Unholy Player Chapter 511 A Familiar Aura

"Continue the evaluation. Begin the specimen collection," commanded the lead scientist, Dr. Mara, as she directed the staff around her.

The research team paused for a second, gazing at Rhys's form resting on the freezing table. They were uncertain if he could survive the standard tests they were about to initiate.

Currently, his priority was to avoid being treated like a lab rat. He required genuine medical attention.

Fortunately, Dr. Mara shared this concern. "Are Ms. Clara and Ms. Nora available?" she inquired.

Those names referred to two Players whose builds were centered on support and healing.

The physical form before them was beyond the repair of their sophisticated technology; consequently, they required Spark skills to sustain his life.

The difficulty, however, was that Players remained constantly occupied outside the city limits. They typically spent their leisure time training or hunting for fresh Sparks, making it uncertain if they would dedicate time to assist a single individual.

One assistant quickly checked the data tablet in his grip, his face tightening with stress as he reviewed the information. "Regrettably, it appears they departed the city several hours ago," he replied instantly.

Dr. Mara’s expression hardened into a scowl.

Even though she held significant status among Humans, she lacked the standing or power to recall two of Humanity’s vital assets from their mission, even with a high-ranking army commander like Rhys facing a crisis.

Suddenly, a specific name occurred to Mara—one of the few individuals capable of commanding Players. "Contact Sir Bates. Inform him of the circumstances," she commanded, praying he could find a solution for this critical emergency.

In the meantime, she observed the other researchers in their white coats as they connected Rhys to various apparatuses using cables. The monitors emitted a rhythmic beeping that resonated throughout the chamber.

They also gathered tissue from his peeling, inflamed skin, his blood which was starting to turn murky, and his visible bones that appeared corroded. All of this served as vital data for their research into mutation serums.

She monitored every step with undivided focus until the assistant beside her spoke with a somber tone.

"Dr. Mara, we have received a response. Sir Bates stated that it is impossible to recall them from their expeditionary mission at this time."

At those words, Mara’s face fell and her scowl deepened. "Did you emphasize that this is a race against time? That Commander Rhys’s life is on the line?"

The assistant gave a heavy nod. "I did. He refused regardless."

Her eyebrows knit closer together as she whispered, "I was under the impression that he and Mr. Rhys were close companions?"

Henry’s refusal to exercise his power to save his friend led her to two conclusions: either the Players were on a truly irrevocable mission, or Henry was simply turning a blind eye.

However, it wouldn't take long for her to realize that both theories were incorrect.

As the assistant waited with his tablet, a notification suddenly illuminated the screen. Upon reading it, a look of shock crossed his features.

"What is it?" Dr. Mara asked, her curiosity piqued by his reaction.

"It is Sir Bates. He claims someone is currently en route to investigate."

"Who?" Just as Dr. Mara spoke, the device on her wrist began to vibrate. An incoming call flashed with a red alert, indicating an emergency signal.

Unsure of what could be more pressing than the current crisis, she tapped the screen, and a voice projected from the wrist device.

"Dr. Mara, a high-profile guest has entered the facility and is making his way toward the genetic mutation laboratory."

Upon hearing that voice, the surrounding researchers instantly went still, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

They didn't even need a name to identify the visitor.

In the current Human city, no one else possessed the status to access this floor while simultaneously being referred to as an important guest.

This was the individual the researchers respected most—and the one they were most desperate to study from head to toe.

"This way, Mr. Adyr." A researcher in a white coat stepped out of the opening elevator, politely guiding the way with quick, hurried strides. Adyr traversed the hallway, following him while observing every Spark held within the glass units from the corner of his eye.

As he progressed further down the hall, more staff emerged and lined the walls, watching him with the same analytical fascination he had shown the Sparks, as if he himself belonged inside one of those glass cases.

Dr. Mara wasn't the only one notified the moment Adyr reached the facility. Every staff member with enough clearance received the long-awaited message. To these human researchers, Adyr represented more than just a leader or a beacon of hope; in their eyes, he was the Holy Grail of science.

Each cell in his body contained the blueprint of Humanity’s ultimate evolution. Every inch of him was more precious than any discovery they hoped to find elsewhere. Thus, as he walked the halls of the subterranean lab, they stared at him like he was a living treasure.

Noticing their intense stares, Adyr gave a short laugh. "It seems I have quite the fan club down here."

The researcher escorting him managed a forced grin at his comment. "Naturally. After all, you always deliver something new for us to study."

"Is that the reason?" Adyr laughed once more, acting as though he believed that was the sole motivation.

Continuing down the corridor, he passed the dissected remains of Umbraens and the five Lunari ancestors kept in large glass vats like preserved specimens, sparking a slight sense of nostalgia from his previous life.

He had once made a habit of gathering body parts from his victims as trophies or mementos. He eventually abandoned the practice, though not by choice; the police discovered his cache, and he narrowly escaped capture at the final moment.

Back then, society labeled him a monster, a madman, and a psychopath for such actions. Seeing a similar sight here struck Adyr as deeply ironic.

Granted, the researchers hadn't performed the killings themselves and were utilizing the remains for scientific study, yet Adyr still perceived a grim parallel.

He pondered a simple question: If they were offered a priceless specimen that required the death of the subject to obtain, would they decline?

Since they weren't rejecting bodies that others had killed for them, the conclusion wasn't hard to reach.

Adyr was certain that if he ever perished, his remains would be placed in one of those glass vats for study, all for the sake of 'humanity's future.'

He walked until he reached a sealed room and paused for a moment.

"Mr. Adyr?" the researcher asked, confused by the sudden halt.

Adyr glanced at him and gestured toward the room, asking with curiosity, "You can't perceive it?"

The man stared at the spot with a bewildered look. "Perceive what?" To him, there was nothing there but the room itself.

Adyr remained silent and resumed his walk toward the chamber. It was enveloped in an aura where shades of red and black blended together, sticking to the air like a blemish.

This image was very familiar to him. It hadn't been long since he had encountered something similar.

While this aura felt and looked much weaker than the one he had seen emanating from the bodies of the five Lunari Ancestors, it was undeniably the same phenomenon.

It was the exact aura Zephan described as the curse of the Blood Path. Once the researcher swiped his card to open the door, they entered a scene where numerous white-coated staff were focused on a body in the center of the room.

"Mr. Adyr." The moment they saw him enter, their eyes lit up, and their attention shifted almost instantly.

As the researchers scrutinized his newly transformed, messy red hair, pale skin, and eyes that resembled a boundless sea of crimson, it was as if they were already mentally dissecting him to uncover the secrets hidden in his cells.

Adyr completely brushed off their intense gazes and walked straight to Rhys to survey the damage. He examined him intently; the skin and tissue appeared tainted and liquefied, revealing many rusted-looking bones underneath. The aura was clearly radiating from his frame, proving that he was indeed undergoing a Blood Path awakening.

The sole distinction from the Lunari ancestors was that Rhys, being a mortal, possessed a body so delicate it couldn't sustain the process. He was rapidly decaying and falling apart.

"If suicide was your goal, there were many less agonizing ways to do it," Adyr remarked tonelessly.

Rhys, who remained conscious, slowly peeled his eyes open, showing that his gray irises were turning red.

His gaze flickered around the room, searching for the speaker, before finally landing on him. "Like what? Blowing myself to smithereens?"

His voice sounded dry and jagged due to his failing vocal cords, delivered with a mocking edge. Adyr let out a soft laugh. Even in this state, the man was still joking.