“I know! As long as I can walk out that door behind you, I can make a clean break with this damned place!” Brian GrantSecond Grant said through gritted teeth. “If others can walk out, why can’t I?”

Upon hearing this, William Ford sighed inwardly. There are many things in this world that others can do, but you simply cannot.

Masked Man spoke in a flat, emotionless voice:

“Go in.”

Behind him, a perfectly ordinary, shabby wooden door appeared in an instant. If there was anything unusual about it, it was that the handle of the door faintly emitted a captivating red glow!

Brian Grant’s facial muscles twisted. Suddenly, he let out a roar, grabbed the handle, and rushed into the door. The door opened and closed extremely fast, but William Ford could still see a trace of blood-red light shining from within. Strange noises erupted from the room, sounding both like a ferocious beast gnawing on bones and like seventeen or eighteen people sawing through wood with all their might. Yet, after only a minute—or to be precise, when William Ford had silently counted to fifty-five—a shrill, desperate scream suddenly rang out from inside the house!

“Kill me! Kill me now!”

As soon as the words fell, after a series of heavy, forceful chopping and bone-crushing sounds, black froth sprayed out from the crack of the door, hitting William Ford’s face with a stinging pain before slowly sliding down. William Ford did not reach up to wipe it away; instead, he savored the last sound that had come from the room, and couldn’t help but think, “So, the sound of human bones being smashed is exactly the same as that of pig bones, isn’t it?”

Masked Man gazed at him quietly for a long while before saying calmly, “Come here.”

William Ford thought for a moment before replying:

“Since I’ve come here and witnessed so many unbelievable things, I suppose the consequences of not joining would be very serious.”

“The consequence is the same as his.” Masked Man said calmly. As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the line of blood gradually congealing on William Ford’s face.

“Then, what are the benefits of joining?” William Ford smiled. At this moment, he could still smile! “It’s like a very demanding boss hiring an employee—you have to show the benefits first, right?”

Masked Man hadn’t expected this young man to be so composed. He was stunned for a moment before saying, “If you can complete ten golden mainline tasks, you may make one request.”

William Ford suddenly took a deep breath, lowering his head so that others couldn’t see his expression. One could only sense the intense inner struggle he was experiencing. After a long while, he finally spoke with great caution: “So, can this request accomplish things that modern science cannot, or cannot even imagine? For example, bringing someone back to life who has died and already been cremated?”

“Yes.” Masked Man replied with a single word. Clearly, this was not the first time he had been asked this question.

William Ford suddenly clenched his fists—not as a prelude to attack, but because his entire body was tensed with excitement. His lips were unconsciously bitten open, and a salty, metallic taste spread in his mouth.

It was the taste of blood.

“I’ll join.” William Ford quickly regained his composure and said, “What do I need to do?”

“Have you killed before?” Masked Man suddenly asked an unrelated question. But William Ford knew he had seen this from his calmness after witnessing a gruesome death, so he skillfully replied, “I don’t want to talk about the past.”

Masked Man gazed at him deeply, then suddenly flicked his fingers.

Behind him, the enormous, bronze-colored door that stretched from floor to ceiling suddenly emitted a faint glow. The color of the light was eerie and terrifying, as if thick blood had been brushed across the giant door. Masked Man ordered, “Walk over.”

William Ford took a deep breath and slowly walked forward. When he was about a meter from the giant door, he noticed countless tiny characters and strange patterns on its surface. Just as he was about to look more closely, a tremendous, irresistible force suddenly pulled at his body from the front. A burning pain shot through his chest, and then he lost consciousness!

Entering: The World of the Round Table Knights, Chapter 4, No. 13776

When William Ford opened his eyes, he found himself in a shabby, low-ceilinged room. The dilapidated plank walls all around let in drafts from every direction, and the blanket covering him was made of rough, tough fabric, patched in many places. As William Ford ran his fingers over its surface, the information stored in his mind immediately identified it as a very poor-quality linen.

Through the roof, riddled with holes, he could vaguely see that it was night outside, with stars scattered across the sky and a crisp, cold freshness in the air. Scattered carelessly around the room were a few broken wine barrels and hoops, and beside them was a wooden-framed saddle. Behind the door leaned a wheeled plow.