(The note had contradictory rules, and for a moment, you didn't know which to believe.)

(The first rule on the front told you to take your medicine on time.)

(But the bloody words on the back told you not to take it.)

(Even more terrifying, the note also said, "There are always two patients in the Special Care Ward," but you hadn't seen your roommate from beginning to end.)

(A chill ran down your spine. Perhaps the "Unmentionable" of this dungeon was standing right behind you.)

(Could it be the "missing roommate" mentioned in the background introduction?)

(Knock, knock, knock—)

(A knock came from the door.)

(You hurriedly put away the note, took the pills from the first drawer, and swallowed them.)

(When you didn't respond, the doctor and nurse entered the ward.)

(The nurse glanced at the clothes strewn all over the floor and cursed at you.)

(She pulled a ballpoint pen from her breast pocket and stabbed you through the eyeball.)

(Your vision turned blood-red.)

(You died.)

(Simulation ended.)

Gu Yi exited the simulation. He covered his eyes, the gruesome memory of his recent death still fresh in his mind.

Gu Yi had a major breakthrough in this simulation. He now knew the reason for his first sudden death.

The first time, he had triggered an instant death because he hadn't taken his medicine on time, so the doctor killed him immediately upon discovering it.

The second time, it was the nurse who killed him. Before stabbing him, she had glanced at the pile of clothes on the floor. Clearly, it was because he hadn't kept the ward tidy.

From this, he could see that the contents of the first page of the note were true, and the bloody writing on the back was not to be trusted.

To confirm his theory, Gu Yi used his Innate Skill again.

(Simulation start!)

(You got out of bed.)

(The first thing you did was make your bed. Then you turned, picked up the clothes from the floor, folded them neatly, and put them in the second drawer of the nightstand. You folded the cardboard box and leaned it against the wall.)

(You hid the fruit knife from the third drawer on your person and turned to face the door.)

(Knock, knock, knock—)

(There was a knock at the door. The doctor and nurse greeted you from outside.)

(You responded.)

(The doctor and nurse entered the ward.)

(The nurse glanced at the clean floor and said nothing.)

(The doctor pulled open the first drawer of the nightstand and nodded, then began to check your physical condition.)

(Doctor: Have you taken your medicine on time?)

(You: Once in the morning, noon, and night.)

(Doctor: Your illness won't get better if you don't take your medicine.)

(You: Yes.)

(The sound of a dog barking came from outside the door.)

(Neither the doctor nor the nurse showed any confusion. They seemed accustomed to hearing dogs bark in the hospital.)

(You: Why is there a dog in the hospital?)

Support us at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

(Doctor: The hospital doesn't keep dogs. It seems your condition has worsened. We'll have to increase your dosage.)

(You: Can I know what illness I have?)

(Doctor: You have delusional disorder. You feel like your body doesn't belong to you. A while ago, you even said you saw monsters. Have you had any similar hallucinations recently?)

(You: No.)

(You were confused.)

(Could the root cause of your sudden deaths in the first two simulations be that you had a psychotic break and mistook the doctor for a monster?)

(If that's the case, then what about the hints on the note?)

("If you see blood dripping from the hallway ceiling, do not panic. This is normal.")

(This is clearly describing a hallucination one might see during a psychotic episode. Why would the note say it's normal?)

(Could this hint be wrong too?)

(You felt lost. You felt the rules on the note couldn't be fully trusted.)

(Doctor: It seems you're in good condition today. We'll arrange a new ward for you tonight. After the rounds are over, you can go to the cafeteria for breakfast.)

(You: Thank you.)

(The doctor and nurse left, not forgetting to lock the door behind them.)

(You pressed yourself against the door, begging the doctor and nurse to let you out, but they ignored you.)

(You returned to your bedside to think about what had just happened.)

(Your head began to throb.)

(Ten minutes later, the headache was unbearable.)

(Blood began to drip from the ward's ceiling.)

(Your vision turned blood-red.)

(You died.)

(Simulation ended.)

"Why did I die again? I followed all the instructions perfectly!"

Gu Yi's face was pale.

By now, he had run three simulations, but hadn't survived for more than ten minutes in any of them.

There must be something I missed!

Gu Yi held his breath, focused his mind, and used his Innate Skill again.

(Simulation start!)

(You heard the footsteps of the doctor and nurse. They were currently doing their rounds in the next room and would be at yours soon.)

(You cleaned the room and took your medicine as quickly as possible, just as the doctor and nurse entered.)

(You had a brief exchange with the doctor and nurse. The doctor said a few words and left.)

(You took out the note from under the bed and read its contents carefully.)

(You were certain you hadn't violated any of the instructions.)

(The only rule you had broken was the one written in blood on the back of the note.)

(You decided to throw up the medicine you had taken.)

(You grabbed the spittoon, stuck your fingers down your throat, and spat the pills into it.)

(You casually threw some trash on top to cover the pills.)

(You sat on the bed for a while, feeling uneasy.)

(Ten minutes later.)

(The ward's ceiling began to drip blood.)

(But you quickly realized it was your own hallucination, and the blood drops soon vanished.)

(You understood. The note was trying to tell you to pretend to take the medicine in front of the medical staff, but to find a chance to spit it out later.)

(The bloody writing on the back wasn't entirely untrustworthy.)

(Perhaps you weren't mentally ill at all. It was the pills that were causing the hallucinations, and they would disappear if you stopped taking them.)

(However, this was just a guess. There were too few clues to be certain.)

(A short while later, the ward door opened.)

(The nurse told you that you could go to the cafeteria for breakfast now.)

(You walked into the hallway. The other patients around you all looked sickly, and you heard the dog barking again.)

(You asked another patient why there was a dog in the hospital.)

(The patient didn't speak, only giving you a confused look, as if you were an idiot.)

(You arrived at the cafeteria and found that the chef serving the food was a strange person wearing a Pig Head Mask.)

(You ordered a side of pickled vegetables, a bowl of plain congee, and two meat buns.)

(The Pig-Head Chef glanced at you.)

(He picked up a cleaver and split your head open.)

(Your vision turned blood-red.)

(You died.)

(Simulation ended.)

"Huu—"

Gu Yi touched his head, his forehead beaded with sweat.

He had run four simulations in a row. Only in the fourth had he successfully left the ward, but he still ended up dying a violent death in the cafeteria.

There were so many instant-death flags in just the first ten minutes. If it weren't for his SSS-Level Innate Skill, he probably wouldn't even know how he died.

There must be some rule in the cafeteria that couldn't be broken, but he had overlooked it.

At this point, Gu Yi only had 10 Spirit Power points left, enough for only one last simulation. There was no need to waste it now.

It would be better to leave the ward, get to the cafeteria, and look for a clue-filled note himself before running the simulation again.

Knock, knock, knock—

The doctor's knock came from the next room. The rounds had begun.

Gu Yi quickly jumped out of bed. He had no time to waste.

---

Proofreader: Peter Pan