Chapter Five: The Vermilion Mirror and the Monocle

Inside the interrogation room.

Dr. Ryan struggled to maintain his composure as waves of intense pain crashed through his mind. He summoned his strength to study the man before him. The man’s upper body was slightly bulky, his face concealed by a black cloth. His company-issued uniform was genuine, though his pants were ill-fitting.

Ryan looked up, breathing heavily, and said, “You killed Honey. He was in charge of the hunting game. The company won’t let you off the hook. If you came for supernatural powers, I’m sorry, but I won’t speak even if I die. However, I can hand over the supernatural item to exchange for my life.”

Jiang He did not move closer but instead raised his pistol.

Minutes later, Dr. Ryan discreetly used a fine needle hidden in his palm to unlock his handcuffs. Suddenly, the entire interrogation room was bathed in red light. Both men flinched, as the handcuffs appeared ordinary and showed no signs of advanced technology.

Jiang He released the safety catch, methodically applying psychological pressure.

Ryan gestured vaguely, hurriedly saying, “Hey, friend, no need to be tense. Honey wanted all the supernatural powers to himself. There’s no one else here, and he dismantled the sound alarm ahead of time. Damn it, he was sure I had a way to escape.”

Ryan’s face darkened. He produced two small healing potions and drank them. The liquid was bright red, and his external wounds visibly improved, but to regenerate lost organs, larger healing potions were necessary—none of which were available for sale now.

“Look, any external injury can be healed with just a couple of these potions. This is what all supernatural beings dream of. I only have...”

“Your status panel access is immediately granted.”

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Ryan growled, “Damn it, you’re a damn player.”

Jiang He expressionlessly browsed the status panel. The man was level 6, with physical strength, agility, and endurance comparable to a normal person, but his mental attribute scored an impressive 12 points. He had Shooting Level 3, Biology Proficiency Level 1, Vehicle Driving Level 1, and Wilderness Reconnaissance Level 1.

Additionally, he possessed two active skills: a rare-quality Virus Cultivation and a common-quality Limb Surgery. His inventory was unknown. His current mission: Escape from the isolated island.

Jiang He knew the mental attribute had wide-reaching effects, especially crucial for summoner-type players. Controlling beasts, insects, or zombies required reaching certain thresholds. With such a high mental stat, the man could likely command a hundred or two of the undead.

“Since we’re both players, don’t try to fool me with small healing potions. For a rare-quality item, if you try to bargain, I’ll pull the trigger.”

Ryan hesitated, then produced a palm-sized mirror edged with dozens of cinnabar pellets. He looked reluctant and said, “There’s only one port on this island. If you want to escape, you’ll have to go against the company. We’re natural allies. This isI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.