Vol. 3 Chapter 16: Floating Species and Chaos

Chapter 16: Floating Species and Chaos

"Uh… it should be interesting… right?" Hu Luan Lai said uncertainly, then impatiently waved his hand. "Anyway, I'll treat you now, but after that, you better do the job for me. Don't think of skipping out; I'll have the security keep an eye on you."

"Go change into a hospital gown. Your current attire is distracting me." Hu Luan Lai tossed a patient gown at Lu Li, pointing to the changing room.

After changing, Lu Li was placed on a stretcher by several nurses and wheeled to the operating room. Hu Luan Lai, yawning, said, "Honestly, we could've done this in my office, but fine, the OR it is."

"Lift his shirt," Hu Luan Lai lazily instructed the nurses. The mask on his face emitted a faint glow, red fluorescence floating from his body and gathering around Lu Li's chest wound.

Meanwhile, outside the hospital, the flame species was unleashing waves of fire, chasing down the masked people. The hospital's security team merely guarded the entrance, watching the chaos unfold. Their orders were clear: as long as the flame species didn't attack the hospital, they wouldn't intervene.

The flame species harbored more hatred for the relatives exploiting his death than for the hospital that killed him. He continuously launched fireballs, burning the fleeing crowd into charred remains.

Like the gigantic species, the flame species' fire was uniquely destructive to life forms, draining their moisture in seconds and leaving them as dried husks.

Having just incinerated his lazy son, the creature's mask emitted numerous fluorescents. These coalesced into a large humanoid form, causing further panic among the onlookers.

"It's a floating species! Notify the command center immediately. They need to decide whether we handle this ourselves or call in the special combat unit. Floating species are slow to adapt but extremely dangerous," the hospital security chief ordered his subordinates, his face grim as he watched the floating species take shape.

Mask rampage creatures required an adaptation period to transition from their spectral to physical forms, existing in a quasi-realm until they fully materialized. The flame species had the shortest adaptation period, while the floating species took the longest. Yet, the floating species was deemed the most dangerous, being composed of countless floating organisms capable of infecting masked people and evolving various pathogens.

Fortunately, the flame species was effective against the floating species. The command center would likely summon a flame species wielder to burn away the floating species.

"This is turning into a troublesome season—three mask rampages in one day, and the issues inside the hospital..." The security chief's face darkened as the city's special combat unit, fresh from dealing with the gigantic species, rushed to the hospital to prevent further slaughter by the flame species.

"Take a team and hold back the flame species. We can't let it trigger more rampages!" the chief instructed his deputy.

"But, Chief, the orders are to hold our position unless the flame species..." The deputy hesitated.

"I'll take responsibility if things go wrong. Letting the flame species rampage will only worsen the situation!"

"Understood!" The deputy, feeling a bit relieved, led a team toward the flame species. His mask glowed, transforming his skin into an insect-like exoskeleton. With compound eyes and a slight hunch in his back, he carried a shield and a specialized weapon as he led the charge.

Despite his outward compliance, the deputy seethed with jealousy. Why should the chief, just a month his senior, get all the credit while he risked his life? "Die, monster!" he snarled internally.

Raising his shield to block incoming flames, he fired a stream of specially formulated water that harmed the flame species. Other guards, equipped with similar water cannons, joined in, slowly wearing down the creature. However, the flame species, like all mask rampage creatures, could regenerate as long as its mask remained intact—a trait not shared by the so-called divine mask users.

Inside the operating room, red fluorescence continued to repair Lu Li's chest wound, with more floating from Hu Luan Lai's body to aid the process. As a divine mask user with the abilities of the floating species, Hu Luan Lai's controlled organisms could transform into basic biological tissues, later assimilating with the body's cells.

Nurses administered nutrient solutions to Hu Luan Lai while applying growth serums to Lu Li's wound. The floating organisms rapidly converged and proliferated, with Hu Luan Lai meticulously orchestrating their assembly to ensure proper tissue alignment.

After a while, Hu Luan Lai collapsed into a prepared chair, enjoying a massage from several nurses. "I've done a lot for you, fixing that chest wound. It'll itch a bit, but it'll integrate with your body in a few days. Just be careful for now. Someone will escort you to handle my task. Success or not, we're even after this."

He then closed his mask's eyes and fell into a deep sleep...