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

Its voice was weary: "I want to be free, but this manor won't let me go. Unless someone takes my place and becomes the new master of the manor."

Zhou Lang understood: "So you want me to wear this ring and become the new master of the manor?"

"Yes," the thing said, "Wear it, and you will gain control of this manor. But at the same time, you will be trapped here, never to leave."

Zhou Lang put the ring back in the box: "I refuse."

The thing froze: "You...refuse?"

"I don't want to be stuck here," Zhou Lang said. "Besides, I have things to do."

The thing remained silent for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Good! Very good!" It laughed, its body trembling. "You really are different from the others!"

It pointed at the box: "Then what are you going to do with this?"

"Research," Zhou Lang said. "I want to know the secrets of this manor."

The thing stopped laughing and looked at Zhou Lang seriously.

"You want to know the secret?" it said. "Then I'll tell you. This manor is an experiment."

"experiment?"

"Yes," the thing said, "Someone wants to create an eternal world, a world ruled by demons. This manor is the first experiment."

Zhou Lang frowned: "Who?"

"I don't know," the thing shook its head. "I'm just a pawn. But I do know that this experiment is still ongoing."

It looked at Zhou Lang: "You have that person's aura on you."

"What kind of aura is that?"

"The aura of an S-rank demon," the thing said. "You've seen an S-rank demon?"

Zhou Lang thought of his sister, and of the missing person.

"I've seen it."

"Then you'd better be careful," the thing said. "S-rank ghosts aren't ordinary ghosts; they're the core of the experiment. If you mess with them..."

It didn't finish its sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Zhou Lang put the box into his inventory: "I'll be careful."

He turned to leave, but the thing suddenly called out to him.

"etc."

Zhou Lang turned around.

"What's your name?" the thing asked.

"Zhou Lang".

"Zhou Lang..." the thing murmured the name, "I've remembered it. If you manage to leave the game alive, remember to come back and find me."

Why?

"Because I have more secrets to tell you," the thing said. "About that experiment, about the S-class demon, and... about your sister."

Zhou Lang turned around abruptly: "You know my sister?"

"I know a lot," the thing said, "but now is not the time to say it. Come back to me when you are stronger."

Zhou Lang stared at it, and finally nodded.

The three left the laboratory and retraced their steps. By the time they emerged from the basement, it was almost dawn.

"We succeeded?" Zhao Qiang asked in disbelief. "Just like that?"

"It's not simple," Zhou Lang said. "We were just lucky."

He looked at Han Yingying: "Why didn't you say anything just now?"

Han Yingying paused for a moment: "I...I was thinking about something."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Think about what that manor owner said," Han Yingying said, "He said this manor is an experiment, so what about the other instances? Are they also experiments?"

Zhou Lang didn't answer, but he already had the answer in his heart.

The three returned to their respective rooms and waited for the game to end.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the butler appeared on time.

"Congratulations everyone on completing the task," it said. "Now, let's begin the settlement."

[Player: Waves]

[Completion Level: Perfect]

[Bonus Reward: Explore the Basement]

[Rating: SSS]

[Reward: 5000 coins, 3 random items, 5 skill points]

Zhou Lang looked at the settlement panel, his brows furrowing slightly.

He received an SSS rating, the highest he'd ever received. But something still felt off.

[Abnormal data detected]

[Under repair...]

Repair failed.

[WARNING: Player "浪里个浪" has triggered a hidden storyline]

[Additional Reward: Special Item "Manor Key"]

Zhou Lang found a new key in his inventory.

【Item: Manor Key】

[Quality: Legendary]

[Effect: Allows entry to the haunted manor at any time]

[Note: Some secrets take time to uncover]

Zhou Lang held the key, a plan forming in his mind.

A flash of white light, and the three were teleported out of the instance.

When Zhou Lang opened his eyes, he was lying on his own bed.

The sunlight outside the window was blinding, and the birdsong was melodious. Everything was just as it had been before entering the game, as if the experience had just been a dream.

Zhou Lang sat up and looked at his phone.

The time showed 7:00 AM, meaning a whole night had passed since he entered the game.

He opened the game panel and checked his inventory. The manor key was still there, and so were all the rewards.

Not a dream.

Zhou Lang got out of bed to wash up, then opened the refrigerator to find something to eat. The refrigerator was empty, except for a few expired drinks.

He sighed and decided to go out and buy something.

There weren't many people on the street, with only a few pedestrians hurrying by. Zhou Lang went into a convenience store and bought some bread and milk.

When it was time to pay, the cashier was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. She took Zhou Lang's money and suddenly froze.

"You…" she stared at Zhou Lang, "Are you a player?"

Zhou Lang didn't say anything, picked up his things, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" the girl called after him. "I'm a player too! My name is Lin Xiaoyu!"

Zhou Lang stopped and turned to look at her.

The girl's eyes were bright, and her face was filled with excitement: "I know you! You're Langlige Lang, right? I've seen your posts on the forum!"

"Forum?" Zhou Lang frowned. "What forum?"

"A player forum!" Lin Xiaoyu took out her phone, opened an app, and said, "Don't you know? All players can access this forum to exchange information and trade items."

Zhou Lang took the phone and looked at the app.

[Horror Game Player Forum]

Currently online: 127,843 people

The forum homepage is filled with various posts: some people are asking for help, some are showing off, and others are selling items.

Zhou Lang flipped through a few pages and found that someone had indeed mentioned him.

[Shocking! A player soloed the Horror Manor and achieved an SSS rating!]

Who is "Lang Li Ge Lang"? Why does he receive such high praise?

Looking for a pro to carry me through the game, willing to pay!

Zhou Lang handed the phone back to Lin Xiaoyu: "I don't need a forum."

"Why?" Lin Xiaoyu asked, puzzled. "The forum is very useful; you can buy a lot of rare items there."

"I have my own methods," Zhou Lang said, then turned and left.

Lin Xiaoyu watched his retreating figure, bit her lip, and ultimately did not chase after him.

Zhou Lang returned home, turned on his computer, and logged into the forum.

He didn't register an account; he was just browsing. The information on the forum was mixed, but there was some useful intelligence as well.

For example, someone discovered the connection between the copies.

[Major discovery! All instances share a common feature!]

Zhou Lang clicked on that post.

The poster, named "Nightwalker," provided a detailed analysis of the commonalities among several instances in his post.

"I've run five instances and found they all have one thing in common: they all have a core ghost."