy waved her hand listlessly and said, "Fine, then arrange it. I want to take a walk by the beach." The butler shook his head and said, "A strong typhoon has been passing through the city recently, and there may be large waves near the coast. For your safety, I cannot allow you to go to the beach." "You!" Cindy glared angrily. It was always like this! This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Whenever she had a sudden urge to go somewhere, her family and the butler would use various safety reasons to confine her at home! Sometimes Cindy suspected that she was a prisoner. All that was different was that the food, drink, and expenses were better, but her freedom was restricted! Cindy felt that the happiest moments were when no one was watching her, and she could do whatever she wanted. Especially after doing things she had never done before, she would feel a kind of inexplicable pleasure in her heart, uncontrollably immersed in it! Especially when doing things that ordinary people dared not do, the thrill would increase exponentially with the level of excitement! She was like a bird trapped in a cage, longing for the blue sky and white clouds outside! "Oh, right, Master has enrolled you in an international etiquette class, which you''ll start tomorrow!" the butler said with a smile. "I''m not going," Cindy shook her head like a rattle-drum. The butler explained, "Miss, you''ll surely be representing the family at various business balls in the future. If your etiquette is lacking, it will draw criticism, especially since you''re a girl!" "When did I ever say I wanted to inherit the family business and attend business balls?" Cindy said impatiently. "Isn''t that what you''re supposed to do?" The butler was very certain about this. "Sigh," Cindy sighed deeply. Even though she hadn''t done anything, she felt physically and mentally exhausted, and her voice was weak. The butler continued, "Also, Master hopes that you will get to know Eric from Global Group. Global Group''s resources are extremely helpful for the family business. It would be wonderful if you could tie the knot with Uncle Eric." Cindy covered her ears and ran. But no matter how fast she ran, the butler followed her relentlessly like a ghost, lecturing her non-stop. "In addition, I''ve instructed the kitchen that Miss''s dinners should primarily consist of vegetable salads and fruits, which will help with your figure." "Miss, Master hopes that you will take over the family''s business in Riverdale, familiarize yourself with the business operations in advance, and gain experience for your future appointment to the board of directors." "Miss, you should land on your heels, not your toes, when running. Otherwise, it will be very damaging to your knees!" "Ah!" Cindy was in excruciating pain! From childhood, her life had been like this, planned out clearly by her father and the butler. From the small things like eating, drinking, dressing, and etiquette. To the big things like learning, socializing, and travel arrangements. She was like a robot, running according to the program set by her father and the butler. She remembered that the day before she went to college, her father sent people to investigate all the students in her class, creating a list for her. The list clearly indicated which students needed to be associated with and which students were not allowed to be in contact with. Whenever she wanted to do something she wanted to do, her father would come out and scold her harshly. Cindy couldn''t take it anymore, and hysterically shouted at the butler, "Can you please stop forcing me and let me do what I want to do!" "Miss, we are all doing this for your own good!" The butler''s smile did not reach his eyes. "For my own good!" Cindy smiled sadly. She didn''t know how many times she had heard those words since she was a child. Cindy looked at the birds flying past the window and suddenly felt envious. Although the birds did not have a place to shelter from the wind and rain, and might even be hungry every day. But at least they were free, and they could choose what they wanted to do! Cindy suddenly laughed and said, "You can stop me from doing many things, but you certainly can''t stop me from dying, can you?" Before the words were finished, Cindy suddenly rushed towards the window next to her and jumped out of it. In that moment, Cindy felt incredibly relaxed and comfortable. She had finally done something that no one could stop her from doing! ...... Outside the Death Shack, Jake dragged the three people out one by one. The three buddies who had been waiting for a long time burst into laughter at this scene. "Sure enough, they all fell!" "Normal, normal. I wonder if they''ll dare to continue the challenges after they wake up!" "I''m also curious. The Hyper Velocity Coaster and Interstellar Voyage may not be as mentally stimulating as the Death Shack, but the physical stress is equally formidable!" "Shh, be quiet, I think someone''s waking up!" 40 - Death Shack is King The three of them woke up around the same time, practically one right after the other. The morning sun rose over the mountains, its gentle rays washing over the three shaken individuals, gradually chasing away the chill that had seeped into their bones. "Was what I experienced in there a dream, or did it actually happen?" Kyle asked Jake. "You should know the answer yourself," Jake replied with a smile. Kyle nodded heavily, his expression complex as he looked around. His gut told him it was all a dream. But how could it feel so real? The warmth of the blood that had splattered on his face from his friend still seemed to linger, causing his cheeks to flush slightly. The echoes of those desperate screams still rang in his ears. Everything was so vivid, etched deep in his mind, unlike a dream that fades away as soon as you wake up. "Thank God, it was all a dream!" Chad cried out in relief. He had dreamed of his parents, wife, and children all leaving him one by one. For a man nearing middle age, it was a truly devastating experience. "Whew," Cindy sighed, clutching her chest. "So, what do you all think of the Death Shack?" Jake asked. Kyle closed his eyes and said with emotion, "Once is enough. I never want to go in there again!" "Exhilarating, extremely exhilarating," Cindy nodded emphatically, "My only regret is that I didn''t get to see the Grim Reaper''s face!" Chad wiped the tears from his eyes, an endless stream of emotions swirling within him, which ultimately condensed into one sentence. "In the realm of haunted houses, I, Chad, declare the Death Shack to be the best!" This wasn''t just empty flattery. It was a sincere statement based on his years of experience in the industry. "Alright, you''ve all passed the haunted house stage. Next, we have the Hyper Velocity Coaster and the drop tower. Do you want to continue, or can you quit at any time?" Jake asked. Cindy jumped to her feet, her face pale, but the fiery passion in her eyes showed no sign of dimming. "Continue, definitely continue!" "I should be okay too," Kyle said. He thought about it carefully. He didn''t perform very well in the haunted house, admittedly. It simply wasn''t his forte. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. People who enjoyed extreme sports might be unafraid of death, but they weren''t completely devoid of fear! "A simple Hyper Velocity Coaster and drop tower are nothing compared to the extreme sports I''ve done before," Kyle said confidently. Liam, who was standing to the side, couldn''t hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. "All talk, no action! You''ll find out what''s small and what''s big soon enough!" Before he could finish his sentence, Mike and Ethan rushed to cover Liam''s mouth. Kyle looked at Liam strangely. Ethan flashed a simple grin and said "Don''t mind that guy, those are personal issues" Mike whispered in Liam''s ear. "Liam, what are you doing? Don''t you want to watch the show anymore?" "Ignore them," Jake said. Kyle patted his chest and said, "Anyway, I''m fine, it''s just..." He looked at Chad. They had experienced a moment of skin-to-skin contact in the haunted house, forming a bond of camaraderie in the face of adversity, making their relationship different from what it was before. "I," Chad said with a smile, "I''m fine too." "Alright, let''s go!" Jake waved his hand and led the way. Soon, the group arrived at the Hyper Velocity Coaster. It wasn''t open yet, and the roller coaster stood empty. Cindy took the lead and sat in the first row, gazing at the smooth track ahead, her expression drooping, pouting her lips. "Boss, this roller coaster is so boring!" "Why didn''t you add a few 360-degree loops? Preferably several in a row, that would be so thrilling!" "And you could adjust the slope a bit, you should at least have a 30-meter high, 90-degree vertical drop!" The more Cindy spoke, the more excited she became, instinctively waving her fists in the air. Mike and the others rolled their eyes. The current track was already dangerous enough. If it were really built the way Cindy described, would anyone even dare to ride it? The Hyper Velocity Coaster might as well be renamed the Suicide Coaster! Jake was covered in cold sweat. Kyle casually found an empty seat and waved at Chad, who was hesitating on the platform. "Chad, come here, sit here!" "Two guys sitting together, is that okay?" Chad said, but his body told a different story as he walked straight to the seat next to Kyle. "Stop talking nonsense and sit down!" Kyle said. Chad sat down. Under Jake''s instruction, the three first fastened their seat belts and then pulled down the safety bars! After Jake finished inspecting everything, he walked into the control room and started the roller coaster. With a loud bang, the roller coaster slowly left the station. Now that the three were on the ride, there was no turning back. Liam, Mike and Ethan stopped pretending, their smiles gradually becoming unrestrained. "Friendly reminder, our amusement park''s roller coaster is a bit fast!" "That''s right, that''s right, you''ll need to protect your hairstyles!" "Take a good look now, the trash cans are here. If you feel like throwing up later, don''t go to the wrong place!" The three on the roller coaster were confused. "Fast? How fast?" Cindy asked anxiously, "Is it faster than a race car at full throttle?" Once, she had taken advantage of the butler''s inattention and secretly drove her race car to a deserted road in the suburbs, seeking a thrill and stepping on the gas pedal all the way! That experience was unforgettable for her, and it made her blood boil every time she thought about it. Unfortunately, after that incident, the butler confiscated all her car keys and arranged a stable driver for her. "It''ll be faster than that!" Mike said with a grin. After hearing these words, Cindy''s dejected mood vanished, her eyes fluttering with anticipation for what was to come. Kyle and Chad exchanged smiles, not taking the words of those on the platform to heart at all. "Chad, do you think they''re just ignorant? They probably don''t know how fast I go when I do some extreme sports!" "That''s right, they''re pretty ignorant. Years ago, I traveled to an amusement park in the Middle East, and that amusement park had the fastest roller coaster in the world. I rode it several times and didn''t feel a thing!" "You see, I''m not even afraid of the fastest roller coaster in the world, why would I be afraid of this one?" "Haha, who says otherwise?" "I don''t even know who these people think they''re looking down on?" Amid the laughter, the roller coaster climbed to the top of the track. 41 - a legit drop tower？ "Roar!" Like an ancient beast growling, the deep sound exploded in the ears of the three people on the roller coaster. Immediately afterward, all three noticed that the roller coaster beneath them was shaking under the roar of the engine, and a series of pushing sensations, like waves crashing against rocks, came from the backrest. "What''s happening?" Kyle felt a sudden sinking in his heart. Having skirted death for many years, his intuition was far beyond that of ordinary people, and he could already smell the dangerous aura permeating the air. "Don''t panic!" Chad said in a deep voice, "I''m here!" Hearing this, Kyle felt inexplicably reassured. "Is it starting?" Cindy spread her arms, ready to embrace the coming impact! The next second, all the wheels of the roller coaster started turning, faster and faster, reaching a speed that left streaks of afterimages in less than a second! "Clang!" The rapidly rotating wheels rubbed fiercely against the steel rails, bursting out with sounds of metal clashing, and sparks flew! The roller coaster dashed forward with sparks and flashes, turning into a bolt of lightning, rushing down a 45-degree steep slope at a terrifying speed! "I..." Kyle didn''t even get half a word out before the oncoming wind stuffed it back down his throat! The wind was so strong that everyone''s faces began to twist and deform. Skin and flesh seemed to separate from the bones, making their faces look like flattened pancakes. Kyle''s heart thumped wildly, and his face began to turn pale. Exciting! This was way too exciting! The level of excitement had surpassed the limit of what his mind and body could handle! Compared to this, the extreme sports he had done in the past were completely insignificant! This was true extreme sports! What were those other sports he used to do! Kyle turned his head with great difficulty and found that Chad beside him was about to pass out, his eyelids rolled back, like dead fish eyes. He slumped in his seat, trembling, clearly scared out of his wits! At this moment, Chad''s stomach began to churn! Countless times, the food residue in his stomach surged to his throat, but he swallowed it back down each time. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Why is it so fast? How can it be so fast? Chad just wanted to curse out loud! Who said that the roller coaster in that amusement park in the Middle East was the fastest in the world! Isn''t this screwing people over? He wished he could tie the first person who said that to this roller coaster for a day and a night to vent his hatred! As the Hyper Velocity Coaster increased to maximum speed. Kyle and Chad began to feel their minds becoming muddled. The scenery on both sides rushed past in a blur of afterimages. They completely lost control of their bodies, shaking like ragdolls under the inertia of the roller coaster! In less than ten seconds, both of them felt like their bodies were about to fall apart! And Cindy, sitting in the front, was experiencing an even more intense thrill! Her petite face was pale white, her mind blank, with no time to think about anything else, and her whole body was experiencing the most direct impact of speed. Girls'' physical qualities couldn''t compare to boys''. When the speed of the Hyper Velocity Coaster reached its peak, Cindy''s body could not withstand the 9G gravitational acceleration. Her body began to show signs of excessive strain. Her brain became drowsy due to rapid blood loss, and her breathing became disordered. The veins on her arms bulged because of blood congestion, like gnarled tree roots, terrifying. Her eyeballs protruded from their sockets, her vision gradually blurred, and soon she plunged into darkness. All she could hear was the sound of rushing wind, but she couldn''t see anything. Cindy began to panic, like a drowning person, flailing her hands and feet, trying to grab a lifeline. "Why can''t I see?" Cindy cried out in her heart, with no previous experience. At this moment, Cindy actually felt regret for the first time. What if something happened while riding the roller coaster? What if her vision never recovered and she became blind? What would she do then? Although she pursued excitement and was a born adventurer. But everything she was experiencing had exceeded her imagination. She thought that the excitement of the roller coaster would only be a little higher than the excitement of flooring the gas pedal in her sports car. That was why she was so excited. But now, she found that the difference in the level of stimulation between the two was more than just a little; it was almost ten times the difference! So-called courage is just not meeting big enough challenges! For the people on the roller coaster, every second was extremely long. But to the outside world, it was just 30 seconds, the time it took to lose yourself in your thoughts. The smiles on the faces of the three buddies hadn''t faded, and the Hyper Velocity Coaster had already completed the whole ride and slowly pulled into the station. "Alright, guys, let''s get to work!" Liam called out. Mike and Ethan skillfully took out trash bags and handed them to the three people on the roller coaster. Chad couldn''t wait to release his safety harness and had already buried his head in the trash bag, pouring out like a waterfall. Kyle was no better off, climbing off the roller coaster and hugging a trash can, vomiting incessantly. Cindy in the front didn''t throw up, because she had passed out, and it seemed that it would take some time for her to wake up. When Cindy woke up, more than a dozen minutes had passed. By this time, Chad and Kyle, who had really thrown up everything they had, were hugging each other, crying their hearts out. "Old Chad, didn''t you say you rode the fastest roller coaster in the world and it wasn''t scary at all? Why did you throw up like this?" "And you? Aren''t you an extreme sports player? You even told me to check out your YouTube channel and learn. You didn''t want me to learn how to throw up, did you?" Although they were verbally berating each other, there was no hint of mockery in their words. They were all victims, and they understood that it wasn''t each other''s fault! Not long after Cindy woke up, she felt it coming. She immediately snatched a trash bag from Mike and threw up, not even trying to maintain her image. Jake came out of the control room. "Congratulations, you only have one drop tower left to pass the job interview test!" "Do you want to continue?" "Anyone want to back out?" Chad raised his hand and weakly asked, "Boss, I want to ask, is the drop tower in your amusement park a legit drop tower?" Jake narrowed his eyes, showing a warm smile, and said, "Besides being a bit high, it''s pretty legit!" 42 - Stay Put "Really? I don''t believe it!" Chad retorted. "Don''t believe me? Ask them," Jake said, turning to wink at Liam, Ethan, and Mike. The Guys understood perfectly, sporting innocent smiles. Even if Jake hadn''t done this, they would''ve. Being scammed all the time, they needed to occasionally scam others to feel balanced. "Rest assured, our Starlight Amusement Park''s Drop Tower is totally legit!" "Totally, like, super legit!" "Speaking from experience, I rode it once, felt pretty good. You guys should try it." Chad''s worry decreased slightly. But Kyle frowned beside him, his gut telling him something fishy was going on! "Something''s not right, I''m sensing killing intent!" Kyle scrutinized The Guys. "I wanna go! I wanna go! I wanna go!" Cindy trembled as she got up, leaning on the wall, as if afraid Jake wouldn''t notice her, repeating her demand three times. Chad hesitated, finally nodding, "I guess I''ll go too." For a middle-aged guy like him with parents and kids, that $10,000 salary was way too tempting. He could buy his parents and wife a few more clothes, send his kid to a better school and get better tutoring. Even knowing there might be a pitfall ahead, he had to jump in! He could only pray it wouldn''t be too big! "What about you?" Jake asked Kyle. Kyle shook his head like crazy. No way was he going. Hadn''t he been scammed enough already? Some literary master named Lu once said, "A real man never falls in the same place three times." But just as he was about to refuse, he caught Chad out of the corner of his eye. Chad was looking at him longingly, seemingly disappointed by his decision. Kyle wavered, blurting out, "I guess I''ll go see it too." Chad patted Kyle, "You''re the best!" If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Let''s go then!" Jake led the way, heading toward the Hyper Velocity Coaster! On the way, they passed by the fried chicken shop, a rich aroma wafting out. The smell was so strong, hitting them right in the face. Jake was fine, he had some porridge in the morning so he was a little full. But the others were miserable. The Guys hadn''t eaten anything. The three interviewees had puked up their dinner on the roller coaster, so you could imagine how empty their stomachs were. "Gurrgghh!" Six stomachs rumbled in unison, sounding like the fields on a summer night, filled with the chorus of cicadas and frogs. Everyone''s taste buds were on high alert, mouths watering like crazy. "Should we grab something to eat before the Drop Tower?" Kyle suggested. Chad and Cindy nodded like chickens pecking at rice. "I suggest you think about it, stuff in this place is expensive," Mike kindly reminded them. "Nah, I used to work in an amusement park. I know the prices are gonna be higher than outside, but usually only two or three times as much, not that bad," Chad said. "A chicken leg here is $198, other stuff''s even more expensive," Mike chuckled. Chad and Kyle froze mid-stride, eyes wide, staring at Mike in disbelief, thinking they''d misheard. Mike pointed to the price list in the shop, the prices for everything clearly marked, the cheapest item, the fried chicken leg, going for $198! "Hiss..." Chad and Kyle inhaled sharply. Holy crap. They''d seen overpriced. But they''d never seen anything this overpriced! Cindy blinked, looking confused, "This price is fine. A chicken leg that costs 198? I always buy a 10x price one in a hotel". Liam:"?" Mike:"?" ... Kyle:"?" Everyone had question marks popping up over their head. Did we missed something£¿ or you missed something? "Sigh, suddenly I remember I have diabetes, uremia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia..." Chad sighed, "It''s not that I can''t afford it, it''s that I really can''t eat this stuff." "I''m on a diet," Kyle said. "I will buy a fried chicken leg. Y''all stay here, don''t move!" Cindy skipped to the shop, bought a chicken leg and paid it. At the same time. Jake also received a message from the system. "Ding, a tourist purchased a fried chicken leg, spending $198, converted into 2 Fame Points." Items sold to tourists from special facilities were converted into Jake''s Fame Points at a ratio of 100:1. A moment later, Cindy came back with her chicken leg, eating messily, not even bothering to talk. Cindy was touched. She found such a delicious chicken leg here. She was too happy and teared. Seeing her like this, everyone smiled. Liam snorted, "Why wouldn''t you go to KFC and buy a family bucket with 198?" "Exactly," Kyle laughed, "Clearly a rich girl who never goes out, cries over a chicken leg. If she eats some stinky tofu, won''t she fly to heaven?" After what happened, everyone guessed that Cindy''s family was filthy rich. Soon they arrived at the Interstellar Voyage. The first thing they saw was a big net, and then the circular platform in the distance. Chad said, "Boss, aren''t you being a bit too careful? You even put a safety net under the Drop Tower, totally unnecessary." Kyle gazed at the circular platform in the distance, his worries completely gone, chuckling, "This Drop Tower really is legit, doesn''t look that high." Cindy sounded disappointed, "Boss, didn''t you say your Drop Tower was really high? Is this it?" Jake nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, this is it!" Behind him, The Guys were struggling to hold back their laughter. Liam, unable to restrain himself, pulled Mike and Ethan aside, whispering, "These idiots are using the helicopter landing platform as where they will jump off from. Just wait till they start regretting it" "Come on, everyone, get your safety suits on," Jake enthusiastically invited them into the prep room. Chad felt confident again, "Boss, to be blunt, you''re insulting me!" Kyle shrugged, smirking, "Gotta say, you''re being a bit insulting! Not to brag, but I''ve got a video on YouTube of me rappelling down a cliff that''s way higher than this, and I didn''t wear a safety suit." Cindy didn''t want to wear one either, "Boss, can I not wear a safety suit? It''s not thrilling at all, no fun!" 43 - Up High "No way, you HAVE to wear it!" Jake said with absolute determination. Seeing that they couldn''t argue with Jake, the three of them reluctantly put on the protective suits. "That''s the spirit," Jake said, clapping his hands and pressing the remote control in his hand. Visors automatically popped out of their helmets, blocking all vision and activating the soundproofing, so they could only hear the voices from the comm channel. "Don''t panic, everyone. When we reach the jump point, your visors will open and the soundproofing will turn off," Jake announced. The three were completely bewildered, never having seen so many bells and whistles on a Drop Tower. First, protective suits, then blocked vision and sound. Kyle''s heart was racing faster and faster. He already sensed that this Drop Tower was definitely fishy, definitely not your average Drop Tower! "I''m out, I want off!" Kyle shouted. "Heh heh!" Liam let out a strange laugh, yelling, "Now you want off? Too late! Nobody steals my fun! Let me personally send these three brave souls to the sky!" He was the happiest of the bunch! Last time, he was the one getting screwed, but this time he was the one doing the screwing! The more he cried last time, the more maniacally he laughed now! Liam led Chad and Cindy onto the helicopter. As for Kyle, he was still struggling desperately. For a moment, Liam really didn''t know what to do with him. Mike and Ethan exchanged a smile, stepped forward, grabbed Kyle''s arms, and pinned him down like they were escorting a prisoner, helping Liam shove Kyle onto the helicopter. Liam excitedly shouted, "Stop yelling. Today, even if you scream your lungs out, no one''s coming to save you!" After the three buddies had forced Kyle onto the helicopter. Jake moved with lightning speed, closing and locking the helicopter door in one smooth motion! The whole action was swift and decisive, without any hesitation. "OK!" Jake clapped his hands, striding into the control room, watching the monitor screen, and starting the helicopter! "Whirr!" The helicopter''s rotors spun rapidly, whipping up a gust of wind, slowly ascending into the sky. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Watching this scene, Liam suddenly felt a little sentimental, saying, "That''s how weak, pitiful, and helpless I was back then. I didn''t know anything and was sent up there, and by the time I realized something was wrong, there were already clouds beneath my feet. I almost lost control of my bowels." Inside the helicopter, Kyle thrashed around, trying to break free from his seat, his screams piercing and desperate, like a pig being led to slaughter. Chad was getting annoyed by the noise. He stated, "Kyle, what are you yelling about? You''re afraid of a Drop Tower that''s only this high?" Cindy nodded, laughing, "Are all you extreme sports people such scaredy cats?" Kyle cried and pleaded, "You have to trust my sixth sense as a man, something''s definitely wrong here!" Just then, the helicopter had risen to a sufficient altitude. Jake''s gentle voice echoed in the comm channel. "Dear guests, you have reached the target height. You are about to have your helmets'' visors and soundproofing removed." "Please prepare yourselves and jump within five minutes, or it will delay the other guests, otherwise, we will take coercive measures!" "Is it finally starting?" Cindy rubbed her hands together, already impatient. Chad puffed out his chest, with a faint smile and said with great importance, "Kyle, you are still young, after all, you have not experienced too much. When you reach my age, you should know that no matter what happens, you must not panic!" As Chad spoke, the visor on his face slowly opened. Looking at the helicopter cabin in front of him, listening to the whistling wind in his ears. Chad was stunned. "Where are we?" Chad looked around like a headless chicken. "We...we''re in the sky," Cindy muttered blankly, leaning against the helicopter porthole. Kyle slumped into his chair powerlessly, covering his face. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it wasn''t that simple!" "The sky? Aren''t we playing Drop Tower? Why are we in the sky?" Chad stretched out his hands, frantically shaking Kyle, and panicking, "Kyle, Kyle, Kyle, say something!" Kyle glanced up at him, saying feebly, "Didn''t you say it? No matter what happens, first you have to calm down." "I have calmed down." "How about you?" "Damn it, we''re in the sky, how can you still ask me to calm down?" Chad glanced at the scenery outside the porthole and felt a rush of blood to his head. His blood pressure instantly broke through the roof, and he felt terrible. "Holy crap." Chad cursed, "Who told me the Drop Tower was normal?" "Is this what a normal Drop Tower looks like?" "I want to punch the living daylight, the dog that doesn''t understand, no one tells the truth!" "What should we do now?" Cindy asked, turning her head. "Are we really going to jump from here?" Although she liked the thrill of the moment! Especially the excitement of having death on her tail! But it didn''t mean she wasn''t afraid of death, knowing that the front was a deadly pit of fire and still insisted on jumping into it! "I have the old and the young, you want to seek death, don''t take me with you!" Chad hugged the small chair under him tightly, watching the crowd vigilantly. "Wait a minute." Kyle''s spirit suddenly lifted, and a light bulb popped out on his forehead. "Why do we have to jump? Just sit here and wait for the helicopter to take us down, won''t it?" "That''s right." Chad''s eyes lit up, slapping his thigh hard. "I didn''t have a choice before, once on the thief''s boat, you can''t get off, but now we have a choice, I want to be a normal person!" "Let''s do as you say!" Cindy nodded. Even she knew that jumping down below was a dead end! Time passed by little by little. Five minutes passed quickly. Jake''s voice came as scheduled and rang in everyone''s ears through the loudspeaker again. "Eh, my little cuties, why haven''t you jumped yet?" "I''ve already said the ugly words first, if five minutes pass and you haven''t jumped down yourself, I''m going to turn on the coercive measures!" "Have a good trip, I''ll be waiting for you on the ground!" The three listened to Jake''s gentle voice, but their hearts had begun to tingle and feel threatened. "Coercive measures?" Chad yelled into the earpiece, "Explain it clearly, what coercive measures are you talking about?" Kyle looked without colour and shouted, "Just be human, please!" 44 - High-Altitude Mayhem The screams of the crowd didn''t elicit a shred of sympathy from Jake; instead, they made the folks in the control room even more excited! Mike and Ethan were doubled over with laughter. Liam, seeing that Jake was hesitant to press the button, was jumping up and down in agitation. "Boss, hurry up!" "If you''re in such a rush, maybe you should press it," Jake suggested. "Sure!" Liam snatched the controller from Jake, his eyes gleaming with manic glee. "Let the world feel the pain!" Then, Liam slammed the button for forced ejection! The helicopter, thousands of feet in the air, received the signal and reacted instantly. The doors on either side of the cabin popped open automatically. A violent blast of air filled the entire cabin, making it impossible to open your eyes. "What''s going on? Why did the doors open by themselves?" Kyle blurted out, bewildered. Chad''s face turned ashen. "Which son of a gun did this?" he yelled in terror. Before they could react, the seats beneath them began to shake violently, inching towards the open doorways. "Why is my chair moving?" Kyle strained, his face red as he desperately clawed at the walls of the cabin, trying to stop the chair from sliding. But it was all in vain. Chad was soon carried to the doorway as well. He screwed up his courage and glanced down, instantly losing his nerve. His blood pressure spiked, and he nearly pissed his pants! "Bang!" A deafening noise. The three of them, still strapped to their seats, were ejected from the helicopter and plummeted towards the ground! "Aaaaaah!" Their screams echoed across the sky. "I''m done playing!" Chad cried, his voice cracking. "I quit! You can have the job. Just let me go home!" At that moment, Chad had transformed into a noble soul who viewed money as dirt, wanting only to live! "This is the real extreme sport!" Kyle yelled. His previous attempts at extreme sports didn¡¯t amount to much! On the other side, Cindy, like a kid with a new toy, was constantly adjusting her posture, sometimes stretching out, sometimes curling into a ball, dancing in the roaring wind. She had resigned herself to her fate. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Since falling from this height meant certain death regardless of posture, she might as well make the best of it and savor this experience that 99% of people would never have. Thinking this, Cindy''s spirits gradually lifted. Cindy closed her eyes slightly, listening to the howling wind and feeling the weightlessness of the endless fall. The three of them quickly descended from thousands of feet to an altitude of approximately eighteen thousand feet. This was the altitude where most clouds existed. From there, they could see the rolling, uniquely shaped cloud formations. Some of the cloud formations were bathed in sunlight, like glittering golden statues of Buddha. Other cloud formations stretched for miles, like aircraft carriers traversing the sky. Some cloud formations were small, but contained countless streaks of lightning, creating deafening sounds like ferocious beasts emerging from the ancient world. Such magnificent scenery astonished the three in the air. In this brief period of time, the emotional impact made them forget that they were thousands of feet in the air, forget their fear, and immerse themselves in a world they had never seen before. "It''s so beautiful!" Cindy¡¯s eyes were wet, and she was beginning to feel like she had no regrets even if she died in that instant. Sadly, such scenery was only fleeting, given their rapid descent. The three of them were soon engulfed in a cumulonimbus cloud. It felt like they were completely enveloped by the cloud, unable to see anything. It was as if they were enveloped in fog, only dozens of times thicker than the winter mist. Cumulonimbus clouds contained moisture gathered from all directions. Within just a split second, the three were completely drenched, and every breath choked their nostrils due to the saturated air on the cusp of turning to water. Kyle and Chad also snapped out of it, thrashing about and screaming in the darkness. "Kyle, where are you?" "I''m here!" "Come over here, I''m a little scared!" The duration of their entry and exit of the storm cloud happened in a blink of an eye. After leaving the cumulonimbus cloud, they were quite close to the ground. Squinting, they could barely make out tiny dark specks on the ground like ants. Those dark specs where moving were cars. The freighters on the river and the high-speed train, as viewed from their perspective, looked like a world built from Lego blocks. "I don''t want to die, Kyle!" Chad continued to struggle. Kyle looked at Chad and smiled. "Chad, let''s meet again in our next lives. I definitely want to have a drink with you!" "Is this it?" Cindy blinked softly, turning over to look at the blue sky, feeling infinite regret. It wasn¡¯t exactly for the world below her. Rather, it was regret for never experiencing that kind of joy ever again; it was a kind of desire for such a exciting sport. "Ding, the positioning and navigation system has been successfully activated!" "Locating now!" "Location confirmed!" "Initiating navigation!" Just as they were about to crash, the positioning and navigation system inside their protective suits successfully booted up. Fine pores on the suit started emitting jets of air, carrying them towards the safety net on the ground. Kyle also noticed the safety net below and, as if he suddenly remembered something, yelled out excitedly as he pointed to the net. "Chad, do you see the safety net?" "We''re not going to die!" Chad, seeing the net, hurriedly asked, "Are you sure we can live if we land there?" Kyle nodded vigorously. "Yes! I suddenly remember there''s an extreme sport where you jump from the sky without a parachute, but there are only a handful of people in the world who can do it!" While speaking, they had already arrived directly above the safety net under the protection of the positioning and navigation devices. One after the other, they fell into different locations on the safety net. Nanowires that were no thicker than data cables instantly stretched to their limits under the force of three powerful impacts. "Hahaha, I survived!" "Chad, we don''t have to wait for our next lives to see each other!" Chad and Kyle burst into tears! Cindy also raised both fists, cheering in jubilation! She was going to live! She would be able to experience even more fun and thrilling activities in the future! But just as the three of them had been happy for less than half a second, they suddenly felt a tremendous force beneath them. Those strands of the safety net that had been stretched to their limit began to contract after absorbing the impact force. The oblivious trio, like angry birds, were instantly launched back into the sky! 45 - New Release "Aaaagh!" With each scream, the three were launched into the air and dropped, repeating this process over a dozen times before it stopped. Chad was left shaking and disoriented. He couldn''t even remember if he''d climbed off the safety net himself or if someone had helped him down. Liam, humming a little tune, sauntered up to the trio, grinning. "So, did you guys have fun?" Chad snapped his head up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Liam, teeth gritted. "It''s you, it was you!" Liam blinked, confused. "What''s me?" Drawing strength from who-knows-where, Chad scrambled up, grabbed Liam by the collar, and showered him with spit. "You''re the jerk who swore up and down that the Drop Tower was a normal Drop Tower!" "Is this what a normal Drop Tower is? Is this what your drop tower looks like?" "I need to fight you now before I lose it!" Liam was stunned by the fierce Chad, stammering, "Y-You''ve got the wrong person!" "Quit lying," Kyle chimed in, glaring at Liam. "I remember clearly, you''re the one who assured Chad everything was going to be fine!" Seeing that he couldn''t weasel out of it, Liam threw desperate looks at Ethan and Mike. "Wow, the weather today is something," Ethan said. "I know, it''s the first time we have seen sunlight." Ethan and Mike turned away, pretending to be engrossed in conversation. Defeated, Liam turned his final hopes towards Jake. Jake cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Okay, I have to say something!" "Boss!" Liam nearly burst into tears of gratitude. He never thought that the Boss would save him! Jake grinned. "Remember how you guys were ejected from the helicopter?" Chad and Kyle nodded heavily. Liam''s expression began to freeze, a sense of dread washing over him. Jake waved his phone, which was playing a video. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. In the video, Liam was shouting some gibberish and then hitting the forced ejection button. The video was short and ended quickly. Chad, his face darkening, silently rolled up his sleeves, looking at Kyle. "Kyle, what do you think we should do about this?" Kyle, face blank, cracked his knuckles and stretched his neck. "I think we should settle old scores and new grudges together!" The two exchanged sinister smiles and advanced on Liam from either side. "What are you doing?" "What do you want to do?" Liam retreated in terror. "Remember what you said to me before we got on the helicopter?" Kyle grinned menacingly. "I''m giving it back to you, you can scream all you want." Just as they were about to pounce, Jake coughed. Everyone looked towards him. Chad said, "Boss, this is a private matter, don''t interfere!" Kyle nodded in agreement. Jake chuckled. "No, I just wanted to remind you guys that he''s pretty tough, don''t hold back, just don''t beat him to death!" Chad and Kyle understood instantly and unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches on Liam! Of course, they were just venting, there wasn''t really murder intent behind the attack. After all, in today''s society, both side is hurt from a fight, the loser ends up in the hospital, and the winner pays compensation in jail. Only bystanders benefits from it. Inevitably, Liam was going to have a bad day. After the whole mess, the three candidates had recovered somewhat, although their faces were still pale and they limped. But at least they could walk! Jake stood in front of the three, who were resting on chairs, and said, "Congratulations, you three have all met our amusement park''s interview requirements..." Jake was interrupted by Chad. Looking at the Hyper Velocity Coaster and Interstellar Voyage behind him, Chad instinctively shrunk back, fear in his eyes. "Boss, count me out." "If you don''t want Starlight Amusement Park on the news with headlines like ''Shocking! Amusement park employee dies on the job, is this the distortion of human nature or the decline of morality?'', you better leave me alone!" As Chad spoke, his eyes began to water. Recalling the past was filled with sorrow and tears. Jake looked at Kyle. Kyle instantly felt like his pants were pulled down, and he quickly shouted, "Don''t look at me either!" Chad nodded in agreement, relieved. Before Jake could even look at her, Cindy jumped out eagerly. She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and said, "They don''t want to do it, Boss, hire me!" She loved this place too much! Each ride brought her unique thrills and joy! The happiness she had experienced in the past hour was greater than all the happiness she had accumulated in the previous two decades! Although the boss liked to scam people. That may be a disadvantage for others, but for her, it was an advantage! After all, she didn''t like being bossed around and loved challenges! This somewhat coincided with Jake. "Okay, it''s you then," Jake said with a hint of disappointment. He actually preferred a guy for the equipment tester, as guys generally had better physiques than girls, and could also be used as laborers during downtime. But Chad and Kyle weren''t willing, and he couldn''t do anything about it. Chad got up, patted Kyle on the shoulder, and said with newfound camaraderie, "Let''s go, Kyle, let''s go out for a drink!" "Let''s go!" Kyle was also excited. The two supported each other and headed off to enjoy their duo. Jake touched his nose, feeling puzzled. He had a strange feeling that he had done something wrong. He didn''t realize this until many years later when he heard from others that Chad had gotten divorced. With the job done, Starlight Amusement Park opened. The Guys returned to their post The Guys were now responsible for one ride, respectively. Ethan who is robust and strong is in charge of Death Shack. The Hyper Velocity Coaster is carefully cared for by Mike Liam has asked to station at Interstellar Voyage as it brings happiness to scream ''Let the world know pain'', he now says that a lot. The day passed quickly. As Jake bid farewell to the visitors and staff, a system notification suddenly rang in his ears. "Ding, Death Shack meets the requirements for an upgrade, the ride upgrade function is now activated!" 46 - Silent Hill "Huh?" "New features again?" Jake immediately dropped everything he was doing, went back into his room, locked the doors and windows, and immersed himself in studying the new system features. He opened the map of Starlight Amusement Park. The map now looked vastly different from its original state. Although most areas were still grayed out and dormant. At least one corner of the map had been lit up by three attractions. This lit-up corner, like a sun, gave Jake''s heart a sense of comfort. "The revolution is not yet complete, we still need to work hard!" Jake cheered himself on. The road for Starlight Amusement Park is still long. It has not yet been known to everyone in the world. There are more amazing and interesting attractions waiting for him to activate. At this time, the Death Shack, one of the three attractions on the map, had a noticeable difference from before. A small green arrow pointing upwards was prominently added to the lower right corner of its icon. Jake looked at it, and a burst of text information floated out. ---- Death Shack Upgrade Instructions Upgrade Requirement 1: Visitor play count reaches 1003/1000 (completed) Upgrade Requirement 2: Starlight Amusement Park reaches a one-star rating (not completed) Upgrade Change: Silent Hill will descend into Death Forest, and the villagers will all be transformed into demons. Note: The demons have been restrained by the system, and visitors will not be in any life-threatening danger as long as they wear the amulets issued by the system. ---- Silent Hill? Jake frowned slightly, searching his mind for relevant information about Silent Hill. A remote town in northeastern U.S. Alessa''s powerful mental strength and intense resentment generated in pain became the source of the supernatural phenomena in Silent Hill. Her subconscious and twisted wishes shaped the town''s environment and the monsters within it. Countless demons were entrenched here, and ordinary people who entered Silent Hill had little chance of survival. Such a mysterious mountain village was naturally targeted by countless spirit-hunting enthusiasts. But no matter how they searched, they could not step into Silent Hill. "Damn, what if I really bring out Silent Hill?" Jake paced back and forth in the room, unable to contain his excitement. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Not to mention that Silent Hill itself is a highly playable place, and the villagers inside are all transformed into demons, obliterating the impostor demons from other places. Jake could seriously and confidently say a few heartfelt words to the visitors. First sentence: We put our heart into making haunted houses! Second sentence: Bro, we only play for real! Moreover, Silent Hill is the Jerusalem in the hearts of spirit-hunting enthusiasts. Once the news of Silent Hill is released. No cap, the enthusiasts who come here by word of mouth are enough to exhaust the terrifying demons to the point that they never want to see anyone again. "The first upgrade requirement has been completed, and now only the second one is missing." Jake fell into deep thought. As an amusement park owner, he naturally knew what the system meant by a one-star rating. There is an association in the world called the Amusement Park Association, whose members are the most fanatic amusement park enthusiasts. Among them are some amusement park owners and top rich people. This association has a function of rating amusement parks, with a minimum of one star and a maximum of seven stars. The rating itself may not be of much use, but just like Michelin one-star, two-star, and three-star restaurants in the catering industry, it is a name that can attract many people when it is spoken out. It can improve the popularity and traffic of the amusement park to a certain extent. Starlight Amusement Park was once rated as a two-star amusement park by this association at its peak. Many tourists came for this title. It is a pity that times have changed. As Starlight Amusement Park gradually declined, the two stars were successively removed by the World Amusement Park Association. "This requirement is not difficult." Jake still remembered the World Amusement Park Association''s rating standards for amusement parks. One star is the lowest standard and the simplest. As long as the amusement park itself does not have negative behavior and is in operation, it can be rated as long as a membership fee of one million is paid. If you want to upgrade further, it is not something that can be solved by paying money. At that time, an application needs to be submitted in advance. The association will form a review panel to conduct on-site inspections. Scores are given in all aspects such as amusement facilities, supporting facilities, traffic volume, and word-of-mouth, and finally compiled into a total score. After the total score reaches the standards specified by the association, the star level can be increased. After Jake sorted out his thoughts, he sat in front of the computer, opened the official website of the World Amusement Park Association, and logged into the account of Starlight Amusement Park. The rating of Starlight Amusement Park was cancelled at the beginning, but the account was not banned and was still saved. Jake groped on the official website and quickly found the place to apply for rating. After filling in the current information of Starlight Amusement Park on it, he quickly jumped to a place to pay the membership fee. "One million is gone like that." Jake''s mouth twitched, and he felt extremely heartache, as if someone was repeatedly poking his heart with a needle. It took a long time for him to recover. "If I were a little more fragile, I might have burst into tears!" However, Jake also knew that spending this million was more beneficial than harmful. Not to mention that it can upgrade the Death Shack and let Silent Hill see the light of day again. The World Amusement Park Association is not a black-hearted middleman who only takes money and does nothing. It will arrange resources to help your amusement park promote. They have professional personnel and special channels, which are better than spending millions to advertise. "Ding, Death Shack has met the upgrade requirements!" "Please choose one of the following two upgrade methods!" "The first placement method is directly generated in the park." "The second placement method is that the system will generate workers to build Silent Hill in seven days, and invite demons from all over the world to move into their new homes!" "Choose the first one." Jake said. Anyway, Silent Hill is hidden in the world of the Death Shack, and the outside world will not notice the changes inside. As for Ethan and the others, they have not explored the entire Death Forest, so they can just make up a reason to get away with it. "Boom!" Only a loud noise was heard from inside the Death Shack. Jake rushed to the monitoring room and watched the changes inside the Death Shack through the monitor. Through the monitor, Jake saw buildings rising from the ground on the edge of Death Forest. Midwich Elementary School, Arkham Asylum, First Church. At the same time, demons also appeared in the village. Nurse, Double Head, Grey Child... Jake''s heart began to feel numb. But he thought about it again, anyway, he wouldn''t go in, and a smile that was hard to describe appeared on his face. 47 - Two Exorcists The exorcist church is nestled in the Los Angeles Mountains. Throughout the ages, the church has held a pivotal position. Generations of exorcists have subdued demons, making indelible contributions to the stability of the world. However, since modern times, demons rarely appear, and even when they do, they don''t wreak havoc on humanity. The exorcists in the church gradually saw less action, and their reputation faded into obscurity. At this moment, in a church in the southwest direction of the main church. Two young men wearing Clerical Robes suddenly sensed something. "The aura of a demon," said the exorcist on the left. The exorcist on the right exclaimed, "Unbelievable! Ten years, it''s been ten years since we encountered a demon!" As they spoke, the eerie presence grew stronger and stronger, as if Diablo himself had descended. "It''s coming from the southeast," the exorcist on the left said, rising and heading outside. "I''ll report to the bishop and have them take care of it." "Henry, wait a moment," the exorcist on the right stopped him. Henry looked at him suspiciously, "Ryan, why are you stopping me? You wouldn''t want to let the demon wreak havoc on the world, would you?" Ryan shook his head repeatedly, "Henry, I would never! I''m just thinking, we''ve been training for so long, but we''re always stuck on the mountain. We have nowhere to put our skills to the test." "Henry, don''t you feel like we''re wasting our talents?" Henry frowned slightly. "Ryan makes a good point, but what does that have to do with this¡­" Before Henry could finish, he realized something and looked up at the southeast. Ryan chuckled, "Henry, don''t you think this is a golden opportunity?" This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "But... but¡­" Henry still hesitated. "Besides, you don''t have to worry. If we successfully subdue the demon, the bishop will only praise us greatly." Henry began to waver. Ryan continued, "Henry, don''t you want to be like the exorcists of old, subduing demons and maintaining world peace?" The more Henry heard, the more he felt a flame burning fiercely within him. His breathing became rapid and heavy. As a hot-blooded young man, who hasn''t dreamed of becoming famous? "Stop!" Henry interrupted Ryan, "I understand what you mean. We''ll descend the mountain tomorrow!" Ryan was overjoyed, "Henry is truly wise and mighty!" "Don''t get too excited yet. Whether or not we can successfully subdue the demon is another matter," Henry said. Ryan laughed, "Henry, aren''t you being too cautious? We''re not just any ordinary people." Henry smiled, "You''re right." The two hit it off and began packing their bags, a silly grin occasionally appearing on their faces. ¡­ The next day. Before Starlight Amusement Park officially opened, Jake gathered all the employees together, revealed the existence of Silent Hill, and, as usual, asked someone to test it out in advance. Liam looked at Jake warily and shouted, "Then why did you call us here? Don''t we have dedicated equipment testers now?" Jake smiled, "Silent Hill is a relatively large amusement facility. Cindy might not be enough." "Boss, I suddenly remembered I have something to do at home. I''m taking the day off." "Me too!" Hearing this, Mike and Ethan immediately sensed danger and ran for the door. Mike ran the fastest, taking the lead and pulling on the door with all his might, but the door didn''t budge. "Huh?" Mike''s expression changed. He twisted the doorknob, but the door still didn''t move. Ethan behind him was anxious, "Mike, why are you messing up at this crucial moment? Why can''t you even open a door?" "Don''t bother," Jake''s lazy voice came from behind, shaking the keys in his hand. "After you came in, I locked all the doors and windows. No one''s escaping today!" Mike and Ethan felt a chill in their hearts. Their faces were pale, and their lips were trembling. "Come sit down," Jake said indifferently. The two reluctantly sat back in their original positions. Jake smiled, "If you don''t want to go, you can find someone to replace you." For Jake, it didn''t matter who went in, they''d all be scared. Mike''s eyes darted around, and he thought of something. He raised his hand and said, "Boss, I think professional matters should be left to professionals!" "Testing haunted houses is a good thing, so we should let Ian do it. Isn''t he a haunted house master? He can definitely give us a lot of suggestions for our new haunted house!" Jake''s eyes lit up, "That''s not a bad suggestion!" At the same time, he was annoyed that he could forget Ian at this good chance. Ian had helped him a lot. He should give back something to him! "But, will Ian come?" Jake hesitated. He occasionally exchanged pleasantries with Ian, asking him to come to Death House more often. But every time he talked about this topic, Ian would hang up the phone at lightning speed. "I have a way!" Mike whispered in Jake''s ear. The more Jake listened, the brighter his eyes became. He nodded repeatedly. 48 - The victims ready Jake pulled out his phone and quickly dialed Ian''s number. "Hey, what brings the boss to call me today?" Ian''s voice echoed in the meeting room. Jake chuckled. "Well, I was wondering if you could come to our amusement park..." Ian panicked, quickly responding, "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable." Liam and the others couldn''t help but be impressed. He reacts instantly to any potential trouble. "No, you misunderstand," Jake laughed. "I''m not asking you to come and play in the Death House." Ian breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, just get to the point." "We''re doing a spooky-themed cosplay event, and we''re a bit short-handed. I was hoping you could come and play an actor, and also have some fun," Jake said. "Sure, that''s no problem. It''s just cosplay," Ian agreed. Jake smiled. "Then come over as soon as possible. It would be even better if you could bring some more people." "Got it!" After confirming Ian''s participation, Jake also started working on the list of victims, listing the names as follows: Cindy, Ethan, Liam and Ian. To avoid impacting the normal operation, Jake scheduled the test for after six in the afternoon. That''s around closing time, there are not many tourist, and with sunset going down it''s the best time to deal with the demons. ...... Time flew by. In Jake''s great anticipation and Liam and the others'' anxiety, it was soon six in the afternoon. Jake gathered everyone together again. Ian was naturally among them. Ian was dressed as a doctor, his face covered in some makeup, making him look deathly pale. "Wait, I thought we were doing cosplay. Why haven''t you guys changed yet?" Ian looked at everyone with curiosity. They looked at each other, and then simulataneously put on kind smiles. "We have to work after this, we can''t go to work wearing costumes!" "Yeah, our costumes are inside, we''ll change once we get in!" The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Your costume sucks, we can show you our stuff we have inside when we get in!" "Oh, I see." Ian nodded. "Alright, stop chatting and wasting time, let''s go!" Jake came over with a handful of pendants, handing one to each person. "Remember, you must wear these pendants at all times, or I won''t be responsible for anything that happens," Jake warned. Ian took the pendant with a puzzled expression. "What could happen playing cosplay?" Compared to him, everyone else had already silently hung the pendants around their necks. Even Cindy, who had just arrived, had done the same. "Stop asking so many questions. Why are you so nosy?" Liam exclaimed. Liam had resigned himself to his fate. As the saying goes, if you can''t beat ''em, join ''em! For Liam, if he couldn''t escape being screwed over, he would just drag as many people down with him as possible! With everything ready, Jake opened the door to the Death House, and everyone entered one after another. Just as the last person entered the Death House, Jake slammed the door shut. Ethan turned around and pulled on the door. As expected, it had been locked by Jake. "Where should we go now?" Ian asked. Cindy pointed to the right. "The boss told us to keep going right after we entered, and to go straight until we reach the end." Everyone looked over. They saw a winding path leading into a spooky looking wilderness with thick trees lining each side. "Let''s go," Ethan said. The boss had blocked their retreat, leaving them with only two paths. One led to the Death House. The other led to Town of Demons. They had all been in the Death House, and they didn''t want to go in there again. Although none of them had been to Town of Demons. But from the boss''s description, it was a normal haunted house, where actors dressed as ghosts would scare the visitors, and it wouldn''t be as mysterious as the Death House. Although they only half believed what the boss said. But they thought Town of Demons couldn''t be as scary as the Death House! Cindy, walking in the front, turned around and saw everyone was silent, the atmosphere was stifling. She laughed and said, "Don''t make the atmosphere so depressing. It''s just actors dressed as ghosts, how scary can it be?" Ian smiled. "Actually, actors dressed as ghosts are the most basic form of scaring people, not that scary. Look at my costume, would you think I''m scary if you knew I was pretending?" Ethan scratched his head and said with a smile, "That seems to be the case!" Liam also smacked his forehead and suddenly realized, "We''re thinking habitually, thinking that everything the boss comes up with is scary and exciting! So we think Town of Demons must be scary too!" "But we just have to remind ourselves that the ghosts inside are played by people, and no matter how realistic and scary they look, it''s no big deal!" With this in mind, the atmosphere in the team suddenly became much more cheerful, and their pace quickened a lot. Ethan yelled, "Brothers, let''s go! We''ve been getting schooled by the boss all the time, we must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the boss a lesson in return!" In this atmosphere, they soon reached the end of the path. Coming out of the path, their vision suddenly widened. A dilapidated town appeared in front of them. From afar, the whole town looked lifeless, with old thatched houses scattered in a mess. The roads in the town were also uneven, and garbage was everywhere. Most strangely, the town was empty. The only sound to be heard were gusts of winds, and there weren''t any other noises. Ian smiled. "Very common haunted house setup!" "That''s right!" Liam nodded. "Although I haven''t been to many haunted houses, horror movies love to do this, they like to use this silent feeling to create the atmosphere and trigger the audience''s panic!" Cindy was a little excited and walked at the front of the team, said "Don''t think about it so much, let''s go in!" The group didn''t stay outside the town for long and walked straight in. And as they set foot on the territory of the Demon''s Town, waves of demonic aura began to awaken. 49 - who is Demon The four of them walked along the path and soon arrived at a small town. From afar, they saw a figure standing motionless at the entrance of the elementary school. Too far away to make out the person''s features, but something felt off. He stood there like a rock, not moving an inch, his dry, cloudy eyes fixed on them. A chill went through them all. It''s always unsettling to be stared at. But to be stared at by a weirdo in such a creepy place? Instant goosebumps. "This actor''s really dedicated, playing it so real," Ethan mumbled. No one answered, either too nervous or just not wanting to deal with Ethan. All that could be heard was their own heavy breathing. After a long while, Ian finally spoke, "Don''t be scared. Just remember, all the demons are just people in costumes." "And here''s a little trick I can teach you!" Everyone perked up, listening intently. "You can mess with the actors!" Ian said with a smile. "That way, you not only minimize your own fear but also catch them off guard." "Think about it, isn''t it cute when you catch an actor by surprise?" Cindy giggled, covering her mouth. "I can picture it." Liam and Ethan exchanged glances, a sly grin on their faces. "Liam, what are you laughing at?" "What are you laughing at?" "I was wondering if there are any actresses in there?" "Haha, me too!" "So, later... wanna team up?" "Sure!" Too bad Jake couldn''t hear them. He''d definitely give them a thumbs up. The demon at the village entrance saw their excitement. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. He chuckled to himself. Laugh, will you? Just wait, you''ll be crying soon enough! Before long, the four of them reached the entrance to Demon''s Town, face to face with the village demon. Now they could see the demon''s appearance clearly. Except for Ian, their pupils shrank and their breathing quickened. The demon was pleased with the effect he was having, feeling smug. Guess I haven''t lost my touch! Been so long since I''ve been out scaring people. But this little test run proves I''m as good as ever! Ian cleared his throat. The others snapped out of it. Liam mustered his courage and stepped forward, approaching the demon. The demon was taken aback. Then something even more baffling happened. Liam gently patted him on the shoulder and said, "Dude, you''re really dedicated. The boss is a slave driver. We''re all off work, and you''re still on overtime. That overtime pay must be tough to earn!" The demon: "..." Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do? He was briefly lost in thought. Ian pointed at the demon, who was lost in thought, looking like he knew everything. Emboldened by Liam''s example, the other two gained confidence. Cindy stepped forward, lightly patting the demon on the shoulder with a smile. "This is the first time I''ve played in a haunted house like this. It''s so much fun!" Ethan slapped the demon hard on the other shoulder. "Dude, you''ve got some serious willpower, standing still like that. How do you do it? Let''s talk sometime!" Ian walked up and smiled, "Your cosplay is pretty good. Even as a professional, I can''t find any flaws yet." Listening to the four of them chattering away. The demon was bewildered, lost in thought. What''s going on? Why aren''t these people scared of him at all? Could it be that he''s been sealed away for too long and his scare tactics haven''t kept up with the times? Time to learn some modern scare techniques! The group passed by the pensive demon and officially entered the town. The scene inside the village wasn''t much different from what they saw outside: empty and desolate. That was the main theme here. The buildings along the road were visibly dilapidated, and a rotten stench permeated the entire town. The streets were splattered with blood. "The scene setup is still perfect, almost flawless!" Ian praised. Cindy was already eager to explore Demon''s Town and immediately suggested, "Why don''t we split up? Playing in a haunted house with four people is no fun. Not thrilling enough!" Ian nodded. "Sounds good to me." For a seasoned player like him, playing in a haunted house alone was definitely more fun than being with other people. Liam and Ethan grinned, agreeing with Cindy''s suggestion without hesitation. They had been planning to break away from the group and go solo. After all, there was a girl in the group, and messing with female ghosts would be a little awkward. Besides, after what just happened, they weren''t afraid of Demon''s Town anymore. What''s the big deal? Just a bunch of actors, right? Didn''t you see how dumbfounded that last one was? Nothing to be afraid of! To those actors playing demons, Ethan wanted to shout out, "I''ll take on ten of you!" "Alright, see you later!" Cindy said goodbye and ran towards the distant church. Generally speaking, a church, such an important building, must have the scariest things inside. "I''m off too," Ian said slowly, strolling aimlessly around the town. Liam and Ethan went together, searching the haunted house with a specific purpose. As they searched, they discussed a thousand ways to mess with the actresses. 50 - The Babby Neary Well. "Waaah..." Just as Liam and Ethan were getting hyped up, smiles plastered on their faces, a whimpering sound drifted over from the distance. Liam perked up. "Ethan, did you hear that?" "Duh, I''m not deaf." Ethan raised an eyebrow Liam nodded emphatically, feeling a fire ignite in his gut. He flicked his hair, striking a pose. "If she cries that beautifully, she''s gotta be a cute girl." Ethan urged, "Stop wasting time! She''s clearly upset; someone needs to comfort her!" "Exactly, exactly!" Liam chimed in. "Whether she''s cute isn''t even the point. It''s that we were raised to help people!" Like a couple of curious giraffes, they craned their necks, tracking the sound through the town. Unbeknownst to them, countless eyes were watching them from the shadows. The owners of these eyes were a motley crew. Some had three blood-red eyes, some had mouths that took up half their faces, others were Frankensteinian horrors cobbled together from different human parts, their faces contorting with conflicting expressions, as if multiple souls were battling for control. Their only commonality was the predatory hunger in their eyes as they watched Liam and Ethan, practically salivating at the thought of devouring them whole. But, as they say, every nation has its laws, and every house has its rules. Even demons have a code of conduct. The reason so many demons could coexist in the town without killing each other was precisely because of these rules. If you want to get business, you have to lure customers over yourself. No forced sales allowed. If a demon broke the rules in town, they''d be torn apart by their own kind long before anyone from the church stepped in. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Under the watchful gaze of countless eyes in the darkness, Liam and Ethan quickly arrived at an old well. A petite figure was crouched beside it, long hair cascading over her face, delicate white hands covering her face. The whimpering sounds were coming from her. Liam and Ethan''s eyes went wide, a powerful and almost primal urge to protect her surging within them. The woman''s sobs echoed like the siren song on the sea, enchanting the battle-hardened captains and their bravest sailors. Like men in a trance, they shuffled forward. Liam swallowed hard. "The owner really pulled out all the stops this time. They got a total knockout for the role!" "Liam..." Ethan mumbled, clutching his heart, a flush on his face. "I... I think I''m in love." Liam glared. "You call that love? Don''t even." "I should be the one in love!" Ethan scoffed, "You don''t actually like her. You just want to get in her pants, you pig!" "So what if I do?" Liam retorted, totally unfazed, as he sped toward the well. He''d snag her first, get in early! Ethan wouldn''t let him win so easily and quickly moved closer to the well. Beneath the veil of hair, the woman by the well smirked. "Hey there, you need some help...?" Liam began tentatively. The well woman stifled a laugh, answering softly, "I... I." "Hey what''s wrong? Liam looked at the well and asked, "Did something drop into it?" The well woman nodded rapidly, taking a breath. "Yeah, Yeah! Right!" Liam and Ethan crowded around the well, peering into its depths. The well is roughly ten meters deep, and with the poor lighting, you couldn''t see anything. "Do you know what it is?" Liam asked. "What exactly are you missing so we have some idea of what we''re looking for?" "Something above the neck. Stuff above my neck" the well woman voice becomes much colder. Unfortunately, Liam and Ethan were too absorbed in the moment. A case of ¡°When the love is right, people ignore red flags¡±. "Above the neck?" Liam thought for a moment. "Ah! Got it! It must be a hair clip!" Ethan agreed. "Yeah! That''s what I''m thinking!" "Nope. One more shot." the well woman giggle. "Not that?" Liam frowned, racking his brain. "A necklace, perhaps?" Ethan jumped on board. "Yeah! That''s what I''m thinking!" "Still no! You''re at the very last round to guess, Honey, the well woman''s voice grew faint, hard to tell where it was coming from. "No? Maybe it''s a dangling ear ring? Babby those are the only jewelry people wear around your head. Could it be?" Ethan gave another, ¡°yeah! That''s what I''m thinking¡± "Nope" The well woman spoke in Echo Before Liam said anything more, "Wait a minute, Liam''s voice. How did her voice Echo all of the sudden?" "I think that I hear.." Ethan froze as his thought registered, "Yeah it does, what in the world?" But also, she sounds like the voice of before as changed position. not that time, they came behind me. Liam and Ethan looked down, they were too deep at well to realize they have made a mistake. For only a mere moment, they became shock as their eyes grew smaller after seeing a terrifying vision 51 - Angels No More Liam and Ethan''s eyes followed the damp, cold, moss-covered well wall downwards, where they saw a round head bobbing in the icy water. The head''s features were bloated from being submerged, like a white balloon. It was impossible to make out its appearance, with long hair floating loosely in the water. "Glug..." Liam''s face turned ashen, and he swallowed hard, saying, "Ethan, did...did you see that?" Ethan barely dared to breathe, replying, "A head...it''s a human head!" But then, remembering that they were in a haunted house, most of their fear dissipated. Liam wiped the cold sweat from his brow and chuckled, "Honey, other than a head in the water, we haven''t seen anything else you supposedly dropped!" "That''s what I dropped!" The well ghost giggled. Ethan waved his burly arms dismissively, "Girl, don''t play those kinds of jokes. My little heart can''t take that kind of torment!" "The lady''s got a sense of humor. What did we just see if your head had fallen off?" Liam turned his head, and his pupils suddenly shrank, his hair stood on end, and a chill ran down his spine. He felt like he''d been thrown into an ice cellar, his whole body stiffened, and his limbs trembled instinctively. The comely girl standing behind them was still so gracefully slender, but above the neck, it was simply empty. A headless female corpse stood upright behind them, closing in step by step. "Liam, why aren''t you talking?" Ethan, clueless, turned his head to see the scene and was instantly terrified! The two stood dumbfounded on the spot. At the same time, the bloated head in the well suddenly began to speak. The sweet voice echoed countless times in the well before reaching their ears. "Why aren''t you two talking?" "Are you disgusted with how I look?" "Ah, as expected, men are all two-faced liars." This bizarre scene dumbfounded Ethan and Liam. "Ghost!" Ethan''s voice rose several octaves, becoming shrill and piercing. "Smack!" Just then, Liam slapped Ethan hard across the face, leaving a clear red mark! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "What did you do that for?" Ethan cried, drawing in a sharp breath of pain. "I''m testing to see if we''re dreaming," Liam said, watching Ethan clutching his aching cheek. "Looks like we aren''t." "You son of a bitch!" Ethan screamed, "If you want to know if you''re dreaming, why don''t you hit yourself instead of me?" "Do you think I''m an idiot?" Liam gave Ethan a look of utter disbelief. "Wouldn''t it hurt if I hit myself?" Ethan: "???" If this wasn''t the time for nonsense, Ethan would have fought Liam to the death! But the urgent priority right now was to run like hell! Ethan and Liam exchanged a glance, and then they both started, running like their lives depended on it. The two ran neck and neck, occasionally glancing at each other. You might think this showed their deep brotherly affection, wanting to check on each other''s safety. But actually, they were just checking each other''s speed. As one literary master once said: "When you encounter danger, you don''t need to run faster, you just need to run faster than your companion." There was no way that the well ghost would let these two plump morsels get away. Smiling gently, her hair grew at a rate visible to the naked eye, reaching dozens of meters long in the blink of an eye and catching up with the fleeing duo. Strands of hair wrapped around their hands and feet, instantly tripping them to the ground and dragging them little by little towards the well. "Mercy, good madam!" "No, please don''t!" The two used everything they knew to beg for their lives! Unfortunately, the only response they received was the well ghost''s sweet smile. At that moment, this laughter no longer sounded melodious, but like the sinister laughter of death itself, utterly terrifying. "Darlings, why are you leaving?" "Didn''t we promise to be each other''s angels? How can you abandon me now?" Ethan frantically clawed at the ground, trying to grab onto anything for leverage. After tearing up countless flowers and plants, Ethan finally realized it was all in vain. He had no choice but to turn back, trying to move the ghost with words, yelling, "Give up! This way you can only get my body at most, but you can''t get my heart. Let me go, and at least we can still be friends!" "Darlings, you say such hurtful things!" The well ghost''s voice suddenly turned mournful, weeping and sobbing, piercing straight to the heart. The two were both inexplicably moved. They knew this was a ghost, but they couldn''t help but feel a flicker of sympathy once more. But the will to survive ultimately kept them from giving in to this primal urge. Seeing that the two wouldn''t respond to reason, the well ghost decided to take a coercive approach, forcing the issue. Her voice changed, becoming as cold as an iceberg, and the temperature seemed to drop below freezing. "If I can''t have you, then I won''t let anyone else have you!" Strands of hair grew again, wrapping around their limbs and up to their necks, then suddenly tightened. "Humph!" The two grunted subconsciously as they felt themselves unable to breathe! The hair grew tighter and tighter! Their faces turned red, their eyes bulged from their sockets, and small capillaries burst under the pressure, staining their eyes red. On the verge of death! The two had already given up struggling. They say that before a person dies, their past replays quickly like movie scenes. But for these two, the only thought they had before dying wasn''t that, but... "Ian!" "Jake!" "Fuck you!" Just as their consciousness began to fade, the pendants they wore on their chests suddenly burst into a light! The light was so dazzling that it spread out and instantly covered the well ghost. "Ah!" The well ghost let out a scream. Her long hair melted and disappeared like snow meeting the sun. The moment the light appeared, the fierce ghosts lurking in the dark instantly vanished without a trace. When the light faded, Ethan and Liam were gone. The well ghost hugged her weak and helpless body, gasping for breath, her gaze fierce as she looked outside Town. "Consider yourselves lucky today!" "I''ll remember you. One day I''ll get out of here, find you, and make you my darlings." 52 - Meat me in the kitchen Ian strolled through the streets and alleys, encountering many strangely dressed "people" with bizarre makeup. The more Ian saw, the more amazed he became. "No wonder he''s the mastermind behind Death House. Even this haunted house cosplay is so realistic! The scenery and actors are flawless!" Each building was worn, with clear signs of time. The air hung heavy with the scent of decay. It was an effect that couldn''t be faked. And the actors inhabiting this ghost town were dedicated to their roles. Suddenly, a fragrant aroma wafted over him. Ian took a whiff, his taste buds awakening. Following the scent, he made his way to a restaurant. An old man, gaunt and hunched, emerged from the building. Upon seeing Ian, he greeted him with a welcoming grin. "Welcome! What can I get for you, friend?" "You actually serve food here?" Ian asked, intrigued. He''d seen some haunted houses with restaurants to help add the perfect eerie ambiance. In all of these ghost restaurants all of the plates and props were always fake! "What kind of question is that?" the old man chuckled. "What else would a restaurant be for?" "Then I''ll see what culinary delights this establishment has to offer!" Ian smiled and walked right into the restaurant. The old man stared at Ian''s back, his saliva dripping like thread on the ground. Inside, the restaurant was tidy. Tables and chairs were neatly arranged, in stark contrast to the chaos of Devil''s Town outside. "Looks like this is really a place to eat," Ian mused. "What would you like to order, sir?" The old man''s small, beady eyes sized Ian up and down. Ian grinned. "I''m new here and don''t know what''s good. Why don''t you recommend some dishes?" "Sure thing!" the old man chuckled, then drifted into reminiscence. "The best dish is fried human heart!" This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. "I''m telling you, you slice the heart into paper-thin pieces, then toss them in the pan!" "No need for other seasonings or oil. The heart will release its own oil!" "If it''s a fat person''s heart, even better, more oil!" "When the heart slices are slightly browned, they''re ready!" "Remember to eat it while it''s hot. It melts in your mouth, with a delicious, oily flavor!" The old man was getting carried away describing the fried human heart. When he got particularly excited, he shook his head and gesticulated wildly. Ian listened quietly. Though it sounded a bit strange. But, it was a haunted house after all. Scary food names weren''t that abnormal. The fried heart might be just the house using pork heart or even goose liver to cook with! Hearing the old man describe the cooking process, Ian felt a sudden urge to get in the kitchen and experiment. Ever since solidifying his relationship with Tammy, he''d been dabbling in cooking, preparing for his future as a stay-at-home husband. "I''m not that fond of that dish. I prefer roast pig...ah, roast human feet. I''ve been experimenting with it lately. It''s delicious!" Ian said. The old man was taken aback. "You don''t mind the stench?" Who even eats roasted human feet? If he happened to roast up a healthy foot with good hygiene that would be fine. But what if you got one with athlete''s foot? What kind of torture is that! Even animals don''t want that! Ian smiled. "If you find it stinky, you''re probably not preparing it right. Let me show you how." "Tell me," the old man said, nodding. "First, wash it carefully, then blanch it in boiling water." "Blanch?" the old man asked. Ian nodded. "If your food is stinky, it''s probably because you didn''t blanch it first. Blanching boils the meat, removing blood and other impurities, which eliminates the stench." The old man suddenly realized. "I see!" "After blanching, I make a spice packet. "Once the spice mix is ready, you can prepare the brine. Remember to poke small holes on the surface of the foot." "What''s that for?" the old man asked. Ian smiled. "To help it absorb the flavor. Otherwise, only the surface will taste good." "Very well," the old man replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Generally, a few hours of brining is enough. Then you can grill it." Ian was getting excited just thinking about it. "The flavor of roast human feet prepared this way is absolutely amazing!" "It''s fatty but not greasy, and the flavor of oil fills your mouth!" "Not only that, we brined it once before, and in addition to the oiliness, there''s also the aroma of the brine!" "Cooked this way, it''s delicious! Everyone will love it!" The old man was drooling, his small, green eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Thank you!" the old man said sincerely. "For what? You can find the recipes online," Ian laughed. "But as a chef, not knowing how to roast human feet? That''s a bit much, isn''t it?" "If I don''t know how to do it now, I can learn." The old man chuckled, staring at Ian. "I''m planning to try your method later." "Do you have the ingredients here?" Ian asked, interested. "I can show you how!" "Yes, of course!" The old man looked at Ian, nodding repeatedly. "Come with me." "Sure." Ian''s hands were itching. He got up and followed the old man. The two men walked through the hall into the kitchen. The kitchen was even cleaner than the hall, fully equipped with all kinds of cooking utensils. The floor and stove were spotless. The only strange thing was that other than the kitchenware, the kitchen was empty. Ian looked around, confused. "Wait a minute, there aren''t any ingredients in your kitchen. How do you cook?" The old man chuckled, his greedy eyes staring shamelessly at Ian. "Didn''t you bring the ingredients with you?" "When did I bring the ingredients?" Ian asked, completely bewildered. 53 - Im the Main Course？ lan stared blankly at the old man, almost reaching out to feel his forehead, wondering if he had a fever. Who the hell brings ingredients to a haunted house? The old man casually grabbed a long knife from beside the stove, a sinister grin spreading across his face as he sharpened the blade, heading towards Ian. "Aren''t you my ingredient?" The old man no longer bothered to hide his greed, his beady little eyes bloodshot, a long, thin tongue repeatedly licking his lips. Ian''s gaze fell on the long knife in the old man''s hand. The blade was gleaming white, reflecting a chilling light, clearly a real, sharpened weapon, not some prop he''d imagined. "Are you guys taking this a little too far?" Cold sweat beaded on Ian''s forehead as he involuntarily took a few steps back. "I know you haunted house people want to be authentic, but using a sharpened knife is a bit much. Someone could get hurt!" The old man sneered, "You think we''re joking around?" "Aren''t you?" Ian suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. "Heh heh!" The old man let out a weird laugh, and a shocking transformation began to occur on his body. The flesh of his palms twisted and writhed, cracking open to form a slit. The slit continued to widen until it took up half of his hand, and sharp teeth sprouted from the upper and lower edges. A scarlet tongue slithered out. The old man ripped off his shirt, and his emaciated stomach underwent a similar change. A massive mouth appeared there. The three new mouths started chattering amongst themselves. "Ah, such delicious human flesh!" "The boss is the best. He never forgets to summon us when there''s good food to eat!" "Meat, human meat, I want to eat human meat!" The scene made Ian''s blood run cold! He was certain this couldn''t be achieved with makeup and props. Even movie special effects couldn''t replicate what he was seeing. "My brothers, I''ll make something delicious for you all!" the old man cackled, looking at his left and right hands. "Second Brother, Third Brother, today we''re having pan-fried human hearts!" Then he looked at his stomach and said, "Fourth Brother, I always spoil you the most. Today, I''ll make you a new dish." "What new dish?" the stomach asked excitedly. "Roasted human feet!" the old man laughed. The stomach was furious, gurgling loudly, "Boss, was I picked up from the garbage dump by Mom, or was I a bonus with a phone plan? Why do Second and Third Brother get pan-fried human hearts, but I have to eat roasted human feet? Aren''t you afraid I''ll catch athlete''s foot from you?" The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The old man patted his belly reassuringly, "Fourth Brother, don''t worry, it''ll be delicious!" "What if it''s not good?" the stomach asked. The old man grinned, "Then I''ll switch places with you. You can decide what you want to eat in the future!" "Okay, deal!" the stomach exclaimed. Ian''s face was ashen, and he was already cursing under his breath. Damn you, boss, you son of a bitch tricked me again! You said it was just cosplay! Other people hire actors to cosplay as evil spirits! But you hired a real evil spirit to cosplay as a human! Well! If you put it that way, there''s nothing wrong with it, right? It really is cosplay! It''s just that the roles have been reversed. "Brother, stop wasting time talking to Fourth Brother and hurry up and start cooking!" his left and right hands shouted impatiently. Ian snapped out of it and pinched himself hard. Damn it! What kind of situation is this?! Why am I thinking about this?! The great strategist once said: "Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, running is the best!" Ian turned and bolted! "Want to run? Not so easy!" The old man''s beady little eyes locked onto Ian. He extended his hands, and two long tongues shot out, wrapping around Ian''s legs! "Me too, me too!" The stomach wasn''t to be outdone. It stretched out a fat tongue and licked every inch of Ian''s body, inside and out, leaving no spot untouched. Ian''s face turned pale, then red, as he gasped for air. "I can''t take it anymore!" "I really can''t take it anymore!" "Wait, I really can''t!" He didn''t know why, but in this life-or-death situation, shame overwhelmed his fear. Ian was tossed around until he was limp, and finally dragged back. The old man didn''t waste time either, preparing various cooking utensils and ingredients. First, he scrubbed the big pot clean, then he brought out all sorts of seasonings. Halfway through mixing the seasonings, the old man suddenly frowned and turned to look at Ian. "Right, you said for the spice packet, besides star anise, bay leaves, and cinnamon, what else should I put in it?" "I told you, can you let me go?" Ian said. The old man nodded, "Okay." Ian was stunned. Does that work? Since when were ghosts so reasonable? "You also need to add fennel seeds, peppercorns, galangal, nutmeg..." Ian said tentatively. "Thank you," the old man nodded. "Brothers, we must keep our promises. Let him go." The next second, all the tongues wrapped around Ian retracted. Ian stood up in disbelief, overjoyed, and hurried toward the exit. See! Even ghosts keep their word these days. Some people can''t even repay their debts. They''re not even qualified to be ghosts! Ian hadn''t taken two steps when he heard a voice from behind. "Alright, we let him run for two steps. Let''s grab him back now!" Then, several tongues wrapped around him again, and that familiar sense of shame washed over him. "You''re not a man of your word!" Ian shouted, feeling helpless and his eyes wide with rage. The old man chuckled, "Haven''t you heard the saying? ''A man''s promises are like a ghost''s words!''" "Brothers, start the fire!" The left and right hands immediately went to work. One flapped back and forth, fanning the flames, while the other stuffed firewood into the stove. As for the stomach''s tongue, it was responsible for controlling the desperately struggling Ian. Ian was filled with despair as he closed his eyes. Regret, anger, sadness, all sorts of emotions swirled inside him, a mixture of conflicting feelings. The old man held a knife and leaned in, grinning. "Since you taught me how to cook, I''ll give you a chance to say your last words." Ian looked at him weakly and said, "Remember to add more chili and less salt." "Okay!" The old man waved the long knife in his hand, ready to begin hisâÒ¶¡½âÈË´óÒµ (skilled butcher dismembering an ox, a Chinese idiom that refers to someone who is very skilled at their job) . Just then, the pendant on Ian''s chest emitted a dazzling light! "Ah!" The old man screamed, instinctively covering his eyes. The dazzling light vanished in an instant. When the light dissipated, Ian was gone. "Where''s he?" "Fourth Brother, I''m asking you, where is he? Aren''t you responsible for controlling him?" "Ahhh... my pan-fried human hearts!" Seeing that the prey that was within reach had escaped, the old man went insane, and the three mouths he had awakened also went insane. Half an hour later, the old man crawled out of the ruined tavern in a disheveled state, his eyes bloodshot, muttering to himself. "Roasted human feet!" "I must taste the flavor of roasted human feet!" P.S. Thank you all for your gifts! Remember to click "More Updates" after reading! 54 - Ghostly Encounters At the entrance of the Death House, a burst of blinding light heralded Ian''s arrival as he plummeted from the sky, already unconscious. Next to him, the entire Liam''s family was sprawled out in a neat row. "Click..." The sound of a lock turning echoed from the wooden house, followed by Jake pushing open the door and stepping inside. "Wake up..." "Can you guys not sleep like you''re all dead?" Jake went to each person in turn, shaking them. It wasn''t long before someone reacted. Liam was the first to wake. He shot up from the ground, yelling, "Stay away! Stay away!" Ethan also woke up at that moment. Without thinking, he pushed himself up and bolted. "What are you doing? You''re out of Demon''s Town," Jake said casually. "Out?" Hearing Jake''s voice, they realized they were no longer by the ancient well but at the entrance of the Death House. "Boss," Ethan wailed, throwing himself at Jake, tears streaming down his face. "Please, I beg you, don''t make me test any more equipment." Liam, equally covered in snot and tears, cried, "Boss, I don''t want to test equipment either!" "I''ve tested equipment three times for you!" "Three times!" "Do you know how I''ve survived those three times?" Jake stared at the two weeping messes, instinctively touching his nose. He started to wonder if he had gone too far. "I''m sorry. I''ll make it up to you later," Jake said sincerely. Liam stopped crying and looked at Jake hopefully. "So, about next time..." "Of course, you''ll still be leading the charge next time!" Jake said without hesitation. "Wah!" Liam burst into even louder sobs. Amidst their wails, Ian and Cindy also woke up. The first thing Ian did was check his human feet. Only after confirming he hadn''t lost a single toenail did he breathe a sigh of relief. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Just then, he heard a series of bone-cracking sounds coming from behind him. He turned his head. Ethan was staring at him, his fists clenched and a dark expression on his face. Ian stammered, "W-what do you want?" "Remember the little trick you taught us?" Ethan said through gritted teeth. "That was a really good little trick!" Ian gave a sheepish smile, sweat beading on his forehead. "I, I didn''t think there''d actually be ghosts in there!" "It''s not my fault!" "I mean, who expects ghosts to be real, as a normal person!" Ethan fell silent. Yeah, he''d never dreamed that ghosts could actually be real. "You guys all encountered ghosts? Real ghosts?" Cindy sat up, her beautiful eyes filled with regret. "What''s wrong? You didn''t?" Liam asked. "Nope." Cindy shook her head. "I just entered the ancestral hall when a dark figure rushed at me, yelling that I had trespassed into Demon''s Town forbidden territory, and then I passed out. When I woke up, I was here." "You''re so lucky. If I''d known, I would''ve gone to the ancestral hall with you," Ethan said, a look of envy on his face. "Enough about me, what were the ghosts you encountered like? Tell me all about it!" Cindy asked eagerly. "Well, us..." "It''s a long story." Liam and Ethan sighed and began recounting their experiences. Cindy covered her mouth and giggled. "They say, ''Die under a peony flower, even as a ghost, one is still romantic.'' If that''s the case, then you didn''t lose out, you could even say you gained something." "Let''s leave that kind of good fortune to others in the future," Liam and Ethan both shook their heads in unison. "What about you?" Cindy then looked at Ian. Ian''s face flushed red, suddenly at a loss for words. Liam and Ethan were relatively normal, at most they had a buy-one-get-one-free situation, which wasn''t too outrageous. But what about him? He''d excitedly rushed into the restaurant and then...well, he''d instructed the ghost how to eat him! If that got out, people would laugh their teeth off. No way! He absolutely couldn''t let anyone know! Ian made a swift decision, shaking his head vigorously, his cheeks flushed. "I was just like you. I don''t know what place I entered, then everything went black, and when I woke up, I was here." "Really?" Cindy looked at Ian suspiciously. A woman''s intuition told her there was more to the story. "Really, it has to be true!" Ian raised his hand, looking at Liam and Ethan. "I swear everything I said is true, or I''ll acknowledge you as my dads." Liam nodded. "He''s making such a serious oath, it should be impossible for it to be fake." Ethan scratched his head, feeling like something was off, but he couldn''t quite put his finger on it. Cindy caught on, but she couldn''t focus on that now. Her beautiful eyes lit up like little light bulbs as she looked expectantly at Jake. She shook Jake''s sleeve and pleaded, "Boss, just tell me, how did you get those ghosts? I want to get one for my house so I can look at it when I''m bored." Jake pretended to be confused. "What are you talking about? What ghosts?" Liam scoffed. "I ran into a female ghost as soon as I entered the village, Boss. And you still say there are no ghosts in this world!" "But I really don''t know what you''re talking about?" Jake spread his hands, looking innocent. "You have to trust science. Don''t attribute everything to demons and monsters!" "Boss, then how do you explain what happened to them?" Cindy pressed. "You have to ask science about that. I''m just a haunted house owner who hired some actors to play ghosts. How am I supposed to know what they did?" Jake replied. "Besides, if you really encountered ghosts, how could you have gotten out alive?" "Did the vengeful ghosts suddenly turn Buddhist, become vegetarian, and stop killing?" Seeing that Jake was determined to deny everything, the group felt helpless. Moreover, they really couldn''t explain why the vengeful ghosts had let them off the hook. "If you''re going to insist that the actors in the village are real ghosts, then you can provide evidence to convince me!" Jake said with a smile, confident that they wouldn''t dare enter Demon''s Town again to look for evidence. As he expected, the group shook their heads violently, refusing to enter Demon''s Town again under any circumstances. Except for Cindy. She looked towards Demon''s Town, her heart set on a plan. She would definitely come here often in the future to find out whether the villagers inside were actors or real ghosts! And what exactly was in the church... 55 - Invincible Supreme VR Arcade it''s been over a month since I got the system. Starlight Amusement Park is nothing like it used to be. The daily foot traffic has exceeded a thousand, with tourists from all over challenging the various attractions every day. After all, there are quite a few people in this world who enjoy courting death and are overly confident. Only after being truly and thoroughly abused by the facilities at Starlight Amusement Park will they huddle in a corner, clutching their weak, helpless, and pitiful bodies, and silently regret why they came to offer themselves up as cannon fodder. Wouldn''t it be better to play games at home with friends? Are your good buddies not fun anymore? Or are the girls not silly enough? Starlight Amusement Park is booming, and the happiest person is definitely the owner, Jake. At this moment, Jake was sitting in the finance room, reviewing the amusement park''s recent business report. "Although the number of tourists is steadily increasing, there is a problem that must be taken seriously," Jake said, putting down the business report he had finished reading. The business report clearly pointed out that the return customer rate of Starlight Amusement Park is very low, far lower than other amusement parks in the same industry. The most serious case is the tourist who played Hyper Velocity Coaster and Death House. Of the 100 tourists who have played either of these two projects, 99 will never come back, and the remaining one returning customer, after investigation, was found to be pulling their friends to play. As for themselves, they would just come and enjoy the scenery and buy a fried chicken leg. Only Leap into the Atmosphere has a certain number of returning customers. Thanks to Kyle''s promotion, Leap into the Atmosphere has become somewhat famous among extreme sports enthusiasts, and many people have played it repeatedly. Unfortunately, their return rate is only a drop in the bucket compared to the huge ordinary tourist group. "System, are there any amusement facilities that are both fun and can provide a high return rate?" Jake casually asked. "Ding, there is an amusement facility that meets the host''s needs, and it can be exchanged with the host''s current Fame Points." "Hmm?" Jake was refreshed, rolled up his sleeves, rubbed his hands secretly, and urged, "Show me quickly!" Before he finished speaking, a dark blue virtual projection screen appeared in front of Jake. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Invincible Supreme VR Arcade Level: Two-star Description: A smart game console under the New Star Entertainment Universe Group. It contains a total of 100 virtual games of all sizes. Each game can achieve a 99% simulation degree, truly allowing players to experience an immersive feeling. Exchange price: 10000 Fame Points This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Note: This arcade only comes with an initial game. The remaining games need to be unlocked with Fame Points or unlocked for free after meeting other conditions. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "Arcade, this is pretty good," Jake nodded. Most amusement parks now have arcades, which usually have claw machines, racing cars, and other common video game machines. "Generally speaking, arcades are not very popular in amusement parks." "After all, most people come to amusement parks for roller coasters and other things. If they really want to play video games, they can just go to the arcade. Why waste hundreds of dollars to buy a ticket and run to the amusement park to play video games?" "But..." Jake''s eyes fell on the 99% simulation degree on the arcade''s game description, and he smiled, "The games provided by the system in the arcade should be the virtual reality games in the rumors!" When talking about the six words "virtual reality games", Jake''s mood could no longer be suppressed, and his heart was surging. Basically, every game enthusiast has heard of the concept of "virtual reality games." This type of game connects to the player''s neurons and directly simulates another real world in the human brain. In this world, everything the player experiences is no different from real life. Then, in this real world, the creator can add various rules to transform it into a magnificent game world. Jake still remembers the first time he knew about the concept of "virtual reality games." I don''t know how many times I have imagined how cool this type of game would be to play! Imagine driving a Gundam to fight Godzilla in real life! Imagine Lynn, Mikoto, Kaguya, these anime goddesses walk into reality and become your friends or even a more intimate relationship. Of course, if you want to have some stories with Madara, Kid, or Levi, no one will stop you. Imagine yourself on a desolate planet, shouldering the glory of the human empire, fighting to the death with the Xenomorph legions. How cool would that be! Jake was so excited that he was breathing heavily and dancing with his hands. "System, just give me this one!" Jake shouted decisively. Even if this amusement facility is deserted, Jake must exchange it for the sake of the fantasies in his mind! "Please select one of the following placement methods..." Before the system could finish speaking, Jake made a choice. "Choose the direct generation method, the location is in the southeast direction of the amusement park!" Currently, all the amusement facilities in the amusement park are concentrated in the northeast direction of the amusement park, and the rest of the directions are barren and in a state of disrepair. Besides Jake, no one would go to these places. In addition, the arcade is not a large amusement facility, so even if it is generated directly, it will not cause much noise. "Ding, generation successful!" Jake felt the ground vibrate slightly, the movement was very small, and it could almost be ignored. When looking at the amusement park map again, a small area in the southeast direction has been lit up. Jake closed the system interface, pushed the door and walked out of the finance room, and went straight to the southeast corner of the amusement park. On the way, he happened to meet the employees on lunch break. Mike waved and shouted, "Boss, what''s the matter that you''re walking so fast?" Jake smiled and said, "The worker told me that a new amusement facility has been completed over there, and I''m going over to take a look." Before he finished speaking, he saw Liam and Ethan stood up with a "swoosh" and disappeared in the blink of an eye at a speed that they were in a hurry to be reborn. Their voices were still echoing in the air. "There are so many tourists queuing up at the Death House, waiting to play, I have to hurry over." "I, Liam, like work the most in my life. Work makes me happy, don''t bother me with other things!" Mike exclaimed inwardly. If these two guys had this kind of awareness and reaction speed when playing League of Legends, they could now go to play professionally, shouting to recast the glory of LPL, and we are duty-bound! Mike was about to run away when Jake stopped him. Mike squeezed out a smile, sat uneasily and looked at Jake, and said, "Boss, I..." Jake patted Mike on the shoulder gently and said earnestly, "I have reflected a lot during this period of time, and I feel that it is a bit inhumane to keep letting you test the amusement facilities, so this time I plan to personally go into battle, you guys have a good rest!" Mike was stunned for a moment, and then tears were rolling in his eyes, and he was deeply moved in his heart, choked up and said: "Boss, you finally have a conscience!" "Um." Jake nodded lightly and said, "Then I''ll go first." "Goodbye, boss." Mike waved and said, "By the way, boss, what are you going to test this time?" "Arcade!" Jake walked away very smartly, leaving Mike alone in a mess in the wind. After a while, a "what the f***" resounded throughout the amusement park. Good for you, Jake! You didn''t go on the Hyper Velocity Coaster and Leap into the Atmosphere, and let us take the lead. It''s rare to do it myself, but it turns out to be testing the arcade! ! ! 56 - Green Hell Challenge Jake walked from the northeast corner of Starlight Amusement Park all the way to the southeast corner, as if experiencing a transformation through time. The noise of the tourists came and went, gradually fading away. Replacing it was a silent and lonely prelude played by wind-blown weeds and colorful wildflowers. One rusted and broken amusement facility after another that could no longer be used appeared on Jake''s path. Jake''s mood gradually became heavy as he gently stroked these amusement facilities that once brought him joy and good memories. "Don''t worry, you won''t be alone for too long." Jake said solemnly in a low voice. Just then, a breeze blew, and the waist-high weeds bent over and patted the amusement facilities, making a rustling sound, like the amusement facilities responding to Jake. Shortly after saying goodbye to the amusement facilities, Jake arrived at the VR Game Center. This VR Game Center was an oval-shaped building with two floors, covered with smooth, white tiles. The interior floor was covered with LED panels. Each panel flickered with different colors, and at first glance, it looked like neon lights illuminating a bustling street. Machines were placed along the corners of the walls. The main part of the machine was a reclining chair, with a silver helmet next to it. Every aspect of the design fit people''s fantasies about the future world. Jake held his breath and strode into the game center. The moment his foot stepped into the game center, a cold, robotic voice sounded. "Welcome to the future world!" Just like in science fiction movies, when starting a machine, there is always an artificial intelligence voice to remind the protagonist. Jake walked to a machine, lay down, and put the helmet on his head. Although it was his first time using this kind of game console. But if he hadn''t used it, he had seen it done! Online game novels had described how to use virtual game consoles countless times. Anyone who had read a few online game novels wouldn''t be at a loss here! The moment Jake put on the helmet, he saw suction cups pop out from inside the helmet and attach to his scalp. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. At the same time, the doors on both sides of the chair rose up and slowly closed. All the light was swallowed by darkness the moment the doors closed. This pitch-black situation didn''t last long before it was broken by the sound of a robotic voice. "Please select the world you want to enter!" Jake''s eyes suddenly brightened, and by the time his vision recovered. He found himself in a boundless and lonely void, with blue planets under his feet. At this moment, he felt like the legendary god who controlled everything, with even the sun under his feet. Jake moved his limbs, struggling in the void like a beginner swimmer. When he moved above the planets, prompt information would appear. The first planet was a yellowish-brown planet. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Game World: The Last Stand Introduction: This planet, code-named Scb-024, has rich Vibranium resources and has always been watched by various forces. Now the Zerg army is invading the planet on a large scale. As a soldier of the Empire, can you hold this last line of defense and wait for the arrival of the Imperial army? Soldier. At this critical moment, the defense line of Scb-024 needs you! The Empire needs you! The people of the Empire need you! Can you shoulder the glory of the Empire? Status: Locked Unlock Condition: 20000 Fame Points or a player can run the Green Hell in under 6 minutes. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª After reading the introduction, Jake felt his blood boil. His mind had already imagined himself like a martyr, even if his body was riddled with holes, he could still stand upright in the trenches, calmly facing the enemy''s thousands of troops! This heroic complex grew in his heart, like a raging fire, instantly igniting his emotions, making him extremely excited. It was a pity that when he saw the words "Locked," Jake felt like someone had poured a bucket of cold water on him, and all his enthusiasm cooled down. "Damn it, I can''t even play!" Jake felt like a million ants were crawling through his heart, extremely impatient. Jake now understood why such awesome game equipment was sold so cheaply! Those sons of bitches, they have bundled sales! The game center had one price, and the games had another! Probably a scam like some "breathing" martial arts world ! Afterward, Jake passed by planets. Each planet represented a game world, but unfortunately, none of them were unlocked, otherwise Jake felt he could stay here for a year. Finally, Jake reluctantly said goodbye to these planets and came to the only unlocked planet. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Game World: Green Hell Introduction: In the world of Formula 1 racing, there is such a track that is famous around the world for its high difficulty, becoming a track that every racer wants to conquer, and a sacred place in the hearts of every racing fan. This track has seen legends born and has also seen legends die. Now there are only two roads in front of you. First road: Conquer it! Second road: Conquer it again! Please put on your racing suit, get in your car, and floor it all the way forward! Oh yeah, it''s best to write a will and prepare a testament before stepping on the accelerator. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª "A racing game, that''s my specialty!" Jake usually played quite a few racing games, like Need for Speed, Dirt, and Horizon. Although he wasn''t a top player, he could be considered a good one! "It''s just a track!" "I came!" "I saw!" "I conquered!" Jake shouted the slogan of Caesar the Great and entered the Green Hell game world. Jake transformed into a light, falling onto the planet at an extremely fast speed, like a comet, dragging a bright and dazzling tail flame. Before Jake could react, he was standing on solid ground. A race car technician wearing a work uniform walked over. "Hello, racer, what''s your name?" "Just call me Jake." Jake laughed. The race car technician extended a calloused, weathered, and powerful hand, smiling, "Jake, we''ve prepared many race cars for you. Please choose your ride and conquer the Green Hell!" In the next second, a virtual screen appeared in front of Jake, with rows of brand-new F1 race cars neatly arranged on it, making Jake dizzy. Jake didn''t know the quality of the cars, so he chose the most dazzling one. "Jake, you have a great eye. This Porsche 911 GT2 RS MR will definitely help you conquer the Green Hell!" The race car technician snapped his fingers. The garage door behind Jake slowly rose, revealing a silver, red, and black supercar parked quietly inside. 57 - One Last Ride Seeing the kind of ride he''d only ever dreamed of, Jake couldn''t contain his excitement. He dashed over to the Porsche sports car and circled it several times. Then, with a sigh of contentment, he slipped into the driver''s seat. "This feeling..." Jake ran his hands over everything inside, from the steering wheel to the console, to the leather seats beneath him. Nothing felt out of place! "Holy crap, this is amazing!" "If I didn''t know I was in a game, I''d swear I was driving a real Porsche!" Jake knew right then that this arcade would drive gamers wild! Even people who didn''t usually play would probably be tempted to try it out. "Hey, noob, what''s taking so long? Did the Green Hell scare you so bad you almost peed your pants?" Just then, a Ferrari pulled up beside Jake. The window rolled down, and a blonde-haired, blue-eyed driver gave him the middle finger. The Ferrari roared to life, its tires smoking, and shot off like a rocket! "What the hell? A stupid NPC trying to show off!" "Today, I''m going to teach you a lesson, I bet Liam won''t find a girlfriend in this lifetime, or the next!" Jake was furious. He took a deep breath, gripped the steering wheel gently, and put his foot on the gas, closing his eyes for a moment. In his mind, he was picturing an awesome start. He would tap the accelerator, tires smoking as he was launching. Drifting around the turn, leaving a trail. Followed by cheers and applause from the crowd. A faint smile played on Jake''s lips, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Okay, I''m feeling it, it''s coming together!" "Let''s go!" Jake floored the gas pedal! Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! "Vroom!" The engine roared like a wild beast. The car shot off like an arrow, leaving a blur in its wake. Ten seconds later! "BOOM!" A huge crash. Jake''s car had careened off the track and slammed into a tree. The violent impact tore open the fuel tank and engine, sending flames skyward, consuming everything. A moment later, a white light emerged from the fire and landed back at the starting point, reforming into Jake. He looked around in confusion, bewildered. What just happened? All he remembered was flooring it, and then he was off the track. It was nothing like the script he''d imagined! "This is way too real!" Jake cried. He thought it would be like those arcade racing games where you just hammer the keys and you are driving like a pro. But this was like a real experience! Which resulted in the tragedy! "Humph." Jake snorted, turned and walked back into the garage, hopping into the newly respawned Porsche. He started it up, but was super cautious this time, he gently pressed on the gas and the car was basically just moving along. "At least it''s steady that way." Jake muttered to himself. The Ferrari returned again, sitting beside Jake at a crawling pace. Jake immediately felt something was off. "Hey, buddy, you driving a grandpa mobile?" The other driver laughed while sticking a finger out the window, "C''mon, i''ve been waiting so long the flowers are about to die!" Then he inhaled all the fumes being released by the Ferrari. "What the hell? Is this guy dissing me? " Jake said, " Today, I have to show him what speed actually means!" "Power Launch!" "Here we GO!" He once again slammed on the accelerator. A few seconds later Fire once again illuminated the area. "Whew." Jake sat back in a new Porsche, he calmed himself down and told himself, there is no need to road rage. He drove the Porsche onto the Green Hell road. It was pretty obvious that the track was a very bad place to speed around at. Every place besides green was still just green, nothing else. The saving grace was that he wasn''t in a relationship with Lynn yet. Besides for the track being hidden by green trees, the bends and turns made it near impossible for anyone to take the road. Even if there was just a slight acceleration, you would soon find yourself back to square one. He had already died several times within a few hours. He was starting to feel a bit crazy at this point. Especially with that Ferrari that loved to just drive past. "One more time, just one more time!" "If I finish one lap, I will rest up!" He once again materialized at spawn, reminding himself what the end goal was. After a few hours passed, he was still just being yeeted into trees. If anyone tried to kill themselves more than Jake, they''d come in a close second. "Warning, system user has become unstable, we will be starting health system and will forcibly remove you from the server." Not long after that, Jake heard the robotic voices as he blacked out. He later appeared at the main console. Jake got up and touched the side of the simulator as he remarked, " Good game, but very hard with annoyingly smart AI." " But, a negative becomes a positive." " The game''s realistic gameplay and difficulty will become a must for other players. " Jake had expected a much larger turn out when the store actually went live to the public. It was an experience like no other. Even if you dislike video games, you would want to use it as a second life.