Chapter 2: Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital (Part 2)

Chapter 2: Blue Mountain Psychiatric Hospital (Part 2)

Soon, the feast was served.

The remaining players hesitated but eventually took their seats under the repeated urging of the doctor. Soon after, individuals dressed as chefs emerged pushing food carts.

As Number Nine had described, each person was served a bowl of sour soup with meatballs, a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and a bowl of rice.

The players who received their meals exchanged uneasy glances, holding chopsticks and unsure whether to eat.

The doctor urged from the side, "There isn't much time left for the meal."

Speaking, his massive eyeballs rotated, scanning over each player's face, "Do not waste food."

It seemed that avoiding food waste was one of the rules.

Qi Chanyang picked up his chopsticks, picking up a meatball and placing it in his mouth.

"Let's eat."

Seated beside patient number eight was a high school senior, his face pale.

"These aren't human flesh meatballs, are they?"

Qi Chanyang shook his head, "No."

"Do Not Respond" had been running for many years, and players had deduced some patterns over time.

For instance, no matter how powerful an NPC in an instance might be, they are bound by the rules of that instance. As long as players do not trigger the NPC’s kill protocol, the NPC cannot lay a hand on them.

Just like earlier, despite some players stubbornly standing still and refusing to sit, the doctor merely urged them.

The topic of ingredients has been a common discussion among players; after all, many instances take more than three days to clear. During this period, players are bound to consume food available within the instance.

Most of the time, these foods are perfectly fine. As for human flesh... as long as no player dies, it will not appear in the instance's food supply.

"Really?" The student's complexion improved slightly, and following Qi Chanyang's lead, he picked up a meatball too.

Just as Qi Chanyang was about to explain further to everyone, he heard Jie Fangcheng from the side say: "Yes, indeed. Human flesh doesn’t taste like this."

"Clatter." The meatball on the student's chopsticks fell back into the bowl.

Everyone looked at him in horror, even the patient NPCs were craning their necks in his direction with bizarre twists.

Jie Fangcheng noticed their expressions and paused, "I was just joking."

Everyone: "..."

Damn it! What kind of person is this?

The high school senior resentfully picked up the meatball again, biting down with a force as if he were crushing someone's skull.

Only Qi Chanyang turned his head once more, giving him a deep and scrutinizing look.

This player named Jie Fangcheng first smelled the food in the bowl, tasted a meatball, and then began to eat heartily.

It is extremely difficult to discern the original ingredients in the food within the instance, especially when it's ground into a meatball form.

Could this Jie person actually identify them?

His appearance was also quite peculiar; it was Qi Chanyang’s first time encountering a player who entered the instance at a different time than everyone else.

Moreover, most newcomers who enter the game after dying exhibit signs of panic or exhilaration. Some, who met violent ends, even struggle to shake off the pain experienced at the time of death.

But this man, he seems as relaxed as if he just returned home. Isn't he too at ease?

More than at ease, Qi Chanyang witnessed him getting another serving of rice, even exchanging a few words with the NPC serving the food, before returning with a somewhat regretful expression.

The high school senior sitting next to number eight couldn't help but ask, "What did you say to him just now?"

The high school senior was named Xue Kai, who drowned while swimming with friends after the college entrance examination.

He had been a model student all his life, not even engaging in gaming. Yet, ironically, he was dragged into this horrifying game posthumously.

Since the moment the elevator doors opened, his mind had been a carousel of horror films he had seen, and now sitting beside this number eight... God knows, he nearly had a heart attack seeing number eight’s legs sprawled on the ground at unnatural angles, resembling two pet-like entities at a glance.

Yet, when his gaze met those legs, they reluctantly crawled back into their shoes, as if possessing a mind of their own.

This is terrifying!

Xue Kai felt like he was on the verge of fainting. Yet, upon lifting his head, he noticed that Jie Fangcheng, another newcomer who appeared to be a student as well, was nonchalantly chatting with not only patient NPC number nine but also with the NPC distributing food.

Lu Xiaqin could barely stand, taking refuge in the embrace of Gu Shanshan, her shoulders trembling vigorously; although Gu Shanshan maintained a calm demeanor, her complexion had turned pale. Even the surrounding spectators remained silent, their eyes betraying a mixture of fear and apprehension.

Qi Chanyang wasn't particularly frightened. He knew the difficulty and horror level of this primary instance were limited. Being a good-natured person, he was willing to go out of his way to help these newcomers survive a bit longer.

But this Jie Fangcheng! How could he seem even friendlier with the NPCs than with the players? Just who was this person??

Grinding his teeth, Qi Chanyang exclaimed, "Come here!"

Jie Fangcheng handed the racket to number nine, even patting him encouragingly on the shoulder. From the movements of his lips, it seemed he might have said, "You see, badminton isn't hard. You can surely beat number six. Good luck!"

Everyone: "..."

Arriving at the bathroom door, Jie Fangcheng asked in astonishment, "Why is everyone here? Are you all lining up to use the restroom?"

"..." Qi Chanyang ignored him, turning instead to walk towards the sinks.

It was Gu Shanshan who quickly filled him in on the events that had just transpired.

After listening, Jie Fangcheng simply nodded, followed him to the sinks, and casually turned on the faucet.

Sure enough, what flowed out was blood.

A hushed silence descended upon the restroom once again.

Harboring a hint of resentment, Qi Chanyang didn't glance at him and began analyzing the situation, addressing the group.

"It seems like because you all mentioned seeing eyeballs in the cafeteria, now when you turn on the faucets, what comes out are blood and chunks of flesh."

Swish swish...

"However, since you didn't trigger any killing rules, the NPCs won't attack you. Therefore, if you encounter similar situations in the future, the best course of action is to pretend you saw nothing and avoid letting the NPCs notice any anomalies."

Huff puff huff puff...

"From what I observed, there doesn't seem to be any other clues around the court area. We should check the reading room next door shortly."

Thud... thud...

Unable to restrain himself, Qi Chanyang turned around and said, "...Why aren't you turning off the faucet??"

The sink resembled a scene of dismemberment, filled with fingernails, hair, suspicious fragments of organs, and chunks of flesh, all mingling together, emanating a nauseating stench of blood.

It seemed like the pipe was clogged by something substantial. After several unsuccessful attempts to unblock it, Jie Fangcheng kindly patted the pipe, inadvertently dislodging half an eyeball entwined with hair. This sent shivers down everyone's spine, evoking the sensation of something crawling on their backs.

Yet, Jie Fangcheng maintained his composure, remarking casually, "I'm kind of curious just how much 'stock' there will be in the end."

"..."

"What's the matter?"

Lu Xiaqin asked with a trembling voice, "Aren't you scared?"

"Hmm?"

"Aren't you scared... that in the end, a... a female ghost might crawl out of the pipe or... something?"

At her words, everyone turned their horrified gazes towards the faucet, half-expecting a long-haired female ghost to emerge at any moment.

Jie Fangcheng chuckled, "Why be afraid? Even if you were to die, you'd be a female ghost, wouldn't you? If anything, she should be the one scared of you. Given how narrow this pipe is, you could just chop her up piece by piece as she emerges. You could definitely overpower her, couldn't you?"

"…?"

Observing Lu Xiaqin's fainting-like expression, he thought for a moment before comforting her, "Even if you can't beat her, you've already died once, haven't you? Dying one more time shouldn't be too much of a big deal."

Everyone: "..."

The group stared at him speechlessly. In the meantime, the pipe struggled to expel the last bits of flesh with a series of "splurts," the flow of blood dwindling until only a few drops remained.

Then, with a "sizzle," a reluctant stream of clear, normal water began to spray out, pooling in the sink.

Jie Fangcheng tapped the faucet again, commenting, "That's all? It didn't even last three minutes, did it?"

Initially, the sink was filled with a horrifying medley of human tissue, bits of flesh, and hair, along with half an eyeball, creating a terrifying tableau.

Hearing his words, even Lu Xiaqin seemed to question inwardly: Is that all?

This was the first time Qi Chanyang had encountered such a nonchalant newcomer, leaving him at a loss for words.

But as he looked around, he noticed that the other newcomers, who were initially as scared as quails, now bore expressions of subtle disbelief on their faces.

Regardless, at least everyone wasn't as frightened anymore.

Seizing the opportunity while the group's morale was not as low, Qi Chanyang clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

"Let's head to the reading room now and look for more clues."

No sooner had he finished speaking, than a sinister voice emanated from the entrance of the restroom, "What are you all doing here?"

A doctor stood at the doorway, his eyeballs shifting ominously as his gaze swept over each person, as if evaluating the integrity of potential prey.

Silence enveloped the restroom. The morale that had slightly lifted moments ago plummeted anew. Xue Kai, the closest to the entrance, couldn't help but mentally exclaim, "Damn!" just as the doctor's gaze shifted onto him.

"Mr. Xue, shouldn't you be playing ball? What are you doing here?" the doctor questioned sternly.

Maybe it was an illusion, but Xue Kai felt that the doctor's already disproportionately large eyeballs seemed to have grown even larger, threatening to burst out of their sockets any moment.

Xue Kai took a step back, his voice trembling with fear.

"I..."

"Going to the restroom, obviously." Jie Fangcheng's voice resonated from the deepest part of the restroom, carrying a hint of confusion, as though the doctor had asked an incredibly stupid question. "People come to the restroom to relieve themselves. What else? Have a communal meal?"

"So many of you using the restroom together?" The doctor asked with a sinister tone.

"Oh, everyone is done, just waiting to wash our hands. But the sink is clogged. Since you're here, maybe you can check how to clear it?" He said, as assertively as if instructing a subordinate.

A true savior!

Tears welled up in Xue Kai's eyes, overflowing with gratitude.

The doctor remained silent for a moment before gritting his teeth in anger, "Don't just stand here! Go do what you're supposed to do!"

The players filed out of the restroom in a single file, promptly obeying the command.

Jie Fangcheng trailed behind, his pace slower, gradually distancing himself from the main group.

Lu Xiaqin's crying intensified.

Among the players, someone couldn't hold back and muttered under their breath, "What the hell is this?"

Qi Chanyang, however, kept his focus squarely on Jie Fangcheng.

At precisely seven o'clock, a shrill bell rang through the cafeteria. The chef who had served the meal earlier reappeared, pushing a cart to clear the dishes, one by one.

Due to Qi Chanyang's reminder, everyone had cleaned their plates thoroughly. The chef heaved a melancholy sigh as he finished collecting the dishes.

The doctor stood at the entrance, his face expressionless as he announced, "Free activity time has begun. Be back in your rooms by ten o'clock sharp for rest."

Having said this, his eyes once again settled on Lu Xiaqin.

"If there are patients experiencing worsening hysteria, they may seek consultation in the clinic on the second floor."

Although it was termed as "free activity time", many areas outside were locked up. The doctor only unlocked the reading room and the badminton court for use.

The players trailed behind the patient NPCs, first entering the badminton hall under the watchful eye of the doctor, then congregating in a corner to begin their discussion.

Qi Chanyang, a veteran who had cleared numerous instances before, initiated the summary.

"Let's first delineate the current rules of this instance."

"First, we cannot waste food during meals. Just now, the chef inspected every individual's plate when clearing the dishes, and none had any leftovers. He sighed regretfully. Therefore, leaving leftovers might possibly trigger a killing mechanism or some form of punishment."

"Second, do not react to unreasonable scenes, or at least, refrain from showing reactions in front of the doctor NPC; otherwise, we might be drugged. This drug might not be fatal, but judging by the NPC's demeanor, it won't be anything pleasant."

Gu Sansan chimed in, "Earlier, that doctor NPC told Xiaqin and me, 'Tonight, a separate dose of medication needs to be administered to both of you'. The word 'separate' implies that we might already have a dose scheduled for tonight. If that's true, what should we do about tonight's medication? Should we take it?"

Qi Chanyang gave her a more prolonged glance.

In the tense situation earlier, Lu Xiaqin was too frightened to even lift her head, but Gu Sansan was able to vividly recall what the NPC said - a rare feat for a newbie.

Of course, there was another newcomer—

"Before we continue our discussion, I have a question." Qi Chanyang turned his gaze towards Jie Fangcheng, "Jie Fangcheng, can you explain to me how you managed to get number three's eyeball into the spoon?"

"Hmm?"

Qi Chanyang's eyes remained unwavering, a finger pressed against his wrist - the access point for his system inventory. This gesture allowed him to swiftly retrieve items from the system backpack if necessary.

"Since your entry into the game, I found it rather peculiar. It's my first time encountering a player entering the instance at a different time than everyone else. Of course, it might be a common occurrence, and I have simply not encountered it due to the limited number of instances I've cleared."

"But you're a newbie. Despite witnessing these NPCs up close, you are not afraid at all. That number nine sitting beside you can sit upright with his head folding over, yet you could converse with him so jovially."

"But that's not the main point—"

"As a newcomer, how did you persuade number three to gouge out his eyeball and place it in the spoon? Answer me!" As he reached the end of his sentence, Qi Chanyang's tone had become stern and demanding.

Jie Fangcheng let out a bewildered "ah", unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.

"It's quite simple, actually. Little Nine!"

The NPC dressed in a patient gown labeled "Number Nine" was holding a badminton racket, standing at the edge of the court, batting his head back and forth as if it were a ball. Hearing Jie Fangcheng's call, he turned slowly, folding his head back 180 degrees to look upside down at the players huddled in the corner.

Jie Fangcheng waved at him, beckoning, "Come here."

Number Nine pondered for a moment before lumbering over leisurely.

His walk was peculiar, or to be precise, all patient NPCs walked oddly, swaying as if they were about to fall apart at any moment.

Jie Fangcheng patted his shoulder, whispering, "Stealthily remove number three's eyeball, and I'll reward you with an extra meatball during tomorrow's dinner."

Then, Jie Fangcheng added considerately, "Oh, and remember to put it back afterward, we wouldn't want to strain their relationship."

Number Nine's eyes sparkled at the proposition.

He turned around, setting off to find number three.

Number three was playing badminton with number four — utilizing an eye, which belonged to who knows whom, as the shuttlecock. The eye, brimming with elasticity, was dancing through the air, resonating with each hit from the racket.

Soon everyone was aware of how, in front of the doctor NPC, number nine managed to gouge out number three's eyeball.

He squatted at the edge of the court, snapping off his own left hand with a crisp "click", then abruptly threw it out while number three was bent down retrieving the fallen eyeball.

The left hand swooped precisely onto number three's face as if guided by a navigation system, the index finger targeting the eyeball to gouge it out.

"I... I need to use the restroom."

The scene was truly more than what an average person could bear; Lu Xiaoqin, wavering, stood up.

This young lady, who hadn't even killed a chicken in her lifetime, found it extremely difficult to continue watching the spectacle of severed hands and gouged eyes.

Even the normally composed Gu Shanshan felt a tingling scalp, standing up to accompany her: "I'll go with you."

Meanwhile, number nine's left hand had been prodding several times before successfully retrieving the eyeball, holding it between its index finger and thumb, somewhat resembling a distant OK gesture.

"See, quite simple!" Jie Fangcheng remarked.

Qi Chanyang: "..."

He looked at Jie Fangcheng with a mix of belief and skepticism: "You really have guts, not being scared at all in such a scene, huh?"

"Oh, it somewhat relates to my job."

"What kind of relation?"

Jie Fangcheng smiled: "It seems I haven't introduced myself yet. Hello, my name is Jie Fangcheng, I used to be the department manager at the Underworld Finance Department, but I'm retired now."

"?"

Had he not introduced himself, it would have been fine. But after his introduction, Qi Chanyang was utterly baffled.

Underworld? Is this a renowned company or something? Retired? The guy has such a youthful face, does he even look twenty? Did he even work before?

Xue Kai seemed to have realized something and whispered to Qi Chanyang while Jie Fangcheng was interacting with number nine who had completed the task: "Might be language cosplay."

"What?" Qi Chanyang didn't understand.

"It's voice role-playing, role-playing. They create a character for themselves and then immerse themselves in that role."

"That doesn't seem right," a nearby player chimed in, "Language C isn't that immersive, it seems more like the Underworld community to me."

"Underworld community? What's that?"

"Well, it's... how do I put it, ah, akin to the QQ families, quite similar to role-playing, where a group of people online forms a family. He might have joined the Underworld family, and is role-playing as the department manager of the financial division there. Due to various reasons, he might have been ousted, which is why he mentions that he is retired now. Being in the Underworld, he would naturally be exposed to this kind of knowledge frequently. Facing this situation now, he is deeply immersed in his role-play, hence his fearless disposition."

Qi Chanyang understood now.

Ah, immersing in this subcultural phenomenon is quite non-mainstream!

Over there, Jie Fangcheng was chatting with number nine who had completed the task, a few people squatting in the corner could faintly hear him praising number nine for the cool and mighty scene where he snapped off his left hand. Even Xue Kai couldn't help but wonder, is immersive role-playing really so effective, allowing one to overlook scenes unimaginable to the average person?

Should he also set up a role for himself?

Then he would be... uh, perhaps setting up as Yama is a bit too exaggerated, would the Black and White Impermanence be a better choice?

As these thoughts circulated, the two ladies who had gone to the restroom returned, their faces ashen.

"What happened?"

Gu Shanshan gritted her teeth, taking a deep breath.

"Just now, we wanted to wash our hands in the sink, but upon turning on the tap..."

"We discovered that it wasn't water flowing out."

"What was it?"

"Blood, mixed with chunks of flesh... and human fingernails!"