Chapter 41: Rejected Partnership
A-level gift "Insight" is indeed a strong ability.
Unfortunately, it follows someone who doesn’t like thinking.
Luen casually flipped through another report, her expression unchanged as she continued speaking.
"And Yanbing..."
She paused slightly.
"A-level gift: Golden Medal of Immunity."
Luen tapped the document lightly.
"Immunity to three fatal bizarre attacks. And it can instantly erase all current negative effects when triggered."
She let out a faint sound of annoyance.
"Tch."
"A perfectly designed defensive ability... wasted."
"Following a cowardly user means it’s always used passively. No planning, no exploration, just reactive survival."
She closed the file.
"If she had even basic initiative, she could be uncovering the secrets of the dungeon instead of just surviving them."
On the main screen, she shifted her gaze.
Not to Yuji.
Not to Yanbing.
But to Shen Yu.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"As for him..."
"Interesting."
"E-rank talent, but constantly making optimal decisions."
She tilted her head.
"If he had A-rank talent... I can’t even imagine how far he’d go."
Mayor Ho Yong raised an eyebrow.
"You think that highly of him?"
Mayor Ho Yong spoke calmly, but there was clear surprise in his tone.
Even Yuji had never received this level of evaluation from Luen.
Luen adjusted her suit sleeve.
"I’m not praising him."
"I’m stating a fact."
She glanced at the multiple screens again, this time watching Shen Yu’s perspective more closely.
"He doesn’t rely on power."
"He relies on usage efficiency."
"Most gifted users treat their ability as strength."
"He treats it as a tool."
A faint pause.
"...That’s rare."
At the same time, live commentary across Jiu City Defense Network was exploding.
"Wait, why is E-rank guy still alive?"
"He’s been through so many death situations already!"
"Is Yuji even doing better than him at this point?"
"Protect Yuji! S-rank is safer!"
"No way, Shen Yu is clearly adapting better!"
"Yuji is strong, but that guy... he’s weirdly consistent."
Back inside the instance.
Morning light spilled into the ward.
Shen Yu slowly sat up.
The walls were still alive—slowly writhing, faintly breathing.
He glanced at Yuji’s headband.
Fluctuating.
-15... 0... -15... 0...
"Switching states?"
Shen Yu narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting."
He looked away.
His attention shifted.
Not to Yanbing.
Not to Yuji.
But to Poor.
That was the only one who consistently remained stable on the "surface layer."
"Perfect teammate type."
He walked over.
"Cooperate with me," Shen Yu said calmly.
Poor stared at him.
"...With you?"
"Yes."
"No need for you to do much," Shen Yu continued. "Just relay what you see. I’ll handle the rest."
A pause.
Then—
"I’m sorry," Poor said coldly.
"I want to survive."
"But not with you."
Shen Yu stopped.
For a moment, even he didn’t respond.
Then he exhaled lightly.
"...Rejected."
He turned away.
No anger. No surprise.
Just adjustment.
"Fine."
"If one route closes, another opens."
From the next bed, Yanbing stretched slightly.
Yanbing looked between them.
"Morning. Shen Yu, you’re up early."
Shen Yu didn’t answer.
He had already stopped thinking about cooperation.
Because at that moment—
Ding-dong.
The announcement echoed again.
"Notice, notice. Routine inspection. All patients please assemble in the corridor outside the ward. Inspection will begin in five minutes."
The announcement echoed through the room as Shen Yu’s expression darkened. Outside, heavy footsteps approached—thud, thud, thud—growing louder with every second.
The ceiling began to swell with blood-colored pustules.
Shen Yu glanced upward once, then immediately stepped out of the ward.
The corridor was already crowded.
Patients in hospital gowns stood in rows, their expressions dull and empty. Yet today, something about them felt different—less resistance, almost a strange sense of relief.
This was what the world looked like under a pollution level of -15.
Shen Yu could only wonder what it would look like under normal perception.
Behind him, Yuji, Yan Bing, and the others also stepped out.
Yan Bing frowned, instinctively retreating from the crowd.
From her perspective, the corridor was no longer filled with people—but with grotesque, blood-colored figures, like broken dolls stuffed into human shapes, their bodies distorted and hollow. Words like trash, failure, and scum seemed etched into their skin.
A chill ran through her.
"This is the pollution of this hospital...?" she muttered. "Even if we do nothing, we’ll end up like this?"
Only a day had passed.
Yuji and Puer remained silent, observing.
Shen Yu, however, calmly studied everything. His gaze lingered on Yuji’s headband:
-15... 0... -15...
The fluctuations were irregular, almost unnatural.
And then—Yuji’s lips curled slightly, as if reacting to something unseen.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
High heels echoed from the far end of the corridor.
"Everyone maintain appearance. Keep smiling."
The strange nurses arrived.
Unlike before, they were clean—bandages neatly wrapped, uniforms spotless. They moved methodically, positioning themselves in front of each patient like inspectors.
The atmosphere instantly tightened.
The "patients" responded at once.
Their faces cracked into stiff, unnatural smiles as blood-like markings on their skin burst outward and then settled again.
The strange nurses soon surrounded Shen Yu and the others.
Yan Bing hesitated, glancing toward Yuji. "What do we do? Do we smile too?"
Before Yuji could respond, Puer suddenly laughed.
"Heh... hehehe..."
The sound came from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Then—something even stranger happened.
Shen Yu, Yuji, and Yan Bing all began laughing as well.
Uncontrolled. Automatic. As if triggered.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps approached again.
This time, none of the strange nurses dared stand near Shen Yu.
And then she appeared.
Yang Jin.
She wore a pristine nurse uniform, but it was unlike anything clinical—more like a stylized, ceremonial outfit. A small heart-shaped ornament sat on her headpiece, and her long black hair flowed neatly along her shoulders.
The white fabric clung to her figure, paired with long black stockings and high heels that clicked softly against the floor.
She stopped directly in front of Shen Yu.
A faint disinfectant scent mixed with her presence.
"You don’t even greet me properly when I come to watch over you?" she said coldly.
Shen Yu smiled naturally.
"You look good today."
Yang Jin glanced at him, letting out a soft scoff. "Flattery won’t help you."
But the slight lift in her steps betrayed her mood.
