Chapter 66: Self-Surgery, Reaching into the Throat

Chapter 66: Self-Surgery, Reaching into the Throat

Watching the small opened vial, its brownish-yellow grease rapidly evaporating, Ji Yan's throat convulsed as his expression shifted uncertainly.

He hadn’t expected the [Grease Perfume], which he’d considered too hot to handle just hours ago, to be used so soon.

But faced with the current predicament, the only solution Ji Yan could think of was calling Patient A22, Liu Yan, for help.

Through his experience in the [Crimson Apartment] Instance, Ji Yan knew that when haunted by a Supernatural Entity, the only way out was often to rely on another.

His favorability with Liu Yan had already reached nearly 80%.

The question was—could Liu Yan actually overpower this Asthma Supernatural Entity?

Another round of coughing wracked his body, and he could clearly feel something squirming inside his lungs.

The sensation was unbearable!

Ji Yan turned his head and spat out a thick glob of mucus.

The Rat Player, having already achieved 20% progress in dealing with the Asthma Supernatural Entity, was free from the throat irritation.

She glanced at the evaporating Grease Perfume, her expression far from optimistic.

"Though the Asthma Supernatural Entity is only a [Moderate]-level patient, its infection is terrifying. Ordinary patients can’t handle it. Your patient probably won’t—"

Ji Yan clutched his chest, his breathing growing labored. "My patient isn’t necessarily weak either."

Before the Rat Player could respond, her pretty face suddenly paled.

Ji Yan felt a weight press down on his shoulders, a chill creeping up his spine as the old Asthma Supernatural Entity’s wheezing and coughing echoed in his ears.

From the Rat Player’s perspective, she could see a grotesquely deformed old man flickering in and out of existence, clinging to Ji Yan’s back!

Perhaps sensing something amiss with the [Grease Perfume], the Asthma Supernatural Entity accelerated its infection…

Ji Yan’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to retrieve the [Hammer] from his [Toolbar], something wet and sticky dripped onto his face.

Wiping it with his fingers, he found a disgusting drop of brownish-yellow mucus.

But Ji Yan recognized it instantly—this was grease!

The Rat Player also had Corpse Oil dripping onto her. When she looked up, her pupils shrank. The entire ceiling seemed to be melting, thick streams of Corpse Oil raining down…

Then, an enormous face slowly emerged from above.

"Goat Doctor…"

"I couldn’t sleep tonight. I had a feeling you’d call for me late at night. And now, here we are…"

The Rat Player collapsed to the floor in terror.

No one could blame her—the face on the ceiling was horrifying, its features melting like cheese, as if they might dissolve at any moment.

Ji Yan was also startled. He hadn’t expected Liu Yan to make such an entrance, her face pressing directly against his from the ceiling!

Now, the walls of the room were coated in a layer of grease, shelves collapsing, turning the storage space into what looked like a room made of cream…

Gritting his teeth against the pain in his chest, Ji Yan forced out his words: "Liu Yan, I didn’t call you to—"

Before he could finish, Liu Yan’s eerie voice cut in: "Goat Doctor, you look like you’re in pain."

"And… who’s that old man on your back? Why is he clinging to you like that?"

Ji Yan couldn’t see the Asthma Supernatural Entity, but he could clearly hear the Eccentric Old Man’s ragged breathing and coughing in his ear.

Enduring the agony in his throat and lungs, Ji Yan raised his head with difficulty and spoke through clenched teeth: "It’s too complicated to explain. Just find a way to stop the old man on my back from coughing."

"If he keeps coughing, I'm done for."

"This isn't a request—it's an order. No matter what it takes!"

Ji Yan knew he couldn’t afford to show weakness or beg when dealing with Liu Yan. Her twisted psyche only responded to dominance and humiliation.

Sure enough, upon hearing the icy command, Liu Yan didn’t react with anger but instead smiled in submission, replying with a single word: "Okay."

The next second, the bone-chilling cold at Ji Yan’s back vanished. When he looked up, he saw a pair of deformed hands reaching down, grasping into the darkness.

Almost immediately, the Asthma Supernatural Entity let out a shrill, furious roar: "What freak of a girl dares meddle? Mind your own business, or I’ll deal with you too—"

Then, from the darkness above the ceiling came ear-splitting shrieks and the horrifying sound of limbs clashing.

The two diseased entities were fighting, but Ji Yan had no mind to care. His chest felt like it was about to explode!

Though the Asthmatic Elder had stopped worsening the infection, the supernatural fetus in his lungs had already taken form. It was only a matter of time before it forced its way out through his mouth.

The thought of his mouth and skull being torn open made Ji Yan’s scalp crawl.

The Rat Player approached, giving him a quick examination before furrowing her brows. "The embryo’s fully formed. You’ll have to kill it before it emerges!"

"Because our zodiacs align, I can interact with my Medical Instructor to perform open-chest surgery for you. But if I do, you’ll owe the Rat Supernatural Doctor a Favor—and that’ll trigger a mandatory mission from it."

Ji Yan spat out a thick glob of mucus.

Gasping, he said, "I don’t like owing Favors."

Back at the Crimson Apartment, it was precisely because of Favors that he’d been caught in a chain reaction of trouble.

"I can perform the surgery myself."

The Rat Player looked at him as if he’d said something absurd. "The moment the scalpel cuts open your chest, blood will gush out. You’ll bleed out in under a minute."

"Your medical kit is only of Fine [Rare] quality. It doesn't even have hemostatic powder, blood-restoratives, or sutures."

"Stop being stubborn. Only the Supernatural Doctor can save you now."

Ji Yan shook his head. "I don’t have a high-grade medical kit, it’s true."

"But I do have a special scalpel."

"No matter how special, it’s still just a scalpel."

The Rat Player had barely finished speaking when she saw Ji Yan produce a scalpel without a blade. He unbuttoned his medical uniform, pressed it against his collarbone, and drew a line downward.

Though it had no edge, it sliced open his flesh effortlessly.

Not a drop of blood spilled. Beneath his ribs, his pulsating organs were visible—along with a squirming black mass in his lungs...

The Rat Player’s eyes widened.

Other Shore Scalpel: A blade that does not kill, only saves. Any incision made on a living being preserves its vitality—even decapitation or heart removal.

"Miss Rat, care to lend a hand?"

Ji Yan looked at her.

The Rat Player’s pretty face froze in shock.

Just then, a tremendous commotion erupted from the darkness above the ceiling—the two battling patients had reached a conclusion.

Ji Yan lifted his gaze.

He hadn’t known Liu Yan’s exact combat capabilities, only hoping she’d buy him time by tangling with the Asthma Supernatural Entity.

But what sent Ji Yan’s heart plummeting was the voice that echoed down from above— The Asthmatic Elder’s voice.

"Heh… freak of a girl..."

Then, a grotesque old man's face emerged from the darkness, staring intently at Ji Yan.

Just as despair began to spread in his heart, the Asthma Supernatural Entity was reduced to just a head, rolling on the floor.

A deformed hand plunged into its neck, extracting its throat and vocal cords, leaving a bloody mess splattered across the ground...

Amidst the churning of greasy flesh, Liu Yan's massive, bloated body emerged from the darkness, her swollen face looming over Ji Yan and the Rat Player.

In her hand, she clutched a bloody mass of torn tissue, offering it forward.

Liu Yan smiled, as if seeking praise and admiration from Ji Yan, her expression filled with adoration and reverence: "Goat Doctor, is this good enough?"

"I told you to stop this old bastard from coughing, you—"

Liu Yan nodded cheerfully. "Mhm."

"I took out its entire throat, so it’ll never cough again."

Ji Yan: "..."

Rat Player: "..."