Chapter 08: The Haunted Building (Part Four)

The first time, I was just like you, curious. This strange place exceeds reason in so many ways

The Bread Man's mask is white, with a bright color and exquisite craftsmanship. The zombie mask resembles a product of some assembly line, belonging to the category of minor characters

It was only then that Liang Zuo realized he was being pursued by a puppet.

At this moment, Liang Zuo suddenly realized that he had another coin in his hand

The Bread Man is so strong that at this stage, Liang Zuo and Lei Zhenlai have no means to contend with him, and it seems he possesses some form of intelligence or emotion. In contrast, zombies exhibit significant and obvious flaws; their actions are singular, and their intelligence is virtually nonexistent.

Lei Zhen's eyes lit up: "What spoils did you obtain inside?"

Just as Liang Zuozheng was about to speak, an alarm suddenly sounded outside

The bread man grasped the coin in his hand, tossed it under the mask, and then with two crisp sounds, he hoisted the French baguette onto his shoulder and walked away, as if Liang Zuo did not exist at all

He held a cigarette in his mouth and turned to look at Liang Zuo: "Brother Liang, do you remember what I told you? Once we go in, you will be by my side, always ready to use the shield to block, and follow my commands."

Liang Zuo cautiously touched the other person's cheek with his finger, which was surprisingly stiffer than his body, resembling a hardened substance after some moisture had evaporated

It approached step by step, and Liang Zuo finally saw its appearance

The bread man seemed to sense that the other party was trying to take advantage of the situation, and swung a stick directly at him. Liang Zuo quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.

This should be the reward obtained from the challenge. But where did that previous coin come from

Liang Zuo, however, knew that it was still within his own body, and it should operate on the same principle as when he obtained the weapon sticker before

Amidst the absurdity, Liang Zuo cannot help but be filled with curiosity. What exactly is the intrinsic motivation of the bread person? Is it a form of life or merely a machine that is being manipulated?

He would like to inquire about a few matters

His demeanor made Liang Zuo feel even more uncomfortable. The question was about whether he had obtained the spoils, implying that he was certain he had gained something. What gave him the audacity to ask such a question? The reason was all too clear

This stick figure wields a rather thick stick, striking horizontally and vertically, drawing circles and striking down, almost every blow hits Lei Zhen, causing him to fall repeatedly. Fortunately, the stick figure is holding a stick rather than some sharp weapon; otherwise, after one or two rounds, Lei Zhen would likely be seriously injured

Liang Zuo felt a bit regretful; indeed, it is quite difficult for a team composed of two strangers to fully trust each other, as complete trust means that one's life is in the hands of the other. However, retaining reservations only diminishes combat effectiveness and leads to a lose-lose situation. Yet, he possesses a somewhat peculiar stubbornness: if you are sincere with me, Liang Zuo will never harbor any ulterior motives; but if you have designs on me, I am not someone who can be easily manipulated. This is also a distinction between him and many eighteen-year-olds; his long-term travels and journeys have made him understand certain principles that must be upheld. However, he possesses a somewhat peculiar stubbornness: if you are sincere with me, Liang Zuo will never harbor any ulterior motives; but if you have designs on me, I am not someone who can be easily manipulated. This is also a distinction between him and many eighteen-year-olds; his long-term travels and journeys have made him understand certain principles that must be upheld.

He carefully stroked the healing elbow joint with his fingers, pinching it back and forth, confirming that it was not an illusion

Liang Zuo forced a smile: "Do I have any other options? I can't win in a fight, and I have no other tools at my disposal"

Liang Zuo touched its skin with his finger, feeling it was similar to that of a rhinoceros, possessing a certain hard keratin and strong protective capabilities. He then observed the wound area; the internal tissues and muscles of the zombie were not particularly robust, almost indistinguishable from those of a human, except that its blood was a viscous green and in very small quantity

Liang Zuo was momentarily taken aback

Finally, Lei Zhen could no longer endure and shouted as he swiftly retreated

Night falls

Liang Zuo held the shield and walked up to him, responding with action

Not right! He discovered that the zombie's face was actually a mask. However, it covered the entire head, resembling more of a helmet-like object, but it left the eye sockets and mouth exposed, allowing the zombie to attack humans with its mouth

He could not help but regret that he should not have casually spent that coin

With a single stroke, he eliminated the zombie, making it vanish. Lei Zhenxing eagerly inquired how Liang Zuo had managed to get through it.

Facial stiffness, not resembling the appearance of trigeminal neuralgia, with no subtle changes whatsoever

Liang Zuo's mind raced with possibilities. If I don't stand up, will the other person refrain from attacking me? Or can I pass in front of him by lying on the ground...

The same metal material, but this time it is inscribed with the Arabic numeral 2

Liang Zuo then continued to feign the bashful demeanor of a youth and replied: "I did not see anything else, just that one switch handle."

There is nothing here; once the inside is cleared, it becomes bright. There isn't even a ghost, just a bed, which is quite comfortable for sleeping. However, I am afraid that I might oversleep and miss important matters, so after sleeping once, I have been sleeping in the living room since then

Liang Zuo hurriedly ran forward, all the way to the end. He followed what Lei Zhen had said earlier— in the first room, Lei Zhen defeated the guardian and pressed the switch inside, which was considered a successful acquisition of the room

Beneath the mask of the ghostly face lies a rather slender physique, with arms and legs appearing to be made of some soft material. Yet just a few seconds ago, it unleashed such power that it sent Lei Zhen flying with a single strike

He recalled that indeed there were no windows in this room, and he had no idea where the door led to; the surroundings were tightly sealed, essentially making it a sealed chamber. However, since entering, even during the intense battles with the zombies, he had never felt any difficulty in breathing, which was truly a strange phenomenon. Liang Zuo's thoughts wandered slightly: "Could it be that air is exchanged through some unnoticed means, similar to what happens on an airplane?"

Lei Zhen seems to have been ambushed, constantly cursing to motivate himself

The onset of night within the building was indiscernible, until suddenly the surroundings were engulfed in complete darkness, confirming this as a sign of a diurnal cycle. In an instant, he realized that his arms had once again become filled with strength, with no sensation of the healing pain or itchiness whatsoever.

Damn it! Can you still fight?

When this thought occurred to him, Liang Zuo was astonished to find that he really had a coin in his hand bearing the number 1

The puppet appears to be of a height similar to that of an ordinary person, standing at just under 180 centimeters. However, it has long arms and legs, and wears a mask painted with a ghostly face. Liang Zuo could only clearly see that the mask had two round eyes, surrounded by red flame patterns, and a large mouth that stretched from ear to ear. No, this long-armed, long-legged figure did not have ears; its head was completely bald, and its body was also bare, resembling more of a stick figure.

The cigarette butt has been extinguished

Then he said: "The baker saw that I was too weak, so he gave me a few hits. I crawled on the ground and pulled down the gate you mentioned, and the door opened"

In the darkness, Liang Zuo could only see the red cigarette butt ignited by Lei Zhen.

Liang Zuo only felt a darkness before his eyes

Oh. I will go take a look

Well

The weapon held by the ghost-faced stick figure is surprisingly a super long French baguette

Attempting to converse with the other party, what greeted Liang Zuo was a blow to the face, and even with the help of the shield, his arm began to swell.

Suddenly, he realized something—Lei Zhen said that he found no spoils at all after breaking into that room. Either that room was not broken into by Lei Zhen at all, or Lei Zhen was withholding something from himself. Although Liang Zuo understood that one must retain some reservations in life, he still felt uncomfortable in his heart

He subconsciously compared the mask on the face of the bread man he encountered with the zombie mask, noting the obvious differences between the two

There is no need to compare the differences beneath the masks of the two.

Lei Zhen chuckled and said: "Brother Liang, have you noticed that there are no gaps here for oxygen to enter"

The second day

Liang Zuo originally intended to say that it would definitely be possible, but he hesitated and said, "Let's take it one step at a time. Brother Lei, you mentioned that you had accessed that room before; did you obtain anything?"

What should be done to make the other party desist? From a perspective of force, even with a few more people, they are completely no match for the breadwinner

Looking back, Liang Zuo discovered that the baker was gradually disappearing, and it seemed that the other party was smiling as they left, illuminating the entire room.

Struggling to rise from the ground, Liang Zuo once again faced the baker.

The bread man seemed to find it dull as well, merely standing in place and watching, leaning on his stick, waiting listlessly for his opponent to rise.

He heard a series of cracking sounds

Liang Zuo nodded slightly, made an OK gesture, and gripped the shield in his hand a little tighter

The stick stopped in front of his forehead

Lei Zhen interrupted him: "Sleep, there is a great battle to be fought tomorrow"

Liang Zuo asked: "Brother Lei, were you the only one at the very beginning?"

Lei Zhen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled: "I have tried; the walls here cannot be cut even by my black knife, and the zombies leave no trace whatsoever. As for the bed, the table, and such, they seem completely indestructible. Of course, the most frustrating thing is that machine, which looks like a slot machine, offering no hints at all, only asking for coins..."

Today, three zombies appeared, but each one was only one hundred and fifty centimeters tall. They moved swiftly, and it took Lei Zhenliang a while to deal with them. He continuously utilized some blind spots and coordinated with each other, finally managing to take down two of them. The last one was pinned to the ground by Liang Zuo using his shield. He shouted to Lei Zhen, who was about to swing his knife: "Hold on, Brother Lei, let me study what exactly they are..."

Liang Zuo wanted to explain but realized that it was not the right time, and he could not reveal his position. In the next moment, the interior suddenly brightened considerably, yet it still leaned towards a gloomy atmosphere, as if under the dim yellow lights of a bar

Although the epidermis possesses good defensive capabilities, their joints are extremely fragile, showing no fundamental difference from ordinary organisms

Lei Zhen chose the only room directly opposite. The white door, with its brass cylindrical handle, seemed as if it could grant access to everything inside with just a gentle twist.

Lei Zhenxun quickly darted into the room and began to investigate inside

Gritting his teeth, he stood up and, with his eyes closed, extended his hands to pass over the coin.

He watched as the baker approached relentlessly, his mind racing.

Is that all

With two strikes, the zombie's arms were severed, yet it felt no pain at all, still mindlessly attempting to bite Liang Zuo, who was behind the shield

Liang Zuo smiled, just about to reveal everything.

The switch is a valve that is pulled up and down, and Liang Zuo suddenly yanked it.

After taking the elevator, Lei Zhen directly entered this room. At first, he thought he had encountered an enemy and was being held captive, as it is inevitable for business people to offend others. However, he quickly dismissed this notion. The things inside were too bizarre, completely unlike anything that an ordinary person could create.

He is a person made of bread

If only there were one more

I curse you!

Hello

Originally, Liang Zuo intended to escape the predicament alongside this seemingly generous uncle, yet the situation before him compelled him to remain cautious

Lei Zhen took a deep breath and pushed the door open

Indeed

In a moment of urgency, he suddenly thought of a possibility

A merciless blow struck directly at the chest, leaving Liang unable to breathe for a long time, as he lay on the ground, only able to cough

The cigarette butt of Lei Zhen has become brighter: "This is not important; the key question is why we have come to this place. Can we get out?"

The knife in Lei Zhen's hand glimmered, as he gritted his teeth and remained on guard

The stick figure looked again at Liang Zuo, who was frozen on the spot.

He looked at the face of the zombie

I silently recited a phrase, and this peculiar coin truly vanished from my palm

He heard a muffled grunt; Lei Zhen was under attack

Although somewhat reluctant, Lei Zhen still nodded: "Then I will help you incapacitate it"

Lei Zhen broke out in anger: "Liang Zuo, what are you doing!"

Lei Zhen pushed open the door and walked in

Lei Zhen's expression was one of suspicion

Seeing Liang Zuo, he looked astonished: "You are actually fine, you successfully passed the challenge... What on earth is going on?"

Is it alright?

Liang Zuo discovered the most incredible point

He seems to have understood the secret behind it

disappear