The sunlight streamed through the glass window, illuminating the room filled with monkey dolls. In the shadows where the sunlight couldn’t reach, Jiang Yan struggled fiercely in the grasp of the monster.
However, this monster felt like a murky swamp. Jiang Yan sensed that he was sinking deeper into its body, and the more he struggled, the more helpless he became.
Black tendrils slithered beneath his clothing, gliding along his bare back.
“Stop…!”
Jiang Yan felt as though he was being parasitized by this inexplicable monster. The black tendrils climbed up his neck, brushing against his lips.
Then he heard a resigned sigh from the paper mask behind him. The monster seemed genuinely disappointed that its face was merely a mask, preventing it from kissing the person in its embrace.
“Let… me go…”
Jiang Yan attempted to break free from the monster’s grip with punches and kicks, but it was useless against the now soft and pliable creature.
“What’s wrong with you today, Yan Yan?”
The monster appeared baffled by his wife’s resistance to their intimacy, especially since the last time, the person in its arms had been as obedient as a little rabbit.
“Just let me go first… We can talk properly.”
“What’s there to talk about at this moment?” The eyes of the paper mask curved into a smile. At this time, all Yan Yan needed to do was stay obediently in its embrace.
The black tendrils began to unravel the patient gown Jiang Yan had just put on, revealing his freshly washed, fragrant body.
The person in its arms still made futile attempts to resist, but he was out of options now.
Just as the monster prepared to enjoy its “dinner” for the day, the hospital's announcement blared again:
“Dinner time! Please proceed to the cafeteria on the first floor for your meal.”
In that instant, the monster seemed to hit a pause button, forced to cease its movements.
Jiang Yan had never been so grateful for that sweet, eerie announcement!
He felt the tendril that had been wrapped around his pants loosen its grip. The monster, reluctantly, said, “It seems Yan Yan wants to eat; we’ll have to save this for next time.”
Just as Jiang Yan exhaled in relief, he heard the mask behind him lean closer and speak in a serious tone, “Yan Yan, remember, don’t go to window nine when you’re eating in the cafeteria.”
Jiang Yan was bewildered. Before he could ask why, he suddenly felt lighter beneath him.
The monster behind him vanished in an instant, leaving him alone in the room with a pile of strange monkey dolls.
After sitting for a while, trying to gather himself, Jiang Yan finally sighed deeply.
He didn’t understand what the monster's last words meant, nor did he want to. He was also confused about what was so special about window nine.
His head was spinning, and he hurriedly buttoned his clothes, preparing to leave the room for the cafeteria on the first floor.
The monster had stopped its actions upon hearing the announcement, which requested all patients to eat in the cafeteria.
So, in this hospital, it wasn’t just patients; all living beings were required to abide by the hospital’s rules, right?
Jiang Yan couldn’t afford to think too much about it. After fastening his clothes, he quickly got off the bed.
As he shoved his feet into the hospital-provided slippers, he noticed a white card next to them.
At first, Jiang Yan considered ignoring it, but then he remembered this was an S-level mission, and he needed to engage with the main storyline, so perhaps he should be more proactive.
He hesitated for a moment before reaching down to pick it up. Flipping the card over, he saw it was a black-and-white photograph.
The person in the photo was none other than Jiang Yan himself!
He wore a vintage suit, a detective hat, and sat on an old-fashioned bicycle. The entire photo was black and white, except for his blue eyes, which stood out starkly.
Jiang Yan furrowed his brow tightly; he didn’t recall having such a photo taken.
Beneath the photo was a line of small text, and a bit of faded green paint—he couldn’t tell if it was paint or something else. Upon closer inspection, the small text read: 1942.
Eighty years ago?
Jiang Yan pondered the meaning of this photograph when a voice whispered in his ear:
“Remember, don’t go to window nine.”
---
Ding Wanyu walked through the hospital corridor, draped in a black robe. The walls, green below and white above, were adorned with chaotic graffiti, with some nurses’ hastily scribbled notes documenting patients' conditions, alongside scrawls from psychiatric patients in their delirium.
The words overlapped, jumbled and chaotic, with splashes of old paint. Originally covered by newly applied putty, the outer layer had peeled away over time, revealing flecks of paint underneath.
This paint had been splattered by past patients; Ding Wanyu's current persona was that of a newly arrived intern doctor. The paint dated back eighty years when the hospital's patients had staged a rebellion.
“69.” Ding Wanyu glanced up at the room number.
As he uttered “69,” a gust of cold wind swept past him, and a strand of black hair silently crept up his neck…
The hospital had a rule—no counting.
Ding Wanyu remained unfazed as he looked at the strand of hair coiling around his neck. Silently, he reached beneath his robe and pulled out his raven mask, placing it on his face.
Upon seeing this, the strand of hair halted its movement before retreating quietly.
As Ding Wanyu turned, his gaze caught only a glimpse of a red garment’s edge.
[What the hell? Is this raven mask a prop?]
[Yes! The plague doctor mask.]
[It seems the new arrivals also have props? We should be able to witness scenes of prop battles.]
[Not everyone has props.]
[Are there players without props in an S-level mission?]
[Yes! That Jiang Yan.]
Ding Wanyu glanced at the doorplate of the room—etched on the weathered metal was the number 69.
After confirming that it was the correct room, he gently knocked on the door, but there was no response from within.
Ding Wanyu waited for a moment and then quietly turned the doorknob.
Inside the shabby, cramped hospital room, it was empty, and on the mottled wall facing the bed were four large characters—"I am mentally insane"
Ding Wanyu silently spoke to the dawn guild wristband on his wrist, saying, "The person isn't here."
The person on the other end quickly replied, "That's okay. It will be time for the scheduled meal soon; he will come."
-
Jiang Yan, wearing a hospital gown that was too big for him, followed the broadcast's instructions and made his way to the hospital cafeteria on the first floor.
Along the way, he encountered many "patients." These "patients" were of all ages and, like him, wore faded blue and white hospital gowns.
Some had pale, haggard faces, coughing repeatedly, while others had IV drips or were in casts. Some had dark spots on their bodies.
The entire corridor was silent, filled only with weak coughing, the rustle of clothes, and footsteps, devoid of any sign of living people.
The "patients" moved like walking corpses, sticking close to the mottled green and white walls as they headed downstairs.
Jiang Yan walked among them, silently observing every face he saw.
"What are you looking at? Are you looking for your ex-husband?" 663 asked.
Jiang Yan didn't respond, simply continuing to walk down with the "patients," taking in his surroundings.
Some patients were casting glances at him as well.
He realized he couldn't even tell which ones were system NPCs and which were players.
"I don't understand why you're so concerned about your ex-husband," 663 gossiping into his ear.
Jiang Yan casually replied, "He owes me money."
663: "..."
Jiang Yan followed the crowd to the cafeteria on the first floor of the hospital.
The hospital cafeteria looked no different from a typical one, with a row of food counters and tables with chairs.
By the time Jiang Yan arrived, there were already many people lined up at all the counters, and some had even found seats and started eating.
Throughout, there was still no conversation; no one spoke, as people mechanically shoved food into their mouths as if completing a task.
The food counters were numbered from "1" to "9."
He recalled his "dead husband’s" advice and glanced at the ninth counter, which had the longest line.
Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment. Although the creature was strange and frightening, he could sense that it held no malice towards him as its "wife."
So, he quietly walked toward the first counter.
After getting his food, Jiang Yan randomly chose a seat. He carefully examined the meal on his plate: boiled cabbage, a bowl of rice, and a bowl of plain water.
The bland food looked so unappetizing that even Italian POW camps would have called it mistreatment.
Jiang Yan observed the patients around him, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively picked up a piece of cabbage and put it in his mouth.
The boiled cabbage had the unique bitter taste of cabbage.
Under normal circumstances, he would never have touched this kind of food.
But now, he was a patient. Remembering the pain from when he had coughed up blood earlier, Jiang Yan silently took a bite of rice; he needed nourishment.
The clearing conditions for the mission required surviving for seven days, and this was only the first day. He needed to replenish his energy.
At that moment, he couldn’t help but think of the “hunter’s” elk meat. It had to be said that the pan-seared elk meat sprinkled with spices was truly delicious.
Jiang Yan took another bite of plain rice.
Just then, the nurse who served the food appeared in front of Jiang Yan. She wore a sweet smile as she mechanically began to pile meat onto Jiang Yan’s plate.
For a moment, the surrounding “patients” cast unusual glances at him.
Finally, when she could no longer fit any more on the plate, she pulled out a thermos from somewhere and placed it beside Jiang Yan, saying, “This is your special chicken soup.”
“Why… do I have this?” Jiang Yan asked warily.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch; that’s a truth known around the world, especially in this game.
“Mr. Jiang, have you forgotten? This was prepared for you by your husband,” the nurse said, her smile unusually sweet.
[Shit… I have to say he’s really lucky.]
[Did you see the look on Ding Wanyu’s face while eating plain rice?]
[Why does he get to eat this?! Tao Shi is still choking down cabbage!]
[Maybe it’s just fate… Who let him draw a connection with such a high-status character?]
[Don’t forget, he’s the favored child of the main system!]
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind Jiang Yan, “Jiang Yan?”
Jiang Yan turned around to see a man with black hair and black eyes, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. Even in a faded blue and white hospital gown, his elegant and noble demeanor stood out.
“Li Yun??” Jiang Yan was a bit surprised.
“You know him?” 663 asked.
“Oh, my second spring,” Jiang Yan replied.
The nurse in front of him seemed to have suddenly received some kind of order and instantly took the thermos away, saying, “Your special chicken soup is no longer available.”
Jiang Yan: “???”
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