Vol. 3 Chapter 17: The Second Phase

Chapter 17: The Second Phase

Lu Li stood up and looked at his chest. The hole had been filled with a mass of red flesh. He carefully sensed the area and found that blood vessels and nerves had roughly connected.

His life was no longer in danger, and Lu Li found the process fascinating. The flesh was quickly assimilating into his body, its redness fading within seconds. He estimated that within an hour, it would look and feel like normal flesh, far faster than the few days Hu Luan Lai had mentioned.

"Are you Mr. Lu? Dr. Hu has instructed us to take you to your next destination. We'll provide you with the basic information. Once you're in, whether you succeed or not, our hospital will consider everything settled. If you resolve the issue, we can also help with your... complications from the high-speed crash and the indirect mask rampage you caused," said a woman in a white lab coat, though her gaze indicated she had already confirmed his identity.

Lu Li smiled. The hospital had managed to uncover a lot in just a few hours, though the involvement of Red Face and Black Face, who were hospital insiders, certainly helped. The hospital even claimed to have the power to settle the issues Lu Li had caused, including the massive car accident and the indirect creation of a mask rampage. Normally, these actions would have branded Lu Li as a terrorist, leading to imprisonment and interrogation.

"What kind of problem can't your hospital solve?" Lu Li asked, squinting slightly.

"We'll explain in detail," the woman said with a condescending tone. "It's not that the hospital can't handle it, but using our own personnel is too costly. We need outside help."

"Sounds dangerous," Lu Li said with a hint of interest. "But as long as it's intriguing, I won't refuse."

"Then follow me." The woman led him out of the operating room. Turning back, she said, "Oh, I forgot to mention, we initially planned to punish you for illegally controlling our staff. But since you're cooperating so well, we decided to have that employee assist you on your mission."

Outside the operating room, Lu Li saw the nurse tied to a chair, her hands and feet bound. Black devices emitting red flashes were attached to her mask. Lu Li tried sensing the connection to the mask and found it blocked. If he hadn't actively searched for it, he wouldn't have noticed the disruption.

"We suspected you had a unique connection with those masks, so we took some necessary precautions. Please don't mind," the woman said in a patronizing tone, implying everything was under their control. "Additionally, the other three masks you handed over are in our possession. If you wish to buy them back, please prepare the necessary payment."

Contrary to her expectations, Lu Li showed no sign of anger or frustration. Instead, he appeared curious. "Is this really just a hospital?" he asked.

"…We are indeed a hospital, but we also conduct research for the United City-State Government," the woman replied after a moment of silence. "The task we need you to complete is related to one of our research projects."

The woman pressed the elevator button and began explaining the situation. "We primarily study the phenomenon of mask rampages, like the flame species currently wreaking havoc outside."

"Even after some mask wearers die, their masks can still trigger rampages under certain conditions. We research this. Our experiments were going well until an incident caused some of our research subjects to escape into the morgue, causing problems there."

"The entire morgue has transformed into a strange space filled with mask monsters. We need you to enter and retrieve our research results." As the woman finished speaking, a new notification appeared on Lu Li's interface:

**YZ0135, you have triggered the second phase of the mission ahead of time.**

**Mission Description: This hospital, also an underground research facility for the United City-State Government, hides many secrets. An experiment gone awry has turned the morgue into a chaotic space filled with mask monsters. Your task is to retrieve the research results.**

**Mission Hint: The subjects have caused mask rampages among many corpses in the morgue, leading to strange occurrences.**

**Mission Reward: For each result you retrieve, you will earn 3 points. Higher points improve your ranking.**

"One of many? Interesting," Lu Li mused, freeing the nurse from her restraints. The nurse quickly removed the devices from her mask and knelt, saying, "I apologize for the trouble, Master."

"Ding!" The elevator door opened, revealing several guards holding two 'mask people.' Their lifeless masks indicated they were also players, though they seemed in poor condition. Like Lu Li, they had started with severe debuffs, though not as life-threatening as his initial injury.

Meanwhile, the hospital below was in chaos. Guards secured the main entrance, closing off even the VIP entry. The two players had tried to sneak in but were caught and beaten, their valuables confiscated before being given basic treatment and ordinary appointments. They were likely to be used as cannon fodder for the hospital's problems.

"Let's go, Mr. Lu. I'll escort you," the woman said, glancing at the two captured players with disdain. "They also wore masks that didn't change. You have no special connection with them, do you?"

"No, nothing special," Lu Li denied, inwardly sighing at how they had underestimated the local forces. It seemed the players had all fallen into the hospital's hands.

This outcome was likely engineered by the game's design. The immediate debuffs, the urgency, the unfamiliar mask settings, and severe information asymmetry had led the players into disadvantageous positions against local forces.

But Lu Li smiled, thinking, "Such a game brings the most enjoyment."