Meanwhile, in the conference room of the Dragon Country Strange Tales Department.
A smile gradually spread across Elder Qin's face.
"What do you think?"
He turned to ask his subordinates.
"There are a lot of things I can't make sense of."
"There's plenty I can't figure out either, but I have a feeling the blue text is more of a trap."
"The computer's analysis should be ready soon. Combined with the data analysis, it might help us reach the right conclusion."
Everyone offered their thoughts.
"How are the other countries' chosen ones doing?"
Elder Qin pressed on.
"They're still in the fog for now. None of them have come out yet."
"Once they come out, compare and analyze their situations immediately. Get the correct findings to Su Chen as soon as possible. Our country desperately needs this victory."
"Understood."
The young man with glasses acknowledged the order.
"Also, how's the firewall holding up?"
"It's under heavy attack from foreign forces. We estimate it can hold for another half hour."
"That's enough."
Elder Qin nodded, then turned back to watch Su Chen on the screen.
Are you hiding your abilities, kid?
He silently asked himself.
Inside the zoo, Su Chen was heading toward the shop beside the street.
He knew nothing about the discussions going on outside.
Besides, even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared.
After all, those things paled in comparison to Dragon Country's fortune and his own life.
What Su Chen was thinking at that moment was this.
Since he could reload a save to keep himself alive.
He had to investigate this eerie shop.
According to what the rules said.
There had to be useful information inside the shop.
With that in mind, Su Chen decisively pushed open the door and walked in.
The first thing he saw was a staff member dressed in black, leafing through something.
He froze for a moment.
He still remembered a staff member in black rushing past in the Ape Area not long ago.
Then a monkey wearing black had appeared on Monkey Mountain.
That eerie sight had shaken him deeply.
For that very reason, when he discovered that the shop assistant was dressed in black.
His heart naturally jolted.
Su Chen's expression, however, remained perfectly calm.
He showed no sign that anything was wrong.
His gaze swept over the shelves.
He looked just like a visitor who had come in to buy something.
But when he saw the items on the shelves.
Su Chen couldn't help giving a slight shudder.
A row of bright red drinks sat prominently on the beverage shelves.
Three large words were printed on the clear glass bottles: "Rabbit Blood."
The thick, dark red liquid looked like blood no matter how he looked at it.
Su Chen's stomach churned violently.
He hurriedly looked away.
But that turn brought the stuffed-toy shelves into view.
Among the pile of toys, several stuffed rabbits looked particularly eerie.
Their blood-red eyes seemed to stare fixedly at Su Chen.
The next instant, the world before Su Chen's eyes dimmed.
Only that pure white rabbit remained in his field of vision.
In his daze, he vaguely felt that the stuffed rabbit had opened its mouth, revealing a patch of scarlet.
Its three-part mouth slowly writhed, forming an absurdly exaggerated smile.
Then the rabbit seemed to come alive.
It slowly hopped down from the shelf and inched toward Su Chen.
At the sight, Su Chen felt an intense pressure and pain in his eyes.
His scalp itched unbearably.
It felt as though something was about to burst through his scalp and grow out.
And in his mind, he seemed to hear a child's laughter.
Countless chaotic thoughts kept surfacing, making it difficult for Su Chen to focus on finding a way out.
Just as Su Chen was about to reach his limit.
A rule suddenly flashed through his subconscious.
The appearance of that rule was like a drowning man finding a lifeline.
Su Chen repeated it silently to himself.
[I am human. I am human.]
At that moment, he couldn't even understand what he was reciting.
He only vaguely sensed that it would help him, so he kept repeating it.
Dragon Country's livestream chat erupted.
Everyone was terrified.
"Holy shit, did that stuffed rabbit just smile? Tell me I was seeing things."
"I saw the toy smile too. We're screwed. Is Su Chen in danger?!"
"Of course he's in danger! Can't you see his blood-red eyes and that vacant stare? He's exactly like that guy from Pickle Country earlier."
"For fuck's sake, everything was fine. Why did this guy insist on coming to the shop for food? Would skipping a meal kill him? Great, now he's going to screw everything up."
"Hold on, you guys. Look at Su Chen's eyes. The red is fading. Maybe he's okay!"
The people of Dragon Country buzzed with discussion.
Meanwhile, as Su Chen kept repeating the words in his mind.
Sensation gradually returned to his body.
He could control it again.
His mind gradually cleared as well.
Su Chen hurriedly shut his eyes and turned away.
He cut himself off from the source of contamination.
At the same time, he kept reinforcing his sense of self in his mind.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes again.
His gaze was filled with resolve.
Then he let out a long breath.
This cognitive contamination is vicious. It's like they don't want anyone to make it through.
Su Chen silently complained to himself.
The person in black, the rabbit blood, and the stuffed rabbits were all in the most conspicuous places.
Any visitor who entered would notice them.
That triple assault was practically a guaranteed kill.
If Su Chen hadn't discovered the note in the security office.
And retained some subconscious awareness of how to resist cognitive contamination.
He would definitely have been done for.
Fortunately, he had managed to pull through.
Su Chen steadied himself and kept the shelves completely out of his sight.
He looked at the staff member in black.
Only to discover that the staff member was studying him with great interest.
Before you continue