Alternate Dimension Game: Happiness is all that matters!
Chapter 196 - 180 "Horror Elevator

Chapter 196: Chapter 180 "Horror Elevator

Several dialog boxes then popped up on the screen.

"Dear Player, due to an unknown error in the game’s script, the 500 points spent on buying the game clue have been refunded."

"We apologize for any inconvenience caused."

"Your current point balance is: 8400."

Having the points for the clue refunded, Wang Hao felt slightly less annoyed, with even a small sense of pleasure.

"Is this like getting something for free? I experienced a part of ’Sheep Intestine Tunnel’ but didn’t spend a dime?"

Getting something for free is one of life’s greatest joys!

There’s always an internet joke saying that world-class rich folks like Ma Yun and Ma Huateng wouldn’t bother to bend over to pick up a hundred dollars on the ground.

Because by the time they bend over, they would have already earned tens of thousands. Why bother picking up a hundred?

Wang Hao didn’t agree with this statement and scoffed at it.

Although he wasn’t a world-class rich person, he would definitely pick up money if he saw it on the ground!

Picking up money meant getting something for free. Who could resist the temptation of a freebie?

Of course, it couldn’t be cursed money... Some bills have various bizarre curses like "family illness" written on them; that wouldn’t count as getting something for free but rather a "trade," which comes with mental stress.

Even though Wang Hao never believed in those neurotic curses, he also didn’t want to be cursed for no reason.

Also, when it came to reading online novels, Wang Hao never freeloaded.

Those authors work like donkeys, with no public holidays or days off. How could he have the heart to freeload?

Of course, he couldn’t. Seeing the same plot frequently, he often tipped... 20 cents!

However, the official compensation for the bug wasn’t just 500 points.

"You have obtained a clue for the Demon God "&...￥%...#）??"." (1/4)

Wang Hao was sure, this time it wasn’t a bug.

It was something the game company did on purpose.

A string of gibberish implied that this "Demon God" had a high status and powerful abilities.

"Dear player, to optimize your gaming experience, the game company is giving away a free ’Clue Lottery Ticket’."

"They’re so generous this time! Not only did they return the 500 bucks, they’re also giving away a clue for free!"

The saying goes, "Wealth comes from maintaining good relationships," and nothing could be more true.

Wang Hao acted as if he suddenly had amnesia. What bug? Has there ever been one?

Don’t ask me, I don’t know, I’ve never seen a bug!

He immediately used the free ’Clue Lottery Ticket’ granted to him to draw a game clue.

"Drawing clue in progress... This draw is free, and your current point balance is 8400."

"The game clue you have drawn is — ’Horror Elevator’!"

"The script’s Idealism Strength: Level Three; difficulty: Three Stars. World setting: An unknown cross-dimensional space."

"Wish you a pleasant game!"

Three Stars wasn’t too difficult.

But if not careful, there was still a chance of failure.

"Game loading..."

Accompanied by a bizarre and abstract opening animation, there was an inner monologue at the beginning. The moon, sketched with rough black lines, hung in the sky, while the human world looked like an abstract oil painting, filled with a sense of distortion and absurdity.

"I live in a world that is both terrifying and bizarre."

"At 1 a.m., as I lay in bed, I heard someone knocking on my window calling my name, but my apartment is on the tenth floor."

"Once, I played rock-paper-scissors with my reflection in the mirror. And I actually lost a round."

"Just got back from school, opened the door ready to turn on the light, only to find that the light was already on, even though I live alone."

"But as I aged, I gradually realized that something was off about the world: hidden behind the light, the whole world is becoming more and more twisted."

"Collapse, it’s happening day by day."

"Even though some are fighting against the world’s distortion... without external forces’ help, we won’t last long."

"One day, a voice told me: leave this world and ask for help."

"I found an elevator capable of crossing time and space."

"This is humanity’s only chance..."

After this monologue ended, the scene brightened up.

Wang Hao found himself in an old elevator hall.

Above him was a dim incandescent light.

The flickering light emitted the sound of electricity, indicating the voltage here was not stable.

"Main mission: Help key character ’Feng Ling,’ use the Dimensional Elevator’s power to travel to your controlled parallel world 003241-23-1."

On the wall opposite the elevator door, there was a yellowing piece of paper.

Weathered, it had been there for many years.

He glanced at the text on it.

"Dear residents, the property management company solemnly reminds you: please keep quiet in the elevator as it is a public place. Our building does not have a basement level, only an abandoned warehouse. If you find the elevator going down to the basement level, you have accidentally entered the warehouse."

[Rule 2, If the elevator display indicates that you have reached Basement Level 1, please remain calm. The elevator will not open its doors automatically. Press the elevator intercom bell for assistance immediately, as we have dedicated security staff on duty 24 hours a day. If the elevator doors open in the basement, please do not exit the elevator, maintain necessary silence, and press the button for the first floor to ascend.]

[Rule 3, If you "accidentally" exit the elevator at Basement Level 1 under any circumstances, do not panic. Please follow the signs for the safe passage indicated by the green signs to find the staircase, and go upstairs to find the security room.]

[Rule 4, If you reach the door of the security room and find only one guard, immediately return the way you came without stopping before you see the green safety signs.]

[Rule 5, Continue following the signs until you find the elevator, then enter and return to the first floor by pressing the button. When the elevator ascends back to the ground floor, exit quickly, and you are safe!]

[Rule 6, If you encounter a scenario not covered by the above rules, please write down your experiences on this piece of paper. We appreciate your sharing.]

Upon reading the content on the paper, Wang Hao could not help but furrow his brow and ponder deeply.

No matter how he thought about it, there was something odd about these instructions.

They carried an unnerving implication within.

"Tales of rules, huh..."

What would happen if I left the elevator now?

Wang Hao was not the type of player to play by the book, and just as he was about to leave the elevator, a prompt popped up on the screen: [You recall your mission and believe it is not the time to leave.]

"Okay, this is also a standard way to restrict a character from leaving the map."

"It just lacks a bit of freedom..."

He glanced at the paper once more.

The text above was printed by a printer, while the text below was scribbled by passengers, a messy mix of shared notes.

(Odd red graffiti, a smiling face, a crying face, and a red handprint, seemingly someone’s prank. Please keep quiet. (Neat handwriting))

(▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ A large portion scratched out. You can faintly make out the words ’▇▇▇▇▇▇ secret 2-6-3-1-5.’ The handwriting is very clear.)

"So if I press these buttons in sequence, I can travel to parallel worlds..."

(Only ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇. (Sloppy handwriting))

(It despises ▇▇ (Sloppy handwriting))

(Reckless attempts will bring calamity. (Crossed out, but still somewhat legible))

(Don’t go to Basement Level 1. (Neat handwriting))

(Nonsensical scrawls about a cow twisting toward the cabinet executioner ▇▇▇▇▇▇ a lot of indecipherable gibberish)

"Could this be the chaotic security conditions of a parallel world?"

"In a world with the Black-Clothed Guard, a supernatural elevator like this would never be left to public use; it would have been controlled long ago."

Wang Hao thought back to the world he supervised, which had a "good" security rating.

At the time, he found the "good" evaluation rather odd – the world was on the verge of destruction by the Blood Demon crisis, and yet the security rating was good... who were they kidding?

But in contrast to here, the world he oversaw could practically be called heaven. Despite frequent chaos with Supernatural Organizations like the Black-Clothed Guard and the Mysterious Bureau, the lives of ordinary people were quite peaceful.

Wang Hao studied the piece of paper for a long time, his scalp tingling as he imagined all manner of bizarre scenarios.

"A completely collapsed parallel world where a woman wishes to cross over into mine..."

"So that’s how it is!"

Wang Hao connected this to some of the subsequent worldviews.

This wasn’t the world "003241-23-1" that he managed but another one about to be devoured by a "Demon God."

Yet, the native humans were still tirelessly resisting and seeking ways to save their world.

And the character he was currently controlling was clearly one of the resisters.

The worldview here seemed to belong to the same one he had experienced in "Sheep Intestine Tunnel," where the humans were undergoing major distortions.

"What comes next, I need to help this girl cross over to a parallel world, make contact with our people, and then figure out a way to save the world?"

"Fine then, the scriptwriter’s imagination isn’t half bad!"

[Name: Feng Ling]

[Profession: A member of the Abnormal Foundation, Class A.]

[Gender: Female, Age: 20 years old.]

[Physique: 189 (Experienced from training, but slightly malnourished)]

[Spiritual Strength: 823]

[Spiritual Ability: Sixth Sense, you have a higher sense of crisis, and unreasonable things trigger a sense of danger in you.]

"Is this the standard for a Superpower User?" Wang Hao muttered to himself, noting how precognition and similar abilities seemed common among superpower users.

[Spiritual Vision: Your eyes are adapted to dark environments, allowing you to see strange things and also deter some weaker anomalies.]

[High-Level Cognitive Contamination Resistance: Your resistance to cognitive contamination is far superior to ordinary people.]

[Special Talent: You have caught the attention of the world’s will. Occasionally, it might offer you a bit of guidance and assistance, but you shouldn’t rely on it too much.]

Poor girl, an A-level member of an organization and still slightly malnourished...

Wang Hao sighed.

But no matter, I’ve got you covered. A three-star difficulty, a breeze.

The game scenario officially began.

The dilapidated elevator with flickering lights was undoubtedly a staple of horror films. A slight movement would cause a "creak" echo in the elevator shaft.

The fearless "Feng Ling" followed the instructions on the yellow paper and pressed the floor buttons in sequence: 2-6-3-1-5.

After some ups and downs, the elevator eventually settled at Basement Level 1...

This was the way to the parallel world.

...

......