MS Chapter 33

This bizarre operation was enough to blind Game’s eyes.

At this moment, it felt as if someone had taken onion juice mixed with chili water and shoved it into its eyes, causing an unbearable irritation.

The whole experience was intensely sour and refreshing, a stimulation that words could not describe.

Terrified, Game felt as if it was almost sent away by this scene, taking a long time to ease the burning sensation in its eyes before it could barely open them.

Even then, it had to be cautious, first creating a small gap to test the waters.

Because with the way this creature was acting, Game was genuinely afraid of seeing something even more indescribable.

Fortunately, the restricted scene did not occur; that guy had somehow already returned to his chair, fidgeting with the handkerchief like a lovesick girl for a long time before carefully folding it and putting it back in his pocket.

Terrified Game couldn’t help but remind him, “Why don’t you just put it in a sealed bag? That way, when you take it out at night to reminisce, the scent of your crush won’t fade.”

“Right!” Zhong Liyu immediately took out a sealed plastic bag upon hearing this.

Game: “I told you, I’m just mocking you.”

Its tone was filled with disdain and fatigue: “I’m really afraid you’ll get too excited over a handkerchief right here.”

Zhong Liyu’s face turned red: “You know, it’s been two or three years.”

Game: “How sad, as a person, you’re truly pitiful.”

Zhong Liyu didn’t like hearing that, tossing the handkerchief and gleefully sizing it up, while mocking Game: “Who looks down on whom, you beast pretending to be a Teddy bear trying to fool a married woman with your little legs?”

Game: “Did we not agree that this topic is off-limits?”

Zhong Liyu impatiently replied, “Sorry, but some beasts have too many dark histories. The embarrassing things they can’t mention are at most one or two, while you, casually, have 999+, and it’s still increasing. My memory isn’t great, so I inevitably miss some things sometimes.”

The two beasts were bickering in the office while Lu Qingjia and the others had already been locked in the basement.

It was a dim, enclosed room, with walls tightly sealed. Aside from one door, there were no windows or ventilation openings.

The door was made of a special material; from the sound, the entire thick door was made of metal.

Knocking on the walls, judging by the feel and echo, the thickness and density of the walls were astonishing, definitely not something the players could break through with brute force.

There were no lights in the room, but fortunately, the players were used to carrying some essentials in their limited Game backpacks.

The backpack space for low-level players was about the size of a school bag, and it would expand as their points increased. The few people present were all considered quite capable among low-level players, so they could carry a decent amount of items.

Items like a multifunctional folding knife, flashlight, lighter, some compressed food and water, and compressible warm clothing were all standard supplies, as you never knew what the conditions of the dungeon would be.

Yang Qian took out a candle and lit it, bringing some light into the room.

Everyone looked at each other, seeing their current predicament, and felt a bit melancholic.

Doctor sighed helplessly: “I didn’t expect to find such a person in a low-level dungeon. The ghosts are cunning and treacherous, their abilities are hard to guard against, and there are even worse monsters in the well. This is hardly a low-level area.”

Yang Qian smiled bitterly: “Let’s think about how to escape for a while.”

“That person’s hair is sinister; if the timing is wrong, we might all end up here.”

Cleaning Lady quickly said: “Don’t say such gloomy things. Let’s come together and think of a way. How can living people die from holding their pee?”

The nurse was physically weak and still in a state of fear from having been controlled by a ghost, so she didn’t speak.

But a few people noticed that Lu Qingjia was particularly calm.

Doctor thought for a moment and understood; this guy’s task was likely in conflict with theirs. Their goal was to exorcise the ghosts, and there was no way to reach an agreement with the hospital, but Lu might not be the same.

Moreover, that man clearly coveted his beauty. If this guy intended to seduce him and leaned towards the hospital’s stance, it was possible that the task objectives and the hospital’s interests didn’t conflict much, making him a potential final winner.

Thinking of this, Doctor’s gaze towards Lu Qingjia became more vigilant.

Yang Qian noticed this and could only shake his head helplessly, thinking that Doctor really only looked smart; the more complicated things got, the less he could withstand the test.

He stopped paying attention to him and turned to Lu Qingjia, asking, “What are you thinking about?”

Lu Qingjia replied: “There are two points I still can’t figure out that need verification.”

“First, why do those ghosts have to stay in fixed places? I initially thought this was a problem of ghost nature, but as Territorial Spirits, their range of activity is too small. Ji Yu’s actions further confirmed that this guess is correct; why do they have to ensure that the wronged souls each play their roles?”

“Second, the hair that controlled Nurse Xiao Ting just now; that thing is from the well. I previously thought it was a self-defense mechanism of the monsters in the well, but I didn’t expect the hospital had already mastered the technique and it seems this isn’t the first time it’s been used against players. This shows that the well contains not just the Beauty fluid ‘formula core’ but more secrets.”

As he spoke, Lu Qingjia looked at Doctor, the nurse, and the cleaning lady: “What did you discover last night? Since the task is to exorcise ghosts, the chances of ghosts appearing in front of you must be much higher than mine, right?”

This statement almost directly acknowledged that the two parties indeed had different tasks, putting Lu Qingjia in opposition to all of them.

Doctor’s face stiffened at this; although Lu was also a prisoner, the enclosed space made it hard to feel safe.

He stiffly replied: “You said the tasks are different; why should I easily provide clues? We’re all prisoners here; you don’t think you have a significant advantage, do you?”

Lu Qingjia smiled slightly: “Indeed, a lion in a cage is as pitiful as a rabbit, but that doesn’t mean the gap between us doesn’t exist.”

Saying this, Lu Qingjia glanced around the tightly sealed space: “Although I don’t like being around bloody corpses, sometimes bloody intimidation is also a means to achieve goals.”

Doctor was sweating coldly, but he didn’t want to completely lose his dignity in front of such a guy, so he held his neck high and said: “If you want to make a move, you better think it through. We’re all players of the same level; you alone against four of us, don’t talk too big.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Yang Qian interjected: “No, if it comes to a fight, I will definitely stand with Jiajia.”

Doctor was both shocked and angry: “You—why? You’re simply courting death.”

Yang Qian shrugged: “He’s more handsome and reliable, and he agreed to compensate me.”

Lu Qingjia smiled: “Nurse Xiao Ting currently has no combat power, and Aunt Wang doesn’t seem to be good at fighting either. So what now? The situation isn’t as you judge it to be four against one, but rather two against two.”

Doctor gritted his teeth, staring at the two for a long time. Under the repeated persuasion of the cleaning lady Aunt Wang, he had no choice but to concede.

“You all know about that Transgender Ghost and the breast-enhanced woman possessing Xiao Ting. Besides that, we also encountered the Slit-Mouthed Woman with facial deformities, the Viscerotomy Woman who had her ribs cut out resulting in her intestines spilling out, and the Footless Woman who failed a bone-lengthening surgery. That’s basically it.”

“So many?” Lu Qingjia said, but his face showed no surprise.

He suspected that the Game was limiting the chances of ghosts appearing in front of players based on the differences in their tasks.

For example, Yang Qian and their group’s task was to exorcise ghosts, so they would inevitably have more contact with ghosts, and the clues would be more directed.

Lu Qingjia’s task was to obtain the perfect beauty recipe, so the clues pointed in a different direction.

Another reason was that the Game deliberately used this rule, and the potential conflict between the two tasks limited Lu Qingjia’s access to clues about the wronged souls, as this would make many things easier to resolve.

This round of the Game was very cunning; it clearly divided the players into two factions and inserted malicious players that needed to be eliminated, yet the way to clear the dungeon required cooperation.

If both sides only saw the surface and engaged in a brawl, both would inevitably end up failing.

No wonder it was a dungeon that crossed a layer of difficulty.

Indeed, Yang Qian was somewhat incredulous upon hearing this: “You all encountered so many? And didn’t tell me a single one?”

Doctor sneered: “Tell you so you can turn around and sell it to him?”

Lu Qingjia then asked: “Where did those ghosts appear?”

Doctor: “The Slit-Mouthed Woman is in the fifth-floor storage room, the breast-enhanced woman is in the fourth-floor changing room, the Viscerotomy Woman is in the third-floor operating room, you know where you encountered the Transgender Ghost, and finally, the Footless Woman is in the corridor facing the garden on the first floor.”

Lu Qingjia pulled out a small notebook and a pen, quickly sketching a rough layout of the hospital.

Then he matched the coordinates of those ghosts.

Yang Qian immediately noticed something: “Why are these positions so strange?”

Doctor couldn’t help but take a look, frowning: “I didn’t notice before, but indeed, their positions are all places where the windows on each floor can connect directly. Do ghosts care about ventilation?”

Lu Qingjia smiled: “Who said it’s about ventilation? Didn’t you notice the moon these past few days?”

Everyone was startled, realizing that it was the middle of the month, and it was summer, with a big bright moon hanging in the sky for several nights in a row.

Last night, they were in the garden, and they could basically move around without lighting equipment, thanks to the moonlight.

“That moon’s angle shines over here.” Lu Qingjia drew a line on the hospital framework he had sketched: “Then it projects through these windows into the garden.”

“Now, what does this structure look like to you?”

Yang Qian looked at the line and felt a chill run down his spine: “Right in the shadow between the well and the hospital, the well opening corresponds to the ventilation room on the sixth floor.”

“The distribution characteristics of the wronged souls from top to bottom are the face, chest, abdomen, genitals, and limbs.”

Lu Qingjia nodded: “The Slit-Mouthed Woman had a failed facial surgery, the breast-enhanced woman had a failed breast augmentation, the Viscerotomy Woman wanted to cut her ribs but ended up rupturing her abdomen, the Transgender Ghost also has signs of breast augmentation, but its more critical surgical feature is the removal of the genitals, and the Footless Woman’s failed bone-lengthening surgery is self-explanatory, representing the limbs.”

“The order from top to bottom is just like the position of the human body, so Ji Yu couldn’t stand the breast-enhanced woman clinging to Nurse Xiao Ting and running out of her area, because this order absolutely cannot have any mistakes.”

“So what is above the face?” Lu Qingjia asked.

“Hair,” Doctor couldn’t help but answer.

“Bingo, but according to this logic, the hair should be on the sixth floor, yet it appeared in the well. Then, considering the perfect overlap of the sixth-floor ventilation point and the well opening.”

Lu Qingjia said: “I originally thought the well was just the beginning, but it seems it might be more than that; we should check the sixth floor.”

With this, the originally chaotic clues suddenly became clear, and the refreshing feeling of untangling the knotted thoughts made even Doctor, who was wary of Lu Qingjia, have to admit defeat.

This guy was single-handedly challenging four players who were about to enter the intermediate level; this arrangement was not without reason.

In the dim room, everyone had different thoughts when suddenly a whiff of blood filled the air.

Doctor, with a keen nose, immediately stood up and quickly took out a flashlight from his Game backpack, shining it on the ground to see what couldn’t be seen under the candlelight.

As a result, they saw a small trickle of blood, the diameter of a pinky finger, seeping in from the crack of the tightly sealed metal door.

Although it was slow, it was continuously spreading into the room.

The players immediately took their positions, and Doctor said: “What’s going on? It’s broad daylight; the only thing that could get down here is the Footless Ghost from the first floor. What does it want?”

During the day, the power of ghosts was greatly limited. They had previously encountered ghosts and had brief skirmishes, knowing that this group was not to be trifled with.

Ghosts weren’t fools; why would they come out in broad daylight when everyone was gathered to deliver food?

Those with items readied their tools, those with talismans gripped their papers, and they held their breath in anticipation.

They saw the blood begin to twist and turn, and soon a blood character formed on the ground.

After about five minutes, a complete blood message appeared on the floor—

【Return my lipstick】

Doctor and the others: “…”

Yang Qian: “…”

She slowly looked up at Lu Qingjia: “Is this to collect debts early because they’re afraid we won’t survive tonight?”

Then she explained to the other three about the transaction with the Transgender Ghost, and they all fell into deep silence.

Lu Qingjia pulled out three lipsticks, the exact brand and shade specified by the Transgender Ghost, which he had Brother Liu bring that morning.

He threw one on the ground, and the blood immediately came to life, wrapping around the lipstick, and then it vanished in an instant.

As if sensing that there was only one, the other side continued to remind Lu Qingjia with blood characters【More】.

Lu Qingjia shook the two lipsticks in his hand: “Speaking of which, these are just cheap goods worth a few hundred each. You all turned into ghosts and can’t get fresh offerings; it’s a rare opportunity, yet you only want this little. It seems your material desires have diminished.”

“Clearly, the new high-heeled sandals released today are so beautiful, and the trendy long skirts are both leg-covering and make one look tall. Why didn’t you ask for those? I was all set for a big splurge.”

The pool of blood trembled at this, as if it was wavering.

Then, amidst the players’ speechlessness, it awkwardly drew a line of text: 【Want long skirt】.

Lu Qingjia said: “But I’m locked up here, and I’m almost out of breath. I want to give you something, but I can’t.”

“Or you could provide some help in exchange for a reward?”

The pool of blood remained silent, and Lu Qingjia could only shrug, tossing the remaining two lipsticks: “What a pity, but fine, if you’re eager, it’s not a transaction; I won’t force it.”

Saying this, he flopped onto the sofa: “It’s just a matter of throwing something into the well; with your ability and position, it should be a piece of cake.”

The pool of blood hesitated for a long time after wrapping the lipstick, still reluctant to leave, and finally drew a question mark.

Lu Qingjia took out a bottle, the same red long worm that the breast-enhanced woman had used to attack him while possessing the nurse, hidden in a wig.

Then Lu Qingjia threw the bottle towards the blood: “Remember to open the bottle before throwing it in.”

The pool of blood, now full, squeezed out through the door crack.

Doctor watched the whole process in a daze: “What… what was in that bottle?”

The process was so bizarre that he couldn’t organize his words for a long time.

Yang Qian looked at him with some pity; the ghosts in front of Lu Qingjia indeed behaved differently from when they encountered them, purely terrifying.

But the principle was simple; after testing, the resentful spirits found Lu Qingjia to be the toughest nut to crack, so he had established a basis for dialogue with the wronged souls.

Lu Qingjia said: “I don’t know; it was something the breast-enhanced woman used to attack me. Although it looks somewhat like the things in the well, it’s also quite special. I don’t know what will happen if I throw it in the well.”

“You don’t know you’re letting someone—no, letting a ghost do this?”

Lu Qingjia laughed: “Let’s give it a try; after all, it’s just chaos. Setting fires everywhere can’t be a bad thing.”

They understood this meant Lu Qingjia had made other preparations.

Although their positions were opposed, the other side’s meticulous planning gave them a few more chances to escape.

Only the cleaning lady Aunt Wang’s expression turned ugly upon hearing this, but in the dim room, she lowered her head, and no one noticed.

As they waited in boredom, Lu Qingjia glanced at Yang Qian, who understood and spoke up: “Since we’re bored, let’s chat.”

“What should we talk about?” The nurse, regaining some spirit, also wanted to break the silence.

Yang Qian said: “Let’s talk about things in reality. After all, once we leave the Game, we will forget the information about other players’ real identities, and only remember when we enter the dungeon, so there’s no need to worry about leaks.”

This wasn’t a sensitive topic; to be honest, the Game’s confidentiality mechanism made discussing reality even safer and easier than talking about topics in the Game.

Yang Qian was the first to ask: “What do you all do for a living in reality?”

The nurse chimed in: “I’m still a college student, graduating next year. My family wants me to take the postgraduate entrance exam and work in public service, but as you can see, being entangled with this ghost Game, where do I have the energy for anything else? Fortunately, the points I earn sustain my living, and when the time comes, I’ll just move to another place and lie to my parents that I’m out there working hard.”

Yang Qian continued: “I’m a veteran; I haven’t figured out what job to look for yet.”

“Wow, that’s impressive! I always said you have a good aura, and your posture is dignified and serious. So you’re a soldier? Your skills must be great, right?”

Yang Qian smiled: “I learned a few things in the army; I can only say I’m a bit better than the average person.”

She was being modest, and her gaze fell on Doctor. Naturally, Doctor didn’t want to be too cold, so he said: “I have a position in my family’s company, just coasting along.”

The nurse immediately said: “Rich second generation, huh? That’s great.”

Doctor wasn’t interested in the nurse’s flattery at this moment and looked at Lu Qingjia: “What does Brother Lu do in reality?”

He asked, but he already had his guesses in mind, probably about those morally bankrupt industries.

Lu Qingjia, however, said: “I run a farm stay.”

Seeing the disbelief on everyone’s faces, he shook his head helplessly: “I really do run a farm stay; it’s a family business passed down from the previous generation. I can’t just let it decline.”

This made everyone laugh, but they knew this guy was not honest and was definitely making things up, so there was no need to take a morally deranged player seriously.

Everyone’s gaze then turned to the cleaning lady, who smiled kindly: “My family runs a restaurant.”

Lu Qingjia said: “Looking at Aunt Wang’s demeanor, it must be quite a scale, right?”

The cleaning lady laughed even more: “Oh, Xiao Lu, you’re so sweet. It’s just a small fly restaurant. My husband and I do all the work; he handles the accounts, and I cook. We only hired a young guy to help out.”

Lu Qingjia asked again: “How’s business this year?”

“Not bad, just getting by.”

Lu Qingjia sighed: “But the taste of your restaurant is really authentic. This year, prices have gone up quite a bit, especially the cost of ingredients.”

“The wholesale cooking oil we used to buy has gone up by 20% for a barrel, not to mention fresh vegetables and meat.”

“With costs rising, you have to raise prices, right? Fewer customers. Aunt Wang, how much have you raised?”

The cleaning lady paused for a moment before realizing: “Yes, we raised prices; if we don’t, how can we get by? But I don’t dare reduce the portions; we rely on the neighborhood’s reputation.”

“Delivery platforms need to be tackled too,” Lu Qingjia said worriedly. “But we live in a small town, and there aren’t many people ordering takeout.”

“Aunt Wang, how’s your delivery business? How much can you make each month?”

“Oh, I haven’t paid attention to that; maybe a few thousand?”

Lu Qingjia’s smile deepened; to be honest, this person’s alertness and caution completely overshadowed Doctor, and only that fool would treat her like an ordinary aunt.