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

The butler's gaze swept across everyone's faces, finally settling on Zhou Lang, whose face, stitched together, cracked open with an even wider arc.

"We will now begin distributing today's wages."

The butler, leaning on his cane, watched as those fleshy spheres covered in tentacles rolled out again, stopping in front of everyone.

Xiong Batian opened the iron plate, his face instantly turning ashen. There was only a fifty-yuan bill and a note that read "Bad Review."

"How is that possible? I clearly did as instructed!" Xiong Batian's voice was filled with anger and fear.

"Master said the food you delivered wasn't fresh enough." The butler's voice was completely flat. "A bad review will affect your chances of survival. I suggest you perform well tomorrow."

The other two students weren't much better off; one received eighty yuan and the other only sixty yuan, both receiving negative or neutral reviews.

Zhao Qiang opened the iron tray with trembling hands. Inside were 150 yuan and a "good review" note. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Zhou Lang.

Han Yingying also received a positive review and earned 180 yuan.

When it was Zhou Lang's turn, he opened the iron tray, inside which were five neatly stacked one-hundred-yuan bills and a gold slip of paper.

"A perfect score?" Xiong Batian's eyes widened. "That's impossible!"

The butler's gaze lingered on Zhou Lang for a few seconds: "The owner of room number 4 is very satisfied with your service; this is the first time he has given you a perfect score."

Zhou Lang put away the coins, but his mind was preoccupied with other matters. He noticed that when the butler spoke, the frequency of his cane tapping the ground increased.

"Today's evaluations have been distributed. You are free to move around, but do not leave the manor grounds." Butler Killer turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Zhou Lang suddenly said.

Everyone looked at him, and Zhao Qiang frantically signaled to him with his eyes not to do anything reckless.

The butler stopped and slowly turned around: "Is there anything else?"

"I'd like to ask, besides food, what else can these coins buy?" Zhou Lang asked casually.

"The restaurant has a menu that lists all the items available for purchase." The butler paused. "Of course, if you have enough money, you can also purchase some special services."

"Special services?"

"For example... buying other players' lives." The butler's smile became even more sinister. "One thousand dollars can buy the life of a player, provided that the other party doesn't have enough money to pay for their life."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Xiong Batianxia glanced at Zhou Lang, a hint of malice flashing in his eyes. He had only received fifty yuan today, while Zhou Lang had five hundred, which made him extremely resentful.

"Any other questions?" the butler asked.

Zhou Lang shook his head, and only after killing the steward did he leave the hall.

After the butler walked away, Xiong Batian immediately walked up to Zhou Lang, followed by two other students.

"Zhou Lang, is that right? I remember you." Xiong Batian sneered, "Hand over your money, and we'll split it equally."

"Why should I?" Zhou Lang raised an eyebrow.

"We have the numbers," Xiong Batian said, cracking his knuckles. "In a place like this, might makes right."

Zhao Qiang wanted to help, but was stopped by another student. Han Yingying was also cornered against the wall and couldn't get close at all.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Zhou Lang's voice was calm.

"Enough with the nonsense!" Xiong Batian threw a punch at Zhou Lang's face.

Zhou Lang dodged to the side, and the bandage on his right hand suddenly came to life, instantly wrapping around Xiong Batian's wrist.

"What is that?!" Xiong Batian exclaimed in horror as he discovered that the bandages were tightening, and a sharp pain shot through his wrist.

"I advise you not to mess with me." Zhou Lang's voice was very soft, but it sounded more terrifying than anything else to Xiong Batian.

Because he saw that Zhou Lang's right hand was completely wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and blood was still seeping out of those bandages.

"How...how did you do that?!" Xiong Batian's voice changed.

"Want to know?" Zhou Lang loosened the bandages and patted Xiong Batian's shoulder. "Then we'll talk about it tomorrow."

Xiong Batian staggered backward, and the other two students were too frightened to step forward.

"Let's go!" Xiong Batian clutched his wrist and slunk away from the hall.

Zhao Qiang and Han Yingying then ran over.

"Zhou Lang, what you just did was..." Zhao Qiang pointed at Zhou Lang's right hand.

"Don't ask, the answer is simply that you have extraordinary talent." Zhou Lang put away the bandages and looked towards the end of the corridor. "I'm going to find Butler Sha to ask him something. You all go back to your rooms and rest."

"Are you crazy? Going to find that ghost now?" Han Yingying's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Zhou Lang waved his hand and walked deeper into the corridor.

Reaching the end of the corridor, Zhou Lang knocked on the door.

"Come in," came the butler's voice from inside.

Pushing open the door, the room's furnishings were surprisingly simple. There was a bed, a table, and a few paintings hanging on the wall.

The butler was sitting at the table, holding a yellowed photo album in his hand.

"What is it?" Butler looked up.

"I'd like to ask, what exactly is this manor?" Zhou Lang asked directly.

The butler was silent for a few seconds, then closed the photo album: "Why did you ask that?"

"Because I feel that this is more than just a simple game instance." Zhou Lang walked to the table. "The owner of room number 4 told me some things."

This is a lie, but Zhou Lang bets that he won't verify it by killing the butler.

Sure enough, the butler's expression changed: "What did he say to you?"

"He said that this manor was once a real place." Zhou Lang stared at the butler, "and you so-called masters are actually souls trapped here."

The butler's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table.

"You're very smart," the butler suddenly laughed. "Smarter than all the others who came before."

"So what I said is true?"

"Half true, half false." Butler Killer stood up and walked to the window. "This manor did exist, but we weren't trapped here; rather... we chose to stay."

Why?

"Because the outside world is far more terrifying than this place." The butler turned around. "Do you know how the Age of Horror came about?"

Zhou Lang shook his head.

"That's because humans opened a door they shouldn't have opened," the butler's voice deepened. "And we ghosts are just refugees who escaped through that door."

"Refugees?" Zhou Lang frowned. "What are you running away from?"

"Escape the real terror." The butler pointed out the window. "You think the Age of Horror is just about letting humans enter dungeons? You're wrong. This is just the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll understand once you survive these ten days." Butler Killer sat back down in his chair. "Go back and rest now; you have work to do tomorrow."

Knowing he wouldn't get any more information, Zhou Lang turned and left the room.

As they reached the door, Butler Sha suddenly spoke up: "By the way, be careful of Xiong Batian and his gang. They got a very bad review today, and they might do something... extreme tomorrow."

Zhou Lang nodded and closed the door.

Back in his room, Zhou Lang lay on the bed, his mind replaying the words about killing the butler.

"The real terror..." Zhou Lang muttered to himself.

Just then, the bandaged man's voice echoed in her mind: "Hey, you're still awake?"

"I can't sleep," Zhou Lang thought to himself. "Do you know what kind of door the butler was talking about?"