Chapter 16: Lord Ye’s Love for Dragons, Lord Chen’s Fascination with Ghosts
“But...”
The middle-aged policeman glanced down at his watch. “It’s almost dusk. If you want to enter that dungeon tonight, you must reach the abandoned dormitory building of Qingyuan University before dark. We don’t have much time, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
“Qingyuan City is divided into five districts: North, South, West, East, and Central. We’re currently in the North District. Usually, inns are prepared for travelers or civilians crossing districts who can’t get home before nightfall—they have no choice but to find a place nearby to stay.”
“We’re heading to Qingyuan University first; the others are already waiting there.”
...
Inside Qingyuan University campus.
It was near dusk, and the campus was nearly deserted.
“Is this dormitory building considered a safe house? What about the academic buildings?”
Chen Kun surveyed the almost empty campus thoughtfully. He had been to several universities before, all bustling with life. None had been so deserted at dusk unless it was during summer or winter breaks. If it weren’t for the neatly swept fallen leaves, he might have mistaken it for an abandoned university.
“No,” the policeman leading the way whispered. “Neither the academic buildings nor the dormitories count. The government purchased a residential building and converted it into student housing. After dusk, all students leave campus.”
“Public buildings like stadiums and shopping malls, those eerie places before the apocalypse, almost never qualify as safe houses.”
“Pay attention: the abandoned dormitory you’re entering tonight is a low-risk dungeon. Don’t wander into the academic building area after dark—that zone is extremely dangerous. Even level three professionals face a high mortality rate there.”
At that moment—
Under the locust tree ahead, five people stood scattered on the ground.
“We’ve arrived.”
The policeman checked his watch again, his tone quickening. “These five will be your teammates on this mission. I’ll give you a few last instructions and then leave. Otherwise, I won’t make it back to my safe house in time.”
After briefing Chen Kun briefly, he patted Black Hao on the shoulder and strode away.
...
Chen Kun looked over the five—three women and two men. Three women appeared young; one man seemed about twenty-four or twenty-five, the other a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard.
This was Chen Kun’s first dungeon run.
He felt somewhat uneasy, especially since they emphasized this dungeon’s focus on scares. Although the surroundings were calm, his fear level had already reached 32%.
Normally, a person’s fear level should be zero.
Perhaps he still hadn’t adapted to this world.
He comforted himself inwardly: in his previous life, though afraid of ghosts, he generally maintained emotional stability. The difference now was not only fear but also the ability to see them firsthand.
How fitting.
Like the ancient saying: Lord Ye loved dragons, but Chen loved ghosts.
“Um...”
Black Hao approached with a broad grin, cheerfully saying, “Hello, everyone! The guy who brought us here said one of you is an immigrant player. Which of you is from the same place?”
“I am.”
The middle-aged man with the beard raised his hand, his hoarse tone tinged with slight displeasure. “Since we’re all here, let’s go in.”
Nearby stood the abandoned dormitory building—the destination for tonight.
...
“Creak...”
Black Hao led the way, pushing open the heavy, dust-covered steel door. A cloud of dust rose instantly, and the shrill sound of the metal hinges echoed around them.
Chen Kun naturally stood behind him, pulling out a staff from his backpack and planting it on the ground. Although he couldn’t check its details yet, the staff was sturdy enough to serve as a decent weapon.
The sky was darkening.
The dormitory was seven stories high. Upon entering, two staircases came into view, leading left and right, resembling the folding pages of a book.
A dim light flickered rhythmically on the ceiling above the stairs.
“So cliché...”
Chen Kun stared at the scene, feeling his breath quicken. The dust-laden abandoned dormitory and the flickering, faulty light were classic elements used to create a horror atmosphere in ghost movies.
Even knowing this, his fear still climbed uncontrollably.
There were four hours until midnight—the dungeon’s official start.
“I have a suggestion.”
One of the three girls, wearing a pink jacket and gray jogging pants, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, spoke first. “We still have four hours before the dungeon opens. We could check every room and eliminate or remove anything potentially dangerous.”
Good idea.
Chen Kun nodded; he had thought the same.
“That’s doable, but before that, shouldn’t we introduce ourselves briefly? So we know each other’s abilities and specialties.”
Another girl, smaller in stature but with a powerful aura, timidly raised her hand to speak.
Though she seemed fragile, her presence was formidable.
Chen Kun nodded again; it was a good idea.
“A bunch of fools.”
A short-haired woman in a professional suit sneered. “Don’t you realize that no matter how much you destroy the dormitory, once the dungeon forms, everything resets to that initial state?”
“Besides, this dungeon is hardly life-threatening—just scary. We just need to complete the mission; clearing it won’t be difficult.”
“The priority should be to search online for information about this dungeon first.”
Chen Kun nodded once more—she was right.
A cold breeze wafted in through the door.
He instinctively tightened his clothes, suddenly aware his garments were stained with blood. The dark color masked the stains somewhat. Perhaps due to nervousness, he found it hard to focus.
If it weren’t for the pressing reason to enter this dungeon,
he would have fled back to his safe house immediately. Only Black Hao here gave him a semblance of security.
After all, Black Hao was truly formidable.