Die, Replay, Repeat

Chapter 22: The Scalpel

"Hey, Xiu! Your two minutes are up!" Zhao Hao shouted just as Fang Xiu was reaching his peak.

Fang Xiu immediately looked composed. "Step back. I want to test out this new spiritual power."

"Have you really become the kind of psychic Wang Ziteng mentioned?" Zhao Hao asked, his voice filled with excitement.

Fang Xiu only nodded in response. Catching the hint, Zhao Hao quickly sprinted down the left corridor.

Suddenly, Fang Xiu raised his right hand, and a mysterious spiritual energy clung to it.

He looked over at the "doctor," who was busy eating, and muttered, "You get to be the first one to feel this pain."

He was really impressed with this newfound power to cause pain. Plus, he had a hunch that this power wasn't one to be overlooked.

In anyone else's hands, this power might be considered weak. But in his hands? It was like a godly skill.

A perfect move to finish an opponent.

That was because when he used this power, it channeled the anguish he felt from dying 21 times. No one could possibly handle such an overwhelming force.

And the more he experienced death in the future, the stronger this pain would become. It was a power with endless potential.

SMACK!

Without any warning, Fang Xiu threw a punch directly at the "doctor's" face.

Caught off guard while eating, the "doctor" had no time to react.

THUD!

A soft sound echoed.

"Aaaargh!!"

The "doctor" let out a painful scream, collapsing heavily onto the floor. She grabbed her head with both hands as she shook uncontrollably. The sharp tool she held, a scalpel, slipped from her grasp.

Even though Fang Xiu saw some results, he looked concerned; the punch didn't create the impact he was hoping for.

The "doctor" seemed to be in agony, but she wasn't experiencing the same level of pain Fang Xiu had felt. Something had interrupted the flow of the spiritual energy, and after that punch, Fang Xiu felt drained.

He couldn't gather enough energy for another punch.

Using only a fraction of his spiritual power had limitations. The reason it didn't work as expected was probably that he couldn't penetrate the "doctor's" defenses fully. Her head showed no obvious wounds, only minor scratches, which might have blocked the full force of the pain.

He needed to think of a stronger approach next time.

_'Just using my fists has limits. Perhaps a weapon can do better. Can regular weapons channel this spiritual energy, though?' _

As he thought about it, Fang Xiu's eyes landed on the scalpel the "doctor" had dropped.

Without a second thought, he snatched up the scalpel. It felt extremely cold in his hand, almost like an icicle.

As he held it, a rush of violent negative emotions flooded his mindanger, hatred, and bitterness.

Such powerful feelings could completely destroy a person's soul.

An average person would probably be turned into a mindless beast by these emotions, but Fang Xiu was anything but average.

If these negative emotions were likened to ink, they would stain any soul completely black. But what if the soul was already black, to begin with? Adding more wouldn't make any difference.

Spilling ink on a black sheet wouldn't change its color.

So, these violent emotions didn't weaken Fang Xiu. Instead, it felt as though he'd found souls similar to his own.

As the images flooded Fang Xiu's mind, he saw horrifying scenes. Over and over, half-human, half-Specter beings were bound to operating tables, their bodies torn apart by the sharp blade of a scalpel.

Something clicked within Fang Xiu.

This very scalpel in his hand had been used by the "doctor" to perform cruel experiments on Specters within the mental hospital. It had soaked up the anger and pain of countless tortured souls.

Maybe something had gone terribly wrong in the hospital. Perhaps the overwhelming anger trapped within the scalpel consumed the "doctor's" mind, turning her into one of the tormented Specters.

So, the scalpel was the real threat, and the "doctor" was merely its puppet. With this scalpel, there was a chance that Fang Xiu could end the "doctor."

SWISH!

In a lightning-fast motion, the scalpel gleamed as it darted toward the "doctor's" pale throat.

CLANG!

A sharp metallic sound rang out with a shower of sparks. Yet, her neck remained unharmed.

Fang Xiu was taken aback.

_'This makes no sense!'_

_'How could a scalpel, powerful enough to harm numerous Specters, not leave a mark on the "doctor"? It has to be the spirit energy!'_

The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

The scalpel depended on spiritual energy to work. And since he was out of spiritual energy, the scalpel couldn't unleash its true might.

It seemed like his revenge would have to wait for now.

Without wasting a second, Fang Xiu whirled around and bolted. He feared that if the "doctor" regained her senses, instead of going after Wu Dahai's body, she would come after him.

Seeing Fang Xiu sprinting, Zhao Hao, who was waiting in the left corridor, quickly joined him. They burst into a massive hall where Fang Xiu spotted two familiar faces.

The two were crouching behind a thick pillar. Normally, Fang Xiu wouldn't have seen them. But with his new heightened spiritual senses, he could easily pick up on their panicked breaths and frantic heartbeats.

The hall had four doors, each pointing in a different direction: North, South, East, and West. What lay behind them remained a mystery.

"Xiu, which door do we pick?" Zhao Hao asked.

The two from behind the pillar emerged, relieved to see familiar faces. "So glad you guys are safe."

"Fang Xiu, lead the way."

Zhao Hao was taken aback. "Seriously? You two were hiding? You ran so fast earlier, and now you're asking Xiu to decide?"

The two just smiled awkwardly before looking at Fang Xiu expectantly.

Ignoring them, Fang Xiu checked the doors and said, "We'll just go one by one."

Zhao Hao and the others were shocked.

_'In this haunted place where every second counts, who has the time to test out all doors?'_

But before any protests could be raised, Fang Xiu was already striding toward the door on the west. The rest had no choice but to follow.

Suddenly, an inhuman scream filled the room, making everyone's hair stand on end. The ceiling shook, sounding like something was racing across it, making their hearts race faster in terror.

"It's the Specter! It's right behind us!"

"But how? Wang Ziteng and Wu Dahai held it off! How is it so fast?"

Fang Xiu quickly surmised that his earlier actions, attacking the Specter and taking the scalpel, had made it relentlessly pursue them.

"Move, NOW!"

Without hesitation, Fang Xiu yanked open the west door, charging through with the others close on his heels.

Beyond the door, to their astonishment, was a staircase spiraling upward. They sprinted up, driven by adrenaline.

Fang Xiu led the charge. Although his spiritual energy was drained, his heightened psychic abilities provided an extra push, making him surge ahead with incredible speed.

But the Specter was faster. The "doctor's" eerily elongated limbs propelled her upward at a frightening pace.

Within moments, she reached the top, overlooking the rest. But her focus was solely on Fang Xiu. Without warning, she lunged at him.

Caught off guard, Fang Xiu was tackled and pinned down. The "doctor's" stretched limbs felt like steel bands, rendering him immobile.

ROAR!

She snarled in anger, her mouth gaping wide, aiming for Fang Xiu's neck.

SPLASH!

A gush of red stained the floor.

And just like that, another round came to a tragic halt for Fang Xiu. "