Chapter 52: Chapter 49 "The Fifth Hospital
It's commonly said that you should not reason with a madman who's lost their senses; right now, Luo Kun is that utterly uninhibited madman.
The world's chaos didn't matter to him. He wished for it to be even more chaotic and even fan the flames with great relish, hoping everyone would fall into the abyss of their obsessions.
What's worse is that when a madman plays a game, he includes himself in it as well.
Therefore, you have nothing with which you can threaten him.
In that moment, the only one overjoyed at the scene was the janitor, who even wanted to rush over and hasten Luo Kun's death.
"Everyone wants to escape this hospital or destroy this place," Xu Shuo approached him leisurely, chuckling softly, "So, Director Zhang, what are you thinking?"
"I am a doctor here, and it's my responsibility to protect every patient in this place." Director Zhang lowered his hand holding the gun, the light in his eyes now dead and dim, expressionlessly staring at him.
Xu Shuo grinned: "Right, I am also a doctor here, responsible for treating every patient. So, his sickness can only be cured by death."
"And our sickness can only end with destruction."
He spoke softly, his voice ethereal, fracturing amidst the burning flames and the gradually collapsing floors.
Because this world was beyond salvation.
Director Zhang took a deep breath, looking at the thirty-second countdown ticking away, and quickly said: "Doctor Chen, even if you're sick now, deep down inside, you don't want Luo Kun to die. That's why you keep using Time Retrospection to save him repeatedly."
He was struggling in his death throes, trying to come up with a thought like the janitor's, to turn back time once more, and the choice rested with Chen Chu.
That was Director Zhang's last glimmer of hope.
At least let him finish his task!
Perhaps, hoping Luo Kun could hold on a little longer within these thirty seconds, even just a second longer would be good!
Why the hell did this madman save Chen Chu?!
Did he develop Stockholm Syndrome from being killed?
…
The young man looked at him but hooked up an ambiguous smile.
Xu Shuo turned around to look; during their conversation, the janitor had picked up the axe from the ground again, attempting to deliver Luo Kun the final blow, but was blocked by the nurse, who had been loyally protecting Luo Kun all along.
The nurse didn't say a word. She blocked the janitor as if possessed, her face twisted into a ferocious smile, her hands gripping the fallen axe tightly, blood trickling down from between her fingers.
The game was set, and she wouldn't allow time to be turned back anymore!
Even if this could save Luo Kun—
But, it was already meaningless!
This hospital was terminally ill, and everyone here was sick, gaining demonic abilities in their distortion.
In the third loop, the nurse learned that the reason for Time Retrospection lay with Chen Chu, so she knew that only by killing this person could the game of time be ended!
On the other hand, Director Zhang, who knew many things, understood the best Chen Chu's feelings towards Luo Kun. His second personality only wanted to destroy the madman who caused his distortion, but the main personality, Doctor Chen, truly had a doctor's benevolent heart. The two personalities were trapped in an eternal cycle of kill and save.
Luo Kun, caught in the middle, was indifferent in spirit; he merely enjoyed watching Chen Chu struggling in time, coldly observing the hospital become more and more twisted.
Perhaps the hospital really deserved to be destroyed, totally annihilated in this final ending!
Time began its countdown.
Xu Shuo didn't bother with the two fighting beside him and crouched down to look at Luo Kun, who still had a brilliant smile on his face.
Luo Kun gazed at him with burning eyes, his dark pupils eerily bright, and said softly: "Doctor Chu, see how good I am to you, even giving you another chance to play~"
The youngster was as certain of the facts as Director Zhang.
Xu Shuo quietly looked at him, then took some pills out of his pocket, handed two over, and said warmly: "You haven't taken your medicine this time. Take these first."
Luo Kun: "..."
The fucking medication again!
Seeing that he didn't move, Xu Shuo's originally gentle expression quickly darkened, his eyes narrowing dangerously: "A good child would take their medicine."
Luo Kun took the pills with blood-stained hands and swallowed them hesitantly.
Truly hypocritical and disturbed, he had to be covertly threatened by Doctor Chu before he would eat, right?
Xu Shuo internally criticized, and the next moment, Luo Kun suddenly widened his eyes, his breathing became rapid, clutching at his chest, his pupils dilating swiftly.
But at the last moment, Luo Kun suddenly forced a crazed smile at the corners of his mouth.
"This time... it's poison..."
The first time Luo Kun was given poison, he didn't take it.
This time, Xu Shuo had prepared a medicine himself, a pure psychiatric treatment drug, only coated with potassium cyanide.
Indeed, potassium cyanide was convenient for killing.
It treated him and killed him, how nice.
The countdown ended.
...
The sound of roiling explosions echoed incessantly through the mountains and forests.
Flames rampaged through the building, thick smoke billowed into the sky, blending with the oppressive clouds, indistinguishable from darkness and mist.
The surrounding area was bleak and barren, the destroyed abandoned commercial district was covered in dust and cobwebs, plants clung to the buildings, growing twisted black vines in the decaying environment.
The abandoned streets were littered with broken glass and dust; aside from the black plants scattered everywhere, no other signs of life could be seen.
This was a twisted, dark place, a world devoid of hope.
Two pairs of feet trampled the wilted grass underfoot, walking out from the abandoned district towards the deep mountains.
"Once we leave here, we should have a good time outside, go to the amusement park, eat delicious food, and wear beautiful clothes~"
The girl in the patient gown led another girl, strolling leisurely through the ruins, saying cheerfully, "Just the two of us, everyone else is too dangerous!"
The girl being led was silent, listening quietly, without a trace of impatience, as she turned her head to look back at the lone hospital in the distance.
In the stillness of the ruins, only that patch of firelight was vividly bright, coloring the dark sky with a sunset-like beauty and shock, like the last redemption of this world.
And in her line of sight, a transparent panel was still counting down.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six...
"Hey, Tao, why aren't you talking?" the girl tilted her head to look at her, the smile on her face weird and twisted, her eyes shining brightly.
Tao Tao was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Thank you."
Three, two, one.
"No need to thank me, as long as we are together forever!"
...
...
After that last voice disappeared from her ear, everything before her eyes shattered like glass; darkness and flames vanished from her sight, and the oppression and suffocation in her heart dissipated in an instant.
Once the game was over, the process within the game no longer mattered; only the outcome was of utmost importance!
[This round of "The Fifth Hospital" has ended. The script settlement interface will now be displayed.]
[Mission One: Kill Luo Kun, the patient in Room Thirteen. Completed.]
[Mission Two: Escape from The Fifth Hospital. Completed.]
[Mission Three: Blow up The Fifth Hospital. Completed.]
[Mission Four: Protect all the patients of The Fifth Hospital. Failed.]
[Mission Five: Prevent The Fifth Hospital from being blown up. Failed.]
In a blank expanse of space, a young man looked at the settlement panel before him, stroking his chin and muttering to himself, "What gives, my tasks didn't conflict with any other player at all. That madman attacked me for no reason, and another one tied me up for nothing."
Truly, everyone who entered that world was more or less abnormal.
Fortunately, he had always remained normal.
The young man sighed and shook his head, turned to the last page of the Player's Handbook, and seamlessly re-entered the Scripted Murder Game.
He had to hurry and improve his strength.
...