By the time Xiao Huai reached the Fifth Mental Hospital, he had only eight hours left.
He had been walking with Hanako on his back for four hours.
Xiao Huai was starting to feel a bit tired.
A blood-red moon hung high in the sky as he looked up at the massive, eerie building before him.
The hospital walls were weathered, and the windows were covered with thick iron bars, blocking out all light. In the center of the hospital stood a massive statue.
Xiao Huai pushed open the rusted iron gate and couldn't help but smile when he saw the statue.
"Truly narcissistic," he thought.
The statue was carved in the likeness of He Lecheng.
Vines crept along the hospital walls, adding to the desolate and terrifying atmosphere.
"Big brother, I hear someone crying," Hanako said, looking up at Xiao Huai.
He stopped, his ears twitching slightly.
The low sound of a woman crying.
He heard it too.
"Is that my mother?" Hanako pointed to the third floor. Xiao Huai followed her gaze upward.
"We’ll find out soon."
Xiao Huai carried Hanako into the hospital. The hallway was dim and narrow, with a dull yellow light. Every now and then, moans and screams echoed through the corridors.
Patients sat expressionlessly in open rooms, their eyes vacant, as if all life and hope had left them.
Xiao Huai felt a strange sense of familiarity with this place, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
Suppressing his curiosity, he made his way to the third floor.
The third floor was darker and more humid than the first, the air thick with the smell of rotting wood.
Hanako, however, grew more and more excited, her voice repeating, "Mommy."
Every door on the third floor was locked, clearly marking this as the intensive care ward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As soon as they stepped onto the third floor, several doors rattled violently.
Inside the rooms, patients repeatedly slammed against the doors. Though some doors were open, all were fitted with iron bars.
And so, Xiao Huai could see exactly what sort of creatures were imprisoned inside.
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, actually seeing them was still shocking.
It was like a scene from the movie Alien.
The creatures had no human skin, only raw, bloody muscle.
Their mouths were filled with hundreds of sharp fangs, and they roared at Xiao Huai with wide, gaping jaws.
Their bodies were severely corrupted, polluted beyond recognition. To say he wasn’t scared would be a lie.
But more than fear, what struck Xiao Huai was a profound sense of awe.
In one of the rooms, Xiao Huai recognized a familiar face.
The bald man.
Or rather, a creature with the bald man's face, but with an empty cavity where his heart should be.
The creature's upper body was covered in seven or eight different faces, each one distinct.
Perhaps the faces on these monsters were taken from the players who had died in the terrifying game.
Maybe the players' bodies had become food for the polluted world.
The crying grew louder and closer until it was right in front of them.
They stood before the only door on the third floor that wasn’t locked.
Xiao Huai stopped, and in a low voice, asked, "Hanako, once you see your mother, what do you want to do?"
"Hmm..." Hanako touched her face, deep in thought.
Then, her eyes lit up as she found her answer. "I want to make her stop crying!"
Xiao Huai's lips curled into a slight smile. "That's a good idea. So, does that mean I win this game?"
"Yeah, yeah! Big brother, what reward do you want?" Hanako nodded eagerly.
Xiao Huai looked at her and softly asked, "Can you really give me any reward?"
"Yep! Hanako can do anything in this world. All the previous rewards were given by Hanako. Now, Hanako wants to let big brother choose his own reward! Consider it a gift from Hanako."
Xiao Huai nodded, his eyes sparkling like clear water, his lips curving into a faint smile.
"Then, can Hanako return to how she was before? If this dream were to end, maybe your mother would want it to be a beautiful one."
As his words fell, Hanako’s pupils shrank, but she smiled.
As her smile grew, the scarred burns on her body slowly faded away, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, glowing brightly.
The little girl’s smile spread across her bright face, radiant and full of life, just like her name suggested—a smile like a flower in full bloom.
The five-year-old girl stood in front of him, wearing a light blue dress.
"Okay," she whispered softly.
Xiao Huai met her gaze and knocked on the door to the patient room.
What happened next was like something out of every TV drama.
A tearful reunion between mother and daughter.
Xiao Huai stood quietly to the side, just watching them. He was an outsider, a complete outsider.
When Hanako had asked him what reward he wanted, he found himself momentarily unsure of what he truly desired.
How could he know what he wanted when he didn't even know who he was?
Perhaps all he wanted was a beautiful dream, one where he could lose himself completely.
Ding! Congratulations to player Xiao Huai for completing the hidden mission: Fulfill Hanako's wish.
Now announcing rewards: You have gained +80 affection points from Miss Hanako, received Hanako's Blessing, and earned 5000 survival coins.
Hanako's Blessing - Details: The player can use the Ivy Girls' School NPC "Hanako's" skill, "Hide and Seek." After using the blessing, the player can create a new game space that they can freely enter and exit, and increases attack power by 100%. The selected target cannot leave for one hour. Usage limit: Once per day.
Note: A message from Miss Hanako—‘Here, I'll share a bit of my skill with you. Now no one will dare bully you.’
Currently ranked first in the Newbie Zone's popularity leaderboard—You are a rising star! A must-try on the Newbie Zone's top recommendations!
Xiao Huai was speechless, but seeing the steady influx of survival coins, he smiled lightly.
He checked the messages left by the gods:
"Chainsaw Killer: Hehe, this little guy is so cute. I can't wait to sign up to be the next NPC in his game!"
"Venus: Such a beautiful little guy. It’s a shame I can only appear in the game for now, or I’d love to meet you in person."
"Mad Hatter: My little bunny, keep playing the game well. I look forward to the day you receive the invitation to the gods' banquet."
…
Xiao Huai frowned briefly but quickly relaxed. He didn’t understand why he had suddenly become so “appetizing” to these gods.
But having their attention wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Xiao Huai’s lips curved into a mesmerizing smile, his gaze deep and refined like fine wine.
His smile was like a vintage liquor, swirling elegantly between his lips, intoxicating anyone who saw it.
He tilted his head slightly, as if looking at the gods beyond the live stream.
His lips moved, forming the words, "Come and eat me."
Of course, right after doing this, Xiao Huai immediately turned off the chat messages.
Little did he know that his live stream had once again ignited a frenzy.
The gods all expressed: "I love it, this is exciting."
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