Chapter 163: Escaping the Research Institute 08

Chapter 163: Escaping the Research Institute 08

Under the envious gazes of the other players, Qin Fei put down his work and followed the supervisor out of the operation area.

The supervisor led Qin Fei through the employee corridors, turning one corner after another.

Qin Fei pretended to be obedient, keeping his head bowed and not asking any unnecessary questions.

The supervisor was quite satisfied with Qin Fei's attitude. Out of affection for this well-behaved child, he generously gave him a hint: "When you meet someone there later, remember to be smart."

He paused, adding somewhat sourly, "Whether you can reach the top in one step depends on this opportunity."

Reach the top in one step?

Qin Fei blinked and responded obediently, "Okay, thank you for your guidance, Supervisor. I'll always remember it."

The supervisor nodded.

He looked at Qin Fei, then looked again, his gaze complex.

The deep and winding corridor seemed to have no end.

The security inside the Research Institute was quite tight. Along the way, the supervisor swiped his wristwatch countless times.

Qin Fei secretly released the ghost infant to scout ahead, but just like in the water prison, the ghost infant could barely move in this instance. All areas that players couldn't enter openly were also blocked by the system for the ghost infant.

Qin Fei had no choice but to give up.

They walked until his calves started to ache, and finally, the supervisor stopped in front of them.

"Here we are," the NPC whispered.

In front of them was a silver-gray metal door.

There was no sign on the door, and Qin Fei couldn't tell what was inside, but the supervisor's eyes flickered, showing evident fear.

There must be some big shot inside?

The supervisor hesitated in front of the door, wanting to knock but not daring to.

At that moment, a sudden commotion came from behind them. Qin Fei turned around and saw a group of researchers in white protective suits rushing over.

They pushed a small cart loaded with test tubes neatly placed in racks. Each tube contained a severed tentacle, submerged in transparent liquid, writhing continuously and tapping the sides of the tubes with their suction cups.

Several of the tentacles wriggled so vigorously that they popped off the caps and jumped onto the floor beside the corridor.

The two closest researchers immediately covered their foreheads and cried out, "Quick! Catch them quickly!!"

The polluted atmosphere spread once again in the corridor.

These tentacles in the test tubes were different from those Qin Fei had seen in the operation area. They were snow-white, smooth, and as expected, the pollution they emitted was a new type.

This was already the third different kind of pollution Qin Fei had encountered in this instance.

The researchers' resistance to pollution was clearly much stronger than ordinary workers and even many players. Facing this moderate to high-level pollution, they only broke into a sweat and their movements were slightly hindered.

However, the white tentacles were extremely active, jumping around like frogs. The researchers scrambled to catch them but only managed to retrieve two while the other four kept jumping further away, seemingly eager to escape.

When the researchers appeared, the supervisor pulled Qin Fei aside to make way for them.

Seeing this situation, the supervisor suddenly turned to Qin Fei, "You, go help them."

Qin Fei: "? Me?"

The supervisor pushed him, "Yes, hurry up. You're not afraid of experimental subjects, right?"

This is a good chance to show off; it would be a waste to miss it.

Qin Fei: "..."

Qin Fei felt that the supervisor was like a parent pushing their child to excel, trying to make them stand out on every possible stage.

Qin Fei reluctantly agreed, "Alright."

It was clear the supervisor wanted to use him to earn some credit and wouldn't deliberately set him up.

Compared to the researchers who spent long hours in the lab, Qin Fei, a player who faced monsters daily in the instance world, was naturally more agile.

Moreover, he wasn't affected by the pollution at all.

The young man stepped forward and easily caught the writhing experimental subjects on the ground. This was too easy for him, hardly more difficult than breathing through his nostrils.

But to others, what Qin Fei did was akin to a surreal magic show.

Even the researchers themselves wore thick isolation gloves when capturing escaped experimental subjects.

Before being selected as researchers, they were ordinary humans. Their ability to enter the lab rather than the lower-level operation area was due to their extraordinary talents.

Yet now, the researchers saw a low-level worker dressed stranger directly grabbing four experimental subjects with bare hands.

The NPCs rubbed their faces in disbelief, their jaws nearly dropping.

"HAHAHAHAHA!"

A string of laughter floated across the screen, with fans proudly praising, "Princess makes her move, and everyone knows she means business! Tell me, are you impressed?"

The leading researcher was stunned for a while. After regaining his composure, he instructed Qin Fei to return the four specimens to their respective containers.

He then began to scan Qin Fei up and down. "What are you doing here? Low-level workers are not allowed in this area."

Perhaps Qin Fei's earlier performance was truly impressive; although the researcher was questioning him, his tone was surprisingly gentle.

The supervisor hurriedly approached with a smile to explain: "This is an excellent worker I recommended. He has a high resistance to the specimens. I submitted a report this afternoon to bring him here for Researcher Edward to see."

Upon hearing this, the researcher’s expression softened slightly. This worker indeed had a very high resistance to the specimens, which he had already witnessed. The supervisor wasn’t lying.

As they were talking, the white tentacles on the cart started to collide with the test tubes again. The researcher stared at Qin Fei for a moment before suddenly beckoning him over. "You, come push this cart and try."

The NPCs in this scenario seemed to enjoy giving orders without much explanation.

Qin Fei obediently stepped forward.

The moment his slender, pale fingers gripped the handle of the cart, all the previously agitated white tentacles in the test tubes suddenly calmed down.

They floated quietly in the transparent liquid as if asleep.

The corridor fell silent for several seconds. When the researcher spoke again, his voice was filled with excitement. "Good, good!"

He swiped his wristwatch to open the metal door ahead. The door slid to one side, revealing the scene behind it.

It was a typical biological laboratory. Upon entering, there was a disinfection station, followed by different independent areas divided behind it: instrument cleaning room, testing room, microbial culture room, and so on.

The laboratory was crowded with researchers, each responsible for their designated areas.

Facing the entrance, with his back to Qin Fei, stood a person.

—This was the first NPC Qin Fei had encountered since entering the scenario who wasn’t wearing protective gear.

He wore a spotlessly clean, long coat that resembled both a doctor’s and a scientist’s attire. From the back, he appeared to be a tall man.

Above him, a floating bar and introduction could be seen in the air.

"Underground Research Institute - (Level 1) Researcher Edward: Affinity ??? (?????)"

While the question marks for affinity weren’t new to Qin Fei, having the NPC’s introduction also marked with question marks was indeed surprising.

The supervisor followed the researchers, bowing respectfully as he entered. He cautiously addressed Researcher Edward’s back. "Mr. Edward, I am the supervisor of Operation Area 03. This is the person I wanted to recommend to you. I’ve brought him here."

Edward did not turn around, and Qin Fei sensed that he wasn’t particularly interested.

It seemed this meeting was arranged solely by the supervisor.

Ignoring the supervisor’s greeting, Edward continued his work. The other researchers who entered approached him and whispered something in his ear, but Edward didn’t respond.

He held two test tubes in each hand, pouring the liquids back and forth before combining them into a metal box on the operating table.

With a "bang," a bright pink mist rose from the box, shimmering. Then, a pink spider, looking like it had escaped from a Barbie dream castle, crawled out.

The spider had two large eyes with long lashes, clearly defined black and white, and each of its eight legs adorned with a glittering rhinestone that sparkled as it moved.

Qin Fei: "..."

His eyes were about to go blind. What kind of bizarre research was this researcher conducting?

As expected, the Barbie spider also carried a contaminated aura.

The fourth type.

The fourth different type of contamination.

Qin Fei was now absolutely certain.

In this Underground Research Institute, each different monster carried a unique contamination.

If this institute was indeed researching monsters, how many sources of contamination were there?

Dozens?

Hundreds?

Or even more?

Researcher Edward put down the test tubes, picked up the Barbie spider, and squeezed it in his palm.

With a squish, the lively little spider turned into an unrecognizable pink blob in his hand.

Finally turning around, he looked at Qin Fei with a lack of interest.

When he saw the youth’s exquisite face, a hint of regret flashed in the NPC’s eyes, as if he were looking at a beautiful yet fragile piece of art.

But when his gaze shifted downward to the cart Qin Fei had pushed into the lab, filled with the containers of tentacles,

Qin Fei clearly saw Researcher Edward’s eyes suddenly light up.

On the cart, all the tentacles lay silently in the solution, no longer showing any signs of agitation.

"You—"

The researcher stared at the containers on the cart, his eyes shining.

"You can calm these mutated albino tentacles." He murmured.

"They are in such a good state. I have never seen them so peaceful... They like you."

Researcher Edward lifted his head and smiled at Qin Fei.

It seemed that because of these tentacles, he had developed a fondness for this ordinary worker with the lowest status in the Research Institute, whom he had never met before.

Qin Fei silently denied what the NPC said in his heart.

No, that's not it.

The reason these white tentacles were so quiet in Qin Fei's hands was not because they liked him.

All the researcher NPCs had misunderstood.

The tentacles were simply being suppressed by Qin Fei.

Or rather, they were afraid, terrified.

Terrified of the aura from the true source of contamination that Qin Fei carried.

Monsters carried an aura similar to the source of contamination, but there were also differences between them.

They were stronger than ordinary monsters but much weaker than the source of contamination. The difference between the two was as vast as that between fireflies and the moon.

If they were all truly the source of contamination, why would their powers differ so greatly?

More and more strange signs piled up, painting chaotic lines in Qin Fei's mind.

"What's your name?" Researcher Edward's question interrupted his thoughts.

Qin Fei naturally couldn't reveal his real name.

Living within the scope of the Underground Research Institute, all humans had no names.

When they first entered the Research Institute, each person was given a unique number. From then on, this number became their identity.

This was what Lin Ye told Qin Fei. The players like Lin Ye had figured out their numbers when they were in the breeding center, but Qin Fei didn't have one.

His birthplace in the scenario was the disposal room.

No one would bother to tell the defective products in the disposal room what their numbers were.

But it wasn't a big problem. After all, Qin Fei was now replacing the position of the NPC he had tricked.

The NPC's number was E-0079. When Qin Fei entered the operation area, the supervisor had checked off their numbers on a list, and Qin Fei had secretly glanced at his own entry.

"Mr. Researcher, my number is E-0079," Qin Fei replied obediently.

Edward nodded, his gaze wandering over Qin Fei without restraint.

The system gave Researcher Edward an extreme close-up. He wore a pair of cold gray, thin-framed glasses, which could not hide his overly sharp and naked gaze.

Even through a light screen, it sent a shiver of danger down the spines of the audience in the live-streaming hall.

But Qin Fei showed no reaction.

He stood there calmly, hands clasped in front of his lower abdomen, head lowered.

His long lashes cast shadows over his docile eyes, making him look like a compliant doll, devoid of temper or thought, just a typical low-ranking individual.

"Lift your head and look at me," ordered Researcher Edward.

Qin Fei complied and raised his face.

A cold hand gripped his chin, pressing hard enough to make Qin Fei feel pain.

This researcher seemed to have a bad temperament.

Researcher Edward exuded an undeniable dangerous aura, which felt oddly familiar to Qin Fei.

But he couldn't pinpoint where he had encountered it before.

The young man's disguise was impeccable. Even with their faces almost touching, the NPC still couldn't detect anything amiss in his eyes.

Indeed, he appeared to be just an ordinary human with extraordinary abilities.

The researcher's fingers lingered on Qin Fei's jaw for a moment before letting go.

He pulled a test tube from the cart Qin Fei had pushed in and turned back to the workbench, fiddling with something unknown.

Qin Fei took this opportunity to discreetly observe the laboratory.

There were many researchers in the lab, but Researcher Edward was clearly the most special among them.

This uniqueness was not only evident in the fact that he was the only one not wearing protective clothing, but also in how all the other researchers nodded or greeted him as they passed by, regardless of whether he responded.

Each researcher was focused on their tasks, and Qin Fei observed them subtly, finding nothing unusual.

He had originally expected to find some other contaminants in the lab, but there were none.

The researchers held various medicines, reagents, bottles, or unidentifiable chunks of flesh.

Until Qin Fei's gaze fell on a tightly closed door in the corner of the lab.

This door was different from the others in the lab, clearly leading outside.

As Qin Fei looked at the door, it was opened from behind.

Two figures, looking utterly disheveled, rushed out.

"Mr. Edward, Mr. Edward! The experimental subject has gone berserk again!"

The two NPCs were covered in blood from head to toe, their white protective suits soaked in fresh red.

Despite the pain, their faces were filled with fear, as if not seeking help from Researcher Edward immediately would lead to something far worse than their injuries.

Edward left his workstation and approached them.

Qin Fei noticed that the tentacle Edward had just taken away was undergoing another mutation in the test tube.

Seven small protrusions had grown from the edge of the white tentacle's severed end, and these protrusions continued to grow in the nutrient solution within the test tube.

One large and seven small tentacles writhed in unison.

The newly grown tentacles kept growing larger and larger until they merged together, forming an oval body and head.

It transformed into a complete octopus.

...

Researcher Edward followed the two NPCs out in a hurry. Before leaving, he hesitated and glanced back at Qin Fei but ultimately said nothing, leaving him alone.

In the laboratory, no anomalies appeared visibly anywhere.

Qin Fei, being an outsider, could only stand there motionless after the NPC who had been dealing with him left.

Other researchers passing by looked at him, and he blinked innocently in return.

More than an hour later, Researcher Edward finally returned through that door.

He now looked as disheveled as the previous two NPCs, as if he had experienced a great battle inside the door. Blood and unknown fluids had drenched him, and his lab coat clung to his body limply.

The other NPCs in the laboratory seemed accustomed to this scene and showed little reaction; someone brought Edward a new coat and a towel.

Before leaving, Researcher Edward had been full of research interest towards Qin Fei, but now he appeared exceptionally exhausted. His smoky gray eyes seemed to have lost all the neon lights of the night sky, appearing lifeless.

Qin Fei watched Researcher Edward, maintaining his composure, but his gaze grew increasingly serious.

Researcher Edward stood there intact.

He removed his glasses and wiped the blood off the lenses, yet there wasn't a single wound on his body. Although his clothes were disheveled, they remained undamaged.

The blood was not his own.

From the blood, Qin Fei felt an unusually familiar sensation.

... It was the source of contamination he knew.

Qin Fei's temples throbbed.

His eyelids twitched.

Although he knew that any harm or even death inflicted upon a source of contamination within a scenario would not affect its main entity.

As the source of contamination had once told him, they were all part of It, but merely a very small part.

In the infinite universe, It existed in countless avatars scattered across different worlds, much like plucking a single hair wouldn't harm one's health.

Yet Qin Fei couldn't ignore it.

Qin Fei didn't consciously think anything, but the strange feeling lingered.

He looked at the door.

The silver-gray metal door was tightly shut, devoid of any warmth.

In the moment when Qin Fei blinked and his eyelids touched, several black vines seemed to appear on the door.

These vines twisted and intertwined, blooming into a rose at their intersection before dissipating.

When Researcher Edward followed Qin Fei's gaze, he saw nothing unusual but a plain door.

The NPC frowned and, with fingers stained with sticky blood, forced Qin Fei to look at him by gripping his chin.

Their eyes met, and the young man's gaze was as clear as a stream formed by melting snow, free of any impurities.

Even someone as suspicious as Researcher Edward had to admit that the person before him looked so pure and innocent, unlike someone harboring ill intentions.

"..." The NPC finally made a decision, "Go back. Tomorrow morning, have your supervisor bring you here."

This meant that the supervisor's application had been approved, and Researcher Edward would give Qin Fei a new job.

From then on, he could leave the lowest level of the Research Institute, the outermost operational area.

Just as the supervisor had said, he would ascend to a higher position and gain access to some of the core secrets of the Research Institute.

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Edward."

When Qin Fei spoke, his gaze involuntarily shifted downward.

The NPC's fingertips still left a warm sensation on his chin, and the sticky blood adhered to his skin, creating an unusual sensation.

But Qin Fei did not dislike it.

Instead, a desire arose within him.

He wanted to wipe away that blood with his finger and then... put it in his mouth.

That was the blood of the source of contamination.

The young man swallowed lightly, his Adam's apple quivering slightly.