Chapter 228: Question Him, Understand Him, Become Him!
“Cough, cough!“
The smell of disinfectant was thick. Inhaling too much of it made you want to cough uncontrollably.
By now, many of the Chosen Ones had calmed down. At this point, if they didn’t stay calm, they might die.
Even though they were all top-tier Transcendents back in the outside world, here, even those orderlies wearing crow masks could kill them.
This was something the Chosen Ones, who had strong perception, deeply understood. When those two came in, they did carry an intangible sense of an oppressive aura.
That’s just how the world of the Anomaly was. Everyone had watched a lot and thought they had some experience, but every time, the setting was different. So-called experience wasn’t something you could gain just by watching.
Originally, this round, the expert group from the Pyramid Country planned to let Rahman farm more resources, to make the Transcendent force they were building even stronger.
But the Pharaoh’s Guardians, a Transcendent force in the Pyramid Country, saw the benefits and naturally couldn’t pass up this opportunity. So, they pressured the expert group, demanding they garner votes for them.
After all, Rahman from the expert group still held a certain prestige in the Pyramid Country. His outstanding performance had already gained recognition from many of its citizens.
Others in the expert group were reluctant to give up this opportunity, but Rahman agreed. This left the expert group puzzled. Had Rahman compromised with this Transcendent force, the Pharaoh’s Guardians?
But thinking about it, without the help of the Pharaoh’s Guardians, they couldn’t even protect the Golden Grail.
Rahman, however, had his own plans. Don’t think that being a Transcendent gives you an advantage inside. Look at the Red Robe Cardinal from the neighboring Noodle Country – he was so strong, and yet he almost got himself killed once. These Transcendent forces were blinded by the pursuit of cultivation resources.
Rahman believed the Anomaly world wouldn’t be that simple. The careless would only lose their lives.
Simply put, did they really think you could just farm resources easily?
This time, the Pyramid Country’s representative was Andyeb, who possessed a powerful bloodline. He had already entered the Anomaly world.
Andyeb was a high priest in the Pharaoh’s temple. Because of his years of offering sacrifices to the gods. He had been granted special powers.
Besides his immense destructive capability and special psychokinesis, when necessary, Andyeb could summon a god to possess him, gaining a portion of that god’s power.
Generally, those who became high priests were older, but Andyeb was just over thirty.
Similar to many major forces, he had also consumed many resources to grow quickly. This time, to repay the Pharaoh’s cultivation, he entered the Anomaly world without hesitation.
But after entering, he found things weren’t quite what they seemed.
Sometimes, what happened was completely different from what he had imagined. Before, just watching the big screen, he thought it wouldn’t be a big deal for him to go. If Gregori could score an SSSS, wouldn’t it be the same for him?
He wouldn’t dare claim to be stronger than the Dragon Nation’s Tianshi, but he felt he was more than a match for the Red Robe Cardinal, Gregori.
Little did Gregori know, he had become the benchmark for top-tier Transcendents. Any Transcendent with a bit of skill thought they were better than him.
Many anomalies had what you might call “negative status effects.” For example, last round it was the intense cold, which greatly reduced the Chosen Ones’ abilities. Even Transcendents could be eroded by the rules-based cold.
Besides that, there were things like poison gas, contamination – things Transcendents watching from outside simply couldn’t comprehend.
Just watching the big screen, they always thought the Transcendents in the Anomaly world were so weak. How could they not beat that?
They’d even often discuss how, if they were inside facing certain challenges, they could find better solutions and not end up as wretched as Gregori.
They thought Gregori only relied on the natives to advance the plot because he wasn’t strong enough.
Did a truly powerful Transcendent need help from the natives? Look, did the Dragon Nation’s Tianshi need help?
So, any Transcendent with a sense of pride felt they certainly wouldn’t need help from the natives. The natives were just tools for providing information.
It was only when Andyeb entered himself that he understood what it meant to: question Gregori, understand Gregori, become Gregori!
He needed the help of these native orderlies just to get out of bed, let alone anything else.
This full-body viral infection plunged him into endless regret. On Blue Star, where conflicts among Transcendents weren’t that intense, Andyeb, having cultivated to this level, had never been so severely injured.
In the Pharaoh’s Guardians, he was the chosen one.
No matter when, Andyeb’s eyes always sparkled with confidence.
Now, Andyeb sat on the edge of the bed, breathing heavily, looking at his own weakly trembling hands. The light in his eyes began to dim.
He thought to himself, so this is the kind of suffering the Chosen Ones endured in the Anomaly world? It’s really not like I imagined. How am I supposed to play this?
Then he started to wonder, how did the Dragon Nation’s Tianshi manage to do whatever he wanted under so many restrictions?
Actually, Andyeb wasn’t alone. Seventy percent of the Chosen Ones this round were in the same boat, starting to doubt their life choices and regret participating.
They fell into a brief state of self-adjustment. If they couldn’t adjust their mindset, this round might be dangerous.
All fear stemmed from a lack of火力 (huǒlì) – literally “firepower,” meaning strength or capability.
Now, these Transcendents, afflicted with the virus and with their strength reduced by ninety percent, didn’t have the same confidence as before. Some fear had even started to creep in.
Inside the Papal Palace, the Paladin Sidney felt lucky he hadn’t gone this time. Otherwise, he’d probably be in trouble too.
Even the almighty Lord couldn’t make him this lucky every time.
Surviving last time had already been an unbelievable stroke of luck. He was still terrified, having personally experienced the unpredictability of the Anomaly world.
But Gregori’s performance truly showed the composure of a seasoned veteran.
Gregori certainly had more experience. At a time like this, when force was useless, all he had to do was think about what an “ordinary person” would do, and then just follow the standard procedure right?
This round, ninety percent were Transcendents, but the remaining ten percent were ordinary elite survivors who had cleared previous anomalies.
These elite survivors actually had a huge advantage. Since they didn’t have much supernatural power to begin with, the virus didn’t suppress their bodies as much. They just coughed up a little blood, took their medicine, and then slowly started moving around.
This round, Gregori was focused. He began to forget his own strength.
Once the medicine took effect and his condition improved, he stood up and did some stretches, trying to get his body moving, effectively getting a feel for this new body.
After feeling a bit better, Gregori started inspecting the windows.
He found the materials blocking the windows were extremely sturdy, impossible to pry open.
Bang! Bang!
Gregori punched the wall twice. The result was pain so intense it almost brought tears to his eyes.
The yellowish hanging lamp above his head didn’t even budge.
“The architecture in the Anomaly world is really solid. It’s not something a normal person could break through,” Gregori muttered.
Although this wasn’t his first time experiencing the high quality of things here, he felt this rehabilitation center was off. It was just too solid.
It gave him the feeling of being locked in a prison.
Thinking of prison made Gregori shudder. He had almost died in one last time, saved only by an NPC.
But that very thought seemed to give Gregori an idea. The writing on these walls, covered up, and the rules, probably meant to tell the Chosen Ones they needed to find a way out of here.
The other rules were just about how to survive here.
Gregori took out the paper with the rules from his pocket and analyzed them again. He needed to find a goal, a purpose to act upon.
Rule 1 mentioned the orderlies – those people wearing crow masks.
So, Rule 1 and Rule 7 seemed strangely connected.
Rule 7 stated: When you hear the cawing of crows, please quickly return to your room. Everyone is afraid of crows, and you are no exception.
Gregori started brainstorming. He thought the crows might attack the patients here. If you didn’t want to be attacked, you might need to get a crow mask.
This needed further observation: would the crows attack the orderlies? And what exactly were the “crows” referring to?
The Anomaly world’s reality might be different from the common understanding of the real world.
If the orderlies weren’t attacked by crows, it would prove their uniforms probably offered protection.
Then, he’d need to devise a way to get those uniforms.
As for “means,” if he couldn’t find the orderlies’ changing room, he might have to kill one.
But with his current physical strength, let alone killing an orderly, he’d probably struggle just to run fast.
It was impossible for now, but he needed to have that plan.
Gregori had figured out his first goal. Now for the most crucial point.
As a veteran of the Anomaly world, he deeply understood the importance of information.
How to get information? He could approach it from two angles.
First, of course, was from the orderlies themselves. See what they had to say.
Second, naturally, was from the other patients here.
Rule 4 mentioned: Some patients are not like you. Please do not come into contact with other types of patients, as it may worsen your condition.
So, Gregori figured he needed to find patients with a condition similar to his own and get information from them.
This was probably the hint in the rules, and Gregori’s interpretation of them.
With these two core points in mind, Gregori felt he could leave the ward.
As Gregori turned the doorknob, the vast majority of Transcendents in this Anomaly were still in the stage of self-doubt and confusion.
They had trouble adjusting to this place. Some were still feeling around their rooms, trying to scrape off the paint to see what was underneath, thinking it might be crucial information.
According to the experts watching outside, this was an unnecessary action.
Neither the rules nor the information hinted at such things. Even if there was a way to know what was written, it wouldn’t be revealed to the Chosen Ones now; it would require a specific method.
Before Gregori even got out, Zhang Yangqing had already left.
In terms of experience and reaction speed, probably no one on Blue Star was faster than him.
So, people outside seemed to understand why Gregori was considered the watershed for top-tier Transcendents.
When Zhang Yangqing pushed open his door, a gust of chilly wind blew in, carrying the scent of flowers.
With this virus, it seemed the stronger you were, the greater the suppression.
It weakened everyone by a percentage, whether ordinary Chosen Ones or Transcendents, reducing their strength by ninety percent.
Many Transcendents panicked because they had lost so much strength, unlike what they had anticipated.
Zhang Yangqing, however, didn’t care. There was always a way through the Anomaly world. Before finding a cure for the virus, he’d just follow the standard procedure.
He used his power for convenience, but without it, he could still manage.
Zhang Yangqing took a deep breath. He couldn’t quite identify the type of flower from the scent.
It reminded him of something. Back in the Anomaly world, when he visited the Queen Bee’s laboratory, he could smell various potions.
Those potions, after being prepared, mixed, and fermented in test tubes, had become special varieties.
So, Zhang Yangqing guessed this was also some kind of artificially created floral scent, probably related to this rehabilitation center.
Whether it was for treatment or suppression, he didn’t know.
The corridor lighting wasn’t very bright either. The area around the lights was yellowish, casting a similarly yellowish glow.
There was also a lot of grime on the walls that couldn’t be cleaned off, probably having been there for a long time, even starting to shine.
You could tell from this that the rehabilitation center had been around for quite a few years.
Zhang Yangqing scanned the area and noticed that the corridor here didn’t seem to have any windows nearby.
Or rather, the windows were all sealed up, making it impossible to see outside.
Closing his door, Zhang Yangqing turned back to memorize his room number: 3-7.
Before coming out, besides the rules, he had also brought the white medicine bottle from the cabinet.
There were eight pills left in the bottle. According to the orderly, it was two pills, three times a day.
It was noon now, so this medicine would only last until tomorrow. This was another point to remember.
When necessary, he would need to get more medicine.
After all, they had to escape. Without enough medicine, they probably wouldn’t survive long outside.
This was the message the opening scene of this Anomaly world was trying to convey to the Chosen Ones.
It just depended on whether the Chosen Ones understood the message.
Much of this world was unknown but Chosen Ones with a goal could act more efficiently.
Zhang Yangqing planned to look around carefully. He noticed there were surprisingly few patients here.
Or perhaps everyone seemed unwilling to interact with others, each resting in their own rooms.
As Zhang Yangqing turned a corner, two people in patient gowns walked towards him from the opposite direction.
Their hands looked withered and thin but their faces were round. The patient gowns, which fit the Chosen Ones just right, looked like overcoats on these two.
From this, he could tell they were skinny as sticks with flesh only on their heads.
Looking closer, he noticed their clothes were a bit dirty, with a faint trace of black smoke around the collars and cuffs.
You really had to look carefully to see this.
Most importantly, these two were chatting while staring at the Chosen One approaching them.
That sinister, venomous and resentful look in their eyes was somewhat intimidating, making one fear they might attack.
After all, there were two of them, and only one Chosen One. The Chosen One was at a numerical disadvantage.
When Gregori saw them, he observed himself. His symptoms seemed different from theirs.
So, according to the hint in Rule 4, try not to come into contact with other types of patients to avoid worsening his own condition.
Besides, Gregori couldn’t understand why they looked so resentful towards him. He had just arrived.
Regardless, he backed away, putting some distance between them. He only continued after they had passed.
Most of the ordinary Chosen Ones and Transcendents who had come out did the same, retreating as far as possible.
Without concrete information, it was better to be careful.
And in this kind of unknown situation people who looked this creepy often had strong combat abilities.
But here, Zhang Yangqing’s actions were unexpected.
Everyone thought he might be playing with fire, but he was actually making a bold hypothesis. And he was right.
They watched as Zhang Yangqing walked straight towards the two, staring back at them with a gaze even more terrifying than theirs.
The two patients had looks of resentment and viciousness. Zhang Yangqing’s look was that of a killer.
Only someone who killed often could have such a frightening look in their eyes. It was an indifference to life, with no emotional fluctuation, as if he were looking at two dead people.
Unexpectedly, the two actually avoided him.
Whether they were intimidated by Zhang Yangqing’s powerful aura or for some other reason, his maneuver left the audience baffled.
Actually, it wasn’t that hard to guess. This Anomaly area required the Chosen Ones to figure out who was in the same camp as them.
The more difficult the Anomaly, the more you needed help from people in your own camp to clear it.
People in your own camp could not only provide information but also, to a certain extent, become your allies.
After all, to deal with the weirdness, a normal Chosen One definitely couldn’t do it alone, even if they were cured.
At times like this, finding a powerful ally in your own camp to latch onto was crucial.
Normal Chosen Ones would need to find various methods and information to verify the identities of other patients – looking for common traits, checking medical records, etc.
But Zhang Yangqing had his own interpretation of the rules. “Let me judge him? Why not let him judge me!”
Those who weren’t afraid of me must have the same illness as me.
These two were clearly unfriendly towards me.
So, Zhang Yangqing just went straight up. If they had the same virus as him, given their looks, they would definitely attack him, relying on their numbers.
The rules said this rehabilitation center definitely had different types of patients.
If they didn’t have the same virus as him, then they probably wouldn’t want to get infected with another one, right?
To put it bluntly, who here doesn’t have some virus? While I’m afraid of you, you might also be afraid of me.
Here, the intimidating look in Zhang Yangqing’s eyes was secondary; the main reason was they simply didn’t want to get infected.
Both of Zhang Yangqing’s guesses seemed partially proven.
First, he was quite sick himself.
Second, many patients seemed to resent him, but also dared not approach him.
Some Chosen Ones here had similar conjectures in their minds, but only Zhang Yangqing was brave enough to test them.
It gave the audience the impression that he really wasn’t afraid, which was strange. Other Transcendents were gasping for breath just walking, so why did this one seem so calm, as if nothing was wrong?
This was where experience came in. In a world like this, the weaker you acted, the more dangerous it might be.
Even though Zhang Yangqing looked fine on the surface, he was just putting on an act.
The severity of this virus made Zhang Yangqing want to cough up blood after walking even a short distance.
But he suppressed it forcefully.
Other Chosen Ones had it worse, stopping and going, either resting on chairs or leaning against walls, panting.
It made you feel that even if the doors were wide open, they probably couldn’t run out.
Gregori was also experienced. He knew he had entered the Anomaly world at eleven o’clock.
So, it was probably eleven here too. That meant, before meal time at twelve o’clock, he needed to gather as much information as possible. At the very least, he needed to know where the cafeteria was, right?
The “waiting” time the Anomaly world leaves for the Chosen Ones was mostly meant for exploration.
Experienced Chosen Ones gritted their teeth and investigated thoroughly.
This rehabilitation center had four floors, and besides the ventilation openings in the ceiling, everything else was completely sealed.
The building had one elevator that was “broken.” No matter how you pressed the button, nothing happened.
Connecting the four floors was only a spiral staircase. No other normal passages seemed to exist.
The cafeteria was on the first floor, but it could only be entered during meal times.
Between the second and first floors, four orderlies stood guard, seemingly preventing patients from escaping.
Zhang Yangqing observed one point: the patients here seemed very afraid of the orderlies wearing crow masks.
Besides the wards, the rehabilitation center had many other types of rooms.
On the fourth floor, there was a a projection room that seemed to be playing the history of this rehabilitation center, a promotional video, twenty-four hours a day, on repeat.
The Chosen Ones didn’t have time to watch now, they could only note the location for later.
But there was no one inside, and many seats. Besides the front area, there were seats blocking the view at the back, which was also pitch black.
As people who often killed would know.
This was a great place to hide a body.
On the third floor, the Chosen Ones’ floor, there was a gym.
The gym had all sorts of equipment. Zhang Yangqing took a quick look: treadmills, exercise bikes, bench press racks, dumbbells, push-up stands, and so on.
But everyone in the rehab center seemed weak, and no one was training here.
As people who often killed would know.
Lots of things in here could be used as murder weapons.
On the second floor, there was a pharmacy and an office area, where the crow-masked orderlies were based.
Whenever a call bell rang, orderlies from here would go in pairs to the location that called.
As people who often killed would know.
If you didn’t separate the orderlies, it would be hard to kill them.
Seeing this, some Chosen Ones started to formulate a plan in their heads.
Isn’t this telling us to use everything here to kill the orderlies and escape?
But the question was, where was the doctor? The rules stated that without the doctor’s permission, patients couldn’t leave the rehabilitation center.
And there were no doctors here at all. That was a problem.
So, to get out, many conditions probably had to be met.
Just killing the orderlies – with their current physical condition, it was impossible.
Even if you gave a Chosen One a knife, they probably couldn’t break through their defense let alone use the tools in the gym.
Those things weren’t light.
Some of the more resourceful Chosen Ones, when they reached the second floor, started testing the orderlies.
People like Gregori went up and asked the orderlies if they could have some more medicine.
But every orderly directly refused their request.
You could only get twelve pills at a time, a two-day supply. You had to finish them before asking for more, and you couldn’t take extra.
It gave you the feeling that the orderlies wanted to keep the patients inside.
No, to be precise it felt like the rehabilitation center didn’t want the patients to leave at all!
