RITW 14: Water Ghost

Despite being immersed in water, the hospital on Xisan East Road remained intact without collapsing. Yu Qunqing recalled his meager exploration points and decided to thoroughly explore the building in order to unlock the second game slot and play a new game as soon as possible.

The group traveled by boat and leisurely entered the central hall of the hospital. There were escalators on both sides of the hall leading to the second floor. The ceiling was high, so they were not concerned about being submerged. It was pitch black inside, so they took out flashlights, but the surroundings were still obscured in shadows.

White pillows, empty IV bags, and weeds floated on the water’s surface.

They first proceeded down the right corridor, where there were Q-version (chibi) Ultraman stickers on the walls, indicating it was likely a pediatric ward. The area for laboratory tests and blood draws was right around the corner, with expensive equipment scattered and floating on the water’s surface. Walking further outside led to the open-air parking lot.

“There’s light underwater,” Yu Qunqing furrowed his brow and said, “I’ll go down and take a look.”

After securing the rope, he dived into the water. The water rose above his head, murky and unclear, but there was indeed a source of light underwater. Yu Qunqing fished it out and climbed back into the boat.

“It’s a flashlight, and it’s still working,” Zhang Sanxi shook the flashlight. This flashlight was obviously much more advanced than theirs and was even waterproof.

“Somebody was here, and it must have been within the past two days, otherwise they wouldn’t have needed this,” Yu Qunqing said, “They might still be around. Let’s be cautious and watch our surroundings.”

To ensure their safety, and to earn exploration points, Yu Qunqing carefully inspected the rooms on this side. Zhang Sanxi found a sealed plastic bag containing clean syringes. He wasn’t sure when they would come in handy, but he took them just in case. Sun Min found a pack of candy, individually wrapped and still dry. They quickly opened it and shared the candy.

Back in the hall, they proceeded towards the central signboard.

“Wait!” Sun Min illuminated a corner with the flashlight. “Doesn’t that say ‘Chinese Medicine Room’?”　　

Upon closer inspection, the Chinese Medicine Room was next to the Western Medicine Room. Zhang Sanxi rolled up his sleeves and said, “Finally, it’s my turn to shine. Watch me pack up the medicines here.”

Sun Min also wanted to go underwater, but the water temperature was a bit low, and it would be too tiring for individuals with poor swimming ability and cold tolerance. Yu Qunqing instructed Sun Min to stay on the boat and keep watch.

Zhang Sanxi dived into the water like a fish. Yu Qunqing floated underwater to provide her with light. She easily squeezed through a small window, with the rope around her waist anchored in Yu Qunqing’s hands.

Not long after, Sun Min saw Zhang Sanxi resurface to take a breath before diving back in. Waves splashed on the water’s surface, and soon Zhang Sanxi appeared near the small boat, holding a pile of medicines. There were common cough syrup, fever-reducing medications, as well as important items like burn ointment and antihypertensive drugs. She made several trips back and forth, quickly piling up a small mountain on the boat.

During this time, Yu Qunqing would occasionally surface, remaining vigilant for any unusual signs in the surroundings.

“Huff—” Zhang Sanxi surfaced once again, smiling as she handed the medicines to Sun Min. She suggested to Yu Qunqing, “I’ll go to the Chinese Medicine Room and see if there are any undamaged packaged herbs. Traditional Chinese medicine can sometimes be more useful than Western medicine.”

Yu Qunqing cautioned, “Let me use the flashlight first. The water there is too murky, and I’m worried about potential dangers.”

“If you use the flashlight now, you’ll use up the battery!” Zhang Sanxi retorted. She remembered their encounter in the residential building earlier and protested, “Besides, I went down so many times just now, and nothing happened, right?”

Yu Qunqing followed her into the water. The visibility in the Chinese Medicine Room was extremely low, perhaps due to the floating Chinese medicinal materials. However, Zhang Sanxi, being skilled and bold, slithered inside like an eel.

This time, she stayed underwater for a longer time. After three minutes, she resurfaced and shouted, “I couldn’t find anything! I refuse to believe this!”

Sun Min worriedly said, “If you can’t find anything, just come back.”

Zhang Sanxi had already dived back down and couldn’t hear her at all.

Suddenly, Yu Qunqing felt the rope in his hand tighten, and then it swung loosely from side to side—the rope had snapped!　

The next moment, a dark figure rushed out from the small window, holding Zhang Sanxi and forcefully pushed Yu Qunqing aside, swiftly swimming towards the depths of the hall.

The small boat on the water surface trembled violently, and Sun Min could barely maintain his balance. He desperately tried to pull back the rope, only to find that there was nothing on the other end. Filled with fear, he saw Yu Qunqing resurface not far away.

“Brother Yu, you’re injured!” Sun Min pulled Yu Qunqing onto the boat. His arm was cut, and was bleeding profusely.

Yu Qunqing sat on the boat, tending to his wound, causing even Sun Min to grimace in sympathy. Yu Qunqing extracted a small glass shard from the wound, relieved, and said, “It was done by a human.” If it were a calamity monster, they would need to consider other methods.

He bandaged the wound with a piece of cloth and pushed the small boat forward, continuing deeper into the area.

After passing through a particularly low beam, they suddenly found themselves in an open-air garden, with the hospital’s inpatient department directly opposite. They saw a dark figure taking Zhang Sanxi upstairs.

“Damn it!” Sun Min recalled their previous encounter in the residential building, and a chill ran down his spine. He glanced at Yu Qunqing’s face, expecting him to be equally enraged. However, Yu Qunqing remained expressionless, which made Sun Min feel both scared and disappointed.　

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T/N: Look forward to a double update!

As always, let me know if you notice any mistakes and/or typos.