Chapter 221

On the fifth floor of the Labyrinth, beneath the gray dome, lay an endless wasteland, the turbid air exuding a slightly decaying scent.

That was the smell of spores.

Like an unyielding thick fog, they occupied a large expanse of land on the vast wasteland.

And right on that land shrouded in thick fog, thick roots rose and fell slowly like wriggling pythons.

Beside those roots, strange "fruits" grew as robustly as mushrooms sprouting from tree roots.

Those were no ordinary mushrooms.

They possessed pale skin and hollow eyes, standing silently; they resembled humans, yet also like empty shells without souls placed in a wax museum.

"Welcome to visit my masterpiece, respected Great Demon King. According to your requirements, through the 'grafted' buds, these soulless shells were created on my roots."

Standing beside Luo Yan, "Helen" spoke in a hoarse and slow voice, uttering words that did not belong to her.

A serene smile graced that face with soft lines, and dark green ghostly light flickered in her pupils; those stiff movements and voice were identical to when her father was possessed by Gray Wind.

Admiring the masterpiece belonging to Gray Wind before him, a look of appreciation appeared on Luo Yan's face.

"You have done well; this is exactly what I need."

These artificial humans were created entirely according to the characteristics of the Kao people.

They possessed powerful adaptability and could grow in extreme environments, much like tenacious fungi.

Not only that, the most critical point was that unlike the Kao people, they lacked self-awareness, yet possessed a nervous system not inferior to the Kao people, making them perfect "containers" to house the players' soul mirrors.

This not only solved the players' consumption of "containers" but also avoided ethical disputes.

There was no more ideal tool than this!

"I am very happy to satisfy you," "Helen," with her eyes flickering with green light, smiled and nodded, casting her gaze toward the soulless artificial human bodies before her, and continued in a slow pace. "It is also thanks to your help that in this incredible work, I have not only witnessed life forms I had never seen before but also understood myself more deeply."

Standing beside her sister Helen, Xue Li walked up curiously and reached out to poke the face of one of the artificial humans.

The strange texture felt like pine mushrooms that had been rained on, damp and slightly slippery, with a meaty resilience that followed the movement of her index finger.

Being kneaded, the artificial human showed no reaction and made no sound.

"So strange... are these guys really human? They don't react at all." Withdrawing her hand, Xue Li circled the artificial human several times, stroking her chin in wonder.

And just as she was curiously commenting, A Sacred Sacred Lake Duo couldn't help but open its mouth and take a bite, biting off half the body of one artificial human and swallowing it whole.

The remaining half of the artificial human looked like a snapped cucumber, revealing the gelatinous fungal flesh inside.

Not long after, it began to wither and was then absorbed by the rising and falling roots beside it.

"The taste is not bad." A Sacred Sacred Lake Duo muttered while chewing, and after a short while, it let out a satisfied burp.

Standing to the side, "Helen" watched it with a serene smile, speaking in a slow and gentle voice.

"I do not suggest you treat my children as food. The energy I consumed to synthesize them is far greater than what you absorbed from them. If you are hungry, I can treat you to other fruit flesh... that would be much easier to digest than them."

Luo Yan glanced at A Sacred Sacred Lake Duo, and the latter immediately closed its mouth, not daring to be greedy anymore.

Gray Wind was actually right.

The nutrition required to produce one artificial human needed the "nutritional surplus" of several to over a dozen acres of forest working for months. It is no exaggeration to say that this guy had just eaten a ginseng fruit in one bite.

Cheapness is only relative.

As food, this kind of artificial human is not cheap at all, nor is it easy to digest, but compared to the resources spent raising a baby to adulthood, it is far more cost-effective.

Looking at the curiously blinking Xue Li, Luo Yan answered her previous question.

"Of course they are not human; they cannot even be considered animals, and they have no souls."

Xue Li tilted her head, puzzled.

"Then what is the use? They can't talk, they can't move, and they can't do any work."

"How could they be useless?" A smile curled the corners of Luo Yan's mouth, and he said kindly, "On the contrary, this is just right for me."

"Helen" stood with a smile, watching the respected Great Demon King quietly, waiting for his next move.

As if responding to the expectations of Gray Wind and Xue Li, Luo Yan stepped forward and extended his right hand.

At the same time, he muttered in his heart.

"You You, are those test players ready?"

The ethereal entity floated beside him like a shadow, and what drifted into his ears was an enthusiastic answer.

"They are ready, Great Demon King!"

"Then let them log in."

"Received!"

As You You's words fell, over a dozen soul mirrors were released from Luo Yan's fingertips and infused into those soulless shells.

These soul mirrors had been prepared in advance.

As early as several days ago, the official website of "Catastrophe OL" had opened a channel for booking tests for the new race, and as expected, it received enthusiastic registration from tens of thousands of people.

Regarding the new race tested in "Catastrophe OL," both players and cloud players were full of anticipation. After all, before this, the roles that could be played in "Catastrophe OL" were either undead or demons, or things like elemental golems; there were no humans.

If they could look a bit more like humans, maybe they could sneak into NPC towns to find some fun!

Given the world background currently displayed by "Catastrophe OL," the players' activity radius and explorable content would grow exponentially!

Such an exciting test—let alone those cloud players still waiting to be fed, even some players who had already obtained closed beta qualifications were jealous!

It was precisely because of this that after receiving the pop-up private message that the test was about to begin, almost all the lucky ones who got activation codes put on their VR glasses and sat obediently in their chairs, waiting.

Many even watched the cutscenes over and over again, just to get more details about the game before entering.

As each soul mirror completely merged with these soulless containers, almost at the same time, a scene occurred that surprised all the demons present!

Ten or more artificial humans suddenly opened their eyes, as if they had come to life!

Xue Li, standing to the side, was startled and let out an exclamation.

"They moved!"

And they didn't just move!

Strange gibberish came out of their mouths, speaking a language the demons present couldn't understand.

It was fortunate that Xue Li, standing nearby, couldn't understand it, otherwise she would have definitely swung her little pudding-sized fists to beat these rude fellows black and blue.

Of course—

This might also make some guys with brain problems feel good; after all, "Catastrophe OL" has all kinds of players.

"Holy crap! Elves!"

"Hah-tzu, hah-tzu... hee hee hee."

"Little sister, why are your ears pointy?"

"Woo woo woo, this light! This water! This ash! This is too damn realistic?!"

"Wake up, this is clearly inside the Labyrinth, where would there be light and water?"

Some people lay down to kiss the ground, some screamed excitedly, and others danced and gestured.

There were even some not-so-smart guys who reached out to Xue Li, only to have their leg control revoked, stumbling and falling to the ground, forced to eat a mouthful of mud.

Actually, even if Luo Yan turned a blind eye, that not-so-smart guy couldn't accomplish anything.

After all, these guys were all newbies who had just entered the game; their levels were still blank, and their speed and strength couldn't even compare to an old farmer of the Empire.

The base stats of artificial humans were a bit higher than skeleton soldiers, but only a bit.

"Yuck! This guy's look is so disgusting!" Xue Li looked at that not-so-smart guy with vigilance, flashing away to more than ten meters away.

Her face was full of disgust, yet she couldn't hide a trace of surprise; clearly, she hadn't expected these guys to be able to move, and to act just like real humans.

It wasn't just Xue Li who was surprised, but also Gray Wind.

Although its emotional expression wasn't obvious, Luo Yan could still feel the intense magical power fluctuations emanating from "Helen."

"Truly... incredible."

A soft exclamation came from "Helen's" mouth, her eyes flickering with dark green light watching the group of artificial humans who had come to life, as if watching a miracle descended by a god.

"I feel it... my children are becoming independent individuals; they are actively leaving my embrace. This kind of thing has never happened before!"

Luo Yan naturally knew what that was. These were his players logging in.

"I granted them souls." Looking at the artificial humans jumping around on the wasteland, Luo Yan said in a gentle tone.

Gray Wind, possessing Helen, cast a surprised look at him, a glimmer of light flickering in its dark green pupils, appearing as if it had suddenly realized something.

"It seems you are even more surprising than I imagined... manipulating souls, that is the realm of gods."

Pausing, it lowered its voice and asked tentatively.

"Have you awakened a godhood?"

The Demon God Bayeli was once a Demon King.

As a direct subordinate of a Demon God, the Demon King was in contact with faith power and faith crystals all day long; awakening a godhood was within reason.

Its voice contained both a trace of excitement and a trace of worry.

Luo Yan smiled without answering, neither nodding nor denying, simply casting his gaze toward his minions.

Read every line of content without error!

"That statement is not accurate."

"Based on my understanding of gods, I am more inclined to believe... this is the choice of the masses."

Just as Luo Yan and Gray Wind were communicating in low voices, these players who had logged into the game for the first time had already begun to explore the mysteries of the game world.

One player attempted to leave this "birthplace" to go to the mushroom forest in the distance to take a look.

However, that unlucky guy didn't get far before he encountered a magic wolf wandering on the fifth floor of the Labyrinth, had his head bitten off with an "ow," and was sent back to the Quality Plaza at the Labyrinth entrance to "reincarnate."

Because they were newbies, their contribution value was 0, so this unlucky guy could only be reborn as a skeleton soldier. The chance to test the new race, which he had gone to great lengths to get for free, was wasted just like that.

Seeing the miserable state of this unlucky ghost, the other players became much more honest, restraining their hands that were trying to provoke the Demon King or the Demon King's mount, A Sacred Sacred Lake Duo.

"Catastrophe OL" did not have a true novice protection mechanism; safety and danger required players to judge for themselves based on their own intelligence.

Although this was their first time in the game, they had been influenced by the official website of "Catastrophe OL" for a long time, so they knew a thing or two about the hardcore nature of this game.

The distant areas were too dangerous, and the nearby NPCs were even harder to mess with; these newbies didn't dare to continue courting death and could only play with themselves.

"Woo woo woo, it's so great to be a human! Those skeletons and zombies are too ugly! Looking at the pictures, only the little demons fit my aesthetic a bit."

"It's fine, anyway, when you die and revive, you'll be a skeleton."

"That brother just now has already revived in the Quality Plaza. I saw him post on the forum, saying that you have to die to unlock the real gameplay, let's hurry up and go die."

"Really or fake?!"

"You'll know once you go die."

"I almost believed it!"

"Holy crap, why are your models so ugly?"

"You have the nerve to say that to me! You're the same!"

"Exactly! Go look in a mirror!"

"Open a plastic surgery hospital, it would definitely be a hit!"

"Or wear a skin suit! I heard the NPC merchants in the Necropolis sell those magic masks that can change your face shape!"

"How do I level up? Are there no novice items? At least give me a sword!"

The new version gave birth to new industries; it is foreseeable that with the arrival of the new version, the economy of the Necropolis will usher in a new round of growth!

Of course.

Compared to the current economic volume of the Necropolis, this bit of growth is probably already negligible.

Luo Yan watched them quietly, waiting for them to vent their exuberant energy before starting the next plot.

After all, if he didn't do this, they wouldn't listen to him while they were still making a ruckus.

He had learned this lesson long ago.

And not just him; the acolytes who helped him bring newbies into the game had also learned this lesson long ago and had written these experiences in the "Employee Handbook."

And just as the players were studying each other's bodies, Xue Li, hiding beside Luo Yan, was also curiously observing the various confusing behaviors of these artificial humans in secret.

Including but not limited to squatting on the ground to dig soil, exploring their own crotches, and then suddenly starting to cheer inexplicably and then suddenly becoming depressed.

After examining them carefully for a long time, Xue Li suddenly looked at the Demon King curiously and asked.

"What do they usually eat?"

Luo Yan didn't answer, but looked at "Helen" to the side.

Gray Wind, possessing Helen, smiled slightly and continued in a gentle tone.

"They are like fungi; they can eat anything that fungi can decompose, it's just that some things digest faster, while others take longer to decompose."

Simply put, they can eat most organic matter, just like those undead in the Necropolis, belonging to "scavengers," and their menu is even broader than the undead.

After all, things like zombies and ghouls can't eat wood, yet these artificial humans can even eat wood.

What kind of top-tier workhorse is this!

It's simply perfect!

"If only their growth rate could be a little faster."

Hearing the Great Demon King's sigh, "Helen" nodded slightly and continued.

"These are just the initial test subjects. If you need me to improve them, I will further refine the bodies of these artificial humans. Of course, if the cultivation time is shortened, it might lead to a weakening of their physical functions... The results you see now are the compromise I made between the cultivation cycle and physical functions."

Luo Yan said immediately upon hearing this.

"In that case, let's just produce them according to this template for now. I hope you can shorten their cultivation cycle as much as possible while maintaining their various attributes, but if it doesn't work, don't force it."

Speaking of this, he paused for a moment and continued.

"Additionally, their lifespan doesn't need to be designed too long; ten or twenty years is enough. Anyway, they won't live that long. As long as they can play the greatest role within this ten to twenty-year life cycle, that is enough."

Xue Li, hearing this, looked at the Great Demon King in surprise, her bright eyes shining slightly, like agate in the forest.

As expected of the Great Demon King!

This is too hellish, isn't it!?

As for A Sacred Sacred Lake Duo, it didn't have much of a reaction; after all, the earth-wood spiders in the Shadow Weaving Nest were cultivated according to this "design philosophy."

Those "glib-tongued" little spiders usually only had a lifespan of two to three years, and often burned out in less than six months.

It even felt that the lifespan of these artificial humans was too long.

With the frequency at which the "players" courted death, it wouldn't take that long at all for their souls to return to the Great Demon King's embrace.

Gray Wind, possessing Helen, nodded slightly, remembering the Great Demon King's instructions.

"As you command."

As the newly joined newbies finally finished exploring the pitiful content around them, they actively cast their expectant gazes toward the Demon King not far away.

Luo Yan, as the Demon King, finally stopped just standing quietly, but fulfilled the Demon King's obligations, personally taking the field after a long time to perform the cutscenes for the players.

In addition to emphasizing loyalty to the Demon King and loyalty to the Necropolis, he also prepared a unique "novice task" for these newbies.

"In a while, my minion 'Bond' will take you to Mist Town on the fourth floor of the Labyrinth. You will report to the Adventurer's Guild in Mist Town, register as an adventurer there, and then go to nearby or surface taverns to scout for teammates and form parties with other adventurers."

"During the period of playing the adventurer profession, I permit you to attack other players in neutral areas, but attacking neutral and friendly NPCs is prohibited."

"I will engrave more detailed rules into your souls. When you open the 'Player System' to the task interface, you can check whether this rule is activated. Remember, do not harbor any luck; your god will always be watching you! Or, you are already prepared to pay the price for your actions..."

To facilitate their integration into human society, Luo Yan distributed unique novice equipment to these newbies for free—human skin masks.

They were, of course, not made of real human skin, but as long as you wore them, you could have a human face. As long as you didn't take off all your clothes, you basically wouldn't be exposed.

And the most critical point was that these artificial humans were not afraid of Holy Light like ghouls, and could even be nourished by Holy Light just like humans.

After explaining these matters, Luo Yan clapped his hands lightly, signaling Bond, who was carrying a greatsword, to step forward, and handed the task of escorting the newbies to him.

"Go and explore this world—"

"My minions!"

(End of chapter)