Chapter 97: Ghost Amusement Park
As long as they didn’t close their eyes or scream, they weren’t breaking any rules—but the rules never said they couldn’t fight back.
As the roller coaster plunged through the track, Li Zhi twisted her wrist, regretting that she had swung too hard earlier—she’d actually sprained herself slapping that ghost.
The ghost whose head she’d slapped backward in the front row seemed dazed, stuck in the same position for a long while without moving.
Chi Yi was initially terrified when the female ghost suddenly turned her head, but Li Zhi’s reaction was too fast. Before Chi Yi could even scream, the ghost’s head was slapped right back into place. Chi Yi quickly covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.
By now, all the ghost passengers in the compartment had revealed themselves. There wasn’t even time for the players to blink. One twisted its head around, another reached from behind to tap someone’s shoulder—everything designed to catch them off guard.
But as long as the players could endure the fright without breaking the rules, these ghosts could only rely on scare tactics. They couldn’t escalate to outright killing.
Over on You Jingmeng’s side, the boneless arms coiled around her neck were becoming increasingly restless, brushing her cheek, patting her shoulder, and occasionally letting out bone-chilling laughter right by her ear. But Qi Yongyi firmly covered her mouth, while she clung tightly to his solid wrist, determined not to make a sound.
Still, blinking was inevitable. Each time she blinked, the grip around her neck tightened. You Jingmeng’s face turned scarlet, her body arching backward instinctively. Sensing the danger, Qi Yongyi turned and tried to pry the ghost’s arms off her.
As his hand touched that clammy, soft texture, goosebumps broke out all over him.
But the more he struggled, the tighter those arms wrapped around her throat. Desperate, You Jingmeng wildly shook her head to stop him, straining to arch her body backward just to breathe.
Qi Yongyi wasn’t entirely safe either. The little girl in the red dress had already crawled over from the front row, squatting in front of him with a grin. His scalp prickled as he shoved her off.
The girl fell off the speeding roller coaster, but before Qi Yongyi could catch his breath, a flicker of red skirt flew past his peripheral vision. He whipped his head around to find that same girl back by his side.
This time, she was even closer, clinging to the rail beside the seat with both hands, hanging there and glaring at him with hollow, resentful eyes.
Qi Yongyi: “...”
He gave up.
This round of the roller coaster was longer, faster, and higher than before. By the time the compartment glided steadily into the station, each person was practically covered in ghosts. Watching from the platform, Owen Dong nearly stopped breathing.
But when his gaze swept to the sixth row, his face changed drastically. He staggered forward a few steps, shouting, “Where’s Zheng Qi?!”
The sixth-row seat was empty—Zheng Qi was gone.
With the roller coaster moving at such terrifying speed, the dives hitting ninety degrees, sharp turns everywhere, and players needing to constantly defend themselves from ghost attacks, no one in the front noticed when Zheng Qi had disappeared.
It wasn’t until Owen Dong shouted that everyone turned around—only then did they see the empty seats in the back.
As the ride finally stopped, the ghosts inside the compartment vanished. You Jingmeng, pale as a sheet, could still feel the slick, sticky sensation of those boneless arms around her neck. She barely stumbled off the ride before vomiting, forcing herself to say, “I think... I heard Zheng Qi screaming midway...”
With the wind roaring at that altitude, she wasn’t entirely sure. Besides, with those ghostly arms strangling her, she hadn’t dared to look back.
Li Zhi and Chi Yi, seated in the second row, were completely drowned out by the howling wind and heard nothing.
The second round had been far too sudden. If Qi Yongyi hadn’t reacted quickly to cover her mouth, You Jingmeng might have been dragged away like Zheng Qi. Falling from such a height and speed meant instant death, body shattered to pieces.
Not even an hour after entering the game, they’d already lost a teammate, even with the death conditions known in advance. The atmosphere turned heavy. Owen Dong staggered in place, grief-stricken over their fallen friend but also secretly relieved that he hadn’t gotten on the ride.
At that moment, one of the staff approached them with a smile. “Congratulations on completing the second round of the Sky Dragon Coaster. Here’s your reward.”
It was the same black box. Li Zhi opened it to reveal the clue: just four characters—"Extreme Joy, Extreme Sorrow."
Owen Dong scratched his head in frustration. “Why are these clues getting harder and harder? What does that even mean?!”
Li Zhi studied the card. “Probably refers to ghosts who experienced both great joy and tragedy simultaneously. For example...”
She paused, thinking, but Chi Yi chimed in first, “Like the bride and groom in ghost weddings! Their wedding feast is also their funeral—fits the clue perfectly.”
Qi Yongyi frowned slightly. “But do ghost brides and grooms look for substitutes? I don’t think that’s part of ghost wedding lore. Plus, the first round’s hanging ghost and drowned ghost don’t seem related to this. These two clues probably point to a different ghost entirely.”
Weakly, You Jingmeng added, “We might have to wait until the ‘ghost voting’ phase to confirm the answer using the clues. But that means... we’ll need three clues.”
Li Zhi stared at the pitch-black tracks disappearing into the night. “We have to ride it again.”
Everyone’s legs felt like jelly.
Li Zhi pocketed the card, avoiding the staff member’s line of sight, and gathered the group to one side to speak quietly. “The third round will be the last—and the most dangerous. I’m guessing that this time, regardless of whether we close our eyes or scream, the ghosts will be allowed to attack for real.”
“Once the ride starts, they’ll try everything to drag us out of the seats. But I tested it last round—ghosts here can physically attack, but other than being able to move freely on the ride, they don’t seem to have any other abilities. If we can just keep them from getting close or opening our safety bars, we should be able to clear it.”
Owen Dong’s lips trembled. “That’s insane...”
If Li Zhi was right, and the ghosts could physically kill them this time, then with only two rows occupied by players and ten filled with ghosts, that was sixteen ghosts total—four per person.
And how were two hands going to handle that?
Li Zhi looked around. “We’ll need tools.”
Bare hands wouldn’t work, and her usual equipment wasn’t suited for combat. Hearing this, everyone started searching around frantically. Unfortunately, the amusement park had nothing useful—just an abandoned wooden chair and an old broom.
“Good enough,” Li Zhi muttered, picking up the chair and smashing it on the ground, breaking it apart. Four chair legs—one for each of them. Chi Yi took hers, swung it a couple of times, and found it surprisingly handy.
Li Zhi also disassembled the broom, leaving a long wooden handle, perfect for swinging like a staff.
She turned to Owen Dong. “You coming this time?”
He shook his head frantically. “No thanks. I’ll keep my life and go try the Ferris wheel.”
Li Zhi nodded, quietly giving her teammates last-minute instructions. Armed with their makeshift weapons, the four of them returned to the platform.
“We’re ready for round three.”
The staff member smiled and asked, “How many participants this time?”
He hadn’t asked that question before, which only confirmed Li Zhi’s suspicions. “Four.”
The staff nodded. “Very well.”
He returned to the control panel. Soon, the clanking sound of the roller coaster echoed through the night. As the carriage emerged from the darkness, it was packed with passengers.
Except for the second and fourth rows, every compartment was filled.
The little girl in the red dress, the long-haired ghost woman Li Zhi had slapped, and the boneless ghost that had strangled You Jingmeng—all of them stood there under the cold station lights, turning in unison to face the players with eerie smiles.
Just as Li Zhi had guessed, they no longer hid—they were fully visible now, just waiting for the players to get on board so they could kill.
Without changing expression, Li Zhi strode forward with her makeshift staff.
Seeing her armed, the long-haired ghost she’d slapped seemed to twitch slightly, her smile faltering.
The four players boarded again. This time, Li Zhi and Qi Yongyi sat in the fourth row, Chi Yi and You Jingmeng in the second. They lowered the safety bars, Li Zhi setting the broom handle across her legs, tapping the chair leg against the rail in front of them like a warning: “Sit tight. Don’t move.”
The surrounding ghosts: “...”
Were they talking to teammates—or threatening them?
With a metallic ding, the ride began moving. This time, the announcement over the loudspeaker carried an unsettling chuckle: “The Sky Dragon Coaster is about to depart. Wishing you all... a safe journey.”
Earlier, they’d wished them a pleasant journey. Now it was just safe.
The roller coaster climbed higher, the four players clutching their weapons, fully alert. The ghosts in the first and third rows sat upright, motionless. But amid the clattering sound of the tracks, You Jingmeng heard something strange—a faint, scraping noise.
Feeling the hairs on her neck stand up, she glanced back while the car was still climbing—and nearly screamed.
All the ghosts in the rows behind them had crawled out of their seats, clinging like grotesque insects to the chains connecting the carriages, their limbs twitching unnaturally as they crept closer.
You Jingmeng pressed her lips shut, frantically signaling to Li Zhi.
Li Zhi gave her a reassuring smile—I know.
She and Qi Yongyi exchanged a look, silently reaching an agreement.
As the roller coaster crested the peak and plunged downward, the ghosts behind received their signal to attack, swarming forward like a flood.
But Li Zhi and Qi Yongyi moved like they had eyes in the backs of their heads. Grabbing the two nearest ghosts, they flipped them over their shoulders, sending them hurtling off the sides.
The boneless arms from before shot up behind Li Zhi again. Feeling the chilling breath at her neck, she grabbed the broom handle on her lap, jammed it backward, and pinned the ghost in place. Forced to release her, it clung desperately to the stick instead.
This was exactly what Li Zhi wanted. Gripping the broom handle tightly, she swung it forward with all her strength, flinging the attached ghost straight into the car in front.
A scream echoed from ahead—Chi Yi’s voice. “Li Zhi! Stop sending them our way!”