Chosen: Beyond Fate

On Ji Jue’s first day of work, he bullied a senior colleague in the department. The second thing he did was shoot a co-worker. The third thing he did was strip a senior colleague’s clothes.

Tong Hua was overwhelmed. For a moment, she didn’t even know whether she should be shocked or terrified.

Is this really how you’re supposed to use Flawless Craft? You weren’t interested in me, so you’ve suddenly started making moves on men?

There was no reason for her to be shocked anymore, because Ji Jue turned around and lunged at her. Just as she was still hesitating over whether to resist or scream, Ji Jue raised her arms and dressed her in the white lab coat he just took from the nearby corpse.

The office door opened. Outside stood a figure stitched together from countless mutilated corpses.

Mr. Qian’s lips still carried that exaggerated smile, but for some unknown reason, several winding streaks of blood had appeared on his face, slowly trickling downward. His pitch-black eyes swept across the office before settling on Ji Jue and Tong Hua, who were standing close together. After a slight narrowing of his gaze, his smile seemed to become one of satisfaction.

“Newcomers helping and supporting one another. Good, very good. Qualified doctors must learn to work as a team and help each other move forward. You’re well-groomed as well. It seems you’ve both shown the hospital rules the respect they deserve. Good, very good. I’m sure you’ll become excellent doctors!”

Without pausing, Ji Jue fastened the last button on Tong Hua’s lab coat. “Thank you for the encouragement. May I ask what instructions you have for us?”

“It’s time for rounds.” Mr. Qian handed over a clipboard covered with densely packed bed numbers and brief case notes. “A doctor must engage with patients and understand their condition. How can you sit around doing nothing in the office? Even though you’re newcomers, you should still have the enthusiasm to shoulder important responsibilities. I’ll entrust today’s rounds to the two of you.”

Remembering the hospital wards they had passed and those hungry, staring eyes, Tong Hua instinctively opened her mouth to say something, but Ji Jue pressed a palm over her lips.

“Understood,” he answered in her stead with stirring enthusiasm.

Tong Hua closed her eyes in despair. Now everything was truly over. Even though she knew there was no way to refuse an assignment from the department director, she still felt completely hopeless.

Mr. Qian turned around and looked at Zhao Zhou’s vacant, lifeless remains. The smile vanished from his face instantly, and his face twisted ferociously.

“You’re improperly dressed during working hours. You’re not even wearing a lab coat. This is the fourth violation of hospital regulations. You’re fired.”

The puppet let out one last deafening, agonized scream as nauseating chewing sounds echoed through the office. There were no visible fangs or gaping jaws, yet some invisible mouth devoured the remains from inside out with terrifying speed, consuming everything. Not even a single drop of blood was left behind.

In just a few seconds, the empty shell left behind by the dead Chosen One had vanished completely. Only Mr. Qian remained, wiping the corner of his mouth in satisfaction. He turned back and flashed a wide grin at Ji Jue and Tong Hua.

“Do your best.” With that, he turned and left, his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Tong Hua collapsed into a chair, gasping for breath, unable to get back up. No matter how dense she was, she understood that if Ji Jue hadn’t given her the lab coat, she would have paid a terrible price.

But even if they had escaped one disaster, another was still waiting ahead! Just thinking about those grotesque patients, those hospital beds in the obstetrics and gynecology ward steeped in stench and blood, and those huge mouths drooling at the sight of her...

I’m going to die! This time I’m definitely going to die!

“What are you standing there for?” Ji Jue asked, pointing toward the cabinet in the corner and the bookshelf. “Go gather everything related to ward rounds, then sort it, copy it, and compile it into a record book for me. You can make a record book, right?”

Tong Hua glared at him. “Who are you looking down on?”

It was like asking a three-year-old whether they knew how to open their mouth and eat, or asking an Ember apprentice if they knew what a furnace was. Making and preserving record books was a signature skill of the Aether Path.

Even though different legacies produced different levels of quality and detail, the difference was huge. A mediocre Aether Chosen One could only imprint something like a photo through memory transcription, while a truly powerful one could make others feel as if they were personally there, fully immersed in it.

The Tong family had a similar legacy. Tong Hua simply flicked her fingers across the bookshelf and cabinet, and all the records were neatly organized in a flash, including all patient and illness records from the past five years, as well as the ward round logs and all related documents.

“Do you want a version that can be immediately absorbed and understood?” Tong Hua asked.

Ji Jue’s eyes lit up. “You can do that? You’ve got that kind of ability?”

Just looking at his almost overly sweet gaze made Tong Hua instantly realize what he was thinking.

“It has limits. Most people can’t endure it or remember it properly. Side effects may include headaches. And you’re not an Aether Chosen One, so once the memory is transferred, it won’t last long. It’ll fade quickly. In short, don’t think you can rely on this to outcompete people.”

Ji Jue couldn’t help shaking his head. What a waste. If you were useful, I would have crowned you the most loyal grind assistant.

Tong Hua flew into a rage. “Hey! Did you just click your tongue at me again?!”

Ji Jue looked over with an innocent expression. “Huh? No, I didn’t. What do you mean ‘again’?”

Tong Hua rolled her eyes in annoyance and smacked him on the forehead. A thin, drifting outline resembling a page flashed by.

Ji Jue’s vision went black. In less than half a second, tens of thousands of words of records were forcefully shoved into his head. As soon as they appeared in his mind, everything was laid out in perfect detail, clear as day.

Ji Jue nodded. It seemed like this airheaded young lady actually had some use beyond crying and screaming. He picked up the clipboard and waved her over. “Alright, let’s go. Stop dawdling. Being late for more than ten minutes counts as a violation.”

The door opened, and the ward rounds began.

In the corridor, the lights flickered. Footsteps echoed as cries of agony sounded in the background. The patients and family members who had seemed on the verge of death or actually dead just moments ago suddenly opened their eyes and stared straight at the two residents. Some of them even lunged forward, wailing as they grabbed at Ji Jue’s clothes.

“Doctor, doctor, I’m in so much pain. Can you take a look at me? I really feel awful...”

Those eyes that held a look of desperate hunger didn’t look away from him at all. Ji Jue mercilessly slapped the patient’s hand and shoved it aside.

“If it hurts, then scream. If you’re suffering, endure it. If you can’t endure it, go register for an appointment and visit whichever department you’re supposed to. You’re not my patient, so why are you looking for me?”

Tong Hua drew a sharp breath. She saw a flash of hostility appear in the patient’s eyes, but instead of pouncing on them, the patient hesitated for only a moment before backing away.

“Make a note of it,” Ji Jue said, turning at her. “Refusing a patient’s unreasonable demands doesn’t violate hospital regulations. But I suspect those regulations don’t have much power over the patients.”

Tong Hua shrank back. “If they don’t care to follow the rules, aren’t you afraid they’ll attack you?”

“You can just call security, can’t you?” Ji Jue glanced at the shadows lurking in the corners of the hallway. “Based on what we’ve figured out so far, we’re probably not allowed to attack patients if they don’t attack us first. But if a patient starts it... Hmm. I’ll find a couple guys to test that later. No rush. For now, let’s figure out a way to earn some money. Otherwise, we won’t even be able to pay the fines.”

“Money? Where are we supposed to get money from?”

Ji Jue grinned, pushed open the door to the maternity ward, and pointed at the rows of beds inside. “Isn’t all this money right here?”

Sometimes, once you stop worrying about your conscience, making money becomes a lot easier.

Grinning from ear to ear, he turned on the light switch by the door. The flickering lights came on, illuminating the entire ward.

A wave of putrid stench washed over them. The bloodstains smeared across the walls seemed all the more vividly crimson in the bright light. On the hospital beds, pairs of eyes snapped open at once and turned toward them. Even the family members sitting beside the beds began unconsciously licking their lips and swallowing.

The same craving appeared on every misshapen, mutilated face. Their malice was so pure that it felt like needles stabbing ‌Tong Hua’s face. Her face twitched uncontrollably, and breathing became difficult. As an Aether Chosen One, her senses were far too sharp. In that moment, she could almost feel countless jaws tearing into her flesh and chewing her apart. She nearly cried out in shock.

Ji Jue slapped her on the back, snapping her out of her daze. He casually walked into the ward with his hands behind his back, completely unconcerned with the surrounding stares.

“Make way, make way. No eating in the ward. Clean up after yourself. Don’t leave trash lying around.”

After kicking a pile of trash out of his way, Ji Jue walked over to Bed No. 1 and looked down at the shriveled, emaciated, rotting corpse lying there. Despite its condition, it was still grinding its teeth and drooling incessantly. He picked up the chart and found that the diagnosis made absolutely no sense given what he was seeing.

Ji Jue’s eyes widened, and he actually leaned back in admiration. Postpartum depression? What the hell? Lady, looking like this, the fact that you still have room for depression is impressive enough! You can be discharged.

The moment he turned, a hand shot out from beneath the torn bedding and grabbed his wrist. The nails were sharp, almost digging into his flesh. “Doctor, I feel so awful... My heart hurts so much... Can you help me?”

“If you feel sad, think of something happy. If you’re in pain, just scream it out. Look at the building next door, they’re screaming pretty energetically.”

Ji Jue lowered his gaze, staring at the fingers tightly gripping his wrist. “Or should I arrange surgery for you? That might help. You know, you’re feeling uncomfortable because your heart’s not feeling right. Once we take it out, you’ll feel much better. We’ll just cut a nice hole right here in your chest. Let some air flow from front to back. It’ll really open things up and brighten your outlook. Tong Hua, go report to Mr. Qian immediately. Tell him about the patient’s request.”

Behind him, Tong Hua, still dazed, subconsciously nodded. She had barely taken a step back when she saw the woman on the bed recoil as if she’d been electrocuted and instantly let go of Ji Jue. “No, no, no...”

On that twisted face, a fawning smile seemed to appear. Beneath the bedding, the grotesque limbs writhed, but they did not dare reach out again.

Ji Jue pressed further, stepping closer and grabbing her hand. “If you’re feeling unwell, don’t hold it in. I’m a doctor. You must tell me how you feel. Don’t wait until it gets worse, understand?”

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Patient number one struggled desperately, trying to break free from his grip. Only after repeatedly confirming that no additional treatment was needed did Ji Jue finally let go reluctantly. He turned back and gave Tong Hua a look.

Just as expected, the doctor could decide the treatment methods and surgical plans. Of course, they also had to take responsibility for it.

Unfortunately, Tong Hua still felt completely lost. She simply stared back with wide, clear, and rather clueless eyes. She had no idea what he was trying to signal.

Ji Jue couldn’t help but sigh.

They were not in sync at all. An Ran was better. If he were here, the two of them would be mowing through this place together.

And if An Ran’s...

He stopped that train of thought immediately.

Snapping out of his brief distraction, Ji Jue strolled between the beds, checking the patients one by one. Only then did he realize, Damn, this lousy ward is absolutely packed with talent.

There was a dried-up corpse diagnosed with postpartum depression, a snake-woman suffering from menstrual irregularities, a walking skeleton with a gynecological infection, a bull-headed monstrosity plagued by recurrent miscarriages, and even...

“Doctor, please help me, I feel terrible...”

On one of the beds, a mountain of flesh weighing nearly a ton wailed pitifully, forcing out two tears. Its skin was stretched so tightly it looked thinner than paper. Through its swollen belly, countless severed limbs and mangled remains could vaguely be seen churning in digestive fluids.

Ji Jue lowered his head and looked at the diagnosis on the chart.

Malnutrition? Seriously? You’ve gotten this absurdly fat, and you’re still in need of nutrition? What more do you need?

“Don’t panic, don’t panic. Just wait until you finish digesting.” Ji Jue waved his hand, preparing to leave, but the flesh mountain on the bed panicked and writhed desperately, still trying to reach out even in its swollen state.

Beside the bed stood a hunched, shriveled family member, gaunt as a starving ghost. His eyes rolled, and he immediately burst into angry curses. “Quack! You’re a quack! Are you just going to stand by and watch the patient suffer?!”

Ji Jue stopped walking. With his back still turned to the patient, a helpless yet warm smile appeared on his face, and a soft sigh escaped him. It made Tong Hua’s entire body crawl with unease.

“It seems conservative treatment isn’t working. How about considering an oral treatment method? It’s just a bit expensive.”

The patient’s family member grinned. “No problem! It doesn't matter how expensive it is! I’ll do anything as long as you can cure my wife, but if you can’t and something goes wro—”

“Good!”

Then came a miserable, earth-shaking scream from the hospital bed that shook the entire ward. Ji Jue held his palm straight like a blade, stabbing straight into that gaping mouth. He pushed forward with unstoppable force until his arm went up to the shoulder and, without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed hold of the patient’s internal organs.

Finally, he turned his head toward the stunned family member and flashed a grin.

Here’s your oral treatment[1]!

1. The chinese RAW here writes 进口 which means “imported” and has a double meaning of “entering mouth.” The pun wouldn’t make sense in English, hence I changed it to “oral treatment.” ☜