Welcome to the Nightmare Game
“Hey… Are you alright?” Dr Lu softly inquired as he patted QiLeren on the shoulder. The latter had not moved since reviving, staring blankly at something no one else could see.
QiLeren convulsed at the slight touch, wide-eyed gaze darting between his three companions and the surroundings as if he wasn’t quite there. Dr Lu likewise jumped at QiLeren’s violent reaction. “Are you okay?” he asked, voice softening.
It took QiLeren a while to catch his breath. The feeling and afterimage of freefall had burned themselves into the back of his mind, unwilling to let go of the anxious adrenaline that coursed throughout his body. It was as if any step would send him tumbling down to the ground below.
In the face of three worried expressions, QiLeren gathered his wits. “Let’s get out of here first,” he said grimly.
The four tread carefully back down the stairs and settled in a quiet office that Dr Lu led them to. SuHe poured QiLeren a cup of warm water and sat down opposite him. “What did you see?” he asked bluntly.
QiLeren looked up with a start, staring into SuHe’s elegant features and groping after words that would not come.
“A lot of…” QiLeren trailed off. SuHe did not rush him, instead quietly gazing at him with warmth that encouraged him to calm down and reorganise himself.
QiLeren drew a deep breath and tried to put the terrifying scene into words. “There were a lot of ghosts. They were all standing in- in a crowd, like sardines in a tin. They all looked up at me after I fell with these…deranged smiles…? Like they just knew, beyond a doubt, that I was going to become one of them.”
“It’s alright,” SuHe reassured, laying a hand softly on his, “you’re safe now.”
Perhaps it was because of SuHe’s gentle, naturally soothing voice, but QiLeren could feel himself pulling free of the terrifying scene in his memory. He regained enough composure to retell the rest of his experience calmly and in detail. “I suppose you might have a few questions for me. For example, how I managed to reappear unscathed on the roof despite falling off of it.”
SuHe gave him a faint smile. “I suppose. However, nothing is more important than your safety – thank you for saving my life, QiLeren.”
QiLeren stared at him for a brief moment of wonder, feeling a peculiar rush of warmth in his ears. It wasn’t until SuHe’s discussion with Dr Lu reached the cause of the fog that QiLeren finally snapped out of his stupor. That was dangerous. Thank god he was straight, but this curveball of raw attack power left even his defences more than a little battered. XueYingying on the other hand had no qualms of the sort, opting to prop her head up in her hands and stare dreamily at the handsome man; not a single thought was spared for her scum of an ex-boyfriend.
QiLeren cleared his throat. “Um, anyway, it’s because of my skill card.” To hide his embarrassment at having been staring, he voluntarily pulled his skill card out of its slot and launched into explanation.
“I have one as well, but it’s not as useful,” Dr Lu supplied after QiLeren’s explanation. “It just increases my luck.”
XueYingying squirmed in her seat, not wanting to reveal her awkward incident in front of a handsome man that she admired. “My card grants me strength when I’m in pain from blood loss,” she admitted vaguely after a while of hesitation.
“You all have a skill card?” SuHe asked, looking at the three in bewilderment before letting a bitter smile surface on his face. “Unfortunately, I…”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m pretty sure it’s triggered by either achievements or sidequests. It’s only been a couple of hours – maybe you’ll get yours soon!” reassured Dr Lu.
“What should we do now?” asked QiLeren. “Should we go around the hospital to look for more survivors?”
“It’s not just us in here, is it?” fretted XueYingying.
“There’s been at least six victims up till now – plus the murderer and us four, which makes eleven people, perhaps more.” SuHe frowned. “The only objective we have is to survive until dawn… It’s dark already, which gives us about twelve hours. Is there anything in particular you have in mind?”
The four looked at each other in uncertainty.
Dr Lu hesitantly broke the silence. “I think – I think we should go to the blood bank.”
“The blood bank?”
“Yeah, since we know for sure that human blood damages ghosts and makes them tangible. They’re also deathly afraid of it for whatever reason… I want to at least give it a try – if plasma works, we might not have to injure ourselves so much from now on,” he suggested cautiously.
“Was that why you told me to use blood on the roof? Sorry, I didn’t understand what you meant,” SuHe said, then turned to QiLeren guiltily. “Does your tongue still hurt? That was quite a big mouthful of blood you spat.”
“It’s okay, the wound doesn’t exist anymore since I went back a save,” QiLeren managed quickly. The pressure of being subjected to such a gentle gaze was getting to him.
“That’s good to hear,” SuHe sighed with a soft smile. “That’s very good to hear…”
The sky outside was now completely black, but thankfully the hospital was brightly lit all around the clock. The four left the safety of their meeting room, following Dr Lu as he navigated the party to the hospital blood bank.
Being in the same building as a murderer was already bad enough, but traipsing around in the open like this was just tempting fate.
“Don’t worry, there are four of us! Surely we can take ‘em as they come. Maybe we’ll even cut the head off the figurative snake,” XueYingying said optimistically as she gauged her own strength.
Dr Lu and QiLeren looked at each other, tasting the familiar bitterness of dread.
XueYingying had not yet come face-to-face with the murderer. The oppressive pressure of facing a monster in human skin that held no regard for life was something that could not be understood through mere explanation.
A normal human abiding by the laws of society would not have the will to kill another, even in a brawl. The presence of bloodlust made a significant difference to an attack.
“It would still be better for us to proceed with caution, especially since there are at least six victims now,” SuHe said, smiling at XueYingying. “But you’re a very brave person. We’re glad to have you.”
XueYingying blushed and giggled helplessly against SuHe’s dazzling charm.
Dr Lu rolled his eyes so hard it must’ve hurt. Hot people sure had it easy, picking up girls no matter the situation. It must be written into their genes.
It didn’t take long for the group to arrive at the blood bank, led through the twisting corridors by Dr Lu. He picked up a bag of red cell concentrate with his left hand and another of pale yellow plasma with his right. “Which do you think will work better, the red cell concentrate or the plasma?”
“I reckon,” XueYingying started after thinking deeply on her limited experience, “period blood would work the best.”
The three males chose to remain silent.
“…Why don’t you guys have any normal blood?” QiLeren finally asked, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
“Sorry dude, but it’s all long separated into components. You’re going to have use what’s left in your body if you want normal blood,” Dr Lu replied with a shrug.
SuHe, who had been staring intently at the bags of blood components, suddenly raised an important point. “Has anyone thought about whyexactly the murderer is so obsessed with killing everyone here?”
The three paused in their puzzlement with the blood components at SuHe’s unexpected question.
“Because… Because he’s a psychotic murderer?” Dr Lu muttered in disgust. “He was in jail for serial murders. Apparently he’s killed more than ten people all over the country in the span of a few years.”
SuHe sat down on the tabletop. “You said ‘in the span of a few years’. That means his modus operandi mustn’t have been as outlandish and grotesque as it is here, nor emotion-driven – rather, it’s more likely that he carefully planned out each murder. It’s only upon coming here that he’s changed his… No, that’s not exactly it. There are definitely some aspects that were kept, like the habit of leaving behind a signature of his handiwork and dismembering the corpses of his victims. These are most likely habits he’s kept from before as a preferred method of killing.
“He could easily change his weapon to one that’s not as obvious as a chainsaw if he really wanted to catch people off guard, or perhaps change his clothes and pretend to be trustworthy before killing his victims when they least suspect it. His actions are incredibly illogical, unless…”
Dr Lu gulped. “Unless,” he finished for SuHe, voice barely above a whisper, “he wants his victims to struggle in terror and despair before they die. Or if he feels pleasure from such a situation.”
The tension in the room was almost tangible.
XueYingying shuddered. “That’s disgusting.”
“So as I was saying,” SuHe continued, “perhaps fresh blood tinged with terror would work better against ghosts? That is certainly one possibility I can think of right now.”
“Fresh?” Dr Lu muttered before whipping around to look at QiLeren.
“Oi, what kind of look is that?!” QiLeren asked cautiously, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
“It’s your time to shine, Leren.” Dr Lu patted him on the shoulder. “Donate some blood to us once your skill finishes its cooldown, ‘kay?”
“Can I refuse?”
His only answer was a sinister chuckle.
Chapter 9: CH 9
QiLeren convulsed at the slight touch, wide-eyed gaze darting between his three companions and the surroundings as if he wasn’t quite there. Dr Lu likewise jumped at QiLeren’s violent reaction. “Are you okay?” he asked, voice softening.
It took QiLeren a while to catch his breath. The feeling and afterimage of freefall had burned themselves into the back of his mind, unwilling to let go of the anxious adrenaline that coursed throughout his body. It was as if any step would send him tumbling down to the ground below.
In the face of three worried expressions, QiLeren gathered his wits. “Let’s get out of here first,” he said grimly.
The four tread carefully back down the stairs and settled in a quiet office that Dr Lu led them to. SuHe poured QiLeren a cup of warm water and sat down opposite him. “What did you see?” he asked bluntly.
QiLeren looked up with a start, staring into SuHe’s elegant features and groping after words that would not come.
“A lot of…” QiLeren trailed off. SuHe did not rush him, instead quietly gazing at him with warmth that encouraged him to calm down and reorganise himself.
QiLeren drew a deep breath and tried to put the terrifying scene into words. “There were a lot of ghosts. They were all standing in- in a crowd, like sardines in a tin. They all looked up at me after I fell with these…deranged smiles…? Like they just knew, beyond a doubt, that I was going to become one of them.”
“It’s alright,” SuHe reassured, laying a hand softly on his, “you’re safe now.”
Perhaps it was because of SuHe’s gentle, naturally soothing voice, but QiLeren could feel himself pulling free of the terrifying scene in his memory. He regained enough composure to retell the rest of his experience calmly and in detail. “I suppose you might have a few questions for me. For example, how I managed to reappear unscathed on the roof despite falling off of it.”
SuHe gave him a faint smile. “I suppose. However, nothing is more important than your safety – thank you for saving my life, QiLeren.”
QiLeren stared at him for a brief moment of wonder, feeling a peculiar rush of warmth in his ears. It wasn’t until SuHe’s discussion with Dr Lu reached the cause of the fog that QiLeren finally snapped out of his stupor. That was dangerous. Thank god he was straight, but this curveball of raw attack power left even his defences more than a little battered. XueYingying on the other hand had no qualms of the sort, opting to prop her head up in her hands and stare dreamily at the handsome man; not a single thought was spared for her scum of an ex-boyfriend.
QiLeren cleared his throat. “Um, anyway, it’s because of my skill card.” To hide his embarrassment at having been staring, he voluntarily pulled his skill card out of its slot and launched into explanation.
“I have one as well, but it’s not as useful,” Dr Lu supplied after QiLeren’s explanation. “It just increases my luck.”
XueYingying squirmed in her seat, not wanting to reveal her awkward incident in front of a handsome man that she admired. “My card grants me strength when I’m in pain from blood loss,” she admitted vaguely after a while of hesitation.
“You all have a skill card?” SuHe asked, looking at the three in bewilderment before letting a bitter smile surface on his face. “Unfortunately, I…”
“Don’t worry about it, I’m pretty sure it’s triggered by either achievements or sidequests. It’s only been a couple of hours – maybe you’ll get yours soon!” reassured Dr Lu.
“What should we do now?” asked QiLeren. “Should we go around the hospital to look for more survivors?”
“It’s not just us in here, is it?” fretted XueYingying.
“There’s been at least six victims up till now – plus the murderer and us four, which makes eleven people, perhaps more.” SuHe frowned. “The only objective we have is to survive until dawn… It’s dark already, which gives us about twelve hours. Is there anything in particular you have in mind?”
Dr Lu hesitantly broke the silence. “I think – I think we should go to the blood bank.”
“The blood bank?”
“Yeah, since we know for sure that human blood damages ghosts and makes them tangible. They’re also deathly afraid of it for whatever reason… I want to at least give it a try – if plasma works, we might not have to injure ourselves so much from now on,” he suggested cautiously.
“Was that why you told me to use blood on the roof? Sorry, I didn’t understand what you meant,” SuHe said, then turned to QiLeren guiltily. “Does your tongue still hurt? That was quite a big mouthful of blood you spat.”
“It’s okay, the wound doesn’t exist anymore since I went back a save,” QiLeren managed quickly. The pressure of being subjected to such a gentle gaze was getting to him.
“That’s good to hear,” SuHe sighed with a soft smile. “That’s very good to hear…”
The sky outside was now completely black, but thankfully the hospital was brightly lit all around the clock. The four left the safety of their meeting room, following Dr Lu as he navigated the party to the hospital blood bank.
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“My skill’s about to run out,” Dr Lu said nervously. “It’ll probably last us till the blood bank but no more than that.”Being in the same building as a murderer was already bad enough, but traipsing around in the open like this was just tempting fate.
“Don’t worry, there are four of us! Surely we can take ‘em as they come. Maybe we’ll even cut the head off the figurative snake,” XueYingying said optimistically as she gauged her own strength.
Dr Lu and QiLeren looked at each other, tasting the familiar bitterness of dread.
XueYingying had not yet come face-to-face with the murderer. The oppressive pressure of facing a monster in human skin that held no regard for life was something that could not be understood through mere explanation.
A normal human abiding by the laws of society would not have the will to kill another, even in a brawl. The presence of bloodlust made a significant difference to an attack.
“It would still be better for us to proceed with caution, especially since there are at least six victims now,” SuHe said, smiling at XueYingying. “But you’re a very brave person. We’re glad to have you.”
XueYingying blushed and giggled helplessly against SuHe’s dazzling charm.
Dr Lu rolled his eyes so hard it must’ve hurt. Hot people sure had it easy, picking up girls no matter the situation. It must be written into their genes.
It didn’t take long for the group to arrive at the blood bank, led through the twisting corridors by Dr Lu. He picked up a bag of red cell concentrate with his left hand and another of pale yellow plasma with his right. “Which do you think will work better, the red cell concentrate or the plasma?”
“I reckon,” XueYingying started after thinking deeply on her limited experience, “period blood would work the best.”
The three males chose to remain silent.
“Sorry dude, but it’s all long separated into components. You’re going to have use what’s left in your body if you want normal blood,” Dr Lu replied with a shrug.
SuHe, who had been staring intently at the bags of blood components, suddenly raised an important point. “Has anyone thought about whyexactly the murderer is so obsessed with killing everyone here?”
The three paused in their puzzlement with the blood components at SuHe’s unexpected question.
“Because… Because he’s a psychotic murderer?” Dr Lu muttered in disgust. “He was in jail for serial murders. Apparently he’s killed more than ten people all over the country in the span of a few years.”
SuHe sat down on the tabletop. “You said ‘in the span of a few years’. That means his modus operandi mustn’t have been as outlandish and grotesque as it is here, nor emotion-driven – rather, it’s more likely that he carefully planned out each murder. It’s only upon coming here that he’s changed his… No, that’s not exactly it. There are definitely some aspects that were kept, like the habit of leaving behind a signature of his handiwork and dismembering the corpses of his victims. These are most likely habits he’s kept from before as a preferred method of killing.
“He could easily change his weapon to one that’s not as obvious as a chainsaw if he really wanted to catch people off guard, or perhaps change his clothes and pretend to be trustworthy before killing his victims when they least suspect it. His actions are incredibly illogical, unless…”
Dr Lu gulped. “Unless,” he finished for SuHe, voice barely above a whisper, “he wants his victims to struggle in terror and despair before they die. Or if he feels pleasure from such a situation.”
The tension in the room was almost tangible.
XueYingying shuddered. “That’s disgusting.”
“So as I was saying,” SuHe continued, “perhaps fresh blood tinged with terror would work better against ghosts? That is certainly one possibility I can think of right now.”
“Fresh?” Dr Lu muttered before whipping around to look at QiLeren.
“Oi, what kind of look is that?!” QiLeren asked cautiously, feeling a shiver run down his spine.
“It’s your time to shine, Leren.” Dr Lu patted him on the shoulder. “Donate some blood to us once your skill finishes its cooldown, ‘kay?”
“Can I refuse?”
His only answer was a sinister chuckle.
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