Relying on Beauty to Commit Crimes in the Escape Game

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After a month of relentless pursuit from Li Xi, their relationship had progressed rapidly.

 

However, when Li Xi attempted to call him “Duan Duan,” he was politely rejected by the other.

 

Finally, a month passed, and they stood together on the platform to enter the next world.

 

“Stay close to me,” Duan Zhen pulled Li Xi to the side.

 

After these few days of training, Duan Zhen had confirmed that Li Xi indeed had the weakest physical abilities in their group. He was also afraid of pain and quite delicate, so Duan Zhen decided to keep him by his side and take good care of him.

 

The teleportation point emitted a faint white light, and in the next moment, they found themselves in a dimly lit place.

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“Is this… a hospital?” Li Xi said fearfully as he leaned closer to Duan Zhen: “It seems to have been abandoned for a long time.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Duan Zhen calmly patted Li Xi’s shoulder.

 

As they cautiously observed their surroundings, they heard light footsteps coming from the left side of the stairs.

 

Could the instance already be starting?

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Duan Zhen furrowed his brow and readied himself for combat.

 

A head popped out from the corner of the stairs. It was a young boy.

 

With his shaved head, he cautiously peered from the corner, and when he saw them, his pupils shrank.

 

“Come out!” Duan Zhen said in a deep voice.

 

“Are you also task seekers?” The young man was taken aback, cautiously showing half of his body as he leaned over: “There’s so many people on this mission.”

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“After all, it’s an intermediate world,” Xia Qirong said with a smile.

 

“You’re right,” the young man scratched his head.

 

He turned back and waved his hand, signaling someone behind him: “It’s safe for now, you can come out.”

 

As his voice fell, several people walked out slowly from behind him.

 

“They are my teammates,” the young man said.

 

Duan Zhen frowned.

 

Their team originally consisted of four people, but suddenly this newcomer’s team had six members, which meant this was a ten-member instance. In the intermediate world, this was considered a high level of difficulty.

 

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However, Li Xi had just transitioned from a low-level world to an intermediate one, and the others had only cleared up to the fifth level in Clemens’ world. According to the instance’s rules, with him joining the world, the difficulty should not exceed the sixth level.

 

But a ten-member dungeon was likely to be at the seventh or eighth level.

 

“Have you received the task?” the newcomer asked.

 

Duan Zhen silently looked at him without speaking.

 

“I’m Xia Qirong, and this is our captain, Duan Zhen. Are you also a team?” Xia Qirong took a step forward.

 

Seemingly realizing that his earlier question was a bit abrupt, the boy touched the back of his head, “Oh, I’m Bai Hua, I’m the captain, and these are my team members.”

 

Having two teams in one world was probably a characteristic of intermediate instances. In low-level instances, there would generally be only one team or all solo players.

 

However, having two teams didn’t mean that the tasks in this world would be easy. To increase competition, the system might even assign partially conflicting tasks to the two teams.

 

As Bai Hua’s voice fell, the atmosphere in the space became tense.

 

“Don’t be so nervous, maybe the tasks are the same,” Bai Hua waved his hand, appearing friendly.

 

He had a sunny and handsome appearance, and when he smiled, he showed a row of white teeth, sounding sincere and genuine, as if he was genuinely concerned about them: “Clemens loves killing and revels in bloodshed and violence. Usually, the tasks are about monsters chasing the taskers. He loves to see human suffering and hearing them scream. He rarely issues opposing tasks.”

 

“This is an intermediate world, and the strength of the monsters is beyond imagination. So, we can only have a chance of survival if we cooperate.”

 

“Almost,” Duan Zhenlooked at him coldly: “If you want to show goodwill, why not show us your tasks first?”

 

He had a calm demeanor, and his black eyes carried a chilling aura, making people instinctively straighten their postures.

 

“It’s not impossible,” Bai Hua hesitated for a moment, then extended his arm to show them the task: “The words in the task release are a bit small. How about you come closer and take a look?”

 

Li Xi hid behind Duan Zhen, still wearing his hat.

 

No one stepped forward, and the atmosphere was tense for a moment.

 

“It seems we can’t reach a cooperation for now,” Bai Hua shrugged: “I won’t force it. If you have the intention to cooperate later, feel free to find me.”

 

He and his five teammates went back upstairs.

 

“Very suspicious,” Duan Zhen glanced at Li Xi, as if explaining to him: “In the mission worlds, don’t trust others easily.”

 

“I also think he’s very suspicious,” Li Xi echoed.

 

He always followed Duan Zhen’s lead and would agree with whatever he said.

 

Even though Xia Qirong felt that he could already be called Duan Zhen’s number one supporter, he was still amazed by Li Xi’s attitude.

 

Sun Le, who was observing from behind, could clearly see that Li Xi’s attitude was not supportive at all. It was more like he had put on a 100-meter deep filter1I couldn’t think of a better term, so I kinda kept the original meaning. It basically means that he has rose-tinted glasses for him, and he deeply thinks that everything he says or does is right because of how much he likes him for the person he likes.

 

Sun Le had been observing the gradual closeness between the two. Although he sensed Li Xi’s “ulterior motives”, Duan Zhen’s attitude also left him uncertain.

 

Sun Le couldn’t quite figure out whether Duan Zhen knew about Li Xi’s intentions or not. Several attempts to inform him didn’t yield the desired results, so he decided to quietly observe from the sidelines.

 

“The mission is to escape from the abandoned hospital and find the spy,” Duan Zhen showed them the task.

 

Others also presented their tasks, and the red text was exactly the same.

 

“Would there be opposing tasks for this kind of mission?” Li Xi tilted his head, “Aren’t our enemies here the monsters?”

 

“Some monsters have the ability to blend themselves with the humans,” Duan Zhen explained, “Especially in Clemens’ world. He likes any ability that can cause killings and enjoys seeing people’s desperate expressions.”

 

“I understand,” Li Xi nodded, his eyebrows slightly furrowed, and a hint of resistance in his expression. “He enjoys bloodshed and violence, considering them the ultimate romance in the world. Little does he know that others see him as a pervert.”

 

His words revealed a deep disgust.

 

“That’s right,” Duan Zhen nodded.

 

Li Xi was afraid that he might have said too much and tried to cover it up, “The first time I experienced his world, I almost vomited from disgust. His personality was summarized by others later.”

 

That statement was not entirely wrong. As a noble of the Empire and a mage that loves cleanliness, he was truly physically uncomfortable with Clemens’ killing ways.

 

As a result, Clemens loved pestering him the most, and initially he had been sending strange gifts, but was swiftly put in his place.

 

As they were talking, the building suddenly shook, and an eerie aura spread.

 

“An intermediate world shouldn’t just be a simple massacre, right?” Xia Qirong murmured.

 

As it turned out, this was far from a simple massacre.

 

When the gloomy atmosphere dispersed, the entire abandoned hospital suddenly brightened up.

 

“Could this be a role-playing scenario?” Xia Qirong, the routine expert, immediately reacted.

 

Role-playing scenarios2Basically, in this type of instance, the players have to take on a specific role in their mission, instead of just acting like they want are generally more challenging than regular chases. Duan Zhen had already suspected that something was amiss when he saw the total number of people.

 

Now, the hospital’s seemingly refreshed appearance confirmed his suspicion.

 

“Quickly return to your rooms, what are you all standing around for?” A young doctor wearing a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses suddenly came down from the second floor.

 

Li Xi was so frightened that he leaned towards Duan Zhen.

 

“Don’t be afraid,” Duan Zhen reassured him with a comforting pat on his shoulder.

 

Unbeknownst to them, their clothes had changed into blue and white patient gowns, with a white tag on their chests bearing their names.

 

As they followed the doctor upstairs, the narrator’s voice slowly emerged.

 

This was a hospital that only accepted critically ill patients, where no matter how terrifying the disease, one could be cured here. However, as time went on, the patients who were given a new lease on life seemed to have transformed into completely different people.

 

Amidst the increasingly outlandish rumors from the outside world, this miraculous hospital was eventually abandoned. But during the midnight hours, cries, howls, and chilling sounds of chewing could be heard, and some claimed to have seen a woman in a white patient gown wandering the hospital. Those who dared to explore the place never returned…

 

The narration was quite lengthy this time, but it didn’t reveal much information. At least, it didn’t tell these taskers what their identities were.

 

However, the task was to escape from the hospital, which meant there were dangers lurking within.

 

As for the mentioned spy, there was still no further information about them.

 

“Given Clemens’ preferences, there are probably monsters in this hospital that enjoy killing,” Xia Qirong speculated.

 

“However, this kind of role-playing world seems different from his usual tastes,” he added.

 

“We won’t be separated, right?” Li Xi clung tightly to Duan Zhen’s sleeve, asking nervously.

 

“Don’t worry, with your abilities, even if you encounter danger, you’ll be able to hold on until we come to your rescue,” Duan Zhen said.

 

They reached the third floor, and the doctor with gold-rimmed glasses stopped and pulled Li Xi away from Duan Zhen.

 

“This is your ward, don’t wander around.” the doctor said in a cold and impatient tone. “If I catch you mingling with others again, bringing you back to your room won’t be so simple,”

 

Li Xi almost instinctively brushed his hand away, yet he somehow remembered his innocent and helpless persona. He could only glance at Duan Zhen, looking distressed and fearful.

 

“Go in,” the doctor rudely pushed his shoulder.

 

The hospital room had ordinary white-painted doors, and as Li Xi entered, he was surprised to find someone already sitting inside.

 

“Hey,” Bai Hua greeted him with a smile and waved.

 

Since Duan Zhen wasn’t present, Li Xi felt a bit dispirited and wasn’t in the mood to maintain his innocent persona. He just glanced at Bai Hua and nodded before walking to his assigned bed and sitting down.

 

“Don’t be so cold,” Bai Hua approached him, “We’re so fateful to be assigned to the same room. Aren’t you curious about our illnesses?”

 

“I’m not interested,” Li Xi replied indifferently.

 

“Actually, I already know about them.” Bai Hua seemed like he didn’t hear his words and continued.

 

Li Xi glanced at him impatiently. He took off his shoes and sat cross-legged on his bed: “I said I’m not interested.”

 

“But it’s a matter related to life,” Bai Hua seemed somewhat surprised, then thought for a moment as if he suddenly understood something: “Oh, you don’t have to worry, I’m really not a bad person. In fact, I’ve already learned about Duan Zhen’s reputation and thought that joining forces with your team would make the mission easier, so I sought cooperation with you.”

 

“If you want to cooperate, talk to Brother Duan,” Li Xi said, his eyelids drooping, “But if you’re willing to show me the information on your arm about the mission, I might consider it.”

 

When Bai Hua had stretched out his arm earlier, Li Xi had vaguely sensed something strange. Now that Duan Zhen wasn’t around, it was a perfect opportunity to test him.

 

A hint of surprise flashed across Bai Hua’s face, but he quickly smiled: “Sure, no problem.”

 

He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a wristwatch-like device, “Take a look, our missions are really the same.”

 

Only then did Li Xi raise his eyes, and he curled his lips in a smile. He propped himself up on the bed, trying to get closer for a better look.

 

As he lifted his hat, revealing half of his exquisite face, Bai Hua was momentarily stunned. He tightly clenched the hand behind his back, and a hint of greed flickered in his eyes.

 

Just as Li Xi was about to touch the wristwatch-like device, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open with a loud bang.

 

The young doctor from earlier appeared at the doorway and saw them standing so close. He reprimanded them sternly, “What are you doing?”

 

“I showed him a big baby,” Bai Hua said cheekily.

 

The doctor frowned in disgust, grabbed Li Xi’s collar, and pulled him back to his own bed, saying, “Stay in your own bed.”

 

He muttered under his breath, “I really don’t understand why the director put you two together.”

 

Adhering to his innocent persona, Li Xi was pulled back, falling slightly on the bed, and his hat fell to the ground due to the unstable posture.

 

That face, as if kissed by the gods, was exposed to the air.

 

The young doctor’s hand paused.

 

“I’m sorry,” Li Xi trembled, his eyes teary as he looked at the doctor, “I promise I won’t run around anymore.”

 

Seemingly affected by Li Xi’s pitiful appearance, the doctor didn’t say anything further. He awkwardly pushed his glasses and picked up the white hat from the ground. At first, he seemed like he wanted to throw it to Li Xi, but in the end, he placed it into his arms.

 

“Don’t think you can avoid punishment by acting pitiful. Because of your wandering around today, dinner at 7:00 PM is canceled,” the doctor said, his tone cold.

 

Li Xi stared at him, sniffing pitifully, “But I’m really hungry. I went out earlier just to find something to eat and coincidentally met with the others.”

 

He kept gazing at the doctor with those beautiful eyes, which appeared like precious gemstones, shimmering with a thin mist.

 

The doctor didn’t look at him, maintaining a stern demeanor, “On the day of admission, we explained the hospital rules: wake up at 6:00 AM, have breakfast at 7:00 AM, lunch at 12:00 PM, and dinner at 7:00 PM. You must stay in the ward and not go out at other times. Rules violators will be punished, and considering you’re only missing dinner tonight, the punishment is already lenient.”

 

“I can accept any other punishment,” Li Xi touched his stomach, “As long as I can have dinner, I’m willing to do anything else.”

 

The doctor fell silent for a moment, his tone odd: “Really, anything?”

 

“Yes, really,” Li Xi cradled his stomach, his long eyelashes drooping, “I ate very little for lunch, and I’m really hungry now. If I don’t have dinner, my stomach will hurt.”

 

“Alright,” the doctor pushed his gold-rimmed glasses again, “Come to my office at 7:00 PM.”

 

He glanced at Bai Hua, who had been spectating the scene, and added, “You can only come alone.”

 

 

 

 

Hmm, so many suspicious people!

I guess Clemens is the hospital director? I can’t wait to see what’ll he do to bother Li Xi, and I also can’t wait to see how it plays out with Duan Zhen and his teammates~

 

 

 

Thank you for reading! You can consider checking out my ko-fi for bonus releases (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

1I couldn’t think of a better term, so I kinda kept the original meaning. It basically means that he has rose-tinted glasses for him, and he deeply thinks that everything he says or does is right because of how much he likes him2Basically, in this type of instance, the players have to take on a specific role in their mission, instead of just acting like they want