After the four got the magic beans, they did not hurry to bury them. Instead, they started a full inspection of the fourth floor.
Clues like the rope could only be found after a closer inspection, so they had to investigate it thoroughly. Other than that, they also wanted to know … where did the tin man go?
Theoretically speaking, on this kind of soft ground, with the tin man's weight, he should have left a trace. However, they only found some footprints beside Don Quixote's body. After about ten steps, the footprints suddenly stopped.
If the footprints disappeared beside the wall, then it could be explained that the tin man had walked into the mural, but that was not the case … The footprints stopped very far from the wall, in an area among the grass. It was as if the tin man had suddenly disappeared into thin air while he was walking.
The mysteries of this scenario came one after another, and each one was stranger than the last. The Keter level SCP on the first floor was just a small test … After going up to the third floor, before they understood the whole situation of the Wizard of Oz, Don Quixote died on the fourth floor, and then there was the child who traded a cow for beans. Even Feng Bujue had a hard time imagining what they would run into next …
The exploration continued for ten minutes, and there was no progress. There was no clear hint that indicated where to bury the magic beans. Therefore, they randomly picked an empty spot to plant the beans.
"Now I know why the floor of this floor is made of mud and grass," Qiu Feng said as he used the Foldable Knife that Feng Bujue had given him to dig the ground.
"There's no need to dig too deep. In the story, once the magic beans are planted on the ground, they'll grow a beanstalk," Weighty Words reminded them.
"So, do you think we should plant all the beans or just one and see the reaction?" Feng Bujue held the bag of magic beans and took one out to study it.
"Didn't the item description say that it's a plot item?" Hong Hu said. "There's no point in keeping it."
"Perhaps it has some hidden effect, like eating one can revive you on the spot," Feng Bujue joked.
"That's a senzu bean!" Qiu Feng corrected.
"Fine." Feng Bujue said as he walked to Qiu Feng and poured the bag of magic beans into the small hole that Qiu Feng had dug.
Qiu Feng pushed the soil with his hands and buried it shallowly. Then he handed the knife back to Feng Bujue and patted the dust off his hands. "Done."
"Soon, there will be a change," Weighty Words said.
Feng Bujue said, "Otherwise? Shall I water it? "
"Why are you holding it in …" Qiu Feng had a bad feeling again. He squinted at Feng Bujue and said, "You can't take off your pants in this game. Don't think too much."
"I said water, not pee," Feng Bujue said.
"You're the one who mentioned shit and piss the most out of all the people I've met since I started playing games …" Hong Hu could not take it anymore. "From what you said earlier, you seem to be someone from the cultural field, but why are your words so …"
"So what if my words are elegant? There are plenty of people in my line of work who are good at talking, but their character is not better than those who are bad at talking. As the saying goes … Tang Sect and Song Zu are not as good as those who are good at talking. "As Feng Bujue spoke, he walked toward a wall. When he reached the wall, he squatted down and used the pair of silver shoes to collect some water from the small stream on the wall.
"Oh, there is such a method." Qiu Feng saw Feng Bujue return with the water, and he understood what Feng Bujue meant earlier.
The two 'shoes' poured the water, and the water soon seeped into the soil, causing the small mound to move slightly.
The four reacted quickly. They knew that something was going to happen. Without the reminder from their companions, they all retreated a certain distance away.
Several seconds later, there was a boom.
A beanstalk that was as thick as a tower broke through the ground and shot up like a dragon. The tip of the beanstalk was like a drill, and the stalk behind it was intertwined with each other, curling into a twist.
The players thought that the beanstalk would break through the fourth floor's ceiling, but to their surprise, it rushed directly into the 'sky' that was painted on the ceiling.
After a full five minutes, the beanstalk stopped growing and stopped moving.
The four raised their heads, but they could not see the top of the beanstalk nor could they see what was above the 'cloud'.
"Hmm … We shouldn't be able to cross into this painting, right?" Weighty Words said.
"Not necessarily." Hong Hu pushed on his glasses and looked up. "We've only tried the four walls, but we haven't tried the ceiling yet."
"Assuming we can climb up the beanstalk into the 'sky', based on the height … we probably won't reach the top for another one or two kilometers," Qiu Feng said.
Feng Bujue sighed. "Ah … I remember when I climbed up to this height, I stole the Ultra Holy Water from a deity at the top of the tower …"
"Isn't it just Kalin Tower?" Qiu Feng roared.
"But … it's one thing for Weighty Words to hold the hat, but Qiu Feng is holding the broom. How are we supposed to climb up?" Hong Hu asked.
"How about holding it in your mouth?" Feng Bujue suggested.
"You do it!" Qiu Feng handed the broom to Feng Bujue without hesitation.
"Sure." Feng Bujue agreed easily and passed the pair of shoes to the man. "Help me hold this."
Qiu Feng was shocked. He accepted the shoes woodenly and shoved them into his pocket. Qiu Feng's pocket was bigger than Feng Bujue's suit. Then … he used his shocked eyes to see Feng Bujue hold the broom horizontally and calmly walk toward the beanstalk.
"I remember when I was practicing the ultimate skill of the Three Blade Style, I used to bite on a hilt that was thicker than this for the whole day …" Feng Bujue bit on the broom and mumbled incoherently. His saliva was dripping from his mouth.
"I'll bet you 50 cents that there's something wrong with this man's mind …" Qiu Feng narrowed his eyes as he looked at Feng Bujue's back.
Weighty Words and Hong Hu beside him replied in unison, "What's the point of betting on something so obvious?"
…
The four's stamina in the game was far better than normal, so climbing up the beanstalk was quite easy. It did not take long for them to successfully enter the 'sky' that was painted on the ceiling. Of course, from their perspective, the world around them was still 3D.
From that moment onwards, it was hard to tell which floor they were on. Based on visual observation, after another ten minutes of climbing, the four of them would have reached the height of any building.
Just like that, they crawled and crawled … About twenty minutes later, they saw a golden cloud. The cloud was corporeal, and it was right next to the beanstalk. There was a large leaf on the beanstalk that extended toward the cloud, hanging by the edge of the cloud.
Seeing this kind of obvious path, the four were energized. They increased their climbing speed, and two minutes later, they were on top of the cloud.
Standing on top of the golden cloud, everything was clear to them. This place was like a continent on top of the cloud, and everything was covered in a golden glow.
About one hundred meters away, there was a Disney-style castle that was commonly seen in fairy tales. Looking into the distance, one could see that on top of the castle's tallest tower, there was a long ladder, and the ladder led all the way to the clouds above.
"From that ladder, we should be able to reach the fifth floor," Feng Bujue said.
"You still have the concept of floors?" Qiu Feng asked.
"Compared to the floor, I'm more concerned about … where has the tin man gone? Will we run into him on the higher floors? "Hong Hu asked.
"I think we should focus on the situation before us," Weighty Words said. "If we are still in the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, will there be a giant living in the castle before us?"
"Come, here's your broom. Take it." Feng Bujue ignored them and passed the broom to Qiu Feng.
"Take it. I'll take care of the shoes." Qiu Feng did not want to take the broom that was covered in saliva.
"Really?" Feng Bujue dragged out the word.
"Of course," Qiu Feng replied.
"Okay!" Feng Bujue agreed easily. Then he placed the broom behind his neck, opened his arms, and placed his wrists on the two ends of the broom. He waddled toward the castle, and he sang, "In the sea of bitterness, love and hate rise. In this world, it's hard to escape from fate."
"Ha … Haha …" Hong Hu could not help but laugh. "He really … can play no matter the situation."
"You have to admire him for that," Weighty Words agreed.
The three followed Brother Bujue toward the castle. Several minutes later, they reached the front door.
"It's clear when we're here." Feng Bujue said. "At least from the size of the door, it's not a giant who lives in this castle." He was not wrong. Even though the door's height and width were large, it was obviously meant for a normal human being.
"Then, should we knock or …" Before Weighty Words finished, Feng Bujue had already retreated ten meters away.
"I'll support you mentally!" He stood at the back and roared like it was only natural.
"Then this time, I'll be the one to knock," Weighty Words said. So far, he had not taken the lead, so based on the rotation, it was his turn.
Bang bang bang!
Weighty Words grabbed the ring on the door and knocked three times. After about twenty seconds, there was no response, so he knocked three more times.
One minute later, there was still no response.
They split up to look through the window, but the castle's windows were very tall, and they were made of tinted glass. Under the golden light, they could not see anything inside.
"There's no other way … We'll have to force our way in," Autumn Wind suggested.
Hong Hu nodded and grunted in agreement.
Weighty Words rushed to say, "Leave it to me. I can still open a door of this size." He faced the door and got into position. He activated his skill and pushed with his palm.
But … nothing happened.
"Haha … I'm sorry. My fighting mastery is only level E, so the skill failed," Weighty Words said with a dumb smile.
Hong Hu and Autumn Wind both laughed. "It's nothing. It's normal."
"Let me try again," Weighty Words said. Then he tried again.
This time, it seemed to be a success. A gust of wind whistled forward and hit the area where the door was locked. A hole the size of a washbasin was blasted open in the middle of the thick door. The two pieces of the door panel loosened and slowly moved to the sides.
Among the non-combatant players, practically everyone had a more practical E-Rank active combat skill. Even if they could not get it in the scenario, the players would go to the auction house to buy one. After all, this kind of skill was not expensive, and it was not bad.
Only Feng Bujue, who took the puzzle route and did not buy the skill, managed to get his fighting mastery to level C …
"Brother Feng, there's no danger. You can come over now, right?" Hong Hu turned back to shout. "If the door suddenly closes on its own, then we'll be in trouble."
Feng Bujue did not need the reminder. He had been watching from afar for a long time. When Hong Hu spoke, he was already moving forward.
The four walked into the castle together. After the door opened, there was a curved staircase that led upward. The staircase was close to the walls, and it went up in a circle. A large chandelier hung from an extremely long chain. It hung down from the ceiling. The ceiling was very high, but the chandelier was very close to the ground. It was only two meters tall, and they could reach it with their hands.
Walking around the staircase, they could reach the two ends and the back of the castle. Naturally, the four did not go upstairs immediately. Instead, they planned to explore the first floor to see if there were any clues or equipment.
In the story of Jack and the Beanstalk, the castle where the giant lived had the existence of the chicken that laid the golden egg. Even if there was no golden egg in this castle, it would be good to have a few hints.
But once they did, their Sanity Points would drop …
Instead of calling this castle luxurious, it was more like it was grotesque. In the golden, dreamy light, the castle did not give off the feeling of a fairytale. If anything, there was an indescribable eeriness to it.
The design of the staircase and chandelier at the front door was already strange, but that was just the beginning. There were many similar designs inside the castle.
For example, in the dining room on the first floor, there was a long table, more than ten meters long, covered with a zebra-patterned tablecloth. There were also dozens of tall chairs on both sides … as if they were for the referee of a tennis match.
There was also the sink and counter in the kitchen. The former was as big as a bathtub, while the latter was as small as a mobile phone screen. The stove was as low as a toilet, and the firewood was added from a slanted slope.
Then there was the dance hall. The dance floor in the middle was not round or square, but lightning shaped. It was the kind where the rapid cobra could run like lightning. The stage for the band to stand on was like a concave slope for skateboarding. The U-shaped ground could not be used to lay large instruments.
"Well … this castle is like a 29-year-old woman," Feng Bujue commented leisurely when they returned to the front door on the first floor.
"Endocrine disorder?" Qiu Feng asked.
Feng Bujue said, "I was going to say hysterical and unreasonable. I didn't expect you to say something like that."
"Who is the one making a personal attack? You pointed out her age, gender, and personality. I only said that it was a biological phenomenon, and now it's a personal attack! "Qiu Feng roared.
"That's enough … The design of this place has nothing to do with us," Hong Hu said. "Since there is nothing on the first floor, let's go up to take a look."
The group followed the staircase that led to the front door and went up. The staircase led them all the way to the top, and there was not even a door or entrance in the middle.
"Looks like to enter the middle few floors of the castle, we need to take a detour from the top," Weighty Words said. "Or … there is a hidden path on the first floor that we have not discovered?"
"No, no, no … Normally, castles are like that." Feng Bujue denied. "If you have a cross-sectional map of the castle, you'll understand that the middle area is usually the last to be reached. You have to follow a certain order, through the front porch, the chapel, the back porch, the dance hall, the underground pool, the clock tower, and so on, before you reach the middle."
"The middle area is called the top floor of the Demon Castle, right? Before this, you had to kill a boss every time you arrived at a new place to gain a new skill, right? "Hong Hu could not help but mock.
"Yes." Feng Bujue nodded and told Weighty Words, "Look, this is what it means to know the game."
"What do you mean by know the game? Who hasn't played the Demon Castle before?"
The group chatted, and they soon reached the end of the staircase. There was an arched wooden door there.
Qiu Feng walked at the front and was the first to see the words on the door.
It was a row of golden words carved in English. The handwriting was quite fancy, and the words read, 'Illogical things are not always obvious.'
"Again?" Qiu Feng said. "There is no need to say anymore … There is a dead body waiting for us inside the door." Then, he pushed the door open.
The four players entered one after another, and what appeared in front of them was a bedroom.
This was probably the most normal room that they had seen since they entered the castle. The walls and ceiling were pink, the floor was wooden, and a large bed was placed in the middle of the room. There was a dresser and dresser by the wall. This was obviously a woman's room, or rather … the bedroom of a princess.
"Hey … there is someone on the bed." Qiu Feng noticed with one glance that the mattress on the bed was slightly bulging, and the body under it was moving up and down.
"Leave it to me!" Feng Bujue reacted quickly. With a roar, he tossed the broom to the ground and charged forward.
The other three stopped him, and Weighty Words was the first to ask, "What are you doing?"
Before Feng Bujue could answer, Qiu Feng said, "Isn't this the louse on a bald man's head? Isn't it obvious?" He scoffed. "From the looks of it, this is the story of Sleeping Beauty."
"Hmm … Based on the order of taking the lead, it should be my turn this time …" Hong Hu's glasses started to glow, and as he spoke, he moved forward.
"Trident Capture!" Feng Bujue charged forward and tackled Hong Hu from behind. "Humph … Ryoko, do you think you can fool us by pretending to be calm?"
"Even if you have forgotten that my ID is Hong Hu … Ryoko, calling me Ryoko is too …"
Before Hong Hu could finish, Qiu Feng cut him off. "What are you guys doing? This is so ungentlemanly. The princess will be so disappointed when she wakes up." As he spoke, he adjusted his collar. "In this situation, it's better if I …"
"Invincible Wheel of Beacon!" Feng Bujue jumped at Qiu Feng again. "Lei Qiu, I advise you not to act rashly … There is a very long flight of stairs outside the door. With my Invincible Wheel of Beacon, I will kill even a god!"
Even though the three were having a good time, it was just a joke. Teammates would not do anything that would hurt each other.
However, looking at the group's behavior, Weighty Words, who was more level-headed, stood to the side and shook his head.
"Ah …" Suddenly, a man's deep voice came from under the covers.
This voice caused the four players to freeze.
"So long-winded … So noisy!" The voice roared in a domineering manner.
The next second …
A tall werewolf with a gray mane all over his body, wearing a pink bathrobe and a plastic shower cap, lifted the blanket and sat up.
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