抱歉，又封神了

"This place is one of the instances in the 537 world, similar to dungeons in games. Each person will have their own main quest, and once you complete it, you can leave the instance. If you die here, it's truly the end, but don't be afraid, newbies. New players will have newbie protection on their first entry, and the main quest won't be too challenging. Just relax."

Tang Hu had bushy eyebrows and bright, earnest eyes that gave him a friendly appearance. Even in a cute little skirt, his strong physique made him feel reliable, and a few anxious newcomers unconsciously gathered around him.

A young girl trembled as she hid behind her boyfriend, her terrified gaze fixed on Tang Hu. "Will we ever be able to go back to where we were?"

"Why hurry back? This is a chance to cross into another world—how exhilarating!" her boyfriend replied with excitement. He looked about her age, with dyed blonde hair and a skull tattoo on his arm, embodying a rebellious youth.

"Just try your best to complete the quest; there will always be a way," Tang Hu said with a smile, his tone coaxing. "After all, this is a game world. You can have whatever you desire—wealth, power, beauty, the ability to fly, even immortality; there's nothing you can't achieve if you just set your mind to it."

"You can think of it as a place to realize your dreams."

"Anything can be realized?" The first to respond was the portly man, a hint of greed shining in his narrow eyes. The fear he felt toward this unfamiliar world diminished significantly as he straightened his posture.

Sometimes, desire can transform into courage.

Tang Hu nodded affirmatively at him. "Anything is possible. You are all the luckiest for having the right to enter here."

Xia Chao furrowed his brow; was Tang Hu's selflessness in answering their questions genuine, or was there an ulterior motive?

Don't blame him for being suspicious; Xia Chao found it hard to trust that the world he described was friendly and filled with temptations, with the ability to fulfill any wish.

No matter what, Xia Chao couldn't forget the recent memory of that cramped space and the suffocating sensation of near death, along with the remnants of red liquid on his fingertips.

He looked at the dried red liquid on his fingertips; it wasn't his blood, but rather something he had touched while exploring earlier. He was always sensitive to blood, and at that moment, there was a faint hint of blood in the air of the hall. Perhaps they had all experienced the same space before entering here.

"Have you all read the story of Alice in Wonderland?" Tang Hu continued, "This instance is based on that tale. The voice you heard in your minds earlier should have told you; that voice acts as a quest-giver NPC that appears at the start of every game."

"Your tasks are the same: cross this forest within three days to complete the quest." Tang Hu pointed at a three-legged round table in the middle of the hall, which had a glass top, surrounded by an array of keys. "Choosing a key will open the door to the forest."

There were sixteen doors of various styles in the hall, and upon the table were sixteen keys, yet there were only seven players: Xia Chao, Tang Hu, the portly man, the young girl, her boyfriend, a boy they had seen before, and a stoic man who had remained silent throughout.

What lay beyond the doors was still a mystery.

Tang Hu picked the smallest key and surveyed the hesitant crowd. He smiled and said, "If you're willing to trust me, you can join me inside. If anything happens, we can help each other. After all, I have been through a few instances and have some experience."

Immediately, the only young girl present pulled her boyfriend closer, and the portly man hurried along as well. Tang Hu noticed the other three had no intention of following and didn't press them. Instead, he kindly advised, "Alright then, be careful while you act on your own and stay safe."

"Thank you!" The boy's radiant smile returned, and he waved at them, saying, "Safe travels."

Xia Chao nodded back, while the silent man continued to show no reaction. Tang Hu and his group of four opened a seemingly ordinary wooden door on the right side of the hall. Compared to the others, this door was slightly smaller; Tang Hu had to crawl through, barely fitting his frame.

Xia Chao watched as the four entered one by one, thinking perhaps it was time for him to choose a door too.

But before he could reach the table, the quiet man beside him had already taken a black key and stepped through that ominously dark door.

"Now it's just the two of us," the lively boy stepped closer to Xia Chao. "Hey,bro! I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

Xia Chao shot him a cold glance. "Where?"

The boy scratched his head, a sheepish smile on his face. "I forgot... How about we introduce ourselves again? My name is Xiao Yang. I'm eighteen, about to start my senior year, I'm 185 cm tall, and I love basketball."

"Are you presenting your dating resume?"

Xia Chao raised an eyebrow, his gaze cold. The need to look up to meet the boy's eyes only made him more irritated; teenagers of this age often had a lack of personal boundaries.

Xiao Yang hesitated for a moment, realizing that he might be disliked. This guy's temperament was as unsightly as his appearance.

However, he didn't lose heart; instead, he adopted a gentler tone. "So, if you don't tell me your name, how am I supposed to address you? Little brother?"

Xiao Yang was not easily discouraged. With an open, honest smile, he stepped a little closer. "At least tell me your surname?"

Unaccustomed to the proximity of others, Xia Chao frowned. He had initially planned to ignore him, but his gaze unexpectedly caught a glimpse of something on Xiao Yang's profile, causing him to momentarily pause.

After a while, he heard himself reply in a low voice, "Xia. My surname is Xia."