What’s Wrong With Seeking Death?

The Dongshan Botanical Expo, also known as the Green Tree Festival, is held basically every year in the local area. And the Central Park where Xiao Wang is located is the place where the event is held every year.

She has been employed for more than a year now, and she has developed considerable adaptability. For example, in such a situation, you can still smile casually.

Obviously the weather is very good at this moment, the sun in September is warm and bright. Standing in the small pavilion on duty, she only felt chills in her back.

The father who had just come to offer advice had already taken his daughter away. Xiao Wang withdrew her gaze, waited for a few seconds, and finally remembered what she should do—she first walked out of the pavilion, quickly scanned the square with her eyes, and after confirming that there was no one in a puppet costume within her field of vision, she went to the work group to press Wei Wei sent a message, followed by turning on the stereo on the desk, and began to play "Good Luck" on a loop.

—During the expo, if you find any weird things, you must follow such a set of procedures. This is what the old staff who took her taught her. She was wondering before, how could an exhibition be superstitious, but now she finally understands.

Soon, two old employees rushed over, also glanced around the square, and followed them to the outside of the work booth.

"Did you see that great pyrene bear?" one of them asked in a low voice. "Does it talk to people?"

Xiao Wang shook his head blankly: "I don't know... I didn't see that thing at all. I didn't know until someone else told me..."

The compulsively maintained calm dissipated, and finally some panic that should have appeared in her chest: "That thing, does it have a big impact? What will happen to the people who touch it? I..."

She suddenly became a little worried about her job. This is the third day of her becoming a full-time employee. Although the establishment post will not be fired under normal circumstances, who knows? It wouldn't be haunted under normal circumstances, would it? ?

All kinds of emotions surged up, making Xiao Wang's face pale a little. The old employee who was talking to her kindly reassured her that she was fine, thinking that the little girl had also become a full-time employee, and some things should be clarified, so she simply asked another person to take off work and deal with the situation. He took Xiao Wang into the nearby lounge, poured her a cup of hot water, and said:

"Don't think too much. It's normal that you can't see it. That thing is not something that everyone can see. You, just pay attention next time, see if anyone has extra balloons out of thin air, or is fighting with Talk in the air. Generally, if these two situations occur, it means that the "Big Pyrenees" has appeared. Don't worry, it's a small matter, and the problem is not big. At this time, just like I taught you, just play "Lucky Come". If If you don’t have playback equipment, just take a small speaker and sing by yourself.”

"Big Pyrenees," that's what they called the thing. On the one hand, it was because some colleagues had witnessed its existence and described its appearance as a big pyrene; on the other hand, it was because they didn't know what it was.

They only know that since their park was expanded for the second time three years ago, and a new park in the north was added, that thing would appear occasionally, wandering around the park. And this guy is still crazy, he only picks the peak flow of people, and every year the Green Tree Festival must be refreshed.

That thing looked like a person wearing a puppet costume, but the puppet costume was completely sealed. There are no eye holes and no back zipper. Even if it stands in full view, not everyone can see it, and you may even be able to see it one second, but not the next second.

It doesn't appear very often. About once or twice a year. Every time it appears, it will only do two things—give out balloons to passing children, and give directions to tourists who ask for directions. If it happens to appear near the barbecue stand in the garden, there is a high probability that it will take some skewers along with it.

"It's nothing to take skewers and send out balloons. We asked the master to look at it. Balloons are ordinary things. I'm afraid that they will guide people." The old employee said, lowering his voice mysteriously, "It is said to follow it to guide the way. Tourists walking in the direction will disappear for a short time.”

"Ah?" Xiao Wang couldn't help but widen his eyes, "Then just in case—"

"But it will only disappear for a while." The old employee hurriedly completed the second half of the sentence, "Usually half an hour to an hour. The shortest, it will come out in 20 minutes. It is neat and complete, and it is nothing. thing."

It’s just that during this period of time, other people will not be able to contact them, and the surveillance cameras in the park will not be able to capture any traces of them—the strange thing is that when they reappear, the corresponding footage will automatically return to the surveillance record inside. It's just that the scenes captured are very weird.

"Strange?" Xiao Wang rubbed his arms, "What do you mean?"

"It's just that they will be photographed circling. In the same place, repeatedly circling. They won't talk to anyone in the middle, and no one else will notice them." The old employee said as lightly as possible, "But apart from these pictures Other than that, everything else is normal."

"Where is it normal? It's so weird..." Xiao Wang didn't know what to think of, and his face turned paler. "Are those people who disappeared before really all right?"

Could it be possessed by something, or transformed by some monster—this is how it is played in movies.

"What I know so far is nothing wrong." The old employee said, suddenly lowering his voice, "Two years ago, there was a rich man who offered to donate to us. Do you know why? He felt that he was cursed and let the little devil I was entangled. When he came to our place for an event, he was kidnapped by the big white bear. After he came out, he felt refreshed. He thought our place was some kind of feng shui treasure, and he wanted to introduce other people."

It's a pity that "Great Pyrenees" appear too randomly, and the frequency is also low, so it's not easy to come across them.

"Not only him, I also met someone before, who said it was a long-term nightmare, and the whole person's spirit was unstable. He was taken by his family to relax, and he was also 'abducted'. After he came out, the nightmare was gone, and his spirit was also good. See if there is a pennant behind me, 'Cleanse the soul', that's how it came about."

Xiao Wang: "..."

She looked hesitantly at the old employee in front of her. The latter's expression was as steady as Mount Tai, and Xiao Wang gradually calmed down: "It means, that big white bear...isn't it a bad thing?"

"Probably." The old employee exhaled, "To tell you the truth, our director went to see the master. The master said that the place we expanded was probably a cave. There are Baojia immortals practicing in it. Now If it is covered by our garden, that fairy will take our place as his home."

"..." Xiao Wang became more and more confused the more he listened, "Bao Jiaxian, you still protect the Great Park?"

"This park is my home, it depends on everyone to take care of it." The old aunt spread her arms, fearlessly.

Xiao Wang: "..."

Seeing that the little girl in front of her gradually calmed down, the old aunt Fang continued: "Of course, we still have to do the necessary measures. The so-called difference between human beings and immortals. But if you really meet, don't be too nervous. Timely notification, timely expulsion, that's all. Calm down."

Xiao Wang: "Oh..."

She paused for a few seconds, then couldn't help but said: "In those three years, no one posted this kind of thing on the Internet?"

As a local, she has never heard any news, which is incredible.

To be honest, if she knew that this kind of thing would happen in this park, she would never apply for this unit when the public institution recruited for the exam.

When the old aunt heard the words, she gave her a meaningful look.

"I don't know the details. But according to colleagues who had contact with the missing tourists, those lost tourists didn't remember what happened to them when they came back."

The memory is vague, like waking up from a dream, and I don't have any curiosity about what happened when I was lost. And for some reason, after everyone returned to reality, they would always say something like this to the staff who came to meet them——

"The camphor forest here is so big."

"...Ah?" Xiao Wang was taken aback for a moment, then frowned again, "This sounds a bit strange."

"Who says it's not." The old employee exhaled, seeing that she had recovered and didn't intend to continue chatting, he gave Xiao Wang a few more words and left first.

Xiao Wang was left sitting alone in the lounge, pondered for a moment, took out his mobile phone, and opened the chat box with his best friend.

There is too much information on this matter, she subconsciously wants to share it with her best friend. After typing a few words into the input box, she suddenly realized why she felt that sentence was strange——

In their park, a total of more than a dozen camphor trees were planted in the northeast corner. Where did the big camphor forest come from?

Xiao Wang's arm was covered with goose bumps because of this discovery, and when he looked at the phone again, his scalp was even numb.

I saw that in her input box, at some point, she had typed a complete sentence.

—[The camphor forest on our side is really huge. 】

"Wow... this forest is too big."

At the same time, in another "area" of the expo site.

Xu Tuoran was standing among the tall camphor trees, looking around in amazement.

Surrounded by lush green trees, the canopy stretches out with a strange aroma, covering the sky and the sun, with only tiny rays of light falling through the cracks in the pages. As for her feet, there is a narrow path, paved with fine gravel, extending towards the depths of the deep forest, and it does not know where it leads.

Xu Turan didn't know why he came here. She clearly remembered that she just followed the man in the puppet costume... Well, let's call him a "person", always followed his instructions, and walked all the way to the square at the north gate of the expo site.

Compared to the bustling East Gate, the square in front of the North Gate was as deserted as if it had been completely forgotten. There was no one in the venue, and there was no one queuing in front of the entrance passage, only an employee who was also wearing a puppet costume was shaking his head and waving at Xu Furan.

The puppet costume looked dirty, like a big pyrene bear covered in dust, and the mouth was a little greasy for some reason.

Xu Tuoran took a deep look at it, and was not surprised to find that this puppet costume was the same as the one he saw in the East Gate Square before—the eyes had no holes, and the chin had no slit. You're short of holding up a sign and telling the world "I'm weird."

But what is even more strange is that when Xu Tuoran walked towards it, her premonition of crisis did not respond at all, nor did she hear the sound of the death value.

This is exactly the same as the one she saw on the East Gate Square.

It was precisely because of this that Xu Tuoran thought at the time that his hallucinations had reappeared. But out of caution, she gave Zhu Tang and the others a warning first - after all, the other party won't give her experience, it may not be harmless, or it may simply be too weak to cause harm to her current self . But it's not necessary to change the object.

It wasn't until she arrived at the empty north gate and saw another big puppet of the same style posing at the gate that Xu Tuoran really confirmed her guess.

The guy in the puppet costume is really weird. The place where she is now is also weird.

And this weirdness is probably related to the "domain" hidden in this place-in this way, I am lucky.

Xu Turan settled down, walked over indifferently, and entered the entrance passage in a bold manner. At the entrance gate, there is another guy in a fully sealed puppet suit, who should be in charge of ticket checking. Xu Tuoran showed it the appointment information, one couldn't control it, and smiled at it in a good mood.

…unfortunately it turned out to be a bit hurtful. Not only did the other party not smile back at her, but he took half a step back, and waved his hands at her again and again—the kind where both claws shake together.

Xu Tuoran was silent for a while, a subtle sense of frustration floated in his heart. Silently put away the phone and walked towards the park.

And the moment she took the first step, the death value system in her mind finally responded.

[Congratulations, you have obtained a thousand death points! 】

And then... yes, and then she came here.

It seems that I saw a certain trail while walking, and walked in along it; it seems that I experienced a moment of trance when I was studying the road signs. In short, when she realized it, she had already arrived in the camphor forest, and was walking along the path to the depths of the forest automatically and consciously.

very strange. Relevant memories became very blurred. Xu Tuoran pondered for a while, then calmly decided not to think too much, and continued to study the current location instead.

The woods are quiet, and as far as the eye can see, there is no one there. Only the camphor leaves covering the ground showed traces of being stepped on. Xu Tuoran tried to walk forward for a while, but the surrounding scenery was the same, so he stopped again and carefully observed his surroundings.

The mobile phone has completely lost signal, making her even more convinced that she is in the domain. She thought for a while, and took out the tourist guidebook and map she had obtained earlier.

This domain is built inside the site, and maybe its structure has some connection with the actual garden... With this in mind, Xu Tuoran took the lead in opening the tourist guidebook.

The guidebook is folded-leaf, and a scenic spot is marked on each page, and an official introduction to related plants is attached to help tourists better select and appreciate the scenic spot. Xu Tuoran completely opened a manual, glanced at it, and instantly locked on the "Camphor Forest" printed on the last page.

very strange. When she got the guidebook, she flipped through it casually. She remembered very clearly that the last page of the brochure should be the overall introduction of the exposition.

Compared with the introduction on other pages, the text under "Camphor Forest" seems to be no different, both in font and layout. Above the text is a circular picture, the camphor tree on the picture is lush and beautiful, full of vitality.

Of course, that's just what it looks like.

Xu Tuoran folded the manual, read the relevant text carefully, and his expression gradually became a little subtle.

[Plant introduction: camphor, evergreen tree... It likes warmth and humidity, but it is not cold-tolerant... The leaves are rich in fragrance and have the effect of repelling insects...】

[Yes, camphor can repel insects. Camphor does not live in insects, camphor and bugs are naturally opposed, and camphor will not accept any bugs. We'll banish all bugs, kill, all bugs, kill. 】

[Tour Guide: As you already know, camphor is an insect repellant, so the camphor forest also exists to repel insects. We will do our best to get rid of all bugs. This has to be done. 】

[Bugs can cause hallucinations and abnormalities... No, I mean mushrooms. Yes, mushrooms. Outside the camphor forest is the mushroom area, and the aroma of the mushrooms may cause some hallucinations. So if you see something beyond your imagination in the woods, don't be afraid, it's normal. These are just bugs that got in by mistake. Yes, just bugs. 】

[Insects are harmful to people. Please be vigilant about bugs. This has to be done. When you are in certain safe areas, such as gravel roads, you will not be attacked by bugs. You can visit with confidence. Don't worry, our staff will take full responsibility for the pest control. Please don't try to meddle in their work, they are absolutely professional in this area. 】

[The staff are divided into white bear costumes and black bear costumes. Employees in black bear suits are only responsible for killing bugs, or dealing with people who may be infested by bugs. If you need additional assistance, please seek out the staff in the white bear suit. Please don't let Ice Bear staff deal with bugs, they are too weak. Only employees in black bear muppet costumes can deal with bugs. Also don't seek shelter from Ice Bear employees, they may abandon you and run away. 】

[If the above situation occurs, you can report to the Black Bear staff when you see them. 】

[In addition, if you see a white bear employee holding a skewer in his hand, please report to the black bear employee when you encounter him. We will make due compensation to the loss party. 】

[Please don't wonder why the puppet outfit didn't leave a vent hole. This is all to keep out the bugs. Bugs are disgusting. We're going to kill all the bugs. Because they're damn, damn, **** damn. Extermination of bugs is a must. 】

[For the safety of you and others, if you are unfortunately carrying bugs, the employees of Camphor Forest will kill them on your behalf. This has to be done. If you see them making strange demands on you out of the blue, don't be afraid, they are not targeting you, they just sense the bugs. 】

[Please cooperate with the staff. This has to be done. Bugs are bad, and getting rid of them is good for you. 】

【During the tour, you may find that you have lost a large number of [personal items] inexplicably. If this happens, don't panic. This means that our early warning system identifies you as a [bug carrier] or a [person who may be parasitized by bugs], and this is only to better eliminate bugs. That's all. I hope you understand that bugs must be exterminated. necessary. 】

[When you decide to end the visit, you can go to the staff office to collect the lost [personal items]. If you are [clean] and there is no possibility of any bug infestation, staff will return all [personal items]. Follow the staff leading the way, and you can leave the camphor forest. 】

[During your tour, you may pick up [items] that other people have lost. It's okay, take them with you. Staff will dispose of these items after you leave the attraction. 】

[Finally, I wish you a pleasant visit and wish you a happy and safe rest of your life. 】

Xu Tuoran: "..."

To be honest, by the end of the reading, she almost didn't know the word "worm".

"Although it looks very righteous, there is a sickness between the lines" - she commented on this text in her heart.

Although this introduction repeatedly emphasized the safety of the camphor forest, Xu Turan would not believe it, considering the 1,000 death points he got when he entered the garden.

She was just a little concerned, what did the repeated "bugs" refer to? What do you mean by "lost personal items" mentioned in the last few paragraphs?

For some reason, the word "lost" made her feel uneasy.

Xu Tueran pursed his lips, subconsciously touched the backpack behind him, read the text on the folded page twice, and after confirming that he could not get more information, he closed it and opened the atlas instead.

It was a folded, hand-drawn map. Xu Tuoran opened it twice while looking for the north gate, but he didn't look very carefully.

...But no matter how careful she is, she can now see the weirdness of the map in her hand.

What she sees at this moment is completely different from the original hand-drawn map, which has changed very thoroughly - the original map has marked all the scenic spots and public facilities in the plant in great detail, and the whole is similar to a square. However, on the current paper, it is a huge circle.

On the left and right inside the circle, there are three characters vertically arranged on each side. "Camphor Forest" is written on the left, and "Picking Area" is written on the right.

Inside the circle, a winding road passes through it, which looks like the stone road where Xu Tuoran is at the moment. On both sides of the road, circles of different sizes are drawn, and the two circles at the bottom are also marked with handwriting, which are "root museum" and "tea room". In the circle further ahead, there are question marks.

According to the picture, Xu Tuoran should be at the end of the road right now. In other words, the nearest facility to her is the "Tree Roots Museum", but I don't know how long it will take to get there.

In the lower right corner of the map, cute handwriting is used, and a few more lines are marked:

[Map number in this volume [23082]]

[When you are in a situation where you have no name to wear, you can use the map number as identification to communicate with staff or other tourists. 】

[When you pick up the name and choose to wear it, you can use the name or number to communicate with others according to your own wishes. The number will never expire, so you can safely keep it as your backup. 】

"..."

"...??"

Okay, the number of sentences that I don't understand has increased.

Xu Tuoran raised the map in his hand a little higher, and tilted his head in a daze.

What is "wearable without a name", and what does "find a name" mean? I obviously have my own name...

?

Xu Turan was stunned for a moment.

She frowned and thought about it for a while, then slowly raised her hand and pressed her forehead.

Strange, what is my name?

the other side.

In front of Xu Tuoran's location, inside the Tree Roots Museum.

A large number of plant rhizomes are displayed in a limited space, but they are not displayed in common art forms such as root carvings, but are simply installed in glass cabinets individually, like corpses for people to admire.

In the deepest part of the pavilion, there is also a huge screen. The screen mountain is covered with tiny roots, and occasionally one of them trembles restlessly.

And behind the screen, there is a person hiding.

Strictly speaking, it is a treant—his upper body is in the state of a human, but below the waist it is in the state of a tree trunk, but his legs are replaced by powerful roots, and several small plastic flower pots are stepped on the roots.

...No way, it's too uncomfortable to walk directly with the roots.

The tree man was leaning against the screen, struggling to control his breathing. Heavy footsteps sounded from the other side of the screen, and more than one person seemed to be slowly approaching.

The tree man closed his eyes restrainedly, and looked up—the tree root museum has no roof, and when he looked up, he could just see the wide-spread crown of the camphor tree.

Seeing that the person on the other side of the screen was about to approach, the tree man didn't stop doing anything, and sprinted forward. The plastic flower pot stepped on the ground, making a dull sound. Crazy, raised his hands up to the point where he could directly reach the top of the wall—

In the next second, he pressed his hands against the wall, and the tree trunk quickly retracted to its normal length. With the strength of his hands, he climbed over the wall and jumped out of the museum.

The roots wrapped in plastic flower pots fell heavily on the ground outside, and the shock caused him to frown in pain, and he couldn't help coughing, coughing up a large pink flower with blood.

He hurriedly covered his mouth, got up and was about to leave, when a beam of light suddenly shone on his face, making him unable to open his eyes.

And in front of him, an existence wearing a black bear puppet costume was shaking a flashlight at him with one hand, and raised the walkie-talkie with the other.

"I found the 'bug' here." Its voice came out through the hood, the voice was stiff, and the tone was weird. "Request to gather and kill."