Chapter 2: I Can Load Saves!

The third week had arrived.

By now, she had more or less adapted to living inside this room. Even though she still had to remain cautious in every small action she took, the overall feeling was undeniably more comfortable than when she had been living in the basement before.

At the very least, the bed here was soft and did not feel cold or rigid beneath her body. The meals she was given were also quite good, far better than anything she had previously eaten in that underground place. The room itself was noticeably larger than before, giving her more space to move around, and the lighting was bright and sufficient, no longer dim or oppressive like it used to be.

However, despite these improvements in her living conditions, Ying Su’s escape plan had made absolutely no progress at all. Over the past few days, Doctor Anna would occasionally come by, ask her a few routine or research-related questions, and then leave again in a hurry, as if she had no time to spare.

Even so, Ying Su had at least managed to obtain a few books. Combined with the bits of information she had gathered through her conversations with Ms. Roland over the past several days, she had barely managed to piece together a vague and incomplete understanding of the world she was in.

First of all, this world appeared to be very peaceful on the surface. There were many different organizations that existed specifically to maintain global safety and stability. Their role was to detain, contain, or eliminate those terrifying entities and phenomena that had the potential to interfere with or harm normal human reality.

At the same time, these strange and unusual things were not simply destroyed without thought. Many of them possessed research value, and under certain conditions, they could even be studied and utilized.

For example, Ying Su herself was one such case.

Doctor Anna was the one directly responsible for overseeing her, acting as her handler. However, based on recent interactions, it seemed clear that Anna would not have much time to personally interact with her for the foreseeable future.

“Alright, Ying Su, that concludes today’s lesson,” Ms. Roland said in a gentle and kindly tone.

“Goodbye, Ms. Roland,” Ying Su responded politely.

Roland then turned and opened the door, preparing to leave the room. Meanwhile, Ying Su remained seated on the sofa, quietly watching her.

There was nothing else she could do. She had already observed how the system worked. The room was secured with a double-door mechanism. After Roland exited and locked the inner door, she would need to submit a report or request. Only after that process was completed would the second door be allowed to open.

And that second door was not an ordinary door. It was an extremely heavy valve-like barrier. Ying Su doubted that even explosives would be enough to force it open.

Each time those doors shut, it felt as though they were not only sealing the room, but also sealing away her hope of ever escaping.

“Looks like I’ll never be able to get out of here for the rest of my life…”

Boom—!

A violent explosion-like sound suddenly rang out, so loud that it seemed to make the ceiling tremble slightly.

“Stay hidden!” Ms. Roland shouted immediately. At the same time, she pulled a gun out from her pocket, and the gentle warmth in her eyes instantly sharpened into something cold and focused.

Someone who was allowed to enter this place to teach could never be an ordinary person. Roland was, in fact, a retired high-level agent of the containment facility, someone who had dealt with countless dangerous situations and was extremely experienced in handling crises.

Click—!

The heavy valve door suddenly opened. However, Roland had not submitted any request for it to open. This meant that something was clearly wrong.

Then she noticed something even worse—the door on the opposite side had also opened. From it, a dog with only half of its body remaining came running out.

In that instant, Roland understood the severity of the situation. All of the valve doors had been opened simultaneously. This was no longer a normal accident. Something far more serious had occurred.

All containment units within Area A were classified as E-grade safety zones. Even if containment failed within this area, the consequences would usually not be catastrophic. At worst, it would cause temporary chaos and disorder.

But Roland’s concern was not limited to Area A.

What if other, more dangerous areas had also been opened?

Faced with that possibility, Roland made her decision without hesitation.

She stepped backward into the room and shut the door firmly behind her.

“Ms. Roland?” Ying Su asked, her curiosity rising. Had something happened outside?

“It’s just a small situation. There’s no need to worry,” Roland replied with a reassuring smile.

Boom—!

Another loud crash echoed through the facility. The smile on Roland’s face stiffened slightly, but she did not change her decision. There was no doubt that this room was currently the safest place available. Going outside under these circumstances would be extremely unwise. All she could do now was hope that the situation would be resolved quickly.

However, reality did not unfold according to her hopes.

From within the inner room, a sound like an explosion suddenly erupted. Immediately afterward, a large amount of red liquid burst outward, splashing violently and churning thickly as it spread.

Roland froze for a brief moment, then turned and ran without hesitation.

Ying Su had not even had time to process what was happening before Roland had already sprinted out of the room. It was difficult to imagine that someone of her age could move with such speed.

“What is this… is it blood?” Ying Su muttered, still unable to fully understand the situation.

Then she noticed something crucial—Roland had not closed the door.

This was her opportunity.

Just as Ying Su was about to dash toward the exit, a sudden sound came from behind her.

The thick, viscous blood-like substance seemed almost alive. It surged upward and lunged directly toward her.

“W-wait—glub—glub—!”

It felt as if she had been plunged into an endless ocean, her body completely submerged, unable to breathe or escape.

Very quickly, after struggling and suffocating in panic, Ying Su stopped moving entirely.

…

'Error… system error… CCB Save System activated.'

'Current save point: one.'

'Remaining loads: eight.'

“Hah… ha… ha…” Ying Su’s eyes snapped open wide as she gasped for air.

“What’s wrong?”

The red-haired woman standing in front of her—Doctor Anna—looked at her with a slight frown. Ying Su’s behavior resembled that of someone who had only just learned how to breathe, which was clearly abnormal.

If anything unexpected were to happen, Anna would immediately call for assistance to restrain her.

“I… I’m fine…” Ying Su said, pressing a hand against her head.

Just now… she had died.

There was no doubt about it.

And then, somehow, she had returned.

She had loaded back.

So this was her ability?

From the wording alone, the meaning was straightforward and easy to understand. There did not appear to be any unnecessary complications or hidden conditions attached to it.

“I’ll arrange for another physical examination for you later,” Doctor Anna said. “Is there anything you need?”

“Just a few books. Not children’s fairy tales,” Ying Su replied.

“I understand.”

With that, Doctor Anna ended the conversation and left immediately.

However, Ying Su could not calm her thoughts.

After experiencing something as terrifying as drowning—something that felt like torture—and knowing that she might have to endure similar experiences again, it was impossible to remain at ease.

First, the kind and gentle Ms. Roland could not be trusted. If she were truly reliable, she would have taken Ying Su with her when she ran earlier.

Second, the room itself was not safe. That red liquid was clearly something dangerous and abnormal.

At the very least, it posed a serious threat to Ying Su.

Still, there was one piece of good news.

She now had a chance to escape.

After a long period of waiting,

Finally, once again, after saying goodbye to Roland, a loud impact echoed through the room.

Boom—!

“Stay hidden!” Roland shouted just like before, drawing her gun and heading outside to investigate.

But this time, Ying Su had no intention of obediently staying inside the room.

When Roland instinctively retreated after realizing that the valve doors had opened, she noticed Ying Su already standing near the doorway.

“What’s wrong, Ying Su?” she asked.

“In the bathroom… I think there’s something inside…” Ying Su said, deliberately putting on a frightened expression.

“I understand.” Roland raised her gun and moved cautiously in that direction. “It’s dangerous outside. Don’t run around.”

“Mm… I understand…” Ying Su nodded obediently.

Then, the moment she saw a trace of red emerging from the bathroom, she immediately turned and sprinted out of the room without hesitation.

Gunshots rang out behind her, followed by screams.

“Only an idiot wouldn’t run!”

Ying Su ran wildly through the corridor. Along the way, she encountered all sorts of bizarre and unsettling things—a dog with only half its body, a billiard ball with eyes, a bouncing anime-style body pillow, and even a parrot that was reciting the news aloud.

“Professor Spencer’s scientific forum on October seventh has contributed greatly to promoting scientific and cultural exchange among young people…”

“His tremendous contributions to the field of pedagogy are admirable. He is a person worthy of deep respect…”

“Enough!” Ying Su reached up and grabbed the parrot that was chattering endlessly above her head.

The parrot seemed to freeze momentarily in her grip, as if it had glitched, before suddenly speaking again in a gentle tone:

“Ah… I love you, my dear. You are so beautiful, so pure…”

“Ugh, who would ever say something like that to a parrot?!”