Chapter 173 Frank Hospital
Compared to the【Pen Stylus】that arrived via the game’s express delivery, the host held something that looked more like a chisel with a terrifying blade at the tip. Bluntness and sharpness contradictory mixed together, as he raised his hand high and then firmly and viciously plunged it into the monster’s body.
A tentacle from the mini octopus had just grown a bit and instinctively protected Wen Shi’s heart. From its perspective, the tip was coming straight at them.
Its concern appeared unnecessary.
Splat—
As the pen stylus stabbed the unseen flesh, a strong odor came before the flow of blood, spreading from the wound in the monster’s body. Wen Shi held his breath and turned his face to avoid the dark, fishy blood spurting towards his eyes.
Instead of pulling out the weapon directly, the host swiftly made a slashing motion. With another piece of tissue detaching, the exposed organ instantly resembled peeling wall paint.
However, the monster’s body lay like spilled water on the ground, making it difficult to land a fatal blow. In pain, the exposed organ quickly pressed against the nearby wall to dodge. It was then that it realized there was someone behind it… a man in a pink suit holding an unusual weapon.
Who was this?
Even after racking its brains, Jian Guangsi couldn’t figure out when an additional person had suddenly appeared in the hospital.
Jian Guangsi remained oblivious to the significant connection between the host and A’Ao.
Due to its aggressive nature, A’Ao only let it out annually when interns were on duty, otherwise it was mostly kept in the director’s office. It could escape with some effort, but it wasn’t necessary. Usually, only fresh flesh and blood could truly trigger its devouring instinct.
With the arrival of players in the last two days, Jian Guangsi’s excitement surged once more.
“Th-thank you.” Struggling to straighten his posture, Wen Shi’s mind was only of one thought: when it comes to future prospects, do good deeds.
People really needed to do more good deeds. His efforts in the previous instance, where he struggled to save the host, had finally paid off.
Jian Guangsi used invisible flesh to seal off its blood vessels, ensuring that its breath didn’t escape, all the while trying to find a way to retreat.
Moving cautiously along the wall’s crevice, Jian Guangsi originally thought it was as good as dead. However, upon noticing that the man in the pink suit never looked in its direction, it suddenly came to a halt.
He can’t see me?!
Jian Guangsi cautiously moved closer, confirming that the host had no reaction. A strong sense of joy welled up inside it. Even though it didn’t understand how he had succeeded in the previous attack, it was clear that the man was unaware of its current position.
Seeing that the host didn’t launch a second attack, Wen Shi also paused, aligning his thoughts with Jian Guangsi. He immediately became vigilant and cautioned, “Be careful!”
It happened in the blink of an eye. Jian Guangsi had already burrowed out from the ground, and the host’s shoe soles were halfway melted.
Two consecutive severe injuries left Jian Guangsi unable to use his ability to devour. He had to resort to a more brute-force approach.
A bright flash occurred.
Jian Guangsi unexpectedly paused for a second when the light appeared.
Seizing the brief retrieve, the host took a step back and stabbed the pen stylus towards the ground.
Jian Guangsi instantly moved to the side, but to its surprise, the pen followed its motion. It seemed as though the host could see him again.
Wen Shi, the outsider who had been rescued, finally understood what was happening.
At the junction of the ceiling and wall, a photographer was hiding, aiming a cold camera lens below. Not far from there, a dark camera extended from the room’s door. The host wore headphones, ready to receive information at any moment.
“We are a team,” the host said as the pen stylus once again oozed black liquid.
In this world, the truly formidable were often those who commit crimes as a gang.
The agreement between Wen Shi and the monsters initially requested the preservation of the journalist team, but he hadn’t thought much about it at that time. It was almost a subconscious sense of thoroughness that made him say it without really thinking. In fact, Wen Shi had even forgotten to emphasize the subject of the agreement later on.
Once the initial astonishment wore off, Wen Shi became curious if the host had found new sponsors. With all the old cameras destroyed, replacing the equipment wouldn’t come cheap.
The equipment used by the production team was not to be underestimated. The【Paranormal Time Drone】was the best example, capable of capturing even time-travel moments.
As the cameras captured blurry traces, the photographer relayed the location to the host in real-time. Jian Guangsi experienced a moment of suspense, with pieces of him being stripped away one by one.
Wen Shi turned his face to the mini octopus on his shoulder and asked, “Is it impolite if I just stand here and do nothing?”
Dealing with the unseen mother and its swarming offsprings, this high-difficulty quest seemed to have left him doing nothing serious besides running. Reflecting on it, it was like a relay race. Every time he reached a place, he would pass the baton, and the baton would naturally make its way to the next athlete.
…It felt like a fall from grace.
The mini octopus thought for a moment and said, “Maybe you should shout some words of encouragement. I’ll shout with you… Keep going.”
That counted as using his vocal cords.
“Makes sense,” Wen Shi agreed, “The rules shouldn’t have assigned you in the Intellectual Disability Zone.”
The mini octopus nodded in agreement.
In reality, Wen Shi did play a role. He had wounded Jian Guangsi enough for the host to finish him off with one blow. Combined with the influence of the Intellectual Disability Zone, it made the process of killing the monster much easier for the host.
The black liquid on the ground was almost at Jian Guangsi’s feet. His injuries were severe, and Jian Guangsi could no longer conceal its breath. Only a palm-sized clump of darkness remained, struggling for survival.
Wen Shi approached, holding his Greenwood Sword, and asked the host, “Can I take over?”
The host nodded.
Wen Shi, looking at the creature that had made him so miserable, cruelly raised his arm.
Jian Guangsi tried to shout for help, but all its offsprings were busy dealing with Jian Qingrong below. At this moment, even its own survival was uncertain, making it unable to call for assistance.
“You don’t have anyone up here. I do,” Wen Shi said without hesitation, and the sword descended straight down.
A series of strange, monkey-like cries echoed through the hallway.
There was no need for fancy sword techniques. Like slaughtering a bound beast, Wen Shi’s longsword pierced the monster’s heart directly. With each strike, he made several holes nearby. Different blood holes erupted like fountains, spurting both black and red blood. Besides the monster’s own heart there was also the director’s.
The cries grew weaker, hoarse, until they disappeared.
Wen Shi crouched down, personally cutting out the organs.
“You have obtained the heart hidden by Jian Guangsi. Current collection task progress: 56%.”
Jian Qingrong could enhance his strength by absorbing the Merfolk King’s remains. Wen Shi originally intended to see if A’Ao’s heart hidden within Jian Guangsi had a similar effect. Unexpectedly, he received a prompt sound.
The remaining part of Jian Guangsi turned into black liquid. Wen Shi hurriedly searched in the foul-smelling liquid and indeed found a small black heart, about the size of a fingernail, which hadn’t turned into liquid.
“You have obtained Jian Guangsi’s heart. Current collection task progress: 66%.”
“Special quest — Killing the director’s pet has been completed.”
“【Small Cloak】status bar has been updated.”
【Small Cloak: Concealment +50, Cold Resistance +50, can turn invisible for two minutes per day, and can freely adjust its size based on the user’s condition.】
Both the cloak and Jian Guangsi had similar invisibility abilities. The game no longer provided a separate invisibility item, instead extending it to existing items.
“Special quest — Killing the Director’s half has been completed.”
“Congratulations, you are one step closer to becoming the Director.”
Today’s system prompt sounded like a never-ending cycle, just like harvesting chives, one crop after another.
“You have reached the fifth floor. Congratulations, you have triggered the curse of this floor.”
“Please find a way to break the curse within forty-eight hours.”
“……” Then what was there to congratulate?
Wen Shi suddenly looked at the host, whose skin was very pale. However, it wasn’t the exaggerated whiteness from excessive makeup. His skin felt like marble, stiff and icy, with signs of cracking at any moment.
The camera crew hidden in the shadows had similar statuses, resembling stone sculptures.
Wen Shi suddenly thought of a possibility, “Have you all been cursed too?”
Compared to before, the host spoke far less, and this seemed related to his current cursed state.
He nodded without much expression.
The host had more resilience than Wen Shi. He had endured for quite some time, but it was estimated that he could only hold out for another two or three days at most.
After three seconds of silence, Wen Shi patted his chest. “I, Aaron, take full responsibility.”
“…Let’s go down first.” After making a bold statement, his face quickly sagged. The nauseating black liquid on the ground made his head spin. Holding his breath for so long was taking a toll on his body.
Wen Shi remembered that Jian Guangsi had consumed many people in the past. The liquid was a collection of bodily fluids, fermenting in the shadows over the years, and it could even contain mild toxins.
On the fourth-floor staircase, Jian Qingrong left no stains while dealing with the split entities around.
All purification was completed in complete silence.
Some of the patients he brought from the Split Zone had varying degrees of injuries during the transition. Pushing them too hard might trigger a backlash.
After last night, Jian Qingrong’s power was somewhat depleted.
Earlier, he had seen Jian Guangsi devouring the octopus’ tentacle, confirming it was a very adept at concealing. Wen Shi was low on vitality and already showed signs of overexertion. According to Jian Qingrong’s estimation, the sword could be used at most one more time in a short period. If they couldn’t eliminate the monster in one go and were surrounded by the remaining split entities, the situation would become quite dire.
The best approach was to split up.
Jian Qingrong learned from the patients that the intruding journalist had been taken to the fifth floor, and there was more than one person who had been taken there.
Compared to the restless monsters on the fourth floor and the patients in the Fantasy Zone, Wen Shi’s way out was upstairs.
At this moment, some flesh had been corroded from Jian Qingrong’s right wrist, and there were still a few scattered split entities left to deal with.
A cold snort echoed from upstairs, “Useless stuff.”
After casting a disdainful glance at Jian Qingrong, the mini octopus stood on Wen Shi’s shoulder and waved a tentacle, “Charge ahead and save people.”
NPCs didn’t have good temperaments. The host’s gaze slowly fell on that arrogant tentacle.
From the mini octopus’ tone, Wen Shi strongly suspected that it had recently read some inappropriate literature. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the time for questioning, so Wen Shi quickly whispered an explanation, “It just came out of the Intellectual Disability Zone.”
The host chose to forgive a dimwit.
“Could you please help my friend?”
NPCs usually had bad temperaments, but in return for saving the camera crew, the host didn’t mind giving a helping hand to this friend the other person cared about.
The pen tip expertly stabbed into each dark shadow. Split entities were much easier to deal with than the mother entity. With skillful strokes of the pen, more black stains appeared on the ground.
After clearing away the split entities, Wen Shi spread out both his palms and tilted his head, looking at Jian Qingrong, “Any preference?”
One heart in each hand.
A’Ao’s heart, although only half, was much larger and almost pierced like a sieve.
Jian Qingrong glanced at it and shook his head slightly.
A’Ao’s source of power appeared to be unique. His heart was merely a weakness with no value for absorption.
Upon hearing this, Wen Shi requested that everyone accompany him to the XX Zone.
While passing by the Fantasy Zone, the patients at the entrance hesitated and didn’t actively confront them.
After passing through the Fantasy Zone, Wen Shi stopped in front of a ward door. He asked Jian Qingrong and the others to wait outside and knocked on the door three times with a finger before walking in.
Patient 233 in the ward shifted his gaze slightly upon seeing the “intruder.”
With hands full of sticky bloodstains yet not a hint of malice, it was hard to discern the true purpose of the visitor.
Wen Shi calmly placed the halved heart on the bedside table and introduced, “This is the director’s.”
He then tossed Jian Guangsi’s heart into the trash can. Afterward, without asking, Wen Shi pulled out a wet tissue and meticulously wiped away the bloodstains on his fingers, displaying a rather peculiar behavior.
“I said I would kill the director. The promises I make are always true and valid.” A faint smile curved at the corner of the young man’s mouth, making him look both human and demonic at the same time.
He couldn’t hold the disgusting organ for too long. Since he was already here, it wouldn’t hurt to put on a little act before leaving.
An elegant yet bizarre image was advantageous for obtaining an opportunity for relatively equal communication with the patients. If he was lucky, he might even extract some clues about the fifth floor’s curse.
……
While Wen Shi was engaged in group combat, the team-building group was still comfortably riding in the super luxurious carriage, heading to the team-building location.
A’Ao was extremely stingy when it came to the hospital’s expenses, even reluctant to spend on renovating the floor tiles. However, when it came to his own image, he spared no expense, using expensive carriages for his travels.
During the endgame, Wen Shi had the opportunity to experience it once when he was brought back to the hospital from the ancient castle. Now, the carriage that the players rode in were much larger and more luxurious compared to the one he had ridden in that day.
“I wonder how things are in the hospital.” Ji Yuanzhi furrowed his brows slightly. “Pei Wenwei, as the triggerer of this instance, had the most innate advantages, but he seems to be having a harder time than anyone else.”
Just the thought of Wen Shi fighting alone made Song Yan anxious. “Is there any way to end the team-building early and rush back to help?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how unrealistic it sounded. One of the hospital’s rules stated that on the day of the team-building, absence or early departure without a valid reason was forbidden.
That was an ironclad rule.
In the same carriage, Seventh Commandment Guild Leader, who had already awakened from the hypnosis effect, secretly wished for the crucifix to bless Pei Wenwei with an early death and reincarnation.
He made the sign of the cross on his chest, but before he could complete the gesture, the carriage suddenly lurched heavily.
As the startled horses let out an urgent neigh, the players inside the carriage were thrown against the carriage walls.
The elaborately decorated top of the carriage in front was overturned, and A’Ao coughed up a mouthful of blood. In his extreme anger, he couldn’t even control the overflow of his own power—
“Aaron!” He roared furiously, shaking the heavens and the earth. “Damn it, it must be him, it must be!”
A’Ao had already started to speak incoherently.
The dull pain in his chest reminded him that half of his heart had been deliberately damaged.
The hospital was now left with only patients, a few nurses, and one doctor.
The patients couldn’t suddenly turn on his pet, and the nurses were even less likely. On every team-building day, A’Ao would leave behind one “duty personnel”, but in reality, it was to satisfy Jian Guangsi’s voracious appetite.
Even if there were ten thousand impossibilities, the only one who would dare to kill Jian Guangsi was that insignificant ant.
He wished he could turn into an arrow and fly back to the hospital, but A’Ao couldn’t violate the hospital rules. The pent-up anger turned the power inside him into chaos, and the cattle in the fields by the side of the road suffered, their blood vessels ruptured by the air currents. The fresh blood happened to splatter onto Song Yan and the others sitting in the carriage. Seventh Commandment Guild Leader, who was by the window, was covered in blood.
“Argh, I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you—”
The deafening roar from ahead continued, mixed with the sound of hoofbeats. Many players had grim expressions. Spending half a day doing team-building with such a lunatic was simply unbearable.
Yu Xingzhou promptly took out the syringe given to him by the nurse during the career switch and injected it into the panicked horse, which was about to run amok.
Before this, he hadn’t expected to use a sedative here.
After calming the horse that was pulling the carriage by force, Yu Xingzhou put away the item used to solve the trouble and looked at Ji Yuanzhi, calmly speaking, “Don’t just pity Pei Wenwei. Have some sympathy for us too.”
“……”
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