Chapter 21

"Of course... hehe, I know exactly what I’m talking about." The man-dragon took a slow step forward and said to the crowd, "Countless people have walked out of this door, and I’ve said these words to each and every one of them."

"Countless...?"

The crowd was taken aback. Officer Li said fiercely, "What are you? How many people have you captured?"

"‘Captured’?" The man-dragon tilted his head, his murky eyes visible through the mask’s hollows. He stared coldly at Officer Li and smiled, "Are you mistaken? Did we really ‘capture’ you?"

"Isn’t that the case?!" Officer Li gritted his teeth, "Did we come here on our own?!"

Lin Qin sighed and said to Qi Xia and Officer Li, "You know they’re mad, so don’t try to argue with them. Let’s get out of here quickly."

Her words brought the crowd back to their senses. These people wearing animal masks were already abnormal, and the one with various animal heads sewn together was even more deranged.

If they followed the madman’s logic, they would go mad themselves before long.

The crowd bypassed the man-dragon and walked toward the exit behind him.

"Remember, without 360 ‘paths,’ no one can leave." The man-dragon whispered as a final reminder.

Qi Xia, as if compelled by some unseen force, turned his head and asked, "How do we obtain the ‘paths’?"

"Damn, why are you listening to him?" Qiao Jiajin pushed Qi Xia impatiently, "Are you really going to look for those golden beads?"

"Regardless, I must get out of here." Qi Xia’s eyes were filled with determination, "Someone is waiting for me."

The man-dragon nodded slightly and said, "It’s the ‘games’ you’ve experienced. Different games can grant different ‘paths.’”

Qi Xia’s expression turned grim as he examined the golden bead in his hand, "You mean... we have to actively participate in the games to obtain the ‘paths’?"

"Hehe, that’s right. Hold them, hold them tightly." The man-dragon’s dirty hands waved incessantly, "You must leave this place."

Qi Xia looked at the bead in his hand, lost in thought.

The crowd didn’t know how to console him and could only leave one by one.

A gentle breeze blew, carrying a heavy, indescribable scent.

The few people present slowly opened their eyes, but there was no joy of rebirth.

Because before them was a city that looked like a wasteland.

A dark red sky hung above, with a brown sun in the center. The surface of the sun had black lines that were spreading inward.

Beneath this bizarre sky, a dilapidated city came into view.

It looked like a bustling area of a small town, but it had been bombed and then burned to the ground.

The fire burned for days and nights without being extinguished, leaving the city in this state.

Most of the buildings were damaged, with cracked walls. Countless dark red plants covered the walls.

Officer Li swallowed hard and asked, "Hey, man-dragon, what kind of place did you bring us to..."

He turned his head, and his words trailed off as his mouth slowly opened wide.

The crowd turned around at his voice.

Behind them, there were no buildings, only an open square.

The nine people stood alone in the center of the square, as if they had descended from the sky.

"How did we end up here?"

"Where’s the door we came out of?! Where’s the man-dragon?!"

Unfortunately, no one could answer their questions here.

In the center of the square, there was a large electronic display screen, which looked quite old, with rusted edges.

The screen displayed a message that left the crowd puzzled:

"I heard the echo of ‘disaster.’”

"Disaster? What the hell is that?" Qiao Jiajin read the message twice but still didn’t understand.

Qi Xia noticed a large, weathered bronze bell above the electronic display screen.

This ancient object looked very out of place next to the electronic screen.

After a long while, the writer Han Yimo slowly raised his head and whispered, "So we really are dead... this is the underworld, right?"

Before seeing this scene, he had held a glimmer of hope.

Perhaps they hadn’t died but had been brought here just before their deaths.

But how could this clearly abnormal world be explained?

"I don’t know if we’re dead, but I do know that if we don’t treat your wound, you’ll really die." Doctor Zhao mustered his strength and supported Han Yimo’s arm.

These words slowly brought the crowd back to reality.

Regardless, they seemed to be ‘alive’ now. Since they seemed to be alive, they couldn’t give up.

"Over there seems to be a convenience store." Lin Qin pointed to the distance, "Although it looks heavily damaged, there might be needles, thread, and bandages inside."

Without a word, Qiao Jiajin supported Han Yimo’s other arm and said with a bitter smile,

"Let’s go check. It would be even better if we could find some food."

The crowd moved forward slowly.

The scene here exuded a strange aura, making the crowd uneasy.

The convenience store was located in the middle of a road, with its glass completely shattered and the sign half-collapsed.

As they were about to reach the entrance, they slowly stopped.

Across from the convenience store was a restaurant, and a figure stood at the door.

He wore a bull’s head mask, dressed in a black suit, with his hands behind his back, like a statue.

The crowd felt a bit tense.

These people wearing animal masks were mad.

Now that he was standing there, was he about to issue some kind of ‘test’?

The group waited cautiously for a while, but the bull-headed man didn’t move at all. He didn’t speak or even look at them.

Only then did the crowd finally gather their courage and take a few more steps to the convenience store entrance.

"Is it a dummy?" Tian Tian asked cautiously.

Qi Xia carefully examined the bull-headed man. His eyes behind the mask were still moving slightly, so he wasn’t a dummy. It seemed he was guarding the restaurant behind him.

"Whoever he is, let’s pretend he doesn’t exist." Officer Li turned and opened the broken door of the convenience store.

As soon as the door opened, a nauseating smell hit them.

The city’s smell was already heavy, and the convenience store’s smell was even worse.

A mix of blood, stench, and the smell of burning, along with a hint of heat, filled the room.

These smells were fresh, as if they had just been emitted.

"Ugh..."

Lawyer Zhang Chenze couldn’t bear it and bent over, retching.

Tian Tian looked at her with concern and asked, "Lawyer, are you okay?"

"I’m fine..." Zhang Chenze wiped his mouth and looked at Tian Tian, "You don’t seem affected at all..."

Tian Tian’s expression was a bit unnatural, and she could only smile bitterly, "Maybe it’s because of my job... I’ve smelled worse things."

"Don’t... don’t say that..." Zhang Chenze almost vomited again.

Qi Xia covered his nose and mouth and entered the room. Most of the shelves were on the ground, and the floor was black and sticky, with unknown substances.