“This is it.”
The hooked-nosed man pointed ahead. Before them stood a four-story building with mottled, crumbling walls. The perimeter fence had collapsed, and half of the main gate was shattered. A plaque hanging above the entrance bore the faintly visible words: “Qingshan Sanatorium.”
Yue Shi had been wandering the Chaos Zone alone for quite some time without any accidents, a fact that many locals found hard to believe.
To them, a little lamb from the city like Yue Shi should have been a dead man the moment he set foot in the Chaos Zone.
The only question was who would kill him, how he would die, and how much value could be squeezed out of him before and after his death.
They had expected the hooked-nosed man’s biker gang to swarm him, stripping him to the bone. But when they saw that Yue Shi’s destination was the Qingshan Sanatorium, no one dared to approach any closer.
Those with quick wits had already realized that Yue Shi was no easy target. This included the middle-aged hooked-nosed man; though he had been momentarily dazed, he was now breaking out in a cold sweat, remaining utterly respectful toward Yue Shi.
The dozen or so motorcycles stopped two hundred meters away from the sanatorium, not daring to advance. The streets surrounding the facility were covered in dead branches, fallen leaves, and trash, yet there were almost no signs of human activity. Even in the Chaos Zone, no one dared to trespass here.
Ignoring the others, Yue Shi carefully observed the Qingshan Sanatorium. From the outside, it looked exactly like a haunted, abandoned hospital from a horror movie.
Every window was a dark, hollow void, as if some unknown entities were peering out from within.
The walls were filthy and mottled, resembling disgusting scars left behind by festering, rotting wounds.
Information from the Supernatural Forum stated that there might still be people inside the Qingshan Sanatorium—former staff and patients—but there was a high probability they had all mutated into terrifying supernatural creatures.
Yue Shi cleared his throat and told the biker gang to get lost. Then, he slowly rode his motorcycle toward the sanatorium.
As Yue Shi drew closer to the building, the red-haired woman sitting behind the hooked-nosed man was filled with confusion. She didn’t understand why her boss was letting such a fat sheep slip away.
The middle-aged man didn't offer much of an explanation, only saying, “He’s someone we can’t afford to provoke. Let’s get out of here.”
The rumbling of the motorcycles gradually faded into the distance. No one noticed a pitch-black Shadow Soldier raven flapping its wings in the air, following them closely.
Yue Shi arrived at the main gate of the Qingshan Sanatorium. The iron gates were heavily rusted, and one side had completely broken off.
He had ridden slowly along the path while maintaining his Demon Feather Barrier. The closer he got to the sanatorium, the more he could feel the barrier protecting him being gradually depleted.
Invisible supernatural pollution saturated the air in every direction. If an ordinary person were to approach this place, they would likely go insane in an instant.
Passing through the gate, Yue Shi spotted a parking area not far away. He parked the stolen, beat-up motorcycle there; since no one dared to approach this place, he didn't have to worry about it being stolen.
Carrying his bag, Yue Shi walked toward the main building.
The main entrance was wide, featuring a welded iron door secured with heavy chains and a large padlock. It was likely built to prevent patients from escaping, but after years of neglect, it had rusted into a pathetic state.
Just as Yue Shi was about to break the lock by force, he caught a glimpse of a figure falling from high above out of the corner of his eye.
With a dull thud, the figure hit the ground.
Yue Shi turned his head and saw a person in a hospital gown lying on the ground ten meters away in a distorted posture.
“Did they jump because they couldn't take it anymore?”
In an abnormal place, seeing an abnormal sight felt perfectly normal to Yue Shi.
Consequently, he completely ignored the jumper. He first took a walk around the building; upon discovering that there was only one entrance, he decisively tore apart the lock on the main door.
The severely rusted lock was easily destroyed, and the heavy chains were unwound loop by loop. Yue Shi kicked the door open. With a series of creaks, a foul stench wafted out, causing him to take two steps back.
Long corridors stretched out on both sides inside the entrance, lined with neatly arranged patient rooms. These rooms were all closed, their contents unknown.
Directly ahead was a staircase leading to the second floor. The floor was covered in dust, and a broken mirror hung on the wall to the left of the stairs, its purpose unclear.
Once the foul smell had dissipated slightly, Yue Shi finally stepped inside.
But at that moment, a clattering sound erupted from the floor. The discarded iron chain began to wriggle like a snake, attempting to bind Yue Shi.
It wrapped around his ankle, restricting his movement.
“Heh... ho ho ho...”
From deep within the corridor, a chilling laugh echoed from one of the patient rooms, sounding like someone clapping their hands in delight.
Yue Shi didn't panic at all; he was merely a bit curious about what this iron chain actually was.
The chain began to tighten and contract with immense force, seemingly intent on crushing his ankle bone into powder.
Unfortunately for the chain, it was held back by the barrier and could not advance an inch further.
Yue Shi bent over, his sharp fingertips gliding across the metal. A decaying curse caused the chain to lose all its strength and supernatural properties, falling to the floor with a clatter.
“Hahaha...”
Another burst of collective laughter erupted from the depths of the corridor.
Yue Shi walked toward the left corridor. When he stopped in front of the first patient room, the abnormal laughter ceased abruptly. The entire building seemed to hit a pause button, becoming dark and deathly silent.
“Is anyone there?” Yue Shi tested.
“Is anyone there...”
“Anyone there...”
“There...”
Artificial echoes drifted from the room, each one weaker than the last. It sounded as if different people were mimicking his voice, yet the echoes persisted.
Yue Shi kicked open the door to the patient room. The small space was visible at a glance: a single steel-framed bed, a washbasin, and a toilet. There was no one inside.
He moved to the second room and knocked gently.
He was met with mocking laughter. After kicking the door open, he found it equally empty.
The third room, the fourth room... it was the same all the way down. There were sounds, but no people.
“Is this a supernatural domain? It truly is full of strange occurrences.” Yue Shi felt the consumption rate of his Demon Feather Barrier accelerating. For safety's sake, he reactivated the ability to replenish it.
Finding no signs of human life on the first floor, he prepared to check the second.
A broken mirror hung at the turn of the stairs. As he passed it, he subconsciously glanced over, only to find to his surprise that his reflection in the mirror was actually wearing a hospital gown!
Stunned, Yue Shi stood in place and took several careful looks.
Currently, he was carrying a bag and wearing glasses and a mask. The person in the mirror, however, was carrying nothing and wasn't wearing glasses; only the lower half of his face was covered by a dirty mask. The eyes and brow revealed were identical to Yue Shi's, and the expression was exactly the same.
Rate on N.U.
