Chapter 116:

Chapter 116:

Liu Buhua always believed his tolerance was above average, perhaps even surpassing the ordinary. But faced with these "antibody vaccines," he found himself overwhelmed, suppressing his nausea as he remarked, "I'll also take it later. Whoever among you can stomach this, please go ahead."

After speaking, Liu Buhua retreated to his original position, clearing the path for the other participants.

Holding their vaccines, both Xie Yinxue and Bu Jiuzhao remained still. While they didn't voice their thoughts, everyone knew they probably felt the same as Liu Buhua and Dangdang, needing time to come to terms with the vaccine.

Among the participants, however, were those with unyielding mental fortitude, like Zheng Shu and Chen Ningmo.

Without a word, they approached and tossed the five limbs from their glass vials into the vaccine-making machine. After retrieving their doses, they didn't hesitate and swiftly injected themselves in the stomach.

After witnessing the entire process, Xiao Xingxi took a deep breath, likely still grappling with her fear of death, and approached to place the limb she and Xie Aqi had painstakingly hunted from a Kusopachya into the machine, subsequently preparing and injecting her vaccine.

By this point, among the participants capable of producing the antibody vaccine, only Zhuo Changdong, Feng Jinshan, and Cui Haocheng remained.

They exchanged glances and, after a shared moment of contemplation, took a deep breath and moved towards the vaccine machine, tossing in their harvested limbs from their glass vials.

Having already witnessed the withered Kusopachya limbs offered by Xie Yinxue, Chen Ningmo, and Xiao Xingxi, the sight of Zhuo Changdong's group's plump and healthy specimens prompted Zheng Shu to whistle, commenting, "The firmness of this flesh is quite comparable to Ye Zhou's."

"Wait a moment... Didn't you say you couldn't hunt down the Kusopacha? Then..." The most gracefully sculpted among them, Muni, eyed the yellow-white flesh, the horrifying suspicion once again resurfacing in her mind, "Where did you get this meat?"

"My dear," Zheng Shu said with a chuckle, patting his hand, "Did you genuinely not understand what I just said, or are you pretending not to?"

Muni remained silent, but from her expression, even without Zheng Shu's prompting, she probably had already guessed the answer.

"Commander Kurt once said that a single limb can be used to produce an antibody vaccine," Mu Yujin continued, revealing the cruel truth even more completely, "But he never mentioned that the limb had to come from a Kusopacha."

Before their hunting expedition for Kusopacha, Kurt had shared a lot of information. Apart from the detail about the limb's potential for vaccine production, he had also said that those "dead" humans were not all consumed by Kusopacha. Some of them had turned into Kusopacha themselves.

Adding to this the information that without consuming flesh they too could turn into Kusopacha, and the fact that the dismembered parts of a dead Kusopacha resembled human limbs, everyone could now be certain: the Kusopacha they hunted might have once been human.

Therefore, the "limb" required to produce the vaccine could be sourced from either a Kusopacha or a human.

"Kusopacha were once human, humans can turn into Kusopacha. They eat us, we eat them, and we might even eat our own. Are we truly human, or are we simply ravenous spirits?"

Mu Yujin, perhaps well-versed in Buddhist studies, recognized the origins of the names "Kusopacha" and "Kama." Thus, she posed such questions.

Meanwhile, by the vaccine-producing machine, Zhuo Changdong, Feng Jinshan, and Cui Haocheng had successfully crafted the vaccine.

After a long silence, Feng Jinshan finally said, "Even if we become ghosts, all we want is to survive."

Zhuo Changdong lifted his gaze, sweeping over everyone present, "Have you heard of the Richard Parker case? In a shipwreck, he and three other crew members were stranded on a lifeboat. When food and water ran out, the three, in desperation, resorted to cannibalism. Now, we're just like those crew members, adrift on this starship amidst an apocalyptic sea. To survive, we must abandon our humanity."

With that, he raised the syringe in his hand, aimed it at his stomach, paused for a heartbeat, and plunged it in, "The court eventually acquitted the men who consumed Richard Parker."

"So, if we survive today, we are also innocent."

The room fell into a profound silence. Unbeknownst to them, Kurt had slipped away, leaving behind only the cold machinery. After hearing Zhuo Changdong's justification, no one stepped forward to dispute him.

Only Xie Yinxue lowered her eyes, looking at the syringe in her hand, her lips curving into a faint smile, "Abandon our humanity, you say?"

Pan Ruoxi, who had returned empty-handed that day, slouched in defeat, murmuring dejectedly, "I wish I had the chance to abandon my humanity, but it seems I don't even have that option."

"If any limb is enough to produce the vaccine," Dangdang remarked, picking up a long glass bottle by Liubuhua's feet and eyeing the human arm inside, "Does that mean bait could also work?"

Pan Ruoxi's partner, Yuan Sining, gave a bitter smile, "But we've used up our bait."

"We can always eat ourselves."

Liu Buhua extended his left hand, gritted his teeth and resolutely turned to Xie Yinxue, saying: "Godfather, cut off my hand. I'll eat it. In this simulation, injuries will heal once we leave, but I truly can't go without that vaccine."

"You've got to be kidding," Cui Haocheng said exasperatedly. "Today, with both hands, you couldn't kill the Kusopachar. How will you manage with just one tomorrow?"

Liu Buhua replied with moral righteousness: "I'll freeload."

"You—"

Stumped, Cui Haocheng tried to retort but found himself speechless, finally managing: "You have only two legs and two arms. Even if you reduce yourself to mere scraps, it'd only last four days. You still won't survive till the end."

Now it was Liu Buhua's turn to be speechless: "I..."

"Enough, enough."

Zheng Shu interjected, trying to mediate: "Don't be so down. Chen and I still have extra vaccines, don't we?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Sining hesitated for a moment, quickly realizing Zheng Shu's duplicitous nature. She bluntly asked, "What's your price?"

Chen Ning raised his right hand, flashing a "six" sign: "Six million."

Zheng Shu, with a cheeky grin, formed a "one" with his hand: "Per dose."

"Six million for one dose?" Xie Aqi exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you robbing us?"

"No, we're charging a life-saving fee," Zheng Shu retorted dismissively, unphased by their criticism. "Come on, all of us have made it this far in the simulation. Don't tell me you can't afford this. We only have three doses left. Act fast if you want them."

Mu Yujie immediately spoke: "I'll take one."

Meng Ni quickly added: "And me."

Despite the high price tag set by Chen Ning, Zheng Shu was right. Everyone had come too far to give up the chance to survive. Six million for a lifeline seemed worth it. Pan Ruoxi eagerly raised her hand: "Me too, me too!"

In less than a minute, by the time Yuan Sining regained her bearings, Zheng Shu and Chen Ning had sold all their surplus vaccines.

Biting her lip, Yuan Sining turned to Xie Yinxue: "Are you selling that last dose of yours?"

Though Cui Haocheng, Feng Jinshan, and Zhuo Changdong also had extra vaccines, just the thought that they were made from Ye Zhou's remains made Yuan Sining nauseous. Thus, she aimed to purchase Xie Yinxue's remaining dose.

Xie Yinxue wasn't particularly concerned about money. He could easily give the vaccine to Yuan Sining for free. However, doing so would undermine Zheng Shu and Chen Ning's market, making him a target. So, he had no choice but to name his price, albeit not too low: "Five million."

"Alright." Yuan Sinian nodded solemnly. "To be fair, I'll give you six million too."

Xie Yinxue gave a faint smile. "As you wish."

After she took the vaccine from Xie Yinxue, for the day, everyone made it through, save for the departed Ye Zhou. Zhuo Changdong, Feng Jinshan, and Cui Haocheng still had two more vaccines left, making their hunt tomorrow potentially easier than the others. After all, they only need to procure one more piece of flesh to sustain all three of them.

"I need to step out and vomit for a bit, ugh..."

However, Yuan Sinian had a particularly strong reaction to the vaccine. The sensation of the liquid filling her stomach turned her pale as she clutched her mouth and ran out of the meditation room.

Feng Jinshan, appearing rough and rugged, looked just as unwell after taking the vaccine. He pulled a cigarette from his bag, placing it in his mouth as he stepped outside, muttering, "I need some fresh air too."

The remaining participants either went out for some air like them or headed to the private accommodations assigned by Ku Erte. Even Dang Dang left. Within a short ten minutes, only Xie Yinxue, Bu Jiuzhao, and Liu Buhua remained in the meditation room.

And none of the three had taken the vaccine yet.

Liu Buhua looked distressed, holding the life-saving drug as if it were a ticking bomb, asking anxiously, "Godfather, do we really have to take this vaccine?"

"Without humanity, only the beast remains."

Instead of answering Liu Buhua’s question directly, Xie Yinxue lifted the syringe, gazing at the clear and seemingly pure liquid within. "In this ‘Lock of Immortality’ realm, perhaps there will come a day when I too become a ravenous ghoul. But today is not that day."

After these words, he gently bent his head, shifting all his black hair to the front of his shoulders, unzipping the protective suit from the back, and putting on his jade-green robe embroidered with pear blossoms that looked as white as snow.

Then, Xie Yinxue took off the pear blossom bracelet from his left wrist and handed it to Liu Buhua, saying indifferently, "Wear it and sever your hand."

Liu Buhua frowned with hesitation, "What about you…"

Xie Yinxue raised his right wrist, "I have another one."

Liu Buhua closed his eyes, sighed heavily, "If I had known how perverse this simulation was, I would've brought more of these pear blossom bracelets inside."

Xie Yinxue too closed his eyes, turning his back, "There’s no use lamenting now. Buhua, do it yourself."

"Understood."

Liu Buhua responded, bowing his head.

He then took off his nano protective suit, borrowed Xie Yinxue's light saber, and with determination, chopped off the arm adorned with the pear blossom bracelet.

Author's Note:

Liu Buhua: I might slack off, live off my parents, and have a penchant for tight-fitting clothes, but I'm still a good kid.

NPC: Have more dishes, and don't just focus on drinking.

Liu Buhua: ?