Chapter 1

【This is a private hospital located deep in the mountains, isolated from the world. It is called Messiah Hospital.】

【For many years, the hospital has taken in countless patients infected with a special virus, making great contributions to preventing its spread.】

【Such days continued until this winter, when an Exploration Team of unknown origin entered the mountains. After becoming infected, they were locked up in the hospital for mandatory treatment.】

【The Exploration Team has five members in total, currently residing in the wards on the second floor of the hospital. Each shows different infection symptoms.】

【Instance details under analysis…】

【Analysis complete.】

【Instance Level: C】

【Player Objective: Escape.】

After a brief silence came the cold prompt of a male voice.

【Heretic Luo Li, you are this game’s boss, opposed to the players.】

【Your objective: Induce infighting among the players and hinder them from clearing the instance. The fewer players who clear, the higher your points.】

…

Luo Li’s eyes snapped open.

Before him was a wall marred by peeling patches, and the air was thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Several nurses stood nearby, clutching medications and record sheets. They all looked harried and vacant, their faces ghostly pale under the lights.

They kept their heads bowed, as if deliberately avoiding something.

Just then, a stern voice sounded from overhead.

“…The patient in Ward 201 says the special treatment last night was supposed to be their turn, but no one came. So I’m asking what’s going on, Luo Li.”

Luo Li looked up in bewilderment and met the Chief Nurse’s eyes—jet-black orbs with scarcely any whites.

What… special treatment?

The Chief Nurse frowned. “What’s the matter? Are you unwilling?”

At her sharp question, the nurses—who had seemed like lifeless puppets—turned to stare in unison. Their identical black eyes sent chills racing across Luo Li’s skin.

He forced down his fear. “N-No, that’s not it.”

“Hmph. It’s too late for excuses now. That Meng Hu’s been kicking up a fuss in his ward because of this. He insists you come again tonight.”

The Chief Nurse paused before demanding, “You know his condition. Why bring this trouble on yourself?”

It sounded like this Meng Hu was a particularly difficult patient.

Was his condition so severe that the nurses had to attend him constantly?

Hospitals did have patients like that.

Luo Li hurried to respond. “Ah, sorry! I’ll pay more attention to him from now on.”

Only then did the Chief Nurse’s expression soften slightly. “Fine, then. Go keep him company tonight. Satisfy his physiological needs, and everyone can get some peace.”

Physiological… needs?

Something felt off about this.

At the same time, a red task window popped up in front of him, outlining what he had to do tonight.

【Task One: Refuse the requests of the players in Ward 201 to prevent them from finding clues on you.】

What kind of requests would they have…?

Luo Li carried the medical kit to the door of Ward 201.

This hospital was nothing like the ones he’d known before. The corridors were dim and interminably long, with few rooms—and those spaced far apart, as if to prevent any communication between patients.

There wouldn’t be any monsters, would there…?

No, no! He was the boss. The players were the ones who should be afraid!

In the movies, weren’t new players in horror games always trembling in fear, hearts in their throats? All he had to do was knock, and they’d jump out of their skins.

With that thought bolstering him, Luo Li mustered his courage and pushed open the door marked “201.”

He had barely cracked it open when the bed creaked. In the darkness, a massively burly silhouette slowly took shape.

The man behind the door sounded thoroughly impatient. “Who is it?”

Luo Li froze, his knees going weak as his mind blanked out.

“I-I’m Luo Li…”

The man paused, then let out an odd, ambiguous chuckle. “Loli?”

“I’m more of a mature type myself.”

What did that even mean…?

This guy was talking nonsense.

Luo Li pressed his soft lips together. “My name is Luo Li! I’m the nurse here to treat you.”

Before entering the instance, the system had informed him that his basic skill was concealment. Not just his health bar—anything abnormal would be masked.

For instance, his voice, which differed from a girl’s, or his appearance, which wasn’t that of an ordinary NPC—players would forcibly perceive all these as “normal.”

As long as he didn’t slip up, neither the players nor the audience watching through their live-stream systems would suspect him first.

This was the “privilege” the instance granted a minor monster like him.

Luo Li fought to stay calm, not daring to meet the man’s gaze.

The ward’s light was out, and only a sliver of dim hallway illumination outlined the petite nurse’s figure.

A high schooler? Sixteen… or seventeen?

Even the smallest mask dwarfed his face. The nurse’s cap was pulled so low it hid his features—only a glimpse of pale earlobe peeking from beneath his jet-black hair, tender enough to hold the eye captive.

And those straight, snow-white legs, quivering under his scrutiny—the legs of a “girl.”

Several volunteer workers watching the scene chuckled in unison.

“So you’re the one who refused Meng Hu that day, saying he was poor and old.”

“We thought she was some pampered princess. Turns out she’s just an ordinary nurse.”

They turned toward Meng Hu’s bed with a teasing edge. “Well? She’s here now. Can’t you even crack a smile?”

Everyone in the hospital knew Meng Hu was thirty-four, a former construction worker.

Rugged-looking and quick on the job, but his personality was downright eccentric—belligerent and bullheaded, famously stubborn.

Of course, what everyone gossiped about most was Meng Hu’s “addiction.”

This secretive, once-luxurious hospital had fallen into disrepair, but traces of its old special services lingered.

Like the bedside comfort provided by nurses for certain wealthy patients.

In other words, the so-called “special treatment.”

Meng Hu, naturally, had no money. Normally, perks like this wouldn’t come his way.

The service had originally been meant for the young man in the neighboring bed.

“Shut your yapping.”

A cold snap came from the next bed over. “All you extras, get out.”

Luo Li shuddered and instinctively turned.

A bite inhibitor—the kind used on untamable dogs—was strapped tightly across the young man’s face, studded with rivets.

More than that, a menacing aura clung to him. Veins bulged along his neck and arms.

This feral hound’s gaze was icy cold, not even glancing his way.

As if he disdained him entirely.

The volunteers made placating gestures of surrender. “Alright, alright. Don’t rile up Brother Kang. We’re going.”

Kang Xun didn’t spare Luo Li a look. He said to Meng Hu, “Weren’t you dying for this nurse? She’s here. What are you dawdling for?”

Meng Hu met his eyes but said nothing.

He truly had no money, but his roommate Kang Xun was a killer with deep pockets. The hospital, of course, arranged special treatments for him.

Kang Xun had zero interest in such things, though, so he’d simply passed the service along.

Meng Hu gazed at the dainty, pale little nurse from afar. After a long moment, he finally spoke. “Come here.”

Luo Li edged nervously to the burly man’s bedside. He had just opened the medical kit when a rustle sounded—the curtain between the two beds yanked shut by the brute.

One by one, Meng Hu undid the buttons of his shirt, gradually revealing his dark, chiseled waist.

Meng Hu glanced at the kit. A jumble of useless meds, gauze, bandages—looked convincing enough.

But it lacked the one thing he needed right now.

The man rummaged through it twice and tutted in annoyance.

“Why didn’t you bring the essentials? Did no one teach you how to do your job?”

He snapped the kit shut. “Go get it. I’m waiting.”

Luo Li stood there in a daze, clueless about what he’d forgotten. He racked his brain but saw Meng Hu’s impatience and didn’t dare ask.

He could only gulp and rise to his feet with a meek “oh.”

From behind him, Meng Hu called, “The largest size, got it?”

The largest size…

A mask? Or what?

Luo Li mumbled that he understood, feeling guilty.

But when he reached the door, he discovered it wouldn’t open.

For some reason, someone had locked it from the outside. No matter how he tried, it stayed shut.

After a few futile attempts, Luo Li turned back to break the news to the two men.

Their faces had darkened. Hesitating, he tried to lighten the mood by telling Meng Hu, “Um, my kit has lots of different meds. If there’s anything you need… uh, I mean, we can solve it with pills.”

The words hung in the air, and the room’s atmosphere shifted instantly.

Meng Hu stared at him for a long beat. “Pills?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Meng Hu let out a deep chuckle and leaned back. There was a mocking lilt to his tone. “Forget it. Pills are bad for the body. I’m not that heartless yet.”

How could taking medicine hurt the body?

Luo Li was more confused than ever.

“But the door won’t open. I can’t get out…”

Kang Xun, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. “Why don’t you just switch to someone else? This guy looks like he doesn’t know the first thing about anything.”

He was clearly addressing Meng Hu. “If we keep dragging our feet like this, none of us are getting out of here.”

Meng Hu, however, acted as though he hadn’t heard a word. His gaze roamed shamelessly up and down the body of the petite nurse standing before him.

The fair-skinned, slender little beauty was trembling from head to toe, clutching the registration clipboard to his chest—it was nearly as wide as his own waist. He tugged awkwardly at the hem of his short skirt.

He seemed so pure and innocent, yet he hadn’t even brought protection, and he’d boldly claimed he could just take the morning-after pill.

He was an adult, after all. How could he lack even that basic common sense? It didn’t make sense.

No matter how Meng Hu turned it over in his mind, only one possibility emerged.

“She” was far more open than her innocent appearance suggested.

Meng Hu had been straight as an arrow for over thirty years. He’d always figured it would take a voluptuous vixen—big chest, tiny waist—to really rattle him. After all, he’d never had much interest in girls under twenty-five. And yet, in this moment, for some inexplicable reason, he simply didn’t want to make the switch.

“Never mind,” he said, the words slipping out as if of their own accord. “If she doesn’t have it, she doesn’t. We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

Kang Xun’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Luo Li was still a bundle of nerves. He assumed Meng Hu’s voice had gone suddenly hoarse out of anger over his lack of preparation. After racking his brain, all he could do was shoot Kang Xun a pitiful, pleading look.

“Um… the thing he wants. D-do you have it?”

“C-could you lend it to me…?”

He reasoned that since the two men shared a room, their conditions must be similar.

Whatever Meng Hu needed, Kang Xun might have on hand.

The young man on the hospital bed turned his head toward Luo Li. He regarded him for a moment, then flashed a smile that held not a trace of friendliness.

“You’re asking to borrow from me?”

He narrowed his predatory, wolf-like eyes.

“You mean you didn’t bring a condom, so you want to borrow one from me?”