Chapter 70: Test
Marcus quietly watched TV for a while. The programs were all about Tomie and crazed men; any clip could be a full horror movie released in theaters.
He checked the Life Box space. A foot-thick layer of protruding substance had grown on the wax, but he couldn't tell what it was yet.
He glanced at the surveillance footage; the three guards were still with the Venus flytrap, unchanged.
Marcus estimated that in another three hours, he would be able to figure out what was in the deeper space.
He planned to observe from the monitoring room to see if the Venus flytrap would possess the guards, and also take a break.
After a long journey and battle, he hadn't had a chance to rest for a long time. His body didn't feel tired, but his mind had its limits; he needed to maintain peak condition to deal with any unexpected situations.
Marcus's goal this time was to complete the basic survival mission within the time limit.
Once he determined what was in the deeper space of the Life Box, he would cultivate Tomie and seize the opportunity to become stronger.
Under Marcus's continued observation, three hours quickly passed.
He finally figured out what was in the deeper space of the Life Box.
The bottom of the wax was pierced by fleshy, tentacle-like roots, and above it was a fleshy main stem as thick as an arm, from which the first branch sprouted two feet high.
This form was clearly that of a plant, a plant formed of flesh and blood!
It seemed Ray had succeeded.
But Marcus only felt a slight satisfaction, no longer the overjoyed expression he had when he first gained supernatural abilities.
Perhaps this was growth; he was mentally prepared for both success and failure.
Marcus carefully examined the fleshy Venus flytrap in his Life Box space. He no longer felt the strong allure of this version of the Venus flytrap.
It seemed that, given the plant's nature, the substance growing from the wax no longer followed Tomie's consciousness, becoming Tomie's classic bangs and beauty mark appearance.
Marcus tried controlling a knife within the Life Box, cutting a section of root. After half an hour of observation, the root continued to grow into a new individual.
Very good; the strong allure was gone, but the ability to divide and regenerate remained.
An ordinary person seeing this Venus flytrap might simply remark on its unusual appearance, clearly a unique specimen.
However, it wouldn't possess the intense allure and captivating charm of Tomie's beautiful image.
Marcus considered experimenting on the researchers, but feared the fleshy Venus flytrap might be infected by Tomie, or even that the infection could spread to the deeper layers of the Life Box, making it a losing proposition. He abandoned the idea.
He used his absorption ability to try and absorb the roots that had already grown after being cut.
A restorative force, accompanied by a barely perceptible amount of energy, flowed into Marcus's body.
This restorative power was more effective than ordinary blood.
The energy absorbed was nowhere near as much as that of the real Tomie's body, probably less than one percent.
However, its advantage lay in its longevity and sustainable development. Over time, it would accumulate into a considerable amount of energy.
With the main issue of sustaining his recovery ability resolved, coupled with the sustainable energy, this story world had met Marcus's expectations.
The next step was to test whether this Venus flytrap could be taken away.
Marcus arrived outside the isolation room, exchanged passwords with the three guards inside, and confirmed that they were all alright.
He then opened the isolation door, controlled the robotic arm to enter, lifted the Venus flytrap, and slowly removed it from the isolation room before closing the door again.
The instant the Venus flytrap left the isolation chamber, Marcus darted around the corner, flashing past it in a split second, attempting to capture it using his Crossroads Personal Space.
As he disappeared, the Venus flytrap vanished from its spot and reappeared within his personal space.
Marcus felt a sense of relief; living beings couldn't be placed in his personal space, and if Ray still possessed consciousness, she certainly couldn't be captured.
With his speed, he'd flashed past in less than a second, and Ray wouldn't be able to possess him.
Marcus then went to the laboratory and continued using his absorption ability, absorbing the barely recovered remains of Tomie, and specifically leaving behind a drop of Tomie's blood.
Having prepared everything, Marcus decided to test by communicating with the Crossroads Mark:
"Return."
[Choose to return early?]
Portable items:
World: Tomie (20,000,000 Survival Points)
Anomalous: Unlimited Venus Flytrap (6,000 Survival Points), Soul-Bearing Venus Flytrap (1,000 Survival Points)
Common Items: 5x Bioweapon Virus (2,500 Survival Points), 2x Tactical Suit (30 Survival Points), Lab Coat (2 Survival Points), Wooden Board (1 Survival Point)
"No!"
Marcus chose no. Without danger, he wanted to complete the basic survival mission to see if there were any differences between teleporting away and leaving early.
However, the information from the Crossroads made him speculate.
First, the world's exchange price was one-third lower than the "Hellraiser" world, meaning the Tomie world's level was likely lower than the Hellraiser world's.
Second, regarding the portable items, the Unlimited Venus Flytrap likely referred to the fleshy Venus flytrap in the Life Box.
And the Soul-Bearing Venus Flytrap likely referred to the Venus flytrap possessed by Ray.
Marcus was surprised that the Venus flytrap possessed by Ray could be considered an anomalous item; it was a pleasant surprise. He just didn't know what its purpose was.
Regarding the exchange price of the unlimited Venus flytrap, Marcus felt it was still within acceptable limits. After all, in a world without methods to obliterate consciousness and the physical body, this thing could threaten the entire world.
Even without Tomie's allure and seductive power, as long as it reproduced and multiplied infinitely and couldn't be completely destroyed, increasing exponentially, it would eventually cover the entire world.
If a planet were teeming with such things and continued to grow indefinitely, it could potentially alter the planet's environment and trajectory; for ordinary people, it would be a world-ending event.
Surprisingly, the bioweapon virus didn't fall under the anomalous category.
Marcus tentatively took out four vials, keeping only one. The price indeed decreased by 2000 survival points. One of these things could be continuously produced, so there was no need to spend precious survival points to carry so many.
Marcus considered the information he had been given earlier.
It seems that as long as the story mission is completed, this early return test can also determine the strength of a world and the strength of some anomalous items.
It's unclear whether this is a loophole in the Crossroads or a default reward for those who complete the story.
After analyzing the useful information, Marcus surveyed the chaotic environment of the laboratory caused by Tomie.
The only remaining value of this research facility now is to cultivate Tomie's remains for Marcus.
He decided to cultivate and strengthen himself within the facility during the final survival mission.
It's too dangerous outside right now; one wrong step and he could be caught in Tomie's outbreak. If he were unknowingly bewitched, he might not even be able to return immediately.
(End of Chapter)
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