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

The notification sound indicating that the dungeon was cleared resounded in everyone's ears.

[Congratulations to the player for clearing the S-rank dungeon "Terror Manor"! Evaluation is being calculated...]

Zhou Lang looked at the settlement panel that appeared in front of him, with three lines of large golden characters:

【Wandering the Waves - Rating: SSS, Rewards: 3000 points, 2 random items, 1 skill enhancement ticket】

He casually clicked on the random items—a folding dagger and a bottle of black ointment labeled "Living Dead Ointment." The dagger was nothing special, but the description of the ointment caught his eye.

【Living Dead Ointment: After application, it can temporarily block the presence of life, lasting for three minutes.】

"I have some stuff." Zhou Lang put away the props.

Zhao Qiang's results came out next to him: an S rating and a reward of 1500 points. Zhao Qiang beamed, rubbing his hands together and saying, "Brother Lang, this is a huge win! 1500 points! I only got 400 last time!"

Han Yingying also received an S rating. She glanced at the reward, then her gaze fell on Zhou Lang, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

A flash of white light, and the three were teleported to a public area outside the instance.

The public area was a gray-white plaza surrounded by huge information screens that scrolled through various dungeon data and leaderboards. Dozens of people stood scattered across the plaza; some were trading, some were forming teams, and a few were squatting against the wall, lost in thought—most of them had just crawled out of the dungeon and hadn't quite come to their senses yet.

As soon as Zhou Lang and his two companions landed, trouble ensued.

"Hey! You three just cleared S-rank?" A tall man in a blue uniform strode over, a silver badge pinned to his chest bearing the words "Tian Gang." "I'm the recruiter for the Tian Gang Guild. Our guild is currently ranked fourth, and the benefits are—"

Before they could finish speaking, another woman in red rushed in from another direction, blocking their way: "Don't listen to him! The Blue Star Guild is your best choice! Our guild has its own training ground and a guaranteed monthly points subsidy—"

"Make way, make way." A third person squeezed in, short and stout, with a bright smile. "Interested in the Iron Wall Guild? Our guild specializes in developing defensive players, and boasts the highest clear rate in the entire server—"

Zhou Lang took a step back.

Within two minutes, seven or eight people gathered around, chattering like they were at a market.

Zhao Qiang was bewildered by the commotion and tugged at Zhou Lang's sleeve, whispering, "Brother Lang, are we leaving a dungeon or stumbling into a pyramid scheme?"

Zhou Lang ignored them and glanced at the back of the crowd—two people were leaning against a pillar, not approaching but watching them intently. One of them was wearing sunglasses, and his badge on his chest was black with gold trim, bearing the words "Dark Abyss".

The Second Guild, Dark Abyss.

Zhou Lang remembered the name. In the dungeon information channel, Dark Abyss was ranked second, second only to the number one ranked X Guild. Information about the X Guild was almost nonexistent; no one knew how many members they had, or even who their leader was.

Han Yingying stood in front, shaking her head at each of the recruiters.

"Thanks, but I won't consider it."

"Really, you don't need to."

"I said I wouldn't add it."

"...If you keep following me, I can't guarantee you'll come out of the next dungeon alive."

The last sentence was harsh enough that the recruiters sheepishly retreated.

Zhou Lang raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

After the crowd dispersed, the man in sunglasses who had been leaning against a pillar slowly walked over, his hands in his pockets, his smile excessively gentle.

"That's quite decisive, rejecting them all," the man in sunglasses said, drawing out his words. "But Ms. Han, are you sure you don't need some backup?"

Han Yingying turned her head to look at him: "Who are you?"

"Dark Abyss Guild, External Affairs Department, Lu Ming," the man in sunglasses introduced himself, adjusting his sunglasses. "I'm not here to recruit. I'm just curious why a player who cleared an S-rank dungeon four times in a row wouldn't give face to anyone."

"It's not that I'm being disrespectful," Han Yingying said, "it's just that it's unnecessary."

Lu Ming smiled, his gaze shifting from Han Yingying to Zhou Lang, pausing for two seconds.

"Then pretend I was never here." He turned and took a few steps, then suddenly turned back. "By the way, let me remind you—in this game, solo players without the protection of a guild won't go far."

These words were spoken in a light but firm tone, yet their meaning was clear.

Threat.

Zhao Qiang's expression changed, and he wanted to say something, but Zhou Lang pressed down on his shoulder.

"Let's go," Zhou Lang said.

The three left the square and found a corner to sit down. Zhao Qiang was still muttering to himself, "What's with that Lu something-ming? Did he take a hit on the guts?"

"He's testing us," Han Yingying said. "If we react strongly, he can gauge our limits."

Zhao Qiang was taken aback: "How did you know?"

"Because I've done this kind of thing before." Han Yingying said this in a very calm tone, as if she were saying that the weather was nice today.

Zhou Lang glanced at her.

Every time Han Yingying touches upon the past, she reacts the same way—casually tossing out a sentence, "No explanation, no elaboration." Zhou Lang knows that her memories are fragmented. She remembers some skills, some experiences, but the source and background of those memories remain a mystery to her.

"Let's go back first." Zhou Lang stood up. "The portal to exit the dungeon is about to open."

The teleportation light enveloped the three of them again, and after a brief period of blindness, the familiar room appeared before them.

Zhou Lang returned to his rented apartment.

The tiny 16-square-meter room contained a bed, a table, and a wardrobe that was barely full. Outside the window was the crowded skyline of the urban village, and the neighbor's old lady's floral bedsheet hung on the clothesline.

Everything is normal.

It's so normal that it doesn't seem like a world that's been invaded by something eerie.

Zhou Lang opened the refrigerator; inside were only two cartons of milk that had expired three days prior and half a cucumber. He smelled the milk, determined it was still drinkable, and gulped down one carton in one go.

My phone rang; it was a message from Zhao Qiang.

[Zhao Qiang: Brother Lang, are you home yet? I'm home, and my mom made braised pork for me!!! (Three exclamation marks!!!)]

[Langligelang: Hmm.]

[Zhao Qiang: Have you eaten? Want to come over to my place for a meal?]

【浪里个浪: I ate it.】

He drank another half box of milk.

A few minutes later, another message popped up; it was from Han Yingying.

[Han Yingying: What do you think of what happened in the square today?]

Zhou Lang thought for a moment and typed a few words.

[Waves in the Waves: The Dark Abyss will not let this go easily.]

[Han Yingying: I agree. Lu Ming's words, seemingly a well-intentioned reminder, were actually drawing a line. By rejecting all unions, we're essentially telling everyone that we neither take sides nor back down, and such people are targets in any ecosystem.]

Zhou Lang stared at the screen for a few seconds.

This woman's analytical perspective is always far more mature than her actual age suggests.

[Wandering Waves: So you'll refuse again next time?]

There was a moment of silence on the other end.

Han Yingying: No.

[Han Yingying: Joining a union seems safe, but in reality, it puts your life in someone else's hands. I'm not used to that.]

Zhou Lang did not reply.