- Let's ride the merry-go-round. It looks so romantic!
- Actually, I'm also a little afraid. Let's forget about it...
[player]I heard that artificial intelligence could become very adventurous when facing an undiscovered field. Why am I not seeing this in you, Anju? Or, are you really...
[Anju Suzumiya]O-objection. KR-976 is also keen to explore this place, but more concerned about PLAYER.
[player]Don't worry about me then. I've been in this haunted house many times. I can even be your guide.
[???]Wel—come—
I took Anju Suzumiya to the haunted house. Just when I tried to persuade her to enter it, I suddenly heard a hoarse male voice. I turned back and saw a staff in clown costume standing behind us.
[Clown]Today, there is a special program for couples in our Wonder House. Don't miss out! Hehehehe—
[player]We are not...
Before I could finish, the clown quickly pushed us into the open doors of the haunted house...
Wonder House
To my surprise, I didn't hit the ground nor did I feel any pain. Instead, we fell into something soft. As we held onto each other and struggled to get up under the dim light, we realized the entrance was connected to a large pool filled with foam blocks. The Wonder House was surely full of wonder.
Actually, I lied to Anju. I had never been to this haunted house before. The candle-shaped lamps on the wall glowed dimly in the dark, only lighting up a small area. The atmosphere was surely a fearful one.
The speakers hidden in the wall kept playing weird sounds. Frightened, Anju and I couldn't help but cling to each other's arm.
I didn't expect her to be so scared and felt a little guilty. But there was no turning back. I patted her gently on the back.
[player]Anju, it seems we can only follow this path and go forward. Let's get moving.
Anju Suzumiya didn't say anything. She just nodded firmly.
It wasn't a long walk before we got to a turning point. I stopped for a moment and tried to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming scene, as most haunted houses would set up scary props or even actors here.
I asked Anju to stay back and wait for me. However, just when I stepped around the corner, I was caught in a net and hung up in the air. The clown's voice could be heard over speakers everywhere.
[Clown]Congratulations! *Clapping*—You have successfully triggered the special couples event in Wonder House.
I should be congratulated if I didn't trigger it. This was nothing but a trap that hung up whoever stepped on it first.
[Clown]In fairy tales, brave princesses always defeat the evil dragons to save the heroes. Now, dear princess, to save your hero, you will need to go to the next location alone and bring back the magic item. Hehehehe—
I had never heard of such fairy tales, but whatever. Looking at Anju Suzumiya, I was seriously considering if I should just tell the staff that we give up. I just could not imagine Anju going to the unknown area and completing the task alone. That would be too much to ask.
[Anju Suzumiya]W-was PLAYER hung up because of KR-976? If KR-976 could be braver and walked with you, you wouldn't be hanging there alone.
[player]Um, this is just part of the design. You don't have to blame yourself.
[Anju Suzumiya]Objection.
Still frightened but determined, Anju Suzumiya looked up and clenched her fist.
[Anju Suzumiya]KR-976 will rescue PLAYER.
As she disappeared into the darkness, I suddenly realized what Wonder House was planning in this event: to lock up the brave one in the first stage, then let the less brave one challenge all the horror quests. They sure had some... sick taste.
Under the dim light, I could see the floor and walls were all covered by protective soft foam. Fortunately, even if Anju fell, she wouldn't be hurt. But she really needed to conquer the mental challenges.
As Anju searched for the item to rescue me, I also tried to look for other clues. Somehow, I found a hidden block on the wall next to me. There was a piece of paper inside. On it was a logic puzzle.
9 Mahjong tiles are placed in front of Alice, Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter://nSou: 2, 3, 5//nMan: 3, 5, 7, 9//nPin: 2, 7
The Queen of Hearts hid all 9 tiles, then picked one from them. She told Cheshire Cat the number, then told Mad Hatter the type of this tile.//nShe asked Cheshire Cat and Mad Hatter, "Could you find out what this tile is from the given information?"
I don't know, Cheshire Cat said.//nMad Hatter: "I know that you don't know this tile."//nChesire Cat: "Now I know what it is."//n"So do I now," Mad Hatter said.
After hearing the conversation, Alice thought for a while and correctly deduced what this tile was.
Question: What is this tile?
I flipped the paper over and saw a warning message written in red.
Say your answer out loud, but remember to choose carefully.//nPick the right answer, and your teammate will be blessed by magic. He or she can easily arrive at the checkpoint and get the item.//nHowever, if you are wrong, your teammate will be cursed by devil and the difficulty of all the subsequent challenges will be doubled.
Which number should I pick?