Chapter 80: Ambition and Whispers

At the entrance to the virtual dungeon, Zhao Tianhe bought tickets and queued up with Elay, who had taken on the form of a young girl. Truth be told, Zhao Tianhe had expected this place to be something akin to a haunted house, but to his surprise, it turned out to be a facility solely for children—adults could only enter if accompanied by a child.

Since they were already there, it seemed a waste not to explore, and curiosity piqued both of them. Elay, usually in her regular form, shifted into the appearance of a toddler.

“It feels comfortable here… or rather, a bit dark,” Elay remarked calmly as she walked up the steps.

A ghostly face appeared, prompting Zhao Tianhe to yawn. Elay poked it out of curiosity, and the apparition vanished.

“The kids are screaming their heads off,” Zhao Tianhe said with a mischievous grin. “Want to take a look?”

“Yes, let’s,” Elay nodded.

“Aaaaah!” a boy shrieked, running frantically from a towering bear-man, nearly three meters tall. “Why are there monsters I’ve never seen before? I don’t want to get knocked out!”

In this context, being “knocked out” meant being struck by a monster and forced to lie motionless for ten seconds. If it happened too many times, one lost the right to challenge the final stage—wasting their money. The guiding magic would activate only for first-timers, revealing the types of monsters and their weaknesses. This boy, however, had come four times in two days, and was now considered a “veteran.”

Watching the hazy, silent bear-man illusion, Zhao Tianhe tore open a bag of snacks, content to spectate.

But Elay stepped forward and shattered half of the bear-man’s body with a single strike, nimbly dodged its counterattack, and finished it with another blow.

“That’s all? The difficulty is so low…” Elay muttered, unimpressed. She thought the bubble pool was much more fun.

“You’re amazing! Aren’t you scared at all?!” the boy exclaimed, astonished at how this tiny girl handled herself. “I’ve played four times and still can’t get used to it. Not knowing the weaknesses makes it so hard!”

Elay, perceptive as always, sensed the faint mental magic emanating from the illusion—the key to why the boy felt fear. ‘It only affects children… is this safe? Though it’s mild, it could leave psychological shadows. But with difficulty so low, most kids will defeat it and gain confidence. Not a bad facility.’

She ignored the boy, focusing on moving forward, and Zhao Tianhe handed her another snack.

“Here with your brother?” the boy said to Zhao Tianhe, a bit resentful. “Having an adult around sure makes a difference.”

Elay paused, shot the boy a cold glance, snorted, and kept walking.

‘She actually responds to this brat’s sour words. Her mental age must drop when she’s in child form,’ Zhao Tianhe mused, amused by Elay’s reaction.

The boy trailed behind them, watching Elay calmly dispatch monsters and feeling as though she were a real hero. Her composure was so unlike an ordinary child that, in this setting, it stood out sharply.

‘No, how could I think that?’ The boy swallowed, furrowed his brow, and charged ahead, determined not to be outdone by a girl half his height. ‘There must be monsters up ahead whose weaknesses I know!’

While the boy was fired up with a sudden competitive spirit, Elay grew more bored. Monster fighting was novel for ordinary kids, but for Elay, it was routine—a diluted, trivial version of her everyday life.

“This is so dull,” Elay said, tossing her wooden sword to Zhao Tianhe and dedicating herself to her snacks. “Let’s just watch others instead.”

“Yes, I agree,” Zhao Tianhe nodded.

“Look! I beat this monster!” the boy shouted proudly from ahead.

“Oh, amazing. I’ll leave the monsters up ahead to you,” Elay replied, her tone wooden, snacks crunching between her teeth.

Along the way, the boy alternated between exuberant monster kills and frantic chases by unfamiliar beasts, adding a novel twist to their outing.

Gradually, a group caught up—a pair of couples each with a child.

“Kids’ entertainment these days is so over-the-top. Nothing like when we were young,” a middle-aged man said to Zhao Tianhe, laughing. “You look pretty young yourself.”

“Haha, yes, I’m taking my little sister out, right Elay?” Zhao Tianhe said, ruffling her hair.

“Stop it!” Elay slapped his hand away, her cheeks flushed. “Don’t mess with me!”

“Kids these days mature so fast, haha!” the man chuckled.

The group made their way to the final hall. The door opposite required waiting until the previous group finished, so they queued up. To the side, a children’s restaurant and tearoom offered snacks and souvenirs.

“Gahaha! I am the Demon King Drokor!” A humanoid figure shrouded in black mist cackled, spouting classic villain lines.

‘The fear effect is enhanced, but the monster’s weaknesses are posted right at the entrance—it’s bound to be defeated,’ Elay thought, chomping on her snacks. She had little interest in this activity and was already thinking about trying other attractions.

The boy who had accompanied Elay and Zhao Tianhe felt awkward seeing Elay’s nonchalant attitude, but joined the crowd in attacking the final monster.

Several parents used magical imaging devices to record their children’s heroics.

“Not going to join in? It’s the final stage, after all,” Zhao Tianhe asked Elay.

“No, it’s too childish,” Elay finished her last snack, rolled up the empty bag, and tossed it about, finding even the scrap paper more entertaining than the Demon King.

‘Why isn’t this kid scared at all?’

“Hm?” Zhao Tianhe frowned, catching hints of whispered voices—strange, and tinged with strong malice.

He tried to focus, but the voice vanished. The sounds of parents and children around him didn’t match the sinister tone he’d heard.

‘Definitely not my imagination. What’s going on?’ Zhao Tianhe adjusted his senses, but suddenly shouts erupted from the children.

“Oh no! The Demon King mutated—it’s the second form!” a boy cried. “If you defeat the mutated Demon King, everyone gets an honor badge! The final killer gets the Hero’s Armor and Hero’s Sword! Come on!”

The Demon King Drokor sprouted six pairs of black mist wings and a set of pale golden horns, appearing much more formidable. It seemed to be a park “Easter egg,” with no posted strategy.

Children were knocked out by the monster’s new breath attack, left helpless on the ground, and its gaze settled on Elay.

‘This girl could help out, or else we might…’ the boy obsessed with the prize thought bitterly. ‘She’s strong, but maybe even she can’t handle it alone.’

“So troublesome. Where’s the weak spot?” Elay asked as Zhao Tianhe handed her a short sword.

“The tail root,” Zhao Tianhe whispered magically.

He hadn’t deliberately analyzed the illusions, but his instincts had picked up their unique magical resonance—likely tied to their construction.

“Alright then…” Elay stepped forward. As Drokor spewed thick black mist, she crouched low, using her small frame to tumble beneath the vast breath attack.

“Stop.” Zhao Tianhe’s voice sounded in her ear.

Drokor’s hand struck empty air, and Elay pierced it with her sword, leaving a sizable hole.

Other monsters would dissipate after a few hits, even if not struck at their weak points, but as the big boss, Drokor couldn’t die no matter how many times he was hit—though each blow would scatter and injure him.

Elay walked straight through the hole between Drokor’s legs, then sliced off its tail with a single stroke.

“You… how could you… I will return…” The Demon King uttered the classic villain’s parting words, and slowly faded away.

“Well, can we leave now?” Elay asked, expressionless, gazing at the wooden door at the room’s end.

“Of course, of course! That was brilliant, miss!” the staff member opened the door, smiling at her. “Defeating the mutated Demon King on your first try—amazing! You’ll surely become a great hero someday!”

Under the envious eyes of the children, Elay donned the facility’s special-patterned cloth armor and wooden sword, and Zhao Tianhe lifted her for a commemorative photo.

Their image would be engraved on the monument at the facility’s entrance, becoming a legend within Greenleaf Amusement Park!

“Haha—the little girl is really something!” “Such a pretty child—she’ll grow into a beauty for sure!”

Listening to the parents’ praise, Elay felt frustrated, longing for a place to vent.

The boy from earlier instinctively followed Elay, eyes a little dazed.

“Hey!” Elay spotted him, stripped off the sword and armor, and handed them over. “You really wanted these, right?”

“Huh? I…” The boy stared in disbelief at the items he’d dreamed of, stammering. “No, they’re yours—you’re the hero…”

“Of course I am a hero,” Elay smiled, turned, and waved. “So I don’t need these—you do.”

The boy held the wooden sword and cloth armor, his eyes wet. He wanted to return them, but couldn’t bear to let go…

By the time he decided to give them back, Elay and Zhao Tianhe had already vanished.

Clutching the treasures he’d longed for, the boy wept, tears falling in large drops onto them.

“Damn… I…” He hugged the sword and armor, wiped his tears with his sleeve, sniffled, and shouted in frustration, “I don’t need these! I will become a true hero—one day, I’ll return them to you! I promise!”