"Of course... Heh heh, I certainly know what I''m saying." The Human Dragon took a slow step forward, addressing the group. "Countless people have walked out of this door, and I''ve said these words to every single one of them."


    "Countless..."


    The group froze for a moment, and Officer Li growled, "What are you? How many people have you brought here?"


    "‘Brought’ here?" The Human Dragon tilted his head slightly, his murky eyes visible through the gaps in his mask. He stared coldly at Officer Li and smiled. "Did you make a mistake? Was it really us who ''brought'' you here?"


    "Isn''t it?" Officer Li gritted his teeth. "Did we come here on our own?!"


    Lin Qing sighed and spoke to Zhi Xia and Officer Li, "You both know they''re insane, so stop trying to argue with them. Let’s just leave."


    Her words made the group more alert. These people wearing animal masks were already abnormal, and the one in front of them, whose mask was a patchwork of various animal parts, was even crazier.


    If they followed the logic of madmen, they might end up insane too.


    The group bypassed the Human Dragon and walked towards the exit behind him.


    "Remember, without 3,600 ''Dao,'' no one will be able to leave," the Human Dragon reminded them quietly.


    Zhi Xia, almost without thinking, turned back and asked, "How do we obtain the ''Dao''?"


    "Why ask him?" Jo Jiajin pushed Zhi Xia away irritably. "Do you really want to go looking for those golden balls?"


    "No matter what, I have to get out of here." Zhi Xia’s eyes were filled with determination. "Someone''s waiting for me."


    The Human Dragon nodded slightly and said, "It’s just like the ''games'' you’ve gone through. Different games reward you with different ''Dao.''"


    Zhi Xia’s face darkened. He looked down at the golden ball in his hand. "You mean… we have to participate in the games to get the ''Dao''?"


    "Heh heh, that''s right. Take them, take them all." The Human Dragon waved his filthy hands continuously. "You have to leave here."


    Zhi Xia stared at the ball in his hand, lost in thought.


    The group didn’t know how to persuade him, so they just walked out the door.


    A slight breeze hit their faces, carrying that strange, heavy scent.


    As they slowly opened their eyes, they did not feel the joy of being reborn.


    Instead, they found themselves standing in the middle of a desolate city, a ruin.


    Above them, the sky was a dark red, with a brownish sun hanging in the sky. The surface of the sun had thin black lines spreading inward.


    Beneath this bizarre sky was a crumbling city.


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    It looked like a once-bustling area of a small town, but now it appeared as though it had been bombed and then set on fire.


    The fire had burned for days and nights without being put out, leaving the place in this wretched state.


    Most of the buildings were damaged, their walls cracked. Countless dark red plants had climbed up the walls.


    Officer Li swallowed nervously and asked, "Hey, Human Dragon, what kind of place have you brought us to..."


    He turned around, and his words were cut short. His mouth slowly dropped open in shock.


    The group followed his gaze and turned around.


    Behind them, there were no buildings—just an empty plaza.


    The nine of them stood alone in the center of the plaza, as if they had fallen from the sky.


    "How did we end up here?"


    "Where’s the door we came out of? Where’s the Human Dragon?!"


    Unfortunately, no one could answer their questions.


    At the center of the plaza, there was a conspicuous large electronic display screen, looking old and rusty, with the edges showing signs of wear.


    The screen displayed a cryptic message:


    "I hear the echo of ''inviting disaster.''"


    "Inviting disaster? What the hell is that?" Jo Jiajin read the phrase twice but still didn’t understand.


    Zhi Xia noticed that above the screen, there was a massive, weathered bronze bell.


    This ancient object seemed completely out of place with the modern electronic screen, creating a stark contrast.


    After a long pause, Han Yimo, the writer, slowly raised his head and whispered, "So we really are dead... This must be the underworld, right?"


    Before seeing this scene, he had held onto a sliver of hope. Maybe they hadn’t died yet, but were captured here right before death.


    But how could they explain this clearly unnatural world?


    "I don’t know whether we’re dead or not," Dr. Zhao said, forcing a calm tone as he helped Han Yimo with his arm. "But if you don’t get your wounds treated soon, you really will die."


    Her words slowly brought the group back to reality.


    No matter what, they seemed to be "alive" for now, so if they were still alive, they couldn’t give up.


    "Over there, it looks like there’s a convenience store," Lin Qing pointed in the distance. "Though it looks heavily damaged, I wonder if they have needles and gauze inside?"


    Without saying anything more, Jo Jiajin helped Han Yimo with his other arm, giving a bitter smile. "Let’s check it out. Maybe there will be some food, too."


    The group slowly moved forward.


    The strange atmosphere of this place never stopped creeping into their minds, making them uneasy.


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


    Just as they were about to reach the door, they slowed their pace.


    Across from the store, there was a restaurant, and a figure stood at the entrance.


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


    The group tensed up.


    These people with animal masks were all madmen.


    Now he was standing there—was he about to announce some new "test"?


    The group waited cautiously, and after a while, they realized that the bull-headed figure didn’t move. He didn’t speak or even glance at them.


    Only then did they muster the courage to step forward and reach the door of the convenience store.


    "Is he a dummy?" Tiantian asked cautiously.


    Zhi Xia carefully observed the bull-headed figure. His eyes beneath the mask were still moving slightly, so he wasn’t a mannequin. It seemed like he was guarding the restaurant behind him.


    "Let’s not worry about who he is. Let’s just pretend he doesn’t exist." Officer Li turned and opened the decayed door of the convenience store.


    As soon as the door opened, a nauseating smell wafted out.


    The city already had a heavy, oppressive scent, but the smell from the convenience store was even worse.


    A mix of fishy, rotten, and burnt odors, tinged with a faint heat, lingered in the air.


    These smells were fresh, like they had just emerged.


    "Ugh..."


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


    Tiantian looked at her with concern and asked, "Are you okay, Lawyer Zhang?"


    "I’m fine..." Zhang Chenze wiped her mouth and looked at Tiantian. "You seem completely unaffected..."


    Tiantian’s expression was a little awkward, and she forced a smile. "It might be because of my profession... I’ve smelled worse things."


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


    Zhi Xia covered his nose and mouth and stepped inside. Most of the shelves were overturned, and the floor was dark and sticky, with unknown substances scattered around.