"Designate the culprit... eliminate..."
The prompt sounded in Zhang Yuanqing's ear, but his face remained calm. Inside, everything clicked into place.
He had always found it strange. The instance assigned him the role of team leader, but kept it secret—no revealing the traitor. What was the point of being leader if you couldn't expose the double agent?
Now he understood. The leader's power was right here.
"My role grants me the power to eliminate someone. The evil-doer must have a similar ability—explaining why Hebo's death was so mysterious. But my power only activates after I complete a mission. The culprit's conditions for using elimination must be specific—there's no way they'd be given this power for free." Zhang's mind raced.
"I already rewound the footage after entering the instance—no abnormalities found. The culprit's trigger must be something subtle, known only to themselves."
Who to knife?
Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts zoomed in on three suspects: Xie Lingxi, Huomo, and Xishi.
Among them, he most wanted to stab the girl with the long black hair.
Despite her delicate beauty that begged for pity, after hearing about the upcoming haunted house segment, Zhang had to admit he'd been tempted to kill her just now.
But that was just a fleeting impulse.
"The old walkthrough never mentioned series effects. This must be a change after the Jinshui Amusement Park difficulty upgrade. Xie Lingxi probably doesn't even know... With S-level spirit realm difficulty, no matter which attraction we choose, the haunted house is unavoidable. At best, the order differs."
"There's too little info to pin down the evil-doer—half guessing, half deduction, barely reliable. If I accuse the wrong person, we lose a teammate for nothing, making things worse."
"But if I do nothing, I'm definitely next. Maybe luck will help me expose the culprit."
Caught between a rock and a hard place, Zhang hesitated—should he risk a blind guess, or play it safe and wait for more clues?
Both choices had risks.
If the leader can't decide, what about the traitor hiding among them? What's he thinking right now? Zhang switched perspective:
"His hidden mission is to kill, but whether he knows I'm leader is unclear—put that aside. I saw no anomaly, so the 'closed-eye' strategy is still valid. That's a clear hint."
"The killer isn't dumb; he knows I suspect a traitor. He'll act cautiously and wait for the right moment to strike. When exactly? That's key."
"Roles and hidden tasks aren't main missions. Killing too quickly raises his own risk in future tasks."
Jinshui Amusement Park is S-level difficulty. Zhang didn't believe the traitor's job was just to whittle down the team.
If it were that simple, it wouldn't be S-level.
Following this logic, Zhang thought further:
"Since the terrifying supernatural challenge can't be avoided, the killer won't frequently murder teammates. He needs allies, cannon fodder. Someone like me, who's shown skill, is a prime candidate."
"So the timing to kill me should be after or during the haunted house..."
"These are just my guesses, unverified. Perfect chance to test this in the 'Underground Parking Lot.' Half an hour to the next mission—time for some probing."
Having decided, Zhang gave up using his leader powers for now.
"Damn it, the haunted house again!"
On the plaza, Huomo—already losing his cool after the prompt—glared at the delicate girl. "Damn, you're gonna get us killed."
Xie Lingxi pouted, looking hurt.
"I-I didn't want this either... I never came here before, didn't know S-level spirit realm would be like this..."
Huomo tugged at his fiery red hair in frustration, swearing:
"If I'd known, I wouldn't have listened to you and made random choices. Now what? The haunted house is gonna be deadly. What's the old walkthrough say? We need a plan."
Xie Lingxi shook her head. "I... I don't know. Too many rides; I only remember some..."
"Don't tell me that! You think I'm a fool? Like I'm a three-year-old?" Huomo exploded.
"Why are you so mean..." Xie Lingxi looked like she might cry.
"Enough!"
A simple, honest middle-aged man suddenly spoke up, stopping the argument.
He looked calmly at Huomo.
"No one could know about the changes to the park's difficulty. It's not her fault. Besides, the roller coaster was a group vote."
His words made sense, but Huomo was too worked up to listen. He shot a venomous glare:
"I'm talking, what's it to you? Stop playing the good guy here!"
"Not playing good guy, just telling you to shut up. If you won't, I can make you."
For a moment, the honest man's eyes flashed with anger.
Zhang Yuanqing saw his cue and stepped in, grinning as he cut between them:
"Calm down, calm down. If you keep fighting, half an hour will pass before we know it. Uncle, cut me some slack, I'll buy you a drink after we finish Jinshui Park. Huoge, after this, if you want, come find me. I'm from Yangcheng—best white-cut chicken there. Tender and juicy..."
His jokes lightened the tense mood.
Huomo and the middle-aged man backed down.
The six of them followed signs, leaving the plaza, winding through the dazzling amusement park.
A cool breeze brushed past under the black sky—an endless dark swan curtain with no stars or moon.
The park's bright lights were the only source of illumination.
The unmanned roller coaster thundered down the track; the pendulum and pirate ship swung wildly; the carousel spun to cheerful music...
Unmanned bumper cars crashed and rammed each other.
The scene shifted abruptly from a fairy tale dream to something more sinister.
No one spoke. The atmosphere was cold and stiff. Everyone kept their distance—neither close nor far.
Clearly, Zhang's hint about suspecting Hebo's death was understood. Now it was time to test each one. Damn, it was a pain not to reveal his role.
But he didn't care anymore.
Once the traitor finds the right opportunity, he'd kill Zhang first—no hesitation.
Zhang quickened his pace toward Xie Lingxi.
"Lingxi, you're in high school, right? Where are you from?"
"Jiangnan Province. Brother Wang Tai, I'm a senior this year."
"What a coincidence! I'm a student at Jiangnan University. Let's exchange numbers. After we clear Jinshui Park, I can tutor you one-on-one."
"Sure, sure."
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
"Why do you ask?"
"If you do, it's awkward for private tutoring."
"Ah? Why?"
...
Turning to Xishi, Zhang asked casually:
"Sister Xishi, what's your job?"
"I'm a nurse."
A nurse? The kind who wears a uniform and gives shots? Zhang put on an admiring expression.
"I have the greatest respect for angels in white."
Xishi's eyes shimmered coquettishly. Her voice lowered teasingly:
"Not really. I actually prefer men who are wild, rough, and dominate me."
Zhang paused, then smiled:
"Maybe we should sleep together sometime."
...
Zhang moved on to the middle-aged man nicknamed "Shamed Father," chatting lightly:
"Uncle, do you have a daughter?"
The man narrowed his eyes and replied with a grunt.
Zhang pressed, curious:
"You must have a bad relationship with her, right?"
The man's honest face darkened instantly. His voice was cold:
"None of your business."
"Sorry, sorry..."
...
Putting distance between himself and the man, Zhang caught up to the skinny red-haired youth, sharp-eyed and impatient-looking.
After a few compliments, Huomo smiled—finding Zhang's words pleasant and willing to talk.
When Zhang asked about his opinions on the teammates, Huomo was blunt:
"These teammates are weird. The little girl plays the victim the whole time. The big-breasted woman looks like she'd sleep with anyone, but when I asked her on the roller coaster platform if she wanted to hook up, she ignored me. The uncle seems the least trustworthy."
He glanced disdainfully at Qi Tiantian, the eager young man fawning over Xie Lingxi.
"That useless egg. Wang Tai, you're the only one I like here."
"Flattered, Huoge. I think you're the most reliable too."
...
Zhang finally approached the skinny youth wearing loafers and tight pants.
"Dahsheng, can we talk privately?"
Qi Tiantian glanced longingly at Xie Lingxi but followed Zhang.
"What's up?" he asked, curious.
"What do you think of those two girls?" Zhang grinned.
Qi Tiantian looked at Xie Lingxi first:
"Pretty, nice butt, but small chest."
Then at Xishi:
"Big chest, round butt, but doesn't like to socialize."
As for Huomo and the middle-aged man, Qi Tiantian said the former was hot-tempered and hard to get along with, so keep distance; the latter was quiet but occasionally gave good advice.
Zhang whispered suddenly:
"If I die, do whatever it takes to get rid of that uncle. He's the evil profession."
Qi Tiantian's eyes widened in shock. His mouth opened instinctively, then shut tight. His face became wary and cautious.
Ten minutes later, the group reached the underground parking garage on the west side of the park, stopping at the sloped entrance.
Looking down the slope, bright lights illuminated the garage. Rows of dusty cars were neatly lined up.
The garage was deathly silent.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Xie Lingxi and asked for the team:
"What's the walkthrough for this stage?"