Approaching the stagnant water area and dealing with the blood-corpse that crawled out from within, Lin Ye threw the blood-corpse covered in strange arms across the flooded zone.

The tendrils inside didn't attack the blood-corpse, but when Lin Ye crossed the stagnant water area, numerous tendrils shot out from within, though they failed to catch up with Lin Ye who was using blood acceleration.

This time Lin Ye drew blood from the tendril appendage to use his skill. After crossing the stagnant water area, he inserted the tendril appendage into the blood-corpse, controlling the blood inside to flow into the appendage.

This way he could continuously use Blood Burning without worrying about burning himself to death.

Lin Ye began accelerating through one stagnant water area after another, simultaneously practicing his skills using the blood from the blood-corpses. When a corpse's blood was exhausted, he would replace it with another.

The blood from one corpse was enough for him to pass several stagnant water areas, while the remaining corpses were decomposed into red fragments.

After passing one stagnant water area, a humanoid monster with a fish head spawned from the flooded zone ahead.

Lin Ye directly threw the irregular blood-corpse at the fish-head monster. The fish-head monster grabbed the blood-corpse and tore it in half.

Then its upper body was blown away by the splashing blood.

"A new monster? Are monsters getting stronger the further I go, or are they gradually strengthening over time?"

Seeing two new fish-head monsters crawling out from stagnant water areas both ahead and behind, Lin Ye hurriedly irregularized the fish-head monster's corpse, then flew over the tendril-filled stagnant water area while carrying the corpse.

"I think it's probably the latter, and the monster spawn rate has increased slightly too. If the spawn rate continues to accelerate, you'll have to face four monsters from both directions simultaneously."

Little Ye followed behind Lin Ye, stepping across the stagnant water to pass through the flooded zone.

"It seems I need to create some new limbs."

Lin Ye tore a thigh from a corpse and inserted it into his body. This thigh was just a backup blood bag attachment - he truly needed some new limbs, but this would require spending time experimenting to find suitable components, otherwise it would only affect his flexibility and reduce his combat effectiveness.

"I think you should consider attaching limbs in some normal positions, like the lower back and sides of your body. That would be more biologically appropriate."

Little Ye looked at the attachment on Lin Ye's thigh - that external thigh was already somewhat affecting his balance.

"But these are Irregular Limbs. Even placing them in normal positions makes balance difficult to maintain. I can only try to maintain dynamic balance."

Lin Ye continuously threw irregularized corpses at the new fish-head monsters. These monsters had average intelligence and all enjoyed tearing corpses apart with their hands.

So Lin Ye only needed to keep throwing corpses to deal with them. With practice, half a corpse could eliminate one fish-head monster, with each fish-head monster dropping three red fragments. One corpse could last through two stagnant water areas.

Lin Ye occasionally tried inserting new attachments, adapting to and researching various attachment usage methods.

But this had to be done while moving, because if he ran even slightly slower, Lin Ye would be surrounded by monsters spawning from two stagnant water areas.

Initially, only after Lin Ye killed the first monster would the second one spawn. Now, whenever Lin Ye appeared within a certain range, stagnant water areas would continuously spawn monsters.

Fortunately, monsters wouldn't spawn unless someone approached, otherwise the entire corridor would have been overrun by monsters long ago.

"There's a fork ahead with no monsters. Maybe we can change routes."

Little Ye suddenly spoke.

Lin Ye took a moment to glance into the distance where a section of the corridor wall was missing, with some ash-white mist drifting into the corridor.

"Are you sure that's a fork?"

That 'fork' gave Lin Ye a very bad feeling. The corridor was dangerous, but that ash-white mist had invaded inside the corridor.

"I'm not sure, but the monster spawn rate in the corridor is too fast. How much longer can you hold on?"

Little Ye clearly understood Lin Ye's current condition.

Installing new limbs didn't restore stamina - instead it accelerated stamina consumption. Combined with massive loss of normal blood, Lin Ye should have collapsed long ago.

"Who knows? Maybe one minute, maybe I'll collapse the next second."

Lin Ye had actually exhausted his strength long ago, but he could use attachments to absorb blood from corpses, then provide energy to the attachments by burning blood, using the attachments to move his body.

Additionally, he could change movement direction through energy propulsion, even performing short-distance flight. Only by combining both methods could he reach this point - otherwise he would have been overwhelmed by spawned monsters long ago.

"I think I understand why you were frustrated earlier. If I hadn't accelerated, I never would have reached this position."

Lin Ye crossed the final stagnant water area before the fork. After he passed through, monsters stopped spawning from both sides.

"I didn't expect you could run this fast either."

Little Ye remarked with admiration.

"Actually, these are two different states. The first was maintaining the fastest stable speed, while the later was desperately fighting for survival. Many times, I actually had no confidence at all. Like when crossing the first stagnant water area, I had no idea what was inside. What if a few red Ultraman jumped out? Then I would have been doomed."

Lin Ye used the tendril appendage to drag himself near the gap. Thick ash-white mist drifted within the gap, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"So are you going to desperately charge in now?"

Little Ye stepped inside the gap, turning back to ask.

"Of course."

Lin Ye decisively entered the gap... then climbed out of bed.

"?"

Lin Ye looked around and found himself sitting on his prison cell bed, completely intact with no wounds and no strange appendages grown.

Those skills couldn't be used either, as if they never existed.

Most importantly, Little Ye was gone.

'So everything before was hallucinations caused by the drugs?'

Lin Ye felt quite conflicted, uncertain which reality he preferred to be real.

As Lin Ye was calming his emotions, the sound of carts echoed through the corridor.

Lin Ye quietly approached the door, opened the food slot, and observed the situation outside.

Orderlies were pushing some nursing beds through the corridor. Lin Ye could only see wheels, the orderlies' lower legs, and hanging white thick cloth.

But Lin Ye could faintly hear low, miserable groans coming from beneath those thick cloths - sounds that didn't seem like anything humans could produce.

After a while, when those orderlies with carts had left, another group of orderlies opened the ward doors and led them out of the patient area.

Lin Ye glanced around - compared to yesterday, twenty-four patients were missing, including patient number 3 who had spoken with him, while only about a dozen nursing beds had been wheeled away.

The good news was that neither Caroline nor Jessica were among the missing.

The three naturally gathered together. Caroline wasn't giggling foolishly and seemed much more normal than yesterday.

"Did any of you dream last night?"

Caroline asked nervously in a low voice.