Horror Game Designer

Chapter 249: A Bet

“Lu Zang’s words from half a year ago became true!

“Did he change the truth? Or is this the truth all along?”

In the memory given to her by the shadow world, Xuan Wen had always known Gao Ming as Gao Ming. He had no other name. However, based on his conversation with Lu Zang from half a year ago, his name wasn’t Gao Ming back then.

“Change name to change fate… Does this mean the current Gao Ming has woken up from the dream?”

Rapid footsteps came from the outside corridor. Someone knocked on the doors as they dragged something heavy with them. Chen Meng and Mr. Yi shut their mouths. Su Mo also carried the heels and moved away from the door.

“Something is approaching!”

Xuan Wen felt imminent danger, but she couldn’t stop herself from watching the video. The video resumed. Lu Zang had turned back to Gao Ming.

“When you remember this conversation, I hope you can help me with two things.” Lu Zang went ahead, not caring if Gao Ming promised him or not. “There are many people like you and Situ An. You carry fate’s loophole on you. The first thing I need you to help me with is to figure out the nature and carriers of these loopholes. Do not let them die. Each loophole can be the key to killing fate. The second thing is easier. There is an eyeball that can see through the dream and reality hidden in this hospital. If Situ An failed to get its approval, you should try to install that eye in your head.”

Gao Ming had no idea what Lu Zang was talking about. He only felt the chill on him getting denser. The twisted ghost's face was torn apart. The mutated mouth wanted to swallow Gao Ming’s head whole. Lu Zang glared at the face, and the latter quickly shrunk back with fear.

“If you are willing to take my bet, I’ll tell you how to leave here.” Once Lu Zang said that, Doctor Lu frowned. He carried the figurine of the God of Blood and Flesh and walked to Lu Zang. “He has destroyed the worshipped figurine, and you plan to let him go?”

“The piece of the figurine flew into his eye. He didn’t destroy the figurine, but the God inside it chose him.” Lu Zang smiled. “You have given me another reason to let him go.”

“I agree to the bet.” Gao Ming felt that he had run into a group of crazy people. However, he didn’t know how to explain the fear in his heart. The thing that confused him the most was that even though the piece of the mud figurine had flown into his left eye, the piece had magically disappeared, and he felt no pain in his left eye.

“Have you thought about it clearly? You’ll pay a very scary price if you violate the bet.” Lu Zang confirmed it again with Gao Ming.

“Okay. I also want to see the world of the mad.” Gao Ming looked calm, but he physically resisted the room. It was like his body was telling him to leave.

“You are the third one I found. One of you will be able to wake up fully.” Lu Zang’s ugly face grimaced. “To leave the shadow world, you need to find the boundary between the real world and the shadow world. This boundary can be a path or a door. However, at Li San Hospital, it is a pill. Once you take the drug, you can return to the real world.” As if worried that Gao Ming might misunderstand him, Lu Zang was very direct, “The seventh floor is our inpatient wards. Some of the patients survived until they were discharged, but they made the wrong choice at the last moment. They should have left behind some pills in their rooms.”

Gao Ming turned around with suspicion. He opened the door. His focus was on Doctor Lu and Lu Zang. He couldn’t see the ball of patients standing before him. Gao Ming left immediately once he realised the two doctors hadn’t followed him.

“I don’t get it. Why did you help him?” Doctor Lu placed the broken figurine on the table.

“I will not help anyone. Everything I do is to kill fate. Be it Situ An or Gao Ming, they are my blade to pierce fate.” Lu Zang seemed to remember something as he walked to the old recording devices. “Do not delete this video. Leave it in the computer.”

“Do you think Gao Ming will return?”

“If he can leave this place alive, he’ll definitely return.” Lu Zang’s eyes seemed to look beyond the screen at Xuan Wen. Xuan Wen turned off the video. Xuan Wen shivered as the video ended. The information she just got was too explosive. She needed time to digest it.

“We should go! There are things coming!” As night fell, brownish-red lichen grew on the walls. Nails scratched the edges of the walls. The psychiatry counselling room was turning like the one in the video.

“Wait a little bit more.” Xuan Wen wanted to enter the inner room. She wanted to see what had happened to Gao Ming back then that he fought with Doctor Lu.

The oppressive footsteps approached. Mr. Yi was ready to run. Only Xuan Wen headed away from the exit. She saw rows of medicine cabinets in the inner room. However, the cabinets were not lined with medicine but figurines.

Xuan Wen heard about Gao Ming’s experience in the Si Sui Apartment. She remembered Gao Ming saying that an old lady at the apartment also had her room filled with figurines.

“Is this how the dead Gods in the shadow world select the parents?” All the figurines looked normal. They were not as evil as shown in the video.

“We need to go!” Mr. Yi urged and opened the door. He led the patients and ran out.

Xuan Wen scanned the cabinets. Her eyes were caught by something. She saw the broken figurine instantly. It was a mud figurine, but its shell was as real as human skin.

“The God of Blood and Flesh? The figurine Gao Ming broke half a year ago?!”

She swiped the figurine and put it in her bag. She left the counselling room. The unknown presence blocked their way. The walls and ceiling changed. They couldn’t return from the way they came.

“Go to the seventh floor! I know how to leave this hospital!” In the bloody coat, Xuan Wen looked like a doctor who worked there.

The patients and Su Mo didn’t have much time to think. They followed Xuan Wen. Along the way, they saw how the hospital mutated before their eyes.

The elevator booths yawned open. Arms reached out from the shadows. Different kinds of patients bumped into the ward doors.