"Wait! Stop!"
Just as Yi Bai was about to step into the amusement park, Ye Qun, the veteran player who had suggested everyone band together, called out to him in a slightly disgruntled tone.
Yi Bai paused and turned around. "What's your point?"
"The staff hasn't shown up yet, and you're rushing in like that? Aren't you afraid of causing some kind of trouble, dragging everyone down with you?" Ye Qun's words were pointed, as if he were standing on some moral high ground, scolding Yi Bai.
"Oh." Yi Bai replied flatly, his face unreadable. "Then you can keep waiting."
Without waiting for Ye Qun or the others to respond, he walked straight through the amusement park's gates.
Ye Qun was left fuming, his curse stuck in his throat, unable to find anyone to vent his frustration on. After a moment of dark contemplation, he turned his gaze to the other two veteran players, hoping to gauge their attitudes.
"You two, this guy's causing trouble without listening to orders. You've been through the games, so you understand the rules, right?" Ye Qun asked slowly, testing the waters.
Liu Zhen, one of the veteran players, replied coldly, "You go your way, I'll go mine. Let's not get involved."
He then walked toward the park entrance, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of activity.
The other veteran, Yu Quan, gave Ye Qun a cold glance before ignoring him entirely.
Ye Qun's face turned darker with each rejection. His gaze fell on the silent older man, but before he could speak, the unexpected happened.
The man in his fifties, a new player, suddenly dashed into the park, moving so quickly that no one had a chance to react.
"Damn, did they match us with a bunch of lunatics? Everyone's rushing to get themselves killed!" Ye Qun muttered under his breath, but he couldn't help but move toward the park gates himself, peering inside.
They had been waiting outside for nearly ten minutes, but the so-called staff still hadn't shown up.
Normally, after players entered, the corresponding staff would appear immediately. If the staff didn't show, the game would issue a prompt. After all… this was a survival game, not a deathmatch. There should always be some opportunity to survive.
"What do you two think of the situation?" Ye Qun couldn't help but ask the two veteran players nearby.
Liu Zhen coldly spat out three words: "Something's wrong."
Ye Qun blinked, his frustration bubbling over. Of course, it's obvious! Why are you stating the obvious?!
Yu Quan, who had been quietly observing, suddenly spoke up. "Let's go in. Since the staff hasn't shown up, it's pointless to keep waiting."
"Going inside at least gives us a chance."
As Yu Quan spoke, his gaze subtly swept over the five rookie players, his eyes glinting with something dark and unreadable.
Ye Qun's expression flickered, and after a pause, he reluctantly nodded. By now, they had no other choice.
Minutes later, under the guidance of the three veteran players, all the players entered the "Children's Amusement Park."
However, once they passed through the gates and stepped inside, nothing had changed.
The carousel with spinning heads continued turning, but there was no sign of any ghosts. The sea of eyeballs in the ball pit was completely empty—no ghost children in sight.
The bloodstained circus tents, the mirror maze… The silence was unnerving, until...
"Hehehe..."
"Hahaha..."
"Woohoo!"
"Finally, some fun toys have arrived!"
"Come on, come on! What game should we play first?!"
"How about kicking the ball? I love kicking the ball!"
"No! No way! We're already tired of that one!"
"Then... How about playing 'Eagle Catching Chickens' or hide-and-seek? Or we could play tag!"
"…"
The childish laughter echoed from all directions, and the five rookie players instantly turned pale with fear.
The difference between seeing ghosts in films and facing them in reality was overwhelming. The primal terror gripping them left them unable to steady themselves, much less think clearly.
"Bro, what's going on? Can you tell us?" Liu Zhen asked, walking up to Yi Bai, who had quietly positioned himself off to the side.
Yi Bai glanced at him. Since Liu Zhen had answered his question earlier, he offered a slight hint: "Clearly, something's gone wrong with the park. The staff is likely gone, and now it's the ghost kids' world."
"Hissss!" Liu Zhen drew in a sharp breath, his face blanching.
Ye Qun and Yu Quan, the other two veteran players, also shuddered, their hair standing on end. Everyone knew the destructive power of mischievous children, but ghost children were on an entirely different level of terror.
They were far more dangerous to human players than ordinary monsters. The mentality of ghost children was unpredictable and chaotic. Without the guidance of the park staff, surviving these ghost children seemed all but impossible.
The eerie laughter and the disembodied voices of the children continued their macabre discussion.
Meanwhile, the familiar voice of the horror game system echoed in their minds:
[Task Update: Special circumstances have occurred. The park staff has gone missing, leaving the children to amuse themselves. As temporary employees, your job is to play with the children. If you manage to make them happy enough, you'll survive.]
[Task Completion Criteria: Participate in at least three games with the children to earn the chance to leave the Children's Amusement Park.]
The chilling reminder from the horror game made everyone even more anxious.
Now, even the three veteran players were visibly agitated.
Play three games with a bunch of ghost kids?
They would die, and probably in a gruesome way!
The three veteran players exchanged uneasy glances, their faces clouded with uncertainty.
Among the six rookie players, five of the younger ones were trembling in fear, unable to do anything but silently sob or shiver.
Only the man in his fifties, who appeared older and grim, smiled faintly. A strange, almost melancholic expression crossed his face.
Yi Bai's Eye of Insight activated, reading the man's current state. He quickly understood.
A tragic figure, this man had lost his young child in an accident, and now, in his heart, a thought had begun to take root.
Was his child, too, one of these ghostly beings in this twisted world?
And so, while everyone else was drowning in despair, he smiled—because he saw a glimmer of hope.