An hour later, Qiao Liang clutched the golden lantern and once again arrived at the entrance of “Ultimate Terror.”

Everyone gathered around to encourage him.

“You can do it, Old Qiao!”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that scary once you get used to it.”

“If someone as timid as me can do it, you’ll be fine.”

The last comment was obviously from Ruan Guangjian. Qiao Liang rolled his eyes, not believing a single word.

After leaving the Golden Maze, Qiao Liang went directly to “Haunted House Nightmare” to challenge it again.

Whether it was because he had already attempted it once and was better mentally prepared, or because he was inspired by everyone’s encouragement, especially the friendship from Mr. Pei, this attempt went smoothly.

Although he missed two or three minor details, his overall performance was satisfactory, and he successfully obtained the entry credential from the staff.

Now, he stood at the entrance of “Ultimate Terror,” ready to face his destiny.

He was terrified, clutching the golden lantern in his hand like a lifeline.

“I’m going in! Wait for news of my victorious return!”

Qiao Liang waved goodbye to everyone and stepped into “Ultimate Terror.”

Once inside, visibility immediately dropped. Dim yellow lights illuminated the walls. Peeling paint, corroded posters, and dried bloodstains mixed with white gel-like substances created an immediately terrifying atmosphere.

A girl wearing a face mask and a nurse’s uniform sat behind a decrepit hospital desk, covered in blood. Her hands were hidden under the table, her head hanging low with long hair covering her entire face. She blended perfectly with the scene, making Qiao Liang nearly miss her at first glance, almost mistaking her for a corpse prop.

Looking around, this reception-like setup appeared to be the only way forward.

Qiao Liang silently lit his golden lantern and approached the hospital desk.

Just as he was about to speak, the nurse suddenly lifted her head with an extremely stiff movement!

Her eyes were bloodshot, and a gruesome wound seemed to mark her forehead. Blood was seeping through her mask where her mouth would be. Her neck had clear bite marks with dark blood oozing out.

Qiao Liang gasped.

Even the receptionist was this dedicated?

The zombie nurse didn’t speak, only extending her hand with very rigid movements.

Her hands were also made up, with skin peeling to reveal dark red wounds, covered in blood.

Qiao Liang froze for a moment, then quickly handed over the entry credential he had obtained from “Haunted House Nightmare.”

The credential had his photo on it. After the zombie nurse confirmed it was him, she took out a liability waiver from the desk and handed it to Qiao Liang to sign.

The waiver contained many detailed clauses and asked whether Qiao Liang had heart disease or related conditions, requiring honest answers.

Qiao Liang checked the relevant boxes, signed, and handed it back.

Compared to ordinary haunted houses, Fearful Lodge was safer because the three major attractions increased in horror gradually. Anyone who could complete “Haunted House Nightmare” had already proven their health condition and psychological resilience were sufficient to withstand this level of fright, reducing the already low probability of accidents to a minimum.

The zombie nurse took the waiver with rigid movements, reviewed it carefully, and put it away.

Then, she slowly produced a key and placed it on the desk.

Qiao Liang picked up the key nervously: “Are… are there any precautions I should take?”

The zombie nurse didn’t answer, just staring at him with her bloodshot eyes.

Qiao Liang: “…”

Silently taking the key, he unlocked the door and entered a dim corridor.

Qiao Liang had already heard Chen Kangtuo briefly mention that the entire “Ultimate Terror” project was housed in a large factory building with a circular structure. These dark, cramped corridors served to connect the various smaller attractions.

Although the corridor’s scenery also had an ancient and horrifying style, compared to the frights he had experienced in “Haunted House Nightmare,” this was nothing.

The horror level of “Ultimate Terror” was progressive. Visitors who had completed “Haunted House Nightmare” could adapt well in the beginning, without being scared away immediately.

At the end of the corridor was another door, this time not requiring a key, but like before, it needed to be pulled outward rather than pushed in.

It seemed all doors here were designed to be pulled outward rather than pushed inward.

Qiao Liang grabbed the rusty black iron doorknob, mentally preparing himself.

He knew well that jump scares when opening doors were a common tactic in horror settings. Doors that pulled outward made it easier to hide jump scares—no one knew what might jump out when the door opened.

However, after cautiously pulling open the iron door, no corpse or other terrifying thing jumped out. Instead, normal lighting greeted him.

White walls, even floor tiles—it looked like a normal hospital examination room. Several relaxing landscape paintings hung on the walls. The entire space contained only a desk, two chairs, a hospital bed, and an ECG machine beside the bed.

Qiao Liang instantly felt the warmth of home, and… confusion.

What was going on?

He almost thought he had been transported somewhere else.

Looking at the golden lantern in his hand, it seemed somewhat out of place in this setting.

A female doctor in a white coat smiled and said, “Hello.”

“I’m the doctor here. Before you continue forward, we need to do a simple ECG test and psychological assessment.”

Qiao Liang lay on the bed as the doctor began wiping his chest with alcohol to place the electrodes, just like a routine hospital examination.

The female doctor appeared to be around thirty years old. Though not particularly beautiful, her constant smile made people feel comfortable.

Soon, the ECG test was complete, and in two minutes, the ECG chart would be ready.

Qiao Liang grabbed a tissue to clean the alcohol from his body and, at the doctor’s guidance, came to sit at the desk.

“Look at these images and tell me what first comes to mind.”

Qiao Liang recognized these pictures as the “inkblot test,” a projective personality test. The subject observes these images, and their responses, reaction time, pauses, and accompanying actions all reflect their psychological state.

Qiao Liang didn’t understand the details and could only answer based on his first impressions.

The greatest advantage of the projective method is that the intent of the test is hidden, so it can obtain more authentic answers.

In ordinary psychological tests, questions like “Do you think you have a mental illness?” often appear, affecting the accuracy of the test.

However, the projective method requires the tester (doctor) to possess professional knowledge. A complete inkblot test often takes more than 20 minutes, but such thorough testing is mainly for patients with actual psychological disorders.

The test here was just to briefly determine the visitor’s psychological state, so it wouldn’t take as long, just two minutes.

The doctor collected the pictures, nodded with a smile: “Very good, don’t be nervous. I’ll go check your ECG results.”

The doctor retrieved the printed ECG and sat back down across from Qiao Liang.

“Congratulations, your test…”

Just as Qiao Liang was happily thinking he could continue, the doctor unexpectedly fell backward with a loud “BANG!” All the lights in the room went out!

The previously snow-white walls were instantly covered with various gruesome horror patterns—snarling distorted faces, twisted arms, dense bloody handprints… These multicolored, horrific images emitted a faint fluorescent glow, surrounding Qiao Liang!

The previously green landscape paintings had somehow all turned blood red.

Even the ECG test results Qiao Liang held in his hand had a twisted, glowing red handprint on the back of the paper!

The room had been prepared all along. All these patterns were drawn on the walls with transparent fluorescent material that would appear horrific once the lights were turned off!

Simultaneously, giggles echoed around Qiao Liang—some sharp, some low. They resonated grimly throughout the space, instantly breaking down Qiao Liang’s psychological defenses!

Qiao Liang shouted and stood up to run, but something tripped his foot. Fortunately, he grabbed the table for support and didn’t fall.

The feeling of something holding his ankle terrified him. He instinctively tried to shake his trapped leg free, but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the sinister laughter around him suddenly increased in volume, turning into maniacal laughter, with some voices laughing while gasping and coughing uncontrollably.

In his panic, Qiao Liang reached out to feel what had trapped him. Thankfully, it was just a simple rope loop around his foot, with the other end connected to the desk. The doctor who had fallen to the ground earlier had completely disappeared.

The desk and chair were scene props. The desk’s four legs were completely fixed to the floor, and there was a mechanism under the doctor’s chair.

But Qiao Liang had no time to consider these details. He frantically removed the rope loop from his foot, his first reaction being to flee. Trying hard not to look at the gruesome drawings on the walls, he ran to the ECG bed to retrieve his golden lantern from the table.

This was his lifesaver!

But at the same time, a blood-covered hand reached out from under the hospital bed!

Qiao Liang was scared out of his wits and ran frantically to the entrance, but the door had automatically locked and wouldn’t open!

Seeing the monster about to crawl out from under the bed, Qiao Liang could only run toward the other door—the exit.

While he was lying on the bed for the ECG test, this “monster” had been quietly hiding underneath, waiting for him to return for his golden lantern.

Qiao Liang frantically pulled open the door and rushed out, but the moment the door opened, a corpse suddenly dropped down from the wall opposite!

There was a small turn here. After opening the door, one had to go right, and this “corpse” was hanging on the wall directly opposite, suspended in mid-air with a noose around its neck—it was the female doctor who had just tested Qiao Liang.

“She” was covered in blood, with an eerie smile on her face.

This was a mannequin made to look like the doctor, but the realistic appearance combined with the creepy lighting still frightened Qiao Liang badly.

After a two-second hesitation from shock, Qiao Liang hurriedly took his lantern and fled!