The seat was quickly taken.
The remaining players hesitated, but under the repeated urging of the doctor, they finally took their seats. Shortly after, a person dressed as a chef came out pushing a food cart.
As expected, just like what Number Nine said, each person received a basin of sour pork meatballs, a bowl of tomato and egg soup, and a bowl of rice.
The players who received their meals looked at each other, holding their chopsticks, unsure whether they should eat or not.
The doctor urged from the side, “There isn’t much time for dining.”
As he spoke, his enormous eyeballs moved, scanning across the faces of each player. “Don’t waste the food.”
It seems that not wasting food is one of the rules.
Qi Chanyang picked up his chopsticks and picked up a meatball, placing it in his mouth.
“Let’s eat.”
Sitting next to Patient Number Eight was a high school student, with a pale complexion.
“Are these meatballs really not made of human meat?”
Qi Chanyang shook his head. “No.”
“After running ［Do Not Respond］ for so many years, the players have also deduced some patterns.”
For example, every NPC in the instance, no matter how powerful they are, must abide by the game rules of the instance. As long as the players do not trigger the NPC’s rules for killing, the NPC cannot take action.
Just like earlier, several players refused to take their seats and remained standing, and the doctor could only urge them.
There have been many discussions among players regarding the issue of provisions because, after all, many instances have a clearance time of three days or more, and during this period, they inevitably have to rely on the food within the instance.
Most of the time, these food items are fine. As for human flesh… as long as no player dies, there won’t be any human flesh in the provisions of the instance.
“Is that true?” The student’s complexion improved a bit, and following Qi Chanyang’s example, he also picked up a meatball with his chopsticks.
Just as Qi Chanyang was about to explain, he heard Jie Fangcheng, who was sitting beside him, speak up, “That’s right, human flesh doesn’t taste like this.”
“Clang.” The meatball on the student’s chopsticks fell back into the basin.
Everyone looked at him in horror, even the patient NPCs twisted their peculiar necks to look at him.
Jian Fangcheng looked at their expressions and was taken aback. “I was just joking.”
Everyone, “…”
Damn! Who is this person?
The high school student angrily picked up another meatball, and when he took a bite, he exerted such force as if he were biting someone’s skull.
Only Qi Chanyang turned his head again and gave him a deep look.
This player named Jie Fangcheng had just picked up the food basin and sniffed it first. Then he picked up a meatball and took a bite before enjoying the meal.
The food in instance, especially these meatball-like ones, is difficult to taste and identify the original ingredients.
Can someone with the surname “Jie” taste it?
His appearance is also very strange, this is the first time Qi Chanyang encountered a player who entered the instance at a different time from everyone else.
Moreover, when new players die, they enter the game, and they may experience some panic or excitement. Some people who have died in particularly brutal ways may even be unable to escape the pain of death.
But this person, how is he so relaxed as if he’s back at home?
Not just relaxed, Qi Chanyang watched him go and order another serving of rice, and even exchanged a few words with the food stall NPC before returning with a sense of regret.
The high school student sitting next to Seat Eight couldn’t help but ask, “What did you say to him just now?”
The high school student’s name is Xue Kai, and he drowned while swimming with friends after the college entrance examination.
He has always been a good student since childhood, never even playing games in his free time, but now he died and was dragged into a horror game.
From the moment the elevator door opened, he kept recalling the horror movies he had seen. And now, sitting next to this Seat Eight…god knows, just a moment ago, when he lowered his head, he saw both of Seat eight’s feet twisted at unimaginable angles, lying on the ground like two distorted creatures.
But after he made eye contact with those feet, they reluctantly crawled back into the shoes as if they had a mind of their own.
It’s incredibly frightening!
Xue Kai felt like he was about to faint. And when he raised his head again, he saw another newcomer, seemingly a student just like him. This person, named Jie Fangcheng, not only had a conversation with Patient Nine NPC but also engaged in a chat with the food stall NPC.
Brave!
Xue Kai was extremely impressed.
“Oh, I asked if I could have some more meatballs,” Jie Fangcheng replied.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Patient Nine, whose head seemed about to fall off, was eating his meal. His back was rigidly straight, his neck extended downward, but unlike a normal person, there was no curvature in the back of his neck. Xue Kai even felt like he was looking at a deflated inflatable doll, with a sharp angle formed in the back of his neck. Despite this, he kept his back straight and reached out his mouth to drink the soup placed on the table.
But the height difference was indeed quite significant. Patient Nine continued to persistently extend his head downward, and the back of his neck made a “crackling” sound as if it was about to break.
This eerie scene made Xue Kai glance at it briefly before immediately lowering his head, only daring to stare at his own bowl.
At that moment, he heard the brave warrior speaking to the NPC next to him.
“Xiao Jiu, if you can’t reach it, just lift the bowl and drink,” the brave warrior said.
Patient 9 turned his head and stared at him without blinking, his eyes filled with confusion.
Jie Fangcheng sighed, lifted his own bowl, and brought it to Patient 9’s mouth.
“Drink.”
Everyone: “…”
Number Nine finally got to drink the soup and Jie Fangcheng said to Xue Kai, “See, this is communication, isn’t it?”
Xue Kai hesitated for a moment and turned to look at Number Eight sitting beside him.
Number Eight held chopsticks in his right hand and held a bowl in his left hand. It seemed like he didn’t like having his hands far apart. He put down the bowl from his left hand and then tucked his left hand into his sleeve. That hand twisted like an octopus tentacle from his chest towards his right shoulder and quickly grew out from his right shoulder.
Number Eight, satisfied, began eating again with his two arms.
Xue Kai shivered and quickly lowered his head, choosing not to speak.
Qi Chanyang glanced meaningfully at Jie Fangcheng once again.
Interacting with NPCs and obtaining information about the instance is something that players definitely need to do, just like Qi Chanyang trying to establish a good relationship with the doctor on the way to the cafeteria.
However, it would be good enough if newcomers don’t lag behind when entering the instance. Is Jie Fangcheng really a newcomer?
If he is a newcomer, it’s fine. But if he’s not, why would he hide his identity as an experienced player?
Qi Chanyang’s gaze was fixed on him when suddenly, a scream echoed in his ears.
“Ah ah ah ah ah—”
Luo Xiaoqin, sitting next to Patient Three, jumped up, and everyone followed her gaze, immediately seeing what had happened.
Patient Three held a bowl in one hand, while the spoon in the other hand had an eyeball on it.
The eyeball rolled around on the spoon, dropping one by one, and stared straight at Luo Xiaoqin, who had stood up.
“Ah ah ah—”
“What are you screaming for?” The doctor walked over, and the eyes above his mask stared straight at her. “The cafeteria prohibits loud noises.”
“Eyes, eyes… eyes…” Lu Xiaoqin was just an ordinary sophomore student who didn’t even watch horror movies. At this moment, she turned pale with fright, trembling all over.
Patient Three, holding the spoon, had only a shriveled socket in their right eye, while their left eye stared at Lu Xiaoqin along with the right eye on the spoon.
As fellow female players, Gu Shanshan, sitting next to Patient Four, immediately stood up and walked to Lu Xiaoqin’s side, supporting her and blocking her view.
The doctor looked at her and asked, “What eyes?”
Lu Xiaoqin remained silent, burying her face in Gu Shanshan’s shoulder. Gu Shanshan took a deep breath and answered on her behalf, “There is an eyeball on that spoon.”
Upon hearing this, the doctor’s eyes narrowed slowly. Despite wearing a mask, his delighted mood could be sensed.
“Is that so? Have both of you ladies seen the eyeball?”
“Yes,” Gu Shanshan nodded.
The doctor’s smile grew wider.
“There is no eyeball. Miss Luo, Miss Gu, it seems that your hysteria has worsened. It appears that we need to prescribe additional medication specifically for both of you tonight.”
A sudden shock coursed through Gu Shanshan’s heart, while Luo Xiaoqin appeared to be on the verge of fainting.
“No…”
The doctor continued to smile, “Ladies, please rest assured. The doctors at our Blue Sky Mental Hospital are highly skilled, and we will surely cure your illness.”
But just then, someone spoke up.
“There is indeed an eyeball on the spoon.”
The doctor turned his head and stared at the person sitting next to Number Nine.
That person appeared to be an ordinary player, dressed just like any other. However, for some reason, when the doctor locked eyes with them, he felt a vague discomfort, as if he had encountered a natural enemy.
The doctor maintained his smile. “It seems that Mr. Jie’s hysteria is not light either…”
Jiefang Cheng interrupted him. “There really is an eyeball. Why don’t you take another look at the spoon?”
As he spoke, everyone turned their heads in unison to look at the spoon in Patient Three’s hand.
The spoon, which could originally only hold one eyeball, was now barely squeezing in two eyeballs. Large sections of the eyeballs were suspended in the air, with the eyeballs’ whites pressing against each other, pupil to pupil.
Patient Three, who had lost both eyes, was now staring blankly at everyone through the empty sockets.
The doctor’s expression changed drastically.
He glared fiercely at the person next to Number Nine, and Jie Fangcheng smiled at him, saying, “I didn’t deceive you, did I?”
The doctor stared at him for a while before shifting his gaze to Luo Xiaoqin.
He smiled mysteriously and said, “Hysteria will only worsen if left untreated. Don’t shy away from seeking medical help.”
With that, the smile on the doctor’s face slowly faded.
“What are you still standing there for? Sit down and eat!”
Gu Shanshan gently patted Lu Xiaoqin’s shoulder and guided her to her seat before returning to her own seat.
Lu Xiaoqin continued to cry as she made an effort to eat.
Patient Three, sitting beside her, fumbled to pick up an eyeball from the spoon, wiped it clean, and placed it back into the socket of their left eye. They then raised the spoon and swallowed the other eyeball in one gulp.
Lu Xiaoqin cried even harder.
One of the players couldn’t help but mutter under their breath, “What the hell is this?”
However, Qi Chanyang’s gaze remained fixated on Jie Fangcheng.
At exactly 7 o’clock, a piercing bell rang through the cafeteria. The chefs who had just served the meals pushed their carts back out, collecting the trays one by one.
Thanks to Qi Chanyang’s reminder, everyone had eaten their food cleanly. After finishing their tasks, the chefs sighed softly as they looked at the group.
The doctor stood by the entrance, expressionless, and spoke, “It’s free time now. Return to your rooms and rest by 10 o’clock sharp.”
After saying this, the doctor’s gaze once again fell on Lu Xiaoqin.
“If any patients experience worsening hysteria, you can visit the examination room on the second floor.”
Though it was called free time, many areas outside were locked. The doctor only opened the reading room and the badminton court.
The players followed the NPC patients under the doctor’s watchful gaze and entered the badminton court. They gathered in a corner and began to communicate.
Qi Chanyang, an experienced player who had cleared multiple instances, took the initiative to summarize.
“Let’s first clarify the current rules of this instance.”
“1. During mealtime, we must not waste food. The chef just checked our plates when he came to collect them, and none of us had any leftovers. He sighed with regret. So, if there are leftovers, it might trigger a killing or punishment mechanism.”
“2. When encountering unreasonable situations, we should not show any reaction, especially not in front of the doctor NPC, or else we might be given more medication. The medication might not necessarily be lethal, but judging from the NPC’s demeanor, it won’t be something good.”
Gu Shanshan added, “The doctor NPC mentioned to me and Xiaoqin earlier, ‘We need to prescribe additional medication specifically for both of you tonight.’ That means there might have already been medication scheduled for us in the evening. If that’s the case, what should we do about the medication at night? Should we take it?”
Qi Chanyang glanced at her for a moment.
Lu Xiaoqin had been so frightened earlier that she dared not even lift her eyes, yet Gu Shanshan was able to recall clearly what the NPC said. It was quite remarkable for a newcomer.
Of course, there was also another newcomer—
“By the way, before we continue the discussion, I have a question,” Qi Chanyang looked at Jiefang Cheng. “Jie Fangcheng, can you explain to me how you managed to make the eyeball of Patient Three fall into the spoon?”
“Hmm?”
Qi Chanyang blinked his eyes, his finger resting on his wrist. That was the designated entry point to his system backpack, allowing him to quickly retrieve items from it.
“Since you joined the game, I found it strange that you had a different entry time into the instance than the rest of us. Of course, it could also be that my experience in clearing instances is still too limited, and such occurrences might be more common than I realize.”
“But you’re a newcomer, and yet you show no fear when faced with these NPCs. The Number Nine sitting next to you can straighten his body and fold his head backward, and yet you can still have such cheerful conversations with him.”
“That’s not the point—”
“As a newcomer, how did you make Patient Three dig out their eyeball and put it into the spoon? Answer me!” By the end, Qi Chanyang had become stern and serious.
Jie Fangcheng let out an exasperated “Ah” and chuckled.
“It’s simple. Number Nine!”
The NPC dressed in a patient gown labeled “Number Nine” was holding a badminton racket and using his head as a ball, hitting it back and forth at the edge of the court. Upon hearing Jie Fangcheng’s call, Number Nine turned his head slowly, folding it 180 degrees backward, and looked upside down at the players in the corner.
Jie Fangcheng waved at him, beckoning him to come over.
Number Nine pondered for a moment, then slowly moved his body and walked over.
His way of walking was peculiar, or rather, all these patient NPCs had a peculiar way of walking, swaying as if they could fall apart at any moment.
Jie Fangcheng patted Number Nine’s shoulder. “If you secretly take out Patient Three’s eyeball, I’ll give you an extra meatball for tomorrow’s dinner.”
After saying that, Jie Fangcheng added thoughtfully, “Oh, and remember to put it back in afterward. Don’t let it affect your relationship.”
Number Nine’s eyes brightened.
He turned around and went to find Patient Three.
Patient Three was playing badminton with Patient Four, and in the midst of their game, another eyeball, whose owner was unknown, was bouncing and flying through the air, making a loud popping sound as it was struck by the badminton racket.
Everyone quickly realized how Number Nine had managed to remove Patient Three’s eyeball in front of the doctor NPC.
He squatted at the edge of the court, using his right hand to snap his left hand off with a “click.” Then, taking advantage of Patient Three’s momentary distraction as they retrieved the fallen eyeball, Number Nine forcefully threw his own left hand away.
The left hand, guided by what seemed like a precise navigation, swiftly landed on Patient Three’s face, and the index finger made a precise poke towards the eyeball.
“I… I need to use the restroom.”
This scene was truly unbearable for an ordinary person to witness. Luo Xiaoqin staggered to her feet.
This girl had never even killed a chicken in her life, and now she was witnessing the severing of a hand and the plucking of an eyeball. It was truly difficult to continue watching.
Even Gu Shanshan, who usually remained calm, felt a tingling sensation on her scalp. She stood up as well and said, “I’ll accompany you.”
Meanwhile, Number Nine made several attempts with his left hand and successfully obtained the eyeball. He held it between his index finger and thumb, making an “OK” gesture from afar.
“See, it’s simple!” Jie Fangcheng exclaimed.
Qi Chanyang: “…”
Qi Chanyang looked at Jiefang Cheng with skepticism. “You’re really fearless. Aren’t you scared at all in such situations?”
“Oh, my job is somewhat related to this,” Jiefang Cheng replied with a smile.
“What kind of job?” Qi Chanyang asked.
Jie Fangcheng chuckled, “I guess I haven’t introduced myself yet. Hello, I’m Jie Fangcheng, the department manager of the Financial Department in the Underworld. I’m retired now.”
“?”
Not introducing himself was one thing, but after introducing himself, Qi Chanyang was left dumbfounded.
The Underworld? Is that some well-known big company? Retired? With such a youthful face, is he even twenty years old? Did he actually work?
On the other hand, Xue Kai suddenly realized something. He leaned in close to Qi Chanyang’s ear and whispered, “It could be a language C.”
“What?” Qi Chanyang didn’t understand.
“It’s like Cspy, a voice role-playing game,” Xue Kai explained. “They create a character and immerse themselves in that role.”
“That doesn’t seem right,” another player chimed in. “Cspy isn’t that immersive. It sounds more like the Black Realm.”
“The Black Realm? What’s that?”
“It’s like… how do I explain it? Oh, it’s like QQ Family, similar to role-playing. A group of people online forms a ‘family.’ He might have joined the Underworld family and took on the role of the department manager in the Financial Department. But for various reasons, he may have been replaced by someone else, so he says he’s retired. In the Underworld, they would surely have regular exposure to this kind of knowledge, so when encountering such situations, he’s more fearless due to his immersive Cspy experience.”
Qi Chanyang also understood now.
Oh, oh, it’s a non-mainstream burial of love!
Meanwhile, Jie Fangcheng was chatting with Number Nine, who had completed the task. The group of players in the corner could faintly hear Jie Fangcheng praising the scene where Number Nine snapped off his left hand, remarking how cool and powerful it was. Even Xue Kai couldn’t help but wonder if immersive role-playing could be so effective, enabling people to witness such unimaginable scenes without flinching.
Should he also create a character and immerse himself in the game?
As he was contemplating this, the two ladies who had gone to the restroom returned with pale faces.
“What happened?” Qi Chanyang asked.
Gu Shanshan gritted her teeth and took a deep breath.
“When we went to wash our hands at the sink, we turned on the faucet and found that what came out wasn’t water.”
“What was it?”
“It was blood, with chunks of meat… and human fingernails in it!”
Thanks for the translation
Thank you for the translation, I really like this story.
Thank you for translating this story ! It looks so interesting 💐
Thank you for translating. This sounds like the kind of Unlimited Flow story I was wondering if existed (bringing a nonhuman to this kind of trope of sorts)
You should try reading Non-human seeking reemployment!
This flavor looks to be what I’m craving to read. Thank you 🙂
I unexpectedly find Patient 9 a bit cute? 😭 Thank you for translating!
I do so enjoy novels like this
That’s for the chapter! I was so excited seeing another unlimited flow novel being translated
I didn’t think our MC would admit his origin two chapters in 😅 this book doesn’t play vu the rules
Thank you for the chapter ❤️
Well that’s unsanitary.
Nails and blood, my nightmare
Thank you for your translation 💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟💟
Ew ew ew oh my god ew 😭😭😭 I love reading these stories but I would NOT survive in one
Omg so good