Vol. 3 Chapter 22: The Ocean Type
Chapter 22: The Ocean Type
Ultimately, Lu Li learned a lot of information from the nurse. For example, between the ages of twelve and fourteen, all mask people experience a day-long blackout with no known cause.
The front masks of the mask people can be removed, but if not reattached in time, the person dies. Many mask people die yearly from having their masks stolen. Their five senses are linked to the mask; behind the mask is a dark abyss leading to an unknown, vulnerable area. Food taken through the mask appears in the stomach, and if a non-matching mask is worn, it shatters within one to three days.
The nurse also shared a legend about a mask person who, after losing his mask, stole others to survive. Each mask shattered after some time, forcing him to continue stealing. Over time, he gained extraordinary abilities and willingly caused a mask rampage, becoming the king of the shadow monsters.
Although this legend is often treated as a joke, some believe it. This is why many mask people lose their masks each year. There are even rumors that the Union Government secretly experiments with this phenomenon.
Lastly, Lu Li inquired about the divine masks. The nurse knew little, only that these masks could awaken the abilities of mask monsters and emitted a faint glow. This is why Lu Li's shadow mask was mistaken for a divine mask.
Having gathered what he could, Lu Li focused on the task at hand. The three of them had been walking through the morgue for almost ten minutes without reaching the end. The place was filled with cold mist, and the nurse, having reverted to human form, was struggling to stay awake due to her serpent-like tendencies.
"The floor is still concrete. This unscientific spatial extension is really..." Min Zidong's frustration grew as he walked without finding anything. He trailed off, unable to find the right words.
"We've been walking for so long without encountering any monsters or seeing walls or buildings. Did we take the wrong path? Is this damn space distorted?" This deviation from his plan was frustrating, making him mutter, "Even the pheromone markers I left on the beast types have disappeared."
Min Zidong had left pheromone markers on the beast types to guide them, but the markers had abruptly vanished, causing them to lose direction. As he continued to release new markers and curse the task, Lu Li calmly analyzed the situation.
"This space has indeed undergone an anomaly, extending and expanding beyond measure, but it's unlikely that the space itself is distorted. Otherwise, the game's difficulty would be too high," Lu Li said.
"Then why did the pheromone markers on the beast types suddenly disappear?" Min Zidong asked, regaining his composure. His respect for Lu Li deepened. Despite the seemingly endless cold morgue, Lu Li remained unaffected.
"If not spatial distortion, what if other creatures ate them?" Lu Li suggested.
"Impossible. I left a lot of markers. Even if another monster ate them, some would remain on the new host, forming a new trail," Min Zidong replied confidently. "But the trail just ended."
"Wait, I think we've misunderstood something," Lu Li said, looking up at the misty, ceilingless sky. "There are flying mask monsters, aren't there?"
Staring at the misty ceiling, Min Zidong felt a sense of helplessness. They couldn't reach the top without the ability to fly.
"The monsters above seem to need to eat, or at least have a desire to eat," Lu Li pondered. He then patted Min Zidong's shoulder and said, "It's your turn. Release a lot of pheromones and tell the monsters above there's food here."
"Be careful with the amount. We don't want to attract a horde," Lu Li reminded, then watched with the nurse.
Min Zidong nodded, regaining his confidence. His pores opened, releasing pheromones. Despite the low temperature and slow air movement, the pheromones began to spread. After a while, strange noises approached from a distance, followed by a gust of wind. The white mist was blown aside, revealing the distant scenery.
The ceiling had transformed into a boundless sky, and several creatures were flying toward them. Surprisingly, these were not the expected flying types but several massive whales—ocean types. The gust of wind was brought by these ocean types.
Based on Min Zidong's information and the nurse's input, ocean types were generally large marine creatures, with whales being common. However, they had assumed these creatures only lived underwater, forgetting that ocean types, while resembling marine life, could live in the air. [TL: How is it Ocean-type when they can live in Air]
These ocean types, each about ten meters long, were mid-sized among whales but massive to Lu Li and the others. The ocean types opened their huge mouths, sucking in all the mist. As they drew closer, the suction became stronger, causing Lu Li and the others to lose their footing and be pulled into the whales' mouths.
Frustrated, the ocean types thought, Weren't there supposed to be plenty of food here? Why is it all mist? Closing their mouths, they expelled the mist through their blowholes, creating a vast white cloud.
Outside the morgue, the life signals of Lu Li and his companions abruptly ceased...