Chapter 18: Basement
(You open your eyes again.)
(You realize you hadn't died.)
(The spider's fangs remain stuck at the tip of your nose, unable to descend.)
(You move along the wall.)
(Surprisingly, the small toad was biting the spider's thigh, slowly devouring it.)
(Boom!)
(The spider suddenly shrinks and was swallowed whole by the toad in an instant.)
(The toad eats the spider and remains motionless in the corner.)
(You breathe a sigh of relief.)
(You look up and see an entrance to a ventilation duct above.)
(There was a pile of debris in the corner of the room, resembling the spider's usual food.)
(You move the debris over and stack it beneath your feet, successfully climbing into the ventilation duct.)
(You crawl inside the ventilation duct.)
(You notice that there are roaming security personnel throughout Level -1 [basement].)
(They have dull expressions and didn't speak to each other.)
(Occasionally, a few people would suddenly disappear on the spot, probably off to attend to their tasks.)
(You crawl cautiously, being careful not to make any noise.)
(You find the so-called archive room, located behind the crematorium.)
(Seizing the opportunity when no one was around, you jump down from the ventilation duct and enter the archive room.)
(You first arrive at the patient file cabinet and find your own file.)
(The file was filled with garbled characters that you can't decipher.)
(You put on the bird beak mask.)
([Patient File])
([Number] ********)
([Name] Gu Yi)
([Gender] Male)
([Admission Date] Day X of the Year of Abundance)
([Participated Experiments] Socialization Transformation, Language Adaptation, Brain Modification.)
(This file confirms your speculation.)
(Chongshan Hospital was not a traditional hospital but a research institute, and this world was not a reflection of the real world but another parallel universe. The indigenous people here use a calendar completely different from the Blue Star.)
(Socialization Transformation, Language Adaptation, Brain Modification.)
(These three experimental projects seem ambiguous, and you have no idea what they actually mean.)
(Socialization Transformation and Language Adaptation can be roughly guessed.)
(Socialization Transformation should involve receiving prison-like management at Chongshan Hospital to adapt to the society here.)
(Language Adaptation is probably about being able to understand the language spoken by the indigenous people.)
(You noticed a detail early on: the patients here don't speak. You can only communicate with the medical staff.)
(Presumably, this is because you underwent the "Language Adaptation" experiment.)
(The idea of brain modification sounds terrifying, and you have no idea what they have done to your brain.)
(The only thing you can be certain of is that the role you currently play is that of a guinea pig in a research institute.)
(You search for clues in other file cabinets.)
(Finally, at the counter of the [Research Materials,] you find the videotape of "Monster Siege.")
(You search around and find a projector deep in the archives.)
(You decide to watch the videotape on the spot.)
(You put on the 3D glasses.)
("Monster Siege" tells a very cheesy science fiction plot about monsters invading the world and people rising up to resist.)
(The movie tells the story of the human world, with the protagonist being a person from the Dragon Country who also owns a very intelligent dog that plays a crucial role in the movie.)
(For now, you haven't found any useful information from the movie. It appears to be a very ordinary popcorn movie.)
(You think for a moment and decide to watch the movie wearing the bird beak mask.)
(Once the first frame of the movie starts, the entire visual style of the movie is off.)
(It's like a spilled paint palette, making it impossible to see the content clearly.)
(A monster covered in black fur reaches out from the screen.)
(You remember the instructions for the glasses.)
(You quickly take off the glasses.)
(You discover that the black-furred monster is still struggling to climb out of the screen.)
(You quickly take three steps back.)
(You feel the ground giving way beneath your feet, and you fall.)
(You climb up from the ground.)
(You look up and realize there is no hole above you. You must have passed through the wall and fallen.)
(Apparently, there is another basement, Level -2, in the hospital.)
(You feel somewhat puzzled.)
(To reach Level -2 [second basement], you must simultaneously have the bird mask and the 3D glasses, and encounter the appearance of the monster while watching the movie. You find these conditions too demanding, and there should be another way to reach Level -2.)
(You calm down and start thinking.)
(You realize that the method you used to reach Level -2 today cannot be replicated in reality. If someone discovers that the spider in Room 0 is dead, you will surely be caught by the hospital's security personnel.)
(You don't have time to daydream; you must explore as quickly as possible.)
(You take off the bird beak mask and continue walking along the corridor in front of you.)
(The further you walk, the more dilapidated the walls become.)
(You roughly determine your direction and believe that you are directly below the crematorium.)
(This is a huge boiler room with pipes everywhere. You notice a few people wearing elephant masks working inside. Deep within the boiler room, there is an elevator, and it doesn't require an access card to operate.)
(You silently move away.)
(You continue exploring further.)
(You have probably been walking for twenty minutes, which is clearly beyond the original area of the hospital.)
(The underground section of the hospital is much larger than the aboveground.)
(Both left and right sides of the corridor are lined with closed room doors, with a door visible every five steps.)
(The deeper you go, the more eerie the atmosphere of the hospital corridor becomes.)
(The door handles are made of bones, the door panels are painted with fresh blood, the walls have muscle-like patterns that tremble with your heartbeat.)
(The ceiling starts to drip blood.)
(You don't know if this is an illusion or reality.)
(You notice black hair growing on your arms.)
(You continue walking forward.)
(Your consciousness begins to blur, and you hear strange murmuring voices in your ears.)
(You reach the end of the corridor.)
(Everything around you returns to normal.)
(However, your arms are now covered in black fur, just like the monster that emerged from the movie screen.)
(Your mental strength is stronger than before, and you can barely maintain your sanity.)
(At the end of the corridor, there is only one office with a sign that reads "Dean's Office.")
(You can't open the door.)
(You look left and right, choosing to explore to the left.)
(Your breathing becomes rapid.)
(You enter the room on the left.)
(The door is unlocked, and upon opening it, you find yourself in a storage room filled with rows of cardboard boxes.)
(You pick up one of the boxes and realize that it is identical to the one in your hospital room.)
(The black fur extends to your chest.)
(You clutch your head, trying to think.)
(But you realize that you can't remain calm at all.)
(A voice keeps echoing in your mind.)
("You are no longer human.")
(You grit your teeth and persevere.)
(With great effort, you manage to drive that voice out of your mind.)
(Black fur starts growing on your legs.)
(Unspeakable's power becomes incredibly strong here.)
(You put the bird-beak mask back on.)
(The process of your transformation slows down, but cannot be completely stopped.)
(You feel that it's because you haven't found more crucial clues or items, which is why exploring the second basement level is so difficult.)
(You continue to search and explore here.)
(You hear someone humming a song.)
(You hide in a corner and observe carefully.)
(It turns out to be a person wearing a kangaroo mask who enters the storage room. They open their pants, pull out a bunch of fresh ingredients from their crotch, and place them on the cabinet.)
(You feel nauseous.)
(Apparently, the hospital's food supplies are brought in this way by the kangaroo people.)
(You secretly follow them.)
(The kangaroo person approaches an elevator, which they can open without using an access card.)
(Once the kangaroo person leaves, you rush up to the elevator.)
(You press the button in the elevator.)
(The elevator can go to the first floor, basement, and the second basement.)
(You press the button for the first floor.)
(The elevator opens to the back kitchen of the cafeteria.)
(It's lunchtime, and there's only one chef peeling potatoes.)
(Chef: Why are you here?)
(You dare not speak, as any attempt to do so would result in barking like a dog.)
(Chef: Why aren't you speaking?)
(You lower your head and walk away.)
(The chef stops you and removes your mask.)
(Chef: We have an infected individual here!)
(Doctors arrive in the back kitchen, and they grab hold of you.)
(You are taken to the emergency room.)
(The doctors use a chainsaw on you, severing your limbs.)
(Doctor: No hope, send him to the crematorium.)
(Everything goes black before your eyes.)
(You're dead.)
(Deduction ends.)
Gu Yi opened his eyes again, sitting on the toilet, and carefully contemplating everything that just happened.
He took out a pen and paper, jotting down the new clues he obtained.
1. The hospital has not only a Level -1 [basement] but also a Level -2 [second basement]. The deeper one goes, the stronger the unspeakable's power becomes. The bird mask possesses some ability to resist mental contamination. However, relying solely on the bird mask is insufficient for exploring the second basement.
2. There are methods other than Room 0 to access the hospital's underground floors. The kitchen's elevator and the crematorium can be used without an access card. The secure methods to enter the back kitchen and the crematorium are currently unknown.
3. There is ample evidence to prove that this is a research institute rather than a hospital, where they conduct modifications on humans. The native inhabitants of the hospital, including medical staff, employees, and security personnel, are all monsters.
4. In the archive room, "Monster Seige" is just an ordinary movie. It only reveals its eerie side when one wears the bird mask. It can assist in accessing the hospital's second basement.
But perhaps that is not the true purpose of "Monster Seige."
The main characters in "Monster Seige" are humans, which indicates that the movie is intended for humans, not the natives.
The monsters in "Monster Seige" develop hostility towards the medical staff in the hospital, which is why the monsters start chasing after the person once they wear the mask.
Therefore, "Monster Seige" might be a tool to kill the indigenous inhabitants.
5. Using Room 0 to access the basement is not advisable. The toad must have a more significant role, and there might be more than one large spider in the hospital. I must come up with a more reasonable method to enter the underground floors.
Gu Yi didn't continue the deduction and hid all the items before heading to the cafeteria for a meal.
Sometimes it's best to be concise.
Due to his injuries not being fully healed, Gu Yi still hasn't gone to the treatment room for medical treatment. He returned to his ward, and his fellow patient, Xu Nian, was still unconscious.
Outside the window, barking dogs and honking vehicles could be heard.
Today, another group of bosses arrived at the hospital. This time, the group consists of not only the Deer-Headed Persons but also the Bull-Headed Persons, Kangaroo-Headed Persons, Elephant-Headed Persons, and Pig-Headed Persons.
Gu Yi believes that these individuals wearing different masks must have different professions and identities in the dungeon world.
"Uh..."
Xu Nian groaned.
Noticing this, Gu Yi quickly turned his head to look at his ward mate.
"What's wrong?"
"Uh..."
Xu Nian opened his mouth but didn't speak.
"Why aren't you talking?"
Xu Nian's mouth slowly moved, but Gu Yi still can't hear him speaking.
"What is it? Do you want some water?"
Gu Yi pointed to the water bottle behind him, and Xu Nian squinted and nodded.
Gu Yi poured a glass of water for Xu Nian.
Xu Nian took a sip.
Gu Yi furrowed his brows, suddenly thinking of a possibility.
—Maybe it's not that the patients in the hospital don't speak, but rather that I can't hear them speaking.
Xu Nian clearly communicated with him just now, but why couldn't he hear any sound?
Could this be related to the various experiments conducted on him by the hospital?
"Lie down and rest for a while."
"Uh..."
Xu Nian lay down obediently, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
Gu Yi returned to his own bed and suddenly felt an itch on his wrist.
He rolled up his sleeve and saw black fur growing on his wrist.
"Oh shit..."
The power of the "unspeakable" is increasing, and he had starting to undergo mutation.
If he doesn't come up with a way to clear the level quickly, he will eventually turn into a monster.
Gu Yi immediately closed his eyes and activated his talent.
(Deduction begins!)
(You spit out the key to the ward from your mouth.)
(Seeing your actions, Xu Nian opens his mouth in astonishment.)
(You make a gesture to silence Xu Nian.)
(You secretly open the door to the ward and carefully observe.)
(Taking advantage of the nurse's bewilderment, you quickly run out and hide in the toilet.)
(You put on Dr. Gui's attire.)
(Most of the doctors and nurses in the hospital are concentrated in the treatment rooms on the second floor.)
(Many unfamiliar guests, led by the Pig-Headed Person, have arrived on the second floor.)
(You blend in with the doctors' group and eavesdrop on the conversation between the Pig-Headed Person and the guests.)
(Pig-Headed Person: Welcome to Chongshan Hospital. If you want to choose **, Chongshan Hospital is your best choice.)
(The Pig-Headed Person mentioned a strange term that you couldn't understand at all.)
(You speculate that ** refers to humans.)
(Deer-Headed Person: I want to choose **.)
(Pig-Headed Person: What will you mainly use it for? To watch # or to accompany #@#?)
(Deer-Headed Person: I'm bored at home alone, so I bought one to play with.)
(Pig-Headed Person: Then I suggest you choose a female. They tend to have a gentler temperament...)
(The Pig-Headed Person uses more professional terminology and leads the first customer into the treatment room. They look through the glass at each sleeping patient.)
(You feel puzzled.)
(The Deer-Headed Person takes a stroll outside and finally chooses a female patient. He leads her out of the treatment room.)
(You secretly follow them.)
(Once the female patient steps out of the hospital building, she immediately transforms into a creature covered in black fur. She has a very gentle personality and doesn't resemble the aggressive black-furred monsters seen in the basement.)
(You successfully blend in with the Deer-Headed Person's group and squeeze onto the bus.)
(The driver of the bus is a person wearing an elephant mask. He waves at you.)
(Driver: Where's your ticket?)
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone