Chapter 15: Flame Species
"Has the Shadow Assassin's intelligence level increased?" Lu Li suddenly had this feeling. Previously, the primary intelligence module only accumulated experience, but now the Shadow Assassin seemed to be responding more actively. "Perhaps the addition of the nurse has enhanced the overall intelligence? I'll need to test this out…"
Outside the hospital, the potential player anxiously paced near the entrance, occasionally clutching his chest, showing signs of distress. The Shadow Assassin discreetly observed him from the corner of his eye.
Seeing the man hesitantly approach the VIP entrance, the Shadow Assassin's shadow darts appeared again. If the man took a few more steps, he would follow Lu Li's command and kill him. But the man wavered, ultimately stepping back.
The man, reluctant to pay the price, finally resolved to force his way through the main entrance. He wasn't foolish enough to use his powers recklessly and charge in, as that would be suicidal. The towering shadowy figure on the distant overpass reminded them all of the dangers of this world.
The man quietly mingled with the crowd, trying to persuade some to join him in storming the entrance. He was quite persuasive, managing to sway a few relatives of patients. Seeing that they were gathering, the Shadow Assassin began executing Lu Li's other orders—acting as his eyes and ears, gathering information, particularly about mask rampages.
The gigantic species on the overpass moved slowly. Despite their immense size, they weren't heavy and didn't cause significant structural damage. Their main threat was to living beings.
The gigantic species' massive limbs could drain the vitality from any life form they touched. A masked person in contact with a gigantic species for ten seconds would die, their body losing all vitality, every cell dying, turning into useless organic matter.
From the Shadow Assassin's perspective, a few small black dots were seen leaping and dodging around the gigantic species. Occasionally, massive flames would appear out of nowhere. After a while, a smaller, more lifelike giant appeared, eliciting cheers from the onlookers.
This smaller giant seemed flesh and blood, roaring as it charged the gigantic species, pushing it back a few steps. However, the gigantic species was no pushover; the areas it touched on the smaller giant turned a dead, gray-black color, spreading rapidly.
"Xiao Du, now!" The giant's roar echoed through the city. A winged figure descended from the sky, accurately slicing through the gigantic species with a short sword, striking the mask embedded in its body.
The gigantic species roared, but it was futile. Its already semi-transparent body disintegrated, releasing a cloud of black mist that eventually vanished.
Onlookers near the hospital cheered in victory, discussing their favorite special combat team members, some favoring the giant, others preferring Xiao Du, who delivered the final blow.
At this point, the potential player had gathered enough desperate patients' families to storm the hospital gate. Silently moving to the front, someone shouted to charge, and a few people broke out, followed by others. However, they were soon grabbed by a few quick-reacting medical troublemakers, who then surrounded them menacingly.
The player took advantage of the distraction to sprint towards the gate, shoving aside a few troublemakers trying to block him. They groaned in pain, glancing down at the wounds on their feet, from which black smoke rose.
The player sensed something off—it seemed too easy. But with no turning back, he vaulted over the gate and the shrine, rushing into the hospital.
The stirred paper ash settled on the shrine and mask. If Lu Li were there, he would sense the cold aura on the mask boiling with rage, igniting into a fiery inferno. The mask floated, filling with fury, transforming into a humanoid figure made of flames.
This flaming figure, larger than an average person, roared in fury, "You dare desecrate my death? Turn to ash and vanish!!!"
"It's a flame species! Run for your lives!" All the people around the hospital—troublemakers, patients, and onlookers—fled in panic. Unlike other types, the flame species quickly adapted to their new form, able to interfere with reality almost immediately, unlike other species that needed time to adjust.
"Because of their rage, they always ignite instantly!" Lu Li observed the lazy-looking specialist Hu Luan Lai. The previous sentence had come from beneath his peculiar mask. The mask's eyes were perpetually squinted, as if about to fall asleep.
"So, what seems to be the problem, young… man, right?" Hu Luan Lai's half-hearted tone continued, "You have a second mask on your back. Did you get involved with those cultists?"
"And your clothes… young man, give up on your delusions. I treat physical ailments, not mental ones. But I know a great psychiatrist named Gao Buding. You should see him next door." Hu Luan Lai closed his eyes, lying back in his chair and began snoring.
Lu Li lifted his sailor uniform, revealing the large hole in his chest. "Sorry to trouble you, but I need treatment. I have about 48 minutes left to live."
Hu Luan Lai opened his eyes, nearly falling out of his chair. Reluctantly sitting up, he adjusted his mask and coughed. "Young man, I can treat your injuries, but it won't be cheap. You'll be bankrupt after paying the medical fees. How about doing something for me? I'll treat you first."
"Alright," Lu Li smiled, "I never turn down something interesting."