Today, I Have Yet to Become a Doll

Without a clue, they could only continue down the street.

Afterward, they encountered the Skinned Monsters several more times. Small and troublesome, their numbers gradually increased. They could handle seven or eight, but when more than a dozen attacked at once, it became overwhelming.

Unsure of how many more monsters lay ahead, they sought temporary refuge in a convenience store by the roadside.

The convenience store was also overgrown with flesh. Meat-like shelves lay scattered, some shattered on the floor, others clinging to the walls, fused with the fleshy walls, warm and sticky, emitting a pungent, bloody odor.

Interestingly, despite the surrounding red flesh and the lack of any lighting, their vision remained clear.

Cheng Wei cautiously reached out and touched the flesh.

Walls, floor, doors, windows, shelves, checkout counter… everything had transformed into flesh. There was no skin, only a thin membrane of flesh that bled easily with the slightest cut.

"It's different from last time…" Teacher Cheng murmured.

"Indeed, it's different," Shen Mo agreed in a low voice.

Last time, in the mirror maze, the city's structures retained their texture. Cement was cement, glass was glass, merely rearranged to form a labyrinth.

This time, however, the arrangement of the city remained the same. Streets and buildings held their original positions. The only difference was the texture.

"If the street layout matches the map, we don't have to worry about getting lost," Shen Mo mused. "But where's the exit?"

Last time, they wandered the maze searching for an exit.

But this time, the map clearly marked every location. Where could the exit be?

Teacher Cheng said, "We can't search slowly like last time. The previous maze had water, electricity, and food. But here… the food and water we brought can only last two days at most."

They had been careless.

Preconceived notions led them to pack lightly, prioritizing mobility in dangerous situations, and not bringing enough food and water.

They hadn't anticipated this situation. …Of course, there was no shortage of meat here.

But who would dare eat this meat?

Shen Mo pondered, then said, "If this maze is some kind of organism, it should have corresponding organs. We could try searching for major organs, like the heart or brain. That might give us a clue."

Of course, this was just a hypothesis. If it were an alien creature, it might not have familiar organs.

Tan Xiao asked, "Which way should we go?"

He bent down to look at the map in Pan Xiaoshou's hands and asked, "Should we head directly to the city center?"

Conventional wisdom suggested that important things were usually hidden in the center.

Bai Youwei spoke, her face pale, "Doesn't this meat bleed…?"

Her voice was soft, her mouth barely open, as if opening it wider would allow her to inhale more of the nauseating air.

"…Let's try stabbing it a few more times. If the maze is a single organism, it should have a circulatory system. Blood flow varies in different areas. It's fastest in the aorta and slowest in the capillaries due to their larger surface area. To find the heart, we should first look for the aorta."

It was a plan.

They didn't delay, immediately putting it into action.

Although everything was flesh and lumps of meat, in some places, they could see raised veins within the flesh.

Shen Mo stabbed a prominent dark red vein. When he withdrew the dagger, blood spurted out like a burst water pipe.

After a moment, the flow slowed.

Shen Mo touched the wound, frowning. "…It's healing."

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