Chapter 137: Psychopath, aaaaaah!
Inside the “Integrity First” live broadcast room, there was a brief moment of silence.
For a span of more than ten seconds, the entire barrage area was empty, filled only with complete silence.
After the brief silence, an explosive flood of messages erupted.
[?]
[???]
[??]
[What the heck??? Ahhhhh, what kind of provocative language is this? I’m shocked! Help!!!]
[Damn… the anchor is so wild and spicy. This, this, this… I’m speechless from the shock!]
[Ahhhhhh, Mommy, you are not allowed to say such things in front of others. Come and say it under my quilt! ! !! Come to my bed quickly and tell me!!!]
[Although it’s really bold, I have a feeling… the anchor is probably going to face some consequences.]
[That’s right, he deliberately chose the most provocative way. If he had portrayed himself as superior earlier, he might have been seen as provoking or talking nonsense among the males.]
[Yes, but the anchor chose the opposite direction and hit the two sore spots here: homosexuality and unbridled lust.]
[To be honest, I’ve never seen an anchor get sent to solitary confinement on the first day. Ahhhh, I can’t wait to see what it’s like!]
[Hahaha, yes, finally, we get to see what the first day in solitary confinement looks like!]
“Jingling…”
After the jingling sound of keys, the iron door was roughly pulled open from the outside, and two attendants with grim expressions entered, holding electric batons.
“Ugh!”
Accompanied by the crackling sound of electricity, Wen Jianyan felt a heavy blow to his stomach. He collapsed to the ground, instinctively curling up to protect his vulnerable organs.
After a brutal series of punches and kicks, he felt something sharp pierce his neck.
Amidst the sharp pain, the cold liquid slowly flowed in.
His strength rapidly drained from his limbs, and Wen Jianyan’s vision quickly blurred, with the last image in his memory shattering into pieces.
It seemed like he was roughly lifted up, and then everything sank into darkness.
***
The darkness was like a cold swamp, engulfing everything.
His body felt heavy as if it were made of lead, and he was unable to move a finger. His mind was heavy and scattered, unable to focus.
Wen Jianyan felt as if his body and consciousness existed separately. It took him a long time to gradually regain consciousness.
His eyelashes trembled slowly, and it took a while before he realized that he had opened his eyes.
The room was pitch-black, without any light or windows, shrouded in darkness as deep as eternal night. It was almost impossible to confirm whether his eyes were open.
The air was cold and damp, with a faint smell of blood.
He felt the sensation of being tightly bound at his wrists and ankles.
Wen Jianyan realized that he was tightly strapped to a bed, unable to move.
It seemed like he was in solitary confinement.
There was complete silence in his ears, only the sound of his own irregular breathing.
The task log on the edge of his field of vision had been updated at some point. The initial task of resting in the ward for one night had disappeared, leaving only the intermediate task labeled “Rest in solitary confinement overnight,” marked as “in progress.”
New tasks appeared:
【Elementary Task: Close your eyes for three minutes】
【Elementary Task: Break free from the restraints】
【Intermediate Task: Escape from solitary confinement】
Based on his previous experience, these tasks could be selectively completed. Different options represented different storyline paths, and once he entered one branch storyline, the other tasks would automatically disappear. It was like… playing some kind of text-based storyline game with the risk of death if he made the wrong choice.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze locked onto the first task.
Close your eyes for three minutes…?
Before he could fully understand the details, a slow and heavy sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from a distance, abruptly breaking the silence.
“Szzzz…”
Through the thick door of the solitary confinement cell, he could hear the sharp scraping sound of metal on the floor.
“Szzzz…”
The footsteps were slowly approaching this direction in the dead silence, sounding particularly piercing in the pitch-black darkness, each step like a hammer on his heart.
Thud, thud, thud.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
In theory, within a highly regulated care facility, the people walking outside the solitary confinement room should be nurses or doctors. However, this was inside a simulation, which meant that anything was possible.
And the sound of someone clearly dragging a sharp object…
It was definitely someone with bad intentions.
With skillful wrist movement, he shifted his body to the side, supporting himself on his hand. In the limited space, he fumbled at the side of his clothes, searching for something with difficulty.
With a soft “rip” sound, he found it.
The piece of clothing hiding the mirror shards was torn open, and the mirror shards were tightly clenched in the young man’s hand.
“Szzz…”
The footsteps drew closer, and soon they were right at the door.
Through the thick door of the solitary confinement cell, the corridor outside fell into complete silence.
It seemed like the person had stopped right at his door, silently waiting for something.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s breath involuntarily quickened. He moved his fingers, using the irregularly sharp edges of the mirror to slowly cut through the strap on his wrist.
It should be fine; he should still have some time.
After all, this was a solitary confinement room. The door should be tightly locked, and even if someone wanted to enter, it should take some time—
Jingling.
It sounded like… the clinking of metal keys colliding with each other.
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
—Damn! The other side has keys!
Do they want to give me any chance to live?
The next second, the rusty sound of the door hinge turning echoed in the darkness.
‘”Creak…”
In almost no time at all, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a bit of cold white light streamed into the room, piercing his eyelids.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
Darn it!
He immediately stopped what he was doing and tightly closed his eyes.
Familiar system notification sounds rang in his ears:
【Countdown for three minutes begins.】
【00:03:00】
With his eyes closed, Wen Jianyan lay flat on the bed, his breathing steady but his nerves stretched to the limit. He listened intently.
As the door opened, the only remaining barrier, sound, vanished.
“Thud, thud, thud.”
He could clearly hear the footsteps approaching his bed, each step accompanied by the sharp sound of metal scraping against the floor, which grated on his eardrums.
【00:02:31】
The footsteps stopped by the bed.
Wen Jianyan could feel an unmistakable, intense gaze from above like being scrutinized.
Rustle.
The rustling sounds of fabric could be heard, and shadows blocked the light, pressing down little by little.
It seemed like the person was bending over, examining the young man’s sleeping face with disturbing precision.
【00:01:42】
Wen Jianyan felt the person’s breath against his face, a chill rising from his feet.
He had to control himself.
Control, control.
His heart pounded wildly deep in his chest, and the cacophony of blood rushing through his ears was deafening, like beating drums.
Be quiet!
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth, repeatedly reminding himself to quiet his heartbeats.
Time seemed to pass agonizingly slowly as if he were in hell. He used all his strength to control his facial muscles, enduring without showing any signs of being awake.
【00:00:21】
Only twenty-one seconds remain.
The rustling of fabric sounded again.
The cold light from the corridor fell on his eyelids once more, and Wen Jianyan sensed that the person seemed to be slowly straightening up.
【00:00:15】
The footsteps retreated.
Wen Jianyan’s lips were tightly drawn, and his heartbeat became even more rapid, with no relaxation whatsoever.
Rustle.
【00:00:08】
It seemed like the person was doing something.
He has no idea.
Can’t tell.
The countdown continued to trickle slowly, inching toward the end.
【3】
【2】
The whooshing sound echoed, descending straight towards his head, carrying metallic rust and a hint of a bloody smell.
【1】
Damn it!
Wen Jianyan suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils contracted, and his instincts screamed in his mind when facing danger. He swiftly moved his head to the side.
“Click!” The sharp axe, stained with flesh and blood, deeply embedded itself just a centimeter away from his ear.
“Hehehe.”
A strange and eerie laugh echoed from above.
The shadow, with an indistinguishable face, bent down again, chuckling strangely as if it were mocking him.
“I knew you were still awake.”
The black shadow let out a weird chuckle slowly. It raised its hand, stroked the young man’s cheek, and asked in a manic tone. “Darling, would you like to see the color of your own organs?”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils trembled, a chill rising from where the other party had touched him.
Aaaaaaaaahh, psychopath, aaaaahh!
The next moment, the heavy axe wobbled dangerously just centimeters away from his head, and the other party seemed to be trying to pull it out from the crack in the bed.
…There’s a chance.
Wen Jianyan bit his lip, and with a sudden twist of his wrist, there was a sharp tearing sound as the belt tightly bound to his wrist snapped open.
He raised his blood-soaked hand and delivered a powerful punch to the face of the shadow.
Clearly, the shadow hadn’t anticipated this move.
The shadow shook and staggered back in surprise.
Using this opportunity, Wen Jianyan quickly sat up, his limbs still partially numb from the effects of the binding. He forcibly untied the belts on his wrists and ankles, feeling a tingling sensation in his extremities as blood flowed back.
He dragged his limbs that had not yet fully awakened, bumped into the opponent hard, and then stumbled out of the confinement room!
The light above his head was pale and dazzling, and Wen Jianyan’s eyes hurt from the light.
“Ka-clang!”
It was the sound of the axe being pulled out of the wooden bed.
The shadow lunged toward the door!
But Wen Jianyan knew he wouldn’t have another chance!
He swiftly turned around, his tear-blurred eyes squinting, and grabbed the door handle of the solitary confinement room. In the split second before the person could reach him, he forcefully slammed the door shut.
“Bang!”
The axe struck the firmly closed door.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!]
[I can’t even breathe!]
[Aaaaaaah, this is so nerve-wracking!]
[Did I see it correctly? Is this the infamous dismemberment maniac?]
[Yes, although the light was too dim to see the face clearly, that iconic axe leaves no doubt!]
[Aaaaaaah, you’re incredible, you dog liar! You actually survived in such extreme conditions!]
[…Well, aside from him, no other anchor would end up in solitary confinement on the first day.]
[Darn, it’s so exciting! What’s next?]
Familiar system sounds rang in his ears:
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Close your eyes for three minutes.
Reward points: 200】
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Break free from restraints.
Reward points: 200】
His total points from completing the task reached six hundred.
Wen Jianyan’s face turned pale, and he gasped heavily, his sweat-soaked back sticking to the wall. He felt utterly drained.
F*ck
The first night in solitary confinement is actually stimulating.
This is way too dangerous.
Wait a minute…
He suddenly realized that something was very wrong.
Firstly, the task “Escape from solitary confinement” hadn’t been completed, and secondly, the task “Rest in the solitary confinement room overnight” hadn’t disappeared after he left.
More importantly…
The corridor in front of him looked completely different.
Wen Jianyan stood up straight, slowly scanning his surroundings, his eyes filled with astonishment.
The overhead lights buzzed, casting a cold white light that illuminated a narrow section of the corridor.
Based on his previous observations of the entire asylum, while it was eerie and cold, it was clean, orderly, and even to the point of being morbid.
However, the corridor in front of him was completely different.
It was messy, dirty, old, and covered in dust. The walls were smeared with chaotic and bizarre graffiti made with dried blood, giving it an exceptionally insane look.
Paper scraps and wood chips were scattered on the floor, and wooden shelves were overturned everywhere.
The walls and shelves were deeply marked by axe cuts, some new and some old. The floor was soaked with large patches of blood, ranging from bright red to dark brown, and finally congealed into a tar-like black, making it look like a scene from a massacre.
It was truly horrifying.
Was this still Ping An Asylum?
Wen Jianyan was stunned.
“Bang!” A loud banging noise from the door snapped Wen Jianyan out of his stupor. His shoulders trembled, and he instinctively looked in the direction of the noise.
The door to the solitary confinement room that he had just locked seemed to be under assault from the inside.
The door shook, and dust and wood chips fell as the metal lock jiggled as if it would burst out of the wooden door any second.
Wen Jianyan’s heart raced.
It felt like… this door might not hold for much longer.
He took two slow steps back, quickly surveyed the corridor, and noticed that on the left, a whole row of solitary confinement room doors was wide open, devoid of any signs of life. On the right, some doors were also wide open, while a few were tightly closed.
Finding Su Cheng was the top priority now.
Wen Jianyan rushed to the edge of the corridor and pushed a shelf toward the direction of the closed solitary confinement room with all his strength.
With a loud crash, the shelf fell, blocking the door of the solitary confinement room perfectly.
The sounds of pounding on the door stopped for a moment.
…Though it might not be of much use, perhaps it could buy him some time.
Wen Jianyan took two deep breaths, then turned and ran down the right side of the corridor.
“Su Cheng… Su Cheng!”
As he called out, he searched room by room.
All the solitary confinement rooms with open doors were empty and in complete disarray. The beds for restraining patients were stained with blood, with splatters and smears even on the ceilings.
The heavy stench of blood and decay hung in the air, making him nauseous.
The overhead lights flickered as if the electrical supply were unstable, emitting a creepy, sizzling sound.
Some of the solitary confinement room doors were tightly closed, but there were strange sounds coming from within.
Low chuckles, murmured whispers, and continuous, monotonous banging against the walls—all of it seemed surreal as if the entire world had plunged into madness.
Suddenly, from one of the doors used to pass food trays, there came a clanging sound that shattered the silence of the corridor.
Wen Jianyan was startled and instinctively moved away from the direction of the solitary confinement rooms.
The next moment, a deformed hand reached out from inside the room, and the person inside simultaneously chuckled softly while groping around. They spoke with a suppressed and rough voice:
“Here, come here! Quickly, come here!!”
Wen Jianyan’s scalp tingled, and he quickened his pace.
Soon, he arrived at a tightly closed solitary confinement room. Through the thick door, the room appeared quiet and eerie.
“Su Cheng, Su Cheng?”
Wen Jianyan curled his fingers and lightly knocked on the door.
Silence filled the room.
After a brief pause, a familiar voice sounded, filled with disbelief:
“…Who is it?”
Su Cheng’s voice sounded particularly incredulous.
He asked cautiously:
“…Wen? Is it you?”
Wen Jianyan let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, I finally found you. Everyone in our guild was getting scared to death because of you.”
“…?”
Su Cheng’s confused voice sounded from deep within the room: “Guild? What guild? We haven’t even joined a guild yet.”
It seems to be him.
“Wait a moment.” Wen Jianyan reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys, creating a clinking sound of metal colliding. “I’ll get you out of here.”
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[?]
[??]
[When did this guy get the keys?]
[Ah! Could it be from the collision earlier?]
[Damn, I was so nervous, I could barely breathe, and the anchor could still casually pull out keys from the other guy. Impressive!]
Based on the numbering of the solitary confinement rooms, Wen Jianyan quickly found the corresponding key from the keyring and gently inserted it into the lock.
The door opened.
In the dim light, he could see Su Cheng, pale and tightly bound to the bed in the solitary confinement room, squinting as he looked over.
Upon seeing Wen Jianyan’s figure clearly, he heaved a long sigh of relief. His whole body seemed to lose strength, and he collapsed onto the bed, letting out a weak sigh of relief as if he had just survived a catastrophe.
“…It’s really you.”
“No need for small talk.”
Wen Jianyan said it concisely.
He walked in quickly and started to untie Su Cheng.
Su Cheng had been awake for a while, and the bindings on his ankles and wrists had loosened somewhat due to his struggles. Wen Jianyan effortlessly untied them.
Su Cheng sat up from the bed, his face contorting in pain. He rubbed his wrists while asking, confused:
“Where are we?”
“In solitary confinement.” Wen Jianyan answered.
Su Cheng was taken aback. He slowly widened his eyes. “What solitary confinement?”
“In Ping An Asylum.” Wen Jianyan replied, looking at him in surprise. “You didn’t know?”
“Wait, are you saying that we’re in an instance now?”
Su Cheng took a sharp breath, and his face displayed genuine shock. “How did this happen?!”
“…”
Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes slightly.
It seemed that Su Cheng hadn’t realized that he was inside an instance. This meant that whether it was voluntary registration or the seizure of an electric baton incident inside the instance, it had all happened without his knowledge.
Although he really wanted to get to the bottom of this, the current situation wasn’t suitable for further questioning.
“Can you get up?”
Wen Jianyan asked.
Su Cheng nodded and used Wen Jianyan’s help to stand up.
At that moment, the mission log refreshed again.
【Elementary time-limited task issued: Escape from ???’s Pursuit】
【Elementary time-limited task issued:: See the True Face of ???】
【Elementary task issued:: Find ???’s Ward】
【Intermediate task issued:: Discover ???’s True Identity】
Wen Jianyan suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket. His expression changed.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan’s face turned grim. “Damn it, I lost my prop.”
Even after entering the instance, Mr. Mirror’s fragment couldn’t be stored in the system backpack. While it had saved his life when he was bound to the bed, it had also been lost amidst the chaos.
And that was a legendary prop!
Wen Jianyan felt a pang of heartache, unable to breathe.
***
In the pitch-black solitary confinement room.
A shadow stood silently in the darkness, holding a bloodied axe in one hand. He stood still, like a statue or a wooden stake, devoid of any signs of life.
What was most horrifying was that a piece of an ice-cold mirror fragment was embedded in his face.
Inside the shard of the mirror, vague shadows flickered, as thin as mist, moving slowly and unconsciously. It seemed to possess a life of its own as it gradually penetrated deeper into the man’s flesh and disappeared bit by bit as if merging with him.
“Hehe… hehehe…”
Suddenly, he began to giggle, sounding manic and eerie, his body shaking all over because of the laughter in the darkness.
Then he greedily extended his tongue, licking away the fresh blood that had dripped onto his lips. He savored it delicately. Raising his hand, he slowly and meticulously sniffed the fingers that had just touched the other man’s skin. He opened his mouth, sucking on the remaining blood with a look of extraordinary delight and terrifying satisfaction.
“Darling, you taste delicious.”
The man’s voice was filled with infatuation and trance-like, and in his blue eyes, there was a chillingly eerie expression. His lips slowly curled upward, forming a twisted, unnaturally joyful, and terrifying smile.
“I really want to know what your innards taste like.”
Chapter 137: Psychopath, aaaaaah!
Inside the “Integrity First” live broadcast room, there was a brief moment of silence.
For a span of more than ten seconds, the entire barrage area was empty, filled only with complete silence.
After the brief silence, an explosive flood of messages erupted.
[?]
[???]
[??]
[What the heck??? Ahhhhh, what kind of provocative language is this? I’m shocked! Help!!!]
[Damn… the anchor is so wild and spicy. This, this, this… I’m speechless from the shock!]
[Ahhhhhh, Mommy, you are not allowed to say such things in front of others. Come and say it under my quilt! ! !! Come to my bed quickly and tell me!!!]
[Although it’s really bold, I have a feeling… the anchor is probably going to face some consequences.]
[That’s right, he deliberately chose the most provocative way. If he had portrayed himself as superior earlier, he might have been seen as provoking or talking nonsense among the males.]
[Yes, but the anchor chose the opposite direction and hit the two sore spots here: homosexuality and unbridled lust.]
[To be honest, I’ve never seen an anchor get sent to solitary confinement on the first day. Ahhhh, I can’t wait to see what it’s like!]
[Hahaha, yes, finally, we get to see what the first day in solitary confinement looks like!]
“Jingling…”
After the jingling sound of keys, the iron door was roughly pulled open from the outside, and two attendants with grim expressions entered, holding electric batons.
“Ugh!”
Accompanied by the crackling sound of electricity, Wen Jianyan felt a heavy blow to his stomach. He collapsed to the ground, instinctively curling up to protect his vulnerable organs.
After a brutal series of punches and kicks, he felt something sharp pierce his neck.
Amidst the sharp pain, the cold liquid slowly flowed in.
His strength rapidly drained from his limbs, and Wen Jianyan’s vision quickly blurred, with the last image in his memory shattering into pieces.
It seemed like he was roughly lifted up, and then everything sank into darkness.
***
The darkness was like a cold swamp, engulfing everything.
His body felt heavy as if it were made of lead, and he was unable to move a finger. His mind was heavy and scattered, unable to focus.
Wen Jianyan felt as if his body and consciousness existed separately. It took him a long time to gradually regain consciousness.
His eyelashes trembled slowly, and it took a while before he realized that he had opened his eyes.
The room was pitch-black, without any light or windows, shrouded in darkness as deep as eternal night. It was almost impossible to confirm whether his eyes were open.
The air was cold and damp, with a faint smell of blood.
He felt the sensation of being tightly bound at his wrists and ankles.
Wen Jianyan realized that he was tightly strapped to a bed, unable to move.
It seemed like he was in solitary confinement.
There was complete silence in his ears, only the sound of his own irregular breathing.
The task log on the edge of his field of vision had been updated at some point. The initial task of resting in the ward for one night had disappeared, leaving only the intermediate task labeled “Rest in solitary confinement overnight,” marked as “in progress.”
New tasks appeared:
【Elementary Task: Close your eyes for three minutes】
【Elementary Task: Break free from the restraints】
【Intermediate Task: Escape from solitary confinement】
Based on his previous experience, these tasks could be selectively completed. Different options represented different storyline paths, and once he entered one branch storyline, the other tasks would automatically disappear. It was like… playing some kind of text-based storyline game with the risk of death if he made the wrong choice.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze locked onto the first task.
Close your eyes for three minutes…?
Before he could fully understand the details, a slow and heavy sound of footsteps suddenly echoed from a distance, abruptly breaking the silence.
“Szzzz…”
Through the thick door of the solitary confinement cell, he could hear the sharp scraping sound of metal on the floor.
“Szzzz…”
The footsteps were slowly approaching this direction in the dead silence, sounding particularly piercing in the pitch-black darkness, each step like a hammer on his heart.
Thud, thud, thud.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
In theory, within a highly regulated care facility, the people walking outside the solitary confinement room should be nurses or doctors. However, this was inside a simulation, which meant that anything was possible.
And the sound of someone clearly dragging a sharp object…
It was definitely someone with bad intentions.
With skillful wrist movement, he shifted his body to the side, supporting himself on his hand. In the limited space, he fumbled at the side of his clothes, searching for something with difficulty.
With a soft “rip” sound, he found it.
The piece of clothing hiding the mirror shards was torn open, and the mirror shards were tightly clenched in the young man’s hand.
“Szzz…”
The footsteps drew closer, and soon they were right at the door.
Through the thick door of the solitary confinement cell, the corridor outside fell into complete silence.
It seemed like the person had stopped right at his door, silently waiting for something.
“!”
Wen Jianyan’s breath involuntarily quickened. He moved his fingers, using the irregularly sharp edges of the mirror to slowly cut through the strap on his wrist.
It should be fine; he should still have some time.
After all, this was a solitary confinement room. The door should be tightly locked, and even if someone wanted to enter, it should take some time—
Jingling.
It sounded like… the clinking of metal keys colliding with each other.
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
—Damn! The other side has keys!
Do they want to give me any chance to live?
The next second, the rusty sound of the door hinge turning echoed in the darkness.
‘”Creak…”
In almost no time at all, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a bit of cold white light streamed into the room, piercing his eyelids.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
Darn it!
He immediately stopped what he was doing and tightly closed his eyes.
Familiar system notification sounds rang in his ears:
【Countdown for three minutes begins.】
【00:03:00】
With his eyes closed, Wen Jianyan lay flat on the bed, his breathing steady but his nerves stretched to the limit. He listened intently.
As the door opened, the only remaining barrier, sound, vanished.
“Thud, thud, thud.”
He could clearly hear the footsteps approaching his bed, each step accompanied by the sharp sound of metal scraping against the floor, which grated on his eardrums.
【00:02:31】
The footsteps stopped by the bed.
Wen Jianyan could feel an unmistakable, intense gaze from above like being scrutinized.
Rustle.
The rustling sounds of fabric could be heard, and shadows blocked the light, pressing down little by little.
It seemed like the person was bending over, examining the young man’s sleeping face with disturbing precision.
【00:01:42】
Wen Jianyan felt the person’s breath against his face, a chill rising from his feet.
He had to control himself.
Control, control.
His heart pounded wildly deep in his chest, and the cacophony of blood rushing through his ears was deafening, like beating drums.
Be quiet!
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth, repeatedly reminding himself to quiet his heartbeats.
Time seemed to pass agonizingly slowly as if he were in hell. He used all his strength to control his facial muscles, enduring without showing any signs of being awake.
【00:00:21】
Only twenty-one seconds remain.
The rustling of fabric sounded again.
The cold light from the corridor fell on his eyelids once more, and Wen Jianyan sensed that the person seemed to be slowly straightening up.
【00:00:15】
The footsteps retreated.
Wen Jianyan’s lips were tightly drawn, and his heartbeat became even more rapid, with no relaxation whatsoever.
Rustle.
【00:00:08】
It seemed like the person was doing something.
He has no idea.
Can’t tell.
The countdown continued to trickle slowly, inching toward the end.
【3】
【2】
The whooshing sound echoed, descending straight towards his head, carrying metallic rust and a hint of a bloody smell.
【1】
Damn it!
Wen Jianyan suddenly opened his eyes. His pupils contracted, and his instincts screamed in his mind when facing danger. He swiftly moved his head to the side.
“Click!” The sharp axe, stained with flesh and blood, deeply embedded itself just a centimeter away from his ear.
“Hehehe.”
A strange and eerie laugh echoed from above.
The shadow, with an indistinguishable face, bent down again, chuckling strangely as if it were mocking him.
“I knew you were still awake.”
The black shadow let out a weird chuckle slowly. It raised its hand, stroked the young man’s cheek, and asked in a manic tone. “Darling, would you like to see the color of your own organs?”
Wen Jianyan’s pupils trembled, a chill rising from where the other party had touched him.
Aaaaaaaaahh, psychopath, aaaaahh!
The next moment, the heavy axe wobbled dangerously just centimeters away from his head, and the other party seemed to be trying to pull it out from the crack in the bed.
…There’s a chance.
Wen Jianyan bit his lip, and with a sudden twist of his wrist, there was a sharp tearing sound as the belt tightly bound to his wrist snapped open.
He raised his blood-soaked hand and delivered a powerful punch to the face of the shadow.
Clearly, the shadow hadn’t anticipated this move.
The shadow shook and staggered back in surprise.
Using this opportunity, Wen Jianyan quickly sat up, his limbs still partially numb from the effects of the binding. He forcibly untied the belts on his wrists and ankles, feeling a tingling sensation in his extremities as blood flowed back.
He dragged his limbs that had not yet fully awakened, bumped into the opponent hard, and then stumbled out of the confinement room!
The light above his head was pale and dazzling, and Wen Jianyan’s eyes hurt from the light.
“Ka-clang!”
It was the sound of the axe being pulled out of the wooden bed.
The shadow lunged toward the door!
But Wen Jianyan knew he wouldn’t have another chance!
He swiftly turned around, his tear-blurred eyes squinting, and grabbed the door handle of the solitary confinement room. In the split second before the person could reach him, he forcefully slammed the door shut.
“Bang!”
The axe struck the firmly closed door.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!]
[I can’t even breathe!]
[Aaaaaaah, this is so nerve-wracking!]
[Did I see it correctly? Is this the infamous dismemberment maniac?]
[Yes, although the light was too dim to see the face clearly, that iconic axe leaves no doubt!]
[Aaaaaaah, you’re incredible, you dog liar! You actually survived in such extreme conditions!]
[…Well, aside from him, no other anchor would end up in solitary confinement on the first day.]
[Darn, it’s so exciting! What’s next?]
Familiar system sounds rang in his ears:
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Close your eyes for three minutes.
Reward points: 200】
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Break free from restraints.
Reward points: 200】
His total points from completing the task reached six hundred.
Wen Jianyan’s face turned pale, and he gasped heavily, his sweat-soaked back sticking to the wall. He felt utterly drained.
F*ck
The first night in solitary confinement is actually stimulating.
This is way too dangerous.
Wait a minute…
He suddenly realized that something was very wrong.
Firstly, the task “Escape from solitary confinement” hadn’t been completed, and secondly, the task “Rest in the solitary confinement room overnight” hadn’t disappeared after he left.
More importantly…
The corridor in front of him looked completely different.
Wen Jianyan stood up straight, slowly scanning his surroundings, his eyes filled with astonishment.
The overhead lights buzzed, casting a cold white light that illuminated a narrow section of the corridor.
Based on his previous observations of the entire asylum, while it was eerie and cold, it was clean, orderly, and even to the point of being morbid.
However, the corridor in front of him was completely different.
It was messy, dirty, old, and covered in dust. The walls were smeared with chaotic and bizarre graffiti made with dried blood, giving it an exceptionally insane look.
Paper scraps and wood chips were scattered on the floor, and wooden shelves were overturned everywhere.
The walls and shelves were deeply marked by axe cuts, some new and some old. The floor was soaked with large patches of blood, ranging from bright red to dark brown, and finally congealed into a tar-like black, making it look like a scene from a massacre.
It was truly horrifying.
Was this still Ping An Asylum?
Wen Jianyan was stunned.
“Bang!” A loud banging noise from the door snapped Wen Jianyan out of his stupor. His shoulders trembled, and he instinctively looked in the direction of the noise.
The door to the solitary confinement room that he had just locked seemed to be under assault from the inside.
The door shook, and dust and wood chips fell as the metal lock jiggled as if it would burst out of the wooden door any second.
Wen Jianyan’s heart raced.
It felt like… this door might not hold for much longer.
He took two slow steps back, quickly surveyed the corridor, and noticed that on the left, a whole row of solitary confinement room doors was wide open, devoid of any signs of life. On the right, some doors were also wide open, while a few were tightly closed.
Finding Su Cheng was the top priority now.
Wen Jianyan rushed to the edge of the corridor and pushed a shelf toward the direction of the closed solitary confinement room with all his strength.
With a loud crash, the shelf fell, blocking the door of the solitary confinement room perfectly.
The sounds of pounding on the door stopped for a moment.
…Though it might not be of much use, perhaps it could buy him some time.
Wen Jianyan took two deep breaths, then turned and ran down the right side of the corridor.
“Su Cheng… Su Cheng!”
As he called out, he searched room by room.
All the solitary confinement rooms with open doors were empty and in complete disarray. The beds for restraining patients were stained with blood, with splatters and smears even on the ceilings.
The heavy stench of blood and decay hung in the air, making him nauseous.
The overhead lights flickered as if the electrical supply were unstable, emitting a creepy, sizzling sound.
Some of the solitary confinement room doors were tightly closed, but there were strange sounds coming from within.
Low chuckles, murmured whispers, and continuous, monotonous banging against the walls—all of it seemed surreal as if the entire world had plunged into madness.
Suddenly, from one of the doors used to pass food trays, there came a clanging sound that shattered the silence of the corridor.
Wen Jianyan was startled and instinctively moved away from the direction of the solitary confinement rooms.
The next moment, a deformed hand reached out from inside the room, and the person inside simultaneously chuckled softly while groping around. They spoke with a suppressed and rough voice:
“Here, come here! Quickly, come here!!”
Wen Jianyan’s scalp tingled, and he quickened his pace.
Soon, he arrived at a tightly closed solitary confinement room. Through the thick door, the room appeared quiet and eerie.
“Su Cheng, Su Cheng?”
Wen Jianyan curled his fingers and lightly knocked on the door.
Silence filled the room.
After a brief pause, a familiar voice sounded, filled with disbelief:
“…Who is it?”
Su Cheng’s voice sounded particularly incredulous.
He asked cautiously:
“…Wen? Is it you?”
Wen Jianyan let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank goodness, I finally found you. Everyone in our guild was getting scared to death because of you.”
“…?”
Su Cheng’s confused voice sounded from deep within the room: “Guild? What guild? We haven’t even joined a guild yet.”
It seems to be him.
“Wait a moment.” Wen Jianyan reached into his pocket and pulled out a bunch of keys, creating a clinking sound of metal colliding. “I’ll get you out of here.”
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[?]
[??]
[When did this guy get the keys?]
[Ah! Could it be from the collision earlier?]
[Damn, I was so nervous, I could barely breathe, and the anchor could still casually pull out keys from the other guy. Impressive!]
Based on the numbering of the solitary confinement rooms, Wen Jianyan quickly found the corresponding key from the keyring and gently inserted it into the lock.
The door opened.
In the dim light, he could see Su Cheng, pale and tightly bound to the bed in the solitary confinement room, squinting as he looked over.
Upon seeing Wen Jianyan’s figure clearly, he heaved a long sigh of relief. His whole body seemed to lose strength, and he collapsed onto the bed, letting out a weak sigh of relief as if he had just survived a catastrophe.
“…It’s really you.”
“No need for small talk.”
Wen Jianyan said it concisely.
He walked in quickly and started to untie Su Cheng.
Su Cheng had been awake for a while, and the bindings on his ankles and wrists had loosened somewhat due to his struggles. Wen Jianyan effortlessly untied them.
Su Cheng sat up from the bed, his face contorting in pain. He rubbed his wrists while asking, confused:
“Where are we?”
“In solitary confinement.” Wen Jianyan answered.
Su Cheng was taken aback. He slowly widened his eyes. “What solitary confinement?”
“In Ping An Asylum.” Wen Jianyan replied, looking at him in surprise. “You didn’t know?”
“Wait, are you saying that we’re in an instance now?”
Su Cheng took a sharp breath, and his face displayed genuine shock. “How did this happen?!”
“…”
Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes slightly.
It seemed that Su Cheng hadn’t realized that he was inside an instance. This meant that whether it was voluntary registration or the seizure of an electric baton incident inside the instance, it had all happened without his knowledge.
Although he really wanted to get to the bottom of this, the current situation wasn’t suitable for further questioning.
“Can you get up?”
Wen Jianyan asked.
Su Cheng nodded and used Wen Jianyan’s help to stand up.
At that moment, the mission log refreshed again.
【Elementary time-limited task issued: Escape from ???’s Pursuit】
【Elementary time-limited task issued:: See the True Face of ???】
【Elementary task issued:: Find ???’s Ward】
【Intermediate task issued:: Discover ???’s True Identity】
Wen Jianyan suddenly remembered something and reached into his pocket. His expression changed.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan’s face turned grim. “Damn it, I lost my prop.”
Even after entering the instance, Mr. Mirror’s fragment couldn’t be stored in the system backpack. While it had saved his life when he was bound to the bed, it had also been lost amidst the chaos.
And that was a legendary prop!
Wen Jianyan felt a pang of heartache, unable to breathe.
***
In the pitch-black solitary confinement room.
A shadow stood silently in the darkness, holding a bloodied axe in one hand. He stood still, like a statue or a wooden stake, devoid of any signs of life.
What was most horrifying was that a piece of an ice-cold mirror fragment was embedded in his face.
Inside the shard of the mirror, vague shadows flickered, as thin as mist, moving slowly and unconsciously. It seemed to possess a life of its own as it gradually penetrated deeper into the man’s flesh and disappeared bit by bit as if merging with him.
“Hehe… hehehe…”
Suddenly, he began to giggle, sounding manic and eerie, his body shaking all over because of the laughter in the darkness.
Then he greedily extended his tongue, licking away the fresh blood that had dripped onto his lips. He savored it delicately. Raising his hand, he slowly and meticulously sniffed the fingers that had just touched the other man’s skin. He opened his mouth, sucking on the remaining blood with a look of extraordinary delight and terrifying satisfaction.
“Darling, you taste delicious.”
The man’s voice was filled with infatuation and trance-like, and in his blue eyes, there was a chillingly eerie expression. His lips slowly curled upward, forming a twisted, unnaturally joyful, and terrifying smile.
“I really want to know what your innards taste like.”
