Chapter 148 - 148 Patients

Words : 1229 Updated : Sep 17th, 2025

148: Patients 148: Patients Evil spirits from rumors were utilized as tools. The first-generation Demon Slayers were, in many senses, legendary beings as terrifying and powerful as evil spirits themselves. After several generations of improvements, the Sanity Value test evolved into two forms: written and physical. The former assessed mental state, requiring only that one sit at a table, answer some questions, and then wait for an evaluation. The latter determined the threshold of Sanity Value, necessitating contact with those bizarre entities. Most existing Demon Slayer organizations adopted the former method, needing only to ensure the mental state of new members was stable. The latter was common among tightly knit organizations, such as the Night Watch. “You already know what Sanity Value is used for, now for the second thing I need to tell you: why Sanity Value is needed.” The initial Demon Slayers had a tough time dealing with the bizarre phenomena of the world, even though Einstein had already proposed the theory of Sanity Value. Because no one knew what was affecting them, most events were resolved as follows: the Demon Slayer rushed to the bizarre location, the Demon Slayer resolved the weirdness, the Demon Slayer went mad. Gradually, they began to understand that these oddities were like sources of contagion, getting too close to them could drive one mad. They began to realize when whispers started faintly echoing around them, they were nearing their breaking point. They began to understand that not all oddities were the same. It was a branch extending from an evil ancient tree radiating malicious vibes. It was an era built on life, gradually dispelling the fog step by step. This exploration continued until Einstein perfected the theory of Sanity Value and successfully created the Sanity Value test. The Demon Slayers could finally systematically understand their physical condition, taking time to rest or retire—undoubtedly keeping the Demon Slayer legacy burning continuously. However, fundamentally, human living conditions hadn’t improved—the Demon Slayers still hadn’t found a real solution to these ever-emerging oddities. Sanity Value still decreased after contact with oddities, and this decrease was nearly irreversible. Demon Slayers who reached the critical point of Sanity Value needed a long period to recuperate. It was indifferent to your emotions—no matter who you were, your personality, it treated everyone equally. This was utterly despairing. When a lone boat navigated the sea, and the weary survivor finally had a torch to dispel the surrounding fog, raising it high only to realize the tentacles he had been struggling against were merely one of a huge outline, with thousands more hidden around. The story that followed did not concern Sanity Value, Joel continued only to avoid ending the explanation too abruptly. The third generation of Demon Slayer organizations split into Demon Slayers and Exorcists. Dispersed, they established their organizations or remained solitary. Demon Slayers handled bizarre incidents ensuring regional stability. Exorcists dealt with ghost incidents, protecting the safety of ordinary people. Joel stared at Lu Li, “That’s why there is such a saying, the more you know, the quicker you die.” “What happens when Sanity Value decreases?” Lu Li promptly asked, as if he had prepared the question. “Initially, it’s auditory hallucinations; you need to be careful when you start hearing whispering sounds around you, as you’re nearing the critical point. Then come the visual hallucinations; you’ll start seeing projections from the Inner World, observable even without an Illusion-Breaking Candle. Should I explain what the Inner World and Illusion-Breaking... Oh, it seems you know, good. Then it gets worse, you’ll realize the projections from the Inner World can sense you, beginning to move toward your location—” Joel abruptly stopped, not continuing, as fear in his eyes caused a fluctuation in his Sanity Value, but he continued speaking. “Most people go mad at this stage. What happens beyond that seems unknown, much like how no one knows what exists thousands of meters below the deep sea.” Lu Li seemed thoughtful. The Sanity Value Joel spoke about was not much related to the door but somehow matched the Spirit-Calling Gun to some extent. The decrease in Sanity Value and the side effects of the Spirit-Calling Gun perfectly matched. So when Lu Li took off the gun holster from his waist and placed it on the table, admiration appeared in Joel’s eyes, “Yes, the standard equipment of Exorcists and Demon Slayers; a Homogeneous Item with strange attributes—it will also reduce your Sanity Value.” In this respect, Lu Li was ahead of Hades. Hades only knew that prolonged contact with the Flintlock Pistol would cause one to fall into the Inner World, but he did not understand why. Lu Li put away the Flintlock Pistol, “Where should I go to test my Sanity Value status?” “Head to the organization of Exorcists and Demon Slayers, or join the Night Watchers.” Joel had a good impression of Lu Li, which was why he spoke so much. However, Joel didn’t intend to waste more time. He left his seat and walked over to the door, pulling open the office door to call Deputy Chief Valentine. The two spoke quietly at the door, then turned their heads to look at Lu Li inside the office, “Let’s go and see those victims.” The three walked into the interior of the Police Station, where a door leading to the basement was wide open. Joel walked down the steps and noticed Valentine still behind him, tilting his head curiously, “Are you coming down with us too?” Valentine’s chubby face trembled, seemingly making this decision with difficulty, “They are my subordinates; I can’t just ignore them.” “Then come along,” Joel nodded, took the gas lamp handed to him by an officer next to the iron door, and continued downward. Although the Police Station had electricity, it did not mean it could be used freely, especially in the basement used for detaining prisoners. As the three descended the stairs, wails echoed, softly seeping in from the damp corridor ahead. “Try not to interact with them, and don’t listen carefully to their murmurs; it will affect your Sanity Value,” Joel remembered something and warned the two without turning back. “Why keep them here?” Lu Li asked. Joel sighed, “We wouldn’t wish to, but this place is sufficiently hidden and enclosed.” Having descended the final steps, countless hysterical shouts crowded together, echoing in the cramped space, as if one were in hell. These patients screamed tirelessly, veins throbbing on their foreheads, faces contorted. Joel looked at the shadowy figures fixed on stretchers behind the iron bars, glanced at Valentine with a pale regretful face who followed down, and said somewhat mockingly, “This is what we constantly face. Otherwise, why do you think my rank as an ordinary member of the Night Watchers is higher than yours?” He then looked at Lu Li, “You’re very composed, and most importantly, smart. Because you understand what needs to be known and what should be avoided. Are you interested in joining us?” “No...” The voice stopped. Lu Li’s eyes, through the iron bars, landed on a patient struggling like a fish out of water. Perhaps out of sympathy, or perhaps to leave a way out for himself marked by the door, Lu Li changed his words. “Not for now.”

Chapter 148 - 148 Patients

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