Bai Feifei didn’t know much about this item, but the juicers who had come here specifically for the test knew it all too well.
In an instant, every one of their expressions soured.
“Damn it, they’re bringing out something like this right away?”
“I haven’t even recovered my stamina from earlier...”
“Hmph, doesn’t matter!”
The box was pushed in front of Liu Yun.
She raised her hand and pressed it against the lid, her gaze sweeping over the six people on the track—the five injected test subjects plus Bai Feifei.
“Attention, everyone.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it commanded the attention of the entire field.
“The next test is for mental resistance. Containment Object B-094, the Eternal Nightmare. All test subjects, prepare for resistance.”
“Everyone else on the field, step back.”
The observers and recorders at the edge of the field retreated in unison, fleeing without a moment's delay.
Some of those who were closer even felt their Cognition Filters begin to flicker and waver.
All Containment Objects exerted a mental influence on humans, but this one specialized in it!
Standing on the high platform, Li Menglong stared coldly at the box, his eyes filled with anticipation and malice.
Liu Yun’s fingers brushed across the lid, and the seal was released.
The metal lid clicked open on one side. There was no sound, but the hair on everyone’s neck stood up simultaneously.
Light erupted from inside the box. Clearly visible was a crystal-clear crystal skull lying on an aluminum plate.
Though it sat there quietly, everyone felt as if something had crawled out of the box.
It was a sensation of pure, cold malice crawling outward. It wasn’t entirely light; it felt more like a living thing tentatively stretching out its tentacles.
The moment the inky purple light spilled onto the track, all six test subjects stiffened instantly.
Bai Feifei was the first to sense something was wrong.
She felt as if someone were calling her name in her ear. The voice was faint, as if coming through a layer of water. She couldn’t tell who it was, but she knew it wasn’t real.
Her Sanity began to drop. Her recently increased cap of three hundred points could still hold for now, but her character level was only 42, after all; there was still a gap between her and the other juicers.
As for those test subjects, perhaps because they had witnessed many aberrations or because of the support from the potions, they seemed unaffected for the moment.
Li Menglong, standing on the platform, gradually began to smirk.
Seeing Bai Feifei standing still with her body trembling slightly, he felt his plan was succeeding.
How old was she? How much had she experienced?
Mental influence was subtle and creeping. If things went well, he could leave her with psychological scars that might just ruin her.
This would have nothing to do with him. Liu Yun was right there, and he hadn't lifted a finger. No one could blame him.
Just as he was sneering inwardly, the man on the track who had received the second injection suddenly stood bolt upright!
One second he looked normal, but now, it was as if he had suddenly gone mad.
“Get away! Get away from me!” one of the test subjects roared, flailing his arms wildly as his fingernails plowed bloody furrows into his own cheeks. “I didn’t kill you! It wasn’t me!”
Blood dripped from his chin onto the track, but he was completely oblivious.
Then, a series of teeth-grinding cracks erupted from his spine.
His entire body began to swell.
It wasn’t the swelling of muscles gorged with blood; it was the growth of bone.
Snapping sounds exploded from his joints, as if something were pushing outward from within.
His spine arched into an unnatural curve, his arms twisted backward, and his palms slammed onto the ground, his fingers piercing into the floor tiles of the track.
The sudden scene left everyone stunned. Many recorders stared blankly at the center of the field, only realizing what was happening after several long moments.
—Aberration!
“Aberration?!”
“He’s undergoing an aberration!”
“How is that possible? How could a Rank 5 Scavenger fail to hold out for even a second? Unless...”
The stadium instantly became chaotic, erupting in panicked voices.
With a Prophet present, they weren't afraid that a single aberration would cause a catastrophe, but the question was: why the sudden aberration?!
For this project, this was an absolute disaster!
Li Menglong’s sneer froze on his face because the test subject who had suddenly mutated was a member of the Li family!
How could this happen?!
That girl hasn't even reacted yet, so how did you break down immediately?
With this sudden aberration, the Li family probably won't be able to distance themselves from it. The family had already lost much of its vitality due to the events at the coal mine.
You’re a total piece of trash!
Liu Yun’s pupils also constricted sharply. She commanded the training dummies in the field to rush the mutating man while she hurriedly closed the aluminum box beside her to prevent the situation from escalating!
“Test halted! Shut down the field pressure!” Liu Yun shouted.
“Roar!”
The mutated man let out a roar toward the sky. His level had surged past the Rank 5 limit of 60, reaching Level 63.
The bone spikes protruding from his body quivered before shooting out like porcupine quills, shattering the surrounding dummies and even piercing the bodies of the other test subjects.
Then, his blood-red eyes snapped toward Bai Feifei. On all fours, he lunged at her like a wild beast!
Bai Feifei’s expression darkened. She spun around instantly, bracing herself for combat.
At that moment, Xu Mo, inside her mind, saw a notification pop up on the game panel.
【Key Storyline: Calamity of Dawn.】
【Current Completion: 6%】
It went up. In that single instant, it jumped by five percent!
Xu Mo stared at the number, stunned for a moment.
Ever since this storyline was triggered, the completion had stayed at one percent. Why did it suddenly jump by five percent now?
A man undergoing an aberration under the influence of a Containment Object—did this event have such a massive impact on the Calamity of Dawn storyline?
The only thing unique about this man seemed to be the injection...
“Heh.” He let out a soft chuckle. “So there really is an unexpected windfall?”
“I knew it—you have to show off. You can't just keep a low profile!”
Without any further hesitation, he chose to log in! He forcibly took control of Bai Feifei’s body.
For an event this important, he felt it was better to handle it himself rather than letting Bai Feifei grind through it on idle.
Besides, a Level 63 aberration was clearly beyond Bai Feifei’s current capabilities.
Bai Feifei lost control of her body, yet for some reason, being taken over at this moment gave her a sense of security.
Then, her heart constricted sharply. The previous white energy suddenly shifted, and a surge of domineering black energy erupted from the Heart of the Real World, spreading throughout her body.
Even the Heart of the Real World transmitted a hint of autonomous confusion.
How could this person’s character undergo such a sudden and drastic change?
Under the enhancement of the black energy, her entire temperament shifted to one of sheer arrogance and dominance. Her rapidly dropping Sanity stabilized instantly.
Simultaneously, a bracer adorned with a skull suddenly materialized on “Bai Feifei’s” wrist.
Rate on N.U.
