What do the twelve Zodiacs represent? What is at the end of the corridor?
The Underworld?
Along this dim, seemingly endless corridor, the group moved forward, trembling. After the few rounds of high-intensity "games" earlier, everyone felt physically exhausted. Now, suddenly relaxing, the aura of death that had constantly lingered around them also faded.
Qi Xia inadvertently turned his head and saw Lin Qin standing beside him. She kept her hand over her mouth and nose.
"Isn't that uncomfortable for you?"
Qi Xia mimicked Lin Qin, placing his own hand over his mouth and nose.
"Even though it smells awful in here, you'll have trouble breathing like that."
"Breathing?"
Lin Qin was slightly taken aback, then she gave a small smile.
"I don't find it hard to breathe, it just feels strange not covering my mouth and nose, like..."
"Like what?"
"Like I'm not wearing any clothes."
Lin Qin smiled shyly and lowered the hand covering her mouth and nose. Her nose was straight and her lips were rosy; there was no need to cover them at all. Qi Xia didn't understand what "like I'm not wearing any clothes" meant.
Lin Qin smiled faintly, still feeling a bit uncomfortable, so she covered her mouth and nose with her hand again.
"It's a bit embarrassing... Don't you guys feel awkward?"
Lin Qin asked Qi Xia.
"Just leaving your own mouth and nose exposed like this."
"Why would it be awkward?"
Qi Xia found it very strange.
"It's the 'face mask'..."
Lin Qin also looked at Qi Xia with great confusion, her gaze like she was looking at an alien.
"Without wearing a 'face mask', how can you all be so at ease?"
"Face..."
Before Qi Xia could even react, a strange glimmer of light suddenly appeared in the distance. The group was drawn by the light and all looked ahead. It was an exit.
A ray of light, like that of a sunset's evening glow, shone in from the exit.
"We're getting out!!"
Qiao Jiajin exclaimed excitedly.
"I see the light of the sunset!"
This shout was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the group. Doctor Zhao, supporting Han Yimo, quickened his pace along with the others.
"Sunset?"
Qi Xia pondered for a moment, then said to the group, "The time when we woke up was twelve o'clock. After more than an hour of game time, it should be around two o'clock now. Whether it's two in the morning or two in the afternoon, it's impossible to see a 'sunset'."
"I think you're overthinking it."
Officer Li shook his head.
"The time in the room isn't necessarily accurate. Maybe the real time right now is indeed evening."
Qi Xia nodded slightly. He knew Officer Li was right. All his understanding of time came from the grandfather clock in the room, but no one could guarantee that the clock showed the correct time.
After walking a few more steps forward, the group saw a dark silhouette next to the exit. As they continued forward, the silhouette gradually took on a human form. He too wore an animal mask, but this mask made everyone feel a wave of nausea.
Unlike all the other animal masks, this person's mask wasn't made from the head of a single animal, but was a product created by stitching together many organs with wool yarn. His mouth was like a crocodile's, his nose like an ox's, the sides of his face used fish scales, and his neck used snakeskin.
In addition to all that, he had also sewn a lion's mane and a stag's antlers onto his mask. This animal was simply like...
"Hello, I am the 'Human Dragon'."
The stitched-together monster began to speak slowly.
"All members survived? How novel."
"Dragon...?"
The group subconsciously stopped in their tracks, every nerve in their bodies tensing up. It wasn't because the 'Dragon' was particularly terrifying, but because they were all too familiar with this opening. Every time someone introduced themselves like this, a terrifying game would follow.
"Everyone, don't be nervous. Your 'trials' have come to an end for now."
The Human Dragon waved his hand, and only then did the group notice he was wearing eagle-talon gloves. All the animal organs on his body were somewhat rotten and bloated, emitting a foul odor, yet he spoke on his own as if he didn't notice a thing: "I won't bring you a new 'trial'.
I'm just here to give you some advice." No one in the group spoke. They huddled closely together, watching the Human Dragon before them with wary expressions.
"Ten days. You have ten days to change all of this," the Human Dragon said slowly.
"If you cannot obtain three thousand six hundred 'Dao' within ten days, then the World you are in will be annihilated. Everything you can see will be buried along with it."
This short sentence was difficult for the group to comprehend.
"Three thousand six hundred 'Dao'?"
Qi Xia frowned.
"What is this 'Dao'? You said the World we are in will be annihilated, what does that mean?"
"Questions, hehehe, very good."
The Human Dragon nodded.
"Having questions means you are still clear-headed. The so-called 'Dao' is..."
The Human Dragon reached into the pocket of his black suit, fumbled around for a long while, and took out four small golden spheres. The spheres had a white outer ring and a golden inner ring. They glowed with a golden light all over and looked a bit strange.
"This is 'Dao'," the Human Dragon continued.
"As long as you have three thousand six hundred 'Dao', you will be saved."
Qi Xia pondered for a moment, then reached out and took one of the spheres. It wasn't hard to the touch, and even had some elasticity.
"Take them. They were yours to begin with," the Human Dragon said with a smile.
Qi Xia thought for a moment, then accepted the four 'Dao'.
"You have passed four trials: 'The Liar', 'spring bamboo after rain', 'Death from Above', and 'Yes or No'. This is your reward, and also your 'bargaining chip'."
The group had never imagined that the things they had risked their lives for multiple times would turn out to be these inconspicuous little beads. At this moment, none of them knew what to say.
"'Dao'..."
Qi Xia creased his brow and said with a helpless expression, "Are you saying that if we can't find three thousand six hundred of these little spheres, this place will be destroyed?"
"Hehehe, that's right. If this place is destroyed... you won't be able to get out."
The Human Dragon nodded, and the fish scales and lion's mane on his face wobbled along with his head, looking extremely awkward.
"It seems you have quite a few of these little spheres. Can't you gather three thousand six hundred yourself?"
Officer Li said decisively.
"And you are much stronger than any of us. You could obviously go find them yourself, so why choose us?"
"Me?"
The Human Dragon scoffed.
"We are all sinners. Those who have sinned cannot obtain 'Dao'. Only the chosen ones, like you, can obtain 'Dao' and eventually become 'God'."
"This is absurd!"
Zhang Chenze cut the Human Dragon off. With her arms crossed over her chest, she asked with a hint of anger, "Do you have any idea what you're saying?"