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

A buzzing sound rang out, and Zhou Lang slashed at the nearest mirror.

The mirror shattered, and a piercing scream came from inside.

"Let's do it together!"

The three of them started smashing mirrors, and with each mirror they broke, the light in the room dimmed a little.

When the last mirror was smashed, the room was plunged into complete darkness.

Then, a door appeared.

A sign on the door read: "Congratulations, you have passed the test."

"That's it?" Zhao Qiang couldn't believe it.

"It should be," Zhou Lang said, pushing open the door, "but I feel like something's not quite right..."

Behind the door is a staircase leading upwards, at the end of which sunlight can be seen.

The three of them climbed the stairs and pushed open the last door.

The blinding sunlight made them squint.

When their vision returned, they found themselves standing in the woods outside the villa.

"We... got out?" Han Yingying couldn't believe it.

"It seems so." Zhao Qiang looked around, "But where is this?"

Zhou Lang didn't speak; he stared at the villa in the distance.

From the outside, the villa looked dilapidated, as if it had been abandoned for many years. The windows were broken, and vines covered the walls.

"That's not right," Zhou Lang said. "When we came in, the villa was clearly very new."

What do you mean?

"You mean..." Zhou Han turned to look at the two of them, "we might not have come out at all."

As soon as he finished speaking, the surrounding scenery began to distort.

The forest disappeared, the sunlight disappeared, and they returned to the mirrored room.

"I knew it." Zhou Lang sighed. "The Dean's illusions aren't so easy to break."

"So how are we supposed to get out of here?" Zhao Qiang was on the verge of a breakdown.

Zhou Lang looked at the shards of mirror on the ground and suddenly thought of something.

"I understand," he said. "These mirrors aren't meant to trap us, but to guide us."

"What?"

"Look," Zhou Lang said, crouching down and piecing the fragments together. "These fragments form a map."

Sure enough, once all the pieces were put together, a route map appeared on the ground.

"Follow this road," Zhou Lang said. "We should be able to get out."

The three followed the directions indicated on the map and this time they did not encounter any more traps.

They walked through passages and climbed stairs, finally arriving at a huge iron gate.

The words "The Real Exit" were engraved on the door.

"This time it should be for real, right?" Zhao Qiang asked.

"You'll know once you try." Zhou Lang pushed open the door.

Behind the door was a blinding white light, so bright it made it impossible to open one's eyes.

When the light faded, they found themselves standing on a highway.

The city's outline can be seen in the distance, with vehicles coming and going on the highway.

"This time it's for real!" Han Yingying exclaimed excitedly, "We're really out!"

Zhou Lang glanced at his phone; the time displayed was 8:00 AM.

It had been exactly ten days since they entered the game.

"We did it!" Zhao Qiang slumped to the ground. "Finally, the fuck is out..."

But Zhou Lang did not relax.

He looked at his right hand; the black lines had spread to his elbow.

The power of the splicing monster is still eroding his body, and if he doesn't find a way to control it soon, he will eventually turn into a monster.

Moreover, he also has to go to the Ghost Story High School.

His sister is still waiting for him.

"You two go back first," Zhou Lang said to the two of them. "I still have things to do."

"What is it?" Han Yingying asked.

"It's a personal matter," Zhou Lang said, not going into details. "Oh, by the way, this is for you."

He took two cards out of his pocket and handed them to the two men.

What is this?

"It's something that can save your life," Zhou Lang said. "If you encounter danger again, crush it, and I'll know."

This is an item he obtained through trickery; it can sense the location of its holder.

"Where are you going?" Zhao Qiang asked.

"Go find my sister." Zhou Lang said, then turned and left.

Han Yingying wanted to chase after him, but Zhao Qiang stopped her.

"Let him go," Zhao Qiang said. "He has his own things to do."

The two watched Zhou Lang's figure disappear at the end of the road, both feeling a little reluctant to part.

But they knew this was not the end.

This is just the beginning.

When Zhou Lang returned to his rented room, it was already 3 p.m.

The room was covered in a layer of dust, looking like it hadn't been lived in for a long time. He opened the window to let in some fresh air, then sat on the bed and began sorting through his finds.

My inventory has been filled with a lot more items: dismemberment scissors, a Texas chainsaw, Jack's murder lamp, and the Dean's notebook that I brought out from the basement.

Most importantly, he now has 1200 game coins and 800 points of mystery.

"The 'Strange Tricks' can be used to exchange for items and skills." Zhou Lang opened the system interface, "Let's see what's useful."

Chapter 8: The Secret of the Basement

Behind the door was a longer corridor, with oil paintings hanging on the walls on both sides. The paintings were bizarre, depicting distorted human figures as if they were undergoing some kind of painful torment.

A sound came from the end of the corridor.

It was the sound of crying.

It was very light and oppressive, as if someone was desperately trying not to cry.

The three exchanged a glance and continued walking forward.

At the end of the corridor was a huge room with a ceiling so high you couldn't see the top. In the center of the room sat a huge glass jar, containing something.

Zhou Lang raised the oil lamp and saw what was inside the jar.

That was a person.

Or rather, it used to be a person.

Its body is pieced together from countless different parts, some male, some female, some old, some young. The head is that of a young woman, but the neck is connected to the torso of an old man. The limbs are also mismatched; the left hand is that of a child, and the right hand is that of an adult man.

The strangest thing is that this assembled structure is still alive.

Its eyes were open, staring intently at Zhou Lang and the other two.

"This is..." Han Yingying's voice trembled.

"The dean's favorite patient," Zhou Lang continued, "or rather, the dean himself."

The glass jar suddenly began to shake, and the liquid inside started to boil.

The spliced ​​object opened its mouth and emitted a piercing scream.

"It has spotted us!" Zhao Qiang stepped back.

Zhou Lang didn't move. He stared at the assembled structure and suddenly smiled.

"Skill triggered. The spliced ​​entity's Fright value is 85, and 300 points of Eerie ability have been gained!"

"What are you laughing at?" Han Yingying asked, puzzled.

"I'm thinking," Zhou Lang said, "this thing looks powerful, but it can't actually get out."

"What?"

"Look at that jar," Zhou Lang pointed to the bottom of the glass jar. "Those tubes are connected to the ground; this thing is trapped inside."

Upon closer inspection, Zhao Qiang confirmed it was true. The bottom of the glass jar had countless tubes, seemingly supplying something to the assembled structure.

"So it needs those materials," Zhou Lang suddenly realized. "It wants a complete body, it wants to escape from this jar."

The spliced ​​object screamed even louder, and cracks began to appear in the glass jar.

"Oh no, it's coming out!" Han Yingying exclaimed.

Zhou Lang remained calm. He took out a chainsaw and aimed it at the tube at the bottom of the glass jar.

"Are you crazy?" Zhao Qiang's eyes widened. "If those pipes break, this thing will..."

"It will die." Zhou Lang interrupted him. "These tubes are keeping it alive. If they break, it's all over."

The chainsaw roared as Zhou Lang aimed at the thickest pipe and began sawing.