Gu Yu was startled and hurriedly shoved Zheng Liang, who opened his eyes and slowly came to, âI just fell asleep!â
âThis is not normal.â Brother Liang also woke Guan Zuhong. Who would dare sleep in this situation, especially after sitting on the bed for only two minutes.
âDonât touch the bed, and donât close your eyes.â He said, âWake each other up so nothing unexpected happens.â
They didnât dare touch the bed and sat on the floor instead. For the first ten minutes they managed to stay awake, but after Zheng Liang was the first to fall asleep, Wen Xuelin leaned against Gu Yu and closed her eyes, then Brother Liang and Guan Zuhong collapsed to the ground.
Bang bang bang! The ward door was knocked. After several tries with no answer, the knocking turned into banging, and the bedframe leaning against the door soon toppled along with the doorâŠ
Boom! Scar Player and several others were in a room on the fifth floor. They clearly heard banging from upstairs, but the door that fell was theirs. A dark brown creature the height of the door walked in â roughly human in torso and limbs, but its exposed skin was patchy and of mismatched colors, its chest and arms bearing visible sewn-up seams.
It held an axe with a chain looped around its forearm. After it smashed the door, it lunged at the nearest player, pinching his throat while swinging the axe at Scar Player.
All the people in that room were Player-Eaters. Lacking the ability to develop characteristics, they were generally stronger in evolution rate and had augmented muscle strength, so the player grabbed the creatureâs hand at once, flipped to the side, and twisted, snapping the creatureâs wrist!
Scar Player dodged the axe and used an item to nail the chain from the axe to the wall, then pulled with all his might; the creatureâs right forearm flew off!
The other players joined in. One scattered a handful of powder that ignited on contact with the creature and burned it to death.
The creatureâs screams echoed through the building, but before that sound died down, other noises came from the corridor.
âThereâs more than one monster roaming the hospital.â Players scattered across rooms realized this.
Although no one opened their doors to go out, some players found ways to catch glimpses of the monsters. The stitched-together abominations resembled bizarre medical experiment subjects from evil legends. This place was a hospital, and those coming in were stripped of rights as âpsychiatric patients,â so it wouldnât be shocking if some doctor experimented on them.
With the situation unclear, no player dared to risk going out. Scar Player and his group simply moved to another room and locked the door again.
But footsteps and door-banging in the hallway did not stop, and the trend only grew. In unseen corners, more monsters materialized and joined the nocturnal parade. Most looked like twisted experimental products, and several Mutants appeared.
The most unreal was the âfemale ghostâ Wen Xuelin imagined.
Xu Huo came downstairs and found the female ghost roaming the corridor.
When she walked, the lights flickered with her movement. She advanced only when the lights went out, and when the lights came on, she stood still.
As she walked toward him, Xu Huo raised a hand and the lights lit up one by one, illuminating the entire corridor.
Her head drooped forward, hair hanging past her knees, dripping water drop by drop.
He placed a door in front of her, but she refused to pass through, her toes always pointed at him.
Xu Huo tapped his foot on the floor and the corridorâs surface turned into a blurred black mist. The female ghost fell through, and a scream soon rang out from a room on the fourth floor.
One scream wasnât enough. He walked back and forth down the corridor, stuffing âthingsâ into several rooms. Players started running out, and he chose a ward at random, opened it, and walked in to the room where Gu Yu and the others were.
He woke them. Gu Yu looked at him with delight, âYou made it in too!â
Xu Huo nodded, âEarlier than everyone else. This is a mental-type Random Dungeon. Imagined things can become real here, so itâs best not to dwell on anything.â
Wen Xuelinâs face changed and she quickly pulled out her phone, âWe canât get out anyway. Iâll play a couple rounds and wait for daylight.â
âThings you imagine in this dungeon can become real?â Brother Liang could hardly believe it, âDoes imagined stuff have attack power?â
âIt does, if people believe it has attack power.â Xu Huo said, âThe more people consider it real, the more real it becomes. When I came through I saw Mutants and ghosts outside. Donât go out tonight; wait until morning.â
âI checked the back floors too, donât go there. Of the three tasks, the first one should be the easiest to complete.â
âDo our items work against ghosts?â Wen Xuelin hurriedly asked.
Xu Huo paused, âCan you still open your personal panels right now?â
Gu Yu and the othersâ faces changed, âThis dungeon is that intense!â
Xu Huo nodded, âMost of what happens in the hospital is fake, but because of the dungeonâs power, players will believe itâs true.â
âThis is amazing! I have a bold idea.â Zheng Liang looked at them, âIf players who enter canât open their personal panels, wouldnât everyone be on the same footing?â
âGood idea.â Gu Yu said, âBut you canât guarantee every player will be affected that way.â
âThatâs true.â Xu Huo replied, âBut it should apply to most players.â
âThen thatâs settled!â Zheng Liang clapped, âWhen we get out weâll notify the Special Defense Department and have them herd the Player-Eaters over here.â
âWe still havenât cleared it.â Brother Liang reminded calmly, then looked at Xu Huo, âCan you handle it?â
âWeâll know when we try tomorrow.â Xu Huo listened to the sounds outside, âIâm going out for a bit. Donât look for me. If you can clear it, go ahead and leave.â
He didnât wait for anyone to speak and simply pulled the door open and left. Gu Yu ran a few steps after him and leaned on the door to talk, but Xu Huo was already gone and the corridor was silent!
She shivered and turned back, âWhat we saw earlierâit wasnât a hallucination, was it?â
âProbably not.â Wen Xuelin stammered, âCan we even imagine living people into existence?â
Guan Zuhong said, âDo you think the nurses and security guards were real?â
The room fell silent. Zheng Liang waved his hand, âIt had to be Xu Huo. Just look at his faceâstill that annoying expression. It canât be fake.â
Gu Yu stared at him speechlessly, then after a few seconds said, âLetâs wait until tomorrow.â
They waited and, involuntarily, fell asleep again. When they woke up, the previous night felt like a dream. Their clothes had become patient gowns, and stepping outside they saw everyone wearing patient gowns. Middle-aged nurses moved through the corridors delivering medicine to wards; downstairs vehicles arrived and family members carrying fruit and bread came up.
âRoom 407, itâs time to take your medicine.â A nurse walked toward them.