Chapter 2605: Like Moles
"Could it be a type of mind control comparable to the power of a Super Player?" another player said. "Although this is an A-rank instance, in terms of mind control, it's probably not much different from a Super Instance."
"That doesn't seem like mind control," Xu Huo said.
"Why do you say that?" the Metal Plate player had already sent the living person and one corpse out through a Container Item, leaving one corpse behind for examination.
"Mind control also requires a certain process," Xu Huo said. "Especially for Advanced Players, unless those hoods and clothes themselves are A-rank or higher mind control-type items."
For example, Dou Shengnan's eyes, and the item he had just obtained, "Dreamlike False Teeth."
But from "Dreamlike False Teeth," it was clear that even an A-rank item couldn't freely control an Advanced Player; it could only issue simple, easy-to-execute commands that weren't likely to provoke resistance. As for these hoods, no matter which kind, once put on, it was essentially equivalent to being controlled.
"I think it's more like a Container Item," he added after a pause.
"A Container Item?" the Metal Plate player frowned. "Container Items can indeed assimilate those who enter them with the item, but that doesn't last very long. Once the time limit specified by the container is exceeded, the person will die inside."
"The Night Parade sets don't need to last very long either," Xu Huo said. "Besides, the Night Parade hoods and clothes all have performance functions. Once a player is covered, they quickly merge with the item and naturally act according to the original trajectory of the Night Parade performer."
"I have one question," another player said. "How exactly did we get out?"
The Metal Plate player had woken up earlier. He knew Xu Huo had used his Spiritual Power to bring them out, but as for how the other person had broken free from the hood's control, he naturally didn't know either.
Xu Huo pointed his chin at Old Mr. Xi. "His medication reminder."
Old Mr. Xi touched the specially made Communicator on his body. "I have to take my medicine on time. It's already past the time... but I didn't notice the sound just now."
Not just him, the Metal Plate player hadn't noticed it either. At that moment, his mind was blank, his attention seemed to have scattered, and everything happening around him was like a gust of wind passing by his ears, not attracting any attention, even though the sound had rung out right beside them.
"Probably because I'm a Mental Super Evolver," Xu Huo said flatly.
This was already a very deceptive instance. The appearance of the Space Forbidden Zone had divided the entire instance venue into two parts, and the Night Parade team moved in and out of it. It seemed like it should be a Space Instance, but facing the Night Parade items that could instantly control people, it looked more like a Mental Instance. However, compared to the "Seventeenth Hospital," the Night Parade instance didn't have the obvious characteristics of a Mental Instance. There was no gradual progression; once the hood was on, it was equivalent to turning a person into an item within the instance, completely unrelated to their behavior or thought patterns.
Those hoods wandering outside were obviously not as powerful as the Night Parade team. Once encountering the Night Parade team, a person would unknowingly have a hood put on them—it was even hard to figure out how it happened.
This made things difficult. Xu Huo had originally wanted to try following the Night Parade team out, but now it seemed that the final result of mingling with the Night Parade team might just be becoming a member of the Night Parade team.
The Metal Plate player wanted to ask for details, but Xu Huo said it was because of Mental Evolution. Mental Evolution varied from person to person. There were Mental Super Evolvers in the rescue team, but two had gone missing without bringing back any useful information.
"It's not entirely without gain," Old Mr. Xi said. "At least we've figured out one thing: as long as you stay far away from the Night Parade team, the control ability of the hoods is greatly reduced."
In other words, even if you encountered the Night Parade team, as long as you could get away, you could save your life.
"Easy to say," another player said. "Once you're inside, you can't even stay conscious. How do you get out? If I had discovered the Night Parade team earlier, I would have just run away directly. I wouldn't have taken this risk at all!"
Right, a survival instance. The biggest known danger was the Night Parade team. So wouldn't staying away from the Night Parade team allow you to just survive for seven days?
"Before I was put into the hood, I heard the bell ring twice," the Metal Plate player said. "The first ring was very far away, and the Night Parade team didn't appear within my perception range. The direction of the bell wasn't fixed either. The second time, the sound came right up to me."
"The Night Parade team should be able to pass through Space Gates more easily than us. I'm afraid they can freely pass through Space Gates to enter any place in the Forbidden Zone space."
That was true. When Xu Huo brought them out, he hadn't directly used a long-distance Teleportation Item. Going through the Spiritual Gate had already delayed some time, but the moment they first exited the Spiritual Gate, the Night Parade team had disappeared from the range of his Spiritual Realm.
At this point, the Painting Woman had already wrapped up all the wounds on Xu Huo's body. She picked up the Communicator and asked, "Are they like moles?"
Everyone present fell silent for a moment. Although it wasn't a pleasant comparison, it was indeed the meaning. The Night Parade team could pass through space at any time and appear anywhere, and they might appear one second and disappear the next. Wasn't that exactly like moles popping their heads up?
"What did you feel just now?" Xu Huo asked her.
The Painting Woman was a Super Item. Whether in terms of the controlled object or the item's rank, she shouldn't have been controlled by the hood.
The Painting Woman propped her chin and thought for a moment. "It was fun. They could take me dancing."
Her situation was different. To others, it might sound like she wasn't very bright, but Xu Huo understood that this meant she could easily shake off the hood, just like when she had drilled into the picture frame in the "Thirty Days" instance, able to go in and out as she pleased.
"Next time you encounter the Night Parade team, think about how to escape first," he said. "And when you run, don't forget to get me out too."
The Painting Woman nodded and gave him a "you can count on me" look.
The Metal Plate player didn't know what secret signals they were exchanging. He turned around and dissected the remaining corpse.
Actually, the instruments Old Mr. Xi carried were enough to examine the corpse's condition, but the Metal Plate player still thought a dissection would be more helpful in understanding the instance.
Old Mr. Xi frowned at the sight, couldn't hold on for more than two seconds, and turned back to talk to Xu Huo. "We can't follow the Night Parade team. What do you plan to do next?"
"Run," Xu Huo said. "In another two days, the four Night Parade teams might really be scurrying around inside and outside the space like moles. If you run fast enough, you might just save your little life."
If staying away from the Night Parade team could allow one to escape, then this instance wasn't a dead end for players. Even if they couldn't stay conscious themselves, they could use items and instruments to complete their self-rescue.