A cluttered room.
Yellowed walls.
The floor covered in blood, hair, and severed limbs...
The pungent stench of blood woke Gu Yi. He struggled to his feet, staring blankly at the palm of his hand.
"Where am I?"
Gu Yi looked around.
A cold voice pierced his ears.
"Welcome to the Weird Space. Please remain cautious and calm, as this will determine whether you can survive in this world."
Gu Yi shuddered, his heart leaping into his throat. "I'm actually in the Weird Space?"
This world was one controlled by the "Weird Space."
Periodically, the Weird Space would select a group of humans to venture into the Weird World. They would represent their respective nations to challenge it.
If they failed the challenge, monsters from the Weird Space would invade the nation they represented.
Gu Yi's throat tightened and his palms grew sweaty. His mind was still a complete blank.
"Calm down, calm down..."
Gu Yi took a deep breath, trying his best to soothe his fear and anxiety.
He had lived in the Dragon Nation for twenty years and had developed a deep affection for his country.
Even if not for himself, for his country, for his parents, brothers, and fellow countrymen, he had to be brave!
Gu Yi pulled himself together and took another deep breath.
Just then, the cold voice echoed in his mind again.
"As this is the Adventurer's first time entering the Weird Space, you are granted one free chance to draw an Innate Skill."
"Do you wish to draw?"
Hearing this, Gu Yi's mood gradually calmed.
Every Adventurer could draw once for an initial Innate Skill upon first entering the Weird Space.
Some of these skills could enhance an Adventurer's physical strength, making them faster; others could boost their Spirit Power, preventing them from being easily scared to death by the monsters of the Weird Space.
It was universally acknowledged that physical enhancement skills were the most practical initial Innate Skills in the entire space, as many levels could be cleared simply by running away.
Gu Yi had been so nervous at first that he had completely forgotten about this, only remembering when the space reminded him.
"Draw the Innate Skill."
*Ting-a-ling—*
The sound of a small bell rang in Gu Yi's ears.
"Congratulations, Adventurer, for obtaining the SSS-Level Innate Skill—[Infinite Deduction]!"
"[Infinite Deduction] allows the Adventurer to deduce all possible future events. Each deduction consumes a certain amount of the host's Spirit Power. To use the skill, silently recite 'Begin deduction' in your mind."
"Deductions are instantaneous and do not affect the progress of reality. However, the memories and any Mental Trauma you experience during the deduction will be retained. Please maintain a calm mind at all times."
"Current Adventurer's Spirit Power: 50/50."
Infinite Deduction?
A glint appeared in Gu Yi's eyes. Although he didn't fully understand the specific function of [Infinite Deduction], just hearing "SSS-Level" was enough to put him at ease.
The probability of an SSS-Level Innate Skill appearing was one in ten million.
The last Adventurer to awaken an SSS-Level Innate Skill had cleared five Dungeons in a row, whereas other players, on average, could only clear one or two.
Before Gu Yi had a chance to study his new skill, the surrounding scenery changed again, and his body was moved about involuntarily, like a puppet on strings.
Gu Yi now found himself lying on a hospital bed, unable to move. The system's prompt sounded in his ears once more.
"The Dungeon is about to begin. All Adventurers, please prepare."
[Dungeon Name] Renowned Doctor
[Dungeon Synopsis] Every night, you watch the fellow patients around you disappear one by one. But when you ask others, they all insist they have never seen those patients. You are terrified, afraid that one day you too will suddenly vanish...
[Clear Conditions]
1. Perfect Clear: Investigate the truth behind Chongshan Hospital and capture the "Unmentionable."
2. Excellent Clear: Successfully escape from Chongshan Hospital.
3. Normal Clear: Survive in Chongshan Hospital for one month.
The pressure on Gu Yi's body vanished, and he regained his freedom. However, he didn't rush to get out of bed. Instead, he closed his eyes and silently recited in his mind.
"Begin deduction."
*(Deduction initiated!)*
*(This is your first time using your Innate Skill, and you are excited.)*
*(You get out of bed and observe your surroundings.)*
*(This is a Special Care Ward. A bed is placed against the wall, with a nightstand beside it. Messy clothes are scattered on the floor, along with an empty cardboard box.)*
*(You turn and open the window.)*
*(The window is blocked by bars. The bars are extremely sturdy; escaping through the window is impossible.)*
*(You turn back and try to find clues in the ward.)*
*(The ward's main door is locked from the outside and cannot be opened.)*
*(You go to the bedside, lifting the quilt, sheets, and mattress, but find no clues or hints.)*
*(You turn to the nightstand and open the first drawer. Inside are only some pills and miscellaneous items.)*
*(Knock, knock, knock—)*
*(A knock sounds from the door. Someone asks about your condition.)*
*(You do not answer.)*
*(The door opens. A doctor and two nurses enter the ward.)*
*(The doctor and nurses are all wearing Beak Masks.)*
*(The doctor glances at you, then checks the first drawer.)*
*(He takes off his mask, and his head instantly transforms into that of a monster.)*
*(Your vision turns blood-red.)*
*(You are dead.)*
*(Deduction complete.)*
"Ah!"
Gu Yi's eyes flew open with a soft cry.
The simulated deduction was so realistic that even the sensation of the monster piercing his heart was perfectly replicated. He had just experienced a true death, firsthand.
In his first deduction, Gu Yi was killed by the monstrous doctor without even leaving the ward, failing to find a single useful clue.
"Dammit, why did I die when I didn't even do anything? What kind of instant-death flag did I trigger?"
At this moment, Gu Yi's Spirit Power had dropped to 40/50. It seemed one deduction consumed 10 points of Spirit Power.
This meant Gu Yi had to find useful clues within the remaining four deductions, or else he would face a dead end.
The only useful piece of information Gu Yi had gained was that the doctors in the hospital were monsters. Moreover, he must have missed some crucial detail to have been killed so suddenly.
"Calm down. I must have missed something. Let's go again. Begin deduction!"
Gu Yi took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.
*(Deduction initiated!)*
*(Learning from your first failure, you don't wander around aimlessly. Instead, you focus on finding clues to clear the dungeon.)*
*(You don't search the bed, but focus all your attention on the nightstand.)*
*(The nightstand has three drawers. You've already checked the first one, so you start with the second.)*
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*(The second drawer is empty.)*
*(The third drawer contains only a folding fruit knife, which you put in your pocket.)*
*(Having found no other clues, you get down on the floor and finally spot a piece of paper under the bed, near the wall.)*
*(You take off your shoe and use it to hook the piece of paper out from the corner.)*
*(It is a note with hints written on it.)*
*([Patient Handbook])*
*(1. Take your medicine on time every morning, noon, and night.)*
*(2. Please keep the ward tidy at all times.)*
*(3. People wearing Beak Masks are doctors or nurses. Please follow their instructions.)*
*(4. If you see blood dripping from the hallway ceiling, do not panic. This is normal.)*
*(5. There are always two people in the Special Care Ward. Remember this.)*
*(6. If you see any damaged equipment, immediately contact the person wearing the Elephant Mask for repairs.)*
*(You flip the note over. On the back, a line of text is written in blood.)*
*("Do not take any medicine they give you. They are a pack of devils, and they will lead you into the abyss.")*
Proofreader: Peter Pan