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

When Zhou Lang emerged from the Horror Manor instance, it was still dark.

A results screen popped up on the game panel, and he glanced at it—S-rank completion rating, with an extra "Eye of Insight" item as a reward. The description was brief: Allows viewing basic information and anomaly records for any dungeon.

This thing is interesting.

He put the item into his inventory and was about to close the panel when a red announcement suddenly popped up.

[System Announcement: The death rate in instance D-0447, "Giant's Inn," has reached 92% in the past seven days, suspected to be due to a rule loophole. Temporary investigation privileges are now open. Players with special items may choose whether to intervene. Intervention rewards: calculated based on the depth of the investigation.]

The mortality rate is 92%.

Zhou Lang stared at the number for two seconds. The death rate in normal dungeons fluctuates between 30% and 50%, while in high-difficulty dungeons, 70% is already considered a meat grinder. 92% is practically a one-way trip.

He opened the "Eye of Peeping" and aimed it at D-0447.

A string of information appeared:

[Giant's View of the Inn - Difficulty: B (Abnormal) - Actual Difficulty Assessment: A+ - Number of Anomalies: 7 - Survival Conditions: Investigate the truth behind the inn fire and complete the trial - Current Anomaly: The anomaly behind the scenes has merged with the inn building, the rules have been altered, and the safe period has disappeared - Note: This instance was originally designed as a B-level exploration instance, but it is now out of control.]

The safe period has ended.

This statement carries significant weight. Most dungeons provide players with a safe period during the day, allowing them time to gather clues and devise strategies. Once this safe period ends, it means that from the very first second they enter the dungeon, the unseen can take action.

Zhou Lang turned off the control panel and leaned back in his chair, thinking for a while.

Logically, this shouldn't concern him. His sole purpose in entering the game was to find his sister. However, the 92% mortality rate meant that a large number of players were dying in that instance, and the system's special announcement granting investigation access indicated that even the game itself believed there was a problem with the instance.

Investigation rewards are calculated based on depth. A high rating could yield a substantial reward. What he lacks most right now is intelligence and resources.

My phone vibrated.

Zhao Qiang sent a message: [Brother Lang, did you see that announcement? 92%! Holy crap, who dares to join?]

Zhou Lang didn't reply to him, and looked at the instance information again. Seven strange beings, each with their own way of dying and their own obsessions. The innkeeper, the innkeeper's wife, the human skin lantern, the young couple, the female college student working there, and a behind-the-scenes boss hiding in the sewers, integrated into the inn.

This boss is key. It controls the inn itself, meaning the entire building is its body. Walls, floors, ceilings, pipes—players living inside it are living inside this eerie belly.

No wonder the mortality rate is so high.

Zhou Lang made a decision.

He opened his inventory and sorted through the remaining items he had brought from the manor. The oil lamp still had two-thirds of its fuel, the chainsaw was fully charged, and there were a few other odds and ends. It wasn't abundant, but it wasn't meager either.

Then he clicked "Intervene".

The system popped up a notification: [You have selected to participate in the investigation of instance D-0447. The instance will open in 24 hours. You will enter as a "new guest". Please prepare accordingly.]

Twenty-four hours. That's enough.

Zhou Lang replied to Zhao Qiang with a message: "I want to enter that instance."

Zhao Qiang replied instantly: 【??? Brother Lang, are you crazy???】

[Help me look up some things. "Giant's View" should be a place name. Check if there was a fire there, what the innkeeper's name is, and if he has any records of child abduction.]

Zhao Qiang was silent for about thirty seconds, then replied with a single word: "Okay."

This is what makes Zhou Lang feel that Zhao Qiang is reliable. He may talk a lot of nonsense, but when it comes to getting things done, he's never ambiguous.

-

The following evening, Zhao Qiang sent over the compiled materials.

Giant's View, a remote town in a southwestern province, is named after a nearby mountain that resembles a giant. Three years ago, a fire did occur at an inn in the town, killing five people; the case remains unsolved. The official cause of the fire was aging electrical wiring, but local rumors suggest arson.

The innkeeper's surname is Ma, and his given name is Ma Defa. He has two records of domestic violence; his wife reported it to the police but later withdrew the report. His daughter went missing two years before the fire; police records indicate she was abducted by human traffickers, but she has never been found.

Another incident occurred a month before the fire, when a local female college student reported being stalked and harassed; the suspect was unknown. This student also perished in the fire.

Zhou Lang reviewed this information three times, building up a rough framework in his mind.

Ma Defa sold his daughter, and when his wife found out and made a scene, he drowned her in the lake. The female college student working at the inn was targeted by someone, who, after being rejected, murdered her. Finally, he set fire to all the evidence, also implicating the young couple staying at the inn.

The arsonist was the mastermind behind it all.

Zhou Lang sent Zhao Qiang a final message: [Thanks. Don't tell Han Yingying about this.]

Why?

She just finished a dungeon run; let her rest.

Zhao Qiang sent a thumbs-up emoji, then added: [Brother Lang, be careful, really.]

Zhou Lang did not reply.

-

At 8:00 PM sharp, a teleportation prompt popped up on the game panel.

Zhou Lang confirmed his entry.

His vision went black, and when he opened his eyes again, he was standing on a muddy mountain path. The sky was overcast, the distant mountain outlines were blurred, and there was a damp, rotten smell in the air, mixed with the scent of soil and unknown plants.

About two hundred meters ahead, a three-story building stands alone by the roadside. It is a wooden structure painted dark red, and a sign hangs at the entrance—"Giant View Inn".

A paper lantern hangs below the sign, its light flickering.

Zhou Lang stared at the lantern for a second.

The lantern's surface faintly reveals patterns, not painted designs, but more like... the texture of skin.

He looked away, checked his inventory to make sure all his items were there, and then walked toward the inn.

When I got to the door, it opened by itself.

A middle-aged man, around forty years old, stood inside the door. He had a square face, thick, dark eyebrows, and a smile that seemed overly enthusiastic.

"Oh dear, we have another guest! Please come in, please come in!"

Zhou Lang sized him up. The middle-aged man was wearing a gray vest with dark stains on the cuffs, it was hard to tell if it was soy sauce or something else.

"Boss Ma?" Zhou Lang asked.

The man's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. "Does the guest recognize me?"

"It says on the sign: Ma Defa Inn," Zhou Lang said.

In reality, the sign only had the five characters "Giant View Inn" written on it, and the owner's name was not written at all.

Ma Defa blinked twice, his smile remained unchanged, but a new wrinkle appeared between his brows.

"You have a good eye, sir. Come, come, have a seat inside."