Chapter 45: Experimenting with the Cursed Toy Gunpowder Pistol
Soon, Lu Xiao arrived at the experimental site.
The doctor had long been waiting there.
As Lu Xiao entered, the doctor tossed him a lead box.
“Take out the gun inside!”
Lu Xiao complied, opening the box to reveal a finely crafted revolver.
The barrel measured about twenty centimeters, entirely silver with exquisite engravings.
Lu Xiao toyed with it in his hands; it felt somewhat heavy but comfortable to hold.
The doctor adjusted his monocle.
“How do you feel? Any unusual sensations in your body?”
Lu Xiao examined himself carefully, then shook his head.
“No, nothing.”
The doctor nodded and began introducing the revolver.
“This revolver is an S-class containment item, designated S097 – the Corrupting Revolver.”
“A normal person holding this gun would start experiencing skin necrosis after about three minutes!”
Upon hearing this, Lu Xiao hastily dropped the revolver.
“Doctor, why didn’t you tell me this was so dangerous earlier?”
He glared at the doctor with deadpan eyes.
The doctor’s mouth twitched.
“Nonsense! Are you an ordinary person?”
Lu Xiao paused for a moment.
“True enough,” he admitted, then bent down to pick up the corrupting revolver from the ground.
The doctor adjusted his monocle again and continued.
“This revolver originates from your era and possesses a strange corrupting trait.”
“But the source of this trait remains a mystery.”
“I suspect it might be due to a curse.”
At this, Lu Xiao’s interest was piqued.
“This is something from my time?”
He brought the corrupting revolver closer for a detailed inspection.
The revolver was so exquisite it resembled a work of art.
“Doctor, what kind of bullets does this gun use?” Lu Xiao inquired.
The doctor pondered.
“The flesh and blood of its wielder.”
Lu Xiao blinked in confusion.
Soon, a specially made steel plate, about fifty centimeters thick, was carried in.
The doctor instructed Lu Xiao, “Try shooting at that steel plate.”
Lu Xiao nodded, raised the gun, and aimed at the plate.
“Bang!”
A loud gunshot echoed through the laboratory.
The doctor first examined the steel plate.
A fist-sized hole had appeared on the fifty-centimeter-thick plate.
This was one of the corrupting revolver’s traits: piercing.
At the same time, countless cracks radiated from the hole’s edges.
The internal structure of the steel plate was thoroughly destroyed.
This was the second trait: destruction.
The other two traits could not be demonstrated on the steel plate.
Despite this, the doctor nodded in satisfaction.
“The physical damage is sufficient for our purposes.”
After all, this weapon was designed to combat anomalies; physical damage was secondary.
“After firing, do you sense any abnormalities?”
“Perhaps, have you felt any fear towards anything?”
Lu Xiao thought carefully.
“Doctor, I don’t feel anything unusual.”
The doctor nodded.
“One of the revolver’s traits is that each shot randomly induces extreme fear in a particular object.”
At that moment, Lu Xiao suddenly spoke.
“Doctor, I feel a pain in my thigh.”
He tore open his trouser leg.
His calf was completely gone, revealing bare white bones.
Lu Xiao grinned wryly.
“Doctor, I think I misspoke.”
“This isn’t just some pain—this is agonizing, excruciating pain.”
The doctor adjusted his monocle calmly.
“Oh yes, each shot also randomly causes a piece of flesh on the wielder’s body to vanish.”
Lu Xiao’s mouth twitched uncontrollably.
“Doctor, would you mind if I fired a shot at your head right now?”
The doctor adjusted his monocle and nodded.
“Yes, I would mind.”
He looked every bit the noble gentleman.
For a moment, Lu Xiao was at a loss for words.
Indeed, sincerity is the deadliest weapon.
Lu Xiao was in such pain he felt like his eyes might roll back.
This pain was unlike the sensation of tearing his own flesh.
The doctor said calmly,
“Don’t worry. With the speed of your cellular regeneration, that lost flesh will recover in just two hours.”
“Now, let’s proceed to the next experiment.”
He produced a bell that hadn’t been rung.
“Ding-ling-ling!”
A pleasant chime rang out.
Suddenly, a butler appeared out of thin air.
“Good morning, sir. How may I assist you?”
This was S077 – the Butler.
The doctor nodded.
“Assist me with a small experiment.”
The butler bowed slightly.
“Gladly at your service!”
Bang!
A fist-sized hole instantly appeared in the butler’s chest, transparent front to back.
Cracks rapidly spread across his body.
At the same time, the wound began to decay swiftly.
In less than a minute, the butler had completely vanished.
Lu Xiao looked at the doctor, speechless.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to speak.
This time, the corrupting revolver had taken flesh from his neck.
His neck was now bare, with only bone supporting his head.
“Must say, your vitality is quite strong,” the doctor praised, adjusting his monocle.
Lu Xiao blinked, signaling that he was in no mood for compliments.
The doctor shrugged indifferently.
“This containment item is yours now.”
Hearing this, Lu Xiao finally smiled and carefully put away the corrupting revolver.
The doctor continued.
“This containment item is like a ticking time bomb.”
“Each shot you fire brings you one step closer to death.”
“Because one of those shots might sacrifice a piece of your flesh that’s your heart or your head.”
“Furthermore, each shot randomly induces extreme fear in some object.”
“Perhaps even something that makes you afraid to live.”
His eyes grew serious.
“So, only use this revolver in dire necessity.”
“And never fire more than three shots.”
Lu Xiao blinked, indicating he understood.
The doctor waved his hand.
“All right, the experiment is over.”
“Go see the prison medic and see if he can help you.”
Lu Xiao limped away.
...
The prison medic applied a strange ointment to Lu Xiao’s wounds, puzzled.
“Lu, how did you end up looking like this?”
Lu Xiao was still unable to speak, so he simply showed the medic the revolver.
The medic pointed at the corrupting revolver.
“Because of this thing?”
Lu Xiao blinked.
The medic picked up the corrupting revolver and examined it closely.
“Strange, I feel this gun is corrupting my body!”
He then casually fired a shot.
...
Half an hour later, Ivan arrived at the medic’s containment room.
Lu Xiao lay on the operating table; the medic was on the floor.
The flesh on the medic’s thigh had completely vanished.
The fire of his soul flickered in Ivan’s eyes.
“Lu, medic, what happened to you two?”
The voices came from within them.
The medic said nothing but pointed at the corrupting revolver lying on the floor.
Ivan picked up the corrupting revolver, puzzled.
“Because of this thing?”
“Strange, I feel this gun is corrupting my bones!”
He then casually fired a shot.