Suffering is the Key!

Zzzzt…

The next second, before Yun Ze could even ask what the man intended to do by dismantling the radio, a harsh static began to crackle from the dismembered device. It was as irritating and panic-inducing as a radio being tuned through empty channels.

"It hurts… it hurts so much…"

"Why hasn't my Suffering been rewarded with a miracle?"

A hoarse male voice cut through the static. Even though the radio's poor quality distorted the sound, the man's heart-wrenching agony was still unmistakable.

A hand seemed to seize Yun Ze's heart, making it difficult to breathe. He was terrified that a specter would float out of the radio at any moment.

"Are you Viego or something!?"

"All you do is cry about pain all day!"

"Isolde doesn't love you anymore!"

But before any ghost appeared, he was treated to the absurd sight of a lunatic slapping the radio wildly while complaining about the voice. He even saw Wu Wang yank out the radio's antenna, jam it into the speaker, and stir it around violently.

A wicked smile spread across Wu Wang's face.

It gave Yun Ze the impression that this wasn't some strange pervert stirring a radio with an antenna, but Gargamel stirring a cooking pot, trying to catch Smurfs.

Finally, under Wu Wang's aggressive stirring, the man's voice vanished.

And along with it, the only light source in the basement went out.

"A hundred years… just a hundred years of torment and you can leave… Stay and keep us company…"

Then, a woman's sharp, piercing voice echoed through the room. This time, it wasn't coming from the radio, but from every corner of the basement.

In the total darkness, Yun Ze could even feel someone whispering right beside his ear. The once-empty basement suddenly felt crowded and bustling.

But… were they really people?

"Fuck, fuck, fuck! Is this Instance even survivable!"

Yun Ze's face was grim as he cautiously scanned the darkness for any potential danger. He knew that without items, equipment, or skills, he couldn't last a second against a Fierce Ghost. Still, clenching his fists in a vigilant stance gave him a sliver of peace of mind.

Tap, tap, tap…

Footsteps began to echo in the dark. The little reassurance Yun Ze had just found was instantly shattered.

He gritted his teeth and shouted toward the source of the sound.

"Pending Death! Is that you coming over?"

"It is, my child."

The voice was right next to his ear!

Yun Ze let out a strange cry and swung a fist toward the sound. Who wouldn't have a reflexive reaction in this situation?

Smack!

His fist was easily blocked by a palm. The grip was so strong that Yun Ze couldn't pull his hand back at all.

Then, Wu Wang's helpless voice followed.

"Didn't I just say it was me? Why are you still hitting me? You just wanted to hit me, didn't you?"

Only then did Yun Ze feel the warmth from the hand gripping his own. He was relieved.

But the veins on his forehead bulged even more prominently.

I really do want to beat you to death right now! Scaring people like that will give someone a heart attack!

"Can't you make a sound when you're walking!" he seethed through gritted teeth. "You had to wait until you were right next to my ear to speak! The footsteps alone are scary enough to kill someone!"

To his surprise, Wu Wang had a moment of realization.

"Oh, so you were asking about the footsteps. I meant that I did come over, but those footsteps weren't made by me."

Yun Ze's eyes widened. "!? "

The heart he had just managed to calm leaped back into his throat. He felt like he was on a broken drop tower at an amusement park, never knowing when the damn thing would suddenly lurch.

This constant whiplash of fear had left Yun Ze feeling mentally exhausted in just a few short minutes. He even felt that rather than being terrorized by both the ghost in the basement and this pervert Wu Wang, he might as well just die and get it over with.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap…

A multitude of footsteps began to echo throughout the basement, as if a whole street of pedestrians was rushing in a specific direction.

That direction… was toward the ladder!

The ghosts were coming!

Yun Ze's face was pale as he clenched his fists tightly. There was no doubt now. His suspended heart could finally die in peace.

Click-clack…

Amid the noisy footsteps, a faint clicking sound was heard. Yun Ze, his nerves stretched taut, didn't even notice it came from the door above.

The next second, a puzzled voice called out from above.

"Are you not coming out? You really plan to play hide-and-seek with them down there for a hundred years?"

Yun Ze snapped his head up.

He was stunned to see that the door had been opened at some point. Wu Wang stood at the entrance, looking down at him with a helpless expression, showing no intention of offering a hand.

"Fuck! Bro, you're incredible!"

Like a sparrow seeing its cage opened, Yun Ze shot out of the basement in a flash.

The moment his foot crossed the threshold, pairs of blood-red hands stretched out from the dark doorway. They flailed wildly at the air outside, as if trying to drag back anything they could grab.

All sorts of voices followed.

"Come back… Come back!"

"You haven't experienced Suffering yet!"

"The tedious hundred years aren't over!"

Bang!

Yun Ze grabbed the edge of the door and slammed it shut. The cold sweat on his forehead was enough to count as washing his face. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

He plopped onto the floor and spoke with genuine emotion.

"My good man, how did you open the door? Was the key inside the radio?"

It was the only possibility he could think of.

But Wu Wang just shook his head and said cheerfully, "There was no key. I just used the antenna and the copper wire from inside the radio to pick the lock."

"…"

What the hell is your real-life profession? Are you the kind of guy who could take over a whole neighborhood with a pack of instant noodles?!

"That can't be right," Yun Ze mused. "The Spirit Calamity Game wouldn't design an Instance with a guaranteed-death scenario. How is this door normally supposed to be opened? Don't tell me we really have to stay for a hundred years?"

"Absolutely not!" Wu Wang retorted.

The next second, his words made Yun Ze's vision go dark.

"It's so damn dark down there, how the hell would I know which day is which?"

"…"

Bro! That's not the point!

Creeeak…

Before he could voice his complaint, a nearby wooden door suddenly swung open. Its old, rusty hinges let out a piercing screech.

Yun Ze immediately adopted a defensive stance. Fortunately, two women in modern clothing walked out. They looked like other players.

The four of them stared at each other.

The two women were clearly veterans. Their IDs appeared above their heads; 【Jinxiu】 and 【Tangqian Yan】. Their clothes were stained with blood, and they looked like they had been through a perilous ordeal.

"You guys…"

Creeeak…

Another wooden door opened. This time, a man and a woman walked out. They saw the others displaying their IDs and immediately understood, revealing their own.

【Poet of the Myriad Springs Division】 and 【Poet Mei Yige】.

Clearly, these two players knew each other. They, too, were covered in wounds.

The six of them gathered and discussed what had happened in their respective rooms. Although everyone was here to profit from 【Relics】, they had to ensure they could leave alive before they could start harvesting. Some initial cooperation was unavoidable.

"Your doors all opened automatically?" Yun Ze exclaimed in surprise.

Jinxiu and Tangqian Yan nodded helplessly. At first, they also thought they were done for. Unexpectedly, after a Fierce Ghost caught them, the blade cuts weren't deep, but the pain was intense. After they gritted their teeth and endured eighty-one cuts, the wooden door opened on its own.

That was when they ran into Wu Wang and the others.

It was the same for the two poets. They were caught by a Fierce Ghost and forced to jump rope on a floor covered in thumbtacks. After exactly one hundred jumps, the door opened automatically, and the Fierce Ghost vanished.

Hearing the four's tragic stories, Yun Ze shot Wu Wang a strange look. If it weren't for this guy picking the lock, the two of them might have been captured by a Fierce Ghost and forced to play some perverted game of self-mutilation.

Wait, bro! Why is there a look of excitement in your eyes?

"Hmm? How come you two aren't injured?"

"Yeah, how did you open your door?"

At this point, the group noticed that aside from Yun Ze being a little dusty, Wu Wang's clothes were so clean one might suspect he'd just walked out of a dry cleaner.

Just as Yun Ze was about to say something, Wu Wang spoke up.

"If I'm not mistaken, the key to opening the door is actually a certain condition. And that is Suffering!"

He paused dramatically.

"We also endured Suffering. But ours was a mental suffering. The torment of being on edge in a sunless basement, the agony of every second feeling like a year. The Suffering was so intense it drove one mad, to the point that everything in that room, aside from a single table, was destroyed beyond recognition."

Hearing his description, the other four grew solemn. Physical torment could be endured, but mental suffering was far more likely to make a person break down. To think that these two had gone through an even more terrible experience! They truly had the hearts of the strong.

Only Yun Ze stood to the side, his expression growing stranger and stranger.

Is that right? That doesn't sound right, does it?

Every sentence does correspond to what happened, but why does it sound so weird when you put it that way?

The torment and agony were things only I suffered, and you were the one who caused almost all of it!

And what do you mean everything else was destroyed? Besides the table, the only other thing was a radio, and you're the one who personally took it apart!

"Is there a problem with what I said?"

Faced with Wu Wang's innocent, pitiful gaze and the admiring looks from their new teammates, Yun Ze wanted to cry but had no tears.

"No problem, bro. Whatever you say, goes."

"Good," Wu Wang nodded gravely. "Then let's consider another problem. Are they also playing S&M?"

"What ‘they'? Where did ‘they' come from?"

Under the confused gazes of the group, Wu Wang raised a finger and pointed at the ceiling. Everyone looked up, bewildered.

They were horrified to discover three bloody figures hanging from the high ceiling.

The most bizarre thing was that these three blood-soaked people, whose skin looked as if it was about to be flayed off, were grinning as they stared down at the players below.

Their smiles were so radiant.

And so utterly terrifying…