Lighthouse

"Awake?"

"Your kidneys are truly impressive, as expected of a young man who just graduated!"

A gentle, melodious female voice drifted into his ears. Wu Heng slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a bed, his hands strapped to the sides with leather belts.

The bedroom was cramped with a dim ceiling, no windows, and walls covered in faded posters.

A slim woman in a pink nurse's uniform and a surgical mask stood before his bed.

Handcuffs, a nurse's outfit—what was going on?

A surge of memories flooded Wu Heng's brain. It turned out he had transmigrated to Deep Blue Star twenty years ago.

With a fragmented soul, two spirits had shared this body for two decades. It wasn't until the previous occupant died just moments ago that he broke through the veil of his prenatal ignorance and merged with the memories of the soul that had just dissipated.

"Look, really, just look!"

At that moment, the woman lifted a tray covered by a transparent dome.

"This supple luster, the rich elasticity, the tender light red—these truly are two top-tier kidneys."

The nurse displayed them to herself, expressing her delight.

Wu Heng's heart sank. What kind of situation was this? Damn it, he thought it was just some thrill-seeking game, but he hadn't expected it to be this intense.

He cast his gaze downward. He was lying on a blood-stained operating table, with two crudely stitched wounds on his waist, each covered by an ice pack.

Cold, weakness, nausea, and pain—all these sensations flooded Wu Heng's brain.

Anyone who has ever had their kidneys harvested would understand this feeling.

In his memories, the previous occupant had spent a year at home after graduation before finding a high-paying job online. The employer demanded secrecy, and wanting to surprise his mother, he had gone to the interview in secret.

"Qianqian, hurry up and extract the heart. The client is paying extra to rush the order; don't waste any time."

A refined-looking man wearing glasses appeared at the door to urge her. The woman nodded and proceeded to inject Wu Heng with a dose of medicine.

I've only just regained consciousness! In my past life, I was alone until thirty with no savings. In this life, I could have been a literary plagiarist and achieved financial freedom. I haven't even begun to enjoy life yet!

Intense grievance, rage, and unwillingness surged in Wu Heng's heart.

This time, he was truly going to die.

Wu Heng's eyelids began to grow heavy, his vision darkened, and the excruciating pain urged his brain to lose consciousness.

Suddenly, a cold, mechanical voice echoed deep within Wu Heng's mind:

[You have been selected by the Lighthouse. Do you accept the mark?]

"Yes!"

Wu Heng grasped at it like a drowning man clutching a straw.

Upon confirmation, blood-red text, as if carved into his pupils with needles, appeared in his field of vision.

[Identity information locked. Lighthouse ID: SL914]

[Current anchored world: Hellraiser 1]

[Teleportation countdown: 5 seconds.]

[4 seconds!]

[3 seconds!]

With a flash of light, Wu Heng felt himself pass through a barrier, appearing high up amidst the clouds.

A transparent protective shield surrounded him. Beneath his feet lay layers of white clouds, and below that, city buildings looked like tiny ants.

I survived!

What was this? An infinite world, a Main God Space, or a Nightmare Paradise?

Wu Heng quickly felt his waist, then froze.

The stitched wounds were still there, but they were no longer bleeding or painful, and his movement wasn't hindered. It was as if he weren't injured at all, yet the sunken, puckered wounds were undeniable.

So much for the Main God Space healing injuries upon entry—why were the wounds still there?

The moment he saw his surroundings, Wu Heng quickly covered his face with his hand.

Because, aside from him, there were two other people inside the protective shield, keeping a safe distance from one another while remaining on guard.

The point was, they had both concealed their appearances.

"Looks like it's just the three of us this time!"

A woman with a ponytail, wearing a baseball cap and a black mask, scrutinized Wu Heng with a piercing gaze.

The other person, a fat man with a bulky build, wore a Wild Boar Mask, his small eyes revealing a hint of lewdness.

"Didn't expect someone else would choose this world to slack off in."

The fat man was chewing on something like betel nut, his speech slightly slurred.

"Yo, buddy, how'd you end up all bloody like that? Just wearing shorts—did someone's husband catch you?"

Wu Heng pondered his current situation in his heart, and upon hearing the fat man's words, he spoke up:

"You two, may I ask where this place is?"

"A newbie? That's a bit tragic. Let me explain."

The Cap-Wearing Woman stared at Wu Heng with the undisguised gaze one might reserve for a dead man, and began:

"You have been chosen by the Lighthouse to become a Tower Guardian!"

"Every month, you will be forcibly shuttled into various unknown worlds of horror and anomalies."

"Within these horror worlds, there will exist one or more main plotlines."

"You can try to explore the plot and complete missions, but the areas around protagonists are high-risk zones for anomalies. The opportunities are far outweighed by the dangers—it all depends on whether you dare to gamble!"

The Cap-Wearing Woman was about to continue, but was interrupted by the fat man.

"Stop. The reward for explaining to a newbie should be shared equally. Give me my cut."

Seeing the woman shut her mouth, the fat man picked up where she left off:

"As long as you complete the survival mission, you can return to the Lighthouse or reality."

"No matter how long you stay in a horror world, only an instant passes outside, but the time ratio between Lighthouse Plaza and reality is one-to-one."

"Your injuries are only temporarily suppressed by the newbie protection mechanism. Once the plot ends and you return, they will erupt again. You must find a way to heal yourself in this world, otherwise, you will surely die upon your return."

"Also, if you listen to this woman and go explore the main plot, you might die without even knowing how. After all, newbies don't have any special abilities."

"Exploring the main plot carries a 99% chance of encountering an anomaly!"

"Sigh, you're in for a rough time in this plot world!"

The fat man let out a hypocritical sigh, his acting a bit too exaggerated.

"If you don't gamble, you're dead for sure. Don't forget, the Lights-Out Day is in four months."

The Cap-Wearing Woman retorted before adding:

"I received 100 survival points for the newbie explanation."

"I got 100 points too, exactly half each. Earning these survival points, heh, feels good!" the fat man said cheerfully.

What does he mean by dying for sure on Lights-Out Day?

Wu Heng felt a flicker of doubt in his heart.

But what he needed to solve most urgently right now was his injury, and how to gain strength—strength beyond that of an ordinary person—so he could escape his predicament after returning.

"The mission is here!" the woman said suddenly.

Wu Heng felt a string of text emerge from the depths of his mind.

Current World: Hellraiser 1

[Survival Mission: Survive for one month] (Reward: 500 survival points)

[Plot Mission 1: Open the Lemarchand Configuration] (Reward: 5000 survival points)

[Plot Mission 2: Enter Hell] (Reward: 5000 survival points)

[Plot Mission 3: Kill the Cenobite] (Reward: 10000 survival points)

[Number of entrants: 3]

(Note 1: Completing plot missions can increase exploration progress and plot rating.)

(Note 2: For a newbie's first mission, the initial plot identity is boosted.)

[Arrival Countdown: 10 minutes (Enter immediately)]

Wu Heng had been skeptical while his consciousness was blurred.

But seeing the missions issued by the Lighthouse, he was now certain.

This was the world of a horror movie he had watched in his past life!

It was a series he had been very fond of. But just because he liked them didn't mean he wanted to experience the iron hooks of Nailhead!

Would you be willing to trade your collections and recommendation votes for two plastic bags from me?