62: Chapter 62: Suggesting Eye Washing 62: Chapter 62: Suggesting Eye Washing It had begun, it had begun.
The roaring sound echoed back to the first underground level, and Yang Yu couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore—everything was going as planned, and even simpler than imagined since they knew in advance where the Steel Dragon Wolves would swarm out and were well-prepared.
Initially, Yang Yu didn’t know what skills the black workers had and often missed a few Steel Dragon Wolves, causing many injuries.
He had no choice but to enter the fray himself to increase the margin for error.
As time went by and he spent some time getting to know the black workers, Yang Yu quickly trained the entire team to be as responsive as his own limbs.
The Steel Dragon Wolves hadn’t jumped around for long before they were lying on the ground.
However, the main reason it was so easy to win was that the research facility had only one exit for their secret weapon, allowing only two or three Steel Dragon Wolves out at a time.
Yang Yu had repeatedly confirmed this with He Meng before taking action.
When the other side shut the door and released the hounds, Yang Yu too feared being bitten.
In the end, Yang Yu had indeed anticipated correctly, turning a perfectly good little boss squad into an effortless tower defense game, trapping and slaughtering them right at their doorstep.
If there was any difficulty, it was the occasional appearance of Elite Monsters within the ranks of the Steel Dragon Wolves, which disrupted Yang Yu’s defensive rhythm.
Left with no choice, Yang Yu had to focus fire to quickly take them down before gradually restoring the defense.
The Steel Dragon Wolves were like unfeeling machines—despite so many of their comrades falling, they still rushed forward without hesitation, allowing Yang Yu to completely eliminate all the incoming waves.
Afterward, as naturally as if following a script, Yang Yu distributed the pills in his hand as rewards to all the black workers present.
As a player, these pills—which could lift abnormal statuses—would typically fill up 99 slots in one’s inventory; giving away so many didn’t make Yang Yu feel the slightest pinch…
Of course, that was impossible, considering each pill cost 500 and nearly forty of them amounted to almost 20,000—Yang Yu wasn’t financially well-off enough to waste money frivolously.
After all, by the late stage of the game, Gold Coins would overflow anyway.
Thinking thus, Yang Yu reconciled himself and refocused on the bigger picture.
After the black workers received the pills, without any suspicion and having witnessed Yang Yu’s excellent leadership, they believed he truly represented Lady Asuna and swallowed the pills with gratitude.
After a while, the voices of anger and regret surged among the black workers.
Having the Charm lifted, the black workers quickly realized they had been brainwashed into painstakingly risking their lives for that woman, all for nothing.
Some, short-circuiting in their brains, even mistook Yang Yu as Asuna’s lackey and wanted to confront him for clarity.
Really, can you not see who’s being good to you?
I organized your battle, prevented your sudden deaths, and even helped you break free from the Charm.
Think about it—although I had those hounds released, without me, you would inevitably have fought them someday, suffering numerous casualties.
“Really, you must be blinded by that awful woman.
You should wash your eyes with water.”
Just as Yang Yu was about to launch into a lengthy speech, a middle-aged man with a scarred face stepped forward and backhanded the confused man with a slap.
“Use your brain for a moment!
If he really were one of Asuna’s people, would he go to such lengths to save us?
Couldn’t you see that we were not in a drill just now, but were truly hovering between life and death?”
The man with the scarred face was called Drue, and he expressed his gratitude on behalf of all the black workers to Yang Yu.
Without Yang Yu, they would probably have been enslaved to that despicable woman for life.
Yang Yu responded with friendly reassurances, dismissing any need for thanks.
The two chatted for a while, and Yang Yu learned that nearly half of the black workers here were under Drue’s command, and they were among the first groups of black workers to enter this place.
Initially, Drue’s men guarded the first underground level, but due to frequent accidents and attacks by Steel Dragon Wolves, Drue’s team was diluted to half its original size.
Until just moments ago, he thought it natural to sacrifice their lives for Asuna, and considered the death of his comrades honorable.
As he spoke, Drue clenched his teeth and swore to himself to exact revenge.
“Lord Yang Yu, why are you here then, and why did you save us?
Surely, you didn’t come specifically to rescue us?”
Yang Yu was candid and didn’t hide the truth, “Actually, this research institute is involved in some shady activities behind the scenes.
I was sent here to investigate.
Seeing your plight, I just took the opportunity to rescue you.”
“We also engage in unsavory deeds, but only because we’re forced by circumstances, not research institute, which devours people.
If I could, I too would prefer to be a good person.”
“Surviving now, there will be opportunities later.
The important thing now is how to escape.
Perhaps you feel safe here, but I can tell you plainly, this place is not safe at all.
This research institute is also a device that constantly applies Charming Magic; even standing still, you can be re-charmed to work for Asuna for nothing.”
“What should we do then?”
Hearing this, Drue was at a loss.
He had already decided to lead his brothers in a breakout to avenge their fallen brothers.
If, amidst the fight, they got re-charmed into serving others, that was a scenario he couldn’t accept.
Since arriving at this research institute, his memory consisted only of endless battles and waiting, unable to think of any solution, he could only hope Yang Yu knew something.
“The entire institute likely serves as a tool for charming,” Yang Yu hadn’t dismissed this possibility, but countering such an institute was daunting.
After careful consideration, Yang Yu solemnly said:
“The solution is simple, see those lights over our heads?
The source of the charming is this lighting system.
Destroying it will greatly reduce the likelihood of being charmed.
Additionally, those who are not black workers surely possess some kind of tool that exempts them from the charm of the lights.
Your task is to destroy the lighting and then find those charm-exempt tools from those people.
That way, you won’t need to fear encountering Asuna.”
As long as the entire institute was plunged into darkness, even if the black workers were charmed midway and turned against him, Yang Yu could still utilize the darkness they created to escape.
As for the charm-exempt tool Yang Yu mentioned, it wasn’t baseless speculation.
On one hand, the administrator who led him in looked dreadful but hadn’t been charmed, and on the other, Yang Yu had also found a small card of unknown use in Slarate’s pocket, which might grant exemption.
In this dire moment, providing guidance, Drue was immensely grateful to Yang Yu, immediately ordered the destruction of the first underground level’s lighting system, inadvertently also destroying a detection device.
They improvised torches from available materials to illuminate the dark first level.