The severed hand

In the Flaying Ghost's memories, Lin Luo had seen his fear of the Director Ghost, like a mouse facing a cat.

"According to the rules, you have to give us work uniforms for free. If you don't, I'll go straight to the director and ask for them!"

Knowing that the Flaying Ghost feared the Director Ghost, Lin Luo used both the director and the rules to pressure him.

Sure enough, the moment he mentioned the Director Ghost, the look in the Flaying Ghost's eyes changed.

The blood under his control stopped moving as well.

The Flaying Ghost paid no mind to threats from these vermin, but the director was someone he had no choice but to fear.

With a cold sneer, the Flaying Ghost withdrew the crimson blood and turned to enter the storeroom. He then brought out four sets of work uniforms and tossed them right in front of the group.

Lin Luo frowned slightly when he saw the uniforms.

They were covered in all kinds of filth and bloodstains. There was even a piece of human scalp with hair still attached stuck to them. The sour, rotten stench made his stomach churn.

Forcing down his revulsion, Lin Luo picked up a uniform and put it on.

A large brown stain stood out glaringly on the chest of his uniform. It was sticky and gave off a nauseating, sour stench like something wafting up from a sewer.

Even if it made him want to vomit, he had to wear it.

Only by putting on the uniforms would they count as official employees here, making the ghosts reluctant to harm them without good reason.

Seeing Lin Luo put on his uniform, Zhang Zhihao gritted his teeth, stepped forward to grab one, and hastily pulled it on.

Only the two girls remained. Suppressing her revulsion and fear, Liu Yanyan also took a uniform and put it on.

Beside her, Zhang Xiaoli was clearly unwilling to wear the disgusting, foul-smelling uniform. Only after Liu Yanyan comforted and encouraged her did she reluctantly put it on.

With their uniforms on, the four left together and headed for their assigned posts.

The Flaying Ghost stared fixedly at Lin Luo's retreating back, his eyes brimming with murderous intent.

Lin Luo's earlier actions had surprised the two girls. They felt a little safer despite themselves and moved closer to him.

From their conversation, Lin Luo learned that Zhang Xiaoli and Zhang Zhihao had been assigned to the same ward, Ward 104.

Liu Yanyan had been assigned to the same ward as him.

Lin Luo never joined their conversation. Instead, he kept a vigilant eye on his surroundings, constantly adjusting his mindset and gradually redirecting and wearing down his fear.

When they reached the ward area, their conversation stopped abruptly.

The temperature around them plunged. All kinds of screams drifted out of the wards from time to time, making their scalps prickle.

As they continued forward, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, and Zhang Zhihao and Zhang Xiaoli fell behind despite themselves.

Lin Luo did not wait for them.

Their fear was something they had to overcome on their own.

At first, he thought Liu Yanyan had already managed to overcome her fear, but as her steps grew faster and faster, Lin Luo realized something was wrong.

Liu Yanyan was already on the verge of breaking down.

She kept turning to check the ward numbers on either side, desperately searching for her destination. Whenever a terrified cry came from a ward, her body gave an involuntary shudder.

Lin Luo knew very well that if this continued, Liu Yanyan's mental defenses would collapse completely.

At that point, how could she possibly complete any tasks?

Only death would await her.

Fortunately, Wards 103 and 104 were just ahead.

"Xiaoli, we're at Ward 104."

As soon as she saw Ward 104, Liu Yanyan hurriedly turned and spoke.

But Zhang Xiaoli was nowhere in sight. Liu Yanyan immediately grew anxious and began looking for her.

When she spotted Zhang Xiaoli and Zhang Zhihao farther back, she instinctively started to head toward them.

Just then, Lin Luo spoke. "You can only overcome the fear in your heart yourself!"

At the same time, Lin Luo silently marveled at how close the two girls were. Even at a time like this, Liu Yanyan was still worrying about her best friend.

After hearing Lin Luo's words, Liu Yanyan thought for a moment, then decided not to go back to look after her close friend.

She turned and headed toward Ward 103.

When the two reached the door to Ward 103, something suddenly flew out and came into view.

Liu Yanyan instinctively wanted to scream, but quickly clapped a hand over her mouth.

Her face, however, was already filled with terror.

Before their eyes, a blood-drenched hand was still twitching faintly.

Bite marks covered its severed end.

The hand had been bitten clean off.

A moment later, a man walked out, cradling the arm that was missing its right hand.

The man's face was deathly pale, and his clothes were covered in all kinds of grime and bloodstains. He approached the severed hand and used every ounce of his strength to pick it up.

Clutching it against his chest, he staggered away.

Lin Luo watched the man's every move throughout.

Although the man's face was as pale as a ghost's, one thing was certain: he was a living human.

From the look of things, he had offended a patient and had his hand bitten off on the spot.

Strangest of all, while the severed hand was drenched in blood, no blood flowed from the stump of the man's wrist.

Looking back, Lin Luo found Liu Yanyan trembling uncontrollably. Her body swayed, threatening to collapse at any moment.

If she fell and could not get back up, Liu Yanyan would suffer a complete mental breakdown.

In a place like this, that was no different from death.

After a brief hesitation, Lin Luo stepped forward and caught Liu Yanyan just as she was about to fall, then spoke softly beside her ear.

"You have to believe in yourself. Don't let fear control you. Overcome it."

The instant Liu Yanyan saw that blood-drenched hand, countless horrifying images had flooded her mind against her will.

Whenever she thought about facing something like that herself, she felt boundless terror.

Her whole body went cold, and she lost control of it.

Over and over, she told herself, Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.

But under such extreme terror, her body no longer obeyed her.

It was as though she had entered an ice cellar. Her body had frozen stiff, and even her blood seemed about to congeal.

Just then, a gentle voice sounded beside her ear.

At the same time, a warm hand rested against the back of hers. She immediately felt a trace of warmth return to her body, and with it, her control.

Her frozen blood and body gradually warmed again.

By the time Liu Yanyan came back to her senses, Lin Luo was already standing outside the ward's door.

He let out a soft breath, easing the heaviness in his chest. After steadying himself, Lin Luo opened the ward's door.

Even though he had prepared himself mentally, the sight of the patients still left Lin Luo momentarily dazed.