Chapter 95: Self-Doubt, Chief Doctor

Chapter 95: Self-Doubt, Chief Doctor

The reward for this mission was the organs transplanted into his own body—something Ji Yan hadn’t anticipated.

But wasn’t this a bit too abstract?

As Ji Yan opened the Information Panel to check the details of the reward, a new notification appeared before him.

"Congratulations, Player, for successfully discovering the promotion channel and devouring the Medical Instructor. You have been promoted to [Chief Doctor]."

"You have officially 'graduated' from the Goat Supernatural Doctor of the Zodiac [Goat]. The Instance Plot will now progress to the third stage."

"For completing the second stage of the plot, you have received the storyline reward—[Truth Parchment] (Special Quality)."

"Your Specter Power has increased by 200 points."

"You have obtained the [Chief Doctor] work badge and unlocked a new map section—[C-Building Emergency Building]."

"Truth Parchment?!"

Ji Yan was stunned. The value of this reward was immense.

With both parchments—[Truth] and [Lies]—now in his hands, he held two privileges. Though he didn’t know what dangers the third stage of the plot would bring, his arsenal of trump cards had grown significantly.

After a quick review, Ji Yan didn’t linger in the [Morgue].

But as soon as he turned the corner, he encountered the Black Goat Supernatural Entity he had met that night.

To call it a "Black Goat Supernatural Entity" was a stretch—it was merely a hollowed-out shell, its organs devoured by the Goat Supernatural Doctor, stitched back together, and forced to labor in the morgue as a puppet.

Upon seeing Ji Yan clad in black goat wool and his horrifying goat-skull face, the creature fell silent before lowering its head in reverence. "Teacher… today’s work is already done."

This statement confirmed that Ji Yan had now fully replaced the Goat Supernatural Doctor’s position.

"Mm, go rest."

Ji Yan waved dismissively, but as the creature turned to leave, he spoke again to engage further. "How many are working in the morgue?"

Though puzzled, the Black Goat Supernatural Entity answered, "There are nine remaining now."

Nine…

And that didn’t even account for those who had died after becoming puppets. It was hard to imagine how long the Goat Supernatural Doctor had survived in this Instance by "raising piglets" like this.

Ji Yan considered probing these Black Goat Supernatural Entities for information about the third stage of the plot, but their knowledge was limited to the morgue.

In the end, Ji Yan left the morgue.

As he rode the elevator up, the doors slid open to reveal the Elevator Attendant, who hurried forward to report, "Goat Doctor! I… I remembered! There really was a doctor who looked like you before you went down earlier."

"It… its face had no flesh, just a skull. That thing was an imposter pretending to be you!"

"I can take you down now—we’ll definitely catch that fake, tear off its damn skin, and see what kind of bastard dares to trick me and you, Goat Doctor!"

The Elevator Attendant clutched its blinded eye, voice dripping with venom.

Ji Yan listened, then smiled eerily. "What imposter? There is no imposter."

"The only one who went down was me, the Goat Doctor."

"Is this how you guard the elevator?"

With that, Ji Yan’s gaze turned cold. His hand flipped, gripping a scalpel.

A swift slash— Blood splattered.

The other eyeball of the Elevator Attendant rolled onto the ground, only to be kicked by Ji Yan into the crevice of the elevator shaft. With a cold snort, he turned and walked away.

The Elevator Attendant crawled on the floor, groping for its eyeball while drowning in self-doubt.

"What’s going on? Which one is the Goat Doctor? Which one is the impostor... Sniff... I’m just a doorman, who did I even offend?"

...

Exiting the passage, Ji Yan stepped into the dim, hazy daylight. Through the glass beside him, he caught a glimpse of his current reflection.

Not a trace of a "Player" remained.

Black wool covered his skin, his face obscured by a bloodstained goat skull mask, and two sharp Goat Horns protruded from his head. If not for the work badge still hanging on his chest, Ji Yan wouldn’t have been able to tell whether he was now a Supernatural Entity or a Player.

He removed the [Attending Doctor] badge and replaced it with [Chief Doctor].

"Next is the third phase of the plot..."

If he remembered the Instance Background correctly, this phase would involve the entire hospital’s Main Plot.

After the promotion, Ji Yan’s strength and privileges had grown significantly.

But one thorny problem remained—the Dragon Player, who had been targeting him relentlessly, still gave him a headache.

"I told you, you could handle the trouble with that Goat Supernatural Doctor yourself."

The voice came from behind. Ji Yan didn’t need to turn to know who it was.

Xu Xin, dressed in a blue-and-white striped patient gown, sat in a wheelchair, her delicate face wearing a faint smile.

Oddly enough, she was in a wheelchair today.

Though she was also a Supernatural Entity NPC, she stood in stark contrast to the grotesque, blood-soaked patients—like a white orchid blooming amidst a field of withered grass, strikingly radiant.

"So? How did your Teacher taste? Must’ve been delicious, right?"

Clearly, Xu Xin knew how to clear this Death Trial. Whether she didn’t say because of the hospital Instance’s rules or simply because she wanted to watch the show, Ji Yan couldn’t tell.

Flicking off a piece of skin tissue from his shoulder, Ji Yan replied flatly, "Not bad."

"Miss Xu, you’re a patient in this hospital. How are you still wandering around?"

"If I recall correctly, patients are supposed to stay in their wards—like prisoners in cages. The daytime rules forbid movement. Only at night are they allowed out."

Ji Yan deliberately probed, hoping to extract some extra information.

Xu Xin smiled. "In this hospital, I’m a patient suffering from severe physiological depression."

"Going out for some fresh air is part of my treatment."

"Isn’t that normal?"

Ji Yan fell silent.

"Your next workplace is the [Emergency Building]. The patients there... aren’t easy to deal with."

Ji Yan had heard this line too many times. He picked at his ear. "Which ward’s patients are easy to deal with?"

"They hold a lot of the hospital’s secrets. Getting on their good side won’t hurt."

"The position of Chief Doctor is sensitive. Those things are going to start targeting you."

"Besides, you’re the first Zodiac Goat to be promoted to [Chief Doctor]. They’ll be very interested."

"They?"

Ji Yan raised an eyebrow. Sounded like new NPCs were about to be unlocked—and from her tone, they probably weren’t "friendly."

"How about it, Miss Xu? Care to help me strategize how to handle those patients?"

"How about it? We are, after all, old neighbors from the apartment." Ji Yan forced an ingratiating smile, well aware of Xu Xin's abilities.

"I have other matters to attend to."

"This matter concerns a certain plotline you'll encounter later. By handling it now, I’m essentially paving the way for you."

"So, we’ll meet again."

Miss Xu smiled and bid Ji Yan farewell as her wheelchair began moving on its own. It was then that Ji Yan noticed an Invisible Supernatural Entity behind her, gripping the wheelchair's handles.

Judging by its attire, it was a Caregiver Supernatural Entity.

Ji Yan froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Don’t worry, it’s just a puppet."

"It can hear, but it won’t speak—I’ve sewn its mouth shut. Hehe."

Miss Xu chuckled lightly.

As her wheelchair rolled away, she left behind a casual remark.

"After all, in this hospital, caregivers are the cheapest."