After being poisoned by mushrooms, all the strange creatures became fascinated by me.

"At first, we were just an ordinary private hospital. Until the day the strange thing happened."

Dean Lei Hong recounted the story.

"The 'monster' is like a parasite that takes root in the human body, outwardly appearing as a purplish-black, wriggling flesh. Those parasitized by the 'monster' gradually lose their minds and eventually die in madness."

"The bizarre is like a terminal illness; it has no cure, so those who are infected by it are essentially sentenced to death. The most deadly aspect is that the bizarre is also contagious."

The purplish-black, wriggling flesh... Tang Li felt like she had seen it somewhere before.

"Gu Xiaoying's mother was an intern nurse at the hospital. Gu Xiaoying was the child she gave birth to out of wedlock. The mother and son were barely making ends meet until she discovered that her son had also been infected by a strange infection."

"She sought help from the hospital to treat Gu Xiaoying's 'illness.' After much deliberation, we couldn't bear to give up on the child, so we decided to have Gu Xiaoying hospitalized for treatment. Even though at that time, apart from us, there was no precedent for hospitals treating 'strange' patients."

"Rumors are rampant. Some say Gu Xiaoying suffered a medical accident, and some even say that we used Gu Xiaoying as a human experiment." Lei Hong sighed deeply. "Unfortunately, the mother and son also believed the rumors."

"Gu Xiaoying's mother barged into the clinic while we weren't paying attention and forcibly took Gu Xiaoying away. The 'weirdness' is contagious, so we dared not let them go and had to chase after them. During the struggle, Gu Xiaoying was stimulated and assimilated by the weirdness. He saw us as enemies, so naturally he infected us as well."

Tang Li recalled everything she had witnessed in her dream: the one Nannan held tightly in his arms, refusing to let go even at the cost of his life, was none other than Gu Xiaoying.

"Thus, all hospital staff were infected by the supernatural phenomenon and assimilated into the new supernatural being. Gu Xiaoying, as the initial source of infection, possessed the most powerful strength. The child supernatural being lacked rationality and adherence to order, possessing only insatiable desire, and wanted to devour the entire instance."

"Therefore," Lei Hong bowed slightly to Tang Li, "for the sake of the stability of the dungeon, and even more so for the benefits that the dungeon delivers to the upper levels, please kill Gu Xiaoying, sir."

Tang Li leaned back in her chair, neither saying she didn't believe it nor joining in the righteous indignation.

"Gu Xiaoying is evil."

Liu Dan from HR added.

"Gu Xiaoying is evil, his words should not be listened to; Gu Xiaoying is despicable, his form should not be seen; Gu Xiaoying is filthy, his body should not be touched."

"Gu Xiaoying's mother was blind. She allowed her son to lead her to the supernatural, but she was so frightened by the supernatural that she lost her mind. The poor mother was deeply traumatized and forgot everything, forgot that she had a child."

"Therefore," Liu Hong clasped her hands together, tears streaming down her face, "for the sake of a mother's liberation, and even more so to sweep away the ominous heresy in the strange world, please, sir, kill Gu Xiaoying."

Tang Li looked at the bizarre scene of a stage being set up and a play being performed in front of her with a half-smile.

"Three questions," she said casually. "First, what personal benefit would eliminating Gu Xiaoying bring me?"

The dean said, "I will give you the core items produced in the dungeon."

"Secondly, what are Gu Xiaoying's weaknesses?"

Liu Dan said, "He still loves his mother."

"Third," Tang Li stood up, glancing around at the eerie atmosphere, "who is Gu Xiaoying's mother?"

"Gu Xiaomei!"

"Gu Xiaomei!"

"Gu Xiaomei!"

All the eerie creatures grinned and called out the same name.

At that moment, their expressions were strangely fanatical, and a dozen tongues were moving as they spoke in unison.

She wasn't in a private box, but rather at an execution site, witnessing the eerie figures surrounding the bonfire, waving torches, about to burn a woman wrongly accused of being a witch.

In the frenzied atmosphere, Tang Li seemed to be infected by the strange emotions as well, and a little color seeped into her pale cheeks.

She laughed amidst the shouts, "I understand."

She thought to herself: I know this isn't the truth.

After a while.

Tang Li didn't drink a drop of water or eat a single grain of rice, barely managing to finish her breakfast with the eerie creature.

After performing the scene with extreme tension, Tang Li still dared not relax. Based on her speculation and stereotypes about the "weird boss," she maintained a three-part playful and seven-part lazy demeanor until she finally stood at the door of ward 802.

Tang Li resembled a small animal exhausted from its first hunt, having finally returned to the relative safety of its den. She relaxed slightly, grasped the doorknob, turned it, and was about to step inside.

Suddenly stopped.

There is someone inside the door.

Before she could even see who it was, her tense nerves had already driven her backward. But it was too late; Tang Li was no match for the speed of the person opposite her.

She was pulled through the door by an irresistible force, and then the door slammed shut with a bang.

"Where have you been?! Are you hurt? They said you were covered in blood..." A warm hand grabbed her.

With rapid, labored breathing, her hands frantically groped around. Tang Li stared in astonishment as several talismans were affixed to her body, emitting a pale green glow like a firefly—"Thank goodness, I'm not hurt. I'm not hurt!"

In front of her, Jiang Hui exhaled a deep breath from her chest.

As if a huge boulder that had been hanging in her heart for a long time had finally been lifted to the ground, her usually sharp and neat eyes now revealed an undisguised weariness.

Jiang Hui released Tang Li, turned to the side, and raised the walkie-talkie: "No need to look anymore! Tang Li didn't commit suicide, and she didn't die. She's back alive! No need to look anymore!"

A muffled reply came from the other side; it was Qiu Wanting.

Tang Li didn't have time to react. She stared blankly as Jiang Hui completed a series of actions, threw down the walkie-talkie, and slumped onto Tang Li's bed. She supported herself with her hands behind her back, as if she was exhausted, but still looked up at Tang Li.

Tang Li stood by the door, watching Jiang Hui's relieved figure, and suddenly realized that her body, which she had been controlling so well, was trembling.

It was as if only at this moment did her soul, which had been floating above her body, finally return to her body, and then waves of anger, fear, and relief at surviving the ordeal surged over her body.

There is no need to restrain yourself.

Tang Li lunged forward and landed heavily in Jiang Hui's arms.

In that instant, Jiang Hui thought Tang Li was crying. She reached out and hugged her, her body instinctively trying to comfort her even though she didn't know what had happened.

She had never experienced such confusion and sadness from Tang Li.

However, the next moment, Jiang Hui, who was completely unprepared, was tackled onto the bed by Tang Li.

The gleam of the blade stung her eyes. Ah, the familiar glint of the blade. Jiang Hui thought in a fraction of a second.

At this very moment, the knife she had personally given to Tang Li for self-defense—

It was pressed against her own neck.