Vol. 3 Chapter 18: Activated Floating Algae, No. 7, and Professor Liao

Chapter 18: Activated Floating Algae, No. 7, and Professor Liao

The elevator descended to the first basement level. The air was cold and carried a faint formaldehyde smell. The fluorescent lights overhead emitted a cold glow, creating an oppressive and terrifying atmosphere.

At the end of the hallway, a large door blocked the view. The sign above it read: "Morgue." Several people stood by the door, dispersing some of the cold, silent atmosphere.

The female doctor led Lu Li and the nurse to the door. Among the group, eight were security guards, and the rest were nurses. Only two people were worth noting.

One was a middle-aged doctor in a white coat, who adjusted the glasses on his mask and nodded to the female doctor before focusing intently on the computer screen in front of him, studying the data.

The other was a man in a well-fitting suit. His front mask wore a constant smile, but he had no rear mask. In this world, ordinary people couldn't see the second mask, but to players, everyone except children had a second mask. The only ones who wore a single mask to fit normal aesthetics were other players.

"The test subjects for this experiment are all here. Prepare for the test immediately!" the female doctor ordered the nurses.

"Yes." The nurses promptly brought out special vests, putting them on Lu Li, the nurse, and the suited man. They attached sensors inside the vests to their necks, hearts, and other key points.

"From our current information, the morgue has become a strange space. This door can only be opened from the outside. Once you go in, we'll keep the door open. The devices on you will transmit life signals. If the signals go out, we'll wait ten minutes before closing the door and ceasing further testing for some time."

"Even if you die inside, your families will receive substantial compensation. If you manage to bring out the key information or items, we have generous rewards. Understood?" This was directed at the eight security guards.

The female doctor waved her hand, and the nurses handed out small booklets to Lu Li and the guards. The booklets contained information on several items. "These are our research results, eight in total. Be aware that some may have mutated after entering the morgue."

Lu Li opened the booklet and saw the first entry: Activated Floating Algae. This strange organism was created from a mask monster that experienced a mask rampage. Floating species typically generate specific tissues from the host body, often becoming deadly pathogens that spread fatal floating organisms.

However, the floating species that created the activated floating algae was different. Initially, it was locked in an empty room without a host. Normally, floating species monsters fall into dormancy without a host, but this one evolved. It planted its floating organisms into inanimate objects, reproducing and combining within them, creating new monsters that inherited the properties of the objects they inhabited.

For instance, a monster created from a lamp glowed when electrified, and one created from steel was as hard as iron. The researcher who discovered this was ecstatic, but the development soon drove him crazy. The floating species infected other research results and fled to the morgue, transforming it into a strange space. Among the infected items was the Factor Player.

The Factor Player was the female doctor's creation. She studied many mask rampage incidents and found that specific factors significantly increased the likelihood of a rampage. She then created the Factor Player, a device that emitted undetectable factors that stimulated mask rampages.

The monster created from the Factor Player inherited this ability. After escaping into the morgue, it inadvertently triggered a large-scale mask rampage. Fortunately, the morgue became a strange space, trapping the mask monsters inside. Otherwise, the entire city would be in jeopardy.

"Your task is to retrieve the monsterified research results, especially the activated floating algae," the female doctor concluded, signaling the start of the mission.

The cold morgue door opened, releasing misty cold air. The female doctor clapped her hands, and another group of security guards emerged from the elevator, their masks glowing slightly. They lined up at the morgue door to prevent any mask monsters from escaping.

The suited player gestured for Lu Li to go first and then confidently walked into the morgue, disappearing into the mist after a few steps.

Lu Li smirked, leading the nurse into the morgue. The eight security guards exchanged glances and followed. The female doctor approached the middle-aged man, asking, "Professor Liao, how are things?"

"Item No. 7's power has waned, but the morgue hasn't returned to normal. I suspect a new No. 7 sub-body has formed inside, maintaining the space's distortion," Professor Liao replied, adjusting his glasses.

"The team at Research Room No. 7 had grand ambitions of creating an ideal nation using No. 7. Instead, it rampaged, creating over a dozen strange spaces within the hospital, some even connected to unknown places. If we hadn't responded quickly, the entire city might have faced a purge."

"We'll take it one step at a time. Let's deal with the activated floating algae first. With it, we can secure more resources from the United City-State Government." Professor Liao seemed unconcerned, calmly analyzing the situation. "Though the Ideal Nation Project failed, resulting in numerous strange spaces, we did gain valuable results. The otherworldly humans are our greatest find."

"I'm really curious how humans without masks survive. I'd love to know more," Professor Liao said with a smile, stroking the female doctor's hair maliciously. "They usually wear a mask on the back of their heads when disguising themselves. Perhaps the so-called heretical Double-Faced Church isn't as baseless as we thought."

"Is your back mask showing extreme disdain now?" Professor Liao teased, tugging at the female doctor's hair with a wicked grin.