Chapter 19: Worm (Thanks to the Alliance Leader 'Tang Sumu')

In the collapsed factory, smoke and dust filled the air.

Amidst the siege of dozens of ghouls, Wen Wen walked forward as if strolling in a courtyard, waving her hand casually, hanging the ghost things blocking the way one by one on the sharp crystal trees rising from the ground.

Facing her questioning, the voice on the phone continued, without any irritability or unhappiness, as if it were an eternal good temper, patiently facing the questions and accusations of all patients.

Anyway, the consultation fee of 160,000 federal coins per minute would not be less by a penny, and if it wasn't enough, it would be calculated by the minute.

Caller—【Hope Hospital·Testing Department】

"The chemical analysis report of the virus sample from patient Zhu Hong, number R54447, which you sent for inspection yesterday, has been completed."

A physician named Muller said slowly: "We regret to inform you that this is not the standard sample of the NO. 109 blood-thirst disease from before, but a new strain that has been alienated and iterated on the basis of blood-thirst disease."

Wen Wen asked: "What does that mean?"

"Hmm, in layman's terms, it's an upgraded, specialized version that is even stronger than the original!"

Muller explained: "As everyone knows, the original version of blood-thirst disease comes from Middle Earth and is a plague produced after the sin-tainting of the sacrificial king of Middle Earth. I won't describe its specific symptoms here. The final result is that the host is completely alienated into a type-b ghoul among sin-tainting creatures.

And the strain you provided is completely different.

Its alienation of the host is just a superficial phenomenon, more like a modification of the tool. The blood, life, and even spiritual quality that the host sucks are all eventually attributed to the strain itself.

Just like a parasite, the focus is not on the host, but on the strain.

In the end, even the host itself will be eaten up by the strain, leaving only the strain itself, supplied for the controller to retrieve and use. If used properly, it is not difficult to gather massive amounts of life and spiritual quality in just a few days."

Speaking of this, Muller couldn't help but sigh: "As a tool, such a strain is truly simple and practical, very cost-effective."

"Wait—"

From the other party's tone, Wen Wen keenly sensed a discord, subconsciously gritting her teeth: "Why do you know so clearly? Don't tell me you bastards also have contact?"

"Of course, this is our hospital's patent! It is a classic variant cultivated by Director Yan of the Infectious Disease Department forty-one years ago!"

Muller answered proudly: "Although limited by the T5 agreement, it cannot be used publicly on a large scale, but none of the partners who have purchased the corresponding technology have not praised our hospital's technical level!"

"You motherfucker—"

Wen Wen almost crushed her phone, although she knew clearly that for the bunch of research lunatics at 【Hope Hospital】, morality and ethics were not as useful as a diaper. But she still couldn't help wanting to hit someone.

Why didn't I choose the matrix that could slap someone across the computer when I started?

Otherwise, I wouldn't have to suffer this bird's anger?!

"However, please rest assured, our hospital does not yet have the qualifications and permits for outpatient visits, and naturally will not interfere with the sovereign territory outside the hospital area.

According to the cooperation agreement with the Federal Security Bureau, when encountering such terrorist attacks, we will definitely fully cooperate."

Muller said quickly: "According to the hospital's regulations, all achievements and products rated C1 and above are strictly prohibited from spreading to non-partners, and all contacts will have traces left in the file room of the visitor reception center.

According to the records, there are a total of 41 people who currently hold and know how to use this strain.

And among them, the only one who has a connection with the Long Jihui is the former emergency department assistant physician 'Andreas Lawrence' who was fired by our hospital sixteen years ago for academic misconduct."

"Or, you are more familiar with his other title..."

Muller spat out the name: "【Worm】."

A wanted criminal on both the Federation and Empire lists, an escapee from the Northern Mountains Prison, a cultist who once single-handedly created the Empire's Flower Moon Tragedy.

One of the sixteen pastors of the Long Jihui, Aberrant Worm.

"If it is him, you must be careful."

Muller reminded at the end, "That guy, when doing things, always likes to make a big mess..."

Wen Wen didn't speak.

Looking back silently, gazing from the foothills... at the starry, slowly rising scarlet light in the North Mountain District.

That is the aberrant spiritual quality that ordinary people cannot perceive with the naked eye. They are like substance, rising into the sky, bursting loudly. Thousands of threads of scarlet extend, gather, just like a giant tree woven by blood vessels.

Amidst the sharp laughter, dancing enchantingly.

Ten minutes ago, Jici Hospital, inpatient building.

"Ward round, ward round."

The nurse in a hurry walked at the front, knocking on doors one by one, inspecting before the attending physician: "Everyone, please tidy up messy items, don't eat instant noodles on the bed, Auntie, put away your underwear, you can't hang it at the door!"

Saying that, she pulled down the huge, sagging underwear that made people dumbfounded and threw it back to its owner. Ji Jue, who was next to her, was stunned. He had gone in and out so many times, and actually thought it was the old man's vest!

Then, he saw the old lady turn around... and hang it up again!

Making Ji Jue couldn't help but give a thumbs up,

Truly, tenacious and unyielding!

"Uncle, if it hurts, you can only take painkillers. This is rheumatism, and gout. Surgery can only treat the symptoms. Eat less alcohol and soup, be light..."

"The wound shows signs of inflammation. Communicate with the family. To avoid suppuration, you still have to change the medicine... Paying a few dollars more is better than amputation, communicate the situation well."

"It has almost healed, and you can be discharged soon."

Accompanied by the faint sound, heavy footsteps walked to the door. It was a doctor leaning on a crutch, still wearing a brace on his leg. In the hot weather, there was a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, but his expression was as eternal, gentle, and kind as ever. After checking the conditions of the old man and aunt one by one, he finally looked at Ji Jue at the very end.

After flipping through the medical records of the bed, he reached out and pressed the bruises on his body and the burn marks on his back that were gradually healing, nodding with satisfaction: "Recovering well, and lucky, no acute renal failure or nerve damage. Observe for two more days, adjust endocrine and hormones."

"Take medicine on time, and you will get better quickly."

He waved his hand, and a nurse came up to put a standard paper bag into Ji Jue's hand.

"Ah?"

Ji Jue was stunned, looking down at the paper bag in his hand: "There was no medicine like this in the morning."

"Mecobalamin, nourishing nerves, supplementing Vitamin B."

The doctor pushed his glasses, smiling: "Promoting nerve healing."

Inside the tilted paper bag, two pills, not even half the size of a little finger nail, rolled into Ji Jue's hand. The color was dark red, and they smelled as unpleasant as ordinary medicine, with a bitter taste.

"I'm a bit afraid of bitterness."

Ji Jue hesitated: "Eat it now?"

The nurse handed over a cup of warm water, persuading: "There is another dose in the evening, taking medicine on time will make you get better quickly."

Ji Jue was silent.

Looking down at his palm, the two pills that were slightly sticky after being stained with sweat, and the faint scarlet burning inside them. And even the watch pop-ups that had been popping up from just now.

【Detected active aberrant spiritual quality externally, warning, detected large active aberrant source, sin-tainting risk gradually rising, warning, detected unknown aberrant body, warning, warning, warning, warning...】

Warning warning, warning all day long.

Why don't you help me call the police, damn it!

Ji Jue sighed, wanting to say something, but couldn't help but look at the door, stunned on the spot.

"Brother Feng? When did you come?"

Unfortunately, there was no Brother Feng.

The doctor and nurse turned their heads. Outside the door, besides the air and a pair of big underwear fluttering in the wind, there was nothing.

Bad news, this time there was no god-like soldier descending from heaven.

Good news, Grandpa has a god-like soldier!

Ji Jue's other hand had already pulled the pistol from under the pillow, aiming at the doctor's forehead. After pulling the safety, he used the fastest speed and strength of his life to pull the trigger.

The roar erupted in an instant, overlapping, the spraying gun flame dancing and spreading, fleeting, but lingering in the loud sound.

In less than a second, Ji Jue already couldn't feel his fingers.

But he had no time to care.

The moment he fired, he had already leaped from the hospital bed, jumping backward, smashing the window with his back, and falling from the fourth floor.

Fourth floor, twelve meters, and there was a shed for electric scooters below.

If he was lucky, he wouldn't die on the spot.

As long as he didn't die, he could crawl on an electric scooter and run away.

If not, make a big scene, the other party would also have to worry about...

Worry about what?

In the rushing wind, his brain was empty, suddenly stuck, forgetting what was behind.

Because the fall, stopped abruptly!

Ji Jue hung upside down in mid-air, holding a pistol with a scorched barrel, struggling in embarrassment, but unable to break free... that strange tentacle wrapped around his ankle.

And then, another tentacle stretched out from inside the window, wrapping around his right foot.

And then, his hands.

Even too lazy to take away the empty-chamber pistol that only had the firing pin clicking in his hand.

Just like that, gently, slowly, carefully, dragging him back into the hospital room.

Placing him on the bed.

In the silence, it was as if even the breathing sound had disappeared. Only the people in the surrounding beds and the nurses looked at him with hollow eyes.

Like ghosts.

And right in front of him, the doctor's face, skull, neck, and chest still had the bullet holes from the penetration, blood slowly overflowing from them.

Through the cracks, one could faintly see tentacles squirming in a mass, slowly extending from the cracks in the face, dancing.

"Actually discovered? How strange."

That face, torn apart but still continuing to smile, slowly lifted, emitting that hoarse voice that seemed to come from a nightmare, full of appreciation: "As expected of a chosen one who has been cursed for ten years and can still awaken autonomously!

Just this insight and sense of smell is eye-opening. No... even more so is this determination to pull a gun on a stranger after noticing something wrong."

"I 【beep】 your mother!"

Ji Jue struggled in vain, but was finally bound layer by layer with zip ties, unable to move anymore. The nurse, walking like a walking corpse, stepped forward and gave him a shot in the neck.

And then, his vision went black.

He blacked out.

In the last moment, the phone screen under the quilt lit up, the text message interface popped up, sending the last message to Wen Wen in the address book.

—SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE SAVE!!!! ===== CHAPTER 20 =====