Suddenly, a heavy, snow-white sculpture materialized atop the monster standing nearby.
The weight of this sculpture was extraordinary—back in the "Explosive Last Train," it had forced Bai Liu to his knees. Now, suspended from the frail, elongated frame of the plant patient, it could only have one effect: the patient, burdened by the sudden mass upon his shoulders, staggered and slipped, teetering unsteadily before collapsing forward—landing directly above Mu Ke.
Everything seemed to unfold in slow motion. Miao Feichi's descending blades struck the sculpture's alabaster armor, the tips quivering and ringing against the iron-like surface. The sculpture shattered into a thousand fragments, showering Mu Ke's dying form with a cascade of chalky debris.
Miao Feichi's blades, having sliced through this ordinary-grade item, barely paused before continuing their deadly arc, only halting at the last possible instant before Mu Ke's eyes—stopping with hair's-breadth precision, shielding him from a blow of devastating force.
Bai Liu, pale and composed, exhaled softly—he had succeeded.
An ordinary-grade sculpture possessed a resistance of barely a hundred, utterly incapable of withstanding a single strike from Miao Feichi's blades, whose attack power numbered in the thousands. Even if Bai Liu had equipped Mu Ke with the sculpture, it would not have delayed his dismemberment for more than a heartbeat.
So Bai Liu played a subtle trick, exploiting the sculpture's immense weight by placing it on the tall, slender plant patient—an A+ monster. The sculpture's heft toppled the patient onto Mu Ke, transforming the "sculpture + patient" into a living shield, barely deflecting Miao Feichi's earth-shattering blow.
Seeing the item, Mu Ke's eyes flickered with a faint light from beneath the monster's weight. With great effort, he turned his head toward Bai Liu in the corner, mouthing his name in a hoarse, silent plea. Mu Ke, his fingers withered to mere skin and bone by the monster's feeding, clutched at the powdery fragments.
He believed, with a faith beyond reason, that Bai Liu would never allow him to die so easily—just as before. And indeed, Bai Liu had not failed him.
Eight seconds remained.
Miao Feichi's eyes widened, a predatory smile blooming as he finally scented his prey. His twin blades swept through the drifting debris, slashing mercilessly at the patient armored in the shattered sculpture, pinning Mu Ke beneath.
"Bai Liu, you couldn't resist using an item! At last, you've exposed yourself!"
Mu Ke staggered to his feet, determined to play the monster to the very end. He bared his teeth and lunged for Miao Feichi's wrist. Miao Gaojiang rushed over, aiming a punch at the little monster Mu Ke pretended to be, but Bai Liu, quick as lightning, kicked the bed between them, blocking both Miao Gaojiang's attack and Mu Ke's assault on Miao Feichi.
Miao Gaojiang shot Bai Liu a strange, suspicious look—this maneuver felt oddly familiar.
Bai Liu, weak but unflinching, offered a faint, untroubled smile. "I just wanted to stop him from biting Miao Feichi."
Six seconds left.
Miao Feichi's blades carved a relentless path along the wall, driving the plant patient into a corner. The monster, wounded and enraged, shrieked and lunged for Miao Feichi, who now regarded it as Bai Liu. Mu Ke's earlier, futile attempts to bite through his defense had only reinforced this misjudgment. When the monster snapped at him, Miao Feichi merely sneered, unconcerned.
He had no need for caution—the monster's bite could not kill him. But if it did, the system would issue an attack warning, confirming its true nature.
Bai Liu climbed atop the bed he had kicked earlier.
Mu Ke, still feigning monstrosity, made a show of pouncing at Bai Liu. Miao Gaojiang, still uncertain, tried again to crush the "clumsy little monster" with his fist.
Bai Liu's gaze was icy calm. With a deft kick, he sent the fallen bookshelf upright, perfectly blocking Miao Gaojiang's advance while appearing to intercept Mu Ke's attack. The maneuver, seamless and fluid, was in truth a shield for Mu Ke, not a hindrance.
Yet, after two such interventions, Miao Gaojiang's suspicion deepened. This familiar sense of being thwarted—Mu Ke had done it before, pushing beds to block their attacks. But something about this felt off, a subtle dissonance he could not place.
He frowned, but his attention soon shifted. Bai Liu—now "Mu Ke" in Miao Gaojiang's eyes—leapt from the bed and dashed toward Miao Feichi.
At that moment, the true monster patient, jaws agape, lunged for Miao Feichi, who stood his ground, blades flashing, harvesting the monster's life with every wailing stroke.
Bai Liu's gaze flickered.
Now, he and Mu Ke were indistinguishable in health, sanity, and appearance. Only one difference remained.
Bai Liu's hand drifted to his neck—the wound there. His was a whip's lash, Mu Ke's a monster's bite. This was the final step in their exchange of identities: matching wounds.
Four seconds left.
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu switches to Mu Sicheng's system template, using Mu Sicheng's personal skill.]
[System prompt: Bai Liu's skill (Thief's Stealth) is nearly exhausted; only ten seconds remain. 10, 9…]
[System prompt: Bai Liu forcibly accelerates (Thief's Stealth), draining stamina; only one second at full speed, speed +7000.]
As Miao Feichi raised his blade for another strike, the monster let out a desperate roar, preparing to sink its teeth into his throat. In that fleeting instant, a narrow gap opened between Miao Feichi and the monster. Bai Liu, eyes serene, stepped forward.
In a blur of speed, he seemed to vanish, reappearing in the gap between Miao Feichi and the monster, positioning his whip-scarred neck for the monster's fangs.
The monster and Bai Liu's Adam's apple bobbed in unison—one in the ecstasy of feeding, the other in the exhaustion of collapse. Bai Liu's gaze grew unfocused.
[System warning: Bai Liu's stamina depleted! Replenish immediately!]
[System warning: Bai Liu is being drained by the plant patient! Health and sanity plummeting—return to safety at once!]
"Miao… Feichi…" Bai Liu's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as he looked up at Miao Feichi, his voice a mere breath, "Bai Liu's controlling me—kill him, quickly."
"Damn, even now he's using you as a shield." Miao Feichi's eyes hardened. He wrapped his arms around Bai Liu's head, plunging his blades in with ruthless force. Their faces were close enough for Bai Liu to taste the metallic tang of blood on Miao Feichi's breath.
Miao Feichi sneered, "Bai Liu's just a fool, struggling in vain. It's useless—he'll die by my hand. Don't be afraid. With me here, you won't die."
Bai Liu, wan and trembling, managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Miao Feichi."
Three seconds left.
Miao Feichi gripped his blades, crossing them beneath Bai Liu's chin, the tips meeting as they pierced through flesh and bone. The monster's jaws clamped down on Bai Liu's neck, a sickening crack echoing in his ear.
As Miao Feichi's blades skewered the monster's skull, its jaw clenched, Bai Liu's collarbone twitching as blood dripped into the hollow of his throat. He exhaled softly.
Sticky fluid trickled down his back, soaking his hospital gown with the stench of blood. The monster's jaws slowly released their grip.
Its head, impaled by twin blades, wobbled, bloodied teeth bared. It staggered back, and with a final, expressionless slash, Miao Feichi severed its head, sending it rolling to the floor, its body collapsing in a lifeless heap.
Bai Liu, drained, slumped to the ground, clutching the puncture wounds in his neck, blood seeping between his fingers. He steadied his breath, his gaze sharpening as the monster's head rolled to his feet, regaining its former composure.
[System prompt: Player Bai Liu, do you wish to empty your entire system inventory and all points, discarding them on the ground? Confirm?]
Bai Liu: [Yes.]
Two seconds left.
A heap of scattered items and points appeared beside the monster's corpse, just as when a player dies. Among the loot, several glittering mirror shards and assorted trinkets glimmered in the dust and darkness.
"Are these mirror shards?" Miao Gaojiang crouched to examine them, his gaze complex as he looked at the monster's severed head. "Bai Liu's items and all his points from these two dungeons are here."
"Even though the game splits health, and fifty percent loss on the mainline doesn't trigger a death panel, this should be Bai Liu."
"Should be?" Miao Feichi licked his lips, crouching. "This is Bai Liu, right, Mu Ke? Oh, and you didn't need to shield me earlier—the monster was only A+ at most, couldn't have killed me. Still, thanks. Here, take a stamina potion."
Bai Liu lowered his eyes, murmured assent, and accepted the potion.
Miao Feichi sliced a strip of skin from the monster's face, chewed it, then spat it out in disgust. "Ugh, tastes of rot. Bai Liu's been thoroughly corrupted."
Miao Gaojiang gathered the loot, his ears twitching as he heard the nurses approaching. "Feichi, enough. It's nine o'clock—the nurses are coming. Let's go."
"Fine." Miao Feichi sheathed his blades, glancing around. "Where's the other monster? Let's kill it too—might boost our final score. It'll only take a second."
He didn't need the extra points, but the thrill of the kill was irresistible, especially with his skill still active.
Mu Ke, hidden beneath the bed, held his breath, body pressed flat, praying not to be discovered.
Just one more step, he thought desperately. Please let me be safe.
Bai Liu, timely, clutched his bleeding throat and coughed, blood staining his lips.
"No time," Miao Gaojiang said, lowering his voice. "We need to get Mu Ke out, and you're nearly spent. We've achieved our goals—let's leave. The hospital is crawling with monsters; you can hunt more once you've recovered."
Miao Feichi's gaze lingered on the barely conscious "Mu Ke." Bai Liu coughed weakly, blood trickling from his lips.
Outside, the rhythmic click of nurses' heels drew closer. With a final click of his tongue, Miao Feichi withdrew his blades. "Let's go. It's just a regular monster—barely worth the points."
Mu Ke nearly collapsed with relief. At last, they were leaving.
Miao Gaojiang, still strong, hoisted "Mu Ke" under one arm like a sack of grain.
Bai Liu, head bowed, breathed shallowly, his life nearly spent. Miao Feichi slipped out first, followed by Miao Gaojiang carrying Bai Liu. They moved swiftly, slipping into the emergency stairwell before the nurses arrived.
Miao Gaojiang's voice was steady. "The nurses will patrol from the first floor, taking the elevator. They won't use this stairwell. Feichi and I are on the fifth floor, Mu Ke on the ninth. It'll be a while before they reach our rooms."
"We have time to settle accounts," he added, his tone suddenly darkening.
With that, he tossed Bai Liu to the ground, crouched, and clamped a broad, calloused hand around Bai Liu's slender neck, easily pinning his larynx. "Mu Ke—or should I say, Bai Liu in disguise?"
Miao Feichi blinked. "Dad, what are you talking about? Isn't he Mu Ke?"
Bai Liu's voice was hoarse. "…What are you saying?"
"Bai Liu is a control-type player. Before we entered the ICU, we confirmed Mu Ke was free of his control, but in the chaos, with our S- panels, Bai Liu couldn't control us. But controlling Mu Ke would be easy."
"I suspect Mu Ke was under your control soon after we entered, which is why he kept interfering with our attacks—perhaps even pushed forward as a scapegoat, to be killed in your place."
Miao Gaojiang sneered. "I pretended to believe you were Mu Ke, just to get you out before the nurses arrived. But you think you can play mind games with me?"
He pinched Bai Liu's chin, tightening his grip.
Bai Liu's breath caught, unable to cough or struggle, his face flushed with the telltale red of asphyxiation.
Miao Gaojiang's eyes narrowed. "The last monster we killed used an item—only a player can do that. The item was the 'Mermaid's Statue,' a reward from the 'Siren Town' monster book."
"That's suspicious. Bai Liu did have this item, but he used it on Mu Sicheng during 'Explosive Last Train.' I've watched your replays many times—I remember clearly."
He continued coldly, "You might have bought another, but as a newcomer, why bother? And Mu Ke's inventory, which we checked, did have a 'Mermaid's Statue.' The monster we killed was likely Mu Ke, who used the item instinctively. The loot you dropped was a ruse."
"You wanted us to believe you were Bai Liu. But the 'Mermaid's Statue' was your only flaw—Bai Liu no longer had it."
Bai Liu, gasping, tried to pry Miao Gaojiang's hand away. "I really am Mu Ke. Bai Liu took the item after controlling me…"
Miao Gaojiang scoffed. "You're too green. Come back after a year in the league."
[System prompt: Bai Liu loads Mu Ke's system panel. Load complete.]
At the brink of death, Bai Liu opened his system panel for all to see. Miao Gaojiang's grip loosened, and Bai Liu, throat bruised and lips pale, gulped air desperately.
He had nearly been strangled to death.
Miao Gaojiang eyed the panel warily—it was indeed Mu Ke's, and the 'Mermaid's Statue' was missing.
But he was not one to trust appearances. A veteran of the league, he was always suspicious—especially of a control-type like Bai Liu, whose skills were still a mystery.
He had considered the possibility of shared panels, but that would require a rule-level skill, the domain of the most powerful players. Bai Liu, a newcomer, was unlikely to possess such an ability.
Bai Liu cleared his throat, head bowed. "When I entered the ICU, Bai Liu did control me for a while, but his sanity dropped and he released me, taking my item. That's how I knew the monster was Bai Liu."
"Is that so?" Miao Gaojiang's gaze was inscrutable. Though he often deferred to his son, he was far more cautious than the bloodthirsty Miao Feichi.
Even with the panel before him, Miao Gaojiang's suspicion only deepened. Such uncertain players were best eliminated—but before that…
Their main reason for bringing Mu Ke was the Elixir of Life. Miao Gaojiang's tone softened. "Mu Ke, it's not that I don't trust you, but you need to prove yourself. The panel shows your identity, but it's not enough. Earlier, you claimed to have found the Elixir in the ICU—why not show us?"
The Elixir was a ruse to disrupt their attack rhythm. Mu Ke was still searching for it, and Bai Liu had nothing of the sort. But Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang's predatory stares made their intentions clear.
If he produced the Elixir, he would be safe for the night.
If not, they might kill him on the spot—unless he could prove his worth in some other way.
A tense silence fell, broken only by Bai Liu's ragged breathing and the slow rasp of Miao Feichi's blades.
Miao Feichi hesitated. "Dad, are you sure he's Bai Liu? He saved me once…"
Miao Gaojiang gave him a cool look. "Let me handle this."
Trusting his father's judgment, Miao Feichi approached, blades drawn. Even without skills, his raw stats were more than enough to kill Bai Liu.
The cold, curved blades pressed against Bai Liu's neck, a chill seeping into his skin. Miao Gaojiang's hands rested on his shoulders—a gesture that could, with a squeeze, end Bai Liu's life.
"Sorry about this," Miao Feichi said with a grin. "My dad's suspicious—you'd better clear your name."
Miao Gaojiang crouched before Bai Liu, his smile gentle, his eyes devoid of warmth. "Show me the Elixir, Mu Ke."
Surrounded, with no skills available, Bai Liu had no way to escape.
Miao Gaojiang's tone was mild. "What's wrong, Mu Ke? Forgotten? Need help remembering? When you shouted about the Elixir under the bed, you disrupted our attack. Were you already under Bai Liu's control? If he made you say it to deceive us, and we gained nothing for our trouble, we'd be… upset."
"And you can't afford that," he added, his hand tightening around Bai Liu's throat, eyes glinting with menace.
At the last possible moment, Bai Liu's phone rang. Miao Feichi and Miao Gaojiang exchanged glances—surprised that the child was actually calling.
Bai Liu answered, but Miao Gaojiang snatched the phone, fixing Bai Liu with a steely gaze. Bai Liu instantly understood his intent.
In this game, a player's phone is bound to their child—calls cannot be transferred or faked. The child's voice is unique, and Miao Gaojiang, as an S- player, could easily distinguish between Mu Ke and Bai Liu's children.
Even if he didn't know their voices now, he would meet them at the orphanage's baptism tomorrow. If the voice on the phone didn't match, Bai Liu's disguise would be exposed.
Bai Liu watched calmly as Miao Gaojiang held the phone to his ear, signaling him to speak.
"Good evening," Bai Liu said evenly.
On the other end, the sound of children running, breathless and weeping, filled the line. A soft, tearful boy's voice spoke, "G-good evening, Investor. I—I'm Mu Ke, I'm calling you…"
It was unmistakably the real Mu Ke.
A faint smile touched Bai Liu's lips.
Well done, Xiao Bai Liu.
After two minutes of silent eye contact, Miao Gaojiang finally released Bai Liu's throat.
The child had, in ignorance, confirmed his identity. Miao Gaojiang had no reason to doubt him now.
He patted Bai Liu's shoulder. "The nurses are coming. Let's return to the ward. Sorry for earlier—Bai Liu is too cunning, we had to be sure. Your child's call helped us a lot. As for the Elixir…"
"I know what it is," Bai Liu interrupted. "But it's complicated. I'll give it to you in the morning."
By then, Mu Ke would have finished reading the ICU books and could pass it to Bai Liu.
Everything was perfectly timed. The news that "Mu Ke" had the Elixir softened Miao Gaojiang's attitude. "Thank you. We'll help you clear the game. The nurses are coming—let's return to our rooms."
Back in the ward, Bai Liu locked the door and picked up the still-active receiver. "Bai Liu?"
"I'm here," came a cool, boyish voice, with the sound of another child sobbing in the background—likely Mu Ke.
Xiao Bai Liu asked calmly, "Who else was listening to the call just now?"
"How did you know?" Bai Liu replied, amused. "You only heard my voice."
Xiao Bai Liu answered coldly, "I heard three people breathing. And your voice was too far from the receiver—not like last night. The phone probably wasn't in your hand. It sounded like you were forced to answer."