Chapter 2: The Scarlet Castle
Between dreaming and waking up, Wan Ning felt her body gradually become lighter, almost as if it was about to disappear.
In reality, her body is exactly like that. The three men stared at her in amazement, and only a puddle of blood remained on the ground, proving that what had just happened was not a hallucination.
Slowly opening her eyes, Wan Ning found that her surroundings had changed dramatically. The sky was covered in gray clouds, and there was no trace of the sun or moon. What was once a narrow alley has been transformed into a dense open field of grass and trees.
"Where is this?" She muttered to herself, and then realized that something strange had happened. Before, she was beaten by three people and suffered serious head injuries, but now her head is not scarred at all, and she is in good physical condition and full of energy. Everything just now, like a dream, has disappeared without a trace.
Suddenly, a familiar, cold female voice sounded, but this voice did not come from the outside, but appeared directly in Wan Ning's mind.
"Welcome to the world of reincarnation, a C-rank personal competition dungeon - Scarlet Castle." The sound was like ice, so harsh. At the same time, there was a chaotic sound all around, and Wan Ning looked around and saw that there were four other people, their expressions were just as full of panic and confusion as hers.
Wan Ning began to observe her surroundings. She is in an abandoned garden overgrown with vegetation, and the oddly shaped plants show that the place was once a beautiful garden. A stone path led ahead, and her gaze shifted to a tall castle.
The minarets on either side of the castle soar into the sky and reach out into the dim sky. There are also many small minarets on the exterior of the castle, and the overall architectural style resembles the Gothic architecture of the European Middle Ages. The Kasbah is huge and towering, estimated to be nearly thirty meters high, with a total of five floors.
In the distance is a low, hilly landscape, on which the castle was built, on the highest of which is the highest. Farmland and huts loom in the distance, but there is not a single light.
Time and place were unknown, the castle stood alone, its towering minarets looming only in the darkness, and the whole setting was eerie, with raindrops falling from the humid air.
"Hello!" A gentle, clear voice interrupted Wan Ning's thoughts. A young man with glasses and a gray coat walked up. He had short hair and looked very young, smiling and greeting Wan Ning.
Wan Ning didn't respond, she was on high alert after the scene she had experienced in the alley. In this unknown situation, even though the other party did not seem to have malicious intent, she did not say anything, but took two steps back.
Seeing Wan Ning's vigilant expression, the young man scratched his head helplessly and said, "Don't be afraid, I have no malice. We're all here out of nowhere, and I'm just trying to get some information. “
In addition to Wan Ning and this young man, there were three other people. The first thing Wan Ning noticed was the bald man in a vest, he was burly, muscular, about one meter eight tall, a head taller than the young man. He was staring at the others, his brow furrowed, exuding an unpleasant vibe.
The other man was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with pale skin and stubble on his chin. He was wearing a hat due to the rain and was crouching there smoking at the moment, exuding a decadent vibe, but his eyes swept inadvertently, showing that he was also on alert.
The last man was an ordinary-looking man with back-hairstyle, staring at the castle and wondering what he was thinking.
Obviously, the young man accosted Wanning because she seemed the most harmless.
"It looks like we're all involved in some kind of mysterious event." The young man thought and said, "I was at home just now, sitting in front of the computer, and then I was here in an instant. “
"Me too, I just got home to get ready to rest, and then all of a sudden I was here!" The strong man said, looking sincere, and did not look like he was lying, "This is so strange! Is it a dream? Or is it some prank? “
The young man then asked, "Where are you from?" I live in Anseong and am a reporter for the Morning Glow. From your accent, it doesn't sound like you're a local. “
The strong man thought about it for a while, and finally decided to reveal some information: "I now live in Rongcheng and am a fitness instructor. “
"Banyan City?" The young man touched his temple and said, "That's the southwest region of China." There are more than 2,000 kilometers between you and me, and it would take two and a half hours to get there by plane, but now we are here in an instant. What power can do such a thing? “
Anseong, Rongseong? Wan Ning was confused. She studied in the capital, which was the capital of China. The three men were from different cities and were far apart. What exactly is the force that brings these people from different places together, and for what purpose?
Just as a few people were talking, there was a sudden movement in the grass, and a ball of light appeared. This sudden change made Wan Ning quickly retreat, while the three of them remained vigilant and did not react as much as she did.
"That's how you just appeared!" The young man explained to Wan Ning that his voice was gentle and clear, "Here, everyone seems to appear in a similar way. I'm the fourth, and you're the fifth. “
The white ball of light faded, revealing a woman. When the white light completely disappeared, the woman opened her eyes, was slightly stunned, and then exclaimed, "Where is this?" Who are you? “
"There's another man!" The man with his back combed said.
The woman looked ordinary, about thirty years old, wearing loose pajamas and pajama pants, with a blank face, as if she had just gone to bed. She folded her arms around her chest, as if out of the cold or out of wariness of strangers.
"Hey! Where are you from? The strong man asked, his voice so rough that it seemed to frighten the woman, causing her to back off and run away until she was sure that she had not been overtaken, and then stopped, looking at the group with a shudder.
The strong man touched his bald head in embarrassment, and then said, "Don't do this! “
The young man continued to analyze the situation and said, "Looking at her appearance, it seems that she has just been ready to go to bed, and it was about 11 o'clock when I came. What about you? “
The strong man replied, "I was just working out and didn't pay attention to the time, but it should be this time." “
Wan Ning recalled for a moment, and then said, "The last time I looked at it was 10:32, and it was almost 11 o'clock when I came here." “
The young man nodded, then turned to the other two. The man with his hair shook his head in disagreement, while the man in the hat seemed to ignore the youth, still sitting there smoking in silence and scattering the ashes all over the floor.
Wan Ning noticed the man who was smoking, and she couldn't help but think of the man who had stopped them in the alley before. Even though she was sure they weren't the same person, the dangerous aura that the man exuded made her wary.
"We come from different places, but we arrive here at the same time. This shows that the force that brought us here does not have the ability to manipulate time and space. These are two new arrivals again! “
At this moment, two clouds of white light appeared in the clearing again, and when the white light disappeared, two small figures, a man and a woman, appeared. Wan Ning noticed that they were wearing school uniforms, carrying school bags, and their faces were immature, apparently high school students.
"Ahh The schoolgirl screamed and quickly ducked behind the boy. The male student bravely confronted several adults and asked, "Who are you?" Where is this? “
The two students apparently knew each other, which made things even more strange because the people who came before were strangers.
The youth gently introduced themselves, showed no malice, and then asked where they were from.
The male student was suspicious, but still vigilant, and replied, "I am a student at Heijo No. 3 Middle School. We had just finished our evening study and were about to go home, when suddenly I was in a daze, and here we were! “
Thunder was heard in the distance, and the rain was getting heavier. At this moment, something similar to a game board suddenly appeared in front of them, causing Wan Ning's eyes to widen.
Scarlet Castle
Dungeon difficulty: Grade C
Number of dungeons: 7
Main Quest: Survive in Fort Hill for three days
Reward: 500 evolution points
Rule Hint: The Chosen One will be wiped out immediately if they leave a 500-meter radius of the castle
"Data loading is normal, mission has officially begun, good luck to you, Chosen One!"
Again, Wanning finds herself in a surreal situation. She has gradually adapted to the situation, and the words seem to exist only in her perception, and do not correspond to reality. There was silence for a while, with no new people appearing, and the quest hint seemed to wait for everyone to gather before activating.
After a moment of silence, someone finally spoke, and it was still the same young man. He pushed his glasses and said in a low voice, "Scarlet Castle, survive for three days?" It's a lot of fun. “
"What the hell is this place!" The male student who appeared later shouted excitedly, his tone revealing a sense of excitement, as if he was full of curiosity and longing for the task reward of this so-called "reincarnation world" and "Chosen One". He also pulled the female student next to him and said, "Xiaoqi, did you see it too?" That's so cool! “
The strong man snorted disapprovingly and said, "Little brat! If all this is true, you children will not survive the first day. “
The young man took out his mobile phone and said, "Okay, let's think about our current situation first!" He checked his phone and asked the others, "My phone has no signal, what about yours?" “
This reminded the crowd, and they checked their belongings.
Wan Ning found that her bag was missing, and she noticed it after she came here. Now she has nothing left and no means of self-defense, which makes her feel very helpless. Although she is not good at using weapons, it is at least a good idea to bring a small dagger for self-defense.
"I don't have a cell phone signal either!" The woman in her pajamas returned to the crowd at some point, and she tried to make several calls, but there was no signal. She shook her head helplessly and said, "I can't call the police if I want to!" “
Several people with cell phones have found themselves without a signal, which makes their anxiety even more intense.
The young man continued, "We, the so-called Chosen One, have been summoned here to participate in a game called the Scarlet Castle. If the phone has a signal, then the task is too easy. This quest requires us to survive in the castle for three days, and with the quest difficulty level C, it seems that there are even more difficult challenges waiting for us. “
The young man continued: "The key to our survival now lies in this hill castle. So, why don't you go in and explore with me? “
The strong man sneered and retorted, "I don't believe in these nonsense! Everything is not scientific! These strange words, tasks, and evolution points are all tricks to deceive children, right? This castle looks very evil, if you want to go, then go ahead, I'm leaving! “
Hearing the strong man's words, the young man smiled mockingly: "We can appear here at the same time with people from different places, which in itself is unscientific.