Chapter 1205: Cooperation?
'Do NPCs hold grudges?' Lin Sanjiu thought.
No, more accurately, how could an NPC not harbor resentment after she severed his leg?
Could this be a scheme for revenge, to ensnare them?
The alarm ceased, plunging the hospital's basement into silence once more. It had been over ten minutes since she last heard footsteps. Although the disturbance was louder this time, the guards abandoned their search even sooner, as if conceding their inability to apprehend Lin Sanjiu. Hei Zeji appeared to be emerging from his coma, his newly healed throat emitting a few faint groans.
"What do you want?" Bohemia broke the silence, evidently sharing Lin Sanjiu's suspicions. "You're in no shape to assist anyone, let alone us!"
"Is it because of this?" The NPC glanced at his empty thigh stump. "Do you think I bear a grudge?"
"Why wouldn't you?"
"If you believe so, you're overestimating me," the NPC replied with a faint smile. "True, I experienced pain and anger when injured, and I have temporary emotional reactions. But like you, we are opponents thrust into this arena. I neither sympathize with nor grow fond of any player, nor do I harbor lasting resentments. Such feelings would only hinder our function."
"Wait a minute," Lin Sanjiu interjected, sitting up straight. "Opponents?"
The NPC nodded, his smile widening slightly, as if he were a teacher pleased by a student's correct answer.
"You're tasked with exchanging points and items, not confronting players. How can we be considered opponents?"
The NPC inhaled deeply. While Bohemia muttered, "What's the big deal?" the fat man spoke again—this time, his voice wasn't the slightly high-pitched, somewhat feminine tone from before, but more akin to metal scraping and teeth grinding, resonating once more in Lin Sanjiu's ears. "Do you believe in coincidences? We've met before, through a door... Back then, I couldn't have imagined that, as an NPC, I would fall into your hands."
"It was you?" Lin Sanjiu exclaimed, standing abruptly. "You're the one who killed someone against the wall!"
At her hospital admission, unaware of the circumstances, she had witnessed someone reduced to a mass of flesh and blood splattered against the wall.
"Yes, it was me," the NPC confirmed, his voice returning to normal. "Why are you looking at me like that? At the payment counter, I was merely a defenseless hospital employee."
"How... why..."
"Have you never wondered where NPCs go when off-duty?" The fat man slowly smiled. "Being fat is strategic for an NPC. With my size, people only notice the bulk, paying no mind to my features or eye color. In a hospital, maneuvering with this weight isn't challenging."
Bohemia's realization dawned late. "You blend in with us to commit murders?"
"We have our missions, just like you," the NPC said, pausing for breath. "Did you ever consider? A hospital in Lava, harboring a cadre of concealed foes."
"So, Wushi Fan was killed by an NPC," Lin Sanjiu murmured. "No wonder her killer could enter a locked room and didn't take her organs."
"What?" The NPC's eyes widened.
As Lin Sanjiu began to explain, he interrupted, shaking his head. "It wasn't us. We, too, are governed by rules. You must fulfill your objectives to leave the lava world, and we must thwart players' departures and replace them as NPCs... Only under certain conditions might we be responsible for deaths."
Was this akin to finding a scapegoat?
"Who killed that woman is irrelevant," Bohemia interjected before Lin Sanjiu could inquire further, impatiently gesturing. "Why are you dragging this on? Are we going to have tea and chat slowly? Just tell us why you want to help us!"
"Since my hospital employment commenced, this is the first instance I'm not tethered to the payment counter or masquerading as a player," the NPC said, gasping. "It may sound odd, but now, I possess a modicum of freedom. By assisting each other, I can pursue my true desire."
Lin Sanjiu was on the verge of asking what that was when a sudden gasp from behind halted her. She spun around to see Hei Zeji abruptly sitting up, his presence reinvigorating the utility room's air, which whirled and whistled chaotically. Lin Sanjiu swiftly drew Bohemia back, whispering, "It's me!"
The airflow decelerated, its vigor dissipating amid the loosening vortexes. The air, akin to a hound heeding its master's command, retracted its aggression and gently encircled Hei Zeji again. He propped himself against the wall, his complexion still deathly pale.
"Where are we?" He furrowed his brow, the cool air soothing his parched and raspy throat. "What happened?"
This explanation would be extensive.
"How did I..." He massaged his temples, eyes clenched shut. "It feels worse than an injury... as if I've died and returned."
Bohemia clapped her hands, her back still turned to Lin Sanjiu, her gesture conveying unspoken words, "Precisely!"
"We are still in the hospital. You must be very weak now," Lin Sanjiu reassured, "Rest for now; I'll find a way to get you out. As for what happened..." Lin Sanjiu glanced at Bohemia, whose eyes now shone like beacons.
Understanding her intent, Bohemia approached Hei Zeji, eagerly saying, "Allow me to explain! But first, introductions. I'm known as Bohemia, your savior."
Hei Zeji looked her up and down, as if looking at a roast goose. "Just you?"
Bohemia bristled. While attempting to contain her emotions, Lin Sanjiu approached the NPC, whispering, "Tell me, what do you want to do?"
The NPC's gaze drifted to a corner of the room, his thoughts seemingly afar. When he finally spoke, Lin Sanjiu almost thought she misheard.
"I wish to consume this pocket dimension."
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