Chapter 82: Soul of the Dancer |
The "fatty" Stephen had mentioned was here, heavy footsteps echoing in the corridor outside.
At the same time, the Side Quest was updated, with the remarks column specifically highlighted in red.
'Is this a reminder for me?' Bai Mu noticed this detail.
His mind raced like lightning, quickly grasping the requirements of this Side Quest. It wanted him to perfectly play the role of a Reporter in front of Stephen.
Since the introduction, the Script had been establishing his identity and profession. His previous Scripts never featured such clear background settings; they only gave vague survivor roles and let the Players improvise.
This Script was somewhat special. It constantly reminded Bai Mu that he was a Reporter.
Looking at the optional tasks made it clear. As long as he acted according to his background and did what a Reporter should do, he could earn better rewards and a higher rating.
The same applied after triggering the "Professional Ethics of a Reporter" task. Bai Mu suddenly understood Stephen's purpose in this mission—he was essentially a human surveillance camera.
If he only focused on the Main Quest and didn't save Stephen, a Player could use whatever bizarre skills or tricks they wanted, as long as they managed to escape the asylum in the end.
Once that suspicion reached a certain threshold, the Side Quest would likely end in immediate failure.
The quest demanded that the Player clear the Script using only the capabilities of an ordinary Reporter. In other words, even if he had to resort to a Player's special methods, he couldn't let Stephen, this human lie detector, find out.
It was like taking an exam where cheating was secretly permitted, but this middle-aged Reporter was the proctor.
'Looking at it this way, the difficulty of this mission is actually quite high. If I summon Witch to help me fight or use the quieter Peashooter, my character setting will shift from a Reporter to someone with superpowers. Although I could still complete the Main Quest, it would mean giving up on the Side Quest. This is essentially restricting a Player's methods.
'Things like handguns can probably be used, since they exist in reality and can be logically explained. But if I make too much noise, it might attract the invisible specters haunting the mental asylum.'
Bai Mu glanced at the trembling Stephen on the hospital bed from the corner of his eye. 'However, greater difficulty means better rewards. I will just do my best within normal limits for now. If push comes to shove, I will use my skills and special items.'
Bai Mu gripped his Baseball Bat. Stephen had already gotten out of bed. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound. It was obvious the fat man had left him with massive psychological trauma. Trembling, he tugged at the corner of Bai Mu's shirt and pointed in the opposite direction of the approaching shadow, signaling that they should run for their lives right now.
Unhurried, Bai Mu used his foot to pull the Memory Card over, storing it into his inventory, then locked his gaze on the doorway.
The guy was exactly as Stephen described—burly and massively overweight. You could hear him moving, the dull thud-thud of his footsteps sounding like several people struggling to move a heavy double bed together.
He was a heavyweight enemy, though still within the realm of humanity. This man was likely originally a patient at the mental asylum who, due to his immense strength and innate physical gifts, was brainwashed by that priest into becoming his personal bodyguard.
Bai Mu pointed to the Infirmary door, gesturing for Stephen to head over there first. He signaled that he would go out to draw the big guy's attention while Stephen took the opportunity to escape.
If Stephen died, the Side Quest would definitely fail instantly, so he needed to buy Stephen more time to flee.
But Stephen grabbed Bai Mu's wrist and shook his head. Looking down at his own bloody chest, he whispered, "Bai, don't forget we are Reporters. You must take the evidence out of here and expose it to the public."
With that, Stephen stepped forward, his expression one of a man calmly facing death.
He clearly felt that his severe injuries meant he couldn't escape anyway, so he wanted to sacrifice himself to buy time for his friend and fellow Reporter to get away.
Bai Mu pulled Stephen back. The fat brute outside was, at best, an elite monster for a D-grade Script. There were plenty of ways to kill him; it just came down to whether or not he wanted to use his arsenal and active skills.
He refused to believe a mere fat man possessed more strength than a Charger that could crash through walls. He didn't believe the brute could withstand Witch's sharp claws or the fiery blast of a Cherry Bomb. He certainly wasn't going to let an old acquaintance throw their life away for him.
"Leave him to me, Stephen," Bai Mu said confidently. "Don't forget, I am a man who survived completely alone on a Deserted Island for thirty days."
Stephen froze for a moment. Perhaps he remembered that scene from what was, to him, several years ago. Back then, he had even given a thumbs-up at the various physical stats the doctors recorded for Bai Mu.
Stepping ahead of Stephen, Bai Mu exited the Infirmary and stepped out into the brightly lit corridor.
The giant met him head-on. This guy was incredibly robust, standing at least two meters tall. He was bare-chested and wore gray trousers, with thick iron chains wrapped around his wrists like bracers, making him look like a professional wrestler.
His body was covered in scars, especially his face. His nose had been completely sliced off, leaving his gums horrifyingly exposed. Even with the wounds scabbed over, it made his visage monstrously ugly. Bald and glaring with extreme ferocity, his entire presence exuded an aura of someone who had crawled straight out of a pile of corpses.
Just standing there was enough to terrify an entire crowd into fleeing in all directions.
The brute clearly didn't expect someone to suddenly step out of the Infirmary and paused for a brief moment in surprise.
Bai Mu didn't miss this opportunity. He swung his Baseball Bat directly at him.
But the big guy reacted quickly. Instead of standing there in a daze, he raised his arms and blocked the strike with the iron chains coiled around his wrists.
Bai Mu quickly deduced that this guy was no all-brawn, no-brains brute. Not only was he physically imposing, but his combat instincts were also formidable. Among his many scars, Bai Mu spotted very old gunshot wounds, instantly realizing that this man was highly likely a retired veteran who had seen active battlefields.
The moment he deflected Bai Mu's strike, he immediately lunged forward with a grappling tackle, intending to crush Bai Mu in a bear hug.
Bai Mu saw through his intentions. Fortunately, the man's massive, bloated physique meant he wasn't particularly fast.
Bai Mu easily dodged his assault. After a few brief clashes, Bai Mu had gauged his true strength. Among ordinary humans, he was an absolute powerhouse. But for Bai Mu, he wasn't a particularly difficult enemy to handle. At the very least, this guy couldn't even compare to those bizarre Mutants.
'If this is all he has, the Baseball Bat is enough to handle him. There is no need for a gun.' Bai Mu assessed the burly man in front of him.
Enraged by his missed attacks, the man let out a furious roar. He glared viciously at Bai Mu, looking as if he wanted to tear out his heart and strangle him to death.
He was completely infuriated. Stephen, having stepped out of the ward, witnessed this scene and trembled, shouting, "Bai, look out!"
Bai Mu didn't look back, but facing away, he raised his left hand and gave Stephen an "OK" gesture.
It was then that Stephen noticed Bai Mu's footsteps begin to bounce in a rhythmic pattern, almost as if he were dancing.
[Soul of the Dancer, current bonus Agility: 1 point.]
Roaring, the brute charged at Bai Mu. Yet, all Stephen saw was an elegant bend backward and a blade-like spin. The Baseball Bat whirled through the air and ruthlessly smashed into the back of the fat man's head, instantly drawing a stream of blood from the blunt-force wound.