“This organization is very secretive; it hasn't revealed anything about itself, not even its name. But given that this is a projection of the real world, would the original world also have this organization?”
Fang Xinhan couldn't help but ponder, sharing his thoughts with Wei Kexin.
Even if Fang Xinhan hadn't said anything, Wei Kexin would have investigated. The sheer frequency of medical accidents going uninvestigated indicated that someone was backing the hospital. Though she didn't know who, she was determined to catch them.
From Wei Kexin, Fang Xinhan learned that the instance game first started half a year ago. The national official organization, originally tasked with investigating supernatural events, was reactivated and named the Management Bureau. The current number of players in the Management Bureau was small, and at this stage, they had no way to increase player numbers other than recruitment.
Player qualifications, once registered, could not be transferred. Even if an ordinary person killed a player, he would not acquire player qualifications.
Fang Xinhan also learned that the Management Bureau believed the highest-level players in the instance game were currently around Level 25, because leveling up became increasingly difficult later on.
“Our main task right now should be to find the last patient. We can discuss these other matters after the mission is over.”
According to the experimental report, the first patient had already died, and the second should be the Bandaged Guy. So what was the situation with the third patient?
The report only stated that the patient had no reaction after being injected with H54. Could she have gained some other ability?
Fang Xinhan began to brainstorm. He knew very little about the third patient, and a fire had also broken out here previously.
“Could the fire be related to the third patient?”
Fang Xinhan's murmuring made the others think. They had all done some investigation of the place, more or less, for this mission.
And the most comprehensive information would likely be with the Management Bureau, but Wei Kexin and Li Gang didn't know either. Now they were truly at a loss.
Just then, Fang Xinhan suddenly remembered the compass he had gotten from his random beginner item. Perhaps the compass would help.
Fang Xinhan took out the compass, and its item information appeared before them.
〈Item Name: Captain Jack's Compass〉
〈Item Type: Consumable〉
〈Quality: Common〉
〈Special Effect: Think of something, and the compass will point you in the right direction. Automatically destroyed after one use.〉
(Note: Go chase your dreams, young man.)
Everyone ignored the note and looked at Fang Xinhan, their eyes asking: Why didn't you take this out sooner?
Fang Xinhan spread his hands, indicating he had forgotten due to a bad memory.
Following the compass's direction, the four walked to the stairs. They were currently on the 3rd floor, but the compass was pointing to the 3rd floor.
“What's going on? Is the compass broken?”
Li Gang looked at the compass's direction, utterly confused.
Fang Xinhan was also puzzled for a moment, then seemed to realize something. He began to count the steps.
“1, 2, 3… 10, 11, 12.”
“Let's go downstairs first, then come back up.”
Fang Xinhan was the first to go downstairs. The three behind him exchanged glances, not understanding the situation but following him down.
After they reached the second floor, the compass still pointed towards the 3rd floor. Fang Xinhan started counting the steps again.
“1, 2… 11, 12, 13! There!”
Fang Xinhan's exclamation startled everyone present.
“Brother Liangliang, what did you find? You scared me.”
Li Gang made a gesture of patting his chest.
“Have you heard of the Thirteenth Step?”
“The Thirteenth Step… that sounds like an urban legend.”
Legend has it that if one steps on the Thirteenth Step, they will be dragged into the infinite Nether by a ghost, never to be reborn.
“You all wait here for a while. I'll go scout ahead. If I don't return after 5 minutes, I've probably met with an accident and can't come back. Then you can make your own arrangements.”
After Fang Xinhan finished speaking, he stepped onto the stairs.
Level 1, Level 2… Level 12, Level 13. As Fang Xinhan stepped onto the Thirteenth Step, his figure instantly vanished. The three looked at the disappearing Fang Xinhan, feeling a little worried.
“He won't be in trouble, will he?”
Lin Yue was worried about Fang Xinhan, but there was nothing she could do now.
“Liangliang should be able to protect himself. Let's not worry.”
Wei Kexin patted Lin Yue's shoulder, signaling her not to worry.
On the other side, after entering the Thirteenth Step, Fang Xinhan found that the hospital had become a charred ruin. Fang Xinhan looked around and noticed that the burnt marks were very new, as if they had just been burned by fire.
A smell of burning still permeated the air.
Fang Xinhan didn't rush back. Instead, he transformed into Kuuga and used his enhanced senses to explore. There were traces of fire damage everywhere. Fang Xinhan's sensory range slowly expanded, finally stopping in front of the room where the last report was found.
“Hmm? I can't sense what's happening inside.”
Fang Xinhan frowned slightly, feeling something was off, but he had to go back and tell them about his discovery here.
He re-entered the Thirteenth Step and returned to the original 3rd floor.
“A man asks a doctor what the gender of his child is. The doctor cannot say directly but must answer indirectly. How should the doctor answer?”
As soon as Fang Xinhan came out, Li Gang shielded the two women behind him, because he wasn't sure if this was Fang Xinhan himself. It would be bad if it was some monster in disguise.
“If it's a boy, the doctor would say it's 'not too good to say.' If it's a girl, the doctor would say it's 'not really good to say.'”
This was their secret code. After confirming it was Fang Xinhan himself, the three also entered the world of the Thirteenth Step.
“Is this the infinite Nether?”
Li Gang looked around and found that it didn't seem as sinister as the rumors suggested.
“This should be a space created by someone. By process of elimination, it must be that last patient.”
Then Fang Xinhan pointed to the room corresponding to the last report in this space.
“All the answers are probably in that room.”
The four prepared for battle and opened the room door, but inside was an incredibly clean hospital room, even with sunlight shining in from outside.
Compared to the charred hospital environment outside, it was surprisingly normal.
Inside the room, a child, about 15 or 16 years old, with a shaved head, sat on the bed, watching the sunlight fall upon her.
“Are you the third patient?”
Fang Xinhan asked.
The child turned her head. Her delicate features, even without hair, exuded a unique temperament.
“Who are you?”
The child was clearly startled, not expecting there to be living people here.
“We came from outside to investigate this hospital. Do you know what happened, little sister?”
Wei Kexin spoke directly and to the point with the child.
The child motioned for them to come in quickly, saying it wasn't safe outside. They didn't enter immediately, with Fang Xinhan leading the way. Only after he confirmed it was safe did he let them in.
They all sat around the child and learned from her that her name was Lily. She was a leukemia patient, and her parents had given her an injection of a certain medicine to treat her illness. Everyone knew this medicine was H54.
Before her injection of H54, two other patients had also received H54, but it seemed their reactions did not meet the organization's expectations. After her own injection, nothing happened, but her leukemia was suppressed.
(PS: Next instance hint: Thirty thousand feet in the sky, 6.5 G limit, a silver meteor.)