"Oh my god, what's going on?!"
Lu Kaiyang stared blankly at the chains that ran through the entire building of the research institute. They were made of black metal and flashed a faint cold light. Chains should be dead objects, but these straight chains reminded him of black snakes.
"The alarm just now said that No. 1 is out of control." Li Haoyuan stared at the chains. He was now on the second floor of the research institute. These things that came out of nowhere were most likely the work of out-of-control monsters in the research institute.
"You mean No. 1 is out of control? But No. 1 doesn't have this kind of chain..." Lu Kaiyang suddenly realized something and quickly lowered his voice and asked, "Is No. 1 melting again? It's out of control. Is it going to destroy the entire institute?! Is Tangning in trouble too?!"
It is impossible for Tang Ning to order No. 1 to destroy the institute for no reason. Now No. 1 is suddenly causing trouble in the institute. Either Tang Ning had a dispute with the people in the institute and ordered No. 1 to attack the institute, or No. 1 is out of control and Tang Ning can no longer control No. 1, which is why No. 1 attacks the institute.
No matter what the situation was, it showed that Tang Ning had a serious problem.
Li Haoyuan reached into his pocket and firmly grasped the note that Tang Ning had handed to him earlier.
The note read: "I will not really die. As long as I am given enough energy, I can be resurrected again."
When she received the note, she had a feeling that Tangning might be in a huge crisis.
"Hey, Brother Li, where are you going?" Lu Kaiyang was a little surprised when he saw Li Haoyuan walking downstairs: "Everyone is running to the front, why are you going downstairs? Isn't that a leak of Yin Qi?"
Although the research institute was connected by these chains, at least the floors were made of large areas of special materials that could isolate negative energy. It was safer for everyone to walk up or run out directly than to go downstairs.
"I'm going to find Tang Ning." Li Haoyuan said.
"Brother Li, are you sure? Can I help you?" Lu Kaiyang asked with the attitude of seeking wealth and fame at the risk of his life.
"No." Li Haoyuan said and walked downstairs. Lu Kaiyang also hurriedly followed. He felt that something big was going to happen in the research institute. Instead of hiding from the NPCs, it would be better to follow Li Haoyuan. If he could get close to Tang Ning, he would make a fortune.
"You don't have to follow me. Go to the dean's office or other high-level places in the building and listen to the news one by one." Lu Kaiyang's ability is not suitable for combat, but it is very suitable for eavesdropping.
"Okay, Brother Li, be careful!" Lu Kaiyang quickly ran upstairs. He was really afraid of death and was afraid that he would encounter monsters when he went downstairs.
Li Haoyuan wore a special protective suit and quickly rushed downstairs. There were people rushing towards him everywhere. The further he went down, the more he could feel the depressing and desperate atmosphere. It was as if he was walking towards the abyss step by step. The beast instinct granted by the S-level card was frantically warning him of danger!
Extremely dangerous! This kind of danger is even greater than facing the vampire boss in the novice copy!
Li Haoyuan paused for a moment. His reason told him that he must not go any further. If he took a wrong step, he might fall into the abyss and be crushed to pieces at any time.
Li Haoyuan squeezed the note in his pocket again.
Tangning wrote two sentences. In addition to the one that she would not truly die, the other sentence was...
"I know the biggest danger of this copy. If I die, everyone else will most likely die with me."
A very cold sentence.
These words were not something that the normal Tang Ning would say. They could be considered naked threats.
But Li Haoyuan's intuition also told him that the second sentence on the note was likely to happen!
You don't really need any intuition, you can deduce it with simple reasoning. Although the C-level copy is not as difficult as the A-level copy, it is definitely not as simple as the novice copy.
This time, Li Haoyuan has been in this copy for six days. In another day, he will be able to leave this copy smoothly, and he has not encountered any danger.
This is unreasonable.
Card games are not just playing house. Li Haoyuan had encountered this situation before when he was working hard to clear the forum. If the first few days were very peaceful, it means that the last day would be a big kill in this copy.
Li Haoyuan still has no impression of the real crisis in this dungeon, but Tang Ning obviously knows a lot about it. Now he is afraid to die and dare not go down. He will still die if he doesn't know the crisis on the last day. It is better to act according to the plan of Tang Ning, the old player. Li Haoyuan believes that the old player who can come back alive from the A-level dungeon will never fail in the C-level dungeon.
Thinking of this, Li Haoyuan no longer hesitated and rushed down directly...
The other side.
Lu Kaiyang held his breath and stood by the wall. In addition to his wall-penetrating ears, he also had a skill called "Invisible Man". Generally, as long as he didn't deliberately make too much noise, people around him would subconsciously ignore him. The combination of these two skills was very suitable for this sneaky ability.
Quickly passing through one room after another, Lu Kaiyang suddenly stopped and heard two people in that room arguing.
"I don't even know what happened on the third and fourth underground floors. How can I report it without the dean's order?"
"If the dean is still alive, he would have contacted me a long time ago! Now the dean is in trouble. Not only the dean, but also 20 to 30 researchers! So many people are in coma, and the symptoms are very similar to those of a mental link that has backfired. Can we deal with the out-of-control No. 1 with just a few people?! If you really let this monster escape, can you be worthy of all mankind?!"
"I only know that once I report this, the ultimate weapon will most likely be activated! Can't you wait until I run away before reporting it?"
"You can't run away! Have you found those chains?! These damn things have sealed off the entire building!"
Lu Kaiyang's pupils suddenly contracted, and he turned his head stiffly to the window at the end of the corridor. He saw that the window was covered with chains. This research institute was like a prisoner of these chains, trapped here.
Countless chains continuously extended from No. 1's body. As long as there was enough energy, they could grow endlessly, wrapping the entire building like a silkworm chrysalis, blocking the possibility for anyone to escape.
However, No. 1, who had driven everyone in the building nearly crazy, walked to Tang Ning's room as if he had not heard anything.
The room had become very cozy recently and was still in the same state as when Tangning left. The quilt was messy and there was no chain on the window. This was the only window in the entire building that was not covered by a chain.
Because of this, the sun can shine brightly.
Unlike other creatures that are used to living in the dark, father needs sunlight.
Number 1 gently placed Tang Ning on the bed. He moved very gently, as if he was afraid of disturbing the sweet dream of the person in his arms.
—"No. 1, help me change into my pajamas. They are in the closet."
Because of the sleepiness, the tune was drawn out long and soft, making it particularly clear to remember.
It stretched out its hands devoutly and slowly unbuttoned Tang Ning's blood-stained buttons one by one.
The action left its fingertips stained with blood.
How can it touch its father when its hands are so dirty
No. 1 stopped moving, and slowly put the finger stained with a little blood into his mouth. The bright red fingertip was wrapped by the pale lips. The eyes of this monster in human skin were pure and evil. It did not spare any blood from the fingernails to the fingers, and licked the base of the fingers with its long, snake-like tongue.
father…
Its father was wearing clothes stained with blood, and his left chest was pierced by a chain and a sharp long knife.
It didn't know how to handle the knife before, and was afraid that if it moved it carelessly, it would make the father's injury worse.
No need to worry about that now.
It grasped the hilt of the knife with its clean hands and gently pulled the knife out from Tang Ning's heart.
The blood spilled even more.
It raised the knife, tilted its head, and looked at the sharp knife in disbelief. It was hard to imagine that it was this knife that severed the deep bond between it and its father.
The blade reflected its beautiful and somewhat feminine appearance. This appearance should have been more likable, just like its beloved father, but its final appearance was still very different from Tang Ning's.
The sticky blood flowed down from the sharp blade. When the drop of blood was about to leave the tip of the knife, it opened its lips and caught the blood bead that looked like red agate.
The teeth bit the tip of the knife.
Several chains pierced through the sharp knife, just like the knife had pierced through Tang Ning and its body, instantly swallowing up the knife and making it become one.
This knife once ended my father's life.
And it devoured the knife.
It was inseparable from its father's death. Thinking of this, its heart felt strangely sweet.
The room was still dead silent, with only the friction sound of the long chain being retracted.
It bent down and patiently and carefully helped its father peel off layer after layer of dirty clothes. While doing this, its beautiful eyes curved into crescents, but gradually, the smile on its face completely disappeared.
It used to like to touch its father because there was a kind of warmth on its father's body that fascinated it.
Now all I feel is coldness.
The body that had stopped breathing was terribly cold, as if it had returned to the time when it was locked in the glass house, and all it could touch when it kissed its father was the coldness.
But it doesn't matter.
It can now touch father.
"Father." It said coquettishly to the corpse on the bed, "Number 1 wants a reward."
The corpse on the bed did not respond.
It knelt beside the bed, its face pressed against the corpse's. Two equally beautiful, equally bloodless faces pressed together. It rubbed against each other like a kitten, "Can I give Father No. 1 clothes?"
The air is silent.
Number 1 stretched out his slender fingers and held up the father's head, causing the man to raise his chin arrogantly. His voice also changed, perfectly overlapping with that of Dr. Tang, and even the tone was exactly the same: "You shouldn't have such thoughts, you dirty monster."
After it finished saying this, it smiled again, and the smile grew bigger and bigger, until its shoulders began to tremble, until its forehead pressed against the man's cold forehead, its nose pointed at the man's nose, and its laughing lips pressed against the man's soft lips—
"I know, father."
That day, when this person came to it and taught it to write "father", these disgusting words were accidentally transmitted to it through the mental link.
I am your father.
What a filthy monster.
It didn't know what a kiss was, but at this moment it was caressing this person like it was obsessed, "I know father will agree."
It had seen how its father dressed, and now it imitated its memory and put on the blood-stained clothes.
The chains were able to survive by leaving its body, and new chains could grow out of its collar, cuffs, trouser legs and the holes pierced by the knife.
This monster with human skin was now wearing human clothes. It looked more human than before. It walked to the closet with a bright smile and hooked out a pair of pure white pajamas with the tip of its tail.
— "Well, the loosest one is the pajamas"
It walked to the sleeping father with pajamas in its hand. This beautiful body was lying in soft bedding, with white bones visible on the left chest. There was a fragrance mixed with flesh and blood, like a beautiful flower blooming on the bones.
Its gaze seemed to be glued, flowing obsessively on the surface, on this sick and rotten skin.
"Does father want to take a bath?" It said in a distressed tone, "But the water has made father's blood all over his body."
This is such a waste.
The tip of its scarlet tongue like a snake stuck out from its mouth. Its eyes suddenly lit up, and it leaned over the father obediently, looking at him with sweet, loving eyes. "Number 1, come and help the father lick it clean."
The corpse will not respond.
Li Haoyuan walked in the corridor full of chains, carefully keeping a distance from them. According to Li Haoyuan's observation, as long as you don't get close to these chains, you will usually not be attacked.
Now, deep in Li Haoyuan, at the boundary between the first ground floor and the first underground floor, even though he hasn't entered the first underground floor yet, he can vaguely hear the roar of monsters coming from there.
In this situation, Li Haoyuan would most likely be dead. Once the monsters came, even if his S-level cards greatly enhanced his physical fitness, it would be difficult for him to survive the monsters' human wave tactics.
Li Haoyuan discovered that most of the chains did not stay on the underground first floor, but instead turned in one direction towards the underground first floor.
If these chains were all emitted by No. 1, then the wider the place, the more likely it is that No. 1 is staying.
So where would Tang Ning be
Will you stay with No. 1
Li Haoyuan gritted his teeth, decided to take a gamble, and strode towards the underground floor, moving forward in the direction where the chain extended.
The road was littered with corpses.
At the beginning, Li Haoyuan tried hard to step on the place where there were no chains, but the further he went, the more difficult it became. Especially in the corridor not far away, there were crisscrossing chains on all sides. Unless Li Haoyuan turned into a fly, he could not flexibly drill out from the gaps between these chains!
what to do
Li Haoyuan stopped. If he went any further, he would be within the attack range of the chains, which could kill him in just one breath.
Li Haoyuan frowned, staring at the chains in front of him. A head-on confrontation would definitely not work, but the direction in which these chains gathered seemed to be Tang Ning's room in this research institute
Although the road ahead was completely blocked by chains, Li Haoyuan remembered that there were only a few rooms at the end of this corridor. In addition to Tang Ning's room, there were several researchers' rooms. If No. 1 wanted to stay, he couldn't stay in those researchers' rooms for so long. It was more likely that he would be in Tang Ning's room than in those researchers' rooms.
However, it is still unknown whether Tang Ning is with No. 1.
So…
Do you want to try calling the landline in Tang Ning's room
Li Haoyuan knew the landline number of Tang Ning's room because of the meal delivery.
If Tang Ning was there, he could communicate with her directly. If Tang Ning was not there, if the call was picked up, the person who picked up the phone would only be No. 1.
So far, no one has been able to communicate with this monster. This phone call may be the only chance to communicate with No. 1. Remember that this monster should be able to understand human language.
If it was the research institute here that hurt Tang Ning, she could also express her stance to No. 1.
...and be loyal to a monster
Although this idea was strange, Li Haoyuan could not think of any other solution so far. He returned the same way, found a room with a landline phone, and dialed the number based on his memory.
When he pressed the number, Li Haoyuan's heart was beating wildly, and when the call was suddenly picked up, Li Haoyuan felt that his heart seemed to stop beating at that moment.
The other end of the phone was extremely quiet, without any breathing sound.
“…Excuse me, is Dr. Tang here?” Li Haoyuan deliberately lowered his voice.
I heard a soft and sweet voice: "What do you want to do with my father?"
A voice as gentle as a feather scraped across Li Haoyuan's auditory nerves, causing every cell in his body to tremble with fear.
…father
This is the monster number 1! That monster can actually speak human language!!!
Li Haoyuan felt the uncanny valley effect. Before he could organize his words, a rustling sound suddenly came from outside the door of the room. It was the noise caused by metal rubbing against wooden boards, like a rattlesnake shaking.
The monster is coming! The monster's chain is following!
How could this happen?! I specifically chose a room far away from the ground floor! How did this monster find the traces in an instant?!
Li Haoyuan was sweating profusely at this moment, "I, Dr. Tang gave the things to me before."
The harsh noise of the door panel stopped for a moment, and then a light voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hmm?"
A very soft "hmm" sounded, with a hint of laziness, as if Tangning had not yet woken up. If someone familiar with Tangning heard it, they would even think that this doubtful sound came from Tangning.
But when this cute voice came from a monster's mouth, Li Haoyuan only felt endless malice.
Make sure this isn't your illusion.
Because the chain outside the house only paused for a moment, and the next second, it broke through the door like several mad snakes!
Li Haoyuan quickly took out the piece of paper from his pocket and threw it out hastily, but the chains that were originally about to pierce through his body were attracted by the fluttering piece of paper. They scrambled for the small piece of paper, and seemed to care about anything that Tang Ning left behind.
In this way, even if No. 1 is not under Tang Ning's control now, Tang Ning should still be a very special person in No. 1's heart.
Li Haoyuan took this opportunity to express his loyalty quickly, saying, "I don't know if Dr. Tang had an accident, but the backup plan Dr. Tang left behind tells me that he won't really die!"
When Li Haoyuan said this, the chains all fell silent, and even the dust floating in the air seemed to freeze. A voice as cold as a machine was heard from the other end of the phone: "What did you say?"
This voice lost all its false sweetness and tenderness, like a sharp knife in the belly of a snake that finally stabbed out from the inside out, the sharp blade dripping with deadly venom.
All the chains that Li Haoyuan had put in the room were coiled around him, as if a huge python was wrapped around him, ready to strangle him in the most cruel way at any time and anywhere.
"…The note Dr. Tang left behind told me that there is no real death. As long as there is enough energy, I can be resurrected."
The overwhelming chains still surrounded them, and the cold voice asked, "What do you mean by sufficient energy?"
"I... I don't know either." Li Haoyuan's sweat dripped down his forehead. In this short moment, his clothes were soaked. "Maybe... maybe it's Yin Qi?"
During this period, I have also communicated with the NPCs in this world and learned that Yin Qi is a special energy in this world.
Two seconds passed, and the voice became soft again, like a wisp of gauze, "If you lie to me~"
"I will make you regret living in this world."
The phone call was suddenly hung up, and before Li Haoyuan could breathe a sigh of relief, the chains suddenly entangled him. Like a prisoner tied up with ropes, Li Haoyuan was quickly carried out of the room and rushed towards the direction where the chains were most densely packed at an astonishing speed!
Li Haoyuan felt like a piece of cargo being shipped at high speed. In a flash, he arrived at the door of the room that he had tried every means to get to but could not reach at an unimaginable speed.
Anyone with a slightly poorer physical condition would be so uncomfortable with this stimulation that he would vomit.
The door was opened at this moment, and Li Haoyuan smelled a strong smell of blood.
He walked nervously into the house and saw a young man in blood-stained clothes.
This young man was exceptionally beautiful, with fluffy black hair that curled slightly, reminding people of the clouds in the sky. The shape of his eyes was almost identical to Tang Ning's, except that the emotions accumulated in his eyes were dark and gloomy, which made people's first reaction not amazement, but fear.
The chains bound around Li Haoyuan's body suddenly loosened and flew towards the young man, going through the cuffs and trouser legs of his torn and bloody clothes. In an instant, the huge chains merged with the man's body, like a drop of water merging into the ocean.
At this moment, Li Haoyuan also understood the other party's identity, not "", but... it.
"How do we use energy to revive our father?" No. 1 asked coldly.
resurrection.
So Tang Ning is really dead now
Li Haoyuan subconsciously saw another person in the room, first the pale and soft soles of his feet, and then Tang Ning, who was lying on the bed in pure white pajamas.
Tang Ning closed her eyes and folded her hands on her stomach. Her long, curled eyelashes fell on her lower eyelids. Her eyes were already very white, and now they were even whiter and clearer. Her bloodless lips added a sense of frailty.
When he woke up, he didn't look like a corpse. He just fell asleep accidentally.
Li Haoyuan quickly retracted his gaze, fearing that his excessive attention would make No. 1 angry, but he felt that No. 1 was already about to get angry, "... I don't know."
Tangning had never explained this to Li Haoyuan. It was not because Tangning did not want to explain, but because Tangning herself did not know how to operate the Sleeping Beauty card.
As soon as he finished speaking, the already low air pressure seemed to sink to the bottom at this moment, and it was filled with a depressing feeling as if a storm was about to come, making Li Haoyuan almost unable to breathe.
At that moment, Li Haoyuan thought he was going to die, because a chain appeared out of nowhere and suddenly wrapped around him!
But the next moment, the chain was just thrown out.
No. 1 did not kill Li Haoyuan, although it wanted to kill this man very much. However, if the other party was not lying, if the father would really wake up, then the father would definitely not want Li Haoyuan to die in its hands.
After hearing that my father might be able to survive, my rational thoughts seemed to come back to me...
At this moment, No. 1 seemed to have turned back into the well-behaved child he once again.
It walked towards the person lying on the bed step by step, staring at this person. This body without a soul was so empty, but it was still beautiful enough to absorb the souls of bystanders.
"father..."
A chain came out from No. 1's chest and moved towards Tang Ning's body. Soon, the chain landed on the wound that was covered by Tang Ning's pajamas.
It tentatively injected a little Yin Qi into Tang Ning's body. The amount it injected was very small because once a corpse encountered a large area of Yin Qi pollution, it would most likely turn into a low-level monster.
Those monsters would grow short white hair on their surfaces, and their bodies would undergo various changes. My father, who loves cleanliness so much, would definitely not want to become like that.
After typing a little, No. 1 suddenly paused because it had a terrible idea.
Zombie monsters are also dead people who have come back "alive".
Perhaps this is the greatest malice that father wants to bring upon it.
No. 1 pulled out the chain in panic, staring at the father's skin. As long as the father's body turned towards the monster, it would kill everyone in the building!!!
The heart of the king of monsters was beating violently, thump, thump, thump, and the hearts of everyone in the building also beat wildly. The fear almost overwhelmed their throats, and they drowned in despair.
One second passed, two seconds passed...
Father's skin was still fragile and pale, not covered with dense white hair as No. 1 had imagined.
No. 1 stared at Tang Ning's skin. In this short period of time, it seemed as if he had experienced the process from heaven to hell and then back to heaven again.
Even though its father is dead, it is still easy to mobilize its emotions.
No. 1 curled up carefully beside his father. It gently rubbed its forehead against his palm, and its attitude was so gentle that it seemed like it was acting like a spoiled child.
The chain was reconnected, and it continued to transmit Yin energy into the father's body. Even though it could transmit a large amount of Yin energy into the father's body at once, it did not dare to transmit too much, but instead nourished the father's body like a trickle.
After a while, it seemed to have realized something, and with trembling hands it pulled down the collar of its father's clothes, revealing that the horrific knife wound was slowly healing.
Yin energy does have an effect on father's body!
Very good!
But the Yin energy it could provide to the father was no longer sufficient. Just now, it had absorbed all the Yin energy from the explosion of the research institute through the chains, and was transmitting it into the father's body bit by bit.
After a period of time, the Yin Qi in the research institute will be completely absorbed. However, according to the speed at which the Yin Qi can repair the father's wounds, this Yin Qi is still far from enough.
At this moment, the most evil energy is in the monster's heart in its body. If it were before, it would definitely give its heart to its father without hesitation, but now, it would not do that.
If it doesn't have strong power, the father will still leave it next time.
So what to do now
Tang Ning, who was sleeping on bed No. 1, raised his head again and looked out the window.
…
"Brother Li! You're finally here!" Lu Kaiyang, who had knocked out two researchers, stood nervously at the door. When he saw Li Haoyuan walking towards him, he seemed to have found his backbone.
"I overheard these two people saying that they would report what happened in the research institute to the front. One of them said that the front would probably use some weapon to blow up the institute if they knew. I can't get out now. If it blows up, my whole team will be wiped out!" Therefore, Lu Kaiyang used the precious props he got by chance to knock out the two NPCs.
Seeing Li Haoyuan's absent-minded look, Lu Kaiyang became anxious: "Fuck, Brother Li, say something!"
"The chains... have fallen apart." Li Haoyuan looked out the window in amazement.
Lu Kaiyang, who was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, was stunned when he heard this. He turned around and looked back along Li Haoyuan's line of sight, and saw the chains wrapped around the surface of the research institute extending in all directions, emitting a dazzling brilliance under the bright sunshine.
Those chains extended outward like several spiritual links, spreading to the wider world, spreading across the land at a speed that humans could not understand or grasp. The king's will was conveyed to every monster -
"come over."
The new king commanded.
All the monsters in this area heard this order. No matter what they were doing at the moment, whether they were hiding in a corner to cultivate their bodies and minds, or attacking humans, or two monsters fighting each other, at this moment they stopped what they were doing and rushed towards the king's location without hesitation!
This is its king calling it!
Of course, not all monsters obeyed his orders, because at this moment, another order from the new king came from the opposite direction: "I am the king!"
At the same time, two kings appeared.
"Hurry up! What is No. 1 doing?! It looks like it's summoning those monsters over?!"
"This is crazy! Number 1 is completely out of control. All of us will die here. All of us will die!"
"Hurry up and report it, hurry up--" The person who was shouting to report it suddenly fell down and fainted on the ground as if he had drunk something. Not only that, the excited researchers also collapsed to the ground, one by one, twisting and falling.
When Lu Kaiyang saw this scene, he showed a distressed look, mainly because he felt sorry for the precious props. In order to charm this group of NPCs, his life-saving props had to be left here.
Alas, the props for the original skills were like those of ancient heroes, eavesdropping and blowing smoke. Now, this is the only way to survive...
"Brother Li, why do you think No. 1 called so many monsters over? I'm so scared." Lu Kaiyang stood in front of the screen that the researcher had just stared at, and could see many monsters rushing towards him.
The research institute was not built in the urban area, but in a secluded mountain area. Normally, there shouldn't be any monsters coming here, but now through the images transmitted by the human-machine, it can be seen that several extremely large monsters are rushing here frantically!
"If I come to the research institute... I... I definitely won't be able to hold on." Lu Kaiyang said with a sad face.
But the next second, his expression suddenly became extremely shocked, because in the picture a chain suddenly passed through the body of a huge monster, depriving the monster of its power like a vampire vine rooted in the body of an animal.
Not only this monster that came was killed, but several other monsters were also killed by chains!
"What's going on?" Lu Kaiyang was a little confused. If these monsters were called by No. 1, why would No. 1 attack his own people
"I think I know... It requires a lot of Yin energy."
Several chains poked the bodies of the monsters that kept coming, cruelly absorbing the negative energy from their bodies, and then carefully transmitted this negative energy to the sleeping Tang Ning.
After an unknown amount of time, Tang Ning's fingertips suddenly trembled.