Chapter 34: The Sacrificial One, Dante

The prison doctor looked down at Lu Xiao.  

“I forgive you, my friend!”  

“So, will you study medicine with me?”  

Lu Xiao nodded.  

“My friend! Once I resolve my own curse, I will definitely study medicine with you!”  

The prison doctor nodded, dropping the subject for now.  

“By the way! Regarding the bone spike Ivan gave you, do you know the detailed instructions for its use?”  

Hearing this, Lu Xiao nodded.  

“I stabbed it into my own thigh. The effect was quite good!”  

The prison doctor smiled and nodded.  

“When you sense danger, try stabbing it into your own heart. You might get an unexpected surprise!”  

At these words, Lu Xiao’s eyes lit up.  

He immediately pulled out the bone spike, eager to give it a try right away.  

Seeing this, the prison doctor’s sharp voice carried a note of panic.  

“Lu! Promise me you won’t try it recklessly!”  

Hearing this, though Lu Xiao remained intensely curious about what that surprise might be, he was someone who followed medical advice. So, he decisively gave up the idea.  

“I understand, Prison Doctor. I’ll only try it when I’m in danger!”  

Hearing Lu Xiao’s reply, the prison doctor finally breathed a sigh of relief.  

“Lu! You really are a madman!”  

Lu Xiao said with utmost seriousness,  

“Mr Prison Doctor, I would never doubt your diagnosis, but I am truly not a madman!”  

The prison doctor: “...”  

…………  

Lu Xiao had just returned to his containment room when the Doctor’s voice came from all around the room.  

“S292, someone will come for you in half an hour to carry out a containment mission!”  

Hearing the Doctor’s words, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on Lu Xiao’s face.  

“A mission already, right after getting back?”  

At this moment, Lu Xiao wished he could stay in the present world every second of the day.  

He gathered his things, waiting for the staff to pick him up.  

In truth, the only thing he needed to prepare was that bone spike.  

He placed the bone spike against his chest, as close to his heart as possible.  

This was to avoid being caught off guard again by something bizarre like The Puppeteer, without any preparation.  

Lu Xiao unconditionally trusted the prison doctor’s words, except for the part about him being a madman.  

Sure enough, a researcher in a white lab coat rang his doorbell.  

Lu Xiao followed the staff member to an elevator.  

The staff member handed Lu Xiao a headset.  

“S292, this is a barrier-free communicator. You need to wear it at all times!”  

Lu Xiao took the headset and put it on.  

The researcher then took out a wristwatch.  

“This is a system carrier specifically for the Wardens. It has comprehensive functions. The Doctor will explain the specific usage to you!”  

Lu Xiao took the watch and put it on immediately, then looked at the researcher.  

“Why am I the only one?”  

The researcher shook his head.  

“It's arranged by the Doctor.”  

Hearing this, Lu Xiao dropped the subject.  

Only after personally seeing Lu Xiao put on the watch did the staff member turn to the access control system next to the elevator.  

【Iris verification passed!】  

【Identity: C-level Researcher Li Haiquan!】  

【Thank you for your contribution to humanity!】  

A synthesized system voice came from the access control.  

The elevator door slowly opened.  

Li Haiquan looked at Lu Xiao.  

“Go up via this elevator. Someone will be waiting for you!”  

Lu Xiao nodded, then stepped into the elevator.  

The elevator ascended.  

When the doors opened again, it was an underground parking garage.  

Lu Xiao stepped out of the elevator and glanced around.  

The entire garage was empty, except for an ambulance parked not far away.  

Printed on its body were the words: ‘The No. 1 Psychiatric Hospital in Magic Metropolis’.  

Just then, the ambulance’s headlights flashed on, and the Doctor’s voice sounded in Lu Xiao’s ear.  

“S292, get in that ambulance.”  

Lu Xiao opened the passenger door.  

In the driver’s seat sat a middle-aged man with a stubbly beard.  

Squinting one eye, he sized up Lu Xiao, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.  

“S292? I’ve seen your file!”  

Lu Xiao gave a friendly smile.  

“Hello, my name is Lu Xiao.”  

The middle-aged man started the vehicle as he spoke.  

“My codename is Dante.”  

Lu Xiao nodded.  

“Mr. Dante.”  

Dante turned his head slightly, looking at Lu Xiao with some surprise.  

“Didn’t expect you to be so polite! Not at all like a human who lived in the Dark Prison.”  

Lu Xiao didn’t engage with that comment and instead asked,  

“Mr. Dante, what’s our mission this time?”  

Dante rested one hand on the steering wheel. With the other, he held his cigarette, flicking the ash casually.  

The ash drifted down near Lu Xiao’s hand.  

He didn’t answer Lu Xiao’s question immediately, instead introducing himself.  

“Let me introduce myself first!”  

“I am a Sacrificial One within the Warden organization. You can think of me as cannon fodder, sent to die.”  

“We Sacrificial Ones are different from those regular grunts.”  

“Sacrificial Ones mainly participate in the containment of anomalous beings that harbor malicious intent towards humans!”  

“Like strange monsters, or some supernatural creatures!”  

He took a deep drag of his cigarette.  

“Usually, our containment targets are monsters.”  

As he spoke, he opened the center console beside him and pulled out a handgun, handing it to Lu Xiao.  

“The bullets in this gun are laced with mercury. They can deal a little bit of damage to those anomalous beings.”  

While they were talking, the ambulance had already driven out of the parking garage.  

Dante waved to the parking garage security guard, then looked back at Lu Xiao.  

“By the way, mind if I smoke?”  

Lu Xiao shook his head to indicate he didn’t mind.  

Dante lit another cigarette.  

“If you mind it, you would just have to bear with it for a while.”  

From the moment Lu Xiao got in the car until now, Dante had already chain-smoked two cigarettes.  

He had lit the second one immediately after the first, without any break in between.  

Lu Xiao frowned.  

“Mr. Dante, I think smoking like this is bad for your health.”  

Dante shrugged.  

“I’m just cannon fodder. What does physical health matter to me?”  

Lu Xiao shook his head, speaking very seriously.  

“I have a friend called the prison doctor.”  

“You could go to him for a diagnosis. I suspect there’s something wrong with your lungs.”  

Dante took another heavy drag, then said nonchalantly,  

“That guy, the prison doctor? He’s diagnosed me before!”  

“He said I have lung cancer and that it could be cured with a minor surgery.”  

Lu Xiao nodded in strong agreement.  

“The Prison Doctor’s medical skills are absolutely reliable. So, did you have that minor surgery?”  

Dante grinned.  

“I asked him what kind of surgery, and guess what that guy said?”  

“He told me it was a lobectomy!”  

As if he had amused himself with this, Dante laughed loudly.  

Lu Xiao, however, said with a straight face,  

“Mr Prison Doctor’s diagnosis is correct!”  

“Just earlier, I witnessed the Prison Doctor perform surgery on a patient suffering from kidney deficiency!”  

“That fortunate patient will never have to worry about kidney deficiency again!”  

Hearing Lu Xiao’s utterly serious nonsense, Dante’s mouth corner twitched uncontrollably.  

“No wonder you get along so well with that guy!”

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