"Gasp..."

Gu Yi took a sharp breath, his eyes wide as he stared at the ceiling.

The monster was too fast; Gu Yi couldn't even end the simulation early.

A humanoid monster was hiding on the third floor. It was pitch-black, with heart-shaped eyes.

There had to be an important secret there. The monster was probably a gatekeeper, unhesitatingly strangling anyone who trespassed.

"Could there be a hidden note on the third floor that I missed?"

Gu Yi narrowed his eyes in thought for a moment, then decided to try exploring the third floor again.

(Simulation start!)

(You sit by the bed, thinking carefully.)

(You suspect you were killed by the monster for breaking a rule.)

(You return to the entrance of the third floor.)

(You search the hallway but find no notes, nor any trace of people or monsters.)

(You deduce that the monster will appear as soon as you open any of the doors.)

(You have five simulations left. You decide to use trial and error to figure out the monster's weaknesses and patterns.)

(You open the door to the Specimen Room.)

(You enter the Specimen Room.)

(You press your back against the wall, watching the entrance.)

(The monster appears.)

(It moves like a penguin, waddling from side to side, but its speed is incredible.)

(You find it difficult to track the monster's movements with your eyes open. Only by blinking rapidly can you catch glimpses of its form.)

(The monster enters the Specimen Room, deliberately avoiding the specimen cabinets.)

(You use the specimen cabinets to keep your distance from the monster.)

(The monster's heart-shaped eyes turn into two black crosses, and its entire body vanishes into the darkness.)

(You can no longer see the monster.)

(You feel a tightness in your throat.)

(The monster snaps your neck.)

(Everything goes dark.)

(You are dead.)

(Simulation end!)

Gu Yi opened his eyes and rubbed his neck.

Another instant kill.

His physical strength in this Dungeon was just too poor. An Adventurer with a talent for stamina or strength could probably have gone head-to-head with the monster.

"At least I lasted a minute that time. I'll try again."

(Simulation start!)

(You take out a piece of paper and write down all the information on the monster.)

(1. The monster can turn invisible. Normally, you must blink rapidly to see it. If its eyes turn into black crosses, it becomes completely invisible.)

(2. The monster is slightly faster than you and far stronger. Fleeing or fighting it head-on is not a realistic option.)

(3. The monster is afraid of damaging the items in the Specimen Room. This can be used to maneuver around it.)

(4. The monster is corporeal and must make physical contact to inflict harm.)

(5. It is confirmed that the monster only appears when you enter the Specimen Room. It does not appear otherwise.)

(You ponder for a moment.)

(You escape the ward using the same method as before. You go to the laundry room on the first-floor corner and find some bedsheets.)

(You tear the bedsheets into long strips.)

(You go to the janitor's closet and steal some floor wax.)

(You arrive on the third floor.)

(You spread the wax all over the floor and set up tripwires in the hallway with the cloth strips.)

(You open the door to the Specimen Room.)

(The monster quickly appears before you.)

(You immediately run.)

(The monster gives chase and is tripped by the wire.)

(You continue running downstairs.)

(The monster slips on the waxed floor. You keep sprinting.)

(You reach the ground floor.)

(You take out the Access Card and use it to call the elevator to Basement Level 1.)

(A member of the Security Department immediately appears before you.)

(Security Department: Why do you have Doctor Gui's Access Card?)

(You don't say a word. Blinking rapidly, you see the monster has already arrived behind you both.)

(The security guard turns and locks eyes with the monster.)

(Security Department: What are you doing here? Get back to your Specimen Room!)

(The monster and the security guard begin to brawl.)

(You turn and enter Basement Level 1.)

(A chill runs down your spine. You feel as if countless eyes are watching you from the darkness.)

(You hear an animalistic growl.)

(A monster covered in black fur lunges from the shadows, letting out a bark.)

(You dodge to the side.)

(The security guard and the monster are at the entrance. You cannot retreat.)

(You can only press forward.)

(More and more black-furred monsters appear around you.)

(You suspect these monsters were once patients. Their physical abilities are similar to yours, but there are too many of them.)

(Soon, you are caught by a pack of the black-furred monsters.)

(Black fur begins to sprout all over your body.)

(You feel your consciousness fading away.)

(You stop the simulation.)

"Phew..."

Gu Yi leaned back against his pillow and let out a long sigh.

The more heavily guarded the Specimen Room was, the more curious Gu Yi became.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from "pawread dot com".

The first time he entered the basement, he was swarmed and gradually assimilated by the monsters before he even had a chance to explore.

In that environment, he would surely die by turning into one of them.

"Could the barking I hear during the day be coming from the basement?"

"Probably not. It sounded much closer."

"In a previous simulation, I went to the Crematorium. It seemed like there were no monsters in the basement during the day; they only come out at night."

"The safe time to explore the basement is during the day."

Gu Yi rubbed his temples, writing down his deductions and the known information about the monsters on the slip of paper.

He read it over twice, pocketed the paper, and began the simulation again.

(Simulation start!)

(You are certain there must be an important clue in the Specimen Room.)

(The Hospital's security is so lax at night that you can wander around in a Beak Mask without being questioned. The Security Department office is unmanned, yet a monster specifically guards the Specimen Room.)

(You realize that pitting the Security Department against the monster is not a good strategy.)

(Whichever one of them survives will just turn on you.)

(You feel you've been cornered.)

(You realize there is no way for you to get past the monster in the Specimen Room.)

(Maybe you should just give up on investigating the Specimen Room?)

(You are unwilling to accept this.)

(You've found the breakthrough point, but you can't find a way to break through.)

(You hold the piece of paper, thinking hard.)

(You are sure you haven't missed any details in your intelligence on the monster.)

(You silently recall the last simulation.)

(You feel like you've grasped a key point.)

(The security guard expressed surprise and shock the moment he saw the monster.)

(And he also said, "Get back to your Specimen Room!")

(This sentence gives you an idea.)

(You realize you've overlooked one thing—where did the monster come from?)