CHAPTER 4 : X City First People’s Hospital (IV)

The person outside the door scrambled backward, collapsing against the opposite wall and stammering, “A-are you a human or a ghost?”

Qi Leren remained expressionless, indulging his mischievous side. “Oh, I’m a ghost.”

Unfortunately, the other person hadn’t completely lost his wits. He had already calmed down and, seeing the shadow on the ground, breathed a sigh of relief. “Don’t scare me like that… Wait, you look familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

Qi Leren said softly, “Dr. Lu, twenty-four years old, PhD graduate, three years into his career, and still without a girlfriend. We met just a few hours ago.”

Dr. Lu awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Oh, right, right. Hello, hello. What’s your surname?”

“Qi. Qi Leren.”

Dr. Lu didn’t bother to introduce himself. He pulled Qi Leren into the examination room. “Leren, come, let’s exchange information. When I woke up, I found myself in my office with the door locked and a thick fog outside the window—definitely not normal. I immediately searched for the key, but the drawer where I usually kept it was locked too. With my extensive experience watching horror movies, I knew something was seriously wrong. Then a strange System prompt appeared. I looked up and saw a ghostly figure reflected in the mirror on the desk next door!”

Dr. Lu’s situation was similar to his own experience. Qi Leren nodded as he listened. “And then?”

“Then I held my ground and didn’t look back,” Dr. Lu said, his face pale. “I smashed the corridor window with a chair and climbed out. Halfway down, I cut my hand on some uncleared glass.”

He held out his bandaged palm, looking dejected. “My motor skills aren’t very good… Before I could even get out, I felt someone on my back. I was terrified and instinctively slapped backward, but I actually hit something solid and forced the Ghost back inside! I’ve never had such strength in my life!”

Dr. Lu wore an expression of self-admiration. “But looking back, I think it was probably because my hand was bleeding from the cut.”

Qi Leren recalled how the blood-soaked chainsaw had killed the Ghost and nodded in agreement.

“After I got out, the System told me to survive until dawn. I bandaged my hand haphazardly and avoided places like the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and the Operating Room, which sounded like they’d be full of Ghosts. That’s when I ran into you here,” Dr. Lu said. “I’ve always been lucky. I only encountered one Ghost, and it didn’t seem very aggressive.”

“I was quite lucky,” Qi Leren said. “I saw a few of them scattered along the way as I ran from Building A, but they weren’t moving fast, so I quickly outran them.” His expression suddenly changed. “Wait, there’s something I need to tell you. Earlier, in the outpatient lobby, I encountered a Killer wielding a chainsaw. He killed someone.”

“A… Killer?!” Dr. Lu’s face paled. “No way! Did he get in here too?”

“What’s going on?” Qi Leren asked urgently, noticing that Dr. Lu seemed to know something.

“Well, this morning at work, I overheard some nurses gossiping,” Dr. Lu said, his face pale. “They were saying that a serial killer from the prison was brought here for treatment after self-harming…”

“Self-harming?” Qi Leren recalled the Killer’s face, which had left a deep impression despite the tense situation. “I remember he did have fresh wounds on his face. Could he have disfigured himself?”

“Oh no, oh no, based on my years of experience watching horror films from across several continents, we’re in deep trouble now,” Dr. Lu fretted. “The environment we’re in right now is like the Otherworld from *Silent Hill*, though not quite as intense. Since this is a survival-type situation, it’s bound to get more dangerous as time goes on. The number of ghosts will increase, and their attacks will become more powerful. It seems we’re not the only ones who’ve entered this Otherworld hospital. The only time we interacted was in the ambulance. Could this have something to do with how we entered this place?”

Dr. Lu paced around the examination room, lost in thought. Qi Leren suddenly remembered the truck that had appeared out of nowhere just before the car accident. Was it really an accident?

“So far, we know that you, a car accident survivor, were brought here for medical treatment; I’m just an ordinary doctor at this hospital; and the Killer, a prison inmate, was brought here by prison guards for medical care. It seems anyone in the hospital could potentially enter this Otherworld, but we don’t know if it’s random or based on some other criteria… Ahhh, this is so frustrating! I want to go home!” Dr. Lu collapsed into a chair, his already youthful face etched with frustration. He looked like a hapless high school student on the verge of failing an exam, completely belying the fact that he was two years older than Qi Leren.

Qi Leren slowly sipped his water as he recounted his experiences to Dr. Lu. The only thing he didn’t mention was the mysterious SL Skill Card. Dr. Lu hadn’t brought up Skill Cards either, though he did wear a belt with card slots just like Qi Leren’s. Perhaps Skill Cards weren’t so easily obtained?

Qi Leren still hadn’t completely let his guard down. He sensed Dr. Lu felt the same way. The hospital’s current situation was诡谲, and there was no way to know whether the person speaking to him was truly human or something else entirely.

Better to be cautious.

“Are there any weapons we could use in the hospital?” Qi Leren asked. “We’re unarmed, and we might not be able to handle anything that comes our way.”

“Weapons? The surgical wing has plenty—chainsaws, scalpels, you name it. I bet the Killer got his from there. But it’s too far away, all the way in Building A. I wouldn’t dare go there with a Killer on the loose,” Dr. Lu said, his voice trembling slightly.

Qi Leren glanced at Dr. Lu’s short legs, then compared them to the Killer’s long strides. He understood perfectly.

“I drank too much water. I’ll go to the restroom,” Qi Leren said, starting to leave the office.

“Hey, are you really going to use the restroom in a hospital crawling with ghosts?” Dr. Lu asked softly from behind him.

Qi Leren froze.

“There are some large flower pots in the hallway. Just take care of it there. Safety first,” Dr. Lu said sympathetically.

Qi Leren walked out stiffly. A few minutes later, he returned with a grim expression. Dr. Lu, who had never developed the habit of relieving himself wherever he stood, understood his embarrassment perfectly and changed the subject. “I just thought of a place that might have some tools. Let’s go check it out together.”

“Where?” Qi Leren asked.

“The Electrical Workshop and the Carpentry Workshop. They’re in the corner of the first floor of Building B. We might even find the ‘Holy Sword of Physics’—a crowbar! Let’s go.” Dr. Lu said.

Qi Leren smiled knowingly. It seemed Dr. Lu was also a fan of horror games.

Leaving the Otolaryngology Department, the two of them walked down the corridor toward the stairs. Halfway there, Dr. Lu suddenly stopped, hesitating. “That’s the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department ahead. Should we take a detour? There’s a large abortion clinic there…”

Qi Leren understood instantly and turned around decisively. “Let’s go. We’ll take the long way around.”

They hadn’t gone far when they heard stumbling footsteps and moaning behind them. A figure stumbled out of a door and collapsed against the wall, clutching her stomach.

Qi Leren froze. He recognized her—it was the girl who had sat next to him on the bus!

She slumped against the wall, her face pale and covered in cold sweat, and pleaded with them, “Help me…”