First Exploration of The Staircase
This scene was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for the players!
It's like finally finding out what a birthday gift you've been hiding for ages is—it's so exciting.
The Staircase, which had been built up for so long, was described in a mysterious and enigmatic way.
Now, it has finally revealed just the tip of its mysterious iceberg!
As for terror?
No!
Players are now driven more by curiosity than fear!
At this moment, they all stared wide-eyed at the screen.
All I wanted to know was what kind of strange power this the Staircase possessed that would make such a behemoth as the Control Bureau treat it with such caution!
In the film, due to the camera angle.
The entire environment appeared Pitch Black and gloomy.
Directly ahead was a narrow passageway that seemed to be able to accommodate only two people.
To the left and right are tall, upright walls.
Further ahead, there is a downward stone staircase.
At this moment, in the picture.
Even a 75-watt searchlight cannot clearly see the environment beyond 3 meters.
The searchlight, which could normally illuminate dozens of meters around, was now as dim and powerless as a small Flashlight.
In this eerie the Staircase, both light and visibility are restricted!
No, something must be blocking the view and light!
What exactly is inside W-FBC-0087?
[Multimedia classroom. I understand. I get it! It's the terrain! It's the anomaly of ■■■!]
[The space here is...! I entered from the second floor, but it seems like there are more than two floors here.]
[Doctor, you'd better know what you're doing! You didn't bring in geographers and architects to help with the research, but instead chose me. What exactly are you trying to achieve?!]
In the video, the Orange-Clad Man can be heard questioning him.
His voice echoed through the deathly silent and narrow passage.
It gives players in front of the screen the same feeling of hearing someone making a lot of noise in a quiet library.
But more than anything, there was dissatisfaction with the reappearance of the black blocks.
Clearly, this is another key piece of information.
What exactly happened to this space? What did the Orange-Clad Man say?
Why are subtitles censored?
Why should the sound be muted?
Did they say something incredible?
This aroused extreme curiosity among the players.
terrain
What's wrong with the terrain?!
At this point, due to unknown circumstances, the visible distance in the video is forcibly limited, and players can only see the range of the searchlight within 3 meters.
Besides that, there was nothing else to see.
Soon, the doctor spoke.
[D-8432, please perform your duties and refrain from making meaningless jokes. Now, I need you to conduct a preliminary inspection of the walls of this passageway.]
[Wall]
As the camera pans up, under the direct light of the searchlight, it becomes clear that the walls on both sides are not smooth, and traces of cement are clearly visible.
Dust and ash filled the air.
Unidentified smudges were scattered everywhere.
The entire environment, illuminated by the lights, appeared lifeless and gloomy.
In addition, there is the claustrophobic and oppressive feeling unique to narrow passages.
It left the players in front of the screen with an indescribable feeling of suffocation and discomfort.
It felt as if I were in the middle of it all, about to face the mysterious and unknown strange things below the steps!
In short, I felt uncomfortable and unwell.
There is also fear and apprehension.
Players with claustrophobia probably have an even more severe case, right?
At this moment, the players couldn't help but admire this D-rank Orange-Clad Man.
After all, he was in the thick of it.
If this were a player, even 100 yuan wouldn't be enough!
In the video, the camera quickly zooms in, getting close to the wall.
Then, the hand holding the searchlight gently tapped on it.
It produced a heavy thud.
Then I touched the wall again, and under the lens and light, my fingers were covered with a thick layer of dust.
[It's a regular concrete wall.]
The Orange-Clad Man spoke softly.
Then, he squatted down and touched the ground, getting the same result.
[This is a mud-brick house.]
The man stood up and looked the camera upwards.
Above, there was only deep darkness.
Even when the searchlight shone directly on it, it still stopped within a 3-meter range.
This makes it impossible to know whether there is a ceiling above the passage, or whether it is infinitely wide.
At that moment, the doctor's instructions came again.
[Very good, please go down the stairs.]
Upon hearing this, the camera visibly trembled.
Then, the Orange-Clad Man seemed to try to leave.
[Dr. Bo, there's clearly something wrong here, even the lights are...]
[As I said, please go down the stairs.]
Faced with the doctor's cold command, the Orange-Clad Man hesitated for a moment, then sighed and did as he was told.
As he moves, the camera moves forward as well.
At the top of the stairs, the Orange-Clad Man shone the light downwards.
A 75-watt searchlight, capable of illuminating a range of tens of meters, could only faintly see the ninth step at this moment.
The tenth one, however, was completely obscured by light, utterly lost in darkness.
[Damn it!]
The players heard the Orange-Clad Man mutter a curse under his breath before stepping down the stairs.
Immediately, footsteps rang out clearly, echoing continuously in the narrow, confined, and crowded stairwell.
As the camera pans downwards, the previously invisible 10th step comes into view.
However, the searchlight's visibility distance remained unchanged; it still couldn't see the 11th step.
In the video, accompanied by echoing footsteps, the players followed the camera down the stairs.
After 13 steps, you reach the semi-circular platform at the bend.
Here, the staircase, which was originally enclosed by two thick earthen walls, now has a handrail at the point leading to the next floor.
Soon, the doctor spoke again.
[D-8432, please check the handrail area.]
The Orange-Clad Man spat and walked to the handrail.
In the footage, players can clearly see that the handrail is covered in rust.
Its surface had a layer of gray paint, but due to its long storage time, the paint had peeled off, revealing the rusted metal underneath.
The Orange-Clad Man squeezed it with his hand and then pressed it down with his body.
There were no abnormalities.
It looks like just an ordinary, dilapidated stair railing.
[D-8432, There are two spare flare sticks inside the searchlight. Please use one to drop it from the handrail and observe the height.]
The Orange-Clad Man had no choice but to comply.
He placed the camera and searchlight on the descending stairs and then pulled out a signal flare.
Sizzle
With the light touch of the flame.
The originally dimly lit stair landing was suddenly illuminated by a fiery red light.
Even so, the area is still very small, and you can't see very far.
Then, the Orange-Clad Man picked up the camera and went to the stair railing.
The camera showed a burning signal flare being dropped.
But what horrified the players was the signal flare that emitted Red Light.
After illuminating the next staircase platform during its fall, it seemed to be swallowed by the abyss.
It completely disappeared at the location of the third floor staircase.
And there was no sound of it landing for a long time.
[Shit! Did you see that? Did you see that? If the light doesn't shine far, it might be a problem with the light itself, but why is the signal flare gone too?! There's something strange going on in this the Staircase... ■■■■■■■■■ Ah! ■■■■■■ Ah! Doctor!]
The Orange-Clad Man began to roar, terrified by the terrifying darkness below.
The players in front of the screen were once again completely bewildered.
The video is played here, the dialogue is obscured by black blocks again, and the sound is muted once more.
I have no idea what the Orange-Clad Man said.
However, given that the beginning of the video also contained black blocks to represent important information, players had no choice but to accept it despite their objections.
After all, we've already seen what's happened before, so what can we do now that this has occurred?
Besides piquing players' curiosity, does it have any other purpose?
But honestly, I'm really curious about what the Orange-Clad Man actually said.
And damn it, Shuo Guang never replies to private messages.
This left players with no choice but to watch and fill in the blanks with their own imaginations.
This makes the video extremely eerie and mysterious.
However, to be fair, the Orange-Clad Man's actions just now were indeed shocking.
I thought that even if the Staircase was dark and deep, the signal flare that fell down would gradually shrink and disappear.
But once we reached the third floor, it was as if we had fallen into something, and the light went out completely, which was extremely abrupt!
Although they knew the Staircase was unusual, the players didn't see any monsters or any bloody scenes.
Only the discovery of these details can evoke a chilling realization.
Will it?
The Staircase filled with darkness that can swallow up light?
Then, those inside have a 3-meter-wide 'safe zone'.
Just 3 meters away, all that's there is this all-consuming darkness?
Or rather, from the moment you enter the Staircase.
It had already been swallowed by darkness.
Perhaps the Orange-Clad Man thought of this and then said it aloud?
So much so that it was censored and muted?
The players, unsure and no longer speculating, continued watching.
In the video, the doctor's voice was deep and resonant.
[D-8432, you are forbidden from making meaningless guesses. Please put away your unrealistic ideas and continue.]
The Orange-Clad Man made a distinct swallowing sound, then stepped down.
At this moment, in the picture.
The Staircase presented to the players remains claustrophobic and narrow.
The left side is a solid wall, and the right side has a rusty handrail.
At the bottom is a semi-circular platform.
And the steps beneath our feet, illuminated by the lights, appear one by one.
It gives you a sense of dispelling layers of mist.
At this moment, all the players could hear were the resounding footsteps and the chaotic breathing caused by fear.
Even through the screen, you could feel the fear in the Orange-Clad Man.
Especially these dimly Pitch Black, eerie the Staircase.
Let alone him, no one could feel safe in this situation!
In the video, the camera stopped immediately as soon as it entered the semi-circular platform.
Everyone was stunned.
Not only the Orange-Clad Man suddenly stopped, but also the doctor's surprised expression and the astonishment of the players in front of the screen.
In the video, the only sounds of footsteps and breathing were no longer deathly silent.
Instead, a very clear, yet faint, sound of a woman crying could be heard.
Here it comes!
Something unusual has happened!
After their initial shock, the players quickly recovered.
At this moment, they were all eagerly anticipating what the person in the video would do in this situation.
Just as expected!
The people in the video did not disappoint the players.
The Orange-Clad Man was the first to exclaim in surprise.
[Someone's down there!? Oh my god!? There's a woman down there!]
His loud question contrasted sharply with the doctor's composure.
[D-8432, immediately describe what you see and hear!]
The Orange-Clad Man was somewhat surprised upon hearing this.
[Damn it, can't you hear me!?]
[I can hear you, but I need to make sure the sound coming from the communicator matches what you hear on-site. Please describe it.]
In the video, the Orange-Clad Man holding the camera paused for a moment before speaking.
[It's a very obvious female voice, and it sounds like someone underage. Wait, this voice seems...]
The Orange-Clad Man approached the stair railing and leaned out, seemingly wanting to hear more clearly.
The camera then panned downwards, revealing complete Pitch Black.
Only dust particles drifting in the sunlight.
[It sounds like a plea for help? I think it's saying, "Please come down and help me?" Yes! It's someone crying and repeating, "Please come down and help me!"]
Upon seeing this, the players had a look of sudden realization.
Those watching on the screen could only faintly hear a woman crying, but couldn't make out what she was saying.
Upon hearing the explanation from the Orange-Clad Man, they realized that he was actually asking for help.
Does that mean there are other people in the Staircase?
Could it be the missing person?
Or perhaps... not even human?
Or are they luring others down?
Players were filled with all sorts of speculations, their eyes glued to the video.
In the video, the Orange-Clad Man was no longer leaning against the handrail, but hesitated in place.
[D-8432, estimate how far away this sound is from you.]
[How the hell should I know? This space is cramped; I can clearly hear myself breathing. This sound sounds very far away; even with the ambient noise, it's only faintly audible. This means the person making the sound is much farther away than I can hear now!]
That makes a lot of sense.
The players agreed.
The doctor didn't seem to be finding fault, and simply asked the Orange-Clad Man to continue downwards.
Then, the film was sped up.
Players watching on screen can see the camera continuously descending the stairs, interspersed with a few sharp, high-pitched voices due to the increased speed.
Perhaps because the process was tedious and boring, this part was sped up.
Players weren't surprised, since it saved them time.
This is a documentary broadcast live; if you were to watch the whole thing, you'd probably be bored to death.
Therefore, speeding up the tedious process of going downstairs actually improved the player's viewing experience.
The acceleration didn't last long.
After descending an unknown number of flights of stairs, the screen returned to normal.
[Damn it! That voice keeps echoing in my ears, and it doesn't feel like it's getting any closer! It's like... as I move forward, the voice is moving away from me at the same speed!]
Just as the frame rate returned to normal, the players heard the Orange-Clad Man say something that piqued their interest.
That woman's crying was definitely off! Something was definitely wrong!
The doctor quickly responded.
[I understand, please continue.]
The Orange-Clad Man immediately roared.
[Going down?? I've been in this dark, unknown the Staircase for at least an hour now! Do you understand how I feel? I feel awful! It's just stairs, stairs, stairs, up and down, all I see! And there's a chilling woman's crying echoing here! I think this experiment should end here!]
The doctor did not show any anger or other emotions upon hearing this.
He simply spoke in a flat tone.
[In fact, only 34 minutes have passed since you entered W-FBC-0087. You've passed through 50 platforms, and you're currently standing on the 51st. Based on vertical distance, you should be approximately 150 meters underground.]
[Nothing strange happened during those 34 minutes. On the contrary, if you thought the crying was dangerous, why did it move further away instead of closer?]
[■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■]
The next second, the Orange-Clad Man, his voice trembling.
I understand and I will abide by the agreement.
The players were stunned once again.
Holy shit!
Mute and black screen again!
What did this doctor say that caused his entire line to be censored?!
Upon hearing this, the Orange-Clad Man immediately cowered!
horrible.
I really want to know what the censored version said!
Although the players didn't know what the doctor said, they could guess that it was some kind of threat.
How miserable.
Not only was I thrown into this the Staircase, but I couldn't even resist. It was incredibly frustrating!
And surprisingly, it has already gone deep underground to 51 staircase platforms!
The bottom is still a long way off.
How long and deep is this the Staircase?
It's been over 30 minutes and we still haven't reached the end!
Could it be... over a hundred layers?
Or perhaps, it leads directly to the Earth's core?
Possibly!
This the Staircase is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.
Or rather, it's beyond the players' comprehension!
At the very least, based on their past gaming experience or film viewing knowledge.
No games or movies have focused on the Staircase.
Now, this video, themed the Staircase, has truly satisfied many people's childhood traumas.
How many people, when they were young, were too afraid to step into Pitch Black and quiet the Staircase?
This video recording has brought back childhood fears for many players.
Although I don't feel much about it now that I'm older, I still have a strange sense of awe towards the Pitch Black the Staircase.
In the video, the Orange-Clad Man trembled slightly and dared not say another word.
Instead, he held up the camera and obediently continued looking down.
Upon reaching the next platform, sharp-eyed players immediately noticed that the first step of the Staircase leading to the next floor was broken!
The Orange-Clad Man immediately stepped forward, squatted down, placed the searchlight aside, and began to examine the shattered first step.
[Completely shattered into rubble.]
In the footage, the Orange-Clad Man picks up a piece of shard and examines it closely.
He reached out and searched through the pile of rubble again, but found nothing.
It's as normal as an ordinary step being trampled and broken.
But as everyone knows, in the current environment, even normal things are probably not so normal anymore.
The doctor's voice rang out.
[D-8432, besides this step, were the others broken?]
[No. Everything else is normal, there aren't even any signs of damage. It seems only this level was damaged. But why?]
The doctor's voice paused slightly before continuing.
[This could be a key point; look around and see if there's anything else that's different.]
Upon hearing this, the Orange-Clad Man picked up the searchlight and stood up.
After carefully scanning the platform, I found that it was no different from the other platforms mentioned above.
Apart from these steps reduced to rubble.
[The doctor is gone. Only this one step is broken; everything else is the same as before.]
[Where is the sound of the woman crying?]
Still, nothing has changed. The sound is still very far away, and there's no sense of it getting closer.
The doctor paused for a moment, then spoke again.
[I understand. The first step leading to platform 53 from platform 52 is shattered. Okay, please continue.]
The Orange-Clad Man sighed and started walking downhill.
As a result, at the very moment of stepping over the broken steps...
A series of hurried footsteps came from the Pitch Black below.
Its sounds, approaching from afar, gradually grew louder and louder.
Right up to the Staircase.
Move closer to him!
This chapter has been revised several times, with some of the original content moved to the next chapter. The story needs to progress gradually, and the first exploration can't be all scary stuff, otherwise the Doctor would just shut it down and stop exploring. The next chapter will conclude with Exploration #2, followed by an original Exploration #3; there will be no fourth exploration.