Chapter 162.2 Frank Hospital
Dormitory.
Currently, there were only eleven people in the dormitory. The bizarre deaths of players had led the surviving acquaintances to form small groups. Among them, two held more influence: Seventh Commandment Guild Leader and a renowned elite player known for black-market dealings.
“The triggerer of the instance has a more significant advantage than we imagined,” Seventh Commandment Guild Leader stated objectively. “Pei Wenwei’s quest is undoubtedly different from ours.”
They conducted their quests at night, while Pei Wenwei rested. Therefore, his quest would inevitably be issued during the day.
“Tracing it back to the roots, all advantages rely on the identity of an official doctor. If this identity can transfer to us, the advantage is ours.”
The short-haired female player scoffed, “If you look around this whole hospital, there’s not a single doctor in sight. If you want us to be your tools to help you get a formal position, just say it directly.”
Seventh Commandment Guild Leader spoke slowly, “We can sign a contract item in advance. Once I become a doctor, I will unconditionally share the information I have and provide help within my capabilities.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of interest appeared in the female player’s eyes. Given the absence of any pre-existing connections, it was improbable to expect Pei Wenwei to share information.
“How do you want us to help you?”
“We can’t resort to infighting, so the only path to claim the sole official position is to prove the other’s incompetence,” Seventh Commandment Guild Leader analyzed the situation adeptly. “Just disrupting a doctor’s personal task once should yield results.”
He began to persuade others, starting with tempting offers and negotiations with the elite black-market player.
“My skill is【Slack Off】, not in the mood to get involved,” the black-market player, whose health wasn’t great, said between coughs. “You guys go ahead with your own plans.”
Seventh Commandment Guild Leader furrowed his brow. With other players’ participation, he had at least a seventy percent chance of success.
Joining forces wasn’t mandatory. In the end, six people agreed to cooperate with Seventh Commandment Guild Leader to provide assistance.
The dormitory wasn’t the place for detailed discussions, so they headed to the adjacent prayer room for further deliberations. After the seven left, one of the players who often helped the black-market player with shady dealings said, “He seems overly eager to attack Pei Wenwei.”
“Players holding World Shards will become candidates for the director’s position. Can you blame him for being proactive?”
Wen Shi had received the same system notification when he first obtained the shard, but this time, the game didn’t send another reminder. Other players who possessed World Shards received notifications shortly after entering Frank Hospital.
Interns couldn’t become the director, so they had to figure out how to transition to official positions first.
The remaining people were perplexed. Since the other player knew this information and must have a World Shard, why didn’t he participate in the competition?
The black-market player said, “Don’t mess with the first generation.”
“?”
“Last night, some NPC helped him beat up the director. He’s got backing,” the black-market player explained casually. “A’Ao wanted to attack Pei Wenwei as soon as he saw him, which means he had suffered losses in Pei Wenwei’s hands.”
When the 3S instance was triggered, Pei Wenwei was still a newbie back then.
A newbie in an endgame instance who provoked the boss of a future super-tier instance and managed to walk away unscathed must either have incredible abilities or incredible backing.
None of them wanted to run into him.
“Sh—t… Makes sense.”
Seventh Commandment Guild Leader had invested all his intelligence in quest elements and didn’t consider social intricacies. In the end, he might have to resort to divine intervention.
•
At this very moment, a figure in a blood-stained white coat moved stealthily, cursing in frustration just like a traditional sailor.
The side quest prompted by the notification perfectly aligned with what he had to do on the first day: to save an innocent victim.
【Note, you can obtain clues about the identity of the innocent victim in the Director’s office.】
“Find my ass.”
The game: ……
Wen Shi’s sudden profanity made the notification pause for a second.
“You reap what you sow.” From the perspective of the game’s tendency to mess with people, Wen Shi immediately thought of an NPC — the bandaged patient who gave him the World Shard.
“I didn’t complete the quest of deleting File No. 82, but I chose to return it instead. That patient probably wants to slit my throat.”
While it wasn’t clear why the patient demanded the file to be deleted, the fact that the bandaged patient was still fixated on it in such a dire situation showed his level of obsession.
The game loved creating various conflicting situations.
Wen Shi had to save the bandaged patient, while the bandaged patient wanted to kill him. This invisible conflict served to heighten the difficulty of the quest.
“The patient who gave me the shard is the so-called innocent victim, right?”
Asking that soul-searching question, the game, which was skilled at manipulating the situation, fell silent.
During the day, nurses were everywhere, and the freedom of movement for interns was limited. Wen Shi chose to do the quest alone without asking for help from Li Nan and the others.
He started by circling around the first floor, but there was no sign of the bandaged patient in any of the wards. Regrettably, Wen Shi had no choice but to head to the second floor.
Complete silence.
Unlike downstairs, where the suppressed screams of patients could occasionally be heard, this excessive silence exacerbated the underlying anxiety, making even the sound of his breathing seem louder.
Wen Shi glanced left and right. Seeing no nurses around, he stealthily slipped inside and took down the night duty roster hanging on the wall.
【Due to the extreme viciousness of this patient……joined forces to eliminate it.】
A record of the night shift from players last night made his eyes narrow.
The fact that players joined forces suggested that the patients on the second floor had acquired monstrous powers. These creatures had a natural inclination for bloodlust and indiscriminate killing. According to the tone of the instructor, the hospital had sent medical interns inside multiple times, but currently, not a single one had been seen.
First-floor patients tended to self-destruct during the night shift, either by fleeing outside or launching attacks. Many interns had undoubtedly perished during night shifts in the past. If the bandaged patient had been sent here, it was hard to ensure he hadn’t killed anyone before, which would negate the idea of him being an innocent victim.
“Dr. Aaron.” A cool breeze brushed against his neck.
A nurse walked in without making a sound.
Wen Shi, who had been concentrating on examining the duty roster, nearly flung the paper away as his wrist suddenly jerked.
“Is there something you need?” Wen Shi paused for two seconds, then casually patted the non-existent dust off the surface of the roster, as if he had just happened to pass by and was helping pick up something that had fallen on the ground.
“Doctor, your curiosity is truly remarkable,” the plump nurse commented, not buying into his act, while admiring the young man’s perfect appearance. “You were destined for a bright future.”
“I still am,” Wen Shi said with a smile as he set down the duty roster. “Otherwise, why would the Earl treat me differently?”
The plump nurse’s sinister little eyes flickered briefly as she recalled the incident where A’Ao had been beaten.
As Wen Shi looked at the plump nurse, an idea gradually formed in his mind.
Players’ skills were forcefully adapted to meet the criteria for impersonating certified patients, with the goal of extracting their essence. However, he could also take cue from high-level impersonation techniques.
“Would you like to spend 8000 points to activate【Sage’s Clarity】skill?”
“Yes.” Wen Shi nodded decisively.
The plump nurse, who had been staring at his tender skin, suddenly saw nothing but colorful patches. Those patches transformed into the faces of patients she had directly or indirectly caused to die.
Wen Shi took a step forward, prompting a sharp rebuke from the plump nurse, “Don’t come any closer!”
He gave a slight smile. Sage’s Clarity could induce illusions in the target, with a certain chance of making them lose their sanity.
Wen Shi not only didn’t step back but continued to move forward.
Dozens of different deceased faces piled up together. Finally, the plump nurse lost control. Speed and size seemed inversely proportional as she grabbed Wen Shi’s neck. Her strength was strong enough to snap the neck of a grown man with just one hand.
Her face turned purple as she strangled him. Wen Shi’s smile gradually widened.
The plump nurse’s fingers tightened more and more. Just as she was about to crush his fragile throat, her body suddenly trembled violently, as if hit by an electric shock. Her eyes, a mix of madness and fear, cleared up as she looked at the young man who was now coughing violently. She stammered, “I, I…”
Wen Shi lowered his head, suppressing his smile. A’Ao couldn’t even go all out against himself, let alone a nurse.
Sneaking a peek at the duty roster wasn’t sufficient reason to harm doctors. The plump nurse’s actions were already considered a violation.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone,” he said with a hoarse voice.
The plump nurse nervously asked, “Really?”
“In this world, finding a job isn’t easy. But you seem to be showing signs of being assimilated into a violent maniac.”
“No, I’m not. I’m…”
Wen Shi interrupted her, “The last time I left, there was a bandaged patient who escaped the ward and attacked me.”
“Patient 14?” The plump nurse clearly remembered this incident.
Wen Shi rubbed his neck. “He almost choked me.”
Seeing the terrifying finger marks on his slender neck, the plump nurse felt a pang of guilt.
“I should at least return the favor,” Wen Shi asked, “Where is he now?”
“He’s locked up in the special treatment room,” the plump nurse hesitated for a moment but decided to share, “The Director got injured a while back and used him as an example to warn others. It’s pitch dark down there year-round, with no windows. It’s the perfect place for dealing with some stubborn individuals.”
It seemed like he needed someone to release the patient, but in reality, he needed the nurse to guide him.
In the name of needing assistance, Wen Shi requested, “Come with me. I need someone to facilitate his release.”
The two returned to the first floor. Surprisingly, the entrance to the special treatment room was in the prayer room. The plump nurse brought over a table, turned the crucifix on top like a steering wheel, and the floor slowly revealed an entrance.
“……” Quite the devout setup you’ve got here.
After coming down, the plump nurse said, “I can only stay for five minutes. The patients on the first floor…”
“I almost forgot about your job,” Wen Shi had already achieved his goal and wanted her to leave as soon as possible, so he became very accommodating. “You better get back before you neglect your duties and attract the Director.”
The plump nurse sighed in relief. “Just don’t go too far.”
After her brief reminder, she hurriedly left.
The patient was imprisoned underground, so even if he suddenly disappeared from the hospital, it wouldn’t be noted immediately. Wen Shi’s lips twitched. The game was indeed meticulous, but unfortunately, it was a well-set trap aimed at him.
He took a deep breath and proceeded down the passage.
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