Chapter 147: The little rabbit prefers me more, doesn’t he?
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[I can’t believe it! It’s my first time watching… so is that Nile guy evil?]
[Aaaaah, isn’t he holding a white rabbit?! Then how come?]
[Can someone who’s a regular in the Ping An Asylum instance come and explain? What’s the deal with Patient 03?]
[I’ve seen this many times, but honestly, patients 03 and 04 on the second underground floor are quite mysterious. They’re not as violent as 01, so they rarely end up in the confinement room and have limited interaction with the anchors. But… 03 seems to appear slightly more frequently than 04. From what I know, 03 has two personalities, one black and one white. The white one is the older brother, and the black one is the younger brother. In any case, they’re not good news.]
[Yeah, anyone who falls into the hands of Patient 03 dies quickly…]
[But speaking of which, this is the first time I’ve seen Nile show up so early. Though he’s not necessarily a good guy, he’s quieter and more reserved compared to his brother. Most of the time, his brother takes the lead, and Nile might come out for a few minutes occasionally. It’s rare to see him so active.]
[Watching this live broadcast of the Ping An Asylum, it’s the first time I’ve seen an anchor able to see through the older brother’s disguise at a glance. Their insight is truly impressive!]
The long corridor was bathed in crimson light, like thin red blood vessels.
Wen Jianyan ran along the corridor.
Dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder, is a condition in which the affected individual exhibits multiple independent personalities, each with its own memories and perceptions.
In general, individuals with dissociative identity disorder have often experienced some degree of trauma. They create separate personalities to bear those traumatic memories or as a form of self-defense. As a result, most patients have a relatively vulnerable primary personality and a dominant secondary personality.
This is common knowledge.
The appearance of the white rabbit, in stark contrast to the black rabbit, emerging during an intensely suppressed chase, was like a beacon of light in the darkness, a lifeline dangling over a cliff.
If an anchor knew about Patient 03’s condition, it could lead to a biased impression of Nile as the vulnerable primary personality, compelled to split into a dominant and violent secondary personality for self-protection, ultimately falling into what appeared to be a harmless trap.
One link led to another, and each piece of information would be revealed to the victim layer by layer.
It was a highly professional psychological manipulation.
In other words, Nile’s level of danger was no lower than that of his brother.
However, after many years in his profession, Wen Jianyan had developed an unwavering habit of skepticism.
In a high-difficulty-rated instance, even seemingly harmless things might hide deadly traps.
He was well-versed in most forms of psychological manipulation and could skillfully navigate these tricks. He was a hunter adept at deceiving others, not prey that could be led or lured.
Even in a life-or-death situation, Wen Jianyan would not lose his vigilance and observation skills.
Upon discovering that the fluffy white rabbit’s eye sockets contained fresh human eyeballs, Wen Jianyan immediately understood his situation.
Everything he did from that point on was aimed at lowering the other’s guard, allowing him to escape at the last moment.
However…
Although he learned Nile’s name, there was no completion sound for his task in his ears.
Wen Jianyan squinted his eyes, displaying a pensive expression.
Either the other party lied, or…
It’s possible that he needed to know the names of these two brothers to complete the task.
“Zzzzz… Zzzzz…”
The overhead lights suddenly flickered, emitting an eerie sound, and the crimson light on the corridor alternated between bright and dim, making the entire corridor seem to pulse with light.
Wen Jianyan instinctively halted his steps, and his body tensed up involuntarily.
“Snap.”
The lights went dark.
Everything was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, and Wen Jianyan stood frozen in the darkness, his breathing becoming rapid.
“Snap.”
The lights came on again.
The crimson light illuminated a sudden fork in the corridor, and right in the middle was a jet-black rabbit.
Its fine fur glistened with a flowing red light, and beneath the rabbit lay a piece of paper.
“…”
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and approached slowly, bending down to look at the paper beneath the rabbit.
[Found you!]
The handwriting was messy and crooked, with a strange sense of joy evident between the lines.
Wen Jianyan’s back went cold, realizing his current predicament.
It appeared that before the bell sounded, the game of “hide and seek” was not over and would continue in rounds.
Although he had broken free from Nile’s control, he had lost his hiding place as well… In other words, he had likely returned to his brother’s game.
What was worse, he had been found.
The young man turned his head and surveyed his surroundings.
He stood alone in the empty corridor, bathed in a soft red light from above, like a spotlight shining on him.
The deserted corridor was eerily silent, with only the jet-black rabbit sitting quietly on the ground, its long ears drooping, motionless.
…Damn.
Wen Jianyan cursed silently, feeling a cold sweat forming on his back.
“Snap.”
The lights went dark again.
A sense of crisis pricked at his back like a needle, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest, almost causing physical pain.
Wen Jianyan’s breath lightened.
He keenly sensed that the next encounter would be a fierce battle.
In this other world, the opponent couldn’t be physically harmed, but they could be controlled. With the right manipulation, escape was possible—just as he had done with Nile earlier.
The most crucial thing was the timing.
As long as he could lull the other party into lowering their guard, he had a chance to survive.
In the darkness, he calmly opened the system store, his brain quickly processing and deducing what might happen next. Then he swiftly selected props and purchased them one by one.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Wow, this anchor’s mental resilience is indeed impressive…]
[Aaaaah, I’m so nervous!]
[Darn it, this Patient 03 is so oppressive; help!]
“Snap!”
The lights came on again.
And a hair-raising scene unfolded before his eyes.
Under the blood-red lights, the corridor was filled with motionless black rabbits from all directions.
They were densely packed, with no end in sight.
The rabbits sat silently on the ground, their glassy eyes fixed on the young man in the center of the corridor, looking eerie and somewhat terrifying.
Wen Jianyan’s breath caught for a moment, his heart pounding.
It was about to happen.
He should be “found” very soon.
Be prepared.
“Snap!”
The lights went dark once again.
Wen Jianyan patiently waited.
The back of Wen Jianyan’s clothing was already damp with cold sweat. He could hear his own rapid breathing and heartbeat, and there was nothing but deep, ocean-like silence around him.
“My little rabbit, I’ve caught you.”
The youth’s voice was cheerful and delighted, sounding right next to his ear.
It was as though he possessed the world’s best doll, and his voice trembled with a spine-chilling excitement.
Wen Jianyan’s body involuntarily shivered. He felt two slender yet strong arms gently encircle his waist, gradually tightening, bringing their bodies intimately close together.
A pointed chin rested on his shoulder, and cold breath brushed against his ear.
“So, you’ll always be with me, right?”
There was a disturbingly sinister undertone in the voice, causing Wen Jianyan to instinctively tense up.
Something sharp pressed against his throat, a sharp blade with a cold sensation, slowly approaching his skin and creating small cuts along the curve of his jaw.
Drops of crimson-hot liquid seeped out.
“Snap!”
The lights came on again.
Under the crowd of countless jet-black rabbits, the slender young man was embraced by the youth’s arms. If you ignored the sharp blade against his throat, their postures could be described as intimate.
Crimson blood trickled like tiny serpents, flowing down the young man’s pale, quivering throat, staining his collar with red droplets.
The youth had almost identical facial features to Nile, except for differences in hair color and eye color. Even the curve of his lips was quite similar.
In those pitch-black pupils, there was extreme madness and excitement.
“You’re so beautiful.”
The black rabbit, now covered in dripping blood, was discarded on the ground, despite being held like a treasure just moments ago.
He greedily scanned the young man’s neck with his gaze, as if searching for the perfect spot to strike.
“I’ll make you the most beautiful rabbit!”
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes and quickly glanced at the doll on the ground.
The rabbit’s eyeballs were made of glass, but the body was sewn with fine stitches. Dark red blood continuously oozed from the seams, and on top of the black fur were short, dense strands, revealing white skin underneath.
It looked like…
Human scalp.
“…”
Realizing the method of making the doll, Wen Jianyan felt his scalp tingle.
Damn, both of these personalities are truly twisted!
“Yes, you’ve caught me. I’ll stay with you forever.”
The young man calmly replied, nodding in agreement.
He lowered his eyes, and the dense eyelashes cast deep shadows on his face. His speech quickened slightly, attempting to finish speaking before the other drove the knife into his throat.
“In that case, is it my turn to find you next?”
“Hmm?” Patient 03 stopped in confusion, tilting his head. “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t this a game of hide and seek?” Wen Jianyan replied calmly.
Based on his observations, there was a significant difference between these two personalities. The white-haired personality was intelligent and rational, skilled at disguises, while the black-haired personality was innocent and cruel, enjoying killing.
One was calm, the other was impulsive; one was intelligent, the other was strong.
“Since you’ve caught me, it’s my turn to be the seeker.”
Simply put—
This guy was easy to fool.
“Do you… want to keep playing with me?” The black-haired youth was taken aback, slightly widening his eyes and asking in disbelief.
“Of course, rabbits are your friends, right?” Wen Jianyan remained composed, calmly stating, “So, since I’m a rabbit, it means I’m your friend, too, isn’t it?”
“!” Patient 03’s eyes brightened slightly. “Yes!”
Wen Jianyan held his breath, his gaze fixed on the other, his tone gentle and subtly suggestive.
“So, you have to hide well; don’t let me find you, okay?”
The youth believed him and displayed a happy expression. “Alright.”
The glinting blade moved away from his throat, and their bodies separated slowly.
It’s done.
Wen Jianyan’s eyes flickered.
Now he just needed to find the right moment to activate the prop—
“Heh.”
A light chuckle sounded from behind.
“…” Wen Jianyan’s spine slightly stiffened.
There was a “crackling” sound from behind.
In the part he couldn’t see, the pitch-black corridor gradually turned snowy white. A pristine door opened up in the wall, revealing a mirrored interior.
Wen Jianyan turned his head slowly, one step at a time, toward what was behind him.
The white-haired, blue-eyed youth cradled a white rabbit, calmly walking in from the opened crevice in the wall. His demeanor remained just as clean and pure, as if he were as fragile as crystal—
If you ignored the rabbit in his arms.
The white rabbit’s eye sockets were empty, and crimson fresh blood overflowed from them, wetting its fur in streaks and dripping to the ground.
This was bad, really bad.
Dealing with Patient 03 alone was manageable, but now that both of his personalities had converged, it had almost completely disrupted his earlier plan.
More importantly… this guy, Nile, wasn’t easy to fool!!
“Always be with you?”
Nile tilted his head, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
His two snow-white arms reached around Wen Jianyan from behind, gently hugging his arms. The youth snuggled against Wen Jianyan, resting his head on the young man’s shoulder.
“Dear brother, have you misunderstood something?” he said, sounding affectionate.
Wen Jianyan: ?
Wait a minute, this development didn’t seem to match what he had in mind.
“…”
The black-haired youth’s expression darkened. He toyed with the sharp knife in his hand, his teeth bared like a wolf’s, his expression fierce and malicious. “You better release your filthy hands before I lose my temper.”
“Release? Why?”
Nile appeared gentle and harmless, soft and vulnerable, but those deep blue eyes were inscrutable.
“The little rabbit clearly prefers me more, doesn’t he?”
“Let… go.”
The black-haired Patient 03 spoke, his eyes flashing with a dangerous look. “Did you hear me, you basterd?”
“No.” Nile spoke with a shy, playful smile. “He’d rather be my little rabbit than yours.”
Nile rubbed Wen Jianyan’s shoulder, his light blue eyes shimmering with a hint of malice. “When he calls me ‘darling,’ didn’t you hear that? Do you want me to share memories with you?”
“Shut up!”
The black-haired youth looked menacing. “You’re lying!”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
???
Wait, this isn’t making any sense at all!
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[…]
[…]
[Wait, fellows, wait for me to wrap my head around this…]
[I need to process this too… The amount of information in this scene is beyond my comprehension…]
The air felt dense as if it had solidified, pressing down heavily. White and black intertwined and spread throughout the corridor, competing and fighting for control.
Patient 03’s two personalities stared coldly at each other, the black and white sides in a tense standoff, emanating a malevolent energy that seemed to devour each other.
“Bang.”
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
Both the black and white figures wavered like phantoms.
A continuous and muffled sound began to resonate. Initially, it seemed distant, as if separated by thick walls, but quickly, the sound became clearer.
It sounded as if a sharp object were cutting through the walls.
In that brief moment, Wen Jianyan seemed to vaguely catch a glimpse of the original walls and corridors of the Ping An Asylum.
The intricate maze-like tunnels seemed to disappear, and the familiar iron gates and brick walls appeared.
He couldn’t help but startle slightly.
“Bang!”
The wall shook, and dust fell.
“…”
Two youths simultaneously turned their heads to look in the direction from which the sound had come. Their movements were precise and symmetrical, and their faces displayed the same look of astonishment as if they were mirror images.
“Someone’s coming.”
Nile blinked his light blue eyes and spoke softly.
“That’s right, brother.”
The black-haired youth squinted his eyes, gripping a small knife with delicate fingers and a hint of fierceness in his eyes.
At the end of the corridor, a hole had been forcefully chiseled through the wall from the outside. A tall figure with disheveled blonde hair appeared at the entrance, holding an axe in one hand and strolling lightly.
As he advanced, the wall displayed messy marks from the chopping and graffiti of fresh blood.
“Intruder,” Nile, holding a white rabbit, seemed to sense something. He tilted his head thoughtfully and said, “He wants the same thing as us.”
“Ah… perfect.” No. 03 bent down to pick up the bloody black rabbit from the ground, his expression sinister. “I’ve wanted to kill that mad dog for a long time.”
“The little rabbit ran away.”
“It’s okay; he’ll be ours sooner or later.”
“Truce?”
The black-haired youth and the white-haired youth exchanged glances, both showing identically excited smiles. “Truce.”
***
Seizing the opportunity while the two personalities of No. 03 were distracted, Wen Jianyan activated his invisibility prop.
Suppressing his breathing frequency, he turned around, moving swiftly and silently down the corridor, like a feline creature in pursuit.
Perhaps due to Edward’s intrusion, the entire corridor seemed vastly different from what it had been a moment ago.
The oppressive, almost otherworldly environment was gradually returning to normal. Amid the mental conflict between two high-risk patients, the world was shifting toward reality.
The path became straight, and normal wards appeared on both sides of the walls.
Soon, Wen Jianyan saw two familiar figures.
It was Su Cheng and Blond.
The two of them were cautiously stepping out of one of the rooms, looking alert and bewildered. They were gazing at their suddenly changed surroundings, speaking in hushed tones, seemingly extremely puzzled by everything happening before them.
“Hey.”
Wen Jianyan deactivated his invisibility prop and appeared in front of the two.
“!!”
Both Su Cheng and Blond were taken aback as the human figure suddenly materialized before them. They were almost on the verge of screaming.
“You…you…you…you scared me to death!”
Blond exclaimed, his face drained of color, still in shock.
“Damn.” Su Cheng held his heaving chest, gasping for breath. “Can’t you make some noise?”
“Sorry, sorry.” Wen Jianyan raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Anyway, as long as everyone’s okay…”
Blond let out a sigh of relief and, still shaken, shrugged his shoulders. “I was so scared during that hide-and-seek game just now.”
“So, do you know what’s going on now?”
Su Cheng asked as he surveyed their surroundings.
For some reason, he had a premonition that this had something to do with their teammate, who had mysteriously disappeared as soon as they entered the other world.
“Patient 03 has a split personality. Patient 01 broke through the wall to get in, and the two sides are at odds with each other.”
Wen Jianyan summarized the known information into a simple sentence.
He glanced over his shoulder, his amber eyes narrowing slightly, with a contemplative look flashing in his eyes.
“By the way…”
Wen Jianyan turned to Su Cheng and Blond. “Did Patient 03 come to find you during the hide-and-seek game?”
Su Cheng and Blond were surprised by the question.
“Well…”
“No.”
They exchanged a glance and honestly shook their heads in response.
They had entered different hallways and hidden separately during the game, and they had waited in silence in the darkness until the timer ran out.
Not long after completing the elementary time-limited task, the intermediate time-limited task was also automatically completed.
Throughout the process, they hadn’t heard any footsteps outside their doors.
Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes and briefly recounted the events he had experienced earlier.
Upon hearing Wen Jianyan’s account, Su Cheng and Blond both wore shocked expressions.
“Goodness… your situation is way too perilous, isn’t it? How could it turn out like that?”
Blond exclaimed, sounding somewhat dazed.
In comparison, their own experience felt like a child’s play… It was too unbelievable.
“There are serious issues with this instance,” Wen Jianyan replied, licking his dry lips and saying word by word:
“It’s very strange.”
“Indeed.”
Su Cheng nodded, his expression growing serious. “I think so too.”
Ever since they entered this instance, they had been together almost all the time, from the relentless pursuit by Edward to the sudden appearance of Dr. Reese, and now this…
The abnormality was beyond belief.
Wen Jianyan seemed to suddenly remember something and turned his head, gazing intently at Su Cheng.
“Draw a card for me.”
Su Cheng was taken aback by this unexpected request of Wen Jianyan.
“Okay.”
Before drawing the card, Su Cheng briefly explained his current ability to Wen Jianyan.
“My ability has reached level two. You have two options: you can either ask a question and draw three cards for more specific and clear guidance, or you can draw one card, which provides less clear advice and results, but you can ask two questions.”
Wen Jianyan nodded and said, “Understood.”
He contemplated for a few seconds and then spoke, “I choose the second one.”
“Alright.” Su Cheng took a deep breath and activated his ability. “What’s the first question you want to ask?”
Wen Jianyan lifted his gaze, and there was a peculiar glint in his amber-colored eyes as he slowly inquired, “Is the anomaly in this instance related to Wu Zhu’s soul fragment?”
Chapter 147: The little rabbit prefers me more, doesn’t he?
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[I can’t believe it! It’s my first time watching… so is that Nile guy evil?]
[Aaaaah, isn’t he holding a white rabbit?! Then how come?]
[Can someone who’s a regular in the Ping An Asylum instance come and explain? What’s the deal with Patient 03?]
[I’ve seen this many times, but honestly, patients 03 and 04 on the second underground floor are quite mysterious. They’re not as violent as 01, so they rarely end up in the confinement room and have limited interaction with the anchors. But… 03 seems to appear slightly more frequently than 04. From what I know, 03 has two personalities, one black and one white. The white one is the older brother, and the black one is the younger brother. In any case, they’re not good news.]
[Yeah, anyone who falls into the hands of Patient 03 dies quickly…]
[But speaking of which, this is the first time I’ve seen Nile show up so early. Though he’s not necessarily a good guy, he’s quieter and more reserved compared to his brother. Most of the time, his brother takes the lead, and Nile might come out for a few minutes occasionally. It’s rare to see him so active.]
[Watching this live broadcast of the Ping An Asylum, it’s the first time I’ve seen an anchor able to see through the older brother’s disguise at a glance. Their insight is truly impressive!]
The long corridor was bathed in crimson light, like thin red blood vessels.
Wen Jianyan ran along the corridor.
Dissociative identity disorder, also known as multiple personality disorder, is a condition in which the affected individual exhibits multiple independent personalities, each with its own memories and perceptions.
In general, individuals with dissociative identity disorder have often experienced some degree of trauma. They create separate personalities to bear those traumatic memories or as a form of self-defense. As a result, most patients have a relatively vulnerable primary personality and a dominant secondary personality.
This is common knowledge.
The appearance of the white rabbit, in stark contrast to the black rabbit, emerging during an intensely suppressed chase, was like a beacon of light in the darkness, a lifeline dangling over a cliff.
If an anchor knew about Patient 03’s condition, it could lead to a biased impression of Nile as the vulnerable primary personality, compelled to split into a dominant and violent secondary personality for self-protection, ultimately falling into what appeared to be a harmless trap.
One link led to another, and each piece of information would be revealed to the victim layer by layer.
It was a highly professional psychological manipulation.
In other words, Nile’s level of danger was no lower than that of his brother.
However, after many years in his profession, Wen Jianyan had developed an unwavering habit of skepticism.
In a high-difficulty-rated instance, even seemingly harmless things might hide deadly traps.
He was well-versed in most forms of psychological manipulation and could skillfully navigate these tricks. He was a hunter adept at deceiving others, not prey that could be led or lured.
Even in a life-or-death situation, Wen Jianyan would not lose his vigilance and observation skills.
Upon discovering that the fluffy white rabbit’s eye sockets contained fresh human eyeballs, Wen Jianyan immediately understood his situation.
Everything he did from that point on was aimed at lowering the other’s guard, allowing him to escape at the last moment.
However…
Although he learned Nile’s name, there was no completion sound for his task in his ears.
Wen Jianyan squinted his eyes, displaying a pensive expression.
Either the other party lied, or…
It’s possible that he needed to know the names of these two brothers to complete the task.
“Zzzzz… Zzzzz…”
The overhead lights suddenly flickered, emitting an eerie sound, and the crimson light on the corridor alternated between bright and dim, making the entire corridor seem to pulse with light.
Wen Jianyan instinctively halted his steps, and his body tensed up involuntarily.
“Snap.”
The lights went dark.
Everything was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, and Wen Jianyan stood frozen in the darkness, his breathing becoming rapid.
“Snap.”
The lights came on again.
The crimson light illuminated a sudden fork in the corridor, and right in the middle was a jet-black rabbit.
Its fine fur glistened with a flowing red light, and beneath the rabbit lay a piece of paper.
“…”
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and approached slowly, bending down to look at the paper beneath the rabbit.
[Found you!]
The handwriting was messy and crooked, with a strange sense of joy evident between the lines.
Wen Jianyan’s back went cold, realizing his current predicament.
It appeared that before the bell sounded, the game of “hide and seek” was not over and would continue in rounds.
Although he had broken free from Nile’s control, he had lost his hiding place as well… In other words, he had likely returned to his brother’s game.
What was worse, he had been found.
The young man turned his head and surveyed his surroundings.
He stood alone in the empty corridor, bathed in a soft red light from above, like a spotlight shining on him.
The deserted corridor was eerily silent, with only the jet-black rabbit sitting quietly on the ground, its long ears drooping, motionless.
…Damn.
Wen Jianyan cursed silently, feeling a cold sweat forming on his back.
“Snap.”
The lights went dark again.
A sense of crisis pricked at his back like a needle, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest, almost causing physical pain.
Wen Jianyan’s breath lightened.
He keenly sensed that the next encounter would be a fierce battle.
In this other world, the opponent couldn’t be physically harmed, but they could be controlled. With the right manipulation, escape was possible—just as he had done with Nile earlier.
The most crucial thing was the timing.
As long as he could lull the other party into lowering their guard, he had a chance to survive.
In the darkness, he calmly opened the system store, his brain quickly processing and deducing what might happen next. Then he swiftly selected props and purchased them one by one.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Wow, this anchor’s mental resilience is indeed impressive…]
[Aaaaah, I’m so nervous!]
[Darn it, this Patient 03 is so oppressive; help!]
“Snap!”
The lights came on again.
And a hair-raising scene unfolded before his eyes.
Under the blood-red lights, the corridor was filled with motionless black rabbits from all directions.
They were densely packed, with no end in sight.
The rabbits sat silently on the ground, their glassy eyes fixed on the young man in the center of the corridor, looking eerie and somewhat terrifying.
Wen Jianyan’s breath caught for a moment, his heart pounding.
It was about to happen.
He should be “found” very soon.
Be prepared.
“Snap!”
The lights went dark once again.
Wen Jianyan patiently waited.
The back of Wen Jianyan’s clothing was already damp with cold sweat. He could hear his own rapid breathing and heartbeat, and there was nothing but deep, ocean-like silence around him.
“My little rabbit, I’ve caught you.”
The youth’s voice was cheerful and delighted, sounding right next to his ear.
It was as though he possessed the world’s best doll, and his voice trembled with a spine-chilling excitement.
Wen Jianyan’s body involuntarily shivered. He felt two slender yet strong arms gently encircle his waist, gradually tightening, bringing their bodies intimately close together.
A pointed chin rested on his shoulder, and cold breath brushed against his ear.
“So, you’ll always be with me, right?”
There was a disturbingly sinister undertone in the voice, causing Wen Jianyan to instinctively tense up.
Something sharp pressed against his throat, a sharp blade with a cold sensation, slowly approaching his skin and creating small cuts along the curve of his jaw.
Drops of crimson-hot liquid seeped out.
“Snap!”
The lights came on again.
Under the crowd of countless jet-black rabbits, the slender young man was embraced by the youth’s arms. If you ignored the sharp blade against his throat, their postures could be described as intimate.
Crimson blood trickled like tiny serpents, flowing down the young man’s pale, quivering throat, staining his collar with red droplets.
The youth had almost identical facial features to Nile, except for differences in hair color and eye color. Even the curve of his lips was quite similar.
In those pitch-black pupils, there was extreme madness and excitement.
“You’re so beautiful.”
The black rabbit, now covered in dripping blood, was discarded on the ground, despite being held like a treasure just moments ago.
He greedily scanned the young man’s neck with his gaze, as if searching for the perfect spot to strike.
“I’ll make you the most beautiful rabbit!”
Wen Jianyan lowered his eyes and quickly glanced at the doll on the ground.
The rabbit’s eyeballs were made of glass, but the body was sewn with fine stitches. Dark red blood continuously oozed from the seams, and on top of the black fur were short, dense strands, revealing white skin underneath.
It looked like…
Human scalp.
“…”
Realizing the method of making the doll, Wen Jianyan felt his scalp tingle.
Damn, both of these personalities are truly twisted!
“Yes, you’ve caught me. I’ll stay with you forever.”
The young man calmly replied, nodding in agreement.
He lowered his eyes, and the dense eyelashes cast deep shadows on his face. His speech quickened slightly, attempting to finish speaking before the other drove the knife into his throat.
“In that case, is it my turn to find you next?”
“Hmm?” Patient 03 stopped in confusion, tilting his head. “What do you mean?”
“Isn’t this a game of hide and seek?” Wen Jianyan replied calmly.
Based on his observations, there was a significant difference between these two personalities. The white-haired personality was intelligent and rational, skilled at disguises, while the black-haired personality was innocent and cruel, enjoying killing.
One was calm, the other was impulsive; one was intelligent, the other was strong.
“Since you’ve caught me, it’s my turn to be the seeker.”
Simply put—
This guy was easy to fool.
“Do you… want to keep playing with me?” The black-haired youth was taken aback, slightly widening his eyes and asking in disbelief.
“Of course, rabbits are your friends, right?” Wen Jianyan remained composed, calmly stating, “So, since I’m a rabbit, it means I’m your friend, too, isn’t it?”
“!” Patient 03’s eyes brightened slightly. “Yes!”
Wen Jianyan held his breath, his gaze fixed on the other, his tone gentle and subtly suggestive.
“So, you have to hide well; don’t let me find you, okay?”
The youth believed him and displayed a happy expression. “Alright.”
The glinting blade moved away from his throat, and their bodies separated slowly.
It’s done.
Wen Jianyan’s eyes flickered.
Now he just needed to find the right moment to activate the prop—
“Heh.”
A light chuckle sounded from behind.
“…” Wen Jianyan’s spine slightly stiffened.
There was a “crackling” sound from behind.
In the part he couldn’t see, the pitch-black corridor gradually turned snowy white. A pristine door opened up in the wall, revealing a mirrored interior.
Wen Jianyan turned his head slowly, one step at a time, toward what was behind him.
The white-haired, blue-eyed youth cradled a white rabbit, calmly walking in from the opened crevice in the wall. His demeanor remained just as clean and pure, as if he were as fragile as crystal—
If you ignored the rabbit in his arms.
The white rabbit’s eye sockets were empty, and crimson fresh blood overflowed from them, wetting its fur in streaks and dripping to the ground.
This was bad, really bad.
Dealing with Patient 03 alone was manageable, but now that both of his personalities had converged, it had almost completely disrupted his earlier plan.
More importantly… this guy, Nile, wasn’t easy to fool!!
“Always be with you?”
Nile tilted his head, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
His two snow-white arms reached around Wen Jianyan from behind, gently hugging his arms. The youth snuggled against Wen Jianyan, resting his head on the young man’s shoulder.
“Dear brother, have you misunderstood something?” he said, sounding affectionate.
Wen Jianyan: ?
Wait a minute, this development didn’t seem to match what he had in mind.
“…”
The black-haired youth’s expression darkened. He toyed with the sharp knife in his hand, his teeth bared like a wolf’s, his expression fierce and malicious. “You better release your filthy hands before I lose my temper.”
“Release? Why?”
Nile appeared gentle and harmless, soft and vulnerable, but those deep blue eyes were inscrutable.
“The little rabbit clearly prefers me more, doesn’t he?”
“Let… go.”
The black-haired Patient 03 spoke, his eyes flashing with a dangerous look. “Did you hear me, you basterd?”
“No.” Nile spoke with a shy, playful smile. “He’d rather be my little rabbit than yours.”
Nile rubbed Wen Jianyan’s shoulder, his light blue eyes shimmering with a hint of malice. “When he calls me ‘darling,’ didn’t you hear that? Do you want me to share memories with you?”
“Shut up!”
The black-haired youth looked menacing. “You’re lying!”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
???
Wait, this isn’t making any sense at all!
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[…]
[…]
[Wait, fellows, wait for me to wrap my head around this…]
[I need to process this too… The amount of information in this scene is beyond my comprehension…]
The air felt dense as if it had solidified, pressing down heavily. White and black intertwined and spread throughout the corridor, competing and fighting for control.
Patient 03’s two personalities stared coldly at each other, the black and white sides in a tense standoff, emanating a malevolent energy that seemed to devour each other.
“Bang.”
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
Both the black and white figures wavered like phantoms.
A continuous and muffled sound began to resonate. Initially, it seemed distant, as if separated by thick walls, but quickly, the sound became clearer.
It sounded as if a sharp object were cutting through the walls.
In that brief moment, Wen Jianyan seemed to vaguely catch a glimpse of the original walls and corridors of the Ping An Asylum.
The intricate maze-like tunnels seemed to disappear, and the familiar iron gates and brick walls appeared.
He couldn’t help but startle slightly.
“Bang!”
The wall shook, and dust fell.
“…”
Two youths simultaneously turned their heads to look in the direction from which the sound had come. Their movements were precise and symmetrical, and their faces displayed the same look of astonishment as if they were mirror images.
“Someone’s coming.”
Nile blinked his light blue eyes and spoke softly.
“That’s right, brother.”
The black-haired youth squinted his eyes, gripping a small knife with delicate fingers and a hint of fierceness in his eyes.
At the end of the corridor, a hole had been forcefully chiseled through the wall from the outside. A tall figure with disheveled blonde hair appeared at the entrance, holding an axe in one hand and strolling lightly.
As he advanced, the wall displayed messy marks from the chopping and graffiti of fresh blood.
“Intruder,” Nile, holding a white rabbit, seemed to sense something. He tilted his head thoughtfully and said, “He wants the same thing as us.”
“Ah… perfect.” No. 03 bent down to pick up the bloody black rabbit from the ground, his expression sinister. “I’ve wanted to kill that mad dog for a long time.”
“The little rabbit ran away.”
“It’s okay; he’ll be ours sooner or later.”
“Truce?”
The black-haired youth and the white-haired youth exchanged glances, both showing identically excited smiles. “Truce.”
***
Seizing the opportunity while the two personalities of No. 03 were distracted, Wen Jianyan activated his invisibility prop.
Suppressing his breathing frequency, he turned around, moving swiftly and silently down the corridor, like a feline creature in pursuit.
Perhaps due to Edward’s intrusion, the entire corridor seemed vastly different from what it had been a moment ago.
The oppressive, almost otherworldly environment was gradually returning to normal. Amid the mental conflict between two high-risk patients, the world was shifting toward reality.
The path became straight, and normal wards appeared on both sides of the walls.
Soon, Wen Jianyan saw two familiar figures.
It was Su Cheng and Blond.
The two of them were cautiously stepping out of one of the rooms, looking alert and bewildered. They were gazing at their suddenly changed surroundings, speaking in hushed tones, seemingly extremely puzzled by everything happening before them.
“Hey.”
Wen Jianyan deactivated his invisibility prop and appeared in front of the two.
“!!”
Both Su Cheng and Blond were taken aback as the human figure suddenly materialized before them. They were almost on the verge of screaming.
“You…you…you…you scared me to death!”
Blond exclaimed, his face drained of color, still in shock.
“Damn.” Su Cheng held his heaving chest, gasping for breath. “Can’t you make some noise?”
“Sorry, sorry.” Wen Jianyan raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.
“Anyway, as long as everyone’s okay…”
Blond let out a sigh of relief and, still shaken, shrugged his shoulders. “I was so scared during that hide-and-seek game just now.”
“So, do you know what’s going on now?”
Su Cheng asked as he surveyed their surroundings.
For some reason, he had a premonition that this had something to do with their teammate, who had mysteriously disappeared as soon as they entered the other world.
“Patient 03 has a split personality. Patient 01 broke through the wall to get in, and the two sides are at odds with each other.”
Wen Jianyan summarized the known information into a simple sentence.
He glanced over his shoulder, his amber eyes narrowing slightly, with a contemplative look flashing in his eyes.
“By the way…”
Wen Jianyan turned to Su Cheng and Blond. “Did Patient 03 come to find you during the hide-and-seek game?”
Su Cheng and Blond were surprised by the question.
“Well…”
“No.”
They exchanged a glance and honestly shook their heads in response.
They had entered different hallways and hidden separately during the game, and they had waited in silence in the darkness until the timer ran out.
Not long after completing the elementary time-limited task, the intermediate time-limited task was also automatically completed.
Throughout the process, they hadn’t heard any footsteps outside their doors.
Wen Jianyan narrowed his eyes and briefly recounted the events he had experienced earlier.
Upon hearing Wen Jianyan’s account, Su Cheng and Blond both wore shocked expressions.
“Goodness… your situation is way too perilous, isn’t it? How could it turn out like that?”
Blond exclaimed, sounding somewhat dazed.
In comparison, their own experience felt like a child’s play… It was too unbelievable.
“There are serious issues with this instance,” Wen Jianyan replied, licking his dry lips and saying word by word:
“It’s very strange.”
“Indeed.”
Su Cheng nodded, his expression growing serious. “I think so too.”
Ever since they entered this instance, they had been together almost all the time, from the relentless pursuit by Edward to the sudden appearance of Dr. Reese, and now this…
The abnormality was beyond belief.
Wen Jianyan seemed to suddenly remember something and turned his head, gazing intently at Su Cheng.
“Draw a card for me.”
Su Cheng was taken aback by this unexpected request of Wen Jianyan.
“Okay.”
Before drawing the card, Su Cheng briefly explained his current ability to Wen Jianyan.
“My ability has reached level two. You have two options: you can either ask a question and draw three cards for more specific and clear guidance, or you can draw one card, which provides less clear advice and results, but you can ask two questions.”
Wen Jianyan nodded and said, “Understood.”
He contemplated for a few seconds and then spoke, “I choose the second one.”
“Alright.” Su Cheng took a deep breath and activated his ability. “What’s the first question you want to ask?”
Wen Jianyan lifted his gaze, and there was a peculiar glint in his amber-colored eyes as he slowly inquired, “Is the anomaly in this instance related to Wu Zhu’s soul fragment?”
