Teacher by day, Farmer by passion-Chapter 163: Divine Library [5]

The doctor clicked her tongue and adjusted her stethoscope, placing it gently against his chest.

"Vitals are stable," she murmured. "Same as always. Except…" She tilted her head. "Looks like he's in a mild state of psychological shock. He'll talk soon."

"Alright, that's it, call me when another issue occurs, I have a patient to attend."

Saying so, the beautiful doctor walked out of the room.

Ace didn't flinch, didn't blink. Everything felt... off.

Unreal.

Unlike the last time he found himself in this place, this "dream," something had changed.

A new variable.

[Entity Identified: Rina]

[Species: Dream Walker]

[Grade: Major Silver Rank]

[Ability: Imperfect World I]

[Description: Mimics those dearest to the host, constructing false worlds from memories.]

Ace's gaze slowly watched the doctor Disappearing from his view and then shifted hsi gaze to Rina, her cheeks now flushed pink under his stare.

She blushed harder when he raised his left hand, channeling soul energy into his palm hidden beneath the blanket.

With his right, he reached out to her, his expression soft, tender, inviting.

She hesitated only a second before crawling closer, inching toward the bed with a mix of hope and longing in her eyes.

Closer.

And closer.

Until—

Crack!

A sharp, brutal sound filled the room as Ace struck the back of her head with swift precision, a flash of condensed energy surging through his fingers like a knife.

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Rina's eyes widened, lips trembling but no words escaped. Only blood.

She collapsed silently beside the bed, her hand still clutching the edge of the blanket.

Ace didn't spare her a second glance.

Instead, he calmly reached over and pulled the IV needle out of his arm.

A thin stream of blood trailed down which he ignored.

The monitor beside him beeped erratically before falling into silence.

He sat up, swung his legs over the edge of the bed, and stood.

The hospital hallway loomed ahead, unnaturally quiet. Lights flickered. Doors lined the corridor like empty eyes.

His steps were measured.

Left… right…

It all felt like a game.

Item identified: Scalpel

Description: Sharp surgical blade. Ideal for precision cuts.

Item identified: Scissors

Description: Medical-grade. Used for cutting bandages and cloth.

Item identified: IV Drip

Description: Delivers fluids or medication directly into the bloodstream.

He gripped the scalpel loosely in one hand, his eyes scanning the quiet ward.

He then walked slowly through the silent corridor, his footsteps soft against the sterile linoleum floor.

The fluorescent lights above flickered, buzzing faintly.

He reached the door and pushed it open with a soft creak.

The hallway stretched ahead, but he didn't move forward.

His eyes narrowed.

At the far end, the female doctor was walking away her white coat swaying with every step, clipboard in hand, her heels echoing with a soft, controlled rhythm.

He stared at her back for a moment longer, unmoving.

Then, without a word, he turned the other way and walked toward the stairwell.

Each step he took was accompanied by a subtle hum in his ears, a distant vibration like static. As he moved, his gaze casually swept across the walls, the ceiling, the signs, everything.

Item Identified: Fire Extinguisher

Description: Wall-mounted. Pressurized. It is used for fire control.

[Entity Identified: Mona]

[Species: Dream Walker]

[Grade: Initial Gold Rank]

[Ability: Imperfect World II]

Names, ranks, descriptions they all lit up in his mind like system prompts.

Nurses stood idle in corners, their smiles a little too wide.

A man in a wheelchair looked up, blinked blankly, then froze in place like an NPC that had lost its script.

A few low-ranked Dream Walkers, Warrior and Silver grades, stepped forward, attempting to block his path.

"You should return to your ward, sir," one said gently, like a nurse calming a restless patient.

Ace didn't even spare them a glance. He simply walked past.

They looked at one another, uncertain.

And then they backed off.

He pushed open the door to the stairwell and began to ascend, floor by floor, step by step. It was quiet.

No voices. Only his own breathing.

The rooftop door creaked open as he emerged into the pale afternoon light.

The sky was painted in soft blues and wispy clouds, a little too perfect. A light breeze tugged at the edges of his hospital gown, and he stepped to the ledge, staring down at the city below.

Cars moved slowly in the streets like toys on a track. The people down there, were they even real?

Then a soft and serene voice. Almost melodic sounded from behind.

"So… you've also unlocked the Divine Garden."

Ace turned around slowly.

It was the doctor.

The same one from earlier.

Her eyes, calm and blue, met his without hesitation. Her hair fluttered slightly in the wind, and she stood there beneath the rooftop entrance like she belonged there.

Entity: ???

Species: Human

Grade: ???

She reached up, slowly unclipping the stethoscope from around her neck.

"My name's Red I," she said softly, letting the stethoscope drop.

It landed with a soft clink on the concrete. "And you are?"

Ace's expression remained unreadable. But his answer was calm, composed.

"…Xiao Zhi."

Her lips curved into a small, knowing smile. It was warm, but there was something hidden in her eyes.

"Xiao Zhi…" she repeated, as though tasting the name. "Fitting."

The wind picked up slightly, swirling around them.

With a soft chuckle, she smiled as she whispered, "You're still too weak."