Digging a Pit

Digging a Pit

"If you cooperate with the arrest, you can choose one of her items, or you can just give us information and I'll give you a bottle of P0 Evolution Agent," Nie Xuan said at once.

"A Potion. But I want a P1 Evolution Potion," Xu Huo replied.

Nie Xuan looked a little disappointed.

Xu Huo smiled. "This is no loss for you at all. If we catch that Cannibal Player, we'll not only gain another Experiment Sample, but also learn about other players and their Dungeons."

Nie Xuan raised an eyebrow. He knew Xu Huo wasn't going to reveal anything about the Dungeon, but he could accept that, disappointment aside.

The situation was unstable. Most players were wary of the outside world, so someone like Xu Huo, who had come forward voluntarily and was willing to calmly discuss terms, was already among the more cooperative.

He had dealt with several players before. Some were so badly rattled that they'd become mentally unstable and attacked people indiscriminately if a conversation went wrong. Others were so full of themselves that they thought they could take on the machinery of the state. And then there were those who tried every possible way to escape and refused to cooperate even after being caught.

In truth, they underestimated the capacity of a nation and its courage in the face of disaster. The government wouldn't deprive them of their abilities or resources. On the contrary, it would do everything it could to cultivate them. After all, players were few, and the whole country needed them.

"The Special Affairs Bureau was only just established, and the government is recruiting people. The conditions are pretty good in every respect. If you're interested, you can contact me anytime."

"I'll think about it." Xu Huo found some paper and a pen and wrote down Liu Yuanyuan's appearance, accent, and a few other details.

Nie Xuan noticed that he had also sketched a simple portrait beside the description and figured he might still be worth recruiting. "This is a good start. I hope we can work together more in the future. I can also make sure you get the best possible terms."

Xu Huo pushed the paper over and raised his bottle. "A pleasure doing business."

"How much do you know about the game Dungeons?"

Nie Xuan picked up his glass and took a sip. "We've gathered quite a bit of information so far. You can trust us."

"You've figured out how Evolvers evolve?" Xu Huo set down his bottle.

"Of course. The expert group is already conducting experiments in that area. They'll soon be able to suppress Evolvers' appetite." Nie Xuan answered without a second thought.

"Are there any Aftereffects if someone goes a long time without taking an Evolution Potion?"

"No. Evolution Potions can perfectly resolve all the defects that appear in Evolvers..." Before he could finish, Nie Xuan frowned. He clamped his mouth shut, glanced at Xu Huo, then looked at the glass of water.

"I didn't expect you to catch on so quickly." Xu Huo smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I just wanted to test what the Potion would do, and you happened to walk right into it."

Nie Xuan gave a cold laugh and turned to leave.

Downstairs, he got into a van parked by the street.

"Did the meeting go well?" asked the Secretary who had questioned Xu Huo with him last time.

Nie Xuan opened his mouth, then closed it again. When he raised his hand, a Hello Kitty hand puppet had appeared on his palm. The cat's mouth opened and closed, and a childlike electronic voice came out:

"He tricked me. I can't talk right now."

The childish voice and the cuddly plush toy were the complete opposite of Nie Xuan's image. The Secretary wanted to laugh but didn't dare. "Should we move in to arrest him?"

"No." The hand puppet spoke again. "He isn't a Cannibal Player. And he's clever—a Player with potential. The country needs people right now."

"Give this to the technical team and have them identify this person. He's a Cannibal Player, and he's dangerous. Tell everyone to be careful when they go after him."

The Secretary took the note and tucked it into his notebook, then asked, "Should we keep monitoring him?"

Nie Xuan thought for a moment. "Pull out the snipers and Special Affairs Personnel. Set up a surveillance point near the place he's renting. There's no need to watch him closely around the clock. Just confirm that he's in Ting City."

"Recently, there have been cases of mass disappearances and mass dismemberments across the country. The missing and murdered include people of all ages and genders, and most don't show signs of being Evolvers. We've had two cases in Ting City as well. I suspect they're related to Dungeons, so we should concentrate as many people as possible on finding them."

"Understood," the Secretary said, nodding.

"Deliver this Potion and his ID to him, and find a way to get a sample of the water on his desk." Nie Xuan picked up the Aluminum Case at his feet and took out a vial of blue liquid.

The Secretary left to carry out his orders, but returned just a few minutes later, looking awkward. "When I got there, the glass had already been washed. He also said he was going to move. Once he finds a new place, he'll invite you to a housewarming meal."

Nie Xuan's eyelid twitched, but he suppressed his anger a second later. "Forget it. Draw my blood."

In the hotel room, after seeing Nie Xuan and his people off, Xu Huo shook the vial of Evolution Potion. It was the real thing—a P1 Evolution Potion—but he didn't plan to take it now.

Players became far too dependent on Evolution Potions, and the Aftereffects were too severe. Unless he had no other choice, he didn't want to swallow something that was practically a time bomb.

After putting the Potion away, he picked up his phone. It had been vibrating nonstop ever since he came out of the game.

There were dozens of friend requests, most of them from Yuan Yao, along with a few text messages and missed-call notifications.

Most of them could be ignored, but one of the numbers belonged to Liu Jia.

From the Preliminary Train to the end of Xu Huo's first Dungeon, only three days had passed, yet Liu Jia had sent nearly fifty messages.

Some were asking to meet him in person to thank him. Then she told him Professor Han's condition had worsened after he got off the train: green pustules had appeared on his body, and after he was admitted to the hospital, some specialists had taken him away. She herself had also joined a local government agency.

She had more or less explained what had happened on the Preliminary Train, but she and Professor Han had hidden the identities of the other players in their carriage. They hadn't been given any trouble over it.

"If anything happens to Professor Han, you can contact me," he replied.

"Mr. Xu, you're back? Professor Han said you must have gone into a Dungeon. I knew you'd make it back safely!" Liu Jia replied instantly, then sent a string of messages in quick succession.

She and Professor Han were both from a neighboring city. Xu Huo didn't agree to meet her, but instead asked about Professor Han's specific symptoms.

Professor Han's condition had actually improved when he got off the train, but later his symptoms had become similar to those of the Player who had been stranded. Pustules had appeared on his skin, his body had grown weak, and there were signs of muscle atrophy.

"Toxins or bacteria?"

Did that mean all Evolvers carried some unknown toxin or bacteria in their bodies? It made them stronger, but also planted a massive threat to their evolution. Evolution Potions had a suppressive effect, so if someone went too long without taking them, the toxins or bacteria might build up to a certain level and begin to erode the body.

Would ordinary players eventually turn into the same kind of Monster as the ones on the train if they went too long without taking Evolution Potions?

Unfortunately, the authorities still had no good solution... Xu Huo's frown deepened. Suddenly, a call came in. He looked at the name on the screen, rubbed his temples, and answered:

"Xu Huo! You have five minutes to show up. If you're not here in five minutes, you'll never see your beautiful, adorable cousin again!"