Chapter Nine: The Plague Doctor with the Raven Mask-Abnormal Paradise(More than half a year)

The distress signal from the control center was not sent to Ash alone; the panicked security deputy who had fled also received the message. Yet, the worst-case scenario could not be avoided—a dangerous anomaly released by the explosion had become a vexing roadblock.

A dense black mist appeared out of nowhere, veiling the light and blocking the way.

At this, the deputy's face turned grim. "The containment facility of the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor has been destroyed as well? Damn it, that’s a highly contaminated anomaly. If the black mist spreads unchecked, the entire facility will fall!" Cold sweat slid down his ear, but his expression suddenly relaxed. "Luckily, it seems only the mist has leaked so far; the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor hasn't fully awakened yet. If we seal the breach inside the facility, we might suppress it for now. Besides, this place can be used to give those pests a big surprise!"

He then cast another merciless glance at the four players present.

Unfortunately, the already wounded Trotter, whose arm was injured, was selected thanks to his innate talent—a “burden” that made him the next "lucky one." His sensory ability could reduce the mist’s suppression of visibility, so the deputy ignored his injuries and shoved a can of repair spray into his hands.

"We need to keep setting traps to delay the Chaos Apostle, and your task is to seal the breach in the containment facility! Remember, you don't have much time—act quickly. Once the traps are set, I'll lead everyone out of the mist at once."

The deputy cared nothing for Trotter’s willingness; the employee handbook granted him unlimited authority at times like these.

Although he judged from the mist’s extent that the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor hadn’t awakened and the facility door wasn’t fully breached, accidents could still happen. Sending a low-level, powerless employee into danger was his only option to maximize preservation of strength.

Trotter held the repair spray in a daze, while the other three players had varied expressions.

Rain Tomorrow, chastened by earlier lessons, dared not join this commotion again. The rational trauma left by the Gray Ghost Face hadn’t fully healed, and the half-tank of health lost to the explosion was nowhere to be restored. He didn’t want to be the first player eliminated.

As for Not an Expert, he continued to observe silently. He realized his specialty task offered little reward but also little risk—almost a freebie. Unless he was absolutely sure, he wouldn’t risk anything further.

But at this moment, Fish-Scaled Arm quietly stepped forward and proposed to the scheming deputy that he execute the task alongside Trotter. For the isolated Trotter, this was a lifeline. The deputy, too, did not abandon Trotter entirely; after allocating the trap-setting zones, he had a guard near the main door lead the players, serving as both guide and monitor.

Within the Anomaly Playground, there was a term for the black mist emanating from anomalies: the “Dark Curtain.”

Every anomaly carried some degree of Dark Curtain—like when they first encountered Brocade, the mist prevented the bright lights from fully illuminating their bodies. Rarely did the Dark Curtain become a fog that engulfed an area, as with the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor. If left unchecked, it could create chaos, so its containment facility was stricter than those of Brocade or the Endless Staircase.

Yet even so, the elusive explosion orb had torn a long, narrow fissure.

Black mist surged forth like writhing snakes, expanding the Dark Curtain. Though the Chaos Apostle’s assault had lasted only moments, the mist’s concentration had reached the threshold of liquefaction; alloy walls and floors were quickly corroded by the black fluid, nearly causing Trotter to step right into it.

"It seems this task isn’t very difficult—at least, it’s far easier than Ash’s." Fish-Scaled Arm whispered to Trotter. Unlike Ash, they weren’t separated from the main group. Despite the low visibility in the mist, he could always see the guard’s silhouette ahead, far more reassuring than being alone.

Trotter’s expression eased. With his sensory talent, he could perceive a larger area than Fish-Scaled Arm. If he remained cautious, avoiding the black puddles was easy. With a veteran player beside him and an armed guard leading the way, the path ahead was safe and steady.

"Here it is. Hurry up!" The guard stopped abruptly. Though the door was shrouded in thick mist, he refused to take another step. Both players felt the guard’s unease.

What they didn’t know was that even with a gun in hand, the guard felt no comfort. The oppressive, damp Dark Curtain brought immense pressure. His gaze flicked to the source of the mist and quickly away, as if a feral beast lurked there, ready to break free at any moment.

"I need to set traps—I have no time for you! But if you slack off, you know the consequences!"

Anyone could see the guard’s fierce exterior masked inner fear. Fish-Scaled Arm and Trotter glanced at each other and obediently proceeded. Walking slowly, they soon saw the facility’s door and the narrow crack upon it.

"Time is short, let’s start." Fish-Scaled Arm said. Though he had also received a task, there was only one can of repair spray, and he didn’t intend to snatch Trotter’s specialty task, choosing instead to assist.

Trotter glanced at the deep fissure, grunted, and raised the spray to begin repairs.

But the moment he pressed the button, his perspective abruptly shifted!

Now, he felt as though he had become the repair spray itself. His vision moved with the nozzle, and his hand could do nothing but press the button. This strange sensation unsettled him, causing the spray foam to tremble. Fish-Scaled Arm, thinking something was emerging from the crack, watched warily but saw nothing. Trotter soon returned to normal, and Fish-Scaled Arm remained silent, not wishing to disturb him.

Pfft...

Despite the odd perspective, Trotter didn’t dwell on it. His vision traced the fissure’s edge, spraying white foam that solidified rapidly, sealing the damaged area.

"This task isn’t hard at all!" The quick repair eased Trotter’s nerves, but the guard’s earlier abnormal behavior remained like a thorn in his heart, making him uneasy. He kept glancing at the crack, causing his spray trajectory to jitter, leading Fish-Scaled Arm to think he was simply cowardly, unnerved by the darkness.

Then Trotter trembled again. Fish-Scaled Arm paid it no mind, but Trotter frowned, for he sensed a deeper shadow flicker within the door’s gap…

Did he imagine it?

He assumed it was his anxiety playing tricks, since the misty area was pitch dark—how could anything more sinister be hidden? But as he looked again into the depths, he suddenly saw a pair of abyssal, pupil-less eye sockets staring straight at him. Instantly, his vision twisted and spun, as if his soul had left his body.

[Prompt: Due to the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor’s gaze, you must pass a Will check to avoid sanity damage.]

[Prompt: Checking… Your Will is zero. Check failed!]

[Prompt: Due to containment suppression, your sanity damage is greatly reduced, but this anomaly has special priority. This sanity damage cannot be automatically recovered.]

[Prompt: Because you are injured, you have received the Raven-Masked Plague Doctor’s mercy. As you take sanity damage, you recover an equal amount of health.]

[Prompt: You take 5 points of sanity damage and recover 5 points of health.]

[Beginner Warning: If your sanity reaches zero, you will enter a state of madness. Every so often, you must pass an instant death check, and your actions will be hindered.]

The prompts flashing before his eyes made Trotter realize he’d been caught off guard. He only had thirty points of sanity; after six encounters, he’d be forced to face instant death. He hadn’t reacted quickly enough—two prompts had appeared in succession. His health was nearly restored, but death drew nearer.

"This task isn’t as simple as it seemed. I can’t afford to be careless—if I’m slow by even a few seconds, I could die here without knowing why."

Snapping back to reality, Trotter quickly averted his gaze from the crack, breathing deeply. Suddenly, inspiration struck; he narrowed his eyes and focused his vision, moving slowly toward the damaged edge. Yet the spray button in his hand now felt as hard as steel, impossible to press even with all his strength. Unwilling to give up, he closed his eyes, but the result was the same.

Opening his eyes, anxious, he faced a dilemma—the breach was still mostly unrepaired, but he knew that maintaining control over his gaze was far from simple…