In the hall.
After those who failed the adaptation chose their ghost sequence cornerstone.
The record keeper closed his notebook: "Next, we'll wait for Number 35 to return. He will take you to consume the formula."
Number 35.
This was how the record keeper referred to the Man in Black.
No name.
Only a codename.
The record keeper also took the opportunity to introduce himself: "I don't know how many of you will survive later, but if you do, we will have plenty of time to interact, because Number 35 and I will teach you some things about the Ghost Sequence. You can call me Number 47."
Saying that, he glanced at Jiang Jiuguo.
"As for Jiang Jiuguo, you adapted to a new ghost sequence cornerstone we recently acquired. The formula materials will take some time for us to prepare. I think you understand that those materials are not easy to obtain."
"How long will it take?" Jiang Jiuguo asked proactively.
Waiting for the formula materials to be prepared seemed fortunate, as it meant not having to worry about life safety for a period of time.
But it was also unfortunate.
One had to endure the torment of waiting, counting down the days until they had to take the formula, just like someone who knows they don't have long to live and counts the days until their death.
Compared to temporary safety.
Jiang Jiuguo preferred to take the formula directly.
"It might take 3-4 days, not too long. We have channels to acquire the materials." Number 47 saw through Jiang Jiuguo's thoughts: "If you don't want to wait, as this kind of waiting is quite agonizing, you can choose one of the three ghost sequence cornerstones like them. We have many of those formulas prepared."
"No need."
Jiang Jiuguo refused Number 47's kind offer.
"I'll just wait."
Compared to others, the first three ghost sequence cornerstones were less dangerous than the fourth. However, he was an exception; he successfully adapted to the fourth ghost sequence keystone, which was clearly more suitable for him. Theoretically, the success rate for consuming the fourth was the highest.
He didn't want to wait.
He didn't want to die early.
"Alright." Number 47 was not surprised by Jiang Jiuguo's decision and instructed a companion beside him: "Take Jiang Jiuguo back to the Numbered Room."
...White corridor.
The door to 'Numbered Room 15' opened.
"Hey, I'm back." Jiang Jiuguo walked in, saw Zhou Fengchun at a glance, grinned, and raised his hand to greet him.
Zhou Fengchun was still huddled in the corner.
At first, his expression didn't change much, but then he noticed Jiang Jiuguo's rosy and glowing complexion.
"How come you don't look uncomfortable at all?" Zhou Fengchun was startled.
According to the usual process, the 'roommate' returning at this time should have completed the adaptation and consumed the formula, and should be showing signs of discomfort.
Those materials were bizarre and abnormal.
Just seeing the materials would make one nauseous, let alone having to consume them, which was no different from eating shit.
One might ask.
Who wouldn't feel uncomfortable eating shit? At the very least, they should feel nauseous.
"Could it be that you usually like to eat luosifen or stinky tofu?" Zhou Fengchun seemed to think of something, and his face became strange: "No, that's not right. It's much stronger than luosifen or stinky tofu. You couldn't possibly be eating shit for the first time, could you? The formula should taste no different from shit."
Jiang Jiuguo, who had just entered the room, stumbled at the sound.
He almost fell.
Fearing that Zhou Fengchun would continue to overthink, he immediately explained about adapting to the fourth ghost sequence keystone.
Not long after.
Zhou Fengchun learned the whole story and immediately felt sympathy.
"According to what you said, with the adaptation difficulty of the fourth ghost sequence keystone, the danger must be very high. You're going to suffer a lot."
"Why?" Jiang Jiuguo asked, puzzled: "Why do you say that?"
Zhou Fengchun heard him and was about to explain.
But he only managed to utter a few words.
"Because after consuming the ghost sequence formula, the danger isn't immediate; it requires a process, and..."
His voice stopped abruptly.
Zhou Fengchun, who was curled up in the corner, fell to the ground in pain, his body shrinking even tighter, as if he wanted to curl into a ball. His veins bulged, his hollow eyes now protruded and were bloodshot, and his teeth gnashed loudly.
In just a few seconds.
"Ah—Ah!!"
Sweat visibly beaded on his forehead, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, and he continuously let out painful groans.
This was an instinctive bodily reaction.
It wasn't that he wanted to make a sound.
It was the body's self-preservation instinct; when enduring unbearable pain, the body needs to vent, instinctively emitting painful sounds from the throat.
"Hey, Zhou Fengchun, are you alright?" Jiang Jiuguo got up.
He wanted to go forward.
The next second, his steps stopped.
Zhou Fengchun's current appearance was not something that could be explained away as appendicitis or stomach pain.
It was clear that his body was enduring some unimaginable pain. His body was curled up so tightly that his bones were forcibly squeezed, making creaking sounds. With each painful groan, his body flickered like a constantly switching light, appearing and disappearing.
One moment he vanished from Jiang Jiuguo's sight.
The next he reappeared.
The process was incredibly brief, disappearing and reappearing several times in a single second.
Facing this special situation, Jiang Jiuguo couldn't easily approach. He didn't know if going forward to check would affect Zhou Fengchun, or if it would affect him, and he certainly didn't know how to alleviate Zhou Fengchun's pain.
"Oh, right, the red button."
Jiang Jiuguo turned to look at the red button on the wall next to the door.
Zhou Fengchun had mentioned it to him before he went for the adaptation, saying that if there was any dangerous situation, he could press the red button.
The button was pressed.
The door opened not long after.
The Man in Black strode into the room, his gaze fixed on Zhou Fengchun in the corner.
Zhou Fengchun's clothes were soaked with sweat, and he was in such agony that he could no longer control his body. Saliva flowed from between his teeth, and his bulging veins made it seem as though he was about to suffocate and die at any moment.
"Oh, has the transformation reached a critical stage?" The Man in Black narrowed his eyes.
Immediately.
He pulled Jiang Jiuguo out of the room, slammed the door shut, leaving Zhou Fengchun alone inside.
"That's it? Aren't you going to do anything else?" Jiang Jiuguo frowned slightly.
"I've done what I needed to do." Number 35 said calmly, as always, glancing at Jiang Jiuguo.
His meaning was self-evident.
Taking Jiang Jiuguo out of the room and leaving Zhou Fengchun inside was all he could do.
Jiang Jiuguo said nothing.
He watched Zhou Fengchun inside the room through the window. The other person was still enduring pain, his skin changing while his veins bulged.
His skin looked mottled with blue and purple.
This bluish-purple wasn't bruising from being hit.
It was more like—
The color of cadaveric stains that appear on a person's body several days after death.
This scene was horrifying.
Zhou Fengchun was clearly still alive, still groaning and trembling in pain, yet cadaveric stains, only found on the dead, appeared on his body, even emitting a putrid stench.
The smell drifted out of the room.
Jiang Jiuguo, standing outside the room, smelled it and couldn't help but frown a bit: "This smell is... the stench of a corpse?"
First, cadaveric stains, only found on the dead.
Now, the stench of a corpse appeared.
All characteristics of the dead, yet present on a living person.
"Ah————"
Listening to Zhou Fengchun's painful groans from inside the room, Jiang Jiuguo didn't avert his gaze and asked: "Number 35, is Zhou Fengchun like this because he consumed the ghost sequence formula?"
"Yes."
He received Number 35's reply.
"Is consuming the ghost sequence formula always this painful?" Jiang Jiuguo recalled Zhou Fengchun's unfinished words to him earlier, vaguely understanding the meaning of his sympathetic gaze: "Is it true that the harder a ghost sequence cornerstone is to adapt to, the greater the pain endured during the transformation process?"
"Yes," Number 35 said.
"It seems my successful adaptation is not something to be celebrated after all." Jiang Jiuguo said after a moment of silence.
He didn't know what kind of pain Zhou Fengchun was currently experiencing, but he could be sure of one thing: when he consumed the ghost sequence formula, he would have to endure even greater pain than Zhou Fengchun...