Rhodes Island does not exist.

The bizarre creatures, which were impossible to observe closely in their madness, now presented him with an opportunity to conduct scientific research or intelligence gathering.

Rather, it is only now that he can clearly discern the specific appearance of those strange creatures.

He discovered that these strange creatures seemed to grow on the hospital beds, becoming one with them, much like hermit crabs on the coast, treating other people's homes as their own.

A slimy body emerged from beneath the white sheets, its long, slender form resembling a slug, swaying and shaking its blood-red skin in the air.

The doctor did not find anything like eyes.

However, considering that these strange creatures always extend their bodies toward where the doctor is standing, there is probably some kind of detector officer present.

However, although the strange things in the direction he was facing always seemed to be extending toward him, they couldn't actually do anything because they couldn't move.

As for the strange creatures that kept multiplying behind him as he moved forward, the Doctor adopted a strategy of complete indifference.

Since his instincts warned him not to look back, he had better never look back.

After all, if those strange creatures in front of him were turning towards him because he was looking directly at them, then if he turned his head slightly and saw the strange creatures out of the corner of his eye, he would probably be attacked the next moment.

No, that might not be the most crucial point.

The most crucial part is turning your head.

If the doctor dared to even turn his head slightly in this room, all the hospital beds in his blind spot would sprout flowers and grow wildly.

By that time, it would no longer be a problem that could be solved by running away.

Therefore, PhDs today are fortunate.

The exit was right in front of him.

He had already secretly made a plan.

After leaving this place, he was going to look for the stranger who had just appeared.

After all, in such an environment, having one more companion is equivalent to having one more chance of survival.

Not to mention that the stranger himself may possess a great deal of information that he is unaware of.

In such an environment, intelligence is sometimes more important than one's comrades.

ten meters.

eight meters.

five meters.

The doctor kept his eyes fixed on the door without looking to the side, and walked steadily forward.

He has now completely broken free of his previous frenzied state and returned to his original self.

Then--

three meters.

one meter.

arrive.

The doctor finally stood before the beige door.

It was only then that he realized that this was not an ordinary door, but an elevator.

Yes, an elevator.

"..."

The Doctor was silent.

An elevator means that you need a button to open it.

There were no buttons in front of the doctor.

No, that doesn't make sense.

If there is an elevator, then there must be buttons.

He clearly saw that person's figure appear inside the door and then leave, which means this is not a pointless elevator; it is usable.

unless.

unless……

An idea that even he himself was unwilling to consider welled up in the doctor's mind.

"Unless the elevator buttons are on the back of this pillar."

Chapter 7, Part 7: You may not believe it, but that's how it is.

The doctor had never anticipated this kind of problem.

What should he do if the button is behind the pillar?

The least likely thing to do is to walk behind the pillar and press the button.

Behind the elevator, surrounded by countless nests, lies a dark, crimson jungle of despair. The Doctor is so impervious that he cannot even take a single step closer.

Facing those menacing oddities head-on is no easy task, just as one wouldn't willingly walk towards a rapidly spinning saw blade.

They are simply immobile, not compassionate. If you dare to get even an inch closer to them, you will be silently cut in two.

So, should we forcefully pry open the door in front of us using a pickaxe?

No, that's incredibly stupid.

Whether it can be pried open is one thing, but even if it is, whether the elevator car is still on this floor is another matter entirely.

After all, just now, that stranger had left this place in the elevator.

"Tsk."

Contemplating the countless possibilities, the professor clicked his tongue softly.

He felt as if he were trapped in an unsolvable dead end, like the chess puzzle in Huarong Road that was "within reach".

By the way, how do you interpret "近在咫尺" (jìn zài zhǐ chǐ) again

The doctor's thoughts suddenly drifted away from the current crisis and landed on the chessboard of Huarong Road.

Should we move Guan Yu and Huang Zhong down first, and then move the positions of the soldiers?

No, no.

Wait a minute, how old was I when I last played Huarong Road? Why do I still remember these trivial things even though my memory has been erased?

This issue doesn't seem important.

The important question is how he solved that Huarong Road puzzle.

"what."

The doctor seemed to realize it.

He always plays Huarong Road by directly taking Cao Cao out of the square.

He never actually played the game according to the rules.

Does this incident offer any insights for the current situation?

The doctor looked up, staring at the swaying, blood-red slugs before him, and a rather strange idea suddenly popped into his mind.

Why do I subconsciously perceive these creatures as threatening?

Did they really attack me, or cause me any real harm?

The answer is no.

The only thing they did for themselves was to emerge from their blind spot and follow them around.

The rules about the room that came to mind all arose naturally, like a re-enactment of fragments of memory.

But there is none of his own practice.

In other words, he has actually been living in the so-called experience created by his memories until now.

But no wonder.

Being relentlessly pursued by such an ugly and filthy creature would evoke fear in anyone and trigger an instinctive resistance.

But what if these creatures don't actually pose a threat?

The doctor reached his trembling hand into his pocket.

Now, before him, an idea that had been in his heart was about to be put into practice.

"Crack".

He took out a compressed biscuit from his pocket and broke off a corner of it.

He felt like a child feeding monkeys at the zoo for the first time. He gently pinched the hard food between two fingers, walking slowly and deliberately towards the strange object closest to him.

Saliva welled up, then was swallowed.

The doctor now possesses a rationality that is approaching its limit, but as a result, he also suffers twice as much fear.

What if my estimate is wrong? I must take the risk.

It's okay, it's just another resurrection.

He is ready.

"..."

The hand holding the compressed biscuit drew ever closer to that swaying, strange object.

The doctor could almost feel the heat emanating from it through his skin.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed against the doctor's fingers.

The doctor was completely unprepared for the arrival of this gust of wind.

But the compressed biscuit he was holding between his fingers disappeared.

The doctor's eyes failed to capture what had just happened.

He only saw that the slug in front of him seemed to have given up its writhing posture and instead became limp and collapsed in front of the doctor.

The PhD student knows the scientific name for this behavior.

Feeding.

"So, I just... successfully fed it?"

Staring incredulously at the slug monster that was leaning toward him, the doctor was surprised to find that he hadn't seemed to see its leaning toward him as a threat, but rather had naturally allowed it to happen.

After a moment's thought, he reached out his hand directly to the creature that had once caused him countless fears.

It really does feel sticky and slippery.

But to be honest, it was surprisingly good.

The doctor's slightly rough hands began to rub its slippery body up and down, just like petting a cat or dog at home.

The slug monster cooperated quite well, swaying up and down in rhythm with the doctor's touch, as if it were enjoying the action.

"This……"

Even the doctor himself probably didn't expect things to turn out this way.

A bold idea even popped into his head.

"Could it be that those slug monsters that followed me all the way here were actually seeking comfort?"

That's really weird.

The doctor couldn't help but begin to question the significance of this layer.

However, before figuring out this problem, he should first understand his current situation.

Thinking this, the doctor turned around.

"hiss--"

The slugs that were behind him, which he had awakened one after another, did not devour him as he had expected.