Free Web NovelChapter 36: Free Activity Time
Free activity time.
The cheerful announcement echoed through Qing Shan Mental Hospital.
Before lunch, you can play to your heart’s content.
The voice sounded warm and pleasant, completely at odds with the horrifying scene in the corridor.
Patients wandered aimlessly through the hallways. Their bodies were covered in festering sores, and their movements were stiff and mechanical, like puppets following invisible strings. None of them returned to their wards. They simply paced back and forth, endlessly repeating the same routine.
Yu Wenji and the others exchanged wary glances.
No one dared move first.
Finally, their eyes landed on Shen Yu.
"Kid," Yu Wenji said lazily, "go walk with them."
His smile never reached his eyes.
"If you don’t want me to strangle you."
Since they couldn’t determine whether the patients’ behavior was the correct way to act during free activity time, none of them wanted to risk increasing their Pollution Value. Instead, they pushed the responsibility onto the weakest member of the group.
Shen Yu’s expression darkened.
Here it comes again.
Whether in the real world or inside a horror dungeon, the strong always liked to bully the weak.
Unfortunately, he currently had no way to fight back.
Clenching his fists, Shen Yu stepped forward.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
He slowly joined the wandering patients.
After several minutes of observation, he noticed nothing unusual. The patients continued their routine, and the values on the headbands remained stable.
Only then did he quietly relax.
Looks like walking during free activity time isn’t a problem.
"Tsk."
Fu Jia clicked his tongue.
"This kid’s luck really is unbelievable."
The others quickly followed Shen Yu and blended into the moving crowd.
For more than thirty minutes, the group silently wandered the corridors.
The atmosphere became strangely orderly.
Taking advantage of the moment, Shen Yu focused inward.
"System."
"Play Yang Jin’s Favorability CG."
[Loading animation...]
[Please wait.]
A hint of curiosity appeared beneath Shen Yu’s headband.
In normal dating games, Favorability CGs usually involved romantic scenes or meaningful interactions.
But this was a horror world.
What exactly would Yang Jin’s CG contain?
Suddenly, fragmented images flashed through his mind.
A school office.
A little girl stood silently beside a desk.
Across from her sat a tall man talking with a teacher.
"Dr. Yang, your daughter doesn’t speak much at school."
"You understand psychology better than we do."
"Could she have communication difficulties?"
The man’s face immediately darkened.
"Impossible."
"My daughter doesn’t have any problems."
The image shattered.
A cramped apartment.
The same little girl stood with her head lowered.
The man pointed at her angrily.
"Waste!"
"How did I end up raising a child like you?"
"I’m a psychologist!"
"And my own daughter has mental issues?"
"Do you know how embarrassing that is?"
"Tomorrow when you go to school, stop wearing that dead expression!"
The scene ended.
Shen Yu stared blankly.
"..."
What was that?
Yang Jin’s childhood memories?
A Favorability CG?
Where was the romance?
This felt more like trauma than affection.
Unable to understand the meaning behind the scenes, Shen Yu continued walking while deliberately keeping his distance from Yu Wenji’s group.
Then his expression suddenly changed.
The patients ahead of him had returned to normal.
No sores.
No abnormalities.
No strange behavior.
Just ordinary people walking through the corridor.
A chill ran down his spine.
Wait.
Shen Yu immediately turned toward Yu Wenji and the others.
Above their headbands—
-5
-5
-5
The numbers had reappeared.
Pollution was rising again.
Fu Jia noticed it as well.
His face instantly turned pale.
"How is this possible?"
"We’re doing exactly what the patients are doing!"
"Why is our Pollution Value still increasing?"
Yu Wenji remained calm.
"This is an S-Rank dungeon."
His voice was indifferent.
"Did you really think following the rules perfectly would let you survive?"
"As long as you’re inside this hospital, Pollution will continue accumulating."
"Tsk."
"Things are getting troublesome."
Although he said that, there wasn’t the slightest hint of worry on his face.
Instead, he slowly turned toward Shen Yu.
A dangerous smile appeared on his lips.
"Kid."
"You’re pretty smart."
"Guess what I want you to do now."
Shen Yu met his gaze.
After a few moments of silence, he answered.
"You want me to leave the group."
"If Pollution rises no matter what we do, then following everyone else becomes meaningless."
"It’s better to separate and search for a way to reduce Pollution."
"Right?"
A grin spread across Yu Wenji’s face.
"Bingo."
"Talking to smart people really is easy."
Then his voice turned ice-cold.
"So."
"Do I need to force you?"
"Or will you go by yourself?"
Shen Yu glared at him.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Then Shen Yu turned around and walked away.
Even without the threat, he already intended to act alone.
Unlike the others, he had another concern.
The more Pollution accumulated, the closer he came to death.
And while death itself didn’t scare him—
His hidden talent, Infinite Revival, remained a secret.
These veteran players were far stronger than him.
If they discovered his ability, Shen Yu couldn’t predict what they might do.
People like Yu Wenji would absolutely see him as a tool.
A disposable shield.
An endlessly reusable experiment.
No.
I can’t let anyone learn about Infinite Revival.
At the same time, another thought lingered in the back of his mind.
A dangerous one.
He remembered Park Guchang exploding.
Remembered the system rewards he had received in previous dungeons after dying.
And for a brief moment—
Shen Yu actually felt tempted.
What kind of reward would I get if I died in an S-Rank dungeon?
The thought was incredibly attractive.
But he hesitated.
Yang Jin’s Favorability had finally reached twenty-five points.
If he started deliberately throwing his life away now...
Would she lose interest in him?
Would her Favorability decrease?
That possibility made him reluctant.
Dying for rewards was one thing.
Losing Favorability with the beautiful head nurse was another.
After all, Yang Jin had already saved him multiple times.
Forget it.
Not yet.
I’ll wait a little longer.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
The hospital walls began vibrating.
Dark blood seeped from cracks in the paint.
Unlike before, however, the Pollution spread much more slowly.
The walls twisted.
The lights flickered.
Yet reality didn’t completely collapse.
Shen Yu narrowed his eyes.
Then his gaze landed on the nurse-call bell beside his bed.
A thought formed in his mind.
The announcement hadn’t lied.
During free activity time, walking alone or following others didn’t matter.
The Pollution increase was constant.
Meaning the source wasn’t the patients.
It was the hospital itself.
Tick.
Tock.
Blood dripped from the walls.
Shen Yu watched silently.
Meaningless exploration would only waste time while his Pollution continued rising.
If there was a way to reduce it...
Then the answer was probably hidden somewhere much closer than everyone realized.
Instead of continuing to search blindly, Shen Yu arrived at a simple conclusion.
If there’s anyone in this hospital who can help me right now, it’s probably Yang Jin.
Ding.
Without hesitation, he pressed the nurse call bell and quietly sat on the edge of his hospital bed.
Outside the ward, Yu Wenji and the others watched through the doorway, each wearing a different expression.
"Is this kid planning to ask the head nurse for help again?" Fu Jia muttered, his voice full of resentment.
"Damn it. Is he really surviving this dungeon with his face alone?"
Yu Wenji merely shrugged.
"Actually, it’s not a bad idea."
The S-rank veteran crossed his arms.
"The simplest way to solve a problem is often the most direct one. If anyone knows how to reduce Pollution, it’s the hospital staff."
"And since it’s free activity time, looking for a nurse shouldn’t violate any rules."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Footsteps echoed down the corridor.
Soon, several strange nurses appeared, led by Yang Jin herself.
Her face was cold as ice.
Patients wandering the hallway were shoved aside as she strode forward.
"Who was pressing the nurse bell during rest time?"
Her irritated voice echoed through the corridor.
Then she stepped into the room and saw Shen Yu.
For a brief moment, she froze.
The icy expression on her face softened almost imperceptibly.
"...It’s you."
She walked directly toward him.
Though her tone remained cold and professional, a faint blush had appeared near her ears.
"What is it?"
Shen Yu didn’t waste time.
"I don’t feel very well."
"The thing you gave me this morning..."
He looked directly into her eyes.
"Could you give me some more?"
His gaze was hopeful.
After all, twenty-five Favorability wasn’t a small number.
Unfortunately, Yang Jin shook her head.
"If you’re unwell, then you’re sick."
"And sick patients need medicine."
She paused before continuing.
"The ingredients are stored in the underground warehouse."
"Medicine Cabinet Number Eighteen."
"If you bring them back to me, I can prepare your medication."
Her voice became slightly more serious.
"But I should warn you."
"There are some very interesting things in the underground warehouse."
As soon as she finished speaking, a system notification rang out in everyone’s ears.
[Side Mission Activated: Psychiatric Medication]
Mission Description:
As a psychiatric patient, taking medication regularly is unavoidable.
There is a legend surrounding Qing Shan Mental Hospital’s warehouse.
Once, a patient believed he could fly.
He jumped from the rooftop and died instantly.
Mission Objective:
Retrieve the medication ingredients from Warehouse Cabinet No. 18 and deliver them safely to Head Nurse Yang Jin.
Mission Reward:
Sanity Potion ×1
Hidden Reward:
???
"A side mission!"
Yan Bing’s expression immediately changed.
Everyone knew side missions were often connected to the core secrets of a dungeon.
In many cases, completing them significantly increased the chances of clearing the instance.
"So we have to go." ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
Yan Bing frowned.
"What interests me more is the hidden reward."
Yu Wenji narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Shen Yu’s attention wasn’t on the mission at all.
Instead, he noticed something else.
Yang Jin’s white stockings appeared slightly uneven.
A few wrinkles had formed around her calves and thighs.
The obsessive-compulsive tendencies she’d displayed earlier seemed to be bothering her.
Her legs shifted uncomfortably.
Did she rush over here because I pressed the nurse bell?
The thought flashed through Shen Yu’s mind.
Before he could think further, he acted instinctively.
He reached out and gently adjusted the wrinkled fabric.
Yang Jin’s entire body stiffened.
"You—"
For a moment, she seemed completely caught off guard.
Shen Yu looked up calmly.
"Your stockings were uneven."
"I was just helping."
Silence filled the room.
Then—
[Favorability +5]
[Current Favorability: 30]
The familiar system notification echoed in Shen Yu’s ears.
At the same moment, Yang Jin grabbed his chin.
The movement looked forceful, but her hand was surprisingly gentle.
She lowered her head slightly and met his gaze.
The tips of her ears had turned red.
"Listen carefully."
Her voice remained cold.
"Show me some respect."
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"From now on..."
"When you’re speaking to me, remember your place."
The words sounded harsh.
Yet somehow, they lacked any real hostility.
After saying that, Yang Jin released him and turned away.
Shen Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
For some reason, he felt that Yang Jin was trying to tell him something.
Not as the head nurse.
But as someone who knew far more about this hospital than she was allowed to say.
And perhaps—
The answer to reducing Pollution was hidden somewhere within those hints.
