Yu Qing, Look What I Saw...

Yu Qing fell backward as two powerful tentacles slammed him against the floor, leaving his head spinning and his vision blurred.

Thick black mist spread in an instant. Caught off guard, he sucked in two breaths, and his HP immediately plummeted toward zero.

Fortunately... he had plenty of points. He could tap the system to automatically keep himself alive.

But this time, the black mist was far too aggressive. One second! In just one second, his HP hit zero six times!

Of course!

Enveloped in black mist, Yu Qing felt his lungs compress, making breathing agonizingly difficult-the BOSS wanted to play a game with him. Naturally, if it wasn't having fun, it would get angry.

"Nothing but... a worthless level-seven piece of trash!"

Fear wouldn't help! Yu Qing simply let go, allowing the notifications of points being spent and his HP hitting zero to roar wildly in his ears.

His long silver hair spilled across the floor. Slowly, he stopped resisting, relaxed his body, and unclenched his hands. Almost leisurely, he looked at the level-seven BOSS whose very mention terrified everyone. His gaze gradually grew feverish, vicious, defiant, like a beast poised to devour a tiger.

He opened his mouth and declared with absolute certainty, "Darling, I will kill you!"

[Beep. Game over. My dear streamer, see you next time!]

The game ended, and the terrifying pressure abruptly vanished. Yu Qing broke out in a cold sweat. He kept trying to catch his breath, struggling to clench his numb hands. Just as he was about to get up, he heard another ding-dong-

Yu Qing froze. A shudder instantly ran through him, and he nearly dropped to his knees again.

[Livestream mission updated: Explore the top floor of the Sanatorium.]

[Time limit: 1 hour.]

[Special warning: If you fail to complete the mission within one hour, your HP will automatically drop to zero.]

[Explore. Uncover the secrets of the entire Sanatorium and embrace your rebirth!]

Breathing hard, Yu Qing unconsciously rubbed his arms, trying to smooth away the goosebumps that had suddenly risen-he had thought the BOSS's game was starting again. His heart had nearly stopped!

So, after dragging his weak legs back to the hospital bed and sitting down, Yu Qing immediately asked the system, "Can the BOSS start its own exclusive game anytime, anywhere?"

Fortunately, the answer was: [The BOSS is restricted by the central system and has only one opportunity to start a game per day.]

Yu Qing let out a huge sigh of relief and collapsed onto the bed with a thump, letting the delayed exhaustion consume his entire body.

[Oh my god, I think the streamer is going to die of exhaustion. He only has 15 stamina.]

[But hasn't he already been marked as a sacrifice? How come... he's fine?]

His stomach felt a little empty... Grrrr...

Thud, thud, thud...

The heavy, muffled sounds reached his ears along with his stomach's growling. That oppressive thudding was even more distinct than the clacking footsteps when the female ghosts appeared together, its malice surging straight into his head. But...

Yu Qing couldn't be bothered.

To fill his stomach, he bought some nutrient solution from the system shop. His mind never stopped working, picking up another crucial piece of information the system had provided.

[Embrace your rebirth.]

He remembered that the dungeon's completion conditions included the same line: [Find the key to escape and embrace your rebirth.]

So what did the "key" have to do with "embracing rebirth"? And what did the tragic story of Xu Han's family have to do with the "key"?

Yu Qing silently considered it. He already had a rough understanding of Xu Han's family story, yet his story exploration progress remained at only 20%.

The bell on the wrist, the girl who had been turned into a rabbit, the mysterious angel statue...

The remaining 80% lay hidden in the darkness, and every inch would have to be paid for with his life.

Thud, thud, thud...

The dull sound continued. At some point, Qian Lai had come in from outside. He stood motionless before Yu Qing's bed, staring out the window toward the source of the sound.

Thud, thud, thud...

The sound continued. As though something had rooted him in place, Qian Lai stared for a full minute without so much as a flicker of his eyelashes.

[Ding-]

Yu Qing froze as a system announcement abruptly sounded in his ears: [Angel's sacrificial ritual is about to begin. Streamer Yu Qing, please prepare yourself!]

[3, 2, 1!]

"Yu Qing..." Beside him, Qian Lai finally spoke. "Quick, look. Look what I saw..."