The apocalypse begins with a dungeon game.

The surrounding area was filled with a strong, rotten, fishy smell, as well as the musty smell of grease stains from a long period of neglect.

These smells kept wafting into Li Can's nostrils.

There seemed to be the sound of a gas stove burning, and the stir-fried vegetables in the pot were already starting to burn.

A wisp of black smoke spread through the pitch-black space.

When Li Can opened her eyes, this was the first scene that greeted her.

The restaurant kitchen, which hadn't been renovated in years, was a mess, so dirty that he barely had a place to step.

The sticky, gelatinous substance clung to the soles of his shoes, stretching out long threads with every step he took.

"What kind of weird place is this time?"

Fortunately, because Li Can absorbed a large number of zombie crystal cores, he was still able to distinguish things even in the dark.

He quickly ran over and turned off the gas cylinder on the stove to prevent the already burnt food from spoiling further.

However, the smoke that had already formed lingered in the kitchen and could not dissipate for a long time.

He lifted the half-height curtain separating the kitchen from the outside, revealing a spacious restaurant layout with tables and chairs.

At this moment, in the darkness of night, all is quiet, and there is not a single guest present.

In the vast hotel, he was the only person present.

He bypassed the dining table and walked down the aisle toward the transparent glass door, but he couldn't open it no matter what he did.

It seemed that some strange force had completely sealed this place off.

He frowned and turned around to look inside.

In the hall, tables and chairs are arranged on both sides, mostly for four people, with a few individual seats in the corner for guests who come to dine alone.

He looked up at the cashier counter, where many faded menu items were displayed on the wall above.

"Braised pig brains, painted eyes, braised pig feet..."

There are also fixed illustrations, all of which are certain structures and tissues that have been removed from the human body.

But now it's become a signature dish and used for business?

"Is this for human consumption?"

Unable to forcefully destroy the gate, Li Can had no choice but to return to his spawn point.

The filthy environment in the kitchen was unbearable for him. After observing it carefully, he walked towards the large freezer next to the countertop.

After forcefully lifting the lid, various frozen ingredients that had been prepared in advance were revealed inside.

The moment he saw what was inside, he held his breath. He then opened the remaining few freezers one by one before putting the lids back on.

"No wonder, this place is practically a human feast..."

The refrigerator was full of dead bodies, neatly cut up and wrapped in plastic bags. Looking through the outer skin, it was a sight too gruesome to behold.

Things like severed hands and feet, heart, liver, lungs, and the like.

"vomit……"

Although Li Can had witnessed many experimental subjects in the wasteland and in the previous instance, after returning to Earth and taking some time to rest, he gradually let go of these mentally polluting images that caused his sanity to plummet.

But this second instance once again delivered a huge mental shock to him.

It made him feel a little nauseous.

"They're all so freakish." After a sigh, a flash of light suddenly appeared in the otherwise quiet kitchen, and a scroll-shaped object appeared on the countertops next to the stoves and pots.

Li Can quickly picked it up and opened it in the opposite direction of the roll. He found that it was a player's guide made of kraft paper, which contained many rules and warnings for this instance of the game.

Welcome to the eerie, labyrinthine city.

Here, your role is: owner, chef, and waiter at Baijie Restaurant.

You have a beautiful wife who will run this family-run restaurant with you.

You have a lovely and obedient child, who is your and your wife's only source of comfort in this eerie, labyrinthine city.

You need to play your role well; if you exhibit out-of-character (OOC) behavior, you will be punished with death.

You must provide excellent service to every customer who arrives during business hours. Do not anger them, and avoid customer complaints, or you will be eaten alive by them.

Your child's birthday is in one day, and you promised to take them to the amusement park. Please be a good father, or you will be killed by your child.

The eerie labyrinthine city will be shrouded in darkness for three days, followed by five hours of daylight. You can only move freely during the day; if you wish to venture out at night, you must be accompanied by a mysterious figure, or you will die.

[The eerie labyrinthine city is currently in its first night.]

[The ultimate mission is to obtain your exit permit for the Mysterious City. Only after passing the inspection by the city gate guards can you leave the city.]

[After reading, players should destroy this scroll with fire to officially begin the game.]

Enjoy the game!

Li Can's eyelids twitched as she looked at the words on the screen.

"Am I really going to become a father at such a young age? And with so many other jobs?"

But that's not the point anymore.

The key is the "City Exit Certificate" mentioned in the scroll; that's my biggest objective in this dungeon.

Secondly, there's the current situation. It seems I have to play my role in the restaurant for now, at least until the first free daytime period to go out and find clues about certificates with my signature.

Although it seemed like he couldn't move freely during the night, Li Can caught the keywords in the scroll and was able to leave with the help of the eerie companion.

He also has a lovely son and a beautiful wife.

"Hmm...aren't these just two readily available NPCs that we can use?"

"However, we still can't determine what this strange definition is. There probably aren't any living people left here."

"If my wife and son aren't the ones who are supernatural, then we'll have to find another opportunity."

Thinking of this, Li Can immediately made some plans. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible, and both can be adapted.

Through the gap in the kitchen curtain, his gaze traveled across the lobby and through the glass doors; in the darkness outside, the other newcomers must also be temporarily restrained.

Play your role and act according to your own identity.

"However, that would have to be if I could still run into them from ten years ago..." Li Can looked away and smiled self-deprecatingly.

Although they were able to cross timelines last time, it's still uncertain what will happen this time.

With so many elite superhumans arranged by the authorities, whether I'll encounter them again is another matter; let's get through this hurdle first.

Once he's allowed to go out and move around freely, he'll go and search for other players' whereabouts.

"Oh, there's another not-so-good possibility: I might be the only one in this game."

While pondering, Li Can took out his phone from his consciousness space and took a picture of the contents of the scroll to save it for future reference.

After making preparations, he reopened the gas cylinder, and in the burning blue flames, the kraft paper roll that he had rolled up again gradually dissipated.

Until it was completely reduced to ashes.

Suddenly, a sound filled the entire restaurant.

"Ding-dong."

"The game has officially begun."