Chapter 52: If I'm Not Mistaken, This Is Just the Beginning!

"Hello, I am the tour guide for this sightseeing group."

If it weren't for the crowd of citizens following behind Jones, he would have certainly turned tail and run if left to face such a terrifying fellow alone.

This guy didn't look like a good person at all!

The weather was dim and gloomy, with cold gusts of wind blowing through from time to time.

A peculiar scent permeated the air, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.

It wasn't just Jones; the citizens behind him felt it too.

The thoughtful hospital director had long since prepared masks for everyone.

Not too many, not too few—just enough for everyone on site.

Since putting on the masks, that strange odor had faded significantly.

"This way, please. Our hospital hasn't had visitors in a long time."

The hospital director was leading the way for the tour group.

Jones was recording some details. The director was not wearing a mask, appearing capable of breathing the strange gas here.

There were some [scratches] on the ground, some new and some old.

They looked like marks left behind from dragging branches or firewood, as the tracks were relatively narrow.

Near the drag marks, there were some scraps of cloth and an unidentified liquid.

There were no trees in the vicinity, only some rocks.

These were the details Jones was able to observe.

Before long, everyone followed the hospital director to a cluster of tall buildings.

This was the location of the Smiling Hospital.

Hanging at the main entrance of the hospital was a smiling face that seemed to be painted with red pigment; that was the hospital's logo.

Perhaps due to the passage of time and a lack of cleaning, the red paint of the smiling face was slowly running down.

This made the smiling emblem look perpetually chilling.

Looking up, the hospital was extremely dilapidated, with dark red, turbid substances clinging to many of the walls.

Shadows seemed to flicker across the windows of some wards, but the windows remained closed at all times.

Jones felt as if someone was watching him, but whenever he glanced around, he found nothing suspicious.

This felt very strange to him. *Did I see it wrong?*

In front of the Smiling Hospital stood a statue of a woman holding a child, appearing to celebrate the birth of new life.

But the woman was crying, while the child in her arms was laughing.

However, one thing Jones could confirm: no matter how you looked at it, this place was filled with two words: *Run!*

Forget Jones—even the audience watching on the big screens felt that this was a place of extreme misfortune.

*Go Jones! We support your choice, you're the best!*

*Brother, do your best! I heard you don't have a house; if you make it out, I'll send you a villa!*

*Don't panic. Follow what you said; try to think about what a Chosen One from Dragon Country would do, then just imitate them.*

*But what if a Dragon Country Chosen One starts throwing lightning?*

*If he throws lightning, then pretend I never said anything!*

At this moment, Jones had no idea that many people were cheering for him; he was simply observing more and gathering more intelligence.

In the Weird World, there was clearly no turning back from here.

Rather than wasting time in fear, it was better to observe more and strive to find clues for survival.

After instructing the citizens not to speak recklessly, Jones and his group followed the hospital director into the hospital building.

As soon as they entered, a thick smell of medicinal fluids and a pungent odor constantly hit his nostrils.

Even with the masks blocking much of the scent, a significant amount still remained.

If they hadn't been wearing masks, it would surely have been severe.

The hospital corridors were dimly lit, with only a few nurses passing by.

Some unclosed doors creaked rhythmically, as if welcoming one's arrival.

Unwarranted fear eroded the Chosen Ones who arrived here; those with poor psychological resilience felt as if this place were a guillotine, with executioners in pale clothing ready to take their lives at any moment.

While heading to the front desk for sightseeing registration, Jones saw several rules written on the wall behind the registration desk

【Hospital Sightseeing Rules】

【Rule 1: At all times, please wear your mask properly. If you find the color of your mask has changed, please go to the nurse's station immediately to replace it.】

【Rule 2: Note, only those wearing blue masks are nurses. If they ask if there is anything abnormal about you, please answer truthfully.】

【Rule 3: Hunger can only be relieved by eating in the hospital cafeteria. The cafeteria opens to the public at 5:00 PM, at which time a large amount of ingredients will be provided. It is forbidden to take ingredients out of the cafeteria. Available until sold out.】

【Rule 4: If you find a strange operating table in the corridor, do not approach it. If you need to pass through, please notify a cleaner to clean it before proceeding.】

【Rule 5: The hospital contains things that are fatal; please do not touch them casually.】

【Rule 6: Patients' emotions are very unstable. When they are asleep, please do not disturb them.】

【Rule 7: When you spot security guards on patrol, do not appear in the corridors to avoid being sent to the treatment room.】

Seeing this, Jones swallowed hard.

Although he had already guessed it, these rules were enough to prove that entering the Smiling Hospital was the true beginning of the entire Weird Tale dungeon.

In other words, the previous parts of the journey were merely to familiarize everyone with the Weird World.

No one could truly think a two-and-a-half-star dungeon would be this simple.

"If this is the correct destination, then the places ahead are likely fraught with danger," Jones speculated internally. At the very least, there were clues regarding food here.

Meanwhile, the famous detective from Sakura Country, Saburo Mitarai, had already begun analyzing the rules.

"If I am not mistaken, a mutation will occur here after 6:00, but ingredients can be obtained in the cafeteria at 5:00. As long as we eat the ingredients and trigger certain rules, we should be able to leave. I suspect that when the cafeteria doors open, a drawbridge might appear.

Based on this deduction, the remaining rules tell us the hospital is dangerous, even possessing an [Instant Death] buff. This means we need to find a safe place to wait for the cafeteria to open before 5:00 arrives. However, these simple rules certainly aren't the hospital's only rules; I still need to find other rules and intelligence."

Mitarai believed that Rule 5 was a "death rule"—some things might kill you just by touching them; it could be a 'venom,' or perhaps an 'item.'

Regardless, searching for clues was definitely the right move.

He was also glad he had brought few people, making it harder for trouble to arise.

Seeing Mitarai's brilliant reasoning once again, the viewers from Sakura Country cheered enthusiastically.

*I feel like Lord Mitarai has already perfectly interpreted the rules; there's no need to look for the rest.*

*LMAO, I just came from the screens of other Chosen Ones; those guys are completely dazed by the rules and don't know how to interpret them.*

*According to these rules, bringing fewer people is actually an advantage. The Dragon Country side is probably going to have trouble; they have nearly forty people there.*

*Hahaha, with items that have an instant-death buff, even the superhumans from Dragon Country wouldn't dare be so arrogant. I want to see how he passes this stage!*

*Brutes are destined to only pass low-level Weird Tales. How could they possibly pass a two-and-a-half-star dungeon? We have to watch Lord Mitarai's performance.*

Inside the Weird World, the person registering the Chosen Ones was a bloated nurse wearing a blue mask.

She looked quite old and was very unattractive, even possessing the vibe of those ugly female bosses in video games.

Even though she tried her best to cover her face with thick foundation, it couldn't hide her swollen features.

As her face moved, layers of foundation would occasionally flake off, which looked almost laughable.

Yet, a "radiant" smile was always hanging on her face.

It wasn't just her; it seemed all the doctors and nurses in the hospital wore smiling faces.

This made the already eerie hospital even more unsettling.

While registering a Chosen One, the bloated old nurse at the front desk suddenly spoke: "Do I look good when I smile?"

This sent a jolt of fear through Jones. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, organized the words in his mind, and said: "Your smile is incredibly moving, like the warm sun in winter, like a cup of thick hot milk, like a wisp of fragrant carnations."

Basically, Jones uttered every compliment he could think of.

Mitarai spoke up directly: "You are the woman with the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I very much enjoy chatting with you, and I like listening to you even more—I would love to be your listener!"

To put it bluntly, while flattering her, Mitarai was also trying to fish for information.

This was a habit of a professional detective.

Basically, every Chosen One who came here was using the most flattering words they could think of to praise this bloated nurse.

The nurse listened to their remarks and seemed satisfied as she wrote something on a form.

Only when it came to Zhang Yangqing was his answer unexpected.

Bloated Nurse: "Do I look good when I smile?"

Zhang Yangqing looked closely and replied: "You look hilarious."

People nearby: "..."

All the viewers: "..."

It was as if everyone was saying: *Big brother, you really have guts. Offending people right at the start of the dungeon?*

(End of Chapter)