Chapter 14: Complete Mastery Over the Horror Game System

“So stop belittling yourself. In my eyes, you are a truly outstanding system!”

Seeing that System 368 was convinced by her words, Xie Yunxuan pressed on enthusiastically.

“You’re going to be my steadfast companion in battle!”

With a smile, Xie Yunxuan made a fist and bumped it against System 368’s.

“Am I… my host’s companion in battle?” The system wondered silently if that was truly how the host viewed it.

Seeing System 368’s questioning gaze, Xie Yunxuan nodded firmly.

“Really! 368, I’m not lying to you!”

She smiled and shook her fist playfully again.

The next moment, System 368 laughed and gently tapped her fist with its coiled tentacles.

“Yes, host, partner!”

System 368 thought: This host is not only beautiful but also kind-tempered. No wonder she’s a professional psychologist—I really like her!

After the fist bump, Xie Yunxuan noticed System 368’s mood lifting and settled into her office chair.

She picked up a blank sheet of paper and began writing as she spoke.

“You wouldn’t believe it—I discovered a ward door that looks different during rounds.”

“The door to that black ward had a red number zero hanging on it.”

What puzzled Xie Yunxuan was that there was no record of this zero-numbered ward in the files.

She pondered deeply, then confirmed that there was no such special ward in her memories from the real world.

This meant that the peculiar ward must be unique to this eerie instance.

Moreover, Xie Yunxuan noticed that the two players behind her couldn’t see this strange ward.

She kept this odd discovery to herself, silently committing it to memory.

System 368 quietly stayed by her side, watching her write and sketch strange branching diagrams on the A4 paper.

Though it couldn’t fully understand, System 368 refused to admit its confusion.

After circling beside her, it voiced its thoughts.

“Host, do you think that anomaly came from the zero ward?”

“Not sure,” Xie Yunxuan shook her head. “Without evidence, I won’t speculate.”

“But I’m more inclined to believe the anomaly originated from one of those special wards on the first floor.”

Smiling, Xie Yunxuan responded to System 368 and then continued organizing her progress and thoughts on the paper.

The precise strength of that anomaly would have to wait until she met the director tomorrow to assess.

For now, the most important thing was to get proper rest.

She tidied her desk and lay down on the cot in the cubicle.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yurou and Chen Wanchong, who had been dozing at the reception desk, suddenly felt the air around them turn noticeably colder.

“Zhang, do you feel that… it’s a bit chilly here?”

When Zhang Yurou remained silent, Chen Wanchong rubbed his arm with his eyes closed and asked again.

“Huh? Zhang? Why aren’t you responding? Did you fall asleep?”

Still ignored, Chen Wanchong opened his eyes anxiously.

He then saw a pale, almost decaying face emitting a chilling aura looming right in front of him.

Startled, Chen Wanchong’s eyes widened, his heart pounded, and his breathing grew heavy.

Afraid his uncontrolled breathing would alert this unknown anomaly, he clamped a hand firmly over his mouth.

He allowed the eerie figure to scrutinize him up close.

Now, all Chen Wanchong could do was silently pray that the anomaly doctor hadn’t deceived him.

Beside him, Zhang Yurou had already opened her eyes early on.

She watched the anomaly carefully eyeing Chen Wanchong with a guarded expression.

She could distinctly sense the terrifying aura radiating from this unknown entity.

She estimated this new anomaly was even stronger than the anomaly doctor she had encountered before.

Two small paper figures now stood on her shoulders, one on each side, poised in attack stance.

The red-dressed sinister spirit merely gave a casual glance at the paper figures on Zhang Yurou’s shoulders.

They were pitifully weak, not worth her concern.

Since Zhang Yurou and Chen Wanchong had officially become hospital nurses and were both at their posts—the reception desk—according to the rules of this instance game, the red-dressed sinister spirit could not attack them at this time.

She could clearly smell the scent of humans on them.

Even though she was drooling from hunger, she couldn’t make a move.

Otherwise, the instance rules would immediately eliminate her!

After taking a few deep sniffs of Chen Wanchong, the red-dressed sinister spirit reluctantly left the reception desk.

As she turned to leave, she twisted her head a full 360 degrees and cast a regretful glance back at Chen Wanchong and Zhang Yurou.

Her eyes were filled with longing for food.

Watching that gaze, Zhang Yurou felt her scalp tingle.

Once the red-dressed sinister spirit had gone far, Chen Wanchong and Zhang Yurou moved their stiffening limbs.

They exchanged looks, each seeing disbelief reflected in the other’s eyes.

For the rest of the time, neither felt sleepy but instead kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings.

Zhang Yurou and Chen Wanchong now believed the anomaly doctor hadn’t lied to them.

As long as they wore the nurse uniforms and stood obediently at the reception desk, no anomaly could touch them.

Near dawn, several heart-wrenching cries and screams echoed throughout the hospital.

Xie Yunxuan’s closed eyelids twitched but she didn’t open them.

She sighed inwardly with regret—wondering how many ghost coins had slipped from her grasp again.

When dawn broke, Xie Yunxuan opened her eyes, left the cubicle, and walked to the window.

She drew aside the heavy blackout curtains, brightening the office considerably.

Looking out, the hospital gates and the walls beyond remained shrouded in thick, impenetrable fog.

It seemed these dense mists marked the boundaries between instances.

Seeing Xie Yunxuan glance again at the swirling fog outside, System 368, still in the system space, noted,

“Once your strength reaches S-rank, you can disregard the dangers within the fog.”

“That means you can traverse across the various instances.”

“Really?” Xie Yunxuan raised an eyebrow.

Fearing she might misunderstand, System 368 quickly clarified.

“Only anomalies have such privileges.”

“Human players, even at S-rank, do not.”

Xie Yunxuan nodded, acknowledging she understood.

Special players truly are special—the privileges are abundant.

Fortunately, her luck had always been good; otherwise, she’d just be an ordinary player.

A new day, a new horror level awaits. Here she comes!