Chapter 161: Escaping the Research Institute 06

Chapter 161: Escaping the Research Institute 06

The supervisor shouted hoarsely, but no one in the operation area—whether player or NPC—dared to move.

The tentacle on the ground was frantically emitting contamination.

Although the others in the operation area were not directly facing the contamination like the nearest player, they were still affected by it.

A player secretly opened their attribute panel and saw their SAN value plummet, causing their temples to throb.

Should he use some supplements? He was already experiencing ringing in his ears and double vision.

However... No, better not. His current abnormal condition was due to a rapid drop in SAN values, but it hadn't yet reached the critical point.

After struggling for a moment, the player clenched his fist at his side and ultimately did nothing.

No one in the operation area moved. Although the players wanted to get further away from the contamination center, they didn't dare to, only peering through the crowd toward it.

The supervisor had already run to the center of the operation area.

He didn't dare to get any closer to the tentacle and stood several meters away, waving his hands nervously.

Everyone in the operation room chose to ignore the supervisor's earlier instruction to "pick up the thing."

Players, naturally, didn't need to be told; they wanted to stay as far away as possible from such high-concentration contamination.

Even though NPCs didn't have the concepts of contamination and SAN values, they knew that getting close to this thing would cause many unusual bodily reactions.

The tentacle on the ground was writhing continuously, like a fish out of water.

Its wound and the underside of its suction cups were oozing a lot of mucus, staining the floor with dark streaks.

The supervisor held a new glass sphere in his hand.

He snapped it open, and it split neatly into two halves. The supervisor stared at the tentacle, hesitating for a long time, never daring to approach.

"Is anyone going to help?" The supervisor scanned the room and asked again.

Unsurprisingly, no one responded.

The supervisor gritted his teeth.

He walked to the door, hesitating whether to press the button requesting support from the Guard Team.

The workers dared not touch the mutated creature on the ground. After all, their protective suits were designed to shield against radiation, not the mental interference caused by the tentacle.

The supervisor knew that even if someone brave enough dared to step forward, they probably wouldn't be much help.

Just like the unlucky person earlier, who nearly lost half their life just by being too close to the tentacle.

But...

He hesitated repeatedly.

Once the Guard Team arrived, this mistake would be recorded in the Research Institute's monitoring system, affecting everyone in the work area, including the supervisor himself.

NPCs didn't want to jeopardize their promotion prospects, but this wasn't something they could control.

The mutated creature must be contained; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

With determination, the supervisor pressed down with his finger.

Just as the alarm was about to be triggered, a clear and gentle male voice suddenly echoed in the silent operation area.

"I'll give it a try."

The speaker's tone was calm, with a slight upward inflection at the end, as if carrying a small hook that stirred the heart, like feathers gently brushing past the ear.

The supervisor paused his action and looked over in surprise.

The speaker was the new recruit who had just started today, smiling warmly at him.

Without giving the supervisor time to think, the new recruit quickly approached him.

A slender, fair hand crossed in front of the supervisor.

The glass sphere in the supervisor's hand became lighter as the new recruit took it, mimicking the NPC's earlier actions, splitting the sphere into two halves, and murmuring to himself:

"How do I pick it up? Is it like this? Put that thing inside this?"

Everything that followed felt like a dream.

The young man's movements were incredibly smooth and effortless. He casually stepped toward the still-wriggling tentacle, extended two pale fingers like jade, grabbed a small patch of skin on the tentacle's surface, and tossed it into the glass sphere.

With a click, the two halves of the glass sphere closed.

The tentacle on the floor disappeared, leaving only a dark stain to indicate its presence.

In the young man's palm now rested a black specimen identical to those in the storage box.

The tentacle trapped in the glass sphere instantly lost all signs of life, neither writhing nor trembling.

Qin Fei glanced at it, his thick black lashes covering a fleeting contemplation in his eyes, then looked back at the supervisor NPC, blinking innocently.

The supervisor came to his senses.

"Um, give it to me. This doesn't need to go back on the conveyor belt."

He looked Qin Fei up and down, as if he were a rare object that could secure his promotion and raise, his tone softening involuntarily.

"Alright, everyone back to your stations and continue working!" The supervisor forcefully pounded the nearby control panel, producing a deafening metallic sound. "It's not time to clock out yet!"

Everyone in the work area immediately turned their heads.

"And—" The supervisor's sinister gaze fell on the player who had initially suffered severe contamination.

"You, come with me."

The player's face was already devoid of color, and now it turned even paler. He trembled as he asked, "W-Why?"

In the Research Institute, when a superior gives an order to an inferior, no objections are allowed, not even a simple question.

But today, the supervisor was in a relatively good mood.

What could have been a difficult situation was easily resolved.

Besides,

This person was going to die anyway.

The supervisor gave the player a cryptic look.

Answering his question wouldn't hurt; it could be considered a form of last rites.

The supervisor let out a muffled laugh through his mask, tugged at his collar, and spoke impatiently:

"Because you violated the operational rules of the work area."

Rule number three of the Work Area Operational Guidelines:

No food or drink is allowed in the work area.

The Research Institute encourages reporting any instances of eating or drinking, and this player didn't even need to be reported because he broke the rule right under the NPC supervisor's nose.

The player's legs weakened, but he still tried to defend himself: "When did I eat anything in the work area—"

He suddenly fell silent.

The player realized that just a few minutes ago, he had indeed done something that might violate the rules.

He had taken a bottle of mental supplement from his personal space and poured it into his mouth.

Yes, yes!

Poured it into his mouth!

This action would undoubtedly be classified as eating by the NPC system!

The player was distraught, but the supervisor didn't pay much attention to him.

The supervisor quickly left the work area and returned a moment later with several new NPCs.

These NPCs wore protective suits different from those of ordinary workers and the supervisor, and they also carried long sticks, which reminded Qin Fei of the Guard Team members outside.

The NPCs' head prompts confirmed this:

"Trainee Guard Team Member - Affinity: 0% (Trainee Guard Team Members are busy every day and don't have time to talk to you)"

These NPCs were trainee members, one level below the official Guard Team members in the Research Center.

Qin Fei guessed that their job was to handle various tasks within the Research Institute.

The trainee members followed the supervisor into the work area. The leader took out a square metal box, wearing thick gloves, and solemnly placed the glass ball Qin Fei had collected inside.

Others brought tools and vigorously cleaned the area where the tentacles had left marks.

The smell of disinfectant filled the entire workspace.

The supervisor had clearly given the trainee guards some instructions beforehand. After cleaning up the mess in the work area, they glanced at the player sitting on the ground before leaving, waving a hand:

"Take him away!"

The player, having barely survived severe contamination, had no strength to resist and was carried out of the work area like a limp slug by two NPCs.

Everything returned to normal. The supervisor wiped the sweat from his forehead and left with the trainee guards.

Before leaving, he specifically approached Qin Fei and said, "Keep up the good work; I'll apply for a reward for you!"

Under normal circumstances, it would be best to keep today's incident a secret and not report it.

But Qin Fei's outstanding performance changed the supervisor's mind.

Perhaps, after making amends, he could gain more.

Qin Fei nodded silently, continuing his work diligently, appearing honest and obedient.

However, once the supervisor turned around, Qin Fei's gaze followed a particular departing trainee guard.

This individual was unremarkable and stood out little among the group.

No player or spectator paid extra attention to him, but in Qin Fei's view, this person was undoubtedly special.

There was no affinity bar above his head.

This wasn't an NPC.

But a player who had found a way to blend into the NPC team.

After a series of deaths and departures within the first hour, the number of players in the scenario stabilized at a relatively manageable level.

Now, the real-time online player count in the instance is 128.

In just over an hour, the number of players has decreased by more than one-third.

However, it seems that those remaining are fairly capable.

Everyone has gradually found their rhythm and started exploring the instance in various ways.

The supervisor is not in the work area, but no one dares to slack off; everything proceeds in an orderly manner.

Qin Fei, feeling utterly bored, carries out his tedious tasks while enduring the occasional gazes from all directions.

—All of these gazes come from players.

Qin Fei's feat of touching high-concentration pollutants with his bare hands truly stunned everyone. The NPCs were oblivious to how impressive Qin Fei was, but the players knew better!

What kind of strong mental immunity must he have?

To touch the pollutants without any effect at all!

The person who was taken away lost nearly all his sanity when the pollutants merely touched his shoes.

Yet this player in front of them is completely unaffected.

The players were deeply shaken, feeling as if they were seeing a monster.

Most people would feel uncomfortable under such observation, but Qin Fei doesn't care at all, lost in his own thoughts.

Qin Fei is also thinking about the tentacle he touched earlier.

Upon reflection, the sensation he felt from that tentacle was somewhat strange.

There can only be one pollution source in an instance.

If the tentacle is a living entity, then its main body must be the pollution source of this instance. Qin Fei did indeed sense a familiar, strong aura from the tentacle.

But... something feels off.

At first, Qin Fei didn't notice anything when he was far away, but when he touched the tentacle up close, he felt that the pollution aura emanating from it was slightly different from what he had experienced in previous instances and from the pollution source itself.

Qin Fei couldn't pinpoint exactly where the difference lay; 90% of it was similar, but he still keenly noticed the subtle distinctions.

This instance involves the concept of radiation. Based on the behavior of the NPCs and the pre-instance prompt, "radiation" could likely cause "biological mutations."

But can the pollution source be affected by such external forces?

Is this possible?

The pollution source in an instance is always supreme and decisive.

Even in some instances where the pollution source is suppressed due to the plot, such as being sealed underwater in the werewolf community or having its ribs and heart removed in the Genesis Ship, thus losing control over the ship, the power of the pollution source still continuously influences the world of the instance and holds an unquestionable dominant position.

In this instance, what could be so powerful as to alter even the aura of the pollution source?

Qin Fei couldn't imagine it.

He even felt that this might contradict the fundamental logic of the rules governing the instances.

This time, the NPC supervisor has been gone for an unusually long time.

The clock on the wall ticks round and round, yet the NPC never returns.

Fortunately, the tasks in the low-level operation area are rigid and require no improvisation, so the presence or absence of the supervisor makes no difference.

The players forced to stay at their posts display varying expressions.

As time passes, several players become noticeably anxious.

They realize that staying here is just wasting time and offers no progress in exploring the instance.

During this wasted time, other players in the instance may have already found crucial clues.

Currently, the situation within the instance remains unclear. Although there has been no indication that players need to form groups to compete, no one can guarantee that this won't happen until the rules are fully understood.

The objective of escaping the Research Institute is too vague, and the specific methods require players to figure things out themselves.

Lin Ye has already glanced at Qin Fei several times. He is clearly influenced by the two players nearby, who are among the most restless in the operation area, their eyes darting around the room.

Taking advantage of the lack of attention, Qin Fei secretly gestures to Lin Ye to remain calm.

If his guess about the pollution source in the instance is correct,

then the secret hidden behind this instance might be much bigger than anyone imagines.

Qin Fei has changed his mind.

He thinks it's good that they are staying here.

Becoming staff members provides a path for advancement. Only by climbing higher can they explore the core secrets of the instance more directly.

Being rats in the sewers might yield quick gains in the short term, but without interacting with NPCs, the amount of information they can gather will soon reach its limit.

The afternoon shift ends at 6 PM, and after the clock on the wall passes 4 PM, the NPCs in the factory begin to show significant abnormalities.

The first thing Qin Fei notices is the person standing opposite him.

This NPC caused trouble at the start of the afternoon shift, accidentally breaking a glass ball containing pollutants. Perhaps the NPC supervisor was too busy to deal with him and simply glared at him before leaving the operation area hurriedly.

But this NPC did not gain any good fortune because of it.

His abnormalities became increasingly obvious. His eyes were glazed over, and his complexion alternated between flushed red and deathly pale.

Cold sweat covered his forehead, dripping onto the ground one by one.

After 4 PM, his body began to tremble. Qin Fei knew that this was a sign of severe contamination.

Sure enough, not long after, the NPC started repeatedly lifting his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The sweat seemed never-ending.

Soon, a layer of white frost formed on the NPC's hands. The frost accumulated more and more, forming a thick shell that cracked with his movements, spreading a network of intersecting lines across his palms and the backs of his hands.

Every time the NPC lifted his hand, white scabs would fall off and scatter on the workbench.

"Ew—"

The audience in the live stream began to boo.

"Good grief, that's disgusting. Minus ten points for poor hygiene."

"Mama, Mama, I'm shedding dandruff~"

"This NPC is going to kick the bucket, look at how bad his condition is."

"Let's make a bet. Guess how he'll die. The loser buys the winner a bag of sunflower seeds."

...

The NPC's expression grew increasingly muddled.

The features on his face seemed oddly distorted, as if his eyes weren't eyes and his nose wasn't a nose.

But when Qin Fei looked closely, everything was still in its place.

The sweat streaming down his forehead didn't get wiped away in time, all flowing down his face and neck onto his collar.

Now, the NPC's entire upper body appeared as if it had been soaked in water.

His movements became increasingly stiff, his eyes staring blankly ahead, picking up a glass ball to place on the assembly line.

But his hand slipped, and the glass ball nearly rolled to the ground again.

Qin Fei reacted quickly, catching the glass ball before it hit the workbench.

"Be careful," the young man reminded him with a smile, placing the glass ball where it belonged.

"T-thank you..."

The NPC replied in a dreamlike, mumbling voice.

"It must be because my hands are too sweaty."

He said softly.

"I must... wash my hands. Yes, I need to wash my hands."

With that, the NPC left his post without permission.

He walked step by step toward the wall, and Qin Fei followed his direction, his pupils suddenly contracting.

Beside the wall, there was now a sink.

A white ceramic sink connected to a pipe below, with a metal faucet above.

The sink was ordinary and simple, placed unobtrusively in the corner, blending into the environment without drawing attention.

But the problem was,

there were no faucets in the operation area. The rules stated that there were no faucets in the operation area.

If anyone saw a faucet, they must move away quickly and must not touch it with their body.

Qin Fei frowned slightly.

Many people looked at the NPC who had left his post. Suddenly, the NPC quickened his pace and rushed to the sink.

"Hey—" another worker couldn't help exclaiming.

But the NPC remained oblivious, lifting his hand and turning on the faucet without hesitation.

"Swish!"

A liquid poured out of the pipe.

It was black, like asphalt, flowing down viscously.

Everyone in the operation area frowned.

The NPC, however, placed both hands in the black water and began scrubbing them continuously.

Gradually, a hint of red mixed into the black water.

The skin on the NPC's hands, wherever it touched the black water, developed a layer of fine blisters.

Pale yellow blisters covered both palms and extended up the wrists, reaching the arms encased in protective clothing.

Each blister was translucent, as if a layer of fine fish eggs had been laid on the skin.

As the NPC scrubbed, the fish eggs cracked, releasing a pale yellow liquid.

The corners of the onlookers' eyes began to twitch.

However, the person washing their hands showed no reaction at all.

They kept mumbling, "I'm sweating. I need to wash, wash..."

The blisters on their hands burst, and the skin covering them was rubbed off, but they seemed to feel no pain and continued to scrub.

Gradually, their skin, fat, and flesh started to melt away, bit by bit, being rubbed off.

Piece by piece, they fell into the accumulated black water in the sink.

The team leader of the sorting area, who was closest to the employee passage, hesitated for a moment before turning and fleeing the operation area.

Soon, several familiar members of the Guard Team arrived again without any explanation and dragged the NPC away in front of everyone.

It was now 4:30 PM, and similar incidents occurred three or four more times before the 6 PM shift ended.

Some NPCs suddenly looked up and started babbling to the air, while others inexplicably rushed to the wall and began banging their heads against it.

Without exception, they were all taken away by the prospective Guard Team members.

Qin Fei decided to retract his previous statement.

Working in the operation room was indeed dangerous. Although the work itself did not directly harm the workers, traps lurked everywhere, often appearing without warning. A moment's carelessness could lead to disaster.

After what had just happened, the players realized that the anomalies in the operation room were clearly related to the experimental samples on the production line.

Every item they handled was heavily contaminated.

Although these contaminants were isolated within containers like glass balls, could anything truly provide complete protection?

Probably not.

The continuous spread of contamination permeated the factory, silently infiltrating every corner.

Workers in the operation room easily fell victim to the mutations caused by the contamination, finding it hard to escape.

Qin Fei himself was immune to contamination, but from his observations, many players in the work area had already secretly used san-restoring potions.

Consuming potions or pills here would be considered a violation of the rules, but fortunately, mid-to-high-level players had plenty of such items.

For example, the most common contamination cleanser did not need to be ingested; simply touching the skin could restore san.

Compared to the players, the NPCs were not as fortunate.

They had no potions and could only rely on their physical resilience.

The level of mental immunity was much like one's physical constitution—most were innate. Some NPCs with weak mental immunity naturally lost their sanity more easily due to contamination.

The veteran employees seemed accustomed to this scene. Whenever someone was taken away, they merely glanced over as if watching a spectacle, then lowered their heads to continue their work.

At 6 PM, the broadcast on the wall of the operation room announced the end of the shift.

All the NPCs, akin to pre-programmed robots, ceased their tasks in unison and swiftly proceeded towards the nearby staff passage without a moment's delay.

A player, taking advantage of their role as a new worker, boldly asked an NPC next to them, "Brother, where are we going?"

The NPC replied tersely, "Canteen."

The player understood.

The night shift started at 7 PM, leaving only one hour for dinner. No wonder everyone was in such a hurry.

The players had never been to the canteen.

They were about to explore a new scene, which excited everyone. Their eyes gleamed with anticipation as they left the operation room and entered a long corridor.

However, the progress of exploring this new map seemed to be quite bumpy.

As the players followed the crowd through the corridor, passing a certain corner, a prolonged alarm sounded from both sides.

The lights overhead turned flashing red, causing Qin Fei's heart to skip a beat. His first thought was that a fugitive player was being pursued by the instance's NPCs.

But the subsequent broadcast proved otherwise.

"Level One Alert! Level One Alert!!"

"A high-risk experimental subject has escaped from the laboratory. The Guard Team is currently apprehending it! The subject has been detected entering this area. All staff and researchers, please evacuate immediately!"

"Repeating, please evacuate immediately!!"