Volume One, Chapter Five: Checking In at the Calamity Inn

The blond gradually regained consciousness. After getting up, he wiped the blood flowing from his seven orifices with his sleeve, looked around the environment, and then gazed somewhat blankly at Lin Xi standing before him.

“Where are we?”

Lin Xi pointed to the door in front of them and asked the blond, “Can this door be opened?”

The blond bent down to inspect the lock and then nodded to Lin Xi and the others behind him.

“If it can be opened, hurry and open it. We can talk once we’re inside; the corridor might not be safe.” Lin Xi glanced at the dim hallway.

Although the blond was physically weak and dressed rather sloppily, it didn’t mean he lacked intelligence. From Lin Xi’s brief words, he immediately discerned the problem.

Without hesitation, he stepped behind Lin Xi to a tall girl and reached out to pull off the simple hairpin on her head. After straightening the pin, he inserted it into the door lock.

Click, click, click—the pin continuously manipulated the tumblers inside the lock.

After about a minute or two, the blond stopped, twisted the lock backward with the pin at a special angle, and successfully opened the door.

The bespectacled man stepped forward and patted the blond on the shoulder admiringly. “Not bad, you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Then he gently pushed the door open, observed inside carefully, and only entered after confirming there was no danger.

Lin Xi watched the bespectacled man’s actions and the blond’s skillful lock picking with growing caution.

Once everyone entered the room, the bald man at the back turned and closed the door. Before shutting it, he glanced down the corridor to ensure there was no danger and then returned to the room with relief.

Inside the room,

Everyone sat down on two beds.

The blond, who had fainted earlier, was the first to speak, asking what had just happened and where exactly they were.

The bespectacled man gave a rough explanation and emphasized that it was Lin Xi who had revived the blond.

Hearing this, the blond repeatedly thanked Lin Xi.

Lin Xi waved his hand and said, “It’s nothing, really, and that big guy was the one who first helped you up earlier.”

The blond also thanked the bespectacled man beside him a few times, and then everyone began introducing themselves and getting to know each other.

Lin Xi took the lead and said, “My name is Mu Bei. I’m a janitor.”

The bespectacled man looked surprised upon hearing this and asked, “Mu Bei, young brother, why are you a janitor at such a young age? And the pressure point technique you used just now isn’t something ordinary people can do.”

“That technique is a family heirloom. As for being a janitor, it’s because the crematorium janitors get paid well and don’t have to leave their hometown,” Lin Xi smiled and replied.

After hearing this, the bespectacled man’s doubts were mostly dispelled. It was understandable that Lin Xi, as a crematorium janitor, would have the mental strength to endure the terrifying events of today.

Then the bespectacled man, the blond, and the other five also introduced themselves one by one.

The bespectacled man’s name was Zhao Zechen, a small company owner who had been sleeping in his office chair before arriving here.

The blond was called Sun Kai, who claimed to be a locksmith, though Lin Xi thought he looked more like a thief.

The petite girl was Qian Baobao, a female university student.

The tall girl whose hairpin had been removed by Sun Kai was Li Yu, a model.

Another quiet, inconspicuous short and plump girl was Hao Kaixin, an office clerk.

The tall, thin young man was Zhou Xing, a student.

The bald man who closed the door at the back was Zheng Daqian, an unemployed drifter.

Like Zhao Zechen, none of them remembered how they got here; they had all been sleeping and awoke groggily to find themselves on the vehicle.

After getting to know each other, the group fell into silence. Even Sun Kai, who seemed the most unstable, was quietly deep in thought.

Lin Xi stared blankly out the window at the setting sun.

He was frantically pondering the other meanings of the phrase he had heard: “The day fails, the night is sleepless; words are untrue, speech unheard.”

“So far, it seems I’m the only one who received this hint, but I can’t rule out that others might be pretending or have received other hints. I just can’t openly ask.”

Lin Xi had no intention of revealing the whispered phrase he had vaguely heard. He wasn’t sure if anyone among them harbored ill intentions.

Revealing the clue rashly would only bring harm, no benefit. That skinless fat man in the hall was lying through his teeth; all his words must be taken as the opposite.

“Looks like those reverse phrases from the skinless fat man are the basic rules for survival here. A world of strange rules and ghost stories?” Lin Xi thought, recalling the bizarre videos he often scrolled through on his phone. He never imagined he would one day actually end up in such a ridiculous, eerie world.

Lin Xi turned to look at the seven others sitting on the beds, lost in thought, and was the first to break the silence.

“Everyone, we can pretty much confirm that everything the fat man said is the opposite of the truth. But what we saw earlier in the Purgatory Manual should all be true.”

Seeing everyone look up at him, Lin Xi stood by the window, paused, then continued:

“My mind’s still sharp enough to remember some points, so I’ll recite them for you all. If I’m wrong, please correct me.”

Everyone nodded.

Lin Xi said: “1. The creatures in purgatory are not all absolutely malevolent.

2. There is more than one path to survive purgatory.

3. Killing among travelers in purgatory is strictly forbidden.

4. The only mission in purgatory is to stay alive. These are the rules of purgatory. I don’t know if they’re entirely accurate, especially the first one; after all, everyone we’ve met so far has been hostile.”

“My memory’s not so great; I didn’t remember everything clearly, but overall, I think it’s correct. As for the first point, it’s true that, like Mu Bei said, the noise from that woman earlier felt like it was shaking my organs.” Sun Kai said, still feeling a faint ache in his insides.

Lin Xi glanced at the others, who had no intention of speaking, and thought for a moment before continuing:

“There are only four rooms left, so if anyone wants one, act fast. After dark, our boss won’t entertain guests wandering in the hall.” That was the skinless fat man’s original statement, so its opposite means...

Lin Xi’s expression suddenly changed, and the others quickly realized it too.

The bespectacled man answered first: “The opposite means there are still many rooms left, so don’t rush to settle. As for the last sentence, there are two possible interpretations.”

“The first is that during the day, our boss doesn’t take guests wandering the hall. The second...” Lin Xi looked out at the sunset and continued:

“The second is that after dark, our boss only accepts guests wandering in the hall.”

As Lin Xi finished, everyone’s faces changed dramatically.

Lin Xi finally understood the meaning of the phrase he had heard: “The day fails, the night is sleepless.”

The sunset slowly disappeared beyond the window. The sun... had set.

Everyone rushed out wildly, sprinting toward the elevator. Upon reaching it, they realized the elevator was on the first floor.