Chapter 112: Why Didn’t You Just Say So Sooner? Was That Little Prank Fun for You?
After unlocking all the floors accessible to tourists, Zhang Yangqing arrived at the fifth floor—the location of the bar.
The bar on the fifth floor had two crucial rules:
[Rule 15: If you discover that a floor’s entertainment facilities do not match the signage, immediately return to the first floor and take Elevator No. 3 to go back up.]
[Rule 16: If you experience hallucinations, find a bar that is not on the fifth floor and order a drink called “Bloody Mary.”]
Zhang Yangqing was quite familiar with the “negative status effects” in the Strange Tales world—or rather, he had personally experienced them.
Back at Smiling Sanatorium, his resistance was high, but staying too long still caused problems.
In such cases, the solution provided by the rules must be used.
If there’s a method, it’s best to figure it out first—better safe than sorry.
Otherwise, if he were to fall victim without realizing it and then scramble for a solution, things could go very wrong.
Rule 15 tells challengers how to correctly reach the cruise ship’s entertainment facilities—taking Elevator No. 3 reduces the risks.
Since the bar is located on the fifth floor, to reach the bar mentioned in Rule 16, one must reverse the logic:
Do not take Elevator No. 3, and there’s a chance of reaching a bar on a different floor.
However, Zhang Yangqing tried a few times and found that certain conditions might need to be met first. After several trips up and down, the floors remained consistent, so he decided to check out the normal fifth-floor bar first.
Before reaching the bar, Zhang Yangqing noticed many luxurious guest rooms on this floor.
Starting from the third floor, almost every level had guest rooms.
The two female tourists’ room was also on this floor.
“Mind if I take a look inside your room?”
Zhang Yangqing made his request politely.
The two women seemed unable to refuse him—no matter how bold his request, they agreed without hesitation.
It was as if their favorability had skyrocketed the moment they first saw him.
After watching movies and reading together, it was practically maxed out.
If Zhang Yangqing could see a progress bar, he’d find hearts floating above their heads.
Other challengers might have to work hard to earn favorability, but Zhang Yangqing effortlessly charmed them without even trying.
Such is the power of looks.
Arriving at Room 511, Zhang Yangqing examined it closely—it was indeed much better than the crew’s quarters.
The crew’s resting area felt like a hard bunk: a thin sheet, a blanket, and sleeping on what might as well have been an iron slab.
Not to mention the cramped space shared with three others, where body odors were unavoidable.
In contrast, the cruise ship’s guest rooms were spacious, bright, and comfortable, with soft beds and large windows offering a clear view outside.
Tourists were here to enjoy life, while challengers were here to suffer.
Zhang Yangqing couldn’t help but complain: Next time, can the Strange Tales world at least give me a decent room?
Why must it always be some smelly, uncomfortable dump?!
Though he might be the only one bold enough to gripe like this.
Perhaps the Strange Tales world heard his complaint—because next time, he wouldn’t even get a place to rest!
…..
While Zhang Yangqing was touring the women’s room, most surviving challengers had already reached the fifth floor.
Here, some tourists wore masks.
Those with silver masks made challengers instinctively avoid them—their earlier elevator encounter had left quite an impression.
However, they couldn’t show that they could smell the odd scent on them.
Smarter challengers struck up conversations with staff, asking if they noticed any strange smells from passersby.
But the answer was always the same: No unusual smells here.
This made some challengers ponder—perhaps this was the rule’s hidden implication.
Aside from silver-masked tourists, there were also those with golden masks.
Challengers noticed a peculiar detail:
Staff behaved normally around other tourists, whether masked or not.
But when a golden-masked tourist appeared, the staff bowed respectfully.
Edson, the challenger from Football Country, was chatting with a staff member when one walked by.
Feeling an overwhelming pressure—stronger than the silver-masked ones—Edson quickly mimicked the staff, bowing his head.
Though he didn’t know their identity, offending them was not an option.
The golden-masked tourist ignored them and walked away, as if such deference was his birthright.
After the tourist left, Edson cautiously asked:
“Who was that just now?”
The staff member glanced around and whispered:
“Shh… That’s a VIP on this ship. Don’t offend them, or you’ll be punished.”
Edson noted this—the cruise had a strict hierarchy, as hinted in Rule 1.
“Maybe I can use their status to complete tasks?”
He wasn’t sure how yet, but it was worth remembering.
By this point, challengers had been in the Strange Tales world for over five hours.
Some stomachs began growling—but they still didn’t know what was safe to eat.
Since the concept of “contamination” appeared, challengers had grown more cautious.
In earlier times, they might have risked eating Strange Tales food—now, they feared pollution.
Some spent time searching for food, but the rules had already stated what was safe:
The popcorn from the movie theater.
If the rules explicitly said it was edible, it was usually fine.
Smarter challengers, like Edson, took the popcorn out to eat elsewhere.
Zhang Yangqing? He simply ate his fill inside and even asked for extra.
Others had to scavenge or take risks.
…..
Challengers, like Zhang Yangqing, stumbled upon guest rooms while searching for the bar.
Humans have a universal habit:
When you get something new, you need to test it.
After clearing the library, challengers obtained a [Master Key].
It was like finding a cool stick as a kid—you had to swing it at something.
With the key in hand, many couldn’t resist trying it on a guest room.
The bar could wait!
Edson, now more experienced, wanted to test the key’s limits.
But first, he reviewed the rules:
-
Don’t get caught.
-
Make sure the room is empty.
He found a secluded room, cleared his throat, and knocked:
“Housekeeping. Do you need anything?”
This didn’t break any rules—he was checking for occupants.
After no response, he unlocked several rooms, finding no odd smells or bloodstains.
Unlike Zhang Yangqing, he didn’t care about luxury—survival was his focus.
But luck eventually ran out.
On his fifth attempt, he opened a door to find a groggy tourist on the couch.
Their eyes met—and the tourist’s lips curled into a bloody grin.
Edson knew: He’d triggered an attack condition.
Time to run.
Slamming the door, he bolted.
This wasn’t a mere scare—this thing could kill him.
Dashing through corridors, the footsteps behind grew closer, breaths hot on his neck.
Just as despair set in—he spotted salvation:
A staff member in yellow.
Rule 7 flashed in his mind:
“Yellow-uniformed staff can help in danger—unless you’ve offended them.”
Edson rushed over, gasping:
“Help! That guest is trying to kill me!”
Lie first, explain later.
He remembered the staff’s quirk: Always tilt your head when speaking to them.
As the tourist lunged, the staff member stepped forward.
“This is my area. Return to your room.”
The tourist hesitated, then retreated grudgingly.
Edson sighed in relief—being protected felt amazing.
But he realized a problem:
With hundreds of rooms, checking each one was impossible.
There had to be a better way.
…..
Zhang Yangqing, meanwhile, had no patience for caution.
He casually unlocked a door—and found a tourist inside.
The tourist snarled and lunged.
Bad move.
SMACK!
A slap sent the tourist spinning.
Zhang Yangqing had perfected his technique—strong enough to stun, not kill.
Dazed, the tourist blinked up at him.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
Zhang Yangqing broke the silence:
“Routine inspection.”
The tourist frowned: “Since when does the cruise inspect rooms?”
SMACK!
“It does now. Any objections?”
The tourist clutched his face—why did I argue?
“N-none. Go ahead.”
Zhang Yangqing nodded.
Why didn’t you just say so sooner?
Did you really need those two slaps?
Lucky for you, you’re a real tourist—or you wouldn’t be talking right now.
Other challengers had their own methods:
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The British challenger found a bloodstained room and reported it to the Guest Services Manager—a long-necked, sharp-chinned figure who executed the silver-masked tourist by twisting him into a pretzel and drinking his blood.
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Zhang Yangqing preferred identifying targets discreetly, luring them into groups for efficiency.
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The Vatican’s Red Robe Archbishop Grigorio simply beat first, asked later—rules didn’t forbid killing tourists.
Each played to their strengths:
-
Some relied on stealth and wit.
-
Others, like Zhang Yangqing, blended observation with violence.
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A few, like Grigorio, embraced pure force.
By the time Zhang Yangqing reached the fifth-floor bar, three new rules awaited:
