Gamers Are Fierce-Chapter 623 - 621 Cost
Li Ang was playing with a meme again.
Tang Long was a fictional character from a piece of documentary-style street stall literature. In it, Tang Long's original name was Frank Chen, nicknamed "Big Axe." He was a king of underground fighting, and his deeds were shocking and awe-inspiring. These alleged feats included hailing from the world's most brutal Siberian Combatant Training Camp, completing 600 repetitions of 100-kilogram deep squats in two hours, effortlessly kicking through iron columns with leg sweeps, and even killing polar bears with his bare hands.
Because this street literature wildly exaggerated his tales, making them incredibly cool and full of gimmicks, it spread widely more than a decade ago. Many people were even convinced he was real, believing there truly was an underground fighting king named Tang Long. Ultimately, he became an urban legend fervently discussed by netizens, ranking alongside the mythical "Dragon Group Instructor" and "Skies Hitman."
Mule, being an information broker, naturally knew of this old meme from over a decade ago. He smacked his lips, at a loss for words.
You also want to kick through iron columns? Why not just unlock some genetic lock then? Mule scoffed internally, but he kept his composure and continued perusing the product list.
The following items included "Medical Surgery," which could cure most diseases. These included, but were not limited to, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and AIDS. It could also remedy chronic ailments and heal old injuries. It could even regrow amputated limbs. While Miniature Life Potions could also treat many diseases and regenerate limbs, they couldn't regrow limbs amputated for over a decade, nor could they cure certain congenital genetic diseases.
Even at this stage of the deadly games, Miniature Life Potions were still expensive and scarce. They were not something ordinary people or new players could afford.
"The cost of medical surgery is roughly the same as cosmetic surgery—very low, and the surgery time is also very short," Li Ang casually mentioned. "The main trouble is keeping the operating room clean and sterile. We supply electricity to the operating room using gasoline and diesel generators. As for water, we either pipe it in from a neighboring shop's tank or buy it directly from the online store. That's also a bit of a hassle..."
Mule didn't hear Li Ang's complaints; his attention was fixed on the next item on the list.
Metamorphic Implants: Implanting customers with modified organs.
Examples included the Hand of Minotaur: four muscular arms sprouting from the back, powerful enough to easily demolish concrete walls.
The Hydra's Heart: installed in the abdominal cavity, it accelerated blood flow and increased the upper limits of physical performance.
The Saint Snake Venom Gland: installed at the fingertips, it could spray colorless and odorless atomized toxins. This was very suitable for villains who liked to taunt their enemies, using the time spent trash-talking to secretly poison their opponents.
Modifying the brain to eliminate the need for sleep.
Modifying the eyes to see invisible light and grant night vision.
Modifying the limbs by adding insect-like hydraulic structures to run faster, jump higher, and become stronger.
These transformation technologies, which other organizations guarded so jealously, are just casually put up for sale on the shelves in Li Ang's shop! Mule was simultaneously shocked and intrigued. The further down the list of modification projects he read, the crazier the surgical procedures seemed.
For example, one procedure involved using the host's genes to cultivate a disc-shaped, beetle-like creature that could obey simple commands. This beetle could hover in the air up to 800 meters and, on the host's command, spew needle-like projectiles with the force of heavy machine gun bullets at targets below. Its ammunition capacity depended on the size of the cultivated beetle.
Another involved implanting the larva of a large Lepidopteran into the recipient's arm. When the host performed specific movements (like a particular hand gesture), the larva would spew out threads, allowing the recipient to swing between skyscrapers like Spider-Man.
Yet another option was implanting worm eggs into the spinal cord. Once hatched, the adult worms would monitor the host's body, secreting various hormones. These hormones would affect epiphyseal fusion and bone strengthening, enhance muscle density, increase the host's height, and provide sustained physical enhancement.
Mule forcibly suppressed the tingling in his scalp as he finished reading the entire list. He let out a long sigh of relief, looked up at Li Ang, and asked, "...Can these surgeries be performed on new players?"
"New players first need to enhance their physical fitness. Only after reaching a certain level can they undergo metamorphic modifications," Li Ang replied. "Actually, I don't have much experience with this yet. But according to my projections, an ordinary person with all attributes at 5, after undergoing a complete set of modifications, should at least become a superhuman with all attributes between 9 and 10. They'd be capable of kicking cars, smashing walls with a punch, and withstanding bursts of light machine gun fire. With various specialized metamorphic organs, they could easily annihilate a fully armed tactical squad."
"..."
This man is terrifying! As Mule listened to Li Ang's description, an indescribable shock surged through him. He clenched his slightly trembling fingers, forcing himself to remain composed, and asked in a deep voice, "What about the time, cost, and efficiency of these surgeries?"
"It's hard to say exactly," Li Ang mused. "But if it's just the basic Enhance Body procedure, plus two or three Metamorphic Modifications, I could probably complete four surgeries within three days. The cost per person would be around 2,000-3,000 Game Coins."
In truth, Li Ang was being conservative. The transformation surgeries primarily consumed his Sanity Value—through the use of Swamp God Power and the Origin of Life—and the various worms he cultivated. The Sanity Value would recover naturally, and the worms were bred from a pool, costing him next to nothing.
Two to three thousand... Mule's gaze became distant. According to Li Ang's description, individuals who underwent the surgery would be at least equivalent in strength to mid-tier Lv. 9 to Lv. 10 players.
How much would a large organization invest to cultivate a Lv. 10 player from scratch? Secret Societies needed to pour resources into players, create training plans, purchase equipment and items, win their loyalty, ensure their allegiance, and gamble that they wouldn't die in one of the dozen or so life-or-death trials. If a player died, all previous investments would go down the drain.
And now, Li Rising claimed he could mass-produce Lv. 10s. Even if they were the most rudimentary kind, lacking Title Skills and equipment, and possibly needing a long time to adapt to their new bodies, it was still enough to drive people mad.
Mule could imagine that once this shop's reputation spread, countless lone wolf players and Secret Societies would beat a path to its door, seeking collaboration. They would paint beautiful pictures of the future, promise massive benefits, offer astronomical sums, and try to fulfill all of Li Ang's demands, reasonable or not. And if they couldn't collaborate with Li Ang, or if he was bought out by competitors, those Secret Societies would spare no expense to obstruct and sabotage him by any means necessary. They might even target Li Ang personally, resorting to threats, kidnappings, and extortion...
Countless thoughts raced through Mule's mind. He lifted his head, about to advise Li Ang against putting this product list into practice, when he saw the look in Li Ang's eyes through the Dragon Head Mask. They were casual and laid-back, relaxed and content.
Leaning against the wall, Li Ang finished the last drop of his cola. His palm flickered with electric light as Alchemy activated instantly. The soda can compressed and reformed, ultimately becoming an exquisite, small fidget spinner.
With a gentle flick of his gloved finger, the spinner whirled rapidly, emitting a soft whirring sound. The light reflecting off its blade-like, mirrored surfaces danced across his Dragon Head Mask.
Li Ang's mentality had subtly shifted. He was no longer fearful and uneasy about his identity being exposed, as he had been in the past. He had exacted his revenge; it was time to move forward and see what lay ahead in this new world.
