Zhang Dong cautiously approached the source of the disturbance. Peeking through the partially opened doors, he witnessed a scene that both intrigued and puzzled him. In a room labeled 237, a man was strapped to a hospital bed, struggling against his restraints. He was dressed in patient attire, and it was evident that he wasn't a puppet like the others.

Standing beside the bed was a puppet doctor, holding a clipboard and seemingly unfazed by the man's protests. The nurses were arranging various medical instruments and preparing for a procedure. It was a bizarre sight, especially considering the man's distressed pleas.

"You can't do this! I demand to know what's happening! Do you know who I am? I will have all of you executed! Why can’t I move? “

The man continued to struggle around while being held on a strange medical table. The bindings that the medical staff was using didn't seem that strong, yet the man was unable to budge them at all. He looked a bit older, but his body was in good shape and reinforced through some strange means. With the help of his own system, he was able to identify the man, and the results were interesting.

Original Name:

Stefan Pudziankowski

Current Name:

Erik Avison

Race:

Evolved Human

Affiliation:

Emperor of the Galactic Empire

System Type:

Achievement Type

System Advantage:

AI Chip Helper

He was obviously a system holder who came from some type of scientific world. Zhang Dong deduced that this person had probably reached the end of his storyline, becoming an Emperor of a whole galactic empire. His body was somewhat peculiar; he looked like a human but had various implants and cybernetics hidden within. It was clear that he was some type of evolved human with his own set of advantages. If he had to judge his strength, then the man would be around early core formation level, which meant that his world’s power level was a lot lower than the cultivation world he was from.

‘He should be able to break those bonds with that advanced body of his but… for some reason something is keeping them in place, did these puppets do something to him?’

It was a strange spectacle, the man was barely able to move as if some outside force was holding him in place. The sight before him raised more questions than answers. Why would a powerful figure like this Emperor of the Galactic Empire, be subjected to such treatment in this bizarre place?

‘How did he even get here? How do non-cultivators leave their realms if they don’t ascend?’

There were a lot of questions on his mind, and this seemed like one of the places to get answers. It was clear that this person was a system holder who, by the looks of things, was quite confused. His maddened shouts weren't revealing much of the truth besides the fact that the puppets could successfully pacify him without much trouble.

'If this person is here… could there be more around?'

Zhang Dong was disguised as one of the nurses, but it didn't seem that any of the puppets here cared. They were huddled around the screaming man while the doctor focused on his clipboard. After some time had passed, they pulled out a regular-sized syringe and inserted some sort of sedative into the man's arm to calm him down. Within a few moments, he looked out of it and became unresponsive, but he was still alive.

“His DSP rating is fairly low, send him out to processing plant C.”

The doctor spoke in a monotone voice before leaving the room. The nurses here started moving the man onto another table, equipped with wheels, and quickly pushed him out of the room. Zhang Dong followed after them to see what this was all about, with an interest in the DSP rating that had been mentioned. This strange stat had been featured inside the workstation he previously went through, and perhaps, if he followed after them, the secret of what it was would reveal itself to him.

As the sedated man was being rolled out, Zhang Dong also noticed another creepy fact: there were other similar scenes playing out all around this strange hospital. Passing other hospital rooms, he could see people of varying genders, races, and some even looked like alien creatures, tossing and turning while being bound. All of them were being handled by a whole team of nurses that gathered around one doctor.

The sight sent a shiver down Zhang Dong's spine. It wasn't just one or two isolated incidents; it seemed like a systematic operation. It was probable that if he hadn’t used the back door to enter this strange place, he would be one of these people getting sedated. After examining them like the other man, he confirmed that they were all system holders who had probably completed their journey. All of them had high positions similar to emperors and empresses. There were even other cultivators like him who had attained the sought-after immortal realm, which wasn't enough to counteract this strange hospital either.

His curiosity grew, fueled by a mix of concern for these captives and a desire to uncover the mysteries of this place. It was a hard thing to gaze at and not help. They were like lambs being led to slaughter but he couldn’t do anything about it. If he attempted to free them without gaining more knowledge about this situation, his whole plan could be ruined. Even though he felt bad about these people, there were more pressing matters. There was a lot at stake here, if he could uncover all of the mysteries here then perhaps he could actually save all of them and then also the people that came after.

Thus while hiding Zhang Dong continued to follow the nurses and the sedated man, navigating through the hospital's winding corridors. The wheels of the gurney made a soft creaking sound as they moved along the sterile floors. The strange hospital environment continued to baffle him; each section seemed meticulously designed to mimic a real-world scenario.

After a while, the hospital started changing into something else. The corridors expanded further, and other sedated individuals joined them on the way towards this so-called processing plant. They all looked different and carried their own story with them. The number was also quite eye-opening, and by the time they arrived at a door marked ‘Processing Plant C’, there were tens of them there.

The doors to Processing Plant C swung open, revealing a vast, dimly lit space filled with rows of metallic tables and strange machinery. The nurses efficiently rolled the gurney carrying the sedated Emperor into the room, following a routine that seemed eerily well-rehearsed.

Zhang Dong hesitated for a moment, glancing around the room. The other system holders, still unconscious, were being placed on similar tables, each surrounded by a team of nurses. The atmosphere in Processing Plant C was different from the hospital section. It felt more ominous, none of them uttered a word while removing them from the gurneys.

These new tables were made out of thick steel, and the moment a person was placed on one, strange mechanical-looking appendages sprung up to limit their movements. They looked like tentacles created from stainless steel, wrapping themselves around the bodies of these system holders, leaving only their heads free.

Zhang Dong's heart raced as he observed the unfolding scene. The tentacle-like restraints seemed to have a purpose beyond mere immobilization. They were equipped with various sensors and connectors, linking up to the strange machinery in the room. A low hum emanated from the equipment, creating an eerie ambiance.

The nurses, now devoid of their previous animated movements, operated in a synchronized manner. They connected the system holders to the machinery, ensuring a secure and efficient process. Zhang Dong couldn't comprehend the purpose of this operation but his eyes focused on a new type of puppet, this one looking like a mad scientist.

The puppet scientist moved around the room, checking the connections and adjusting the settings on the machinery. He seemed to be in control of the entire operation, occasionally consulting a tablet filled with data. The atmosphere was tense, and Zhang Dong's instincts told him that whatever was happening in Processing Plant C was crucial to understanding the nature of this strange realm.

“These ones are ready for processing, activate the extractor! Pull the switch!”

When glancing to the back, he could see another person that looked like a stereotypical hunched-over evil scientist assistant. The moment the scientist-looking man gave the order, the switch was flipped, and a lightshow above them started. A strange-looking contraption started sliding down, consisting of a plethora of wires, flashing lights, and strange transistors.

From within this monstrosity of metal and cables, multiple large tubes started to emerge. They could move freely through the ceiling and fixated on the sedated system holders. All of them came to a stop before their faces and only then the truth of this extraction process was revealed. The metallic tubes resembling a vacuum started to suction away something from the system holders, something that Zhang Dong could somewhat perceive.

‘It’s… absorbing their essence? It’s not going for their soul or life force… what is it pulling out of them?’

As Zhang Dong continued to observe, he noticed a peculiar substance being extracted from the system holders. It wasn't their life force or soul, but rather, it seemed to be a radiant, ethereal energy. The tubes were siphoning off a shimmering light that emanated from each captive. Each person’s energy had a different shine to it and they also varied by colors.

While the extraction progressed, the system holders' appearances became increasingly haggard. Their once vibrant and powerful auras dimmed, leaving behind a hollow shell of their former selves. It was as if the essence being drained from them held the very essence of their achievements, experiences, and power.

‘The systems that they held are being removed along with everything that they provided them with?’

The puppet scientist monitored the process with a cold and detached expression, focusing on the data displayed on his tablet. The room filled with the sound of machinery and the soft hum of the extraction process, creating an unsettling symphony. Zhang Dong watched on with horror but could at least feel that these people were not being killed, instead they were being drained of something more intangible.

‘Is this the DSP rating? Is it their experiences and memories that they gained during their adventure?’

He had no way of knowing what a person would need something like this for but it would be akin to sucking away all the DAOs that he had learned. One piece of the puzzle revealed itself to him but the real question was still left unanswered….