Chapter 451 Those Four Players

Chapter 451: Those Four Players

Under Qin Ge's gaze, Su Bai recounted their experience at the Hotel Luolimasi. He told of the mermaid named Luolimasi, who possessed a life that should have been eternal, yet willingly became a test subject for an elixir of immortality out of love for a human. In the end, driven by the desperate hope of reuniting with her beloved, she allowed herself to be carved up, piece by piece. Su Bai described how Luolimasi, once a being of perfect life and beauty, was found filthy and imprisoned in a damp laboratory, her body covered in scabs from where flesh had been excised. Her once golden hair, like sunlight, had turned pale and brittle, her beautiful face completely withered away.

Su Bai then recounted how the human players who had taken over the Hotel Luolimasi used Luolimasi's flesh and blood to create a prototype immortality formula. They injected this semi-finished concoction into other players imprisoned within the hotel, transforming them into "monsters"—half-human, half-fish creatures covered in scales.

"Such a thing actually happened..." Qin Ge's expression was one of shock.

"So, Mr. Qin should understand my feelings," Su Bai said, standing up and walking to the floor-to-ceiling window. He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the nighttime cityscape of Qingliu City outside. "When I learned that the monsters appearing in Qingliu City were covered in scales, I began to suspect that the 'Poisonous Weed'—the force causing the mutations—might be related to the mermaid's flesh and blood. In fact, after the Hotel Luolimasi game was cleared, Luolimasi dissolved into foam and died. However, those half-human, half-fish beings who were originally imprisoned in the hotel and controlled by Luolimasi did not die with her. Instead, they were set free and left the hotel."

"Those half-human, half-fish beings did not lose their consciousness as players. Although their appearances had become grotesque, they could tell other players about what happened at the Hotel Luolimasi. Moreover, among the players who participated in that nightmare game were many strangers whose names I didn't even know. I believe they, too, remember everything that happened in that hotel vividly." Su Bai's hand rested lightly on the glass. His gaze seemed to pierce through the window, traveling back in time to that blood-soaked, filthy laboratory.

Su Bai paused briefly before continuing, "If someone who knew about the events at the Hotel Luolimasi learned that the 'Poisonous Weed' had appeared in the real world in Qingliu City, they might continue that unfinished experiment there, driven by the desire to further research the yet-to-be-completed elixir of immortality. After all, besides longevity, the mermaid's power could grant humans many abilities useful for survival in the Nightmare World."

"Of course, the key is how to remove the side effects of the 'Poisonous Weed'," Su Bai's eyes grew sharper, as if trying to see through everything. "This is why I believe the mastermind behind this mutation is a player. This isn't a blind guess, but the most likely conclusion based on the clues I have."

"Now, Mr. Qin, can you tell me where those four players are?"

Qin Ge took a deep breath, seemingly digesting Su Bai's deductions. His fingers trembled slightly before he finally pulled out his phone.

*"Sorry, the number you have dialed..."*

*"Sorry, the number you have dialed..."*

*"Sorry, the..."*

Qin Ge's expression grew increasingly grim, his brows tightly knit. Finally, when dialing the last number, someone answered.

*"Captain, what's up?"* An impatient male voice came from the other end, tinged with annoyance and anxiety, as if dealing with something urgent or perhaps in a very bad personal mood.

Qin Ge switched on the speakerphone. "Where are you all right now?"

*"Captain, is there a new mission?"* The voice didn't answer directly, carrying a hint of probing.

As Qin Ge was considering how to respond, he saw Su Bai, standing opposite him, point towards Sha Linghai lying on the nearby sofa and silently mouth a few words.

Understanding Su Bai's meaning, Qin Ge gave a slight nod and continued speaking to the person on the phone. "Kong Rui, Sha Linghai can be saved."

*"What?! How is that possible?! Wasn't he about to die... cough..."* Kong Rui on the other end was clearly stunned, followed by an exclamation filled with disbelief. But he quickly forced himself to calm down. *"Captain, Sha Linghai's condition was very bad when we left. And we've seen so many... we've seen several 'monsters.' Not a single one survived properly. Captain, you haven't been fooled by someone, have you?"*

"No, I met a very powerful player, an old acquaintance of mine," Qin Ge replied, his tone still calm, but his gaze hardened upon hearing the other's tone. "In fact, he has already treated Sha Linghai. Sha Linghai's heartbeat and breathing have been restored, and his wounds have healed. To be honest, aside from the scales on his body not receding, he looks no different from an ordinary person now... no, actually, his healing ability seems astonishingly fast."

Kong Rui on the other end was clearly rendered speechless by the shock. After a few seconds, he murmured, *"How is this possible..."*

"It is indeed somewhat hard to believe," Qin Ge said, not pressing the person on the phone further. Instead, he changed the subject. "The reason I called you all is to ask if you have any leads on other Mutants. If we can find other Mutants, the player I found might be able to treat them as well."

"However, it's strange, I can't get through to Jiang Hong—"

*"Yes! I have other Mutants here!"* The player named Kong Rui on the other end excitedly interrupted Qin Ge, but quickly suppressed his emotions again, his tone becoming cautious. *"I mean, I happen to have leads on other Mutants. I should be able to find one of them soon. Is the doctor who treated Sha Linghai still at the base?"*

Compared to the Mutants and Sha Linghai, the other party's tone seemed more concerned about Su Bai, the one capable of treating Mutants.

Su Bai, listening on the other end of the call, smiled and nodded.

"He is," Qin Ge said with a serious expression. "We'll wait for you at the base."

*"Soon! Right away! Wait for me!"* Kong Rui on the other end agreed almost without hesitation.

Hearing this, Qin Ge also hung up the phone.

"It seems the other party is extremely eager," Su Bai said straightforwardly, not beating around the bush. "As if their experiment has encountered a difficult bottleneck to break through."

"Now even I feel your speculation isn't wrong," Qin Ge said, rubbing his forehead in distress. "My team members... might really have a problem."