Vol. 3 Chapter 10: Ambulance

Chapter 10: Ambulance

"Mom, look! That sister's mask is so strange. And why doesn't she have any balls on her chest?" A child with a curious mask pulled on his mother's sleeve, asking loudly. His mother quickly covered his mouth, pulling him close. The woman nodded apologetically to Lu Li, her front mask showing an apologetic expression, while the mask on the back displayed disdain and contempt.

Lu Li ignored the looks from passersby, even as the woman whispered to her child that he was some kind of deviant. He maintained a steady pace that neither worsened his injury nor wasted time. From the rooftop, he had gauged the distance to the hospital, which stood conspicuously tall in the city center, as if begging to be noticed.

Disregarding the practicality of the hospital's location and size, Lu Li calculated that, at his current speed, it would take about 45 minutes to reach the hospital. Adding the five minutes he spent in the building, he estimated he had about 50 minutes left, leaving only ten minutes to secure a specialist slot before his time ran out.

If he failed to get a slot, he would have only half an hour left to live, not to mention the presence of other players. Encountering them could lead to a fight, further reducing his time.

The most concerning aspect was that this dungeon, despite everyone wearing masks, resembled the real world with residents and even police. Causing a scene could attract the police, wasting precious time. This was why Lu Li dared not summon his shadow assassins for help.

Thinking of the police, Lu Li considered a plan but quickly discarded it. Police would take injured suspects to the hospital for humanitarian reasons or otherwise, which was a shortcut but came with too many uncertainties in this unfamiliar world. He decided against this risky option.

"Is that...?" Lu Li's eyes lit up. Not far ahead was a phone booth. He saw someone insert a coin-like object into the slot and pick up the receiver to make a call. "A phone? An ambulance!"

Lu Li hurried towards the phone booth. The previous caller left, glancing at Lu Li with a startled look that turned to an understanding and tolerant expression on his mask. As Lu Li passed by, he noted the back mask showed disdain.

Ignoring this, Lu Li manipulated a shadow tentacle to retrieve two coins, examining them. One side depicted a smiling mask, the other a crying one, with a number one on the smiling side, likely indicating its value.

Checking the phone booth for numbers, Lu Li quickly found the emergency number. After inserting a coin, he dialed the number. After a few rings, a sweet female voice answered, "Hello, this is Mask City Central Hospital. Do you need emergency assistance? If so, please provide the address, identity information, and patient details. If the patient is in critical condition, describe the symptoms, and I will offer simple first aid guidance until the ambulance arrives. If this is a prank, we will report it to the police, and you will be arrested for disrupting emergency services."

Recalling the sign he saw earlier, Lu Li responded, "I'm at... Street... The patient has a chest puncture wound. Wearing a girl's high school sailor uniform. I will wait near the phone booth."

"Is the patient female? How large is the wound? Are there any symptoms like coughing blood or unconsciousness?" The operator quickly inquired.

"The patient is me. I don't have any severe symptoms yet but can only survive about an hour. Please send an ambulance quickly!" Lu Li replied calmly.

"You are... understood. An ambulance is on its way!" The operator's voice paused, then responded, clearly excited.

Hanging up the phone, Lu Li waited. Within minutes, an ambulance arrived, sirens blaring. The paramedics' masks displayed strange expressions as they confirmed Lu Li was the patient. Two large paramedics exchanged glances before helping Lu Li onto the ambulance.

Inside the ambulance, Lu Li sat on one side while the two large paramedics sat opposite, their masks showing strange looks. After checking Lu Li's wound, a nurse nodded to the paramedics, then pressed a button. The ambulance, previously speeding on the highway, turned on its hazard lights and pulled into a maintenance area.

The nurse exited, leaving Lu Li alone with the two large paramedics. One's mask turned fierce as he snarled, "You cross-dressing freak! I don't know how you're still alive with that wound, but you'll only live a few more minutes. If you want to get to the hospital, hand over 4000 mask coins. Otherwise, we'll delay a few minutes, and you can die in drag."

The other paramedic's mask turned gentle as he persuaded, "None of us want this to happen. But we work hard and deserve some compensation. Money is just a worldly possession; it's better to be alive to spend it. We only ask for 4000, which is a fair split among us. For your own sake, you should pay."

Watching the two paramedics play good cop, bad cop, Lu Li chuckled. He had heard of such extortion in news reports but never expected to experience it himself.

"Sorry, first, I'm not a cross-dresser; second, don't threaten me. I know how much time I have left," Lu Li said clearly, standing up. "Third, I don't have any money..."