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

The battle ended faster than expected. This group, who usually bullied individual customers because of their numbers, were instantly defeated when they encountered a ruthless character like Zhou Lang who didn't play by the rules.

The leader knelt on the ground begging for mercy, but Zhou Lang kicked him unconscious.

Old Li and Little Chen walked over, supporting each other.

"I owe you all another life," Old Li said with a bitter smile.

"This isn't the time to talk about this," Han Yingying said, looking at them. "This dungeon is S-rank; going solo is certain death. Now, are you willing to team up?"

Old Li and Little Chen exchanged a glance and nodded vigorously.

The five-person team was officially formed. They found a relatively intact building to use as a temporary base.

Zhao Qiang stood guard at the door, while Lao Li and Xiao Chen treated the wounds.

Han Yingying walked to the window. Zhou Lang was sitting there, wiping the bloodstains from the chainsaw with a rag.

"You already knew, didn't you?" Han Yingying asked softly, looking at the blood moon outside the window.

Zhou Lang stopped wiping.

"On the train, when you were looking at the code," Han Yingying turned her head and looked into his eyes, "you were looking for a vulnerability in this game that allowed it to infiltrate reality."

Zhou Lang remained silent for a long time. He put down the chainsaw and took out a yellowed photograph from his pocket. The photograph showed him with a young girl.

"This is my sister." Zhou Lang's voice was calm. "She disappeared three years ago. I searched for her for a long time until I entered this game and discovered some traces she left behind."

He looked up at Han Yingying. "This game didn't happen naturally. It was created by someone. My sister was involved in its underlying architecture. I'm examining the code to find her, and also to find a way to shut down this game."

Han Yingying looked at him. This man, who usually talked nonsense and treated horror games like a playground, carried a burden heavier than anyone else's.

"I'm sorry, I didn't tell you before." Zhou Lang looked away. "This is too dangerous."

"You think I'm afraid of danger?" Han Yingying took out a metal badge from her pocket. It was engraved with a nightingale with outstretched wings.

"Let's get to know each other again. Former leader of the strategy team, codename Nightingale." Han Yingying tossed the badge to Zhou Lang.

Zhou Lang caught the badge, looked at it, and then looked at Han Yingying. He suddenly grinned.

"Looks like it was worth it to latch onto this powerful figure."

"Stop being so cheeky." Han Yingying took back the badge. "Since we share the same goal, we'll share information from now on. No more hiding anything."

"Deal." Zhou Lang stood up.

The blood moon outside the window grew even more alluring. From the depths of the upside-down city, the dull tolling of a bell echoed.

The real challenge has only just begun. Chapter One: The Square and the Mad Dog

At the end of the steps was a rusty iron door. Zhou Lang kicked it. The hinges creaked and slammed shut.

The interior space was extremely cramped, and the air was filled with the stench of formaldehyde mixed with rotting flesh. In the very center sat a mahogany coffin, its lid half-open.

"Is this the end?" Zhao Qiang swallowed hard and took a half step back.

Zhou Lang didn't reply. He carried the oil lamp and walked straight to the coffin. The light illuminated the mummified corpse inside. The corpse was clutching a brass key tightly in its hand.

Zhou Lang reached out to take it.

Suddenly, a red light shone from the mummified corpse's eye sockets, and its withered lips parted, spewing out a plume of black smoke. Countless bloody handprints appeared on the surrounding walls, and countless wails echoed through the basement.

Han Yingying gripped the short knife in her hand tightly and assumed a defensive stance.

Zhou Lang didn't even retreat. He pulled out his chainsaw and started the engine. The roar of the engine drowned out the screams. He pressed the chainsaw's teeth directly against the dried corpse's nose, simultaneously activating that special skill.

The ghostly figure of the bandaged ghost appeared behind him, and a chilling aura instantly enveloped the entire basement.

The red light in the mummified corpse's eye sockets flickered twice and then went out. It released its grip, and the brass key fell onto the coffin lid. The bloody handprints around it also faded away.

"Bullying the weak and fearing the strong," Zhou Lang commented, picking up the keys.

A system notification sounded in the minds of the three people.

[Congratulations to players Zhou Lang, Han Yingying, and Zhao Qiang for successfully clearing the Horror Manor level. Rating: S-rank.]

A white light engulfed the basement.

After the feeling of weightlessness subsided, Zhou Lang stepped onto the hard stone floor.

This was an extremely wide circular plaza. The sky was an eerie dark red, with no sun. Several huge electronic screens stood around the plaza, displaying various data and images.

"Where am I?" Zhao Qiang rubbed his eyes and looked around.

Han Yingying pointed to the large screen not far away. The screen was playing a replay of the three of them clearing the level in the basement, with "S-rank clear" clearly marked next to it.

The square was bustling with people. All sorts of players gathered here, setting up stalls, trading, and forming teams.

It's worth noting that when the screen displayed their victory animation, the previously noisy square fell silent for a moment. Countless eyes were fixed on the three of them.

"The public map is unlocked." Zhou Lang put away his chainsaw and looked around.

Before they could figure out the rules, a group of people pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward them.

The leader was a bald man with a scar on his left cheek. Behind him were seven or eight burly men, each wearing a badge with a dripping wolf's head on their chest.

The bald man stopped in front of Zhou Lang, looked him up and down, and sneered.

"So, it was you guys who ambushed us in the dungeon?"

Han Yingying stepped forward, blocking Zhou Lang's path. She recognized the badge. She had heard of it during her previous solo dungeon experiences.

In this bizarre world, various guilds exist. The second-ranked guild is called "Blood Wolf." It is notorious for its eccentric behavior and vengeful nature.

Han Yingying quickly recalled. A player had indeed died in the Horror Manor instance. That player had tried to use Zhao Qiang as a shield, but Zhou Lang saw through it and pushed the man into the monster horde.

"He asked for it, who can he blame?" Han Yingying retorted.

The bald man took a step closer: "You have no right to lecture the Blood Wolves. Those who kill our people in the dungeon should be prepared to be hunted down to death."

The onlookers were buzzing with discussion.

"These three newbies are in trouble; they've messed with the Blood Wolves, that pack of mad dogs."

"That S-rank clear was probably just luck, it was all about using items."

"The Blood Wolf's guild leader is notoriously protective of his own."

Han Yingying listened to the surrounding chatter and glanced at Zhou Lang and Zhao Qiang behind her. Zhou Lang was engrossed in examining the brass key in his inventory, completely ignoring the bald man. Zhao Qiang, on the other hand, hid behind Zhou Lang, peeking out half his head; although his legs were trembling, he didn't run away.

The Blood Wolf Guild wields immense power. Han Yingying didn't want to drag these two people into an endless pursuit because of her.

She turned around and looked at Zhou Lang.

"This whole thing started because of me. That player is someone I made an enemy of in a previous dungeon. You guys don't need to worry about it. Let's unbind," Han Yingying suggested.

Zhou Lang finally looked up. He put the keys in his pocket and looked at Han Yingying.