Absolute Death Game-Chapter 312 - 81: Soul Departure Syndrome

"It’s indeed very unlikely."

A voice suddenly sounded behind several people, and since they were in a near-combat state, they were very cautious. When they heard the shout, they were startled and turned around on guard in unison.

In the pitch-black night, Dugu Han’s figure seemed to blend into the darkness, slowly walking through the woods. He wore a black suit, his hands in his pockets, looking somewhat different.

"Boss... Boss, how come you’re here?" Wang Lei asked, visibly nervous upon seeing him.

"What, aren’t you happy to see me?" Dugu Han said as he walked up beside them, looking towards the distant massive building.

"Such a place indeed doesn’t seem like something the traitors of the Green Dragon Group could manage. But they’re inside, aren’t they?"

Seeing several people nodding, Dugu Han continued, "Well then, that settles it. We’ll take them down, snatch whatever allows them to transfer equipment between reality and the game, and then I can let you all return to the organization. Your past actions will also be forgiven."

Yan Zhong frowned upon hearing this. He indeed had previously shared his speculation with Dugu Han; perhaps Xiao Buli had some method of bringing things from the game into reality, but it was only a guess, and he wasn’t sure whether it was a treasure or a skill. But now Dugu Han seemed convinced Xiao Buli must have such an ability, and one that was achieved through some sort of treasure. This made Yan Zhong quite curious.

Was this Dugu Han too overconfident, or too presumptuous?

"Whether such a thing exists is just our speculation. That Xiao Buli may also have mastered some kind of forging skill, creating his own equipment in reality." Yan Zhong explained.

Dugu Han simply smiled, "Hehe, you can rest assured on that point. He definitely has an item that can transfer objects from the game into reality, and it should be a personal item, like an amulet or a ring. As for the reason, you don’t need to ask. Just do it."

After speaking, Dugu Han gave Lin Beifeng a glance. The latter was squatting on all fours on the ground, his long tongue out, drooling.

"His Soul Departure Syndrome seems very severe already. If you don’t find a solution soon, he’s beyond saving. And considering how long you’ve played the game, your Soul Departure Syndrome could strike at any time."

"Soul Departure Syndrome?" Wang Lei exclaimed in agitation.

"That’s right, Soul Departure Syndrome. It’s a condition that’s very likely to afflict someone who has played the game for a long time. Its characteristic is that you increasingly resemble your game character. This isn’t just about physical changes, but deep inside, your spirit and thought patterns will be affected. It looks a bit like schizophrenia, but it’s actually far more terrifying, because the second personality that emerges in schizophrenia still belongs to the same soul, subject to the same will. It’s just a conflict caused by a great disparity between the subconscious and the primary consciousness. However, the second personality from Soul Departure Syndrome comes directly from the influence of an intangible force, and there’s no getting rid of it. Sooner or later, this force will kill you or directly take over your body to replace you."

The more detailed Dugu Han’s explanation was, the graver Wang Lei and Dian Lan’s faces became. This matter didn’t sound good, and worst of all, judging by Lin Beifeng’s changes, Dugu Han wasn’t lying.

But Yan Zhong calmly asked, "So, you know how to treat this condition? What should we do?"

"Do you really think I’m going to tell you? Once you get what I want, I will naturally help you solve this problem, and you can also return to the organization."

Yan Zhong frowned, "Why should we believe you?"

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This question was asked quite bluntly, but given the gravity of the situation, Yan Zhong couldn’t just gloss over it. If the other party lacked the ability to cure them, it might be better to keep the item that his allowed movement between game and reality. Perhaps they would even find a way on their own.

However, Dugu Han replied, "Stop hoping. You have betrayed me before, and yet I have never betrayed you. So among us, my word is relatively more trustworthy. Alright, I won’t say anymore. It’s up to you to choose how to proceed. If you don’t act, it’s fine. I will naturally send others. But then, you will have no part in it."

After saying that, Dugu Han waved his hand and his figure suddenly vanished, obviously having been just an illusion the whole time.

Yan Zhong looked at the others, "We must go all out now!" Everyone’s face showed solemn determination as they nodded in agreement.

Yan Zhong then turned his gaze to Wang Lei, "Wang Lei, this time you must bring out all your strength! We’re all counting on you."

"Damn it, that dog has come back again!"

Stealthily moving through the corridors of the base, Lu Xinying, who was leading, suddenly spoke.

From a distance, they saw a patrol of soldiers leading a dog their way, the canine sniffing incessantly at the ground, as if it had caught a whiff of something suspicious.

"Have we been discovered?" Lu Xinying asked with a hint of alarm and uncertainty.

Xiao Buli squinted his eyes, calculating the situation, then shook his head, "Not yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Let’s get out of this passageway quickly."

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The two turned and ran, but they hadn’t gone far before they encountered another group of soldiers with a dog coming from the opposite direction.

The worst part was that the passageway was barren, with no side passages to hide in.

(This is bad. Invisibility can hide my presence, but it can’t mask my scent. Earth Escape Skills are useless against the surrounding concrete ground. Are we going to have to fight our way out?)

Xiao Buli had a bad feeling. Starting a fight here, even if they were as tough as iron, would hardly make a difference. Killing a few patrol soldiers wouldn’t be hard, but escaping from this deeply buried base would be another matter entirely. The base was undoubtedly equipped with comprehensive defense systems, and even with Invisibility, Xiao Buli had no confidence they could leave unscathed.

He glanced around, and when his gaze fell upon the ceiling, an idea sparked within him, reminded of a scene from a movie he had seen before. How could he have forgotten such a simple solution?

"Let’s go, into the ventilation duct," he said.

Right above their heads, on the wall, was an entrance to a ventilation duct.

Such an underground facility would have extremely high ventilation requirements; otherwise, the many people below ground would suffocate. The vent was on the wall, concealed by a louver. Xiao Buli motioned with his hand, Lu Xinying stepped on it and gracefully leaped up, clinging to the wall. She pushed open the louver and crawled inside. Xiao Buli followed suit with a Leaping from Dry Land jump, quickly closed the louver, and they successfully hid before being discovered.

Crawling just ten meters through the crevice, the two patrols met each other. They seemed to sense something amiss and, after a brief exchange, one group stayed while the other headed in the opposite direction.

(It seems they won’t leave anytime soon. They must only be suspicious; otherwise, there would already be a massive search throughout the base. Even so, the base’s security status will likely be upgraded a level, making both surveillance and the search for people more difficult.)

The best quality of Xiao Buli was his self-control. Despite his unsatisfied curiosity, sensing potential dangers, he wisely chose to retreat swiftly.

"We must retreat," Xiao Buli turned around, speaking to Lu Xinying with a smile.

But Lu Xinying shook her head, "No, I won’t leave without finding Wu."

(Damn, this guy is really devoted.) Xiao Buli shrugged, "Then you can take your time looking, but I won’t keep you company."

Xiao Buli squeezed past Lu Xinying and continued through the duct, which thankfully was spacious enough to not get stuck.

The ventilation duct’s walls were smooth and dry, with enough height to crawl comfortably. Xiao Buli crawled until he reached a three-way junction and, without much thought, picked a direction and went down that path, ignoring Lu Xinying’s soft calls from behind.

Lu Xinying didn’t dare call out loudly; her voice was as faint as a mouse’s. After calling out twice and seeing no response from Xiao Buli, she didn’t dare to keep shouting and hurriedly crawled after him.

After about ten minutes of crawling, taking every upward path they came across, a sliver of light suddenly appeared before them. Xiao Buli thought they finally reached an exit and wondered where they had ended up. Peeking through the slits of the louver, he saw a bustling construction site, with many workers and armed soldiers everywhere, wearing masks, resembling a scene from a Hollywood blockbuster.

In the center of the site stood a structure that seemed complete, resembling a colossal circular archway. Seeing it, Xiao Buli was struck with realization; could this be the legendary Space-Time Gate?

The site had a spacious concrete path, likely used for transporting building materials. Next to the path’s entrance, there were trucks parked, identical to those outside the industrial park. Xiao Buli’s spirits lifted, reasoning that this path must lead directly outside; otherwise, those large trucks couldn’t possibly drive down into the subterranean. If they followed this path, they might find a way out.

As he considered silently how to sneak out and escape via the pathway, Lu Xinying’s voice came from behind, "Please, help me find Wu before we go."

Xiao Buli turned to look, and there was Lu Xinying crawling up beside him, peering out together at the scene outside. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) and give it a monthly pass. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)