Chapter 122: Order Sanction, Drawing Paper Alteration

Chapter 122: Order Sanction, Drawing Paper Alteration

Blood mist scattered across the broken floor as the Supernatural Hospital Director, drenched in crimson, resembled a beast with bloodshot eyes.

And yet, at this critical moment, someone dared to provoke the tiger!

The Dragon Player's actions took Ji Yan by surprise, deepening his suspicion about the hidden motives behind the other's schemes.

Both Ji Yan and the Horse Player immediately distanced themselves from the Dragon Player, who had drawn the full brunt of the hostility.

Beneath disheveled hair, the Supernatural Hospital Director glared at the Dragon Player with a chilling gaze.

Each word mercilessly tore through its psychological defenses, devouring every last shred of its rationality.

Deep down, it desperately hoped the Dragon Player would offer a reasonable explanation to salvage the situation—to prove that everything happening was just an illusion.

But the Dragon Player offered no defense. Instead, his sharp words stabbed like blades into its heart...

Terrifying killing intent shattered the last remnants of reason. Bloodshot eyes burned with nothing but murderous rage toward the Dragon Player.

"Then... you shall pay with your life—for all the patients and for my daughter!!"

The guttural roar echoed, yet the Dragon Player did not flee.

In his vision, a rapidly flashing Warning Panel appeared without pause:

"Warning! Severe gameplay error detected! Player has caused 89% Blackening of Instance Boss [Supernatural Hospital Director]. Hatred locked. Evacuate immediately!"

"Warning!! [Supernatural Hospital Director] Blackening level: 94%..."

"Warning!! [Supernatural Hospital Director] Blackening level: 95%..."

"Warning!!! [Supernatural Hospital Director] Blackening level: 99%..."

The Dragon Player watched the Blackening gauge inch toward full, his expression calm but his heart suppressing a storm of emotions.

When the number "100%" finally appeared— His gaze shifted, landing on the Supernatural Hospital Director.

Softly, he murmured, "Now."

"They should make their move."

The floor exploded as the Supernatural Hospital Director lunged forward—but before the Dragon Player could suffer a brutal execution, an eerie force manifested in the space.

The frenzied Supernatural Hospital Director, as if injected with a sedative, saw its murderous aura rapidly wither.

The grotesque, swelling flesh on its body deflated like a punctured balloon, shrinking rapidly.

In mere seconds, the once-terrifying Supernatural Creature transformed into a trembling old man with silver-streaked hair.

Simultaneously, a game notification popped up before Ji Yan and the Horse Player:

"Critical Notice! Instance NPC [Supernatural Hospital Director] has committed severe violations—unauthorized slaughter of all cured patients and disruption of normal player gameplay."

"Punishment enforced: This Supernatural NPC's consciousness will now be controlled by the system. After the conclusion of the [Main Plot], the [Hospital Director] role will be revoked, and all privileges stripped."

Reading the notice, Ji Yan's eyes flickered.

So even an Instance Boss could face punishment for breaking the rules!

From the start, Ji Yan had been puzzled.

Due to a Text Trap, the Supernatural Hospital Director had misinterpreted the Main Plot of the instance, feeding all cured patients to the [Tree of Creation].

How could the "Instance Order" have allowed such a severe violation to go unchecked?

Left unchecked, the instance would descend into chaos—or even collapse entirely.

Now it was clear. The Dragon Player had stalled the Main Plot deliberately, waiting for this very moment.

Due to the continuous stimulation of Blackening, the Supernatural Hospital Director has completely lost control, maliciously harming patients, the Tree of Creation, and even the players.

Finally, the breaking point was reached.

The Instance Order intervened, stripping the Supernatural Hospital Director of all its power.

However, since the players were involved in the Main Plot and the Supernatural Hospital Director was a core character, it couldn’t be immediately erased.

Only after this Main Plot concludes can the Supernatural Hospital Director be eliminated…

Meanwhile, On the other side, in the players' Birthplace—the Obstetrics Department.

The Snake, Rat, Ox, and Rooster Players were among the new batch of players being matched in.

Having just survived the beginner-level "Cesarean Section" trial, they all received the notification: "Instance Boss severely violated rules, undergoing Formatting."

They were utterly baffled.

"Wait…"

"We just entered the Instance, and now we’re told the Instance Boss is gone?!"

"What the hell is wrong with this Instance?!"

At that moment, the Supernatural Hospital Director stood rigidly in place, its expression turning vacant.

It was as if its memories and consciousness were undergoing Formatting.

Once the process was complete, the Supernatural Hospital Director would lose all self-awareness, controlled by the system to play out the remainder of the Main Plot.

"I was racking my brain trying to figure out what trump card the Dragon had to survive the Supernatural Hospital Director’s wrath…"

"Turns out, it was the 'Instance Order' all along!"

After reading the notification panel, the Horse Player frowned and spoke up.

Ji Yan, however, was more puzzled.

How did the Dragon Player know that the Supernatural Hospital Director would only be sanctioned by the Instance Order once its Blackening reached 100%?

A second later, and he would’ve been erased from the game.

How could the Dragon Player dare to gamble like that?

What gave him the confidence?

As Ji Yan pondered, the Horse Player suddenly pressed a hand on his shoulder and whispered, "Don’t rush. This show isn’t over yet."

Ji Yan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Don’t forget, you’re the Bait."

"Your job is just to lure out the Dragon Player. The rest of the performance is ours."

The Horse Player lifted his head, scanning the surroundings.

"The Tiger… he should be arriving soon."

With the Supernatural Hospital Director’s violation and subsequent Formatting, the Dragon Player, now free from hostility, shifted his attention to Ji Yan’s side.

"Gentlemen, why hide so far away?"

"Since we’re all players involved in the Main Plot, we’re in this together."

"While the Hospital Director is still out of commission, why not come over and chat?"

The Dragon Player smiled faintly at the Horse Player. "Horse Doctor, how’s the Tiger Doctor been lately?"

"Has he been keeping those old folks happy?"

"Tell him not to wander off—after all, his Heart is still in my hands!"

Hearing the mockery laced in the Dragon Player’s words, the Horse Player strode forward with a calm smile.

"Don’t make it sound like I’m his caretaker."

"Who knows? He might just show up right now."

His gold-rimmed glasses glinted as he returned the taunt:

"The question is, do you dare to crush that Heart?"

"After all, you’re a veteran player who’s survived since the Undead Hospital Instance began. Surely you’re not afraid of a bunch of Eccentric Old Men and Women?"

"If word got out, every player would laugh their heads off."

As the Horse Player and Dragon Player exchanged words, Ji Yan gradually sensed the atmosphere becoming subtly tense once more.

An inexplicable, overwhelming unease gripped him...

He fixed his gaze on the Dragon Player, attempting to trigger his Talent.

The Dragon Player noticed this stare, locking eyes with Ji Yan.

Then, the Dragon Player flashed a meaningful smile...

At that very moment, the Talent [Omniscient Understanding] was triggered, but perhaps due to the prolonged stare, the hidden information it revealed carried a cryptic tone.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Do you truly understand this saying?"

"They say the Goat is the fishhook, meant to lure out the Dragon."

"But in truth, the Dragon is the fishhook, meant to lure out you—the Goat!"

"If you still don’t understand, why not take another look at that drawing paper? Its contents seem to have changed..."

Ji Yan’s expression shifted as he swiftly opened his Toolbar.

While he retrieved the [Precognitive Drawing Paper], the distance between the Horse Player and Dragon Player had narrowed, their verbal exchange uninterrupted.

Yet upon closer inspection, the Horse Player’s attention wasn’t on the Dragon Player—but on their surroundings...

Suddenly, the Dragon Player’s tone shifted, his smile brightening.

"Horse Doctor, you’re stalling for time, aren’t you?"

"You’re deliberately trading words with me—waiting for something."

"Let me guess... You’re waiting for the Tiger Doctor, right?"

The Horse Player fell silent for a moment but didn’t deny it.

Still calm, he replied with a faint smile, "If I said yes, why don’t you keep guessing?"

"Where will he emerge from to deliver your fatal blow?"

Behind them, Ji Yan’s gaze landed on the drawing paper.

The four animals depicted remained the same—Goat, Dragon, Tiger, Horse.

The Goat and Dragon showed no changes.

The only difference was— The Tiger in the back row now bared its fangs, piercing the Horse’s neck, pinning it to the ground in a deadly chokehold, crimson dye smeared across the Horse’s form...

Ji Yan’s pupils constricted in shock. He snapped his head up and shouted, "Old Horse, get away from him!!"

The shout made the Horse Player turn toward Ji Yan in confusion.

The next second, his pupils shrank as blood gushed from his mouth.

Stiffly, he lowered his gaze—only to see a hand piercing through his chest, tearing out his heart and severing the blood vessels in one brutal motion.

What horrified him most was that this hand didn’t belong to the Dragon Player... but to the Supernatural Hospital Director, who had stood motionless the entire time, trapped in a state of formatting!

Now, the Supernatural Hospital Director slowly raised its head, its dark eyes snapping open.

The dullness in its pupils faded, replaced by a chilling awareness.

The moment the Horse Player saw the light in those eyes, his own trembled in disbelief, his voice hoarse with shock— "Tiger... you bastard..."

"Have you lost your mind?! Why attack me?!"