"Come in."
After all, it was "working hours," even though his "progress" had been interrupted.
Yi Bai suppressed his growing irritation and prepared to tend to the ghosts.
Up until now, the horror game hadn't assigned him any tasks, and he was starting to wonder if his hidden identity wasn't fulfilling its intended role.
From his experience with hardcore gamers in the real world, he knew that once the horror game pulled players into a dungeon, it would assign random identities to them—much like the Third Hospital, where the ghosts themselves were responsible for assigning roles.
Once an identity was confirmed, the game would issue corresponding tasks to each player.
Completing tasks was the primary objective, the only way to escape the horror world and return to the real world.
The secondary goal, of course, was survival—doing whatever it took to stay alive.
For Yi Bai, now that he had been assigned the role of a special consultant, he had already sent off two patients, but the tasks still remained unclear, which felt...odd.
The figure who entered the consultation room wasn't a ghost seeking medical attention or a human player looking for help.
It was the Third Hospital's director, He Yi, a man with glasses and a somewhat grim expression.
Yi Bai didn't care who it was. He immediately activated his Insight ability to observe the newcomer.
[Third Hospital Nurse: He Yi]
[Species: Yin Soul (Greedy Ghost)]
[Friendliness: Hatred (You seem to have blocked this greedy ghost's access to wealth)]
[Strength: Peak Ghost]
[Likes: Money (Anything of value can be considered money)]
[Weakness: Money (His obsession with wealth will ultimately lead to his downfall)]
[Current Status: He wants to kill this damn human, silently, under the rules, in the hospital! The morgue task seems like a good choice. The flesh-eating ghost would no doubt enjoy fresh human flesh as a delicacy. The Gluttonous Ghost in the third ward would likely appreciate the young flesh of this human...]
What the hell?
Yi Bai couldn't help but curse internally as he read the feedback from his Insight. Was his "Temptation of the Dead" talent broken?
Wasn't the baseline friendliness supposed to be "neutral"?
Why was everyone he encountered recently so eager to kill him?
Lina's misunderstanding, that could be explained. The Rose Count's frustration due to illness, that made sense. But this Third Hospital director—whom he'd never even met before—how had he gotten in the way of this guy's fortune?
The Rose Count had only been "hostile" at worst. This guy? He had escalated to full-on hatred. Ridiculous.
While Yi Bai was mentally calculating how to deal with this, he kept a calm facade.
Squinting, he deliberately glanced at the name tag on the director's chest. "Director He, what can I do for you?"
"Hahaha… nothing too important. You've cured the Rose Count, and she even praised your medical skills. It won't be long before the position of director here might be yours." He Yi's internal rage was nearly palpable, but his face maintained a facade of faint flattery.
Not simple!
There was definitely something off about this guy!
Yi Bai immediately came to a judgment. He smiled politely, replying, "Oh, you flatter me, Director. I'm merely a little more skilled than the others here. Nothing to boast about."
He Yi's eye twitched involuntarily. Damn, just compliment you a bit and you get all smug about it!
However, as he thought about it, Yi Bai's arrogance might be exactly what he needed to exploit. The more confident Yi Bai became, the easier it would be to use him.
"Here's the thing," He Yi stopped pretending and got straight to the point. "A regular patron of the Third Hospital needs a suitable replacement arm. Since the Rose Count verified your exceptional skills, I want to give you the chance to prove yourself."
"Are you suggesting...?"
"We need you to go to the morgue and pick out a suitable arm for this patron. Your medical expertise and judgment are far superior to ours, so… could you make sure the patron continues to look favorably upon the Third Hospital? We'll leave it up to you!"
He Yi was sincere, but Yi Bai could tell from the Insight feedback that He Yi's words weren't entirely trustworthy. The "morgue" didn't sound like a normal place, especially considering there was a flesh-eating ghost lurking around.
Just as Yi Bai was about to find an excuse to avoid the task, the voice of the horror game suddenly rang out.
[Congratulations, lucky player Yi Bai! You've successfully triggered the Third Hospital's hidden mission—The Secret of the Morgue!]
[Congratulations, lucky player Yi Bai! You've successfully triggered the Third Hospital's chain hidden mission—The Crisis of the Third Hospital!]
[Note: Each completed part of the hidden mission grants rewards. Completing all parts will earn bonus rewards. All rewards will be distributed at the final game settlement.]
"Ah, I see."
Yi Bai immediately understood why his tasks hadn't been issued until now.
To become a special consultant, one had to demonstrate medical skills that could withstand the scrutiny of ghosts. For human players, this was a daunting challenge—even seasoned veterans would find it hard.
Treating across species was already difficult enough, let alone bridging dimensions (ordinary and extraordinary).
Having obtained the title was only the first step. It was this very step that brought him into the hidden missions of the Third Hospital.
And now, he was being targeted by He Yi.
With danger and tasks quickly following suit, Yi Bai thought about it for a moment.
"Accept or decline?" he mused briefly.
The rewards from the hidden mission would certainly be substantial.
The threat from the flesh-eating ghost was likely very real and potentially fatal. Otherwise, He Yi wouldn't have resorted to such a risky maneuver.
Yi Bai knew that with his current position and the backing of the Rose Count, the ghosts at the Third Hospital wouldn't dare act against him.
If he outright rejected the task, He Yi wouldn't be able to do anything to him. After all, the director wouldn't dare to openly kill him. Even using others to do the dirty work was already a huge gamble on He Yi's part.
If the Rose Count's true condition were revealed, it could lead to a bloodbath for anyone involved.
He Yi was taking this risk because he didn't know how severe the Rose Count's illness truly was.
After careful thought, Yi Bai deliberately paused, as if pondering the request.
"Since you trust me so much, I can't possibly disappoint your expectations over such a small matter."
"However…"
He Yi, seeing Yi Bai about to agree, hastily added, "Don't worry. If you manage to satisfy the patron, I'll make sure the reward doesn't disappoint you!"
"No, that's not it," Yi Bai shook his head.
"Then what is it?"
"I simply want Lina to come with me, to lend me a hand."
"No problem! Lina, if you're free, go with Yi Bai to the morgue."
Without hesitation, He Yi agreed.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Yi Bai's lips.
He hadn't forgotten the note in his Insight about Lina's strength as a Red Ghost. Clearly, He Yi and the other medical staff at the hospital were unaware of Lina's true power.