I’m Really Scared
Chapter 58: Health Bar Rave

Guan Shan felt his hand grasping an exceptionally hot and soft object.

This thing was covered by a membranous structure, feeling like a water-filled balloon, extremely resilient but also very easy to deform under pressure.

When he applied force with his fingers, he could clearly feel the strong pulsations inside, almost like a heartbeat.

However, this thing was much smoother and more regular than a heart, and the closer he got to the core, the higher the temperature it emitted.

The moment Guan Shan’s fingers completely closed, the rubber-like membrane reached its maximum resistance, the rebounding force stretched to the limit, even now making Guan Shan feel the strain.

If it had been him without using the blood vial, he would surely have been unable to continue at this point.

But the blood vial’s substantial strength boost, along with the passive power gained from killing all the minor and elite monsters before, made Guan Shan feel his strength had almost doubled.

“Glug glug glug...”

The humanoid liquid monster thrashed like water shaking inside a bottle, morphing into various bizarre shapes in extreme pain, its “hands” grabbing Guan Shan’s arm, desperately trying to stop him.

All the “Yellow Springs” surged over, completely submerging Guan Shan. The terrifying heat and damage first poured onto the shield created by [Immovable as a Mountain].

However, even after the health boost, Guan Shan's health was only 1551, and the shield bar was drained in the blink of an eye.

Next, the destruction was directed at Guan Shan’s body.

These liquids almost instantly corroded most of his body, but the [Strong Healing Potions] took effect, regenerating flesh, and quickly reconstructing muscles and bones, only to be consumed again by the liquids.

Destruction, rebirth, destruction, rebirth...

Guan Shan's health bar fluctuated between 0 and 1551, maintaining a dynamic balance.

It was almost like a rave.

Guan Shan didn't notice that after several reconstructions, his bones and flesh mixed with a scorching color resembling red-hot steel.

Parts of his back's skin turned into something like cracked scorched earth, or fiery scales, no longer easily eroded by Yellow Springs, even emitting similar heat, with the range continuously expanding.

However, this was just a drop in the bucket.

The seemingly endless Stagnant Water from the Yellow Springs kept surging, while the [Damaged Blood Vial] lasted only 3 seconds, and [Strong Healing Potions] had only one bottle left.

“But—3 seconds, is enough!”

Amid the constant destruction and rebirth, Guan Shan's consciousness focused on one thought, crush it! “Pop!”

As the last second was about to end, the membrane reached its limit and burst in Guan Shan's hand!

Simultaneously, the struggling and contorted humanoid shape paused for a moment, then like a boiling kettle, it suddenly expanded and exploded, splashing everywhere.

“Boom—”

The terrifying temperature, high enough to vaporize Guan Shan's fingers, erupted from the center, causing the acidic liquid to explode as well, a massive force pushing Guan Shan outward to the perimeter.

Following this, from the center, mineral-like crystals spread out, solidifying the liquid.

“Holy—!”

Guan Shan quickly used the last potion, then fell heavily to the ground, rolling twice.

Although the fall stunned him a bit, he immediately checked his health bar.

“?”

Guan Shan was surprised, finding his health bar untouched.

It even recovered to about 60% thanks to the potion.

He thought for a moment and calmed down: “Oh right... In horror games, falling from heights usually doesn’t cost health, ha, worried for nothing.”

Guan Shan saw the [EXP +5900] prompt in his view, finally breathing a sigh of relief, lying down on the ground, watching the settlement prompts start to flood the screen.

[Final BOSS killed]

[Breakthrough mission completed]

[Level cap unlocked]

[Health cap unlocked]

[lv.10→lv.12]

[Current EXP: 16214/30000]

[Current health: 2935/2935]

[Simulation ending, this scene will be destroyed soon, please exit promptly]

[Countdown: 00:59]

“Damn! This simulator! Experience required per level increases by 10000 after level 10! Wdnmd!”

Guan Shan was dumbfounded, raising his middle finger at the simulator in defiance.

No wonder the experience wasn’t enough to level up directly, he thought it would be like a rocket ride!

But it turned out the simulator had it all figured out, never letting him have it easy!

“I may be human, but you’re truly a dog!”

——

“Hello? Ye'zi? What happened? Wait... did those molten iron flows just extinguish?!”

Gao Ye, dazed, ignored the voice in her earpiece.

She stared at the now-cooled iron covered ironworks, resembling a postmodern abstract art piece, in stunned silence.

Even though the battlefield had calmed down, it still exuded terrifying residual heat, steam hovering in the air, and the ground around the factory remained semi-molten.

It mirrored her heartbeat that hadn’t calmed down, still in a tense and excited state.

This was just... just... too shocking! She couldn’t imagine that the man had really inserted his hand into molten iron over two thousand degrees, and then was submerged by the ball-shaped dome of iron.

No matter how mysterious she thought the man was, she believed he was undoubtedly dead.

But seconds later, a burst of light exploded from the dome’s center, followed by an explosion.

Gao Ye was ready to fight again, her earpiece redialed, but the molten iron rapidly cooled and finally calmed down...

Gao Ye was dumbfounded.

This meant Guan Shan successfully killed the experiment body! But... even so, he must be severely injured.

Thinking of this, Gao Ye, usually indifferent, found her eyes moistening.

Then Guan Shan rolled out of the center, cursing, with all limbs intact, not even his clothes torn, stopping her tears, leaving deeper shock and astonishment.

Gao Ye, stunned, said: “He did it...”

“?”

“He directly engaged the Esper, in nearly boiling iron... and killed him.”

“!”

On the other side of the earpiece, the entire Unit You was shocked into silence.

Xia Lei reacted first, asking, “Is he hurt? Bring him for treatment!”

Gao Ye snapped back, but looking at Guan Shan’s previous spot, found it empty.

She looked around blankly: “Where is he?”

Only the solidified iron around, due to excessive impurities, fragile, gradually weathering in the cooling night wind, turning into dust...