Chapter 00162: The Immortal Sickness
# The Immortal Sickness
Chapter 162
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 162: The Immortal Sickness
In the dimly lit office of the hospital building, flesh and blood squirmed on the walls.
Despairing faces faintly emerged from the flesh, their wails unceasing.
On the dusty table, a walkie-talkie crackled to life.
Amidst the noise and static, a faint voice spoke, "High Priest, I have something to report."
"What is it?" The middle-aged man with white hair sitting at the table frowned slightly, raising his eyes.
"Didn't I tell you not to disturb me unless it's important?"
"No, it's just... among the newcomers, there seem to be a few who are restless. Should we... warn them?"
"Restless people will never calm down, no matter how much you try to persuade them," the High Priest said coldly, his eyes dark.
"Deal with them quickly. Don't cause any trouble. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," the voice on the other end trembled slightly, filled with unease.
"But if we wait any longer, the situation might not hold for much longer."
"Don't worry, it will all be over soon," the High Priest said with a final smile.
"Soon, the seeds of calamity will sprout, and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this filthy world will face its final reckoning. The people of Cliff City are blessed, and the people of Haizhou will be the first to receive liberation and blessings!"
"Praise the Holy Spirit!" The voice on the walkie-talkie grew fervent.
"May the Holy Spirit bless you, my brother," the High Priest said with a smile, ending the communication.
Outside the door, the wails continued.
The piercing cries rose once more.
"Doctor, doctor..."
"Save me..."
"Please, stop... Doctor, please stop..."
"Doctor, save me..."
"Die! Die! Die! All of you will die!!!"
"I want to die too... Please, kill me..."
As the tide of wails swept through the air once more, the tattered door was pushed open, revealing a nightmarish hall of flesh and blood.
Countless squirming muscles, limbs, and growths adorned the wards and corridors.
In the center, a grotesque mass of black and purple veins and flesh had lost all semblance of a human form.
Faces of agony rose and fell within the flesh, their hollow eyes seeping with blood, filled with endless despair and suffering, enduring eternal torment.
"How beautiful," the High Priest bent down, stroking the roots of the flesh, his eyes growing fanatical.
"How could such a magnificent creature be born in this filthy world? How could it receive such generous blessings?"
This was the Immortal Sickness, a curse that had fallen from Spring City, brought down by the [Nine Calamities: White Hall]!
At that moment, the wails reached a new crescendo.
But amidst the screams, there were also cries of joy and longing.
Around the mass of flesh, mutated doctors staggered forward, thrusting black blades into the growths with all their might.
Instantly, the black color spread, and a foul stench of decay filled the air.
Even the squirming faces around them quickly withered and shriveled.
Then came the second blade, the third, the fourth...
Dozens of blades crisscrossed, piercing the flesh, bringing with them large areas of withering and decay, almost turning the endlessly growing mass into mush.
But soon, fresh sprouts of flesh began to grow anew.
The cursed life flourished wildly, rising from the scorched earth and decay.
"It works! It really works!" The hospital director, who had been watching the entire process beside the High Priest, was ecstatic.
His swollen hands patted the High Priest's shoulders.
"The patients are almost at their limit! Just a little more, just a little more... Doctor Lian, your method really works!"
"It's just my duty," Doctor Lian Cheng turned and smiled.
"It's all thanks to everyone's sacrifices and efforts."
"Don't worry, everyone!" The director bent down, picking up a large piece of rotting flesh from the ground, showing it to all the faces around him, almost dancing with joy.
"Do you see? We're almost there!"
No need to hesitate anymore, no need to despair or fear!
The doctors will save the patients!
The doctors must save the patients!
The doctors will definitely save the patients!
Amidst the fervent prayers and blessings, the director laughed, but pus-like tears streamed down his swollen, rotting face.
"Everyone will definitely die."
We will all peacefully and serenely meet our end!
At that moment, in the silent, dusty archives room.
"The Immortal Sickness?" Ji Jue frowned, looking down at the messy, ghostly scribbles on the paper.
"Are you serious?"
"Absolutely!" Tong Hua's face was pale, her fingers trembling slightly.
Asking Tong Hua if she could read the scribbles was like asking an ember if it knew how to perform alchemy.
With her family background and abilities, even if the scribbles were truly ghostly, she could still make sense of them.
Moreover, the cases pieced together from various fragmented records were enough to confirm their authenticity.
A contagious disease known as... the Immortal Sickness.
Before Spring City fell and the entire hospital plunged into the abyss, this disease had ravaged the patients.
Those incurable patients had flesh that uncontrollably proliferated, mutated, and transformed, yet they could not die.
Their out-of-control cancer cells gradually turned them into horrifying monsters, and the ensuing pain shattered their minds and spirits... until they became an unstoppable calamity.
In the end, everyone mutated, falling into darkness, and it continued to this day.
They could not be killed, burned, or destroyed.
Even if cut into pieces, they would regenerate.
Touching their flesh would spread the infection, and even after being burned to ashes, familiar faces would grow from the ashes, wailing in despair.
Literally immortal.
But aside from their lives, their reason, sense of self, and everything else had been twisted beyond recognition, until they finally became disaster beasts.
Such disasters had not occurred just once.
Each time, they were accompanied by large-scale outbreaks of evil corruption.
In the list of threatening plagues at Hope Hospital, it ranked [NO.
61], corresponding to one of the Nine Calamities, 'White Hall,' which bestowed 'blessings' upon suffering patients.
The infection from the calamity caused complete mutation of living beings, incurable.
Once mutated, the distorted flesh and soul could never be restored.
Even if removed immediately, the excised flesh and soul would continue to wail in endless despair.
Until higher-level methods were used to completely erase them, both physically and spiritually.
Even now, such a terrifying threat still lurked within the hospital.
Just thinking about it made Ji Jue's head spin.
But in the silence, Tong Hua suddenly changed her expression, making a warning gesture and pointing to the door.
Then, Ji Jue heard it.
Low footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.
Amidst the faint wails, the sound was crisp, accompanied by the dull scraping of something being dragged, slowly approaching.
Finally, it stopped outside the door.
There was a crisp knock, three times, steady and calm.
Then, a long silence.
An inexplicable chill spread, and even the ghost fetus Ji Jue had been holding tightly in his hand quieted down, trembling.
In the silence, there were no footsteps leaving, nor the sound of the door being broken down.
Only the patience that seemed to last until the seas dried up and the rocks crumbled.
And the torment.
Until Ji Jue reached out and slowly opened the door to the archives.
Under the flickering light, a face with exaggerated stitches and a wide smile appeared before him.
"What took so long?"
In an instant, it was right in front of him.
Director Qian's face seemed to have an endless flow of blood slowly dripping from the cracks, his pitch-black eyes devoid of light, staring intently at Ji Jue's face.
But Ji Jue's gaze was drawn to what Director Qian was dragging behind him.
A mutilated corpse.
A trail of blood followed the footprints, winding its way to the door.
In the void behind him, someone seemed to gently tug at his clothes.
It was Tong Hua, hidden nearby, her fingers lightly touching the back of Ji Jue's neck—comparing records, she told him that this person was another chosen one who had entered the time rift with Ji Jue...
Ji Jue's eye twitched for a moment, then he grinned, not directly answering the question, but instead greeting, "Director Qian, still busy at this hour?"
"Yes, pest control," Director Qian looked down at the corpse in his hand, shaking it slightly.
"There have been a lot of pests recently, and more and more bad seeds hiding among us. Everyone's busy, and I can't let these pests disrupt the hospital's order..."
"Indeed, one bad apple spoils the bunch," Ji Jue nodded in agreement.
"Need any help?"
"No need, this is my job. Newcomers should focus on balancing work and rest. But speaking of which..."
He paused, his pitch-black eyes showing a hint of red.
"What are you doing in the archives?"
"Looking up records," Ji Jue answered straightforwardly, without hesitation.
"Searching for study materials to improve my skills. After all, even though the obstetrics and gynecology department doesn't have much work, it doesn't mean we can just sit around doing nothing! The hospital needs us, the patients need us!"
The more he spoke, the more impassioned he became, and in the end, he even took the initiative to grab Director Qian's blood-stained hands.
"I really want to improve, Director Qian!"
For a moment, Director Qian seemed slightly taken aback, then a look of suspicion appeared on his face.
"... Is that so?"
His bloodshot, pitch-black eyes drew closer, the stench of decay emanating from behind his sharp teeth.
"I really hate liars."
"It's true, it's true," Ji Jue nodded vigorously.
"At first, I wasn't used to it, but I really want to help the patients, to save them! Director Qian, you know..."
Before he could finish, Director Qian's face drew even closer.
Almost touching.
Then, it lowered, as if about to bury itself in Ji Jue's neck, making his skin crawl and his eyes widen in shock: Damn, is he trying to hit on me already?
Wait, isn't it usually the nurses who get hit on?
Surely he's not into guys too...
He restrained himself, not moving.
Fortunately, there was no actual contact.
Director Qian's nostrils flared.
As if sniffing.
Soon, he pulled back, the exaggerated smile returning to his face, as if he had just realized something.
"Ah, I see!"
"So you're sick too..."
Thick, blood-like tears slowly dripped from his face, as if in pity, but paired with that smile, it seemed more like mockery.
"I didn't expect you to empathize with others. That's good, really good. A doctor should have such compassion!"
"Keep it up, you must keep it up, understand?"
He finally patted Ji Jue's shoulder, about to turn and leave.
Still confused about what had just happened, Ji Jue instinctively called out, "Director Qian!"
"Hmm?"
The monster turned back.
"Our obstetrics and gynecology department is running low on equipment and medicine. To better treat the patients, I'd like to request some supplies."
As he spoke, Ji Jue pulled out a pre-written form from his pocket and handed it over, his expression shy and timid, like any young person who found it hard to speak up.
"Hmm, that's good, very good. As for the medicine, the pharmacy is out right now, not sure how much is left. And the equipment... well, just go to the warehouse and take what you need."
After glancing at the top of the form, Director Qian looked away, simply tossing the corpse aside and pressing a blood-stained thumb onto the form.
As if signing and approving it.
"Old Li is getting on in years, not easy to talk to. Remember to bring a gift when you go," he added as a final reminder.
"Old people tend to forget things, don't take it to heart."
"Got it."
Ji Jue nodded, smiling and waving as he watched Director Qian's figure disappear into the distance.
After a long while, he finally let out a deep breath, then looked down at the blood trail on the floor, following Tong Hua's reminder, tracing it back to the corner at the end of the corridor...
He couldn't help but tilt his head slightly.
Footsteps?
Whose?
"Someone was following us just now," Tong Hua, still hidden, said.
"Three of them, outsiders, chosen ones. They wanted to kill us."
"... What a coincidence."
After a long moment of contemplation, Ji Jue suddenly laughed.
"We haven't even met yet, and we're already thinking the same thing?"
(End of Chapter)