Chapter 93: The Quiet Fourth Floor

“This dog is acting strange!”

Liu Yiran walked over, squatted in front of the Shar-Pei, and studied it closely.

The Shar-Pei shifted its gaze from Fang Tang to Liu Yiran, its bloodshot eyes showing an unusual gravity.

“You’re very strong.”

Liu Yiran replied with a cheerful smile, “I know.”

The Shar-Pei: “…”

Goodness, so straightforward.

The Shar-Pei let out a dry chuckle. Though its face showed no sign of impending doom, its true form was already faltering, forcing it to set aside matters for now.

Looking at Fang Tang and Liu Yiran, the Shar-Pei spoke in a slow, measured tone, “I’ll wait for you on the fifth floor. I hope you can surprise me.”

“The big boss on the fifth floor?” Fang Tang frowned deeply.

Liu Yiran asked, “Didn’t you notice anything odd the last time you came?”

“I was on the third floor, affected by this dog. Its eyes mess with your emotions. Even with my talent for calming emotions, it didn’t help.” Fang Tang tried to recall what happened that day.

Liu Yiran mused, “If its mutated ability can influence a talent, it must be innately possessed by the dog. But why would the creature from the fifth floor attach itself to him?”

Fang Tang blinked, hoping his eye talent would offer an explanation.

But the eye remained silent, refusing to respond no matter what he tried.

Noticing Fang Tang’s movement, Liu Yiran asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”

“Ah? Nothing… just squinting.” Fang Tang rubbed his eyes and turned to look behind him.

The remaining Fallen were dealt with by Ta Meng and Xu Lin.

Xu Lin approached Fang Tang, sizing him up, “Your strength is impressive!”

“It’s just borrowed power.” Fang Tang patted his molten armor and laughed.

“When you grow, you’ll surely surpass the boss. Your speed is remarkable—reach the peak in any aspect and you’ll become immensely powerful.”

Ta Meng came forward and gave Fang Tang a hearty slap on the shoulder.

Standing over two meters tall and at evolution level four, Ta Meng’s strength was formidable.

If not for Fang Tang’s Steel Guardian, those slaps would have surely broken his bones.

Liu Yiran watched the three chatting amiably, the curve of her lips deepening. “Alright, we’ve cleared the third floor. Let’s move on.”

Ta Meng remained in the front. Though his talent wasn’t as good as Fang Tang’s, people are visual creatures after all.

His massive build created a strong visual impact, and Ta Meng himself preferred leading, taking on any sudden pressure for his teammates.

Just for this, Fang Tang admired the big man greatly.

The fourth floor was eerily quiet, unlike the charred chaos of the first three. Instead, it was unusually clean, as though freshly swept.

Fang Tang ran his fingers over the tiles, pinching them with a puzzled expression.

“There’s something off here.”

[Haha, you didn’t expect me to show up now, did you? Nothing much to say about the third floor—the smiling fellow wasn’t entirely accurate, but close enough. I have to keep some mystery for fun.

I said last time this building is interesting. Each floor has its own unique rules, and the fourth is no exception. Don’t let the quiet fool you—there are Fallen here too… Whether you can find them depends on whether you can solve what the fifth floor’s creature left behind.]

Huh?

Suppressing his doubts, Fang Tang looked toward Su Mang.

She was the team’s “eye,” possessing the same talent as Ye Qing—Mental Perception.

A highly practical ability, invaluable in exploring unknown areas.

Su Mang clearly sensed something amiss, casting her perception throughout every corner of the fourth floor.

“I didn’t find anything unusual,” she said, puzzled.

Liu Yiran smiled slightly. “No problems—that’s the biggest problem. This is the final checkpoint before the fifth floor, surely tougher than the third. Looks like it’ll test our observational skills.”

She glanced up at the ceiling. “This twisted area is intriguing, and the fifth-floor creature isn’t the usual intelligent kind.”

“Let’s split up,” Liu Yiran ordered, then turned to Su Mang, “Take Xie Ling and Liu Xu with you. If danger arises, you’ll have backup.”

“Alright!”

Su Mang didn’t object.

Liu Yiran said to Fang Tang, “Be ready to support. Our teammates’ lives depend on you.”

Fang Tang nodded. His speed was unmatched here, making him ideal for rescue. Even if Liu Yiran hadn’t said so, Fang Tang was always prepared—he’d promised Xie Ling before.

Seven people split into five groups, four rooms each.

Fang Tang stayed in the middle, perfect for supporting any group.

Room 9.

Fang Tang pushed open the door. The air reeked of disinfectant.

The room looked like a clinic, nothing odd on the surface, but the bookshelf in the corner caught Fang Tang’s eye.

Far too conspicuous!

A bookshelf in a clinic, and it was filled—not with files, but with books.

He pulled out a book and flipped it open randomly. On the page, a single word was scrawled in blood: Chu.

Fang Tang’s heart tightened. He flipped through page after page.

Each page formed a passage:

May 26, 3001—Chu Chu didn’t kill Nurse Sister. She only protected her. Chu Chu didn’t want Nurse Sister to be in danger. Chu Chu is a good child.

Looking at the full bookshelf, Fang Tang rubbed his brow.

“Is this another diary from Chu Chu?”

He picked up another book and kept reading.

As expected, it was Chu Chu’s diary, written in blood.

It took Fang Tang a long time to finish reading.

His mood was complicated.

The bookshelf chronicled Chu Chu’s gradual descent into darkness.

After thoroughly searching room 9, Fang Tang moved into room 10.

It was a ward.

The windows were welded shut, the door made of iron.

From the outside, nothing seemed odd, but inside, the walls, door, and ceiling were covered in scratches and fist marks.

The room had nothing sturdy; the bedding lay on the floor. Beside it sat a notebook.

Another diary.

But this time, it belonged to a girl named Wei Dan.

Delicate handwriting, carefully recording daily life.

The diary was extremely ordinary, even more mundane than the routine of an office worker.

Between the lines, there was the image of a vibrant, energetic girl.

But compared to the room’s state, it felt unsettling.

Room 11.

The furnishings resembled an office.

On the desk, Fang Tang found a familiar name on a business card.

Zhou Bukui!

Director of the Abnormal Human Research Center.

A chill ran straight from his feet to his skull, and cold sweat broke out on Fang Tang’s back.

“Ah!”

A scream echoed from the corridor.

Fang Tang couldn’t dwell on Zhou Bukui’s shock. He activated his Extreme Shadow talent and rushed out, heading straight for the source of the scream.