"A changing room? Role-playing?"
The extreme experience could only reveal its actual effect once triggered. Back when Chen Ge had obtained the Midnight Ticket Booth, he hadn't figured out the true meaning of its ability to attract special visitors until
"Based on the experience I gained from the Midnight Ticket Booth, the buildings the black phone rewards are all safe and free of hidden risks. But better safe than sorry — I should still be careful." After thinking for a moment, Chen Ge came up with an idea. "I'll limit the number of users. Anyone who wants to use the changing room and have a more realistic experience will need to pay an extra twenty yuan — call it a costume rental fee."
Those who were already scared witless would never pay money to torture themselves further.
The Ghostly Changing Room was aimed primarily at the seasoned horror enthusiasts. The more realistic and terrifying it was, the more they loved it.
Following the black phone's instructions, Chen Ge made his way to the far corner on the first floor. Outside the Zombie Resurrection Night scene, a new compartment had appeared.
"The Midnight Escape scene already encroached on part of the Zombie Resurrection Night scene, and now this special building has taken up even more space. Looks like I'll need to rethink the layout going forward."
Chen Ge stepped inside the compartment. There were two doors within, labeled for men and women respectively. He pushed one open at random, and the walls were hung with all manner of uniforms.
But unlike real ones, every uniform was steeped in bloodstains. Some were crumpled, their edges clearly torn — it was hard to imagine what sort of fate had befallen their former owners.
"I think I'm starting to understand why this place is called the Ghostly Changing Room."
Those uniforms on the walls had most likely been left behind by people killed by ghosts. Putting one on meant stepping into the same despair those people had once felt.
"Choose an identity, clear the scenario, tackle higher difficulty — the first person to complete it wins a two-hundred-thousand-yuan prize. This system of operations should be more than enough for me to work with for a long time."
Stepping out of the changing room, Chen Ge opened the second notification on his black phone.
"Two-star horror scenario West Suburb Private Academy — unlock complete! All mechanisms within the scenario can now be remotely controlled via your phone!"
"The unlock failure was indeed because there wasn't enough space. Looks like every time I expand, I can only add three new scenarios."
Chen Ge lifted the wooden panel leading to the underground parking garage. Following the black phone's directions, he ventured deeper into Muyang High School.
The newly unlocked West Suburb Private Academy scenario was adjacent to Muyang High School, though slightly smaller in area. The number of forked paths had increased again — it could be called a small maze.
"Two two-star scenarios and one one-star scenario linked together have already taken up close to half the parking garage. So how big would a full four-star horror scenario — Haunted School — actually be?"
He shook his head. He knew now wasn't the time for such thoughts. "One step at a time."
To make sure the scenario had no safety hazards, he entered the West Suburb Private Academy scenario alone.
The theme contained two independent sub-scenarios: one called The Hanging Man and the other called The Stench.
Chen Ge activated the recorder, gripped his ballpoint pen, and — under the watchful eyes of a crowd of rather curious dolls — cleared his own haunted house in five minutes.
When he walked out of the scenario, his expression was rather peculiar.
There were actual ghosts inside the West Suburb Private Academy scenario, one in each of the two sub-scenarios.
But for reasons unknown, these two vengeful spirits had become translucent, their forms nearly on the verge of dissipating.