The entire hospital seemed to be enveloped in a layer of gray mist. The faces of all the patients currently in dreams remained as calm as they were in normal sleep, completely unaware that their dreamscape was being invaded.
Following the intricate network of dream nodes, the black shadow successfully tore an opening in the vast dream.
Downstairs, Mr. Si vaguely sensed something but couldn’t pinpoint the abnormality.
This was the most terrifying aspect of dreams; whether it bypassed you, attacked you, or altered your memories… it was all silent and traceless.
A special creature like Mr. Si, who had once greedily consumed a piece of Taisui’s flesh, could only perceive that the color of the building seemed to have dimmed slightly.
“Two and a half minutes have passed.” Shen Zhiyi timed it while doing other things. “Where are the coordinates?”
This was only the second time the Whaling Association had made a move, but he had already lost his patience and wanted to get rid of them quickly.
The omniscience and omnipotence of a legendary monster were incomparable to that of a staff member. Shen Zhiyi knew that players who had fully entered the new world could browse the forums but could not use them.
The Whaling Association frequently used the forums to incite other players, so they must be located in a rather special place, possibly even temporarily residing in a certain instance.
Besides that, there was another score to settle.
That rabbit-headed Mr. Si wouldn’t have sent them to the neurology department for no reason; he must have known something.
“The Ghost Market Manager?”
Shen Zhiyi recalled the bosses who had recently suffered at Zhou Qi’an’s hands.
Whether it was him or not, the blame was now on his head.
Hearing the words “Ghost Market Manager,” Mr. Si’s eyes had just started to widen when he heard Shen Zhiyi say calmly, “I know what you want to get in this instance. Give me an exact coordinate, and regularly supply Qi’an’s family car with gas…”
“Supply my ass.” When Mr. Si heard “Qi’an’s family car,” he nearly attacked, disregarding the rules.
The next second, he discovered something terrifying.
Under normal circumstances, he would never have had the patience to listen to a player say all this, but now, he couldn’t muster the slightest resistance in his consciousness.
Shen Zhiyi continued calmly, “Do these two things, and no one will compete with you for that item.”
Even if Qi’an got it, he couldn’t use it.
His overly slender fingers twitched. If even one of the two conditions wasn’t met, he would personally skin this rabbit alive.
This prior discovery made Mr. Si’s explosive temper subside slightly.
He was certain that the person in front of him was no simple character either. It felt like he knew his identity but couldn’t quite recall it. The cognitive fog made him give up on overthinking and start viewing the deal from a perspective of self-interest.
Besides the gas, this verbal agreement was basically just about harming someone else.
It wasn’t his own coordinates, anyway.
Mr. Si’s mood was always unpredictable. After a few seconds, a grim and twisted smile appeared on his face. “Fine, but if any of you steal what I want, we’ll all be destroyed together.”
This was one of his few remaining chances.
Shen Zhiyi was completely unconcerned by Mr. Si’s threat. Judging by this instance’s growth potential and difficulty, there might be other good things to find.
…
A few minutes later, Shen Zhiyi, having gotten the answer he wanted, stepped into the elevator car, and it began to ascend again.
It was said to be an unreleased instance.
Mr. Si had first tricked the Ghost Market Manager into talking and then sent a message for the Minotaur to inquire. Both channels pointed to the same coordinates, so it should be correct.
Shen Zhiyi’s eyes turned cold. Knowing the coordinates, he was just one step away from sending the Whaling Association to their doom.
·
Everything was blurry, the surrounding buildings like indistinct lines.
The players’ feet were on the ground, but their bodies felt light and floaty, creating a profound sense of unreality.
The first to become conscious in this strange perception was Zhao Sanxun. Not long ago, he felt as if he had been forcibly sucked into a vortex. When he forced himself to concentrate and opened his eyes again, he saw this misty world.
He gave his surroundings only a cursory scan, purposefully looking for people first. The next second, his gaze locked precisely onto Zhou Qi’an, who was a few meters away.
At this moment, Zhou Qi’an only had one young man beside him. The latter’s clothes were stained with blood, his mental state was poor, and his eyes showed panic. He was no threat at all.
Zhao Sanxun had strong judgment and deduced that this was probably a player from the previous batch; otherwise, their batch of players would have been guided by a staff member.
He exchanged a look with A Ling.
A Ling gave a slight nod.
Zhang Zhuzi wasn’t familiar with Zhou Qi’an and wouldn’t interfere. She, Zhao Sanxun, and Ke’er, with a full-force attack, would be enough to finish off Zhou Qi’an.
Less than a second after their eyes met, a white lantern appeared in Zhao Sanxun’s hand. The lantern, emitting a sinister aura, floated like a ghost toward Zhou Qi’an’s head. This item was usually used against ghosts, but it had a wonderful use against people too: slowing them down.
Simultaneously, a poison needle shaped like a bee’s stinger shot out in a curve.
In Ke’er’s hand, a rusty axe appeared. The weapon was incredibly light in his hands and could be freely spun for decapitation from any angle.
A Ling, needless to say, chose the simplest and fastest prop: a small arrow that stabbed from another direction.
Fortunately, there were only three of them; otherwise, Zhou Qi’an would have been completely surrounded.
Zhou Qi’an’s eyes sharpened. “You’re all quite decisive.”
Compared to these few, the players he had met before could be described as wishy-washy.
His speed was faster than any of them had estimated. Even with the sinister energy from the lantern entering his body, it didn’t affect his movements much. He swiftly dodged in the only safe direction. The axe barely grazed the top of his head, but the poison needle scraped the side of his neck.
Although he dodged quickly, it still left a bloody scratch.
Most of the insidious attacks were aimed at one person, so the college student was not heavily affected.
Zhou Qi’an gave the latter a reassuring look, while simultaneously wiping the wound on his neck. The blood on his fingertip was exceptionally bright.
Success.
Zhao Sanxun squinted and sneered. The poison in his skill wasn’t just for ghosts.
The college student was about to speak worriedly but was cut off by a wave of Zhou Qi’an’s hand.
He didn’t seem to be in any discomfort, standing calmly in place. As Zhao Sanxun and the others launched their second joint attack, he spoke in a serious, educational tone, “Fighting and killing in a dream is so unseemly.”
A dream?
Ke’er was curious for a moment, but Zhao Sanxun and A Ling were resolute and unwilling to hear another word from Zhou Qi’an.
As they charged again, the gray mist above their heads suddenly dispersed.
Ahead was a scene of laughter and cheerful chatter.
The sudden sound forced everyone to pause their actions and look towards the source.
Outside, pregnant women were sitting on long benches, basking in the sun.
They were chatting, but the cheerful laughter came from their bellies. Their abdomens trembled continuously with the vibrations, and as the laughter grew louder, it became chilling to hear.
Without the mist, brilliant sunlight shone evenly on everyone, but they couldn’t feel a trace of warmth. On the contrary, even the soles of their feet felt cold.
Everyone realized that Zhou Qi’an might not have been lying. In an illusion, the body is often uncontrollable, but right now, both their bodies and consciousness were fine.
And…
Under the sun, none of them had a shadow.
It could only be a dream.
Zhou Qi’an’s unique hair color shimmered as he suddenly started talking about the mission to himself:
“All the patients have convalescence dreams. We need to find the recuperation area for the patients from the special ward, identify their names from their wristbands, and ultimately find Zhang Xiuxiu.”
“We?” Zhao Sanxun’s cunning gaze swept over everyone, and he suddenly savored the word with a playful tone.
Rustle, rustle.
Something was stirring in the bushes, interrupting Zhao Sanxun’s light mockery. On a bench, the laughter from one pregnant woman’s belly subsided a little. Seemingly having noticed something, she looked over.
“If not us, then you guys.” Compared to the pregnant woman, the smile on Zhou Qi’an’s face was even stranger. “Have you forgotten something? For example… your physical bodies in the real world.”
A Ling’s relatively composed face instantly turned ugly upon hearing this.
It had been less than a minute since they entered the dream. Both Zhao Sanxun and A Ling had instinctively only seen the advantages.
“Take a closer look. Haven’t you noticed two people are missing?”
Earlier, in front of the elevator, Ying Yu and Han Li were with them.
Shen Zhiyi hadn’t come up yet, so it was naturally impossible for him to pull everyone into the dream. If some were dreaming, someone needed to guard the players’ physical bodies.
Zhou Qi’an smiled. “If my body outside shows any sign of discomfort, my friend will…”
He didn’t finish the sentence, replacing it with four words: “You get the idea.”
As if to prove his words, not long after Zhou Qi’an finished speaking, a line of blood suddenly spurted from Zhao Sanxun’s already injured shoulder.
Ying Yu, who was still outside, estimated that enough time had passed and immediately took action.
He didn’t need to think to know what would happen inside the dream; he directly slashed a cut on Zhao Sanxun’s shoulder.
In the dream, the splattering blood further stimulated the pregnant women.
The inexplicably appearing wound caused Zhao Sanxun’s expression to change drastically.
Zhou Qi’an tilted his head and slowly uttered two words: “Enjoying that?”
“…”
Children’s singing came from the distant inpatient building. The singing was like a catalyst, and the pregnant women’s bellies suddenly grew even larger.
They held hands and walked toward the area where the players were.
As the pregnant women’s steps quickened, a faint, foul smell drifted through the air.
Zhou Qi’an ordered bossily, “Hurry up, cover me while I get into the outpatient building.”
The outpatient building was behind the pregnant women. Shen Zhiyi had said he would try his best to send them near the dream of the patients from the special ward. There were no other patients seen nearby, so the target they were looking for was most likely in the outpatient building.
From the moment her identity was exposed, A Ling had barely interacted with Zhou Qi’an directly, instead quietly making preparations.
Before the mist dissipated, to prevent monsters from emerging from the fog, she had prepared a focus-fire prop, waiting for an opportunity.
Now, the focus-fire prop that was originally intended for Zhou Qi’an was clutched tightly in her hand.
The pregnant women were now just a stone’s throw away. The bellies in front of them suddenly deflated, and like kangaroos, ghost infants leaped out directly from their mothers’ bodies.
They jumped in mid-air and then came crashing down one by one like dumplings.
Zhou Qi’an just smiled.
“Damn you.” A curse escaped A Ling’s lips as she immediately flipped her palm, and an oil-paper umbrella appeared out of thin air. The umbrella seemed to weigh a thousand catties. She gripped the handle with both hands, the veins on her arms bulging. The umbrella’s surface instantly expanded, just in time to block the amniotic fluid that splashed out with the ghost infants.
She wasn’t just shielding herself; A Ling had mainly blocked the area in front of Zhou Qi’an. It all happened so suddenly. The focus-fire prop that she hadn’t had time to activate before was too late to be put away and fell to the ground.
Zhou Qi’an quickly picked it up for her, blew off the dust, and pocketed it.
“Thanks.”
A Ling: “…”
Zhou Qi’an told the college student to stand behind him, while he cowered in front.
“Cover me well,” Zhou Qi’an said, feeling nervous for them, “otherwise, you’ll all be buried with me.”
Neither A Ling nor Zhao Sanxun had any of their previous arrogance. While fending off the patients, under a terrifying silence, the killing intent in their eyes was startling.
The ghost infants were highly agile, their purplish-blue claws being the sharpest, scratching at the players from all angles.
“Don’t get caught!”
On the other side, Zhang Zhuzi’s mouth twitched. He subconsciously helped Zhou Qi’an watch for any stray liquid splashes from the side, as they could very well carry a virus.
Although it was a dream, no one knew what the consequences of getting infected in a dream would be.
He gritted his teeth in hatred. “What does your business have to do with me?”
Why drag him into the dream too!
Zhou Qi’an said幽幽地, “In an avalanche, no snowflake is innocent.”
“?”
Is he crazy!
It looked like he was hiding, but Zhou Qi’an was actually looking for an opportunity to break out. There is strength in numbers, especially when searching for someone; the more pairs of eyes, the better.
He wasn’t foolish enough to do the mission all by himself.
If he weren’t worried that having everyone come to the special ward would trigger other scenarios, he would have even lured Mu Ge and Wang Cai into the dream.
An opportunity!
With Ke’er’s help, Zhao Sanxun successfully threw a ghost infant toward the parking lot area. The pregnant woman who had been crazily attacking them hysterically rushed over.
With the hatred of the other pregnant women and ghost infants focused on Zhao Sanxun, Zhou Qi’an took the opportunity to dash towards the outpatient building with the college student.
“Ke’er.”
Ke’er, whose name was called, was almost caught by a ghost infant.
Zhou Qi’an told the college student to stay close, then ordered Ke’er, “You lead the way.”
Zhao Sanxun and his group had explored the outpatient building before; they must have found something. The college student’s treatment wasn’t enough; he also needed a temporary fighter.
Ke’er’s teeth were about to shatter from gritting them so hard. He was憋屈到了極致.
He was giving commands so naturally, anyone who didn’t know would think Ke’er was Zhou Qi’an’s subordinate.
But he had no choice but to let Zhou Qi’an forge ahead. If the man died in the dream, his real body would likely suffer, and they would really have to be buried with him.
Zhou Qi’an, whose temporary style was comparable to a tyrant’s: “Hurry up.”
Under siege, time was tight. Ke’er had no extra time to deliberate. He threw out a prop to hold back the ghost infant and sprinted towards the outpatient building with Zhou Qi’an.
Watching the figures run farther and farther away, A Ling’s pupils shrank into a sinister, straight line.
Just a short while ago, she had held all the advantages.
“Just you wait…”
So far, the information the Whaling Association had given about this instance had all been correct. If their intel remained accurate, there was a hidden item in the instance. It was said that this item could even completely destroy a person’s consciousness, creating a strong self-destructive tendency.
Never mind a person, even a ghost might not be able to resist it, let alone Zhou Qi’an.
Compared to the prop, she cared more about something else. It was said that if she found it, she might even be able to achieve complete evolution directly.
On the other side, Zhao Sanxun hastily dodged an attack from a mother and said in a deep voice, “If it’s a dream, there’s a way to leave.”
As long as they could find a way to get out of the dream first, they could finish off that bastard.
But before finding a way to end the dream, what they had to do was—
Protect.
Thinking of these two words, Zhao Sanxun almost vomited blood. This wasn’t the first time he had experienced this kind of frustration; the recent memory of his universal key card being stolen was still vivid.
In the distance, Zhou Qi’an ran without any obstacles.
Zhao Sanxun, A Ling, and the young man coordinated to hold back the obstetric patients, perfectly covering his rear.
In front, Ke’er acted as the trailblazer.
They were now at most ten meters away from the outpatient building. Just as Zhou Qi’an was about to ask a question, he suddenly pulled the college student and leaped to the side.
The bushes swayed like a wave. The instant the leaves fell to the ground, meatball monsters burst out from inside, at least a dozen of them, their bodies covered in shocking tumors.
Zhou Qi’an showed no intention of attacking. For some reason he had employed, these meatball monsters didn’t attack him first.
While Ke’er was confused, he didn’t stay idle. He instinctively struck a monster that was pouncing towards him.
With just one hit, a liquid black as ink sprayed down.
Both the speed and the volume of the spray far exceeded that of the previous patients. It was practically impossible to dodge.
Zhou Qi’an was prepared. He had pulled the college student away, bending low. On the first night, he had personally witnessed the consequences of the female patient hitting a meatball monster.
These things were easy to kill, but killing one basically meant ending up hurting yourself badly. He hadn’t told Ke’er beforehand, and of course, even if he had, the other man wouldn’t have had time to react. A large corrosive wound was left on Ke’er’s arm.
Ke’er let out a cry of pain. Zhou Qi’an reached the main door first. “Get in, quick.”
The meatball monster disintegrated, its remains devoured by its own kind. An entire chunk of flesh was consumed in just a few seconds.
Fortunately, these things weren’t too fast.
The physical pain in the dream was no less than in reality. His own body outside was most likely infected as well.
After Ke’er rushed in, enduring the pain, Zhou Qi’an and the college student worked together, each closing one side of the double doors.
The meatball monsters were blocked outside. Zhou Qi’an wasn’t afraid of them breaking the glass; so many meatball monsters in the morgue hadn’t been able to break through the glass door.
Inside, the college student forcefully held the door shut. Seeing Ke’er’s blood-red eyes, his heart skipped a beat.
Getting injured can easily make a person lose control of their temper.
Zhou Qi’an, however, was unhurried, showing serious concern for his injury. “Are you okay?”
Ke’er’s heart was filled with intense killing intent. If his life was in danger, he would drag this beast down with him no matter what.
Seemingly oblivious to his hostility, Zhou Qi’an comforted him in a soft voice, “Don’t be too nervous. I know how to alleviate your infection.”
Ke’er was unmoved.
Zhao Sanxun was also infected, so he of course knew he needed to take the patient’s medicine. But that medicine couldn’t stop the urge for self-harm. Like the female patient, Zhao Sanxun would occasionally cut himself with a knife, and the intense itching from his internal organs was still increasing. It was very likely that before the next dose of medicine, Zhao Sanxun would be unable to resist cutting himself open first.
Zhou Qi’an waved his hand. “My method is a bit better than that, and it can also prevent you from being the first target when surrounded by monsters.”
Ke’er looked over sharply, trying to discern the truth in his words.
Zhou Qi’an shrugged, kindly leaving him some time to think.
The first point was hard to say, but Ke’er had already witnessed the second point. Just now, all the meatball monsters had attacked him first, not the other two.
Seeing the meatball monsters outside still relentlessly pawing at the door, their juices seeming ready to burst from the pressure against the glass at any moment, Ke’er sneered coldly, “Trying to use this to force me to attack my boss? You’re too naive.”
To his surprise, Zhou Qi’an shook his head and lowered his voice. “You only need to do one thing. When we meet up with the remaining people again, before we leave the dream, you must make a killing move on A Ling.”
Ke’er’s expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
A faint smile hung on Zhou Qi’an’s face, a single dimple appearing. It gave him a sweet and beautiful look.
But at this moment, Ke’er could clearly see the venom beneath this handsome exterior.
This was an open conspiracy.
Zhao Sanxun and A Ling had allied to kill Zhou Qi’an. If he were to backstab them, the alliance would crumble on its own. That woman didn’t look like an easy target either, and she would likely retaliate afterward.
To prevent this possibility, the two sides would most likely start killing each other within the dream.
“Harming others isn’t too hard for you, is it?”
Seeing Ke’er was still hesitating, Zhou Qi’an was like a venomous snake luring someone into a crime:
“…There’s one more thing I have to tell you. A Ling is a member of the Whaling Association. You guys are just a card the Whaling Association is using to distract me.”
“She didn’t come just to kill me. There’s something good in this instance, and to get the treasure, you will all end up killing each other in the end.”
The secret to a good lie is that it’s all based on things that have actually happened.
The Whaling Association had done exactly this in the previous instance, and more than one person had tried every means to kill him for the Holy Artifact. By mixing things up a bit, even Zhou Qi’an himself couldn’t find a flaw in his words.
The anger of being used as a pawn, the greed for the treasure, and his own injury.
It was enough to make Ke’er waver.
Zhou Qi’an: “I can also promise that after we leave the dream, unless you are unjust first, I will not let my friend attack you.”
Ke’er’s gaze shifted, staring at him intently. “Really?”
Zhou Qi’an nodded. “Of course, a contract prop will guarantee everything. But you must tell me everything you discovered in the outpatient building.”
Laying a trap step by step, giving enough benefits, would make him overlook the minor details.
For example, he never said he wouldn’t attack Zhao Sanxun. Without Zhao Sanxun, Ke’er would be a general without troops. Besides, who knew if he could even make it out of the dream alive.
The college student played his role of blocking the door the whole time. From his perspective, Ke’er got the better end of this deal.
Not only did he learn A Ling’s true identity, but he also got a way to suppress the infection and Zhou Qi’an’s promise not to strike first.
But that’s what made it terrifying.
Brother Zhou never did charity.
The two quickly signed a contract. Naturally, the contract prop was provided by Ke’er.
This wasn’t a place to talk. After the meatball monsters outside gradually dispersed back into the bushes, the group immediately ran for the stairwell.
Although they were in a dream, it didn’t affect their ability to take out and use items from their inventory.
Once they reached a relatively hidden spot, as agreed, Ke’er provided his findings from the outpatient building.
After all, it wasn’t a major piece of information.
He took out a newspaper, a clue they had found earlier in the outpatient building.
Zhou Qi’an read it quickly:
“A Friend from Afar — A Special Elephant Seal Mysteriously Appears in Xianlai Lake?”
[…It is reported that this suddenly appearing elephant seal is enormous. As early as fifty years ago, there were legends of a monster in the lake. If so, its lifespan would far exceed that of its kind. To study this elephant seal, the relevant departments plan to establish a research institute nearby.]
In the second newspaper, ten years had passed.
“The Adult Elephant Seal Discovered Ten Years Ago Is Still Alive. Dr. Zhang, in Charge of the Elephant Seal Research, Claims Her Team Is Studying and Analyzing the Longevity Genes in the Elephant Seal, Which May Have a Major Impact on Extending Human Lifespan.
The research has been officially named the Xiankelai Project.”
In the third newspaper, another two years had passed.
“Research Institute Land to be Auctioned, Hospital to be Built by Year-End.”
[An explosion occurred at the research institute a year ago, with heavy casualties. However, according to an insider, the explosion was just a cover-up. A large number of team members were infected by a virus, went mad, and lost their minds…]
Zhou Qi’an read through the last word in a flash, basically clearing up the instance’s background.
The research institute staff were studying a special elephant seal. It was unknown if they developed a life-extending drug, but they successfully developed a virus. In the end, a crisis similar to an alternative zombie outbreak occurred.
The place they were in now was the former research institute, later used as a hospital.
Wasn’t this just a reinforced laboratory disguised as a hospital?
“This instance is perfect for Sixth Master.”
Zhou Qi’an thought to himself that if Sixth Master were here, he would definitely send him to be a test subject to help him realize his dream.
Just as Zhou Qi’an was about to return the newspaper to Ke’er, a cold system notification suddenly sounded:
[Special Ward Orderly, you have read Newspaper x3. Congratulations on obtaining a clue for a hidden item.]
Slightly stunned, Zhou Qi’an quickly glanced at Ke’er. Although he had clearly read the newspaper long ago, the latter looked completely unaware and was still urging him to read faster.
The system notification continued:
[Hidden Item Clue: Please note, there is a treasure near Zhang Xiuxiu!]
__
Author’s Note:
Bonus Skit:
Tyrant: “My minions, if you don’t want to be buried with me, then all of you, attack! I’ll start the roll call… Zhao Sanxun!”
Zhao Sanxun: Here!
Tyrant: “Ke’er.”
Ke’er: Here!
Tyrant: “A Ling!”
A Ling: Here!
Tyrant: “Zhang Zhuzi.”
The young man: …Here.
Tyrant Zhou: “All forces, advance—”
