Chapter 15: Cooperation

"What kind of cooperation do you have in mind?" Lynn asked cautiously, his tone laced with careful deliberation. He eyed the woman warily, unsure of her true motives.

Alice noticed that he didn't categorically reject the question, so she said directly, "If you are willing to cooperate, we can try to discover the reason for the formation of this forbidden space. It is certainly related to my investigation of this hospital. As long as we have this information, it will be easy to find a way to exit the forbidden space."

After a pause, she added, "Of course, I will share with you all the information I have."

Piqued by curiosity, He wanted to know more, but with his very little understanding of this world, he didn't know where to start asking questions in such a short time.

Lynn also immediately understood that the reason this woman wanted to cooperate was to use his combat strength to complete her investigation and escape from this space.

Lynn fell into a moment of contemplation but was suddenly interrupted in his thoughts by a notification sound.

[Ding!]

[Source of the zombie outbreak]

[Hidden Mission: Find the source of the mysterious disease that has turned this hospital into a nightmare]

"The source of this forbidden space and the source of the zombie outbreak, I wonder if there is a link between the two" pondered Lynn.

After reading the purpose of this mission, Lynn dispelled all his concerns. Since she possesses the information, he desperately needs, cooperation seemed like the wisest option.

Exchanging information and working together would be mutually beneficial.

"You mentioned earlier that we could enter this forbidden space, why not just wait for help from the outside?" Lynn asked.

Lynn asked this question to confirm two things: firstly, the existence of a world beyond the walls of this hospital, and secondly, the fact that people can enter this dungeon.

Then, is it possible to seek help from the outside or wait for others with more knowledge to enter this space and explore it more easily together?

But before he could finish verbalizing the thought, Alice interrupted him.

"If it were possible to wait for reinforcements, I wouldn't have hurt myself so badly trying to explore alone. This is a newly formed forbidden space, it can be entered but it's very difficult to leave."

"Not to mention, this hospital certainly belongs to an organization conducting forbidden research. Losing contact with the hospital for too long will raise their suspicions. When they enter, instead of helping us, they would eliminate any survivors to cover their tracks."

Hearing this grim scenario, Lynn realized his initial thoughts were naive. Waiting passively simply wasn't a viable option given their dire circumstances.

It seems that in this situation, he simply didn't have a choice.

He knew next to nothing about this world and desperately needed this woman as an information source if he hoped to survive.

Without hesitation, he said directly, "We can cooperate."

He then added pointedly, "But before that, I need basic information. About this space and situation."

"Yes, of course!" Alice nodded with a relieved face. She had feared ending up with an idiot who couldn't grasp the gravity of their predicament.

Alice then started divulging the specifics of their present predicament. "The hospital we're in is comprised of one solitary structure spanning six floors. At the moment, we find ourselves on the fifth floor. Before becoming a forbidden space, I thoroughly combed through the preceding five floors, yet I discovered no trace of a concealed research facility. This leads me to believe that there might be a secret underground level or more."

After a pause, she added "When you saved me, I was heading toward the 6th floor to investigate further and potentially uncover some clues, the sixth floor is designated for staff and administrative purposes, which made it a promising location for finding something important"

"What exactly are we searching for?" Lynn inquired.

Alice answered directly, "We need to find the source of this forbidden space, the hidden research facilities are the most promising place we can find it. However, it will not be easy to get to it. Based on the kind of undead I encountered; I already have an idea of which organization is behind this hospital."

Lynn asked curiously, "Who?"

Alice responded with a solemn tone, her voice filled with gravity. "The [Cursed Circle], is a clandestine underground society notorious for their unwavering pursuit of immortality," she explained. "They are deeply involved in forbidden research and engage in horrific experiments on living individuals."

Despite Alice's initial detachment and coldness towards him as a stranger, she held nothing back when it came to sharing the necessary information.

Lynn found her straightforward character intriguing, and he strategically posed ambiguous questions to conceal his own ignorance. Through their ongoing discussion, Lynn gradually gained valuable insights into this mysterious world that was slowly unveiling itself before him.

Just as he was about to ask more questions, Lynn's high perception seemed to have detected a faint sound in the distance. It was subtle, barely audible, but his senses allowed him to pick up on it.

Lynn's body tensed, his muscles coiling in anticipation. He turned his head slowly towards the source of the noise, his eyes narrowed.

Beside him, Alice also turned her head in the same direction. As she did, Lynn noticed her eyes seemed to glow ever so slightly, like embers flickering in a fire.

"A creature is approaching," Alice said, her voice low. "It seems to be a zombie, a mutant one like the brute that injured me. But this one... seems to be specialized in speed."

Lynn's grip on his sword tightened. After his previous encounter with the hulking brawler zombie, the thought of facing another mutated undead filled him with anticipation.

Anticipation for the potential energy he could harvest from its core.