Incubation

Su Chen advanced cautiously, his breath held in anticipation, as he closed in on the room. Despite his previous success in eliminating three elongated ghosts, he remained acutely aware that even the slightest misstep in a confrontation with these creatures could prove fatal.

With utmost care, Su Chen readied his warhammer and pistol, silently treading forward, mindful of every step. He pressed gently against the door, striving to avoid alerting the inhabitant within. Finally, he cast a cautious glance into the room, seeking to assess the situation.

As his eyes beheld the room's interior, Su Chen was instantly taken aback by the harrowing sight before him.

The once-typical 30 square meter bedroom now bore the gruesome marks of violence. Blood splattered across the walls, door, TV, and air conditioner, while a severed arm lay discarded near the entrance. At the far end of the room, an elongated ghost lay sprawled, its form enshrouded in a rapidly expanding, dark fluid. From within this viscous substance emerged another elongated ghost, roughly half the size of a human, appearing as if birthed by its predecessor.

Observing the unfolding scene, Su Chen discerned that the process of the elongated ghost's hatching was already halfway complete. The newborn entity, resembling a half-person in size, emerged from the expanding fluid, while the elongated ghost mother emitted a bone-chilling, low-pitched roar akin to a mournful wail.

This unexpected sight elicited a swift change in Su Chen's countenance, yet he also recognized the unique opportunity it presented. Dispensing with any pretense of concealment, he strode forth from the doorway, fully committed to executing the tactics he had devised. Seizing his gravity warhammer, he hurled it towards the creatures.

Caught within the bizarre state of incubation and breeding, the elongated ghost was sluggish and unable to evade Su Chen's assault. Conscious of preserving his precious ammunition, Su Chen relied on his less-refined throwing skills, successfully toppling the creature to the ground with the force of his gravity warhammer. Swiftly closing in, he administered a fatal shot to its head with his magic pistol.

However, in that very instant, a tearing sound rent the air as the half-emerged elongated ghost convulsed and snapped, yet remained tenacious in its vitality. Emitting a piercing cry, it surged towards Su Chen, driven by a relentless desire to end his life.

Responding with unwavering resolve, Su Chen unleashed a powerful gunshot, aimed directly at the creature. With the blade-like foot of the half-emerged elongated ghost mere centimeters away from Su Chen's face, he deftly pivoted and directed his firearm, delivering a shot that instantly eradicated the creature.

Breathing deeply, Su Chen steeled himself against the overwhelming stench of blood and the distinct odor emanating from the elongated ghost. Lowering his body, he commenced the extraction of energy units from the deceased entities.

Su Chen had successfully hunted and slain one and a half elongated ghosts, thereby securing one and a half energy units. He grasped the efficiency of this method, realizing that hunting and eliminating these creatures proved far more expedient than conventional, gradual training methods.

After meticulously tidying the area, Su Chen proceeded forward, his intent fixed on descending to the first floor for further investigation. He knew he needed to leave this place sooner or later, whether to gather additional energy units or to escape entirely, and understood that he would ultimately have to confront the elongated ghost residing on the first floor to achieve his objectives.

Emerging from the room, Su Chen caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure observing him from the depths of the sixth floor. However, the figure swiftly retreated upon meeting Su Chen's gaze, resembling a startled rabbit darting away.

It appeared that other survivors were concealed within the hotel, seeking refuge from the horrors that lurked within its walls. Yet, Su Chen paid no heed to the figure, resolute in his purpose as he tightened his grip on his pistol and embarked on his descent. Navigating through dimly lit corridors, he relied on the faint illumination seeping in from outside and the faint green glow of the safe passage.

Aware of the elongated ghosts' sensitivity to light, Su Chen refrained from using a flashlight on the first floor, mindful of the peril of attracting their attention. He understood the grave danger that would ensue if the creatures were to swarm him.

As Su Chen descended the staircase, an unsettling silence descended upon the atmosphere, as though both humans and monsters had vanished into thin air. This eerie stillness hinted at the probability of the monsters lurking somewhere downstairs, forcing the hiding survivors into utter silence.

Upon reaching the first floor, Su Chen's sharp eyes discerned that all the safety passage doors were concealed, their handles smeared with large, coagulated bloodstains. Exercising caution, he gingerly nudged the safety passage door forward, taking a step back as it slid open, carried by the force of inertia.

Holding his breath, Su Chen fixed his gaze upon the abyss-like darkness beyond the door, poised for any sign of movement. Yet, the yawning void offered nothing but an impenetrable veil of darkness.

The illumination on the first floor appeared dimmer than before, momentarily giving Su Chen pause. However, his determination remained resolute as he took a tentative step forward into the inky unknown.

As he traversed a lengthy corridor, Su Chen finally arrived at the central main entrance hall. The expansive hotel lobby, spanning several hundred square meters, was faintly bathed in feeble light emanating from outside. Within this ethereal glow, Su Chen discerned the figures of three elongated ghosts, each prowling roughly ten meters apart from one another within the lobby's expanse.

Recalling the astonishing swiftness with which the elongated ghosts could traverse space, Su Chen realized that the ten-meter gap between them was an inconsequential barrier.

Calculating his options with precision, Su Chen contemplated his next course of action. With three elongated ghosts present, he surmised that a surprise attack might enable him to neutralize one of the creatures swiftly. This would effectively reduce the number of adversaries he would face simultaneously to two. His stratagem involved momentarily stunning one of the creatures with his gravity hammer, while directing a precise shot from his pistol towards the other, dispatching it with efficiency. This would allow him to focus his efforts on eliminating the remaining creature, ensuring that he confronted only one monster at a time.

However, a crucial prerequisite needed to be met—an unwavering accuracy in both the throwing of his warhammer and the execution of his shots.

Clad with the weight of eighteen bullets in his arms, Su Chen contemplated his options, his instincts urging him to take immediate action against the trio of elongated ghosts in the lobby. However, a moment of hesitation overcame him, prompting a calculated decision to explore alternative areas of the first floor. His aim was to secure a more advantageous position from which to engage the formidable adversaries.

As fate would have it, Su Chen's cautious approach proved fortuitous. While investigating, he stumbled upon a disconcerting revelation—two additional elongated ghosts had entrenched themselves in the nearby bathroom. Had he succumbed to impulsivity and confronted the three creatures in the lobby, the two from the bathroom would have inevitably joined the fray, increasing the number of enemies from a dozen to a daunting total of five.

A sense of gratitude welled within Su Chen, directed towards the fat man whose information had instilled greater caution and awareness of the dangers he faced. Retreating silently from the lobby, he charted a course towards the rear of the hotel, ultimately discovering an ajar iron door.

Approaching the door, Su Chen's gaze alighted upon a tall, emaciated figure, hauntingly reminiscent of a ghost, wandering near the entrance. With each step, the figure emitted a somber sound that echoed through the air. The ground before him was strewn with the remains of countless scattered corpses and fragments, bearing witness to the desperate attempts of numerous individuals to break free from this area, where the concentration of monsters was evidently fewer.

The ground itself was shrouded in a thick layer of putrid, decaying flesh, extending in all directions, a testament to the gruesome fate that awaited those who fell prey to the elongated ghosts.

Through keen observation, Su Chen had discerned the harrowing truth—the elongated ghosts ravaged humanity for sustenance. Their myriad of sharp appendages facilitated the easy dismemberment of their victims, with a particular penchant for devouring internal organs and rending torsos asunder. These macabre acts suggested a peculiar deficiency within their enigmatic forms, a desperate craving for these vital components.

The elongated ghosts' feet, resembling wicked blades, proved formidable weapons that rendered conventional armor and weaponry futile. Even knives held no sway against their resilient forms. Only by boldly rushing forward and severing their heads could they be defeated, yet the task remained seemingly insurmountable. Before one could even draw close enough to attempt such a feat, they would be mercilessly torn apart by the deadly, blade-like feet of the elongated ghosts.

With threats lurking both ahead and behind, Su Chen astutely recognized that his survival hinged upon leveraging the first-floor windows. His observations had revealed the presence of anti-theft bars, which likely explained why the fat man had been compelled to seek refuge on the upper floors.

With a resolute plan in mind, Su Chen readied his weapon, preparing to take a calculated shot. To him, the solitary elongated ghost before him was akin to a gift bestowed upon his doorstep.

However, his intentions were abruptly interrupted by a commotion originating from the corridor on the opposite side of the hotel. A disoriented group of individuals burst forth in a frenzied panic, their hurried footsteps resounding throughout the hall as they clamored towards the rear exit, desperately wielding flashlights to illuminate their path.