Chapter 7: Frightening—She's a Professional

Although there was some resistance when opening the office door, Xie Yunjun managed to push it open with a forceful shove. The third floor of the hospital was completely pitch black, but this did not hinder her vision in the slightest.

Glancing at the darkness before her, Xie Yunjun stepped inside. Behind her, the door slammed shut with a heavy thud as soon as she left. Before exiting the office, she had already traded her high heels for flats. After all, in a hunting game, the quieter one moves, the better.

Once she entered the darkness, Xie Yunjun realized that the gloom in the corridor was actually a dense, impenetrable, and nameless fog. As she walked, the black mist swirled and churned around her.

"Ding! Player Xie Yunjun has received +1 mental pollution from Chongshan Psychiatric Hospital."

The system notification in her mind kept refreshing with constant "+1" prompts. When Xie Yunjun reached her limit of patience, System 368 manually muted the notification sounds.

"Host, don't worry. This mental pollution won't have any negative side effects on you." At most, it might just make you a bit more irritable.

To System 368, irritability was not a matter of great concern. "Mental pollution has a negligible effect on creatures like zombies, corpses, or spectral ghouls. Furthermore, any mental attack with an intensity below 100 can be completely ignored by the host."

Listening to System 368's explanation, Xie Yunjun gave a calm "Mm." Without slowing her pace, she moved rapidly down the staircase. Upon reaching the second floor, she caught a glimpse of the empty hallway and smiled. She then thanked the system, "Thank you, 368." She wanted the system to know that she wasn't just humoring it—she truly appreciated what it did for her.

"Ah, Host... well, I mean, I am your system, this is just what I'm supposed to do." Although System 368 claimed it didn't mind, Xie Yunjun could still hear the joy in its tone. She intended to reach the pinnacle of this horror game, and she would undoubtedly need the system's help in the future. Building a good relationship with it was essential.

Hearing movement from the floor below, Xie Yunjun curled her lips into a smile and immediately suppressed her own spectral aura. Downstairs, there was only one gargantuan, muscular ghoul wearing an oversized hospital gown. On the chest of the patient's gown was a conspicuous number: 208. As the creature labeled 208 dragged its massive spiked club down the hall, Chen Wanchong and Zhang Yurou were jolted awake by the sound of its footsteps, instantly snapping out of their drowsiness. They huddled together, watching the approaching entity with vigilant eyes.

The sound of the spiked club dragging across the floor finally roused Chen Rong, who had been sleeping. The moment he woke up, he let out a piercing scream, "Ah!!!" Before he could even scramble to his feet, the creature known as 208 reached out, grabbed him by the throat, and hoisted him into the air.

The ghoul 208 could certainly smell that the two nurses standing at the reception desk also carried the scent of humans. Moreover, those two humans in nurse uniforms smelled significantly better than the one currently in its grasp. However, due to the restrictions of the hospital's rules, the creature—with an intellect of only 250—could not harm those two. Being unable to eat what was right in front of it was even more agonizing than being confined to its room. With great effort, the creature forced itself to look away from the two delicious targets.

Zhang Yurou and Chen Wanchong could clearly sense the formidable, ominous aura radiating from the creature. Seeing the hostile look it cast in their direction, both tensed up, ready to strike at the slightest sign of aggression. When the creature turned its attention back to Chen Rong and ignored them, they exchanged a glance, realizing that the nurse uniforms they wore were what kept them safe. Yet, the constant sound of chewing nearby kept their nerves frayed.

Zhang Yurou frowned in silence; the ghoul doctor hadn't lied to her. As for Chen Rong, a coward in this horror game with no combat skills, no intelligence, and no grasp of his own situation, his only possible outcome was death. Thinking back to how Xie Yunjun had stopped at every room on the second floor, Zhang Yurou's expression darkened. She mentally calculated the number of patient rooms on the second floor; there were over a dozen rooms with numbers on them. If they were all to emerge, it meant there were over a dozen ghouls roaming the hospital. If she hadn't been wearing this nurse's uniform, she surely wouldn't have survived the night. A sudden thought of the last thing the ghoul doctor had said to her sent a chill down her spine. Who exactly was that ghoul doctor? How did she know so much?

And why was the ghoul doctor helping her so much? Zhang Yurou didn't believe for a second that a ghoul in a horror game could be so kind. Was there something she possessed that the ghoul was after? Wait... money... Ghost Coins!!!

Seeing Zhang Yurou's brows furrowing deeper and then suddenly smoothing out, Chen Wanchong watched her face shift like a magic show. Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, a voice echoed from the staircase.

"My dear patient~, it is time for you to return to your room."

Xie Yunjun’s sudden appearance startled Zhang Yurou, Chen Wanchong, and the ghoul 208 alike. As for Chen Rong, who was being held by the throat, he had already rolled his eyes back and fainted the moment the creature had opened its jaws to bite him.

The ghoul 208 stopped eating and turned around, watching the figure slowly descending the stairs with wary, focused eyes. As Xie Yunjun stepped into the dim light, the creature carelessly tossed the remains of Chen Rong aside.

"Doc...tor?" The creature muttered, confused after seeing the clothes Xie Yunjun wore. In its previous consciousness or memory, doctors never came out at night. "Wh-why... go back? 208 doesn't want to go back now!"

"You cannot refuse a doctor's orders~. The consequences of not listening to the doctor are very serious!"

Even as she spoke in a gentle tone, Xie Yunjun suddenly exerted force through her legs, launching herself toward the ghoul like a spring. Mid-air, she shifted into her spectral zombie form. Although the creature 208 possessed immense strength, its reflexes were sluggish. Furthermore, Xie Yunjun had launched a surprise attack at maximum speed, giving the creature no time to react. By the time it realized what was happening and tried to counter with its spiked club, Xie Yunjun had already sliced it in two.

As she landed, dark, red, foul-smelling liquid splattered across her face.