Ping An Asylum
Chapter 177: Seven sacraments
“…”
Looking at the sudden change in his hair color, Wen Jianyan was stunned.
This is…?
The white, snow-like color wrapped around his fingertips, and that familiar color allowed him to capture some fleeting clues.
After being activated, the “Holy Infant Remains” was a completely snow-white baby, with hair and eyeballs both a very light, pale color.
Could it be…?
Regardless, this was not a question that needed to be considered now. Wen Jianyan made a quick decision: “This is not important; we’ll talk about it later.”
Saying this, he let go of his hand and quickly turned his head to scan behind him.
Under the crimson sky, there stood ancient and towering gray buildings, crimson membranes surging out from the crevices of windows and walls, as if some formless monster was gestating from the womb of the brick structure, turning to devour the mother body and continuing to spread outward.
The good news was that the high-risk patients in the Ping An Asylum did not chase after them.
But the bad news was that, at this rate, it was feared that this place would fall soon too, leaving them with very limited time to stand still.
At this moment, Blond’s voice, sounding somewhat distorted due to nervousness, rang out from the side: “Th-that, you, look quickly inside the church—!”
The panicked tone of the other party startled Wen Jianyan, and he subconsciously looked toward the inside of the church.
Contrary to their initial speculation, entering the church did not seem difficult at all; the door was wide open without any defense, revealing the full view of the chapel.
High above the dome, crimson sunlight penetrated through the glass, casting shadows on the rows of black wooden seats. At the end of the hall stood a tall cross and a pulpit, everything shrouded in a faint red halo and black shadows. What should have been particularly holy at this moment appeared eerie everywhere.
“To the left, at the end on the left, the third row from the bottom.” Blond’s trembling voice sounded in their ears, as if afraid to disturb something, it was very low.
Following his guidance, Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng looked in that direction.
After seeing clearly, both of them held their breath.
Beyond the dim red light, there were thick and heavy shadows that light couldn’t penetrate. Faintly visible were two figures sitting side by side in an inconspicuous corner.
They had their backs to the door, unmoving, heads bowed, like two devout believers in prayer; their unmoving black silhouettes seemed to blend into the shadows, as if they had already merged with the entire church.
Suddenly, Wen Jianyan seemed to realize something.
He turned his head to look at the two in front of him, his speech quickening as he asked in a low voice, “Where are Luce and his team? Did they separate from you?”
Su Cheng nodded:
“Yes, after we left the main building of the hospital, they separated from us and entered the church first.”
He paused slightly: “So what you mean is…”
“There is that possibility.”
Wen Jianyan frowned, looking steadily into the church, and speaking in a low voice.
He wasn’t actually surprised by Luce and his team’s initiative.
After all, their team formation was only a temporary state; they were only bound by simple interests, and there was no obligation to take care of each other. Wen Jianyan never expected them to stay outside the church and wait for him.
In a sense, it was more preferable for Luce and his team to take the initiative to enter the church. After all, in the altered instance, exploring unfamiliar areas first inevitably carried high risks along with high returns, something Wen Jianyan was more than willing to accept.
However…
If the two silhouettes inside the church were indeed members of Luce’s team, then things would be really bad.
Judging by their unmoving posture, things didn’t look promising.
It should be noted that the three members of Luce’s team were seasoned anchors, yet two of them fell victim. Judging by this standard, the danger level here was possibly higher than Wen Jianyan had imagined.
Inside the church, the two motionless figures, though far away, exuded a strong sense of unease.
“What… What should we do now?”
Blond’s face turned pale as he stared at the seemingly serene but unknown church, his face twisted in a mixture of fear and confusion.
Enter, or not to enter?
According to common sense, it was best not to enter. But…
He glanced back.
The empty space seemed to bleed outward, and the fleshy membrane oozing from the building was slowly but unstoppably flowing in their direction, like watching a several-meter-high wave crash under a hurricane, bringing with it a suffocating sense of oppression.
“We may not have a choice.” Su Cheng gritted his teeth. “But…”
“Wait.”
Wen Jianyan suddenly spoke up.
Both of them were startled and turned to him.
“Don’t act recklessly. Rushing into unknown, dangerous areas out of fear leads to high mortality rates. Especially with two out of three members of Luce’s team already down.”
Wen Jianyan’s face was calm, and his voice was steady. “I believe the probability of survival is higher if we stay here.”
Blond hesitated for a moment and involuntarily glanced back.
In just a few minutes, the crimson flesh wave had overflowed the porch, completely covering the spot they had previously waited at, with no sign of slowing down.
Watching the flesh membrane slowly approach, Blond’s scalp tingled.
Although the church was full of unknowns, facing the imminent danger of death, no one could remain calm. Even though they knew there might be even more terrifying risks behind them, they couldn’t resist the terrifying feeling of death closing in step by step, like a person on the gallows watching the noose tighten around their neck, the gleaming blade of the guillotine descending rapidly above their head.
Blond broke into a sweat, took a step back uncontrollably, and halted his steps just before entering the church.
He couldn’t help but look at Wen Jianyan beside him.
The young man stood still, gazing steadily into the distance.
His eyes were already light, his skin fair, and his suddenly silvery hair inexplicably added a touch of alienness to him, making him appear out of place in his surroundings.
There was no excess emotion on his face; his amber eyes were inscrutable, exuding an unusual calmness.
The other’s calm demeanor made Blond slightly less panicked. With a faint glimmer of hope, he asked, “Really?”
Wen Jianyan didn’t even turn his head:
“I’m about forty to fifty percent sure.”
Blond: “…”
So, does that mean there’s a staggering fifty to sixty percent mortality rate?!
He watched as the crimson tide, seemingly devouring everything, drew closer and closer, his vision darkening.
Fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters.
Sweat beaded on Su Cheng’s forehead, his heart pounding, gradually suffocating under a sense of breathlessness.
With the survival space shrinking, the wide-open, empty church behind them presented a powerful temptation, ticking away seconds…
Should they really not enter?
Though there might be hidden dangers inside, as long as they don’t die here, there will always be other solutions…
“Wait a little longer.” Sensing what his teammates were thinking, Wen Jianyan stared fixedly into the distance and spoke calmly.
His slender body tensed, like a bowstring about to snap, yet his voice remained steady.
“Wait.”
Five meters, three meters.
Too close.
Close enough to almost see the crimson, lifelike neurons with their thin tendrils reaching out, vaguely resembling some kind of monstrous shape, like outstretched hands, featureless faces, and gaping mouths.
Su Cheng and Blond’s faces grew increasingly grim, their bodies stiffening, subconsciously leaning backward, as if trying to distance themselves as much as possible from the horrifying presence about to consume them in the next second.
Suddenly, without warning, deafening bells rang out.
“Dang—dang—dang—”
The sound emanated from the nearby church, its penetrating waves almost dizzying due to their proximity.
The sound rippled outward.
The viscous, semi-fluid crimson gel, less than a meter away from them, finally stopped its spread, as if frozen in place like a lifeless object.
Silence descended.
The air seemed to freeze, as if time had stopped flowing in that instant.
Only after a few seconds did the group finally react.
…It was over.
“Phew!”
Su Cheng wiped his sweat, exhaling deeply. With his body relaxing, he almost felt like he might collapse in the next second.
Blond’s face was even paler, and if he hadn’t been leaning against the nearby wall, he might have collapsed to the ground with weak legs.
The next moment, a deafening roar echoed right behind their heads!
“Bam!” The sound was thunderous.
Already on edge and nerves stretched to their limit, both of them jumped up abruptly. “Ahh!” they instinctively screamed, turning their heads to look behind them.
The church’s doors were tightly shut behind them, the black wooden doors presenting an iron-like texture under the crimson sky, firmly keeping them outside.
Their pupils contracted, breathing rapidly.
“Damn, scared the hell out of me…” Blond gasped for breath, still shaken.
Although Su Cheng was pale, he had a bit more courage than Blond. He tentatively reached out and pushed the door.
Not budged at all.
He leaned over, squinting to peer through the crack.
Within the narrow slit lay a deep, ink-like darkness, devoid of any light. The red light from the sky, the neat rows of seats, and even the two motionless figures with their backs turned to them all seemed to vanish like false illusions.
All that remained was an endless abyss of darkness.
At that moment, Su Cheng broke out in a cold sweat.
He suddenly felt a sense of dread.
If Wen Jianyan hadn’t insisted adamantly on not setting foot inside the church, they might have disappeared into the darkness like those two figures, with no chance of escape.
He looked at Wen Jianyan, who was standing beside him.
The other remained calm, displaying the demeanor of someone unfazed even in the face of disaster.
“You—”
Su Cheng’s words were cut short as Wen Jianyan suddenly turned around, gripping a pillar and bowing his head, dry heaving:
“Ugh!”
Su Cheng: “…”
…As expected of you.
Several seconds later, Wen Jianyan finally straightened up.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, silver strands of hair stuck to his pale face, and a slight sickly flush on his cheekbones, making him look disheveled and fragile.
“Are you alright?” Su Cheng patted his back.
Wen Jianyan shook his head, weakly saying, “I’m fine, just a physical reaction.”
His habit of dry heaving when nervous had long been ingrained and couldn’t be overcome in a short time.
You see, during those brief yet seemingly endless minutes just now, Wen Jianyan wasn’t as calm as he appeared.
Luce’s team and their arrival at the church occurred at different times. Luce’s team had entered the church before the bells rang, while they had arrived after the bells tolled.
If the rules inside the main building of the Ping An Asylum apply here, then what appeared in front of them was likely two different maps.
So, the church was only going to be more dangerous.
Wen Jianyan didn’t dare gamble with the three-to-two odds of death.
According to past experience, the tolling of the bell heralds the transition between the inner and outer worlds. Each time the bell tolled, the duration of the inner world increased. Therefore, regardless of the deadly dangers lurking inside, they must enter the church.
However, based on Wen Jianyan’s previous conclusion, the instance had already undergone alienation. The inner world no longer increased in time step by step until it completely replaced the outer world. Instead, it invaded in advance until it fully integrated.
In that case, the previous interval of the bell ringing had lost its meaning. If it still doubled in time like before, considering the speed of the membrane’s movements, it would soon engulf the church, offering no chance of survival to the anchors within.
It would be a death trap.
By then, the entire Ping An Asylum would have no safe haven. Even if they entered the church in time, they would still be swallowed up.
So, they might as well take a chance.
Of course, Wen Jianyan was also prepared for the possibility of being wrong.
After all, the church was unlike any other area within the asylum. As the core area of the entire instance, all rules originate from here, making the possibility of reverse inference highly unlikely.
If they really come to the critical moment and the bell hasn’t rung yet, he would still grit his teeth and rush into the church—by then, even if it was a three-to-two probability, they have to take the risk.
Every extra minute of life counts; only by staying alive was there a chance to break the deadlock.
Wen Jianyan’s previous statement about a success rate of only forty to fifty percent wasn’t a lie.
“…”
Wen Jianyan wiped his face with his hand, looking exhausted.
Another high-risk patient grouping, the sudden ringing of the bell, and the deadly traps inside the church earlier… All these challenges were simply testing his endurance.
Looking back now, it all felt like a dreamlike illusion.
“So, what do we do next?” Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan turned around, looking at the tightly closed doors of the church behind them. He attempted to push them with his hand; indeed, they remained immovable like welded steel.
There was no lock on the door, just an inability to open it.
Thinking back to the two figures they had seen earlier, perhaps… The world at the door was different from their familiar spatial concept.
Luckily, he made the right decision in the end; otherwise, they might have been trapped inside now, unable to leave even if they wanted to.
“Could it be… we can only wait for the next bell to ring before entering?”
Blond wore an expression of utter despair.
Wouldn’t that just bring us back to square one?
If the previous events were to repeat, he didn’t know if he could come out unscathed…
Wen Jianyan pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Su Cheng. “Luce and his team went to the church before the bell rang, which means they couldn’t open this door either. Where do you think they would go?”
Su Cheng was puzzled.
Right, when Luce and his team came, the bell hadn’t rung yet, so…
“Are there other doors?” Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan nodded.
“But… I don’t think they can be called a door.”
“What do you mean?”
Blond asked in confusion.
Wen Jianyan raised his eyes and said meaningfully, “Have you forgotten? All corpses are taken to the courtyard.”
“!”
Upon hearing this, both of them couldn’t help but shiver, feeling goosebumps all over.
Wen Jianyan continued, “Let’s go. We’ll circle around the church and should be able to find a way in.”
“But we’d better be quick.”
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath. “The pace of this instance is accelerating.”
Since the time in the inner world has shortened, the time in the outer world will likely follow suit. They don’t have much time left for exploration.
The other two nodded.
Under Wen Jianyan’s lead, they cautiously avoided the motionless membrane not far away, carefully feeling their way around the gray brick walls of the church.
Under the crimson sky, there was nothing but silence, only the deliberately suppressed sound of footsteps echoing softly.
Soon, they reached the side of the church.
Silence prevailed along the way.
Blond watched Wen Jianyan walking not far ahead. He opened his mouth, hesitated, but couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
Without turning his head, Wen Jianyan said, “If you have something to ask, just ask.”
Scratching his head, Blond chuckled awkwardly twice, seemingly surprised that his little gesture had been noticed.
“I just… do you really not know the reason?”
He gestured toward the other’s hair, asking cautiously.
“Um…”
Wen Jianyan paused, realizing that the other person was referring to his changed hair color.
“I’ve got a bit of a clue.”
He said it vaguely.
Although Wen Jianyan wasn’t completely sure of the specific principles behind it yet, nor did he understand why nothing happened when the prop was activated before, but this time he suddenly received an influence…
But his current change was probably closely related to the “Holy Infant Remains” prop.
Blond asked further, “Have you felt any changes elsewhere?”
“Not really.”
To be honest, if Su Cheng hadn’t mentioned it just now, Wen Jianyan wouldn’t have even noticed the change in his hair color.
“Maybe you should try to feel it again? Maybe there’s something different, like a change in physique or suddenly being able to release abilities?”
Bond’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, unwilling to let go of the topic.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
His gaze paused on the other’s bright golden hair for a moment, seeming to realize why this guy was particularly interested in this aspect.
He replied with a complicated expression, “I think you should read fewer novels.”
“Well, never mind then. It looks good anyway,” Su Cheng said, patting Wen Jianyan’s shoulder reassuringly. “Very trendy.”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
“Thanks.”
He replied expressionlessly.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Hahahaha! Laughing to death! It seems like we know why Blond has such flamboyant hair now!]
[But indeed, it looks really good… Apply for a permanent style!]
[I feel like after this instance ends, the anchor should be able to activate the title system. This is breaking records. I’ve never seen an anchor activate titles so early, especially such high-level ones… It’s really impressive.]
After fooling Blond, Wen Jianyan turned his head back, looking behind him.
Behind them, the flesh membrane remained motionless, like hitting a wall of air, drawing a clear boundary.
Numerous questions flashed through his mind.
Has the Ping An Asylum completely fallen? Are the anchors left inside still alive? And those high-risk…
The scene in the hall earlier flashed through Wen Jianyan’s mind.
At that time, the smell of gunpowder in the air was about to ignite, several high-risk individuals were confronting each other, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme. It seemed like they were about to start fighting recklessly, but the next moment, 02, who had been missing for a long time, suddenly appeared, accompanied by the gradually intensifying sound of droplets hitting the ground, saying something profound.
You guys, can’t you see it’s not the right time?
That guy is on his way.
The situation was tense earlier, and Wen Jianyan was eager to leave, so he didn’t pay much attention to it. But now he finally had time to think about it.
He squinted slightly, his gaze falling on the crimson flesh membranes overflowing from the windows, doors, and cracks in the walls.
When 02 said that, these membranes invaded the hall at an extremely fast speed. According to past experience, it should be the reason for the whole instance’s transformation, and the patients losing their human forms. Wen Jianyan had always regarded them as some kind of lifeless, thoughtless monsters, but now it seemed like there was another possibility.
However, Wen Jianyan didn’t think that the anchors left in the Ping An Asylum had all been wiped out.
They were able to escape by hiding in the data room before. Others should also be able to find similar shelters. For them, the real danger should come from the transformation of the patients, not the erosion of the flesh membranes.
Because… Wen Jianyan had a strange premonition.
This thing might be coming after him.
“Look ahead!” Blond suddenly shouted.
The group followed his finger’s direction.
There was a small cart lying on the ground, its cart board empty, and the old wooden edges full of dark brown dirt marks, like dried blood.
This should be the tool used in the Ping An Asylum to transport bodies to the courtyard.
“Let’s go; take a look,” Wen Jianyan said, striding forward.
Suddenly, there came a series of hurried footsteps from the side.
The group was suddenly startled, instinctively on guard, looking toward the direction of the sound.
Soon, a familiar figure rushed from behind the church—
The person stumbled, covered in bloodstains, looking extremely disheveled, as if they had just escaped from death.
Upon seeing Wen Jianyan and the others, the person also froze:
“It’s you…?”
The voice was hoarse but couldn’t hide the familiar female tone beneath.
“Shao Yao?” Wen Jianyan was taken aback.
Upon hearing the voice, Shao Yao seemed to lose strength, her whole body going limp. If Wen Jianyan hadn’t quickly supported her, she would have probably collapsed on the ground.
Her fingers were trembling, icy and pale, and her face was covered in fresh blood, as if she had experienced something extremely terrifying.
Wen Jianyan realized only after supporting her that her body under his palm was uncontrollably trembling.
Wen Jianyan furrowed his brow: “What happened?”
“The… the epic-level item task.”
Shao Yao raised her head, gritting her teeth, her voice trembling like a thread of air, “We activated it and… completed most of it; only the last step is left.”
“…!”
Wen Jianyan’s heart shook.
This could explain everything.
Why the trio, composed entirely of veteran anchors, had been reduced to just one survivor.
In this kind of advanced instance, a hidden task for an epic-level item was not easy to complete. This was definitely a major crisis, no less than an S-class instance.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Suddenly, the weak fingers on his arm tightened abruptly, causing Wen Jianyan pain.
“You help me save them.”
As if clutching at the last straw for dear life, Shao Yao exerted all her strength, gripping Wen Jianyan’s arm tightly, her eyes bursting with fiery determination, “The item will be yours.”
***
Shao Yao downed a bottle of painkillers, followed by a bottle of numbing agent, finally regaining some strength.
She stood up, wiping the blood off her face.
Her complexion was extremely pale, and her eyes seemed even brighter, shining like ghostly flames. She looked at Wen Jianyan and asked, “Have you agreed?”
“Not yet.” Wen Jianyan shrugged.
He appeared calm, seemingly unaffected by Shao Yao’s condition. “First, tell me, how did you get in?”
Shao Yao wasn’t surprised by Wen Jianyan’s response.
Even though an epic-level item was a significant temptation, agreeing to it without fully understanding the situation would either be outright foolish and overestimating oneself or being prepared to break the promise from the start.
Wen Jianyan’s current caution was, in fact, more reassuring.
“The main entrance of the church was inaccessible, so we went around to the back and found a small entrance used for transporting corpses, which we used to get inside…”
Shao Yao explained, taking a deep breath.
“And then, what happened?”
“The corpses came alive.”
She replied in just four words, implying a chilling significance.
It was worth noting that during several shifts between the inner and outer worlds, it wasn’t just the anchors who died but also the patients originally in the asylum. How many were sent to the small church inside?
No one knew the exact number.
As they gazed at the layers of bloodstains covering Shao Yao’s body, all of them couldn’t help but shiver.
“We barely managed to escape and enter the interior of the church.”
“The chapel?”
Wen Jianyan asked.
“No.”
Surprisingly, Shao Yao shook her head. “I’m not sure what it was, but it definitely wasn’t a chapel. It seemed more like…”
Shao Yao’s face paled slightly, but she still forced herself to continued:
“More like a cemetery.”
Bones stacked upon bones, corpses covering corpses, blood upon blood.
Even the memories made her shiver all over.
“In the center of the cemetery, we received the mission related to the epic-level item,” Shao Yao collected herself and continued, “to complete three sacraments.”
“Sacraments?” Blond looked puzzled.
Wen Jianyan naturally followed up:
“The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Repentance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony.”
“Yes.”
Shao Yao nodded. “But it’s not as strict as in the real world. We just need to follow the prompts step by step.”
Of course, these were all “improvements” made to the instance, and naturally, each of these rituals had its own dangers.
After pondering for a while, Wen Jianyan asked, “How many did you complete?”
“Two,” Shao Yao replied. “Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick.”
If her information was correct, then in this instance, the mission related to the epic-level item had indeed been mostly completed, with only the last step remaining.
“In which one did you fail?” Wen Jianyan asked.
“Repentance,” Shao Yao replied.
“Why this one?” Wen Jianyan furrowed his brow.
“In the other rituals, each role was played by one of our team members to minimize risks. But this one was different…” Shao Yao gritted her teeth, explaining, “Only in this one, there was someone inside the confession booth.”
“Someone?!” Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
“Yes.” Shao Yao nodded, her face showing an almost fearful expression. “
A… a priest whose face couldn’t be seen.”
Her complexion grew even paler, and her trembling fingers clenched together, as if only by doing so could she control her instinctual response to shiver.
The air fell into silence.
Wen Jianyan and the others stood before her, their faces showing solemn expressions, seemingly assessing the level of danger in this mission.
The atmosphere was heavy and suffocating, making it almost impossible to breathe.
It wasn’t until Shao Yao broke the silence, speaking up:
“I’ll stand before you alive,” she said with a bitter smile, a mix of sadness and shame, “because I’m the only one who didn’t enter the confession booth.”
Ping An Asylum
Chapter 177: Seven sacraments
“…”
Looking at the sudden change in his hair color, Wen Jianyan was stunned.
This is…?
The white, snow-like color wrapped around his fingertips, and that familiar color allowed him to capture some fleeting clues.
After being activated, the “Holy Infant Remains” was a completely snow-white baby, with hair and eyeballs both a very light, pale color.
Could it be…?
Regardless, this was not a question that needed to be considered now. Wen Jianyan made a quick decision: “This is not important; we’ll talk about it later.”
Saying this, he let go of his hand and quickly turned his head to scan behind him.
Under the crimson sky, there stood ancient and towering gray buildings, crimson membranes surging out from the crevices of windows and walls, as if some formless monster was gestating from the womb of the brick structure, turning to devour the mother body and continuing to spread outward.
The good news was that the high-risk patients in the Ping An Asylum did not chase after them.
But the bad news was that, at this rate, it was feared that this place would fall soon too, leaving them with very limited time to stand still.
At this moment, Blond’s voice, sounding somewhat distorted due to nervousness, rang out from the side: “Th-that, you, look quickly inside the church—!”
The panicked tone of the other party startled Wen Jianyan, and he subconsciously looked toward the inside of the church.
Contrary to their initial speculation, entering the church did not seem difficult at all; the door was wide open without any defense, revealing the full view of the chapel.
High above the dome, crimson sunlight penetrated through the glass, casting shadows on the rows of black wooden seats. At the end of the hall stood a tall cross and a pulpit, everything shrouded in a faint red halo and black shadows. What should have been particularly holy at this moment appeared eerie everywhere.
“To the left, at the end on the left, the third row from the bottom.” Blond’s trembling voice sounded in their ears, as if afraid to disturb something, it was very low.
Following his guidance, Wen Jianyan and Su Cheng looked in that direction.
After seeing clearly, both of them held their breath.
Beyond the dim red light, there were thick and heavy shadows that light couldn’t penetrate. Faintly visible were two figures sitting side by side in an inconspicuous corner.
They had their backs to the door, unmoving, heads bowed, like two devout believers in prayer; their unmoving black silhouettes seemed to blend into the shadows, as if they had already merged with the entire church.
Suddenly, Wen Jianyan seemed to realize something.
He turned his head to look at the two in front of him, his speech quickening as he asked in a low voice, “Where are Luce and his team? Did they separate from you?”
Su Cheng nodded:
“Yes, after we left the main building of the hospital, they separated from us and entered the church first.”
He paused slightly: “So what you mean is…”
“There is that possibility.”
Wen Jianyan frowned, looking steadily into the church, and speaking in a low voice.
He wasn’t actually surprised by Luce and his team’s initiative.
After all, their team formation was only a temporary state; they were only bound by simple interests, and there was no obligation to take care of each other. Wen Jianyan never expected them to stay outside the church and wait for him.
In a sense, it was more preferable for Luce and his team to take the initiative to enter the church. After all, in the altered instance, exploring unfamiliar areas first inevitably carried high risks along with high returns, something Wen Jianyan was more than willing to accept.
However…
If the two silhouettes inside the church were indeed members of Luce’s team, then things would be really bad.
Judging by their unmoving posture, things didn’t look promising.
It should be noted that the three members of Luce’s team were seasoned anchors, yet two of them fell victim. Judging by this standard, the danger level here was possibly higher than Wen Jianyan had imagined.
Inside the church, the two motionless figures, though far away, exuded a strong sense of unease.
“What… What should we do now?”
Blond’s face turned pale as he stared at the seemingly serene but unknown church, his face twisted in a mixture of fear and confusion.
Enter, or not to enter?
According to common sense, it was best not to enter. But…
He glanced back.
The empty space seemed to bleed outward, and the fleshy membrane oozing from the building was slowly but unstoppably flowing in their direction, like watching a several-meter-high wave crash under a hurricane, bringing with it a suffocating sense of oppression.
“We may not have a choice.” Su Cheng gritted his teeth. “But…”
“Wait.”
Wen Jianyan suddenly spoke up.
Both of them were startled and turned to him.
“Don’t act recklessly. Rushing into unknown, dangerous areas out of fear leads to high mortality rates. Especially with two out of three members of Luce’s team already down.”
Wen Jianyan’s face was calm, and his voice was steady. “I believe the probability of survival is higher if we stay here.”
Blond hesitated for a moment and involuntarily glanced back.
In just a few minutes, the crimson flesh wave had overflowed the porch, completely covering the spot they had previously waited at, with no sign of slowing down.
Watching the flesh membrane slowly approach, Blond’s scalp tingled.
Although the church was full of unknowns, facing the imminent danger of death, no one could remain calm. Even though they knew there might be even more terrifying risks behind them, they couldn’t resist the terrifying feeling of death closing in step by step, like a person on the gallows watching the noose tighten around their neck, the gleaming blade of the guillotine descending rapidly above their head.
Blond broke into a sweat, took a step back uncontrollably, and halted his steps just before entering the church.
He couldn’t help but look at Wen Jianyan beside him.
The young man stood still, gazing steadily into the distance.
His eyes were already light, his skin fair, and his suddenly silvery hair inexplicably added a touch of alienness to him, making him appear out of place in his surroundings.
There was no excess emotion on his face; his amber eyes were inscrutable, exuding an unusual calmness.
The other’s calm demeanor made Blond slightly less panicked. With a faint glimmer of hope, he asked, “Really?”
Wen Jianyan didn’t even turn his head:
“I’m about forty to fifty percent sure.”
Blond: “…”
So, does that mean there’s a staggering fifty to sixty percent mortality rate?!
He watched as the crimson tide, seemingly devouring everything, drew closer and closer, his vision darkening.
Fifteen meters, ten meters, five meters.
Sweat beaded on Su Cheng’s forehead, his heart pounding, gradually suffocating under a sense of breathlessness.
With the survival space shrinking, the wide-open, empty church behind them presented a powerful temptation, ticking away seconds…
Should they really not enter?
Though there might be hidden dangers inside, as long as they don’t die here, there will always be other solutions…
“Wait a little longer.” Sensing what his teammates were thinking, Wen Jianyan stared fixedly into the distance and spoke calmly.
His slender body tensed, like a bowstring about to snap, yet his voice remained steady.
“Wait.”
Five meters, three meters.
Too close.
Close enough to almost see the crimson, lifelike neurons with their thin tendrils reaching out, vaguely resembling some kind of monstrous shape, like outstretched hands, featureless faces, and gaping mouths.
Su Cheng and Blond’s faces grew increasingly grim, their bodies stiffening, subconsciously leaning backward, as if trying to distance themselves as much as possible from the horrifying presence about to consume them in the next second.
Suddenly, without warning, deafening bells rang out.
“Dang—dang—dang—”
The sound emanated from the nearby church, its penetrating waves almost dizzying due to their proximity.
The sound rippled outward.
The viscous, semi-fluid crimson gel, less than a meter away from them, finally stopped its spread, as if frozen in place like a lifeless object.
Silence descended.
The air seemed to freeze, as if time had stopped flowing in that instant.
Only after a few seconds did the group finally react.
…It was over.
“Phew!”
Su Cheng wiped his sweat, exhaling deeply. With his body relaxing, he almost felt like he might collapse in the next second.
Blond’s face was even paler, and if he hadn’t been leaning against the nearby wall, he might have collapsed to the ground with weak legs.
The next moment, a deafening roar echoed right behind their heads!
“Bam!” The sound was thunderous.
Already on edge and nerves stretched to their limit, both of them jumped up abruptly. “Ahh!” they instinctively screamed, turning their heads to look behind them.
The church’s doors were tightly shut behind them, the black wooden doors presenting an iron-like texture under the crimson sky, firmly keeping them outside.
Their pupils contracted, breathing rapidly.
“Damn, scared the hell out of me…” Blond gasped for breath, still shaken.
Although Su Cheng was pale, he had a bit more courage than Blond. He tentatively reached out and pushed the door.
Not budged at all.
He leaned over, squinting to peer through the crack.
Within the narrow slit lay a deep, ink-like darkness, devoid of any light. The red light from the sky, the neat rows of seats, and even the two motionless figures with their backs turned to them all seemed to vanish like false illusions.
All that remained was an endless abyss of darkness.
At that moment, Su Cheng broke out in a cold sweat.
He suddenly felt a sense of dread.
If Wen Jianyan hadn’t insisted adamantly on not setting foot inside the church, they might have disappeared into the darkness like those two figures, with no chance of escape.
He looked at Wen Jianyan, who was standing beside him.
The other remained calm, displaying the demeanor of someone unfazed even in the face of disaster.
“You—”
Su Cheng’s words were cut short as Wen Jianyan suddenly turned around, gripping a pillar and bowing his head, dry heaving:
“Ugh!”
Su Cheng: “…”
…As expected of you.
Several seconds later, Wen Jianyan finally straightened up.
His forehead was covered in cold sweat, silver strands of hair stuck to his pale face, and a slight sickly flush on his cheekbones, making him look disheveled and fragile.
“Are you alright?” Su Cheng patted his back.
Wen Jianyan shook his head, weakly saying, “I’m fine, just a physical reaction.”
His habit of dry heaving when nervous had long been ingrained and couldn’t be overcome in a short time.
You see, during those brief yet seemingly endless minutes just now, Wen Jianyan wasn’t as calm as he appeared.
Luce’s team and their arrival at the church occurred at different times. Luce’s team had entered the church before the bells rang, while they had arrived after the bells tolled.
If the rules inside the main building of the Ping An Asylum apply here, then what appeared in front of them was likely two different maps.
So, the church was only going to be more dangerous.
Wen Jianyan didn’t dare gamble with the three-to-two odds of death.
According to past experience, the tolling of the bell heralds the transition between the inner and outer worlds. Each time the bell tolled, the duration of the inner world increased. Therefore, regardless of the deadly dangers lurking inside, they must enter the church.
However, based on Wen Jianyan’s previous conclusion, the instance had already undergone alienation. The inner world no longer increased in time step by step until it completely replaced the outer world. Instead, it invaded in advance until it fully integrated.
In that case, the previous interval of the bell ringing had lost its meaning. If it still doubled in time like before, considering the speed of the membrane’s movements, it would soon engulf the church, offering no chance of survival to the anchors within.
It would be a death trap.
By then, the entire Ping An Asylum would have no safe haven. Even if they entered the church in time, they would still be swallowed up.
So, they might as well take a chance.
Of course, Wen Jianyan was also prepared for the possibility of being wrong.
After all, the church was unlike any other area within the asylum. As the core area of the entire instance, all rules originate from here, making the possibility of reverse inference highly unlikely.
If they really come to the critical moment and the bell hasn’t rung yet, he would still grit his teeth and rush into the church—by then, even if it was a three-to-two probability, they have to take the risk.
Every extra minute of life counts; only by staying alive was there a chance to break the deadlock.
Wen Jianyan’s previous statement about a success rate of only forty to fifty percent wasn’t a lie.
“…”
Wen Jianyan wiped his face with his hand, looking exhausted.
Another high-risk patient grouping, the sudden ringing of the bell, and the deadly traps inside the church earlier… All these challenges were simply testing his endurance.
Looking back now, it all felt like a dreamlike illusion.
“So, what do we do next?” Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan turned around, looking at the tightly closed doors of the church behind them. He attempted to push them with his hand; indeed, they remained immovable like welded steel.
There was no lock on the door, just an inability to open it.
Thinking back to the two figures they had seen earlier, perhaps… The world at the door was different from their familiar spatial concept.
Luckily, he made the right decision in the end; otherwise, they might have been trapped inside now, unable to leave even if they wanted to.
“Could it be… we can only wait for the next bell to ring before entering?”
Blond wore an expression of utter despair.
Wouldn’t that just bring us back to square one?
If the previous events were to repeat, he didn’t know if he could come out unscathed…
Wen Jianyan pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Su Cheng. “Luce and his team went to the church before the bell rang, which means they couldn’t open this door either. Where do you think they would go?”
Su Cheng was puzzled.
Right, when Luce and his team came, the bell hadn’t rung yet, so…
“Are there other doors?” Su Cheng asked.
Wen Jianyan nodded.
“But… I don’t think they can be called a door.”
“What do you mean?”
Blond asked in confusion.
Wen Jianyan raised his eyes and said meaningfully, “Have you forgotten? All corpses are taken to the courtyard.”
“!”
Upon hearing this, both of them couldn’t help but shiver, feeling goosebumps all over.
Wen Jianyan continued, “Let’s go. We’ll circle around the church and should be able to find a way in.”
“But we’d better be quick.”
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath. “The pace of this instance is accelerating.”
Since the time in the inner world has shortened, the time in the outer world will likely follow suit. They don’t have much time left for exploration.
The other two nodded.
Under Wen Jianyan’s lead, they cautiously avoided the motionless membrane not far away, carefully feeling their way around the gray brick walls of the church.
Under the crimson sky, there was nothing but silence, only the deliberately suppressed sound of footsteps echoing softly.
Soon, they reached the side of the church.
Silence prevailed along the way.
Blond watched Wen Jianyan walking not far ahead. He opened his mouth, hesitated, but couldn’t suppress his curiosity.
Without turning his head, Wen Jianyan said, “If you have something to ask, just ask.”
Scratching his head, Blond chuckled awkwardly twice, seemingly surprised that his little gesture had been noticed.
“I just… do you really not know the reason?”
He gestured toward the other’s hair, asking cautiously.
“Um…”
Wen Jianyan paused, realizing that the other person was referring to his changed hair color.
“I’ve got a bit of a clue.”
He said it vaguely.
Although Wen Jianyan wasn’t completely sure of the specific principles behind it yet, nor did he understand why nothing happened when the prop was activated before, but this time he suddenly received an influence…
But his current change was probably closely related to the “Holy Infant Remains” prop.
Blond asked further, “Have you felt any changes elsewhere?”
“Not really.”
To be honest, if Su Cheng hadn’t mentioned it just now, Wen Jianyan wouldn’t have even noticed the change in his hair color.
“Maybe you should try to feel it again? Maybe there’s something different, like a change in physique or suddenly being able to release abilities?”
Bond’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, unwilling to let go of the topic.
Wen Jianyan: “…”
His gaze paused on the other’s bright golden hair for a moment, seeming to realize why this guy was particularly interested in this aspect.
He replied with a complicated expression, “I think you should read fewer novels.”
“Well, never mind then. It looks good anyway,” Su Cheng said, patting Wen Jianyan’s shoulder reassuringly. “Very trendy.”
Wen Jianyan: “…”
“Thanks.”
He replied expressionlessly.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Hahahaha! Laughing to death! It seems like we know why Blond has such flamboyant hair now!]
[But indeed, it looks really good… Apply for a permanent style!]
[I feel like after this instance ends, the anchor should be able to activate the title system. This is breaking records. I’ve never seen an anchor activate titles so early, especially such high-level ones… It’s really impressive.]
After fooling Blond, Wen Jianyan turned his head back, looking behind him.
Behind them, the flesh membrane remained motionless, like hitting a wall of air, drawing a clear boundary.
Numerous questions flashed through his mind.
Has the Ping An Asylum completely fallen? Are the anchors left inside still alive? And those high-risk…
The scene in the hall earlier flashed through Wen Jianyan’s mind.
At that time, the smell of gunpowder in the air was about to ignite, several high-risk individuals were confronting each other, and the atmosphere was tense to the extreme. It seemed like they were about to start fighting recklessly, but the next moment, 02, who had been missing for a long time, suddenly appeared, accompanied by the gradually intensifying sound of droplets hitting the ground, saying something profound.
You guys, can’t you see it’s not the right time?
That guy is on his way.
The situation was tense earlier, and Wen Jianyan was eager to leave, so he didn’t pay much attention to it. But now he finally had time to think about it.
He squinted slightly, his gaze falling on the crimson flesh membranes overflowing from the windows, doors, and cracks in the walls.
When 02 said that, these membranes invaded the hall at an extremely fast speed. According to past experience, it should be the reason for the whole instance’s transformation, and the patients losing their human forms. Wen Jianyan had always regarded them as some kind of lifeless, thoughtless monsters, but now it seemed like there was another possibility.
However, Wen Jianyan didn’t think that the anchors left in the Ping An Asylum had all been wiped out.
They were able to escape by hiding in the data room before. Others should also be able to find similar shelters. For them, the real danger should come from the transformation of the patients, not the erosion of the flesh membranes.
Because… Wen Jianyan had a strange premonition.
This thing might be coming after him.
“Look ahead!” Blond suddenly shouted.
The group followed his finger’s direction.
There was a small cart lying on the ground, its cart board empty, and the old wooden edges full of dark brown dirt marks, like dried blood.
This should be the tool used in the Ping An Asylum to transport bodies to the courtyard.
“Let’s go; take a look,” Wen Jianyan said, striding forward.
Suddenly, there came a series of hurried footsteps from the side.
The group was suddenly startled, instinctively on guard, looking toward the direction of the sound.
Soon, a familiar figure rushed from behind the church—
The person stumbled, covered in bloodstains, looking extremely disheveled, as if they had just escaped from death.
Upon seeing Wen Jianyan and the others, the person also froze:
“It’s you…?”
The voice was hoarse but couldn’t hide the familiar female tone beneath.
“Shao Yao?” Wen Jianyan was taken aback.
Upon hearing the voice, Shao Yao seemed to lose strength, her whole body going limp. If Wen Jianyan hadn’t quickly supported her, she would have probably collapsed on the ground.
Her fingers were trembling, icy and pale, and her face was covered in fresh blood, as if she had experienced something extremely terrifying.
Wen Jianyan realized only after supporting her that her body under his palm was uncontrollably trembling.
Wen Jianyan furrowed his brow: “What happened?”
“The… the epic-level item task.”
Shao Yao raised her head, gritting her teeth, her voice trembling like a thread of air, “We activated it and… completed most of it; only the last step is left.”
“…!”
Wen Jianyan’s heart shook.
This could explain everything.
Why the trio, composed entirely of veteran anchors, had been reduced to just one survivor.
In this kind of advanced instance, a hidden task for an epic-level item was not easy to complete. This was definitely a major crisis, no less than an S-class instance.
“Let’s make a deal.”
Suddenly, the weak fingers on his arm tightened abruptly, causing Wen Jianyan pain.
“You help me save them.”
As if clutching at the last straw for dear life, Shao Yao exerted all her strength, gripping Wen Jianyan’s arm tightly, her eyes bursting with fiery determination, “The item will be yours.”
***
Shao Yao downed a bottle of painkillers, followed by a bottle of numbing agent, finally regaining some strength.
She stood up, wiping the blood off her face.
Her complexion was extremely pale, and her eyes seemed even brighter, shining like ghostly flames. She looked at Wen Jianyan and asked, “Have you agreed?”
“Not yet.” Wen Jianyan shrugged.
He appeared calm, seemingly unaffected by Shao Yao’s condition. “First, tell me, how did you get in?”
Shao Yao wasn’t surprised by Wen Jianyan’s response.
Even though an epic-level item was a significant temptation, agreeing to it without fully understanding the situation would either be outright foolish and overestimating oneself or being prepared to break the promise from the start.
Wen Jianyan’s current caution was, in fact, more reassuring.
“The main entrance of the church was inaccessible, so we went around to the back and found a small entrance used for transporting corpses, which we used to get inside…”
Shao Yao explained, taking a deep breath.
“And then, what happened?”
“The corpses came alive.”
She replied in just four words, implying a chilling significance.
It was worth noting that during several shifts between the inner and outer worlds, it wasn’t just the anchors who died but also the patients originally in the asylum. How many were sent to the small church inside?
No one knew the exact number.
As they gazed at the layers of bloodstains covering Shao Yao’s body, all of them couldn’t help but shiver.
“We barely managed to escape and enter the interior of the church.”
“The chapel?”
Wen Jianyan asked.
“No.”
Surprisingly, Shao Yao shook her head. “I’m not sure what it was, but it definitely wasn’t a chapel. It seemed more like…”
Shao Yao’s face paled slightly, but she still forced herself to continued:
“More like a cemetery.”
Bones stacked upon bones, corpses covering corpses, blood upon blood.
Even the memories made her shiver all over.
“In the center of the cemetery, we received the mission related to the epic-level item,” Shao Yao collected herself and continued, “to complete three sacraments.”
“Sacraments?” Blond looked puzzled.
Wen Jianyan naturally followed up:
“The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Repentance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Matrimony.”
“Yes.”
Shao Yao nodded. “But it’s not as strict as in the real world. We just need to follow the prompts step by step.”
Of course, these were all “improvements” made to the instance, and naturally, each of these rituals had its own dangers.
After pondering for a while, Wen Jianyan asked, “How many did you complete?”
“Two,” Shao Yao replied. “Eucharist and Anointing of the Sick.”
If her information was correct, then in this instance, the mission related to the epic-level item had indeed been mostly completed, with only the last step remaining.
“In which one did you fail?” Wen Jianyan asked.
“Repentance,” Shao Yao replied.
“Why this one?” Wen Jianyan furrowed his brow.
“In the other rituals, each role was played by one of our team members to minimize risks. But this one was different…” Shao Yao gritted her teeth, explaining, “Only in this one, there was someone inside the confession booth.”
“Someone?!” Wen Jianyan’s pupils contracted.
“Yes.” Shao Yao nodded, her face showing an almost fearful expression. “
A… a priest whose face couldn’t be seen.”
Her complexion grew even paler, and her trembling fingers clenched together, as if only by doing so could she control her instinctual response to shiver.
The air fell into silence.
Wen Jianyan and the others stood before her, their faces showing solemn expressions, seemingly assessing the level of danger in this mission.
The atmosphere was heavy and suffocating, making it almost impossible to breathe.
It wasn’t until Shao Yao broke the silence, speaking up:
“I’ll stand before you alive,” she said with a bitter smile, a mix of sadness and shame, “because I’m the only one who didn’t enter the confession booth.”
