Vol. 3 Chapter 21: The Theory of Original Sin

Chapter 21: The Theory of Original Sin

"Cooperation isn't out of the question," Lu Li said, intrigued by the proposal. "But the hospital's power is immense. They won't easily expose their secrets to us. How do you plan to benefit from the hospital?"

Min Zidong, excited, responded, "It seems you underestimate me! This world may appear dominated by the hospital, but there's another force they can't easily handle."

Min Zidong's information, gathered through his cheat-like charm, revealed that mask monsters came in seven types: Giant, Flame, Floating, Beast, Flying, Ocean, and the elusive Insect.

"My ability, when facing beasts, only conveys goodwill, making them see me as one of their own," Min Zidong explained. "But against the Insect type, I am their natural master."

"Most insects are highly sensitive to pheromones, which is their primary means of communication. With my mutation ability, I can control all Insect types," Min Zidong said confidently. "If we gather the power of the Insect types here in the morgue, we'll command a force that can rival the hospital."

"Furthermore, I have no intention of directly confronting the hospital," Min Zidong continued, shaking his head. "The hospital harbors too many secrets. Pressing them too hard might backfire. My plan is to harness the Insect power, sweep through the morgue, collect the items listed in the booklet, and use our strength to demand valuable items from the hospital, rather than passively waiting for their handouts."

"Given that, why don't you just tame the Insects on your own? Why bring me along?" Lu Li nodded, acknowledging the feasibility of Min Zidong's plan despite its flaws.

"To be honest, brother," Min Zidong said earnestly, "while I'm pleased with my ability, it doesn't excel in direct combat. Each insect's acceptable pheromone is unique, meaning it must be specially formulated."

"I need time to analyze the pheromones and create the correct one. Most insects are social and dangerous, so I need you two to hold off the Insect types long enough for me to complete the analysis," Min Zidong explained.

Lu Li's heightened intuition sensed that Min Zidong wasn't lying but was withholding some details. However, he decided to proceed, thinking they could navigate any surprises later.

"Alright, I agree to your plan," Lu Li said with a smile.

"May I know your code names?" Min Zidong asked warmly, though he was internally strategizing about Lu Li's heightened sense.

Lu Li squinted, glanced at the nurse, and a thought struck him. He introduced himself and the nurse, "This is my friend. We happened to meet in this game. I'm Lu Li, and you can call her Guang Guai."

"Guang Guai Lu Li? Quite fortunate to meet in a game," Min Zidong remarked, the obviously fake names not raising suspicion. He reiterated his offer, "As I mentioned, I know a way for players to enter the same instance. With our combined strength, we can easily clear the game."

Min Zidong's assumption that the nurse was a player stemmed from several factors. She wore a mask identical to Lu Li's, displayed no emotions, and her mutated abilities deviated from the game's power system. Additionally, her back mask had shattered during her transformation, aligning with his perception of player mechanics.

Understanding this, Lu Li subtly instructed the nurse through their mask connection to remain expressionless. He also realized a previously overlooked issue: the mask problem.

In this world, natives could only see the front mask, not the back one. The nurse had started seeing the back masks after gaining her abilities, aligning her with players and summoned creatures like Shadow Assassins. This made Lu Li speculate, "Can only outsiders see the world's truth?"

"What about the higher-ups of the cult?" Lu Li pondered, recalling their beliefs about the second mask being a vessel of original sin, reflecting true emotions and causing mask monsters' emergence.

The cult preached that breaking the mask released original sin into the world, shifting their doctrine towards a theory of original sin. They demanded complete devotion from their followers to cleanse this sin, which eventually led to their downfall as a profit-driven scam, evidenced by mask monster outbreaks even after the cult leaders' execution.

"The cult might have grasped part of the truth," Lu Li thought. All players could see the second mask, as could his summoned creatures and the nurse after integrating his shadow magic. "Do outsiders perceive the world's reality?"

"Then what's the deal with the cult leaders and this?" Lu Li mused, taking out a coin, the mask people's currency, featuring a mask on each side, one crying and one laughing. "This can't be a coincidence."