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

Upon seeing the light of the oil lamp, the ghosts all retreated to the depths of the cell, letting out low growls.

"They're afraid of this light," Zhou Lang said.

"Then let's hurry up," Zhao Qiang urged.

There is a third lock at the end of the corridor.

This lock was even more bizarre; it was shaped like a human face, with movable eyes, nose, and mouth. As soon as Zhou Lang approached, the face opened its eyes.

"If you want to pass, answer my questions." The face lock spoke, its voice hoarse and grating.

"What's the problem?" Zhou Lang asked.

How many people died in the manor in total?

Zhou Lang was taken aback. He really didn't know the exact answer to this question.

"Can we guess?" Zhao Qiang asked in a low voice.

"What happens if I guess wrong?" Han Yingying asked the face lock.

The face lock grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp teeth: "If you guess wrong, you will become part of the manor."

Zhou Lang began to recall. The ghosts he had seen in the manor, the portraits, and the things the butler had mentioned…

"Thirty-seven," he said.

The smile on the face lock froze.

Are you sure?

"Confirmed." Zhou Lang's tone was calm. "Including the manor owner, his family, servants, and the guests trapped here."

The face lock remained silent for a few seconds, then sighed: "You're right."

With a click, the lock opened automatically.

"How did you know?" Zhao Qiang asked.

"I've counted them," Zhou Lang said. "I've seen every single one of them."

These words were spoken lightly, but Zhao Qiang and Han Yingying both knew how difficult it was to do so. Zhou Lang not only had to walk around the manor, but also memorize the location and characteristics of every ghost.

The third lock broke.

Behind the door was a circular room, in the center of which sat a stone coffin. The coffin was covered with runes and emitted a faint red glow.

"Is this the secret of the manor?" Zhao Qiang asked.

Zhou Lang walked to the stone coffin and carefully examined the runes. These runes were different from those he had seen elsewhere; they were more ancient and more complex.

"This is a seal," Han Yingying said. "It seals something."

"He should be the owner of the manor," Zhou Lang said. "Or rather, the former owner of the manor."

He reached out and touched the stone coffin; the moment his fingertips touched the runes, the entire room began to shake.

The lid of the sarcophagus slowly opened, revealing a man dressed in a magnificent suit. His eyes were closed, his face pale, but he appeared to be asleep.

"He's still alive?" Zhao Qiang gasped.

"No, he's already dead," Zhou Lang said. "He's just sealed here; he can't truly die."

Just then, the man opened his eyes.

His eyes were pure black, with no whites or pupils. He looked at Zhou Lang, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"Finally... someone has come." The man's voice was soft, but it could be heard throughout the room. "After waiting for so long, someone has finally broken the seal."

"Are you the owner of the manor?" Zhou Lang asked.

"I used to be." The man sat up stiffly. "Now I'm just a prisoner trapped here."

Why was it sealed away?

"Because I did things I shouldn't have done." The man laughed. "I wanted immortality, so I killed many people and used their souls to prolong my life. But in the end, my family discovered the truth, and they united to seal me here."

"Did you kill all those ghosts?" Han Yingying asked.

"Yes," the man nodded. "Their souls are trapped in the manor, unable to leave or be reincarnated. And I, too, am trapped in this stone coffin, unable to truly die."

"So you want us to let you out?" Zhou Lang asked.

"Smart." The man looked at Zhou Lang approvingly. "Once you break the seal, I will be free. In return, I can tell you how to leave this manor."

"What if we don't agree?"

The man's smile vanished, his face turning grim: "Then you'll never leave here."

As soon as he finished speaking, a large amount of black mist suddenly surged out of the room. The black mist condensed into human figures and rushed towards Zhou Lang and his companions.

Zhou Lang raised the oil lamp, and the green light illuminated the black mist. The humanoid figures immediately screamed and retreated.

"How long will this light last?" Zhao Qiang asked.

Zhou Lang glanced at the oil lamp; half of the oil inside was already used up.

"At most half an hour."

"So what do we do?"

Zhou Lang didn't answer, but stared at the runes on the stone coffin. These runes were the core of the seal; destroying them would break the seal. But at the same time, the manor owner would also gain his freedom.

"What are you hesitating about?" the man asked. "Do you want to die here?"

"I'm wondering what will happen if I let you out," Zhou Lang said.

"I will leave this manor to find new life," the man said. "As for you, you'll be fine as long as you leave the manor."

"You're lying," Zhou Lang suddenly said.

The man's expression froze.

"You said you were sealed away by your family, but if that's true, why are those ghosts still in the manor?" Zhou Lang continued. "If you really just wanted immortality, your family could have killed you instead of sealing you away."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I want to say is that the reason you were sealed away is not because you killed people, but because you have become something even more terrifying," Zhou Lang said. "Once you get out, not only the manor, but the whole world will be in danger."

The man was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You're so clever!" His voice turned shrill and piercing. "That's right, I'm no longer human! I am the master of this manor, the source of all ghosts! Once I get out, I can turn this whole world into a second manor!"

The black fog surged in again, this time even more fiercely. The oil lamp's light began to flicker, on the verge of going out.

"Zhou Lang, think of something quickly!" Zhao Qiang shouted.

Zhou Lang looked at the stone coffin and suddenly had an idea.

"You all step back," he said.

"What are you going to do?" Han Yingying asked.

"Reinforce the seal."

Zhou Lang took out a chainsaw and aimed it at the runes on the stone coffin. The chainsaw made a piercing sound and carved new marks on the runes.

"You're insane!" the man screamed. "You'll destroy the seal!"

"I know," Zhou Lang said, "but I don't want to break the seal, I want to change it."

Based on his own understanding, he carved new patterns on the existing runes. These patterns came from the various paintings and sculptures he saw in the manor, which were themselves part of the seal.

As new runes formed, the sarcophagus began to glow red. The man's body gradually became transparent, and he let out an angry roar, but the sound grew fainter and fainter.

"No! You can't do this! I'm going to kill you!"

Once the last rune was inscribed, the lid of the stone coffin slammed shut.

The black mist in the room disappeared, and the ghosts were gone too.

Zhou Lang put down the chainsaw and let out a long breath.

"Did you succeed?" Zhao Qiang asked cautiously.