Chapter 180: White-haired abstinence priest, yes!
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and stood up from the chair.
He reached out and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately his hand fell on the wooden door of the confession room. With a slight push, the door hinge turned, and the previously seemingly welded-shut door creaked open effortlessly in front of him.
A figure dressed in the uniform of an attendant from the Ping An Asylum stood before him. Despite being mentally prepared, Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but feel a slight catch in his breath at the sight of the other person’s face.
There were no discernible facial features, just smooth, pale skin, completely devoid of any hair.
His voice came through clearly:
“Are you ready, Father?”
“Um,” Wen Jianyan nodded instinctively, but as he did so, the progress bar above his head suddenly began to drop, returning to zero and even continuing to decrease—
Wen Jianyan’s heart tightened instantly.
He had no idea what it meant for the progress bar to drop into negative numbers!
The words the figure had just spoken rapidly flashed through his mind, and Wen Jianyan seemed to suddenly realize something. He turned his head, subconsciously scanning the area beside him, until something caught his eye.
“Ah, I almost forgot about this.”
He said it calmly.
The downward trend paused.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped toward a small table nearby. Slowly reaching out, he picked up a black bottle that was placed on top of it.
The progress bar rose back to five percent and continued to steadily increase.
Although Wen Jianyan wasn’t a priest, or even a believer for that matter, and had never witnessed an exorcism ritual firsthand, he had seen enough movies and TV shows on the subject. Even if he hadn’t experienced it himself, he had a rough idea of what to expect.
Wen Jianyan subtly glanced around, and he could faintly hear the sound of water, barely perceptible. He hazarded a guess as to what might be inside.
—It was likely the holy water needed for the exorcism ritual.
A cross, a Bible, holy water…
There shouldn’t be anything else, right?
Wen Jianyan glanced around—he was no longer in the gloomy underground tomb, but in the chapel he had seen after the tolling of the bell.
High vaulted ceilings, a sacred pulpit, and rows of dark wooden chairs.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze lingered for a moment on the third row.
The place was empty, with no sign of Luce or his teammate’s figure.
After confirming that there was nothing potentially useful nearby, he took a deep breath and turned his head. “Alright, let’s go.”
The faceless figure nodded. “Please.”
With that, he turned around and led Wen Jianyan.
The progress bar stabilized at 10.
The barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room was buzzing:
[Oh oh oh oh! My goodness!! This hidden line—it’s my first time seeing it!]
[Me too! I’ve been watching Ping An Asylum for so long, but no anchor has ever opened this route!]
[The difficulty of this route is indeed harsh. Not only do you have to explore the underground tomb of the chapel and activate the legendary item retrieval quest, but you also need to obtain two common hidden items from the former director’s office…]
[Yes, I came from Luce’s live broadcast room. Although he had the Bible in hand, he didn’t open this side quest after entering the confession room. It seems you need both items to trigger it.]
[Wow, I’m getting excited too. This deviation from the main task is really intense!]
[…Am I the only one silently taking screenshots?]
[Help… I’m so captivated by the anchor’s priest costume!]
[!! Count me in, upstairs!]
[Waaah, yes, the white-haired abstinence priest, save me, aaahhh. Dammit!]
Wen Jianyan followed behind, step by step.
The black priest’s robe hugged Wen Jianyan’s neck, revealing only a thin line of white skin. His amber eyes were partially hidden beneath lashes of the same color. His irises, already light in color, seemed even paler, illuminated by a bright, almost artificial light from above, casting a faint halo over the blue-silver hair. The cross hanging on his chest swayed slightly as they walked, glinting with a silver sheen, making him appear even more like a clergyman.
Soon, the two left the chapel.
The doors of the chapel closed behind them, but what lay beyond was not the familiar open courtyard but a familiar metal door.
This was… the hidden laboratory within the Ping An Asylum?
“…”
Wen Jianyan blinked slightly.
He instinctively turned his head to look behind him.
Where the chapel doors had been, there was now nothing but a void of chaos, a deep, abyssal darkness.
It seemed that in this particular side task, the concept of space had lost its meaning; everything was just in service of the side task.
He took a deep breath and withdrew his gaze, walking toward the door.
The progress bar advanced to 15.
Unlike the last time he was here, there was no trace of contamination in the Ping An Asylum. The crimson membranes overhead had disappeared completely, leaving behind smooth, bright ceilings. Any signs of dirt or abandonment were gone, as if time had reversed, presenting a picture of strict cleanliness and order.
Faceless figures in white lab coats hurried back and forth in the laboratory, murmuring to each other in low voices.
The entire atmosphere in the laboratory was tense, making it hard to breathe.
A faceless man approached, his featureless face turning toward Wen Jianyan as he spoke, “Father, you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Adhering to the principle of “less talk, less mistake,” Wen Jianyan remained silent and nodded.
“Before the plan is activated, we need you to perform exorcism rituals on these poor souls possessed by the evil spirit,” the faceless man said as he made a standard sign of the cross over his chest. “May the Lord bless them.”
Before the plan is activated?
Wen Jianyan keenly caught the key words in the man’s speech.
“Have you brought everything you need?”
Wen Jianyan nodded cautiously once again.
The progress bar remained unchanged at 15.
“Very well, please follow me,” the faceless man said, turning and walking toward the depths of the laboratory.
Wen Jianyan followed behind him, discreetly scanning his surroundings. With the obstruction of those thick, sticky tumors removed, the entire layout of the laboratory was now visible.
Due to the imminent danger and the injured person in his hands, the last time he left in a hurry, he could only leave without collecting much information. He thought that with the deepening of the level of distortion in the instance, almost half of the Ping An Asylum had been swallowed up, and he would never be able to come back here to collect clues.
But here he was, back again in this peculiar manner.
As he walked forward, his mind began to race.
Should he… try to pry for information?
Suddenly, the faceless figure ahead stopped in his tracks. He turned his head to look at Wen Jianyan and said, “Father, shall we start with 01?”
“01?!”
The familiar name caused Wen Jianyan’s body to involuntarily stiffen, and he subconsciously looked ahead.
What appeared before him was a small compartment, almost the size of a hospital room, with a small number branded on the iron plaque at the door.
【01】
“…”
Wen Jianyan felt a very ominous premonition.
The faceless figure in front of him stepped aside, silently and slowly opening the heavy iron door. “Please perform the exorcism on him.”
Perhaps sensing Wen Jianyan’s hesitation, the faceless figure added, “Don’t worry, he’s securely restrained by us. You’re not in danger.”
As Wen Jianyan hesitated to move, the progress bar above his head seemed to fluctuate, showing signs of dropping again.
“…”
He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forced out a faint “Thank you.”
With that, Wen Jianyan steeled himself and stepped toward the first compartment.
The compartment was not large, with a sturdy bed in the center. A tall man was tightly bound to it, his limbs secured tightly. Despite his unruly golden hair and lack of facial features like others in this side task, Wen Jianyan had no trouble recognizing his identity.
“…”
It was indeed him.
As Wen Jianyan entered, 01 suddenly began to struggle violently, seemingly unfazed by the restraints on his body. With a strong, almost savage hostility, he thrashed against the bindings.
The iron bed creaked with friction as it was dragged, startling Wen Jianyan. He almost felt as if the figure was breaking free from the restraints, causing him to instinctively take a step back.
At that moment, the empty task bar beside him updated.
The steps of the exorcism ritual appeared on it.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and retrieved the prop Bible from his pocket, flipping to the indicated page.
Then, he carefully uncapped the small bottle and dipped his finger into the holy water. With caution, he approached the edge of the iron bed and traced a cross on the cold, pale forehead of 01.
The struggles of 01 intensified.
Even without any words, Wen Jianyan could sense the strong hostility emanating from him—it was evident that 01 did not recognize him.
For Wen Jianyan, this was actually a good thing.
Taking another deep breath, he lifted the cross in one hand, the cold metal against his warm lips, and began reciting the passage from the Bible in a low, clear voice.
As his words echoed, the progress bar above his head began to slowly rise.
His voice, though he didn’t believe in God, was low, clear, and peaceful. It had an air of devout holiness.
The struggles of 01 gradually subsided, quieting down bit by bit.
However, Wen Jianyan didn’t think the task on this special side line would be completed so easily. As he continued reciting the passages from the Bible, he remained vigilant for any potential dangers.
Suddenly, he noticed, in the empty space before him, a semi-transparent figure slowly taking shape.
As the verses were recited, the figure solidified.
It was tall, with beast-like features, sharp facial contours, and crazed green eyes.
And the oversized axe, which seemed overly terrifying compared to its kind.
“!!!”
Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat.
This is bad. He probably knew what danger he was about to face in this special side task!
The next moment, the apparition of 01 revealed a paranoid and fanatical grin, slowly raising the heavy axe. With a whooshing sound, the giant axe came crashing down heavily!
Wen Jianyan barely managed to dodge.
The semi-transparent axe blade easily smashed the nearby table, splintering it into pieces!
Oh no, oh no, oh no!
Cursing under his breath, Wen Jianyan struggled to dodge within the narrow confines of the room, attempting to evade the sharp axe blades that repeatedly came at him. He even tried to hide under the bed, hoping to lure the apparition into attacking his physical body, but the axe effortlessly pierced through the bed frame, landing heavily on the ground beside him.
And yet, the bed and the figure lying on it remained unharmed.
Damn it, it’s still locked damage!
Wen Jianyan’s vision darkened.
01’s apparition seemed tireless, driven only by the instinct to attack. It couldn’t be reasoned with or stopped; it simply continued its relentless assault on the only enemy in the room: the priest conducting the exorcism.
It became more and more difficult for Wen Jianyan to evade.
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something—
He rolled to the ground and swiftly grabbed the dusty Bible that had fallen, flipping to the previous page.
Since this apparition was born from the exorcism ritual, it should disappear once the ritual is completed!
Wen Jianyan’s speech quickened as he continued to recite the verses.
The progress bar above his head began to rise again.
However, as the exorcism verses echoed in the air, the apparition’s movements also became faster, and Wen Jianyan narrowly avoided being hit several times.
His heart pounded, his eyes darting between the movements of the apparition and the pages of the book in his hand, his lips stumbling over the incomprehensible and difficult-to-understand words.
Multitasking was challenging, even for Wen Jianyan.
Almost there, just one more segment!
Wen Jianyan’s breath became rapid as he muttered the prayers, his eyes scanning the pages for the next line—
He only lost focus for a split second.
A gust of wind roared fiercely, and the shadow descended from above at an incomprehensible speed. In that instant, Wen Jianyan’s mind could only muster one thought.
It’s over; I can’t dodge it.
The priest cowered against the wall, his black robe, once neatly wrapped around him, now disheveled and dirty from the frantic dodging, covered in dust. Strands of silver-white hair stuck to his skin, and his cheekbones bore a flush of exertion. In his amber eyes reflected the approaching blade.
Each second stretched out into what felt like an eternity.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Ahhhh!]
[Waaah, help! I can’t bear to watch, I can’t bear to watch!]
[No! My little priest, you can’t die!]
Amidst the cries of certain doom from the audience, there were also plenty of excited remarks:
[Keep attacking! Keep attacking!]
[The priest turned around, yay!]
The cold system voice sounded in Wen Jianyan’s ears: 【Detecting a special item in the streamer’s inventory. Do you want to consume sanity points to activate it?】
“Activate!” Wen Jianyan shouted at a rapid pace, almost instinctively.
—The next moment, the cold axe blade stopped abruptly, mere inches away from his forehead.
What… happened?
Wen Jianyan’s eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes. His sweat-soaked back pressed firmly against the wall, and his breathing was rapid and irregular. He was slow to process the situation.
Carefully, he turned his head, stealing a glance at what lay before him—
In front of the apparition of 01, a bone-like shadow resembling a dog toy hovered silently in the air.
And just like that, the frenzied state of the apparition instantly calmed down.
Those bright blue eyes seemed to have regained a momentary sense of rationality and consciousness.
01 tilted its head, observing the priest in front of it, wearing a pensive expression.
…Was it appeased?
Wen Jianyan was puzzled, his gaze shifting to the floating dog bone in front of him—wasn’t this the hidden item he found in the ward 0f 01’s mental world earlier?
It seemed that the hidden items in this instance were more than just collectibles.
Whether it was the cross and Bible found in the director’s office or the difficult-level hidden items obtained in the high-risk patient’s mental world, each had its own function within this instance.
If that was the case…
Then wouldn’t the other items he collected earlier also come in handy?
Just as Wen Jianyan was pondering, the apparition in front of him suddenly moved again.
The tall figure rushed forward, bent down, and opened its translucent arms, enveloping the slender priest in a tight embrace, burying its nose in the priest’s neck as if searching for something familiar.
“……?”
A confused murmur escaped from 01’s throat.
Wen Jianyan was startled by the apparition’s sudden movement. He seized the moment, no longer allowing himself to be distracted, and quickly lowered his head to look at the Bible crumpled in his hand, swiftly finishing the last sentence.
As the words fell, the apparition suddenly dissipated, and at the same time, the progress bar above Wen Jianyan’s head increased by 30.
“……Phew.”
Wen Jianyan let out a long exhale, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He leaned against the wall, supporting his weight, and took deep breaths.
At least that’s over.
With sweaty, weak fingers, he closed the Bible, then reached into his pocket with his other hand, as if to confirm something—only to find it empty, as expected.
Wen Jianyan had already formed a rough framework in his mind regarding the rules of this scenario.
Clearly, after entering the special line, not only had his attire changed, but even the items he had previously obtained were left outside this scene.
In other words, he would now need to exorcise the high-risk patients, and during the exorcism process, they would also attack him. By consuming sanity points, he could briefly use the items he had obtained in the high-risk patient’s room.
Based on the behavior of 01 just now, it was evident that the items had a soothing effect, allowing him to buy time to finish reciting the exorcism prayers.
Wen Jianyan lifted his gaze, focusing on the sanity value bar suspended in the air.
Using the item caused a decrease in his health bar, and considering the number of times the item could still be used, Wen Jianyan estimated that he could use it about three more times, which should be sufficient. However, Wen Jianyan was unwilling to face such a limit in the event of any unexpected occurrences later on. Therefore, during one of the exorcisms in a high-risk scenario, he decided to tough it out and try to minimize the use of the item to around two times.
02’s abilities were tricky, while 03 had two individuals, and 04 seemed relatively suitable. With his thoughts circling in his mind, Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, feeling his strength gradually returning. He stood up straight, brushed off the dust from his body, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, and straightened his slightly crooked white collar. After ensuring everything was in order, he began to stride toward the door.
What Wen Jianyan hadn’t noticed was that behind him, after the exorcism ritual ended, 01, who had been securely bound to the bed, had stopped struggling. Due to the lack of facial features, it was difficult to tell whether he was awake or asleep, but the only change was that as Wen Jianyan turned to leave, the face seemed to turn with him, as if staring directly at him.
Exiting 01’s room, Wen Jianyan encountered the faceless figure who had escorted him there. After observing Wen Jianyan, the figure said, “Father, was the ritual successful?”
Wen Jianyan nodded, pretending to make the sign of the cross on his chest:
“May the Lord bless him.”
“Let’s continue then.”
Having gained a basic understanding of the overall completion mode within this special scenario in 01’s room and being familiar with the high-risk individuals, Wen Jianyan found himself increasingly adept at performing exorcisms, except for the initial room, where he was particularly flustered due to unfamiliarity. Soon, the exorcisms for 02, 03, and 04 were successfully completed, and Wen Jianyan’s progress bar increased by 90 points.
Upon leaving 04’s room, he stared at the progress bar above his head, wearing a puzzled expression.
Except for the initial 15 points earned for admitting his identity, preparing items, and entering the laboratory, each exorcism for a high-risk individual thereafter increased the progress bar by 15 points. The total sum from the two high-risk patients in 02 and 03 was 30 points, but even after encountering all the high-risk patients he remembered, his progress bar was still slightly short of reaching 100%.
Strange…
What was the next step to complete the scenario?
Could it be related to Dr. Reese?
Wen Jianyan pursed his lips, his face showing a serious expression.
Among all the NPCs encountered so far, he had not entered Dr. Reese’s spiritual world, not even knowing the doctor’s name. If 10% of the progress was related to Dr. Reese, then he needed to proceed with caution.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of 04’s room.
As soon as he came out, the faceless figure who had been guiding him approached.
“Father, you’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all,” Wen Jianyan shook his head, lying without batting an eye, “All of this is for the glory of the Lord.”
The figure was deeply moved by this.
“Your kindness and devotion are truly saintly.”
After praising him extensively, the faceless figure shifted the topic, “You know, our plan is about to begin. Before it starts, there might be one more exorcism task that requires your participation… However, it might be a bit special.”
Wen Jianyan’s spirits lifted, instantly realizing that the figure was about to get to the point.
“Next… I’ll personally take you there,” the faceless figure said, turning to look behind him.
A tall, meticulously dressed man with no face walked up from a few steps away and nodded to Wen Jianyan:
“Father.”
The voice was incredibly familiar, and even without any prompts, Wen Jianyan could easily recognize the person despite their lack of facial features.
The faceless Dr. Reese said, “Please follow me.”
With that, he turned around and began to walk ahead, taking the lead.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Jianyan steadied himself and then stepped forward to follow.
Though the distance was not long, Wen Jianyan noticed a significant decrease in the number of staff around them, and the area suddenly felt empty.
Dr. Reese stopped in his tracks and said:
“We’re here.”
In front of them was a secluded and deeply hidden room that was nearly impossible to see from their previous vantage point.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze fell on the iron door plaque in front of him, and his breath caught slightly.
【05】
Chapter 180: White-haired abstinence priest, yes!
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and stood up from the chair.
He reached out and hesitated for a moment, but ultimately his hand fell on the wooden door of the confession room. With a slight push, the door hinge turned, and the previously seemingly welded-shut door creaked open effortlessly in front of him.
A figure dressed in the uniform of an attendant from the Ping An Asylum stood before him. Despite being mentally prepared, Wen Jianyan couldn’t help but feel a slight catch in his breath at the sight of the other person’s face.
There were no discernible facial features, just smooth, pale skin, completely devoid of any hair.
His voice came through clearly:
“Are you ready, Father?”
“Um,” Wen Jianyan nodded instinctively, but as he did so, the progress bar above his head suddenly began to drop, returning to zero and even continuing to decrease—
Wen Jianyan’s heart tightened instantly.
He had no idea what it meant for the progress bar to drop into negative numbers!
The words the figure had just spoken rapidly flashed through his mind, and Wen Jianyan seemed to suddenly realize something. He turned his head, subconsciously scanning the area beside him, until something caught his eye.
“Ah, I almost forgot about this.”
He said it calmly.
The downward trend paused.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, turned around, and stepped toward a small table nearby. Slowly reaching out, he picked up a black bottle that was placed on top of it.
The progress bar rose back to five percent and continued to steadily increase.
Although Wen Jianyan wasn’t a priest, or even a believer for that matter, and had never witnessed an exorcism ritual firsthand, he had seen enough movies and TV shows on the subject. Even if he hadn’t experienced it himself, he had a rough idea of what to expect.
Wen Jianyan subtly glanced around, and he could faintly hear the sound of water, barely perceptible. He hazarded a guess as to what might be inside.
—It was likely the holy water needed for the exorcism ritual.
A cross, a Bible, holy water…
There shouldn’t be anything else, right?
Wen Jianyan glanced around—he was no longer in the gloomy underground tomb, but in the chapel he had seen after the tolling of the bell.
High vaulted ceilings, a sacred pulpit, and rows of dark wooden chairs.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze lingered for a moment on the third row.
The place was empty, with no sign of Luce or his teammate’s figure.
After confirming that there was nothing potentially useful nearby, he took a deep breath and turned his head. “Alright, let’s go.”
The faceless figure nodded. “Please.”
With that, he turned around and led Wen Jianyan.
The progress bar stabilized at 10.
The barrage of the “Integrity First” live broadcast room was buzzing:
[Oh oh oh oh! My goodness!! This hidden line—it’s my first time seeing it!]
[Me too! I’ve been watching Ping An Asylum for so long, but no anchor has ever opened this route!]
[The difficulty of this route is indeed harsh. Not only do you have to explore the underground tomb of the chapel and activate the legendary item retrieval quest, but you also need to obtain two common hidden items from the former director’s office…]
[Yes, I came from Luce’s live broadcast room. Although he had the Bible in hand, he didn’t open this side quest after entering the confession room. It seems you need both items to trigger it.]
[Wow, I’m getting excited too. This deviation from the main task is really intense!]
[…Am I the only one silently taking screenshots?]
[Help… I’m so captivated by the anchor’s priest costume!]
[!! Count me in, upstairs!]
[Waaah, yes, the white-haired abstinence priest, save me, aaahhh. Dammit!]
Wen Jianyan followed behind, step by step.
The black priest’s robe hugged Wen Jianyan’s neck, revealing only a thin line of white skin. His amber eyes were partially hidden beneath lashes of the same color. His irises, already light in color, seemed even paler, illuminated by a bright, almost artificial light from above, casting a faint halo over the blue-silver hair. The cross hanging on his chest swayed slightly as they walked, glinting with a silver sheen, making him appear even more like a clergyman.
Soon, the two left the chapel.
The doors of the chapel closed behind them, but what lay beyond was not the familiar open courtyard but a familiar metal door.
This was… the hidden laboratory within the Ping An Asylum?
“…”
Wen Jianyan blinked slightly.
He instinctively turned his head to look behind him.
Where the chapel doors had been, there was now nothing but a void of chaos, a deep, abyssal darkness.
It seemed that in this particular side task, the concept of space had lost its meaning; everything was just in service of the side task.
He took a deep breath and withdrew his gaze, walking toward the door.
The progress bar advanced to 15.
Unlike the last time he was here, there was no trace of contamination in the Ping An Asylum. The crimson membranes overhead had disappeared completely, leaving behind smooth, bright ceilings. Any signs of dirt or abandonment were gone, as if time had reversed, presenting a picture of strict cleanliness and order.
Faceless figures in white lab coats hurried back and forth in the laboratory, murmuring to each other in low voices.
The entire atmosphere in the laboratory was tense, making it hard to breathe.
A faceless man approached, his featureless face turning toward Wen Jianyan as he spoke, “Father, you’re here. We’ve been waiting for you.”
Adhering to the principle of “less talk, less mistake,” Wen Jianyan remained silent and nodded.
“Before the plan is activated, we need you to perform exorcism rituals on these poor souls possessed by the evil spirit,” the faceless man said as he made a standard sign of the cross over his chest. “May the Lord bless them.”
Before the plan is activated?
Wen Jianyan keenly caught the key words in the man’s speech.
“Have you brought everything you need?”
Wen Jianyan nodded cautiously once again.
The progress bar remained unchanged at 15.
“Very well, please follow me,” the faceless man said, turning and walking toward the depths of the laboratory.
Wen Jianyan followed behind him, discreetly scanning his surroundings. With the obstruction of those thick, sticky tumors removed, the entire layout of the laboratory was now visible.
Due to the imminent danger and the injured person in his hands, the last time he left in a hurry, he could only leave without collecting much information. He thought that with the deepening of the level of distortion in the instance, almost half of the Ping An Asylum had been swallowed up, and he would never be able to come back here to collect clues.
But here he was, back again in this peculiar manner.
As he walked forward, his mind began to race.
Should he… try to pry for information?
Suddenly, the faceless figure ahead stopped in his tracks. He turned his head to look at Wen Jianyan and said, “Father, shall we start with 01?”
“01?!”
The familiar name caused Wen Jianyan’s body to involuntarily stiffen, and he subconsciously looked ahead.
What appeared before him was a small compartment, almost the size of a hospital room, with a small number branded on the iron plaque at the door.
【01】
“…”
Wen Jianyan felt a very ominous premonition.
The faceless figure in front of him stepped aside, silently and slowly opening the heavy iron door. “Please perform the exorcism on him.”
Perhaps sensing Wen Jianyan’s hesitation, the faceless figure added, “Don’t worry, he’s securely restrained by us. You’re not in danger.”
As Wen Jianyan hesitated to move, the progress bar above his head seemed to fluctuate, showing signs of dropping again.
“…”
He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and forced out a faint “Thank you.”
With that, Wen Jianyan steeled himself and stepped toward the first compartment.
The compartment was not large, with a sturdy bed in the center. A tall man was tightly bound to it, his limbs secured tightly. Despite his unruly golden hair and lack of facial features like others in this side task, Wen Jianyan had no trouble recognizing his identity.
“…”
It was indeed him.
As Wen Jianyan entered, 01 suddenly began to struggle violently, seemingly unfazed by the restraints on his body. With a strong, almost savage hostility, he thrashed against the bindings.
The iron bed creaked with friction as it was dragged, startling Wen Jianyan. He almost felt as if the figure was breaking free from the restraints, causing him to instinctively take a step back.
At that moment, the empty task bar beside him updated.
The steps of the exorcism ritual appeared on it.
Wen Jianyan took a deep breath and retrieved the prop Bible from his pocket, flipping to the indicated page.
Then, he carefully uncapped the small bottle and dipped his finger into the holy water. With caution, he approached the edge of the iron bed and traced a cross on the cold, pale forehead of 01.
The struggles of 01 intensified.
Even without any words, Wen Jianyan could sense the strong hostility emanating from him—it was evident that 01 did not recognize him.
For Wen Jianyan, this was actually a good thing.
Taking another deep breath, he lifted the cross in one hand, the cold metal against his warm lips, and began reciting the passage from the Bible in a low, clear voice.
As his words echoed, the progress bar above his head began to slowly rise.
His voice, though he didn’t believe in God, was low, clear, and peaceful. It had an air of devout holiness.
The struggles of 01 gradually subsided, quieting down bit by bit.
However, Wen Jianyan didn’t think the task on this special side line would be completed so easily. As he continued reciting the passages from the Bible, he remained vigilant for any potential dangers.
Suddenly, he noticed, in the empty space before him, a semi-transparent figure slowly taking shape.
As the verses were recited, the figure solidified.
It was tall, with beast-like features, sharp facial contours, and crazed green eyes.
And the oversized axe, which seemed overly terrifying compared to its kind.
“!!!”
Wen Jianyan’s heart skipped a beat.
This is bad. He probably knew what danger he was about to face in this special side task!
The next moment, the apparition of 01 revealed a paranoid and fanatical grin, slowly raising the heavy axe. With a whooshing sound, the giant axe came crashing down heavily!
Wen Jianyan barely managed to dodge.
The semi-transparent axe blade easily smashed the nearby table, splintering it into pieces!
Oh no, oh no, oh no!
Cursing under his breath, Wen Jianyan struggled to dodge within the narrow confines of the room, attempting to evade the sharp axe blades that repeatedly came at him. He even tried to hide under the bed, hoping to lure the apparition into attacking his physical body, but the axe effortlessly pierced through the bed frame, landing heavily on the ground beside him.
And yet, the bed and the figure lying on it remained unharmed.
Damn it, it’s still locked damage!
Wen Jianyan’s vision darkened.
01’s apparition seemed tireless, driven only by the instinct to attack. It couldn’t be reasoned with or stopped; it simply continued its relentless assault on the only enemy in the room: the priest conducting the exorcism.
It became more and more difficult for Wen Jianyan to evade.
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something—
He rolled to the ground and swiftly grabbed the dusty Bible that had fallen, flipping to the previous page.
Since this apparition was born from the exorcism ritual, it should disappear once the ritual is completed!
Wen Jianyan’s speech quickened as he continued to recite the verses.
The progress bar above his head began to rise again.
However, as the exorcism verses echoed in the air, the apparition’s movements also became faster, and Wen Jianyan narrowly avoided being hit several times.
His heart pounded, his eyes darting between the movements of the apparition and the pages of the book in his hand, his lips stumbling over the incomprehensible and difficult-to-understand words.
Multitasking was challenging, even for Wen Jianyan.
Almost there, just one more segment!
Wen Jianyan’s breath became rapid as he muttered the prayers, his eyes scanning the pages for the next line—
He only lost focus for a split second.
A gust of wind roared fiercely, and the shadow descended from above at an incomprehensible speed. In that instant, Wen Jianyan’s mind could only muster one thought.
It’s over; I can’t dodge it.
The priest cowered against the wall, his black robe, once neatly wrapped around him, now disheveled and dirty from the frantic dodging, covered in dust. Strands of silver-white hair stuck to his skin, and his cheekbones bore a flush of exertion. In his amber eyes reflected the approaching blade.
Each second stretched out into what felt like an eternity.
In the “Integrity First” live broadcast room:
[Ahhhh!]
[Waaah, help! I can’t bear to watch, I can’t bear to watch!]
[No! My little priest, you can’t die!]
Amidst the cries of certain doom from the audience, there were also plenty of excited remarks:
[Keep attacking! Keep attacking!]
[The priest turned around, yay!]
The cold system voice sounded in Wen Jianyan’s ears: 【Detecting a special item in the streamer’s inventory. Do you want to consume sanity points to activate it?】
“Activate!” Wen Jianyan shouted at a rapid pace, almost instinctively.
—The next moment, the cold axe blade stopped abruptly, mere inches away from his forehead.
What… happened?
Wen Jianyan’s eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes. His sweat-soaked back pressed firmly against the wall, and his breathing was rapid and irregular. He was slow to process the situation.
Carefully, he turned his head, stealing a glance at what lay before him—
In front of the apparition of 01, a bone-like shadow resembling a dog toy hovered silently in the air.
And just like that, the frenzied state of the apparition instantly calmed down.
Those bright blue eyes seemed to have regained a momentary sense of rationality and consciousness.
01 tilted its head, observing the priest in front of it, wearing a pensive expression.
…Was it appeased?
Wen Jianyan was puzzled, his gaze shifting to the floating dog bone in front of him—wasn’t this the hidden item he found in the ward 0f 01’s mental world earlier?
It seemed that the hidden items in this instance were more than just collectibles.
Whether it was the cross and Bible found in the director’s office or the difficult-level hidden items obtained in the high-risk patient’s mental world, each had its own function within this instance.
If that was the case…
Then wouldn’t the other items he collected earlier also come in handy?
Just as Wen Jianyan was pondering, the apparition in front of him suddenly moved again.
The tall figure rushed forward, bent down, and opened its translucent arms, enveloping the slender priest in a tight embrace, burying its nose in the priest’s neck as if searching for something familiar.
“……?”
A confused murmur escaped from 01’s throat.
Wen Jianyan was startled by the apparition’s sudden movement. He seized the moment, no longer allowing himself to be distracted, and quickly lowered his head to look at the Bible crumpled in his hand, swiftly finishing the last sentence.
As the words fell, the apparition suddenly dissipated, and at the same time, the progress bar above Wen Jianyan’s head increased by 30.
“……Phew.”
Wen Jianyan let out a long exhale, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He leaned against the wall, supporting his weight, and took deep breaths.
At least that’s over.
With sweaty, weak fingers, he closed the Bible, then reached into his pocket with his other hand, as if to confirm something—only to find it empty, as expected.
Wen Jianyan had already formed a rough framework in his mind regarding the rules of this scenario.
Clearly, after entering the special line, not only had his attire changed, but even the items he had previously obtained were left outside this scene.
In other words, he would now need to exorcise the high-risk patients, and during the exorcism process, they would also attack him. By consuming sanity points, he could briefly use the items he had obtained in the high-risk patient’s room.
Based on the behavior of 01 just now, it was evident that the items had a soothing effect, allowing him to buy time to finish reciting the exorcism prayers.
Wen Jianyan lifted his gaze, focusing on the sanity value bar suspended in the air.
Using the item caused a decrease in his health bar, and considering the number of times the item could still be used, Wen Jianyan estimated that he could use it about three more times, which should be sufficient. However, Wen Jianyan was unwilling to face such a limit in the event of any unexpected occurrences later on. Therefore, during one of the exorcisms in a high-risk scenario, he decided to tough it out and try to minimize the use of the item to around two times.
02’s abilities were tricky, while 03 had two individuals, and 04 seemed relatively suitable. With his thoughts circling in his mind, Wen Jianyan took a deep breath, feeling his strength gradually returning. He stood up straight, brushed off the dust from his body, smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, and straightened his slightly crooked white collar. After ensuring everything was in order, he began to stride toward the door.
What Wen Jianyan hadn’t noticed was that behind him, after the exorcism ritual ended, 01, who had been securely bound to the bed, had stopped struggling. Due to the lack of facial features, it was difficult to tell whether he was awake or asleep, but the only change was that as Wen Jianyan turned to leave, the face seemed to turn with him, as if staring directly at him.
Exiting 01’s room, Wen Jianyan encountered the faceless figure who had escorted him there. After observing Wen Jianyan, the figure said, “Father, was the ritual successful?”
Wen Jianyan nodded, pretending to make the sign of the cross on his chest:
“May the Lord bless him.”
“Let’s continue then.”
Having gained a basic understanding of the overall completion mode within this special scenario in 01’s room and being familiar with the high-risk individuals, Wen Jianyan found himself increasingly adept at performing exorcisms, except for the initial room, where he was particularly flustered due to unfamiliarity. Soon, the exorcisms for 02, 03, and 04 were successfully completed, and Wen Jianyan’s progress bar increased by 90 points.
Upon leaving 04’s room, he stared at the progress bar above his head, wearing a puzzled expression.
Except for the initial 15 points earned for admitting his identity, preparing items, and entering the laboratory, each exorcism for a high-risk individual thereafter increased the progress bar by 15 points. The total sum from the two high-risk patients in 02 and 03 was 30 points, but even after encountering all the high-risk patients he remembered, his progress bar was still slightly short of reaching 100%.
Strange…
What was the next step to complete the scenario?
Could it be related to Dr. Reese?
Wen Jianyan pursed his lips, his face showing a serious expression.
Among all the NPCs encountered so far, he had not entered Dr. Reese’s spiritual world, not even knowing the doctor’s name. If 10% of the progress was related to Dr. Reese, then he needed to proceed with caution.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of 04’s room.
As soon as he came out, the faceless figure who had been guiding him approached.
“Father, you’ve worked hard.”
“Not at all,” Wen Jianyan shook his head, lying without batting an eye, “All of this is for the glory of the Lord.”
The figure was deeply moved by this.
“Your kindness and devotion are truly saintly.”
After praising him extensively, the faceless figure shifted the topic, “You know, our plan is about to begin. Before it starts, there might be one more exorcism task that requires your participation… However, it might be a bit special.”
Wen Jianyan’s spirits lifted, instantly realizing that the figure was about to get to the point.
“Next… I’ll personally take you there,” the faceless figure said, turning to look behind him.
A tall, meticulously dressed man with no face walked up from a few steps away and nodded to Wen Jianyan:
“Father.”
The voice was incredibly familiar, and even without any prompts, Wen Jianyan could easily recognize the person despite their lack of facial features.
The faceless Dr. Reese said, “Please follow me.”
With that, he turned around and began to walk ahead, taking the lead.
Taking a deep breath, Wen Jianyan steadied himself and then stepped forward to follow.
Though the distance was not long, Wen Jianyan noticed a significant decrease in the number of staff around them, and the area suddenly felt empty.
Dr. Reese stopped in his tracks and said:
“We’re here.”
In front of them was a secluded and deeply hidden room that was nearly impossible to see from their previous vantage point.
Wen Jianyan’s gaze fell on the iron door plaque in front of him, and his breath caught slightly.
【05】
