The opening passage on the notice was highly misleading.
For visitors who hadn't seen the notice outside the Aquarium?
That was utter nonsense.
To him, even the placement of this notice suggested something sinister.
If a visitor had seen the notice outside, their first instinct upon entering would certainly be to change into a Black Work Uniform.
They would therefore overlook this notice.
Besides, only a pane of glass separated the two notices. Looking against the light, they would subconsciously assume this was the back of the notice outside.
Naturally, they would overlook this notice too.
Only one kind of person would see it.
Someone who hadn't seen the notice outside.
Upon entering an unfamiliar environment, those visitors would instinctively look for clues or relevant rules.
They would soon discover this notice.
But that raised a problem: which notice a visitor saw first was entirely random!
Wasn't that just drawing lots for death?
See the one outside and die, miss it and live?
Wasn't that far too arbitrary?
Suddenly, an idea flashed through Su Chen's mind.
Perhaps, as Dragon Country's hint had said, the Aquarium really did lie between the surface and otherworld.
In that case, only people who had been contaminated without fully succumbing, and were still wavering between the surface and otherworld...
Or people whose bitten-off body parts had fallen into the otherworld after a lion attacked them...
Only under those circumstances could they see it.
Could the notices work on the same principle?
Only the severely contaminated could see the notice outside, while everyone could see the one inside.
That way, the two notices formed a fully automatic screening mechanism.
The more Su Chen thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Then he couldn't help sighing inwardly. If that was true, he belonged to that high-risk group himself.
Escaping the Zoo in this condition was nothing but a pipe dream.
Fortunately, he had a save point, so he wasn't particularly discouraged.
Instead, he began studying the rules carefully.
These rules might be the tools he would eventually use to escape for real.
Before long, Su Chen finished studying them thoroughly.
There were still some rules he couldn't understand.
First was rule one: don't enter when someone is there.
Could that person be "it"?
Su Chen couldn't reach a definite conclusion about that.
Then there was rule six.
Turn off the Jellyfish Night Light before sleeping.
What was that about? Weren't night-lights meant to be left on while you slept?
Could the light attract "it"?
He couldn't quite understand that either.
As for the remaining rules, they were straightforward, and Su Chen had no particular questions about them.
Just then, Su Chen froze as he remembered something important.
He hadn't checked the time when he entered the Aquarium.
He hurriedly pulled out his phone.
One look made his hair stand on end.
It was now 15:59.
The rule instantly put Su Chen on alert.
Why couldn't visitors entering before 16:00 stay in the Aquarium for more than half an hour?
Was "it" more likely to appear in the Aquarium during that period?
And was half an hour how long "it" needed to contaminate someone completely?
Su Chen didn't dare dwell on those speculations any longer.
The most important thing now was to get out of here immediately.
The Aquarium was far too dangerous right now.
Su Chen shoved the people around him aside, forcing his way toward the exit.
Just then, a slightly shrill voice rang out through the hall.
"Visitors, do you need a guide? I'll take you to see the whales!"
Hearing that voice, Su Chen's scalp prickled.
The very thing he feared had arrived.
Who else could appear in the Aquarium at this hour?
And the purpose of its appearance went without saying.
"It" must have lost patience and decided to hunt them down personally.
Panic began rising in Su Chen's heart.
But despite his terror, his feet never stopped moving.
He continued charging toward the entrance without looking back.
As long as I get through that door, I'll be safe!
Su Chen repeated it silently to himself.
However, just as Su Chen reached the entrance...
To his despair, he realized he could see everything in the hall despite having his back to it.
An eye had appeared on the back of Su Chen's head.
He had been targeted, and his eyes had become distorted again.
Su Chen knew he was done for.
By ignoring the guide and desperately trying to escape, he had drawn its attention.
He also knew his body, in its current condition, couldn't withstand anything it might do to him.
For now, his best option was to play along with its perception.
Otherwise, he would very likely be executed on the spot.
Su Chen sighed again and reluctantly turned around, adopting a cooperative expression as he looked at it.
A staff member dressed in black, with crooked, slightly crossed eyes, came into Su Chen's view.
He knew this was the human form "it" had taken.
As Su Chen turned around and stopped resisting...
The feeling of being watched gradually receded like the tide.
His vision returned to normal as well.
Su Chen quietly surveyed the other Chosen Ones.
Most were trembling, while only a small minority remained calm.
That small minority consisted of those who had changed into Black Work Uniforms earlier.
But their calm was strange; they were practically expressionless.
They had already gathered behind "it," looking like its lackeys.
Apparently, at close range, "it" could use some means to control the black-uniformed staff.
Meanwhile, the viewers in Dragon Country's livestream had gone wild.
They had thought that after overcoming the Elephant Area, Su Chen would surely clear the scenario with his intelligence.
Instead, "it" had entered the fray personally.
"This fucking Horror Story World is such a scam! What kind of hellish difficulty is this? Is there any fairness at all? The indescribable 'it' can actually take human form and join in personally? What the fuck!"
"I'm speechless. A scenario this difficult is a guaranteed death trap. No one could clear it. What a waste of Su Chen's talent. If he'd entered any other scenario, he definitely would've cleared it."
"Sigh... Su Chen worked so hard, and he's so capable, but he's going to die here. I just can't stomach it!"
"Guys, does anyone know Su Chen? Could you tell me where his hometown is? I'd like to go pay my respects someday."
"+1. May Su Chen's memory live forever!"
"Stop that! Can't you say something positive? Su Chen isn't dead yet. Maybe he can still turn things around!"
The staff of the Dragon Country Strange Tales Department shared the viewers' feelings.
They had fallen into despair too.
Their familiarity with the rules was no less thorough than anyone else's.
So they understood the danger even better than ordinary viewers did.
With "it" appearing in person, how could Su Chen possibly resist with a mortal body?
It was certain death.
"Elder Qin, perhaps you should stop watching now. You haven't eaten or drunk anything all day. Why not go get some rest? Dragon Country will still need you in the days ahead."
Xiao Li, who wore glasses, gently tried to persuade him.
He didn't want Elder Qin to witness Su Chen's death.
Elder Qin was already old, and he was a deeply emotional man.
He feared Elder Qin's health wouldn't withstand the shock of two consecutive failures.
But Elder Qin waved him off without even turning his head.
His clouded eyes remained fixed on Su Chen's face.
"Su Chen hasn't given up yet. I can see his determination. We must still have hope."
Elder Qin spoke hoarsely.
Xiao Li shook his head, stepped forward, and took Elder Qin's hand.
"Elder Qin, even a god couldn't save him now! What matters most is keeping ourselves fit to prepare for the next strange tales scenario. The lives and safety of Dragon Country's people rest on our shoulders!"
Xiao Li's voice caught slightly.
But those words did nothing to change Elder Qin's mind.
He continued staring fixedly at the screen.
He forced out a few words.
"Until the very last moment, we Dragon Country People never give up. Keep your eyes open and watch!"
His hoarse voice carried an unmistakable authority.
Seeing this, the others dared say no more. They merely stood behind Elder Qin, watching together as a hero approached his end.
Before you continue