S-Rank Difficulty

No one answered Xi Shi's question. Only the little girl named Xie Lingxi looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

They still didn't trust each other enough. Was she unwilling to reveal her official affiliation, or was there no one else with official backing among the Walkers present? Zhang Yuanqing was considering whether to offer a hint when the River God in the black hoodie said coolly:

"We've been in the Spirit Realm for several minutes, and it hasn't given us any prompts. That means we'll have to rely on ourselves to clear this place. If you know anything, you'd better not hide it. We're all in this together."

Xie Lingxi raised her hand slightly and said in a quiet voice:

"I know a little about the old version of this instance. The Spirit Realm's description has changed."

Was she part of the official organization? Zhang Yuanqing studied the little girl.

The River God frowned at this.

"The Spirit Realm's description changed? I think I understand why Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty changed. The answer lies in the description. Does everyone remember what it said?"

"I forgot," the red-haired Fire Demon said, scratching his head.

Xi Shi glanced at him and quietly moved away. Smiling gently, she said:

"An indescribable being came here. She changed Jinshui Amusement Park's difficulty level and told the spirits inside to help her find someone. That person's name is four characters long. Who could it be?"

Ashamed to be a Father couldn't help saying:

"I don't think it matters who it is. That person is probably just part of the backstory. What matters is the 'spirits' in the amusement park. Could the difficulty have risen to S-rank because the spirits were empowered by that being and became especially strong?"

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven, in skinny pants, bean shoes, and a little suit, brightened. "I think that makes sense. You're really smart, Uncle."

The River God nodded slightly, agreeing with the middle-aged man.

"In that case, we just need to avoid attractions with supernatural elements and try some simple rides. That should reduce the risk."

He turned to Xie Lingxi. "Do you know the old version's detailed walkthrough?"

At that, Zhang Yuanqing planned to beat the girl to it and share the old information before he lost control of the conversation. But just then, a chime rang in his mind, followed by a Spirit Realm notification:

[Because of your outstanding performance just now, you have triggered a hidden quest and been appointed team leader. Note: An evil person is hidden among the team. Ensure the number of team members is at least 3, or you will be punished: your current level experience will be reset to zero.

[Note: Keep your role identity hidden.]

There were hidden quests too?! A single "Fuck" flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind. He remained calm on the surface, but his heart sank.

The attractions in this instance were full of danger, and there was a werewolf among the team. The difficulty had shot up.

"My hidden quest is to keep the team's numbers at three or more. So the evil person's quest must be to reduce the team to fewer than three, or even wipe us all out."

"To ensure we clear the instance, the best option would be to expose and eliminate the evil person in advance. But I can't prove my identity, and there isn't enough trust among the team. I could easily end up making things worse and get framed as the wolf instead."

For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing felt he couldn't trust anyone. Even the sweet girl named Xie Lingxi seemed like a wolf in human skin.

Wait! Jinshui Amusement Park was a group instance open to all professions. Could one of the team members be an Evil Profession?

Given the hostility between the two sides, an Evil Profession would definitely be the culprit. A ruthless idea flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind: use the Red Dancing Shoes to force the team to reveal their methods. Then he'd know at once who had an Evil Profession.

"No, that's too reckless. It would leave no room to turn things around. Besides, could it really be that simple? What if I'm wrong?" He silently let out a breath and gave up on summoning the Red Dancing Shoes.

If there was no Evil Profession on the team, that move would turn him against everyone outright. There'd be no point in continuing.

"So I have to lead the team through the attractions while also finding the evil person? No wonder it's an S-rank group instance. It's as hard as the Mountain God Temple, just in a different way."

The instance hadn't even begun, but Zhang Yuanqing already felt weighed down.

"I know the old walkthrough, but I can't remember every detail," Xie Lingxi said.

"Oh, you're amazing, little sister. You're with the official organization, aren't you? Do you mind if I stick with you?" Xi Shi said.

One was far too innocent; the other had an ulterior motive. Zhang Yuanqing studied the two women without changing his expression.

The River God in the black hoodie looked at Zhang Yuanqing coolly.

"What do you think?"

Zhang Yuanqing considered it for a moment.

"My initial guess is that the difficulty has increased for attractions with supernatural elements. The other rides may not have changed much, so we can use the old walkthrough to choose something easy."

A hint of approval showed on the River God's gloomy face. He nodded. "That was my thinking too. You really are an experienced player who's been through several Spirit Realm instances."

He turned to everyone. "Does anyone disagree?"

Everyone nodded in unison, as if they had no opinions of their own.

The River God said, "Little girl, which attraction do you think we should try?"

Xie Lingxi pursed her lips, her bright eyes darting around. Then she pointed to the steel tracks that rose and fell like a dragon.

"That one's the easiest."

Everyone's eyes twitched when they saw the roller coaster. Xi Shi forced a smile. "Why?"

"The old way to clear it was simple. Get on, keep your eyes closed the whole time, and it ends after the roller coaster goes around the track three times."

"Uh..." The young Great Sage Equal to Heaven looked up at the towering steel tracks, a little apprehensive. He pointed at the nearby carousel. "What about that one? I think it looks pretty safe too."

Xie Lingxi shook her head and said seriously, "Only children can ride the carousel. If adults get on, they can never get off. It won't put you in any real danger, though. It'll just keep spinning forever."

Getting on meant the whole team would be wiped out? The Great Sage Equal to Heaven quietly took a step back and said nothing more.

"If no one objects, then we'll take the roller coaster," the River God said coolly. Then he gave a quiet "heh." "I can't guarantee everyone who gets matched into Jinshui Amusement Park is smart, but none of you can be complete idiots, right?"

The River God was deliberately trying to wrest control of the conversation from me. At first glance, Xie Lingxi seemed innocent, but could an innocent person really get matched into an S-rank instance? Xi Shi had been probing everyone's identity from the start. Her flirtatious manner might be an act, too.

Ashamed to be a Father looked honest and straightforward, but he'd pinpointed supernatural elements as the real danger with a single remark. He clearly wasn't as simple as he looked.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven was a little timid and a little lecherous, but otherwise unremarkable. He wasn't a troublemaker, either. Of this group, I thought the Fire Demon was the safest—if I could confirm he was a Fire Master. Otherwise, he was the most dangerous.

Zhang Yuanqing assessed his companions and raised a hand in agreement. "I have no objections. The roller coaster it is."

Without realizing it, he had ceded some of the initiative. He no longer took the lead in everything, but he stayed involved.

He'd read the walkthrough and knew Xie Lingxi hadn't lied. The roller coaster looked dangerous, but it was the easiest ride to deal with.

Of course, he didn't know whether the roller coaster's rules were still the same. But could they be sure the other attractions hadn't changed?

"I have no objections."

"Neither do I."

"Sure. We're here to ride something, after all."

After deciding, the group headed for the roller coaster. Following the signs, they walked through a passage and entered the building beneath the tracks.

It was a small lobby. Lockers stood to the left of the entrance, and a ticket window was on the right. As the group entered, they heard a Spirit Realm notification:

[You have received one roller coaster ticket. Please reach the upper level within five minutes.]

[Your extra belongings have been sealed away. Please return to the lockers to retrieve them after the ride.]

Extra belongings? Zhang Yuanqing instinctively reached for the small blue pill in his pocket and found it was still there. He was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the Fire Demon cried out:

"I can't open my Inventory!"

Everyone was horrified. They immediately tried to summon their Inventories, only to find that the function seemed not to exist.

The Great Sage Equal to Heaven's voice trembled. "I—I can't use my skills either. What about you?"

!!! Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. He instinctively tried to use Night Roaming, but his Lunar Power was firmly sealed inside his body.

The others tried their skills as well, and sure enough, they'd lost them.

This realization weighed heavily on the Spirit Realm Walkers. Without their skills, what difference were they from ordinary people?

At that moment, Ashamed to be a Father said:

"Our active skills can't be used, but our passive abilities are still there. And our physical fitness hasn't changed."

"We're already here, so let's go up." Zhang Yuanqing took the lead and started up the stairs.

The others followed, their hearts heavy. They climbed to the roof, which was a platform with two tracks running across it. A roller coaster with two-seat cars sat motionless on the rails.

The team stared at the roller coaster and fell silent. No one spoke.

Sigh. This is when the team's captain needs to set an example. It fits the image I established at the start. Zhang Yuanqing smiled.

"The last time I rode a roller coaster was when I was a student. I always liked sitting in the front row."

With everyone watching, he climbed into the front seat and fastened his seat belt.

The others relaxed a little and climbed aboard too.

"I'm afraid of heights..." Xi Shi put on a pitiful expression and hesitated between Zhang Yuanqing and the River God.

While she hesitated, Xie Lingxi, with her long, straight black hair, took the seat beside Zhang Yuanqing. Xi Shi had no choice but to sit with the River God.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her. She returned his look with a sweet smile.

Once everyone had fastened their seat belts, the River God, sitting in the second row, said coolly:

"Remember to keep your eyes closed. No matter what happens, don't open them. Of course, if any of you want to test the rules with your life, you're welcome to."

"You really have a way with words," the Fire Demon said, rolling his eyes.

Zhang Yuanqing looked back at the others. The River God and Xi Shi sat in the second row, while Ashamed to be a Father and the Fire Demon were in the third.

The timid Great Sage Equal to Heaven seemed to have been left out and was sitting alone in the fourth row.

At that moment, the tracks powered up. A "clunk" sounded from underneath the car, and the roller coaster began to move slowly.

Before Zhang Yuanqing looked away, he saw that everyone had closed their eyes.

He closed his eyes and felt the car crawl along the track. It started off slowly, as if climbing a steep hill. When the roller coaster reached the top, it came to a stop.

The next moment, a powerful feeling of weightlessness hit him. Wind roared past his ears, along with Xi Shi's faint gasp.

Zhang Yuanqing tensed all over, listening to the sounds around him and counting the seconds.

About two minutes later, the speeding roller coaster slowed down, then stopped.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and saw that the roller coaster had returned to the platform atop the building. Nothing had happened.

Phew. He silently let out a breath. Then he suddenly heard someone behind him gasp.

His heart tightened. He turned to look, and his pupils contracted sharply.

The River God, sitting in the second row, had nothing above his shoulders. His head was gone.

The Fire Demon in the third row was covered in blood. Trembling, he lifted the head in his arms and stammered:

"It—it didn't work.

"Keeping our eyes closed didn't work..."

The River God's eyes were tightly shut, his expression peaceful, as if he hadn't felt any pain at all.

A chill rose in everyone's hearts.