novelraw Chapter 920: Everything That Doesn't Exist
Chapter 920: Everything That Doesn't Exist
“To be precise, that ghost is still clinging to my back,” Qing Chen corrected.
Doggy was a little confused. “What's the difference?”
“Because it came out of the water, it's no longer a water ghost,” Qing Chen replied.
Doggy was speechless for a long time: “Rigorous.”
A normal person would be shivering just from having a ghost on their back, let alone speaking coherently. Yet, this big shot was actually contemplating the definition of a ghost. Is this even a normal person's way of thinking?
Qing Chen smiled. “In this amusement park, it's necessary to be rigorous. When I discovered that water ghosts were appearing endlessly in the river, I started thinking about a problem: Do they truly exist?”
Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, “Actually, I wanted to tell you about this, but I was worried you wouldn't believe me, and... most people don't believe what I say. They only believe what they see.”
Qing Chen continued, “So I used the Dawos Cognitive Bias Rating Scale to test myself. ‘Are people always watching me?’
‘I avoid considering information that shakes my beliefs.’
‘I don't go out after dark.’ ‘I remain vigilant against danger.’
The Dawos Cognitive Bias Rating Scale has a total of 42 items for scoring, and it's a tool used to assess patients with schizophrenia and delusional disorders.
Qing Chen's mental stability level had never changed; it had always been the same score.
However, he gave himself an assessment in the rafting area. The score changed.
The change was extremely subtle, only a difference of two points. Ordinary people wouldn't even notice a two-point deviation.
But for Qing Chen, a change is a change.
He was influenced by the environment and began to have some resentment.
Doggy was speechless when he heard Qing Chen mention the Cognitive Bias assessment. What normal person would have the time to do a Cognitive Bias assessment while out and about...
Qing Chen looked at Doggy. “You can't see it, right? Just answer yes or no.”
“Yes, I saw you making a motion of hitting empty air.”
Qing Chen nodded. In fact, when he was rafting, he noticed that someone's body was stiff, their muscles tense, and even their paddling movements were awkward.
At that moment, he knew that the other person was experiencing the same situation as him.
But he could only see his own, not others'. So, do water ghosts really exist?
Qing Chen pointed to Doggy's three subordinates and asked, “Their minds will become unstable, right?”
Doggy looked surprised.
“Yes.”
These three people participated in the Trojan horse riding and slashing game and directly killed three new tourists.
Qing Chen: “Although I didn't do it, because I stood by and watched, my mind will also become unstable, right?”
“Yes.”
“Other observers will also have mental problems, right?”
“Yes.”
“The human-faced tree they saw; it's not the tree that has a problem, it's them, right?”
“Yes.”
Qing Chen's questions and answers became increasingly unrestrained, gradually trying to discuss the essential nature of the amusement park's rules.
It's because the tourist guidelines didn't mention not discussing the amusement park's rules!
The rules of the Forbidden Zone are not the rules of the amusement park!
So now Qing Chen understands where the crazies in the town came from.
They either participated in the killings or witnessed the killings.
In this amusement park, killing, or abandoning your teammates, will result in invisible punishment...
Therefore, water ghosts don't exist; they are hallucinations.
In the first level, after the riding and slashing game ended, Zhuzi reminded: “Only one person can ride a kayak in the rafting area, but if someone suddenly appears behind you, immediately take the kayak ashore and exit the amusement park, without looking back.”
This isn't a rule.
This is a kind suggestion.
Because they didn't use the correct way to pass the level, Zhuzi reminded them: Your minds have been polluted, and you are not suitable to continue the game.
When they passed the level using the correct method, Zhuzi's passing prompt changed to “The kayak can be used safely,” because there's no need to remind them; their minds won't be polluted.
But the paradoxical thing about this amusement park is that its kind reminders are like a psychological suggestion art, making you sink deeper and deeper.
Qing Chen wouldn't have gotten into this situation, but he analyzed things too deeply. Others would glance at certain information and move on, but he analyzed every piece of information and memorized it. This led him to be the most affected by psychological suggestion.
The true rules of this amusement park, currently known, are:
Fill each level's stone jar with blood to leave.
After killing someone, self-awareness will be affected. The more people you kill, the deeper the pollution.
Each level's rules, such as keeping a three-meter distance after dark in the Trojan horse game, or the requirement of 23 people reaching the finish line in the rafting area.
In each subsequent level, one person fewer must proceed, and only one less (to be determined).
No tools can be used.
The tourist guidelines are merely guidelines, not rules. For example, “Do not enter the maze area before sunrise or after sunset” is not a rule, it's a warning!
Qing Chen looked at Doggy. “The syringe in Buddha Master's hand is a Forbidden Artifact, and it can eliminate mental pollution, right?”
“Yes.”
The reason is clear. Once you pass a level using the wrong method, the passer will gradually get lost in the amusement park.
Doggy looked at the Head of the Qingshi Clan with a complex expression.
When he hadn't seen the world, he thought that those high-ranking figures in the world were just luckier than him. If he had a good background and good luck, he could do the same.
But only when he stood opposite Qing Chen did he feel powerless.
A water ghost should be on the other person's back, but he was analyzing things without any influence, relaxed and calm.
“I thought that after successfully passing the level, this state could be eliminated, but it seems not, I still need to get the syringe from the Buddha Master,” Qing Chen said. “Let's go to the next level.”
With that, he dragged the kayak towards the turnstile.
“Huh? Aren't we going to look for Buddha Master?” Doggy asked.
Qing Chen said nonchalantly, “They'll eventually die in this amusement park, and it will be more convenient for us to take it from their corpses then.”
Anyway, the syringe can't be used in the amusement park.
Then, Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, “We have to leave someone behind, right? Doggy, choose someone to stay behind, and then have them give the paddle to Gousheng, and have him go and knock on Buddha Master’s door.”
Doggy:
This guy is ruthless. You're not even in this level, and you still have to leave something behind to annoy Buddha Master...
How wicked is this?
After giving the paddle to Gousheng, Qing Chen returned to the racecourse and whispered a few words to Gousheng: “If you can't win, stay in the car forever.”
Then, he entered the turnstile to the next level.
Doggy followed him curiously and asked, “What did you tell Gousheng? What are you going to do?”
Qing Chen smiled and touched the head of the water ghost on his shoulder:
“Let the bullets fly for a while.”
Doggy was horrified. Although he couldn't see the water ghost, he knew what was on Qing Chen's shoulder. Someone who treats a water ghost as a pet, no wonder he can teach such ruthless family heads.
The next moment, Qing Chen looked at Gousheng sitting in the bumper car. “Give me…”
Gousheng was horrified. “What? What do you want?”
“Give me all the Wishing Cards.”
Doggy: “!!!”
Robbing Wishing Cards!
Qing Chen knew that this thing would definitely come in handy, but he just didn't know where to use it yet.
Gousheng and the others' life and death were now in his hands. He didn't kill anyone; he just grabbed some Wishing Cards. What's the big deal?
Ten minutes later, Doggy followed behind Qing Chen, watching the red Wishing Cards swaying with every step Qing Chen took, his scalp went numb.
Buddha Master was the first batch, Gousheng was the second batch, and there were still some minions as the third batch.
But the third batch had lost the chance to enter the bumper car area.
In front of the stone tablet in the rafting area, Buddha Master politely said to the Chen Family experts, “We should be on our way now.”
“Let's go,” A Chen Family expert patted their behind and got up. “I wonder if Gousheng is dead or not, let's go check the situation.” Everyone scanned their irises to enter, and everyone marveled at the magnificence of the racecourse; they had never played such a cool bumper car racecourse as children.
At this time, Buddha Master saw Gousheng. “Where's Qing Chen?”
“He ate a meal with us and left.”
Buddha Master:
Chen Family expert:
Isn't this a bumper car? How can you hit people? Buddha Master and the others also sat in the bumper car, listening to the game's scoring rules.
As the safety lock clicked shut, Buddha Master saw Gousheng pull out a paddle from the car...
Buddha Master:
“... “So that's how you beat them.
Wow, so these paddles can be taken away and used! Didn't it say you can't use tools?!
Everyone was here for the first time and didn't have the time to find loopholes in the rules.
However, at this moment, a Chen Family expert said with a sinister smile, “You still plan to go out, right? Do you still want to survive after going out?”
Gousheng froze for a moment and silently handed over the paddle... but his hand quickly retracted!
After all, if you fail to pass a level, you will be locked in the car and wait for the next batch of tourists. But when will the next batch of tourists come? It might take a year or two, or even decades before someone reaches this point!
Therefore, those who lose can't even fill the stone jar with blood, they will be trapped here and die!
Gousheng grinned, “In this level, it's either you die or I live, brothers, crash into them for me!”
Buddha Master hadn't even seen Qing Chen yet, but he had a fight with his own people first. Gousheng waved the paddle and chased after Buddha Master.
Since Qing Chen came, the style of the amusement park has changed...
However, Gousheng was too weak. He only chased Buddha Master with the paddle, but a Chen Family expert, enduring the pain, snatched the paddle...
The situation reversed instantly...
In the end, Buddha Master, whose head was originally shiny, walked out of the car with a swollen head, while Gousheng, as the loser, was still locked in the car.
Buddha Master grabbed the paddle and beat Gousheng a while before letting out a breath; “Damn it, did you really think you're doing alright? What garbage!”
The remaining Chen Family experts twisted the necks of Gousheng's subordinates who were trapped in the bumper car. They always worked with the style of completely eliminating the threat.
However, unbeknownst to them, Gousheng was a gift left by Qing Chen.
There's no need to take action personally; the rules can kill people.
Buddha Master and others listened to the passing reward, but their passing rewards were different. In addition to what Qing Chen and the others heard, there was an extra sentence: “Remember, water ghosts only exist in the rafting area. If it follows you ashore, immediately go to the roller coaster area.”
The non-existent roller coaster area is mentioned again. A contradiction.
Buddha Master grumbled, “Who set these rules, are they crazy? They’re trying to drive people mad.”
“Let's go, the next level is probably a giant swing, it should still be a single-group level. We have to figure out how to deal with it,” A Chen Family expert said coldly. “We don't have Qing Chen’s brain, so we can only figure things out ourselves.”
There are hints in the carousel area.
The rafting area has low intensity.
You can get points in the bumper car area.
The first three levels were like appetizers, providing some information before you enter the real amusement park.
However, what comes next is probably the real beginning.
Everyone swiped their irises at the turnstile and walked inside... But strangely, after walking for a long time, they didn't see the expected giant swing, but heard the sound of water.
No, to be precise, it was the sound of the tide.
Continuing to walk inside, they saw a huge water park: rotating slides, drop towers, rainbow bridges, and big speakers.
Everyone walked into it and silently looked at this scene: How do we pass this level?
A clever Chen Family expert asked, “Wait, who has been to a water park?”
“I haven't been. The Federation's water parks are only in No. 18 and City 10. Only particularly prosperous cities can build this kind of thing.”
Buddha Master suddenly said, “I have. When I was young, I would frequently go there to pick up girls. You can see their faces without makeup, and you can also see their figures. If you want to pick up girls, you must go to a water park, that's the only way you can see them clearly.”
A Chen Family expert looked at him, “You've been there, then what's the difference between this place and where you've been?”
Buddha Master squinted his eyes, “There doesn't seem to be any difference. Everything looks the same outside.
The Chen Family expert mused, “The same? The amusement park's entertainment facilities are definitely different from the outside world. Find the difference first, then we can roughly guess what the game content is.”
However, at this moment, Buddha Master suddenly said, “Wait... there's no artificial wave pool here.”
The Chen Family expert froze.
The next moment, the faint sound of the tide became louder and louder. Everyone looked, and they saw a wave more than ten meters high rushing over, even submerging the entire water park! This water park is just a decoration. The real game content is the giant wave-making area in the north.
This amusement park doesn't have a surfing area, because the entire park is a surfing area!
Before Buddha Master and the others could react, they saw Qing Chen and the others sitting on kayaks flowing down, riding the wind and waves!
Buddha Master: “Wow, their kayaks... Damn!”
Buddha Master hadn't finished speaking when his head was hit by a kayak and submerged in the huge tide...