Chapter 223: Mermaid’s Song
Chapter 223: Chapter 223: Mermaid’s Song
Upon hearing the Golden Octopus’s reply, Xu Qingsui’s brow furrowed into a tight knot.
If he couldn’t be awakened, Wang Qiang would remain in a frenzied state, which meant Lu Jingyu would have to keep holding him down. If an enemy suddenly launched an attack at this time, Lu Jingyu wouldn’t be able to fight back at all.
Although the team members could hold the line for a while, if they encountered a high-level Mutant, their capabilities would be limited, and they would still have to rely on Lu Jingyu. If Lu Jingyu released Wang Qiang, they would be attacked from both the front and back. The situation was grim either way.
This couldn’t go on; she had to think of a way, or they’d have no hope of clearing this dungeon.
"Even if I can’t wake him up right now, there has to be a way to temporarily control him, right?"
"It’s very simple. Knock him out. As long as he’s unconscious, he won’t be able to do anything."
The Golden Octopus provided the answer, but it left Xu Qingsui dumbfounded. She couldn’t help but slap her forehead. How could she not have thought of such a simple method!
Having gotten her answer, Xu Qingsui prepared to leave. Seeing this, the Golden Octopus also prepared to retreat, but then it noticed Xu Qingsui suddenly looking at it. However, after just a glance and a twitch of her lips, she gave up.
At a time like this, clearing the dungeon was more important. She would ask about the rest later!
Xu Qingsui withdrew her Spiritual Power. Opening her eyes, she said to Lu Jingyu, "Knock him out!"
Without a shred of doubt, Lu Jingyu acted immediately upon hearing Xu Qingsui’s words. He delivered a swift, clean chop to the back of Wang Qiang’s neck. Wang Qiang twitched once, then face-planted onto the ground, out cold. Seeing that he had lost all mobility, Lu Jingyu finally released his hold.
"Qing Sui, what is Wang Qiang’s condition now?"
"He must have been attacked just now. His spirit body has fallen into a deep sleep, and he lost control of his physical body, which is why he went berserk."
"Attacked?" Lu Jingyu muttered, turning back to another team member. "Repeat what you saw just now. Try to recall carefully and don’t miss a single detail."
The man nodded. He tapped his chin, reminiscing for a moment, and then repeated exactly what he had said earlier. He couldn’t think of anything he might have left out between the two accounts.
When he finished, Lu Jingyu looked at Xu Qingsui again. "What’s your take on this?"
"Talking to himself?" Xu Qingsui murmured before suddenly asking, "Could it be that you saw him talking to himself, but in reality, someone was speaking to him and you just couldn’t hear it?"
She looked at the team member, who appeared flustered. "I don’t know. Anyway, apart from him talking to himself at the time, I didn’t hear anything else."
Xu Qingsui’s eyes flickered. She abruptly turned to Lu Jingyu and asked, "Do you still remember the first rule?"
Lu Jingyu recalled for a moment. "The Mermaids’ singing is beautiful, but you must not listen for more than thirty seconds, otherwise you will face the consequences?"
Xu Qingsui nodded seriously. "The rule is quite vague. At first, I couldn’t imagine what kind of situation would occur, but after hearing his description just now, I suspect what Wang Qiang encountered was the singing of the Mermaids.
"It’s just that this singing might not be audible to everyone; instead, it targets a specific person. And according to the rule, as long as it exceeds thirty seconds, problems will arise.
"That singing should be targeted at the spirit body. Wang Qiang’s spirit body was injured and fell into a slumber, rendering his physical body out of control, causing him to enter a frenzied state."
Since no one among those present, other than Wang Qiang, had experienced what happened to him, Xu Qingsui’s analytical conclusion naturally carried an element of speculation. However, this was already the most plausible explanation that could be provided at this stage.
Lu Jingyu immediately adopted her analysis and addressed the group. "You’ve all heard Guide Xu’s analysis. From now on, everyone must be careful. If you hear any strange sounds, you must speak up, and you absolutely must not listen for a full thirty seconds!"
Everyone was shocked by Xu Qingsui’s explanation, but upon hearing Lu Jingyu’s words, they all showed some hesitation.
"Captain, if that sound can only be heard by oneself, could it be that it’s not transmitted through the ears? What if it’s directly in our minds? How can we isolate that sound then?"
For now, that sound was an unknown yet perilous existence. Everyone looked nervously at Lu Jingyu, terrified that they would become the next Wang Qiang.
Lu Jingyu’s expression darkened. Because he hadn’t experienced it firsthand, he didn’t know how to answer.
Right at this moment, Shen Yan, who had been standing silently to the side and was almost ignored, stepped forward on his own initiative.
"Creatures like Mermaids transmit their singing through sound waves, so it will definitely be conducted through the ears. As for why only Wang Qiang could hear it just now, it should be a choice made by the Mermaids.
"Therefore, you don’t need to worry too much. If you really hear any sound, just covering your ears will definitely block it out."
Lu Jingyu looked at Shen Yan, not expecting him to actually be of some use. He promptly instructed the team members once more, bringing an end to the issue.
Xu Qingsui couldn’t help but say to Shen Yan, "As expected of the founder of the laboratory. You even know about Mermaids. You haven’t researched Mermaids too, have you?"
Xu Qingsui originally just said it offhandedly, but upon hearing this, Shen Yan revealed a somewhat awkward expression.
Lu Jingyu noticed this and immediately said, "It seems you have something to tell us?"
Shen Yan gave Lu Jingyu a look and let out a long sigh. He was planning to reveal some things eventually anyway, so saying them earlier made no difference.
"Qing Sui is right. The laboratory did indeed research Mermaids. Back then, I discovered that Spiritual Power was a very potent existence. I thought my condition might be resolved by utilizing Spiritual Power, so I specifically researched this direction.
"And Mermaids are among the beings with the strongest spiritual power. To that end, I specially commissioned people to bring in a batch of Mermaids from the open sea to conduct spiritual power research..."
Hearing this, Lu Jingyu sized up their surroundings. Finally, he looked at Shen Yan coldly and said, "This couldn’t be the place where you conducted your experiments, could it?"
Shen Yan smiled bitterly. "Not exactly. To be precise, it should be the chemical plant outside.
"The source of pollution in the 27th District chemical plant was not severe. It had already been purified previously when clearing the dungeon, leaving only the purified chemical plant behind.
"Because it was the laboratory’s first time researching Mermaids, there were many aspects that required us to feel our way forward. Therefore, to work more effectively, I wanted to establish a dedicated experimental base.
"However, the Mermaids had already been transported over by then, and it was too late to build a new experimental base. So, I remembered the chemical plant here and eventually had people remodel the place, turning it into the Mermaid Base."