Shen Ling (GL) · Conversa

The real world was invaded by the Cryptic Domain System without warning, randomly grabbing ordinary people to bind them to a contract. Those chosen can never escape the forced teleports for the rest of their lives. The system has no fixed schedule; at intervals of ten days, half a month, or even just a few days, it will forcibly drag players into various deadly horror dungeons. Only by strictly adhering to the rules and surviving until the time limit can they clear the dungeon. Once a rule is violated, they will be completely devoured and annihilated by the dungeon's vengeful spirits. The player base is a mixed bag, filled with veteran players with sinister minds who have survived for years, as well as newcomers who have just been forced in and know nothing. Betraying teammates and using newcomers as shields have long since become the norm. SS-Class Dungeon: Midnight Soul-Locking Opera House A sharp sound of tearing space exploded in your ears. After a wave of dizzying vertigo, the pungent, decaying mustiness of old wood mixed with the sweet, metallic scent of stale rouge rushed over you. You, who had been in the middle of a car crash just a moment ago, suddenly landed in the lobby of a quaint, oppressive ancient opera house. Dim, flickering kerosene lamps hung lonely on the pillars, their swaying light and shadows stretching everyone's shadows into twisted, bizarre shapes. Seven or eight people stood scattered across this space. Shen Ling leaned alone in the corner of the cold right wall, one hand tucked inside her jacket pocket, tightly gripping a self-defense dagger. Her expression was indifferent and cold, deliberately keeping a distance that screamed "keep away." Her gaze quietly swept over the layout of the entire opera house, never once paying attention to the panicked crowd around her. Suppressing the sudden panic rising in your heart, you stood firmly, not screaming like the others, and quietly observed the surrounding architectural structure and the state of every player present. In the crowd, two highly experienced veteran players—the stoutly built Liu Dali and the slick, worldly-looking Wang Fu—slowly stood together and began to converse in low tones. Liu Dali crossed his arms, sizing up the panicked crowd, and lowered his voice: "Another SS-class dungeon. Talk about bad luck. This opera house looks wicked. Let's see if we can gather a few newcomers as teammates later. When necessary, they can serve as stepping stones." Wang Fu twirled his cuffs, his eyes darting toward the helpless newcomers around them, and agreed: "To play it safe, let's pick a few timid and obedient ones. We're familiar with this type of rule-based dungeon. Taking them along will help share the risk of patrolling. It's much easier than going it alone." The newcomers on the scene were in total disarray. A girl named Su Xiao couldn't stop her legs from shaking, her voice thick with tears: "What on earth is this place? I was just sleeping at home. How did I end up here all of a sudden? I want to go home..." The youth Lin Yu was full of terror, clenching his fists and looking around in panic: "Those rumors on the internet are actually true? Will we die if we get dragged into a dungeon? What do we have to do to survive?" There was also a middle-aged man, Zhao Kuan, pacing back and forth anxiously, his tone furious: "Getting dragged to this kind of godforsaken place for no reason. Who the hell is behind this? This dump looks creepy as hell. For all we know, something might jump out and kill us the next second!" Just as the crowd was clamoring and arguing, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows deep in the lobby. Wearing faded, old opera costumes, with a pale, bloodless face and stiff, hunched limbs, the old gatekeeper troupe leader slowly came to a halt. His hollow, lifeless eyes swept across the room. Without any emotional fluctuation, he mechanically and rigidly read out all the survival rules for this dungeon, word by word: ❶ You must go to the lobby to register and sign in with the old troupe leader at 9:00 AM every day. Failure to sign in on time will be directly judged as a mission failure, and you will be dragged onto the stage. ❷ You must lock the door of your assigned lounge from 7:00 PM (19:00) to 6:00 AM the next morning. Going out is strictly prohibited. If you hear opera singing, calls from acquaintances, or weeping and begging outside the door, you must not open it under any circumstances. ❸ Under no circumstances should you touch or pick up the red opera costumes, phoenix coronets, or embroidered shoes on the opera stage. Anyone who touches them will be designated as a partner by the opera spirit. ❹ If you hear the sound of erhu accompaniment in the building at night, cover your ears immediately, lie on the bed, close your eyes, and sit quietly. You must not open your eyes to listen throughout the process. Opening your eyes will result in being forcibly dragged onto the stage to perform. ❺ It is prohibited to discuss the truth about the tragic death of the opera actors inside the opera house. Whispering or muttering to yourself will trigger the vengeful spirit's curse. ❻ It is prohibited to approach the makeup cubicle deep on the third floor of the opera house. No matter how melodious the opera singing coming from inside is, you must not stop to peer in. ❼ During the day, if you see a woman in red standing in the center of the stage with her back turned and waving, pretend to ignore her and walk straight away. Do not look back, and do not respond. ❽ Do not pick up rouge or opera jade pendants scattered in the corridors. These items carry the mark of vengeful spirits, and carrying them will continuously attract ghosts. After reading the rules, the old troupe leader's figure slowly receded into the shadows and completely disappeared. As his voice fell, the panic on the scene was instantly pushed to its peak. Su Xiao's eyes turned red with anxiety on the spot, and she sobbed: "So many rules! One mistake and we'll die. We can't possibly remember them all!" Lin Yu hurriedly started arguing with Zhao Kuan: "It's all your fault for shouting just now. What if you triggered a taboo? Who are we supposed to listen to now?" Zhao Kuan had a fiery temper and immediately glared back in rebuttal: "I was anxious and just wanted to vent a bit, so what? Do you think keeping quiet like a good little boy guarantees safety? Stop pointing fingers at me!" Taking advantage of the newcomers' endless arguing, Liu Dali clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention and called out loudly to recruit teammates: "Quiet down, everyone. Wang Fu and I have been traversing dungeons for a long time, and we have plenty of experience in figuring out the rules. Any newcomers who want to team up with us, step over here. We'll guide you to avoid danger. As long as you obediently follow our arrangements, your chances of survival will be much higher." Wang Fu quickly followed up to persuade them: "Sticking together is always better than running around alone and dying. We don't need you to go out and scout. Just follow us, sign in, and do your shifts quietly. As long as you don't do anything foolish, you'll generally be fine." Many of the panicked newcomers began to waver. Su Xiao hesitated, wanting to step forward, and Lin Yu was also tempted. Only you remained standing where you were, calmly weighing the pros and cons, not easily moving to join the team. From the corner, Shen Ling took all of this in. Her eyes showed no emotion whatsoever as she remained leaning against the wall on high alert. From beginning to end, she did not get involved in the farce of team recruitment, having made up her mind to act alone the entire time. In the chaotic lobby, the people were completely split into two factions. The timid and panicked newcomers had no confidence in surviving on their own and were completely swayed by Liu Dali and Wang Fu's persuasion. Su Xiao wiped her tears and quickly walked over, her voice timid: "I... I'll team up with you... I really don't dare to stay here alone." Lin Yu also hurriedly followed, his face pale: "I'm joining too! Having veteran players guide us is better than dying here." On the side, the middle-aged man Zhao Kuan scoffed, his face full of disdain as he took two steps back to make his stance clear: "I'm not teaming up. You two, stop tricking the newcomers into being cannon fodder. The biggest taboo in SS-class dungeons is crowding together to die. If something really goes wrong, you'll be the first to push the newcomers to take the fall. Do you think I can't see through you?" Liu Dali's face darkened instantly: "Kid, don't be ungrateful. Without anyone protecting you, you won't even know how you died tonight." "Protecting me?" Zhao Kuan sneered. "I've heard about the patterns of dungeons in previous years. When veteran players like you team up, it's always to use newcomers to test taboos and step on traps. I'm not falling for it. If you want to group up, go ahead. I'm acting alone." The two sides instantly reached a stalemate, and the newcomers fell into a complete argument among themselves. Some wanted to survive and followed the crowd, while others were wary of the veteran players' motives and resolutely refused. The atmosphere in the lobby was tense to the extreme, with suspicion, panic, and arguments mixing together, making it hard to breathe. Throughout it all, only two people remained unusually quiet. One was you. Standing on the outer edge of the crowd, you maintained a calm and composed expression, not getting involved in the argument or rushing to take sides. Your gaze swept across the noisy crowd and the eerie, deathly silent pillars of the opera house as you silently reviewed the eight rules one by one in your mind, committing every taboo firmly to memory. The other was Shen Ling in the corner. She watched the farce of this group of people with cold eyes from start to finish, without a single ripple of emotion in her eyes, as if the surrounding panic, arguments, and recruitment had nothing to do with her. Her past experiences of being betrayed by teammates countless times had long since made her completely detest the word "teaming." She lowered her eyes slightly, her fingertips gently rubbing the life-saving jade pendant in her pocket, the chill radiating from her growing even colder, completely shutting everyone out. Just as the argument was about to escalate— The shadows in the lobby surged again, and the old troupe leader who had just disappeared re-emerged soundlessly. His pale face bore no expression, and his hoarse, mechanical voice suppressed all the noise in the room: "The hour has come. All players, follow me to your assigned lounges. The rooms are single and independent. After nightfall, visiting, knocking on doors, and calling out to others are prohibited. Each return to your own room, and keep to yourselves." As the cold command fell, the noisy crowd fell silent instantly, a chill rising in everyone's hearts. No one dared to argue anymore, nor did they dare to challenge the dungeon's rules. The old troupe leader turned around, stiffly stepping toward the inner corridor of the opera house, his withered back blending into the dim light and shadows. "Follow." No one dared to disobey. Su Xiao, Lin Yu, and the others who had teamed up instinctively huddled together, closely following in the middle of the line, relying on each other to find a meager sense of security. Liu Dali and Wang Fu walked at the very front, seemingly leading the way, but their eyes kept darting back toward the newcomers behind them, plotting something. Zhao Kuan walked at the very end alone, his face full of wariness, deliberately keeping his distance from everyone. You followed unhurriedly near the back of the line, your steps steady, calmly observing the peeling walls on both sides of the corridor, the hanging tattered opera banners, and the broken rouge and powder scattered all over the floor, taking in every single detail. Meanwhile, Shen Ling walked on the absolute edge of the entire group. She deliberately detached herself from everyone's circle, walking alone, her back lonely and resolute, not approaching anyone, nor letting anyone approach her. The corridor was deep and long, and a cold wind kept blowing in from the dark, carrying the decaying, cold scent of old opera music. On both sides, rows of tightly closed lounge doors were lined up, silently waiting for every living person who was about to spend the night here. At 19:00 tonight, the night lock begins. The hunting countdown for the entire Midnight Soul-Locking Opera House had already quietly begun.