The apocalypse begins with a dungeon game.

"How so?"

"It's something innate in our genes. For example, when we Upper City people control the supernatural beings to come to the Lower City, it's either because we eat, or we eat that kind of thing..."

"Yes, I know."

"For example, the positive experience that the supernatural beings have here will be directly transmitted to people."

Now Li Can truly understood the underlying logic of their scheme.

Anything addictive is never a good thing.

Moreover, this is the way it is done.

"But the people in our organization are different. They're naturally indifferent. Although they get the same feedback, it's not to that extent. They have very few of the implanted genes, so we just started tracing back until we really confirmed that this was an incurable, insane mistake..."

Shen Yuan faced the dark night sky, her tone gradually becoming melancholy, "If you want to know more, the best person to ask is actually the city lord, but it's very difficult to meet him. We may never meet him in our entire lives."

"The people of the upper city have almost never seen the city lord show his face?"

"Yes, there are even rumors that the city lord has long since died and no longer exists, and that his position has been usurped by someone."

"But I don't believe it."

"How long have you been alive? Where is the city lord?"

Shen Yuan was amused by the question. "Brother Xing, you don't think that people in the lower city are immortal, and that we people in the upper city are like that too, do you? I'm really only in my twenties. In our area, the normal cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death is running its course."

She stopped laughing, and became serious for a moment. "Only the city lord is different. He has been alive since the founding of the upper city. If we really have to count, he should be several thousand years old."

"Wouldn't that mean they'd live longer than the people of the lower town?"

"That's why I say he's mysterious; he knows a lot of things." Shen Yuan had many fantasies about the city lord, but to Li Can, it sounded more like blind worship.

"What a strange labyrinthine city," Li Can thought to himself.

The biggest clues I've found since arriving here all came from Shen Yuan. However, generalizing from limited information can easily lead to a flawed perspective. It seems I really need to find an opportunity to meet this city lord after entering the upper city.

It's just unknown whether this person actually existed at that time, or if it was just a legend.

He had a basic grasp of the operating rules of the mysterious labyrinthine city.

In the remaining days, we need to find a way to unite with everyone we can and escape this instance together.

He glanced again at the countdown to the death of Earth in his mind, a slight unease creeping into his heart.

After Huang Xiaoqi and Qian Shi from next door woke up, Baijie Hotel resumed its nighttime operations for the second day.

The supernatural beings seemed to have known the time of day in the suburbs all along, and one by one they set off from their lair.

Or perhaps they got tired of playing in the city center and started moving here.

Qian Shi, dressed in a white chef's uniform, squatted in the passageway between the two houses, his eyes fixed on the customers wandering around the street outside.

"Dazhuang, we have an agreement. We'll merge our businesses. You two can keep the money first, and transfer my daily wages to me after closing time. You can't go back on your word, or my colleagues and I will have worked for nothing."

He had completely forgotten everything Shen Yuan had said back then.

He was still bothered by the fact that he had left the city.

Li Can, wearing an apron, straightened his chef's hat and looked helpless.

Money and such are useless to him; he doesn't care about them. The only thing he's still attached to is the indigenous people.

Huang Xiaoqi rolled her eyes at him. "How could we leave you out? Do we look like the kind of treacherous and cunning person you are?"

"No, that's not what I meant. I just feel uneasy. Yesterday, I felt like I blacked out. I felt like I forgot something important, and I had nightmares for a long time..." Qian Shi clutched his chest, seemingly in pain.

Huang Xiaoqi was taken aback. "You're like this too? I thought I was the only one who felt like I had amnesia or something..."

Shen Yuan stood at the lobby entrance alongside the three waiters, wearing matching waiter jackets, their faces plastered with fake smiles.

Li Can glanced at her.

She borrowed Huang Xiaoqi's cosmetics to create a makeup look that even her own mother might not recognize, disguising herself very well.

His face was covered in thick, heavy, deathly white powder, and the lipstick on his lips was so bright it looked like he had just eaten a child.

The black eyeliner was drawn so long it almost reached her temples.

Although it was abrupt, her makeup style was consistent with that of Huang Xiaoqi, the owner of Baijie Hotel, and inexplicably matched the mystical image of the indigenous people.

She ensured that people unfamiliar with her in the upper city wouldn't recognize her, while still retaining distinctive features, such as the mole under her eye, so that people within the organization could easily identify her.

This is a very awkward method of disguise.

"Huh? When did we hire a new waitress again...?" Huang Xiaoqi covered her head, her temples throbbing as if pricked by needles.

Qian Shi's legs went a little numb as he squatted down. He held onto the uneven wall with one hand and supported his lower back with the other. "Ouch, I think it was last night, but I can't remember. What happened?"

Judging from their appearance, they didn't seem to be faking it; they had genuinely forgotten the crucial information from the first night. Li Can felt inexplicably sad for them.

If things continue like this, mental pollution will eventually turn them into mindless monsters.

The people of the lower town are not so easy to save.

Everything is shrouded in a vast net, manipulated by an invisible hand.

It would be difficult for anyone to break free.

"Brother Xing, is it really okay for me to disguise myself as a waiter like this?" Shen Yuan sneakily moved to Li Can's side, who was sitting near the door, and squeezed out her voice through clenched teeth.

"Don't worry, you just need to keep an eye on the target. I'll keep an eye on him for you secretly."

"Okay, okay." After saying that, she sneaked back to the doorway, a huge smile spreading across her face.

Just then, a group of strange creatures passed by. One of them looked up at the signboard and then floated into the restaurant.

Shen Yuan and his colleagues quickly opened the glass door together.

"Welcome to Baijie Restaurant. What would you like to eat? We recommend our signature dish, green pepper and shredded pork rice bowl~" Shen Yuan continued with a fake smile, a small patch of powder on her face slightly fading off.

At the same time, everyone in the shop perked up.

Shen Yuan observed the strange shape very carefully. After a while, she secretly looked at Li Can and shook her head at him.

After receiving the signal, Li Can remained expressionless, only giving her a look that said "take your time."

"I heard it's delicious, so I'll have this." A message popped up above the eerie guest's head.

"Alright, please wait a moment, it'll be ready soon." Qian Shi stood up cheerfully and turned to go into the kitchen.

This was something he and Li Can had agreed upon; after the merger, he would be the head chef.

Li Can assists.

However, the cooking method, especially the steps for making rice with green peppers and shredded pork, had been taught to me by Li Can beforehand.

This way, Li Can would have more time in the outer lobby to help Shen Yuan find people.