Thirty-seven. Escape from the Basement

Stepping over a floor covered in broken charcoal, Lu Li descended a dozen steps and arrived at the basement's lowest level.

Raised high, the oil lamp dispelled the darkness around him, and the basement bore the marks of fire damage as well, but it was much better than the situation above. Some things still retained their original shapes, like the blackened deer head and the smoked axe hanging on the stone walls.

In the corners and beneath the staircase, only distorted black matter remained, unrecognizable in its original form.

This place might have once served as a storage room for a library.

On the wall at the farthest end of the basement was a door. Most of it was burnt away, leaving only parts clinging to the frame like leaves nibbled by caterpillars. The space behind the door seemed to be a rest room, with a charred single bed frame and a wardrobe placed in the corner.

These were the only two items in the basement that were somewhat well-preserved.