Chapter 89: The Sky Still Dark? The Dead Patient

Chapter 89: The Sky Still Dark? The Dead Patient

"Alright, it's dark now. I should head back."

Miss Xu yawned, her delicate features tinged with laziness.

"Head back? Where to?"

Ji Yan froze, momentarily confused.

"I'm a patient, of course I'm returning to my own ward."

Miss Xu waved her hand and walked toward the door.

Ji Yan suddenly remembered something important. "Wait, I still have questions about that Goat Supernatural Doctor of mine—"

After all, the Death Trial was likely arriving tomorrow morning. Perhaps he could glean some useful information from Xu Xin.

"These are your own trials."

"No one else can help you."

With those words, Miss Xu vanished without a trace.

Ji Yan shook his head. It seemed one ordeal after another awaited him.

He turned to the Blood-Stained Paper Figure and sighed softly. "Looks like it's just the two of us."

The Blood-Stained Paper Figure fiddled with its limbs. "Wrong. There is no 'two.'"

With that, it darted back into his hair, refusing to cooperate further.

Ji Yan didn’t linger either. He quickly returned to Room 444. Staying any longer risked another Zodiac Player ambushing him like a mantis stalking a cicada.

By the time he returned, the Plague in the room had dissipated after the Monkey Player’s elimination, and the remaining Ghostly Caregivers had returned to normal.

Exhausted in body and mind, Ji Yan ignored everything else. He shut the door and fell straight asleep.

This sleep was long—agonizingly so.

As if an entire century had passed.

When Ji Yan awoke, the world outside the window remained pitch-black, without a trace of daylight.

"What’s going on? The sky should be light by now."

Ji Yan knew his biological clock well. If he woke up naturally, it should already be morning.

He got up and studied the sky outside, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Was another Zodiac Player causing trouble?

He wanted to ask a Ghostly Caregiver for information, but after searching, he realized all of them in Room 444 had vanished.

Knock, knock, knock!

At that moment, the door was rapped sharply. The crisp sound sent Ji Yan’s nerves taut.

He pulled out his Hammer, making no move to open the door.

The knocking stopped. Then, the doorknob twisted, and the door swung open on its own.

Recognizing the figure outside, Ji Yan put away the Hammer—though his nerves remained tense.

"Teacher, what brings you here?"

"Isn’t the sky still dark?"

Ji Yan kept his words simple.

"The sky is already bright. It’s time for today’s surgery. I’m here to take you."

The Goat Supernatural Doctor spoke expressionlessly.

Bright?

Ji Yan stared at the darkened sky outside.

"This is the consequence of your infection—unable to distinguish day from night, your mind muddled, walking like a corpse."

"If not for your decent work performance, you would’ve long been..."

The Goat Supernatural Doctor’s gaze turned icy, leaving the sentence unfinished. His eyes brimmed with disgust and disdain for Ji Yan.

Ji Yan raised his hand, only to find black fur now covering half his forearm.

The Black Hair sapped his energy, filling him with discomfort—as if it symbolized misfortune and calamity...

Ji Yan hastily pulled down his sleeve to cover it.

"Today’s patient has arrived. You’ll perform the surgery alone. This is a test of your abilities."

"The time has come. I will inspect the results and give an Evaluation Score. This is the Operating Room where the patient is located."

The Goat Supernatural Doctor handed over a Key. Ji Yan took it, only for the other's hand to seize his in the next second, squeezing his fingers until the bones ached.

Ji Yan looked up and met the Goat Supernatural Doctor's chilling Dark Eyes, its voice laced with warning: "Remember."

"Do not let the infection worsen again. This is the last chance I’m giving you, the final limit of my tolerance."

"Otherwise, no matter how excellent your work performance may be, I will devour you whole and nurture the next student!"

With that, the Goat Supernatural Doctor turned and left.

Ji Yan stared at his darkened red hand. A second later, the Mission panel popped up.

Ding! Congratulations, Player, for receiving the latest Mission—A-level. Proceed to B44 Ward to treat the patient.

Standard Completion: Stabilize the patient’s critical condition and remove them from danger.

Perfect Completion: Fully cure the patient’s critical condition, restoring them to full vitality.

B44…

That ominous number again.

Ji Yan had grown particularly sensitive to the digit "4."

His unease was justified, as the Mission panel promptly issued a warning:

Warning, Player: This Mission has an excessively high elimination rate and may involve significant danger. Proceed with caution.

No doubt about it.

This was definitely the Death Trial that had infected and eliminated all the previous goat Players!

Though he had braced himself, now that it was right in front of him, Ji Yan’s heart raced.

Despite all his efforts, the information he had gathered about this Death Trial remained completely blank!

Blank or not, time was limited. Ji Yan had no room for further hesitation. He immediately changed into his white coat and headed for the designated Operating Room.

Operating Room 4 on the 4th floor.

The corridor was empty—not even a Ghostly Nurse in sight to offer any hints.

The Key turned, and the Operating Room door slowly creaked open. Inside, everything was neat, the atmosphere eerily quiet, devoid of any horror. The patient on the Surgery Bed lay perfectly still.

No ferocious Supernatural Creatures.

No blood or terror.

Everything was…

So normal that it left Ji Yan stunned.

And that very normality only deepened his unease!

Stepping inside, he saw the patient—charred from head to toe, as if just rescued from a fire.

Yet there was no trace of smoke, no scent of burning.

Ji Yan examined the patient, his eyelid twitching.

He was certain—the patient showed no signs of life.

They were already dead!

How was he supposed to revive a corpse? How was he supposed to complete the Mission?

Ji Yan was baffled. His medical skills weren’t nearly advanced enough to perform something as absurd as resurrecting the dead.

But since this Mission was rated A-level, there had to be hidden intricacies.

He placed a hand on the charred patient and quickly activated his Talent, Omniscient Understanding, uncovering Hidden Information:

"The definition of life and death in a doctor’s eyes depends on the patient."

"Are you certain it’s truly dead? Are you certain you’re saving it?"

"This surgery appears to save another, but in truth, it saves yourself. Pick up your Scalpel, trust your judgment—only then can you truly become a qualified doctor!"

Three pieces of Hidden Information.

And all three seemed to be hinting at something…

Appears to save another, but in truth, saves yourself?

Ji Yan furrowed his brows. What connection did this patient have with him?

Ji Yan took a deep breath and opened the surgical kit, retrieving the necessary tools.

Since the Hidden Information demanded he trust his own judgment, then he would proceed with the operation!

The cold glint of the scalpel sliced through the charred skin, and bright red blood spilled out.

Ji Yan worked swiftly with both hands, using large and small blades alike, quickly opening the chest cavity.

His gaze swept over the crimson organs within.

Not only had the heart stopped— Every single organ had ceased functioning!

It was like a car brought in for repairs, only for all its machinery to be utterly shattered, leaving no possibility of restoration...

"How am I supposed to save this?"

"This is completely and utterly a corpse!"

As despair settled over Ji Yan, his gaze drifted downward—and then he saw something even more horrifying...

The hand gripping the scalpel was now covered in black hair, its fingers grotesquely regressed, unmistakably transforming into a rough, hideous goat hoof!