Chapter 117

Chapter 117

It was normal for temperatures to drop at night, but the temperature now had plummeted in an instant.

Instinct told her that this situation was definitely unusual; perhaps ‘those things’ mentioned in the Rules had appeared.

“Why… why did it suddenly get so cold?” Little Red Riding Hood’s father couldn’t help but swallow hard, a sense of foreboding making his body tremble slightly. “Do you two… feel cold?”

“Get back to the ward, quickly.” Tu Nan made a snap decision, releasing her grip on Little Red Riding Hood’s mother’s hand. “I’m going to call security. Do not step out of that room until I’m sure it’s safe.”

The two parents were clearly struggling to process the situation.

“What do you mean… is someone coming?”

The light from the Oil Lamp could only illuminate a small area around them. Tu Nan looked into the darkness ahead; it was as thick as unshakeable ink. Just looking at it sent a chill crawling up from the soles of her feet.

“Daddy, Mommy, we should listen to Sister Tu Nan.” Little Red Riding Hood also turned her gaze toward that darkness, her voice trembling slightly.

Some children seemed to possess a natural sensitivity toward certain things.

Little Red Riding Hood’s father hesitated no longer. He pulled the girl close and ran toward Ward 403.

The hospital wards likely provided some level of isolation from these things, but Tu Nan was a nurse. She couldn’t abandon her post; she had to find a way to drive this thing away.

“Be careful by yourself, Sister.”

As they passed her, Little Red Riding Hood spoke to her in a low voice.

She probably felt some guilt over what had happened earlier, as she didn’t raise her head to look at Tu Nan.

Tu Nan sighed inwardly. “Hurry up. I can feel it getting closer.”

The three of them quickly ran off with the Oil Lamp, leaving Tu Nan alone in the deepening darkness.

There seemed to be something unusual in the air. Tu Nan had already used her perfume twice, so its effectiveness would be significantly diminished. However, besides the perfume, she also had a protective charm that Fu Zhixing had traded to her. She wasn’t overly nervous.

Unless it was absolutely necessary, she didn’t plan on using the item from Fu Zhixing yet.

Tu Nan sprayed her perfume and moved forward quietly, sticking close to the wall.

The hospital corridor was a straight line. Even without light, she could feel her way along the wall to the breakroom to make the call.

When a person is in silent darkness, they can’t help but conjure up countless theories; darkness breeds ill-omened conjectures.

The more unknown a thing is, the easier it is to feel fear.

Something seemed to stop beside her.

Tu Nan felt herself involuntarily hold her breath. She couldn’t see what was next to her, but she felt the surrounding temperature drop even further than before.

Suddenly, a deep sense of exhaustion welled up from the depths of her soul.

Why did she have to do these things? Why did she have to toil away all day long, yet still find it impossible to become a permanent employee?

This fatigue emerging from the depths of her soul was numbing, stripping away all desire to act.

Her gaze turned vacant for a moment, but then she suddenly heard the sound of breaking glass in the distance.

Tu Nan snapped out of her daze instantly.

She bit the tip of her tongue hard, forcing herself out of that muddled state.

The coldness beside her seemed to recede all at once.

She couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. What were those thoughts just now? Why did she feel that way?

That sense of numbness from extreme exhaustion, where every movement was reduced to mere physical instinct and even the thought of turning her brain felt tiring.

Physical exhaustion wasn’t scary; the most terrifying thing was when even your mind stopped working.
Tu Nan didn’t dare linger. Taking advantage of the fact that they were moving away, she immediately grabbed the handrail along the wall and ran toward the lounge at the end of the hall.

The lights in the lounge hadn’t been extinguished yet. As soon as she pushed the door open, a warm glow spilled out, dispelling the darkness surrounding her.

Only then did Tu Nan feel a bit better.

She hurried over to the telephone and dialed the security office.

The ten-minute lockout had passed, and the call was connected quickly. A deep male voice came from the other end.

“Hello, security office.”

“Hello.” Tu Nan tried to make her voice sound as clear as possible. “I’m the night nurse in the inpatient department. I’ve discovered suspicious individuals trespassing. Please send someone to deal with it immediately.”

“Received. We’ll be there right away. Please ensure your own safety in the meantime.”

Tu Nan hung up the phone.

She walked to the door and pressed her ear against it.

It was silent outside. Since that crisp sound of breaking glass earlier, there hadn’t been a single noise.

What happened with that sound? Did Little Red Riding Hood and the others break the Oil Lamp?

She hesitated over whether to open the door and take a look, but after a moment’s thought, she dismissed the idea.

The perfume had completely lost its effect; opening the door was too risky. Staying in the lounge with the lights on gave her at least a small sense of security.

How long would it take for security to arrive? What exactly were those things outside? Had Little Red Riding Hood and the others been caught?

A swarm of questions nearly filled her head to bursting.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

There was a sudden knock on the lounge door.

Tu Nan was startled by the abrupt sound. She stared at the door, remaining silent for a moment.

“Is this the nurse who just called? We’re security. It’s safe now; you can come out,” a man’s voice called out from behind the door.

Tu Nan’s frayed nerves relaxed slightly. She walked toward the door and was about to open it, but her hand froze the moment it touched the handle.

Was the person outside really security?

It had been barely a minute since she hung up the phone. Could security really have arrived that fast?

Furthermore, she hadn’t specified where she was, and the person outside hadn’t spoken immediately after knocking. How did they know for sure that someone was in the lounge?

Tu Nan lowered her gaze to the crack at the bottom of the door. Suddenly, she blew out the Candle on the wall.

The lounge plunged into darkness.

If it really were security, wouldn’t they be carrying lamps as they came upstairs?

Not a single sliver of light filtered through the gap under the door. It was clear that the hallway was also pitch black. How could security have made it up to the fourth floor in total darkness?

She had almost opened the door.

Tu Nan withdrew her hand and pressed her ear against the door again without saying a word.

The outside was deathly silent.

Frowning, she was about to lift her head when the door was suddenly slammed with a heavy thud.

The thing outside said nothing, only pounding on the door with great force.

The heavy thuds flooded her ears, feeling like blows struck directly against her heart. Her pulse quickened abruptly, and Tu Nan pinched her palm hard.

Why wasn’t security here yet?

“Let me in, I want to rest,” the person outside suddenly spoke.

This time, the voice had changed to that of a woman.

The voice was like a sob or a wail, carrying a sense of vicious resentment. “Why won’t you let me in? I want to rest, I want to rest!”

The voice mixed with the sound of the pounding door. Eventually, the person outside actually began to cry.

*She knows this is a lounge?* Tu Nan frowned. What did she mean by wanting to rest?

Just what was that thing outside?