Chapter 108: A Stark Disparity, the Main Plot Surfaces

Chapter 108: A Stark Disparity, the Main Plot Surfaces

Staring at the empty cavity in the other's chest.

There was no blood, no gruesome crimson.

It was as if a part had been plucked out by someone else.

Ji Yan asked, "Where’s the heart?"

"It’s with the Dragon."

The Tiger Player buttoned up his white coat. With half his face wrapped in bandages, he looked less like a doctor and more like a critically ill patient.

"If you’re not allies, why didn’t he crush the heart to eliminate you?"

The Tiger Player traced the bandages on his face with his fingers, his gaze drifting toward the group of elderly dementia patients—or rather, the Eccentric Old Men who could no longer care for themselves.

"Because I have leverage."

"These patients I’ve strategized are my bargaining chips. Don’t underestimate these frail, elderly Supernaturals. If they Blacken en masse, they could tear half the Undead Hospital apart."

"The Dragon hasn’t killed me because he’s afraid these Supernatural Patients might go berserk and ruin his plans."

"However, the protection these Eccentric Old Men offer me is limited to this large ward—Mao Die Paradise."

"The moment I step outside, my progress with these Supernatural Patients resets, and the Dragon wouldn’t hesitate to crush my heart."

The Tiger Player coughed lightly, smiling faintly.

Ji Yan surveyed the 200-square-meter ward, fully equipped with all the necessities of life.

"So you’ve survived here for over a hundred days?"

The Tiger Player chuckled. "Just a little over four months."

"Living with these Eccentric Old Men and Women for so long, I feel like I’ve prematurely entered retirement—emotionally stable, temperament mellowed."

The Horse Player exhaled a cloud of smoke and pulled out his gaming handheld.

Despite his mature appearance, he was addicted to King of Fighters. The moment his daily Mission ended, his mind was glued to the game.

He was the epitome of a wage slave clocking out on time to dive into the virtual battlegrounds.

Because the Dragon Player had stalled the Main Plot, players like the Tiger and Horse—who had completed most of the Instance’s side quests but couldn’t progress the Main Plot—had begun to adopt a leisurely, almost "health-preserving" lifestyle.

"Why not just go along with the Dragon’s plan?"

"Instead of facing endless, unknown dangers in other Instances, wouldn’t it be better to stay here and live like a local tyrant?" Ji Yan asked calmly.

"People pursue different things."

"Some prefer to settle in comfort; others chase the unknown truth."

It was the Horse Player who spoke, cigarette clenched between his teeth as his fingers mashed the buttons of his PS5 Gaming Handheld. Between frantic inputs, he lectured Ji Yan:

"Take me, for example. Even though I’ve been stuck in this Instance for nearly a hundred days, my emotions have stabilized, and I’ve started ‘preserving my health’ too."

"But we still have to break out of this cage."

"Because there are people we care about in the real world. No matter whether this Supernatural Game’s Instances have an end, or if there’s even a way back to our original world—we’re willing to gamble for it!"

Yet the moment after declaring his emotional stability, the character he was controlling, Orochi, got locked down and KO’d. Instantly red-faced with rage, he snapped the handheld in half.

"Damn it! This character’s useless—too weak, the buttons are faulty, and the screen lags! It ruins everything!"

The Tiger Player steered the conversation back.

"So, the Dragon and I are at a stalemate."

"Plainly put, we’re just biding our time, waiting for a Zodiac [Goat] player to get promoted to [Chief Doctor]."

"This wait lasted over a hundred days. Players matched with the Zodiac Goat rarely survive beyond thirty days."

"The night you killed the Supernatural Doctor, the Dragon and I were the first to notice you."

Ji Yan picked up the thread: "So, the Zodiac Dragon chose to forcibly plunder, while you opted to ally with me?"

He smiled meaningfully. "Aren’t you afraid I might follow the Dragon Player’s lead and stay in this Instance?"

The Tiger Player also grinned. "I’m a good judge of character."

"At first glance, I knew you’d never want to be a caged bird. You’d stand with us."

Ji Yan: "..."

"Besides, you don’t have a choice."

The Horse Player pinched out his cigarette. "If that Dragon guy wants to plunder Supernatural Artifacts, the only way is by eliminating players."

"So. If he wants the Sheepskin Scroll, you have to die."

"Honestly, the Zodiac Dragon’s player holds the greatest advantage in this Instance among all twelve Zodiacs, purely because his Wish Privileges are absurdly overpowered."

"【Peek】—can analyze the Wish Privileges of all Zodiacs and uncover all side Mission contents in the Instance."

"【Plunder】—can eliminate players and seize their 【Wish Privileges】."

"【Puppet】—can turn fully strategized Supernatural Entity NPCs into controllable Pawns, executing commands the Instance normally forbids."

"The Dragon’s progress in this Instance is at 90%, and he holds five Wish Privileges."

"That guy still has two more Wish Privileges we haven’t figured out yet."

"On top of that, he’s halfway through the 【Main Plot】, with a 30% progress rate against the Hospital Director boss—meaning he still has the Director as his trump card!"

"Most players would’ve long cashed in the highest Evaluation Score and Instance rewards, happily moving on to the next one."

"But that guy’s ambition is too vast. He wants to sit in the ‘Hospital Director’s’ seat."

Hearing this, Ji Yan couldn’t hold back: "With such a massive gap in advantages, is there even a chance of winning?"

If he remembered correctly, the Dragon Player also had an S-level Talent called 【Cherry-Picking】, which could manipulate Mission contents!

To Ji Yan, it felt like...

The two sides were like a broken bicycle crashing head-on into a fully equipped armored vehicle.

The disparity was too extreme!

The Tiger Player seemed to read Ji Yan’s thoughts and smiled faintly. "Don’t panic. We have a killing move too."

"What killing move?"

"You."

Ji Yan broke into a cold sweat.

"Alright, head back for now. Let’s see if the 【Main Plot】 unlocks tomorrow..."

"This silent hospital is about to get lively." The Tiger Player stood up.

Ji Yan asked, "How much do you know about the Main Plot?"

"We only know it’s tied to the Morgue and that unknown Medical Achievement."

"The mysterious disappearances of cured patients—the Main Plot holds the answers..."

The Tiger Player said, "The 【Main Plot】 can only be triggered through the Hospital Director. That Dragon guy used some method to make the Director vanish outright."

"So, what we know is just scraps."

"Vanished?"

Ji Yan was stunned.

Just how formidable was this Dragon Player, to make even the Director—this major boss—disappear?

At that moment, the wall clock began to chime.

A bald Eccentric Old Man called out to the Tiger Player over there, "Tiger Doctor, it's time."

"You haven't finished yesterday's story yet!"

"Tiger Doctor, the plants on the balcony weren’t watered today."

"Tiger Doctor, my old phone won’t make any sound again..."

The other Eccentric Old Men joined in, calling for the Tiger Doctor.

It was clear that the Tiger Doctor had taken on the roles of both a caretaker and a "male mother" to win over these Eccentric Old Men for the sake of the Instance.

Most people wouldn’t be able to handle it!

It was obvious that the Tiger Player was enduring humiliation and hardship to clear this Instance.

"Old Horse, escort the Goat Doctor out."

After saying this, the Tiger Player turned and left.

The Horse Player stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Let’s go, Goat Doctor."

Ji Yan glanced at the time—just from this idle chat, dusk had already fallen.

Exiting Mao Die Paradise and passing through a hidden passage, the Horse Player pulled out another cigarette, clearly a heavy smoker.

"Tomorrow, just proceed with your Mission as usual. We’ll keep an eye on the Dragon Player’s side. If there’s trouble, we’ll step in to help."

"We need to confirm whether the Hospital Director, who’s been missing for so long, will show up tomorrow."

"If he appears, it means the Main Plot has opened!"

Ji Yan caught the underlying meaning.

His smile turned mocking. "So, I was never really in an alliance with you guys."

"I’m just another piece of bait for you, right?"

The Horse Player didn’t deny it, flicking ash from his cigarette. "If you don’t act as bait, how will we get our chance to strike?"

"So, bear with it for a while."

"You’re the Zodiac Goat—being a scapegoat isn’t too much to ask, is it?"

Ji Yan: "..."

After exchanging a few more words, the Horse Player finally turned and left.

Ji Yan watched his retreating figure, his eyes flickering with uncertainty.

Even though the Tiger and Horse Players had laid all their cards on the table for him, Ji Yan, having seen too much of human nature, remained wary.

He didn’t fully trust their words—or them.