HM Chapter 22

The young master's lips curved slightly, and his golden braid shimmered in the highly transparent fluid like sunlight glistening on sand. His eyes were even brighter and more brilliant than gold.

It was André's face.

With a vivid expression and smiling eyes, this face was much more likable than the usual sarcastic look he showed the players. However, it was still a severed head.

A lifelike head with an expression so vivid it was terrifying.

Gold even suspected that the head would come to life in the next moment and start speaking to her, even though she could see the severed neck, the exposed red muscle, and the white cervical vertebrae, confirming it was dead beyond any doubt. She was nearly breaking down thinking about what kind of being the young master André, who was supposedly overseeing their game, actually was.

Curly, seemingly shocked by the scene, let out a "Whoa." He walked over to the glass container in front of Gold, tapped it a few times, and commented, "Looks better than his usual ugly face."

Gold: "..."

Is that really the point here?

Yuan Yuxue stared at the severed head, falling into a moment of confusion.

It wasn't some kind of disguise; through genetic scanning, he confirmed this was indeed André.

Why would a person appear in two places at once?

Yuan Yuxue’s gaze shifted from the head in the glass container to the other disassembled organs, quietly sealed in transparent fluid. Hearts, lungs, spleens, stomachs, livers... These organs floated in the fluid, and unlike the other specimens, the blood vessels connected to them were slightly contracting, as if still alive within a human body, fresh enough to be taken out and sewn into a complete body.

Moreover, the containers holding these fresh organs seemed to have additional labels compared to other specimen storage containers.

These labels were embossed letters on the container walls, barely noticeable with the naked eye. If not for the different light refraction, these small imprints might have gone completely unnoticed.

Yuan Yuxue crouched down.

He reached out, pressing his fingertips on the embossed letters, slowly reading them aloud.

"Vincent."

"Daisy."

"Ivan."

"Joshua."

Yuan Yuxue’s fingers brushed over each name, confirming every single one. Curly, noticing Yuan Yuxue’s actions, leaned in curiously, "Are these the names of the organ donors?"

"…No," Yuan Yuxue replied, "These are André's organs."

These bloody organs showed no external signs to indicate who they belonged to. Yuan Yuxue’s assertion that they were André’s organs seemed unfounded, yet Curly pondered for a couple of seconds and accepted the conclusion without much struggle, then curiously asked, "Why would his organs have someone else's names labeled?"

Yuan Yuxue withdrew his hand and shook his head.

He wasn’t sure either.

"Forget about whose organs they are," Gold said, staring at André's beautiful severed head for a long time before forcing herself to suppress her discomfort and fear. With a deadpan expression, she suggested, "Let's just pick a specimen and get out of here. God help us, I never want to see this pretty face again." Even though they’d have to face André again to end the game, she’d prefer his sarcastic expressions over this eerie head.

Completing the task was indeed the priority. The three tacitly decided against taking André’s fresh and eerie organs, opting instead for other specimens, such as relatively small and easy-to-carry eyeballs—despite their gruesomeness.

Even Gold, who was quite sensitive to such things, had become desensitized to these body parts, only caring about the ease of carrying them.

To avoid any tricks from André, each player took one specimen.

Curly excelled in moments like these. His extraordinary strength allowed him to simply kick through the special reinforced glass. He retracted his leg swiftly, avoiding any splashes of the fluid.

Gold, always prepared with an assortment of strange tools, quickly found suitable containers in her bag. Without flinching at the mess, she swiftly scooped out the selected eyeballs from the fluid, sealed them in small glass bottles, cleaned the bottles, and handed them to Yuan Yuxue and Curly.

The task was complete.

Gold couldn't help but sigh, "That was surprisingly easy, almost too easy..."

Before she finished speaking, loud footsteps and the grating sound of a stretcher's wheels rapidly rolling over the floor reached them, mingling with a woman's sharp curses.

"Thieves, rats, despicable looters!" The high-pitched voice pierced through the door and into their ears.

Curly coolly added, "Feeling real now?"

Gold: "..." Did it have to be so soon?

The woman’s voice grew closer, not cursing about the stolen specimens—after all, how could they have noticed so quickly? The players strained to extract useful information from her tirade.

"Despicable thieves, destroying the mechanical chair and stealing parts. The repair costs will be high again. I don't want to see the director… Damn it! Damn thieves!"

More curses spewed from her mouth like rapid fire, and the players in the cold storage room fell silent. Curly and Gold simultaneously looked at Yuan Yuxue.

Yuan Yuxue: "."

As the culprit, Yuan Yuxue remained calm, as if the damage and theft had nothing to do with him.

Only when the sound of the stretcher being pushed away faded did Yuan Yuxue and the others exit the cold storage area.

There were NPCs in the central area, but not many. The place had a natural advantage with clear paths in all directions. Knowing the general layout made escaping the basement floor not too difficult—or so Gold thought until they left the cold storage area.

Curly, trying to cover their tracks, closed the door carefully, making it seem like the lock was intact, ready to sneak away after committing their misdeeds.

Unfortunately, it was hard to say if André was meddling.

Barely two steps out, a piercing alarm sounded, loud enough to burst their eardrums.

Curly, known for his sharp hearing, winced and grimaced, rubbing his ears in pain.

Yuan Yuxue paused for a few seconds, then gently covered his ears, like a cat lowering its sensitive ears. Amid the alarm, the same doctor’s voice from the illusion echoed through the intercom: "Warning, intruders detected. Warning, intruders detected..."

After repeating it three times, the cold voice commanded, "All medical staff and patients of Ward 404, proceed immediately to coordinates 114.325.17 to apprehend the intruders."

Curly and Gold, both pure humans, were not sensitive to coordinates as a positioning unit. But for Yuan Yuxue, coordinates were the most intuitive and precise geographical markers, more accurate than any descriptive feature. He instantly recognized the broadcast coordinates, perfectly capturing their location.

"Let's go."

Yuan Yuxue frowned slightly.

No matter where they ran, they would be accurately tracked. The best they could do was evade using the time difference, avoiding several monster hordes.

Previously, they had faced a hundred "models." The current situation was hardly better. The 404 ward's medical staff were all top-level NPC ghosts, wielding highly dangerous medical tools.

The "patients" posed an even greater threat. Their appearances alone were enough to mentally overwhelm the players. Gold, during their escape, took a single glance back and felt her mind heavily impacted.

Missing limbs were considered among the least disturbing. There were patients whose entire bodies were festering with pus, those with half their torsos exposed, showing bloody interiors, those with guts hanging out, completely hollowed out. Even the ones with rotting skin, maggots crawling from their body crevices, barely fazed Gold anymore.

It was more like a morgue convention than patients chasing them.

This chase was more dangerous than before, without even the illusion of a safe zone. Gold originally hoped to reach the central area to end the pursuit, but as they left the central zone, she heard the sickening sound of dragging flesh and knew it wasn’t over.

They were not being let off.

They had to escape the entire basement floor.

After a prolonged chase, even Gold, with above-average stamina among players, began to feel her legs numb, losing strength.

It wasn’t a matter of willpower but a body pushed to its limits, losing sensation, unable to take another step.

Gold slowly stopped, gasping for breath, hands on her knees. She pinched herself hard, trying to jolt her numbed legs awake, sweat dripping from her forehead to her chin, and then to the ground.

She had reached her limit.

Yuan Yuxue and Curly also stopped.

Although Gold and Curly used tools to block the monsters, there were too few tools that could provide immediate and effective barriers. Those that required more time to activate lost their purpose of creating a time gap. Moreover, the number of ghostly NPCs was overwhelming. Even if they stopped the front ones, the ones behind would surge forward like a tide, fiercer than locusts. Tools were rare and precious, their number carried limited, even for someone as well-prepared as Curly. It was impossible to solve all the ghosts with tools alone.

But the chase had gone on too long.

Curly's heartbeat quickened. His physique was exceptional, not a standard for normal people. But if even he felt exhausted, the others must be far worse. Curly’s gaze fell on Yuan Yuxue, thinking if Gold was this tired, Yuan Yuxue must be at his limit too—

Yuan Yuxue indeed had stopped.

With his mask on, Curly couldn’t gauge Yuan Yuxue’s condition from his expression. He could only see his rolled-up sleeve, his pale wrist with prominent veins under the white skin, fingers slightly clenched, nails faintly pink.

Yuan Yuxue’s white skin contrasted with the striking colors, making Curly’s heart tremble slightly, stirring a protective instinct. Curly thought, he wouldn’t abandon his teammates.

…Actually, Yuan Yuxue stopping had nothing to do with physical stamina. Robots don’t experience fatigue. Apart from low energy causing temporary weakness, he wouldn’t show signs of tiredness.

Yuan Yuxue stopped because one teammate had lost mobility, and the ghosts were ready to pounce. This triggered Yuan Yuxue's strict danger assessment mechanism, compelling him to rescue the endangered human.

"Safely evacuating teammates" had a high failure rate, so Yuan Yuxue logically abandoned it, choosing the second rescue method.

Eliminate all enemies.

Yuan Yuxue’s energy reserves were critically low.

He couldn’t return to the lab or get timely energy replenishment. Once the energy was exhausted, he would become an irreparable scrap. But none of these severe consequences were considered now. He only calculated one purpose: within limited energy, could he eliminate all threats?

Even using tools to clear some ghosts, countless more rotting bodies kept surging forward. Stiff limbs from their backs formed a horrific, blood-soaked sea. They rushed eagerly, their hollow faces filled with hunger, eyes reflecting shredded flesh.

Humans instinctively fear and avoid danger.

Robots do not.

Yuan Yuxue moved forward slightly, activating his last bit of energy. His high-damage, sophisticated energy weapons were dismantled, leaving only his initial weapon—

A traditional Earth sword named "Breaking the Chaos," also known as the killing sword. Yuan Yuxue gained fame in his first battle with this cold weapon, slaughtering thousands of bugs.

The shadowy blade materialized in Yuan Yuxue’s hand. He placed one hand on his waist, the other ready to draw, lashes lowered, body slightly crouched. The fierce aura was abruptly interrupted before exploding.

"Yuan Yuxue!" Curly called loudly, "Move back a bit!"

Curly advanced a few steps, blocking a half-bodied monster lunging at them. Standing before Yuan Yuxue, he extended his hand, and in an instant, flames surged, like bursting lotus flames, engulfing all the monsters in a few breaths. The fierce flames filled the area, blindingly bright.

Curly wasn’t bluffing when he clashed with Glasses.

He indeed possessed "talent," and a powerful one at that.

Elemental talent, fire control, ranked as a top-tier talent on player forums, known as "Flame."

Fire and lightning suppress spirits, an inherent advantage in high-risk supernatural instances, explaining why Curly was the main combat force.

However, powerful talents come with a cost. Curly’s talent, having a vast range, sometimes injured allies. Additionally, its enormous consumption was a drawback. After using it, he faced a long period of exhaustion.

Curly’s advanced physique allowed him to handle many challenges even without using his talent, successfully clearing instances. But post-talent exhaustion, even with teammate protection, remained a significant issue for a primary attacker. Therefore, Curly kept it as a last resort, only using it near the end of an instance—clearly not the case now.

But he couldn’t afford to think about that.

Silent wails echoed from the flames, the air filled with a strange, burnt smell.

Signaling temporary safety, Gold’s body gave in. She sat on the ground, knees slightly bent, finally feeling the numbness in her legs subsiding, blood flow returning.

Flames reflected in her eyes. Gold exhaled, knowing it was Curly’s talent, and thanked him, "Thank you."

Despite her lingering caution, her attitude towards Curly softened significantly.

Some spirits, fearing the fire, attempted to flee. Curly, still controlling the flames, couldn’t split his attention, clearing the ghosts until most were gone. Then he turned slightly, expecting praise, but trying to remain composed, "She said thanks, and there's one more person—"

Gold: "..." Am I just a "she"?

Thanks to Curly's recent contribution, Gold’s "friendly attitude" was still in effect, so she held back.

Yuan Yuxue watched the burning flames, their light reflecting intricate patterns on his silver mask. He lowered his lashes, standing still, seemingly frozen.

…It was hard to comprehend.

Yuan Yuxue had protected many, the best humanoid weapon, always leading the charge and bearing all dangers, rarely experiencing this role reversal.

More than being moved, it was a logical conflict causing confusion.

His energy wasn't depleted; he wasn't a useless scrap. Why would someone protect him?

As Yuan Yuxue tried to understand this perplexing human behavior, Curly's proud inquiry pulled him back to reality. He paused briefly, then seriously replied, "Thank you."

Curly blushed slightly, awkwardly saying, "No need to be so formal."

He seemed... not to expect that.

The broadcast had stopped, and the advancing monsters were burned by Curly’s flames. The area still blazed with fire.

Since it was an NPC’s territory, burning it didn’t matter.

Curly thought, rather mischievously.

With the danger temporarily cleared, Curly retracted his talent. The exertion left him fatigued, coughing slightly, unusually steady as he said, "Let's head back to complete the task—"

—In that instant.

Curly, exhausted from using his talent, reacted slower than usual, missing the lurking ghost nearby.

From the ceiling, a bloated but agile body descended, dressed in a blood-stained nurse's outfit, grotesque and sinister, holding a syringe filled with eerie green liquid, aiming at Curly.

Its attack method was strange, but incredibly fast, contrary to its bulky form. Curly barely glimpsed a shadow before the syringe nearly reached his eye.

His pupils dilated slightly. Even though he noticed the danger, his slower reaction couldn’t avoid it completely. He moved slightly, but the syringe would still hit another part of him.

In this life-threatening moment, no one saw Yuan Yuxue’s swift response. He stood between Curly and the needle, which clashed with something, making a sharp sound. Yuan Yuxue slightly turned his head, kicking the nurse away. The syringe fell to the ground.

The sudden change left Gold momentarily stunned, her reaction unusually quick, her body surpassing its limits, almost springing from the ground. She grabbed her last cross, striking the lone enemy, venting her anger.

The body split open, emitting golden light, losing its threat almost instantly. Yet, despite this, the damage couldn’t be undone. Gold, recovering, paled slightly, tensely asking, "Yuan Yuxue, did it stab you anywhere?"

The green liquid didn't look harmless. A scratch could be disastrous. In such supernatural instances, turning into a monster was possible.

Curly’s exhaustion vanished instantly, sharply alert. He gently tugged Yuan Yuxue's arm, stammering, "Let me see if you’re hurt—"

"No," Yuan Yuxue turned his head.

He hesitated briefly, seemingly still confused. Looking down, he held broken mask pieces, muttering, "…The mask is broken."

His tone was plain. Yet, to the others, it sounded flat yet tinged with disappointment. Gold, relieved, felt Yuan Yuxue was a bit pitiful, quickly comforting him, "It's okay. You can always buy a new mask. The important thing is you're okay."

Curly awkwardly added, "I'll get you a new one, ten if needed."

Yuan Yuxue said, "No need."

Gold cautiously asked, "Does the mask have special significance?"

Yuan Yuxue quickly replied, "No."

The mask, made of special material, was hard to fix when broken. Its lower part could easily scratch the machine. Yuan Yuxue removed the mask, carefully wrapping the pieces, saving them for repair.

After this, he looked up.

With the mask off, his face was fully exposed.

Skin pale as snow, almost glowing under the cold moonlight. When Yuan Yuxue looked up, it was stunningly silent.

Curly had imagined Yuan Yuxue's appearance, curious but not overly so.

Even just looking at his eyes, Yuan Yuxue’s face wouldn't be bad.

But he didn't expect...

No fantasy could compare to this.