My ‘Healing’ Game
Chapter 232: Meat Factory

Chapter 232: Chapter 232: Meat Factory

After severing the Bone Chopper, Han Fei’s Boning Knife underwent a very noticeable change. The cracks on the blade lessened, and the aura it exuded became even colder and more sinister.

"This is an Evil Saber that will bite back at its owner, wrapped in thick Hatred, not something just anyone can control."

The majority of people would not use such a knife; in a life-and-death struggle, a split second’s hesitation could prove fatal.

If, at a crucial moment, the knife you trust the most malfunctions, the consequences could be deadly.

Han Fei didn’t particularly want to use the knife, but he didn’t have other options.

Pocketing the Boning Knife and the One-Eyed Pig-faced Monster’s mask, Han Fei grasped the stick Xu Qin had given him, attempting to use the system to identify the pig heart pierced by the twig.

"Pig Heart Soaked in Blood: This is a dish made by Master-level culinary skills, with various special ingredients added. The creator’s cooking skills must have had a recent breakthrough, making the food she prepares even more delicious. After consumption, there is a 60% chance of being Cursed, a 35% chance of accelerating physical recovery, and a 5% chance of triggering an unknown reaction."

"The thing Xu Qin gave is really good," Han Fei felt he had a tacit understanding with Xu Qin; consuming her cooking might lead to a Curse, but his Luck Value was very high, so normally, the chances of being Cursed were low.

Pocketing the pig heart into his item bar, Han Fei turned his head and saw that Xu Qin still hadn’t come out of the old house.

"Xu Qin?"

Looking at the Pig-faced Mask chopped up by Xu Qin on the ground, Han Fei suddenly realized something, and with the Black Giant Python, he hurriedly ran towards the nearby old manor.

The wooden door was half-opened, and inside the courtyard, there were bloodstains everywhere, as if stepping into a blood-colored world.

Walls, trees, knife marks could be seen everywhere; a fierce battle had taken place in this yard.

"It seems that Xu Qin must have completely lost control once. When I was tracking the One-eyed Pig-faced Monster, I could hear the sound of chewing and swallowing. Xu Qin only indulges in rampant eating when out of control."

Following the path washed by blood into the hall, on the back wall of the room was written a line in blood—every Butcher is chasing me, follow me and you will die. Head south, do not look back.

Han Fei searched the house but couldn’t find Xu Qin. He looked at the blood writing on the wall; the handwriting was identical to the one Xu Qin had left on her door on the fifth floor.

"Is Xu Qin afraid of getting me involved? What on earth did she do, why are all the Monsters chasing her?"

Xu Qin might have had her own considerations; the very fact she never returned to Happiness Residental Community already suggested a problem.

"The Blood Fog drifted over from the north of Beast Alley. Xu Qin is telling me to go south, which means the north side must be the most dangerous area of Beast Alley." Han Fei had partly entered the Beast Alley to change his profession, seeking the Hidden Profession of Midnight Butcher. Thus, he had to go to the Butcher’s house, which was at the very northern end of Beast Alley.

"Now that most Butchers are chasing after Xu Qin, it presents an opportunity for me. I can only help her if I quickly transition to the Midnight Butcher. Good thing I returned the Dinner Knife to her earlier; her Curse has become whole again, and she should be able to survive this ordeal."

Without rushing to leave, Han Fei waited until he could exit the game freely before stepping out of the old house.

"If you encounter danger, just focus on saving yourself; don’t worry about me." Han Fei patted the Black Giant Python’s head. Ever since that encounter with Xu Qin, the Black Giant Python had seemed somewhat downcast, seemingly because Xu Qin didn’t recognize it: "You’ve changed quite a bit now; it’s normal she didn’t recognize you."

Let alone Xu Qin, even the system failed to identify what this "Black Giant Python" really was.

Han Fei was now just one step away from acquiring the Hidden Profession, and he didn’t want to give up just like that. Taking advantage of his ability to exit the game freely, it was a good time to explore further. Besides, he also wanted to clarify what exactly happened to Xu Qin and why she would wear that Pig-faced Mask.

"The system had warned me to remember to wear a mask if I were to enter the Butcher’s house. Could it be that Xu Qin had previously entered the Butcher’s house?"

"I also overheard the barber and the owner talking about ’Butcher’ at the dumpling restaurant. Although that barber hasn’t turned into a Pig-faced Monster, he seemed to be working for the Pig-faced Monsters, helping them hunt something."

Clues in his mind emerged, and after careful recollection, Han Fei came up with a conjecture: "Pig-faced Monsters, barbers, including Xu Qin, they all seem to be looking for someone."

Now accustomed to Beast Alley, Han Fei wanted to understand what had happened here; he not only wanted to become the Midnight Butcher but also wanted to see for himself the twisted world within the Spider’s heart.

"Spider and Butterfly are mortal enemies; only by meeting the Spider can I understand the Butterfly better and know the Butterfly’s weaknesses."

After adjusting his state, Han Fei entered the Blood Fog.

The closer he got to the north, the thicker the Blood Fog became.

Corpses and various torn clothes were piled in the corner, and items stained with blood could be seen everywhere.

"What a crazy place."

Inside the Blood Fog, the number of Pig-faced Monsters clearly increased. Dominated by hunger, wielding all sorts of knives, breathing heavily, with bloodshot eyes, they roamed the alleys.

Compared to the Monsters on the periphery, those here were stronger and crazier, yet Han Fei noticed something strange.

Although the Pig-faced Monsters seemingly lacked any sense of reason, upon encountering a living person, they would not choose to kill immediately.

They tended to torture their prey until nearly dead, and then they would drag the barely alive bodies deeper into the Blood Fog.

Han Fei had seen more than once a Pig-faced Monster dragging a living person. Their sense of self felt completely dominated by something, enduring the urge to feast, yet having to deliver the prey to a certain place.

This contradictory behavior caught Han Fei’s attention. Relying on his ability to exit the game, he directly followed behind a certain Pig-faced Monster.

The strong stench of blood in the Blood Fog masked Han Fei’s own scent. Coupled with the Passive Ability of Hide-and-Seek and his cautious character, the Monster had not detected Han Fei so far.

Having passed through several alleys, Han Fei had memorized the route he had come by, ready to retreat if absolutely necessary.

The blood fog had grown even denser, and, strangely enough, in such a terrifying place, the screams of living people could still be heard constantly, as if even in the most desperate places, some were still fighting with all their might to survive.

"Just how many living people are still in Beast Alley?"

The narrow alley gradually widened, and Han Fei followed the pig-faced monster for a full half-hour before the scene before him finally changed.

At the end of the alley, Han Fei saw a huge meat processing plant!

If the alleys filled with bodies and trash were likened to blood vessels, then the Meat Factory was like the heart of Beast Alley, with the enveloping blood fog emanating from the depths of the Meat Factory.

Unconsciously stopping in his tracks, Han Fei found that when facing the Meat Factory, all sorts of desires within him were stirred, and the worst memories all emerged, crowding into his mind.

It seemed as though a voice from within the Meat Factory was tempting him, urging him to let go of the inhibitions in his heart and allow his beastly nature to take over his body.

"Xinhu North Suburb Meat Factory?"

Upon discovering the Meat Factory, Han Fei immediately looked around. In reality, the residential courtyard for the families living at the Spider’s Meat Factory was right next to it, and logically, in the Deep World, the Butcher’s house should also be nearby.

His vision was blocked by the blood fog, and Han Fei couldn’t see too far; there were also no other paths to take.

After hesitating for a moment, he slipped secretly into the Meat Factory.

As soon as he entered, Han Fei was so overwhelmed by the smell of blood that he nearly suffocated. The entire interior of the Meat Factory was red, and walking within it felt like walking at the bottom of the Blood Sea.

In reality, the Meat Factory is short for the joint meat processing plant, which, apart from slaughtering livestock, also integrates the production of fresh chilled meat, cooked meat products, meat development, and cold storage and transportation.

What Han Fei did not expect was that the Meat Factory in the Deep World was no worse than the one in reality, with those pig-faced monsters displaying a pathological level of obsession with meat.

The only difference here from reality was the reversal of status between humans and livestock.

With just a brief glance, Han Fei’s heart clenched tightly, and the discomfort made it hard for him to breathe.

Blood Silk floated down before his eyes, and Han Fei witnessed the most terrifying scene since he entered the Deep World, his mind involuntarily flashing back to a blood-colored night from his childhood.

Something deep in his mind began to loosen, but at that moment, Han Fei was unaware of these stirrings; he instinctively wanted to leave this place.

"This is not a Meat Factory; this is Hell itself."

Controlling one’s emotions is a basic skill for actors, but even with Master-level acting, it took Han Fei a long time to barely control his emotions.

Taking a deep breath, Han Fei knew he couldn’t stay in one place. He forced himself to take a step forward.

At this point, he was merely standing near the entrance. The deeper parts of the Meat Factory were the most terrifying places, with screams echoing continuously and the blood fog also drifting from there.

Moving toward the depths of the Meat Factory, Han Fei dared not touch anything there.

When he reached the middle of the Meat Factory, the Black Giant Python suddenly issued a warning, frantically pulling Han Fei to run back, but it seemed to be a bit too late.

Heavy footsteps began to sound in the previously empty Meat Factory, and one after another, ferocious shadows emerged from the depths. It seemed they had just finished some kind of ritual, and all the pig-faced masks on their faces showed satisfied smiles.

"So many monsters?"

The number of monsters inside the Meat Factory far exceeded Han Fei’s expectations, and it was a bit too late to think about hiding now.

He quickly retreated, and as he passed by a sewage discharge channel, the iron grate beneath him suddenly made a noise.

Han Fei looked down and saw a small boy in the sewer, waving his hands frantically.

"Wang Sheng?"

The boy in the ditch was the child he had rescued before.

Without hesitation, Han Fei opened the loose grate, crawled into the channel, and then put the grate back in place.

His clothes soaked with blood and filth, he and the boy he had previously saved lay in the sewage, daring not to move a muscle.

The footsteps grew closer; the monsters in the blood fog stepped on the somewhat loose grate as they passed by, the hunger-driven creatures failing to notice Han Fei and the small boy.

His outerwear dampened by the mingled blood and filth, enduring the pungent stench and the smell of blood, Han Fei slowly moved his body.

Once the footsteps had receded, Han Fei looked out through the gaps in the grate, noticing that the pig-faced monsters seemed to be starting another round of hunting.

The filthy, foul-smelling channel became a lifesaver, and Han Fei was in no rush to escape.

He shifted slightly to look at the small boy, making sure there were no monsters around before daring to speak, "How did you end up here?"