Adrian knew the idea was absurd.

Yet, it was the only option they had.

Adrian remained silent, prompting Ariana to lean tiredly against the door. She found herself thinking about Holden and how he was doing.

Then, her thoughts shifted to Bennett. The realization that Bennett, their foe, was still alive sparked a renewed determination in her.

"Come on, Ariana!" she muttered to herself.

After a moment of self-encouragement, Ariana stood up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and grabbed Adrian by the arm. "Get up. Let's find another exit. There has to be more than one way out of here. We..."

Before she could finish, a burning odor filled the air.

As the smell grew stronger, Ariana paused, looking puzzled. “Do you smell that?" she asked Adrian.

Adrian took a sniff and nodded, finding it difficult to breathe now.

"Is that man trying to suffocate us in here?" Adrian covered his nose and muttered, "That man is too cruel! Using such a method to kill us."

Hearing Adrian's words, Ariana covered her nose and wondered if he might be right.

"Let's go find that man," Ariana said as she exchanged a determined look with Adrian. "Let's see what he's up to."

Together, they followed the burning smell, which led them down to the third floor of the basement. The door was ajar, and upon entering, they immediately saw the middle-aged man slaughtering a sheep.

Ariana recalled the scent she had smelled from the man. She realized now that it wasn't the scent of human blood but that of an animal being butchered.

It appeared that the man wasn't a murderer but rather a poor cook, given the sheep was only partially butchered and parts of it had turned into charred pieces of meat now.

Completely absorbed in his task, the middle-aged man didn't even notice Ariana and Adrian.

The man was busy throwing freshly cut mutton into a frying pan, where it quickly charred under the high heat. After a while, Adrian whispered in disbelief, "Is he trying to suffocate us or himself?"

Ariana watched silently as more pieces of meat turned to charcoal.

Unable to watch the culinary disaster any further, she gathered her courage and said to the man, “Do you need any help? I know how to cook."