"You can't fool me! What world behind the door? Are you making a show or trying to scam me?" The roaring man was in his forties or fifties, dressed expensively.
Just from the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist, one could tell he was worth a fortune.
But perhaps it was precisely because of his privileged upbringing that he couldn't accept something so beyond common sense.
"I'll never believe it. I'm leaving right now," the man declared. "Don't try to stop me!"
Beside him, a slender young woman sobbed sorrowfully, seemingly terrified by the situation.
The faces of the others reflected a mixture of bewilderment and indifference.
A younger man scoffed, "Go ahead and leave. As if anyone's stopping you."
The middle-aged man sneered and actually turned to leave the house.
Except for the lone building in front of them, all other structures were hidden in darkness, as if a thick fog had enveloped the entire world.
The man was bold, venturing into the black mist without a second glance.
Lin was about to comment on his temper when, less than a minute later, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air from within the fog.
A figure stumbled out of the black mist, covered in blood, their features indistinguishable.
Judging by their height and build, it was the same man who had just walked in.
"Lucky bastard," a tall woman with a cold, indifferent voice remarked from the crowd. "He's still alive."
Lin's gaze fell upon the woman.
She was tall, with beautiful, wavy black hair and delicate features, her expression aloof.
He hadn't gotten a good look at her while she was standing amidst the group, but as she took two steps forward, he noticed her clothes – identical to what Nan had been wearing before they entered.
Holy crap— Lin instantly understood.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He cursed inwardly, maintaining a facade of confusion and bewilderment.
"Where are we?" the crying girl sobbed, her tears intensifying after witnessing the scene. "I'm scared..."
"The world behind the door," the disguised Nan stated. "My name is Zhu. This is my second time here. What about you?"
"I'm Yu Lin," Lin replied, inventing a name on the spot. "It's my second time too."
"Oh." Nan nodded understandingly. "Don't cry. It's scary here, but we can get out alive. What's your name?"
The girl choked back sobs, "My name is Xu." She had probably been crying since they entered, her eyes now red and swollen. "It's so scary here."
One by one, the others introduced themselves. Including the middle-aged man outside, there were seven of them in total, three of whom were newcomers.
Xu and another young man were both experiencing the "door" for the first time.
While Xu was in tears, the young man looked pale, as if he might faint at any moment.
Nan naturally took on a leadership role within the group.
Like Chi in the previous scenario, he briefly explained their objective and suggested they go inside the building to assess the situation.
"What about him?" An elderly couple stood among them, the woman a young lady with ordinary features named Yao.
She had introduced herself as being on her third time entering the "door."
She gestured towards the blood-soaked middle-aged man who had just fled back.
"Aren't we going to help him?"
Nan glanced at the man, his tone indifferent, "I'm not bothering with him. You can if you want."
"Alright, we'll leave him be then," Yao conceded.
The middle-aged man, gasping for breath, hurried to catch up as the others prepared to leave.
His eyes were filled with terror, as though he had seen something horrifying in the fog.
The building was an old residential one, equipped with only a rickety elevator.
It could fit a maximum of five people at a time, forcing them to split into two groups.
Everyone wanted to stay with the experienced Nan, causing a bottleneck at the elevator entrance.
"How about this?" Nan suggested gently. "I'll take a few experienced ones up first to check things out. You guys wait here, and I'll come back down to get you."
"Okay." Xu, finally stopping her tears, looked pleadingly at Nan. "Sister, you have to come back down. I'm scared."
"Yes, I will," Nan assured her.
And so, Lin, Nan, and the remaining two veterans entered the elevator.
The elevator was clearly past its prime, the walls covered in graffiti: advertisements, insults, and inexplicable drawings.
The buttons indicated floors one to fourteen.
Nan wanted to check each floor but discovered that only the fourteenth-floor button could be lit.
"Looks like it's only going to the fourteenth floor," he stated. "Let's go."
Lin nodded.
Based on Nan's assessment, this scenario shouldn't be too difficult.
He had also mentioned taking on a "job" but hadn't elaborated on what it entailed.
The elevator creaked and groaned as it slowly ascended.
None of the four spoke, their expressions serious, even tense.
When the elevator doors finally opened, Lin instinctively took a step back, bracing himself for something to appear.
But there was nothing.
In front of them was an old corridor, at the end of which stood a half-open door.
The sound of a television emanated from within, suggesting the residents were watching a program.