Chapter 16

Wu Chang toyed with the Eye of Leyman, which, now detached from the altar, had transformed into a gem-like texture, like a jewel meticulously carved by a master, yet still retained the softness of flesh.

In its closed state, the Eye of Leyman no longer emitted malevolent thoughts or malice, but instead radiated a faint sense of peace and compassion.

"Item Name: Eye of the Demigod (Sealed)"

"Item Type: Dungeon Item"

"Item Level: Unknown"

"Item Skill: Unknown"

"Note: The left eye of the Demigod Leyman, containing the Demigod's vast divine power and endless curses."

Though sealed, with its level and attributes hidden, the Eye of Leyman was still the eye of a demigod—surely it must be an A-rank item at least.

Wu Chang tossed the eyeball in his hand, then tossed it into his backpack space.

Having uncovered the secret of the Moonlight Sanatorium and obtained the Cursed Gold, it was time to clear the dungeon.

Before leaving, he casually took a book from the underground library to appear scholarly, reading it as he walked back to the sanatorium.

The book mostly introduced several famous forbidden cults, the characteristics of demigods, and how to respond to and fight them—essentially a novice handbook for the Secret Order Knights.

One page was marked as important and further emphasized.

When encountering events related to the demigod, do not believe, do not think, do not listen, do not look, and do not let it become real.

Wu Chang closed the book, wrinkled his nose—demigod existence was evidently more troublesome than he'd imagined.

Returning inside the sanatorium building, he headed straight underground and opened the white door of the pharmaceutical room.

As the door opened, he greeted Wolf, who was pacing inside: "Hey, Mr. Wolf, just finished dinner and taking a stroll?"

Upon their second meeting, Wolf no longer displayed his initial calmness; now he was agitated, brows knotted, eyes flicking nervously toward the ceiling, facial muscles twitching, expression grotesque.

It seemed this bastard couldn't keep up the act much longer.

Wolf lunged to Wu Chang's front and asked: "You're just in time—what's happening upstairs?"

"Upstairs?"

Wu Chang feigned confusion, innocently replying: "I was just in the director's office—I don't know what happened. Probably an earthquake."

Wolf had only asked out of habit, never expecting an answer from Wu Chang; upon hearing this, his attention instantly shifted.

"Director's office? You saw Randy?"

Wu Chang pulled a silver crossbow bolt from behind his back: "I've already met Director Randy and gained his initial trust. Randy's beliefs are deeply rooted—I can't convince him yet that the demigod truly exists."

"If there's more direct evidence, Randy will believe?" Wolf's tone grew strange.

"I think so."

No sooner had Wu Chang spoken than a dark shadow flashed before his eyes—Wolf seized his shoulder and lifted him off the ground.

An overwhelming force surged from his shoulder, leaving him unable to struggle.

Wolf narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly: "Since you're so trusted by Randy, I'll entrust this task to you."

As Wolf prepared to act, Wu Chang shouted the dying words hidden within Wolf's resentment.

"Wait—Priest, don't strike! We're on the same side!"

"Hmm?"

Seizing Wolf's pause, Wu Chang spoke at his fastest speed, rattling off the identity he'd prepared like a tongue-twister.

"The Lord's light does not shine upon one land alone, nor even one plane—I come from another world, and I too am a believer of the Lord."

"We received divine revelation: we came to this world to reclaim the Lord's power. I have a companion who entered the sanatorium before me, though we've lost contact—if you find him, he can prove our identities."

Hearing Wu Chang mention a companion, Wolf's face flickered with embarrassment; the killing intent in his eyes softened slightly, yet his tone remained hostile.

"You fools need my help?"

Wu Chang continued: "Our church's prophet, through sacrificial life, foresaw the location of the Lord's sealed power—the Cursed Gold. When the Lord awakens, I will share the secret with you, Priest, and split the Lord's blessings equally."

Wolf frowned: "Split equally?"

"Forty-six? No—thirty-seven. I'll take only three-tenths, and you choose first."

Wolf released him, tossing Wu Chang to the ground: "Twenty-eight."

"Fine. Twenty-eight."

"Go to Randy. The proof he wants—I'll give it to him immediately." Wolf waved his hand and turned toward the cave at the rear.

Watching Wolf's retreating back, Wu Chang raised an eyebrow—all actors were in place, all preparations complete; he'd see what kind of play Wolf intended to stage.

With his access pass, he reached the director's office without Zhu Li's help.

Inside the office, Randy was already prepared.

He wore a hunting coat lined with leather armor, held a heavy musket in his right hand, gripped a swift sword at his waist, and carried his ancestral golden crossbow on his back.

Wu Chang casually revealed the book in his hand, feigning panic:

"Director Randy, I was just reviewing documents in the backyard when the entire ground shook—I saw several cloaked figures enter the sanatorium on my way back. The Quiet Church seems to be moving."

Randy replied gravely: "Don't worry. I know medicine can't save Bai Shi Town, so I trained in shooting, swordsmanship, and hand-to-hand combat—even in the worst case, I'm confident I can get you out of here." With a three-meter-tall physical version of Lu Xun standing ahead, Wu Chang instantly felt his safety rating max out.

He was about to speak when an explosion and violent tremor erupted beneath them—the floor collapsed, and both plunged directly from the fourth floor to the first.

Amid the rubble, Wu Chang shoved aside the debris, cursed, and stood up.

What the hell was Wolf doing? That nearly killed him.

"Director Randy, are you alright?" he shouted around.

Boom—a rumble as Randy shoved aside the debris and emerged from behind Wu Chang, brushing dust off himself; a cloud of dust instantly engulfed Wu Chang.

"I'm fine. Where are you?"

Wu Chang: "Right in front of you."

Randy looked down and spotted him: "Sorry, didn't see you there."

Wu Chang spat out dirt: "Director Randy, the Quiet Church's operation seems to have begun—can you fight now?"

"The gear on me wasn't the problem, it's just that the explosion came too suddenly—I didn't have time to take my hallucinatory-disorder suppressant." At the mention of hallucinatory disorder, Randy's expression grew hesitant.

Wu Chang pulled a paper packet from his coat and tossed it to Randy. "I've still got some here."

"Thanks." Randy caught the medicine, glanced at it, and swallowed it on the spot.

While Randy was taking his medicine, Wu Chang surveyed their surroundings. They had crashed into a prayer room in a corner of the first floor. After quickly orienting himself, he led Randy toward the first-floor hall.

If Wolf didn't come looking for them, then they would go looking for Wolf.

The explosion Wolf had set off had collapsed eighty percent of the sanatorium's area; the place where the director's office was located, on the contrary, was the area least affected.

The closer they got to the hall, the more severe the building's collapse became. Judging by the degree of the blast, the epicenter should have been right in the first-floor hall.

But when the two of them arrived at the hall, they found it shrouded by a bizarre magic formation. Dense, intricate runes covered the hall's floor and walls entirely, leaving it almost completely intact.

The moment the two of them stepped into the magic formation, they saw over a hundred figures staggering out of the shadows.

Their bodies were twisted and deformed, mostly rotted away, still wrapped in the straitjackets they hadn't had time to remove.

If their guess was right, they were all patients who had been locked up in the critical-care ward.

Besides the critical-care patients, among the horde of zombies one could also spot figures in ordinary hospital gowns, even in the attire of medical staff.

Every case of hallucinatory disorder in the entire Moonlight Sanatorium was detonated at that very moment.

Randy turned to look at Wu Chang and asked, puzzled, "What is this?"

Wu Chang forced himself to explain: "They're all patients from the critical-care ward. The hallucinogenic drugs have already eroded their brains, making them dull, stripped of most of their sensation and consciousness—they'll only blindly obey whoever gives them the drugs."

"But their bodies…"

"The drugs lower their immunity, causing self-inflicted wounds to fester and fail to heal. That's perfectly normal." Wu Chang answered with a perfectly calm expression.

Randy: "I meant the deformities and mutations."

Wu Chang looked utterly blank. "Mutations? Sorry, I didn't see any mutations."

"Damn, the medicine hasn't kicked in yet—must be my hallucinatory disorder acting up." Randy laughed awkwardly.

He closed his eyes and slapped his own cheeks with both hands, trying to clear his head.

"Calm down, stay steady, look carefully—they're all normal people."

As Randy muttered to himself, the sanatorium's underground exorcism formation activated. Transparent flames ignited on the zombies' bodies, and amid their screams, every mutated organ beyond the human norm crumbled to ash.

When he opened his eyes again, the mutations on the zombies' bodies had indeed vanished.

Randy let out a long, relieved breath and said to Wu Chang: "Sure enough, it's a hallucination."

Wu Chang was speechless for a moment. With his back to Randy, he stuck out his thumb in a thumbs-up.

Truly a tough customer—having witnessed everything that happened inside the Moonlight Sanatorium and still able to insist that the supernatural doesn't exist. His ability to convince himself is beyond question.

"Mr. Director, I've always trusted your judgment."

Facing the zombies closing in from all four sides, Randy initially wanted to hold back, attacking only with blunt weapons.

But after a few attempts, he found they had no sense of pain and no fear—like the living dead—even if their limbs were broken, they would still crawl over to try and bite him.

Seeing that these critical-care patients could no longer be counted as living people, he drew his swift-blade—which for a normal person would count as a two-handed sword—and began to cut a swath through them.

Bolstered by his supernatural-talent gift, Randy's sword emitted white sword-light, slicing through the zombies it touched with ease.

Combined with his massive frame and his technique—exquisite and refined, the opposite of his body—he was like a man with an ultimate skill activated.

In less than ten minutes, he had cut down all of the hundred-plus zombies.

Randy had just been about to sheath his sword when a violent explosion came from below, tearing a great hole in the hall's floor.

Out of the dust, the half-man, half-insect Wolf crawled up from the hole, and said excitedly, as if greeting an old friend:

"Randy, you've finally decided to come out!"

Randy rubbed his eyes, looked up at the insect-man Wolf, who was half a meter taller than him, and quietly asked Wu Chang:

"Is this my hallucination too?"

(End of chapter)