Chapter 9

“Hey… are you alright?” Dr. Lu approached Qi Leren, who was sitting dazedly on the floor, and gently patted his shoulder.

 

The touch sent a violent shudder through Qi Leren’s body. He startled violently, his eyes wide with lingering terror, as if still reeling from the shock. Dr. Lu recoiled, his voice softening with concern. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

Only then did Qi Leren manage to catch his breath. The weightless sensation of falling and the gruesome sight he had witnessed had left him in a state of extreme tension, as if any misstep could send him plummeting into the abyss.

 

Noticing the worried gazes of the three others, Qi Leren said, his face pale, “Let’s get out of here.”

 

The four retreated to the stairwell. Guided by Dr. Lu, they found a secluded office. Su He poured Qi Leren a cup of hot water and sat across from him, asking directly, “What did you see?”

 

Qi Leren jerked his head up, his gaze meeting Su He’s breathtakingly handsome face. For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

 

“So much…” Qi Leren stammered, searching for the right words. Su He didn’t press him, maintaining a gentle gaze as he waited patiently for Qi Leren to organize his thoughts and speak in his own time.

 

Qi Leren took a deep breath and described the horrifying scene he had witnessed: “So many ghosts, packed tightly together on the ground. When I fell, they all looked up at me… their smiles were so eerie, so terrifying, as if they were absolutely certain I would become one of them.”

 

“It’s over now,” Su He said, placing his hand on Qi Leren’s in a comforting gesture. “You’re safe.”

 

Perhaps it was Su He’s gentle, naturally soothing voice, but Qi Leren finally shook off the nightmarish vision. He was able to calmly recount the entire incident: “Don’t you find it strange? I fell from the rooftop, yet somehow I’m back here completely unharmed.”

 

Su He smiled faintly. “It is a little odd, but that’s insignificant compared to your safety. Thank you for saving me.”

 

Qi Leren stared at him for a moment, his ears inexplicably burning.

 

By the time Su He began discussing the cause of the mist with Dr. Lu, Qi Leren had snapped out of his dazed state, a lingering effect of Su He’s striking good looks. He suddenly felt grateful for being straight; anyone with even a hint of same-sex attraction would surely be unable to resist. Just look at Xue Yingying—she had completely forgotten her scumbag ex-boyfriend and was now sitting at the table, chin in hand, gazing dreamily at the handsome doctor.

 

“Ahem, that’s the effect of the Skill Card,” Qi Leren said, quickly retrieving the card from its slot to cover his embarrassment at having been momentarily stunned by Su He’s good looks.

 

“I have one too,” Dr. Lu remarked. “It’s not very useful—just increases my luck a little.”

 

Xue Yingying fidgeted, unsure whether to reveal her own Skill Card. Instinctively, she didn’t want to disclose such an awkward personal detail in front of the handsome doctor she admired. Finally, she mumbled vaguely, “Mine makes me stronger when I’m bleeding and in pain.”

 

“You all have one?” Su He asked, surprised. He chuckled wryly. “I don’t have any…”

 

“Don’t worry,” Dr. Lu reassured him. “I think you get them by triggering certain achievements or side quests. It’s only been a few hours—you’ll probably get one soon.”

 

“What should we do now?” Qi Leren asked. “Search the hospital for survivors?”

 

“Could we be the only ones who ended up in this cursed place?” Xue Yingying asked worriedly.

 

“So far, there have been at least six victims,” Su He said, his brow furrowed slightly. “Including the killer and the four of us, that makes at least eleven people in this hospital, and probably more. According to the mission requirements, we need to survive until dawn. It’s already dark, and dawn is roughly twelve hours away. What’s our plan?”

 

The group exchanged uncertain glances, hesitant to speak.

 

Dr. Lu remained silent for a long moment before finally saying hesitantly, “I want to check the blood bank.”

 

“The blood bank?”

 

“Yes. We now know human blood has an effect on ghosts—it seems to materialize them and even give them a way to attack. Ghosts also seem to fear blood, though we don’t know why. I want to test if plasma works. If it does, at least we won’t have to keep drawing blood throughout the night,” Dr. Lu explained gravely.

 

“So that’s why you had me bleed on the rooftop? Sorry, I didn’t realize it at the time,” Su He said, then turned to Qi Leren, his voice filled with guilt. “Does your tongue still hurt? I saw you spit out a mouthful of blood back there.”

 

“I’m fine. The wound disappeared when I reloaded the save,” Qi Leren said hastily, feeling strangely pressured by Su He’s gentle gaze.

 

“That’s wonderful,” Su He said with a faint smile. “Truly wonderful…”

 

The sky had turned pitch black, but thankfully the hospital was brightly lit around the clock. Qi Leren and his group left the conference room where they had been temporarily sheltering and followed Dr. Lu toward the blood bank.

 

“My Skill Card is about to expire,” Dr. Lu said, his voice tinged with anxiety. “I don’t think it’ll last beyond the blood bank.”

 

Anyone would feel uneasy knowing they were sharing a building with a killer, let alone having to deliberately wander through it.

 

“There are four of us,” Xue Yingying said optimistically, flexing her muscles. “If we run into him, we’ll just fight him off and end this for good.”

 

Dr. Lu and Qi Leren exchanged bitter glances. Xue Yingying hadn’t personally witnessed the killer’s chilling aura and couldn’t comprehend the psychological pressure of facing a deranged individual who valued human life so little.

 

Consider a normal person living in a society governed by law. Even in a brawl, they rarely truly intend to kill their opponent. Whether someone harbors murderous intent makes all the difference in their actions.

 

“We should still be cautious,” Su He said, turning to Xue Yingying with a smile. “You’re a truly brave girl. It’s remarkable.”

 

Xue Yingying, completely smitten, blushed and giggled foolishly, her lips pursed in a sheepish grin.

 

Dr. Lu couldn’t help but roll his eyes. *Handsome guys can get away with anything,* he thought. *He’s flirting like a fish in water even in this terrifying place.*

 

Soon, the four of them arrived at the blood bank. Dr. Lu led them through a maze of corridors until he emerged with a bag of concentrated red blood cells in his left hand and a bag of pale yellow plasma in his right. “Which blood component do you think would be most effective against ghosts—concentrated red blood cells or plasma?”

 

After a long pause, Xue Yingying, drawing on her limited experience, declared with unwavering confidence, “…I think it’s period blood.”

 

The three men stared in silence.

 

Qi Leren sighed, rubbing his temples, “Isn’t there any whole blood available?”

 

“We’ve been separating blood into components for ages,” Dr. Lu said, shrugging. “If you want whole blood, you’ll have to draw it yourself.”

 

Su He stared intently at the two bags of blood. “Has anyone considered why the Killer keeps killing?”

 

The question startled the others, who had been absorbed in debating the blood components.

 

“Because he’s just a deranged killer,” Dr. Lu mumbled. “He was originally imprisoned for serial murder. I heard he killed over a dozen people across the country over several years.”

 

Su He sat on the table, deep in thought. “You said it took him several years. That means his previous crimes weren’t impulsive acts of violence or crimes of passion like what we’re seeing now. He was a methodical serial killer, meticulously planning each murder. But here, he’s changed his methods—no, he’s retained some of his old habits, like leaving marks after each killing and dismembering the bodies. These are criminal preferences, ingrained patterns from his past.”

 

“If he wanted to kill discreetly, he wouldn’t use such an obvious weapon like a chainsaw. In this environment, he could easily disguise himself, approach people with a more trustworthy demeanor, and then strike suddenly. Unless…” Su He paused, glancing at the group.

 

Dr. Lu swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper. “Unless he wants his victims to suffer in despair and terror, or… unless he actually enjoys causing such terror.”

 

The atmosphere turned heavy. Xue Yingying shivered. “That’s truly twisted.”

 

“So I was wondering,” Su He said, “could fresh blood, charged with fear and malevolent energy, be more effective on ghosts? It’s the only explanation I can think of right now.”

 

“Fresh?” Dr. Lu murmured, then suddenly turned to Qi Leren.

 

“Hey… what’s with that look?” Qi Leren shivered.

 

“Leren, it’s your turn,” Dr. Lu said, patting him on the shoulder. “Once your cooldown period is over, let us have some of your blood.”

 

“Can I refuse?” Qi Leren protested.

 

“Heh.”