Chapter 1174: Lin Sanjiu Trapped in a Siege

Lin Sanjiu had thought about whether she could escape from the Lava world during the rest time. After all, during that period, she was neither an illegal immigrant nor a player. However, her plan was quickly foiled.

The hospital didn't care if she obediently rested or not, as it was evident that the Lava world could forcefully put people into a completely rested state.

It felt strange. Though her mind was tense as if it could snap at any moment, her heartbeat gradually slowed down, and all her muscles relaxed, as if her body had a mind of its own that wasn't aligned with her spirit.

Any thought of movement felt like a major violation. Even the slightest physical effort, such as blinking or thinking about what to do next, became so vague and distant, slowly fading away from her consciousness. Lin Sanjiu felt her eyes closing slowly, her vision narrowing, and her sight becoming blurred.

Then, with a loud 'thud,' she jolted awake and forced her eyes open just a crack.

Hei Zeji was sprawled on the floor, lying flat as if being hit by the floor was a very comfortable thing. The nine feet of the four guards scattered like startled flies. One of them shouted, "Who's there?"

"Either a player or a patient," another guard said as he approached Hei Zeji. His old black leather shoes stopped in front of the chair, just inches away from Lin Sanjiu's face. She could even see the creases on the shoes' toes clearly. A withered, dark-brown hand reached down, turned Hei Zeji's head, took a glance, and shouted, "It's one of the fugitives!"

Lin Sanjiu struggled to open her eyes a bit, just enough to see half of Hei Zeji's serene and satisfied face. But as her upper eyelids came cras.h.i.+ng down like collapsing buildings, sticking tightly to her lower eyelids, she knew she wasn't asleepor at least, she didn't feel like she was asleep. All the chaotic thoughts were completely dispersed, and her body had never been so relaxed and comfortableeven though she was currently lying under a cold, hard chair.

She had no idea what happened next.

The guards' shouts, footsteps, and the slight tremors of the floor were still perceptible, but these details didn't leave any traces in her mind. It was as if you knew there was a Mars in the universe, but which part of Mars was currently experiencing a sandstorm had no relevance to you.

When she opened her eyes again, her vision gradually returned, and the broadcast voice became clearer, regaining its meaning once again.

"The rest period is over. This round of Lava will last from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Please adjust accordingly, players, and patients."

She was still under the chair, unnoticed. When she looked outside, the corridor floor was empty, and naturally, there was no sign of Hei Zeji. Four of the nine feet were gone, and the remaining two guards stopped patrolling and stood in the corridor, looking around as if on high alert. One of them shouted towards the second group of guards, "Yes, that's right. Disperse and keep an eye out. That fugitive might be nearby!"

Great, she had lost someone just after leaving the pantry.

As she sighed in her heart, Mrs. Manas comforted her, saying, "It's not all bad news. After an hour of complete rest, the aftereffects of the coffee have almost disappeared. That forced rest was even more effective than sleeping."

'Forget it,'

she consoled herself. Fortunately, it was Hei Zeji who got caught, so she probably wouldn't need to rescue him. If it had been someone like Ya Jiang or Bohemia, she might have had to stage a daring raid on the security department. Her current condition wasn't combat-ready, but it would suffice to gather information about the hospital for now. Once she had a grasp of the situation, she could start searching for Hei Zeji.

But now... how could she get out from under the chair?

Lin Sanjiu stayed in place, waiting for an entire round of the game, during which she experienced another complete rest. However, she still didn't find any opportunities. The number of guards in the corridor increased again, and there were more than just nine feet outside now. Hei Zeji's capture seemed to have motivated the hospital, prompting them to deploy more personnel everywhere. The first group now had six members and thirteen feet. The guards paired up and continued to patrol their original area, conducting more careful inspections.

It was already 10:30 PM, but the guards showed no signs of taking a break or changing s.h.i.+fts.

The alarm had stopped a while ago, but the state of lockdown and martial law remained in place even after catching one fugitive. Lin Sanjiu cautiously turned her neck and observed for a while, only to realize that she had almost no chance of getting out from under the chair. No, that was too polite; she couldn't get out at all.

If she tried to crawl out like last time, when the guards of the first and second groups turned their backs to each other, she would end up in the same situation: once she crawled out and stood up, she would be right next to where the first group of guards turned around. To avoid being noticed, she would have to crawl back under the chair, which would be utterly pointless.

If she waited for the first group of guards to turn around and walk towards the pantry, the second group of guards would be facing the corridor where she was hiding. Hei Zeji had told her that the hospital's bas.e.m.e.nt was well-lit in the eyes of the NPCs, which meant that even if she crawled on the ground, the second group of guards down the corridor could probably see a big dark shadow moving slowly like a lizard.

Just thinking about it, she could almost hear them shouting.

"The tent probably won't work," Mrs. Manas said, expressing her concern. "They know that your face represents a fugitive. If it affects the Temporary Right Of Abode effect, it will be troublesome. It's better not to take this unnecessary risk."

Then how could she get out?

'If only I had an item like the [Chameleon],'

Lin Sanjiu thought as she looked at the beige floor, sighing anxiously in her heart. However, even if she still had the [Battle Item], she remembered that she had already used it once to mimic [Chameleon]. Thinking about it, she looked up at the T-shaped intersection in front of her.

The thirteen feet moved back and forth, pa.s.sing by the chair. She didn't know who designed their patrol routes, but practically every area was under constant surveillance. For instance, the T-shaped intersection behind the first group of guards seemed to be unguarded, but the second group of guards would turn around soon, and with a single turn, they could see everything happening at the entrance of the T-shaped corridor.

Moreover, there were likely more guards patrolling on both sides of the T-shaped corridor.

Even if she managed to rush out from under the chair, what if she b.u.mped into one of the guards in the T-shaped corridor?

"You can't just wait here until they retire," Mrs. Manas muttered with restlessness, probably noticing that Lin Sanjiu wasn't responding. When Lin Sanjiu took out a card from her card inventory, Mrs. Manas's tone suddenly became cautious, saying, "What kind of joke are you trying to make with your life this time?"

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