Chapter 3: The Collapsed Building

The interior of the abandoned building is dim, with only some light shining in when passing by windows.

The air is filled with a smell of rot and mold.

From the depths of the dead-silent hallway, there is a faint sound of dripping water, drip, drip.

Upon entering here, everyone feels an inexplicable chill, as if the surrounding temperature has suddenly dropped by several degrees. The surroundings are terrifyingly quiet, with only the footsteps of a few people echoing faintly.

"Lao Ya's intelligence says that the thing we need to find is on the second basement level of this building. That place was originally the building's parking lot, but due to the building's destruction, the currently confirmed entrances and exits to the underground parking lot are only two: one is the safety stairs on the east side, and the other is the B1 area elevator shaft."

"For us, there is actually only one entrance and exit, which is the safety stairs on the east side. The elevator shaft is not realistic; we are all ordinary people, the danger of climbing the elevator shaft is too great, and the movement is slow. So I hope everyone remembers the escape route clearly, otherwise, once an accident happens and you get lost on the second basement level, it means you are not far from death."

"Lao Ya's new intelligence says that danger will appear on the first basement level, but because we are ordinary people, the danger on the first level can likely be avoided, so the fatal danger is on the second level. And the closer you get to a certain source, the greater the danger."

Wei Li, who is a doctor, says while walking, talking to himself.

His tone is calm, his articulation clear, and his expression is very serious and earnest.

"In my opinion, let's just wander around the first basement level and then go back. Wouldn't it be nice to pick up fifty thousand for nothing?" Zhang Kaiwen's eyes shift, thinking of a perfunctory idea.

Li Yi says immediately: "The other party has already anticipated this point. The mysterious woman who opened the Spirit Medium just now is likely already watching us in the dark. If we do this perfunctorily, I estimate that as soon as we leave this building, we will be silenced."

"I heard that people who have opened the Spirit Medium can see some things that normal people cannot see. I don't know if it's true or false. Assuming it's true, then we must be under surveillance all the time, so your proposal is not very realistic." Liu Yan says in a low voice.

"A bunch of cowards, it's really shameful to work with you. We can walk into the second basement level; this is the opportunity heaven gave us to compete for a Mystic Object. After getting the Mystic Object, what is a mere two million? I want the woman outside to kneel down and kowtow three times to me, and then lick my shoe soles clean."

Wang Hu speaks, not avoiding it at all, nor covering up the thoughts in his heart.

But when these words are spoken, no one refutes them.

Deep in their hearts, who doesn't want to change their fate?

"Heh, that's right. My life isn't worth much. Since I'm risking it, I might as well fight to the end. Getting fifty thousand won't change anything. If I really get a Mystic Object, from now on, I'll be one of the influential figures in the world. One life is ten thousand lives." Zhang Kaiwen is infected by Wang Hu's idea at this moment and immediately changes his mind.

"If I get a Mystic Object, even if I choose to hand it over directly, I can enter the Golden Academy and completely change my fate." Liu Yan says in a low voice.

Li Yi, hearing them say this, cannot help but feel his heart beat faster.

Because they are right.

Getting this money just solves the urgent need. His parents, as Silent Ones, need better medical pods and nutrient solutions to maintain their lives. The future expenses are massive, and fifty thousand is a drop in the bucket. Moreover, he has no ability, no background, and no cultivation talent.

If he could really get a Mystic Object, everything could change.

But excitement is excitement, and reason tells him that perhaps there is no Mystic Object here at all, only dangers lurking in the darkness, and greed will only cause him to lose his life here for nothing.

Under the brief idle chatter, the group has penetrated deep into this collapsed building and soon sees the stairs leading to the underground parking lot.

The stairs go down, the darkness gradually thickening, like an abyss, making people feel uneasy.

Everyone immediately turns on the flashlights Lao Ya prepared for them in advance.

As the flashlights light up, the surrounding darkness is dispelled quite a bit.

After checking the surroundings and seeing no abnormalities, the five people walk down the stairs toward the parking lot on the second basement level.

On the way, everyone is very vigilant, even the sound of footsteps going down the stairs is deliberately restrained, for fear of disturbing some things in the darkness.

Everything seems to go very smoothly, with no danger.

The five people arrive at the first basement level.

But they don't stop, because the first basement level has already been explored by Lao Ya. Although there are dangers, there is nothing of value. They encountered danger and misfortune when entering the second basement level, and both times they returned without success, suffering heavy losses.

Therefore, the mission for Li Yi and the others is to start exploring from the second basement level.

However, when they continue to walk down the stairs, Wang Hu, who is at the front, suddenly stops.

The flashlight shines over.

The darkness in front dissipates, and a dead body is lying on the steps. The corpse's skin is pale, dead and lifeless, its neck stiff, looking up in a strange posture, its arms stiffly raised in mid-air, as if struggling to escape the underground parking lot behind it, but it doesn't know what it was targeted by, finally dying miserably here.

Wang Hu says: "Really unlucky, it's a dead body."

As he speaks, he doesn't pay attention, but very calmly steps over the corpse and continues forward.

A few people look at it slightly, carefully avoiding the corpse, and then follow behind Wang Hu.

But afterward, Wei Li suddenly says in a low voice: "That corpse is not quite right."

"Just a dead body, scared?" Zhang Kaiwen replies.

"Don't forget, I am a doctor, the corpses I've come into contact with are more than you. I just took a look at that corpse; there are no livor mortis, nor signs of decay. This is very unreasonable, and the position where the corpse appeared just now is also not normal. It doesn't look like it died on the stairs from the beginning, but rather like it was moved to the stairs from somewhere else." Wei Li says earnestly.

"Wei Li, you should have said this earlier." Zhang Kaiwen says, immediately shining his flashlight toward the corpse behind him.

He wants to see if it's really as Wei Li said, that the corpse has a problem.

But soon his expression stiffens.

That corpse just now... is gone.

"The corpse, it's gone." Zhang Kaiwen opens his eyes wide: "Are you kidding? It was just there, in the blink of an eye, did that thing run away by itself?"

Seeing the empty steps, everyone feels a burst of horror.

"Maybe that wasn't a dead body, maybe it was a ghost. Don't forget what Lao Ya said before, this building is haunted. They were the reason they didn't dare to go deep into the second basement level."

Li Yi's expression is very ugly, saying a terrifying reality.

They just bumped into a ghost.

"Do you know, actually, the world we live in originally didn't have ghosts. After the Heaven-Tilting Incident, the legends of ghosts and monsters were confirmed to be true. But ghosts can only stay in some special areas, because ghosts also need some kind of power to maintain, otherwise they will dissipate. The existence of ghosts here means there is something here providing power to the ghosts."

Liu Yan, after a brief horror, reveals a bit of excitement: "That source object is very likely a Mystic Object."

"Then what are we waiting for? Mere dirty things, how could they scare me away?" Wang Hu takes a big step toward the second basement level at this moment.

"Defying the heavens and changing fate depends on today. I, Zhang Kaiwen, am just missing this one chance to turn things around. What's scary about ghosts? Poverty is scarier."

Zhang Kaiwen grins, ignoring the hidden danger and quickly following.

Li Yi takes a deep breath and follows without hesitation.

Liu Yan and Wei Li also don't hesitate.

Having reached this point, there is definitely no possibility of retreating.

Soon.

They enter the second basement level.

However, the situation here is completely different from what they imagined.

The ground is covered by a layer of thick silt, and many unknown withered yellow wild grasses grow on the mud. These wild grasses emit a faint glow in the darkness, looking like phosphorus fire in a graveyard from afar, distributed in dots. In the distance, there are even several wooden houses that have collapsed halfway. Those houses have ancient styles, completely unlike modern things, looking more like an abandoned village from ancient times.

If it weren't for the many abandoned cars half-buried in the mud that could still be seen around, everyone would have thought they had come to an unfamiliar world.

"Let's split up. Whether we can survive or find a Mystic Object depends on our own abilities."

Zhang Kaiwen says this sentence and then moves forward without looking back.

"That makes sense." Wang Hu looks around and also chooses a direction.

"The danger here is great. If we stay together, maybe it would be better." Li Yi thinks for a moment and says.

Wei Li to the side smiles slightly: "Young man, you should understand that it's fine if we don't find a Mystic Object, but if we find a Mystic Object, then staying together will lead to infighting. No one wants to be stabbed in the back. Splitting up is good for everyone, at least it can save some face for each other."

After speaking, he also leaves.

Liu Yan also doesn't say a word, and after hesitating for a moment, she also acts alone.

Soon.

The five-person team immediately falls apart, each leaving. ===== CHAPTER 4 =====