Chapter 18: Instance Name: Abandoned Dormitory Building.

"Forget it."

Chen Kun shook his head, dismissing the idea of buying a high-lumen flashlight—the kind that could illuminate an entire room at once—along with a portable power supply. It would be safer, certainly, but such items were hard to come by. He hadn't seen any shops selling professional outdoor gear on his way here, and convenience stores certainly wouldn't stock them.

The group continued to explore the first-floor dormitories. It was clear that many people had passed through here before; the rooms were in disarray. However, judging by the layer of dust, this "Dormitory Building" instance had been abandoned for a long time, though the reason remained unclear.

Each dorm room had a private bathroom, but at the end of the first-floor hallway, there was also a communal restroom with eight stalls.

"Something definitely happened here."

Hei Hao stood at the entrance of the communal restroom, looking at the stall doors swinging and creaking in the draft. He clicked his tongue, sighing, "I don't know why, but bathrooms are always high-risk zones."

The middle-aged man standing beside them explained calmly, "For all living creatures, using the restroom is always the most vulnerable moment. That reflex is etched into our bones. You might go bungee jumping to challenge yourself, but you probably wouldn't go to a public toilet in the middle of nowhere at 3:00 AM, lock yourself in a cramped stall, and take a dump. Normally, you’d rather go by the side of the road; at least watching the passing traffic gives you a shred of security."

"..."

Chen Kun’s mouth twitched. Looking at the eerie, oppressive atmosphere of the restroom, he felt a chill run down his spine. For a moment, he even considered gathering more teammates to stand in a circle around him, surrounding him on all sides—he would feel much safer that way.

After Hei Hao entered the restroom first and searched every corner, he finally spoke up: "Let's check the second floor."

According to the information he had gathered online, many people had died in this dormitory before the supernatural descent. If this instance had a mission, it was surely tied to those deaths. He hoped to find some clues.

Normally, the mortality rate at a school wasn't particularly high, though an occasional death was standard. But seven people dying at once was suspicious. Usually, causes like bullying-induced suicide or academic failure were cited, but seven at once? It was strange. What kind of situation would cause seven people to die in one dormitory building in a single night? Murder seemed far more likely than suicide.

...

The group searched the entire seven-story dormitory building, but nothing happened. Chen Kun had expected to find a locked door hiding a secret, but every room was wide open.

It made sense; this place had been abandoned for so long that any locked doors would have been smashed open years ago. They even checked the rooftop, but it was perfectly normal.

Exhausted, the group sat cross-legged on the rooftop to recover their strength before the instance began. Chen Kun instructed, "When the instance starts, everyone stick together. Try not to act alone."

Within this small group, Chen Kun had subtly taken command. There were four men in total; the young man had been rattled by a previous scuffle, the middle-aged man was cooperative, and Hei Hao, the strongest fighter among them, followed Chen Kun's lead. Meanwhile, the short-haired woman in the suit, who had initially tried to take charge, had fallen silent. Power, after all, came from strength.

"Mm, okay."

The capable woman in the tracksuit and the petite girl both nodded earnestly. Even the young man, despite his lingering resentment, didn't dare to argue. Everyone knew that staying together was the safest bet; anyone who split off during an instance had to be out of their mind.

Time ticked by. Chen Kun watched as the woman in the suit pulled a Snickers bar from her pocket, eating it in silence with her eyes closed. He felt a faint, growing hunger—a signal from the instance. He kicked himself for not bringing food. This woman clearly wasn't a first-timer. These people had been arranged by the North District Police Station, though the middle-aged officer hadn't told him anything about their backgrounds.

Finally, the time reached midnight. As the watch struck twelve, a translucent, pitch-black panel covered in red text materialized before Chen Kun.

—
「Instance Name」: Abandoned Dormitory Building.
「Instance Level」: Level 1.
「Instance Introduction」:
"Once, seven young girls died in this dormitory building in a single night. After that night, the event was sealed away, and the building was abandoned."
"No one cared about the deaths of these seven."
"The wails of the final night filled this building with resentment and terror."
「Instance Mission」: Find the remains of the seven young girls.
—

As soon as he finished reading the information, the woman in the suit stood up without a word and walked toward the stairs, disappearing from their sight in the blink of an eye. They had all agreed not to act alone.

"A bold woman," the middle-aged man remarked with admiration. He wouldn't have dared to act alone in such an environment, and he respected her for it.

"Not really..." Hei Hao watched her go, bewildered. "Is this dame always this reckless?"

"..."

Chen Kun ignored her. "Don't worry about her. Since the mission is to find the remains, we'll start from the top floor and work our way down. Those girls have likely turned into spirits, and they'll probably jump out to scare us."

"But don't panic. Since this instance seems to have no immediate lethal threat, it means the spirits are likely just here to terrify us, not to inflict physical harm. Let's start searching from the rooftop."

With that, the two women nodded and followed behind Chen Kun. The young man hesitated, his expression shifting, but eventually, he lacked the courage to go off on his own and stayed close to the group. Even though Hei Hao had punched him earlier, in a place like this, there was safety in numbers—following the woman would have been far more dangerous.