Chapter 15: Fortunately, It's a Mouse, Not a Tentacle Monster

Gu Shanhai harbored another hypothesis regarding the monster's behavior, one he hadn't voiced: perhaps the freshly dug hole indicated the creature's genuine strength. Before he could react, the monster had seized and devoured Qingcheng Chiju as evidence.

Therefore, even such a formidable monster was merely a low-level entity within St. Mary's Hospital, hinting at the existence of even more powerful adversaries.

As for dietary habits, it wasn't entirely implausible.

But this raised another question: what did these monsters feed on?

Observing the surroundings upon arrival, there was no evident ecological balance, leaving the source of their sustenance a mystery.

Feeding on humans? That seemed even more improbable. It was more rational to assume they subsisted on thin air.

Given the presence of hospitals, newspapers, and other signs of modern civilization, it was clear that nobody frequented these premises. Even if they did, daily visits were out of the question. It wasn't a stroll in the park.

Surviving on cannibalism was thus unreliable, unless there was some form of sustenance storage available, though this was doubtful. According to Gu Shanhai's estimate, St. Mary's Hospital had been abandoned for at least a year, potentially insufficient to sustain the monsters' nutritional needs.

It was more plausible that some unknown technology maintained the creatures' physiological functions, a field unfamiliar to Gu Shanhai.

What it was precisely, he couldn't say. After all, he had just arrived. If he knew everything, he wouldn't be in a precarious situation.

"Let's split up," Gu Shanhai shouted.

Not far down the corridor, a junction awaited. With monsters in pursuit, sticking together would only invite disaster.

Rashomon veered left, while the two Qingcheng team members turned right without hesitation.

". . ." Gu Shanhai sighed exasperatedly, resigned to forging ahead alone.

However, there were advantages to this approach. Though the risk of pursuit was higher, there was no concern about encountering a dead end.

As he anticipated, the monster above didn't pursue the larger Qingcheng team group but trailed him.

From this, one thing became evident: the monster couldn't discern the number of pursuers, targeting the largest group.

"Just need to find a way to dispatch this fellow."

With no one else around, Gu Shanhai abandoned stealth. He wasn't afraid to reveal his intentions; there was nothing to hide.

Though not particularly powerful, his Golden Bell Iron Cloth Shirt and Yunling Art provided ample means to handle the situation.

Coming to a halt, he drew a throwing knife from beneath his robe, infusing it with mana before thrusting it into the ceiling above.

A shriek pierced the air, and the ceiling collapsed, revealing a humanoid monster with a mouse head and a coat of black fur hurtling towards Gu Shanhai.

A knife embedded in its cheek, oozing foul-smelling blood, its scarlet eyes gleamed with malice.

"Too hasty, but also too reckless," Gu Shanhai remarked, delivering a swift blow that sent the rat-headed creature crashing to the ground.

"Decent strength, but abysmal luck."

Following up with a swift kick, he struck the creature squarely in the cheek, driving the throwing knife deeper into its brain with the force of the impact.

Had the knife lodged elsewhere, Gu Shanhai would have had to resort to a spirit blade, but this saved him the trouble in the end.

"Ninety percent of the internal structure resembles that of ordinary humans, while the remaining ten percent resembles rats, albeit enlarged," Gu Shanhai observed as he swiftly performed an autopsy, gaining invaluable insight into the creature.

"There doesn't seem to be an obvious rejection phenomenon, making it temporarily impossible to determine whether this is due to biological modification or some kind of cult magic. However, it's certain that this monster is among the thousand civilians who were cured."

After peeling away the layer of black, fine hair, Gu Shanhai discovered that the creature's skin still bore resemblance to that of a human.

"The level of deviation isn't significant. Besides the rat-like head, hands, and appearance, there aren't many other abnormalities. If we're to speak of deviation, this rat-headed individual might not even surpass a reanimated corpse."

In Gu Shanhai's assessment, while a reanimated corpse might appear more human, appearance alone shouldn't dictate strength; after all, a reanimated corpse is merely a shell.

"So, the degree of deviation doesn't necessarily correlate with strength."

As Gu Shanhai delved deeper into his dissection, he uncovered a crucial point.

"Severely malnourished, indicating a prolonged period without food. Yet, there's still some sustenance maintaining bodily functions. Otherwise, aside from malnutrition, it would struggle even to stand, let alone pursue me."

"It seems the likelihood of heresy or other forms of magic is around 70%, and it's probable that St. Mary's Hospital is engulfed in an ongoing, unending ritual."

"This could explain why these monsters don't venture beyond the hospital's confines; they're ensnared within it."

"And they don't seem to prey on each other, indicating some form of restriction."

"But where are Qingcheng Chiju's body parts within their stomachs?"

Gu Shanhai had gathered nearly all the necessary information, yet many questions remained unanswered.

After a cursory examination, he found little of value on the rat-headed creature. Ultimately, only its claws seemed worthwhile.

"It excavates using its hands."

He contemplated removing them but discovered they had begun to decay.

"They're adhesive and difficult to extract." Gu Shanhai abandoned the idea of collecting the Rat Man's claws as souvenirs.

"Considering the current mutation pattern, perhaps I'll find peculiar plants instead."

Undeterred, Gu Shanhai reasoned that if there are animal-like beings, there might also be plant-like ones. However strange they may be, he saw no reason to rule out their existence.

He casually moved the Rat Man's corpse aside to prevent it from hindering him should it reanimate.

"If this is indeed part of a cult ceremony, there's a high probability of a basement. However, given the size of St. Mary's Hospital, locating it shouldn't require extensive digging."

"People might favor elevated spaces." Gu Shanhai speculated, preparing to exploit any advantages that may arise.

"It's crucial to seize opportunities; two months of extended lifespan is significant. Encountering a malevolent entity isn't something that can be remedied with a mere two months. Therefore, maximizing gains beforehand is imperative."

(End of this chapter)