Chapter 47: The Holy Infirmary 14

Chapter 47: The Holy Infirmary 14

Rushing past his ears was a thunderous wind, akin to the roar of a mighty storm.

A sharp system notification resounded overhead:

"The Scenario Mission - Area Pursuit Battle, has begun!"

"Countdown to pursuit: 10 minutes."

"Mission Hint: Here she comes, here she comes! The Blood Nun is approaching with her most beloved plaything. You insignificant little mouse, hurry and use your slender limbs to run. If she catches you, it won't end with just losing a hand or a foot."

Qin Fei: "......."

Damn it a thousand times over!!

Qin Fei had never run so desperately in his entire life.

- This thought had crossed Qin Fei's mind every time he was being chased by a boss before. However, Qin Fei was certain that this time, he was not exaggerating in the slightest.

The unscrupulous creatures in each instance always manage to constantly challenge Qin Fei's understanding, time and again, presenting him with increasingly thrilling and heart-stopping experiences.

It would be hard to imagine a more perilous situation than the one Qin Fei was in now; even throwing him into a frenzied horde of bloodshot zombies wouldn't suffice – perhaps only a cannon blast from behind could rival this level of danger.

In the dimly lit corridor, the air began to heat up rapidly.

The walls on either side of the corridor seemed to be melting like candles scorched by flames, while viscous, crimson blood flowed like molten lava from the feet of the Blood Nun, spreading relentlessly in all directions.

The ground was soon saturated with overflowing plasma.

Each of Qin Fei's steps seemed to tread upon the surface of a half-melting swamp, with scorching liquid splashing against his skin, causing a prickling, searing pain.

The warm-colored wall lamps on either side flickered out, and as the Blood Nun passed by, eerie black-red lights, seemingly emerging from nowhere, started to pulsate. They illuminated every inch of the floor and walls around them, making the scene resemble a crime scene.

Goodness gracious!

This was utterly terrifying!

Xiao Xiao was on the verge of having his soul frightened out of his body.

Just as he was recovering from the unnamed terror of sanity loss, he was suddenly confronted with such a tangible horror.

If circumstances had allowed it, he would have sincerely apologized to God with clasped hands!

Dear Lord, he was wrong, truly wrong!

He shouldn't have been so arrogant to think that humans were less terrifying than ghosts!

The path beneath his feet was straight and clearly visible, leading upward to a flight of stairs.

"Qin... Qin..."

Xiao Xiao panted for breath, "Where exactly are we supposed to run?!"

The other players were all up there!

If they led these two crazed chainsaw men upwards, would those players be so enraged as to kill them on the spot?

Qin Fei's lips were tightly pressed together, but he didn't answer. His unwavering steps forward already answered the question.

Where should they run? The priest had actually given them the answer earlier.

The priest said that the Blood Nun was here to rectify mistakes.

Based on the activity schedule on the wall in the lounge, all players should currently be staying within it.

Either they could pass through the church and the first floor's arcade to return to the Inner World's lounge.

Or, they could sacrifice one of their teammates randomly, instantly flipping the worlds inside out and permanently resolving the issue.

Both solutions seemed rather unethical, diverting the problem elsewhere.

But Qin Fei didn't care at all.

As long as he could survive.

If being immoral was the price, then so be it.

Behind him, the roaring sound of machinery grew closer.

Viscous plasma defied physics as it flowed upward, coating the steps like a crimson waterfall.

The staircase was already slippery with moss, and now Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao, in their frantic escape, clung to one side of the wall with their fingers, terrified of losing their footing and plummeting down into the saws below, turning themselves into mincemeat.

Closer!

Even closer!

A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot up from Qin Fei's tailbone, spreading through his entire body, surging through the hand that held the cellar door aloft above his head, and then bursting out into the surface air rushing towards him.

In that moment, Qin Fei couldn't help but feel genuine relief:

Thankfully, he hadn't taken the extra precaution of locking the cellar door from the inside when he first descended. Otherwise, they would be utterly doomed now.

The cramped confessional suddenly transformed into a holy gate leading to salvation.

Qin Fei didn't even have time to push the door open; instead, he leaped through a window covered by a curtain.

Xiao Xiao followed closely behind.

Outside the Confessional, the arrogant Fifth, the violent Sixth, and the blond Seventh, somehow formed an unexpected trio, standing together in deep conversation.

Qin Fei's gaze swept across their faces, and he understood the situation.

No wonder no more player heads had been collected after Fourth was killed by Sixth. The three most powerful combatants in the instance didn't want to kill, and these next strongest three had banded together, leaving the other players as scattered individuals, unable to make a significant impact.

The trio was taken aback when Qin Fei suddenly dashed out of the Confessional, dressed unusually, with a panicked-looking follower tagging along behind him.

"What...?"

What's going on?

The Confessional door was locked, and they couldn't open it. They had just mustered up the courage to peek through the curtain and saw that there was clearly no one inside.

Where did these two guys come from??

Qin Fei had no time to respond, not even pausing for a moment. He dashed out like an arrow released from its bowstring.

Surprisingly, the trio reacted swiftly as well. Despite their confusion, they exchanged glances and, without any hesitation, followed Qin Fei's lead, bolting back.

The system announcement of the chase had been heard by all players.

Since Player 7, the blond, was an NPC and didn't receive the notification, the other two players had a vague premonition about what was to come.

"Hey, what's going on?" the bewildered blond asked while sprinting at full speed.

However, his confusion didn't last long. Within seconds, his eyes provided him with the answer.

The Blood Nun, striding forward with large steps, proved to be more agile and fierce than Qin Fei.

Without even bothering to jump through a window, she swung her chainsaw, creating a massive hole in the poor confessional.

Wood chips flew, and planks splintered into pieces.

The metallic clanking sound of the machinery was piercing enough to make one's bones ache just by listening to it.

The blond man's eyes instantly widened to the size of saucers.

Looking ahead, Qin Fei and Xiao Xiao had already dashed down the corridor leading to the resting area in a flash.

If time permitted, Qin Fei would have loved to lock the door between the church and the corridor.

Suppressing his regret, the young priest's chiseled face remained composed, revealing none of his thoughts.

Their two-man escape squad had now expanded to five, with the nun still hot on their heels, her chainsaw whirling wildly, causing the ground to crumble and walls to collapse wherever she passed.

"Countdown to pursuit: 8 minutes, 39 seconds, 48 milliseconds!"

In the Surface World, this corridor was a straight and clear passageway, but in the Inner World, it resembled a labyrinth.

Qin Fei hadn't been able to grasp the structure of the corridor during his previous escape from the mutated Player 2, and it was no different this time.

This maze-like corridor felt like a million-year-old cave that had never been stepped foot in, with every passage connecting to countless turns. Beyond each turn, a brand new, unpredictable intersection would appear before them.

These intersecting paths followed no rules, no logic; they were like a ball of yarn that had been unraveled haphazardly, making it impossible to find the beginning.

They resembled caged beasts, as well as headless flies, scurrying about aimlessly in a state of utter disarray.

A colossal, fluorescent prompt hovered in the air, accompanied by a deafening roar in the background, taunting the players with merciless irony.

The familiar metallic taste of blood from overexertion lingered in Qin Fei's throat, leaving him no time for explanations. As they approached the next intersection, he swiftly lifted his leg and kicked Xiao Xiao in another direction.

Everything that happened afterward unfolded just as Qin Fei had anticipated.

Xiao Xiao obviously didn't react in time, staggering as he ran while looking back at him with a bewildered expression.

The Blood Nun, without the slightest hesitation, didn't even pause in her stride as she continued pursuing Qin Fei, seemingly completely disregarding Xiao Xiao.

Xiao Xiao: "?"

The bewildered Taoist's pace slowed, eventually leaving him standing rooted to the spot, watching the NPC wielding the chainsaw chasing after his teammate, racing in another direction until they were out of sight.

Ah, no. Could someone please explain what was happening???

...

Sigh...

Qin Fei let out a long breath.

To be honest or not...

He had truly sacrificed too much for this foolish son!

As the situation grew more perilous for the trio of 567, their eyes met, and they left Qin Fei behind, dashing towards another passage. Surprisingly, one of the three Blood Nuns was diverted by their departure.

Hmm?

Was it because Player 6 was the only one with a kill under their belt?

Qin Fei glanced back. The two remaining Blood Nuns were still speeding towards him relentlessly, charging through the debris of metal, rocks, and sparks with an intimidating momentum.

In any case, being chased by two Chainsaw Nuns was undoubtedly better than being pursued by three...

It's not any better at all!!

Quantity doesn't matter for chainsaws; four or six makes no real difference.

In any case, just one is enough to dismember Qin Fei's limbs.

The poor young priest didn't even dare blink, his legs moving so quickly they almost left afterimages.

Qin Fei himself didn't expect that he could run this fast.

Isn't that the saying, "human potential is limitless"?

If he hadn't been dragged into this damned cursed instance dungeon, he might have been a national champion in some event.

The endless corridor split before Qin Fei's eyes into branching paths, each one leading back to the same walls and floor.

The countdown above his head ticked away, second by second, but the threat of death never lessened—it only intensified.

"Chase Countdown: 6 minutes, 12 seconds, 84 milliseconds!"

His lungs felt as if they were about to burst, and an invisible blade seemed to be slicing through his throat with every breath, causing sharp pain.

Qin Fei gritted his teeth, desperately maintaining his breathing rhythm.

Hold on! Just a little longer!

This was an even more extreme experience than the desperate escape through the chaotic burial ground in Shadow Village before.

Here, there were no tombstones to take cover behind, only an empty, seemingly endless corridor that could be seen through with a single glance.

Nor were the rapidly spinning chainsaw blades any less menacing than the ghouls' razor-sharp claws.

Qin Fei barely dared to imagine the consequences if this object were to slice through his skin and bones.

Merely the act of forming these words in my mind —

The young man abruptly took a deep breath.

He could have run even faster!

In the distance, a shadow flickered and appeared at the end of a fork in the road.

Qin Fei reacted swiftly, dodging with incredible speed despite the strong inertia pulling him forward. He swerved his body, narrowly avoiding collision.

As he looked up, he saw San Tu and Gui Huo in his line of sight. Their faces wore expressions of surprise and astonishment when their gazes met Qin Fei's.

Qin Fei quickly discerned what was chasing them.

It was something similar to the mutated Player 2 but not entirely identical. Its massive form resembled a blob formed from squeezed tumors, with grotesque limbs sprouting from the crevices of its flesh, propelling it across the ground at an alarming speed.

Each tumor on its body had an eye attached.

The eyes varied in size, like an endless array of surveillance cameras that scanned every inch of land it traversed. This made Qin Fei involuntarily think of the Greek mythological giant Argus Panoptes, the hundred-eyed giant.

Qin Fei: !

"What the hell is this abomination? ! ? ? ?"

The ghost fire let out a heart-wrenching scream when it saw the two chainsaw-wielding, blood-soaked nuns behind Qin Fei.

There were far too many elements mashed together in this instance!

The two fleeing groups merged into one, and the three bosses chasing after the players now had a unified target.

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn this cursed instance dungeon!"

The wraithfire was still breaking its defense, howling madly as it ran.

Sanmu's face darkened at the crude language, "Stop cursing! We're not in a horror instance where your swearing can scare the monsters away!

Save your energy and don't embarrass yourself in front of the rival guild's members!"

The wraithfire was on the verge of tears from fear.

He looked at Qin Fei and asked, "What are those two nuns really about? In our—"

Qin Fei didn't need the ghost fire's guidance to figure it out. "Your No. 1 Player has deviated."

Player 2's alternate personality was Gluttony, and after deviating, they became a grotesque creature that devoured everything.

Following this logic, it made sense that the Peeping Tom, No. 1 Player, would turn into such a ghastly form.

Of course, Qin Fei wouldn't reveal his identity by admitting that he had led the Blood Nun to the surface.

But out of humanitarian principles, he still informed Sanzu and Ghost Fire of a fact:

"Yours isn't the real one. Mine is."

With urgency, he squeezed these words out between his teeth before pointing at the flickering countdown system above their heads.

Seeing this, Ghost Fire breathed a sigh of relief.

The two chainsaw maniacs were part of the chase sequence in this scenario, which offered him some slight comfort.

At least, once the 10-minute countdown was over, these two nightmares would cease their pursuit.

...Although the current issue was that they might not survive until the end of the countdown.

Ghost Fire was on the verge of tears. "Fine, fine, we'll just have to run as hard as we can then."

There was no way they could defeat them in combat.

Dealing with Player 1 alone had already been challenging enough. Now, two massive, electrified creatures that seemed to have evolved past the Industrial Revolution had joined the fray.

What a load of nonsense!

Qin Fei remained expressionless.

His mental resilience far exceeded Ghost Fire's. Although Player 1's appearance had initially shaken him, he had long since recovered his composure.

He also didn't bother to remind San Tu and Ghost Fire not to follow him – it was better for such a vulnerable weakness to remain unknown to others.

After all, there wasn't much difference between being chased by four chainsaws or six.

But compared to being pursued alone, it was far more comforting to have three people together.

Poor San Tu and Ghost Fire were completely unaware that they had unknowingly dug their own graves.

The narrow corridor was jam-packed with the enormous Figure 1.

The two Blood cultivators' faces were grim as they revved the chainsaws to full speed, slicing through walls as they passed.

The deafening roar of collapse echoed nonstop, and the ground trembled continuously.

"…I can't go on anymore, I really can't run."

Ghost Fire's expression was dazed, his figure swaying unsteadily.

Escaping was already exhausting enough, but the three monsters behind them relentlessly pursued without slowing down. The two nuns were even sowing chaos everywhere they went.

They had to dodge flying debris amidst their sprint, constantly on guard against ambushes.

Ghifire opened his mouth, ready to say something, only to be abruptly shoved aside by Sanzu. "Shut up!"

Behind them, the Blood Nun suddenly accelerated.

Her sharp gears brushed perilously close to Ghifire's side, severing a few strands of hair that danced in the air.

If not for Sanzu's timely intervention, Ghifire would likely have lost his head by now.

"!!!" Ghifire was left speechless.

Reaching into his backpack, Sanzu pulled out a small, black object the size of a marble and threw it backward.

With a loud "Bang!" thick white smoke billowed from the ground, engulfing the entire corridor.

The two nuns seemed to be momentarily stunned by the smoke bomb, and the sound of the chainsaw scraping against the wall finally ceased.

"Huff... huff!"

Phantom Fire panted heavily.

During his sprint, the dust from the chainsaw cutting through the stone wall was thicker than that at a construction site, covering his entire head and face. With his rapid pace, sweat trickled down his forehead, leaving his face resembling a salt-encrusted land after a rain. He was now utterly disheveled, looking both dirty and pathetic – an utter mess.

Sanzu didn't slow down and glanced at him disdainfully, shifting slightly closer to Qin Fei as they ran.

Phantom Fire lifted his head in confusion, only to be deeply struck by the scene before him.

Not far away, Qin Fei held the corner of his elaborate and somewhat cumbersome priest's robe. His slender back remained straight, and his fair face was almost untouched by dust. The long, black hair, dampened by sweat, clung to his forehead, accentuating the paleness of his skin.

He appeared like a princess in distress, fleeing for her life, though disoriented, her radiance still shone through.

Phantom Flame: "?????"

Is everything alright? Is everything alright??

They were all fleeing for their lives, yet why was there such a vast difference between them?? It felt like he was starring in a horror film, while the other party seemed to be in a romantic drama.

This damn instance dungeon was being too unfair, only bestowing ashes upon him alone!!

Phantom Flame almost laughed out of anger.

Behind him, smoke dissipated, and the three pursuers grew restless once more.

"Maintain speed!" Qin Fei warned.

High above, the flickering countdown timer continued its relentless ticking.

"Chase Countdown: 2 minutes, 15 seconds, 32 milliseconds!"

Victory was almost within reach!

A flame of hope surged vigorously within Phantom Flame's heart.

This hope bestowed him boundless energy. His aching leg muscles seemed to have been injected with a potent stimulant, enabling him to dash forward with large strides.

Yet, he abruptly halted at the next corner.

Behind Phantom Flame, Qin Fei and San Tu's expressions darkened in unison.

At the end of this path,

There was no exit.

No branching paths, no exits—nothing.

At the end of the road stood a massive door, firmly shut in the darkness.

Throughout their journey, they had passed by countless identical doors, all of which were securely locked.

Qin Fei knew that the door they had entered last night with Sister Della was one of these doors behind them.

Della had given him a set of keys, but they didn't include the key to any room in this endless corridor.

Faced with the closed door, Qin Fei was at a loss.

San Tu tried turning the doorknob a few times, his delicate brows knitted together tightly. "It's locked."

San Tu said it was "locked."

But to Ghostfire's ears, those words echoed as "it's over."

"It's over! It's over, it's over, it's over..." Despair shone deeply in Ghostfire's eyes.

The smoke bomb wouldn't buy them much time; those three creatures would soon be upon them.

And this time, they wouldn't have a chance to escape.

"Shut up." In just a minute, Qin Fei repeated San Tu's exact words to Ghostfire.

The young man's expression was serene, his clear amber eyes showing not the slightest hint of panic amidst this perilous situation.

He placed a finger to his lips and addressed the ghostly flame,

"Shh."

"Listen."

"There's a sound."

Behind a thick iron door, amidst the cacophony of footsteps, the roaring of a chainsaw like thunder, and the crashing noise of shattered masonry, there drifted an eerie lullaby.

It was the ethereal voice of a woman.

"Sleep, sleep, my darling child."

"Mommy loves you, Mommy is here with you..."

That mournful and husky singing echoed in the air.

Someone was in the room?

Someone was indeed in the room!

Before the tightly shut iron door, the three players exchanged glances, their eyes suddenly shining with excitement.

Their tense emotions plummeted to the bottom in an instant, only to soar back up just as quickly, like riding a roller coaster with the wind whistling past their ears.

"Is anyone there? Open the door! Please open it!"

Phantom Fire raised his hand and pounded on the door, making it rattle loudly.

But the person inside seemed to ignore them, as if they hadn't heard anything from outside at all.

...

The heart that had barely managed to climb back above the horizon after being dragged out of the abyss was now suspended mid-air once more.

Inside the room, the soft lullaby continued.

"Mommy... loves you... Mommy likes you..."

Those murmurs sounded particularly eerie in this bizarre atmosphere.

Ghost Fire's scalp tingled with terror.

"Open the door! Please! Don't hide in there, I know you're there!"

Startled by the approaching sound of a chainsaw behind him, Ghost Fire screeched at the entrance.

Qin Fei stood behind Ghost Fire, his expression one of unbearable distress.

What on earth was happening?

Xiao Xiao's stupidity in the instance was due to being forcefully intellectually impaired.

But this guy...

Isn't he a talent scout from one of the major guilds? Compared to Cheng Song, he seems far too inexperienced.

"Get out of the way," Qin Fei pushed the ghostly flame aside, speaking with brevity.

Clearing his throat at the door, he raised his hand and politely knocked three times.

Then, he said,

"Mom, open the door. I'm back."

...

In front of the E-Rank Hall's light screen, the audience watching the live broadcast held their breaths as a sudden burst of intense admiration erupted.

"Holy sh*t, this streamer is amazing!"

"So quick on the uptake! How did he come up with that?"

"I surrender, I surrender! I take back what I said about them all dying at the door. The streamer actually called out 'Mom'? Aila will definitely open the door for him right away!"

Indeed, as the audience had anticipated.

The moment Qin Fei finished speaking, the great door that separated life and death creaked open while the ghostly flame wore a dull, unresponsive expression.

Behind the door appeared a face familiar to everyone.

It was a middle-aged woman in her forties, dressed in soft, clean loungewear, with fair skin.

Her hands were clasped gently before her chest, as if cradling something, but upon closer inspection, her arms were empty.

"…Number 14?"

The ghostly flame muttered, dazed.

This face.

It was unmistakably Number 14's.

But hadn't Number 14 died last night?

Slain, dismembered, and devoured by Number Two.

Then, her remains were stolen by Number Four and placed in his room.

Her blood and shredded flesh stained the entire restaurant in the Surface World, a truly horrifying sight.

Absolutely.

She was undoubtedly, completely dead.