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

The remaining six people were standing on the street, and before they could even find a place to sit down and rest, trouble came knocking.

A group of about ten people walked over from the other end of the main street, all wearing dark blue combat uniforms with blood-soaked knife emblems embroidered on their chests. The leader was not the previous man with a buzz cut, but an older man with a thick beard, deep-set eyes, and an old scar running from his forehead to his chin.

"Han Yingying?" The bearded man stopped in front of them, his gaze sweeping over the six people.

"Who are you?"

"Bloodblade Guild, Combat Department Head, codename 'Slaughter'." His voice was flat, as if he were reading a report. "You killed my men in an S-rank dungeon."

"Kill?" Han Yingying frowned. "We didn't kill anyone."

"In Mirror Town, three out of the twenty dead players were from the Bloodblade Guild," the bearded man said. "The dungeon replay shows they died at the hands of the reflections in the Mirror World. And you—you are the only team that entered the Mirror World and came back alive."

"So you think we killed them?" Zhou Lang stepped out from behind Han Yingying.

"I didn't say you killed them. I said that because of your actions, my people were exposed to more danger. You triggered the clock tower's mechanism, causing changes in the structure of the mirror world, and the area where my people were located was affected."

"That's called taking your anger out on others," Zhou Lang said, his tone devoid of emotion.

"I don't care what you're called." The bearded man took a step forward. "The Bloodblade Guild's rule—revenge is absolute, regardless of right or wrong. You six now have two choices. First, join the Bloodblade Guild and take our orders. Second…"

He didn't say what the second option was, but the ten people behind him simultaneously placed their hands on their weapons.

Han Yingying glanced around. A number of players had gathered on the streets of the main city, some watching the spectacle, others whispering amongst themselves. The live stream screen had already switched to this location—their confrontation was being broadcast live throughout the city.

The comments section was scrolling wildly:

"Bloodblade is bullying the newbies again."

"They're not newbies, are they? They're a team that cleared an S-rank dungeon."

"Going against Blood Blade? This woman's got a death wish."

"I bet a dollar she'll back down within ten minutes."

Han Yingying skimmed through the comments and quickly assessed the risks in her mind.

The Bloodblade Guild, ranked second, is the most unreasonable organization in the main city. Offending them means you'll find it impossible to move an inch in this strange world. But to bow down and join them… she couldn't do it.

"A third option," she said. "We won't join, and you shouldn't cause trouble. Let's go our separate ways."

The bearded man looked at her coldly: "There is no third option."

"Then just ignore what I said." Han Yingying took a half step back, her hand touching the dagger at her waist.

The atmosphere became tense.

Zhao Qiang whispered from behind, "Sister Yingying, how about we..."

"Shut up." Han Yingying and Zhou Lang said these two words at the same time.

Zhao Qiang shut up.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a voice came from the crowd: "Minister Tu, fighting in the main city will result in a deduction of credit points. Bloodblade Guild was just penalized once last month. If this happens again, their ranking will drop by more than one place."

The bearded man turned his head, his eyes narrowing.

The speaker was a young man wearing a straw hat, standing next to a fruit stand by the roadside, wiping an apple in his hand.

"It's none of your business," the bearded man said.

"It really has nothing to do with me," the young man in the straw hat said, taking a bite of his apple. "But it has to do with the rules. I just happened to be on duty."

He revealed a silver bracelet on his left wrist—Han Yingying saw the words "Eye of Order" engraved on the bracelet.

The bearded man's expression froze for a moment.

The young man in the straw hat chewed on an apple and looked at him with a smile.

"Let's go." The bearded man turned and left with his men. But after taking a few steps, he turned back and glanced at Han Yingying, his eyes conveying a clear message—this wasn't over.

The crowd dispersed. The comments section shifted to other topics.

Han Yingying breathed a sigh of relief and turned to thank the young man in the straw hat, but he was already gone. The fruit stall owner stared blankly at the half-eaten apple in his hand—the young man hadn't paid when he left.

"Let's go," Zhou Lang tugged at her arm. "Let's find a place to rest."

The six of them found an inn to stay in. The rooms weren't big, but they were enough, and most importantly, they were cheap—the S-rank dungeon loot was enough for them to stay for three days.

After dinner, Han Yingying sat in her room, lost in thought. Su Wan moved closer and sat down next to her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"It's about the Bloodblade Guild," Han Yingying said. "I've offended them, and that will implicate you."

"We've offended them ourselves," Su Wan said dismissively. "Besides, who told them to come looking for trouble first?"

"I mean... how about you consider untying me? I can handle things on my own."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zhao Qiang was the first to jump up, using the toughest tone he'd ever used in his life. "I didn't back down when I was stepping on the pedals in the clock tower, and now you want me to run away?"

"Zhao Qiang is right," Lin Mo pushed up his glasses, "although his way of speaking isn't very good."

"I'm not leaving," Gu Bei said simply.

Su Wan put her arm around Han Yingying's shoulder: "Don't be silly. There's a big difference between five people fighting and six people fighting."

Han Yingying lowered her head.

Zhou Lang sat on the windowsill, his back to everyone, and remained silent. Han Yingying waited a while before he finally spoke.

Do you think I'll leave?

He didn't turn around. His tone was calm, but there was something in it that she could hear—not a promise, not a guarantee, but a certainty that "this question shouldn't even be asked."

Han Yingying's nose tingled with a little emotion.

She did not mention the matter of untying the ropes again.

The way to leave the eerie world was to register at the teleportation point in the main city. The six of them agreed on how to contact each other before the next dungeon run, and then teleported away separately.

Han Yingying woke up in bed again.

The curtains were still not fully drawn. Moonlight still seeped in through the gaps. But this time it wasn't three in the morning, but seven-thirty in the morning, and sunlight replaced the moonlight.

She lay there for a minute, not in a hurry to get up. Her mind was churning with her experiences in the dungeon, the threat from the Bloodblade Guild, and the information Zhou Lang had told her—his sister's notes, the origin point of the strange arrival, and the West City Industrial Park.

That's enough. We can't wait any longer.

Han Yingying got up, changed her clothes, and went out.

This time, she didn't wander aimlessly; instead, she headed straight for the West City Industrial Park. She took a bus, then the subway, then another bus, which took her an hour.

The industrial park was on the edge of the city. Most of the factories had ceased production or relocated. Occasionally, a few trucks would come and go, but overall it was deserted. Following the directions on her phone's map, Han Yingying found the abandoned factory building—Dingxin Technology.