Chapter 1346: Unreconcilable Hatred
Dai Song didn't argue, but his expression turned furious. His whole body tensed involuntarily, and within his hateful gaze was a trace of humiliation and shame.
"You're not going to tell me you think the Ya people deserved to be captured as test subjects because they caused the tragedy in District 023, are you?" Xu Huo stared at him, voicing the hidden thought in his mind.
Dai Song understood that live human experiments were intolerable to humanity, and he himself couldn't say he felt completely at ease endorsing such methods, but provoked by the words, he suddenly stood up and blurted out, "Don't those people deserve to be punished?!"
His voice echoed through the place-based item, and the enraged Dai Song quickly calmed down after speaking. With a blank expression, he said, "I helped carry the bodies back then, but I was young, so I only carried the children's bodies."
"Have you ever seen children piled up like a small mountain?"
"I have. Before that, I never imagined that fifty children stacked together could be that tall..."
Everyone present fell silent. From his perspective, no matter what means were used to retaliate, it wouldn't feel like enough.
But then Xu Huo spoke again, "Did the Spring Bamboo Laboratory conduct live human experiments?"
The others couldn't help but stare at him for a second, and Xu Huo, as if completely oblivious to the heavy atmosphere, asked two more questions, "Since the genetic disease in Twin City only affects certain people, experimenting on the Ya people would be useless. What kind of experiments did you conduct on them? How were the bodies disposed of in the end?"
"I don't know." Dai Song sat back down. "The laboratories in Twin City were too busy trying to save themselves to have the energy for other experiments. Besides, very few Ya people were sent to Twin City, and even if they were... they'd be transferred to other cities quickly."
"Name two places." Xu Huo said.
Only then did Dai Song look at him. "What do you want to do?"
"Come because of reputation, leave because of reputation." Xu Huo's gaze was calm, unaffected by his earlier words.
"Ha!" Dai Song let out a mocking laugh. "You sympathize with the Ya people because they were used as experimental material?"
His expression shifted as he spoke, carrying hatred and ruthlessness. "Those people should be cut into a thousand pieces. They shouldn't have descendants either. Such brutal, cruel genes shouldn't be passed on!"
Xu Huo didn't interrupt his emotions, nor did he make any comment on the grievances of that past. He said, "I'm just curious about what kind of human experiments were actually conducted in District 023. Aren't you angry precisely because you're also repulsed by human experimentation?"
"Don't you want to know what your own people were doing? They didn't aid Twin City, and there was no mutual assistance between your cities either. So what exactly were they doing?"
Dai Song's expression wavered visibly. Clearly, he also harbored doubts about these things, but due to his weak strength, he couldn't afford to concern himself with so much. Yet that's how people are—once they take on responsibility, they can't help but want to take on even greater responsibility. Those who stay awake while living are the ones who suffer. They cannot numb themselves, nor can they sit by and watch their own people be numb.
"If you want to know, go find out yourself." He didn't relent, but turned his back and crawled into his sleeping bag, ending the conversation.
"Do you understand human experiments?" Fan Zhigang picked up the topic.
"Just curious." Xu Huo didn't elaborate.
Fan Zhigang couldn't guess his intentions, but after a moment said, "Cities capable of undertaking human experiments are relatively prosperous. I passed through two major cities on my way here. If you're interested, you could go take a look."
Xu Huo accepted his goodwill and added, "Let's rest while we have the time."
They got lucky—that night, aside from two mutant disturbances, they didn't encounter any major danger. However, when they packed up their items and prepared to depart, they discovered that red grass had grown all around the place-based item overnight. Compared to the lush weeds covering the ground, it wasn't particularly large or dense, but its color was too eye-catching amidst all the green. What was strange was that although the grass surrounded the item, it had grown into the picking garden in the shape of a small path. Looking out from inside, the area they had passed through yesterday was covered with this red grass in a strip only about a meter wide.
"What strange species is this now?" Qiu Ming poked at it with an item. "Does it follow people?"
Xu Huo could see a farther range. These grasses had indeed grown along the path they took when entering yesterday.
The others sensed something was off, and without saying much, they got in the car and left.
After leaving the picking garden, they repeated the experience of the previous day—wave after wave of mutant animal and plant attacks, with even higher frequency than yesterday. It wasn't always large-scale either. Occasionally, unknown fruits releasing toxic gas would drop as they walked by, or inconspicuous roadside grass and leaves would turn into blades when brushed against. Other times, plant seeds would spray out from who knows where, latching onto people's skin and quickly taking root—impossible to defend against.
"Once I become an A-rank player, I'm definitely coming back to burn this damn place down!" Qiu Ming said fiercely as he dug out seeds that had sprouted roots into his flesh, skin and all.
"Just wear the protective suit," Fan Zhigang said while drinking water, casually rolling his protective suit sleeves up higher.
"It's too hot for me to wear that. I can't do it." Qiu Ming wiped his sweat. "At this rate, I'll die of heat before I even get out of the Stairway to Paradise."
"You guys okay?" He turned back to check on Cao Qinglin and Doctor Duo'er. The two had identity disguises, so he couldn't just show concern for Cao Qinglin alone—he handed each of them a share of supplies.
Now Doctor Duo'er had also moved to the back seat, sitting together with Dai Song. Xu Huo had gone outside, staying with Fan Zhigang and the other two.
Fan Zhigang and his group had gained a new level of respect for Xu Huo's strength. Forget his powerful items—just his combat style of cutting down mutants with a single blade was something others couldn't replicate. In crisis situations, he used attacks instead of items to form a tight defensive barrier. Almost no mutant could break through his blade. Anything that got close died instantly. It was as if he had eyes all over his head—no movement, no matter how subtle, could escape him.
But just as they were marveling at his skill, Xu Huo suddenly stopped and said, "Someone's about to catch up. Qiu Ming, you all keep going forward. Me and Fan Zhigang's group of three will head to the front."
"People?" Fan Zhigang's expression changed. "Also players who cleared the game?"
"Not sure if they're cleared players, but they're coming for us." Within Xu Huo's mental power range, traces of that red grass had been present all along. On one stretch of road, they had slowed down due to attacks, and he could clearly see the red grass growing along the path the vehicle had driven. It hadn't been there before they rested yesterday. Probably because of the few hours of rest, the red grass had managed to make contact with them and drop seeds on their bodies, which was why it grew so fast today.
(End of Chapter)