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

Ward 815.

The teams on the screen gradually got back on track.

Fang Yingjie was exhausted. His thoughts wandered for a few seconds until a player sitting with his legs curled up in the lower right corner of the screen let out a soft sob.

"Brother Fang, the curtains are moving!" the player cried, calling his name.

"...That's the wind," Fang Yingjie said expressionlessly into the walkie-talkie.

This was a young, novice player, huddled under the covers, trembling all over. Even though he couldn't see in the darkness, he still instinctively kept his eyes wide open, afraid to blink. The novice player unconsciously put his fingers in his mouth, biting them as if in a fit of rage; his mental state had almost deteriorated to the point of self-harm.

Fang Yingjie couldn't help but curl his knuckles and rub his temples, looking even more exhausted than when he was simultaneously leading several squads in their breakout.

Besides this player, several other players were also shown on the screen who hadn't gone downstairs to fight. Some of them remained quiet, while others had already started crying and wailing.

These are scenes from the wards on the same floor as Fang Yingjie's. Of course, it wasn't his initiative to install surveillance cameras; it was the players who, to increase their sense of security, begged him to monitor them.

Although they hadn't participated in the battle, the tremors and roars they'd just heard had reached their ears. They knew that players and monsters were fighting tonight, and it was precisely because of this that they were on edge.

Fang Yingjie could not allow them to break down in fear and run away to their deaths; that would only complicate the current situation.

"Brother Fang! I heard a noise under the bed..."

"Waaaaah, Brother Fang, the live stream chat said they saw me smiling in the mirror!"

"Brother Fang, help! Brother Fang, the comments say there's something in my bed, I'm so scared..."

That's how Fang Yingjie got through the night.

He had almost reached his limit. He pulled the player's surveillance footage to the center of the computer screen. The usually mild-mannered office worker had a rare moment of seriousness and was about to issue an ultimatum.

He suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"...Quiet." Fang Yingjie opened his mouth, paused for a moment with his breath, and finally uttered two words almost in a whisper.

There's something on this player's face.

In the night vision surveillance camera footage, the player's face appeared pale and blurry.

Until he zoomed in on the image and saw numbers written in some kind of dark paint on the cheeks of that bewildered and fearful face.

The numbers kept changing.

15:52，15:51，15:50……

Fang Yingjie felt a chill run down his spine and his hair stand on end. He ignored the players who dared not utter a sound and could only weep silently. His fingers trembled as they danced across the keyboard. Several cameras lined up in front of him, and terrified faces magnified before him.

...The same number appeared on the face of every single player.

They beat at the same frequency.

15:21，15:20，15:19……

Countdown.

Through the lens, he couldn't make out the colors of the numbers.

A bright red hue was reflected in his eyes.

He remembered what it was; many players who watched the live stream couldn't forget it.

Item: [Supernatural Human Bomb]

It means exactly what "human bomb" means. When the countdown reaches zero, the player who has been planted with the bomb will explode completely from the inside out.

The word "human body" indicates that this prop has no effect on the supernatural; in other words, it was invented only to deal with players.

However, the truly insidious aspect of this prop is that the "bomb" itself is a supernatural prop and does not have a physical form; its only outward manifestation is the blood-red number on the face of the bomb carrier.

This number is invisible to the naked eye and can only be captured by a camera.

This is the supernatural item that every player in the eerie world fears.

In a previous instance, this item was invented and widely used by a player with antisocial personality disorder... During that live stream, almost all players were planted with bombs, and even though the supernatural beings would not become carriers of the supernatural human bombs, they would still be injured when the players exploded. The supernatural beings, along with the instance boss, died in the explosion.

That was a dungeon where almost no one survived. From players to monsters, everyone was wiped out, their blood and bones mixed together, making it impossible to tell who was who. Only the antisocial player emerged unscathed, clearing the dungeon without taking any damage.

This became an "urban legend" passed down among eerie gamers.

"Holy crap, ahhhhhh?!?!" "What is this? What is this? No way, no way, how is this possible?" "Wasn't the human bomb in the supernatural realm supposed to be sealed off by several big shots working together? How could it appear here?!" "We're doomed, only fifteen minutes left, streamer, run, the farther the better..." "This instance is only so big, where can we run to?"

Fang Yingjie took a deep breath, and his previously dazed mind cleared up amidst the horror. He slowly gripped his still trembling right wrist with his left hand.

This shouldn't be something that appears in low-level dungeons in the first place. It's not in the shop, and players shouldn't have it either.

If he hadn't happened to be watching them on surveillance footage...

"Yingjie? Xiao Fang? Brother Fang?" A gruff voice startled him awake. It was Lü Yueyong on the other side of the battlefield. "Can you give us directions, Brother Fang? Where are you? Going to take care of some personal matters?"

Oh, and them too. So, are they also...?

Fang Yingjie's little finger twitched almost spasmodically, the sound of keyboard typing was continuous, and the camera quickly switched to the corridor, focusing on the faces he had been ignoring.

Among the faces this time were many familiar faces he knew by name and who he drank with.

14:45，14:44，14:43……

Fang Yingjie's face was so dark it was almost dripping with water, and his heart was pounding like a drum. He realized he could no longer suppress the panic in his heart.

What should he do?!

"Fang Yingjie, can you hear me?"

It was another call, a male voice coming from the electrical current, slightly panting from exertion, but still as steady and composed as ever. Fang Yingjie's chaotic mind suddenly calmed down.

"I need you to immediately investigate whether there are any abnormalities among the other players. We suspect that the Dean has left some hidden weapons on the players, and their lives may still be in danger..."

"Boss Qiu," Fang Yingjie's voice had become hoarse without him realizing it, "listen to me."

"...I noticed a countdown on the players' faces."

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the walkie-talkie.

After a few breaths, Qiu Wanting's voice rang out calmly: "Supernatural human bombs? Take stock of how many players are carrying them and where they are located in the hospital."

"Almost, almost all players..." Fang Yingjie's voice betrayed his uncontrollable fear.

"Don't panic..." Qiu Wanting was about to continue speaking when a hand suddenly reached out and snatched the walkie-talkie from his hand.

"Don't panic." A calm female voice rang out in the channel. Jiang Hui's instructions were concise and clear: "Fang Yingjie."

"—First, check if you've been infected."

Oh, right, right, Fang Yingjie thought with trepidation, as did I.

Fang Yingjie looked in the mirror, then realized it wasn't working. He picked up a spare security camera and pointed it at himself.

He looked at the computer screen, where a new surveillance camera was loading.

He stared at himself in bewilderment.

That pale face, both familiar and unfamiliar.

14:05，14:04，14:03……

The breath of death rendered Fang Yingjie speechless.

"Okay, I understand." He could only hear the voice on the other end. He didn't know when the walkie-talkie had changed hands again, and Qiu Wanting was on the other end again.

"Fang Yingjie, tell us the time."

His resolute voice sounded like an unyielding command. Fang Yingjie tentatively tried to find his voice, but it was frighteningly hoarse: "...Fourteen minutes."

"Okay. Listen, I'll save you within fourteen minutes," Qiu Wanting said.

"Now, focus on your own work and continue to guide children and players."

"Keep it a secret."