Chapter 512: The Cursed Hospital (Ten)
Chapter 512: The Cursed Hospital (Ten)
“It seems… you’re not actually a patient in this hospital…” Feng Bu Jue asked cautiously, his hands continuously working while his mind raced.
Everything about the little girl—the details of her story, the tone of her voice, even the clothes she wore—conveyed the same message: she was likely one of the earliest land-bound spirits in this area.
“Why do you say that?” the little girl asked.
“I’ve memorized the first floor’s map after reviewing it three or four times and exploring most areas myself,” Feng Bu Jue replied. “I can confirm this much: the lobby end of the hospital’s first floor only has eighteen rooms in total, numbered 101 to 118. As for Building B on the dining hall side, the room numbers should start from ‘101B’… So this Room 125… simply shouldn’t exist.”
After hearing this, the little girl gave no response. She sat silently, saying nothing.
“What’s going on…? Did my words fail to trigger further plotlines? Or… did I accidentally trigger some catastrophe?” Feng Bu Jue wondered, his suspicion growing. “Or maybe… it’s because I failed to comb her hair properly?”
“If you don’t know how to do it, stop wasting time,” the little girl suddenly changed the topic.
“Hmm…” Feng Bu Jue squinted, hesitating for two seconds. Should I keep pretending? he thought. “Alright,” he finally gave up.
“Put the comb down,” the little girl said coldly. “I’ll do it myself.” As she spoke, she raised her small hand. “As agreed, here’s your reward.” In her palm appeared a small candy wrapped in black paper, emitting a faint aroma of grains.
【Name: Xiao Heitu Candy】
【Type: Plot-Related】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: May be used to exchange for something】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario】
【Background: A snack with an unusual flavor, beloved by the White Wolf Tribe.】
“Phew… Good thing I just needed to return the comb.” Feng Bu Jue felt secretly relieved.
He quickly placed the comb on the nightstand and reached out to take the candy.
“Uncle, you still have many tasks to complete, right?” the little girl immediately said after handing over the candy. Tilting her head back, she stared at Feng Bu Jue. “You’d better hurry… Your time… is almost up.”
A chilling coldness, bone-deep and suffocating.
Her words hit Feng Bu Jue like a bucket of ice water.
This wasn’t just a mental illusion—it was real, tangible coldness, a frigid temperature so intense it felt like suffocation.
“I’ll take my leave then…” Feng Bu Jue said, already seeing his breath condense into visible vapor. Checking his game menu, he saw the newly applied [Frostbite] status clearly listed.
All these changes sent an unmistakable signal—this place was no longer safe.
“It seems this ‘Ward 125’ is like the Security Guard Room… Once certain Flags trigger, players must leave immediately or face death,” Feng Bu Jue thought grimly.
Realizing the danger, he hesitated no longer. Snatching his flashlight, he turned and ran.
His movements weren’t slow, but it was already too late. Within mere seconds, an invisible, icy giant hand had gripped him. Pain shot through his joints, his muscles becoming stiff and numb.
The door just ahead now felt miles away. Every step forward was agony.
“Oh… crap!”
Feng Bu Jue hadn’t meant to swear, but upon closer look—he’d actually spat out his chewing gum with a loud “Ow—” before yelling “Crap!”
It turned out the triple-sized wad of gum in his mouth had frozen into a solid block. If he’d delayed spitting it out by even a few seconds, the ice would have solidified in his mouth, possibly blocking his airway.
“No way…” Feng Bu Jue stared at his rapidly dropping [Vitality Value], genuinely shocked.
Five seconds later, he finally gritted his teeth through the last few steps, reaching the doorknob.
Fortunately, opening the door posed no difficulty. With a twist of the wrist, it opened smoothly.
“Just a little more…” With every scrap of strength left, Feng Bu Jue lunged forward, throwing himself out the door. Simultaneously, he swung his arm, slamming the door to Ward 125 shut.
Bang—
The cold vanished instantly with the door’s closure.
Feng Bu Jue collapsed on the corridor floor, gasping for breath. As warmth returned, his [Frostbite] status faded quickly, and the loss of [Vitality Value] ceased.
“That was close…” He sat down heavily, picking up the flashlight that rolled beside his feet. “This difficulty spike came out of nowhere…” Checking the candy in his pocket, he murmured, “This was barely even a ‘side quest’ plotline, yet the difficulty is this high? Could it mean…”
A sudden realization struck him, his expression shifting slightly.
“Hmm… I understand now.” Feng Bu Jue sighed deeply, standing up. “But first things first… I need to find ‘that key’.”
…………
Half an hour passed in a flash. Feng Bu Jue emerged from the dark corridor, muttering, “Turns out the key to the Pediatrics Consultation Room wasn’t around here after all…” Upon returning to a better-lit area, he turned off his flashlight and stored it. “Luckily, I did gain something.”
Clearly, the goblin’s task proved far more difficult than anticipated.
After exiting Ward 125, he’d looked back to find the door vanished. He tried every door in that dark region—aside from the nursery he’d visited earlier, only two rooms remained accessible. All others displayed [Unopenable].
He scoured those two rooms thoroughly, tearing through furniture. He found two items, unfortunately, neither was the key.
The first was:
【Name: Torn X-Ray Film】
【Type: Plot-Related】
【Quality: Tattered】
【Function: Unknown】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario】
【Background: Only half remains. Under light, it might reveal blurred images.】
He found this half X-ray film stuck to a charred child’s corpse. The system even displayed a subtitle when Feng Bu Jue attempted to retrieve it: [The X-ray film is stuck to charred physical matter. Direct removal might damage it].
With such an obvious prompt, Feng Bu Jue naturally proceeded carefully. Using Hair Wax Spray, he slowly peeled the film from the corpse’s back.
The second item he found was, unsurprisingly, the other half of the Torn X-Ray Film.
However, Feng Bu Jue didn’t bring both halves out. They held no intrinsic value—their worth lay in the six-digit password recorded on them.
In the dark environment, Feng Bu Jue had already used his flashlight to examine both [Unknown] function items. Upon exiting, he immediately headed to Room 109, rushing straight to the treasure chest.
The unlock interface appeared, and a prompt read: [Please enter a six-digit password].
“203040…” Feng Bu Jue entered the password. Instantly, an audio cue confirmed: [Password Correct].
With a soft click, the chest responded by opening.
Expecting to obtain equipment or skills, Feng Bu Jue’s hopes were dashed when he saw:
【Name: Pediatric ER Key】
【Type: Plot-Related】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: Self-explanatory】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario】
【Background: Strange… Why was this key locked in a password chest? Why was the chest’s password recorded on an X-ray film? And why was that film torn in half, placed in two separate locations? What’s going on here?】
“Exactly! What the hell is going on here!” Feng Bu Jue exclaimed, staring at the sarcastic item description. “I’ve already spat out so much sarcasm at this system! Honestly, keys are the most absurd items in puzzle-solving games! Hiding the key to Room A in Room B, then hiding Room B’s key in Room C, cycling endlessly… That’s what makes no sense!”
Indeed, summarizing it, most horror games use this method to guide players, creating a sequence of exploration that forces players to follow a specific order.
“Hmph…” Feng Bu Jue’s frustration eased slightly after venting. “Well, at least I completed one task.” He grabbed the key and left, heading toward the nearby Pediatrics Consultation Room.
Using the key to unlock the door, he stepped inside. With no artificial light, he activated his flashlight for searching.
The room’s atmosphere was oppressively dim, but no terror points hid within. Even if there were, Feng Bu Jue would’ve merely felt startled rather than terrified.
Soon, he found the task item in a drawer of the office desk:
【Name: Victor’s Key】
【Type: Plot-Related】
【Quality: Common】
【Function: Opens Victor’s wine cellar】
【Can Be Taken Out of Scenario】
【Background: Many years ago, Victor Reedwoks was merely an obscure secondhand vendor. Everything changed when he obtained a mysterious drink’s recipe from a distant Eastern nation. After establishing frequent trade with dwarves and thriving in business, he rapidly became a renowned nouveau riche. When asked about his success, Viktor always said: ‘Dwarves are generous entrepreneurs, and my wine cellar operates like a money-printing factory.’】
“You again!” Feng Bu Jue exclaimed instantly after reading the background. “So it’s you!”
Indeed, Victor Reedwoks was the man who bought the [Blood Wraith Must Die] legendary item from the revered dwarven craftsman Mr. Alldead years ago.
Mr. Alldead’s life was an epic of tragedy. Repeatedly betrayed by the four words ‘wine, women, wealth, pride,’ those very betrayals led to the creation of many legendary artifacts.
Victor’s appearance marked the prologue of this epic…
“Hehehe…” Feng Bu Jue suddenly chuckled darkly. “I feel like I could shake this guy down for something…” He lowered his voice, feigning seriousness: “Mr. Wei… If you don’t hand over eight or ten [Legendary-Level Equipment] items today, I’ll eat your precious key.”
After indulging in this fantasy for a while, Feng Bu Jue carefully stored his “blackmail assets” and left the room, heading toward the dining hall.
He had no idea… waiting for him there was an unexpected “old friend.”
…………
Meanwhile, in the dining hall’s kitchen.
A massive figure stood at the spacious cooking station, hard at work.
Humanoid yet pig-headed, he wore a white vest and camouflage pants, his large belly hanging visibly. Exposed muscles were pale pink, his forearms bulging with rock-solid muscle.
Suddenly, he turned his head slightly, murmuring, “Finally… Here he comes…”
Putting down his ladle, he covered the pot he was cooking, turning the gas to low.
Then, gripping a cleaver, he turned and exited the kitchen.
(End of Chapter)
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