Abyss Game: I am covered with cheats

"Doctor Piero… Piero again and again… Piero… This can't possibly be the same person, right?"

Xu Tong rubbed his forehead and opened the diary in his hand, examining its contents.

Much of the content was tedious and repetitive, mostly related to patients, with very little about Doctor Piero himself.

From the diary's contents, one could glimpse what Doctor Piero's daily life was like—a life completely filled with work.

Xu Tong's brain filtered out most of the meaningless, uninformative content, only remembering the significant parts.

"XX Month XX Day. Today, a patient came to the clinic. His condition wasn't a difficult or complicated case, and it was easy to solve. However, he was very talkative; even after being anesthetized, he still couldn't stop his mouth from chattering.

"He asked me a very interesting question. He asked why I treat everyone equally. I'm the only clinic in Qingcheng, and no one's medical skills are better than mine. If I were to charge high prices, no one would dare to object.

"I hesitated for a moment and gave him an answer, saying that I simply wanted everyone to be free from the torment of illness. As for the fees, they were just a way to subsidize the cost of medicines.

"The patient just smiled and said that if things continued in this vicious cycle, I would eventually be unable to bear it. After his treatment, he paid a large sum of money. Although I tried to decline, there was no way to stop his enthusiasm.

"I used this large sum of money to purchase more advanced and abundant medical equipment, so that I could help more people."

——

"XX Month XX Day. The supply of medical alcohol is exhausted. Today, I went to restock, but I heard that the prices of all medical supplies in Qingcheng have risen sharply recently. I looked at my wallet. Although most patients paid the corresponding price, compared to the increase in inventory prices, it could only be described as a drop in the bucket.

"Back at the clinic, I saw a mother holding a child coming for treatment. I prescribed the corresponding medicine for her, but the mother looked at the bill and fell into deep thought.

"She asked me to prescribe some weaker but cheaper medicines, as their family was not wealthy and could not afford so many drug expenses.

"This time, I was silent. After a few seconds, I smiled and said that the medicine could be discounted today and would not cost as much as before.

"The mother immediately smiled. Seeing the patients and their families suffering, I also believed that I had not done anything wrong."

——

"XX Month XX Day. The reserve of medicines is severely insufficient. The price increase has far exceeded my expectations. Next, there are only two paths in front of me. One is to increase the cost of consultations and medicines and refuse credit. Every patient must pay the price of each consultation, without any exceptions.

"The second path is to close down completely, and there will be no more Qingcheng Clinic from then on.

"That night, I struggled with my thoughts for a long time, but the facts were already in front of me. I began to seriously consider what the talkative patient had said to me that day.

"My dream is to help everyone get rid of the torment of illness, but reality slapped me hard in the face. It demanded that I either abandon everyone and never help others get rid of illness again; or, I could only help a portion of people, helping those who could afford to pay to get rid of illness.

"I knew that once I chose the second path, perhaps… more terrible things would be waiting for me, but I had no choice.

"Even if I can only help a portion of people, I still want to help others."

——

"XX Month XX Day. The new charging rules have had initial effects. I finally have the financial strength to buy the medicines and medical equipment that originally only required low prices. The Qingcheng Clinic has regained its former vitality.

"But, I also sometimes watch helplessly as those patients who cannot afford the price wander in front of the clinic, and finally leave disappointedly facing the price list."

"I was originally a little haggard, but looking at the increasing amount on the financial statements, my originally haggard body suddenly glowed with vitality.

"Just like the originally lifeless Qingcheng Clinic, it began to reappear with its former glory.

"At this moment, I realized that a terrible desire was growing in my heart, and it had even begun to break through my own psychological defenses little by little.

"Perhaps, I am also sick.

"I began to treat myself, listing myself as Patient Zero, but I did not find any way to treat it.

"Once desire is generated, it will not stop.

"Desire will not be satisfied either. The more you try to satisfy desire, the more terrifying desires will be born.

"The only thing I can do is one thing.

"That is to peel off my conscience that has not yet been contaminated, and peel off the desire from my body as well.

"I don't know who will gain the upper hand, but I know that my original intention was only to save people who were tormented by pain.

"Whoever sees my diary, if you confirm that I am still alive, then please help me.

"If I have become a monster completely swallowed by desire, then please just kill me."

——

Xu Tong finished reading the entire diary. This time, even without his brain deliberately going into overdrive, Xu Tong himself could sort out the core content of this副本 (dungeon/instance).

The so-called Patient Zero, that is, the heart held by Xu Tong in his hand, is the conscience belonging to Doctor Piero.

And locked in the office is the desire that grew out of Doctor Piero's heart.

The conscience is locked in the underworld depths of the morgue, while desire occupies the office at the height of paradise.

Only Piero, who has lost his conscience and desire, and is still driven by his instincts, is still taking care of and consulting patients in the "human" height of the inpatient department.

"Interesting," Xu Tong took out Doctor Piero's conscience from his inventory. "So you are the conscience. I thought it was a heart, and I wanted to find out who was missing a heart in the hospital."

Now Xu Tong finally understood why Doctor Piero would appear in front of him in such an ugly posture. Without conscience and desire, people cannot control their state, and that is why they appear like this.

When he finished reading the diary and sorted out the logic within, the main quest in Xu Tong's vision finally ushered in a new change.

「Main Quest Updated: Kill Doctor Piero and his Desire」