Chapter 161 Jishi Medical University: Two Updates Combined
Without Professor Frankenstein, the biggest of the group, the entire waiting area seemed much more spacious.
Noticing Yu Naixin's gaze, the banyan tree spirit youth also looked over.
He stared at Yu Naixin without saying a word, and then, seemingly knowing that he had to bring this female guest with him, he walked over and extended his right hand to Yu Naixin.
His movements were somewhat restrained.
The banyan tree spirit seemed to be about to say something, but his lips moved slightly and he didn't utter a single word.
Yu Naixin's body finally relaxed a bit. Seeing the young banyan tree spirit's tense and embarrassed appearance, she also relaxed a lot.
Yu Naixin let out two heavy breaths and gently placed her right hand on the hand extended by the banyan tree spirit youth.
His movements were also somewhat restrained.
The banyan tree spirit glanced at the two hands, which were barely overlapping and barely touching, and a hint of doubt and surprise flashed in his eyes, which were half covered by his bangs.
Having been a guest on "Heartbeat 1000%" for so long, this is the first time he has met a guest on the show who is even more socially anxious than himself.
The waiting area was running out of time for them. The young banyan tree spirit knew very well that if they continued to waste time like this, he and the female guest would be swept into the fragmented and terrifying abyss of gray fog.
Seeing that he couldn't rely on this female guest, the young man from the banyan tree spirit had no choice but to bite the bullet and take the initiative. He grabbed Yu Naixin's hand and pulled her toward the road leading to his home turf behind the gray fog.
Yu Naixin was very cooperative, letting the banyan tree spirit youth take her away without uttering a single word.
The two silently and quickly passed through the gray fog. When the surrounding scenery changed and they officially entered the program venue, Yu Naixin looked down and glanced at the sky out of the corner of her eye. It was the same sky as when she first entered the venue during her last simulation, which was around 5 or 6 pm on the first day of this instance program.
Yu Naixin has almost deciphered the spiritual power coefficient of the young banyan tree spirit in the Frankenstein's monster memory fragments. It is slightly lower than that of the Frankenstein's monster, at 252, which is about twice the spiritual power coefficient of Yu Naixin.
Yu Naixin didn't let her crush the Frankenstein Professor in the previous simulation make her overconfident about her own strength. She knew that in a head-on confrontation, she would definitely lose whether facing the Frankenstein Professor or the Banyan Tree Spirit Youth, so she had to act cautiously.
Since she was so "inseparable" from the banyan tree spirit youth, Yu Naixin did not risk releasing the priest's folding fan and paper dog as usual.
This time, Yu Naixin arrived at a place that was not the street she had been to before, but under a huge banyan tree next to the laboratory building.
Countless brown aerial roots hang down from the canopy of the banyan tree, forming a strange scene in this sizable area that resembles both a rain curtain and a jungle.
These roots, of varying thicknesses, cleverly avoided the banyan tree spirit youth, not falling on him, as if servants automatically yielding to their master.
The banyan tree spirit youth reacted quickly, and with a slight movement of his hand, the aerial roots that had landed on Yu Naixin obediently moved aside to ensure that Yu Naixin would not be touched by them.
Noticing that the aerial roots that had been hanging over her head and shoulders had moved, Yu Naixin was stunned for a moment. She looked to both sides and then realized what had happened. She glanced at the banyan tree spirit youth with a mix of shyness and gratitude before quickly lowering her head again.
At the same time, Yu Naixin's hand, which was being held by the banyan tree spirit youth, unconsciously moved her fingers and gently hooked the youth's hand.
Banyan Tree Spirit Youth: "..."
The banyan tree spirit youth's body stiffened for a moment because of Yu Naixin's action. He lowered his eyelids to look at the top of Yu Naixin's head and pursed his lips.
The two remained silent to each other, but the atmosphere subtly shifted without a sound.
[!! The Great Demon King is streaming!]
[Oh my god, it feels like it's been ages since I've seen Little Witch's live stream! I'm so glad to see her again!]
[The "Big Boss" did indeed have a longer break this time, but the last dungeon run was too time-consuming and mentally exhausting for her, so a good rest is necessary.]
The newly opened live stream room was flooded with long-time viewers who had followed Yu Naixin before, and the comments in the front row were not much different from those in the previous simulation.
However, the footage shown in the live stream was completely different from the previous simulation. Soon, the viewers noticed the specific situation of the two guests on the screen.
[Wow! The little witch actually interacted with the guest characters right from the start?!]
[The little witch is still holding hands, looking shy and nervous! Is she going to take a gentler approach this time to "discipline" that guest?! I can't wait!]
[I don't know, but facing the Butter Flower Monk and the Headless Stone Buddha—well, I've decided to call him the Headless Stone Buddha—even the Great Demon King didn't put on such a powerful performance. He always interacted with the two male guests with the most genuine attitude. This male guest called the Banyan Tree Spirit Youth can't possibly be in the same situation as those two male guests.]
[In the entire history of "Heartbeat 1000%", there probably won't be another "Xiawei Temple" like this. To be honest, I even suspect that if it weren't for the arrival of the "Great Demon King," "Xiawei Temple" would still remain unopened. If any guest who wasn't the "Great Demon King" had participated in this episode, there would have been too many irreparable regrets.]
The veteran viewers all reacted in unison to Yu Naixin's portrayal of vulnerability, recognizing at a glance that she was faking it.
[This is so rare! I was prepared to open the live stream and find the Great Demon King somewhere else all by himself. After all, judging from the basic information, this "Jishi Medical University" episode is just an ordinary episode, but the Great Demon King will definitely make it extraordinary.]
[I'm also quite surprised. How did the "Big Boss" end up in such a normal segment of the show? Could it be that "Heartbeat 1000%" finally had a change of heart and let her relax a little?]
[Why does this male guest seem a bit awkward? Is a seasoned actor now acting opposite the little witch?]
Long-time viewers were generally unaware of any information about "Jishi Medical University," and could only type question marks in the live stream chat while watching the situation unfold.
Yu Naixin held hands with the banyan tree spirit for a while in silence before suddenly snapping out of her daze and hastily pulling her hand back.
Midway through, he even accidentally and randomly traced the palm of the banyan tree spirit youth with the tip of his index finger.
Banyan Tree Spirit Youth: "..."
He felt a slight itch in his palm, which vanished in an instant.
Feeling flustered, Yu Naixin nervously fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Mustering her courage, she stammered to the young man resembling a banyan tree, "I...I don't know how I got matched into this dungeon show..."
"I'm just a guest who participated in three dungeon shows and just got out of being a newbie... The Summoning Pill only gave me 10 points of spiritual power..."
“I can sense that the spiritual energy emanating from you and the other male guest is very strong, on a completely different level from the male guests I've encountered before… I'm definitely no match for you, but I really want to survive!…”
Yu Naixin's eyes reddened, and her voice trembled with sobs: "I want to live... I know what you need from the show's guests is spiritual power and flesh and blood. I... I'm willing to give up some of those for you, as long as you don't hurt my vital organs, so that I can still survive to end this episode when I'm on the verge of death..."
She shakily raised her head, forcing herself to look directly into the eyes of the banyan tree spirit youth: "Please? I beg you..."
A single, glistening tear slid down Yu Naixin's deathly pale cheek.
The pear blossoms, wet with rain, are a sight to behold.
“That Frankenstein professor is terrifying…” Yu Naixin choked up, “I feel uncontrollably terrified whenever I see him, and I want to run as far away as possible, but you are different…”
"The moment I saw you, I knew you weren't the kind of bloodthirsty, brutal guest. Even in this hellish place like 'Heartbeat 1000%,' where people are forced to eat each other, there's still something you're holding onto..."
Yu Naixin's words were a mixture of truth and falsehood, making it impossible for people to distinguish between them.
She had indeed only participated in three dungeon shows, and according to the rules of the show's system, she should have been able to obtain the Summoning Pill from the system shop after the three dungeon shows ended, and only then would she have spiritual power.
However, perceiving the spiritual power coefficient of others is a technical skill. Yu Naixin has only met one person, the Butter Flower Monk, who is quite professional in this regard. The other guests in the dungeon can only sense it roughly. Those with higher spiritual power coefficients are more sensitive to it.
With Yu Naixin intentionally manipulating her spiritual power to conceal her true spiritual power coefficient, and the banyan tree spirit youth's spiritual power coefficient not being significantly different from hers, he could only sense Yu Naixin's spiritual power coefficient of only about ten points.
Yu Naixin's statement that she could sense that the Frankenstein's monster professor and the young banyan tree spirit possessed spiritual power far exceeding that of ordinary guests in the episode was also a prelude to her later remarks criticizing the Frankenstein's monster professor and praising the young banyan tree spirit. This left the young banyan tree spirit with a consistent impression – she was not without strengths, and her perception was extraordinary.
The fact that he then voluntarily sacrificed some of his spiritual power and flesh to save his life made his speech all the more sincere and heartfelt.
As for speaking ill of the Stitched Professor in front of the Banyan Tree Spirit Youth, it must have struck a chord with the young man. The "things she held dear" wasn't just Yu Naixin's casual flattery; there was indeed a clue in the Stitched Professor's memory fragments.
As expected, after Yu Naixin's performance, the young banyan tree spirit's expression changed slightly, clearly indicating that Yu Naixin had hit a nerve with him on one or more points.
However, this time, no expert viewers in the live stream noticed these undercurrents and offered explanations for the other viewers.
The reason is simple: the long-time viewers who followed Yu Naixin are focused on how she will outmaneuver the villain by pretending to be weak. They don't care much about the process, since their "big devil" and "little devil" will handle everything flawlessly. They just want to see the final result.
Meanwhile, the increasing number of viewers who frequently checked the title section in the live stream didn't recognize Yu Naixin at all and had no idea that she was acting.
The number of viewers in these titled sections far exceeds that of the older viewers who know Yu Naixin. Their typing speed and number of words in the bullet comments also far exceed those of other viewers, taking up the entire screen of the live stream. As a result, very few people can be educated by the older viewers that Yu Naixin is just teasing the young people who are like banyan trees.
Just like in the last simulation, they were amazed that a new person had finally arrived in the title area, and they were also impressed by Yu Naixin's appearance and title. Only then did they realize that something was wrong.
[Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute! This female guest is from the title zone, how come she says she's only participated in three dungeon shows?! And her title is "Radiant Spirit"! She can't possibly be this delicate and weak, can she?! Does she really need to offer up her spiritual power and flesh to the dungeon guests to beg for their mercy and spare her life?!]
This route has been taken by many TV guests before, collectively known as the "sacrifice strategy," and its ultimate result has been proven countless times: at best, it only allows for temporary survival.
[Leaving aside whether the dungeon guest who obtained part of the show's guests' flesh and spiritual power will honor the agreement not to completely possess the dying guests, even if they clear the dungeon this way, they won't get any rewards and will be punished by the production team for slacking off, without even the most basic 10 points of spiritual power. The guests' own strength won't improve at all, but the difficulty of the dungeon won't decrease. Sooner or later, they'll encounter a dungeon guest who will devour them, leading to certain death.]
[...Uh, so this "Yao Ling" is probably deliberately feigning weakness, right? Otherwise, I'd suspect that "Heartbeat 1000%" has some major bug again—what kind of show gives a guest with a sacrificial element the title "Yao Ling"!]
Although the process was a little convoluted, the viewers in the title area were quite intelligent and quickly figured out the truth.
Inside the live stream, the scene had progressed to the point where Yu Naixin stood silently in front of the banyan tree spirit youth, letting the blade scrape her.
Yu Naixin closed her eyes, her long eyelashes, stained with tears, trembling uneasily like a butterfly struggling in its death throes. She tilted her head back at the young banyan tree spirit, revealing her fair and fragile throat, waiting for his hand to stain it with warm, blood-red.
Banyan Tree Spirit Youth: "..."
The young banyan tree spirit pursed his lips tightly, lowered his eyelids, and said the first words they had exchanged during this simulation: "...You can go now."
"Leave here and head towards where there are more people."
The banyan tree spirit glanced at the adjacent laboratory building and emphasized, "Don't go near this building."
Yu Naixin opened her eyes in disbelief, opened her mouth as if to ask something, but only saw the banyan tree spirit youth turn around and disappear into the trunk of the banyan tree.
She stood there stunned for a moment before finally realizing that the banyan tree spirit had spared her, and a look of relief and joy appeared on her pale face.
Yu Naixin was about to instinctively turn and run away, but then she remembered something, bowed earnestly to the trunk of the banyan tree, whispered "thank you," and then hurriedly left.
[Holy crap?! Did this "Yao Ling" watch "Jishi Medical University" before? She actually knows that banyan tree spirits respond better to gentle persuasion than force?! Or did she just stumble upon it by accident?]
[This female guest has passed the first round. As long as she doesn't do anything reckless, she should be able to survive for two or three days in the show. From the fourth day onwards, the "Frankenstein's monster" will be able to move freely.]
Is this "Yao Ling" really just acting weak? Her acting is just too good! I'm starting to wonder if she's really that bad at the game, with such poor mental fortitude and strength, that she had to resort to a sacrifice-based strategy to clear the game...
[To be honest, the young man from the banyan tree isn't bad at acting. If someone didn't know better, they might actually be fooled by his performance, thinking he still has some conscience.]
[Hahahaha, indeed, the banyan tree spirit only conveyed two meanings: one, to prevent "Yao Ling" from getting close to the rival, the Frankenstein's monster's home turf; and two, to temporarily refrain from killing "Yao Ling." However, in reality, he didn't even give "Yao Ling" four minutes of safe time. He kept all the crucial information tightly under wraps. If "Yao Ling" were to develop even the slightest trust in him because of this so-called "life-saving grace," she would be finished, just waiting to be killed by the banyan tree spirit later.]
[After all, the lower the resistance of the show's guests, the more spiritual energy the dungeon guests can absorb. Anyway, "Yao Ling" seems harmless, so gaining some of "Yao Ling's" favor is a sure win for the banyan tree spirit youth. The Frankenstein's monster professor was restricted from leaving for the first three days, so the banyan tree spirit youth will definitely gain more by hunting "Yao Ling" later.]
While pretending to be unfamiliar with the place and carefully looking for areas with many NPCs, Yu Naixin also casually opened the system screen and browsed the live stream chat without affecting her acting skills.
Once they reached the title area, they were able to obtain more information. Yu Naixin also learned for the first time that the dungeon guests needed to "get used to" the show guests so that the taste and effect would be better when they ate it in the end.
After all, in most of the episodes of "Heartbeat 1000%", the guests on both sides use all sorts of tricks and schemes to plot against each other. The strength of the show guests and the episode guests are also matched. It is rare for one side to completely overwhelm the other.
Even in the worst-case scenario, the guests on the show can risk everything to escape with the various perks offered by the production team.
In these situations, if the guest from the same episode manages to capture the guest from the show, they will devour them as quickly as possible, giving the prey no chance to fight back or escape. More importantly, they must prevent competitors from the same episode from stealing the guest's prize.
In other words, this episode of "Jishi Medical University" no longer met the above conditions due to Yu Naixin's actions. Since the banyan tree spirit youth had a choice, he naturally wanted to eat in the way that was most beneficial to him.
After scrolling through the comments, Yu Naixin finally found the sports field where the NPCs were gathered after taking some detours.
Then, Yu Naixin walked from the sports field to the dormitory building in the direction where the crowd was increasing. Following the procedure of "Jishi Medical University", she met her roommate Lin Yuting again. Lin Yuting explained various basic information to her and led her to dormitory 201.
The first night of this simulated entry into the dungeon was passed without any major incidents.
Yu Naixin seemed quite frightened by what had happened before. After returning to the dormitory and finding no danger, she became listless, climbed onto her bed, covered her head and body with the blanket, and curled up into a ball inside.
Lin Yuting kindly asked, "Naixin, would you like me to get you some takeout from the cafeteria?" Yu Naixin didn't peek out from under the covers, but mumbled, "No need."
After that, Yu Naixin lay motionless on the bed until the dormitory lights went out, and then until dawn the next day.
[...The more I look at it, the more I feel that this "Yao Ling" is genuinely timid and not just pretending.]
[I feel the same way... The dorm is so far from the lab building, even if they wanted to act weak in front of the two guest stars, they wouldn't need to be acting so diligently here, would they?]
[She even refused the takeout her roommate, an NPC, brought her! My goodness, when I was in school, if my roommate was willing to make a trip to bring me takeout, I would have immediately called her "thank you, Mom!"]
[Everything in the lounge, from food and clothing to supplies, costs Sweet Coins. Now that they've finally arrived at a special episode where they can buy food with the money their character comes with, most guests would have already eaten and drunk their fill to take advantage of the episode's perks and get themselves into top form. But she actually seems to have no appetite at all!]
[Yao Ling didn't even go to the bathroom... Isn't this a complete PTSD stress reaction from "Heartbeat 1000%"?!]
Amid the confusion and suspicion of the audience in the title area, the second day of "Jishi Medical University" began with Lin Yuting's alarm clock.
Lin Yuting, still looking half-asleep, changed her clothes and got out of bed. She didn't forget to wake her two roommates up for class. Li Yuanyuan, who had been quiet since returning last night, followed Lin Yuting out of bed.
It wasn't until Lin Yuting came to Yu Naixin's bed with some concern, gently tapped on the bed railing, and asked, "Naixin, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?" that Yu Naixin reluctantly pulled her head out from under the covers, mumbled a reply, and slowly got out of bed.
Li Yuanyuan left after packing up. Lin Yuting waited for Yu Naixin, had breakfast with her in the cafeteria, and then took her to their classroom.
Last time, during the simulation, Yu Naixin didn't show any passive behavior at all, so I didn't really notice it. But this time, I realized that her roommate NPC is really a responsible and caring person.
The shortest route from the cafeteria to the teaching building involves crossing the bridge that is likely related to the third guest from the story. Yu Naixin, with Lin Yuting holding her hand, didn't glance at the bridge or the water below.
Yu Naixin's main purpose in this simulation was not to decipher the code.
She has two experiments she wants to conduct, one of which is to determine the effectiveness of the two skills related to her "Yao Ling" title.
The title's bonus effects apply to Yu Naixin herself, while the two title skills, "Popular Guest" and "Sweeping Harvester," apply to the guests she faces in the dungeons.
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