Every time I go through so much, but once I return to the city, everything that happened feels more like a dream.

Yet, there are always things that remind me everything was real.

Take, for instance, the scars all over my body, and the juvenile Shèn fry swimming in the fish tank next to my hospital bed.

Nie Chuan must have been afraid the Shèn would die, so he specifically bought a fish tank, setting up some rockeries and stones inside, and filling it with water.

I looked at the Shèn, half submerged, and sensed it was energetic and perfectly healthy.

Lifting it out of the water and examining it from all angles, I noticed the white spots that were originally on its body had faded considerably; I had no idea why.

I couldn't fathom what use this creature would be in bringing it out, but as one of the few genuine gains from this adventure, and considering its rarity, I decided I must raise it well.

Pondering the reason for the fading spots, I wondered if it was a lack of meat?

After all, its mother, that colossal Shèn, fed on decaying corpses.

To be precise, it consumed the brain matter of the rotting flesh.

Clearly, I had nothing it required to eat right now, so I decided to leave the hospital for some fresh air and to buy some provisions.

I stretched my limbs and found that, apart from some soreness, there was nothing unusual; I could run and jump freely.

So, I left the ward and headed toward the nurses' station.

Although the English spoken by the Japanese staff was hardly commendable, they clearly placed a greater emphasis on English than in China, and the people were exceptionally warm.

When I mentioned I needed clothes, a young nurse retrieved a box from beneath the counter, saying, "This was bought for you by your friend when they left the hospital; we’ve kept it here for you."

I nodded, thanked her, and prepared to change, but after a few steps, I remembered something, turning back to the young nurse to ask, "When I return later, could you take me to see my two friends?"

The nurse nodded, smiling, and replied, "Of course."

I returned her smile and gave a small wave goodbye.

The nurse, in turn, bowed politely.

I thought to myself, this is how it should be. In Chinese hospitals, even after paying, they treat you indifferently. Here, paying customers are treated like gods, receiving extreme respect.

In my private room, I opened the box containing the clothes and found—a suit.

I frowned slightly, as I never wear suits; I always found them too formal. Even when I was a groomsman at a family wedding, I only wore a jacket or jeans, never a suit.

But now, I had nothing else suitable to wear.

So, I resigned myself to it and put the suit on.

I glanced in the mirror and realized it wasn't bad; perhaps because I had lost a lot of weight recently, the suit actually draped quite well.

The only issue was my face, covered in a beard, making me look rather scruffy.

Rummaging through the drawers, I found no razor, so I had to go out again.

I returned to the nurses' station, and the young nurse was still waiting there. She bowed as soon as she spotted me from a distance.

I approached her, smiling, and asked, "Excuse me, do you have a razor?"

Unexpectedly, the nurse’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she said, "Sir, you have the charm of a mature man in that suit; I suggest you don't shave."

I felt slightly embarrassed by her delicate voice and stammered, "B-but... I still think I should shave!"

The nurse said no more, blinked her large eyes, turned back into the room, and returned with an electric shaver and a mirror.

I noticed a label stuck on the shaver with a number, indicating it was communal—they must be very hygienic.

I felt no hesitation and started shaving immediately.

After shaving the stubble from my chin and sideburns, I looked in the mirror and saw I still had a small mustache.

At that moment, on a strange impulse, I put down the mirror and shaver and said to the nurse, "That's enough! Thank you..."

The nurse gave me a thumbs-up and said, "Sir, you are one of the most handsome young men I have ever seen."

My face instantly flushed crimson, all the way down to my neck.

But for some reason, my heart suddenly constricted, and seeing this nurse's face reminded me of Liang Qian.

My face immediately paled, and my expression turned cold as I said, "Thank you... Please take me to see my friends now."

The nurse noticed the change in my complexion, a flicker of an unusual light in her eyes, but she didn't press the matter, merely extending her hand and saying, "This way, please."

I walked ahead, with the nurse following behind, and I immediately felt annoyed.

I felt I had been too harsh with a young woman, surely leaving a bad impression.

I touched my forehead, unsure what was wrong with me, and let out a slight sigh.

Despite my sudden coldness, the nurse didn't seem affected. When we reached the ward door, she still smiled slightly as she said to me, "It's right here."

Although her tone remained gentle, the earlier friendly warmth was gone. I knew now she was simply performing her duty.

Then she added, "I won't disturb you. If you need anything, you can find me at the nurses' station. I am 0017, Hekawa Miko."

Hearing the number 0017, I froze for a moment.

The nurse didn't notice, only bowed deeply, and then departed.

I stood at the door, touching my forehead, telling myself not to overthink things.

Then, I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

To my surprise, the moment I stepped inside, I saw Da Xiong lying on the bed closest to me, unconscious.

On the opposite bed lay Xie Yuting, also completely unresponsive.

Although I had anticipated this scene.

Deep down, I had hoped that upon opening the door, I would see them both laughing and chatting.

My mood immediately dipped again. Seeing a tall, slender doctor standing between the two beds, I spoke up, "Hello..."

The doctor had been staring intently at the documents in his hands since the beginning, looking preoccupied, having not noticed my entrance at all.

Hearing my voice, he finally looked up, pulled down his mask, and said, "Oh, you must be their friend? I have something to tell you."

I stepped closer and asked politely, "Doctor, what is it?"

The doctor pointed to the diagnostic report in his hand and said, "Your two friends have just passed the critical stage, but their condition is currently unstable. However, we cannot diagnose any physical problem. Did they have any pre-existing psychological conditions?"

"Psychological conditions?" I paused, then immediately replied, "No..."

The doctor adjusted his glasses and said, "Then that's strange. Although they are in a deep coma, their brain activity is extremely intense, similar to when someone is having a nightmare. But for this nightmare to last several days is truly incredible."

I couldn't decipher the writing on the doctor's report, but I could understand the subsequent ECG and EEG readings.

Their current state was more intense than that of an athlete running a hundred-meter dash.

The doctor stated, "If this continues, they won't get proper rest, and their physical condition might deteriorate."

I looked at Da Xiong, then at Xie Yuting, noticing their limbs occasionally twitching, their expressions unable to relax.

"Could it be that their minds are still wandering in that Gui Ze (Ghost Marsh) and the ruins?" A bizarre thought flashed through my mind.

At that moment, the doctor said, "Our current recourse is to give them sedatives and play some soothing music, but the best remedy is for you to talk to them, preferably about things you are all familiar with—something light and happy would be best."

As he spoke, the expressions of Da Xiong and Xie Yuting slowly began to relax, and their bodies stopped struggling as much.

The doctor remarked, "The tranquilizers are taking effect. Let's leave now. The effect lasts a maximum of two hours, and given their physical condition, we cannot administer too much. So, ultimately, it still relies on you. We will find the cause of the illness as soon as possible; please forgive us."

I waved my hand and said, "No need for such courtesy; thank you for your hard work."

The doctor gave me a small smile and pushed the door open.

I walked out with him, asking as we went, "How long has this situation been going on?"

The doctor replied, "It started three days ago."

I then asked, "I apologize, I was also semi-conscious these past few days. How long have we been in the hospital?"

The doctor checked his watch and said, "Today marks exactly the fifteenth day."

The words spoken by the white-haired old man suddenly flashed through my mind: "Thirteen days from now, you will surely die..."

Could it be the... ghost of that white-haired old man coming to claim their lives?

I shook my head, murmuring to myself, "What ghosts or gods? It's already the fifteenth day, and they aren't dead, which means the curse didn't take effect."

I continued walking outwards while thinking.

Seeing my distracted state, the doctor patted my shoulder and asked, "Are you alright?"

I shook my head, assuring him I was fine.

The doctor finally nodded and said, "It’s good timing for you to rest as well," and then left.

I casually found a chair and sat for a while, contemplating many things.

Then, I felt the air in the corridor was suffocatingly heavy, and I decided to step outside for a walk first.

The moment I stepped out of the hospital entrance, the din of the bustling crowd washed over me.

I checked my watch; it was past nine in the evening.

The streets of Kobe, like any major Japanese city, were incredibly lively.

Various snack stalls, anime bookstores, and arcades shone with brilliant lights. Young people with brightly dyed hair, dressed in costumes of anime characters, were wandering the streets, laughing and talking.

Witnessing such a vibrant scene somewhat eased my mood.

I spotted a woman pushing a cart selling dango not far away, so I went over and bought two skewers.

Just as I was finishing the first one, a burst of firecrackers erupted on the street, and a procession of eccentrically dressed people marched in from the far end of the road.