Holding that pink lace underwear in his hand, Qi Yu froze for three whole seconds. Then, like someone holding a burning coal, he panicked and stuffed it back into the drawer as fast as he could.
Did you think that just because he couldn’t find the nurse outfit, he would swallow his pride and wear something like that?
Impossible.
Even if he froze to death, even if he was chased by ghosts with nowhere left to run, Qi Yu would never, absolutely never, put on such a humiliating, dignity-destroying piece of clothing.
Never!
With that unshakable resolve, Qi Yu stormed toward the stairwell door, ready to throw it open and shout his indignation to the world.
The moment his head poked through the crack, though, his voice got stuck in his throat.
Just outside, Xie Shao was sitting calmly on a chair, facing away from him, surrounded by a group of players all dressed in pink-themed outfits. His tone was gentle, almost like a teacher giving a lecture, as he patiently explained the dungeon’s structure.
“As everyone can see,” Xie Shao began, his voice even and steady.
“The hospital has three floors. The first floor is the outpatient area. Some staff members who haven’t been completely influenced by the mist still remain there. The second floor houses the patients, those who were affected by the mist but not entirely taken over.”
“And the third floor,” he paused, his voice lowering just slightly, “is where the director and higher-ranking doctors usually stayed. Their offices are there.”
“Or,” he added, a faint smile in his tone, “you could call it… the laboratory.”
“The laboratory?” someone blurted out, unable to hold back.
“Yes,” Xie Shao nodded mildly. There wasn’t the slightest trace of menace in him, none of the oppressive aura one might expect from a dungeon boss.
He continued speaking as if simply having a pleasant chat. “I know all of you are curious about what happened in this hospital. You’ve probably read the files and the newspaper clippings, so I imagine you’re also curious about me, or perhaps even suspicious.”
“But I can tell you this.” His expression didn’t waver. “Those incidents back then had nothing to do with me. If anything, we were the victims. We fought against the demons for years, yet in the end, we still couldn’t defeat them.”
“Them?” Tang Yu asked sharply. “You mean the people who participated in those human experiments?”
“Yes,” Xie Shao confirmed with a slow nod. “At that time, Bain Mental Hospital had more than enough medical staff. Every year, they recruited a new batch of promising young professionals. But the hospital didn’t need that many people.”
“When the director first brought me in, he told me about an important medical research project they were working on. He said that if I performed well, I might be selected to join that research team. But because I had once expressed my distaste for human experimentation, I was never invited to take part.”
“And that research…” someone prompted carefully.
“That research,” Xie Shao said quietly, “was what destroyed this hospital and turned it into what you see today.”
His tone was light, but the information he dropped was heavy enough to make everyone in the room feel a chill.
“When rumors about human experimentation started to spread, the director pretended to cooperate with the authorities. He released many patients and provided detailed explanations to the staff. On the surface, everything seemed transparent. But behind the scenes, he secretly took those released patients elsewhere to expand the experiment’s scope. During that time, he rushed to produce results that could save his career.”
“The experiments were reckless and impatient. In their desperation, they lost control of the process entirely. The results didn’t just fail, they caused horrific mutations. Everyone in the hospital died because of it.”
“I don’t know what exactly happened in that laboratory,” Xie Shao went on, “because the director and his researchers sealed it off before their deaths. They used a special method that prevents any of us, those who once belonged to this hospital, from approaching or opening it. If you want to uncover the truth of what really happened, you’ll have to open that door yourselves.”
By the time he finished, the players were silent.
Among them, veteran player Wang Yicheng was the first to nod. He understood immediately. The third floor contained a sealed lab, untouchable by ghosts. If they wanted to clear this dungeon, they would have to break through every level and face the horrors waiting for them, step by step.
Normally, this kind of crucial information would only be revealed after they completed some major questline. But thanks to Qi Yu’s… unique “interaction,” they had managed to get the details early.
The players exchanged subtle looks. Each of them silently made a note in their minds, Qi Yu had definitely earned some credit for this. When it came time to calculate contribution points, they’d have to make sure he got his fair share.
Of course, they couldn’t help but wonder if this “flirt the boss” strategy would actually be recognized by the game system.
Contribution points determine rewards, after all.
Still, the thrill of getting insider info so easily was intoxicating. A few of them were already imagining how they’d spend their points once the dungeon ended.
Thankfully, not everyone let the excitement cloud their judgment. Tang Yu, keeping his head clear, raised another question.
“Earlier, you mentioned that the second floor isn’t your territory. Based on how the game usually assigns bosses, the first floor wouldn’t be yours either. So… Do you usually stay on the third floor?”
The moment he asked, his mind was racing.
According to the newspapers, Xie Shao had been a brilliant psychiatrist, famous, gifted, the sort of prodigy who became a legend in his field.
Someone like that would never be working in the outpatient department checking on mild cases every day. His office was almost certainly on the third floor.
Which meant, he spent his days surrounded by the researchers performing those human experiments.
There was a high chance that he had been one of them.
It wouldn’t be the first time a dungeon boss pretended to be friendly, luring players in just to wipe them all out later. Tang Yu’s gaze sharpened.
In his mind, he was practically glowing with the satisfaction of his own cleverness. See? Not everyone gets blinded by a pretty face. He was smart, cautious, and utterly immune to temptation.
Unlike a certain fish-shaped idiot.
That certain idiot stood frozen behind the wall.
“…”
Qi Yu clutched his little backpack and quietly tried to shrink further into the shadows.
It wasn’t that he was hopelessly infatuated or anything. He just…
Well, maybe he appreciated beauty a little too much. But that didn’t mean he had no principles!
When beauty came knocking at his door, Qi Yu had only passively accepted it, just a tiny bit.
Really, just a little!
He absolutely never, ever thought about doing things like holding hands or kissing, let alone… sleeping together.
Honestly, he hadn’t!
Out of nowhere, Qi Yu began reflecting on himself. He reached down and pinched his thigh hard, warning himself to be more cautious the next time he faced Xie Shao.
He couldn’t keep lowering his guard just because the man seemed harmless.
If he loosened up too much, he might actually end up being sold off one day.
“That’s all I wanted to say,” Xie Shao said with a faint laugh. His low voice carried a natural depth, smooth and magnetic, like velvet brushed against glass.
To Qi Yu’s ears, that sound was like a little hook, scratching softly at his heart.
His heartbeat instantly picked up its pace.
Qi Yu’s hand crept back toward his thigh.
“I also haven’t properly introduced myself to everyone yet,” Xie Shao continued. “So, allow me to make up for that now.”
“My surname is Xie, Xie Shao.”
“In life, I was a doctor. In death, I temporarily reside on the third floor of the hospital.”
“My current duty is… to serve as the gatekeeper.”
Qi Yu froze. Slowly, he withdrew his hand from his leg.
Forget it. No more pinching.
Even if he bruised himself purple, it wouldn’t help.
That voice was just too damn beautiful. He was done for, completely smitten!
The dangerously charming “voice demon” Xie Shao had no idea how much devastation his tone alone had caused. Maintaining the calm poise of a dungeon boss, he simply sat there, quietly observing the stunned faces of the players.
Tang Yu, ever the quick thinker, was the first to recover. “Gatekeeper?” his voice echoed in confusion. “What does that mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like, he’s a gatekeeper. What else could it mean?”
A cold, disdainful snort cut through the air.
The injured but newly recovered Song Qing appeared, flanked by a line of expressionless ghosts. His presence radiated authority, the kind of oppressive energy that could only come from someone used to being the boss of a territory.
“Xie Shao, you’ve been standing at my doorway for so long, chatting with this crowd,” Song Qing sneered.
“I thought you were too busy apologizing for throwing away their clothes and couldn’t convince them to come back. Who knew you were here stealing my spotlight instead? What’s wrong, been bored too long and decided to become a chatterbox?”
“I was just worried about you,” Xie Shao replied mildly, his gaze drifting toward Song Qing’s midsection, half-hidden beneath the oversized hospital gown. His tone was almost sympathetic. “Having such a big belly… must be uncomfortable, isn’t it?”
The players collectively froze.
A big belly?
Wait, what?
The NPCs here could even… do that?
Song Qing’s face darkened instantly. Rage flared in his eyes.
“Mind your own damn business!”
Then he turned on the players.
“And you all, don’t think that just because he fed you a few key details, you’ll be able to stroll past me like nothing happened! Look at your ridiculous outfits! You think just putting on nurse uniforms is enough to get through here?”
“Keep dreaming!”
“To become one of our lovely nurse sisters, the bare minimum requirement is, no leg hair!”
He jabbed a finger toward them. “Go over there, grab a razor, and shave it all off. Every strand. Not one hair left!”
The male players fell silent.
Their expressions could only be described as world-ending despair. You want us to shave our leg hair? Why not just kill us instead?
The female players, however, patted their shoulders sympathetically.
“It’s fine,” one of them whispered consolingly. “It’s just leg hair.”
“Yeah,” another added. “It’ll grow back. And when it does, it’ll be even thicker and stronger.”
“Exactly. Besides, leg hair is way better than… other kinds of hair, right?”
The male players exchanged glances.
That actually… sounded logical.
Maybe… they should just do it.
Meanwhile, Qi Yu, still hiding behind the doorway, quietly lifted his pants leg for a quick check.
Thankfully, it didn’t look too bad.
He had always had naturally fine hair, so it was a small job for him, no big deal. Even if he had to shave, it wouldn’t take much effort.
While he was busy reassuring himself, Song Qing wasn’t done stirring the pot.
As if to reclaim his dignity as an “information NPC,” he continued speaking rapidly, cutting Xie Shao off before he could say anything else.
“Even if you manage to pass through my area safely, the hardest part still lies ahead,” he warned. “The third-floor laboratory not only forbids us ghosts from entering, it also bans anyone who wasn’t part of the hospital’s senior staff.”
“In other words, unless you find a way to resurrect that guy,” he said, jabbing a thumb toward Xie Shao, “you’ll never be able to enter the lab or complete your mission.”
The moment he finished speaking, a long-lost game prompt flashed before everyone’s eyes.
【Friendly Tip!】
【In order to ensure that our hardworking doctors on the third floor don’t collapse from exhaustion while researching in the laboratory, the hospital once issued a special rule: doctors stationed on the third floor may have their family members deliver meals.】
【Which means, aside from the doctors themselves, their family members are also permitted to enter the third floor.】
The hint couldn’t have been clearer.
So clear, in fact, that every single player turned instinctively toward the stairwell, where Qi Yu’s head was peeking out from behind the wall.
Qi Yu froze.
“…”
Without saying a word, he quietly shut the door again. His hand, clutching the strap of his bag, trembled ever so slightly.
Because just a moment ago, he had received another message from his rose-shaped item, one that made his expression turn completely blank.
【Notice: When the item’s owner wears the clothing gifted by the Murder Doctor and adorns the rose, they will automatically gain the title “Wife of the Murder Doctor.”】
Qi Yu stared at the message, utterly silent.
For a long moment, he could only think of one thing,
He was doomed. Completely, undeniably doomed.
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator deserves a little treat too, don’t you think? (´꒳`)♡
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Enter the GameChapter 2 · Pick a roomChapter 3 · DeadChapter 4 · AtticChapter 5 · ResponsibleChapter 6 · A bamboo BasketChapter 7 · DiaryChapter 8 · Song QingChapter 9 · Sent to HospitalChapter 10 · Second CopyChapter 11 · Leaking InformationChapter 12 · Special Prop!Chapter 13 · Doctor GhostChapter 14 · Store RoomChapter 15 · Psychiatry HospitalChapter 16 · Things of PastChapter 17 · Second FloorChapter 18 · He’s adorableChapter 19 · You Like Him?Chapter 20 · Kiss meChapter 21 · Group women’s clothing PlayChapter 22 · Where’s my Skirt?Chapter 23 · Wife of Murder Doctor….Chapter 24 · Go to Third floorChapter 25 · You must find me!Chapter 26 · See you in the next dungeonChapter 27 · VideoChapter 28 · Player ForumChapter 29 · Two women vying for one manChapter 30 · The Giant WolfChapter 31 · A Kind and Benevolent FatherChapter 32 · Preparing the change clothesChapter 33 · Red Heart FruitChapter 34 · In what ways do I fall short of him?Chapter 35 · KissChapter 36 · Bald performanceChapter 37 · The Prince Has ArrivedChapter 38 · Prince Song QingChapter 39 · Should we…Chapter 40 · A Kiss of True LoveChapter 41 · BanquetChapter 42 · Snow White KingChapter 43 · KingChapter 44 · I miss you so much!Chapter 45 · LeavingChapter 46 · Wanting to See HimChapter 47 · Resource Type InstanceChapter 48 · The Banquet BeginsChapter 49 · KissChapter 50 · Full-Dive Virtual RealityChapter 51 · Everyone Is a LiarChapter 52 · MegaphoneChapter 53 · Dragon???Chapter 54 · Fire DragonChapter 55 · A powerful Fire DragonChapter 56 · Want Some Barbecue?Chapter 57 · The Characteristics of the GameChapter 58 · A little DragonChapter 59 · Searching for her sonChapter 60 · We’re Going to Tear Up the HostageChapter 61 · Mountain CollapseChapter 62 · DiscussionChapter 63 · Digging for Crystals?Chapter 64 · Making Money Selling LiquorChapter 65 · A KissChapter 66 · I’m the Best LookingChapter 67 · Ghost Ship 101Chapter 68 · Has the Competition Begun Yet?Chapter 69 · LotteryChapter 70 · First PlaceChapter 71 · The Sea Monster ArrivesChapter 72 · CooperationChapter 73 · The Man in the MaskChapter 74 · WarChapter 75 · The Players’ RevengeChapter 76 · ReturningChapter 77 · The End