62: Chapter 62 The Corner Buried by a Smile

After spending several pleasant hours in Dreamland, Zhang Hao sat on a rest bench made of soft toffee, watching the colorful and endless flow of people.

Relaxing—it was indeed the ultimate relaxation. The physical fatigue seemed to be washed away by the sweet air, and mental stress vanished into nothingness amidst this laughter. On the mission panel, the progress bar representing "Immersive Experience" had surely accumulated a significant amount.

However, as the initial sensory stimulation gradually subsided, the string within him belonging to the Logical Connection Talent began to emit a faint, continuous alarm.

It was too consistent.

He carefully observed the surrounding Hosts. Whether they were new visitors who had just entered the park or those who had been there longer, almost everyone wore highly similar smiles—pure, satisfied, even carrying a hint of... a meticulously tuned, programmed feel? He noticed some Hosts repeatedly lining up for the same attraction, their faces brimming with the exact same excitement as their first experience; some Hosts shuttled between various food stalls, showing a scripted enthusiasm for every new food item, yet lacking a spark of genuine curiosity and exploration deep in their eyes.

As for the clown staff, their service was impeccable, their smiles always standard, and their movements always exaggerated and effective, but they never seemed to engage in truly deep communication with the Hosts, merely performing the function of "guiding joy" perfectly. The entire park was like a precisely operating happiness machine, where everyone was a gear pushed by that invisible force toward the single direction of "pleasure."

“If pleasure is the only emotion allowed and encouraged, then where did the other emotions go?” Zhang Hao set down the glass of “Happy Soda” that would automatically refill, thinking calmly. “The Dream World stimulates and collects our various extreme emotions through missions—fear, anger, sadness... these are all the ‘provisions’ that constitute the world's operation. Yet here, it seems to be doing its utmost to exclude and purify these ‘negative’ resources, retaining only ‘happiness’...”

He thought of the Power of Corruption that eroded everything in the World Tree world, that chaotic, silent, and heart-palpitating aura. Compared to this bright, glamorous park filled only with laughter, the two seemed to exist at opposite ends of an energy spectrum.

“In a world of only light, where is its shadow hidden?” This thought was like a cold needle, piercing through the warm bubbles of joy around him.

Just then, the Origin Heart-Wall core within his body—the Taiji Yin-Yang Fish that balanced order, life, and the Power of Corruption—seemed to sense the shift in his thoughts, transmitting an extremely faint, icy touch that was out of place with the surrounding warm and joyful energy field.

This feeling did not come from any specific Host or clown, nor from the glamorous facilities; it was more like a faint resonance of some deeper “Impurities” permeating the bottom layer of the air, suppressed by the powerful field of joy.

Zhang Hao stood up, deciding to take the initiative to find that discordant “note.” He no longer followed the crowd toward the most popular attractions, nor was he swayed by the directions enthusiastically pointed out by the clowns. Instead, he began to walk along the park's periphery and areas with few tourists, his sharp gaze scanning every seemingly ordinary corner.

He passed through a “Sweet Forest” made of glowing lollipops, walked past the “Silent Pond” where only a few Hosts were quietly tossing Wishing Sugar Coins, and even reached the area near the logistics passage, seeing several clowns directing some cute-looking cleaning robots. Everything appeared orderly and flawless.

However, that icy sensation originating from the Origin Heart-Wall became slightly clearer when he reached the northwest corner of the park, an area planted with giant Peppermint Herbs and shimmering Rock Candy Flowers.

Tourists rarely visited here, and even the presence of clown staff was sparse. The cheerful music also seemed to be weakened by an invisible barrier, sounding somewhat distant. His gaze finally locked onto the depths of the peppermint bushes, at an extremely inconspicuous entrance that seemed deliberately hidden by the landscape designer with dense vegetation.

There were no dazzling lights or grand signs at the entrance, only a simple, even somewhat dilapidated wooden signpost. The characters on it seemed blurred by age but were still faintly legible:

[Nightmare Haunted House]

A faint but definitely present cognitive interference field enveloped this place, making it easy for one's gaze to slide past, as the brain would automatically label it as “irrelevant,” “not yet open,” or “under maintenance.” Had Zhang Hao not been searching deliberately and possessed the unique sensitivity of the Origin Heart-Wall toward abnormal energy, he likely would have ignored this place just like the other Hosts, continuing to immerse himself in carefree happiness.

“Found it...” Zhang Hao whispered to himself, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. This corner, deliberately buried by countless smiles and joy, this “Nightmare” place that was diametrically opposed to the tone of the entire park, might be the key to unveiling the true face of this world.

Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed aside the peppermint grass that emitted a cool scent but could not cool his inquisitive heart, and stepped onto the dark path leading to the secrets the park tried its best to conceal.