After ten minutes of queuing, Firefly, Su Xiaoxiao, and Ye Yunzhi successfully reached the top of the tower. Midway through, staff required them to sign a waiver stating something to the effect of: [The park assumes no responsibility if the participant suffers issues due to fright during this experience.]
Aside from a floor divided into various grid patterns, the top of the tower lacked any other visible safety measures.
Following the staff's instructions, Firefly stepped onto one of the tiles and stood firm. Now, it was simply a matter of waiting for the high-altitude bungee mode to activate.
"Su Xiaoxiao! I'm telling you! I am never listening to your nonsense again! No matter what you say, I won't come back here!"
Ye Yunzhi, whom Su Xiaoxiao had managed to persuade with great effort, took one tiny peek beneath her feet upon reaching the summit. Her legs turned to jelly instantly, and she collapsed onto the floor.
Ye Yunzhi was not an isolated case. Several other tourists nearby suffered the same fate, their strength failing them out of sheer terror.
As for the reason...
Firefly lowered her head, looking at the scene beneath her soles.
In an instant, the flat ground she previously stood upon transformed into a small stone pedestal only twenty centimeters wide. Below her stretched a lush, verdant forest, though the distance rendered the trees into tiny green specks.
Wisps of white clouds began to drift around her. As they drew close, Firefly could actually feel a slight chill radiating from the vapor.
Firefly crouched, tentatively touching the small platform.
...It felt no different from real stone.
Then, she sat down and tried to dangle her legs off the edge.
She met no resistance. It truly felt as if they were currently perched upon a floating stone platform high in the sky.
Holographic projections plus environmental simulation? Quite realistic.
Though Firefly saw through the trick immediately, she could not help but marvel at this technology, something she never encountered in her previous life.
Just then, Firefly felt an abnormal vibration from the stone platform beneath her. Looking down, she saw cracks appearing in the center for no apparent reason, and these fissures were gradually widening bit by bit.
"Ah! Help! Help me!!!"
Suddenly, a cry for help rang out. Firefly looked toward the sound and saw a tourist frantically clawing at a platform with both hands, face pale with terror.
The tourist hung suspended in mid-air. It seemed that when the platform shifted, he accidentally slipped, but thanks to quick reflexes, he managed to grab the edge during his fall.
However, before anyone could extend a helping hand, the sound of shattering stone echoed again. To everyone present, that sound was like a death knell from the Grim Reaper.
Hearing this, the tourist's eyes widened, filled with primal dread. He exerted all his strength, trying to scramble back onto the stone.
Crack—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—"
The majority of the stone platform crumbled under the force of the man's struggle. The tourist felt a violent surge of weightlessness, and he plummeted toward the forest below, screaming all the way.
Thud.
The screams grew fainter with distance until they abruptly stopped, replaced by the dull sound of a heavy object hitting the ground. It served as a grim announcement that the tourist was... likely beyond saving.
Following that event, many first-timers found their legs trembling uncontrollably. They swallowed hard, hoping to soothe their nerves, while some closed their eyes and muttered to themselves.
"It's all fake! It's all fake! This attraction has been open for so long! How could something go wrong? This is just the organizers trying to scare us!"
But before the crowd could recover from the shock, a broadcast suddenly blared to life.
[Emergency Notice! Emergency Notice! Emergency Notice! The cult organization 'Forest Wrath' has launched a sudden attack on Scream Park. The amusement facilities have malfunctioned as a result! The safety of visitors can no longer be guaranteed! Please do not fall off the stone platforms! Please do not fall off the stone platforms! Please do not fall off the stone platforms!]
[Repeating, Emergency Notice! Emergency Notice!...]
"What's going on?!"
"What happened?!"
"Why would a cult attack Scream Park?! Aren't they active in the forests to the southeast?!"
This announcement acted like a bomb, completely shattering the crowd's tension into pure panic.
"The facility malfunctioned? Visitor safety can't be guaranteed?! Doesn't that mean... the person who just fell actually died?!"
The moment those words left someone's mouth, the chattering crowd was silenced as if by a mass spell. The air fell into a heavy, stifling quiet.
"Su Xiaoxiao... I really shouldn't have come with you..."
Ye Yunzhi knelt on the ground, eyes brimming with fear.
Su Xiaoxiao was not doing much better.
Initially, when the scene shifted to the high altitude, Su Xiaoxiao appeared composed. Even seeing the tourist fall didn't faze her, because she played this twice before—once a year ago and once six months ago. She knew falling wouldn't result in actual harm.
But this emergency notice completely destroyed her confidence.
In her memory, she never encountered such a notice during her previous visits!
"I didn't know something like this would happen..."
Su Xiaoxiao's voice shook. She had been standing tall on her stone tile, but now she slowly bent her knees, silently trying to stabilize her center of gravity.
Yet, amidst this atmosphere of fear and tension, a beautiful girl with silver-white hair stood out prominently.
Firefly's face showed no trace of panic. She stood atop the stone platform, head lowered as if deep in thought.
"Hey, miss! Quickly crouch down and stabilize yourself! Be careful not to fall! Falling will really kill you!"
A tourist not far from Firefly noticed her boldness. He swallowed his nerves and called out to her in a low voice.
"Thank you for the warning, but there's no need." Firefly blinked at the voice and shook her head. "I'm going down first. I won't ruin the game experience for the rest of you."
The tourist froze, not understanding what she meant. But in the next moment, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He watched as the silver-haired girl closed her eyes and slowly leaned backward, falling into the open sky.