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

Rule 1: Do not follow voices from unknown sources.

"Rule 2: The core area is on the seventh floor. Open the seal to pass the level."

"Rule 3: Every 24 hours, the range of the echo will expand by one layer."

"You have seventy-two hours. Now, please proceed to the hospital."

The sound disappeared.

Zhou Lang quickly grasped the rules. The seven-story building's echo expands one floor every twenty-four hours—meaning the first floor is safe on the first day, but will be covered by the echo on the second day, and will spread to the second floor on the third day. To pass, one must reach the seventh floor within seventy-two hours.

But that's not the biggest problem.

The biggest problem is those eight men wearing badges.

Upon entering the hospital, the twenty people naturally split into several small groups. Zhou Lang, Han Yingying, Lin Yuan, Chen Mo, and Su Yao walked together. Fang Ming walked alone, keeping a distance from the main group. Of the remaining people, eight guild members huddled together, while the six solo players each found their own teams.

The first floor is the outpatient hall. The floor is cracked, tables and chairs are overturned, and the walls are covered with yellowed notices and faded registration slips. The most jarring thing is the lights on the ceiling—they are flickering. Not the normal flickering of lights, but a rhythmic, on-off motion, like a heartbeat.

"Should we split up or go together?" Lin Yuan asked.

"Let's go together first," Zhou Lang said, "at least to get a clear picture of the situation on the first floor."

They walked for about fifteen minutes and had a basic understanding of the layout of the first floor: the outpatient hall, pharmacy, registration desk, emergency room, and a small operating room. Each room was damaged to varying degrees, but they didn't encounter anything strange.

It's too quiet.

Zhou Lang didn't like this kind of quiet.

The first accident occurred in the sixth hour.

As they searched for supplies in the second-floor inpatient ward, a baby's cry suddenly came from the end of the corridor. The sound was very real, with the sharp cry unique to newborns.

Su Yao subconsciously took a step toward the direction of the sound.

Zhou Lang grabbed her. "Rule One."

Su Yao shuddered, stepped back, and turned pale.

The baby's crying lasted for about thirty seconds, then stopped abruptly. There was nothing at the end of the corridor.

"That's the echo," Han Yingying said.

Zhou Lang nodded. The last sounds left by the dead infant were used to lure the living closer. Once someone followed the sound, they would be assimilated.

The rules are clear. But rules can only stop the supernatural, not people.

In the twelfth hour, things changed.

They were resting on the third floor, taking turns keeping watch. Zhou Lang was on the first shift, leaning against the wall with his eyes half-open. Occasionally, an echo would drift through the corridor—someone was calling a name, someone was crying, someone was laughing. He ignored it all.

Footsteps came from the stairwell.

It's not an echo. It's the real, many footsteps.

Eight union members appeared at the entrance of the corridor. Leading them was a member of the Arbitrators union, whose ID was "Judgment," and he had a determined look on his face.

"Lang Li Ge Lang," the judge called his ID, "and Han Yingying too. Let's talk."

Zhou Lang didn't move. "It's the middle of the night, aren't you guys asleep?"

The judge ignored his words. "The guild competition is imminent, and our guild leader values ​​Han Yingying's abilities highly. You wouldn't listen to me before, so let me put it another way—join the Arbitrator Guild, or don't even think about leaving this instance alive."

It's so blunt it's outrageous.

Lin Yuan stood up from the rest area, and Chen Mo slowly stood up as well. Su Yao was squatting in the corner, her hand already on the treatment equipment.

Five against eight. Not counting Fang Ming—he's nowhere to be found.

Han Yingying walked over to Zhou Lang. "Did your president say this himself, or did you act on your own?"

The judge's eyelid twitched. "Is there a difference?"

"Yes. If you acted on your own initiative, then you're just stupid. If it was your guild leader who said it, then your entire guild is stupid."

The judge's face darkened. He raised his hand and made a gesture, and the seven people behind him simultaneously dispersed, forming an encirclement formation.

Three members of the Sky Guild stood slightly to the left, while two members of the Flame Guild blocked the right-side retreat. The three Arbitrators were directly in front, with the Judge in the center.

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision. They had rehearsed it beforehand.

"This is your last chance," the judge said.

Zhou Lang straightened up from the wall. He reached into his pocket with his right hand and took out the oil lamp.

"What can you do with just one lamp?" the judge sneered.

Zhou Lang didn't answer. He handed the oil lamp to Han Yingying and took out the chainsaw himself.

The sound of the chainsaw starting up was particularly loud in the empty corridor.

"Speaking so loudly in a place like this, aren't you afraid of creating an echo?" The judge took a half step back.

"I'm afraid," Zhou Lang said, "but you should be even more afraid. Echoes are useless against me."

That's the truth. After fusing with the Bandaged Ghost, he gained a passive ability—the effect of eerie sounds on him is halved. It's enough for S-rank dungeons, and it's hard to say about SS-rank, but it's more than enough to bluff people.

The standoff lasted for about ten seconds, with neither side making a move.

It was Chen Mo who broke the deadlock.

The usually taciturn giant suddenly took a step forward, his armor glowing darkly—the tank player's taunt skill had been activated. The attention of all eight guild members was forcibly drawn to him.

In that brief moment, a quick-handed player from the Sky Dome Guild unleashed a skill—a control-type one—a silver chain flying towards Chen Mo's legs.

Chen Mo had no time to dodge; the chains wrapped around his right leg.

Han Yingying moved.

Two short swords traced two arcs in the dim light, precisely severing the chains. Her speed was absurd; from drawing the swords to sheathing them, it took less than a second.

But the price was that she revealed her position. Two members of the Blazing Flame Guild attacked from the flank, one melee and one ranged, their coordination impeccable.

Zhou Lang rushed forward with a chainsaw.

The corridor was in complete chaos.

Lin Yuan's skills are primarily for reconnaissance; he's not good at fighting, but he's responsible for calling out positions—"Left!" "Behind!" "Flash!"—like a human radar. Su Yao crouched at the very back, casting healing spells one after another, her green light weaving through the crowd.

But with five against eight, the disadvantage is too obvious.

Chen Mo's right leg had been injured by the chains, which slowed his movement. He withstood three moves of the Judgment, but couldn't catch the fourth. A heavy blow slammed into his shoulder, and the sound of bones shattering was clearly audible.

Su Yao quickly cast a healing spell, but the healing amount wasn't enough, and Chen Mo's health bar was still dropping.

The two people on the other side of the sky worked together to suppress Lin Yuan, who was forced into a corner, and half of his armor was broken.

Zhou Lang was fighting two opponents at once, and the chainsaw was quite intimidating; no one wanted to be sawed. However, he couldn't spare any time to support the others.

Han Yingying was in the most danger. She was facing the Judge himself plus a Flame melee fighter. The Judge was two levels higher than her, giving him a clear advantage in raw power. Her speed advantage was useless in the narrow corridor.

A knife sliced ​​across her arm, and blood spurted out.

Su Yao's healing couldn't keep up. She herself also suffered—a cold arrow flew from the shadows and pierced her calf. The ranged players from the Azure Sky had circled around to the rear.