Chapter 110.2 Merfolk Shore
During another dimming of the lights, Wen Shi, with his backhand behind him, pulled out a book from the bookshelf and forcefully hurled it at the female player. Seamlessly, he followed with a kick aimed at the male player.
“Run!”
He shouted.
The five initially observing players, who had planned to gauge the situation, saw someone charging ahead and didn’t hesitate any longer. They rushed out too.
The air was too damp, making breathing difficult. Seeing that no one from the study room was chasing after them, the players gradually halted their steps, panting heavily in place.
“Are those people being controlled?”
Three males and two females were present. The one asking the question was a petite girl, her hand bracing against the wall, only to retract it due to the sticky sensation. She had arrived relatively early. At first, everyone seemed fine, but not even ten minutes later, the atmosphere in the self-study room suddenly turned strange. It began with the person in the front row incessantly repeating, “So pitiful, really so pitiful.” Soon, these mutterings became more frequent. When the voices ceased, at least half of the players in the classroom appeared to be entranced.
Wen Shi wiped his forehead, not knowing whether it was sweat or condensed moisture. “Let’s find another self-study room.”
The petite girl’s eyes widened. Was he crazy? At this time, he wanted to go back in for self-study?
Wen Shi furrowed his brow. The players with problematic blood tests were likely the weakest in this group, which made them more susceptible to the effect. Engaging with them would come with considerable risk.
“Do you think I’m stupid?” the petite girl asked fiercely.
The two guys next to her quickly pulled her over. One of them explained to Wen Shi, “Xiao Zhu’s skill is【Divination】. Based on her divination results, a portion of our memories was temporarily erased.”
This time, it was Wen Shi who widened his eyes. Could things really work this way?
“Only our knowledge reservoirs are blocked,” the male player explained, “we’ve been in a state of complete ignorance for these past two days.” Wen Shi glanced at the other two. One had a fierce temperament, pondering how to use the rules to kill the trouble from the previous self-study room. The other exuded an evil aura as well.
These two were clearly high-output players with a penchant for brutal attacks.
“Players can’t harm each other. Those in the self-study room can’t pose a significant threat,” the malevolent man said as he noticed Wen Shi’s gaze, “We’ll manage ourselves, just don’t become like them.”
“Assuming they’ve always been players.”
The malevolent man wasn’t entirely foolish. He frowned, crossing his arms. “If they all die and turn into monsters, that could be quite troublesome.”
Wen Shi didn’t speak. He stepped toward the second study room. The task required studying in the self-study room for three hours, and standing in the corridor wouldn’t fit the bill.
The five players followed inside. The petite girl shut the front door, securing it with a desk, leaving only the back door as an exit, in case of emergencies.
“Books,” Wen Shi finally spoke, “Players’ habitual thinking will prompt them to look for materials related to merfolk once they come in.”
The petite girl’s divination result was: Being illiterate has its advantages.
Nodding upon hearing Wen Shi’s words, she agreed, “Books might serve as a medium to induce mental instability.”
Illiteracy effectively eliminated any inclination they had to read the books.
The malevolent man sneered, “I read them too. Why am I fine?”
“Because you lack empathy,” Wen Shi replied coldly. “Normal players subconsciously tend to view merfolk as the disadvantaged or the ones who’ve been persecuted.”
“Isn’t that the case?”
“Of course,” Wen Shi affirmed. “But they’re not helpless prey. Legends sometimes classify sea nymphs and merfolk as the same species. Both are known for their bewitching songs.”
Even before entering the library, there had been singing. Once one’s pitiable subconscious towards merfolk was aroused, their minds would be invaded by the song. Texts had an equally potent effect. In them, most normal people would sympathize somewhat with the merfolk’s past.
“Mental contamination?” The petite girl frowned.
In order to become complete illiterates, they had even used an item to shield their aesthetic and appreciation abilities. Initially, she thought it was unnecessary, but her teammates insisted, considering this was an S-level instance. It required spending a large amount of points.
Wen Shi said, “Probably. This kind of contamination is hard to guard against. You all sit together and supervise each other. If someone seems off, knock them out directly.”
After speaking, he walked over to the bookshelf.
Originally, she thought that such a commanding tone would incite conflict, but the petite girl noticed the other two troublemakers obediently took their seats without causing any discord.
The malevolent man spoke up, “Haven’t you heard him say that normal people tend to sympathize?”
Clearly, the young man who appeared to be the easiest to handle didn’t fall under the category of “normal.”
Wen Shi carefully selected books related to merfolk. Since these books were the carriers of contaminants, their content must hold value as well.
The first book he opened was thin, without any pictures, just densely packed factual text.
Wen Shi’s empathic abilities weren’t strong. He vividly remembered the brutal scene of the merfolk committing murder on the first night. Coupled with his complete transformation into a cat, he possessed an inherent hunting instinct towards fish.
Skimming through the distressing descriptions, Wen Shi focused entirely on the habits of these creatures.
Book after book, the two self-study rooms weren’t very far apart. From the other side came hoarse wails, the smell of blood masking the salty scent of seawater in the air. Meanwhile, Wen Shi was calmly engrossed in his reading.
A piercing howl made a player’s fingers tremble, prompting him to walk to the back door to observe. Just then, a person from the first self-study room fell out, frantically scratching at their skin. “So pitiful, so pitiful…”
Droplets of condensation from the ceiling fell onto their wounds. A layer of white mucus grew over the bleeding areas, and the mucus continued to change color and spread, inch by inch. Their skin grew increasingly rough, eventually developing patches resembling wall plaster.
The player tried his best not to make a sound, retreating back into the self-study room, praying for the three hours to pass quickly.
The petite girl spoke up and asked her teammates, “Are they killing each other?”
The player shook his head, “Infections in the wounds, showing signs of transforming into merfolk.”
Aside from the discussing voices, the self-study room was filled with the sound of pages turning.
Wen Shi, with renewed determination, looked like a fresh university student. His attitude left the other five feeling uneasy, as they couldn’t fathom how he could focus on studying in such an environment.
“Mating season…” Ji Yuanzhi’s investigation had indeed yielded reliable information. The book also contained a relevant description, clarifying the merfolk’s habit of consuming their mating partners.
Highlight: Seeking targets on land.
Due to their sparse population, in order to avoid extinction, merfolk expanded their numbers outward. Their mating season typically fell between late September and mid-October, a period of cooler weather conducive to reproduction.
“You eat me, I eat you,” Wen Shi’s mouth twitched, “Everyone’s having a grand time.”
His phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced down to see a message from Jian Qingrong: “Are you okay?”
He texted back for added safety. Not currently in danger, Wen Shi returned the call and said, “Things are going relatively smoothly on my end.”
As he spoke, his other hand continued to flip through the pages of the book, making the most of his time.
His neck felt a bit sore. If he hadn’t just read the message, he wouldn’t have realized that the three-hour time frame was nearly up.
Jian Qingrong: “Should I come pick you up?”
Wen Shi: “No need. Evening self-study is ending soon. I can manage.”
Just as he said that, a notification sound chimed:
【You’ve discovered the merfolk’s habits.】
【You’re the only qualified self-study participant tonight.】
With the underperforming companions accentuating his achievement, Wen Shi’s lips curled. Even the game was praising him like this. There should be rewards coming his way.
【Your outstanding qualities has attracted a subpar merfolk.】
【You’ve corrected an error in his lyrics.】
【He approached you for mating.】
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