I buried the gods in the restricted area.

Jiang Rou's worst fears came true.

She never expected that Jiang Mian would actually win the spot to enter the restricted area.

She wanted to try to stop him again, but Jiang Mian had already signed the waiver in a clean and efficient manner—he knew this, and to prevent anyone from being frightened into committing an accident and holding him responsible, the haunted house would have guests sign the waiver in advance.

"Ma'am, are you also going to draw lots?"

Just as she was feeling lost and helpless, the reporter's voice rang in her ears.

Jiang Rou looked troubled. Of course, she didn't want to draw lots. Her experience in the City of the Dead last night had made her truly understand the terror of the forbidden zone. Even though she was quite tempted by the evolution potion, she was unwilling to take the risk again so soon.

But on second thought, this might not be a bad opportunity.

Although it's just speculation, Mr. Jiang Mian seems to instill fear in creatures within the forbidden zones. In other words, as long as you stay close to him, your safety can be guaranteed even if you're in a forbidden zone.

Of course, this remains to be verified. Perhaps Mr. Jiang Mian's "deterrence" is limited to the City of the Dead, but in any case, it is better to go with him than to enter the restricted area alone in the future.

The reason she wanted to join the End Company was so that she could become an alien one day and make a lot of money, right?

Evolution potions can do the same thing. Although she doesn't really want to become a "transformer," she has no complaints as long as she can become a mutant.

In addition, once she entered the restricted area, she had to stay for six hours before she could leave. If she were to separate from Mr. Jiang Mian like this, she was worried that Zhou Kai would take the opportunity to kill her to silence her.

Without hesitating for too long, Jiang Rou gritted her teeth and put her hand into the divination tube.

Seriously, why think so much? You might not even get it... Huh?

You were selected?

"Looks like we're both having a lucky day."

Jiang Mian, standing to the side, smiled. He considered himself quite brave, but in a haunted house, it was always good to have someone with you.

Jiang Rou looked blank, seemingly still reeling from the fact that she had won the lottery. After a long while, she managed to force a smile at him.

I just happened to draw the last lot; I don't know if that's lucky or unlucky...

Seemingly sensing the girl's fear, Jiang Mian smiled and reassured her, "It's alright. If you're really scared later, just stay close to me."

Jiang Rou nodded quickly.

She didn't know about others, but once she entered the restricted area, she would never leave Mr. Jiang Mian's sight for even a moment.

……

A few minutes later, the fully equipped production crew will step into the restricted area.

As usual, Zhang Yang emphasized the precautions, requiring everyone to remain calm after entering the restricted area, not to shout, and not to leave the group or act on their own unless there is an emergency.

They're there to make a show, not to die. Their job is simply to carefully explore restricted areas while ensuring their survival. Clearing out restricted areas will be handled by more professional people.

As he spoke, the other eight participants solemnly checked their equipment. Some were wiping their swords, some were checking their pistol magazines, and some were even fiddling with talismans. Even Jiang Rou secretly rummaged through her backpack.

Jiang Mian, however, was empty-handed and looked bewildered.

"Why do they have equipment, but we don't?"

He didn't believe anyone would dare to carry an AK around in broad daylight, assuming it was just a prop provided by the production team.

Jiang Rou didn't know how to explain, so she vaguely said, "Maybe we arrived too late, and they've already run out of props..."

"Really? That's such a pity."

Jiang Mian looked regretful, but the thought of being able to visit the haunted house and the scenic area for free soon made her smile.

Looking at his smiling face from a distance, Zhang Yang felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

He had seen people who lacked respect for the restricted area before, but even the most daring and fearless brute would inevitably show a hint of nervousness or hesitation at the moment he was about to step into the restricted area. This was the first time he had seen someone so genuinely happy.

The onlookers were equally surprised. Seeing that Jiang Mian was empty-handed, without even a fruit knife on him, someone couldn't help but ask, "Kid, aren't you afraid of dying?"

Jiang Mian was slightly taken aback, thinking he was referring to the "corpses" in the haunted house. She smiled and said, "What's there to be afraid of? They're just dead people. I've seen plenty of them."

The man scoffed, "You talk as if everyone's seen a dead person these days. Are being afraid of death and having seen a dead person the same thing?"

Now that you mention it, it does seem different...

Jiang Mian pondered for a moment, then nodded very seriously, "Then I'm afraid of dying."

The man laughed heartily, then, as if remembering something, his smile faded, and he shook his head, saying, "Anyway, good luck."

The restricted area is not a place for people to play around in; hopefully, this kid will live to understand that.

"Thank you," Jiang Mian said with a smile.

Perhaps seeing how relaxed he seemed, someone hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "I say... you're probably still a normal person, right?"

Jiang Mian, puzzled, asked in return, "Do I look special?"

He was just an ordinary tombstone sculptor; what else could he be but an ordinary person?

"Mr. Jiang Mian, we should go," Jiang Rou whispered to him.

Led by Zhang Yang, the group began to move, gradually disappearing into the depths of the path.

Throughout the entire process, the production team never asked the ten participants for their names.

After all, no one knows how many people will ultimately leave the restricted area alive.

Not to mention the participants, even Zhang Yang, a reporter and photographer in the restricted area, faced the risk of dying in the restricted area. If they were unlucky, it was even possible that they would all be wiped out.

It's important to know that they are not the only production team currently exploring restricted areas.

……

Generally speaking, the name of a restricted area can, to some extent, suggest the environment and rules of that area.

"Mirror Lake" is more like the former.

As the group emerged from the narrow path, the first thing they saw was a huge circular lake.

The water surface is a perfect mirror.

There was not a breath of wind, not a ripple. The sky sank into the lake, and the clouds, the sunlight, and even the occasional fleeting afterimages seemed to be completely swallowed up by this huge mirror, leaving not a single wrinkle.

The lake shoreline is blurred in the reflection, making it impossible to distinguish where the shore ends and the water begins.

"So this must be 'Mirror Lake'..."

Someone muttered to themselves, "Where could the danger come from... underwater?"

Everyone held their breath, and even Zhang Yang, who had been smiling all along, became serious, looking around warily. He quickly noticed that the "mirror" wasn't just in the lake.

Tree trunks, rocks, puddles... everything here seems to have been repeatedly polished, vaguely reflecting eerie and distorted figures.

Numerous dressing mirrors, each as tall as a person, appeared out of place in various locations, hanging in mid-air, leaning against withered trees, or embedded in rock walls. The mirrors were as bright and new as if someone had just been carefully doing their makeup in front of them.

Zhang Yang looked away, but his peripheral vision couldn't help but glance at the huge, mirror-like lake.

The man in the water was also glancing back from the corner of his eye.

It's not an illusion.

He saw his reflection in the water, facing him on the shore, slowly curving into a gentle smile.

He stood on the shore, but did not offer a smile.