Chapter 246

Chapter 246

"This must be the place."

Standing beneath the arched signboard emblazoned with "Fourth People's Hospital," Ning Yibei glanced at his electronic wristwatch. Comparing it to the recently illuminated civilization point, he confirmed this was where the Empire's Alchemy team had vanished. He then sent a message on the full-faction communication channel, signaling his arrival.

[Isabella: Proceed with caution.]

[Ning Yibei: You too.]

Lorca seemed to have uncovered crucial information at the Archives and hadn't yet replied. However, Ning Yibei's update was merely routine, requiring no further instructions from him.

He turned off his wristwatch and looked up at the hospital, its interior obscured by a shroud of fog. Despite being a place of healing, it exuded an unsettling, profound stillness that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Something's not right. Just standing outside, my sixth sense is already screaming warnings," Luo Wenqing adjusted the long whip at her waist, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a rare seriousness. "Such oppressive malice—could the organizing committee have placed a Royal Zerg projection in here?"

"Do you think the Empire possesses the data source for a Royal Zerg?" Cecil remarked coolly.

Luo Wenqing countered, "Don't forget the monster Masterminds from the Alliance are actively participating. I recall the Fourth Mastermind, Tai'a, is in charge of defense and military affairs, right? It's possible they have some data. Don't underestimate those non-human entities."

The lifespan of mechanical beings far surpasses that of humans. A human's death is like a lamp extinguishing, but as long as a machine's chip endures, it can persist indefinitely. Originally, two Masterminds oversaw the Alliance's military sector, but during the last Zerg war, one was rendered obsolete by a surprise attack from a Royal Zerg, leaving the other to become one of the Alliance's Ten Masterminds.

If the scrapped Mastermind's chip was successfully recovered by the Alliance after the war, their understanding of the Zerg would far exceed that of any other regime or faction. This was precisely why the Empire had extended an olive branch to its century-old rival.

Even the competition venue was designated by the Alliance. If anything went awry, they would undoubtedly be implicated.

"Speculating here won't help. Let's go in and see," Ning Yibei interjected, cutting short the escalating conjectures. He subtly glanced back, reminding Luo Wenqing that the league's cameras were still active. "There likely won't be any signal inside the hospital. Everyone, prepare yourselves mentally."

"Understood, let's go."

Luo Wenqing wisely dropped the topic.

Ning Yibei nodded, then led his team straight into the hospital, their figures gradually vanishing into the dense fog.

-

Thump, thump-thump.

Eve was descending from the top floor. Convinced that Louis and his skeletons were in the morgue preparing the sacrifice ritual, she boldly made her way down through the building for maximum speed. The main building of the People's Hospital comprised four wings, and only Wing A provided access to the morgue. As she crossed to the second floor of Wing A, the familiar thudding sounds made her halt. Leaning on the railing, she looked down in surprise at the shambling skeletons emerging from underground.

What's going on? According to the plan, Louis should be in the final stages. Shouldn't these monsters be underground, protecting the manipulator at this critical moment?

The skeletons, oblivious to the straggler on the second floor, headed straight into the fog outside without a backward glance. As creatures that relied on sound for perception, they held a significant advantage over humans in low-visibility environments.

If they weren't searching for her, they must be looking for someone else.

After a moment's thought, Eve pieced together the situation. The fog shared a unique link with Louis. If he had dispatched them now, it likely meant he had detected strangers entering.

Though she couldn't send messages, Eve could still see incoming transmissions. Five people had been sent from outside. With only 35 individuals per faction, plus the ten trapped in the People's Hospital and the three temporarily out of contact with Lorca at the Archives, only 17 remained at the riverside building. Compared to the Alliance, which was almost entirely composed of fighters, the Empire found itself in a precarious position.

Even so, they hadn't sent just anyone.

The team was led by the seasoned former Command Chief, Ning Yibei. Given that two alchemists and the Melee Department Chiefs from various schools had already been incapacitated, no more alchemists were dispatched. Instead, the knowledgeable Luo Wenqing and Cecil, whose Spiritual State possessed healing abilities, were brought along. Luo Wenqing's Spiritual State was an S-level defensive type, while Zao Jian Chun Sha was a speed attacker with the Spiritual State ability to meld into shadows. Grace possessed an all-purpose explosive-type Spiritual State, filling the void in ranged attacks.

The squad's composition was meticulously planned. If this group couldn't resolve the hospital situation, there was no point in sending more—they might as well quietly await the competition's end. With Isabella and the others remaining outside, at least the core strength was largely preserved.

However, it would be best to conclude this swiftly and return to reinforce the others. If nothing else, Lin Cuimei's control as a Guide was not something that could be resisted by combat power and willpower alone.

Fortunately, Eve already knew how to resolve the issue here.

She had initially planned to head directly to the underground morgue, but considering that the newly arrived support team, in the foggy environment, might not possess the same advantages as the skeletons—and likely didn't know the current situation—it seemed rather callous to simply watch her classmates get attacked. After some deliberation, Eve went to a nearby clinic to find paper and a pen. She jotted down the crucial information—including a simplified hospital map, the skeletons' peculiar trait of causing wounds that wouldn't heal, and instructions to rendezvous at the morgue after dealing with the monsters—in the briefest terms, then attached the note to an arrow. Unable to discern directions in the haze, she estimated the path from the hospital entrance to the main building and, mimicking what she'd seen in martial arts films, fired the arrow containing the vital message.

Considering the possibility of the team getting lost, Eve thoughtfully prepared several copies, firing them in different directions. As for whether they might hit someone... surely not by chance?

Besides, wasn't Cecil in the team? If anyone unfortunately sustained an injury, he could provide immediate aid. Eve thought this, completely unburdened by guilt.

The long arrow streaked like a rainbow, its airflow momentarily parting the thick fog. Once it vanished, Eve refocused on the task at hand. She moved swiftly, completely missing the startled yell that erupted outside.

"What the—?! Who's ambushing people in the fog!?"

-

Meanwhile, chaos had erupted in the morgue.

After freeing themselves from the restraints, those with clear minds helped Alice lock the other skeleton in the freezer. Others, having inhaled too much sedative earlier, remained unresponsive despite efforts to rouse them, so they were helped to sit against the wall to recover before leaving together.

Ludwig found the temperature control switch by the wall and adjusted the morgue's air conditioning back to normal. He then noticed Alice holding Louis's head, lost in thought.

"What's wrong? Remembering your master-student relationship and feeling sad?" he asked as he approached.

"...Not exactly."

Interrupted, Alice shot him a look, then turned Louis's head to show the wound on the back of his skull. "I gave him this injury earlier, and it still hasn't healed."

It was no wonder Alice was suspicious. Someone who could regenerate eight bodies from broken bones shouldn't have a head wound that remained unhealed for so long. How could that be normal?

"Hmm?" Ludwig's focus, however, was elsewhere. He reached out and lifted the pendant hidden deep in Louis's collar, pulling it out to reveal a beautiful red gemstone. "This gem looks familiar."

"What?" Alice blinked.

Having been with the Oliver Family for only two or three years, her eye for gems couldn't compare to Ludwig's, who had grown up with a silver spoon. After examining it, she couldn't discern any difference between this stone and the ordinary ruby jewelry Mrs. Luo had given her.

Weren't all gemstones the same?

After a moment, Ludwig remembered where he'd seen it before. "I recall now. This gem seems to be the same type as the one on my brother's pendant, though his is much smaller."

Alice was familiar with the pendant he mentioned. Back when Louis was still serving the Oliver Family, he had created a powerful defensive artifact for Lorca. Among the several gems adorning it, the main stone was a beautiful pigeon's blood ruby, about ten carats—far smaller than Louis's fist-sized one.

Ludwig had handled that artifact himself. These rubies weren't natural crystals but alchemical creations. Frowning, he reached out. "Given how he shifts from skeleton to human and back, it's probably this necklace's doing. Let me remove it and see."

Before Alice could stop him, he impulsively tore off Louis's necklace. The effect was immediate: the previously lifeless alchemist shuddered violently as if electrocuted. His unfocused eyes hadn't yet sharpened when he lunged forward, gasping, "Give... give it back! Sage... Sage..."

He struggled to form the rest of the word, his eyes widening and his thin, claw-like hands trembling uncontrollably. He acted as if his life depended on the necklace, not just a piece of jewelry. His bizarre reaction not only startled Ludwig but nearly made Alice drop the person she was supporting. She quickly snatched the necklace back from Ludwig and wrapped it around Louis's neck.

With a thud, Louis stopped struggling, collapsing straight back, eyes vacant and facing upward, now much quieter.

Ludwig looked warily at the pale young man and whispered, "...Is he possessed?"

"Not sure, but something's definitely wrong with him," Alice said, now hesitant to move him after the incident. She gently laid him back on the floor. "We can't let him die yet. It'll be hard to question him after the competition ends. That necklace seems to be keeping him alive, so leave it on for now."

Just then, Mu Huanzhu finished settling the other students. Resting against the wall for a while, the sedative hadn't fully metabolized in her system, severely depleting her stamina. After catching her breath, she approached and was immediately drawn to Louis. "Who is this?"

He didn't look like a student participating in the competition.

Though well aware that Louis was likely the mastermind behind all this, Alice knew he still bore the Oliver name. Admitting his crimes here could bring trouble to the Oliver Family, so she simply stood up and replied, "A traitor from the Oliver Family. Not sure how he ended up here—probably hid in before the competition, and the organizing committee missed him during inspections."

"I see," Mu Huanzhu glanced at Louis again. With his gaunt, frail appearance, if not for his relatively neat grooming, he'd look no different from a stray dog. Having woken up late, she hadn't witnessed Louis's earlier arrogance and didn't press further. Skeletons in the closet were common among great families. Out of courtesy, she changed the subject. "The skeletons that captured us must be the ones locked in the freezer, right? Since they're dealt with, can we leave now?"

Alice worriedly said, "Not sure if the fog has lifted yet."

Her headache had subsided, and with the mysterious calls gone, she finally had some peace and quiet.

"I'll go out and take a look first," Ludwig suggested. "The drug didn't hit me as hard as it did you. If there's no danger outside, I'll come back and call everyone to leave together."

Alice nodded. Since going out was originally Mu Huanzhu's suggestion, she naturally had no objections.

He put on his coat and walked to the door. Unexpectedly, as soon as his hand touched the handle, the heavy iron door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. A familiar figure in a black cloak had just stepped in when they found themselves face to face. Eve shone her flashlight in Ludwig's face for a moment before slipping past him into the morgue. "It's you. What are you blocking the door for?"

"You... you're not hurt?" Ludwig stared at her in surprise, his golden hair sticking up like a confused dog. "We didn’t see you when we woke up, so we knew you must have gotten out early. What’s the situation outside?"

"The Empire’s rescue team has arrived. I left them a message. They should come for us after dealing with the skeleton monsters outside. I came back to deal with that weird fog covering the hospital."

As she spoke, Eve unceremoniously dumped the flashlight and weapons hidden in her robe into Ludwig’s arms. These supplies, originally belonging to the students, had been hidden in Louis’s office. Not only that, but she had also gone to the cardiovascular department’s examination room 006 and found the actual artifact Alice mentioned. What had truly been successfully identified wasn’t the heart specimen, but the yellow-green liquid preserving the heart—that was the real relic from the Old Era.

"The drug is essentially a type of heat toxin. Get some ice from the freezer and apply it to the people against the wall—it can alleviate their symptoms," she took charge immediately, giving orders to those who could still move. After resting for a while, Mu Huanzhu also joined in to help. As for Ludwig, after distributing the weapons, he lingered behind Eve, who gave him a puzzled look. "Don’t you have anything to do?"

That sarcastic tone—classic Eve.

Ludwig suddenly understood, lowering his voice but unable to hide his astonishment. "You jumped into this data-body avatar?"

"...I’m genuinely speechless that it took you this long to notice," Eve gave him a sharp smack on the head and shoved him away to work. She then crouched beside Alice, took hold of the Philosopher's Stone hanging from Louis’s neck, and before Alice could stop her, yanked the necklace off. "He can’t wear this, or the skeletons won’t stay quiet."

Louis, who hadn't been out long, started struggling again immediately. Eve pinched the back of his neck hard, and he went limp, his body twitching occasionally like a fish out of water.

"But Senior Louis looks like he’s dying," Alice said.

"Did you inflict a fatal injury on him?"

Eve sounded suspicious.

"Not exactly... he just has a wound on the back of his head that won’t heal," Alice showed her the injury. "I’ve been keeping him alive because I was afraid he’d die before we could interrogate him."

"It’s not the wound," Eve felt the area—it was clean, not sticky with blood, and the ground was the same. "Something else is draining him."

A cold dread settled in her chest. She stood up and walked around the morgue twice, crouching down as if she was looking for something. The other students, including Alice, watched her in confusion until Eve asked, "Is there a cloth to wipe things with?" Mu Huanzhu handed her a damp cloth that had been used to wrap melting ice. "What did you find?"

"I found out something before I got here. This entire morgue is actually a ritual site. You were all brought here to be sacrifices," Eve scrubbed the floor hard with the towel, like she was trying to scrape the paint off, finally managing to fade the ritual's core symbol. Shaking the wet cloth, she switched directions and continued wiping as she explained, "Even though you managed to save yourselves, the ritual has been effective since it was drawn. It’s not just you who can become sacrifices."

In a worst-case scenario, even she couldn't be sure whether a few young A-rank students or a Senior Alchemist who had used the Philosopher's Stone would be the more desirable sacrifice.

Though Eve didn’t elaborate, her meaning was clear to the others. Ludwig went pale, and Alice immediately covered the back of Louis’s head.

"It’s too late. That thing doesn’t like dead prey. Perhaps it would’ve been better if he died earlier rather than being drained alive," seeing that the ritual symbol couldn’t be completely erased, Eve flung the cloth away in frustration, giving up on the futile effort. "Forget it. It’s not your fault. We’re all victims. Let’s leave this place first."

"But what about the fog outside..." Alice hesitated, feeling particularly uneasy as the main person responsible for subduing Louis, now aware she might have inadvertently caused disaster.

"It should have dissipated by now," Eve said.

The lingering gray fog was originally a byproduct of the terrifying giant creature underground, merely manipulated by Louis through certain methods. Now that the ritual traces had been faded by Eve’s efforts and Louis was unconscious, the fog wouldn’t last much longer.

She glanced coldly at Louis, regretting that he would live a little longer. It would have been better if he had died quietly on Blue Star, but killing him now was pointless. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, she couldn’t easily take action. With such a disaster caused, the Oliver Family needed Louis alive to continue pressuring the Alchemy Association.

Her pale fingers drummed a rhythm on the knife hilt at her waist a few times before she subtly retracted her hand into her sleeve, as if she had never harbored any hidden motives. She lifted her chin slightly toward the other students supporting each other, her tone calm and command clear: "Let’s go out first. Those with energy, follow me immediately to reinforce the Riverside Tower stronghold. The rest, catch up in half an hour."