"Pop!"
The table, which had been turned over countless times, suddenly sprang open at one corner, revealing a hidden compartment that definitely hadn't been there before.
Inside were three things.
Just three simple things.
One was a Bone Cleaver. Its edge was dull, and a heavy iron chain was attached to the handle. Rust covered the blade, which was also speckled with dried blood and bits of meat. Even from half a meter away, a foul stench hit him.
Another was a Meat Grinder. It looked ordinary enough, though it seemed to have been crudely modified somehow. Zhou You couldn't tell exactly how, but judging by the dark yellow stains around the outlet, it had probably been repurposed from grinding meat into squeezing out grease.
The last was an Electric Soldering Iron. Though rather old, it still seemed to work, and it was also the only item that had been kept in relatively good condition.
They all looked like common items you'd find at a market. Unfortunately, Zhou You had just seen that candle, along with the note specifically written beneath it.
<Hair for the wick, yin oil for the base, two pounds of flesh, one candle—cheap and practical, fair to everyone>
A normal adult man's arm weighed a little over four pounds after the bones were removed.
So it was obvious what the other party wanted him to do.
After a long while, Zhou You suddenly grinned.
There was no panic, fear, or despair in his smile. Instead, he looked as calm and collected as ever, like a neighbor greeting someone in passing.
"No wonder the previous tenant went mad. Stripping the flesh from your own body and squeezing it into oil isn't something most people can handle. But it looks like something happened after he got to the Fifth Floor, causing him to fail at the last moment and die horribly in this haunted building. As for why he failed..."
Zhou You picked up the Bone Cleaver and casually turned it over in his hands, but didn't use it. Instead, he glanced at the candle.
"Maybe... he didn't have enough?"
He spoke to himself.
"Since it went to the trouble of making this recipe, and even gave me that 'Broken Existence' talent just now, I'll make a bold guess: if I want to escape this apartment building, I have to follow the previous tenant's example and cut off one of my arms. Then, using the candle he left behind, the two new ones I make, and the talent I just got, I'll barely manage to get out alive."
Zhou You raised his head and looked at the sealed window.
"So, am I right?"
No one answered.
But Zhou You hadn't expected an answer. He casually tossed the Bone Cleaver aside and prepared to move on to the next step—
But just then, that familiar, strange sensation returned.
The filthy, squalid surroundings faded in an instant. Everything became so clean and tidy. A faint fragrance filled the room. When he stepped outside, all the neighbors greeted him with smiles. The Landlady was as kind as ever, warmly inviting him to join her for a simple meal. Everyone in the apartment building looked out for one another and cared deeply about each other. So why abandon such a wonderful family and return to a lonely, harsh reality? Think about it. Your last remaining family member is gone, and you've endured so much hardship. So forget it. You can forget everything...
Zhou You suddenly bit down hard.
A sharp pain shot through his mouth.
A thick, coppery taste of blood flooded his throat, but Zhou You paid it no mind. He released the teeth that had just torn the tip of his tongue and raised his head. He still wore a smile, but there wasn't a trace of amusement in his eyes.
A moment later, the mechanical voice spoke.
"You have been corrupted. Your sanity has decreased. Current sanity: 75/100."
"Please note: the longer you remain in this instance, the deeper the corruption will become, until you are completely assimilated into it. Please complete the game as soon as possible."
Another obvious restriction.
But this time, Zhou You didn't bother responding. He simply snuffed out the candle, saved the game, and walked straight out of the room.
This time, though, he didn't hurry upstairs.
He now had a way to get around the Fourth Floor, but Zhou You still clearly remembered that the entire apartment building's key ring was in the Landlady's hands. Even with the candle, he still had to find a way to get the Fifth Floor key.
"Fortunately, that shouldn't be hard. After all, although this thing is a one-hit-kill monster, its weakness is far too obvious."
"It's disabled, blind, and, most importantly... greedy."
As Zhou You muttered to himself, he closed the rust-covered, extraordinarily heavy iron door. Then he tugged on it a few times to make sure it was locked. Suddenly, he lifted his leg, spun around, and kicked upward with all his might!
His thick shoe slammed into the steel with a clang. Several doors downstairs immediately let out sharp, shrill screams, but the voices seemed to realize something was wrong and quickly fell silent.
Soon, accompanied by the sound of a prosthetic leg tapping against the floor, the Landlady came upstairs, her face cold.
It had taken a little over two minutes.
Zhou You silently noted the time, then, the moment she saw him, put on an expression that was half terrified and half ingratiating. He hurried over, anxiously muttering all the while.
"Landlady, I'm really sorry. I, I accidentally shut my door just now. I was in a hurry to call my parents and ask them to help me scrape together the rent, and I got so worked up that... I really didn't mean to break the rules. Please believe me!"
At the first half of his explanation, the Landlady's expression grew increasingly impatient. Her mouth stretched wider and wider, and as maggots squirmed inside, rows of sharp teeth seemed ready to emerge. But when she heard the second half, she suddenly froze.
"You said... rent?"
Her upper and lower jaws had split apart to nearly twice their normal width, making her words somewhat indistinct.
As if he'd grabbed a lifeline, Zhou You nodded frantically.
"Yes, yes, rent! That's right, the rent! I'll have it together soon. I'll definitely pay you. Please forgive me just this once—just this once!"
At that, the Landlady's mouth finally shrank back. She glanced at Zhou You's terrified face and sneered, then shakily pulled a key ring from her waist.
"Remember what you said. Just this once. If you trouble me again, this old lady will collect a little 'interest' from you ahead of time. Oh, and don't forget what you said: pay the rent for the second half of the year early."
After Zhou You nodded again in agreement, the Landlady finally began rummaging through the keys, satisfied. But because of the poor lighting and her failing eyesight, she had to pull out her eyes and wipe them several times before she finally found the spare key to 304.
But just as she inserted it into the lock and turned it, something unexpected happened.
Perhaps he'd been so badly frightened that he was still muddled, because before the Landlady could pull the door open, Zhou You hurriedly tried to pull it open himself—
Naturally, their opposing forces caused the Landlady and Zhou You to collide, and both of them tumbled in front of the door. The key ring flew from her hand and landed nearby. But the Landlady didn't hurry to pick it up. She slowly raised her head and stared at Zhou You with her twisted pupils, letting out a sinister chuckle. She seemed ready to teach someone a lesson they'd never forget—
But before she could move, she suddenly spotted something bright red.
Money.
Not a huge amount, but enough to catch the eye.
It was the money Zhou You had deliberately saved earlier.
Dozens of hundred-yuan bills lay scattered across the floor. Under the hallway lights, their vivid color seemed to pierce the eye and slowly seep into one's heart.
"My money!"
His feigned scream had barely begun when the Landlady silenced him with a vicious glare.
"What do you mean, your money? This is my money! Rent I collected in advance!"
The monster had no time to "teach" Zhou You a lesson now. She stared at the dusty banknotes and hurriedly felt around on the floor. But with her poor eyesight, she searched for ages and barely found a few. She immediately glared at the person beside her and snapped, "Why are you standing there like a log? Hurry up and help me pick them up!"
Zhou You's face flushed red and then turned pale, but faced with that overwhelming disparity in strength, he could only crouch down beside her like a deflated balloon.
..
A few minutes later, the Landlady hooked the key ring back onto her waist, tucked a pile of cash into her arms, and left the Third Floor, satisfied.
Of course, Zhou You, who had been completely cleaned out, wasn't particularly upset. In fact, he was just as satisfied.
Once he was sure the monster had left, the shame on his face faded like a receding tide. With a bright smile, he rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a key.
A greasy key marked "Fifth Floor."
He'd "picked it up" while the Landlady was collecting the money, taking advantage of her poor eyesight.
A few thousand yuan in exchange for a lousy key.
What a deal...
He didn't know what anyone else would think, but Zhou You felt it was well worth it.
Before you continue