Nightmare Paradise : Starting as a Doctor

Lynn and Alice exited the room and headed for the stairwell leading up. As they walked, Lynn kept his senses on high alert, ready to react to any threats.

The dim concrete stairwell lay before them, leading up into shadows. Lynn slowly ascended the steps, keeping his body angled to shield Alice. His eyes continuously scanned for movement as his sword remained raised. But the stairwell remained silent aside from their muted footsteps.

As they arrived at the closed door leading to the 6th floor, Lynn paused and exchanged a glance with Alice, who gave a wordless nod. Lynn's muscles tensed, ready to spring into action.

Slowly, Lynn pushed open the door. It swung open with a faint creak that echoed down the empty halls.

Lynn poked his head out cautiously, glancing left and right. The hallway appeared deserted, doors lining both sides at regular intervals. The fluorescent lights flickered erratically, creating an unsettling strobe effect. Lynn's senses strained, picking up no obvious signs of movement or noise. Still, he knew that could change in an instant.

"Stay behind me," Lynn whispered to Alice. "I'll take point."

With deft, silent steps, Lynn crept into the hallway, sword at the ready. Alice followed closely, crowbar gripped tightly in her hands. As she stepped forward, her eyes seemed to glow faintly, like embers flickering in a fire.

Lynn noticed the subtle shift in Alice's eyes. It seemed she was activating her ability again.

They moved steadily down the hall, hugging the wall. The flickering lights sent shadows dancing across their path. Each closed door was a potential threat.

After proceeding some distance, Alice whispered, "This floor seems to only have normal zombies so far."

Lynn nodded slightly but remained wary. "Let's stay sharp, there could be dangers lurking anywhere," he whispered back.

They continued their cautious advance down the hall. Reaching the first door, Lynn leaned in, pressing his ear against it. He could just make out faint shuffling noises coming from within.

Lynn stepped back and exchanged a glance with Alice, without uttering a single word, Alice responded with a silent nod.

In a single smooth motion, Lynn kicked the door open, the lock splintering under the force. As the door banged open, a zombie within stirred to life, emerging from the shadows with arms outstretched.

With practiced efficiency, Lynn ducked under the zombie's grasp and lopped off its head with a clean swipe. The body collapsed, head rolling away down the hall.

"Let's check these rooms one by one and eliminate every zombie on this floor before searching for clues," Alice whispered.

They continued in this fashion, with Lynn swiftly dispatching any zombies lurking behind closed doors while Alice watched his back. The process soon became routine - kick, slash, repeat. Lynn's sword flashed in precise arcs, felling zombies before they could react.

Before long, they had cleared all the zombies. Lynn's current strength has transformed what used to be a life-or-death struggle into a mere child's game. The sole threat presented by ordinary zombies now lies in their overwhelming numbers and the potential for infection.

However, the toll of constantly fighting and remaining vigilant was evident in Lynn's endurance. He was breathing harder, and a thin sheen of sweat coated his face.

Noticing this, Alice said, " Most of the zombies are dealt with, we can take a short break before searching for clues. There's an employee lounge area just ahead. "

Lynn nodded, appreciating the suggestion.

They slipped inside the deserted lounge, closing the door firmly. Lynn sank into a chair with a deep exhale, resting his sword across his knees. His muscles burned pleasantly from the exertion.

Alice tossed him a bottle of water from their supplies. "Not bad," she remarked. "You seem quite capable with that sword. Are you sure you are a doctor?"

Lynn paused, considering how much to reveal. "Let's just say circumstances have led me to develop some unexpected abilities. The medical knowledge and sword skills weren't gained through traditional means."

Alice studied him curiously but didn't pry further. She took a drink of water herself before speaking again.

"Now we can search this place thoroughly," she said, standing up. "There may be clues about what transpired here."

They ventured back into the hallway and began checking rooms methodically. As they searched, Lynn occasionally used his [Evaluation] skill on objects they found, in case anything useful turned up. But so far, only mundane office items.

"Let's check these rooms one by one," Alice whispered as they moved down the hall. "Look for anything that seems unusual or hidden. There may be clues about their research."

They continued forward, clearing each room, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Just typical offices and storage spaces. But as they reached the end of the hall, they arrived at an imposing set of double doors marked "Records Room." Exchanging a glance, Lynn and Alice entered cautiously.

The records room was dimly lit, with rows of tall filing cabinets lining the walls. A large desk occupied one corner of the room.

They began rifling through the desk drawers and cabinets, searching for anything that might shed light on the hospital's true function.

Most of the documents appeared mundane - budgets, schedules, patient records. But after nearly an hour of searching, Alice made a discovery.

"Take a look at this," she said, sliding a folder across the desk to Lynn.

Lynn's eyes widened as he scanned through the documents, his pulse quickening. The records detailed experimental treatments performed on patients with unusual conditions. Highly confidential stuff.

"These are records of patients involved in some highly confidential treatments," he realized. "Exactly what we're looking for."

For the next hour, they pored over the folder, piecing together what details they could. Though much information was redacted, there were references to experimental procedures, adverse reactions, and unexplained phenomena.

Lynn's mind raced as he tried to fit the clues together. This hospital had definitely been involved in strange activities targeting certain patients. Could the experiments here be the origin of the unexplained disease that had turned people into the undead?