After Online Dating with Unlimited Streaming BOSS

Chapter 9: Fishing in the Sewers of the Dark Infirmary. With the arrival of spring, all things were rejuvenated…

 

Rong Yi pushed open the cubicle door. Indeed, the outside was no longer the clean and sanitary restroom that WBD had claimed one could drink toilet water from. Instead, it was a narrow and cramped old public restroom, with dirt clinging to the cracks in the tiles, yellowing and damp walls, emitting a pungent smell of ammonia.

 

“Creak—”

 

The cubicle door next to hers also opened. The girl who had been talking over the partition a moment ago poked her head out, and upon seeing Rong Yi, her delight was boundless: “Sister! We meet again!”

 

Rong Yi: … Unexpectedly, it was the twin-tailed girl from the previous level, the divine brush Ma Liang.

 

“My name is Luo Huayue! Last time, I didn’t have the chance to add you as a friend. I waited for you at the snack shop for a very long time, but you didn’t come out. I was so scared, thinking that you—” The twin-tailed girl greeted Rong Yi with a constant stream of words upon seeing a familiar face, until she was bumped by someone emerging from the adjacent cubicle.

 

“I’m sorry,” the person said in awkward Chinese. When Rong Yi looked over, all she saw was a robust chest.

 

She looked up, then up again, finally catching sight of the person’s face.

 

Undoubtedly, it was a woman, but she was around two meters tall, with a sturdy muscular build that almost seemed to burst out of her sportswear. She seemed to have Slavic heritage, with the distinctively sharp features of a Russian beauty on her angular and firm face, her golden hair tied up neatly in a bun.

 

Luo Huayue stared in astonishment, “…I-it’s, it’s alright…”

 

The woman nodded, carefully sidestepping her and walking towards the door.

 

Rong Yi surveyed her surroundings. There were a total of ten cubicles in the restroom, and each one had a person coming out, sizing each other up with caution. Some headed towards the door, while others remained in place, observing cautiously.

 

She accepted Luo Huayue’s friend request and followed the Russian woman towards the exit, investigating the situation.

 

In the spacious restroom, a cheerful male voice echoed with a broadcast: “Welcome to the Thrilling Game Collection – Lucky Carnival! Lucky players, this round of the game is about to begin. Please check the mission rules!”

 

Rong Yi had just opened the holographic screen and hadn’t yet read the rules when she noticed her boyfriend’s messages popping up incessantly, with a flashing red dot.

 

X: Rong Rong! This time it’s a physical strength challenge! But you’ve definitely changed into suitable clothes, right?

X: You’ve been exercising this week, so I’m a little relieved… However, other players are quite formidable. If you see them, don’t panic. They have their path, and we have ours. Just maintain a good rhythm.

 

Rong Yi looked at her light yellow casual suit. Thankfully, her feet were a bit swollen from practicing recently, so she wasn’t wearing high heels. But her white sneakers didn’t seem to be much better either.

 

She exhaled a sigh of melancholy.

 

Rong Yi: My outfit might not be very suitable.

 

X: Ahhhhh! Rong Rong, please tell me you didn’t forget that there’s a seven-day interval between each game round?!!! The system sent notifications!!!

 

Rong Yi: It’s not that I forgot. I had no idea in the first place.

 

Besides sending back the ice cellar code from the ogre, she hadn’t opened the holographic screen at all.

 

X: [Frog_Shaking_Head_In_Disbelief.jpg]

X: You’re so busy with work, you must not pay attention to these small matters… It’s my fault, I should have reminded you… [Sobbing_Uncontrollably.jpg]

While Rong Yi started comforting her crying boyfriend, Luo Huayue had already read out the game rules on the side:

“This round’s game name: Leap Over the Madhouse. Game level: C.”

“Gikasburg International Mental Hospital is located in the international waters, spanning seven floors. The escape teleporter on the top floor of the hospital will disappear in 24 hours. Have fun playing!”

“Failure penalty: Undergo the hospital’s exquisite frontal lobotomy*, returning you to a peaceful world inside your mind.”

Rong Yi opened the panel and saw that her failure penalty still consisted of two words: [Death].

She didn’t say anything, nor did she tell her boyfriend.

Since the first time she entered the game, she had a feeling: This game seemed to be targeting her.

 

It’s not only the game penalties that differ from the others players. Other newbie players, like Luo Huayue and the burly man from the previous round, seem to have pathways to find experienced players—although those pathways might be more trouble than they’re worth.

Furthermore, they don’t seem as unprepared and oblivious to the game’s arrival as she does.

The game seems to deliberately conceal something from her, merely pulling her in and using every method to put her in mortal danger.

 

However, she’s always been sharp-edged in her approach to life, and it’s uncertain if she has inadvertently offended any big shots from either side. She’ll gradually uncover the truth of the matter, sparing her boyfriend unnecessary worries.

The green “Emergency Exit” sign at the restroom entrance lit up. Rong Yi and Luo Huayue followed the crowd out of the restroom and saw another wave of people emerging from the adjacent men’s restroom. As they met, everyone exchanged glances, maintaining a cautious distance that wasn’t too close or too far, proceeding forward along the dimly lit corridor, guided by the safe exit signs.

 

Rong Yi observed the scene; there were ten men and ten women players. Most of them were dressed in sportswear or field uniforms for ease of movement, and a few were carrying weapons. Their expressions were serious, without panic, indicating that most of them weren’t new to the game.

 

The safe exit signs halted in a spacious hall. Everyone stood still. On either side of the hall were narrow glass windows, and outside the windows was a dim sky devoid of even a single seabird amidst the dark clouds. The turbulent currents of the ocean surged below, occasionally revealing a glimpse of a massive silhouette of some kind of oceanic behemoth.

 

“Clap!”

 

 

The overly bright old-style gas lamp suddenly illuminated, causing Rong Yi to momentarily feel blinded.

 

“Welcome, visitors who have come from afar. Welcome,” a sweet female voice echoed. Gradually adapting to the lighting, Rong Yi finally saw the scene before her.

 

A massive pool ran through the middle of the hall, blocking their path. A nurse in a white uniform, with a beautiful appearance, stood by the pool’s edge, clapping gently. “Welcome to the Gikasburg Mental Hospital. Not far ahead is the staircase to the second floor. I wish you all a pleasant visit.”

 

Someone among the players chuckled lightly, “The pool is quite big, but trying to stop us like this, do they think so little of us? I mean, we’re all here for a C-level instance. There can’t be many who can’t swim!” As he spoke, he moved apart from the crowd. He was a middle-aged man with an air of arrogance, wearing a sports quick-dry outfit, and had a well-built physique. He stretched his shoulders and neck, looking down on the others behind him, “These multiplayer elimination instances’ exit points aren’t going to be as kind as one per person. Sorry, everyone, I’ll take a step ahead.” With that, he leaped into the water.

 

Upon hearing his words, the other players exchanged puzzled looks, and a few couldn’t contain themselves, jumping into the water one after another.

 

“First come, first served. If you’re late, there won’t be any escape spots left!”

 

This sentence seemed like a spark, instantly igniting anxiety within the players. Those confident in their swimming abilities had already entered the water, while those less adept at swimming paced anxiously by the shore, hoping someone kind-hearted would give them a lift.

 

Luo Huayue was also stirred to take a step forward, but Rong Yi immediately held her back. “There’s something in the water,” she calmly stated.

 

The sudden burst of light seemed designed to blind them, making it difficult to clearly discern the vague shadows within the pool.

 

After her eyes were temporarily dazzled, Rong Yi blinked a few times slowly to help herself adjust to the lighting. She spotted a dark figure moving slowly in the deep, dark waters of the pool.

 

The first group of people to enter the water had already reached the center of the pool. The middle-aged man at the forefront was only a few strokes away from the edge. He turned back to see the other players trailing behind him and smirked in satisfaction.

 

Suddenly, he abruptly sank downwards!

 

The man kicked his legs desperately, but it was in vain. The water gradually covered his head and neck, and he let out a miserable scream: “Ah! Ahh—there’s something in the water—help—ahh—!”

 

His entire body was dragged underwater, releasing a trail of bubbles. Gradually, the water’s surface turned crimson.

 

Seeing this horrifying scene, the other players panicked and turned back, desperately swimming away. One girl looked back and shouted in despair, “So fast! That thing—so fast! We can’t outswim it!”

 

Another middle-aged woman swung her arm and struck the girl on the head, disrupting her swimming rhythm and causing her to choke on water.

 

The middle-aged woman sneered, propelling herself forward, “I don’t need to outswim it. I just need to outswim you.”

 

Other players suddenly realized; yes, there was only one monster in the water. No matter how formidable it was, it couldn’t get everyone. As long as you weren’t the last, you could survive!

 

As a result, everyone showcased their strengths, either trying to make themselves faster or slowing others down, creating a chaotic scene on the water’s surface.

 

Rong Yi: …I never thought I’d witness such intense competition even in this situation.

 

The monster dragged two more players underwater, leaving three ruptured corpses floating on the water’s surface with their entrails spilling out, a gruesome sight.

 

By the shore, the nurse carried an unusually long bamboo pole, proficiently fishing the three bodies out of the water as if collecting trash from a river. With strength that didn’t match her slender figure, she heaved them onto the dark trash chute next to the pool, one by one.

 

Rong Yi immediately noticed the accumulation of black stains at the entrance of the chute. It must have been the residue of countless players’ blood.

 

“Whimper…”

 

“Waaah!” Not far from Rong Yi, a man’s voice trembled with despair, “I’m just a student of marine biology, not an actual marine creature. I can’t swim fast, and I’m not physically strong. Why did they put me in this instance?! I’m done for!”

 

“Creak.”

 

It was the sound of clenched fists.

Rong Yi turned around to see the Russian female giant from the restroom. Beside her stood a male giant, their features rigid and faces grave. Both clenched their fists the size of sand bowls tightly. Whether they were a couple or siblings, Rong Yi couldn’t tell.

 

The nurse continued to wear a sweet smile, radiating enthusiastic warmth as she introduced the players to what seemed like a 5A-rated attraction, “In this facility, we house our mental patients. ID 3471, 47 years old, a patient with delusional disorder. He has persistently believed himself to be a shark, undergoing extensive physical alterations to embody his delusion.”

 

Like a well-trained dolphin, as the keeper introduced it, the creature cooperatively surfaced.

 

Rong Yi could barely make out that it was a well-built man. His head was completely bald, with a shark-like, sharply deformed skull. His eyes were extremely round, no longer resembling human eyes, and his huge mouth stretched all the way to his ears, revealing the sharp, snow-white teeth of a shark.

 

What astonished her the most was the row of gills under his neck, occasionally expelling water. They didn’t just appear to be for show; they seemed to be functional artificial organs.

 

“Beyond his appearance, ID 3471 has also reinforced his skin. Ordinary bullets and cold weapons can’t harm him in the slightest. He claims it’s to better simulate the resilience of shark skin. Truly an astonishing delusion!” The nurse continued with a smile, “He once attacked and killed 48 people on the beach. From psychology to physiology, he’s completely a shark, oh!”

 

“Nonsense!” The female giant behind Rong Yi suddenly exclaimed in anger, “He’s a downright scumbag and a murderer, using mental illness to cover up his evil crimes and evade legal punishment!”

 

The male giant immediately tried to calm her down, “Tasha, calm down.”

 

Tasha gripped the male giant’s arm with excitement, “Anton! I recognize this guy’s face. Whether he turns into a shark or a crab, I know him! It’s him, the one who killed our Elizabeth with a bite! She was only five years old!”

 

Tears welled up in Anton’s eyes as he held Tasha tightly.

 

Rong Yi asked X in confusion, “Are the NPCs here based on real people from reality?”

X replied, “Nope. He’s the real-life beach murderer.”

 

Rong Yi: ????

 

X: This game is quite eerie. Some NPCs were actually players who, for various reasons, left the real world and became NPCs living here. Just like this shark-man.

 

X: As long as he maintains the persona of a mental patient, he can exchange corresponding rewards, essentially evading legal consequences. This is another form of “alternative gaming” for players. Many of the guardian NPCs in this level are such unique entities.

 

Rong Yi: So you’re saying… he’s not truly mentally ill?

 

X: Definitely not. He’s just a scumbag who wants to kill recklessly and evade responsibility.

 

X: [CatCatYue.JPG]

 

Rong Yi exhaled a puff of smoke from her red lips, watching the shark-man’s ruthless pursuit in the water, and listening to the Russian couple behind her discussing how to kill this bastard.

 

The shark-man, with his modified body, possessed high speed, defense, and attack power underwater, making him nearly invincible. While Rong Yi could swim, her aquatic skills were average, and going underwater would lead to only one outcome: instant death.

 

Killing the shark-man would be difficult.

 

“Miss Nurse,” Rong Yi suddenly asked, “If he knows he’s not a shark but a human, does that mean he doesn’t have delusional disorder?”

 

The nurse paused for a moment before returning her smile, “Naturally. But, as I mentioned, he’s a thorough case of shark delusional disorder.”

 

Rong Yi nodded, moved past a few people, and pointed to the man crying on the ground, “You, did you just say you’re studying marine biology?”

 

The man lifted his head, frail and thin, the typical appearance of a scholar, but his tear-stained face looked disheveled, devoid of his usual scholarly aura.

 

“Yes, yes,” he stammered, “My name is Zhang Haiyang.”

 

Rong Yi motioned for him to come over, cigarette in her mouth, and her arm resting on his shoulder, “Hey, let me ask you a question. When is the breeding season for sharks?”

 

Zhang Haiyang hesitated for a moment, wiping his tears, “Well, it’s, it’s right now, I guess.”

 

“Oh!” Rong Yi pointed at the shark-man underwater, gleefully chasing players, “Look at him, he should be a sexually mature shark, right?”

 

Zhang Haiyang: “…Humans at 47 years old would be… hmm…”

 

Rong Yi asked again, “What’s distinctive about the breeding method of sharks?”

 

Zhang Haiyang became increasingly puzzled, but he still answered honestly, “Compared to other fish, the most unique aspect of sharks is their internal fertilization.”

 

“Oh!” Rong Yi exclaimed loudly, “Internal fertilization, huh!”

 

The shark-man sensibly halted his movement, surfaced, and cast an unfriendly gaze towards Rong Yi.

 

“My friend here!” She patted Luo Huayue, “Can conjure anything out of thin air.” She vaguely explained, not revealing Luo Huayue’s skill’s mechanics, “So, why don’t you conjure a female shark?”

 

Luo Huayue: …?

 

Rong Yi: “A sexually mature male shark, during the breeding season, encounters a sexually mature female shark, well, naturally they’ll mate!”

 

“Just look at how pitiable he is, all alone like a fish out of water, without a partner. Let’s find him a female shark, arrange a little matchmaking, shall we? Let’s fulfill his fishy destiny,” Rong Yi said.

 

Crouching by the edge of the pool, Rong Yi cheekily exhaled a puff of smoke and grinned at the shark-man, “Remember, you’re a shark, so you’ve got to do the internal fertilization, alright!”

 

The shark-man gazed at the woman. Despite being submerged in water, he somehow felt like he had broken into a cold sweat.

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TL Note: I apologize for not posting yesterday. I was having some connection issues. Thank you for your patience! I’ll post an extra chapter tomorrow or tonight as compensation!

Also, I read along as I translate so let me know in the comments if you like my translations or if you noticed any mistakes! I’m totally open to constructive criticism! (*^^*)

P.S. I was drinking tea and I totally spewed out all of it when I was reading the end of this chapter. It ended up all over my brother’s face (*￣∇￣*)

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