CH 26

(Someone is watching us)

Edited by Sliver Wind 

Going against his conscience, Fang Qi nodded, “It’s very cute…”

After he spoke, the werewolf bared its sharp teeth and breathed heavily as if it was threatening him.

Fang Qi stepped back silently, afraid that his fellow werewolf brethren would rush forward and tear off his throat.

Shen Dongqing was oblivious to the dangers being posed to him; after stroking the werewolf’s furry paw, he turned his eyes towards the two erect ears that were on its head and he revealed an eager expression. 

Despite the werewolf’s fierce show of teeth to the boy he previously had in his grip, he did not dare to do anything when he was dealing with Shen Dongqing. Although it was unwilling, he allowed Shen Dongqing to pat him.

Shen Dongqing asked: “Can I bring it back?”

The others were confused but after a while, they realised that he was talking to the game.

However, generally speaking, the system would only give out prompts at the beginning of the game, and it would remain silent for the rest of it.

Since Shen Dongqing did not receive a reply, he said automatically: “Then I’m going to assume you’re consenting to it.”

The game gritted its teeth:

【 …… NO! 】

When the werewolf heard the negative answer, ecstasy appeared on its face. 

Feeling regretful, Shen Dongqing released its hand.

As soon as the werewolf shed off his control, he wanted to run. However, before he could take two steps away, the nape of its neck was pinched by someone, and it immediately stiffened, not daring to move from where he stood.

“Don’t run around,” Shen Dongqing patted the werewolf as if he was educating a disobedient puppy.

Having understood the gap between the enemy and itself, the werewolf could only temporarily let go of the idea of running and it followed Shen Dongqing instead. 

Shen Dongqing asked: “Is there another person here?”

Po Itbe Qfcsjc kjr tfgf, atf kfgfkbio kbeiv qgbyjyis xcbk.

Ktf kfgfkbio ifa bea j ktlcf ogbw lar atgbja jcv rtbbx lar tfjv.

Pa rffwfv ilxf Itbe Qfcsjc kjr cba lc atlr yelivlcu. 

Mjcu Hl ktlrqfgfv: “Ktja’r cba j vbu, atja’r j kbio.”

Vtfc Gbcudlcu: “Prc’a la atf rjwf?” Lf aegcfv tlr tfjv jcv lcragemafv atf kfgfkbio, “Xb jcv olcv atf xfs.”

The werewolf might be two meters in height and stood tall like a steel tower but it was akin to a meek sheep as it listened to Shen Dongqing’s every command and brought them downstairs.

As Blueberry was walking, she studied the rough map: “The Director’s room should be in the office building, but we have to get out of this building first…” Walking halfway, she suddenly came to herself: “Why are we going downstairs? Isn’t there nothing downstairs?” 

Initially, they had thought that leaving the building was equivalent to leaving the sanitorium.

However, after they found the map, they realised that the building they were in was only part of the sanitorium and they had to acquire the key for the building’s main doors before they could find other clues.

Blueberry was uncertain in her heart but seeing as how Shen Dongqing was walking in front, she could only choose to believe his choices because after all he had said and done, she knew he was not an ordinary player.

The werewolf went down on its all fours and quickly ran down to the first floor. 

Sister Axe was still wandering around the hall on the first floor, and when she saw people arriving, her eyes brightened. Lifting her axe, she had taken a step forward in preparation to charge at them when she saw Shen Dongqing walking out.

Sister Axe trembled. Towards Shen Dongqing, she could only smile stiffly while hiding her axe and pretend like nothing had happened.

“Ah!”

Twin Ponytails exclaimed, “Crewcut died.” 

A corpse was lying on the hall of the first floor.

Although it was hacked beyond recognition, it could still be discerned that it was Crewcut from his style of dress.

Just a moment ago, they were companions, but now he had turned into a mass of dead meat.

Alas, the other players did not sigh too much, considering how death might come for them in the next second of  this game. 

Shen Dongqing tugged at the werewolf and said strictly: “You’re not allowed to eat that.”

Head lowered to the ground, the werewolf could only give up on that idea as it walked towards the hall on the first floor.

There was a small courtyard at the entrance of the inpatient building, and on the sealed metal gates hung a large lock. It was impossible to flip over the walls because the gate and wall were over three-meters-tall and there were dense spikes installed on the top which looked incomparably sharp.

The only way to leave was to unlock the lock. 

Twin Ponytails issued her doubts: “We don’t have the key.”

Skinny also spoke: “Are we not going back to find the key?

The werewolf let out an abrupt roar that scared the people in its vicinity into retreating a step back, and Skinny, who had been previously captured by the werewolf, started hyperventilating.

However, the werewolf did not attack anyone and rushed at the iron gate instead. 

After it went through its transformation, the werewolf’s teeth were extremely sharp, and its jaw strength became proportionally alarming, breaking the lock hanging on the iron gates in less than a second.

It crunched.

And the door lock fell to the ground.

The likes of these maneuvers were already commonplace and flat in Fang Qi’s eyes. “It’s not necessary to find a key.” 

Shen Dongqing pushed open the gate.

Perhaps because the iron door had not been open for too long, it produced an ear-grating noise upon agitation.

Initially, when the gate had yet to be opened, only a layer of surrounding mist could be perceived when they glanced out. After opening the gate, however, a gust of wind blew past and scattered the mist, revealing the true appearance of the sanatorium.

Shen Dongqing turned his head back and asked: “If you could open the gate, why didn’t you leave?” 

The werewolf’s brain was slightly retarded, and it took it a long time before it understood the meaning of Shen Dongqing’s words. It shook its head and said with difficulty: “Go… out… no… way…”

Shen Dongqing: “Why not?”

The werewolf shook its head again.

It could not say why that was the case, but it could not leave no matter what. 

Understanding that the werewolf could not follow them out of the building, Shen Dongqing decided that he wanted to pat the werewolf a few more times before he left.

He waved at the werewolf: “Let me pat you again.”

The werewolf, who had previously subjected itself to his rebukes and his touches, showed a delayed reaction. It looked back. And as if it had received some command, it did not go up to him as it ran back into the inpatient building instead, leaving behind a streak of afterimages.

It was apparent from the wolf’s fading back that it had fled out of fear. 

After the werewolf left, Skinny exhaled in relief, and urged: “Let’s leave quickly.”

Seemingly lost in thought, Shen Dongqing stood at the door without moving. “It only ran because it was listening to someone else’s command.”

Doubtful, Blueberry said: “We’re the only ones here, how could there be someone else?”

Shen Dongqing backed two steps into the inpatient building and stood at where the werewolf was originally standing at. He turned his head back and happened to face the camera hidden in the corner. 

“Him,” he gestured with his eyes.

The camera was extremely well-hidden, and had it not been for the werewolf’s previous glance, he would never have discovered it.

The others looked over and noticed that the red dot was flashing. It was evident that it was still running.

A sudden cold sweat broke over Twin Ponytails’ body: “Someone is watching us.” 

Skinny analysed the situation: “Who could it be? In theory, other than the players, only ghosts and monsters exist. If that’s the case, do the ghosts here possess high intelligence?”

Blueberry was silent for a moment before she said two words: “The Director.”

The BOSS who was behind the sanatorium.

Initially, they had conjectured that they could only leave after they found the key in the Director’s room and that they only had to confront the patients that the Director had mutated at most. However, none of them had expected that the Director who had caused the entire premise was still alive. 

And it meant that this instance would not be easy to clear.

Everyone else was laden with anxiety, and gloomy clouds and sad mists were hanging over their heads.

Meanwhile, Shen Dongqing waved at the camera as a small dimple emerged on his cheek: “Greetings, Director, can you call the werewolf back and let me play with him?”