Chapter 2924: Platinum Eye Attack Incident - Seven
With several consecutive return tickets, Xu Huo shuttled through different wormhole points in different zones. During the journey, he noticed that the Box Carrier had not followed him, so he made a brief stop at one station. Meanwhile, the Under Dimension message board exploded with news, mentioning that the Box Carrier and Sun Eye had started a battle at Platinum Eye.
Xu Huo guessed that the meteor-like flashes of light he had seen earlier at Platinum Eye must have come from Super Players, though he was unsure which Super Player it was. However, since Super Players were engaged in battle, the Box Carrier probably wouldn't have time to chase him for a while.
Bai Kou also woke up once midway, used two removal items, and then fell unconscious again. Xu Huo used the "Eternal Sleep Core," the best healing potions he could purchase from the game platform as an A-level player, and surgical instruments. The potent medicines, combined with her strong recovery ability, meant her internal and external injuries were not fatal. The only problem was the poison she had been infected with.
The toxin repeatedly eroded her internal organs and nerves. Not only was it difficult to remove, but each recurrence also worsened her injuries. Bai Kou writhed in pain during her unconsciousness, but her body could barely react anymore, only twitching continuously. This twitching seemed more like a physical reflex rather than her being conscious.
Xu Huo used all the concentrated King Fungus liquid he had stored, but every time she improved, the toxin would quickly resurge. After Bai Kou's body had repaired itself multiple times, the healing speed of the cracks on her skin gradually slowed. Soon, she was covered in blood again, and her body grew weaker from the repeated ordeal.
This couldn't go on.
After handing a toxin sample to Mr. Dong, Xu Huo cut his own arm. His blood dripped onto Bai Kou's wounds, and the transparent fungal filaments mixed in his blood quickly turned gray-black and died. Fortunately, the King Fungus filaments were effective against this toxin.
The growth rate of the King Fungus filaments was very slow, and he couldn't extract the King Fungus and place it directly into Bai Kou's wounds. The only way was to bleed as much as possible to slow down the toxin's recurrence rate.
But this was only a temporary fix, not a cure.
Xu Huo put Bai Kou back into a container item and took out the return ticket for D07-013.
Back when Zone 014 was affected by fungal interference, he had tried many methods to accelerate the growth of King Fungus filaments, eventually finding a fungal nutrient in this zone that could promote its growth.
Currently, no medicine could cure the poison; he could only try the King Fungus. At the very least, he needed to wake Bai Kou up first. Perhaps she would have a way to detoxify herself once she was conscious.
Using the return ticket, he easily entered Zone D07-013. The landing spot was already covered by a forest. Estimating the approximate range, he used a teleportation item to find the underground cave he had discovered before.
When he had left earlier, he had sealed the cave. Later, some players must have entered, as someone had opened a hole in the top, but fortunately, the environment inside the cave remained intact.
Using an instrument to clear a small area, Xu Huo placed Bai Kou directly on the ground. Then he sat beside her, cutting multiple wounds on his arms and calves. Blood flowed onto the ground, and the King Fungus filaments that absorbed the nutrients began to grow.
After the evolution in the ultra-high-energy zone, the King Fungus had become stronger. Now, absorbing new nutrients, its growth rate and spread area increased. Xu Huo placed the newly grown filaments onto Bai Kou's wounds.
The toxin's recurrence was too fast, so he had to increase the area covered by the King Fungus. Only when both of them were covered in a thick layer of white frost did Bai Kou's complexion begin to improve.
Xu Huo tried removing some of the filaments, only to find that even in areas that had just been treated and returned to normal skin color, the toxin would quickly invade again once the King Fungus was gone.
Dr. Deng sent him two injections. After injecting them into Bai Kou's neck, she regained some awareness, opened her eyes briefly, and then fell back asleep.
Her wounds were healing, her skin was no longer frequently splitting, and her breathing and expression gradually stabilized. Xu Huo felt her forehead and moved her to a portable bed.
"It can't be eradicated," Xu Huo sent a message to Dr. Deng.
"Making poison is simple. Just mix random things together, and they'll find their own path, sometimes even creating bizarre changes. But curing it is the hard part," Dr. Deng replied quickly. "These two injections are the closest antidotes I could get through connections. To create a targeted cure, I'd need at least three to five days to analyze the toxin's composition."
Three to five days—Xu Huo would have bled dry by then. He glanced at the person beside him. "Three to five days won't work. Find another way."
"Go find a doctor," Dr. Deng said. "Some major hospitals in A-level wormhole points might not have a direct cure, but they can slow down the toxin's progression without leaving lasting side effects."
A-level wormhole points... Xu Huo's gaze shifted to the account he had used to contact Bai Kou before. Yan Fang kept sending messages, asking about Bai Kou's condition and their whereabouts...
Super Players were fighting over the energy chip at Platinum Eye. If people like Xin Rong could get wind of it, it meant the news about the energy chip had likely leaked through various channels. Not only could he not trust hospitals in A-level wormhole points, but even the people at Platinum Eye couldn't be trusted. Besides, the mayor of Platinum Eye and Mrs. Bai had never shown themselves.
A doctor... He could only try now.
Xu Huo went to Zone 039 again.
Carrying Bai Kou on his back, he searched the jungle for nearly an hour before finding Gao Ming's hideout.
Gao Ming and the group of ordinary people who had been moving with him had relocated further from Yongta Country. They had carved out a new settlement deep in the poison-fog-filled forest, and their numbers had grown.
Xu Huo's sudden appearance caused a brief commotion, but it quickly subsided.
In a crude operating room, Gao Ming examined Bai Kou's condition. "Her recovery ability is strong. There aren't many wounds left on her internal organs, but the poison is deep. The detoxifying fungus you're using isn't a match for it. It can't clean the toxins from her organs."
"I don't know much about synthetic poisons, but I can try cutting away small portions of the affected tissue to reduce the toxin load and control its reproduction rate. Maybe then your detoxifying fungus will work better. At least it won't be life-threatening."
"But her arm..." Gao Ming looked at Bai Kou's left arm. The bone had been set, and the wound had closed, but from the fracture point down to her fingers, the skin color had changed slightly.
He sighed. "It probably can't be saved."
"Save her life first," Xu Huo said, pulling out a pre-purchased surgical pod. "We'll deal with the arm once she's awake."
Gao Ming nodded, and the three quickly moved to the operating room. Xiao Hao, who was with Gao Ming, came in to assist.
Gao Ming was skilled at using spatial power for surgery. He made a small incision in Bai Kou's abdomen, carefully and meticulously removing some of the deeply embedded toxic tissue.
"If she were an ordinary person, this method wouldn't work. But luckily, she's a player with decent evolution."
He placed the removed tissue on a tray beside him, then turned to see Xu Huo cutting himself again. Watching the blood flow out and the fungal filaments gradually grow from it, he remarked, "The evolved species in the game are truly astonishing... But you can't keep this up either. Can't you find a substitute medicine?"
"Medicine works too slowly," Xu Huo said, making up an excuse without going into detail.
Gao Ming's surgery quickly showed results. Bai Kou's condition visibly improved. Seeing that she still hadn't woken up, Xu Huo asked, "Can't her arm be saved using the same method?"
Gao Ming looked troubled, but meeting Xu Huo's gaze, he reluctantly said, "I'll try."
Cutting away some organ tissue was only an emergency measure and couldn't eradicate the poison. But the arm was different—the lower half of the entire arm showed signs of necrosis...
The arm surgery lasted half an hour. Even with combined medicine and King Fungus detoxification, there was no improvement. By then, they had reached the limit. Gao Ming suggested amputation.
Xu Huo paused, looking at the pale-faced woman. Just as he was about to say something, she suddenly opened her eyes. Her right hand lifted slightly, and a spatial tangent sliced toward her left arm!
"What are you doing!" A spatial barrier blocked the tangent. Xu Huo frowned.
"I don't have time," Bai Kou said, looking at him. "Amputation is the fastest way. I need to return to Platinum Eye immediately."
"When we left, the Super Players in the zone had already joined the battle. Platinum Eye should be fine," Xu Huo said.
Bai Kou's cracked lips twitched. "If I don't go back, the energy chip will definitely be sold to another zone by the mayor's wife. Then I'll have no place left in Platinum Eye."
Xu Huo's gaze lingered on her face for a moment. He first took a towel, wet it, and dabbed it on her lips. "Do you think you can handle things if you go back now? The Box Carrier might not have left, and Sun Eye and Meteorite probably won't be easy to deal with."
"No," Bai Kou said. "But going back alive is an attitude. The people who support me won't be left without someone to rely on."
"Platinum Eye is private property. My father was the legal heir. After his accidental death, the mayor inherited the city as the second heir. So not only are the mayor and his wife my enemies, but the zone government is too."
"I don't care about the property. My father died too early; my memories of him are vague. He spent his early years wandering outside and never lived a single day in Platinum Eye. He didn't even know his connection to it until he died. I'm not fighting for Platinum Eye to inherit anyone's will. I'm doing it because it's what I want."
"The future I dream of is built on that city. No one can destroy it or take it away!"
As she spoke, a red injection rolled out from under her hand.
Their eyes met. Xu Huo seemed to see the blazing fire of her life burning. After a few seconds, he picked up the injection and injected it into her right arm.
The medicine worked incredibly fast. The toxins in Bai Kou's body quickly dissipated. But the injection seemed to have side effects. Her skin rapidly turned red, and cold sweat poured from her body. Seconds later, she convulsed and writhed in agony, screaming, "Get out!"
The fungal filaments connecting them snapped. The instruments beside the surgical bed were knocked over. She roared, "Out!"
Xu Huo silently stepped out of the surgical pod with Gao Ming and the others. But he didn't go far. He leaned against the door, waiting.