Chapter 183: Part Two Rules

Jiang Yuan quickened his steps, and in the dim light his eyes began at Rule 8, reading it word by word, line by line, downwards.

【8. If you see yourself wearing a blue‑white striped Patient Gown in a mirror or any reflective surface, do not attempt to go up the stairs.】

【9. This hospital encourages staff to help each other, but always keep appropriate social distance. Do not fully trust any "supplementary explanation" or "personal interpretation" of the Rules from anyone.】

【10. "Doctors" patrol the Second Floor. When you hear the metallic scraping sound of a scalpel being dragged across the floor, you must remain absolutely silent and make no extra noise.】

【11. Some rooms on the Second Floor contain Red Candles; lighting all the Red Candles will cause the corpses on the underground second level to finally enter true dormancy. You can then leave the hospital from the underground second level.】

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped through Jiang Yuan's back; he felt his heartbeat begin to accelerate uncontrollably.

His gaze fell on the last few entries.

【12. Be sure to note that among all "visitors" entering the hospital, there is inevitably an Infiltrator hidden.】

【13. The Infiltrator's sole goal is to prevent anyone else from leaving and to add new "Patient" specimens to Saint John Hospital. To achieve this, he (she) has the authority to modify the Rules, add false information, and erase portions of key information from existing Rules.】

Boom!

After finishing the last rule, Jiang Yuan's brain completely exploded.

Infiltrator!

Werewolf Kill?!

This haunted place even has a PVP mode!

A chill surged from the soles of his feet straight up to his Heavenly Spirit Cover, freezing him in place.

If the earlier monsters and Weird were overt enemies that could be avoided by finding the Rules,

then the Infiltrator hidden among the crowd is a Damocles Sword hanging over everyone's heads!

You have no idea when it will strike you from behind!

Even more deadly, it can alter the Rules!

That means that everything everyone sees—whether it's the first half Jiang Yuan read or the latter half here—could be false!

Even the escape method "light the candles and go to the underground second level" might itself be a death trap to hell planted by the Infiltrator!

If you don't constantly guard against the Infiltrator, or fail to see through the Infiltrator's identity,

then all of them will remain passive, and a single slip could lead to total annihilation!

At this moment, Chen Shao stepped to Jiang Yuan's side.

"The Infiltrator… can even actively summon the Ghost Doctor."

Chen Shao adjusted his glasses; the eyes behind the lenses were dim and unclear, and in a barely audible breath he added, breaking the suffocating silence.

"As long as it wants, it doesn't even need to make a big noise; it can call it by some means. Then… the Ghost Doctor will come."

"If we act together, there's an Inside Traitor in the team, and we could be wiped out at any moment."

"If we split up, that Inside Traitor will become like a ghost, blowing out the candles we have already lit, cutting off our hope!"

It can be said,

this is a dead end.

A completely hopeless dead end.

"Dammit…"

The emotionally charged young man punched the wall, then, fearing he'd make a noise, forced the force back, slumping against the wall, sliding down helplessly, his face a picture of collapse.

"Others will die because of that Infiltrator… We clearly calculated the Ghost Doctor's patrol route, yet it still appeared!"

It was only now that Jiang Yuan truly began to scrutinize the other people in the Examination Room.

He looked at Chen Shao, "Could you introduce everyone to me?"

Chen Shao nodded and began to introduce the others to Jiang Yuan.

Besides temporary leader Chen Shao and the emotionally charged Xiao Ma,

the short‑haired woman who reminded everyone to stay quiet, named Li Na, had sharp eyes, seemed a bit insecure, constantly scanning each person like a vigilant leopard.

The hulking man in the corner who never spoke, called Ahu, was muscular, his face covered in flabby flesh, looking unapproachable, yet his eyes now were full of confusion and irritability.

Finally the couple: the man named Zhang Wei, the woman named Liu Ting, trembling together, the worst‑off of all, fear etched on their faces.

Six people.

Add him, that makes seven.

Among the seven, there is an Inside Traitor who wants them all to die here.

Jiang Yuan closed his eyes, his mind racing, re‑sorting all the information in his head.

Exit path: light all the Red Candles in every Second Floor room, then on the First Floor, enter the staff's Forbidden Land—the underground second level—as a Patient to reach the underground second level.

Known dangers:

First Floor: various terrifying Patients; if you are staff, being discovered will lead to a chase and kill.

Second Floor: the Ghost Doctor, who senses movement and specifically executes Sick Staff.

And the Infiltrator hidden among the eight of them, ready to backstab at any time.

Greatest uncertainty: the authenticity of the Rules.

The Infiltrator can tamper with two Rules.

What are those two fake Rules?

Is it the number of Infiltrators?

Or the "light the candles"?

Or, most crucially—"the underground second level is the Exit"?

If the Exit is false, everything they do only speeds up their own death.

"We… do we have no hope?"

The girl named Liu Ting finally couldn't hold back, asking with a sobbing voice, her tone piercing the dead silence of the room.

Her boyfriend Zhang Wei held her tightly, but couldn't say a word, only futilely covering her mouth with his hand.

Despair, like a plague, spread in the cramped space.

Even Li Na's gaze dimmed.

Jiang Yuan opened their eyes.

Their gaze held no fear, no despair, but was terrifyingly clear.

The more complex the situation, the more chaotic the Rules, the calmer their brain became.

This is a combat intuition honed by countless brushes with death.

They watched the numb, zombie‑like expressions on everyone's faces, and the fragile alliance torn apart by suspicion and fear.

Jiang Yuan suddenly spoke, voice low, yet like a sharp knife, instantly cutting through the thick, desperate air in the room.

—I have a plan.