Chapter 58: Venomous Treatment, Twisted Adoration

Chapter 58: Venomous Treatment, Twisted Adoration

Ji Yan swore his sharp tongue had never been as vicious as it was today—especially within the confines of the Supernatural Game.

To outsiders, it seemed Ji Yan had one foot already in the grave.

But the truth was the opposite: Ji Yan was fighting to survive!

Through the [Omniscient Understanding], he had uncovered Hidden Information—and there was more to it.

The real reason Liu Yan had been sent to the Undead Hospital wasn’t her body, rotting and collapsing from excessive cosmetic drugs.

It was because she suffered from severe "Stockholm Syndrome"—and a rare, extreme variant at that.

In other words, it was a severe psychological disorder.

A condition where the victim gradually develops a twisted dependency on their abuser, becoming submissive, yielding, and ultimately… falling in love with them.

Back on Earth, Ji Yan had seen plenty of similar cases.

Girls kidnapped and imprisoned, subjected to prolonged torment and humiliation, only to end up loving their captors—even pleading for their release when the police intervened.

In reality, many people in everyday life suffered from milder forms of this disorder.

Wives enduring domestic abuse, weeping yet remaining hopelessly devoted, their love deepening the more violent their partners became.

Liu Yan’s case was severe. What made hers special was that her adoration and dependency stemmed from negation on the most sensitive topics.

Put simply, it was PUA.

When subjected to enough PUA-induced trauma, self-doubt took root, followed by acceptance—and the disorder seized that weakness, amplifying it endlessly.

The reason Liu Yan was so obsessively, pathologically devoted to her boyfriend?

Also PUA.

Previous players had all focused their treatment on her grotesque exterior.

To placate her, they indulged her with compliant, affirming words—only worsening her condition, making her more fragile, more prone to breaking down and Blackening.

So Ji Yan took a gamble.

He wielded his venomous tongue like a scalpel.

Either he’d die horribly, or he’d conquer the patient.

Watching Liu Yan claw at her cheese-like face—first with murderous rage, then crumbling into pleas, finally muttering to herself— Ji Yan knew his PUA treatment was working.

He took a few steps back, glancing at the Ox Player and Rabbit Player.

Their gazes were fixed on him like he was already a dead man.

Then, suddenly, Ji Yan felt his body constricted.

Once again, he was gripped like a tiny figurine in those malformed hands.

"I can already imagine how badly he’s going to end up…" The Rabbit Player shook her head.

Ji Yan stared at Liu Yan’s ravaged face. Her swollen eyeballs held no trace of defensive fury—only desperation and helplessness.

"Doctor… you’re right. I’m beyond saving."

"So… should I just curl up like a Rat in some filthy corner and rot away?"

Her voice trembled, begging for even a shred of comfort.

Ji Yan’s expression remained icy. "Correct."

"You should wither in the dirt, alone and forgotten."

"But you still have one last shred of value to me. As my patient, if you die, I can’t close this case."

"So, you should drain your last bit of value. As for what happens to you afterward, I don’t care."

Ji Yan understood the twisted psychology of Stockholm Syndrome patients all too well. No matter how deeply their self-loathing ran, they could not be offered even a shred of comfort.

They had to be broken—completely and utterly—mentally disciplined.

After being humiliated beyond recognition by Ji Yan, Liu Yan no longer collapsed into despair or self-hatred. Instead, as if hitting rock bottom, her emotions settled into an eerie calm.

A strange, unsettling smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Yes, Doctor Sheep, I should drain my last bit of value for you..."

Ji Yan’s heart gave a faint, uneasy thud.

Because the way Liu Yan was looking at him was... bizarre.

Unsettling. Chilling.

It was a gaze of twisted adoration...

She released Ji Yan, her voice soft and submissive with reverence. "From now on, I live for Doctor Sheep. The meaning of my existence is to contribute to Doctor Sheep’s achievements..."

Ding! Congratulations, Player! You have successfully soothed Patient A22’s emotions and provided effective treatment for her condition, completing the mission with excellence.

Hint: You have achieved 78% progress in conquering Patient A22. The patient has developed feelings of affection and admiration for you. Keep up the good work!

(Within the Hospital Instance, successfully conquering any NPC will significantly aid your Instance Progress.)

Ji Yan listened to the game’s notifications, his expression indifferent. He had expected this outcome.

His PUA psychological treatment only ever had two results— Either a miserable death, or obsessive adoration. Either way, the latter was preferable to the former.

The only question was... whether being entangled in this kind of twisted, pathological affection would lead to a chemical reaction that was beneficial or disastrous.

The Ox Player and the Rabbit Player were utterly dumbfounded.

Since they were all participating in the same mission, they could hear Ji Yan’s task notifications.

Wait— Just by ruthlessly humiliating and berating the patient, not only did he escape unscathed, but he also provided effective treatment?

"Could it be... this patient is a masochist?" The Ox Player muttered in disbelief, wiping at the festering sores on his body.

The Rabbit Player was speechless but equally stunned. "Is this even a real illness?"

Had they known that a brutal verbal assault would earn them an excellent mission completion, they wouldn’t have suffered so miserably, ending up in such a wretched state.

But the opportunity had already passed. With the treatment deemed successful, the mission time ended, and all three of them were forcibly ejected from the room.

As Ji Yan stepped out, Liu Yan—her face still a melted, grotesque mess—spoke to him. "Doctor Sheep, you are the most flawless, saintly doctor I’ve ever met."

"I will watch you... always, from every corner. I won’t allow anything filthy to come near you..."

Her tone was no longer sharp or aggressive. Instead, it was gentle, submissive—like a once-ferocious raptor now perfectly tamed.

That soft voice even carried the shyness of a maiden experiencing her first crush. But against the backdrop of that horrifying face, Ji Yan could only feel a creeping dread.

He didn’t respond. Having completed the mission, he only wanted to leave that ward as quickly as possible—not a second longer.

After Ji Yan left, Liu Yan’s massive, bloated body trembled.

She brought her deformed hands to her nose, inhaling deeply—the lingering scent of Ji Yan. A delirious laugh escaped her.

But muffled beneath layers of suffocating fat, the sound was grating, grotesque.

"Doctor Sheep... such a perfect, captivating man..."

Outside the ward.

Since the Rabbit Player received the reward for standard completion, the Punishment on their body was lifted, and the wrinkles covering their entire body gradually smoothed out, restoring their original appearance.

The Ox Player, having gained nothing, was less fortunate—their burly frame remained covered in festering sores, which had only worsened.

Both of them stared fixedly at Ji Yan, their gazes as if trying to strip him bare...

Before they could probe further, Ji Yan spoke first, cutting off the words at their throats: "Don’t ask me. I’m just as clueless."

"I just wanted to vent a little. Who knew what kind of chemical reaction it’d trigger?"

With that, Ji Yan turned and walked away.

In this Instance, players were all hostile factions, and Ji Yan had no intention of engaging in unnecessary exchanges that might invite trouble.

Watching Ji Yan’s retreating figure, the Rabbit Player stroked their now-smooth skin and asked lightly, "Do you believe him?"

"Believe? Of course I believe him. That kid just arrived in this Instance today—he hasn’t even figured out the rules yet. If it’s not dumb luck, what else could it be?"

The Ox Player scratched at their sores, their tone impatient.

Despite their words, the glint in their eyes as they watched Ji Yan’s back was anything but clear...

...

At exactly 6 PM, dusk settled in.

Ji Yan returned to the operating room and filled out the report form with details about Patient A22’s condition.

"Your performance has exceeded my expectations."

The moment he finished writing, a familiar voice reached his ears.

Looking up, he saw the Supernatural Doctor standing before him as if materializing out of thin air.

Still clad in that bloodstained white coat, the horrifying argali head now bore even more stitches, as though it might split apart at any moment...