Players, Please Board the Train

”Sir, would you like the doors closed?” a train attendant inquired of the wheelchair-bound man, referring to the front door of carriage two and the rear door of carriage one.

”Close them,” the wheelchair man said indifferently.

After both doors slid shut, Xu Huo watched through the window as the players in carriage two, carrying their coffin-like case, prepared to leave. However, unable to open the rear door, they had no choice but to turn back and sit down again.

The wheelchair man, who had already turned his back to the rear door, took a sip of water, his expression calm as he invited Xu Huo and the others to take a seat.

This was clearly someone not to be trifled with. Even after the barrier disappeared, Vivi’s parents dared not act rashly, merely dragging their daughter to the side.

The two groups, who had nearly come to blows moments ago, now fell into a dead silence. The wheelchair man’s appearance had invisibly defused a potentially fatal clash that could have destroyed the train and killed everyone, an outcome both surprising and delightful.

Dr. Deng’s joy was written all over his face. He took the initiative to approach the wheelchair man. ”May I take a look at your legs?”

The wheelchair man turned to look at him and gestured in agreement.

Dr. Deng went over, lifted the man’s trouser leg, and immediately frowned. ”Your muscles have completely atrophied and necrotized.”

Xu Huo also glanced over. The wheelchair man’s legs could hardly be called human legs anymore. If not for the layer of desiccated skin and a few swollen, bulging blood vessels on the surface, they were essentially indistinguishable from bare bone.”For this condition to remain contained without affecting other parts of the body is truly remarkable,” Dr. Deng remarked with a sigh, then asked, ”Were you using potions or items to manage it?”

”Both,” the wheelchair man replied, touching his own knee. ”But the side effects are severe. The periods of bodily pain are getting longer and longer, and the treatments are almost ineffective now.”

Dr. Deng simply sat down opposite him, adjusting his glasses. ”For a case like yours, you’d likely need to go to an A-level wormhole point for any chance of a cure. I’ve heard that medical technology in some game partitions has reached heights where limb cloning is successfully possible. There’s still hope for a leg replacement.”

”I’ve already been,” the wheelchair man said. ”Unfortunately, the surgery wasn’t successful.”

Dr. Deng also showed a look of regret. ”This is a side effect of excessive potion use, isn’t it? Actually, as long as you don’t inject evolution agents too frequently, such fatal consequences generally don’t occur.”

Some players, in pursuit of a higher evolution rate, use large quantities of evolution agents in a short time. However, evolution agents require digestion time. While heavy dosing can boost the evolution rate, the effectiveness is diminished, and in later stages, the agents’ effects become increasingly negligible, all while carrying high risks.

Of course, many players die before reaching that point, so they never learn about the later consequences.

Xu Huo knew the evolution agents provided by the game were definitely problematic. Since flawed evolution agents could cause ordinary people to die or mutate into Mutants, even players with stronger physiques would inevitably face one of these two outcomes after a certain period. He hadn’t expected phenomena like muscle atrophy and limb necrosis.

However, compared to death or mutation, the wheelchair man’s condition was relatively better. Moreover, this man had even been to an A-level wormhole point, indicating considerable strength. He was likely a high-level player who had been in the game for a long time.

In response to Dr. Deng’s sympathy, the wheelchair man’s expression remained unchanged, his tone utterly placid. ”Hindsight is always perfect, but it’s worthless. However, I’ve heard there’s a super potion that can cure my legs.”

Dr. Deng, who usually had some sense of reading people, became stubborn within his area of expertise. ”To my knowledge, no such potion exists. To avoid the side effects of evolution agents, you need to be careful right from the beginning of the evolution process... But if even the technology at A-level wormhole points can’t help your condition, the only person who might be able to save you is probably that legendary figure in the potion world.”

Xu Huo quickly glanced at him. Now he finally understood why this guy kept getting kidnapped.

”Total idiot,” Vivi mouthed silently from the side, unable to make a sound.

”You’re talking about Dr. Wu,” the wheelchair man said, recognizing the name. ”Do you know his whereabouts?”

”How would I know?” Dr. Deng laughed awkwardly. ”It’s just that no one working in potion-related fields doesn’t revere Dr. Wu. He’s a legendary figure.”

The wheelchair man smiled slightly and extended a hand. ”My surname is Li. My friends are used to calling me Laurence.”

Laurence Li. Xu Huo had heard this name before. Back when the Phantom Sound Knights’ Dou Shengnan, along with several Holy Sword Society followers and other high-level players, had surrounded Painting Woman at the Pearl Hotel, this name had been mentioned.

He hadn’t originally connected this name with the player who invaded Harbor City. After all, there were too many players, and a name of uncertain authenticity held little weight. But now, facing this wheelchair-bound man named Laurence Li, who was also so powerful, it immediately made him think of the wheelchair player who had coincidentally held off the Phantom Sound Knights in Harbor City.

That was a high-level player capable of fighting the Phantom Sound Knights to a standstill single-handedly.

Reaching that level meant at least A-grade or above, possibly even S-grade!

Painting Woman had described the wheelchair player’s appearance to him, which differed from the man before him. But changing one’s appearance was too easy. And if the name Laurence Li was this famous, the likelihood of someone impersonating him was also low—the faces of Vivi and the others nearby immediately turned deathly pale upon hearing the name.

Dr. Deng, oblivious, smiled and shook Laurence Li’s hand. ”My name is Deng Xian. I used to work at a small subsidiary under Stellar Pharmaceuticals, but I don’t work there anymore.”

Laurence Li seemed sensitive to the words ”Stellar Pharmaceuticals,” his demeanor shifting subtly.

Dr. Deng didn’t notice and continued on his own, ”While Stellar Pharmaceuticals can’t compare to Dr. Wu, they’ve gathered top talent from wormhole points. You might as well try there. Your player grade must be quite high, right? If you’re willing to pay or trade a super item, they might have a way to restore your legs.”

Laurence Li smiled without speaking.

Dr. Deng, talking alone, grew increasingly awkward. Finally, unable to continue, he forcibly pulled Xu Huo over. ”This is my friend. He’s also a very formidable player.”

With the conversational baton passed, Dr. Deng sat down to the side, apparently done talking. Xu Huo simply obliged by changing tables but did not initiate conversation.

Laurence Li also seemed to have lost interest in talking. He folded his hands over his abdomen, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

Xu Huo felt some doubt and glanced discreetly at Dr. Deng. Then he heard Dr. Deng ask, ”Mr. Li, where was the last place you heard news of Dr. Wu?”

”A C-level dungeon,” Laurence Li replied. ”I was one step too late.”

This time, Dr. Deng’s regret was genuine. ”The last time I coincidentally learned of his whereabouts was at Platinum Eye, just a year ago. But it was already empty, the place long deserted. The ground where he lived had been turned over countless times.”

Laurence Li nodded. ”Platinum Eye is indeed worth a try for luck.”

”Sir,” a train attendant approached at that moment and said to him, ”The Head Chef invites you to dinner.”