Shen Ru smiled, his red lips curving beautifully as he said casually, "I killed it."
Ruan Ping jerked his head up and sucked in a sharp breath, his mouth hanging open in shock. For a long moment, he could not get a word out.
What...?
No matter how strong they were, no player killed an NPC right off the bat!!!
Wait, wait... If he killed it, where did that monster outside just now come from?
But on second thought, Ruan Ping realized that Shen Ru had never been one to play by the rules. Making him spend an entire instance quietly would be torture for him.
So, while accepting that his idol had killed someone, he trembled as he voiced his question:
"Then... why did it come back to life...?"
In the dim light, those red eyes gleamed, his lips lifting like a hunter lurking in the dark, waiting for his prey to expose a weakness.
"Killing an NPC turns back time, but we both retain our memories of what happened before."
Ruan Ping's eyes widened in shock before realization dawned on him.
No wonder that pig-head was so vicious. It was holding a grudge!
He immediately puffed himself up and patted his scrawny chest, looking at Shen Ru with unwavering determination as he promised:
"Don't worry, Shen Ru. I'll protect you!"
Watching his solemn pledge, Shen Ru suddenly remembered the terrified, helpless expression on his face when their eyes first met.
In the livestream chat:
[Protect my husband? That's the funniest joke I've heard this century...]
[Still, now I can confirm he's a true fan of my husband.]
[Sigh, I knew the way this guy looked at my husband wasn't innocent...]
Shen Ru had revealed what happened to observe Ruan Ping's instinctive reaction and attitude. After all, working with a stranger was even more dangerous than being chased by an NPC.
But judging by the young man's body language and expressions, there seemed to be no problem for now.
Shen Ru soon stopped dwelling on Ruan Ping's identity. There were too many unknowns, and his first priority was finding his own basic information.
Since both of them could see this monster with a human body and a pig's face, they must share a task.
"Shen Ru, what should we do next?" Ruan Ping asked hastily when he remained silent.
Shen Ru took two quiet steps toward the crack in the door and carefully studied the corridor through it.
It was utterly quiet, with no eerie footsteps or pigs panting and snorting.
As they ran here earlier, he had noticed floor plans posted on the wall, but they had been moving too fast for more than a fleeting glance.
"Go out. We need to figure out the boundaries of this instance and where the doctor's office is."
"Okay."
Ruan Ping agreed without a second thought.
He couldn't go wrong following an expert.
After repeatedly checking that it was safe outside, Shen Ru and Ruan Ping slipped out of the storage room and headed toward where Shen Ru remembered seeing the floor plan.
Unlike Ruan Ping, who hugged the wall, Shen Ru strode openly down the middle of the corridor, keeping watch from the corners of his eyes on the doors to either side that might open at any moment.
Their footsteps echoed through the empty, deathly silent corridor. The monster from earlier had vanished without a trace, as though it really had been a hallucination.
They reached their destination.
Just as Shen Ru had said, the floor plan was drawn on a sheet of white paper firmly pasted to the wall.
The mental hospital had five floors. Floors one through three housed ordinary wards, while floors four and five housed intensive care wards. Each floor had a nurses' station and an office.
They were on the third floor, meaning the intensive care area was just one floor above.
Shen Ru suddenly remembered the badge he had seen on the monster's chest. He had not had time to think about it then, but now it made sense.
That thing probably only handled the third floor, hence "level 3."
What would the nurses on the other floors look like?
"Shen Ru, the nurses' station and the doctor's office are just ahead. Should we go over?"
Ruan Ping still pressed himself against the wall, swallowing hard as he looked at Shen Ru with watery eyes. Even his voice held a tremor he had not noticed himself.
Shen Ru lowered his lashes in thought. Finally, as though he had deliberated at length, he looked up and said with complete seriousness:
"If we run into danger, stick to the wall and run as fast as you can!"
Hearing how much his idol cared about him, Ruan Ping felt tears well up in his already watery eyes. "Shen Ru, you..."
You're so kind.
Before he could finish, the young man added in a flat, indifferent voice:
"You're too weak. You'll hold me back."
Ruan Ping said, "...Okay."
His affection had been wasted.
They continued forward and soon reached the nurses' station.
It was open on all sides and took up little space, but unlike the tidy corridor, its desktop was filthy. Patient records lay scattered across the floor, muddy black specks covered the desk inside and out, and even broth from prepared instant noodles had spilled across the surface. The whole place was a mess.
Shen Ru picked up the records from the floor, but their contents were completely different from what he had expected.
Livestock No. 1: Pig
Diagnosis: Swine mycoplasmal pneumonia
Symptoms: Intermittent coughing and wheezing, runny nose, cyanosis of visible mucous membranes. No significant changes in appetite. Stunted growth.
Livestock No. 2: Pig
Diagnosis: Edema disease
Symptoms: Swelling of the head, face, or entire body. No significant changes in body temperature. Increased breathing and heart rate. Severe cases may lead to spasms, screaming, and foaming at the mouth.
Shen Ru read through the remaining records. They all listed various diseases found in pigs. In other words, this building had never been intended for humans. It was a place for treating livestock.
That also explained why the conditions inside the wards differed so drastically from those outside.
The wards had never been meant for people in the first place.
Shen Ru suddenly recalled the symptoms of the one making rounds. They seemed very similar to those of Livestock No. 1...
Just how close had he gotten to that pig?
Fuck.
That disease wasn't contagious, was it...?
Just then, a terrifying, guttural sound came from the office beside them.
"Oiiink-"
Shen Ru had once read a report specifically studying the relationship between pigs' calls and their emotions. Short calls indicated excitement and happiness, while longer calls indicated stronger negative emotions.
So right now...
Heavy footsteps suddenly rang out, and a familiar vibration shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Shen Ru whipped his head toward the office doorway.
Coarse, stiff bristles jutted from its face. Its entire body was swollen, stretching its pink skin until it was translucent, and tusks protruded from either corner of its mouth. The enormous bulk caused by the swelling was enough to make anyone's heart lurch.
The thing made a wet, nauseating gurgle. The next second, it dropped its head and charged straight at Shen Ru and Ruan Ping at tremendous speed.
Almost simultaneously, Shen Ru exchanged for a coil of rope in the shop. Using his talent with practiced ease, he instantly brought the monster down, deftly looped the rope around its neck, and pulled it tight before driving his elbow straight into the back of its neck.
Between the lack of oxygen and the force of the blow, the monster passed out on the spot this time.
Shen Ru then swiftly bound its hands and feet together with a pig-trotter knot and tossed it aside.
Ruan Ping: ...
Watching it happen in person really was a completely different thrill from watching through a screen.
Experts really were something else. Was this guy not scared at all...?
The young man's movements were so practiced that Ruan Ping briefly wondered whether he had once slaughtered pigs for a living.
In the livestream chat:
[Hahaha, oh my god, that pig-trotter knot at the end was the perfect finishing touch.]
[Wait... what exactly did my gorgeous baby do for a living before this???]
[You could say he's a little too good at tying up pigs...]
Before you continue