“I asked him if being trapped in Black Stone Town, surrounded by black fog, and experiencing birth, aging, illness, and death was the same as in the real world,” Jiang Cheng continued, “and he said yes.”

Chen Ran, who was sitting on the ground, narrowed his eyes, looked at the fatty, and suddenly said with a smile, "I can vouch for what Brother Hao said." He threw the extinguished torch behind him, clapped the ashes off his hands, and said, "I heard it too."

The fatty seemed to be trying to understand what they were saying. After only a few seconds, his entire face darkened, a grayish kind of dark.

"So..." the fatty stared with terrified eyes, "the town chief and the others... they already..."

"They didn't escape those things temporarily, as the town chief said..." Jiang Cheng paused here, as if considering which word would be more appropriate to describe it.

Chen Ran grinned. "Assimilation."

Jiang Cheng glanced at him, then continued, "That's right, assimilation." He looked at the fatty and said calmly, "None of them escaped the assimilation of those bizarre things that had been resurrected."

"They were likely killed once, and then their bodies were placed on the stone plate and mysteriously resurrected."

"The dead retain their memories from when they were alive, so... they continue to live in Black Stone Town," he paused. "Just like when they were alive."

"But the only difference is that they don't age, and everyone's life is permanently frozen at the last moment before they died."

"They can no longer escape this city on the sea." Su Xiaoxiao looked out of the square window and added coldly, "It's like a sea prison to them."

This time, the amount of information received was a bit too much, and the fatty's brain temporarily short-circuited. After a while, he looked at the doctor and said confusedly, "So... ensuring that the lighthouse flame continues to burn won't allow us to escape the nightmare, is that right?"

"It's only good for them... the people in Black Stone Town!" the fatty said excitedly. "They lied to us!"

"We can't yet determine whether the flame in the lighthouse is related to our escape from the nightmare, but one thing is certain: it must be beneficial to the things in Black Stone Town." Jiang Cheng glanced at the town on the dark sea, where the color of fire was everywhere, seemingly lively.

The word 'things' instinctively made the fatty uncomfortable.

Those guys who talked to them, treated them to meals, and spoke freely... were not human at all. The entire Black Stone Town floating on the sea... was a "dead city."

The "night" outside the window was as thick as a mass of ink that couldn't be dissolved.

After another day of tossing and turning, Jiang Cheng returned to his old spot, leaning against the wall to rest.

The fatty approached with great awareness, his huge body huddled into a ball, and lowered his voice, "Doctor, rest assured and sleep. I'll keep watch tonight."

"You sleep," Jiang Cheng said, his head pillowed on his arm, without opening his eyes. "It'll probably be dawn in another 2 or 3 hours. I'll sleep when it's light."

"Then... then thank you, Doctor."

The fatty didn't hesitate. He would obediently sleep when the doctor told him to. Anyway, in the nightmare, only children who listened to the doctor could survive with all their limbs intact.

Those who didn't listen to the doctor, or even wanted to trick the doctor, had grass three feet high on their graves. From a distance, it looked lush and green, growing vigorously.

The fatty chose a spot next to the doctor, ensuring that the doctor could notice him.

Especially his back and neck.

His coat had been torn into strips and wrapped around Su An. Now he could only try to shrink himself. Fortunately, due to the fire, the room was very warm.

Honestly, the fatty wasn't willing to extinguish the flame either.

As soon as he lay down, the direction his face was facing was directly towards Chen Ran's position. His body was half-hidden in the darkness beyond the firelight. The fatty wasn't sure if he was asleep, or... staring at him.

Why would Chen Ran stare at him? He would stare at the doctor.

The fatty swallowed nervously, then uncomfortably turned his body to remove himself from the face-to-face state with Chen Ran.

But the next second, his peripheral vision inadvertently caught another gaze.

Almost at the same time as he noticed this gaze, the fatty's body began to tremble uncontrollably.

This was a kind of reflection similar to bodily instinct.

It was like... the suppression in the bloodline that creatures produced when facing higher-level predators.

In the dark place beyond the firelight, a face slowly emerged.

The old woman's twisted face stared at him with a pair of bloodshot eyes. The next second, a scarlet tongue stretched out from her mouth, licking greedily at her lips.

That night, the fatty slept squeezed next to the doctor. He thought he understood why the doctor refused to sleep.

If he slept, then with his skills, he was no match for any of the three: the old woman, Chen Ran, or Su Xiaoxiao.

If they used some tricks, he and the doctor's heads would probably move house that night.

That night, he had many strange dreams, some of which could even be described as absurd. He dreamed of a pure white giant stone plate, with countless people surrounding the stone plate and shouting something loudly.

Hot blood was splashed on the stone plate, glaringly red.

A strange painting was engraved on the stone plate. Scarlet red surged along the grooves on the stone plate, making the painting clearer and clearer. Gradually, he widened his eyes.

This was... a creature he had never seen before.

Just as the painting was about to reveal its entirety, the fatty was woken up by someone patting him. Still immersed in the dream, he couldn't help but shudder violently.

The person who woke him up lay down without ceremony after the fatty woke up.

"Wake me up in 2 hours," Jiang Cheng closed his eyes, pillowing his arm. "Just stay here, don't leave," he said finally.

During this time, the fatty faithfully stayed by Jiang Cheng's side until he estimated that the time was almost up, then he woke him up.

"Doctor," the fatty patted him gently, "it's time to get up."

"Doctor?"

"It's... time..."

The fatty called three times before Jiang Cheng opened his eyes. After waking up, Jiang Cheng slowly sat up, stayed for a while, then stood up and stretched his body.

The fatty suddenly felt a little sorry for the doctor.

He was obviously exhausted, and faint red bloodshot eyes were faintly visible.

"Where are they?" Jiang Cheng glanced around and turned to look at the fatty.

Only the old woman and Su An, who was already awake but still obviously very weak, were left in the room. The latter was leaning against the corner, her big eyes looking at Jiang Cheng from time to time.

Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran... were gone.

"Doctor," the fatty said softly, "they said they went to look for clues nearby, and then told us to stay and guard the flame, and... and Su An and that woman."