Chapter 43: Escape? No
In Shen Yu’s arms, Yang Jin patted his arm and slowly stepped out of his embrace, turning her head to glance at him.
"Scum, your illness still needs treatment."
Her cold voice echoed through the corridor as she led the strange nurses away, dispersing the morning gathering.
At the same time, State Pool City Safety Defense Department.
Lucian looked at the live feed. "Do you think this Yan Bing can really escape?"
Ho Yong stared at Shen Yu’s first-person perspective, his face completely calm.
"If it were that simple, it wouldn’t be an S-rank instance."
"Escape? Not a chance."
"However... that woman isn’t foolish. She probably thinks following those who leave will reveal clues."
"If the remaining four participants refuse to leave, then no one can know what the outside world is really like."
Lucian crossed her arms, studying the headband data on Shen Yu.
In the live broadcast, the visitors carried the human puppets onto a bus parked outside the hospital. It only paused briefly before starting again.
Whoosh—
It headed toward Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital, and the chat exploded.
"Impossible. It’s really that easy to escape?"
"If escaping worked, the livestream would’ve ended already."
"No one even knows the real escape condition."
As discussion surged, the bus left Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital and drove along a fog-covered mountain road.
The vehicle spiraled downward endlessly, without truly descending.
"I... I escaped."
Yan Bing sat by the window. Beside her, the visitor stared at her with writhing features around its mouth and eyes.
She didn’t dare move.
But through the thick fog, at the foot of the mountain, the hospital reappeared again.
Shen Shan Psychiatric Hospital.
At the gate stood a single figure—short, balding, wearing glasses.
He looked identical to the blood-colored man from the polluted world.
He adjusted his glasses and waved the bus to stop.
Whoosh.
The bus halted.
He stepped aboard with a twisted smile.
"Well, it seems treatment is still insufficient."
"You thought you could leave before you were fully cured?"
"How can you leave so easily?"
His calm voice spread through the bus.
The visitors lowered their heads, then suddenly grabbed the human puppets beside them.
"We accept treatment."
"Doctor, we accept treatment."
Crack—
The puppets’ faces twisted. Blood words swelled and burst, filling the bus with crimson mist.
"This... how is this happening?!"
Yan Bing trembled, trying to escape—but a hand gripped her shoulder tightly.
In the window reflection, her headband number flashed violently:
-50
At that moment, her vision went dark.
Standing in front of the live broadcast screen, Luen and Ho Yong exchanged glances, both looking a bit bewildered.
"So it turns out... it wasn’t escape at all."
"At the moment of leaving the hospital, we had already entered the heavily polluted inner world."
Ho Yong snapped back to reality and slapped his thigh.
"Then doesn’t that mean the hospital can’t actually be left at all? If that’s the case, how do we escape?"
He rubbed his hair in frustration, completely stuck.
Luen remained calm, her gaze fixed on Shen Yu’s first-person perspective.
"Perhaps the so-called escape from Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital means breaking free from the interference of pollution itself."
"But... how is that possible?"
"As long as we remain inside, we are constantly being contaminated."
The two fell into a deadlock.
On the livestream screen, comments kept flooding in.
"Wait... leaving makes pollution worse?"
"So what, we’re just stuck forever?"
"If we don’t tell Shen Yu now, we might miss the only chance!"
Ho Yong’s expression grew heavy. He clenched his fists and looked at Luen.
But she shook her head.
"It’s not time yet."
"And the one who relays information doesn’t necessarily have to be Yuji."
She paused slightly, her eyes narrowing.
"Shen Yu... might actually be the one who keeps surviving."
At the same time, inside the instance.
After the morning visit ended, the hospital entered free activity time.
Shen Yu sat in a row of seats, pretending to be asleep.
Ding.
A system prompt sounded.
"New favorability CG unlocked."
A projection unfolded before his eyes.
Middle school office.
A female teacher spoke carefully:
"Your daughter’s psychological condition is worsening. She reports frequent nightmares, and her headaches in class are getting more severe..."
The mother frowned impatiently.
"Psychological issues? That’s just excuses."
"She’s trying to avoid studying. Other kids can endure it, why can’t she?"
"I’m the most qualified psychologist. I understand her best."
The teacher hesitated.
"...Is that really okay?"
"There’s nothing ’okay or not okay’ about it."
"This is what everyone goes through."
The scene shifted.
A young Yang Jin stood outside the classroom window, silently watching.
She said nothing.
She never once argued back.
The CG ended.
Shen Yu opened his eyes again, faintly feeling a strange link forming between him and the hospital’s deeper records.
"So that’s it..."
Shen Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Yang Jin’s psychological issues started in childhood... but were ignored."
"Instead, she was forced into pressure-based control."
He clicked his tongue softly.
"Typical."
Footsteps approached.
Yuji and Puer arrived.
Yuji looked annoyed, his expression tight.
Puer stood behind him silently, headband showing +15.
Yuji sat beside Shen Yu.
"You didn’t use the rationality potion, did you?"
He glanced over.
"So about that warehouse reward—you should still remember it, right?"
Shen Yu smiled lightly.
"Oh? You’ve got a clue?"
Yuji snorted.
"What I can think of, you can think of too."
"So I’ll tell you what happened during the previous visit. You go get that reward for me."
Shen Yu tilted his head slightly.
"Trying to order me around?"
Yuji’s hand suddenly shot forward—
Click.
At the same time, Puer grabbed Shen Yu’s shoulder from behind, expression cold.
Yuji paused.
"You chose to help him?"
Puer said nothing.
His hand was already reaching toward Shen Yu’s chest—aiming for the rationality potion.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed.
Yang Jin arrived with the nurses.
"Activity time is over."
"All return to your wards."
Her voice was calm but absolute.
Yuji clicked his tongue and withdrew his hand.
"Fine."
He glanced at Shen Yu coldly.
"I’ll see how long your strange woman can keep protecting you."
