Chapter 1614: Experience Is Hard to Replicate
"Why didn't you bring the people from Zone 013 along?" Liao Xiaorong asked Xu Huo on the road. On their first day, they had already inspected most of the city's important locations. There was little value in searching the rest—first, because the city was simply too large, and going through it building by building was an enormous task. Not even a hundred people could finish it in ten days, let alone one person. Second, most of the city was repetitive; a residential block, for instance, would just be ordinary apartments from the first floor to the top, with nothing special.
So there was no need to rush. In Liao Xiaorong's eyes, the Zone 013 people actually had a better chance of seeing the "Midsummer Night Star River" than the players, since the game description mentioned a "near-death" state that players would likely find hard to achieve.
"The chances are slim," Xu Huo said. So far, he was leaning toward this instance being personal, much like the state in the "Seventeenth Hospital." What each person saw would differ based on their own experiences, and the instance worked the same way. Even if someone found the "Midsummer Night Star River," it would be difficult for others to learn from their experience.
It was like those who had once returned alive from Brown Skin City. If the clearance experience could be replicated, the secret of the "Midsummer Night Star River" wouldn't still be a legend.
Another point was that the ticket for "Big and Small Eye Station" had been handed over by the Old Holy Sword Society, suggesting there might be clues about Dr. Wu here. If nothing was wrong, Dr. Wu had likely been to this instance before.
This was slightly different from the instances he had visited before. In those previous instance sites, the traces left behind were quite obvious. In the Deep Blue Laboratory, Dr. Wu had even hidden the potion inside a puppet, as if to say, "Whoever finds it is lucky." But this place was different.
Xu Huo looked back at the city shrouded in mist. Was there really an antidote in the game that could cure the fungal parasites on the Brown Skin City people with a single injection?
Maybe not, but maybe so. Even if it existed, it shouldn't be in this place.
If the "Midsummer Night Star River" was connected to Dr. Wu, it would make more sense. Dr. Wu was originally an expert in pharmacology; he could create the Perfect Evolution Potion, so it was hard to believe he knew nothing about toxins and antidotes. Whether the item hidden in the instance was an antidote or a Perfect Evolution Potion, it would be reasonable. If an ordinary person found the antidote while a player ultimately obtained the Perfect Evolution Potion, it would explain why successful players kept the instance information secret and cut ties with friends and family.
Using the Perfect Evolution Potion could erase the aftereffects of evolution. What a temptation that was! Even Super Players couldn't resist, and ordinary players would want to prepare in advance. Although the Perfect Evolution Potion was ineffective for players who had already started taking other versions of the evolution agent, no one would deny it was a good thing. Whether they kept it for research, traded it for something more valuable, or just stored it in their luggage compartment to look at occasionally, it was still desirable. In other words, no player would refuse to possess the Perfect Evolution Potion.
Assuming Dr. Wu had left something here, a C-grade instance should no longer contain the basic version of the Perfect Evolution Potion. The threshold would likely be higher, and it wouldn't be as easy to find as in the Deep Blue Laboratory.
But the instance had existed for a long time. Who knew if the item had already been taken?
Of course, Xu Huo didn't need the evolution agent for now. It didn't matter if he couldn't find it. More importantly, this place could lead him to Dr. Wu.
"If clearing the instance involves dreams or being teleported to another space, then other people's experiences won't be very useful," Xu Huo said.
"Forget about Yi Jun and his group. Other players will definitely target the Zone 013 people," Tong Qi said, tossing aside a book he had casually flipped through and fanning away the dust in front of him.
"Did Mr. Xu reject Yi Jun's proposal to save them?" Scarface Glasses asked.
The six people from Zone 013 would inevitably face interrogation. If they were carrying any items, it might provoke other players to kill them in anger. It would be better to just confess.
"Other players won't make things difficult for them over a small item," Xu Huo said. "We didn't find anything yesterday. Once both sides exchange information, more people will realize that wandering around the city aimlessly won't yield results, and it might even make them sleepier."
"That means more players will choose to cooperate with us," Mo Gongzi picked up. "The more people who come, the sooner we can understand the variables in the dream. If someone reaches the 'near-death' state earlier than others, the rest can prepare in advance."
"Didn't you say there's no value in learning from others?" Liao Xiaorong asked.
"Similar experiences naturally have no value. But what if someone's experience is different? That would be hitting the jackpot," Chi Xian said with a smile. "Besides, there's no second Mental Evolver in this instance. Early cooperation saves everyone trouble."
"Will that really work?" Tong Qi was a pragmatist.
"Better than doing nothing," Xu Huo said, looking up from his book.
"What are you reading?" Tong Qi curiously leaned in. "Astronomy? What's so interesting about that?"
"There's nothing else to read," Xu Huo replied, then casually mentioned that they should check out the nearby planetarium later.
Places related to the "Star River" would definitely be the first stops for players, especially the planetarium. Since Xu Huo had said so, no one objected.
The group had been wrapped in protective suits for two or three days, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves as quickly as possible while maintaining protection. They were starting to smell a bit, and being sealed in the suits was uncomfortable. So at lunchtime, Tong Qi was the first to take off his protective suit to breathe, urging others to do the same:
"Since it's not really about the fungi, we might as well loosen up. At worst, we'll just take a couple more shots of antidote."
"There are still eight days left. If we keep this up, won't we start to stink?"
Some agreed and also removed their suits.
"Aren't you taking yours off? Don't you want to?" Chi Xian looked at Xu Huo, who remained unmoved.
Xu Huo glanced at him. "What about you?"
Chi Xian shrugged. "Since they're not wearing them, someone has to. What if this is related to clearing the instance?"
"Speaking of which, the unlucky ones are the Non-Ticket Players. Ticket Players can leave after clearing, but even if we find the 'Midsummer Night Star River,' it might not be safe."
"That's true," Xu Huo didn't deny it, nor did he urge Chi Xian to stick with the Ticket Players. Instead, he said matter-of-factly, "Non-Ticket Players only have two paths: wait until the instance ends, or clear it together with the Ticket Players."
"Everyone discussed it yesterday. The instance's death rate might be extremely high. Waiting until the tenth day doesn't guarantee a safe exit. Clearing the instance is the only way to find a way to survive."