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Ping An Asylum
Chapter 189: The Last Sacrament [Completed]
In the narrow and dark chamber, the sound of bones rubbing echoed.
In the dim shadows, the dry corpse dressed in a priest’s robe “came alive” again. Stiffly standing up, its withered face with hollow eye sockets silently gazed at the onlookers.
From the outset, everyone’s nerves were stretched to the limit. Even though they understood Wen Jianyan’s intentions, their physiological reactions to the unknown terror were undeniable.
Their eyes locked onto the living corpse before them, and they cautiously distanced themselves, wary of any possible actions it might take.
“Creak.”
Accompanied by the teeth-gritting sound of bones, it suddenly stepped forward.
“!”
Everyone was startled, subconsciously stepping back and creating distance from the approaching living corpse. But unexpectedly, the living corpse didn’t attack anyone. Instead, with its stiff and slow steps, it walked toward a certain direction in the dark chamber.
“…”
Several people exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating for a few seconds before ultimately following.
Soon, the priest stopped in front of a large marble basin deep within the chamber.
The basin wasn’t large, with a diameter of less than two meters and a height just above the waist.
Shao Yao carefully shone her flashlight over it, finding a dark, shimmering reflection inside—
“There’s water inside,” she whispered.
Although this chamber had been sealed for who knows how long, the water seemed as if it had just been poured in, showing no signs of evaporation.
“It’s baptism,” Wen Jianyan suddenly said.
The Seven Sacraments are seven rituals in Christianity imbued with special significance.
Within this, the Holy Eucharist, Anointing of the Sick, and Repentance have already been completed, leaving behind Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and Marriage.
Among them, Baptism was an essential rite for every Christian, serving as an initiation ritual symbolizing the washing away of sin, the believer’s death and resurrection with Jesus, and the dawn of new life.
He gazed at the dark water and, calmly and confidently, took steps forward, seemingly unaffected by Su Cheng’s low, nervous call from behind, heading straight towards the priest.
Just before stepping into the basin, Wen Jianyan paused, turned to the others, and pointed outside the chamber, saying, “During this time, stay vigilant and keep an eye on the outside.”
It should be noted that what he was doing now was an option and path unseen in countless runs of the “Ping An Asylum” instance. Wen Jianyan had doubts about whether the entire process could proceed smoothly without interruption.
The others hesitated for a moment but quickly understood Wen Jianyan’s meaning.
“Got it,” said Luce nodded, and gestured for Su Cheng to follow. “We’ll stay outside and keep watch.”
With a faint splash accompanying his movements, the water gently rose, instantly submerging him waist-deep. The icy chill pierced, feeling like tiny knives slicing through skin, eliciting a shiver of physiological response.
Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but shudder.
He turned his head and looked at the “priest” before him.
Like him, it also stepped forward, its terrifying, indiscernible expression hidden in the darkness, appearing particularly eerie.
“Creak.”
The sound of bones rubbing echoed as the priest slowly reached out its hand.
Not far away, Shao Yao and Blond stared intently at the bizarre scene before them, so tense that they almost dared not breathe.
The hard, dry finger bones, cold as ice, pressed against the young man’s lower back, while the other hand covered his face, tightly sealing his mouth and nose before pushing him underwater.
Wen Jianyan heard his own heart pounding wildly, his body instinctively tensing up but then forcibly relaxing.
Following the priest’s movements, he leaned back, allowing himself to be submerged.
“Splash—”
The sound of water echoed in the dark chamber.
Outside the chamber.
Su Cheng and Luce stared solemnly at the underground tomb in front of them.
The faintly swaying flashlight illuminated the dim environment—just a few minutes ago, they had entered the chamber, but the scene before them seemed to have undergone a drastic transformation.
The walls had almost entirely turned into a cold, smooth metallic texture, and the floor was eerily reflective, revealing the cold laboratory characteristics in the sinister underground tomb. It was as if the illusions that had obscured it were brushed away, revealing its true nature.
They heard the sound of water coming from behind in the dark chamber.
Almost simultaneously—
“Thud!”
A muffled, deeply resonant thud sounded from nearby, startling both of them. Subconsciously, they looked in the direction of the sound.
“Thud, thud!”
It was as if something was pounding on the sealed entrance of the underground tomb from the outside. Each impact was heavy and stiff, sending splinters flying. In just a few seconds, the previously tightly sealed entrance showed signs of loosening. Through the fragile barrier, they could faintly hear the sound of countless nails scratching, emanating from the dark passage, sending shivers down their spines.
“!!”
Su Cheng and Luce’s faces showed alarm as they rushed forward at the fastest speed: “Quick, block it!”
Inside the chamber.
“…”
Wen Jianyan held his breath, feeling the icy water engulfing his back, chest, abdomen, and face, until his entire body was submerged in the cold water.
The young man’s silver-white hair floated in the dark water, gently swaying.
Through the thin, rippling water, the face of the dry corpse was visible in the darkness.
Time passed by, and Wen Jianyan could feel the air in his lungs rapidly depleting.
This wasn’t good.
Without hesitation, he activated the prop.
From the start, Wen Jianyan hadn’t expected to pass through without encountering any danger. So, even before he stepped forward, he had purchased props to deal with such situations.
However…
Unexpectedly, it seemed like all the props were ineffective against the “priest.” The bony hands pressing on his head and waist showed no signs of loosening. They firmly, like iron clamps, gripped his warm and flexible body, keeping him firmly submerged beneath the water’s surface.
Wen Jianyan was on the verge of suffocation.
“Ugh, ugh!”
Underwater, his legs instinctively kicked, creating ripples, and the silver-white strands of his hair were stirred by the water, resembling a blossoming flower.
Through the violently shaking water, he could see Shao Yao and Blond also frantically trying to rescue him, but with all the props ineffective, even they were powerless.
Outside the chamber.
Su Cheng and Luce were in a panic, trying to block the gap in the door. However, unlike before, the living corpses that could have been kept out by props seemed to have completely changed their nature this time. None of the props worked at all!
How could this be?!
Thud, thud, thud.
Sweat dripped from their foreheads, their jaws clenched tightly as they desperately resisted. Luce even used his ability, but they could only barely hold on, struggling to survive.
Inside the chamber.
…Since the items couldn’t affect the priest, he could only use them on himself.
This was his contingency plan.
He wouldn’t resort to it unless absolutely necessary.
But it was now clear that there was no other way.
A sharp metal tube appeared in his palm, his brain muddled from lack of oxygen, and his vision dark and chaotic. Wen Jianyan forced himself to stop struggling. He straightened up, and groped at his throat with one hand, seeking the precise location.
With a determined effort, he gritted his teeth!
Without hesitation, the sharp end of the metal tube was forcefully inserted into the soft area where the throat meets the collarbone, penetrating deeply into the flesh.
The prop was activated, and air rushed in.
A sharp, agonizing pain surged like a tsunami, causing his body to jerk violently, his chest heaving wildly as he gasped for air.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Oh my god!!]
[Damn, this is too brutal, damn it!!!]
[I know this prop; it’s used to alleviate emergency suffocation. It contains clean air inside. Now I finally understand why one end is sharp… probably to deal with situations where both the mouth and nose are unusable. But there really aren’t many who dare to use it…]
[This is really too ruthless, even watching through the screen makes my legs weak.]
Blood spread out in the dark water, resembling a huge, crimson flower.
The surrounding icy water seemed to heat up, thick and viscous like blood plasma, carrying a deep, rusty smell of blood.
The “priest” finally released his grip.
In that instant, the external living corpses unexpectedly stopped, once again falling into a deep and silent stillness.
“?!”
Su Cheng and Luce gasped for breath, exchanging uncertain glances. Was it over?
With a splash, Wen Jianyan’s entire body leaped out from below the water’s surface. He half-leaned against the marble basin, his thin fabric soaked with water and blood, sticking tightly to his skin, revealing the texture of his muscles.
His wet hair clung to his pale cheeks, water droplets falling from the tips and pattering onto the dry ground.
“Cough, cough, cough!”
Wen Jianyan held his bleeding throat with one hand, gasping and coughing violently, his throat making a wheezing sound like a broken bellows.
On the side, Shao Yao and Blond rushed up as fast as they could, their faces pale, evidently also quite frightened.
“I-I have a rapid recovery item here, just wait!” Shao Yao stammered as she looked at the blood flowing continuously from between the young man’s fingers.
Fortunately, most of the team members this time were seasoned anchors with some resources, so a healing item like this was readily available.
A few minutes later, Wen Jianyan released his hand, and the throat, which had been streaked with blood, had returned to its original state. The bleeding hole had disappeared, leaving behind smooth skin.
His face remained pale, and his clothes were half-bloodied and half-wet, looking extremely disheveled.
He whispered, “Thank you…”
Shao Yao and Blond breathed a sigh of relief. In just a few short minutes, they had been so frightened that they felt exhausted.
“It’s okay…”
“Splash.”
The sound of water came from behind.
Everyone shook, turning to look behind them.
They saw the priest slowly emerging from the water basin. It still looked like a dry corpse, devoid of any expression on its face, as if it were merely a puppet on strings. Step by step, it left the baptismal pool and walked in another direction.
There lay a small sanctuary, the place for the next sacrament.
Clearly, it… was preparing to continue.
In the shadowy chamber, the air carried a faint scent of blood.
After Su Cheng and Luce finished the final tidying up, they quickly returned to the chamber. Upon seeing Wen Jianyan’s current pitiful state, both of them were shocked: “What happened?”
Wen Jianyan sat on the ground like a drowned rat, half of his body covered in blood, his face pale from loss of blood, looking extremely disheveled.
He was exhausted, just waving his hand weakly.
Blond and Shao Yao on the side briefly recounted everything that had just happened. Su Cheng and Luce’s expressions turned serious as they recounted the crisis they had just faced.
The air grew heavy.
In the silence, only the monotonous footsteps of the “priest” could be heard.
With the creaking sound of bones rubbing together, it slowly, step by step, made its way toward the nearby altar, like a puppet without rationality or emotion, lacking the ability to think, only capable of completing its predetermined program.
Wen Jianyan lifted his eyes, his gaze falling on the “priest’s” destination. In a hoarse voice, he said:
“Next up, it’s either Confirmation or Holy Orders.”
Both of these were sacraments of ordination.
Shao Yao took a deep breath, stood up, and said slowly, “I’ll go.”
Wen Jianyan was taken aback and turned to look.
As if noticing Wen Jianyan’s gaze, Shao Yao looked back and shook her head, saying, “The first time is the most dangerous, isn’t it?”
These “missions” belong to the same theoretical system, meaning their rules are common. Completing the “first time” mission requires high demands. To survive, one must not only stay calm in the face of danger but also come up with solutions in life-threatening situations, requiring extremely strong psychological qualities.
The person who first enters the unknown territory has the highest probability of death because they know nothing about the entire task system and can only test their lives.
Shao Yao smiled and said lightly, “Besides, you’ve figured out the pattern, haven’t you?”
Wen Jianyan curled his pale lips. “Yes.”
Once the pattern of such tasks was understood, they became less terrifying. Obviously, the “priest” was not affected by any props, which was extremely dangerous.
Most anchors might never encounter an NPC immune to items, which creates an immense sense of pressure.
However, similarly, it wouldn’t directly target the anchors. It only operated according to its pre-set program and only exhibited extreme behavior during the “sacraments” process. During this process, the zombies outside the underground tomb would also be activated. Once their duty was deemed complete, it would spare the anchors and move on to the next task. At the same time, the zombies’ attacks would cease, giving them some breathing room.
“I trust you,” Shao Yao said, taking a deep breath. “So, I’ll be fine.” With that, she turned and walked toward the direction of the priest.
***
With the experience gained from the first time, several seasoned anchors quickly got into gear.
Blond was sent outside to assist Su Cheng and Luce. With his help, Luce and Su Cheng were less frantic, and although they were still very nervous, they managed to control the situation. As expected by Shao Yao, the completion of the next two tasks went relatively smoothly.
The fifth task was Confirmation, the sixth was Holy Order. Soon, they reached the final task, Marriage.
“This is the last one, are you ready?” Shao Yao raised her voice. Echoes came from outside: “Ready, you can begin!”
Wen Jianyan had regained some strength by now. Though his face was still pale, he looked much better than before. Shao Yao helped him up, and the two nodded in unison.
As they were about to proceed, intense gunfire erupted outside, signaling the start of the final wave of attacks.
A man and a woman, just right.
The two stepped forward and approached the priest.
But…
Strangely, the “priest” seemed to be stuck, standing stiffly in a place like a wooden stake, its fleshless face staring blankly at the couple in front, unmoving for a long time.
What’s going on?
Wen Jianyan was puzzled, exchanging a glance of uncertainty with Shao Yao.
Why couldn’t the final task be completed?
Meanwhile, outside the dark room.
This place had been largely assimilated by the laboratory, not only the floor and walls, but also many facilities and equipment appeared in the empty hall. Here, Blond, Luce, and Su Cheng were struggling to resist the final wave of zombie attacks.
Whether it was because this was the last time or not, the zombies were particularly terrifying this time. The doors that could barely hold up before had been completely broken. The strong stench of decay emanates from the dark corridors. Zombies, varying in degrees of decay, crowded together, pushing forward with all their might. Several of them have already rushed into the underground tomb, their gray, decaying eyeballs gleaming with greed.
Under such an intense and terrifying onslaught, the few of them were struggling exceptionally hard.
“Hurry!! We can’t hold on much longer!” Su Cheng shouted loudly, his voice strained. “How much longer do you need?!”
Blond, hiding at the back, pointed out the direction of the next wave of attacks while wearing a helpless expression. “Ah! They’re about to get in!”
Inside the dark room.
Su Cheng’s voice broke the silence, pulling Wen Jianyan out of his contemplation.
He seemed to realize something suddenly, turned abruptly and looked at Shao Yao beside him. “I know!”
Shao Yao was puzzled. “What?”
“I got it!” Wen Jianyan pressed Shao Yao’s shoulder. “You’ve completed the previous two rituals, Confirmation and Holy Order. Therefore, you should already be considered a clergy member in this instance. In the traditional Roman Catholic Church, clergy members cannot marry.”
This is bad.
He didn’t expect… the plan would have a flaw in this direction.
He gritted his teeth, looking somewhat disappointed.
Shao Yao was stunned: “That seems to be the case!”
“You go out to support and bring any of them in!”
Wen Jianyan thought for a long time, raised his eyes and said hastily.
Shao Yao: “But…I am the only woman in the team.
“Now we can’t worry about that much, we can only try it.” Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes, gritting his teeth. “If it doesn’t work… I have a way.”
“Okay.”
In this situation, all she could do was trust Wen Jianyan’s judgment. Shao Yao nodded vigorously, turned, and ran outside.
Just as she left the dark room, she couldn’t help but pause for a moment.
The underground tomb in front of her was almost unrecognizable. It had completely merged with the laboratory, with even the partitions faithfully restored. Countless elements were pieced together and crammed into the entire underground tomb, making the once spacious area feel crowded.
It seemed that a complete fusion was not far away.
They didn’t have much time left.
Shao Yao snapped out of her thoughts and sprinted forward. She scanned the surroundings and finally grabbed Blond.
“Quick! You, go into the dark room!”
With the current situation, Blond’s skills were not very useful anymore. So Shao Yao chose Blond to take her place and go into the dark room to complete the final ritual with Wen Jianyan.
Blond was dragged by Shao Yao and almost fell to the ground.
“Me? Oh… okay…”
He nodded dazedly, about to follow Shao Yao’s instructions to enter the dark room. But the next moment, his face suddenly turned pale. “Watch out! Behind you!”
At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Shao Yao’s pupils suddenly contracted.
She slowly turned her head, but before her gaze could move, the putrid, nauseating smell had already hit her.
At that moment, there was only one word in her mind.
Oops.
“Crack.” A faint sound of fracturing.
A skull exploded just inches away from Shao Yao’s face, splattering foul-smelling, murky black blood and brain matter onto her cheeks.
“…”
Shao Yao barely reacted, standing frozen in place.
The tall, beast-like man with golden hair lowered his head, staring at the shattered skull in his hand. He wrinkled his brow in disgust: “Filthy.”
Not far away, another gentle and cold voice sounded: “Shut up, stupid dog.
Mars frowned and scolded.
No one knew when transparent coffins appeared outside the coffins marked with names.
One, two, three… seven patients stood up from the coffins, half puzzled, half curiously examining their surroundings.
“Where is this?”
Lore tilted his head, holding his rabbit tightly.
“…”
Luce, Su Cheng, and the others were dumbfounded.
They stood frozen in place, if it weren’t for their protective gear still functioning, those few seconds of daze would have been enough for them to die hundreds of times over.
“…Huh?”
Uris propped himself up with one hand against the coffin wall, squinting his chocolate-colored eyes. He gazed at the several broadcasters not far away and spoke slowly with his exotic accent:
“I remember you.”
“Me too.” Niel blinked and flashed an angelic smile. “You were with him, weren’t you?”
“…”
Amidst the roars of the undead behind them, the group stood in stunned silence, their brains almost ceasing to function, completely devoid of the ability to think.
They only knew that the connection meant the laboratory and the underground tomb overlapped, but who would have known that the patients in the lab would also overlap with this place too!!!!
Why is this happening!!!! Is this some kind of hell mode?!
Not far away, Dr. Reese shook his white coat, sitting up from the coffin placed beside the confession room. He slowly surveyed the surroundings, his face devoid of much surprise.
He suddenly chuckled: “Ah, here we are.”
Author’s note:
Wen Jianyan: Seeking marriage partner.
Seven high-risk patients: Huh?!
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eight way marriage?!!? 😳🤭