Chapter 45: The Irresistible Laboratory
On the dark wall above, a human figure lay flat against the surface, its body sagging unnaturally. The section of wall where its head rested curved inward, forming a distorted face whose eyes stared directly at Poor.
"Who...?"
Poor’s gaze locked onto the corpse as he slowly backed away, supporting himself against the wall.
In the distance, a massive double-door hospital room came into view.
Laboratory.
At the same time, everything Poor was experiencing was being witnessed by viewers across Joi City.
"Wow, impressive. That foreigner figured out the problem immediately."
"Foreigner? That’s Yuji controlling him. One of our veterans. Of course his reaction speed is insane."
"It’s still Yuji. Every time he acts, you feel safe."
"Officials, hurry and support him!"
Another comment appeared:
"Can’t Shen Yu put aside his grudges and help Yuji?"
A reply quickly followed:
"Easy for you to say. Yuji never respected Shen Yu from the beginning. If I were Shen Yu, I wouldn’t cooperate either."
"We believe Yuji has the greatest chance of clearing the instance. Sacrificing Shen Yu is acceptable if it improves the odds."
"But if you were Shen Yu, wouldn’t you want to survive too?"
A different voice joined the debate.
"Am I the only one who believes in Shen Yu? He’s survived this long as a newcomer and has even outplayed Yuji several times. That’s already incredible."
"What’s the point? Talent has limits. Can Shen Yu stop the dungeon from descending into reality? I’d still bet on Yuji."
Within Poor’s live stream, Yuji’s performance triggered another wave of heated discussion.
Ho Yong stared at the flood of comments, his expression grave.
Beside him, Luen narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"S-class talent abilities really are troublesome."
"Yuji’s ability is Invoke Soul, right?"
"Correct."
Ho Yong nodded.
"Invoke Soul allows him to summon nearby spirits and let them possess a body. He can also call forth a target’s soul and temporarily control their body. The duration depends on the talent’s strength."
"It is precisely because of this ability that Yuji has maintained such a high survival rate in horror instances."
On another screen, Yuji’s own body remained motionless on the hospital bed.
Honestly, Ho Yong felt somewhat uncomfortable with the ability.
Forcing others to take risks while remaining hidden to gather information felt distasteful.
Yet results spoke louder than morals.
When it came to clearing instances and preventing dungeon descents, Yuji consistently delivered.
That was why most citizens continued to support him—not because they liked him, but because he offered the highest probability of success.
Luen crossed her arms.
"So from the very beginning, he wasn’t sleeping."
"He was communicating with spirits."
"The confession phase, the personality shifts, controlling Poor, rejecting Shen Yu’s cooperation..."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"He has been using his ability from the moment the instance started."
She turned toward Ho Yong.
"So, Mayor Ho, are you finally going to help Yuji?"
For Luen, it didn’t particularly matter who survived.
Even if the instance descended into reality, she possessed enough confidence in her own strength.
Ho Yong shook his head.
"No."
"The officials must remain absolutely rational and fair."
He paused before looking back at the screens.
"But if we don’t provide assistance soon, there may never be another opportunity."
His eyes narrowed.
"This laboratory mission is the key."
"Whether it’s Shen Yu or Yuji..."
"Whoever completes it first will receive the clue."
___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.
Third Floor, Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the corpse clinging to the wall above, Poor slowly retreated deeper into the corridor.
Bang!
Suddenly, his back collided with something solid.
Without daring to look away, Poor reached behind him with trembling hands.
Puff. Puff. Puff.
Thick layers of dust fell from his touch. Beneath his fingers, he felt the outline of two distorted iron doors.
His heart leaped.
The laboratory!
Gathering his strength, he shoved forward.
Boom!
The rusted doors crashed inward and fell heavily to the ground.
Joy flashed across Poor’s face.
He immediately stepped backward toward the opening.
But after only two steps—
Bang!
His back slammed into something hard.
"What?"
Poor froze.
"How is that possible?"
Unable to stop himself, he glanced behind him.
His pupils contracted instantly.
The doors marked LABORATORY had indeed fallen open.
But behind them was not a room.
It was a solid black wall.
A dead end.
"How...?"
Before he could process what he was seeing—
Whoosh!
Flames erupted across his entire body once more.
"Damn it!"
Panic seized him.
He desperately searched for the corpse above.
But when his eyes returned to the ceiling—
It was gone.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Engulfed in fire, Poor hurled himself against the black wall again and again.
Nothing happened.
The wall remained immovable.
The corpse remained missing.
Meanwhile, the flames only grew stronger.
Sizzle...
Sizzle...
The moisture in his body rapidly evaporated.
Skin cracked.
Fat burned.
The smell of scorched flesh filled the corridor.
Poor’s body gradually blackened like charcoal.
His strength faded.
His knees buckled.
As consciousness slipped away, his gaze drifted downward.
Then he saw it.
A face.
A human face hidden beneath the black floor.
It stared up at him from the darkness.
Smiling.
Qing Shan Psychiatric Hospital.
Patient Ward.
Yuji suddenly jolted upright on the bed.
"Gasp!"
He sucked in a mouthful of air, sweat covering his body.
The agony of burning alive still lingered in his mind.
Before he could recover, a familiar voice drifted over.
"Jing, can I call you that?"
"If you don’t object, I’ll assume that’s fine."
Yuji turned his head.
Shen Yu was lying comfortably on his bed.
Beside him sat Yang Jin.
Her long legs crossed elegantly as she watched the room with calm amusement.
The moment their eyes met, the atmosphere became tense.
Yuji’s expression darkened.
The contrast was infuriating.
He had just endured a nightmare of fire and death.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu looked as if he were relaxing on vacation.
"Good."
"Very good."
Yuji gritted his teeth.
"I was over there risking my life, and you’re here enjoying yourself."
"Are you even human?"
Shen Yu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"You came back empty-handed?"
"Couldn’t find the medical record?"
The words struck directly at Yuji’s sore spot.
His face darkened further.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"I’ve already been forced to execute that mission once."
"Can I refuse it from now on?"
For the first time, Yuji was genuinely cautious.
If another voting task appeared, there was no guarantee Yang Jin wouldn’t interfere again.
Too many variables existed.
Too many risks.
Without another word, he turned away from Shen Yu and Yang Jin.
Yang Jin narrowed her eyes slightly.
"So you’re giving up?"
"This is one of the core missions."
Yuji remained silent.
Her gaze shifted toward Shen Yu.
"And you?"
"Are you giving up as well?"
Shen Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pretending to consider the question.
Yang Jin leaned closer.
Her voice lowered.
"If you complete it..."
"There’s an additional reward."
Shen Yu’s eyes immediately brightened.
"Oh?"
"There’s something that good?"
In the next second—
Splash!
He jumped directly off the bed.
"Then of course I’m doing it."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Yang Jin’s lips.
