Chapter 00153: The Hospital
# The Hospital
Chapter 153
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 153: The Hospital
Under the glaring lights, Ji Jue still felt as if he were in a dream.
He instinctively looked around.
Apart from the people lying on the ground, it seemed to be a messy conference room.
Blood was splattered everywhere—on the walls, the ceiling.
The stench of decay overpowered even the smell of disinfectant.
In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
But the problem was... where was his car? His little ox-horse was gone! It hadn’t been brought in with him.
Ji Jue reached for the gun holster under his ribs, only to find it empty.
His gun was gone too! But when he checked his pockets, he found the well-preserved "Nie Transformation" bullets were still there.
His necklace, ring, and bell were also still in place.
Ji Jue suddenly realized something.
So, it wasn’t that alchemical items couldn’t be brought in? But the clothes he was wearing were just ordinary.
Did that mean his little ox-horse wasn’t considered equipment? Did the rules for entering the Time Rift have some kind of flexibility?
Amidst his dizziness and headache, he recalled the scene before he entered.
When he noticed the Time Rift closing in, his first reaction was to grab all his gear and drive his little ox-horse toward a remote area.
But the faster he ran, the closer the Time Rift seemed to get.
In the end, he didn’t make it in time.
It wasn’t until the last moment that he realized what was happening.
He saw a small line of text flashing at the bottom of the pop-up on his watch: [Automatic Towing Program Activated].
Thinking about this, Ji Jue was furious.
He wanted to rip the damn watch off and smash it.
So, it was you who brought the Time Rift here? But was it really the Time Rift it was towing? Or something else?
In that brief moment of distraction, Ji Jue’s mind flashed back to the last scene before he was swallowed by the Time Rift.
The world seemed to have shattered, or perhaps, its disguise had been stripped away, revealing its fragmented true form.
The cracked earth was engulfed in flames, and the crimson sky was riddled with fissures.
The imprisoned stars flickered dimly, as if on the verge of collapse.
Yet, between heaven and earth, everything was enveloped in intricate spiritual circuits, crisscrossing to form a massive net that seemed to forcibly bind the entire world.
It was everywhere, omnipresent.
The so-called...
Heavenly Tracks!
Ji Jue wanted to recall their appearance more clearly, but the scene quickly blurred and faded in his memory, leaving only a vague impression.
It was hard to grasp.
His watch had fallen silent again, with only one last pop-up remaining: [Vehicle Preparation in Progress].
He had no idea what it was doing.
In just a few seconds, he sorted out the situation.
Sighing, he looked up and saw the figure at the door who had made the noise.
He couldn’t help but be stunned.
Wait, who are you?
"Awake now?" The eerie creature that could hardly be called human raised its eyes to look at him.
It was a humanoid figure pieced together from corpses, with numerous gashes crudely stitched together with sutures.
Hunched over, it wore a white coat, and its two hands—one long, one short—hung down, fingers sharp as knives.
Three slender eyes scanned Ji Jue and the others who had been chosen by the Time Rift, and it let out a sinister chuckle.
"Good, good. You’re all promising candidates. With so many new additions, our... our hospital will surely be able to save more patients..."
As it spoke, sharp laughter echoed from the end of the corridor, accompanied by heavy, irregular footsteps, as if a large group of people were approaching.
In the chaotic conference room, groans finally began to rise.
The chosen ones who had been swept into the Time Rift were waking up.
They looked around in panic, wariness, or confusion.
Upon sensing the completely different atmosphere from the real world, they quickly realized what was happening.
"Dammit, the Time Rift?"
"Where... where am I?"
"Don’t make a move. If we attract the Nie creatures, none of us will survive!"
"The Time what?"
Amidst the chaos, some of the chosen ones eyed each other warily.
Those who understood the situation began searching for information, while others tried to flee.
Some approached to strike up a conversation.
The situation was a mess.
Outside the door, the heavy footsteps were getting closer.
Then, filing in one by one, came a group of people who looked almost identical to the doctor from before—only more grotesque and horrifying.
Traces of beasts were evident on their bodies.
Some had eyeballs dangling out, with tentacles protruding from their eye sockets, wriggling nimbly.
Their faces bore exaggerated smiles, revealing rows of jagged, blood-stained teeth.
Others had already turned into faint, grayish-black transparent shadows...
"Has Director Qian arrived yet?" The figure at the front, bloated like a drowned corpse, was a sickly green color.
Foul-smelling pus oozed from its mouth and nose, and its words were slurred with phlegm.
"Always so diligent with hospital affairs. Truly commendable."
"Finished with work, so I came early," the stitched-together corpse known as Director Qian stepped aside.
"All the new doctors for this week are here."
Instantly, all the grotesque doctors turned their attention to the chosen ones.
"Why is there no order? How were you taught?"
"Such lively young people."
"Every generation has its talents. Our hospital will surely thrive."
"Yes, yes."
Amidst the eerie laughter and garbled words, a chill ran through everyone’s hearts.
They no longer dared to whisper or move.
"Everyone, don’t be afraid, and don’t worry," the bloated, obese figure at the front spoke.
Its swollen flesh seemed to twist into a smile, and its voice was slurred.
"Once you’ve come to the hospital, we’re all family. From now on, we must live in harmony. As the hospital director, I warmly welcome you all!"
With that, it began to clap.
Then, all the "doctors" behind it started clapping in unison.
The sound was so synchronized that it felt like a drumbeat, pounding in their chests and making their hearts race.
Soon, the squeaking of wheels echoed as a cart of clothes was pushed in and placed before the chosen ones.
They were all white coats, just like the ones the doctors wore.
However, these coats were filthy, stained with blood, and reeked of decay.
"What’s going on? Why are they so dirty?" The director frowned, seemingly displeased.
But in an instant, the foul smell vanished, and the coats on the cart became spotless, exuding the scent of disinfectant.
With eager, expectant gazes, the doctors looked at everyone, their exaggerated smiles unwavering as they waited.
Finally, one person mustered the courage to pick up a white coat with trembling hands and put it on.
Then came the second, the third...
Ji Jue was among them, not causing any trouble.
As soon as he touched it, he knew it was just an ordinary white coat, without any traces of superior craftsmanship.
Once everyone had donned the white coats, the atmosphere in the conference room grew even more lively, as if they had truly become one big, harmonious family.
Then, the first emaciated doctor, who looked like a dried-up corpse, stepped forward and pointed at the two people at the front.
"We’ve had a lot of cases recently. These two will go to the emergency department."
Behind them, the others waited in line, smiling silently.
Under the eerie gazes, the two rigid chosen ones were led away by the emergency department.
"These two will go to surgery," said a doctor with four writhing hands as he made his selection.
"Internal medicine needs one."
"Infectious diseases needs one too."
In just a few words, the chosen ones were picked off one by one, like livestock, until only Ji Jue remained.
Finally, Director Qian, who had been smiling all along, walked over.
He seemed to be holding a list as he looked at Ji Jue, who was still standing there.
"Hmm? Why is one missing?" Director Qian glanced at Ji Jue blankly, his nose twitching slightly.
Then he shrugged it off.
"Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Follow me. Don’t fall behind."
And so, under the watchful eyes of the director and the other doctors, Ji Jue finally left the conference room.
He followed the cackling Director Qian, but instead of feeling relieved, it felt like he was descending deeper into hell.
The corridor was a mess, covered in filth.
Bloodstains were splattered across the walls, long dried.
The air was thick with the lingering stench of blood and disinfectant.
Faint cries of pain or wails could be heard, along with occasional roars of rage.
Outside the windows, there was only an empty hospital compound.
Two buildings stood in the distance, with strange, humanoid monsters wandering between them.
Beyond that, everything was shrouded in thick fog.
In the fog, something massive seemed to be slowly moving, but its form was indistinct.
Ding!
The elevator descended.
Inside, the walls were covered in claw marks, dark red streaks left by frantic scratching.
The lights flickered on and off.
Throughout the ride, Director Qian kept his eyes on Ji Jue, his head twisted 180 degrees on his shoulders, his enthusiastic smile never wavering.
When the elevator doors opened, Ji Jue heard a piercing scream.
It was one of the chosen ones who had been taken earlier.
"No! Screw this! Screw you!" A frantic shout came from one of the examination rooms.
"I don’t want to be here... I... I..."
A figure burst out of the room, moving at an incredible speed.
But faster still were the patients lining the corridor.
They were hunched, shriveled, or grotesquely swollen, their genders indistinguishable.
They swarmed the fleeing figure, overwhelming him in an instant.
No matter how he struggled, they pinned him to the ground and began to devour him, ravenous and savage, until even the spilled blood was licked clean.
As if still hungry, they turned their heads, their faces smeared with bits of flesh and blood, and stared at Ji Jue with hollow eyes.
But for some reason, they didn’t approach.
A cold hand suddenly rested on Ji Jue’s shoulder.
"See that? That’s what happens when you break the hospital rules," Director Qian said with the same enthusiastic smile, not bothering to hide the malice beneath his flesh.
"Starting today, you’re my resident. Don’t worry, I’ll guide you through everything with care."
With that, his other mutated hand pointed at the remains on the floor.
"This is your first lesson: Stay at your post. Never be the kind of doctor who deserts their duty."
"..."
Ji Jue’s eye twitched.
After a long silence, he couldn’t help but ask, "Excuse me, but how much does this hospital pay?"
Director Qian didn’t respond.
He seemed to freeze, his smile stiffening.
Gradually, his expression turned menacing.
"A good doctor knows how to sacrifice for others, to give of themselves. Don’t ask questions that aren’t good for you."
Got it.
Even the Time Rift makes people work for free, huh? Ji Jue decided not to push Director Qian’s patience or logic any further.
He followed up with another question.
"Where are we going?"
"Good. Focused on your duties, willing to contribute."
Director Qian’s smile returned as he raised his clipboard.
"Let’s see... The hospital is quite busy lately. We’re short-staffed everywhere. For an excellent newcomer like you, the assigned position is..."
He paused, then looked at Ji Jue seriously.
"—Obstetrics and Gynecology."
Ah, writer’s block strikes again...
Please vote for me to boost my spirits.
Also, check out my friend’s book, "Your Death Probability Seems Off."
(End of Chapter)