Chapter 116: The Strange Doctor

Following the advice of the online doctors, he had spent a small fortune on a mountain of psychiatric medication. Still feeling uneasy, he decided to visit a reputable, full-scale hospital.

This world differed from Earth; with only five large landmasses in existence, there were only five civilizations. Among these, the Sakura Nation and the White Flag Nation had always been vassal states, drifting between the stronger powers like chameleons. Ninety percent of this world’s surface was ocean, which resulted in minimal interaction between nations, and the three most powerful civilizations were frequently in a state of hostility. Compounded by the influence of the "Era of the Uncanny," their technological advancement had become skewed, focusing almost entirely on medicine and agriculture. Even so, the Sunset Nation’s medical and agricultural standards were not significantly more advanced than those of Earth.

Given his status, seeing a doctor was convenient, as he had a private physician at home. However, because his issues were psychiatric in nature, he chose to go directly to a hospital, where he could be assigned the best psychiatrist.

Just as he stepped out of his study, he saw a giant doll crouching on the floor. It seemed to hear his footsteps and turned to look at him. That single glance terrified him, and after verifying repeatedly that this was not a hallucination, he turned to run. To his surprise, the doll began walking toward him.

In an instant, thoughts of his daughter and son flashed through his mind. What would happen if he fled now? He decided to stand his ground against the damned doll.

"I’ll show you the power of the Harmon family!" he shouted, lunging at the doll. He gripped its neck with both hands, squeezing with all his might, and screamed, "Vic! Vic! Get over here!"

Strangely, the doll was incredibly weak. As he choked it, it merely struggled, lacking any real power to fight back. *Are all uncanny creatures like this?* he wondered.

When Vic arrived and witnessed the scene, he began to shout in horror, "Mr. Harmon! What are you doing? Let go!"

"Let go?" Reeds glared furiously at the doll he was strangling, refusing to release his grip. "I’m going to kill it today!"

But in Vic’s eyes, Reeds was strangling his own daughter, Prima. She was already rolling her eyes back, clearly on the brink of death. Vic thought his employer had lost his mind, but as a mere employee, he felt conflicted about interfering in family matters...

But then he realized, *To hell with that!* Reeds was clearly suffering a mental breakdown. If he didn't intervene, it would be a disaster. He hesitated no longer, rushing forward to pull Reeds away and cradling Prima in his arms.

After being shoved aside, Reeds looked at Vic with rage. "Vic! Do you want to keep your job? Why did you save that doll?"

Vic hurriedly checked Prima’s breathing. Finding no signs of life, he prepared to perform CPR, but Reeds’ words left him stunned. "A doll? Look closely at who this is!"

Only then did Reeds realize that this was no doll; it was his own daughter. Upon discovering the truth, he stared at his hands in disbelief. What had he done? Despite the horror, he scrambled over to check her condition. Prima’s eyes were rolled back, she had stopped breathing, and a faint white foam was visible at the corners of her mouth. She was hovering on the edge of death.

Fortunately, the Harmon family kept a professional physician on staff, who arrived quickly. Thanks to the advanced medical standards, the doctor managed to revive her, and they soon transported her to a local hospital.

Sitting in the hospital hallway, Reeds’ eyes were bloodshot. He couldn't understand what had happened to him. Suddenly, his gaze drifted toward the psychiatric department nearby. He stood up slowly, deciding to pay them a visit while he was already there.

He used his wealth to bypass the queue and walked straight into the office. A doctor wearing a white coat sat opposite him, sporting an unusual smile. "Is there something you need help with?"

Reeds hurriedly recounted his experience. The bizarre story didn't stir a single ripple of emotion on the doctor’s face. He simply listened, smiled, and nodded slowly. "I have encountered cases like yours many times. The treatment is actually quite simple; we only need to use Chinese acupuncture."

"Chinese acupuncture?" Reeds repeated, falling into deep thought. China had always been a mysterious and powerful existence in the Sunset Nation. As the head of the five great civilizations, beyond their martial arts, China was most famous for its traditional medicine, and acupuncture was the most mysterious aspect of it. He didn't doubt the efficacy of acupuncture, but he doubted whether this doctor truly possessed the skill.

Seeming to sense his hesitation, the doctor pointed to a photograph on the wall. "Look, that was taken when I was studying in China. I spent over a decade learning acupuncture and have used it to cure countless patients."

Reeds followed the doctor’s gaze. There, indeed, was a photo of the doctor among Chinese faces, intently observing an elderly master performing the technique. Besides that one, there were many other photos of him with patients he had supposedly cured. With his doubts largely dispelled, he asked, "When can we begin the treatment?"

The doctor smiled in a strange way and pulled a pack of silver needles from his drawer. "Let’s start now. It will be quick."

Seeing the smile on the doctor’s face and the needles in his hand, Reeds felt an instinctive, ominous premonition. Yet, for the sake of his mental health, he suppressed his fear and faced the doctor.

The doctor picked up a long, thin needle, sterilized it with alcohol, and directed him to lie on the examination bed. Reeds lay there, holding his breath, fearing that even the slightest movement might interfere with the procedure. Seeing his tension, the doctor patted him gently and whispered, "Don't be nervous. It will be over soon. Once it’s inserted, you will be able to see the real world."

The voice was soft, yet it carried an inexplicable, chilling coldness that made Reeds instinctively want to resist. But it was too late. Straps suddenly emerged from the bed, pinning him down firmly. The doctor reached out to stroke his eyes. "It might hurt a little, but it will only be for a moment."

"Let me go! I don't want to do this! Let me go!" The eerie atmosphere jolted Reeds into a state of clarity. This doctor was definitely wrong!

"Hehehe." His resistance was futile. The doctor, without a moment’s hesitation, plunged the silver needle just beneath his eye.

"Your problem lies in your visual nerves here. Once these nerves are severed, your illness will be cured."

Reeds felt a foreign object pierce beneath his eyelid, followed by excruciating pain as blood began to stream down his face. But it wasn't over. A second later, the same sensation struck his other eye, a torment worse than death.

As for his vision, the world truly did change. When he saw the new reality before him, he began to struggle with all his might, until his arms were bruised and bleeding from the restraints. He struggled not for any other reason, but because he saw that the doctor performing the procedure on him was a doll.