A bizarre and terrifying experience; I messed up the dungeon world.

Zhou Lang was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked, "If I can find the core of this instance, can I save them?"

The security guard's expression froze.

How do you know the core information?

"Just a guess," Zhou Lang said, staring at the security guard ghost. "So I guessed right?"

The security guard didn't speak, but his reaction said it all.

"Where is the core?" Zhou Lang pressed.

"I can't say." The security guard turned to leave.

Zhou Lang grabbed his wrist and instantly wrapped the bandage around his right hand.

"I'll ask you one more time, what's the core issue?"

The security guard ghost struggled a few times, but found that he couldn't break free at all.

"It's...it's in the basement," the security guard's voice was filled with fear. "But you can't get in; the butler is guarding it."

"Where is the entrance to the basement?"

"There's an iron gate behind the kitchen," the security guard pointed to the kitchen, "but I advise you not to go there; it's dangerous."

Zhou Lang released his hand and glanced at the time.

8:55.

"Zhao Qiang, Han Yingying, you two go back to work." Zhou Lang turned and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll go check on the basement."

"Are you crazy?!" Zhao Qiang tried to stop him. "It's too dangerous to go now!"

"There's no time." Zhou Lang said without turning his head. "If I don't come back, you'll have to figure out how to survive on your own."

After saying that, he pushed open the kitchen door and disappeared into the darkness.

The kitchen was much larger than I had imagined.

Various rotten ingredients were piled up in the corner, and the air was filled with a nauseating smell.

Zhou Lang covered his nose and walked deeper into the area.

Soon, he saw the iron gate that the security guard had mentioned.

The iron gate was rusted, and there were dark red bloodstains on the doorknob.

Zhou Lang reached out and grabbed the doorknob, then twisted it forcefully.

The door opened.

A cold wind blew out from under the door, carrying a strong smell of blood.

Zhou Lang hesitated for a second, but still pushed open the door and went in.

The stairs were steep, and strange paintings hung on the walls on both sides.

The paintings depict bizarre scenes: some people are dismembered, some are hung up, and others are locked in cages.

Zhou Lang quickened his pace and soon arrived at the basement.

The basement was spacious, with a huge altar in the center.

On the altar sat a black crystal ball, within which twisted shadows could be vaguely seen writhing.

"Is this the core?" Zhou Lang approached the altar.

Just then, I heard the sound of a cane striking the ground behind me.

"I knew you'd come here." The butler's voice echoed in the empty basement.

Zhou Lang turned around and saw the butler standing at the top of the stairs, his smile even more sinister than usual.

"You knew all along that I would discover the core information?" Zhou Lang asked.

"Of course." Butler Killer walked down, leaning on his cane. "From the first day you entered the dungeon, I knew you were no ordinary person."

"So you deliberately had the security guard tell me the location of the core?"

"That's right." The butler walked to the altar. "Because I need you to destroy it."

Zhou Lang was stunned.

"You... need me to destroy the core?"

"Yes." Butler Killer looked at the crystal ball. "This core has trapped all of us, including me."

"I don't understand." Zhou Lang frowned. "Aren't you the butler of this manor? Why would you destroy the core?"

"Because I am also a soul trapped here." The butler's voice turned low. "A long time ago, I was also a human, an ordinary butler."

"Then what?"

"Then my master opened that door." The butler pointed to the altar. "What came out of that door killed everyone in the manor, including me."

"But you are not truly dead."

"Yes, we've become monsters, trapped in this instance, repeating the same things day after day." The butler's voice was weary. "I'm fed up."

Zhou Lang was silent for a few seconds: "So you want me to destroy the core and end all of this?"

"Yes," the butler nodded, "but destroying the core comes at a price."

"What price?"

"Your life."

"Today's pay will now be distributed."

The sound of the butler's voice interrupted Zhou Lang's thoughts, and the cane struck the ground with a crisp sound.

"Xiong Batian, excellent rating, salary 300."

"The grass has died, no pay."

"Zhao Qiang, good evaluation, salary 200."

"Han Yingying, good evaluation, salary 200."

As the butler called out a name, the fleshy balls would roll to the corresponding person, with a corresponding amount of money placed on an iron plate.

When it was Zhou Lang's turn, the butler paused for a moment.

"Wandering aimlessly, what's your opinion..."

Zhou Lang could feel the butler's stitched-up face and empty eye sockets staring at him, making the atmosphere somewhat eerie.

"Perfect, salary 500."

Zhao Qiang's eyes widened, and the others also showed expressions of surprise. Zhou Lang, however, calmly accepted the money, but was already plotting something else in his mind.

"That concludes today's work. You are free to do as you please, but remember..." Butler Sha tapped his cane, "Do not leave your room after 7 PM."

After saying this, Butler Sha turned and left, the sound of his cane striking the ground gradually fading into the distance.

"Zhou Lang!"

Zhao Qiang finally couldn't hold back and rushed over, with Han Yingying following behind. Both of them had their faces filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

"That human brain you gave me really worked! The ghost in my room, though fierce, didn't bother me anymore after it ate it," Zhao Qiang said in a low voice. "But it asked me to find it something else tomorrow..."

"Me too." Han Yingying bit her lip. "That headless ghost said it wanted an eye."

Zhou Lang glanced at Xiong Batian's side, where Xiong Batian was discussing something with two other classmates, glancing over here every now and then.

"Let's go back to the room first and talk about it then."

The three returned to the second floor. Zhou Lang's room was number 1, Zhao Qiang's was number 6, and Han Yingying's was number 2. Upon entering the room, Zhou Lang found the furnishings to be normal: a bed, a wardrobe, and a small table.

He sat on the bed and began to sort through his day's findings.

Besides the 500 coins, there are three ghostly artifacts in the inventory: a shredder for dismembering corpses, a Texas chainsaw, and Jack's murder lamp.

Zhou Lang took out the oil lamp and examined it carefully. It was an old-fashioned kerosene lamp with strange patterns engraved on the lampshade, and the oil inside was an eerie dark red.

"Jack's Murder Lamp: When lit, it reveals the truth hidden in the darkness, but it will also attract the attention of something else. Use with caution."

Zhou Lang stroked the oil lamp, the last warning from the butler echoing in his mind.

Do not leave the room at night.

Why?

He glanced out the window; it was completely dark now, and the dim lighting in the corridor cast patches of shadow.

A knocking sounded suddenly.

Zhou Lang opened the door, and Zhao Qiang and Han Yingying were standing outside.

"We've discussed it," Han Yingying said. "Tomorrow, those ghosts will probably have to go to that fake chef again for what they want."

"Not necessarily." Zhou Lang shook his head. "The human brain thing today is too coincidental. Six people, five portions of human brains. This is obviously a trap. Xiao Cao died because she bought rotten human brains."