441: Chapter 441 Monster Battle (Happy National Day, 22)

Xu Hao scrambled backward on hands and knees until his back hit the wall, staring wide-eyed at the iron door easily pierced by a scalpel.

What was going on? Weren't they told they'd be safe as long as they hid inside a room? Was that pretty boy's analysis wrong?

Just as panic seized him, the continuous, ear-piercing alarm suddenly snapped him back to reality.

Earlier, when the lights were flickering, he had been so focused on running for his life that he hadn't closed his eyes at all.

Realizing this, Xu Hao quickly squeezed his eyes shut.

However...

The heart-stopping sound of the iron door being pierced continued to ring in his ears without showing any sign of stopping.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

The long blade was pulled out, only to be plunged back in repeatedly.

In less than half a minute, over a dozen holes had been poked through the iron door, causing rust flakes to rain down.

Xu Hao repeatedly experimented by closing and opening his eyes.

After several fruitless attempts, he simply slumped onto the cold floor.

This door wasn't going to hold out much longer!

He gasped heavily for air, a agonizing pain radiating from the wound on his left shoulder that made him grimace in agony.

He quickly stripped off his hospital gown, tore it into several strips of cloth, and crudely wrapped his bleeding wound.

He then stared intently at the hole-riddled iron door, his mind racing with thoughts.

The threat of death had never felt so real.

This hellhole was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

That pretty boy was right.

It was completely impossible for one person to break out alone.

...

Meanwhile, inside the pitch-black ventilation duct, Xiao Sa dragged his body forward, crawling bit by bit.

After separating from Xu Hao, he had carefully felt his way along and finally found the emergency exit corridor.

Yet when he reached the second floor, the stairwell landing leading up to the third floor was completely gone, replaced by a bare wall.

It was as if during construction, the designer had intentionally blocked the upward route, cutting off any possibility for anyone to take shortcuts or exploit loopholes.

With no other option, he had to push open the fire door on the second floor and retreat back into the hallway.

However, before he could take more than a few steps, the alarm sounded again, and the lights began flashing frantically.

In an instant, both ends of the hallway were tightly blocked by a surging crowd of "patients."

At the critical moment of life and death, he caught sight of the ventilation duct opening above his head. Straining with all his might, he crawled inside and managed to escape.

He had intended to keep crawling through the duct to find a way to the third floor.

Suddenly, a strange "pfft, pfft" sound came from below, sounding like a Sharp Weapon puncturing sheet metal.

He froze immediately and looked down through the gaps in the vent grate.

He happened to see Xu Hao, covered in blood, cornered inside a room that looked like a laboratory.

The tightly shut iron door was being frantically pierced from the outside by something wielding a long blade.

Suddenly, with a loud crash, the iron door collapsed entirely.

Right after, a tall figure clad in a white nurse's uniform rushed in, dragging an absurdly long scalpel.

Xiao Sa couldn't see the thing's face, but he could see it pursuing Xu Hao with lethal strikes.

Xu Hao could only dodge in embarrassment between the lab tables, sustaining several more wounds on his body.

"This hothead..."

Xiao Sa knitted his brows, feeling conflicted inside.

To save him, or not?

The guy was reckless and impulsive; dying would be his own doing.

But on second thought, this cursed place was bizarre everywhere.

Those "patients" were troublesome enough, and that nurse with the knife down there was ridiculously strong. Who knew how terrifying the "Attending Physician" mentioned in the rules would be?

Although this hothead wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, his body was strong and he fought fiercely. He was at least a usable meat shield and enforcer.

"Damn it..."

Xiao Sa cursed under his breath and immediately made up his mind.

He reached out and squeezed the lighter in his pocket, his gaze rapidly scanning the laboratory below.

An alcohol lamp, an oxygen cylinder, and that stainless steel lab table in the center of the room...

A crazy and daring plan quickly took shape in his mind.

At this moment, Xu Hao was still clinging on with sheer physical endurance, dodging frantically around the vast laboratory.

Just then, Xiao Sa pried open the vent grate and jumped down noiselessly from above.

Xu Hao, who was dodging in desperation, caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye. Scared into feeling his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering, he thought another monster had arrived.

Looking closely, he realized it was that pretty boy.

"Why the fuck are you here?!"

Cut the crap! If you want to live, listen to me!"

Xiao Sa spoke as fast as a machine gun. Rushing over to the lab table, he used his lighter to ignite the alcohol lamp while shouting at Xu Hao:

"Throw that oxygen cylinder over there and smash her with it!"

Xu Hao froze momentarily, then understood the guy's crazy plan.

Without time to overthink, he rolled aside to dodge a horizontal sweep of the long blade.

Seizing the opportunity, he scooped up a waist-high oxygen cylinder from the corner, roared fiercely, and hurled it with all his strength at the charging "nurse."

Faced with the incoming heavy object, the "nurse's" instinctive reaction was to attack.

She let out a screech, her long blade drawing an afterimage as it struck the body of the oxygen cylinder with precise and vicious force.

Clang!

Hiss—

A crack was sliced open on the sturdy cylinder, and high-pressure oxygen instantly gushed out, forming a cloud of dense white mist that enveloped the "nurse."

"Take cover, fast!"

Xiao Sa let out a loud shout and threw the burning alcohol lamp forcefully toward the cloud of white mist.

Almost at the same time, Xu Hao threw himself frantically toward the thickest lab table in the center of the room, crouching alongside him behind the solid steel base with all his power.

A tiny cluster of flames traced a faint arc through the air.

And then, it plunged headlong into the cloud of high-purity oxygen.

BOOM—

A deafening explosion erupted.

A terrifying shockwave mixed with incandescent flames instantly filled the entire laboratory, swallowing glass vessels, metal racks, and that terrifying "nurse" all at once.

Hiding behind the base of the lab table, the two of them felt a tremendous force hit them from behind, as if struck violently by a speeding truck.

The heavy lab table was pushed several meters by sheer force, leaving the two of them pinned tightly between the table and the wall.

Their internal organs churned violently, and their ears buzzed loudly, rendering them completely unable to hear anything.

After a long while, Xu Hao shook his dizzy head and pushed off Xiao Sa, who was pinned beneath him.

The laboratory was in complete ruins, with scorch marks and shattered glass everywhere.

The back of the stainless steel lab table that had saved their lives was also warped and deformed.

"You kid, impressive!"

Xu Hao wiped a smear of soot from his face and patted Xiao Sa on the shoulder, offering heartfelt praise for the first time:

"You've got a sharp brain."

"Cough, cough... likewise."

Xiao Sa coughed up a few mouthfuls of smoke and dust, offering a bitter smile:

"If your throw had been off, both of us would have been done for."

Looking at the ruins before them and the burned remains of the "nurse," both felt lingering fear.

Successfully resolving this deadly threat had finally cleared a major obstacle.

And after going through life and death together, the friction between them had completely vanished.

"Let's go, keep finding a way."

Xu Hao took the initiative and said, "This time, I'll follow your commands."

Xiao Sa nodded without ceremony and led the way toward the laboratory door.

From then on, they began to cooperate.

Xiao Sa was responsible for analyzing routes and dealing with rules, while Xu Hao acted as his bodyguard and enforcer.

Their coordination grew increasingly seamless, and their exploration efficiency improved dramatically.

Finally, at the end of a corridor on the second floor, they found the stairs leading to the third floor.

The moment they stepped onto the third floor, an extremely intense stench hit them right in the face.

It smelled as if countless corpses had been piled together and left to rot for months.

While warily observing their surroundings, the two searched for the way to the fourth floor.

The layout here was completely different from the lower two floors; there were no patient wards.

Instead, it consisted of operating rooms and dissection rooms filled with all kinds of terrifying experimental equipment.

An unknown black liquid seeped down the walls, and the surgical lamps hanging from the ceiling looked like prying eyeballs.

On many operating tables, shriveled and blackened "corpses" were strapped down with leather belts.

Their mouths were stretched wide open, as if uttering silent, agonizing wails.

Seeing these sights, Xu Hao's breathing suddenly turned rapid.

Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, or perhaps because painful memories flooded back, his gaze gradually grew unfocused.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Xiao Sa noticed his abnormality.

"I'm fine..."

Xu Hao gritted his teeth as fine beads of cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Thump... Thump...

A series of heavy footsteps suddenly resonated from one of the operating rooms.

With every step, that foul, rotting stench seemed to grow stronger, penetrating deep into their nostrils.

Both of their expressions changed as they stared fixedly at the door of that operating room.

A streak of ominous green light seeped out from the door crack, eerily illuminating the floor outside.

Then, a tall figure slowly walked out.

That figure was at least two and a half meters tall, wearing a lab coat so soaked in dark bloodstains that it had turned stiff.

On his face, he wore a medieval-style Plague Doctor Mask.

Behind the lenses of the mask, a crimson light flickered.

One of his hands had been modified into a giant, rust-encrusted bone pliers.

The other hand held a lantern emitting an eerie green light.

Both of their hearts sank.

Without a doubt, this monster was the "Attending Physician."

When that green light shone over, Xu Hao and Xiao Sa felt their bodies stiffen, as if bound by invisible shackles, unable to move at all.

Even worse, under their skin, it felt as though countless tiny bugs were crawling, bringing a marrow-deep numbness and itch.

The "Attending Physician" advanced toward them step by step with heavy strides.

From inside his white coat, he pulled out a syringe as thick as an arm.

It was filled with a murky, dark red liquid, and maggot-like entities could even be seen wriggling within.

He raised the syringe and aimed the rust-covered needle tip right at Xu Hao's neck.

"No..."

Xu Hao's eyes were filled with horror and rage.

He didn't want to experience the agony of having his body modified again. He didn't want to go back to being a test subject at someone else's mercy.

"I still have... so many important things left undone..."

"I still have to follow Boss and unite the Jianghu..."

"I absolutely cannot... die here!"

His powerful willpower miraculously restored a thread of strength to his bound body.

"Get the fuck... off me!"

With a fierce roar, he lowered his head and slammed forward, wrapping both arms around the Attending Physician's waist in an attempt to tackle him down.

Yet the towering figure merely swayed slightly, remaining as solid as a rock.

His free hand didn't even push Xu Hao away; holding the syringe, he expressionlessly stabbed it downward.

Pfft!

The massive needle plunged ruthlessly into Xu Hao's shoulder.

Aaagh—

Xu Hao let out an agonizing roar.

The viscous liquid was injected into his body, bringing an indescribable, sharp pain.

It felt as if magma was scorching his blood vessels, making even his Soul tremble.

At the same time, however, the power binding Xiao Sa loosened slightly due to the "Attending Physician's" attack.

Regaining his freedom, Xiao Sa watched Xu Hao collapse in agony, his eyes instantly turning blood-red.

"You bastard!"

Grabbing a bone saw from a nearby operating table, he immediately charged at the "Attending Physician."

The "Attending Physician" hadn't expected him to break free from the restraint; reacting a beat too late, he was struck hard on the neck by Xiao Sa's bone saw.

With a clanging sound like striking steel, it left only a faint white mark.

However, this strike successfully enraged the "Attending Physician."

Abandoning Xu Hao, he turned around and locked his emotionless eyes on Xiao Sa.

The crisis had shifted onto Xiao Sa's head.

"Run!"

Xu Hao endured the agonizing pain and shouted at him.

But Xiao Sa didn't run.

He knew he couldn't escape.

Tightening his grip on the bone saw with both hands, he assumed an unrefined stance, staring fixedly at the terrifying presence before him.

With crimson light flashing in his eyes, the "Attending Physician" raised the massive syringe in his hand and stepped toward him.

Xiao Sa originally thought he should be terrified, yet right now he was surprisingly calm.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind: his mother's gentle advice, his wretched state when lingering on the streets...

And the Guild Leader's perpetually unruffled face.

What a pity, Guild Leader... I won't be able to follow you to establish the Illuminati and realize your grand vision...

Just as he thought he was doomed, the collapsed Xu Hao suddenly lunged forward and grabbed hold of the "Attending Physician's" thigh.

The red liquid injected into his body seemed not only to bring pain, but also to unleash the hidden energy within him.

The veins on his arms bulged, exerting such astonishing strength that the "Attending Physician's" movements actually faltered!

"Quick!"

Xu Hao strained with the last of his strength, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Strike his Plague Doctor Mask! That's definitely his weak spot!"

Xiao Sa realized it instantly.

Gathering the strength of his entire body into his arms, he leapt high into the air, the bone saw whistling through the wind as it slashed fiercely toward the "Attending Physician's" face.

Crack!

The seemingly hard Plague Doctor Mask fractured at the impact.

ROAR—

The "Attending Physician" let out an unhuman roar of agony, dropped the syringe, and clutched his face with both hands.

Through the crack in the mask, Xiao Sa caught sight of a terrifying, jigsaw-like face stitched together with countless threads.

An opportunity!

Neither of them missed this window; grabbing anything nearby that could serve as a weapon, they frantically attacked the "Attending Physician's" head.

However, this monster's vitality was far beyond their imagination.

After a brief loss of control, it swung its arm violently, sending them both flying like tattered ragdolls to crash heavily against the wall.

Both Xu Hao and Xiao Sa spat out blood, unable to pick themselves up again.

Their consciousness began to fade rapidly, and the scene before them gradually sank into deeper darkness.

The "Attending Physician" picked up the syringe from the floor once more and stepped toward them.

The heavy footsteps sounded like a death knell pounding on their hearts.

This time, they were truly going to die...

Xu Hao and Xiao Sa exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of a bitter smile in each other's eyes.

A terrifying monster of this level was clearly not something the two of them could deal with.

The cold needle tip magnified continuously in their vision.

Just as they closed their eyes to await death...

The surrounding world fell into an eerie stillness.

Time seemed to enter eternity at this very moment. (End of chapter)