Dead players would mutate into new Strange entities, wandering the Experiment Center, searching for and hunting the remaining surviving players.
By the end, the number of Strange entities would only increase, while the number of players would decrease. The balance of power between the two sides would continuously tip. The closer to the end, the harder it would be for players to survive.
Of the four-hour survival mission, half the time had now passed. From this point on, the survival difficulty had doubled, perhaps even more.
At least initially, the number of Strange entities was small. Players could easily find suitable hiding spots in the vast Experiment Center, changing locations every so often with a low probability of encountering a Strange entity. But the situation was different now. The increase in the number of Strange entities meant that the probability of surviving players encountering them while moving outside would increase drastically.
"Yi-chan..."
Kyou Fujibayashi whispered, lowering her voice.
From the screams coming from outside just now, she realized that the two corpses outside had already mutated into Strange entities. She just didn't know if these two Strange entities would discover their hiding spot.
"Stay hidden, don't make a sound."
"Mm."
The two remained motionless, focusing all their attention. Separated by the wall, they could hear slight footsteps that were clearly distinct from a human's.
Crack...
Clang...
Something was stepped on, emitting a crisp sound.
Kyou Fujibayashi held her breath.
Tap tap...
The footsteps were close. Getting closer.
In just a few short seconds, those footsteps had already appeared inside the room where Kyou Fujibayashi was hiding. This momentarily made Kyou Fujibayashi subconsciously think the Strange entity had already discovered them.
The Strange entity, wearing a blood-stained blue patient uniform, wandered around the room, bumping into things from time to time and making dull thudding sounds. Every strange noise struck the hearts of the two hiding in the ventilation duct.
Even Sawada Yoriko couldn't avoid being nervous at this moment. The two didn't move a muscle, not even daring to breathe too heavily, deeply afraid of attracting the attention of that Strange entity in the room.
Through the gaps in the grille, Kyou Fujibayashi saw the monster that had stood back up and mutated into a Strange entity. Its slightly red eyes rotated, and its hideous face still faintly retained human features.
Every fleeting second felt as long as a century.
Finally, the Strange entity seemed to wander off and leave, having failed to discover prey.
Kyou Fujibayashi only let out a slight breath of relief, but her whole body remained tense. The Strange entity had left, but that didn't mean it was far away or that they were safe. Kyou Fujibayashi remembered clearly the scene of the initial Strange entity's cunning. She would rather continue hiding and wait a bit longer than let her guard down.
"Ahhh..."
A cry for help came from some unknown direction in the distance, penetrating through layer after layer of walls, attracting the two Strange entities toward the sound.
The sound of footsteps finally diminished until it disappeared completely.
"Phew..."
At this moment, Kyou Fujibayashi exhaled a large breath, relieving the tension and immense pressure in her heart.
Sawada Yoriko already had a premonition of the difficulty of the final two hours. But for the time being...
Rustle rustle rustle...
A friction sound came along the ventilation duct. It was very light at first, but it intensified immediately. The thump thump... of vibration and friction got closer and closer. The two instantly realized it was other surviving players. How could they be the only ones to discover and hide in such a good hiding spot as the ventilation duct!
"Yi-chan,"
Kyou Fujibayashi asked with her eyes. Someone else was coming; should they continue to wait where they were or leave? Judging by the feeling of the approaching sound, the other party wouldn't need much time to reach them.
Boom...
That was a violent impact. The sounds of breathing and climbing also became faster.
"Go, leave immediately."
As Sawada Yoriko spoke, she immediately moved the grille aside and left the ventilation duct without caring about her posture.
"Save, save..."
That was a cry for help. A little girl's voice. She climbed even faster.
Kyou Fujibayashi arrived at the exit. Just at that moment, the figure of a little girl appeared at the turn of the ventilation duct ahead. It was a young girl with a dusty, cute face, but the hideous appearance of her right cheek instantly emanated a Strange aura.
Kyou Fujibayashi's heart convulsed.
The little girl had also mutated! She was probably scratched by a Strange entity earlier and had finally been eroded, infected, and mutated by now.
How terrifying.
"Big sister... save me..."
Kyou Fujibayashi felt the little girl before her was even more terrifying than the Strange entities formed from corpses after death. She gritted her teeth and immediately left the ventilation duct opening, scrambling to stand up.
"Kyou, this way."
Sawada Yoriko exited the door and immediately turned right. That was the opposite direction from where the Strange entity's footsteps had receded earlier.
The two women ran one after the other. In no time, the dull sound of a heavy object landing rang out—the sound of flesh hitting floor tiles.
"Big sister..."
"Big sister... save me..."
"It hurts so much."
Kyou Fujibayashi ran even faster. The hideous appearance of the little girl's half-face surfaced in her mind. If, if she was injured, would she also be eroded and gradually transform into that kind of ugly Strange appearance?
Sawada Yoriko understood the situation from Kyou Fujibayashi's intermittent explanation. A little girl Strange entity that clearly still had thinking capabilities. Was she infected but didn't die, eventually eroding into a half-human, half-Strange entity? Possessing human consciousness but already becoming a Strange entity?
Or did the little girl retain human consciousness after dying and becoming a Strange entity?
If it was the former, they had to avoid contact with Strange entities as much as possible to prevent injury. Once injured, there was an extremely high probability of suffering erosion and finally becoming a Strange entity. If it was the latter, the problem was huge. Since a Strange entity with language capabilities had appeared, then among so many dead Strange entities, there would definitely be more of the same type.
The possibility of surviving a full four hours under the search of such Strange entities was too small.
"As expected, we have to snatch the potions."
As items appearing specifically in the Strange mission phases, they were meant to be obtained.
Sawada Yoriko secretly regretted it.
"Kyou, don't worry. Even if we get infected here, as long as we are still alive and have one breath left to persist until the mission ends, our bodies won't have any problems when we return to reality."
Sawada Yoriko's single sentence dispelled many of Kyou Fujibayashi's worries. The purple-haired girl was worried that if she got injured and infected, she would only remain a monster even after returning to reality. Now, with Sawada Yoriko's words, she was completely reassured.
"Mm."
Tap tap tap...
Behind them, the sound of staggering running footsteps came continuously. The footsteps weren't heavy, but every step struck the hearts of the two women. That little girl Strange entity hadn't given up on them.
Don't chase us! Kyou Fujibayashi screamed in her heart.
*
Experiment Center Hall
A Strange entity standing upright and roaring became the focal point. Its shriveled figure expanded rapidly under trembling vibrations. The blue patient uniform was filled to the bursting point in the blink of an eye—this was a symbol of power.
Crack, crack, crack... Bones rattled.
Its twisted head spun around a full circle, its red eyes seeing nothing. Just as the female newcomer thought this new infected entity also couldn't see them in the distance, the Strange entity suddenly looked up swish, its crimson eyes bulging as it stared.
"Roar..." A wild roar.
The Strange entity bent its waist and pumped its legs, rushing over with an explosive burst.
Thump thump thump... The heavy footsteps unleashed a continuous series of astonishing sounds. Compared to the initial Strange entity, there were many differences between the two.
"Holy Knight, use our own weapons first."
Holy Knight nodded. Use their own weapons first. If that still didn't have much effect, they would use the weapons obtained from the instance to see if they could cause effective damage to the Strange entity.
"Jack, take care of the newcomers. Lilith, support at any time."
Lin Ye quickly made arrangements. Jack immediately moved the newcomers away, while Lilith took out her bow and arrow, poised and ready to support at any time.
"Hah!"
Holy Knight launched an attack on the Strange entity a step ahead of Lin Ye. The Light Sword, permeating with a faint glow, slashed down, the whoosh whoosh of breaking air sounding sharp.
Thump...
The Strange entity roared and swung its palm, slapping fiercely.
Thump...
A dull sound. Based on the reaction force transmitted through the one-handed sword, Holy Knight immediately made an analysis.
"Can't cut in."
At the same time, Holy Knight was secretly alarmed; this new Strange entity's strength was very high! Far higher than an average adult.
"Switch weapons, use the short knife," Lin Ye shouted, buying more time for Holy Knight. His pistol only had five bullets. Under the current circumstances, letting Holy Knight use cold weapons to solve the problem was the best choice.
With a swish, Holy Knight pulled out the short knife and rushed up waving it. Metallic silver light flickered.
Swish swish swish...
In just a few short seconds, he slashed the short knife at the Strange entity more than ten times. From the shoulder to the forehead, then to the arms and abdomen, Holy Knight hacked wildly. The feeling was completely different from using the 'Light Sword'. Although there was still obvious resistance when the short knife hit, the blade successfully cut into the Strange entity's muscles.
Noticing this, Holy Knight swung the short knife with explosive force.
"Crack..."
Using all his strength, Holy Knight chopped down. The Strange entity's left arm was severed. An arm fell to the ground with a splat, and a large amount of black-red liquid flowed out continuously. The Strange entity couldn't persist for much longer before crashing heavily to the ground with a thud.
Not dead, but dying.
Holy Knight walked to the side of the Strange entity, raised the short knife high, and stabbed down. The Strange entity convulsed for a while, finally losing the strength to struggle.
"Phew..."
"Killed it."
Holy Knight exhaled slightly to relieve his fatigue.
Whoosh...
An arrow broke through the air. A small but exceptionally agile Strange entity was forced to stop by Lilith's arrow. Besides this agile Strange entity, another dark-skinned Strange entity also arrived.
"Careful, there's one more Strange entity."
Lilith voiced a reminder. Standing on the high platform, she looked down from above and saw more clearly. The sounds of battle just now had attracted the Strange entities from the areas near the Experiment Center Hall.
Three.
This number didn't seem large, but they lacked effective killing methods. The only cold weapon capable of causing damage was the short knife in Holy Knight's hand.
At this moment, a vial of Strange Erosion Suppression Potion appeared in Lin Ye's hand. He initially thought this potion should be used on himself to suppress any Strange erosion he suffered, but he thought of another possibility. Would injecting the Suppression Potion into a Strange entity formed from a corpse also have the effect of killing the Strange entity?
The moment he thought of this, Lin Ye made a decision immediately. It was very worth trying.
Holy Knight waved his knife and charged, and Jack also leaped down holding the long axe to assist. The long axe had no killing power, but it could effectively impede a Strange entity. Lilith remained standing on the platform, aiming and shooting arrows, providing long-range support for Lin Ye and the others.
"Leave it to me."
Time Stop, activate.
In the moment of absolute silence, Lin Ye chose that small but exceptionally agile Strange entity as the test subject. The syringe stabbed into the Strange entity's eyeball. Lin Ye pressed his thumb, and the potion was injected entirely into the Strange entity's brain.
Splurt!
Lin Ye pulled out the syringe, then stabbed it ruthlessly into the Strange entity's neck. The feeling wasn't much different from stabbing a person.
He was certain that only the weapons and items from the instance mission world could cause effective, direct damage to the Strange entities. The killing power of the weapons and items they brought with them was restricted by the Strange Game.
In the final few seconds, Lin Ye used the syringe to stab forcefully into the other Strange entity's eyeball, churning it ruthlessly. Finally, he returned to the side of the agile Strange entity.
Time Stop ended.
Everything resumed operation.
Lin Ye pretended to insert the syringe, avoiding other players noticing anything strange. Players had a wide variety of skills, but if he disguised and concealed it a bit, it was very possible someone observant would notice.
"Oww-aaah!"
A howl of pain rang out abruptly. The agile Strange entity knelt on the ground, emitting a screaming roar.
Thump thump thump...
Its body trembled violently, as if boiling, and faint steam rose up. The next second, the agile Strange entity collapsed completely on the ground, losing all movement.
It worked. The Strange Suppression Potion was very effective. This was the sharp weapon for dealing with Strange entities.
"Zero, we'll buy you an opportunity."
Jack shouted after speaking, and Holy Knight coordinated. They had obtained a total of eight Suppression Potions. Lin Ye had used one now, leaving seven—no, wait, Lin Ye used one, leaving plenty to deal with the remaining two Strange entities. (Note: Lin Ye has ample potions).
Jack and Holy Knight coordinated to firmly entangle one Strange entity. Lin Ye successfully stabbed the potion in. Before long, this Strange entity also fell to the ground with a thud, losing its life. The third Strange entity didn't struggle for much longer and was quickly resolved.
"It's over."
"Careful..."
A claw swipe.
The clothes on Jack's back tore, leaving a bloody wound. He never expected to be sneak-attacked by the Strange entity he judged Holy Knight had already killed.
Thud...
Jack kicked the Strange entity away. Holy Knight's face changed drastically; he strode forward and swung the short knife again.
Slash slash slash!
This time, Holy Knight exploded with all his strength, dismembering the Strange entity. This way, even if it was still alive, it couldn't rise up to sneak attack.
A few seconds later, he came before Jack with an ugly expression. "I was very sure I killed it earlier."
Lin Ye looked at the dismembered Strange entity. A Strange entity thought to be dead suddenly rose up and injured Jack. Resurrection? Was this instance's mechanism that Strange entities were undying? Or was the method of killing incorrect, and they could only be killed by relying on the potion?
Lin Ye quickly placed his gaze on the three Strange entities killed by the potion. At least up to now, the three Strange entities had no movement whatsoever; they were as dead as could be.
Jack didn't say much. He had a Suppression Potion in hand, so he wasn't particularly worried. If there were truly signs of infection and mutation, he would use the potion immediately.
"If it feels wrong, tell us in time," Lin Ye said to Jack.
Jack nodded. Corpses could mutate into Strange entities; if a person was injured, there was also a high probability of suffering infection and further mutating. He naturally didn't wish for this scene to appear, but reality had already happened. All he could do was persist until the mission time limit was up.
"I will take responsibility."
Holy Knight's sentence startled Jack, and even Lin Ye revealed a surprised look. Lilith, who had just come down, widened her eyes upon hearing this.
Responsible?
She thought of something.
"If Mr. Jack develops any problems, I will take responsibility. Whether it is taking responsibility to protect you, or to kill you, I will be responsible for it all."
Jack understood Holy Knight's meaning. This guy was considering the situation where he lost mobility due to infection.
"No need."
On one hand, it was Jack's pride at work; on the other hand, he didn't trust Holy Knight. Up to now, Holy Knight had performed well and was a player of the Lawful Good alignment, but one can know a person's face but not their heart. Under the current circumstances where he had a choice, Jack wasn't willing to hand his life over to Holy Knight.
Zero—Zero was much better!
Jack held the highest trust in Lin Ye.
"I am serious."
"I am also serious."
The two Level 3 players looked at each other.
Lilith's eyes went wow. This overflowing 'bromance' excited her inside. To be able to see such an interesting scene in the Strange Game, Lilith felt she had no regrets!
A faint smell of blood permeated the hall. The battle had come to a temporary close, but the moment of ending was far from reached.
Cries for help and roars came from all directions. There were also the sounds of fleeing footsteps ringing out successively. Many surviving players who had hidden themselves were now facing threats from Strange entities.
*
"I suggest rescuing the remaining surviving players to reduce the death toll," Lin Ye spoke up and proposed.
Considering that if the number of Strange entities continued to increase, leading to them facing double-digit Strange entities in the end, the pressure would be immense. This time, there were four Strange entities in total; resolving them quickly was based on the use of Suppression Potions. They currently had only five potions left in total. Facing a large number of Strange entities, a moment of carelessness could lead to disaster.
Moreover, in the final stage, the strength of the Strange entities might increase further.
Of course, they could also choose to hide. But judging by the current phased changes of the Strange Game, Lin Ye felt that the correct method to clear the game was definitely not hiding. He had Perspective, Invisibility, and Time Stop; taking Ai Hoshino to turtle up until the end was definitely not a problem of attitude. But Lin Ye wanted to pursue a higher evaluation and obtain more Game Points and ratings.
Therefore, Lin Ye believed that attacking actively now, rescuing surviving players, and solving Strange entities best fit his needs.
Holy Knight and the other two veteran players also understood Lin Ye's meaning. Rescuing players meant reducing the pressure of Strange entities later. This was indeed good, but could they do it?
"I agree. We need to strike actively. Even if those new players didn't choose to believe us initially, we cannot abandon them at this time. Saving them now can not only reduce the pressure in the final stage but also improve our evaluation."
This was certain. The number of survivors related to the evaluation. But in most mission instances, considering the risks, veteran players generally wouldn't excessively pursue the maximum number of survivors. But now, it seemed they had to try to keep more players alive.
"I have no problem," Jack also agreed.
Finally, it was Lilith. The blond loli looked at the three players and said with a smile, "Since the three Big Brothers agreed, I can only agree too. But how is this team allocated? How do we arrange those two newcomers?"
"Rina follows me. I can take good care of her."
"I want to act together with Mr. Jack."
Holy Knight spoke immediately. Jack clearly wanted to act with Lin Ye.
"You guys won't make me take a newcomer alone to help other players, right!" Lilith said.
"How about this! I, Rina, and Lilith will be one group; Holy Knight, Jack, and that newcomer will be together."
Jack did indeed want to act with Lin Ye, but he didn't continue to insist.
"Thirty minutes later, before the three-hour time node, we gather here."
"Okay."
The matter was settled. Ai Hoshino and the other newcomer had no objections and accepted the arrangement. For Ai Hoshino, as long as she was with Lin Ye, she had no problems.
"Please take care of me later, Big Brother Zero," Lilith said to Lin Ye with a beaming smile, her face radiant.
Half a minute later, splitting into two routes, the two teams rushed toward the two directions where the shouting and howling were loudest.
"Rina, you... actually aren't a new player, right!"
On the way there, Lilith suddenly dropped a sentence.
"Ah! I, I am a new player!"
"Is that so! I thought you were a veteran player who had experienced an instance mission once and obtained official player status." She blinked. Her mouth said she believed it, but her eyes didn't believe it one bit.
"She is my friend."
Lin Ye's single sentence made Lilith realize something.
"I see! Actually, I was worried about whether Rina was a perverted killer player. After all, only perverted killer players need to conceal their veteran player status and hide. Don't you think so?"
"This... probably... is so!"
She was rendered completely unable to answer by Lilith; this question exceeded her expectations. Ai Hoshino glanced carefully at Lin Ye, seeking guidance with her eyes.
"Since you discovered it, I have no choice but to deal with you."
Lilith trembled all over upon hearing this.
"Joking. Pay more attention in the future. If I were really a perverted killer player, Lilith, do you think you could escape?"
"Um... I, I am so cute, how could Big Brother bear to kill me! Hahaha."
Lilith spoke gigglingly, but her heart couldn't conceal a trace of lingering fear.
"As cute as her?"
"Hmph, that's too much. I am also a cute beautiful girl."
"Loli."
"Lolis are also beautiful girls."
The footsteps ahead became increasingly loud. Lin Ye and Lilith couldn't help but speed up their pace.
Before long, a figure appeared. A man was swinging his arms vigorously, running with all his might, and following behind him was a Strange entity with a massive physique. Lin Ye knew at a glance that this Strange entity's original body was a fat newcomer. The physical quality of the human's original body influenced the characteristics and attributes of the Strange entity after mutation.
"Save, save me..."
The panting man saw Lin Ye as if he had found a straw to clutch at. He remembered clearly that the man was a veteran player and must be more skilled at dealing with Strange entities.
"Save me, save me! Back in reality, I can give you money, lots of money."
The man shouted, but he saw Lin Ye raise his gun. He widened his eyes.
"Don't kill me," he yelled.
"Don't stop."
Lin Ye spoke. Only then did the man react—the other party didn't intend to kill him.
Three seconds later, a bang of a gunshot rang out. The bullet hit the Strange entity right in the forehead. The massive body crashed down.
"Find a place to hide. In the fourth hour, you can go to the Experiment Center Hall, which is the initial location."
"I, I want to..."
"Find a place to hide. We are going to deal with other Strange entities."
Under Lin Ye's demand, the man left helplessly. He knew following Lin Ye would be safer, but Lin Ye was actively looking for other Strange entities, so... the danger factor increased again. And the other party obviously didn't want him to follow. Thus, he could only choose to obey and find a place to hide.
Lin Ye determined the next direction. The three strode forward rapidly again.
Bang...
Bang...
Two bullets took the life of an agile Strange entity. At least for the time being, it was lifeless and couldn't move again. As for whether it would revive later, that wasn't something the current Lin Ye considered.
The ones saved were a man and a woman.
"Find a place to hide. In the last hour, you can go to the Experiment Center Hall, which is the initial location."
Lin Ye exhorted them with another sentence. He still had two bullets.
"Wonder where there are bullets."
These five bullets were too few; they weren't enough at all.
*
On the other side, Kyou Fujibayashi and Sawada Yoriko were being relentlessly entangled by the little girl Strange entity. Sawada Yoriko used a method to shake off the little girl Strange entity, but in less than ten minutes, the two women encountered the little girl Strange entity again.
Moreover, they clearly felt that the little girl Strange entity's speed was a bit faster. If this continued, they would definitely be caught up.
"Kyou, let's go over there, to the direction of the gunshots."
Sawada Yoriko clearly remembered whose hands the pistol had fallen into. There were veteran players in that direction. A glimmer of hope for survival.
Kyou Fujibayashi also thought of it. Knowing the current situation, they had no choice but to seek the help of veteran players. Otherwise, she and Sawada Yoriko would die here.
Only... that point, she couldn't accept.
She, Kyou Fujibayashi, still had to go back alive to see her sister Ryou.
________________________________________
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