The boiler room was pitch black, forcing everyone to turn on their phone flashlights just to barely see the path ahead. A sign hung at the entrance, painted in red with the words: "Danger Zone—No Unauthorized Entry."
Years of neglect had left the red paint streaked by rainwater, the dripping lines twisted and uneven, resembling dried blood. The sign alone gave off an ominous vibe, but there was no choice—they had to venture into the danger.
Ruan Zhizhi was afraid of the dark and instinctively moved closer to Leng Yeting.
The two men had reservations about bringing Ruan Zhizhi along. She was delicate and soft—the kind of woman who, in the outside world, would have men vying to protect her. But in this perilous place, she was nothing but dead weight.
Yet, without anyone explicitly acknowledging it, Leng Yeting had become the de facto leader of their makeshift group. Even if the other two men had objections, they kept them to themselves.
The shorter man muttered, "If you’re making us come here, at least tell us what we’re looking for."
Leng Yeting glanced at them. "A green vial."
The two men exchanged puzzled looks—they’d never heard of such a thing.
The boiler room wasn’t large, about the size of two classrooms, and could be taken in at a glance. Under the dim light, they saw that everything inside was charred black. The walls, the tools—all bore the scars of a fire that must have raged here years ago.
The taller man was left to stand guard at the entrance. If he noticed anything amiss outside, he’d warn the others to hide immediately.
Outside, the trees cast jagged, claw-like shadows that seemed alive, as if they could devour a person whole. The man shuddered, silently urging the others to hurry.
He and the shorter man were partners—insurance scammers who’d swindled a group of elderly people before somehow getting dragged into this nightmare world.
Rumors said those who escaped this place would have their past sins erased, as if reborn. And he desperately needed that "rebirth."
A cold gust of wind made him tremble.
"Excuse me, I’m lost. Could you point me in the right direction?"
The voice came from behind. The man spun around—only to find the tip of a knife already pressed against his throat, cold and sinister.
"W-what direction?"
A boy with bandages wrapped around his face grinned maliciously. "The road to hell."
The scream from outside sent chills down the spines of the three inside the boiler room.
"Hide, now!" Leng Yeting ordered.
He grabbed Ruan Zhizhi and bolted, but the lanky figure of the boy was already blocking the exit.
"Tsk tsk, three little mice scurrying about."
In the blink of an eye, his figure flickered—then reappeared right behind them.
Without hesitation, Leng Yeting shoved one of the fleeing men into the boy’s path.
"Leng Yeting!" the man howled.
Ruan Zhizhi gasped but had no time to react as Leng Yeting dragged her forward. The sounds of tearing flesh and agonized screams followed, but she didn’t dare look back. The grip on her wrist was ice-cold.
From the start, Leng Yeting had never expected the other men to be useful. They were expendable—pawns to buy him time.
He seemed familiar with the boiler room, navigating unerringly to a hidden door in the corner. He shoved it open and pulled Ruan Zhizhi inside.
The space beyond was just as dark.
Ruan Zhizhi couldn’t hold back. "Leng Yeting, how do you know so much?"
He answered bluntly, "Before my parents divorced, I went by my father’s surname—Long."
The name "Long" wasn’t common.
Ruan Zhizhi quickly connected the dots. "I heard the owner of SU is surnamed Long."
Leng Yeting glanced at her. "Correct."
She covered her mouth in shock. She knew Leng Yeting was wealthy, but she hadn’t realized he came from the legendary Long family—a business empire, a titan of industry.
Rumor had it that SU was deeply invested in biotech research, with whispers of synthetic humans on the horizon. But the Longs were also said to be plagued by a genetic curse, their members dying young.
Leng Yeting had taken his mother’s surname after the divorce, hoping to sever ties with the family and escape the curse. Yet here he was, dragged into this deadly game regardless.
His knowledge of Red Moon Academy’s history—and his possession of its map—gave him an edge over the others.
Ruan Zhizhi asked, "That vial… it’s important?"
"Yes. It’s the only thing that can kill the monsters and break the curse."
The gravity of it dawned on her.
Suddenly, a swarm of black rats surged from the ground. Leng Yeting and Ruan Zhizhi scrambled to avoid them—these creatures spread disease, and a single touch meant infection.
The rats forced them apart, splitting them like the Milky Way separating the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl.
"Run! We’ll regroup later!" Leng Yeting shouted as more rats lunged.
Ruan Zhizhi stumbled backward, horrified by the seething black tide. She had no choice but to flee in the opposite direction.
Her delicate frame wasn’t built for running. After just a few steps, the friction reddened the tender soles of her feet. She staggered, twisted her ankle on the stairs, and fell, rolling twice before slamming into a wall—which loosened another hidden door.
Gritting her teeth, she limped inside.
Her phone’s weak light revealed an abandoned lab, also scorched black by fire.
When she glanced back, the rats had stopped at the threshold, refusing to enter.
Realizing the room must contain something they feared, she frantically searched until her hands closed around a metal box buried in the ashes.
The lock was broken. She pried it open.
What she found inside made her heart race. She pocketed it carefully, then stepped back out—the rats were gone.
She exhaled in relief.