Upon hearing Gu Wujì's words, the male gamer's face changed color, and he quickly said, "Brother Sun, don't get too worked up. If you go down there, you'll definitely encounter danger. These monsters are not so easy to deal with!"
Even though Gu Wujì had been enthusiastically hunting mermaids on the shore, the unpredictability of the water was simply too great. Just the thought of entering a pool where one could not see clearly what lay within was enough to send shivers down the spine of the male gamer.
"It's okay, I'm prepared, and I don't think the situation will be that bad... If it really comes to it, I have items I can use," Gu Wujì said.
Gu Wujì could feel the mermaids' resistance in the water, but he did not sense a strong intent to kill from their voices. Moreover, with his healing abilities and other measures, he should be able to escape if he really encountered danger.
And thanks to his enhanced physical condition, he now could hold his breath in the water for much longer, not at all like an ordinary person.
This was a dangerous move, but then again, everything in the game came with its risks. Compared to other dangers, this one didn't seem so significant.
Unable to persuade him, the male gamer could only watch anxiously as Gu Wujì approached the pool's edge. Perhaps out of a sense of guilt, he finally said, "Actually, before I entered the game, the clue I got was... it's best not to go near the water's edge. You have to be careful..."
Gu Wujì was touched by the male gamer's words. He already knew this, but he didn't expect the other to remind him. It seemed there were still good people in the world.
However, all these clues pointing towards the water made it impossible to ignore.
He walked to the edge of the pool, and under the curious gaze of several mermaids, he jumped into the water.
The pool was extremely cold, as if the chill could penetrate to the bone. It wasn't just the temperature of the liquid; it seemed to be mixed with resentment... Considering that many people might have died here, Gu Wujì guessed that quite a few ghosts might be present.
If an ordinary person had come, they might have frozen stiff on the spot, but this was nothing for Gu Wujì. Holding his breath, he surveyed his surroundings.
The pool was dim and seemed much deeper than it felt from the shore, bottomless at a glance, giving off an extremely unsettling feeling.
The mermaids around had also dived down, curiously approaching Gu Wujì. Then, thinking he was there to play, they joyfully swam around him.
This scene could be described as quite romantic and beautiful, assuming these mermaids weren't such terrifying killing machines. A single slap of their tails in the water could probably cause internal injuries.
If it had been someone else who was not favored by these mermaids, instead of diving into the water, they would probably have been bitten to pieces on the spot.
Gu Wujì fixed his gaze on his target mermaid and placed his hand on the shoulder of a nearby mermaid, who nodded immediately and led Gu Wujì towards the difficult-to-approach mermaid. However, as they neared their destination, the other mermaids backed away, clearly fearing their companion.
Up to this point, things had gone smoothly. Gu Wujì looked at the mermaid not far away, recalling his plan.
If he could get close to this mermaid, he would be able to use magic to bind it, and then pull it back to the surface with a rope. Of course, the plan sounded simple, but in practice, he found it wasn't as easy in the water as he had thought. He had already expended much of his energy just getting there, and if he couldn't resolve the situation quickly, he would need to return to the surface for air.
The mermaid's expression grew more wary as Gu Wujì approached, making threatening gestures at him. It seemed afraid to get close to Gu Wujì, worried about what this human might do, especially considering its companions seemed to change behavior near him.
Unnoticed by the mermaid, a wisp of black fog drifted from the side and suddenly turned into countless strands of blood that tightly wound around its body.
The other mermaids behind Gu Wujì became restless, but they seemed to fear something and dared not approach.
"What is that?" Alarm bells rang in Gu Wujì's mind as he stared into the pitch-black, bottomless pool. Suddenly, several ghastly ghosts with fierce faces appeared. Their semi-transparent bodies seemed trapped at the bottom of the pool, their gazes filled with resentment and a longing to escape this place.
The blood strands, along with the black fog, made it impossible for the mermaid to break free, drawing it ever closer to the ghosts, which seemed about to devour its body.
As the black fog continued to spread, the other mermaids had already retreated in fear, clearly aware of the danger of the entity before them.
At that moment, Gu Wujì stretched out his hand towards the mermaid.
The mermaid, obviously not wanting any contact with Gu Wujì but facing such danger, deemed Gu Wujì a lesser threat compared to the ghosts in the water and hesitantly struggled towards him.
Gu Wujì suddenly grabbed the mermaid's wrist and, using the momentum, pulled himself deeper into the water, now alarmingly close to the ghosts, almost able to see the terrifying faces of the ghosts that were nearly within reach.
As the ghosts saw Gu Wujì drawing closer, their excitement surged, as if they had finally found a way to escape the water. The blood strands all aimed at Gu Wujì.
Conversely, due to Gu Wujì's intervention, the black fog and blood strands binding the mermaid dissipated significantly. The mermaid looked at Gu Wujì in the water, somewhat astonished, realizing that this human had just saved him.
Seeing Gu Wujì in danger, the other mermaids no longer stood by idly; they swam towards him.
Gu Wujì was now struggling for breath, the lack of oxygen making it increasingly difficult to control his body. Instinctively, he wanted to return to the surface for fresh air, but the surrounding ghosts would not let him leave easily. Layers of blood strands had bound his legs, and a burning sensation emanated from those areas.
Frowning, he employed a purification spell on all the surrounding ghosts. Accompanied by bursts of light, the malevolent spirits bound in the water were purified into points of light, floating upwards to the surface.
The points of light illuminated the water, and the mermaids watched this unprecedented beautiful scene in astonishment.
Surrounded by white light, Gu Wujì could no longer see anything around him.
Gu Wujì felt something was off. The number of ghosts here was excessively high. Logically, even if every caretaker died here, there couldn't be this many ghosts... Could it be that the ghosts in the water were intentionally created by someone?
A more suffocating sensation made it hard for Gu Wujì to think. If he did not return to the surface soon, he might lose his life here.
Seeing their companions freed from their bindings, the other ghosts were even less willing to let Gu Wujì leave, gathering around him... These ghosts were not acting with malice but rather instinctively, leaving Gu Wujì no time to breathe.
It was almost by sheer will that he purified the last ghost before his consciousness began to fade, and his vision blurred.
Could he really die in this game for such a reason?
This thought emerged in Gu Wujì's mind when suddenly, the anxious voices of the mermaids faded away, replaced by a gentle song that seemed to come from a far-off place. It was heavenly, utterly captivating.
Then, he vaguely saw a shadow appear in front of him, followed by something cold and soft pressing against his lips, bringing fresh air with it.
Gu Wujì opened his eyes wide in surprise, but he could still see nothing clearly, only feeling the warmth of scales pressed closely against his body.
What was this, exactly?
He couldn't ponder further as his consciousness sank entirely into darkness.
---
Meanwhile, an anomaly occurred within the research institute. The researchers clutched their heads, clearly hearing that voice.
Unlike the heavenly sound experienced by Gu Wujì, to these individuals, the singing was more akin to torture, causing them intense mental anguish as if their consciousnesses were being torn apart, wishing they could just pass out.
Some even hallucinated due to the singing. Initially, they thought it was just a psychological issue causing illness... but eventually, the institute's staff deemed it more fitting to call it a curse.
"What's going on? What has 'he' been startled by...?"
"Switch the screen back," Director Fiona ordered through gritted teeth. "'He' must be reacting to someone, and we need to find that person!"
Despite their agony, the staff managed to switch back the surveillance footage.
Most people on the screen looked unwell, pale and sweating profusely, with very few able to continue working.
The players who had heard the singing the previous night were of particular interest to the researchers, who monitored their every move.
As for the players sent to do menial tasks, no one cared about them; they were already considered expendable.
Even a brief glance at the room where Gu Wujì and another male player were cleaning wouldn't trigger any special thoughts in the researchers' minds, merely passing over it without care.
Even if they sensed something was amiss, the torment of the song in their minds left them with little energy to focus on such seemingly irrelevant individuals.
---
In a dazed state, Gu Wujì saw an endless seabed, surrounded by small fish swimming by, his body uncontrollably moving with the ocean current.
His mind was blank, reaching out subconsciously to touch the fish, which suddenly seemed to sense something and swam away.
A shadow passed over him, and turning his head, Gu Wujì saw a mermaid swimming above him in the sunlight filtering through the water. Due to the angle and the light, he couldn't see clearly, only noticing long silver hair and golden scales on the tail, shimmering translucently in the light.
The mermaid's body exuded a dangerous power that was both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
For a moment, Gu Wujì was stunned by the unearthly beauty before him.
Compared to this, the mermaids he had seen in the room seemed like mere juveniles.
The mermaid dove swiftly, swimming past Gu Wujì. He followed instinctively, feeling the surroundings grow darker and the terrain more perilous. Huge rocks, countless skeletons, and wrecked ships littered the area, and not far off, there was a half-submerged building.
The shadow of the mermaid had vanished without a trace among the rocks, leaving Gu Wujì alone in the dark waters, still unable to see the mermaid's face.
Strangely, even though he was in the outside world, it felt as if he was in a game, able to see everything inside clearly. He could even see each person and what they were doing at the moment.
It only took a moment for Gu Wujì to realize what he was seeing was the research institute.
He even saw Lu Yuanyu and others, who seemed to be in no immediate danger.
But the deepest part was shrouded in darkness, unclear to the eye.
Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder.
Gu Wujì swiftly turned, but before he could clearly see what was behind him, his consciousness seemed to be pulled from a strange state, suddenly feeling suffocated.
...
...
Gu Wujì abruptly opened his eyes and sat up, gasping for air, taking a while to recover.
The male gamer stood a few meters away, wanting to come closer but not daring to, his face etched with concern. Seeing Gu Wujì awake, he immediately exclaimed, "Brother Sun, it's so good to see you're okay!"
"Why are you standing so far away..." It was then Gu Wujì noticed he was lying beside the pool, with five mermaid heads peeking out of the water, anxiously watching him.
Seeing Gu Wujì awake, the mermaids happily swam closer, allowing him to pet their heads.
Even the previously most ferocious mermaid, though somewhat reluctantly, came over and carefully tugged at Gu Wujì's clothes, perhaps as its way of showing concern.
"After all, those mermaids were really terrifying." The male gamer showed an embarrassed smile. He wanted to come closer to check on Gu Wujì, but every time he approached, the mermaids became alert and seemed ready to leap at him and bite. He didn't dare to get closer!
However, after Gu Wujì woke up, the mermaids became surprisingly docile, making him feel as if his previous words were unreal.
"I see." Gu Wujì understood the male gamer's predicament and fed the last of the meat from the bucket to the mermaid in front of him while asking, "How did I end up back on the surface?"
"The mermaids dragged you up," the male gamer explained. "Then you coughed up a lot of water and passed out directly. I was worried for a long time, but thankfully, you woke up soon after."
"I see." Gu Wujì nodded, then smiled at the mermaids, "Thank you so much."
The mermaids blushed faintly, some diving back into the water as if shy.
Gu Wujì remembered the figure that appeared before him as he was about to lose consciousness, clearly unrelated to these mermaids. If anything, it must have been the mermaid he saw in his visions after passing out.
But why would that mermaid save him? Was it because of the golden scales?
And the visions he had while unconscious were also strange. What were they trying to convey?
As for the ghosts under the water, Gu Wujì could only sigh. If only he had more time, he might have explored the ghosts' memories for a deeper understanding of the game.
With some lingering doubts but the task completed, Gu Wujì picked up the bucket, bid farewell to the mermaids, and walked to the door with the male gamer.
The male gamer knocked for a long time without any response from outside.
Silence fell between them, reflecting on how, if not for Gu Wujì's ability to handle the mermaids, they might have received the same treatment if pursued for help.
Gu Wujì called out, "We've completed the task, let us out."
After a short wait, the door finally opened, and the staff outside looked at them in disbelief, hardly believing the two could come out alive.
"You actually did it," the staff member muttered to himself.
It was known that the experimental subjects in the room were not only powerful but also had volatile temperaments. Previous feeders had come out severely injured, and feeding was usually done through automated systems in the room...
Yet these two came out unscathed, with only minor injuries on one of them, appearing otherwise completely fine!
"Was this task considered difficult? Has no one completed it before?" Gu Wujì asked.
The staff member shook his head, urging them to come out quickly and then closed the door behind them.
The staff member glanced at the two large buckets Gu Wujì was carrying and speculated internally that it was probably the ample amount of food, combined with Gu Wujì's strength, that had allowed him to emerge successfully by sheer luck.
"You did a good job, I'll report this to the higher-ups," the staff member said, indicating that such an unusual occurrence would definitely be reported. There was a chance that these two might get to stay due to their luck.
"I didn't expect the experimental subjects to be mermaids," Gu Wujì commented. "They are creatures of legend, existing only in tales outside. It's an honor to work here."
Hearing this, the staff member's face turned bitter, "It's good you think that way..." Realizing his attitude might have given something away, he quickly changed his tone, "You can go now. Don't wander around unnecessarily, just head to the resting area."
From the staff member's reaction, both Gu Wujì and the male gamer surmised that the situation in the research institute wasn't good, and it was known even to a casual staff member.
As Gu Wujì and the male gamer parted ways, the gamer whispered a caution, suggesting Gu Wujì give up on joining the organization for his own safety and leave the game.
"We'll see," Gu Wujì replied, not particularly keen on joining the organization but unwilling to abandon his friend Lu Yuanyu.
The gamer nodded, promising to keep Gu Wujì's experiences confidential before departing.
Arriving at the resting area, Gu Wujì found it empty except for the brown-haired woman he had met the day before, sitting at the bar drinking.
"You're still alive?" she exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Gu Wujì.
"Thanks for your warning yesterday," Gu Wujì sat beside her, acknowledging her helpful hint. Given her significance as an NPC and her softened stance, he was curious to learn more about the happenings within the institute.
The woman shook her head, "My warning was futile. Everyone who stays here can't leave, but since you're still alive, maybe he's interested in you..."
"I've noticed the anomalies in this research institute," Gu Wujì said. "Can I know what's really going on?"
The woman looked at him intently, sensing something in him. With a complex expression, she whispered, "Since you'll find out eventually... it doesn't matter if I tell you now."
Gu Wuji also took a drink and listened carefully.
"You should have heard about the daughter who crossed the sea." The woman with brown hair said,"The mermaid in the story can be said to be kind and beautiful." But real merfolk are not like this...they are very cruel and possess terrifying strength, easily tearing people into pieces."
" In the beginning, mermaids were just legends. No one thought they existed." The brown-haired woman said," However, the people from the research institute discovered the traces of the mermaid. They were overjoyed. After spending countless money and manpower, they finally captured the mermaid and tried to study him to obtain benefits from him."
Gu Wuji nodded. What had happened was similar to what he had imagined. However, what happened after that probably wouldn't be that simple. Otherwise, these players wouldn't have come here.
" And the people from the research institute thought that they could become famous because of this. They even took blood from mermaids and created many test subjects based on this...Everything was going on in an orderly manner, but what happened next exceeded everyone's imagination..."
Cold sweat dripped down the brown-haired woman's face. She seemed to recall something that made her extremely afraid, and her hands could not help but tremble.
"That mermaid, he...was caught on purpose."