"What? Haha, of course I know what I'm talking about," the Dragon Man said, stepping forward and addressing the group. "You're not the first to pass through this door. I've said these same words to countless others before you."
"Countless others…"
The realization stunned everyone. Officer Li's voice hardened as he demanded, "What are you people? How many have you dragged into this?"
"'Dragged'? Are you mistaken?" The Dragon Man tilted his head slightly, his eyes peering through the dark slits of his grotesque mask. A mix of eyes from different creatures stared back, lifeless yet piercing. "Do you really think we brought you here?"
"If not you, then who?!" Officer Li's voice was taut with anger. "Do you mean to say we came here on our own?!"
Lin Qin sighed, glancing at Qi Xia and Officer Li. "You all know they're madmen. Don't waste your breath arguing. Let's just get out of here."
Her words snapped the others back to reality. The beings before them, with their stitched-together animal masks, were beyond reason. The one standing before them now was especially disturbing, with his mask sewn together from crocodile jaws, bull's nostrils, fish scales, and lion's mane, all emitting a decaying odor.
Not wanting to test their sanity further, they skirted around the Dragon Man and headed for the exit.
"Remember this: without 3,600 Daoites, no one leaves this place." The Dragon Man's voice echoed behind them in a chilling farewell.
Qi Xia's instinct prompted him to turn back. "How do we find these 'Daoites'?" he asked suddenly.
"Why even ask?" Jo Jiajin muttered in frustration, shoving Qi Xia forward. "Are you really planning to go treasure hunting now?"
"No matter what, I have to get out," Qi Xia said, his eyes steely with determination. "Someone's waiting for me."
The Dragon Man nodded faintly. "It's through the games you've already faced—different challenges yield different Daoites."
Qi Xia's expression darkened. He glanced at the small, glowing orbs in his hand. "You mean… we need to voluntarily participate in more games to gather these?"
"Exactly. Hold on to them, tightly," the Dragon Man said, waving his dirty, clawed hands. "Leave this place, no matter what."
The weight of the golden orbs pressed against Qi Xia's palm, their shimmer offering little comfort. The rest of the group remained silent, exchanging nervous glances before stepping through the doorway.
A sudden gust of wind met them outside, heavy with an indescribable staleness.
The sight that greeted them was anything but a reprieve. Instead of the safety they had hoped for, a ruined city sprawled before their eyes. The sky above was an ominous red, cradling a sickly sun stained with threads of darkness spreading inward.
It was a small city, once thriving, now shattered and burnt beyond recognition. Buildings lay in heaps, their broken walls consumed by crimson vines that slithered like snakes over the rubble.
Officer Li swallowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Dragon Man… what is this place?"
He turned back, only to find empty space. Where there should have been a door or even the twisted figure of the Dragon Man, there was only an expansive square.
"We're just… here?"
"Where's the door? And the Dragon Man?"
No one had an answer. At the center of the square stood a large, rusted electronic screen, its frame flecked with patches of decay. The display flickered to life, casting a stark message across their stunned faces:
"I hear the echo of 'Disaster.'"
"Disaster? What does that mean?" Jo Jiajin read the message aloud, confusion knotting his brow.
Qi Xia's gaze shifted up to see an ancient bronze bell suspended above the screen. It seemed out of place, an old relic guarding a piece of modern technology.
Han Yimo, the writer in their group, slowly raised his head and muttered, "So… we really did die. This must be the underworld, right?"
Before now, he'd held on to a glimmer of hope—maybe they hadn't died, perhaps they were just taken. But faced with this unnatural scene, the fragile hope shattered.
"I don't know if we're dead or not," Dr. Zhao interrupted, shaking off the sense of despair, "but if I don't treat your wounds soon, you'll find out soon enough."
His blunt practicality seemed to snap everyone back to their senses. Alive or not, they were still breathing. And if they were breathing, they couldn't give up.
"There's a store over there," Lin Qin pointed out, squinting at a battered convenience store in the distance. "It's in rough shape, but it might have supplies—bandages, maybe even a needle and thread."
Without another word, Jo Jiajin helped Han Yimo to his feet. With a wry smile, he said, "Might as well see if we can find some food while we're at it."
They moved slowly down the cracked street, wary of the unfamiliar, twisted city around them. The closer they got to the store, the more a sour smell pervaded the air.
The door to the store had been shattered, its sign hanging on by splinters. Just as they were about to enter, they paused, eyes caught by a figure across the road.
A man stood motionless outside a ruined restaurant, wearing a bull-headed mask. Dressed in a crisp black suit, he stood as still as a statue, hands clasped behind his back.
Nerves tightened, pulses quickened. They all knew what these masked figures represented. The question was whether he would issue another "challenge."
They waited, holding their breath, but the figure didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even look their way.
"Is it… just a dummy?" Tian Tian whispered, her voice tinged with fear.
Qi Xia studied the bull-headed man carefully. His eyes, though obscured by the mask, seemed alive, darting slightly as if guarding the place behind him.
"Let's just pretend he isn't there," Officer Li said, pushing open the store's dilapidated door.
A wave of putrid air rushed out, making them gag. This city had its own rank odor, but the store's stench was overpowering. Burnt, rotten, and metallic smells mingled into an unbearable miasma.
"Ugh…" Attorney Zhang Chenze doubled over, retching dryly.
"You okay?" Tian Tian asked, looking concerned.
"I'll manage…" Zhang Chenze wiped her mouth, glancing back at Tian Tian. "How are you not affected by this?"
Tian Tian forced a small, grim smile. "I guess it's part of my job… I've smelled worse."
"Stop, please… don't mention it," Zhang Chenze groaned, turning pale again.
Qi Xia stepped inside, covering his mouth and nose. The shelves were overturned, the floor coated with sticky, dark patches of unknown origin.