Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 103 Hot Spring Hotel
Option 21.7 65.2%, Option 13.1 [-]%, Option [-] [-]%.

……

【Option [-]】

【Rift Valley】

……

Rift.

Under the surface, where even Chu Huairen's high-altitude perspective cannot be observed, there may be unexpected gains hidden.

"It's decided, move in the direction of the rift valley."

After repeated observations, Zheng Zhuo adjusted his orientation.

The dead tree, with only its bark left, quickly burned away, turning into a small pile of black residue.When the last wisp of black smoke disappeared, Zheng Zhuo set off in the direction of the rift valley indicated by Chu Huairen.

……

The crimson will-o'-the-wisps floated on the boundless gray-black land.During most of the journey, Zheng Zhuo was worried that he would lose his way.There are so few reference objects on this barren land that he can't judge whether he is still moving towards his goal.

He had heard that human beings could never move straight without a reference because their legs were not exactly the same length.But he wondered if that was the case with the will-o'-the-wisps without legs.

"Even if you can't find the rift, you can always see dead trees. At worst, I will light the fire and ask for the way again."

With this thought in mind, he drifted away for a long time.

Then, he saw the chapped marks on the ground gradually expand.

"...It seems that there is no need to light the fire again."

There is no need to confirm again at all.Those cracks spread with astonishing momentum, forming a continuous rift valley.

Think about it too.From Chu Huairen's position, he couldn't even see the trees clearly, but he could clearly see the rift valley.The size of the rift must be pretty staggering, then.

As a wisp of will-o'-the-wisp, Zheng Zhuo cautiously floated through those cracks.Perhaps because of his light weight, he was slightly affected by gravity, and he came to the biggest crack without much effort.

The wind almost blows Zheng Zhuo away.He tried his best to look down, only to see the depths of the chasm that was darker than the earth.

but.

Goo-dong, goo-dong.

Zheng Zhuo stuck to the ground tightly.From this position, he heard a pulsation in the earth.

Goo-dong, goo-dong.

The pulsating sound was mixed with the noise of the wind.

Goo-dong, goo-dong.

Very neat sound.It doesn't look like it's coming from a creature.

"...Is there really magma?"

Zheng Zhuo felt that the sound was like magma surging.

magma.If you can obtain the energy in the magma, you must be able to get an unimaginably large number of points.

Thinking of this, he shook the flames again and looked around.

But this time, it was looking for a more suitable place to fall.

……

Will the will-o'-the-wisp be thrown to death?
Before today, Zheng Zhuo never thought that he would seriously consider this issue.Yet that was the question he asked himself more than once as he glided down the great ridge on the side of the rift toward the bottom.

The crimson flame slowly slid down.Soon, it will be more eye-catching than the sky.

Next, Zheng Zhuo discovered both the advantages and disadvantages of being a will-o'-the-wisp.

The upside: you never have to struggle with lighting.

The downside: no matter what you see, there's no way to avoid it.

Zheng Zhuo bumped into dead grass roots, huge rocks, raised cliffs, and panicked little lizards one after another, and chewed on the little lizards that fell from the fracture surface of the rift to another ridge tens of meters below.

Zheng Zhuo swears that this is the best roller coaster he has ever ridden in his life.

The good thing is that it does not guarantee the safety of passengers.

By the second half, Zheng Zhuo had completely given up using his brain—if he still had that thing—to process the images he could see.He just felt like he was in a trance in a working drum washing machine.

He could feel that he bumped into many things along the way, was attacked by many things, and disintegrated many things, but he didn't have the extra thought to pay attention to what those were.

He only knew that when he stopped at the bottom of the rift, it took him a long time to regain consciousness and open the [collective subconscious] software.Then, I saw that my points had changed from [0] to [114] at some point.

After spending more time, Zheng Zhuo regained enough energy to move.

"...It's really a buffet with no experience..."

He began to make his way along the bottom of the rift.

The audible "gudong" sound became more violent.This also strengthened Zheng Zhuo's desire to find out.

Along the way, he saw many skeletal fragments.Those bones were scattered at the bottom of the rift valley in pieces, and their original appearance could no longer be seen.Small shadows passed across the back of the skeleton illuminated by its own light.From the size, he guessed it was some kind of lizard, scorpion or something.

He tried a little, and found that his slow speed was not fast enough to prey on these nimble little things.

"Forget it, forget it." After another failed hunt, he said to himself, "There is still magma, let them survive. Just treat it as a good deed..."

At this time, a scorpion that didn't notice Zheng Zhuo just happened to get out from the crack in the rock in front of him.

"..." Zheng Zhuo looked at the scorpion.

"..." Scorpion also looked at Zheng Zhuo.

Zheng Zhuo ate the scorpion.

"The world doesn't need good deeds."

……

In the next journey, the terrain obviously went further down.Zheng Zhuo began to see some ore exposed in the air on both sides of the rift.

These ores are black, golden or red, and [identification] shows familiar and unfamiliar names such as [alloy iron].

There is no coal that Zheng Zhuo wants most.

Zheng Zhuo tried to swallow these ores, but he couldn't digest them successfully.So, he tried to use [ignite] to ignite them.He managed to explode a small portion of ore that was not particularly heat-resistant, and brought down another portion of ore that was not very strong.

But even if the ore was broken into pieces, he still couldn't digest it.

"I still don't have enough appetite."

Zheng Zhuo continued to move forward.The voice quickly grew louder and louder...

He squeezed again into the gap between the chasms in front of him.

Gudong!

In front of him, a huge water column rose into the sky.

It turned out that it was not magma that made the "gudong" sound, but a boiling geothermal spring!
The water splashed and landed on Zheng Zhuo.

Zheng Zhuo turned pale with shock!

"Oops! I'll go out—"

The water splashed on Zheng Zhuo's weak flame.

However, the splash immediately dissipated as steam.Not only did the flame not go out, but it was getting stronger and stronger.

At the same time, on the opened interface, [Points] increased by 1 point.

"……Um?"

It turned out that the Boiling Spring not only failed to extinguish Zheng Zhuo's flame due to its high heat, but instead provided him with energy points.

"I see, this is a hot spring dedicated to wildfires."

Maybe better than magma.

After realizing this, Zheng Zhuo immediately jumped into the crevice of the rock where the boiling spring spewed out.

【Points: 147】

【Points: 148】

【Points: 149】

……

There is nothing quite like being wrapped in warm water.Zheng Zhuo's vision became blurred again.

What woke him up was the notification sound from [Collective Subconsciousness].

……

[Optional evolution:]

……

"Ah...whatever..."

Zheng Zhuo almost clicked to close.

Just one second before he clicked down.

"Um!?"

He woke up abruptly from his stupor.

……

[Optional evolution:]

【Bone】

【ore】

【steam】

【Earth fire】

……

Zheng Zhuo looked at the interface.

It turned out that his [Points] reached 200, triggering the next evolution.

……

【problem】

【The next evolution is ready.Which one should I choose? 】

【Option [-]】

【Bone】

Specific description: Wrap the skeleton in flames.The encapsulated skeleton becomes part of the body.You can change the shape of your body through random combinations.

【Option [-]】

【ore】

Specific instructions: wrap the ore in flames.The ore adheres to the surface of the body, becomes the core itself, and the ore becomes the armor.Each ore will have the same temperature as the core.The shape can be adjusted to a certain extent.

【Option [-]】

【steam】

Specific instructions: Ingestion of large amounts of steam.Into a large and thin shadow-like will-o'-the-wisp.Can fly freely in the air.Wherever it falls, it will be ignited.

【Option [-]】

【Earth fire】

Specific description: Swallow into the never-ending flames of the mantle.Become an endlessly surging fireball, easily out of control, but at the same time gain higher temperature, faster speed and better hunting sense.

　After [Option 1], [Option 1], [Option [-]] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/12/23日中午12：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)