Life Dungeon Game

There were no lights on the gate; the dim streetlights only illuminated the steps in front of the gate, obscuring the gate and the young man in front of it in the faint darkness.

"Sir, this looks unfamiliar to you. Is this your first time here?"

As Heo walked over, the young man smiled and asked in Tia.

"Is this the Shadow Transformation Club?"

He Ao glanced at the unremarkable courtyard gate, which had no signs or instructions on it.

"Please show me your ticket," the young man said meticulously. "A flyer will also do."

He Ao took out the flyer he had received and handed it to the young man.

The young man took the flyer, turned slightly to the side, and the tightly closed courtyard gate opened automatically, making a creaking sound.

At this moment, the young man extended an invitation.

The momentum pointed inwards into the courtyard.

"Welcome to the Metamorphosis Club. Please enjoy tonight's performance."

Behind the open door is a charming little courtyard, with tables, chairs, and parasols scattered around, making it look like a bar or a specialty restaurant.

Behind these tables and chairs was a small door covered by a curtain. Dim light shone on the curtain, and faint, melodious music drifted from behind the door.

He Ao stepped into the courtyard, and at the same time, he briefly activated his super memory to scan the young man guarding the courtyard gate.

What clings to the youth is not the hazy soul of an ordinary person, but a pure shadow.

The shadow clung tightly to the youth, manipulating his body like the strings of a marionette.

This young man is no longer alive.

He Ao withdrew his gaze, walked between the tables and chairs in the courtyard, and parted the curtain.

Behind him, the open courtyard gate slowly closed, and the young man who had made the inviting gesture withdrew his hand and turned to face the door again.

When the courtyard gate was completely closed, He Ao also stepped over the curtain and entered through the small door.

Behind this door was not a theater-like setting, but a large hall with small tables scattered around in an orderly fashion.

These small tables surround some chairs or sofas, and all of these chairs and sofas face the same direction: to the very back of the hall, a rectangular stage.

Soft, ambiguous dim lighting shone throughout the hall, and melodious music echoed in the space.

It's more like a bar than a theater.

After Heo entered through the small door, a waiter came over and led Heo to a seat.

"Sir, is this your first time here?"

The waiter handed Heo a menu. "Would you like some snacks? If you're a first-time customer, we offer a complimentary cocktail."

He Ao opened the menu, glanced at the empty stage, and casually asked, "Wasn't there supposed to be a performance?"

"The performance starts promptly at 10 p.m., it won't be long, please wait a moment."

The waiter said with a smile.

He glanced at the menu in his hand, ordered a fried onion ring, chose a cocktail with a low alcohol content from the cocktail section, and then handed the menu back to the waiter.

Then his gaze swept around.

By this time, the hall was already quite full of people. Some were drinking alone, while others were chatting in groups, as if it were just an ordinary bar.

About four or five minutes later, He Ao's fried onion rings and cocktails were served.

Just then, a series of footsteps came from outside the door.

Three figures pushed open the curtain and walked in.

All three possessed strong auras; two were young men and one was middle-aged, all with typical Tia Empire features.

They seemed to be here for the first time as well. The two young men looked on with curiosity, while the middle-aged man in the lead seemed a little suspicious and wary, his gaze sweeping over the 'guests' sitting below the stage.

He Ao merely glanced at them, then naturally lowered his head, unnoticed by them.

A waiter approached them, led the three to seats near Heo, and handed them menus.

These three people should all

He is an extraordinary being, but not strong.

After a moment's thought, He Ao picked up his phone and sent a message to the military police captain, giving a brief description of the three men's appearances.

This must be the person 'above'; the middle-aged man is the one who handed over the case files to me today.

The military police captain quickly responded.

He Ao closed his phone.

Sure enough, this is someone from Moonlight.

So it was the people of the moonlight who found this place?

It doesn't seem like it. Judging from their puzzled expressions, they were probably also given flyers and attracted over.

But the middle-aged man who was leading the group must have sensed something.

Things are getting interesting.

He Ao had to admit that the Shadow Club was indeed very bold.

Perhaps this is because such a secret cult has never existed in the main world, and they lack experience, but they shouldn't be foolish enough to expose themselves directly to the gaze of the moonlight.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Shortly after the arrival of the Moonlight figures, a beam of light shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the stage.

A person who looked like a host walked onto the stage.

"Thank you to all our guests for taking the time to come to our Metamorphosis Club. The performance tonight is about to begin. We have several new friends here tonight. Welcome to all of you. Please believe me, this will be the most important and most wonderful performance you have ever seen in your life."

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Those "regular customers" who were chatting and drinking normally before all turned their attention to the center of the stage, their eyes burning and their faces flashing with strange excitement.

It was as if they weren't spectators relaxing in a bar, but believers making a pilgrimage to a god.

At that moment, among the three people of Moonlight sitting not far from He Ao, the middle-aged man seemed to have noticed something. He took out his phone, suddenly stood up, and while making a call, he tried to pull his two companions away.

Ding--

Just then, a clear, melodious tune rang in everyone's ears.

A woman wearing a light white dress and white stockings, barefoot, slowly walked out from behind the stage, tiptoeing.

"Please enjoy the dance, 'Metamorphosis'."

The host's voice came from behind the stage.

Soft, soul-stirring music began to play gently.

The middle-aged man who had suddenly stood up seemed to forget what he was supposed to do for a moment, and stood there blankly.

beep--

The call he was making was answered at that moment, and a puzzled voice came from the other end, "Ze'en, what's wrong?"

Upon hearing the sound, the middle-aged man finally realized something. He lowered his head with difficulty and stiffness, looked at the phone in his hand, and slowly opened his mouth. He seemed to want to say something, but no matter what he did, he couldn't make a sound.

"It's okay, I called the wrong number."

A voice came from behind him, coming through the phone's microphone.

The voice was so familiar; it was his own voice.

Then a hand reached out from behind him and hung up the phone.

The middle-aged man turned around with difficulty and saw the waiter who had led them in standing beside him, smiling at him.

Then he looked at the waiter, opened his mouth, and continued in his own voice,

"Everything went smoothly, nothing happened, the dance was beautiful, and we could quietly appreciate it."

The waiter's gentle voice reached his ears, like a whisper from the depths of his heart. He slowly put down his phone, sat back down, and watched the performance on stage.

His gaze was captivated.

It was as if none of what had just happened had occurred.

The two young men beside him were already mesmerized by the performance on stage, their eyes shining with a bright, almost frenzied light, as if they had seen the most beautiful thing in the world and were willing to give anything for it.

He Ao watched all of this quietly.

From the perspective of hypermemory, a huge shadow is emerging from the shimmering ceiling, with hazy shadow tentacles extending from it, touching everyone in the stands, clinging to their bodies, and eroding their souls.

Similarly, a shadowy tentacle tried to extend down and erode Heo's soul.

Then, in the next second, the tentacle was struck by the super memory power gathered by He Ao and retracted as if it had been electrocuted.

He Ao picked up the cocktail on the table, took a sip, and gazed at the woman on the stage.

With this little bit of strength, I'm not confident enough to 'invite' him over.

At that moment, the woman on the stage also briefly glanced at He Ao and their eyes met.

She held a bright red rose petal, still glistening with a few drops of water, between her lips, which contrasted beautifully with her red lips.

She slightly opened her mouth, and flower petals fell from her lips, sliding down her glistening skin like flowing blood.

After that brief exchange of glances, she gently raised her head, her gaze leaving He Ao. Then she slightly raised her slender hand, the wide white sleeves sliding down her smooth skin to reveal her fair arms, like willow branches swaying in the spring breeze.

At this moment, the entire venue fell into an unusual silence, as if only she and He Ao existed.

Dancers and spectators make up the whole of this world.

The woman raised her hands, and as they swayed, she slowly grasped at the void, as if she were peeling something away.

With each piece peeled away, her body grew heavier, as if a shed shell was being removed.

The dance was indeed beautiful. As He Ao watched it, he could directly experience beauty through his senses, as if the word "beauty" had stepped out of the book and into reality.

At the same time, his soul began to tremble slightly, and as the dance continued, a vast and magnificent gaze seemed to be trying to penetrate the barriers of time and space and cast its gaze upon this place.

As this immense power attempted to descend, He Ao also sensed something else.

remains.