Chapter 124 Two S-levels, A Faint Sense of Death

Chapter 124 Two S-levels, A Faint Sense of Death

At the end of a hidden passage lay an inconspicuous storage room.

Debris toppled, dust swirling into the air.

The Ghostly Nurse appeared there, her belly swollen as if about to burst.

From the cracks in the wall, the Blood-Stained Paper Figure darted out, landing excitedly on her shoulder, waving its limbs in glee.

The Ghostly Nurse glanced at it. "Go guard the door."

In an instant, the previously spirited Blood-Stained Paper Figure slumped dejectedly and shuffled off to stand watch.

Riiip!!

Her lips split apart, mucus splattering everywhere.

Ji Yan was spat back out.

Still shaken, he took in his surroundings before his gaze settled on the Ghostly Nurse, who was calmly wiping her mouth. He realized what had happened—he’d been swallowed whole and then regurgitated!

Fortunately, having already endured the experience of crawling out of an embryonic sac, Ji Yan quickly suppressed the intense physical revulsion.

"Miss Xu, why must your entrances always be so… abstract?"

Coughing, Ji Yan easily deduced that the Ghostly Nurse before him was none other than Xu Xin.

Only she could pull off such a hardcore move, even brushing off the orders of the [Supernatural Hospital Director], the Instance Boss!

Truthfully, the moment the Blood-Stained Paper Figure had slipped out from her hair, Ji Yan had guessed Xu Xin was somewhere beneath the [Morgue].

He just hadn’t expected that the silent, expressionless Ghostly Nurse would turn out to be her.

Wasn’t she a patient?

How had she become the Ghostly Nurse?

Did identities just switch freely here?

"The protagonist always makes a grand entrance."

Miss Xu stared at the Ghostly Nurse’s corpse-like face, yet her faint smile made the scene all the more horrifying.

"I saved you again."

"Otherwise, those two would’ve devoured you down to the last goat bone."

Ji Yan wiped the mucus from his face. "Thanks, but I still have to say—your rescue methods are way too hardcore."

"Did it work or not?"

Miss Xu propped her chin on her hand, her smirk playful.

"But… weren’t you a patient? How—"

"I’m not like those wooden puppets. Whatever I wear, that’s who I am."

She patted her bloodstained nurse uniform.

"Aren’t you afraid of breaking the Supernatural Hospital Director’s orders and facing the rules’ Punishment?"

Every instance had a strict hierarchy among Supernatural Entities. To maintain stability, higher-ranked Supernatural NPCs could issue commands that functioned as absolute rules for those beneath them.

Take the [Crimson Apartment], for example.

Every notice posted by the [Landlord] was a rule all [Supernatural Residents] had to obey—or suffer the Order’s backlash.

Of course, while Instance Bosses held the greatest [Privilege], they couldn’t recklessly violate the rules.

Serious breaches would trigger a rebound, subjecting them to the terrifying sanctions of the [Instance Order]—even erasure.

The Supernatural Hospital Director was a prime cautionary tale.

"Technically, I don’t belong to this hospital. The only place that can punish me is the original apartment."

Miss Xu’s words made Ji Yan’s eye twitch.

"[Free NPC]—this level of freedom is downright absurd!

She can hop between instances at will, completely ignoring other instances’ rules.

Did she develop the [Supernatural Game] herself or something?!"

What puzzled Ji Yan even more was—

Miss Xu is so free-spirited, so why must she cling to his side?

She’s saved him several times without specifying any concrete reward—what exactly is she after?

The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became.

Ji Yan pushed the thoughts aside for now, focusing on the predicament before him.

"So, what’s your next move?" Miss Xu crossed her slender legs, asking with keen interest.

She always gave off an air of mystery, tinged with a faint sense of death.

It was as if she had no real purpose in this Instance.

Saving Ji Yan seemed more like amusement—she wouldn’t save him completely, just toss him into the next crisis and watch from the sidelines…

"Wait."

Ji Yan’s voice was low. Everything had spiraled into chaos.

Originally, he thought the Dragon Player intended to deceive the Supernatural Hospital Director using the Lies Parchment.

But now, it seemed the Supernatural Hospital Director wasn’t even the ultimate target of the Tiger and Dragon Players.

So, who exactly were they lying to?

Though utterly confused, Ji Yan knew one thing:

The Tiger Player’s Soul Substitution had a time limit. Once it ended, he’d be forced out of the Supernatural Hospital Director’s body and enter a cooldown period.

Without the Supernatural Hospital Director’s identity, the Tiger Player would pose far less of a threat.

Ji Yan shared his thoughts with Miss Xu.

But she shook her head with a smile. "Let me give you some bad news."

"That Tiger Doctor has no time limit when controlling the Hospital Director."

"As long as he doesn’t die, the Wish Privilege of Soul Substitution will remain active, puppeteering the Hospital Director like a marionette."

"???"

Ji Yan’s eyes widened slightly. "Why?"

"You didn’t actually think they went through all that trouble—tricking the Hospital Director into violating the Hospital Rules and suffering Order Sanction—just for a measly ten minutes of control, did you?"

Miss Xu chuckled. "Here’s another secret: the Tiger Zodiac’s Soul Substitution can only be used on ordinary Supernatural Medical Staff and patients."

"Not even a Supernatural Doctor can be targeted."

"Let alone the Hospital Director."

"But he found a bug—Supernatural Entities who’ve lost their primary consciousness can be Soul Substituted, regardless of their status."

"And there’s no cooldown!"

Ji Yan was stunned.

"Wait, how the hell did they find such an overpowered bug?"

Miss Xu’s smile grew even more enigmatic. "And they discovered an even bigger one."

"They plan to use the Lies Parchment and Truth Parchment in your hands to deceive the Instance Order. Once they succeed, Lies Become Reality, and they’ll no longer be bound by the Rule Order."

"In the truest sense, they’ll rule this Instance, control all Supernatural Entities, and remain here forever—reigning as kings, carefree…"

Ji Yan was speechless. "So, their target wasn’t the Supernatural Hospital Director."

"It was the Instance Order!"

Exploiting a loophole to stay in this Instance indefinitely.

The Supernatural Hospital Director was just one part of the plan.

"Not only did they uncover a bug in Soul Substitution, but they even found one in the Instance itself."

"Supernatural Artifacts are products of the Instance—they shouldn’t be this broken. So, the only explanation is…"

"The Tiger Player’s Talent!"

And it was most likely S-level or higher.

Damn, Talents really came in all shapes and sizes—some downright game-breaking.

Two Players with S-level Talents, teaming up together, aren’t thinking about cooperating to flawlessly clear the Undead Hospital. Instead, they’re scheming about how to exploit bugs and laze around in this Instance? That’s downright ridiculous.

Now the situation is clear. The Dragon and Tiger Players are deliberately stalling the Main Plot, aiming to corner and kill this Goat—him—to plunder the two Sheepskin Scrolls, then exploit a bug to stay in this Instance and rule as tyrants.

Ji Yan smacked his forehead, groaning in frustration.

In the last Crimson Apartment, he’d already suffered enough, harassed and threatened by one Supernatural after another. Now, in the Undead Hospital, he’s being hunted down by Players.

Out of all twelve zodiac signs, why did he have to be matched with the Goat, the most miserable one?

His cursed, misfortune-ridden constitution just wouldn’t let go of him!

Sometimes, Ji Yan refused to believe this was just bad luck—it felt more like some unseen hand was pulling the strings behind the scenes…

"Right now, you should focus on dealing with them."

Miss Xu lifted her fingertip, where the Blood-Stained Paper Figure perched. She glanced around, as if sensing something…

"Them?" Ji Yan frowned.

"The Tiger Doctor used Soul Substitution on the Supernatural Hospital Director. Not only can he borrow its Supernatural Abilities, but he also has all the Director’s Privileges."

"You, a fugitive doctor, are essentially standing on his turf. With a single word from him, every Supernatural Patient and Medical Staff will swarm you."

"For example… right now."

Almost the moment Miss Xu finished speaking, Ji Yan sensed something wrong.

The air grew thick with the stench of blood and rot.

Cracked ceilings oozed viscous blood.

Light bulbs flickered and buzzed, while the spinning ceiling fan creaked, shedding flakes of plaster.

The painted figures on the walls seemed to shift their eyes, staring straight at Ji Yan…

Every hair on his body stood on end, screaming that this cluttered storage room was now surrounded by the Supernatural.

A crimson Warning Panel popped up, fitting the mood perfectly.

"Warning! Player 'Ji Yan' has committed severe violations. You have been marked by the [Supernatural Hospital Director] as a 'Severely Violating Fugitive Doctor' and will be targeted by all Supernatural entities."

Ji Yan: "…"

Miss Xu seemed to relish his bitter expression, smiling as she asked, "How does it feel?"

Ji Yan’s voice was drained of all strength and hope:

"It feels like death is already brushing against me…"