Eldritch Horror Theatre

Song Hang wasn't the only one questioning his sanity.

As he muttered to himself, the rest of the group exchanged highly peculiar looks.

This was simply too bizarre!

They had clearly been descending for ages, yet they emerged onto what was practically the very same floor. It completely defied all logic!

What did it mean when the impossible actually happened?

For a moment, everyone began to doubt the reality of the scene before them.

Were all these people just figments of their imagination? Were they trapped inside some bizarre dream?

Hiss!

A second later, one of the bodyguards rubbed his thigh vigorously, drawing a sharp breath.

Unfortunately, as everyone's gazes converged on him, his expression visibly deflated in disappointment.

"Nothing changed."

"Something is definitely wrong here!"

Song Hang frowned at the bodyguard, suppressing the urge to pinch himself.

But it was glaringly obvious that the severe shock of this cognitive dissonance had left him questioning reality.

"We were definitely going down. There is absolutely no mistake about that!"

"Let's split up."

Tan Ying suddenly spoke up beside him, pointing at the metal door behind them.

"I just looked around, and so far, I haven't found the door we originally entered through."

"I think a few of us should head back the way we came and see where we end up this time."

Hmm...

After Tan Ying spoke, the surroundings fell deathly silent.

It had to be admitted that this was indeed a solid plan.

Walking back the other way would accomplish two things. First, it would confirm whether they were actually heading upwards. Second, once they emerged on the other side, the relative positions of the two groups would make it easy to map out the route in between.

If they still ended up on the same floor, then the reality of everything before them would truly be in doubt.

"Alright."

"You guys go back and walk through it again. Make sure to keep a close eye out for anything unusual."

Song Hang accepted the suggestion after a moment of thought, turning to instruct the bodyguards.

Unfortunately, upon receiving the order, the trio of bodyguards hesitated.

"I don't want to go back in there."

It was Bodyguard Number Two. The fierce man who had charged at the front of the group just a moment ago was now flatly refusing, his face filled with undisguised aversion.

He clearly had no interest whatsoever in returning to that oppressive stairwell.

The sheer unreality of the situation had triggered a subtle shift in more than one person's mindset.

...

Faced with the striking bodyguard, Song Hang's expression instantly turned cold. His displeased glare pierced the man, forcing him to subconsciously look away.

"I'll go. It was my suggestion, after all."

Tan Ying didn't hesitate, speaking up to break the stalemate.

"I can also check if there are any branching paths inside."

She obviously still hadn't forgotten about finding her missing person.

...

With Tan Ying volunteering, Song Hang momentarily hesitated.

He wanted to accompany her, but he felt an equal amount of revulsion at the thought of entering that intensely oppressive space again.

In the silence, the remaining two bodyguards exchanged a glance. Rather than dropping the ball alongside their colleague, they stepped forward to stop Tan Ying from taking the risk herself.

As the two men vanished behind the door, only four people—including Fu Qian—remained in the empty mall.

"What do you think?"

The air was thick with an eerie atmosphere. Tan Ying turned to ask Fu Qian, and Song Hang looked over upon hearing the question.

"Does it matter?"

Faced with their expectant gazes, Fu Qian merely offered a smiling retort.

"If his guess is right and this is just a dream, then I am a completely illusory character to you. Under those circumstances, my opinion is fundamentally just your opinion."

He tapped his own head.

"Everything is unreliable. The only thing that can provide answers is yourself."

...

The group had instinctively been avoiding that line of thought, but with Fu Qian emphasizing it, their morale visibly plummeted.

Suddenly, everyone took on an aura of existential doubt.

Of course, this wasn't because Fu Qian had some sick sense of humor. On the contrary, this was one of the main goals of his current operation.

He was on a break right now, and the people before him were just ordinary civilians. Fu Qian had absolutely no interest in setting up some escape-room death game to scare them.

Otherwise, that passage just now wouldn't have been nearly so simple.

A performance test, while conveniently helping Eldest Miss Tan fulfill her wish, was his true objective for today.

This was why he needed the group to realize they were inside a dream as quickly as possible.

"Could this be some kind of prank?"

Song Hang looked around for a moment, still unable to accept the premise, and tried to explain it with common sense.

"Like one of those hidden-camera reality shows? That possibility can't be ruled out."

Fu Qian's tone was incredibly laid-back, but he still pointed to his head.

"But to verify something like that, it seems you still have to ask your own brain. I wish you the best of luck in catching the mastermind."

...

"There they are!"

The more Fu Qian spoke, the stiffer Song Hang's expression became. Just as he mustered the courage to share his thoughts again, Tan Ying cut him off.

She pointed diagonally across the mall, her tone betraying a hint of panic.

Following her finger, they spotted the two relatively dedicated bodyguards leaning against the railing, looking around.

They were on the exact same level, separated only by the sprawling, multi-story expanse of the empty atrium.

Witnessing this scene, Song Hang and Bodyguard Number Two were left utterly speechless.

"Over here!"

Tan Ying leaned over the handrail, waving and shouting.

When the two bodyguards noticed the commotion, they were clearly stunned for a moment.

Recovering quickly from their shock, the pair hurriedly found a path and ran over.

Perhaps driven by their heightened emotions, both men were actually panting after running such a short distance.

"The door is on a side wall. It's completely blocked from this angle."

As they approached, one of them turned to point back the way they came, reporting their discovery.

"Did you go straight up the whole way?"

Song Hang asked with a cold face.

"Right, straight up the whole way."

The bodyguard nodded, his tone extremely certain.

"How could this be?"

Song Hang muttered to himself, unable to stop himself from glancing at Fu Qian.

"Were there any branching paths inside?"

Fu Qian ignored him and asked casually.

"No..."

The other bodyguard shook his head.

"I am absolutely sure. It was exactly the same as when we went through before."

"It looks like your friend really isn't in there."

Song Hang said to Tan Ying with a nod.

"No, it's not the same."

Tan Ying, however, sucked in a breath and mumbled to herself.

"I still have an impression of the general layout. Where they just came out from isn't the location where we first went in."

...

There were obviously no branching paths, yet the exit had changed?

With Tan Ying's explanation, everyone instantly grasped the bizarre reality of the situation, shuddering in unison.

"Regardless of whether this is a prank or a dream, I need to get out of here right now."

In the suffocating silence, Song Hang was the first to speak up, his tone more resolute than ever.

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