Although Lin Sanjiu didn't understand how Magus managed it, she could see that when she moved Puppeteer's body, it was as awkward and difficult as Ya Jiang lifting his own thighs. Puppeteer's movents toward the side were akin to a reanimated corpse, marked by stiff joints and sluggish steps. At one point, Magus even seed to stumble, almost taking two consecutive steps with the right leg.
But why was Magus—or rather, Puppeteer—under Bohemia's robe? Where had Bohemia vanished to? Had they been in contact? And how did Puppeteer's body end up here in the first place?
Naturally, Magus was unable to speak.
"Can you write?" Lin Sanjiu offered the notepad she had obtained from Ya Jiang. "Can you jot down what happened?"
The head beneath the cloth swiveled towards her abruptly. Its shape, clearly a product of Magus's Higher Consciousness, wasn't constrained by normal physical limits, rotating 180 degrees instantly in a manner reminiscent of a horror film scene, which took Lin Sanjiu aback. Despite the surprise, she handed over the pen and paper, saying, "Try it. And please, write in large letters."
The writing tools clattered to the ground as Puppeteer's hand, only halfway open, failed to grasp them. With so effort, Magus managed to seat Puppeteer's body and awkwardly held the pen as one might grip a knife. Lin Sanjiu was about to lean in to check for any writing when she sensed a sudden tension in the air behind her. Realizing sothing was amiss but managing to keep her composure, she felt the air whirl into a vortex, lifting her and Puppeteer's body and causing them to hit against the door, making it sway.
Gasping for breath on the floor, Lin Sanjiu looked up to see a long, thick branch snaking out from the darkness, its motion gentle as if waving, reaching into the room. Under the fluorescent lights, the branch's brown bark and quivering green leaves stood out starkly. She hadn't noticed its touch against her back—if Hei Zeji hadn't intervened with an air vortex in ti, it would have made contact with her shoulder.
"You should be more careful in the light," Hei Zeji said, his expression as stern as if it were fixed in place. "These things are strange—"
He suddenly fell silent. Lin Sanjiu caught the tail end of his deep, steadying breath, even as he tried to conceal it.
The strain of the pocket dinsion was clearly taxing on Hei Zeji, draining his energy as he tried to prevent its expansion.
"Can you free yourself?" she asked in a low voice, knowing that the other party probably wouldn't answer properly. She turned to the NPC. "Can he free himself? Why are there other pocket dinsions here?"
"Wanting to swallow this hospital is not unique to ," the NPC said matter-of-factly. "Didn't I tell you? The Great Deluge is not a force that ca from sowhere, it is a process-less power."
"What do you an?"
"It spreads constantly in all directions, consuming every form of rule and order, hence devoid of any itself."
If Bohemia were here, perhaps she could understand this cryptic explanation. Lin Sanjiu didn't have the patience to delve into the nature of the Great Deluge at the mont. She just wanted to get everyone out of here as quickly as possible—even if it ant returning to the lava world.
"So what?"
"I don't know the origin of these pocket dinsions," the NPC continued, "but they've all encroached upon this hospital for various reasons, driven by an instinctual desire to expand their territories, consu, and overshadow others."
He glanced around the room, a chuckle escaping him. "Much like you humans, in the absence of restraining rules, you view every new human encounter as a conquest opportunity."
Lin Sanjiu didn't want to argue with him.
"So, these pocket dinsions," she said, searching for the right term, "they're... invaders?"
"Exactly."
She didn't know what else to ask, and at that mont, Hei Zeji suddenly said, "The one behind has been trying to pull back and drag into its interior."
Probably seeing the look in Lin Sanjiu's eyes, he shook his head, saying, "No, I can't pull myself back even if I use force."
The NPC nodded. "After it drags you in, it can continue to expand inside the hospital. Since the invasion of the pocket dinsions, it is finally delighted to have captured a living person. Unexpectedly, you managed to hold on and prevent it from expanding, which is truly admirable."
A slight twist appeared at the corners of Hei Zeji's mouth. Even Lin Sanjiu, under the sudden ergence of this fierce killing intent, shivered slightly.
She furrowed her brows and thought carefully for a mont, murmuring, "Indeed, it's not possible to escape purely by force after getting trapped in a pocket dinsion. Generally speaking, the only way to break free is to satisfy the pocket dinsion's conditions... But..."
At present, the pocket dinsion captured only one of Hei Zeji's feet. How could he satisfy the pocket dinsion's conditions? It was impossible for him to give up resistance and be sucked in by the pocket dinsion, which had already mutated due to the Great Deluge's stimulation. Otherwise, who knew what might happen?
"If you cooperate with ," the NPC said slowly, "I might be able to release him."
"How can you release him?" Lin Sanjiu said.
"They've invaded, but the hospital isn't defenseless," the NPC said, sitting back against the wall. "If I can rge with this hospital and then consu them, this young man, already inside, will remain safe. He'll be free."
Hei Zeji didn't say anything, seemingly having no objections.
"How do we work with you?" Lin Sanjiu asked, pausing before adding, "After you consu this hospital, what happens to the players? We have a friend outside. I need to find her."
"There will be no impact. When I rge with the hospital, I'll actually be able to provide you with so convenience—whether you want to leave or find soone. After all, you helped , and I have to give you sothing in return."
"Wait a minute," Gardenia interjected. "After you consu this hospital, can you also release ?"
The NPC smiled, flashing his teeth. "Whether you stay or leave, I don't mind. If you're willing, you can exit through the paynt counter without any hindrance."
Gardenia let out a sigh of relief, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. Lin Sanjiu glanced at her—even though Gardenia almost hard her, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry. It wasn't out of sympathy for her as a person, but rather, the innate compassion she felt when witnessing soone's misfortune.
So, she didn't say a word to warn Gardenia. Everyone had their own way of living and their own fate. Just like when she saw a docuntary of a fox biting a rabbit to death, while she felt empathy, she also accepted Gardenia's future.
1
"First, I need to connect with this room," the NPC said while Lin Sanjiu was lost in thought. "rely being here isn't enough. You wanted the points from this room, right? Now's your chance. Gardenia?"
Gardenia was startled when she heard her na being called suddenly.
"You have to tell quickly. You are all a team, and your knowledge is equivalent to theirs." The NPC tilted his head to look at Gardenia—although the two were a male and female, there was not a hint of admiration for the opposite sex in his gaze. "Hurry up, before it's too late."
"Of course," Gardenia said, glancing at Lin Sanjiu, "we're a team. What I know, they know."
"When I ask later, tell the hidden way to earn points," the NPC instructed, then turned to Lin Sanjiu. "And you will tell how many points you need. Once I extract the points from the deceased and give them to you, we'll have established a true connection with this room."
No wonder the NPC was so concerned about whether they could find the gar. Lin Sanjiu had always thought that the request to obtain points from the dead was her own idea, but it turned out to be exactly what this plump NPC wanted.
The safety of everyone depended on this action, so she had to ask more questions. "And then?"
"It's a bit complex, but I'll explain," the NPC said, his mood seemingly lightened. "Unlike the foreign pocket dinsions behind you, I'm part of this hospital, so it won't reject . When I contribute myself to the hospital in order to gather the power to resist the invading pocket dinsions, it will imdiately absorb . Usually, the hospital won't touch its staff to maintain its normal operation. But when I take the initiative to co to its most critical area and offer my power, it's a different story."
Perhaps seeing Lin Sanjiu's expression, he flashed a row of oddly small teeth. "As for what happens to after being absorbed, that's the struggle between and the hospital."
"What do you need us to do to help?" Lin Sanjiu asked.
"Very simple," the NPC said, "While I'm fighting for control of the hospital, you need to make things difficult for it. That young man has blocked one pocket dinsion, which is a pity... But fortunately, there is another one. You can attack the area around the other pocket dinsion, breaking the hospital as much as possible and providing it with a pathway for continued invasion. This way, the hospital will be overwheld, and there will be a greater chance for to devour it in return."
Lin Sanjiu now only wanted a swift resolution.
Every mont that Hei Zeji could hold on was a small miracle. He single-handedly blocked the expansion of the pocket dinsion. But no matter what power he used, there would be a ti when it was exhausted. Lin Sanjiu looked back at Magus and saw the figure still struggling and working hard with the pen and paper. She nodded to the NPC, saying, "I understand."
With the NPC's signal, Gardenia half-lifted and half-supported him up.
"Take there," the NPC said, pointing towards a row of white trees. "Tell your guess about the hidden way."
Gardenia glanced at Lin Sanjiu's group—her expression clearly showed that even at this critical mont, she didn't want Lin Sanjiu and the others to hear her. She placed the NPC in front of a white tree so the NPC could reach out and touch a branch. Gardenia squatted down, getting close to the NPC's ear. From where Lin Sanjiu was standing, she could only see Gardenia's lips moving quickly, but she couldn't hear anything.
Not being able to hear was fine as long as they were successful in getting the points. While the others would be fine, Puppeteer needed too many points. Reaping organs wouldn't earn enough for his surgery.
As anxiety drove her in her heart, spinning in circles, the NPC looked up. She imdiately stopped in her tracks.
"She guessed incorrectly," the NPC said, seemingly caught off guard. "What she proposed isn't the hidden way for gars to earn points."
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