Published at 8th of October 2024 3:08 am

Chapter 1235: Escalating Stairs

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

The NPC, dressed in loose cowboy pants that caused him to almost slide, jingled a large bunch of keys as he staggered ahead, leading a group of four people through numerous passages. He seemed to intentionally choose corners to navigate, and with each step, the surroundings grew darker and narrower, creating an impression that they were entering a mouse hole.

Finally, when he came to a halt, his face barely contained his amusement.

“Have you noticed?” He tapped on the wall and pointed upwards. The high-arched wall extended infinitely, pressing down on them until it became hard to breathe. After a brief pause, the NPC smiled and remarked, “This wall is the only one with a different shape, tightly attached to the building’s edge.”

Lin Sanjiu examined the long rectangular wall that protruded from the circular structure. It disappeared into the darkness, and though not clearly visible, it was evident that it wasn’t a flat vertical line. It gradually ascended, narrowing as it merged into the arched wall about a hundred meters above.

“Take a closer look,” the NPC said, as if enlightening a group of children, gesturing with his hands. “You’ll notice a gap about this wide along the entire length of this wall, and there are no patient rooms in that space.”

The words ‘So what?’ echoed loudly in Bohemia’s mind, and even Lin Sanjiu could hear them.

The NPC continued with the enthusiasm of a tour guide, gesturing with both hands. “Consider the thickness of this wall, the width of the gap, and the overall size… Doesn’t it remind you of something? Here’s a hint: it’s related to how you’ll escape.”

Lin Sanjiu wanted to say something to get it over with quickly, but before she could respond, she heard a sudden “Oh!” from Bohemia’s left side. Turning her head, she saw the former guard with a look of enlightenment, saying, “It’s an elevator, isn’t it?”

“Where on earth did you get that idea of an elevator?” Bohemia scoffed.

“I think the elevator should be inside the wall,” the former guard’s eyes sparkled, and he spoke clearly, “This wall doesn’t need to support a ceiling, so why is it made so thick? And it’s vertically merging into the wall, leaving a gap just wide enough for an elevator. Besides, there’s no visible exit here. You can see the entire circular building, and there’s no corner to hide anything. But people need a way to get out… So, the exit must be hidden inside the wall, right?”

For the first time since their acquaintance, Lin Sanjiu found herself listening to the former guard talking non-stop like this.

Bohemia cast a glance at Puppeteer and took on the role of spokesperson, saying, “Who cares whether it’s an elevator or not? As long as it takes us out of here, let’s not waste time!”

The NPC playfully retrieved a keychain from his belt, approached the wall, and wiped away the dust with his hand, revealing a neglected keyhole. He inserted a key, and with a faint sound of unlocking, a section of the wall that appeared identical to the rest silently cracked open.

“You guessed right, it’s an elevator,” he said, nodding at the former security guard. “But there’s one thing you mentioned that’s not quite accurate. The elevator is hidden within the circular wall. Within this wall, there’s a section of stairs that will lead you to the elevator. Go inside, follow it to the end, and you’ll find the elevator.”

Lin Sanjiu was somewhat stunned. The wall extended upward for at least hundreds of meters. If there was a long flight of stairs inside, how many steps would they have to climb? Fortunately, they were all posthumans, so aside from some exhaustion, it shouldn’t be much of a challenge.

The NPC let everyone take a look inside but didn’t immediately let them enter. Apart from Puppeteer, who remained motionless, everyone else saw that the staircase inside was narrow and dark. Only the initial four or five steps were visible; the rest disappeared into darkness. There were handrails on both sides, extending with the stairs. If it were a child or someone particularly thin, the staircase could accommodate maybe two people side by side, but it would be a tight fit for someone like the previous chubby NPC.

“Oh, the staircase can accommodate 1.7 normal-sized adults,” the NPC said, noticing Lin Sanjiu’s assessment. He waved for her to step back outside. “Before I let you in, there are a few final instructions I need to give you.”

If Bohemia were a monkey, she would have started scratching his head and cheeks long ago, saying impatiently, “Can you hurry up? We’re in a hurry!”

The NPC chuckled, finding himself quite humorous. “There’s no restroom inside, so being in a hurry won’t help.” Only when Bohemia’s expression soured did he cough and shake the keychain in his hand. “Considering the safety and convenience of discharged patients, this door won’t be locked after you go up. This way, if you forget something or change your mind, you can come back anytime. Leaving the door open ensures good ventilation in the stairwell, making it more comfortable when you climb the stairs. We’ve thought this through thoroughly.”

“Leaving the door open?” Lin Sanjiu raised an eyebrow. “Not just unlocked, but actually open?”

“Leaving a gap,” the NPC clarified, pinching his thumb and forefinger to show a small opening. “When you enter the elevator and the doors close, I’ll come over and lock the door again. Before it’s locked, this door can’t be closed.”

In other words, while they climbed into the darkness with their backs to the door, there would be an empty space behind them, potentially allowing others to enter.

The NPC, guessing what was on everyone’s minds, nodded and said with a serious tone, “A considerable number of patients give up hope of leaving the hospital through normal means, so they start trying various unconventional methods to escape. I’ve mentioned before, this wall is different from the others. As long as someone focuses on this point, it’s not difficult to guess there’s an exit here… even if they can’t guess, they’ll at least know that this place is different. So, during the journey of climbing the stairs and entering the elevator, you must be extra careful. There might be others trying to sneak in.”

“Then why don’t you lock the door?” Bohemia waved her hand. “Don’t you care if patients run away?”

“We care very much,” the NPC replied, his smile fully unfolding for the first time. “That’s why you can’t let anyone else enter the elevator with you. When the elevator starts running, if someone who shouldn’t be there is present… even your discharge qualifications will be revoked.”

Just as the group was taken aback and unsure of what to say, Puppeteer, with a half-smile curling at the corner of his lips, said in a voice both sinister and soft, “I’d like to see who’s willing to be our guest.”

Indeed, Lin Sanjiu had almost forgotten about him. Her momentarily lifted heart relaxed again. If the danger only came from other posthumans, then with Puppeteer by their side, she did feel quite reassured. Even if Puppeteer’s strength had not fully recovered to its peak, it had been proven that other posthumans were suppressed in his presence.

“Oh, if I were you,” the NPC said, shaking his head and stepping aside from the door, gesturing for them to enter, “I wouldn’t be so confident. These people who have given up hope… they’re different from the patients you encountered before. As long as they see a glimmer of a possibility of being discharged, they will risk their lives. And their inability to leave might not necessarily be because they are less skilled than others. Those who dare to use these means to escape are usually stronger than ordinary patients.”

“How can they be stronger than others if they still haven’t been able to leave?” Bohemia asked, taking a step toward the door.

The NPC pondered. “It could be bad luck, being easily fooled, receiving a final mission that’s too difficult… or even being too skilled and attacking the NPCs, having their patient status revoked. There are various reasons.”

Lin Sanjiu couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.

“Leaving that aside,” the NPC said with a smile, “let’s take your group, for example. If it weren’t for the special means that you and I both know, how many of you could actually be discharged? But does that mean your combat abilities are lacking?”

As for this “special means,” did it refer to the Great Deluge disrupting order? Gardenia’s deal with her before she died as an NPC? Or the cheating item Gong Daoyi gave to her? Lin Sanjiu didn’t intend to delve deeper into it. She wished the NPC would move on from the topic.

“Alright, then next,” the NPC concluded, “I wish you all good luck.”

Watching the NPC’s figure gradually recede, the group stood at the doorway. The former security guard shivered and said, “Uh… my abilities are average. If you put me at the end, I’m afraid I won’t be able to…”

Lin Sanjiu didn’t want to risk having him at the very end. “You go second,” she instructed, then asked, “Between me and Puppeteer, who should go last?”

“Of course, it should be sir Puppeteer,” Bohemia said without sparing her any face. “Think about it, if someone sneaks in quietly and follows from behind, when Sir turns around, they’ll be startled…”

She realized what she was saying and suddenly turned pale, biting her tongue.

“I’ll check the surroundings to see if there’s anyone,” Lin Sanjiu interjected smoothly, acting as if Bohemia’s words were no big deal and taking over the conversation before Puppeteer could react. “Give me a few minutes.”

“Magus asked if you knew how to use chewing gum,” Puppeteer said abruptly.

“What?” Lin Sanjiu could only respond in confusion.

When Bohemia was speaking earlier, Magus must have spoken at the same time. Puppeteer repeated Magus’s words, seemingly oblivious to what Bohemia had said. Magus seemed like she wanted to cover her nose when talking to her, “Using a touch of Higher Consciousness, stick one side onto the door, while keeping the other side under your control. You can gradually lengthen it as you go up, which will pull the door from the inside… how do you not know how to do this?”

“I know this!” Lin Sanjiu exclaimed, slapping her thigh. It was rare to hear a usage of Magus’s Higher Consciousness that she actually knew. “My Higher Consciousness has recovered quite a bit as well. So, that’s settled then. I’ll go last. Otherwise, having someone in the middle would be inconvenient.”

In just a few moments, she sensed several vague, human-like entities nearby. These were only the ones she could sense; there might be others hidden. Clearing her throat, she looked around and said, “Let’s go inside.”

Since the danger would come from behind, it made sense to have someone with strong combat abilities at the end. Bohemia led the way, followed by the former security guard, and then Puppeteer entered. Lin Sanjiu was the last to enter the stairwell. She “glued” her Higher Consciousness onto the inside of the door and stepped onto the first step in the dusty air.

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