Surviving Among the Entities

[“Patient, please fill out the admission form.”]
[“Patient, no running in the hallways.”]
[“Patient, you will be admitted to the intensive care unit.”]

The doctors and nurses with black eyes chased after me. Attempting dialogue only returned mismatched responses and an assortment of surgical tools hurled my way.

“Excuse me, I’d like to ask for directions.”
[“Patient? This surgery will not be covered by medical insurance. Do you consent?”]
“That does sound rather frightening. But how do I get out of here? Ah, I don’t mean the hospital, I mean this space itself.”
[“There will be no anesthesia. It’s a quick surgery so it won’t hurt much.”]

I deflected a scalpel flying at me with my palm.

[“Patient? It will sting a little.”]
“Is there no one I can have a proper conversation with?”
[“Nurse Kim, normal saline please, the patient is scheduled for TPN so prepare intubation.”]
“Well, this isn’t working at all.”
[“Where’s the FFP? Get the line ready in advance. And restraints so the patient can’t escape.”]

In rapid succession, not just scalpels but surgical power saws, drills, bone saws, and other medical tools came flying at me.

‘They’re using psychokinesis.’

Deflecting them wasn’t difficult. But it was strange they didn’t directly use psychokinesis on me.

‘Some entities have a sort of limitation placed on them. These seem to only be freely able to manipulate medical tools, likely due to being medical staff.’

Evading them, I dashed across the hallway. The dim hallway would have been pitch black and impossible to see even an inch ahead without enhanced vision.

[“Patient? Are you perhaps receiving treatment at another hospital?”]
[“If you are receiving treatment elsewhere, please bring your medical records.”]
[“Our hospital does not permit patients to transfer to other hospitals.”]

Listening to their voices, I thought:

‘I knew I would eventually encounter them, but I didn’t expect it would be today.’

These were not entities I knew.

‘Entities that emerged in the 6 months since I stopped playing the game.’

While there were many hospital-related entities, at least none like these were in my memory.

‘But there’s no need to be afraid. From my experiences so far, all entities that exist in this world are entities that appeared in the game.’

I detected multiple sets of footsteps from another floor. It seemed there were more personnel besides those chasing me.

‘Excluding Munchkin Mary Sue Constellation, all entities have a means of neutralization.’

And apart from the game’s earliest days, information on neutralizing entities could be found in-game.

‘Particularly for entities appearing in specific locations like this, the probability of finding related information at that location is extremely high.’

As I was thinking that, I dodged syringes simultaneously thrown from front and back by leaping.

[“Patient, what brings you here today?”]
[“Have you received treatment at another hospital?”]
[“Are you still taking any medications prescribed elsewhere?”]

Fleeing their attacks, I patted my pocket.

‘Should I use it?’

Currently, I had the Remaining Monkey’s Paw and unused entities I had brought from the office.

‘The Great Toe of Peace, WK Special Tumbler, and Golden Ticket.’

The first two had no use here, so they were meant for trading with the Foundation, while the Golden Ticket was brought in case of emergencies.

‘Not yet!’

After vaulting over a massive, muscular nurse who had suddenly appeared around the corner, I dashed back down the hallway.

[Lobby]

Even more entities chased after me now, and the medical tools they flung destroyed the lobby reception desk.

‘If those hit, I’d die. Or if not, I might genuinely become a patient admitted here.’

No, even after death I might not be free from being their patient.
At that moment, documents stored at the smashed reception desk fluttered about obstructing my view.

[Christopher Miller]
[Gender: Male][Age: 56][Country: USA][Residence: Merddock, California]
[Diagnosis: Enlarged Heart]
[Treatment: Removal of heart and transplant of new heart, aorta reinforcement with steroids, preservation of liver, kidneys, colon, stomach, cerebellum with formalin.]
[Progress: Serious seizure symptoms, 25,000cc sedatives administered, additional fentanyl and midazolam, currently stable and working as hospital orderly.]

My enhanced dynamic vision allowed me to read every word written there.

[Dmitri Gorobanov]
[Gender: Male][Age: 25][Country: Russia][Residence: Moscow]
[Diagnosis: Seafood Allergy]
[Treatment: Removal of dopamine receptors in brain, transplant of pig cerebellum, spinal nerves reinforced with steroids, special treatment of muscle cells and full skeletal replacement with titanium.]
[Progress: Fell into coma after surgery, miraculously resuscitated from brain death, currently working as resident after recovery.]

The documents were a list of patients who had visited this place, in their own words.

[Shin Ye-rin]
[Gender: Female][Age: 33][Country: South Korea][Residence: Yangyang, Gangwon Province]
[Diagnosis: Scoliosis]
[Treatment: Spine removed and tree branch inserted, nutrients injected to grow tree inside body, corneas removed and prosthetic eyes inserted, additional heart from gorilla attached to existing heart, Achilles tendons replaced with those of cheetah.]
[Progress: Died after surgery, defibrillated 127 times, resurrected, currently working as nurse.]

Countless victims of the entity.
Among them, I found the only admission record of someone else.

[Ellen Stein]
[Gender: Female][Age: 40][Country: USA][Residence: Atlanta, Georgia]
[Diagnosis: Dry Eye]
[Treatment: Patient refused admission as her condition was being diagnosed and treated at another hospital.]
[Progress: Discharged]

It seemed a way out.
It was at that moment the hallway lights suddenly turned on.

‘An earthquake?’

Simultaneously, the building shook. The medical tools flying from behind lost momentum and clattered to the floor, while those who had been chasing me all froze in stillness like disciplined soldiers.

[“Why are you all being so noisy? Silence is fundamental in a hospital, is it not?”]

At first I thought it was a gorilla.
Though wearing a doctor’s gown, its massive frame nearly reached the ceiling making me momentarily mistake it as such.

[“Ah! A new patient! What condition brings you here?”]

Its bulky frame suggesting at least a ton in weight, comprised of sheer muscle.
And thousands of surgical scars covering its exposed areas.

[“Allow me to guess.”]

The gigantic man with black pupils asked me.

[“Toothache in your lower left molar?”]

Intense toothache pierced my jawbone.

The massive man continued speaking.

[“Ah, I didn’t introduce myself. I am the Director of Moscow University Hospital. You may simply call me Director.”]
“I’m Seung-hoon Lee.”
[“Yes, so the patient’s name is Seung-hoon Lee. Besides the toothache, I also see frozen shoulder.”]

Both my shoulders felt weighed down and dull as if bound by chains.

[“Ah, just the right one.”]

The left shoulder felt light again.

[“You also have dry eye and sad nipple syndrome.”]

My eyes felt dry and gritty, and an unpleasant sensation on my nipples through my clothes.

‘This is an extremely dangerous entity.’

I had thought the doctors and nurses manipulating surgical tools with psychokinesis were the entirety, but it seems the main entity was this hospital director.

‘The others were just victims of the hospital, while this was the true entity’s ability.’

The ability to inflict illnesses on the target just by uttering them.
If he declares I have cancer, I will develop cancer.
If he declares I have ADHD, I will lose my ability to concentrate.
If he declares dementia, I will lose my present and future, wandering only the past.

[“Now then, shall we begin the admission process?”]
“My apologies, but since I already have an attending physician I cannot be admitted to Moscow University Hospital.”
[“So you are receiving treatment from another doctor?”]

I tried the method of neutralization I had seen earlier.

[“Then please bring a copy of the medical records from that hospital. I will discharge you if you do. A personal doctor’s diagnosis will also suffice.”]

Ah, I didn’t expect this.
I didn’t think this entity would require preparation for its neutralization method.

“I don’t have any medical record copies or diagnosis documents.”
[“Then I cannot trust you. Many patients avoid hospitals and lie, you see. But do not worry. Moscow University Hospital always vows to provide patient-friendly, painless treatment to the best of our abilities.”]
[“We vow!”]
[“No pain!”]
[“Wow! Happiness!”]

The doctors and nurses frozen in stillness enthusiastically applauded.

“While I don’t have medical record copies, I do have medication prescribed by my attending physician. Could that substitute?”

Should I use the Golden Ticket? Before that, something else occurred to me to try.

[“What kind of medication?”]
“This.”

Though I lacked a diagnosis document, I wondered if medication could substitute, and if this self-proclaimed doctor entity recognized other seemingly doctor entities.

“I’m receiving treatment for Nail Regrowth Syndrome. This was directly prescribed by him.”
[“Oho!”]

It seemed entities operating in the same domain know each other by face.

[“Dr. Janus’ Nail Regrowth Manicure!”]

Or perhaps Dr. Janus was a famous figure even among entities.

“What is the meaning of this!”

At Foundation Headquarters’ situation room, Sung Yoo-ra berated the staff in a rare display of anger.

“Why was Seung-hoon Lee filtered by the main defense system!”
“No matter how much you ask us, the defense system made that judgment spontaneously so there was nothing we could do!”
“This was finally a chance to recover the Foundation by even 1% more!”

Her unusual anger cast a silence over the situation room.

“Can’t you shut down the defense system?”
“We’re trying but it absolutely won’t shut down.”
“So Sephiroth perceives Seung-hoon Lee as that much of a threat?”

She glared out the situation room window at the towering tree outside. The immense burning tree pierced the sky, but it was not a mere tree.

“Why?”

The Humanity Preservation Foundation’s Strategic Defense System and special-grade entity, 「Sephiroth」.

An entity possessing a hyperspacial computing circuit through multi-dimensional connections, realizing Laplace’s Demon to detect future threats – the Foundation’s formidable bulwark.

Though currently it had lost most of its capabilities from being destroyed by Munchkin Mary Sue Constellation, unable to detect any threats to humanity, its defense systems still functioned enough to detect threats trying to enter Foundation Headquarters.

“You’re intercepting a guest who brought the means to revive you with the defense system? And we even completed the procedures in advance.”

Even existence possessing dangerous power would not be filtered by the defense systems if the proper procedures were completed.

‘Then why did Sephiroth perceive Seung-hoon as a threat?’

After glaring at Sephiroth for a moment, she instructed the situation room:

“Display the entities in the defense system dimension on the monitor!”
“Yes!”

Shortly after, several listings appeared on the screen.

[The One Who Brings Plagues]
[The Dog That Eats Everything]
[The Thousand Eyes]
[The Bodily Fluid Feaster]
[Moscow University Hospital]

All utterly sinister entities.

‘Mostly entities that cannot be dealt with through psychic power and must be physically fought!’

She already knew Seung-hoon’s psychic power was highly special.
But no matter how special his psychic power, his physical body was ultimately human, leaving no way to survive against physically powerful entities.

‘Even if he’s lucky……’

Her eyes turned toward the bottom of the monitor.

[Exit Placement Entity: Mirror of Carnage]

With the final entity, an individual would have no means to escape, so he could never get out.

“Immediately dispatch the special forces team! If Sephiroth won’t listen, directly retrieve him!”
“Understood!”

Sung Yoo-ra nibbled on her fingernails.

‘While each entity has its own weaknesses or means of neutralization, can Seung-hoon Lee figure them out immediately?’

His Resolver identity was likely created through some means as a fake.
Ultimately just an ordinary person with special psychic power, the probability of his survival was low.

‘If he uses the Remaining Monkey’s Paw?’

She shook her head.

‘The defense system dimension blocks the power of special entities that grant wishes.’

Specifically, it blocks wishes if the power’s strength exceeds a set limit.

‘At most it would only grant wishes to generate an item or two, or move within the dimension.’

She calculated dispassionately.

‘If he encounters a weak entity, his chance of survival is less than 10%.’

Her gaze turned upward again.

‘If he enters that place, less than 1%.’

[Moscow University Hospital]

More than anything, it would be better to die at the hands of the other entities than enter that place.

‘If he enters there unprepared, he can only become a derivative entity of the Director!’

For he would suffer a fate worse than death.

‘I beg he didn’t enter that place!’

[“Does the black tea suit your palate?”]
“It’s Nilgiri, I take it?”
[“Yes, I have other varieties too if you’d like me to bring some.”]
“No, this is fine.”

While the tea was to my liking, one thing was missing.

“But it would be nice to have some snacks.”

Tea time isn’t complete without snacks.