Chapter 2936: The IV Drip of Destiny

When Fu Qian returned to the Full Moon Garden, the flowers beneath his feet were swaying much more violently than before.

Despite looking a bit dilapidated, this special clinic had surprisingly remained quite intact through the turbulence.

Even the moon overhead looked unchanged.

It certainly lived up to his earlier, somewhat absurd praise—the garden truly acted as the Sea-Calming Divine Needle of the Bottom Layer of the Dream.

The only noticeable damage was a collapsed corner of the outer wall, leaving the outermost door slightly ajar.

This wasn't entirely a bad thing. Now anyone returning from a side quest wouldn't have to commit the faux pas of jumping the wall.

Not to mention, just before stepping through the door, he could hear a softly hummed tune from inside.

Smooth and leisurely; Fu Qian instantly recognized the voice as belonging to the old doctor, that reverse racist.

Not only had he stayed put, but he was actually in a rather relaxed mood?

This display of kept promises brought Fu Qian a wave of relief; he hadn't hauled the gathered medicine back for nothing.

Even more gratifying, the old doctor had specifically chosen a familiar tune.

That's right. The hoarse voice humming from inside was singing that apocalyptic tune he had heard more than once before. The Ash Sea and Lake, the Deity Burial Ground, and even the Underground Ruins of the Blind Eye Society...

Sure enough, he didn't disappoint. The old doctor really did seem to have an extraordinary background.

Knock, knock!

Fu Qian politely reached out and knocked before turning sideways to step through the stone gate into the garden.

...

The quack was still there.

He hadn't misheard. The little tune really was coming from the old doctor.

The man hadn't just stayed—he had found a spot to sit on the wooden porch, his sickle casually tossed aside. His demeanor was even more leisurely than his tune.

"Did you get it?"

It was obvious, however, that Fu Qian's knock had surprised him a bit.

He didn't stand, but the tune came to an abrupt halt as he looked over thoughtfully.

"I got it," Fu Qian said honestly, fishing out the Blood Collection Bottle he had carried all the way back.

He casually walked up and sat down right next to the old doctor.

"It's full... Not bad."

The old doctor narrowed his eyes at Fu Qian for a few seconds before reaching out to take it.

As he inspected it, he showed a hint of genuine amazement, as if Fu Qian had overachieved on the task.

His overall movements were just a bit strange. Not only did he open the bottle to sniff it, but he also solemnly swirled it around to check how the liquid clung to the glass, making one worry he might down it in one gulp.

"I was pretty lucky. I just happened to run into a new arrival when I got there."

Fu Qian evidently didn't think much of the praise, casually waving a hand.

As for the "new arrival," he was naturally referring to Annalise No. 31, who had just happened to crawl out right then.

Theoretically, that was precisely why the very first bottle he had swallowed was so easily obtained.

"That is indeed pretty lucky."

This was where one could tell if someone had really spent time in the trenches. The old doctor didn't find Fu Qian's reasoning bizarre at all; on the contrary, he deeply agreed. In the end, he refrained from pouring the bottle's contents into his mouth. After securely plugging it back up, he pointed toward the front of the courtyard.

"So you still can't see her?"

...

"Still can't."

He truly had a knack for picking at scabs. Fu Qian sighed.

The old doctor was, of course, pointing at Serana, who had taken the werewolf's place and was kneeling there to worship the moon.

Unfortunately, he had checked the moment he arrived, and the spot remained completely empty to him.

He had thought there might be a breakthrough after this round of bonding, especially with the effects of the Artificial Progeny Specification.

It proved that the effect of his inspiration dropping to zero still trumped everything else; he was still unable to see the "formless entity."

"Strange... So you aren't the one who caused the commotion outside?"

Given his candor, the old doctor was also somewhat surprised by this.

Judging by his tone, the old doctor had indeed not only noticed the abnormality at the Bottom Layer of the Dream, but had long since locked onto a suspect.

"That really was me," Fu Qian said. "I burned a trench out by the Nightmare Borderland."

Fu Qian was open and aboveboard about it, offering no evasions.

"No wonder it's so unstable—but don't worry, I won't die anytime soon."

The old doctor let out an "oh." His emotions still weren't particularly intense, and he even comforted Fu Qian in return.

It was just that this phrasing...

Weren't they just discussing how this place had been ravaged? Was it a given that he would live and die with the Bottom Layer of the Dream?

"How soon is 'anytime soon'?" Fu Qian asked casually.

"Long enough to finish your IV drip."

The old doctor's words were almost enough to bring tears to one's eyes, making one want to overlook the fact that he was practicing medicine without a license.

"Thank you very much, but the problem is I've already taken it orally."

Being moved was one thing, but a double dose was a major issue. Fu Qian sighed softly and confessed.

...

"Then why did you come back?"

He finally showed a little surprise, but the old doctor wasn't questioning Fu Qian's history of drug exposure; rather, he was questioning his choices afterward.

"First, I took your medicine bottle. Second, I was very curious about your medical skills... Why did you originally think this place should be a clinic?"

Fu Qian pointed at the bottle in the other man's hand and asked a rather profound question.

According to the old doctor, he had scavenged all the medical equipment inside the house himself, meaning this place absolutely didn't have to be a medical facility to begin with.

"...Have you ever had a dream?"

If he were a more suspicious person, he could easily have taken Fu Qian's words as questioning his medical qualifications.

However, the old doctor remained open-minded. He merely frowned before suddenly tossing a question back.

"Of course."

"Then, when you're dreaming, do you ever get the feeling that the moment you open your eyes, you immediately know what you're supposed to do?"

...

Interesting. It actually made some sense.

The Mechanical King of the Abandoned Prison might not have much experience with the situation the old doctor described, but Fu Qian, as an ordinary human, could clearly empathize with that subtle sensation.

It didn't matter how bizarre a dream was, or if it eventually scared you awake.

The moment you entered the dream, you would adopt your role completely naturally—getting into character in a single second.

So for the old doctor, did entering this place feel like a dream?

And his mission within this dream was to give a blood transfusion to an outsider?

Gathering a house full of that equipment wasn't a sudden whim, but rather him interpreting the theme of this dream?

"But you just said you were going to die."

Understanding was one thing, but Fu Qian still quickly zeroed in on the contradiction in the old doctor's words.

If it felt so much like a dream, shouldn't a collapsing dream just mean waking up?

"Heh, you don't understand. Waking up means death to me... Time is running out. Are you sure you don't want treatment?"

Unfortunately, after being normal for just a brief moment, the old doctor started speaking in riddles again, merely offering a friendly reminder to hurry up.

"No need. But you can give my share of the transfusion to her."

Sighing inwardly, Fu Qian wasn't swayed by this display of friendship. He simply jutted his chin toward the spot where the werewolf had once been.