Chapter 105 The Antidote to "Tethering the Machine"
Not missing the look of disgust on Shan Ran's face, Jia Wen smiled faintly.
"An acquaintance? Judging from your tone, it doesn't sound like a close acquaintance."
Is this someone I dislike? Should I deal with them first?
Shan Ran glanced at the other person with amusement, not expecting him to be so perceptive.
Is this a killer's intuition?
"The important business is ahead of us. Let's go in first and ignore that 'acquaintance' for now. We'll deal with that later once we get the most crucial thing."
Hearing something, Jiawen smiled broadly and nodded, "I'll listen to my sister."
Gano's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he remained silent.
Their current location is not far from the laboratory, but it is well hidden, surrounded by woods.
"Can we find the important person inside here and enter the dream?"
Yu Yuan gritted his teeth and nodded. Although he hadn't fully recovered his strength, eating a crystal core would allow him to last a little longer.
He closed his eyes, sensing the spiritual energy inside the experimental building.
It's difficult to force someone into a dream when they're not asleep, but finding the target is even harder, requiring very precise control over mental abilities.
It's even more difficult when you don't even know who the other person is or what they look like.
He first needs to randomly enter a person's dream, inquire about the key figures, learn about their special abilities and mental state, and then find the target through his perception of the mental world.
It's inevitable that you'll make mistakes along the way, which wastes a lot of energy and time.
He had never done anything like this before. If he hadn't been risking his life alongside Shan Ran during this period, he wouldn't have been able to develop this ability.
Following his own method, Yu Yuan first randomly pulled a passerby in the experimental building into a dream. The person would then feel drowsy and find a nearby place to lie down and sleep.
Once Yu Yuan confirmed that the other party was in the dream, she began to weave a dream, fabricating backgrounds and identities for both parties, and then tried to extract information while chatting.
He has now mastered the art of speaking very well, and he can use the same set of stock phrases perfectly, especially in dreams.
According to Shan Ran and others, Yu Yuan had simply fallen asleep leaning against a tree.
They waited quietly by the side, watching over Yu Yuan.
Suddenly, the leaves above rustled, a loud shout rang out, and then a dark shadow swooped down with lightning speed, landing in front of everyone.
Who are you? What are you doing?
A lean man stood in front of the group, his wings folded behind him, the feathers on them slightly bristling, indicating that he was very vigilant and ready to strike at any moment.
Shan Ran identified herself, took out her number plate, and gave her name.
"Reporting, sir, he has fainted. We'll leave him here to rest for a bit, and then take him back to his dormitory once he feels better."
"Did she faint?"
The lean man was skeptical, but he took a step closer to the sleeping man and looked him up and down.
He reached out to remove the man's mask, wanting to see his face clearly.
Suddenly, the feathers on his wings bristled more noticeably, a flash of cold light appeared, and he quickly retreated, avoiding the slash of the longsword.
He is also an agility-type and flight-type, and his level is not low, making him very fast.
He had just taken two steps back, and before he could even spread his wings, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck. Then something smooth wrapped around his neck, making it hard for him to breathe.
He tried to raise his hand, but felt a chill in his chest, followed by a piercing pain.
He looked down and saw a knife piercing his chest.
The object around his neck slowly loosened, and the lean man fell to the ground, his body twitching a few times before he stopped breathing.
Shan Ran never expected that such a hidden place would be discovered, but what she didn't expect even more was that the man pressed the alarm in his pocket before he died.
Alarms soon sounded on the island, and strict security measures were implemented everywhere.
People are coming toward where they are.
That person definitely had a GPS tracker on them!
These are the only two flight-type ability users on the island, and they work in a laboratory, so their importance is self-evident.
Shan Ran quickly woke Yu Yuan, interrupting his dream.
The consequence of this is that the person pulled into the dream will immediately suffer brain death, and Yu Yuan will also suffer from severe headaches that are difficult to recover from in a short period of time.
Shan Ran immediately took out a conch shell, summoned Rou Rou, carried Yu Yuan on her back, quickly rushed to the beach, and then threw him overboard.
The meat came very quickly; it's been circling around the area for the past two days.
Rou Rou opened her mouth wide and caught Yu Yuan in one bite, as if she had caught a big bone.
Then Shanran appeared beside Jiawengano, and the three of them quickly left the forest and headed towards the experimental building.
The alarms blared, the guards were on high alert, and even the resting security personnel had to go to work immediately. The appearance of Shan Ran and the others was not at all unexpected.
No one could have imagined that the enemy would walk right into their trap and enter the seemingly impregnable experimental building.
After being scanned by infrared, the three entered the building.
Upon entering the building, Shan Ran immediately cut off all external signals to the entire island.
Security was heightened throughout the building. They followed the guard team until they reached the third floor, where they quietly left the group.
The laboratory building has a large area on each floor, with a total height of only three floors, and a basement.
According to monitoring data, the most important experiments are all conducted on the third floor, where the most senior PhD students are also located.
Most of the labs are completely enclosed, so you can't see anything.
A few of them have glass windows, and when you pass by, you can see staff members working inside.
Others are still conducting experiments.
Some laboratories were even emitting piercing screams.
Shan Ran glanced to the side and saw through the glass window a man tightly strapped to the operating table. His whole body was abnormally red, as if he had been scalded by boiling water.
His face was burning red, but he didn't struggle. He just opened his hazy eyes, which were lifeless. Next to him, someone in a white coat was injecting an unknown liquid into his body.
In another laboratory, a man was tied to a bed. His veins were bulging and throbbing all over his body, like green snakes winding and growing. His eyes were wide open, almost popping out, as he struggled desperately and let out a shrill scream with his mouth wide open.
The angle at which the man's mouth was open was extremely frightening; it looked as if the corners of his mouth were about to split open.
Besides the bindings, someone was holding him down and injecting him with drugs.
They soon passed the laboratory, and the man's screams gradually faded into the distance.
The group made it to the third floor without incident. After going up the stairs, they were greeted by a long corridor with laboratories on both sides that were locked.
At this moment, all the surveillance cameras went black. Shan Ran arrived at the first door, pushed it, and found that it was locked from the inside.
She slipped inside and opened the door.
After opening the door, the two people were no longer outside.
A gentle breeze passed by, and a soft, laughing voice brushed past my ear.
"Thank you, sister."
Human-related experiments and extractions are mainly conducted on the first and second floors, while drug research is carried out on the third floor. Therefore, there are fewer people on the third floor, and the staff can focus more intently.
This made it easier for the three men to silence them.
Based on his knowledge of potions, Gavincano carefully searched each laboratory, but found no information related to the poison on them.
Until they arrived at the door of the last laboratory.
This laboratory is the largest, occupying nearly half of the third floor. If there really is a clue to the antidote, this is the most likely place.
Just as the three of them stood at the door, preparing to do the same thing, a piercing alarm suddenly sounded throughout the building.
Unlike the initial alarm, this is the highest level alarm. Not only is the sound shrill, but the light has also changed, from a bright white light to a flashing red light.
A soft laugh came from somewhere out of sight. "Looks like those idiots have finally realized that everyone in the dormitory is dead."
"Let's hurry, they should find this place soon."
Gavin didn't say anything more.
Shanran knew that their last hope lay behind this door. If they opened it and found no clues to the antidote, then all hope would be lost.
The incident on Crocodile Island will inevitably cause a huge uproar among the top families. Previously, even though it was just the destruction of a laboratory, Gongyang Qing sent people to assassinate Shan Ran without any clues. Now, his suspicions about her are even deeper. The assassins he sent out have not yet made any news, so he will definitely suspect Jiawen Jianuo.
They can't go back. If they don't get the temporary antidote this month, it will be their death day.
Shan Ran nodded and comforted her, "Don't worry, there's always a way."
Just as she was about to teleport in, a hand suddenly reached out and touched the back of her hand.
In the blink of an eye, the door was opened from the inside.
She turned her head and met the gaze of a middle-aged man who opened the door.
The middle-aged man paused, stared at Shan Ran's eyes for a few seconds with suspicion, and asked, "Which captain are you working for? How did you get here?"
Shan Ran stared at the middle-aged man's face and matched it with the person in the surveillance footage.
This person is the head of the laboratory—Dr. Nong.
"Dr. Nong, an outsider has broken into the island. I have received orders to come up to the third floor to check and ensure your safety."
Dr. Nong nodded without saying anything more, then turned and made way for Shan Ran to come in.
Shan Ran lowered her head and, mimicking the manner of a typical security guard, stepped inside.
Just as she brushed past Dr. Nong, a slight breeze suddenly swept by, making the hairs on the back of Shan Ran's neck stand on end, triggering her dangerous intuition.
However, the distance was too close and the speed too fast. Before Shanran could dodge, the sharp needle pierced into her flesh.
A muffled groan came from beside me.
Shan Ran didn't know what had happened, but she chose to control Dr. Nong next to her as soon as possible.
She slipped behind Dr. Nong, pressed down on his shoulders, and with a slight effort, dislocated both of his arms.
Dr. Nong, whose hands had been empty just moments before, now held a pistol. His hands fell limply to the ground.
He screamed in agony.
A black snake appeared where Shan Ran had just been standing.
A syringe was deeply embedded in the black snake's body, and half of the medicine inside had already been injected.
Due to the effects of the drug, Gano could no longer maintain his powers, and the black snake's body manifested.
In a panic, Gavin rushed forward, pulled out the syringe, petrified his arm, crushed the syringe, and then hugged Gavin, who was about to fall to the ground.
What are you carrying?
Dr. Nong glanced back at Shan Ran, sneered, his eyes were cold and his expression was unwilling, but he didn't say anything.
Shan Ran stomped on his ankle and crushed it.
"Dr. Nong!"
Who are you? What do you want?
The people in the laboratory also noticed what was happening and gathered around, looking at Shan Ran nervously.
Dr. Nong wailed, the intense pain causing him to break out in a cold sweat and tremble uncontrollably.
"If you kill me, none of you will get out!"
Shan Ran didn't speak, but lowered her eyes and coldly called out to him, crushing his other ankle bone.
"ah....."
Dr. Nong let out another scream.
"I'll ask you one more time, what was that injection you just received?"
"No, no, don't hurt Dr. Nong! That's an injection that will temporarily disable your powers and weaken your bodies!"
Some onlookers, unable to bear seeing Dr. Nong suffer, quickly replied.
Shan Ran chuckled lightly: "Since someone can answer this, it seems we don't need you anymore."
He was about to kill her.
Seeing that the other party actually dared to kill him, Dr. Nong became genuinely frightened. He hurriedly said, "Don't kill me! I'm very useful. I'm the best person in the world at making medicine and poison. Whatever you want, I can make it!"
Shan Ran didn't speak, but stared at Dr. Nong for a while, as if trying to confirm the truth of his words.
Suddenly, she raised her hand and threw several fireballs at the crowd, and the flames instantly engulfed the people.
"Don't make any rash moves, and don't even think about running away, understand?"
Someone was just about to send out a distress signal while she wasn't paying attention, and someone else took the opportunity to slip a few vials of medicine into their pocket. I don't know what they were planning to do.
Shan Ran didn't care what they were doing; anyone who made a move was burned to death.
A person who was alive just moments ago is now screaming in agony amidst the flames, eventually turning into a charred corpse.
Those who witnessed all of this were terrified, their bodies trembling like leaves, and they dared not make any further movements.
At that moment, a commotion was heard in the corridor.
Security personnel noticed something unusual on the third floor and came up to investigate.
Jiawen got up and locked the door from the inside.
He remained invisible, just in case these people had any other tricks up their sleeves.
"Where is the antidote?" Shan Ran asked.
Dr. Nong reached out his hand tremblingly, and a vial of syringe immediately appeared on the ground.
Jiawen took it and, without hesitation, inserted it directly into Dr. Nong's body.
"Ah..." Dr. Nong let out another scream, gritting his teeth as he explained, "This is the real antidote! Why would I lie to you? I'd be dead if I did! Even if it's an antidote, you can't just use it randomly!"
Seeing that Dr. Nong showed no abnormalities, Jia Wen injected the remaining half of the medicine into his younger brother's body.
Gano, who was in a semi-comatose state, quickly recovered.
The doorbell rang, and Shanran gestured to one of her assistants to handle it.
The assistant was terrified by the horrific scene and dared not resist or try anything clever. He turned on the walkie-talkie to indicate that there was nothing wrong in the lab and sent the security guards away.
But this isn't a long-term solution. All the other rooms on the third floor have had problems, and this is the only one that's okay, which is clearly wrong. Not long after they find nothing unusual outside, they'll return to this lab to search again.
"Give me a few more vials of that potion that knocked out superpowers."
Dr. Nong propped himself up and tried to look up at Shan Ran, who was standing there.
He knew she was asking what the potion was for. "This potion is extremely rare, and the process of making it is very difficult. I have very little in stock here, so I suggest you don't let me use it. Otherwise, I won't be able to use my space, and I won't be able to retrieve anything you want later."
I have several portions of all the potions I've made in my storage space. Just tell me what you need, and I'll give it all to you.
"OK."
Shanran thought he made sense, but she wouldn't let him lead her by the nose.
She crouched down, staring into the other person's eyes with a chilling gaze and an expressionless face: "Dr. Nong, you know that when a person with spatial storage abilities dies, everything inside their space will explode, right?"
Upon hearing this, Dr. Nong trembled, his eyes darted left and right, and he clenched his teeth, remaining silent.
"So I advise you not to play tricks. Just answer my questions and hand over what you're owed. I have limited patience and don't have time to play games with you. Take out the potion that will make you lose your powers now."
Dr. Nong's breathing became heavy, and despite his reluctance, he still took out a box.
The box is insulated, and when opened, it contained a total of ten vials of medicine.
Shan Ran put the box away and squinted at Dr. Nong.
She was considering whether to kill him directly and then search for the antidote from the supplies he had revealed, or to continue interrogating him.
Her interrogation skills were not as good as those of the Kunwu team members, so she hesitated.
Dr. Nong was initially somewhat unwilling, but when he noticed the woman's eyes, he paused for a moment.
She wore a mask, obscuring her face, but her eyes, though visible, were beautiful. However, at this moment, no one would notice her appearance; all they could feel was the chill and icy killing intent emanating from them.
She wanted to kill herself!
Realizing this, Dr. Nong shuddered, his hair standing on end – a primal reaction when facing imminent death.
He did not hesitate to beg for mercy.
He valued his life highly; the death of a researcher like him would be the greatest loss to the world.
"Please, please don't kill me. I'm very capable. If it weren't for me, this lab would have been disbanded long ago. I was involved in making all the medicines you see here. If you want to make any medicine in the future, as long as you have the raw materials, I'm confident I can make it."
Shan Ran raised an eyebrow, suddenly thinking of Rong Shuyao in the basement.
"Are those people in the basement related to the drug you're researching?"
“Yes, yes,” Dr. Nong nodded hurriedly. “Please don’t hurt me. I will answer any questions you may have.”
Shan Ran nodded, not continuing to question the people in the basement, but instead asked directly, "Do you have the antidote for 'Qianji' here?"
"Qianji?" Dr. Nong was taken aback, then turned to look at Gano, who was slowly recovering, and the invisible figure.
"Which family's assassins are you from?"
Shan Ran casually took out a short knife and cleanly sliced off one of Dr. Nong's fingers.
Dr. Nong thought he was numb from the pain, but he never expected to be able to cry out in pain.
"You just need to answer my questions, don't ask me questions, understand?"
Dr. Nong groaned in pain, but could only nod helplessly.
"I'll ask one more time, is there an antidote for 'Tethering the Machine' here?"
Yes, there are.
In a place unseen by the naked eye, a breath intensified.
Jiawen and Shanran were not far apart, and Shanran could clearly hear his quickened breathing and his somewhat flustered heartbeat at that moment.
Even Gano, who usually had no expression, widened his eyes, clenched his fists, and trembled slightly involuntarily.
This is a curse that has imprisoned the two of them for more than a decade, a shackle on their fate, and a fetter on their lives.
This was the first time they had any hope of breaking free from their cage; the teenagers were so excited they almost couldn't control their expressions.
Shan Ran reached out her hand: "Give me the antidote."
Without hesitation, Dr. Nong rummaged through his spatial storage for a while before taking out a box and dropping it on the ground.
Shan Ran opened it, revealing three vials of medicine inside.
"There was no antidote for the 'Trapping Poison' before. It was only recently started to be made. There are only these three tubes available; there are really no more."
If all three of them are poisoned, there won't even be enough samples for testing.
Fortunately, Shanran was not poisoned.
She took out a tube and plunged it directly into Dr. Nong.
"Ah..." Dr. Nong's voice was already hoarse from shouting.
Jiawen had at least received specialized training and knew how to perform acupuncture. Shanran had only watched, never practiced, and when she tried to insert the needle by feel, it was both painful and swollen.
"You... there are only three doses of the antidote left. Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Shan Ran sneered, a wicked smile playing on her lips: "That's none of your business."
After waiting for a while, Dr. Nong was still fine, except that he couldn't move his limbs and occasionally groaned in pain, but there were no other abnormalities.
During this time, Shanran asked the onlookers and obtained some information.
First, there's Dr. Nong.
She was very curious about how Dr. Nong could tell that something was wrong with her, and why he would act without hesitation.
It turns out that Dr. Nong is a dual-elemental ability user; in addition to his spatial storage ability, he can also see other people's abilities.
Shan Ran raised an eyebrow, glancing at the man lying on the ground groaning in the distance, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
Did he see all of her superpowers?
Water-based, agile, eagle-based, digital information, spatial storage, spatial transfer, fire-based, and immortal.
What else did you see?
Will we see her gain the ability to acquire other people's superpowers?
But it doesn't matter, she never intended to keep him anyway.
They didn't plan to keep anyone here.
During the inquiry, Shanran learned that the laboratory not only produced the three kinds of medicines that Shanran knew about, but also used people with superpowers to make medicines.
For example, the potion that Dr. Nong is preparing to use on Shan Ran can temporarily cause her to lose her superpowers and fall into a semi-comatose state.
The ingredients are extremely complex. The semi-comatose state is due to the addition of a drug used by a poison-type ability user, while the other ingredient was extracted from a special ability user.
This person can temporarily disable the enemy's superpowers.
The basement of the experimental building also holds a large number of people with superpowers, some of whom possess extremely rare abilities.
For example, being able to make the enemy lose their superpowers—Shanran had never heard of such a superpowered individual.
In order to make the most of their special abilities, the aristocratic families decided to capture them.
By nurturing a person like a blood transfusion bag and continuously extracting blood from them, a medicine can be made that can be used by many people.
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Author's Note: I feel the little cutie's nutrient solution: Wild Apple.
Thanks for your support! [cheering emojis]
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