Benjamin slowly walked forward a few steps, gently removing the family photo to examine it closely.
On the left was a cheerful little girl with pigtails, slightly chubby cheeks, and delicate, bright features.
She was holding the arm of the middle-aged woman, a slender woman with long hair, wrinkles around her eyes, and a smiling expression.
Benjamin, a head taller than both of them, stood on the right, grinning, his right arm around the middle-aged woman's shoulder.
This photo was taken three years ago.
Benjamin looked around for a while, then went to his bedroom, which he remembered, and opened the door.
A beige wardrobe stood against the wall, along with a matching desk, a soft bed, and a bedside table—nothing else.
If you ignored the tangled mess of clothes in the corner and the few crumpled tissues scattered on the floor, the room looked quite tidy.
Benjamin threw the tangled clothes into the outside trash can, then locked the living room door and his bedroom door.
He went to the bedside table and used a charger to power his phone, which was dead in his pocket.
Donning a doctor's protective suit and a black mask, Benjamin activated the lighthouse mark on his arm with a thought.
[Enter the Lighthouse?]
"Yes"
Benjamin's vision shifted instantly, and he found himself in a wide plaza.
The sky was a deep, dark abyss, and beneath his feet lay a smooth, black floor.
At the center of the plaza stood a towering lighthouse.
The tower exuded an aura of age, with occasional ripples of crimson light swirling across its surface.
The top of the tower constantly rotated, emitting a warm glow that illuminated the plaza and dispelled the surrounding darkness.
Benjamin gazed into the distance.
At the edge of the light, it seemed to be neutralizing the darkness, oscillating and resisting within a mere inch of its edge.
However, some tiny beams of light pierced the darkness, revealing winding paths woven with warm light, flanked by miniature lighthouses.
Although described as small lighthouses, judging by their distance and height, they were several stories tall.
Each small lighthouse emitted a faint light, like a candle lit in the darkness.
The entire lighthouse complex resembled a giant, burning beacon tower in the darkness, with rows of candles lit along its outermost edge, extending the range of light even further.
From the endless darkness in the distance, soul-stirring roars, heavy footsteps, and various strange cries and hissing echoed intermittently.
Benjamin could even sense something circling and swaying around the lighthouse's light in the darkness.
But all of this was blocked by the lighthouse's glow, as if forming a protective shield.
Benjamin withdrew his gaze and observed the crowd in the square.
There weren't many people in the square, but most wore various forms of disguise and hurried along alone.
There were also some people wearing identical badges or uniforms, gathered in small groups, clearly belonging to different organizations, and their conversations were kept very low.
There were also some bizarrely shaped figures: some with ghostly faces, some dressed in mourning clothes and faceless, some suspended in mid-air, some crawling with their joints reversed, some as thin as lampposts, and some resembling zombies.
Ordinary people, disguised with masks, avoided these strange beings.
Near the main lighthouse, in the core area, were tables arranged in a circle, with only a few tables behind which sat 'people' bearing strange features.
Each table had a sign.
"The Crow Association is recruiting. You can join the Tower of No Life. Those interested should wait where they are. The investigator will arrive at 10 PM Blue Star time every day."
Below is an introduction to the Crow Association: The Crow Association was founded by Raven, the master of the Tower of No Life, in the year 2124 of the Blue Star Calendar. It has over 100 members...
"The Mysterious Alliance is recruiting, specializing in ancient worlds, only accepting people from the Bright Realm..."
"The Azure Moon Alliance is recruiting. Newcomers can receive a full set of Azure Moon Star standard single-person firepower equipment for free..."
...
Rows of job postings were displayed on the table.
Benjamin was observing when a person dressed in magic robes, carrying a peach wood sword, and wearing a gold-patterned mask suddenly appeared beside him.
This person was handsome, exuding an aura of unwavering courage.
He didn't look like a magician, but more like a swordsman!
As if sensing something, he turned around and saw Benjamin staring at him. He smiled slightly and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Brother, my name is Lynas. I've just finished a scenario world and am entering the Lighthouse for the first time. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Oh, a pleasure to meet you too. I'm also a first-timer at the Lighthouse."
Benjamin looked at Lynas's attire. This was someone with good fortune, but he wanted to know which supernatural world the one had previously experienced.
The two of them, curiously observing their surroundings, stood out too much compared to the others who hurried by.
A few people noticed them and quickly gathered around.
"Are you newbies? Want the Lighthouse Encyclopedia? It's compiled by the master of the Tower of Ghost Shadow, a must-have for newbies, and it comes with a free intelligence booklet."
A woman in a black robe and white mask asked, holding up a book.
"Newbies, *1000 Detailed Guides to Lighthouses* will answer all your questions. It's certified by the Doll Tower Master, and it also comes with intelligence."
Another person wearing a gorilla headgear said, holding up a set of books.
*Two Hours to Understand Lighthouses*, *3000 Questions about Lighthouses*...
A group of people, each holding intelligence compiled by their respective tower masters, enthusiastically recommended their books.
"How much are they?" Benjamin asked.
"100 Survival Points!"
"Same..."
All the same price, no malicious price-cutting.
"You, you, you... keep them. The others don't need them." Lynas waved his hand, pointing out each of the five who said they came with intelligence.
"Brother, in the Lighthouse, intelligence is king. This isn't the time to be stingy, you reap what you sow."
Lynas held up the five booklets and intelligence letters he had bought, gesturing to Benjamin.
"Uh, you are right, but I'm short of funds and can only afford two."
"What a pity..." Lynas glanced at Benjamin regretfully and sighed in disappointment.
Benjamin selected and bought "100 Detailed Explanations of the Lighthouse" and "The Complete Encyclopedia of the Lighthouse."
Because the two of them were standing at the front of the crowd, and the others clearly didn't dare to push them.
Benjamin picked up the two booklets and flipped through them casually, comparing them.
"The area illuminated by the main lighthouse is a safe zone."
"Teleportation to the story world will randomly place you within a 500-mile radius of the main character."
"The dark area outside the lighthouse is called the 'Mystery Realm,' and those who enter will die."
"Every 12 fixed dungeon months is the 'Lights Out Day,' during which all lighthouse guardians will enter a large-scale horror dungeon. There is a death indicator."
"There are only three and a half months left until the next 'Lights Out Day'."
After glancing at them, Benjamin decided to go back and read them at his own pace.
He continued browsing, and the people still promoting their products nearby, seeing that Benjamin didn't intend to buy anything, were about to disperse.
'Her eyes, her eyes.'
'Like...like...stars shining.'
A folk song accompaniment suddenly rang out from about 100 meters behind Benjamin and his companions.
Benjamin immediately recognized it as the background music for "The Haunted Bride" from the movie *Zombie Master*.