Chapter 138: “Darling, where are you?”
At this moment, a mechanical voice from the system echoed in his ears:
【Plot deviation: 6%, Reward points: 1000】
Upon hearing the prompt, Wen Jianyan was slightly startled, and a bewildered expression crossed his face.
Huh?
Plot deviation?
Why is it happening so quickly this time? And it seems like he hasn’t done much yet, right?
On the side, Su Cheng struggled to crawl down from the bed, his movements stiff due to numb limbs.
He looked at the stunned Wen Jianyan and asked:
“What’s wrong?”
Wen Jianyan came to his senses and shook his head:
“…It’s nothing.”
After all, this plot deviation wasn’t too high, so theoretically, it shouldn’t pose a significant problem. He could put it aside for now.
Furthermore, in this instance, the points obtained from plot deviations could only be used to exchange for survival time and for shopping in the store, and they wouldn’t accumulate in the “task points.”
Wen Jianyan took a few steps forward, leaned against the wall, and carefully pushed open the door crack to look outside.
The corridor was eerily silent, with some overhead lights already broken, wires hanging down from the ceiling, and the few remaining lights making sizzling sounds as they flickered in the unstable electrical current. The narrow and dirty corridor was divided into sections of light and darkness, giving it an eerie appearance.
Wen Jianyan looked in the direction from which he had come.
The dark corridor was very quiet, with no footsteps and no sound of a metal axe scraping the floor.
It didn’t seem like someone was pursuing them.
Su Cheng had by now mostly regained his mobility. He cautiously approached, crouching down, and whispered, “So, what do we do next?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer immediately; he just lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Because of the need to rescue Su Cheng, he had been injected with a sedative shortly after entering the instance and was locked in solitary confinement. When he woke up, he encountered that axe-wielding maniac, leaving him with little time to explore the instance’s mechanisms, leading to him being in the dark about what had happened during the time he was sedated.
…Is this another world?
Or something entirely else?
It was hard to say.
He had too little information right now to draw any immediate conclusions.
In any case, something must have happened in the instance during the time he was sedated, but he had missed it.
Now, he could only adapt to the circumstances.
“Let’s leave this place first.”
Wen Jianyan concluded briefly.
He raised his eyes to look at Su Cheng and speculated, “Generally, the confinement rooms in the asylum should have a guard room or a nursing station. If we can find that, it should help us understand the current situation.”
“Okay.”
Su Cheng nodded.
After making sure there was no one outside the door, Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng quietly left the solitary confinement room and cautiously moved toward one end of the corridor.
All the solitary confinement rooms were on one side of the corridor, and the two of them stuck close to the other side as they moved forward.
Some nearby doors were wide open, while others were tightly shut. Faint murmurs and laughter came from behind closed doors, echoing in the dead silent air, sending shivers down their spines.
Soon, a room labeled “Guard Room” appeared in front of them.
Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng exchanged a glance.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Inside the guard room, it was a mess.
The walls were splattered with blood, tables and chairs were overturned, and there were axe marks everywhere, but there wasn’t a single corpse.
The strong smell of blood permeated the air.
Wen Jianyan stood at the entrance of the guard room, slowly surveying the scene, his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
“The map is here!”
Just then, Su Cheng’s excited voice came from not far away.
Wen Jianyan refocused his thoughts and quickly walked in the direction pointed out by Su Cheng. They both examined the map, which was made of iron and securely welded to the wall. Almost eighty percent of the areas were marked in black, leaving only a corridor labeled as “solitary confinement.”
One of the rooms had a cross drawn in blood.
Wen Jianyan fell into contemplation.
Could this be the ward of that unnamed psychopathic killer?
His gaze briefly stopped at the nearby task display, where crimson letters floated in the air, strikingly ominous:
【Elementray task released: Find ???’s ward】
Although he was very reluctant…
This was their only clue now.
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s go, we need to check it out.”
They left the guard room and followed the directions on the map, proceeding down the corridor.
Soon, the room marked with a blood-cross came into view.
The room’s door was unlocked, leaving only a narrow gap. Inside, it was pitch black, and a strong scent of blood emanated from within.
Wen Jianyan cautiously approached and observed through the gap.
The room was empty.
He breathed a sigh of relief without showing it, nodded to Su Cheng, and gently pushed open the door, entering.
It was another solitary confinement room, with the same layout as the one Wen Jianyan had been in initially, but it looked dilapidated. The walls were covered with blood marks, and the chaotic blood writings appeared crazily terrifying.
In the dim darkness, a large hole had been opened in the wall, exposing steel bars and brickwork, creating a space just big enough for someone to pass through.
【Ding! Congratulations! The anchor has completed the task: Find ???’s ward
Reward points: 200】
It seemed… a bit too easy.
Wen Jianyan was momentarily puzzled and distracted.
But now was not the time to ponder that question.
He furrowed his brow and took a step toward the bed.
This bed seemed to have been custom-made and was longer than the one in his room. The leather restraint straps had been replaced with thick metal chains, as if this was necessary to securely bind the patient to the bed.
He bent down and, using the faint light, carefully examined the bed in front of him.
There was a small nameplate affixed to one corner of the bed.
【Patient’s name: ■■■■】
【Gender: Male】
【Conditions: Delusional disorder, schizophrenia, violent tendencies】
【Danger level: High risk】
Just then, a shrill and agonizing scream echoed from outside the corridor.
The sound of a metal axe blade cleaving the air, the crisp snap of bones breaking, and the squelchy sound of flesh being torn mixed together, causing an involuntary shudder.
Oh no!
It’s that guy!
Wen Jianyan’s breath caught in his throat.
He abruptly stood up and quickly walked toward the door.
Su Cheng urgently grabbed him, silently shaking his head and mouthing, “It’s too late.”
“Ahhh—!”
The once shrill scream had weakened, as if blood bubbles had filled the lungs, producing intermittent gurgling sounds.
Wen Jianyan gestured to Su Cheng.
Su Cheng nodded.
Both of them took a deep breath and prepared to activate their invisibility props, hiding in the darkness and waiting silently.
The sound… seemed to be coming from the opposite direction from which they came.
In the darkness, Wen Jianyan squinted slightly, his amber eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
They didn’t change direction along the way. They walked almost the same way to the end, and they didn’t hear the footsteps catching up from behind, but the other party had appeared here…
There were three possibilities.
First, the other person had the ability to teleport, regardless of space.
Second, the map was incomplete, and the corridor of the complete solitary confinement area was circular.
Third, they were no longer inside the Ping An Asylum. This place had become an isolated space they couldn’t escape from.
Wen Jianyan glanced at the task display at the edge of his field of vision.
“Rest in a solitary confinement room overnight” and “Escape from the solitary confinement room”, both intermediate tasks, were in progress side by side.
The first option was unlikely; after all, if the other person could teleport, they wouldn’t have been initially locked up by him in the solitary confinement room.
So, it was likely a choice between the second and third possibilities.
Just then, a rustling sound of fabric sliding on the ground came from the corridor, as if someone were crawling slowly.
…He’s here.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, placed one hand on the door panel, and cautiously looked outside.
In his narrow field of view, he witnessed a person covered in blood struggling to crawl forward. His blue and white striped hospital gown was soaked in blood, and there were deep axe wounds on his back. Below his thighs, there were nothing but freshly severed bones and minced flesh.
“Szzla—”
The familiar sound of metal scraping echoed.
Accompanied by slow and deliberate footsteps, a figure appeared within their view.
Wen Jianyan instinctively held his breath, focusing on what was happening outside.
A man, at least over six feet tall, with blond hair and a sturdy build, was also dressed in the asylum’s hospital gown. He was stained with blood—fresh blood still dripping from the corners of his cloyhes.
He held a massive and ferocious-looking axe in his hand.
“Where are you going?”
He softly inquired.
The heavy axe, coated with blood and bits of flesh, was raised, emitting a sharp, slicing sound, and then came crashing down again!
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh—”
The harrowing scream ceased.
The massive axe deeply embedded itself in the ground, leaving a terrifying mark.
The patient’s body convulsed on the ground, and fresh blood gushed from the broken neck bone.
The head rolled on the ground, thudding against the edge of the door crack. The pallid face still bore a twisted expression of terror. The lifeless eyes stared blankly at the young man inside the room.
“…,” Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted, and he broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
With a “pop” sound, the limp body was flipped over by the man as if it were a sack.
The sharp axe blade sliced through the corpse’s belly, and the steaming entrails flowed out, cradled in the man’s blood-soaked palm, carefully examined.
“Ah… this color…”
He murmured.
“So beautiful…”
Wen Jianyan stood motionless in the darkness, his face slightly pale. Despite having experienced four instances so far, facing such a bloody scene in such close quarters was a first for him. It made his stomach churn, almost causing him to vomit.
“But… something’s not right…” The man inspected the entrails, shaking his head in disappointment. “Not enough…”
He bent down and sniffed the bloody, minced flesh. His soft voice carried an unmistakable hint of madness.
“Not him.”
The man stood up, and the entrails that he had treasured moments ago fell from his hand with a soft thud, mercilessly crushed into a pulpy mess by his foot.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[I can’t believe it! This is my first time watching the Ping An Asylum instance? Are the NPCs always this perverted here?]
[Yeah, they’ve always been like this.]
[Hahaha! Can’t handle this just from seeing this part? What are you going to do when you see what’s coming next?]
[But it does feel a bit strange… He’s talking about things being delicious or not, but I remember this guy’s madness seemed to be in a different direction, right?]
[Yeah, it does seem like it has changed. How can someone with a mental illness mutate like this? Did they adjust the instance settings?]
[And who is this ‘him’? Is he looking for someone?]
[I don’t know! I can’t understand anymore!]
Wen Jianyan stood still, sweat forming layer after layer on his back. Although he didn’t understand who this person was talking about, for some reason…
There was always an ominous feeling in his heart.
Suddenly, without any warning, a pallid hand emerged from the darkness and rested on Wen Jianyan’s shoulder.
“!!!”
Wen Jian shuddered involuntarily, using every ounce of his self-control to prevent himself from screaming.
His complexion turned extremely unpleasant as he quickly turned his head to look behind him.
“Hehe, hehehehe…”
A crazed, pale face slowly approached, “Peeping, naughty child, peeping, naughty child, peeping! Naughty child!”
The voice gradually grew louder.
“…”
The man outside the room heard the noise from inside and slowly turned in that direction.
Wen Jianyan finally saw that the man had a bloody human skin mask on his face, with both eye sockets gouged out, revealing a pair of very light blue eyes with an undeniable look of madness that sent a chill down one’s spine.
“Sizzle…”
He bent down, picked up the heavy axe again, and walked in his direction.
Not good!
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
A brief image flashed in his mind—a hole in the wall.
Clearly, the madman had entered through this hole from the next room while their attention was focused outside the room.
Damn it.
It was like the house leaking in the rain in the middle of the night!
“Peeking!! Naughty child!!”
At last, the other person had begun to scream, and their voice had become so sharp that it was almost unbearable.
Wen Jianyan signaled to Su Cheng.
The next moment, he forcefully pushed the door shut, coincidentally smashing it into the face of the man who was about to enter.
The man, caught off guard, took a step back. The mask made of human skin on his face swayed, and fresh blood dripped down.
He propped himself up with a long axe in his hand, and under the blood-soaked mask, his lips curved ever so slightly as he spoke in a deep, gentle, and sweet voice:
“Darling, you’re here, aren’t you?”
The man slowly took two steps back, effortlessly wielding the massive axe that could crush a grown man, his arm muscles bulging with terrifying strength.
“Hoo!”
The giant axe came down fiercely.
Wood chips flew, and the cold light from the corridor spilled into the dark room.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!”
The madman screamed, clapping his hands and laughing madly, “Hahaha!”
He turned around and agilely slipped into the gap, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
In just a few seconds, the door panel was reduced to shattered remnants, easily crushed.
With the flickering and dimming light, the man, exuding a bloody scent, slowly entered the room. His towering figure created a strong sense of oppression in the cramped space.
“Darling, where are you?”
He asked in a coaxing tone.
The room was empty, and under the corridor’s light, only the gap along the wall seemed particularly conspicuous.
Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng were tightly pressed against the wall. They had activated their invisibility props, held their breath, and remained silent, sticking close to the wall.
According to logic, after finding no one in the room, the other party should naturally assume that the prey had slipped through the gap and would follow that path. This would give them a chance to escape.
“Sizzle…”
The sound of the axe tip scraping against the floor reached their ears as the man with the human skin mask slowly approached the crack and stopped.
In the dead silence, their hearts pounded.
Wen Jianyan’s back was tightly pressed against the wall, his body feeling icy cold.
Silence.
Wait.
“Hehe, hehehe…”
The man suddenly laughed, slowly surveying the room, his pale blue eyes becoming increasingly crazed.
He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath as if in ecstasy.
“No, you’re right here.”
His eyes fixed on a dark corner, he said firmly, “Aren’t you?”
“!!!”
In that moment, Wen Jianyan felt like his heart was in his throat, and his body had a strong stress response, almost instinctively wanting to flee!
“Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Ahhhh!]
[Aaaaaaaaahhhh!!!]
[Help, help, I’m so nervous, aaaaahhhh!]
“Ring, ring, ring!”
Suddenly, a piercing ringing broke the darkness, echoing in the empty corridor like a grand pause or the prelude to a celebration.
The man with a twisted face stopped.
He raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair slowly. Bloodstained golden strands of hair flowed between his fingers.
“Oh, what a pity.”
…What a pity?
Wen Jianyan was puzzled.
Before he could fully recover, he heard the familiar mechanical sound of the system:
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Rest in solitary confinement overnight.
Reward points: 500】
“…”
Wen Jianyan stared at the blank ceiling in disbelief.
A strange sensation of being tightly bound still lingered in his wrists and ankles.
He struggled to turn his head and found himself lying on the same restraining bed, his limbs securely fastened, the room empty, and the door to the solitary confinement room tightly locked.
…A dream?
The spine-chilling feeling of terror still lingered in his body, and his hospital gown was drenched in cold sweat, sticking to his skin.
“Clang, clank.”
The sound of metal keys clashing echoed from outside the door, and the next moment, a key was inserted into the lock and turned.
“!!!”
Wen Jianyan’s body jolted in panic.
This is bad, this is bad!
He instinctively leaned his body to the side, preparing to use the same trick to find the mirror shards in the seams of his clothes. However, the familiar spot was empty, and all he felt was the soft fabric.
“Creak…”
The door was pushed open.
Two caregivers in familiar uniforms entered the room.
Wen Jianyan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his chest heaved violently. His gaze fell on the newcomers like a frightened cat with nowhere to hide.
The two nurses bent down and began to untie the restraints on Wen Jianyan’s wrists and ankles.
With the crisp sound of buckles, Wen Jianyan felt the restraints on his limbs loosen.
“Get up.”
One of the nurses commanded coldly, “Solitary confinement is over.”
***
Free activity room.
Dark crosses hung on the white walls, soft chairs were scattered around, and various games, chessboards, building blocks, paintbrushes, and more were placed on the tables….
A nearby gramophone played a cheerful children’s song.
Yi-yi-ya-ya, but it was impossible to make out the lyrics.
Pushed roughly, Wen Jianyan stumbled into the free activity room.
“Creak…”
The iron gate closed behind him, and then it was locked tightly once again.
Wen Jianyan rubbed his wrist, where red marks had been left from the restraints, while turning his head to look outside the iron grille. The nurses who had locked the door had already left, their figures disappearing into the dark corridor.
“Take your medicine.”
A flat-faced nurse stared emotionlessly at Wen Jianyan, offering a small paper cup.
Wen Jianyan gave her a slight smile. “Thank you.”
He took the paper cup and poured the contents into his mouth, swallowing with an audible gulp.
“Open your mouth,” the nurse commanded.
The young man placed the paper cup back on the table, opened his mouth as instructed, and stuck out his tongue to allow the nurse to check for any hidden items.
Wen Jianyan stepped into the recreation room and sat down on one of the sofas. Several pills of different colors were discreetly hidden under the cushion.
He discreetly surveyed the room.
Su Cheng hadn’t arrived yet.
Not far away, Blond spotted Wen Jianyan, and his eyes lit up. He subconsciously quickened his pace and walked over.
“You’re okay!”
Blond had witnessed the chaotic scene when Wen Jianyan was taken to solitary confinement earlier.
Although he believed that with Wen Jianyan’s abilities, nothing serious would happen, he couldn’t help but worry when he saw Wen Jianyan being carried away under the influence of tranquilizers. Only when he saw Wen Jianyan appear in front of him did he finally feel relieved.
“Of course, what could go wrong?”
Wen Jianyan shrugged.
He looked at Blond. “Did you take the medication the nurse gave you?”
“I did.” Blond scratched his head. “But I used an item to hide a small bag in my throat and spit it out as soon as I came in.”
Despite being timid and not a big-shot player, Blond had gained some experience after going through so many game instances.
“So, why did you do that earlier?” Blond lowered his voice and asked, puzzled.
Wen Jianyan answered simply, “To get into solitary confinement. The anchor who attacked the caregiver before me is the person I’m looking for.”
Regardless, coming back from solitary confinement this time was definitely a good thing.
Perhaps even a great opportunity.
Since entering the free activity room, Wen Jianyan could feel many eyes, both openly and covertly, fixed on him.
The news of his voluntary entry into solitary confinement must have spread among the anchors, and it wouldn’t be long before teams approached him—whether for cooperation or information exchange, he had now proven himself as the best candidate.
Blond was taken aback and instinctively straightened up, looking toward the door:
“So, where is he now?”
“He should be fine,” Wen Jianyan mentally replayed the scenes after he woke up, saying, “Assuming nothing unexpected happened, he should arrive soon.”
He had barely finished speaking when the sound of the iron gate being pulled open resounded.
Wen Jianyan breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. “This should be—”
But his words got stuck in his throat.
Under the supervision of three nurses, a tall man walked in slowly. He had a handsome, chiseled face, light blue eyes, and tousled blond hair.
Under the thin hospital gown, you could see well-defined muscles, exuding a beast-like explosiveness.
“Clang, clank.”
His wrists and ankles were both shackled with heavy handcuffs.
Those pale blue eyes swept through the free activity room and landed on Wen Jianyan.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
A chill rushed up from the soles of his feet, shooting straight to his head, and an intense sense of foreboding made him shiver.
The next second, the man smiled, his pale red lips curling to reveal sharp, white teeth.
“Hey.”
The author has something to say:
Blond: ??? Is this your teammate???
Wen Jianyan: “…”
Chapter 138: “Darling, where are you?”
At this moment, a mechanical voice from the system echoed in his ears:
【Plot deviation: 6%, Reward points: 1000】
Upon hearing the prompt, Wen Jianyan was slightly startled, and a bewildered expression crossed his face.
Huh?
Plot deviation?
Why is it happening so quickly this time? And it seems like he hasn’t done much yet, right?
On the side, Su Cheng struggled to crawl down from the bed, his movements stiff due to numb limbs.
He looked at the stunned Wen Jianyan and asked:
“What’s wrong?”
Wen Jianyan came to his senses and shook his head:
“…It’s nothing.”
After all, this plot deviation wasn’t too high, so theoretically, it shouldn’t pose a significant problem. He could put it aside for now.
Furthermore, in this instance, the points obtained from plot deviations could only be used to exchange for survival time and for shopping in the store, and they wouldn’t accumulate in the “task points.”
Wen Jianyan took a few steps forward, leaned against the wall, and carefully pushed open the door crack to look outside.
The corridor was eerily silent, with some overhead lights already broken, wires hanging down from the ceiling, and the few remaining lights making sizzling sounds as they flickered in the unstable electrical current. The narrow and dirty corridor was divided into sections of light and darkness, giving it an eerie appearance.
Wen Jianyan looked in the direction from which he had come.
The dark corridor was very quiet, with no footsteps and no sound of a metal axe scraping the floor.
It didn’t seem like someone was pursuing them.
Su Cheng had by now mostly regained his mobility. He cautiously approached, crouching down, and whispered, “So, what do we do next?”
“…”
Wen Jianyan didn’t answer immediately; he just lowered his gaze, lost in thought.
Because of the need to rescue Su Cheng, he had been injected with a sedative shortly after entering the instance and was locked in solitary confinement. When he woke up, he encountered that axe-wielding maniac, leaving him with little time to explore the instance’s mechanisms, leading to him being in the dark about what had happened during the time he was sedated.
…Is this another world?
Or something entirely else?
It was hard to say.
He had too little information right now to draw any immediate conclusions.
In any case, something must have happened in the instance during the time he was sedated, but he had missed it.
Now, he could only adapt to the circumstances.
“Let’s leave this place first.”
Wen Jianyan concluded briefly.
He raised his eyes to look at Su Cheng and speculated, “Generally, the confinement rooms in the asylum should have a guard room or a nursing station. If we can find that, it should help us understand the current situation.”
“Okay.”
Su Cheng nodded.
After making sure there was no one outside the door, Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng quietly left the solitary confinement room and cautiously moved toward one end of the corridor.
All the solitary confinement rooms were on one side of the corridor, and the two of them stuck close to the other side as they moved forward.
Some nearby doors were wide open, while others were tightly shut. Faint murmurs and laughter came from behind closed doors, echoing in the dead silent air, sending shivers down their spines.
Soon, a room labeled “Guard Room” appeared in front of them.
Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng exchanged a glance.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Inside the guard room, it was a mess.
The walls were splattered with blood, tables and chairs were overturned, and there were axe marks everywhere, but there wasn’t a single corpse.
The strong smell of blood permeated the air.
Wen Jianyan stood at the entrance of the guard room, slowly surveying the scene, his eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
“The map is here!”
Just then, Su Cheng’s excited voice came from not far away.
Wen Jianyan refocused his thoughts and quickly walked in the direction pointed out by Su Cheng. They both examined the map, which was made of iron and securely welded to the wall. Almost eighty percent of the areas were marked in black, leaving only a corridor labeled as “solitary confinement.”
One of the rooms had a cross drawn in blood.
Wen Jianyan fell into contemplation.
Could this be the ward of that unnamed psychopathic killer?
His gaze briefly stopped at the nearby task display, where crimson letters floated in the air, strikingly ominous:
【Elementray task released: Find ???’s ward】
Although he was very reluctant…
This was their only clue now.
Wen Jianyan gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s go, we need to check it out.”
They left the guard room and followed the directions on the map, proceeding down the corridor.
Soon, the room marked with a blood-cross came into view.
The room’s door was unlocked, leaving only a narrow gap. Inside, it was pitch black, and a strong scent of blood emanated from within.
Wen Jianyan cautiously approached and observed through the gap.
The room was empty.
He breathed a sigh of relief without showing it, nodded to Su Cheng, and gently pushed open the door, entering.
It was another solitary confinement room, with the same layout as the one Wen Jianyan had been in initially, but it looked dilapidated. The walls were covered with blood marks, and the chaotic blood writings appeared crazily terrifying.
In the dim darkness, a large hole had been opened in the wall, exposing steel bars and brickwork, creating a space just big enough for someone to pass through.
【Ding! Congratulations! The anchor has completed the task: Find ???’s ward
Reward points: 200】
It seemed… a bit too easy.
Wen Jianyan was momentarily puzzled and distracted.
But now was not the time to ponder that question.
He furrowed his brow and took a step toward the bed.
This bed seemed to have been custom-made and was longer than the one in his room. The leather restraint straps had been replaced with thick metal chains, as if this was necessary to securely bind the patient to the bed.
He bent down and, using the faint light, carefully examined the bed in front of him.
There was a small nameplate affixed to one corner of the bed.
【Patient’s name: ■■■■】
【Gender: Male】
【Conditions: Delusional disorder, schizophrenia, violent tendencies】
【Danger level: High risk】
Just then, a shrill and agonizing scream echoed from outside the corridor.
The sound of a metal axe blade cleaving the air, the crisp snap of bones breaking, and the squelchy sound of flesh being torn mixed together, causing an involuntary shudder.
Oh no!
It’s that guy!
Wen Jianyan’s breath caught in his throat.
He abruptly stood up and quickly walked toward the door.
Su Cheng urgently grabbed him, silently shaking his head and mouthing, “It’s too late.”
“Ahhh—!”
The once shrill scream had weakened, as if blood bubbles had filled the lungs, producing intermittent gurgling sounds.
Wen Jianyan gestured to Su Cheng.
Su Cheng nodded.
Both of them took a deep breath and prepared to activate their invisibility props, hiding in the darkness and waiting silently.
The sound… seemed to be coming from the opposite direction from which they came.
In the darkness, Wen Jianyan squinted slightly, his amber eyes showing a thoughtful expression.
They didn’t change direction along the way. They walked almost the same way to the end, and they didn’t hear the footsteps catching up from behind, but the other party had appeared here…
There were three possibilities.
First, the other person had the ability to teleport, regardless of space.
Second, the map was incomplete, and the corridor of the complete solitary confinement area was circular.
Third, they were no longer inside the Ping An Asylum. This place had become an isolated space they couldn’t escape from.
Wen Jianyan glanced at the task display at the edge of his field of vision.
“Rest in a solitary confinement room overnight” and “Escape from the solitary confinement room”, both intermediate tasks, were in progress side by side.
The first option was unlikely; after all, if the other person could teleport, they wouldn’t have been initially locked up by him in the solitary confinement room.
So, it was likely a choice between the second and third possibilities.
Just then, a rustling sound of fabric sliding on the ground came from the corridor, as if someone were crawling slowly.
…He’s here.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, placed one hand on the door panel, and cautiously looked outside.
In his narrow field of view, he witnessed a person covered in blood struggling to crawl forward. His blue and white striped hospital gown was soaked in blood, and there were deep axe wounds on his back. Below his thighs, there were nothing but freshly severed bones and minced flesh.
“Szzla—”
The familiar sound of metal scraping echoed.
Accompanied by slow and deliberate footsteps, a figure appeared within their view.
Wen Jianyan instinctively held his breath, focusing on what was happening outside.
A man, at least over six feet tall, with blond hair and a sturdy build, was also dressed in the asylum’s hospital gown. He was stained with blood—fresh blood still dripping from the corners of his cloyhes.
He held a massive and ferocious-looking axe in his hand.
“Where are you going?”
He softly inquired.
The heavy axe, coated with blood and bits of flesh, was raised, emitting a sharp, slicing sound, and then came crashing down again!
“Aaaaaaaaahhhhh—”
The harrowing scream ceased.
The massive axe deeply embedded itself in the ground, leaving a terrifying mark.
The patient’s body convulsed on the ground, and fresh blood gushed from the broken neck bone.
The head rolled on the ground, thudding against the edge of the door crack. The pallid face still bore a twisted expression of terror. The lifeless eyes stared blankly at the young man inside the room.
“…,” Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted, and he broke out in a cold sweat on his back.
With a “pop” sound, the limp body was flipped over by the man as if it were a sack.
The sharp axe blade sliced through the corpse’s belly, and the steaming entrails flowed out, cradled in the man’s blood-soaked palm, carefully examined.
“Ah… this color…”
He murmured.
“So beautiful…”
Wen Jianyan stood motionless in the darkness, his face slightly pale. Despite having experienced four instances so far, facing such a bloody scene in such close quarters was a first for him. It made his stomach churn, almost causing him to vomit.
“But… something’s not right…” The man inspected the entrails, shaking his head in disappointment. “Not enough…”
He bent down and sniffed the bloody, minced flesh. His soft voice carried an unmistakable hint of madness.
“Not him.”
The man stood up, and the entrails that he had treasured moments ago fell from his hand with a soft thud, mercilessly crushed into a pulpy mess by his foot.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[I can’t believe it! This is my first time watching the Ping An Asylum instance? Are the NPCs always this perverted here?]
[Yeah, they’ve always been like this.]
[Hahaha! Can’t handle this just from seeing this part? What are you going to do when you see what’s coming next?]
[But it does feel a bit strange… He’s talking about things being delicious or not, but I remember this guy’s madness seemed to be in a different direction, right?]
[Yeah, it does seem like it has changed. How can someone with a mental illness mutate like this? Did they adjust the instance settings?]
[And who is this ‘him’? Is he looking for someone?]
[I don’t know! I can’t understand anymore!]
Wen Jianyan stood still, sweat forming layer after layer on his back. Although he didn’t understand who this person was talking about, for some reason…
There was always an ominous feeling in his heart.
Suddenly, without any warning, a pallid hand emerged from the darkness and rested on Wen Jianyan’s shoulder.
“!!!”
Wen Jian shuddered involuntarily, using every ounce of his self-control to prevent himself from screaming.
His complexion turned extremely unpleasant as he quickly turned his head to look behind him.
“Hehe, hehehehe…”
A crazed, pale face slowly approached, “Peeping, naughty child, peeping, naughty child, peeping! Naughty child!”
The voice gradually grew louder.
“…”
The man outside the room heard the noise from inside and slowly turned in that direction.
Wen Jianyan finally saw that the man had a bloody human skin mask on his face, with both eye sockets gouged out, revealing a pair of very light blue eyes with an undeniable look of madness that sent a chill down one’s spine.
“Sizzle…”
He bent down, picked up the heavy axe again, and walked in his direction.
Not good!
Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
A brief image flashed in his mind—a hole in the wall.
Clearly, the madman had entered through this hole from the next room while their attention was focused outside the room.
Damn it.
It was like the house leaking in the rain in the middle of the night!
“Peeking!! Naughty child!!”
At last, the other person had begun to scream, and their voice had become so sharp that it was almost unbearable.
Wen Jianyan signaled to Su Cheng.
The next moment, he forcefully pushed the door shut, coincidentally smashing it into the face of the man who was about to enter.
The man, caught off guard, took a step back. The mask made of human skin on his face swayed, and fresh blood dripped down.
He propped himself up with a long axe in his hand, and under the blood-soaked mask, his lips curved ever so slightly as he spoke in a deep, gentle, and sweet voice:
“Darling, you’re here, aren’t you?”
The man slowly took two steps back, effortlessly wielding the massive axe that could crush a grown man, his arm muscles bulging with terrifying strength.
“Hoo!”
The giant axe came down fiercely.
Wood chips flew, and the cold light from the corridor spilled into the dark room.
“Aaaaaaahhhhh!!”
The madman screamed, clapping his hands and laughing madly, “Hahaha!”
He turned around and agilely slipped into the gap, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
In just a few seconds, the door panel was reduced to shattered remnants, easily crushed.
With the flickering and dimming light, the man, exuding a bloody scent, slowly entered the room. His towering figure created a strong sense of oppression in the cramped space.
“Darling, where are you?”
He asked in a coaxing tone.
The room was empty, and under the corridor’s light, only the gap along the wall seemed particularly conspicuous.
Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng were tightly pressed against the wall. They had activated their invisibility props, held their breath, and remained silent, sticking close to the wall.
According to logic, after finding no one in the room, the other party should naturally assume that the prey had slipped through the gap and would follow that path. This would give them a chance to escape.
“Sizzle…”
The sound of the axe tip scraping against the floor reached their ears as the man with the human skin mask slowly approached the crack and stopped.
In the dead silence, their hearts pounded.
Wen Jianyan’s back was tightly pressed against the wall, his body feeling icy cold.
Silence.
Wait.
“Hehe, hehehe…”
The man suddenly laughed, slowly surveying the room, his pale blue eyes becoming increasingly crazed.
He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath as if in ecstasy.
“No, you’re right here.”
His eyes fixed on a dark corner, he said firmly, “Aren’t you?”
“!!!”
In that moment, Wen Jianyan felt like his heart was in his throat, and his body had a strong stress response, almost instinctively wanting to flee!
“Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Ahhhh!]
[Aaaaaaaaahhhh!!!]
[Help, help, I’m so nervous, aaaaahhhh!]
“Ring, ring, ring!”
Suddenly, a piercing ringing broke the darkness, echoing in the empty corridor like a grand pause or the prelude to a celebration.
The man with a twisted face stopped.
He raised his hand and ran his fingers through his hair slowly. Bloodstained golden strands of hair flowed between his fingers.
“Oh, what a pity.”
…What a pity?
Wen Jianyan was puzzled.
Before he could fully recover, he heard the familiar mechanical sound of the system:
【Ding! Congratulations to the anchor for completing the task: Rest in solitary confinement overnight.
Reward points: 500】
“…”
Wen Jianyan stared at the blank ceiling in disbelief.
A strange sensation of being tightly bound still lingered in his wrists and ankles.
He struggled to turn his head and found himself lying on the same restraining bed, his limbs securely fastened, the room empty, and the door to the solitary confinement room tightly locked.
…A dream?
The spine-chilling feeling of terror still lingered in his body, and his hospital gown was drenched in cold sweat, sticking to his skin.
“Clang, clank.”
The sound of metal keys clashing echoed from outside the door, and the next moment, a key was inserted into the lock and turned.
“!!!”
Wen Jianyan’s body jolted in panic.
This is bad, this is bad!
He instinctively leaned his body to the side, preparing to use the same trick to find the mirror shards in the seams of his clothes. However, the familiar spot was empty, and all he felt was the soft fabric.
“Creak…”
The door was pushed open.
Two caregivers in familiar uniforms entered the room.
Wen Jianyan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his chest heaved violently. His gaze fell on the newcomers like a frightened cat with nowhere to hide.
The two nurses bent down and began to untie the restraints on Wen Jianyan’s wrists and ankles.
With the crisp sound of buckles, Wen Jianyan felt the restraints on his limbs loosen.
“Get up.”
One of the nurses commanded coldly, “Solitary confinement is over.”
***
Free activity room.
Dark crosses hung on the white walls, soft chairs were scattered around, and various games, chessboards, building blocks, paintbrushes, and more were placed on the tables….
A nearby gramophone played a cheerful children’s song.
Yi-yi-ya-ya, but it was impossible to make out the lyrics.
Pushed roughly, Wen Jianyan stumbled into the free activity room.
“Creak…”
The iron gate closed behind him, and then it was locked tightly once again.
Wen Jianyan rubbed his wrist, where red marks had been left from the restraints, while turning his head to look outside the iron grille. The nurses who had locked the door had already left, their figures disappearing into the dark corridor.
“Take your medicine.”
A flat-faced nurse stared emotionlessly at Wen Jianyan, offering a small paper cup.
Wen Jianyan gave her a slight smile. “Thank you.”
He took the paper cup and poured the contents into his mouth, swallowing with an audible gulp.
“Open your mouth,” the nurse commanded.
The young man placed the paper cup back on the table, opened his mouth as instructed, and stuck out his tongue to allow the nurse to check for any hidden items.
Wen Jianyan stepped into the recreation room and sat down on one of the sofas. Several pills of different colors were discreetly hidden under the cushion.
He discreetly surveyed the room.
Su Cheng hadn’t arrived yet.
Not far away, Blond spotted Wen Jianyan, and his eyes lit up. He subconsciously quickened his pace and walked over.
“You’re okay!”
Blond had witnessed the chaotic scene when Wen Jianyan was taken to solitary confinement earlier.
Although he believed that with Wen Jianyan’s abilities, nothing serious would happen, he couldn’t help but worry when he saw Wen Jianyan being carried away under the influence of tranquilizers. Only when he saw Wen Jianyan appear in front of him did he finally feel relieved.
“Of course, what could go wrong?”
Wen Jianyan shrugged.
He looked at Blond. “Did you take the medication the nurse gave you?”
“I did.” Blond scratched his head. “But I used an item to hide a small bag in my throat and spit it out as soon as I came in.”
Despite being timid and not a big-shot player, Blond had gained some experience after going through so many game instances.
“So, why did you do that earlier?” Blond lowered his voice and asked, puzzled.
Wen Jianyan answered simply, “To get into solitary confinement. The anchor who attacked the caregiver before me is the person I’m looking for.”
Regardless, coming back from solitary confinement this time was definitely a good thing.
Perhaps even a great opportunity.
Since entering the free activity room, Wen Jianyan could feel many eyes, both openly and covertly, fixed on him.
The news of his voluntary entry into solitary confinement must have spread among the anchors, and it wouldn’t be long before teams approached him—whether for cooperation or information exchange, he had now proven himself as the best candidate.
Blond was taken aback and instinctively straightened up, looking toward the door:
“So, where is he now?”
“He should be fine,” Wen Jianyan mentally replayed the scenes after he woke up, saying, “Assuming nothing unexpected happened, he should arrive soon.”
He had barely finished speaking when the sound of the iron gate being pulled open resounded.
Wen Jianyan breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. “This should be—”
But his words got stuck in his throat.
Under the supervision of three nurses, a tall man walked in slowly. He had a handsome, chiseled face, light blue eyes, and tousled blond hair.
Under the thin hospital gown, you could see well-defined muscles, exuding a beast-like explosiveness.
“Clang, clank.”
His wrists and ankles were both shackled with heavy handcuffs.
Those pale blue eyes swept through the free activity room and landed on Wen Jianyan.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
A chill rushed up from the soles of his feet, shooting straight to his head, and an intense sense of foreboding made him shiver.
The next second, the man smiled, his pale red lips curling to reveal sharp, white teeth.
“Hey.”
The author has something to say:
Blond: ??? Is this your teammate???
Wen Jianyan: “…”
