The management group had previously mentioned that the hidden room was located behind a wardrobe.
Leonard had just unlocked the full map, and the hidden room was marked on it.
That was a clue.
With the map, it was only natural for Leonard to find the hidden room, and the management group wouldn't suspect anything.
Thus, Leonard moved toward his target.
There were noises ahead.
He heard someone shouting frantically,
"You must be a zombie! Smash you! Smash you!"
Leonard slowed down and walked to the door where the noise came from.
He saw a man lying on the floor, smashing the head of a corpse like a madman.
The corpse's head was already a bloody mess.
The corpse was wearing the standard player uniform, not zombie clothing.
"Give me experience points! I need to level up! I need to become stronger!"
The man refused to stop, continuing to smash wildly, clearly losing his mind.
Leonard sighed inwardly.
Only three hours had passed in real time, yet someone had already gone insane.
Leonard continued on to the room where the hidden room was located.
The hidden room was just on the other side of the wall.
Upon arrival, Leonard closed the door and began exploring, occasionally checking the map for reference.
There was a large wardrobe inside, its doors wide open with clear signs of being searched before.
Leonard raised his leg and kicked the wardrobe.
Damage displayed 0.
This meant the wardrobe was indestructible.
Leonard circled the wardrobe, trying to push it with force.
Creak.
The wardrobe moved!
Leonard pushed harder, moving it all the way to the end.
Behind the wardrobe, a steel door appeared.
The steel door was locked with a four-digit combination lock.
Leonard frowned at the lock.
He didn't know the password.
Meanwhile, the management group noticed Leonard standing in front of the hidden room's door and discussed it.
[This puzzle is simple. He should be able to solve it, right?]
[That depends on whether he finds the password hint.]
[That tiny line of text is not easy to spot.]
Leonard, spying on their conversation, realized there was a hint. A very small line of text that required careful searching.
Leonard looked up and searched the doorframe from top to bottom.Soon, he found it.On the edge of the doorframe, there were eight tiny characters:"From small to large, even numbers only."
"From small to large, even numbers only?"Leonard squinted thoughtfully.
Since the management group mentioned it was an easy puzzle, there was no need to overthink it."Number combination… from small to large… even numbers... Even numbers?""Then it must be 2, 4, 6, 8. All even numbers."
Leonard, inspired, set the lock to 2468.Click.The door unlocked with a crisp sound.
Indeed, it was a simple puzzle once you found the hint.Leonard opened the door and entered, holding his shield.
It was very dark inside.Leonard felt around for the light switch on the wall and turned it on.True to the building's annoying design, even with the light on, it was still dim, but he could barely see.
The room was small.On the wall hung a thick yellow protective suit, an all-in-one outfit with the top and bottom connected.Beside it was a desk, with a family photo, two bottles with fuses, a notebook, and a square mirror on it.
Leonard immediately realized the suit was valuable and picked it up. It felt heavy.
Protective Suit - Level 4
Type: Equipment
Attribute: Physical
Defense: 25
Durability: 50/50
Effect: 2% chance to completely negate physical attacks.
Negative: Agility -1
Description: Congratulations, you finally have a decent piece of clothing. Maybe it will help you survive a little longer.
A Level 4 suit!It was far better than the uniform Leonard was currently wearing, which wasn't even considered real equipment.
Leonard immediately put on the protective suit and zipped it up.Although a bit bulky, costing 1 point of agility, it was bearable.
Next, Leonard picked up the two bottles.
Molotov Cocktail
Type: Consumable
Attribute: Fire
Effect: Light it up and throw it to ignite an area, causing fire damage.
Description: Trust me, you'll need matches or a lighter.
"Molotov Cocktails! These will definitely work great against zombies, especially in large groups."Leonard stored both bottles away.
The problem was, he didn't have matches or a lighter yet, so he couldn't use them immediately.
Leonard picked up the family photo.It depicted a family of four, a husband, wife, and two children.The boy and girl looked cheerful, the girl slightly smaller, presumably the younger sister.They were all smiling happily, with nothing unusual about the photo.
Leonard once had a complete family too.Once…
Leonard put down the photo and picked up the notebook.
Inside was a diary.
March 16. I came to this building with my father. Here, I witnessed his madness!Everything he said before was true. He really was conducting live experiments based on that ancient, tattered manuscript.Father said it was all for Lin, my little sister.
March 24. Father made a breakthrough.He cultivated a bud of the Red Spider Lily from a living human.According to the manuscript, the Red Spider Lily bridges the realms of life and death.By growing the flower inside a living person and then performing a ritual, its power could be infused into a corpse to "resurrect" it.
April 10. Today, Father attempted the first transplant.I witnessed the entire ritual.The lab temperature plummeted, becoming deathly cold.The corpse absorbed the Red Spider Lily and started twitching mechanically, it even opened its eyes.Despite the freezing cold, Father was fervent.
April 18. I'm not sure if it was a success.The corpse did come back to life, but it wasn't true resurrection.It grew fangs, became extremely aggressive, and killed a researcher.I know what to call it now.It's clearly a zombie!I must be careful of these dangerous zombies.I hope the protective suit is sturdy enough.
April 30. Father has completely lost his mind!That cursed manuscript must have corrupted him. It's the most evil, mysterious thing I've ever seen.Father even said he wanted to turn me into a zombie, claiming it would make me immortal.
May 7. I've made up my mind:I would rather die than become a zombie.To prevent zombification, the brain must be destroyed.If I shoot myself in the head, I won't turn into one.I don't want to die in this room.I'll go to Room 1450 on the 14th floor.It's near a window. I like it there.
I'm sorry, Lin.Forgive me for being unable to stop Father.If his madness continues, he will eventually desecrate your body and disturb your eternal rest.
Leonard finished reading the diary, deeply shaken.This was the core plot of the "Night of Terror" game!