ã€ŠPlague Doctorã€‹


 Chapter 1: The Rock Pillar At The Bottom Of The Sea

    <h4>Chapter 1: The Rock Pir At The Bottom Of The Sea</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    How important is money in a human¡¯s life? Whenever this topic came up, Gu Jun would wield the same opinion, money, well, it is very, very important. ¡°Let me tell you something. There¡¯s only one true illness in this world, and that¡¯s poverty.¡±

    Gu Jun could still vividly remember the incident that changed his life three years ago. He had just turned eighteen years old and received the eptance letter for an eight-year course for a masters and doctorate degree in clinical medicine from the Eastern University, one of the top five national medical schools. During the high school graduation party, it was this movie quote from Dying to Survive that he imparted on his friends. This was not the man being bleak, if anything, he painted himself on the other side of the line, no, he was not the one with poverty, he was one on the path to rule the world.

    Yes, a young man on his way to rule the world, a disguise he carried... alongside the heartache known to no one but himself.

    Indeed, for an orphan whose parents died when he was only ten, the variouspensations that added up to five million dors, was the only source of ie for Gu Jun during his ten odd years of life. It became the only spiritual pir that prevented him from crumbling.

    The money was being managed by a custodian fund. By the time he turned eighteen, he was free to ess his inheritance.

    He had no more rtives in the world, but he still had money!

    Money, the only thing that he had left.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun¡±. This was the nickname his ssmates in the university had secretly given him. This nickname was used with both adoration and ridicule.

    He spentvishly, treating his friends to all sorts of entertainment and luxuries. His wallet seemed like a bottomless trench. In the eyes of others, this was his only redeeming point in school.

    After entering college, he had lost all motivation and drive. Perhaps the college entrance examination had sapped him all his energy to study in this life. His heartfelt aspiration of ¡°I want to be a doctor when I grow up!¡± which he confidently dered to his mother years ago seemed meaningless now.

    His study spiralled out of control, he either barely passed his sses or gave uppletely. Having fun. That was the only thing he knew. Day in, day out, he chased girls in bars and spent his life as a drunken mess.

    Time passed and his professors threw away all their expectations of him one by one. Even the counsellor had given up. Many students gave him a wide berth when they saw him. Everyone said that people like Gu Jun, apart from smearing Eastern University¡¯s reputation, would amount to nothing. Anyone who hung out with him would only be dragged down to his level.

    Gu Jun did not refute anything. After all, he knew from the bottom of his heart that everyone was right; he was a wastrel, and he nned to continue wasting his life away.

    That was until half a year ago.

    A second major setback entered his life.

    Brain tumour.

    Medullostoma, the most malignant type of brain tumour. Furthermore, his condition had gotten so bad that surgery was not an option. Then again, even if he had the option of surgery, it would be followed by chemo and recovery, the best patient had an average life expectancy of 0.9 years, that was less than 1 full year.

    At that moment, Gu Jun, who had been wasting his life away for the past two and a half years, seemed to have been doused by a basin of cold water. Hepletely came back to his senses.

    Tycoon Jun was dead and Gu Jun was back.

    His spirit returned and he cooperated fully with his treatment. However, the brainstem was the nerve centre of the human body. It had always been the ¡°surgical forbidden zone¡±. At that time, he travelled to many cities and countries, but no hospital dared to operate on him.

    After three months of unsessful medical consultations and scourging the world¡¯stest medical information on brain tumours, Gu Jun epted the stone-cold reality. His condition was incurable. Not even his vast amount of wealth could help him.

    Thus, he made two decisions.

    First, he bought a set of luxury cruise tickets, which departed from Eastern Province, passing through a, finally reaching the Indian Ocean. Seizing thest moments of his life, he had nned to visit all the ces where his parents worked when they were still alive during this zing hot summer vacation. That was his wish since childhood. If he was still alive after that, he would continue to travel around the world.

    Second, he only left a few tens of thousands for himself. He donated the remaining one million RMB to the Swan Children¡¯s Hope Fund to fund orphan education.

    If he had a next life, doing good may perhaps give him some good karma for his reincarnation.

    ¡°Hello Mr Gu, we have reached the Longkan submarine volcanic belt. Your deep-diving expedition has been arranged. Please gather at the boatdder within the next half an hour.¡±

    The sweet voice of a waitress pulled Gu Jun, who was sitting in a daze in the open-air cafe on the top deck, from his thoughts.

    ¡°Alright.¡± He nodded, ¡°I will be going now.¡± As he said that, he generously tipped her.

    The waitress epted the tip, and the smile on her face became even more vibrant. This Mr. Gu was handsome and was very loose with his purse strings, so she would always be thrilled to serve him. She smiled. ¡°Mr Gu, pleasee with me.¡±

    At present, Gu Jun followed the waitress to the lower level of the ship, looking at the surrounding sea with mixed feelings.

    Was this the ce where mom and dad met the mishap all those years ago?

    Gu Jun had never liked the ocean ever since he was young. His father was the captain of the scientific investigation ship ¡°Seabird¡±, and his mother was the doctor on board. He never truly understood why they had to stay at sea for many years and abandon him to a guardian.

    What were they studying? Was it really more important than me, their own child?

    That ursed heartless researchpany! The only news he got was a statement ¡°The Seabird sank in a storm, and the lives of the entire crew on the ship were lost¡± and the five million that was thrown at him. There had been no follow-up. The ship could not be found, and none of the body either! Soon after, thepany closed.

    What exactly happened that year?

    The sea seemed eerily blue, and the waves tossed and churned relentlessly, as though wanting to cover up the past.

    Gu Jun sometimes even wondered, were his parents really dead? Perhaps they did not die in the shipwreck, but was living on a deserted ind and waiting for rescue?

    Or perhaps... the boat sank to the seafloor right in this area?

    For the sole purpose of finding out the truth, he paid a hefty price for this deep diving project. Tourists entered a boat-shaped submarine that could dive down to 2000 meters below the sea and observe the volcanic belt through the window. This was not a benefit that came along with the standard ticket, but a special offer for the rich. That was because a single dive incurred hefty expenses.

    As he was about ten steps away from the boatdder, Gu Jun noticed that there were three young tourists in addition to the crew members and the captain. Two males and one female.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we are now at the legendary Longkan Submarine Volcanic Belt!¡± One of the young men, who seemed to be in his early twenties, was holding a mobile phone and seemed to be doing a livestream. He was wearing a fancy Hawaiian flowery shirt and had an extravagant hairstyle, trying to be reggae.

    Gu Jun heard the man speaking mysteriously into his mobile phone. ¡°The local indigenous tribe calls it ¡®Hamkanaba¡¯, which means ¡®Abyss of the Devil¡¯...¡±

    The other man was a little older. He was a sturdily-built, tall, and muscr man with a tight pink vest covering his upper body. Two log-like arms were exposed and he impatiently asked the captain, ¡°How much longer will we have to wait?¡±

    The only woman amongst them was the youngest. She seemed to be sixteen or seventeen with a tall figure and a pretty face. She was wearing a stylish coat and shorts that were both a military green colour. Her long pair of legs extended endlessly, looking like a pair of chopsticks and was extremely eye-catching. She had arge tattoo on her left lower thigh, and it was difficult to differentiate whether it was real or merely a tattoo sticker.

    She was the first to notice Gu Jun¡¯s arrival, but her eyes remained cold and arrogant. She deftly brandished the military sabre in her hand, as though giving a warning to anyone daring to approach.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, this diving expedition has already been booked by another guest,¡± the old captain exined awkwardly and suddenly eximed, ¡°Ah, Mr Gu, you have arrived already!¡±

    The captain signalled for the waitress to leave. Gu Jun then walked forward, under everyone¡¯s scrutiny.

    The old captain started the introductions. The reggae man was called Li Yuerui, while the muscr man was named Wu Dong. Finally, the girl decked out in military uniform was Lin Xiaotang. They are the ¡°Most Respected VIPs¡± on the cruise ship- the captain hinted with his eyes that they were powerful scions that must not be offended.

    The three were initially looking to rent a speedboat to have some fun in the nearby ocean, but the boat-shaped submarine caught their attention. They requested to join the deep-diving expedition as well. The submarine had a total of seven seats. The two operators and one lifeguard took up three slots and only four slots remained. Gu Jun had reserved all of the remaining slots.

    Since the submarine needs to perform various safety inspections after each dive, ording to the cruise itinerary, there was only one diving opportunity this month. The three young masters and miss were so excited and eager to join so the captain had no choice but to try to negotiate with Gu Jun for the three of them to join him and they would share the cost. After all, the more, the merrier, right?

    ¡°Sure,¡± Gu Jun shrugged and casually replied. Since the seats were going to be empty anyway, it did not matter to him if other guests wanted to tag along.

    ¡°But...¡± The muscr man, Wu Dong, was still a little unwilling. His eyes darted about, as though wanting to say something.

    As for the reggae male Li Yuerui, he had been standing there while continuing to live stream, not participating in the negotiation.

    Gu Jun looked at the girl in the military uniform with a sudden curiosity.

    I seem to recognise her from somewhere. Had I seen her before on the cruise ship these past few days?

    ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± Lin Xiaotang noticed him scrutinising her and immediately scowled back at him with a ferocious expression on her face.

    ¡°Looking at you,¡± Gu Jun said.

    He was so direct that Lin Xiaotang was a little stunned. ¡°You ...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you now. Anyway, I don¡¯t mind everyone sharing the boat.¡± Gu Jun nced at the other three with a smile and took the initiative to go down the boatdder, not caring about their opinions. One of the perks of knowing his expiration date was that he had much less f*ck to give.

    ¡°Hey brat, stop!¡± Wu Dong hollered, ¡°GET BACK HERE!¡± but Gu Jun continued walking forward. Li Yuerui had already run down the boatdder and was chasing after him. One of his hands continued filming with the mobile phone and he grabbed Gu Jun¡¯s shoulder with the other. He smiled like they were already best buddy. ¡°Hey, bro. I hope you don¡¯t mind. Wu Dong that fe is a bit tense, stubborn as a stone sculpture. See, take a look at my live stream, every time he appears on screen, the viewers will send the message ¡®it¡¯s the cute dummy¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Heard that, cute dummy?¡± Lin Xiaotang chided out as she walked past the sullen Wu Dong.

    Wu Dong was really depressed, scratching his head andining, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you guys who wanted to keep this mission a secret?!¡±

    Uh, aren¡¯t you guys livestreaming? Keeping what a secret? Gu Jun could not figure out if the term cute dummy applied to every one of them.

    After things dragged on for a while, everyone finally equipped their protective gear under the guidance of the operator and took their seats in the submarine. The tourist seats were arranged in two front and back rows with two seats per row. Gu Jun sat at the seat with the number 1, while the second position on his right was upied by Li Yuerui. The third and the fourth position was filled by Lin Xiaotang and Wu Dong.

    Soon, the hatch of the submarine was closed, and they started to dive. They were surrounded by ckish-blue water. 200 meters, 500 meters, 1000 meters ...

    At this time, Gu Jun¡¯s ears caught wind of the discussion that the other three were mumbling to each other.

    ¡°Ah Rui, are you sure we¡¯re at the right ce?¡± Wu Dong asked.

    ¡°Just how credible this information is...¡± Lin Xiaotang¡¯s tone was simrly full of doubt.

    ¡°If you guys don¡¯t believe me, at least trust that guy! Well, what I heard was that this is the ce... But the seafloor is so vast so whether we can capture a shot is really up to our luck now.¡± Li Yuerui was the only one who spoke with confidence, since there was no signal in the deep sea, he swapped out the livestreaming for video recording.

    Gu Jun understood from their conversation that they were here to explore. These days, the Inte was always filled with all kinds of bizarre rumours. There were many sea monster sightings, but never a credible evidence to support such ims. asionally, a few blurred photos or fuzzy videos were uploaded only to be proven to be false afterwards.

    But seeing the backgrounds of these three people, the ¡°news¡± that they had heard should not be referring to those Inte rumours, right?

    ¡°Dear viewers!¡± Li Yuerui continued filming the dark ocean outside the window. ¡°Look at how dark it is outside. We have dived over 1,500 meters, and we¡¯re not far from the ocean floor!¡± To get a clearer picture, he unfastened his seat belt, got up, and proceeded to the side of the cabin to shoot a better image of the view outside the window.

    ¡°Mr Li, please return to your seat and fasten your seatbelt. Your current actions are potentially hazardous. There are many undercurrents on the seafloor,¡± the old captain advised weakly.

    ¡°It¡¯ll only take a moment!¡± Li Yuerui made an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture and continued to film. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the submarine, humans would be squashed by deep-sea pressure...¡±

    Gu Jun gradually paid less attention to them. Under the light of the searchlights, he gazed out at the rugged seafloor outside the window. His heart was secretly beating fast with anticipation at the sight of a decrepit sunken boat.

    His anticipation was also mixed with the trepidation of seeing such a scene.

    Perhaps it was only a hallucination caused by his brain tumour, but he suddenly noticed that there was a rock pir about half the height of an average human on the seafloor. It looked like an igneous rock formation, but he seemed to see a surface full of carvings of various lines and patterns.

    The more he stared, the more he found the rock pir increasingly puzzling. Magma were flowing out as if the sculpture was actually bleeding.

    Morbid, perverse, yet brimming with vitality that even burns through the darkness. That was the impression he got.

    PU!! With a sudden jerk, the magma seemed to rush straight towards the submarine and drown him before he even had any time to react.

    AHHH! IT HURTS!!!!

    Gu Jun grunted, with both his hands tightly clutching his head. The intense pain inside his head threatened to overwhelm him, and he was sweating buckets.

    What are these illusions? Countless indescribable sights poured into the back of his mind, flooding him with an unspeakable sense of confusion, terror, and madness. It hurts. IT HURTS! Blood seemed to leak out of his eyes, dying his entire vision crimson. He saw a wild storm, an enormous shadow rising from the depths of the sea.

    ¡°WHIRLPOOLS DETECTED, ABNORMAL WHIRLPOOLS DETECTED!¡± the old captain seemed to be screaming in panic. ¡°SURFACE IMMEDIATELY! TURN THE SUBMARINE AROUND, NOW!!!¡±

    The submarine trembled violently. Fortunately, everyone was secured in their seats, but...

    Gu Jun seemed to vaguely hear Li Yuerui¡¯s miserable wail of ¡°Ah!¡± As well as Lin Xiaotang¡¯s and Wu Dong eximing in surprise, ¡°Ah Rui?!¡±

    DING DING! A mechanical sound seemed to reverberate inside his head.

    ¡°Now binding with the host. Binding sessfully. Monitoring the vitals of the host...¡±

    What the hell? Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness was still a bit vague, but he could clearly ¡®see¡¯ a system interface inside his mind.

    ¡°The report on the host¡¯s vitals is out. Please reconfirm.¡±

    Name: Gu Jun

    Species: Human ¨C Homosapiens

    Sex: Male

    Age: 21

    Height: 182cm

    Weight: 78kg

    Body fat percentage: 17%

    Heart rate: 81 beats/min (Normal)

    Blood pressure: 100 mmHg systolic blood pressure, 77 mmHg diastolic blood pressure (Normal)

    Blood glucose levels: 4.82 mmol / L (Normal)

    Red blood cell count: 4.9 ¡Á 10 £Þ 12 / L (Normal)

    White blood cell count: 6.78 ¡Á 10 £Þ 9 / L (Normal)

    ...

    Brain stem: FATAL ABNORMALITY, FATAL ABNORMALITY, FATAL ABNORMALITY!

    The host¡¯s brain stem is mutated, with the rapid proliferation of malignant tumours. Based on the current growth rate, it will take an estimated 32 days for the host to experience symptoms such as esotropia, facial paralysis, and uncontroble twitching of facial muscles. After 60 days, the host will experience sudden death.

    What... are all these? It looks like the same diagnosis of my illness!

    DING! A mechanical sound rang out inside his head again.

    ¡°As the host¡¯s brain stem is abnormal, the host mustplete self-rescue missions through the task system within 60 days. Otherwise, the consequence would be inevitable death.¡±

    [A new mission log has been generated. Hosts can get rewards forpleting tasks. The higher the mission difficulty, the greater the rewards.

    The mission level is divided into three levels: NORMAL, DIFFICULT, ABYSSAL. Only one level can be selected every time, so choose carefully. Currently, the host can only take one level per mission until the task ispleted or has exceeded the deadline.

    Every day at 0000hrs, the task list will be refreshed. ¡±

    July 21, 2020

    NORMAL mission: Sessfully rescue an emergency patient today. Mission reward: 1 box of human brainstem tumour-targeting drugs which can extend the host¡¯s lifespan by five days.

    DIFFICULT mission: Dissect 3 human remains in three days. Mission reward: 1 Carlo scalpel

    ABYSSAL mission: Complete dissection of a zombie within one week. Mission reward: UNKNOWN]

    ¡°Please redeem your Neer¡¯s Gift. This is your only chance. Generous rewards await!¡±

 Chapter 2: Hands of Dexterity

    <h4>Chapter 2: Hands of Dexterity</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    A throbbing pain pulsated through his head as Gu Jun felt his consciousness spiralling around aimlessly and unceasingly. His mind was shrouded in a daze, as if he was chained into a different dimension and unable to free himself.

    [Host details: Gu Jun

    Host¡¯s ability list: 0 (Your abilities would determine your chances of triumphing over multiple challenges that are toe. Please strive to obtain more and better abilities.)

    Mission Log: Currently epted mission 0

    Achievement List: Currently gained achievement 0

    Other Functions: Locked]

    Hmm... What is this? A system?

    Intrigued, Gu Jun concentrated. He willed his thoughts in an attempt to executemands. Perhaps, he could tap into various menu options that were in front of his eyes. As expected, the other functions bar was locked. On the other hand, a plethora of data was neatly presented within the Host¡¯s Details section. Every number was highly precise, extremely close to the recent results he got from his diagnosis.

    The mission log had the 3 missions introduced earlier. What about the ability list? He clicked on it...

    DING DONG! A message notice popped up immediately. ¡°The Host does not possess any abilities! Please proceed to collect your Neer¡¯s Package!¡±

    Without dy, his mind tapped into the Achievements List.

    DING DONG!

    A message popped up. ¡°The Host has not attained any achievements! Please proceed to collect your Neer¡¯s Package!¡±

    Perplexed, Gu Jun¡¯s head turned around, his eyes scanned, scrutinising his surroundings. There were no signs of any value or health and power bars hovering around. However, his instincts as a seasoned and holistic pay-to-win gamer red loudly inside his head. Somehow, he knew what was going on deep within his heart. Without dy, his thoughts flickered and collected his Nee¡¯s Package.

    ¡°You have opened the Neer¡¯s Package, a random ability has been unlocked! Please have a look!¡±

    [Host¡¯s Ability List: 1

    Hands of Dexterity

    Rarity: ¡ï (From Lowest to Highest, 1¡ï to 10¡ï)

    Maximum Level: 3

    Current Level: 1 (0/5000 Proficiency)

    Introduction: Regardless of the situation, your hands will be steadier. As a doctor, a pair of calm hands is indispensable to any form of emergency or operational procedures. As one of the moremon skills, the potential of the Hands of Dexterity is not high. At its maximum level, it isparable to a seasoned surgeon¡¯s skilled hands.]

    In the next instant, an explosive pain burnt through every inch of nerves on his hands. The pain was excruciating, as though every cell on his hands were burnt into ashes, and were then rebuilt by a merciless frost.

    AHHH! However, before a pained screech was about to escape his mouth, the pain vanished. In its ce, a snug and cozy warmth washed over his arms, relieving the sore and spasming muscles like the first breath of spring.

    He opened and closed his hands... there did not appear to be anything different about them.

    ¡°Hands of Dexterity?¡±

    Needless to say, Gu Jun was crystal clear about the importance of a pair of dexterous hands for a doctor, especially the surgeons. To achieve a steadyposure in the most strenuous and high-pressure situations, one must not only have exceptional talent, but also have the resilience to grind and refine their craft.

    In retrospect, he did notck talent. It was just that he had wasted away several valuable years to refine his medical skills. Now, his skill was mediocre at best, insufficient to even cleanly execute a trapped rat.

    System? Abilities?

    New discoveries swirled inside his head. Gu Jun muttered to himself in his heart. There could only be two possibilities. First, this was reality. Secondly, this was a figment of his imagination. If so, he could only conclude that the brain stem tumour had benefits to an individual¡¯s creativity. After all, such inconceivable thoughts had never been possible for him.

    If this is real? Then there are so many questions.

    ¡°How did the system get awakened? Is it due to that rock pir? Is this rted to the research that my parents are involved in?¡± he frantically interrogated the system within his mind.

    ¡°System does not have a conversation function.¡± s, all he heard in return was a robotic reply.

    ¡°When the system ledged onto me, what were the images I saw?¡±

    ¡°System does not have a conversation function.¡±

    ¡°ARGH! Could you say something else?¡±

    ¡°System does not have a conversation function.¡±

    Regardless of whatever question from Gu Jun, the system only had one thing in return: ¡°System does not have a conversation function.¡±

    From the looks of it, the system was an Artificial Intelligence.

    Taking a deep breath, Gu Jun calmed himself and ceased his torrential questions. ¡°I see. Basically, finishing a mission would reward me with a prize; like some medication. With that, I can treat the brain stem tumour and potentially live my life normally again. Perhaps, I could even raise my abilities and branch into other skills.¡±

    As the thoughts ran through, his mind leapt with excitement. During the past few months, he had never experienced such adrenaline through his veins.

    I¡¯m not done with living yet. I still have to uncover the truth! Looks like I only have 1 choice, finishing Missions and saving my own life!

    Immediately, his eyes whipped to the three missions that were presented in front of him.

    The NORMAL mission was to sessfully save a patient in an emergency situation by today. If he had been working in a hospital¡¯s emergency department, it would not be that much of a problem, but...

    The DIFFICULT mission was a full dissection of three human remains within three days. The extent of the difficulty would depend on the time constraint and the dissection¡¯s criteria. Not to mention, where would he find corpses in the first ce?

    Most peculiar of all, the ABYSSAL mission was to dissect a zombie within a week...

    Zombie?! WTF?! Where in the world am I supposed to find a zombie from?

    At that moment, his consciousness slowly trickled back into his body. Gradually, the dense haze shrouding his mind cleared up, and he could slowly perceive his surroundings. Once again, the frenzied and maniacal screams mercilessly pierced his eardrums.

    PENG!

    A massive crash rudely shook Gu Jun back to reality, springing him back into his senses. He immediately realised how the submarine was spiralling out of control, as though they were trapped in some sort of underwater whirlpool.

    Amid the turbulence, a figure was mmed around unceremoniously. That man was Li Yuerui. He had previously removed his seatbelt, his only source of support, and was now in chaos. With every crash, a pained shriek echoed within the enclosed area.

    The gigantic underwater tornado struck from an unknown location, engulfing theirparatively minuscule metal vehicle.

    Around them, a howling rumble echoed and filled the gaps between Li Yuerui¡¯s pained cries. From the noise, it was impossible to distinguish if it was the sound of crashing waves or the furious bellows of an ocean demon.

    ¡°Ah...¡± A befuddled gasp escaped Lin Xiaotang¡¯s mouth and her eyes widened in shock. Everyone noticed the befuddling scene outside, which was illuminated by the submarine¡¯s searchlights.

    A spectacr school of deep ocean fish had swarmed the sea around them. It was chaos outside as these deep ocean creatures wiggled their fins in a frenzy, scurrying about as though they were escaping from some unknown peril. Yet, they immediately realised their struggles were in vain and they had nowhere to go.

    All of these fishes were inhabitants of the underwater trenches and ustomed to darkness, so just what sort of monstrous existence could throw them into such mass hysteria?

    ¡°My gods... it¡¯s real... the rumours were real...¡± a frightened whimper escaped through the small gaps between Wu Dong¡¯s tightly shut mouth. This thick and brawny man had curled up in fear on his seat, trembling and whining as horror paralysed his mind. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t havee. Shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡±

    Not only him, the old captain¡¯s and his three crew members¡¯ faces were drained of any colour. This catastrophe was unprecedented even in their long years of sailing.

    BANG! Another turbulence struck without warning. At that instant, Li Yuerui catapulted backwards, spiralling straight towards the ceiling. Instinctively, his right arm reached out, attempting to cushion the impact. Then, a hair-raising scream pierced through the tense atmosphere. His arm seemed to have been broken, crimson beads of fresh blood trickled down from the sleeves of his shirt.

    ¡°Save... me...¡± Li Yuerui barely managed to cry out in a ttering tone between the heavy wheezes.

    ¡°NO ONE UNBUCKLES THEIR SEATBELTS!¡± At that moment, the captain kept hisposure. He bellowed as his years of experience as a leader sprang into action, ¡°KEEP YOUR BUTTS ONTO THE SEAT AND DON¡¯T MOVE!¡±

    As the horrors unfolded, Wu Dong kept himself curled up. His trembling became increasingly uncontroble. It was unclear if it was the submarine that was vibrating or just his body that was shaking due to intense fear.

    On the other hand, Lin Xiaotang had already been overwhelmed. She was whimpering and mindlessly calling for someone to help Li Yuerui. However, she was so soft. She might as well have not said anything.

    In her mind, she recalled the times when she mocked those idiots for screaming on the bungee jump and the moments when she felt smug for not only being unafraid, while enjoying the adrenaline rush. Her smugness had all vanished now. Her body refused to obey her, and she felt like she was trapped in a never-ending nightmare. She wanted to scream from the fear and panic, yet not a single sound escaped from her widely gaped mouth.

    While the others were thrown into pandemonium, Gu Jun sat calmly on his seat and was assessing every change. With his sharp eyes, he quickly realised how tightly packed the seats were to each other. They were almost stuck together. He could easily reach the other from his position.

    Silently waiting, he watched Li Yuerui¡¯s movements. As the next turbulence sent him flying, Gu Jun flew into action.

    At breakneck speed, his hand shot out. In that one motion, he could feel the distinct effect of the Hands of Dexterity. His right hand was faster, more stable than usual. With a swift action, he erupted with power and precision, literally grasping his target single-handedly.

    On the other hand, Lin Xiaotang and the others screamed as another forceful jerk struck. Through their narrowed whimpering eyes, they saw Li Yuerui¡¯s 175cm body flying horizontally and zooming across with tremendous force.

    Just as they had believed that the crash was imminent, Gu Jun caught Li Yuerui! He then threw Li Yuerui onto the empty seat next to him and pulled the seat belt buckle together. Within the blink of an eye, the man was secured into his seat.

    What a mysterious ability.

    ¡°Brother, thank you. Thank you...¡± Li Yuerui slumped in his seat, grinning in pain. His voice was trembling, ¡°You saved my life. You¡¯re fucking amazing.¡±

    Now, Gu Jun could be sure. His mind was entirely healthy. The system truly existed! From his extraordinary control over his hands just now, he was confident that the Hands of Dexterity were not a figment of his imagination.

    Taking a deep breath, he rid his mind of these thoughts. He carefully supported Li Yuerui with his hands, keeping the injured man stable. While inspecting the injury, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Through all the tumbling and spiralling, the submarine was still vibrating as it moved. However, the old captain had already regained much control over the ship, slowly surfacing. Yet, getting from the deep tranches up to the surface would require another hour. Seeing the dire situation of Li Yuerui, emergency medical treatment was crucial.

    ¡°Me? I thought I told you... Li Yuerui...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite food?¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of...¡±

    ¡°More specifically?¡± Fishing out his phone, Gu Jun turned on the shlight and shone it straight into Li Yuerui¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hey...¡± Li Yuerui instinctively tried to avoid the blinding re.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Gu Jun stopped him before he could run.

    The seasoned movements and unwavering confidence had everyone¡¯s jaws dropping.

    This guy is a doctor?

    Turning around, the sight in front of the old captain had sent his heart thumping away. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead as his mind ran through everything he knew, trying to find a way to save this man. His colleagues and him were all divers and sailors. Their medical knowledge barely scraped the surface of emergency procedures. What¡¯s more, idents had never urred underwater. Facing this, their logical mind knew to keep calm, but their imagination ran wild which caused their hearts to tumble and pound violently.

    Seeing that Gu Jun was about to do more, the old captain could not help but shout, ¡°Mr Gu, please do not be rash. Let us wait for the ship doctor on the surface!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an eight-year medical student specialising in Clinical Medicine at Eastern University!¡± Gu Jun blurted out suddenly, and his heart shuddered.

    Right, my name is Gu Jun. I am a medical student enrolled in the prestigious 8 years Clinical Medicine course at Eastern University. A man who is set to be a doctor was not some snobbish Tycoon Jun.

    Gu Jun raised a brow, opening the missions list in his head.

    [NORMAL mission: Sessfully rescue an emergency patient today. Mission reward: 1 box of human brainstem tumour-targeting drugs, which can extend the host¡¯s lifespan by five days.]

    ept Mission.

    [Mission epted!]

    ¡°Specifically, what type of delicacies? Can you name them?¡± he asked gently again, ignoring the others¡¯ bbergasted looks.

    ¡°Savoury crepes, steamed chicken, roast duck...¡± Perplexed, Li Yuerui honestly listed a lot of food, ¡°roasted spring chicken, braised pork, braised duck, brown sauce chicken, ham, century egg...¡±

    ¡°Nice.¡± Gu Jun gripped his fingers onto Li Yuerui¡¯s left wrist, urately testing his pulse. He muttered to himself, ¡°Fast heart rate, normal breathing, clear-minded, urate answers, round eyes and pupils, reactive to res and light. Preliminary findings point towards normal lung and heart functions. No clear damages to the neurological functions.¡±

    Hearing the long ramble of medical terminology, the old captain was forced to swallow his doubts. Lin Xiaotang stared at Gu Jun as her eyes brightened with hope. Her liveliness gradually returned.

    ¡°That¡¯s great, doctor! Dr Gu!¡± On the sides, the initial inspection had brought huge relief to Wu Dong. Tears of joy immediately clouded his eyes.

    Thank gods, this Gu brat really seems to be a medical student.

    At this moment of life and death, having a doctor was as though having miraculously drawn a life-saving straw. This supported and boosted their optimism and courage.

    Still, eight-year medicine course at the prestigious Eastern University?! All the students there were all insanely smart geniuses.

    While they were all dumbstruck, Gu Jun reached into Li Yuerui¡¯s shirt again, groping around.

    ¡°Brother, why are you touching me?!¡± The sudden molestation had taken Li Yuerui off guard.

 Chapter 3: Saving a Life for the First Time

    <h4>Chapter 3: Saving a Life for the First Time</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    A check up! Of course it is for a check up! Why in the world would I risk a nightmare to touch your putrid body!

    With a deep sigh, Gu Jun shook his head and carried on examining Li Yuerui¡¯s chest and back. After a thorough examination, he dered, ¡°Your torso does not have any obvious and major bruises or cuts. Other than your right arm, the other parts of your body are also mostly unharmed. Thank goodness that this isn¡¯t a major injury.¡±

    Hearing the affirmation from Gu Jun, everyone immediately heaved a deep sigh of relief. Right at that moment, the submarine rumbled heavily again which sent millions of needles piercing straight up Li Yuerui¡¯s injured right arm. He broke out into cold sweat and screamed in pain, ¡°I think I¡¯m dying!¡±

    Taking a closer look, Gu Jun found the patient¡¯s face to be white as snow which highlighted the crimson drops of blood trickling down without any sign of stopping from his right sleeve. While it was not a major injury, it was also not a light one either. If this man was to survive, there was no room allowing forcency. He quickly resumed, ¡°Continue telling me about your favourite foods. Do not stop.¡± This way, Gu Jun could monitor and tell if the patient remained clear-headed.

    ¡°Pheasant, rabbit, vegetable rolls, steamed fish...¡± Between his grimace, Li Yuerui squeezed out more food items. He chanted non-stop.

    As seconds melted into minutes, the submarine finally regained its stability. Without dy, Gu Jun lept into action, tending to the broken limb. First, he carefully rolled up the sleeves.

    Seeing how the storm had calmed for now, the old captain also seized the opportunity and grabbed the emergency medical kit that had been conveniently ced beside the control panel.

    As the sleeves were slowly peeled off his right arm, a harsh half-stifled yell escaped from Li Yuerui¡¯s clenched jaws. Thankfully, his eyes were shut tight, avoiding any nces at his burning arm. Otherwise, the glistening beads of tears would have been for all to see. Despite him being on the brink of tears, no one med him for being emotionally weak. After all, his right arm was entirely destroyed by the impact. A lengthy cut sliced across his right arm, approximately 10cm long. An endless stream of crimson blood burst forth from within, entuating the exposed flesh. In some areas, there were even hints of bones showing.

    From his diagnosis, Gu Jun could tell that this was not a capitellum fracture or a distal fracture of the radius. It was a mid-fracture. Looking at the severe fracture, Gu Jun was perplexed. ording to his medical knowledge, it takes arge force to cause fractures like this. Only impacts, such as that of a car ident, could damage a bone to this extent. How did the turbulence have sufficient power to cause Li Yuerui to sustain this much injury?

    ¡°Based on the preliminary diagnosis, you probably have an open fracture of the forearm.¡± Gu Jun frowned as he looked at the grisly wound. ¡°Brother, I have to do some emergency procedures to fix the bone and stop the bleeding. Otherwise, I am afraid you will experience haemorrhagic shock.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yuerui nodded quickly.

    At this time, the old captain handed the medical box to Gu Jun. ¡°Mr Gu, here you go.¡±

    Immediately, Gu Jun opened the emergency kit. Looking at the scissors and gauze within it, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In truth, this was his first time treating a patient. During the 8 year course at the Eastern University, the students would only be sent for their first internship during the 2nd semester of their 4th Year. This internship wouldst for 1.5 years,sting through their 5th year as well. At this moment, Gu Jun wasn¡¯t even sure if he would survive the entire programme.

    ¡°What other food do you like? List them!¡± as he spoke, Gu Jun snipped away the sleeves on Li Yueruis¡¯s right arm using the scissors. Right on the upper third of the arm, he lined ayer of gauze before binding it tightly with a tourniquet, blocking off all blood flow within the foreman.

    ¡°ARGH! Fried bean sprout, stewed eel. Argh, Fuck! It¡¯s so damn painful!¡± Endless beads of sweat rolled down profusely from Li Yuerui¡¯s forehead. His fist clenched tighter from the searing pain with Gu Jun¡¯s every movement. Between his heavy wheezes, he squealed and forced out the names of various dishes, ¡°fried prawns, baked ms...¡±

    After that, Gu Jun found some nk-like objects to serve as support, setting the fracture in ce. With that in ce, Gu Jun fixed Li Yuerui¡¯s arms¡¯ position, then wrapped them up in bandages. Despite theck of experience and immense pressure, his hands meticulously tended to the wound. The entire process went on without any sense of panic or trembling. Perhaps, due to the Hands of Dexterity.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Looking from the sidelines, Lin Xiaotang asked, ¡°Are you not going to attach his arm?¡±

    ¡°Attach his arm?¡± Without stopping, Gu Jun answered Lin Xiaotang in all seriousness, ¡°This is an open fracture. Never should anyone attempt to reattach it so mindlessly. Forcing the exposed muscles and bones back without any preparation is asking for trouble. This would risk further damage to the nerves and blood vessels, while also exacerbating a potential viral infection deep within the wound. This is just somemon sense within the medical world.¡±

    The professional answer had pulled the zips on Lin Xiaotang¡¯s mouth. Blinking several times, she turned to hide her embarrassment. What an idiotic question she asked. Then again, she was no doctor.

    Such a macabre sight. Who in their right mind would watch this? She probably was already the better few within the lot of them.

    On the other hand, Wu Dong did not dare to even make a single nce during the procedure. In his corner, he cupped his face and balled up in his seat. As he saw Lin Xiaotang walking towards him, he turned his pale white face away while muttering softly over and over again, ¡°I have haemophobia. I have haemophobia.¡±

    Thankfully, before Wu Dong passed out and increased the casualty count, Gu Jun hadpleted his emergency treatments. ¡°Every 40 ¨C 60 minutes, I would have to release the tourniquet for 2 minutes. Preventing your forearm from dying of suffocation. If you feel any difort, you have to tell me immediately.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± A warmer colour was slowly returning on Li Yuerui¡¯splexion. The support and rigid bind around his wound had considerably made him morefortable.

    Gu Jun¡¯s professional and steadfast handling of the stressful situation had brought relief to the group. However, they were still frightened; the safety of the surface was still far away. Fortunately, the submarine was no longer experiencing turbulence.

    ¡°Where¡¯s my phone?¡± Li Yuerui¡¯s eyes darted around, scanning the entire vessel for his phone. This was the first thing he did after he was reenergized. ¡°Everyone help me find it. I think I captured something...¡±

    ¡°Here.¡± It was at Gu Jun¡¯s feet. Massive cracks sprawled across the screen with the system shut down. He held down the power button, but it did not light up.

    Li Yuerui looked nervously beside him. ¡°Oh. Come on.¡± He had risked his life to capture that footage.

    ¡°Let me try.¡± Lin Xiaotang, who was sitting behind Gu Jun, stretched out her hand. Taking the phone, she tried it to no avail.

    ¡°Did you see anything just now?¡± Gu Jun asked Li Yuerui. Vaguely, he remembered the spiked peak.

    ¡°Nope.¡± Li Yuerui sighed in dismay. ¡°I was thrown off so suddenly. Where would I have the time to look out?¡±

    As this phone relied on internal memory space, there was no SD card. Looks like he had to wait for any chances of repair before the footage could be seen.

    40 minutes passed silently. Once again, Gu Jun released the tourniquet for Li Yuerui. During the procedure, Li Yuerui screamed as if a searing hot knife was stabbed deep into his arm. He was gasping frantically as if he was butchered like a pig, almost on the verge of dry vomiting. Throughout, Gu Jun feared for any signs of hemorrhagic shock or vomit. Thankfully, both were just his fears.

    Another 17 minutes passed. With the trickling seconds, the ocean around them brightened up from deep azure blue to light cerulean waters. They were approaching the surface.

    Within an instant, a loud ssh lifted the worries off their chest. The submarine had resurfaced.

    From the windows, the majestic cruise ship could be seen. The light blue sky speckled with fluffy white clouds. The skies were peaceful, without a sign of raging storms to be seen. It was almost as if their horrific experience was non-existent.

    ¡°AH!!!!¡± Bursting out into tears, Wu Dong wailed andughed maniacally. His euphoria of escaping the clutches of death erupted, ¡°We made it! We are alive!!¡±

    ¡°Shut your fucking mouth!¡± Lin Xiaotang snapped furiously. ¡°We aren¡¯t out yet! Don¡¯t you dare jinx it!¡±

    Indeed, a deep fear rumbled within everyone¡¯s hearts. Immediately, Wu Dong¡¯s strong hands cupped over his own mouth in horror.

    Fortunately for them, the submarine leaned steadily beside the cruise ship quickly. Before long, the paramedics arrived since they had been notified early on. Speedily, they mounted Li Yuerui onto a stretcher, which was carefully raised out of the vessel.

    Throughout the evacuation, Gu Jun never stopped his small talk with Li Yuerui. He was keeping an eye on his mental state until the patient was handed over to the ship doctor. After assessing the patient, the ship doctor eximed in sincere gratitude, ¡°Mr Gu, you handled it very well! If this injury was not treated in time, I am afraid all I needed to do was to pronounce him dead!¡±

    To salvage his forearm, Li Yuerui must undergo surgery as soon as possible. However, the medical equipment on the cruise ship was limited. Without dy, the cruise management had prepared a helicopter and transported him directly to Maldives for treatment.

    Apanying him, Lin Xiaotang and Wu Dong also left. At this time, the trio waved goodbye to Gu Jun on the bottom deck of the cruise ship.

    ¡°Dr. Gu, it is all thanks to you this time.¡± All initial arrogance and roughness had disappeared from Wu Dong¡¯s attitude. As he tightly clutched onto Gu Jun¡¯s hands, his eyes were overflowing with gratitude. ¡°Otherwise, I fear Ah Rui would be... When we return to home, we need to meet up again! This is a promise!¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Lying on the stretcher, Li Yuerui solemnly looked at Gu Jun. ¡°You must give me a chance to repay you for saving my life!¡±

    ¡°Just a meal will do,¡± smiling, Gu Jun said. He did not seek any extravagant thanks, he was just doing his duty as a medical practitioner. ¡°Just make sure that all the dishes you listed are served!¡± Hearing that, all of them broke into a peal of relievedughter. Immediately, they exchanged WeChat contacts and phone numbers. With them keeping in touch, he would immediately know if the damaged phone had captured any exciting footage.

    Despite the joyous atmosphere, Lin Xiaotang stood at the side, ring at him without another word. Her eyes swept across Gu Jun once more before leaving, leaking a hint of provocation.

    What the heck? How did I rub her off badly?

    With the transfer done, the crowd dispersed ordingly.

    DING DONG! ¡°Normal Mission Complete!¡±

    Gu Jun suddenly heard a cry in his head.

    ¡°The proficiency of Hands of Dexterity has increased. Currently, level 1 (1000/5000 Proficiency)¡±

    ¡°Mission rewards have been issued: 1 box of human brainstem tumour-targeting drugs. The drug can extend the host¡¯s life by 5 days.¡±

    Suddenly, a weight sank in his jacket¡¯s pocket. Reaching his hands in, he felt a small box in his pocket.

    Seeing that there was no one around, he fished it out and took a look. He was instantly befuddled.

    What are these prints on the box?

 Chapter 4: Foreign Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 4: Foreign Medicine</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    The night sky nketed their surroundings, and the cruise ship slowly sailed on the boundless ocean using a dim light as the only source of illumination.

    In a luxurious suite on the high deck of the cruise ship, Gu Jun sat before a study table. He studied the small box of medicine before him and frowned. It had been more than half a day since he had received this box of medicine as a mission reward, but his doubts had only increased.

    It was a small square paper carton, and the packaging was no different from any conventional flu medicine. However, the text printed on it was neither Chinese nor English, and he was unable to recognise whatnguage it was.

    The box contained only one row of medication which was packed in aluminium foil. There were only five round white capsules.

    There was no manual either, and the unrecognisable font was simrly printed on the aluminium foil.

    ¡°I do seem to have some impression about it,¡± Gu Jun mused to himself. ¡°Was it thenguage of the words inscribed on that rock pir? Or is it some othernguage in the world?¡±

    He had searched the inte for an entire night topare the unknown inscriptions with more than a dozen mainstreamnguages ??and hundreds of other dialects, including rare obtusenguages that were seldom used nowadays. None of them was even remotely simr. It was as though this unknownnguage is not a product of human thought.

    Gu Jun vaguely sensed that the words do not belong to any Earthlynguage. Still, human beings had thousands ofnguages. Perhaps his faint intuition may be proven to be false.

    However, brainstem tumour-targeting drugs? There were not many pharmaceuticalpanies on the that have such pharmaceutical capabilities, only a few pharmaceutical giants did.

    If this was a medicine manufactured in this world, then the text on the box should at least be English, German, or French.

    In addition to the mysterious text, there were identical patterns on the upper right corner of both sides of the box. The size of the logo was simr and seemed to be the trademark. This pattern looked like the side view of a marine creature.

    It had a whale-like body with sharp jagged dorsal and tail fins, but the pectoral and ventral fins had weird limb shapes.

    Like the mysterious text, he was unable to discern what kind of creature it was. Still, the more he studied the image, the more he found that the pattern revealed an unspeakable frenzy.

    After thinking about it for a long time, his head started to hurt. Gu Jun took a look at the time and found that it was nearing midnight.

    Previously, the system had mentioned that the Mission Log would be refreshed at 00:01 daily.

    The clock¡¯s second hand slowly ticked by as Gu Jun watched impassively. The moment it passed the ¡¯12¡¯ numeral, he immediately opened the Mission Log. Indeed, it had been refreshed, and a new set of missions was disyed.

    [NORMAL mission: Use an intravenous infusion needle to thread through a rubber tourniquet and sessfully thread the needle 1000 times to practice your stitching skills. Mission reward: 1 box of human brainstem-tumour targeting drugs. The efficacy can extend the host¡¯s lifespan by five days.

    DIFFICULT mission: Sessfully treat 100 pediatric patients today. Quest reward: 1 Carlo anatomical scissors

    ABYSSAL mission: Complete the dissection of 1x Zombie within one week. Mission reward: UNKNOWN]

    ¡°The Mission Log refreshes every day after midnight, huh? Isn¡¯t this forcing me to stay upte every night? Oh, my poor liver...¡±

    Gu Jun murmured inside his heart. The ABYSSAL mission was still the same. It seemed that although the Mission Log was refreshed every day, the ABYSSAL-level missions would not always change.

    The conditions for the DIFFICULT mission could not be fulfilled on the cruise ship;. In contrast, the clear requirements for the NORMAL mission were rather straightforward. Only a scalp needle and a rubber tourniquet were required.

    Thus, Gu Jun made a call to the service crew and requested for these two items. He told them that he wanted to practice stitching. He was a distinguished VIP guest, and such a small request will naturally be met with no objections. Soon afterwards, a waiter brought the requested items. The items were stored inside a small box.

    As soon as he received the items, Gu Jun epted the NORMAL mission and immediately began doing the desk.

    The rubber tourniquet was themon type: a yellow, hollow rubber band. When you pierce it with a needle, it will resemble the sensation of puncturing a blood vessel. Therefore, a tourniquet was the first step of learning how to stitch for all nurses. Gu Jun had not received systematic nursing training. However, since he was given many injections while experimenting on animals, he was no stranger to intravenous infusion.

    He took a scalp needle and carefully started threading through the tourniquet while maintaining an entry-angle of 30-40 degrees. He had tried it before, but it was not considered a ¡°sess¡± due to not being precise enough.

    After more than two hours ofbouring, ¡°1000/1000¡± was finally achieved. Gu Jun had torn a bunch of tourniquets in the process, and his right arm was sore and aching all over. He hadmitted the mistake of overusing his hand after midnight.

    At this time, Gu Jun heard a now familiar jingle in his head.

    [NORMAL Mission-Mission Completed!]

    [ Proficiency for the Hands of Dexterity has been increased, and the current level is 1 (1500/5000 Proficiency)]

    [Mission rewards have been distributed: 1 box of human brainstem tumour-targeting drugs. Effects: The host¡¯s life could be extended by five days.]

    Once again, Gu Jun felt something heavy weighing in his pocket, and he curiously stretched his hand into his pocket and retrieved another box of pills. A closer look at the two boxes revealed that a few characters printed on the boxes were printed differently. It should be the numbers, batches, production dates and information of that ilk.

    If he had been a linguist, he might be able to discover more points of divergence. However, Gu Jun could only tell the difference in the medical information.

    This looks a lot like temozolomide. Gu Jun took out two rows of ten white capsules inside the two boxes of pills. He repeatedly flipped the boxes around, studying the information from every angle.

    Temozolomide was the mostmon drug against brain stem tumours. However, there were many types of brain stem tumours. Temozolomide treats gliostoma multiforme and anastic astrocytoma. Unfortunately, he was suffering from a medullostoma, and there is no medicine against that on the market.

    Moreover, it was unknown what constitutes the ingredients of these capsules. Still, obviously, it was a chemical-based drug. A small molecule drug. In theory, oral use could pass through the blood-brain barrier and have an effect on tumors. It should be okay to use it.

    The real question was was this really a ¡°human brainstem tumour-targeting drug¡±?

    Gu Jun grew more and more uneasy as he contemted, quietly gazing out at the still sea outside the balcony. What he seemed to be seeing on the ocean¡¯s surface were the rough waters and those indescribable delirious illusions. He saw a monster who was breaking free from the cage of the abyss. It needed sustenance and a living sacrifice.

    ¡°What if I am just livestock? What if these medicines were traps set by monsters? What if death was not the worst possible oue?¡±

    The notion made Gu Jun¡¯s heart throbbed for a while. He stood up and looked at the sea, tightly clenching the pills in his hand.

    The devil will tempt you with what you desire the most.

    That mysterious rock pir at the bottom of the sea, this strange power... Does the research of my parents have anything to do with this?

    Gu Jun paced around a few steps. Although the Hands of Dexterity was effective, it does not mean that the same could be applied to this box of medicine. Even if his life was destined to be a short one, he felt that he needed to be calm and rational in every situation. That was because the irrational choice of losing his cool would often result in disastrous consequences.

    This prudence for the unknown has overshadowed the previous excitement of extending his lifespan.

    What¡¯s more, as a medical student, experimenting on his own body was not something he dared to try.

    I got it!

    Gu Jun thought of a way to test if these two boxes of medicine were really as effective as they were made out to be.

    I must hurry! His lifespan only had 59 days remaining. This reminded him of the torturous countdown to the damned college entrance examination.

 Chapter 5: Eastern University, School of Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 5: Eastern University, School of Medicine</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    As the cool breeze of spring melted away, July came with the warm, scorching summer sun. Under the cocktail blue skies and the glimmering yellow sun, the same Eastern City remained.

    Eastern University¡¯s School of Medicine was situated in the bustling Qingyun District, north of the city. Right beside the ¡°Tallest Peak of Eastern Province¡±, Mt. Qingyun, the prestigious century-old Eastern University School of Medicine stood. This school was just like Mt. Qingyun, standing as the best amongst other schools and boasting world-ss facilities: A faculty of elite professors. Every student graduating from this school would be the creme de creme of their generation.

    As expected of a top-notch institution, students were still gathered even during the summer break, engaging in the array of events and enrichment arranged for their further development. On the sun-baked pathways, students, city-dwellers, vehicles and even tourists roamed.

    ¡°Profound Knowledge, Benevolence for the World¡± The majestic words of their school vision were engraved onto a towering stone pir beside the school gates. Looking at these words, Gu Jun muttered to himself, striding confidently through the gates.

    A different emotion swelled in his heart as he passed the gates for the first time in 3 months. 3 days had passed since the disaster underwater. Yesterday, he hopped onto the earliest flight back to Huaxia¡¯s Eastern City the moment the cruise docked at the Maldives.

    When the clock ticked to 00:00 hours, his missions had refreshed again. However, owing to different circumstances, they were all seemingly impossible. Without a single epted mission, he nonchntly strolled back into school grounds. After all, the plethora of medical facilities presented sufficient opportunities toplete them.

    What¡¯s more, he had to test the potency of the drug he received. To do so, returning to school was inevitable.

    In the streets next to the school gate, there would always be a few stalls of mobile hawkers selling various snacks. Being only seven in the morning, Gu Jun hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. Walking towards a stall selling local Eastern Province snacks, he asked the old hawker, ¡°Uncle, 1 pancake, please. WeChat Pay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The old man pointed to a small QR code sign hanging on the front of the cart. His old face was full of pure smiles. ¡°Five dors per pancake.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun took out his phone and scanned the code to pay, then watched the old man make pancakes.

    The uncle was already in his silver age with hair as white as snow. However, his hands were still dexterous, full of attention, and his eyes were bright with focus. As he wrapped the pancakes, he smiled, ¡°Boy, Let me give you more fillings.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± A simple gesture filled Gu Jun¡¯s heart with warmth.

    Not longter, the pancake was fresh out of the oven. Passionately, the uncle handed it over, the same warm smile on his face. ¡°Eat it while it¡¯s still hot.¡±

    Taking it over, Gu Jun took a huge bite. Immediately, hot juices spurted and covered his mouth. Yes, it was scorching hot, but it was delicious. Even the chefs on the premium cruise could notpare.

    Perhaps, this is the taste of home. Even if the world outside is turbulent and messy, returning to Eastern University is equivalent to returning home.

    ¡°Boy, are you a student of Eastern University?¡± The uncle asked. Seeing the gentle nod, an enthusiastic thumbs-up was raised. ¡°Good! Being a doctor is great! This is a huge contribution to the country. You are a pir supporting society!¡±

    Pir of society... Such high praise. Looks like this uncle is a fervent supporter of Eastern University.

    Gu Jun sniggered to himself, ¡°Uncle, you are exaggerating. Actually, er...¡±

    Breaking into a broad smile, the uncle¡¯s white teeth glistened. ¡°No. not at all. The people I respect the most are doctors. Medicine is good!¡±

    ¡°One can distinguish himself in every trade.¡± Finishing the rest of the pancake in one mouth, he praised, ¡°Just like your craft, your pancakes are superb!¡±

    That one sentence struck a chord with the uncle, who broke into a peal of euphoricughter, ¡°HAHA, this old man like that! Come, let me give you 1 fried fritter!¡±

    Receiving the fritters, Gu Jun still sept the QR code, paying a dor for it. Somehow, he felt as if he yed right into this old uncle¡¯s hands.

    Waving goodbye to the uncle, he strolled down the pavements with the fritters in his hand. As he walked towards theboratories, he passed an array of people, students, tourists, and parents.

    Within the northern sector of the school, while he was still quite a distance from theboratories, an appalled voice called to him from behind, ¡°Tycoon Jun?¡±

    Turning back, he saw a man scurrying towards him with his bicycle, ¡°OMG! It¡¯s really you! I haven¡¯t seen you in several months! WeChat, phone calls, how could you not reply to a single one of them!!¡±

    This man was not short, but not tall either. A victim of early life receding hairline. His balding head entuated his frail listless expression and pair of lifeless eyes. Worse still, the heavy drooping eye bags added several tens of years to his age, making him look as if he was in his forties. Not much younger than the cart vendor from just now.

    In reality, this man was only 21 years of age. His slowly receding hairline was a proud insignia of the ¡°ves of medicine¡±, a consequence of the Everest-like pressure the young aspiring doctors faced and caused symptoms of early ageing.

    This rascal, Cai Zixuan, was one of Gu Jun¡¯s roommates. Both of them were enrolled in the same 8-year course and specialising in clinical medicine. From the start, they got along on good terms. More urately, Cai Zixuan was a simple man and was suffering endless ¡°bullying¡± from Gu Jun. Wherever Gu Jun wreaked havoc, Cai Zixuan cleaned up his mess, sheltered him, and even lent his notes for Gu Jun to copy.

    While Cai Zixuan never followed Gu Jun on his crazy antics, their friendship was still rock-solid.

    ¡°Some stuff happened. Took a break from school. Today is my first day back,¡± Smiling, Gu Jun updated his friend while giving him a light punch on the shoulder.

    When he was first diagnosed, he requested confidentiality from the affiliated hospital of Eastern University. Hence, few people from school knew about his illness. Only a few neurosurgeons of the affiliated hospital knew about his illness, but not his identity as a student of Eastern University.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Cai Zixuan rubbed his shoulders in pain and muttered softly, ¡°Everyone thought you dropped out of school. There were even rumours that you¡¯ve suddenly dropped dead at the bar and that your family was bankrupt. Argh! Whatever! As long as you are back. You probably have to take makeup lessons during this summer vacation. I¡¯ll lend you some notes. ¡±

    ¡°Nice! I want them all.¡± Gu Jun nodded. In his heart, warmth sprouted and enveloped him. ¡°What about you? What are you doing in school during the summer vacation? You failed a module?¡±

    Suddenly, the listless eyes glistened with vitality, Cai Zixuan¡¯s face seemed to drop a few years of age. ¡°I was selected for the Frontier Cup Competition! I¡¯m on Prof. Gu¡¯s team!¡±

    ¡°WOW!¡± A surprised gasp came out. Genuine excitement for his friend surged onto Gu Jun¡¯s face. ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    The Frontier Cup had been run by the medical school in recent years. Undergraduates conduct scientific research experiments during their summer and winter holidays. Every year, students of every major sign up and battle for the coveted spots, but only 60 people can be shortlisted. From those 60 slots, the five-year and eight-year courses would acquire half of those slots.

    In addition to building personal abilities and the development of interpersonal rtionships, there would be even more benefits for participating students who made it to the list.

    The 5-year course undergraduates could secure their Doctorate¡¯s. The 8-year course students could attain the highest honours and reputations. Everyone wanted to get their hands on the schrships.

    ¡°I was so lucky! You know that I¡¯m pretty apt at injecting hamsters with medication.¡± Cai Zixuan was a man full of emotions. ¡°Professor Gu¡¯s research was on photodynamic therapy for tumors. When he heard about my skills, he roped me in. Super lucky.¡±

    As he spoke, he did not hold back anything. Unafraid of hurting Gu Jun¡¯s feelings or tearing apart their friendship. With his understanding of Gu Jun, he knew that thetter was uninterested in the Frontier Cup.

    ¡°What a pir of society.¡± From the bottom of his heart, he ryed the old uncle¡¯s praise onto his friend. Only an ambitious and talented man like him could live up to such high praise.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Cai Zixuan smiled happily, then remembered something. ¡°Oh right...¡±

    This is what Gu Jun would care about.

    He lowered his voice, ¡°We have a situation in the group. I think you need to know.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jun asked.

 Chapter 6: Ascite Tumour-Bearing Mice

    <h4>Chapter 6: Ascite Tumour-Bearing Mice</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Cai Zixuan nced around his surroundings. After confirming that there was no one around, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°The leader of our team is Wang Ruoxiang.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Gu Jun frowned helplessly, thinking ¡®Is that all?''¡±It¡¯s not surprising at all, is it? I¡¯d be surprised if it was not her.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Wang Ruoxiang, after all.¡± Cai Zixuan passionately nodded after hearing Gu Jun¡¯s words.

    Wang Ruoxiang was their ss monitor, who had outstanding academic ability, a beautiful appearance, and a great personality. For a school goddess like her, the number of people lining up to court her could stretch from the teaching building to the bureau centre. Tycoon Jun was naturally one of them as well. He had pursued her passionately, but his courtship eventually ended with Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s harsh words: ¡°Sorry. We are two different kinds of human beings, and I will never fall in love with your kind of human being.¡±

    Huh, a tall, handsome, rich and driven eight-year graduate student actually turned out to be just ¡°that kind of human being¡±?

    During that time, everyone all wanted to thank Tycoon Jun and the ss monitor for making them believe in love again.

    ¡°The ss monitor is still single right now apparently.¡± Cai Zixuan did not realize how nosy he looked right now.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like this.¡± Gu Junughed bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now.¡± Indeed, it¡¯s all in the past. When Tycoon Jun tried to woo the ss monitor back then, how much of it was due to genuine affection and how much of it was just to acquire the goddess that everyone so admired. Such things no longer mattered.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Cai Zixuan stopped talking about the ss monitor and nced at his watch. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s almost 8 o¡¯clock. I¡¯ve got to go to theboratory for the experiments.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m headed to theboratory block as well,¡± Gu Jun replied.

    Cai Zixuan suddenly revealed a surprised look. And he still said that he no longer wanted to pursue the ss monitor? Wow, changing his mind in the blink of an eye... Ahh, it¡¯s good to be young.

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jun was helpless. He wanted to exin, but did not know where to start. ¡°Forget it...¡±

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, you don¡¯t have to exin anything. I totally understand. There are no rivers to one who has crossed the ocean.1 I understandpletely.¡±

    ¡°What do you understand with your amoeba brain?!¡±

    The Medical Experimental Building was located in the northwest area of the campus. It was a dozen-story brick building with white walls and no distinctive features. However, the building had a fully equippedboratory for teachers and students for scientific research.

    ¡°Over here,¡± after entering the building, Cai Zixuan took the lead and introduced the building to Gu Jun while they were walking.

    The subject of the experiment conducted by their group was called ¡°Study on Different Kinds of Photodynamic Therapies for Tumours¡±. It was a study on subcutaneously imnting tumours in mice, then using different photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy and observing tumour changes.

    The funds allocated this time was 30,000 yuan, which seemed excessive for an undergraduate scientific research experiment. However, a pure imported Photofrin photosensitizer can cost up to tens of thousands yuan. To be able to do several kinds of photosensitization experiments, Wang Ruoxiang carefully calcted and saved money to set up a domestically produced imitation Photofrin group, dotiporfin group, ALA group, and a nk control group. A total of 5 groups.

    ¡°The research n and the opening report were all drawn up by the ss monitor.¡± Cai Zixuan couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°I really have to take my hat off for Wang Ruoxiang.¡±

    Although Professor Gu was a mentor, he would only asionally guide them. For an old, established researcher like him, his actual business was to target high-scoring SCI articles. Therefore, the Pioneer Cup still depends on the students themselves. The ss monitors had to shoulder the most responsibilities, but everyone still fought over the opportunity to be one.

    That was because if a thesis paper was published about the experiment, Wang Ruoxiang would be the primary author, while Cai Zixuan and the other team members would only rank behind.

    ¡°We are still in the preliminary stages, which is to establish a model of ascites tumour-bearing mice. The mice had been in cultivation for a week, and we¡¯ll be seeing the results today.¡±

    Cai Zixuan said everything in a single breath before realising that Gu Ju had been silent the entire time. Furthermore, he seemed to frown when he heard the word tumour.

    ¡°Uh, Tycoon Jun? You know that the sess rate of modelling is not 100%, right?¡±

    Cai Zixuan scratched the bald front part of his head. He really didn¡¯t know if Gu Jun understood whatever he said just now.

    ¡°What could possibly be 100% confirmed in this world?¡± Gu Jun lowered his face and facepalmed. Friend, I haven¡¯t reached that level of stupidity yet.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Cai Zixuan was touched by this sentence and disyed an expression as though having seen through the vicissitudes of life. ¡°Life follows a causal rtionship and is as transient as a dream.¡±

    Well, Gu Jun lost Cai Zixuan at this point.

    As they were speaking, the two took the elevator to the eighth floor. Theboratory used by their group was on this floor.

    Following the corridor, they arrived right outside theboratory door. Cai Zixuan pushed the door open and walked in first. He saw that the team members had arrived before him, and he was thest one to arrive.

    ¡°Zixuan, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    At this time, everyone noticed a stranger who entered after Cai Zixuan. The atmosphere in theboratory grew colder. Only the sound of squeaking mice could be heard.

    Tycoon Jun?!

    Didn¡¯t someone say that he dropped out of school to travel around the world? Didn¡¯t someone say that he was already dead? Didn¡¯t someone say that he...

    ¡°Hello, everyone,¡± Gu Jun waved and greeted everyone with a smile, before looking at Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°Hi, ss monitor.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang was standing by an experiment table. She had dark ck short hair and an exquisite face which seemed rather pale, but still gorgeous anyway. She was currently wearing a long white coat, looking like a dashing heroine. Wang Ruoxiang slightly frowned when she saw him. ¡°Hello, Gu Jun.¡± Even her voice was melodious.

    Gu Jun nodded in response. After three months of separation, the ss monitor was still so beautiful. However, he was no longer the same person.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun took a break from school before, and he¡¯s back now,¡± Cai Zixuan exined and started introducing everyone to Gu Jun. The clinical student Xu Hai was an acquaintance, and Zhang Haoran was from Medicine course. He Yuhan belonged to Pharmacy. The members of the group of five were all present.

    Cai Zixuan asked, ¡°ss monitor, Tycoon Jun wants to observe the results with us. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang silently bit her lip and deliberated before saying, ¡°Stay on the side and don¡¯t do anything.¡±

    Tycoon Jun. She murmured the name inwardly. She remembered that when school started a few years ago, she still had a favourable impression of him. Urgh, she felt like vomiting when she looked back. This kind of person is azy sloth, addicted to all vices, and a piece of deadwood which cannot be recycled. Not even mud can patch up the broken wall that is him. He can¡¯t even bepared to the mice in this experiment! Perhaps, his only contribution to the advancement of medical studies is if someone uses him as a human test subject for experimentation.

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Gu Jun obediently stood aside, but he vaguely sensed that Wang Ruoxiang seemed to be rather malicious. It must be my imagination.

    A row of mouse breeding cages has been ced on the experimental bench. Each cage contained a group of white Kunming mice. This was the mostmonly used experimental animal. It was very docile and small. It weighed only 18-22g at the age of 1-1.5 months and was less than 10cm in length. It was suitable for experimentation.

    Except for one cage, the rest were filled with naked rats. Wang Ruoxiang just bought them from the school¡¯s experimental animal centre. Once the modelling was sessful, they woulde in handy.

    As soon as the team members were gathered, everyone immediately started to get down to business.

    PIPA! Wang Ruoxiang put on rubber gloves and started to catch some mice in the model mouse cage. These mice were dyed a different colour to number them. She caught the mousebelled ¡®No 1¡¯. Cai Zixuan and the others were in charge of assisting, recording, video shooting, etc.

    ¡°The eighth day of intraperitoneal imntation of fibrosaa in S180 mice.¡± Wang Ruoxiang studied the mouse with concentration and earnestness, and lightly pressed its abdomen that was obviously swollen. The mouse released a painful howl and struggled violently. It was futile as her hands firmly held on to the mouse.

    She continued, ¡°No 1 mouse¡¯s ascites continued to expand, resembling a frog¡¯s belly. It is still brimming with vitality, so there is no need to euthanize it.¡±

    Listening to what she said, the other team members instantly grew more excited and started mouring loudly. They crowded around the mouse to take a closer look. ¡°So this is the so-called ¡®frog belly? Awesome!¡±

    ¡°It indeed is the frog bell. It¡¯s HUGE,¡± Cai Zixuan eximed emotionally.

    Although they were all eight-years students and already in their final years, it was their first time to do this kind of realistic scientific experiment.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jun also joined in and took a look. He could stillprehend what they were doing.

    The reason for producing ascites tumour-bearing mice first was to obtain arge number of highly active S180 tumour cells. It should be made clear that the original cell line was extremely costly, yet one tube was only sufficient to inject one mouse. Moreover, the subject was very fragile, yet the four treatment groups they nned to research required the cultivation of hundreds of mice.

    Hence, the first step was creation before expansion. Now that the mouse had grown out the ¡®frog¡¯s belly¡¯, it was possible to ¡°collect¡± ascites tumour cells.

    ¡°Gu Jun.¡± Wang Ruoxiang turned his head and nced at him suddenly. ¡°Can you move away? You¡¯re obstructing the experiment.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Jun shrugged and walked away. Wow, you sure are capable. I¡¯m over a metre away from you, but you can still call me an ¡®obstruction¡¯.

    Cai Zixuan and the rest pretended that was happening, while Wang Ruoxiang proceeded to the next stage of the experiment.

    She pierced the abdominal cavity of No 1 mouse with a 5ml syringe and sessfully extracted a full tube of clear yellow ascites. She then injected it into an Eppendorf conical centrifuge tube. She then brought the test tube to the centrifuge to begin centrifugal separation. After centrifugation, one could immediately see arge amount of white sediments at the bottom of the centrifuged tube, which was precisely the ascites tumour cells.

    ¡°Modelling of No 1 mouse was sessful.¡± Wang Ruoxiang breathed a relieved sigh and revealed an overjoyed expression. She was smiling happily at the team members. ¡°Ascites has arge number of S180 tumour cells!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Haha!¡± They were all young people, and no one paid any heed to the feelings of the mice. They crowed and cheered in jubtion. Cai Zixuanmented, ¡°We finally took the first step to sess!¡±

    The first step was sessful, so next was to use these cells to make subcutaneous tumours for the mice in the treatment group. Then, photodynamic therapy was to be performed after the tumour had formed.

    There were still many things to be done. They continue to work tirelessly, removing the supernatant from the centrifuge tube, resuspending the cell count, and adjusting the cell concentration.

    In order to maintain cell activity, all injections must bepleted within one hour. So they were busy with one model mouse after the other.

    ¡°Adjust the cell concentration to 1¡Á10^7/ml ...¡±

    ¡°Yuhan, you are responsible for ensuring there are 0.2 ml cells per needle.¡±

    ¡°Leader, the anaesthesia is ready!¡±

    Every one of them was filled with fighting spirit, and no one seemed to care about Tycoon Jun. They even forgot that he was observing from the sidelines.

    Gu Jun watched the entire proceedings quietly. He watched as He Yuhan busied himself with the cell suspension. Cai Zixuan was anaesthetising healthy mice with sodium pentobarbital intraperitoneal injection, while Xu Hai and Zhang Haoranbelled the mice and depted their hips. Finally, the test subjects were handed over to Wang Ruoxiang, who injected the mice subcutaneously with tumour cells on their right hips.

    No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, the experiment proceeded with one mouse after another.

    Suddenly, a splitting headache assaulted Gu Jun. Was it the brainstem tumour acting up?

    The pain intensified sharply, and he could not help but to cry, ¡°Ah!¡± His sight in front became blurry, flickering unstably like the shadow of a nightmare.

    He seemed to have shortness of breath and uncontroble wheezing. The scenery around him seemed to have morphed into a run-downboratory. The centrifuges, microscopes, sterilisers, and other instruments fell to the ground. Broken test tubes, messy documents, fuzzy images of the cabs, the rancid corpses of animals. The ashes painted everything a dull grey colour, and there was no breath of life. Only chaos and dead silence remained.

    The pain inside his head was getting worse, yet the scenery became more and more clear. He could clearly distinguish some inexplicable instruments.

    And the twisted corpses on the ground. He was unable to identify what kind of animal they were.

    He then saw a line of words written in blood sshed across the wall and the mysteriousnguage on the box of pills. Compared to the standard font of the printed letters, the strokes written in blood were eerie and left a bone-chilling shiver running down the spine.

    All of a sudden, Gu Jun felt like he was able to understand the meaning of those words.

    He softly started to mutter to himself.

    One who has seen the world doesn¡¯t stop at small things

 Chapter 7: The Bloodied Words on the Walls

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Bloodied Words on the Walls</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the Abyss. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

    In an undertone, this peculiar sentence escaped from Gu Jun¡¯s mouth. As he spoke, an excruciating pain pierced his brains, keeping him in endless torment.

    What does this mean? Who wrote these words?

    Horror pounded unceasingly at his chest, surging and paralysing his mind. Vaguely, his eyes saw the bloodied words on the walls as they wormed and wriggled. Soon, it became clear. Every word was formed by countless miniscule parasites grouping together. They were from the corpses, the maggots from the bodies.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun? Hello?¡±

    Suddenly, his consciousness was dragged back into reality by a concerned voice. In that instant, all the visions of the macabre scene vanished without leaving a trace. Looking at the surroundings, Gu Jun let out deep and hoarse pants as he stared around nkly. Around him, Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, and the rest had all stopped and turned to look at him.

    ¡°Are you alright? Is anything wrong?¡± Cai Zixuan asked profusely in session while helping him to regain his feet together with Xu Hai. The sudden scream had struck them by surprise. When he cupped his head, and his expression turned white as snow, they all knew that this was not a joke.

    ¡°Have a seat.¡± Pulling a tallboratory stool over, Wang Ruoxiang gestured towards Gu Jun. She may not like this man too much, but she certainly did not wish him to drop dead.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun shook his head slightly, not taking up the goodwill. ¡°Just imagined some things.¡±

    That disturbing sentence gued his mind like an unceasing nightmare.

    Also, thatboratory... Did it really exist? Was it just his hallucination?

    ¡°In any case, do not be too stubborn and force yourself too hard.¡± Wang Ruoxiang was slightly suspicious. ¡°Yourplexion is terrible, almost as if you just got scooped out of a pail of formalin.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s lips twitched in disbelief, speechless.

    What sort of nonsensical metaphor was that you idiot!

    ¡°Want some hot water?¡± she frowned as she continued.

    Hot water? Gu Jun sighed to himself. Rule 1 of clinical medicine, the all-around medicine is hot water.

    Right at that moment, the doors of theboratory opened. Walking inside, a figure asked, ¡°My dear students, how are your experiments going?¡±

    The crowd turned and greeted, ¡°Professor Gu.¡±

    The man who walked in was between his middle-age and silver years. His hair was already half white. However, every step he took was still confident and steady. His white coat trailed majestically behind him. This man was the mentor of their group and the teacher of physiology sses during the semester, Professor Gu Rong.

    Professor Gu was famous for his easy-going personality. Often telling his students cold jokes, and even responding to the jokes his students might crack. Within the school, he was very popr. Yet, as soon as Professor Gu saw Gu Jun, the smile on his face disappeared. ¡°Oh? Little Gu is here too.¡±

    ¡°Professor Gu.¡± Gu Jun nodded. His tone was severe and courteous, stemming from his deep respect towards Professor Gu. ¡°Following along and hoping to learn some things.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s odd.¡± Professor Gu¡¯s voice was very stiff, evidently suppressing his sullen mood. ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to work so hard.¡±

    Exchanging nces, the entire crowd knew the reason for Professor Gu¡¯s tant displeasure. He resented Gu Jun for not living up to his potential.

    In retrospect, Professor Gu was thest teacher to ¡°give up¡± on Tycoon Jun. In the past, he had shielded and kept Gu Jun under his wing. The sole reason for the school not expelling Gu Jun from the prestigious 8-year course was due to professor Gu¡¯s efforts. Professor Gu was a teacher that Gu Jun was much indebted to.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you need to sit-in for makeup tests?¡± Indeed, Professor Gu was steaming mad. The moment this rascal entered his line of sight, a magma-hot anger erupted within him.

    Following along to learn something? In the Gaokao exams, Gu Jun¡¯s score positioned him as the creme de creme amongst his peers. What¡¯s more, he was not someone who memorised blindly and also had every single talent needed to be a doctor. If he studied seriously, it would have been no surprise for him to attain a position within thisboratory.

    ¡°Professor Gu, Tycoon Jun, oh no.¡± Cai Zixuan immediately changed his terms, ¡°Jun is indeed preparing for makeup tests.¡±

    ¡°In that case, get back and go read your books and notes!¡± At this moment, Professor Gu already lost all his expectations for Gu Jun. ¡°The test would not include anything we¡¯re doing inside thisboratory!¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Then, I shall take my leave.¡± Scanning across everyone present, Gu Jun turned and left.

    In these past months, Gu Jun had been stricken by guilt every time he remembered Professor Gu. Thetter had ced so much effort and goodwill, yet he had let him down. Now, Gu Jun was seen as a lost cause. Everything he wished to say would be futile. He had to prove that he had changed with his actions.

    ¡°Everyone, let me tell you inly. Gu Jun is a talented man,¡± Professor Gu¡¯s voice resounded loudly across the entireboratory as if he was speaking indirectly to Gu Jun, who was still not too far away, ¡°but he was stubborn. He refused to see the important things and sessfully courted death. The most important thing in learning medicine is not intelligence, but steadfastness, carefulness, and resilience. Take him as a lesson learnt and work hard!¡±

    ¡°I have just received some news,¡± Professor Gu spoke again after a while. In a stern voice, he dered, ¡°The Provincial Department of Health has cedrge amounts of attention on this time¡¯s Frontier Cup and is hoping to select a team of medical talents. As for their criterion and aim, I do not know much at the moment. However, the attention is indeed considerable.¡±

    Hearing the news, the entireboratory fell into silence.

    There was no news regarding this before. What is happening?

    On the other hand, Gu Jun knocked at another door, which was a stone¡¯s throw away, after leaving theboratory.

    When the doors opened, a young man of average stature and wearing a pair of frameless spectacles weed him. He gave off a schrly and sophisticated vibe with several strands of hair standing at the top of his head, much like the famed detective Conan. This man was Zhang Lin or Brother Zhang.

    Brother Zhang was 2 years ahead of Gu Jun. After he graduated from the 5-year course, he continued his Doctorate¡¯s degree and was currently in his first year. The two of them had met in the basketball society and struck off as good friends. When Gu Jun disappeared for the past months, Zhang Lin was perplexed. Gu Jun had not contacted him at all until yesterday¡¯s sudden call.

    Walking in theboratory, Gu Jun closed the door and asked, ¡°Brother, did you bring the things I asked for?¡±

    He had to rush. There was an ufortable sense of foreboding churning within him. He had to rush his time.

    ¡°I did bring it,¡± with his eyes fixated onto Gu Jun, Zhang Lin spoke. He did not let a single change of expression escape his eyes. ¡°Are you really just doing an experiment?¡±

    ¡°Of course, what else can I do? Murder?¡± Gu Jun snorted in disbelief. ¡°Brother, rx. I will not joke around with this. Am I that kind of person?¡±

    Trust me. If I genuinely plot to kill anyone, there are at least 100 of more cruel and more straightforward ways. Just that not a single one would let me escape scot-free.

    With a burst of self-deprecatingughter, he continued, ¡°I also read Keigo Higashino(1), I know my limits.¡±

    ¡°Hm...¡± Hearing the sessive assurance, Zhang Lin finally nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    In truth, he would have relented much more quickly if it was anyone else. However, this man was Tycoon Jun. He had to be absolutely sure.

    The Cell Research Lab was notrge. On one side, there were 2 straight rows of sparkling clean workspace. On the other side, medical equipment, electric-heated thermostatic water bath, centrifuge, and other equipment covered the area. Two cell incubators were leaning against the walls at the front.

    A stainless steel trolley was positioned beside the workspace. On it was a small hand-carry liquid nitrogen tank, covered in a thick deep green sleeve.

    ¡°Cells of medullostoma are very rare and expensive. If not for Eastern University, you probably would have a lot of trouble trying to buy it,¡± he said while pointing at the liquid nitrogen tank. ¡°These are the cells from theb. I¡¯ve brought them for you.¡±

    Gu Jun walked over, looked at the liquid nitrogen tank, and took a deep breath.

    To test the ¡°human brainstem tumour targeted therapy drugs¡±, he nned to conduct animal experiments instead of drug analysis.

    Drug analysis was still needed, but not now. The analysis required a certain amount of drugs for it to be urate. Even if he had sacrificed everything within the capsules, it was not enough. What¡¯s more, it was time-consuming and the results did not directly reflect the potency of the drug. All he would get was a veryplicated list of chemicals.

    That can¡¯t give him the answer he needed. Only the experiments could provide him with a proper reflection of the drug¡¯s efficacy.

    His experiment n was simr to Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s conduct of nurturing the tumour on animals before treating them with the drug.

    However, Wang Ruoxiang nurtured tumours on mice. For his experiment, he wished to cultivate Human Brain Tumours. Hence, ordinary mice would not be suitable. After all, humans and mice were from a different genus. Their innate immune system would exterminate the human tumour cells. He had to use nude mice with immunity deficiencies.

    Human medullostoma cells are all within the liquid nitrogen tank. Rejuvenation had to be done before they could be used.

    ¡°Is that old Chinese Medicine Doctor you speak of really so godlike?¡± Zhang Lin asked as he put on disposable gloves and masks. ¡°Is he really able to cure Cell tumour with these powdered Chinese Herbs?¡± His spectacles shed with vignce and scepticism. Deep down, he was not convinced at all. ¡°I think he is a fake psychic. ¡±

    However, Tycoon Jun had also dabbled in these sort of nonsensical experiments, which resulted in Zhang Lin no longer suspecting even a single bit.

    ¡°Whether he is a miracle doctor or a fake psychic, we have to try before we know.¡± Gu Jun had also put on gloves and a mask. He knew that Brother Zhang was suspicious and immediately diverted the topic to other irrelevant issues. ¡°Regardless, this old guy knows a lot. His massage is top-notch. I will take you there when you have the time. ¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Zhang Lin said and opened the lid of the liquid nitrogen tank. Immediately, a cold mist spewed out from the mouth of the container.

    He held the lifting hook near the mouth of the tank and slowly lifted out a lifting tube inside the tank. As the machine emerged, the cold mist got denser.

    Additional Notes

    A famous mystery novel author in Japan.

 Chapter 8: Experiments With The Foreign Medicine

    <h4>Chapter 8: Experiments With The Foreign Medicine</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Zhang Lin took a lifting cylinder out of the liquid nitrogen tank and extracted a cryopreservation tube from the lifting cylinder. He then carefully ced the lifting cylinder back inside, as there were still cryogenic tubes for many other cells in the lifting cylinder. After Zhang Lin sealed the lid of the liquid nitrogen tank again, he started a series of patient and meticulous operations.

    He first ced the cryopreservation tube in a water bath and quickly thawed it with a hot water bath of 37¡ãC, before going to the centrifuge and centrifugation for five minutes. Next, he sat down at the ultra-clean bench and turned the opening of the centrifuge tube to the alcoholmp. He carefully heated and sterilised the tube. Following that, he discarded the waste liquid, added a fresh cultured medium with a pipette, and repeatedly mixed the solution.

    Gu Jun had been watching beside him seriously the entire time. Every time he had questions, he directed them to Brother Zhang and managed to gain a lot of new knowledge.

    For example, the speed control of the rotation of the centrifuge, the suction and discharge control of the pipette, etc. Even a little carelessness in these resuscitation operations would affect the cell survival and proliferation rate.

    Finally, Zhang Lin poured the cell suspension into a petri dish and added an appropriate amount of the cultured solution. He then ced it into a cell culture incubator and set it at 37¡ãC and 5% CO2.

    ¡°Wait for at least two days.¡± Zhang Lin took off his mask and pushed his sses. ¡°I rmend that you culture it for a week so that the tumour formation rate would be guaranteed.¡±

    ¡°I will try the first batch after two days.¡± Gu Jun shrugged. There was no other option. Time was simply not on his side. The system showed that his symptoms would worsen after 30 days. He said, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go out for a meal tonight? My treat.¡±

    ¡°Forget it.¡± Zhang Lin waved him off. ¡°I still have to feed the mice at night. It¡¯ll be my treat then.¡±

    ***

    Gu Jun spent the next two days on campus. Other than getting together with friends and reminiscing about the past, he was only doing two things. First was to read up on books to prepare for his remedial tests. If he did not die then have to repeat the grade, it would prove to be quite troublesome as well. The second was to go to theboratory every day to take care of the cells and change the culture medium.

    On the morning of the third day, Zhang Lin personally came to observe. He mentioned that the cells had barely grown, and he helped with the subculture and preparation of cell suspensions.

    On the other hand, Gu Jun went to the Experimental Animal Centre of the school. It was actually arge base for breeding and was located a few hundred meters outside the school park.

    He bought five naked mice. Each costing over one hundred yuan, which was rather expensive. Fortunately, he still had 20,000 yuan in deposits, but it would notst him for long.

    When money is needed, one could onlyment not having enough. Gu Jun really regretted donating the money so early. After all, he was still alive, yet his money was gone.

    Ahem. Each of these naked mice was about the same size as two or three fingers and had no hair. Just as its name suggested. They were packed inside a sterile box. Once theye into contact with the external bacteria environment, they could quickly be infected and die of disease. Therefore, the usual breeding and experiment processes need to be performed in an isted environment.

    Eastern University¡¯s istion environmentboratories were located in the Experimental Animal Research Centre. This five-story yellow brick building was next to theboratory building.

    Gu Jun and Zhang Lin met in the lobby on the first floor of the research centre and booked an hour-long session for the use of a small naked mouse room. This was a small room of only 21 square meters. It was divided into a front room and a rear room. The front room had a test bench and instruments. Whereas, the rear room is a breeding room.

    Before entering, all their belongings and their bodies had to be strictly sterilised by ultraviolet sterilisation. The two set foot in the naked mouse room with a full-body gear of protective suit, masks, gloves, foot covers, and other protective equipment.

    Soon after in the anteriorboratory bench, Gu Jun marked the five naked mice by punching holes in their ears and proceeded to inject them with tumour cells subcutaneously on the right side of the buttocks.

    Zhang Lin was responsible for assisting him. These cells could infiltrate the human body and theoretically form tumours inside. Seeing that Tycoon Jun was being so enthusiastic about the naked mice, he was now certain that this little brother was not plotting murder.

    After all five naked mice were injected, Gu Jun ced them inside a feeding cage. Whates after was to observe if they could form tumours.

    ¡°Brother, thank you very much,¡± Gu Jun thanked Brother Zhang. After all, it would not have been possible for the experiment to run so smoothly without his help.

    ¡°The old Chinese Medicine doctor that you mentioned.¡± Zhang Lin still had a wary expression on his face. ¡°Are you sure he isn¡¯t a conman?¡±

    ***

    In the following week, Gu Jun continued his previous daily routine, except that he now went to the naked mouse room daily to check on the progress of the caged naked mice. Their rearing was taken care of by the management of the naked mouse room.

    He onlypleted three NORMAL missions this week as he was unable to fulfil the requirements of ¡°patients requiring treatment¡±. Although the hospital was nearby, he was not a certified doctor yet. The tasks hepleted were all rted to medical procedures. He had already gotten his hands on five boxes of pills, and the Hands of Dexterity had progressed but still was in the first tier (3000/5000 Proficiency).

    On the seventh day, Gu Jun once again went into the naked mouse room with aseptic equipment and examined the naked mice individually.

    None of the mice had died. A soybean-like round tumour had grown under the skin on the right side of No 1¡¯s buttocks. Measurements had shown that the diameter was 0.5 cm. No 3 and No 4 also had visible protrusions, with diameters of 0.3 cm and 0.5 cm respectively, while No 2 and No 5 still showed no signs of tumour formation.

    At this point, he can confirm that out of the five naked mice, three had formed tumours.

    Gu Jun divided two tumour-forming naked mice as Group A and one tumour-forming naked mouse as Group B. Whereas the two naked mice, which had no tumours forming, was split into Group C and Group D respectively. He then went to the Animal Centre to buy 10 additional healthy naked mice and divided them into two. The 5 of themprised Group E, and the other 5 split into Group F. Groups A, C, and E would receive the same dosage of the ¡°foreign medicine¡± (the name he came up with) daily. At the same time, Groups B, D, and F would not be given any medications and were the control group.

    All in all, there were three sets: tumour-forming naked mice, non-tumour-forming naked mice, and healthy naked mice. Each set of groups had a group prescribed with the ¡°foreign medicine¡±, and one group without medication.

    At this point, six cages had been prepared on the experiment table, and the naked mice squeaked noisily, creating a din.

    Gu Jun tinkered with 25 isotonic capsules. Since the system description mentioned that one box could extend one¡¯s lifespan by five days, that should mean that one capsule is equivalent to one day of lifespan since there are five capsules inside a box. This was the dosage for an average human adult, and these naked mice weighed below 20g on average. If they had to be fed one capsule a day as well, then he would have to make some sacrifices.

    He poured out all the medicinal powder in a single capsule and weighed the dose. He then converted the weight of the naked mouse to his own weight to figure out the rmended dosage, formted a solution, and diluted it in proportion.

    Soon, Gu Jun held a syringe filled with the solution in one hand, grasped a fixed healthy naked mouse in the other, and started the first experiment of intragastric administration.

    ¡°Squeak squeak squeak.¡± The naked mouse struggled a little, but the poor thing was still injected by his needle, and thus left its contribution to medicinal studies.

    At this moment, Gu Jun¡¯s heartbeat started beating a little faster, and his eyes stared unblinking at the naked mouse.

    He had not tested the toxicity of the ¡°foreign medicine¡± until this moment. If it dies suddenly, then perhaps this experiment would lose all its meaning. Now he stared at the clock. 5 minutes, then 10 minutes...

    Almost half an hour passed, and the naked mouse still had not shown any abnormalities.

    It seems that there is no apparent toxicity in the ¡°foreign medicines¡±. Gu Junsong breathed out a sigh of relief. ¡°I still need to observe for slow-acting toxins, though.¡±

    He then continued to administer the solution to the next naked mouse. After taking ten minutes toplete the administration to the other seven naked mice in the other three groups that required medication, he continued observing for an additional hour. None of them disyed any abnormal response. They were still able to cry out loudly and ingest food and water.

    ¡°Dear mice friends, please live,¡± Gu Jun murmured, pressing down on his aching head. His condition was clearly worsening. ¡°Please make it. I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    ***

    On the second and third day, Gu Jun continued toe to the naked mouse room daily.

    The tumours in the naked mice without medication in Group B had swelled from 0.3 cm to 0.6 cm, while their body weight and mental state had no visible change. However, the size of their tumours remained the same for Group A mice with administration two dayster. It was still maintaining 0.5 cm.

    Gu Jun knew the implications of these results: the ¡°foreign medicine¡± really worked! These capsules can significantly inhibit tumour growth.

    On the other hand, the other naked mice which were administered the medication proceeded as usual. This also meant that the ¡°foreign medicine¡± seems to have no adverse effects and does not damage the body¡¯s functions.

    ¡°Maybe, I can really survive this time?¡± Gu Jun thought to himself. Although uneasiness still haunted his heart, a new hope lit at the same time.

    The fourth day, the fifth day... in the blink of an eye, a week had passed.

    The tumour in the naked mice of Group B had grown to a size of 1.5cm. The colossal tumour contrasted sharply with its thin body. It began to lose weight and seemed to have lost its spirit. However, the two naked mice in Group A continued to be in a stable condition, and all the administered naked mice were surviving well. There was practically no difference from the mice set as the control group.

    He had to say that the results obtained from this experiment were simply too satisfying.

    The effects of the drug written in foreignnguage were simply better than the top small-molecule tumour-targeting medicines currently on the market.

    However, Gu Jun also knows that the adverse reactions of the ¡°foreign medicine¡± cannot bepletely ruled out yet. The results of the experiment only proved that there were no short-term side effects. Plus, this was an experiment conducted on animals. There were specific essential differences from human clinical trials.

    However, the results of this experiment were already well worth it for him to risk it.

    After writing his will in the afternoon of that very day, Gu Jun arrived at the waiting room of the emergency department at the affiliated hospital of Eastern University. Surprisingly, he found a seat on a waiting bench. The surroundings were crowded with patients and their family members, most of which were crying children and theirforting parents. Nurses walked in a hurry while pushing rescue beds.

    Amongst the noisy bustle, the emergency department broadcast continued to call out patient numbers, ¡°No 182, Chen Ziyang. No 183, Wang Yuxuan. No 184, Huang Zixuan...¡±

    Heaving a sigh, Gu Jun resolutely threw a capsule of ¡°foreign medicine¡± into his mouth, and took a sip of mineral water to swallow it.

    ¡°Bring it.¡± He calmly looked at the emergency sign on the wall over at a nearby wall. ¡°If there¡¯s any toxic reaction, bring it all at once!¡±

 Chapter 9: An Unnamed Parcel

    <h4>Chapter 9: An Unnamed Parcel</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    In the Emergency Department

    Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

    The hands of the clock on the wall of the waiting area moved in a circle. With his eyes fixated, Gu Jun watched as the second hand went round and round. Soon, another five minutes passed. To his surprise, his body did not feel anything strange, and the tension in his heart gradually eased.

    ¡°No. 186, Li Zixuan,¡± the radio called another number. Immediately, the parents took their child to the emergency room, and some other parents got up and asked the nurses who passed by frantically, ¡°When would it be my child¡¯s turn?¡±

    In the emergency department, the patients were called by number. Patients in dire situations would be called first for treatment. Contrary tomon belief, the emergency department was not always embroiled in the fight to pull deathbed patients from Death¡¯s gates. Many patients were like the ones here now. Mainly consisting of children who caught a cold or cough, waiting to go to the pediatric clinic, screaming and bawling their lungs out as they waited for their numbers.

    As he sat in his seat, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes continuously scanned his surroundings. He was wary of possible conflicts that might erupt around him. For him, today was a terrible time to be involved in a dispute.

    Suddenly, a system message popped up in his mind.

    Your brain stem tumour¡¯s growth has halted under the effects of targeted therapy drugs.

    Oh?

    Immediately, Gu Jun tapped the system¡¯s options on Host¡¯s Details. Quickly, charts upon charts spawned in front of him. Looking at the myriad of numbers and graphs, there were no apparent abnormalities. Only that his heart rate was decreasing.

    Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

    Another hour passed. ¡°No. 208, Zhang Haoxuan.¡±

    Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

    2 hours passed. ¡°Number 231, Wei Xinrui.¡±

    From morning to the afternoon, and from the afternoon to evening. For 10 long hours, Gu Jun sat in the emergency department. Conscientiously, he recorded all of the data that were presented on the system about his health. All statistics pointed towards a stable and healthy range. Not to mention, he felt an undeniablefort spreading in his brain. The massive and piercing pain slowly trickled away.

    ¡°This Foreign medicine is seriously a miracle worker.¡±

    Looking at the small bottle holding the capsules, there were 33 of them now. Gu Jun had attained some more throughout the week through the missions.

    Looks like these can actually be used clinically.

    However, the system had not dropped even a single clue as to how long this treatment wouldst untilplete recovery. There were words on the packaging, but the terms made even less sense than Greek to Gu Jun. ording to his spections, if the drug could suppress the tumour continually, the tumour could very well wither and even disappear altogether. It might take months or even years. There was no way to put an actual number on it.

    Gripping tightly onto the bottle, a long sigh escaped Gu Jun.

    Looks like I¡¯m not dying yet. Indeed, viins live the longest.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Standing up and stretching, Gu Jun packed up his items and left the emergency department. While he walked through the ss doors, the entire area was still booming with a cacophony of chatters, bawling, and anxiety. The parents and children had it tough, but the doctors and nurses had it the toughest.

    Standing at the entrance of the hospital, Gu Jun stopped and looked up at the azure-blue sky. An inexplicable emotion swirled inside his heart.

    The experimentation on Foreign Medicine had to continue. He had to find out the long term effects of the treatment. In any case, the naked mice did not require much medication every day. He could request for the Naked Mouse Room to help with the rearing and feeding of drugs. He also had some savings left. However, there was no time to waste.

    ¡°I need to study medicine well and be a good doctor,¡± Gu Jun swore to himself.

    Before this, he had reflected on his way of life during these previous years. Sometimes, he had believed that his terminal illness was retribution, a punishment from the Heavens.

    Now that he had a second chance, he steeled his heart to seize this life and leave no regrets.

    What¡¯s more is that some things needed to be checked.

    He knew that this mysterious power, the system, was rted to the anomaly activities of the Longkan Oceanic Belt. Anomalies urred in Longkan, and it was a frequent urrence. The brimming excitement of the Li Yuerui trio also proved it. They had received news before their exploration.

    Most importantly, Gu Jun was dying to know.

    Is this rted to my parent¡¯s ident? Where is the Seabird?

    ¡°Speaking of which. Did Li Yuerui capture anything?¡± As Gu Jun stopped by the shade of a nearby tree and fished out his phone. It had been half a month since their ident. Within these 15 days, not a word was heard from the trio. A few days back, he had taken the initiative, sending a message to Li Yuerui and Wu Dong on Wechat. s, not only was there no response, the phones were even shut down when he called. It was as if these 2 men had vanished from the face of the earth.

    As for Lin Xiaotang, Gu Jun did not exchange contact details with her, leaving her condition an absolute mystery.

    Gu Jun craved to find out not just about the recording, but also the results of Li Yuerui¡¯s operation on his fracture.

    ¡°Did something happen to them?¡±

    Walking along the path back to the university, curious and outrageous thoughts popped up repeatedly in his mind.

    With their background, they couldn¡¯t have been kidnapped, right? Maybe the helicopter had an ident? Impossible, the old captain would have long gone mad if that was the case. What¡¯s more, there was no news about this.

    As his thoughts brewed, something odd caught his attention. A man was staring at him from the junction in front. Yet, the moment their eyes met, he turned and left immediately.

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows puckered. Something was wrong. This man... It didn¡¯t seem like it was their first time meeting. Crew cut, ordinary physique, and ordinary appearance. He looked just like a middle-aged uncle. Yet, somehow he felt that the man¡¯s eyes were eternally shrouded in a kind of gloomy and ominous vibe.

    ¡°Did I overthink?¡± Gu Jun shook his head. Recently, the illusions had driven him to be overly suspicious of everything.

    All the way back to the campus dormitory area, he was more mindful and paid extra attention to his surroundings. However, he never saw the man¡¯s figure again.

    Maybe he¡¯s just a passerby? Could it be deja vu? Gu Jun was not sure.

    The dormitory area was just a collection of a few humble old apartments. Sweeping one¡¯s eyes across. Many air-conditioning vents, clothing protectives, and some balcony nts dotted the apartment surfaces.

    As he pondered over the repeated appearance of this man, he came to the fifth floor of one of the apartments and walked into a bedroom.

    The 8-year course students also stayed in 4-men rooms. They were not huge. Every person was entitled to an elevated bed and mattress. Underneath was their study table and the ensuite wardrobe. Just like every medical student, countless books and notes buried the table surface. Along with the clutter were diagnosis equipment, human anatomy figures, and a lot more. All of it were items exclusive to medical pursuers.

    Since it was summer break, the only two within the room were him and Cai Zixuan.

    The moment he walked in, a mouth-watering aroma filled his nose. He saw Cai Zixuan by the balcony with a book on hand. Beside him, a baro pot was in a rolling boil. The lid ttered due to the popping bubbles underneath. Watching the steam teasingly escape, Gu Jun asked, ¡°Zixuan, what soup are you making?¡±

    Between the 4 of them, Cai Zixuan had an aptitude for cooking. He would often offer a bowl or two of delicious soup to everyone. With that in mind, all thoughts of breaking electrical appliances quickly vanished.

    ¡°Pig organs soup with wolfberries.¡± Putting the book ¡°Medical Pathology¡± down, Cai Zixuan gave his fatigued face a thorough wipe and said, ¡°Today, we dissected 2 pigs in ourboratory. Both were premium goods, raised without a single drop of drugs. However, they were prepared to throw away all of these innards as biological waste. So I thought that it would be great to make a bowl of soup with them to rejuvenate our tired bodies. When I rmended this to the group leader, she even let me off half a day early!¡±

    Swallowing a dry gulp, Gu Jun asked, ¡°Do I have a share?¡± The enticing aroma had perked his appetite. While others may find the source of the innards disturbing, he was unfazed. In the past, they had even taken a dissected rabbit back from their animal anatomy ss and held a hotpot party!

    ¡°Of course! I made a huge pot. Oh, right!¡± Suddenly, Cai Zixuan seemed to have recalled something. ¡°The mailroom had sent a parcel for you.¡±

    ¡°The mailroom?¡± Gu Jun was shocked. He had not ced any online orders recently.

    ¡°It¡¯s an international parcel. It¡¯s on your desk.¡± Cai Zixuan was perplexed. ¡°Thedy in the mailroom said that this parcel had been stuck with them for a couple of days. None of them could confirm the recipient¡¯s information. Only when they called the dormitory today could they confirm that it was for you. So, they quickly sent it over. ¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun walked to his desk in doubt. Immediately, he saw a small yellow paper parcel on the table. Picking it up, he looked at the consignment note on the package. It was in both English and Chinese. It was sent from Maldives. The sender was a string of numbers ¡°233333¡±, and the recipient was ¡°Mailroom of Eastern University, School of Medicine. Gu Jun, an eight-year student.¡±

    Maldives?

    A thought suddenlyes to mind. Could it be from Li Yuerui?

    Gu Jun immediately picked up a pair of scissors on the table and carefully opened the parcel. Inside, there was a small paper box. He continued to open it.

    When he saw the contents of the carton, shock, and suspicion came to him.

 Chapter 10: The Last Recorded Footage

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Last Recorded Footage</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    There was a mobile phone in the paper parcel.

    The screen of this phone was cracked, but Gu Jun could recognize that this was Li Yuerui¡¯s phone.

    Suppressing the brimming doubts in his heart, he held onto the power button. However, the phone refused to respond. The phone did not seem to have been repaired at all.

    Who sent this to me? And why?

    ¡°If this was sent by Li Yuerui and the others, then some urgent situation must have happened,¡± Gu Jun reasoned carefully. ¡°They should be facing a situation where the loss of this phone was imminent, and the people seeking to seize the phone were beyond their ability to handle. However, they did not want the mobile phone to be obtained by the other party, and they could not send it to any of their acquaintances as well. Hmm, was it because their acquaintances were unable to hold on to the mobile phone? Perhaps, the acquaintance would either willingly hand it over or may face the possibility of robbery? In short, since I was someone they barely know and a stranger, they sent me the mobile phone in a hurry. Is that really the case?¡±

    Gu Jun studied the mobile phone in his hand and was silent for a while. What should he do?

    If they could not hold on to it with Li Yuerui¡¯s background, he naturallycked the ability to do it as well. If the person who wanted to seize the phone found out that the phone was with him, it will definitely incur trouble for him. He abruptly recalled the cold and mysterious man. Could it have something to do with him?

    Regardless of whether the man was following him or not, he could not afford to handle this matter carelessly.

    Gu Jun could not inquire about Li Yuerui¡¯s situation too overtly. This cell phone... He also couldn¡¯t go to just anyone to fix it.

    Gu Jun sorted out the thoughts in his head. The most optimal solution right now was to try to fix it himself despite hisck of knowledge at this kind of thing.

    ¡°The soup is ready,¡± at this time, Cai Zixuan called out over the balcony. ¡°Was the parcel delivered to the wrong address?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s mine.¡± Gu Jun put the mobile phone in his pocket. He tossed aside the thoughts about the mobile phone and walked over to drink some soup.

    Cai Zixuan scooped a bowl, which was brimming with soup and even included several pig kidneys and livers inside. He showed an affectionate mother-like smile. ¡°Here¡¯s a big bowl of soup for you. It¡¯s very nourishing.¡± Recently, Tycoon Jun¡¯s diligence in studying was witnessed by Cai Zixuan. Even though he told the ss monitor, she was still sceptical. However, he felt that this old friend of his seemed to have turned over a new leaf. At least, his performance over thest half a month was worthy of this bowl of soup.

    ¡°It smells so fragrant.¡± Gu Jun epted the still-steaming bowl and repeatedly blew on it to cool it down.

    Cai Zixuan served himself a small bowl and started blowing on it too.

    After the soup has cooled down sufficiently, the two followed the tradition in the dormitory. They toasted their soup bowls in the direction of the human skeleton model, ¡°Old Wang¡±, at the corner to pay tribute, before finally starting to drink the soup.

    Gu Jun took a sip, and his mouth was instantly overwhelmed with a sweet and fragrant taste. It gently rolled down his throat and into his stomach, with a savoury aftertaste still lingering between his teeth and cheeks. Sure enough, it is great to be alive!

    After quickly finishing half a bowl of soup, he took a piece of pork liver and chewed on it a few times. However, he felt like he was gnawing on a stone. He couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too hard? I reckon this pig should have liver cirrhosis.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Cai Zixuan heard his words and tried a piece as well, then spat it out. He emotionally said, ¡°It¡¯s true. No wonder it¡¯s so short-lived.¡±

    After the two beautifully finished their respective bowls of soup, Cai Zixuan packed the remaining soup in a thermos bottle. He intended to bring it to theboratory building for Wang Ruoxiang and the rest to enjoy.

    After Cai Zixuan left, Gu Jun closed the bedroom door immediately and went to lock the balcony door as well. He even closed the curtain to ensure the privacy of his surroundings. He then returned to his desk and turned on hisptop. He intended to research as to how to repair a mobile phone.

    Gu Jun was not a science geek, but his level was simr to any ordinary guy. After looking through many research materials, he finally figured out what to do. In this case, it was likely that either the battery or the power cord was damaged and had a weak contact point. Only these kinds of minor problems were within his ability to handle.

    He immediately went to flip through his dormitory to find some screwdrivers and some other tools. He began to repair the mobile phone while watching online tutorials.

    First was to remove the phone case and remove the battery and otherponents. Gu Jun then found out that the SIM card had already been removed. He ignored this as repairing the phone takes precedence. Gu Jun pressed down on the power button.

    Buzz! The phone trembled, and the cracked screen lit up. It entered the starting interface and booted up sessfully.

    Gu Jun inwardly praised himself as a genius. This is about the saying picking up a scalpel can save people, while picking up a screwdriver can save a phone!

    ¡°Lock screen password?¡± He looked at the nine-digit dotted pattern on the screen and thought of the code ¡°233333¡± written on the parcel. This number indeed seemed like a password set by Li Yuerui. He entered 233333, and the phone immediately unlocked with a clicking sound. The password was correct.

    The mobile phone screen had countless cracks running through it, but it did not impede his browsing. He saw a lot of applications on the homepage: WeChat, QQ, various live-streaming video tforms.

    Gu Jun nced through the apps before clicking on the gallery. The topmost folder wasbelled ¡°Longkan¡±.

    He tapped on the folder. There were many photos of Li Yuerui and the other two ying on the cruise ship, as well as countless videos. On the surface, some seemed to be taken on the cruise ship itself, while others were taken inside the submarine. He directly opened thest video taken on the phone.

    The time that this video was shot was the very day of the deep-diving expedition.

    ¡°Beloved viewers!¡± The video on the cracked phone screen began to y. Li Yuerui patted himself and took a panoramic shot of the surroundings, then outside the window of the submarine. ¡°Look at how dark it is outside. We have dived over 1,500 meters, and we¡¯re near the ocean floor!¡±

    Gu Jun looked intently, not fast-forwarding even a single second. He saw himself sitting there, as well as Wu Dong and Lin Xiaotang, who both seemed to be somewhat impatient.

    To get a clearer shot, Li Yuerui unfastened his seat belt and got up to get closer to the window. Following that, the old captain tried to persuade him to sit back down, but Li Yuerui paid no heed to him and continued his current behaviour. The closer he got, the clearer the quality of his footage became. The light from the searchlight illuminated the rough seafloor.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for a submarine, humans would be squashed by deep-sea pressure.¡± Li Yuerui said before the video screen started to shake slightly.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. Was this when the disaster in the submarine began?

    ¡°Look over there! There are so many corals!¡± Li Yuerui excitedly shouted while the video on the screen started to shake more and more. The submarine was trembling to this extent, yet Li Yuerui still took it in stride and continued to film. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s strange, I haven¡¯t seen a single fish at all. Fishies, where are you? ¡±

    Indeed, there were no fishes despite being at the bottom of the sea. All that remained was an ominous silence.

    Gu Jun recalled the scene of the ocean fishes fleeing wildlyter that day. Where are all of them at?

    After a short while, the video suddenly shook violently.

    It was also at this time when the old captain¡¯s panicked scream echoed in the video. ¡°WHIRLPOOLS DETECTED, ABNORMAL WHIRLPOOLS DETECTED! SURFACE IMMEDIATELY! TURN THE SUBMARINE AROUND, NOW!¡±

    The video continued to shoot the scene outside the submarine window, and the seawater quickly churned and formed a violent vortex. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, but he abruptly saw that the vortex was broken open by a shadowy silhouette. The shadow rushed towards the side of the submarine. It turned out to be arge ship!

    Arge, decaying ship!

    Its mast was broken, and there were multiple cracks in the bow. The hull was patchy, and the paint on the ship¡¯s name had almost wholly chipped off. There was no light nor any figures of humans. Looking through one of the dpidated windows of the ship, it was impossible to make out anything inside. There was only formless, indescribable darkness.

    ¡°This is...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart shuddered. The feeling of suffocating and anxiety swept over him, and his head felt like it had been struck heavily.

    Although the image was vague and the bottom of the sea was dark and ominous, he could still tell. That ship was Seabird.

    When he was young, he used to board the Seabird and had so much fun that he refused to leave.

    All these years, who knew how many times he reminisced about the Seabird. The Seabird where all the crew members, including his parents, had gone missing.

    In the video, it was clearly seen at the bottom of the sea, travelling in an absurdly improbable way.

    The mobile phone suddenly resonated with Li Yuerui¡¯s tragic scream. The submarine was shaking violently, and the video was quavering intensely as well, the camera lens pulling away from the window.

    There was mass panic and confusion in the cabin of the submarine. Almost everyone was shouting, but there was a voice in the video that Gu Jun could faintly hear, speaking a secret foreignnguage. He frowned and perked up his ears, listening carefully. The voice seemed to be muttering something over and over again, speaking very softly, yet he could still hear it.

    It was the same sentence, the only sentence he could understand.

    [The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the trenches. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever]

    It was the line of blood on the wall of the brokenboratory in the hallucination he previously saw back in theboratory.

    This voice seemed to reverberate within the submarine cabin. Although it bore no simrities with anynguage on Earth, it was clearly the voice of a human being.

    As Gu Jun listened, the voice grew more and more distinct. A sudden chill came over him, ¡°It¡¯s my voice.¡±

    In the footage, he was muttering this sentence himself.

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the trenches. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

 Chapter 11: Lai Sheng Technologies and Research Pte Ltd

    <h4>Chapter 11: Lai Sheng Technologies and Research Pte Ltd</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    The evening sky was pitch ck, not a trace of stars or cool moon to be found.

    Beside Mt. Qingyun, Eastern University School of Medicine stood. It basked in the cool shade of the mountain. Be it day or night, all kinds of birds can be heard. At night, there are songs of mountain doves, cored owls, nightingales, and so on. However today, something was off. There was nothing but silence. Despite the dry weather and attentive listening, no birdsong could be heard.

    Gu Jun stood by the balcony of his dormitory, looking wistfully at the dark and ominous night sky. It seemed to reflect his mood, sullen and heavy. He had rewatched the clip several times. Thoughts churned over and over every time he did.

    That line of bloodied words and multiple visions was undoubtedly linked to the mysterious power looming at the Longkan Marine Trenches. Most probably, the investigations that the Seabird was conducting were rted to this power.

    ¡°Dad... Mom...¡± Two familiar yet blurred faces surfaced inside his mind. He realized that he actually did not understand them that well.

    Mom, Dad, what were you doing? How did you get embroiled in the ident? What happened to the Seabird? Are you dead or alive?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to investigate again starting from scratch,¡± Gu Jun swore solemnly with resolve in his eyes. He held the weight of Li Yuerui¡¯s phone. ¡°This is my life-long mission.¡±

    Lai Sheng Technologies and Research Pte Ltd, the Seabird was a property of thispany. His parents were also working under thepany.

    Many years ago, Gu Jun had already investigated the incident. He had also paid for private investigators to help him investigate, but nothing suspicious was found. Everything uncovered was as Lai Sheng¡¯s public statement said. However, he was not believing a single word from those documents!

    I¡¯m sure that the corruptpany certainly hasn¡¯t closed down. He thought to himself. I bet the organization behind just changed their name and is hiding under cover.

    s, Lai Sheng had relocated their headquarters five years ago. Their original building had been demolished, and the area had been redeveloped into an amusement park. On the inte, not a trace of Lai Sheng could be found. Worse, Gu Jun had lost contact with those liaising with him about hispensation issues. With all routes cut off, he wondered where to start.

    The road he had chosen was shrouded in a hopeless bleak. Like the peaks of Mt Qingyun, it was hidden by the night sky¡¯s darkness. Hazy and dark, but still majestically colossal. On this path, several obscure secrets were buried. Without a doubt, he would meet several challenging obstacles.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes lept to attention. He saw the ominous man again in the corner of his eyes. Immediately, his gaze whipped towards the dormitories¡¯ ground floor pavement. The streetps were run down. Their orange glimmer was weak and flickering. The sidewalk was deserted and quiet, and not a soul was to be seen. The only movements he saw were from a stray cat, slowly sauntering across the road and disappearing into the bushes at the side.

    However, Gu Jun was absolutely sure about what he saw. That man... He was stalking... no, he was keeping his actions under surveince.

    ¡°Could it be... This man is after Li YUerui¡¯s phone? Is he from Lai Sheng?¡±

    Putting on a calm and rxed front, Gu Jun continued staring at the night sky for a bit. He then retreated into his own room.

    He did not pull his curtains. Instead, he climbed up his bed and faced the wall. With this, he made a blind spot. He then took out Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone again and scoured through it for possible clues. He had turned off thework connection of the mobile phone, fearing that logging into an APP would expose the location of the phone.

    Right now, there was no room for privacy concerns. Gu Jun carefully vetted through all the phone¡¯s pictures and videos. Nothing of particr interest was found. It was all about travel. There was not even a trace of anything that could count as an invasion of privacy. Looking at the data, he was certainly disappointed.

    Continuing with the phone¡¯s contacts, he saw a few hundred different numbers. However, with theck of a SIM card, no calls or messages got in.

    Looking through the phone, there was no other clue other than Li Yuerui¡¯s extensive contacts.

    Scratching his head, Gu Jun took a deep breath to calm himself. Thinking back to the day of the ident, he recalled the conversations that the trio had. The news they received and their secretive actions. Li Yuerui had said, ¡°If you guys don¡¯t believe me, at least trust that guy!¡± Wu Dong had also frantically screamed, ¡°My gods. It¡¯s real! The rumours are real!¡±

    The news and rumours were probably regarding the mysterious powers lurking within the Longkan Marine Trench, and the unexinable idents that ur in this region.

    However, who¡¯s that man they refer to as ¡°that guy¡±?

    Repeatedly, Gu Jun yed back the scenes of that fateful day and pondered on a lot of unanswered questions.

    ¡°Li Yuerui and the ret are not from this industry. They caught wind of news from the outside, rushing over to the trench. They seek the fun of exploration. If they were not captured by ¡°that guy¡± and trouble came to me, it¡¯s very much possible that ¡°that guy¡± sent someone to keep watch over me.¡±

    ¡°Since mom and dad had researched the area for such long years, they should be part of the industry. Theirpany, Lai Sheng, should be apany in this industry. If thispany still exists, they would probably be keeping tabs on the activities around the trench. My exploration in this area probablynded in their ears. Sending people to watch my movements shouldn¡¯t be surprising.¡±

    Regardless who sent that man, I cannot make any careless movements. I don¡¯t even know the situation I¡¯m in. Should things go badly, I might even die. I need a ce to act from, somewhere to get a breakthrough... Something to get me into the industry. To make me a part of this industry. Only then, can I uncover the truth.

    Turning around, Gu Jun took a long deep breath. He really did not have the faintest idea as to how to get into the industry.

    As his thoughts circled around his head, the night sky darkened further. Suddenly, the doors opened, and Cai Zixuan walked in while holding the thermos sk.

    Withdrawing his thoughts, Gu Jun turned to Cai Zixuan. ¡°Zixuan, any soup left?¡± Being deep in thought for the entire night, he was famished.

    ¡°Nope, everyone devoured it till thest drop.¡± Cai Zixuan smiled and revealed a radiant and affectionate mother-like smile. He was somewhat proud as hemented, ¡°Only love and food do not let people down. After drinking the soup, everyone was brimming with vigour! The leader even mentioned making this a weekly routine, one soup a week.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Swallowing a dry gulp, Gu Jun pouted slightly. ¡°How¡¯s your experiment going?¡±

    ¡°Quite smoothly.¡± Walking to the basin of the balcony, Cai Zixuan wore a pair of old medical gloves. He washed the utensils and thermos sk. At the same time, he recounted their ns, ¡°The tumours are growing well on the mice. These few days, we have begun Photodynamic Therapy. Those aren¡¯t that difficult, it is the steps after that are a pain. We have several other steps to do on the tumour tissues. Fixing, hydrating, dehydrating, paraffin embedding, sectioning, HE staining and immunohistochemical detection.¡±

    As he spoke, Cai Zixuan got louder and faster, saying a bunch of other jargons, ¡°Professor Gu has said that these steps are tedious, but every small action makes a magnified impact on the results. He thought that it would be difficult for undergraduates like ourselves to professionally execute these procedures, so he had invited the Pathology Professor, Professor Chen, toe down and personally instruct us. He would even teach us specific steps and how to interpret the final product! I can¡¯t believe it! This guy is Professor Che Zhiming! How lucky am I to learn from two super influential doctors of the medical world. If the 5-year course students hear this, I bet they will turn green with envy!¡±

    ¡°Let me follow you to theboratory tomorrow.¡± An idea suddenly struck Gu Jun. ¡°Learning from the sidelines. That¡¯s fine right?¡±

    What does that line of bloodied words mean? Until now, he couldn¡¯t understand. If only he could have a second look at the vision, he might figure something out. So far, he had only seen the visions in theboratory where Wang Ruoxiang and the others were working. Perhaps, that particrboratory was unique.

    ¡°I guess you can.¡± Cai Zixuan turned over while washing the dishes. ¡°But aren¡¯t you nervous about the makeup exams?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not that much behind.¡± Gu Jun wasn¡¯t lying. He left campus for just half a semester. What¡¯s more, the eight-year course had numerous general education courses, which had less emphasis on medicine. In these past few days, he had caught up by quite a bit.

    ¡°If you say so.¡± Cai Zixuan no longer questioned. He was clear about the talent of this friend. If it¡¯s him, he definitely will not find it difficult to catch up.

    Humming to himself, the bloodied words on the wall together with the dpidatedboratory appeared in his mind again.

    Somehow he felt that he was missing some details from these visions; some extremely critical information.

 Chapter 12: The Rooftop

    <h4>Chapter 12: The Rooftop</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    That night, Gu Jun had an uneasy slumber. He tightly held onto Li Yuerui¡¯s cell phone. It was as though losing it was akin to losing all clues and hopes of uncovering the truth.

    Early morning the next day, just before the sky outside turned bright, Gu Jun got up to wash himself. Although he slept less, his head was clearer than it was the day before. The painful symptoms bothering him before had been significantly alleviated, which made him wonder about the efficacy of the ¡°foreign medicine¡± again.

    After washing and rinsing, Gu Jun took another capsule of the foreign medicine and downed it with water. He only had 32 capsules left.

    ¡°Zixuan, wake up. It¡¯s time to go to theboratory building.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Cai Zixuan groggily woke up after Gu Jun called his name. When he checked his phone, he saw that it was not even six o¡¯clock yet. Cai Zixuan would usually wake up at six-thirty. Since even Tycoon Jun woke up early, how could he continue toze around in bed. He struggled to raise his body upright. ¡°Okay, I¡¯m up. I¡¯m up. Haiz. If the young does not know how to be diligent in his studies, he¡¯ll regret studying toote once his hair starts to turn white!¡±

    After leaving the dormitory, the two rode their bikes to a breakfast shop in the nearby street to buy food before heading towards the medicalboratory building.

    Although it was pretty early in the morning, there was no shortage of students and citizens bustling on the streets. Gu Jun was secretly trying to detect if anyone was following him, but he did find anything suspicious.

    As they got outside theboratory building and parked their bicycles near the door, Cai Zixuan asked, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the rooftop to get the mice first?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun nodded. Working out a bit in the morning was good as well.

    It was not just secret agents orpany shareholders who were going to the rooftop, Eastern University medical students were frequent visitors to the rooftop as well.

    That was because there were two ces to host mice and rats. One was the Experimental Animal Research Centre next to theboratory building. Maximum of 6 cages, the care of each cage of mice costs 10 yuan per day. For their team¡¯s experiment, a total of 150 mice were used. This totaled to 250 yuan a day. Their total budget was only 30,000 yuan though. If half of the budget was spent here, then there would be no money left for the experiment. Ordinary students simply could not afford it at all.

    Hence, the school set up prefab breeding rooms on the roof of theboratory building and even installed air-conditioning to allow their mouse buddies to be warm in winter and cool in the summer. However, that was merely an ideal dream. The reality of the matter was that there was no professional caretaker to manage the ce, and everything had to be taken care of by the students. The sanitary conditions here were poor as well. asionally, huge and dark rats could be seen, sneaking in from god-knows-where to steal the food inside the cages. Sometimes even almost scaring the experimental mice to death.

    As for the mice that Cai Zixuan and his group were researching on, they were settled on the rooftop, and their team members personally took care of them daily.

    Unlike the research center which has a time limit, the rooftop was open 24/7.

    Gu Jun followed Cai Zixuan, and he could practically smell the foul odour of mice from the stairs¡¯s entrance. He saw a row of prefab rooms with a blue roof, making up a total of six rooms. Two were keeping rats, three had mice running in them, while thest room had a clutter of junk in it.

    A noisy mour of mouse squeaking assaulted their ears. They had just approached one of the prefab rooms and unexpectedly saw a familiar figure busying in one of the mice rooms.

    That person was Wang Ruoxiang. She was currently moving mice from their cages to a trolley.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Cai Zixuan nced at Gu Jun. ¡°The ss monitor actuallyes so early every day.¡±

    Usually, when they arrived at theboratory, Wang Ruoxiang would have already shifted the mice cages. Cai Zixuan just didn¡¯t think that she would do it so early, and even felt that he could be a step ahead today. Although the ss monitor was a cornerstone of this experiment, her exemry behaviour left him sighing in admiration. ¡°Women are always devoted and willing to sacrifice, who said that a general must be a man!¡±

    Gu Jun was also very emotional this time. Both of them were up so early, but look at Zixuan¡¯s dishevelled hairline and dark circles. He simply seemed too miserable. If one typed the characters ¡°Advising people to learn medicine would result in divine lightning retribution¡± beside his current image, it would be the best recruitment advertisement for medical school.

    On the other hand, look at Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s ck straight bob and her natural beauty. The effects of the same advertising would not be optimal. That was because one would rather believe that she was a model hired to dress up in a white coat and shoot an advert! She didn¡¯t look like a stereotypical medical student at all!

    At this time, Wang Ruoxiang also noticed them and was stunned. ¡°What are you people acting so sneakily on the rooftop for?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re gonna help move the mice cage,¡± Gu Jun hurriedly replied. He knew of her venomous tongue, so he snatched the opportunity to speak before her and asked, ¡°Or do you think we want to steal the mice and go back to cook hot pot?¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Wang Ruoxiang looked around. For a moment, she had this exact notion in her heart. After all, it was a well-known fact that Tycoon Jun had taken rabbit meat to cook hot pot before. He even said ¡®taking care of the appetite of medical students is also a contribution to medicine ¡°, though his words did make some sense.

    Suddenly, she came back to her senses and asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to move the mice cages?¡±

    ¡°ss monitor, Tycoon Jun came here to learn with us today,¡± Cai Zixuan exined quickly.

    However, Wang Ruoxiang was thinking internally, Had Gu Jun still not given up on her? Was he trying to find an opportunity to get close to her?

    Seeing that she was looking at him skeptically, Gu Jun shrugged. What has the matter of Tycoon Jun chasing you have to do with me?

    ¡°So ss monitor, do you need help?¡± He asked.

    ¡°No need,¡± Wang Ruoxiang curtly answered and continued to move the mice cage. However, Gu Jun and Cai Zixuan went up to help anyway.

    Soon after, the three pushed the trolley full of mice cages off the rooftop and returned to theboratory on the eighth floor.

    It was still early, and there was no one in the elevator or the corridor. Everything was quiet.

    After entering theboratory, Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan started moving the mice cages to the test bench. At the same time, Gu Jun walked around and looked for clues.

    Was theboratory in his illusion thisboratory? He couldn¡¯t be sure.

    This was aboratory of ordinary specifications. Various instruments were ced against three of the walls, and Gu Jun paced back and forth a lot of times in the middle. He looked at the corners of the walls. He even opened the incubator to nce inside. His hand stretching towards the clean bench to experiment around. He wanted to see if it can trigger any vision. Not even a vague sense of disorientation urred.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Wang Ruoxiang looked at him, taken aback. Did this Tycoon June here to make trouble? Howe after he entered theboratory, he seemed like he was ying an RPG game and started flipping through the cabs and cupboards? She asked, ¡°Do you see us as NPCs?¡±

    ¡°Eh.¡± Cai Zixuan neither understood what Gu Jun was doing nor could he understand what Wang Ruoxiang was talking about.

    ¡°No. But I was just taking a look. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll steal these pieces of equipment,¡± Gu Jun couldn¡¯t exin himself, so he merely stood aside first.

    He watched the two check one mouse cage after the other. Even after observing for a long time, there was still no reaction in his mind. Perhaps the singrity did not lie in thisboratory in particr. There might be other requirements for the vision to appear. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t know about them.

    After more than half an hour, the other team members started arriving one after another. Xu Hai, Zhang Haoran, and He Yuhan.

    They did not expect Gu Jun toe again, but they did not find it surprising. Reasons like ¡®observations¡¯ and ¡®studying¡¯ were all an excuse. This bastard must havee here for Wang Ruoxiang.

    Today seemed destined to be a lively day. The morning had just begun, yet even Professor Gu, who usually does note often, had appeared.

    Professor Gu was still so energetic, walking into theboratory like there was a wind beneath his feet. However, as soon as he saw that Gu Jun was present, his face turned slightly ugly.

    However, what left everyone feeling weirded out, even Gu Jun himself, was the fact that Professor Gu did not scold him.

    ¡°Students, I have some new updates to tell you.¡± Professor Gu seemed to have some important things to announce. He nced at the faces of his five beloved students and one rascal. ¡°It¡¯s best for you to make some adjustments to your future work schedule this summer. I will devote all my time to guide you. ¡±

    Everyone was suddenly curious. What happened exactly?

    Wang Ruoxiang shook her head slightly when the other¡¯s eyes were directed towards her. She had not been informed of any of these before, and she too only heard about it now.

    ¡°By now, you also know that the country sees great importance to this Frontier Cup for the purpose of selecting a group of new medical talents,¡± Professor Gu said extremely solemnly. ¡°Now thetest notice has been issued. Not only were talents going to be recruited from the Frontier Cup, but arge-scale clinical skillspetition was to be held as well. The purpose was to give the city¡¯s elite students an additional stage to showcase their talents.¡±

    His words left them with even more doubts, but excitement and anticipation started bubbling too.

    Schools had medical skillspetitions every year. Usually topare clinical skills. Jointpetitions between universities and colleges citywide and nationwide have also been held for many years.

    Yet, there has never been a precedent like this. Furthermore, the government was the one rushing to lead thepetition! One could only imagine how lucrative the rewards of the winners were.

    ¡°I do not have much information on the situation for the time being. Some said that clinical,boratory, anatomy, and other skills were all being put to the test.¡± Professor Gu also mentioned that there were in fact still some doubts, aspetitions on a scale like this were a first. ¡°If you truly possess the ability, you naturally have a chance to stand out.¡±

    Yes! Others couldn¡¯t hear it, but Gu Jun felt a sudden thumping in his heart and faintly sensed a connection.

    He had previously heard Cai Zixuan saying that a lot of importance had been ced on the Frontier Cup this time. At that time, he didn¡¯t overthink it. Thinking about it, could it be that something significant had happened that the public is to know? This then led to the country¡¯s urgent need for medical personnel.

    This may have some rtionship with the abnormal changes at the bottom of the Longkan sea.

    How can I get into that mysterious circle? Gu Jun now felt like he had found the correct path.

    ¡°Professor,¡± Gu Jun suddenly said, ¡°can I participate in thispetition?¡±

    Suddenly the air went still, and everyone¡¯s gaze turned towards him. Professor Gu looked at him as well.

 Chapter 13: A Chance at Dissection

    <h4>Chapter 13: A Chance at Dissection</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Within that instant, everyone¡¯s head turned in awe towards Gu Jun. Their eyes overflowed with shock and disbelief, as though they just witnessed something unbelievable.

    Tycoon Jun, Clinical Skills Competition? These 2 termsing together would be the sh of the century and would lead to a lethal allergic reaction!

    What¡¯s more, this was no regrpetition. It was one where the geniuses and skilled professionals across Eastern Province¡¯s top medical colleges came together. Indeed, Eastern University may have taken the majority of Medical geniuses under their wing, but there were still several hidden talents lurking in the other schools. This was especially true in the most significant and long time rival schools such as Qingyun University, Qihua University and Dongyang University.

    The most significantpetition between the top 4 medical colleges of Eastern Province! Without a doubt, there would be hotpetition amongst thepetitors even if the test were about tricky tasks like ¡°Heart-Lungs Resuscitation¡±.

    ¡°Which area do you wish topete in?¡± Professor Gu nkly asked. ¡°Competing to be the top in creating medical disasters?¡±

    Pfft!

    Xu Hai was the first to burst into a suppressed chuckle. Zhang Haoran and He Yuhan then erupted intoughter. In their cacophony ofughter, they all treated Gu Jun as a joke. They thoroughly enjoyed Professor Gu¡¯s top tier punchline.

    On the other hand, Cai Zixuan remained calm. Wang Ruoxiang also did not even flinch. She could tell from Gu Jun¡¯s expression that he was serious. An absolute, seemingly unfitting, seriousness.

    ¡°Professor, I¡¯m serious. I wish to join thepetition,¡± Gu Jun spoke calmly, not taking offence at the ridicule. He knew that they had not epted his sudden shift in attitude.

    ¡°You wish topete?¡± Professor Gu¡¯s face turned stone cold. The mes of rage flickered in his eyes as he looked at Gu Jun. ¡°On what basis do you think you are qualified?¡±

    The air in theboratory immediately dropped to pin-drop silence just like the calm before the storm. Everyone seemed to be in a daze. Their heads spun questions like ¡®Who am I?¡¯ and ¡®What am I doing here?¡¯

    Cai Zixuan was caught in a dilemma. His heart yearned to speak up for his friend, yet words failed to form in his mouth. In the past, Professor Gu had the time to help Gu Jun and kept on giving him advice. s, he turned out this way. He had all the right to be fuming. Despite being at a loss for words, Cai Zixuan attempted, ¡°Professor Gu, recently. Gu Jun...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s working hard recently.¡± a sudden melodious voice chirped from the sides. Wang Ruoxiang spoke for him. That one sentence took everyone by surprise. They never expected that support from Wang Ruoxiang.

    Gratefully, Gu Jun looked at the two of them and then turned towards Professor Gu. He did not me the teacher for lecturing him. The only thing he wished for was for him to recognise his efforts.

    He sincerely pleaded, ¡°Professor Gu, people change. I have changed for the better. I believe that with my ability, I will be able to earn the right to stand on that stage.¡±

    Looking at his prodigal student, the anger gradually faded from his weathered and wrinkled face. Soon, the seed of hope and expectation sprouted once again within Professor Gu.

    He did have a certain level of understanding about this student. While Gu Jun was smart and talented, he was also unmotivated andzy. However, a moment ofziness did not equate to a lifetime of uselessness. He had always held on to the hope that he would change for the better in the future.

    Looking at his student, the thinning appearance was evident. However, his focused and sharp aura suddenly changed.

    Having seen thousands of patients through his tons of years as a doctor, Professor Gu knew that he could assess a person urately. Maybe...

    As that thought passed through his mind, Professor Gu could not retain his anger any longer. ¡°Thispetition only invites the most talented amongst the talents. Within Eastern University, only the selected few in the Frontier Cup are eligible. If you have truly changed for the better, then go and improve yourself and wait for the next opportunity.¡±

    Hearing that, Gu Jun turned with a sh of craftiness streaking across his eyes.

    Deep down, he felt that Professor Gu had withheld some information. If the country was frantically holding such a massivepetition and even inviting medical students, the criteria to enter should not be that stringent. It was probable that Professor Gu was also given several other name slots. Once again, he pleaded, ¡°Teacher, bring me along. Let me prove myself to you.¡±

    Hearing this, no one else spoke. They knew that this was no ce for them to speak.

    Facing these earnest eyes, Professor Gu sighed and hummed to himself. Then he said, ¡°Rascal, I bet you¡¯ve guessed it. Indeed, we professors can bring along some other students that we deem fit and suitable. You want this chance? Fine, let me give you a chance to prove yourself. If you are outstanding enough, this old man will bring you along!¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Professor!¡± Gu Jun immediately thanked Professor Gu. It seems like his guess was spot on.

    What? Xu Hai and Zhang Haoran grumbled unhappily in their hearts.

    We¡¯ve heard that Professor Gu was extremely biased towards Gu Jun, but we never believed it. With this, it seems to be absolutely right!

    OMG! This is exciting!

    Seeing how his best friend, Gu Jun, gained approval, Cai Zixuan¡¯s heart leapt and pounded with excitement. He had almost broken out and recited a poem in celebration.

    On his side, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s lips curled up slightly. Thepetition this time was indeed extraordinary. Who knows, maybe medicure for their patients could even be one of the topics.

    ¡°Everyone, quickly get to work. You have to finish this by noon.¡± Professor Gu gestured with his arm, breaking the shock and urging his students to work faster. ¡°In the afternoon, we will begin practicing. This time, thepetition has made it clear that each contestant would be tested on dissection. As such, the school will be giving cadavers as support.¡±

    Everyone immediately got to work with their various experiments. At the same time, they struggled to interpret the words they just heard.

    Everyone has to do dissection? Thispetition is abnormal!

    In Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s heart, shemented. Looks like medicure could really be tested!

    ¡°Gu Jun, you will be following me for today,¡± Professor Gu instructed as he snorted. ¡°In the afternoon, I will let you hold a scalpel. Don¡¯t go saying that you were not given any opportunities!¡±

    Human Dissection?

    Gu Jun nodded. ¡°Uhm, alright.¡±

    His heart was pounding rapidly. Indeed his nerves were bundling together. However, he was not afraid.

    First, everyone almost had the same experience when ites to human dissection. After all, cadavers were scarce and precious. The opportunities for students to engage with this tricky procedure on an actual human body was heavily limited. Most of their practices were with animals. The most significant difference would be individual scalpel handling. Indeed, his skill in the past was dismal. However, he had poured himself into stringent and constant practice. What¡¯s more...

    In his mind, Gu Jun called out the system¡¯s abilities list.

    [Host¡¯s Abilities List: 1 Type

    Hands of Dexterity

    Rarity: ¡ï (From Lowest to Highest, 1¡ï to 10¡ï)

    Cultivation Potential: 3rd Tier

    Host¡¯s Ability Tier: 1st Tier (4500/5000 Proficiency).]

    After his diligent practice, he had understood the criteria to increase his Proficiency. Regr practice made little contribution. On the other hand, aplishing missions rted to handiwork would bring a considerable gain. On top of that, any practice activity produced about less proficiency than actual operating on patients.

    The Hands of Dexterity were just 500 Proficiency Points away from raising to the next tier. Gu Jun was well aware that if he wished to make it as far as he could in thepetition, he had to level up this skill to the highest level and refine his pair of hands to be better.

    While thinking about this n, he opened the Mission Log again.

    [NORMAL Mission: By today,plete Intravenous Injection on 100 Mice. Mission Rewards, 1 box of Human Brain Stem Tumour Targeted Therapy. The drug will extend the Host¡¯s lifespan by 5 days.

    DIFFICULT Mission: Within 3 days,plete a dissection on a malformed human. Mission Rewards, 1 Iplete Anatomical Reference.

    Abyssal Mission: Within 1 week,plete the dissection of 1 Bhole. Mission Rewards, Unknown]

    What in the world is a Bhole? Where am I to find it? Gu Jun was perplexed beyond belief. With a sigh, he turned and looked at the DIFFICULT mission.

    What are these Mission Rewards? 1 Iplete Anatomical Reference?

    Was it a structure of the dissected body of an animal or maybe the Ghouls?

    If it was an anatomical structure, there would be a legend attached. If it was done in the mysteriousnguage again, Gu Jun could possibly get a breakthrough in understanding it. Very likely, he could match the concepts like ¡°Nerves¡±, ¡°Veins¡±, ¡°Artery¡± and ¡°Bones¡±. From there, he could find his way.

    Furthermore, this was a difficult task. He has neverpleted a difficult level task before.

    Normal, mutation, malformed, these were the terms used to ssify the structure of the human body.

    Medically, mutation referred to differences in structures that have a low incidence. These differences had little effect on appearance or function. Simrly, malformation referred to differences in structures that have a low frequency. However, they had a severe impact on appearance or function. Some mutations and malformations possessed paramount clinical significance. Therefore, in sses, the professors would specifically instruct any abnormalities in the structure during anatomical dissections to be raised up. This was to allow all students to have a chance to observe. After all, these opportunities were rare.

    With the mission being this specific, Gu Jun had already walked into his first obstacle. He had to find a cadaver with malformations. This was incredibly rare.

    ¡°Why are you stuck in a daze over there! Quickly go and help!¡± Professor Gu¡¯s voice boomed over.

    How dare he im to have changed when he¡¯s still sozy!

    ¡°Coming! Coming!¡± Withdrawing his wild thoughts, Gu Jun immediately rushed over and wore his disposable gloves and mask. Upon Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s instructions, he acted as an aide to Cai Zixuan.

    He would help for the entire morning till noon. During the whole process, the Proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity did not even budge. Well, it was to be expected. He acted as admin support¨C recording the data from the treatment team, be it the dosage or the sizes of the tumours. Whatever they said, he recorded. The experiment team had not dared to leave the photodynamic treatment to him as of now. Theseb rats with tumours were highly precious specimens.

    In the afternoon, he followed the crowd to the school cafeteria for lunch and a short break. After which, they headed off with Professor Gu to the Dissection Building.

    The Dissection Building was a massive ssical-style building, more than ten stories high. Perhaps due to its old age, the whole building seemed to be exuding the smell of formalin, pungent and decaying. While vehicles were all neatly lined up in the parking spaces, there weren¡¯t many teachers or students around.

    As soon as the team arrived at the main entrance, Professor Gu assigned the tasks. ¡°Boys, go to the mortuary and request for a cadaver. Choose one that is better preserved.¡± This matter was not suitable for girls, mainly due to strength considerations. Wang Ruoxiang and He Yuhan were responsible for the preparation of theboratory.

    Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, Xu Hai, and Zhang Haoran nodded. The four boys went to the mortuary, a ce sludged with many urban legends.

 Chapter 14: Corpse Guides

    <h4>Chapter 14: Corpse Guides</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    This was not the first time that Gu Jun hase to the mortuary of the Dissection Building.

    A day or two before the anatomy sses were released, the teacher would assign male students toe here to work in their spare time. They transferred the cadavers required for anatomy from theboratory dissection table to the refrigerated storage box.

    The outside world was always floating with all sorts of rumours about how those medical ¡°ves¡± would carry dead bodies in the middle of the night ande here to sleep and train their courage. All of those were not true.

    For these medical ¡°ves¡±, their threshold of fear had already been raised by various human specimens and corpses of experimental animals. There was nothing particrly terrifying about entering the remains storage room. In the past, there were even students standing at the dissection table and watching a dissection while eating breakfast.

    However, those were not Gu Jun or Cai Zixuan. Although they liked to maximise the value of experimental animals, they dared not to show any childishness or profanity towards cadavers. They only showed respect and seriousness.

    At the silent ceremony before the first dissection ss, Gu Jun shed tears. He knew that some of these cadavers originated from corpse donors or from unnamed bodies that had not been imed. At that time, he remembered his parents who were unounted as well.

    On the way to the remains storage room, Gu Jun felt a palpable change in the atmosphere.

    There were more unfamiliar-looking people in the corridor along the way. Although they were also wearing whiteb coats and medical masks, they did not look like school personnel at all. They were all uniformly wearing ck military boots. The cking of their boots against the cold pavement seemed as though they were treading on people¡¯s hearts and leaving a sinking feeling.

    These people did not look at Gu Jun and merely walked straight.

    ¡°Who are these guys?¡± Xu Hai looked at hispanions questioningly. Cai Zixuan was about to scratch his head, and reply that he didn¡¯t know as well.

    However, Gu Jun saw another group of peopleing to the other side of the corridor and came to a sudden realisation. ¡°Corpse guides.¡±

    Corpse guide? The name seemed to havee from a corner of his mind, and he immediately uttered the term. The term seemed to carry strangeness that he could not put a finger on.

    Cai Zixuan also saw the group of corpse guides pushing a transport vehicle. Each vehicle had a rectangr storage tank coated with white paint, like a coffin. Even though they were still far away, the strong smell of formalin left their eyes itching and ufortable.

    The group of four stood to one side and let this cart-pushing group pass by first.

    Like the other people just now, when the group of corpse guides passed by, they paid no heed to Gu Jun¡¯s group as though they didn¡¯t exist.

    But indeed, this was the first time they had seen these ¡°Corpse Guides¡±.

    What¡¯s going on? Xu Hai and Zhang Haoran started murmuring amongst themselves.

    Even at Eastern University, the resources of the school regarding cadavers had been tightly guarded for a long time with strict rationing of teaching resources. Every corpse has a specific objective to fulfil before the school purchased them. Nothing more, nothing less. With the sudden organisation of the city-widepetition, the 12 groups of Frontier Cup students were required to undergo anatomy training. This, of course, required the support of additional cadavers. Hence, the appearance of these corpse guides.

    ¡°This inference seems reasonable, but...¡± Gu Jun muttered, yet he felt like things weren¡¯t as simple as it seemed.

    Suddenly, his heart felt like it had been struck by lightning, piercing through the dark ominous clouds that were his doubts. He thought of a reason! From these people, he felt the same gloominess as the man who followed him behind their masks that covered arge part of their faces.

    Who exactly were these guys?

    After waiting for a while, the team of corpse guides came back while pushing empty carts. The long white tanks were gone.

    Gu Jun deliberately studied these people carefully, but still could not notice any abnormality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, now¡± Xu Hai immediately urged everyone to hurry up. ¡°We really arrived at the right time!¡±

    One must understand that the quality of cadavers varied. Many of the remains came from the aftermath of a tragic ident. Some were broken into several sections, and some swollen like a ball. When they previously cut a cadaver¡¯s abdomen during body dissection in Clinical ss 3, the organs inside were all rotten. Evidently, the results of an internal injury caused by a severe car crash.

    However, if you want to learn anatomy well and quickly, you cannot do so without using high-quality cadaver.

    Therefore, there had always been a silent battle between sses and groups within the sses. The boys who were responsible for moving the corpses would always assign high-quality cadavers to their own groups.

    To have a whole intact head on the dissection table was a matter of envy and jealousy for countless people.

    However, it was simply a matter of luck since the professor would usually redistribute the anatomy.

    Now that there were 5 people in their group, 6 including Gu Jun, they actually had the opportunity to dissect a whole cadaver! Moreover, they were just in time to catch the corpse guides delivering fresh cadavers. As Xu Hai walked, he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. ¡°We have to choose the best intact corpse. What a rare opportunity!¡±

    Yes, this was a rare opportunity. Gu Jun thought that as long as the malformed body could be found, then the DIFFICULT mission could bepleted.

    ¡°We should choose a malformed body,¡± he said. This was not a bad offer.

    ¡°Oh, right. Sure.¡± Cai Zixuan immediately nodded like a pecking chicken. ¡°If there was a malformed human, choose the malformed one.¡±

    Xu Hai and Zhang Haoran, of course, also agreed that Tycoon Jun was right for once. Although the integrity of the body was great and all, deformities were the most precious.

    During the conversation, the four came to the front desk outside the body storage and finally saw a familiar face. The front desk administrator, Old Cui. He was a middle-aged man with a bulging beer belly and a greasy facial countenance. He looked like the spitting image of Hu Tuhu from the images in ¡°Fan Jin Zhongju¡± in Chinesenguage texts.

    ¡°Mr Cui,¡± Xu Hai scrambled to give an exnation, ¡°Professor Gu asked us toe.¡±

    ¡°I know. I know. Professor Gu already told me.¡± Old Cui looked at his mobile phone without looking up and kept ying. ¡°Go in by yourself. I won¡¯t help you. The ones that the school initially had and the new arrivals today, all the cadavers can be used.¡±

    ¡°Mr Cui, what are the backgrounds of those corpse guides just now?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Why would I know,¡± Old Cui grumpily snapped. ¡°Everyone there had a stinking glum face, What background would they have? If they had any background, they would have nothing to do with this work.¡±

    Gu Jun was silent. That¡¯s not necessarily true. For example, most administrators are ordinary people, but some librarians were influential.

    Xu Hai had already hurriedly opened the iron door of the storage room and was urging them to hurry. Gu Jun thus followed in.

    Even if they were all wearing tight face-hugging masks, they were still hit by an overpowering stench of formalin.

    The storage room was very spacious, with the surrounding walls full of all kinds of debris. There were discarded instruments, dust-sealed tables and chairs, andmonly used pushcarts. This debris was piled up to block the windows. Not even a speck of light could enter, and the ceiling lights were dark and murky.

    In the middle of the storage room, two different corpse storage tanks were arranged neatly. The original ones in the school were stainless steel storage tanks, each of them covered in dust and ced at the back. The ones ced in front were the newly arrived white paint storage tanks, leaving only enough space for people to walk through and move equipment.

    At a nce, there were fifty white storage tanks.

    ¡°Ai...¡± Cai Zixuan could not help but sigh. These were fifty people who were once alive.

    Gu Jun frowned and looked at these white storage tanks with a weird restlessness in his heart.

    ¡°Hurry up. Professor Gu and the rest are still waiting.¡± Xu Hai took the lead and went to a white storage tank in the middle of the front row. He and Zhang Haoran both stood at one end and held onto the handle of the storage tank cover at the same time. Immediately, the thick smell of formalin rushed out.

    The two of them looked at the cadaver in the storage tank, and suddenly eximed in unison, ¡°Hmm? You guyse take a look!¡±

    Gu Jun hurriedly walked up in doubt and looked into the shadowy storage tank.

 Chapter 15: The Malformed Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 15: The Malformed Corpse</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Gu Jun looked into the storage tank. Within it, he saw a light yellow formalin solution almost filling it to the brim. An adult human body was soaked inside. This cadaver was a male body. Owing to the formalin, his skin was pale with a light tint of yellow. This was due to the epidermal pigment cells having been soaked in formalin.

    The head, body, and limbs were all intact. However, something was sticking out to Gu Jun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Huh?¡± a loud gasp escaped Cai Zixuan who came to the storage tank.

    This cadaver¡¯s upper left limb was abnormal. From its appearance, the elbows, wrists, and fingers were seemingly twisted. It¡¯s as if they were broken and then reattached abruptly. It¡¯s almost like the limbs of another creature. This hair-raising sight had stumped the elite medical students that gathered, leaving them unable to pinpoint the exact disease this cadaver had suffered from.

    Was this man a victim of idents? But, none of his other parts of the body was damaged, broken, or missing.

    Seems like it¡¯s only the left hand. Which means, this is a malformed cadaver?!

    ¡°Haha, we are fortunate today.¡± First to break the silence was Xu Hai. ¡°In my opinion, this cadaver had suffered from some congenital malformation.¡±

    If this arm¡¯s deformities were a sign of congenital malformations, it pointed towards abnormal development as a fetus within the womb. This prominent malformed skeletal structure was rare, even amongst the limited numbers of malformed cadavers. It was atypical. Just like a conjoined twin, they were few even across the entire globe.

    Furthermore, theirbined knowledge could not identify the malformed cadaver in front of them.

    ¡°Shall we decide on this?¡± Zhang Haoran asked.

    While there were almost a hundred cadavers stored within the mortuary, there was no need to open the other storage boxes and interrupt the peace and tranquillity of the deceased. After all, the probability of seeing a malformed corpse was thinner than a hairline.

    ¡°Yup, this cadaver should be good.¡± Cai Zixuan said in agreement, nodding as he stepped aside to get a trolley.

    On the other hand, an indescribable unease stirred within his mind as Gu Jun¡¯s eyes focused on the malformed left limb.

    No, something is off.

    Suddenly, the ominous sentence within Li Yuerui¡¯s footage ran over and over inside his head.

    The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the Abyss. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.

    On the malformed limb, an ominous pattern snaked across its skin. Within each stroke, a slight wriggle could be observed.

    ¡°Cai Zixuan,e and help me.¡± Withdrawing his scrutinizing eyes, Gu Jun paced to another tank and gripped the handle tightly to pull it up without dy.

    ¡°Oh.¡± While he was perplexed, Cai Zixuan rushed over to Gu Jun¡¯s aid without being reminded. By his side, Xu Hai stayed silent as he crossed his arms and his head shook.

    What an amateur. Never seen a body before?

    Within moments, a pungent and putrid stench of formalin gushed out. Looking at the cadaver inside, Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped two beats.

    It¡¯s another malformed cadaver?! One with a twisted limb too!

    Not only that. Another perfectly maintained body with the same ominous crawling up the upper right limb.

    ¡°This..¡± Cai Zixuan was dumbstruck. From behind the two of them, Zhang Haoran and Xu Hai¡¯s eyes widened three sizes. Their jaws dropped to the ground.

    What... what a coincidence...

    ¡°Zixuan,e with me!¡± Gu Jun yelled, putting down the tank cover. Then, he walked to another storage tank right next to it. Together with Cai Zixuan, they opened the tank cover again.

    Xu Hai and Zhang Haoran followed behind. Together they viewed the tank¡¯s, horror surged up to their spines and paralysed any form of speech. Even as a medical student, they felt the temperature around them drop 3 degrees.

    This was the corpse of a child, one with a malformed skeletal structure. Both the arms were twisted horribly till it was tough to look at.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible...¡± muttering in disbelief, Xu Hai struggled to find a logical exnation.

    Facing the child¡¯s pale white face, Gu Jun¡¯s expression turned ice cold. As if he was possessed by the spirit of a maniac, he set out on a frenzied craze and pulled lids after lids.

    One... two... three...

    By the side, the trio observed. Their faces gradually lost color. With every lid opened, their faces were turning paler as theirmon medical knowledge was torn apart by what they saw.

    The mes of panic were raging within their hearts. When more than half of the fifty storage tanks present were opened, they found, to their horror, that all of them contained malformed bodies!

    Whether it is male, female, adult, or child. The body wasplete, but the limbs were abnormal.

    ¡°Could it be that these deceased were all subjected to nuclear radiation?¡± still muttering to himself, Xu Hai could only think of such a possibility.

    Hearing that suspicion, Gu Jun quickly shook his head in denial. He knew it was not. In fact, he was absolutely sure. He had seen this hair-raising twisted limbs before.

    They were all over thatboratory he saw in his visions. On the floors of theboratory, rotting corpses were strewn all over. All of them had possessed such deformed limbs.

    As he dug deeper into his thoughts, pain pierced into his head like needles. The more he thought, the more excruciating they got. The same feeling enveloped him. The noises around him dissipated. In their ce, a rush of visions crashed mercilessly into his head.

    As unpleasant odours gued the air, Gu Jun pulled himself together and looked around. It was dark and dull. All the storage tanks were gone and were reced by a sizable dpidated pool. Inside, a dirty and yellow formalin solution filled it to the brim.

    Gritting his teeth, he endured the pain inside his head and forced himself to see more clearly. He saw studs nailed on the poolside. On them, chains snaked along and hung into the pool.

    The studs and the iron chains were rusty and mottled, probably having gone through several long merciless years.

    Through the turbid water surface, Gu Jun vaguely saw the end of every iron chain. There, a corpse was tied and soaked in water. Breathing deeply, he clenched his jaws as his eyes narrowed. Those were humans.

    Suddenly, the water in the pool violently rippled. From within, the corpse reached out. The deformed arm wed at Gu Jun¡¯s face. Looking at the arm with widened eyes, the twisted bones were evident.

    AH!!!

    ¡°Tycoon Jun! Tycoon Jun!¡± Cai Zixuan¡¯s voice shattered the vision. Shaking his head vigorously, Gu Jun wheezed heavily.

    ¡°You alright?¡± concerned, Xu Hai asked. ¡°Do we need an ambnce?¡± On the other side, Zhang Haoran¡¯s voice echoed.

    While everyone was shaken down to their core by the sessive appearances of simr and supposedly rare malformed cadavers, none of them had broken out in shrieks and cold sweat like Gu Jun.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun took a few deep breaths as he calmed his thumping heart. Seems like the trigger to the visions had no rtions to the location. However, until now, he could not decipher the purpose of these peculiar visions or could he find a clue as to where theboratory was at.

    ¡°What happened? What happened?!¡± through the mortuary doors, Mr Cui rushed in. His giant beer belly was popping through the frames. The moment the sea of half-opened lids entered his line of sight, curses and anger burst forth from him. ¡°ARGH! What the heck is wrong with you kids? You think this is fun? Are you picking a wife?¡±

    As curses flowed from him endlessly, he walked over and nced into the boxes. Immediately, his word curbed and his bby cheeks shuddered in shock.

    While he may just be a management team member. He too, studied medicine.

    ¡°Mr Cui, what¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Xu Hai.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Isn¡¯t it just some deformed bodies? Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± Mr Cui stutteringly said and lightly brushed his shock. However, his chubby face was still tight and tense and his tone was a lot weaker. ¡°I heard the corpse guides say that this group of bodies was selected. We have to cherish the peculiarity. All of the nation¡¯s malformed cadavers are probably concentrated here. With thispetition helmed by the state, there are no resources that cannot be obtained. You! Quickly pick one and put the covers back.¡±

    Hearing the half-assed exnation, Xu Hai, Cai Zixuan, and Zhang Haoran were skeptical.

    Was the management really attaching such great importance to this medical skillspetition?

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Once again, Xu Hai pulled the team together. ¡°I think we should stick with the first cadaver we opened.¡±

    Looking at the massive collection of malformed cadavers, Gu Jun was sure. There was indeed a peculiar power working behind the scenes.

    Thispetition... It was his best shot at getting into this mysterious world.

    First, he had to seize this chance to practice his dissection skills and spur the development of his Hands of Dexterity. At the same time, convince Professor Gu to give him a chance!

    Immediately, Gu Jun opened the system in his mind and browsed his Missions Log.

    [DIFFICULT Mission: Within 3 days,plete a dissection on a malformed human. Mission Rewards, 1 Iplete Anatomical Reference.

    ept Mission!

    [Mission epted! Current Dissection Progress: 0%, Time Remaining: 71:59:58 ]

    Time remaining? 72hours?

    Considerations swirled within Gu Jun¡¯s mind. It seemed like DIFFICULT and NORMAL missions had several different limitations. NORMAL missions requested thepletion within the day, while DIFFICULT mission would end within the next 72 hours.

    :58:59. as the numbers ticked on unceasingly, Gu Jun¡¯s heart thumped a little faster. Looks like he should have waited until he could actually begin dissecting before epting the mission.

    This time, he had to rush.

 Chapter 16: The Black Substance Under The Skin

    <h4>Chapter 16: The ck Substance Under The Skin</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    The light shone brightly in the spacious anatomyboratory.

    Three rows and six temperature-controlled refrigerated dissection tables were ced in the middle. All were made of stainless steel. The ceiling above each dissection table had a shadowlessmp and a camera. On the back wall of theboratory hung a banner on a blue background that said ¡°Courage beyond fearlessness, noble love that leaves one speechless, paying tribute to the cadavers.¡±

    On one of the dissection tables was a cadaver. His head was covered with a wet cloth soaked in formalin.

    The body was still intact, except for the left upper limb which was malformed and distorted.

    Professor Gu took six students to the side of a dissection table and conducted a silent tribute ceremony for the cadaver.

    All of them were wearing a white coat, masks, and gloves.

    Prior to this, the four men had just brought the cadaver over with a trolley. Before the remains were ced on the dissection table, Xu Hai had reported the abnormal situation in the storage room to Professor Gu. Professor Gu frowned and couldn¡¯t understand what the situation was, but what left him even more confused was the left upper limb of the body.

    This was a type of distortion that even he could not recognise.

    After the moment of silence had passed, Professor Gu revealed a solemn expression and seriously spoke to the students, ¡°You should have expected this already, but thepetition this time is not easy. I hope you can go all out in this training and improve yourself. Don¡¯t let the hopes of the deceased down.¡±

    Everyone nodded. Everybody was wearing an equally solemn expression on their faces. Gu Jun was the same as well. He never acted in a joking manner while inside the human anatomy room.

    ¡°Frankly speaking,¡± Professor Gu looked at the remains on the dissection table, ¡°I have no clue what the general upper left limb of this cadaver is. Is this some kind of congenital malformation or some acquired malformation? You should pay close attention to the possible clinical connections. Whoever has any idea, speak up. ¡±

    Even Professor Gu does not know? Xu Hai looked at Zhang Haoran, and Zhang Haoran turned to look at He Yuhan again. The atmosphere in theboratory became increasingly unnatural.

    These medical ¡°ves¡± were professionally trained, and the scene of rotting flesh was quite familiar to them. When they dissected a typical human body, they would not feel any fear as long as the body was covered with a cloth. Only when looking directly at the corpse¡¯s face or dissecting the face would tension suddenly seize them.

    The human fear mechanism was like this. A hand orrge intestines were just dead things. but the face had a soul.

    But now, the malformed left hand gave them more invisible pressure than they had ever experienced.

    He Yuhan could not help but take a deep breath. However, all that he smelt was an even more overwhelming odour. His heart trembled.

    Professor Gu nced around. Seeing his students look like this, his heart sank. Thinking about it, the training resources for thispetition were already human bodies of this level. When ites to the actualpetition, who knows what worse objects were to be dissected? Whether these young people could deal with the situation then was a question in itself.

    Ruoxiang and Zixuan seemed to be calmer. What about Gu Jun?

    At this time, Professor Gu noticed that Gu Jun¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem to change. He really didn¡¯t know if Gu Jun was calm or scared out of his wits.

    ¡°Let¡¯s dissect the dorsal carpal area of ??the left upper limb and the back of the hand.¡± Professor Gu deliberately wanted to temper them and picked whatever they feared the most.

    As a doctor, you have to face a lot of unexpected situations. You cannot prepare prior to going into battle every time.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Xu Hai and He Yuhan suddenly eximed. Even Wang Ruoxiang was stunned. Cai Zixuan finally revealed a nervous expression. ¡°Professor, don¡¯t we need to warm up first?¡±

    In a usual anatomy ss, some pre-reviews will be done before the hands-on operation. The teacher would talk about relevant anatomy knowledge and use the teaching screen to y rted maps and operation videos. This was so that students can understand the focus, difficulties, and order of the anatomy content and mentally prepare themselves.

    Although there was no such map of the malformed left hand for them to see, it is better to dissect other parts and warm up first.

    ¡°Let¡¯s do a set of broadcasted radio gymnastics first,¡± Professor Gu answered coldly.

    Naturally, this was a cold joke, but everyone didn¡¯t dare to say much anymore. They were afraid that they would indeed do broadcasted radio gymnastics in the dissection room.

    However, Professor Gu¡¯s cold joke significantly alleviated the pressure, and they proceeded to slightly stretch their waists, twisted their necks, and rxed their muscles. That was because the average length of an anatomy ss was about three hours, and they would have to stand by the dissection table all throughout. They had to dissect the anatomy and observe the others who were doing so. Sometimes there would really be a need to do broadcasted radio gymnastics.

    The dorsal area of ??the wrist and the back of the hand was notrge. One or two people would suffice. Who would be going first?

    Professor Gu, and everyone else in theboratory knew how their skill in anatomical dissection ranked.

    Wang Ruoxiang was sensitive and had exquisite techniques, but her weakness lies in the inherent disadvantages and weaknesses of females. Some anatomical operations required a lot of energy toplete. It takes several hours to do so and consumes a lot of energy. These are the reasons that restricted the development of female medical students in the surgical aspect.

    Overall, her and Zhang Haoran were tied at first ce. Zhang Haoran specialises in fundamental medicine and had more exposure to anatomypared to clinical skills.

    Following that, the ranking was as follows: Xu Hai, Cai Zixuan, and He Yuhan. As for Gu Jun, he was just an ordinary member. They thought that he might be more reliable than the weakest one He Yuhan who was a pharmacist.

    ¡°Ruoxiang, Haoran, you two would go first.¡± Professor Gu made the decision. ¡°The others assist them.¡±

    Cai Zixuan and the other three were relieved, Wang Ruoxiang and Zhang Haoran stepped forward while Gu Jun watched at the side.

    The scalpel, dissecting forceps, dissecting scissors, and other surgical instruments had been prepared and ced on the dissection table.

    The shadowlessmp above and the camera were switched on and aimed at the corpse on the table.

    Wang Ruoxiang took out a scalpel from the surgical tray. It was standard grade, made from stainless steel and the de appeared to be bright silver. Feeling the scalpel made the nerves in her fingers twitch slightly, and she recalled the theory of anatomy which she studied in books. She remembered the sensation of making an incision.

    Next to the tray, Zhang Haoran picked up the pair of forceps and used the tip of the forceps to make a horizontal incision mark on the back of the malformed cadaver¡¯s wrist, and then an incision mark beneath the thumb. The hand had been twisted into an indescribable appearance, and he made the incision based on his gut feeling.

    At this moment, everyone¡¯s heart, including Professor Gu¡¯s, rate was elerating.

    Wang Ruoxiang gathered all her concentration, holding the scalpel firmly with her wrist twisted into a bow-like gesture. She followed the incision markings along the back of the wrist and proceeded to pierce the skin at a right angle using the scalpel.

    As soon as the de was inserted, astonishment and doubts instantly overcame her. The skin on the back of a human hand was extremely fine. Usually, the resistance of the de would suddenly decrease after slightly piercing the skin. That meant that the de had reached the superficial fascia. At this time, one should immediately tilt the de to 45 degrees and then proceed with the incision.

    However, even though the tip of the de had been inserted significantly, there was strangely no such sensation of decreasing resistance.

    Wang Ruoxiang immediately paused and frowned. She then said to everyone around. ¡°I don¡¯t feel that there is a shallow fascia here.¡±

    Uh, what? Xu Hai and the rest were unable to react instantly because the basic structure of the human body they knew of was skin, shallow fascia, then deep fascia.

    ¡°Just gauge the ordinary depth and continue with the incision,¡± Professor Gu tly ordered.

    Wang Ruoxiang nodded, steadied her grip on the scalpel, and carefully cut along the line at an angle of 45 degrees. With this incision, there was a sudden squelch, and a dark strange liquid spewed out, almost sshing on her and Zhang Haoran¡¯s faces.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Gu Jun had been paying close attention to every stage of the operation, and he could not help but loudly exim and stretch his hand to pull Wang Ruoxiang away.

    Nothing happened afterwards. Instead, everyone was startled by his sudden cry. Professor Gu rebuked in a resigned manner, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised by everything! That¡¯s very amateurish.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± Gu Jun continued to observe silently. Some dangers would descend before one even expected them, and he sincerely prayed that these ck liquids were not those.

    Since this was arranged by the state, the authorities should have determined that the substance was not dangerous.

    The effusion was still flowing out from the incision, and everyone was waiting to hear Professor Gu¡¯s judgment. Normal corpses would not have so much subcutaneous effusion.

    ¡°This could possibly be a subcutaneous cyst.¡± Professor Gu¡¯s face looked particrly old and haggard at the moment. This left hand was subverting his knowledge a little bit. ¡°Go ahead, there is effusion underneath the skin so the skin will move a lot more. Pay attention when making your incisions.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang gathered her spirits, along with Zhang Haoran, they continued to slice and peel the skin on the back of the hand and the back of the finger. As for whether the depth of the incision had damaged the subcutaneous tissue such as the superficial fascia, it was impossible to know. However, the subcutaneous effusion still continued to flow out.

    Their eyes were sore and hurting due to the prickling stench of formalin, and tears would not stop flowing out.

    Perhaps due to doubts, unfamiliarity, or fear of the unknown, their hearts grew increasingly tense.

    Zhang Haoran could distinctly feel the heat originating from his exhtions inside his mask. This left him feeling very ufortable. He was almost out of breath, and his hands trembled slightly because of that.

    Wang Ruoxiang still had not reached the point that her hands were trembling. Still, her forehead was matted with fine sweat, and she was simrly on the verge of making an error.

    How could Cai Zixuan and Xu Hai, who were watching beside them, dare to make fun of them? They themselves felt their hands trembling as they observed. If their positions were switched and they were the ones who went up to take the knife, no doubt they would fare worse.

    After what felt like an eternity, the two finallypleted the task of peeling the skin from the back of the hand.

    ¡°Ruoxiang, Haoran, you guys are done.¡± Professor Gu noticed that both of them were at the end of their wits and encouraged, ¡°Your performance is not bad.¡± When faced with this kind of abnormal situation, the performance of the two was still satisfactory. Professor Gu then said, ¡°Gu Jun, you can continue to operate. Whether or not there is a superficial fascia, verify it for me.¡±

    In fact, Professor Gu was not harbouring much expectation towards Gu Jun this time. If it was an average human corpse, that was still alright. However, when dissecting a malformed body, even Ruoxiang and Haoran could only exhibit this level of performance. How better could Gu Jun perform? Professor Gu¡¯s main goal this time was to let the boy understand the gap between himself and the elites, hoping that he would be humbled and strive harder in the future.

    Let Gu Jun do it? Everyone suddenly looked at Gu Jun as they sensed Professor Gu¡¯s malice.

    Cai Zixuan was genuinely feeling sympathetic. Tycoon Jun had been out of school for a few months. When was thest time he even performed a dissection? Isn¡¯t this putting his head on the chopping board?

    Wang Ruoxiang heaved a sigh of relief, and the mask on his face was undting unceasingly as though she had just fought in war. She handed the scalpel in her hand over to Gu Jun. ¡°The substances are very slippery. Pay attention. Good luck.¡±

    Gu Jun epted the scalpel and nodded. ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    The air suddenly went quiet, and question marks seemed to fill everyone¡¯s faces.

    Leave it to you? To you?

 Chapter 17: the Twisted Shallow Fascia

    <h4>Chapter 17: the Twisted Shallow Fascia</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Leave it to you?

    Xu Hai was on the verge of bursting out in disbelief. Bro, where did all this baseless confidencee from? Why are you so courageous? Did Fish Leong give them to you? (1)

    Hearing the seemingly senseless confidence from Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan sniggered to himself as an attempt to liven the tense mood. However, he immediately sensed the inappropriateness of hisughter and zipped his mouth tight.

    ¡°Be serious and act properly!¡± Professor Gu angrily snapped. In his eyes, this rascal was acting out of line again. ¡°The scalpel isn¡¯t held this way. You will cut yourself!¡±

    Hearing that, the crowd¡¯s eyes swerved unto Gu Jun¡¯s hand, observing his grip. His right hand¡¯s thumb and index finger were carelessly gripping the scalpel¡¯s body. Obviously, it was highly unprofessional.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not using the scalpel.¡±

    Putting it down to the equipment tray, he picked up the surgical scissors.

    In dissection, the surgeon used more than just the scalpel. There were all sorts of critical equipment on the tray: dissecting forceps and scissors, vascr forceps, pull hooks, and more. The surgeons adapted their use of equipment ordingly.

    Looking at the cadaver on the operating table, the shadowlessmp had illuminated the insides brightly and clearly. The unknown ck substance had mostly trickled away from the skinned back of the left hand. This area under the skin was supposed to be pale yellow in theory, but all they could see was a patch of ck. Through observation alone, it was tough to decipher the location of the superficial vein and the cutaneous nerve.

    To split the structuralyers even further, surgical scissors were quintessential.

    ¡°Thisyer should be shallow fascia,¡± looking at the limb, Gu Jun stated his conclusions in a deep undertone. ¡°However, they are stacked together.¡±

    ¡°Stacked together?¡± Wang Ruoxiang was taken aback, leaning forward to take a closer look.

    Now that he mentioned it, it does indeed...

    In reality, Gu Jun could tell from a while back. In typical structures, humans¡¯ superficial fascia was ayer that is structured loosely and tenderly, making it beneficial for movement. However, this hand was malformed. From the looks of it, the superficial fascia was twisted and tangled into a ball, causingrge amounts of space for the ck substance to be clustered within.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Hearing the deduction, Professor Gu¡¯s eyebrows fidgeted. He leaned forward under themp.

    Hmph, looks like this rascal has some ideas. A good doctor must have ideas.

    Wang Ruoxiang leaned forward to look. She closed in tightly till she was almost stuck to Gu Jun. That let him smell the rare sweet scent perfuming from her body. Unexpectedly, she got only 1 cold sentence from him, ¡°ss monitor, can you move back a bit. You¡¯re blocking me.¡± Well, she was really blocking. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t bother.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Wang Ruoxiang made some room for him but did not move too far away. Her jet back eyes were still fixed on the dissecting table, not moving a single bit.

    On the sidelines, Xu Hai and the rest were stunned. The act of a wolf acting like a vegetarian and rejecting the delicious course meals had left them dumbstruck.

    Ignoring either skeptical or surprised expressions of the others, Gu Jun focused on his dissection. With his right thumb and ring finger through each hoop and his middle finger in front of the circle, he controlled and bnced the scissors steadily with his index finger at the hinge and held the surgical scissors in a textbook manner.

    Despite being away from the dissection table for some time, there was not a hint of uncertainty in Gu Jun¡¯s actions. Instead, it was firm and calm, swift and dexterous.

    All of his practice on dissection was quickly reawakened, his muscles recalled their past actions and supported his knowledge unceasingly.

    With a deep breath, Gu Jun ced firm control over his breathing and cautiously snipped the ball of shallow fascia from the back of the hand. As he expected, there was a considerablettice of ck substance underneath the shallow fascia drowning the structure of the muscle. Looking at this unusual sight, Gu Jun analysed, ¡°Lots of this substance has umted, I don¡¯t think its a product of a cyst.¡±

    Combining the vascr forceps and the surgical scissors, Gu Jun continued to precisely separate the shallow fascia from the superficial vein.

    The tissues in this region were very brittle. With intense focus, Gu Jun carefully maneuvered the surgical equipment. He skillfully depressed the scissors. Using the tip to pry open the shallow fascia, he then found his way in with the vascr forceps and gently brought the superficial vein out. Throughout the stressful process, Gu Jun hadn¡¯t even blinked once.

    Oh my gods...

    Beside him, the entire research team were on the verge of copse as their vision almost seemed to blur and their lungs suffocated. Just by the looks of their own hands, they knew how thin and delicate each vein on the back of a human¡¯s hands was. For the dissection of an average human, this was already a challenging task. Not to mention, a malformed human with extraplications involved!

    However, in the face of such challenges, Gu Jun¡¯s hands were not showing any signs of shakiness. His hands were stable and urately bringing the veins out. Strand by strand, he carefully separated them and not a single one had snapped or got deformed.

    That massive mess of shallow fascia actually got sorted out bit by bit under Gu Jun¡¯s masterful hands.

    What the... Xu Hai¡¯s jaws dropped as he watched. Thankfully, the surgical mask hid his awe-inspired expression.

    Zhang Haoran¡¯s face froze with every passing second as though he had seen a ghosting back to life. He knew first hand how difficult and stressful it was to handle the malformed cavader¡¯s dissection. How is Gu Jun handling it with such high uracy?

    As Wang Ruoxiang watched on, questions and thoughts churned unceasingly.

    Did Gu Jun go through a second breakthrough in life?

    ¡°Huh?¡± Professor Gu¡¯s old eyes lit up watching Gu Jun. His heart had leapt with a pleasant surprise as if the warm breeze of first love caressed him. Facing this kind of deformity, this kid is too settled.

    Despite theplicated structure, Gu Jun had conscientiously analysed the muscle and tissues with eagle eyes. As his hands cut downwards, it was steady, precise, and confident. Each of his movements was sharp and decisive. It was as if he had years of experience beaten into him from working in the operating theatre.

    Theboratory was still very quiet. Although everyone was surprised and excited, they didn¡¯t let themselves make a single sound for fear of disturbing Gu Jun¡¯s rhythm.

    Gu Jun buried his head in dissection. Before long, his gloves were covered with the ck substance. He gradually felt that his hands were no longer his hands, but an automatic machine. These blood vessels were no longer blood vessels or a part of the human tissue. In his eyes, they were hidden treasures for him to find.

    Under intense focus, Gu Jun was immune to the burning pain of fatigue in his eyes. His mind was calmer than still water.

    All he had to do was pick vein after vein...

    Some timeter, Gu Jun had sessfully separated the entire superficial vein system from the back of the hand! Besides Professor Gu, everyone else was stunned speechless. There was no way what Gu Jun did was the work of a student.

    ¡°This left hand of this corpse is no doubt the hand of a human,¡± keeping his calm and focus, Gu Jun analysed critically. ¡°The superficial veins are all present. From the look of the malformation, it seems more usible that the entire structure was forced together.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s sentence was very enlightening. Upon hearing his deduction, everyone saw the way to understand the deformed hand.

    It seems that the malformation was a product of the arm¡¯s humerus and the radius of the forearm. They were twisted together to form such a weird shape.

    But this bit of correct understanding may also drag them into a deeper abyss of the unknown. Was it really possible that it was a congenital malformation or some kind of acquired distortion? What type of disease in the world would cause such a deformity?

    ¡°Hmm ...¡± Professor Gu pondered, ¡°Gu Jun, you have a good idea. Anyone else has any ideas. Feel free to voice out.¡±

    Regarding the malformed limb, the rest did not have anything to say. Regarding Gu Jun, they had tons of questions. First and foremost, is this guy tycoon Jun?

    Just as Gu Jun was about to resume the dissection, a new system message popped in his head.

    DING DONG!

    [Current Dissection Progress:1%,Time Remaining:71:02:46 ]

    Looks like this cadaver did meet the mission requirements. As Gu Jun looked at the prompt bar, he thought to himself. Just now, Wang Ruoxiang and Zhang Haoran did separate the skin on the back of the hands. Looks like that did not even contribute 0.1%pletion? Seems like other people¡¯s operations will not be counted.

    % just for the separation of the superficial veins? It seems that the task did not have absurd anatomical requirements.

    Lifting his head, he looked at the remaining time. He had spent almost an hour already. Although most of this hour was spent on transportation and preparation work, the 72-hour time limit was still very tight. After all, he was human and needed to eat, drink, and rest.

    This was especially true for dissections. The longer each shift was, the more fatigue umted on the mind and body. With that, the surgeon would be slower and more prone to error.

    Alright, time to get to work. What¡¯s the worst that can happen? I¡¯m sure a can of red bull can keep me going!

    Pulling his thoughts together, Gu Jun stood up and began to work on the malformed hand. He separates the radial and ulnar nerves.

    Looking at his best friend, Cai Zixuanmented as he shook his head.

    What a prodigious young man! Tycoon Jun was really a head above the rest in talent. Just that tiny bit of effort and he has surpassed us all!

    Hmph! maybe he¡¯s just good with the scissors. Within Xu Hai¡¯s heart, he still was unconvinced. Since the start, he had prided himself as the 3rd best in dissection within the team. In the aspects which required muscr strength, like surgical bone sawing, he had even done it better than Wang Ruoxiang. He had believed that when thepetition came, he would be an indispensable part of the team.

    Right at that moment, Gu Jun put down the surgical scissors, picked up the scalpel, and held it like a pen. Without dy, he began to remove the residue on the dorsal side of the wrist.

    As the rest of his batch mates watched, they started to question themselves. Gu Jun handled the scalpel with equal ease and technique. He too was under the constant smoking of formalin that his eyes teared uncontrobly. Gu Jun was also breathing heavily, suffering the pressure from fatigue. Yet, regardless of the processes, bone polishing, making incisions or stripping, he was as stable as a veteran surgeon.

    Atst, Xu Hai was thoroughly convinced. With a deep sigh, the deepest yet, hemented.

    I can¡¯tpare to him. no, I am not even worthy of beingpared to him.

    He Yuhan nced at Gu Jun again. This time, the profile of that side face. Oops, why? Why did he suddenly be so handsome? If Wang Ruoxiang didn¡¯t like him, she certainly did.

    ¡°Good, Good.¡± Professor Gu muttered happily under his breath. His old face was a little red on his cheeks from the surprise and excitement. At longst, he proved that he was not wrong.

    Lil¡¯ Gu¡¯s hands were worth tons of gold in surgery!

    Courage is a popr song by Fish Leong that took China by storm back in 2012

 Chapter 18: True Definition Of â€œGutsâ€

    <h4>Chapter 18: True Definition Of ¡°Guts¡±</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    In the first three hours of dissecting the cadaver, Gu Jun¡¯s performance disyed the full extent of his ability.

    Professor Gu immediately announced his intentions to bring Gu Jun to participate in thepetition. Everyone else had no objection. Regardless of Gu Jun¡¯s skills in other medical aspects, he was simply a killing machine on the dissection table.

    ¡°Boy, keep up your efforts. Don¡¯t waste your talent.¡± Professor Gu once again changed his attitude towards this evildoer and regained some favourable impression towards him. That was because it was impossible to achieve this level of skill without innumerable hours of practice. Gu Jun must have devoted a lot of effort into it.

    ¡°I will.¡± Gu Jun nodded, thinking back to how it took three hours before he could dissect even one-third of the malformed hand. His missionpletion was only at 6%, and only 68.5 hours were left. There was barely enough time to even sleep. He insisted. ¡°I want to continue for another 10 minutes.¡±

    Hmm? Cai Zixuan, who was cleaning up the dissecting instrument, suddenly froze. The original n was to return the instrument back to ce and lowering the cadaver back into the refrigerated tank on the dissection table. They would then cover it up with a damp formalin cloth and raise it up the next time they had dissection.

    ¡°10 more minutes?¡± Xu Hai couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°Even a man hanging himself needs to take a breather!¡± After three hours, his waist was sore and his legs were hurting. His eyes were swollen, his hands were numb, and his fatigue was extended beyond his physical body.

    ¡°I support Ah Jun!¡± He Yuhan raised her hand. It seems that she had already be one of Gu Jun¡¯s little fangirls. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact they were in the same grade, she really wanted to greet Gu Jun as Senior Brother.

    ¡°I need to rest for at least another hour,¡± Wang Ruoxiang said. She knew her condition the best and shook her head slightly. ¡°If I only rest for 10 minutes, I will die.¡±

    Human anatomy and experimenting on mice were two vastly different things.

    Xu Hai was about to cheer. The ss monitor was wise!

    ¡°I mean, I will continue to dissect by myself. Whoever wants to join me, please feel free.¡± Gu Jun never thought of pulling them into his antics because thepletion degree only counted his own operations. It could be exploited in that way. He said earnestly, ¡°I n to stay in the Dissection Building these days, and I will only sleep for five hours at night.¡±

    ¡°Well, boy. You can continue practising. Anyone who wants to practise with him, go ahead.¡± Professor Gu gave the go-ahead. Having a surgical operation whichsts for more than ten consecutive hours was amon urrence in the medical world. It acted as a test to see if one possessed enough physical strength and mental fortitude. ¡°Nowadays, it is rare to have national resources to support us. The school has also given the green light. But if you want to practise, then you can operate on the other more ordinary limbs. This malformed hand should be left when everyone is present.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Gu Jun nodded.

    This time, Cai Zixuan and He Yuhan both chose to stay and follow him to dissect the right upper extremity of the body. In contrast, others left theboratory to rest.

    The right upper limb was the standard structure of the human body part. The three operated while referencing the anatomical as of the human upper arms. Even without the guidance of Professor Gu, they had no problems technical-wise.

    The three buried themselves in dissection. They only stopped after another three hours had passed, and it was already evening.

    Gu Jun saw that the missionpletion rate had achieved the 10% mark. He had been operating non-stop for the past three hours, but it only increased by 4%. He guessed that the dissection of the anatomically malformed hand would increase thepletion rate at a swifter pace, while regr parts of the anatomy would add less to thepletion rate. There was only one deformity which everyone had to share. When he thought about this, time became even more pressing.

    ¡°We continue!¡± He said.

    Cai Zixuan gave a weak squeal, while He Yuhan revealed a trace of panic and regret.

    After another half an hour or so had passed, Wang Ruoxiang came back with box meals and mineral water. There were another three hours in the evening when they had to ¡°do battle¡±.

    Gu Jun and the three had only stopped at this point and went outside to the corridor to rest and eat dinner. At this time, He Yuhan was so tired that she felt like she was about to faint. She never had such a good appetite, pouncing on a box meal and wolfing it down ravenously. It tasted so delicious that she was almost moved to tears.

    There were some other Frontier Cup students in the corridor as well, who were also training here. After the break, everyone was gossiping about the malformed remains.

    ¡°Did some gue break out?¡±

    ¡°gue? No, do you think that the deformity is a form of illness?¡±

    ¡°Could it be some sort of secret experiment?¡±

    Everyone was busy mouring, but none coulde up with a concrete exnation, and few people actually leaned towards supernatural exnations. Medical ¡°ves¡± were devout believers of science, after all.

    Gu Jun ate the boxed meal in silence, but his heart had a vague premonition that there was some sort of outbreak that the public didn¡¯t know about.

    ***

    The next three days, the urban legends of medical ¡°ves¡± sleeping in the Dissection Building was proven to be true.

    Gu Jun showed the other five students the true definition of ¡°guts¡±. Apart from the five hours of slumber at night, he would always be immersed in three-hour dissection exercises. Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan all rotated turns to dissect, while he would always be the one on the field.

    It is impossible to brag on the dissection table. Whether one had genuine skills or not, all would be revealed.

    Now Gu Jun had firmly secured a spot on the team roster as an expert, Professor Gu also gave him high praises. Indeed, when a schr returns after three days of istion, others would be left ck-jawed by his progress1.

    Wang Ruoxiang2 feels that she had be Wang Zhenxiang3. That was because Gu Jun¡¯s contribution to medicine should at least be more significant than mice now.

    It was not like Gu Jun did not feel tiredness, but he simply could not afford to stop. He had to obtain the reward of the map piece! He had no other options! Watching as thepletion rate of the mission progressed bit by bit from 10% to 20% to 50%, and then to 80%. Although his mental state and efficiency had declined across the board, he still gritted his teeth. He continued to persevere on and repeated to himself like reciting a mantra: ¡°I cannot surrender.¡±

    This marathon-like dissection seemed to be a baptism of formalin, which transformed him.

    This was the first time in Gu Jun¡¯s life as a medical student that he had been so desperate. He was so tired that hecked even the energy to fall asleep.

    However, his rewards were not just the increase in proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity. His own understanding of various surgical anatomical and surgical techniques had also significantly improved.

    At the same time, the more he dissected these anatomical remains, the more befuddled he felt by the matter at Longkan. It was not like there were abnormalities in other parts of the body. Contrary, the other parts were extremely ordinary and healthy. It was precisely this fact that made the cadaver¡¯s death more difficult to understand.

    The greater the progress on the dissection of the malformed hand, the more Gu Jun¡¯s previous judgment was confirmed to be correct. It left them terrifyingly confused! What surprised them the most was that the humerus and radius were not just simply twisted together, but the radius had prated through the middle of the humerus yet the humerus had no symptoms of fracture.

    This was medically impossible, even if nuclear radiation was considered.

    Their tower of medical and scientific knowledge started to have rifts in them.

    They wanted an answer, but perhaps they may only obtain it in the future or maybe never find a solution.

    ***

    Finally, on the afternoon of the third day under the guidance of Professor Gu, the group of six finished the dissection of the body¡¯s abdominal area.

    The remaining time of the mission was only 00:14:38. Less than 15 minutes left. When Gu Junpletely removed the liver from the corpse...

    With a DING! in his head, the message prompt box started to pop up continuously:

    [Current anatomicalpletion: 100%, DIFFICULT mission ¨C Mission Completed!]

    [The level of the Hands of Dexterity has risen! The current level is second-tier(0/30000 proficiency)]

    [Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 1 piece of iplete structure map. Click to receive your rewards.]

    Finally... it¡¯s done! Gu Jun frowned, before letting out a sigh of relief. But with the exhtion of this breath, he felt his surroundings spin. His entire body wobbled unsteadily and almost copsed to the floor. The liver almost flew out of his hands. He mustered thest dregs of his strength to ce the liver on the anatomical te and propped himself up so that he would not fall.

    ¡°Gu Jun?¡± Wang Ruoxiang was the first to notice his difficulty. The liver wasn¡¯t moving? Following that, everyone discovered his condition.

    Xu Hai¡¯s eyes were a little crazed. HAHAHAHA, finally can¡¯t hold out any longer? It seems like you are just a mortal after all! HAHAHAHA.

    ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Gu Jun gasped as he spoke to the rest. ¡°I¡¯m going to crash in the dormitory. Otherwise, you guys would be dissecting me tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and go back,¡± Professor Gu waved his hands and extolled Gu Jun. Looking at Gu Jun¡¯s red and swollen eyes, his exhausted face, and a foul odour emitting from his body, Professor Gu was really afraid that the boy would die suddenly.

    With the withdrawal of Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, his chief deputy, lost his spiritual pir and suddenly started to wobble. Over the past few days, Cai Zixuan¡¯s already-thin hairline further receded, and his originally dark circles had evolved to cover his entire face.

    The secondary deputy, He Yuhan, did not fare much better. Everything in her vision looked green in color. She was a pharmacist, goddamn it, but she had dissected more than clinical students over thest few days. She understood now that following Gu Jun was not suitable for her. She¡¯ll be exhausted to death!

    ¡°Then everyone, I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± Gu Jun removed his gloves, mask, and white coat. He washed his hands at the sink counter and hurriedly ran out of theboratory. He left the Dissection Building and rode his bike back to the dormitory.

    Mission rewards, I want to receive my mission rewards!

    Meaning that after one has disappeared for a long time and made tremendous improvement, others cannot use the same pair of eyes to judge him

    Ruo means false/fake

    Zhen means real/true

 Chapter 19: Annotations on the Anatomical Reference

    <h4>Chapter 19: Annotations on the Anatomical Reference</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    A figure on a bicycle shed by along the pavements from the Dissection Building back to the dormitories. He bolted straight up the stairs and into his room without stopping. In one swift motion, he grabbed the water jug on the table and downed its contents in one huge gulp.

    The water had not been changed for days. With every gulp, the slight hint of staleness was entuated. However, for a man who was utterly exhausted like Gu Jun, it was still a blessing.

    Looking at his table, everything was the same as he arranged it 3 days ago. The order and position of the books and items were all intact. No one had barged in or flipped through his things in the past 3 days. As for Li Yuerui¡¯s handphone, he had brought it along at all times.

    ¡°Phew...¡± Taking a seat by his desk, Gu Jun could feel his muscles eximing in gratefulness. He opened the system in his mind and examined his new condition.

    [Opening Host¡¯s Abilities List: 1 Type

    Hands of Dexterity

    Rarity: ¡ï (From Lowest to Highest, 1¡ï to 10¡ï)

    Cultivation Potential: 3rd Tier

    Host¡¯s Ability Tier: 2nd Tier (0/30000 Proficiency).]

    Finally! 2nd Tier atst!

    In the past 3 days, Gu Jun had realised that while he only needed another 500 Proficiency to upgrade the Hands of Dexterity, it was excruciatingly painful to gain those points. He had spent more than half a day dissecting the malformed cadaver, yet not even a 100 proficiency was awarded. This was much less than the intravenous infusion needle injection practice that he had done.

    Looks like proficiency does not have a proportional increase. It¡¯s exponential. Basically, the more familiar I am with the technique, the harder it is to refine the technique. Thest 100 proficiencies of this tier would probably be harder than the previous thousands.

    Looking down at his own hands, Gu Jun stretched them a little. Having worn the surgical gloves non-stop for the past 72 hours, the sudden freedom of movement was slightly strange to him.

    nd Tier Hands of Dexterity, it was indeed a different feeling.

    Every single nerve on his hands was prominent to him now.

    This is the anterior interosseous nerve...

    As the thought popped in his head, his right thumb slightly fidgeted.

    The ulnar nerve...

    Then, his right arm pinky slightly jumped.

    While he could not ce full control over his movements yet, the potential was undeniable. The intricate and delicate movements had been heightened to a level that was not possible before the breakthrough.

    This pair of hands could now execute highly precise procedures, be it during dissection or surgery.

    ¡°Gosh, this makes the horrific pains of the past few days worth it!¡± Looking at his hands, the corner of Gu Jun¡¯s lips curled up. If the 2nd tier was already this monstrous, he could not imagine the massive benefits the 3rd Tier would bring.

    I could possibly be the man with the world¡¯s most muscr fingers!

    Sniggering at his own inconceivable thought, Gu Jun closed the abilities list and opened the missions log. The same system notification was left on until now, as though he was keeping the most delicious fried chicken thigh till the end of his meals.

    [Missions Rewards Uncollected: Iplete Anatomical Reference x 1, tap to collect your reward

    This time, the system seemed to be quite intelligent. Knowing that Gu Jun was within sight of the crowd just now. It did not send the map directly to his pocket. Could that be true?

    Anyways, this was the reward for the first difficult task! In his mind, Gu Jun tapped the collection promptly.

    ¡°Collected sessfully!¡±

    Suddenly, a violent wave of pain crashed into his head, and a ray of light blinded him out of nowhere. Barely opening his eyes, he found himself suspended above the ocean of his consciousness.

    There, he saw his reward.

    ¡°Oh, the structure was not a hardcopy piece, but a ¡°digital¡± one. Okay, morefortable to carry with me anyway.¡±

    In his mind, he attempted to view it. It was a somewhat awkward maneuver, but still doable. After he locked onto it from the other memories within his sea of consciousness, he made it more substantial and zoomed in as much as possible.

    Slowly, the image became more explicit. It was like an as, drawn onto slightly yellowed parchment of the size of an A4 paper. Its age was evident on the torn and tattered edges. There were even parts where holes were seen. The messy mottle making it look freshly excavated from the depths of the mantle.

    There was only 1 image drawn on this parchment. Even non-medically trained people could tell. It was the mapping of a human¡¯s anatomy. It held a semnce to the front view of the chest region of a human, but uncertainty loomed in his mind.

    Gu Jun was exceptionally familiar with the human chest. However, the structure that was drawn on this parchment... Something was not quite right. Oddly, it looked like a chest of a primate, but some areas pointed to him otherwise. Did primates have a bone that looked like a chest te?

    ¡°Amer bone,¡± muttering under his breath, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes examined the diamond-shaped bone. It was covered and directly connected to the costal bone behind.

    His brows frowned in confusion of this unprecedented sight. The annotations of the diagrams were written in the same mysteriousnguage. This foreignnguage was written by hand,paratively slip-shot to the precise and neat printing on the foreign medication box.

    Suddenly, eureka struck. ¡°This front view of the chest is also hand-drawn!¡±

    That¡¯s right. The lines weren¡¯t perfectly straight. Some were even slightly angled. What¡¯s more...

    Gu Jun found that this reference diagram was not drawn in a peaceful and conducive environment. It was more likely to be drawn in a chaotic and perilous situation. Hence, the lines were rushed and frantic.

    Following the annotations, he identified the bones. He first read the text pointing to the ¡°Lamer Bone¡±. He then read the text of several other bones, and found that they wereposed of two parts. What does this mean?

    *Author mixed the use of English and Chinese in the following sections. Chinese characters would be bolded and italicised. English words would be bolded*

    Like the two concepts of costal bone and breast bone, Chinese is ¡°Rib Bone¡± and ¡°Breast Bone¡±, English is ¡°costal bone¡± and ¡°breastbone¡±.

    There was a character repeated in both cases, ¡°bone¡±. Where ¡°bone¡± means bone.

    These bones are the same characters on the foreign text written... Did they also hold the same meaning of bones?

    As Gu Jun looked, he realized that they had the same meaning! As he deciphered his first word, he felt relief in his heart.

    Thank gods that the human mental process can understand thisnguage. If I can understand it, I can find my answers.

    He continued to decrypt this mysteriousnguage and sessively identified three characters holding the three concepts of ¡°muscle¡±, ¡°nerve¡±, and ¡°chest¡± from the 19 annotations. He found out that just as ¡°chest¡± and ¡°muscle¡± share the same radical in Chinese, these four different characters in thisnguage have identical parts in their word form.

    ¡°Bones, muscles, nerves, chest... Maybe this shared part is rted to the human body? Or is it life?¡±

    Gu Jun thought hard. After all, he was a great linguisticsyman. He didn¡¯t understand even if he read the information on the inte, but he didn¡¯t know any friend who was a reliable linguist.

    I finally found a breakthrough in understanding this foreignnguage.

    He looked at some annotations written below the diagram again. There were ten lines of fine print with hundreds of words.

    There was something peculiar that stood out. The words in thest four lines were exactly the same, and the same symbols after the sentence were identical. This symbol was just like ! or ? that followed modernnguages. Perhaps, this may be punctuation marks for thisnguage. Analysing further, Gu Jun felt that it was either an exmation mark or a question mark.

    What¡¯s more, the sentence has repeated a total of 4 times.

    Seems like the author of this anatomical reference was highly emotional as he was drawing it...

    Gu Jun dived deep in thought, ¡°What does this annotation mean?¡± As he continued examining the trembling handwriting, the shock, fear, and anxiety it exuded became very prominent.

    Perhaps these notes held the most significant value inparison to everything else on the reference sheet. It contained critical information that could unravel the actual value and meaning of this whole thing.

    s, he really can¡¯t understand it. The more he read, the more physically and mentally tired he became.

    ¡°Argh! I can¡¯t figure out anything like this. Time to go to bed! Get my energy up, and then I¡¯llpare the foreign words on the pillbox with this.¡±

    Gu Jun rubbed his red and sore eyes, got up, and washed his face using the basin on the balcony. He didn¡¯t want to take a bath, so he climbed onto his bed immediately andid down. The moment he closed his heavy eyelids, reality slipped into a dense grey mist.

    A pin-drop silence enveloped him.

    Slowly, the vision cleared. Arge withered tree with a thick, sturdy trunk appeared. On its top, numerous branches sprawled out messily, snaking through the grey mist like cracks. Oddly, there were no leaves, just some rotting vines snaking down the branches. Looking around, GJ realised that even the slight breeze seemed to be dyed grey.

    A rustle then caught his attention. By the withered tree, something seemed to be moving.

    It was a small, frail child. With his thin weak hands and legs, he frantically held unto the tree and climbed up with all his strength.

    Then, a thick mist shrouded Gu Jun¡¯s vision again, pulling the child and the tree further and further away into the distance.

    Momentster, he was at the foot of the withered tree. Here, it was also a sea of grey. On the ground, bodies and rotting corpses were strewn all over. Messy as it might seem, it somewhat formed an organised pattern. Gu Jun could not see their faces, but their limbs, both hands and legs, were all twisted into a malformation.

    Suddenly, a figure fell from the withered tree. It was that frail child. He had tried his best and used up all his energy. s, he still couldn¡¯t hold on to the increasingly rugged and curved trunk. With a slip of hand, he fell.

    The child seemed to be screaming in fear, but not a soundnded in Gu Jun¡¯s ear.

    BOOM!

    A loud crash resounded and smashed through the deafening silence. This time, Gu Jun heard it loud and clear. The child fell on the ground with a loud thud. Upon impact, his blood burst forth, staining the dull grey soil crimson red. The pale, tender face was distorted by the horror. His eyes had widened, but there was not a sign of life left.

    Gu Jun had seen this face before. The same face within the mortuary of the Dissection Building.

    The face of the child with two malformed hands lying in the pool of formalin.

 Chapter 20: The Withered Tree In His Dream

    <h4>Chapter 20: The Withered Tree In His Dream</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    AH! Gu Jun suddenly woke up from the nightmare. His eyes shot open, only to see the white ceiling. He was still in the dormitory. That was just a dream, huh.

    He nced at the time on his mobile phone. It only felt like a short while for him, but he had already slept for two hours.

    Gu Jun took a deep breath. There was a faint onion-like smell in the air, and the thick stench of formalin came from him. He pressed his still-groggy head and got out of bed.

    ¡°Was that really just a dream just now?¡± He muttered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like it though.¡±

    Perhaps, it was a dream¨Ca subconscious product of his own recent encounters.

    Or maybe it wasn¡¯t, but an actual scene that was happening somewhere.

    Gu Jun thought about it while rummaging through his closet for clean clothes. He then went to the bathroom of the dormitory building to take a shower. Gu Jun was still carrying around Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone. As he was showering, the hot water kept pouring from the showerhead. He scrubbed his hands vigorously and washed it over and over again, but the sticky smell from the medical rubber gloves could not seem to be washed off.

    After finishing his shower, Gu Jun returned to the bedroom. He saw that Cai Zixuan had returned and was busy beside his own closet.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, you have only taken a shower now?¡± Cai Zixuan asked, stunned.

    ¡°I went to take a nap first.¡± Gu Jun noticed the dishevelled state his buddy was in. His eyes were red and swollen, and his broad nose seemed to be flushed and erged. Perhaps due to over-stimtion from the formalin. Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡± Zixuan, you look so miserable right now. ¡±

    As the culprit, you still have the gall to say that. Cai Zixuan heaved a sigh, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to let loose the pent-up frustration inside of him. ¡°Look in the mirror, you are way worse than me.¡±

    The moment Gu Jun heard his words, he immediately stood in front of a mirror to take a look. Sure enough, his face was indeed more haggard. No signs of tidiness could be seen from his face, and he looked like a crazed barbarian wandering on the edge of madness. Heughed aloud, not knowing what he wasughing at and shook his head while smiling. ¡°Medical dog, medical dog.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, we¡¯re not just the only ones who looked like this.¡± Cai Zixuan walked over while carrying his clothes. He stopped and told Gu Jun, ¡°The corpses, other than the malformed parts, are really of high quality. We just went to the neighbouringboratories to take a look, and everyone is slogging as well. ¡±

    What were the usual dissection specimens? Fat guys covered byyers of blubber, the victim of a car ident that was full of blood, the deformed broken corpse of a suicide victim...

    Cai Zixuan emotionally said, ¡°You know Shen Wanjie from ss 1, right? The cadaver of their group is a young woman with a malformed left hand, and there are no other abnormalities. The skin is so beautiful! Everyone says it is the most beautiful skin they have ever seen, rivalling those of models from skincare advertisements.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how perverted you sound right now?¡± Gu Jun quipped although he knew that the ¡°beautiful¡± Zi Xuan meant was referring to the precise structure of the skin.

    ¡°Cheh.¡± Cai Zixuan scratched his head and went out with his clothes

    Sometimes, there is an inexplicable connection between some things.

    Advertisement? A fragment of memory seemed to sh in Gu Jun¡¯s head. He seemed to have seen the huge withered tree somewhere. In some advertisement? Perhaps some travel advertising news?

    Only if it wasn¡¯t a withered tree, but still lush and verdant with the leaves young and ever-green.

    Gu Jun sat down at the desk, opened hisptop and searched the Inte. He typed in searches for ¡°domestic big trees¡± and ¡°Eastern City big trees¡±. He was browsing through the information and suddenly saw a message that gave him a sense of deja vu and immediately clicked on it.

    An old banyan tree with a life span of 1,000 years in Gurong Vige, Eastern City.

    Gu Jun stared at the photos in the news article portrayed on the screen. His eyes were shut together, as though trying to recall something. ¡°That¡¯s the tree! What I saw in my dream is this old banyan tree.¡±

    Gurong Vige was not a particrly famous ce. It was just an ordinary vige. It was located in a remote mountainous area on the northern edge of Dongzhou City. Although there were somendscapes, it has always been underdeveloped. Only some dedicated backpackers will go there. Gurong Vige was best known for this banyan tree.

    Because it is ced in the entire Dongzhou city, this banyan tree was undisputedly one of the most long-lived.

    The image of the withered tree shed before his eyes, and Gu Jun took a sip of water before continuing his search for more information about Gurong Vige.

    Thetest news about the vige was fromst year, and the rest were mostly rted to the promotion of this tree. Afterwards, Gu Jun was unable to find new information about the vige on the Inte. It was unusual for there to be so little bad rumours about the vige to the point of being eerie. It was a small tourist spot after all. Why was it so spotless?

    Unless something happened there, and the information there was being controlled.

    ¡°Could the origin of the deformity be Gurong Vige?¡± Gu Jun thought, and then opened another news article about Gurong Vige. His heart tightened.

    The news article was about the director of Gurong Vige Cultural Tourism District Management Committee introducing the development n of their vige to reporters.

    The face of the director was iparably familiar to Gu Jun.

    After all, Gu Jun had personally removed the eyeball from this face this morning.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Gu Jun leaned back against the back of his seat with a series of guesses. Regardless of whether it was the origin, Gurong Vige should have a gue outbreak. The fifty bodies were all those of the vigers. Perhaps they were even dead. What exactly happened there for things to be this way?

    Looking at the lush verdant banyan tree on screen, he felt an increasingly strong impulse. Rush there this instant and take a look. Go to Gurong Vige, the answer you¡¯re seeking is right there.

    ¡°No!¡± Gu Jun shouted, cutting off his urge. He absolutely could not just go to Gurong Vige on a whim.

    This would only expose him to those who were monitoring him. He was not ignorant of this fact.

    This was definitely a suicidal act. In horror films, people who acted on impulse were always short-lived.

    ¡°Gurong Vige... Is anyone still there? Prevention and control work of the gue must have begun. Could it be quarantined?¡±

    Gu Jun thought of another way to verify his guess.

    It was past four in the afternoon. Gu Jun deliberated a while, and searched for some information. He then wrote it down on his mobile phone. After clearing his browsing history and turning off theputer, he quickly walked out of the dormitory.

    After leaving the dormitory building, Gu Jun quickly left the campus dormitory area and headed to the street outside. He got into a taxi, deliberately asking the driver to detour a few rounds, before finally getting out of the car into a familiar alley. He bought an unidentified mobile SIM card at an ordinary roadside shop.

    Gu Jun reced his SIM card with the new one and opened his phone contacts. There was a new contact saved. ¡°Gurong Vige Cultural Tourism Zone Management Committee¡±.

    He left the small roadside shop. As he walked along the old alleyway, he tapped his finger and dialed the number.

    This was andline number. With the current state of Gurong Vige, he felt that themunication line may have been cut off or perhaps no one would answer his call.

    Beep, beep... The sound of waiting to be connected rang. It seems like the line was still avable.

    Gu Jun looked up at the dusky evening sky and nced around the worn-down signboards of small shops on both sides of the alley: ¡°M Hotpot¡±, ¡°Luo Ji¡¯s Grocery¡±, ¡°Health Massage And Footbath¡±...

    The phone beeped ten times, but there was no one answering. Was Gurong Vige really a dead piece ofnd?

    Gu Jun raised his head. Just as his right hand was about to click the disconnect button and hang up, a sudden click was heard.

    The call connected.

 Chapter 21: The soft and hoarse voice

    <h4>Chapter 21: The soft and hoarse voice</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Doo... Doo... KACHA!

    The phone call connected.

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows furrowed as his heart skipped a beat. From the other end, all he heard was the buzzing of static probably due to the weak signal. His eyes darted around, observing the alley. As his ears stuck to the phone¡¯s receiver, his mouth remained sealed. He had no intentions of speaking, he only wanted to find out if there were any inhabitants left in Gurong Vige.

    The recipient of the call also remained silent. The buzzing noises slowly heightened.

    As the noise grew more substantial, the frenzy that rumbled within Gu Jun¡¯s heart overwhelmed him.

    Who? Who was at the other end of the call!?

    As much as he wished to scream the question, he suppressed it with all his might. He even held back his breath for fear that his voice would be revealed. The moment his voice was known, horrors may descend upon him.

    ¡°...¡± Despite the pressure on his mind gradually ballooning, Gu Jun did not hang up. Instead, he tried his utmost best to understand the low buzzing.

    Is this anguage? Is this the same thing I heard at the Longkan Seafloor Volcanic Belt?

    No, no... This is the sound from the constant rubbing and squeezing of the throat.

    Something is there. It¡¯s trying to speak to me...

    Gu Jun tried to listen clearly, but the surrounding environment was noisy. The passing motorcycles, residents talking, and songs ying in the store hindered his hearing. These sounds mixed together and covered the strange voice. While walking towards the depths of the alley, he glued his ears to the phone.

    Shask. Shask.

    As noise reduces, the strange voice on the other side of the phone got more prominent.

    When Gu Jun arrived at a secluded garbage collection spot at the end of the alley, he could hear it clearly. In an undertone, the voice murmured, ¡°Save me...¡±

    The hoarse whisper on the other end of the phone said these exact words ¡°Save me.¡±

    That was a human¡¯s voice. While it was low, hoarse, and trembling, he could distinctly hear the emotions. The fear was unmistakable.

    As though the dam was released, words flooded out, ¡°I¡¯m... not dead... I¡¯m not part.... I don¡¯t have it... the thing... in the banyan tree... Let me out... AHH! I... I don¡¯t want to die... Save, save me...:¡±

    The immense pain and suffering pierced Gu Jun¡¯s heart repeatedly and balled up suffocatingly.

    He could tell that this person was a viger of Gurong Vige. For now, he hadn¡¯t died, but he could also not leave the vige. The disease had infected him and caused malformations which restricted him from leaving the premises of the town.

    A few days ago, Gu Jun was still gued by a terminal illness. He knew too well the pain of despair caused by helplessness in the face of death.

    ¡°Save me, please I¡¯m begging you... save me...¡± the grief-stricken voice continued to wail.

    Gu Jun¡¯s hands tightened around the phone. A surprising scene surfaced in his mind. In the first lesson of his freshman year, he, together with his entire ss, had taken the Hippocratic Oath. He vowed indifferently. To him, this was just a fake pointless ritual.

    ¡°I will remember that I remain a member of society with special obligations to all my fellow human beings.¡±

    ¡°I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and dly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.¡±

    Darkness loomed over Gu Jun. As a medical ve, it was his natural calling to save people. Yet now, he found himself helpless. He could not save the director of Gurong Vige. He could not save the boy who attempted to climb the tree. Now, he could not save this man on the phone.

    ¡°Within the banyan tree...¡± The voice spoke in an increasing pained and hoarse tone. ¡°That thing... don¡¯t... never...¡±

    Suddenly, the call was cut.

    Doo.... Doo... Doo...

    Gu Jun looked down at the phone and took a deep breath. Softly, he swore, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I can, I want to save you. But now, I don¡¯t have that ability. I haven¡¯t...¡± He looked up at the warm evening sky and heaved a long sigh. With this long breath, a part of his heart became more firm.

    That is what he wanted to do; to be a real doctor; to save people.

    He didn¡¯t have enormous admirable and honourable reasons. He just felt that he needed to do it.

    Gu Jun stood still for a while, sorting out his chaotic and messy mood while silently pulling out this new SIM card.

    What¡¯s in the banyan tree? He began to think about what the dying viger just said.

    What was inside? Is the source of the malformation in that big banyan tree?

    The snakingrge tree branches, the craggy tree bark, the dangling creepers, and the malformed limbs.

    The various visions he had seen looped unceasingly within his mind. Suddenly, a realisation struck him. The malformed limbs on the cadavers looked very much like the banyan tree¡¯s branches.

    But then again, how did a tree be the source of disease?

    As the thoughts brewed in his mind, he turned and walked back.

    The sky had dimmed a few tones as cold breezes caressed all who were outside. Suddenly, anxiety struck Gu Jun¡¯s mind. His eyes darted around his surroundings. This area was called ¡°Fortune Alley¡±. There were no tall skyscrapers; only antique ssical style buildings. Between them were narrow pavements sandwiched by old shop signs, the remnants of a gradually vanishing tradition.

    Owed to the plethora of traditional cuisine avable here, Gu Jun hade here often In the past. Eastern University students were also amon sight here.

    While this area was hectic and cluttered, Gu Jun knew every turn and street.

    Yet, as he walked on the battered cement pavement, there was an ominous sense of distant hostility closing onto him.

    Plop, plop. Plop. Water dropletsnded and echoed through the alley.

    While the clouds were gathering in the sky, there was no rain.

    Plop, plop, plop.

    Quickly, Gu Jun whipped his head back and red cautiously into the narrow aged alley behind him.

    There was nothing. Only the lights of the old signages sway in the light breeze ¡°Suave Hair Barber, Professional Haircut¡±, ¡°Yonglong Hotel¡±, ¡°Printing Services¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s that man that was stalking me.¡± Gu Jun was absolutely sure that man was following him from a distance! Various options immediately yed out in his mind. Withdrawing his nce, he turned around. To his surprise, he saw that man with a t-head stood right in front of him; a mere 5 steps away.

    What do I do? Pretending to walk without knowing anything? Turning and walking away nonchntly?

    Gu Jun took a deep breath and calmed himself.

    He noticed that the t-head man¡¯s eyes were looking at him without bothering to hide the dark and hostile intentions.

    Gu Jun immediately understood. He knew that I¡¯d found out about his stalking activities. As such, he had chosen to appear like this.

    In an instant, Gu Jun decided to be preemptive. Pretending to be just an ordinary person going about everyday things, he asked frivolously and loudly, ¡°Old man, who are you? I seem to have seen you a few times recently. Why do you keep staring at me? What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± The t-head man smiled eerily, the corner of his mouth opened like a puppet¡¯s mouth that was ripped open. ¡°Give me the thing, and you will be fine.¡±

    Gu Jun was unfazed. In his mind, he scurried for a solution to this scenario. Li Yuerui¡¯s phone was in the inner pocket of his jacket.

    Looks like he was really looking for it.

 Chapter 22: Those Documents

    <h4>Chapter 22: Those Documents</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Squeak, squeak.

    The sign of the shop on the side of the street, ¡°Healthy Massage And Footbath¡±, nted slightly. A passing man looked curiously at the confrontation between the two men then walked past.

    ¡°Mr Gu.¡± The t-head man grinned with a weird smile as if greeting an old friend. ¡°You saw it as well. This is a public area. I have no ns to do anything that will cause trouble for myself. I just want to give you a friendly piece of advice.¡±

    ¡°Do I know you?¡± Gu Jun continued to act dumb. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a ¡®receptionist¡¯ per se. Do you understand?¡± The t-head man took a step forward. Although smiling, the gloominess in his pupils was getting heavier. ¡°I¡¯m an unimportant person; someone easy to deal with. Someone that you can still see. Not like those that are unseen.¡±

    Gu Jun was no longer surprised. This was a member of the organisation that wanted to snatch away Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone.

    He thought that it might be the state department, but that did not seem to be the case now.

    The t-head man continued, ¡°There are too many things you don¡¯t know in this world. Too many people you can¡¯t fight against. Mr Gu, you are a wise man, and you should know this is true.¡± There was a hint of fanaticism in his withered face. ¡°Those documents are just a pile of trash for you. Why don¡¯t you just hand them over.¡±

    Gu Jun was taken aback by his sudden words. The documents? He immediately jolted to his senses. This guy did note for Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone!

    Gu Jun asked a sincere question, ¡°What documents? I don¡¯t understand what you are talking about.¡±

    The t-head man continued to stare straight at him for a long while, and his expression turned a little ugly. ¡°Mr Gu, why must you be like this? Your parents were amazing figures, but they took things that they shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Finally, he was sure that this guy is from Lai Sheng Technologies and Research Pte Ltd! The organisation behind the defunctpany still exists!

    From this guy¡¯s words, it seemed like Mom and Dad took some documents back then... This ¡°receptionist¡± came to find those documents. For some reason, Lai Sheng thought that he knew the whereabouts of the documents. It¡¯s a pity that he did not know anything at all.

    Documents? What documents? In Gu Jun¡¯s mind, a stream of past memories started to sh.

    At that time, he was still very young. His Mom and Dad never talked to him about work. They only mentioned that they do research about the ocean. They would never let him into their office. Before the fatefulst trip, they hadpletely evacuated their home and arranged for a long-time caretaker for him. Now that he had thought about it, it seemed like they were already prepared to face an ident. The house he lived in previously was located in another city, and it was also only a rental. Afterwards, thendlord rented the house to others.

    The closest that Gu Jun ever got to his parents¡¯ work was when he boarded the Shanghai Bird to y. Even then, he didn¡¯t have any ess to secret areas.

    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Gu Jun deliberately put up an act of looking extremely irritable. ¡°You are someone from Lai Sheng Research, right? I have long suspected that my parents¡¯ ident was not that simple! Lai Sheng, you have an inescapable responsibility! I demand an answer from you today!¡±

    The t-head man opened his mouth and revealed another abominable smile, ¡°You said that as if thepany killed your parents. You don¡¯t understand. Thepany did not kill them. Death?¡± he said softly. It seemed as though he was rolling the word inside his mouth and chewing on this vague concept. ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand at all.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart seemed to be crushed by a giant boulder. A lot of thoughts surfaced in his mind in a sh.

    No! Why should I believe half a word that these people say?

    What is the purpose behind this guy saying these words? He didn¡¯t know at all. As such, it was prudent for him to always remain sceptical.

    Gu Jun pretended that he did not know about the existence of supernatural powers, and continued acting dumb. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can do whatever you want just because you have authority! I will find the police and the media to investigate you!¡± He snapped a quick photo with his mobile phone. ¡°I will dox you! ¡±

    A passing auntie, who looked like she was out to buy groceries, walked by while carrying a vegetable basket and looked curiously at them.

    The t-head man did not care about Gu Jun taking pictures and smiled like he was watching a child throwing a tantrum. ¡°Mr Gu, I hope that you will wise up the next time we meet again.¡± With that, the t-head man turned and walked away.His silhouette gradually grew distant.

    The indignant and impulsive look on Gu Jun¡¯s face also slowly cooled down and reverted back to a calm facade.

    At least some doubts were cleared. Lai Sheng was indeed not simple. Perhaps... he suddenly thought of a terrifying possibility. After his parents¡¯ ident, Lai Sheng had been sending people to observe him for years.

    ¡°This guy...¡± Gu Jun scrunched his eyebrows together, digging deep into his memory.

    In a ss during junior high, as he listlessly looked out of the window, he saw a tall man standing across the street and looking back at him. Was it this guy?

    On the basketball court of high school, he noticed a tall and thin member amongst the audience when he was ying. Could it be him?

    ¡°Lai Sheng understands me very well, but why don¡¯t they know that I have no idea about the documents? Why are they only looking for me now? Did something happen?¡±

    Fresh questions poured into his heart causing a treacherous mist that was shrouding it to grow heavier.

    Gu Jun cautiously tried to use his mobile phone to search the man on the inte. Unsurprisingly, his searches yielded no results.

    The evening afterglow gradually faded. Gu Jun left Fortune Alley and took a taxi back to Eastern University Medical College. Along the way, he was busy digging up possible memories. Documents, documents, documents... It was like a mantra repeating in his mind, but not even the foggiest of clues appeared.

    Alighting at the dormitory area, Gu Jun quickly walked to his dormitory building.

    Soon after, Gu Jun pushed open the dormitory door and safely returned to his haven. In addition to him, there was only Cai Zixuan who was still asleep in bed.

    ¡°Hmm... Tycoon Jun?¡± Cai Zixuan raised his head and groggily muttered. ¡°Where did you go to fool around this time. Just now, Professor Gu said in the WeChat group that there was no practicest night. He told us to rest well. The skillpetition is pushed ahead of schedule. It¡¯s tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I saw it.¡± Gu Jun nodded. Professor Gu¡¯s notification was very sudden. All the teachers, including himself, were caught by surprise.

    From picking people for the Frontier Cup to holding a city-wide clinicalpetition, and pushing thepetition ahead of schedule.

    It seems that theck of medical ¡°ves¡± in the mysterious organisation was indeed very dire. They were urgently recruiting manpower.

    ¡°Then you should go to bed early.¡± Cai Zixuan grumbled, and his stomach let out a rumble. He then dreamily added, ¡°There is bread for dinner.¡± A rumbling sound filled the air again.

    Gu Jun was not hungry and did not feel like sleeping either. He looked around for a self-defense weapon that he could carry with him. This was so that if he was attacked by Lai Sheng, Gu Jun would not be left in such dire straits where he would not even have a brick to protect himself. However, he couldn¡¯t just bring a knife out to the street either. If he did, he would be detained by the police even if Lai Sheng Company does not look for him.

    Scalpel? It was too short.

    He thought for a while and finally thought of a more suitable weapon. s, he did not possess it.

    Gu Jun thought about it again, before fishing out his mobile phone. He essed the address book, looked for the contact ¡°Wang Ruoxiang¡±, and dialled it. The number had only been added a few days ago.

    Beep, beep, da. The call connected, and Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s beautiful voice came out from the receiver. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Gu Jun.¡±

    ¡°I know. What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°ss monitor, do you have an anti-rapist spray?¡± Gu Jun decided to go straight to the point. ¡°Can you lend me a bottle? I¡¯m feeling a little... insecure recently.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s reply was straight to the point as well. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Is that so...¡± Gu Jun was at his wits¡¯ end. ¡°I feel that, theoretically, you are someone who would be easily harassed. Shouldn¡¯t you consider ways to protect yourself.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang answered indifferently, ¡°I have ck belt in karate.¡±

    Gu Jun was silent. Two thoughts shed through his mind. The first, no wonder her strength was not much worse than that of the 180cm+ males. The second was that it was a miraculous stroke of luck that Tycoon Jun did not insist on pestering her back then, else he might have been smashed to bits. ¡°Then, can you teach me a few moves? Forget it, how about you be my bodyguard?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Why do you need an anti-rapist spray?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked curiously. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the one that people use the anti-rapist spray against?¡±

    Tongue-tied by her venomous words again, Gu Jun sighed. ¡°Pardon me for bothering you.¡±

    ¡°Thepetition is tomorrow. Have you received the news yet? Why are you still not resting?¡± she asked again. This time he could hear goodwill.

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m going to bed now,¡± Gu Jun answered and hung up the call. He then searched around the bedroom again, and his gaze locked onto the wooden broom that was leaning against a corner of the wall.

    He walked over, picked up the broom, and vigorously waved it back and forth a few times.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to find time to buy a baseball bat,¡± Gu Jun muttered to himself. So be it. If people see me as a chuunibyou, at least I have some form of guarantee about my safety.

 Chapter 23: The Clinical Skills Competition

    <h4>Chapter 23: The Clinical Skills Competition</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    The gentle orange sun peeked through the horizons, bringing a warm light across Eastern City. While the sky still held remnants of the darkness of the night, all of the teacher-student groups participating in the Frontier Cup representing Eastern University had already gathered.

    For thispetition, the venue was not at any of the universities. Since some time ago, the organisers had informed the various schools of this arrangement and how their teams would be received and brought to the venue. At the same time, they had been instructed not to bring phones, cameras, and any other image capturing devices. Should they still decide to do so, it would be temporarily confiscated upon reaching the venue.

    Despite the instructions, Gu Jun had brought his and Li Yuerui¡¯s phones along. Sliding them into leather covers, Gu Jun handed it indifferently to the guard at the entrance. He was not worried that the government was looking for him and knew that the phone was with him. Should they be after this phone as well, they would have long found their way to his doors.

    After an extensive screening of more than a hundred professors and students, the crowd was boarded onto 3rge buses and moved to an unknown location.

    While these 3 buses were ordinary, the crowd management personnel were peculiarly carrying themselves. d in a full suit, they paced the area with their cold and solemn expressions. Their sharp eyes scrutinized every detail like a soldier. From the looks of things, even the intellectually undistinguished student could tell how this season¡¯spetition was not as simple as those in the past.

    Along with his small group of 6 students, Professor Gu boarded the bus in front.

    As they boarded, a perplexed and surprised chatter broke out within the other groups who had first boarded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Tycoon Gu?¡±

    Like wildfire, the astonished observation spread throughout the entire bus. Everyone had realised that Tycoon Gu had a spot in this prestigiouspetition.

    In fact, the name ¡°Tycoon Gu¡± had quite a considerable fame within the university. The news of his rigorous training in the past 2 days had swept across his batchmates. Never had they expected it to be true. In their minds, they had questioned Professor Gu for his decision.

    Did old age rust and chip away Professor Gu¡¯s brain?

    How dare he let his own biases get the better of him on such a momentous asion! The presence of Tycoon Gu here just dropped the standards into the abyss!

    ¡°Haiz, he probably is just taking him along to take a look...¡±

    ¡°If not for Professor Gu¡¯s upright morals, I would have believed that Gu Jun had bribed him.¡±

    Needless to say, the suspicions and gossips by the students were all soft and whispers. It was clear that it was not wise to tease a renowned professor.

    Facing these rumours and gossip, Xu Hai, the team¡¯s ¡°Gossip King¡±, had long heard them. Being a good teammate, he had made it known to the rest. Together with Zhang Haoran and He Yuhan, they were annoyed and took offence at all the malicious remarks.

    Hmph! Let these people look down on Gu Jun. Let them underestimate him! When the timees... hehe hehe hehe

    ¡°How¡¯s your condition?¡± Wang Ruoxiang turned around and asked Gu Jun, who was sitting in the back seat. Compared to yesterday night, hisplexion looked much better.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Last night, Gu Jun fell into a deep sleep and recovered much of his stamina. This morning, he also took the mysterious medication. His body and mind were very sharp and clear and at its peak condition. He narrowed his gaze onto Wang Ruoxiang, inspecting her physique. To his surprise, he saw thin arms and legs. There was not a trace of any strong muscle.

    Perplexed, he asked, ¡°Are you really a ck belt in karate or were you kidding?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± She waved her hand and sent a crackle as it whipped through the air. ¡°If not for medicine, I would be a professional by now.¡±

    That had Gu Jun stumped and at a loss for words. Beside him, Cai Zixuan alsomented. ¡°ss monitor, you remind me of Mn, a woman in a man¡¯s clothing.¡±

    With the chats limited to murmurs, they stopped after a few words. It was especially ufortable with the curious gaze from the other teams, scanning them from top to bottom.

    Seconds morphed into minutes. Sometimeter, they arrived at a small stadium just as they expected. There were security personnel guarding the doors and throwing a cold atmosphere to the teachers and students. Immediately, a serious expression paralysed their faces.

    Gu Jun and his team followed Professor Gu down the vehicle. They quickly saw the other buses, which were carrying the teams from Qingyun University and other schools,ing in.

    The moment Eastern University students met the eyes of the Qingyun University students, sparks of rivalry crackled. It was as if enemies met. Both wereing from the base of Mt. Qingyun, setting a deeply rooted feud which spiralled into hate.

    ¡°Huh, are those people from the mountains?¡±

    ¡°What? Those are the students of Eastern? You meant East-West, right?¡±

    While they may be metres apart, it didn¡¯t stop them from slurring at each other. Of course, most of it was for the youngster¡¯s fun. Everyone still put in the effort to straighten their backs and raise their heads. This would entuate the majestic white coats on their bodies. They could not allow the other teams to look down on them. As for the teams from Jihua Medical and Dongyang Medical, the students had unanimously agreed that they were only here to make up the numbers.

    The teams from Eastern and Qingyun Universities had garnered tremendous attention. It was especially so for the special teams marked as ¡°School Teams¡±. These students were handpicked by the top professors and recognised by the student body for their exceptional talent.

    The school team for Eastern was led by Professor Yu Shaowei, and the team from Qinyun was led by Professor Feng Jing. Both of them were highly respected and critically acimed surgeons and clinical medicine experts. They had even sat as the jury for many clinical skillspetitions.

    Compared to Professor Gu, they were quite a few notches higher.

    Regardless of whatpetitions these two teams were ced into, they would no doubt be the best of the best.

    ¡°Rascal,¡± Professor Gu said to Gu Jun. His old wrinkled face held a tinge of self-deprecation. ¡°I brought you under immense pressure. Today, you have to prove to them that I was right about you!¡±

    ¡°I will.¡± Gu Jun nodded solemnly. Today, he came here to be at the top.

    It was a magnificent sight as hundreds of teachers and students from the top medical schools walked into the stadium. However, they had no idea, even now, as to how the evaluation of thepetition will be.

    When they entered the stadium, they saw that the vast area had been emptied. Apart from the few surgical tables, experimental tables, tables and chairs ced in the middle, there was nothing else. There was no big banner cheering them on or a single soul as a spectator. This vast emptiness set a balling uneasiness within the students.

    The organisingmittee slowly ushered each team to their seats. The Eastern at the right, and Qingyun University on the left. Qihua took their ce at the back, and Dongyang sat at the front. The rest of the schools were split, filling up the empty spaces. Within a few minutes, the crowd had settled.

    Within Eastern University¡¯s seats, the team that Professor Yu had chosen are at the front-most seats, leaving Professor Gu and his team at the back.

    ¡°Will there still be a speech from the chairman of thepetition?¡± Xu Hai whispered. He Yuhan joked back, ¡°Probably? Didn¡¯t the higher-ups look highly about this event?¡±

    Indeed, she was logical. However, some part of her wished it was untrue. After all, a momentous event such as this would have brought together several prominent figures. She had note here to endure the torture of waves after waves of dull and dry speeches.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Gu Jun said. ¡°This is an emergency.¡±

    Emergency? Xu Hai and the rest snorted. What? How could it be so severe?

    Unexpectedly, Gu Jun was spot on. Immediately, a young man took centre stage, acting somewhat like the emcee of the event. Holding the microphone, he addressed everyone, ¡°Wee, distinguished professors and students. Please wee our judges for today.¡±

    With a massive round of apuse, tens ofdies and gentlemen walked in d in simrly regal white coats.

    They were men and women, both middle-aged and elderly. While the emcee called them professors, all of the crowd threw confused nces at each other. Being medical ves, all of them present were proud to say that theirbined knowledge would cover all of the vast and noteworthy figures within the medical world. Yet, none of them recognised any of these professors that will act as judges.

    With his focused eyes, Gu Jun scanned every single one of their faces, etching it deep into his memory.

    These people were from that mysterious industry. He could sense an ominous aura from them.

    ¡°I believe you have all heard that today¡¯spetition is especially to select a group of new medical talents. However, I¡¯m not sure if you understand the meaning of this sentence.¡± The professor chairing the jury was named Qin Chengye. He said with a microphone, ¡°You will soon understand.¡±

    Professor Qin was well into his silver age with a head full of white hair and a pale face almost as white as paper. Covered with old age spots, he looked more than seventy years old; more senior than Professor Gu and the other professors.

    However, when Professor Qin¡¯s eyes swept, everyone felt a sharpness that was visible to the naked eye. This was a strength that the young people did not necessarily have. With such eyes, they could easily judge by themselves that this man was, without doubt, an expert within the experts in the medical field. He was likely a god-level surgeon having been through several hundreds of surgeries.

    Professor Qin¡¯s eyes repeatedly swept across the students sitting in the front row on all sides. Evidently, he had been notified that they were the best amongst the students present.

    Feeling the immense expectations in the eyes of Professor Qin and other judges, the ¡°school team¡± students¡¯ faces tensed more seriously and felt the great mission they were bearing.

    ¡°Usual skills test.¡± Professor Qin continued, ¡°like intravenous infusion, tracheal intubation, the 4 thoracentesis. All of these would be tested. You can send anyone from the team for these. However, we will not be testing them this morning. Today, we have something special arranged for the morning. Now, the country is in dire need of your talents. None of you will be left doing nothing. The question is, where should we position you. Let me tell you, anyone who distinguishes themselves would start at the highest possible starting point.¡±

    The message was clear. This morning¡¯s test was the aim of the entirepetition.

    Slowly releasing his tight grip, Gu Jun told himself, I need to find a way to stand out amongst everybody.

    Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan have also steeled their own determination. No one wanted to be another Tom, Dick, or Harry.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s gaze swept across the students again. ¡°I hope that among you, we can pick two or three people.¡±

    What?!? This time, a huge uproar zed within the audience. Many students couldn¡¯t digest thatst statement properly. The most elite medical students in Eastern Province had gathered together. Yet, he just wished to select two or three people?

    As Professor Qin finished speaking, a team of staff pulled the next test out of the aisle. Immediately, screams and shrieks pierced through the uproar from the audience.

    When Gu Jun saw the thing, his heart raced, and his eyes widened several sizes.

 Chapter 24: The Abomination Inside The Iron Cage

    <h4>Chapter 24: The Abomination Inside The Iron Cage</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    With the horrified audience suddenly losing their voices, the whole stadium went silent. Only the unpleasant screech of iron scraping across the ground could be heard.

    The faces of the youths were all full of shock. Be it the students from Eastern University or Qingyun University, they all disyed symptoms of over-agitation. Panicked, their hands and feet felt numb and were trembling uncontrobly. Their entire bodies turned stiff. Even professors such as Yu Shaowei and Feng Jing were in a daze.

    They understood most matters rting to science and medicine. Yet, they simply could notprehend the existence of the thing in front of them.

    By this time, everyone thoroughly realised that their previous understanding of the world was merely the tip of the iceberg.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun was also fixated at the stadium, watching as the staff struggled to move the giant iron cage.

    The iron cage was more than three meters high. The measurement of its length and width were simr. It was shaped like a cube. The cage had steel rods densely packed together and painted in the same white colour simr to the storage tank. The bottom of the cage was equipped with pulleys. The abomination inside the cage weighed down the entire cage and made it hard to move.

    As for the contents of the iron cage, there was one or perhaps a lump of something may be more appropriate.

    Gu Jun was not someonecking in the ability to express himself. He even won awards for writing essays before. Still, for him to describe that terrifying scene, it was a feat of unimaginable difficulty.

    This was an abomination formed by a grotesque cluster of malformed bodies.

    Perhaps they might once be humans, but all their limbs were malformed, and their abdomens were distorted as well. Only the heads retained its humanoid figure. Each face looked like they were still distinctly alive. The malformed bodies and limbs twisted and knotted together seamlessly. They were not simply entangled together but fused and merged into one single being. It was just like the radius of the previous corpse passing cleanly through the humerus. The palm of one passing through the calf of another, and a neck was passing through another¡¯s belly.

    Chaos, eeriness, and vile wickedness, all these elementsbined to form this huge and imposing humanoid abomination.

    The still-intact faces were interspersed amongst this repulsive agglomeration. A dozen faces and multitudes of eyes gloomily stared at their surroundings, and it seemed as though they were still alive.

    They had distorted themselves, but they had also distorted the will of the hundreds of elite teachers and students here.

    ¡°Ah, HUUUURGGEHH...¡± a female student vomited and copsed in the south where Jihua Medical University was seated. Her face was pale and blue, and her body was shaking uncontrobly. Everyone now understood why there were vomit bags situated beside each seat. The sound of the vomiting audience echoed in the air one after another. Both males and females were included within these numbers.

    They, who were facing all kinds of corpses every day, could not hold themselves back from vomiting.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they had dissected malformed bodies before and had a bit of psychological preparation, perhaps they might have also been scared into insanity.

    Some felt ashamed of their reactions, and others just wanted to disregard everything and flee. They only watched a few medical dramas and thought that the doctors were handsome, hence deciding to study medicine. Their ideal lifestyles were hanging around attractive doctors and beautiful nurses; not toe here and torment themselves.

    At the same time, Professor Qin Chengye and the other judges had been observing the students¡¯ reactions.

    Seeing the adverse reactions of the audience, the faces of several judges fell and were filled with unconceble disappointment. Was the number of talents just this much?

    The talents they desired not only needed to possess an excellent foundation in medicine, but also a strong psychological fortitude.

    ¡°Gu, Professor Gu... Wh-what is THAT?¡± He Yuhan asked with a trembling voice. She was tightly clutching the vomit bag and seemed like she would vomit any time.

    Wang Ruoxiang performed much better. She could still watch calmly, although her eyebrows were tightly scrunched together.

    Xu Hai was about to vomit as well. Zhang Haoran lowered his head and looked away. Cai Zixuan frantically chanted Nanwu Amitabha.

    ¡°I know as much as you do.¡± Professor Gu was indeed an experienced professor after all. The shock in his heart did not make him panic, and he still retained enough presence of mind tofort his students. ¡°But you don¡¯t have to be so afraid. Since the country had such arrangements, then everyone¡¯s safety is guaranteed now. Even if it¡¯s a disease, at the very least it¡¯s not contagious.¡±

    Gu Jun was not afraid, and he did not avoid his eyes either. The gears in his head churned quickly. If that is a disease, then the corpse we previously dissected is the initial symptom, and this... this may be the advanced stage of development.

    ¡°HURGHH!¡± Xu Hai suddenly vomited into the bag.

    The number of people vomiting was gradually increasing, and the hopelessness pervading the atmosphere was getting stronger as well.

    Everyone felt like they were sinking into a bottomless ocean. Wandering, struggling, shouting in despair, but all they faced was deste darkness.

    ¡°Although I pray that not all of you will evere into contact with this kind of abomination again, I sincerely hope that you will all be ready if that dayes.¡± Professor Qin spoke again, his wrinkled old face serene. ¡°Now, I want to know your thoughts on this eldritch abomination. Remember, this thing is dead, but it may very well be alive.¡±

    Could it still be alive? The students looked at each other.

    Professor Qin naturally didn¡¯t expect those who vomited to answer. As soon as they noticed many people at Eastern University spewing their guts out, he immediately looked towards the students seated in the front row of Qingyun University in the west. Some members of the staff walked over with microphones.

    The youths of Qingyun University suddenly sat up with anticipation. Sun Yuheng, Zhang Wenyue, Yang Ming, these members of the school team were all eighth-year heavyweights.

    ¡°I think-¡± Sun Yuheng was the first to speak up. Although it seemed like he was winging it, he had already gone through some deliberation. ¡°-they were infected by some sort of virus inducing their mutation. But how they were fused together and still remain alive, I do not understand at all. Would they not face a transnt rejection reaction?¡±

    Yang Ming then took over the mic and said suspiciously, ¡°Could it be that someone stitched together their bodies like this after death?¡± He spat out the idea with revulsion.

    That very act was a crime against humanity, a vile depravity that cannot be described with words.

    However, using conventional wisdom to think about it, it seemed that it was the only usible exnation.

    ¡°No,¡± Professor Qin denied his answer. ¡°I have already said it. This thing is still alive and can still continue to grow.¡±

    The entire teacher and student body were dumbfounded. This abomination was not within their cognitive scope of knowledge at all.

    Professor Qin then looked towards the Eastern University students seated on the right. The Eastern University who usually wanted topete with Qingyun University about everything was silent. The staff swept the microphone across the front row, but the members of the school team just shook their heads one by one. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Please tell us the answer. ¡±

    Eastern University was not conceding defeat. Rather than blindly throwing out wild guesses, it was better to confess ignorance. If you know it, say that you know. If you don¡¯t know, just admit that you don¡¯t know.

    Especially regarding the matter in front of their eyes, not knowing anything was the most typical response.

    In fact, the judges themselves didn¡¯t expect to hear anything interesting from beginning to end. They were merely asking the students routine questions and observing the reactions of these students.

    ¡°This thing is...¡± Professor Qin said.

    At this time, a male student sitting at the back row of Eastern University suddenly raised his hand and stood up. ¡°Professor Qin, I want to share my views.¡±

    Countless gazes from the audience immediately looked towards where the voice wasing from. The students of Eastern University were shocked and anxious when they saw who was speaking. Tycoon Jun, you bastard. Hurry and sit back down!

 Chapter 25: An Eldritch Aesthetic

    <h4>Chapter 25: An Eldritch Aesthetic</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    That brave soul who stood up; he was Gu Jun, Tycoon Gu.

    While the entire school team was utterly difited. Even the professor¡¯s heads hung low withplex exasperation. They hid and shunned the microphone. Who would have expected, this man would willingly wee the opportunity to speak?

    What sort of highly valuable views could Tycoon Gu have? Is the abomination within the cage some sort of a behavioural art?

    On the other side, the Qingyun University, Qihua Medical College and the other school¡¯s group were perplexed. Is this man some big shot within Eastern University? Why is he seated so far behind?

    Even around him, Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan and the rest never anticipated that Gu Jun would voluntarily stand up to speak. However, the moment Professor Gu met the gaze of his protege, all hints of worry immediately dissipated.

    ¡°Oh? Young chap, what are your views on this?¡± slightly surprised, Professor Qin asked and immediately gestured for some personnel to hand him a microphone.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gu Jun, student of the 8 Year Clinical Medicine course at Eastern University,¡± Gu Jun calmly introduced himself.

    Professor Qin¡¯s eyes scanned the young man standing in front of him repeatedly. A tall youngd d in a fitting white doctor¡¯s gown. His youthful handsome face exuded confidence which was unfitting of the tense and oppressive atmosphere of the stadium. This young man, could he be someone interesting?

    Beside Professor Qin, all of the other judges were also piqued by Gu Jun¡¯s strong confidence and fixated their gaze on him.

    ¡°This thing,¡± Gu Jun said while Looking at the malformed monstrosity within the cage, ¡°looks very much like a banyan tree.¡±

    The air within the stadium immediately condensed and turned suffocatingly thick. It was as if a strange question swept across the entire crowd and dyed their faces with the same befuddlement.

    Looks like a banyan tree? What nonsense are you talking about? Do you think you are a literature student? If you are a medical student, look at this from a medical viewpoint!

    ¡°Haiz, Tycoon Gu...¡±

    ¡°Banyan tree? Utter rubbish...¡±

    The students and professors of Eastern University were unsurprised. They had expected this shame and embarrassment from the moment Tycoon Gu stood up. s, no matter how little they thought of him within the school, he stood as a representative of the prestigious Eastern University. Compared to him, at least the students of Qingyun University had a word or two with legitimate thoughtfulness. Gu Jun was just a clown throwing away the pride of the college.

    On the other side, Professor Qin¡¯s eyes lit up and sharply scrutinised Gu Jun again. By his side, the expression on the judges took a sudden 180 degrees turn.

    ¡°Like a banyan tree...¡± this was not something they were mentally prepared to hear about.

    ¡°What makes you think so?¡± Professor Qin continued With a much more serious and stern expression. ¡°Young man, speak your mind. Do not hold back.¡±

    This time, hundreds of people¡¯s faces curled up in confusion. Vaguely, they had the same thought. This scene... it doesn¡¯t seem to be going the way they thought it would.

    ¡°Can I get closer to the iron cage and see it?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Professor Qin nodded.

    Under the stupefied eyes of the audience, Gu Jun walked from his seat to what used to be a field and stopped less than one meter from the iron cage. While he may seem calm and collected, many of the bystanders could feel their insides churning. Their jaws were turning sore from intense clenching. Instead of an observation, it felt more like an extreme challenge towards death.

    As he closed in, a strong formalin odour hit Gu Jun¡¯s nose. His heart rate was slightly elerating and his breathing was getting heavier. This abomination gave a much more overwhelming sensation up close than it did from a distance. Here, he could clearly see every detail about the twisted and fused joints. The nerves and blood vessels had broken out of the body. Snaking along the centre, they became thick and long striking an uncanny semnce to that of the roots of a banyan tree.

    The more he observed it, the more prominent the thought became in his mind. It was as though he began to see a unique aesthetic within this vile grotesque monster.

    To him, if one sets aside the judgement of others, his world view and perception would be free and extensive.

    ¡°These human bodies are not randomly twisted together,¡± having the reaffirmation of Professor Qin, Gu Jun began to state his observations. ¡°It may seem clumsy, but what I see is an exquisite and thoughtful design. Their four limbs are all pointing and stretching outwards. Yes, like the branches. Their bodies are like a tree¡¯s trunk. In a simr sense, these creeping vessels and nerves are just like the aerial roots. Lastly, their heads... It is evidence of their fusion. I think this thing grows through each sessive fusion. Perhaps not just with humans, but also other beings of flesh and blood.¡±

    ¡°Banyan trees can form a forest by themselves. Simrly, this type of living being...¡± His voice halted. His mind attempted to put words to properly encapste this mutted creature. ¡°It is a whole living system by itself.¡±

    Immediately, the entire stadium was devoid of sound. Banyan tree? Putting down their pride and judgement, the whole area of medical professionals narrowed their gaze onto the creature. Indeed, the more they observed, the more they began to realise. While this analogy was freakish, it was... bizarrely fitting.

    That ball of flesh... it was really beginning to look like a banyan tree.

    Moreover, thatst hypothesis from Gu Jun was hair-raising. Not only can this horror fuse with humans, but it can also fuse with other animals?

    ¡°Gu Jun, you have some fine ideas,¡± with an explicit acknowledgement, Professor Qin praised Gu Jun. That one line jolted everyone from their vacant daze. This scene was indeed not right!

    As the crowd attempted to digest all that they had heard and seen, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes swerved to the abomination¡¯s cage. The white paint was simr to that of the containers in the mortuary. Since the start, he had been perplexed.

    Why was there a need to use this white pain? It can¡¯t be that simple.

    Suddenly, it dawned upon him.

    ¡°This white paint is some sort of lime water, right?¡±

    That again was something that took the judges by surprise. Their eyes glued onto Gu Jun, as though a bunch of strays had just passed by a thick b of A5 Wagyu beef, thirsting and craving for him.

    Gu Jun continued to present his hypothesis, ¡°We coat trees with lime water to kill the bacteria, fungi, and insects which can be parasitic. When Ipare the white paint of the body storage tank and the iron cage, I think they are used for the same reason. Obviously, it is not to keep it clean and sterile. I suspect that this thing is kept in this iron cage. When it is alive, it repeatedly fuses with microorganisms and grows uncontrobly. White paint may not be total protection, but it is still an adequate precaution.¡±

    His hypothesis was utterly reasonable. However, it left the students stunned beyond words.

    How can he even tell? There was no pungent smell. Isn¡¯t the white paint just for decoration.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you are very observant, imaginative, and have a sharp judgement,¡± Professor Qin praised Gu Jun once again. This time with a little more kindness and warmth on his face.

    Simrly, a pleasant surprise shed across the faces of the other judges. Broad bright smiles lit on the panel¡¯s as they nodded their heads.

    A silent uproar zed the crowd! No one seated here was a fool. They could easily see for themselves that Professor Qin was more than satisfied with Gu Jun. His views seemed to have gotten sky-high acknowledgement.

    The Eastern University students straightened their backs and thrusted their jaws forward. Looking at the Qingyun University¡¯s seat opposite them, they unted their wide grins, showing off their most potent weapon in thispetition.

    Did you see that? Let me introduce him to you. This man is our secret weapon, Gu Jun!

    On the other side, the heads of the students from Qingyun University hung low. This time, Eastern University had a resounding victory. Then again, who¡¯s this Gu Jun? In the past, they had never seen his face in a clinical skillspetition. Within the school team, Sun Yuheng, Yang Ming, and the rest exchanged confused nces. How did he even manage to see a banyan tree within this mess?

    Like a proud father, Professor Gu too sat with his head held high. He was saying smugly to a student beside him, ¡°Rascal, I overheard that you think Gu Jun bribed me?¡±

    Wryly, the student averted his gaze andughed, ¡°HAHA! Professor Gu, how would I dare to think so...¡±

    From his seat, Cai Zixuan cheered softly for Gu Jun. Beside him, Wang Ruoxiang felt as if she had be Wang Zhenxiang1 and was smiling warmly as her head tilted in the direction of this genius.

    Aiyo, what an unexpectedly pleasant turn of events. This was a truly serendipitous ident!

    ¡°Gu Jun, you are indeed talented.¡± Professor Qin walked closer, sizing up Gu Jun. Within his heart, he yearned to test the limit of Gu Jun¡¯s mental and psychological strength. After all, their ability to resist stress and fear, not copsing, and going crazy from pressure were critical considerations in their selection.

    On the spot, Professor Qin decided on a higher-level test. He said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we enter the cage for an even closer look. But let me warn you beforehand, something terrifying may ur.¡± Hearing this, the faces of the other judges bleached.

    Wait a minute. Let¡¯s stop there shall we? Scaring him away would be a massive loss for our department!

    Everyone was stumped. Gu Jun had already drawn such great limelight onto himself. There was no reason for Professor Qin to...

    ¡°No problem.¡± Gu Jun did not even hesitate. Without dy, he took out the disposable mask and gloves in his coat¡¯s pocket.

    He came here today to clinch the top position. There was nothing to fear.

    Kacha! The staff opened the cage. Steadily, Gu Jun took a step without faltering. Along the cage, he strides forward. With every step, he grew closer to that humongous eldritch abomination. The crowd watched on and swallowed a dry gulp. Unconsciously, beads of sweat formed on some of the students¡¯ foreheads. Whereas the anxiety had halted the breath of others. Watching on, the psychological trauma and tension got the better portion of them. Sounds of vomiting, and even dry vomit pierced through the silence. One of them was the brawny Xu Hai.

    PENG! The doors of the cage mmed shut. A slight tremor rippled across the cage, slightly shaking the monster tree.

    At this moment, all eyes were on Gu Jun who was standing alone with the monster.

    Somehow, Gu Jun could feel it. The gaze included the 10 odd pairs of eyes on this malformed humanoid banyan tree.

    Zhenxiang ¡ª a y on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s name. A colloquial online term widely used to describe a pleasant turn of events, especially so in the event that should not have happened.

 Chapter 26: Howls Of The Deceased

    <h4>Chapter 26: Howls Of The Deceased</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    At this moment, Gu Jun was standing inside the iron cage and right beside the tree made out of human body parts.

    It was not that he did not feel any psychological pressure. In fact, the sense of oppression caused by the iron cage and the close proximity of the giant human tree grated on his nerves and made him want to gasp deeply for breaths.

    Gu Jun didn¡¯t do that. It was definitely a disastrous idea to take a deep breath inside the cage. Just by gently breathing, he already felt that he had fallen into a pool of formalin.

    Professor Qin and the rest were all intently staring at him. Gu Jun knew that he could not afford to hesitate and continued to observe the human tree seriously. Underneath the skin of the twisted corpses, the ck substance coursing through it was noticeably darker than that of the cadavers. The dead pieces of skin were the same colour as withered trees. There was no livor mortis, but it was definitely the strangest and most tainted skin he had ever seen.

    He thought that if this abomination was still alive, then the ck liquids were like river water that circted back and forth. It should be a scene of brimming vitality.

    Gu Jun looked towards a head on the ¡°tree trunk¡±. A pair of listless, bottomless eyes seemed to be staring back at him.

    It¡¯s more urate to call them eyeballs.

    The cornea of ??the eyeball was so cloudy that the pupil could not be clearly distinguished.

    However, he could distinctly feel something lurking within the dark abyss and staring at him through this pair of eyes.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun suddenly felt an impulse in his heart which grew increasingly fervent; a sudden urge to stretch out his hand and touch the humanoid tree.

    Seeing Gu Jun slowly raising his hand, the observing students in the various schools all grew nervous. This guy, what is he nning to do?

    At that moment, the pair of eyes that Gu Jun was facing suddenly seemed toe back to life. He wasn¡¯t sure if the pupils he saw were hallucinations, but he clearly noticed the mouth of the head slightly opened and suddenly hissed!

    It was not the sound of the air flowing through and causing the vocal cords to vibrate. Instead, it was the result of the vocal cords, throat, mouth, and nasal cavity working in tandem, squeezing and rubbing together to produce a voice.

    The voice was hoarse and spoken in a low tone, but still clearly identifiable. ¡°Sa-save me...¡±

    Gu Jun felt suffocated. His hands froze midair while trembling uncontrobly. He almost retreated a few steps. However, he intensely resisted the instinctive horror rising from the bottom of his heart. The reason why he could bear the fear was because he had heard a simr voice when he made the call at Gurong Vige yesterday.

    The other heads on the humanoid tree also started to move. Dozens of already-dead faces burst into frantic wailing, ¡°I, I¡¯m not dead...¡±

    ¡°Ah, no!¡±

    ¡°It hurts...¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    ¡°Why...¡±

    All the frenzied howling rushed into his ear like a typhoon. Gu Jun¡¯s body could not help but stiffened a little bit.

    Yesterday the person speaking on the other end of the phone... Was it really only one viger?

    ¡°Ah!!!¡± The venue immediately burst into a cacophony of chaotic screams. Many students were paralysed in their seats, and many others jumped in fright. A portion of their consciousness seemed to be perpetually trapped within this horrifying scene, desperately waiting to be awakened from this nightmare.

    The jury of judges paid close attention to the surrounding. Those students, who were scared to the point of irrationality were all kicked out from their considerations. Perhaps after some time, they would be more tenacious and resistant to fear. However, the department does not need them for the time being. The judges sincerely hoped that the situation would not devolve to such dire straits that they would be required to. After this stringent round of screening, only less than a tenth of the remaining students still have the qualifications to be selected.

    Although the teachers and professors were able to maintain their calm, the department never considered them as candidates from the very beginning.

    That was because the department needed young people. Only young people possessed enough flexibility to adapt to these abnormal circumstances. Furthermore, many ordinary positions needed these experienced teachers and professors.

    Professor Qin had been watching Gu Jun all along, paying attention to his every move.

    At this time, the entire humanoid tree let out a harsh screech that was at least ten times more piercing than before!

    This shriek felt like it came from the depths of hell and seemed to want to tear the whole stadium into pieces.

    ¡°Ghost, ghost...¡± More students were scared senseless, and some even broke down into tears.

    When some animals encounter a tiger, even if they have never seen one before or even if it is a fake puppet tiger, they will be extremely terrified. They would lose all their reason and only want to flee. This was a primal fear engraved in their genes. The shrieking voice was like that metaphorical tiger, and humans were like those animals. They were unable to understand it and only understood that it was ghastly and terrifying.

    ¡°Hoo,¡± Gu Jun sucked in a deep breath to adjust his breathing, not letting the instinctive fear overwhelm him.

    Even though his consciousness willed him to do so, his subconscious told a different story. His body was stiff, and he was unable to move even one step. What was he supposed to do?

    From the corners of his eye, he caught sight of the serene expressions on the faces of Professor Qin and the other judges. It seemed that they harboured no expectation for him to pass this assessment. They were simply a group of sadists.

    ¡°Since I was allowed to enter, then there should be no real danger,¡± Gu Jun¡¯s mind started rationalising, and he calmed himself down. He digested the knowledge and thought, ¡®There should be a way to cope. Why did the humanoid tree suddenly make a sound? What changed? Was it just the fact of me entering? There should be some sort of trigger...¡¯

    The more frightened one was, the more he would be unable to escape.

    As Gu Jun was thinking, he stared at the turbid eyes on the humanoid tree again and looked at the eyes of the other heads.

    Facing the pressure brought about by those screams, he felt slight changes in those eyes. The pupils dting...

    Under normal circumstances, the cornea of ??a person¡¯s eyes will be turbid due to the loss of water after death. The longer the period of death, the cloudier the cornea would be. Forensic medicine can estimate the time of death based on the degree of corneal opacity.

    Even shortly after death, the pupils could no longer shrink or dte due to the smooth muscles ckening. It would only remain at medium size.

    Those dead people within the humanoid tree seemed to be alive again.

    Did I wake them up? Gu Jun¡¯s urge to touch the humanoid tree resurfaced again. Or were they calling for him?

    I¡¯ll give it a try. Gu Jun fixed his gaze and raised his hand, reaching out once again. Instead of stopping this time, he stretched out to close the eyelids. The orbicris oculi muscles were tight and had an abnormal strength so he needed to exert some force to make them move.

    Once the eyelids closed, the head quickly quieted down.

    So, it turned out that this was the case. Gu Jun went on to close the other eyelids and silently apologised to them: I can¡¯t save you. Please rest in peace.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± This was not the scene the judges had imagined. They looked around at each other and saw the joyous surprise on each other¡¯s face.

    This kid can exhibit this level of performance the first time he encounters the humanoid tree. Able to show such calm and rationality, what a rare find! This time, they might have struck gold.

    As the ghastly wailings gradually weakened, the students also clearly noticed Gu Jun¡¯s calm response and instantly moured with excitement. The screams of terror around Gu Jun also ceased. Everyone gritted their teeth, trying their best to reorganise their spirits. Isn¡¯t this just a scam. Well, what¡¯s there to fear. We, medical ¡°ves¡±, are fearless!

    ¡°Well...¡± Professor Qin watched as Gu Jun closed the eyelid of the heads within his reach. The satisfaction in Professor Qin¡¯s heart blossomed. His medical ability was still unknown. At the very least, the psychological quality of this young man was excellent. ¡°Student Gu, you can stop. The assessment is over. You cane out now.¡±

    Creak. A staff member stepped forward and pulled the cage door open.

    Gu Jun stared at the humanoid tree again before walking out with steady footsteps. Once he left, the heads, whose eyelids had not been shut, also gradually ceased their wailing.

    When Gu Jun exited the iron cage, the audience broke into rapturous apuse. Qingyun University, Jihua Medical School... Many students from various universities spontaneously apuded Gu Jun. Of course, the Eastern University students were more proud than everybody else. They treated Gu Jun who had just returned to his seat like a hero who had returned home triumphantly.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, you really outperform yourself this time!¡±

    ¡°You are so calm.¡±

    Gu Jun returned to his seat in response to everyone¡¯s praise. Professor Gu gave him a thumbs-up. Xu Hai, Zhang Haoran, and He Yuhan were extremely jubted, seeming like they wanted to put him on a pedestal to worship him. They were beyond terrified just now, and his actions were akin to saving their wretched lives.

    However, it wasn¡¯t until Gu Jun sat back down before his taut nerves rxed a little. The horrifying and unique beauty of the humanoid tree was still wrapped around his heart.

    He was still pondering about the meaning behind that scream. Perhaps it had no meaning at all, or maybe it¡¯s just that humans don¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun,¡± Cai Zixuan said emotionally. ¡°The way you walked into the iron cage reminded me of Zhao Zilong walking up the longboard slope.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang, who was sitting on the other side, patted him and asked, ¡°Actually, did you panic a bit just now?¡± She noticed that he was still a little nervous and deliberately made a joke.

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Jun smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°But there were two bits of panic. Thank you for the concern, ss monitor. I¡¯m fine now.¡±

    On the other end, Professor Qin did not rush to proceed. After the apuse died down, he exined sternly, ¡°Dear students, you didn¡¯t meet a ghost just now. That was one of the caged creatures ¨C let¡¯s call it a creature. That was one of the symptoms it exhibits before death.¡±

 Chapter 27: The Malformed Banyan Disease

    <h4>Chapter 27: The Malformed Banyan Disease</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°Before we discuss this creature, let¡¯s talk about the malformed cadavers that were sent to you a few days ago.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s expression was calm. However, the words he said sent a hair-raising pressure sweeping through the audience.

    ¡°Those people had contracted a disease, which we address as ¡°Banyan Malformation Disease¡± for now. The name came about as the disease is, as this student had suspected, rted to a banyan tree. The Banyan Malformation Disease shows up in 3 stages after a person contacted it. The first stage is the Asymptomatic Stage, where nothing shows up on the patient. This period is short and not longer than 15 days.¡±

    ¡°The 2nd stage is the Limbs Malformation Stage. At this degree, cells begin to malform and quickly multiply, very much like cancer cells. It will destroy the conventional cell structure within days. The difference is that these abnormal cells would cause the patient¡¯s body to undergo a drastic change in appearance. Within a couple of days, the body would be like the ones you have dissected. If a timely and proper amputation is done, the disease can be entirely cut off so there is still hope of treatment for the patient.¡±

    As he spoke, staff members projected a rted video on the massive screen in front of the stadium. The hundreds of people that had gathered watched attentively, as though they were in a lecture.

    Gu Jun was no exception. On the video, the amputation process was shown from a top-down perspective. This surgical process was done by a specialised team of surgeons, who carefully and precisely removed areas of the limb that was infected by the Banyan Malformation Disease. Having dissected this malformed limb first hand, Gu Jun was well aware of the incredible difficulty of this intricate process.

    Should the number of patients berge, there was no surprise that this special department would require to hold emergency recruitment of talents. Afterall, anatomy and surgery processes had an immense corrtion.

    As the video yed on, beads of sweat formed on the foreheads of the audience. Several of them watched with dropped jaws, while others were caught in a daze. Even the renowned surgeons with the professors were gasping in disbelief. The technical expertise of the surgeons in the video was dazzling. They could not hold a candle inparison.

    ¡°Wow.¡± Xu Hai, Zhang Haoran, and the rest couldn¡¯t contain their adtion for the first-ss technique they were seeing. This video was a massive eye-opener for them.

    Gu Jun was also taken aback. Even with the benefits of the 2nd tier Hands of Dexterity, he knew that he could barely be sufficient to be a waterboy for these phenomenal surgeons.

    The surgical video skipped a few parts and only yed 10 minutes worth of footage. In the next scene, the patients had had their malformed limbs cleanly removed. Just like regr amputees, a prosthetic limb had been attached. With some physiotherapy, they would be able to move properly again. Even after the amputation, Gu Jun was sure that these patients would be quarantined separately and monitored for a very long time.

    ¡°As to whether the patient could suffer a rpse and their expected life span, there isn¡¯t any conclusive data yet. We will need a longer clinical observation at the moment.¡±

    Professor Qin continued, ¡°The malformed remains that you have dissected were in the second stage, but they failed to get proper treatment at the right time.¡±

    Obviously, this statement concealed some crucial details. Professor Qin¡¯s words became sober, ¡°When the patient progresses to the third stage of bereavement, the abnormal cells will quickly spread to the whole body except for the head. Structural distortions and skin ulceration would be seen. The patient is in severe pain, confusion, delirium, and mania. As the condition develops, the patient will experience muscle spasms throughout the body and even develop opisthotonus.¡±

    The development of opisthotonus was due to severe hyperextension and spasticity. In this state, an individual¡¯s head, neck, and spinal column entered aplete ¡°bridging¡± or ¡°arching¡± position.

    As Professor Qin spoke, another video was yed on the big screen. Immediately, a petrifying wail resounded throughout the entire venue.

    It was a CCTV footage of a white jail-like room. The room was narrow and cramped, smaller than 5 square metres and utterly barren of any furniture. There was a patient lying on the ground, curved backwards like a bow. It was a gruesome sight. The patient¡¯s head had bent all the way and stuck onto his back. His abdomen also protrude outwards. At this point, he could barely be called human anymore.

    Once again, the sight had sent a crushing pressure onto the audience. Amongst the people, many were silently reaching out for the vomit bag.

    Gesturing at the screen, Professor Qin exined further, ¡°For patients in the bereavement stage, they had already lost all of their senses. Should there be another patient who is also in the bereavement stage nearby, they would enter a frenzy and rush together. Due to the ulceration of their flesh, they would be stuck together like glue and unable toe apart. At the spot where they touched, new skin forms and the wound heals. From that point on, the two patients would be connected together like a conjoined twin. As several others get conjoined, they would malform and take the shape of a banyan tree; just like the patients you have seen within the cage.¡±

    As the blood-curdling screams lingered in their ears, a sudden chill trickled down the spines of the professors and students present as the memory of the abomination they saw resurfaced. This was not the shock and fear they had felt earlier, but a dark and gloomy sense of reality sinking into their minds.

    Previously, they acted like ostriches. They hid from the truth and convinced themselves that this mutation was only a bad dream. A horrific experimentation that had gone wrong. The video had forcefully pulled them out of their lies and showed them the truth. This abomination was no demon or ghost. It was a disease, and they were doctors.

    As this reality sank in, arge patch of gloom and pressure loomed over their heads. Just like a brewing storm, the demand as a medical ve was about to rain upon them.

    ¡°Once the patients with Banyan Malformation Disease have glued together,¡± Professor Qin¡¯s face was downcast and grave, ¡°We no longer treat them as humans, but as a new kind of creature. Right now, there is no way to cure them. At this moment, we have found this creature in at least two states; alive and dead. The living Malformed Banyan can continue to grow. Its ck liquid is infectious, and other organisms will be infected once theye into contact with the active ck liquid. What¡¯s more, the infected organism would rapidly develop and enter the bereavement stage. Just now, Gu Jun hypothesised urately. The Malformed Banyan can bind to organisms other than humans. The rejection reaction that Sun Yuheng mentioned does not ur.¡±

    Another video was yed. This time, everyone was stupefied. The scene in the video had entranced everyone watching.

    It was still a CCTV footage of a simrly barren white cell. Within it was a gigantic white-painted metal cage. Within this cage stood a human banyan tree.

    It was evident that it was not the same as the one in the stadium. The one in the footage was several sizes bigger. Probably about 30 odd corpses had already attached themselves. It was a gruesome sight as it started pacing around the cage slowly. As two staff, d in full Personal Protective Equipment, approached, tens of heads turned. As though it was rehearsed, they started screeching out simultaneously and formed a cacophony of shrill, deafening shrieks which was worse than what they had just endured.

    ¡°The biologist within the department concluded that this creature was dependent on their screeches to hunt,¡± Professor Qin discussed the behaviour while the video was ying. ¡°Should any of you have the misfortune to meet a Malformed Banyan one day, you cannot allow yourself to be paralysed by fear. You must immediately escape from its hunting range. Otherwise, you would be partaking in this hunt.¡±

    At that moment, 2b rats were released into the cage by the staff.

    ¡°Chi! Chi!¡± Facing that gargantuan monster, the rats yelped in fear and balled up as their fear had them stuck in their spots. Like a sitting duck, the rats were soon stuck within the hands of the Malformed Banyan and were unable to escape from the hands of death. The footage was sped up. Quickly, the ck liquid was released and prated the rat¡¯s skin.

    Several minutester, their bodies were also twisted. After another 10 minutes had passed, they were in opisthotonus. Within the next half an hour, it was already the bereavement stage!

    Several hundreds of professors and students witnessed the conjoining of diseased organisms. On the CCTV footage, the time had shown how theb rats had be part of the Malformed Banyan within two hours.

    Within the stadium, it was pin-drop silence as everyone watched on. Only the low rumbling of the air-conditioning can be heard. It was a depressing sight for them all. Students gripped their hair in horror, while others cupped their heads and balled up. The psychologically stronger few simply sighed helplessly while looking up at the ceiling or the floor.

    ¡°Uh...¡± Cai Zixuan opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but words failed to form.

    The same silence had stricken Wang Ruoxiang. Beside her, He Yuhan hugged her teammate tightly and muttered falteringly, ¡°It¡¯s too miserable, so miserable...¡±

    Yes, it¡¯s miserable. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he looked directly at the demonic sight on the screen. Yet, why did he see a particrly regal and magnificent aesthetic in this creation?

    It was like a new birth, a high tower rebuilt on the ruins of destruction...

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°The ability to infect and bind together with other organisms while retaining the ability to grow is the main manifestation of the Malformed Banyan Disease. The end stages of how far it can grow are something that we are unable to determine ourselves.¡±

    Professor Qin continued to exin to the audience, ¡°When we ced the Malformed Banyan inside a vacuum-sealedboratory and removed almost all the air, the Malformed Banyan would die in about half an hour. After observation, we found that all hearts would stop beating. The blood and ck fluid in their entire body would have stopped circting and were disying the same behavior as corpses. Just like the normal life activity of the body, it needs to be preserved with formalin. This is its death state.¡±

    ¡°In the death state, its ck liquid loses its activeness and is no longer contagious. When a creature approaches it, it can still exhibit an unconditioned reflex which is the sound you just saw. Using an X-ray, we found that the sound was produced by squeezing multiple speech organs in its throat. The words were inferred to be thest words of the dead before losing self-consciousness. When their eyes were closed, the reflex would stop. As for the principle of this unconditioned reflex, it is still being studied.¡±

    The big screen yed the rted X-ray video, and everyone could clearly see how the vocal cords, trachea, and oesophagus of the banyan tree were squeezed in a strange manner.

    The video was marked with the words ¡°Tenth Day of Death¡±. It had been such a long time and had even been soaked in formalin, yet it could still disy such an unconditioned reflex.

    Gu Jun remembered an animal experiment that he once did in ss and said to others, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this remind you of the unconditioned scratching reflex of a frog?¡±

    Cai Zixuan and the rest heard his words and suddenly felt like they grasped the crux of the issue!

    ¡°Simr. It¡¯s indeed very simr.¡± Wang Ruoxiang turned his eyes and started thinking divergently. ¡°Could the ck liquid cause the skin function as a sensor? As soon as one gets close, the breath he breathes out may irritate the skin. The afferent and efferent nerves are still alive, hence causing this reflex to ur. ¡±

    ¡°I think so too,¡± Gu Jun thought and nodded. ¡°This has indeed be an entirely different kind of creature.¡±

    Scratch reflex was a gruesome experiment to carry out. They must first cut off the head of the experimental frog and remove the brain. At this time, the frog was naturally dead. In the short period after its death, the frog would use the hind limbs to scratch the stimted area, as though defying its status as a corpse, when they smeared the skin of the frog¡¯s abdomen with a piece of paper stained with a low-concentration of sulfuric acid.

    That was because there was another nerve centre at the unspoiled frog¡¯s spinal cord. There are also multiple reflex arcs in the body which will react when stimted.

    How the Malformed Banyan could die but still howl may be due to this behavior. It¡¯s just that the ¡°short-term¡± after death was very long for humans, and the external stimulus required to stimte it was a biological creature approaching.

    ¡°Scratch reflex.¡± Professor Gu heard their discussion and gave an affirmation with a smile, ¡°I was even excited about the possibility of ghosts existing in this world.¡±

    As Professor Qin already mentioned that this was an unconditional reflex, Gu Jun was not the only one within the entire stadium who thought of the scratch reflex. Many teachers and students whispered excitedly about it.

    Everyone still remained in a state of shock. Still, they were finally able to use modern medicine to understand the strange abomination. This vastly reduced their fear, and surprise grew in its ce.

    At this time, Sun Yuheng from the Qingyun University team raised his hand and asked, ¡°Professor Qin, what about the pathogen rted to the banyan tree which you have mentioned? Is this a virus? What is the method of spreading?¡±

    These three consecutive questions were what all the present teachers and students wanted to know, especially the first question.

    Unfortunately, Professor Qin replied, ¡°I can¡¯t divulge too many details about the pathogen. This is a virus. Fortunately, we have found that there are only two ways to spread it. The first is biological contact with the source of the banyan tree. The second is to have direct contact with the active ck liquid from patients in the bereavement stage.¡±

    After listening to these answers, everyone let out sighs of relief. So long as the disease-causing banyan tree is extinguished and the patients in the bereavement stage were properly quarantined, the situation would not be too dire.

    The most fearsome possibility was if the virus could be transmitted through respiratory tract droplets like SARS or even the Eb virus that could be transmitted through the air.

    Although the Banyan Malformation Disease was more terrifying, only those aforementioned viruses could break out like the ck Death epidemic in medieval Europe.

    Many teachers and students managed to settle their nerves. Humans have triumphed over SARS and controlled Eb. We are not afraid of this Banyan Malformation Disease!

    ¡°However, what we may be facing in the future could not only be this Banyan Malformation Disease.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s calm and solemn words pulled them back to the edge of hell.

    ¡°I believe everyone now understands the purpose of thispetition.¡± Professor Qin paused. ¡°But now... I can say that the situation is changing, and we require more hands on-board with our work.¡±

    Everyone captured the key point again. The situation was changing!

    Sure enough, Professor Qin went on to say, ¡°It is a pity that not all of you have the qualifications we value. The test was just the first, and probably only one in ten people will pass. These students will be able to proceed to the next assessment. Other people can participate in regr clinical skillpetition and serve as a bridge between our department and regr hospitals.¡±

    The old man solemnly continued, ¡°So it can also be said that you are all hired. The country needs you. It needs more talents. This will not be the only round of selection, and your career ascension path will not be blocked. Everyone, give it your all.¡±

    Professor Qin¡¯s eyes gradually swivelled over to look at Eastern University and stared at Gu Jun, who was sitting in the back row. ¡°As for the qualifications we want for our department, first is will; second is medical skills. Neither must becking. Alright, everyone can take a break first. ¡±

    These should not be separate events, but there existed a connection between them that he did not know yet.

    As his voice fell, Professor Qin and the other judges walked to the aisle.

    The staff finally removed the big iron cage.

    With the abomination gone from the stadium, the air seemed to be much fresher. The teachers and students felt that the dark clouds above them were gone.

    Sometimes, ignorance was truly a blessing.

    As for whether they have passed this round of assessment, the students knew the answers in their hearts. Some people understood that they reallycked that kind of qualification. If they were put into Gu Jun¡¯s position and stoodbeside the Malformed Banyan just now, their legs would have long turned into jelly.

    Some hoped and longed for themselves to enter the next round. Gu Jun was one of them.

    After a while, the shortlisted candidates were announced on the big screen. The names of the students were listed on it. Hundreds of people in the audience all stared at it.

 Chapter 29: Irregular Species

    <h4>Chapter 29: Irregr Species</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    The screen at the front of the stadium lit up and showed a list of nominees. There were a total of 32 students selected.

    9 from Eastern University, 7 from Qingyun University, 5 from Qihua Medical College, 4 from Dongyang Medical College, and 7 from the remaining schools.

    Amongst the students from Eastern University, Gu Jun¡¯s name was unsurprisingly present together with Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan. This time, Professor Gu created a considerable expression with his students taking up a third of all of the ces allocated to the school. This result was even above Professor Yu¡¯s school team, which only got 2 seats.

    ¡°Old Gu, that is pretty amazing,¡± Professor Yu shouted his congrattions from afar. The other Professors had no choice but to concede. They had never understood why Professor Gu thought so highly of Gu Jun. They had always thought that he was deluded. Now, it turns out that Professor Gu was actually the wise man, while they were blinded. No one with the right mind would dare mock Professor Gu again. Even the students¡¯ gazes held huge respect and admiration for him.

    From now one, Professor Gu¡¯s position and prestige within the school would no doubt soar beyond the skies.

    Looking at the results, Professor Gu was delighted. He turned to his team,forting those that were not selected, ¡°All of you, do not be discouraged just because you were not chosen.¡±

    Discouraged? What was there to be discouraged about? He Yuhan even felt happy and grateful. Once again, she was a pharmacy student. Using dissection and surgical scalpels were not suited for her. Right now, she was already on the verge of throwing the towel and going home.

    Xu Hai too was not upset. Some people like him had always believed that they were the creme de creme before the event. It was only during and after that did the reality of their ipetence had crushed their minds. Xu Hai was crystal clear about it; he knew that he was this type of person. On the other hand, Zhang Haoran was regretting his severeck of preparation. In his mind, he wasmenting nonstop. Should have watched a dozen gore and horror films beforeing.

    ***

    ¡°Such is fate...¡± Cai Zixuan¡¯s heart was overwhelmed as he rubbed his balding head with his hand. Looking up into the distance, hemented, ¡°Where would fate bring me this time?¡±

    Cai Zixuan¡¯s nomination had taken quite many people by surprise. They had never expected this young Patrick Stewart to have such a heart of steel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t allow the nomination to get to your heads.¡± Again, cold dad jokes began to pop out from Professor Gu. ¡°Perhaps it was not your calm and collected performance that got you selected, but yourparatively inhumane attitude.¡±

    On his side, Wang Ruoxiang chuckled and pointed at Gu Jun. Must be talking about this guy.

    Laughing wryly, Gu Jun thought to himself. What a bad joke.

    Perhaps, Gu Jun would look back to this some time in the future, thinking how his peacefulness would soon be stricken with the turbulence of chaos.

    At the same time, in a spacious lounge in the backstage, a noisy chatter echoed as the judges discussed the situation.

    Although thepetition was organised hastily, the department had ced great importance to it. After all, the four medical schools in the Eastern Province had always been the major universities to train medical talents for the country, especially Eastern University and Qingyun University. The number of nominees entering the second round was within their expectations. What Professor Qin said earlier was just to shock the students before. They were not only picking two or three people. In fact, their goal was about six people.

    The only unexpected incident was Gu Jun. They had decided on recruiting this young man regardless of his technical skills. They had already determined with his performance during the first round that he was chosen.

    As to his arrangement and position, they still had to judge based on his medical expertise.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to worry about it. That kid is an eight-year student at Eastern University. How bad could his skills get?¡±

    ¡°Precisely, he already looks like a high potential surgeon. Who knows, he might even be qualified to join the Mobile Task Force. They asked again yesterday, always wanting new people.¡±

    ¡°Just drag it. One day is one day. This talent needs to stay at our Medical Department even for a short while.¡±

    As they discussed this unprecedented and unexpected discovery, the tens of judges either sat or paced around. The atmosphere was immediately pumped with adrenaline.

    Being able to find great talent always sets euphoria rushing through their veins. What¡¯s more, the talent was a young handsomed. In their eyes, Gu Jun was literally a piece of refined jade.

    ¡°Everyone do not be too happy now.¡± Professor Qin was the calmest amongst them, maintaining his full point of view even during this time of extreme excitement. ¡°Possessing strong psychological resilience and high intelligence, but ack of any form of surgical skills would leave him in an admin position. Don¡¯t forget. This sort of situation happens very often. The talent that the Mobile Task Force requires is scarce. Where are we supposed to find it for them?¡±

    That one sentence jolted everyone back to their senses. It was as Professor Qin said. After scouring through the entire nation, they had selected numerous young talents. However, the qualified individuals to join the Mobile Task Force were countable with one hand. This mission, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

    Right at that moment, a long deep sigh pierces through the bubbly mood. One of the panel members had just ended a phone call. His face was sullen and depressed. In a dredging voice, he said, ¡°I think Professor Qin was spot on.¡± Immediately the whole group exploded with questions. Then, that panel member continued, ¡°I just called to understand more about this Gu Jun. From what I heard, he is a student with poor academic achievements, ack of drive in his studies, and always smoking his way through since enrollment. He is a rich man, extravagant in spending with a tendency to splurge. Hence, everyone calls him ¡°Tycoon Jun¡±. this time, he only managed to get here as his mentor, Professor Gu Rong, was biased and insisted on bringing him along.¡±

    What?! The news thundered down like a bolt from the blue sky, smashing their high hopes into smithereens. The judges were left in a daze, mouth gaped open. Their dismay was evident on their faces.

    So... he¡¯s all talk?

    Tycoon Jun? Somehow, it feels like we got scammed with a Fool¡¯s Gold...

    Professor Qin sighed heavily as his head shook. Looking at the ground, he walked out of the door downcasted.

    In this world, many can speak massive theories. However, the number that could carry it out were few.

    ***

    As the time without the iron cage in the stadium lengthened, the atmosphere inside the stadium lightened further.

    Professors and students whispered, discussing theories and hypotheses nonstop. Beside them, the nominees either warmed up and stretched or sat quietly with their eyes closed.

    Gu Jun was thetter. Actually, he was looking at the Missions Log in his mind:

    [NORMAL Mission: By today, sessfully diagnose 100 Orthopaedic Patients. Mission Rewards, 1 box of Human Brain Stem Tumour Targeted Therapy.

    DIFFICULT Mission: Within 1 day,plete dissection of a non-human irregr species¡¯ body part. Mission Rewards, 3 Pages of Intact Diagnosis and Treatment Journal

    Abyssal Mission: Within 1 week,plete the dissection of 1 Ghoul. Mission Rewards, Unknown]

    Today¡¯s DIFFICULT mission was a new one. It was his first time seeing this type within many refreshes. Now, Gu Jun no longer doubted the existence of mythical creatures like ghouls. It was just that he didn¡¯t think that he would meet one soon.

    However, not meeting ghouls did not necessarily trante to not meeting any irregr species.

    ¡°We had already dissected the limbs of a patient with 2nd Stage Banyan Malformation Disease. This bunch of torture and sadist freaks would not test us on this again,¡± Gu Jun thought to himself. ¡°They would probably want to scare us again. There is no way this 2nd test would be smooth-sailing. But what would they scare us with? Limbs of an irregr species? Maybe I canplete this mission today...¡±

    If he could get a journal written in this foreignnguage. Even if it was just 3 pages, it would be critical to further his decryption of thisnguage.

    What¡¯s more, it¡¯s a Diagnosis and Treatment Journal. Treatment of what? Who¡¯s journal is this?

    Throughout the 15 minute break, Gu Jun was deep in thought. Soon after, the judges re-entered the stadium, and the emcee announced themencement of the 2nd round of tests.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Jun got to his feet, turning to face Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang. Behind them, Professor Gu and He Yuhan gave them a thumbs up, a warm sign of encouragement. ¡°Good Luck!¡±

    Quickly, all 32 nominees walked to the centre of the stadium. To their surprise, 10 dissection tables had already been set up. That¡¯s when it dawned to everyone. They had long calcted all of these.

    The nominees had been split into 10 teams, with 3 on each side except for thest 2 groups with 4 members. Eastern University had the most number of teams which was 3 teams, then Qingyun University with 2 teams. On their 4 sides, the professors and remaining students watched and ced their highest hopes onto the 2 school teams present. After all, Gu Jun¡¯s team had barelypleted their 3 years of medical education. Theycked experience with dissection. Needless to say, any form of surgical skills.

    Amongst the crowd, only Professor Gu smiled warmly and somewhat ominously at them.

    Every team was assigned a dissection table. It was a conventional stainless steel model with a motor elevator to raise the cooling tform.

    ¡°The sample to be dissected is within the cooling storage,¡± Professor Qin said while pointing to the storage beside each table. His eyes nced at Gu Jun as he continued, ¡°There are no models to follow for this test. You can go about the dissection as you wish. Do remember to show us your best. We will be watching all of you.¡±

    Hmm? Is his gaze colder just now? Somehow, Gu Jun felt a particr disappointment in Professor Qin¡¯s eyes.

    Without further ado, the ten groups of students put on their masks and gloves. They then pressed the lever buttons, and a rumbling mechanical sound rang. Exmations of surprise rang one after another in the audience. None of the boxes held ordinary bodies nor were they the remains of patients with Banyan Malformation Disease.

    Looking at the peculiar corpse on their tables, deep ridges formed on the foreheads of the nominees.

    ¡°Well, what is this?¡± Cai Zixuan asked abruptly, breaking the dense atmosphere. Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s eyes darted around and doubted, ¡°It seems to be the torso of some kind of beast?¡±

    Even if it¡¯s a beast, it is not an ordinary beast. Looks like I¡¯m right again.

    As Gu Jun looked at the creature on the table, the corner of his mouth slightly raised. In his mind, he tapped onto the system menu and epted the DIFFICULT Mission.

    Those 3 pages of the journal, I¡¯m taking them!

    [Mission epted! Current Dissection Progress: 0%, Time Remaining: 23: 59: 59 ]

 Chapter 30: Hard Skin

    <h4>Chapter 30: Hard Skin</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°Is this a human specimen?¡±

    ¡°Surely not, which part of it looks like human skin?¡±

    Ten groups of students discussed animatedly with each other. The contents of the ten anatomical table refrigerators were almost the same thing. Arge rectangr piece that seems like a part of a creature¡¯s torso, but the exposed skin was dark and slightly rotten. Even the pungent smell of formalin could not conceal the distinctly foul odour it carried.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, what do you think?¡± Cai Zixuan asked again.

    Gu Jun stared at the thing on the anatomical table. The more he looked at it, the more he was struck by a sense of familiarity.

    ¡°I think this is the chest area of some sort of creature,¡± he said to Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°Look here and here.¡± He pointed to the four cross-sections of the foreign body part which was situated at the top and bottom, as well as the left and right. ¡°I imagine that these cross-sections were originally connected to the neck, upper limbs, and abdomen. ¡±

    ¡°That seems to be the case.¡± Wang Ruoxiang visualised theplete torso while frowning. ¡°So this is a humanoid creature?¡±

    Cai Zixuan was surprised. ¡°Could it be a malformed body caused by another sort of disease?¡±

    Other students had this idea as well. Sun Yuheng and Yang Ming of the Qingyun University team felt this way. It seems that the situation was really very serious.

    ¡°It may be or it may be a variant of the same disease,¡± Gu Jun said. His right hand was slightly probing the chest. It was definitely the chest with the worst texture he had ever felt.

    The epidermis could be said to be the skin, but it felt more like a thickyer of hyperstic keratin. If you pressed it harder, you can feel a strong sense of resistance. It is a bone; arge piece of bone on the chest. A t bone?

    Gu Jun thought and opened the iplete anatomical reference in his mind. Comparing the two, they seem to be the same creature.

    ¡°So how do we start?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked. She was the first assistant. Cai Zixuan was the second assistant, and Gu Jun was the chief surgeon.

    Ever since Gu Jun showed his skills back in theboratory, he was the one taking charge.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it first.¡± Gu Jun was still looking at the chest, designing an anatomical n.

    Other contestants were looking at it at the same time. The professors and students in the audience were staring as well.

    The first step of dissection is to make an incision and to separate theyers of tissues, organs, and structures step by step.

    If you directly stab a scalpel in to make an incision, it was not dissection but dismemberment.

    Only through proper dissection can the diseased organs and itsponent structures be studied. What were the differences in size, shape, structure, texture and other characteristicspared with its normal state, this was the only way one could understand the rted pathology.

    Through dissection of the malformity, it was thus possible to clearly understand its physiological structure and find out what kind of creature it was.

    These were the real purpose of studying anatomy in the medical world.

    If the chest was part of human anatomy, the students were apparent on what to do. The mid-chest incision, the upper chest incision, the lower chest incision, the oblique chest incision... Now they could only stare in confusion. They could only fully appreciate what those pioneers of human anatomy felt when they first held their knives.

    They could only deliberate while undergoing the dissection, and they had to prevent dismembering the corpse as well. This was the real difficulty of this round of assessment.

    ¡°Students, please freely exhibit your skills,¡± Professor Qin spoke again. ¡°Oh. I forgot to mention, but pleaseplete this dissection within two hours.¡±

    Some of the student contestants immediately grew anxious. There were only two hours? This was an hour shorter than the usual routine anatomical dissection.

    The judges were not surprised towards the crowd¡¯s adverse reaction. This was not the first time such an assessment was carried out. Basically, the students would end up dismembering the corpses in the end. It just depends on who was more creative while doing so and who exhibited more skills.

    Their eyes wandered around. Even if they knew that Gu Jun was fool¡¯s gold, they still wanted to see what else this kid would do. At that moment, when they saw that Gu Jun was standing still at the dissection table, the several judges could not help but whisper to each other.

    ¡°The kid is dumbfounded.¡±

    ¡°I reckon that he hasn¡¯t properly grasped the knowledge of human anatomy. How can he not be dumbfounded?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if he has any talents in surgery. Perhaps, we can still teach himter. After all, his willpower is excellent.¡±

    Soon after Professor Qin urged, there was a group of students who started first. The four of them were a bunch of misceneous soldiers from different schools. They were unfamiliar with each other¡¯s names. Their strategy was straightforward, just follow the anatomical operation of the human chest. The shape of the two looks simr anyway.

    Conventionally, the surgeons would find the upper edge of the Manubrium sterni or the xiphoid to find the correct position. s, the nominees could not locate either of the 2. However, they still dutifully estimated and made a midline marking on the specimen based on gut feeling. Thereafter, they picked up the scalpel and stabbed into the skin.

    Immediately, they froze in astonishment. They were unable to cut through.

    The texture of this ck and smellyyer of ¡°skin¡± was very hard. Once the scalpel was stabbed in, it seemed to be stuck there like a pedestrian who fell into a pool of concrete.

    At the same time, other students who had attempted to dissect the skin first also encountered a simr problem.

    Some students chose to start from the cross-sections, such as Sun Yuheng from Qingyun University. However, they immediately encountered another problem. Let¡¯s not talk about how stiff the flesh was that it couldn¡¯t be cut, but there were bones if one cut deeper. They were obstructed by bones everywhere. It was impossible to know where to break off.

    These bones were like boulders blocking the passageway; you can¡¯t enter the thoracic walls and chest cavity without moving them away.

    But how do we move them?

    Among the ten groups of students, only Gu Jun¡¯s group has yet to make a move. Gu Jun merely asked Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan to swap the chest¡¯s position a few times, before finally returning it back to the supine position. He can basically be sure that this was what is in the map of the iplete anatomical reference.

    ¡°The outeryer is all hard keratin and has no tissues or organs.¡±

    Gu Jun picked up arge scalpel, held it irregrly, and cut out a piece of keratin from the cortex of the specimen.

    The judges at his side saw him in this abnormal posture. Does he really want to dismember the body?

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯scking in tissues and organs.¡± Wang Ruoxiang took it and examined it. She really couldn¡¯t see the superficial fascia, blood vessels, etc. It was a mass of dead skin.

    ¡°This is not a human being,¡± Cai Zixuan suddenly said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be a mammal? Is there even such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave it aside for now,¡± said Gu Jun. The blood vessels were not clear, but it seemed that this thing still has ¡°nerves¡± which he knew the location of. ¡°I think the outermostyer is its protective film. It isposed of skin and muscle. It even hasponents of bones inside.¡±

    He drew a better boundary line on the specimen ording to the iplete anatomical reference and said to the other two, ¡°Remove all the cortex in these positions. You don¡¯t need to be gentle. Use all your strength and dig out everything cleanly. Only bare bones should be left.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Cai Zixuan didn¡¯t quite understand, but still nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wang Ruoxiang also didn¡¯t understand. This kind of instruction is more suitable for the pork butcher in a vegetable market.

    However, the two still obeyed Gu Jun. They were now frantically cutting, digging, peeling, and picking using arge scalpel. The dissection table suddenly descended into a disorganised mess.

    What are they trying to do? The surrounding contestants around them saw their crazed actions and were all puzzled. The onlooking professors and students in the stadium couldn¡¯t understand it as well. Isn¡¯t this disrespecting the principle of anatomy?

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The judges however revealed expressions of surprise. Professor Qin¡¯s eyebrows jumped. This Tycoon Jun seemed to have some sort of n.

 Chapter 31: Behind the Lamellar Bone

    <h4>Chapter 31: Behind the Lamer Bone</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    In every dissection table, a video camera had been set up together with a shadowlessmp. It projected the progress of the teams on the stadium¡¯s giant screen in real-time for the spectators to watch. The video in the centre of the stadium switches between each of the 10 dissection tables upon every time interval. The screen was currently projecting Gu Jun¡¯s team status for the entire stadium to see.

    As to what they were doing, the entire crowd could not fathom the purpose of their actions. Were they here to make a fool of Eastern University?

    At this moment, the intense stretch of formalin had already fumed the trio¡¯s eyes till they were red and tingling with pain. While the tears flowed out uncontrobly, their hands never stopped. They were busy removing the thick leather-like skin and slowly exposing the ribs-like bone underneath. Then, they started to dig out the intercostal muscle between the ribs, followed by a precise incision right above what seemed to be the Manubrium sterni. By the time they were done with their initial processes, their tears were gushing out uncontrobly.

    Without dy, Gu Jun took up the costotome and positioned a rib bone between its sharp edges. Exerting his strength, he prepared to cut it.

    ¡°...ARGH!¡± His face flushed red after he exerted all his strength. Despite him even pressing his own body weight onto it, the bone did not budge.

    ¡°Oh? Let me try.¡± Seeing the fruitless attempt, Wang Ruoxiang volunteered. Panting, Gu Jun handed over the costotome and smiled. Come, show me the strength of a ck karate belt.

    s, despite Wang Ruoxiang clenching her jaws and pressing with all her strength, the bright resounding KACHA they yearned for did not happen. Joking wryly, Wang Ruoxiang said, ¡°Did this beast grow up eating calcium bits?¡±

    ¡°My turn next?¡± Cai Zixuan asked falteringly.

    ¡°No point. This bone won¡¯t break.¡± With a deep breath, Gu Jun removed the costotome and took up a bone saw. ¡°Then, I shall use this!¡± Positioning the saw de, Gu Jun pushed and pulled with all his strength. Immediately, a blood-curdling bone sawing sound echoed through the stadium.

    CHHK! CHHK! CHHK!

    The bright, shrill, and piercing sound sent shivers down the spectators¡¯ spines and drew all eyes onto Gu Jun.

    This bone saw was initially meant for the skull, yet seeing Gu Jun use it for ribs was an ominous sight. With his mask covering half his face and part of his hair wrapped up, his calm and maniacal actions gave birth to an inexplicable eeriness.

    Owing to his resounding sess in the first round, several other nominees had kept their attention on him. This was just like how candidates would observe the exam papers of other students who regrly achieve top ranks. Unexpectedly, this top-grade highest potential candidate had begun doodling and drawing random circles all around his paper.

    Seeing maniacal and thoughtless actions, some finalists had stopped their hands. On the other side, the students from the Qingyun University school team can¡¯t make heads or tails of his actions.

    Not starting from the cross-sectional area but forcibly saw the bones from the side?! How can you guarantee that the organs inside are not damaged? Isn¡¯t this quite barbarous?

    Unbeknown to the audience, the expressions on the judges had taken a different shift and became that of a starving wild canine looking at its prey. Simply craving toy their hand on him.

    ¡°ss monitor, Cai Zixuan, get out of your daze. Can you start swinging now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I will cut this side.¡±

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, there¡¯s no space. I will take turns with the ss monitor.¡±

    CHHK! CHHK! CHHK! CHHK!

    As seconds past, the trio finally cut through all of the rib bones of the specimen.

    Putting down the bone saw, Gu Jun picked up a skin hook. It was 21 cm in length with an oval head of 85 by 15 mm. In actual surgery, it was used for pulling the skin. When Gu Jun held it, it felt more like a crowbar. In 1 swift action, he thrust the hook into the incision around the Manubrium sterni, hooking onto the region around the Lamer Bone. Lastly, he tugged forcefully.

    PSST!

    The gruesome sound of skin tissue tearing reverberated. An unbelievable sight urred. The Lamer bone that was once connected to the Manubrium sterni was pried out together with the connecting cortex and the half-sawn ribs by Gu Jun¡¯s bullish tugging.

    As Gu Junpleted his mind-boggling maneuver, the professors and students were bbergasted. Their jaws dropped, but no words formed and an astonishing silence swept across the area. Some students muttered, ¡°What the... Is this eptable?¡±

    While it may seem savage, it works. Not just that, it may be the only correct way.

    Many otherpetitors were stupefied. The scalpel in their hands began trembling as their jaws gaped wide.

    The judges looked at each other in amazement, then back at Gu Jun.

    Impossible! Did the kid dissect this thing before? How is it that he seems more familiar with this than some member of the department?

    While they may have witnessed the mind-blowing action close up, Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang kept their calm. Under Gu Jun¡¯s directions, they swiftly and neatly separated the diamond-shaped Lamer Bone from the thin banding tissues that were on the walls of the chest. When they were done, Gu Jun flipped it over and ced it onto the dissection table.

    When the camera disyed the scene on the screen, eureka dawned onto the nominees. On the inner face of themer bone, there was a thin fascia-like tissue. Within it, small red nerves sprawled.

    So that¡¯s how we cut open the chest!

    Monkey see monkey do, The other teams mimicked Gu Jun and rushed into action, violently ripping apart the leather-like cover.

    ¡°Tycoon Gu, not bad eh. Damn impressive!¡± Cai Zixuan muttered as they worked. Beside Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang was silent. She had no rebuttals and no mockery, only respect and admiration. Gu Jun had thoroughly impressed her this time.

    ¡°All luck HAHA!¡± Gu Junughed. It was also the first time he saw the inside of the Lamer Bone. The Iplete Anatomical Reference was not 100% meticulous with the drawing. The details regarding the organs within the chest cavity was almost non-existent. After observing themer one, he looked into the chest walls without the blockage of themer bone. At the same time, he looked at the system panel within his mind.

    [Current Dissection Progress: 5%, Time Remaining: 23:27:46 ]

    Without him noticing, 30minsutes had flown by. At this rate,pleting the missions within 2 hours was virtually impossible. Perhaps he could do it within a day. However, he would have to attain permission from the organisers to continue with the dissection afterwards.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s continue quickly.¡± Taking up the scalpel, Gu Jun resumed. By his side, his trusty teammates nodded and offered their assistance.

    As Sun Yuheng fought against time to remove the sturdymer bone, Gu Jun¡¯s team had begun with the next step. They cleaned the remnants of the ribs, flipped open the anterior chest walls, and cut out what seemed to be the Transversus Thoracic muscle. After which, several other nerves peeked through. They had finally found the veins.

    After removing the Lamer bone, the structure of the chest in this creature was simr to a human. As such, the executions of the trio got miles smoother and faster, showing off their refined technique with ease.

    On the judging panel, a huge uproar had zed across the judges. Gu Jun¡¯s smooth removal of themer bone had got them extremely vexed andughing out wryly. An excited and euphoric discussion had exploded amongst the judges.

    ¡°Wait, who called the young man a fool¡¯s gold? Do you really not know what is the meaning of fool¡¯s gold?¡±

    ¡°Look at that. That firm and steady knife work. Such skill, rightfully expected of Eastern University¡¯s eight-year student!¡±

    ¡°Professor Qin, I think we have truly struck gold this time!¡±

    As adrenaline surged through his colleagues, tion bloomed within Professor Qin¡¯s heart as he watched this promising young chap. The stern mask struggled to stay put as his joy forced its way onto his wrinkled face.

    There is no way this youngster is a fool¡¯s gold. That smooth and easy handling of the scalpel, dissection scissor, and forceps is a phenomenon. Without a doubt, Gu Jun has skills and experience far beyond his age!

    Leaving aside his nasty way of life, this Tycoon Jun possessed exceptional mental resilience and first-ss medical abilities. Perhaps... he can join the Mobile Task Force!

    Concerning the attitude of others around him, the trio had not taken notice of the hubaloo. Their focus was ced solely on the dissecting table. After they had explored the pleural cavity, they were preparing to remove the lungs.

    From their analysis, they also found that the structure of this creature was very simr to that of a human being, but it was not entirely the same. Humans have 2 lungs, one on the left and the other on the right. However, this creature had only one right lung. On the left side, a more enormous heart sat. Both this right lung and the heart was indeed an eye-opener for them.

    ¡°The tissues of this lung seem to be...¡± Wang Ruoxiang muttered in shock as she observed the right lung. She had absolute confidence that her medical knowledge was excellent. However, she herself knew how inconceivable and ridiculous the words she was about to say.

    At the same time, Gu Jun nced at the right lung with a frown. Just as he was about to say something, a sh of light blinded him. It was as though an illusion streaked across his mind. Immediately, he shook his head vigorously.

    But the sight of a broken and messy basement still remained hazy in front of his eyes...

    Note: The manubrium sterni is part of the sternum(chest bone). It joins with the body of the sternum, the vicles and the first pair of ribs.

 Chapter 32: The Dark Basement

    <h4>Chapter 32: The Dark Basement</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    A strangely shaped kerosenemp hung on the dpidated wall. Thempshade was stained with old bloodstains, tainting the dim lights crimson.

    This was a small basement with a low-lying ceiling, and there was a lot of debris everywhere. Some of the rotten wooden floors were bent downwards, seeming as though a single step would break the wood. There was a long wooden table in the middle of the basement. The light of the candle flickered, reflecting the morbidly turbid colour of the desktop. Layers uponyers of dirt umted and permeated every granule of wood, thus causing the table to look like this.

    In the centre of the table, there seems to lie a corpse of an alien creature. A repulsive stench seemed to tower towards the heavens, and there was a faint figure standing by the table.

    Gu Jun wanted to take a clearer look, but the phantom lights and shadows grew erratic and illusory. What he saw in front of him was the dissection table, and he was back in the gym.

    ¡°The tissues of this lung seem to be bird airbags.¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s tone had an unconcealed surprise, and her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s just bigger.¡±

    ¡°This is so strange.¡± Cai Zixuan wrinkled his slightly reddened eyes. His words were the reflection of the sentiments in the hearts of the professors and students in the audience. The situation on this dissection table was being disyed on the big screen.

    There were six erged membranous sacs outside the lung. All were connected to the bronchus, and the capsr walls were covered with capiries, showing the vitality it once had.

    Gu Jun looked at the airbags and excitement surged in his heart. Such a structure was truly miraculous.

    Humans always imed to be the spirit behind all things. The human body was indeed exquisite and wondrous, but it was not perfect. Instead, it had many defects. Some organ structures were not more natural to use than other species on Earth.

    The lung was one of them. The human lung was a two-way organ: air would enter and exit through the same path, and it also does the work of exchanging and storing gas. This made the newly-entered air diluted by residual hypoxic air in the lungs, which was extremely inefficient. The bubble wall was still very fragile, prone to emphysema.

    But the lungs of birds were different. It had a front airbag, lung and rear airbag, each of these three parts having a clear division ofbour. The lungs were only responsible for letting air through. In this way, fresh air could continue toe and go to the lungs at a constant speed. Oxygenated air would pass through the lungs with a single breath, maximizing efficiency. This was the so-called ¡°double breathing¡± of birds.

    As a result, birds could fly for an extended time and could reach higher altitudes than humans.

    Humans may be able to argue that ¡°different species have different needs¡±, but this humanoid on the dissection table had the lungs of a bird.

    ¡°Remove it and take a look.¡± Gu Jun refocused his mind, holding a scalpel in a pen-style gesture. He leaned down to cut off the pleura, nerves, and blood vessels connected to the lung, as well as the tubes attached to the surrounding parts one by one. There were still the lung roots and ligaments, a pile of tissue.

    Because this was not drawn on the iplete anatomical reference, he had to be careful in every operation. He could not afford to cut just any tube. This was not just because Professor Qin was staring at them, this was also a requirement for thepletion of the anatomy mission.

    After Gu Jun had removed the lung, he would then dissect it with Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan.

    Everyone could observe in more detail now. The more they looked, the more they were surprised by this lung. Every artery and vein seemed to meticulously follow an exquisite and gorgeous n.

    ¡°This creature should be able to climb higher and dive deeper than anything else,¡± Cai Zixuan said emotionally. ¡°This lung is simply too efficient.¡±

    ¡°I want this kind of lung too,¡± said Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°It¡¯ll be perfect for a singingpetition.¡±

    Soon, she¡¯ll want the heart of this creature more.

    After dissecting the lungs, the three move to the mediastinum and then the pericardium. Gu Jun then cut therge blood vessels with a scalpel in the pericardium and took out the heart. This heart was one sizerger than the human body. Although it was now a dead mass, it must have been beating with strength when it was still alive.

    They continued to observe and dissect the heart and grew even more surprised.

    The human heart was also imperfect, especially with a rather ridiculous defect ¨C there was only a single artery supplying blood to both areas of ??the heart. Taking the right atrium and right ventricle, for example, only the right coronary artery supplies blood. If this artery was blocked, the right atrium and right ventricle would be hypoxic, which would be followed by myocardial infarction and a heart attack.

    Whether human beings were created by the creator or had gone through an evolution, this shameless design had to be poorly rated.

    It must be made known that there was no need to be heterogeneous. Many mammals of the same species, such as dogs, had multiple blood vessels with different paths to supply blood to their hearts. If one was jammed, the other could be used to supplement blood. Even if dog lungs weren¡¯t good, dog hearts were.

    ¡°There are four separate coronary arteries supplying blood to each of the four heart chambers.¡± Wang Ruoxiang counted, exhaling shakily. ¡°This will definitely increase longevity.¡±

    The professors and students who were looking murmured excitedly, and each let out a sigh.

    Professor Qin and the other judges had a serious expression on their face. These strange and wondrous organs were not somethingmendable in their eyes.

    ¡°Professor Gu, could this be caused by human disease?¡± Xu Hai perplexedly asked. Zhang Haoran and He Yuhan couldn¡¯t figure it out either. Was this still a disease?

    ¡°Students, I don¡¯t know.¡± Professor Gu sighed sincerely. There was some confusion on his old face. What have I been studying for so many years?

    On the other hand, Gu Jun continued to bury himself in work, dissecting these coronary arteries one by one.

    Each time he cuts off a piece, his heart sank a little heavier, gradually empathising with the feelings behind the notes on the iplete anatomical reference. He was both amazed by the structure of this creature and feeling panicked by his own delicate structure. There was no defect in the lungs and heart, could there be a defect in other organs?

    What about its brain?

    The reason why human beings could rule over other species and suppress predators like tigers and lions were due to their superior intelligence.

    What level of intelligence does this creature have?

    If the human body had no advantage and the brain had no advantage, then...

    In his subconscious,plex emotions entangled and intertwined with each other. Gu Jun¡¯s head suddenly felt a sharp pain, and the illusions of light and shadow shed before his eyes again.

    He felt like he had arrived in the dark and narrow basement again, and a murmur hovered beside his ears, speaking in that strange foreignnguage.

    Although it was still a little vague, he could see it more clearly this time. On the dirty long wooden table, thereid a humanoid corpse with murky dark skin and long limbs. The chest had already been dissected, and the b of bone was thrown aside. The dim light of the kerosenemp and candle illuminated the bloody scene.

    There was a rusty iron te beside the table, and a heart was ced on top of the te. ckish-red blood flowed from the te, tracing a path across the table, and dripped onto the floor.

    Gu Jun vaguely saw that the faint figure standing at the table was holding something like a pen. It was leaning over a stack of yellow parchment on the table, seemingly writing something. It was the dpidated piece of iplete anatomical reference! In this vision, the reference was stillpletely new.

    The man was drawing a structure on the paper while making reference to the body on the table. He was making annotations and scribbling notes.

    He murmured while writing. Gu Jun couldn¡¯t understand his face nor could he understand the words the man was muttering, but he could make out the surprise, anxiety, panic, and daze in the man¡¯s voice.

    As the man scribbled down notes, his posture grew increasingly stiff and his tone more and more deathly. He repeated his words slowly over and over again, as though he was going to die.

    When he murmured for the fourth time, that was when he wrote the fourth paragraph on the map.

    Gu Jun felt a sudden aching in his heart, as though he could suddenly understand the sentences, and know what the four repeated lines of foreign text at the end of the note meant.

    ¡°Are they better than us?

    Are they better than us?

    Are they better than us?

    Are they better than us?¡±

 Chapter 33: The Chosen Few

    <h4>Chapter 33: The Chosen Few</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°Are they better than us?¡±

    The figure leaned over the table stationarily, muttering in an undertone. As the heavy sentence reverberated throughout the dungeon, the figure stood stationary for a few moments. From the voice, Gu Jun could feel an unshakeable depressive confoundment. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed as his burning gaze tried to focus onto the face of this figure. He had to find out if this person was human. s, the vision began to blur and the oilmp suddenly ked, cutting off his view.

    At thest moment, a harrowing sight of the corpse leaping onto the figure etched deep into Gu Jun¡¯s mind.

    ¡°AH!¡± the intense shock jolted Gu Jun back into reality. With heavy breaths, he pulled himself together as his trembling hands struggled to keep the scalpel in his grip. Every time he witnessed the vision, he felt a massive portion of his stamina draining from his body.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Wang Ruoxiang caught onto his odd behaviours.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Looking at her gentle expression, Gu Jun turned to Cai Zixuan and smiled wryly. Calming his mind, he asked them, ¡°Don¡¯t you think from this chest, this creature seems like a better and more refined human?¡± Not waiting for the perspective of his teammates, Gu Jun turned to Professor Qin. He asked loudly, ¡°Professor Qin, how would you rate the potential intelligence of this creature?¡±

    Based on their anatomical structure, this creature was easily superior to humans. Could it be that even their intelligence... Is that why the figure who drew the reference was walking by the edge of despair?

    More importantly, how did the department even get this specimen?

    This question from Gu Jun silenced all the chattering from the venue, turning it to a pin drop silence. Every student and professor could understand the purpose of this question with ease. They too yearned to know the answer.

    ¡°Gu Jun, I am heartened to hear you asking this question,¡± Professor Qin sternly replied. ¡°However, I cannot reveal this to you here. In the future, you will find out.¡±

    While he did not explicitly state it, anyone could tell that this creature had a substantial level of intelligence.

    First the Banyan Malformation Disease, now an irregr species. As if a new void of coldness shattered the universe and the crowd was sucked into it, shrouding them in a dark and grey gloom.

    Seeing how the nominees had stopped working, Professor Qin gently reminded, ¡°Students, there are only 15 minutes left. Come on, get moving!¡±

    Immediately, everyone shot back into action. Gu Jun too withdrew all his other questions and thought. He led his fellow teammates to expertly finish this test.

    Thest 15 minutes flew by. As the bell signalling the end sounded, all thepetitors had to stop regardless whether or not they were pleased with their work.

    ¡°Thank you, everyone, for your hard work and efforts,¡± Professor Qin said at the end. ¡°Everyone did rather well.¡±

    These words were not words of encouragement. In this test, Gu Jun¡¯s team had unexpectedly removed the Lamer Bone at exceedingly fast and precisely speed. From there, the other groups followed suit and entered the chest area without additional difficulties. For the first time, no team ended up dismembering the specimen.

    It was also for this reason that, after some discussion, the judges decided to select a few more people with exceptional skills.

    Less than ten minutester, the final list of the chosen few was disyed on the big screen. There were a total of nine students.

    Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang, and Cai Zixuan were the three names at the top of the list. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the entire team of three people had emerged as the top 3 amongst this considerable pool of talents! There was one more person from Eastern University, Ma Jiahua from the school team led by Professor Yu. He was a sixth-year student in the eight-year clinical program.

    Two students were selected from Qingyun University, Sun Yuheng and Yang Ming; one Jihua Medical College student, a girl named Zhou Yi; one Dongyang Medical College student, Cheng Yifeng; and one girl from Eastern University School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiang Banxia.

    As the crowd saw this result, surprise stained everyone¡¯s expression. At first, Professor Qin had said that he would only select two or three people, but now the judges were overwhelmed with joy. Seems like this event was a massive haul for them.

    While thispetition was a great victory for Eastern University, the atmosphere was very calm and controlled. The students of Eastern University did not seize the opportunity to throw slurs and jeers at Qingyun University. As the emcee announced the end of the morning¡¯s 2 round tests, he initiated a round of apuse for thepetitors. Under his guidance, all the spectating professors and students followed suit and acknowledged the outstanding performance of all participating students, especially the nine selected students standing in the field. From his position, Gu Jun could see the proud and warm smiles from Professor Gu, Xu Hai, and He Yuhan as they apuded vigorously for his team.

    However, the dejection of the faces of the unsessful students were evident, especially the school team members of Eastern and Qingyun Universities. While they were fully convinced of Gu Jun and Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s abilities, they could not ept the fact that Cai Zixuan was chosen over them. If this prematurely aging bald head was not leeching off Gu Jun, then on what basis was he better than them?

    As Cai Zixuan emotionally sighed, ¡°Sometimes, fate will arrange your life clearly.¡±

    ¡°Students.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s eyes nced at the nine students. ¡°For now, go back and sort out your mood and thoughts. We will see you tomorrow morning.¡±

    The 9 of them nodded in response and prepared to disperse. Suddenly, Gu Jun asked, ¡°Professor Qin, can I continue dissecting this specimen? I want to find out more about this irregr species.¡±

    As of now, he was only 35%plete with the dissection. This time. The mission demanded a far more precise and in-depth degree of analysis.

    Gu Jun was much like a gem in the eyes of the judges. Furthermore, Gu Jun had packaged his request to sound like an earnest thirst for improvement and knowledge. As expected, there was no reason for Professor Qin to deny him. In fact, Professor Qin was impressed and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Of course, whoever wishes to continue can do so. These specimens are yours.¡±

    As such, all nine students remained to continue the dissection. First, they did not wish to lookzy inparison. Secondly, this creature did indeed pique their interest.

    As the long morning finally came to a close, Professor Qin left with his panel. The other students continued with the regr and conventional Clinical Skills Competition under a separate group of judges.

    As he watched the disappearing backs of Professor Qin and the judges, several other worries gued Gu Jun¡¯s mind.

    I may be selected now, but there are some changes about the situation.

    In his mind, his parents surfaced. Should the event involving his parents be a concern for the department, there would be nothing he could do about it. His biological link to his parents was not something that he could not change. Should he take the initiative and report this to them? However, he could not predict or control the consequence of doing so.

    What if father and mother are viins in the eyes of the department? What if they were never noticed by the department and I end up shedding light on their research?

    Countless worries churned in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. At this moment, he wasn¡¯t even sure of his own pedigree or if his parents were still alive or if they were good- or bad-natured.

    For the time being, there was only 1 thing he could, adapt and pretend that he didn¡¯t know anything. Once he sessfully entered this mysterious circle, then he could try to investigate what organization Laisheng Company was and find out what he should do.

    The second change is my brainstem tumour. Gu Jun did not know whether the department would find out about this lethal tumour. At the moment, there was only 1 medical record of it in the back-end database of Eastern University Affiliated Hospital. While only the hospital could reveal this, he must still have prepared a n to deal with the worst-case scenario. After all, he could not escape thepulsory detailed medical examination before joining the department. Currently, his brain stem tumour would no doubt ¡°upy space¡± in his brain X-ray, and there was no way to hide it.

    For now, Gu Jun moved to the backstage of the stadium with the others to continue the dissection. The iron cage of the deceased BMD creature vanished without a trace, leaving only a pungent smell to prove its existence.

    For the next six hours, from 11 am to 5 pm, Gu Jun dwelled in his maniacal dissection mode again. In this period, he never left the dissecting table even for a single moment. His team carefully removed various organs down to the smallest and most delicate details, even the blood vessels were not spared. As time trickled along, the degree ofpletion of the mission also increased little by little; from 35% to 50%, then to 85%, and finally to 99%. When he dissected another vein in the chest...

    A musical andforting bell rang in his mind. With it, a familiar system message board popped up.

    [Current Dissection Progress: 100%, DIFFICULT mission ¨C Mission Completed!]

    [The Proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity has risen! The current level is second-tier(1000/30000 Proficiency)]

    [Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 3 pages ofplete Diagnosis and Treatment Journal. Click to receive your rewards.]

    Just like the previous one, Gu Jun did not immediately collect his rewards. While the iplete anatomical reference was somewhat like a softcopy in his mind, there was still a chance that these diagnoses and Treatment Journal pages were physical copies.

    Thud! Gu Jun ced the blood vessel forceps onto the dissection table and took off his gloves and mask. He turned to Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan and said, ¡°You guys continue with the dissection, I will go back first.¡±

    ¡°Huh.¡± Cai Zixuan looked nkly at Gu Jun. The intense fatigue he felt had already thrown him into a daze. Since the few slices of bread he had in the morning, he had not eaten another gram of food. ¡°We dissect? If not for you, Tycoon Jun, who would be doing this now?¡±

    Since some time ago, Wang Ruoxiang had already excused herself and rested by the benches. Now she stood up. ¡°Gu Jun, Professor Gu had said to wait for everyone before leaving. He wants to bring us for a meal.¡±

    ¡°You guys wait for them. Just text me the addresster on Wechat. I will be there.¡± Washing his hands by the sink, Gu Jun left hastily.

    Now that Gu Jun had received the offer from the secret department, his identity shifted to something different. Some staff apanied him out of the stadium and had even arranged a particr car to take him back to the medical school of Eastern University. Naturally, his 2 phones that were taken away during the previous inspection were returned. Immediately, he checked them. Fortunately, they were not touched during his absence.

    On the way back, the staff sternly warned him not to leak the information he saw and heard in the stadium. Should any unsatisfactory conduct be done, he would not only lose his offer but also be held ountable.

    ¡°No worries. I will keep it confidential,¡± with a stern face, Gu Jun solemnly promised that he really didn¡¯t have the idea of spreading the details.

    Leaning onto the car door, Gu Jun looked out at theparatively peaceful bustling city. At this time, the sun in the sky was still shining brightly high up in the sky. In his view, the busy town kept falling back and showed sights of mothers pushing strollers on the streets and teenagers riding and sharing bicycles. There was also an uncle walking the dog and a grandmother dragging her grandchildren away...

    I also hope that those monstrosities will always be kept a secret.

    Gu Jun thought to himself.

 Chapter 34: Extermination Of The Nude Rats And Extermination Of Cell Phones

    <h4>Chapter 34: Extermination Of The Nude Rats And Extermination Of Cell Phones</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    As soon as he returned to the campus of Eastern University, Gu Jun got off the bus and watched the car drive away before walking off. After confirming that no one was following him, he immediately went to the Laboratory Animal Research Center and headed straight for the naked rats room.

    He had thought about it repeatedly. It was impossible to conceal the truth about brainstem tumours, and it was better to take the initiative to confess than to have the truth get exposed eventually. Even if the tumour was in its advanced stage, it was uncertain how long each person could live. In this case, being able to live for two or three more years was an exceedingly rare case. Now that the country urgently needed manpower, there was arge possibility that the department would continue to hire him seeing that his condition was still stable.

    Furthermore, when pitting his disease against the mysterious world of the Malformation Banyan disease and other abnormal illnesses, his own illness did not seem like a dead-end without any hope of survival.

    Anyhow. In this dangerous line of work, can the department ensure that everyone can live for another two or three years in the future even if he had no terminal illness?

    Gu Jun felt that this was not possible. If there was abour contract, there must be a use in the contract stating that death was voluntary by Party B.

    There was no need to conceal his brainstem tumour, but the experiments regarding drugs targeting the malformation disease cannot be made known for the time being. He won¡¯t be able to exin, and the naked rats cannot be kept as well.

    Gu Jun went to the room where the naked rats were kept. He underwent ultraviolet sterilization and put on full-body protective clothing. He then went to the rack containing rat cages in the backroom to retrieve a few cages of the naked rats and put them on the experiment table. The tumour size of the naked rats continued to remain unchanged for those administered with medicines. As for the mice that had not been administered medication, they died one after another.

    He looked at the fifteen naked rats and thanked them silently. ¡°Thank you, mice friends. Thank you for your contribution to medicine. Be reborn as a human being.¡±

    Gu Jun picked up the sick, dying mouse first, then pressing its head between his left thumb and index fingers. He grasped the root of its tail with the other hand and pulled back with force. KAH!

    The spinal cord and brain marrow of the naked mouse dissociated. It died instantly without any pain. This was the method of cervical spondylectomy.

    KAH, one, KAH, two, KAH, three ...

    KAHKAHKAH, after a while, all fifteen naked rats were euthanized. They were horizontally lined up on the experimental table in a straight row, bereaved of any signs of life.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Jun gathered all of the corpses inside a yellow disposable medical bag and retrieved the foreign medicine powder stored there. He then proceeded to walk out of the naked rats room with the bag and left the research center.

    On the way back to the dormitory, Gu Jun called Senior Brother Zhang Lin. His senior brother did not participate in thepetition this time, but Professor Qin said that this would not be the only round ofpetition that would be held. Senior Brother Zhang Lin should also be participating in the future and even join the department. The call was connected. ¡°Hey, Senior Brother.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, were you looking for me?¡±

    The two hadn¡¯t contacted each other for a while. Zhang Lin had been busy with his graduate student experiment the entire day. Gu Jun had already invited him toe out for dinner several times.

    ¡°My experiment is over.¡± Gu Jun heaved out a long sigh. This sigh was packed with emotion.

    ¡°Oh, what were the results?¡± From Zhang Lin¡¯s tone, he was obviously pretending to be interested. What old Chinese TCM, old military doctors, ancient remedies, ancestral secret recipes, these were all the equivalent of cheating money. ¡°I¡¯m too busy, I haven¡¯t had the time to check on the progress.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±

    ¡°So fast? It seemed that your medicine had toxicponents.¡± Zhang Lin was not surprised at all, and he sighed a bit annoyedly. ¡°Ah Jun, don¡¯t me me for speaking too much. There are positive aspects of TCM, but it was definitely not all-epassing or a cure for all kinds of diseases. The reputation of traditional Chinese medicine is tarnished by these so-called old traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Don¡¯t believe in it next time.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother, what you said makes sense. Traditional Chinese medicine should also catch up with the times. I don¡¯t see Western medicine being engaged in research involving body fluids.¡±

    They continued chatting about TCM while heading to the hospital without bringing up the experiment.

    When Gu Jun returned to the dormitory, he had just ended his conversation with Brother Zhang Lin.

    The moment Gu Jun stepped through the door, Gu Jun rushed to Cai Zixuan¡¯s rice cooker and ced a pot of water in it, then poured all 15 naked mouse corpses into it. He poured in all kinds of messy seasonings and boiled them in one pot. This was of course not for making soup or drinking, but rather destroying theirponents or ¡°hiding the corpses¡±.

    ¡°Hoo,¡± Gu Jun let out a heavy sigh as he wiped his forehead and continued to his next task, taking care of Li Yuerui¡¯s cell phone.

    Because of Li Yuerui¡¯s background, Gu Jun intended to hand the phone over and confess the incident that urred during the deep dive in Longkan and the disaster on the seabed whether or not the state department was chasing after this mobile phone. This was something which could not be concealed.

    The most important thing was not this phone, but rather thest video captured on the phone.

    If the state department got their hands on the footage and saw him muttering that sentence in a foreignnguage, would he be incarcerated? Or even dragged off to have his brain dissected?

    For his safety, he definitely must dispose of this mobile phone.

    Gu Jun inserted an old SD card and turned it on. He transferred the video and Li Yuerui¡¯s contacts, as well as other sensitive information into the SD card before removing the card. He proceeded to delete the video and formatted the phone, even downloading a bunch of movies that he would never watch to fill up the memory. Formatting, then downloading. Formatting, then downloading...

    After repeating this several times, it would be an insurmountable task even if one wanted to restore the data.

    Furthermore, this was under the premise that the storage chip was not physically damaged.

    Gu Jun disassembled the phone, took a hammer, and viciously swung at the motherboard. He had to be precise yet disorganised with this hit. This was not only to destroy the storage card, but other ces had to be damaged as well. He had to make it seem like the phone had been smashed at the point of impact.

    As he swung the hammer, he was also thinking back about his own life experience. ¡°No matter what organization Lai Sheng is and what role my parents yed, they will invariably disy their stance towards him after the state knows about it. These stances can vary... ¡±

    A) His parents belonged to the ¡°good¡± camp. Or they were, in fact, evil, but outsiders mistakenly thought they were good. The country continues to hire him.

    B) His parents belonged to the ¡°evil¡± camp. Or they were, in fact, good, but outsiders mistakenly thought they were evil. The country continues to hire him.

    C) His parents belonged to the ¡°evil¡± camp. The state thinks that the apple never falls far from the tree, and will seek to bury his existence. They would use and even confine him. Perhaps to use in their investigations, or even use him as a hostage?

    Thinking about it, there was a 66% chance of being hired, and it seemed to be worth the risk of confessing. If the worst case happened, he simply could not afford the repercussions.

    After Gu Jun utterly destroyed everyponent of the motherboard, especially breaking the storage card into irreparable bits, he reassembled the mobile phone. He ferociously smashed it against the ground several times. The mobile phone had been distorted out of shape after having been crushed so many times. He then pressed the power button again, and there was an utterck of reaction.

    ¡°Huff, huff.¡± Gu Jun tossed the broken phone aside before finally sitting down at the desk while tightly gripping the SD card. The data is all here. Let¡¯s store it somewhere safe.

    The rice cooker let out a crackle as it went about its task. The dense aroma of soup permeated the air. Even though he knew the truth and felt a little nauseous, he still eximed, ¡°It¡¯s really fragrant.¡±

    Each mouse cost 120 yuan. This soup was worth at least 1,800 yuan.

    Gu Jun resisted the impulse to take a deep whiff of the aroma and opened the system interface in his mind.

    [Hands of Dexterity

    Rarity: ¡ï (From Lowest to Highest, 1¡ï to 10¡ï)

    Cultivation Potential: 3rd Tier

    Host¡¯s Ability Tier: 2nd Tier (1000/30000 Proficiency)]

    ¡°Completing a DIFFICULT mission only caused the proficiency to rise by 1000. Moreover, I have to restart from the beginning of the second tier so it will definitely be more challenging to increase the proficiency further on. At this rate, I have toplete a hundred DIFFICULT missions before I reach the third level. I wonder how much the ABYSSAL mission will cause it to rise.¡±

    Gu Jun closed the ability list and brought up the task list. He then clicked on ¡°Receive Mission Rewards¡±. The strange feeling suddenly resurfaced inside his mind, as though some sort of light flooded in. As the light gradually condensed, the phantom image of the three-page diagnosis and treatment diary were suspended above the sea of ??knowledge.

    He willed the leftmost page to open. The material was also made of parchment paper and was filled with densely scribbled foreign texts; about thirty lines per page. The middle and rightmost pages were the same as well.

    ¡°What could all of this mean?¡± Anxiety filled Gu Jun¡¯s face as he studied the texts. He could not even distinguish whether the three pages of the diary were continuously arranged or just scattered pages.

    However, he was still able to pick out something different. ¡°The handwriting is different.¡± The handwriting of the three-page diary was consistent. Unlike the writing on the iplete anatomical reference, it did not appear to be scribbled in a hurry. Instead, the penmanship was impable, and the ink depth in some areas varied. The pages should have been carefully written alone in a non-hazardous environment.

    ¡°Wait... I can understand some words.¡±

    Gu Jun scrunched his brows together. He was able to understand some bits of the foreign texts from the iplete anatomical reference. He was able to crack a few concepts: bone, muscle, chest, nerves.

    There were two more sentences, the visions deeply engraved them in his brain. He vaguely understood what they meant: ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the Abyss. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡± and ¡°Are they better than us?¡±

    Some of those concepts resurfaced in these three pages of diaries. Gu Jun carefullypared them and soon discovered that in a row of foreign texts nearing the end of the diary¡¯s third page, these concepts were used most intensively by the author. He could intermittently piece together half the meaning of the texts.

    Gu Jun started to murmur softly.

 Chapter 35: Method to Trigger the illusions

    <h4>Chapter 35: Method to Trigger the illusions</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    ¡°Our... Abyss... Death... the bone... the nerves... fruits... dying together....¡±

    As Gu Jun muttered these words to himself, a sharp piercing shiver ran down his spine. While he had no idea what sentence these words formed, he could still clearly feel the desperation and fear within them.

    As a medical student, Gu Jun knew that the death written in this journal was an actual loss of life and not some kind of metaphor. Furthermore, he saw this written in the final paragraphs of the three pages. Very likely, the definitive diagnosis was of the specimen¡¯s ¡°dying together¡±.

    ¡°Dying together, dying together...¡± Repeating the phrase several times under his breath, an inexplicable horror churned inexplicably within Gu Jun¡¯s mind.

    While the handwriting on these 3 journal pieces was steadier and calmer, the gloom and hopelessness that gued the words were unmistakably denser. On the anatomical reference, there was a distinct frenzy, and a painful struggle to scour for survival chances. However, in this journal, the words were frighteningly still and calm as though the author had epted the bleak chances of survival, patiently and quietly awaiting the gate of death to pull him in.

    ¡°What disease is this journal writing about?¡±

    Looking at the foreign words, Gu Jun asked himself.

    Was it rted to the Banyan Malformation Disease? Or was it associated with the irregr species?

    Tidying his thoughts, Gu Jun analyzed further. Then, he stared at the journal again for clues. s, there was nothing else he could find out from it. With a sigh, he closed the journal and the system message board.

    ¡°For some reason, I still feel like I failed to notice some crucial details in the vision of the basement...¡±

    Gu Jun patted his head, forcing himself to recall the vision. This feeling had stricken him many times, just like that time when he had that illusion of thatboratory.

    What is going on with these illusions? Is there any regrity in its appearance?

    Once again, Gu Jun sunk deep into thought with this question.

    ¡°Firstly, the dream about Gurong Vige is probably not the same as the other visions. Hmm, I think the first vision urred at the bottom of the Longkan Seafloor Volcanic Belt. But that time, it was different. I couldn¡¯t recall any specific image or sounds afterwards. The simr ones, the ones wherein I can vividly remember the scene only happened three times. ¡±

    Theboratory vision, the pool of corpses vision, and the basement dissection table vion. These 3 illusions... are there any simrities?

    ¡°Simrities...¡± Gripping onto this idea, Gu Jun yed back the 3 asions over and over again in his mind. The dpidatedboratory vision he had within the researchboratory, the pool of corpses he saw within the mortuary, and the dissection table within the dungeon which he saw as he stood beside his own dissection table. Perhaps a simr venue was a criterion, but there may be more.

    I was also doing dissection personally, but why didn¡¯t the basement dissection table vision ur while I was dissecting the Banyan Malformation Disease patient?

    Suddenly, eureka struck. It was not enough to stand beside the dissection table or handle the dissection personally. A more direct connection was required before Gu Jun could trigger the visions.

    In the researchboratory, the connection may be the sentence ¡°fruits of darkness¡± which leads to the vision. While Gu Jun may have encountered that sentence at the bottom of the Longkan Seafloor Volcanic Belt, being in the researchboratory opened the entire vision.

    The connection to the pool of corpse vision was the cadavers suffering from Banyan Malformation Disease. Now he could be sure, the bodies within the pool were all Banyan Malformation Disease patients in the bereavement stage. The chains were to separate the patients and prevent them from fusing together; most likely, they were already dead. However, the scratch reflex was still possible.

    The link to the basement illusion was undoubtedly the iplete anatomical reference. Also, they were dissecting the same creature.

    The words, the view of the corpse, and the anatomical reference. They were products of his mind, forming a part of his consciousness and memory.

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The more Gu Jun pondered on this issue, the clearer the criterion was.

    First, he had to be in a venue of simr purpose or he had to match the use of the equipment, just like the dissection tables. Second, he had to have a mental connection. Third, a simr event urred, like an experiment, movement of cadavers, or dissection.

    The three appearances of the visions met all three conditions at the same time.

    This may not be all the rules required, but it seemed like it could be triggered this way.

    ¡°The contents of those three pages of the journal...¡± Gu Jun rolled his eyes. ¡°It was probably the annotations of the doctor¡¯s efforts to save the patients. Most likely, the shots were fruitless, and he could only watch the patients die together in the end. With this, I now have a direct mental connection. what¡¯s missing is the same location and simr scenario.¡±

    As this thought shed through his mind, an idea suddenly surged in his heart.

    Would witnessing a patient who had just died in the hospital be sufficient?

    At this thought, Gu Jun¡¯s heart raced uncontrobly. He had to test this out. This idea could not be suppressed anymore.

    Those illusions could give him more information and a better understanding of the situation he was in. Perhaps they held a more critical role that he did not yet know.

    If he could be preemptive, there would be definite benefits. He had to try to master triggering these illusions.

    ¡°Alright, I need to give this a shot,¡± muttering aloud to himself, he took a deep breath. The time shown on his phone was close to 7pm. Within the group chat with Professor Gu, there were still no new messages. Most likely, the clinical skillspetition was still ongoing, and the others had yet to leave the stadium or retrieve their phones.

    Gu Jun went to turn off the rice cooker, poured the whole pot of soup into the drain by the balcony, and then put the boiled mice back into the biohazards bag. He then took his student ID, put on a white coat, and left the dormitory with the naked mice corpses. As for the rice cooker, he casually left it for Cai Zixuan to wash up in his ce.

    After arriving outside the dormitory building, Gu Jun threw the biohazards bags into the designated yellow bin. Soon, these mice¡¯s corpses would be sent to the incineration nt, leaving no traces behind.

    Of course, the safest way would be for Gu Jun to eat them all. However, there was absolutely no way he would do that.

    Next, Gu Jun proceeded to the Eastern University Affiliated Hospital on the west side of the campus on his bicycle. Quickly, he walked into thebined outpatient and inpatientplex.

    It was now dinner time. There were not too many people visiting the clinic in the outpatient hall on the first floor. At this time, even the sight of doctors and nurses were also rare. The few present were quietly handling their work.

    Roaming the area silently, Gu Jun did not find anything of interest. Then, he proceeds to the still bustling emergency department. Still, he had no findings. Within the hospital, births and deaths were a daily urrence. Patients dying due to medicalplications were an everyday thing. However, the department where deaths ured differed daily. Right now, it was difficult for him to find the exact location.

    But there was still a guaranteed ce...

    The Mortuary.

    ording to Gu Jun¡¯s understanding, when a patient dies, the body would generally be left in the ward for one to two hours, allowing the family some time to say goodbye. They were then transported to the morgue by the specialized staff. Afterwhich, arrangements were made with the family to send the deceased to the funeral home within a few days.

    For those bodies entangled in controversial deaths, they would require an autopsy. These bodies were sent directly to the judicial appraisal centre which was also the forensic science building and never stepped foot into the mortuary.

    As such, no matter whether it was a massive mortuary in the main medicalplex or an independent morgue, the various hospitals,rge and small, did not arrange heavy security measures. They were only guarded by one or two security guards plus a few specialized staff. After all, no one will be bored enough to go and hang around that kind of ce.

    The Eastern University-affiliated hospital did not have an external mortuary. Their mortuary was located in the basement floor and connected to the car park for ease of the funeral home¡¯s vehicle to collect the deceased patient.

    Walking out of the B1 lift lobby, Gu Jun put on his mask and tidied his majestic white medical robe. After which, he sauntered to the mortuary.

    ¡°Uh?¡± the security uncle who was guarding the security desk at the door narrowed his gaze onto the iing young doctor and watched him walk in. He was utterly puzzled. Except for the family of the deceased, corpse transportation personnel, and funeral home staff, it seemed that no doctor would choose to enter the morgue.

    ¡°Looking for trouble.¡± Uncle security murmured and looked down at the video on his phone.

 Chapter 36: The People Inside The Church

    <h4>Chapter 36: The People Inside The Church</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    At the entrance of the morgue, there were two mobile stretcher beds. Gu Jun casually walked in and was suddenly greeted by a cold gust of air.

    Gu Jun looked around. This was actually the first time he had set foot in this ce. It was not very spacious. The ceiling lights were dim, and tworge stainless steel body refrigerators adorned both sides of the morgue. Each has ten mortuary cabs and cab doors. They were firmly sealed, and it was a mystery if there was a body inside.

    In front of him, there were some tool cabs, as well as a few mobile stretcher beds and a few blue medical screens. Apart from that, there was nothing much.

    Although the morgue was portrayed as a horrifying ce in all kinds of horror movies, it was actually so small and nothing fear-inspiring.

    From the moment Gu Jun walked through the door, his heart sank. As he took a step closer to the left refrigerator, the sense of oppression grew even heavier with a trace of turmoil swirling inside. Warning bells were sounding in his heart, and he became more cautious. ¡°I¡¯m deliberately taking the initiative to trigger an unknown vision, I wonder if I can bear it?¡±

    It must be made known that after every vision, pain would explode across his brain nerves, and his whole person would feel utterly drained of mental strength.

    Gu Jun cautiously stopped his footsteps and opened the system interface to check the host¡¯s status. Both his heart rate and blood pressure were rising, which proved that triggering illusions did have an effect on his body. ¡°Heart rate is 100 BPM, which is the borderline of the normal range. It¡¯s still eptable for now.¡± He continued to walk forward while paying attention to the heart rate indicator.

    One step, heart rate: 115 BPM

    Two steps, heart rate: 130 BPM

    Three steps, heart rate: 145 BPM

    Gu Jun sucked in a deep breath. In the span of a few steps, his heart rate suddenly became too fast as though he did some vigorous exercise. These numbers were approaching the danger zone. His heart thumped violently in his chest, and a sense of deja vu gued his vision. It was as if he had been here before, that this was not the first time this happened.

    Three and a half steps, heart rate: 150 BPM.

    The morgue was right in front of him. Although the sight had not turned into a vision yet, Gu Jun had a sense of certainty knowing what he was supposed to do.

    ¡°ording to the previous increase in heart rate, the vision should be about 160-180 BPM which is slightly dangerous. It may be a case of paroxysmal supraventricr tachycardia1, but my heart has no history of diseases. For asional instances of overclocking, it should be able to hold out even if it continues for a few hours.¡±

    Gu Jun gingerly raised his right hand and pressed his palm against the stainless steel surface of the mortuary cab. The skin of the palm felt a sudden iciness. The cold immediately wormed in flowing through the superficial fascia, deep fascia... piercing straight to the bone!

    His heart rate was 185 BPM, and his heart thumped ferociously as though it wanted to jump out of his chest. He felt abnormal cramps and increased difficulty in breathing. The scene in front of him blurred and was illusory. Everything seemed to have gone far away, yet they seemed to be iparably close as well.

    His inference was right. As long as the three conditions were satisfied at the same time, the corresponding hallucinations can be triggered.

    The chaotic bright and shadowy vision gradually stabilised and grew distinct.

    Gu Jun saw a majestic church located in an unfamiliar city somewhere. The church did not belong to any architectural style he was familiar with. It was carved out of huge rocks. Every pir and every ss window was exquisitely crafted, the steeple towering straight into the sky. A flock of ck birds flew past the majestic structure.

    How could it be a church? This was beyond anything he imagined, and furthermore, it was such a magnificent and huge church.

    He thought the three pages of diaries would take him to a hospital, morgue, or a ce serving simr functions.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the connection?¡±

    Fiercely resisting the acute pain in his head and heart, Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness gradually approached the church. He hazily passed the high, arching steps, walked through a row of exquisite statues, past the towering main entrance. He arrived inside the church and suddenly saw a scene that left chills running down his spine.

    Underneath the soaring vault, hundreds of thousands of faint silhouettes were present in the spacious church ground. All of them were prostrating on the ground, facing toward the seat of God right ahead of them.

    He saw... that some of those people had distorted limbs, some werecking heads, some only left with a skeletal frame.

    No matter whether they were headless or not, they were all deeply prostrating against the ground, utterly motionless. Their facial features couldn¡¯t be seen at all, but from their prone forms, a fanatical kind of piety, grotesqueness, and even madness, could be detected.

    ¡°This is not a morgue, but here is...¡± Gu Jun suddenly came to a realisation, ¡°the dead¡¯s resting ce.¡±

    He suddenly remembered the words of the dying man from Lai Sheng, ¡°Death? No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± The man¡¯s yful tone when using the word ¡°death¡± seemed to portray an entirely different understanding of the concept.

    He remembered the Malformed Banyan, the dozen faces on the tree, were they really dead?

    ¡°ARGH!¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart twitched again, and could no longer withstand the impact of these visions. His palms pulled away from the surface of the mortuary, and the vision instantly dissipated like smoke. He was trembling all over, wheezing, and gasping for air. He tried turning around, but was unable to maintain his bnce, unsteadily falling forward. His palms pressed against the surface again, but this time the ice-cold sensation had vanished, and no illusions appeared.

    The three pages of diaries in his mind also seem to lose a certain level of lustre. It appeared that the number of times a rted object could trigger an illusion was not unlimited.

    These three pages of diaries were temporarily unable to trigger any illusions.

    ¡°Next time, I must prepare quick-acting cardiac medications before triggering the visions.¡± Gu Jun clutched his heart and leaned himself against the morgue for a while, waiting for his heart rate to slowly go down. He was exhausted, but he was unable to rid his mind of the vision from just now.

    ¡°Where was that? What were those people worshipping? What kind of church is that?¡±

    Gu Jun thought about it for a while but were unable to figure anything out. Furthermore, this was still a morgue. After he caught his breath, he turned and quickly walked outside.

    ¡°Could it be that the Lai Sheng Company and Malformation Banyan disease were rted to the church?¡± Gu Jun thought while walking. ¡°A church meant having a set of followers and a deity.¡± A notion reared its head in his heart. ¡°Could Lai Shengpany be a kind of secretive cult? Mom and Dad... could they be members of the cult?¡±

    The more he thought about it, the more of a chill spread throughout his body. Secret societies usually valued family inheritance from generation to generation.

    Could it be that I was predestined to be a member of Lai Sheng before I was born?

    ¡°Doctor? Are you a doctor?¡± the security guard uncle at the entrance asked loudly, interrupting Gu Jun from his thoughts. ¡°What are you doing over here?¡±

    ¡°I walked into the wrong ce.¡± Gu Jun didn¡¯t say anything further, merely hastening his footsteps and briskly walked out of the underground parking lot.

    He gazed at the pitch-ck night sky, only sensing an oppressive solitude bearing down on him by the inky darkness. The multitudes of stars vanished to god-knows-where. The vision of the church seemed to linger at the back of his mind like a never ending nightmare. He gazed at the night sky for an answer, but the only thing he seemed to see was himself kneeling under the vault along with his parents and other pious disciples.

    Gu Jun sucked in a long, deep breath and mulled to himself for a long time. He took out his mobile phone and took a look. It was almost eight o¡¯clock in the evening. Finally, there were some new updates on the WeChat group. Professor Gu, Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan had all ¡®@¡¯ him and sent out the address of where the dinner was going to be held.

    ¡°Roger, heading over right now.¡± Gu Jun tapped his keyboard and sent the message in WeChat.

    He walked some distance to the street outside the square in front of the hospital¡¯s main entrance. He gged down a taxi and got in the car to head to the restaurant.

    episodes of rapid heart rate that start in a part of the heart above the ventricles

 Chapter 37: Departure, the Start to a New Beginning

    <h4>Chapter 37: Departure, the Start to a New Beginning</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    By the time Gu Jun arrived at the Fragrance Tower¡¯s Exquisite Room, it was already half-past eight. When he entered, he saw Professor Gu waiting with the other five students. Quoting Professor Gu, ¡°Gu Jun is the champion of the entire day. If he has not arrived, not a single one of you will move your chopsticks.¡± After Gu Jun sat down, the dishes were served up quickly and consecutively. Within instants, the delicious mouthwatering scent wafted throughout the entire room, tickling the everyone¡¯s taste buds.

    ¡°Ah Jun,e have a chicken thigh.¡± With the shared chopstick, Professor Gu picked up the most coveted part of the steamed chicken and passed it to Gu Jun who was on his side.

    Finally, Professor Gu called him Ah Jun again, and not Little Jun.

    Smiling lightly, Cai Zixuan and the others watched on. Today, none of them had the right to fight for the coveted piece of meat. Sniggling, Wang Ruoxiang said, ¡°Eat more. The steamed chicken here is exceptionally tender and juicy.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Gu Jun took a huge bite. He was starving. Chewing a few times, the sumptuous juices of the chicken burst and enveloped his taste buds. ¡°Delicious!¡±

    The more he chewed, the warmer he felt in his heart, and the dull gloom dissipated. When all of the professors had given up on him, Professor Gu stood firmly by his side, and had even given him this opportunity.

    ¡°Professor, thank you.¡± With the shared chopstick, Gu Jun served Professor Gu a big piece of chicken.

    ¡°Good, good.¡± A warm emotion flushed Professor Gu¡¯s face as Gu Jun softened his expression. ¡°As long as you continue to grow and develop.¡±

    Then, Professor Gu¡¯s eyes swept by the students beside him,menting. ¡°The things that happened today were shocking. However, I am very heartened to see your outstanding performances.¡± In the standard clinical skills test, Xu Hai, Zhang Haoran, and He Yuhan had impressive results, clinching a better future for themselves. However, thepetition was not over yet. Some events were to be held tomorrow.

    ¡°Professor Qin also said that everyone must be psychologically prepared. The world may be very strange.¡±

    Professor Gu got up and served some dishes for every student. From his warm gesture, everyone could feel their teacher¡¯s well wishes.

    ¡°No matter where, medical practitioners, especially clinical practitioners, will be very tired as a doctor.¡± Professor Gu broadened his face and solemnly advised, ¡°There will be no personal time, and high pressure despite the little pay. Sometimes, the family of the patient would also not be understanding. If you choose to be a doctor, you have to endure these hardships. When you are a doctor, you cannot be afraid of getting dirty or tired. You don¡¯t need to be a saviour to anyone, but you must live in a way that allows you to hold your head high. Ah Jun, Ruoxiang, Zixuan, especially the three of you. You... you may be facing a challenging future.¡±

    Professor Gu being old-fashioned had already been said repetitively. Usually, when everyone hears it, they would brush it off as some overly-said chicken soup for the soul, but at the moment, it touched their hearts exceedingly.

    After today¡¯s roller-coaster of events, the young excitement and dreams of these aspiring doctors were trampled upon, be it by far or by little.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of adversities. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have chosen to study medicine.¡± Wang Ruoxiang shrugged slightly. ¡°I chose this because I like this.¡± There was no trace of doubt on anyone¡¯s faces. With her exceptional appearance, there was no reason for her to do so if she is not of this personality and did not really like medicine. After all, medicine was a dirty, bitter, and tiring journey. How surprising. There were actually people who liked medicine.

    ¡°Professor Gu, rest assured,¡± Cai Zixuan¡¯s eyes sparkled with tears, ¡°just like what Shakespeare said, ¡®Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none.''¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Lu Xun¡¯s saying?¡± Wang Ruoxiang interjected. Everyone burst out in a peal of suddenughter, filling the room full with cheerful air.

    ¡°It¡¯s not! Really!¡± Cai Zixuan¡¯s aged face also lit up with tion. ¡°But Lu Xun did say something simr...¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Professor Gu smiled and gave Cai Zixuan a light tap on his shoulder, halting the uing brandishing of knowledge. Quickly, he resumed his lecture, ¡°Regardless of how difficult the days will be, you have to remember that a day with these white robes is a day of duty and responsibilities. Ah Jun, Ruoxiang, Zixuan, the days awaiting you may be tough and tumultuous.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Professor. You have already said so already,¡± Gu Jun interjected this time, chiming along and poking fun at his teacher. Following his lead, everyone sniggered. ¡°Indeed, you have said it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, it will be tough.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, only you are this cheeky.¡± Smiling, Professor Gu gave Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders a firm pat and looked at Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, I cannot watch over the three of you anymore. You must take care of yourself, and if you can, support each other.¡±

    The trio nodded solemnly and looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Wasn¡¯t that the unspoken n?

    ¡°You have to work hard, alright?¡± Xu Hai earnestly said, ¡°Be on the frontlines, eradicate that weird Banyan Malformation Disease.¡± Contrary, He Yuhan on the side interrupted, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. Safetyes first. If you need to run, make that tactical retreat.¡± As usual, Zhang Haoran was still full of confidence and was smiling. ¡°If I can qualify into this mysterious department in the future, remember to take me along.¡±

    In the face of sincere support, Gu Jun did not respond, Wang Ruoxiang sniggered and chimed an asional reply, while the ever talkative Cai Zixuan gave his affirmations.

    The well-wishes of everyone had warmed their hearts, yet no words could adequately describe the fuzziness within their hearts.

    Throughout the meal, the atmosphere of an imminent departure lingered. As it was still a long day for everyone the next morning, Professor Gu settled the bill when everyone was almost done. Leaving the Fragrance Tower, they leapt onto several taxis and headed back to Eastern University.

    Back in the dormitory, Gu Jun immediately washed up andid onto his bed, all ready to end this eventful day.

    s, many thoughts swirled unceasingly in his mind. Despite his heavy fatigue, he rolled around, unable to fall asleep.

    On the opposite side, Cai Zixuan was knocked out the moment his head touched the pillows. Soon after, light snoozes echoed throughout the room. His fatigue had even left him oblivious to how his beloved electronic rice cooker had been left unwashed.

    Staring at the ceiling, Gu Jun¡¯s tired eyelids slowly closed and finally drifted into dreand some timeter.

    ***

    Early the next morning, Gu Jun was rudely jolted awake by Cai Zixuan¡¯s scream. ¡°My rice cooker! Someone used it! What¡¯s going on? Who broke in?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this fuss about? Don¡¯t overreact! What you are going to join is the medical department, not the secret service department,¡± Gu Jun muttered as he flipped around. He hadn¡¯t slept enough. ¡°I used it. I cooked something. Don¡¯t let it bother you and just wash it. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Cai Zixuan scratched his semi-bald head while looking at the greasy pot. ¡°Okay. What were you cooking? Why did you put so much oil in?¡±

    Although Gu Jun¡¯s heart was still overly attached to his warm bed, he soon got up. The staff said yesterday that the special car will pick them up at 7:30 this morning. Gu Jun quickly tidied himself up and took Li Yuerui¡¯s phone, leaving the SD card tucked into a very hidden crack at the corner of the dormitory.

    When the two reached the back entrance of the dormitory area, Wang Ruoxiang was already standing there. After a while, Brother Ma Jiahua also arrived.

    At half-past seven, a ck 8-seater MPV drove in. Their special ride was right on time. The four of them got in the car. The car started and took them to a mysterious destination.

    It was not an army camp or restricted military area as they had suspected. It was an old, worn-out office building in the suburbs. It was more than 10 storeys high with an inconspicuous appearance. Evidently, this was just a reception area and not the actual headquarters of the ¡°department¡±.

    At the concierge of the office building, the 4 of them were gathered together with Sun Yuheng and the others. Of the 9 chosen nominees, everyone had gathered; none of them decided to decline the offer.

    Then, familiar faces appeared. Professor Qin and his panel of judges walked out and described the schedule that was nned for them. They were to sit for a series of interviews and tests. It would not be conducted by Professor Qin or his panel, but specialised department¡¯s staff.

    While everyone had remained unshaken, a certain difort churned within Gu Jun.

    Damn, looks like I can¡¯t escape this.

    ¡°Just cooperate well with the interviewers, and you should be fine,¡± said Professor Qin. ¡°It¡¯s a routine procedure. Don¡¯t be stressed. Gu Jun, youe with me for a while.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat subconsciously as he followed Professor Qin. In the eyes of the other students, they thought that Professor Qin had attached great importance to him, and he wanted to give some individual advice to him. Howeverm Gu Jun noticed that Professor Qin¡¯s gaze seemed a bit different from yesterday.

    ¡°Gu Jun.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s aged face was calm and serious. ¡°Remember to answer the questions honestly during the interview. The country knows more than you think, understand?¡±

 Chapter 38: Appraisal Room

    <h4>Chapter 38: Appraisal Room</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    When Gu Jun heard Professor Qin, he was already mentally prepared. The question was what did the state know?

    He knew that amongst the judges, Professor Qin was the one who valued him the most. He was about to ask further, but before he could, Professor Qin sternly said, ¡°I can¡¯t say anything more. You can go in now.¡± After saying that, Professor Qin and several other judges left. Gu Jun sighed softly and walked back inside.

    Everyone shot him envious gazes and thought that Professor Qin had given him some pointers.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s thoughts differed from the rest, and she delicately thought to herself. Recently, she had developed some understanding of him, and she saw how Gu Jun¡¯splexion had changed slightly after being called out.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Gu Jun merely shook his head in response.

    Next, the staff immediately brought the nine of them into the elevator. Arriving at a corridor on the second floor, there was a small sign, ¡°appraisal room¡±, hanging outside the office door at the end of the passage. Before they could even sit down on the waiting chairs, the staff told Gu Jun that he was the first to be evaluated.

    Gu Jun didn¡¯t have much time to think. He could only walk up and push open the office door, and enter the office. The other students watched as he closed the door behind him.

    This room was cramped with no windows at all. As soon as Gu Jun walked in, he saw a chair in front of him, and three judges were sitting behind a table. There were two men and a woman. All of whom were middle-aged. They were expressionless and giving off a cold aura that sharply differed from those of the corpse guides. Their sharp eyes seem to be able to pierce right into one¡¯s soul.

    A camera was ced in the corner, and a TV screen hung on an adjacent wall. Above the chair, an unlit fluorescentmp hung from the ceiling.

    ¡°Hello, professors,¡± Gu Jun greeted the three people. There was no que ced at their desk, hence he didn¡¯t know how to address them.

    ¡°Student Gu, please take a seat,¡± said the man sitting in the middle. His face seemed to have lost all its cogen, with extremely deep grooves and wrinkle lines were carved into it. The woman on the right wore sses. She had an angr facial shape and small beaded eyes. On the other hand, the man on the left has the typical features of an ordinary Chinese face, indistinguishable from the masses on the streets.

    They were all holding a pen with a folder of documents ced in front of them. Those should be his personal details and a questionnaire for his evaluation.

    Gu Jun sat down on the chair. The camera lens and themp were facing to his side, giving off an invisible sense of pressure.

    The lines on the face of the man in the middle twitched, and he sternly asked, ¡°What can you tell us about your parents?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun swore inwardly. The state should have known fully about his background, but now he decided to throw all caution to the wind and could not help but uneasily let out a sigh of relief. He was tired of hiding the truth. Gu Jun started speaking, ¡°My parents were scientific researchers and died in a shipwreck ident, but I always suspected that their deaths were not so simple. Their employer, Lai Sheng Research Co., Ltd, had some entricities. Therefore, I decided to conduct my own personal investigations into them, but my search yielded no results.¡±

    He had already imagined such a situation in his mind. Since he decided to confess, then he should not hide anything. Else, he would appear to have ulterior motives if he was exposed. He repeated himself, ¡°A man had been following me recently. I suspect that he is from Lai Sheng, but I don¡¯t know what his purpose is. I hope you can help me solve these doubts.¡±

    The three reviewers were all staring at him, their eyes not moving away from him at all. At the same time, their pens were scribbling something in the folder.

    ¡°What do you know about Lai Sheng?¡± the man asked again.

    ¡°Practically nothing, but now, I feel that they are... some sort of secret organization.¡± Gu Jun answered truthfully.

    ¡°What makes you think so?¡±

    ¡°A hunch, I guess,¡± said Gu Jun.

    They didn¡¯t say anything else and continued to write inside the folder. The angr-faced woman then asked, ¡°You have a brain stem tumour at the advanced stages, so why did you decide to participate in thepetition?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to enter the inner circle of this business.¡± As Gu Jun spoke, he grew more and moreposed. They know everything, that¡¯s good. ¡°I think the affairs that my parents were dealing in are rted to this circle.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± the woman asked again.

    ¡°During the deep-diving project to Longkan, I heard what Li Yuerui and the rest talked about some sort of news and inner circles, as well as strange rumours about Longkan. Afterwards, mysterious whirlpools really appeared on the seabed. My parents vanished there. A few days ago, I was convinced that there was indeed a mysterious circle in the world when I witnessed the malformed remains of those suffering from the Malformed Banyan disease. This contest was the best way for me to enter.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s exnation was mostly true. Only that the sequence of events was somewhat adjusted, hence he spoke very naturally.

    ¡°What did you see at the bottom of Longkan?¡± the man in the middle asked again.

    Gu Jun knew that he would definitely be asked this question, and gave a rehearsed answer. ¡°It was extremely chaotic at that time. Outside the window was very dark, and the seawater was extremely turbulent. Afterwards, there were even many frightened fishes trying to escape, which cut off my vision outside.¡± He then voluntarily fished out Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone out of his pocket and said, ¡°This is Li Yuerui¡¯s cell phone. A while back, I received a package from Maldives. I wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but I had a feeling that they had been captured by the secret internal department of the state after thepetition yesterday. They should have sent out this phone right before they were taken away.¡±

    ¡°Hold on to the phone first. After the review, someone will find you for it,¡± said the man.

    Gu Jun nodded and put the broken phone back in his pocket. As expected.

    ¡°Did you think we would hire you after learning about your physical condition?¡± asked the woman asked.

    ¡°Yes, because my condition is still stable. Perhaps I can still live for a few years.¡± Gu Jun self-deprecatinglyughed at himself. ¡°Can the department guarantee that we can still live for another two or three years?¡±

    Of course, the three did not answer. There was no trace of emotional fluctuation in their faces, but they continued taking records.

    ¡°Why are you so familiar with that chest specimen?¡± the man in the middle asked again.

    Gu Jun froze slightly. This problem was something he hadn¡¯t expected. Gu Jun immediately realized that since he had shown an apparent loss ofposure, he should follow up with this reaction. He puzzledly gave an ¡°Ah¡± in exmation. ¡°Familiar? What are you referring to? I studied medicine. When I touched its surface, I found that the surface was all dead skin. The chest wall was blocked by themer bone and was even connected to ribs. My thought was to remove that bone first before I can enter the thoracic wall.¡±

    The logic he gave seemedpletely reasonable. Even without the iplete anatomical reference, it was entirely usible to happen.

    As the man recorded down his response, the woman took over the conversation again. ¡°What are your thoughts towards the Malformed Banyan Disease and the Malformed Banyan? Please use a few words to describe your thoughts.¡±

    Gu Jun remembered that he felt that the Malformed Banyan was strangely beautiful. Perhaps it was better to give the conventional response of saying it was ¡°disgusting¡±? Or maybe not. He already had many suspicious points regarding the other party. If he gave an ambiguous reply to this question, then all the words he spoke so far might lose their credibility.

    After this thought shed through his mind, he decided to speak the truth. ¡°Horrifying and twisted, but exquisite and gorgeous.¡±

    The three interviewers still remained expressionless. At that time, the woman picked up a remote control and pressed it a few times. Themp above the chair lit up, and an overwhelmingly blinding light shone. Gu Jun could only narrow his eyes, feeling intense difort...

    ¡°Student Gu, please look at the screen,¡± said the woman.

    Gu Jun narrowed his eyes and saw some eerie images ying quietly on the screen. Severed human fingers, swarms of worms, a lighthouse by the sea at night, dry swathes of forests in the mountains... The more he looked, the stronger the sense of oppression in his heart grew.

    In the next ten minutes, Gu Jun didn¡¯t know how many different images he saw, and the sense of oppression gradually morphed into depression and restlessness.

    He suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice. It was the man on the left who had not yet spoken. There was no trace of emotions in his voice.

    ¡°ssmate Gu, I will ask you some questions next. You only need to answer with one of the three answers: A for yes. B is between yes and no. C for no. You can only answer within 5 seconds. Regardless of whether you have answered or not, I will ask you the next question after 5 seconds. ¡±

    Gu Jun heard this and immediately understood the purpose behind this: psychological assessment, it was a personality test.

    In order to woo girls in the past, he had picked up some knowledge of medical psychology. The choice of A, B, and C should be following the model of <<Cattel¡¯s Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire>>. He would be graded on his response, and his score would be tabted to determine his personality type.

    Gu Jun suddenly felt that this was the real purpose behind the interview. His life experience and illness were not the focus. The state was more concerned if he was ¡°safe¡± to be used. If his psychology and personality were deemed unsuitable for this kind of work, it will definitely not work out.

    ¡°Do demons exist on earth?¡± the man on the left asked the first question.

    5 seconds, 4 seconds, 3 seconds, Gu Jun still remained silent...

 Chapter 39: Personality Test

    <h4>Chapter 39: Personality Test</h4>

    Trantor: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

    Do demons exist on earth?

    What kind of demons? Metaphorical demons? Or religious devils?

    Gu Jun knew that his way of interpreting this word, ¡°demons¡±, was a part of the test. From the interviewer¡¯s perspective, the candidate¡¯s understanding of the questionnaire could reflect the person¡¯s consciousness, personal attributes, and beliefs.

    The demons that were on his mind right now were religious devils. However, he was unsure about this understanding. At the moment, were there any demons that were unable to be understood by science?

    If it was a few months ago, he would have said not. Now, it was different. Just as the timing was passing the 5-second mark, he replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    The moment he replied, the 3 interviewers swiftly scribbled on the documents in front of them. Gu Jun had no idea what was the ideal answer. Conventionally, a solution simr to the perfect response would yield 2 points, a vastly different answer would be 0points,stly 1 point for a neutral reply.

    The square-faced man on the left asked again, ¡°Do u wish to go to Heaven after death?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°A stray dog dropped into the ocean and drowned. Does that make you sad?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A stranger passing awaypared to a dog¡¯s passing. Which of the 2 tugs your heart more?¡±

    Now, that¡¯s a really odd question. Based on the different scenarios, the answer would drastically change. Immediately, multiple considerations drowned Gu Jun¡¯s mind.

    What if that stranger is a murderer? What if the dog is my best partner for years? Why didn¡¯t I think of a good man and an evil dog? Do I believe that dogs are kinder than man?

    Is it my personal attributions and understanding of the world?

    After some thought, Gu Jun had to choose, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°Do you enjoy intense emotion and passion?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°Do you think a maniac is despicable?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no, somewhere in between.¡±

    Regardless of how Gu Jun responded, either frowning in thought or the answer quickly slipping out of his mouth, the 3 interviewers remained cold and expressionless. The square-faced man speaking had remained monotonous with an un-fluctuating tone.

    ¡°As a doctor, will you save the life of an evil man?¡±

    This stumped Gu Jun again. This was a question of his morals. As a medical practitioner, the correct answer was to save this man. They should do their job and leave the judgement to thew practitioners. However, there was no way that reality would be this simple. Times where he would wish to not save someone was bound to ur. Gu Jun replied, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°Do you think your past is real?¡±

    Yet another odd question leaving Gu Jun with much to think about. He had even linked his thoughts to the double-slit experiment of quantum mechanics. Then, he replied, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°Is knowledge the greatest power?¡±

    Deep in thought for 2 seconds, Gu Jun replied, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Do you crave for power?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°The meaning of life, the limit of science and the truth of the universe, do you care about them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°For these answers, will you risk everything?¡±

    Gu Jun fell into silence again. Risk everything? This was a weighty and absolute statement, however, if he could really get all his answers.

    He replied, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡± He could ignore his own safety, but he did not wish to hurt others.

    ¡°Do you trust in familial rtionships?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you trust friendship?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do you trust love?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s quick answers stalled. Love? This thing is so much moreplicated.

    He believed that there were criteria to all love, but would everything that met the requirements be considered love?

    He replied, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe that there are more esoteric philosophical truths than humans on this earth?¡±

    Pausing for a while, Gu Jun¡¯s thoughts circled wildly. Humans are such a minuscule portion of life, how could we have already understood everything on this earth?

    He replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Do these truths surpass the importance of your family, friends, and lover?¡±

    Suddenly, a dense dark cloud loomed over his heart and formed without his knowledge. With a light sigh, he replied, ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    Again, another stroke was written onto the document by the square-faced man.

    As the questions were asked one after another, Gu Jun replied everything within 5 seconds. Towards the end, they all fell into a trend of morally grey questions. Even Gu Jun could sense his own thought model. However, it was foreign to him and not the same as his own perceived morals.

    He had also gotten a far more profound understanding of this unusual personality test.

    Usual tests were like the ¡°Cattell¡¯s 16 personality factors questionnaire¡±, testing for 16 different personality types like Social Boldness, Emotional Stability, Reasoning, Abstractness. There were also other tests like Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, testing Introversion and Extroversion, Neuroticism and Psychoticism. Also, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and many more.

    Unlike the conventional test, the test he was doing seemed to measure his understanding of human beings, aliens, material, spiritual, right and wrong, and others. From these, they then assessed his personality type from the unknown personality types within the secret department.

    By the time the question and answer ended half an hourter, Gu Jun had answered possibly more than three hundred questions.

    ¡°Do you think you are important?¡±

    ¡°Somewhere in between.¡±

    When Gu Jun finished answering this question, the man with a square face nodded slightly. ¡°Okay, the test is over.¡± Despite that statement, the test did not end there. He continued saying, ¡°Gu Jun, I will now say a word. After which, you have to use this word to construct a sentence quickly within 2 seconds.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded. This was a projective test, to stimte and bring out the subconscious thought processes of a person.

    ¡°Alright, then we shall begin.¡± The square-faced man then said, ¡°Noble.¡±

    ¡°This is a noble piece of work.¡± As Gu Jun spoke, he realised something peculiar. He mentioned, ¡°noble work¡± and not a noble person.

    ¡°Indescribable,¡± the interviewer continued.

    Some thoughtter, Gu Jun said, ¡°thatdy had an indescribable beauty.¡±

    Did this reveal his subconsciousness? No, he had thought about this. This was his conscious answer.

    Evidently, the interviewer had noticed it too. 2 seconds was already a very short period. It was already more sinct than the 3 seconds that were used for word rtion tests. In that timing, it was rare to see anyone be able to consciously think before answering, even if the thinking was involuntary. Should the answers be thoughtful, there was no way for the test to reveal the subconsciousness of the testee.

    ¡°Gu Jun, please reply within 1 second of hearing the question.¡± The square-faced man had no choice but to make an additional request.

    The man with deep wrinkles nced at the woman with the long face on the right. This was the first time Gu Jun saw them with such a rich expression.

    What they wanted to reveal was his subconscious.

    Knowing this, Gu Jun thought quietly to himself.

    Alright, I can¡¯t behave so rigidly, otherwise, what would they think of the previous interview?

    ¡°Death,¡± the square-faced man continued.

    ¡°Life or death, this is a question,¡± Gu Jun immediately responded. s, it was still his conscious answer, and it was affected by Cai Zixuan¡¯s Shakespeare quote.

    Again, the square-faced man did not record it down. This time, he took a stack of white paper and a ballpoint pen. Holding them, he walked over and passed it to Gu Jun. ¡°Gu Jun, let us use the drawing method. I will show you some images on the screen. You just have to look at the screen, speak your thoughts on the images and keep drawing on the paper. Do not think, do not stop.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun received the pen and paper. He knew, even if he drew nonsensical doodles, it would be an excellent material to analyse his subconsciousness in the eyes of psychologists. He had no doubts about the department¡¯s capabilities in this field.

    With a deep breath, he looked at the screen. As the square-faced man pressed a button on the controller, it lit up.

    The first picture was of a dull sky, covered in a dense nket of dark clouds.

    ¡°Sky, dark clouds,¡± looking at the screen, Gu Jun said as his hands began drawing lines on the paper. As his consciousness was focused on describing the image, his rapid drawings were left to his subconsciousness.

    The image on the screen changed, it was a bloodied execution table; a pile of dismembered corpses; a cerulean blue sea; a close up of a housefly; ck and white image of a girl by the walls...

    Without stopping, Gu Jun kept describing the changing pictures while keeping up the drawing. In the process, he did not know what he was painting. However, his mind was getting a bit irritable.

    As the process continued, the man with a square face kept his eyes glued on the paper in Gu Jun¡¯s hand. Slowly, the ridges that formed on his forehead deepened. Both the deep wrinkled man and the long-faced woman stood up for a closer look.

    ¡°Gu Jun, thank you. You can stop now.¡±

    The screen became dark, snapping Gu Jun out of his focused state. ¡°Oh...¡± After scribbling for this whole while, his right hand actually felt very tired. Wiggling his wrist, he found that the expression of the interviewers had drastically changed. Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank and pounded heavily.

    Just what did I draw?

    He nced down onto the paper. On this in white sheet, a line of blue ballpoint pen writing was frenziedly scribbled. The handwriting formed a line of foreign words.

    A line of foreign words which he could read.

    Ominous, creepy and twisted.

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the Abyss. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

 Chapter 40: Normal Mental State

    <h4>Chapter 40: Normal Mental State</h4>

    Gu Jun looked at the line of foreign text that resembled the crazed handwriting of a lunatic on the paper. The air he breathed in suddenly seemed to condense into a solid lump.

    ¡°Student Gu, what is this?¡± asked the man with the square face, his face still not revealing any expression.

    Gu Jun¡¯s mental gears were whirling crazily. Did the country recognise this foreignnguage? Couldn¡¯t the three reviewers decipher the meaning of this sentence? For now, he assumed that they could understand it. He needed to find other reasons as to why he can write this sentence. He doubtfully replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it seemed to be something in my parents¡¯ files. I vaguely have an impression of it.¡±

    ¡°Please exin in detail about what happened.¡±

    ¡°My parents never let me get in touch with their work nor did they allow me to enter their study room at home. But once, I sneaked in and saw some documents with such foreign texts on the table. Or at least, I believed they were texts. I yed in the study for a while, and they immediately caught me on the spot. My dad scolded me and made me face the wall as punishment, so I still have a deep impression of the event.¡±

    Were these the actual truth about the past? Gu Jun had been fabricating lies about his ¡°past¡±, but he also felt that these were tangible memories pouring out from his heart.

    Was the ¡°document¡± that the man from the Lai Sheng was really rted to the foreignnguage?

    ¡°Oh...¡± The man with the square face looked at Gu Jun. The other two interviewers looked at him as well, examining every minuscule change in his facial expressions.

    Gu Jun felt like this was the actual truth. Hence with a mentality as though he didn¡¯t lie, he proceeded to ask, ¡°Can you tell me what this means?¡± This was a small probe on his part.

    The square faced man said nothing, walking back after taking the pen and paper. The deeply-wrinkled man took over the conversation and said, ¡°Student Gu, your review is over, you can go out now.¡± They were still a little too expressionless; clearly tough nuts to crack.

    ¡°Thank you, three esteemed professors.¡± Gu Jun could only get up and leave now with deep lingering doubts.

    When he pushed the door of the judging room open, a member of the staff standing beside the door looked at him and said, ¡°Student Gu, pleasee with me and refrain from discussing.¡±

    Almost an hour had passed, and the other eight people sitting on the waiting chairs all cast their gazes towards him. They had simrly been warned to refrain from discussing and merely watched as Gu Jun walked past them. After a while, another staff member asked Wang Ruoxiang to enter as the second interviewee.

    After Gu Jun was led away from the corridor outside the judging room, another group of two indeed approached him for Li Yuerui¡¯s mobile phone. Gu Jun could see that the two were supposed to be police officers of sorts. He gave them the mobile phone and answered some questions such as what happened in Longkan and what happened after receiving the package etc.

    For the events that transpired in Longkan, he almost reported theplete truth; after the parcel was sent to the dormitory from the mailroom, he disassembled this broken mobile phone. It could no longer be turned on, nor did he send it for repairs, and recently he had been carrying it around with him.

    ¡°Yuerui and the others, are they alright?¡± asked Gu Jun. In fact, he inferred that the mobile phone had been sent by Lin Xiaotang because Li Yuerui had suffered an injury and had to undergo surgery. Wu Dongcked the courage to send him the phone, so only Lin Xiaotang, still in the stage of youth rebelliousness, was most likely to be the culprit. However, he and she had not even exchanged phone numbers. Since they were not familiar, he would not mention her.

    ¡°We have no authority to answer any of your questions,¡± replied the police.

    Gu Jun guessed that the three guys were just being detained by the secret state department, and their personal safety should have no problems. He imagined a scene of them being locked in a small ck room. Li Yuerui jumped up and down, Wu Dong was panicking, and Lin Xiaotang was frustrated out of her mind. He wanted tough. You guys shouldn¡¯t have gone on the deep-diving ship in the first ce.

    If that was the case, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the video anymore. It seemed that he still had to thank them?

    The two policemen left after finishing their inquiries. It is still unknown whether his review would pass, but Gu Jun was taken by the staff to the next venue to continue the physical examination.

    Gu Jun knew immediately that the physical examination did not only include those routine items, but there were many objectives such as neuropsychological tests. This was used to evaluate human brain function including perception, movement, speech, attention, memory, and abstract thinking ability.

    He did aplete set of tests: a category test to test the subject¡¯s ability to summarise and reason; a motor operation test to check the subject¡¯s tactile perception, movement, hand coordination, and flexibility; and a trail marking test for abilities of perception, the flexibility of thinking, etc..

    The methods of testing were all enhanced versions prepared by the secret department itself.

    For example, in the motor operation test, the conventional method was to blindfold the subject and put different shaped blocks into the corresponding wooden troughs based on perception. The test was divided into three operations: dominant hand, non-dominant hand, and both hands. Finally, the subject had to recite the shape and position of the block based on his memory.

    But his test method was to face arge pile of blocks while blindfolded, and it was necessary to splice a part of the blocks and assemble them into various shapes. The other untouched parts were already-assembled blocks of varying shapes. The tester would mix them up and had him put them in the corresponding wooden troughs. In the end, he was only allowed to say the information of the spliced portion of the blocks.

    This method of testing demanded higher levels of perception, and it was easy to misremember the positions. However, Gu Jun did his best toplete it anyway.

    ¡°This secret department is really stringent in their evaluation.¡± The more tests Gu Jun went through, the more he felt this way. ¡°The talents they¡¯re recruiting are not just medical talents.¡±

    He even received an assessment to check if he had any mental disorders. Fortunately, the result of the examination was that he had no mental illnesses.

    As a medical ¡°ve¡±, Gu Jun could tell from the results of these examinations that he was in the pink of health. His vitals were all good except for the fact that he had a brainstem tumour. Perhaps it was targeting his brainstem tumour, but he was also arranged to do a brain enhanced maic resonance to examine his brain more closely.

    As for the results of these examinations, Gu Jun did not receive a copy. After finishing one test, he was then rushed to the next test.

    It was not until five o¡¯clock in the afternoon that he was informed by the staff that he hadpleted all the tests which hadsted for more than ten hours.

    Afterwards, Gu Jun was taken back to the first floor of the building and went into a waiting room.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± When he pushed open the door and walked into the waiting room, he found that all eight of them were present including Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan. They were all leisurely chatting or reading magazines out of boredom.

    Gu Jun asked them before he found out that everyone hadpleted the review and physical examination. He was the first to be interviewed but ended up being thest to undergo the medical checkup.

    Now that everyone was allowed to speak to each other, Gu Jun asked about the number of personality test questions each individual had. Cai Zixuan said, ¡°I had more than one hundred questions.¡± Brother Ma Jiahua had about a hundred questions as well. Wang Ruoxiang thought for a while and replied, ¡°I should have answered... hmm, let me count... about two hundred questions?¡±

    But I answered more than three hundred questions. Gu Jun was still confused. What he couldn¡¯t understand was why the items for his review and medical examination were more than usual, was notably higher in intensity, and more time-consuming.

    Sure enough, he asked again and found out, for example, there was no mental disorder examination in the medical examinations in everyone else.

    Why am I the only one to have it? Gu Jun frowned. Do I look so mentally ill?

    ¡°Well, at least I now know that you are not,¡± said Wang Ruoxiang.

    The most-discussed subject among them was the personality test. Everyone wanted to know their results. The several girls and Cai Zixuan were particrly keen as though it was rted to their horoscope.

    The second hand of the clock on the wall slowly drew circles. More than an hourter, at six o¡¯clock in the evening, the door of the waiting room was suddenly pushed open.

    Professor Qin and the several other judges came in one after another, and everyone stood up. Gu Jun looked at Professor Qin¡¯s calm face and was a little nervous.

    ¡°Dear students, the results of the evaluation are out,¡± said Professor Qin matter-of-factly.

 Chapter 41: Interview Transcripts

    <h4>Chapter 41: Interview Transcripts</h4>

    Professor Qin¡¯s words stopped for a moment. In that instant, tension skyrocketed in the atmosphere within the room. The students¡¯ hearts raced uncontrobly. With that one sentence, it was if they were transported back to the day when they were waiting for their Gaokao results to be released.

    ¡°Everyone passed.¡± Professor Qin¡¯s wrinkled face smiled gently and warmly as he delivered the good news.

    Immediately, the suffocating tension dissipated, and rays of relief shone on everyone¡¯s faces. As the torture of waiting morphed into blooming happiness, Sun Yuheng, Yang Ming, and everybody who were gathered broke into bright smiles andughter. On the side, Cai Zixuanmented yet again, ¡°Ah, such are the ns of fate.¡±

    YES! While Gu Jun¡¯s expression remained unchanged, his heart was screaming with joy and relief. Finally, the massive burden and pressure in his heart were lifted. Being admitted into the department was a giant step in his ns.

    ¡°Starting tomorrow, you will all officially be a trainee of the Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies or Phecda for short. Your training begins tomorrow within the Phecda¡¯s Eastern Province Branch. You all will be assigned to the Medical Studies Department.¡±

    Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies? Finally, they learnt the name of this mysterious department. Was the name influenced by the quote from Dream of the Red Chamber, ¡°The Heaven¡¯s Secrets shall not be revealed¡±? 1

    Professor Qin continued, ¡°Tomorrow, all of you will begin your 1 month straight and confined training. Later, the vehicles we have arranged will bring you back to your respective schools. Please pack your necessities before going to the headquarters. Also, remember to inform your family members. This month, there will be no telmunications allowed. During your time outside, do not reveal any secret. If that is understood, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Everyone nodded solemnly in acknowledgement. As the crowd left the room, Professor Qin called back Gu Jun again, ¡°Gu Jun, you stay for a while.¡± Soon, only the two of them were left within the room.

    Professor Qin sized up Gu Jun again, and a long sigh escaped him. ¡°Your brain stem tumour is stable, and the medical board believes that you are still able to work. In the next few months, you will undergo regr scans for your brain. Should your condition worsen, you will stop working immediately.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun could hear the empathy within Professor Qin¡¯s tone. Seems like Phecda also did not have a concrete treatment for his tumour and also did not possess the foreign medicine he had.

    Seeing that Professor Qin didn¡¯t seem to want to talk about his parents, Gu Jun took the initiative,¡± Professor Qin, do you know about my parents?¡±

    ¡°About Lai Sheng Company and your parents, these intelligence documents are not made avable to staff with your level of authority.¡±

    Professor Qin¡¯s expression stiffened, and his tone was very stern. From his voice, he made it clear that there was no room for rhetoric. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore, and don¡¯t talk to others about it. If you have the authority to ess the information in the future, you will naturally find out. I can only say that the review department thinks you are poorly informed about this case. They have concluded that you have an independent personality, and your little involvement with this sensitive case does not affect your work for Phedca. However, you will receive more frequent reviews than others, and will also face more difficult challenges while climbing up through the ranks.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently. In truth, he had already expected all of this.

    He had suspected that the abnormallyrge amount of questions and tests he was subjected to was due to a deep-rooted worry and suspicion that the interviewers had. Most likely, the activities within his subconscious had even sprouted spection that he had mental disorders.

    Seeing how they were apprehensive of admitting him into Phecda, he could easily deduce that Lai Sheng Company was definitely not an ally. The fact that Phecda had chosen to take him in showed 2 things. First, they had the confidence that they could control him. Second, Gu Jun¡¯s results had passed their criterion. Possibly, some other unknown aspects of him were considered beneficial to the organisation.

    ¡°Professor Qin, can we see our own interview results?¡± Gu Jun popped up another question. He too was curious about his personality type.

    ¡°Your interview results are all considered a restricted document.¡± Again, a stern voice denied him. Professor Qin exined further, saying, ¡°Only high-rank officials can apply to the department to view it. While I can do so, you all are not able to at the moment. Phecda has several sub-departments which are independent. We cooperate together, but do not interfere with each other. The interviewers were from the Human Resource Department, and the incident at Longkan Seafloor Volcanic Belt is under the jurisdiction of the Investigation Department. We are from the Medical Department, do you get me?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun nodded again. Then, his brows furrowed once again. ¡°Then, what about the corpse guides?¡± The grim cold expression was still etched deeply in his mind.

    ¡°They are also from the Medical Department.¡± Now, the familiar warm and kind smile returned to Professor Qin¡¯s face. ¡°Rascal, no more questions. Just listen to Phecda instructions for now.¡±

    ¡°Hm... alright. I will.¡±

    ¡°Go on now.¡±

    Gu Jun left the holding room and followed Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan out of this old office building. They got on to the vehicle and headed back to the Eastern University.

    After leaving the holding room, Professor Qin came to the temporary archive room on the third floor of the building. He picked up the interview results of the nine freshmen and went to the consulting room next to it. Following behind him were the five judges from the previouspetition, all of whom were senior members of the medical department. Like Professor Qin, they all had sufficient authority to view the transcripts of these freshmen. However, this was not aplete file for they were still restricted from viewing some even higher level secrets.

    Out of these recruited nine freshmen, there were six men; Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, Ma Jiahua, Sun Yuheng, Yang Ming, and Cheng Yifeng;

    There are also threedies; Wang Ruoxiang, Zhou Yi, and Jiang Ban Xia.

    The consultation room was simple and elegant. Professor Qin and the others sat along a long table, drinking tea and looking at the same nine stacks of documents.

    Sitting in the main seat, Professor Qin¡¯s aged face was solemn as he carefully read every item on the document.

    Out of the nine freshmen, Ma Jiahua, Yang Ming, and Chen Yifeng stood out amongst the heavypetition and were an elitepared to the nation-wide medical practitioners. However, if they werepared to the members of Phecda, they were mediocre and average at most. No exceptional talents were discovered during their psychomotor tests, which made them suitable to be a regr member only.

    Sun Yuheng was confident, disciplined, extroverted, and disyed a talent in various fields. He was a potential seedling for training. Perhaps, he may even be developed into a future leader.

    This girl, Jiang Banxia, was unique. Among all the freshmen, she was the only one trained in traditional Chinese medicine from the Eastern Province¡¯s Traditional Chinese Medicine College. This type of talent was especially rare, and she had even possessed superior memory skills, high enthusiasm, proactive attitude, and a bubbly personality. This was the type of talent favoured by Phecda.

    In the eyes of Phecda, Wang Ruoxiang was the 2nd best within her selected peers. Born into a middle-ie family, she had not experienced any life-changing difficulties, but was a resilient, independent, and intelligent youngdy. She was equipped with highly superior creativity and insightfulness. These types of people were always able to think out of the box and suggest unique and unthought-of answers and solutions. However, this was a double-edged sword. Those who were very creative and even romantic in thinking needed to undergo rigorous mental training to stabilise their thoughts, otherwise, they had the tendency to overthink and had disastrous results.

    Sipping his tea, Professor Qin asked, ¡°What do you all think of Cai Zixuan?¡±

    Cai Zixuan has outstanding social boldness and was highly amiable. He was also intelligent and responsible. Although his results did not indicate a high talent, such people always yed the role of an indispensable adhesive in the team. While they do not tend to make it big, they were flexible and could be deployed in most situations.

    This was also one of their favourite types of freshmen, easy to manage and easy to arrange.

    Therefore, the other judges all praised him and spoke enthusiastically ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Not bad, but just a little too old. Look, even his head is balding.¡±

    ¡°I want this person. I like this kind.¡±

    ¡°What? Elder Zheng, every time there is a new student, do you ever dislike a single one? Which one do you not want?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this Jiang Banxia. I don¡¯t even know anything about Chinese medicine!¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Professor Qinughed lightly. They had to make the arrangements before the training began. After all, each position would require a different set of training.

    However, the most significant debate would not be over Cai Zixuan.

    Leaving Cai Zixuan¡¯s documents aside, he picked up thest one. On the cover page, a young handsome face was seen. The name, Gu Jun.

    Gu Jun...

    Looking at this document, Professor Qin¡¯s tired eyes shed into attention. His slightly trembling hands tapped around the table for his cup, but he could not find it. His breath was quick, and his eyes glued to the papers in his hand. It was to be expected. In the face of such results, every single member of Phecda would be overwhelmed by excitement and inexplicable fear.

    As the other judges flipped open Gu Jun¡¯s data, their eyes also lit up.

    His performance in thepetition coupled with this data...

    Even perfection would be an understatement.

    Phecda, also known as Gamma Ursae Majoris, is symbolic of the Secrets of Heaven and Fate in Chinese Constetion and Astrology Studies. The name of the star in Mandarin, Tianji Star, draws parallels to the most intelligent people within Ancient China, especially their sessful Ministers and Generals, like Zhuge Liang of the Three Kingdoms Period.

 Chapter 42: Spiritual Perception Is Too High

    <h4>Chapter 42: Spiritual Perception Is Too High</h4>

    [Review Department of Eastern Branch of Phecda Division -Review Report

    Interviewee: Potential employee of the Medical Department ¨C Gu Jun

    Time: 8/14/2020 Location: Eastern City- External Evaluation Building,

    Assessors: Huang Jianping, Meng Shuo, Feng Zimei]

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Professor Qin finally got the teacup and took a sip, but his eyes didn¡¯t leave the report. His snow-white hair seemed to be shining. In the decades of his career, such a list of achievements was tough toe by.

    There were different grades of evaluation ns, and some targeted tests would be adopted depending on the situation of each individual.

    For interns, the evaluation n of G-level personnel would be typically used, but only the four, including Ma Jiahua and Yang Ming, were tested at the G- level. Sun Yuheng and Wang Ruoxiang, the other four were all in the G-level range which was only slightly different in intensity. Jun epted the G+ level evaluation and had more targeted tests than the othersbined.

    Even so, Gu Jun achieved shockingly brilliant results, practically epassing the advantages of the other students.

    Memory: A+, which was the same as Jiang Banxia.

    Wit: A+, which was also amongst the top percentile; Mental Fortitude: A+, which was no worse than Sun Yuheng.

    Imagination: A+, Perception: A+, Abstract Thinking: A+... These were allparable to Wang Ruoxiang.

    Considering that Gu Jun epted a higher-level evaluation n, the talent he had shown was actually the greatest in their history.

    He was only inferior to Cai Zixuan in terms of Friendliness. His Suspicion was also slightly higher, but the tendency to be nervous was not high. The stability was excellent, showing characteristics of being mature and calm. However, Gu Jun¡¯s spiritual perception was too high! A+. This had practically never been seen before. It¡¯s akin to finding a phoenix¡¯s feather in the country. If any level of personnel was rated A+, rms would be sounded and the higher-ups would be notified.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Professor Qin felt that the tea was a bit scalding, much like Gu Jun¡¯s unique properties.

    Spiritual perception or spirituality was a unique kind of personality roots trait that the Phecda department needed. It was exceptionally important.

    Many secondary personality factors were evaluated based on spiritual perception. Spiritual perception also made up a criticalponent of the evaluation for each employee in the Phecda Department. These new students would be routinely redited and reviewed after they formally take up their posts. The review department would use thisponent to determine whether the person¡¯s mental condition was still suitable for work.

    Gu Jun underwent a test today and turned out to be mentally healthy. This was what surprised the reviewers.

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: If anyone exhibits the subject¡¯s subconscious activity, their spirit will not disy this level of normality. (Huang Jianping)]

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: It is inferred that the subject¡¯s subconscious mind has an abnormal memory, and whether its high spirituality is rted to it is temporarily unknown. (Meng Shuo)]

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: It is necessary to increase the frequency of tests on the subject¡¯s mentality. It is rmended that the test date be once every three weeks. (Feng Zimei)]

    The ¡°spirituality¡± trait could be understood as a unique sensibility; the ability to perceive andmunicate with the universe and the countless beings in it.

    High spirituality was a good thing. It inculcates a more in-depth experience of things and deeper thinking. Good artists, writers, and other creative industry personnel usually have a high degree of spirituality. They can easily escape the restraint of reason and logic, and express their hearts with an intrinsic alignment with nature. Their subconscious spiritual knowledge and passion burst out to create miraculous works. What is noble? Gu Jun replied, ¡°A noble work.¡±

    However, the work of the Phecda Department was very particr and having a high spirituality had both its pros and cons.

    It was good because all noble creations require spirituality; but at the same time, it was terrible as it meant reason and logic were abandoned with a tendency of also going crazy.

    Take the Malformed Banyan for example. Human beings would suffer a psychological shock when they saw it, let alone face it, study it, and try to understand it. In these work processes, people with high spirituality were more likely than others to have psychological problems, even mental disorders. Such cases were not without precedent.

    ¡°A+ spirituality, huh,¡± Professor Qin couldn¡¯t help but murmur. Several other judges also sighed emotionally. However, everyone¡¯s eyes were still reluctant to leave the document in front of them. Just staring at it felt like a pleasure.

    Of course, this was not the first time that such a high-spirituality talent had been recruited. Usually those with high spirituality, would often not be very mentally stable even if they were incredibly imaginative and sensitive. These traits were contradictory; the same way you would not describe a person who looked both handsome and ugly or had a lot of hair and was bald.

    For example, amongst the new interns, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s spirituality was at B+, which was also very high. Her subconscious and consciousness were biased towards fantasy. Such people seem to be stable and could actually be crazy. Sun Yuheng and Cai Zixuan¡¯s spirituality were C and C+, respectively. Sun Yuheng was a typical example of a normal person, very grounded and doesn¡¯t tend to overthink things.

    These standards, however, don¡¯t seem to apply to Gu Jun. He was that handsome and ugly person, an amalgamation of contradictions.

    Gu Jun was subconsciously high in spirituality, that was his id; but his consciousness was extremely stable, which was his ego. As for his superego, it was muddled ¡°in-between¡± the two. He was currently standing in front of a crossroad. He had a noble moralpass, but was clouded by many doubts about human emotions and norms.

    It was for this reason that the review department believed that Gu Jun could be guided and needed to be guided. His mental state was not a problem, but he must strictly regte himself.

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: Assessment that the subject¡¯s personality is independent, or even too independent. The inference is that it is not easy to do ideological work. (Huang Jianping)]

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: The subject has the talent and potential that the organization desires. The personality is independent, and is mentally sound. The rmendation is that the subject can be used. (Meng Shuo)]

    [Reviewer¡¯s opinion: The subject concealed some information during the interrogation process suspected to be rted to his background, but no obvious maliciousness was found. It is rmended to give him more care and guidance and regte his thoughts within safe limits. (Feng Zimei)]

    Gu Jun, this new intern was like an abnormally sharp scalpel. It was easy to cut with, but one can easily scratch himself if used carelessly.

    ¡°I want Gu Jun!¡± Elder Zheng finally couldn¡¯t help but break the quietness of the consulting room. ¡°Our Research Team needs talents like him.¡±

    Another judge sitting opposite Lao Zheng was anxious. ¡°Old Zheng, eat your old swan¡¯s fart! For an exceptional talent like Gu Jun, you want him to squat in theboratory every day? He is destined to fight on the front line of our clinic! I can give you Ma Jiahua and Yang Ming as well, but Gu Jun? Don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    ¡°Old Qiu. Old Qiu. Without our research, would you even have medicines to use in your clinic?!¡± Lao Zheng¡¯s eyes widened in anger. ¡°Without us, all you have are farts!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Elder Qiu gave a forced smile, but he was brimming with anger and almost mmed the table. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what is happening now? There is an urgentck of clinical staff, especially in the surgical department!¡±

    Another judge sneered. ¡°Aiyo, what are you fighting for? This kind of seedling, won¡¯t he be sent to the mobile task force in the end?¡±

    As soon as they heard the Mobile Task Force, Old Zheng and Old Qiu felt their rage wither.

    ¡°That might not necessarily be the case,¡± Old Zheng muttered. ¡°And regardless, we still would be the first to use him for a while.¡±

    ¡°Elder Qin, what are your arrangements for Gu Jun?¡± Old Qiu looked at Professor Qin with ttering eyes.

    Everyone¡¯s gazes heated up. Although they couldn¡¯t read Gu Jun¡¯splete file, not only the Research Team and the Clinical Team, the Dissection Team, the Psychological Team, even the Errands Team, all wanted this student. It should be understood that Gu Jun was not only outstanding in every aspect, but the data on various physical examinations also show his physical qualifications; especially those hands, which were robust, flexible, and precise.

    This kind of seedling was suitable for all departments. It only depended on Elder Qin¡¯s arrangements.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Professor Qin raised his cup again and finally looked away from the stack of reports. ¡°Everyone, this is really a conundrum.¡±

    However, after the contest ended yesterday, Professor Qin was already thinking about it. The more things he learnt about Gu Jun, the harder it was to make arrangements.

    Everyone did not know that Gu Jun was suffering from a terminal illness, but Professor Qin must take this into consideration. If Gu Jun was ced in desperate straits every day, would his body hold up? How long could itst? From this point of view, it was more suitable to put him in theboratory. However, the clinical and anatomical side was indeed the mostcking in manpower. The situation over there, in general, was not very optimistic. It was unwise not to let Gu Jun go...

    ¡°I think,¡± Professor Qin took a sip of tea slowly and told his decision to the crowd of judges.

 Chapter 43: Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies

    <h4>Chapter 43: Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies</h4>

    ¡°I think Gu Jun should undergo the Mobile Task Force¡¯s training.¡±

    Professor Qin voiced his decision. Since Gu Jun¡¯s condition was stable and he wished to use thest moments of his life to do something for the world, Professor Qin sought to fulfil his wishes. Moreover, the Mobile Task Forcecked manpower. The question of his length of stay there would be left in the hands of fate.

    Hearing the decision, the expression of all the members present took a drastic change. Beside Professor Qin, Elder Zheng¡¯s vitality dropped to rock bottom. ¡°Elder Qin, this is really unfair to the research department.¡±

    ¡°Elder Qin, very wise decision!¡± On the other hand, Elder Qiu was brimming with excitement.

    The Mobile Task Force mainly carried out missions outside the headquarters. They did not require experts in machinery and equipment of theboratory. Instead, everyone within the Mobile Task Force was talented and excelled under all sorts of conditions; extremely harsh environments, under the pressure of various emergencies, severeck of logistical and other forms of support. Their members must be able to still carry out the treatment of injuries and even various surgical operations under this bleak environment.

    As such, per usual training regimes, Gu Jun had to tour various departments which utilized the surgical scalpel like the Clinical Team and the Dissection Team.

    Excitedly, Elder Qiu burst out, ¡°You are putting Gu Jun into the Clinical Team, right?¡±

    ¡°Our Dissection Team iscking manpower too!¡± As the saying went, the early bird catches the worm. The other team leaders leapt unhesitantly into the quarrel.

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Professor Qin raised his hand to stop everyone¡¯s dispute. ¡°There are many uing talent selectionpetitions. The students from the surrounding cities of Eastern Province will be gathered and sifted through. I guarantee that each team will get enough members to fill the gaps you are facing. For now, don¡¯t fight over them.¡±

    On the surface, no one dared to rebut Professor Qin. However, their dissatisfactions were grumbling within their hearts. A talent such as Gu Jun was rare even in the whole country. What were the possibilities that other students would also qualifypared to him.

    Professor Qin said again, ¡°I think we should give Gu Jun a more tailored content during his training period to see the depth of his abilities and judge whether he is Gu Jun or Tycoon Jun. If he really has that refined level of expertise, we shall then arrange for rotational training for the Clinical team, the Dissection team... You will have your chances. ¡±

    Hearing Professor Qin¡¯s reassurance, Elder Qiu and the rest finally calmed down. From the potential Gu Jun disyed during thepetition, they just had to give him a little more training. Just imagining the possible result, a bright and wide grin shone on their faces.

    ¡°Elder Qin, will he rotate to our Research Team?¡± as Elder Zheng asked, his eyes were on the brink of tears.

    ¡°As for that, we will have to decide at that time,¡± Professor Qin exined. ¡°Team Leader Zheng, we will need to ask for your understanding on this matter. Now is a difficult period, the big picture has dictated that we require more Clinical Medicine trained doctors. There isn¡¯t time for us to slowly train people now. What we need is an immediate battle power, so we must utilize the freshmen¡¯s current abilities to the fullest right at this moment.¡±

    The crowd was in full agreement with Professor Qin, and even Elder Zheng was clear about this. Faced with the current situation, he could only sigh.

    The Research Team silently contributes a lot, but s, we are always cedst in many matters...

    After looking through all nine reports, Professor Qin sternly dered, ¡°Ma Jiahua and Yang Ming will be sent to the Research Team. They have a strong foundation in Basic Science of Medicine and should be able to quickly adapt to their position. Cheng Yifeng and Zhou Yi will be sent to the Errands Team for training, while Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, Sun Yuheng, and Jiang Banxia will be assigned to the Clinical Team. Lastly, Gu Jun will be assigned to the Mobile Task Force for training. That¡¯s all.¡±

    That was the final arrangement. Facing the ultimatum, everyone except for Elder Zheng was pleased. Thetter was drowning in despair. Leaving aside Gu Jun, he could not even clinch Cai Zixuan. What a sad sight.

    Contrary, Elder Qiu was all-smiles. His urgent situation had finally seen hope. He had high hopes in Wang Ruoxiang and Sun Yuheng.

    As for Gu Jun, that was a separate talk. Silently within their hearts, everyone could not wait to see his development after the rigorous training.

    ***

    As night fell, a small passenger vehicle stopped at Eastern University Student¡¯s Dormitory and dropped off the 4 Eastern University students.

    Heading up to his room, Gu Jun did not have much to pack. However, the most urgent thing would be to find a proper and safe hiding spot for the SD card and the boxes of foreign medication. Very obviously, it was not a wise choice to bring these suspicious and unexinable items to Phecda. With several stic bags, they were wrapped tightly and shoved into a corner that was even more inconspicuous and quiet.

    Then, he took two suitcases containing hisptop, some clothes, and books and went downstairs.

    With the cold dark night sky as a backdrop, Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, and Ma Jiahua dragged their luggage to the assigned car. They headed to the mysterious Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies, Eastern Province Branch, Medical Department.

    The vehicle headed east, driving through the bustling Qingyun District and left the bright and vibrant city behind. They headed towards the remote outskirts by the foot of the mountain and zoomed along a military-controlled road. After an extended period, they finally saw what the secret department looked like.

    The Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies sprawled over arge plot ofnd, not any smaller than the Eastern University; possiblyrger. Tall buildings were erected side by side, and most of them are still brightly lit despite thete hours.

    Gu Jun leaned against and lowered the car window. The chilly night breeze caressed his cheeks as his eyes looked at the passing views. Despite the cold air, his heart and mind were heated with adrenaline. Atst, he was finally about to step into this mysterious world, giving him a chance to unravel all the truth.

    The buildings were nothing special, just typical and straightforward concrete and metal structures resembling the structure back in Eastern University. There were no fanciful designs of towering and domineering scale. Sweeping over thendscape, the tallest structure was 10 to 20 storeys high. Despite that, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes darted everywhere. Everything was fresh and intriguing along this ride into the mysterious world hidden from him for the past 10 years.

    Beside him, Cai Zixuan and Ma Jiahua were also bursting with excitement. As they stared at the passing views, their heads had almost extended beyond the window.

    Amongst them, Wang Ruoxiang was the calmest. Contrary to the erupting excitement of the boys, a slight disappointment was exuding from her expression. In her mind, she had imagined Phecda to be a cluster of ssical and traditional buildings, disying a dense and concentrated culture linking to several centuries back.

    ¡°The Phecda Division of Esoteric Studies...¡± As the reality of the admittance into Phecda started sinking in, Cai Zixuanmented under his breath, ¡°Ask not the deepest secrets of Heaven, leave the chains of the world behind.¡±

    ¡°What poem is that?¡± perplexed, Ma Jiahua asked. ¡°A work of yours, Brother?¡±

    ¡°Haha what a tease, Senior. How would I possess such talent? It is a quote from Yin Zhiping.¡±, Cai Zixuan burst into a peal ofughter. ¡°That historical Yin Zhiping.¡±

    As he heard the absurd conversation and his eyes followed the scene outside, a slight smile appeared on Gu Jun¡¯s face.

    Sometimeter, the vehicle stopped in front of a several story high condominium. Per the staff on the car, this was the amodation for regr staff and also their home from today onwards.

    With their luggage, the 4 of them alighted and Wang Ruoxiang headed to thedies¡¯ dormitory. Gu Jun and the rest met up with the freshmen from the other universities. Following the lead of the staff, they entered a condominium block for men.

    The staff welfare of Phecda was extraordinarily excellent. Each unit was for two people, and there were two rooms and onemon area inside. There was also a bathroom attached to the washroom, a kitchen, and arge balcony. Previously, the school dormitory was less than three square meters in size. Comparatively, each unit per capita here was more than thirty square meters on average.

    ¡°Comfortable living is critical for employees to maintain healthy psychological wellbeing,¡± the staff said profoundly. ¡°Pairing up our staff can prevent loneliness and social aversion as well.¡±

    They were allowed to pick their roommates freely. Gu Jun and Cai Zixuan continued their partnership. Sun Yuheng and Yang Ming from Qingyun University also chose to stay with each other, leaving Ma Jiahua to pair with Cheng Yifeng of Dongyang Medical College. This apartment building has three staircases and six people were on the same floor.

    ¡°Wow, so big,¡± Cai Zixuan eximed as he toured his new amodation. After looking around his own unit, he even went next door.

    Everyone was all praises for the new housing arrangements. However, due to their training schedule, they were not provided with the WiFi password and even had their mobile phones taken from them for the time being.

    After running about each other¡¯s rooms, they headed back to pack and rest within their own units. Starting early next morning, their personal training sessions would begin.

    Saying goodnight to Cai Zixuan, Gu Jun headed into his own room and closed the doors. Acting as if he was curious about his new surroundings, Gu Jun patted and inspected every nook and cranny.

    Hmmm, no signs of surveince cameras, tapping devices, and any simr equipment...

    Despite his thorough checks, he dared not drop his guard. Not only was he uninformed about surveince and spy techniques, but he was also unsure about the capabilities of this mysterious department.

    Whatever I do here, I need to be careful about secrecy.

    Gu Jun reminded himself sternly. Looking around his room, bed, wardrobe, study table, air conditioning, he did not find a single-blind spot.

    Seems like whatever secretive things would be done under the nkets¡¯ cover on the bed from now on...

    Having been on a busy day. He set aside his luggage andid down on the big bed with a mattress. It was soft and fluffy; veryfortable indeed.

    Training will start tomorrow, let yourself rest and meet new challenges.

    ¡°Wait...¡± As Gu Jun was to close his eyes, a frightening thought red. ¡°What if the bug is in the mattress?¡±

    Well... Forget it, even if there is. There is no sound from a poor forever alone man that would interest the eavesdropper.

    I will check itter...

 Chapter 44: Surgical Training

    <h4>Chapter 44: Surgical Training</h4>

    Early the next morning, Gu Jun woke up in the dormitory building of the Phecda Division for the first time and smelled the crisp aroma of meat in the air.

    He rubbed his eyes and got up. Walking out of the spacious bedroom, he saw Cai Zixuan busy working in the kitchen. He was cooking something while reading a book.

    Cai Zixuan smiled when he saw him. ¡°Tycoon Jun, you sure woke up early today. Century egg and lean meat porridgeing right up immediately! I called Brother Ma and the others toe over and eat.¡±

    ¡°Where did your century eggs and lean meate from?¡± Gu Jun was a little dumbfounded, but the cooking was really fragrant. The pressure cooker used in the kitchen was already there at the beginning, while the rat-voured rice cooker was left at Eastern University.

    ¡°So I say that the welfare here is really excellent,¡± Cai Zixuan couldn¡¯t help but admire. ¡°I was just saying that when the receptionist brought us yesterday, ¡®Wow such arge kitchen. I would have bought some ingredients if I had known earlier.¡¯ The receptionist just asked me what ingredients? I mentioned that some century eggs and lean meat to make porridge would be great for breakfast. As a result, he delivered these ingredients to the door early this morning! He even bought a lot of seasonings.¡±

    Gu Jun had already noticed that the kitchen was vastly different from the empty one yesterday. Now, the kitchen cab was full of bottles and cans. The figure of an old nanny could also be seen.

    ¡°Well, the welfare is indeed great,¡± He already thought about itst night, ¡°but who knows what price we are required to pay for such good welfare.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Cai Zixuan also thought about it. ¡°A price is always exacted for what fate bestows.¡±

    ¡°That sounds familiar. Is it Shakespeare again?¡±

    ¡°Zweig.¡±

    Gu Jun ignored Cai Zixuan and walked through the expansive and empty hall. He did not sit down on the sofa. There was no signal when he tried to turn on the TVst night. He came to the balcony and gazed out at the surroundings. This was the twelfth floor. It was very high, and the buildings in front have a panoramic view.

    Although it was before seven o¡¯clock, he could already see some people and vehicles moving around. Perhaps it would be more urate to say that there were people working through the night.

    After a while, Gu Jun turned back and headed for the bathroom. After he finished washing up, the porridge was ready, and Brother Ma and Sun Yuheng came out to find the source of the aroma. Cai Zixuan once again proved that if one didn¡¯t know how to cook, he wasn¡¯t a good doctor. Everyone ravenously devoured two bowls each. The porridge was thick and smooth, incredibly appetizing.

    With renewed vigour from the meal, the six went down to the dormitory building, and met with the three girls. They were then led by the receptionist to the training center.

    On their way, they learnt of the organization¡¯s training arrangements for them, which was divided into three categories: The Clinical Team, the Research Team, and the Errands Team. Other than Cheng Yifeng and Zhou Yi, who were assigned to the Errands Team, looking a little downcasted, everyone else had no opinion regarding these arrangements.

    ¡°Student Gu, there are other arrangements for you from above. The contents of your training will be particrlyrge. For the next few days, you would be training with the Clinical Team first,¡± added the receptionist.

    Everyone was not surprised by this arrangement. Gu Jun let out a sigh of relief. Before that, he was afraid that he would be assigned to do irrelevant chores because of his terminal illness. Well, it¡¯s good that they ced importance on me.

    The training centre was a spacious modern building with nearly ten floors. They walked along with the receptionist. They soon discovered that there were not only rookies like them, but also some young people fulfilling varying roles such as nurses and pharmacists, in the training centre as well. They were also being led by other receptionists. This time the selection was extremelyprehensive.

    The group collected the identification documents certifying their internship status and proceeded to different training rooms separately.

    Gu Jun and the others who were assigned to the Clinical Team went to the clinical surgery training room. Surgery was the first training programme which they had to carry out. Thinking back to how patients suffering from the Malformation Banyan Disease needed to undergo amputation surgery, the surgical department should be the ce where the Ministry of Medicine was mostlycking in manpower.

    The receptionist handed them over to the trainer and reminded them toe to the training centre punctually at 7:30 every day for the entirety of next month, then left.

    Obviously, with the current situation, only very few personnel could be spared to serve as trainers. There was only one surgical trainer named Zhou Jiaqiang, looking to be younger than forty years old. He had a robust build with pimple scars marking on his face, looking very much like a bumpy gravel road, but the smile he wore was enthusiastic, very much different from the corpse guides.

    ¡°You can just call me Brother Qiang. I will properly guide you all. If you learn properly as well, then it should be simple and there would be no problems.¡±

    This training room was notrge. It had a podium, ckboard and projection screen above, a dozen training tables, as well as some teaching models and instruments.

    At the beginning of this first lesson, Zhou Jiaqiang smiled and encouraged five people to work together. It was indeed effective in making them closer, which made Cai Zixuan and Jiang Banxia particrly excited.

    ¡°We are actually still doctors. It¡¯s just that the patients we treat are unusual. We should treat them as we would typically do, and there is nothing to be afraid of. You are only scared because you have never encountered them before. But your Brother Qiang here, after going through many cases, no matter the situation, I¡¯ll just treat them like ordinary patients. There is nothing to be afraid of!¡±

    ¡°The first rule when performing a surgical operation is to not be afraid. The moment you are afraid, panic will sink in. Once you panic, problems will ur. Your hands must not tremble, and your heart cannot be flustered.¡±

    After everyone listened to Qiang Brother¡¯s words, they experienced a soothing feeling of being healed. The shadow brought by the Malformed Banyans faded slightly.

    Brother Qiang was right. The more they see such cases, the moremon would the Malformed Banyans be to them. The pioneers of craniotomy at the beginning of history would also have been terrified, but now, hasn¡¯t it be amon thing?

    However, Gu Jun constantly had a strange feeling that behind the smile on that face full of e scars, there seemed to be some intent to ridicule the fresh rookies.

    ¡°Oh, Ah Jun,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang was very familiar with their information and smiled as he spoke. ¡°Your anatomy skills are the best, so you must have confidence in yourself! Ruoxiang, Yuheng, Zixuan, you also have high standards. Once you get started, you will quickly pick up the skills. Banxia, you major in TCM, so you are naturally unfamiliar with the anatomical techniques, but it¡¯s okay. You can make up for it here.¡±

    For the university course of Traditional Chinese Medicine, undergraduates were also required to study human anatomy and Western medicine surgery. Compared with the eight-year clinical course of Western medicine, however, what their course covered was much less in-depth.

    ¡°Well, at the very most, I¡¯ll wipe your sweat when you guys are performing the surgery.¡± Jiang Banxia was a lively and cheerful character and immediately joked about herself.

    Everyone smiled. Cai Zixuan even chortled loudly a few times. There was a need to follow the principle of sterility during surgery. If the surgeon perspires during the operation and bes sweaty, he can¡¯t wipe it himself. Thus, he needs to turn his head and wipe it off with the help of an assistant. Cai Zixuan looked at Jiang Banxia and smilingly said, ¡°Banxia, there¡¯s still me as well. Don¡¯t fight over sweat with me!¡±

    Gu Jun scrunched his eyebrows in surprise. There seemed to be a sour smell of love in the air?

    Wang Ruoxiang nodded at him. The flirting began at the physical examination center yesterday.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s start the ss!¡± Zhou Jiaqiang grew a little more serious, paced about the podium, and started to teach, ¡°The basic operations of surgical operations are generally a few items: tissue incision, tissue separation, hemostasis, ligation, stitching, thread trimming and thread removal, as well as dressing change. There should be no big problem for the first two. You guys are onlycking in experience and skills. For the other items, you should also have some foundation in them. I will talk about them today and strengthen your foundation.¡±

    ¡°When performing surgery, of course, hemostasis or curbing of blood flow must be done appropriately. There are several standard methods of hemostasis:pression hemostasis, ligation hemostasis, electrocoagtion hemostasis, using hemostatic items like bandages for hemostasis, and endoscopic clip hemostasis. Among them, the mostmonly used and most demanding on technical skills is the ligation hemostasis.¡±

    ¡°Ligation.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang purposely ced emphasis on the word and swept a nce over the serious faces of the other five students. ¡°Surgical hemostasis requires a lot of ligation with sutures. After tissue suture, ligation is required as well. Hence, ligation is the most foundational and a very critical step in surgical operation.¡±

    ¡°How toplete the ligation safely, reliably, and efficiently? Two key points, one is to choose a suitable suture, and the other is to follow the standard operating procedure. First selecting the right knot ording to the situation andpleting it. Let me teach you the basic knots first. There are models for knot training in your deskpartments. Take them out.¡±

    After Zhou Jiaqiang said that, everyone looked for it from theirpartment and took out the models that Brother Qiang indicated. All of them had taken courses in general surgery and affiliated surgical operations, but those were still limited to theories and principles on paper. The specific operations have not been studied in detail yet. For example, the few students from Eastern University initially still had one semester to go for mentoring at the hospital so when they held the models, it felt very foreign.

    Gu Jun looked at the knot training model in his hand. It was made from transparent plexiss material and a delicate design.

    ¡°This model uses a maic system to simte tissue tension and parallel stic ropes to simte blood vessels,¡± introduced Zhou Jiaqiang. ¡°Three different types of cylinders form a variety of knotting spaces which can simte various deep structures for knot practice. In short, this is a wondrous treasure for knotting! It¡¯s yours now.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang smiled, but his words were solemn. ¡°Take it back to the dormitory after ss and hug it even while you are sleeping. Practice properly.¡±

    He also took out a model from the podium. ¡°Overhand knot, as you should know, is the most basic kind of knot.¡± He took a thread and wound a circle around the model. ¡°This is an overhand knot. How about a square knot? This kind of knot is mostmonly used in surgery. It isposed of two overhand knots tied in opposite directions. You need to use a square knot when ligating smaller blood vessels and various sutures. As long as it is tied correctly, it will be firm and not easy to fall off.¡±

    ¡°What if you add another overhand knot to the square knot and reverse the direction of the third overhand knot and the second overhand knot? Then, it would be ayered knot. When you want to ligaterger blood vessels and suture the tissue with higher tension, the mostmonly used knot is theyered knot.¡±

    As Zhou Jiaqiang exined, he then used various knotting methods on the model to demonstrate. One hand tie, two hand tie, instrument, tying at depth...

    Everyone all stared intently. Gu Jun didn¡¯t just watch, the nerves in his hands were also twitching uncontrobly, sensing the speed and strength of Brother Qiang¡¯s knotting.

    ¡°Please note that when you tie the two overhand knots to tighten the thread, you must cross your hands once. Else it will be a slippery knot. Use both hands to evenly and gently tighten slowly. Otherwise, the thread will be easily broken or even be loose and slip off. This would cause the patient to bleed again or suffer from significant haemorrhage!¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang demonstrated again and again. ¡°It is not difficult to make a knot by making a few circles, but the difficulty lies in controlling your strength. Look, just like this, slowly...¡±

    They watched Brother Qiang operate. They had a distinct feeling that this pair of hands that clearly belonged to a crude man seemed as gentle as a little girl holding an embroidery needle.

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Banxia was nervous. Brother Qiang made it sound so simple by saying it¡¯s not difficult and very easy to do. In actuality, it was like Xu Beihong1 teaching you how to draw a horse. First, draw the outline of the horse, then add the lines of its limbs... There, the horse was painted.

    ¡°Okay, do you understand?¡± Zhou Jiaqiangughed. ¡°Now you will show me with a one hand tie. The overhand knot first, then square knot, and finally theyered knot.¡±

    The five nodded their heads in agreement. No matter what they were thinking, they all got into action.

    Cai Zixuan was a little clumsy. He had no problem when tying an overhand knot, but identally broke the suture thread when tying the square knot. Seeing that Cai Zixuan had made the mistake of using too much force, Jiang Banxia used evergrowing gentleness to tie her knot. In the end, the knots she tied slipped off.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Pay attention to it next time,¡± Zhou Jiaqiangforted them while looking at Wang Ruoxiang and Sun Yuheng. Both of them were calm and stable. They didn¡¯t hit a bump until tying theyered knot. Due to uneven use of force, their work became slippery knots. For rookies, such a performance was considered pretty decent.

    This was consistent with the evaluations given to him by his higher-up. However, he heard that there was a ¡®living deity¡¯ this time. He was ordered not to spare Gu Jun any courtesy, and must choose the most challenging assignment for Gu Jun.

    Zhou Jiaqiang looked at Gu Jun¡¯s table. Was he really as ferocious as they say?

    Xu Beihong, also known as Ju P¨¦on, was a renowned Chinese painter who hailed from China. He was primarily known for his Chinese ink paintings of horses and birds

 Chapter 45: A Splendid Touch

    <h4>Chapter 45: A Splendid Touch</h4>

    Unlike the name One Hand Tie suggested, the actual execution of the knot required the use of both hands. The non-dominant hand would hold onto one end of the string, while the dominant hand carried out the knotting.

    Gu Jun¡¯s dominant hand was his right hand. As such, his left hand held onto one end of the string and went under the 2 parallel red stic bands. From the other side, his right hand pulled it upwards.

    Holding the two ends, Gu Jun took a deep breath. He felt his calming heart rate and pulled his focus together. In his mind, the scene of Brother Qiang demonstrating the tying procedure reyed. With the 2nd Tier Hands of Dexterity, he precisely controlled every nerve on his hand, following the tempo and postures that were shown to him. His right hand gently and steadilypleted an overhand knot. He seamlessly tied another in the flip direction, into a square knot. Following quickly, a Sailor¡¯s Knot was wlessly executed.

    As his hands danced about, Gu Jun felt an absolute inexplicable splendor. A single step alone may seem odd, but when the whole set came together, the intensity in the light handling and the rhythmic movements fused together into a cohesive and enchanting dance.

    The changes in the power and speed unconsciously pulled him into a daze.

    Havingpleted the single hand tie method, Gu Jun proceeded to the two-hand tie method, and then the instrument tie. Like an unceasingly flow, Gu Jun reenacted every single step in Brother Qiang¡¯ demonstration like a child who had just received a new toy, dancing in joy.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s hand crept onto his pimple scarred cheeks and scratched lightly as he approached Gu Jun for a closer look. As his eyes fixated on Gu Jun¡¯s dexterous fingers, he had the urge to speak multiple times. However, he swallowed back his words every time and never interrupted his student.

    The 4 students around Gu Jun all stared at Gu Jun in awe. A crushing sense of defeat washed over Sun Yuheng.

    What in the world... Gu Jun learns so fast!

    Wang Ruoxiang stared in disbelief. What in the world is happening? Did Brother Qiang possess Gu Jun and is doing the 2nd demonstration for us? How did he do itpletely the same? Did Gu Jun master the ¡°Star Sucking Skill¡±?¡±

    Oh, my goodness! As expected of Gu Jun, swift and decisive.

    Cai Zixuan and Jiang Banxia were fully convinced of Gu Jun¡¯s overwhelming talent. No, not just that, they were ready to bow down before the genius himself!

    Gu Jun was fully absorbed in the practice model, going through the technique for depth knot tying. This was used to target the critical blood vessels that were more buried in the human body.

    Mimicking Brother Qiang, Gu Jun held one end of the thread with a forceps, carefully pushing it into the deepest parts of his operating field. He then made a loop around the other pair of forceps which were mping onto the blood vessel. Lastly, Gu Jun professionally tied a knot with the 2 hand tie method like the forceps were extensions of his fingers. As he tightened the knot, he used his right index finger to push the knot towards the ligation point while steadying the system by tugging lightly in the opposite direction with his left hand.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Zhou Jiaqiang was stupefied. How is he so attuned to at depth knot tying as well?

    When Gu Jun finally stopped practicing, Zhou Jiaqiang eximed, ¡°Ah Jun! That was fantastic! Did you learn this before?¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Snapping out of his intense concentration, Gu Jun finally realised how the crowd had been staring at him like starving hounds. While acting as if he had learnt this before would be more diplomatic, he still had questions to ask Brother Qiang. ¡°Nope. I learnt it from you, Brother Qiang.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang said nothing else. Deep down, he too recognised it. This kid had to be rigorously drilled!

    While walking back to the podium, Zhou Jiaqiang said, ¡°Everyone can see that Ah Jun¡¯s way of exerting force is correct. His whole body was in a state of rxation making the sutures and fingers seem like fish in the water. Zixuan and Ban Xia, your mistake just now was that you were too nervous; Ruoxiang and Yuheng, you are still holding your breath during the procedure. It¡¯s okay at the start, and might just be for a long time. However, you may also encounter idents at any time. Worse still, not to notice it at all. ¡±

    Then, they analysed themon mistake, the slip knot. The basic structure of the slip knot and the square knot was the same. Both wereposed of two single knots in opposite directions. Owing to improper execution of the technique, a knot formed on one side of the thread around the other thread. This type of knot slipped off very quickly so it was called a slip knot.

    ¡°In one of the past operations, a slip knot was thought to be a square knot which eventually caused the wound to burst after the operation. We could not stop the blood. Such a disaster must be avoided as much as possible.¡±

    Everyone nodded vigorously. There would not be a single medical practitioner that would want to make such a grave mistake. However, rxing was easier said than done. To achieve that state of tranquillity under such pressure, there could only be practice.

    ¡°The rest, continue your practice of the 3 basic knots,¡± said Zhou Jiaqiang. His eyes then whipped to Gu Jun. ¡°Ah Jun,e and learn the Surgeon¡¯s Knot.¡±

    The Surgeon¡¯s Knot was another basic knot. During the first overhand knot, the thread will loop around 3 times, increasing the area of contact between the threads. As such, the second knot would not slip off so easily. While the Surgeon¡¯s Knot was much more stable, the execution increased in difficulty and time consumption as well.

    Hmph! I bet this will be enough to stump him! Right?

    With just one demonstration, Gu Jun had learnt it already. He tied the knot just like how Zhou Jiaqiang did it.

    ¡°Alright, then it¡¯s the fake knot and the slip knots!¡±

    Fake knots wereposed of 2 overhand knots of simr directions, and theye apart exceptionally quickly. It was a taboo knot within the operating theatre. As fake knots and slip knots were just negative examples, the students were to learn their greatest threats by heart. This allowed them to avoid it more easily.

    Naturally, these 2 knots did little to stop Gu Jun. Before long, he had mastered them as well.

    Gu Jun felt the joy of learning sprouting within him. This joy had not appeared for a long time. After smoking his way through a few years in the university, he seemed to have lost this ability to enjoy learning. Even if he forced himself into rigorous and harsh studying sessions, they could only count as demonic supplements. But now, he tasted the joy of learning again. He sincerely wanted to learn more and make himself better.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you change the catgut to practice. Oh, you also have to wear gloves!¡± In his mind, Zhou Jiaqiang was still figuring ways to torture and make things difficult for Gu Jun. Orders from his superiors cannot be set aside so easily.

    Everyone else was practising with silk thread, which was tougher and required postoperative thread removal. The catgut was made of fibres from animal intestines which could be absorbed by the human body without removing the thread. However, the catgut was very brittle and very easy to break.

    Moreover, wearing gloves and not wearing gloves were twopletely different things. Medical rubber gloves were very tight-fitting which greatly affected the sense of touch during the operation.

    But in the actual operating room, be it the primary surgeon, the anaesthetist, the first, second, or third assistant... everyone had to wear gloves.

    HAHA! Are you gonna be so overwhelmingly talented again? Catgut and gloves, even I cannot be 100% sure that I will nail it in 1 try!

    Zhou Jiaqiang smirked as he watched from the sidelines.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Gu Jun. He took out a pair of disposable gloves at the table¡¯s drawer and gripped tightly. Usually, most people would need several minutes to get used to it. However, with 2nd Tier Hands of Dexterity, Gu Jun could quickly switch his muscle memory and get used to the gloves¡¯ tightness.

    Taking a line of catgut from the threads box, he rubbed it between his fingers. He thoroughly enjoyed the texture of the material, sinking into blissfulness again.

    His hands flew into a natural and nimble dance; one hand tie, two hands tie, instrument tie... Just as Zhou Jiaqiang described, be like a fish in the water. Simply beautiful execution of techniques.

    ¡°...¡± This time, Zhou Jiaqiang had to admit it. There existed a thing called talent. Gu Jun was one of the rare few to possess an overwhelming amount of it.

    Having said that, this rascal probably has a high level of spirituality, right? Such a beginner technique and he already enjoys it this much. Is it A-? That is freakishly high.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, what shall we learn next?¡± Gu Jun looked at Brother Qiang with a pair of eager eyes as soon as hepleted all the knots using catgut.

    ¡°Uh...¡± Zhou Jiaqiang scratched his face. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes reminded him of his wife, who sometimes shows him this look at night.

    Whether it was facing his wife before or facing Gu Jun now, Brother Qiang was a little bit ufortable.

 Chapter 46: Surgery, Dissection, Psychiatry

    <h4>Chapter 46: Surgery, Dissection, Psychiatry</h4>

    On the morning of the first day of training, Zhou Jiaqiang taught the five students ligation.

    At noon they had a meal in the cafeteria of the training centre, took a break, then went back to continue the afternoon portion of training: ligation.

    Ligation was also one of the most crucial fundamental techniques in surgery. The methods of ligation, also known as sutures, were mainly divided into intermittent and continuous. Commonly used methods were simple intermittent suture method, double intermittent suture method (8-shaped suture), simple continuous suture, running locking suture, rxation suture, interrupted inverted sutures, continuous inverted sutures...

    These different suture methods have different uses and need to be selected ording to the type of injury.

    ¡°You must take note that when dealing with deep wounds, do not sew at the deepest level. You should only sew at skin level. This is the main way to avoid the formation of surgical dead space.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang used the projector screen to match his teaching and yed some pictures of surgical sutures. ¡°Dead space would not only prevent the edges of the wound from closing, but also lead to blood clotting, fluid umtion, and even secondary infection. All these would dy the body¡¯s recovery, so they must be avoided at all cost.¡±

    Just remembering the precautionary steps was enough to keep one busy, but it¡¯s not as though they could just skip these steps and begin ligation immediately. Even for Wang Ruoxiang and Sun Yuheng, they had to proceed one step at a time.

    Even for Gu Jun, he proceeded step by step as well, but it¡¯s just that the steps he took were faster than the others. He was basically familiar with all the procedures in one afternoon, but there was still a long way to go from mastering them.

    This day did not end there, and training continued at night. Zhou Jiaqiang taught them about thread trimming, suture removal and dressing change, some hemostatic operations, as well as the simrities and differences between tissue incision, separation, and dissection.

    ¡°Is today supposed to overload us with information?¡±

    After ten o¡¯clock just before dismissal of the sses, Zhou Jiaqiang gave the most solemn look today and preached to them, ¡°Yes, the current situation means that there is no time for you to learn slowly. The Clinical Team is expecting you guys to quickly be the third and second assistants, and let the original third and second assistants to rise up and be the primary surgeon. Don¡¯t ck off, burn every information of your textbooks into your minds. In your spare time, take some fruits to practice sewing. Grapes or even bananas will do. The dormitories will provide them.¡±

    Everyone nodded in agreement. Brother Qiang was merely a guide to help initiate them. The degree to which they can reach after entering this mysterious world depends on their own efforts.

    ¡°First,y the foundation using simtions, and then, we will conduct practical training on experimental animals in the second half. I hope you will be ready before then. Good luck!¡±

    When Brother Qiang officially announced the end of ss, it was past 10:30 and everyone ended the day¡¯s training and returned to the dormitory together.

    During the quarantined training period, they were required to only have two destinations and one pathway between them. Their authority only sufficed for them to enter the training centre and dormitory building. There were no entertainment facilities, but there were gyms on the second floor of each dormitory. However, after training for the entire day and considering the fact that they still have to continue training early in the morning, most of them chose to go back to the dormitory to sleep directly.

    Gu Jun didn¡¯t go to sleep. Instead, he used surgical instruments to suture the grapes at the desk of his bedroom.

    First, cut the skin with a scalpel, then use tweezers to remove the seeds. Finally, use a needle holder to sew the needle using catgut and stitch it.

    The night sky outside the window was pitch-ck, but Gu Jun was still intently practising over and over again and digesting what he learnt that day.

    ***

    For the next five days, Gu Jun and the others continued the rapid tempo of the first day of training. Following Brother Qiang to simte the ligature methods of various tissues and organs, as well as specific operations of some surgical procedures. As for dissection, it was of even more importance.

    One¡¯s enthusiasm for learning would mutually inspire the other. Gu Jun¡¯s outstanding performance drove the others to work harder. Brother Qiang often sighed with emotion after seeing this.

    ¡°You are the best batch of students I have ever taught!¡± Zhou Jiaqiang praised them regrly, which made Cai Zixuan and Jiang Banxia feel inordinately proud.

    Gu Jun had strong suspicions that Brother Qiang would say that sentence to every new batch of students.

    After the first phase of forensic surgical training had ended, the five of them rushed to proceed for the internal medicine training which was taught by another female instructor, Huang Ying.

    As for Zhou Jiaqiang, he took charge of the next batch of six students. All were medical ¡°ves¡± from the neighbouring cities of Eastern City and were selected from the skillpetition.

    Everyone coincidentally bumped into each other when they were dining in the cafeteria and started exchanging numerous gossip. Sure enough, Brother Qiang had said that they were the best batch he ever taught.

    Gu Jun was also interested in the skillpetition in their respective cities and inquired about their situation. They came from four different cities, and they only saw the Malformed Banyan after winning. Moreover, the dissection section of the contest was only for the malformed limb specimens from patients suffering from Malformed Banyan Disease.

    ¡®It seems that the number of heterogeneous creatures withmer bones is notrge,¡¯ Gu Jun thought, ¡®and the students in Eastern City have been evaluated with the most stringent standards.¡¯

    In the first few days after beginning internal medicine training, the itineraries of Gu Jun and the other four gradually diverged.

    He had more training items arranged. In addition to clinical training, he had to undergo anatomical dissection training as well.

    Gu Jun no longer required foundation training on the dissection table and received more theoretical questions regarding the heterogeneous creatures. When facing the unprecedented appearance of such creatures, there were still many limitations even with the help of modern technology.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you have to prepare yourself for dissection in the wild sometime in the future,¡± Yu Xiuyan, the anatomy trainer, told him. ¡°There would be no help; just you and some anatomy tools. Matters such as how to bring back the anatomical structure of the creature will depend on your skills then.¡±

    The wild? Gu Jun still couldn¡¯t understand the specific meaning behind these words.

    Anyway, learning about heterogeneous anatomy was precisely what he desired, but the scope of what he could know and learn was quite limited with the authority of an intern.

    Interns were not formal employees of the Phecda Department. Their contracts were not even signed yet.

    In addition to anatomical training, Gu Jun also received mental and psychological training and gained ess to some elementary knowledgepiled by the Phecda Department. It consisted of information such as the mental impact of heterogeneous creatures like the Malformed Banyans on humans and the stress-induced obstacles that may ur as a result.

    Stress-rted disorders referred to a type of mental disorder that had a clear causal rtionship with the source of stress. The timing, symptoms, course, and prognosis were closely rted to stress factors. It was perhaps most widely known as ¡°post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)¡±.

    The ¡°source of stress¡± refers to the stimnt acting on the individual and causes it to produce a response. The sources of stress for humans were very diverse. Psychiatry divides stress sources into three categories ording to different environmental factors: external environment, individual internal environment, and social psychological environment.

    The Malformed Banyan Disease and the Malformed Banyan was an example of a source of external environmental stress. After witnessing the terrifying form of the Malformed Banyan, not everyone could limate themselves. Their reactions ranged from being mild such as nightmares or the worst-case scenario of having acute panic attacks. It was not just vomiting.

    If not adequately handled over time, it would cause irreversible damage to the body¡¯s nervous system and even result in abnormalities in brain structure and function.

    If that happened, the employee could no longer work for the Phecda Department and may even no longer be considered a normal person.

    The focus of psychiatric trainer Luo Mingtao¡¯s teaching on Gu Jun was to let Gu Jun recognise the cognition, diagnosis, and emergency treatment of stress-rted disorders.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you have to learn how to deal with the stress response of personnel in the wild,¡± Luo Mingtao also taught emphatically. ¡°Those sources of stress may very well be the first time our Phecda Department encountered them. With your colleagues about to go crazy, how would you go about medication and psychotherapy? It depends on you.¡±

    As Gu Jun learned these things, he was able to gain a better understanding behind the meaning of the test questions during the review. The people in this mysterious circle were still humans after all. They did not have three heads and six arms. If they can¡¯t keep a clear mind, it would only cause trouble.

    He also heard something curious in his words. What exactly was the wild?

    Teacher Luo and Teacher Yu¡¯s words almost mimicked each other. It seemed as if the interns were going to the wild in the future?

    Gu Jun asked Cai Zixuan when he returned to the dormitory, but Cai Zixuan was puzzled as well. ¡°The wild? No. None of the teachers told us anything.¡±

    How could Gu Jun not understand this time? The ¡°wild¡± should be a special arrangement for him. He just didn¡¯t know what kind of arrangement it was.

    ***

    In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. It was September.

    Gu Jun in the Medical Department of the Eastern Branch of Phecda Department got up early and went to bedte every day. Clinical, anatomy, mental, psychology. He was like a sponge, crazily absorbing medical knowledge in every aspect everyday.

    During this period, he had alsopleted 6 NORMAL missions. The missions were all rted to forensic surgery such aspleting 500 stitches and 300 ligations. He got 6 boxes of medicine as a reward. His Hands of Dexterity rose in proficiency as well. It was now at the second tier (3000/30000 proficiency).

    The 6 NORMAL missions added 1500 proficiency, while the remaining 500 were the fruits of his own training.

    Every time the proficiency exceeded the thousand point mark, his hands seemed to gain a new sensation, and he grew increasingly proficient in various surgical operations.

    The medicine box of foreign medicines was a source of headache for Gu Jun though. Gu Jun dared not leave it in the dormitory, so he hid them inside the cubicle of the bathroom after getting a box. He manually shredded the medicine box into ripped bits of paper, and then flushed everything down the toilet; not even leaving a trace of evidence.

    He simrly handled the 6 medicine boxes. No one hade to interrogate him, so he was rather sure that there were no pinhole cameras or any such surveince devices in the bathroom.

 Chapter 47: Banana, a Collection of Techniques

    <h4>Chapter 47: Banana, a Collection of Techniques</h4>

    September 2nd, Wednesday, Morning 06:25 am

    Gu Jun woke up as usual. As his eyes slowly opened, the system menu was summoned habitually, showing him the mission log for the day. Every day, the mission log refreshed. The new missions were shown on the screen.

    [NORMAL Mission: By today,plete 1 surgery. Mission Rewards, 1 box of Human Anti-inmmatory Medicine.

    DIFFICULT Mission: Within 1 day,plete a dissection on an irregr species¡¯ body part. Mission Rewards, 1 Iplete Anatomical Reference Piece.

    Abyssal Mission: Within 1 week,plete the dissection of 1 Deep One. Mission Rewards, Unknown]

    ¡°Deep One?¡± Gu Jun muttered as he turnedzily on his bed. After the ghoul and bhole, another irregr species appeared. At this moment, he fully believed that irregr species were real and they were somewhere on this.

    Looking at the system screen, he drifted in his thoughts.

    Deep one? Is it a marine creature? Able to dive down deep into the ocean? Could it be rted to the Longkan Seafloor Volcanic Belt?

    For now, there were no answers to these. Scanning through the NORMAL and DIFFICULT missions, it felt as if they were a perfect match made in heaven.

    Long before, he had realised this smart and adaptive feature of the system. It seemed as if it was affected by his consciousness, carefully setting the missions to meet his current needs. For example, it would not request for the intravenous injection practice now.

    The rewards for the DIFFICULT Mission is another Iplete Anatomical Reference Piece...

    Needless to say, Gu Jun would die to get his hands on it. This was not just an anatomical reference, it was another chance to enter the visions again.

    s, the dissection training had ended a few days ago. Other than theory sses, the things Gu Jun had on hand the most were malformed human parts. The chances of dissecting another irregr species were extremely slim. Perhaps, the number of irregr species specimens within Pedca was not so huge that they could pump it out like water for training purposes. For today, there were no chances ofpleting a DIFFICULT mission. However, the chances of him finishing the NORMAL mission was high. After all, today marked the first lesson in the 2nd half of his surgical training course.

    The mission did not specify that the surgery had to be done on a human, which possibly meant that operation on ab animal would qualify as well.

    What¡¯s more, the mission reward was...

    1 box of Human Anti-inmmatory Medicine? This was the first time that the reward for a NORMAL mission was something other than the targeted therapy medicine. Could it be that my condition has already improved?

    As that thought sprouted in Gu Jun¡¯s mind, a feeling of euphoria followed. Looking back, he had only consumed Targeted Therapy Medicine for 26 days, not even a whole month.

    Whatever, I still have more than a month¡¯s worth of Targeted Therapy Medicine anyway.

    As for Human Anti-inmmatory Medicine...

    Different medicine was bound to have unique packaging and different descriptions! While packages are a pain...

    Gu Jun steeled his resolve, he would get that medicine at all cost!

    He got out of his bead and washed up. As soon as he opened the bedroom door, a delectable scent of porridge wafted from the kitchen and gave his spirit a mega boost.

    Cai Zixuan had sessfully won the title ¡°Porridge God¡± from everyone. Not only did Brother Ma and Sun Yuhenge over without fail every morning to eat porridge, but the three girls, Wang Ruoxiang, Jiang Banxia, and Zhou Yi also came. In Phecda, a bizarre rule existed. Their male employees were prohibited from entering female dormitories, yet the female employees could enter male rooms.

    Half an hourter at 6:45, the hall of this unit was brimming with vitality and chatters. Everyone was chatting while slurping on the sumptuous porridge.

    ¡°Haha, Gu Jun did this?¡± Wang Ruoxiang suddenly picked up a banana on the coffee table and asked, ¡°Gu Jun, how did it offend you? Why did you cut so viciously and then stitch it up before giving it another thousand knife cuts?¡±

    Of course, Wang Ruoxiang was joking.

    Sutures were lined tightly like sardines on that banana; row after row of catgut which gave the banana a peculiar touch of modernism.

    However, every person gathered in this room was a medical ve. Having dedicated their lives to this study, they could tell the mind-blowing technical expertise on it. Every stitch and knot was neat and precise. Not only that, several techniques of sutures were also used and executed impably. This banana could even be called the textbook and collection of surgical methods.

    Even the research team and errands team members, Ma Jiahua, Yang Ming, and the other 2 could tell how much technique it would demand for a person to replicate this banana.

    Being from the clinical team as well, Jiang Banxia¡¯s eyes widened 3 sizes, her cheeks were flushed with amazement. By her side, Sun Yuheng felt waves of panic and distress crashing inside as his brows furrowed.

    After this half a month¡¯s training, Gu Jun¡¯s technique had skyrocketed. Right now, he was almost on par with Brother Qiang. At this rate, the others would never have a chance to catch up with this genius.

    ¡°This banana is just a child¡¯s y for him.¡± Cai Zixuanughed very proudly. ¡°Last night, Tycoon Jun had even taken peanuts as specimens for practice. Most remarkably, the skin of the peanut did not even fall off!¡±

    The eyes of the stupefied crowd rolled and nced towards small peanuts into their pork and peanut porridge.

    He practised on this stuff?

    Gu Jun smiled while rxing on the sofa, as he nced at his speechless friends.

    Recently, he began his studies on mental health and psychology. He used the people around him to practice his observations. Just like now, he could evidently see Sun Yuheng¡¯s stress and panic, Jiang Banxia¡¯s amazement, Cai Zixuan¡¯s pride, and the thoughts of Wang Ruoxiang.

    Towards the same banana, a lot different emotions were evoked. While we could trace their feelings, there were still countless possible types of emotions happening. Gu Jun had to be more familiar with the kind of emotions and also about mental health and psychology before he could urately grasp the state of a person¡¯s mind.

    Regardless of his appointment in the future, Gu Jun felt that a secure grip on human psychology would not be a bad thing.

    ¡°Gu Jun, your eyes are very wicked.¡± Wang Ruoxiang turned to look at Gu Jun, feeling slightly perplexed. ¡°Why do I feel as if you are looking at us asb rats?¡±

    This man, Gu Jun, she could never properly get hold of him; be it as a person or his thoughts.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not! I just feel very smug. HAHA!¡± Gu Jun immediately hid his inspecting gaze behind a broad smile.

    Gosh, ss monitor. Why can¡¯t you just leave those damned mice behind?

    Other than Wang Ruoxiang, everyone burst into a peal ofughter. No one suspected his words. He had every right to be smug about his breakneck improvement.

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Wang Ruoxiang still felt a little unconvinced.

    Just what is Tycoon Jun nning?

    When the group had licked their bowls clean, it was already 07:30am. They left on the fixed route to the training centre together. They did not even have a chance to stray from the road. The moment their eyes swept out of the allowed region, the employees gave them an ice-cold stare to scare them.

    When they reached the training center, they separated in their own ways.

    For the first time in almost ten days, Gu Jun arrived with the others to the surgical ssroom on the 2nd floor. Another 6 students had gathered inside the room. The students taking part in today¡¯s practice had totalled to 11 students.

    ¡°Good morning, everyone!¡± The trainer was still Zhou Jiaqiang. Brother Qiang looked at them eagerly, and Gu Jun was the one who was under his gaze the most. ¡°I hope you all have diligently practised these days. From today on, we will not simte surgery. It will be practical! I hope you guys can give me some surprises. Well, let¡¯s go to theboratory animal room to catch some specimens.¡±

    Without dy, the group of students followed Brother Qiang out of the training room and took the elevator to the fifth floor. For the first time, they all came to the fifth floor.

    With the ding of the elevator, the elevator doors slowly opened. Even before they stepped out, the menacing sounds of strange beasts roaring outside echoed within their ears...

    The sounds brought a realisation onto everyone. With shocked eyes, they looked at each other and raised their brows!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Despite that, Brother Qiang still smiled eagerly and strode out of the elevator. ¡°Come with me. I will take you to catch animals.¡±

 Chapter 48: Jinmenken

    <h4>Chapter 48: Jinmenken</h4>

    A strange and frantic roar resounded. Gu Jun followed Brother Qian and everyone out of the elevator. He felt that the air on the fifth floor was unusually frigid.

    In the different medium-sized animal enclosures, wire cages were used to hold variousmon animals such as rabbits, dogs, cats, monkeys... whatever one could think of were avable. Gu Jun walked by and nced around. He noticed the caretaker¡¯s figure amongst them. However, the strange noise came from the depths of the aisle.

    The further they walked in, the more distinct and louder the roaring sound became and goosebumps gradually covered their skins.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, what is that?¡± Jiang Pinxia couldn¡¯t help being the first person to ask the question.

    ¡°An animal.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang led everyone around the corner of the aisle. The animal enclosures on both sides of the corridor narrowed down to be a single small enclosure and the ¡°creatures¡± inside...

    The crowd cried out in a low voice, and Gu Jun¡¯s heart jumped as well. The ¡°creatures¡± in the enclosure looked like it belonged to the canine family; not much of a difference between the abdomen and the limbs from an average canine, but their heads had a twisted anatomy. Vaguely, one could make out the facial features of a human face.

    The human-faced hound or the jinmenken. This long-established creature in Japanese legends appeared in front of them like this.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s face full of e marks still retained a happy smile, but there was a trace of seriousness in his following words. ¡°These are gically mutated dogs. The wolves and dogs were originally from the same species. Though there is no reproductive istion until now, wolves and dogs are already two creatures with different habits and appearances. An arctic wolf and a chihuahua, can you imagine that they are the same species? However, they can still reproduce an offspring. These dogs, these jinmenkens, are still dogs.¡±

    Gu Jun stared at the creatures¡¯ monstrous and weird faces. His head felt a little gloomy, and his heart was chaotic. This feeling that had resurfaced again after vanishing for many days.

    He looked into the depths of this walkway. A stainless steel door blocked his sight. What other ¡°creatures¡± were behind that door?

    This was not even an animal feeding centre of the Ministry of Medicine and just the experimental animal research room in the training centre.

    He also paid attention to everyone¡¯s expressions. The jinmenken is obviously a shocker with a significant impact. It was not as terrifying as the Malformed Banyans, but it also caused the atmosphere to be tense.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, when was the birth of the first jinmenken?¡± Sun Yuheng asked, voicing out the question in everyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°It happened a few decades ago. I wasn¡¯t even born yet.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang waved his hand nonchntly. ¡°You still haven¡¯t reached the level of authority to decrypt the information of the ¡®Human-faced Hound Incident.¡¯ But think about it, the Phecda Department wasn¡¯t just established due to the Banyan Malformation Disease. Who knew how many incidents the department had handled over the years.¡±

    Truth be told, Brother Qiang¡¯s level of authorisation actually wasn¡¯t that high. He only achieved the F grade. Compared to their intern ss, there was only the G grade which separated them. So his words that seemed like he was in the know was more or less him bragging to some extent.

    As everyone listened, they suddenly realised this truth. The Phecda Department may not have a legacy of hundreds of thousands of years, but it was not recently established as well.

    These jinmenkens have been used in experiments by the medical department so there really was nothing to fear.

    Logic was one thing. Their hearts still felt a sense of pressure, and the atmosphere remained tense. It was not easy to look directly at the ugly countenance on the head of the dog.

    Gu Jun naturally understood the intention behind the department using jinmenkens as experimental animals for surgery. It was only by ustoming themselves to face these abnormal creations and raising their stress threshold during these simted experiments can they then face more frightening sources of stress on the actual operating table and reduce their likelihood of messing up.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang went to the toolbox on the side of the aisle, took out a steel dog catching pole with metallic jaws at one end, and handed it to Gu Jun. ¡°You are responsible for going in and catching the dog.¡±

    Everyone ¡®unfortunately¡¯ couldn¡¯t help out in this matter and only repeated what Brother Qiang said just now.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a dog.¡±

    ¡°Do your best, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    Gu Jun nced at the fierce jinmenken inside the cage, and then shifted his gaze to Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°Brother Qiang, truth be told, we have a ck belt in karate here.¡±

    ¡°It has to be you!¡± Zhou Jiaqiang raised his voice and barked out the order. You brat, this task was handed down to me by the higher-ups!

    ¡°Now, I finally understand why you need anti-wolf spray,¡± Wang Ruoxiang whispered to Gu Jun. ¡°I really want to lend you a bottle right now.¡±

    Gu Jun epted the dog catcher pole from Brother Qiang. It was one meter long, and he gently gave it a swing, feeling a heavy sensation in his hands.

    He approached the single enclosure, where the crazy barking wasing from, one step at a time. Alright, ¡°A price is always exacted for what fate bestows.¡± Today would likely be the day he¡¯ll be injected with a rabies vine, and someone had to suture his chewed-apart bits of skins. s, this was the price he had to pay for having focused training.

    ¡°The human-face dog is not a monster. Its speed, strength, and bite strength are only equivalent to that of a strong canine. There¡¯s no need to be afraid,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang lectured seriously. ¡°When I open the door, Ah Jun, you will go up and mp its neck, then press it to the ground. Focus on speed! Don¡¯t give it a chance to pounce.¡±

    Only equivalent to a strong canine? Gu Jun could only ept his fate. He rallied his spirits, gripped the dog catcher pole tightly with both hands, and unlocked the enclosure.

    ¡°AHWOOO.¡± A jinmenken bared its fangs. Its body arched up and retreated to the back of the enclosure. However, its ugly face was still staring at them with undisguised malice.

    Everyone stood aside and watched it without blinking. Brother Qiang opened the enclosure door, and Gu Jun stepped in with the dog catcher pole. Brother Qiang shouted loudly, ¡°HOLD IT DOWN! NOW!¡±

    Just at the moment the jinmenken was about to pounce, Gu Jun¡¯s hands were still steady and showed no trace of hesitation as he pushed the dog catcher pole forward urately. The opened metallic jaws urately mped onto the jinmenken¡¯s neck. He immediately closed the metallic jaws and forcefully brought it to the ground!

    The jinmenken fell to the ground, barking and twitching frantically. Its sharp canine teeth kept its relentless attempts of trying to bite him.

    It could only be considered a medium-sized dog, but it weighed at least more than thirty pounds. Gu Jun needed to grit his teeth and muster all his strength to pin it against the ground.

    ¡°Zixuan, Hengyu, go help pin it down,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang hurriedly asked several other boys to help, but it didn¡¯t mean that Gu Jun was injured.

    Cai Zixuan and Sun Hengyu ran and joined Gu Jun. They used thebined power of three medical ¡®ves¡¯ to pin down the ferocious jinmenken.

    Next, it¡¯s time to gag the dog¡¯s mouth. One must be extremely familiar with this operation to avoid being bitten. Zhou Jiaqiang did not let the students approach the captured canine. Instead, he went up and demonstrated it himself. First, he tied the face of the jinmenken tightly with a long belt and then tightened the strap to its neck, then covered the dog¡¯s mouth with a cover.

    Although Brother Qiang exhibited extremely practised actions throughout the entire process, everyone still felt cold sweat running down their back as they watched. The dog really had an uncanny resemnce to a malformed human face.

    After putting the cover over the dog¡¯s mouth, the dog¡¯s lethality had immediately diminished. If it was an ordinary dog, it could be taken to theboratory to be weighed and anaesthetised. However, the human-faced dog was incredibly challenging to control. Brother Qiang taught them to measure its weight on the scale located right there in the animal room. The scale disyed 16.3 kg.

    ording to the standard rule of using general anaesthesia on animals, that was using 3% pentobarbital sodium, intraperitoneal injection. The dosage was 40-50mg per kilogram of body weight. Wang Ruoxiang and Jiang Pinxia were responsible for preparing the anaesthesia andpleting the intraperitoneal injection of this jinmenken.

    After fifteen minutes, it copsed, mimicking a death-like state. There was only a weak breath which was proof that it was still alive. Brother Qiang said that the effects of the medicine wouldst for about 4 hours, and further dosage could extend the duration.

    They had a total of 11 people. As they could amodate 3 people in a single operation, they took away a total of 4 jinmenkens. All of which were captured by Gu Jun.

    They transported the 4 jinmenkens back to the second floor of the building with a small cart. Instead of returning to the training room, they walked into a surgicalboratory nearby.

    Thisboratory wasrge and bright. It was divided into anterior and posterior treatment rooms, as well as two separate dressing rooms for men and women. The anterior room was for preparations before the surgery, and the posterior room provided a sterilised environment for the actual operation.

    What they were practising today was thoracotomy. Over at the anterior room, everyone finished shaving the operation area, which was the human-face dog¡¯s chest. There were also techniques for shaving off hair; one could not go about doing it haphazardly. It was necessary to shave everything off cleanly without damaging the skin.

    While they were busy shaving, Zhou Jiaqiang took out his phone and picked up a call. ¡°Yes, oh okay... I understand... Alright...¡±

    Gu Jun noticed that Brother Qiang¡¯s tone was sombre, seeming as though he was talking to the leader and his eyebrows were furrowed. What happened?

    After the call was over, Zhou Jiaqiang put down his mobile phone and said to everyone, ¡°Everyone! When you perform the surgeryter, Team Leader Qiu will bring people to spectate. Team Leader Qiu is the boss of our clinical team. The boss said someplications have urred and a group of new patients suffering from the Banyan Malformation Disease had arrived. All of which were in dire need of amputation surgery.¡±

    Brother Qiang paused, looked at their suddenly tense faces, especially Gu Jun, and gravely intoned, ¡°There is a shortage of manpower in the surgical building. I¡¯m going to help out in the afternoon, but I stillck quite a few second and third assistants. Let¡¯s see if you guys are up for the task.¡±

 Chapter 49: First Time as the Primary Surgeon

    <h4>Chapter 49: First Time as the Primary Surgeon</h4>

    Brother Qiang¡¯s words sent waves of pressure throughout the room. Everyone¡¯s brows knitted tightly as they felt a mountainous weight fall onto their shoulders.

    A new batch of patients? Gu Jun thought in his heart. Looks like Banyan Malformation Disease was not as easily controlled as we thought. Most likely, these patients are not from Gurong Vige. Probably, a new source of Banyan Malformation Disease appeared, making the number of infected viges increase.

    Without dy, the crowd changed into sterile clothes, shoes, caps, and gloves and prepared to enter the operating theater in their respective changing rooms. Then, they disinfected themselves thoroughly and put on surgical gown and disposable gloves.

    The members present during a major surgery were the primary surgeon, anaesthetist, first, second, and third assistants, and the 2 nurses; scrub nurse and circting nurse.

    For medium-scale surgery, the third assistant was not necessary. For minor surgeries, both the second and third assistants were optional.

    During the operation, the third assistant¡¯s role mainly consisted of misceneous works like using cotton swabs to remove blood stains and to remove the mist and residue from the electrosurgical equipment. The second assistant would do basic procedures like ligation and stitching. Should the first assistant be avable, he could do these errands as well.

    In surgeries involving animals, a ¡°restraining nurse¡± was essential to hold down and hold the animal in ce.

    This time, their surgery practice also involved animals. Hence, their manpower allocation was not sufficient. With a total of 11 people, they were allocated into teams of three with the remaining two acting as circting nurses.

    The circting nurse wasmonly seen as the one to wipe sweat for others. They were not allowed to directly touch any of the equipment due to the nature of their work involving contact with non-sterile items. The two appointed circting nurses were also carrying the 4 jinmenken into the operating theatre. Theboratory animals wereid on their sides on the attached restraining frames on the operating table.

    Within the groups of 3, Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, and Gu Jun were in the same team again.

    For this operation, Gu Jun was the primary surgeon, Wang Ruoxiang was his first assistant, and Cai Zixuan, the scrub nurse. The scrub nurse had a critical duty. He always stood by the right side of the primary surgeon and was to arrange, ce, disinfect, and pass whatever equipment the primary surgeon needed. asionally, they also yed the role of the third assistant, clearing up any stain or residue throughout the entire operation.

    The surgery this time, canine thoracotomy, was not minor. With 3 people in each team, every member was stretched to their limits. Throughout the process, 100% effort was demanded at every moment.

    d in his sterile surgical outfit, Gu Jun took a deep breath as he strode towards the operating theater. Silently, he opened the system menu in his mind.

    [NORMAL Mission: By today,plete 1 Surgery. Mission Rewards, 1 box of Human Anti-inmmatory Medicine.

    ept Mission?]

    [Mission Sessfully epted!]

    While it may be a veterinary surgery, this was still Gu Jun¡¯s first time being involved in actual operation. Moreover, it was also his first time in surgery as the primary surgeon.

    For Eastern University eight-year course clinical students, the primary surgical techniques were taught in the first semester of their 4th year. After that, they would have an internship throughout their 4th-year 2nd semester and their fifth year at a hospital. The semester should have begun on September 7th , yet who knew, things would progress to this stage.

    For his first surgery, which was already as the primary surgeon, it was not a venesection, small intestine resection, or any other more basic surgery processes. This time, Brother Qian really ced them in a tight spot. Perhaps, they should be grateful that their first surgery was not a surgery on the face. However, Brother Qiang did emphasize to not only leave the face of the jinmenken visible, but also to not intentionally avoid looking at it.

    His intentions were clear, to pressure the trainees mentally but not too much to crumble.

    Upon entering, they found that the operating room was very spacious and clean; four operating tables were arranged side by side. Gu Jun , followed by Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan, walked towards the middle operating table. The other three groups took the tables on the left and the right.

    ¡°Which surgery method to use will be decided by the primary surgeon,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang said to the crowd while walking along the edge of the row of operating tables. ¡°Remember that the jinmenkens are also dogs, except that they have a human face.¡±

    In the first stage of training, they had simted canine thoracotomy. However, there were no review sessions before entering the operating room today. Brother Qiang would also not be going to disy the video of the operation while the practical course was going on. Hence, it was a perfect test to see if this group of students had been consistently keeping up with their learning by themselves.

    As Gu Jun walked to the right side of the jinmenken, Wang Ruoxiang followed along and moved directly opposite him on the left side. Cai Zixuan had taken his ce beside Gu Jun which was beside the equipment table.

    ¡°Phoo...¡± Gu Jun set a strict control over his breathing. Under the bright shadowlessmp, the jinmenken was clear and stationary. Gu Jun said, ¡°Let us proceed with an incision from the side of the chest. The gap at the 6th rib will be the entrance to the chest cavity. First assistant, please sterilize the skin of the area of the procedure.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± Wang Ruoxiang acknowledged. Her stern face was half-covered by the light blue surgical mask.

    One of the circting nurses had approached and handed Wang Ruoxiang some cotton balls soaked in a mixture of 3-5% iodine tincture and 75% alcohol. Wang Ruoxiang began taking on the role of the 3rd assistant, sterilizing the skin in preparation for the operation. First, ayer of iodine tincture, then ayer of alcohol. Lastly, she marked the operating region with a line of iodine.

    While she was sterilizing the region, Gu Jun examined the surgical equipment. Preparation Of the tools was technically the job of the circting nurses. However, other staff had prepared all of these a step ahead of their arrival. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for a group of restricted authority brats to find all of these items.

    As his gaze swept across, he saw all that he needed; scalpels, surgical scissors, hemostat, surgical hooks, needle holder...

    After his thorough inspection, he saw that Wang Ruoxiang was almost done. ¡°Scrub nurse, pass me the no.4 scalpel with the no.22 round de.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Okay.¡± Cai Zixuan got into action. Gu Jun¡¯s choices were conventional in veterinary operations, and he quickly attached the des for Gu Jun.

    Holding the scalpel, Gu Jun felt a familiar and dexterous sensation. Owing to his strong foundation in dissection and his half a month of harsh and rigorous training, he had wholly ustomed himself to the touch of a scalpel.

    ¡°The sterilization isplete,¡± Wang Ruoxiang reported.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Holding the scalpel with a fingertip grip, Gu Jun bent over and officially began the operation. In one smooth motion, he made an incision on the skin of the jinmenken. Slowly, a 15cm length of skin had separated, and fresh crimson blood surged out. Within instants, the pungent smell of iron fumed the room.

    Beside them, Sun Yuheng and Jiang Banxia had also begun which further intensified the stench of blood.

    As the operation continued, Zhou Jiaqiang paced around the 3 tables while observing the techniques and skillfulness of his trainees.

    Oh! This bunch are really talented. What about Gu Jun?

    At that moment, the doors of the operating theater slowly opened. However, only the 2 circting nurses and Zhou Jiaqiang turned to look. The others were entirely focused on the operation at hand.

    Seeing the man that walked in, Zhou Jiaqiang immediately approached and courteously bowed, ¡°Team Leader Qiu.¡±

    This man was Team Leader Qiu. He had brought several colleagues from the Clinical Team to observe the operation and had all put on surgical gowns. These five colleagues were not foreign to Zhou Jiaqiang. They were all previously 1st assistants. Now, they were going to be promoted as primary surgeons and hade here to choose their assistants. The moment they entered, they probed Team Leader Qiu.

    ¡°Leader Qiu, which of them is the Gu Jun that you spoke about?¡±

    ¡°Which of them is Gu Jun?¡±

    Beforeing in, they had already caught wind of an intern named Gu Jun, who had particr potential, from Team Leader Qiu and Zhou Jiaqiang.

    Even though everyone was almost wholly covered by personal protective equipment, he could easily recognize that rascal at a nce. ¡°He¡¯s the one over there.¡± Elder Qiu thrust his finger towards Gu Jun.

    It was not surprising. Gu Jun had really impressed every judge at thepetition half a month ago. Of course, there were also excellent results on the review report.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The newly appointed primary surgeons approached the surgical tables.

    Is this kid really such a god?

 Chapter 50: Canine Thoracotomy

    <h4>Chapter 50: Canine Thoracotomy</h4>

    The spacious operating room was hushed. The three operating tables, where the surgeries were ongoing, were illuminated by their respective shadowless lights.

    On one of the tables, Gu Jun made a 15cm skin incision on the jinmenken and said, ¡°Curved scissors.¡± He took the curved surgical scissors which Cai Zixuan, who was standing to his right, quickly handed over, and slowly sliced open eachyer of subcutaneous tissue, skin muscle, and ventral pectoral muscle. Wang Ruoxiang, who was standing on his opposite end, was silent and focused on hemostasis.

    All three of them were fully immersed in the operation. asionally, they would notice the terrifying human countenance, but they merely treated it as part of the background.

    Gu Jun had to be extremely meticulous in order to minimise the damage to the tissues. The scissors need to be as close as possible to the leading edge of the ribs to avoid the blood vessels and nerves between the intercostals. If a blood vessel was identally cut off, that would be a real nightmare for the primary surgeon.

    However, he was still brimming with spirit. His mental energy, eyesight, and the strength exerted in his hands were all urately controlled and steadily cut down downyer byyer. There was no horrifying scene of blood suddenly spewing out.

    ¡°Turn on the venttor,¡± Gu Jun said again. As he was entirely absorbed in operation, his face remained expressionless and his words were spoken rather quietly. Cai Zixuan knew his duties and shouted, ¡°Circting nurse,e over and turn on the venttor!¡±

    Each operating table had conventional instruments such as a venttor and electrocardiogram monitor. Some of them were put into use when the circting nurses brought in the jinmenkens before. Upon hearing Cai Zixuan¡¯s call, a circting nurse came over immediately and helped activate the animal venttor to provide oxygen via positive airway pressure.

    The moment when the jinmenken exhaled, Gu Jun opened its intercostal muscles and pleura.

    There was a slightyer of sweat matting his forehead, but his hands remained steady. ¡°Towel.¡± He ced the wet sterilised towel on the edge of the incision of the surgery. ¡°Retainer.¡± He then put on the retainers. ¡°Retractor.¡± He then took the retractor and expanded the incision evenly, widening the area for operation, and affixed the retainer on the retractor to make sure that it stayed on.

    At this point of the surgery, the surgical ess to the heart and hr area had beenpletely opened even though the operation area looks like a pile of cutaneous and pericardial blood.

    At the same time, a group of spectators standing nearby whispered to Zhou Jiaqiang.

    ¡°The primary surgeon is Gu Jun.¡± Team Leader Qiu wore the smile of a proud mother, but his tant satisfaction was unsurprising. ¡°The next generation is indeed talented.¡± Even in this situation, there were still some things that left one gratified. The discovery of this stunning young man was one of them.

    The five new primary surgeons were all pleasantly surprised. This was akin to striking gold while digging for silver. They were here to find a third assistant but got a second assistant instead.

    The jinmenken retained the dog¡¯s physical characteristics; the chest wall having arge curvature, and the costal margin of the diaphragm situated lower. There were technical difficulties in cutting it, which was different from ordinary experimental animals. However, Gu Jun¡¯s handiwork was truly phenomenal. His hands were steady and fast. They thought several times that he had to cut the blood vessel to proceed further, but the result was that he didn¡¯t do so.

    Many people will have a so-called professional ¡®sense of smell¡¯. This applied to surgeons as well. They were able to ¡®sniff out¡¯ where the problematic areas and what kind of force needed to be used to deal with the problem, but this ¡®sense of smell¡¯ and skills from expertise required years of experience to develop.

    Gu Jun¡¯s exemry performance seemed like he already had developed such a sense, but they heard that this was his very first operation.

    This kind of talent was truly born to perform surgery.

    ¡°Team leader Qiu, I thought your words were over-exaggerated to some degree, but now I realised that they were actually less exaggerated.¡±

    ¡°He already reached this degree of expertise. What else is there to cultivate? Give me Gu Jun. He cane to my side to be my third assistant.¡±

    They spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing the surgeons. At this time, Zhu Ruiwen, one of the new primary surgeons, couldn¡¯t help but scoff loudly. ¡°Third assistant? Why are you giving such cold treatment? With his skills, there is no problem with him being the second assistant. I will let him be my second assistant.¡±

    ¡°We still have to take a look at his ligation techniques!¡±

    Team Leader Qiu watched his subordinates practically reenact the scene of robbing people, and found it a little funny. He then stopped their petty argument, acting somewhat like Elder Qin and said: ¡°Stop being so noisy. We¡¯re in the operating room. Let¡¯s take a look at his ligation first. Ah Qiang, it¡¯s enough for them to do this much, there¡¯s no need to proceed further. Start the ligation.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang was about to step forward and ry the message. His expression was extremely self-satisfied.

    Gu Jun was about to carry out further pericardial examination. At this time, the electrocardiogram monitor next to him suddenly issued a drip rm. Wang Ruoxiang called. Her face scrunched up into a frown. ¡°The animal has a cardiac arrest.¡± Gu Jun weighed the values on the monitor. He determined that it was a typical case and said, ¡°Intravenous injection of epinephrine, 0.2ml per kilogram of body weight.¡±

    This human face dog weighs 16.3 kilograms, which is 3.26 ml.

    ¡°3.26 ml...¡± Cai Zixuan murmured and carefully counted. ¡°Is this the amount?¡± Gu Jun and Wang Ruoxiang cried out in unison, ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Jun urged again, ¡°It¡¯s fine to use any amount between 3-4ml. Hurry!¡±

    Cai Zixuan quickly used a disposable trumpet syringe to dispense the medicine, and called for the circting nurse to proceed to the hind leg of the jinmenken for intravenous injection.

    After injecting the dose of epinephrine, the jinmenken¡¯s heartbeat stabilised again after a while and required no further treatment.

    Over at Team leader Qiu¡¯s side, the group of spectators watched as Gu Jun dealt with the situation calmly without any hassle. They added another point topliment!

    Sudden cardiac arrest during the operation was a scary thing. Everyone knew to apply epinephrine, but some people just couldn¡¯t think of it at that point, especially novice rookies who would be flustered and nk out. It was thus really rare for an intern to perform like Gu Jun.

    They are also paying attention to the other two operations, which was less meaningful inparison. Both were the same thoracotomy method. However, the other two primary surgeons were still busy trying to stem blood flow. Because of problems such as overly deep cuts and severed blood vessels, they had to use an electrocoagtion knife. Fortunately, this was just an experimental animal.

    ¡°Ah Jun, don¡¯t proceed further and begin ligation,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang went up and ryed Team Leader Qiu¡¯s message.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Gu Jun nodded and let himself remain calm and focused. He began to close the incision and brought out the techniques he had worked hard refining over the past half a month.

    He first used a rib spreader to reduce the proximity between the ribs on both sides of the incision and ensure the area of incision was close, but not ovepping. He then used a single strand of absorbable suture and stitched 6 times to tighten and affix the ribs on both sides. He then swapped the absorbable suture and sutured the intercostal muscles first. For other muscleyers, he used a double intermittent suture method.

    The spectators watched as Gu Jun sewedyer afteryer, clearly separating the primary muscles and theponent muscles of eachyer. The technique was crisp, and the ligation was smooth.

    It was simply like running clouds and flowing water; there was not even the slightest vibration or extra movement in his actions.

    Those hands were simply the practised hands of surgery veterans.

    ¡°Team Leader Qiu,¡± Zhu Ruiwen scrambled to look at the leader, ¡°there¡¯s no issue with him being the second assistant.¡±

    The other four newly appointed primary surgeons also knew that there was no problem, and they all begged to have Gu Jun on their teams.

    ¡°My ligature skills are not even as good as his!¡±

    ¡°This kid must have practised extensively.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang knew that they were deliberately saying these self-effacing sentences. No matter how formidable his skills were, Gu Jun was an intern after all. He couldn¡¯t match up with this group of old fritters.

    However, the main job of the second assistant was to stitch and ligature the superficialyers. After these primary surgeons and first assistants were done with work on the deeperyers, the work was handed over to the second assistant. As the surgery will be done one after another, they need to save their energy for the next operation. If the second assistant was as capable as Gu Jun, the primary surgeon can be rest assured when handing over the task.

    Brother Qiang also nodded and agreed to let Gu Jun leap through the ranks and be the second assistant. ¡°Team Leader Qiu, that kid is improving every day and is a meticulous and diligent person.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± Team Leader Qiu was still pondering. The primary purpose this time was to select the third assistants. The reason why the second assistant was being brought up was because of Gu Jun. ¡°He¡¯s indeed incredibly skilled. This is his advantage. However, he does not have any experience with human surgery. If faced with patients with the Malformation Banyan Disease...¡±

    Team Leader Qiu felt that he had be Elder Qin. The goggled-eyes faces that Zhu Ruiwen and the others were revealing were really simr to his and Elder Zheng¡¯s that day.

 Chapter 51: Six Hundred and Twenty Four New Patients

    <h4>Chapter 51: Six Hundred and Twenty Four New Patients</h4>

    ¡°Argh! 2nd assistant it is then!¡± After long consideration, Team Leader Qiu steeled his resolve. ¡°He will follow Ruiwen.¡± Hearing the final decision, the expressions on the new primary surgeons took a drastic change. Other than Zhu Ruiwen, the faces on the others curled up in anxiety. ¡°Ruiwen and his team are all very experienced. The others, your 1st assistants are slightly weaker, they need a more experienced 2nd assistant. So that¡¯s final.¡±

    With the superior setting an ultimatum, they could not fight over it any further. All the other newly appointed primary surgeons could do was to stare with envy at Zhu Ruiwen and pick up the leftovers.

    Observing for another 10 minutes or so, they have chosen their 3rd assistants and left swiftly with Team Leader Qiu. They still had to rush back to the clinical block and make final arrangements for their operating procedures before lunchtime.

    Zhou Jiaqiang knew this was the part that differentiated the newbies like Gu Jun from the experienced veterans. Before the skills of surgeons were tested during the procedures, their expertise was put to trial. Just like a war, ¡°fail to n, n to fail.¡± The primary surgeon had to choose his operating procedure and methods, and also consider all the different issues that may ur along the way. The operating theater was not a venue for him to try out new techniques.

    As Team Leader Qiu left with the others, Gu Jun had justpleted stitching up the deeper cavity of the jinmenken. Then, he left the more shallow areas for Wang Ruoxiang toplete.

    Recently, Wang Ruoxiang had also been refining her technique every day. While she did not have bewildering improvement like Gu Jun did, her suturing on the more shallow areas were not a problem.

    While he had left the final procedures to Wang Ruoxiang, Gu Jun did not leave the operating table. He stood by the side, watching Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s every stitch. If she was about to make an error, he could still remind her before it happened. Until she reached thestyer of skin, Wang Ruoxiang did not stumble even once. Once she tied the sailor¡¯s knot, she snipped off the excess thread and cleaned up the edges of the wound. Before she put on the dressing and bandages, she covered the wound in iodine tincture and tightened the bandages. Finally, they were done.

    ¡°Phoo...¡± Gu Jun heaved a sigh of relief. His first-ever operation in his life waspleted without a hitch. ¡°Operationplete! Zixuan, settle the injections and the additional anaesthesia please.¡±

    Finally, he snapped out of his intense focus and had time to notice the things around him. For example, how Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s pretty forehead and sparkling eyes were at least 1 hundred times more beautiful than the jinmenken.

    ¡°Alright, leave it to me.¡± Cai Zixuan ended his duty and obligation to keep everything sterile as a scrub nurse and began to clear up post-operation.

    As Gu Jun turned and left the operating theatre, a familiar ring echoed in his mind. The system menu popped up and disyed a congrattory statement.

    [NORMAL mission ¨C Mission Completed!]

    [The proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity has risen! The current level is second-tier(5000/30000 proficiency)]

    [Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 1 box of Human Anti-inmmatory Medicine. Click to receive your rewards.]

    Click to receive your rewards?

    Gu Jun was taken aback, it seemed like the system was really affected by his consciousness. It could tell that this was not an appropriate ce to reward him.

    An operation on the jinmenken had raised his proficiency by 2000; not a bad result. However, it was probably due to this being his debut operation and first time taking the role of primary surgeon.

    Deep in thought, Gu Jun walked to the sink in the corridor outside the operating theater. As he removed the bloodied gloves under the tap, the cool water automatically gushed out and cleansed his hands bit by bit.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you are really not bad at all.¡± By his side, Wang Ruoxiang also took off her gloves for a wash. While her mask covered her face, the admiration in her eyes was unmistakable.

    ¡°HAHA, because my assistant was fantastic!¡± Gu Junughed.

    Hearing the mutual praise, augh burst out of Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°HAHA. If you continue to be so cheeky, I will really hit you next time.¡±

    Having cleaned their hands, the duoughed and chatted as they headed to change. The immense pressure of the operation still lingered in their hearts. They had to joke andugh to relieve the tension.

    The operation of their group waspleted. However, the other two groups were still grappling with bloodshed. After another half an hour, the other two operations werepleted. The two circting nurses took responsibility for the aftercare. They will then proceed to perform another operationter.

    Owing to theircklustre qualifications in this selection, Zhou Jiaqiang did not arrange for them to appear first. Even so, not everybody from the first nine who operated were selected.

    Only five people were called by Zhou Jiaqiang to the resting room. They were Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and two other male students from a different batch; Tian Zelun and Liu Hong.

    ¡°There are 624 patients with Banyan Malformation Disease this time.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s face was solemn. ¡°They are doing pre-operative diagnosis in the Clinical Building right now. The first amputation operation is scheduled at 1 pm. Not only that, but all the operations also need to bepleted within three days. We are very tight on time. Even so, we must race against the clock because once the patient¡¯s condition reaches the bereavement stage, there is no cure.¡±

    Hearing the grave news from the usually cheerful brother who was so awe-inspiring, naturally set a massive tension in the hearts of the five trainees.

    In Gu Jun¡¯s mind, the video he watched at thepetition stadium resurfaced. The man lying on the prison cell painfully shrieking in opisthotonus. That was the tragedy that would happen to a patient in the bereavement stage.

    ¡°Lack of manpower; we severelyck manpower,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang sighed in distress. ¡°At this moment, the training for the 5 of you has been halted. You are all 3rd assistants now. Except you, Gu Jun. You are a 2nd assistant.¡±

    ¡°Alright...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he dived deep in thought.

    624 patients... That¡¯s easily an entire vige¡¯s poption. All of them are waiting for life-saving surgery.

    The more he thought about it, the heavier his heart felt. Uncontrobly, the hoarse pained cries of help from the call in Gurong Vige looped in his ears.

    Save... me... Please.... Save me...

    With a deep breath, Gu Jun hesitated.

    Could we even save all 624 patients?

    To be frank, he had always been stumped by a question and could not resist but ask, ¡°Brother Qiang, I¡¯m perplexed. Since time is so tight, why are we the only ones used?¡±

    ¡°Cai Zixuan and the others aren¡¯t quite ready yet,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang answered. ¡°This was not my decision.¡±

    ¡°That is not what I meant. I¡¯m thinking of experts like Professor Yu from Eastern University. There are also other veteran doctors and even graduates who would definitely know more than us,¡± confused, Gu Jun continued. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the Phecda Department look for them instead?¡±

    While he had earned the chance to be a 2nd assistant himself, he still believed that even Brother Zhang Lin was more qualified than him.

    Hearing Gu Jun¡¯s question, Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and the others also nodded in agreement and chimed along, ¡°Brother Qiang, can you exin to us?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, how questionable.¡±

    At thepetition site, Professor Qin only hinted slightly and imed that what they were looking for was the malleability of the young talents. Professor Qin had also stated that they would be trained upon admittance. Yet, they were now contradictorily chased and rushed onto the operating theater. Wouldn¡¯t it have been more efficient to hire already trained experts?

    ¡°At your level of authority, you are not allowed to know the admittance criterion of Phecda. To be honest, I am not allowed too.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang waved his hands. As their trainer, he had an obligation to calm their nerves and worries. He patiently replied, ¡°When I first came here, I was on my way to my internship at the hospital. Somehow, I was sent here instead. I can understand why Ah Jun would think that way. Indeed, experts and graduates are better trained. However, that is precisely the reason that we cannot use them. They know too much.¡±

    ¡°Huh? This...¡± Sun Yuheng didn¡¯t understand. Where¡¯s the problem?

    ¡°Oh.¡± Wang Ruoxiang had some hazy understanding.

    This also sparked some ideas within Gu Jun. ¡°Too much to learn. Learning too much.¡± Just like a tall skyscraper, should such a building copse...

    ¡°You can guess what this means now.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s tone gradually became more serious. ¡°Once you are at the clinical building, you might understand it. Well, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Brother Qiang left the operating room to a fellow trainer who came to take over. Then, he took the five of them to the Clinical building.

 Chapter 52: Disease Bulletin Board

    <h4>Chapter 52: Disease Bulletin Board</h4>

    Dark clouds piled up in the sky, shes of electricity raced through the clouds, and a thunderstorm seemed to fall at any time.

    The surgical building of the Department of Medicine is not far from the training center. Gu Jun and the others followed Brother Qiang, brisk walked there, and quickly arrived at the front entrance of the 20-storey building. They looked up. The giant behemoth that seemed to tower into the sky and blue-green reflective ss blocked their vision to every floor.

    ¡°This way.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang walked up the old stone stairway and took a massive step forward, acting as a guide.

    The crowd followed his steps. They passed the revolving ss door and entered the lobby on the first floor.

    The spacious and bright lobby was simr to theyout of a surgical building in an ordinary hospital. There was no bustling scene between patients and their families, but the medical staff were simrly busy. Their white coats had work certificates on their chests. At a nce they saw a range of G-grade to F-grade personnel. Each belonging to different departments of surgery.

    Obviously, the entire surgical building was now mobilised for this group of patients with Malformed Banyan Disease.

    ¡°Over here.¡± Brother Qiang waved from the front.

    Gu Jun nced to his surroundings while walking, naturally wanting to get more information. In the half a month since he arrived there, he was still unclear about the structure of the medical department.

    Something suddenly appeared in his periphery. His pupils dted, and his heart tightened abruptly.

    It was a disease bulletin board on an adjacent wall. Numerous personnel hurriedly walked past it, and no one spared it a second nce as though they were long ustomed to it.

    ¡°Ah. That is?¡± Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and the others also saw it, and their faces changed slightly.

    ¡°Oh, those are severalmon diseases.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang had long expected them to react that way. Interns were allowed to view the information in the bulletin board. He then brought them over.

    Their footsteps were much heavier than before. Every hospital will have this kind of bulletin board, which disys information about some disease and pathological pictures. This was also true of this piece of wall, which was made of stainless steel, ss windows, and foamed panels. However, what exactly were the images posted on it?

    The jumbled pictures that reeked of eeriness and madness seemed to sting their eyes, their hearts, and brains.

    [Cleft Wart Skin Disease: The disease was first discovered in Chilin City, Mobei in November of 1987. In the early stage of the disease, the patient umtes lymphatic fluid1 in the subcutaneous tissue due to the obstruction of lymphatic reflux, causing persistent oedema2 throughout the body. This in turn leads to pathological states of fibrous hypersia3, fatty sclerosis4, thickening of the skin, and thickening of the limbs. The disease is often misdiagnosed as elephantiasis lymphedema during the early stage, but in the middle stage, the patient¡¯s skin surface will have warts, and part of the skin appears chapped. In theter stages, neosms continue to proliferate to cover the whole body...]

    They saw the picture of the case study next to the description. The patient was naked, but did not even retain a human figure and looked like an abomination made from a pile of rot.

    The swollen folds of skin had an extreme kind of ckening, but yellow warts had grown all over the swollen flesh which distorted the flesh into an unrecognisable amalgamation.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Tian Zelun swallowed nervously. Even if he was a medical student and had seen the Malformed Banyans and the jimenkens, he still felt nausea rising from the pit of his stomach.

    [Orbital Pseudotumor: The disease was first discovered in April 1995 in Lanshui City, Jiangnan. In the early stage of the disease, the patient had a malignant tumour in the orbital cavity. The forwardpression caused the eyeball to protrude, and the backward invasion of the skull into the intracranial area caused increased intracranial pressure. The patient will develop severe headache and vision loss. When the disease enters the middle stage, the abnormal tumour will further invade the brain, and the patient begins to experience unconsciousness, and auditory and visual hallucinations, which gradually worsens into delirium and blindness...]

    In the several pictures of the case, the patient¡¯s face was as pale as a skeleton, but his eyes were severely protruding, lined with eerie green blood vessels, and seemed as if they were about to burst.

    That panicked and crazed look was because he saw something horrifying. What exactly did the patient see in those hallucinations?

    [Systemic Rehder Taeniasis: The disease first broke out in Rehder City, Guixi in February 1935. The intermediate host of Taenia Viridis is pig and wild boar. Humans are the only final host. People are infected by eating pork with cercaria venom...]

    ¡°Ah,¡± Liu Hong heaved out a sigh. Meanwhile, Sun Yuheng endured the sense of oppression crushing his heart, but his teeth were already slightly chattering.

    This picture of taeniasis was the most terrible and disgusting sight they saw in this bulletin board.

    The patient did not have any abnormal sensations at the beginning, but the eggs quietly propagated in the small intestine. The six hook-leggedrvae then escaped, drilling into the wall of the small intestine, and reached the host¡¯s body through blood cirction or lymphatic system: subcutaneous tissue, muscle, brain, eye, neurilemma, bone...

    They relentlessly continue to develop into mature tapeworms. Only after upying the patient¡¯s entire body will they start to act up. The patient¡¯s mental state will begin to be abnormal, and the skin begins to ulcerate. Strips of thick adult worms drilled out not only from the skin but also the eyes, mouth, ears...

    They were densely packed across the entire body. After one drilled out, thenes the other until all the nutrients of the host are exhausted. Then, the patient will die in excruciating pain.

    Looking at these pictures that even doctors couldn¡¯t bear to see, the bodies of several interns were either a little numb or had a slight chill tingling across their skin.

    Although they had been receiving all kinds of irregr knowledge in the past half month, their days had been a littlefortable. In their dorms, they were fed well and were properly sheltered, living like princes and princesses. They could learn general surgery, practice routine operations, and the jinmenkens were just dogs, after all.

    Now, suddenly, the bulletin board seemed to have brought them back to the nightmarish reality that began with the Malformed Banyans, sinking them into a deeper and deeper abyss.

    ¡°There is nothing to fear. These kinds of diseases are not umon for us. The medical department has a lot of experience with treatment, and the mortality rate has fallen drastically.¡± Zhou Jiaqiangforted them and noticed that Wang Ruoxiang seemed rtively calmer. Brother Qiang looked at Gu Jun and asked, ¡°What are you thinking right now? Don¡¯t need an expert professor?¡±

    Upon arriving in front of the bulletin board, Gu Jun had been silent the whole time. However, he did understand something more clearly.

    Cleft wart skin disease, orbital pseudotumor, systemic Rehder taeniasis. These were the ¡®sources of stress¡¯ for doctors.

    Sometimes, the ignorant were fearless. For those who were clueless about medicine, they don¡¯t think that there was anything weird when they look at these diseases. They just think that these were horrible diseases.

    But for Professor Gu and even Brother Zhang Lin, they had learned and understood too much about the conventional field of medicine. They had established multiple ¡®towers¡¯ of medical conjectures in the depths of their spirits. These ¡®towers¡¯ had shaped their personality and will.

    These kinds of illnesses were still okay, but what about the Malformation Banyan Disease that had an inexplicable scratching reflex? What about other abnormal diseases that defied modern medicine and even conventional human wisdom?

    Their skyscrapers may copse into a colossal ruin, which likely nothing would ever be reconstructed.

    As for people like them who had merely constructed small buildings, they were better able to clean up the ruins.

    Gu Jun thought that there must be some more direct reasoning that he couldn¡¯t understand yet. However, the Phecda Department must have had a painful experience before setting up the selection system as it was now. It will not requisition those old veterans until thest minute. If they were lost, it would not benefit the Phecda Department and will mess up the ordinary world as well.

    It was only the current situation that made the Phecda Department more frantic and urgent for manpower.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang continued walkin. ¡°I will bring you to report at the orthopaedics.¡±

    Tian Zelun and Liu Hong hurriedly walked away. Sun Yuheng sighed and followed. Wang Ruoxiang was the next to move. Seeing that Gu Jun remained motionless, she softly uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Jun nodded and caught up with the others.

    They took the elevator to the sixth floor. The higher the elevator proceeded, the louder the patient¡¯s painful screams were. The elevator seemed to be traversing a passageway leading to hell.

    Brother Qiang said that 624 patients had to undergo various preoperative examinations. Now, they were scheduled to be carried out across every floor. The entire medical department was being mobilised.

    When they arrived at the sixth floor and walked out of the elevator, they immediately saw a still-living patient for the first time in a crowded corridor. A thick stench filled the air. Each of these patients was affixed to a mobile stretcher bed. Their limbs were shackled to the bed, regardless of whether they were normal or malformed.

    At a nce, dozens of stretcher beds were ced on both sides of the long corridor. Various shapes of malformed limbs impacted the cognition of Gu Jun and the others.

    These patients¡¯ howls were more disturbing than the roar of a ferocious beast.

    ¡°Come on. Be careful not to touch the patients.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang walked with five people, and the desperate eyes of those patients all turned towards them.

    At this time, a male patient with malformed lower limbs saw someone among them. The wailing screams suddenly turned into crazed cries, ¡°It¡¯s YOU, IT¡¯S YOU!¡± His eyes were very muddy but full of fear, anger, panic. ¡°IT¡¯S YOU! IT¡¯S YOU...¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhou Jiaqiang was stunned. Wang Ruoxiang and Sun Yuheng looked at each other and finally determined that the patient was indeed ring at Gu Jun.

    Gu Jun was taken aback as well, but he maintained an expressionless facade and the turbulent feeling that appeared whenever visions appeared had resurfaced in his heart.

    There was a nurse over there yelling and running, ¡°You all better get away! He appeared to be delirious. This is the transition phase before the third stage!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯M NOT CRAZY! I¡¯M NOT CRAZY! IT¡¯S YOU!¡± The patient violently pulled at the shackles restraining his limbs, and his face twisted with pain, desperately trying to get up to do something. The dangling sound of the stretcher bed reverberated noisily as he thrashed and writhed. ¡°IT¡¯S YOU! The thing inside the banyan tree... let me go... please, please let me...¡±

    Lymph is the fluid that flows through the lymphatic system, a systemposed of lymph vessels (channels) and intervening lymph nodes whose function, like the venous system, is to return fluid from the tissues to the central cirction. Lymphatic reflux refers to when lymph flows back up the vessel, causing a burning sensation.

    A condition characterised by an excess of watery fluid umting in the cavities or tissues of the body

    Fibrous hypersia is a non neostic lesion of fibrous connective tissue. Neosm is a new and abnormal growth of tissue in a part of the body, especially as a characteristic of cancer.

    Sclerosis is the abnormal hardening of body tissue.

 Chapter 53: The thing in the Banyan Tree

    <h4>Chapter 53: The thing in the Banyan Tree</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s you! The thing inside the Banyan Tree... Please... Let me go...¡±

    The patient on the stretcher bed screamed in a hoarse and pained tone. Suddenly, he broke out in a loud uncontroble cry. All of the fury and puzzlement had disappeared from his face in an instant. In ce of the twisted anger, the horrors of death and a certain sense of mediocrity as he pleaded for a chance to live had gushed out, ¡°I¡¯m begging you... I don¡¯t wanna die... Please! Let me go...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows puckered as his teeth bit on his lower lip.

    Has this man seen me before? Could he be the one that I spoke with on the phone? Impossible, Gurong Vige had long been cleared out and isted. They don¡¯t have these many vigers either.

    ¡°Move aside please.¡± A nurse rushed over and expertly pushed the patient away. On every nurse, a wirelessmunication device was connected to an earpiece. As she pushed the patient away, she reported to themand centre, ¡°Orthopaedics, patient No. 128 is showing signs of delirium. He might be exacerbating towards the bereavement stage.¡±

    ¡°Oh shucks...¡± Zhou Jiaqiang muttered to himself. Immediately, he turned and exined to the trainees, ¡°This patient needs immediate medical treatment. If he really enters the bereavement stage, there is no saving him. Speaking gibberish is a tell-tale sign of deterioration. For some reason, they all speak of the ¡°thing in the Banyan Tree¡±. Till now, we don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    Those words made Gu Jun recall a memory. He quickly recalled the words that the person on the phone told him. While that man also mentioned, ¡°the thing in the Banyan Tree¡±, he did not mention ¡°you¡±. He turned to Brother Qiang and asked, ¡°Brother Qiang, do they also single out others and say, ¡°it¡¯s you!¡±?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, this is also the first time I¡¯ve seen this.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang remained nonchnt about the situation. ¡°Delirium is due to an abrupt change in the brain that causes mental confusion and emotional disruption. It¡¯s normal. Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    As they moved on, Gu Jun followed behind Zhou Jiaqiang and asked again, ¡°Brother Qiang, where did these patientse from? Is it a different ce from the Banyan Malformation Disease patient we saw at thepetition?¡±

    ¡°You know I can¡¯t tell you anything. Not that I know the answers too,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang sternly replied. ¡°We just need to do our job as clinical medicine practitioners and save people.¡±

    Before the corridor ended, another patient¡¯s condition took a sudden downturn and entered delirium. He lost all control mentally and howled loudly, ¡°The thing in the Banyan Tree. No, don¡¯te closer! Let ... Let me go... No.... the thing... in the Banyan Tree...¡±

    Without dy, another nurse rushed over and yelled into the earpiece, ¡°Patient 143 is showing signs of delirium!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Perplexed, Zhou Jiaqiang scratched his head. ¡°This batch of patients just entered the 2nd stage. Logically, the progression should not be this quick. We should have another few days...¡±

    The hair-raising shrieks had everyone¡¯s expression turned sullen. Looking at the patient, Gu Jun¡¯s heart raced. He hoped he was wrong, but it seemed like Patient 143 only exacerbated after their gazes met. Furthermore, it was as if they had met before and ¡°the thing in the Banyan Tree¡± was him.

    Needles of pain repeatedly nailed into his brains, sending waves after waves of pulsating pain. Gu Jun clutched his head as he winced. This sense of annoyance and anxiety was intensifying. He could feel it; a vision wasing.

    Would the vision be directly linked to the Banyan Malformation Disease patients? He stillcked a rted venue..

    ¡°Gu Jun, are you alright?¡± in an undertone, Wang Ruoxiang whispered to Gu Jun. She had noticed the pale frail expression on Gu Jun. This was unexpected, the Gu Jun she knew in her mind was not this timid.

    ¡°I¡¯m... fine.¡± in a somewhat trembling voice, Gu Jun forced out a response. ¡°Seeing them like this, I just feel a little ufortable.¡± It was his genuine emotions.

    ¡°Me too...¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s face was flushed with a mixture of horror, anxiety, and sorrow. Her lips attempted a smile, but her eyes could not hide the churning worries.

    Zhou Jiaqiang gestured, urging them to keep up. As they walked on, they soon arrived at a spacious office. Within it, a cacophony of hurried discussions could be heard. Evidently, the sudden deterioration of the 2 patients had thrown everyone off course. Two extra teams had to be used immediately.

    Of course, such unanticipated circumstances had to be left to the veteran teams.

    Zhou Jiaqiang gave some final words of advice and left the 5 trainees to an errand nurse. Bidding goodbye to his students, he rushed off to settle his own work.

    Only at this time did Gu Jun hear that he was selected to be part of Doctor Zhu Ruiwen¡¯s team. Following the errand nurse, he toured themon areas of the group; resting room, changing room, and operating theater.

    The final destination was the team¡¯s office. As Gu Jun entered, he saw a middle-aged gentleman smiling warmly at him. This man was the primary surgeon, Doctor Zhu Ruiwen. With him were the anaesthetist, Yan Haizhe, and 1st assistant, Zen Jianguo. All of them were amicable and weing towards their newest member. Lastly, the third assistant was a newly promoted G-Level member of his age, Li Hualong.

    Unlike Gu Jun, Li Hualong had gone to a hospital for an internship. Just like Brother Qiang, he was selected into the Phecda from there. Surprisingly, Li Hualong was also very polite to Gu Jun; a little too polite even. It¡¯s not tricky for Gu Jun to guess the reason. He had entered the teamte, yet he became the second assistant first. It was only natural that Li Hualong was a little unhappy yet had to hide his dissatisfaction.

    However, there were more pressing emergencies at the moment. Both of them had set aside any unpleasant thoughts and were focused on listening to the operation brief for patient No. 25 from Team Leader Zhu. This would be the first operation in the afternoon.

    It was also at this time that a detail yanked up Gu Jun¡¯s heart, ¡°We are using local anaesthesia?!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhu Ruiwen¡¯s said expressionlessly. His stern response clearly indicated that this was not a tease for the neer. ¡°The amputation surgery of patients with Banyan Malformation Disease cannot be done with general anaesthesia. Otherwise, the chances of acute heart failure during the operation is high. In that case, the rate of failure will be higher. Not only that, but more than 80% of patients with general anaesthesia also lost a majority of their cognitive senses when they woke up. For their sake, we are only left with the option of local anaesthesia.¡±

    Within the office, he was the only one who was unaware and stumped speechless.

    During thepetition, the medical department only yed a silent video of the operation. The only information given to them was that 2nd Stage patients still had chances of treatment. However, further details like the sess rates were withheld. All of the students present had presumed and given themselves a false sense of 100% recovery.

    A forequarter amputation, or inyman terms, sawing off the entire hand together with the shoulder. This was major surgery and would take at least 3 hours.

    Yet, they were using local anaesthesia...

    ¡°It would be the biggest test of the patient¡¯s mental resilience,¡± Zhu Ruiwen¡¯s words were somewhat inspirational. ¡°But it would be an even bigger test for our mental strength.¡±

    Silently, Gu Jun nodded. His listless eyes and pale face stared at his toes. Li Hualong did not take the chance to mock or tease him. Instead, he sent a firm pat onto Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders and gave him an encouraging smile. ¡°No worries. With Local Anaesthesia, the sess rate is as high as 76%.¡±

    Feeling the firm grip on his shoulders, Gu Jun was wholly grateful.

    Looks like he isn¡¯t a bad guy. Well, no surprises since he did pass that harsh, gruelling interview.

    Within a short time before the operation, Gu Jun familiarised himself with the team and the n for the afternoon. By the time he finished his lunchbox, the first operation was already due to begin.

    Following Zhu Ruiwen and the others, Gu Jun donned the sterilised clothes and disinfected himself. After suiting himself with a surgical gown and gloves, he headed to the operating theater.

    It was very simr to regr operation until a screeching cry, like nails wing at a chalkboard, shattered the silence in the operating theatre. ¡°AHH! AHH!¡±

    ¡°Phoo..¡± Taking a deep breath, Gu Jun followed the team out of the changing room and strode through the doors of the operating theatre. The air was distinctively denser. Through his mask, he could catch a whiff of the distinct pungent smell from the malformed limb. This scent fumed his nostrils, up to his head. The familiar pounding then rocked his head again.

    The spacious and bright operating room was fully equipped with an operating bed, shadowlessmp, medical utility columns, and instrument table. A male patient had beenid on the operating bed in ateral position. The nurses had connected him to various venttors, anaesthesia monitors, and other monitoring equipment. His torso and healthy limbs werepletely secured onto the operating bed by a customised leather body protector. Only the left upper arm was exposed, clearly malformed and twisted.

    Zhu Ruiwen took the lead and took his position as the primary surgeon. Anaesthetist Yan Haizhe sat at the anaesthesia machine and kept his eyes fixated at the index data.

    ¡°Help me...¡± The patient kept struggling and screaming unceasingly.

    As the cries reverberated with the beeping of the equipment, Gu Jun could feel his heartbeat and psychological pressure surging. Even if he had countless nightmarish encounters and the Hands of Dexterity at his disposal, he could still feel his muscles tightening and even fossilising. Despite being surrounded by the cutting edge equipment, the atmosphere of the room was chillingly identical to a scene from the stone age when anaesthesia was unheard of.

    When juxtaposed to this scene, the canine thoracotomy surgery he led an hour ago was just like a child¡¯s y.

    ¡°Everyone, in your positions please.¡± Zhu Ruiwen readied himself by the left side of the patient. The 1st assistant, Zen Jianguo, and Gu Jun immediately stood at the opposite and by the left of the primary surgeon respectively. The 3rd assistant, Li Hualong, stood opposite Gu Jun. As they did the final preparations, the scrub nurse and circting nurses were all busy ensuring the readiness of the equipment.

    ¡°You...¡± The patient on the operating table turned to look at them. When something entered his eye, he suddenly panicked and wriggled uncontrobly ¡°The thing in the banyan tree! No, don¡¯t...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart clenched tightly. This time, he was very sure. The patient made contact with his eyes and...

    No. 128, No. 143, No. 25. Three patients. Why, why does it seem that I will speed up the development of their disease? Why?!

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind felt nk. A suffocating sensation appeared as if something blocked his throat. His face winced in pain as he gasped for air. It was extremely ufortable. Then, he felt nails repeatedly hammering into his head, as if his brains were being split apart.

    In front of him, a blinding light shone into his eyes. The vision had appeared again after half a month. The operating theater zoomed away. In a few moments, he could not hear the screams of the patient as his surroundings fell into silence. The vision and the strange lights and shadows gradually became real.

    An ancient giant banyan tree materialised beside him. All around him, silhouettes were on the ground kneeling and paying their worship to the banyan tree.

 Chapter 54: The Sacrifice To The Banyan Tree

    <h4>Chapter 54: The Sacrifice To The Banyan Tree</h4>

    The strange light and shadow illuminated the ancient giant banyan tree as well the silhouettes of people kneeling and worshipping around it.

    Gu Jun felt as though he was right next to the banyan tree, but his ¡°angle of view¡± could see the 360-degree situation around the banyan tree. There were about fifty people who were kneeling, all d in the same attire.

    It was a long ck gown with some weird embroidered patterns and looked like a costume from the Republic of China. However, the attire gave off an unknown sense of danger.

    Where is this? And when? Gu Jun wondered, thinking that the vision¡¯s visual range was somewhat limited, and further away was just a hazy, out-of-focus, low-lying building. Was that Gurong Vige? Or the origin of patient 25 on the operating bed?

    He wanted to take a closer look at the banyan tree, but all he could see was the lush foliage spreading outside. The thick branches drooped to the ground, as though absorbing some sort of energy from the earth.

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Jun wondered. If the patient with the Banyan Malformation Disease was the direct point of contact with this vision, what does this scene have inmon with their preparation to perform the surgery? What was themon singrity?

    At this time, he could vaguely hear the sound of someone struggling and howling. ¡°Ah, AH.¡± Was it patient No. 25¡¯s cries?

    Suddenly he seemed to see something. Four people in long ck gowns pushed a strangely constructed wooden prison cart to the banyan tree. The wood of the prison cart was engraved with intrinsic patterns everywhere. Some of the ficus roots of the banyan tree were wrapped around in a strange ring. There was a wooden frame in the middle of the prison cart.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart suddenly thumped, and his headache became more intense. The image of the vision was greatly distorted.

    A man was tied to the wooden frame on the prison cart. His torso and limbs were tightly bound in a spread-eagle way as if he was affixed to an operating table. The man wailed and moaned in pain. The vision suddenly erged, and Gu Jun saw that the man¡¯s tongue had been sliced off.

    Those fanatics pushed the prison cart round and round, and the people kneeling on their knees did not move or even lift their heads.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened, having a vague premonition of what was about to happen. Themon singrity with this scenario.

    They pushed the prison cart to the side of the banyan tree, stopped, and another person, who was also wearing the eerie long coat, approached. It was only that his coat was dyed bright red. The man in red carried a machete in his hand, walked to the side of the prison cart, and swung the machete towards the prisoner¡¯s right upper limb. KACHA. Splinters of wood mixed with bits of blood and flesh flew out. Then, the man proceeded to the left upper limb.

    Hoarse screams that seemed toe from the depths of hell resounded, but the sound of the machete falling continued mercilessly.

    Gu Jun also felt an acute pain that struck all the way to his bone marrows, and the vision became more and more unstable, jumping blurrily. He saw the machete dripping with blood as those lying on the ground suddenly chanted collectively, and made an indescribable eerie noise.

    He saw what the man in red was holding. It was a strangely malformed banyan tree branch. Every leaf in a densely packed bunch was painted with some ck text. It was unclear whatnguage it was. The man in red was holding onto these branches and pierced them into the man¡¯s wounds where his limbs were severed.

    Amidst the tragic wailings, the man ¡°transformed¡± into a monstrosity. He bore a human torso and head, but all his limbs were banyan branches.

    Gu Jun¡¯s headache seemed like it was about to split apart. He then saw the men in ck rising from the ground one by one. They walked to the banyan tree, then to the sacrifice on the prison cart.

    On the other hand, he felt as though he was gradually growing more distant and fading out of the illusion. But suddenly...

    He clearly saw the appearance of the man in red. The face was withered and abhorrent, looking almost like a skull. It left a feeling of intense repulsion.

    It was the ¡°receptionist¡± of the Lai Shengpany who was following him. It¡¯s that guy!

    ¡°AH!!!¡± Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but utter a hoarse and frantic yell, feeling something exploding in his heart.

    Those in ck were all from Lai Sheng Company. This was their organization. They formed these secretive associations and engaged in these crazy ceremonies and sacrifices to fulfil some crazed purpose. Are Mom and Dad one of them? Are they over there?!

    For some reason, the age depicted in this vision felt extremely ancient as though it happened before the establishment of the Republic of China.

    The bunch of new questions flooded every drop of Gu Jun¡¯s blood. At the same time, he also had some abominable answers.

    Lai Sheng Company was an organization of lunatics. The Banyan Malformation Disease was rted to Lai Sheng Company, and was highly likely a kind of artificially created disease!

    Suddenly, the vision dissipated like a receding tide. Gu Jun suddenly saw the bright modern operating room surrounded by light from the shadowlessmp.

    ¡°Second assistant? Second assistant?¡± The voice of Zhu Ruiwen grew louder and louder, and Fu Fang¡¯s face was a little nervous. Seeing Gu Jun finally responding, he asked again, ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    The first assistant Zeng Jianguo, third assistant Li Hualong, as well as anaesthetist, Yan Haizhe, and a group of nurses all looked at Gu Jun.

    Just now, this rookie suddenly seemed to be in a trance. There seemed to be some daze, confusion, and pain on his face.

    This situation was not umon in the operating room of the Phecda Department. No one wanted toy me on him, but couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed. Primary Surgeon Zhu also said before, ¡°Gu Jun, the little guy, has higher talent than me. You cannot view him with ordinary eyes.¡± But now, he seemed to be no different from ordinary people.

    ¡°Do you want to take a break outside first?¡± Zhu Ruiwen asked hesitantly. The operation was about to start, and other groups were also in progress. Where could he go to find a second assistant? Zhu Ruiwen had also just be a primary surgeon. When faced with this situation, he was at a little loss with what to do.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun sucked in a few deep breaths. He stabilized his body so that he didn¡¯t let his hands, which needed to be sterile, to touch the bed, table, or operating table. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯m really sorry. I lost myposure a bit, but I¡¯m all right now.¡±

    His scream in the vision just now was like a crazed howl in a nightmare. Others could not hear it, but he vented the grievances in his heart.

    Patient No. 25 on the operating bed was still yelling, but the nurse covered his eyes with a sterile eye mask so he had quieted downpared to before.

    Gu Jun looked at the patient, and his face regained its resoluteness and calm.

    ¡°Well, okay then.¡± Zhu Ruiwen nodded thoughtfully. After all, the training exercises of jinmenken thoracotomy were just exercises. They had to give this rookie some time to adapt.

    Watching the tragic death of animals and watching the tragic death of a fellow human being were two vastly different concepts for humans.

    Looking at the corpse of an already-dead patient and looking at a struggling patient on the verge of death were simrly two very different things to a doctor.

    No matter how aberrant Gu Jun¡¯s talent was, he stillcked psychological experience. However, when Zhu Ruiwen saw that he was indeed okay, he didn¡¯t let Gu Jun go out to rest and decided to observe the situation first. However, Zhu Ruiwen signaled to the circting nurse using his eyes: once any abnormality was found with Gu Jun, she was to immediately notify him to deal with it.

    ¡°The patient has already experienced delirium. Let¡¯s quickly proceed.¡± Zhu Ruiwen took the scalpel and refocused on the operating table again. Everyone also got back in action with renewed vigour.

    Gu Jun cast his wild thoughts aside. Calm down. Don¡¯t think about anything now. Let¡¯s finish the operation first.

    He watched as Primary Surgeon Zhu and First Assistant Zeng made an incision with intense focus. He banished his thoughts about the patient¡¯s cries of pain and made his brain ignore it.

    The primary surgeon and first assistant made a posterior incision (between the neck and shoulder de), slicing apart the patient¡¯s posterior muscle, and separated the posterior p. As they were cutting, they also proceeded with hemostasis. At this time, they cut thetissimus dorsi and trapezius muscles. Blood was surging out relentlessly, and Zeng Jianguo seemed to be too busy to cope with the situation.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Zhu Ruiwen turned his head slightly to look at the second assistant, Gu Jun, and the third assistant, Li Hualong. Finally, he shouted, ¡°Second assistant,e and stitch the wound to stop the bleeding.¡±

    After all, there would be 19 surgeries in the next three days. Their team needed an excellent second assistant.

    The operation was only in the first phase of making an incision. It was still early. If Gu Jun was not up to the task, then he should be reced early.

    With everyone¡¯s eyes focused on him, Gu Jun stepped forward. ¡°Okay.¡±

    He approached the operation area which was closer than before. The shoulder area of the patient¡¯s malformed left upper limb had already be a twisted gory mess of flesh and blood.

 Chapter 55: Stitching and the Saw

    <h4>Chapter 55: Stitching and the Saw</h4>

    Before the start of the operation, an intable tourniquet was ced on the malformed limb of patient No. 25. While it had significantly reduced the perioperative blood loss, there was still fresh crimson blood flowing out of the incision. As the operation continued, the nurses had already begun blood transfusion for the patient at the lower limbs.

    The strong smell of iron from the blood blended with the distinctive whiff of the malformed limb and fumed mercilessly towards Gu Jun. Receiving the needle forceps from the circting nurse, Gu Jun bent toward the operative field.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Zhu Ruiwen dropped a word of advice and turned back to his own procedure. He still had to handle the twisted and malformed levator scape (neck and shoulder muscle) and the rhomboid muscle (shoulder des). The malformation of a Banyan Malformation Disease patient was rooted from within the tissue outwards to the surface. As such, the difficulty of the operation would only intensify as the process continued.

    With the aid of the 2nd assistant, 1st assistant, Zen Jianguo, moved on to assist the primary surgeon.

    With a deep breath, Gu Jun took his first stitch on the twisted muscle.

    Hm, slightly tougher than usual. I need to use more force.

    Narrowing his eyes onto the cut, his nerves on his hands quickly adjusted to the new texture. Only thinking about his task, it was much less daunting. Be it jinmenken, an average person, or a malformed limb, all he needed to do was to apply his sutures professionally.

    Like the thousands of practices he did in the past half month, he stitched 1 after another.

    Among the surgeons, the only one who had time to watch was errand boy, Li Hualong. On the sidelines, the nurses were also watching Gu Jun, who had taken a radical change.

    ¡°Wow.¡± As the circting nurse, this nurse had an obligation to watch over the procedure and assist should it be necessary. Initially, she had believed that this little boy would be frantic and panicky. Worst still, he could be chased away from the table by more experienced surgeons to calm down. Who knew? The scene right now was dramatically different. She could not believe her eyes.

    Is this the same boy that was scared listless just now?

    Li Hualong¡¯s brows raised as he watched on. Gu Jun was like a swordsman who was brandishing his de expertly, swiftly, and cutting through the wind. Pure elegance.

    Gu Jun was using the running locking suture. While the start and end were highly simr to the simple continuous suture, the process was much moreplicated. Every stitch had to pass through the loop of the previous stitch. This method could prevent the wound from reopening and yed a more substantial role in providing hemostasis. However, it was not widely used due to itsplex steps and time consumption.

    However, Gu Jun was finishing his suturing at a swift pace. Even whenpared to the conventional time needed for a simple continuous suture, he was fast.

    Inparison with the timing for the running locking suture, he was lightning fast. It was almost as if Gu Jun was a staple machine which clicks nonstop and was 100% urate even at top speed.

    ¡°Gu Jun, he is indeed...¡± within his heart, Li Hualong muttered in admiration. ¡°What a talent.¡±

    He did not harbour maliciousness towards Gu Jun, but was undoubtedly ufortable with him as a second aid. If this wasn¡¯t the Phecda Department, he would have believed that Gu Jun had gone through a backdoor especially with that poor performance before the start of the operation.

    All these doubts and dissatisfaction in Li Hualong¡¯s heart had vanished. His initial arrogance and resentment were forcibly stripped off.

    When he was admitted into the Phecda Department, the belief that he was very talented was deeply rooted within him. But now, Gu Jun gave him a life lesson, ¡°There would always be someone better than you.¡±

    ¡°Nicely done, second assistant!¡± Zhu Ruiwen looked at the suture and eximed. The surprise that he initially had when watching Gu Jun was back on his face.

    This was the Gu Jun that Elder Qin spoke so highly of!

    With the cessation of the blood loss, the surgical field cleared up. The next step could now be carried out by the primary surgeon and 1st assistant.

    Zhu Ruiwen started to operate on the twisted scapr levator muscles. At that point, cries echoed throughout the room again. The patient¡¯s body spasmed as sorrowful bawling ensued, ¡°Ah, please. Please let me go... oh. Oh... my child. My two babies... let them go... they are young...¡±

    The patient¡¯s voice became more and more emotional and pained. While they may im that it was words of delirium, the sentences were veryplete and coherent. Every word shook with horror and reeked of despair. It seemed that something more terrible than death had happened.

    These words wed on the will of everybody in the operating room. Just like a lone ship sailing on the stormy seas, blown by the strong wind and crashed by the waves. Once it could not stand upright, it would be swept away into the abyss.

    As the heartwrenching words continued, Li Hualong¡¯s will gradually weakened. Like some lethal poisons, mental stress was initially asymptomatic initially, but it slowly intruded the heart as time passed. At the breaking point, it wouldunch a sudden attack. Soon, its effects would show up. Li Hualong¡¯s right hand, which was holding gauze to clean the blood and ck liquid from the wound, was trembling. Despite his utmost efforts, he couldn¡¯t control it.

    Under the re of the shadowlessmp, his forehead was sparkling. The pressure was really scraping away his resilience. ¡°Sister Chen,¡± Li Hualong turned to his head and called, ¡°sorry to trouble you. Please help me clean up the sweat on my forehead.¡±

    Sister Chen was the circting nurse. She immediately walked over. With a clean gauze, she gave a strong forceful wipe on the rascal¡¯s forehead, jolting him back into attention. To be honest, many of the other nurses on the sideline wanted to give this brat a ¡°reminder¡± too. Initially, they had wanted to speak for Li Hualong and help him get promoted. s, now they knew Zhu Ruiwen was perfect in his judgement.

    Li Hualong ah, Li Hualong. Look at Gu Jun!!

    Ever since Gu Jun began the stitching, he seemed to have morphed into apletely different person. Despite facing the patient¡¯s mania at point-nk, his calmness and steadfastness were unshaken. Right now, Gu Jun¡¯s impable stature could be said to be the motivation of the entire room. After all, if a newbie could keep his cool, the experienced members like the others did not wish to bear the embarrassment of being the first to give up.

    ¡°My child, my child...¡± Even when fleeting through the blurred lines of consciousness, the patient constantly repeated this sentence as if it was herst threads of hope.

    ¡°Phoo, phoo.¡± Gu Jun kept breathing at a steady rhythm while his hands worked. It almost seemed like his fingers were independent of his body as he moved the needle forceps quickly and precisely.

    Contrary to the others¡¯s opinions, he did hear the anguished words of the patient. However, he had clearly distinguished his mission.

    Although they were also causing extreme pain to others, they were different from those scums from the Lai Shengpany.

    His job was simple; saving people. That¡¯s all.

    Your two children; your family and friends. If they are in this group of patients, we will also be sure to save them.

    Gu Jun swore in his heart solemnly. For now, he would not think of other things. It¡¯s just him and every stitch he was making to reduce the blood loss bit by bit.

    Deep in focus, Gu Jun had lost track of time. Wherever Zhu Ruiwen pointed to, he stitched. Even when his forehead was glistening like the summer seas, he did not notice. Circting nurse, Sister Chen, had to take the initiative to call out to him, ¡°Second Assistant Gu, turn your head over. Let me clean your sweat for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Gu Jun turned his head slightly. Even so, his hands never stopped.

    That blew the minds of Li Hualong and the nurses.

    Did Gu Jun grow eyes on his hands? How the heck is he able to keep stitching? And it is still wless!

    ¡°Oh my, there¡¯s so much sweat.¡± Gently, Sister Chen held up the gauze and patted away the beads of sweat. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. You are doing fantastic.¡±

    Gu Jun smiled and turned back. Well, not like he ever felt nervous.

    Having removed the back muscles, it was time for the sawing of the vicle to expose the nerves and blood vessels.

    It was only natural that bone sawing was part of the process. The scalpel just won¡¯t be enough, not when the bones were malformed and twisted to this extent.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the saw?¡± asked Zhu Ruiwen. The scrub nurse immediately passed a Stryker power system saw, dragged a cable, and set it to high horsepower. With a 14mm drill bit securely attached, Zhu Ruiwen could start it the very instant itnded on his hands. With a press of a button, the blood-curdling screeches rang.

    CHHK! CHHK! CHHK!

    ¡°Ah...¡± The patient¡¯s gut-wrenching screamsyered over the bone cutting screeches from the saw.

    Anaesthetist Yan Haizhe stared at the indicators disyed on the anaesthesia machine. On his side, the nurses were in position and ready to rescue at any moment. The local anaesthesia operation had a 76% sess rate. Of the 24% failure rate, it was mostly at the step of sawing the bones. Should the patient be unable to bear it, some would lose consciousness and never wake up due to pain; some even triggered cardiac arrest.

    Gu Jun left his position and watched quietly while Zhu Ruiwen held the saw to the vicle in the patient¡¯s posterior incision. With steady hands, he sawed slowly and precisely.

    CHHK! CHHK! CHHK!

    The ck liquid sprayed everywhere. Crimson blood burst out. Flesh and the bones were reduced to mush and dust.

 Chapter 56: Surgical Job List

    <h4>Chapter 56: Surgical Job List</h4>

    CHHK! CHHK!

    The sound of the saw cutting through bones resounded throughout the operating room, which made it incredibly grating on the ears.

    Gu Jun watched Primary Surgeon Zhu saw a little bit of the patient¡¯s vicle kinks at a time. Then using a manual wire saw, thoroughly cut the inner vicle. Primary Surgeon Zhu held the handle of the wire saw firmly and pulled the saw back and forth with all his strength. There were spirally distributed teeth on the hacksaw wire. A single pulling action brought debris of countless bone fragments with it.

    The more horrifying the sound of the saw grinding on the bone grew, the more it grated on everyone¡¯s hearts.

    Perhaps at this time, the patient¡¯s ability to lose consciousness was kindness in itself. Patient No. 25 had no syncope or cardiac arrest, although all physical indicators had reached a hazardous point. The role of the local anaesthesia was too limited, and he continuously issued an unbearable wailing as though he was being tortured by demons.

    ¡°Hold on for a while longer.¡± Zhu Ruiwen called the circting nurse to wipe his sweat. He leaned his head down to offer the patient a fewforting words, regardless of whether or not the other delirious party could hear, ¡°Everything will be fine soon.¡±

    When doctors said such sentences, it was best not to believe them.

    The tragic bone sawing was finallypleted, and the subvian muscle was cut off. Zhu Ruiwen asked Gu Jun to help pull the patient¡¯s malformed limb in a forward and downward direction, which exposed the stretched brachial plexus nerve and subvian arteries and veins. The primary surgeon and first assistant began to process and cut off the exposed sensitivities.

    This was the most challenging part of amputation surgery for patients suffering from the Banyan Malformation Disease. One was because the flow of ck fluid disrupts the area of surgical operation. The other was that some nerves and blood vessels were also malformed, and a conventional cut makes it difficult to sever. And so, there was a need to make a cut in a deeper position. This was also the main content of the surgical video yed on the day of thepetition which left the teachers and students stunned.

    Now, Gu Jun was pulling the patient¡¯s malformed limbs forcefully and keeping it steady. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the techniques and steadiness disyed by these veterans. A few unruly thoughts crossed his mind. ¡°I can still do suture ligation, but there is still much I have to learn. I hope my time here will allow me to grow and nurture my skills.¡±

    After Zhu Ruiwen and Zeng Jianguo treated the nerves and blood vessels, they made an anterior incision, opened the anterior p, separated therge pectoralis major and small muscles that had been twisted into a ball, and cleanly cut off the humerus and the coracoid process.

    KACHA! All tissues of this malformed limb were disconnected from the torso.

    Suddenly, the malformed limb that Gu Jun was pulling became an independent existence.

    ¡°Ah, alright,¡± Zhu Ruiwen said softly. The operation was basically a sess at this point. ¡°Second assistant, hold on to it first, then put it in the bag.¡±

    A professional male nurse walked over with an orange medical bag that disyed the Phecda Department logo. Gu Jun carefully packed the severed limb inside the bag, and the male nurse pulled on the bag chain then brought it outside the operating room. The malformed arm must have been reserved for research or anatomical dissection.

    This male nurse did not attend the previous pre-operation brief. No one also introduced who this man was, and remained expressionless. However, Gu Jun had a strong hunch that he was a corpse guide.

    If the operation fails, the patient¡¯s cadaver would also be handled by this person.

    However, the condition of patient No. 25 took a turn for the better. Gu Jun found that the patient¡¯s delirium weakened as soon as the affected limb waspletely cut off. He was not in as much pain as before, but still incoherently muttered some words. Gu Jun endured the urge to ask, ¡°Have you seen me before?¡± not daring to get distracted. After all, there was still the final procedure of ligation.

    The others did not bex, and the operating room continued to be busy.

    Everyone rinsed the wound first. After ensuringplete hemostasis, a negative pressure drainage tube was ced in preparation to suture the front and rear free muscle ends to cover the side of the chest wall. Finally was the ligation of everyyer of muscle.

    After Zhu Ruiwen and Zeng Jianguo stitched the deeperyers of tissue, they handed the operating table over to Gu Jun and Li Hualong.

    Both Zhu Ruiwen and Zeng Jianguo had already greatly exhausted their physical strength. No matter regarding the sess or failure of this operation, they willmence the next operation 15 minutes after the end of their break. Now that Gu Jun was here, they could sit down on a stool with peace of mind and rest. However, they still need to pay attention to keep their hands sterile.

    At present, nurses such as Sister Chen could also appreciate Gu Jun¡¯s exquisite stitching technique. In contrast, Li Hualong seemed like an amateur.

    Time slowly passed. When the operation was approaching the three hour mark, Gu Jun and Li Hualong had finished stitching the superficial tissue and bandaging the wound under pressure while the patient was still in a semi-conscious state. The operation was a sess!

    This was how everyone loosened up. There were no words of jubtion. Everyone tried to avoid talking in the operating room. Except for several nurses who were left to deal with the aftermath, the four doctors and anesthesiologists walked outside the operating room to re-wash their hands, sterilize, and change their surgical gowns and gloves. They were back after about 15 minutes.

    As soon as he walked out of the operating room, Zhu Ruiwen beamed warmly and praised, ¡°Ah Jun, you performed exceptionally well. Hualong, you did well too.¡±

    Although Gu Jun seemed to have lost his mind in the beginning, it appears that it was nothing. Zeng Jianguo and Yan Haizhe also praised, ¡°Young people indeed have a bright future.¡±

    ¡°Having talents like you, the medical department will have no problem in the future. ¡±

    ¡°Hehe...¡± Li Hualongughed wryly, knowing that the one they were reallyplimenting was Gu Jun and were only offering words of encouragement to him.

    ¡°I still have to thank Team Leader Zhu for the opportunity,¡± Gu Jun said modestly. He was not someone who didn¡¯t understand human rtions and exchanged pleasantries. ¡°Teacher Zeng, Teacher Yan, you are overly praising me. The real mainstays here are you seniors. We, the younger generation, are still far away from your expertise.¡±

    This was indeed the truth. The forequarter amputation was just one of the many types of amputations. Just learning this amputation alone would keep him busy, let alone anything else.

    Hearing his words, the three senior doctors immediately felt his words very pleasing to the ears. Being admired by talented young people was truly a great feeling.

    The five people took off their gloves and washed their hands. They went to the front hall for a rest first, and then went to the room for rinsing and disinfection.

    As Gu Jun walked, he was busy sorting out the matter in the operating room and the vision he had just witnessed. This was his second sessful attempt at life-saving, and it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to count him as a participant.

    The system interface in his mind suddenly popped up prompt bars continuously.

    ¡®You participated in a sessful two-star surgery (from Low to High, 1 star to 10 stars) and opened a list of surgical jobs!¡¯

    ¡°The proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity has increased by 2000. The level is now second-tier (7000/30000 proficiency)¡±

    ¡°Due to sessfully opening the surgical job list, you have received the following reward: 1 HIDDEN mission. Please check.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned in surprise, and immediately opened the system with a thought. He wanted to find if there was indeed a ¡°surgical job list¡± in the system. He then clicked to view it.

    [Surgical Operation- Star ¨C Results -Personal Contribution / Ranking]

    [Canine thoracotomy ¨C One star, Sess ¨C Personal contribution 65% / Rank 1]

    [Forequarter Amputation ¨C Two stars, Sess ¨C Personal contribution 7% / Rank ]

    Gu Jun checked it out and found that the system should be evaluated based on his memories. In that canine thoracotomy, he ranked first with 65% contribution, Wang Ruoxiang ranked second at 25%, Cai Zixuan was at third ce with 8%, and the circting nurse, Cao Yue, was fourth with 2%.

    For this operation, Primary Surgeon Zhu was first with 45%, First Assistant Zeng was second with 30%, he was third ce at 7%, and the others divided the remaining 18% with Li Hualong ounting for 3%.

    Gu Jun did notin about the results of the degree of contribution, because ording to the workload, importance, and substitutability, such allocation was also reasonable.

    However, he wanted to protest against the loophole for the system¡¯s ratings regarding the surgical operations. ¡°One star for canine thoracotomy is eptable, but isn¡¯t it a bit excessive to only give two stars for forequarter amputation? What are the surgical operations rated above three and four stars? Craniotomy, heart transntation or organ transntation? Then what are operations rated even higher?!¡±

    Well, the loophole was one thing. After a cursory scan, Gu Jun discovered the immense benefits which the system¡¯s new feature offered.

    Every time he opened the log of every operation to view the details, he seemed to be able to relive the actual sensations at the time of operation. He was able to look at himself from a third-person perspective so he could closely observe even the most subtle operations he made, seeing the areas he did well, as well as his inadequacies.

    ¡°With this function,¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart suddenly felt a wave of adrenaline, ¡°I could make rapid strides in improving my surgical skills!¡±

    For the current situation where time was the mostcking resource, this feature was especially precious.

    After rewatching the operation for a while, Gu Jun went to take a look at what the other prompt bar said. He opened this mission log, Sure enough, he saw one more HIDDEN mission added to the list.

    He immediately looked at it. What he was most concerned about were the mission rewards.

 Chapter 57: In the Face of Death

    <h4>Chapter 57: In the Face of Death</h4>

    [HIDDEN Mission: Within 3 days, umte a minimum of 150% personal contributions for sessful 2 star operations. Mission Rewards: 1 blurred and dpidated photograph

    Current Cumtive Personal Contributions: 0%, Time Remaining: 71:59:59]

    Looking at the new mission description, Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    1 blurred and dpidated photograph? A photograph of what?

    This system had an iron rule which it operated on. For NORMAL missions, the rewards will be drugs or medicines. These were all unrted to any form of visions. The DIFFICULT missions would reward items that once had an owner and were rted to the visions. From the current looks of it, the HIDDEN missions had a simr difficulty to DIFFICULT missions. Owing to the rarity, the possibility of the rewards being scarcer was high.

    From the previous rewards, anatomical reference or journal, there was no means to decipher its previous owner. Is it a human? Is the owner even from Earth?

    As Gu Jun thought to himself, his eyes glimmered brighter with adrenaline.

    If it is a picture, the subjects of the image will definitely appear. This would be a critical piece of information. What¡¯s more is that if it triggers an illusion, I can possibly decrypt more details.

    Gu Jun had another 19 operations to umte 150% contribution. Per the estimated 76% sess rate, 15 sessful operations were approximated.

    Should he wish toplete the mission, he had to at least achieve a 10% contribution on average. However, his previous contribution was only 7%.

    While this mission was tough, it was not impossible. Weighing the chances, Gu Jun steeled his resolve. As the operations continued, it was inevitable that the primary surgeon and the 1st assistant would be fatigued. He had to perform better and earn the chance to take on more responsibilities to increase his contributions. As long as he kept with the standards, he could gain more work. As his n materialised in his head, his mouth twisted into a half-smile.

    Time to get into my frenzied and manic working style again.

    At the same time, another worry tormented him. Was he really the cause of deterioration in the conditions of the Banyan Malformation Disease patients? If he really was, the investigation department would be knocking on his doors at any moment now.

    As he grappled with the puzzlement and anxiety, Gu Jun headed to the resting room with the surgical team for a short break. Immediately after, they washed up and disinfected themselves. After which, they donned on their battle armour once again. Before long, they were in a different operating theatre, fully prepped to save another life.

    When they entered, they saw the anaesthetist already present. He had already applied the local anaesthesia for patient No. 56.

    Patient No. 56 was a teenage girl. She had to undergo an amputation for her right shoulder joint. As her condition was less severe than patient No. 25, the shoulder des did not need to be removed. Despite that, a simr bawling still echoed throughout the room.

    ¡°Get into positions everyone. This time, the target is toplete the operation within 2 and a half hours. Once again, Zhu Ruiwen took the lead and gestured to everyone. With a firm nod, the core team got themselves ready.

    Gu Jun silently followed behind. His breathing was shallow and hurried. When he arrived at the operating table, he saw that the patient¡¯s eyes had not been covered by the blindfold. He intentionally looked at her, matching his gaze onto her confused and grimacing eyes.

    One second, two seconds, three seconds... nothing happened.

    The patient did not fall into delirium. Her voice was still trembling with fear, begging them to put her into full general anaesthesia.

    Within his heart, Gu Jun sighed in relief.

    Maybe after triggering the vision of the sacrifice to the banyan tree, I¡¯ve lost that ability? Or maybe... Is it just a coincidence?

    Somehow, his heart knew that it was not a coincidence. A severe matter like this could not be left to chance. What was the real reason?

    The ¡°thing in the banyan tree¡±. What was it?

    ***

    The dead of night descended and jet-ck darkness engulfed Phecda Department. A torrential downpour was pelting mercilessly onto the towering Clinical Block. As medical workers raced against the ticking clock, the roaring thunder struck deeply at their hearts. Every few seconds, the crackling lightning streaked like snaking cracks over the monolith canvas.

    Most were sleeping at this time, but one building was still brightly lit. Across the 20 odd floors, every level was still embroiled in a frenzied hurry.

    In a minimalistic and elegant office on its 19th floor, Team Leader Qiu was giving a report to his visiting superior, Professor Qin.

    ¡°Elder Qin, as of now, 90 Banyan Malformation Disease patients had finished their surgeries. Of them, 71 were sessful and 19 did not make it... The sess rate is at 78%, which was slightly higher than before.¡±

    In his tone, Team Leader Qiu was not coveting the efforts. Instead, he was full of pride for the valiant warriors at the frontlines of the operations.

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s good.¡± Hearing the report, Professor Qin was pleased. ¡°This batch of patients came early. Ideally, we should be able to save most of them. However, things aren¡¯t going too well at theboratories. There¡¯s still quite a distance to an actual result. You need to make the necessary preparations here.¡±

    ¡°We will do so like always.¡±

    Suddenly, Professor Qin¡¯s brows twitched on his wrinkled forehead. Calmly, he asked, ¡°How is the performance of the trainees today?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good! The standards of all of them are very high.¡± Immediately, Team Leader Qiu burst into a peal of praises, ¡°Sun Yuheng and Wang Ruoxiang were especially of great help. However, they pale inparison to Gu Jun. This boy, he¡¯s on a different level.¡± Team Leader Qiu was full of praises to this arrangement. ¡°Zhu Ruiwen had reported to me. Of the 3 operations they had today, Gu Jun¡¯s performance only got better. He was willing to do everything, and he did everything that he could. Simply perfect! You can¡¯t even tell that today was his first day in an actual operation!¡±

    ¡°Good...¡± Again, Professor Qin nodded. ¡°This is the best. Hopefully, he will grow faster. Then, we can send him to the Mobile Task Force as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Elder Qin, isn¡¯t it still early to talk about his appointment to the Mobile Task Force?¡± Quickly, Team Leader Qiu tried to grab onto his new-found talent. ¡°This rascal has yet to finish the training. I think that Zhu Ruiwen may have exaggerated the performance just like always.¡±

    Professor Qin left Team Leader Qiu hanging and asked, ¡°What do you think of the sudden deterioration of the 3 patients?¡±

    ¡°It should be a new symptom of the Banyan Malformation Disease. A sudden downturn in the 2nd stage is wholly possible.¡± Team Leader Qiu had also given this some thought. After all, the biggest defeat of the day was the failure to save patients no 128 and no 143. Of the 3, only patient no 25, who was in the hands of Zhu Ruiwen¡¯s team survived.

    ¡°Hmm, the psychology team has a differing viewpoint.¡± The ridges deepened on Professor Qin¡¯s forehead as his voice became heavier. ¡°The psychology team thinks that the patients suffered some external triggers. From there, they disyed a very intense stress response. This, in turn, affected them biologically and elerated the development of the Banyan Malformation Disease.¡±

    ¡°That... that is possible as well...¡± Thinking in that direction, Team Leader Qiu¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°What does the psychology team think is the trigger?¡±

    Standing up from his seat, Professor Qin walked to the window and looked wistfully at the sprawling white cracks on the night sky. In a sullen tone, he sighed. ¡°Watching the CCTV footage of the incidents, a simrity was found. Gu Jun was always present. Also, the 3 patients were screaming at Gu Jun.¡±

    As the storm wrecked carnage over the skies, pellets of rain sttered over the windows. The view was shrouded and limited. In the distance, only darkness was left.

    ¡°Very possibly, Gu Jun is the trigger. He might be the ¡°thing in the banyan tree¡±.¡± Slowly, the words formed from Professor Qin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Shock crashed onto Team Leader Qiu. ¡°Gu Jun is the trigger? Do they even know him? Why is there hatred and feud involved now?¡±

    Team Leader Qiu simplyughed it off. The psychology team always engaged with unfathomable and far-fetched theories. Furthermore, nine times out of ten were unreasonable and impossible nonsense.

    ¡°Gu Jun has been in contact with so many patients today. Why is it that only the 3 were stressed? Elder Qin, you also know that the psychology team spent their entire day doubting things. They basically don¡¯t trust the whole world!.¡±

    ¡°This time is different. We are not clear about the involvement of this matter.¡± Professor Qin sighed. Some information was hidden from Team Leader Qiu, due to himcking in authority level. Professor Qin shook his head. ¡°I have not notified the investigation department about this situation. For now, we will keep observing and observing. Buy some time for the psychology team to do some more analysis. This matter will be kept secret. Don¡¯t tell Gu Jun. Let him carry on for the next few days.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Team Leader Qiu nodded. Even with more thought about it, he was still unwilling to believe such an inconceivable theory.

    ***

    nd operation, shoulder joint amputation. Gu Jun contributed another 7%. He had only done some stitches.

    rd Operation, hip joint amputation. Gu Jun¡¯s contribution rose to 9%. He was in charge of holding the tissues in ce during parts of the process.

    th operation, hemipelvic amputation. During this radical surgery, where the patient was amputated from the waist down, Gu Jun broke through 10% contribution. For the first time, he was involved in the actual amputation process.

    The percentage increased to 12% during the 5th operation, forequarter amputation. During the 6th operation, amputation of both hips, it was 15%.

    This was the calm before the storm. Just when things were seemingly perfect, a ¡°Failure¡± urred during the 7th operation.

    It was another forequarter amputation, which was much lower in difficulty than the amputation of both hips. However, the patient was an elderlydy of more than 70 years of age. With a frail and weakened body, she was unable to withstand the prolonged torture of the bone sawing under mere local anaesthesia. During the bone sawing, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite the best efforts of the team, she was lost.

    This operation did not aid in the umtion of Gu Jun¡¯s contribution points. Facing the demise of their patient, everyone could only swallow this bitter fruit of defeat. In the corner of the room, tears of regret had escaped the eyes of the younger nurses.

    It was not their first encounter with death. However, the heart-wrenching cries and the pleads to let her die reverberated unceasingly in their hearts. The olddy¡¯s screams of pain and her submission into the hands of death would gue them for months, if not years, toe.

    At that point, Gu Jun gritted his jaws and clenched his fists tightly, ying a game of tug of war with his tear nds. s, they were honest with his emotions. Soon, warm beads rolled down his cheeks uncontrobly.

    Oddly, he missed the times where he did dissection. Regardless of the specimen he received, they were already lifeless. Sometimes, the pungent and stinging formalin even concealed their tears for them.

    ¡°Such is life.¡± With a firm pat on their shoulders, Zhu Ruiwenforted Gu Jun and Li Hualong. The two rookies had just faced life slipping away right through their fingertips for the first time. ¡°We can¡¯t save everyone. As doctors, we have to be prepared for this kind of thing.¡±

    Gu Jun wiped away his tears immediately. There was no time for him to be sentimental. The eighth operation was about to start.

    The second failure urred during the thirteenth operation. This time it was a young boy less than 5 years old. It was an amputation of both forequarters. The atmosphere in the operating room was even denser this time. If it was the passing of an old man, they could attribute it to old age. s, life had barely begun for this young child.

    However, tears no longer fell on Gu Jun¡¯s cheeks this time. It became his motivation to save another life.

    By the 3rd morning, the team hadpleted 20 operations; right on schedule. Their final operation was another amputation of both hips. It was also the longest of the 20, which took close to 6 hours.

    All of the 20 patients assigned to Zhu Ruiwen¡¯s team by the Orthopaedics Department werepleted with a sess rate of 90%. It was much higher than the previous 76&.

    For a new primary surgeon, rookie 2nd and 3rd assistants, 2 failures in 20 operations were already beyond excellent.

    When the operations finally came to a close, the doctors: Zhu Ruiwen, Zeng Jianguo, Yan Haizhe, Gu Jun, and Li Hualong, and the nurses like Sister Chen and Brother Wang, heave a long deep sigh as the pressure was lifted off their shoulders. Everyone¡¯s faces were pale and drained of blood. Throughout the exhausting 3 days, they barely had even 10 hours of sleep and restbined.

    ¡°Ah...¡± the moment Zhu Ruiwen walked out of the operating theater, his knees gave way and fell directly onto the floor. He barely sustained his bnce as he held onto the walls.

    ¡°Surgeon Zhu!¡± Gu Jun called out and rushed beside him along with the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine...¡± Zhu Ruiwen muttered softly as he ripped off the mask. Weakly, he panted, ¡°I just need to take a seat. I will be fine...¡±

    Seeing the primary surgeon¡¯s fatigue, Zeng Jianguo¡¯s mental state also buckled. Immediately, he dropped onto his chair. ¡°I need a break too. I think I¡¯m getting old, really old...¡±

    Following them, Li Hualong and Gu Jun also sat down and rested against the walls of the corridors. These doctors were overwhelmed by fatigue, yet were too tired to sleep. The anesthesiologists and nurses, whoparatively still had some strength, left them alone to rest.

    72 hours, 20 amputations.

    Gu Jun closed his eyes slightly and rested. At this time, he did not want to think about anything. Like Surgeon Zhu Zhudao said, ¡°Take a seat, and we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    As his eyes closed, several prompts popped up on the system. For now, he did not have the energy to bother about it.

    [¡°You participated in a sessful two-star surgery, personal contribution: 15%. Rank 3rd¡±

    The proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity has risen! The current level is second-tier (20000/30000 proficiency)

    Current Cumtive Personal Contributions: 156%.

    HIDDEN Missionpleted!¡±

    Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 1 blurred and dpidated photograph.

    Click to receive your reward!]

 Chapter 58: The Faces Inside the Monochrome Photograph

    <h4>Chapter 58: The Faces Inside the Monochrome Photograph</h4>

    The sunset colored the sky red, as though an eerie sea of blood spread across the atmosphere.

    The Surgical Buildingpleted the operations with an 82% sess rate for all 624 patients of this group of patients with Banyan Malformation Disease. The medical staff who had been fighting on the frontlines for the past three days were dismissed to rest. Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang, and the other interns could also head back to the dormitory to rest.

    This was the first time they had stepped out of the surgical building in three days. Everyone was exhausted, butpared to the years of studying medicine, their experiences over the past few days have shaped them far better.

    Cai Zixuan had already whipped up a gorgeous and fragrant pot of porridge with minced pork and lush green vegetables in the dormitory tofort their mouths and stomachs. After eating the porridge, the tired people left to rest, reluctant to talk about their experiences over thest few days.

    Gu Jun went to take a shower first and headed to his bedroom. Heid down on the bed and wanted to go to sleep before anything else.

    However, as soon as he closed his eyes, the scenes of the past few days resurfaced in his mind.

    The death of the olddy, the death throes of the young boy, those weird and twisted limbs, the abruptly winding blood vessels, skin with ck substance flowing underneath...

    ¡°Huff... huff...¡± Gu Jun opened his eyes and looked at the pristine white ceiling. The emptiness was indeed an ephemeral beauty sometimes.

    ¡°After staying in the Phecda Department for so long, don¡¯t tell me I¡¯ve gone crazy?¡±

    He murmured to himself. The rate of improvement he experienced here was several-fold faster than if he was learning in medical schools and general hospitals, but the challenges he faced were an entirely different ballgame as well.

    He consciously felt like he had gone through quite some experience. Even though he thought that his life had many ups and downs, he was now determined and clear-headed. But he was still unable to control the influences on his heart, and the unconscious changes happening in the subconscious. He couldn¡¯t feel these changes, but they were definitely shaping his unconscious mind.

    Now he better understood what Brother Qiang said, ¡°The more people expand their internal cognition, the heavier the inner shackles weighing down their heart.¡±

    After looking at the ceiling for a while longer, Gu Jun gathered his energy to manage the tasks rting to the system.

    Twenty operations in three days. There were many sesses and failures, and the proficiency of the Hands of Dexterity achieved the second tier 20,000 / 30000. The proficiency increased by a total of 13,000, and his surgical contribution was getting higher and higher. However, the proficiency remained as such. It rose quickly initially but became iparably challenging to progress during thetter part.

    He still currentlycked 10,000 proficiency to achieve the third tier. He believed that if he continued the current tempo, it would not take long.

    Having seen the Hands of Dexterity, Gu Jun then opened the surgical job list and closed it again. These were all valuable surgical experiences, but he didn¡¯t want to look back at them now.

    He opened the mission log again. In these three days, hepleted a NORMAL mission and the rewards were not received yet.

    At the moment, Gu Jun pulled the quilt over and covered himself. He first epted the box of ¡°human anti-inmmatory drugs¡± which was simr to tumour-targeting drugs. There was nothing special about it. The packaging was still made of the same materials, but the tablets came in 10 instead. There was no instructional manual, and he was unable to understand the foreignnguage written on it. He ced the box of medicine in his pocket first and carried it close to him.

    Then his mind looked at the HIDDEN mission.

    [ Mission rewards are waiting to be collected: 1 blurred and dpidated photograph.

    Click to receive your reward!]

    Gu Jun nodded with his thoughts, and suddenly there was a fierce and chaotic fusion of light and shadow that came from some unknown area flooding his mind. Although he had been mentally prepared, the intensity was unprecedented. He could not help but press both his hands against his head, which felt like it was about to split apart, and bitterly groan in pain.

    Above his sea of knowledge, the light and shadow gradually condensed and became a picture-like object.

    ¡°Ahh...¡± Gu Jun endured the pain and needed to slow down for a while. This was the reward which consumed most of his mental energy when receiving it.

    He hasn¡¯t clicked and looked carefully, but he could tell from afar that it was a monochromatic photo. The back of the photo was yellow with age with mottled spots and blurred areas and was frazzled around the edge. It seemed that this photo came from an ancient era. In the picture, there were dozens of people arranged in four or five rows, sitting or standing, and all facing the camera in a row. This was a group photo.

    The clothes they wore looked like the long-style gowns, fashioned in the simr Republic of China-style as the worshippers in the vision of the banyan tree.

    Was this a group photo of that organisation? When was this taken? Who are these people?

    Gu Jun looked at the blurred faces of the dozens of people and felt a nervous tension creeping over him. Will there be figures of his father and mother in the group photo?

    He paid more attention to the background in the next photo. It seemed to be in front of a giant tree on the coast. The sea surface was very murky. The tree was intertwined, and the branches of varying sizes were twisted and distorted. It was another banyan tree.

    He paused for a while, but he still clicked on the photo with his will. The monochromatic photo was opened and erged.

    Gu Jun nced at it, and it was like a peal of lightning struck his heart. His eyes widened in disbelief.

    The dozens of people in the photo, whether tall or short, muscr or thin, old or young, all had the same face; the face of the old and withered man.

    Although their face shapes were slightly different, they were merely minute variations with the same set of facial features. The faces looked dehydrated. Their cheeks were sunken, and some of the people were so thin that they looked like they were about to sink into their eye sockets, just like skeletons. They are all the same faces!

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun looked at this picture in silence. This situation was utterly beyond his previous assumptions.

    Why was this happening? Was this a digitally-modified photo from aputer? No, he has an indescribable manic feeling telling him that it was not.

    A mask? That was clearly too realistic to be a mask. Surgery? Another wild thought popped up in his mind. ¡°Could these people have undergone facial cosmetic surgery to make themselves look like this?¡± He took a look at the photograph again, but didn¡¯t feel like that was the case. These faces seemed to look natural. All were emitting an eerie chill, and there were no signs of deformity.

    Why? He looked at them and got an uneasy feeling that these dozens of people were also looking back at him. He counted the number of people in the photograph, fifty-two.

    Gu Jun recognised the man in red from the vision of the sacrifice to the banyan tree. He had the same proportion of facial features, whereas, the other fifty-one people may be the ones who knelt around the banyan tree.

    Which was to say that the ¡°receptionist¡± was not the man in red, nor was he anyone in the photo. He was an entirely different person.

    Gu Jun thought about it. The twisted grin and eerie words that the ¡°receptionist¡± spoke resurfaced in his mind. ¡°I¡¯m an unimportant person; someone easy to deal with. Someone that you can still see. Not like those that are unseen.¡± Now that he thought back about it, the tone that the man used was spoken cheekily and even contained mockery.

    Now he realised that it was because even if he saw them, he would not be able to distinguish them.

    He had many vague impressions of seeing the man over the years. Were the men with the withered frame in his hazy memories really the same person?

    ¡°Lai Sheng Company, Lai Sheng...¡± Gu Jun murmured several times. ¡°What is the meaning behind this name?¡±

    This question had circted in his mind many times, but he was still unsure. Lai was a nt, a wild vegetable that was often eaten by the poor in ancient times. This was the dictionary meaning behind the word.

    Looking at this photo, Gu Jun felt a vague notion gradually forming in his mind, ¡°What if ¡°Lai Sheng¡± was merely a homonym? What if it actually meant ¡°Afterlife1¡å?¡±

    This life, the next life, the next next life... every life of man was one of their reincarnations.

    Everyone was the same person, just like how the banyan tree would merge all people and all living beings into a single entity.

    ¡°Lai Sheng... Afterlife... Afterlife Cult?¡± Gu Jun suddenly murmured the name, and the crazed realisation in his heart grew more and more violent. Something buried in his deep subconscious was struggling to wake itself.

    These people from the Afterlife Cult sought strength from underneath the sea and summoned the unknown from the banyan tree, but what were they pursuing? Immortality?

    Gu Jun felt that he was a lonely boat on the vast sea trying to find the coast, and could finally see a dim light from a lighthouse in the distance. He seemed to have found the right direction, but when he steered his boat over, all that faced him was a dense fog which epassed everything.

    He looked at this photo for a long time, and it took a long time before he closed it. His eyes retained a determined glint.

    ¡°I have to find a way to trigger the illusion of this photo. I must understand what the truth is.¡±

    After Gu Jun set down his resolution in his mind, he then decided to close his eyes and go to sleep. He had to rejuvenate his spirit to deal with the unknown. Gu Jun adjusted his breathing and abandoned his distracting thoughts to fall asleep. Only a nket of silence filled the bedroom. Who knew how long after that, but he seemed to have fallen into a dream-like state, as though...

    He heard a mysterious whisper, which was difficult to understand. It sometimes speaks in a high pitch, but also iparably low. He seemed to be walking on a muddy road towards an enormous banyan tree.

    The whisper rang louder and louder in his ears, and he could suddenly understand those words.

    ¡°Thy is the Son of Misfortune. In thine eyes, Ye are a filthy, foolish, and despicably pathetic creature.¡±

    Rebirth is also pronounced as ¡®Lai Sheng¡¯ in Mandarin.

 Chapter 59: Mental and Psychological State Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 59: Mental and Psychological State Assessment</h4>

    When Gu Jun woke from his nightmare, one sentence lingered in his mind. He had only remembered the meaning of the sentence, not the exactnguage that the mysterious whisper used.

    Was that just a bad dream?

    Gu Jun would not believe it. Ever since the nightmare of the barren ancient tree, Gu Jun had never considered the possibility of it being simple dreams.

    A person¡¯s dreamscape had been a target of scientific research. Duke of Zhou of Ancient China had believed that a person reflected his luck and fate, while Sigmund Freud had a differing viewpoint. The founder of psychoanalysis had a different theory. He thought that the subconsciousness of a person could be understood with dream interpretation. For Gu Jun, he believed that both arguments were logical. This year, his fate had been horrible, and he believed that his subconscious was definitely abnormal.

    Then, the question returned.

    Who was it that was whispering to him? ¡°Son of Misfortune¡±? Who is Ye?

    ¡°Could it be... the banyan tree is calling itself the ¡°Son of Misfortune and speaking to me?¡± the inconceivable hypothesis popped up in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. It was far fetched but possible. After all, the voice came from the banyan tree¡¯s direction.

    With several questions tormenting him, Gu Jun headed to the training center the next day toplete his training.

    ***

    Days passed, and soon 2 weeks were over. The Medical Department never received another batch of Banyan Malformation Disease patients during this period, helping to stabilize the situation. Soon, it was a month since the elite medical students had started their training at Phecda, marking the end of their month-long quarantine training.

    ¡°Well done, everyone. You all have done your best during this month!¡± excitedly, Zhou Jiaqiang announced the training results. ¡°Owing to your spectacr performance, the board of directors has made the decision to promote everyone to G-ss members of Phecda! Before that, there is still ast assessment of your mental states. Just a procedure, it will be fine.¡±

    Of course, Cai Zixuan and the rest had no qualms about sitting for another interview. Still, they were curious about the reason behind it.

    On the other hand, anxiety stirred within Gu Jun. An assessment would definitely include testing the subconscious. The previous time, he drew the sentence of foreign words. What would happen this time? To be frank, he was not clear about the happenings within his subconscious.

    Would it trigger an illusion? Probably not. He had tried multiple times over the past 2 weeks to no avail. He did not even feel a hint of the vision rted to the monochrome photograph. Perhaps, he had to travel to the beachside with actual banyan trees.

    As they walked towards the assessment venue, Brother Qiang fervently exined the details. This test was not about their personality as before. It was to understand more about their mental and psychological states.

    ¡°Well, the older members of the Phecda Department call this test the S-assessment, since it tests our spirits and it starts with the letter S. When I first came here, the name had already been used. No one knows who coined this term. I think it should be named after mentality though.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang chatted with the students casually, livening and lightening their moods. This information was not restricted, and they should be allowed to learn of them with their current ranks. As Gu Jun listened, he smirked.

    S probably stood for sanity. They wanted to find out if we are still sane or already walking the tightropes of mania.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, would the results of the S-assessment be a numerical value?¡± Sun Yuheng asked the question that was swirling on everyone¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Yep it is.¡± As he walked, Zhou Jiaqiang exined further, ¡°It is abined value. The work in the Phecda Department ced a huge risk on our mental wellbeing daily. Very often, we would be facing the possibility of a mental breakdown. This would require time to heal, restore, and recover. Otherwise, the consequences were dire.¡±

    As he spoke, they entered the concierge of the interview and assessment block. Brother Qiang led the group onto the 2nd floor after greeting the security officer. In the lift, he continued.

    ¡°The S value indicated your rationality, perseverance, spirituality, etc. It is based on 100 points. Naturally, the higher, the better. Should you fall below 70, you will need to receive treatment and will receive a reduced workload. If it¡¯s below 50, they will send you on a mandatory holiday. If you¡¯re under 70 this time, then you will not be epted.¡±

    Despite his cheerfulness, everyone could tell that Brother Qiang was making it sound easy. Quietly, they looked at each other. Does the so-called ¡°mandatory holiday¡± mean an immediate dismissal?

    This S value was rigorous.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend. If you are in good condition, that¡¯s good for you.¡±

    A more solemn tone intertwined Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s words as he repeatedly emphasized, ¡°Even if you fool the reviewers, it will be you that will be hurt in the end. You don¡¯t need to pretend. Don¡¯t hide, don¡¯t act. Just show your real states. If you are really facing an issue, you can quickly get the best treatment. We are all studying medicine, we all understand the reason why we need immediate treatment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Cai Zixuan nodded in agreement. Brother Qiang was right, timely treatment was of utmost importance.

    ¡°Ah Jun, Ruoxiang, Yuheng,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang said again, ¡°especially the three of you. You have been involved in actual surgery. It is normal to be distressed after the first few surgeries. You don¡¯t have to hold it in your heart, you can say itter. ¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± Wang Ruoxiang smiled nonchntly. ¡°There is no stress as of now. It¡¯s already been more than half a month. Even a knife wound would be healed by now.¡±

    Hearing the ¡°Iron Lady¡± speak, everyone sniggered which mutually warmed their hearts.

    ¡°What knife did you use? A nail clipper?¡± Gu Jun threw in the final punchline drawing a peal of uncontrobleughter from everyone.

    Seeing their excellent state of mind, Zhou Jiaqiang could really be at ease. As he brought them out of the lift, he snaked through a few corridors and stopped in front of the waiting area before the interview rooms. The first to be assessed was Wang Ruoxiang, Sun Yuheng, and Cai Zixuan. ordingly, the trio entered their individual rooms.

    Gu Jun, Jiang Banxia, and the others sat on the chairs outside and chatted with Zhou Jiaqiang as they waited.

    Naturally, Gu Jun wished that he would pass the test without a hitch. Not only because it would be definite progress in his search for the truth, but also his heart had finally found a home here. Perhaps, the warmth that Brother Qiang, Surgeon Zhu Ruiwen, and his team had shown him had won his heart. Maybe he saw the long-lost sense of belonging amongst the students that trained with him.

    Ever since the day when his family broke apart when he was 10, he never felt the sense of home ever again. Yet, it wasing back to him right now.

    After approximately half an hour, Cai Zixuan came out of the room. The moment he came out, hemented, ¡°Right now, my heart is in an inexplicable bliss and ease.¡±

    Huh? Isn¡¯t this the S-assessment? What did he go for? A spa?

    However, Gu Jun was not surprised. If Zixuan couldn¡¯t get through, then surely everyone could not get through.

    After he came out, Cai Zixuan couldn¡¯t say more and was whisked away by Brother Qiang. After more than ten minutes, Sun Yuheng and Wang Ruoxiang also finished the tests one after another. As they walked out, they all seemed quitefortable, highly likely passed without difficulty.

    At this time, a staff member asked Gu Jun to enter the inspection room where Wang Ruoxiang had juste out from.

    Gu Jun stood up and strode into the open door.

    The test room is entirely different from the previous interview room. It was more spacious and elegant with a dimmer lighting with warmer tones. In the middle of the room was a test recliner with many instruments and equipment. The previous three judges were not present. There was only a middle-aged woman, who was smiling amicably, sitting on a chair next to the recliner.

    Seeing the young man walk in, she got up and warmly introduced herself, ¡°Gu Jun, have a seat here. I am the assessor, Liang Jiahui. You can call me Sister Liang.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Sister Liang.¡± Gu Jun nodded. In his heart, vignce surged.

    Oh? How friendly. Is this the treatment method by Carl Ransom Rogers, the American psychologist? The one with the ¡°Patient as the epicentre of treatment¡±?

    Either way, the arrangement for Brother Qiang to lead the way and exin or the friendly persona of Liang Jiahui was intentional. Undoubtedly, the aim was to put them in a state of rxation and trust.

    However, Gu Jun knew that there must be a more dangerous purpose behind this farce. Otherwise, this would not be any form of assessment. What¡¯s more, the assessments for him, Wang Ruoxiang, and Sun Yuheng were definitely more thorough, especially for him.

    ¡°Come sit or lie down. Just befortable.¡± Sister Liang smiled. ¡°I will be putting some more instruments on you, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± said Gu Jun as he walked over. He sat down on the deck chair and then proceeded to lie down t.

 Chapter 60: Hypnosis

    <h4>Chapter 60: Hypnosis</h4>

    The dim light in the examination room was warm. Gu Jun reclined against the soft leather bench, his body slightly sinking in and feeling a hard-toe-by sense offort.

    ¡°Student Gu, I¡¯ll call you Ah Jun then,¡± Sister Liang said with a smile. ¡°I understand your profile from Brother Qiang. You truly are excellent.¡±

    Gu Jun could see that Sister Liang was trying to establish a therapeutic rtionship with him by using a warm, understanding, caring, and respectful attitude. First, build the atmosphere and weaken his psychological defense before proceeding to actual work. Sister Liang¡¯s sincere and confident smile and her polite manners were indeed very contagious.

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll put on the instrument for you.¡± Sister Liang had him put on a pair of gloves first, and then a helmet made from a soft material. They all had multiple white sensors pressing against his skin; a bundle of cables of various colours connected to an instrument next to him.

    After his recent psychology training, Gu Jun was able to distinguish what this was.

    This pair of ck gloves was called a ¡°skin electromagnification monitor¡±. ording to the electrode on the palm or fingertip of the test subject, the galvanic skin response(GSR), or skin conductance response, was measured to detect the changes of sweat nd activity and sympathetic nervous system to measure some more reliable parameters. GSR had always been used for lie detectors and other simr instruments.

    These gloves were patented by the Phecda Department, and the technology used provided even more precise results. As for the grey soft-skin helmet, it was an electroencephalogram (EEG) and used for real-time monitoring of brain waves.

    There were also devices using electric field technology over the psychological group, but the S-assessment does not seem to require those specialized pieces of equipment. The methods and standards for the S-assessment were obviously different from personality tests.

    There was a round mirror hanging on an adjacent wall. Gu Jun nced at it. Was that a one-way perspective mirror? Was there someone watching him from behind it?

    Sister Liang noticed his actions and immediately smiled. ¡°That¡¯s just an ordinary mirror.¡± She walked over and brought the mirror down to the ground. The wall behind the mirror was indeed a wall. Sister Liang pointed to the upper corner. ¡°There is a camera there which would be recording each test, but that is just to collect data for your personal file. No one is monitoring. I am the only one watching you now.¡±

    Her kind face seemed harmless, looking very much like a benevolent auntie going on a stroll, but Gu Jun suspected that removing the mirror was a specially designed step aimed at lowering his guard.

    That was because there was no reason to put a mirror there. It was conspicuous and did not match the overallyout of the room. Nothing could be said about when dealing with an unsuspecting person like Zixuan, but when dealing with people like him, Sister Liang will take the initiative to expose a loophole. This was a psychological kind of hinting: Sister Liang is honest with you, so you should also be honest with her.

    ¡°Rx.¡± Sister Liang smiled again and walked back to sit down on a chair. ¡°If you have any thoughts, you can talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Gu Jun agreed. Indeed...

    The human bias has the tendency to ept this kind of positive reinforcements. The words ¡°You can¡± was a typical example. Brother Qiang had been doing so to them all this time, saying ¡°you can¡± to everything. Sister Liang was now reinforcing this concept, letting him focus on the idea of him being happier by agreeing to her words.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you don¡¯t have to overthink this.¡± Sister Liangughed. The experienced veteran could tell that the young man was still harbouring doubts. ¡°I know you have received psychology training, so I don¡¯t n on ying tricks on you. Believe me, let go of your suspicions. You can believe me.¡±

    Gu Jun thought again, this was definitely a kind of positive reinforcement.

    Forget it. Gu Jun sighed andid down. Don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯ll have to take the test anyway. Maybe I¡¯ll be able to make some new discoveries?

    ¡°Sister Liang, I¡¯ll try my best to cooperate, but I can¡¯t help it if some stray thoughts are exposed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re not the only one. There are cases of people harbouring greater paranoia than you. In the end, there turned out to be no problem.¡±

    Sister Liang¡¯s smile hinted at the authority she held. Then she said seemingly casually, ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat first. I¡¯ve taken a look at your self-filled questionnaire. I know that outside of medicine, your favourite pastime is watching movies, and you have thought about being a director if you weren¡¯t a doctor. I also like movies. Have you seen any good films recently?¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Another notion popped up in his mind again. This was using his hobbies to establish a therapeutic rtionship and seemed to be carrying out some sort of hypnosis treatment.

    There was a ticking small pendulum clock on the work table next to Sister Liang. Tik tok tik tok...

    ¡°I haven¡¯t watched a movie in a while,¡± Gu Jun answered honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. Thest time I watched one... was probably half a year ago? I really want to watch Beetlejuice again, which I feel is a good Hollywood film. The old movie also goes by another name, called <<The Master of the Hades>>. ¡±

    ¡°Oh, why is that so?¡± Sister Liang asked in a warm voice. Gu Jun disyed willingness to talk, and the test work began to develop in a positive direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s funny... This film was made by Tim Bolton in his typical style; mysterious and creepy, but adorable at the same time. The heroine was yed by Winona Ryder. The role is very unique. Everyone was afraid of ghosts, but she was happy to see them. At the scene when she appeared, she was carried out on the sofa by someone from the movingpany. She was still taking pictures with her camera. How fun!¡±

    As Gu Jun spoke, the more he started to chatter on excitedly. He knew that Sister Liang was hypnotizing him, but took the bait anyway.

    ¡°There are so many interesting films. Why do you want to revisit this one? Is there another reason?¡± Sister Liang asked.

    ¡°Well, I just want to know... if there are supernatural existences in this world, will they be as cute as the ghosts in this movie?¡±

    ¡°Cute? In what way?¡±

    Sister Liang just chatted with him about the movie and talked about some other irrelevant topics, but she made no mention of anything rting to medicine or let him feel any urgency.

    Time gradually trickled by. Soon, half an hour had passed. Gu Jun had slowly calmed down, feeling genuinely rxed voluntarily entering a hypnotic state. He was immersed in the role of the phantom man that Sister Liang hypnotically suggested to him as if he was no longer the medical ¡®ve¡¯ Gu Jun.

    Unlike the hypnotism performed in film and television, hypnosis does not cause one to be muddled or confused. The brain of the hypnotized person always remained awake, but the normal calctive function was diminished. The subject¡¯s spirits were highly concentrated, and his attention is highly selective. He no longer responded to external stimuli, but extremely sensitive to all the hypnotist¡¯s demands.

    On the performance of brain waves, the hypnotic state differed from any stage of sleep nor followed regr brain activity.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Sister Liang looked at the value on the brain wave monitor screen on the work table and knew that Gu Jun had been hypnotized.

    A person with a high spirituality like Gu Jun was most susceptible to hypnosis, but Gu Jun was unusuallyposed. The effects of hypnosis were easily weakened when applied on him.

    Sister Liang knew that she had to operate carefully and said slowly, ¡°Ah Jun, in fact, the examination is very straightforward. I will let you do some situational impact to see how your body functions. If you don¡¯t like it, you can propose to end this situation, alright?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Jun murmured lightly.

    Sister Liang has an ¡°impact rating table¡± which lists somemon situations ranging from mild to extreme. Incidents such as ¡°you have witnessed a tragic ident¡± on the low end, and ¡°you killed your friends and rtives¡± in the high end of the spectrum. These situations will cause the subjects to enter into an extreme state of anxiety, panic, and fear.

    Then she can examine the subject¡¯s physical vitals data in detail using the instruments.

    When the subject¡¯s S value is too low, the subject would be extremely frightened even when facing a mild impact situation; sometimes even experiencing symptoms of vomiting, trembling, and yelling. This was the first stage of the test. It assessed the response of the subject and how long it takes for him to ovee his panic and calm down (allowing to ovee panic is also a kind of therapy), and evaluate the corresponding set of values.

    The second stage was to engage in treatment of the subject and evaluate the effects of the treatment to get another set of values.

    The two sets of values were then integrated with each other to calcte the S value of the subject.

    Usually in the beginning, Sister Liang would expose the subjects to high-impact situations. For example, Wang Ruoxiang, who was just tested. Sister Liang presented her with the situation of ¡°seeing that her closest rtives were infected with the Banyan Malformation Disease, and the amputation failed.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang disyed tormented expressions, so it seems like her experiences in the operating room had affected her. Fortunately, her S value was still rated very high at 90.

    However, due to Gu Jun¡¯s unique traits, Sister Liang did not dare to follow conventions fearing that he would be awakened at once or his S value would be very low. (His case files contained warnings in this aspect, and his mental state was extremely peculiar) Presenting the high impact from the beginning could easily drive him crazy.

    Sister Liang only dared to start with a mild impact scenario and soothingly said,

    ¡°You are walking in the inner corridor of the hospital operating room and saw two operating beds in front. You slowly approached and saw two bodies lying on each of the two operating beds. You were involved in the operation, but the two patients who died due to the failure of the surgery, one was an old granny and the other was a little boy.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s breath suddenly elerated, and his slightly closed eyelids twitched uncontrobly.

    Looking at the screens of several measuring instruments, Sister Liang frowned. The situation did not seem to be too optimistic.

 Chapter 61: Sealed Memory

    <h4>Chapter 61: Sealed Memory</h4>

    ¡°Ah Jun, you can talk to me. It¡¯s fine. Tell me what¡¯s on your mind. It will be like talking in your dream. You can do it.¡± Sister Liang¡¯s mellifluous voice circled his mind, but it did nothing to ease Gu Jun¡¯s tense nerves. The dying process of the two victims shed before his eyes. The granny¡¯s operation reached a stage where they had to use a line saw to cut through her cor bone. Surgeon Zhu was operating the saw while he held onto the olddy¡¯s deformed limb. The screeching of the saw, the groaning that weakened, the strength that he felt slipping away in her hands... Eventually, the olddy stopped moving altogether.

    And then there was that poor boy. The small body could not apply much force, but he had been struggling, crying until the veryst moment.

    They died.

    They died.

    The twisted faces whose color had drained away, the dted pupils that had lost their souls, they seemed to be interrogating his very soul.

    ¡®Aren¡¯t you a doctor? Why didn¡¯t you save us? Why did you put us through so much torture?¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun, Ah Jun?¡± Sister Liang¡¯s voice came again, but this time, there was an authoritative undertone to it. ¡°If you are feeling any difort, please stop thinking. Clear you mind. Take a deep back and ease yourself back into your body. Step away from the situation. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Rx...¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Gu Jun mumbled in resistance. ¡°I have some things that I wish to tell them.¡±

    ¡°In that case, go ahead.¡± Hearing that response, Sister Liang did not end the session but switched into therapy mode. ¡°They are just there. I am sure they can hear you.¡±

    Gu Jun was silent for a while before the words poured out. ¡°I am so sorry that I failed to save you. I know this is a clich¨¦, but Surgeon Zhu, the rest of the team, and I tried our best. We are so sorry to have put you through all that pain... I hope you can now rest in peace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will. They will definitely understand you,¡± Sister Liang said in constion, it was uttered in the same tone of authoritativeness and confidence. It would help to chase away the shadow in his heart. ¡°Ah Jun, you have to understand that doctors are not gods. We are just normal people. In the process of treatment, the patients will sometimes need to go through some pain, but you are only doing your job. Please do not me yourself.¡±

    Even though this again sounded like a clich¨¦, when a person was under the influence of hypnosis, the suggestibility of the words would have a higher effect. The hypnotized would sometimes ept the hypnotist¡¯s words without any resistance. Therefore, the words that Sister Liang said would help Gu Jun ept the message more effectively, thus achieving the goal of the treatment, which was to help change his perception and wash away his anxiety.

    Sister Liang continued with her treatment. ¡°Having empathy is a good thing, but you must not be blinded by it. Because you are a doctor, you will only face more of the true nature of life in the future. As long as you abide by the Hippocratic Oath, steeling your heart is a good thing. After all, you will need to first take care of yourself before you can take care of others.¡±

    Sister Liang saw the facial muscles around Gu Jun¡¯s face slowly rx, a sign that the treatment was working. She then nced toward the GSR data and EEG chart on the side; both showed that Gu Jun was calming down. In that moment, she hade to a conclusion and already added another sentence to the review report in her heart.

    ¡®The subject is very concerned about the result of the surgery (level 8/10). He feels guilt toward the deaths of the two victims. He has great empathy but no sign of evil emotions.¡¯

    The subject being so hung up on this incident, for him, this was a highly impactful situation.

    ¡°Sister Liang, you can understand it, right?¡± Gu Jun mumbled. ¡°We really tried our best.¡±

    He felt much better. The emotions that had clouded his heart over the past half a month cleared away. He understood why Zi Xuan hade out looking like he had just left the spa.

    After Gu Jun rxed a bit, Sister Liang wanted him to imagine the next high impactful scenario, ¡®personally dissecting his good friend Cai Zixuan¡¯s body¡¯. The result was the total opposite of what she expected. Gu Jun did not show much of a response. In fact, he could still make a joke.

    ¡°Zixuan had one hell of a good cranium, I have to say. There was no hair that we needed to shave. You could see everything so clearly.¡±

    If not for the fact that the machines all suggested that Gu Jun was still hypnotized, Sister Liang would have had no trouble believing he had already woken up. Now, Sister Liang understood the results from the personality assessment test from Gu Jun¡¯s profile. This was one hell of a strange man! Those with high Spiritual Perception would find themselves easily ced into a scenario, and they would act more agitated than others. Wang Ruoxiang, with B+ Spiritual Perception, was such an example, so when calcting their S value, the influence of Spiritual Perception would be bnced out.

    But the matter of fact was that Gu Jun with A+ Spiritual Perception was still able to maintain his serenity, so in terms of objective calction, he must have a very high S value. But in Gu Jun¡¯s report, there was such an opinion given by one of the reviewers.

    ¡®It is inferred that the subject¡¯s subconscious mind has an abnormal memory, and whether their high spirituality is rted to it is temporarily unknown.¡¯

    Sometimes, this kind of surprising talent could be a manifestation of that abnormality.

    ¡°Ah Jun, when I was young, my mother often told me to eat more.¡± Sister Liang continued with her assessment. ¡°Did you mom say something simr to you?¡±

    ¡°My mother, she...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s breath started to hurry again. ¡°I cannot remember too much about her. Sister Liang, you must know everything about my family background... but I really don¡¯t know anything. I am not lying to you. Lai Sheng Co... what they are experimenting on? I really don¡¯t know anything about that.¡±

    ¡°I do not have ess to look at your full profile. I have no idea about this Lai Sheng Co. that you mentioned.¡± Sister Liang slowed down her cadence to prevent herself from invading Gu Jun¡¯s psychological defensive line. ¡°I know you might have some abnormal memory in your subconscious¡ªlike a false memory that someone might have nted in there or some memory that people try to make you forget. Do you think we can try to reach it? We can give it a try.¡±

    Gu Jun was slightly unyielding, but on the other hand, he wanted to give it a try. If this could lead him to the truth...

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°I also wish to find answers.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall start. Just rx and follow my words to try to bring it all back.¡± Sister Liang first had Gu Jun rx in silence before she began officially. ¡°There is only darkness around you, and you are in this silence, but you can see a light before you. You walk slowly toward it, step by step. There is a door there, and the light ising from behind the door. Behind that door, there is a memory that you believe to have happened, but you cannot remember it no matter how hard you try. You slowly walk toward the door and then walk through it...¡±

    With his eyes closed, Gu Jun felt a hazy light appearing before him and then a red door. He took deliberate steps toward it. He walked through the red door and into the light...

    ¡°Tell me, what do you see?¡± Sister Liang asked. Gu Jun walked in the light and shadow, walked through the fog. He looked around, and everything was blurry. His breathing became heavier, his brows furrowed, and his eyes shuddered.

    ¡°Is it somewhere you have been to in the past?¡± Sister Liang dropped a suggestion as guide. ¡°Is it your childhood home?¡±

    Every memory came with a scenario because human senses urred within actual scenarios. Even when one did not pay special attention, the brain would naturally form subconscious memories about it. Once the scenario was brought back up to the surface, the memory would follow. This could be the exnation behind the phenomenon of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.

    Listening to the guidance, a sense of familiarity crowded Gu Jun¡¯s mind. The blurry images of light, and darkness started to take on all shapes and sizes.

    ¡°It is a room,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I am inside a room.¡±

    ¡°What kind of room is it? Is it your own room?¡±

    Gu Jun looked around. This was a nursery that was warmly decorated. There were many colorful drawings on the walls. Theyprised of uneven lines, probably the work of a child. Even though the sense of familiarity never left him, Gu Jun could not tell where this ce was. Had he been there before?

    ¡°It is a very small room, and there are many drawings...¡±

    ¡°Drawings? Who drew them? Is there someone drawing inside the room?¡±

    Hearing the question, Gu Jun saw some blurry figuree into focus again. He described, ¡°A little boy is sitting on the ground. He is probably only two to three years old, and he is drawing something on the paper with watercolors.¡±

    ¡°Who is that little boy? Do you know him?¡±

    ¡°He looks like me...¡± Gu Jun continued to describe the memory that he saw. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me... and my mother is there as well. She is just sitting next to me...¡±

    He heard another voice call out. It was not Sister Liang; it was from inside this memory. His mother was asking, ¡°Xiao Jun, how does one spell the word tree? How about you tell Mommy?¡±

    His mother handed him another piece of paper. The paper had a drawing of trees on it.

    ¡°Okay!¡± The boy nodded happily. He took the paper and ced it on the ground. Then he used a paintbrush to write down the spelling of the word tree on the piece of paper rather heavily. ¡°I¡¯m done!¡±

    The boy dropped the paintbrush and raised the paper high above his head. He was very happy.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes flew open, and he let out a scream of pain and confusion.

    It was the foreignnguage. The ¡®tree¡¯ that the boy had written was in that foreignnguage. He gripped his head tightly. The heartless figment of the memory was still rolling before his eyes. His mother picked up the paper and held it in her hands. She studied it like it was a piece of treasure. There was a strange fervor burning in her eyes. She examined it for a while and then passed another piece of paper to the boy. ¡°Then, what about this word? Worm, how do you think we spell it?¡±

    ¡°Like this!¡± The little boy took the paper and put it on the ground. He picked up the brush and started drawing again. It was still in the same foreignnguage. Worm or parasite, they were written the same way.

    Gu Jun was suddenly given a clear glimpse. On the floor around the boy and his mother, there were stacks after stacks of paintings. They were filled with different paintings, and every painting had the corresponding foreign character to identify them. Darkness, apple, time, abyss, germination, sun, hand, bone, star, death, sky, earth...

    That strangenguage was something that he had created when he was small.

 Chapter 62: The Awakening of Foreign Ability

    <h4>Chapter 62: The Awakening of Foreign Ability</h4>

    Is the past real? What is your earliest memory? Can you remember anything before you were three?

    All the stories that you know from before you can recall anything, did others feed them to you, or are they recollections told you by your parents? What kind of food you liked to eat, how naughty you were, how clever you were...

    Did those things actually happen? Those stories that you do not feel like you have been a part of, are they real?

    When Gu Jun walked out from the assessment room, his face was somewhat ashen. The memory fragment that he had fished out from his subconscious had be histest obsession. He did not tell Sister Liang the truth about the situation with the foreignnguage, but then again, how much of what he knew was the truth?

    After ending the hypnosis, Sister Liang had said, remaining the honest consultant that she was, ¡°Ah Jun, it is clear that the abnormal memory that you have is rted to your childhood. Your parents wille into it somehow. I will report this to my superior. You have a good S value, but you might need to receive some treatment. For now, however, don¡¯t think too much about it. Go back and get some rest.¡±

    After Gu Jun came out, he followed Brother Qiang. He was thest toplete the assessment and took the longest time, one and a half hours in total. The result of the assessment would be released the following morning. Before that, Brother Qiang had everyone sent back to the dormitory to rest.

    Thus, the group returned to the dormitory. Cai Zixuan wanted to invite everyone over to their ce to hang out, but Gu Jun said that he wanted to lie down for a quick nap, so they went over to the Senior Ma¡¯s unit on the other side. Gu Jun locked himself in the bedroom. Ignoring the possibility of spying, hended one heavy punch on the wall after another. s, the pain from the fist was never enough to dull the pain of his heart that was close to being shattered. Even so, he needed to think back to the meaning of that memory that he had evoked.

    ¡°Mother obviously did not understand that foreignnguage, but she knew about its existence and then made use of me... to write it out for her?¡± Thinking back to those memory fragments, Gu Jun felt like his head was about to split open. ¡°But why would I know thisnguage? Who taught it to me? Or did Ie up with it myself?¡±

    He thought that was too preposterous. When he was trying to make heads or tails of the foreignnguage initially, he had studied some linguistics. He understood that creating a newnguage was not that difficult, but one had to follow many grammar rules so that it would make sense. From the clues that he had solved, the foreignnguage had its own set ofnguage rules, and its structure was extremelyplex.

    Theplexity meant that it was impossible for it to be a creation of a child when he was doodling. And in his memory, he was not doodling; he was writing the character down from his understanding. Furthermore, thisnguage was applied on the packaging of some medicine, as well as blueprints and a dairy... All these things were obtainable to him via some mysterious and powerful force through a gaming system. The reason behind this force, well, that was something that eluded him thus far.

    But with regards as to why it was a foreignnguage, Gu Jun could think of two possibilities. One was that the things given by the system came from a foreign country; or, after the systembined with the subconscious, it selected this form ofnguage from his subconscious.

    Gu Jun personally believed the chance of it being the former wasrger than thetter because as crazy as this whole gaming system was, if it wanted to make things more streamlined, it would have chosen the mostmonnguage in his life.

    ¡°Is it possible that due to some kind of incident, like some kind of experiment at Lai Sheng Company, I was given the chance to study this foreignnguage? Even though, at the time, I was still a child, I am one of the few, if not the only person, in this world who could understand thisnguage... and then mother decided to dig it out of my head?¡±

    He tried to arrange his thoughts. He felt that this possibility was the highest. After all, the fervor in his mother¡¯s eyes suggested that she wasying her eyes on the divine gospel.

    This foreignnguage must carry some kind of important significance to the Afterlife Cult. By now, he had to admit something that he had been blocking out of his mind because of its severe implication. His parents might have a direct rtionship with the Afterlife Cult, and they might have dragged him into it as well.

    ¡°Could ¡®those documents¡¯ refer to...¡± An idea suddenly came to Gu Jun. ¡°... the drawings of those foreign words?¡±

    A new hope rose in his heart. Perhaps his parents did not hand over the document. Regardless of their reasons for iming the stacks of foreign words, the ultimate goal of the Afterlife Cult, and the copse of the rtionship between the two, his parents ultimately ended up in the adversarial position against the Afterlife Cult.

    Perhaps, at the beginning, his parents did not know about the Afterlife Cult¡¯s evil nature or perhaps they were just used. And after they found out the truth, they escaped. This new theory gave Gu Jun a much-needed breath, and he found his spirit returning.

    This recovery of partial memories allowed him the recognition of a few new foreign words. From the moment he exited the assessment until now, the amount of vocabry was still increasing. He found an inexplicable familiarity toward it, like what one would have toward one¡¯s mother tongue. Scientifically speaking, this was called implicit memory. For example, one could not exin how one picked upnguages; it just came naturally.

    However, the recovery speed of the foreignnguage in his mind was also dropping.

    ¡°For now, I still have a deep connection to that particr piece of memory, but as time passes, I am sure that feeling will fade and the number of words I can remember decreases... and since the ¡®abnormal memory in my subconscious¡¯ might contain more than this particr fragment, perhaps there are others and they might be rted to those illusions I have been having...¡±

    One could not always run away from the truth. Gu Jun walked to the bedside and sat down. Leaning against the bedside, he started to meditate on those memories. Meditation was a skill he had picked up during psychology ss¡ªbreathing exercises, how to rx the body, and letting the mind wander...

    The feeling that he was holding on was instantly amplified. As he meditated inward, the terms of the foreignnguage started to leap forward again: flowers, birds, weapon, doctor, police, teacher, food, faith, life, story, secret, war...

    Gu Jun submerged himself in the whirlpool of memories, and the foreign words burst across his eyes like fireworks. After who knew how long, he eventually felt the urge to return to the real world. Meditation¡¯s purpose was for one to clear one¡¯s mind, but now he felt a raging headacheing, and his spiritual state was worse than when he began. Furthermore, he believed that he had exhausted that piece of memory, because as much as he tried, he could not filter any more new foreign terms from it.

    ncing at the time on the rm, Gu Jun was shocked. ¡°it¡¯s alreadyte afternoon? Jesus, time flies...¡±

    He massaged his temples and went around to clean up the room. This time, he had obtained more than one hundred terms. Combined that with the ones he already knew, he had around five hundred to six hundred new words. However, like English, some of these terms had multiple meanings. For example, apple and fruit were written the same way, and darkness could refer to night as well. Abyss also shared the same meaning as the sea.

    So, that bloody sentence could very well mean: ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the sea.¡±

    This naturally led Gu Jun to another supposition. ¡°Is this the reason behind mom and dad¡¯s voyage to the sea? They were in search of the fruit of darkness?¡±

    Worm and parasite, they were written the same way, too. They also had the meaning of servant.

    Death, strangely enough, also carried the connotation of ascendency. ¡°The ascended servants shall live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

    Gu Jun churned this statement over in his mind, and he felt a chill run down his body. He was reminded of that man¡¯s curious statement. ¡°Death? No, you don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°The death of the physical body... is a kind of ascendancy?

    ¡°Argh, this makes no sense.¡±

    Gu Jun shook his head and opened the system interface in his mind. He nned to look over the tattered blueprint and the three diary pages again. He first opened the blueprint and studied it. Now he could understand thebel of the structure on the unknown creature¡¯s chest specimen! Chest, muscle, bone, nerves, lymph... all his previous trantions were correct.

    Gu Jun could not help but be excited. Then, he turned toward the messy notes that were just below the blueprint...

 Chapter 63: Blueprint and Diary (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 63: Blueprint and Diary (2in1)</h4>

    ¡°There is a monster before me. I can smell its... stench. My stomach is twitching. These... monsters have dominated our city, and they bring only destruction. People always say, if our... civilization is taken over by these evil creations, that is the most preposterous thing... because that means that there is no divinity. Or perhaps it has never been divinity, and it has always been these demons who have been walking among us.

    ¡°I always... believed that these monsters are not, as we imagine... beasts. I havemunicated multiple times with this monster. The intelligence that it shows can rival my own. If it... can put away its prejudice toward me, perhaps we can have a deeper conve... (the blueprint is lost here).

    ¡°I have conducted an autopsy on it and realized how... advanced its bodily structure is. Ugliness and beauty are defined by us; simrly, I believe we are as ugly in their eyes as they are in ours. But to be fair, their bodies are more... I cannot lie to myself. Others call me ¡®the Son of Steel¡¯, but now I suspect whether our resistance is meaningful or not. Is what it said correct?

    ¡°They are better than us?

    ¡°They are better than us?

    ¡°They are better than us?

    ¡°They are better than us?¡±

    Gu Jun could understand about seventy to eighty percent of this note, and the parts that he could discern, he could guess the meaning. The more he studied it, the clearer the image of the undergroundb in his mind became. It reached a point where he could hear the lost and anxious mumbling of the man who wrote the note...

    ¡°Looks like this blueprint is not of this world,¡± Gu Jun murmured to himself. ¡°Or at least not of this century.¡±

    Invasion of the cities, harbinger of destruction¡ªclearly, this man¡¯s civilization and race had been brought to its knees by these monsters, and these monsters had already arrived in this world. There was probably quite a number of them. After all, he had personally dissected one of their chest specimens already.

    ¡°The undergroundb still uses oilmps, and the paper itself is some kind ofmbskin paper... The technological level of the world in the note should be somewhere near the post-industrial era of Europe? Even though a homo sapien¡¯s physique is not as strong as these monsters, with our current high technological level, Phecda still has a chance of eliminating them.¡± Gu Jun ruminated over it. A Gatling gun could unload more than one thousand bullets per minute, themer bone of these monsters would not be strong enough to resist an attack like that. But then he was reminded of the Malformed Banyan Disease. Even the strongest gun needed someone to operate it. If there was an epidemic, it would be scarier than a monster invasion.

    Gu Jun looked through the blueprint for several times before putting it away. Then he turned to the three pages of diary. As he studied it, he mumbled internally, filling in the terms that eluded him with his own guesses.

    ¡°Rose Year 21st October¡ªRaybundy Pedra.

    ¡°It has been raining heavily today. People say the year of the rose is always spared of heavy rain, but recently, things have been going awry, and this change in the weather is the least of our worries. The range of hemoptysis has spread again, from Buren to Elly; it has spiraled out of control. The first recorded case has appeared in our city of Sar as well. This news makes me nauseous, but that is not how I am supposed to respond. I am a graduate from the Kingdom¡¯s Highest Medical Academy, Carlot Academy. I have studied all known medical technology and mastered the various theories behind the working of the human body, all that not for me to cower before a kind of disease.

    ¡°People always ce such high hopes in the students of Carlot Academy. They believe we are emissaries sent to earth by the goddess. We know about the truth of life and use our brilliance to bring light to this foolish world. For that, we are given the best of the Academy and the unconditional trust of the people. But now, after Buren and Elly, these two busiest cities of the Kingdom have been turned into a living hell. The people have awakened, and we too have awakened. The students of Carlot are not emissaries of the goddess but toys barely deserving the attention of a demon.

    ¡°Is that the truth? I hope I can retain my conviction as long as I can, but even during my process of education, I was never the best. Among our year group, the best student was none other than Freud Landon. He always got the most praise and was well loved by everyone. Landon is exceptionally gifted in the field of autopsies. During our first autopsy ss, our hands were shaking, but the scalpel was like an extension of Landon¡¯s fingers. Due to his steely determination and because the scalpel was made from steel, I called him the ¡®Son of Steel¡¯. That eventually became his nickname.

    ¡°Landon and I are good friends. Even though he has all the reasons in the world to be arrogant, he is incredibly humble and humorous. People say Landon is born for big things. His way of thinking and ability lives up to the name of being a goddess¡¯ emissary, and perhaps he will bring the next big change to the world of medicine.

    ¡°After graduation, I returned to my homnd, Sar, while Landon stayed at the national capital where the Academy was situated. I did not expect that time when he came to bid me farewell would be thest time we¡¯d ever meet.

    ¡°This morning, I received some secret news. The ¡®Son of Steel¡¯ Freud Landon hasmitted suicide. He used the surgical knife to cut his throat. The public is still clueless about this news. If this is leaked, it will be such a huge blow to them...

    ¡°Landon left behind a note. ording to rumors, it did not contain much. It was merely a writing of his thoughts and the information that he had gathered from the ruin that was once the city of Riker. With regards to the reason behind his suicide, I was not told. My guess is because he cannot suffer those monsters and the spread of hemoptysis anymore. If the Son of Steel has lost faith, what can I do? After all, I am far from the best.¡±

    ¡°Phew.¡± After finishing the first page of the diary, Gu Jun took a deep breath and walked out from the bedroom to grab himself a drink. This so-called work treatment diary waspletely different from what he anticipated. But as a medical student, he could feel the great pressure underneath Raybundy¡¯s seemingly stable handwriting. Pedra must have been flipping through the diary, but since he could note up with any valuable diagnostic content, he wrote down that instead.

    Gu Jun looked at the sky out the balcony; the dropping sun was red as blood. There was an origin to this foreignnguage. It appeared to havee from another world or another civilization. Time to continue reading. He sipped on the water and turned to the next page of the diary.

    ¡°Rose Year 8th November¡ªRaybundy Pedra.

    ¡°In just ten days, Sar has sumbed to the disease. My hometown, Sar, has the privilege of being named the home of flowers. People here live a peaceful life. It is not as busy as the capital, but it is not as cold as a machine. The people of Sar take every opportunity that they can grab to make new friends, so in the end, everyone at this city is a friend of one another.

    ¡°During the blooming season of every year, people pluck the fresh flowers in their garden to give to each other. Even the most deplorable homeless beggar on the street will be surrounded by the floral bouquet during blooming season. Flowers like autumn flowers, golden flowers, soft fragrance flowers, lilies, and moondrops...

    ¡°Of course, in the year of the rose, the bright rose blooms beautifully in every corner of Sar, and it adorns the hair of every citizen. I once had such deep love for this culture unique to Sar, but now the only thing that I have for it is hatred. The pure joy of the past has been turned into deeper pain in the past ten days.

    ¡°The first to die was Uncle Johnson. He had a shoe store on Autumn Flower Street. Whenever I passed by, he would kindly ask me about mytest update and promoted the new shoes that had arrived at his store. Uncle Johnson had not been to any ces with recorded outbreaks. In fact, he had never left the city of Sar in his life, but somehow, he was infected.

    ¡°This is how it all started for the victims of hemoptysis. It starts with edema in the lungs, which causes the function of the lungs to weaken... (the content here cannot be derived)... copse... collection of blood in the oral cavity... Finally, the blood will leak out from the skin near the chest, and that is where the victim¡¯s life ends.

    ¡°Oh, great and holy doctors from Carlot!

    ¡°We still cannot tell whether this hemoptysis is a kind of virus or a parasitic disease. We have no clue about the method of its transmission, whether it was aerial or through ingestion... It... We are helpless.

    ¡°A few days ago, M died, Carter died, Austin died, Tony died... All the friends I have known passed away one after another. All the roses in the city withered, but the city is still painted red by the blood of the victims.

    ¡°Then, there were my parents... They died in my care. I am now very worried about Linda. She has shown signs of coughing today. Please, not her, no...

    ¡°Goddess of Life, if you are really there, I beg you.¡±

    ¡°Phew...¡± Gu Jun finished the second page and screwed up his brows to flip to the third page. This page was dated Orchid Year 5th February, if the assumption was the Year of Orchid was following Year of Rose, and one yearprised of twelve months, then one year had passed between the two entries.

    ¡°Orchid Year 5th February¡ªRaybundy Pedra.

    ¡°It has been three months since Linda died from hemoptysis. I have been unwilling to think about this, much less write anything. I got to know Linda in our youth. She did note from a great background, the daughter of a cksmith. When I first encountered her on Lily Street, I sumbed to her charm; I fell deeply in love with her. She wore a normal white long dress, and she was as pretty as a nymph, her smile pure and insincere. Later, I found out she was the big sister of all the children on Lily Street. She spent her time keeping the children upied all day so that their parents could go about their day jobs. This was the personality that drew me to her. When I first encountered her, I knew nothing about her, but I decided I would take her as my wife.

    ¡°My pursuit of Linda was very sessful. Even though I was not as brilliant as Landon, there were points about me that Linda admired. During the few years I spent studying at Carlot Academy, we maintained our correspondence through letters. I knew she had her worries that I would choose to stay at the capital after graduation, but she never expressed it because she was afraid that it might hold me back from pursuing a brighter future.

    ¡°But the truth was, my heart had never left Sar, had never left her.

    ¡°After Linda¡¯s first symptom surfaced, the progress was fast. She passed away on the fifth day. I was unable to make her stay any longer, not even for a few days. After Linda died, so did all my hope. How the world ended up no longer meant anything to me. My despair was different from Landon¡¯s. I have read his suicide note. He had a more admirable pursuit and a more admirable reason behind his self-destruction. But I¡¯m only a mere human. My parents, my old butler, my aunt, my friend, my lover... if any of them were still alive, perhaps I could still hold on, but they have all left.

    ¡°Linda¡¯s death made me understand something. There is no divinity in this world. Even if there was, it has been beaten by the demons. Because a God would never let someone like Linda die in such a disgraceful manner! Thest thing that she told me was, ¡®Raybundy, I am sorry that I cannot hold on until our wedding¡¯. We nned to have our knots tied in December of the Rose Year.

    ¡°Death is the return to the embrace of the goddess, an ascendancy of life? I do not believe in that at all. This world is turning into a broken ruin, but what is there to be sad or fearful of?

    ¡°All of my sadness and fear has dissipated with Linda¡¯s passing. I do not fear the copse of this world. I fear that Linda might be bullied in the abyss of hell, or what if there is something worse after death? I am also concerned about all my family and friends. Their bones have melted, and their hearts will never beat again, but... they are still spreading the seed of disease, using not any virus but their death.

    ¡°Father, mother, Landon, Linda, please forgive me, please wait for me.

    ¡°Because I, Raybundy Pedra, will embrace death with you.¡±

 Chapter 64: Medium

    <h4>Chapter 64: Medium</h4>

    When Gu Jun finished reading the three entries, the sky was already dark. The illusion of the church that came to him the day he obtained the diary floated before his eyes.

    Those people, those headless bodies, the skeletons, all deeply kneeling toward the sky above the church. Did Raybundy reunite with his family, lover, and friends inside that church? But there was no doubt that... it was definitely not the ¡®Goddess of Life¡¯ that presided over that church.

    ¡°May you rest in peace,¡± Gu Jun said lightly. While he empathized with the writer of the diary, he also obtained some new information. ¡°This is definitely another civilization, perhaps an ancient civilization on earth or from another or dimension.¡±

    Before, Gu Jun was more leaning toward theter, but now he saw the possibility of it being the former as well. Because this civilization also had twelve months in a year and thirty plus days in a month. This was a necessity determined by the change in weather, which was a sign of simrity in thes. Furthermore, the human structure and function of these people should be higher or perhaps simr to homo sapiens, or else their medication would not have worked on him. Not only him, it worked on other tumors as well; this was proven via his experiment on the rats.

    The system reward noted them as ¡®human brainstem tumor-targeting drugs¡¯, and the host information categorized his race as ¡®human¡ªhomo sapien.¡¯ Combining these two thoughts, Gu Jun now had a new supposition.

    ¡°This medicine is effective on all ¡®human¡¯ creature. Be it homo sapiens or the humans in the diary, they are both human beings. And right... this Carlot Academy...¡±

    ording to the diary, Carlot Academy was the most prestigious medical academy in that kingdom. The rewards of the difficult missions would asionally mention medical devices like Carlot Scalpel or Carlot Dissecting Scissors. Those ¡®Carlot¡¯s should mean the same thing, and the scalpel and scissors were products of that civilization. But that was one situation that befuddled Gu Jun. First, from the method ofmunication between Raybundy and Linda, which was ¡®letter-writing¡¯, one could hypothesize that this civilization did not have things such as phones and inte; they had not be an IT civilization. Otherwise, with the closeness of their rtionship, they would have been on the phone every day or at least sent messages constantly, unless on the slim chance that ¡®letter¡¯ was the name of some social media app. This meant that this civilization had not reached the electrical era, but there was mention of cold machine.

    Furthermore, this civilization was supposed to be a kingdom, and Raybundy also mentioned that Linda came from amon background, the daughter of a cksmith, so the idea of castes was very much still in ce. From the constant mention of the Goddess of Life in Raybundy¡¯s diary, that should be main divinity that this kingdom believed in. Other than that, the mention of things like ¡®the goddess¡¯ emissaries¡¯ and ¡®the truth of life¡¯ led him to deduce that religion had an important ce in this civilization. That was what confused Gu Jun the most. Taking the normal advancement of a human civilization into consideration, the civilization of this race would not have achieved great medical skill, yet...

    They had somehow manufactured human brainstem tumor-targeting drugs, something homo sapiens were still unable to cure.

    ¡°This civilization is behind us in other ces... but in certain ces, like medicine, they are far more advanced than we are.¡± As Gu Jun flipped over the three entries, he contemted. Could it be their faith in religion that allowed them to branch out into apletely different scientific tree?

    What they held the most precious was medical science; they kept on studying medicine and focused on advancing this skill. From the autopsy blueprint, the mention of viruses and parasites in the diary, they had already mastered the modern medicine of homo sapiens, and cancer was not even an issue for them anymore.

    ¡°I wonder how far the medical science of these people havee and how they managed to advance it so far.¡±

    As a medical student, Gu Jun knew that the advancement of medical science could not be isted from the need of high precision devices. Without a microscope, how could one study bacteria? And the creation of these devices could not be isted from the mastery of science, so what was the ¡®science¡¯ of this foreign civilization?

    ¡°Wait a minute...parison goes both ways.¡± Earlier, he was only focusing on what the foreign civilizationcked inparison to homo sapiens. Howe it never cross his mind to examine what the homo sapiensckedpared to the foreign civilization?

    The reason homo sapiens had such advanced technology was due to the importance that human beings set on the mastery of science; it was because of this that homo sapiens had ess to technology like steam, electricity,puters, and so on. Howe these pivotal discoveries did not ur in the path of the foreign civilization? What kind of discoveries did they have in science¡¯s ce then? Could it be magic?

    Magic? Gu Jun¡¯s heart shuddered, and he then felt the cells in his bodye to life...

    After witnessing the power of something like the system, he stopped questioning the presence of another form of energy in this world. There was truth behind every anomaly, but human beings had not even gotten their heads around the double-slit experiment, much less the essence of the universe itself.

    ¡°Could this be what the Afterlife Cult is searching for?¡± Gu Jun paced back and forth on the balcony. He sensed some unnamable presence in the dark night, things that had been there since the creation of time.

    Perhaps the Afterlife Cult was searching for ways to obtain the knowledge and techniques of this foreign civilization that were unknown to the homo sapiens?

    The medicine to treat cancer, methods to seek longevity, weren¡¯t those things that everyone would go crazy for?

    ¡°Could the medical techniques of these people be what mom was passionate about?¡± Gu Jun mumbled. The fiery gaze with which his mother had looked at the foreignnguage still pinched at his heart... But now that he thought about it, he felt much better. If it was rted to discovering this super advanced technology, he would be as crazed as his mother was.

    ¡°Perhaps the Afterlife Cult has interacted or perhaps even gained possession of some literature of this foreign civilization, but they do not know how to read them or decipher them. So... the Afterlife Cult came up with the research team that my parents were a part of, and that was how I got to learn this foreignnguage. I was the cipher that they used to unlock the foreignnguage...¡± Gu Jun arranged and pored over these clues. ¡°I appear to be some kind of medium between these two civilizations, responsible for taking the things over from the foreign civilization to this world...¡±

    Medium? A tool for storing and transporting information.

    ¡°A medium, is it?¡± Gu Jun gave a long sigh. After he made his connection, his heart felt lighter. When he was young, it was the foreignnguage, and now it was this system. Wasn¡¯t the system a kind of medium that possessed an even surprising power?

    The blueprint and diary were all information, but medicine and tools were real objects.

    ¡°Hands of dexterity...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered with the realization. Could these ¡®powers¡¯ be a kind of ¡®magic¡¯ for the foreign civilization? Or was this the ¡®medical technique¡¯ studied by the students of Carlot?

    Because they had this magical technique, it made up for theirck in technology. These techniques and powers might be even more useable in the pursuit of medical sciencepared to human science...

    ¡°So, I am some kind of medium or a reincarnation of a member of this foreign civilization?¡± Gu Jun shook his head self-deprecatingly. ¡°Compared to Landon, I am probably more like Raybundy, minus the loyalty of course.¡±

    He did not dwell too long on this notion because even if it was true, he could not do anything about it. This study of the mystery had already gone beyond his realm of understanding.

    So back to the medium he went. What was the Afterlife Cult doing that it turned him into this medium? And had the Afterlife Cult seeded? Why did they give him so many years of freedom as well as 5,000,000 RMB to spend and not trap him inside some dark room to study? How did the Afterlife Culte into contact with the foreign civilization, and what was in their possession? How much did Pheda know about all this?

    And what was the origin of... those monsters? What kind of force ced them on Earth? What was their connection to this hemoptysis? Would hemoptysis... one day infect and ravage the human civilization as well?

    Compared to that, the Banyan Malformation Disease that could be cured by timely amputation felt more like a kid¡¯s fever now. Even such a medically-advanced civilization was taken down by hemoptysis. If the disease arrived in this world, wouldn¡¯t that signify the end of human world as he knew it?

    Night breeze caressed his face, and Gu Jun¡¯s heart shivered from cold. Too many questions were left answered.

    ¡°I need to find a way to trigger the illusion from that ck and white picture soon. I need more information to clear up these puzzles.¡±

 Chapter 65: G Grade Member

    <h4>Chapter 65: G Grade Member</h4>

    The next morning, the weather bade farewell to the continuous rainy days that had arrived at the advent of autumn. Instead, the sun came up bright that day. Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, and the batch of interns congregated in a small conference room inside the training center. After the assessment of their S values, which was actually a small psychotherapy session as well as a half a day and a full night of rest, everyone appeared much better. It was still Brother Qiang who guided them, and even Brother Qiang looked more spirited. ording to the grapevine, his wife had gone off on a case yesterday. This was probably the rest of the husband being spared from his wife¡¯s grumblingints.

    ¡°These are the results of your S value assessments.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang handed them stack after stack of documents. Different from the personality test reports, the interns were allowed to know their S values, like blood pressure. If the S value was too low, it needed to be adjusted. The group held their results, and before they could read them, Brother Qiang skipped to the results with a big smile. ¡°Everyone has passed! Congrattions, everyone is very normal.¡±

    The celebrations began immediately. They all opened their reports and shared their own assessed values. Jiang Banxia, Ma Jiahua, Yang Ming, and Cheng Yifeng scored ny-five; Zhou Yi got ny-seven, and Cai Zixuan got the temporary highest score of ny-nine. Of the three that was sent to the surgical floor to help, Sun Yuheng scored ny-two, and Wang Ruoxiang got ny. Zhou Jiaqiang smiled and watched them chat among themselves. Since one¡¯s S value was part of personal privacy, it was the individual¡¯s decision to share it with others. Of course, only these newbies would do something like that. After they stayed long enough in Phecda, they would naturally understand that S value was not a good conversation topic. In fact, there were rules in ce to forbid one from asking others about their S value unless the other person was willing to share it on their own. This was something that he needed to warn them aboutter.

    Now only Gu Jun¡¯s S value remained a mystery. The rest all turned to him with curiosity. Would he surprise them again with a perfect score of one hundred?

    Gu Jun studied the report in his hand and saw the mark of seventy-five on it. Other than that, there was some other detailed data that he could not understand. After all, he had not received S value assessment training before. In any case, thements that Sister Liang left on his report must definitely be iplete because there was no mention of ¡®abnormal memory¡¯ at all. Herment read, ¡°The subject is under great mental pressure and is required to attend group therapy every fortnight. Other than that, it is suggested that the subject is assigned to more group activities to expand his social circles and build more sturdy emotional bonds.¡±

    Great mental pressure? If only things were that simple.

    ¡°Seventy-five.¡± Gu Jun waved the report in his hand and satisfied the others¡¯ curiosity. The atmosphere in the room chilled instantly, and theughter froze in the air. That was a low mark, much lower than anyone else¡¯s. Brother Qiang had said that one would fail if their S value was lower than seventy. Everyone else¡¯s value was over ny, but Gu Jun, who was a genius at everything else, only scored a measly seventy-five. This child sure was carrying a lot of ideological baggage.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun.¡± Cai Zixuan¡¯s concerned voice shattered the silence. ¡°What kind of soup would you preferter? I will cook something for you.¡±

    ¡°What kind of scenario were you presented with?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked. ¡°Have you lost all of your money?¡±

    She purposely chided him.

    ¡°Nothing so special. I¡¯m sure it was not so different from everyone else¡¯s.¡± Gu Jun shook his head with a smile. The others¡¯ concerned gazes on him warmed him like the sun. They glowed around his heart. Sister Liang obviously knew about the shattered rtionship that he had with his parents, and that was why she suggested that he expand his social circle and strengthen his social bonds, but actually, being surrounded by these fellow members was already good enough for him. Suddenly, something hit him, and Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed. Perhaps Carlot Academy was once as rowdy as the ce before him...

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. Ah Jun is just under some stress.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang did not allow them to linger on this topic. After all, the organization had their own ns for Gu Jun. ¡°Anyway,e and sign these contracts.¡±

    Brother Qiang handed them the contract. Even though it was just going through the motions, he still requested that they go through the uses closely before they dropped their signature. Then again, would the contract really be binding considering that they would be working for the country¡¯s secret organization? Regardless, they listened to Brother Qiang¡¯s advice and went through the contract silently page by page. Gu Jun studied it to the utmost detail. As he expected, the use with regards to possible injuries at work and mental stress went very in dept. The overall meaning was, ¡°Party B has worked hard for the country, and the Medical Department of Phecda is sad that it hase to this end as well, but we warned you about the risks involved.¡± Still, thepensation fee was incredibly high...

    When the group signed the contract, Zhou Jiaqiang collected them all and walked out of the conference room, seemingly to hand the contracts over to other employees. When Brother Qiang returned, he no longer had the contracts but instead came back with the phones that were confiscated a month ago and brand-new work IDs that belonged to them.

    ¡°Okay, from today onward, all of you are officially Grade G Members of Phecda! You will have ess corresponding to a Grade G member. I have not officially introduced this to you, but the membership levels at Phecda range from Grade A to Grade G and then intern. I am a Grade F member, just one grade higher than all of you.¡± Brother Qiang scratched his face that was filled with pimple scars and sighedughingly. ¡°I have worked here for decades, but I am just a Grade F member, so I hope none of you will follow in my footsteps.¡±

    The conference room was filled withughter. At that moment, be it a clinical group or misceneous group, everyone was filled with a sense of confidence and passion. This atmosphere inspired Cai Zixuan to get into a poetic mode, and he recited, ¡°Young we were, schoolmates, at life¡¯s full flowering; Filled with student enthusiasm, boldly we cast all restraints aside.¡±

    That only got them tough even harder. The weight lifted off Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders. Why would he need group therapy? Zixuan was a walking stress reliever.

    After having theirugh, Zhou Jiaqiang had everyone settle down. ¡°Now I will introduce theyout of Phecda to you. This will be thest lecture I give you. Later in the day, there will be an ice-breaking session for new members of each department. It is your choice to join it or not, but I personally suggest you all attend it. It is only good for you to broaden your social circle. Oh, Ah Jun, you have to go and participate to help relieve your stress.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun nodded. It looked like things had been slowing down recently, or else they would not have time for ice-breaking. But for some reason, he still felt unsettled. There had to be a reason the Afterlife Cult chose this moment toe back into the spotlight.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, I wish to go as well.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    They were all youngsters. Of course, they would not miss out on the fun. By then, Zhou Jiaqiang had already switched on the hanging screen in the room and started to broadcast the internal promotional video. A light background music drifted through the room. Other than Gu Jun and Wang Ruoxiang, everyone else was having fun. Even though the promos were rather cliched, it was understood that advertisement was never the government¡¯s strong point.

    ¡°There are about thirty departments in total within Phecda,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang exined as he clicked on the remote. ¡°There is no difference in standing between departments; they simply have different responsibilities. Our medical department is one of the bigger departments, responsible for curing and saving patients; you have alreadye into contact with the review department as well, responsible for the various assessments, reviews, and examinations.¡±

    The group listened carefully, especially Gu Jun. Ever since he joined Phecda, he had been trying to find out about this. Finally, one puzzle was solved.

    ¡°The review department is in turn reviewed by the psychology group of our Medical Department and the Investigation Department, because the reviewers need to be reviewed themselves. The Investigation Department is another big department.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang pressed on the remote, and the image on the screen changed. The picture that appeared showed members in ck uniforms. The men looked tough and the women handsome; they looked like quintessential police. Then Brother Qiang said, ¡°The Investigation Department is basically ourw enforcement, and they have many different investigation groups like an external investigation group, internal investigation group, and abnormal energy investigation group...¡±

    Abnormal Energy Investigation Group? That piqued Gu Jun¡¯s interest immediately. What did he mean by ¡®abnormal energy¡¯?

    Right then, Senior Ma helped him as well as everyone else by voicing that question. ¡°Brother Qiang, what is this abnormal energy?¡±

 Chapter 66: Abnormal Energy Investigation Group

    <h4>Chapter 66: Abnormal Energy Investigation Group</h4>

    Abnormal Energy Investigation Group, well the name itself begged inquiry.

    ¡°I knew someone would ask that because I asked the same thing way back when.¡± Brother Qiang lightened the mood with his statement, and then he proceeded with the script prepared. ¡°Mand, the one from South Africa, you guys know about him, right? Next, I will ask you a question. Do not voice your answer. Instead, I need you to write down your own answer on your own review report, and then we canpare notes.¡±

    Zhou Jiaqiang scanned the group and then asked, ¡°What year did Mand die? Which decade, and what was his cause of death?¡±

    Those of them who had heard of this theory understood what Brother Qiang was getting at instantly. Those who did not were confused, but all of them jotted down their answers. Gu Jun had heard about this, but he could remember the exact year in detail... He could not be sure of the correct answer, so he wrote down what first came into his mind. ¡°In the eighties, year 1985, he was assassinated after he got out of prison and was elected president.¡±

    After everyone finished writing, Brother Qiang had everyone show their answer. They looked at each other¡¯s.

    Wang Ruoxiang had written, ¡°In the 80s, year 1980, assassinated.¡±

    Cai Zixuan had written, ¡°The 80s, year 1986, died in prison.¡± He had even added, ¡°The color of his skin gave him meaning in life because he threw his entire life into the war against injustice due to skin color.¡±

    Sun Yuheng wrote 2010 and died from illness...

    There were mainly two kinds of answers among the nine people. One was in the eighties, and the cause of death was rted to prison and assassination; the other was in the twenty-first century, around 2010, and died from natural causes...

    ¡°The correct answer is December 5th, 2013,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang announced with a smile. ¡°He died at ny-five from illness.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Other than Gu Jun, the others who wrote down the date of death in the eighties were stunned. Ny-five? He had only died a few years ago? Cai Zixuan scratched at his bald head and gasped in shock. ¡°Brother Qiang, are you sure you didn¡¯t remember it wrongly?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang said seriously to show that he was not joking. ¡°When I was young, I remember that Mand was already dead, but in around 2005, I suddenly saw that Mand had appeared at a social event on the news. The feeling that I had then wasparable to what you all are feeling now. But what is the reason behind this? Is it because our understanding of Mand is not enough? But this phenomenon ismon all over the world. Much of the general public believes that Mend passed away in the eighties or nies, and they have even seen documentaries, reports, and even Mand¡¯s own funeral. Even for a new generation like yourself, this impression is still going strong. This situation where the collective memory is incongruous with the truth is known as the Mand Effect.

    ¡°The Mand effect applies not only to its namesake but to others known by public and those not known by public. The Mand Effect is a kind of Abnormal Event. Is it a social psychological effect, a mystery of the universe, or is there an abnormal force behind it? That is the job of the investigation department to investigate. I do not wish to make the whole thing sound so out there. After all, it is our belief that all these supernatural things are nothing but scientific theories that we currently do notprehend.¡±

    The group nodded silently. After learning this, they realized the strange events investigated by their colleagues from the Investigation Department might not be easier than what they had to do at the Medical Department. Gu Jun hummed silently to himself. If this was in the past, he would definitely have thought that the Mand effect was just mass misdirection of the crowd consensus, but now... could there really be an abnormal force of energy acting behind it?

    Seeing no one had followed up with a question, he volunteered, ¡°Brother Jue, can you give us more examples of these abnormal events?¡±

    ¡°Well, you have the urban legends like SCP foundation and so on. Some are already public record.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang shrugged. ¡°If you wish to learn more about these mysteries, feel free to visit the library to read up on them, but the content made essible to you will be dependent on your membership grade. In any case, this is what the abnormal energy investigation group does. In fact, they are currently investigating the source of the Malformed Banyan Disease.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. So, that was their jurisdiction. He wondered what discoveries they had made. With the mention of the Malformed Banyan Disease, everyone wanted to know more, but Zhou Jiaqiang did not oblige. After all, it was not his ce to discuss this. After a quick introduction of the Investigation Department, he went on to introduce the Tribunal Department. The Tribunal Department was basically the judicial branch. They were responsible for all the judicial decision within Phecda. The discipline, morality, rules, rewards, and punishments of members would be applied by their respective department, and it would be sent to the Tribunal Department to be judged. The Tribunal Department had no young members; they were all high-grade members with great experience and reputation.

    While the Tribunal Department was responsible for the judicial branch, the Correctional Department was responsible for meting out its decision.

    ¡°I hope none of you ever encounter people from Correctional...¡± Zhou Jiaqiang sighed as if remembering his past and those who had gone before him. ¡°Stay as far as you can from the prison. It is not a good ce to be.¡±

    The ¡®prison¡¯ mentioned here was specially used to lock up the secret and internal criminals. The group could not help but imagine what the ce would look like.

    And the images that appeared in Gu Jun¡¯s mind were of those who had gonepletely insane or had done insane things. These people might look normal with their intelligence and rationality intact, but the humanity that made them human had disappeared without a trace. Even so, should these people be considered insane?

    Without letting them dwell too long on it, Zhou Jiaqiang continued to talk about the Scientific Research Department. This was a very huge department, where the scientists and schrs could be found. They studied physic events, astrology, biology, chemistry,nguage, and so on, providing technical support for the other departments. The many different kinds of technological products used by Phecda came from this department as well.

    Finally was the Action Department. From aerial,nd and sea, they provided all the other departments with heavy artillery support.

    As he listened to all this, Gu Jun felt overwhelmed by a sense of self-deprecation. The files about the Afterlife Cult would be on the table of the Abnormal Energy Infestation Group, thenguage group of the Scientific Research Department could have information about the foreignnguage, the members of the Afterlife Cult could currently be locked up in the Correctional Department¡¯s prison, and the Action Department might have even destroyed one of the bases of the Afterlife Cult before...

    But he was just a medical student. There were so many departments, and they contained confidential information that a member from Medical Department like him could never reach!

    Then Zhou Jiaqiang continued to introduce some admin-rted departments.

    General Affairs Department: The home of the secretaries, the center of power in Phecda. The people there were responsible for human resources, finances, and expansion.

    Public Rtions Department: Liaison between Phecda and the mass media. In reality, though, they were more like spin doctors. ¡®Cross-fire? No such things, that was just fireworks.¡¯

    Training Department: Responsible for selection and training of normal members. Brother Qiang and Lee Hwalong had joined Phecda through this route.

    Recreational Department: Responsible for the arrangement of recreational activities and everyday supplies. Help the members rx. After all, what is more important than having fun! The workers at the dormitory belonged to this department.

    There were also an engineering department, a traffic and transport department, a library information management department...

    ¡°Lastly, I have to give a special mention to the Special Mobile Forces.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang¡¯s voice rose several octaves. His eyes swept over the group, seemingly settling a tad longer on Gu Jun. ¡°This is, without a doubt, the most impressive department of Phecda.¡±

 Chapter 67: Special Mobile Force

    <h4>Chapter 67: Special Mobile Force</h4>

    ¡°Special Mobile Force,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang stressed as he pressed on the remote to y the promo on the big screen. After many cliched and unimportant shots, the group finally saw a cut that had a much higher production value. Groups of people seemed to separate into different teams. Some leaned against a tank inside a garage, some trekked on abandoned mountainous routes, and some wandered seemingly aimlessly in the desert.

    ¡°Every member of this force is handpicked from the best member of each department. They are the elite of the elite! It will be these elites who form different units, focusing on different mission types, of various scales, and unique objectives. For example, there¡¯s a fighting unit, an investigation unit, a medical unit, aposite unit, and so on.¡± Brother Qiang paused before continuing with reverence in his tone. ¡°But the binding thread among all of them is that the Special Mobile Forces will always be conducting the most important and also the most dangerous missions on the front line. Every unit is independent, but they must be ready to provide support for each department at any time. In other words, wherever the Special Mobile Force is needed, that will be where you¡¯ll find them.¡±

    The group¡¯s interest was piqued, especially among the boys, because this sounded so heroic. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes focused, this was the break he was looking for, he had to fight his hardest to get into this unit. He was a student of medicine, so he could not join the Investigation Department, but if he managed to join the Special Mobile Force, he would have the opportunity to get close to the core secrets of Phecda.

    ¡°If any of you wish to join the Special Mobile Force, you¡¯ll have to work much harder,¡± Zhou Jiaqiang added. ¡°Currently, they arecking manpower, so there are plenty of open doors, but...

    ¡°They have a permanent unit and a temporary unit, thetter being the kind that will be dissolved once the mission is over. There are also units that do not dissolve, but they will never be sent out on missions again, why?¡± He sighed. ¡°Because all of the members have died.¡±

    Silence fell over the room. The threat of danger filled the air. Who was the member who captured the Malformed Banyan Humanoid? Who was the member who transported the people who were infected by the disease here? The Action Department or a unit from the Special Mobile Force?

    Regarding this inherent danger, Gu Jun felt it the most acutely because among the nine, he was the only one who had gotten the chance to see the Malformed Banyan Humanoid up close. At the time, he did not remember seeing any external wounds or gun wounds on the tree. Professor Qin had also said that it died from sterile experimentation, and the tree was captured alive. But if one came into contact with the ck sap of the malformed tree, they would be infected.

    ¡°It is not that easy to get into the Special Mobile Force,¡± Brother Qiang said. ¡°All of you know that Ah Jun is the one closest to its door, so why don¡¯t the rest of you take him as your target for now?¡±

    The rest of the group nodded. They did not feel undermined or underestimated. After all, after spending a month of training together, some things could be said without much exnation. Zhou Jiaqing was not worried about the pride getting to Gu Jun¡¯s head either. If anything, he felt like the kid was too rational. Sometimes, some emotions were needed in their line of work; it would help with the stress.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, will I be given the chance to join in the near future?¡± Gu Jun could not help but ask. Even though this was not really an appropriate ce to ask, he really wanted to know. For now, none of them had received any notice for official cement, but he was the only one who was given additional training in ¡®fieldwork¡¯. Now that the chips were falling into ce, Gu Jun understood that this was probably Phecda training him as a reserve for the Special Mobile Force.

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Zhou Jiaqiang shrugged. ¡°And that is the truth. I am not a part of the decision-making process on how you guys are assigned. Ah Jun, if I were you, I won¡¯t stress too much. You should take a break for the day.¡±

    Even Brother Qiang could not help but give him some advice. ¡°Those in our line of work need to mind the bnce between rest and work.¡±

    The rest of the group concurred. With an S value at seventy-five, shouldn¡¯t he really take a break?

    Gu Jun nodded along. In his mind, he also tried to persuade himself to see their point of view, telling himself that it was best for him to rest for the day.

    ...

    After Zhou Jiaqiang gave the group their final lecture, he left to deal with other business. Then, the people from the Recreational Department came to lead them to the ice-breaking venue. This was the first time they had left the base for the Medical Department for a whole month. They rode the small van to return to the outside world, more specifically the urban city of East State.

    The crowded street, the traffic jam, the shrill horns, the bustling crowd¡ªthese mundane and even annoying everyday things had a mncholic pull to them. Even the polluted air of the city felt more refreshing than the clean air of the countryside base at that moment.

    The venue was not a secret location; it was arge ballroom in a five-star hotel in the Qing Yun district. It was noon when they arrived, and thevish ballroom was bustling with activity. The chandeliers lit up the hall brilliantly, shining the spotlight on the young faces of the new members from each department. People walked about and interacted. The party was in a buffet style, so there was plenty of freedom. As they looked at the delicious food, the beauties from the other department, and most importantly, theck of the smell of formalin and disinfectant... the boys soon realized the importance of recreation! Each of them could feel their S value slowly recovering.

    Now, how should one approachdies again?

    The girls also noticed the handsome men from the other department, and none of them looked like they were balding... Well, two could y that game.

    Gu Jun was still caught in the noise around him when he heard a joyful call of his name. ¡°Gu Jun! My old buddy, hahaha.¡±

    He turned around to see a figure rushing toward him. Then, a pair of arms moved in to envelope him. It was Lee Yuerui, whom he had not met since the incident. The man had cut off his ridiculous afro and now sported clean, short hair. He was in casual wear and looked refreshed. The ster around his right forearm had been removed. From the way he waved it around, it appeared like the injury had healed quite perfectly.

    ¡°Lee Yuerui.¡± Gu Jun felt the smileing to his lips. Even though he had guessed that they were fine, he still felt happy to be proved that in person.

    ¡°Wu Dong! Wu Dong!¡± Lee Yuerui yelled at the top of his lungs. ¡°Xiaotang, Xiaotang! Gu Jun is over here,e!¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, and the rest who came with Gu Jun were still confused by this reunion when they saw two more people walk over. Naturally, Gu Jun recognized both of them, the muscleman Wu Dong and the rebel princess Li Xiaotang. Their dress sense had changed; Lin Xiaotang appeared more mature and had lost the icy front that she put on. She regarded them with smiles.

    ¡°Doctor Gu!¡± Wu Dong gripped Gu Jun¡¯s hands tightly and refused to let you. ¡°I miss you so much. Finally, we meet again.¡±

    Then, introductions were made. Lee Yuerui and his friends were all new members at the Recreation Department, and they were G- Grade Members. It meant that they were just slightly better than interns. Most members of the Recreation Department were at this state; only a small handful had the G Grade Membership. Even though the Recreation Department was the least technical department in Phecda, Gu Jun still thought that these three dragged down the overall standard of Phecda.

    ¡°Let me tell you, Gu Jun here is my life savior.¡± Lee Yuerui filled the rest in with his colorful description on the incident at the Longkan Submarine Volcanic Belt. ¡°At that time, it was so chaotic. I was flung about like a volleyball, but Gu Jun managed to reach out and grab him! Then he helped me stop the bleeding and bandage my wound while we were still inside the submarine. He was truly a god.¡±

    The group was not surprised that Gu Jun was capable of something like that. As Cai Zixuan listened to the story, he added with a sigh, ¡°Silent as a hill in rest but quick as a hare in motion.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Wu Dong was still reeling from the close brush with death. ¡°If not for Gu Jun, I would have died that day.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang asked Gu Jun. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you have been working hard for a period of time, so in truth, you were on holiday?¡±

    ¡°Well, the hardwork started after I finished the holiday,¡± Gu Jun exined.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wang Ruoxiang was stumped then. In other words, he had surpassed the rest of them in less than half a month...

    Gu Jun still had questions of his own, the type that would not involve the rest, so he told the others directly, ¡°We still have some things to catch up on in private.¡±

    The group nodded in understanding. They soon dispersed to find newpany.

    ¡°What happened after we separated?¡± Gu Jun asked Lee Yuerui and his friend in a serious tone. ¡°And was it really you guys who sent me the mobile phone?¡±

 Chapter 68: Ice Breaking

    <h4>Chapter 68: Ice Breaking</h4>

    ¡°Mobile phone?¡± Lee Yuerui asked in confusion. ¡°The one I had in the submarine? When we got into the helicopter, Xiaotang identally dropped it into the sea. I have not seen it since.¡±

    Something weighed down on Gu Jun immediately, and his brows creased. But this caused Lin Xiaotang¡¯s lips to curl into a smile. ¡°You are truly one iron block. Do you believe everything people tell you?¡±

    Lee Yuerui and Wu Dong quickly asked for rification, but Gu Jun though sighed in relief. This girl...

    ¡°Did you think we could keep the phone to ourselves after we reached Maldives and the people from Phecda came for us?¡± Lin Xiaotang asked her twopanions. As it turned out, she had alreadye up with the n when they were still on the cruise ship. She would mail the phone to Gu Jun as soon as theynded in the Maldives. She said, ¡°If we can keep it, then it¡¯s good, but if we can¡¯t, then it will be Gu Jun¡¯s problem anyway.¡±

    Gu Jun understood the meaningful gaze that Lin Xiaotang had shot him that day when they parted. She was going to y a prank on him.

    ¡°So, did we create a problem for you?¡± Lin Xiaotang asked as if she was not the mastermind behind this.

    ¡°No,¡± Gu Jun said. In fact, they had inadvertently helped him, but he did not go into detail. He did not want to encourage someone like Lin Xiaotang. Currently, he had too many things on his te to juggle. He did not have the time or interest to y with a little girl at her rebellious age.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lin Xiaotang sounded rather disappointed. Gu Jun was not summoned by the people from the Investigation Department? It looked like she was too understated with her actions.

    ¡°So, where is the phone now?¡± Lee Yuerui was simply overjoyed. ¡°There are so many memorable pictures that I want inside it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s broken and can¡¯t be switched on anymore. I have already handed it over to the members of the Investigation Department.¡± Gu Jun turned to look at Lin Xiaotang. ¡°Mind you, the Investigation Department knows everything, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡±

    Lin Xiaotang was stumped, and the ire from being found out rose in her heart...

    ¡°How did you guys end up joining Phecda anyway?¡± This question from Gu Jun led Lee Yuerui tounch into a long story.

    Due to their family background, they had always known about the existence of Phecda. In fact, Lee Yuerui¡¯s big brother was a member of the Public Rtions Department. It was through his brother that he heard about the story at Longkan, and that was the reason behind their excursion to the Longkan Submarine Volcanic Belt. After the three were brought back from the Maldives, since they had already touched upon confidential issues and Phecda was at the time hiring, one thing led to another, and there they were. Even though they were not incredibly talented, the three of them definitely knew how to party, so that led them to join the internship for the Recreation Department. After a month of training, they had officially be G Grade Members. However, Lin Xiaotang had registered for other courses at the Training Department. After all, she did not n to stay in the Recreation Department forever.

    ¡°I feel fine just staying at the Recreation Department,¡± Lee Yuerui said with surprising pride. ¡°This ce suits me the most.¡±

    As if finding his kindred spirit, the muscles on Wu Dong¡¯s face quivered with emotion. ¡°Yes, I can only stay at Recreation Department, and I am d for that.¡±

    Ever since they had seen some pictures of the Malformed Banyan Disease, not even the real thing, they had vomited their stomachs out, and at that time, they had known where they were meant to be.

    ¡°Okay then.¡± What else could Gu Jun say? It was one thing for Lee Yuerui, but with Wu Dong¡¯s physique, he was meant for the Action Department, although he was not surprised by the ambition shown by Lin Xiaotang.

    While they chatted, the ballroom filled up, they were the brightest young stars from the East State. Gu Jun did not need to do anything before he was surrounded by people. There were people from the Investigation Department, Scientific Research Department, and Action Department. They all came voluntarily to get to know him. Whether this was rted to Sister Liang¡¯s intervention or not, broadening his social circle was what he wanted, so Gu Jun treated them well and made acquaintances of all of them.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you have already be ¡®the other kid¡¯ for the trainers in our Action Department. When weck in performance, you¡¯re the one the trainerspare us to.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same with us in the Investigation Department. The teacher told us there was an intern from the Medical Department who had already be a second assistant in the surgical room named Gu Jun. That definitely lit a fire under our asses.¡±

    ¡°Looks like all the teachers have matched their scripts. Our teachers said the same thing in the Scientific Research Department.¡±

    Listening to the people¡¯s admiration-filled jabs, Gu Jun only knew that was a thing. He even heard through the grapevine that he had already been selected as the reserve to join the Special Mobile Force. On the other hand, Lee Yuerui, Wu Dong, and Lin Xiaotang were pushed by the crowd to the outer fringe. Even if they shouted, no one gave them any thought. Although the three of them came from a powerful background, and they would be in the spotlight in a normal setting, no one would care about them here. After all, the Recreation Department was unique in its own way. Even the mostmon auntie could hold a powerful post¡ªprovided enough Phecda members liked to have a motherly presence around.

    ¡°Jesus Christ, the man sure is popr.¡± Wu Dong¡¯s eyes widened. Gu Jun was surrounded by at least threeyers of people, and the crowd was only getting bigger! Wu Dong puffed his cheeks and told his buddies, ¡°When I saw Doctor Gu that first day on the deck, I knew he was meant for great things, or else I would have beaten him to a pulp them.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right...¡± Lin Xiaotang grumbled with a pout. Internally, she swore that she would have to rise from the Recreation Department soon.

    Lee Yuerui saw the opportunity at hand. After all, he was an expert at interpersonal rtionships. He went to grab a tray of drinks and mixed into the crowd, saying, ¡°Drinks, anyone interested in a drink?¡±

    Once he mixed in, he said with a chuckle, ¡°I, Lee Yuerui, have known Ah Jun for a long time already. Indeed, you can call us old friends, haha. By the way, have I told you about the incident that happened at the Longkan Volcanic Belt with me and Ah Jun? You have to be at least a G-Grade member to know about this. Oh, the memories...¡±

    He started to paint the picture again. It drew in the attention of the people from different departments, especially thedies, who chimed in once in a while. But Gu Jun was rather apprehensive of this. Certain things were only meant for private knowledge. News was like a disease; the more it spread, the harder it was to predict how it would be. Seeing Lee Yuerui¡¯s lips that could not close, Gu Jun scrolled over the various sutures in his mind before finally deciding on the simplest continuous suture. It was the quickest after all.

    ...

    The ice-breaking party at the five-star hotelsted from noon until night. Everyone grabbed hold of this precious downtime and had their fun. There was only one ice-breaking party after all, and for all they know, they would be tossed into endless high-stress work the next day again. The party ended way after midnight. Gu Jun¡¯s group took the van that they came in back to the Medical Department¡¯s base. That night, Gu Jun had a nice sleep in the dormitory. Even though there were still many mysteries, it was a constion to reunite with Lee Yuerui and his friends.

    The next day, the refreshed group was assigned to their official posts. They all became intern doctors. Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, and Sun Yuheng were to report to the Surgical Floor to help, and Gu Jun had to draw out some time to continue some other training.

    It wasing to the end of September. School had already started for Eastern University, and they were still students there, at least on paper. In reality, however, they were all on unlimited study leave. Gu Jun was still assigned to the orthopedic unit led by Zhu Ruiwen and continued his role as the second assistant. When he was free, he would be called to the other surgical rooms to help. After thest batch of Malformed Banyan Disease patients, there was no sign of new victims. However, the Surgical Floor was not only open to the victims of the Malformed Banyan Disease. On thest day of December, there were fifty-six members from the Action Department who were helicoptered in for emergency treatment.

    Gu Jun saw at the busy corridors in shock that most of the members were already confused or sedated. All of them suffered from serious external wounds. Some had broken limbs, others had their stomach festered into a mess, and the most severe cases came with half of their bodies missing.

    These were not wounds suffered in a gunfight; this appeared more like the result of a frontal confrontation with a savage beast. The problem was most of the Action Department members were equipped with heavy artillery. Not one or two people were heavily injured but fifty-six. In that case, how many had died at the scene?

    When Gu Jun rushed to the consultation office of the surgical room. The atmosphere there was heavy. This time, everyone in the surgical room would be their colleagues.

    Zeng Yizhu and Lee Hwalong were looking through the information of the victims. Seeing him walk into the room, Surgeon Zhu handed him a stack of documents from the table. ¡°The members were all ambushed by the same kind of abnormal creature. There is a distinctiveness to their wounds. Ah Jun, you¡¯d better look over the information first.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun epted the files. Abnormal creature? Was it that kind of ¡®monster¡¯?

 Chapter 69: Cleansing Parasite (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 69: Cleansing Parasite (2in1)</h4>

    When he saw the picture of the creature on the first page of the file, Gu Jun frowned. It was not the kind of monster he was expecting. It was not a humanoid creature in the picture but something that was more akin to a giant worm. The name ¡®subterrain giant worm¡¯ wasbelled under the picture. This kind of worm could grow up to ten meters long in its adulthood, with both its height and width reaching half a meter. It was quite literally a giant worm. It had the same habits as a normal worm. It spent most of its life underground, only surfacing with surprising speed to lunge at its prey, like human beings, to feed. The file did not provide much history or the habitat of the subterrain giant worm. Instead, it focused on the surgical procedure required when dealing with victims of the giant worm. Scanning through the provided surgical examples, Gu Jun felt a chill run down his spine, turning his stomach.

    Other than causing serious external injury, the giant worm would embed many miniscule parasitic young worms in its prey¡¯s wounds. The young worms would grow rapidly inside the wounds, forming balls of sacs in the scarred tissue. If they were not properly cleaned, they would continue to procreate, causing the victim to finally die from internal organ malfunctions. In one of the pictures, there was one with a pathological autopsy. It showed a full sac wiggling with worm-sized parasites. They appeared to be eating the body from inside out. Those with tropophobia would definitely drop the files, screaming, at this point. Even for Gu Jun, he had no stomach to look through the files again.

    But for the attending doctors, well, time was of the essence. They had to clean out the parasites in the victims¡¯ wounds before they had the chance to spread and then conduct the normal bandage procedure on the injury. The main focus was to make sure that the wound was one hundred percent clean. Not a single worm could be left because if there was even one strangler, it would only continue to fester back into hundreds and thousands again.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Lee Hwalong put the files down and rubbed his arms with both hands, his skin filled with goosebumps. Gu Jun understood why the members from Action Department would be so injured even with their equipment; it must have been hell what they had to go through.

    This also exined why he had seen the wounded members lying in specialized beds, covered in ss tubes; it was sterile istion. For the victim, it was to keep them from being infected by other illnesses, and it served to prevent others from being infected by the parasite. Themer monster, the subterrain giant worm, as well as the zombie, Deep One, dhole mentioned in the abyssal missions... One could not help but wonder how many types of ¡®abnormal creatures¡¯ there were in this world, and the definition that Phecda had regarding ¡®abnormal creature¡¯ was that they did not belong in any of the seven main taxonomic ranks.

    The taxonomic ranks were a biological categorization that appeared to be the category used by the system as well, so the Jinmenken would not be considered an abnormal creature, but the subterrain giant worm definitely was.

    ¡°Main surgeon, how much surgical experience do we have dealing with this parasite?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s question was on the surface a concern about the imminent surgery, but it was also a leading question. If the department had much experience dealing with this, it meant that the subterrain giant worm was not really a rare abnormal creature.

    ¡°Not much.¡± Surgeon Zhu¡¯s face was dark. ¡°I have studied it only on paper, and this will be my first time dealing with it in person, but I have plenty of experience in the removal of parasites. I suggest we look at the video footage first. It was just sent over by the headquarters.¡±

    Zeng Yizhu was dealing with this for the first time as well. This was not the situation that Gu Jun was hoping to hear because this meant that abnormal energy hade back into activity most recently.

    In any case, everyone gathered before the screen and studied the surgical videos that were sent over. The mood was definitely not optimistic; the surgery was going to be very difficult.

    A young parasite was hard to spot, and when they had not formed into a sac, they were nothing but mere speck that could barely be caught by the naked eye. They could not be washed away by water pressure. They had to be sought out under the microscope and then cut out manually. If the wound was on the limbs and the condition was dangerous, then amputation was suggested. Due to this consideration, the superior had assigned their unit a victim whose injuries was on his upper right arm. If they were sessful, the man could keep his right arm. If not, then the arm would be amputated. Of the fifty-six victims, they were only assigned one, so they only needed to focus on this one surgery.

    This was an emergency operation, so there was no time to waste. After they finished watching videos, Surgeon Zhu decided to adopt the n of amputation should the arm fail to be preserved. Then, they went to change and disinfect before they headed to the surgical room. To prevent infection to the wounds, they would be using a sterile surgical room this time. It came with equipment like microscopes and screens.

    When the four walked into the room, like usual, the anesthesiologist was already seated behind the machine, and the nurses were all ready. Their victim was already lying on the surgical b. He was given full body anesthetic, and he was as silent as the dead. This was arguably the only thing that was better than dealing with the victim of the Malformed Banyan Disease. Therge and burly man had no color on his face. From the top of his right arm to his palm, there was no visible flesh, at least not any that was considered human flesh. It was as if the arm had been yanked right off with a tug from the giant worm¡¯s maw. While the victim was sent to them, the military doctor had only done some simple stitching to stop the bleed. Now, they needed to undo all that to inspect the parasitic situation inside the tissue.

    Once the surgery started, Surgeon Zhu was already sweating. The circting nurse came to wipe away the sweat again and again. Zeng Yizhu looked as ready as he could be while Lee Hwalong was shaking slightly from nervousness. Gu Jun felt the pressure on him as well. Actually, during this time, thanks to the system function of ¡®surgical job list¡¯, his surgical skill had improved tremendously, but even so, faced with this challenge of removing the microscopic parasites and sacs, he was overwhelmed by the difficulty of it all. And seeing theyer uponyer of sacs attached to the man¡¯s tissue... his S value lowered again. This surgery tested their patience and technical skill; it also tested their stamina and focus.

    This surgery started at 10:32 am, and it only ended at 10:45 pm. While they cut, sliced, and cleaned, they had to stitch up the wounds at the same time. After almost thirteen hours, they finallypleted the surgery. The patient¡¯s vitals returned to normal, and they saved his right hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s done. We¡¯re done.¡± Surgeon Zhu gave a sigh of relief and found a bench to sit. Zeng Yizhu, who was the eldest in their unit, rxed and almost copsed to the ground. Over the past thirteen hours, the four doctors had been standing by the surgical table. They did not rest for even a minute; at most, they only reached out to stretch.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Lee Hwalong moaned audibly as he sat down on the bench. Gu Jun was so tired that his legs were numb. It was not that he was weak; anyone would be physically drained after standing and working for more than ten hours straight. He found his own stool and sat down. He scanned the surgical job list in his mind, and the results of this surgery were sessful. His personal contribution was twenty-three percent and ranked second. They rested for a while inside the surgical room and then streamed out into the corridor. A nurse came over with a few bottles of cold c. The four peeled off their masks. They took one each and gulped the bottle down like it was ambrosia. Nothing was more rewarding than a bottle of cold c after a harsh surgery, and not the can-type, only the bottle type could suffice.

    ¡°Ah Jun was a great help during this operation!¡± Surgeon Zhu raised his bottle in praise. ¡°A round of apuse for the man.¡±

    The rest pped with smiles. Indeed, this time, Gu Jun had done more work than even the first assistant. Gu Jun raised his own bottle in return. The work of the past thirteen hours was worth it because of the result.

    Then, another nurse came over to report. ¡°Surgeon Zhu, there are people from the investigation department here. They have been waiting at the front lobby for hours. They¡¯re here for Ah Jun.¡±

    Gu Jun was startled when he heard that, but then again, he was mentally prepared for this as well. One could say that he had been waiting for this day to arrive.

    ¡°What?¡± Surgeon Zhu and the rest were confused. They hurried to the front lobby and saw a unit of three from the investigation department sitting on the waiting bench, two men and one woman. They were all dressed in the ck uniforms of the investigation unit. Once they saw them walk over, the three stood up, and their gazes were fixed on Gu Jun. The leading man with a strong jaw walked forward to say, ¡°Nice to meet all of you. Doctor Gu, hello. I am Wang Ke, the leader of the subunit from the Abnormal Energy Investigation Group. I need you to follow us.¡±

    ¡°What is this? What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhu Ruiwen was dissatisfied. ¡°Gu Jun is my second assistant! We have just finished operation that took over ten hours, and it is almost midnight. No matter the urgency of the situation, you have to at least let the man eat and sleep first!¡±

    ¡°Are you guys trying to kill him?¡± Zeng Jizhu added.

    ¡°Doctors, you know that the work of our investigation is of absolute confidentiality,¡± Wang Ke said severely. ¡°I am sorry that I cannot go into more details, but I assure you, Doctor Gu can rest perfectly well in the car.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Surgeon Zhu. Zeng Yizhu, it¡¯s fine!¡± Gu Jun calmed his colleagues down. He was appreciative of their concern, but he wanted to know more. ¡°Everyone is just doing their job. Captain Wang, I will go with you, but can you give me some time to change and bathe first?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Wang Ke nodded. Then, they tailed Gu Jun to the bathroom and changing room. They stuck to his side like Gu Jun was some kind of criminal. Then, the whole Medical Department stood there and saw Gu Jun being led away by the three from the Investigation Department.

    Zhu Ruiwen immediately took out his phone to call Leader Qiu to ask for more information, but thetter sounded equally defeated on the phone. ¡°This is all because of... sigh. In any case, the Investigation Department is now suspecting something ridiculous. Just let them go through with it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be back with the young man in two days.¡±

    What was going on? Zhu Ruiwen knew that he should not press further, so he did not, but he was really feeling the grief. After all, they had just finished a twelve-hour operation; they had just saved a man¡¯s life! And Gu Jun was escorted away just like that, like he was some kind of criminal!

    Be it Zeng Yizhu, Lee Hwalong, or the nurses, they were indignant at this. After all, they knew Gu Jun. They would not believe it if they were told that the young man had done something bad.

 Chapter 70: Isolation Camp in the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 70: Istion Camp in the Mountain</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    When Gu Jun was led out of the Surgical Floor, it was right at midnight. The sky was as dark as ink, and the bird calls from the surrounding mountain lent an eerie atmosphere. He had a deeper introduction with the three members from the investigation department. There was Captain Wang Ke. The other man was called Cao Yichong, and he was slightly younger, just over thirty. The woman was called Tang Ziyin. She was young, probably just several years older than Gu Jun was. She sported a short bob. She walked ahead to the vending machine to buy some bread and several bottles of mineral water. The three of them escorted him into a police car, the kind that looked like a normal police car. It had the symbol of the normalw enforcement, no sign of it being from Phecda. Those who walked in and out of the Surgical Building were confused when they saw this, but before they could ask anything, the police car had already sped away. After leaving the medical department, the police car did not head toward the city but instead headed deeper into the mountains on the northeastern side.

    ¡°Captain Wang, may I know what is going on?¡± Gu Jun was seated at the back. Next to him was Wang Ke. Cao Yichong drove while Tang Ziyin took the passenger seat.

    ¡°There is still quite a distance to travel.¡± Wang Ke took the bread and mineral water that Tang Ziyin had just bought and handed them to Gu Jun. ¡°Doctor Jun, you should have some food in you, and then get some rest.¡±

    Gu Jun was not familiar with Wang Ke¡¯s personality, but this appeared to be a man with a warm heart but cold exterior. At least from the way they treated him, it did not appear like they saw him as some kind of massive criminal.

    ¡®I should stop fretting myself about this. After a long day of surgery, all this thinking is hurting my brain.¡¯

    He munched on the bread and took sips of water. Then he leaned against the cushion and went down for a wink. No matter what, he needed the time to rest.

    However, as tired as he was, he was unable to fall asleep. The car rocked harder and harder as they went deeper into the mountain. To get an idea of their direction, he would intermittently open his eyes to look out the car window. The car was definitely moving into the secluded mountain range; they were not heading toward the Investigation Department. Wang Ke did not stop him even though he knew Gu Jun had been stealing nces.

    The mountain road was treacherous, and the shadows of the trees rose up like hands of ghouls. The shrill call of the insects echoed to the night. The darkness had shrouded everything in a mist of dangerous mystery. asionally, a bird¡¯s call shattered the night. It was unclear whether it was the call of a nocturnal bird or the warning of some unknown presence. The car drove for an hour before the road smoothed out as they reached t ground. Gu Jun saw blurry lights down the distance; it looked like a vige. After driving for a while, they finally reached their destination.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, this is the ce we have temporarily set up the patients of the Malformed Banyan Disease after their operation. All the victims that have left the Medical Department have been isted here.¡±

    Deep inside the mountain, there was a base surrounded by wires. The exits were guarded by patrols and members from the Action Department. The police car went through several checkpoints along the way before they managed to pass the istion gate. Gu Jun kept ncing out the car window. The spotlights lit up the area, giving Gu Jun sight of military green barracks, but more of them were blue and white simple boarded amodation.

    Hearing the introduction from Wang Ke, Gu Jun asked, ¡°May I know how many patients are here?¡±

    ¡°Several thousand.¡± Wang Ke did not give the exact number. Looking out at the boarded houses outside the car, the strong jaw quivered with sadness. ¡°They are victims taken in from around the Eastern State. The epidemic travelled from vige to vige, and all of the infected viges had banyan trees in them. There is no exception.¡±

    Gu Jun thought to himself. With the transmission method of the Malformed Banyan Disease, the vigers had to make personal contact with the tree with the virus to get infected, so this did not make sense. Even if there was a big banyan tree in the vige, it was impossible to expect every single viger to go and touch it for no reason in the window of a few days, unless something else had prompted them to do so.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, I believe you have stumbled upon the discrepancy already,¡± Wang Ke said darkly. ¡°We from the Abnormal Energy Investigation Group never believe in such coincidences.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun nodded silently. After they exited the car, Gu Jun was led into a standard barrack. There were about ten people bustling about inside it. Some were studying on theputer or poring over documents while others were in a deep discussion. After they saw the group walk in, everyone stopped and greeted Wang Ke with a ¡°Captain Wang¡±. These should be the rest of the members of this sub-unit.

    ¡®It is already 1 am, but they are still working hard. Did something change for the worse regarding the situation?¡¯

    ¡°Doctor Gu, we first need you to watch several snippets of surveince footage.¡± Wang Ke had a chair pulled over for Gu Jun. He was ced before aputer screen. Before he had the chance to settle in the seat, about five people came to surround him. They regarded him openly, and Gu Jun could see the rm in their eyes.

    ¡°y the video,¡± Wang Ke said as Tang Ziyin started to operate the machine. The monitor lit up. It showed the corridor on the sixth floor of the Surgical Building. It was filled to the brim with patients of Malformed Banyan Disease lying in bed. The medical workers were hurrying about, and right then, Zhou Jiaqiang came into the screen leading a group of interns. Suddenly, a patient started to scream wildly at them.

    Gu Jun was not surprised. He was prepared for this because he had already noticed the surveince camera installed in all the corridors of the Surgical Building. Three patients of the Malformed Banyan Disease acted up when he was around. If this did not attract these people¡¯s attention, the people from the investigation department would be sitting on their asses.

    As he expected, after the footage of the corridor ended, Tang Ziyin yed the footage from inside the surgical room, and this video had audio. It was the pained and agitated wails of Patient 25. ¡°You... the thing inside the banyan tree! No, don¡¯t...¡±

    This cry caused the air inside the barracks to freeze. At this point, the video froze. More than ten pairs of eyes from the Investigation Unit stared at Gu Jun.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, this ¡®thing inside the banyan tree¡¯ is something part of what the victims of this illness saw in their hallucination. These victims are spread across the country, and the onlymon thread among them is that they all have quite high spirituality. But after their surgery, they could not remember what they saw during their hallucinations.¡± Wang Ke shared some of their investigation results. ¡°We suspect that this has something to do with abnormal energy. We have cooperated with the psychology group from your Medical Department to make some trails, like hypnosis to find the forgotten memory during their hallucination, but we ended up with nothing. The memory that they had right before and after their attack haspletely disappeared.¡±

    This was the first Gu Jun had heard about this. He frowned slightly. ¡®Even the implicit memory has been wiped clean...¡¯

    ¡°A few days ago, the Medical Department gave us a new clue. The psychology group believes you are the ¡®thing inside the banyan tree¡¯ that part of the high spiritual victims of this Malformed Banyan Disease refer to; you are their stress trigger. It was because of you that their mental state broke down and exacerbated the state of their illness. Due to the suspicion surrounding this problem andbined with your abnormal activity and possibility of an unusual childhood activity...¡±

    At this point, the faces of the people around him did not change, but it was thisck of change that weighed down on Gu Jun.

    ¡®Unusual childhood activity?¡¯ Gu Jun thought. ¡®What are they suspecting?¡¯

    ¡°Therefore,¡± Wang Ke said after a pause, ¡°we have conducted a small experiment. y the video.¡±

    Gu Jun understood everything then, this experiment should have everything to do with him.

    But inside his heart, he still carried some seed of hope.

    ¡®After those three patients, I have not triggered any response in any other person. There can¡¯t be so many patients with high spirituality, right? Perhaps there¡¯s something else behind this.¡¯

    At the same time, a new video yed on the screen. Inside an empty small room, a patient fitted with a fake right leg was seated on the only chair. He looked at the camera nervously.

 Chapter 71: Forgotten Past

    <h4>Chapter 71: Forgotten Past</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    It was quiet in the barracks. Gu Jun looked at the screen, and it felt like the patient inside the video was looking at him as well.

    ¡°This is just a simple line up procedure meant for facial recognition,¡± Wang Ke exined. ¡°The people doing the identification are all 1024 patients who have suffered from hallucinations inside this camp.¡±

    ¡®A line up procedure?¡¯ Gu Jun knew that was a type of investigative procedure used in criminal investigation. Normally, the victims or witnesses would be asked to pick out the suspect from a line-up.

    ¡°We mixed together the pictures of thirty people. They have different builds, facial features, and hairstyles. The psychology group assured us that there is no existent unique property within the selection of pictures, and before the process, we did not drop any suggestions toward any of the patient,¡± Wang Ke said. ¡°The procedure starts with theputer randomly ying the pictures of the thirty people to the patient. The first time, the patient only needs to look through them, but after the second rotation of random thirty pictures, the victim will be asked, was there anyone among the thirty that was simr to the person they encountered during their hallucination? If they had to pick a picture among the thirty, which picture would it be?¡±

    Right then, in the video, the eyes of the patient suddenly widened. He raised his finger to point. ¡°This is him. I have seen this man.¡±

    The video swapped to another angle. Gu Jun now saw that there was aputer ced before the victim, and the picture showing on the monitor? It was his internship ID from Phecda. It was him, Gu Jun.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath, but it did nothing to unfurl his heart. He did not recognize this patient; he had not met this man in his life. Before he could settle on his thought, the video switched to the next patient and the next... but the picture they all identified was of the same man, Gu Jun. The members of the Investigation Department around him sliced at him with their gazes that spoke of suspicion, danger, and violence. They were demanding an exnation from him. Or perhaps this was their psychological tactic to pressure him into submission so that he would surrender for a lighter punishment.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, of the 1024 patients, 751 of them identified you.¡± Wang Ke probably elected himself the role of the mediator. His tone was objective and even. ¡°The other 206 did not choose. Sixty-seven chose others. And of the 751 that chose you, more than half of them, 397 of them to be precise, were certain that they had met you in their hallucination, but they could not recall the details.¡±

    Cai Yichong, Tang Ziyin, and the rest were basically ring at him now. They did not know Gu Jun in private. After a brief interaction, they thought he was quite a trustworthy person. But the uniformity of seventy-three percent, that was enough to convict a criminal in a normal case, and that was probably with just several witnesses and ten pictures. But now they had 1024 sample size. From thirty pictures, seventy-three percent identified the same person. Gu Jun was not a public figure, and he had not been in the news. He did not even use his own picture on his social media profile. The Investigation Department must have known about all that, so why did this happen? Well, it could only be due to abnormal energy.

    Wang Ke¡¯s face now only had severity left on it. ¡°Doctor Gu, we suspect that you are that ¡®thing inside the banyan tree¡¯ referred to by all these patients.¡±

    ¡°Captain Wang, everyone,¡± Gu Jun said lightly. The hope in his heart was drenched by a cold sweat. The bone-tingling chill transmuted into aplete loss. ¡°I have no idea what is behind this. I hope you can provide me with the truth...¡±

    He nced around him to find some support, but he realized that other than Wang Ke, the rest of them were still levelling stern and rigid looks at him. They were still applying pressure on him. This lit up the anger within him.

    ¡®I am different from those killers from the Afterlife Cult!¡¯

    He was reminded of Wang Ruoxiang, Zixuan, and his friends. He thought of Surgeon Zhu and the gang, Brother Qiang and Professor Gu...

    He thought back to his hard work in theb, the effort he had put into training, the fight he had at the surgical table, theughter that he had shared and the tears he shed. The sense of belonging that he found again as well as the determination to be a doctor that finally returned.

    ¡°I am a doctor.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wereser-focused, and his tone was peaceful and powerful. ¡°Before I came here, I was just in an arduous operation. We had to pull out the young parasites left behind by the subterrain giant worm inside a patient¡¯s upper right arm. All the possible nutrients, worms, and sacs had to be cleaned properly. We worked hard for thirteen hours.¡±

    He had seen the cruelty of the Afterlife Cult. He had also gained some clues from his illusions and memory. He had never once suspected that the Afterlife Cult or even himself would be rted to this. But... Gu Jun swept over the faces of Wang Ke, Cao Yichong, and the rest. ¡°Officers, I too hate the culprit behind this Malformed Banyan Disease as must as you do. I wish that I could help you catch them all tonight, but I am just a doctor. I can only help save the victim; that is the most I can do.¡±

    Hearing the confession from Gu Jun, the gaze from the group softened. After more than ten hours of surgery where he had not consumed even a drop of water, this was truly a good doctor.

    ¡°Doctor Gu,¡± Wang Ke said in a softer tone, ¡°we do not suspect that you are the one who spread the disease, but we believe you might be connected somehow. All this suspicion is based on clues and proof, and this is merely one of the scenarios that we are contemting.¡±

    ¡°What other scenarios are there?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Well, let us conduct an experiment to find out. We are pressed for time. Just consider this as working overtime, Doctor Gu.¡± Then, Wang Ke and a few of his people led Gu Jun into a smaller barrack. This was the room in the video. The front room was separated from the backroom with a clear ss wall. Gu Jun was told to sit on the chair in the backroom and face the front room.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, we will lead the 1024 patients into the front room in teams of ten each time to look at you, and we will see what happens.¡± That was all Wang Ke gave him before he and the rest of his team exited. He could see the soundproof door between the two rooms.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun could see the camera in the four corners of the room. Through the ss window, he could see Wang Ke¡¯s team standing to the side. Soon, Tang Ziyin and another investigator brought in a batch of ten patients. They were of different backgrounds¡ªmale, female, young, old. There were grandparents in wheelchair, middle-ageddies using cans, young people already familiar with the fake limbs, and children who were missing a sleeve. Once they looked at them, they were overwhelmed by fear and disbelief. How could someone from their hallucinations be sitting right before them?

    The color drained from one girl¡¯s face. She hid behind the adult in panic, but even so, she could not stop crying until Tang Ziyin had to cancel the session early to bring her out. Gu Jun did not move. His expression did not even change. He only sat there quietly, listening to the soft whispering of the patients giving more details that might further condemn him to the investigators.

    The batch of patients swapped endlessly. More faces of horror were seared into his mind, and the whispering kept on going, ringing...

    The faces and whisperings assaulted Gu Jun, and his head started to throb. Blurry lights danced before his eyes. He was no longer familiar with this feeling. Could this mean that the illusion from the ck and white picture... was about to be triggered?

    ¡®But why now?¡¯ Gu Jun did not get it. The headache became stronger. This was not at all simr to the scenario inside the picture. To make things worse... he was under heavy surveince of the people from Investigation Department. Even the smallest discrepancy would not escape their eyes.

    ¡®Please don¡¯te now!¡¯ He gritted his teeth to stop the illusion froming, but as the batches of patients walked in and out, the dancing mirage became more real... and the whispering in his ears became clearer.

    Gu Jun mped his hands tightly over his head. But he could see the faces of every patient. Slowly, they all changed into the very same one, the face of that withered man.

    What if... this was Wang Ke¡¯s n all along? They knew about the picture, and this was the only way to trigger the illusion?

    ¡°I need the truth. I need answers... Let me look...¡± Once that intention crossed his mind, Gu Jun fell into his illusion immediately. It was that nightmare again...

    The clouds were dark and low. Arge banyan tree stood before him. The thick branches and convoluted roots appeared to have grabbed the world and twisted it out of shape.

    On the muddy ground, more than a hundred people in ck and about ten people in red knelt on the ground, their heads touching the decayed mud. They were genuflecting at therge banyan tree, mumbling some unknown whispers. It sounded like nonsense but also feverish praise. Inside the main trunk of the big banyan tree, there was arge tree hole that had rotted out of the trunk.

    Inside the tree hole, a figure appeared to be seated there. It was a boy just several years old. He was dressed in a strange outfit, wearing a crown made from the banyan tree¡¯s leaves and roots. He was like their king, their god. The boy looked down on his worshipers, his young face devoid of emotion. His two eyes were pure ck like an abyss staring back at them.

    There was a chilling voice that echoed through the heaven and earth. It was the little boy who was speaking. ¡°I am the Son of Misfortune. But you, you must know, you are creations of filth, creations of foolishness, creations of perversity...¡±

    Gu Jun recognized this little boy as himself.

    Gu Jun, the thing inside the banyan tree.

 Chapter 72: Son of Misfortune

    <h4>Chapter 72: Son of Misfortune</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Shouldn¡¯t childhood memories bring back the taste of sweet innocence? Running through the field without a care in the world, crying in the mall because your parents wouldn¡¯t buy you your favorite toy, listening to the bedtime stories while slipping into sleep. But if... childhood memories only brought pain, horror, fear, and anger, then perhaps it was a good thing that they were lost at some corner of one¡¯s subconscious.

    At that moment, when Gu Jun saw the scene from the illusion, some broken memory fragments rushed out from the corner that was long sealed. Like a nightmare returning, it disturbed the peace of the dreamer. He saw himself when he was still a toddler, the period when he was still trying to speak and crawl. At the time, he was already being given some strange training. Around him, there were many other children. They were all studying one picture after another. They were filled with that strangely-shaped trees, clustered vines, twisted branches, and dead leaves.

    These pictures had nted something unknown in their youthful and empty souls. Would the seeds grow into... dark fruit in the end? When they slowly grew older, after they learned how to run, walk, talk, and think...

    Gu Jun felt nothingness around him. He was the one still standing there among the many strange trees. He had forgotten the faces of the other children. He could not bring himself to picture any of them anymore. It was as if they had not interacted with one another after they parted. He was special. The gaze of many people told him that there was joy, anticipation, and curiosity. But behind every gaze, there was atent fanaticism like they wereying their eyes on a surprising treasure, reminding him of how his mother had looked at him. Was that woman really his own mother? That was the first time Gu Jun had been suspicious of that, but it went no further than that because of the gentleness when she put him to bed, the smile when she fed him meals, the concern on her face when he fell... That was all real; they were the emotions of a mother. He believed that. But as a mother, how could she even fathom to treat her own child like that?

    It was this same woman who asked him tobel the things on the drawing, to write down all the foreign letters. It was also this woman who ced the crown of Banyan tree leaves and roots on his head. ¡°Xiao Jun, just sit there and don¡¯t move.¡±

    Her voice had an undercurrent of nervousness and mncholy. Was she hesitating or sad? But obviously, the fanaticism and feverishness had won out. She looked at him like a great experiment was about to bring upon a great result.

    With regards to this result, she could never give it up. The experiment began when his mother was pregnant. Gu Jun had a feeling those whisperings had already begun deep inside his implicit memory. He was an experiment of the Afterlife Cult; that had already been decided before he even arrived in this world. But the question was, what kind of product was he?

    The illusion started to shake, like static going through, but Gu Jun could still see some of the images. The icy voice made it feel like the dark sky was about to fall. Those people in ck and red were still kneeling before the tree. They did not raise their faces that were slowly morphing into one, not even to nce at the tree hole before them. It was as if once they did, they would lose their mind and sink into the endless hallucination forever. It was a dangerous temptation, like Orpheus going to the underworld to save Eurydice, and Hades telling him not to look back, but when they crossed the gate of hell, Orpheus could not resist the urge to nce at his wife, and for that Eurydice was pulled back to hell for all eternity. Or like how, when Abraham and his wife were escaping from the God of Destruction, Sodom, Abraham¡¯s wife turned back to look and was instantly turned into a statue of salt. When God told you not to look, you¡¯d better not look. Humans were never supposed to test God.

    ¡°It¡¯s like you said, Son of Misfortune,¡± the person in red who knelt at the front said in a self-effacing voice. The ground underneath reeked from decay, but the ugly face budged not an inch. ¡°We are a bunch of filthy, foolish, perverse parasites, the disciples abandoned by the so-called Goddess of Life...¡±

    None of the kneeling members made a noise. There wasplete silence, but above that stillness, there was an undercurrent of danger.

    Goddess of Life? Gu Jun had encountered that term in Raybundy¡¯s diary. She was the deity worshipped by that civilization. Abandoned disciples... These members of the Afterlife Cult were speaking as members of the foreign civilization? But why? Where did theye from, and how did they know about this?

    ¡°The old world has already been destroyed. We made it to this new world, but we have lost our knowledge and power. We still cannot recognize thenguage from the old world,¡± the person in red uttered softly. ¡°But we still remember the promise the real divinity gave us...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. The Afterlife Cult still had notid their hands on the foreign drawings that he painted? Were they hidden away by his parents? Perhaps they had a different goal from the Afterlife Cult...

    ¡°Inferior lives.¡± The child in the tree hole responded in a strange voice devoid of emotion. ¡°With your inferior request.¡±

    There was only derision in this reply. But the leading man¡¯s voice lowered even further. ¡°Is it because this shell is not to your standard? Because his body cannot support the energy from the old world? Is there a need for us tomit a blood sacrifice of him?¡±

    The child did not speak, but ack of response was also a response.

    ¡°This shell is the sacrifice?¡± the person in red mumbled. ¡°The beginning of misfortune?¡±

    The other disciples were still silent, but thunder tore through the silence in the sky. It started to rumble. Suddenly, Gu Jun felt a splitting headache. Everything was twisting, but he could feel a fire burning in his heart as well. All theplicated emotions collided within him as they tried to find an exit. Suddenly, he opened his lips to speak...

    ¡®Is the past real? Why would the double-slit experiment in quantum physics show that the future can change the past?¡¯

    The dark sky finally copsed, and heavy rain fell on the world. The voice of the boy in the tree hole turned harsh and throaty, like two voices twining together. It tore through light and darkness, causing people to go mad.

    ¡°This child has his own destiny.¡± The boy¡¯s strange voice rang through the void. ¡°I will not allow inferior animals like you toy a single finger on him.¡±

    The people in ck and red still did not move, and they still did not raise their heads. They did not see that some brilliance hade into the child¡¯s eyes like a ball of fire lighting up deep inside the abyss.

    ¡°The boy will grow into a real man. You shall not disturb him or injure him. Have him forget everything, but one day in the future, this boy will once again stand before you.¡±

    The boy in the tree hole announced that. It was absurd yet logical. The statement rang through in the past, present, and future.

    ¡°When the timees, all debts will be cleared. That is my promise to all of you.¡±

    Gu Jun repeated the sentences word by word, but thest statement was only spoken in his heart.

    ¡®And that day will be your day of reckoning.¡¯

    Therge banyan tree stood unmoving in the storm, but it somehow rustled noisily.

    The disciples kneeling in the mud finally responded with some inexplicable mumblings, epting the prophecy that was blessed upon them by the divine.

 Chapter 73: Picture with the Foreign Characters

    <h4>Chapter 73: Picture with the Foreign Characters</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    When Gu Jun woke up from his illusions, he realized that the patients in the other room had already been cleared away, but Captain Wang Ke and the rest were standing next to him, studying him.

    ¡°Captain Wang, everyone, I have just remembered some of the memory from my childhood...¡±

    ¡°I need you toe look at the recording with us first,¡± Wang Ke ordered. So, Gu Jun followed them back to the earlier barracks. His heart was still processing the meaning of the memory from the illusion earlier. Of course, there had to be abnormal energy in this.

    The people from the Afterlife Cult were connected to the foreign civilization. Perhaps on the night before that world was destroyed by the strange disease and monsters, some of the people there believed that they had been abandoned by the Goddess of Life and resorted instead to serve a ¡®real god¡¯ of darkness, and their lingering consciousness had awakened in this world. Then, they captured him and other children as experiments, doing sacrifices and rituals of summoning and seance. However, he had no idea how he managed to reach into the past through the illusion to speak and had no idea how he could manage to receive the energy that belonged to another world through the system. Was he different from a normal person? After all, he had almost died from a simple flu when he was fifteen, and that was way before the threat of the brain tumor.

    However, Gu Jun was certain that he was a mere mortal. After all, that was what the system categorized him as, ¡®homo sapien¡¯.

    ¡®That has to be the case...¡¯ he told himself.

    Theputer monitor in the barrack soon yed the recording from the room earlier. Gu Jun saw himself seated in the chair, the expression on his face getting more and more pained. His hands gripped his heads as he was suddenly pulled into the illusion. First, there was a death-like silence. Then, his lips uttered intermittent incoherent words, and thatsted for about ten seconds...

    Gu Jun sighed silently. It was then that he realized that perhaps the travel into the illusion and influencing the past affected him as well.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, let¡¯s talk.¡± Wang Ke pulled over a chair for Gu Jun to sit. There was a camera installed inside the barrack. Sincerity was painted all over Wang Ka¡¯s face; it was like he was chatting with an old friend. ¡°I will tell you some things, and I hope that you will tell us some things in return. No matter how preposterous they sound, we will have full honesty with each other. I will first tell you the other reason why we have brought you here. Thenguage-like things that you wrote down during your personality test with the Review Department havee back with new results.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun was intrigued. He had to admit that was information that he wished to know.

    ¡°This was rted to thetest operation of the Action Department.¡± Wang Ke¡¯s expression turned heavy, as did the faces of Tang Yichong, Tang Ziyin, and the rest. ¡°During this operation, five hundred colleagues were assigned to the operation. The fifty-six people sent to the Medical Department were the only ones that survived; the other 444 members died on the spot.¡±

    When Wang Ke said ¡®444¡¯, his breath caught because this was truly a huge loss. And due to the specificity of that number, this appeared to be some kind of message. After all, these investigators did not believe in coincidences.

    ¡°They were supposed to infiltrate a base of the secret organization suspected to be rted to the Malformed Banyan Disease, but they were ambushed by a cluster of subterrain giant worms there. Doctor Gu, you have to understand this,¡± Wang Ke said seriously. ¡°Our enemy is in no way harmless; they might not possess heavy artillery, but they have other methods to harm us.¡±

    Gu Jun could not help but let out a soft sigh. He did consider this possibility before, that the bunch of people in ck and red were just a bunch of harmless fanatic.

    He was never clear about the damage that they could have done. But now 444 human lives were lost just like that.

    ¡°What kind of method?¡± he asked with a frown. ¡°Do these people know how to yield abnormal energy?¡±

    ¡°Doctor Gu, it is time to you to share.¡± Wang Ke cut him off sharply. ¡°Being honest is a chance for everyone. The incident with Malformed Banyan Disease involves too many people. Phecda will not let go of even the smallest possible clue. I really do not hope that you will one day find yourself end up in apromising position.¡±

    Gu Jun chuckled self-deprecatingly. He thought that he had been careful enough, but at the end of the day, he still had to face this situation.

    ¡°I will be honest.¡± He looked at the group and started exining. ¡°I just remembered some of the memory from my childhood. Lai Sheng Company¡ªthe organization my parents were a part of¡ªused me as an experiment, me and other children... Later, they had mebel some pictures. I remembered writing down some words, and there was this one time where they ced me inside the tree hole of a banyan tree, and then they prayed before me. I have no idea what they were doing. Something probably happenedter that caused me to be abandoned. The next thing I know, my parents died at sea, and I was orphaned. But for so many years, I believe these people have been watching me from the dark.¡±

    He was telling the truth, albeit with some slight omission. After all, Gu Jun had to put his own safety into consideration. The investigators stared closely at Gu Jun, not letting any of his micro-expressions go unnoticed.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, whether you have told us the full story aside.¡± Wang Ke did not press him for more details. ¡°Your memory matches with the information that we have gathered so far. Lai Sheng Company has already been listed as an evil organization by the Investigation Department. The organization can be traced back to colonial times. They have always kept a low profile, not expanding their membership to the public. In fact, we do not even know how they enlist their members, but one thing is certain¡ªthey often recruit the next generation of their existing members. Since the start of this country until these few recent months, this organization has not done anything harmful to the public. In fact, all the official activities registered under thepany name have beenpletely open and legal. Therefore, it has not entered the radar of the government until now.¡±

    Wang Ka handed a stack of photo over to Gu Ju and continued. ¡°But based on our recent investigation, Lai Sheng Company has been behind a lot of illegal activities, and your parents were suspected to be core members... With regards to how they got transferred to oceanic studies and what happened at Longkan, we are still investigating.¡±

    Gu Jun took the photos and sifted through them. They were pictures of his parents and the Seagull... He had never seen many of the photos, but the two faces were still as familiar as before.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, you are not the only Spirit Child that Lai Sheng Company has cultivated whom we havemunicated with.¡± When Captain Wang said that, Gu Jun¡¯s heart jumped, and his eyes almost fell out of his head. This was a real surprise. The investigation team had found other children that were in the experiment with him?

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the cooperation from another Spirit Child that we have made progress in our attempt to unearth memories and, from there, located the base. Indeed, the organization that the Action Department was going for is Lai Sheng Company. There, the Action Department found some writing simr to what you wrote, but this other Spirit Child could not understand it at all. They were not a part of thisbelling exercise that you mentioned, nor did they bring up the incident with any tree hole inside a banyan tree. Doctor Gu, we have reason to believe you are the most promising of that batch of Spirit Children.¡±

    Wang Ke took another few pictures from the nearby table. Before handing them to Gu Jun, he added, ¡°Doctor Gu, we believe that the current Lai Sheng Company is already much different from the one in your memory. They must have acquired some kind of breakthrough power to be able to manufacture the Malformed Banyan Disease. So, if you can understand the words in these three pictures, please tell us honestly.¡±

    Wang Ke handed the three photos to Gu Jun seriously. Tang Ziyin and the rest looked at him quietly.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun was both confused and curious. In the earlier illusion, the person in red said that they could no longer understand thenguage from the old world... but that was decades ago.

    So, where did these photos of foreign wordse from? Did they write them down?

    He epted the picture and nced to the one on top. There was a row of bloody foreign letters written on arge banyan tree.

    ¡°We have already misced our faith in one god; we will no longer believe in any divinity, be it real or fake, and that includes you, Son of Misfortune.¡±

 Chapter 74: Bleeding Taunt

    <h4>Chapter 74: Bleeding Taunt</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°We have already misced our faith in one god; we will no longer believe in any divinity, be it real or fake, and that includes you, Son of Misfortune.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gu, we know you better than you know yourself.¡±

    ¡°The first tragedy is over. The second tragedy will be arriving soon.¡±

    Three warnings written in blood on three different banyan trees and three pictures. Studying the twisted forms of the trees and the bloody words in the foreignnguage, Gu Jun was silent for a long time. This was undeniably a taunt, a taunt toward Phecda and a taunt directed at himself. He initially thought that the people from Afterlife were just a bunch of crazy fanatics; they were up to crazy rituals to summon the power of darkness, but he had already gained the agency. He had touched the truth and even found out about his own past...

    But suddenly, just as he felt like he had crawled out from the abyss, before he could taste the fresh air, he realized that he had only crawled deeper into the abyss. Unknown was still all around him, and the darkness only appeared darker.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, can you understand these words?¡± Wang Ke asked. The group looked at him with anticipation.

    ¡°Most of them...¡± Gu Jun gave a brief meaning of the three sentences. He omitted the part about ¡®including you¡¯ and ¡®Son of Misfortune¡¯ by iming that he did not understand them. But he believed that the people from Scientific Research Department would soon recognize ¡®you¡¯ and ¡®misfortune¡¯ because ¡®you¡¯ appeared the second time in the second sentence, and ¡®misfortune¡¯ and ¡®tragedy¡¯ were written in a simr way.

    Once the room heard the three sentences, their expressions shifted. Even Wang Ke, who had already mastered a poker face, found his facial muscles twitching. If Gu Jun was not lying, then this operation was a trap designed by Lai Sheng Company. From start to end, they were following the bread crumbsid down by others as they walked step by step toward death. The sacrifice of 444 people, this number... it was not only a taunt. It was the most disgusting humiliation.

    ¡°The Spirit Child is a spy?¡± Tang Ziyin said numbly. Once that left her lips, the other investigators joined in. There was anger and regret; there was also panic and destion. ¡°No wonder things went so sessfully at the beginning!¡±

    ¡°It was us who caused them to die... Damn it!¡±

    It was because of their information that the Action Department had gone on this operation. The heavy casualties of their colleagues already weighed heavily on their souls, but if they had gotten some reward to show for it, at least that would have been a constion for the dead. But the information that they thought could be important was just a taunt from the enemy. If the Lai Sheng Company¡¯s goal was to damage their mental state, then they had seeded. The haggard state of their colleagues¡¯ deaths in the picture at the crime scene had be their new nightmare.

    ¡°Do not lose your focus,¡± Wang Ke instructed loudly to suppress the panic, to prevent it from spreading. ¡°Grab hold of yourself!¡±

    The group started a breathing exercise and slowly evened out their breathing.

    ¡°This result in itself is useful information,¡± Wang Ke said with conviction. Anyone could panic but not him, the captain. ¡°At least now we know Lai Sheng Company is very familiar with Phecda. We have already been tricked once; we only need to make sure we don¡¯t allow it to happen again.¡±

    The members nodded in agreement. There were multiple meanings to the captain¡¯s words; the Spirit Child could be good or bad. Gu Jun could be lying to them, so they needed to tread carefully.

    ¡°I personally believe that Spirit Child...¡± Gu Jun wanted to say something, but when the words reached his lips, he lost his train of thought. ¡°... could be a spy or could be not.¡±

    Well, that was a perfect nonsense. Was the Spirit Child a fanatic? He did not even know the other child¡¯s gender. At the end of the day, if this Spirit Child was really a fanatic, could he really understand them? Sacrificing themself to enter Phecda to provide false information waspletely possible.

    But in that case, what did they worship? The Afterlife Cult had clearly stated that they no longer believed in any divinity or demon. Had they always been like that since they arrived here, or did this change ur recently? And when did they master the foreignnguage again?

    Amid this flurry of questions, Gu Jun answered a few other questions from Wang Ke. He tried his best to answer honestly but not volunteering any extra information. While some questions he really had no answer to, for example, the third warning that stumped all of them. What was the first tragedy? The Malformed Banyan Disease or the heavy casualties during this operation? And what did the second tragedy... point toward?

    After some questioning, Wang Ke went out to make a call. When he returned, he had Gu Jun write down all the foreign vocabry that he knew and their meaning. At this point, Gu Jun sincerely wanted to help. If he died, leaving the Afterlife Cult with the sole mastery of the foreignnguage, that would be very scary. However, at the same time, he had to take his own safety into consideration. Therefore, of the five hundred foreign words that he knew, he only wrote around a hundred and fifty of them. There were somemon words and other more specific terms. He told Wang Ke, ¡°Captain Wang, ever since the S Value assessment, I¡¯ve been able to remember a few foreign words every day, but for now, this is all I¡¯ve got.¡±

    The reason Gu Jun did this was to ensure his irreceability. He needed to be alive to continue providing Phecda with trantions of the foreignnguage. Even if Phecda looked into his memory, this would be his defense. After all, he was not technically lying. Instead of remembering several of them daily, a foreign term woulde back to him every few days.

    After making another call to report to his superior, Wang Ke had Cao Yichong bring him to an attached room to rest. By then, it was already about 4 am. There was a small window inside the room. Through the window, the sky was still dark.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Gu Jun turned in the bed. Actually, when he was checking out his sparse surroundings, he noted theck of cameras. After turning a few times, he looked out the window with many things on his mind...

    ¡®The Afterlife Cult already knows that I am in Phecda. They left these three sentences for me to trante. Just how far ahead have they calcted?¡¯

    The more he thought about it, the more chilled he felt. He felt like a pawn being moved around without knowing what was happening. He decided to toss that scary thought out of his mind. His phone had not been confiscated, and this ce had Wi-Fi. Could this have been done on purpose. Would Phecda be spying on his online activity?

    ¡®F*ck it.¡¯ Gu Jun switched on his phone. He first logged into ¡®ssified Chat [CC]¡¯, an internal social chat app invented by the Scientific Research Department. The name was rather on the nose, and the function was simple. The rule was that if they needed to discuss anything about Phecda, they needed to do it either in person or here, and that included both business and casual talk. He had added quite a few new friends on his ount ¡®Med Student Gu, Gu Jun¡¯. They were from different departments, and they had exchanged information during the ice-breaking party. Since the prior morning to now, Gu Jun had not logged into CC. Once he opened it, he noticed that there were a bunch of new messages. Thirty-one of them came from Lee Yuerui. They were pointless emojis, jokes, and memes.

    ¡°What is up with this guy? Is this his mission or something?¡± Gu Jun could not help but suspect because they had exchanged their IDs, Lee Yuerui would message him more than ten funny messages every day. If that was not the Recreation Department helping him rx, he did not know what was. Regardless, perhaps they had their uses. Browsing through the atrocious memes, Gu Jun chuckled in spite of everything.

    Switching off Lee Yuerui¡¯s window, he turned to the others. Surgeon Zhu and the rest asked about him. There were some messages from Cai Zixuan as well. ¡°Is your operation over?¡±

    Later, probably after he found out about what happened, he added a poem. ¡°From whichever direction the winds leap, I remain strong, though dealt many a blow.¡±

    ¡°Hello?¡± Even Wang Ruoxiang sent him a message. ¡°I heard you were escorted away by the Investigation Department. Do not tell me any confidential information. I do not want the same thing to happen to me.¡±

    Then it was coupled with a cowering dog emoji. Gu Jun chuckled again. ¡®These guys...¡¯

    But he did not reply any of them, lest he brought them trouble. The incident where he was taken away was being discussed in several groups. Social media had made the world a smaller ce, so everyone knew about it. The superior did not ban them from talking about it, but Brother Qiang did advise everyone to get some rest and focus on their tasks, saying that Ah Jun would be fine and so on.

    ¡°Brother Qiang, I might not be fine, unfortunately,¡± Gu Jun grumbled self-deprecatingly. After reading all those messages, Gu Jun went on the inte. There was news about the Malformed Banyan Disease on the inte, but it was not because news about the disease had leaked but the fact that several viges around the Eastern State being on lockdown had caught the media¡¯s attention. But those articles were soon taken down or debunked. The reasons provided included mass migration, discovery of ancient artifacts, and so on. Seeing that there was nothing worth exploring, the news did not gain any traction. The public¡¯s attention was soon pulled away by some other celebrity. The Public Rtions Department was always good at their job.

    Gu Jun skipped through various sites before he put the phone away. He closed his eyes and fell asleep...

    There was no dream, only darkness. He probably slept for hours before he was awakened by falling footsteps. He opened his blurry eyes to look and realized that it was already daylight.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, it¡¯s time to wake up.¡± It was Wang Ke who walked in. His voice boomed in the small room. ¡°Prepare yourself, the people from the Special Mobile Force are here. You are required to go on a mission with them. They need your expertise with the foreignnguage and your medical support.¡±

 Chapter 75: Demon Hunter

    <h4>Chapter 75: Demon Hunter</h4>

    After being woken up by Wang Ke, Gu Jun crawled out from bed. He went to the attached bathroom to clean himself up before following Captain Wang.

    ¡°Due to some reasons, we currently believe that Spirit Child is not a spy. Now we need to contain morale because it is not impossible that those warnings were purposely left behind by the enemy just to mess with us since we were so close on their heels. Even though we did not capture anyone from the previous operation... we did salvage a batch of items, and they consist quite a lot of clues.¡± Wang Ke filled him in on thetest update. Gu Jun listened carefully. The scenario that Captain Wang posited could be true, but Gu Jun did not think that was the case.

    It was now 8 am. The people in the camp had risen. As Gu Jun followed Wang Ke, he realized that there were few soldiers. Most upants here were normal civilians who suffered from Malformed Banyan Disease. They were all fixed with fake limbs. They regarded him from afar, vessels of fear and confusion.

    ¡°This time, it was the ¡®Demon Hunter¡¯ unit that came from the Special Mobile Force,¡± Wang Ke said with respect. ¡°This is a very small scouting unit. They specialize in dealing with missions rted to abnormal energy. They have been in existence for decades. The members have been rotated several times, but they alwaysplete the mission they are given.¡±

    ¡®Members rotated several times?¡¯ Gu Jun wondered. ¡®Is it due to promotion, injury, or their S value spiraling out?¡¯

    Then he saw a unit of about ten people waiting for them. There were several armored vehicles next to them

    ¡°There are only fifteen members in the Demon Hunter unit. Thergest fe at the front is the unit leader, Xue Ba.¡± Wang Ke made the introduction. ¡°Many people get the impression that hees from the Action Department, but that is not the case. Captain Xue was moved there from Abnormal Energy Investigation Group.¡±

    If not for the rification from Captain Wang, Gu Jun would have thought that, too. Xue Ba looked less than forty. He was over 190 cm tall, had crew cut, strange jaw, bushy beard, and the muscles on his arms, chest, and legs were stretching the fabric of his military apparel. This was the picture of a powerful man. If one had to make aparison, Wu Dong looked more like a gym rat, while Captain Xue was like a character that walked out from Contra.

    ¡°I used to work with Captain Xue before,¡± Wang Ke said. ¡°Don¡¯t think you can fool him because of his appearance. Captain Xue is a very clever person.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded. Well, he was sure of that. To be able to lead such a special unit, the man had to be both physically and intellectually impressive. Furthermore, the selection process at Phecda was so strict. Then again, Gu Jun had to admit, knowing that such a man was leading the team, he did feel more secure.

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Wang, Doctor Gu.¡± Xue Ba waved and greeted them. His voice was strong and powerful. The other teammates turned toward them, openly studying Gu Jun. After Gu Jun joined them, he got to know the others through Wang Ke¡¯s introduction. Fifteen people, fifteen faces, fifteen names, and fifteen roles¡ªGu Jun tried his best to remember them. Some of them were there to provide scientific technical support; some were there to handle the weapon. There were males and females, but everyone gave off the same air. Everyone was the best of the best.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go.¡± After the brief introduction, Xue Ba hurried the group into the vehicles. Before he left, he patted Wang Ke on his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯ll go for lunch when I return.¡±

    He then turned to pat Gu Jun on his right shoulder. ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯ll ride in the medic car. Ask Uncle Dan to help you get to know the ce.¡±

    ¡°Erm, okay...¡± Gu Jun felt the scap in his shoulder almost breaking. ¡®Is this man really not Hercules reincarnated?¡¯

    Uncle Dan, whose full name was Luo Dan, was the team doctor. He was the eldest member at around fifty. He had a round face and head. Only several brushes of hair were left on his head. He held a thermos with wolfberry water. He was the most open member of the team. He seemed to share a good rtionship with everyone, the kind of character who had lived long enough to be able to survive anything. He overheard Captain Xue, and Uncle Danughed heartily and said, ¡°Come over, kid. Follow me. Finally, they¡¯ve granted my request for an assistant!¡±

    Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Then, the members of Demon Hunter got into the separate cars, and the vehicles soon departed. The medic car that Gu Jun was in was more like an armored ambnce. There were some medical appliances, mobile surgical beds, shadelessmps, gurneys, and so on inside the car. Of course, there were also stores of medicines and blood bags. Due to the fieldwork medic training he had received, Gu Jun was familiar with all these things, and it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for him to utilize them. Inside the car, other than him and Uncle Dan, there was a male nurse in his thirties. His name was Zhang Huohuo, a muscr man too, who was currently driving the car.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, where are we going?¡± Gu Jun asked. It appeared like the members of this group were more than they appeared. A nurse who was also a driver? Impressive.

    ¡°A very strange ce,¡± Uncle Dan said mysteriously. ¡°Ah Jun, do you believe in the supernatural?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. What did Uncle Dan mean by that? ¡°I didn¡¯t use to believe it, but I am not so sure now.¡±

    ¡°That is the right way to see it. There are too many things in the world that we still do not understand. In any case, you¡¯d better be mentally prepared. We could face anything during this mission.¡± Uncle Dan had just said something serious before he segued into a joking mood. ¡°Breakfast time, breakfast time! After all, it is the most important meal of the day.¡±

    At the same time, the cavalcade of cars was heading toward the northern side of the Eastern State, deeper into the mountainous range. The journey took about an hour. Gu Jun realized that they were heading toward Gu Rong Vige.

    Half an hourter, the potholed road and the abandoned signs along the road verified his suspicion. Their destination was a rather secluded holiday area. There were already military checkpoints when they were not far from Gu Rong Vige. They passed through them smoothly, but normal civilians would definitely be stopped. ording to the inte, Gu Rong Vige was emptied due to the discovery of an ancient ruin. To protect the archaeological find, all the vigers had been relocated, and the ce had closed for business.

    The cars moved through the quiet jungle. Gu Jun looked out the window. The serene scenery could put him at ease, but he felt increasingly agitated.

    It was too quiet. A ce like this should be noisy with wildlife activity, but he heard nothing. When strange shadows leaped through the trees, there was curious rustling. It also appeared to make the smell of decay that lingered in the air almost thicker.

    Gradually, the cavalcade made several turns, and in the end, Gu Jun saw a vige far down the distance, Gu Rong Vige.

    A big banyan tree that hadpletely withered stood right down that direction.

 Chapter 76: Banyan Tree Hole

    <h4>Chapter 76: Banyan Tree Hole</h4>

    Gu Rong Vige used to have a poption of about a thousand. These squat houses and newly built bungalows used to house vigers, and the well-decorated homestay would open themselves to visiting tourists. Old men sat under the banyan trees to chat while children and dogs ran along the riverbank. But now, there was only a silence, a nket of ominous silence. There was no trace of any vigers around, not even any cats or dogs. Even the rats that normally trekked their path across the small alleys had disappeared without a trace.

    In their ce was the patrol from Phecda¡¯s Action Department and newly built guard towers, with guards taking their post there. The dark sky appeared to be cultivating a thunderstorm, and the mountain breeze caressed the electric poles by the roadside that swayed dangerously. Gu Jun looked out the car window. The cavalcade passed through an imposing looking government building. It, too, had fallen to dpidation. That was the address for Gu Rong Vige¡¯s cultural and tourism managementmittee. He had once made a phone call to this ce.

    ¡°This Gu Rong Vige is the ce where the first case of Malformed Banyan Disease was recorded,¡± Uncle Dan told him. ¡°It is unclear whether this ce is the source or not, but the earliest record of the outbreak traces back to here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun nodded silently. If they hade sooner, the vigers could probably have been saved by the Medical Department. They were still quite a distance away from the Banyan Tree when the cars stopped at a clear area by the river. Some standardized barracks had been built there. They were adjacent to several civilian houses, forming a temporarymand center. Several Phecda officials were bustling inside it. After the Demon Hunters and Gu Jun got out of the cars, they met up with the members of the Abnormal Energy Investigation Group who were stationed there. Gu Jun stood to the side and observed. The big banyan tree before them was different from the one in the travel guide. It had lost its luscious verdancy. The twisted branches and dead leaves were all a wilted grayish-ck color. It looked like it had been dead for quite some time. He noticed that there was arge tree hole that had formed from decay at the bottom of the main trunk. It was very dark inside, but Gu Jun swore that he caught glimpse of some lights.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, is that tree still infectious?¡± Gu Jun looked at the banyan tree, and his bones tingled with chills. One of the methods of spreading for Malformed Banyan Disease was through direct contact with the infected tree, but it remained a mystery how the whole vige had gotten infected.

    ¡°Yes, but for now, we still cannot burn the whole thing down. Later, Captain Xue will exin more to you.¡±

    Gu Jun could not say that he appreciated Uncle Dan¡¯s penchant for speaking in riddles.

    After a while, Xue Ba, who had finished his conversation with the member of the Abnormal Energy Investigation Group, came over. ¡°Ah Jun, have you heard of Cueva des Manos?¡±

    Gu Jun had heard of it, but he could not say that he was familiar with thendmark. ¡°Not really...¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, it is a cave drawing inside a valley in Argentina. It¡¯s suspected to be the work of prehistoric humans, and the most famous of the drawings are the drawings of hands.¡± Xue Ba spoke like a teacher giving ss. However, his image really did not match that of a teacher. Seeing Gu Jun frown slightly, Xue Ba added with some urgency, ¡°It¡¯s real. I¡¯m telling you the truth! Go online and check if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Uncle Dan winked and made faces at Gu Jun behind Captain Xue. ¡®Do not y this game with Captain Xue. He is strangely concerned about other people not taking him seriously as a schr.¡¯

    ¡°Of course I believe you. I think I¡¯ve heard of that before.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°But how is that rted to this?¡±

    ¡°Look at that banyan tree.¡± Xue Ba handed Gu Jun a pair of military-grade binocrs. ¡°Right inside that decayed tree hole.¡±

    Gu Jun epted the binocrs and looked into the distance. Now he had a clearer look. Right around the tree hole, there were some imprints of hasty handprints around the decayed bark. They looked like patterns formed by the bark but also like signs left behind by struggling hands.

    This discovery unsettled Gu Jun. ¡°Are those the handprints of the vigers?¡±

    ¡°No, the Investigation Group has taken samples to makeparisons. There are sixteen handprints in total, and there are no matches with the locals.¡± Xue Ba paused, his manly face shrouded in confusion. ¡°Sixteen different handprints, sixteen people. That appears to be the maximum capacity inside that tree hole.¡±

    ¡°Maximum capacity inside the tree hole?¡± Gu Jun was startled. ¡®We are not talking about the same tree hole, are we? That ce does not seem big enough to even fit one person.¡¯

    ¡°There is an abnormal space inside the tree hole,¡± Xue Ba said directly. Then he turned to look for someone. ¡°This is driving the people from Scientific Research Department nuts. Lin Mo,e over here and exin it!¡±

    Lin Mo was the Demon Hunters¡¯ member from the Scientific Research Department. He was around thirty and had his hair parted down the middle. He looked polite and talked softly; he appeared to be the quintessential bookworm. But when he was summoned by his leader, he did not oblige but raised a middle finger to Xue Ba without hesitation.

    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Xue Ba was not offended. He then turned to exin it to Gu Jun. ¡°Even Einstein probably could not exin what is happening here. In any case, you know about wormholes, right? Wormholes can twist space and time. There is a theory that one can travel through a wormhole to reach another ce. The banyan tree hole is like a wormhole. There is another space inside it.¡±

    Xue Ba said all that with a light tone like he was describing a new nt that he had grown in his backyard. It was as if he had no idea the impact his words and this incident would have on the understanding of the human world. It would make countless scientists go insane with joy, and it would also make countless scientists copse with confusion.

    ¡®Wormhole?¡¯ Gu Jun looked at the tree hole that suddenly appeared to reach deeper, and his heart started to race.

    ¡°See, didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± Uncle Dan guffawed.

    This was not something knowable by a G Grade Member, and that was why Gu Jun was so unique. Gu Jun listened to the rest as they brought him up to speed. After the epidemic at Gu Rong Vige was discovered and brought under control, the Investigation Department immediately noted this startling discovery. The area of three meters around the big banyan tree had be a strange space. The maic and gravity field had all gone out of control.

    Therefore, the Investigation Department, Scientific Research Department, and Action Department had coborated to form a ¡®Gu Rong Vige Emergency Group¡¯ and summoned the Demon Hunters for help. Xue Ba used his phone to y some videos for Gu Jun. Initially, the emergency group used machines like robots and drones to explore the tree hole, but once they entered the tree hole, the signal would be lost. Then they came to understand why; signals from outside could not enter the abnormal space, but the machines inside could transfer radio ground waves out. However, the ground waves were so weakened through the barrier that they could only be picked up by themand center that was close by. Then, they sent in animals to experiment, but they lost control of them after the animals entered the tree holes. They would all die from hunger in a few days. The heat sensor and the members whoter entered the tree hole had verified this.

    ¡°The animals had audio and visual recording equipment attached, but the image and videos taken inside are all like this...¡± Xue Ba showed Gu Jun some images and videos. They were all so distorted that no sense could be made of them. ¡°The people from Scientific Research Department have tried their best to restore them, but it was to no avail.¡±

    One week earlier, the emergency group had decided to send in actual humans for the first time. It was the Demon Hunters who had taken the risk. There were supposed to be some members from Action Department tagging along, but only one extra person could enter, and it was then that the ¡®maximum capacity¡¯ of the tree hole was discovered.

    ¡°After we got inside, we saw...¡± Xue Ba thought back to the strange scenery.

 Chapter 77: Abnormal Space (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 77: Abnormal Space (2in1)</h4>

    ¡°Inside there, other than the stretch of dead trees that we walked through, there is nothing but a te of barren ground that has been rotten ck.¡± Xue Ba thought back to the withering and death. Even though he had gotten used to abnormal energy, the discovery still left its mark on him. ¡°The banyan tree appears to be the center of that space. No matter the direction we take, after we travel in straight line for 1,037 meters, we reach a high wall. The space is surrounded on all sides by a stone wall. We were trapped inside it.¡±

    ¡°How tall was the wall?¡± Gu Jun could not help but ask.

    ¡°No clue.¡± Xue Ba sounded regretful when he said that. ¡°We did use the drone that we brought with us to try to measure the height, but even after it had travelled 1,500 meters, which is the drone¡¯s maximum altitude, we were nowhere close to the edge of the wall. If we moved higher, the drone would have fallen from a loss of control. Naturally, the videos that we captured are distorted as well.¡±

    A circr stone wall that was more than 1,500 meters tall surrounding a space that was 2,074 meters in diameter. Just how majestic and impressive the ce must have been. Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased together. Could that really be a product of human creation?

    ¡°The wall barred us from moving further,¡± Xue Ba said.

    The Demon Hunters conducted a carpet search of the barrennd. This took half a month. Their superiors did not allow them to use overly rash methods like using explosives on the wall because they were worried that might affect the stability of the abnormal space, causing the connection between the space and the tree hole to copse. However, that also meant that the unit came up with nothing.

    The superior gave them a few days of holiday to unwind after they returned from the project. That was until yesterday when they had a new breakthrough¡ªthe foreign characters that was found at Lai Sheng Company¡¯s base, and they were confirmed by Gu Jun as a type ofnguage. The unit had seen a simr row of foreign words on a particr spot of the wall before.

    With this new breakthrough, the emergency group refocused their attention, but the problem was that the exploration team members¡¯ mental state appeared to have been affected. They only had an indescribable blockage in their mind when they tried to think about their experience in the abnormal space. None of them could write down the row of foreign characters. Naturally, the videos were not of much help either. The strangest thing was, the exploration team had tried to copy directly the foreign characters while they were inside the abnormal space, but the copied version could not match the characters on the wall no matter how hard they tried. The characters themselves possessed abnormal energy.

    Later, they had linguists join them, but they could not make head or tails of the foreign characters.

    ¡°But once I saw the few sentences that Lai Sheng Company left on those trees, I was reminded directly of those characters that we saw! Uncle Dan confirmed my suspicion, but we still could not write them now,¡± Xue Ba said as he patted Gu Jun on his shoulder. ¡°So, the mission this time is for us to bring you inside the tree hole and see whether you can understand what the foreign characters mean.¡±

    Gu Jun finally understood what was happening, and a thought immediately bubbled up in his mind. ¡®Could the abnormal space be a part of that foreign civilization¡¯s world? The Afterlife Cult¡¯s experiment... has joined both worlds together?¡¯

    He had many questions that he needed to be answered. ¡°Captain Xue, does that only happen here? What about the banyan trees in other ces of outbreak?¡±

    ¡°That only happens here, but we suspect Lai Sheng Company might be in possession of other routes.¡± Xue Ba¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°The Action Department did not catch anyone at their base yesterday. They saw human activity inside the building, but they disappeared mysteriously.¡±

    ¡°Has Phecda encountered such incidents with abnormal space before?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Yes, we have encountered something simr, but something like this... should be the first time. Actually, the headquarters are directing the whole operation now.¡±

    ¡°Captain, what about that abnormal creature with themer bone in its chest? Where do theye from?¡± Gu Jun asked with a stern tone because this question was very important. ¡°I believe they are rted to Lai Sheng Company, and I believe I am right about this.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Xue Ba instantly looked at Gu Jun with open curiosity. ¡°The result of the Investigation Department concluded that those monsters are separate incidents from the Malformed Banyan Disease.¡±

    ¡°No, I am sure they are rted! They are of one source, and I suspect they enter our world from another one through these banyan tree holes,¡± Gu Jun quickly exined. The Afterlife Cult probably did not have the power to control these creatures that destroyed their old world, but they had the ability to direct the tragedy over to Earth...

    ¡°Okay then, I shall report this to the superiors.¡± Xue Ba naturally understood the severity of this situation and soon departed. Gu Jun nced down at the witheredrge tree and suddenly a scary thought cross his mind. ¡®Sixteen handprints, sixteen people. The Demon Hunters plus me¡ªdoesn¡¯t that equal sixteen people?¡¯

    ¡°Captain Xue, wait!¡± Gu Jun hurriedly called after Xue Ba. ¡°Have our handprints beenpared to the ones on the tree?¡±

    His handprint had already been recorded when he was epted by Phecda.

    ¡°Haha, kid, you sure do think ahead.¡± Xue Baughed openly. ¡°Of course we have done that. It¡¯s fine. Otherwise, why would they still send us in? But still, it might be a one-way trip every time you enter the abnormal space. There is no guarantee. I¡¯d draft my will now if I were you.¡±

    Seeing Xue Ba walk away, Gu Jun shook his head with regret. He thought that knowledge of the foreignnguage would provide him with security, but now it only put him into deeper danger. For now, he went to Uncle Dan to ask for a pen and paper. He wrote down a simple will, mainly jotting down his appreciation for Prof Gu, Brother Qiang, and Surgeon Zhu for their confidence in him, and then he left words of encouragement for Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, and the rest. If he died, he would want them to keep moving forward. Then he grabbed his head, faking a headache. After some moaning, he gasped hungrily as he told the crowd who had gathered around him. ¡°I was suddenly reminded of so many foreign words...¡±

    Then he wrote down the five hundred foreign words that he already knew to the organization.

    Things had changed. In the morning, he had kept this a secret was for his own security, but now he did this... probably for the people he had mentioned in his will. Gu Jun had no idea whether the people saw through his trick or not. In any case, no one said anything. However, after Xue Ba and the team looked over the list that he had just written down, they still could cannot remember any trace of the foreign characters they had seen on the wall. Even though there was a chance they could decipher the characters now with this new list provided by Gu Jun, the superiors still ordered Gu Jun to tag along this mission. Perhaps he might be triggered to remember more things when he was inside the tree hole.

    ¡°Yourtest update has garnered the headquarters¡¯ attention.¡± Xue Ba told Gu Jun. ¡°Due to the urgency of the situation, we need to finish this mission as fast as we can.¡±

    Before this, the Demon Hunters had already conducted a series of tests inside the abnormal space, like the air density. Other than the low density of oxygen, which was at thirteen to fifteen percent, there was no trace of harmful elements to the human body. They had conducted toxin tests and microbiology tests as well; they all passed. Theoretically speaking, human beings could inhabit the space without any special protection. But for the sake of safety, the group still put on yellow protective suits that covered them from head to toe. Since the skin must not have any physical contact with the banyan tree, when they were inside the space, it was better not to remove the protective gear unless necessary.

    The abnormal space had a ¡®capacity¡¯ limit with regards to the presence of external objects. In other words, it could only support a certain upper limit when it came to things that did note from the space itself, be it alive or dead. This capacity was not limited at entry only; the things ced inside the space was counted as well. To exin it clearly, imagine the space like a cup of ss. Once it was full, no more water could be poured into it. Therefore, options like transporting parts of tank into it and then constructing one inside were impossible.

    Therefore, the emergency unit had to make serious considerations regarding the items that the exploration team would take with them. This time, their mission was to enter the space to take a gander at the foreign characters and thene out.

    Therefore, the first consideration was safety. How would they deal with possible enemies? To answer that, weapons were made necessary, and it had to be a well-rounded selection of weapons to deal with different kinds of enemies. For example, if there was an ambush of subterrain giant worms, and it had chomped on one of the members, then the weapon had to be able to harm the worm while ensuring the bullet would not pierce and injure the member it had its hold on. They had to consider other abnormal creatures that had be active recently as well. In conclusion, the team was equipped with different kinds of weapons, with different bullet calibers and different ranges to deal with different situation.

    The second consideration was survivability, specifically food and water that couldst for a week. The third consideration was life support, things like medical instruments, medicine, and blood bags¡ªbecause when necessary, the heavily injured members could be abandoned. After all, Phecda was built on the sacrifice of many Special Mobile Force members.

    Then there were other devices and misceneous items. After carrying all these, heavier weapons like anti-tank cannons would be over the capacity limit. The focus was agility. Everyone had a gun. That was better than just having one double barrel anticraft machine gun. Some of the objects had already been ced inside the abnormal space beforehand. The remaining load would be separated evenly among every member¡¯s inventory. Thebined weight of all totaled up to a precisely calcted number.

    ¡°This here is a QWC 05. Take it with you.¡± Before they departed, Xue Ba grabbed a submachine gun and tossed it to Gu Jun. ¡°It¡¯s easy to handle. Just switch off the safety here, load, aim, and fire. This gun is fully loaded. This is just a precaution. Do not switch off the safety unless necessary, and never point the barrel at your ally! If you do, I will gun you down on the spot, the reason being your S value has dropped dangerously low.¡±

    ¡°Understood...¡± Gu Jun could tell that Xue Ba was not joking.

    The QWC 05 was not a heavy gun, but it felt quite hefty in Gu Jun¡¯s grasp. This was the first time he had held a real gun. At least, in his known memory, this was the first time. Three hours after they had arrived at Gu Rong Vige, everything was finally ready.

    Then with the people frommand central sending them off, the Demon Hunters and Gu Jun approached the big banyan tree. The tree¡¯s decaying stench was isted outside the protective suit. Gu Jun breathed in the oxygen provided by the small oxygen tank and watched as Xue Ba, who walked at the front of the group, squeezed into the tree hole and disappeared among the darkness. Then it was the next team member, followed by another team member.

    ¡°Ah Jun, keep up.¡± Then it was Uncle Dan¡¯s turn. His voice came over the wireless. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. Uncle Dan will be there for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun watched as Uncle Dan also disappeared inside the tree hole. Then he took steps forward to move toward the decayed, dark, and gray hole.

    First step, second step, third step...

    He could see, as if through a mist, a blur that was a dance of light and darkness.

 Chapter 78: Foreign Character on the High Wall

    <h4>Chapter 78: Foreign Character on the High Wall</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    There appeared to be a dark tunnel inside the tree hole. Gu Jun moved ahead and felt himself being swallowed up, surrounded, and buried by darkness...

    He did not feel anything off about his physical body, and he had a good handle of his consciousness. It was why he could notice the enveloping silence; even the sound of his steps had disappeared. Slowly, a barely noticeable white light appeared in his eyes. He moved toward in that direction as if hypnotized by it. The low sound of conversation shattered the silence. Gu Jun suddenly found himself out of the tunnel. He saw Captain Xue and the other Demon Hunters standing before him, and their conversation became much clearer.

    Gu Jun took a deep breath. His first reaction was to look around. The path inside the rotten tree was behind him. It was the trunk of a deadrge tree. It had a decayed tree hole at the bottom. It was hard to tell what kind of tree it was. Underneath his feet was ckened dirt. It was not muddy, and ording to Captain Xue, it did not give off any stench either. But for some reason, it reminded Gu Jun of death. This ce had been dead for a long time; that was the only exnation for why all signs of living had been wiped clean. The Demon Hunters had taken a sample of this ce on their previous excursion for examination. The density was categorized, but the age could not be dated.

    Currently, the oldest patch of dirt found on Earth was from thirty-seven hundred million years ago. It was a soil residue found inside a rock in Greend. The Earth¡¯s age was estimated at forty-six hundred million years old, but the soil here was much older than that. It was so old that all type of human dating methods like radio isotopes were futile. This abnormal space did not belong on Earth.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Gu Jun looked into the distance, and all he could see within his line of sight was this barrennd. It was like the shadow of a giant demon. The sky was grayish white, and it was curiously still. Therefore, it did not look like ayer of clouds, but it felt more like they were covered under a ceiling. Was this an empty tower suspended in the sky, or was it a cage?

    The horizon around them were intercepted by the stone wall. Even if they tipped their heads backward, they could not see the top of the wall. The wall rose in the distance, and it also rose inside their hearts.

    ¡°Ah Jun, are you okay?¡± Xue Ba¡¯s voice travelled out from Gu Jun¡¯smunicator. Wirelessmunication could be used normally in this space.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gu Jun answered.

    Xue Ba nodded at him and then reported back to the other world. ¡°Command, the Demon Hunters have arrived at the space with the high walls. Everyone is in perfect condition. We are nning to split into teams. Team A will head toward the wall with the foreign characters while Team B will stay behind to guard the tunnel. Over.¡±

    Their message could be sent out, but they could not receive the reply from outside, so this was a one-waymunication.

    The delineation of the teamposition had already been decided when they were outside. There were sixteen of them in total. Team A would have ten people, mostly consisting of investigative and scientific research members; Team B had six people, mostly consisting of members responsible for misceneous duties. Both teams had members to provide offensive support, and everyone had a gun strapped before their chest. Even though the videos taken back would be distorted, both teams had members capturing everything with cameras, and the videos would be sent out in radio ground wave form. Actually, Gu Jun was not that confident about splitting up; in most horror movies, bad things only started when the group was split up...

    However, he looked at everyone¡¯s equipment, and some of them even carried C-4. Even Uncle Dan, a medic, was equipped with a CQ assault rifle, so he felt slightlyforted. Actually, every member of Special Mobile Force had military training. They had to keep up their training before they joined the forces and when they were in active duty. Of the entire team, he was the only rookie.

    ¡°Team A,e with us.¡± Xue Ba led the way. The other nine moved to follow and trekked across this broken wastnd. Compasses were useless in this ce. They used the path of the rotten tree as a point of direction. The wall with the foreign character was to its north.

    Gu Jun followed in between Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo. Other than the soft footsteps of the team, there was only silence. There was not even the sound of the wind. However, the soldiers that came from the Action Department¡ªLou Xiaoning, Zhou Yi, and Gao Mingpeng¡ªmaintained their alert up as they scanned the area around them. Lou Xiaoning was a rare female member. She was about thirty and could not be considered tall, but currently, she was lugging a ny-five auto and carrying a QN-202 mini rocket on her back¡ªit was a backpack that contained six missiles and a rocketuncher. She was the main damage dealer of the team, and she was more manly than any man at times.

    Along the way, Gu Jun was reminded of something. He turned to ask Xue Ba, ¡°Captain Xue, is there a night and day cycle here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not!¡± Uncle Dan jumped to answer. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the strangest thing? The ce always has the same brightness, and the sky is consistently that color.¡±

    Everyone could hear that. Lou Xiaoning grumbled with dissatisfaction, ¡°Uncle Dan, you are our doctor! So, howe you are so insistent on creating a horrifying atmosphere for us? Are you that afraid of retirement? You sure are one cunning old coot.¡±

    The groupughed.

    ¡°Fine, fine. How about I tell a joke to ease the tension then?¡± Uncle Dan chuckled before heunched into a joke, a sleazy one at that. This made everyoneugh even harder. Even Gu Jun was tickled. This was one interesting middle-aged man. Xue Baughed the loudest. Uncle Dan making lewd jokes was a fixture among the Demon Hunters, and reality had proven that it was effective at lowering their tension.

    The journey of 1,037 meters was not that long. After ten minutes of walking, they reached the front of the wall. They were about twenty steps away now. Before that, Gu Jun had already seen the majesty of this wall. It was constructed from blocks ofrge gray stone bs, and there was barely a gap between the bs. The construction work was truly impressive. It was so tall that the top could not be seen as it curved down both sides. After standing there for who knew how long, there was still no sign of disrepair on the wall. The scale and size of this circr wall was far beyond any ancient building human beings had created. Like the dirt underneath their feet, the geologists could not tell what kind of stone this was, and they had no idea why every stone b had some kind of special pattern on it.

    When the group reached under the wall, Xue Ba pointed and said, ¡°Ah Jun, the row of foreign characters is over there.¡±

    ¡°I will go take a look.¡± Gu Jun continued to move. Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning guarded beside him. When he was ten steps away, Gu Jun could already see the foreign characters on the wall. The dark color and messy handwriting... they appeared to be carved on therge stone at the most bottomyer of the wall. He took a few more steps forward. He focused his eyes, and he could sense thenguage wiggling,ing to life before him.

    ¡®That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons even death may die,¡¯ Gu Jun mumbled this in his heart. He raised his head to try to look up the wall, and a sense of existential anxiety rose in his heart.

    ¡°Ah Jun, can you understand this?¡± Xue Ba asked, the anticipation and urgency clear in his voice. Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan were listening in as well.

    ¡°Yes, I can...¡± Gu Jun nodded slightly. He was about to recite the statement when there was a suddenly shuffling. The giant stone with the foreign characters crumbled and sank into the dirt. The ce where the giant stone once stood became an underground entrance. It had stone stairs that led to a seemingly endless abyss.

    The group was taken by surprise by this change when the urgent calls came from members of Team B. ¡°Captain, the tree has suddenly copsed. The tunnel appears to have caved in... The light has disappeared; the tunnel has disappeared!¡±

 Chapter 79: Mad Arab

    <h4>Chapter 79: Mad Arab</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    After the initial wave of shock, Xue Ba spoke into themunicator. ¡°Team B,e here to meet up immediately. Snipers, provide support while on the move!¡±

    ¡°Copy that. Rendezvous in four minutes,¡± the leader of team B, Yang Henan, answered. ¡°Move, move, move.¡±

    ¡°Captain, all those small rocks havepletely submerged,¡± Lin Mo said severely. This change made him want to raise his middle finger. They had studied the stone wall for so long, but nothing had happened. Yet, once Gu Jun got near, it crumbled. What kind of reasoning was behind this? They were all looking down the underground tunnel, wondering where it led.

    ¡°Ah Jun, what is going on? What was the meaning of that sentence?¡± Xue Ba¡¯s bushy brows were creased together. His sharp gaze cut a clear meaning of warning; it was not the time to y. Even though he already felt like splitting up was not a good idea, Gu Jun was still surprised by this urrence. In that moment, there were many thoughts that crossed his mind, but none stuck long enough to mean anything. Seeing the suspicion on Captain Xue¡¯s face, he was not offended. Phecda had just been ambushed by the Afterlife Cult, and it did not help that he came from a background rted to them. It was reasonable for Captain Yan to suspect him, considering the circumstances.

    ¡°That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons, even death may die,¡± Gu Jun said.

    When the group heard that, a chill ran up their spines.

    ¡°What, that¡¯s impossible?¡± Xue Ba was shocked. When he saw the confused faces around him, he said urgently, ¡°Haven¡¯t you guys heard of this, oh wait, this is Grade D information... Never mind, it is an emergency now. This is the couplet written by Abdul Alhazred, the Mad Arab. He once dreamt about a ce called the Nameless City, a ruin deep inside a desert. I am telling the truth! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can go check it when you return. Oh, but none of you will be able to have ess. Sigh!¡±

    The burly man was about to scratch his hair out. Truthfully, no one doubted his knowledge. They mainly frowned due to shock.

    ¡°Who is this Mad Arab?¡± Gu Jun was even more confused. Dreamt? He had dreamt about visiting the big banyan tree that was connected to Gu Rong Vige before.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much information on him. He¡¯s a legendary character from ancient times. ording to legend, he wrote a tome called the Necronomicon, but no one ever found it.¡± Then, not knowing whether the signal could still be intercepted or not, Xue Ba continued to report back to themand center. ¡°Command central, this is Xue Ba. Gu Jun confirms that the foreign character is rted to the couplet by Abdul Alhazred, or the Mad Arab... It is thus suspected that this ce is rted to the Nameless City.¡±

    ¡°F*ck!¡± Lou Xiaoning grumbled under her breath.

    Lin Mo shook his head and sighed. ¡°What the hell is this? I knew I should not have studied science.¡±

    ¡°This already got you stunned?¡± Uncle Dan tried his best to bring the mood up. ¡°This is not the most shocking thing I¡¯ve seen. You should have been in the dream that I had that one time with Kim Kardashian.¡±

    But the group was no longer in the mood tough.

    ¡®So, an ancient character from legend?¡¯ Gu Jun looked at the dark entrance with contemtion. He still had no idea how everything was connected. This was definitely not a coincidence. He had triggered some kind of mechanism, but how? By having the foreign characters tranted? By having someone read them out loud like open sesame? But he repeated it again, both aloud and in his heart, but nothing else happened. It befuddled him further...

    Four minutester, all members of Team B arrived safely. The videos that they captured earlier were still distorted, but Xue Ba had already removed his protective helmet and looked through the binocrs. The rotten tree trunk had fallen on its own. The tree hole had disappeared. Xue Ba then ordered the group to set up a defensive perimeter around the underground tunnel. They decided to hunker down there for now. Inside this high wall cage, there was no high vantage point or hiding point. If an enemy arrived now, like from above, they might need to retreat into the tunnel. Of course, the enemies mighte out from the tunnel too, so two members were assigned to guard the entrance. Since the air was breathable, they did not need to worry about oxygen, but their food supply would onlyst a week. Now was truly the moment that tested Xue Ba¡¯s intelligence...

    Should they enter the tunnel to explore or use the C4 to blow down one corner of the wall to see what was beyond it? But in their previous inspection, they failed to gauge the thickness the wall.

    ¡°Do you guys feel like... there is something watching us?¡± Uncle Dan suddenly asked. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to make joke or scare you. It¡¯s my instincts talking.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I feel it too,¡± Lin Mo said with a frown as he carried the life detection radar, sweeping the ground. Yang Henan, Zhou Yi, and other members expressed the same feeling. Even though it was still silent around them, they could not shake the feeling that something was watching them from the dark.

    Gu Jun held the mini rifle tightly, and the anxiety in his heart doubled. The other reason for his apprehension was due to his system quest list for the day.

    Normal Quest: Complete one emergency rescue today. Reward: one box of human brainstem tumor-targeting drugs.

    Difficult Quest: Complete two-star surgeries (sess) within three days with personal contribution totaling over 150%. Reward: one Carlot Scalpel.

    Abyssal Quest: Finish a full autopsy on a zombie within a week. Reward: Unknown

    After some time getting used to the system, Gu Jun realized that the system quests were closely rted to his life, especially the normal and difficult quests. He normally would be ced in situations where he had the chance toplete them, but now he did not wish for that chance to appear.

    Thinking back to yesterday¡¯s surgery, Gu Jun turned to the ck decayed ground. He asked, ¡°Captain Xue, is it possible that there is something underground? Things like subterrain giant worms?¡±

    Xue Ba quickly turned to ask, ¡°Lin Mo, do you have anything over there?¡±

    Lin Mo was still moving around with his life detection radar. ¡°Nothing... but the result is not a guarantee. You guys know about the abnormality of this ce...¡±

    Before he finished, the dirt underneath his feet burst open, and the rest of his sentence was swallowed by a scream. ¡°Argh!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed. Ten meters away from him, a giant monster¡¯s head poked out from under the ground. The toothy jaw already chomped over Lin Mo¡¯s lower body. There were clusters of small worms wiggling in its saliva¡ªthey were its young. The subterrain giant worm looked just like the one he had seen in the files. The skin was dark-red and was covered in ayer of wrinkly skin. It gave off an imposing presence.

    ¡°Motherf*cker!¡± Lou Xiaoning growled. Anger colored her pretty face. As she raced over, she raised the ny-five auto and aimed it at the giant worm¡¯s body that protruding out from the ground. The rounds fired, and the ce echoed with gunshots.

    The part of the giant worm¡¯s head fired into a mess of flesh and blood. It let go of its prey from pain and quickly crawled back underground. Zhou Yi, Uncle Dan, and the rest hurried to pull over the screaming Lin Mo. The protective gear around his feet was already corrupted, exposing the messy wound underneath. They were all bite marks from the wounds, none from the gunshots. As they expected, the bullets could not pierce the giant worm.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Xue Ba ordered. Calmness was on his face. ¡°Retreat into the underground tunnel! We will stay right at the entrance!¡±

    There was no choice but for them to enter the tunnel. If they stayed outside, they would only be picked off one by one by the giant worms, and they had no idea how many worms were there.

    ¡°Ah Jun, get over here and help!¡± Uncle Dan was screaming. He was dragging Lin Mo into the tunnel with the help of the nurse, Lin Huohuo. Now was the time for the medics to work. The members retreated in order.

    Gu Jun raced ahead as he responded, ¡°Coming!¡±

    They needed to stop the bleeding, inject anesthetic, and then they had to conduct an immediate surgery. They had to pull the parasites out before they had the chance to dig into the deeper tissue. As Gu Jun ran, he thought back to the various images from the previous day¡¯s operation. At this moment, he was surprisingly collected.

 Chapter 80: Strange Audio Signal

    <h4>Chapter 80: Strange Audio Signal</h4>

    Dark clouds started to gather above Gu Rong Vige, a sign that a heavy storm wasing. Another storm was already ravaging the emergency unit¡¯smand central. It spread to Phecda¡¯s branch in the Eastern State and then the national headquarters! The tree hole tunnel that connected Gu Rong Vige and the abnormal space had copsed!

    Every single word that the Demon Hunters said was intercepted by themand center in real life, including the jokes made by Uncle Dan. Even though the restored voices sounded strange, like they did not belong to humans, the people in themand center tried their best to focus.

    ¡°Ah Jun, can you... understand this?¡± Xue Ba said.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Jun replied. Right then, the voices suddenly became incredibly distorted, and outside the barracks, the withered banyan tree suddenly snapped and fell. After the initial panic, the emergency unit quickly took hold of the situation and came up with a solution. A group of Action Department soldiers had already been deployed to inspect the banyan tree, and the members frommunication research team were trying their best. The signal did not disappearpletely, but it became incredibly weak, making it even more difficult to restore. There was a mainmander in the emergency unit; he was a member sent by the headquarters, Yao Sinian. He was over sixty and had a head full of white hair. He had first encountered abnormal energy several decades ago. There were six other vicemanders inside the unit. Some of them came from the headquarters, while others were from the Eastern branch. Among them, the words of the leader of Investigation Department, Meng He; the leader of Scientific Research Department, Dong Wenrui; and the vice leader of Action Department, Guo Dajun, carried the most weight.

    Currently standing at the space next to themand center, Yao Sinian and his vice were discussing thetest development. Those who were not present in person were tuning in remotely.

    ¡°This Gu Jun is highly suspicious,¡± Leader Meng said darkly. Even though the Review Department had given Gu Jun a pass, as more information surfaced and things turned for the worse, Gu Jun¡¯s existence became more precarious.

    ¡°For now, we cannot eliminate any possibilities, but we must not jump to any conclusions either.¡± Yao Sinian had considered that and had gone through Gu Jun¡¯s files before. Lai Sheng Company said that they knew Gu Jun better than he knew himself. Yao Sinian also knew another version of Gu Ju. Even though the boy was clearly hiding things from them, it was also due to theplexity of his background that they should note to quick conclusions. ¡°Based on the information that we have now, Brother Gu is on our side. We must not wrong him, especially at this moment, damping the morale of him and his team.¡±

    Hearing what Commander Yao had to say, the rest nodded. It was unwise to discuss things like Gu Jun¡¯s loyalty when they had no evidence to prove it one way or another. Once they hade up with new emergency solutions, people came back with thetest report. The big banyan tree had been put back in ce by the Action Department. The abnormal energy in the tree hole had dissipated, but the abnormality around the area still existed. In the meantime, they had recovered themunication. The restoration was much lessplete than before, but they could at least pick up some terms.

    Yao Sinian and the vicemanders immediately rushed back to themand center. Therge barracks became crowded. One side was filled withrge equipment like wireless receptors, and before them were several monitors. They showed blurry video signals as well as the wavelengths of the various soundwaves. There wereputers in the room to identify the pitch of the different speakers. When they walked into the barrack, there were strange, intermittent voices. Other than that, the ce was silent. A group of workers were seated before rows ofputers. They perked up their ears to listen. Theputers were doing their best to decipher the message.

    ¡°That is not dead... Eternal lie... Strange eons... Death may die...¡± The sound was asionally shrill but, at other times, like a low growl. It sounded like the whisper of a ghosting from deep inside the forest. This was different from the voices of the sixteen members of the teams, and the data was continuously changing. It was impossible to tell who was speaking, and most of the content had to be filled in through context. But once Yao Sinian heard these few terms, his gray brows arched high. ¡°It¡¯s the couplet written by the Mad Arab.¡±

    Why would this couplet appear now? Themanders were at a loss. Then the strange voice began again.

    ¡°This is Xue... Abdul Al... The Nameless City... Underground tunnel...¡±

    With regards to this Mad Arab, even with his high ess, Yao Sinian did not know that much because they only had that much information on him. But this was a symbol of misfortune. A trail of extremely strange events had been following this Mad Arab¡¯s couplet.

    ¡°Could the abnormal space in the high wall be the Nameless City?¡± Leader Meng mumbled with confusion. To their knowledge, the Nameless City was just an Arabic legend, a contradictory legend at that. The ce was supposed to be a ruin but had an extremely majestic range of castles. In any case, there was nothing inside the abnormal space with high walls.

    Or perhaps they were there in the past. After the passage of time, could they have been levelled into nothingness? But that was just spection. The thing that caught more attention was ¡®the underground tunnel¡¯. The Demon Hunters appeared to have found a new exit. But in this situation, further exploration felt more like they were being led further into a trap.

    The group¡¯s hearts were sinking, and time was passing. Then a figure hurried in. It was Elder Qin from the Medical Department. Everyone greeted him with a nod. He had just rushed there in a helicopter. Elder Qin used to be the leader of Medical Department, and he was currently half-retired. His main responsibility was cultivating new talent. He was well-respected in the Eastern State and was old friends with Yao Sinian. Since Gu Jun hade with his personal rmendation, now that something like this had happened, Elder Qin was summoned there to get his opinion.

    At the same time, the audio signal became more unstable. asionally, it would give off agitated fluctuations, and the voice of the team became more distorted. The people in the barracks could not tell whether it was one person speaking or multiple people...

    ¡°Something... watching...¡±

    ¡°Underground... Subterrain giant worms...¡±

    ¡°Lin Mo...¡±

    ¡°Abnormality... Argh!¡±

    The wail echoed through themand central. The blurry videos on the monitor appeared to have blood stters on them. Their faces shifted. The members who were in headphones responsible for the audio recovery felt like the scream was piercing through their hearts. The wailing wasing intermittently, but it had not ceased. Were they ambushed by subterrain giant worms? Was the ambush at the base of Lai Sheng Company repeating itself?

    Then came the faraway sound of gunshots and chaotic screaming.

    ¡°Retreat into the tunnel...¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun,e and help!¡±

    Many people felt oppressed enough to curse. Leader Meng could not hold it in anymore and cursed. Someone was injured!

    The voice added quickly, ¡°Heavy injury... suffered... Retreating...¡¯

    ¡°How is the medical condition of the team?¡± Yao Sinian turned to the vicemander, Yang Mu, from the emergency unit¡¯s medical team. However, knowing this information would not help anything.

    ¡°Very bad.¡± Vicemander Yang shook his head. ¡°The main doctor is Luo Dan, the nurse is Zhang Huohuo, and Gu Jun can be the assistant. There aren¡¯t many of them, but that is enough; however, they do not have the necessary equipment. The medical supplies taken in with the team were only enough to conduct a normal field operation. With regards to the wound caused by subterrain giant worms, amputation is the only option.¡±

    In the nning of this mission, medical necessity was ranked third, so they had few medical supplies with them. With what was happening, the sacrifice of the team member... appeared to be inevitable.

    ¡°There is no sterile space, and the surgery is not an easy one. The wound can get easily infected,¡± vicemander Yang added and then shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult...¡±

    The environment examination of the space surrounded by the high wall came back to be harmless, but no one knew what the condition inside the ¡®underground tunnel¡¯ was.

    ¡°Difficult but not impossible,¡± Professor Qin said. ¡°Luo Dan has the skill, and Gu Jun can help. Amputation won¡¯t be too difficult for them.¡±

    At the same time, the surprised gasp of a technical worker caught everyone¡¯s attention. After the Demon Hunters entered the underground tunnel, the signal became much clearer. The voices were no longer distorted, and the reception was back to normal. They could hear that Uncle Dan and Gu Jun had helped the wounded member, Lin Mo, stop the bleeding on both of his legs. Then they injected him with anesthetic before they assessed the injury. Lin Mo¡¯s lower left leg was heavily injured. The right leg hade out of the attack much better. The two immediately started to discuss possible solutions.

    ¡°The right leg can be saved... Uncle Dan, I just did a simr surgery yesterday. I am confident that I can save this leg of Lin Mo¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Kid, there is no microscope here, and there is no surgical light! How do you expect to find the parasite?¡±

    ¡°ording to the files I read yesterday, the young parasites are immobile for one hour of infection. They will slowly form sacs on the infected tissues... After the sacs are formed, they will only then gain the ability to reproduce and fester... and the young parasites are supposed to be easy to spot. They are visible to naked eye. The surgical light can be constructed by having the four shlights staged at four angles. Therefore, within this one hour, we must try to clean his right leg as best as we can and then amputate the left! If we are unable to do so in an hour, then we have no choice to amputate the right leg as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, okay then... There is a chance for that, but the risk is going to be huge... Ah Mo, I will leave this in your hands. Which procedure would you choose?¡±

    Listening to these conversations, the people at themand center were shocked, especially the ones from medical department. Even Vice Commander Yang and Elder Qin were stunned.

    ¡®Gu Jun, do you know how difficult the procedure you have suggested is? Cleaning all the young parasites in one hour, that can only work in theory!¡¯

 Chapter 81: Surgery inside the Underground Tunnel

    <h4>Chapter 81: Surgery inside the Underground Tunnel</h4>

    Every step of the underground tunnel was three meters long, one meter wide, and half a meter tall. Each step was a giant stone b; it was the same material that built the high walls. The stone surface was covered with a strange dark red pattern. It looked like blood capiries. The steps led underground. The walls on the side were of the same stone material as the ceiling above them. There was no trace of dirt or sign of any living nts like lichen. It was as if the underground tunnel was carved out from the stoneyer. Each stone was in itself aplete entity, but if that was the case, how could they keep the surface of the stone so even? It was as if the stone steps were made by nature.

    The Demon Hunters stayed ten meters near the entrance after they entered. In other words, once they covered the range of ten steps, they were just close enough to the surface to see light. Some guarded the entrance, while others guarded the tenth step. Xue Ba was on the tenth step. He aimed his shlight deep underground. All they could see was the steps that stretched endlessly downward, and the most visible bottom was blocked off by the ceiling that sloped down. They did not carry any equipment that could allow them to examine their surroundings. However, to conduct an operation on Lin Mo, the patient, the two doctors and the nurse had to remove their heavy protective gear, or else they could not carry out any detailed handwork.

    ¡°Uncle Dan... I...¡± Earlier, the team had ced several boxes of equal height on the fifth step. Then, theyid a deep gray sterile mat on it beforeying Lin Mo on top of it. Lin Mo¡¯s face was pale as sheet of paper and his voice was weakening. The morphine was taking its effect. His mental state was still passable. Several antibiotic drips were already injected into the back of his left arm. A sniper rifle wasid next to the step, and the medicine was hanging on the barrel. The blood packs were thawing out, and they would be usedter. Uncle Dan, Gu Jun, and Zhang Huohuo were as ready as they could be. They first used mineral water to cleanse the wounds¡ªthe water that they used to wash their hands was collected in the protective gear. If necessary, it could be used as drinking water. Then they put on sterile scrubs, mask, gloves, and caps. Even though this was not enough to ensure sterility, they had done everything they could to prevent pollution.

    ¡°My personal suggestion is double amputation.¡± Uncle Dan was not a pessimist, but he really did not have much confidence in Gu Jun¡¯s suggestion this time.

    Lin Mo looked at the rarely serious Uncle Dan and turned to look at the determination shining in Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. He smiled bitterly. ¡°I know some medical knowledge; I know the state that I am in. I know how precarious this is. If I¡¯m infected, it¡¯s over for me. In that case, I¡¯d rather take this risk. Who knows? There might a chance for sess...¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Even though Uncle Dan frowned, he chose to respect the patient¡¯s wishes. He turned around to ask out of respect, ¡°Captain Yan, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Lin Mo has every right to decide own fate,¡± Xue Ba replied. ¡°One hour is not long. In fact, ten minutes have already passed. Get moving.¡±

    The other team members looked at each other silently. Actually, none of them supported Gu Jun¡¯s idea. This was so difficult. Could Uncle Dan manage it? Furthermore, Gu Jun was just a rookie who had recently risen to G Grade. Even though he was extremely talented, what was talent without experience?

    Gu Jun nodded at Lin Mo. He did not give an empty promise but offered something cliched. ¡°I will try my best.¡±

    He changed his thought and epted a system quest in his mind.

    Difficult Quest: Complete two-star surgeries (sess) within three days with personal contribution totaling over 150 percent. Reward: one Carlot Scalpel

    ¡®Quest epted!¡¯

    One of the reasons Gu Jun insisted on this operation was an aid provided by the system: the review of sess or failure in the surgical job list regarding specific operation. So far, the mysterious power that was the system had the ability to determine urately whether a surgery was sessful or not. This provided him with extremely important information at times like this. If the result was a ¡®failure¡¯ after the operation was over, they would hurry to amputate the right leg.

    Due to the urgency of the situation, with Uncle Dan leading the operation, the four team members put on their masks and aimed the shlights from four sides around the body part about to be operated on. It formed a simple surgical light. It decreased the influence of shadows, providing passable conditions for a field operation. Lou Xiaoning, Yang Henan, and other marksmen had to guard the two ends, remaining alert for battle.

    ¡°You guys still have forty-eight minutes,¡± Xue Ba shouted as he nced at his watch. He was not giving them pressure, but he knew how important precision of time was. Gu Jun opened and closed his hands. The feeling of the rubber gloves around his skin helped him get into the mental state. He felt the stone around him shifting into the in walls of a surgical room. A surgical light hung above them, and below the patient was an electro hydraulic surgical table. No matter how harsh the conditions, this was still an operation.

    Zhang Huohuo had already prepared surgical materials like mineral water and disinfectant by the side. Uncle Dan first asked for a stitching kit and directly stapled the muscles of Lin Mo¡¯s left leg together to minimize bleeding. Since this leg was to be amputated no matter what, Uncle Dan left it after that. He turned to focus on the right leg with Gu Jun. The injuries on the right leg were lighter. Of the right leg, there were only four bite marks of the worms on both front and back upper calf; the injuries were more serious on the lower calf and feet. There were more than ten visible wounds there.

    Uncle Dan, who had less experience with this kind of operation, was responsible for the upper calf. Gu Jun, who had just conducted the same operation the previous day, was responsible for the lower calf and feet. Two operations were going on at the same time. Water was very precious, but the wound had to be cleaned before the operation. The two doctors used as little water as possible.

    ¡°Cotton ball.¡± Gu Jun epted the sterile cotton from Zhang Huohuo. He bent over to wipe away the bloody water. Using the lighting and hooks, he could see the worm-like young parasites inside the soleus muscle. They hooked themselves onto the tissue like maggots. They wiggled minutely as they chomped on the surrounding tissue. Some had already embedded half of their bodies into the flesh.

    This scene caused the members who held the shlights to frown. These creepy crawlies were drilling into their hearts.

    ¡°These are indeed the young of subterrain giant worms,¡± Gu Jun said with a hint of joy at seeing these ugly things. This proved that it was really a subterrain giant worm that had ambushed Lin Mo. These young parasites sttered out from the worm¡¯s mouth. At the beginning, they were not mobile, so Gu Jun did not need to worry about finding them in deeper tissue. They had not formed sacs either, so he needed only to clean these parasites on the surface away.

    ¡°Surgical scissors please.¡± With the tool, Gu Jun reached into the wound and pulled out a worm. He ced it inside the stainless-steel container at the side. The slick feeling as he let go of the parasite told him that the parasites had not sunk themselves into the flesh. Most of them could be directly removed without much force. This was good, very good. After picking out one, he proceeded to grab another. Those who had fixed themselves half into the tissue had to be torn out along with the muscle.

    The other members watched closely. They saw Gu Jun very expertly pull out or cut out the parasites, and then they turned to observe Uncle Dan. They were immediately confused. Howe it felt like Gu Jun was moving faster than Uncle Dan? Was something holding Uncle Dan back?

    ¡°Eh?¡± Uncle Dan stole a nce, and he was also shocked. ¡®This kid... how is his surgical skill so good?¡¯

 Chapter 82: Parasite inside the Container

    <h4>Chapter 82: Parasite inside the Container</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    In this environment and such conditions, with their bodies bent over in ufortable position, an inexperienced doctor would be considered quite impressive if he could steady himself, but this Gu Jun... Uncle Dan could discern that the speed Gu Jun operated on depended on precise point of force and superb stability of hands. Both of these needed to be forged from experience. Gu Jun did not look like he had justpleted one parasite cleansing operation. If anything, it felt like he did this operation every other day. This proved that Gu Jun¡¯s umtion of experience had reached a superhuman standard. This was not something that could simply be described as excellent talent. No wonder the kid had suggested such a brave solution. He really had the ability to back it up!

    Uncle Dan instantly felt inspired, and he also moved faster. This was not just because of the attitude change in the senior doctor, but also, at that moment, Uncle Dan did indeed see the hope for a sessful operation that had eluded them until now. The hope was forcibly brought into ce by Gu Jun¡¯s speed and expertise.

    ¡°Ah Mo.¡± While Uncle Dan pinched out the worm, he spoke to Lin Mo, who was moaning softly. ¡°Hold on a little longer, this leg of yours might really be preserved.¡±

    When the other members heard that, they were all confused. Xue Ba and the rest nced over. Why would Uncle Dan say something like that?

    The nurse Zhang Huohuo and the four members that held the makeshift surgical light understood why though. This had been quite an awakening for them. Even those who were not familiar with medical knowledge could see what was happening. Gu Jun was like superman charging ahead, while Uncle Dan was more like a normal person riding a motorcycle trying to catch up to the former. And this was while Gu Jun was dealing with the lower calf, which was more seriously injured. He worked faster than Uncle Dan, much faster in fact. He moved from one cleansed wound to another, picking out the parasites like a woodpecker pecking out worms.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xue Ba moved up from the tenth step and leaned against the wall to look. Luo Xiaoning followed close behind him. They then soon saw what was happening.

    ¡°F*ck.¡± Lou Xiaoning gasped. Her pretty face was expressionless when she suddenly let out a string of curses. ¡°Bloody hell, who is the team doctor here?¡±

    She was wondering about Gu Jun¡¯s background. She had no idea the man would be such a god at the surgical table!

    Even Xue Ba got excited. His body of muscles was bouncing from the excitement. He had heard that Gu Jun was a reserve member for Special Mobile Force, but he had no idea how precious the man was! Earlier, when he heard that the young man had been in surgery for thirteen hours, Xue Ba had thought that Gu Jun was just the assistant in that operation.

    ¡°This is one hell of a talent,¡± Lou Xiaoning told Xue Ba. ¡°The Demon Hunters must have him.¡±

    ¡°Lin Mo is not even dead yet, and you¡¯re already selecting people to rece him?¡± Xue Ba joked. As the team leader, he had the responsibility to help them raise their morale. The group who heard it through theirmunicatorsughed, and the mood lightened a lot. Suddenly, everyone felt that Lin Mo had a chance of surviving this.

    Gu Jun and Uncle Dan did not join in the merry-making. They did not dare waste a second because they were the ones who knew how precious time was. The operation needed to bepleted as soon as possible. They were not only racing against the young parasites, but also if the blood was stopped for too long during the operation, it might cause deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism, something that wasmon when operating on the lower body. Either could be fatal. They could not prevent this risk because this was a field operation, and they were dealing with parasites inside the flesh tissue. Therefore, they had to move fast. After they cleaned a wound, they skipped the stitching and instantly moved onto the next spot.

    The limit of one hour was reaching its end. The two rectangr surgical containers were filled with blood, damaged tissue, and worm-like parasites. They curled into balls and kept wiggling. Ugly yet fragile, they would die from a stomp. It was hard to believe that such small worms could grow into vicious and scary subterrain giant worms. Just how many lives had to be consumed and digested for these young worms to evolve into those horrifying monsters?

    Even as these thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, he quickly tossed them away. He needed to focus on the operation. As time passed, some of the worms crawled deeper into the tissue. Gu Jun eventually had to use the surgical knife to cut them out. The incision had to be as small as possible. That way, the bleeding would be minimized, and the healing could ur as soon as possible. He utilized his experiment from experimenting on the fruit skin and his practical knowledge in the surgical room...

    Uncle Dan had already finished with the cleansing of the upper calf. He joined Gu Jun¡¯s side and aided with the incisions. This gave a directparison again. After all, Uncle Dan was at a certain age already. The constant bending over must have ced a lot of pressure on his waist. That was manifested in the slowing of his hands. However, Gu Jun was still as fast as before. Overall, Gu Jun looked more professional than Uncle Dan... The oveing of the previous generation, that was an inevitability.

    Some of the members nced at their watches. It was almost an hour already!

    Soon, Xue Ba¡¯s booming voice travelled through themunication channel. ¡°The one hour is up.¡±

    But this was just a perfunctory reminder. He did not disturb the two doctors and made a hand signal for the rest to keep quiet. Gu Jun and Uncle Dan did not stop. ¡®About an hour¡¯ was an average. They could go on for a few minutes longer. Furthermore, there were only two wounds left. Six more minutes passed, and the two finally dropped thest visible young parasite into the container. Then, at first notice, Uncle Dan removed the tourniquet from Lin Mo¡¯s right leg, or else if it died from hemorrhagic shock, it would still have to be amputated even if the parasites had been cleaned.

    ¡°Phew...¡± Uncle Dan was covered in sweat. ¡°Huohuo, mind helping me with the sweat?¡±

    The urgency of this operation could be listed among the first in his career. By his side, Gu Jun did not stop. He had already started the stitching work.

    ¡®The beauty of youth!¡¯ Uncle Dan took a quick breath and bound the tourniquet back on. He then aided with the stitchwork. This was much simpler for the two doctors. They worked extremely fast. They used a surgical stapler on the epidermalyer, and because of that, the whole process only took half an hour, and all the wounds on the right leg had been sewn up already. Finally, the two could sigh in relief. The rest were waiting anxiously for the result from the doctors. They could not tell whether the operation was sessful or not. The overtime had added an extremelyrge element of the unknown.

    ¡°So, how did it go?¡± Lin Mo moaned from the makeshift table. His face was palerpared to before the surgery, but there was a glow of desire for life in his eyes.

    ¡°Uncle Dan.¡± Xue Ba shot a look at Uncle Dan. ¡®No matter what, try to find something positive to say!¡¯

    ¡°Technically, we have seeded,¡± Uncle Dan answered truthfully and tried to keep his tone as light as possible. ¡°But whether it is sessful or not, we will only be able to tell after a few more days. There is not much for you to worry about, kid. At the very least, your third leg is not injured?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Dan, are you sure about that?¡± Luo Xiaoning chided. ¡°This one is surprisingly short. And here I thought half of it had been chomped away by the monster.¡±

    The team members chuckled lightly to brighten the mood. Lin Mo himselfughed along. He looked more spirited than before. At the same time, Gu Jun silently activated the system interface in his mind and clicked on the surgical job list. In the list, there was a new surgery recorded¡ª¡¯Subterrain Giant Worm¡¯s parasite removal surgery¡¯, two-star, and the ¡®result¡¯ shown was...

 Chapter 83: Leg Amputation Surgery

    <h4>Chapter 83: Leg Amputation Surgery</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡®Subterrain Giant Worm¡¯s parasite removal surgery, two-star, sess, personal contribution 55%/Rank 1.¡¯

    Uncle Dan was ranked two at forty percent contribution, third was Zhang Huohuo with three percent, and the four members holding the makeshift surgical light totaled up to two percent.

    ¡®Sess!¡¯ When Gu Jun saw that result, he only sighed in relief. He felt the camaraderie of the Demon Hunters, and a smile lit up his face that was half-covered by the mask.

    ¡°Ah Jun, is anything wrong?¡± When Uncle Dan saw how silent he was, he thought Gu Jun had some worry. Instantly, he got nervous. After all, it was Gu Jun who was technically guiding the whole operation.

    ¡°No, I just have a hunch that the surgery was a sess, and my hunch is always quite urate,¡± Gu Jun told the rest and encouraged Lin Mo. ¡°During the operation, there was no discovery of any sacs, and all the young parasites have been picked out.¡±

    And then, he and Uncle Dan continued with the amputation of Lin Mo¡¯s lower left calf. The bloody and wounded left leg was already bruised and dying. Zhang Huohuo released the tourniquet for a minute before putting it on again. This was to prevent deep vein thrombosis or a pulmonary embolism. Since the injury did not reach the hip, both doctors decided on a thigh amputation. Naturally, it was difficult to do that in this kind of environment, butpared to the earlier operation, they were not in such a time crunch. They also had sufficient tools in the med kit¡ªafter all, amputations were the mostmon surgery required by scouting teams.

    Uncle Dan injected anesthetic into Lin Mo¡¯s waist to extend its effect. He joked as he did so. ¡°This surgery is going to be much easier. For one, you chose a good location to get injured, so we do not need to cut through too much flesh. We have plenty of bandages to stop the blood flow. Plus, the muscle near your ass is not as active as Kim K¡¯s, so it will be much easier to deal with.¡±

    ¡°Haha...¡± Lin Mo could not help butugh. ¡°Before this, I used to envy Captain Xue¡¯s perky behind, but it turns out mine is better...¡±

    This was of course just a joke. After the anesthetic kicked in, the size of the butt did not matter at all, but Gu Jun also knew that Uncle Dan was not just saying nonsense. This was a test of the patient¡¯s mental state. From the looks of it, Lin Mo was still okay; he did not need full body anesthesia. After all, amputation would bring huge mental impact on the patient.

    Under the scrutiny of the people around them and Xue Ba from afar, Gu Jun and Uncle Dan grabbed the surgical knives and started to work. The two of them first made a vertical truncation about twenty centimeters below the left greater trochanter. Logically, this was not the ideal location, but if they moved lower, they would reach the wound. They spliced open the skin and flipped it over. Then they saw off the surface ligature and cut off the greater saphenous veins...

    This time, it was Uncle Dan who was the main surgeon, but of course, Gu Jun helped a lot as well. After dealing with the twenty or so amputation surgeries on the victims of Malformed Banyan Disease and with the revision that he had done with the system, it felt like he had conducted more than one hundred such surgeries already. It meant that doing this kind of quintessential amputation was as easy as looking for an elephant inside a small room. Uncle Dan could see that, and therefore, as the surgery went on, when his status was not as good as before due to fatigue, he handed more jobs over to Gu Jun.

    This again shocked the surrounding team members. Gu Jun¡¯s handwork was even more precise than when he was dealing with the young parasites, especially his snipping and dealing with femoral arteries, saphenous veins, and nervi saphenous. Gu Jun¡¯s knife appeared to be able to always find the precise location with the most urate force. Perhaps because the parasites had not reached this area, the surgery went without a hitch.

    The circumnavigation cut of the muscle of three centimeters down to the bone was given to Gu Jun as well, as was the cut down to the periosteum. He had a good understanding of the human muscleyer and pattern. Then came the part for bone-sawing. After they sawed off this femur, the diseased limb would be amputated.

    ¡°Ah Jun, I will leave this to you too,¡± Uncle Dan said seriously. The femur was one of thergest and thickest tubr bones in the human body. Since they did not have ess to an electric saw, the amputation would have a great requirement on the surgeon¡¯s hand power. Currently, Gu Jun clearly had a more powerful grip than he did. Uncle Dan did not mind giving the future generation the spotlight. After all, he had to admit defeat to the ravages of time. The members were familiar with Uncle Dan¡¯s personality, so they were not surprised by this.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun did not think much of it. He epted the line saw from Zhang Huohuo and attached a two-millimeter serration metallic saw to it. He focused his attention as he lowered the saw until it touched the femur. Then the saw was pulled back and forth evenly. The force and speed gradually picked up, and when it reached the climax, it was maintained at a steady pace. The sound of bone-sawing rang out clearly.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Lin Mo groaned. It was not so much from pain, but his heart was suddenly wrapped by panic when he saw Gu Jun holding the saw over his lower body.

    ¡°Most of the time, a doctor does need to have a strong stomach. This is something else,¡± Lou Xiaoning whispered softly. It was nothing for her to kill monsters, but seeing her own ally being sawed through from a distance, her heart was shaking.

    ¡°Just see them as working as carpenters. After all, most orthopedists part time as interior decorators.¡± Xue Ba consoled his teammates. With that impression in their mind, the more they looked at it, the deeper the impression got. Gu Jun sawed madly like he was working a particrly tough board. The harrowing sound continued for a while before it ended with a sudden snap. The femur was finally cut through. Just as Gu Jun stopped, Uncle Dan immediately picked up the amputated leg. He ced it on a deep green cloth by the side. The other members wrapped it up and prepared to burn it. The broken leg might still be home to parasites that could infect others.

    At the same time, the two doctors continued to deal with post amputation operation. If they had enough blood bags and drugs, they would have opted for open amputation, but the chance of infection post-surgery for Lin Mo was quite high. Unfortunately, they werecking everything now. After they dealt with the post, they sewed the muscle p back into the back of the femur and then stitched up the muscle tendons and epidermis. Then they wrapped the stump up in ayer of gauze. The surgery was finally officially over.

    ¡°Done, all done.¡± Uncle Dan finally could take off the gloves. He wiped away the sweat. ¡°Ah Mo, tell us immediately if you feel any difort. If there is no serious infection and no trace of parasites left, you will survive this ordeal. I am a very fair person; for this surgery, I am not ashamed to admit that Ah Jun has contributed more than I did.¡±

    ¡°Hmm... Uncle Dan, Gu Jun, thank you so much,¡± Lin Mo said appreciatively. Even though the future was still an unknown, everyone had tried their best.

    Everyone knew Uncle Dan was telling the truth. If not for Gu Jun, Lin Mo definitely would have lost both legs. By then, the attitude and impression the Demon Hunters had toward Gu Jun changed. Now, they understood why Phecda valued this new member so much.

    ¡°The Demon Hunters must have him,¡± Luo Xiaoning told Xue Ba. ¡°Uncle Dan is getting too old for this.¡±

    ¡°Miss Lou, you know I can hear you, right?¡± Uncle Dan grumbled a few meters away. This caused the rest tough, but they joined in on the roast.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, Sister Ning is just telling the truth!¡±

    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t pressure Uncle Dan anymore, he has done good enough already.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just pure luck that I have experience dealing with this surgery.¡± Gu Junughed and said. He reminded himself to not get too arrogant. ¡°If not for Uncle Dan¡¯s assuring presence and his clear arrangement of each surgical step, I would definitely be panicking. I wouldn¡¯t have done this without him.¡±

    ¡°You guys hear that?¡± Uncle Dan chuckled. He walked to the wall and sat down. ¡°Either way, I am not going to argue with you kids. I need to rest. The old age is catching up. I¡¯m so tired.¡±

    Zhang Huohuo went to deal with the cleaning of the tools. The rest quieted down so that Lin Mo, Uncle Dan, and Gu Jun could all rest. As Gu Jun removed the gloves and scrubs, he clicked open the system in his mind. There was another surgery in his surgical job list.

    ¡®Thigh Amputation Surgery, two-star, sess, personal contribution 55%/Rank 1.¡¯

    His personal contribution for both surgeries was fifty-five percent, which totaled up to a hundred and ten percent. He was only forty percent away frompleting the difficult mission. He hoped that would be all. Gu Jun did not wish to face any more surgeries in the next three days because that would only mean more danger and possible death. It was only logical for him to ept the mission because anything could happen, and he might need the reward provided by the mission.

    A Carlot Scalpel? How would that differ from a normal scalpel? Perhaps it could trigger an illusion?

 Chapter 84: Instinct

    <h4>Chapter 84: Instinct</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The clouds in the sky were already falling as heavy rain. The insistent pattering of raindrops shattered the silence of Gu Rong Vige and cleansed the dust that had gathered there. The weak wireless signal came out from the inside of the copsed Banyan Tree. Themand center tranted that into audio signal. The conservation that they heard shocked everything. Uncle Dan, Gu Jun, Zhang Huohuo, and Lin Mo were already out of themunication channel, but from the context of the other members¡¯ words, especially those of Luo Xiaoning, they could imagine how the operation was going.

    ¡°Gu Jun has seriously finished a parasite cleaning surgery in there? And that was quickly followed by a thigh amputation surgery?¡±

    Even though they were not present, Xue Ba continuously provided the updates inside the underground tunnel to themand center, and themand center had been trying to send back signal to attemptmunication. Based on Xue Ba¡¯s verbal description, the technical crew immediately used theputer to run a 3D simtion to reconstruct the scenario inside the tunnel. The simtion recreated the location of every team member and the field operation before projecting it on the big screen. Because of that, the people at themand center could ce themselves in the situation easily. The people from the Medical Department were especially stumped. This was truly beyond their expectations.

    ¡°Elder Qin, you have truly found a diamond in the rough,¡± the mainmander, Yao Sinian,mended withmentation.

    ¡°Gu Jun is an especially fast learner.¡± Professor Qin was still quite thankful that he had decided to pull Gu Jun into Phecda. ¡°The n is to train him to join the Special Mobile Force.¡±

    ¡°You should.¡± Yao Sinian nodded, but there wereplicated thoughts in his mind. If this kid did note from such aplicated background... For now, it was hard to tell whether Gu Jun would be an asset to Phecda or not. Hopefully, he would be. There were not many talents in the world like Gu Jun; they were rare.

    Vice Commander Yang also heaped on the praise. ¡°I have heard about Gu Jun from Elder Qin and Leader Qiu from our clinical group before, but now I realize you might have undersold this young man¡¯s talent.¡±

    Leader Meng from Investigation Department, while being impressed by Gu Jun¡¯s ability, could not help his upational suspicion. He pointed out. ¡°I still have my reservations. Could this be Gu Jun¡¯s tactic all along? If they¡¯d gone along with double amputation, the chances of Lin Mo surviving would have been much higher, but now, in a few days, Lin Mo might die from an implosion of parasites, and there is a chance of him infecting other people...¡±

    ¡°Leader Meng.¡± Hearing that Prof Qin frowned. It was not he trusted Gu Jun blindly, but to have a field doctor suspected after he had just saved someone¡¯s life, that was rather uncouth. Prof Qin said virtuously, ¡°I personally believe that we would not be able to understand the situation as holistically as Captain Xue just based on audio cues. Since Captain Xue has chosen to believe in Gu Jun, something must havepelled him to do so. Something must have convinced Captain Xue of Gu Jun¡¯s trustworthiness.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Leader Meng was silenced. It was he who had trained Xue Ba, so he was familiar with Xue Ba¡¯s eye and his inexplicable sharp instinct. However, Leader Meng had his own instincts to follow as well; he could not shake away the suspicion in his heart. He sighed. ¡°Elder Qin, you must know how unconventional this Gu Jun is. The thing that I am most afraid of is that he is not doing all this on purpose. The scariest thing is he might not even realize what he is really doing. He could be doing this with the best intentions, but...¡±

    Elder Qin, Yao Sinian, and everyone sank into silence. The implications were indeed very serious, but all they could do for now was wait¡ªwait for the back up from headquarters, wait for the update from Abnormal Energy Investigation Group, and wait for the next move of the Demon Hunters...

    Themand center had already finished the simtion. Based on the Demon Hunters¡¯ current supplies, if the tunnel did not recover in the next two day, the team would have to venture underground. The possibility of Xue Ba blowing up the walls with C4 was low. Other than risking the ambush of subterrain giant worm, the main reason was from the depth of the underground tunnel. From underground, they could tell how thick the wall was and it was quite clear that the thickness of the wall would render it imprable. Other than that, they could not even tell how far the underground tunnel led.

    ...

    There did not appear to be a day and night cycle inside the abnormal space. The sky always maintained that grayish brightness. This gave Gu Jun the hypothesis that should they were ced on another, then the¡¯s rotation must have been fixed so that only one of its face would be facing the same celestial entity.

    After the surgery, he went to rest and chat, joking with Uncle Dan so that he could keep his own spirits high. But when the meal ofpressed biscuits came, he could not help being reminded of the canteen¡¯s long menu at the Medical Department. A bowl of Cai Zixuan¡¯s hot soup would be heaven sent then. Even though the meal left much to be desired, using a rotation shift, the team managed to have enough rest while keeping up constant surveince. The second day passed in a blur. Lin Mo started to burn from a fever, and that caused the team to be worried. But after giving him a fever shot, Lin Mo returned to normal, so Gu Jun and Uncle Dan could both sigh a sigh of relief again. On the morning of the third day, the Demon Hunters still had not moved from their temporary base.

    Xue Ba kept reporting back to themand center. He used the binocrs to observe the situation outside. There was stillplete silence inside the abnormal space surrounded by walls. The tree in the middle was still as broken as it was, the glow in the passage did not reappear, and the subterrain giant worms were still moving underground. The supplies of the team were running low, especially water. The surgery had used two days¡¯ worth of their water supply, so it meant that they could only hold on for another three days. Other than that, there was the medicine and blood packs. The ck packs were of O-type blood that everyone could use, but the volume was not enough to support another heavily injury in the team. Xue Ba had a discussion with his three vice captains, Yang Henan, Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan. They all reached the consensus to explore deeper into the underground tunnel.

    Xue Ba turned to the rest of the team and announced seriously, ¡°If the stone b earlier was some kind of mechanism, then there should be other mechanisms hidden here. We have no idea what might lie at the end of the tunnel, and we have no clue how much further we need to travel. It could be an hour; it could be a day; it could be a week. Even if we conserve our water usage, we can onlyst another week, so we need to move now.¡±

    The decision was already made, so the question now was, should they split up? No matter what, the exploration team, should there be one, would have to take Gu Jun because only he could understand the foreignnguage, and it appeared like only he could trigger the mechanisms.

    ¡°Gu Jun, what do you think?¡± Xue Ba asked. Splitting up or moving together, either was a huge risk. Having investigated abnormal energy for so many years, Xue Ba understood that people sometimes had a kind of predictive inspiration, especially someone like Gu Jun who had high spirituality. Furthermore, the young man was the key character to this operation. His inspiration and instinct would be immensely important; it would decide which way the scales would lean.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze turned to him. Gu Jun looked like he was already ready. He said sincerely, ¡°I think we should all move as a team. If we split up, assuming Team A reaches the end and it triggers a mechanism that causes the entrance here to copse, what will happen? Since we cannot predict what will happen, the chances of survival will be higher if we stick together.¡±

    Of course, he left out the part where he just thought splitting up was always a bad idea in horror movies.

    ¡°Hmm, you have a point.¡± Xue Ba nodded. Without asking for anyone else¡¯s opinion, he pped his hands and said, ¡°Okay, we shall move together.¡±

    Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan, and the rest had noment because they too understood the importance of spirituality.

    So, the Demon Hunters packed up their things and became their journey. In the past two days, due to convenience, the group had already removed their protective gear. Now, they did not put them back on but only carried them by their side. They merely put their helmets back on for the sake ofmunication. They were all lightly armored. If there was a battle, this would help with their agility. Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning led the way forward. Gu Jun and Zhang Huohuo carried Lin Mo on a stretcher. Uncle Dan followed beside them, and the rear was brought up by Yang Henan, Zhou Yi, and the rest.

    The Demon Hunters moved down step by step, descending into the darkness.

 Chapter 85: Black Gale

    <h4>Chapter 85: ck Gale</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The stone path did not look used by age, and there was no dampness. It appeared to have been hewn a long time ago, but there was no trace of dust, which created this contradiction of being old and new at the same time. This was the discovery that confused the Demon Hunters the most¡ªthis was not what a long-sealed underground tunnel should look like. It was too clean and too quiet. The leading members climbed down ny plus steps and stopped just before the hundredth step. Xue Ba turned to give another update, which none had any idea was sent out or not. ¡°Command, we have reached the hundredth step. No valuable discoveries so far.¡±

    A hundred steps and nothing had changed! All the angle, ratio, and size of the stone steps had remained constant. The stone walls that appeared to be carved by nature had no gaps. If not for the disappearance of the light from the entrance and the constant counting by the members as they moved downward, they might have thought that they had been walking on the spot.

    ¡°This is unbelievable...¡± Lin Mo sighed on the stretcher. He was the scientific research member of the team; he knew a bit about geology and architecture. However, even those who were amateurs in those fields would understand that it was impossible even for modern machines to construct an underground tunnel like this. So, this begged the question, who or what created the walls outside and this tunnel?

    The few shlights lit up the surrounding, but it did nothing to prate the darkness below. Could this really be a bottomless tunnel?

    The group was shrouded in silence. Xue Ba astutely observed this rising tension. After giving histest update, he said, ¡°Uncle Dan, how about a joke? Anything scandalous?¡±

    Xue Ba knew that words like ¡®this is just a normal tunnel, don¡¯t be afraid¡¯ were hollow, but a joke could help lighten the mood.

    ¡°Your wish is mymand!¡± Uncle Dan naturally knew the captain¡¯s intention. His face took on a scious expression. The small tuff of hair on the top of his balding head even stood up. He said with a snicker, ¡°Let me tell you about the time I went out to meet an inte friend. Based on a true story, okay...¡±

    Soon, everyone broke into small chuckles, but Gu Jun was not listening. Carrying the front of the stretcher, he walked in the middle of the group. His attention was gradually pulled by the blood red patterns on the surface of the rocks around him. As time went on, he could swear that he saw them moving and pulsing like capiries. Life, he felt the radiance of life from them. Was it an illusion caused by his own movement? Gu Jun asked Zhang Huohuo who carried the other end of the stretcher to pause. He focused on his surrounding again, and that feeling only got heavier...

    Suddenly, he felt something brushing his face. Every single one of his pores was shaking.

    ¡°Wind...¡± Gu Jun mumbled. ¡°There¡¯s a breeze!¡± He quickly alerted the team. ¡°Captain Xue, there is a draft blowing.¡±

    ¡®Draft?¡¯ The group stopped to feel it, but none of them felt anything. Even Lin Mo, Uncle Dan, and Zhang Huohuo who were next to Gu Jun said they did not feel anything. The member holding the atmosphere scanner also shook his head. The data had not changed; it was confusingly stable. Theoretically speaking, the further they went underground, the lower theposition of oxygen should have been. Either way, Xue Ba did not dare overlook this. His bushy brows creased together. What was the meaning behind Gu Jun¡¯s warning?

    As the team medic, Uncle Dan had another worry. Was Gu Jun hallucinating? After all, one could not tell clearly when a person¡¯s S value was too low...

    ¡°It¡¯s breathing...¡± Gu Jun was still trying to process the stimulus around him. ¡°The tunnel is breathing. We¡¯ve awakened it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°The tunnel is breathing?¡±

    The group looked at each other. After the past two days, the group knew each other enough to joke around. Lou Xiaoning scolded half-jokingly, ¡°Kid, now is really not the time to be a poet.¡±

    ¡°No, there is a drafting...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart suddenly raced because he could sense clearly the breathing and even the heartbeat of the stones around him. He could sense the iing gale as well. He said urgently. ¡°We need to lean to the side. The wind is going to be very strong!¡±

    ¡°Listen to Ah Jun!¡± As confused as Xue Ba was, he quickly gave his loud orders. ¡°Grab each other¡¯s hands and sit down against the wall! Ah Jun, Huohuo,y the stretcher by the side, grab the two front handles, leave the other end to another pair.¡±

    The team instantly mobilized. They all moved to the left side of the wall where Gu Jun was hiding. They formed a human wall against the stone path. Gu Jun and Zhang Huohuo grabbed the stretcher by both hands and blocked at the front. Silencested for ten seconds; every one of their hearts was pounding. Their breathing became heavy due to the possibility of an imminent nightmare. And just like that, every single member could feel it, the caress of the wind...ing from the bottom of the tunnel.

    The wind picked up into a gale almost immediately. It howled and overwhelmed the Demon Hunters. The powerful wind blew things into disarray and almost peeled the members off the wall. Some kind of creepy whispers were mixed in with the shouting gale. They flitted across the members¡¯ ears. There were cries, wails and curses...

    ¡°Everybody, hold on!¡± Xue Ba tried to shout over the wind. The veins in his neck were popping. ¡°Do not let go and ignore the sounds!¡±

    Other than Lin Mo, who was strapped to the stretcher, everyone tried their best to stick to the ground and to ignore the maddening and strange voices. But they did see that the storm wind carried a color with it.

    It was the color of darkness.

    Wind was essentially moving air participles. A human¡¯s naked eye should not be able to see its color, so the ckness was not the air but arge amount of another element carried by the wind. Terror seized their heart. Whatever it was, it came into direct contact in their skin. It meant that they had directly absorbed them into their bodies.

    ¡°Ignore that for now. Just hold on!¡± Xue Ba shouted again, but his voice sounded so floundering in the wind, like a mist that was about to be blown away. At the same time, the headache came for Gu Jun again. It was like multiple unnamed images were flooding into his mind...

    Bizarre, maddening, chilling... he had felt this same sensation once before, when he saw the sharp rock protrusion at the bottom of Longkan Submarine Belt...

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun groaned from pain. It felt like his head was about to explode. He nced at the walls around him. The dark red patterns were clearly flowing or even arranging themselves into various patterns and images, just like the ones that covered the mysterious carvings on the sharp protrusion. It was power, a power of life...

    He saw many shadows standing in the wind. Gu Jun¡¯s anomalous behavior had not attracted much attention because he was not the only one growling from the scratching wind. Lou Xiaoning was growling like a trapped animal, and Xue Ba was still shouting his orders. They used all their strength and their willpower, but the wind showed no sign of abating. Even after half an hour, it was still growing strong; one hourter, the wind had not ceased for a moment.

    By then, even thergest and most physically fit Xue Ba was already ravaged by the whipping wind. His throat was hoarse from all the shouting. Uncle Dan, Zhang Huohuo, and the rest were barely holding on with theirst breath. If they gave up this breath, they would be carried away by the wind...

    A depression crept into the members¡¯ hearts like vines. Before the abnormal energy, humans appeared so small. Suddenly, Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, and Luo Xiaoning saw... Gu Jun let go of his hands on the stretcher and stand up unsteadily.

    Then, they watched on with disbelief.

    Even though Gu Jun was teetering like crazy, he did not fall.

    Against the shing wind, he walked to the center of the stone path. He looked down the stone tunnel and spoke in some kind of strangenguage.

 Chapter 86: Power of the Foreign Language

    <h4>Chapter 86: Power of the Foreign Language</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Obscure, ancient, and mysterious. Among the howling winds, it also sounded quite creepy and strange. This was thenguage that Xue Ba, Luo Xiaoning, and the rest hearding out from Gu Jun¡¯s mouth. He stood in the ck wind, repeating the same mantra again and again. But they did not realize that in that one hour of being tormented by the whipping wind, Gu Jun had spent most of it submerged in the pain of the shing illusion.

    He had slowly ovee the pain and peeled away the mist the clouded his view. He saw the flickering signs slowly turning brighter ande alive. He finally understood it. Throughout the universe, everything had its own rules. There was power that was innate to the human civilization, and there was power that was innate to that foreign civilization. Although, for now, he had not truly gotten a handle over the kind of power the foreign civilization had yet.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Gu Jun said in that foreignnguage. He did not raise his voice, but there was determination in his tone.

    ¡°Stop!¡± he repeated. It did not matter whether the underground tunnel was just a stack of stone or a beast; Gu Jun¡¯s goal was tomunicate with it. There was no fear or surprise in Gu Jun. This was merely a simplemunication between one life form and another. In fact, the interaction between two distinctively different life forms could be seen as a joyous event. Gu Jun was telling it that he did not appreciate this and that it should stop.

    ¡°Stop!¡± Gu Jun repeated. ¡°Stop.¡±

    Xue Ba and the rest saw in awe that the ck wind appeared to be able to understand Gu Jun¡¯s order-like words. The wind gradually slowed down... until it stoppedpletely.

    The underground stone tunnel had returned to silence. Only their breathing and the sound of objects tumbling to the ground remained. The stone walls around them were still as even and clean as ever. The ck wind did not leave behind any trace. It was as if the whole incident had never happened. But the group knew that they did not imagine it. They turned to look at Gu Jun¡¯s steady body, which was half-hidden in the darkness. They were at a loss...

    Who was this young man? Was that magic? Was that the power of the Spirit Child from Lai Sheng Company?

    With a smooth roll, Lou Xiaoning picked up the ny-five auto from the ground and aimed it at Gu Jun. Her right index finger was poised at the trigger.

    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t move.¡± Her tone was very serious. ¡°Exin. And not one more word of that strangenguage, not even a silent mumbling.¡±

    ¡°Sigh...¡± Uncle Dan yelped from worry. He waved his hands and said, ¡°What are you doing, Miss Lou? Don¡¯t you see, it was Ah Jun who stopped that strange wind! Why is he the enemy?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Dan, I know what I am doing.¡± Lou Xiaoning stared closely at Gu Jun and purposely made her tone harsh and usatory. ¡°Think about it. It was him who caused the stone to copse to reveal the underground path, and it was him who made the wind stop, so how can we know for sure that it was not him who summoned the wind? What is his goal? If he knows dark magic, we will all be under his mercy if we are not armed.¡±

    To be fair, Lou Xiaoning was just being cautious. Before Gu Jun could calm down from what he was doing and turn his attention toward him, she had already taken this opportunity to gain some leverage over him. At the end of the day, when dealing with a possible enemy, someone had to do this kind of dirty work.

    Gu Jun was treated like a criminal after he had just saved a person¡¯s life. Feelings of anger, helplessness, annoyance would be expected. However, if Gu Jun¡¯s first reaction was calm, showing no trace of being offended... naturally, it did not mean that there was something wrong with him, but it did mean that they needed to tread around him more carefully. Under those circumstances, no matter how Gu Jun reacted, they needed to reassess this young man. After all, the deaths of 444 members from the Action Department were due to the ¡®misinformation¡¯ of a Spirit Child, and Gu Jun was also a Spirit Child. If Gu Jun was a bad apple, Lou Xiaoning did not think his goal was as simple as killing them, or else he could have kept the strange gale blowing. But not knowing the goal of the enemy was truly the scariest.

    ¡°Everyone, please calm down,¡± Lin Mo said in a hurry from the stretcher. ¡°I am sure we can talk this out. Ah Jun just saved my life.¡±

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Xue Ba also shouted. He raised his hands to stop Yang Henan and Zhou Yi from meddling. As her old partner, Xue Ba naturally understood Lou Xiaoning¡¯s concern, but as the team captain, he had to keep the emotions all his team members, including Gu Jun, in check. ¡°Xiaoning, your nerves are getting to you! But, Ah Jun, you also need to exin what that was.¡±

    With a sigh, Xue Ba continued. ¡°Ah Jun, Xiaoning is just reacting to what happened. If it was me who stopped the wind with my orders, she would point the gun at me too. So please try to exin. We are the Demon Hunters. Even if you im you are a ghost, that honestly will not be the strangest thing we¡¯ve ever heard.¡±

    ¡°Everyone...¡± Gu Jun was not surprised by their reaction. Lou Xiaoning looked like a tomboy, and Xue Ba had the appearance of a gym rat, but they were all clever people who thought many steps ahead of others. But he was only human susceptible to human emotions. His brows creased slightly. After all, they were close allies seconds ago, but now they were literally threatening him with his life. ¡°The wind earlier triggered some of my implicit memory. I acquired a deeper understanding of this foreignnguage.¡±

    He was telling the truth, so Gu Jun¡¯s expression and tone were open as he extrapted.

    ¡°This kind ofnguage canbine with other energy of life to form a new source of energy. I have no idea whether it can work in our world or not, but it definitely works in this abnormal space.¡±

    Confusion and contemtion colored the people¡¯s faces. Xue Ba said with a frown, ¡°In other words, the foreignnguage can be used as some kind of spell?¡±

    ¡°I suppose that is one way to see it.¡± Gu Jun was still processing this new information himself. ¡°The foreignnguage is very different from ours. It is alive; it can manifest the energy in other life forms. That¡¯s what happened with the stone wall. It was not just a line of normal characters on the wall. It was a spell that carried the life of the giant stone. That was why it could not be captured on photographs or painting. A lifeless copy of it will only decay and rot. It will notst in your memory either because if you do notprehend that power fully, you will not be able to memorize itpletely.¡±

    The group chewed over this. If this was a kind of spell... then it would be much easier to understand. After all, human history had records of magical spells before.

    ¡°You mean to say, that piece of rock and this whole tunnel is alive?¡± Xue Ba asked again.

    ¡°In a way, yes.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°But there is no need to anthropomorphize them. It is just that there is the power of life in everything.¡±

    ¡°Kid, so it was you who used the spell to make the wind stop?¡± Lou Xiaoning still had not put her guard down.

    ¡°I did not. That was not a spell. I merely said themand ¡®stop¡¯,¡± Gu Jun answered honestly. ¡°I think I still triggered some kind of spell-activated mechanism. The conditions for that to happen appear to be: one has toprehend the power of thenguage, perceive the life form that has beenbined with the power of the spell, and then vocalize the spell. Normally, it works with just a silent recitation. It probably reacts to brain waves as well.¡±

    Most of the Demon Hunters were confused. It appeared like only Xue Ba got him. ¡°You mean there are three conditions overall. One, the person must be able tomunicate in the foreignnguage; two, they have to be able tomunicate with the object that contains the power of the spell; three, they have to recite the spell. Then it will sessfully form a kind of spiritual connection and that will trigger the spell-based mechanism that is already ced there in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes glowed. Xue Ba was truly a schr. He summarized the confusing thoughts in Gu Jun mind sinctly. This also helped Gu Jun arrange his thoughts more clearly. The unique advantage of the foreignnguage was that it could utilize the energy of life in others to form spell and curses. This was definitely not a feature of humannguage. This was perhaps how the foreign civilization could manage to develop its super advanced medical knowledge even though their scientific technology was so backward.

    ¡°Everyone, I also don¡¯t understand what theory behind it is. Brain waves? Sound waves?¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°I merely triggered the mechanism. Anyone who understands the foreignnguage and has high spirituality would be able to do the same. As for how to manipte thenguage into creating or using spell, I ampletely clueless.¡±

    Uncle Dan, Lin Mo, and the rest listened to Gu Jun¡¯s exnation. Even though they had encountered many abnormal energy activities and were leaning toward trusting Gu Jun, they still found this hard to believe. But the truth was, they had seen Gu Jun¡¯s exnation in action twice already.

    Lou Xiaoning still aimed the barrel at Gu Jun while Xue Ba was in thinking mode...

 Chapter 87: Red Door Ahead

    <h4>Chapter 87: Red Door Ahead</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°I am telling the truth.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s brows folded together. It did not feel good having a gun pointed at him. ¡°I do not know anything else about the rest.¡±

    Xue Ba finally nodded as he came to a decision. ¡°Xiaoning, put the gun down. I believe Ah Jun. It¡¯s just a hunch I have, and you know I¡¯ve always trusted my hunch.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lou Xiaoning instantly lowered the rifle and pulled the safety back on. But she kept an eye on Gu Jun¡¯s micro-expressions. His first reaction was relief, followed by a suppressed calmness as he tried to decipher her motive. Finally, it culminated in annoyance, one that grew as time went by. That was a passable reaction. It did not look like it was rehearsed, nor were they telling signs of a sociopath. But she made a note to continue watching him.

    ¡°Actually, I quite admire you.¡± Lou Xiaoning voluntarily walked over and extended her hand as an olive branch. ¡°That was just standard procedure. Please ept my apology.¡±

    ¡°You are one annoying individual,¡± Gu Jun grumbled as he took Lou Xiaoning¡¯s handshake. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Captain Xue punish you for your transgression?¡±

    ¡°Cough...¡± Captain Xue, who was brought under the spotlight, coughed, and then he said seriously, ¡°Ah Jun, we all know you were once a Spirit Child cultivated by Lai Sheng Company, and you have to remember the crisis that happened with the Action Department earlier. Like I said before, Xiaoning would have done the same if I have reacted the way you did.¡±

    Xue Ba then turned to address the rest of the team. ¡°But since we have chosen to put our trust in Gu Jun, push any suspicion out of your minds. Understood?¡±

    Zhou Henan, Zhang Huohuo and the rest nodded. They all understood the importance of unity. The reality was, they did not have much suspicion to begin with. They just needed time to process the whole theory that Gu Jun had spouted about spells and the foreignnguage.

    ¡°Alright, alright, everything is fine.¡± Uncle Dan walked over to be the peacemaker. He said jokingly, ¡°I have a good eye for people; I can see through them with a nce. Ah Jun, don¡¯t be mad. Well, you have to understand this. Once you have thought about pointing your gun at others, it is only fair that you should give others the chance to point their gun back at you.¡±

    With the sciousness in his tone, everyone got what he was getting at. Light chuckles smoothed out the tension. Even Gu Jun could not help but let slip augh. Regardless, the atmosphere had shifted, and Gu Jun caught Lou Xiaoning staring more often at him.

    ¡°Ah Jun, do you think you can trigger that stone mechanism again to recover the tunnel?¡± Xue Ba asked.

    ¡°I sense that the mechanism can only be used once.¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°I attempted it again earlier, but it did not react to me in any way.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall take a quick break before continuing,¡± Xue Ba told his teammates. They had no other choice. ¡°Since there was a wind blowing, there should be an exit at the end.¡±

    The Demon Hunters put away the things that littered the ground while Yang Henan led a few of the others climb up a few of the steps to attempt to find back the supplies that had been blown away. However, even though they trekked all the way back to the entrance, they did note across any of their supply. They believed that the supplies had been blown out onto the surface already.

    Now, the Demon Hunters faced the problem of low supplies and serious depletion of stamina. Everyone was thirsty, so the already scarce water supply exhausted faster. To save stamina and increase travelling speed, when they resumed their journey, Xue Ba had the members leave behind any unimportant devices, and they only took three pieces of protective gear. After all, if there was some bacteria in the ck wind, they were already all infected.

    With the exnation provided by Gu Jun and with their personal experience with that mysterious power, the deeper they went, the more they agreed with Gu Jun. The stone tunnel was alive, and the dark red lines were the proof of its energy of life. It felt like they were travelling down the stomach of a giant beast.

    After they had gone down for two hundred steps, nothing changed. It was still the same after five hundred steps. One thousand steps, and everything remained the same. Seven hourster, the thousandth step was just several meters away. Every step was one meter wide and half a meter tall, so in other words, they were almost ten thousand meters away from the entrance and five thousand meters away from the surface. Bizarrely, the oxygen density in the air remained the same. But Gu Jun was suddenly struck by a feeling; there was going to be light soon. He did not share that information lest the suspicion fell back on him. After the Demon Hunters moved for a while, everyone saw what he felt.

    ¡°There¡¯s light!¡±

    ¡°I believe I see light ahead.¡±

    ¡°Be careful. Be ready for battle!¡± Xue Ba ordered. They slowed down. Their knees were numb and pained from all the stairs. The height of the stairs ced great pressure on their knees. Lou Xiaoning and the other marksmen aimed their guns forward as they pushed forward. Soon, they saw the stone wall at the end of the ten thousandth step. At the very bottom, there was a red door, and two strangely-shaped oilmps hung by the door. The faded yellow light radiated from inside themps. They were soft and warm, as if weing them.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened. This intricate design, the arresting carving on themps... he had seen simr designs in the underground room illusion before.

    Underground room? Well, wouldn¡¯t there be an underground room behind this red door?

    And this red door, its design and color evoked something in his mind. It was the same red door that he had walked through to enter his sealed memory during his hypnosis session.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun was hit by pangs of nausea.

    An excerpt from Raybundy¡¯s dairy appeared in his mind.

    ¡®Landon left behind a note. ording to rumors, it did not contain much. It was merely a writing of his thoughts and the information that he had gathered from the ruin that was once the city of Riker. With regards to the reason behind his suicide, I was not told. My guess is because he could not suffer those monsters and the spread of hemoptysis anymore.¡¯

    The ruined city of Riker... The abnormal space on the surface surrounded by high walls...

    Riker... The term ¡®Riker¡¯ also carried the meaning of stone in the foreignnguage, right?

    ¡°Ah Jun, Ah Jun?¡± When they were twenty steps from the end, Xue Ba had everyone halt. That was because he saw the strange expression that Gu Jun¡¯s face took on. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you feel anything?¡±

    Some of the members turned to look at Gu Jun while others looked ahead. They could not tell what material the red door was made from, but they could confirm it was not made from the stone around them. It appeared to be some kind of wood. The redness did not appear to be from paint; it looked to be naturally red. The red door was even and clean. Other than a keyhole in the center that gave off some weak light, there was nothing else.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small headache...¡± When Gu Jun said that, he could not control the weakness in his voice. His heart was fluttering as the feeling of apprehension grew. The words of Wang Ke shed across his mind. ¡®The Abnormal Energy Investigation Group does not believe in coincidences.¡¯

    But if this was not a coincidence, what was it?

    ¡°Is the headache due to your sense of perception? Could you sense what is behind the red door?¡± Xue Ba asked. Uncle Dan, Lin Mo, and the rest looked at him with anticipation. Was there a trap behind it? Was there a mechanism? Could they open the door? What was behind it?

    ¡°I will try.¡± Gu Jun rubbed his temple and tried to calm himself down. He focused his perception...

    But all he got was a bigger headache. He sighed helplessly. ¡°I am sorry, but the red door has blocked all of my perceptive power.¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Xue Ba nodded with some disappointment. The team did not have any remote-controlled robots with them, so someone had to go in person to explore the door. Xue Ba came to a standardized decision. Lou Xiaoning, Zhou Yi, Gao Mingpeng, and three other members were heading toward the red door with the intention of storming the room.

    The rest watched as the assault unit move forward, tense. Gu Jun also watched closely, but the apprehension in his heart grew stronger and stronger...

 Chapter 88: Behind the Keyhole

    <h4>Chapter 88: Behind the Keyhole</h4>

    The assault unit of six sidled up to both sides of the red door. They guarded the sides of the door, ready to storm through it. Lou Xiaoning took the station on the left. She tipped her head up to study the two oilmps. She observed carefully, ¡°No discovery of any foreign characters. They are just normal oilmps. Their fuel is around two thirds full. The wicks are still long. They appear to have been topped up less than an hour ago.¡±

    That caused the rest of the team who waited on the stone steps to feel apprehensive, but who wouldn¡¯t be? The stone path travelled one way only. While they moved downward, they had not encountered anything other than the gale of wind. If something or someone had changed the wick or added fuel, then it had to be something or someone behind the red door.

    ¡°There is no discovery of foreignnguage on the red door, and there are no gaps. The door appears to be embedded inside the stone wall.¡± Lou Xiaoning continued to report various details. She wore gloves on both hands. Currently, she held the gun in her right hand while started a countdown with her left hand.

    Three, two, one... Her left hand pushed strongly against the edge of the red door. The team members on both sides of the door held their breath as they trained their focus. Once the red door gave way, they wouldunch into the room. But the red door did not even budge.

    ¡°This won¡¯t work. The door is not even moving.¡± Lou Xiaoning sighed. ¡°The door is too thick, or it is directly attached to the walls.¡±

    ¡°Get three people to push it at the same time,¡± Xue Ba ordered.

    Zhou Yi and Gao Mingpeng moved to oblige. They helped Lou Xiaoning to push the door, but the door still did not budge. At the same time, Gu Jun was still trying to sense this red door, but he could only perceive sickness and distortion. It felt like a ball of chaos.

    ¡°Try the keyhole,¡± Xue Ba suggested. ¡°Do not look through it though. Be careful. That might be a trap! The ck wind probably came out from it earlier.¡±

    That was a logical conclusion that he drew from his understanding of the world. If the ck gale did not appear from thin air, then it could have streamed out from the keyhole. But it was still quite hard to believe that such a strong wind coulde out from such a small hole.

    ¡°That sure is one hell of a cursed door,¡± Uncle Dan said jokingly, but no one wasughing because his joke might strike a bit too close to the truth.

    Lou Xiaoning first used the barrel of her gun to poke at the hole before using the shlight to shine at it. Then she used other tools to poke at it. None of that got any response. The team did not carry any tools like an endoscope with them, but even if they did, they might not even dare use it. Lou Xiaoning cut out an electrical wire from a device and poked it through the hole. Slowly, she pushed the wire that was about one meter longpletely through.

    ¡°It is empty behind the door. The space is at least one meter wide.¡± She pulled the wire back out. She studied it; the wire had not changed at all, not even polluted by a drop of dust. Until now, Lou Xiaoning did not personally look through the keyhole and did not expose herself before it. Demon Hunters were not newbies. They understood how dangerous that might be. After all, no one could tell what kind of threat could be hiding behind the door.

    ¡°Ah Jun, still nothing?¡± Xue Ba turned back to ask Gu Jun, but seeing the sweat that poured down Gu Jun¡¯s face, Xue Ba already knew the answer.

    ¡°I believe... this door will only open via a spell,¡± Gu Jun said hoarsely. ¡°But I have no idea what kind of spell it is.¡±

    ¡°Assault team, I need you to retreat for now.¡± Xue Ba waved and then told Gu Jun, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try the Mad Arab¡¯s couplet and see?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± That was what Gu Jun was thinking too. After Lou Xiaoning¡¯s team returned, he turned to look at the door. He recited in the foreignnguage, ¡°That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons, even death may die.¡±

    When the group heard this mysterious and cryptguage again, their hair stood on end, but the red door still did not respond.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. Even though he did not seed, there was an exhaustive feeling that overwhelmed his mind. If he was using humannguage, that would not happen, but since he had recited the words in the foreignnguage, they carried a different meaning, both in their function and their consumption of the speaker. He shook his head and tried a few other phrases.

    ¡°Open!

    ¡°Son of Steel, Freud Landon!¡±

    He even chanted the ominous statement, ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the Abyss. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

    By then Gu Jun was already swaying on his feet, and his face was so pale that he looked like he could faint at any moment. He could feel his surrounding spinning and blurring out...

    ¡°Ah Jun, stop trying! Enough, do you hear me? Do you want to die?¡± Xue Ba immediately called him to stop, but Gu Jun did not appear to hear him; he was still mumbling under his breath. Xue Ba had no choice but to reach out his muscr arm to drag Gu Jun away. This finally stopped the young man. Xue Ba then dropped Gu Jun with Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo to be taken care of. Everyone could see that Gu Jun had indeed given it his all. They looked at each other and started to softly discuss their few remaining options.

    One was to turn around, another was to blow up the door, and thest option was to send someone to look through the keyhole and actively trigger the possible trap. The second choice was a choice of no return. If this red door was like the big banyan tree or the dead tree, then it would lead to another space after it was opened. That would lose its power should the door was broken down. Since theycked information, blowing things up was the worst possible solution. And the third choice was extremely dangerous, but it also carried the least risk in the sense that it would only affect one team member. Of course, they had considered sending Gu Jun because he might trigger something when he was close to the red door, but Gu Jun was too important. He was the only member who understood the foreignnguage and knew how to activate the spell. The risk was too big for him to take. In fact, anyone in the team could be sacrificed except for Gu Jun.

    Ultimately, someone had to take the first step even knowing it might be a trap. Triggering the trap to see what kind of trap it was¡ªthat was a type of information gathering too. And currently, the Demon Hunters needed more information. On the first day they joined Special Mobile Force for training, their lecturers had kept stressing one thing. ¡°All of you have to be prepared to be sacrificed at any time, not for the public but for your teammates! You die to protect your teammates, and your teammates die to protect you. This is the Special Mobile Force.¡±

    ¡°Motherf*cker, someone still needs to go and take a look.¡± Without waiting for anyone to say anything, Lou Xiaoning sighed. She ced her gun and the rocketuncher by the wall. She addressed the rest of the team openly. ¡°If I turn hostile, have the decency to give me a quick death, so aim for the head.¡±

    Lou Xiaoning had always been the bravest of the Demon Hunters. She had doubted Gu Jun earlier not because she was afraid but because it was her responsibility to do so.

    ¡°Understood.¡± Xue Ba nodded. He did not stop her; his face was devoid of feeling. ¡°We¡¯ll use a big caliber. The death will be painless.¡±

    The group was rendered silent. This was a necessary evil. They knew they could not persuade Lou Xiaoning otherwise.

    ¡°Miss Lou, you are one hell of a hero.¡± Uncle Dan sighed. He turned around to have Zhang Huohuo prepare for an emergency rescue. Gu Jun was still resting against the wall. His brain was a pile of mush, so he had nothing to contribute.

    After the snipers and medic were ready, Lou Xiaoning strode down thest ten steps and stopped before the red door again. This time, she did not move away from the keyhole but leaned closer to it. There was no nervousness on her face. If anything, it shone with bravery. The keyhole was very small, just the size of an adult thumb. A white light wasing out from it. Under the careful scrutiny of everyone behind her, Lou Xiaoning lowered her right eye to the hole and looked through it.

 Chapter 89: Whispering in the Ear

    <h4>Chapter 89: Whispering in the Ear</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    At the same time Lou Xiaoning leaned toward the keyhole, Gu Jun¡¯s heart started to tense. It felt like an outside power was reaching into his body, and his consciousness was wavering... He could hear a whispering just beyond the realm of consciousness. It spoke with chill, attraction, and resonance. It came from the deepest of darkness.

    ¡°This woman doubts you even after you have saved them. She pointed her gun at you. She does not trust you. She never treated you as a teammate. She still harbor suspicion toward you...¡±

    Suddenly, Lou Xiaoning gave off a low yet manic strange guttural noise. Her whole body started to shake, but her body was still stuck to the wall. The noise she made was too disconcerting. It was even more spine-chilling than if she had shouted from pain or despair. It seemed she had witnessed something maddeningly scary but could not pull her gaze away.

    ¡°Pull her back now!¡± Xue Ba ordered in a hurry. He did not have the others follow Lou Xiaoning due to concern of an explosion, but that did not mean that the rest were not already standing in ce. With Xue Ba¡¯s order, they immediately jumped into motion. Yang Henan and Zhou Yi grabbed Lou Xiaoning on each side and attempted to drag her away, but to their consternation, they found they were unable to do so. Lou Xiaoning was the main marksman, but she was ultimately a female. Her strength was lower than any of the male members, but now, even though she was shivering, she was frozen onto the door like an immovable statue. Seeing this, the other rushed to help. The other five of the assault team had to use all their strength before they managed to pry Lou Xiaoning away from the red door.

    The moment she was disentangled from the door, everyone saw it.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    ¡°Sister Ning!¡±

    Lou Xiaoning¡¯s rather pretty face was covered in popped veins. Fear was frozen on her face. Whatever she had seen had left her depleted and wasted mentally. The right eye that peered through the hole was still widened in horror. The socket was bulging, and blood was flowing, but the gaze was dull from fear. It felt like she could not see anything anymore because her sight was caught in the scary image that had held her captive. Seeing her in this state, everyone was chilled to the core. A well-suppressed terror overwhelmed the ustrophobic stone tunnel. It felt like everything around them was twisting awry.

    ¡°Move away from the door now!¡± Xue Ba still managed to keep his cool. With a shout, he had the team move Lou Xiaoning up the stairs. Lou Xiaoning did not struggle; it was as if rigor mortis had already set in, even though she was still alive and making that strange noise from her throat. Her face was turning pale, and her right eyeball was almost covered in red blood vessels. The eyeball was protruding out of her skull. The whole thing was ill and sickening...

    ¡°Medic!¡± Xue Ba shouted with anger and anxiety.

    Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo were already ready. Lin Mo was leaning against the wall on an old mat, surrendering the stretcher. So, Yang Henan and the rest quickly ced Lou Xiaoning on the stretcher and strapped her into ce.

    ¡°Miss Lou, Miss Lou, can you hear me? Can you see me?¡± Uncle Dan observed his patient, but Lou Xiaoning did not respond. ¡°Damn it, she is not conscious. She might be hallucinating...¡±

    Then, he picked up the shlight to inspect her eyes. The left eye was still working fine, but the right eye had died from necrosis. The more Uncle Dan studied the right eye, the more unsettled he felt. There was something odd about this eye, but he could not tell what... Uncle Dan took a deep breath and made a medical decision. He shouted, ¡°Ah Jun, I need you over here to apply anesthetic! We need to remove her right eye now! We might lose her if we don¡¯t move fast!¡±

    The group turned to Gu Jun at the wall. For a while, he had been spacing out like this whole thing had nothing to do with him.

    Yang Henan and Zhou Yi lit up in anger immediately. Even though they were told to trust Gu Jun and even though they knew that Gu Jun had tried his best earlier, the horrid state that Lou Xiaoning was in had scrambled their minds. Perhaps Gu Jun was not doing this on purpose, but they needed to consider the possibility that Gu Jun was just a pawn in someone else¡¯s sinister plot. They had no idea who the mastermind was, nor did Gu Jun. Was this whole operation a set up, just like what happened to the Action Department? The suspicion started to fester. From Gu Jun, they started to eye each other nervously. In this operation, could any of them have been made a pawn without them knowing?

    Ever since they entered this space, it felt like they had been following someone¡¯s designated n, but the n needed to work with Gu Jun¡¯s ability to activate the foreign characters. What was their goal? They did not think anyone wasing for their lives. As important as a team from the Special Mobile Force was, they were not that irreceable. If it was not their lives the enemy was after, what could it be?

    ¡°Focus on saving her first!¡± Xue Ba pped his hands and shouted. He could sense the change in the group¡¯s emotional state. Even the trust he had ced in Gu Jun had started to fray.

    ¡°This requires regional anesthetic.¡± Uncle Dan ordered as he washed his hand to disinfect. Due to the rarity of water source, they had not done this during the earlier preparation. He shouted at Gu Jun, who walked toward him, ¡°We need 4.5 ml in total, two percent lidocaine to 0.5 percent bupivacaine!¡±

    Considering the state that Lou Xiaoning was in, a full-body anesthetic would be safer, but Uncle Dan had the precedent of the Malformed Banyan Disease¡¯s surgery to consider. Over eighty percent of victims who had full body anesthetic applied still lost their consciousness even though the surgery was sessful. Even though the corrtion between the two had not been made, Uncle Dan did not dare make such a rash decision since this ce was closely rted to the Malformed Banyan Disease.

    ¡°O... okay...¡± Gu Jun walked to clean his hand. With Zhang Huohuo¡¯s help, they swiftly prepared the anesthetic. They then moved to Lou Xiaoning¡¯s side to apply it.

    ¡°Apply it behind the eyeball,¡± Uncle Dan said in a hurry. ¡°Three injections, one to the upper surface, one to the lower surface, and thest to the upper inside. One mil at the apex and then 0.5 mils at the half hemisphere! Ignore the bulbar conjunctiva. Those blood vessels are too strange, just ignore them for now.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun reached the stretcher, and he was given a close glimpse of Lou Xiaoning¡¯s bizarre mask and that disformed right eyeball...

    Her strange mumbling was still echoing in the stone tunnel. The dark whispers whipped at his heart and soul like the gale from before.

    ¡°It is this woman who is suspecting you. In fact, all of them doubt you. Even if you save her, they will still doubt you. The only thing waiting for you is the barrel of a gun...¡±

    The whispers were like a luby from hell. They danced on a strange rhythm, one that was strangely alluring. Gu Jun¡¯s heart was beating alongside the beat.

    ¡°She suspects you, but now she needs you to save her. Such despicable worms. You are not the same as them. You never have been, not since you were born...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s head pulsed with pain, like something was trying to break out from it. He had... experienced this sensation before. It was when he was sitting inside the banyan tree hole being worshipped by the people in ck and red robes.

    Back then, he was not only Gu Jun. He was also the Son of Misfortune.

    ¡°Ah Jun? What are you doing!¡± Uncle Dan urged when he realized Gu Jun had stopped moving. Xue Ba and the rest noted this and turned to Gu Jun with suspicion.

    ¡°Move out of the way!¡± Zhang Huohuo could not stand this anymore. He grabbed the needle with the anesthetic away from Gu Jun, leaned forward, and injected it into Lou Xiaoning¡¯s right eye. But he had only finished two injections when Zhang Huohuo felt the world sway around him. ¡°Uncle Dan... there is abnormal energy in this eyeball. It has influenced my mental state. You mustn¡¯t look too long at it...¡±

    Zhang Huohuo pushed through to finish the third injection before he forced himself to turn his face that had been drained of color away.

    Uncle Dan had already observed that earlier. He just did not expect this effect to be so strong, and he noticed the effect was getting stronger. After he came back from putting on the scrubs, cap, and gloves, Uncle Dan almost copsed to the ground after a nce at the eyeball. Human organs were just part of the human body; they were technically dead, but the eye was the sole exception. It was the window to one¡¯s soul, and Uncle Dan appeared to have seen a soul in deep torment in Lou Xiaoning¡¯s right eye. The soul was his own.

    ¡°Uncle Dan!¡± Ignoring the need for sterility, Xue Ba reached forward to catch Uncle Dan. Everyone was truly panicking now.

    ¡°Everyone needs to stop looking at Miss Lou¡¯s eye...¡± Uncle Dan breathed out between gasps. His face appeared to aged decades in those few seconds. ¡°I can¡¯t do this operation. Ah Jun, Ah Jun, you have to do it...¡±

    Gu Jun was a person with high spirituality, so the influence of the eye on him would be higher, but Gu Jun might be Lou Xiaoning¡¯s only hope. This was because the rest of the team noticed that even though Gu Jun had kept a steady gaze on the eyeball, he did not appear to be affected. However, there was a different resonance of the grotesque on his face.

    His expressionless face was detached and conceited.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Gu Jun answered slowly.

    The whispers were still echoing around his ears.

    ¡°These worms suspect you, but ultimately, they need you to save one of them... such despicable worms...

    ¡°Let her die, allow death to embrace her because only through death that she can achieve true ascendency.¡±

 Chapter 90: Whose Consciousness

    <h4>Chapter 90: Whose Consciousness</h4>

    ¡°For these downtrodden parasites, death is a kind of ascendancy because that is the only time they will be given the chance to witness the truth.¡±

    After Gu Jun replied to Uncle Dan, he had stood there unmoved, and the detachment on his face became clearer.

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± Uncle Dan noticed that something had gone wrong with Gu Jun, and he cursed internally. Gu Jun appeared to have encounter a different kind of abnormal energy. ¡°Are you still conscious? Snap out of it!¡±

    Be it Xue Ba who was standing or Lin Mo who was leaning against the wall, most had noticed the anomaly with Gu Jun. They could see the life slowly drain out of Gu Jun¡¯s eyes.

    Gu Jun¡¯s soul was floating along the night breeze, lifting above the corporeal ground. It wandered aimlessly with no destination in mind. His vision swam. Was he still inside the old ruin¡¯s underground tunnel or deep inside the abyss under the sea? His hoarse voice came out as if on its own.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, I have not done this kind of operation before. I don¡¯t know...¡±

    ¡°It does not matter; you just follow what I say. It will be no problem because you have studied the structure of the eye before.¡± Uncle Dan summoned him. ¡°There is no time to disinfect your hands. Just put on the gloves and get working!¡±

    ¡°Uncle Dan...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes were twitching. Part of his consciousness had frozen while the rest had snapped into ce. They were fighting to bring the body under control.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Uncle Dan demanded harshly. Regardless of whether the kid was a spy or had truly lost his agency due to paranormal energy, they needed his help now. ¡°The most important thing in an emergency operation is time. You should bloody understand that! Gu Jun, snap out of it! There¡¯s a life on the line here. Remember your role as a doctor!¡±

    Xue Ba raised his hand to stop the other team members who wanted to give Gu Jun a piece of their mind. His instincts told Xue Ba that only Uncle Dan would be able to get through to Gu Jun. This was probably because Uncle Dan had shown no ill intent toward Gu Jun before, and the opposite was true as well. During the few days he had spent been the Demon Hunters, Uncle Dan had taken him under his wing. Gu Jun had learned a lot from the experienced medic.

    The string of rebukes from Uncle Dan caused Gu Jun¡¯s heart to twitch. It was like a fire had been lit within its icy chamber. The pain that resulted from it also brought him out from the strange daze somewhat.

    ¡®Why... why would I say that ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ how to do the operation?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s head was pulsing. ¡®Was it an attempt at revenge on Xiaoning? Would I get any joy from watching her die a painful death and hearing the others begging me for my help? Because they had their reason to suspect me, they deserve to die an awful death?¡¯

    The whispering, this stone path... appeared to be eliciting the evil within him, luring him to surrender to the darkness.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to help, get out of the way!¡± Uncle Dan knew that there was no time to waste anymore. ¡°Huohuo, the eye speculum!¡±

    The tool was in the first aid kit because eye injuries were amon type of injury for the Demon Hunters. Once Uncle Dan¡¯s grasp closed around the same double-pronged iron hook, he turned to nce at Lou Xiaoning and attempted to insert the tool into her right eye. However, Uncle Dan¡¯s face paled immediately. His hands were shaking so badly that he could barely hold onto the tool. ¡°Ah...¡±

    Uncle Dan¡¯s helplessness bit at the other¡¯s hearts. Xue Ba instantly rushed forward to pull Uncle Dan back. ¡°That¡¯s enough. We can¡¯t lose anymore members to this madness!¡±

    This statement was heavier than the atmosphere around them, but Uncle Dan refused to give in. He was still struggling. ¡°She can still be saved. I only need to remove the eyeball...¡±

    Plucking out the whole eyeball cleanly with a jab into the eye socket would only happen in movies. In reality, the human eyeball was well protected by its appendages, attached to six ocr muscles. If one did not know what one was doing, it would only lead to irreparable damage. For example, the eyeball would be left half dangling out of the socket while still attached to some muscles, or half of it would be dug out but the other half would be been left decaying inside. But now, they had no other option. Xue Ba yanked Uncle Dan away. He growled in anger, ¡°Huohuo, give me the scalpel. I¡¯ll do this myself!¡±

    Seeing the pain on Uncle Dan¡¯s face and the chaos that swept through the team, a ripple seared through the pain in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. His consciousness was awakening...

    ording to human standards, this was definitely not a consecrated spot. It had a kind of evil energy... creating panic, suspicion, istion, and fear. It was creating evil. It was a trap.

    From the moment the sixteen of them walked into the banyan tree hole, they had fallen into a trap. The giant stone, the subterrain giant worm, the gale wind, the red door... were they all part of a conspiracy? As the Demon Hunters moved down the tunnel, they had been discussing the purpose of the stone tunnel. Gu Jun had chanced upon the exnation now. The purpose was to drag him further into the abyss.

    ¡°Mr. Gu, we know you better than you know yourself.¡± The spell on the stone was ck. The pulse of life in the stone path was also ck.

    His self-consciousness was winking back to life. Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s mind cleared. A fire of anger howled through his heart. He greeted his teeth and hissed silently back at the whispers that crawled into his brain. ¡°Shut the f*ck up! I am a doctor. Just watch as I save Lou Xiaoning¡¯s life!¡±

    His anger burnt away the confusion that had rendered him motionless earlier. It suppressed the unknown that burst forth back into the abyss.

    This was not Riker, and it was not Landon¡¯s undergroundb behind the red door. This was a trap, but so what? Some people or some kind of force wanted to wipe out his soul to summon the Son of Misfortune into the world for the sake of some unknown goal!

    ¡°Captain Xue, wait... Let me. Let me do it.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s voice suddenly rang out. His tone had somewhat returned to normal. There was humanity in it again.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Xue Ba¡¯s hand that was reaching toward eyeball suddenly stopped. His face was sweaty from the influence from the abnormal energy. Xue Ba was confused, and the group were shocked that Gu Jun appeared to have returned to them.

    Uncle Dan cried with joy, ¡°Quick, wash your hands and put the gloves on!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jun washed his hands at top speed with the mineral water before putting on the cap, mask, and gloves. He rushed over to grab the eye speculum and installed it over Lou Xiaoning¡¯s right eye that had suddenly bulged out. He looked directly at the eye. The influence was still swaying his mind, but he could resist it better now.

    ¡°Here are the forceps and scissors!¡± Uncle Dan took on the role of the nurse. As he handed the tools over to Gu Jun, he guided him. ¡°Raise the bulbar conjunctiva through the edge of the cornea, then open a small incision. Reach the scissors through the incision to get under the conjunctiva, and then cut out the whole bulbar conjunctiva by circling around the cornea!¡±

    Once Gu Jun put on the gloves and epted the surgical tools, the sense of familiarity took over him. That gave him instant focus. The whispering faded to give way for Uncle Dan¡¯s instruction. The four teammates mobilized to set up the makeshift surgical light, but none dared look directly at the surgery. The other people could only watch from behind Gu Jun.

    All the while, Gu Jun listened to Uncle Dan¡¯s instructions and performed the operation.

    First, the incision at the edge of the corner, and then he snipped off the extraocr muscle to iste the tissue around the conjunctiva...

    The tissue had all atrophied. Thankfully, they did not fester like the tissue of the Malformed Banyan Disease¡¯s victims. Lou Xiaoning did not struggle or scream during the operation either; she just kept moaning in that strangenguage under her breath. Therefore, even though this was Gu Jun¡¯s first ocr enucleation, none of the steps were too difficult. After cutting out the ocr nerves, he used the forceps to remove the bloodshot eyeball filled with fear right out from the socket.

    ¡°Ah, is it over?¡± Uncle Dan asked hurriedly. The rest also could instantly feel that the shadow that had loomed over them had lifted slightly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jun immediately dropped the strange eyeball to the ground. He stomped on it and the organ burst with a ghastly squish...

    This shocked everyone, but the shadow appeared to have been sttered along with the eyeball. Even their surroundings grew several shades lighter.

    ¡®No matter who or what you are, I am not the same as you. I never was and never will be,¡¯ Gu Jun said in his heart.

 Chapter 91: Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 91: Explosion</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    After Lou Xiaoning¡¯s right eyeball was removed, her strange moaning stopped. Instead, a dullness came over her. The field of abnormal energy had disappeared, so the team could look at her now. Gu Jun continued thest step of closing the wounds in the eye socket; he was using catgut. Finally, he applied some antibiotics into the conjunctival sac and then stuffed it with cotton to make a pressure bandage over the single eye. Finally, the operation was officially over. Just as Gu Jun sighed in relief, the system pinged in his mind.

    ¡°You have participated in a sessful two-star surgery, enucleation of an abnormal eye. Personal contribution: seventy-five percent, rank 1.

    ¡°Your mastery of Hands of Dexterity has increased by one thousand points. Your current level is level two (25,000/30,000 Mastery)

    ¡°Current quest umtive contribution: 185 percent. Difficult questpleted!

    ¡°Quest reward waiting to be epted: One Carlot Scalpel. Please click to receive your reward.¡±

    Gu Jun had almost forgotten about the quest. Only then did he realize that he was still within the quest¡¯s time limit. Even though he wanted to know what was so special about the scalpel, he could not retrieve it before the Demon Hunters. The mastery of Hands of Dexterity had increased probably due to the fact that was his first ocr enucleation, and he did it under the influence of some darker power. He then moved the foot that had crushed the eyeball. He first took a nce at it; the eyeball was now a mess on the ground. Crystalline liquid and blood sttered on the ground, but the maddening horror that it inspired had disappeared without a trace.

    Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, and the rest saw this as well, but none of them said anything. After all, they had almost lost their minds earlier. Theoretically speaking, this kind of magical object that could trigger madness in others had extremely high research value, but considering their circumstances, what Gu Jun had done was the most correct choice.

    ¡°It was this stone path that stopped me from helping immediately,¡± Gu Jun admitted truthfully. ¡°The feeling took over me, and it turned me against the rest of you by manipting the bad blood that we had.¡±

    ¡°I believe you.¡± Xue Ba nodded sincerely. He had experienced the power of the eyeball himself. He knew what kind of strange effect it could have on one¡¯s mind. The others nodded in agreement. After all, everyone had been victims of that illusion. Zhang Huohuo covered the thing on the ground with a cloth. Just as Gu Jun and Uncle Dan removed their gloves, Lou Xiaoning groaned with pain as if her soul had returned to her body.

    ¡°Ouch... F*ck.¡± Finally, a normal human yelp escaped from her mouth. She nced at the straps on her and the team crowding around her. She chuckled bitterly. ¡°You b*stards are here, so that can only mean I have not reached heaven. I¡¯m still stuck in this godforsaken ce...¡±

    The team were tickled by her. Uncle Dan recounted the events earlier with as light of a tone as he could. Then, Xue Ba sked, ¡°What did you see earlier?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I can¡¯t exin it...¡± Lou Xiaoning¡¯s face was twisted in pain. Her left right was colored with confusion. ¡°There was a st of white light and then dancing of shadows... Then I suddenly could not move like I was trapped inside a dream that I could not wake up from... It was all very surreal...¡±

    Xue Ba nodded slightly and gave Yang Henan a look. ¡®Watch over her. No one can tell what has changed within her, if anything.¡¯

    Most of the times, madness would not manifest itself physically. Lou Xiaoning was now also a target of close scrutiny.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I know the rules,¡± Lou Xiaoning observed astutely. She did not struggle from the straps and sighed casually. ¡°I need to rest anyway.¡±

    In any case, they still needed to deal with the red door. This time, Xue Ba led Gu Jun and three marksmen down to the red door to inspect it again. Other than looking through the keyhole, Gu Jun studied everything. He touched everything within his grasp, even pulling down the two oilmps, but nothing happened.

    ¡°Ah Jun, what do you think?¡± Xue Ba asked seriously. ¡°Would you like to chance a nce through the hole?¡±

    He was not joking. After all, Gu Jun had been proven to be different from them. They would go mad from looking through the keyhole, but Gu Jun might trigger some mechanism. Of course, this was not an order. He was merely asking for Gu Jun¡¯s opinion, or more specifically, asking him for any inspiration.

    ¡°Definitely not!¡± Gu Jun replied without hesitation. He did not hide his thoughts anymore. ¡°Guys, I am a movie buff, and in most horror movies, doing something like that is no different from asking for death. Most often, the correct solution is to turn around and walk away.¡±

    Xue Ba and Gao Mingpeng were stunned. ¡®What does this have to do with any movies?¡¯

    Zhou Yi nced at Captain Xue. It seemed their team had gained another member who wouldunch into nonsensical non-sequitur.

    ¡°But since our exit has been blocked, the only way is forward. Blow it down.¡± Gu Jun studied the red door that was 1.5 meters wide and 2.5 meters tall. ¡°We¡¯ll use C4 to blow it down.¡±

    The group was both intrigued and apprehensive. The suggestion provided was irrevocable.

    ¡°What if that is exactly what the enemy wants us to do?¡± Xue Ba¡¯s face was lined with creases from all the thinking. ¡°To get us to release the thing from behind the door?¡±

    ¡°If that is their goal, I believe Lai Sheng Company has more than enough of their own explosion to do so,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. ¡°Furthermore, I think I have an idea of what their goal is now, Captain Xue. The red door is not as important as it appears. Their goal is to sow the seed of fear and suspicion within us.¡±

    His eyes swept over everyone there.

    ¡°Along the way, we have encountered so many sudden incidents, and that caused us to be more cautious. To be frank, it also meant our S Value has dipped. They want us to lose our mind. These negative emotions will also feed the stone path. I am not so sure about their final goal, but I believe...¡± Gu Jun paused for a moment. ¡°They want to transform me into a different person. The reason probably has something to do with the fact that I was once a Spirit Child. That is the other reason I refuse to look through the keyhole. I do not think the enemy is after my life but my soul, and looking through the door will be no different from handing them the victory.¡±

    Gu Jun spoke with utter severity. Maturity and trustworthiness that did not befit his age colored his face. His words sounded persuasive from both his tone and the content of his words.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Xue Ba nodded slightly. If they continued to waste time like this, the declining supplies and the increase in number of injured members would gradually hack away at their mental defense. That was especially so when they had Gu Jun in their midst, a person that came from a sensitive background. During the next tragedy, the team might copse. Then, the group would turn their fear and resentment on Gu Jun. Even he would not be able to stop the chaos then; it would be a horrifying situation. A man without his sense was no different from a beast, and that was probably what the enemy wished to see.

    ¡°Get the explosives ready.¡± Xue Ba had made the decision. He straightened up. Time was ticking. ¡°Blow a path open.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded with excitement, his eyes zing. He could not wait to see this door being sted into smithereens. ¡°They might have spells, but we have explosives.¡±

    Since the team captain had made the decision, the members moved to oblige. The only objection came from Lou Xiaoning, who wanted to set up the bomb herself, but she was ultimately left strapped to the stretcher. The Demon Hunters moved into action. Zhou Yi and a few others went to grab the one of three remaining remote detonator and one kilo of C4. They attached it to the red door. The two oilmps had already been removed by Gu Jun earlier.

    The teams cooperated to move Lin Mo and Lou Xiaoning over a hundred meters back from the bottom step. The sight of the red door was blocked by the sloping stone ceiling. With the range of the explosion they employed, their current position should be safe enough.

    ¡°Everyone, ready.¡± Xue Ba held the denotator and informed the rest. The assault team led by Zhou Yi guarded at the front. Their eyes were trained forward, their guns pointed ahead. Once the explosion faded away, they would storm into the room while Yang Henan and the rest provided cover. Xue Ba started the countdown.

    ¡°Three, two...¡±

    At that moment, everyone was as serious they had ever been. Gu Jun stood in the middle of the group. His lips curled into a derisive smile. ¡®Whispers, red door, let¡¯s see how you fare against an explosion.¡¯

    ¡°One!¡± Xue Ba pressed on the detonator.

    Following a loud boom, the team felt the whole stone tunnel shake. The air appeared to have stilled. Ahead came the sound of something crumbling. It echoed for a long time. The explosion was huge.

    ¡°Charge!¡± Xue Ba picked up the rifle and personally led the assault team to storm into the room. Their eyes were zing with fire no weaker than the one from the explosion.

    When they rushed down the steps, they saw it was already a mess around the ten thousandth step. Some of the stone walls had copsed, and the red door had disappeared, leaving behind some broken red wooden chips on the ruined ground.

    ¡®They have spells, but we have explosives.¡¯

 Chapter 92: Carlot Scalpel

    <h4>Chapter 92: Carlot Scalpel</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The earlier stone wall and red door were ruined. One kilo of C4 exploding was not strong enough to blind nor to cause any fire. The assault team led by Xue Ba stormed into the room in a standard formation. They did not see the white light that Lou Xiaoning mentioned. The abnormal energy from the sickened eyeball that would disturb one¡¯s mind did not appear, but among the rubble... the dark red patterns on the rocks flowed like dripping blood. However, once they trained their focus and took a second look, they confirmed that was a kind of illusion.

    After stepping through the shattered threshold, they arrived at the space that was originally behind the red door. This appeared to be a stone room, about three hundred cubic meters. There was a stonedder that spiraled upward in the middle of the room. Each step was around twenty centimeters tall and was much narrower than the stone steps outside. The whole contraption appeared like it was carved out of the stone naturally as well. Even the curving points appeared startlingly smooth.

    Some of the team members aimed their powerful shlights upward. There was no ceiling, and the spiral staircase appeared to lead into darkness. Xue Ba used the binocrs to take a look. Even with seven times magnification, he could not see the end. The stairs appeared to have been sucked into the darkness. They were currently five thousand meters underground, so if the spiral staircase led all the way up to the surface, it would be five thousand meters tall.

    After that, the assault team searched through the room, they did not find anything valuable. The space was empty; there was not even a speck of dust. Disappointment overwhelmed the Demon Hunters. Neither the enemy nor the exit that they anticipated were there. Instead, that was yet another path that seemed to lead to who knew where.

    ¡°All clear. Ah Jun, I need you toe over and take a look,¡± Xue Ba shouted back. His voice was carried through themunicator to every member. In other words, the waiting members were given permission to move ahead. Ah Jun bounced down the steps. Once he saw the stone room, he let go of the breath he was holding. There was no ceiling, no misceneous items, and no long wooden table. This was not the basement where the Son of Steel, Landon, conducted autopsy on those abnormal creatures to draft blueprints out of them. But this space that they were in... could still be a part of Rikers. Gu Jun nced at the broken rocks around the gaping hole where the door once was. A thought that he had been harboring surfaced once more.

    ¡®I need that quest reward...¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®The scalpel might provide some kind of clue in the illusion.¡¯

    In this kind of situation where every movement of theirs had been calcted by the enemy, an object that he had suddenly acquired might be the key to solving the problem, especially considering the enemy thought they had already determined the itinerary of items the team had carried with them.

    Therefore, Gu Jun wandered to a corner of the room while pretending to observe the surroundings. His right hand reached into a gap in the stone wall, and he chose to ¡®ept reward¡¯ in his mind. The mysterious and powerful energy descended. It appeared to twist space and time. The ¡®space capacity¡¯ of the location they were in was powerless to stop it.

    At the same time, Gu Jun was hit by a very strange realization. ¡®Yes... the quest rewards are sourced from this ce. Theye from this world.¡¯

    His fingers tightened, and they closed around a scalpel. Based on the width, length, and size of the hilt, he could tell this was the mostmon scalpel no. 23. He pulled his hand out, and his hypothesis was confirmed. The shape and size of this scalpel were practically identical to scalpel no. 23. This once again confirmed the simrity between the denizens of the foreign civilization and earthlings. Because they had the same hand construction and operating needs, the simrity of the scalpel could be exined.

    The one difference was the scalpels on Earth normally were made from stainless steel to prevent corrosion and rust, and to have high tensile strength so that they could do heavy work while maintaining a low overall weight. However, the Carlot scalpel was made from a totally different material. Although Raybundy¡¯s diary did mention that their scalpels were made from steel, Gu Jun hesitated to agree with him because the steel that was forged into this scalpel was clearly different from themon steel that could be found on Earth. The steel that made the Carlot Scalpel feel like it had been tempered somehow. It was incredibly light, and it felt strange in Gu Jun¡¯s grasp because his muscles had not gotten used to handling it. However, curiously enough, the scalpel slipped easily between his fingers like it belonged there.

    ¡®Is this what a postmortem knife supposed to be, or is it because of me?¡¯ Gu Jun was confused. The overall design of the scalpel reminded Gu Jun of a pure flow of water. If not for the glint of sharpness of the de, he would describe the scalpel as being ¡®gentle¡¯. There was an arrestingly beautiful carving on the hilt. There was also a foreign term. Gu Jun recognized it to carry the meaning of the term Carlot. The font of the foreign term curved elegantly like a dancing ballerina¡ªthe Goddess of Life worshipped by the foreign civilization.

    Gu Jun held the scalpel silently and focused his attention, to attempt to trigger the illusion. His brain shut down with enormous pain instantly. No, he had exhausted too much mental energy earlier...

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± By then, Xue Ba had noticed what was going on with Gu Jun. His brows creased as he asked, ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°There was a scalpel here, hidden behind the stone gap.¡± Gu Jun resisted the headache and pretended to be surprised as he extended his palm to show the other Demon Hunters the scalpel. ¡°The word Carlot is carved on the hilt. I believe that might be the name of the brand or possibly the owner.¡±

    Instantly, the group carefully gathered around Gu Jun. None of them reacted strangely to this discovery. The only different response came from Zhou Yi, who scratched his head. Earlier, it was Zhou Yi who had searched this corner. He could have sworn that there was nothing there, but Zhou Yi could not be so sure anymore. ¡°Sorry, I must have missed it...¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Xue Ba had another question in mind. ¡°How can you be sure that this is a postmortem scalpel and not a surgical scalpel?¡±

    They were technically the same; the difference was in their usage. Gu Jun was stunned. This was a blind spot that he had not considered. He shook his head slowly. ¡°I have no idea. My instinct told me it was a postmortem scalpel. That¡¯s all...¡±

    But Xue Ba¡¯s question had thrown doubt into his conviction.

    ¡®The system technically did notbel this as any kind of specific scalpel... I thought it was a postmortem scalpel because I believe it might be rted to the Son of Steel, Landon, but could I havee to a hasty conclusion?¡¯ Gu Jun started to question himself. ¡®But the way it fits into my hands, no, it has to be a postmortem scalpel.¡¯

    ¡°Oh.¡± Xue Ba did not press further. He turned within himself to contemte what Gu Jun meant by his instinct. Then he told Zhou Yi and the rest, ¡°We should move these shattered stones aside to see if there¡¯s anything else behind them.¡±

    The men quickly moved to oblige, and as expected, they did not discover anything else. Gu Jun stood to the side and observed quietly. Uncle Dan took the scalpel from him and studied it for a while. Then he whined with disappointment, ¡°What is this? It¡¯s too light. If you apply too much pressure, it¡¯ll easily cut too deep.¡±

    Uncle Dan was apprehensive of the connection between this scalpel and Lai Sheng Company, and at the same time, he really thought it was not a qualified de.

    Then Zhang Huohuo came to give it a go as well. Even though he was a nurse, he had tons of experience dealing with knives. After all, he was sometimes required to cut away the epidermis.

    ¡°It¡¯s too light.¡± Zhang Huohuo shook his head after giving it a try. ¡°And the shape is too strange to be heldfortably.¡±

    ¡®Huh? But howe I didn¡¯t have that problem earlier? There was no trace of difort when I was holding it. Why?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s confusion deepened. ¡®Is it due to Hands of Dexterity or my familiarity with the foreign civilization?¡¯

    Regardless, there had to be a reason for them to find the scalpel. Xue Ba and the rest believed that it had something to do with the enemy¡¯s trick and thus carried potential danger. However, they all decided to carry it with them for now because it might turn out useful in the end. The scalpel was temporarily kept by the medics. Xue Ba reminded them to be careful not to be influenced by its mysterious power; they were to report should they feel any difort. Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo showed no interest in it, so Gu Jun used the reason of the possibility of it triggering his inspiration to reim it back into his possession. With regard to that, Xue Ba took careful note of it.

    The team rested for half a day inside the stone room. They abandoned some stuff and only brought along the necessary weapons and supplies as well as the two oilmps. They headed up the spiral staircase, the only way forward from the stone room.

 Chapter 93: Stone Slab Above

    <h4>Chapter 93: Stone b Above</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The Demon Hunters advanced up the spiral staircase for the past twenty-four hours with asional breaks. They took shifts to rest as they slowly approached the surface. There were still quite a lot of MREs, but clean water had run out about eleven hours ago. The team had started to resort to the water the medics had used to clean their hands in the previous surgeries. Naturally, this came with a big risk, but the sole constion was that if the water was in any way contaminated, they would have been infected already without the need to ingest it. The team had been taking turns carrying Lin Mo up on the stretcher; Lou Xiaoning insisted on walking on her own, although she was still not permitted to handle guns or others weapon.

    The closer they got to the surface, the narrower the space around them became. Eventually, the space between the wall and the staircase was less than a meter wide. It felt like they were shuffling through a beast¡¯s small intestines. An insidious sense of vertigo came over them as well. It felt like the stairs were shaking underneath their feet. Everyone could even hear a sound akin to the creaking of old wooden staircase. This did not appear to be fully made up in their minds because the dark red pattern on the stone steps and wall was receding. In its ce were spidery cracks. Obviously, the energy of life in the stone was wilting as the ce appeared like it could crumble at any moment.

    ¡®And with strange eons, even death may die.¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of the poem by the Mad Arab. These stones were dying, perishing. When they were still about one hundred meters from the surface, the morale of the team was the lowest it had been. This was because everyone¡¯s stamina and energy had been almostpletely exhausted. Their muscles were in pain, their tongues were dry, and their lips were chapped. And the sted steps underneath their feet were still spiraling up endlessly. This was an agitation caused by biological difort. No matter how strong one¡¯s determination, the mind had to sumb to the body. The Demon Hunter was a Special Mobile Force from Phecda, but this was their first time encountering an abnormal space like this, a hurdle that tested one¡¯s mental strength so much. The higher they went, the more lost they felt.

    Right at that moment, another heart-breaking discovery was made. Through the night vision binocrs, Xue Ba saw that their way up was blocked. Something had cut into the steps, but...

    ¡°Ah Jun, take a look at this.¡± Xue Ba studied it for a while before handing the binocrs to Gu Jun by his side. Gu Jun epted them and locked his eyes behind the binocrs. At the end of the spiral staircase was a narrow tform. There was no more elevation going up. Less than one meter from the ground of the tform was a stone ceiling, but in the middle of the ceiling, right above the tform, an inconspicuous stone b was embedded. The underbelly of the stone b was covered in strange patterns. They looked like handmade carvings, motifs of swirling flowers.

    Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of Pedra¡¯s hometown¡ªSars, the home of flowers. The stone b was probably picturing the scenic view of Sars. But the more he looked at it, the more his heart beat out of pace. Visions of incorporeality appeared at the corner of his eyes.

    ¡®There is something here that can trigger my illusions?¡¯

    Gu Jun focused harder, but the feeling did not deepen. If anything, the confusion in his mind only increased. There was no foreignnguage, no lock, nothing else at the bottom of the stone b. However, there was an extremely small gap between it and the ceiling that it was attached to on all four sides. It appeared like it had been designed so that it could be pulled or pushed open. Perhaps they could push it open from below and reach the surface.

    ¡°Captain Xue, I did not discover anything too out of ce.¡± Gu Jun handed the binocrs back to Xue Ba. ¡°But I have a feeling that is the exit.¡±

    Xue Ba nodded and passed the binocrs to the rest. Soon, everyone understood what was going on. If they wanted to leave, they needed to get rid of the stone b. Perhaps they could blow it up with C4 or the rocket missile?

    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Once Lin Mo heard that, he rejected it immediately. The man was feeling much better, showing no sign of the parasite infection. ¡°It is too close to the stairs! No matter how contained the st it, the aftershock will affect the stairs, and the rocks will slide. If the stone staircase crumbles, we will drop several thousand meters.¡±

    ¡°I agree with Lin Mo.¡± The others could see the fragility of the stone around them. They were weaker than dried branches.

    ¡°Then we should go up to take a look.¡± Xue Ba led the assault team and reached the steps right below the tform. By then, they could reach out the touch the stone b. At that ce, the feeling of vertigo intensified, and the cracks on the stone became more apparently. However, no light managed to spill through the cracks.

    They used their gun barrels to poke through the tform and pushed hard at the stone b above them. It did not move. They tried different pressure points. The left side shifted the most. It appeared like the stone b could only be opened from the left side.

    ¡°How about we use our hands to push against it?¡± Xue Ba suggested. They would be able to apply more force that way. Currently, the team had basically nothing left other than some guns, ammo, water, food, and medical tools. There was no other device to help in this situation. The most banal way was also the most effective in this situation. Two of the assault team members were left behind to stay on guard while the other five faced the left of the tform and reached out to find purchase on the bottom of the stone b.

    ¡°Three, two, one, push!¡±

    As they pushed with all their might, the faces of the five men were red from effort.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    The left side of the stone b budged slightly. Some light from outside seeped through the gap. However, they had to let go after holding it open for about twenty seconds. The stone b instantly mmed back into ce with a creepy thud, and the cracks around it grewrger.

    The few men were out of breath.

    In an attempt to inspire, Xue Ba said, ¡°That was light. This is definitely the exit!¡±

    Although, he did not mention that he would not be able to push the stone b even a little when he was fully energized, much less when he was already so exhausted. From their previous attempt, Xue Ba understood that if it was only the few of them pushing, it would be a pure waste of energy. Furthermore, every drop of stamina that they had left was crucial. With water running low, their stamina would only continue to drop with the passage of time. Xue Ba told the team to rest while asking Gu Jun toe closer to take a look. But other than the feeling of anxiety in his heart, Gu Jun felt nothing else.

    Xue Ba had no choice but to summon everyone into motion. He said seriously, ¡°We pushed open it earlier. There¡¯s light behind this! With enough force, we will be able to push the stone open! We will push together in one go, using everything you have. We have to seed at one go!¡±

    The rest had no objections. They ally down on the tform. Xue Ba¡¯s head was already touching the stone b. To gather the maximum force, even Lin Mo, who was missing a leg, took his position on the tform. After all, he still had strength to contribute, and this was the only chance they had. They could use all the help they could get.

    Everyone squeezed into ce. They raised their hands to press on the bottom of the b and then prepared to push at the same time.

    At that moment, a scary thought rose in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. There were sixteen different handprints on the big banyan tree, belonging to sixteen people. The handprints were in strange shapes. They suggested sign of struggle. Pressing on the uneven pattern on the stone b, it would render their handprints unrecognizable from their usual handprints.

    It was as if everything had already been decided. He would end up there, either alone or with the rest of the team. The thought travelled like a virus from Gu Jun¡¯s mind to Uncle Dan, Lin Mo, and the rest. They started to frown.

    ¡°Stop that!¡± Xue Ba picked up on this because the thought had alreadye to him earlier. He roared, ¡°Ignore the thought in your mind. That is just a trick by the enemy. It is because we did not die down there that the enemy is using this to confuse us. They want us to stay trapped down here. Just clear your mind and focus on the push!¡±

    Xue Ba did not leave time for the others¡¯ minds to wander because fear would weaken one¡¯s body.

    ¡°Three, two, one!¡± Xue Ba shouted as his body exploded with force. ¡°Push!¡±

    The sixteen members pushed with all the strength they had. They gritted their teeth and roared as their hands pushed against the stone stab!

    This caused their faces to twist from effort. Their eyes bulged. The bandage around Lou Xiaoning¡¯s still-recovering right eye was leaking blood. The grayish glow from outside showered down again. The hands that were holding the stone b up were already shaking.

    Gu Jun was also pushing with all his might, but the illusory draw that had been lying in wait earlier suddenly came to im him. The shadows ceased to stay in the silence. They danced and cheered madly before his eyes.

 Chapter 94: Bloody Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 94: Bloody Illusion</h4>

    Chill and dampness descended upon him. A thick scent of blood lingered in the air, causing his stomach to turn. A hissing, scary noise came from below. It was slowly approaching, materializing itself into strange and absurd shadows. Gu Jun was falling into the embrace of illusion. Was it triggered by the stone b? But the feeling of this illusion was very different; he was not pulled to another location. He was still there, lying on the tform at the top of the spiral staircase. He could feel himself exerting force with the others. However, it was no longer the Demon Hunters who were beside him. None of the Demon Hunter would be caught wearing the alluringly beautiful outfit.

    Other than that, they were mumbling chaotic and panicking words. It was the foreignnguage that Gu Jun was both familiar and unfamiliar with. As the shadows approached, they started to shudder. Fear twisted every face and word. They cried and begged, but about what, Gu Jun could not reallyprehend. He could only grasp snippets.

    ¡°Let us out!¡±

    ¡°No, they areing!¡±

    ¡°I do not wish to die yet...¡±

    These voices... he had heard them from the lips of the hallucinating patients of the Malformed Banyan Disease before. Were these the citizens of Rikers? Rikers had fallen, and they had managed to escape out of the city through the underground tunnel with the abnormal creatures hot on their heels. They wished desperately to leave this ce, but the stone b had blocked their way. On the surface... did people purposely ce the stone b there? The dying wails of these escapees... were people listening on the other side? Why would they block up the exit? To stop the monsters from pouring out? But they would sacrifice the citizens from Rikers... for that?

    Suddenly, the vicious shadows were close behind him. The air around Gu Jun filled with the smell of decay. The people who were pushing against the stone b turned to look. Instantly, their eyes filled with terror. Heart-wrenching screams tore through every throat. They banged against the stone b madly. They wanted to escape, but there was nowhere for them to run. Gu Jun felt his own gaze being drawn back as well. His heart squeezed. It was the monster with themer bone!

    He had personally dissected the chest of this monster before, but this was the first time he had seen one in its full gory. He certainly did not expect that to happen during one of his illusions. This was a humanoid monster. It had a head, neck, torso, and four limbs, but the surface of its skin was covered in some kind of dead keratin. It had the appearance of being the monster¡¯s natural protective gear and clothes. The monster was slightlyrger than a normal human, and they had exceptionally long limbs. The construct of their arms was twisted and grotesque. The hands extended into both fingers and ws...

    Gu Jun did not have a clear look, but just from the few hurried nces, it was enough to cause him to be covered in cold sweat. He came to the conclusion that the monster had a biological structure that was more suitable for climbing. The illusions started to shake violently. From his previous experience, Gu Jun knew this meant that his mind was about to copse. The illusion was about to end. He tried his best to take another look. From humanity¡¯s perspective, this kind of creature was dirty, disgusting, and absurd. However, their facial features were almost no different from normal humans, albeit their skin was an ashy gray and the mouths were hiding rows of sharp, dark-gray teeth. Were those normal teeth covered in ayer of decaying bacteria?

    Their gaze carried with them some condescension, bloodlust, venom, and an indescribable darkness. This was not the gaze of an animal. These were feelings that were only possible with the existence of a rational mind.

    Their gaze was entirely human. Would this mean... these creatures were once human beings?

    ¡°Ah!¡± A fearful scream erupted around him. It caused the illusions to shudder even more. It was followed by more screams. They reverberated inside this small space before they travelled out and eventually disappeared. In Gu Jun¡¯s vision, he could see the monsters reach forward and pluck out the people one by one from the tform using their twisted limbs. They then flung the victims casually down the spiral staircase or directly down the abyss like they were some broken toys. Horror twisted the features of every victim.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun felt a force yank him away and throw him downward. He sensed himself falling into an endless bloody nightmare. Every step of the spiral staircase was covered with broken bodies. Some were still bleeding fresh blood while others had seriously putrefied. The blood of Rikers¡¯ citizens washed the stone steps and the walls with blood. Their blood and bones eventually decayed into the stone as time digested everything. The dark red patterns, were they part of these people¡¯s blood?

    The evil source of life inside the tunnel and on the spiral staircase, was that their will of resentment?

    Gu Jun¡¯s vision was getting closer and closer to the room at the bottom. He could see the mountain of dead bodies on the ground. Organs, bodies, and faces... were haphazardly piled up together. It was like he was given a glimpse of hell on earth.

    Bang!

    Gu Jun felt himself crash into it. A pain beyond the human threshold spread through his entire body. It felt like every cell in his body was rupturing. But the pain also managed to yank his mind out of the illusion. The breaths came rapidly to him. Suddenly, a grayish light cut into his vision. When he came to, the stone b had already disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s open. We got it open!¡± Uncle Dan cried out of pure joy. Xue Ba, Yang Henan, and the assault team sat up and climbed to the surface. With thest shred of energy they had, they prepared their guns and set up a perimeter. Their heavy breathing overwhelmed Uncle Dan¡¯s cheers.

    ¡°Phew, phew...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s face was so pale that it appeared like he had died at least once down there. However, since the state of the people around him was not much better, no one noticed anything different about him. He looked around again and knew that the illusion that he had just experienced had happened in this ce... but it was set in a different time. The past had already dissolved and transmuted into something else. But who would want to give him a glimpse of that horrifying past?

    ¡°That is not a normal stone b...¡± Xue Ba¡¯s croaky voice came from above. Lou Xiaoning and the rest forced themselves to stand up. Gu Jun stood up waveringly. Instantly, he noticed that the ¡®stone b¡¯ they had pushed over was an altar. It was heavy on one side due to its unique design. Gu Jun looked around him.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this strange? I believe we¡¯re at a shrine,¡± Uncle Dan whispered. This was a stone shrine. It was elevated about ten meters above the dark, rotten floor. There were signs of decrepitude everywhere. The fourrge stone pirs on the four ends of the altar were cracked, and the once-beautiful carving around the pirs showed signs of disuse as well. They came out right through the altar that was situated at the center of the shrine. The shrine was for sacrificial purposes, and it appeared like the sixteen team members were the sacrificialmbs.

    Gray mist lingered around the shrine, reflecting the color of the lifeless sky. Through the mist, they could see glimpses ofrge, creepy, and malformed trees surrounding the shrine. Wails of the dead appeared to leak out from beyond the mist.

    Gu Jun and the rest of the Demon Hunters could see that just between the giant trees, there were flickering shadows of an army of beasts. Among them were the figures in ck robes and, in much fewer numbers, figures in red robes.

    And all of them were staring at the Demon Hunters.

 Chapter 95: A Song

    <h4>Chapter 95: A Song</h4>

    A cloud of ck ravens flew through the gray sky. They gave off an ugly caw, causing the mist around the team to thicken even further.

    ¡°Those are people from Lai Sheng Company,¡± Gu Jun said softly. ¡°I can recognize them. They were wearing clothes like that from my memory.¡±

    Technically speaking, the figures were blurred behind the mist, but their apparel was distinctive enough for Gu Jun to recognize them easily. The rest of the Demon Hunters were already in battle mode, other than Lou Xiaoning of course. The marksmen had their guns aimed at the enemies around them, but as the mist thickened, the figures disappeared behind the giant trees, making them hard to track.

    ¡°They¡¯re disappearing...¡± Yang Henan, who had rapidly set up the sniper rifle, cursed. Even the heat sensor could not look through the creepy giant trees. The group was still catching their beath, but the hissing of the beasts appeared to sound more and more threatening. Gradually, some animals walked out from the mist. Now they all had a closer look. It was unclear whether they were abnormal creatures or an unidentified animal. They had the slick bodies of wolves, but each one was the size of a brown bear. The fur was more like ck spines, and the exposed jaws and dripping saliva sent chills down their spines. Before Xue Ba coulde to a conclusion, suddenly, the mutated pack of wolves pounced at them. They came from everywhere.

    ¡°Assault team. Open fire!¡± Xue Ba ordered immediately. His face was set with determination. ¡°The rest of you, stay back. Do not waste ammo.¡±

    Zhou Yi, Gao Mingpeng, and the rest pulled the trigger. There were two members positioned on each of the four sides. They all opened fire, and the sound of gunshots echoed through the air. The shell casings rained onto the shrine. The weapons that had defined human history for so long exploded in sparks. The recoil pressed into the members¡¯ muscles, causing their already sore bodies to feel like they were about to tear open into pieces.

    However, the beasts did not seem to understand the meaning of fear. Even though the frontline was a blurry mess of guts and blood, those on the back scampered forward to rece the fallen. The dying wails of their kin and the heavy stench of blood only sent the mutated wolves into a deeper maddened trance. They moved faster, and more and more of them stalked out from the mist. They were like a rolling wave of feral madness.

    ¡°Sh*t!¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed loudly. Uncle Dan was responsible for keeping watch over her. This kind of beast had a thick hide; a shot to their body would not be able to take them down. Their weakness was a shot to the head. However, the beasts moved incredibly fast, and the Demon Hunters were in a very bad state. It was impossible to hope that every bullet would be a headshot. As the leader of the marksmen, Lou Xiaoning had the best uracy. If she was not incapacitated, she would have been a great contributor. To be forced to watch on the sidelines, it must have eaten deeply at her heart.

    Lin Mo and the other members of the Scientific Research Department were shocked. From the giant trees to the shrine, there was already a huge trail of dead beasts.

    ¡®Are they really born without fear? That is totally against the rule of nature...¡¯

    But Gu Jun was thinking, ¡®Are these things even real?¡¯

    That suspicion crossed Xue Ba¡¯s mind as well. Instantly, he had Zhou Yi draw one of the wolves into the shrine and only downed it then. The duo moved toward the body while they provided cover for each other. Xue Ba kicked at the dead wolf. It was corporeal; this was not an illusion. This was bad news because the wolves were stilling strong, but they had already exhausted half of their ammo. It was a matter of time until they ran out.

    ¡°Prepare to cut through the enemy ranks!¡± Xue Ba shouted and then turned to ask for Gu Jun¡¯s opinion. ¡°Which way should we go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s mind was nk except for the feeling of agitation. Xue Ba had to rely on his own instincts. He chose to charge in the direction opposite from the dead tree. Gu Jun and Zhou Huohuo carried Lin Mo, who had crawled onto the stretcher. The team moved their way out of the shrine as they shot through the wave of wolves. But right at that moment, a strange voice came from the mist. It appeared like the people from Lai Sheng Company were chanting something in the foreignnguage. It sounded like a song. It was not clear, but it managed to slip into everyone¡¯s heart. The sense of vertigo and agitation in Gu Jun deepened. He mumbled, ¡°This sounds like... a song from the other world...¡±

    ¡°The inception of life echoes from the darkness and voicelessness of the stone tunnel,

    ¡°Vipers, worms, and demons dance in mother¡¯s dream,

    ¡°From morning til night, pain, pain, pain.¡±

    ¡°Howe...¡± The team moved for about ten steps. It should have brought them out of the shrine, but when they looked around, they realized with shock that they were still standing at the shrine. It appeared like they had circled their way around even though they were sure that they were heading outward. The bullets could fly out, and the beast could charge in, so it was not a spatial problem. That left the possibility that they had fallen for some kind of mental trick.

    Xue Ba ordered the team to retreat into the spiral staircase, but the opening had disappeared without a trace. The whole experience felt surreal. It was like they knew they were dreaming. They snapped themselves out of it, only to find themselves trapped in another dream. It was then that the Demon Hunters realized the limitation of their team as well as Phecda. When facing enemies wielding the abnormal energy, they were powerless.

    ¡°It¡¯s the song!¡± Xue Ba shouted until his veins around his neck popped. He tried to use loud volume to disturb the mental hold the enemy had over them. ¡°Focus on something else instead. Filter out the song!¡±

    They had no idea what the song meant, but the melody had a pull on their soul. It was basically impossible not to submerge themselves in the sweet luby.

    It was unclear whether it was due to his high spirituality or his understanding of the foreignnguage, but Gu Jun was affected by the song the most. There were already some hallucinations appearing in his vision. The song sounded louder and sweeter.

    ¡°The nightmare grows stronger day after day, awaiting the day it is born into the world.

    ¡°Mother, great mother is thinking day after day, whether her womb is housing a young creation of life or the dead seed of a zombie.

    ¡°Mother¡¯s thoughts of mncholy,

    ¡°The birth of life cannot be separated from pain;

    ¡°Mother¡¯s thoughts of serenity,

    ¡°The birth of life cannot be separated from pain.¡±

    ¡°The birth of life cannot be separated from pain,¡± Gu Jun mumbled without knowing it. Suddenly, the flickering hallucinations all came into focus. They did not appear to be hallucinations but suppressed memories brought back up to the surface.

    ¡®This shrine...¡¯ Gu Jun remembered it now. This was the location where the people of the foreign civilization had theiring of age ceremony. The stone tunnel that connected Rikers to the shrine, the stone room, the spiral staircase, they were all part of the ceremony. Unlike human civilization, which liked to build upward to reach toward the God in heaven, the people of the foreign civilization believed that the Goddess of Life provided everything through thend beneath their feet.

    The ten thousand steps stone tunnel was a descent into her embrace. Entering the stone room was a symbolic return to the earth mother¡¯s womb, and climbing up the spiral staircase was the process of being reborn. The taboo was moving down the spiral staircase. Pushing apart the altar was also a part of the ceremony, symbolizing the difficulty of birth. The swaying and fragility of the stone staircase was part of the intended design. This was because it was meant to symbolize the fragility of the mother during the birth; the weing of new life was at the same time an injury to the mother. This song was sung by young men and women during theiring of age ceremony as theypleted their rituals.

    ¡®But why would I know all this?¡¯ Gu Jun was confused. ¡®Howe it feels like I¡¯ve participated in this ceremony personally before? Is it from my childhood?¡¯

    The howling of the beasts, the ringing of gunfire, and the singing from the mist mixed into a strange choir. Suddenly, there was a chilling and powerful summon that even Xue Ba and the other Demon Hunters could hear. ¡°Gu Jun, open your eyes. Look around you. Open your eyes!¡±

    The summon smashed heavily on Gu Jun¡¯s heart like a hammer.

    At the same time, following the summon, the people in ck walked out from the mist surrounding the shrine. They came from different directions but walked in a strangely unified gait. The snipers unloaded their bullets, but the bullets flew through them. There were no screams; they appeared to be mere illusions.

    The beasts were still raging, but they did not seem to care about the people in ck. Xue Ba, Zhou Yi, and the marksmen¡¯s expressions were tight. The team had finished their store of automatic rifle ammunition. They reached for assault rifles like the one given to Gu Jun, but even the ammo for those was running low.

    ¡°Gu Jun, open your eyes. Look around and see what you really are.¡±

    The figures in ck materialized out from the mist and approached the shrine. At the same time, the Demon Hunters realized with apprehension and shock that all these people shared the same face.

 Chapter 96: Apostate

    <h4>Chapter 96: Apostate</h4>

    The people in ck were all in long-sleeved robes, their design strange and unfamiliar. However, the robes were adorned with the same patterns that came from a simr motif as the oil maps, shrine, and altar pirs. It originated from the foreign civilization, albeit a little more distorted in concept.

    ¡°Shoot them, you people are worthless if you can¡¯t hit them at this distance!¡± Lou Xiaoning shouted angrily. She was about tounch herself to grab the gun but was stopped by Uncle Dan at thest minute. Indeed, different from before, the enemy had abandoned the cover of the fog, but would they have done so if it would make them vulnerable?

    Regardless Xue Ba still gave the order. While taking down the mutated wolf pack, the marksmen aimed at the closer individuals in ck. The bullets phased through them. There were several hundred individuals in ck who were approaching. From all four sides, each of the groups was protecting an individual in red in their midst. The people in red were simrly invulnerable to bullets.

    ¡°Jesus save us from these ghosts...¡± Lin Mo prayed. He sat on the stretcher alone. He couldn¡¯t run even if he wanted to, so that unsettled him even further. The group could not tell whether these was an illusion or they were spirit, and that dealt a heavy blow to their mental state.

    Then, the expressionless, wilted faces moved their chapped and shriveled lips in unison. ¡°Gu Jun, open your eyes. What do you see? What are you doing? Do you see yourself as being kin to the rest of them?¡±

    Xue Ba and the other Demon Hunters felt befuddled, but the usation travelled along with the luby and sank into Gu Jun¡¯s head like a drill. It poked a hole in both his consciousness and subconscious, allowing some strange concepts of unknown origin to leak out.

    ¡°Can you call out their names?¡±

    His brain was expanding, and his body was shaking. In the immense pain, Gu Jun felt he was losing control of his own body. He whipped his head around mechanically like a string puppet to look at his teammates. Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, Lin Mo, Zhang Huohuo, Yang Henan, Zhou Yi, Gao Mingpeng... and... and...? He realized he could only name these eight people. The remaining eight had be blurry and inconsequential as they faded into the background, their names disappearing alongside their existence.

    ¡°Did these people ever really exist? Do you, Gu Jun, really existed? Open your eyes.¡± The icy summons pierced his soul. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes looked about aimlessly. ¡®Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning... and then who are these people? Who are you? Who am I?¡¯

    Names contained inherent power. They represented a person¡¯s soul and existence. See, one would never name the animals in the ughterhouse. With their names forgotten, the emotional connection and the memories he had with that person appeared to have snapped. His mind gradually isted itself with loneliness. There was nothingness.

    However, the other strange visions were getting more intense. The indescribable feeling that he experienced when he was inside the stone tunnel earlier returned. The words were trying to draw something out of his body.

    The growling of the beasts and the consistent gunfire had faded away. All that remained were the voices of the people from Lai Sheng Company. ¡°Open your eyes!¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, wake up!¡± Xue Ba shouted urgently. ¡°Your name is Gu Jun. You exist for real!¡±

    Even Uncle Dan was shouting at him. ¡°Ah Jun, listen to me!¡±

    ¡®Howe their voices sound so soft? Is this real?¡¯ Gu Jun could only hear these two members¡¯ voices now. The other people had faded away, taking their voices with them.

    It was not that Gu Jun was not resisting, but the song had torn him to pieces, awakening the nightmare inside his body. Had he been exposed to this song when he was still a baby, or... was it much earlier than that?

    Gu Jun felt like he had been torn in two. One half had already been taken by the nightmare. It reminded him of the young self who was ced inside the banyan tree hole. The four pirs around the shrine suddenly grew in height, or perhaps he was falling downward... into more hallucinations... or back into the silent emptiness...

    At the same time, Uncle Dan, who was not armed, saw Gu Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly be bloodshot. The blood vessels in the eyes reminded him of the dark red patterns on the stones. Gu Jun¡¯s face took on the same expressionless, icy detachment as before.

    ¡°Filthy apostates...¡± A dark and hoarse voice rang out. It soundedpletely different from the usual Gu Jun. His bloodshot eyes were glued to one of the people in red. The man appeared to be different from the others. Now, Uncle Dan and the rest could see that the pattern of the robe he was wearing was different from the others. It looked more distorted and absurd. However, they had no idea what Gu Jun was saying. What did he mean by apostates? Regardless, there was one thing that they were certain of. They were no longer dealing with the Gu Jun that they knew. It felt like Gu Jun¡¯s body had been taken over by another persona.

    ¡°Just let him be for now!¡± Xue Ba stopped Zhang Huohuo and the rest, who were about to jump on Gu Jun. They had no idea what was happening, and his instincts told him Gu Jun was still somewhere in there.

    Suddenly, a new development drew their attention away. The broken shrine under their feet appeared to havee alive. The patterns on the stone glowed and started to move like blood. A source of abnormal energy was being triggered. Instantly, they felt like they had fallen into some kind of arcane cell. Their muscles weakened, and they lost their mobility. In the strange state, Gu Jun¡¯s expression darkened. It appeared like he too was ced under the same impediment.

    The mutated wolves around the shrine stopped charging forward as if something scary had forced them to stop. All the figures in robes stopped around the shrine as well. The leading wilted man in red was shrouded in the shadow as he said, ¡°It is in our faith that being apostates is better than being abandoned. No matter whether you are Gu Jun or the Son of Misfortune, your role is nothing but to serve our purpose. Your existence is to evoke the divine. Understand that you are not divine yourself but a sacrifice that we have cultivated for ourselves.¡±

    Gu Jun still had some faint consciousness left. Suddenly, it all hit him... The people in red were giving him the answers. They needed his human powerlessness and confusion as well as the evil and madness of the Son of Misfortune. As the contradiction between these emotions grew, his S Value decreased, and thus, the chance of a sessful summoning would be higher. Spirit Children were the vessels for divinity. Like a mother, they were cultivating another life inside them over many years.

    Today, right after he hadpleted all the rituals for hising of age ceremony, when he was both physically and mentally exhausted but his spirituality was at its optimum activity, they would conduct a summoning to invoke that life form who had been in hibernation in the foreign civilization. The life form would consume Gu Jun and take over his body. The life form was not a dead person; it was the Son of Misfortune who would descend upon this world.

    But the people of Lai Sheng Company did not intend to worship him. Instead, their real goal was to use this altar to suspend and shackle the Son of Misfortune before he could descend fully and had ess to his full power. They would use this moment of weakness for the divine to strip away his power and absorb it for their own. That was the goal of Lai Sheng Company. Gu Jun understood everything now. He was probably the only Spirit Child who had sessfully summoned the divine in all those years.

    The ns that Lai Sheng Company had set up were working up to this moment. It was time for them to reap the fruit of darkness that they had sewn many years ago to give them a new lease at life.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun could sense his consciousness fading. His mind and body were falling into a crushing silence, but he refused to surrender. The warmth from his teachers and friends, as well as the support from his teammates, lent him strength. Since everything was a plot, there had to be something that could stop it, but what could it be?

    The figures around the shrine started to sing again, but this time, there was a religious fervor in their chanting.

    Using hisst shred of consciousness, Gu Jun took over the body for a brief moment with difficulty. He reached his hand into the medical bag around his waist. He took out the Carlot Scalpel slowly from the bag. Suddenly, the illusions exploded.

 Chapter 97: Ruin

    <h4>Chapter 97: Ruin</h4>

    A spell-like chanting that was even and low surrounded the shrine. Even chant was heavy with feverish passion and darkness. It did not sound like it could be made by human throats. While being surrounded by this cage of chanting, the illusion was triggered by the scalpel in Gu Jun¡¯s hand. It pierced through the mist that blocked the past and future.

    A letter filled with uneven handwriting of the foreignnguage appeared before his eyes like a memory fragment that he had forgotten. ¡°I miss the days at Carlet Academy a lot. I spent my days studying medicine, submerging myself in relevant literature, discussing different topics with teachers and friends. It was truly a time lost in innocent bliss. How I wish those days would never end. But I know now that is impossible. I must admit with shame that I have failed.

    ¡°My power and intellect are nothing before this scary storm. I believe, even if I continue on this path, there won¡¯t any chance for us to defeat those strange monsters. There won¡¯t be any chance for us to uncover the real truth about life, medicine, time, and space that is beyond theprehension of our intelligence.

    ¡°Perhaps death will give me another answer. With regards to saving this world... Please pass this message to my friends¡ªeveryone should have their own goal in life. Do not waver from it because of my decision. Please remind my good friend Raybundy Pedra especially. He is capable enough to take over and surpass me. Do not give up, but I am sorry that I will have to depart first.¡±

    Gu Jun could see the illusion from a third-person perspective, but it also felt like he was experiencing the illusion himself from a first person perspective. On the seaside cliff that was abandoned and cold, the sea breezes whipped savagely. It was strong enough to almost lift up the strange rocks that protruding out of the cliffside. He was standing there alone. He looked toward the horizon. The sea surface appeared to be boiling with ck water. He suddenly raised the scalpel in his hand and swiped it cleanly across his neck. The sharp de sheared through the skin and made a clean cut through the airpipe and cephalic artery. Fresh blood blossomed into the air like the reddest flowers. They danced on the wind before dropping on the stones. A guttural noise echoed from his throat as the air was cut off...

    The tired body swayed several times before the man knelt to the ground. He looked down the endless sea and mumbled, ¡°Ruin, ruin...¡±

    He repeated the term multiple times. The blood dyed the rocks around him red as the voice became more and more choked...

    His soul and physique were returning to emptiness, but at that moment, he sensed something materialize behind him. He slowly turned his head around. Several steps behind him were nine figures who had appeared from seemingly nowhere. They were all shrouded in darkness, giving the illusion they were man, beast, or some creature in between. It was hard to tell whether they were really there in person or this was his mind ying tricks on him.

    ¡°Son of Steel, Freud Landon.¡± Of the nine figures, a dark voice spoke peacefully. ¡°Our Great Old Ones have reserved a demonic seat for you. Beyond the humanprehension, there is a greater truth.¡±

    He nced at these figures. They were projections of the darkest abyss, but all he could see was light. That was a ray of light that was going to bring him down the true path. He stood up unsteadily. The blood on the scalpel dripped to the floor. He used hisst breath to say, ¡°I wish to know... those truths.¡±

    At that moment, the illusion imploded. Gu Jun¡¯s breathing came rapidly. His airpipe was closing, and his cephalic artery was pulsing, but thankfully, neither had ruptured. Gu Jun could see that he was still standing inside the altar. Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lin Mo, and the rest were all around him; he could recognize them all again. Holding the Carlot Scalpel that had dissected many abnormal creatures and the weapon that Landon had used tomit suicide, his body and soul felt rejuvenated like he had just drunk from the fountain of life. He found mobility again. Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness had returned, and it had taken over his physical body. The agitation and darkness of the Son of Misfortune was suppressed by another power; the power had been awakened from the triggering of the illusion and helped revived his soul. That was the bright consciousness of the Son of Steel. It was as if it was whispering directly in his brain, ¡°Do not give up... End the chaos... You are the fruit...¡±

    Following this new sensation were many endless blurry images, they coalescence into several thousands clear foreign characters. With them came a new understanding of foreign spell. Gu Jun spill had no idea what was theory behind the knowledge and application of spell but he did remember how to use one of them...

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± The Demon Hunters had their mind disturbed. Only the most mentally fit among them, Xue Ba, could still speak, albeit in a shaking voice. He was also the first to notice that Gu Jun had returned to them.

    At the same time, the chanting grew louder. Other than the four figures in red who remained unfazed, the faces of the other wilted men in ck started to distort. The mysterious pattern on their robes appeared to be some kind of talisman, and their power was being evoked through the scary and insidious chanting.

    ¡°???????????????????????,?????????????????,????????!¡±

    The gray mist slowly faded away. As it turned out, everyrge tree around the shrine was a big banyan tree. Through the distance, the twisted branches looked like they were bound together by different carcasses. Could it be these banyan trees that were projecting through the abnormal space to spread the pain and horror of illness?

    The red light in the pattern of the shrine grew brighter and flowed faster. They rushed toward the four stone pirs. The ceremony was about to end, but suddenly, the mutated wolves caught the change in the air. Their spines withered, and some wagged their tails anxiously. Gu Jun, who was supposed to be transfixed, suddenly opened his mouth to speak. His voice was steady and fearless. ¡°Do you people... really want to meet the ¡®Son of Misfortune¡¯ that you¡¯ve summoned? Do you really know who he is?¡±

    There were not many who knew the answer to this question. It was true for both on earth and for the foreign civilization. Because those who were given the answer had all been verified to die from suicide. The power that he had inherited at the Longkan seabed was something that Lai Sheng Company had not really dug deep into.

    Gu Jun swept over the wilted faces that were colored by confusion. His own expression shadowed over. ¡°Before you summon the demon, have you made enough preparations to be consumed by it?¡±

    Landon had the time, teachers, and friends that he had missed; Gu Jun had them too. He would not give up.

    The dark consciousness that was suppressed in his body was boiling again, but this time, it was Gu Jun who was releasing it voluntarily. This power of darkness that he could not control could consume him at any time, but he felt no fear. He opened his lips to recite the spell and forcibly took over the energy that had gathered at the shrine.

    ¡°Ruin, ruin, ruin!¡± Gu Jun chanted again and again, as he faced different directions. He sent the voices from the abyss out into the open. ¡°Ruin!¡±

    In the foreignnguage, ¡®Ruin¡¯ was homophonous to ¡®Misfortune¡¯.

    With each new chant, the darkness in his self-consciousness would deepen, and his vision would waver even more. He could see clearer the decay and putrefaction during autopsy, the mountain of cadavers inside the stone room of illusion, but his voice had gathered to the force of a giant wave. In just a few moments, the whole shrine had shattered. The four stone pirs crumbled. A spine-chilling grumbling came from underground. Even the earth itself was shaking. The spiral staircase about five thousand meters tall was falling apart. All the living wolves whimpered in fear as they scurried away to hide.

    The mist that surrounded the shrine dissipated. The faces of the figures in ck and red nched. They appeared more corporeal than before, and their chanting had already stopped or rather been overwhelmed by Gu Jun¡¯s more powerful one.

    ¡°Ruin...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s body was swaying, and his face was eerily pale. He grabbed a rifle from Xue Ba, who still could not move, and aim it at the Lai Sheng Company¡¯s member before him. His target was the leading man in red who had spoken earlier.

    ¡°Ruin!¡± His right index finger pulled at the trigger. The bullets fired...

    Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, and the rest had their jaws dropped. The bullets from the rifle finally hit their target. They no longer phased through the bodies of those people. The skulls shattered, and blood sttered. The wilted men who were spheming the demon earlier now dropped like flies in their own pools of blood.

    In this strange space, the scary chanting had stopped. Instead, it was reced by even more horrifying echoes of shrieks and screams that gave the impression that they were experiencing hell on earth.

 Chapter 98: Light and Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 98: Light and Darkness</h4>

    Ruin! Ruin!

    Gu Jun¡¯s face was white as a ghost, but his eyes were ring red. He unloaded the hail of bullets on the members of Lai Sheng Company, who had gathered around the crumbling shrine. The unfamiliar recoil almost shattered his shoulder, but his hand still managed to steady the barrel of the gun...

    The rifle clicked from theck of ammo. Without missing a beat, Gu Jun reached out to grab the guns from Yang Henan and Zhou Yi. He continued to rain death on those members who were still trying to run. Seeing the people being pierced by bullets, their blood dying the ground, hearing their groans as life left their bodies... Gu Jun fired even faster. This was the first time Gu Jun had fired a gun, and it was also the first time he had killed another human being... Well, it was still debatable whether the victims were human or not.

    The tragedy of the past, the sadness of his childhood, the dark mist buried deep in his heart, the nightmare that asionally visited him in his dreams, the fear of the sacrificialmbs, the hallucination of the vigers of Gu Rong Vige, the pain of hisrades who sacrificed and bled¡ªall would lead to ruination!

    ¡®Didn¡¯t I warn you? The boy will one day grow up to be a real man and stand before all of you again. When that timees, all debt shall be cleared. That day shall be the day of your reckoning, and that day has arrived.¡¯

    Gu Jun grabbed a sniper rifle. He had asked how to use it when the Demon Hunters were resting on the spiral staircase earlier. He looked through the infrared scope on the gun and locked onto the man in ck who had escaped the furthest away. The trigger was pulled. The man¡¯s brain exploded as the shrapnel burst inside his head.

    One.

    Reloading, the ammo slid into ce with a satisfying click. The scope moved to the other person in ck. The neck was severed.

    Two.

    Click. Bang!

    The back was pierced.

    Three.

    ¡°Ah Jun, Ah Jun!¡± Xue Ba shouted in a hurry. ¡°Aim for their legs. We need some alive to get information out of them...¡±

    Gu Jun scored another headshot.

    Four.

    The barrel moved. Headshot.

    Five.

    Xue Ba went silent. He raised his hand to stop the other Demon Hunters from interrupting Gu Jun or influencing Gu Jun. Their bodies had not recovered, and they had no idea how Gu Jun¡¯s current S value was. With the spell that he had cast before... it was wise for them to make their existence as scarce as possible for the moment. The sound of gunfire echoed endlessly. Among the mountains of mutated wolves¡¯ carcasses, there were human bodies and dying victims. Be it the already dead or almost dead, their wilted faces were filled with pain, dissatisfaction, and a kind of confusion.

    ¡°Gu Jun...¡± The leading man in red copsed in his pool of blood. Even though his body was punctured with holes, he did not groan once from pain. If anything, his voice was still as even as before. ¡°Looks like your foreign soul... has some secrets that we do not know about... But even if you ruin us, you will not be able to ruin our...¡±

    Bang!

    Before the man could finish, his head erupted like a watermelon. His body fell to the ground, and no more venomous words could be heard out of him.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to ruin your Lai Sheng Company, huh?¡± Gu Jun grumbled. ¡°Go and tell that to your demon.¡±

    He had a basic grasp of this organization. The origin of Lai Sheng Company had to be rted to the cultish apostates from the foreign civilization. They had turned their backs on the Goddess of Life, whom they assumed had abandoned them, and turned to another power. They projected their souls to another universe, finding new vessels and assuming new lives.

    Due to some cosmic arrangement, the first vessel was found on Earth, then the second and the third. But they only had fragments of their previous memory and consciousness. By finding one another, they grew in scale and power. They studied the foreign civilization to create more vessels. Gu Jun was one of the batches of super vessels or the Spirit Children. Many summoning rituals had probably been performed before his parents met each other.

    It was not an apostate that his body was supposed to be a vessel for but a demon who they believed was hibernating deep underground, the Son of Misfortune. But...

    Gu Jun pulled the trigger, another life lost.

    How would these people know the demon Son of Misfortune who served the Great Old Ones was also the Son of Steel, Freud Landon, the most sessful student from Carlot Academy. The warrior who stayed behind alone at the ruin of Rikers to conduct his research on the abnormal creatures, the lost soul who left his suicide note before slicing his own throat.

    Gu Jun now understood that there were traces to follow... with regards to his memory of the foreignnguage, his talent in medicine, and the unknown power he had inherited from Longkan seabed.

    Freud Landon.

    The dark side, Son of Misfortune.

    The light side, Son of Steel.

    Now the powers of these two sides were awakened. They were battling it out inside his soul, and the battle was tearing him apart. Did Landon reallymitte suicide because he had lost faith?

    ¡®Perhaps death can give me another answer.¡¯

    Gu Jun now believed that Landon might have had a bigger intention. After he became the Son of Misfortune, he had retained parts of his old consciousness, biding his time, waiting for the time to reap the fruit.

    He was not totally consumed by the Son of Misfortune earlier thanks to the intervention of the Son of Steel.

    Bang!

    Gu Jun fired off another shot, but this bullet missed. His body swayed, and he almost fell. After casting the spell, the dark energy slowly regained control of his body as it ate away at his mind.

    ¡°Ah Jun, that¡¯s enough,¡± Xue Ba yelled again. His face was lined with sincerity and concern. ¡°Give me the gun. It is time for you to rest.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Ah Jun.¡± Uncle Dan joined in the persuasion. Gu Jun¡¯s face was startlingly pale, and his lips were turning purple, not good signs. If this continued, they were not worried about the people from Lai Sheng Company; Gu Jun¡¯s state of mind would be their main concern.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath and handed the gun over to Xue Ba with difficulty. He uttered lightly, ¡°Captain Xue, I am not mad... I have never felt clearer about anything. If we give these heartless monsters any chance at life, they will only turn on us by casting the spell, and we are currently too weak to deal with that now...¡±

    Once the gun left Gu Jun¡¯s grasp, the bloodlust departed from him as well. He toppled toward the ground. Thankfully, Uncle Dan reached out fast enough to hold him. Xue Ba immediately had the other members who could still move go and pick up the few remaining guns and ammo to clean up the battlefield and apprehend the living Lai Sheng members.

    ¡°Howe those people gained corporeality only muchter?¡± Lin Mo, who sat to the side, peppered Gu Jun with questions. His face was lit up with a thirst for knowledge. As a member of Scientific Research Team, this was much too interesting of a discovery.

    ¡°I believe that was because... they had cast some kind of spell on themselves before they came...¡± Gu Jun sat down on the floor with Uncle Dan¡¯s help. His voice came slowly and shakingly. ¡°But I broke the spell... I do not know any spells myself. The one that I remembered... came from my subconscious... Technically, you could say I used brute force to bring the whole shrine down...¡±

    ¡°Enough with the questions, and you, stop talking!¡± Uncle Dan warned. His normally friendly face was covered with worry. ¡°I need to take your pulse.¡±

    Gu Jun was showing symptoms of quintessential cardiac arrest. Before Uncle Dan could do his diagnosis, Gu Jun suddenly started to spasm all over. The convulsions choked the words in his mouth. His consciousness was fading.

    ¡°Huohuo, emergency!¡± Uncle Dan ordered in a hurry. ¡°The pulse of the aorta is weakening. The pupils are dting... His heartbeat is slowing down. An intravenous injection, stat!¡±

    Gu Jun copsed on the ground. His lifeless eyes stared at the gray sky. Some ck crows fluttered across it.

    He could feel everything slipping away.

    Ruin, ruin...

 Chapter 99: The Words on the Paper

    <h4>Chapter 99: The Words on the Paper</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Xiao Jun, we have some things that we need to tell you.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s wavering consciousness was floating in the darkness. A barely discernible female voice was guiding him forward. It was his mother. The image before him became clearer. It was his childhood home¡ªthe warm living room, the sofa, the television, the fridge and the potted nts. Gu Jun remembered this as thest day he had with his parents before they went out to the sea. At the time, he was less than ten. After that, he was kicked out of his own home and was sent to the orphanage. ording to legend, before a person died, they would see the scene that nted the most regret in their heart.

    A very tall man and a woman with long hair stood there. Their faces were hidden behind ayer of blurriness. Gu Jun managed to capture some details that had escaped the younger version of himself. There appeared to be some fear in their mannerisms.

    ¡®Fear? Why? Wasn¡¯t it their goal all along to go searching for mysterious power at the Longkan Subvolcanic Belt, or is there another reason behind it?¡¯

    As he remembered it, his mother told him gently, ¡°We are going to sail soon. We might need you to stay at a ce with other children for some time...¡±

    Gu Jun heard a childish voice say, ¡°Then, how long will you be gone this time, and when will you return?¡±

    ¡°Soon.¡± His mother hesitated. He felt that in that moment, he really could feel the sadness in his mother¡¯s eyes. She was truly unwilling to leave him behind. ¡°You have to focus on your studies and listen to the adults. After all, you need to study hard if you want to be a doctor in the future. Should you face any trouble in the future, remember to never give up, okay?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± the boy answered. He huffed angrily and turned to walk away. ¡°I¡¯m not as important as that boat anyway.¡±

    Gu Jun felt his consciousness being pulled away. He trailed behind his younger self, who was causing trouble for his parents who were packing up. He was banned from entering the study. He thus found his way into his parent¡¯s bedroom. Inside their closet, he found a ball of crumpled paper inside the pocket of a coat. He opened it up to see.

    ¡°Xiao Jun!¡± His mother¡¯s yelp of surprise appeared from behind him. She rushed over to grab the piece of paper away. ¡°Go back to your room and y. I need to pack the clothes now.¡±

    Gu Jun snapped with shock. He did not think much of this incident when he was small, and he hadpletely forgotten about itter, categorizing it as one of the disruptions he had done to stop his parents from leaving. He did not remember this part during the hypnosis either because, in his mind, all the important stuff was inside the study, which he was banned from entering. But earlier, he had clearly seen a nautical chart on that piece of paper and some words. The words were squeezed together and written with a ck fountain pen. The handwriting was rather hasty, and they were repetitions of one strange sentence.

    [ Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn]

    [ Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn]

    [ Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn]

    ¡®This is not the foreignnguage, so what is it? How do you read it? Is this part of ¡®those documents?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s mind sharpened from shock and apprehension. The pictures that he had drawn when he was young, he thought they were part of the foreignnguage, but Lai Sheng Company already knew the foreignnguage, so why would they need that from him? In fact, their mastery of it was so good that they could evoke it for spell incantations.

    The pictures and drawings he had done should have been handed over to thepany already. ¡®Those documents¡¯ could point toward other secrets, probably the real result his parents had gotten from their nautical research.

    His parents probably belonged to another force inside Lai Sheng Company. They secretly revolted against the organization or at least had a different goal from those people in ck and red.

    Yet, whether their goal was good or bad, why they had joined Lai Sheng Company, why the split, and the reason they travelled to the Longkan Subvolcanic Belt...

    The meaning of that sentence and how that was rted to the fact he was made the vessel for both the contradictory sides of Landon as the Son of Steel and the Son of Misfortune...

    So many questions ricocheted in his mind.

    Suddenly, a blow of air entered his lung. Gu Jun choked on the breath and snapped out from his dream, but the strange sentence on the paper was still branded before his eyes.

    ¡°He¡¯s up... He¡¯s up, Uncle Dan. Gu Jun is awake!¡± He could hear Lin Mo¡¯s voice shouting with excitement. His eyes opened to the sight of the ruined shrine, and he was lying on top of the stretcher.

    ¡°Ah Jun, do you know who I am?¡± Uncle Da rushed over and very happily conducted a series of vital checks. Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and the rest surrounded him as well. There were looks of relief. Gu Jun first suppressed the memory that he had just recovered as he listened to Uncle Dan recount what had happened earlier. After his heart stopped, they performed an emergency resuscitation, and with an injection into the heart, he finally regained his breath and heartbeat. But he had been unconscious for more than three hours already. It had been very dangerous earlier; a cardiac arrest was the most serious emergency. Given the best circumstances, in which the procedure was performed by the best doctor and within four minutes of the incident, the sess rate was only at a measly fifty percent. If it was over six minutes, then it would have been less than ten percent.

    When Gu Jun¡¯s heart resumed beating, they moved onto another worry, namely that the temporaryck of oxygen to the brain would cause serious nerve damage. If that had happened, the man would have been lost to a permanenta.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, just one question. Who performed CPR on me?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Who else but me?¡± Uncle Dan answered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re not even close to the worst thing I¡¯ve sucked.¡±

    Gu Jun was silenced. ¡®Okay... that is really not something I needed to know... I suppose this is the price I need to pay for brutely forcing a spell.¡¯

    His brain felt like it was pounding like drum, much worse than before he took the brain-tumor targeting drug. It was unclear how long the influence the dark energy would hold on his mind, if it would even dissipate. In that case, then the spell ruin would have ruined him as well.

    As Uncle Dan finished all the inspection, Gu Jun forced himself to sit up and saw that there were Demon Hunters clearing the battlefield. He turned to Xue Ba. ¡°Captain Xue, what¡¯s the update?¡±

    Just as he brought that topic up, he could see the happiness slip away from the members¡¯ faces. Xue Ba sighed. ¡°There were 111 people in ck and four in red. They are all dead now.¡±

    Those who survived Gu Jun¡¯s onught were captured initially, but they all uttered some foreign statement and expired. With Gu Jun¡¯s exnation, he confirmed it was part of the Mad Arab¡¯s poem. He began to recite some, and his face paled again. Uncle Dan immediately stopped him from going further.

    The mutated wolf stopped appearing. Xue Ba went ahead with gloves and mask. He used the military knife and very unprofessionally sliced open one of the carcasses. The skin, flesh, and organs were typical of amon wolf. These wolves were like the Jinmenken; just had slightly mutated but had no trace of abnormal energy on them.

    After Uncle Dan rescued him, he went with Zhang Huohuo to dissect the faces of the people in red. The question they wanted to answer was: ¡®howe they all look the same?¡¯

    Some of their faces were crushed in, and others were still well preserved. There was no sign of any stic surgery. It appeared they were all born that way.

    ¡°I have a feeling... that these people are all blood-rted, like perhaps they came from the same father or mother,¡± Gu Jun said darkly. These people should form the central pir of the Lai Sheng Cult, probably the reincarnations of the people from the foreign civilization. His parents, however, belonged to another party within the organization, probably rted to that sentence that he just remembered.

    There had to be different forces within Lai Sheng Company because there were more than ten people in red kneeling toward the banyan tree, but there were only four of them here. Technically, they should all have been there to reap the reward.

    ¡°This is strange.¡± Uncle Dan was confused. ¡°Some of them are as old as eighty, but the young ones are less than thirty. Could they be grandparents and grandchildren?¡±

    But facial simrities over two generations? Even DNA transference through one generation would not ount for such simrities.

    ¡°I mean, they might be the descendants of some kind of existence.¡± Gu Jun expanded on his hypothesis. ¡°And they are definitely not normal humans.¡±

    Xue Ba and Uncle Dan nodded slightly. In any case, they were no closer to the truth. There could be more answers. They would find out more with DNA analysis. Unfortunately, they were too weak to carry so many dead bodies back with them. They could only make do with some tissue samples, but Xue Ba insisted on cutting off the leader¡¯s head and carrying it with them. The Demon Hunters moved to oblige. They inspected the bodies, collecting samples and fingerprints. Interestingly enough, the mysterious gang of people had different fingerprints.

    It was another mystery whether there were still other living parties within this abnormal space. This was because the team had not gone out to explore the strange and silent forest of banyan trees. These trees could be carrying Malformed Banyan Disease. Xue Ba nned to put on one of the remaining three protective suits to go and take a look after they had finished cleaning up the battlefield. After all, they still needed to find their way home. The team had not escaped from the desperation of theck of supplies. Gu Jun was also in a state where he needed water to sustain his recuperation.

    Gu Jun was told to rest after the Demon Hunters went off to do their work. However, lying on the stretcher, Gu Jun was unable to calm his mind. He was fixated on that crumpled piece of paper and many other things. Half an hour passed just like that.

    Xue Ba returned. His jaw was set in a serious expression as he told Gu Jun, ¡°Ah Jun, we found something on the leader earlier. We didn¡¯t show it to you before because of the state you were in. Now that you have recuperated somehow, we need you to take a look at it. See if you can find any clues that can help us leave this ce.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun frowned as he sat up. This object must have been something important for the man in red to carry on his person.

 Chapter 100: Source

    <h4>Chapter 100: Source</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Xue Ba handed the objects wrapped in clean cloth over to Gu Jun. ¡°This is it. Five of them appear to be pieces of parchment paper. They have foreign characters on them.¡±

    Gu Jun epted them and unwrapped the cloth carefully. They revealed a small stack of yellowing paper. The paper was from the foreign civilization. They were made from the same material as Landon¡¯s blueprints and Raybundy¡¯s diary. They looked akin to parchments, but they were not. His thumb rubbed softly on the paper. It felt strange under his touch. It felt like he hade into contact with something familiar from his past. Like when he was holding the Carlot Scalpel, he was certain these things came from the foreign civilization.

    The scalpel was ¡®supposedly¡¯ found buried behind the stone wall. Then, it was kept inside the team¡¯s first aid kid. When Gu Jun¡¯s was casting the spell, only Xue Ba had been conscious enough to realize Gu Jun appeared to be holding the scalpel when he was doing so. With regards to this, Gu Jun¡¯s exnation was that he had triggered some subconscious memory through contact with the scalpel, and it had helped him break the imprisonment of the spell.

    ¡°Can you understand what¡¯s written here?¡± Xue Ba asked. ¡°But stop immediately if you feel any difort, or else I¡¯ll get an earful from Uncle Dan again.¡±

    Xue Ba was cornered. It was not that he was not concerned about Gu Jun¡¯s safety, but if the exit was still not found, the Demon Hunters would all die.

    ¡°Are those incantations for spells?¡± Lin Mo peered their way with interest. It appeared like the whole school of knowledge interested him greatly. The other people were still busy scavenging all over the battlefield. Lou Xiaoning, who was still under surveince, could only stand to the side while she watched Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo conduct the autopsy with boredom.

    ¡°Probably not...¡± Gu Jun skimmed through the first page and came to that conclusion. ¡°They appear to contain information about the banyan trees.¡±

    The parchments were extremely ancient. The words were readable albeit blurry. It was clear that it was not written by the people from Afterlife Cult, so the question became how they fell into their hands. Currently, Gu Jun had a vocabry of over 1,500 foreign terms. That was enough for him toprehend the content of the parchments. Therefore, he hunkered down, read through them, and tranted them on the spot into English.

    The papers contained intermittent sentences; they felt more like a travelogue. There did not appear to be clear connection between each sentence, but they all referred to the same thing. A deep undercurrent of chaos and fanaticism could be read between the lines. The writer must have been in quite a state when they wrote this down.

    ¡°There are only banyan trees and stones in this city, but what would I expect? The city is famous for the trees, especially the one in the city center.¡± The term ¡®banyan tree¡¯ was naturally a liberal trantion. Gu Jun believed that they actually referred to the giant trees with the twisted branches around the shrine, but for human beings, ¡®banyan tree¡¯ would be the closest trantion.

    After hearing the first sentence, Lin Mo could not help but slip in a question. ¡°Could the city in question refer to the abnormal space surrounded by high walls? The banyan tree at the city center is the trunk of that dead tree?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Gu Jun nodded with contemtion.

    Xue Ba turned to lecture Lin Mo. ¡°Please don¡¯t interrupt until Ah Jun finishes.¡±

    Gu Jun continued to recite.

    ¡°The stone path is covered in blood. They have bled for four days, and they are still bleeding.

    ¡°Will the tree cough? Does the tree have blood?

    ¡°I notice that on the consecrated ground of the Goddess of Life, the mountain of carcasses has melted to form a new life form.

    ¡°The shrine has been shattered. The citizens who were the first to escape and block the exit failed to escape death.

    ¡°Many famous characters from Carlot Academy have conducted theiring of age ceremony here. Rikers has always been a cradle for medical geniuses.¡±

    ¡°Carlot Academy?¡± This time, it was Xue Ba who did not take his own advice because he was reminded of something else. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the scalpel has the brand of Carlot on it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they should point toward the same thing...¡± Gu Jun frowned. The papers were clearly describing a horrible tragedy, but there was ack of regret or sadness in the tone. The more he read, the more unsettled he became.

    ¡°Other than being the capitol, Rikers is famed for its medical study. Everyone says the Goddess of Life has blessed this ce.

    ¡°People have always valued the stones of Rikers, but what about the banyan tree?

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t people like the banyan trees?

    ¡°A kind of disease rted to the banyan trees, a new life form like the ones created from the mountain of carcass, that sounds wonderful. I am sure it will be beautiful.

    ¡°It must be interesting to create the illness here.

    ¡°A new kind of life form.

    ¡°Will there be pain? The birth of life cannot be separated from pain.¡±

    At this point, Gu Jun stopped, his face paled. ¡®Create the illness¡¯. Xue Ba tensed, and Lin Mo pushed on his sses. Their faces were downcast.

    The Malformed Banyan Disease was created by someone.

    Coming up with a disease was not something new. Throughout human history, civilizations had used mdies to take down their enemies. In the modern age, biochemical warfare was the best example. But... how did someone create a disease as strange as the Malformed Banyan Disease, and who was the creator?

    Gu Jun had a hypothesis in his heart because he had already seen the illusion of the people worshipping the banyan tree. His heart tightened, and he continued to read.

    ¡°If the decayed past will not fade away, the new chapter will not arrive.

    ¡°The sickness will bring change because change will lead to vitality.

    ¡°There are many big banyan trees around the shrine. They have been around for several dozen thousand years. It is time for change.

    ¡°People say sickness is bad. How foolish can they be? Only by opening one¡¯s eyes will one see the truth.

    ¡°Birth, old age, sickness, death¡ªthe cycle of life. If one does not ept sickness, one will never understand the truth of life.

    ¡°Human beings consume other lives to grow, so other lives can also consume human beings for growth. That is only fair.¡±

    As Gu Jun read through the sentences, his veins were pulsing with chills. There was some familiarity that spoke to him in the words. To make things even more confusing... in a certain way, he could see the reasoning behind these ims.

    ¡°The seed of illness has been spread. I shall sit inside the banyan tree to admire the results.

    ¡°Pluck away their limbs to rece with the branches and leaves of the banyan tree.

    ¡°These banyan trees can allow different worlds to witness the same light.

    ¡°Illness is a kind of salvation; death is a frivolous concept.

    ¡°Only pain can lead to creation; only ruination can bring forth ascendancy.

    ¡°They have created light.

    ¡°I have created light.¡±

    Gu Jun saw the signature at the bottom of the page, and his face paled even further. He should have expected this. The people from the Afterlife Cult worshipped the banyan tree, ced him inside the tree hole, and spread the Malformed Banyan Disease; that was all to summon the demon.

    Gu Jun pressed his hands against his pulsing head. He was reminded of the first time he saw those strange human-banyan tree mutations inside the stadium. Brightness blinded his world like lightning. The grotesque beauty, the intricate design...

    ¡®A life form that can be its own living ecosystem, a great spire that is built upon a ruin... Is that the light mentioned in the paper?¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun? Ah Jun?¡± Seeing the state he was in, Xue Ba quickly asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Captain, we¡¯d better get Uncle Dan over here,¡± Lin Mo said urgently.

    Gu Jun looked at the eerierge trees around them, and they stared lifelessly back at them. He turned to nce at the signatures on the various pages.

    ¡°Son of Misfortune.¡±

 Chapter 101: Origin of the Illness

    <h4>Chapter 101: Origin of the Illness</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Inside Gu Jun¡¯s buzzing mind, the clues that he had obtained chained up to reveal the cold hard truth.

    Who knew how many centuries ago, the Son of Steel Freud Landon had dissected the abnormal creatures at the copsed Rikers city. After that interaction, his belief and conviction were shaken. Something momentous probably happened, and that caused him to choose tomit suicide. But just as he was dying, the servants of the Great Old Ones appeared to offer him a new life as a demon.

    Landon epted the offer and became the Son of Misfortune. Sometime after that, he returned to Rikers, created the Malformed Banyan Disease, and probably did something else. Was that why the name Son of Misfortune became known in the foreign civilization? Was that what caused the apostates to make the pilgrimage to worship him? They abandoned the Goddess of Life and turned to worship the Great Old Ones, the thing inside the banyan tree, the demon inside it.

    On Earth, the Afterlife Cult somehow managed to get their hands on these few ancient records. That was probably the origin of the Afterlife Cult. They followed the instructions on the papers to conduct the summoning. Gu Jun himself was made the vessel for the Son of Misfortune, but the process was not entirely sessful. Throughout the years, the Afterlife Cult had been lying low. Due to the recent activity in abnormal energy, the Afterlife Cult had found a breakthrough. They brought the Malformed Banyan Disease back on Earth, and that greatly increased the power of the Son of Misfortune. However, the real purpose of these apostates was to im the power for themselves. The fact that they dared do so proved that something had probably happened to the Son of Misfortune, something that prevented the demon from taking vengeance on these apostates. In fact, the apostates had almost seeded, and they would have if not for the arrival of Landon, the Son of Steel.

    Gu Jun gleaned the general truth but still could not see through theyers of shadows surroundings the copse of banyan trees. There were still many mysteries surrounding this, mysteries that had been washed away by time.

    ¡®Landon, what is your real goal? To devote yourself to darkness in search of light? But I believe you didn¡¯t predict the change that would befall you either, did you?¡¯

    Then, Gu Jun noticed that Xue Ba was leaving to get Uncle Dan, so he called out to stop him. ¡°Captain Xue, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Xue Ba halted, and Lin Mo looked at Gu Jun with worry. Gu Jun shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I believe these four pages record the origin of the Malformed Banyan Disease.¡±

    ¡°That appears to be the case.¡± Lin Mo sighed. The man¡¯s eyes were conflicted. The human understanding of science had been fully undermined at that moment.

    ¡°What about the fifth page?¡± Xue Ba furrowed his brows. Right then, his main concern was still the exit. Gu Jun heeded the order and turned to thest page. It was the only page without a signature. In fact, even the handwriting waspletely different. It appeared to be some kind of spell...

    ¡°I believe this is the incantation for some kind of spell. I don¡¯t know how to read it. How about you call Uncle Dan over? I believe this is the spell to summon the Malformed Banyan Disease.¡±

    After hearing him say that, Xue Ba and Lin Mo asked him why.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Phecda been investigating how the Malformed Banyan Disease started?¡±

    As a G-grade member, Gu Jun did not know all the information, but the Medical Department must know something.

    ¡°The disease exploded at different viges but the viges adjacent to the source were all fine. They did not fall to the spread of the epidemic like a normal disease would. However, all the viges with records of the disease share a simrity. They have an ancient banyan tree nted in the vige¡¯s vicinity. Now look around you.¡±

    The ¡®banyan trees¡¯ around them looked like many-limbs giants.

    ¡°This is the propagation center of the Malformed Banyan Disease,¡± Gu Jun said darkly. That was the answer he had obtained from the parchments and his own deduction. ¡°Using this spell, every single banyan tree can be projected to a ¡®banyan tree¡¯ in a different world, causing them to create the Malformed Banyan Disease. That¡¯s how the epidemic in the Eastern Viges began.¡±

    He had another darker thoughts that he did not share. ¡®Did the Malformed Banyan Disease only spread among the foreign civilization and Earth? Could this nightmare have visited other worlds as well?¡¯

    ¡°Then, all these trees carry the Malformed Banyan Disease?¡± Xue Ba¡¯s jaw tightened. This was not good news.

    Lin Mo posed a question. ¡°But howe the people from Lai Sheng Company did not appear to fear getting close to them? Are they immune to the disease?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue, but this ce is the source. I can feel the abnormalitying from the trees...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath to silence the dark intention in his mind. ¡°If we do not level this ce, a second wave of the epidemic might ur in our world. By cleansing this ce, the Malformed Banyan Disease shall be cleansed.¡±

    By burning these carrier banyan trees, manually destroying the infectious humanoid banyan trees, there would no longer be any new epidemic outbreaks, and they would have cut off any possible contact with any other carrier trees. Theoretically speaking, that would cleanse away the trace of Malformed Banyan Disease. Xue Ba¡¯s beard shook slightly. Cleansing the Malformed Banyan Disease was a result that the Demon Hunters had not even considered achieving before they started this mission.

    ¡°The way to leave this ce is not recorded on these parchments, but I believe there should be a path nearby,¡± Gu Jun added, and that was based on his sense of familiarity regarding this ce. ¡°Remember the Action Department¡¯stest operation? I believe the members of Lai Sheng Company escaped to this ce through another tree hole tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Lin Mo had a new question. ¡°If we destroy these banyan trees, won¡¯t that destroy our exit as well?¡±

    ¡°That is entirely possible.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°The path is connected through the sensory space and time wormhole between two banyan trees. I don¡¯t know how to exin the working theory behind it.¡±

    ¡°But if we level this ce, how are we supposed to return?¡± Lin Mo was confused.

    ¡°We can light the ce up right before we leave.¡± Gu Jun already had a draft in his mind.

    Xue Ba nodded silently. He chimed in to say, ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯d better get some rest. I will take some people to explore the surrounding.¡±

    ¡°No, I have to go with you.¡± Gu Jun stood up. His face shone with determination. ¡°None of you will be able to find it; only I will be able to sense the tree hole path.¡±

    Perhaps he was the only one in the world who would be able to do so without the use of a spell. That was because he was the vessel for the Son of Misfortune.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Xue Ba did not understand it fully, but he knew that Gu Jun was not boasting. If he wanted to follow, then so be it. Xue Ba gathered the team and announced their n. Uncle Dan was worried about Gu Jun, but he had no grounds to stop him. They were all going to die from dehydration if they did not find the exit soon.

    After quickly preparing themselves, Xue Ba, Gu Jun, and Yang Henan each stepped into protective gear. They took two rifles and one sniper rifle. They headed in the direction where the leader in red hade from.

    With the rest of the team watching, the trio stepped on the decayed ck mud and walked into the maze-like banyan tree forest.

 Chapter 102: The Way Back

    <h4>Chapter 102: The Way Back</h4>

    Silence. There were no traces of any beasts, no cawing of crows. Other than the sound of the footsteps sinking into the putrefied mud, there were no other sounds. Gu Jun looked around as they moved. The ¡®banyan trees¡¯ there were different from the ones on Earth. Their trunks wererger and their branches more twisted. Their bark was ck in color with white spots that looked curiously like livor mortis. The twisting branches bridged the neighboring trees together, forming aplicated and grotesque.

    The trio made their way through the gaps, being as careful as they could not toe into contact with any part of the banyan trees. Sometimes, however, the gaps were too small, so some brushing was inevitable. Whenever that happened, Gu Jun felt like there was a chill wind rushing into his heart. Wailings of pain, horror, and pleading weaved intermittently around his ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, the thing inside the banyan tree...¡±

    ¡°Let me go!¡±

    ¡°Ah, I beg you!¡±

    ¡°So painful...¡±

    It felt like countless victims who had died from Malformed Banyan Disease were looking at him. Every leaf seemed to take on different faces. They came from different worlds, different civilizations.

    The banyan trees grew lusciously, their leaves blotting out most of the sky.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun trained his focus. Seeing that Xue Ba and Yang Henan had not said a word, he knew that this was only happening to him. He needed to suppress the dark energy in his heart while trying to sense a way forward. ¡°This way.¡±

    Xue Ba and Yang Henan followed beside him. They were also looking around with alert. Other than the treacherous journey, there was no other blockage in their way. The three of them trekked carefully for around three hundred meters before they saw a veryrge banyan tree. It was about asrge as three or four other normal banyan treesbined. Furthermore, there was a naturally hollowed out tree hole at the bottom of the main trunk. This was the only tree hole that they had encountered so far.

    ¡°This is it,¡± Gu Jun said darkly. As he nced at the tree hole, that feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu hit him again. Was this the tree that he had been deposited in when he was worshipped at when he was young? Perhaps that tree was connected to this one.

    Xue Ba and Yang Henan were studying it from afar. They were curious about why they did not see any glow from inside the tree hole.

    ¡°Captain Xue, what is your n now?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°If this is really the exit, we will all retreat to regain immediatemunication with the headquarters to ask for back up.¡± Despite his appearance, Xue Ba was a meticulous nner. He could discern the real meaning behind Gu Jun¡¯s enquiry.

    ¡°Ah Jun, I know you want to destroy this ce and close all the channels between the two worlds. But now that we have found a new wormhole and a spell that can create channels between these banyan trees, we cannot waste the value this ce presents to Phecda. Those dead bodies, the shrine, these trees,¡± Xue Ba said with as much sincerity as he could salvage, hoping to persuade Gu Jun. ¡°This whole world requires more exploration. Only then we can solve more problems. Our mission has already beenpleted. The decision on how to deal with this ce should be left to the superiors.¡±

    Yang Henan nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right. Recently, there have been too many abnormal energy activities. No one knows what will happen. Phecda needs as much information as they can get.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Xue Ba said. ¡°If this new path has no volume capacity, then this ce will turn into our new headquarters by tomorrow. More than ten thousand colleagues will set up camp here.¡±

    Gu Jun merely grunted a reply. He had noment regarding Xue Ba¡¯s proposition. Gu Jun knew that arguing with them was pointless because they were not privy to certain information that he had, and he could not reveal it to them either. This was already a desecrated world. Even with his limited knowledge, he understood that the Malformed Banyan Disease was not the worst thing that could happen. Hemoptysis, that was an illness that wiped out an entire civilization. If it was given a chance to spread to Earth, it would truly mark the end of the world.

    Before they had enough power, it was better not to open the Pandora¡¯s box. Like Sodom, despite all their glory, even a furtive nce could bring about self-destruction.

    ¡°In any case, we should gather everyone here for now.¡± Gu Jun started to form a n in his mind. ¡°Currently, this tree hole is still closed. With my stamina and mental state, I can only open it once. I can¡¯t predict what will happen after that, so all of us need to stick together. I believe that this tree is not contagious, but for the sake of security, perhaps everyone can put on the robes left behind by the members of Lai Sheng Company. Perhaps their clothing has some warding effect.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s words were like the gospel. They removed their protective gear and had Gu Jun carry it back to the shrine. Even though the three hundred meters journey was not long, due to theplicated geography and the possibility of encountering illusions, only Gu Jun would recognize the way back. Gu Jun repeated this journey seven times. Each time, he led two people in protective gear. Gao Mingpeng was thest to leave the shrine. The whole Demon Hunter team was finally safely reunited before the giant tree. They had the stretcher, sixteenparatively well-preserved robes, the tissue from the dead bodies, and the skull of the leader.

    With regards to the other tools, weapons, and explosives, they listened to Gu Jun¡¯s advice and left them behind.

    ¡°In my current state, I cannot guarantee that the path will be able to support so much weight. So, the less we carry, the more stable the path will be,¡± Gu Jun exined as he took out the five pages of ancient papers and the scalpel. ¡°I need these to cast the spell.¡±

    Everyone believed that Gu Jun was not part of Lai Sheng Company. Furthermore, they had no choice but to believe Gu Jun.

    ¡°I will stay behind to stabilize the channel,¡± Gu Jun exined further. ¡°The other side of the channel should be connected to a banyan tree around the Eastern State. After you enter the tree hole, do not turn back. Keep moving forward until you reach the exit. Wait for me. I¡¯ll be joining you soon.¡±

    Xue Ba¡¯s jaws tightened. He looked at Gu Jun deeply. ¡°Ah Jun, I hope you know what you are doing.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped. ¡®So, Captain Xue has managed to guess what I¡¯m nning after all. Oh well...¡±

    ¡°I do.¡± Gu Jun nodded heavily. ¡°I am the only one who knows what to do. I will start the spell now.¡±

    With one hand holding the Carlot Scalpel to suppress the dark emotions and his other gloved hand pressing against the banyan tree, he tried tomunicate with it. He uttered in the foreignnguage, ¡°Open, existing channel. I demand that you open!¡±

    This was not the spell recorded on the paper. That was probably used to summon the Malformed Banyan Disease, and that was not what Gu Jun was trying to do. His mental and physical energy rapidly drained. Thankfully, a blurry light soon appeared in the tree hole, and the channel was activated. Due to the presence of the Son of Misfortune, opening the channel was as simple as opening a door, but the darkness within his soul appeared to have deepened.

    ¡°Be careful, and don¡¯t push yourself too hard,¡± Xue Ba told Gu Jun before he grabbed the gun and led the two other marksmen ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Lou Xiaoning and Zhang Huohuo walked in the middle. Lin Mo was carried on the stretcher. Uncle Dan brought up the rear. In the long robes, they shot Gu Jun an appreciative look before they departed. Then, they turned to walk into the light inside the tree hole.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you have toe out of here alive.¡± Uncle Dan¡¯s round face wiggled with mirth. ¡°If you do, I will take you to enjoy the more sensual pleasures of life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a promise.¡± Gu Jun nodded with a smile. ¡°Uncle Dan, we¡¯ve already found the exit. Don¡¯t make it sound like this is ourst farewell; you¡¯ll jinx it.¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right, kid. Okay then, see you on the other side.¡±

    Gu Jun watched as thest member, Uncle Dan, disappeared into the tree hole. Then, he sighed in relief. He turned to head toward the shrine, determination lining his face. If Phecda¡¯s superiors were given the choice, they would definitely keep and preserve this ce.

    But ruination was this ce¡¯s only fate. It had to be destroyed.

 Chapter 103: Burning Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 103: Burning Darkness</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°The thing inside the tree!¡±

    ¡°Let me go...¡±

    Inside the dark banyan tree forest, the branches appeared to be dancing. The arresting wails drifted into Gu Jun¡¯s mind, evoking the darkest sin his heart. The ancient whispers from the abyss mumbled in his ears as well. It was the spell from thest page. It was a long and seemingly irregr statement. There was no punctuation, and the meaning was unknown. But the more he studied it, the more he could feel the strange and evil energy from it.

    ¡°Mutated seeds break through decayed mud like battle axes disintegrate decay rece with fragrance millions of maggots gathered around dirty blood breaking through the barrier reshaping and reforming feeding on starlight spreading darkness the name of the old ones will never fall.¡±

    This incoherent statement surrounded Gu Jun like flickering images, as if inviting him to admire the creation of the Old Ones around him. Gu Jun tried his best to wade through the forest with his mind intact. His mind was already fraying when he made the previous eight journeys, but now it had only intensified. The opening of the tree hole had enhanced his connection to the banyan trees. It was as if his own blood had been joined to the nts; their corrupted essence had flowed into his veins.

    ¡°This is why,¡± Gu Jun mumbled to himself as his footsteps became heavier and his breathing more agitated, ¡°I became a doctor.¡±

    His parents were still missing, their loyalty unknown. Other than that, he had no other family. When he was small, he had inquired about his grandparents. His parents had told him that they had all passed away.

    ¡°Saving people¡¯s lives is my duty. That is what I want to do with my life.¡±

    ¡®Doctor? Should you really call yourself a doctor after you have done something like this?¡¯ Gu Jun walked out of the forest, and he was greeted by the cadavers that littered the ground. The dead bodies of the wolves and human beings. He took a deep breath, but all he could smell was blood. Unlike the scent in the surgery room, this was the smell of bloodshed from a massacre. He continued to move toward the shrine in the center. There were about 150 human bodies; most of them had died at his hands. While possessed and firing a gun for the first time, his uracy was miraculously high. It was as if that was part of his nature.

    Rigor mortis had already set in, and the brain matter and blood on the ground had dried. Some of the members from the Afterlife Cult had their heads caved in. Blood was leaking out from the orifices of those whose heads were intact, and their bodies were getting bloated. Their wilted faces gave them the appearance of early dposition. On this dark and decaying ground, the process of decay appeared to be hastened.

    In the flicker of a moment, in Gu Jun¡¯s sight, the bodies had all dposed. They were covered in maggots that feasted on the bodies. They crawled everywhere...

    ¡®Beyond humanprehension, there is a greater truth...

    ¡®Beyond human, there is a greater existence...

    ¡®Do you not want... to know these truths?¡¯

    ¡°I do, but not from the likes of you.¡± Gu Jun crawled up the shrine as he mumbled to himself. He tied the five parchments to a block of C4. He shook his head and said, ¡°No, you are not the truth. Demons always lure others with the promise of sharing the ultimate truth with them. But the truth is, demons merely want to spread horror.¡±

    The cursed parchments could not be preserved, and they could not be brought out. Granted, it would be invaluable to study the spell, but there were too many extenuating factors. He was worried others might fall under the demon¡¯s influence and cause a security breach to Phecda. After all, the others did not have help of the Son of Steel.

    ¡°I have already memorized all these words,¡± Gu Jun told himself as he walked toward the forest of banyan trees with the bomb.

    ¡®All the pain... confusion... conviction you still have... admirable... but that is only because you have seen too little...¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s why they say ignorance is bliss.¡± Gu Jun strode forward. He gripped the scalpel in his pocket to help him focus. There was still a lingering energy around the ruined shrine. The many ceremonies performed there were the reason for that, but it was time to call it to an end. Gu Jun stuck the bomb to a tree at the edge of the forest and then returned to grab the QN-2-2 rocketuncher. He removed a white missile and loaded it into the rocket. When they were still inside the spiral staircase, he had thought to ask Xue Ba how to operate this thing.

    ¡°Son of Misfortune,¡± Gu Jun grumbled, his eyes shining with determination. ¡°It¡¯s time to say goodbye.¡±

    He lifted the rocketuncher and aimed it at the C4. The missile was infra-red directed. Once it had locked on, it would follow the target even if they moved. Each missile weighed only 1.2 kilograms, but it could take down tanks, armored cars, and even a small base.

    Click.

    Gu Jun¡¯s right index finger pulled on the trigger. With a long bang, fire exploded, and the missile flew out from theuncher. Gu Jun was knocked to the ground from the powerful recoil. He saw the missile soar through the short distance quickly, and itnded right on the C4. The missile exploded in a burst of fire!

    The me licked against the withered tree and spread along the branches and leaves. Soon, the banyan tree forest turned into a sea of fire!

    At the same time, Gu Jun reloaded another missile and aimed it at the other side of the forest. The Hippocratic Oath said that doctors should help to eliminate disease and help relieve patients from their pain and suffering.

    ¡°Victims of malformed banyan disease, you¡¯ve suffered enough. Rest in peace.¡± Gu Jun pulled the trigger again and again to fire the second missile, the third, the fourth ...

    He fired six missiles in different directions from the shrine. The raging fire turned the strange forest into a fiery hellscape. The crackling fire as the trees withered sounded like the wails of tortured souls, but as time passed, the wailing faded away, and the whispers appeared to have melted in the fire.

    Burn, destruction, salvation.

    The biggest chaos had to be ended with thergest destruction.

    Staring at the burning pyre, the light was reflected in his heart, pushing the darkness into the shadow. He felt much better. His mind and body felt rejuvenated.

    ¡®I don¡¯t care whether you¡¯re the Son of Misfortune or the Son of Steel. I am Gu Jun, and I will end this chaos.¡¯

    The fire grew stronger. The sparks that floated on the windnded on the ground and feasted on the carcasses.

    Gu Jun then walked toward therge banyan tree. He purposely avoided firing the missile at this direction earlier, but eventually, the mes would reach this ce. When he passed through the forest, he did not sense any abnormal energy pulling or distracting him. He reached the big banyan tree. He stuck thest C4 on therge tree. He set it to explode thirty secondster. He took the scalpel, the remote detonator, and a few other things as he entered the tree hole. When he saw the blurry images at the other end, he started to run and pressed on the detonator.

    The sh of light at the end was getting closer. He believed he could see the Demon Hunters standing there. With a grit of his teeth, Gu Jun leaped forward.

    A st of explosion seemed toe behind him. The whole path was shaking and copsing.

 Chapter 104: Call to Command Central

    <h4>Chapter 104: Call to Command Central</h4>

    Under the night sky, the Eastern City was still as busy as ever as a bustling metropolis should be. Themerce pavilion was filled with citizens out for a good time, couples who came out for a date, families strolling the streets sharing their time together, customers belching with satisfaction as they walked out from the different shops and restaurants... The crowd slowly dwindled after midnight, and peace descended on the city.

    This was the life for the everyday city. Even though there had been some unusual news popping up on the inte recently, it was just another conversation topic.

    However, behind the scenes, there were people working hard to maintain this peace. At Gu Rong Vige, situated in the countryside north of Eastern State, in themand center of the emergency unit, the workers still had not left their posts, and the machines were still running. The mainmander, Yao Sinian, had just finished a meeting with the headquarters. He leaned against the chair to take a quick break and drifted somewhat into a fitful sleep...

    The people around him piped down lest they disturbed themander¡¯s rest. It had been five days since the Demon Hunters entered through the banyan tree hole. Commander Yao had rested less than ten hours in total over the past few days. This man in his sixties looked like a dead man walking. This was a much-needed rest.

    Earlier, the groundwave signal that temporarily became clear started to get distorted again after Xue Ba reported that the team had reached the hundredth step of the underground tunnel. And then it sounded like they were assaulted by a sharp gale. It was then that the signal snapped. The connection had failed to resume since then. Over the past few days, the emergency unit had tried many different methods to regain contact, but there was no breakthrough. The Abnormal Energy Investigation Groupcked any progress as well. Actually, by now, the silent consensus was that the Demon Hunters and Gu Jun had all perished inside the abnormal space.

    ¡°We should let Commander Yao rest.¡± Prof Qin let out a long sigh. The man shouldn¡¯t work so hard at his age.

    ¡°Elder Qin, you should go and rest as well.¡± One of the vicemanders, Leader Meng of the Eastern State Investigation Department, also shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Phecda cannot afford to lose you guys.¡±

    Lose? When he said that word, Leader Meng¡¯s middle-aged face shadowed over. How was he supposed to answer to the families and friends of the Demon Hunters? Back when Xue Ba married his wife from the Scientific Research Department, Meng He was their witness. Not to mention Yang Henan¡¯s wedding as well as...

    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t worry, this old bag of bones can still carry on.¡± Even though that was what Prof Qin said, he had aged quite a bit over the past few days. He was personally responsible for Uncle Dan¡¯s training, Zhang Huohuo came up in the ranks under his guidance, and he was the one who rmended the youngest Gu Jun. With this kind of result, Prof Qin suffered no less than anybody else. The atmosphere in the room was low. The disappointment stuck at the heart of everyone there like actual knives, and some of the members even had tears in their eyes. They had failed, another unmitigated disaster. After the sacrifice of 444 members of the Action Department, they had the death of a Special Mobile Force on their hands.

    Prof Qin walked silently to the door. Could the starlight in the sky provided some guidance for them?

    Right at that moment, the signal interceptor inside the barracks received some new information. All the banyan trees that carried the Malformed Banyan Disease all over the country had copsed one after another!

    First came the news from Sui Tian Vige, then Gao Gang Vige, then San Tang Vige... The big monitor in the barrack immediately connected to the live feed of the various locations. The infected banyan trees in these viges that had been vacated due to the epidemic started to shrivel and lose their lives just like the one at Gu Rong Vige. What was going on? They stared at the image on the screen and could not believe their eyes. Yao Sinian was woken up, and his face darkened even further. He was currently 65. He had been with Phecda for forty years, but he was still chilled by the things that he was seeing. Was the situation finally going out of control?

    The wholemand center was tossed into nervousness due to this sudden change, but before anyone coulde up with the draft to send teams out to investigate, another call came in. It was the Eastern State Medical Department. There had been changes to the humanoid banyan tree. The big monitor immediately gained contact with the Medical Department. Yao Sinian frowned deeply. Prof Qin and the rest stood watching behind him. A living humanoid banyan tree was shown deposited silently inside the prison cell. The strange creature appeared to have stopped functioning like the light had been taken out of it.

    Initially, all the skulls on its body would keep wailing, but this humanoid banyan tree had lost that reflex. Even if a living person got close to it now, the skulls would note alive and do anything. The whole phenomenon with the humanoid banyan tree was weird, but it had gotten weirder.

    ¡°Elder Qin, what do you think?¡± Yao Sinian asked. When it came to medical knowledge, he still referred to Prof Qin.

    ¡°It feels like it has perished from cerebral death.¡± Prof Qin made an educated guess. ¡°But we¡¯ll need to investigate further to know for sure.¡±

    Both changes to the infected trees and the humanoid banyan tree urred at the same thing. This was too much of a coincidence not to have been triggered by something. But howe it felt like... the epidemic was taking a turn for the better? It was as if the central transmission central of the Malformed Banyan Disease had suffered a great blow.

    The people could not wrap their heads around it. The recent loss made them turn their thoughts to the worst-case scenario. Could this be a new trap set by the enemy?

    But right then, another call came in. Once the member answered, and his face was flushed with both shock and joy. He gasped aloud. ¡°What? Really? No way!¡±

    He looked at the people around him. He was so excited he had difficulty catching his breath. He immediately connected the call to the barrack¡¯s broadcast system.

    ¡°It¡¯s for real!¡± A delighted male voice echoed through themand center. It was filled with disbelief. ¡°Just like that, they came out from the banyan tree. Everyone is still alive! Lin Mo lost a leg, and Lou Xiaoning lost an eye, but they are all still alive! Captain Xue said they have destroyed the leaders of Lai Sheng Company, and Gu Jun said the source of the Malformed Banyan Disease has been cleansed.¡±

    Just like that Yao Sinian¡¯s expression changed drastically. ¡°What?¡±

    Prof Qin was stunned. Leader Meng practically jumped out of his chair. The other vicemanders were shaking.

    The younger among them couldn¡¯t help but scream in joy. All the Demon Hunters had returned alive!

    ¡°They are currently staying where they are, waiting for the organization to send people over to help them with decontamination.¡± The voice on the other end had settled down, even though the cheer was still there. ¡°We have not approached them or done anything. They look perfectly fine, albeit a bit dehydrated.¡±

    Soon, themand center connected to a camera on the scene. The dark night was chased away by the spotlights. At their of Lai Sheng Company, which had been taken over by Phecda, the location where 444 sacrifice of the Action Department employees was made, the whole group of Demon Hunters was waiting. They looked worse for wear, but it was clear that they were still alive. Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Gu Jun, Lou Xiaoning... all sixteen of them were there.

    Seeing this, the people in themand center erupted in celebration. The dark clouds that had hung over this ce for days finally dissipated. The Demon Hunters had returned with all their members intact!

    Even Lin Mo, whom everyone thought had died, had survived the attack of the Subterrain Giant Worm. He had only lost a leg and looked as healthy as the rest.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Even though he knew it was too early to be so optimistic, Yao Sinian could not help theughtering out of his mouth. ¡°Great, this is great news!¡¯

    ¡°Yes.¡± Prof Qin also sighed in great relief. He turned to look at Meng He. ¡°Leader Meng, I know what you¡¯re thinking, but let the people celebrate for now.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Leader Meng nodded with augh. His eyes filled with tears moved away from the Demon Hunters shown on screen, and he said chokingly, ¡°Yes, of course you¡¯re right.¡±

    For now, everyone was in good cheer, so why sully the mood? After all, who knew when a celebration like this would happen again?

    Tomorrow was destined to be a busy day. They had to iste the demon hunters, help with the disinfection, and conduct physical and mental assessments to check whether they were the same people who had entered the banyan tree at Gu Rong Vige. Then they had to be separated and questioned one by one to fully reconstruct the events that had transpired inside the abnormal space.

    There were so many things waiting to be done, and some would definitely rain on this parade.

    So, for now, celebrate.

 Chapter 105: All Blown Up

    <h4>Chapter 105: All Blown Up</h4>

    Gu Jun could never have imagined that the best and sweetest sleep he would ever have in his life would be inside an istion room. It had been three days since they returned to Earth. At the time, the sixteen of them had waited beside the banyan tree until the people from the Action Department came over in heavy protective gear and handed them some water and dressed them in protective gear. Then, all of them were escorted to the cleansing quarantine vehicles that had arrived. The things that they had brought out with them were confiscated, including the Carlot Scalpel.

    The vehicle did not travel for long before they arrived at Lai Sheng Company¡¯sir in the mountain. If they carried a virus with them, they had to prevent it from spreading. The Engineering Department had already set up some isted rooms there and other necessary amenities. At the same time, the members of different departments were rushing there with their equipment. Ever since then, the sixteen of them were separated. Everyone was given the best and warmest care. There was food and entertainment, but they were barred from seeing each other.

    Gu Jun had the best sleep of his life on this single bed inside this quarantine room. That afternoon, he was led out of the room to conduct a series of physical checks. In history, the Indians had perished from the virus that the Europeans had brought with them. No one could tell if the Demon Hunters had brought any life-threatening diseases back with them from the abnormal space. Therefore, over the past two days, the Demon Hunters had been given all sorts of tests inside the camp, from their skin to their colon. Of course, there were DNA tests as well, topare their current selves to their DNA make-up before they entered the banyan tree. That was the part for the physical check-up, which was followed by the mental check-up.

    Gu Jun had already heard this from Xue Ba. Every time the members of Special Mobile Force came back from a mission, they would need to go through an S-value assessment. There were no exceptions. Phecda would not believe verbal ims that someone was not crazy. In Xue Ba¡¯s words: ¡°People who have lost their mind will not realize they have lost their minds.¡±

    The psychologist responsible for the review of Gu Jun this time was still the familiar face, Sister Liang, Liang Jiahui. Even through the heavy protective gear, her smile was as warm and as kind as he remembered. Overall, the review was quitefortable. First, Sister Liang started with a chat about movies, and she followed up with topics that werepletely unrted to the mission. The only relevant thing was the two triggering scenarios she showed him. One was watching his teammates being consumed by monsters, and the other was Gu Jun falling into the decaying mud and being unable to get out.

    During these triggering scenarios, Gu Jun felt quite stressed, but Sister Liang helped him walk through them, and he came out of it feeling much more rxed. Ultimately, how he scored during the test, Gu Jun was not told. After the test, he was sent back to his room. Gu Jun made use of this time to rest while arranging the clues that he had and his emotion. Because of that, he did not feel bored.

    It was not until the afternoon of the third day that Gu Jun was once again brought into a different clean room. There was a long office table and chairs. It looked like a modern office space, but he knew that this was the interrogation room.

    ¡°Ah Jun, good afternoon.¡± Eight middle-aged members in protective gear were already waiting behind the office table. They all had smiles on their faces. First, there were some introductions. The team was made up of pairs from the Investigation Department, Review Department, Medical Department, and Scientific Research Department. They were all experts at interrogation.

    ¡°Good afternoon.¡± Gu Jun chose the opposite couch and sat down. He was collected. He was prepared to be questioned from all sides and hade up with the answers.

    ¡°Other than us, this chat will be monitored by Commander Yao and the rest.¡± Chen Yaoyan from the Investigation Department pointed at the camera in the corner. This kind-looking middle-aged man sat in the middle. He appeared to be the lead interrogator.

    Gu Jun looked toward the camera and nodded. He was not surprised. In fact, it would not surprise him if the whole of Phecda was watching him, observing his every move.

    ¡°Next, we need you to tell us everything that happened from the moment you entered the banyan tree hole in Gu Rong Vige to when you returned here.¡± Chen Yaoyan¡¯s tone-started to get serious, but he still projected that camaraderie like an old friend just showing concern for Gu Jun. ¡°Tell us... all the details, conservation, your feelings, thoughts and motives you can remember. It does not matter about their relevance. Just tell us everything that crosses your mind. We will not interrupt you. You have all the time you need.¡±

    The other interrogators nodded slightly. Their eyes on him were equally even.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun paused before he started his story. ¡°When I entered the tree hole, I saw some dancing lights. It felt very strange...¡±

    At the same time, inside the meeting room of an admin building at Eastern City¡¯s Phecda, Yao Sinian, all the vicemanders of the emergency unit, and Prof Qin were watching the live feed of the interrogation. As Gu Jun expected, the interrogation was observed by the people from headquarters as well.

    The people looked much better. There was a stability about them after the celebration. They did not conduct an interrogation at the first given notice because they did not want the Demon Hunters to get offended or give tired answers. After this kind of mission, review and recovery of S value was more important, and this would figure into the authenticity of the members¡¯ answer during interrogation. By now, Yao Sinian¡¯s team had listened to the version of the story from the other fifteen members of Demon Hunter. Their version matched up perfectly. Even in the details. They already knew basically what had happened. The only thing that still eluded them was what had happened after the Demon Hunter left. What did Gu Jun stay behind to do? They especially wanted to know about those five pages of parchment that Gu Jun noticeably did not bring out. Also, the banyan tree channel appeared to have copsed already.

    Both of these incidents were very important, but in terms of suggestive questions with regards to suspicion on Gu Jun, all fifteen members had shown implicit trust in Gu Jun.

    ¡°I have personally tested his trust before,¡± Lou Xiaoning said openly. ¡°I put the gun to his head. I wouldn¡¯t have med him if he left me to die, but he did not. ording to others, he did hesitate at the start, but that was probably due to the influence inside the underground tunnel. I¡¯ve experienced it myself. That feeling can truly mess with your mind!¡±

    In terms of Gu Jun¡¯s medical contribution on this mission, Uncle Dan had nothing but praise. ¡°Other than the time we had to conduct an emergency procedure on him, we conducted three operations, and honestly, every time, I was his assistant. Ah Jun really has the safety of his teammates in mind, and he is always ready to take responsibility. When the decision was made for Ah Mo to have both legs amputated, no one said anything, but if he failed to clean the parasite, he would have taken all the me. But he was not afraid. He is a good doctor because he is the kind of person who puts the interests of his patient first.¡±

    Even Captain Xue had plenty of good things to say about Gu Jun, but when it came to the incident about the parchments and the channel in the banyan tree, Xue Ba was silent for a moment.

    ¡°I honestly have no idea what he did back there,¡± Xue Ba finally concluded. ¡°But to choose to be thest one to leave requires great courage because all of the team members were at the verge of breaking down then. All of us could not wait to leave that godforsaken ce.

    ¡°Put it this way, Ah Jun¡¯s instinct when ites to that ce is far more urate than any of us. I might have a different opinion to him, but I would follow his instinct because his instinct is far more important than mine. In fact, it is far more important that these suppositions of rationality and logic during these aftermath analyses.¡±

    Thest sentence of Xue Ba was a warning for the interrogators. ¡®None of you were there; you will never fully understand everything.¡¯

    The Demon Hunters had stated their stance, and Phecda was going to hear the version of the story from Gu Jun himself. Yao Sinian, Prof Qin, and the rest were listening to Gu Jun quietly¡ªhow he could sense the spell, his understanding of the foreign spell, the new embedded memory triggered by the scalpel, how Lai Sheng Company wanted to sacrifice them, and how he countered with his newly-gained memory.

    Gu Jun went through the sequence of events slowly and calmly. He was collected, sincere, and brilliant. Was he hiding part of the truth? The group could not tell from, but from Gu Jun¡¯s past history, the chance of that was very high. Finally, Gu Jun reached the end, the part where he stayed back at the abnormal space alone. Be it in the Eastern State, the headquarters, or the interrogation room, everyone saw that Gu Jun was still as open and collected as ever.

    ¡°I use a QN-202 rocketuncher to blow up the parchments and then burn down the whole banyan tree forest. Finally, I use a c4 to blow up the channel right before I escaped,¡± he exined casually like he was describing the weather. ¡°Our civilization still does not have the ability to deal with the other diseases from that world. My instinct told me that there were too many dangerous viruses there. It is not some kind of newfoundnd but a death trap.¡±

    There was not a trace of regret or loss in his tone. ¡°The ce has to be destroyed so that was what I did.¡±

    The eight interrogators present were silent.

    Inside the meeting room, Yao Sinian, Leader Meng, and the rest looked at each other.

    They had thought that Gu Jun woulde up with excuses like the parchment disintegrated after the spell was used, the banyan tree forest copsed on its own, or he had no idea what happened after he left the channel. However, Gu Jun went with theplete opposite path; he did not leave anything to the imagination.

    ¡°Why would I destroy them?¡± Gu Jun asked as if to himself. ¡°I am a firm believer in movie tropes. In horror movies, most of the time, you need cowardice to survive.¡±

    ¡®Really?¡¯ The group was silent. ¡®But your actions showed no sign of cowardice. If anything, it¡¯s theplete opposite.¡¯

 Chapter 106: Latest S Value Assessment

    <h4>Chapter 106: Latest S Value Assessment</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Inside the sprawling interrogation room, the eight interrogators were silent. Their faces gave away nothing. Gu Jun looked them in the eye fearlessly. He was, for the most part, telling the truth. He even told them about the truth where the members from Lai Sheng Company that they encountered were souls from a different world, and they intended to summon the demon and take his power for their own use. But he did not go into detail about the demon; he hid the facts about Landon, the Son of Misfortune, and the system that he had bound to him.

    He made it sound as if he was not so different from the other Demon Hunters, other than his special instinct andtent memory about the foreign civilization caused by the experiment done on him as a Spirit Child. It was this special instinct that allowed him to trigger the spell-based mechanism, use his mind to break the shackles around the shrine by interrupting the Lai Sheng Company¡¯s spell, and activate the banyan tree channel. They were not spells; he did not know how to cast any spells, and that was the truth.

    The truth that he did not specify was that this sensory instinct originated from the two sides of Landon. Removed from Landon, Gu Jun was just a normal human. He had no powers like superhuman strength orser beam eyes. Gu Jun had considered long and hard before deciding to go with the truth. Of course, he could have lied, and no one would have been able to fact check him. But he wanted to show good faith. Perhaps he did omit some things, but his goal was simr to Phecda¡¯s¡ªto preserve the peace among humanity.

    ¡°I believe that forest has been burnt to ashes now,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. ¡°The source of the Malformed Banyan Disease is all dead. I believe there should be corresponding changes to the progress of the disease here on Earth, right? Did the trees self-immte or copse? I sure hope so.¡±

    In the past few days, Gu Jun had not been given any updates. He was not even given back the things they had confiscated from him, which meant that he had not taken the drug to stop his brain tumor for a week.

    The eight interrogators did not answer Gu Jun¡¯s questions. Instead, they jotted something down on their files. It was still Chen Yaoyan who spoke first. ¡°Ah Jun, we will ask you some questions now. I hope that you will give us the truth. First, don¡¯t you think that foreign world possesses a great worth for us to explore?¡±

    ¡°I told you earlier,¡± Gu Jun immediately replied. ¡°That is a death trap, an abyss. What we need to do now is not explore it but avoid it and stop it from overflowing to our world.¡±

    ¡°What you mention are natural risks thate with exploration,¡± Ding Jinling, another interrogator from the Scientific Research Department, countered. ¡°The risks taken when human beings discovered the new world and the frontier of space would not have been smaller than the risk thates with this exploration. But isn¡¯t it due to these explorations that human beings have reached the state of advancement we enjoy today?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯spletely different.¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°Apples and oranges.¡±

    Gu Jun knew that inside the helmets, the interrogators must have been equipped withmunicators. Their reaction carried with them the attitude of their superiors. It was clear that the superiors did not like the decision that he had made, so they pressed him about it. Theck of information could make the brilliant mind as dull as an idiot. Gu Jun did not resent them because they did not have the information that he had, information like the horror of disease like hemoptysis. But he had to make them understand the severity of the situation.

    ¡°If you are looking for an analogy, human beings are not a goodparison here. A wild boar might be better. One day, say, a wild boar decides it wants to explore the world beyond itsir, so it ventures into the city. The first building it enters turns out to be a ughterhouse. That¡¯s what my instinct told me. So, in my opinion, it is better for that wild boar to stay in the protection of the jungle.¡±

    After hearing what Gu Jun had to say, the group was silent again. ¡®A wild boar... one armed with a nuclear weapon?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your view of humanity is a bit too cynical and pessimistic?¡± Liu Mian from the Review Department asked. This question already included an assessment of Gu Jun¡¯s personality.

    Gu Jun gave another heavy breath. ¡°What would happen if cancer could be transmitted through the air? Think about it. Even the process of putrefaction is sped up in that world. Who knows what kind of tragedy an exploration might unleash?¡±

    He was feeling agitated. Pride was always humanity¡¯s sin, the first sin at that.

    Right then, the interrogator from the Investigation Department, Yang Xinsan, asked, ¡°Now that you have blown up the channel, how can you be sure the people from Lai Sheng Company have no ess to other channels?¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any other channel because those wormholes can only be created in that banyan tree forest,¡± Gu Jun exined. ¡°Those banyan trees have been transmuted by what we call abnormal energy and what the foreign civilization called the demon. The demon... yes, I know how ludicrous that sounds, but that is the truth. Now that all the banyan trees have been burned, those kinds of channels won¡¯t exist anymore.¡±

    ¡°Then, what is your reasoning for the destruction of the five pages of parchment?¡± Yang Xinsan pressed. ¡°Do you n to keep the content on them to yourself?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Gu Jun chuckled lightly. He knew this usation wasing. ¡°But the words only have power when they are written on those parchments, especially the spell that summons the Malformed Banyan Disease.¡±

    He held nothing back. Even though he was outnumbered, Gu Jun felt at ease. ¡°In fact, I can write down the spell both in the foreignnguage and in English now, but it will only be powerless fraud. No one will be able to make use of the Malformed Banyan Disease again.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Liu Mian was silent. If that was the truth, then Gu Jun truly wanted to destroy everything. A person with high spirituality with the desire for absolute destruction... Liu Mian opened his lips to ask, ¡°What kind of reason or rationality influenced this instinct of yours? What is your personal assessment of your current mental state?¡±

    ¡°Previously, my mental state was rather dark and bleak,¡± Gu Jun answered honestly. ¡°But after burning down that forest, I feel much better.¡±

    Liu Mian turned to Chen Yaoyan inquisitively. Thetter nodded, so Liu Mian continued. ¡°Ah Jun, do you know how you scored during this S value assessment?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Gu Jun frowned. From the sound of it, it was very low. When he joined Phecda, his score was 75...

    ¡°51.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun was stumped. Was this an interrogation tactic? Using false information to break him? How could he have scored 51? He felt perfectly normal.

    The eight interrogators stared at him with a mixture of concern and worry.

    If a member scored lower than 50, they would be forced to retire. 51 was actually a code from the reviewer. It meant that the subject was at the edge of madness, and his mental state was highly unstable, but there was still a chance of recovery. This was the window of chance that Liang Jiahui reserved for Gu Jun.

    ¡°51?¡± Gu Jun said with disbelief. The statement that Xue Ba gave bubbled up in his mind. ¡®People who have lost their mind will not realize that they have lost their minds¡¯.

    No, he shook the thought of his mind. ¡°There has to be something wrong with the result.¡±

    Perhaps the contradiction of light and darkness in his heart had distorted his physical data, causing this miscalction. Gu Jun was certain that he was mentally sound.

    The group of interrogators paid close attention to Gu Jun¡¯s response. This was also part of their critical review.

    ¡°Ah Jun, there is no need for you to worry,¡± Liu Man consoled. ¡°51 does not mean that you are crazy. It just means that you are in danger of acting more radically.¡±

    ¡°I know what I have done.¡± Gu Jun straightened up in his seat. He told him in the sincerest tone he could muster, ¡°I am a doctor, and I acted to save people. I am not crazy.¡±

 Chapter 107: The Old Shop at Duck Pond Street (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 107: The Old Shop at Duck Pond Street (2in1)</h4>

    Guang Ting City had always been a locale of focus for Phecda because in this big and busy city, there were many things happening on the surface and even more underneath it. But Duck Pond Street at the fringe of the city was not a particrly busymerce street. In fact, one could say it was quite abandoned. The businesses on this street were either shops that specialized in smuggled goods or ancient stores that did not have the revenue to move and were waiting for closure.

    One of them was a small shop called Ol¡¯ Tong¡¯s Convenience Store. Its merchandise ranged from female garments to children toys, from cigarettes and alcohol to over the counter medicine. These items were ced haphazardly in the store that was less than thirty cubic meters in size, and most of them were covered in ayer of dust. Who knew how long they had been sitting there already? Just like the name of the street it was situated on, the whole shop had the feeling of abandonment and banality to it.

    ¡°This dress costs one hundred RMB? Damn, Ol¡¯ Tong, you might as well go and rob the bank!¡± A middle-aged woman was grousing at the shop owner while holding a dress with flowery prints. ¡°My best offer is thirty RMB. Take it or leave it!¡±

    The shop owner, Ol¡¯ Tong, sat behind the cashier at the door. He was a man over fifty. Even though the weather was getting cold, he was only dressed in a white sleeveless tank tap. His legs were crossed, and the flip flops dangling off his feet moved evenly as the man shook his leg. He was studying a newspaper that contained the lotto number for that day. asionally, he would pick up the nearby ballpoint pen to circle some numbers on it.

    ¡°I will be losing money if I sell you that dress for thirty RMB, Auntie Xia. How about this? Considering how beautiful you are, I¡¯ll give you a twenty percent discount, eighty RMB,¡± Ol¡¯ Tong said as he reached over to grab a stainless steel bottle on the counter to take a sip. His rather drunken eyes were fixed on the lotto numbers, grumbling, ¡°The next season looks like it will go for the higher numbers... but I¡¯ve always bet on the lower ones...¡±

    ¡°Have you lost your mind? I can buy three of the same dress on the inte with eighty RMB!¡± Thedy dropped the dress back on the messy rack. ¡°Your loss!¡±

    She turned around with a huff but made sure her eyes were on Ol¡¯ Tong to see if the man had any intention of stopping her from leaving. But Ol¡¯ Tong¡¯s interest was firmly fixed on the lotto numbers. It did not seem like he was in any way interested in making a sale.

    Seeing this, thedy whipped her head around and almost ran into a customer who was standing outside the shop. It was a tall and muscr man, with an expression that seemed to glower at her. Her heart skipped a beat and hurried to leave. When she exited the shop, she realized there were a few ck cars parked down the road, and there were more men and women standing there staking out Ol¡¯ Tong¡¯s Convenience Store.

    Right then, a middle-aged man dressed in a western suit emerged from one of the cars. He was almost the same age as she was, but his physique was well kept, and his eyes were sharp. It seemed like time had left no traces on him. With the protection of the group of people who appeared to be his bodyguards, the middle-aged man headed toward the convenient store.

    ¡®My god, Ol¡¯ Tong has lost so much money in his gambling that he had to borrow from the mafia?¡¯ the middle-ageddy thought to herself. She walked even faster because she did not want to get involved should there be a fight. Everyone at Duck Pond Street knew that Ol¡¯ Tong had a proclivity for gambling and drinking. The man had a mouth that carried no praise as well. He owed so many people money and was truly a horrible man. Otherwise, how would he end up with no wife and children at his age? Staying alone in that old shop of his, if he had died inside, no one would know for months.

    Thedy turned back to look, and she chanced to see the middle-aged man walk into Ol¡¯ Tong¡¯s shop alone. The bodyguards had all stayed to guard outside the shop. ¡®I wonder who those people are...¡¯

    If the middle-aged woman had looked closer, she would have noticed that the expressions of these people were lined not with malice but reverence. The gaze of the middle-aged man carried not ferocity but a suppressed awe. The middle-aged man was Lee Mingfan, the leader of Phecda in Guang Ting City. He had held his post for five years already, but he only had respect for those who paved the road for him.

    Lee Mingfan gazed at the old man behind the counter and bowed slightly. He greeted him, ¡°Elder Tong.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Ol¡¯ Tong had noticed these people a long time ago. He appeared to be even drunker than usual.

    ¡°Elder Tong, many things have happened around the countrytely.¡± Lee Mingfan ced arge stack of documents on the counter. ¡°Here is some information.¡±

    Recently, abnormal activity had be active especially the incident with the Malformed Banyan Disease, and now the Eastern State had that big incident with the abnormal space.

    ¡°What do the top brass think?¡± Ol¡¯ Tong did not reach for the document but continued to study his lotto numbers. ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid that I might go crazy reading these things?¡±

    ¡°Elder Tong, please don¡¯t toy with me.¡± Lee Mingfan sighed with a bitter chuckle. ¡°It was the higher ups who sent me here. There have been new changes to the situation. Your decision and suggestion for Phecda regarding that case... have all been brought out to be reviewed again.¡±

    By the end of the sentence, he could not stop his tone from getting animated. Elder Tong was a legendary character; his character profile was only fully essible to B grade members. Even as the section leader, Lee Mingfan still had no idea about his true identity.

    Back then, Elder Tong managed to solve multiple impossible cases at a very young age. He made his way up to be the leader of a now-abolished Special Mobile Force team in record time; rising to an important seat at the headquarters was only a matter of time. At the time, Lee Mingfan was only a normal G grade member at the Investigation Department. Elder Tong was an idol for him and his peers. Butter, due to a mysterious case that remained unsolved to this day... Elder Tong ¡®lost his mind¡¯. His S value dropped to below thirty, and he was branded as an extremely dangerous character. He was forced into retirement, and it had been thirty years since then. But now... Elder Tong¡¯s once ¡®words of incoherence¡¯ appeared to have alle true.

    The higher ups at the headquarters understood that to deal with the situation they were facing, they needed Elder Tong back. Thirty years was enough to dull a sharp de into rust, but the headquarters still had faith in Elder Tong and were willing to give him a chance.

    ¡°Have there been new developments... in that case?¡± Ol¡¯ Tong asked. Some seriousness finally entered his voice, and he even put down the lotto numbers.

    ¡°There have, but you will have to return to the headquarters to find out more.¡± Lee Mingfan nodded seriously. ¡°The higher ups know you are not satisfied with how they handled things back then, and thirty years of exile is an unfair punishment for you, but with the state of things now, we hope that whether it is for the sake of that case or the safety of the public, you will agree to return.¡±

    ¡°To return?¡± Ol¡¯ Tong picked up the alcohol to drink and chuckled with almost a sneer. ¡°Finally, people believe the nonsense about spells and cults that I spoke of?¡±

    Lee Mingfan was not surprised by Elder Tong¡¯s sarcastic jab. He was familiar with Elder Tong¡¯s personality.

    ¡°Elder Tong, you must know that I have always got your back. The higher ups now know that you were right, so they are nning to set up a new department to deal with this whole thing.¡± Lee Mingfan tried his best to persuade him. ¡°For now, you will lead an experimental Special Mobile Force team, and it will be affiliated directly under the headquarters. You will support all the events happening across the country. Among the information here, there are talents for you to pick from. Why don¡¯t you see if there¡¯s anyone that catches your eye? Elder Tong, please. If you refuse, how do you expect me to go back and answer to the higher up?¡±

    The people outside the door very cleverly shut off their eyes and ears. The normally respected Leader Lee was now begging like a child.

    ¡°Fine, let me take a look at these talents you speak of.¡± Ol¡¯ Tong picked up the document. He flipped through the pages after giving them a quick scan. ¡°Hmm, oh...¡±

    Lee Mingfan knew that Elder Tong was not pulling his leg. Elder Tong had a photographic memory. He could remember what he saw with one nce.

    ¡°This one has too high an S value, a greenhouse baby, won¡¯t do.¡± Ol¡¯ Tong tossed the personnel file out like trash. Then he threw away another while shaking his head. ¡°This one is toomonce, nope. Why is he ring? Did his parents just die? Nope. This one... is quite interesting...¡±

    Ol¡¯ Tong pulled one out and put it aside before moving onto the next one. ¡°Wait... this...¡±

    His eyes were shining as they slowed down to scan the information carefully.

    Lee Mingfan leaned forward to look. It was Gu Jun¡¯s file sent from the Eastern State.

    ¡°Haha.¡± Ol¡¯ Tong¡¯s ruddy face from the alcohol was painted with joy that had eclipsed him for a very long. ¡°Well done, that was one hell of a good explosion!¡± Ol Tang pped the document in his hand and guffawed happily. ¡°This is a good kid!¡± He waved at Lee Mingfan and shouted. ¡°Hand me the mic.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Lee Mingfan nodded. Elder Tong already knew that the man was mic-ed; the people from headquarters were always listening in on other people¡¯s business. No matter where, the headquarters knew everything that happened within Phecda.

    Lee Mingfan was told that he was to follow Elder Tong¡¯s every order. Even though he knew the headquarters would be against this particr wish, he still handed the bug in his pocket over to Elder Tong.

    Ol¡¯ Tong grabbed the bug and shouted into it, ¡°Motive awaiting more discussion? Mental state unstable? Low S value? You people are the ones that needed to be checked! If he did not blow that ce up, the world would be doomed until the time you people decided to act. He¡¯s performed perfectly!

    ¡°Do you know how precious this kid is? You should be thankful that he is willing to stay with Phecda.

    ¡°You want me to get out of retirement, yes? Two conditions.¡±

    Ol¡¯ Tong looked at Lee Mingfan but spoke into the bug.

    ¡°One, reopen that old case; two, give me this Gu Jun.¡±

 Chapter 108: New Arrangement

    <h4>Chapter 108: New Arrangement</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    How could someone prove whether they suffered from a psychiatric illness or not? The Rosenhan Experiment proved that most psychiatric doctors could not tell who was really suffering from psychiatric disorders. Even that mysterious system did not provide a clear diagnosis of the host¡¯s mental state, it only provided some physical data.

    ¡°I am not crazy.¡± Gu Jun held firm to that belief. There had to be other reasons for his low S value; what he needed to do was continue to be himself. It was now the eighth day into his istion. Other than cooperating with the interrogation, writing down new foreign words, and rewriting the ruined parchment, for the past few days, he had been reading medical books and undergoing intense physical training. Gu Jun now understood the importance of physical stamina. Be it standing for the whole day inside the surgical room or surviving in the world, he needed a stronger body. Therefore, his days were spent through sit-ups, push-ups, and high protein meals... Therefore, sleep came to him easily every night.

    If not for the problem with the brain stem tumor, he couldst for two months with this kind of lifestyle, but it had been two weeks since he stopped his medication. His brain started to pulse with pain again. Before this, the cancerous cell in his brain had stopped growing and showed signs of shrinking, but now the system had rung the warning bell again. Gu Jun was stuck in this conundrum. The medicine was part of the personal effects he had handed over before he entered the banyan tree, and the pills were stored inside a sleeping pill bottle. Now, his every movement was under surveince. Even if he managed to steal back the medication, he would be questioned when he was seen consuming the drug.

    That morning, someone came to pay him a visit. It was Prof Qin. Prof Qin was in serious protective gear when he walked into Gu Jun¡¯s room. The man appeared much older with his head of white hair.

    ¡°Prof Qin.¡± Gu Jun could not help but feelforted seeing a familiar face. It was like he was finally yanked back to real life from a very long dream, even though Prof Qin was the person who lured him into that dream.

    ¡°Ah Jun, things must have been hard for you.¡± The smile on Prof Qin¡¯s face was kind. ¡°There is no problem with your physical check. The state of that tumor is stable. Even though you said that ce is very dangerous and dirty, none of you came back with any strange viruses or bacteria. There is no change to the physical body, but Phecda decided to keep all of you in istion only for the sake of security.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news...¡± Gu Jun sighed in relief, and that was not only for himself. ¡°Prof Qin, I was really worried we would bring some horrible disease back with us.¡±

    It looked like the Malformed Banyan Disease had incidentally ¡®consecrated¡¯ that shrine. With the pooling of abnormal energy, the other vicious virus and bacteria could not get close. This perhaps could prove that the source of hemoptysis was not a microorganism. It would fit Raybundy¡¯s observation...

    ¡°But you are going to be transferred,¡± Prof Qin said. His tone made it sound like he was not delivering bad news. If anything, he sounded relieved. ¡°No need to worry about the Demon Hunters; they are all fine. Phecda merely has a different n for you. They wish for you to join a newly established national Special Mobile Force unit, and you will enter training soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun was stunned. This was truly a surprise. He had thought that he would be continually bombarded by the Review and Tribunal Departments. ¡®Joining a new Special Mobile Force unit? Is this some kind of test?¡¯

    ¡°I know this wille as a shock to you.¡± Prof Qin ignored the clear suspicion on the young man¡¯s face and sighed. ¡°I nned to keep you around the Medical Department for another year to finish your training, but desperate times call for decision measures. After all, the Malformed Banyan Disease has been temporarily resolved, but there are still other cases elsewhere...¡±

    ¡°Then...¡± Gu Jun was thinking openly. ¡°Will I receive my training here at the Eastern State?¡±

    ¡°No, there is a helicopter that will fly you to a base in the Northern Desert. Your new superior will meet you there. His name is Huang Guotong, but everyone calls him Elder Tong. He is the generation after mine. Elder Tong... is a very unique character. You¡¯ll see.¡±

    Both Prof Qin and Yao Sinian were surprised by this result. They were certain that Gu Jun was going to be kicked out from Phecda. But ording to rumors, Elder Tong had mmed his fists at the conference room in the headquarters and openly berated the higher ups who sent him into exile all those years ago. He brought up the names of those who had retired and even passed away. He individually mmed them one by one, but no one dared speak back to him.

    ¡°If you do not carefully deal with Gu Jun, the mistake you make will be much bigger than you did with me!¡± Elder Tong shouted angrily. ¡°This is a precious treasure. It is not to be wasted! Brain stem tumor? He is still alive, isn¡¯t he? In that case, I¡¯ll take him. I¡¯ll train him to be the leader of this Special Mobile Force unit.¡±

    Elder Tong was impudent and presumptuous, but that was the way he was before he ¡®went mad¡¯. Among these higher ups, even if ording to seniority, the most senior among them was at the level of Prof Qin. The rest of them were equal or even junior to Elder Tong. Furthermore, if he was not forced into retirement, Elder Tong would definitely have been among the center of power at Phecda. After thirty years of exile, the man¡¯s life hadpletely changed, and Phecda had to ask him for help, so who could say anything back?

    Therefore, those who supported getting Elder Tong out of retirement directly handed Gu Jun over to Elder Tong. Of course, this was just a trial. There would still be a tribunal afterward to ess and discuss the results of their team.

    ¡°This time, it is Elder Tong who saved you,¡± Prof Qin told Gu Jun. ¡°You can ce your trust in him. Elder Tong has gone through even more things than you, so he¡¯ll understand you.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun nodded, but the suspicion in his heart did not lessen... ¡®Is this whole thing just a show? Do they want to use this Elder Tong to get close to me to draw out more information from me?¡¯

    ¡°Good luck.¡± Prof Qin patted his shoulder. Even through the protective gear, Gu Jun could feel the warmth. ¡°You know I am always in your corner. Oftentimes, only us studying medicine can see thetent danger in certain things.¡±

    Gu Jun wasforted by Prof Qin¡¯s encouragement. He felt ashamed for suspecting Prof Qin earlier. Perhaps his nerves were a bit taut.

    After their farewell, Gu Jun put on the protective gear and followed Prof Qin out of the istion room. He was finally given back his personal effects. His phone and his bottle of ¡®sleeping pills¡¯ were all there, untouched. When he was about to get into the vehicle to leave the campsite, he saw Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, and the rest standing in the distance. They were all in protective gear. It appeared like they were there to send him off. But obviously, they were still forbidden from having close contact.

    ¡°Ah Jun!¡± Uncle Dan shouted and waved.

    Xue Ba cupped his hands together and roared, ¡°We heard you¡¯re leaving.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jun nodded at them and shouted back. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now. There¡¯s another arrangement for me in Phecda. We¡¯ll meet upter. Uncle Dan, I still remember your promise.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I swear your eyes will spin by the end of the night!¡± Uncle Danughed.

    Lin Mo was seated in a wheelchair. He looked much better. He raised his right leg and shouted, ¡°Ah Jun, thank you for this.¡±

    Lou Xiaoning with her eye patch added, ¡°Thank you for everything. Have a safe journey!¡±

    Gu Jun waved at the fifteen of them. With them waving back, he turned and got into the vehicle. Inside the enclosed cabin, there was no signal on his phone, so he sat on the chair, mulling over his thoughts. The journey was treacherous. The car moved for one hour before it arrived at a military copter pad. The vehicle drove into a military-use cargo ne. Then the ne lifted off, leaving Eastern State, heading toward the Northern Desert.

 Chapter 109: 3 Patients

    <h4>Chapter 109: 3 Patients</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡®Members with an S value higher or equal to sixty are not allowed entry.¡¯

    A piece of A4 paper was pasted on the activity room¡¯s wooden door. The handwriting on the paper was uneven and ugly. Gu Jun walked down the corridor, and his heart quivered when he saw this sign. ¡®My S value is 51, so I can enter it...¡¯

    The desert stretched endlessly. Yellow sand blew into the sky, ravaging the barrennd. A secret Phecda base was built deep within the desert, within the territory of Northern Desert¡¯s Chi Lin City. The base was well-equipped. Considering how low this ce¡¯s poption was, it had a natural sense of istion to it, and ording to rumors, many of Phecda¡¯s more unsightly experiments were conducted there. This was a ce more mysterious than the Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department. After Gu Jun arrived at this ce, before he could get much of a tour, he was escorted by the workers into the small t that looked so abandoned from the outside and deposited before this activity room. Gu Jun was still wearing his orange-yellow protective gear, lending him the appearance of an astronaut. He carried an oxygen tank on his back that provided cirction, and his voice was mainly broadcast through a speaker.

    ¡°Mr. Gu, this is it,¡± the worker exined. ¡°Two of the trainees have already arrived. Why don¡¯t you familiarize yourselves with each other first? Elder Tong will be here soon. You will have to go in on your own. My S value does not fit the requirement.¡±

    Meaning, not low enough.

    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Gu Jun raised his hand to knock on the door before pushing the door and entering. This was a rather spacious room. The four walls were covered in yellowing white paint, some misceneous objects were ced at the corners, and there was a movable white board. In the middle of the room were three wooden chairs, forming a triangle. Currently, there were already two people sitting there.

    Gu Jun took a look around. One of them was a youngdy in her twenties, and the other was a little boy who could not have been more than ten. The boy had his head lowered. His body movement appeared to be ungainly and awkward. Thedy¡¯s eyes were on him the moment Gu Jun walked into the room because she was seated facing the door.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Gu Jun.¡± Gu Jun offered his self-introduction as he walked over. ¡°Er, this whole getup... is just a protective measure, to prevent a possible infectious disease. But I am a doctor, a clinical doctor from the Eastern State Medical Department.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, tastes quite salty...¡± the woman murmured softly, her red lips moved as if tasting something. ¡°Salty voice too.¡±

    She had a slight frame, short hair, and somewhat elfish facial features. Her dark brow was arched high, and her pair of beautiful eyes appeared to glowing with some kind of mystical glint.

    Gu Jun was confused. ¡®What does she mean by that?¡¯

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Thedy stood up and extended her hand to him. ¡°My name is Wu Siyu, a G grade member from Shen Hai City¡¯s Relic Department. I¡¯m an art student.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Gu Jun shook her hand. Not every Phecda division had a Relic Department because the appraisal and study of relics would normally be handled by the Archaeological and Scientific Research Departments. Relic Departments only existed as a faciliatory department in super metropolises like Shen Hai City. Gu Jun technically had no idea what their job responsibility was.

    Just as their hands touched, Wu Siyu yelped in pain. She took her hand back, and her face grimaced from intense pain. ¡°Just... what are you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Jun was made even more confused. ¡®Just what is she doing? Is she pulling some kind of prank on me?¡¯

    ¡°I have synesthesia. I was born with it.¡± Wu Siyu was still sucking in cold breath from the pain. ¡°You doctors say it is a kind of mental illness, but I feel perfectly fine. I merely have perceptive experiences that are different from normal people. When I was shaking your hand earlier, it felt like I was holding a knife. Damn, that was painful.¡±

    ¡®Synesthesia?¡¯ Gu Jun was instantly reminded of the rare mental illness that he had studied during his training. First, ¡®perceptive experience¡¯ was amon human psychological phenomenon. For example, you would feel a certain way when presented with different colors; that was how we differentiate between warm and cold colors. Red would give a feeling of excitement and alert; blue would invoke a sense of serenity and calmness. The same could be said for music. Hip hop could get people into the mood to dance while ssical music could help induce slumber. These feelings were perceptive experiences unique to human beings. It was not something material. If you yed Beethoven to a mouse, the mouse would probably hear white noise.

    For people with synesthesia, however, might feel a very strong and involuntarily cross connection between the perceptive stimulus and the sense(s) that it triggered. For example, they could taste music and see colors in numbers or feel like they were touching a knife when shaking someone¡¯s hand...

    ¡°And that was through ayer of protective gear.¡± Wu Siyu shook her hand helplessly. ¡°If I¡¯d made direct contact with you, I would be bleeding now.¡±

    ¡°So, you were saying earlier that my name and voice are both salty?¡± Gu Jun finally understood it now. Names would cause perceptive experiences, too. For example, Pennywise would invoke the image of a scary clown, but other names would not. In essence, Wu Siyu would have these perceptive experiences so much more intense than others, so much so that it was like she was experiencing them in person.

    ¡°So, you heard me.¡± Wu Siyu rolled her eyes to make an ugly expression at Gu Jun. ¡°Yes, it was very salty, like I shoved a handful of salt into my mouth.¡±

    ¡®Haha,¡¯ Gu Jun grumbled internally. ¡®That¡¯s probably because you were feeling salty at how handsome I look...¡¯

    He took the chair that was left empty for him. He turned to the boy. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I... I am Xiao Xu.¡± The little boy kept his head lowered. He froze and refused to have any eye contact with the rest of them. ¡°I know... math.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Xu has Asperger Syndrome. He was born with it too,¡± Wu Siyu exined. Her tone suggested that she thought this was nothing unusual.

    ¡°Okay, understood.¡± Gu Jun nodded. No wonder his bodynguage was so awkward.

    Asperger syndrome (AS), also known as Asperger¡¯s, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbalmunication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It is also often rted to geniuses because some patients have shown remarkable intelligence and have superhuman talent in certain fields. For example, Einstein might have been a patient of AS.

    Gu Jun had not conducted deep research into this, but he did understand that Xiao Xu would not be considered an average human being either.

    After the brief introduction, silence descended upon the room. The three looked at each other on the chairs, each with their own thoughts.

    Gu Jun was still quite confused. ¡®There couldn¡¯t be a team with just three members, right? And if they are the standard for choosing the members...¡¯

    One of them was a child with AS, another a synesthete, thest a victim of brain stem tumor, and all of them had S value lower than sixty. What was this? What kind of Special Mobile Force unit would this be?

 Chapter 110: Mental Illness

    <h4>Chapter 110: Mental Illness</h4>

    The silence stretched out for a while.

    ¡°Wu Siyu, may I ask you a few questions?¡± Gu Jun asked, his toneced with curiosity.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Wu Siyu looked at him. ¡°You want to know what your friends or girlfriend¡¯s names taste like, right?¡±

    ¡°Erm... Yes, but they are just my friends.¡± Gu Jun both wanted to know the answer and wanted to get to know Wu Siyu, so he began this topic. He decided to leave Xiao Xu for now. People with AS had their own rhythm. Clinical research showed that they would not voluntarily interact with other if they were not familiar with other people.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m used to being treated as a parlor trick anyway.¡± Wu Siyu sighed as she slumped in her chair weakly. ¡°Give me their names.¡±

    Gu Jun obliged. ¡°Okay, what about Cai Zixuan?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, Cai Zixuan...¡± Wu Siyu moved her lips and narrowed her ck eyes. ¡°Tastes like homemade soup, not bad.¡±

    Gu Jun was instantly startled as surprise overwhelmed him. ¡®This girl... If this is a not a set-up, then she must have read Cai Zixuan¡¯s file before...¡¯

    In any case, he understood why Wu Siyu had been invited her. Her synesthesia must be the kind that was very intense.

    ¡°What about Wang Ruoxiang?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wu Siyu started to munch again. ¡°What is this? So strange... Damn, formalin!¡±

    She almost rolled down from her chair. Her face paled, and she coughed with difficulty. Her eyes reddened like she was hit with a mist of formalin. She repeated to herself, ¡°Yao Ming, Yao Ming!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart raced even faster. He had the urge to peel open her brain to inspect it. How did her neural sensors connect to certain specific information about the stimulus? His name was salty? It suddenly hit Gu Jun. It was the sea. Seawater was salty. Longkan seabed...

    But...

    ¡°Yao Ming?¡± he asked.

    After calling Yao Ming as if her life depended on it, Wu Siyu slowly calmed down. She groaned with bitterness. ¡°Is your friend dead? Of course Yao Ming. Yao Ming is the most delicious name I¡¯ve tasted. Tasty and incredibly fulfilling.¡±

    She adjusted herself and slumped back in her chair.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Gu Jun answered. The girl could literally survive on names. People needed imagination still, but she only needed to think about people¡¯s names.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you.¡± Wu Siyu rubbed her belly and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m too full already.¡±

    The perceptive experience of a synesthete was as real as it could be; some could even close bodily reactions. This kind of ¡®illusory effect¡¯ was not limited to people like Wu Siyu. It worked on normal human beings too, albeit not to such an extreme extent. The mostmon example would be the cebo effect. Patients were offered vitamins in the guise of actual medicine, but they often reported actual recovery in their symptoms. Some clinical tests of new medicine would have cebo groups forparison to lessen the bias the testers might have toward the drug. Even though medicine had not arrived at a conclusive consensus about this phenomenon, they were certain it had something to do with psychological influences.

    ¡°Let me tell you, ¡®Yao Ming¡¯ tastes like the best food in the world,¡± Wu Siyu said as if making a rmendation. ¡°Shark fin soup, bear paw...¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± What else could Gu Jun say? ¡®I will try it next time¡¯?

    If he was not a medical student and his own S value was only 51, he would have run out of the room there and then. If Wu Siyu was ced in public and exposed as a mental patient, people would buy his story, and with current medical standards, she would be diagnosed as one too. But then again, following current medical standards, he himself would not only be diagnosed as a patient of mental stem tumor but of schizophrenia as well.

    ¡®Schizophrenia? Now that does make me feel like I belong here,¡¯ Gu Jun thought self-deprecatingly.

    ¡°Your instinct was very urate,¡± he told Wu Siyu. ¡°Cai Zixuan likes to cook, and his specialty is soups. Wang Ruoxiang is a medical student like me, and she encounters formalin a lot.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± Wu Siyu closed her eyeszily. ¡°It used to be not so urate, buttely, it has gotten so much more on the nose. Oh well.¡±

    ¡®If this was not a set up, then some kind of incident must have happened to her recently too,¡¯ Gu Jun thought. ¡®Some kind of incident like his.¡¯

    He did not bring that up but continued to chat casually with Wu Siyu. She was not particrly a chatter box, but at least she made an interesting chatting partner. On the one hand, she was mysterious and hard to read; on the other hand, she was strangely boy-hungry.

    Xiao Xu continued to maintain his silence. Gu Jun noted that the boy had not moved a muscle. He was like a statue, and that could not help but draw attention.

    Right then, the door of the room creaked open. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu turned to look and saw a middle-aged man walk in. It was the Elder Tong they had seen in the picture. Currently, Elder Tong was casually dressed in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip flops. He held a beer bottle, and a drunken smile hung on his face.

    ¡°The three of you are all here, wonderful! I am Huang Guotong.¡± Elder Tong walked over happily. ¡°I¡¯ve heard so many things about the three of you.¡±

    Elder Tong walk up to Gu Jun andnded a sound p on his protective gear. ¡°Gu Jun, remove this thing. It gets in the way.¡±

    ¡°Er...¡± Gu Jun had not encountered a superior like this before. Even though Brother Qiang and Uncle Dan were kind, they were sticklers for the rules. But this Elder Tong waspletely different... Gu Jun was reminded of what Prof Qin had said. ¡®He is a very unique person.¡¯

    ¡°Do you need me to help you?¡± Elder Tong wiggled his fingers and grinned sciously.

    ¡°Elder Tong!¡± Gu Jun hurried to stop him. ¡°Please don¡¯t. I know you are only helping me, but I volunteered to be isted. This is for the sake of everyone¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°You sure are one hell of a cautious dude.¡± Elder Tong halted, but hended another p on his helmet. He chuckled. ¡°But this thing can only iste micro-organisms. Can it iste the other things? Micro-organisms are not the only way to transmit diseases in this world.¡±

    Gu Jun was startled. ¡®A transmission method or source that¡¯s not a micro-organism? How much does Elder Tong know?¡¯

    Xiao Xu¡¯s presence was still not noted. Slumped in her chair, Wu Siyu looked at their exchange with some interest.

    ¡°All of you are seen as crazy or almost crazy, a virus that should be swept out of Phecda,¡± Elder Tong said as he walked to the corner to pull out the movable whiteboard. ¡°Back then, I was just like you, but I was actually kicked out of Phecda. However, now, I am here. As you must¡¯ve noticed by now, I share a philosophy different from them. I know each and everyone of you here is a priceless treasure.¡±

    Elder Tong regarded them like how one would look at three gold nuggets, his eyes overflowing with greed.

    ¡°I wish to create a new Special Mobile Force unit with you three as the core! Temporarily, we only have three members, but more will join in the future. I am sure of that. But how is it that our unit will be different from others?

    ¡°Burp...¡±

    Elder Tong burped from the beer. He grabbed the marker pen and wrote down a term on the board.

    ¡®Spells.¡¯

    ¡°Other than fighting ability and survivability, we are going to be a super unit that possesses the ability to use spells.¡±

    The three others were silent, like cynics at an MLM meeting, but Elder Tong was filled with determination and continued with passion.

 Chapter 111: Problematic Team

    <h4>Chapter 111: Problematic Team</h4>

    ¡°To pick out all the noted human psychic power that has appeared through history and treat it as a historical research subject,¡± a scientist wrote in ¡®Expanding the Basic of Somatic Science¡¯.

    In the 80s, a wave of psychic energy study swept across the globe. This was not a coincidence but could be redited to certain events that transpired within that period. When it came to Elder Tong¡¯s time, the fad had not faded away. If anything, the field had be a taboo, a poisonous cancer that desperately needed to be cleansed, so when Elder Tong came up with his ¡®disconcerting suggestions¡¯, it only confirmed Phecda¡¯s suspicion of his madness.

    ¡°Are there actual spells in this world?¡± Elder Tong looked at the three silent members with a smile. ¡°I know there are and you know there are because we have all experienced it personally.¡±

    Indeed, Gu Jun knew that there were spells. He had seen them in action and had even gone so close as casting one himself. He had in fact blown up a parchment with a spell on it. But what had Uncle Tong experienced? Wu Siyu? Even a ten-year-old boy who was a whiz in math had simr experience?

    ¡°First, let me first introduce the terminology that was popr during my time studying psychic powers,¡± Elder Tong said as he listed down the following on the whiteboard.

    Extra Sensory Perception

    PSYCH-K

    Telepathy

    Precognition

    Superhuman Talent

    ¡°At the time, the culture made everything out to be more exaggerated than it was, and it seeped into the public mindset. But it went nowhere in the end. Only the Scientific Research Department still had a few unimportant studies going on, but it¡¯s pointless because they went the direction wrong from the start. The authenticity of these phenomena aside, they had to find the correct subjects to do the experiments. It¡¯s meaningless to conduct studies on people who im they can control Qi and so on; they are mostly just frauds. Only talents such as yourselves will do.¡± Elder Tong turned to look at the three, and greed colored his eyes again. ¡°Wu Siyu, your talent is rted to ESP; Xiao Xu, yours is rted to superhuman talent; Gu Jun, you... well, you probably have a little of everything. If one is to master spells, one must be gifted with these talents. The mission I have given myself is to figure out a way to help you learn to activate, control, and utilize your talents!¡±

    With sweeping gestures, Elder Tong wrote down some terms on the board inrge letters.

    Activate, Control, Utilize.

    Gu Jun¡¯s interest was immediately piqued. What Elder Tong said was exactly what he was looking for...

    He had blown up that parchment to destroy the channel and Malformed Banyan Disease, not because he did not want to study them. Foreign spells or other spells, it would be unfair if only the enemy had ess to them. Furthermore, he still had other needs. The mysterious system aside, he also needed to control the ability to trigger the illusions. That should be considered a type of ESP talent too. He also did not know how to control the power and consciousness of the Son of Steel and the Son of Misfortune. Thest time he tried to do so, his heart had stopped.

    ¡°Elder Tong, what is your suggested training method?¡± Gu Jun could not help but ask.

    ¡°Of course, the training will be rted to breaking through many of your self-imposed limits.¡± Elder Tong looked sincere and reliable. ¡°But to do that, I need all of you to be as honest with me about your situation as you can. That way, I cane up with the most effective training n.¡±

    ¡°Elder Tong, I have a question.¡± Wu Siyu waved her handzily. ¡°In return, will you be honest and share all your secrets with us?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Even Elder Tong, who was so experienced, was surprised by this question. ¡°I temporarily will not do that, but I can share with you the number that I believe wille up in the lotto next week.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, then that makes it difficult for me to be honest with you,¡± Wu Siyu grumbled. Her facial expression seemed to be saying, ¡®You have failed to gain my trust, dirty old man.¡¯

    Gu Jun shrugged silently, but that was enough to state his intention of keeping to himself. If this was a set up, then this was too easy a trap. If it was not, then... what kind of strange unit was this? The superior had his own secrets, and every member had their own secrets.

    ¡°Fine, in that case, I¡¯ll pick all kinds of training for you, so just tell me if any of them work.¡± Elder Tong sighed as he shook his head. ¡°Kindness is only trampled on nowadays. It was me who saved you guys from the cells of the Correctional Department.¡±

    Elder Tong turned to them with a smile. ¡°Never mind, I expected such stubbornness from all of you. Therefore, the name of the unit I¡¯ve registered for us is¡ªProblematic Team!¡±

    ¡°The name of this team tastes like... well, it¡¯s impossible to describe,¡± Wu Siyu chided softly.

    ¡®Problematic Team?¡¯ Gu Jun thought that was quite a fitting moniker.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you¡¯ll be the leader; Wu Siyu, Xiao Xu, both of you are vice leaders.¡± Elder Tong appointed them with seriousness. ¡°This is not a joke. During this training, all of you will learn the basics of leadership. Currently, the team only has the three of you, but our numbers will only grow. You might also be asked to support other units at any time, so study hard and have faith in yourselves.¡±

    Gu Jun had enough confidence in himself, but to know that he was being trained as a team leader... that came as a surprise.

    ¡°The training will officially begin tomorrow,¡± Elder Tong said with confidence. ¡°The next month will be incredibly tough, so take this down time to rest. I can guarantee that even your dreams will be filled with nightmares in theing month. Alright, meeting¡¯s over. Since none of you are willing to share with me your secrets, I¡¯ll go busy myself with something else.¡±

    With that, Elder Tong swaggered out of the room with his beer. His gait was shaking. He did not close the door and wandered away.

    ¡°Er, leader?¡± Wu Siyu called Gu Jun.

    The greeting was so unfamiliar that it took Gu Jun a while to register. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Are we allowed to leave?¡±

    ¡°...I guess so.¡±

    So, the three left the activity room, and the workers led them to their amodation. But since Gu Jun was technically still in quarantine, he was led to a rather isted building away from the main base and was ced inside an istion room. Thankfully, the room was spacious andrge enough with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom. Most importantly, it had Wi-Fi. After half a month, he finally returned to the online world. Gu Jun removed the protective gear and paced it in the living room. He logged into WeChat and Phecda¡¯s ssified Chat. There were a bunch of unread messages. Lee Yuerui was still sending him memes. Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang asked about his health and situation... They pinged him basically every two days. The questions were mostly about whether he was online, how was he doing, and whether he couldmunicate with them.

    The messages warmed his heart. Before this, he had been briefed on the confidentiality state of his situation. He replied to them one by one. The content was basically: ¡°I¡¯m still alive and kicking, currently in a special training program.¡±

    It was dinner time. Many people instantly replied to him. Gu Jun believed that meant that they were not on duty. This was a good thing because it proved that the Medical Department did not have to deal with an overload of patients. After chatting with his friends, Gu Jun felt the lightest he had felt in a long while. The Afterlife Cult had suffered a temporary setback. Perhaps he would get the chance to enjoy some peaceful days ahead.

    For the special training period of a month, Gu Jun decided to make it a goal for himself. No matter what Elder Tong was up to, he would make use of this chance to make himself better and stronger!

    Since he was now the leader of the Problematic Team, he would rise to the asion and be the best leader he could be.

 Chapter 112: Ganzfeld Experiment

    <h4>Chapter 112: Ganzfeld Experiment</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Early the next morning, Gu Jun started his training with Wu Siyu and Xiao Yu. There were three main programs to their training. First was their personal skill, with the least amount of training. Second was survival training. This was amon training program for members of the Special Mobile Force. It included training for stamina, fighting, utilization of firearms, and so on. They were basically training as special agents, but the degree to which they were trained was different. After all, Xiao Xu was only ten. It was impossible to have him run for 10,000 meters with the two adults. To be fair though, Gu Jun did not run the 10,000 meters either because he was wearing the protective gear. That added to his extra weight, and he still had that brain stem tumor to worry about, so he was given lighter training. The brunt of the training fell on poor Wu Siyu. The only girl in their team had the toughest training.

    In the morning, they were given not only stamina training but also sses on how to manage a team. Since the three of them were either the team leader or vice leaders, they were required to attend this ss together. The ss was mostly about how to manage subordinates, how to observe the changes in their S values, and how to deal with changes. Their curriculum was unusual in the sense that they not only had to learn about normal team management, they had to learn specifically how to manage a team like the Problematic Team. Their teacher was... Elder Tong.

    Elder Tong had been the team leader for the Phoenix team. He used to manage more than one hundred people. He was also thest leader of this team, so he was more than qualified to mentor them.

    ¡°The S Value is a veryplicated thing.¡± Elder Tong was very serious on the podium. He did not look as drunk as he usually was. ¡°A low value does not necessarily mean that a person has gone mad. They have merely been given more information than they can normally handle. Only by digesting and identifying that information can you deal with the solution. So, do not be afraid when a member¡¯s S value drops. What you need to focus on instead is how to stabilize them and how to put yourself in their perspective.¡±

    Listening to Elder Tong¡¯s lecture, Gu Jun silently sighed in relief. It seemed like this was not a set-up; the whole thing was real. None of them had leadership training before, but that should change after this. In the afternoon, they had firearm and vehicle training. Gu Jun had learned some marksmanship from Xue Ba¡¯s team before, but he was now going through systematic training. He was getting to know things like the different types of guns and their ammo, their bullet caliber and force, shooting techniques, and so on.

    At the shooting ground that was rolling with sand, Gu Jun practiced the use of different guns in his protective gear. The gunshots rang incessantly. Wu Siyu had her training not far away from him, but she whispered to Gu Jun, ¡°You think I¡¯m focusing on the gun, but actually, I¡¯m enjoying a steamboat.¡±

    Even though Xiao Xu was just a child, he had to train as well. However, his body was too awkward to have high uracy. It would probably be much easier for him to calcte other people¡¯s uracy based on the type of gun used, the wind direction, draft, and so on.

    At night, the three had toplete the third special training. It was the ¡®activate, control, utilize¡¯ mentioned by Elder Tong.

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu¡¯s training was different from Xiao Xu. The two were led by workers to the medical experiment building that was a few dozen stories high at the base. Inside ab on the ninth floor, they encountered Elder Tong. The old man was already drunk, his face flushed from the alcohol.

    This was ab that did not look like one. It was separated into an inner room and outer room. Gu Jun could not recognize most of the strange devices in the room, other than theputer, CAT scanner, and heart monitor. The scientists were all dressed in whiteb coats. They were the Psychiatrists and Scientific Research Department members stationed at the base. Their leader was someone called Shen Yi. He was an old age about the same age as Elder Tong, but that was where their simrities ended. Shen Yi was gentle and polite; he probably had not touched a cigarette or ss of alcohol in his life. He was an expert in psychology and parapsychology. People referred to him as Prof Shen. Prof Shen was an expert whom Elder Tong had invited from the headquarters. They used to be old partners and had gone through many things together.

    ¡°Ol Shen will be helping me to cultivate your ESP,¡± Elder Tong said as he patted his old partner on his shoulder. His drunken face appeared to be lined withmentation.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read your records. You two have immense talent.¡± Prof Shen shook hands with Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. His eyes under the rimless sses were not that obvious, but he looked at the two greedily.

    ¡°Have you heard of the Ganzfeld Experiment before?¡± Elder Tong asked the two as he reached for the bottle. ¡°Ganzfeld is a German word. It means entire field. This is the mostmon experiment used in ESP. It is used to prove the existence of ESP.¡±

    Gu Jun shook his head. He had been given lessons on formal psychology and psychiatry. There were no sses on parapsychology.

    ESP, also known was the sixth sense, was a field of study in parapsychology.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Wu Siyu had no idea either.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re going to find out.¡± Elder Tong did not exin much. He told theb members, ¡°First, Gu Jun will be transmitter, and Wu Siyu will be the receiver.¡±

    While the two were confused, Wu Siyu was led by the members into the small inner room. Through the ss, one could see that she was taken to lie on a couch in the middle of the room. Theb used a ping pong ball that was cut in half to cover her eyes and secured them with medical tape. She was equipped with devices like a brain wave regtor and a pair of headphones. The members switched on a red light inside the room, and then they retreated out of the room and closed the door.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu appeared to be ufortable. She was originally lying still, but now she appeared like she could not help herself from tossing.

    ¡°White noise is now being yed in the headphones,¡± Prof Shen exined to Gu Jun. ¡°The frequency of the white noise is consistent, but because human ears are sensitive to high frequency sounds, it all sounds like static to us. In any case, the purpose of this is to eclipse her senses. The goal of experiment is for you to randomly pull out a picture from the selection of four, and then use your mind to transmit that image to her.¡±

    ¡°How am I supposed to do that?¡± Gu Jun was befuddled.

    ¡°Think about Wu Siyu in your heart. Use your consciousness and spirit to bring this image before her eyes. And then, we will have her select the possible image that she saw from a set of pictures. We will first have five sets of tests.¡±

    Once Prof Shen said that, Elder Tong burped. ¡°Based on probability, the uracy of this experiment should be around twenty-five percent, but over the years, in experiments around the world, there have been records of thirty-two percent uracy; in Phecda, we used to score a thirty-five percent uracy average. Do you know how abnormal that is?¡±

    Gu Jun understood it immediately. If there was no influence of ESP, then the number would not be so variant from the average. After all, this was not a small sample size but tens of thousands. If the transmitter and receiver were two strangers, then the result in Phecda would appear even stranger...

    Gu Jun¡¯s interest was piqued. Actually, he had seen the power of non-verbal psycho-activity before. He had experienced it personally when he triggered the spell on the giant stone inside the abnormal space. He did not suspect the presence of energy in brain waves or other form of consciousness, but he questioned whether he could form such an ESP bond with Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Both of you have unusual talent in this.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s eyes were dancing with excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s see how high you can score.¡±

    Gu Jun was forcibly removed from his protective gear by theb members. Now, he had no idea why he had worn it the whole day. It was quite the burden... Elder Tong must have yed a prank on him.

    He was asked to sit on the couch in the outer room and was equipped with the testing devices. There was a monitor ced before him. It showed four random pictures. The top left was the forest, top right the sea, bottom left an apple, and bottom right a dog. The ganzfeld experiment at its early stages faced the problem in theck of random pictures for its picture bank, but that could be easily solved now with advancement in technology.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start now,¡± Elder Tong shouted.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun reached for the mouse and clicked on the store. Then he stared at the verdant picture on the screen and tried to rx. He pictured Wu Siyu¡¯s sight and voice in his mind, and then he quietly chanted, ¡°Wu Siyu, listen to my voice. It¡¯s the picture of the forest, forest, forest...¡±

    At the same time, Wu Siyu was lying motionlessly inside the inner room. It was unclear what was going through her mind and whether she received any transmission or not. Even though theb members were also observing, they stood quite far away lest they interrupted Gu Jun.

    ¡°Elder Tong.¡± Prof Shen mumbled to his old partner. ¡°After so many years, the day has finallye.¡±

    ¡°If the result is over forty-five percent,¡± Elder Tong said, looking at Gu Jun with mncholy, ¡°it will prove we were right all along.¡±

 Chapter 113: ESP

    <h4>Chapter 113: ESP</h4>

    In the 1930s, the result of German psychologist Wolfgang Metzger¡¯s experiment showed that when a subject¡¯s sight was filled with everything of the same color and having no differentiating properties, there would be changes to his encephalogram, and he might even suffer from hallucinations. The mostmon example would be miners who were trapped in darkness from cave ins. After a few days, they would start to hallucinate. Even explorers of the north pole would start seeing things after being exposed to pure whiteness for days. This was called the Ganzfeld Effect.

    In 1974, psychologist Charles Honorton released the first experimental report on ESP in the periodical APA. From 1974 to 1982, forty-two ESP experiments were reported.

    Inside the quietb, Gu Jun was looking at the pictures on the monitor. The first set of pictures was rtively simple. They were four individual things. The result taken from this first round would not be conclusive because the transmitter might choose a dog due to their natural favoritism, and the receiver could choose the same because they knew about the transmitter¡¯s penchant for furry animals. But the second set of pictures waspletely different. The four pictures had extremelyplicated details. The one in the top left was a picture of a summit with many tourists, the top right was an unkempt room, the lower left was an untidy patch of grasnd, and the bottom right was a picture of a rather convoluted underground tunnel.

    Gu Jun chose at random. He clicked on the picture of the room and thought in his mind, ¡®Wu Siyu, it¡¯s the room, the room...¡¯

    The third set of pictures could be described in the same way. They were images of streets in a busy city. There were pedestrians, vehicles, and skyscrapers, and they looked like different views of the same city. Nothing about any of them stood out. There was no billboard or anything. Gu Jun chose the one in the bottom right and started to focus on his transmission. The fourth set of pictures were human faces. Gu Jun recognized none of them.

    The fifth set was chaotic and an indescribablebination of lines, shapes, and bright spots; they carried no meaning at all. Since the third set, Gu Jun had felt his brain weakening during transmission. Even his heart was having difficulty. It was a sign of exhaustion of his brain power. When he reached the fifth set, it felt like he was being sucked into a whirlpool, and the lines, shapes, and light spots were twisting around him, like shadows that wereing into being. This caused his head to pulse with pain. Confusing thoughts arose in his heart.

    ¡®An illusion?¡¯

    Something relevant about this ce and this scenario... was a trigger for his illusions?

    ¡°Alright, the thirty seconds is up.¡± At that moment, one of theb members came forward to inform Gu Jun, ¡°You can stop now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Once Gu Jun¡¯s attention was pulled away from those pictures, and the feeling of an iing illusion stopped. Theb member immediately helped him remove the devices he was connected to.

    Prof Shen walked over to ask, ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Elder Tong followed behind him.

    Gu Jun answered honestly. ¡°Initially, I didn¡¯t feel anything too special, but from the third set onward, it felt like the experiment was draining my brain. At the end, I felt like I was seeing things, but I couldn¡¯t tell clearly what they were.¡±

    At the same time, ab member walked into the inner room to tell Wu Siyu to stop and help her with the devices. Her pained voice came from within. ¡°This headache, it feels like my brain is splitting... I did see something, but I¡¯m not sure whether it was the white noise or not because I can technically see things at any time...¡±

    ¡®Splitting headache? Same as mine?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped. ¡®Our senses have connected?¡¯

    Elder Tong and Prof Shen shared a look. The excitement was clear in their eyes. Together, they walked into the inner room to check the results. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were temporarily separated. Gu Jun had to stay outside lest he influenced Wu Siyu. Inside the inner room, with everyone watching, Wu Siyu started to pick out the pictures. For the first set, she chose the apple.

    ¡°...¡± Theb members could not help but frown. She did not match Gu Jun¡¯s choice of the forest. For the second set, Wu Siyu chose the unkempt grasnd, not the room. Another miss.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡± Elder Tong hissed desperately. He mumbled to his old partner, ¡°Do you think this girl is toying with us on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Prof Shen pressed his hand on Elder Tong¡¯s shoulder, but he understood why his old partner was so nervous. If they got no results from this, then what happened that year... that case, the old friends they had lost, the dissolution of Phoenix... would forever be lost among the sea of unsolved cases. However, Elder Tong¡¯s expression immediately changed from desperation to surprise and then to affirmative joy. Wu Siyu had selected the correct choice for the third, fourth, and fifth picture sets. Three out of five, sixty percent uracy.

    ¡°How can this be?¡± Elder Tong asked his partner. ording to past history, the uracy should be higher for the simpler set of pictures, but it was the inverse with Wu Siyu.

    ¡°The transmission of simple images might be distorted by her abnormal senses.¡± Prof Shen gave a hypothesis. ¡°So, it is much easier for her to differentiate between the mostplicated images. Or perhaps Gu Jun did not focus enough at the start, and he only became seriouster.¡±

    The two of them had no idea what was going on, but their faces were bright with joy. This experiment was effective. Then it was time for them to swap ces. Wu Siyu acted as the transmitter and Gu Jun the receiver.

    ¡°In a while, your mind might get extremely active. There might be many flying shadows and shing lights,¡± Prof Shen told Gu Jun. ¡°Do not resist them, do not think about them, just open your mind to feel them.¡±

    ¡°Kid, listen to me.¡± Elder Tong was the most serious he had ever been, even more serious then when he was lecturing in the day. He spoke as if he had been through all this before. ¡°What we call chaos is not something that can only be understood after being categorized intomon ssifications. It is simply what it is. There is no need for you to attempt to understand it. In fact, do not attempt to try to get a clearer understanding. Embrace the chaos. It will guide the way. Just think of it as an art appreciation ss on Picasso¡¯s paintings.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently. This was probably the most absurd yet reasonable lecture he had gotten from Elder Tong.

    Soon, Gu Jun was lying on the couch in the inner room. His eyes were covered by the halves of white ping pong balls. When he asked, they told him they were themon goggles used in this experiment. Then, he put on the headphones, and he could hear the constant static like the noise from a television when there was no signal or like... the sound of the sea. He opened his eyes but could see nothing but the red lighting from the ceiling. It was a swath of dark red everywhere he turned.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath as he was led into a strange mistynd. Images of blood shed in his mind. The blood in the surgery room, the blood of the members of the Afterlife Cult...

    The more he stared at the redness around him, the more his heart started to quiver. It showed in his increased heart rate. As expected, his mind started to get fuzzy, and images changed before his eyes. Gu Jun was reminded of Elder Tong¡¯s advice; he did not try to focus on anything but evened out his breathing and allowed the lights and shadows to dance around him. But perhaps because of that, some of the images became clearer. However, he was unclear whether these were images transferred over by Wu Siyu or the advent of illusions...

    The pain in his brain became sharper, the illusion bing clearer and more stable. Unlike previous encounters, which were akin to falling into a dream, this time, it was like he was watching the television. He could see some of the broken images clearly.

    There was a group of children sitting around, singing, but Gu Jun was not among them. The children were wearing clothes from the eighties or nies. In different scenes, the children were running about, ying, sleeping... The background was all blurred out.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun saw a scene where all the children were seated inside a ssroom. This time, the background came into focus. It was an old primary school ssroom. An old dusty fan swungzily, and there were rows of wooden tables and chairs. There were articles pasted on the back of the room. The words on them were blurry; they seemed to be kind wishes for Mother¡¯s Day.

    Around thirty children were seated squarely in their seats with their hands ced on the surface of the table. They stared at the podium and ckboard before them, and their faces were devoid of any emotion. Among the static, he seemed to hear someone talking.

    It was a familiar voice, a familiar female voice.

    ¡°Let him see...¡± she told the children. It was his mother.

    Gu Jun¡¯s sight suddenly moved to the podium. There were five people standing there in masks and ck robes. They did not look like the design of the Afterlife Cult. Even though they were well-covered, Gu Jun could recognize one of them easily. It was his mother. She was the one speaking.

    On the ground, there was a young man kneeling there. His limbs were trussed up tightly, and his face was bruised from beating. One of his scape appeared to be broken, and fresh blood was oozing out of his stomach.

    The man¡¯s eyes were covered in the ping pong goggles used in the ESP experiment. Suddenly, his face twisted in pain, and his body started to shake as he screamed crazily. It was a sound simr to the one Lou Xiaoning made when she looked through the keyhole of the red door, like she had seen something from her darkest nightmare.

    Gu Jun could recognize this young man as well. It was Elder Tong.

 Chapter 114: New Way to Trigger Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 114: New Way to Trigger Illusion</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The illusions before his eyes ovepped with reality from the past.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart dropped in confusion seeing the young Elder Tong¡¯s bruised face twisted in extreme fear.

    ¡°Let him see.¡± It was his mother who was directing the group of children to send some kind of information to Elder Tong through ESP, information that ravaged his mind. Gu Jun had no idea what happened that year. All he heard was that after a mission, Elder Tong¡¯s S value was found to be extremely low. He was thought to have gone crazy and was thus asked to leave Phecda. So... was this what happened during that mission?

    It was about thirty years ago when Elder Tong left Phecda, and Gu Jun was currently twenty-one, so in other words, that case happened nine years before he was born. At the time, his mother was probably just a young woman around twenty. Based on this timeline, it appeared like she already belonged to some kind of organization before she joined the Afterlife Cult, and she was responsible for parapsychological experiments. She probably had her own secret mission for joining the Afterlife Cultter.

    ¡®Did those children... call her mom as well? Who or what exactly were my parents?¡¯

    Gu Jun saw the young Elder Tong¡¯s face turning increasingly scary. Blood leaked out from his eyes that were covered by the ping pong ball goggles. Right then, a sharp pain shot through his brain as if he was given a taste of what Elder Tong was going through. It severed the illusion, and the red light once again flooded his sight.

    ¡°Phew, phew.¡± Gu Jun was covered in cold sweat. No matter how hard he tried to clear his mind, his body physically wanted to get out of this seat. The static still rang in his ears, and redness assaulted his every sense like it was about to consume him. Redness... he almost reached out to pluck away the googles.

    Suddenly, the red light faded. Ab member¡¯s voice said, ¡°Okay, Gu Jun, it¡¯s over now.¡±

    Gu Jun immediately yanked away the tape that secured the goggles in ce, and his sight returned to normal. Theb member walked over to help him remove the earphones. The agitation in his heart receded. He saw that Wu Siyu outside in the other room was struggling on the couch, wailing painfully. Theb members were bustling around her, trying to calm her down.

    Seeing Elder Tong and Prof Shen walk over, Gu Jun asked in a hurry, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Wu Siyu?¡±

    ¡°She suddenly suffered from an extreme migraine when she was transmitting the fifth set of pictures,¡± Prof Shen said with a dark face. ¡°Her heartbeat went over the threshold of 180 beats per minute.¡±

    Gu Jun was instantly reminded of the time he actively triggered the illusion at the morgue. At the time, his heart rate had reached 185 beats per minute.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just too weak in terms of mental power.¡± Elder Tong did not seem worried at all. If anything, he was urging him to go to theputer to make his selection. Gu Jun turned his gaze on this old man again, and he realized that he actually had no idea what kind of man Elder Tong was. The sciousness, the drunkenness... these were probably all a disguise or a way to numb the darkness in his heart. He thought back to what Prof Qin had told him. Elder Tong had been through quite a lot. But Elder Tong and Phecda probably did not know that among the five people in ck robes, his mother was one of them.

    ¡°Hurry,e on.¡± Elder Tong was still urging. Gu Jun decided to focus on the mission on hand first. The devices had all been removed. He stood up and moved to theputer not far away. He grabbed the mouse and made his choice. He picked five pictures based on his feelings. Other than the illusion, he did not see any pictures. A book, a long slide at a theme park, some street in the city, some human face, and some lines and shapes...

    After he was done, he turned to the two seniors. ¡°So, how did I do?¡±

    Their expressions werepletely different from before. Prof Shen could not hide his suppressed grin. ¡°Five out of five, one hundred percent.¡±

    Even though he expected this result, Gu Jun was still quite surprised. He even managed to get those featureless pictures correctly. Had the information been transmitted to his subconsciousness?

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Elder Tong guffawed. He raised the bottle and finished it in one gulp. ¡°I knew it. That¡¯s right... I was not crazy!¡±

    If this was before, Gu Jun would not have read too far into this promation, but now... after knowing the whole incident about the forced feeding of information by more than ten children through ESP... Elder Tong had probably been questioning the authenticity of that whole incident himself. This result sent a wave of excitement through the crowd. This had multiple meanings for them. It was a big step for Phecda and the field of ESP.

    ¡°It works on anyone, but they must be of high spirituality, low S value, have ESP talent, and be mutually trusting, but thest might not be a necessary requirement. Making a forced entry into another¡¯s consciousness appears to be possible.¡±

    After moving out of the room, Elder Tong announced the results happily to the room. By then, Wu Siyu had settled down, and she was listening in.

    ¡°The experiment tonight is just the beginning. The two of you need to train your mental power. Without sufficient mental power, you won¡¯t be able to utilize spells, or else it¡¯ll be like ying with fire. Raising your mental power will help stabilize your S value as well.¡±

    Elder Tong and Prof Shen could not wait to do more experiments on Gu Jun and Wu Siyu, but considering they had had a full day of training and had just exhausted themselves greatly mentally, they decided to y it slow.

    Slow and steady wins the race.

    So, they had the two go for meditation training. It was akin to stretching after physical exercise. There was nothing too special about meditation; a normal person could do it. Consistent meditation exercises could help strengthen mental power. Before joining Phecda, Gu Jun had been taught some meditation, but now he was given some new skills from Prof Shen. After a peaceful meditation session, he effectively cleansed the dust that had collected in his mind.

    After the meditation exercise, the night was officially over. Elder Tong and the rest needed to stay behind to do research on their experimental result, so Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were given the chance to get some early rest. The two walked down the quiet corridor. There were no other members around them. Gu Jun had put the protective gear back on.

    ¡°You saw the illusion earlier as well, right?¡± Wu Siyu suddenly whispered to him.

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. He turned to look at her. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me...¡¯

    ¡°Oh well.¡± Wu Siyu sighedzily. ¡°The illusion about Elder Tong in the ssroom and a bunch of kids.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s expression remained unchanged. However, he did understand that the illusion earlier was indeed different from the type of illusion he had triggered on his own. It was a joint illusion that was triggered by both him and Wu Siyu when their mental power wasbined in the ESP experiment. It was like they had experienced a joint dream. Perhaps because of that, he did not feel that exhausted this time and did not have the same drastic reaction as Wu Siyu. After all, he was already an experienced illusion connoisseur.

    ¡°I did see it,¡± Gu Jun admitted. ¡°I believe it¡¯s rted to Elder Tong¡¯s case from way back when.¡±

    ¡°Then, what should we do?¡± Wu Siyu frowned slightly. ¡°Should we tell him?¡±

    To be honest, this was the real experiment result, but they had silently kept it to themselves.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep it on the down low for now.¡± Gu Jun based his decision on a feeling. Perhaps it was just his usual suspicion and caution talking. ¡°We are not sure why Elder Tong refused to let us know about what happened back then. After all... there are still too many things we do not know about him.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, you¡¯re the leader. Your words are thew.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged casually. ¡°Although, what do you think those words written in the articles meant?¡±

    Gu Jun was given another shock. He stared at her. ¡°Happy Mother¡¯s Day?¡±

    ¡°I meant the ones under those greetings.¡± Wu Siyu stared at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t see them?¡±

 Chapter 115: Mental Power Training

    <h4>Chapter 115: Mental Power Training</h4>

    ¡°Happy Mother¡¯s Day.

    ¡°We are grateful to mother for bringing us to this world; thankful to mother for pouring everything she has into us; and appreciative of mother for making us pretty clothes, ying games with us, and teaching us words and numbers. We will work our hardest to repay mother, to train our hearts to listen to the voices in our dreams, to study and strive for the height of heaven.

    ¡°We wish for mother to always be healthy and happy. Mother, I love you!¡±

    This was the content of the article Gu Jun got from Wu Siyu when she was in the illusion of the ssroom. She said that she saw it clearly.

    ¡°Those kids were kidnapped?¡± Wu Siyu shared her thoughts. ¡°It feels like they were trapped somewhere isted from the world.¡±

    That was Gu Jun¡¯s suspicion too. ¡°They appear to have been misled since they were toddlers...¡±

    He thought back to his fragmented childhood. As unwilling as he was, he had to ept that perhaps the ¡®mother¡¯ in question was his own mother. There was another curious point about this whole statement¡ª¡¯to train our hearts to listen to the voices in our dreams¡¯. Considering these were all children with ESP talent...

    ¡°It should be some kind of secret evil cult,¡± Gu Jun said darkly. ¡°Those people in the ck were making use of these children¡¯s talents to receive some kind of message in their dreams, and it was the same message that the kids assaulted Elder Tong with...¡±

    ¡°If the kids were the receivers, who was the transmitter?¡± Wu Siyu asked. Gu Jun was equally in the dark about that. Where was that ssroom? How would one receive information while dreaming? Who sent the messages? If those children survived, they would be around thirty to forty, so where were they now? What were they doing? He thought about the seemingly loving greetings in the articles, but his heart was chilled.

    ...

    From the day after, the physical training for Gu Jun and Wu Siyu increased because a healthier body could provide a firmer mind. Gu Jun threw himself into every training activity, especially field fighting; he did not want to be rendered useless after he had lost his gun and pepper spray. At night, they would start mental power training. He and Wu Siyu first participated in an assessment regarding their mental power.

    ¡°This is just a reference value,¡± Prof Shen exined to them clearly. ¡°Even a normal person can find superhuman strength at critical moments, like how a mother can lift a small car to save her child. At that moment, her mental power would be over the roof.¡±

    Therefore, the number that they got would be during a normal situation, and it was influenced by other factors like stamina and emotions. Mental power was not inherently good or bad; the number did not suggest normalcy or madness. Even a madman could have high mental power, and that was usually the case.

    The method of assessment was not thatplicated. Gu Jun was brought into an extremely quiet, soundproof room. He was equipped with devices like a heart rate monitor, brain wave monitor, and so on. To reduce the noise, the devices were ced on the other room. He felt like he was deprived of his hearing, which felt off. Since the activity of the cerebral cortex was suppressed, the brain searched for other signals more actively. The activity of his neurons was increasing. Many people would start experiencing acoasm after staying in this kind of room for over half an hour. Some even reported hearing the sound of their blood flowing in their bodies.

    At this moment, Gu Jun trained his focus on the monitor on the wall. Pictures kept changing on it. They were all featureless lines of shadow and light. He was requested to pay full attention to it so that his brain would be under constant visual assault. The brain would instinctively try to fill in these nks with information, providing a fertilend for illusions to flourish. Gu Jun wanted to suppress those instincts, to try to stay in the real world.

    During the whole process, his biological data would be recorded, and it formed the basis to calcte his mental power. The value was a standard used in the parapsychological field. The value was around thirty for a normal person, people who meditated constantly would reach forty, and most Special Mobile Force members could reach fifty.

    Gu Jun scored sixty-five, and Wu Siyu got sixty, both much higher than normal. This meant that if a normal person was ced in their shoes, they would suffer from issues like sleeplessness, headaches, and aggression, and some would even see their S value fall to zero. Elder Tong was quite satisfied with this result, but he added, ¡°When this special training is over, I need both of your mental power values to be over seventy!¡±

    After that, the official training began.

    ¡°The human brain appears to be unable to resist permanent resting status, it will be constantly receiving and creating information.¡± Prof Shen exined, ¡°You can say that we are always under the influence of illusion. Even if you keep blinking, the image before your eyes will not be intermittent. This is because the brain retains existing information. If not, the brain would overload and implode. The brain will not only supply missing information, it will also choose information. Even if your brain does not order your body to breathe, you will still breathe. That unnecessary information will be filtered by your brain. Therefore, what you need to learn is how to selectively keep information consciously and control your senses to control the illusions.¡±

    Inside the spaciousb, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were seated on two chairs in the middle. The radios around them were ying one hundred different voices at the same time. Gu Jun felt his head spinning from the surfeit of audio cues. It was even worse for Wu Siyu. The one hundred voices meant that she was experiencing one hundred different sensory experiences; she was tasting, seeing, and touching different things.

    ¡°Now I need you to train your focus on the sound of a baby crying,¡± Prof Shen ordered. The sound of children crying was one of the voices that could attract an adult¡¯s attention the most. It had a more obvious effect at raising an adult¡¯s heart rate and blood pressure than even the sound of an explosion. It would trigger a human adult instantly into a highly alert mode. This was a biological system, or else human beings would have gone extinct. Therefore, the two managed to zoom in on the sound of crying among the chaos, but they were then asked to find the sound of a young chimp crying, a kitten crying, childrenughing, talking, water rushing, and knocking...

    As the days passed, the training continued. The types of sound grew from one hundred to five hundred to a thousand. The sound that they needed to trace became more inconspicuous, like the sound of scratching or light breathing...

    Gu Jun gradually felt drained. It was much too chaotic. He did not have the talent gifted to Wu Siyu. After she mastered the skill, she swiftly adapted to the exercise.

    ¡°To be honest I have no idea what ¡®normal world¡¯ means,¡± Wu Siyu exined to him. ¡°This world has always been chaotic to me. For me, this is what normal is.¡±

    But he was more stable in terms of ESP training. They stopped using the pictures. The two sat inside the little red room, put on the ping pong ball goggles and white noise headphones, and tried to get used to the sensation of the illusions, attempting tomunicate mentally. The days blurred by in full training. It slowly made Gu Jun forget about the world outside.

    Still, he kept some brief concern about the situation in the Eastern State. When he chatted with Cai Zixuan and the rest, it would make him miss his days at the hospital. Gu Jun knew that he could notg behind on his medical training. He requested the base to provide him with some medical tools to help himplete the normal mission given by the system. He was always missing elements toplete the difficult missions. He did request Elder Tong to supply him with some carcasses of abnormal creatures.

    That got him scolded by Elder Tong. ¡°There is a sequence to how we do things here! The headquarters had me bring you all here in the context of an experiment. If I am unable to provide them with any results after the resources and people they have given us, then I will be kicked out again, and you will all be sent back to prison. So, you¡¯d all better pass the exam after this special training, you hear me?¡±

    Gu Jun knew he was not lying, so he trained harder. He trained his physique, fighting ability, mental power, and ESP.

    ¡°I need to leave because I have gone mad...¡± Wu Siyu groaned day in and day out, but she was only kidding. She was quite serious about her training. The month passed by quietly, and soon, it was the middle of November. During this period, the two had done many ESP experiments, with the difficulty constantly increasing. From five sets of pictures to ten sets to thirty sets; every picture was extremelyplicated, and they were made to move physically further away from each other, from ten meters to twenty meters, fifty meters to one hundred meters...

    The two¡¯s bond was slowly built. They had maintained an over sixty percent uracy through all the experiments, but they still had ways to go with regards to having mentalmunication. It appeared to be a skill on apletely different level. The illusion during the first ESP experiment also did not reur, even when Gu Jun intentionally tried to trigger it. After a whole month of spending every day together, Gu Jun familiarized himself with Wu Siyu. He even started to have implicit trust in her. Xiao Xu had also started to ept them, and so, the mismatched group formed a kind of friendship. Xiao Xu might act childish at times, but his super intelligence provided him with a maturity that was no less than an adult.

    However, Gu Jun still would not say he had gotten to know Elder Tong better. On the surface, this old man spent every day kidding and joking with them like they were close buddies, but Gu Jun could not see through Elder Tong at all.

    In any case, inside the soundproof room, he and Wu Siyu were about to conduct the mental power assessment again, to see how much they had improved after a month of training. The anticipation on Elder Tong¡¯s face could not be hidden. He tossed the alcohol down his throat mouthful after mouthful. He was like a nervous husband waiting for his wife to give birth.

 Chapter 116: Improvement

    <h4>Chapter 116: Improvement</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll be starting now.¡± Prof Shen¡¯s voice came from the speaker and temporarily shattered the silence inside the soundproof room. ¡°Focus on the images, and try to suppress the feeling of the illusion.¡±

    Inside the small room, Gu Jun was ced in the chair in the middle. He stared at the screen on the wall, and the surroundings became silent. He couldn¡¯t hear anything; all the soundwaves had been intercepted by the thick fiberss and soundproof sponge. He trained all his focus on the picture on the screen.

    The lines were spinning, changing, and forming different shapes. Five minutester, his breath was even. He did not feel anything out of ce. Ten minutester, the sound of breathing, a beating heart, and a stomach gurgling appeared in his mind, but he could still filter them out. Twenty minutester, he still could steady his mind. The lines were just lines. They did not morph into anything else. Thirty minutester, the phenomenon ¡®Reverse Hallucination¡¯ was deconstructing in his cerebral cortex. Reverse Hallucination referred to the situation where a person was assaulted by so many stimuli that the information overload made them impervious enough to not be able to feel any of them.

    Gu Jun could feel the touch of leather from the couch, the friction between his bare skin and clothes, even the weight of the hair on his scalp... This was information that his brain would naturally filter out because the brain normally did not have enough sensory storage space for such information. However, Gu Jun kept his mind clear enough that he could register these senses. He took a deep breath. He could feel his heart racing, and his brain was pulsing. But this was already a major improvementpared to one month ago because reverse hallucination had already happened in less than ten minutes during the previous assessment.

    ording to Prof Shen, it was easier for those with high spirituality to lose reverse hallucination, like how those with high spirituality would suffer more often from insomnia while those with low spirituality could slump down and sleep easily. However, this did not apply to Wu Siyu. After all, there was always an exception.

    ¡®Damn, more and more useless information is registering.¡¯ Gu Jun hurried to sharpen his mind, but the more he attempted to do so, the more befuddled he became. All the sensory reception over his body intensified, and he could even feel a sense of mysterious weight pressing down on his skin.

    Illusions had started to dance before his eyes. The lines turned into blood vessels, then fascia superficialis, aponeurotic fascia, bones...

    At the same time, in the other room, Prof Shen, Elder Tong, and otherb members were studying the data on the devices. From the start of assessment to the twenty-minute mark, Gu Jun¡¯s heart rate and brainwaves had been startlingly stable.

    ¡°Elder Tong, where did you find a treasure like this?¡± Prof Shen sighed again. He had said something simr multiple times over this past month. Shen Yi had entered Phecda as a psychiatrist, and then he was recruited to join Phoenix. After that incident, he managed to stay in Phecda and climbed his way into the center of power at the headquarters. Prof Shen had been in many parapsychological assessments and experiments, both in the country and abroad. He had not encountered a person who could maintain such serenity for as long as twenty minutes, and this was just after one month of training!

    ¡°With this mental power, it is more than enough for Ah Jun to carve a ce for himself at Phecda,¡± Prof Shen added.

    ¡°Unfortunately, only I see him as treasure; others view him as trash.¡± Elder Tong chuckled. ¡°Pump up the difficulty! Otherwise, we might stay here for hours.¡±

    Prof Shen moved to oblige. The speed at which the pictures changed increased to increase the sensory overload on Gu Jun. This passed for another ten minutes, and Gu Jun¡¯s data started to go awry. But enough time had passed. Prof Shen switched off all the pictures and spoke through the speaker. ¡°Ah Jun, thank you. It¡¯s over now.¡±

    Theputer monitor showcased Gu Jun¡¯s mental power value from the assessment in arge number: 75.

    ¡°Elder Tong, this is just wonderful.¡± Prof Shen was overwhelmed like he was witnessing the birth of a miracle.

    Theb members cheered as well.

    ¡°This number is absurdly high.¡±

    ¡°The young man has managed a ten-point increase in a month!¡±

    For those who studied parapsychology, this was truly a miracle. Even though a person¡¯s mental power, like physical power, could be trained, the difficulty of doing so was equally hard. For example, after setting a record of under ten seconds in a one-hundred-meter sprint, increasing the record by even 0.01 seconds was extremely difficult. In the field of mental power, the value of sixty-five that Gu Jun scored earlier was already very high, but now he scored seventy-five. That had overshot all the records at Phecda.

    ¡°Impressive!¡± Prof Shen nodded. ¡°No matter where you are in the world, the value of seventy-five will definitely ce you first.¡±

    ¡°Haha, with a talent like this, we will have a chance to deal with those people.¡± While he was excited, Elder Tong did not forget his goal. ¡°But we still have to work harder. Those people can manage more than this... and they would do anything to achieve their goal, things like feeding LSD to children...¡±

    LSD or lysergic acid dimethmine was the most powerful hallucinogenic that could be created by man. Amon dosage had to be calcted in milligrams. But that dosage was enough for an adult to submerge in hallucinationssting for as long as twelve hours. The user¡¯s senses, feelings, and memories... would feel like they had been thrown into the washer. Prof Shen pushed on his sses silently. He knew what Elder Tong had gone through.

    In the 50s to 60s, LSD had a huge influence on psychology, psychiatry, and parapsychology. Many experiments and studies had been done with it, but to use them on a child... there was no official record of that. But in parapsychology, there was a theory that ESP was strongest in children, and people would lose that power as they aged. Prof Shen had no idea what had happened to Elder Tong during that case, but he did know that Elder Tong was not a drinker before that incident.

    ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be the maximum of Gu Jun¡¯s potential,¡± Prof Shen added consolingly. ¡°He still has room to grow. We need to take this step by step.¡±

    Meanwhile,b members helped bring Gu Jun out of the soundproof room and exchanged his ce with Wu Siyu. Her assessment started then. Prof Shen and the rest fixed their eyes on the many devices. Wu Siyu had a different innate talent from Gu Jun. She had more affinity with making connections and was more sensitive to details. Simple stimuli would escape her notice, but she couldtch ontoplicated ones easily. In this way, she was more holistic and stable than Gu Jun. After another half an hour, theputer monitor showed the result: 70. Compared to before, this was yet another ten-point increase, but the difficulty of her improvement would not have been as challenging as Gu Jun¡¯s. After all, going from fourteen seconds to twelve seconds and going from twelve seconds to ten seconds for a one-hundred-meter sprint had apletely different difficulty curve, even though they both improved by two seconds.

    ¡°Elder Tong, your eye for talent is still as sharp as ever,¡± Prof Shen praised.

    ¡°Are you just trying to show off how I picked you for Phoenix back then?¡± Elder Tong chided. The two elders walked out from the room in theughter of reminiscence. They announced the results to Gu Jun, Wu Siyu, and the rest.

    ¡°The two of you.¡± Elder Tong looked at them with satisfaction. ¡°I promise you that should you encounter what happened to you before, it will not influence you as much anymore.¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Gu Jun said with a smile. He was filled with joy. Indeed, after a month of special training, he could feel his mental power getting stronger. Combined with his constant intake of the brain tumor targeting drug, his brain tumor should have shrunk. His status now was aplete 180 from the state he was in when he just came back from the abnormal world. Now, he even knew how to operate firearms and how to hold himself in a fist fight. In fact, he was sure he could beat Wang Ruoxiang in a battle... but probably not Xue Ba.

    ¡®With my mental power now,¡¯ Gu Jun thought, ¡®if I attempt the word of ruination again, I will probably not end up with heart failure, right?¡¯

    ¡°Does that mean our mission has beenpleted?¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s eyes were shining. ¡°Elder Tong, can we have a day off?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Elder Tong scoldedughingly. ¡°Yes, you havepleted your mission, but that is no surprise to me. The training continues tomorrow as usual! The people from the Review Department will being the day after tomorrow. They¡¯re here to make us look stupid. They will be bringing a Special Mobile Force team with them. Apparently, they want to prove that the team members will not perform weaker than you without going through our special training. So, it is on your shoulders whether Phecda will wee a new chapter in its life.¡±

    The people present knew that Elder Tong was not kidding. Gu Jun nodded seriously. He knew what kind of enemies they were facing, and he knew that Phecda needed to adapt to face them. ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°So, in other words,¡± Wu Siyu sighed, ¡°no day off for me...¡±

 Chapter 117: Knocking on Window

    <h4>Chapter 117: Knocking on Window</h4>

    ¡°Big Mai: I¡¯ve been having a very strange recurring dream for the past few nights...¡±

    The dark sky shrouded the Eastern State. In this bustling metropolis, the people were caught in their own everyday hubbub. After a long day of work, Chen Wenwei returned to the small apartment unit he shared with others. He was the kind of person who would be lost easily in a crowd. He studied at Eastern State University, majoring in ounting. After graduation, he found work at this privatepany. The sry was not high, but it was grueling work.

    His girlfriend of two years at university had broken up with him soon after graduation. Now, when he passed by a girl at work, they would pretend he did not exist even when he initiated conversation with them.

    Chen Wenwei knew that he was not handsome, had no money, and did not know how to make girlsugh. It was little wonder he had little sess with the fairer sex.

    The room he rented was so small that it was full after cing a bed and a study table. The only good thing was the low rent, and it was on the 25th floor, so the view was magnificent from the small balcony. Every day after work, Chen Wenwei would half-squeeze into the cramped balcony and toyed with his phone. The flickering lights of the view both above and below the sky could take his breath and pressure away.

    He was currently chatting on WeChat with his friend. This friend was his old buddy from university. He also worked in the Eastern State. They would chat whenever both of them were online. When Chen Wenwei saw this message, he replied casually in an attempt to continue the conversation.

    ¡°Wenwei: What kind of dream?¡±

    After he finished replying to other people¡¯s messages, he went to make himself a bowl of instant noodles. He could not remember thest time he had gone out for an actual meal. It was not easy living on his own in the big city where the cost of living was high. He earned only six thousand RMB each month. After taking out the part for rental, utilities, insurance, and the rest, he only had two thousand RMB left. And this was when he was skimping out. At the speed he was saving, he would need another decade before he could rue the amount for the down payment for a house in his hometown. Chen Wenwei nned to return to his hometown to work. The living cost in the city was simply too high.

    Actually, he should have gone back home after graduation, but since all his friends had gone off to fight for a ce in the big city, he felt he should give himself a chance too. After the bowl of instant noodles was cooked, Chen Wenwei carried it back to the balcony. He slurped on the noodles as he checked his phone. Big Mai had replied with many messages.

    ¡°Big Mai: In the dream, I was abandoned at a ce like a lost ind. There was a strange voice calling me forward. It was very strange. It felt like a lucid dream, but I couldn¡¯t control anything. Eventually, I reached a big mansion. There was a strange-looking old man standing outside it, and then I wake up.

    ¡°Big Mai: After having this dream a few days ago, it kept repeating every night, and I realized every time I woke up from the dream, it would be at 3 am sharp...

    ¡°Big Mai: I have not watched any horror movies recently. All I could think of was the fact that I read a forum thread about strange dreams online, and it appears to have infected me.

    ¡°Big Mai: Oh right, after I wake up, I can hear the sound of someone knocking outside the window. It¡¯s truly terrifying.¡±

    Chen Wenwei slurped the noodles into his mouth. He typed a sarcastic reply. ¡®Right, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true.¡¯

    He was about to hit send when he stopped himself. Something reminded him that Big Mai was not the kind of person to y pranks like this. He deleted the message and instead sent, ¡°For real? I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just the pressure getting to you. Things must be getting busy at work.¡±

    His phone vibrated. A new message had arrived.

    ¡°Big Mai: Perhaps. Sigh, it¡¯s true that I have not been feeling welltely. I probably need to go to the hospital to get some sleeping pills prescription.¡±

    If things were that serious, Chen Wenwei knew it was not the time to joke anymore. He replied, ¡°I hear great pressure will bring on nightmares. I agree that you should go to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Big Mai: I¡¯m afraid it might turn out to be some kind oftent illness. Over the past two days, I¡¯ve been suffering from this splitting headache.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just pressure. It¡¯ll be fine. Stop trying to scare yourself,¡± Chen Wenwei consoled. After finishing his noodles, he went into the shower. He did not keep this on his mind. He was sure that Mai Lei was just suffering from overwhelming pressure and thus lost his sleep from it. It was a vicious cycle. Then again, pressure was amon thing for every city dweller.

    After his shower, Chen Wenwei climbed into bed and chatted for a while with his family. His mother sent him a picture of his family¡¯stest harvest. Then he watched some YouTube. When he checked the time next, it was already 11 pm. Chen Wenwei got up to use the shared bathroom. He brushed his teeth and then returned to prepare to sleep.

    After a whole day of work, he felt quite tired. Without taking too long, he drifted off to slumber.

    Silence, nothingness, everything was floating, and light was rolling. In the blurriness, Chen Wenwei felt he had arrived at an unfamiliar ce. Sea, he was surrounded by sea that stretched down the horizon. Abandonednd and grass that grew everywhere. Twisted trees covered a peak down the distance. He could see things clearly. Everything felt like they were behind a sepia filter. There was a barely discernible whispering in the air, summoning him forward.

    An indescribable smell lingered in the air. The mud under his feet was heavy. Chen Wenwei dragged his body forward. He eventually came to a building. It appeared to be an old mansion. A figure in ck was standing there. Chen Wenwei could see himself walking step by step toward it. It was like his body was no longer his own. He could not feel the ground under his feet, it was as if the air was seeping the energy out of him. The summoning urged him to get closer. Chen Wenwei saw the figure turning his way. It had the face of an old man. The skin was withered like bark, cracked like drynd...

    But he could see the old man¡¯s eyes. They were just pools of chaotic darkness.

    ¡°74...¡± the old man whispered to him slowly.

    Suddenly, Chen Wenwei woke up. His body was shivering. His eyes were still shut, so he only saw darkness, but he had already realized that he was just dreaming. It was just a dream...

    Just a dream, but why did it match the description of Mai Lei¡¯s strange dream perfectly? This thought chilled Chen Wenwei to his core, and his throat felt dry as parchment like he was deprived of water for days.

    ¡®How can this be...¡¯ Chen Wenwei¡¯s eyes flew open as he turned to nce at the rm next to his bed.

    .01 am.

    Confusion grew in his heart. ¡®It¡¯s already 3 am? But haven¡¯t I just fallen asleep, where did the hours have gone by?¡¯

    Then he was reminded that Mai Lei told him he would always wake up at 3 am...

    Chen Wenwei looked around with a frown. The cramped room was covered in silence. In the darkness, his everyday items appeared so unfamiliar. He could not help but turn to the curtained window, which was less than two meters away. The window was closed, so the wind would note in at night. But for some reason, Chen Wenwei swore he saw the curtains swaying. There appeared to be something outside the window...

    His heart skipped a beat. He looked at the window that was practically before his face. He held his breath without realizing it and froze like a statue.

    Tap tap.

    The sound of knocking on ss echoed through the room. This was the 25th floor. The balcony outside the window was notrge enough to fit even a potted nt, much less a person.

    ¡°...¡± Chen Wenwei¡¯s heart skipped a beat as chilins covered his body. It almost took his breath away.

    ¡®What is going on? Why is this happening? Am I still dreaming? Mai Lei said this is a recurring dream... so does that mean... this will happen again tomorrow?¡¯

 Chapter 118: Nervous System Impairing Disease

    <h4>Chapter 118: Nervous System Impairing Disease</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Prof Shen, I wish to ask you a question.¡±

    In Phecda¡¯s Northern Desert Division, inside the bustling ESP experimentb, Gu Jun was osting Prof Shen. Elder Tong was not there that morning because he had gone to intercept the internal review unit. He finally had a chance to talk to Prof Shen alone and perhaps get some information.

    ¡°Sure, feel free to ask.¡± Prof Shen was as kind as ever.

    ¡°I know the field of ESP has been doing research on lucid dreams. I want to ask if there is any training or test rted to dreams that can help us improve our mental power or ESP?¡±

    Prof Shen pushed on the sses perched on his nose. He answered seriously, ¡°Lucid dreams are a big field, but we did not arrange any rted programs for you during this training because you will need actual sleep after mental power training so that your brain can achieve true rest. Otherwise, it will only have an inverse effect. If this experiment is allowed to continue, we could try experimenting on lucid dreaming in the future.¡±

    ¡°Then...¡± Gu Jun was formting the question in his mind. Every time he was reminded of that article, he would be ravaged by a sense of anxiety. The term ¡®to train our hearts to listen to the voices in our dreams¡¯ stuck like a fish bone in his throat.

    Wu Siyu nced at him and sighed helplessly. ¡®What a man.¡¯

    She came out with it. ¡°Prof Shen, is it possible for us to receive messages in our dreams? The transmitter might not be human but some kind of signal from outer space?¡±

    Gu Jun stole a nce at her. He uttered in his heart, ¡®You are one hell of a busybody. Do you hear me?¡¯

    Obviously, Wu Siyu did not. Even if she did, she would pretend she did not.

    ¡°Siyu, Ah jun.¡± Prof Shen sighed with a smile. ¡°I know you are trying your best to improve your mental power and familiarize yourself with ESP, but currently, our understanding of the human brain is very limited, meaning psychology and especially parapsychology are still considered pseudoscience by some. We still cannot figure out the part of the brain responsible for the onset of Alzheimer¡¯s, much less dreams or ESP.¡±

    Even though he was technically now ab rat, as a medical student, Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but nod in agreement. Alzheimer¡¯s was a nervous system impairment that normally affected the elderly. Since the first official report of it in the early twenty century, the global medicalmunity had studied it for a hundred years already and had done endless experiments on it. Yet, they had made practically zero headway on how it was triggered, whether it was gic, parasitic, a mutation in brain cells, or something else... an amyloid B protein avnche, tau protein theory... low education level, high blood pressure, high blood glucose... They hade up with all kinds of hypotheses, but nothing was conclusive.

    Once Gu Jun considered this, he was chilled because it was indeed a scary prospect. Alzheimer¡¯s could be infectious? This was an unknown, but there was an existing theory that supported this, so one could not rule it out. However, if it was true, Alzheimer¡¯s had not exploded in an epidemic, at least for now...

    Otherwise, it could be as devastating for human civilization as hemoptysis was for the foreign civilization.

    ¡°So, technically, Elder Tong and I are also just going with the flow,¡± Prof Shen added in encouragement. ¡°There is no need to hurry. Some things take time. With your current mental power, it should be more than enough to deal with the imminent exam.¡±

    ¡°No, Prof Shen, you don¡¯t quite get it,¡± Wu Siyu whispered under her breath.

    Gu Jun shrugged at her, telling her to stop. It looked like Prof Shen did not know more than they did, perhaps even less. The two were spared from training that afternoon and spent it in meditation. Prof Shen wanted them to be in their optimum state.

    The review unit finally arrived at 4 pm.

    Prof Shen led the trio from the Problematic Team and theb members to the door of the medical building to wee them. Gu Jun saw the group of people walk over. His gaze immediately went to the thirty or so people who were dressed in the same uniform. They were their opponents this time, the ¡®Overseer Team¡¯.

    ording to Prof Shen¡¯s introduction and the internal info provided by Phecda, this was an experienced team affiliated to the headquarters¡¯ Special Mobile Force. They had around thirtymon members, and they all had high spirituality and mastery of psychology. They were mainly selected from the Medical Department and Review Department. The Overseers were designated as an adjunct unit, providing psychological, mental analytics, and S value assessment technical support. So, whenever there was arge operation where multiple Special Mobile Force units or more than one thousand members from the Action Department were required, the Overseers would join as a support group.

    But this time, to quote Elder Tong, they were there to make them look ugly.

    Gu Jun swept his gaze over them. There were men and women among the thirty people, and they were all over thirty years old. The unit appeared imposing in their uniform¡ªto inspire leadership, some Special Mobile Force teams were allowed their own uniform. Naturally, the Problematic Team did not have that privilege yet.

    Facing his gaze, the group responded with confident and calm nods. Elder Tong and the few leaders from the Overseers were gesturing wildly, discussing something. Gu Jun captured the sight of two familiar faces among the group trailing behind the Overseers. One was Prof Qin, and the other was Yao Sinian, themander from the emergencymand center at Gu Rong Vige.

    ¡°Prof Qin, Commander Yao.¡± Gu Jun ignored the etiquette and walked forward to greet his two seniors.

    ¡°Ah Jun, I have not had the chance to speak with you after thatst mission.¡± Yao Sinian¡¯s hair was white as snow. His face was lined with more wrinkles than Gu Jun remembered. ¡°You were sent here right after that harsh mission. It must have been difficult for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all for the sake of Phecda.¡± Gu Jun did not darein before them. He noticed that Prof Qin also looked worse for wear, and there was a constant frown between his eyes. The serenity that he carried with him when he sent Gu Jun awayst month had disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°Prof Qin, how are things in the Eastern State?¡± His heart sank with apprehension.

    ¡°Honestly, not so good.¡± Prof Qin sighed. His voice wasced with lethargy. ¡°Ah Jun, for the past week, the number of peoplemitting suicide from jumping has skyrocketed in the Eastern State. The psychiatry and psychology department at the hospitals are all full. There is a new type of psychologically mutated disease that has appeared. There is currently no effective cure, and we haven¡¯t found its pathogenesis either. But ording to some field studies, it appears to be rted to an infectious nightmare.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s body quivered as his eyes widened. Earlier, he had worried about an infectious Alzheimer¡¯s...

    ¡®An infectious nightmare? What kind of pathogenesis is that?¡¯

    For some reason, he was reminded of that statement from the article¡ª¡¯to train our heart to listen to the voice in the dream¡¯.

 Chapter 119: Accuracy Rate (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 119: uracy Rate (2in1)</h4>

    ¡°Ah Jun, it¡¯s unfortunate, but we already have three internal cases within the Medical Department. There are also reports of simr cases in the Investigation Department and Scientific Research Department,¡± Prof Qin announced sadly.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Gu Jun was instantly reminded of his teachers and friends. The curse-like statement ¡¯embrace death together¡¯ from Raybundy¡¯s diary shed across his mind. He looked at Prof Qin¡¯s face, which was tired from ack of sleep, and his heart squeezed with sympathy. ¡°Prof Qin, are you...?¡±

    He let the question linger, but the implication was clear.

    ¡°No, all the victims have been quarantined already.¡± Prof Qin sighed. ¡°Thankfully, it appears like the disease only affects the citizens of the Eastern State.¡±

    Yao Sinian at the side provided some additional updates. He was one of the persons at the head of the emergency unit dealing with this illness temporarily dubbed ¡®Nightmare Illness¡¯. Even though Phecda had put out a tight on the inte, there had been more than enough forum threads discussing the nightmare before Phecda could intervene. The original poster was an Eastern State native, and he had already died from suicide. The thread had been viewed by inte users all over the country, but currently, only the area around the Eastern State had reported any actual cases.

    The first case was reported at a normal hospital one week ago, but it did not pass through any radar then. The attending doctor assumed this was just stress. It was not until the number of patients with the same symptoms and same dream started to skyrocket, and the illness even affected some of the doctors, that it caught the attention of Phecda.

    Since yesterday, the Eastern State had been in a state of emergency. The state was put under lockdown. Allmunication going in and out was all monitored. They could not be sure for now, but it appeared like anyone who knew about the content of the nightmare¡ªbe it through reading about it or hearing about it¡ªcould be infected. Though, the infection rate was not one hundred percent, and the pathology of the illness was still unclear. There was not even sufficient data to support a corrtion between high spirituality and a higher rate of infection.

    When he heard all this, Gu Jun was reminded of the silence that pervaded his social media recently. Even Lee Yuerui had stopped sending him memes. He had failed to notice that earlier because he was too busy with training. He could not help but ask, ¡°Then, is it not possible to get people to evacuate from the Eastern State since only people residing there will be affected?¡±

    ¡°The superiors decided not to go for such drastic measures yet.¡± When Yao Sinian said that, the pain was clear in his voice. ¡°After all, no one knows if the people will carry the pathogen with them, mass evacuation might lead to an epidemic. We still have a chance to contain the illness. We have to believe so...¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± The lines on Gu Jun¡¯s face tightened. In other words, the whole Eastern State was now isted from the rest of the world. The Eastern State had a poption of around 10,000,000 people. More and more would die if they stayed in the Eastern State, but they risked the chance of making it a true epidemic ravaging the whole country if they allowed a mass evacuation. Either of the decisions would cause the loss of innocent lives...

    The old man before him must have been a part of themittee that made this decision. This was not an easy solution to make. Gu Jun personally did not agree with it, but he could not say that the alternative would be much better.

    ¡°Regarding whether we can evacuate and how to evacuate, the country still needs more information.¡± The brows of Prof Qin were pleated with stress. ¡°Based on our current knowledge, we have reached a hypothesis regarding the transmission of this Nightmare Illness. There is something that is spreading a kind of mental signal transmission around the area within the Eastern State.¡±

    ¡®What kind of thing?¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to ask. ¡®An ESP transmitter? But one whose mind power is strong enough to cover several thousand kilometers?¡¯

    ¡°Once you have knowledge of the dream, you have a chance of receiving the signal, and that will cause your nervous system to mutate. Therefore, currently, the cases are only reported within the Eastern State. We have tried to move one of the patients thirty kilometers out of the epidemic range, but his condition continued to worsen. This suggests that once you are infected, you will be able to receive the signal anywhere. Currently, all known cases of the disease were transmitted from another person. There is not yet any individual case that shows signs that they were not infected by another person.¡±

    Once Prof Qin finished, Yao Sinian added, ¡°The transmission range of Nightmare Illness is almost identical to the Malformed Banyan Disease, so we are still investigating the possible connection of this to Lai Sheng Company.¡±

    Gu Jun felt the breath being knocked out from his lungs.

    ¡®The first tragedy is over. The second tragedy will be arriving soon.

    ¡®It is like what was prophesized... Could the second tragedy refer to this Nightmare Illness?¡¯

    He knew that there were at least two parties within the Afterlife Cult. His parents belonged to a side different from the sect that was vanquished at the shrine, but they appeared to be connected to another organization, one that was studying ¡®the voice inside the dream¡¯...

    But the taunt was left behind by the people from Afterlife Cult, no? Or was there perhaps some cooperation between the two parties? What did ¡®those documents¡¯ refer to, and what was the meaning of those words on the paper left behind by his parents?

    Gu Jun had a head full of questions, and he felt angry at not having any answers. He asked, ¡°What kind of nightmare is it?¡±

    The three of them had been chatting for a while already. Elder Tong and the Overseers were already waiting for them. Noticing this, Prof Qin said, ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯d better focus on your exam for now. It is not advisable for you to get yourself too involved in this at the moment. Just show them what you can do. That might lead to the breakthrough we need.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun nodded heavily. This sudden incident had shattered the peace that hadsted for a month. His peace was over. The Medical Department must be seriously understaffed. Had the Abnormal Energy Investigation Group been assigned to different ces to collect information, and had the Demon Hunter been sent out on another mission? He wished to return to the Eastern State immediately and offer his service. But at the same time, he was afraid of finding that any of his friends had fallen to this illness. Even though he still did not quite get the pathology of this Nightmare Illness, he knew that it was a spiral that would only lead toward death.

    ¡°I will,¡± Gu Jun promised. When he walked over from small get-together, Elder Tong made some quick introductions. The leader of the review group was called Xiao Sihui. He looked about the same age as Elder Tong. He came from the headquarters and had a few members with him. The captain of the Overseers was Zhang Danjie. The vice captains were Xu Da and Lu Wanhwa. Gu Jun recognized them from before. It was clear from the unfriendly gazes they directed at both Gu Jun and Elder Tong that their stance was biased.

    In any case, they had brought Prof Shen, Wu Siyu, and the rest about thetest situation in the Eastern State, and they were told to give everything they had in the exam. A nket of heaviness descended on the crew due to the news, but to Gu Jun¡¯s surprise, the heaviness impacted Elder Tong as well. His eagerness to fight had slipped away, and in its ce was some kind of stifled anger and... regret. As they moved toward the medical building, Elder Tong whispered to him in a surprisingly hoarse voice, ¡°Ah Jun, give it your best shot. We might not have much time left...¡±

    In that moment, Gu Jun felt a hollowness in Elder Tong¡¯s eyes that were sucking him in. It chilled him to the core.

    The examination this time was mainly on the existence of ESP. They already knew about Xiao Xu¡¯s super intelligence. It was why he had been recruited into Phecda at his young age. There were many weakened versions of Xiao Xu¡¯s talent among the public. They were Guinness World Record holders and so on, but the same could not be said for people with ESP.

    When they reached therge ESPb, the review group took over the control. Elder Tong, Prof Shen, and his crew were relegated to the sideline. Soon, Gu Jun, Wu Siyu, and four pairs from the Overseers were sent into five different rooms to conduct the Ganzfeld Experiment. The pictures used in the test were all prepared by the review group. Each set had a random selection of ten pictures. The choice of pictures for each set was randomly picked by theputer to lower the possibility of human influence between the two test subjects. All the sets were extremely unfamiliar andplicated, but now, Gu Jun only had his mind set on winning. His mental state was like that mother who managed to lift up the small car to save her child.

    After ten rotations, thepetition was over. When the results appeared on the big screen, a small gasp came from the review group members who were watching. Even for the Overseers like Zhang Danjie and Xu Da, who had seen many things in their lives, their expressions shifted.

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu had scored an impressive one hundred percent uracy rate with Gu Jun as the transmitter and eighty percent uracy rate with Wu Siyu as the transmitter. The four pairs of Overseers scored an average of sixteen percent. Prof Shen knew that sixteen percent should be considered high already. ording to the difficulty of the set of pictures they used, the average should only be around ten. Furthermore, the Overseers had not undergone special ESP training before. This sixteen percent result showcased their natural talent, but their talent was still no match for Gu Jun and Wu Siyu.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try something harder.¡± Without discussing it with anyone else, Xiao Sihui started yet another test. It was another ten sets of pictures, but the pictures that showed up this time not only includedplicated shapes and lines but also ten random numberbinations. This made it even more difficult because the receiver might get confused with the order during transmission. For example, the transmitter might see ¡¯30, 1, 66¡ä, but the receiver might rearrange it to ¡¯66, 30, 1¡ä. The hike in difficulty worried even Prof Shen. After all, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu had not received this kind of training before. This test required them to transmit the information of the picture and the number separately, and numbers were apletely different concept from images.

    But soon, a bigger gasp echoed in theb. They conducted five tests, and Gu Jun and Wu Siyu maintained an uracy above forty percent. But for the four pairs of Overseers, no matter how they arranged the position of receiver and transmitter, they all scored zero. Thisparison was a bit too drastic.

    The Overseers, who had looked so formidable when they arrived, now looked at each other in shock. Even Captain Zhang had unbridled awe and confusion on his face. Forty percent was not a coincidence. This meant that ESP was real. This confirmation would bring new changes to Phecda.

    Elder Tong turned to Xiao Sihui, who was silent. ¡°So, Ol¡¯ Xiao, how would you exin this?¡±

    Prof Qin shared a look with Yao Sinian. Regardless of Ol¡¯ Xiao¡¯s opinion, the two of them hade to a new conclusion. If ESP was real, then the pathology of the Nightmare Illness was likely linked to it somehow.

 Chapter 120: The Illusions

    <h4>Chapter 120: The Illusions</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Throughout the test process, Xiao Sihui maintained a wall of silence. As the leader of the review group, he had more to consider.

    ¡°This kind of test might still be affected by the familiarity between the test subjects. After all, there are still too many things we do not know about ESP,¡± Xiao Sihui told Elder Tong seriously. ¡°ording to their profiles, they have both interacted with spells before and have experiences akin to casting one. We only need a little proof of the existence of these spells. After all, seeing is believing, right?¡±

    Prof Shen at the side immediately chimed in. ¡°Leader Xiao, we have not yet started the study of spells. Our main focus at this stage is to cultivate their mental power...¡±

    ¡°Spell... is not some kind of parlor trick...¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°But it is their choice whether to showcase it or not.¡±

    Soon, Gu Jun, Wu Siyu, and the eight Overseers were led out from their rooms.

    ¡®Attempt a spell?¡¯ Even though ESP had been proven, the Overseers still had their reservations about the presence of spells.

    ¡°Ah Jun,¡± Xiao Sihui said, ¡°ording to yourtest mission report, you said you once used ¡®your mental power to break through the shackles of the spell unleashed by the people from Lai Sheng Company¡¯. The Demon Hunters have corroborated that statement. I am just wondering if you can show us that power here.¡±

    ¡°That was not a kind of spell.¡± Gu Jun suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart. While they were splitting hairs, there might be a new patient of Nightmare Illness out there. ¡°If anything, it is more like a mental attack, like using ESP to overload the opponent with information, causing their brain function to spiral out of control.¡±

    At the side, Elder Tong¡¯s eyes quivered slightly. He tossed back the bottle of beer as if trying to wash away the memory that returned to him.

    ¡°I can try to show it to you, but I need someone who will volunteer to be attacked.¡± Gu Jun made it clear. ¡°This might cause permanent mental damage or even physical damage. I will try my best to control it, but I need all the medics to be ready.¡±

    For the volunteer and also for himself.

    Without waiting for anyone else, Xiao Sihui nodded. ¡°I am willing to volunteer. I¡¯ve been meaning to witness this abnormal energy in y myself.¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart loosened. He understood that Leader Xiao was not trying to make this difficult for them; he was merely doing his job. That earned him some respect from Gu Jun. The medics moved into alert. To be fair, the whole room was filled with doctors, and they were inside a building crawling with them, so the review team did not think that this could bring any danger. They thought that Gu Jun was just tooting his own horn. But Xiao Xu, Elder Tong, and Prof Shen had nched expressions. Prof Qin and Yao Sinian felt their hearts rise to their throat.

    Gu Jun was as careful as he could be. He told Wu Siyu, ¡°If I show any trace of losing control, use your power to bring me back.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°You sure this will work?¡±

    ¡°It should.¡± Gu Jun was banking on thisst resort. ¡°I suppose it will be like what I did with the people from Lai Sheng Company. You can interrupt me like how I interrupted them. But there is no telling what can happen, so if things get out of control, just try your best to shut me down.¡±

    When everyone moved into ce, under everyone¡¯s scrutiny, Xiao Sihui listened to Gu Jun¡¯smand and walked forward to stand two meters before him and look into his eyes. Gu Jun looked squarely at this middle-aged man. He steadied his breathing and told himself, ¡®Even though you do not have that Carlot Scalpel, you are not the same person you were. Your mental power is much stronger, and you have a greater mastery of ESP. You know you can do this; you can handle this level of mental attack. Alright, time to do this. I will use the few incantations at the start of the Malformed Banyan Disease spell to shatter Leader Xiao¡¯s suspicion. Just as Elder Tong said, as important as rationality is, only chaos and distortion can break through the shackles of established human thought.¡¯

    With these thoughts bouncing in his mind, human emotion slowly escaped from Gu Jun¡¯s face.

    Xiao Sihui was staring at him, and the rest were staring at the two of them. Suddenly, a strangenguage emerged from Gu Jun¡¯s lips. Those who were in the know understood that as the foreignnguage!

    Yao Sinian could even recognize it as the spell on the fifth page of the parchment provided by Gu Jun! Over the past month, before the advent of Nightmare Illness, the Scientific Research Department in the Eastern State had conducted endless research on the foreignnguage writing system and pronunciation provided by Gu Jun, so Yao Sinian was rather familiar with this long string of words. But just as Gu Jun imed, no matter how they pronounced or wrote them, there was no reaction.

    But now, the temperature in theb suddenly dropped. Yao Sinian was covered in chills, and the people around him frowned deeply.

    ¡°Mutated seeds break through decayed mud like battle axes, disintegrating decay,¡± Gu Jun chanted slowly. The adjustment to grammatical structure and vernacr was all purely based on his instinct, but by the end of this first sentence, an agitation rose in his heart. An illusion appeared at the periphery of his vision, and the darkness in his heart was awakening. ¡°Decay reces fragrance, millions of descendants gathered around dirty blood...¡±

    Xiao Sihui was given a direct view of the change in Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. A tornado swept within them before turning into an abyssal whirlpool. The moment Xiao Sihui saw that whirlpool, he was yanked down by an invisible hand, and eerie illusions overwhelmed him.

    Endless cadavers filled up a cramped stone room. The spiral staircase that led to the toil was covered in decaying flesh and blood... The rotting flesh was gyrating, writhing, moving, and boiling... It broke out from the mud and burst toward the top of the staircase. All kinds of madness was spreading around, covering the world with darkness.

    Death, death, death... Ruin, ruin, ruin...

    ¡°Ah...¡± Xiao Sihui suddenly yelped in horror. He wanted to turn his head to avoid the ghastly sight, but he found that he was unable to move. It was already toote; he was deep inside the abyss already. The people from the review group were stunned by their leader¡¯s reaction. Xiao Sihui¡¯s facial muscles were twitching. His mouth opened, and a croaking voice escaped. He wanted to say something but could not. The Overseers quickly moved into action. Even though the chill affected them too, they had not lost their mobility.

    At the same time, Elder Tong cried out hoarsely. ¡°Ah Jun, that¡¯s enough... Stop!¡±

    Hearing the shout from Elder Tong, Gu Jun¡¯s heart shook. He wanted to stop himself, but the power of darkness had taken over.

    ¡°Creature of worm and maggot...¡± His voice slowed down, but the chanting had not stopped. There was a struggle within it. ¡°Breaking through the barrier...¡±

    Xiao Sihui¡¯s face was distorted. His body bent backward at an impossible angle. On the other side, Yao Sinian suddenly let loose a growl as his hands reached for his head.

    ¡°Siyu, go and pull Ah Jun back!¡± Elder Tong ordered urgently. ¡°This has gone out of control!¡±

    Prof Shen and the rest were worried, but there was nothing they could do but to physically pull back the Overseers who attempted to jump on Gu Jun. Wu Siyu instantly jumped into motion. Honestly, she did not know what to do. She tried to take Gu Jun¡¯s earlier advice. She focused and called his name, giving him a lifeline. ¡°Ah Jun, wake up! If you do, I will take you to a feast. Wake up now!¡±

    Bodies, so many dead bodies...

    Suddenly, the illusions assaulted her. Resisting the splitting headache, Wu Siyu shouted loudly, ¡°Wake up!¡±

    Gu Jun felt a force pulling him back from the edge of the precipice. He yanked at it, and the abyss sank away beneath him!

    ¡°Phew, phew...¡± The spell was broken. Blood drained from Gu Jun¡¯s face. He panted heavily. His heart was still trying to suppress that agitating darkness, and that was just from the first few sentences of the spell. He had not evenpleted casting the whole spell...

    This was due to thetent power in his body. If not for the past month¡¯s training and Wu Siyu¡¯s immediate help, the result might have been disastrous.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Xiao Sihui immediately crumpled to the ground. His convulsing face was filled with nkness as his spirit was finding its way home.

    ¡°I warned you all about the danger of spells!¡± Elder Tong scolded angrily, but he soon calmed down. ¡°Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t we have shown that to you allst month? Why the need to go through the special training? Why the ESP experiments? Activate, control, utilize¡ªthat is the process. First, activate it, then learn to control it, and only then one can utilize it! Rampant usage without the knowledge of how to control it will only bring tragedy to both the user and the target. Now do you get it, Ol Xiao?¡±

    Xiao Sihui was helped into a chair by his people. He was still quite out of it. His breathing was too hard for him to speak. The people from the review group surrounded him. The question on their mind was... ¡®What exactly had their leader seen that they did not?¡¯

 Chapter 121: A Choice (3in1)

    <h4>Chapter 121: A Choice (3in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Xiao, are you going to give it another try?¡± Elder Tong asked chillingly. ¡°How many times do we have to go through this before you are willing to believe it?¡±

    ¡°We must not do another trial.¡± Prof Shen hurried to say. Gu Jun was mentally drained, and he looked positively sick. Wu Siyu also did not look any better from the aid she had lent him. Prof Shen truly cared about the two of them as he would his own children. He hurried to bring them over to their seats to sit down.

    ¡°No... there is no need to have another trial...¡± Xiao Sihui finally found his breath again, but the voice that came out from his throat was barely above a whisper. ¡°The illusions that I saw... were of a ce that Gu Jun mentioned in his previous mission report. It felt like I was being sucked into it. My soul was being consumed by something. I am sure that was the work of abnormal energy... There is no other exnation...¡±

    Yao Sinian, who had suffered from minor illusions earlier, said darkly, ¡°I was probably too familiar with the spell that he used, so I was sucked into a whirlpool-like abyss.¡±

    The rest of the review group and Overseers had a hard time believing what they were hearing, but they had seen what happened earlier with their own eyes. It was not too long ago that Leader Xiao had been standing proud like a preening peacock, but now he had wilted like melted ice cream in the sun. Looking at him, they could not help but worry about his state. The medics had rushed forward to physically inspect Xiao Sihui, Yao Sinian, Gu Jun, and Wu Siyu. However, Xiao Sihui shook his head to deny them their help. ¡°It¡¯s useless. The damage is all in the brain.¡±

    ¡°Looks like you have really gotten it this time.¡± Elder Tong sounded sarcastic when he said that.

    ¡°After that, naturally...¡± Xiao Sihui turned to his subordinates and announced hoarsely, ¡°I personally believe that human beings can master ESP and can control as well as utilize that power through necessary training.¡±

    The group could not hide their surprise anymore. The Overseers did not say anything, but the members from the review groups were bursting with questions. Instantly, theb was filled with a cacophony of inquiries. Xiao Sihui silenced them with an order. He sighed before adding, ¡°Ol Tong, Ol Shen, your theory is right. Phecda needs to control this kind of energy, especially now when the abnormal energy has shown such a resurgence in activity...¡±

    ¡°The best time for that would have been thirty years ago, but now is the second-best time.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s tone had stopped being so sharp. ¡°We must start the Spell Department immediately, gather resources to find talents, and conduct research and training. It is a bit toote to start now, but it is betterte than never.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course, you¡¯re right...¡± Xiao Sihui nodded and mumbled. They were toote toe to their senses about something as important as this. Gu Jun had almost lost control earlier, and he looked like he had the energy in his body drained out of him from just one attempt at the spell. It was not even aplete spell! Xiao Sihui understood that it would be a long time before they could see results on how to utilize ESP outside ab, how to cultivate the mastery of spells, and so on. And then it would require even more time to spread this news and knock down prejudice across the nation. But at least now they had a beginning.

    After getting another moment of rest, Xiao Sihui was feeling more like himself. Thus, he turned to Elder Tong, Gu Jun, and the rest and informed them seriously, ¡°Tonight, all of you will have to follow me back to the headquarters and start on building the foundation for the Spell Department. You mustplete the preparation work for the organization for this unique Special Mobile Force unit. Do not worry, I guarantee that the headquarters will throw their full support behind you.¡±

    Prof Shen was very excited when he heard that. Before Gu Jun could say anything, Prof Qin interrupted with nervousness. ¡°Leader Xiao, Ah Jun is needed more desperately in the Eastern State. Do you mind if hees with us first?¡±

    Yao Sinian also added, ¡°Due to the uniqueness of Ah Jun¡¯s background, and the possibility of connection between the Nightmare Illness and Lai Sheng Company, his presence in the Eastern State might bring some momentous breakthrough in dealing with this illness.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun can participate in the research in the Eastern State through long-distancemunication.¡± Xiao Sihui already had other considerations, and he stated his preference very clearly. ¡°The headquarters also requires his presence.¡±

    Prof Qin and Commander Yao were both silenced immediately. This was because this understanding of the research of spells had now been pushed to the forefront of Phecda¡¯s agenda. With the immense talent in ESP that Gu Jun had showcased, he was now certified as one of the most precious resources Phecda had. He would be the central pir that formed their study of spells.

    On the other hand, the transmission zone of Nightmare Illness appeared to only limit itself to the Eastern State. If Gu Jun was unfortunately infected by it when he returned, it would be an irreceable loss to Phecda. Joining the research into the Nightmare Disease through long-distancemunication should be the perfect solution, but...

    ¡°I need Ah Jun for sure,¡± Elder Tong stated clearly. ¡°The early days of a new department will mostly be dealing with the red tape. It is fine for him to not be there for it, so it is dependent on the young man himself where he will feel more valuable.¡±

    Before Gu Jun who was deeply frowning could say a word, Xiao Sihui ushered him into ab room to have a private chat. ¡°Ah Jun, follow me, we need to have a little talk.¡±

    The door closed with a bang. The rest could see them conversing through the clear ss, but they could not hear the exact conversation.

    ¡°There are certainplications that I am not allowed to reveal before the rest, but you have the right to know about them,¡± Xiao Sihui told Gu Jun seriously. ¡°The headquarters will not be sending anyrge-scale reinforcements to the Eastern State. If anything, more support will be provided for existing Phecda members to evacuate from the Eastern State. Before we understand fully the pathology of the new illness, that will not change. Currently, our strategy is to monitor themunication and human flow, iste the patients, and gradually contain the number of new patients in the hopes that the epidemic will slowly dwindle out. Of course, the research on how to cure and eliminate the source of the illness is not only conducted in the Eastern State¡¯sbs. In fact, more profound research is being conducted at the headquarters. In other words, the headquarters are doing the more important work inbating this illness.¡±

    At this point, Xiao Sihui¡¯s tone turned kind and friendly. It was clear that he was trying to persuade Gu Jun, ¡°Ah Jun, if you go to the headquarters, you will get the best treatment due to your talent. We will figure out a way to cure your brain stem tumor and provide you with the best assistance that we can give.¡±

    Even though the soundproof room prevented any eavesdropping, the people in the outer room could hazard a guess that Xiao Sihui was making a list of pros and cons for Gu Jun. Either choice came with its own reasoning and consequences; no one could tell right now which would be the better choice. On the one hand, it was the headquarters that would offer the best protection and high sry; on the other hand, it was seemingly endless days spent in istion in a ghost town. Comparing the two, no one would have med Gu Jun for choosing to go to the headquarters. In fact, many would have agreed that it was the wisest choice considering the scenario.

    But if the choice was presented to them, how would they choose? This question shed across the minds of some of the researchers and the members of the Overseers. None of them dared say withplete honesty that they would risk their lives to go to the Eastern State.

    As they say, to look after others, one must first look after oneself.

    If the doctor had fallen ill from the disease himself, how was he expected to help the others?

    ¡°Leader Xiao.¡± Gu Jun gave a deep breath. His mind was still fuzzy, but he could not pinpoint the reason. ¡°I am a student of medicine. Because of that, I know that you will never truly understand the pathology of an illness without having actual clinical contact with the patients. Furthermore, you need close contact for ESP to work. For me personally, the only real ce that will bring forth an actual breakthrough in the study of the Nightmare Illness is at Eastern State.¡±

    ¡°I understand where you areing from.¡± If this was any other situation, Xiao Sihui would feel admiration toward the determination shown by Gu Jun. ¡°Having passion in your work is a good thing, but you should try to see the big picture.¡±

    Xiao Sihui did not want to be so tant with his words, but for now, Gu Jun¡¯s life had be more important than the lives of these patients. Gu Jun was a clever person, and Xiao Sihui believed he would understand what he was getting at.

    ¡°Even though you entered Phecda as a clinical doctor, that does not mean that you have to stay constantly on the frontline.¡± Xiao Sihui continued trying to persuade him. ¡°The work of every single department at Phecda is very important, but in this day and age, the Spell Department is only going to get more and more important. With the talent that is gifted to you, you should be assigned a new role. Do not feel pressured into making any decision that you might regret!¡±

    Due to the sincerity in Leader Xiao¡¯s voice, Gu Jun decided to ce himself in the picture that Leader Xiao had painted for him. If he stayed in the safe andfortable headquarters, the days would continue as they had for the past month. The hours would be spent doing research, experiments, and training. He would be spared from the stress of dealing with the scary and twisted patients directly.

    ¡®That did not sound like too bad a choice, right?¡¯

    But the pictures of some faces and incidents rushed before his eyes. They were the guilt and regret that wrought his heart when he was faced with the death and suffering of his patients, the immense joy and relief that he felt when he managed to save someone¡¯s life. At the end of the day, this was not a choice that was as hard as he thought. Perhaps a clever person would make the more logical choice, but Gu Jun... had never seen himself as a clever person before.

    ¡°Leader Xiao, I need to return,¡± Gu Jun said in an even voice. ¡°I came here for this special training to be better at being a doctor, not to hide behind others. All the training is so that I can perform better on the frontline. It is because of how things are in the Eastern State that I need to return there with Prof Qin and contribute in any way that is required of me.

    ¡°I am a doctor and my Hippocratic Oathpels me to aid the patients in the best way that I believe possible. I cannot shirk from responsibility due to the danger and risk.¡±

    ¡°...Okay then.¡± Xiao Sihui gazed at Gu Jun for a long time before he nodded unwillingly. ¡°I will figure out a way to answer to the headquarters. Promise me you will be careful in the Eastern State. Take care of yourself. The Spell Department still requires your talent.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± Gu Jun answered sincerely.

    After the two walked out from the room, Xiao Sihui announced the result of their discussion to the rest of the room. ¡°Ah Jun will follow Leader Yao and Prof Qin back to the Eastern State.¡±

    Instantly, the gazes that Zhang Danjie and the rest levelled at Gu Jun gained an extrayer ofplicated respect. Gu Jun was exactly as his profile suggested.

    Prof Qin felt a great relief and constion in his heart. Yao Sinian whispered to him in admiration, ¡°Ol Qin, you sure have made a great choice that time.¡±

    Now that the decision had been made, they had no time to waste. Gu Jun instantly bade farewell to the group who would be returning to the headquarters.

    ¡°Sigh...¡± Wu Siyu looked at Gu Jun. From her point of view, Gu Jun had made a dumb choice, but for some reason, she also thought it was quite a handsome deed that he had done. She lowered her head and leaned on his shoulder. She sighed like a ghost. ¡°I know you always have balls of steel, but don¡¯t you die on me. ording to legend, if one twin dies, the other will soon follow. Our current ESP connection is not worse than actual twins. For your information, I still have a lot of life to look forward to, so please remember that. By the way, I did not realize you have such broad shoulders before this.¡±

    ¡°Then you have to be careful as well.¡± Gu Jun could not help but chuckle. ¡°Researching spells is going to be much more dangerous than operating a surgery.¡±

    ¡°Oh well.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. Then she tapped on her temple as she moved away. ¡°There¡¯s a headacheing.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, do not take any unnecessary risk, you hear?¡± Elder Tong said. At this moment, even the mist of alcohol could not hide the sincerity in his tone. ¡°If you encounter that nightmare, do not attempt to solve it on your own. Do not even think about doing something as dangerous as that. If it is looking for you, then do not let it find you.¡±

    ¡®It?¡¯ Gu Jun questioned himself. What was Elder Tong referring to? The transmitter of the nightmare?

    In any case, Elder Tong informed him that he had already shared his opinion with Prof Qin, and he would be participating in the research from long distance should there be any update. After parting with Elder Tong, Gu Jun went to have a talk with Prof Shen and the rest of theb members. Through the month of special training, he had learned a lot, and he was very thankful for what Prof Shen¡¯s crew had done for him. Prof Shen had the same words of concern as the rest; he reminded him again and again to take care of himself.

    After that, Gu Jun departed from the Medical Building and returned to his dormitory to pack his bags. Other than the suitcase of clothes, he only had a backpack of items, and most of them were medical journals. As the day was winding down, he carried his bags and followed Prof Qin and Commander Yao to the cross-county vehicles that would take them to the nearby military airfield. The weather was horrible, and it was pouring heavily. Thunder and light appeared to spread cracks across the darkening sky. Thankfully, rain never stayed for long in the Northern Deserts, so they should not miss their flight schedule.

    In the car, Prof Qin advised him, ¡°Ah Jun, you should make use of this time to rest.¡±

    But it sounded like Prof Qin could use his own advice. He did not look so much better himself. ¡°It will be very hectic once we arrive in the Eastern State.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun looked out through the car window. The yellow sand was being ravaged by the storm, and darkness seemed to be encroaching upon them.

    He knew that the Eastern State was already a ce of enormous danger.

    Nightmare Illness...

    When Gu Jun had his discussion with Leader Xiao, he appeared heroic and formidable, but that was just a front. He was afraid of death. Of course he was. But he was even more afraid of hearing about his friends¡¯ passing while knowing he could have done something about it. The days where he could not take Cai Zixuan¡¯s soup again, where he could no longer hear the chidingments from Wang Ruoxiang, the awful dad jokes from Prof Gu, the surprising offense Xue Ba took at not being treated as a schr, Uncle Dan¡¯s scious jokes...

    He was not Landon. He was not that concerned about the truth of life or the universe.

    He was just a banal man. He was more concerned about the safety of his friends.

    They were fighting on the frontline, and there was no way he was going to hide at the rear.

    Gu Jun focused his gaze. Lightning split the dark clouds in the sky, briefly illuminating the world around them.

    In that isted city, the patients were still struggling in the swamp of pain, searching for a doctor¡¯s aid, waiting for hope to arrive.

    No matter the illness, no matter the headquarters¡¯ decision to support them or not, he was more than willing to join the others to slice away the dark clouds, to morph into that shining de of light.

 Chapter 122: The Patientâ€™s Tongue

    <h4>Chapter 122: The Patient¡¯s Tongue</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Gray clouds hung low in the night sky of the Eastern State. From the fall of night to morning, the number of people on the street had drastically decreased. Even though the inte ess was heavily monitored, the mass media in the Eastern State had already reported, and the citizens had received news on their phone, regarding a new strain of flu that had exploded around the Eastern State. It was highly infectious and had a high fatality rate. Should they suffer from symptoms like soreness in the muscle, loss of focus, and insomnia due to nightmares, they were asked to report to the nearest medical personnel immediately.

    Due to the severity of the news, most people had secluded themselves at home and avoided going to crowded ces. This meant that a death-like chill shrouded the once bustling metropolis. When Gu Jun arrived at Phecda¡¯s Medical Department in the city, it was already around midnight. After one and a half months, he was finally back to this familiar ce. The various floors of the building were still lit up like daytime. Along the way, he saw many colleagues hurrying back and forth. No one was chatting, and none even dared to share a look; it was as if they could not see each other. Seeing the confusion on Gu Jun¡¯s face, Prof Qin leaned in to exin. Phecda had banned its members from interacting with each other unless it was directly rted to work.

    There were already three reported cases within the medical department. They were not anyone Gu Jun was familiar with, and they were all research members of the psychology group working on studying the Nightmare Illness. Due to the time constraint, Gu Jun made his way to the psychology floor before going to meet up with any of his old friends. When he first joined Phecda, he often spent his time training on this floor, but at the time, there had definitely been no unfamiliar faces from the Action Department patrolling the floor and the mist of despair that hung in the air.

    ¡°Currently, we are monitoring ten patients here,¡± Prof Qin said.

    ¡°The other patients are situated at the other istion camp.¡± Yao Sinian confirmed with a nod.

    They entered the building and passed through many security checks before they arrived at the Nightmare Illness Research Center that was situated at the 12th floor. The scene when they arrived did not suggest that it was close to 1 am. From the corridor to the many offices, people were busy with their tasks. There were members from the Medical Department and Scientific Research Department. They were attempting to gain an understanding of this disease from the angles of neurology, psychology, and psychiatry. But from the pleats of brows on their faces and theck of mirth in the room, it appeared like progress wascking.

    ¡°Elder Qin, Leader Yao.¡± The leader of the psychology group, Tang Zhifeng, rushed over. He was surprised when he saw Gu Jun because he knew Gu Jun. Tang Zhifeng was one of the judges back during the medical skillpetition, and he showered Gu Jun¡¯s mental acuity with great praise. Tang Zhifeng was also privy to the situation where Gu Jun was suspected of being the ¡®thing inside the banyan tree¡¯ and was escorted away by the Abnormal Energy Research group. From there, the gossip had festered like crazy. It mainly regarded how the rising star was actually a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing, and thus, everyone showed open suspicion with regards to his appearance there.

    ¡°This is Gu Jun, our ally.¡± Prof Qin raised his voice to make the introduction. ¡°He has done many amazing things, and he will be joining us for the research.¡±

    This news travelled like a shockwave. Apparently, the rumors were false considering this Gu Jun was trusted by Prof Qin and Commander Yao. But wasn¡¯t Gu Jun someone from the surgical group? Oh right, it had to be about the research suggestion regarding the attempt of lobotomy as a form of treatment. The first operation would be conducted the following morning, so Gu Jun was likely there to join the surgical team. That had to be why he was valued so greatly...

    ¡°Nice to meet all of you.¡±

    After Gu Jun greeted everyone, Prof Qin said, ¡°Leader Tang, please lead us to meet the patients.¡±

    Soon, Gu Jun put on the white coat and surgical mask again after so many days. He followed his superior up the stairs to the sickrooms that were ced on the floor above them. When he first started working as a doctor, the mask brought him a lot of difort because he felt like it hindered his ease of breathing, but now, he kinda missed the touch of the light fabric on his face.

    The security along the corridor of the sickrooms was even heavier. Every patient was assigned their own room, and there was a single-sided, soundproof window installed next to the door so that one could see into the room without walking into it. It was through such a window that Gu Jun was given the first glimpse of the Nightmare Illness¡¯ victim. A young man with a normal frame was lying on the bed with his gaze seemingly devoid of any spirit.

    ¡°This patient was ced here just yesterday,¡± Prof Qin began. There was a calmness that was close to detachment in this old doctor¡¯s voice. ¡°Ah Jun, we have delineated the Nightmare Illness into three stages for now ording to its severity. This patient is still in its early stage. The clinical response mainly reports a problem with his sleeping function. He has that recurring nightmare whenever he falls asleep, and after he¡¯s woken up by it, he is unable to fall back to sleep. Some of the more serious cases had tried but failed to even sleep at night, but they still experienced the same nightmarish illusion around the same time each night. Even though the nightmare has not shown any sign of urring in the morning, they still cannot fall asleep in the day.

    ¡°In this early stage, the patient¡¯s mental state will quickly worsen. A weakness in their limbs will follow, and then there will be interruptions to their central nervous system. Outward symptoms include over perspiration, heart palpitation, erratic heartbeat, low blood pressure, and so on. There is another symptom unique to all new patients, and that is the mutation to their tongue... Why don¡¯t you go in and take a look for yourself?¡±

    Instantly, the two guards from the Action Department opened the door and went in to order the patient to follow the rules before letting the doctors in. Once the patient saw the group of doctors, faith filled his face. He appeared like he wanted to say something. Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed when he saw the panic in the patient¡¯s eyes and his open desire for life. The man was only several years older than him. One should not have to face death at the age of twenty-five.

    ¡°Ah.¡± The patient only dared to make a groan. The rule was that the patients were barred from speaking. They were only allowed to speak in response to the questions from the doctors. And they had to speak slowly. Any breach of the rules would be punished with a shock of an electric taser.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. Do you mind opening your mouth for us?¡± Gu Jun heard Prof Qin say that as thetter took out a small shlight and shone it inside the patient¡¯s mouth. The patient cooperated fully. He sat up in bed and lifted his head, opening his mouth wide.

    Before the light shone into the mouth, Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank like the pathological phenomenon before him had weighed down on his heart. The patient¡¯s tongue had shrunk beyond belief; it was at least half its normal size. It was curled into a strange ball, and the tongue had a curious ck hue to it and gave off a strange smell that reminded him of a dead body. Speaking of which, one of the first signs of putrefaction was tongue atrophy, and this patient was suffering from the same thing.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Gu Jun said evenly as he nodded at the patient.

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± The patient mumbled a few choking sounds. It sounded like he was pleading. The group headed out after that. By then, the patient had climbed out of bed. He stood beside his bed, watching the doctors walking away, abandoning him to his fate. The loss and bereavement in his eyes could not be understated.

    ¡°Tongue atrophy is the shared simrity for all new patients in the initial stage of the Nightmare Illness.¡± In the corridor, Prof Qin briefed Gu Jun. ¡°And the patients reported experiencing dry mouth, a feeling that will not go away even after drinking a lot of water. It might be a damage to the nerves. But at this stage, the patient is still able to process information quite capably. They will only get rather anxious and agitated.¡±

    Tang Zhifeng then sighed. ¡°This patient said he was infected after reading his friend¡¯s WeChat message. His friend is quarantined here as well, but he¡¯s at the middle stage already.¡±

    Gu Jun could only listen quietly. He was not brazen enough to promise that he would be able to save them. He did not trigger any abnormal feeling when he was with the patient earlier.

    He turned back to look at the young man through the window. The man had sat back down in his bed. The expression of emptiness had returned to his face. It was a mask that prevented others from reading his thoughts.

    With a heavy heart, Gu Jun turned to look at the information of the patient hanging by the door.

    ¡®Name: Chen Wenwei

    ¡®Age: 25

    ¡®Patient¡¯s Condition: Early Stage¡¯

 Chapter 123: Nightmare Illness

    <h4>Chapter 123: Nightmare Illness</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Inside a sickroom not far away, Gu Jun saw Chen Wenwei¡¯s friend, the patient called Mai Lei. Mai Lei was also a young man at twenty-five years old. He was seated on the bed facing the window. The muscles all over his body were shivering slightly. His facial muscles had seriously contracted. His eyes sunk deeply into their sockets, his eyeballs were bloodshot, and his gaze appeared to be staring into the edge of madness.

    ¡°Nightmare Illness advances quickly,¡± Prof Qin added. ¡°Mai Lei was infected after reading a post online. He saw it six days earlier than Chen Wenwei, but he was already now in the illness¡¯ middle state. Many of his symptoms are simr to multiple system atrophy (MSA).¡±

    In fact, MSA was the mostmon diagnosis given by normal doctors before Nightmare Illness was known. This was because the symptoms of MSA also included difficulty with sleeping and speaking as well as problems with the central nervous system. On top of that, the medical world had note to understand the exogenesis of MSA yet.

    ¡°Patients in the middle stages are still conscious, but their mental state is extremely weak. They are agitated, hostile, and offensive. This matches the symptoms of long-time insomniacs. Drugs like Oxcarbazepine used to treat bipr disorder have some alleviating effect on them.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded with some understanding. While Nightmare Illness would not directly make one go crazy, MSA, the inability to sleep, would push any normal man into madness. Long-time insomniacs usually had offensive tendencies. If there was another person who was the cause of the patient¡¯s insomniac, this would be much more obvious. This was why altercations were frequent in university dormitories; sleep was very important for a person¡¯s mental and physical health.

    Once the group walked into the sickroom, Mai Lei reacted much greater than Chen Wenwei. With his shaking body, he lurched toward them. ¡°Save me! I just want to sleep, that¡¯s all...¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mai!¡±

    The two guards from the Action Department shouted back at him. One of them went to press him back while the other readied the taser. Even though his voice was not that clear, they could still hear what Mai Lei wanted to express.

    ¡°Sorry, please don¡¯t...¡± Mai Lei retreated in a hurry. His face was carved in pain and horror. ¡°Sorry!¡±

    Following the agitated yelp, Mai Lei suddenly hacked with intensity. His hand flew to his mouth, and when he pulled back, there was a bloody tooth sitting in his palm. Looking at the tooth, the horror on Mai Lei¡¯s face deepened. A howl that sounded like a cry escaped from his throat. ¡°Ah...¡±

    However, Prof Qin, Tang Zhifeng, and the rest did not seem surprised by this situation. One of the guards grabbed the tooth and deposited it inside a medical bag.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank watching this. However, for the time being, he could only focus on his job. He walked forward to look into Mai Lei¡¯s oral cavity. The patient not only suffered from tongue atrophy, even his gums had atrophied. A few mrs on both of his jaws were missing, and the remaining teeth were all loosened as if they would drop with a slightly powerful yank. The canine tooth that had just dislocated left a very deep groove on the patient¡¯s upper left jaw, but no blood leaked out. It appeared like the cells in his gums had already died from necrosis...

    After they exited the sickroom, Prof Qin said, ¡°During the middle stage, the tissue in the patient¡¯s oral cavity will atrophy, and their teeth will fall out one by one. This means that they have trouble consuming food, and they have to be sustained on liquid food. Furthermore, their immune system will worsen; at thete stage, some of the patient¡¯s immune system willpletely copse.¡±

    For now, Phecda did not have many patients in thete stage. Instead, most of them were advancing toward thete stage. This was because most of the victims would have alreadymitted suicide before then.

    In another sickroom, Gu Jun saw a patient in thete stage. The middle-aged man was strapped to the bed. He was already incoherent and had lost his ability of speech. He waspletely immobile because he was sedated. Dehydration was clear on all parts of the patient¡¯s body. From the outside, the man had the appearance of a skeleton. His face was like a skull with ayer of jaundiced skin stretched over it. His gaze only spoke of emptiness and chaos; there was no light left that suggested humanity.

    ¡°Should they still possess mobility, patients in thete stage will move toward high ground and jump.¡± Prof Qin sighed. ¡°We currently have no idea what is behind this. If they fail tomit suicide and are not sedated, the victims will enter a somniloquy-like hallucinative state. They stop reacting to outer stimuli. The only thing they will do is constantly moan and struggle.¡±

    ¡®Moving toward high ground?¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of flight for some reason. ording to Sigmund Freud, the desire to fly was due to intense pressure, and the patient wished for quite literal flight from their problems. The leap of death that these victimsmitted was their symbolic of their desire to escape from pain.

    His head was pounding. Images of people jumping from buildings crowded his mind. Was that a trigger of the illusion, or was that just his imagination? Gu Jun tried to focus on the image, but it was like grasping at smoke...

    ¡®It¡¯s not going to work...¡¯ he grumbled to himself. ¡®There is no close connection. Perhaps the locale or scenario is not suitable. The feeling is not intense enough for me to grab hold of it.¡¯

    After exiting into the corridor, Gu Jun told Prof Qin and Commander Yao seriously and helplessly. ¡°I did not experience any urate ESP connection.¡±

    He did not dare jump to a hasty conclusion, but it appeared like Nightmare Illness might not have too deep a connection with the foreign world, the Son of Steel, or the Son of Misfortune. This was something he had not encountered in his childhood, so the strong feeling that overwhelmed him when he first encountered the cadaver of the Malformed Banyan Disease victim did not return this time.

    At the time, even without the mental power training, he could already trigger the illusion of the pool of cadavers. ¡®Wait a minute... cadavers?¡¯

    Once the thought crossed his mind, the wisp of smoke appeared to thicken.

    ¡°ESP?¡± Tang Zhifeng was startled. ¡®Isn¡¯t that something from parapsychology?¡¯

    The disappointment was clear on Yao Sinian and Prof Qin¡¯s faces. The hope that they had riding on Gu Jun¡¯s arrival had been vanquished.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you just returned, and your mental power has suffered from the exam yesterday. There is no need to rush.¡± Prof Qin attempted at a feeble constion. ¡°You need to go back to your dormitory to get a good sleep. Tomorrow morning, these three patients will go for a lobotomy as a form of experimental treatment. Why don¡¯t youe back to visit them after that?¡±

    ¡®Lobotomy?¡¯ Gu Jun could not help but frown. That was a kind of surgery that was frowned upon by the medical field, but then again, what choice did they have?

    ¡°ESP... is it the kind from parapsychology?¡± Tang Zhifeng asked. He was not sure where Prof Qin had picked up Gu Jun.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yao Sinian nodded. Any suspicion he had of it had been cleared after seeing it in action personally. ¡°Zhifeng, you will find out more soon enough.¡±

    It was not that Tang Zhifeng questioned the two seniors, but he was so set in his belief that he found it hard to believe the research of Nightmare Illness was moving into the realm of pseudo-science...

    ¡°Prof Qin, I have an idea.¡± Gu Jun interrupted. ESP indeed was rted to the mental state, but it was also rted to many other things. He said calmly, ¡°I wish to take a look at the dead bodies of the victims of the Nightmare Illness. It is best if I have the apaniment of my friends like Cai Zixuan and the rest. The cadavers would be perfect if they are soaked in formalin.¡±

    Images of death would intensify his senses. That had been proven many times. With regards to Cai Zixuan and his friends¡¯ presence, Gu Jun merely wanted to replicate that scene from back then as much as he could. He could not be sure, but there might be some influencing factors to his friends¡¯ presence.

 Chapter 124: White Morgue

    <h4>Chapter 124: White Morgue</h4>

    The dead bodies of the Nightmare Illness victims were stored in the Medical Department¡¯s morgue. For the past two days, the people at the morgue had been very busy conducting autopsies on these victims. Since the autopsy had to be so detailed to the point that they checked every single nerve ending in the body, the people at the morgue had their hands full. Due to the time constraint and therge number of samples, the morgue had requested help from the clinical group. Members like Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, and Sun Yuheng, who had joined Phecda due to their outstanding autopsy skills, were among the group of people rounded up to help.

    They were busy from morning until dawn. The shift changed once every three to four hours. They would rest at the resting areas around the morgue before jumping back into work. When they arrived, the spacious resting hall of the morgue was filled with people in white coats. Some were slumped in chairs, while others were even lying down for a quick forty winks on the ground. Wang Ruoxiang and the rest, who had just finished their shift, were returning to their dormitory. They drank water and chatted casually in whispers.

    ¡°If only Tycoon Jun was here,¡± Cai Zixuanmented softly. ¡°His autopsy skills can rival all of us put together.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wang Ruoxiang concurred as she was reminded of something. ¡°There was this one visit that we paid the museum of human anatomy for a ss in systematic autopsy. I remember Gu Jun hiding behind you all the time we were there. He did not even dare to chance a look. Then, there was the time we were learning how to execute theb rats. He pulled until the poor rat¡¯s tail broke, but the creature was still alive.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Cai Zixuan was drawn into the memory and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°There was this other time when Tycoon Jun lobbed the rat around like a grenade when it bit on his finger.¡±

    ¡°And I was the unlucky victim who got hit by the rat.¡± Wang Ruoxiang sighed. ¡°But of the whole ss, he was the only one who was bitten by theb rat. If that is not proof of his horrible personality, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±

    Sun Yuheng and Liu Hong were both shocked. Lab rats were usually docile creatures. It was rare that they would show hostility. With the topic of Gu Jun brought up, his two ssmates from Eastern University did miss him. After all, it had been one and a half months already. But right then, Cai Zixuan¡¯s phone rang. Wang Rouxiang¡¯s also trilled almost at the same time. The calls were from their superiors...

    The two shared a look. Their eyes spoke of shock and joy. Soon, a group of people walked into the resting hall. Prof Qin walked at the front, and Gu Jun was trailing behind him.

    ¡°Ah.¡± A gasp escaped from Cai Zixuan¡¯s mouth. If not for the fact that he would interrupt his other colleagues¡¯ rest, he would probably have screamed from excitement. Wang Ruoxiang also had a smile on her face. She was d to see Gu Jun doing fine. In fact, he was more than fine; he appeared taller and more muscr.

    ¡°Elder Qin...¡± When the doctors in the hall saw Prof Qin, they all stood up, but Prof Qin waved them down. ¡°Get your much-needed rest. Just ignore us.¡±

    ¡°Zixuan, monitor.¡± After reuniting with the two, he turned to greet Sun Yuheng and the rest.

    ¡°Go on ahead, we will wait for you here,¡± Prof Qin said. Gu Jun had told him earlier that he wished to do this with his peers only. The presence of other people might affect his sensory instinct. So, Gu Jun led the four toward their next decision.

    Back then, it was a group of male students who went down to the university¡¯s morgue to im the cadaver of the Malformed Banyan Disease¡¯s victim. There were Gu Jun, Zixuan, Xuhai, and Zhang Haoran. The members this time were different. There was Wang Ruoxiang, who was a girl, but that should not pose too much of a problem. Gu Jun believed that the specific individual was not that important. What he needed was the replicated scenario where there was a group with him when he encountered the cadaver.

    The group sighed in relief seeing how great he was. Gu Jun felt the same way after seeing them in person. The depressing atmosphere was lifted slightly from this reunion. They knew that Gu Jun¡¯s activity involved Phecda¡¯s secrets, so they did not ask him about his previous whereabouts.

    Cai Zixuan instantly got into his poet mode. ¡°You arrived in the Wu region when icy rain rendered the river full. You could say that my heart is crystal clear and kept jadeite pure. Tycoon Jun, there is no need for words between us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good poem,¡± Gu Jun praised. He was so afraid that he might not have the chance to listen to his friend¡¯s storage of poems again. He then turned to subtly check out Wang Ruoxiang. She appeared to have gotten prettier from their short separation. But perhaps that was from theparison with others who looked like hell. She somehow managed to have that dewy look. It was still an unsolved mystery how their monitor managed to have perfect skin despite their hectic schedule. Just look at Zixuan... his hairline had receded yet again...

    ¡°We were just talking about you.¡± The chiding barbs returned to Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s smiling words. ¡°We were just talking about your ¡®kissing incident¡¯ with theb rat back in school.¡±

    ¡°That was just...¡± Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Fine, you got me. I was too careless back then. I held the rat wrong.¡±

    Listening to the banter between his old friends, Gu Jun¡¯s heart was warmed. Since he returned from the banyan tree hole, this was the first time he felt he had actually returned to the human world.

    At the Morgue Building, the floors aboveground were all autopsybs. The actual morgues were all underground. The different morgues were assigned to cadavers of victims who had died from various strange illnesses. This was the first time the group, including Gu Jun, had visited at this ce of death. The happiness from their reunion faded away, and it was reced by a sense of depression. Other than that, visions started to swim around the edge of Gu Jun¡¯s vision. He took a deep breath. The heightened ESP also meant that his connection to these things was more acute.

    Walking down the underground corridor, as bright as the ce was, there was an eerie mist of death that they could not shake off. Darkness appeared to fester in unseen corners.

    ¡°The second morgue over there is it.¡± The manager pointed out the path for them. He did not follow them because he had already been ordered not to disturb Gu Jun. Actually, the manager himself had no idea what Gu Jun was up to, nor did Wang Ruoxiang and the rest. All they knew was that Gu Jun wanted to see the cadaver of the Nightmare Illness in person.

    Silence cloaked the hallway. As they moved forward, Gu Jun focused his ESP, not to see anything clearer but to feel the stillness of death around him. As he did during his training for the past month, he allowed the chaos to enter him and submerge into the nascent illusions.

    Step by step, the strange spoke out to him. An abnormal whispering was humming in the air. However, when the five of them walked into this morgue, all the feelings instantly dissipated like smoke. All that was left was emptiness and silence. Not the heavy silence like outside, no... the emptiness there was more like a ckhole, nk and hollow...

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Gu Jun looked around. In thisrge, clean room, there were rows of mortuary cabs. There were hundreds of them, but ording to his ESP, they were purportedly all empty from the feeling that he got from them. He turned around and said with confusion, ¡°How can this ce be so empty?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Cai Zixuan was befuddled. Sun Yuheng frowned and asked, ¡°How can you say this is empty? There are so many victims...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s referring to a kind of feeling.¡± Wang Ruoxiang understood him even though she did not know specifically what that feeling was.

    ¡°Yes, a kind of feeling.¡± Gu Jun felt like he was back in a Ganzfeld Experiment because his field of sight was covered in a singr color¡ªwhite. The silence outside was blotted. It was polluted by colors made from pain, sadness, fear, and horror. But in this room filled with hundreds of dead bodies, it waspletely white. But in this case, the thing that was missing was the anomaly.

    ¡°Zixuan,e and help me open these cabs,¡± Gu Jun said heavily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help. I can¡¯t just let the guys do everything.¡± Wang Ruoxiang rolled up her sleeves and walked over. The other three guys turned to Gu Jun. Females were normally exempted from suchbor, but Gu Jun had a feeling he would offend Wang Ruoxiang if he forbade her from helping. Thus, Gu Jun shrugged. He walked toward the cab that was in the middle of the first room. With Wang Ruoxiang holding the handle on the other end, they gathered their strength and pulled at the same time. A stench of decay mixed with formalin rushed out at them.

    Then their eyes turned to look inside the cab.

 Chapter 125: Sustenance

    <h4>Chapter 125: Sustenance</h4>

    Inside the cab filled with formalin, fragmented putrefied body parts were soaked inside. This was a typical cadaver of a jumping victim. From the damage to the body, the victim must have jumped from a very high altitude. The shape of a human being was barely discernible. The victim appeared to havended headfirst because the skull had cracked open. Its shape was practically unrecognizable thanks to the shrunken skin holding it together. Since the time of death was recent and the postmortem was done quickly, the putrefaction had not set in that much. Other than the bloated stomach, the other parts of the body looked rtively fresh. Then again, the freshness only added to the atrociousness of the whole thing.

    Two surprisingly clear eyeballs floated inside the cracked skull. They appeared to be staring at the group of doctors.

    ¡°Ergh...¡± Even though Cai Zixuan had juste back from an autopsy, the visual impact of this body had influenced him deeply. It was only then that Sun Yuheng and Liu Hong realized that they had been givenparatively preserved cadavers to study while more than hundreds of such putrefied cadavers were stored inside the morgue.

    Emptiness, nk emptiness. Gu Jun looked at the cadaver with extreme focus. Finally, some weak lights appeared to flicker at the corner of his vision. It was the precursor to the trigger of an illusion...

    ¡°Gu Jun, how do you feel?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked with a frown. She also felt that something was off with this cadaver although she could not put her finger on it.

    ¡°We need to look at more victims.¡± Gu Jun let go of the cab¡¯s handle and walked to the adjacent one. He pulled it open with Wang Ruoxiang, and they were rewarded with another pile of flesh and bones in a suspension of formalin, the various body parts¡¯ tissue ovepping haphazardly. Unlike the distortion to the victims of Malformed Banyan Disease, the chaos before his eyes was a discord that could not be made sense of. The feeling within Gu Jun¡¯s heart grew stronger, and his heart was racing. The sound of heartbeat pounded in his mind...

    ¡°Next one!¡± he ordered. Wang Ruoxiang moved with him to open the next cab. The smell of formalin inside the morgue became more pungent as more cabs were opened, revealing more and more shattered human bodies like some kind of grotesque disy. The group had no idea what Gu Jun was doing, but even they could feel the sense of absurdity that was lingering in the air.

    ¡°Empty, empty,¡± Gu Jun grumbled as his eyes swept over one dead body after another. His heart was beating so fast that it made him feel ufortable. ¡°These... are all just empty shells.¡±

    ¡®Empty shells?¡¯ An idea shed across his mind, clearing away the fog. He had gained a closer understanding of this emptiness...

    These bodies had no soul, not even the trace of one¡¯s inhabitation. Was this because the nervous system of all the victims had atrophied? Had every single nervous cell died, or was it because the essence that made them human had shattered like a dream once they hit the ground from an altitude, hammered away by the immense pain that brought them relief?

    Unlike normal cadavers, which would have something left of humanity in them, these bodies were just a bunch of rotten flesh and bones. It was as if that was all they ever were... walking sacs of emptiness.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Once Gu Jun figured it out, his brain pulsed with pain. The feeling slowly coagted into an illusion, and he was just one step away from triggering it. The connection between him and the anchor of this illusion was still not strong enough... Before his training, he knew that he would not be capable enough to make these floating shadows stay. But now, he slowly gathered his focus and used his ESP technique to eclipse the rest of his senses as best he could as he focused on filtering the ¡®voices¡¯ that came from the illusion. He seemed to hear the sound... of thunder.

    Instantly, Gu Jun felt his spirit being pulled away from the morgue, and he entered an illusion. Oppressive thunder was growling as if the sky was splitting up in anger. This caused his heart to shrink in response. A giant storm was raging around him. The loosened decaying mud was washed away by the rain. They were being carried by the sluice of water into a deep hole.

    As Gu Jun neared, he saw that a coffin was buried deep at the bottom of the hole. The mud and dirt were trying to cover it up. It was an ancient coffin. The wooden boards had rotted in many ces. The color of the wood itself had faded into a strange brownish color, and some strange carvings could be seen on the surface of the coffin.

    Suddenly, with a thud, an arm fell on top of the coffin from above.

    The arm was as thin as a bone. The wrinkled skin had clusters of mold growing on it. The shriveled fingers were connected to surprisingly long and sharp nails, giving them the appearance of a w. Several blood capiries could be seen protruding out of the moldy spots. There appeared to be ck blood coursing through the veins.

    ¡®What kind of creature is this? The arm does not possess an epidermalyer, so it is not the kind of abnormal creature that has doomed the foreign civilization...¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to lean in closer to take a look at the rest of the body, but once he did so, the illusion around him started to flicker.

    ¡®Calm down, steady,¡¯ he berated himself. He was reminded of Elder Tong¡¯s lesson. To understand chaos, he should not try to make sense of it by categorizing it but by embracing it. Gu Jun calmed down and allowed himself to be ovee by the illusion.

    Hong!

    Another streak of lightning stuck. Some senseless images suddenly filled his mind. Tilted road signs, dancing murder of crows, blurry characters on a tombstone, heavy rain, a dark sky, wilted ancient trees, and copsed decrepit tombstones. It was the image of a graveyard...

    Rain kept pelting relentlessly. One of the graves had been dug out. The coffin inside had been lifted out. It was ced next to the tombstone, the coffin lid rudely tossed to the side. Several strangely-d figures were kneeling around the coffin. Were they humans? They did have a head, four limbs, and a body. However, through the illusion, Gu Jun could see that they possessed arms simr to the strange one that he had seen fallen in the coffin in the hole earlier...

    Their hands and heads reached into the dark coffin. Sounds wereing from inside the dark recess. It sounded like... munching and crunching...

    Gu Jun¡¯s brain was assaulted by blinding pain. An extremely disgusting, chilling scene was shown before his eyes. One of these ugly humanoid creatures¡¯ faces suddenly appeared before his eyes. It was shoving decaying meat into its mouth. Juices of putrefaction were dripping down its jaw...

    Inside its hand, there was something silent yet chaotic that leveled its gaze at Gu Jun. It was a rotten eyeball. This scene exploded in Gu Jun¡¯s mind, and extreme pain and nausea overwhelmed him instantly. He almost screamed from the surfeit of senses!

    He suddenly had a clear understanding of these creatures, more understanding than he ever wanted.

    ¡°Gu Jun? Gu Jun?¡±

    ¡°We need help. His lips are turning purple. This looks like cardiac arrest!¡±

    Urgent voices gradually filtered into his ears, pulling Gu Jun¡¯s mind back from that nightmarish illusion.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath as the vision around him cleared. It was then that he realized he was lying on the edge of the cab. A few more inches and he would have dropped into the pool of formalin. Part of a carcass floated before his eyes. He was so close to it that he could see the dried nerves and blood vessels on it.

    While holding him, Wang Ruoxiang shouted, ¡°Call for help now!¡±

    Just as Cai Zixuan moved into action, Gu Jun called after them between gasping breath. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no need for that... This is why I¡¯m here after all...¡±

    He forced himself to straighten up and exined to the confused group, ¡°I cannot go into details due to confidentiality... but just trust me.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you are fine?¡± Wang Ruoxiang was more concerned about his health. ¡°You¡¯d better go and take a seat first.¡±

    ¡°No, I need to report my findings to Prof Qin immediately... Please close all these cabs for me.¡± Gu Jun then nodded at them before exiting the morgue. His gait was tipsy, but he moved faster and faster. The illusion had drained him mentally, but at least he had gleaned important information. The bodies of the victims of the Nightmare Illness had be empty shells without any soul. He suspected their souls had been sacrificed to another existence. They were not wiped away but consumed. Their souls were some kind of fodder. They had been summoned, and their souls were the items used in the ritual of summoning.

    With a serious face, Gu Jun raced down the corridor ignoring the confused greeting by the manager. He turned to look at the abyssal mission that had appeared in his system¡¯s quest tab many times already, one that he had gotten no chance to interact with... before now.

    ¡®Abyssal Mission: Complete a full autopsy on one zombie within a week. Reward: Unknown.¡¯

    The creature that he had seen in the graveyard earlier, that was a zombie.

 Chapter 126: Zombie Track

    <h4>Chapter 126: Zombie Track</h4>

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen many illusions where the carcasses were empty. Their souls had already been drained even when they were still alive. Perhaps it is simr to the summoning ritual through sacrifices used by Lai Sheng Company. Some kind of abnormal existence was feasting on their souls, or perhaps the victims themselves were involuntarily summoning some kind of mythical creature... in this case, the zombies.¡± Gu Jun returned to the fifth floor of the Morgue Building. He entered the office where Prof Qin, Yao Sinian, and the rest were waiting and reported his findings. ¡°I saw an unknown graveyard, and some kind of abnormal creature was breaking into the graves to feast on the dead bodies.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Yao Sinian¡¯s face was drawn, and Prof Qin¡¯s brows creased together. If that was the case, then this was far bigger than they thought.

    Tang Zhifeng was befuddled. Zombies? It was not that he doubted their existence but that it was truly a discovery that came out of left field.

    ¡°I wish to know if Phecda has tracked down any zombies before,¡± Gu Jun said. ¡°Now or in the past, is there any case of that? It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re dead or alive.¡±

    It was fake to say he did not have anticipation. After all, if there was a sample, he could start the autopsy immediately.

    ¡°There were cases of grave robbers and cannibals.¡± Yao Sinian knew about these things with his clearance. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°But as for the zombies that you described, there might be some recorded rumors about them, but I¡¯m sure there are no actual cases.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. There had to be something dangerous about this kind of abnormal creature considering the system had ssified them under the abyssal mission. Their appearance would bring devastating results. If Phecda had a handle over them, then at least it would prove indirectly that ¡®zombies¡¯ were not that unusual. But now...

    ¡°I need to ry this news as soon as possible,¡± Yao Sinian added, ¡°so that the Investigation Department and Action Department can start investigating all the graveyards within the Eastern State immediately.¡±

    ¡°Commander Yao, remind them to be careful,¡± Gu Jun warned seriously. ¡°I have reason to believe these zombies are highly dangerous, and firearms may not be a guarantee of one¡¯s safety.¡±

    ¡°Of course, the mission will be of the highest security alert.¡± Yao Sinian walked out with his phone, his jaws locked in determination.

    Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of something rted to the abnormal creature. He turned to Prof Qin. ¡°I know my clearance is not high enough, but I wish to know more about the condition of the abnormal creatures that we were asked to dissect during the medical skillpetition. I know they came from the foreign world. That much is certain.¡±

    He had been meaning to find out more about this, but he had not been given the chance before entering the banyan tree hole. Now he at least had some say within Phecda.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Prof Qin did not look like this request was any big deal. ¡°Everything is green-lit for you now, and that was merely a file of F grade clearance.¡±

    Gu Jun was stunned. ¡®Only F grade?¡¯

    ¡°Phecda dubbed those creatures ¡®Necro-skin¡¯,¡± Prof Qin said as he had the leader of the autopsy group, He Qin, go and switch on theputer so that Gu Jun could have a look at the file. Theputer was connected to Phecda¡¯swork. The database contained files with F and G grade ess. With suitable clearance, the members could browse through them. Of course, the G Grade members from the Medical Department still could not view the files of the same grade from the Investigation Department, but Prof Qin¡¯s ount had high enough clearance to have cross-department ess.

    Actually, He Qin had been as confused as Tang Zhifeng was as he listened to Gu Jun¡¯s revtion. In any case, he moved to oblige. After Prof Qin logged into his ount and opened the files, Gu Jun sat down before theputer and started to read. So far, Necro-skins had only appeared in groups once. It was around a mountain vige in the Southern Eastern State. In that incident, a total of 1,872 Necro-skins appeared to ambush the vigers. Due to timing intervention, the Action Department only paid the price of forty-one wounded and five deaths to vanquish the threat. Most of the deaths and injuries urred during the scouting phase.

    Due to theiryer of dead epidermis, they were immune to anesthetic shots. Therefore, most Necro-skins died under heavy artillery. These abnormal creatures had extremely agile bodies and intelligence that was higher than animals. Knowing that they would not win, they started to run and escape. But in the end, they were cornered. Unable to be negotiated with and extremely hostile, all of them died from acute atrophy of the heart after being apprehended.

    The ten chest pieces that they were given during thepetition came from the corpses of the Necro-skins who were taken down by headshots during the operation. ording to the files, the origin of the Necro-skins and the reason for their appearance in the Eastern State were still unknown. Initially, the Investigation Department believed it was an isted case from the Malformed Banyan Disease, but with the testimony from Gu Jun, there was a suspicion that they were connected.

    Then with the proof of the multiple banyan tree hole channels, after Gu Jun destroyed the banyan tree forest, the Investigation Department found a previously undiscovered big banyan tree in the mountain near that vige where Necro-skins first appeared. This indirectly verified Gu Jun¡¯s statement. The Necro-skins probably came to this world through that banyan tree channel. However...

    ¡°Intelligence higher than animals?¡± Gu Jun mumbled to himself in confusion. The actions of these Necro-skins recorded in the case and the choice of flight did not show that they had intelligence equal to or higher than human beings. Even though they knew how to move in groups, many animals had that instinct as well. The conclusion Phecda made was that the intelligence of Necro-skins was equal to Neanderthals.

    This record did not match the kind of abnormal creature recorded by Raybundy and Landon that destroyed the foreign civilization with hemoptysis.

    ¡°Prof Qin.¡± Gu Jun voiced his suspicion honestly. ¡°I had illusions of the foreign civilization before. From there, I managed to glean the fact that this should be a kind of organism whose intellect is no lower than us humans.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Their average brain volume is at one thousand milliliters.¡± Prof Qin provided the data. ¡°Chimpanzees log in at 350 to 450 milliliters while us homo sapiens are around 1400 to 1600 milliliters. They have high brain volume and even current research does not understand why they did not react the way their high brain volume would suggest they should.¡±

    Even though the connection between brain volume and intellect had never been confirmed, there had to be some corrtion between them.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. An anomaly was never a good thing.

    ¡®Why would this ur? Are they not the same species? Have they mutated or regressed? Or is it a matter of time?¡¯ Gu Jun thought to himself. ¡®Time is the hand that changes everything. The destruction of the foreign civilization might have been centuries ago. Necro-skins might have regressed way back then due to some unknown reason, or are the ones that have descended on this world just some lower quality counterfeits?¡¯

    Suddenly, this idea popped into his mind.

    ¡®Would the Afterlife Cult know how to create counterfeits or copies of abnormal creatures? But why would they do that? Is it because they do not have enough sacrifices to summon the real deal orck the power to control them? Could this be rted to the zombies that have chosen to appear now?¡¯

    Right then, Yao Sinian rushed back into the room. His face was a mixture of heaviness and excitement as he told the room, ¡°The Investigation Department just came upon this discovery. The police in the Eastern State have received reports of grave-robbing since yesterday.¡±

 Chapter 127: Outsiders

    <h4>Chapter 127: Outsiders</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    The graveyard in question was located at Nan Tang Vige in the Southern Eastern State. Incidentally, it was only fifteen kilometers away from Xu Ling Vige, where the Necro-skins first appeared. When Gu Jun pointed out this connection, a frown appeared on everyone¡¯s face. During their immediate departure to Nan Tang Vige that night, Gu Jun leaned against the car seat and blurrily went into sleep. Due to the many thoughts bouncing around his mind, he had a fitful sleep.

    It was quite ironic that the Necro-skins¡¯ invasion was only deemed a F grade incident by Phecda, but then again, the type that Phecda had faced so far was definitely not the kind that made the foreign civilization extinct through their usage of spells. There were still too many mysteries surrounding the Afterlife Cult. For now, Gu Jun knew that Phecda had done DNA sampling on the tissue samples of the people in ck and red he encountered at the banyan tree shrine. None of them were blood-rted, and they were all normal homo sapiens. They had also failed to find anything from the autopsy of the leader¡¯s skull.

    Zombies were real, and they probably had been around the Eastern State for a long time.

    The mountainous roads twisted and turned. When they arrived at Nan Tang Vige, it was already 4 am. The sky was still dark, but the peace at the small vige had been shattered. Gu Jun¡¯s group was not the first to arrive. The members from the Investigation Department and Action Department had arrived much earlier than them, sealing up the vige and establishing a perimeter around the graveyard. There was also a Special Mobile Force team at the temporary pit stop on the path heading to the graveyard. It was the Demon Hunters.

    ¡°Ah Jun!¡± Uncle Dan¡¯s friendly and cheerful voice rang out.

    It was supported by Xue Ba¡¯s booming holler. ¡°Ah Jun!¡±

    When Gu Jun saw this group of familiar faces whom he had survived quite literal death with, he could not help the feeling of relief coursing through his veins. How d he was to see everyone still standing alive... Well, almost everyone. Lin Mo, who lost his left leg, had been given an honorable discharge from the team. He was no longer fit for the frontline, so he had returned to the Scientific Research Department. Lou Xiangning was still the vice captain. Even though she had lost a right eye and the eye-patch gave her the funny appearance of a pirate, the fact that she had been exposed directly to the indescribable illusion made her indispensable. Her experience would be helpful for the team.

    When she saw Gu Jun, Lou Xiaoning broke into a guffaw. ¡°Damn you kid, I heard you¡¯re the team leader of a unit of your own. There goes our n to recruit you into the Demon Hunters.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a name, that¡¯s all.¡± Gu Jun was too embarrassed to borate more about the Problematic Team. If Wu Siyu was physically present, at least he could make some introductions, but now all he could do wasugh awkwardly. After the brief reunion, they quickly got into business. Of the Special Mobile Forces in the Eastern State, the Demon Hunters would be most receptive to Gu Jun¡¯s exposition of ESP, illusion, and zombies.

    ¡°Zombies.¡± Xue Ba provided a nugget of esoteric information. ¡°As all of you know, theye from Arabic urban legends. Apparently, they have the ability to morph into other animals, especially hyenas, so in the legends, zombies have human bodies and dog faces. They would trick unsuspecting people deep into the desert before killing and feasting on them. It¡¯s all real. I¡¯m not kidding.¡±

    Gu Jun did not question that, but thinking back to the ugly blurry faces from his illusion... ¡®Hyenas? Unlikely...¡¯

    However, it did remind him of something else. He looked around him. ¡°Commander Yao, how is the security here? If this is a trap prepared by the zombies, will we be able to handle it?¡±

    ¡°It should be fine.¡± Yao Sinian was equally cautious. ¡°We have ordered the support of heavy artillery. There are some tanks making their way here as we speak.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded, but the anxiety in his heart did not dissipate from that news. With the mayor of Nan Tang Vige leading the way, the group headed toward the ancient graveyard. Even with the temporary spotlights, the ce was still shrouded in a mist of eeriness. The mayor, Chen Dechaeng, was confused by the literal army that had suddenly taken over the vige. After all, only a few police officers hade to check up on them when he made the reports about the grave robberies earlier.

    But as they brought this issue up, fury lit up Mayor Chen¡¯s eyes immediately!

    Mayor Chen was born and raised in Nan Tang Vige. ording to him, this was just a normal vige. Most of the vigers had the surname Chen, and they came from the same ancestral lineage. Like most viges, there had been some altercations over borders in the past, but that was easily washed away in the tides of modernization, so he really could not fathom who would do something as vicious as this.

    ¡°This is our vige¡¯s old graveyard,¡± Mayor Chen said. ¡°The year beforest, the vigers suggested we move it to a different ce because the maintenance cost too much, but who was willing to ount for the bad Feng Shui that would apany the move?¡±

    He further extrapted that now vigers would be cremated after death and then get a tombstone set up for them in the new graveyard. This old graveyard was upied by their elders who had passed away several decades ago.

    This instantly struck Gu Jun as odd. If that was the case, the bodies in the old graveyard would have decayed into a bunch of bones already. There would be no rotten flesh for the zombies to feed on.

    The road going toward the old graveyard was muddy and overgrown with wild grass. He paid attention to his surroundings, but nothing triggered a sense of familiarity from yesterday¡¯s illusion. There were five graves that had been robbed this time, and it all happened overnight.

    ¡°This is truly...¡± Mayor Chen did not dare curse before the city folk, but then again, he was so angry that for a moment it appeared words had left him. ¡°Even Grandfather¡¯s grave has been dug up!¡±

    The ¡®Grandfather¡¯ in question was the n leader from about a hundred years prior. He was well respected in Nan Tang Vige. His name was ced up high inside the Chen n¡¯s ancestral hall. Grandfather¡¯s grave showed signs of multiple repairs and renovations. The vigers had set him up with an impressive marble tomb, but the whole thing had been desecrated from the grave robbery. To demand justice through the media, other than cleaning up the broken coffin and scattered bones, the vigers kept the state of the grave as it was. Mayor Chen led them to Grandfather¡¯s grave. Gu Jun studied the messy surroundings, but nothing spoke out to him.

    ¡°Mayor, would you mind showing us the others?¡± he requested.

    ¡°Oh.¡± For Mayor Chen, Grandfather¡¯s tomb was the focus of this whole incident. The other graves were not worth mentioning, but since he had been given an order, he could not do anything but to oblige. They stopped at each grave like some kind of grotesque tour. They would halt for a few minutes before the young Mr. Gu would request for him to show them to the next item on their strange itinerary. Finally, they came to thest grave, the one that had suffered the heaviest damage.

    Yao Sinian and Xue Ba noticed the anomaly of the tombstone carved from gravel immediately. The tombstone was tipped to the ground. Xue Ba asked, ¡°Mayor Chen, what are those words on the tombstone?¡±

    Gu Jun was also studying this ancient tombstone. The epigraph on it had faded from time, but he could tell it was not the foreignnguage nor was it anymonly-usednguage. It gave off a sense of decrepitude and unfamiliarity that spoke of a strange past...

    ¡°This one?¡± Mayor Chen looked surprisingly puzzled. ¡°This grave does not belong to one of us. I believe it was a grave left behind by one of the outsiders who stayed with us temporarily in the past. I cannot give you too many details about them, unfortunately. It was way before my time.¡±

    That caught everyone¡¯s attention. This grave could very well exin the origin of the zombies.

    ¡°Mayor, I need you to bring over all the elders in the vige that might know something about this family,¡± Yao Sinian said seriously. ¡°I hope you understand the severity of the situation. It can¡¯t be helped that we will need to disturb their rest.¡±

    Being escorted by the big men from the Demon Hunters, Mayor Chen did not dare dawdle. He knocked on people¡¯s doors, asking to see the elders. Soon, Mayor Chen brought back six elders. Four of them could still walk on their own, but the other two had to be pushed in wheelchairs by their family members. The eldest among them was Chen Shu at ny-five years old. The others were in their eighties. Only people their age would still know about the history of this ce.

    ¡°This grave belongs to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog...¡± With his hunchback, Chen Shu started to reminisce about his childhood. The age spots on his wrinkled face moved from his agitated words. Even at the advanced age of ny-five, Chen Shu¡¯s mind was still clear. He was speaking in the local dialect, and Mayor Chen was tranting for them.

    ¡°It was the time of war. I was still a child. Their family came here to avoid the war. The vigers initially turned them away because they were outsiders, but in the end, it was Grandfather who allowed them to stay. I can still remember how Grandfather silenced the rowdy vigers with hisment of how we should be helping others during those difficult times. However, the outsiders proved their worth. They were very good at heavybor, and eventually, the vigers started to ept them. The family stayed at the vige for several decades, but with Ol Uncle Dog¡¯s death, the rest of them either moved away or went off to the city.¡±

    As they listened, the Demon Hunters looked at each other. Reminded of what Xue Ba said, Gu Jun asked with creased brows, ¡°Why was Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog called Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Chen Shu sighed. ¡°He was born with a deformity that gave him an appearance akin to a dog, so we all called him Ol¡¯ Dog. But that was not the only strange thing about them... That family never interacted too closely with the rest of us, and even their children stayed away from ours. I believe there might be a taboo on intermarriage on their side. But the strangest thing was this time...¡±

    As the thought came into his mind, Chen Shu¡¯s face took on a mixture of bafflement and fear. ¡°No, you young ¡®uns will never believe me...¡±

 Chapter 128: Shadow in the Past

    <h4>Chapter 128: Shadow in the Past</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    Under the cloudless night sky, the whipping wind made the wild grass inside the old graveyard sway. At the grave that was at the furthest corner of the graveyard, the chaos from the grave digging was clear. The old tombstone had toppled over, and the coffin that was supposed to be underground had been lifted and left to the side. The coffin lid was pried open, and the skeletal remains had disappeared. Not much trace of it was left.

    ¡°Perhaps because they came from a different vige, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family had always stuck out like a sore thumb around here.¡±

    Chen Shu sat down on the bench that was brought over for him. His expression wasplicated as he slowly brought up his memories from the past. Be it Gu Jun in his youth, Xue Ba in his prime, or Yao Sinian in hister years, they all begged this elder to tell them everything he knew about the family of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, no matter how ludicrous it might be. Chen Shu was lured forth by the captive audience. Like most elders, most people had started to ignore them or had better things to do.

    ¡°There were about ten in their family. The adults were all deformed, but the children looked no different from the rest of us. At the time, I was still young. With childish cruelty, I pointed fingers at them, making horrible jokes about their appearances, but Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog never got mad at us. In fact, I don¡¯t think I ever saw him lose his temper. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, the vigers were initially against them staying here, but it was Grandfather who epted them. But ultimately, they were the outsiders. Plus, they did not attempt to form a bridge ofmunication with the rest of us, so we did not venture too close to them. They stayed at the end of the vige, practically up against the mountain. They chopped some wood and mixed it with mud to construct simple huts, forming a smallmunity of their own...¡±

    At this point, Gu Jun broke in to ask, ¡°Are those old huts still standing?¡±

    Mayor Chen continued to trante. Hearing that, Chen Shu sighed. ¡°Of course not. With the materials used, they all copsed with time... No one stays there now. It has been vacated for about sixty years already. I¡¯m sure none of you young ¡®uns know why.¡±

    After finishing tranting thatst statement, Mayor Chen added, ¡°I really have no idea why. The vigers merely said it was because the ce has bad Feng Shui.¡±

    ¡°When I was young, I liked to explore the vige, but even I was afraid to go too close to their huts.¡± Chen Shu remembered the things from decades ago like it was yesterday. ¡°Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family did not rear livestock, not even a dog, but there was always this strange smell that drifted out from their yard...¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened. The otherstched onto this detail as well. ¡®Strange smell?¡¯

    But at that moment, another elder in the wheelchair interrupted with condescension. ¡°Ol¡¯ Shu, it¡¯s just their body odor. Don¡¯t make a mountain out of a molehill.¡± It was hard to imagine body odor strong enough to form a mist around an area, but if the physical attribute was hereditary, meaning every member of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family suffered from it, then it was not entirely out of question.

    ¡°That was not body odor. You might not remember it, but I certainly do...¡± Chen Shu huffed, but he knew it was a waste of time to go arguing with his old friend. ¡°I cannot exin clearly what that smell was. It was incredibly pungent, and it smelled kinda like dead bodies... As I said, it was time of war. asionally, dead bodies would flow down our vige river, and the smell that came from the bodies was rather simr to the one that came from Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family yard...¡±

    A thought shed across Gu Jun¡¯s mind then. ¡®Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s strange appearance, the smell of putrefaction, could Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog and even his whole family have been zombies?¡¯

    ¡°We used bamboo poles to nudge those floating corpses so that they would continue on their way down the river, or else they would beach on our vige. But no one was willing to take up that chore because of the negative Feng Shui. After Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family moved in, they volunteered to take on this task. It was the reason the vigers started to ept their presence around here, but it also prevented people from getting too close to them.¡± Chen Shu sighed. His age-spot filled face started to nch. ¡°The strange thing that I mentioned earlier started around then...

    ¡°I was told to go up the mountain to collect firewood every day, so I would pass their homes each day. I felt strangely ufortable every time I did. There was always a member of their family around watching me. They were either inside the yard or leaning against the door. They weren¡¯t doing anything, not even talking to me or among themselves. They just stood there and watched me walk by. I cannot remember which day it was, but one time, when I passed, I heard a banging sounding from inside their yard. It sounded like something shing against wood. It was followed by what sounded like the low growls of an animal... The first thought that came to me was perhaps Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family was keeping a roe inside their yard.¡±

    Eighty yearster, when Chen Shu described these details, the exnation still eluded him.

    ¡°Food was scarce during the time of war, and meat was only reserved for big events. In my mind, I believed Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family had wrangled a roe from the mountain and was butchering it for food... When I went home, I told my father, who then went to find Grandfather. It was only fair that if Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family had precious wild game, they should share it with the rest of the vige.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. Xue Ba and Uncle Dan felt imminent danger...

    ¡°F*ck.¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed under her breath. It reminded of her experience looking through the keyhole.

    Chen Shu continued his story. ¡°Grandfather did venture to find Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog to ask for an exnation. Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog admitted their omission and brought out the roe for the vigers to share. After that, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog woulde to the vige to share the fresh meat whenever he caught any wild game. It was then that the vigers really started to ept them, and it was why Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog was given a plot here after he died. However, I was there at the ughter of the different roe. I heard its pleading and cries. I was certain it was not simr to the sound that I hearding from Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s yard that day. In any case, the sound disappeared for a long time... until it returned again.

    ¡°By then, I was in my youth, and with that came its youthful impetus. I made it my goal to get to the bottom of the mystery, so one early morning, I climbed up a tree near to their home and kept a look out over their yard...¡±

    At that point, Chen Shu stopped again. His mouth opened and closed several times before he could force himself to continue.

    ¡°I hid there until midnight. I was so cold and hungry. I had decided to return when I suddenly saw it... Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s whole family exited their huts and gathered around the yard. They walked in this strange manner while mumbling something incoherent. They moved around in circles... I thought perhaps this was their culture. But then I saw it! Right in the middle of the yard, a strange ck shadow crawled out from the mud...

    ¡°I was so scared I almost fell from the tree... I could sense their eyes on me. I did not dare speak or turn to take another look... I do not know what happenedter. When the yard quieted down, I immediately ran home as fast as I could. Along the way, I noticed that all the livestock in the vige had stopped making noises. They were frozen like their souls had departed. The next day, they all died in captivity. At the time, this news hit the vige hard, but no one knew what had happened. People suspected the neighboring vige hade to poison them. I told Grandfather what I saw, and after Grandfather went to talk with Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, he came back and told me that I was just dreaming and forbade me from talking about it further.

    ¡°But I knew it was no dream. The horror was too real to be one... but that incident never repeated itself. The strange noises stoppeding from Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s yard. They lived their lives peacefully until they disappeared.

    ¡°So many yearster, I still cannot tell whether it was a dream or not.¡±

    Chen Shu finished the story with his body shivering. The horror from back then was imprinted in his eyes. ¡°But what was the ck shadow?¡±

    Mayor Chen was quite embarrassed that the old man was rambling on about such nonsense in front of the city folk, but he tranted honestly. After all, he was not the only one who knew the local dialect. People would point it out if he strayed. At the same time, the Demon Hunters, Yao Sinian, and Gu Jun¡¯s faces darkened because they were thinking about the same thing...

    A summoning ritual?

    Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family was definitely rted to the zombies or the summoning of the zombies. What was the history behind them?

    Then, Yao Sinian showed a few pictures on his phone to Chen Shu. They were the wilted face of the red leader from Lai Sheng Company and the faces of the Necro-skins. Chen Shu shook his head, saying he had not seen any of them before.

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Chen, how about this one?¡± Yao Sinian switched to a sketch. Before he showed Chen Shu, he ordered Gu Jun and the rest to turn away because this was rted to the Nightmare Illness.

    ¡°Huh?¡± This time, Chen Shu gasped in shock. ¡°That¡¯s him. He¡¯s much older here, but that is definitely Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog!¡±

 Chapter 129: Coming Clean

    <h4>Chapter 129: Coming Clean</h4>

    ¡°That is how Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog looked!¡± Chen Shu¡¯s indication caused Yao Sinian¡¯s expression to shift immediately.

    After putting the phone away, he walked to a confused Gu Jun and whispered, ¡°Ah Jun, your ESP power has done it again. The sketch was the professional reconstruction of an old man that every patient of Nightmare Illness encountered in their dream.¡±

    Gu Jun felt chilled to his core when he heard that. ¡®Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog appeared in these people¡¯s dreams?¡¯

    But ording to what Elder Chen said, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog should have died more than seventy years ago. In fact, they were standing right before his grave...

    He turned to study the broken coffin, and a creepy thought appeared in his mind. ¡®Was it really Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog who was lying inside all this while? In fact, was there really a body inside it at all?¡¯

    Gu Jun turned to Elder Chen to inquire more about Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s funeral. Chen Shu huffed rudely. ¡°Why would you think I would know anything about that? The rest of the vigers weren¡¯t a part of his funeral. As I¡¯ve said, they kept to themselves.¡±

    In Chinese culture, funerals were bad Feng Shui. If not truly necessary, it was something to be avoided. Since none of the vigers could be called close to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog when he ¡®died¡¯, none of them paid a visit to his funeral. In any case, Yao Sinian said with renewed spirit, ¡°We have finally found the breakthrough we need. Ah Jun, your ESP is a precious weapon. Ol¡¯ Tong was right all along. We need to get into action immediately. We¡¯d better keep Ol¡¯ Tong up to speed on what¡¯s happening here.¡±

    Yao Sinian immediately gave orders to the people and made many calls¡ªto the emergency unit, the division at Eastern State, and the headquarters. If the research base for Malformed Banyan Disease was at Gu Rong Vige, then the research base for Nightmare Illness would be at this Nan Tang Vige.

    However, there were still too many mysteries surrounding this. For one, how trustworthy were Chen Shu¡¯s words? After all, the man was in his twilight years, so he might not remember things correctly. Assuming his stories were all true, then other than Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family, this ¡®Grandfather¡¯ character was suspicious as well. Why would Grandfather try to convince Chen Shu that all he had seen was a dream after talking to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family? Why would hee to those outsiders¡¯ aid so many times and open up the vige for them to stay? What kind of role did Grandfather y in all that? Was it rted to him being a target for the grave robbery? Speaking of which, there were three other graves that were disturbed as well, so they had to fit into the picture somehow. Other than that, what was the exnation behind the sudden death of all the livestock over the vige that day? Was it an aftereffect of the summoning ritual? But howe it only targeted the animals and none of the vigers? What kind of ritual was it? How did this rte to Lai Sheng Company, if it even did?

    Yao Sinian knew that there were too many questions to be answered, and the investigation would be difficult. The obvious reason for this was that the actual incident had happened much too long ago, in the 1980s. At the time, Phecda had not been established yet and the country was not how it was today. Nan Tang Vige at the time was a backward vige without any means ofmunication with the outer world. Hoping to chance upon written records of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family was practically impossible.

    But they could at least work backward from what they had now. The people from the Scientific Research Department and the Archeology Department would canvas the graveyard, focusing on the five disturbed graves. Their goal was to find DNA rted to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s dead body. The linguists would start studying thenguage on Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s tombstone to try to decipher its meaning.

    The Investigation Department would be sent to inquire after the history of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family, where they had moved to after his death, and inspect all the surveince around the area to find the possible grave robbers. The guards would lock down Nan Tang Vige and start reviewing every viger, including those who currently resided there and those who had already moved away. Not only would they need to get their testimonies, a physical check would be performed on all of them to see if there was any difference between them and normal people. The viger that they needed to focus on... was the elder, Chen Shu.

    If he was telling the truth, he was the currently only known person who had been in close contact with the mysterious summoning ritual, so why was he spared? The old man was worth studying...

    Not too long after that, Chen Shu and the other vige elders were escorted away by the people from the Action Department without knowing what was happening. They were to be taken back to the Medical Department.

    Gu Jun¡¯s group moved to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s old family address. The ce was overgrown with grass, and no sign of human activity could be seen. Gu Jun stood at this ce and looked around. There was barely a whisper of disturbance to his mind. He could not tell whether it was the chilling wind or the illusion. In any case, he came up with nothing.

    The investigation into Nan Tang Vige would begin, but they would still continue their search of other graveyards in the Eastern State. For Phecda¡¯s Eastern Division, it would be another sleepless night.

    ¡°Ah Jun, why don¡¯t you go back to the Medical Department for now?¡± Yao Sinian wanted to stay back to monitor the progress, and the Demon Hunters would be staying to conduct their investigation. ¡°This is a huge breakthrough, but our focus now is still toe up with a cure for the patients. Why don¡¯t you go back to the Medical Department to attend to the surgeries?¡±

    With that, Gu Jun was escorted into a helicopter and ferried back to the base. Along the way, his brain was piecing clues together¡ªthe zombies, the abnormal activities, and Lai Sheng Company, whom his parents were members of. He was sure that the same questions were hounding Commander Yao. The current clues were like a fraying rope, forming a noose around his neck, an appropriate analogy, considering one of the clues could turn Gu Jun into a hanged man.

    When he arrived at the base, it was already dawn, but there were still hours until the surgeries. Gu Jun thus decided to return to his own dormitory, which he had not seen in forever. He slid the door quietly open and made his footsteps as soft as possible. He did not want to disturb Cai Zixuan¡¯s rest.

    Gu Jun paced around in his own bedroom before he reached for Phecda¡¯s satellite phone and called Elder Tong.

    ¡°They have gone about this the wrong way. A big search party is not going to find those zombies.¡± Elder Tong had already been updated on thetest news and spoke disapprovingly. ¡°How dumb do they think these zombies are? These things... are definitely smarter than they appear. Kid, don¡¯t waste your time at Nan Tang Vige. You won¡¯t find anything there.¡±

    ¡°Elder Tong.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. ¡°I have something that I need to tell you.¡±

    Gu Jun had chosen to omit this detail earlier due to caution and anxiety, but now he realized that this could be an important link to everything. He knew that the phone conversation would be monitored by Phecda, but he was hoping that this revtion would be of help to people. Supposedly, if Elder Tong realized there was some problem, like his personal experience was different from what Gu Jun had seen in his illusion, then at least that would help clear something up.

    ¡°When Siyu and I conducted the Ganzfeld Experiment for the first time, we both triggered an illusion. We saw some images about you back then...¡± As he described the illusion, he noticed that Elder Tong¡¯s breathing had gotten conspicuously faster, but Elder Tong did not stop Gu Jun from continuing. ¡°The reason we chose to not say anything about it was... Well, it was my idea. At the time, I still did not have enough trust in you.¡±

    ¡°Kiddo, you suffer from paranoia. That much is written in your S value assessment report.¡± Elder Tong chuckled lightly. ¡°In any case, this proves that you two have even greater talent than I anticipated. This is truly a great discovery. You guys weren¡¯t wrong. That¡¯s exactly what had happened back then. I reported the same thing to Phecda, but they would not believe me.¡±

    Elder Tong¡¯s voice petered off to some incoherent mumblings. ¡°So, they had me inside a ssroom then...¡±

    Gu Jun instantly remembered that Elder Tong was basically blinded throughout the whole process, so he added, ¡°Siyu got a better glimpse of the articles stuck on the back wall.¡±

    He recited the contents of the article fully. While he did not particrly stress the statement ¡®to train our hearts to listen to the voices in our dreams¡¯, anyone could tell that was something important.

    There was onest revtion. It could be very important, but it would also put a target on Gu Jun¡¯s back. Then again, this was the reason he had returned to the Eastern State. His determination to save people had not changed, and the responsibility of a doctor meant that he was to put his patient¡¯s lives before his own.

    ¡°Elder Tong.¡± Gu Jun walked toward the window, watching the sun rise. ¡°The woman in the ssroom, I believe that was my mother. I was able to recognize her voice.¡±

    Gu Jun could hear Elder Tong¡¯s voice catch on the other end.

 Chapter 130: A Word of Spell

    <h4>Chapter 130: A Word of Spell</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree Editor: Lonelytree

    When the words left Gu Jun, the weight on his heart instantly lightened. The ray of dawn fell on his body, and it gave him a semnce of warmth. But it was intensely quiet on Elder Tong¡¯s end... This made Gu Jun miss the drunkard.

    After a long silence, Elder Tong finally responded in a hoarse voice, ¡°That woman... is an extremely dangerous character. You must have seen the wounds I suffered back then. She delivered those blows. Not only that, she also stabbed me...¡±

    The memory of Gu Jun¡¯s mother appeared in his mind. She was a soft and gentle woman; she would cook delicious food for him and y with him. But at the same time, the fanatical fervor in his mother¡¯s eyes when he was drawing those pictures of the foreignnguage branded itself in his mind.

    He interrupted his confusing thoughts by saying, ¡°Elder Tong, as you must know, I do not know my parents that well. In fact, I do not even remember much of my childhood.¡±

    ¡°Kid, I am not ming you.¡± Elder Tong was slowly returning to his usual self. ¡°I have read your file so many times already. To be perfectly blunt, you are also one of her victims.¡±

    ¡°You might be right there,¡± Gu Jun admitted quite bitterly. He had already lost faith in his parent¡¯s love for him.

    Elder Tong¡¯s voice came through the phone again. ¡°This is an important piece of information, but Phecda has investigated everything they could about your parents. They looked into them after the first report of Nightmare Illness. I might as well be honest with you. An investigation opens into your parents whenever something like thises up, but in this case, that line of investigation went nowhere. This means that for all we know, before your mother joined Lai Sheng, she was a part of a cult, and those people saw themselves as something greater than any of these. In any case, that was the extent of my knowledge. I did not ept the invitation to join them.¡±

    At this moment, Elder Tong chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°The cheek of those people, to think I would even consider joining them after beating me up like that...¡±

    ¡°Sigh...¡± Gu Jun still felt some loyalty to his mother, but then again, he did not know how to face Elder Tong after what she had done to him. In the end, he sighed. ¡°About the thing with my mother, I apologize to you on her behalf.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± Elder Tong sighed in response. ¡°I already told you, that had nothing to do with you. Don¡¯t take on more than you are responsible for. It¡¯s very tiring to live that way.¡±

    ¡°But this is different,¡± Gu Jun said. ¡°Elder Tong, can you send me the case file for this mission? Now that my clearance is green lit, I wish to know more about it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong. You still do not have the necessary clearance, and your mental state is not steady enough to handle it.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s tone brooked no argument. ¡°Have you taken a moment of sleep since yesterday¡¯s examination? Triggering illusions exhausts your mind, and the only way to recover is through a good sleep. So, listen to my order. Do not do anything. Just go to bed.¡±

    At this point, Elder Tong suddenly screamed, ¡°You hear that, whoever¡¯s listening? Don¡¯t give this kid any more trouble. He just offered us some important piece of information knowing that it will put him in danger, so don¡¯t you go suspecting him for no reason. He¡¯s already shown you where his heart lies. What more do you need? Let the poor kid rest!¡±

    Warmth suffused through Gu Jun. Even though he still did not quite understand Elder Tong, the old coot had put his neck out for him many times already.

    ¡°That¡¯s it for now. Remember, go and rest.¡± Elder Tong was about to hang up.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Gu Jun stopped him. ¡°Elder Tong, there is one more thing that I need to tell you.¡±

    ¡°Kid, can you please finish everything in one go? Just how many things you are hiding in that brain of yours?¡± Elder Tong groused with annoyance. Since Gu Jun had already revealed the biggest secret, the one about his mother, he saw no point hiding the others.

    ¡°It¡¯s a memory fragment from my childhood that I recently remembered.¡± He described the scene. ¡°The sentence was written in English, but I feel like that was just an aid for pronunciation. The sentence¡¯s originalnguage is probably something else.¡±

    He then proceeded to spell it out letter by letter, forming the sentence that had been bothering him since he saw it in his memory.

    ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn¡±

    There was another stretch of silence from Elder Tong. He did not try to repeat any of the words. In the end, he concluded, ¡°I have no idea what that was. It sounded like a spell or an incantation used in some kind of ritual. It definitely deserves more studying, but you¡¯d better not go studying it on your own. I suspect it might carry some kind of unknown power.¡±

    Gu Jun promised. After ending the call, perhaps because his heart felt lighter, the drowsiness immediately hit him. He did have a good sleep. There were still four hours until the surgery.

    ¡®Surgery...¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of something. He opened the quest tab in his mind and nced at one of the missions.

    ¡°Difficult Mission: umte a personal contribution value of one hundred percent by performing two-star surgeries (sess) within a day. Reward: one pair of Carlot Dissecting Scissors.¡±

    ¡®I wonder if a lobotomy counts as a two-star mission?¡¯

    In any case, even if he was allowed in the surgery, he would be there to trigger his illusions. He would not be given any jobs, so how would he contribute? Thus, Gu Jun¡¯s mind wandered to something else.

    ¡®Carlot Dissecting Scissors? Why couldn¡¯t it provide something like Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s Diary? That would make things so much easier.

    ¡®Other than the Abyssal Mission about the autopsy of a zombie, which has been there since forever, the rewards for the past two days do not really correspond to the difficulty of their missions.¡¯

    Before this, the system would provide him with missions that he had a chance toplete in his daily life, but that did not appear to be the case recently.

    ¡®Why is that?¡¯ Gu Jun wondered. ¡®Is it because I am still missing something? Like a connection I had with the foreign world when I was dealing with Malformed Banyan Disease? The foreign world was, after all, the source of that particr disease...¡¯

    Following that train of thought, it suddenly hit Gu Jun.

    ¡®Perhaps that is what I am missing! The source of the illness! I still have no idea what happened in that nightmare. Perhaps that will help reorient the system to focus on the Nightmare Illness.¡¯

    But knowing that nightmare was also how people got infected by the Nightmare Illness.

    ...

    Lobotomy. This brain surgery was invented by Ant¨®nio Egas Moniz. It was an operation meant to cure mental illness by severing the nervous fiber connecting the prefrontal cortex to the rest of the brain. The surgery won Ant¨®nio the Nobel prize at the beginning, but his name souredter after the resultingplications of his surgeries surfaced. In the 1940s and 50s where hysteria was prevalent, an investigation into Antonio¡¯s surgeries showed only a third of his patients recovered. One third experienced no change, and one third saw their condition worsened.

    Mankind¡¯s understanding of the brain had not improved much since then. The result of destroying such an important part of the brain was totally unpredictable. Furthermore, the patients of brain surgeries often showed a shift in their personality after, and there were many residualplications like splitting headaches, inexplicable behavior, amnesia, loss of senses and emotions, and even dementia. This was no different from using one mental illness to treat another.

    With the advancement in technology and the proliferation of information, humans realized the inherent danger in this kind of surgery, and lobotomies were banned across the globe. But for Phecda, which was faced with the Nightmare Illness, they had no other choice. This was honestly a trial to see if it would be effective or not. The patients would eventually die if left to their own devices, so this was truly a final resort.

    If this surgery could end that nightmare and prevent their nervous system from atrophying, even with all the post-surgeryplications, the surgery would be deemed sessful.

    There were three patients who were due to undergo the surgery. They were victims of the Nightmare Illness at different stages. Other than the final-stage victim, the other two had signed their consent forms.

    The patients of early stage and middle stage were Chen Wenwei and Mai Lei respectively.

 Chapter 131: Lobotomy

    <h4>Chapter 131: Lobotomy</h4>

    Chen Wenwei¡¯s surgery was arranged first. The operation was set to take ce in an I-Grade Super Sterile Surgical Room on the neurology floor of the surgical building. I-Grade had the highest sterility among all the surgical rooms. It had the fewest dust particles and the lowest density of microorganisms. It was most suitable for brain and organ transnt surgeries.

    Inside the spacious surgical room, Chen Wenwei in the patient¡¯s garb was already lying t on the operation table. His eyes were closed due to full body anesthetic. Compared to this morning, the patient¡¯s youthful face appeared even more tired. His cheeks had sunk even further. The anesthetists and nurses were already waiting. Soon, the surgical door opened, and the medical unit in sterile scrubs walked into the room. Gu Jun was among them. Looking at the surgical lights and the surgical tools, he felt a sense of belonging. It reminded him of thest surgery he had performed. Ironically, even though the environment was far more appropriate than a dirty stone path, the imminent operation was going to be far more barbaric than a simple amputation.

    ¡°The patient¡¯s vitals are stable,¡± the anesthetist, Guo Jun, informed them. ¡°The drugs can still keep the patient¡¯s central nervous system under control.¡±

    Gu Jun nced at the encephalogram on the screen of the patient monitor system. The signal showed that Chen Wenwei was in a deep sleep state. Currently, the graph was no different from a normal person¡¯s, but no one could tell what kind of reaction he would go through during the operation. The standard procedure for a lobotomy came from a rather backward era, so the uracy could not be guaranteed. It was one of the reasons why it was frowned upon all over the world. However, with a more mature method and more advanced imaging devices like MRIs, the uracy of the surgery had been highly improved. A lobotomy would be used in some situations to heal a concussion or brain tumor.

    However, the patients of Nightmare Illness provided anotheryer ofplication. Their immune system had been weakened by the illness, so the operation had to take into consideration their post-surgery recovery. Therefore, the operation draft would be abination of old and new technology. It would most effectively destroy the prefrontal cortex while limiting the damage to bare minimum.

    The main surgeon, Si Kouxian; the first assistant, Song Yilong; and the rest looked like they were ready for war. Even though the group of middle-aged men was the best neurosurgeon Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department had to offer. Even for the fourth assistant, craniotomies were an everyday affair for them, but theycked experience in this kind primitive operation procedure. Furthermore, they knew that they could not afford to make any mistakes.

    ¡°Just treat this as a normal operation,¡± Si Kouxian said to encourage the group and himself. The group moved toward the surgical table¡ªthe positioning of everyone was different from neurological surgeries. The main surgeon was posted above the patient¡¯s head, the anesthetic machine was ced on his left side, and the mobile system and other devices were on the right. Gu Jun stood behind the nurses and machines as he watched the surgery unfold. At the same time, through the cameras ced above the surgical lights and the cameras around the room, the situation was broadcast live on a big screen inside a conference room one floor above this surgical room, the research center at the psychology building and the headquarters. Countless researchers were studying this operation quietly; Prof Qin and Tang Zhifeng were among them.

    Soon, the surgery started on the many screens. Chen Wenwei¡¯s head was fixed in ce with a three-point head mp and was turned ny degrees for an easier entry for the surgery. His head had been shaved clean. The EEG kit was moved away from the surgical spot. Fresh blood poured out before blood flow was stopped. The surgeon started with an incision on the scalp before moving onto flipping back the skin...

    Gu Jun focused his attention as he watched. He had read the material before he came and participated in the pre-surgical meeting, so he knew what was happening. A small hole would be drilled into two sides of the patient¡¯s skull, and then they would conduct the operation on three different spots on each side. Currently, the main surgeon used the electric saw to cut open the temporal fascia, temporal lobe, and periostealyer. The muscle was peeled back from the periosteum and pinned into ce by hooks. The patient¡¯s skull was thus exposed.

    ¡°Cranial drill,¡± the main surgeon ordered. The nurse moved to oblige. Si Kouxian epted a Midas Rex cranial drill affixed with a small drill bit. He leaned forward and aimed it at the patient¡¯s skull. He prepared to punch open a hole right above the patient¡¯s ear canal. This location had been urately calcted before. The sound of drilling echoed inside the room. It shattered the silence everywhere the surgery was broadcast live. Anxiety surged around like invisible waves.

    The people conducting the surgery were experienced neurosurgeons. This was Gu Jun¡¯s first craniological surgery. Seeing the patient¡¯s skull being operated on, he felt some kind of buzzing feeling in his own skull. He watched as the rapidly spinning drill bit slowly made its way into the patient¡¯s hard skull.

    As Song Yilong, the first assistant, used a scrapper to clear away the bone dust under the drilled hole, Si Kouxiang epted a leucotome from the nurse. This surgical device looked like a huge screwdriver. It had a long body that could extend deep into one¡¯s brain, and the sides of the body were rounded, leaving no sharp edges. The surgical instrument¡¯s end tapered into a metallic ring. With a pull of the handle, the ring would spin from the kic force and shear through the nervous fiber.

    Si Kouxian had already poked the head of the leucotome into the brain through the drilled hole. When he reached the predesignated location, he stopped. Long Yilong used the surgical probe to ess thetest scan. The monitor next to them showcased the brain¡¯s current situation as a 3D image,bining it with the MRI data obtained pre-operation. This would allow Si Kouxian to adjust the location of the ring more urately.

    ¡°This is a surgery that has been awarded a Nobel prize before,¡± Si Kouxian mumbled as he pulled on the handle. Instantly, there was a resounding snip. The metallic ring that was hidden inside the patient¡¯s brain had scrambled a part of the patient¡¯s prefrontal lobe.

    With one part down, there were two more spots to go. It felt like the air in the room had frozen. Gu Jun had no expression on his face; no one could really tell what kind ofplication would arise from this kind of primitive procedure. But he also knew that if they did not find a treatment for the Nightmare Illness soon, it would only get worse. The surgical options would get more and more barbaric. Cingulotomy, cerebral hemispherectomy...

    Basically, their option was to cut here a little, remove a bit there, to see what would happen. This was inhumane to say the least, but the patients had no choice nor did the doctors. Facing an illness where modern medicine had failed them, they had all gone back to the dark ages. Si Kouxian had not finished adjusting the leucotome when a sharp beeping sound reverberated around the surgical room. The situation that they were worried about had urred. The anesthetist uttered worriedly, ¡°The patient¡¯s heart rate is increasing! The EEG is also straying. This...¡±

    The data on all those devices was all over the ce, but before the group could decide what to do, a strange and hoarse voice interrupted them. It came from the patient¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Ah.¡± The nurse handling the machines was the first to scream. Then, the expressions of the patrolling nurses and the group of doctors all darkened. Chen Wenwei, who literally had a hole still open in his brain, suddenly opened his eyes. His mouth was mumbling something, but there was only chaos and emptiness in his eyes.

    ¡°Command, the patient... the patient has woken up.¡± Si Kouxian was stunned beyond belief. Although they had prepared a contingency n in preparation of the patient¡¯s active reaction, that was only with regards to mobility changes while still under the effect of anesthetic. Throughout the history of medicine, there were only a handful of patients who had regained consciousness in the middle of their surgery. They could feel pain and could hear the sound of the medical officers around them, but they could not speak or move. Some anesthetics came with muscle rxants, so some patients¡¯ muscles would flinch during surgery, but that was perfectly normal.

    However, what was happening to Chen Wenwei was definitely not normal. The man was opening his eyes and speaking.

    ¡°Wenwei?¡± Si Kouxian tried to calm himself down. He immediately asked, ¡°Wenwei, can you hear me?¡±

    Gu Jun watched this exchange from the side, and suddenly, a strong warning gripped his heart...

    ¡°Ph...¡± Chen Wenwei¡¯s body did not move. His head remained fixed in ce, but his face was startlingly white. His eyes were so red, it looked like the capiries in the eyes were about to pop. The strange, throaty noise continued to echo out from his mouth.

    ¡°Nglui... nafh... Cthulhu...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes widened as the discovery descended upon him. It was that sentence!

    ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn.¡±

    At almost the same time, he could feel a giant mental wave ravaging the room like a palpable wave. It erupted from where Chen Wenwei was lying.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Si Kouxian and Song Yilong, who were closest to the patient, screamed helplessly. Their hands reached instinctively to their splitting heads. Their faces that were hidden behind the masks were nched, and their bodies were shaking like leaves in a storm.

    Then the second assistant, third assistant, the anesthetist, and the nurses were consumed by extreme pain! All except... Gu Jun.

 Chapter 132: Mental Erosion

    <h4>Chapter 132: Mental Erosion</h4>

    It was originally a sterile surgical room, but now it was more like a scene from inside a sanatorium. The medical crew gripped their heads and wailed in pain. Veins popped on their nched faces, but the spirit was rapidly receding from their eyes. ces like the headquarters and psychology department were all shocked by this development!

    The screams from the surgical roomssoed around every researcher¡¯s heart. What was happening? Chen Wenwei¡¯s EEG showed a chaotic range of waves, forming an incoherent chart on the monitor.

    ¡°Drag them out of there now!¡± Prof Qin shouted through the microphone. There was a group of Action Department members in sterile uniforms waiting outside the room, ready to tackle any emergency, but at this moment, they were doubled-over with grimaces of pain on their faces. At the same time, the people behind the camera saw Gu Jun, who was the only one standing, rush toward the surgical table. He grabbed a clean cotton ball from the nearby tray and shoved it into Chen Wenwei¡¯s mouth. He pushed and pushed until the strange mumbling could not be heard anymore. The people everywhere were shocked. Gu Jun... could still move?

    Not only that, Gu Jun seemed to still have control of his own body and possessed enough self-consciousness to shout, ¡°Turn your heads away from him. Do not listen to him! Think about something else!¡±

    As he yelled, he mixed a shot of drug with dolicaine and tetracaine at the anesthetist¡¯s table. He aimed it at the lower part of Chen Wenwei¡¯s ear, right above the mastoid. The sharp needle glinted as it plunged right through the man¡¯s skin, reaching the foramen jugr. The drug was pumped into the patient¡¯s body. Since the anesthetic that was supposed to dull the nervous system had lost its effect, Gu Jun attempted a sectional blockage to the nervous system. If he could numb the glossopharyngeal nerve, then Chen Wenwei¡¯s tongue would flop into activity. The sentence was a spell, and that would lessen its effect.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mental attack!¡± Gu Jun shouted. ¡°Command, do not let anyone in here!¡±

    Inside the conference room above them, Prof Qin immediately stopped the Action Department team that had just arrived from barging into the room. He shouted, ¡°Halt, listen to Ah Jun!¡±

    Prof Qin understood some of it. The patient was releasing an abnormal and strong brain signal, causing disturbances to everyone inside the surgical room. Gu Jun had managed to survive due to his strenuous mental power training or perhaps some other reason. But the people from the Action Department only had normal training. Yes, their mental power was better than average, but it was still not enough to face this challenge. If they barged into the surgical room, it was more likely that they would end up being a hindrance before they could get anyone out.

    However, inside the surgical room, several nurses had already copsed to the ground. The others were barely holding on as they supported themselves on the nearby devices and stools.

    ¡°Ah Jun, when can the people go in? Tell me!¡± Prof Qin¡¯s voice rang out in the surgical room.

    ¡°I...¡± Gu Jun was barely hanging in there. His brain was mmed around by the mental attack, and the pain was intensifying. He trained his focus to one specific point. He reached for the leucotome and took a deep breath. An unfamiliar feeling came from his grasp, but he had studied the surgery before, and he had seen Surgeon Si use it earlier. He retracted the metal ring and reached the leucotome deeper into the patient¡¯s brain. Now was not the time to be concerned about uracy anymore. No matter how precarious it was, the only solution was toplete the operation.

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind focused and clicked to ept the mission.

    ¡°Difficult Mission: umte personal contribution value of one hundred percent by performing two-star surgeries (sess) within a day. Reward: one pair of Carlot Dissecting Scissors.¡±

    ¡°Mission epted!¡±

    He yanked at the leucotome¡¯s brace. He could feel a force travelling up his arm like he could feel the metallic ring spinning, turning, and scrambling with surprisingly even energy.

    Snip!

    More soft tissue in Chen Wenwei¡¯s prefrontal lobe was destroyed. The chaotic gaze became more lifeless, and no more voices came out. But in that fleeting moment, Gu Jun seemed to hear a pleading voice from Chen Wenwei. ¡°Doctor Gu, save me...¡±

    ¡®Is it ESP?¡¯ He could feel the young man¡¯s emotions¡ªfear, horror, loss, and pain. His fear of having to fight for his own survival in an unfeeling city, his anxiety about his future, his memory of his family, and his desire to return. For some reason, a small balcony appeared before Gu Jun like a mirage.

    ¡°Brother, hang in there!¡± He gritted his teeth, and the pain sharpened his focus. He pushed the device deeper and pulled on the brace again. With another crack, another nervous fiber was ruined. Then, Gu Jun slowly removed the leucotome from the patient¡¯s cranium. He could feel the mental pressure slipping away, so he shouted, ¡°Come in now. Save them!¡±

    ¡°Get in there!¡± Prof Qin ordered. The team outside the room immediately burst in. They were all hit by a sudden bout of light-headedness, but none of them were overwhelmed by it. Disregarding standard procedure, they ced the medical crew onto stretchers and rushed them out.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine... Go save the others first...¡± Si Kouxian said slowly as hey on the stretcher. He was still conscious enough to speak. However, the first assistant, Song Yilong; second assistant, Chen Xinfei; the anesthetist, Guo Jun; and the mechanical nurse, Huang Yanyu¡ªthese four crew members who were closest to the patient had no color on their faces. Saliva trickled out their open mouths, and their facial muscles were convulsing.

    The other neurologists outside the corridor knew the severity of the situation when they saw this. Their symptoms suggested acute brain hemorrhage. The medical crew who were just performing an operation minutes ago now had to be rushed to the adjacent room to be operated on.

    The whole building mobilized. The people from other departments were sent over to help.

    Right then, the stand-in surgical team walked into the room. With heavy expressions, they walked unhesitatingly toward the surgical table. The main surgeon was Gao Guohong, the first assistant was Ding Ming, and Gu Jun took over the role of second assistant. He was helping the crew fill up the skull and with the sutures.

    The people behind the camera could see how steady Gu Jun¡¯s work was. He was practically the most reliable at the operation table. The others were influenced by an invisible mental disturbance in some way, and that was evidenced by their shaking hands. Most of the more delicate procedures were directed by Gao Guohong but performed by Gu Jun. The youngest person in the room had be the steadiest presence there, inspiring the rest.

    After closing up the side cranium, Prof Qin asked Gu Jun for his opinion. ¡°Ah Jun, do you think we need to continue this surgery?¡±

    ¡°Of course, we need to finish it,¡± Gu Jun answered seriously. ¡°Only then we will know the result.¡±

    Therefore, a severe silencended in the surgical room. The nurse helped turn and fix the patient¡¯s head to the other side, and the crew got back to work. Surgical knife, saw, and drill... the devices did their job. The skull was revealed again, and another hole was drilled.

    The medical crew kept their heads nk except for one goal, which was to finish the operation! Just as Gu Jun said, they had to finish it.

    They owed it to Surgeon Si and his crew. Even if they fell, a third batch would be ushered in toplete the surgery. This was because they needed toplete this lobotomy to know its effectiveness in curing Nightmare Illness.

    In human medical history, this was how treatments and cures were found. It was not through some blessing from God, nor was it through bargaining with the devil. It was through clinical trials like this. The road to convalesce was paved with the blood, sweat, tears, and flesh of both the patients and medical practitioners.

 Chapter 133: Four Operations

    <h4>Chapter 133: Four Operations</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    When Chen Wenwei¡¯s surgery reached its most crucial step, Gao Guohong and the rest evacuated the surgical room, leaving Gu Jun alone to deal with the operation. Under the nervous scrutiny of many people around the nation, Gu Jun used the leucotome to reach into the holes drilled in the skull andpleted the severance of nervous fibers on the three designated spots. And this time, nothing happened. Chen Wenwei¡¯s EEG had started to stabilize when the second team took over. With more cuts being made, the EEG graph showed the brain activity slowing down, and the patient returning to a deep sleep state. After that, Gao Guohong¡¯s crew returned to their posts to help Gu Jun finish the suturing and cleaning up. The harsh and primitive surgery was finallypleted.

    In Gu Jun¡¯s mind, multiple notifications pinged.

    ¡°You have participated in a sessful two-star surgery, a lobotomy. Personal contribution forty-five percent, rank 1.¡±

    ¡°The mastery of your Hands of Dexterity has increased by three hundred points, level two (29,700/30,000 mastery)¡±

    The term ¡®sess¡¯ did not bring Gu Jun as much relief as it usually did because in this case, it only meant that the patient¡¯s prefrontal lobe had been destroyed. Whether or not it had any beneficial effect was still unknown. Neurological surgeries were not as clear cut as cleaning out parasites, especially an ectomy like this.

    He turned to look at the notification about the Hands of Dexterity. After his endless training, he was finally close to breaking through to the third level. Chen Wenwei¡¯s vitals were stabilizing, so the crew could exit the surgical room in relief. Only then was Gu Jun briefed on the state of Surgeon Si and his crew. Song Yilong and the other three who had fainted at the time were all suffering from cerebral hemorrhage with varying severity. They were all in emergency surgery. Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened at the news. He had renewed respect for those in the medical career. They were both doctors and fighters.

    That inspired him to focus on his job. He needed to snap himself together to conduct the next lobotomy. He was asked to participate in the surgery for Mai Lei, who suffered from middle stage Nightmare Illness, and Yang Jianming, who was inter stage Nightmare Illness. After all, he appeared to be the only one capable of pulling through the whole procedure. During his brief rest, Prof Qin approached him and asked, ¡°Ah Jun, what is your opinion of the statement that Chen Wenwei recited in the middle of the operation?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue...¡± Gu Jun could only shake his head. He was honestly quite clueless about that. ¡°We¡¯ll see what Elder Tong has to say about that.¡±

    After a brief chat with Prof Qin, he moved to the decontamination room to cleanse himself before moving to another super-sterile surgical room. In the next few hours, themand center and the many research centers continued their hive of activity. Prof Qin and Yao Sinian gained contact with Elder Tong. From the revtion that Gu Jun made about the sentence he found among his parent¡¯s possession and what happened with Chen Wenwei, there was enough evidence to prove that Nightmare Illness was rted to Elder Tong¡¯s case and that mysterious cult.

    At the same time, Gu Jun was continuing his fight in the surgical room. Surgeon Gao and the rest helped him with the incision and drilling, but Gu Jun single-handedly dealt with each severance.

    ¡°You have participated in a sessful two-star surgery, a lobotomy. Personal contribution forty percent, rank 1.¡±

    ¡°You have participated in a sessful two-star surgery, a lobotomy. Personal contribution thirty-eight percent, rank 1.¡±

    The two surgeries gave all the researchers a mixture of feelings. They were at the same time relieved, disappointed, and confused because the situation with Chen Wenwei did not repeat itself. They were relieved because the surgeries were sessful. ording to Gu Jun and the team, they did not feel even a smidge of mental pressure during the two operations. They were disappointed because the patients did not showcase simr clinical responses, and this failed to support a hypothesis that they had earlier¡ªdamage to the patient¡¯s prefrontal lobe would threaten to interrupt the patient¡¯s mental connection with a mysterious force on the other end.

    The confusion was because either the response to the threat only urred to patients in early stages, or there was something unique about Chen Wenwei himself. Chen Wenwei had the surname Chen, so could he be rted to the Chen n of Nan Tang Vige? However, his records showed that he was not an Eastern State local. To get to the bottom of the mystery, the Medical Department immediately arranged for another patient in the early stage of the Nightmare Illness to go under the knife. This time, it was a young female patient named Zou Xinyue.

    That meant that four lobotomies were arranged that day, and Gu Jun was requested to be a part of the fourth one as well. When the operation reached the severance stage, he was the only medical unit left inside the spacious room again. The light from the surgical lights was blinding, and the cameras were capturing everything. Gu Jun felt an agitation in his heart until his hands that held the leucotome tightened.

    ¡°I am experiencing some strange feeling. The patient might react unkindly to this,¡± he said darkly. ¡°I believe this is because the mental state of the initial stage patients is still strong enough to release that kind of mental attack as a kind of resistance...¡±

    Gu Jun took a deep breath. After so many consecutive surgeries, his alreadycking mental power was almost at rock bottom. But now was not the time to rest! With a focus of his determination, he pulled on the brace. Suddenly, the female patient who was supposed to be fully sedated opened her eyes. The gaze spoke of chaos, and the lifeless facial muscles twitched slightly. The EEG started to dance all over the ce again.

    To help this experiment, gauze was not taped around her mouth and sectional anesthetic was skipped.

    ¡°Ph¡¯nglui...¡± The demonic whisper appeared again. Her tone was surprisingly identical to Chen Wenwei. It carried an indescribable buzz, like it came out from a broken recorder. She appeared to be chanting the same sentence too. ¡°mglw¡¯nafh...¡±

    Once Gu Jun heard that, he felt attacked by a strong mental wave. Gritting his teeth, Gu Jun clogged up the patient¡¯s mouth, injected the anesthetic, and then quickly resumed with the severance!

    A burst of anger and indignation rose in his heart, propelling him forward, helping him resist those mental attacks. From the Malformed Banyan Disease to Nightmare Illness, his mother had left her trace everywhere... He needed an exnation!

    In any case, the researchers finally got the answer they needed. The cause was not on Chen Wenwei; it was something about patients in the early stages of nightmare Illness. But this led to more questions. Would this appear whenever there was a threat to the patient¡¯s cerebral tissue, or would it only ur when the threat was focused on the prefrontal cortex? Only practical surgeries could provide answers to these questions.

    Therefore, while Gu Jun and the rest were finishing the surgery, another surgery was being pushed into ce. This time, it was going to be a bteral cingulotomy. The patient was yet another victim of the Nightmare Illness at the early stage. Bteral cingulotomy was normally used in the treatment of depression and obsessivepulsive disorder. It was a safe and verified modern surgery. Therefore, it would not be too difficult and did not put too much mental pressure on the existing medical members.

    ¡°You have participated in a sessful two-star surgery, a lobotomy. Personal contribution forty-one percent, rank 1.¡±

    Gu Jun was both mentally and physically drained when he exited the surgical room, but he needed to rush to another surgical room. This time, however, he was only standing by to watch. From the start of the operation to itspletion, there was noplication with the patient.

    The researchers started their discussion again. It looked like not all damage to any random cerebral organ would trigger a response, or at least removal of the cingte gyrus would not. But whether only a lobotomy would trigger a response remained to be seen. They needed to perform more brain surgeries to confirm this. Furthermore, they needed time to tell whether the lobotomy had a healing effect or not.

    When everything was over, it was already night. Song Yilong and the others¡¯ surgeries werepleted in the afternoon, but they were still unconscious. They had been transferred to the ICU.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯d better go back to your dormitory to rest,¡± Prof Qin told Gu Jun. ¡°Guo Tong wants you to get a good night¡¯s sleep to recover your mental power before they decide on what to do next.¡±

    Prof Qin left after that because he still had many things to worry about. Gu Jun slumped on the couch in the resting area. He closed his heavy eyelids, and his limbs felt like lead. No one came to disturb him. In fact, when they passed him, they kept their movement as soft as possible.

    As Gu Jun closed his eyes, skulls appeared before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. There were holes drilled through them, and they appeared to be sucking Gu Jun into them. Deep inside a skull, Gu Jun could see the pink brain matter wiggling...

    He was the one who had crushed this brain matter into mush... He pressed against his pounding head. So, this was clinical research. It sure took a toll on the medical practitioner. After a quick rest, and an adjustment of his mood, Gu Jun could finally face the notification from the system. He had contributed nothing to thest surgery, but he had umted 164 percent personal contribution over the four lobotomies. This meant that he hadpleted the difficult mission.

    ¡°Mission reward to be imed: one pair of Carlot Dissecting Scissors. Click to ept your reward.¡±

    ¡°The mastery of your Hands of Dexterity has increased by one hundred points, level two (30000/30000 mastery)¡±

    ¡°The level of your Hands of Dexterity has increased to level 3!¡±

 Chapter 134: Bloated Corpse

    <h4>Chapter 134: Bloated Corpse</h4>

    Hands of Dexterity

    Rarity:¡ï

    Maximum Level: 3

    Current Level: 3

    Gu Jun indeed felt some minute change to the bodily control of his hands. At the second level, it felt like he could carefully control and manipte every single muscle and nerve in his hands, but now he felt a full mastery of his hands. From the nerves, blood capiries, muscles, bones, and theirbination, he felt an intensity tying them together. They were strong and flexible.

    ¡°So, I¡¯ve finally reached the maximum level.¡± He opened and closed his hands. It had been four months since he performed the emergency surgery on Lee Yuerui in the submarine. He had gone through many things since then. This was a rare good piece of news.

    Having reached the maximum level for Hands of Dexterity would give him more options when faced with a problem. During the operations today, Gu Jun was still affected, his hands were shaking at times from nervousness and the mental disturbance. But now, he believed if he was tasked with the same surgeries, he would perform much better with a steadier pair of hands.

    The mission reward was a pair of Carlot Dissecting Scissors. Gu Jun opened his eyes to look around. There were many colleagues resting, but more importantly, there were cameras everywhere. He stood up and headed toward the nearest restroom. He entered a cubicle and closed the door. After ensuring that no one was watching him, he clicked to ept the reward.

    A mysterious energy surged around him. His right hand was ced in his pocket, and something materialized in it. He took it out slowly. He was holding sharp-ended dissecting scissors that were around fourteen centimeters long. The material was the strange metal that made up all the devices from the foreign civilization. The design was soft and smooth, a feature that Gu Jun had now recognized as a feature of the Carlot brand. There were carvings of the Goddess of Life and Carlot written in the foreignnguage on the body of the scissors.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s vision blurred as his eyesnded on the pair of scissors. He held out his hands to support himself from falling. ¡®What is this illusion? It should be rted to the scissors. These are dissecting scissors used in autopsies, not surgery, so the illusion should be some kind of dissection scene... but what kind of creature will it be dissecting?¡¯

    Gu Jun thought about triggering the illusion. After all, this was a reward from a difficult mission. Based on his past experience, it would serve some kind of purpose. It might provide him with extremely important information. Therefore, he wasted no time in setting the scene to encourage the illusion. He shoved the scissors back into his pocket, exited the restroom, and made a beeline to the autopsy floor on the fifth level. The people there were still working on dissecting the bodies of those who had fallen to the Nightmare Illness.

    He asked them for the location of Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang. Soon, he arrived in arge autopsy room. The hanging light lit up the room, and formalin permeated the air. The six autopsy tables were surrounded by doctors as they studied the carcasses on the bs with silence and focus. There was no reason to keep this ce sterile, and due to the recent constant changing of shifts, no one paid attention to Gu Jun when he walked in.

    As Gu Jun entered, he studied his surroundings. The shattered bodies on the autopsy b looked simr to the ones he had seen down in the morgue earlier. They were messes of fresh blood and meat. Perhaps it had been too long since hisst autopsy, but his hands were twitching with excitement as he saw his colleagues at work.

    Gu Jun did not make any sound as he moved to the table where his friends were working. They had formed a group of their own. They had just sawn through the scalp, and Wang Ruoxiang was using blunt-point scissors to snip away the sticky cerebral dura. Cai Zixuan and Sun Yuheng were helping her.

    ¡°Phew.¡± As he watched his friends work, more blurry images crowded his sight. He knew it was time...

    His nerves were pulled taut, and his temples were pounding as Gu Jun trained his focus. Even though the mental drainage would not be as serious as before he started his treatment of his brain stem tumor, it would still tax him to a certain degree!

    At that moment, he found himself missing Wu Siyu. If she was by his side then, things would be a lot easier. But desperate times called for desperate measures. Gu Jun allowed the headache to intensify as he focused his fiery gaze on the carcass on the b. First, some indecipherable images shed before his eyes. He saw the broken body parts slowly sew themselves back into aplete body, and then the scenery around him changed...

    ¡®Where is this ce? There are tombstones and coffins. Am I at a graveyard? Is this Nan Tang Vige or the foreign world?¡¯ He found his line of sight to be extremely limited, like he was looking through a telescope. Suddenly, an image zoomed before his eyes. It was a human carcass, but the limbs were ginormous, the stomach was bulging forward, the neck was swollen, and the skin over the body was a dirty greenish color. The subdermal tissue and muscles were bulging. It was as if air and liquid had been pumped into the body. The face was so inted that identification was impossible. The eyeballs protruded from their sockets.

    This... was the bloated carcass. It was a stage of corpse dposition. At this stage, the microorganisms residing in the human gut would begin to digest the body, excreting gases that cause the torso and limbs to bloat. The body was blown up like a balloon. As the air inside the body gathered, the soft tissue would dissolve, and the bloating continued until the body exploded. All the putrid water, bacteria, and parasites would burst into the air like the world¡¯s most macabre pinata.

    ¡®Is this bloated corpse ced inside a coffin or on the ground?¡¯ Gu Jun could not tell from his limited vision. He felt drawn toward the corpse until his eyes could make out the clogged veins on the bloated skin...

    Suddenly, with a loud boom, the body exploded and purged!

    ¡°Ah!¡± The illusion was interrupted sharply. Gu Jun¡¯s hands went to his head as he staggered back a few steps. He felt his legs giving. He resisted the intent to hurl as he turned his head away in an attempt to force down mouthfuls of air. But the smell of formalin and putrefaction did not help.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun.¡± Cai Zixuan looked over in shock. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±

    With themotion he had made, it was impossible for his friends not to spot him. Holding the brain that she had just removed from the dead body, Wang Ruoxiang asked, ¡°What is it this time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to youter...¡± With ragged breath, Gu Jun ignored the confused looks people tossed his way as he teetered his way out of the autopsy room. He dragged his body out the building. The rain had just stopped. The chilling breeze rushed into his lungs. As he looked up at the starlit sky, the unease slipped away slightly.

    ¡®What was that illusion earlier? Was someone dissecting a bloated corpse? But it does not feel like it... Though, that was definitely a graveyard, so this must be rted to the zombies somehow? Hmm... While corpse eruption is something that would make my stomach churn, could it be a tolling bell signifying a marvelous feast for the zombies? Was I upying the sight of a zombie? That would exin the closing in of the line of sight...¡¯ Gu Jun could not stop contemting as he moved back to his dormitory. The prefrontal lobe, the bloated corpse, the spell, ck figure, zombies, mind, dream... The whirlwind of clues ravaged his mind. He hoped that a thread would somehow tie them together.

    After he reached the dormitory, Gu Jun grabbed a set of clean clothes and jumped into the shower. The water sted down from the showerhead. He knew it was all in his imagination, but Gu Jun felt as if his body was covered in a sticky, dirty substance that could not be washed away. The warm water did not take away his sense of disgust, but it did ease his tension so much so that he almost allowed himself to copse inside the bathroom from pure exhaustion. With thest dreg of consciousness, Gu Jun pulled himself into his bed. He closed his heavy eyelids and cleared his mind. After who knew how long, he drifted into a dream... or perhaps another illusion...

    Gu Jun could hear thepping of the waves. He could feel the prickly grass around his feet. The trees around him were wilted, and there was arge mountain in the distance. He could hear an eerie and low voice drifting in the air.

    It was calling something.

    It was calling him.

 Chapter 135: Old Man in the Dream

    <h4>Chapter 135: Old Man in the Dream</h4>

    The sound ofpping waves. Gu Jun surveyed his surroundings. He was on a piece ofnd surrounded on all sides by azure water. ¡®Am I on an ind?¡¯

    The ground under his feet was incredibly barren. The trees around him were wilted and leafless, casting heavy shadows on the ground. A whisper danced in the wind. It was even and low, sounding very much like mumbling. He feltpelled to go forward. He could feel his feet moving, but the surroundings did not get any clearer. It was like Gu Jun was suspended in a state of semi-consciousness. He entered the wasted forest. The trees of varying height were bent downward as if being pulled by gravity. They showed no sign of life at all. However, Gu Jun swore he saw something wiggling among the branches...

    When he passed the forest, Gu Jun encountered an old manor sitting at the foot of the mountain. The manor looked to be built from wood and had a strange architectural design. It was not an architectural style he was familiar with; it was not from Earth nor the foreign civilization. It reminded Gu Jun of the carcass of an abnormal creature, ancient and declining.

    Standing in front of the open manor doors was a figure dressed in ck. The person turned to look at Gu Jun as if sensing his arrival. Gu Jun continued to move forward as the whispering died down in the wind. When he was about ten steps away from the figure, he finally got a better look of the figure. The face of an old man looked out at him. Every inch of his skin was shriveled like a dead body. Gu Jun would say that he had been dead for a long time already.

    Chaos swirled in the old man¡¯s eyes. It reminded Gu Jun of the chaos that resided in the eyes of the victims of Nightmare Illness in early stages during their operations...

    Gu Jun took a few more steps forward. The old man seemed to be studying him as the chaos in his eyes changed, and his parched lips opened to slowly utter, ¡°You have arrived.¡±

    ¡®Do we know each other?¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to say, but he realized his voice was not working. He watched as the old man turned around and headed into the old manor. At that moment, he was suddenly reminded of a detail that he had obtained from Commander Yao. Every victim of Nightmare Illness had mentioned an encounter with an old man in their dream. Static surged through his body. It shocked his mind into activity as well as sent a tremor down his spine. ¡®Am I in that nightmare? Could this old man be...¡¯

    The images around Gu Jun started to sway. The dream was about to copse... He held onto an anchor to hold him in ce. Just as the old man stepped over the threshold of the door, Gu Jun finally found his voice to shout, ¡°Ol Uncle Dog?¡±

    The old man halted slightly in his gait. However, he did not turn around but continued to head into the old manor, submerging himself in the darkness.

    ¡°Ol Uncle Dog, is that you? You are behind the Nightmare Illness? What is going on?¡± Gu Jun moved into a run, but suddenly, a sense of leadenness overwhelmed him, and his eyes flew open. Everything in his sight changed. He could see the ceiling above him, and it took him some confusing seconds to realize he was still inside his own bedroom. ¡®It was just a dream...¡¯

    With his eyes open, Gu Jun stayed unmoving in his bed. Confusion wrapped itself around his mind. ¡®I was in that nightmare?¡¯

    After some time and a deep breath, Gu Jun reached out for the light. As the room lit up, he grabbed the phone on the bedside table to take a look. It felt like he had been sleeping for just a while, but the phone showed that it was 3 am already. His finger clicked open the contact list. He skimmed over Prof Qin, Commander Yao, and Elder Tong¡¯s name before settling on Wu Siyu¡¯s number.

    As preposterous as her twin connection theory was, it was undeniable that they did share a bond from their training. The call rang for some time before it was answered. Azy female voice groaned. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that most murders ur because the murderer was disturbed during their sleep?¡±

    ¡°Siyu, did you feel anything out of ce earlier?¡± Gu Jun cut to the chase. ¡°What were you dreaming about?¡±

    ¡°I was dreaming that I was falling asleep, but you came to wake me up before I was able to.¡±

    ¡°I... think I just had that nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Wu Siyu responded with a sharp yelp. ¡°Do not continue any further!¡±

    But the severity of the situation soon settled on her.

    ¡°Oh, this is bad... I knew nothing good woulde out of a midnight call. Should we contact Elder Tong?¡±

    Hearing her concern, the grip over Gu Jun¡¯s heart loosened slightly. He felt less alone. ¡°Wu Siyu, have I told you how much you would shine in the Recreational Department?¡±

    ¡°And haven¡¯t I told you that is my dream job?¡± Wu Siyu replied matter-of-factly. ¡°In any case, go and call Elder Tong now.¡±

    After ending the call with Wu Siyu, Gu Jun immediately turned to call the several shot callers. Soon, several members from the Action Department came to the dormitory to lead him to the Nightmare Illness Research Center situated on the twelfth floor of the Psychology Building. There were researchers burning the midnight oil, and most of them were surprised to see him arrive. However, the atmosphere inside the confidential meeting room of the leaders was heavy. Prof Qin, who was seated at the table, and Yao Sinian as well as Elder Tong, who were attending via Skype, did not look so excited.

    Gu Jun was their hope. He was the key person to pursue the research into spells, and he was their main force tobat this illness. If not for Gu Jun during the lobotomies yesterday, the number of deaths and injuries would have been unimaginable, and they would not have acquired the necessary research results. If he fell to the sickness...

    But they had done their best to shelter the details of the nightmare from Gu Jun so far. They had hoped that they might shield him from contracting it. After all, no one could tell what the method of transmission for Nightmare Illness was. All they knew was that it affected the people of the Eastern State. Granted, Gu Jun had taken a huge risk to be there, but while many people were infected, many more were left untouched. Since people like Prof Qin were fine, there was no reason to worry that Gu Jun would be infected, right? Perhaps he just had a simr dream. However, the hope that they sheltered was instantly shattered once Gu Jun began the description of his dream. The sea, the abandoned ind, the old man... it was definitely that nightmare.

    Gu Jun then continued with the illusion of the bloated corpse that he had seen in the autopsy room. The seniors could not make heads or tails or it. Was it linked to the Nightmare Illness, or was it a mental attack residual in the victims¡¯ mind?

    ¡°Oh, the old man did tell me something. He said, ¡®you have arrived¡¯,¡± Gu Jun added. This detail caused Prof Qin and the rest to share a look. After Gu Jun finished the whole tale, a new hope renewed in their hearts again.

    ¡°Ah Jun, your dream is not one hundred percent identical to the other victims,¡± Prof Qin concluded with authority. ¡°What the old man told the victims was a number. So far, we have tallied three different numbers¡ª74, 31, and 12. After that, the victims would be shocked out of their sleep, feeling a desperate need to drink water. One minuteter, they would hear knocking on the window, even in a windowless room. Therefore, we can only suspect that it was an illusion.¡±

    ¡°I did not feel thirsty, nor did I hear any knocking.¡± Gu Jun finally got it. He was an exception to the rule. ¡®You have arrived? Why would he say that? It feels like Ol Uncle Dog knows me somehow...¡¯

    ¡°Could this be a new or mutated version of the nightmare?¡± Yao Sinian was not that optimistic. ¡°Has it changed to infect people with high mental power and spirituality like Gu Jun?¡±

    With that suppositionid out in the open, the atmosphere in the room froze again because it meant that everyone present was in the danger of being infected.

    ¡°I do not think so.¡± Elder Tong clearly had a different take on this. ¡°Ah Jun is not a normal person. He¡¯s different from us. He has talent and a background that we can¡¯t match. There might be another purpose in him being led into that dream, one that might not necessarily be rted to an intention to consume his mind.¡±

    In any case, they would find out in a few days. Regardless, they could not just sit idle while waiting to find out whether it was a tragedy or a blessing. They still needed to work on their responsibility.

    ¡°Has any idea struck you so far regarding those numbers?¡± Prof Qin asked Gu Jun. The research center had tried different analyses, but they failed toe to any conclusive result.

    ¡°They feel like...¡± Gu Jun stared at the three numbers shown on the screen. The images of the dream shed before his eyes before being followed by some memories from his childhood. He had some inspiration regarding this set of numbers.

 Chapter 136: Arctic Sea

    <h4>Chapter 136: Arctic Sea</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°The numbers... they feel like coordinates to me.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s hypothesis hung heavily inside the conference room. The sky was still dark, and Gu Jun¡¯s revtion appeared to carry palpable weight. Gu Jun had spent a lot of his childhood studying his parents¡¯ nautical chart. They would have coordinates simr to this set of numbers on them. The ce he visited in his dream was an ind in the middle of the ocean. Then, the connection was made to the Seagull, how it had traversed the various corners of the world in the name of scientific research. Could this abandoned ind in his dream have been a stop during its nautical journey?

    ¡°I believe they are the coordinates for that ind in the dream,¡± he said.

    ¡®Nautical coordinates?¡¯ Yao Sinian and Prof Qin¡¯s expressions changed. They knew not to treat Gu Jun¡¯s ¡®instinct¡¯ lightly. Before this, the researchers leaned toward the belief that the numbers were some kind of countdown because they appeared in a descending order.

    ¡°I will have everyone redirect their research down this new angle and try to figure out the coordinates.¡± Yao Sinian nodded. ¡°This hypothesis has been brought up before, but with just 74, 31, and 12, it will only make up atitude at most. It is not enough to pinpoint an exact location.¡±

    To acquire an urate coordinate of a location, one needed two axes: longitude XX¡ãXX¡¯XX¡± andtitude XX¡ãXX¡¯XX¡±.

    If it was for a zone as big as the Eastern State, then the axis would cover one degree to another degree: XX¡ãXX¡¯ ¨C XX¡ãXX¡¯, XX¡ãXX¡¯ ¨C XX¡ãXX¡¯.

    Furthermore, they needed to find out whether it was northern or southerntitude and eastern or western longitude. The standard coordination format used positive and negative markers to designate the four nautical directions. Negative numbers meant western longitude and southerntitude, with the number fortitude posited first. So, if the set of numbers were part of some coordinates, it would only be logical to believe they representedtitude, specificallytitude 74¡ã31¡¯12¡±, which was situated around the northern arctic ocean...

    But without the longitude, they could not pinpoint the exact location. In their previous research, Phecda had used a military satellite to scan the whole strip ofnd and ocean along the specifiedtitude, but there were too many icebergs to make a detailed search possible.

    ¡°Ah Jun, why do you think there are no coordinates for the longitude?¡± Yao Sinian asked.

    Inspiration struck when Gu Jun was mulling over that question. ¡°Is it possible that Ol Uncle Dog requires the Nightmare Illness to spread further before he can give us the longitude coordinate? It could exhaust him to give us these numbers through the dream.¡±

    Once he said that, the faces of the people in the room chilled. Prof Qin heavily said, ¡°So far, every new number appears between each interval of up to a thousand patients, and the longer the illness progresses, therger the number between each subsequent interval...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. If it was really part of some coordinates, how many people would need to fall victim before Ol Uncle Dog was willing to part with the three other numbers? But why would Ol Uncle Dog reveal this location? Was he hoping to lead people there? Why? Questions upon questions, and the most worrying thing was, the price that they needed to pay for the answer appeared to be human lives.

    A collective lethargy settled over the room. They had been working non-stop, sacrificing their sleep. The exhaustion was particrly clear in Prof Qin and Yao Sinian¡¯s faces, people in their advanced age. The bags under their eyes were so heavy that it was worrying. Who knew how much long they could hold on under this kind of high pressure?

    After their meeting ended, Gu Jun was sent back into quarantine again. He was assigned an isted room in the psychology building. ording to standard practice, he needed approval before he could make contact with anyone. It was not that Phecda did not trust him; they were worried that he would sumb to madness like the other victims. Gu Juny on the bed and slowly descended into slumber with the cocktail of emotions swirling inside him.

    ...

    Three days passed, and the Medical Department only got more hectic. On the night that Gu Jun was suspected to be infected, some of the patients were arranged to consume sleeping pills for the sake of experimentation. They still experienced the same nightmare. The four patients who had undergone lobotomies also had sleeping induced to test out the experiment results. Yang Jianming, the patient in theter stage, did not improve at all. No one could tell whether he had fallen asleep or had even a dream. On the afternoon of the second day, eighteen hours after his surgery, Yang Jianming passed away due to failure of multiple internal organs.

    Mai Lei, the patient in the middle stage, was still suffering from the nightmare. There was no visible change to his condition. However, the two patients in the initial stage, Chen Wenwei and Zou Xinyue, did not have the nightmare for three consecutive nights!

    This was something that brought joy to research centers across the country. This seemed to prove that lobotomies could effectively sever the patient¡¯s mental connection with the mysterious existence that tormented them with the nightmare. Even though Chen Wenwei and Zhou Xinyue suffered from post-surgeryplications simr to MSA and Parkinson¡¯s,pared to other patients in the initial stage who would progress to the middle stage in two days, the worsening of their condition had conspicuously slowed down.

    The parapsychology research group led by Elder Tong had a theory regarding this.

    ¡°Since the connection was severed, their soul cannot be consumed anymore, as if the faucet has been closed. But the mental power that they have lost and the nerve endings that have shrunk might not recover immediately, if ever.¡±

    The other negative oue was the side effect of lobotomies. Both Chen Wenwei and Zou Xinyue reported headaches that were different from before. Their personalities experienced a tremendous shift as well. One became extremely introverted while the other started to act strangely. Even so, at least the doctors had a solution. They would treat the Nightmare Illness like how they would tackle MSA.

    The catch was currently there was still no targeted treatment for MSA. It was mainly abination of treatment methods for both Parkinson¡¯s and dysautonomia. Victims of MSA would take two years to see their condition worsen to Chen Wenwei¡¯s pre-op stage, which only took the Nightmare Illness five to seven days. Victims of MSA would have an average lifespan of nine years after the paroxysm of the disease. In contrast, ording to the doctors¡¯ observation of the two patients after their surgery, they would hold on for another one or two years.

    ¡°This is a huge breakthrough,¡± Prof Qin told Gu Jun with some relief. ¡°The surgery is effective. It means that the illness can be cured.¡±

    That was the hope they needed.

    The Medical Department had already arranged for the second batch of victims to undergo the surgery. The earlier they got the surgery, the better it would be for the patients. However, the Medical Department still needed to find a method that could apply this surgical method on arger scale. The four people who had copsed in the first surgery were still in ICU. They could not allow that to happen again.

    Gu Jun spent three days in the istion room and listened to the news that came to him patiently. He took this chance to get some rest. Ever since that day, he did not encounter that dream again and did not show any clinical symptom for the onset of the Nightmare Illness. Elder Tong and the rest were greatly relieved.

    New patients kept appearing, but there was no sign of any new numbers.

    On the morning of the fourth day, Gu Jun was allowed to leave the istion room. As he walked down the corridor, he saw the drawn-out faces of Tang Zhifeng and a few other people from the psychology group. There was a sadness around them that was different from usual.

    ¡°Leader Tang, what happened?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened. It felt like years even though he had only been quarantined for three days. Did someone among their circle fall ill?

    At that moment, the words from Raybundy¡¯s diary shed across his mind like a ghost.

 Chapter 137: Epidemic

    <h4>Chapter 137: Epidemic</h4>

    ¡°Last night, many of our colleagues fell ill... including Elder Qin.¡± Tang Zhifeng sighed.

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased as his heart sank. Pain flickered across his face. ¡®Even Prof Qin...¡¯

    ¡°Elder Qin¡¯s surgery is arranged to be held half an hour from now.¡± Tang Zhifeng¡¯s eyes were slightly rimmed red. ¡°The surgery for the others will be performed at the same time. Ah Jun, you will be required to conduct the severance procedure for all of them.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jun opened his lips to say something, but in the end, all he could manage was a nod. The consensus at the Medical Department was, once a patient started to show symptoms, the surgery would be arranged as soon as possible to prevent irreparable damage to the necrosis of the nervous system. Since there was still nomon doctor who could resist the mental disturbance during the severance, the responsibility fell squarely on Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders.

    The previous night, twenty-five colleagues had sumbed to Nightmare Illness. The cases were recorded not only among the researchers who studied the dream but also among the colleagues working in the autopsy building and surgical building. It appeared as if those who hade into contact with the victims of the Nightmare Illness, even the dead ones, had a chance of being infected. Phecda¡¯s understanding of its pathology was thrown for a loop. Furthermore, Prof Qin¡¯s situation seemed to suggest that Nightmare Illness might have atent period. Ack of symptoms at first did not mean that one was absolutely safe.

    A pall of depression hung over the research center. All the precaution that they had taken was in vain; no one could tell whether they would be the next victim or not. Soon, Gu Jun was given the list of thetest victims. As he read through it, his heart sank into the abyss.

    Brother Qiang and Surgeon Zhu were both on the list. They were part of the group who had participated in the autopsy of the victims.

    ¡®F*ck...¡¯ Gu Jun cursed under his breath, trying to suppress the agitation and resentment in his heart. Brother Qiang and Surgeon Zhu had taken him under their wings when he first joined Phecda. They were kind and taught him everything they knew. Why did something like this happen to such wonderful people? And of course, he did not forget Prof Qin. They had fallen one after another.

    Shrouded in thisplicated emotion, Gu Jun put on his scrubs and entered the sterile surgical room to participate in Prof Qin¡¯s surgery. The old man over sixty was lying on the b. He was already injected with full-body anesthetic and glossopharyngeal sectional anesthetic. His face was as white as the dead.

    The atmosphere inside the room was palpably heavy as the crew silently made incisions, peeled back the scalp, and drilled the holes in the skull of Elder Qin. Gu Jun was then ushered over toplete the severance. The moment the metallic ring was ejected, Prof Qin¡¯s wrinkled eyes flew open. His supposedly numb lips and tongue started to move to make this extremely strange sound. The mental pressure weighed on everyone in the room. As others fell back, Gu Jun powered on to sever the other parts. After all the nervous tissue was destroyed, he moved from this surgical room to another to repeat the same process on the others. Prof Qin, Brother Qiang, Surgeon Zhu, and his other colleagues from Eastern State Phecda...

    Seeing all the familiar faces take on the mask of madness and illness before his eyes, the agitation deep in Gu Jun¡¯s heart grew.

    ¡®Why? Why is this happening? What have they done to deserve a fate like this?¡¯

    It was worth noting that during a few of the operations, Phecda attempted an experimental surgery. During the severance step, the main surgeon was required to put on a brainwave instion helmet provided by the scientific research department. The main surgeon handled one side during the surgery while the first and second assistants handled the other. Then, the medical crew needed to rest for a while before they could continue lest they risked the danger of brain hemorrhage. After a few of such experimental surgeries, the doctors still reported some difort from the mental attack, but it was not so bad that they would copse. This meant that the method was viable. However, Phecda still saw room to improve. Their next step was to design a medical robot specifically to help with thisplicated surgery.

    When all twenty-five surgeries were done, it was already 4 pm. Gu Jun walked out of the surgical room and hurried to the conference room in the Psychology Building. Yao Sinian and Tang Zhifeng were already seated there. Elder Tong was in attendance via Skype.

    ¡°Ah Jun, thank you for everything.¡± Even though Yao Sinian was not infected, his face was as pale as the others. ¡°It must not have been easy to perform... those operations. Thank you.¡±

    The discovery of this treatment had given the people in the emergency unit a temporary resurgence of hope, but now that hope had been stamped out. The number of Nightmare Illness cases in Eastern State had reached a record high. And ording to the new batch of patients, the old man in their dream was still telling them the number 12. If Gu Jun was correct, just how many more people needed to sumb to this horrendous illness before the old man revealed the next number? If mass evacuation was ordered, thus depriving the old man of his food, would the range of the Nightmare Illness be contained and eventually die out?

    ¡°Commander Yao, we need to stay on top of this. We have to do something.¡± Gu Jun could not help but demand action. He was done being on the backline; he was done watching his friends and mentors walking the lonely road toward death.

    Yao Sinian was silent. It was not that they had not been doing anything. They had simply failed to reach a new breakthrough. This new batch of patients had brought them a new problem, one that Yao Sinian was sharing now. ¡°The Medical Department is seriously understaffed. We have to summon in the substitute medical members all over the city, and the number of arranged surgeries is so high that some of them will have to be done in the normal hospital and medical school.¡±

    Gu Jun knew that the so-called substitute medical members referred to people like Prof Gu, Xu Hai, and Senior Zhang Lin. They had never encountered the abnormal before, so it meant that the mental pressure would damage them more... But he also knew that every medical member in the Eastern State had to contribute in this crisis. Though, in this case, the contribution might be their lives...

    ¡®No!¡¯ Gu Jun shook his head. ¡®There has to be another way. I only need to search for the truth among the messy information...¡¯

    He was reminded of the zombies and the abyssal mission provided by the system. ¡®What kind of reward will I get frompleting it? Either way, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be of immense help in this situation. I cannot stand by and do nothing anymore. I have toplete this mission no matter what.¡¯

    Zombies, a graveyard, a bloated corpse... he was still missing something. He needed information. Surveying everything, Gu Jun realized that there was still a missing link that he knew nothing about, the case that Elder Tong was a part of back then. It might be the detail that tied everything together. Gu Jun had followed up on every possible lead except this one because over the past three days, whenever he brought it up, Elder Tong would say that he would tell Gu Jun when thetter was in a better mental state.

    ¡°Elder Tong.¡± Gu Jun now turned to the monitor. ¡°Please tell me everything about the case back then. We cannot wait anymore.¡±

    Elder Tong¡¯s face in the conference room at the headquarters took on a pall of severity. His voice was hoarse. ¡°I have been keeping you away from it because some information about this case is rted to spells and some strange, inexplicable things... No one can tell what will happen if a person with high spirituality is exposed to them, especially someone like you. That is why I have been dying telling you about it, but it appears like we have no other choice.¡±

 Chapter 138: Flexed Burial

    <h4>Chapter 138: Flexed Burial</h4>

    Elder Tong¡¯s case was a long-winded tale, and it involved pictures and symbols that could not be described with words. Therefore, Elder Tong did not reveal everything to Gu Jun then but told him that he would arrange everything. The next afternoon, the people from Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department came. Another new batch of patients arrived during midnight. Seven new cases were recorded within the Medical Department, and morale was sinking even lower.

    But when Gu Jun came to the entrance of the Psychology Building to intercept the people from the headquarters, he felt slightly better. It was Wu Siyu and a group of people carrying a few leather cases.

    ¡°Wu Siyu, why are you here?¡± he asked. ¡°This is really not the time toe travelling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to keep an eye on you,¡± Wu Siyu said as she looked around. She did not seem to be affected by being physically in the middle of a ghost town; she was still her usual self, which was a sense of normalcy that provided somefort to Gu Jun. ¡°The original files from the case are all here. Elder Tong forbade me from looking at them, so you¡¯d better not discuss them with me. My mission here is to whack you out with a baseball bat once you showed any sign of madness.¡±

    Despite the joke, Gu Jun knew the severity of the situation. He led the group into the Psychology Building. They headed directly to the research center and then entered a smaller office. The cases of files were ced on the table. The others guarded outside the door while Wu Siyu ced herselffortably on the sofa, ensuring her eyes did not wander away from Gu Jun, who was seated behind the table. She was studying his expression closely.

    By then, Gu Jun had opened the case numbered one. It revealed to him a huge stack of old newspapers. The smell of dated paper hit him. The copy on top came from Guang Ting Daily. The ck headlines on the front page caught his attention immediately. ¡°The disappearance of the tenth child this month has caused unrest among the people of Guang Ting.¡±

    ¡®So, the case happened in Guang Ting.¡¯

    Gu Jun picked up the old newspaper to study it closer. The article mentioned numerous inexplicable disappearances of children all over the city. There was even one instance where a baby was taken from a hospital nursery. The article featured the pictures of several grieving parents. The media suspected that this case was rted to a human trafficking ring, and the police were trying their best to investigate it. Gu Jun¡¯s brows pleated into a frown. He was instantly reminded of the children in that ssroom. Were they the kidnapping victims?

    That naturally led to another logical suspicion.

    ¡®Am I my own parents¡¯ child?¡¯

    But based on those blurry childhood memories, he should be their biological offspring.

    The incident was clearly suppressed after the newspaper followed it for a few days. It was wrapped up with the statement that it was all a rumor. Some hospital staff were too careless, and a toddler had gone missing, but thetter had been safely found. That was that. Even today, Phecda¡¯s Public Rtions Department would silence a news story easily, much less back then when there was no inte. Therefore, the issue blew over quickly, and it became another urban legend in Guang Ting. But the files at Phecda proved that it was not a rumor; it was all real. In less than three months, Phecda had recorded the disappearance of 156 babies and 183 toddlers.

    Gu Jun¡¯s hands that gripped the file popped with green veins. The nerves on his forehead were pulsing. It might just be a number there, but it represented the heartbreak of so many families, the despair and endless sleepless nights suffered by the parents...

    These disappearances were the start of the case. Due to the severity of the situation, Phecda sent out a Special Mobile Force unit to aid the police in their investigation. The unit was none other than the Phoenix unit headed by Elder Tong. They were then a general unit, with 105 permanent members. At the time, Elder Tong was only twenty-seven. He graduated from the Investigation Department. Despite his youthful impetuousness, his talent was undeniable. He was bound for a bright future. However, even with the intervention of the Phoenix unit, the case did not solve itself that easily.

    This was because this was not a simple kidnapping ring; there was no connection between the families with the missing children. They were not blood-rted, and they came from different education backgrounds and careers. The targeting appeared to bepletely random. For a long time, the investigation reached a dead end.

    ording to the files, the breakthrough came from somewherepletely unexpected. There was an archaeological professor tenured at Guang Ting University called Liu Daze. He was quite famous within the academic field. Some of his students came to the police to report that in their recent visits to Prof Liu¡¯s home, they could hear the sound of babies crying, but to their knowledge, Prof Liu was single and had no family staying with him. They said that Prof Liu gave off a ¡®strange feeling¡¯. The students felt anxious in his presence and made the connection to the recent disappearance cases.

    After the Phoenix unit paid Prof Liu a visit, they understood what his students meant by ¡®strange¡¯. In a surprisingly calm tone, the archaeologist invited them in for a lecture. Before the arrival of human beings on Earth, the was inhabited by a higher presence. Their influence was visible through human history, but their touch was so light that normal humans would not notice their existence.

    ¡°The children have been sent to a location that no one will be able to reach,¡± the archaeological professor informed them. ¡°But I know where they are safely buried.¡±

    That was basically a confession, but one would not think so based on the look on the professor¡¯s face. It sounded more like the ravings of a madman. But with no other lead to follow up on, Phecda arrived at the location provided by the old professor. They started the excavation at a mountain in the countryside of Guang Ting. To their surprise, their digging revealed an ancient tomb. Initial dating put it from the Early Qin Dynasty. It was not decorated and prominent enough to be the tomb of any prominent figures but instead...

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun frowned as he studied the pictures of the tomb from the files. His mind was practically resonating with the pictures. Images started to jump out at him.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Wu Siyu sensed something, and she instantly told Gu Jun, ¡°Take it easy over there.¡±

    Gu Jun responded with silence. These were pictures of the unearthed bodies. They had decayed to white bones already. The pictures werebelled with the term ¡®flexed burial¡¯. Flexed burial was a type of burial method back in the Early Qin Dynasty. Unlike modern funeral arrangements, the tradition of flexed burial first bent the dead¡¯s lower body up to their chest and then bound them together with ropes before burial. Flexed burial was a unique mark on the history of funerary study. Its history, locale, meaning, and so on were still shrouded in mystery. However, looking at the pictures, Gu Jun had a premonition these bodies were not bent into these strange unyielding shapes post-mortem. He could imagine the bones creaking and cracking as they were twisted into unnatural forms...

    Apanying these corpses was not the keeper of the tomb but a strange stone statue.

    ¡°But where¡¯s the picture?¡± Gu Jun mumbled as he searched through the files. He failed to find any recorded picture of the stone statue. In fact, there was not even a written description on it. The only thing he had to go on was the quick mention of it.

    Other than the buried dead and the stone statue, there was nothing else inside the ancient tomb. After some research, it was confirmed that they were buried alive while in a kneeling pose. It would exin the strange position their bodies were found in. This was clearly some kind of sacrificial ritual, but that led to another question to be answered. How would that mad archaeologist know about the existence of this old tomb? The tomb showed no sign of being broken into, so that eliminated the possibility that he had been here before.

    The question remained unsolved to this day because no matter how many interrogations Phecda put him through, Liu Daze did not confess. In the end, the old archaeologist died inside his cell from a sudden cardiac arrest. During first aid, he left the world with some strangest words. No one knew what he was talking about, and there was no recorder nearby to record it. In fact, the doctors at the time assumed it was just the incoherent mumblings of a dying man.

    But with the unearthing of new information and with the confirmation from Elder Tong, who was present at the time, thest words that the dying archaeologist was mumbling were: ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn.¡±

 Chapter 139: Shaman in the Deep Mountains

    <h4>Chapter 139: Shaman in the Deep Mountains</h4>

    ¡°Siyu, did Elder Tong mention any missing information from the files, specifically anything about a particr stone statue?¡± Gu Jun ransacked the briefcase, but he was still no closer to finding any actual descriptive information on the stone statue.

    ¡°Elder Tong did say that if there are things that you can¡¯t find, it means that he believes they are not suitable for your eyes for now. Those things are probably far more dangerous than the Nightmare Illness to you,¡± Wu Siyu answered without moving from the couch.

    ¡°But you have brought all the information with you, right?¡± Gu Jun looked at her closely. He was not technically reading her mind, but this was a conclusion he could reach from an educated guess. He said seriously, ¡°Go and contact Elder Tong now. I demand to look at that stone statue! There won¡¯t be any real results if he keeps the crucial items away from me.¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, I knew you would say something like that.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re like a bloodhound, never going to stop until you get what you want.¡±

    She slowly stood up and exited the room. ¡°I¡¯d suggest you take a break while I go and make the call, but I know my advice will fall on deaf ears, so... oh well.¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, you know me too well.¡± Gu Jun turned back to bury himself in the files.

    Back then, the question on Phecda¡¯s mind was the meaning of the statement ¡®I know where they are safely buried¡¯ given by the archaeologist Liu Daze. Did the sacrificial dead symbolize the missing children? They were heading toward the same fate? The missing children would eventually be sacrificed to the stone idol? While Phecda was trying to make sense of their confusing findings, Elder Tong discovered a strange picture among the objects in Liu Daze¡¯s house. Currently, Gu Jun was holding that yellowed picture, and his mind was wavering as he studied it...

    In the picture, Liu Daze was standing amid a forest. His face was blurred out, and the trees around him casted oppressive and distorted shadows, giving the whole picture a surreal feeling. At the time, Elder Tong astutely identified the locale in the picture as Xiong Lin Mountain at the north-western side of Guang Ting.

    The Phoenix unit¡¯s mission into the mountainous jungle marked another chapter of the story. It was still aplete mystery with regards to what really happened inside Xiong Lin Mountain. The documents did note specifically that during thest S value assessment before the unit started their mission, Elder Tong¡¯s mental state was marked as ¡®under too much pressure and needs a long rest¡¯. Elder Tong argued that he was fine; it was the statue that had interrupted his mental stability. Many other members of the unit faced the same situation. At the time, the leading team psychiatrist, Shen Yi, had reported about the overall team member¡¯s anxiety and nervousness, but it was not given much attention back then. After all, members of the Special Mobile Force were often under great pressure. These weremon symptoms in their line of work.

    ¡°Phew.¡± With the frown still locked on his face, Gu Jun opened the next case. Inside, he found the individual testimonial documents from the sixty-two living Phoenix members after the mission concluded. The other forty-three members had died on the mission, so there were autopsy reports as well. To prevent narrative bias, Gu Jun picked out the reports at random and used different documents to slowly piece together what happened during the case.

    Due to theplicated terrain inside Xiong Lin Mountain and theck of appropriate technology, the Phoenix unit lost contact with the outside world not too long after they ventured into the mountain. When they moved deeper into the forest, things just headed south.

    ¡°A thick fog started to roll in from nowhere,¡± the marksman, Zhang He, exined in his report. ¡°Fog usually condenses in that kind of mountainous forest, so we did not pay it much attention at the start, but soon, our visibility dropped to less than one meter. We couldn¡¯t even see where ourrades were, and we started to hear strange noisesing from the fog...¡±

    The description of the sound was different based on the listener. Prof Shen¡¯s conclusion was, ¡°We were affected by auditory hallucinations. That¡¯s why what we heard differed from individual to individual.¡±

    Enveloped within the fog, the Phoenix unit eventually had to admit they were lost. Theirmunication devices had been rendered useless, and everywhere they turned, they were surrounded by blurry and distorted shadows of the trees.

    ¡°Then the first shot was fired,¡± the scientific research member, Zhu Zhanrong, said. In her report, she said that her body was shaking at the time, and she could feel her heart palpitating. ¡°Then, more gunshots echoed around me. It was like guns were being fired everywhere. It was quickly followed by the screams and wails of unknown people...¡±

    The state soon descended into chaos. ¡®Dark shadows¡¯ started to flicker among the fog. The members did witness the dark shadows, but again, their individual descriptions of them differed from one another. Some confirmed they were in the shape of humans, while others imed they saw a giant. Some swore they were moving trees or feral beasts...

    ¡°That was the effect of a spell,¡± Elder Tong said in his report. ¡°I personally do not think there were any shadows. It was just a figment of our imagination.¡±

    At the time, three members were still hanging beside Elder Tong. Prof Shen was one of them. The other two were the marksman, Zhang Zhijian, and the investigator, Fang Jianrong. The three of them had the same testimony. They stuck close to Elder Tong and each other. They agreed that none of them used their firearm, and they did not move from their location.

    But in the review report of the gun trajectory findings, of the forty-three dead Phoenix members, neen of them died from Elder Tong¡¯s gun.

    ¡°No wonder...¡± Gu Jun understood why Elder Tong was treated so badly back then and no one refused to believe him. As if supporting his belief, the report stated clearly that Phecda had serious suspicion with regards to Elder Tong and the other three members¡¯ testimonies. The most logical exnation was that Elder Tong had sumbed to madness due to his worryingly low S value, and he was the reason behind this tragedy. However, one problem stood in the way¡ªthe testimonies of the three other Phoenix members. Of course, there was a possibility of them agreeing on their stories before returning to Phecda, but it was physically impossible for a man to murder neen trained special agents so urately in such a short amount of time while under the influence of a hallucination. In the end, the Review Department decided to temporarily suspend Elder Tong before forcing him into retirement.

    The harsh punishment was because Phecda eventually found loopholes in the other three members¡¯ testimonies. Prof Shen¡¯s report stated, ¡°I am certain that we were under the attack of a strong mental force. It came so suddenly. One second, we were mentally sound, but the next second, everything felt so out of ce.¡±

    In that moment of mental weakness, their ount of Elder Tong¡¯s whereabouts could not be verified. Elder Tong could have sneaked away from them then, and they would have been none the wiser. Other than this temporary blur in their report, the rest of their testimonies were the same. They waited under a tree until the fog faded away, and they started to deal with the aftermath.

    While in Elder Tong¡¯s report...

    ¡°I heard a voice calling me, and I could feel my body being summoned by it. It felt like my body was no longer my own.¡± Gu Jun felt strangely familiar with Elder Tong¡¯s description. ¡°I had no idea where I was, but I saw a group of people in ck in the fog. They were wearing masks, and about ten of them stood there looking at me. Among them was an old shaman. He was not masked, but the fog effectively blurred his face off. The reason I called him a shaman was because I had a feeling... he was not an ordinary person. His presence crackled with supernatural energy...¡±

    With a heavy heart, Gu Jun read through Elder Tong¡¯s testimony. He could feel the confusion and the barely discernible fear in it.

    ¡°The old shaman told me that they have been waiting for my arrival for a long time.¡±

 Chapter 140: The Order

    <h4>Chapter 140: The Order</h4>

    ¡®Could the old shaman be Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog?¡¯ Gu Jun believed that was not the case. The description did not fit. In any case, Gu Jun continued to peruse the files.

    ¡°The old shaman revealed that they were a religious order, and he was the leader of that order.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s testimony continued. ¡°Liu Daze was part of that order. The old shaman said, humanity and human civilization were as unworthy and as weak as a unicellr organism. Several centuries ago, there was a powerful being that ruled over the world. They had created cities and culture several dozen thousand times more glorious and imposing than humanity could ever have imagined. Even though most of them had been buried by time, there were still some ruins that could be found to verify their existence like the giant stone carvings on the Pacific Inds.¡±

    Gu Jun could feel his heart quivering when he read this. He was certain his parents were members of this cult. So, was that why they went sailing so much¡ªthey were looking for these ruins?

    ¡°But these great presences went into slumber several decades before human civilization began. Their order consisted of lowly followers of one of the great presences. They had their goal and responsibility.¡± The report stated that when Elder Tong recounted these things, his expression was peculiar. ¡°They called those great presences the ¡®Great Old Ones¡¯.¡±

    ¡®The Great Old Ones?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s expression shifted as an invisible hand gripped around his heart. His eyes swam in an illusion...

    When the Son of Steel was about tomit suicide on the cliff, nine shadows had appeared before him, and one of the voices had told him, ¡°Our Great Old Ones have reserved a demonic seat for you. Beyond humanprehension, there is a greater truth.¡±

    The Great Old Ones... Gu Jun¡¯s head started to pound. He had never revealed this information to Phecda before because he wanted to keep the information about the Son of Steel and Son of Misfortune to himself. Elder Tong¡¯s report had been written years before he was born. The foreign civilization had traces of the Great Old Ones, and now it appeared their influence had affected Earth as well, so what were these mystical beings?

    Gu Jun forced himself to continue reading, and he read faster and faster. The old shaman extended an invitation to Elder Tong, but Elder Tong rejected him. He even tried to apprehend them. But it was then that Elder Tong realized his gun had gone missing. It was as if his gun had dissolved into the air around him. The old shaman did not move, but the other people in ck slowly approached him. Elder Tong put up the best fight he could, but he was easily brought under control by their mental attack. Then he was beaten to a pulp and was stabbed in the stomach by the woman.

    ¡°They told me this was for me to understand how fragile and easily broken the human body was,¡± Elder Tong¡¯s testimony read.

    Then they bound Elder Tong up, blindfolded him, and took him away. What happened next was what Gu Jun and Wu Siyu saw in their illusion. Elder Tong thought that he had died, but when he woke up, he was already deposited at the hospital. As it turned out, he was dumped on the streets of Guang Ting, and it had been one week since the Phoenix unit entered the mountain. Actually, during that period, Phecda had sent out arge search team to carpet search Xiong Lin Mountain. They did not encounter Elder Tong or the Old Shaman or the cult that he mentionedter. There was nothing suspicious about the mountain; they came up with nothing even after multiple searches.

    ¡°I saw...¡± Elder Tong described the images that he saw when he was assaulted mentally by the children. ording to the files, his face paled and his eyes zed over during this period. ¡°I saw many strange shapes, but I cannot describe any of them. They cannot be drawn either. They are not in a dimension that can be replicated by human minds...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind was splitting. The illusion threatened to consume him like he was being sucked into Elder Tong¡¯s experience. Chaos danced around him. Right at that moment, Wu Siyu came back with another briefcase. ¡°Elder Tong said to knock yourself out, but he¡¯s not going to be responsible if you go crazy.¡±

    But as she took in Gu Jun¡¯s state and sensed the chaos in his mind, she hesitated. She said with concern, ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? How about we do it next time?¡±

    ¡°Give it to me...¡± Gu Jun almost jumped out of his seat to grab at the briefcase. He knew that in his current state, he would definitely be able to trigger an illusion!

    Wu Siyu jumped back from his aggression. Gu Jun grabbed the briefcase and tore it open. He took out the picture from the case. It was the actual picture of the stone statue. The statue was not that big, about twenty centimeters tall. It did not look like any tomb guardian he had seen. In fact, it did not even match the aesthetic of the early Qin Dynasty. It was arge, ancient, and indescribable monster kneeling on top of a rectangr stone seat.

    The carving was exquisite yet unusual. It was slightly humanoid, but the face was filled with cephalopod-like tentacles. The body was engorged, reminding Gu Jun of the bloated corpse.

    ¡°Ah!¡± An explosion erupted in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Many strange visions swam before his eyes. It was impossible to tell they were illusions or dreams. In the deep fog, the faces of the Phoenix unit appeared before his eyes. They were fixed in fear, confusion, and panic... Then, he saw a flickering image of a giant and imposing pce deep on the ocean bed...

    Then, he saw some people in ancient clothing kneeling like contortionists in prayer to that stone statue. They were crying, pleading, and begging...

    With so many strong and intense images, it was overloading his mind. He saw the bloated corpse again, but this time, there was more than one. A mountain of bloated corpses had been ced together to form a creepy motif, like a summoning circle. He saw shriveled shadows moving among the circle. The wrinkled skin was covered in dead spots, and they appeared to belong to the zombies...

    Suddenly, it hit Gu Jun. Bloated corpses could be used to summon and attract zombies!

    Even though he was still clueless about the rtionship between the Great Old Ones and the zombies, and even the connection to the cult, he was confident about histest discovery.

    ¡®The bloated corpses are used to attract the zombies, and the bloated corpses have to be from empty shells whose minds have been drained. This is an important step to summon the zombies... Are any spells or specific rituals required? Is it the same ritual as the one performed by Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family?¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s hands pressed against his head. A sudden pain sent the illusions flying out of his mind. When he came to, he saw Wu Siyu holding a police baton, ready for another strike.

    ¡°Wait!¡± He quickly called after her between breaths. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m fine now! But I can¡¯t say what will happen if youe at me with another swing...¡±

    ¡°But I have already assumed the pose. How about just one more swing?¡± Wu Siyu said with a pout. ¡°Do you know how rare chances like this are?¡±

    ¡°No way, be serious. We still have things to do.¡± Gu Jun forced himself to stand up. He put on a severe expression. It was time to act. ¡°The cult should be behind this Nightmare Illness. I believe their goal is to awaken some kind of ancient presence. I still have no idea what goal the zombies y in the big picture, but we need to attract the zombies to capture them. We should be able to get some information from them.¡±

    ¡°Zombies?¡± Wu Siyu frowned deeply and hacked out a cough. ¡°Damn it, what is that taste?¡±

 Chapter 141: Summoning the Zombie (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 141: Summoning the Zombie (2in1)</h4>

    ¡°Ah Jun, after this mission is over, I swear to live up to my promise. A kid like you needs to find a channel to rx. Trust me, I was once your age myself.¡± A green military car was parked before the Medical Department¡¯s Autopsy Building, and Uncle Dan was joking with Gu Jun. The sun was setting, and it was bustling with activity around the armored car. The members transported five cabs that contained the bodies of the victims that had died fromte stage Nightmare Illness into the vehicle. They were untouched, highly decayed, and had not been under the knife or in contact with formalin. An autopsy was not the only way one could contribute to science; being bait for the zombies was another valid contribution.

    On the morning of the day beforest, after reading all about Elder Tong¡¯s case files, Gu Jun had gone to meet with Yao Sinian and Elder Tong, where he proposed the idea of voluntarily summoning the zombies. At this stage, any kind of breakthrough was weed, but for a proposal as drastic as this, Yao Sinian still hesitated for a moment. In the end, Elder Tong weighed in. ¡°I believe the zombies are highly intelligent creatures. They too can process information and sense danger. They will not walk into an obvious trap. If they sense any trick behind this, they will not fall for it.¡±

    Gu Jun concurred. They were definitely not facing a slow and fragile creature. If anything, these creatures might be even more powerful than human beings. However, as the Nightmare Illness threatened to im more innocent lives both inside and outside Phecda, Yao Sinian was not given much choice. In the end, he approved of the mission.

    This mission would be conducted by members taken from the Demon Hunters and Problematic Team to form a temporary tactical unit. The members were Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Da, Gu Jun, and Wu Siyu. Regarding this team, Elder Tong thought there were too many, but then again, he understood the danger present if there were too few of them. All five members knew their way around firearms, but the main marksmen were still Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning. Uncle Dan provided main medical support, and to ensure the stability of Gu Jun¡¯s mental state, Wu Siyu was ordered to tag along.

    ¡°Captain Gu,e look at these toys,¡± Lou Xiaoning called out with suppressed joy from inside the armored car. Her S Value was assessed to be rtively low, but for Elder Tong, that made her the perfect candidate for this mission. She had seen things that would make her more reliable than others. The walls of the armored cars were lined with various kinds of weapons and ammo. Lou Xiaoning caressed a ck eighty-nine 12.7-millimeter heavy machine gun lovingly. Her single left eye was radiant with something that was akin to love. ¡°This baby can fire 450 to 600 rounds every minute, and its maximum range is 1,500 meters. I can¡¯t wait to see it in action.¡±

    ¡°Amitabha...¡± Outside the vehicle, Wu Siyu closed her palm in prayer. Then, she turned to Gu Jun. ¡°In case you need me, you¡¯ll find me fixed next to this thing for the rest of the mission.¡±

    Gu Jun let slip a chuckle. Because there was no weight capacity like the banyan tree hole, the unit had brought everything they could. Heavy machine guns, rifles, pistols, shotguns, grenades, rocketunchers, explosives... there was everything. Regardless, Gu Jun did not feelforted by their presence. After all, their enemy would most likely be relying on mental attacks. These zombies were not of this world and so probably would not be that vulnerable to normal human weapons. To counter that, Gu Jun had brought his own set of weapons. He had requested the Carlot scalpel, and with the Carlot dissecting scissors, he hoped they would help during the mission. It would be best if they did not have to resort to the tranquilizers that were stocked in the first aid kits.

    ¡°Ah Jun, is there anything else that we need to bring?¡± Xue Ba asked. Even the thick anti-bullet vest could not hide his bulging muscles.

    ¡°That should be enough.¡± Gu Jun shrugged. ¡°Then again, I do not think we can ever prepare enough for something like this.¡±

    Uncle Dan and Wu Siyu were silent. Night was falling, and this was the time they were waiting for. Gu Jun was certain it was nighttime in his illusion when he saw the ritual in the graveyard. After all, it was only logical for creatures born in darkness to be more active at night.

    ¡°Ah Jun, be careful.¡± Yao Sinian, who hade to send them off, had more to say, but in the end, he could only leave them with a few words. ¡°We will look after the patients.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun nodded. Prof Qin, Brother Qiang, and Surgeon Zhu had survived the lobotomies. Due to the early detection, the damage to the nervous system from the Nightmare Illness was limited to the minimum. However, it also meant that they suffered from theplications of the surgery the most. Prof Qin basically morphed into another person. His eyes that were previously filled with knowledge were zed over. When people tried to speak with him, he could only mumble incoherently in response. A chatterbox like Brother Qiang became curiously introverted and quiet. Surgeon Zhu suffered from a panic disorder. His muscles would tense up, and his breathing would hike up at random moments. It was clear that his career as a surgeon was officially over...

    This knowledge left deep gashes on Gu Jun¡¯s heart. He did not wish to see any more of his friends and mentors suffer such unfortunate fates. Right then, Gu Jun noticed the shadows of Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, and the rest appearing at the entrance to the Autopsy Building. They waved at him. They were there to give a send-off to Gu Jun even though they had no idea where he was going. The one thing they were certain of was that his mission was going to be incredibly dangerous, so each of them had on a somber expression.

    ¡°So, that must be Cai Zixuan, and the one next to him is Wang Ruoxiang.¡± Even though Wu Siyu had arrived for days already, due to her hectic schedule, this was the first time she had met Gu Jun¡¯s friends. ¡°They look the same as they taste.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Jun waved back at his friends before climbing into the car. ¡°When we return, I¡¯ll get Zixuan to cook some good broth for us.¡±

    Under the concerned gazes of the people, the team of five got into the vehicle. The doors mmed shut, and Xue Ba drove them out of the base. The armored car drove all the way to the southern side of Eastern State. Nan Tang Vige and the Necro-skins were situated around that mountainous area. Phecda had already evacuated all its members from that area a few days ago. The mountains stretched for more than ten kilometers, and the geography was incredibly treacherous. That made the previous search incredibly difficult and ultimately fruitless. The team would not have known where to go if not for Gu Jun. Latching onto his instinct, hooked along by the illusions, Gu Jun gave the directions from the back of the car.

    The mountains rose and fell, casting deep and dark shadows. Seemingly endless stretches of old trees rose around them. The branches were spindly and leafless as the season moved intote autumn. They looked like monstrous fingers twisting themselves into concentric and indecipherable shapes. Unknown creatures made their home among the crooked branches, calling out noisily as the armored car disturbed their rest. As they moved deeper into the mountain, it seemed like they had moved back in time. The signs of civilization slowly faded away until the mountainous tracks that they had been following eventually petered off. It was like they were moving into the prehistoric era. But Gu Jun still sensed that they were far from their destination.

    It was then the night mist rolled in, casting a veil on the already mysterious darkness. This caused Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning to frown deeply. Even with the headlights and night vision goggles, they still felt like a curtain of darkness had fallen over their vision. They strained their eyes, but it did nothing to help. The armored car continued its difficult journey on the winding and dangerous mountain treks until the way ahead was blocked by a rising cliff and ancient trees that reached into the clouds.

    ¡°This ce should be fine,¡± Gu Jun said uncertainly. There was something pulling him, but he could not be certain it was the same feeling he had felt during his illusion. The car stopped, and they found themselves at a rather t opening in the forest. There was a barely noticeable crack in the cliff that stood before them.

    Xue Ba turned to Gu Jun. ¡°If we are to find any zombies here, I would ce my bet on that cave over there.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell for sure, but I don¡¯t think we should just venture over there like that,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. ¡°We¡¯d better stick to the original n.¡±

    They did not maintain amunication channel with themand center. This was done on purpose because animals could tune into frequencies that human beings could not. Some of them could sense brain waves, so it should be no problem for them to detect electromaic waves. The zombies might be cautious if they left themunication on, and that defeated the purpose of this mission.

    The team of five jumped out from the vehicle. Gu Jun, Xue Ba, and Uncle Dan worked together to remove the cabs from the cabin while Lou Xiaoning and Wu Siyu guarded their surroundings. The five cabs were ced close to the entrance of the cave before the lids were pulled back. Instantly, the smell of putrefaction permeated the air around them. Over the past three days, the bodies had been left at room temperature, and now they had bloated to several times beyond their original sizes.

    The cave was still dark and silent, but the mist thickened until they could barely see two meters before them. Learning from the tragedy that happened to the Phoenix unit, the five tied themselves to each other with metallic rope around their waist and stayed five meters away from the cabs. They leaned against the machine artilleries that were installed on the ground and aimed their guns alertly around them.

    ¡°Ah Jun, should we return to the car?¡± Uncle Dan had a bad feeling about this. This was something he had harnessed from being a field medic for many years.

    ¡°That would make this whole journey a waste of time.¡± Gu Jun agreed with Elder Tong. If the zombies could sense any trick behind this, they would never show up...

    The mist appeared to have swallowed the night as well. The smell of decay gathered in the air as it slipped into the members¡¯ lungs between breaths. It tensed up their nerves and turned their stomachs.

    ¡®What is still missing?¡¯ Gu Jun was thinking. ¡®A spell? A ritual? But they do not appear to understand humannguage. Wait... that sentence, that was not in any humannguage. F*ck it, we¡¯re already here...¡¯

    Even though he was not closer to understanding its meaning and its pronunciation, Gu Jun started to chant at the cave, ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn!¡±

    Wu Siyu frowned. Something was reacting to it...

    The other three felt the shift in the air, the added chillness in the mist. Then they spotted strange shadows moving in the darkness.

    A strange sense of disturbance assaulted Gu Jun. The letters on that paper in his memory suddenly jumped before his eyes, as clear as day. They appeared to speak to him subconsciously. He trained his focus and chanted, ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn!¡±

    The others heard the difference in the second chant. This time, Gu Jun¡¯s voice got deeper, smoother, and richer with tempo and volume!

    The chanting appeared to pierce through the mist, allowing the darkness to rush in.

    But the cave remained silent.

    Gu Jun¡¯s chanting had changed something in the air. Their senses were pricked up. They watched everything around them with more alertness. Right at that moment, the five bloated corpses ced inside the cabs started to stand up teeteringly from their supposedly final resting ce. Their heads were so bloated that water gushed out from their every orifice with this unnatural movement.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Wu Siyu gasped. This was definitely not something they were expecting.

    ¡°What the f*ck...¡± Gu Jun cursed. Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and Uncle Dan¡¯s expressions changed.

    At the same time, unknown shapeless shadows suddenly appeared out of the darkness, shadows that could not be detected through the night vision goggles. The team of five had been surrounded!

 Chapter 142: Winged Creature in the Cave

    <h4>Chapter 142: Winged Creature in the Cave</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Dark shadows flickered amid the mist that surrounded them. When the team removed the night vision goggles, the shadows materialized into view, but when they put the goggles back on, they could not see anything any longer.

    ¡°They are just illusions...¡± Gu Jun announced loudly. ¡°Do not panic!¡±

    The reports all said that the Phoenix unit was not physically attacked by these dark shadows, but their minds were broken down. It was the start of the tragedy.

    ¡°In any case, shouldn¡¯t we be more worried about those corpses before us?¡± Wu Siyu demanded as she pointed ahead. The five bloated corpses had stood up from the cabs. They shuffled slowly, and their heads turned creakily to look at the team. The dark green faces were too swollen to allow any recognition. Their supposedly lifeless eyes appeared to have taken on shades of darkness. They were sunken like cursed jewels inside the head that was stretched bursting to the seams. The light from the guns casted shadows on them. It was not the shadow of any human being. They wererge, strange, and indescribable. They were twisted and contorted. The image of the stone statue shed before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. The strange creature had simrly twisted appendages...

    ¡°Can you guys see the shadows that they cast?¡± Wu Siyu asked. ¡°Or is it just me? Please, someone tell me I have lost my mind...¡±

    ¡°I can see them as well.¡± Lou Xiaoning croaked out. Her left eye was pulsing with pain. The images she had seen through the keyhole appeared to swim before her vision.

    Xue Ba still remembered the details from the files on the zombies. ¡°But they don¡¯t look like zombies. Aren¡¯t zombies supposed to have canine faces and human bodies? They do not look like that at all.¡±

    ¡°Are they another part of the illusion?¡± Uncle Dan was in shock. This was too much for him. ¡°These corpses¡¯ soft tissues should have liquified already, so how did they still manage to stand up. What is supporting their body weight? Bacteria activity? Has the bacteria formed some kind of new organ?¡±

    ¡°F*ck! Uncle Dan, do you think any of us here can answer that? Stop asking pointless questions!¡± Lou Xiaoning growled. ¡°It¡¯s easier to shoot one and find out!¡±

    While they were hissing among themselves, the ck shadows around them had not moved, nor did the five standing corpses. But something sinister glinted inside the narrow cave. It appeared like eyes of some kind of creature of darkness.

    ¡°Everyone, stop and wait.¡± Gu Jun stopped Lou Xiaoning. His brain was churning as he sensed his surroundings...

    The corpses indeed bore no resemnce to the zombies, but he was sure the zombies were around. It then hit Gu Jun. ¡°They are averse to the sentence that I chanted. That is probably not something used to summon zombies but has other uses, probably to summon something else...¡±

    And it certainly had something to do with that stone statue.

    ¡°But since it¡¯s something that discourages our enemy, all the more reason to do it.¡±

    As he finished, Wu Siyu could feel the malice directed at them. ¡°You might be right.¡±

    ¡°I will chant it again. Be on your guard.¡± Gu Jun scanned the mist around them. Since the zombies were averse to this, chanting it might force them out as they attempted to silence Gu Jun. He took out the Carlot scalpel from his medical kit around his waist. He gripped it like a ritualistic instrument. Instantly, he could feel a serenity nketing him. He trained his focus and started to chant again. ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu...¡±

    Suddenly, the appendages cast by the five bloated corpses became more hectic and chaotic. It was unclear whether the corpses themselves had moved or the shadows had moved...

    Right at the same moment, a shrill howl echoed from the mountains around them. It sounded at times like a wolf or dog, but at others, it was like a banshee¡¯s wail. The howl carried a strong mental assault. It caused headaches of varying degrees among the team and interrupted Gu Jun¡¯s chanting.

    ¡°Well, we have that verified. They definitely want you to stop chanting that,¡± Xue Ba said in a hurry, but that did not seem to have helped clear anything up.

    Before they coulde to a decision, a strange shadow burst out from the narrow cave. It was followed by many of its kin. The air around them was disrupted as the monstersshed through the air. The team could see through their night vision goggles clearly. They were... not zombies either. Rather, they were some kind of winged creature, looking more like giant bats. Each of them was about half the size of a normal human. With their wings fully extended, they could easily envelope even thergest among them, Xue Ba. The creatures had a hook-like tail, and they were covered in slick, furless skin. They pped their wings and charged at the team!

    Their feet extended into sharp ws, and they were sticky with old blood. It was certain that they were sharp enough to sever skin and bone.

    ¡°Open fire!¡± Gu Jun ordered as he pulled the trigger. Bullets flew, and cartridges emptied. He had no idea what kind of creature this was, but he could sense their intention to kill. His order was immediately picked up by Xue Ba and Uncle Dan. Their uracy was low because even though there were many abnormal bats, they moved so fast, and they were too close for firearms. Thankfully, they could be wounded by actual bullets.

    Soon, their shrill and angered screeches filled the forest. They appeared to be not much more intelligent than animals. They flew right into the bullets. This reminded the team of the abnormal wolves that they had encountered at the shrine.

    Some of the bullets strayed and hit the five corpses. Like a hissing balloon, the bloated corpses exploded from the pressure. Dirty gut fluids and flesh sshed open like a human grenade!

    An intense haze of decay suffocated every living creature in the area that depended on oxygen for survival.

    ¡°Back away, leave this to me!¡± Lou Xiaoning shouted through gritted teeth. Her hands pressed against the eighty-nine heavy machine gun. It was already aimed at the cave. Once the others retreated to a safe distance, she pulled on the trigger. The machine gun unloaded rapidly, and empty shells soon formed a small pile on the ground.

    The winged creatures were torn open, split through and gut. Even their screams were drowned out by the rattling of the machine gun. Next to Lou Xiaoning, Wu Siyu busied herself to help with the reloading. It appeared like she was not going to leave her guardian angel any time soon.

    Soon, thend before the cave was a te of ugliness and gore. Broken guts and blood seeped through the ground. It was impossible to discern between the human corpse and the giant bats. But the howling from the mountains had not ceased. If anything, it had picked up. The ck shadows in the mist became more corporeal, taking on the human shapes. Underneath the howls, another buzzing strange buzzing echoed, like it was trying to tell them something.

    ¡°Do not listen to that!¡± Gu Jun warned loudly. He had too much experience dealing with this. ¡°Do not listen to the demon¡¯s words no matter what!¡±

    Lou Xiaoning continued to make quick work of the giant bats. Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted everything. Arge part of the cliff face around the cave copsed. Then, arge swath of darkness rushed out. Countless winged creatures zoomed about madly. It took them seconds to fill up the sky. Even the machine gun could make no holes in the seemingly physical nket that they had formed.

    Not only Lou Xiaoning, even Xue Ba and Uncle Dan cursed at this sight.

    The giant bats did not charge at them but instead circled in the air above them, forming and dissolving into ritualistic symbols. When one was shot down, another would sweep in to take its ce. They were twisting, twirling, and contorting. The surrounding mist and ck shadows swam like they were looking through a veil of water.

    Gu Jun frowned as he sensed abnormal energy working around them. A chaotic energy was slowly gathering.

    ¡°The space, the space is changing...¡± Wu Siyu could sense it as well. She shouted in shock, ¡°They are trying to drag us into another dimension...!¡±

 Chapter 143: Spell Casting

    <h4>Chapter 143: Spell Casting</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Xue Ba and the Demon Hunters did not quite understand what Wu Siyu meant by the changing of space and dimension, but Gu Jun understood it immediately. He exined, ¡°They¡¯re conducting some kind of ritual.¡±

    This was because he was exposed to the same sensory stimuli. It felt like the space around him was twisting. If he had to describe it, it was like he was being yanked out of his corporeal body to enter a kind of space that was not a kind of dream or illusion.

    ¡°The howling is the chanting of the spell, and the winged creatures are conducting the ritual. Our minds and souls are being drawn away...¡±

    Yes, drawn away. Instead of saying the space around them was being twisted, it was more like their souls which were being distorted.

    Therefore, if they failed to interrupt this ritual and allowed it toplete, their souls might be vanquished, or they might get sucked into some kind of illusion or dream, while their bodies would be a feast for the zombies. Once these thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, he could not help but worry, but he also understood that the more dangerous the situation was, the more important it was for him to keep his mind calm.

    ¡°Quick, get back into the car!¡± Xue Ba shouted. His jaw was locked tight. ¡°We¡¯re charging out of this forest!¡±

    That was not a bad idea. The armored car was parked nearby, and as thick as the fog was, the armored car was sturdy enough to just ram down the trees. As long as they kept to one direction, they would eventually exit the forest.

    ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Gu Jun called for them to stop. If he had not read the case file on the Phoenix unit, he might have agreed with Xue Ba. However, he knew from the report that those that wandered about aimlessly in the mist eventually got lost and perished while those who stood still survived. ¡°The illusion will only misdirect us. There is no way of telling we have physically gotten into the car. It might all be in our minds. The ritual has seriously influenced our perception and mental power.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Uncle Dan was desperate. ¡°Ah Jun, what should we do?¡±

    The current situation had officially gone out of control. The air around them was palpably tense, and it felt like it was choking on their breath.

    ¡°F*ck!¡± Lou Xiaoning did not care about that much. With her left eye ring, she aimed the machine gun up into the air. She took down as many of the winged creatures as she could.

    There was no more time for Gu Jun to dawdle; he had toe to a decision soon. Now was not the time to retreat. Only by fighting would they have a chance to survive. The power of a spell could only be overwhelmed by another spell. The only thing that he knew about spells was rted to the foreignnguage, the Son of Steel, the Son of Misfortune, and the sentence that he had chanted earlier. With every single chant, he felt more connected to it. It was like something was awakening, something that he was born with... That feeling had gotten more intense since he saw the picture of that stone statue.

    Gu Jun was not privy to the connection. His mother was part of that cult. Perhaps his connection to the statue had been seared into his soul before he was born. Or perhaps the Old Great Ones worshipped by the Son of Misfortune and the Old Great Ones worshipped by the cult were one and the same...

    ¡°Siyu, lend me your mental power. Just like during the training, we will work together to chant the sentence one more time.¡± Since the enemies did not like it, all the more reason to do it. The words did not roll particrly smooth off his tongue during his second chanting, he was certain he had not yet unleashed the full potential of that chaotic energy.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu sighed helplessly. ¡°I guess this is it, but I have to warn you, this is not something that I¡¯m good at...¡±

    Her original responsibility on this mission was to observe and maintain Gu Jun¡¯s mental stability and not get sucked into his madness, but she knew that there was no other choice now.

    ¡°Well, if this isn¡¯t it, I promise there will be wonderful bowls of soup waiting for you.¡± Gu Jun reached out to grab her hands. Wu Siyu instantly grimaced from pain. Gu Jun¡¯s touch still felt like a razor-sharp surgical scalpel to her.

    The whispering appeared to have tuned into their n. The howling from the mountain became louder and more intense. Some of the winged creatures dive-bombed at them.

    Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and Uncle Dan provided cover for the two of them, but they were barely holding on. The night mist around them became blurrier. They could feel their bodies bing lighter, and their arms felt weak. It was as if they could be blown away at any moment. The winged creatures in the night sky morphed into the shape of a whirlpool that appeared to be sucking their souls out.

    ¡°Urgh.¡± Wu Siyu did not resist the pain but opened her mind to feel and embrace it. This was one of the results of their special training. Holding hands like this, the friction from their palms intensified the ESP connection between them. She rxed her mind, closed her eyes, and chased other thoughts out. The outside stimuli slowly faded away. Day or night, danger or safety, it no longer mattered. She slipped into a colorful world and allowed the brilliant burst of colors, shapes, light, and shadow to flow all around her. She allowed herself to be led along by Gu Jun. If she had to make aparison, it was like she was ced on a rollercoaster ride that had a spanning, twisting route, one she had no idea where it would lead or traverse. But she could not ignore the many strange andrge shadows that loomed in the background.

    ¡°Alright, be ready...¡± Gu Jun trained his focus to remind himself of the picture of the stone statue. The indescribable lines, the strange yet exquisite carving...

    One of the illusions that he triggered when he first saw the statue returned to him. It was the underwater pce that was impossible and mysterious.

    R¡¯lyeh

    R¡¯lyeh

    It was like he was suddenly sucked into a dream. He padded down the empty stone corridor surrounded byrge stone pirs that were covered in dirty green sticky liquid that burst out from the bloated corpse. It made the carvings and letters on the surrounding pirs hard to read. Right underneath this ce, there appeared to be an abyss even deeper than the seafloor. An indecipherable voice came echoing out from it. Was that even a human voice?

    Was there an ancient existence known as the Great Old One slumbering down there? Was the stone statue the best facsimile of its appearance that could be replicated by human hands?

    Gu Jun suddenly awakened to the meaning of the phrase R¡¯lyeh. That was the name of this pce. He was still clueless as to the rest of the sentence, but he had a feeling that it might be rted to the master of R¡¯lyeh.

    Xue Ba¡¯s group was still taking down the winged creatures that were getting more aggressive. They tried to slow down the ritual as much as they could. Their eyes flitted over to Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. They knew the two had ESP, but they did not understand why the two had gone so silent. They were nervous, but they knew it was not a good idea to disturb them.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes opened. The calmness had taken on a different shade. It reminded Xue Ba of the time they were at the shrine. There was madness, chaos, and a chilling detachment within.

    ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh.¡± Gu Jun turned his head up to the night sky and sang. His voice was hoarse, but the words came out as smooth as a luby. It carried with it a fanaticism that Gu Jun himself did not notice, the one that he had seen in his mother¡¯s eyes. His chanting rose and fell in rhythm, sometimes rising to a screech, sometimes lowering to a growl. Xue Ba noticed with a shock that Wu Suyi¡¯s face had also taken on a cast of unfamiliarity and strangeness. ¡°Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn!¡±

    As Gu Jun finished thest syble, the vision around them changed drastically.

 Chapter 144: Zombie

    <h4>Chapter 144: Zombie</h4>

    When Gu Jun¡¯s chanting reached its peak, the volume was so loud it had overwhelmed the howling and echoed around the mountains. When thest note escaped from his mouth, the clouds were severed through, and a giantrge shadow appeared to have torn through the darkness. The gnarly trees and twisting vines took on the shapes of mutted limbs as they shuffled with supposed activity. The wind carried palpable malice. In an instant, the ck shadows that had almost materialized were shredded into pieces. A blood-curdling scream rang out for half a second before it disappeared like a recording that was forcibly stopped. Be it the giant bats in the night sky or the bloated corpses on the ground, both dead and alive had disappeared without a trace like they were never there to begin with. Even the howling from the mountains had receded.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Lou Xiaoning, who was still manning the machine gun, was confused. Her left eyes scanned the surroundings, but not a single one of those giant bats could be seen anymore. There was no blood, no broken wings, only a mountain of empty shells on the ground. Even the five bloated corpses were found still lying quietly inside their cabs. Everything that had happened earlier appeared to have been nothing more than a dream. But Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, and herself knew that was not the case. On one hand, their heads felt heavy and dull with pain, and now they regained a firmermand of their bodies. The space around them slowly settled back to normalcy. The mist faded away to reveal the armored car. The headlights lit up the world around them.

    ¡°Illusion, it was truly nothing more than an illusion...¡± Uncle Dan breathed out, but once he saw Gu Jun¡¯s face, he urgently asked, ¡°Ah Jun, how do you feel? Can you hear me?¡±

    Due to the over exhaustion of mental power and the close contact with that mysterious chaotic energy, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu looked as white as ghosts. It was particrly serious with Gu Jun.

    ¡°Give me a shot of adrenaline, stat... My heart, it¡¯s likest time...¡± If not for Uncle Dan, Gu Jun would have copsed to the ground already. His heart felt stuffy and painful, making his breathing difficult. It was hard to tell whether this was more serious than the time at the shrine, but he was certain that he did not have it in him to cast another spell, and the darkness within his heart had started its activity again. If he was to take an S Value Assessment now, Gu Jun knew he would score a record low...

    With Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning guarding him, Uncle Dan rushed to grab a prepared adrenaline shot from the med kit and injected it into Gu Jun. While Uncle Dan applied emergency treatment to Gu Jun, he took time to check up on Wu Siyu as well. Even though her face was as ghastly as Gu Jun¡¯s, her head hung lifelessly like that of a hanged man.

    ¡°I need a couch.¡± Wu Siyu sighed. ¡°I just want to slump over something fluffy.¡±

    That stumped Uncle Dan, but at the very least, he knew she was still sane enough to make jokes. After the shot was administered, Gu Jun¡¯s heartbeat slowly returned to normal, and he found the ability to speak again.

    ¡°The giant bats and ck shadows are not illusions. They might be some kind... of mental existence. They upy a different dimension than we do. They are a different type of life form and feed on a different kinds of food...¡±

    He believed those creatures were under themand of the zombies, and they could weave through dream and reality easily. More than that, they could twist andbine the two, using that to influence and attach the soul and mental state of human beings.

    However, the ancient presence down in R¡¯yleh, that pinprick of a spark that shot out from his nightmare, was powerful enough to steamroll over the nightmare weaved together by the zombies and their underlings.

    ¡°Ah Jun, it is my suggestion that we wrap up the mission and call it a day,¡± Xue Ba said evenly and tried not to let the regret in his heart showed. He was making the most logical decision. Currently, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were basically out of the picture. While the Demon Hunters were still fine, facing that kind of mental and illusory fight, they were of not much help anyway. Gu Jun was silent. The mission objective this time was to search and capture the zombie. He was certain that this creature of darkness was in their proximity. He could feel it...

    Be it toplete the abyssal mission or to find out the truth about Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, the zombie was the key to unlocking the Nightmare Illusion. Prof Qin¡¯s lifeless face shed before his eyes. If they returned empty-handed, more would follow Prof Qin¡¯s fate...

    The cave had copsed, and no more shadows came out from it. But as Gu Jun looked at it, he felt something pulling him toward it.

    ¡°Captain Xue, if you want to survive in horror movies, now is normally the time to turn and head back,¡± Gu Jun said softly. ¡°But in real life, one has to take risks to get results. I have a feeling the zombie is just inside that cave, and it is currently heavily injured. This might be our only chance.¡±

    Xue Ba was silent for a while before he ordered, ¡°Xiaoning,e with me back to the car to grab some more ammo.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Lou Xiaoning removed the iron belt around her waist. She picked up the rifle and turned away. ¡°To think you guys thought about heading back without anything to show for it... I would be the first to protest.¡±

    While they went back to reload, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu took the time to sit down and rest. However, the smell of putrefaction in the air made that difficult.

    Soon, they resumed their mission. With Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning leading the way, Uncle Dan carrying Gu Jun, and Wu Siyu covering up the rear, the team headed toward the cave. The night vision goggles and shlights provided them with great visibility. When they passed through the five cabs, they could not help but peer into them. The five bloated corpses were still sitting inside...

    Stepping over the rubble, the team slowly entered the narrow and silent cavern. As their eyes adjusted to the darkness, they saw the carvings of the giant bats drawn on the walls. They ovepped over each other, leaving no space between them. They seemed to be gazing out at the intruders. If the bats had materialized from these cave paintings, it would exin how so many of them could fit inside such a small cave.

    Other than Wu Siyu, Gu Jun and the rest had been down the stone path in the abnormal space, so inparison, this cave tunnel did not appear that deep. They trekked for about five hundred meters before they reached the end. It was small, dark, and damp. A strange humanoid creature was crouching there, facing away from them...

    The team got inspired immediately. Gu Jun focused his eyes. Zombie, this was definitely a zombie!

    The skeletal thin body, the skin that was covered in dead spots, the sharp ws, they were all defining features of a zombie. They could not see its face because it was turned away. But Gu Jun was sure the howling, the winged creature, and the illusory trap were all the work of this creature. It was a formidable opponent, but just as Gu Jun exhausted, it appeared the zombie had been rendered immobile and defenseless after its attack was countered.

    ¡°Do not move!¡± Xue Ba aimed his rifle at the zombie, as did Lou Xiaoning. He breathed out in both awe and disbelief, ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. They really do exist, and we have captured one.¡±

    Right at that moment, a strange and throaty voice came from the zombie. ¡°How can you tell... this is not another dream?¡±

    ¡°Well, there is only one way to find out.¡± Gu Jun grabbed the rifle and aimed it at the zombie¡¯s left leg. He pulled the trigger. A scream followed it. The flesh on the zombie¡¯s leg had a gaping wound in it.

    ¡°So, does that feel like a dream to you?¡± Gu Jun fired off another shot. ¡°How about this one?¡±

    Bang!

    While the zombie hissed in pain and resentment, Wu Siyu leaned forward to ask, ¡°Can I give it a try? That looks so much fun.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I left the right leg for you,¡± Gu Jun said. The Demon Hunters looked at each other. They had a silent discussion and decided to leave the two of them be.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu aimed the rifle at the zombie¡¯s right leg. She fired just one shot. The zombie crumpled to the ground as the blood pooled around it, but it still refused to turn to face them. Wu Siyu sighed. ¡°That was oddly satisfying.¡±

 Chapter 145: Who Is It

    <h4>Chapter 145: Who Is It</h4>

    The sound of gunfire reverberated at the end of the narrow cavern. A pool of dirty blood gathered on the ground. Both of the zombie¡¯s legs were injured, and it was incapacitated. Other than a tattered cloth that covered its lower body modestly, the rest of its skin on its back and limbs were exposed. The dead spots on its body were crimson red from the sshed blood.

    ¡°You b*stards...¡± The zombie groaned in pain. His growls were filled with venomous hatred.

    If not for the information it could provide, Gu Jun would not have minded giving it a shot to the head. He said, ¡°Slowly turn around, or there¡¯ll be more punishmenting your way.¡±

    Since they approached it, the zombie had kept its face away from them. Even after it was shot, it still kept his front turned away. That was highly suspicious. This suspicious activity caused the team to be nervous. What if the zombie was hiding something dangerous in its chest...

    The zombie slowly turned its body around to reveal its face. It was an old and ugly face. It had the shape of a human face, but it also contained hyena-like facial features. The protruding jaw was giving off the smell of putrefaction, and the eyes were muddy with tumult from long exposure to the abyss. Despite its appearance, the team could tell that this thing was once a human being. With that observation in mind, Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank because he realized that the zombie before them was strangely familiar, like he had seen it somewhere before...

    ¡°Huh?¡± Xue Ba shared that feeling. His thick brows creased together as he looked as his team members inquisitively. Gu Jun peeled off the night vision goggles and was instantly thrown into darkness. Then, he aimed the shlight affixed to his gun at the ugly creature. In the circle of light, Gu Jun could see clearly a rather conspicuous birth mark that was situated at the top-right of the zombie¡¯s forehead. It jogged his memory... Birthmark, birthmark... An old portrait emerged from his memory. It slowly ovepped with the sickened appearance of the monster before him.

    ¡°You are...¡± Gu Jun couldn¡¯t stop the chill in his voice. ¡°Chen Fade, ¡®Grandfather¡¯ from Nan Tang Vige.¡±

    ¡®Grandfather?¡¯ When they heard that keyword, the recognition also dawned on Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, and Lou Xiaoning. When they were investigating the grave robberies at Nan Tang Vige, they had seen the portrait of that old man. It was on the tombstone of the mostvish grave, and it was also situated on the top shelf inside the Chen n¡¯s ancestral hall. One of the victims of the grave robberies was the respected elder of Chen n, Grandfather, Chen Fade.

    Based on what Chen Shu had said, it was Chen Fade who allowed the foreigners, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family, to stay. When there were internal altercations, it was also Chen Defa who stepped forward to ease the tension. When Chen Shu reported to Grandfather about the strange ritual he had chanced upon at Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family yard, and it was this Grandfather who had assured Chen Shu that it was nothing more than a dream.

    Back then, the group had already had their suspicions about Grandfather, but with a bigger suspect like Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, the investigation did not focus that much on him. But now, this zombie before them appeared to be Chen Defa, who was supposed to have died seventy-two years ago, who had the biggest funeral Nan Tang Vige had ever seen when he died at the old age of 82.

    Gu Jun was reminded of another detail in Chen Shu¡¯s stories. It was Grandfather who assigned the job of hauling unknown floating corpses down the river to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family. People thought that was Grandfather¡¯s way of helping Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family assimte into the vige, but there appeared to be an ulterior motive behind it. Gu Jun had also heard from Chen Shu that once Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family took over the job, most of the floating corpses disappeared before the vigers had the chance to even see them in the water. The strange smell from Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s house, the strange noise, and the dark shadow being summoned...

    This Chen Defa and the three other vigers whose tombs were disturbed, they probably had... joined Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s cult back when they were still alive.

    ¡°Chen Defa.¡± Wu Siyu had caught up on the files over the past two days. Other than the content of the nightmare itself, she knew everything. ¡°What¡¯s wrong about being human?¡±

    ¡°How long... can you live as a human?¡± Chen Defa¡¯s face moved into ghastly visage as he answered. ¡°Can human beings rise above the threat of the nightmare?¡±

    Chen Defa¡¯s slightly sarcastic tone appeared to be signifying that he was talking about something superfluous, but the madness within his eyes appeared to be taunting them. If not for Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning would have peppered the zombie into a beehive by now. ¡°So, you admit it was you people who are behind the nightmare Illness?¡±

    ¡°Ignorant fools, you have no idea what you are talking about,¡± Chen Defa croaked. The derision was thick in his reply. ¡°Your puny Phecda has been in existence for less than sixty years. Of course you don¡¯t know about some orders that have been in activity for thousands of years already. What you see with your eyes open might not be real; what you see with your eyes closed might not be false...¡±

    ¡®Order?¡¯ Gu Jun frowned. ¡®Is it the order that mom is a part of? No, based on what happened earlier... the zombies like Chen Defa do not appear to worship that stone statue...¡¯

    ¡°You mean like your Order of R¡¯yleh?¡± Gu Jun purposely asked.

    ¡°Ignorant fools.¡± The hatred was clear in Chen Defa¡¯s eyes.

    It appeared that the two cults were in opposition to one another, but in any case, there still remained many questions to be answered.

    ¡®Is Nightmare Illness the work of the R¡¯yleh Cult or the zombie cult? Has Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog been exiled to that barren ind in the nightmare, or was he there willingly? R¡¯yleh... did sound somewhat simr to Lai Sheng Company, so was there a rtionship between the two?¡¯

    A chill ran up his spine.

    ¡®The Great Old Ones¡¯ ¡®rule the world¡¯. If the Son of Misfortune worshipped the Master of R¡¯yleh, who was this true God that was mentioned by the Afterlife Cult when they said ¡®the promise that had been given to us by the true God¡¯?

    ¡®If Afterlife cult was in the R¡¯yleh Cult in the foreign world, then the Shaman and mom could be a part of the R¡¯yleh Cult on Earth.¡¯

    Gu Jun then remembered that there were homonyms in the foreignnguage. For example, he had already confirmed that Afterlife Cult was equivalent to Lai Sheng Company. Then this could exin the split in the cult. The ¡®Afterlife Cult¡¯ from the foreign world was made of the apostates while the ¡®Afterlife Cult¡¯ on Earth still worshipped R¡¯yleh, believing its master would bring them ascendency and rebirth.

    ¡®The first tragedy is over. The second tragedy will soon arrive. The Malformed Banyan Disease, Nightmare Illness...¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind was surfeited with confusing thoughts. They pulled him into a sinkhole of chaos, confusion, pain, and distortion. The presence of Lai Sheng Company was featured once more in his mind. He thought he¡¯d be done with them after their encounter at the shrine, but Gu Jun had a feeling that was not the case. Gu Jun thought he was close to finding out about his background, but now it appeared like he was deeper in a thicker fog.

    This squeezed his heart, and a sense of nausea overwhelmed him. At the same time, Chen Defa slowly stood up. Blood ran freely from the bullet wounds on his two legs due to his movement.

    ¡°Do not move!¡± Xue Ba ordered sternly. Even though the monster had been severely injured, it could still pose a great threat. Chen Defa was staring down the barrels of five firearms, but there was no fear on his ugly face. If anything, there was only madness and audacity. ¡°You call us zombies, creatures of the dead, but only we can ess the ce that you living fools cannot even imagine...¡±

    Suddenly, he pounced at them with his jaws open. The sharp teeth were gleaming in the dark. The smell of decay hit the team. It moved surprisingly fast, and it only gave the team a moment to react. Their professional instinct kicked in and they pulled on the trigger.

    Gunfire lit up the small cavern and the bullets hit the zombie¡¯s body. He was knocked back beforending to the ground. The zombie¡¯s face started to convulse from madness, the lips were singing some kind of incoherent song as the madness in his eyes slowly evaporated into nothingness.

 Chapter 146: The Morgue with the Zombie

    <h4>Chapter 146: The Morgue with the Zombie</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    With a thud, Chen Defa copsed to the ground at the end of the cavern. Gu Jun could feel the dangerous presence leaving, like the body turned into an empty shell. It felt like death and non-death at the same time...

    He had no idea what more he could have done; everything had been settled in mere seconds.

    ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡±

    Xue Ba wanted to move forward to check, but Uncle Dan held him back.

    ¡°Captain, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to go near it, who knows who kind of fatal virus it might carry.¡±

    Xue Ba heeded the advice and stayed back. He sighed. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s really dead, this is such a shame...¡±

    ¡°There is nothing we can do if it has a death wish.¡± Lou Xiaoning sighed. Even she could tell that the zombie did not die from their gunshots, but it had surrendered itself to some kind of mysterious force. In any case, after getting Gu Jun¡¯s approval, Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning headed out of the cavern. They activated themunication channel to ask for reinforcements from the headquarters. Their mission had beenpleted. Wu Siyu and Uncle Dan kept their guns aimed at the zombie just in case it was just ying dead. Even though Gu Jun thought that was unlikely, he still allowed them to do so because it was better to be safe than sorry. His mental power was at its end; he could not take another zombie threat. For now, it was most important to ensure their mission objective which was to secure a zombie.

    Then, Gu Jun would need to try toplete his abyssal mission, which was to conduct an autopsy on a zombie. For that purpose, he sneaked up from the ground and walked over to a secluded corner of the cavern as if to check it out. Then using the same old trick, he pulled out the Carlot Dissecting Scissors from his medic bag and acted surprised as he held it out in his hands. ¡°There is a pair of dissecting scissors here!¡±

    ¡°Wait, that looks like the Carlot brand.¡± Uncle Dan recognized the foreignnguage symbol and the design style immediately, gasping. ¡°Looks like Lai Sheng Company is involved in this too.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded. The earlier disruption had returned. ¡°They are definitely rted to this somehow.¡±

    Wu Siyu was not part of the previous mission inside the banyan tree hole, so she did not say anything.

    ¡°The zombie cult, that strange order, Lai Sheng Company, they are all rted.¡± Gu Jun stared at Chen Defa¡¯s body and tightened his grip on the scissors. Chen Defa¡¯s transmutation proved that human beings could be turned into zombies. Who knew how many more of such creatures still resided within the mountains and around Eastern State? Could some of them have evolved enough to mix into the crowd? Were some lying in wait inside the morgue?

    ¡°You look weird. What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Wu Siyu looked at Gu Jun and asked that question because she was sensing a coconut...

    ¡°I want to saw its skull open,¡± Gu Jun mumbled. ¡°Then peel the scalp back to see if it is filled with nightmares.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I get it now.¡± Wu Siyu turned her eyes up, and like in aic, she could see the thought bubble forming. A vision of a champagne opener came.

    It did not take long for this part of the forest to be rife with activity. The cavalcade and helicopters from Phecda arrived among the din. Large swathes of Phecda members had taken over the scene. They were overjoyed at this discovery. Yao Sinian could barely contain himself. Not even Eastern State, the news had shocked even the headquarters. Zombies! A legendary abnormal creature.

    This zombie body was carefully moved into a frozen cab by members in hazmat suits. The cab would be sealed and transported back to the Medical Department. At the same time, the investigation into the cave, the cave drawings, and the surroundings had started too.

    ¡°Commander Yao, I need to head the autopsy of this creature myself,¡± Gu Jun told Yao Sinian directly. ¡°I have a feeling it will trigger more illusions, and that might lead to more important clues. Let Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang join me. I will feel more grounded with them in the group.¡±

    These were all truths.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have that arranged,¡± Yao Sinian agreed easily. The most important thing now was to understand and resolve the Nightmare Illness. ¡°Let the researchers take the necessary samples and scans, and then you can start with the autopsy.¡±

    The Medical Department became busier due to the arrival of this zombie. After their return, the team of five respectively wrote off a quick mission report and headed for a physical check. They rested for a few hours, and it was already the afternoon of the second day. Gu Jun rushed toward the autopsy building. Tagging along were Uncle Dan and Wu Siyu. Even though Wu Siyu was not a medical student, she was still under the responsibility of watching over Gu Jun¡¯s mental state.

    Inside a morgue within the Autopsy Building, the lights were bright. A fresh zombie corpsey on top of the stainless-steel table in the middle of the room. The little clothes that it had on had already been removed. The skin was showing, and it had pretty much necrosed. There was no muscle in sight, which contradicted the explosive power that it had demonstrated. On the surface, its skeletal structure had conspicuous differences to that of a normal human. There were many strange protrusions around its torso. There were multiple gun wounds on its chest and legs. Since they used high-caliber bullets, the wounds were messy and ghastly, greatly increasing the difficulty of the autopsy.

    Many cameras were fixed on the zombie. Many people at many ces were looking at it. Some were in the building itself, others from the headquarters. There were different expressions behind their eyes. Some burned with strange fire. If not for Gu Jun¡¯s request for an immediate autopsy, the division would not have allowed it. They would have performed some experiments on it first.

    A zombie cult? Regardless, Phecda knew too little about these abnormal creatures. Even Elder Tong knew that this was not Phecda¡¯s fault. Even though Phecda was a government body, some secret cults had not only existed for a long time, their highly secretive activity meant that the government could barely get hold of them. It was only recently that Phecda had caught wind of them, and that was only because these cult activities had surfaced. The appearance of the zombies appeared to be an omen for more bad things toe. This ced Phecda under the biggest stress since its inception.

    ording to the rumors, this threat was not only urring within China. Reports of supernatural cases were discovered all over the world. A worldwide change was toe.

    At that moment, the medical members at the headquarters had their fingers twitching, they could not wait to have their hands on the zombie themselves. As dangerous as the situation at Eastern State was, the headquarters had received quite arge number of transference requests to Eastern State over the past two days. However, they were all denied by their superiors. Therefore, they had gathered around the screen and watched the live feed as they discussed the ongoing autopsy with their colleagues.

    ¡°They should start with the limbs and see what is going on under the epidermalyer.¡±

    ¡°What kind of bone structure are those things that protruded out of the wounds around the chest? What could they be?¡±

    ¡°No, they should start with the ws, those pose the least risk to the body should they get it wrong.¡±

    Right then, the people saw a group of people walk into the morgue. Walking at the front was Gu Jun, whom they recognized, and behind him...

    ... were two people the same age as Gu Jun, one male and one female. The people had read through Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s files. They were Gu Jun¡¯s friends. And this was where theirint came in. They were picked because ¡®they could help stabilize Gu Jun¡¯s mental state¡¯. It felt more like nepotism. It was not that they questioned the professionalism of the Eastern Division¡¯s medical department, but they were jealous of these people. They wished to be inside the morgue themselves.

    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t screw this up.¡±

    And then, the strangest image appeared before their eyes. A young woman sitting on a small couch was carried into the room by two members of the Action Department. The couch was hauled into the morgue and ced at the side. The people recognized the girl immediately. She was none other than Wu Siyu, the one who was supposed to keep Gu Jun¡¯s mental state under control...

 Chapter 147: Secondary Hypoparathyroidism

    <h4>Chapter 147: Secondary Hypoparathyroidism</h4>

    Therge conference room at Phecda¡¯s headquarters was packed. There were multiple screens showing the livestream of the situation inside the morgue at Eastern State. When they saw five medical experts from the Special Mobile Force and Medical Department like Uncle Dan and Du Mingjun walk into the room, many people sighed in relief. They did not have much faith in the group of youngsters.

    Among the group of observing experts, the leading man, Xiao Wenhui, exined to his subordinates, ¡°This cadaver will be hard to process. The mutation, anomaly, and hypersia willplicate the autopsy procedure. They will have to take it slow.¡±

    They nodded in agreement. Even though the autopsy had not begun, through the multiple inspections and image scanning that were provided by Eastern State, they had gained a basic understanding of the anatomy of the zombie. The results of those scans were disyed on some of the smaller screens. Radiologists, clinical experts, biologists, and so on pored over them. They analyzed them over and over, getting into heated discussion about the various body tissues that had grown abnormally around the dead body.

    The theory was not yet proven, but based on what had happened to Chen Defa, zombies were a mutation of normal human beings. Therefore, this kind of abnormal being was distinct from the Necro-skins. In essence, they could be counted as a kind of mutated human being. From the x-rays, one could clearly see the mutations that had urred to Chen Defa¡¯s skeletal structure. The main difference was osteosclerosis, subperiosteal resorption, skeletal cystic degeneration, deformities to the limbs and thorax,pression of the thoracic, and generation of high tensile bones.

    These symptoms visible from bone imaging, CT scans, and radio-isotopic examination all led the experienced researchers to the same conclusion: the mutation was a kind of endocrine disease, namely secondary hypoparathyroidism. Even the zombie¡¯s horrible canine face could be exined away by secondary hypoparathyroidism. After all, lion face syndrome or leontiasis ossea was a rareplication of severe hyperparathyroidism. Hyperostotic changes in the facial bones could result in bteral expansion of the mr processes, causing the protrusion of the cheekbones, lower jaw, eye sockets, nose, and mouth. The shape of the maxillofacial bone would mutate to bear resemnce of the canine faces.

    ¡°The transmutation process from human being to zombie should have the pathological recourse as victims of secondary hypoparathyroidism.¡± This was one of the main hypotheses held by the researchers. The mental abnormalities could be exined through the same reasoning as well, because clinical reports of victims with secondary hypoparathyroidism had showcased symptoms of paranoia, aggression, and dysgnosia. However, there was one thing that did not match. Secondary hypoparathyroidism would often be apanied by hungry bone syndrome. The victims would not produce high tensile-strength bone cells, and that failed to exin the high mobility of the zombies.

    Of course, it could be this anomaly in the transmutation that ultimately created this creature of darkness. Then again, even current medicine had issues exining everything that had to do with the mental symptoms of secondary hypoparathyroidism, much less what was happening here. In any case, radiology could only go so far. They were ultimately just images. There were details on the x-rays that could not be seen clearly, and the answers needed to be found through autopsy.

    ¡°My suggestion is that they start with the hands,¡± Xiao Huiwen said in a serious tone. ¡°Its ws appear to have grown out of the phnges. We need to glean a better understanding of this amalgamation of the keratin and sclerotin. Starting with the hand will also provide a good warm up.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, it is impossible to tell what the people at the Eastern State will do,¡± one of the observers, He Tao, said with regret. ¡°They only have one chance. Let¡¯s hope they won¡¯t screw it up.¡±

    As the room watched, Gu Jun¡¯s group moved to stand around the autopsy table. There were eight of them dressed in white protective gear, covered in tight masks and gloves. Even Wu Siyu, who was seated on the sofa by the exit, was dressed like an astronaut. The bacteria on the zombie¡¯s skin had been sampled and diagnosed. The rudimentary discovery showed that it only consisted of normal bacteria found in forests and muddy areas, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

    The superiors at Eastern State did not provide a direct autopsy manual. They handed everything over to Gu Jun and his instincts. Therefore, Xiao Huiwen, He Tao, and the rest looked at this withplicated emotions. They were students of medicine, and non-standardized procedure was not something that they approved of. However, they could do nothing but watch as Phecda¡¯stest treasure was ransacked by this bunch of rowdy teenagers. To make matters worse, there was only one zombie corpse.

    Beside the shining autopsy table, the group studied the zombie carcass on the table. They had seen the x-rays too, and they all knew this was not going to be an easy task.

    ¡°Huff.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed. When he was reminded of the fact that this creature was previously a human being, had feasted on human beings, and was now going to be cut open by human beings, he could not help butment, ¡°These violent delights have violent ends.¡±

    ¡°Violent?¡± Wang Ruoxiang said casually. ¡°I think we¡¯re already being quite kind for not soaking it in formalin first.¡±

    They had a hard time telling whether the pungent smell of the formalin would be more revolting or the natural stench that radiated from the zombie. This stench was different from the normal smell of decay. Even the stench from a highly putrefied bloated corpse would not smell as bad as this. It was as if the process of decay itself had materialized into particles in the air, and they were attacking the cells within the body of the inhalers.

    ¡°To wash the stench away with formalin would be a kindness in my eyes,¡± Gu Jun countered.

    Wu Siyu was befuddled by their conversation. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t these people be a bunch of doctors? Howe they are sounding so philosophical and literary all of a sudden?¡¯

    Then again, she did hear from Gu Jun that his friend, Cai Zixuan, had a penchant for quoting literary works, thus raising the literary standards of his peers.

    ¡°Guys,¡± Gu Jun said while holding the Carlot Scalpel and Dissecting Scissors. Other people had tried giving them a try, they felt ufortable in their hands, so they had be Gu Jun¡¯s personal tools. ¡°We will start with the face.¡±

    ¡®Ah?¡¯ Du Mingjun and the other experts were startled. Audible gasps rang through the headquarters. ¡®They will start with the face? The canine face that¡¯s the most conspicuous and most defining feature of a zombie?¡¯

    ¡°That is too rash. Children these days truly...¡± Xiao Huiwen groused immediately. There was only one face, unlike the arms which had a pair, and the autopsy had just begun!

    The others were equally confused and panicked. The headquarters immediately spoke into the livemunication that they shared with Eastern State¡¯smand center. Yao Sinian was there, watching the development. Uncle Dan and Du Mingjun hadmunicators inside their helmets. It was Uncle Dan who ryed the superior¡¯s concerns. ¡°Ah Jun, the superiors have suggested that perhaps we should take this slow.¡±

    ¡°We do not have the time.¡± Gu Jun did not share this information with them earlier because he knew this would happen. ¡°The zombies have the ability to mess with people¡¯s minds, so if we are to find any clues, it will be in their heads. We need to find these clues as soon as possible. After all, that is the goal of this autopsy. It will lose all meaning and purpose if we work too slowly.¡±

    He had a point, and the superiors could not find any stance to counter it, but it did not stop the headquarters¡¯ conference room and themand central at Eastern State from bing shrouded in a haze of anxiety.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Gu Jun studied the canine face and silently opened the system in his mind.

    ¡®Abyssal Mission: Complete the autopsy of a zombie in a week. Mission reward: Unknown¡¯.

    Since it was an abyssal mission, other than the difficulty to find an autopsy subject, the requirements on the autopsy uracy and progress would be high as well. In fact, it might suggest an ident during the middle of the autopsy.

    ¡®Alright, I¡¯ve waited for too long for this. Mission epted!¡¯

    ¡®Mission epted! Current autopsypletion rate: 0 percent. Remaining time: 167:59:58.¡¯

    The carcass was lying on its back. Cai Zixuan used a pad to raise its shoulders and head. Gu Jun started the incision on its skin. Even though the face was spared from any gunshot wounds, it still proved quite a difficulty to carve through the skin due to the mutation from zombification. The group watched as Gu Jun sliced and diced using the strange scalpel. An incision was made right down the middle of the face and along the edge of the mandible...

    ¡®Be careful!¡¯ Xiao Huiwen, He Tao, and the rest resisted the urge to shout aloud. In their eyes, the zombie¡¯s shriveled face had turned into the snow-white skin of a jade beauty, and the brute, Gu Jun, was making a mess of it.

 Chapter 148: Zombie Autopsy

    <h4>Chapter 148: Zombie Autopsy</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    A normal human¡¯s facial skin was thin, soft, and supple due to its high cogen level. It also had a high number of sebaceous nds, sweat nds, and hair follicles. However, the facial skin of this zombie waspletely different. Even though the face did not have that many death spots, the skin was wrinkly and ckened, and the facial muscles had severely shrunk like the rest of its muscles. The already thin facial muscles had basically atrophied, making the differentiation of the epidermalyer almost impossible. The people who watched the livestream were intensely worried, but it was deathly quiet inside the morgue.

    Gu Jun¡¯s actions might look quick and rash, but the man was as careful as he could be. He only used the tip of the scalpel to make the incision...

    The incision on a normal human face would normally be two mm deep, and the area around the eyes would be one to two mm deep, but the incisions he made was less than one mm. It was only around 0.3 to 0.5 mm deep. He then used the toothed forceps to peel back the edge of the incisions. He pulled on the skin, and theyer started to peel back like some kind of horrible mask from the center of its face.

    Listening to the barely audible tearing sound, the people around Gu Jun held their breath. Even Uncle Dan could feel his heart racing. This procedure was technically not that difficult, but Gu Jun did it in one fell swoop! It appeared like his mastery of the knife had improved again. Uncle Dan was reminded of the parasitic cleaning surgery they performed on Lin Mo. At the time, Gu Jun¡¯s handiwork had not reached the current state of swiftness and ferocity.

    ¡®This kid, no wonder he has the confidence to start with such a challenging autopsy procedure.¡¯ Uncle Dan felt quite happy about this. The anxiety that he felt earlier soon washed away. If there was anyone at Eastern State who was most qualified to conduct this autopsy, the answer had to be Gu Jun.

    ¡°I knew Tycoon Jun had it in him,¡± Cai Zixuan praised. ¡°Some talent just takes time to mature.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang focused on her work. She used the forceps to help fix the syndesm and helped move the skin that Gu Jun had peeled back onto the nearby tray. The technical difference between them was obvious, but there was always time to catch up. As the facial muscle of the head was removed part by part, the subcutaneousyer of the canine face was finally exposed. There was little to no face. Dark green veins and dark red nerves crawled around the face like winding roads. They did not crisscross even once, but they were suspiciously shrunken. They formed a stark contrast to erged mandibr bone and the swollen adenoceles.

    The cameras above the surgical lights captured everything. This abnormal face was shown on all the monitors everywhere. Xiao Huiwen, He Tao, and the rest who wereining about Gu Jun¡¯s decision and handiwork earlier now showed different expressions. Actions spoke louder than words. Gu Jun¡¯s light but effective incisions left zero injury on the dry and shriveled facial muscle. The subcutaneous tissues were perfectly preserved because of it. This whole procedure could only be described as masterful.

    ¡°Erm, Leader Xiao.¡± It was He Tao who broke the silence. ¡°Looks like this Gu Jun was not a freshie as we thought.¡±

    The rest nodded. They initially had trouble believing the praise in Gu Jun¡¯s files. After all, his age and experience suggested otherwise. Regardless of his ESP, he had only performed an autopsy on one abnormal creature before, and it was only the chest part of the Necro-skin. But now they knew that they had greatly underestimated this young man.

    For those incisions with such great speed on the zombie¡¯s irregr face, it would prove difficult to maintain a steady hand on the scalpel.

    ¡°Freshie?¡± Xiao Huiwen chuckled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Unless he is a murderer who likes to skin people, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to find someone who can do a better job. To think we were nervous about this. Now I see there was no reason for that. Come, might as well sit back and enjoy the show.¡±

    Gu Jun had proven himself with his work. Even Gu Jun¡¯s friends were valuable assets; no one brought up the previous suspicion again.

    But the skinning was only just the beginning. Gu Jun continued to impress them with hisyer dissection. It was like they were watching a performing art as he worked on the facial muscle, vena facialis, arteria facialis, parotids, supraorbital nerves, infraorbital nerves, nervus mentalis...

    Gradually, they got used to Gu Jun¡¯s extremely fast knife speed and high uracy. They shifted their focus back to the zombie itself. As the autopsy of the face continued, more simrities to normal human beings could be found. The hypothesis that zombies were a mutation of a human being could basically be confirmed. This result garnered mixed emotions within themand central and conference room. This was a lucky breakthrough for the Scientific Research Department, but the discovery itself was quite diforting.

    The other lucky discovery that the condition that they worried about earlier did not happen¡ªthe zombie corpse had no negative impact on the human mind. That was Elder Tong and Prof Shen¡¯s biggest concern about Gu Jun. After all, he had just cast multiple spells before the mission ended. For now, though it did not appear to hinder Gu Jun at all, if anything, Gu Jun appeared to get more and more into the status!

    ¡°Is the kid particrly gifted in this field?¡± Elder Tong asked Prof Shen, but thetter had no answer.

    In the morgue, Gu Jun continued to work on the zombie¡¯scrimal apparatus, which still contained thecrimal nd and nascrimal nd. He felt sucked into his work as the background faded away. The heft of the Carlot Scalpel in his hands gave him a very special feeling. This was the first time he had utilized these two instruments in an actual autopsy since he obtained them. Dissecting scalpel and scissors, it was natural that they were meant for autopsies.

    ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ Even Gu Jun himself could feel the sensation overwhelming him. The scalpel felt fluid and gentle as water in his grasp. He felt as if the instrument had ¡®melted¡¯ into his grasp. With his third level Hands of Dexterity, he did not even need to warm up anymore. There was a feeling of rejuvenation coursing through his veins; that was not how he should be feeling.

    Conducting an autopsy was a very draining work. It was incredibly exhausting, especially since they were working on an abnormal creature. Yet, somehow, Gu Jun felt more spirited as he progressed. It was as if a power within him was awakening, washing away his fatigue from the past two days. Could it be the power of the Son of Steel?

    A hypothesis that Gu Jun had not considered for quite some time appeared.

    ¡®Could the scalpel and scissors really be a magical instrument from the foreign civilization?¡¯

    The foreign civilization worshiped the Goddess of Life and idolized Carlot Doctors. It wasmon sense for people with superpowers to be respected. Just look at how people on Earth worshipped the idol and superhero culture. If Carlot Doctors were citizens of the foreign civilization who could cast spells... then could their medical instrument be the tools to channel it?

    To test that theory, Gu Jun stopped working, and the feeling of regeneration really did slowly fade away.

    Gu Jun stared at the bloody scalpel, and his mind was bouncing with thoughts.

    ¡®Is this their effect? Using them in an autopsy can help me recover exhausted mental power by adopting Landon¡¯s ability? That would exin the refreshed state that I felt since I started this autopsy. Or could this be due to the abyssal mission?¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Uncle Dan asked, seeing that Gu Jun had stopped.

 Chapter 149: New Way to Improve Mental Power

    <h4>Chapter 149: New Way to Improve Mental Power</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. An idea just struck me. That¡¯s all,¡± Gu Jun answered vaguely. He thought about it and decided to find out more while he still had the special ess granted to him. He turned to ask themand center to send over the carcass of a normal human being and a necro-skin. He just wanted the heads. Everyone was confused, but themand center still moved to oblige while Gu Jun¡¯s group continued with their autopsy. Soon, members from the Action Department came in with two mobile autopsy tables, each carried a head sample.

    Gu Jun¡¯s dissection of the zombie stopped. He moved toward the sink in the morgue to clean the scalpel before turning to the head of the normal human.

    ¡°What is he up to now?¡± In the headquarters¡¯ conference room, even the experts like Xiao Huiwen had no idea what was happening. Was Gu Jun going to do a liveparison?

    Wang Ruoxiang and the rest did not interrupt Gu Jun with questions but moved to help him. Gu Jun used the same seriousness to mark the incisions and peel back the skin...

    It did not take long for the feeling of rejuvenation to leave him and for fatigue to rece it. Gu Jun could feel his eyelids sinking. Then, Gu Jun moved to dissect the head of the Necro-skin. This was the first time he had seen a Necro-skin at such a close distance. This was a highly preserved sample; it was unharmed and untouched. The face still remained roughly human, but the cuticleyer had necrosed, preventing any kind of identification. Theck of facial muscles meant that it was devoid of any human expression as well. Gu Jun sliced off a thinyer of the cuticle, and the rejuvenation sprang forth, warming his heart. Though, the effect was not as strong as when he was dissecting the zombie. This proved that the rejuvenation had more to do with the autopsy of an abnormal creature than the system¡¯s abyssal mission.

    ¡®It only works with abnormal creatures? Why?¡¯ Gu Jun studied the face of the Necro-skin and then turned to observe the canine-face of the zombie. Enlightenment slowly dawned on him. ¡®The Necro-skin and zombies are an abnormality in the eyes of human beings, but the inverse is also true. It is the dichotomy between familiarity and unknown, normal and anomaly. Abnormality meant a difference in parts like organs, structure, form,yer... a different life form. But it was all a matter of perspective, and the foreign civilization might not have the same perspective as a human civilization. For example, from the perspective of a mouse, cats might be the cruelest abnormal creature in the world, but isn¡¯t it at the same time a cute house pet for many cat lovers?

    ¡®Human beings referred to these abnormal creatures as monsters, marking them with cruelty, but in the eyes of the foreign civilization, perhaps they were not. Human beings and these abnormal creatures, they are all creations of the Goddess of Life, right? And the Goddess of Life has imparted to them the responsibility to master the truth of life through the autopsy and observation of different life forms...

    ¡®The Carlot Doctors, acting as the emissaries of the Goddess of Life, can thus gain superhuman mental power this way... It could be their reward for lending their services to the Goddess of Life. The increase in mental power can help them approach the understanding and utilization of spells, and that naturally gives them a better affinity with spellspared to normal citizens... Then it would have exined the great respect orded to the doctors at the foreign civilization and their goal of pursuing the study of medicine to its very end.¡¯

    The study of medicine was a method for the doctors to gain and transmute power. Gu Jun looked at the abnormal creatures. By abandoning a fixed perspective, one could always find some new understandings.

    The zombie¡¯s horrid face, its copsed torso, the limbs that had bent due to mutation... had a unique touch of evolution to them. Gu Jun yearned to understand it. The more he learned from them, the stronger the sense of rejuvenation. In other words, the fresher the autopsy, the more he would gain.

    But that was not the end of the questions Gu Jun had.

    ¡®What is the theory behind this? Does one need to master some magical technique taught at Carlot Academy, or is it sufficient with just the Carlot instruments?¡¯

    When Gu Jun first dissected the chest of the Necro-skin, he did not feel this sense of rejuvenation. The difference between then and now was the instrument used. Immediately, Gu Jun moved to test out the theory. He swapped out the Carlot Scalpel for a normal one. He performed some dissections on the three cadavers, and as he expected, there was no response within him. The Carlot medical instruments were absolutely necessary for this transmutation of energy. They were a kind of magical instrument.

    ¡°Zixuan, why don¡¯t you try and use this scalpel?¡± Gu Jun continued with his experiment. ¡®Did it only work with him, or can the experience be replicated on everyone else?¡¯

    The group looked at him with confusion as Cai Zixuan epted the strangely designed scalpel. He had no idea where it came from. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can get used to this. It is too light.¡±

    ¡°Just give it a try.¡± Gu Jun had him dissect the two samples and then asked, ¡°Do you feel anything special?¡±

    Cai Zixuan shook his head. ¡°Not really, other than the surprising lightness of the scalpel.¡±

    Gu Jun then ushered Wang Ruoxiang over. He knew she had high spirituality too. She had just missed the chance to encounter the anomalies, or else she would be in the same boat as him.

    After some procedures, Wang Ruoxiang also shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s nothing special that I feel, but I can see myself getting used to utilizing a scalpel like this.¡±

    Gu Jun could see that for himself. Wang Ruoxiang started carefully, afraid that she might not be able to control the amount of force used, but it did not take long for her incisions to be smooth and masterful again. This proved indirectly that she had the talent to be a Carlot Doctor, but howe she did not feel the sense of rejuvenation?

    Perhaps some kind of Carlot technique was needed and he was a special case. Since he had the power of Landon within him, he had technically mastered those Carlot techniques already.

    Regardless, Gu Jun had reached a useful conclusion. He could now increase and improve his maximum mental power by performing autopsies on these abnormal creatures using the Carlot Instruments. The result of hisst mental power assessment was 75. He believed it might have dropped down to below seventy now due to his exhaustion from evoking the statements summoning the master of R¡¯yleh. However, in the morgue, Gu Jun could feel his mental power recovering. He felt like a new person. This was a wee discovery! Gu Jun turned to the zombie corpse and a new passion burned in his eyes.

    Ganzfeld training could improve one¡¯s mental power, but it was too slow, and the progress would only decrease over time as the subject became more familiar with the experiment. However, Gu Jun now desperately needed stabler mental power, or else a trigger of heavy illusion or casting of a spell might send his heart into shut down again. He needed more mental power!

    So, the discovery of a new training method, one that supplemented his own responsibility and the system mission, was a surprising and joyful reward. Behind the mask, Gu Jun¡¯s lips broke into a big grin. No one noticed this, but Wu Siyu on the couch stared straight at him. ¡°Captain, is there anything wrong?¡±

    ¡®Howe it feels like that Dirty-minded Jun is being aroused? Really, here?¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun, do you need to take a rest?¡± Hearing that, Uncle Dan also noticed something was different. In the past, Ah Jun would be so focused when he was in the middle of an operation, it was like the world around him would fade away. Today, however, he had been bustling about like a busy homemaker, asking people to do things that had seemingly nothing to do with the actual zombie autopsy.

    ¡°Why would I need a rest? I am not a certain someone who needs a fluffy couch,¡± Gu Jun said loud enough for the intended ears. Wu Siyu pouted and red at him. Gu Jun ignored her and had the Action Department members move the other two autopsy tables out of the room so that they could focus on the autopsy of the zombie.

    Currently, the dissection of its face was almostplete, but the mission progress was only one percent. If this was the yardstick, then the time limit of one week was not that long. Only by continuous working could the abyssal mission bepleted. A detailed autopsy was a long and arduous process. Other than the interested parties, individuals like Yao Sinian left the monitors to busy themselves with other things. Prof Shen and Elder Tong, however, stayed behind to discuss thetest development of the case while studying the autopsy.

 Chapter 150: Inside of the Scalp

    <h4>Chapter 150: Inside of the Scalp</h4>

    R¡¯lyeh¡ªGu Jun¡¯s instinct had gleaned that as the name of a location. Currently, that mysterious cult, currently dubbed the ¡®R¡¯lyeh Cult¡¯ by Phecda, was led by an old male, the Deep Mountain Shaman. The cult worshipped the stone statue and believed a strong and ancient presence was slumbering somewhere. Gu Jun believed that somewhere was R¡¯lyeh. A few centuries ago, the cult kidnapped many toddlers and babies from Guang Ting City. It was unknown whether they had carried out the same crime at any other locations, and their purpose was still mostly unknown.

    Based on known information, one of their purposes was to make use of the children¡¯s ESP to ¡®listen to the voice from their dreams¡¯. Over the past two days, the people at Eastern State and the headquarters, the members of the Investigation Department, and Elder Tong had brief discussions about this,ing up with various hypotheses. Could the ¡®voice from their dreams¡¯ refer to the calling from R¡¯yleh? Was it some kind of electronic signal? A signal that could only be received by people with ESP and high spirituality in their dreams? Elder Tong was leaning toward this hypothesis because, in the information that was forced into his mind by those children, he swore he could see images of the deep ocean. Assuming R¡¯yleh existed somewhere on Earth and the talk of Great Old Ones was not some cultish mumblings, then...

    ¡°R¡¯yleh could be spreading the signals subconsciously,¡± Elder Tong offered his opinion. ¡°And the signals thus have no purpose.¡±

    If the signals had clear content like scripts for a strong spell or the exact location of R¡¯yleh, then the cult would not have done research on it for so many years. But due to their relentless research, it also meant that the cult had indeed found something that they could work on from the signals that they had ¡®heard¡¯.

    The R¡¯yleh Cult eventually crossed paths with Lai Sheng Company because the children still failed to satisfy the cult¡¯s requirements, and the cult needed a new breakthrough. And thus, Gu Jun was born from this union, a Spirit Child who was cultivated specifically for this purpose before he was even born. A Spirit Child like Gu Jun was expected to satisfy both Lai Sheng Company¡¯s intention and the R¡¯yleh Cult¡¯s desire to tune into more voices.

    ¡°For all we know, they¡¯d alreadye up with something back then,¡± Prof Shen said. ¡°There are still too many mysteries surrounding Ah Jun¡¯s childhood. He said that his parents might have hidden some results and taken some documents away with them, and theirst voyage was probably to search for this R¡¯yleh.¡±

    But R¡¯yleh was probably not at Longkan Seabelt. Many strange reports had been received about Longkan Seabelt early this year. Passing boats had seen strange lights and so on. Even though the ce was in international waters, when Phecda received this news, they could have hurried over to inspect it, but there had been too many such reports all over the world in this past year. It was hard to tell which was real and which was fake. Longkan Seabelt was too far from China and thus was not given much focus by Phecda.

    That was how the news travelled to Lee Yuerui¡¯s ears. Looking back, if Lee Yuerui and his friends did not run into Gu Jun, nothing might ever have happened to them. No one knew how the abnormal energy at Longkan Seabelt was triggered, but they guessed it had plenty to do with Gu Jun¡¯s presence. Since then, no reports of anything strange hade from Longkan Seabelt. Phecda had sent a Special Mobile Force unit to investigate, but they hade up with nothing.

    Longkan Seabelt was not R¡¯yleh, and the sudden disappearance of the Seagull was still a mystery. But its disappearance probably hampered the cult¡¯s progress. Therefore, the cult went into hibernation for another eleven years until the Nightmare Illness started to surface at Eastern State. R¡¯yleh Cult had surfaced alongside it because they believed the zombies could provide them with another method to hear the voices.

    ¡°Zombies can create illusions, summon psychic monsters, and invade people¡¯s dreams. These are the abilities of the zombie cult.¡± Elder Tong believed from what happened to the Phoenix unit, they could be certain that the R¡¯yleh Cult had some mastery of illusory creation of a certain level as well. Perhaps they were triggered by the children with ESP, but in terms of dream invasion, the R¡¯yleh Cult might beckingpared to the zombie cult, and that was why they were after the zombies themselves.

    This hypothesis was mainly based on the Gu Jun¡¯s team report. Chen Defa had shown clear disdain and derision toward the R¡¯yleh Cult, and Gu Jun directly suspected Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog was forced against his will to stay on the isted ind. Could the hatred shown by Chen Defa originate from the R¡¯yleh Cult¡¯s oppression toward the zombies?

    Was the Nightmare Illness created by the zombie cult, or was it because the zombie cult was forced to do so under the order of the R¡¯yleh Cult? Gu Jun and Elder Tong believed it was thetter. The R¡¯yleh Cult was using the Nightmare Illness to suck away the patients¡¯ mental power and use that to awaken the ancient being. However, this was merely a hypothesis, one that was filled with many guesses and suppositions. Theycked concrete evidence.

    Other than the Carlot dissecting scissors that Gu Jun ¡®found¡¯, the members of the Investigation Department had found nothing else inside the cave. The sweep of the area outside the cave found nothing either. The research into the cave paintings was moving slowly. This meant that everyone moved their hope to the morgue. Perhaps the corpse could provide the breakthrough that they needed. Even though Gu Jun, forensic doctors, and autopsy experts were part of the team... they could not do anything if the zombie was unyielding with the information.

    Back inside the morgue, Gu Jun, Uncle Dan, and the rest were focused on dissecting the zombie¡¯s canine face. Its teeth, gums, and lower jaw had confirmed the X-ray result. The mutated bone protrusion was extremely hard. Gu Jun had to use a bone saw and the dissecting scissors before he could make headway into cracking it open. The sound of sawing filled the room. A strange feeling overwhelmed Gu Jun. On the one hand, his mind felt refreshed, but on the other hand, he could sense the chaotic illusions creeping toward him. He could not tell whether the rejuvenation had intensified the feeling of illusions or helped suppressed it. In any case, from his past experience, he had learned to let go and allowed the feelings to wash over him.

    When he cut off the zombie¡¯s strange, sharp cuspids, even Wang Ruoxiang felt lightheaded. People with high spirituality appeared to be affected by these mutated teeth.

    Before they entered the morgue, the team was briefed that they needed to speak up should they feel anything off, so that was what Wang Ruoxiang did.

    ¡°Just focus and don¡¯t think too much of it,¡± Gu Jun told her, but he knew that this was a sign that they were close to a discovery. This feeling would only ur when they were close to a breakthrough. After who knew how long, they sessfullypleted the dissection of the zombie¡¯s face. Then they continued to the cranium. Gu Jun was still the one overseeing the operation. He decided their first step would be to saw off the scalp. After the galea aponeurotica and periosteum, the bone saw buzzed again. This was the first time Gu Jun had done a craniotomy, but he showed no sign of hesitation. If anything, this was much easier than the lobotomies that required a much steadier hand. Finally, with a pop, the mutated scalp popped off like a bottle cap!

    ¡°Hold this.¡± Gu Jun handed the scalp over to Cai Zixuan. ¡°Just put it aside for now.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Cai Zixuan nced at the scalp as it was passed over to him, and he gasped in shock. ¡°The inside of this scalp...¡±

    Cai Zixuan showed it to the rest of the group. Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased with a heavy frown, and his eyes squinted in focus.

    In the headquarters¡¯ conference room, people like Xiao Huiwen jumped up from their seats. Even Elder Tong, Prof Shen, and the members of the Investigation Team rushed over to witness this strange discovery.

 Chapter 151: Patterns of Corruption

    <h4>Chapter 151: Patterns of Corruption</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The cerebral dura was perfectly preserved due to Gu Jun¡¯s careful handiwork. Therefore, the interior of that abnormal scalp could be seen clearly. On the surface of the bone, there were many small and crowded scratches. It was as if someone had carved them there.

    ¡®Is it some kind of picture ornguage?¡¯ Gu Jun took the scalp from Cai Zixuan. He looked at it with a frown before giving it a quick swipe. ¡°These are not carved onto here. They are caused by bone deformities.¡±

    This reminded Gu Jun of osteoporosis, amon symptom among victims of secondary hyperparathyroidism. A low bone density meant that the x-ray images woulde back perforated and blurry. The countless small empty holes where the bone mass had eroded had an eerie simrity to the children¡¯s game of connecting the dots. The x-rays of the zombie corpse had yielded simr x-rays, but no one could expect...

    The corrosion in the scalp would form such exquisite lines and patterns. Studying the bone, the illusions suddenly pulled at Gu Jun. He felt the world spun for a moment before everything steadied itself again. He ced the scalp down and turned to the cracked skull on the autopsy table. The grayish-white cerebral dura was still enveloping the brain. ¡°Get the brain!¡±

    Uncle Dan and Du Mingjun were quite excited. Even though Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan had no idea what was happening, they could guess that this was an important discovery. They continued to provide aid to Gu Jun. After they sessfully peeled back theyer of cerebral dura, the brain that was filled with ck cerebral arteriovenous capiries was exposed.

    When the secret in the scalp was exposed earlier, amotion had spread through the headquarters and Eastern State¡¯smand center. While Gu Jun¡¯s group continued the autopsy, people from the Scientific Research Department had been sent in to retrieve the scalp to perform more scanning and photographing so that they could produce a more detailed picture. Amplified through theputer, they could see the pattern of the corrosion more clearly. To everyone¡¯s surprise, the pattern looked curiously like the internal structure of aputer chip, or something more advanced than that.

    ¡°This couldn¡¯t be the result of natural bone erosion...¡±

    ¡°Bone erosion is caused by the loss of bone density, but the bone density of that corpse is much higher than a normal human being.¡±

    ¡°Secondary hyperparathyroidism can cause thickening of the skull through hardening of bone cells, so irregr erosion has been recorded in the past...¡±

    The sound of discussion pervaded the conference room at the headquarters. Some were arguing noisily while others were quiet with their own thoughts. Xiao Huiwen¡¯s heart sank. No matter how serious secondary hyperparathyroidism got, it would not cause symptoms as severe and as eerie as those found in the zombie corpse. The deeper they ventured into these abnormal creatures, the more they realized how little they knew about them. This was not a good sign.

    ¡°Elder Tong, what do you think?¡± Many of the Investigation Department turned to Elder Tong for his opinion.

    ¡°If you ask me...¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice was dull with disappointment. These questions had arrivedte by too many years. ¡°Zombies have shown the ability to produce hallucinations and invade people¡¯s dreams, so they must have a unique store of mental power. Perhaps it is these patterns that provide them with that mental power. Just like how the vessels in our body provide our organs with blood, these patterns provide the zombie with mental power.¡±

    At Eastern State, Yao Sinian, who had rushed back into themand center due to the new discovery, heard Elder Tong through Skype. He sighed softly. ¡°Guo Tong, your team¡¯s role has be far more important now.¡±

    In the field of spells, Phecda was only slightly better than a nk te.

    Back in the morgue, Gu Jun calmed himself down for the next step of the autopsy, which was the removal of the brain. He moved the head of the zombie to the edge of the table and allowed gravity to pull the brain out. He used his left hand to catch the brain while his right hand used the scalpel to remove the olfactory epithelium... Then, more severance was done on the different cerebral structures, nerves, arteries, and veins before he slowly and carefully removed the intact brain. The group could not help holding their breath. The brain had been safely extricated from the skull. The interior of the skull had not been cleaned, but some of the spots had already exposed those strange patterns. It would appear like the patterns covered the whole inside of the zombie skull. Their eyes shifted slightly. Just what kind of supernatural exnation would be behind something like this?

    Holding the brain in his hands, looking at the coral-like brain matter and the trails of the veins, the feeling of illusion intensified. He adjusted the organ in his hands before taking another look, and suddenly, a message jumped out at him.

    It was an Arabic number, 176! It was situated right in the middle of the brain.

    ¡°Is that a number?¡± Uncle Dan gasped in shock. ¡°Wait, is that the number we¡¯ve been looking for?¡±

    ¡°Do not look at it!¡± Gu Jun shouted urgently as he moved the brain to the side, burying it away from Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s sight. This number was most likely a part of the Nightmare Illness, so the more they knew about it, the deeper their connection would be to the Nightmare Illness and the easier they would be infected. With her sense tingling, Wu Siyu stood up from her couch and walked over. She was ready to provide mental support for Gu Jun.

    ¡°The same goes to you.¡± Seeing her walk over, Gu Jun demanded that she stop. He then pushed the brain closer to the cameras. This was currently the only thing that they could understand, a number. Inside that nightmare, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog had not revealed a new number to any of the new batches of patients¡ªa number that would suggest the longitude of his coordinates. Now, Gu Jun wondered if the reason was that Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog himself did not have that information because the information was stored somewhere else, like inside the brains of other zombies. After all, Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog might not be the only zombie behind the pathogenesis of the Nightmare Illness.

    The atmosphere at the Eastern Statemand center and headquarters boiled from this discovery. No one expected a breakthrough woulde like this.

    ¡°176!¡± Yao Sinian had his people move into action. ¡°Try this as the longitude.¡±

    Even though it was not aplete set of numbers, if this was truly the longitude marker of that small ind, they would be able to narrow it down to a very small part of the map. The emergency unit immediatelybined thistest discovery with the previous northerntitude of 74¡ã31¡ä12¡å. The triangtion put them at a spot near the Chukchi Sea of the Arctic Ocean.

    However, when they turned to the satellite images, they frowned. Phecda had not paid attention to this location before because it was barren. There was no ind, not even a cluster of reefs. asionally, there might be sleets of iceberg during the winter climate. So, how could the mysterious ind be situated there?

    But at the same time, Phecda knew that this could not be a coincidence. A number wouldn¡¯t be hidden inside the brain of a zombie for no reason. If the mysterious ind did exist on Earth, chances were, it was somewhere around that area. The satellite images showed that nothing should exist there, but human knowledge also said that abnormal creatures like zombies should not exist either, so it would behoove them to check everything out.

    With that in mind, Yao Sinian made many calls. After confirming with the headquarters, he sent a group of Phecda¡¯s scouting armada over to the location to investigate. The national satellites, missiles, and aircraft carriers would provide support. This was their chance to stop the spread of Nightmare Illness.

    Back in the morgue, the more Gu Jun studied the number inside the brain and the strange patterns inside the skull, the sharper the jolt of pain in his mind. The umted illusions started to overwhelm him... He heard the whispering of strange voices travelling into his mind, meeping, blibbering...

    It did not sound like any humannguage or the foreignnguage. It was not even the R¡¯ylehnguage. It was thenguage of the zombies.

 Chapter 152: Nan Tang Village from the Past

    <h4>Chapter 152: Nan Tang Vige from the Past</h4>

    ¡°Meeping... Gibbering... Meeping...¡±

    Inside the silent morgue, Gu Jun¡¯s hands pressed heavily against the edge of the autopsy table. A low and strange whispering kept channeling into his mind. It was unclear where it came from, but it was getting louder, like phantoms sharing their conspiracies with him.

    ¡°Leave him.¡± Wu Siyu stopped everyone from approaching Gu Jun. She knew the signs. The illusion wasing. ¡°He needs to do this. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep a close eye on him.¡±

    Thisnguage... appeared to be made up of only two strange words. Like how zero and one could construct anything in coding, the different intonation andbination of these two terms could signify different meanings as well. Gu Jun¡¯s brain was splitting, but he allowed himself to be carried along by the luby of the zombienguage. If not for the rejuvenation provided by the autopsy earlier, he might not have been able to support this illusion. Tuning into the voices, the illusions were slowlying into focus as they threatened to drown him.

    A dark, oppressive sky and bone-chilling wind. Gu Jun felt himself transported into another person¡¯s mind. He looked around and realized he was crouching on top of arge old tree... The moonlight was hazy, casting a weak light on his surroundings. Gu Jun could not tell for sure, but he seemed to notice sporadic squat mud houses down the distance. In any case, there was no building over three stories tall, and there was no concrete building. The houses were constructed from primitive materials. The roofs were made up of either ck roof tiles or dry straw. He was definitely not within the vicinity of urbanization. The roads were equally unkempt, obstructed by overgrown grass and trees. There were no asphalt paths, only muddy tracks. There was no trace of anything modern like electricity poles. The mountain range around him seemed to close in on him.

    As much as things had changed, Gu Jun still managed to identify this ce from its geographical features. He was at... Nan Tang Vige! Or at least Nan Tang Vige several decades ago...

    ¡®Wait, this perspective of mine...¡¯ Something came to him. ¡®Am I inside Chen Shu¡¯s mind?¡¯

    Eighty years ago, Chen Shu was about the age of a teenager. He was hiding in a tree when he spotted a strange ritual being performed at Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family yard...

    ¡®That must be where Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family is situated.¡¯

    Even though the tree had been chopped downter, Gu Jun could still tell the direction since Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family was living at the foot of the mountain. Other than that, the strange voices were alsoing from that same direction. However, Gu Jun had a hard time differentiating whether this was the voices in his mind, or this was the recreation of the ¡®strange mumbling¡¯ mentioned by Chen Shu. In any case, ording to Chen Shu, after he saw the dark shadow, he hid in the tree and turned away from fear.

    Even though Gu Jun could not technically force Chen Shu to turn around, he could at least turn his mind¡¯s eyes toward the direction of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s yard. Gu Jun peered through the gaps in the foliage. He saw that in the plot ofnd that had been levelled centuriester, there were several mud huts and sheds that were built in a circle. There was a sizable yard in the middle. With the candlelight and moonlight, Gu Jun could make out about ten people gathered around the yard. They were mumbling something. One of the gathered figures jumped out at him... It was Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog.

    Surrounded by them was a blurry ck pool of shadow. Gu Jun only took a swift at it before he felt a headache threatening to split open his brain. The shadow did not appear corporeal. It was like a ball floating in the void. It was both real and false. Gu Jun could not help but ask, did it really exist? But Gu Jun could feel the thing sucking in the energy and heat around it.

    ¡°Meeping... Gibbering...¡± Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog and his n continued to chant in that strangenguage. The ck shadow appeared to slowly grow inside...

    Gu Jun felt the chill running down his bones. Chen Shu said that when he returned home the next day, all the livestock in the vige had perished. Was it during this moment that the mental power of the livestock was sucked out of their corporeal bodies? Leaving their empty husks behind? But howe it did not affect any of the vigers?

    Suddenly, the chill reached out to w at Gu Jun¡¯s heart. The intense pain cleared up the darkness of his vision. He saw four figures walking around the muddy tracks around the vige. One of them was Chen Defa. The other three were probably the vigers whose graves were disturbed decadester. They were each holding a long bamboo pole as they walked past each of the vigers¡¯ homes. They would use them to knock on the wooden windows...

    Tap tap tap.

    Soon, the vige roads were filled with many moving figures. They were the vigers. They walked out of their homes expressionlessly. They appeared to be sleep-walking as they followed Chen Defa and the other three. Everyone¡ªbe it the young, the old, the male, the female¡ªwas marching in unison, although plodding would be a more suitable term considering their weak and slow gait...

    The strange voices turned up like they were summoning something. The vige of several hundred people soon gathered around Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s home. They knelt on the ground, and strange moaning came out of their mouths, but Gu Jun was sure it was not the zombienguage. It sounded more like the hoarse braying of the beasts. Chen Defa and the other three walked into the yard. So, it turned out every single viger in Nan Tang Vige had participated in this ritual. They just did not realize it. They had been swindled by illusions. That begged the question, what actually was the venison that they had feasted on?

    Seeing all this, Gu Jun¡¯s headache worsened. It got so serious that the illusions had started to waver. It was also then that he sniffed a certain stench in the air. It was the smell of putrefaction, specificallying from bloated corpses. Butst he checked, there was no sign of those, not in the yard, not in the vige.

    ¡°Meeping... Gibbering...¡± Chen Defa¡¯s group joined Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family and started to chant that strangenguage. Their wrinkled faces had shed their usual senility. Instead, it was reced by a kind of fric madness. They appeared even more fanatic than Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family. The chanting in the yard rose louder and faster until they suddenly stopped all at once. The walking dead of the vigers suddenly whipped their heads around to look at the big tree. Their eyes were ssy and lifeless.

    ¡°You have arrived.¡± They began to speak. The voices of several hundred people mixed into a simple affirmation. It was the same statement that Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog had told him when he found himself on the nightmarish ind. ¡®You have arrived...¡¯

    Suddenly, a jolt of pain gripped Chen Ge¡¯s heart. The illusion before his eyes shattered. He groaned in pain and almost copsed onto the table. Uncle Dan and Cai Zixuan immediately rushed over to catch him. Wang Ruoxiang asked with concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Wu Siyu sighed in relief. She appeared to be unfazed by the way Gu Jun had reacted. ¡°He¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about him.¡±

    Then she went back to her couch and nted herself back down.

    ¡°Just give me some rest, and I¡¯ll be fine...¡± Gu Jun allowed them to carry him to a tall stool while he tried to dissect the illusion that he had seen. While he was catching his breath, a call came into Uncle Dan¡¯smunicator. He answered it, and then his face darkened. He turned to Gu Jun. ¡°Ah Jun, the elder from Nan Tang Vige, Chen Shu, has just passed away.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jun felt his heart squeeze with tension. Even though Chen Shu was already at the advanced age of ny-five, he was still in sound mind and body. He cooperated fully the whole time he was ced at Phecda. Even the people at the Medical Department were impressed by the senior¡¯s health. Some of them even approached him to ask for the secret of his longevity, earning some guffaws from the friendly old man.

    ¡°It happened when you were in the wraps of the illusion,¡± Uncle Dan said sadly. ¡°Chen Shu was suddenly ovee by a hallucination, and he screamed in extreme terror. He kept on repeating the statement, ¡®I didn¡¯t see anything!¡¯ His heart stopped, and they failed to rescue him. It is sad that it had to end like this, but ny-five years should have provided him with a very fulfilling life already...¡±

    Gu Jun took a deep breath silently. He closed his eyes and his brows creased. As darkness enveloped his world. A ball of rage and indignation burned within him.

 Chapter 153: Telomere

    <h4>Chapter 153: Telomere</h4>

    Chen Shu was dead. The general surgeons from the Medical Department had been in surgeries for more than three hours, but they could not save the elder from the touch of death. What did the elder¡¯s repeated wailing of ¡®I didn¡¯t see anything¡¯ mean? And the timing of it was too peculiar. It was too coincidental not to be rted to the illusion that Gu Jun saw. In respect to the elder, Chen Shu, Gu Jun revealed to the others what he had seen in his illusion. The usation hung in the air, but no one dared say it out loud. Perhaps it was the trigger of Gu Jun¡¯s illusion that had killed Chen Shu...

    Elder Tong and Prof Shen tried to lighten the mood, iming that their research into parapsychology was still too shallow to be sure of anything at the moment. They then turned the subject to the content of the illusion itself. The new clue in Gu Jun¡¯s illusion was that all of Nan Tang Vige had participated in that summoning ceremony so many years ago. Some of the children from back then were still alive. How would this affect them and the descendants of the vige?

    Furthermore, they could now basically confirm Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s family was a group of zombies, and the four graves that had been disturbed were their converts. They should have been turned into zombies by now, but other than Chen Defa, the locations of the other three were unknown. While Phecda conducted various investigations with these new clues, the autopsy of Chen Defa¡¯s corpse continued.

    Despite the heavy exhaustion on Gu Jun¡¯s mental power, he only rested for a moment before he picked up the scalpel again. Chen Shu¡¯s death had brought a huge impact on him. Guilt pressed on him, but Gu Jun knew he could not allow it to drag him down. Death was staring at him, but he swore to stare right back; he was not going to back down. If anything, the elder¡¯s death had motivated him, the responsibility propelled him forward. He was not going to allow death to im more innocent lives, not on his watch!

    He had toplete that abyssal mission as soon as possible. Even though the system had given him a time limit of seven days, motivated, he had given himself a new goal. ¡®I will finish it in five days!¡¯

    The first day soon rolled on by. The autopsy group had done the dissection of the zombie¡¯s head and neck. Thepletion progress in Gu Jun¡¯s system showed that they were at eighteen percent.

    ¡®It is not fast enough!¡¯

    Gu Jun had basically moved into the autopsy building, or to be more precise, the resting area just outside the morgue. His daily meals were taken here, and the toilet nearby provided the amenities for his biological needs. He directly slept on the couch in the resting area. He would not hand over the autopsy to the others because the mission only calcted the progress that he was personally involved in. Therefore, he rejected his superiors¡¯ request for a second batch of doctors to help with the autopsy. The reason provided by Gu Jun was that he had the ¡®instinct¡¯ that he needed to do this on his own terms.

    He rested for five hours before he scrubbed up for the second day. Their goal was to dissect the zombie¡¯s body, starting with the chest. The thoracotomy on the zombie was quite difficult because the bone structure had mutated. The twelve pairs of ribs were still there, but the xiphoid process had mutated, forming a sturdy bone that blocked easy ess to the ribcage. This particr mutated bone was dubbed ¡®Mutated Xiphoid¡¯ by Gu Jun, something that he came up on the spot, but the name stuck. In fact, it would continue to be one of the technical terms used to define the zombies. The second day passed with the autopsy around the chest areapleted, and the mission progress had been raised to thirty-eight percent.

    Gu Jun was in a good mental state. The Carlot instruments had helped him maintain as well as expand his mental prowess. But that did not extend to the others in his group. To ensure the quality of the autopsy, Gu Jun eventually had to concede to the suggestion of swapping out members.

    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t do this anymore...¡± Wu Siyu was forced to carry on as long as Gu Jun did. After two days of non-stop working, her eye bags were basically drooping off her face.

    Another person who did not fare much better was Cai Zixuan. Not only were his eyes sunken, his forehead seemed to have widened in size. While they were unwinding in the rxation area, Cai Zixuan sighed. ¡°This is what being a doctor is like. Two years ago, there was foreign research done on it. Saliva samples were taken from hundreds of intern doctors, and it was found out that the shortening speed of their telomere was six times faster than a normal person.¡±

    ¡°Even though I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Wu Siyu replied, ¡°the conclusion I got was you¡¯ll go bald soon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s some research on the senescence of doctorspared to normal citizens,¡± Cai Zixuan exined to her. ¡°Telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome, which protects the end of the chromosome from deterioration or from fusion with neighboring chromosomes. During chromosome replication, the enzymes that duplicate DNA cannot continue their duplication all the way to the end of a chromosome, so in each duplication, the telomere is shortened...¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°The shorter the telomere, the shorter the hair.¡±

    Then she turned her head toward Gu Jun, who was in the middle of digging into a boxed meal. ¡°So, the same applies to him too?¡±

    ¡°Theoretically, yes.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed. ¡°But even bald, Tycoon Jun will be a looker. In any case, as they say, cut the hair to cut the worry, so que sera, sera.¡±

    Wu Siyu¡¯s hands reached involuntarily to her head. ¡®Phew... good, they¡¯re still there.¡¯

    This was one of the few worries that she wouldn¡¯t mind having. Ultimately, DNA varied between people. They were all medical students, but Wang Ruoxiang had luscious hair perfect for shampoomercials, and Gu Jun temporarily still showed no sign of hair loss. But if this continued, no one could be sure how much longer Gu Jun¡¯s telomere could maintain its size.

    From the third day onward, his sleeping hours had dropped down from five hours to three hours. Three hours was definitely not enough for a REM sleep. He had practically entered a fanatic stage. It was an admirable working attitude, but people could not help but worry about his physical health.

    At the headquarters, even the autopsy experts were gging behind Gu Jun. Even though they were just watching, the fatigue was already catching up. But to their surprise, despite the clear signs of tiredness from Gu Jun, he could still maintain a high degree of precision and quality in his work.

    ¡°Get the young man some rest,¡± Xiao Huiwen suggested to the superiors. He did not want Gu Jun to copse once the adrenaline wore off. Many medical practitioners had perished from overworking. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were worried too. The kid was carrying a fatal tumor, so they were sure this was not going to help that situation either. They were concerned that this obsession-like behavior would exacerbate his illness. The tumor might suddenly act up, and Gu Jun would copse on the spot. But during the epidemic, everyone¡¯s life was on the line. There was no rest for the wicked.

    Unfortunately, after the big discovery on the first day, as interesting as the zombie corpse was, there were no new clues to be found. The bones all over its body were covered in that strange carving-like pattern, and with aputer scanningparison, it was found that the pattern did not repeat itself. However, that did nothing to unlock the mystery behind it. At the same time, in the Arctic ocean, the Phecda armada was conducting a search at the coordinates of eastern longitude 176¡ã and northerntitude 74¡ã31¡¯12¡±.

    The members of the Investigation Department hiked on top of a giant iceberg around the area, but they left with nothing. For now, the investigation team had moved their focus to the nearby Wrangel Ind. That was an ind in Russia, so Phecda had approached the Kremlin to mount a joint search. Wrangel Ind was 7,608 cubic kilometers in size; it wasrger than Eastern State and had horrible weather conditions. Even those native to the region stayed away from it. It was basically a giant abandoned ind that was also a nature preservation center. There was no clue on the ind, or at least none that could be found without some extensivebing.

    ¡°Hopefully, Ah Jun will pull through.¡± Yao Sinian anticipated another breakthrough from the morgue. This anticipation was shared by many others. Gu Jun naturally knew about this, and it was why he would not allow himself to rest. In fact, he would have been d that if a day had forty-eight hours for him to work with. After a maddening dissection of the fourth day, he led the team and finished the autopsy of the zombie¡¯s stomach and pelvis. The missionpletion rate had risen to eighty percent.

    On the fifth day, they would advance onto the zombie¡¯s spine andstly its limbs. Over the past few days, Gu Jun did not trigger any new illusions, but he had felt a conspicuous increase in his mental power. It felt more stic, meaning it would recover faster. However, as the autopsy progressed, as he gained more knowledge about the zombie, the less abnormal and unfamiliar it became in Gu Jun¡¯s eyes, and the lighter the sense of rejuvenation.

    As the fifth day drew to an end, the missionpletion rate was slowly rising. When they dissected the zombie¡¯s upper arm, Gu Jun noticed that thepletion rate of the abyssal mission had reached ny-nine percent.

 Chapter 154: Naming Convention

    <h4>Chapter 154: Naming Convention</h4>

    The limb of the zombie was what the headquarters¡¯ experts suggested that they start first, but with Gu Jun¡¯s n, it had be the veryst part. This desated, gnarly arm looked like it was picked up from a body that had died a long time ago. The skin was deeply wrinkled. They sliced through it and did not find the superficial fascia, but the strangest thing was at its bone. The obvious mutated growth and ossification aside, the skin of the fingers on the back of the zombie¡¯s right hand had been peeled off before it found its way into the morgue. In fact, the extensor digitorum of the index finger and other muscles appeared to have fallen off, revealing the phnges underneath.

    First, Gu Jun attempted to use the Carlot Scalpel to remove the mutated fingernail from the finger bed, but the ossified nail was so hard that it wouldn¡¯t budge even from the sharp knife. He tried it again with the dissecting scissors, but it was still to no avail. The nails were so hard that if it was to w the skin of a normal human, it would gouge deep like a hook.

    ¡°Bone shears,¡± he said. Wang Ruoxiang next to him immediately handed him one. Gu Jun used it to give the finger a strong snip. With a click, the mutated fingernail finally came off the hand. He picked it up to study it for a while before concluding, ¡°This cannot be called a fingernail anymore. It is more like a... bone w.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Cai Zixuan nodded. Uncle Dan and the rest were silent.

    The headquarters were listening in. Instantly, thebel ¡®bone w¡¯ appeared on the monitor, and it pointed toward the location of the fingernails on the zombie. Over the past five days, the mutated and abnormal organs all over the zombie had beenbeled with simr medical terminology. Basically all the new terms were all given by Gu Jun,cerating teeth, mutated xiphoid, bone w...

    The uracy of the terms aside, this did cause some bubbling annoyance among Xiao Huiwen and his colleagues. This kind of new discovery was what motivated the passion behind every coroner. Their predecessors like Andreas Vesalius brought anatomy into an actual science through part by part exploration and categorization of the human body. It was the background that contributed to the publication of the most influential book in the history of anatomical science, De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem. And now it was like they were watching another chapter of the field being turned, and the person behind that next big change in this science was Gu Jun. This young man was meant for great things. But that realization came with regret for some because they knew that Gu Jun also suffered from an incurable fatal illness. Geniuses were always taken way before their prime...

    Back in the morgue, Gu Jun ced the bone w away and resumed his dissection of the index finger. Soon, he reached the extensor expansion where he added, ¡°There appears to be a mutation at the dorsal aponeurosis as well. It appears to have ossified and has be much thinner. I believe this is a kind of new mutated tissue... Let¡¯s call it ¡®dorsal mutated membrane¡¯ for now.¡±

    Unbeknownst to Gu Jun, there was no ¡®for now¡¯ in his case. Every newbel that he casually came up with would be recorded in future medical books.

    ¡°Sigh.¡± Xiao Huiwen and He Tao were both anxious and envious. This was also why so many people had requested to move to Eastern State to join in this autopsy.

    Right then, just as Gu Jun removed the dorsal mutated membrane, he sensed something in his mind. It was a pop up message from the system.

    ¡°Abyssal Missionpleted! You havepleted the mission fifty-six hours ahead of the time limit. Completion rating is nine stars (maximum being ten stars). Reward waiting to be retrieved: Unknown. Please click to retrieve your reward.¡±

    ¡®So, it¡¯s finally over...¡¯ Gu Jun instantly felt winded. That was how the human mind worked. The mind closed itself off to fatigue when it was in deep focus, but once the task was done, his whole body felt like keeling over. Weakness bogged down his limbs, and even his heart felt like it was slowing down... ¡®So, the abyssal missiones with its ownpletion review. But I would have thought I¡¯d reached the maximum with the amount of work I¡¯ve put in. Does it expect me to work literally nonstop to reach ten stars?¡¯

    In any case, what was done was done...

    ¡°Urgh.¡± Gu Jun felt a dull pain radiating from his lungs. The breath stuck in his throat, and his right hand that held the scalpel trembled.

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± Wang Ruoxiang was the first to notice the pallor to his face and frowned. ¡°You really need to rest now.¡±

    She had been saying that for a while, but this time, there was an edge to it.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right... I need this rest...¡± Gu Jun attempted a deep breath, but it came up as a horrible-sounding hack.

    ¡°Quick! Get Ah Jun to the chair!¡± Uncle Dan was worried, and others rushed forward to help. They were good enough doctors to tell that everything was eventually going to catch up to Gu Jun. They were really worried that he would have a cardiac arrest, so much so that they already had an emergency team waiting outside the morgue.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just need some rest,¡± Gu Jun said with a puff of his chest and that brought some reassurance. He turned to look at Chen Defa on the autopsy table. It had been hacked into pieces by now. The only parts that were barely recognizable were the limbs. If he had enough time, he would like to finish them, but he had more important things to do now. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you...¡±

    With Uncle Dan watching him closely, Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang supporting him, Gu Jun was escorted out of the morgue, teetering. Wu Siyu climbed up from her perch and followed along silently.

    At the same time, seeing Gu Jun leaving the morgue, the headquarters and Eastern Statemand center were surrounded by an atmosphere of relief and disappointment. Yao Sinian gave a long sigh when he received the news. This meant that the new breakthrough that they were hoping for was not going toe. Even though the autopsy was still ongoing, if Gu Jun felt that his presence was no longer required, it probably meant that the remainder of the corpse would not provide anything important.

    After leaving the morgue, Gu Jun went into the bathroom to take a shower, but even a handful of shampoo would not wash away the horrible stench of the zombie.

    ¡°Reward waiting to be retrieved: Unknown. Please click to retrieve your reward.¡±

    Reading this notification, Gu Jun was both excited and confused. Why would it be such a mystery? He had no idea what would pop out. Perhaps it would be another zombie or a bunch of mutatedb rats returning for revenge. The image of him being torn apart by millions of smallb rats shed across his mind. He shivered and told himself to stop being so paranoid.

    ¡®I need to find a more suitable ce to do this,¡¯ Gu Jun thought. ¡®If it¡¯s going to be the revenge of theb rats... then that¡¯s just karma.¡¯

    He believed the system was merely a manifestation of a mysterious power, so anything was possible. But the fact that the system would not show him the reward at a time like this made him feel the sinister natureing off the system for the first time since he was bonded with it. After changing into fresh clothes, Gu Jun informed his friends, ¡°You guys should go and rest as well. I wish to go and have some alone time.¡±

    ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll return to the dormitory and cook some soup for all of us,¡± Cai Zixuan said with kindness.

    Wu Siyu immediately nodded. ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea.¡±

    Seeing that color had returned to Gu Jun¡¯s face, Wang Ruoxiang had no more concerns. Gu Jun told the same thing to themand central. He wanted to have some private time to clear his mind, indirectly forbidding anyone from following him.

    He left the autopsy building and walked down the paved street. Gu Jun stared at the setting sun, and a breath that he did not know he was holding came out. Perhaps there was more truth to his excuse than he realized. He walked all the way to the edge of the forest that fringed the medical department. He made sure there was no one around. He didn¡¯t want to drag in an innocent should the ¡®reward¡¯ turn out to be something dangerous.

    After everything was set in ce, Gu Jun channeled the system and clicked ¡®retrieve the reward¡¯. His brain was buzzing with a brilliant, consuming light, and a mellifluous voice sang.

    ¡°You have obtained a new ability, Strong Heart!

    ¡°You have obtained a pair of Carlot Dissecting Forceps!

    ¡°You have obtained one ¡®Diary of the Watcher¡¯.

    ¡°You have obtained a letter of correspondence.

    ¡°You have obtained one iplete page from a spell book.¡±

    However, before Gu Jun could explore any of the notification in more details, a wave of vertigo seized him.

 Chapter 155: Reward of Abyssal Mission

    <h4>Chapter 155: Reward of Abyssal Mission</h4>

    Gu Jun could feel light spilling out of his brain. Thankfully, no one was around, or else he¡¯d no idea how to exin why he had be a living torch.

    ¡°Urgh...¡± His heart suddenly started to palpitate as the world spun around him. The darkening sky inversed with the asphalt road, and the trees around him seemed to be moving. His heart squeezed with pain, making it impossible for him to breathe.

    After five consecutive days of endless work, the man¡¯s heart was working overtime. It felt like he was going in for a cardiac arrest.

    Just as Gu Jun was about to topple to the ground, a great wave of energy burst through his heart like a fountain, and blood coursed smoothly through his veins again.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A deep breath travelled down Gu Jun¡¯s nostrils as his heartbeat slowly steadied itself. With every subsequent heartbeat, he could feel his ventricr muscles tightening and strengthening. He could sense the overworked organing back to life. If he did not know any better, Gu Jun could have sworn he had been given a heart transnt on the spot. After the pangs of nausea and heart palpitation receded, Gu Jun finally had the time to look through the reward notifications in more details.

    ¡°You have obtained a new ability, Strong Heart!¡±

    ¡®Strong Heart...? Well, that would exin what happened earlier.¡¯ Gu Jun pressed his hand over his chest. Perhaps it was just confirmation bias, but he could feel his heart beating stronger. ¡®Is it a cellr change, or have I been given an extra aorta?¡¯

    With these questions, he opened the system¡¯s ability window and saw that there was a new ability other than Hands of Dexterity.

    ¡°Strong Heart

    ¡°Rarity: ¡ï¡ï¡ï

    ¡°Maximum Level: 3

    ¡°Current Level: 1 (0/50000 Mastery)

    ¡°Introduction: A strong heart will be able to help no matter the situation that you find yourself in. As a medical practitioner, a strong heart is necessary as you face more unsettling situations and perform higher risk surgeries. Strong Heart is a rather rare ability. At its maximum level, it can provide you with the ability to maintain a steady and calm mind in all sorts of situation. To increase the skill mastery, you have to face challenges that can stimte your heart head on.¡±

    ¡®This is perfect...¡± Reading the details, Gu Jun¡¯s heart raced. ¡®This is an ability that came at the most opportune time!¡¯

    He was reminded of the several times his heart had almost stopped recently. His heart had gone beyond its limits and stressed his physical body greatly due to triggering multiple illusions. They could be drawn down to the same reason; he had exhausted too much mental power in a short amount of time. He understood that gaining ess to and utilizing spells, facing those abnormal and darkness creatures, and getting involved in dangerous incidents would continue to take a toll on his mind and body. He knew that his heart would prove a problem for his continued exploration into the unknown. Gu Jun was hoping his body would adapt to the situation as he slowly ventured into the darkness, and now that hope hade true, albeit not in the way Gu Jun had predicted. He was attempting to ease his body into the darkness slowly and prayed that his physique could adapt to it, but with this ability, he could now embrace the darkness easier and quicker.

    ¡°A strong heart.¡± Gu Jun was overjoyed. The naming was a bit on the nose, but it did not take away from its usefulness. As long as the heart would not go into cardiac arrest when he triggered an illusion, encountered anomalies, or casting spells, then it could be named a determined heart, a super human, a thumbs up heart for all he cared.

    Gu Jun was itching to give the ability a try, so much so that he had forgotten how drained he was when he dragged himself out of the autopsy building. But since there was nothing sitting around that could figuratively ¡®shock¡¯ his heart, he moved onto studying something else about the ability details. He remembered to increase the level of Hands of Dexterity from one to two. It only required five thousand mastery, and from level two to three, it required 30,000 mastery. But to increase the level of Strong Heart from one to two required 50,000 mastery points. The requirement was about ten times that of the Hands of Dexterity.

    Gu Jun opened and closed his fingers. Even though the system had pointed out that the Hands of Dexterity had reached the maximum level, Gu Jun felt like there were still ways for him to improve it. That was because after the long autopsy, he felt like he had a clearer mastery of his hands.

    ¡°Oh well, so be it.¡± He chuckled self-deprecatingly. He was like a walking ma for the ult and unknown. He was sure challenges to his heart woulde even if he tried to avoid them. After studying the new ability, Gu Jun continued to ess the other mission reward. ¡®Looks like the system is still on my side.¡¯

    He now realized how ludicrous it was to think the system would orchestra a revenge of theb rats.

    He could feel another instrument appearing in his pocket. He reached in to touch it. It was dissecting forceps with a clear Carlot design. Every instrument was important in the process of autopsy. Some procedures needed to be done with forceps, so this was a good thing. On top of that, this might help him trigger a new illusion.

    Butpared to these two rewards, the other three proved more difficult toprehend to Gu Jun. They were all immaterial and only existed in his mind. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He could see the three new objects floating in his mind alongside Landon¡¯s blueprints and Raybundy¡¯s three diary pages. The new objects were respectively a diary, a letter, and an iplete spell book page.

    At first nce, the diary appeared rather thin but well kept. The cover had some patterns that were reminiscent of the foreign civilization¡¯s aesthetic. The letter was ced inside a parchment envelope. The handwriting had be quite blurry. The parchment spell page... When Gu Jun turned his eyes to this, his heart started to race. If not for the Strong Heart, he would have needed emergency resuscitation right about now.

    The word of ruination technically could not be counted as a spell, and the spell that summoned the Malformed Banyan Disease was formed in darkness and did note with a manual, so what Gu Jun needed now was the knowledge on how to cast spells. And now, there was a page from a spell book sitting before him!

    Even though it was iplete, it should be able to provide him with information that he desperately needed. This would help aid in the situation where their enemies were more familiar with the spells than they were.

    However, Gu Jun was the kind of person who would save the dessert forst. He was the kind to go for the bitter before the sweet. So, in his usual manner, he turned toward the diary and the letter. With amand in his mind, the diary instantly pulled near to him, and the pages turned on their own.

    ¡®The watcher? What does that mean? Is it a kind of upation?¡¯ Gu Jun gave it a quick skim. The diary was about two hundred pages long, but only fifty pages were filled. The others were nk yellowed pages. He noticed that all fifty pages were all written in the foreignnguage, undeniable proof that this was a diary from the foreign world. He turned back to the first page but failed to find the name of the owner.

    Gu Jun moved to a rtively clean spot down a nearby tree. He sat down and started to go through the diary.

    ¡°Today is the first day I reported to my post as a watcher. I was responsible for the night shift. Each infected home was assigned two watchers, one in the day and the other at night. I have great dissatisfaction about this because I know that is far from enough. If something happens, a single person is definitely not enough to handle it. But I know the watchers are stretched thin as it is. There are too many infected families... Regardless, the greatest question on everyone¡¯s mind is how and when this epidemic that could turn a normal human into zombies invaded a small town like ours.¡±

 Chapter 156: The Watcherâ€™s Diary

    <h4>Chapter 156: The Watcher¡¯s Diary</h4>

    ¡®An epidemic that can turn normal humans into zombies?¡¯

    The first page of the diary had already provided Gu Jun with a huge surprise.

    ¡®There have been records of zombies in the foreign civilization, and there was an epidemic behind it?¡¯

    Naturally, the term ¡®zombies¡¯ had a different trantion in the foreignnguage, but Gu Jun understood it clearly. In the foreignnguage, the word zombie had two morphemes¡ªone meaning flesh-eating, the other monster. ¡®Flesh-eating¡¯ also carried the connotation of ¡®necrophiliac¡¯ and ¡®body-snatcher¡¯ in the foreignnguage. Other than that, there were many terms that had the meaning of ¡®monsters¡¯ in the foreignnguage, and each of them had a different connotation depending on the type of monster. The one affixed to the term ¡®zombies¡¯ meant one that had ¡®long ws and sharp teeth¡¯. It was normally associated with beasts. However, the morpheme used to describe the Necro-skins had the meaning of ¡®horrifying subject¡¯.

    ¡®Long ws and sharp teeth...¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of Chen Defa lying in the morgue. They seemed to refer to the same species. Language was used tomunicate information, both directly and indirectly. For example, from this watcher¡¯s diary, Gu Jun could glean that zombies were less terrifying than the Necro-skins in the eyes of the people from the foreign civilization. At least when this diary was written, the zombies were only associated with wild beasts.

    ¡®Is this why the watchers were ced before the infected homes? They believed the epidemic could be contained that way?¡¯

    These thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind before he moved onto other questions.

    ¡®When did the zombie epidemic happen? Before, at the same time as, or after the hemoptysis?¡¯

    The diary did not have a clear date, but then again, even if it did, Gu Jun doubted he could understand it. The material of the diary itself was of no help; it was made of the same material as Raybundy¡¯s diary and had the same yellowed coloring.

    ¡®Maybe the diary entry will extrapte further on this.¡¯ With these questions, Gu Jun continued to read.

    ¡°The epidemic came from Laken City, and it carried with it some horrifying rumors. The first infected patient was confirmed about three months ago when they showed clear signs of zombification. Two weeks after that, more than five thousand people at Laken were infected. ording to rumors, arge grave was dug outside the city wall. The grave went so deep that it prated the underground current. The bodies of the victims were supposedly all dumped down this hole.

    ¡°When they dug the first grave, they believed it wasrge enough to sustain them through the epidemic, but in less than a month, several more simr graves appeared outside Laken. Everyone that came from Laken had to be seriously inspected before they were allowed in other cities. In fact, our small town had a gravedigger that came from Laken. The first ce he visited was Ol¡¯ Wales¡¯ tavern. He had tales to be shared, and after some drinks, he revealed that it was not only the dead that were deposited inside the graves. Some of them were infected patients with much humanity left in them, but they were not spared the fate of the detestable death either.

    ¡°ording to the gravedigger, before they were tossed in, some were pleading and crying, and others were shouting and cursing. The worst were the ones who did not resist. It was like they had been enraptured by something else. Without being pushed, they voluntarily jumped into the open grave while chanting some kind of weirdnguage. Before theynded on the ground, their souls had already left their bodies.

    ¡°The description chilled the tavern patrons to the bone. Was there no other solution?¡±

    ¡°To which the gravedigger answered, ¡®You have to understand that this is to control the epidemic, and it is one approved by the group of Carlot doctors, so what better solution could there be?¡¯

    ¡°That came as another horrifying surprise to the vigers. To think that the respected Carlot doctors wouldmit to something as inhuman as this. It was no surprise that many of the drinkers responded badly to this revtion. They imed that it was fake news, and the alcohol had gotten to the gravedigger¡¯s head. We have too much respect for the Carlot doctors to have their name ndered like that. Some even got into physical altercation with the gravedigger because of it. The guards were summoned and hauled the arguing parties out of the tavern.

    ¡°Eventually, the event settled down, and lives carried on as usual. Our little town of Warsong is quite a distance away from Laken and the rest of the civilized world, in fact. This kind of istion helped prevent the town from being noticed by the world atrge. None of the events, good or bad, had reached our little hovel before. Warsong Town had no Carlot doctors and no gue. All we had were a bunch of farmers.

    ¡°Or so we thought half a month ago, but now I am guarding the house of Mr. Chandler. The epidemic came so suddenly. It was just like how it was rumored to start at Laken. There was a strange incident that happened one night half a month ago. Many vigers reported to have experienced the same nightmare. After they woke, they all suffered from the same symptoms.¡±

    ¡®Nightmares...¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s brows were hiked high. The method of transmission was simr; it was also through a nightmare. The other simrities included the fact that the illness would rapidly mutate the patient¡¯s body, and it was also deeply connected to the zombies.

    ¡°The mutation from human to zombie happened very quickly. It was as if the body was mutating every single second. ording to rumors, the whole mutation takes half a month toplete. Our small town has been ravaged by the epidemic for half a month already, but I have no idea what is happening inside the house that I am guarding. After the patients were confirmed to be infected, they were homebound. We feed them daily, and any kind of interaction is forbidden.

    ¡°The patients were isted like this because the orders given by Carlot stated that close proximity between the patients would elerate their mutation. It was because of the corruption to their mind that elicited the mutation in their body. If they were allowed to gather and form a closer mental bond, it would cause unimaginable tragedy.

    ¡°This morning, the mayor led a bunch of people to start the progress of digging graves outside the town. Everyone was already preparing for the worst.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled after he finished reading the first entry. It was the same Nightmare Illness for they shared the same pathology. Currently, Phecda had gathered all the patients together for convenient management and treatment, but ording to this diary, that was the wrong thing to do... This would exin why even if they had cured the existing patients, the illness was still spreading.

    ¡°I need to give this information to Phecda so that the patients are isted.¡± Gu Jun was worried. This now concerned more than just the patients. ording to the diary, if the patients were allowed to gather and form a closer mental bond, it would cause unimaginable tragedy. Gu Jun had no intention of knowing what that ¡®unimaginable tragedy¡¯ would be. Then again, how authentic was the information from this diary. How could Gu Jun be sure that the solution provided by the Carlot doctors was the best? He decided to read the diary further before calling Commander Yao.

    Gu Jun read faster, but he did not miss any details. As he read, his mind was also analyzing the information. He believed this epidemic urred before the hemoptysis based on the respect the watcher still had for the Carlot Doctors. Even though the zombie epidemic was spreading, the people still had great hope in the Carlot doctors. Even though the diary recorded many deaths, there was no despair between the lines. The hope represented by the Carlot doctors was shining through.

    The watcher was assigned to Mr. Chandler¡¯s home. Mr. Chandler was a young man that came from the few affluent families in town. In fact, he was given the chance to apply to Carlot Academy to be a doctor, but Mr. Chandler never did leave Warsong. No one knew why and eventually chalked it up to ack of ambition. After all, he could enjoy a life of luxury with the inheritance left behind by his ancestors.

    But now, in therge manor, all the servants had been ordered away, and the spacious house became a prison for Mr. Chandler alone.

    And the next diary entry recorded the ¡®incident¡¯ that happened that night.

 Chapter 157: Mr. Chandler

    <h4>Chapter 157: Mr. Chandler</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The watcher had mostly night shifts, and he could often hear some weird noisesing from inside the mansion. At midnight, he could see a figure standing behind the curtained window on the second floor, and they would stay there until dawn. But that night, things were curiously different.

    ¡°The sky on that night was particrly dark. Even after night fell, the howling of the wind had never stopped. Like usual, I set up my post not far from the house and would asionally turn to see Mr. Chandler standing behind the window at the second floor. But that night, the mansion doors were pushed open, and it was Mr. Chandler who walked out. As my eyes flitted upward, I noticed the figure whom I thought to be Mr. Chandler was still standing there... But that was impossible. Half a month ago, the guards had swept the entire mansion. There shouldn¡¯t be any other person in the house other than Mr. Chandler himself.

    ¡°In my panic, I shouted at Mr. Chandler to return to his home, but thetter only told me kindly, ¡®My friend, I have no need for a watcher. I am not sick.¡¯

    ¡°To be fair, Mr. Chandler did not look like the picture of madness that the others had painted of a zombie. Yes, he looked rather abnormal, but he was still the perfect gentleman that I remembered. In fact, his demeanor made me feel at ease. Mr. Chandler continued, ¡®As long as you have visited that ce, you will understand what I mean.¡¯

    ¡°As curious as I was and as much respect as I had for Mr. Chandler, I did not forget about my responsibility. Therefore, I advised him to return. I said, ¡®Mr. Chandler, it is wonderful to know that you are in such a permissible state. I am d. Hope will be arriving soon. The Carlot Doctors should be arriving in a few more days.¡¯

    ¡°I remembered this very statement incredibly well because what happened next changed all of Warsong Vige. ¡®Even Carlot Doctors have their limitations.¡¯ Mr. Chandler chuckled like he had heard a well-intentioned joke. ¡®While I can ess locales that they can never even imagine.¡¯¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart shivered when he reached this part of the diary because he had heard something of the same effect mentioned somewhere else. Yes, it was inside the cavern with Chen Defa.

    ¡®You call us zombies, creatures of the dead, but only we can ess the ce that you living fools cannot even imagine...¡¯

    Gu Jun frowned, this Chandler was from the foreign civilization, and Chen Defa was from Earth. It was certain that they had not interacted before. The only possible link between them was that they were both zombies. It appeared like this thought of ¡®their ability to venture to somewhere others could not¡¯ was something shared by the zombie species. Gu Jun wondered why that was.

    ¡°The question was out of my mouth before I knew it. ¡®What do you mean?¡¯ The question had sucked me into a rabbit hole.

    ¡°¡®Somewhere that speaks of a bigger truth,¡¯ Mr. Chandler replied. ¡®A ce that you know was there but cannot find, much less enter¡¯.¡±

    Gu Jun was instantly reminded of the abandoned ind that Phecda was searching for. They had the coordinates, but there was nothing there. Whether the ind really existed hade into question at the headquarters...

    Gu Jun turned to the setting sun and let out a light breath before he continued on with the reading.

    At the time, Mr. Chandler did not provide any more exploration but invited the watcher into the manor to see for himself. However, the watcher rejected his offer firmly, and as a perfect gentleman, Mr. Chandler smiled and returned to his house. After some time, the sound of wailing appeared, and it became louder and louder. It sent the whole vige into a state of panic. It was not a pack of wolves that descended upon them but a cluster of winged creatures that looked like giant bats. They swooped down on the townspeople and carried away any living things. About ny percent of the watchers had disappeared that night. Before this sudden threat, the owner of the diary had no choice but to seek refuge inside Mr. Chandler¡¯s mansion. It was from this entry onward that Gu Jun could sense the madness creeping in between the lines.

    ¡®His mental state has been influenced,¡¯ Gu Jun thought to himself. The diary was writtenter. It recorded what had happened to the watcher during that night. Gu Jun could read the state that the watcher was in¡ªthe panic, the curiosity, the confusion...

    While the small town was flooded by horror and darkness, Mr. Chandler invited the watcher to join him for tea and implored him to go on a tour of his gallery.

    ¡°Mr. Chandler¡¯s gallery was situated on the second floor. As the doors opened, I was assaulted by a very strange smell. I could not recognize it, but it was definitely not the smell of a dead body. As if hypnotized, I followed him into the gallery and saw things that could send a shiver down my spine just thinking about it.

    ¡°The gallery was filled with many different kinds of human anatomical specimens. They were all well-preserved bodies. There were young men in their prime, children and toddlers, seniors in their twilight years. It was clear that they were well taken care of. They wore beautiful clothes and had smiling faces, but I did notice that the smiles were stitched onto their faces. They stared at me as if alive. I swore I could even hear them whispering to me...

    ¡°I have no idea where Mr. Chandler found these bodies, and to be honest, I did not dare ask, afraid that I might end up with the same fate as them. ¡®This is my beloved collection,¡¯ Mr. Chandler said over the sip of flowery tea. ¡®They are the ones who have helped me approach the greater truth.¡¯

    ¡°I realized then how demented this perfect gentleman before me was. He had probably fallen for the calling of some strange cult, and he might well be responsible for the epidemic that had spread to this town.¡¯

    Gu Jun sharpened his focus. It was clear that this Mr. Chandler was not a normal zombie. Perhaps it was the same for Ol Uncle Dog.

    Then the watcher continued the tour of the mansion with his heart in his throat. He did not encounter the figure that was standing on the second floor, and he had no idea how those bodies in the gallery were not discovered in the guards¡¯ previous search. As dawn arrived, the watcher scrambled out of the manor in search of help, and the entries from then on became more erratic and difficult toprehend.

    Arge number of watchers and vigers had gone missing, leaving the guards in a tough spot. To make things worse, without the watchers, all the infected patients rushed out of their confinement as if orchestrated. Even Mr. Chandler had been reported to have fled his manor.

    It was then that some Carlot Doctors finally arrived at this small town, but the solution that they provided was still to capture and bury the patients. Instead of curing the victims, it was more like they just wanted to sweep the problem under the rug. This angered and disappointed the owner of the diary, and it pushed him further over the edge.

    ¡°So, these are the great and wonderful Carlot Doctors? Their solution is to keep a blind eye to everything? Could Mr. Chandler be right? Our minds are currently too dumb to see the truth?¡±

    That night, the watcher had the same nightmare that marked the would-be zombies. As a watcher, he knew his eventual fate if he stayed back at the town, so early the next morning, he escaped toward the forest outside the vige. But inside the dark and uninhabited forest, he lost his way. Hunger and pain crushed both his body and soul. Death then appeared like salvation.

    ¡°ording to Mr. Chandler, a door has already been built here. I will attempt to use the method taught to me by Mr. Chandler to open that door and enter that ce.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyebrows rose, this came as quite a surprise. The earlier entries did not mention anything like this. Mr. Chandler had imparted some knowledge to the watcher, something that would exin the way to enter the ce that seemed like a dream, illusion, or twisted dimension. That was valuable information.

    Gu Jun flipped through the diary. Thest entry appeared to borate on this.

    ¡°I am ready to give it a try. I can only hope that I wake up in a good dream.¡±

 Chapter 158: Dream World and Waking World

    <h4>Chapter 158: Dream World and Waking World</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    By then, the sun had set, and night wasing. Gu Jun turned to the final entry on the watcher¡¯s diary. Beyond that were 150 nk pages.

    ¡°ording to Mr. Chandler, beyond the threshold there is another world. Normally, when a person goes to sleep every night, their mind will wander between that world and the waking world. They might asionally nce through the gap, but they will soon forget all about it after they wake up. As they grow older, as the weight of the waking world presses down on them, their ability to see through the gap will gradually disappear. This means that it is easiest for children to enter that world, and in fact, they can identally wander into it. This is because children still have the simplest and clearest mental state.

    ¡°Perhaps you have heard from someone or another that they entered a mirrored world or a crooked world when they were young. That was the world of truth speaking to them.

    ¡°But it is different for the ¡®zombies¡¯... Not only have their physical bodies changed, their minds have as well. No matter their age, zombies gain the power to cross in and out of that world freely. ¡®Those people you call patients jumping into the mass grave, that was one of the methods of travelling into the other world,¡¯ I remember Mr. Chandler saying. ¡®Their minds have traversed through the threshold and reached their destination.¡¯¡±

    At this point, a connection was made in his mind. He turned back to a few pages earlier and found the quote he was looking for. ¡®The worst were the ones who did not resist. It was like they had been enraptured by something else. Without being pushed, they voluntarily jumped into the open grave while chanting some kind of weirdnguage.¡¯ ording to the description in the diary, the grave was dug incredibly deep, it could fit more than several thousand people so the depth should be more than twenty meters tall...

    Jumping down from the surface into the hole... didn¡¯t that match the patients of Nightmare Illness¡¯ desire tomit suicide through jumping from high ground?

    ¡°Those are not simple suicide attempts.¡±

    It then dawned on Gu Jun. Even though the victims of Nightmare Illness on Earth did not transmute instantly into zombies, they met the same end. Their mind or soul would travel or get sucked into ¡®that world¡¯. That was the reason their dead bodies were nothing but empty shells. Then there was that incident with Chen Defa... When the old man knew he was cornered, Gu Jun could feel the zombie¡¯s soul relinquishing its corporeal body. Did that mean that Chen Defa had returned to that world as well?

    The realization that zombies had the ability to cross between these two worlds freely was not aforting thought.

    And why the specific mention of children? Gu Jun was reminded of the ESP children controlled by the R¡¯yleh Cult. If memory served him right, there were at most thirty children in that ssroom that tortured Elder Tong, but Guang Ting City reported missing cases upward of more than three hundred children and toddlers, so where were the rest?

    ¡®I am not a zombie, do not suffer from Nightmare Illness, and have long past the age of childhood, so how am I going to reach this ce?¡¯

    This question formed in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Without realizing it, that question cemented a temporary bond between Gu Jun and the owner of the diary. That was because the watcher had asked the very same question of Mr. Chandler when he was inside his mansion. Images swam before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. He was given glimpses of a dark and damp manor, and there was a conversation going on.

    ¡°¡®Dreams are not the only way to reach that world,¡¯ Mr. Chandler said. ¡®I have used other methods to travel there a few times. There are unique locales in the waking world where the connection is strong to the other world. If you can sense that connection and are within its proximity, you can use a special spell to materialize and open the door. But this kind of channel is extremely unstable and will notst for long. Some might cross it identally while others will never find it even if they have been searching for it all their life. At the end of the day, dream is the best channel because even if something bad happens to you in the other world. You can just wake up from it, and it¡¯ll be nothing more than a nightmare.¡¯

    ¡°Mr. Chandler handed me a spell scroll. ¡®If you fail to dream your way there, use this spell. But if you travel there through this method, your mind and body will perish should you happen to die there. It is a glorious world, but gloryes with its risks. This scroll will only work once, and it is a one-way ticket. Furthermore, the door might not open for you. But should you be one of the chosen ones, heed this advice¡ªdo worry about bringing anything with you. You won¡¯t want for anything there.¡¯

    ¡°It would be false to say that I was not curious, but fear and confusion prompted me to ask, ¡®Mr. Chandler, why are you telling me all this?¡¯

    ¡°Mr. Chandler smiled that gentlemanly smile of his, and he responded kindly, ¡®You have guarded me for half a month now. Consider this payment for your service¡¯.¡±

    The illusion ended as suddenly as it came. Gu Jun sucked in a deep breath. He could feel his heart wrench, but it was not as painful as before. He felt his body returning to normal after a few deep breaths. That probably had to do with his newly acquired ability and the fact that the illusion wasn¡¯t that intense or long.

    ¡®Spell?¡¯ He looked at the sky that was turning dark. The watcher of the diary had ultimately zombified, and he dreamed his way into the other world, so that meant that the spell scroll was left unused at the time.

    Gu Jun flipped through the diary page by page, but he did not find the thing he was looking for. As he sighed in frustration and mmed the diary shut, he realized the diary had a leather cover.

    ¡®No way...¡¯

    With a burst of inspiration, he tried to shrug the cover off. Sewn inside the leather was a yellowed parchment. The parchment was filled with iprehensible characters. It was not a part of the foreignnguage, but Gu Jun did know what kind ofnguage they were. There were the same letters on Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s tombstone, thenguage of the zombies.

    ¡®This spell exists in my consciousness technically. Does that mean I can use it? Will it help me open the door that will lead me to that abandoned ind?¡¯

    Gu Jun was both excited and befuddled by this surprising discovery. There were still too many things to sort out, but at least things were progressing!

    With the diary finished, Gu Jun turned his attention to the next reward, the letter. The handwriting on the envelope was rather blurry, but it was still legible. The envelope had no mailing address, but the sender was signed ¡®Old Friend¡¯, and the receiver was someone named ¡®Percy Chandler¡¯. He opened the envelope, and there was only a single page inside. The content was equally sinct.

    ¡°There has been a breakthrough with the Substitute Somatic Experiment. This epidemic has provided us with the materials and opportunity that we need.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned deeply. From this correspondence, one could tell that this Mr. Chandler belonged to a secret organization, but what was this Substitute Somatic Experiment? For some reason, Gu Jun was reminded of the Necro-skins, namely the difference in their intellect between the ones recorded in Raybundy¡¯s diary and the ones in Phecda¡¯s records. Since he knew that these zombies had an ability simr to spectral projection, it would not be that much of a stretch to imagine them possessing another corporeal body. So, if a Necro-skin was actually inhabited by the mind of a zombie, then...

    At any rate, the ¡®epidemic¡¯ mentioned in the letter should refer to the zombie disease. After all, the Necro-skins and hemoptysis only ravaged the foreign civilization muchter.

    Back on Earth, the Necro-skins found so far were only slightly cleverer than wild beasts. Was the organization behind them conducting this Substitute Somatic Experiment as well? In any case, whatever this experiment was, it was heavily linked to the Nightmare Illness and the zombies. Was the spread of Nightmare Illness a necessary step in this experiment?

    The more Gu Jun thought about it, the colder his heart felt. In the shadows, so many things had been progressing without the world¡¯s knowledge. He read the letter again and again to try to trigger an illusion, but nothing came to him. Something was not right...

    With a defeated sigh, Gu Jun turned his attention to the spell. He could now confirm that the foreign civilization was one well-versed in spells and magic, or at least all the Carlot Doctors knew how to utilize spells. The page was made with the same parchment that had the Malformed Banyan Disease. Even though the edges were missing, it still carried tons of information. In fact, some ant-like handwriting filled up the margin.

    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Gu Jun had a sudden realization. The handwriting in the margins was Landon¡¯s! This page appeared toe from the spell book that Landon had studied from. Gu Jun turned to the handwritten note at the top of the page.

    ¡°Words and letters themselves carry no power. One could write down a whole string of spells on the wall inside the toilet, and it would do nothing but provide a distraction for the people while they were on the loo. If no power¡¯s applied when the spell¡¯s written down, then it will have no power when triggered, so they are nothing more than words, words that do not look aesthetically pleasing if I do say so myself.¡±

 Chapter 159: Every Spell Comes with a Price

    <h4>Chapter 159: Every Spell Comes with a Price</h4>

    Gu Jun had already arrived at his own understanding of the foreign spells on his own. This note written by Landon was one of them. The obvious example was the spell on the high wall inside the abnormal space. While Phecda was still scouting out the ce, they failed to photograph, draw, print, or even memorize the spell because it was imbued with power when it was written down. But if Gu Jun, Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, or anyone else was asked to write down the same Mad Arab¡¯s poem, their creation would not pose the same problem.

    ¡°It is because we do not possess the ability to turn those words into actual spells,¡± Gu Jun concluded. ¡°Just like what Landon said, without their inherent power, they are just some ugly wiggles.¡±

    In the same manner, for the spell that Mr. Chandler had gifted the watcher, it was more than just a scrap of the zombienguage. For those who did not understand the power of the spell, even if they got their hands on the scroll and photocopied it a gazillion times, they would have only ended up wasting paper because none would be effective other than the original one.

    Landon¡¯s note also provided this little nugget of knowledge. ¡°One needs power not only when writing down the spell but also when casting it.¡± That would exin why only Gu Jun could trigger the spell because he was the only one who could sense the power within the spell.

    With this note in mind, Gu Jun read through the spell page from start to finish. He was hungry for information, but he also realized how ludicrous it was. Magic and spells were the antithesis of science, the foundation of modern medicine, but in the foreign world, it appeared like one had to be a master of both to be a good doctor. That was such a great contradiction. At any rate, after finishing the whole page, Gu Jun could surmise that this was taken from the starting pages of the book. It was a summary of the foreign civilization¡¯s knowledge of spells.

    ¡°Mental state...¡± Gu Jun focused on a particr section, the rtionship between spells and the caster¡¯s mental state. One¡¯s mental state had a huge influence on spells. The sharper and more focused the user was, the greater the effect of their spell. Therefore, the training of one¡¯s mind, through cleansing and meditation, was extremely important. Unfortunately, the page did not go into details of the training, but it went straight onto the next section, which was headed by ¡®Sacrifice¡¯. One particr paragraph stood out:

    ¡®Humanity is built on the foundation ofmon power, so when amon individual obtains umon powers, they will be something else, moving further and further from the beauty and ugliness thatprise humanity. Anyone whoes into contact with spells will be forever changed by it.¡¯

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun allowed this ominous-sounding paragraph to percte in his mind. It appeared to have a much deeper implication behind it... ¡®Humanity and divinity... The various concepts and perspectives that make up humanity, are they derived frommon, everyday sources?¡¯

    Gu Jun read on to find more rification. He realized the people of the foreign civilization held this perception.

    ¡®Interacting with any kind of spell, even the ones that were to draw from the power of the Goddess of Life, would damage one¡¯s mental state because one would be utilizing power that did not belong to humanity. It was a deviation from human nature. It was one of the main reasons Carlot Doctors were so respected by the people. Yes, they were life savers, but they were also technically sacrificing themselves to save others. This was because using spells would change and sometimes corrupt the user¡¯s mental state. To put it through Phecda¡¯s review system, utilization of spells would manifest in the dropping of one¡¯s S Value and personality change.

    ¡®Using abnormal poweres with its price. It is imperative for Carlot Doctors to understand that they are sacrificing themselves for the betterment of others.¡¯

    ¡°Sacrifice...¡± Gu Jun grumbled. He had almost died in the few times he had forced himself to use spells, so that was not a coincidence at all. It was not something that was unique to him. It appeared like the spell exhaustion would affect everyone, be it Gu Jun, the people from Lai Sheng Company, the R¡¯yleh Cult, and even zombies like Chen Defa. Every time they utilized these spells, regardless of the spell¡¯s effect or intention, it would be considered a ¡®sacrifice¡¯ because they were calling upon power beyond their capability. The normal sacrifice was the caster¡¯s own mental and physical health, but there were asions where other things could be used as sacrifice.

    Therefore, it was stressed again and again that one should not use spells pointlessly after learning them, thinking that the aftereffect could be cured with a good sleep. The idea that a spell could cure all types of illness was also a myth. Such a powerful spell did not exist. A Carlot Doctor should not believe in such hogwash and understand that every instance of spell casting was something momentous. However, the most important belief that every Carlot Doctor should follow was to not use others as sacrifices; the sacrifice shoulde from themself.

    At this part, Landon added a note. ¡®How I wish I could serve Mr. Orlem as a sacrifice, but knowing how cantankerous the man is, probably even the Goddess of Life will not im him as a sacrifice.¡¯

    Gu Jun believed that when Landon wrote this, the epidemic that threatened their world had not exploded. The Son of Steel was still a student at Carlot Academy, a troublemaker from the sound of it...

    But there were several other lines beneath this inferential one. Each line was written at a different time based on the difference in handwriting. In other words, Landon did not write down the following in one go but kept returning to add to it.

    ¡®How many more sacrifices do we need? Have we not sacrificed enough?

    ¡®Sacrifice, sacrifice.

    ¡®If I could take back everything...

    ¡®I have no idea whether this has meaning to it or not.¡¯

    The closer it got to the end, the more haphazard the handwriting became and the deeper the emotion of darkness. They had likely been written after the advent of hemoptysis...

    What was ¡®this¡¯ in thest sentence? Gu Jun could feel the struggle between the lines, the struggle that came from a brief moment of hope. What had happened to Landon after his encounter with the Necro-skins? Was his suicide a form of sacrifice as well?

    Gu Jun took a step back and read through Landon¡¯s notes in the margin again. The change between them was startling. From the initial jokey tone to the words that sounded like they woulde right out of the mind of a doomsday prophet. It was clear that something instrumental had changed within Landon.

    ¡°Landon, have you forgotten that increased interaction with power of the beyond will drag you further away from humanity?¡± Gu Jun sighed.

    The page did not appear to be that short, but it ended after the section on sacrifice. Even though there were still many questions, this basic understanding of spells did clear up Gu Jun¡¯s mind somewhat. It felt like he had gone through another session of rejuvenation; he felt quite refreshed. He reminded himself to share this information with Elder Tong and the others when they met up next time. Now, when he cast the spell from R¡¯yleh, it should have a stronger effect, but did that also mean that it would cause a greater bacsh to him?

    ¡°Looks like I need to focus on training Strong Heart, or else I might really die from this. By expanding my maximum mental power, I will have a greater store of energy to sacrifice.¡± With that in mind, Gu Jun made a decision. ¡°I still need to figure out a way to trigger the illusion within the parchment of the zombie spell, it should provide me with more information.¡±

    But there was something else that needed his greater attention now. Gu Jun stood up from the ground and headed back to the Autopsy Building. On his way there, he took out his phone to call Commander Yao. By revealing part of the information within the watcher¡¯s diary, Gu Jun requested the patients of Nightmare Illness to be sequestered from each other.

    ¡°Ah Jun, are you sure about this?¡± Hesitation was clear in Yao Sinian¡¯s reply. There were hundreds of patients at Eastern State¡¯s Phecda Division. Practically every Phecda member would have to be mobilized if the patients were to be moved into isted rooms.

    ¡°Commander Yao, I cannot be surer. This is something that we need to do to curb the spread of the illness,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. He knew they were horribly understaffed at this division, and things were spiraling out of control fast, but he needed to do everything he could to prevent that ¡®unimaginable tragedy¡¯ from urring.

    The lobotomies did not really solve the problem. From Gu Jun¡¯s point of view, the only way to do that was to target the Nightmare Illness at its source. And to aplish that, one had to enter the other world so that all the mysteries surrounding it could be resolved.

    ¡°Send me over to the Arctic Sea,¡± Gu Jun added. ¡°There might be a door there that is connected to another world. I might be able to find and open it.¡±

    Gu Jun could not travel there through the dream, so his only hope was that parchment of zombie spell.

 Chapter 160: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 160: Departure</h4>

    The walls were pale, and the silence was palpable in the air. In his patient¡¯s garb, Elder Qin was deposited on the sickbed. Gu Jun hade to say goodbye before departing on his next mission. After the proposal was made the night before, Phecda had agreed to it after some internal discussion. A team of five, including Gu Jun, would head toward Wrangel Ind to join up with the rest. Their ne would be leaving that afternoon.

    ¡°Ah Jun...¡± Elder Qin breathed out his name. This time, he managed to recognize Gu Jun. After the lobotomy, he seemed to be taken over by dullness and emptiness. His memory had greatly deteriorated and he would be found staring at nothingness most of the time. He also showcased many symptoms of MSA. Compared to the weeks right after the surgery, his eyes had gotten brighter, but it did nothing to take away the nkness around his general feature.

    ¡°Elder Qin.¡± Gu Jun ced thermos that he brought on the bedside table. ¡°I brought some Ling Nan Soup for you. Cai Zixuan cooked it himself.¡±

    Some of the patients had shown signs of recovery after their lobotomies. Gu Jun hoped that was the case with his respected teacher as well.

    ¡°Cai Zixuan...¡± Elder Qin¡¯s face scrunched up with difficulty. It appeared like he was trying hard to fetch the name from the swirl of his confused mind. ¡°He is...¡±

    ¡°He is also from our Medical Department, he joined Phecda the same time as I did.¡± Gu Jun choked back a sigh. Elder Qin was famed for his ability to remember everyone¡¯s name even after just one encounter, but now... Gu Jun went forward to help the senior move into a seated position. He poured a bowl of soup for Elder Qin and handed it to him, ¡°This is pig¡¯s brain soup, I hear it¡¯s good for people who have undergone brain surgery.¡±

    ¡°Good, good.¡± Elder Qin¡¯s hands that reached out for the bowl were shaking, a sign of someone suffering from Parkinson¡¯s. But at the very least, he could feed himself. The fragrance of the soup soon filled the air. Seeing Elder Qin enjoying the soup, the tension in Gu Jun¡¯s heart loosened somewhat.

    Honestly, Gu Jun was not sure about the restorative properties of the soup, but he was certain that it tasted wonderful. After all, he had finished a few bowls of it himself. In fact, Wu Siyu would have finished the whole pot if Gu Jun had not stopped her. Before he came to visit Elder Qin, Gu Jun had said farewell to his friends. For some reason, Wang Ruoxiang appeared to be able to sense that he was again going on a dangerous mission, and there was concern in her eyes.

    ¡°I have heard some updates... about the current...¡± Elder Qin wanted to say something, but his verbal faculty was not working well. ¡°Situation... Ah Jun...¡±

    ¡°The current situation is under control,¡± Gu Jun said sincerely. ¡°We have a new lead. I will be going to pursue it this afternoon. I promise there will be a breakthrough.¡±

    Elder Qin¡¯s wrinkled face was empty for quite a short while before he said, ¡°Okay... Take... Take care...¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently. For that moment, Gu Jun could see manyplicated emotions from the elder¡¯s face. They included approval, anticipation, and worry.

    After his visit to Elder Qin, Gu Jun went to the nearby sickrooms to visit Brother Qiang and then Surgeon Zhu. As understaffed as they were, Phecda ultimately ced their trust in him. They were going to move the patients into istion. These people would be moved away soon. Gu Jun¡¯s old mentors were in rather stable states, but their mental status was far weaker than before. In fact, it was as if they had changed intopletely different people.

    When he left the building, Gu Jun really hoped for some kind of recovery spellmon in games, one that could heal every sickness. The spell book had stated clearly that such a spell did not exist, but perhaps the foreign civilization had not managed to master it because they had not encountered an existence that could grant them such power. The essence of spellcasting was simr to thew of equivalent exchange in alchemy. One had to sacrifice something in exchange for power.

    Sacrifice... Gu Jun was reminded of Landon¡¯s notes

    ¡®How many more sacrifices do we need? Have we not sacrificed enough?¡¯

    Everyone had sacrificed to a certain extent.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, it is time to go,¡± a member from the Action Department reminded him. He still had to attend the pre-mission briefing. Gu Jun thus hurried to the Nightmare Illness Research Center on the twelfth floor. Other parties involved in this briefing included Commander Yao, Elder Tong, and the others from headquarters as well as the other members of this joint unit. With regards to the dream world that Gu Jun posited, the people here had no question about it, but they did have plenty of questions on the exact method Gu Jun would use to locate it.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see when wend there.¡± Gu Jun actually did not have any real ns. ¡°My ESP will kick in only when I¡¯m physically there.¡±

    ¡°The ce is very cold. The average temperature is below twenty degree Celsius.¡± Elder Tong sighed. ¡°You¡¯d better wear some extrayers.¡±

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Yao Sinian told Gu Jun and Wu Siyu before turning to Xue Ba and the rest. ¡°We will provide any technical support that you request.¡±

    The atmosphere in the conference room was rather heavy and low. The question of whether they could reach the dream world aside, even a trip of the Arctic Sea was no joke. Wrangel Ind had officially entered the winter solstice the previous month, and that meant extremely long nights, in fact there would be days where there would not be daylight. It was a frozen hell with nothing but darkness. The arctic sea would be freezing and harsh. The local weather reported a big snowstorm every two days.

    It was quite frankly arge isted ind. It was not inhabited when it was first discovered by the Europeans. When it became part of Russia, the Kremlin tried popting the ind by migrating some Inuits there, but that poption n failed. The ind was deemed inhospitable for human beings. Wrangel Ind had zero human poption, but there was a marine base that was built near Ushakovskoye, a rural locality that was supposed to amodate the natives. It was generous calling the ce a military base. It was more like a patchwork of shambles grouped together. If not for the request from Phecda, Russia would not even have people there in the winter season. The ce would be marked only by the Russian g.

    Venturing to Wrangel Ind during this kind of season was in itself something very dangerous. The constant snowstorms meant the satellite pictures wouldn¡¯t be of much help. Furthermore, they would be in foreign territory. This meant that the jurisdiction of Phecda would be limited. There was only so much Commander Yao could do when push came to shove.

    ¡°We will try our best,¡± Gu Jun promised. There was no other option anyway. Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and Uncle Dan did not say anything as they prepared for the rough journey ahead. They had not faced such weather conditions before, but from their experience inside the banyan tree hole, they knew how difficult this kind of mission could be. Nheless, they had survived the mission through the banyan tree hole, and there was no reason they could not repeat their sess with this one.

    Suddenly, Wu Siyu piped up to ask, ¡°By the way, will we see penguins there? Oh, I can¡¯t wait to see those cute birds waddle!¡±

    ¡°No, penguins live at the south pole, but we might encounter pr bears,¡± Gu Jun answered. ¡°In fact, thest viger at Ushakovskoye was mauled to death by a pr bear right before his doorstep.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I suppose that¡¯ll work too.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°When I see a pr bear, I¡¯ll be able to sense the penguins, so it¡¯ll be the same anyway.¡±

    Then the girl started to hum cheerfully to herself.

    ¡®Does she think we¡¯re going on some kind of holiday?¡¯ Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help the smileing on his face. Even the others allowed some chuckles. The girl¡¯s cheeriness infected the room, and the mood lightened substantially. Who would have thought before the departure, the one who was the most excited would be the one who was normally theziest?

    After the briefing, the group headed to the airport to get on the ne that would take them to the military base at Cape Schmidt along the Russian Arctic line. The ce was about two hundred km from Wrangel Ind. That would be their first stop, and then based on the local weather, they would decide when to fly to Wrangel Ind.

    In terms of weather, the one at Eastern State was beautiful on the day of their departure. The sky had never been so clear. When the ne rushed into the air, every member of the team had different thoughts, but they shared the same belief, their destination might be bone-chillingly cold, but their heart was burning with the passion to save those tormented by the illness.

 Chapter 161: Island Frozen in Ice

    <h4>Chapter 161: Ind Frozen in Ice</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The time was noon on 3rd December, but the sky was suspiciously dark, and it was covered with constetions that should not have appeared at this time of day. Wrangel Ind was located at 71¡ã14¡ä, 179¡ã25¡ä. The ind was once home to a military airstrip, a military radar center, and even a few mines, but all of them had been abandoned not long after they were built. Ushakovskoye was situated along the southern coastline, and a small marine base was adjacent to this formermunity. The base was made up of standardized constructions, and about several hundred members from two different countries were upying it.

    Gu Jun¡¯s team of five had arrived at Cape Schmidt Military Base yesterday, and when the weather conditions permitted them to fly, they had immediately hopped on over via a helicopter. They had crossed the two hundred plus kilometers of sea and arrived at the helipad of this small marine base. The surface of the sea had basically frozen over, and that made sailing impossible unless one had the service of an ice-breaker in its armada.

    The arctic wind was howling as the five descended from the copter. Every one of them was covered in thick winter coats and carried a rucksack with them. The warmth that they enjoyed inside the cocoon of the helicopter cabin was instantly stripped away. Once Gu Jun¡¯s feet connected on thend of this Arctic ind, he felt a bone-chilling cold. His face, which was wrapped in a mask, was red, and he could barely keep his eyes open due to the wind. It was just so cold. He did not grow up in the north, and this was the first time in his life that he was deposited in such a low temperature. At least now he could say he had experienced what life at negative twenty degrees felt like.

    However, this ind was not only cold, the air had very high humidity, which meant that heavy fog was constant, giving the ind the rather romantic nickname of Fog Ind. In reality though, the effect of the fog was less romantic than that. The cold mist seeped through even Gu Jun¡¯s thickyers and crawled into his skin. That,bined with the freezing air that went down his nostrils, made it feel like his lungs had frozen over with only a few breaths, making something as simple as breathing incredibly difficult. His chest went numb, and his trachea pricked with pain.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Next to him, Uncle Dan shivered conspicuously from the chill. They had just arrived, but the mission had already proven more difficult than the one inside the abnormal space.

    ¡°Now I really yearn for some shots of vodka,¡± Lou Xiaoning grumbled. She suddenly understood why this ce was uninhabitable; it was both dark and cold. The ind was 7,600 cubic km in size, and the weather conditions only got more treacherous the further north they went.

    ¡°This ce is so white.¡± Wu Siyu looked at the snowy picture under the night sky. It reminded her of the ESP training. To prove her point, if one stayed too long in this kind of experiment, one might suffer from the Ganzfeld effect, seeing illusions and going mad.

    ¡°If anyone suffers from signs of difort, please inform the team immediately,¡± Xue Ba reminded the rest. He puffed up his chest, but his bushy brows and beard were already covered in frost particles. Moving around the Arctic belt in the winter time was a real test of one¡¯s mind and physique. If this was a standard operation, all of them would have to go through some training first, and people like Gu Jun who suffered from a fatal illness would never be allowed on this mission, but this was not a standard operation.

    Near the helipad was a small weing party.

    Among them was the scouting team called the Arctic Wolf from Phecda. They were led by Leader Yu Xiaoyong and Vice Leader Zhang Xiaoqi. Arctic Wolf was arge-scale Special Mobile Force unit temporarily formed to amodate this mission. The team had members from different backgrounds, but most of them had professional arctic exploration training. Next to the Arctic Wolf were the people from the Russian National Security Department. They were the real shot callers here, and the people from Phecda were their guests. The leader of the Russian squad was a middle-aged man called Ivanov Mstiv. The beard on his face and muscles all over his body were even more pronounced than Xue Ba¡¯s. The man was like a walking brown bear.

    ¡°Captain Yu.¡± Xue Ba led the way and greeted the Russian with a not that urate, ¡°§¬§Ñ§á§Ú§ä§Ñ§ß§Þ§ã§ä§Ú§ã§Ý§Ñ§Ó§Ñ.¡±

    Even though Xue Ba could not speak all of them fluently, he did know more than a handful ofnguages in his repertoire.

    ¡°Captain Xue!¡± To their surprise, Ivanov responded in heavily-ented Chinese. The man was apparently as gifted as Xue Ba in terms ofnguage mastery. Then came a quick get to know each other session. When Gu Jun was introduced, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up with various degrees of curiosity, especially the members from Arctic Wolf. The reason was, despite his age, Phecda had given them explicit order to cooperate fully with Gu Jun. Basically, the operation was going to be led by him. It was fairly umon for someone so young to take up such a big role. However, Yu Xiaoyong and his team had been given some info on Gu Jun. They knew about his ESP capability and that he possessed some kind of ¡®unique psychic ability¡¯.

    ¡°Let me show you to your amodation first.¡± Ivanov greeted them warmly. ¡°A little alcohol will go a long way in this kind of weather.¡±

    Even though Gu Jun wished to explore the surroundings immediately, he knew now was not the time to rush into things. They had been briefed about the hazards of the ind before they departed. The ind was too big, and the weather was bad. In fact, the circumstances were so harsh that the scouting mission had been at a standstill for the Arctic Wolf. If they had a direct location to search, there might have been progress. It was impossible to scour the entire ind in this kind of weather.

    The amodation was thergest building around the area. It was separated ording to gender. There were generators providing heat and electricity, but the energy had to be used sparingly. The supply at the base was enough tost them and thirty skan snow hounds for a month. Additional supplies could be called in from the maind, but they should always be prepared for any contingencies.

    After they settled down, Gu Jun immediately requested for the exploration to begin. Captain Yu thus led the five of them and headed down the western side of the ind on a snowmobile. Soon, the abandoned Ushakovskoye appeared within their sight. Captain Yu said by way of introduction, ¡°The ce has been left like this for years. It is like a ce frozen in time. The Russians hesitate to take it down and forbid other countries from intervening as well.¡±

    Gu Jun knew that from the files he had read about the ce.

    Lit up by the headlights, some old electric poles could be seen leaning in the snow. Confusing electrical wires connected some old and squat wooden houses. Various kinds of trash peeked out from theyer of snow, especially the rusted edges of abandoned oil barrels. Around them were endless stretches of white that seemed to reach down to the mountains on the horizon.

    ¡°There¡¯s a pr bear.¡± Just as the vehicles stopped, Wu Siyu pointed in a direction. Gu Jun turned to look.

    A burly pr bear stood next to an old house with its head lowered about twenty meters away from them. It nced at the team before turning to disappear into the snow.

    ¡®Why...¡¯ Gu Jun frowned as a strange feeling overwhelmed him. ¡®Why does it feel like the pr bear has been waiting there for us to arrive?¡¯

    The wind continued to wail. Other than that, there was an enveloping silence. However, Gu Jun could hear the sound of blood flowing in his veins. ¡®Has the effect of mental disturbance arrived so soon?¡¯

    ¡°Captain Yu, I wish to explore that house further,¡± Gu Jun said. The pr bear had long since disappeared, so they were spared the trouble of chasing it away. Heeding Gu Jun¡¯s instinct, the group headed toward the old wooden house, which was less than thirty cubic meters in size. The roof was almost copsing from the weight of the gathered snow, but that was already an impressive feat considering it had stood there for several decades already.

    The wooden door was half buried in snow. Gu Jun pushed it open and looked into the room with the shlight.

 Chapter 162: Pictures of the Innuits

    <h4>Chapter 162: Pictures of the Innuits</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The beam from the shlight cut into the tattered wooden house. The interior showed clear Innuit-inspired architectural design. However, being exposed to the elements for years, the furniture and decorations inside the house were weathered and worn. Over the years, only Russian government officials, scientists, geography photographers, and handpicked tourists were allowed on this Arctic Ind. Since all of them had to abide by the rules of ¡®look but no touching¡¯, most of the building had been preserved perfectly.

    Gu Jun stood at the door and looked into the decrepitude. He felt a slight spiritual resonance...

    ¡°Captain Yu, have your people searched this ce before?¡±

    ¡°We have,¡± Yu Xiaoyong said in a serious whisper. ¡°We canvassed the whole vige when the snowstorm was not so strong. But we did not find anything. Then again, Captain Gu, this ind has been under the watchful care of the Russians for years already. If there was something to find here, they would have imed it for themselves already.¡±

    It was true that this was a joint mission between Phecda and the Russian National Security Department, but it did not mean that it was not a rtionship where information sharing was required or even expected. For example, the Russians had no idea that the actual mission of Arctic Wolf was to search for an entrance into an abnormal space. If the Russian government was privy to that knowledge, who knew how they would respond? An abnormal space would lead to apletely new area to explore and research. It was a gold mine that every country would kill to get their hands on. Therefore, as chummy as Yu Xiaoyong and Ivanov appeared on the surface, both parties knew the other was hiding some secrets from them.

    That basically summed up the rtionship between the two organizations. Currently, various countries in the world were discussing possible methods of international cooperation to deal with the recent influx of supernatural activities. Perhaps, one day, a new international group would be formed when all the countries in the world were forced to stand in the same line, but that was not the case for now.

    ¡°Captain Gu, did you sense anything?¡± Yu Xiaoyong asked even though he was really not one to rely on something as superfluous as ¡®feeling¡¯. The rest of his teammates shared his skepticism, especially after he had led them to this house. To their knowledge, every inch of Ushakovskoye had been explored. The history of this vige was so rich that it was made a must-see tourist spot. Even if there was anything to be found, it would have been confiscated by the Russians or discovered by the tourists that had visited the ce over the years.

    ¡°I did feel something.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°That pr bear from before was acting quite strangely. Captain Yu, I need you to contact themand center to track it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yu Xiaoyong was honestly befuddled, but due to his orders, he shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡±

    He made the call on hismunicator to ry the request.

    At the same time, Gu Jun stepped cautiously over the rotten floorboards and into the living room. He waved his shlight around before his gaze settled on a wooden wall. An animal hide, a pair of antlers, a bow... and an old picture frame was hanging on it. The picture frame carried an old ck and white picture. It captured a group of Innuit vigers. Gu Jun walked over with extreme focus. He reached out to pluck the frame from the wall. The picture appeared to have been taken on the migration ship. There were fifteen Innuits¡ªfour adult males, four adult females, one teen male, one teen female, and five children of varying ages.

    On the most left side of the picture was a Russian man. He wore a ck bearskin cap and arrogance lined his paunchy face. He had that government official air about him. This seemed to be the picture taken of the four families who were supposed to migrate and settle down here, but strangely enough, none of the new vigers appeared to look particrly excited about their future. Some looked lost, others looked like they¡¯d rather jump over the ship railing. This was particrly clear with the five children. The youngest among them was only five or six, but they looked so defeated. Their faces were turned away from the camera, and they looked like they were crying...

    These people were, to put it bluntly, pawns in an international border game. They were forced to popte this ce by the Russian government so that Moscow could im this ind as their territory.

    ¡°This picture is...?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s question lingered.

    ¡°It¡¯s a picture of the earliest Innuit people who migrated here.¡± The Arctic Wolf squad had investigated this as well. ¡°None of the people in this picture are with us anymore.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently. He was about to ce the picture frame back when something caught his attention.

    Gu Jun moved the picture closer to get a better look. The more he studied it, the more curious he felt. The picture became more and more surreal. The sky in the background was yellowing and blurring out of focus. He leaned closer and closer.

    Suddenly, a shock hit him. The two children whipped their heads around and stared right at Gu Jun. Their young faces were stered with hysterical smiles. The Russian man in the bearskin hat on the left had his face scrunched up in extreme pain. But that scenested for only a second.

    ¡®An illusion?¡¯ Gu Jun took a deep breath and tried to focus his thoughts. ¡®No, that was not an illusion.¡¯

    ¡°Captain Yu.¡± He pointed at the Russian in the picture. ¡°Who is this man? What happened to him?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Yu Xiaoyong leaned over to look and answered, ¡°That will be Vasily Petrov. He was the one behind the whole migration project. Back then, the Innuits had no societal standing in the Russian country at all. Petrov treated them like second-rate citizens, so the Innuits had a deep aversion toward him. I believe Petrov lost his life in a ship ident and drowned.¡±

    ¡®Drowned?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased. ¡°Where did he drown?¡±

    Yu Xiaoyong had no answer to that question. This was confidential information for Moscow. And back in those days, nautical idents in the Arctic Ocean were fairlymon, so Yu Xiaoyong did not poke around unnecessarily, lest he threatened the two countries¡¯ diplomatic rtionship. But now, things were different.

    ¡°Captain Yu, I need you to go and ask the Russians more about this shipwreck,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. ¡°This is going to be very important.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± As confused as Yu Xiaoyong was, he could only follow the order. His teammates looked at each other. They were concerned because Gu Jun wasn¡¯t handling this issue as delicately as they would have preferred.

    The rest of Gu Jun¡¯s group walked over. They saw the picture but felt nothing, but just as Wu Siyu took a nce at it, she said, ¡°There¡¯s something strange about those kids.¡±

    Gu Jun concurred. ¡°Siyu, while the feeling is still strong, let¡¯s see if we can trigger an illusion with this picture.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s getfortable.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. She served the purpose of providing support to Gu Jun with her own ESP in the team.

    There were abandoned chairs in the room. Gu Jun pulled two over and sat down next to Wu Siyu. Holding the Carlot Scalpel in one hand and the girl¡¯s hand in another, with the picture frame ced on his knees, he said, ¡°We need to be prepared to sacrifice our mental power to trigger the illusion. The greater the sacrifice, the clearer the illusion will be.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Although I¡¯m not sure how much my sacrifice can amount to considering it feels like I¡¯m making donations to a tycoon.¡±

    While others were confused by what she said, Gu Jun got the analogy instantly.

    Both of them closed their eyes and started to build their connection. They ovepped their mental power and tried to feel the picture again. The Demon Hunters were no longer surprised by this. But for the Arctic Wolf squad, it would be impossible for them not to be confused. What were they doing? Was this really going to work? They stared at the two and couldn¡¯t help but feel like they were being taken for a ride.

    Inside their mental space, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu saw fragments of an illusion floating into their mind¡¯s eye. There were strong winds and churning oceans. The sound of fanatical chanting danced on the wind. Gloriously hypnotizing aurora borealis swirled along the northern night sky.

    Gu Jun¡¯s head started to pulse with pain. A sudden illusion from the past rushed into his mind. There was a cliff, a summit that faced the sea.

    The details of the illusion were slowly rendered into reality. There were some figures dancing around an altar, singing some kind of song. It was... the Innuit people.

 Chapter 163: Altar in the Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 163: Altar in the Illusion</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The aurora borealis curled and slithered in the night sky. There were strands andyers of them, a much charming reflection of the roiling waves on the sea below. The cliff-face to the side of the giant summit was so even that it felt like it had been sliced through by a knife. At that treacherous location, a cultish ceremony was underway.

    Gu Jun could feel his vision being pulled over. His head was aching and tightening, but in contrast, his heart rate was rtively stable, at least much more in controlpared to before. It had to be the effect of his newly-acquired skill.

    He trained his focus to get a better look. There were about more than ten people caught in the trance, including adults and children. They were dancing around something. Even in the extreme weather, they were only wearing strange outfits stitched from various beast hides. The clothes were dripping in fresh blood like they had just been skinned from the animals. The blood was also used to paint some kind of cultish symbol on the hides. For some reason, Gu Jun felt that symbol was rather familiar...

    The Inuits sang louder and stronger. Gu Jun was pulled in closer. He could now see the people dancing around a conical stone sculpture that was the size of a normal adult. The statue was difficult to make out in the darkness, but its shape was reminiscent of the symbol painted on the animal hides.

    ¡®Closer, I need to get closer.¡¯ Gu Jun frowned. The sculpture was definitely a key clue. It was the idol that the Inuits worshipped. ¡®Is it simr to the one worshipped by the zombies? The ball of shapeless darkness venerated by Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, Chen Defa, and the rest of the vigers?¡¯

    He forced his mind¡¯s eye to move closer, and as a result, his heart felt the instant drawback. Gu Jun¡¯s heart rate upped to one hundred beats per minute, and it showed no sign of slowing down.

    He had started to hear it, the fanatic voices of the Inuits. The voices of the few children came through the sharpest and strongest. Their faces had been stripped of their usual innocence and were filled with bloodlust and hysteria, just like the faces that turned toward him in the picture. It was as if their minds were taken over by the ceremony, and at that moment, they were channeling some kind of insidious power.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s head cracked like it was being drilled through. Through the intense pain, he could finally hear what the Inuits were chanting. ¡± Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn.¡±

    They were chanting the spell of the R¡¯yleh Cult, and their pronunciation and tempo were extremely precise. It was a perfect recreation of the spell written down on that piece of paper.

    ¡®But why?¡¯ The headache became more intense. It was like his brain was being pulled in two different directions. ¡®How did the Inuitse to learn this?¡¯

    He wanted to lean in closer to hear the chanting clearer, to get a clearer view of the sculpture, but the pain was getting too intense. The pain had be palpable in his skull, and Gu Jun swore it could have burst his head right out at any minute. Thest bit of the illusion that he saw was some kind of strangeness down the cliff on the surface of the ocean. Then, the pain overwhelmed him and drowned the illusion away. His heart started to palpitate, and when he opened his eyes, he realized he was still inside the living room of the old wooden house.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun groaned in pain. Thest time he came in direct contact with this spell, he had to be given an adrenaline shot to the heart to get it pumping again.

    After a moment, a notification came in his mind from the system.

    ¡°The mastery of your Strong Heart has increased by five hundred points. Current level is 1 (500/50000 Mastery).¡±

    ¡®Even an illusion as intense as that only got me five hundred mastery points?¡¯ The thought shed across his mind as he tried to catch his breath. His hands flew to his chest. He wondered whether he would live to see the day the skill upgrade to level 2.

    ¡°Ah Jun, Siyu, are you guys alright?¡± Uncle Dan asked nervously as he reached into the medic kit to take out the needle. ¡°Do you need a shot?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine... thank God for this chair.¡± Wu Siyu breathed out a long sigh. Her face was as pale as paper. ¡°If not for it, I would be face down on the floor right down.¡±

    Gu Jun was also adjusting his breathing. Catching the levity in her words, Gu Jun was sure she was fine. In that case, this dirty-minded girl¡¯s heart was quite strong.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, we¡¯re fine.¡± He halted Uncle Dan, who wasing at him with the needle. ¡°I just need a little rest. It¡¯s fine...¡±

    The Arctic Wolf squad at the door were as confused as they could be. Did they just witness an astral projection or something like it? Zhang Xiaoqi¡¯s questioning gaze wandered over to Xue Ba.

    ¡°Vice leader Zhang, they are risking their lives to do this.¡± Xue Ba¡¯s square jaw clenched. ¡°I hope you can all treat this more seriously.¡±

    Lou Xiaoning heard this exchange and suppressed the urge toy it on them. No wonder Elder Tong had said that those with high S values were good for nothings because their eyes were blinded by everything. Certain things had to be experienced personally, and even then, they might not believe it. Imagination could only take one so far.

    ¡°You saw it, right?¡±

    Ignoring the rest, Gu Jun had a private meeting with Wu Siyu. Thetter nodded. ¡°I did, the spell was simr to the one you casted before, right?¡±

    He nodded and then asked, ¡°Did you catch a good look of that stone sculpture?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I was about to when the illusion was shut down.¡±

    After some quick confirmation, Gu Jun confirmed that they had seen and heard about the same things during this session. There was no additional information. Even though they did not have a clear vision, he had great confidence that the stone sculpture shared the same origin as the statue that was exhumed during Elder Tong¡¯s case. The familiar symbol was the shapes of the twisting limbs of the abnormal creature.

    ¡°Guys.¡± Gu Jun decided to share the information with the rest. ¡°The Inuits in this picture, they share the same fanatic idtry as the R¡¯yleh Cult.¡±

    Not every member of the Arctic Wolf squad had ess to this sensitive information. Only high-ranking members like Zhang Xiaoqi knew about it. The three Demon Hunters naturally knew all about it. But as they listened to Gu Jun¡¯s revtion, their faces were scrunched up in confusion and surprise. The picture was taken in the early 20s or 30s. The migration had happened much earlier than the incident at Nan Tang Vige. Furthermore, these Inuits inhabited the Arctic Belt. They were literally worlds away from Guang Ting City. And based on the results of current research, the Inuits had migrated to the Arctic from Asia around four thousand years ago. That was at least one thousand years earlier than the dated creation of the tomb where the stone statue was exhumed. The religion and culture of the Inuits also did not have any reference to R¡¯yleh at all.

    So, how did this small cluster of Inuits gain ess to that cultist knowledge? R¡¯yleh Cult, Nightmare Illness, the abandoned ind in the dream... the coordinates had led them to this part of the Chukchi Sea. If Gu Jun was not hallucinating, there had to be something that connected all these scraps of information.

    Just as everyone was confounded, Yu Xiaoyong, who had been sent out earlier, rushed back in a hurry. His face was lined with surprise and excitement. ¡°Ivanov has helped us with some digging. The report states that Vasily Petrov woke up one night from a nightmare, and he rushed up to the deck from his cabin. No one was able to stop him. It was like he was ovee by madness. He jumped over the railing into the icy sea, and that was how he drowned himself.¡±

    When Yu Xiaoyong heard that, he was instantly reminded of the Nightmare Illness, and now Zhang Xiaoqi and the rest came to the same conclusion. So, the connection trulyy in that picture. The way the Arctic Wolf squad viewed Gu Jun had gained a hint of respect and admiration. No wonder the headquarters had given them that kind of order. This Gu Jun was not a fraud, nor was his power.

    ¡°Captain Yu,¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°are there any cliffs that overlook the ocean around here?¡±

    ¡°The ind¡¯s central ridges extend to the far east and west. They are truncated with overlooks that face the sea.¡± Yu Xiaoyong thought about it before adding, ¡°The one closest to this ce should be the one on the eastern coastline.¡±

    ¡°I believe a trip there is required,¡± Gu Jun announced darkly. The arctic winds were still howling outside the wooden house.

 Chapter 164: Snow-capped Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 164: Snow-capped Mountain</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    After Gu Jun revealed the new clue, Phecda immediately contacted Moscow to start an investigation into the Inuits. But the Inuits were a minority group made up of many small tribes, and they were spread quite sparsely across the Arctic circle with each tribe having their own culture and legends. The ship migrants back then supposedly came from a small tribe based in Chukchi. Due to their isted geography, not much was known about their religion and culture. The sparse records said that they worshiped some kind of ancient and native deity, one that encouraged them to lead a life sheltered from modernization. Due to their self-istion, not much was recorded about them.

    The Inuits from this tribe wereter forced to migrate to Wrangel Ind. Some died on the ind while others disappeared and were spected to have joined other tribes. That made information gathering and research on this particr group of Inuits very difficult.

    Gu Jun¡¯s group did not have better luck at Ushakovskoye. Other than the picture, the vige appeared to be a normal Inuit settlement. However, Gu Jun believed there was something sinister behind it. The proof was the ritual in his illusion. Perhaps Petrov¡¯s death was even directly rted to that ritual. In any case, they would find out more when they located the cliff where the ritual was performed. After their destination was settled, the Arctic Wolf squad went into preparation mode.

    Different from the southern coast where the base was located, the cliff was at the eastern end of the ind¡¯s mountain range. The geography was rtivelyplicated, and the weather made flying impossible. The snow could easily cause a ne crash. Therefore, they had to go on foot. The group would have to take a car for forty kilometers before reaching the mountain base where they would have to hike. The cliff was 635 meters above sea level; it was not that high of a climb, but it wouldn¡¯t be an easy one because the snow and ice would make the journey up extremely slippery and dangerous.

    The weather conditions were definitely not suitable for hiking, but the epidemic in Eastern State was still spreading. The separation of the patients had stretched the manpower thin, and they could not hang on much longer, so Gu Jun¡¯s group had to power on. The day after Gu Jun¡¯s teamnded on the ind, the weather had slowed down somewhat, and the team from both countries departed ording to n.

    ¡°We still have not solved the mystery of the pr bear.¡± Gu Jun briefed everyone before the mission started. ¡°So, be prepared for anything. I have a feeling this won¡¯t go as smoothly as we hope.¡±

    In fact, they were not even sure whether that pr bear even existed now because the tracking on it went nowhere. The bear had not appeared in any satellite pictures despite the fact that everyone had seen it. Now, the superiors suspected that they had all sumbed to a collective illusion. This unsolved mystery added to the uncertainty of this mission. They needed to be prepared, but it was hard to prepare when they had no idea what they would face.

    Not long after they departed, it started to snow. The armored snow mobiles left tracks that were soon covered up in snow. They consisted of arge team that was made up of thirty members from Russia, thirty members from the Arctic Wolf squad, and five members from Gu Jun¡¯s group. They had covered sixteen kilometers, and the day had gotten so dark that all they could see was snow against a ck backdrop. The ce would be transformed in the summer. The unique weather conditions meant that this ce would be a haven for non-vascr nts that could not be found in any other part of the world.

    To prevent mental pressure and the Ganzfeld Effect, none of the team members should be looking outside the window. The drivers would be relying on the radar to find their way. However, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu relied on their ESP. Sometimes, mental pressure could help trigger ESP. Therefore, Gu Jun kept his eyes glued outside the window. He alternated between viewing it through night-vision goggles and with the naked eye. He was trying to sense their direction. He could see pictures forming and dissolving before him as the swirl of snowkes twirled and danced through the air.

    Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, he saw a giant mountain loom before him. The tallest mountain on this ind should be at the middle of the ind, and it was only 1,096 meters tall, but this peak that he saw reached into the sky. It looked even higher than the Himyas.

    ¡°Do you guys see that giant mountain before us?¡± Gu Jun immediately asked through themunication channel. ¡°It just appeared out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°Giant mountain? Where?¡±

    ¡°Everything is going as normal.¡±

    Xue Ba and Yu Xiaoyong responded with confusion. Even Wu Siyu did not see anything out of the ordinary, much less a mountain on an Olympian scale. In any case, they knew not to take any of Gu Jun¡¯s visions lightly. Yu Xiaoyong immediately reported this situation tomand.

    ¡°There is no change on the satellite coverage,¡±mand soon replied. The base on the ind was connected to Phecda¡¯s headquarters and Eastern State Division.

    ¡®A hallucination?¡¯ Gu Jun looked at the giant mountain frowningly. It was half shrouded in the snow, but it still radiated a sense of majesty and mystique.

    ¡°This ind is prone to causing hallucinations in its visitors.¡± Gu Jun believed that was the case, and from that, he wondered if the dream world had ovepped with the real world somehow. When the vehicles moved forward for another thirty kilometers or so, the drifting snow turned into a snowstorm. Themunication signal became highly unstable, and even inside the cars, they could hear the howling of the wind outside. But this was not the worst weather the ind had ever seen. In February and March, the snowstorm could reach up to 140 kilometer per hour. That was strong enough to flip a car over and send a man flying.

    Due to the thorough preparation, the vehicles had no problem finishing the rest of the journey and arrived at the snowy field at the foot of the mountain cliff. Half of the team got out of their vehicles, lugging various equipment and machinery. It was time to start hiking. Hiking in normal weather was hard enough, but they had to do it in the middle of a snowstorm.

    ¡°Here,e with us.¡± The Russian team was led personally by Ivanov. Technically, the Russians were not briefed on the actual purpose of this mission. Their government was told that this was merely a simple routine check-up. Naturally, they were not so easily fooled. Moscow had ordered Ivanov to lead the team personally because he was given the task of finding out Phecda¡¯s true goal. The Russians took up the front and back of the team while Gu Jun, Xue Ba, Yu Xiaoyong, and the rest were kept in the middle.

    Due to the snow and ice, the hiking was expectedly hard. Gu Jun was spared the sight of the giant mountain because he needed to focus on climbing. But when they reached the mid-way point and settled down for a rest, Gu Jun looked ahead, and the mountain stood there like a giant. However, this time, Yu Xiaoyong, the Arctic Wolf squad, and even the Russians had borne witness to his im. Flocks of arctic birds could be seen hovering in the dark sky around the mountain. Eagles, seagulls, shearwaters... They flew in tight clusters, but not a peep came from them, not a single caw. That was strange, but even stranger was the fact that these migratory birds should have left the ind for warmer climates already.

    ¡°Command, we have encountered arge number of birds.¡± Yu Xiaoyong reported back, and Ivanov was doing the same report in Russian back to Moscow.

    ¡°The satellites fail to locate any avian activity near your area. There should be nothing there.¡±

    Hearing this reply, the hearts of Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and the Arctic Wolf squad sank. So, this was another collective hallucination? Why did this keep happening to them?

    ¡°The birds, they keep flocking here, and they... appear to be looking at us,¡± Yu Xiaoyongmented.

    But what they got from themand center was still the shocked and worried reply. ¡°The satellites fail to capture anything. There shouldn¡¯t be any humans or animals on the summit.¡±

    Even Gu Jun could not tell what these ¡®birds¡¯ represented, but the ominous feeling in his heart intensified.

    The fate of the people at Eastern State depended on them, so they could not turn back now. Thankfully, every member of the team had been through mental power training, so this level of hallucination was not enough to defeat them. After a brief rest, the group refocused their attention to the task at hand and continued to climb. The snowy winds scratched their faces, causing it to sting with pain.

    The cliff was only several hundred km tall, so it should not take that long to reach the summit. However, the closer they got to the top, a strange chanting could be hearding more clearly from above. That was definitely not the cawing of birds; it sounded more like the fanatical screaming of human beings.

    Gu Jun immediately shared a look with Wu Siyu because both of them identified at first notice that it was the chanting of the Inuits during their ritual.

 Chapter 165: Skinless Arctic Wolves

    <h4>Chapter 165: Skinless Arctic Wolves</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The wind blew, and snow fell. The gale caused the hiking group to be unstable on their feet, and the fanatical chanting was getting closer and closer. The chanting eventually became louder than the whipping snowstorm. It pressed against them like an imminent avnche. However, the satellites still captured nothing around them.

    ¡°Command, we can hear human voicesing from the summit. Captain Gu suspects it is the Inuits performing some kind of ritual.¡±

    ¡°Copy that, Arctic Wolf. There is no change from the satellites... All we can see are your teams.¡±

    ¡°Command, we are going for an ambush, over.¡±

    When they were still over thirty meters from the summit, the leaders of the joint team had a quick discussion and settled on an ambush. The Russians agreed to provide support. Even they wanted to find out what was going on.

    ¡°Copy that...¡±

    The voice from themunicator suddenly became muffled in static. The signal weakened quite suddenly. Gu Jun turned to the Russians to try to warn them. Considering what had happened at the cave with the zombies, Gu Jun told Ivanov seriously, ¡°Perhaps what we have heard and seen are just a very powerful illusion. Someone or something is casting a spell to do that to us.¡±

    ¡°A spell?¡± Ivanov¡¯s face was instantly covered in suspicion and confusion. Granted, he had received some updates about this before, but he had always thought those were some kind of myths. ¡°Are you serious?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gu Jun said frowningly. ¡°Do not get sucked into the illusion and do not get tricked by them. One careless step and your life will be gone.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Ivanov gave Gu Jun a once-over. His facial expression belied none of the thoughts in his mind. In any case, he did walk back to his group tomunicate with the rest of them in Russian.

    Xue Ba kept his tab on them. After Ivanov wandered away, he turned to tell his teammates, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that man does not quite believe us.¡±

    The Arctic Wolf squad could not find themselves ming Ivanov. After all, they had felt the same way yesterday. Superpowers and the supernatural, they should only exist in fiction, right?

    All the members of Phecda could do was to focus on their own task. As Gu Jun suggested, they did not split up, but the whole team of twenty-three people would charge ahead in the ambush. Their hands tightened on their respective firearm of choice. However, it was the Russians who would be leading the charge. It was as if they were afraid that Phecda might rush to the summit first and steal the discovery from them.

    ¡°§Ó§á§Ö§â§×§Õ!§Ó§á§Ö§â§×§Õ!¡± Ivanov shouted for his team to mobilize. His AK-12 was aimed forward. The Russian storm troopers were the first to reach the summit, and then Yu Xiaoyong, Gu Jun, and the rest climbed up with the former providing cover. Everyone was instantly stunned by the scene that appeared before them. The ratherrge snow-capped summit was covered in animal carcasses. Whole reindeers, musk-ox, and arctic wolves were pierced through with icicles and arranged in some kind of grotesque formation. The strangest item on disy was definitely the arctic wolves.

    There were twenty-two wolves in total, and they were arranged into two straight lines, eleven on each side. They formed a path that seemed to wee the group. Their hides were peeled off, but no blood gathered underneath them because their blood had been frozen solid in their bodies. Their heads were surprisingly well-preserved considering the rest of their bodies. The animals¡¯ rounded eyes were filled with fear and horror. The pairs of eyes stared at the neers, and Gu Jun swore he could see human emotions in them.

    At the end of this grisly path, there were about ten Inuits standing there. There were adults and children. They were only dressed in animal hides that would not have provided them with much warmth. The animal hides were stitched from the skin of the arctic wolves, and the snowy white fur was covered in strange symbols painted in blood. At that moment, it dawned on Gu Jun why the birds had flocked over here. They were eyeing the feast of carrion. They had been drawn here by the scent of fresh blood.

    ¡°§¯§Ö§¥§Ó§Ú§Ô§Ñ§ä§î§ã§ñ!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±

    Ivanov and Yu Xiaoyong shouted at the same time. All of their gun barrels were pointed at the Inuits. ording to the satellite screening, these people should not be there, but they could not be sure they were just mere illusions either because they appeared so real. Being surrounded by so many lethal weapons, the Inuits showed no trace of fear. Even though their maddening chanting had stopped, it did not seem to register that they were under attack. Their eyes floated over the threat as all of the eyes fixated on someone. The broad-shouldered men, the tough-looking women, the youthful teens, and the children... they were all looking at Gu Jun.

    Suddenly, the group of Inuits said in unison, ¡°You have arrived.¡±

    It was eerily simr to the greeting Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog offered him in the nightmare as well as the affirmation he had heard from the vigers when he was in the Nan Tang Vige illusion. That sentence suggested that they had been waiting for him.

    ¡°Ergh.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s vision was blurred as his head pulsed with pain. The Inuits were slowly ovepping with the images of the vigers from Nan Tang Vige. He tried to channel his focus to chase away the illusion, but the illusion responded by sending shards of pain into his mind. Twenty-two arctic wolves and twenty-three members from the Phecda assault team... Without him, there would be twenty-two people left. The arctic wolves¡¯ carcasses wereing alive, twitching on their icicles. Their eyes turned toward him. They reminded Gu Jun of Xue Ba¡¯s eyes, Uncle Dan¡¯s eyes, and Wu Siyu¡¯s eyes...

    ¡®No, they are just an illusion.¡¯ Gu Jun groaned in pain as he tried to resist the mental assault. He uttered in a low growl, ¡°Yes, I have arrived.¡±

    ¡°Be careful...¡± Wu Siyu also sensed the strange energy in the air.

    ¡°Everyone, stay in position. Leave this to Ah Jun,¡± Xue Ba ordered.

    Lou Xiaoning turned to remind the Arctic Wolf squad, ¡°Do not forget that our mission is to protect him.¡±

    But on the other side, Ivanov summoned his people in Russian as they continued to storm ahead. ¡°Keep up, keep up...¡±

    Hearing that, Xue Ba immediately tried to stop them in his rusty Russian. ¡°Danger, mental attack!¡±

    Even Yu Xiaoyong was screaming at them. ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing. Look around you. Does this seem normal to any of you? Is this the time to charge ahead?¡±

    Gu Jun picked up the anomaly in Ivanov¡¯s reaction. His tone, Ivanov¡¯s tone did not reflect the surroundings that they were in. It spoke of arrogance instead of confusion and caution.

    ¡°Those damn Inuits dare challenge us without even a proper weapon. We are definitely not going to take this lying down,¡± Ivanov grumbled in return. He waved his hands and led a few of his people to charge forward. At the start, they were shouting orders to each other, but the closer they got the Inuits, the more silent they became.

    ¡°Something is not right,¡± Gu Jun said urgently. ¡°They have been brought under the influence of an illusion!¡±

    The others were startled. Yu Xiaoyong instantly kicked into action. He was about to have his members go over to pull back the Russians when Gu Jun grabbed him and shouted, ¡°Do not go after them!¡±

    If they got too close, they might be affected by the spell themselves, and there was no telling what the Russians might do if they were interrupted. After all, the bullets would not listen to reason.

    Just like that, the team from Phecda watched as Ivanov¡¯s group slowly stalked past the Inuits. They walked toward the cliff, and one by one, they jumped off the edge.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Uncle Dan could not help but gasp. The cliff dropped at least six hundred meters, and below was the frozen sea. For a second that seemed to stretch into eternity, even over the wind, they could hear the dull thuds of bones and muscles mming against the thickyer of ice. The mass of flesh and blood, the sttered guts and brain matter, Ivanov¡¯s passionate face... they all froze under a sleet of ice once life departed.

    Themand center¡¯s urgent voice came from themunicator. ¡°Arctic Wolf? Arctic Wolf? Howe it appears like... Captain Ivanov¡¯s team has allmitted suicide?¡±

    Those Inuits were not distracted by the Russian¡¯s collective suicide. Their eyes were still fixated on Gu Jun alone.

 Chapter 166: You Are the Answer

    <h4>Chapter 166: You Are the Answer</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The smell of death lingered in the air. On the summit under the night sky, the Russian assault team that had apanied them in the ambush was now nowhere to be seen. It was chaos back at themand center. The same confusion and panic swept over the rest of the unit who were tasked with guarding the foot of the mountain. The Russians were cursing loudly, an expression of the anger and befuddlement in their mind. They could see from the satellite pictures that Ivanov¡¯s team had voluntarily jumped off the side of the cliff; no one was forcing them. One moment, they were standing perfectly at the summit; the next, they were bs of meat and bones on the ice.

    The shock andmotion at the other ces failed to permeate the absolute silence at the summit. The Inuits were still staring at Gu Jun. By then, even Wu Siyu and Xue Ba could sense that these people appeared to have been waiting for Gu Jun¡¯s arrival. Ever since theynded on thisnd, they had been leading Gu Jun to this ce. Or perhaps it was much earlier than that. Were the coordinates their way of luring Gu Jun here?

    ¡°You are angry,¡± the middle-aged man who appeared to be the leader among the Inuits said. His round face was devoid of expression. His narrow eyes were zed over with chaos. He seemed to be speaking to Gu Jun. ¡°You are also nervous. Child, there is no reason to be like that.¡±

    ¡°I do not need any advice from any of you...¡± Gu Jun hissed darkly. ¡®How am I supposed to break out from this illusion?¡¯

    He had used R¡¯yleh¡¯s spell to undo Chen Defa¡¯s illusion before, but now... Gu Jun doubted the same trick would work because these Inuits worshiped the R¡¯yleh deity. They drew their power from the same source, and they were performing a ritual for R¡¯yleh at this summit. What would happen if he chanted that spell? Was that their purpose for leading him here all along?

    ¡°Child, we have watched you grow into a fine young man,¡± the Inuit man said. ¡°This past half a year, you have matured greatly.¡±

    The Arctic Wolf squad nced at Gu Jun. Seeing the young man did not move, they held back as well. They were stuck, fearing to move forward and apprehensive of turning around.

    ¡°Just like a young bird, you are about to leave with the nest with your feathered wings, leaving behind the care and scrutiny to fly toward the greater sky.¡± The middle-aged man continued to speak, but suddenly, the noises of the surrounding birds pierced through the pervading silence. Instantly, the rustling and screeching crows and cries shattered the group¡¯s eardrums. ¡°You have aplished many things we never thought you would. You were not defeated by the force within you. You have found your own identity.¡±

    While the man said these congrattory words, the other Inuits¡¯ faces were aglow with smiles, radiating joy, relief, and pride.

    Suddenly, some human-shaped shadows appeared behind the Inuits. They seemed to be coagting into existence. They reminded the Demon Hunters of the men in ck robes they had encountered inside the banyan tree hole. Xue Ba was reminded of that fact that they matched the description of the cult members that Elder Tong had encountered so many years ago.

    This group of Inuits and the R¡¯yleh Cult seemed to be from the same organization.

    ¡°The Afterlife Cult does not have a deep enough understanding of you, and we have also misunderstood the purpose of your existence. It was not until recently that we gained a new understanding. We have misread the revtion given to us by the Great Ones,¡± the man said, but there was no regret on his face, only serenity. ¡°Such fools we were.¡±

    Gu Jun sharpened his eyes and bit on his teeth as he stared at these Inuits and ck shadows that chilled him deeper than the icy wind ever could.

    As he expected, the R¡¯yleh cult and Afterlife Cult were two different parties. They were merely working together. But based on what this man was saying, not everything was within their control still.

    Misread? Did they think that the Son of Misfortune would consume him and then the entity would be drained by the Afterlife Cult? Or had they predicted that the Son of Misfortune would counter the Afterlife Cult? But the result was neither. Gu Jun did not die, and he did not lose himself.

    ¡°Child, the reason you have been put on this world,¡± the Inuit man continued, ¡°is to provide an answer.¡±

    ¡°There is only one goal for why I am here,¡± Gu Jun said firmly. ¡°That is to vanquish the lot of you and the Nightmare Illness.¡±

    There was someone among the ck shadows who was shaking their head. The Inuit responded evenly, ¡°That is not an illness. What kind of illness would enable you to take a glimpse of the real world? You call them patients, but they are the chosen ones. They have been selected from the masses, plucked out of their mundane existence to be given a sight of the great secret through their dreams. They are the lucky ones.¡±

    ¡°Lucky?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart was burning with rage. The images of the many patients shed across his mind, the faces of Prof Qin, Brother Qiang, and the rest...

    The man continued as if Gu Jun had not spoken. ¡°Our human brain is too weak to be exposed to the great truth directly. It is only through the dream that we are able to hear the voices of the Great Ones. A single person cannot hear anything, but once we join their minds together, they will be able to hear a lot more. Child, you know, without the voices from the dream, you would not even exist.¡±

    Suddenly, other illusions shed across Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. Next to him, Wu Siyu was also assaulted by the visions. The rest of them were suffering from headaches. They could see young faces appear before their eyes before the juvenile faces shriveled up into dried corpses. They were the kidnapped group of children from so many years ago!

    An epiphany dawned on Gu Jun despite the splitting headache. In the nine years between the disappearance at Guang Ting City and his birth, the ESP children project led by the Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Order did not fail. The voices that the children heard in their dreams... was a set of instructions. The children collected information from the Great Ones in their dreams, information that appeared to be meaningless... until their mental power dried out and they were consumed by darkness. They fell into madness, hallucinations, and eventual death...

    The information was filtered and deciphered by the cultists into understandable messages, and from there, they derived the way to cultivate Spirit Children, how they could be summoned through music, and other methods. In other words, Gu Jun¡¯s life was traded through the lives of all those innocent children.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun screamed in fury. ¡°You heartless b*stards...¡±

    And now they had created this Nightmare Illness not to lure him out but to use the patients to gather more information. They were searching for the coordinates given by the patients as well. They were looking for this door to enter the other world, to expose themselves to the ultimate truth. They did not need Gu Jun for that, but they reserved other intentions for him.

    Sensing a strong mental disturbance in her partner, Wu Siyu called after Gu Jun. ¡°Dirty-minded Gu, hang in there...¡±

    But the girl herself had been sucked in the whirlpool of madness already.

    ¡°Child, the things that cause you anger and give you a reason to live are empty.¡± The man continued preaching in an even voice like a pastor giving a sermon to a lostmb. ¡°You fail to see the essence of the truth, and thus, you cannot let go of these illusions. Child, why don¡¯t you take another look with your real self?¡±

    Just as the man finished, the whole summit appeared to spin. All the Inuits gathered their voices and started to sing. The voice changed from a sweet luby to a fric chanting instantly.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The Arctic Wolf squad screamed in pain. Some grabbed their heads while the others pulled on the trigger of their guns. The sound of gunfire was insistent, but they did not appear to hit any of the Inuits or the ck shadows behind them. Some sumbed to the horror and rolled toward the cliff, but they were held back by Uncle Dan and Xue Ba, who could still maintain a shred of sanity.

    Wu Siyu¡¯s face was nched. It highlighted the veins that popped on her skin.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes were bulging out of their faces, and they filled with strange blood vessels. Only Lou Xiaoning¡¯s left eye was affected, and strangely enough, there was an arctic wolf carcass that only had one eye.

    The anger in Gu Jun¡¯s heart had reached its peak, but at that moment, he realized he was unable to move. It was as if some kind of force had bound them into inactivity.

    A halo of light showered down on them. It was aurora borealis that suddenly appeared in the sky. The northern light now had a sinister nature as it curled around the people and bound them like ropes. The cultists chanted louder, and between the two rows of arctic wolf carcasses, a giant stone sculpture rose from the nket of snow. The birds started to scream and yell.

    Innumerable limbs of unknown origin were carved on the surface of the sculpture. They were twined together, writhing in a mass of chaos and madness. Other than these horrifying carvings, there were some mysterious words written in anguage so ancient none of them could recognize.

    ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn!¡± The Inuits were cheering and yelling. Gu Jun¡¯s headache increased, and his heart started to grip with pain. Something appeared to be bursting out of him. Without even him realizing it, his mouth was chanting along with the Inuits.

    At that moment, the meaning of the words suddenly came to Gu Jun. Wu Siyu, Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Yu Xiaoyong, and the rest who were connected by the pain felt the meaning resonate within them as well.

    ¡°In his house at R¡¯lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.¡±

    Every single one of them appeared to be slipping into an illusory dream.

 Chapter 167: Face of Humanity

    <h4>Chapter 167: Face of Humanity</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The sound of unknown beasts drifted over. An abandoned field, rousing wind, Gu Jun felt the whole world was spinning.

    ¡®Where am I?¡¯

    The wild grass rustled, and then out came several lean and short Neanderthals. They were dressed in animal hides. Their hair and beards were long and unkempt. They were looking for something, their eyes shing with fanaticism. All of them suddenly rose in a loud chant as they raised their wooden clubs to charge forward. Gu Jun¡¯s heart twitched. It felt like he was dreaming, but it was not one where he could control what was happening.

    From his point of view, it felt like he was one of the Neanderthals. He could feel the heft of the wooden club in his hands as he charged forward with his other tribe members. As he pushed through the wild grass and his vision cleared, he noticed there were several other Neanderthals before him. It appeared like his group was searching for them. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that these new arrivals looked slightly different from them. They had t foreheads, squat bodies, and short limbs. They were mumbling some kind of ancientnguage on their lips.

    The wooden clubs fell mercilessly. They were pounding relentlessly at their victims. The blows fell on the t foreheads, as skulls cracked and blood flowed!

    ¡°Woo! Woo!¡± The victorious neanderthal dropped their wooden clubs before lunging somewhere beyond the grass. They ransacked through the uncooked meat of some unknown creature and started feasting on it.

    The freshness of the delicacy, the feeling of satisfaction of a good meal, Gu Jun felt it deeply. It was as if some kind of ancient memory was awakening within him. He could hear a strange whispering telling him, ¡®Look at them. They are your ancestors. You are modelled after them...¡¯

    ¡°Shut up, I have studied all this in history ss before. Do you think some gore will scare me? I¡¯m a doctor!¡± Gu Jun shouted back and summoned his focus to resist. ¡°And I know this is just a mind trick!¡±

    Some other images assaulted him, and it was like Gu Jun could live vicariously through them. Neanderthals killing each other, Neanderthals shivering from the winter cold, Neanderthals witnessing the sudden darkening of the world around them... It was an eclipse, but the Neanderthals had no knowledge of such phenomena. They knelt on the ground and prayed for forgiveness even though their hearts were filled with not faith but terror. This fear of the unknown reverberated inside Gu Jun¡¯s heart.

    ¡®The Neanderthals are afraid of the eclipse. What are you afraid of?¡¯

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gu Jun hollered into the unknown. There was no truth in the illusions; they were just make-believe.

    ¡®The truth is always hard to digest. Open your eyes, these are not illusions. They are part of you as homo sapiens.¡¯

    Suddenly, more images flew before his eyes. It was as if Gu Jun was sent flying through tens of thousands of years. He saw some Neanderthals learning how to acquire fire from a tree that was struck by lightning. They huddled around the fire for warmth. On ident, a piece of fresh meat was dropped into the fire, and in another ident, rain doused the fire because it was left in the open.

    He saw them searching for more fire sources and then learning how to start a fire. He saw them migrate from one location to another. The tribe was growing, and with that came more conflicts. There were more fights and more blood to be shed.

    ¡®This is your so-called civilization... the foundation for humanity...¡¯

    Gu Jun could feel his flesh being pounded and his skin being torn as he saw the tribe expanding and reproducing. A species that flourished in pain and brutality, a species that lusted for war and oppression... He saw some tribes fade into obscurity while others thrived on the fallen... He saw many acts of cruelty performed in the desert, inside the castle and on the open field... Different countries, different continents, spanning different eras, but the inhuman brutality toward each other had remained a frightening constant. Exiles, massacres, oppression...

    ¡®This is your so-called world... the foundation for humanity...¡¯

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun gritted his teeth and tried to calm the waves in his heart. ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got? Who doesn¡¯t know that the history of mankind is paved with bloodshed?¡±

    ¡°History? Do you think they are in the past?¡± The strange voice began again. ¡°Open your eyes to the truth.¡±

    Many images struck Gu Jun. They appeared to be snippets of the future...

    Dark and gray cities, broken and tattered streets, withered trees and eerie silence. But in the dark corners, there was only fanaticism in the eyes of the hungry citizens. They were dressed in sharp outfits but were brandishing weapons. They cursed and yelled as they fought, killed, stole, piged, and raped. The penchant for brutality had always been a part of humanity. It would only keep repeating itself. Even in modernity, even dressed in civility, they were no different from the Neanderthals in the wild.

    ¡°Do you wish to see more? Do you need more proof?¡±

    With a sudden jerk, Gu Jun was pulled back to the ice-capped summit. His teammates were still around him, but their faces and their eyes spoke of something sinister. He had seen the same emotion in the Neanderthals before. It was the desire of extreme hunger. A strange portent spoke to him through a vision. He saw Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, Yu Xiaoyong, and the rest feasting on a headless body on the ground... and the body was dressed in his own clothes.

    The so-called regtion,w, and civilization of humanity was fragile, as fragile as the human body.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gu Jun pressed his hands over his ears, and he felt his breath catch inside him.

    ¡°Why are you still holding on?¡± The whispering continued like a luby. ¡°The things that you view as precious are nothing but an illusion, a self-deception, a collective hypnotism, a false morality. They are like a house of cards, built on nothing, blown away with the weakest draft.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind was nking out. He could feel it being consumed by emptiness. The color of the red blood was slowly being blotted away. The illusion was slowly dissolving his humanity. They, these R¡¯yleh cultists, were bleeding him of his humanity. He knew that was happening, but he did nothing to stop them.

    ¡°Dissolving? Bleeding? Such harsh words.¡± The whispering corrected his thoughts. ¡°We are not taking anything away from you. If anything, we are injecting you with the truth of the world around you.

    ¡°The beliefs that you held desperately onto were nothing but a mirage, one that will be swept away by time. These so-called civility,w, humanity... will change with time. The sin of the past is the pride of today. The pride of today is the sin of the future. The only one constant unaffected by time is a greater presence beyond humanity.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s vision cleared again. In the wild open field, there was a group of Neanderthals kneeling in prayer. They were genuflecting before a giant stone statue that stood before them. The statue was identical to the one that had been unearthed from the unnamed tomb, but it was several timesrger in size. The base was carved in such shapes that should have toppled it over but proudly there it stood...

    The Neanderthals were chanting something.

    ¡®The permanence in time is that great presence.¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s headache was so intense it felt like his brain was about to split. But all of a sudden, the illusions faded away. He could feel the biting arctic wind and saw the aurora borealis showering down on him. The mounds of dead animals and the two lines of dead arctic wolves. The Inuits and the shadowy people were still standing there looking at him. He swayed before copsing to the ground. Xue Ba, Yu Xiaoyong, and the rest were already on the ground. Their faces were scrunched up in pain and confusion as they were swallowed up by hallucinations...

    ¡°The sin of the past is the pride of today,¡± Gu Jun grumbled as the expression on his face changed. ¡°The pride of today is the sin of the future...¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, hang in there...¡± Wu Siyu was lying beside him as she groaned in difficulty. Even though her eyes were unfocused, a lingering sanity was still in there. ¡°Hang in there...¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t earlier.¡± Wu Siyu gave a light breath. ¡°But after lying down, I feel much better.¡±

    Then, as she pulled her gaze up, she saw a smirk crack on Gu Jun¡¯s lips. Instead of pain, she saw something inscrutable on Gu Jun¡¯s face. She tried to read his thoughts, but all she could sense was chaos.

    Gu Jun turned his head to look at the R¡¯yleh cultists, and he slowly said, ¡°Since humanity is soplicated, why would you have deigned that you have understood it? But to hell with the big picture. I shall help you understand the humanity of one, mine! It is surprisingly simple, since you have angered me...¡±

    His gaze suddenly turned as sharp as a dagger.

    ¡°Then destruction shall befall all of you!¡±

    The price would have to be paid in the casting of a spell, and it was no different for these cultists. The illusion went both ways; they were affecting his mind, thus forming a connection between the two parties. Therefore, Gu Jun could make use of this connection to deliver them their own bitter medicine.

    At that moment, Wu Siyu gasped because it dawned on her what Gu Jun was trying to do... The Inuits and the ck shadows were temporarily stumped.

    ¡°AH!¡± Gu Jun growled as he pulled out the Carlot scalpel from his bag. ¡®While my humanity is intact, I shall do what my mind tells me to do; while I am still Gu Jun, I shall do what Gu Jun would do. I will not let any harme to my friends here. They all have to return safely. The Nightmare Illness in Eastern State has to be resolved, or else I will have failed tremendously as a doctor.¡¯

    His howl petered off into the chanting of a foreignnguage. He poured his mental power into this spell, twisting the mental state of everyone who heard him.

    ¡°Mutated seeds break through decayed mud like battle axes, disintegrating decay.

    ¡°Decay reces fragrance, millions of descendants gathered around dirty blood.

    ¡°Creature of worm and maggot breaking through the barrier, reshaping and reforming.

    ¡°On the starlight they feast, spreading the darkness into the world.

    ¡°The name of the Old Ones will never fall!¡±

    The spell was used in the banyan tree forest to create the Malformed Banyan tree. They were on an arctic ind, so naturally, there were no banyan trees around, but the spell itself contained a soul-crushing power. Gu Jun knew about its destructive power after he read up on that page of the spell book.

    As he chanted louder and louder, the Inuits and the ck shadows started to blur together as they screamed in panic and horror. But in just a few brief moments, their astral bodies¡ªbe it children or adults, Inuits or the shadows¡ªtwisted and twined to form a giant banyan tree. Their fingers burst into green leaves, their limbs hardened into branches, and their bodies joined into the trunk. Their skulls imprinted themselves along the grain of the wood, and the chaos and shock in their eyes soon faded into ashy emptiness.

 Chapter 168: Pathway to the Dream World (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 168: Pathway to the Dream World (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Instantly, the situation on the summit shiftedpletely. The mounds of animal carcasses and two rows of arctic wolf corpses disappeared and so did the stone sculpture. But right where the statue stood, there was now arge humanoid banyan tree, grotesque in its majesty. The prey and the predator had been swapped.

    ¡°Ergh...¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    The Phecda members slowly regained consciousnesses from their mental assault. As the nightmarish illusion faded away, they saw what happened near the end. It appeared like Gu Jun had cast a spell.

    Yu Xiaoyong¡¯s face said it all. The shock was obvious. Although they had heard about spells from the headquarters before, still...

    ¡®This Gu Jun sure is something else.¡¯

    ¡®Malformed banyan tree? What kind of spell is this?¡¯

    ¡®Are those people dead?¡¯

    A flurry of thoughts surfeited their minds, but the one that stood out the most was: ¡®Are we safe now?¡¯

    Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, and Lou Xiaoning shared a look. The concern wasmunicated non-verbally. Even though Gu Jun was still standing upright. His expression was extremely weird, and darkness could be seen swirling in his eyes.

    ¡°His mental state...¡± Wu Suyi tried for an ESP connection, and her mind felt like it was zapped. ¡°It¡¯s being corrupted by something...¡±

    Gu Jun had told them earlier that a price needed to be paid to use any spell, and obviously, he was paying that price now.

    ¡°Then, what are we to do now?¡± Lou Xiaoning asked urgently. ¡°Uncle Dan, why don¡¯t you go and give him a shot?¡±

    ¡°Miss Lou, do you really think that will help?¡± Uncle Dan roared back angrily. ¡°We can¡¯t even tell what his physical or mental state is right now.¡±

    At that moment, Gu Jun uttered, ¡°I am fine...¡±

    That surprised and brought relief to the Demon Hunters. Yu Xiaoyong and Xue Ba hurried to call themand center. Gu Jun was not lying. He knew the darkness of the Son of Misfortune had been about to corrupt him earlier. If not for the Carlot Scalpel, the Strong Heart, and his mental power training... he might have lost himself.

    ¡°The mastery of your Strong Heart has increased by one thousand and three thousand points. Current level is one (4,500/50,000 Mastery).¡±

    The illusion added one thousand points, and casting the spell awarded him with another 3,000. Well, if there was ever a silver lining...

    ¡°Warning, your mind is currently corrupted. Current corruption rate three percent. It is growing at an indeterminate rate.¡±

    This never-seen-before notification appeared in the system. Gu Jun indeed felt a shadowy block at a part of his mind. It was like a psychological tumor, and it was growing via the consumption of his mental power. That was the price he had to pay to cast this spell. If he did not cleanse it soon, it would only worsen as time went by. The ¡®indeterminate growth rate¡¯ probably meant that the more he interacted with darkness, the more constantly he used the spell, the faster it would grow. But the system notification was a wee surprise. At least it could help him monitor his own psychological illness.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Su, why aren¡¯t you ending this illusion yet?¡± Wu Siyu asked. She knew that Gu Jun was the one controlling that malformed banyan tree, but if he kept this up, the exhaustion would deplete him.

    ¡°Not yet...¡± Gu Jun replied softly as the chilling wind shed at his face. ¡°Not when we have the perfect chance to enter that dream world.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xue Ba and the rest were confused.

    Gu Jun turned to that twisted banyan tree. ¡°These are not the only members of the R¡¯yleh Cult...¡±

    That was a given. The R¡¯yleh Cult had been in existence for who knew how long already, and it was certain that they had members all over the world. Furthermore, he did not sense the ¡®shaman¡¯ that Elder Tong encountered. That kind of dangerous presence was not part of the group that assaulted them. The group who were destroyed probably consisted of the cult members who resided on Wrangel Ind.

    ¡°Their physical bodies might not be on the ind. They arrived here through some kind of method, but now that they are taken care of, this ind is temporarily left unattended.¡± Gu Jun looked around. ¡°For now, no one will reach here fast enough to stop me from opening the path into the dream world. The source of the Nightmare Illness is not here. That can only be found in the dream world.¡±

    ¡°But how are we going to open that path?¡± Xue Ba asked. None of them had any idea about that.

    ¡°Through a spell,¡± Gu Jun answered. ¡°I know a way to open it, but I can only use it once.¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, you are going to cast another spell in your current state?¡± Wu Siyu sighed in disbelief. ¡°Are you sure about that? Can your body handle it?¡±

    ¡°I have to even if I can¡¯t.¡± Gu Jun knew this chance would onlye once. The cultists said that they had misread him, but Gu Jun was sure they were not going to make that mistake again. Therefore, the window of opportunity was slim. He did not have the time to rest and recover. Furthermore... he doubted any amount of rest would help recover the psychological tumor in his mind. Since he had made up his mind, the group retreated to the side. Gu Jun was the only one who knew anything about the ult and the supernatural, so who dared go against him?

    ¡°Then I will start now.¡± Gu Jun turned toward the cliff and looked down the horizon where the snowy field appeared to be joined to the frozen sea. He opened the watcher¡¯s diary in his mind and took out the parchment with the zombienguage on it. The parchment floated before his mind¡¯s eye. He opened his mind to it, allowing its life, power, and spirituality to speak to him.

    Suddenly, another illusion shed before his eyes. It appeared to be a room without walls, one that was filled with different carcasses.

    An epiphany came to him. The knowledge filtered into him as the words flowed out of Gu Jun¡¯s lips freely. ¡°Meeping... Gibbering... Meeping... Gibbering...¡±

    Any spell required a sacrifice, so this time, he would use the humanoid banyan tree as the sacrifice!

    Their souls and bodies would be sacrificed to thee, the presence in the charnel house.

    At the same time, everyone else stood watching nervously. This time, the Arctic Wolf squad had a clearer understanding of the power of the spell. The air around the banyan tree appeared to get distorted. A pool of inscrutable darkness appeared, swallowing the banyan tree little by little before it disappearedpletely...

    ¡°Meeping! Meeping!¡± Gu Jun chanted the curse. Veins popped on his face, and his eyes were bulging.

    ¡°The mastery of your Strong Heart has increased by 1,500 points. Current level is one (6000/50000 Mastery).

    ¡°Warning, your mind is currently corrupted. Current corruption rate five percent.¡±

    ¡®Show yourself, path to the dream world!¡¯

    As Gu Jun cast his spell, Wu Siyu felt a different chill even though the snowstorm around them had ceased and the night slowly turned into day. Xue Ba and the rest gasped openly at this unbelievable change. The frozen sea melted away, and mist billowed. The seawater rose onto the cliff. Even though they knew this was an illusion, it did not reduce the shock in their hearts. The headquarters who were tuned in were equally stunned. Then Yu Xiaoyong added in report, ¡°A ship has arrived, a big white ship...¡±

    On the cliff before them, shrouded in the mist, there was a white ship peeking through. It looked like a wooden galleon. It had three tall masts, and the white sails on them looked rather worn and tattered. The mist was too thick for them to notice any discerning features about the white ship, not even its name or symbol.

    ¡°Guys,¡± Gu Jun said heavily, ¡°I believe this is the passage.¡±

    However, in the watcher¡¯s diary, Mr. Chandler did mention that not everyone could gain passage to that world. But since everyone could see the ship, did that mean that they could all embark on it? There was only one way to find out. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu saw there was a nk that led directly onto the deck. The others tried to inch closer to the cliffside, but whenever they did, the white ship appeared to drift away. The distance could never be closed. Now it was time for Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, and the rest to frown.

    ¡°Ah Jun, can¡¯t this wait?¡± Xue Ba tightened his jaw. ¡°It is too dangerous for the two of you to do this alone. Perhaps we should wait for reinforcements from the base...¡±

    ¡°There is no time.¡± As the spell-caster, Gu Jun could sense that the passage was not going to stay for long. Furthermore, he had a feeling others were not invited. There were only two tickets avable. He turned to Wu Siyu and admitted honestly, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, this is a one-way ticket. There is no guarantee we can even return.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already here.¡± Wu Siyu made a face at him. ¡°Plus, it¡¯s not every day you get invited onto a cruise. You bet I¡¯ming with you.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m d that you¡¯ll being along.¡± Gu Jun sighed secretly in relief. Since he sensed there was capacity for two, he had a feeling Wu Siyu would serve a purpose to apany him.

    The decision had been made between the two, but the others were silent. ¡®One-way ticket? Sounds like the pair has decided to sacrifice themselves...¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯re going then.¡± Gu Jun turned to the rest. He took in the faces of Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, and Uncle Dan. ¡°Uncle Dan! That trip that you promised me, don¡¯t you forget about it!¡±

    ¡°Naturally...¡± Uncle Dan¡¯s eyes were red, and he choked slightly on his words. ¡°For that, you promise me both of you have to return safely.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, Siyu, take care of yourself.¡± Even Xue Ba¡¯s voice was getting hoarse.

    The Arctic Wolf squad also gave their farewell.

    Lou Xiaoning cursed loudly. She handed the weaponry that she had to the pair. ¡°Take these with you, don¡¯t you ever let them bully you! And go kill those b*stards!¡±

    With that, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu carried provisions like guns and a medical kit and walked to the cliffside. Gu Jun made the first step onto the nk. It was quite sturdy. He took one step after another. Wu Siyu trailed behind him as they stepped onto the deck of the white ship. When they were out of everyone¡¯s earshot, Wu Siyu turned to ask, ¡°In the illusions of the cult earlier, those things about humanity, do they not bother you?¡±

    ¡°Why should they?¡± Gu Jun chuckled as he continued to stride forward. ¡°Humanity is a mixture of good and bad. We have both the angel and demon in us. But it is also because the good in humanity is so easily corrupted and precious that we need to do our best to protect it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wu Siyu stepped forward. ¡°That is a very simple way of looking at it, but for some reason, that does sound quite erudite.¡±

    On the summit, the group watched as the pair get onto the ship. Their figures were immediately swamped by the mist. From the satellite pictures, it appeared like they had walked off the cliff. An unknown wind blew on the mast, and the white ship slowly sailed away onto the endless ocean toward the north.

    All of a sudden, the snowstorm returned. When they took a look around, they found themselves back at the snow-topped summit, but Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were already nowhere to be seen. The two of them had embarked on the white ship to head toward the dream world.

 Chapter 169: White Ship

    <h4>Chapter 169: White Ship</h4>

    Although Gu Jun could not catch sight of the sun or even a wisp of a cloud, the sky was blindingly bright. The heaven stretched forth like a wiped-out canvas. The sea was still shrouded in mist, and the sea was surprisingly calm. There was nothing that suggested waves or aquatic activity. There was definitely something supernatural about the mist because whenever Gu Jun tried to look through it, the mist appeared imprable, but should he try to look up into the sky, the mist did not obstruct his line of sight at all. From the moment Gu Jun stepped onto the deck, it felt like he was transported to Nevend. With a little pixie dust and happy thoughts, he would lift himself up into the sky. However, the wooden floor of the deck under his feet felt real and concrete; it did not feel like he was dreaming.

    Both he and Wu Siyu embarked onto the ship while carrying a ny-seven automatic. They entered the ship with their backs against each other, covering the other¡¯s blind spot as per their professional training. The barrels of the guns swept their surroundings.

    The ship looked like a medieval era pirate ship. The spacious deck was quite deserted. There were three wooden masts, some lidless wooden barrels, sturdy-looking nylon ropes, and doors that appeared to lead deeper into the cabins. The cabin door was ckened from prolonged exposure to the elements. It was left half-ajar, so Gu Jun could see the shape of the stairs that led below.

    ¡°Be careful, I feel like we¡¯re not the only ones...¡± Gu Jun whispered to Wu Siyu.

    At the same time, Wu Siyu gasped. ¡°Your gun.¡±

    ¡°Yours too.¡± Gu Jun saw what she meant. The guns they were holding were rapidly dissolving into wisps of smoke before disappearingpletely. Not only the automatics, the sniper rifles on their backs, the pistols strapped to their waist, the grenades and explosives, cold steel like daggers and knives, all the weaponry had all dissolved into smoke and be part of the mist.

    Gu Jun reached hurriedly toward the toolkit around his waist and let out a breath of relief. The three medical Carlot instruments were still there, but when he turned to therger medic kit, he noticed all the normal surgical instruments had disappeared. Only the medicine, blood bags, and syringes were left behind. They quickly took an inventory of their other belongings. Their phones, binocrs, shlights, lighters, watches, water bottles,pass... those had all vanished. Currently, other than the clothes on their backs and the snowshoes on their feet, as well as a few medical supplies, the pair had nothing.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Gu Jun said darkly, ¡°it appears like we have officiallynded in the dream world.¡±

    ¡°Why take all those things but leave the medical supplies for us?¡± Wu Siyu voiced the question out loud.

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Gu Jun shook his head.

    Without the gun in his grasp, the anxiety gripped at his heart. He was reminded of what Mr. Chandler had said in the watcher¡¯s dairy, ¡®It is a glorious world, but gloryes with its risks... Should you happen to be one of the chosen ones, heed this advice¡ªdo worry about bringing anything with you. You won¡¯t want for anything there.¡¯

    This was a dangerous world, and the ind that they were searching for would be popted by cultists and zombies. Without the protection of their weaponry and the depleting store of mental power to cast any more spells, Gu Jun felt instantly deted.

    ¡°Take this.¡± Gu Jun handed the surgical scissors to Wu Siyu while he held onto the scalpel. ¡°At least they¡¯re going to fare better than our bare fists.¡±

    After Wu Siyu epted the scissors, she kept snapping them. Click, click, the scissors went. ¡°Sorry, I suddenly felt the urge to cut something.¡±

    ¡°Maybe we should go toward the cabin to take a look.¡± Gu Jun led carefully ahead. He was tuning his ears to their surrounding as well as putting his sensors out for anything supernatural. The pair moved step by step to the cabin door. As they got closer to the door, they could hear some kind of strange wailinging from the bottom. There was more than one voice; many voices were crying out, their screams ovepping with each other. Gu Jun¡¯s heart slowly tightened. There appeared to be some creatures locked at the bottom.

    Just as he was about to lean forward to take a better look, Wu Siyu behind him suddenly yelped in surprise. ¡°Ah.¡±

    Gu Jun instantly whipped his head around and saw that where they had just been stood, right next to the empty wooden barrels, stood a person who was not there earlier.

    ¡°I blinked,¡± Wu Siyu said, ¡°and he was there.¡±

    The neer was an old man with a bushy beard. He wore an old bup robe without any stylistic decoration that outlined his thin body. Even though the old man had a human face, he did not resemble any known human race. He had deep sunken eyes, a t nose, and his gray beard dropped down to his chest. But the strangest features were the wrinkles that pleated his face. For a split second, Gu Jun thought he saw the wrinkles wiggle along his face like worms.

    Gu Jun shot a look at Wu Siyu as he slowly turned his body around. He posed a question in Chinese. ¡°Old sir, how do you do? Can you understand us?¡±

    ¡°In this world,munication is based on intention. As long as the speaker is willing to be understood, the listener will naturally understand.¡± The gray-bearded elder responded casually. The reply exemplified what the senior was saying perfectly because the old man was responding in some kind of unknownnguage. It did not resemble any humannguage, the foreignnguage, the zombienguage, or the R¡¯ylehnguage, but the pair found themselves understanding the elder perfectly. However, when they tried to reply in the samenguage, they found themselves unable to do so.

    ¡°Old sir, do you mind telling us who you are?¡± Gu Jun probed again.

    ¡°I guess you can see me as the captain of this ship. I am responsible for intercepting the travelers from different ces.¡± The old man¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°So, where do you wish to go?¡±

    Gu Jun thought for a while before saying, ¡°Can we look at a map?¡±

    He wanted to get a quick understanding of this world¡¯s geography.

    ¡°There is no map.¡± The old man appeared to look right through them into the mist. ¡°You only need to give me your destination.¡±

    Gu Jun knew that he was not going to get anything else out of the old man. ¡°We¡¯re heading toward a barren ind. Based on our world¡¯s coordinates, it is located at northerntitude 74¡ã31¡¯12¡± and eastern longitude 176¡ã.¡±

    ¡°Of course...¡± The old man answered the moment he finished. ¡°I can take you there.¡±

    Instantly, the sails on the mast turned and adjusted their direction even though there was no wind. Then the ship sped up, and the mist started to fade away. This gave Gu Jun a burst of confidence. At least they were on the right track. The ind could be found in this world.

    ¡°Sir, why did you decide toe for us? Aren¡¯t you curious about us? I¡¯m curious about you.¡± Wu Siyu peppered the old man with questions. ¡°Is this your job? Are you self-employed, or is there a boss? How do you get paid?¡±

    Sheunched into a bombardment of enquiries, and Gu Jun let her be. However, the old man did not appear to have heard her. Wu Siyu shrugged in the end. It was like she was part of the mist when it came to this old man.

    ¡°Old Sir.¡± Gu Jun decided to chime in, his tone rich with respect and sincerity. ¡°The ce that we¡¯re heading is very dangerous, but we do not have even a single weapon on us, not even food or water. I wonder if you can give us something or tell us how to find some.¡±

    ¡°There are many things on the ship.¡± The old man finally answered. ¡°But with everythinges a price.¡±

    ¡°Was it you who took away our things earlier?¡± Wu Siyu suspected the old man did that to drive up his side of the bargain. Her fingers twitched, and she felt like reaching out to shear off the old man¡¯s beard.

    ¡°No, that was simply how this world works,¡± the old man exined. ¡°No traveler is able to bring anything in here with them. But there are special exceptions...¡±

    The old man did not borate further.

    Gu Jun nodded silently. Combined with what Mr. Chandler said, it did not seem like the old man was lying to them. So, the Carlot instruments and other medical supplies were the ¡®special exceptions¡¯, but why?

    ¡®To get something from this old man, we have to trade with him... the theory of equivalent exchange. Is this just like how spells work?¡¯

    With these thoughts bubbling in his mind, Gu Jun asked, ¡°Old Sir, can you first show us what kind of items you have avable first?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± And with that, the previously empty wooden barrels were suddenly filled with various items. Some barrels contained uniquely designed weapons. There were swords, des, bows. Other barrels had food and alcohol. They gave off a delicious smell. Others had some tools like oilmps and flintstones.

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes were immediately drawn to one of the barrels that was overflowing with books, scrolls, and parchments of what looked like spells...

    The other items might be valuable, but these writings were precious, and they were the stuff Gu Jun had been searching for all along. They could hold the secrets and answers to many of his questions. Gu Jun could feel his heart racing.

    On the other hand, Wu Siyu¡¯s eyes stayed glued to that barrel of food and wine.

    ¡°So,¡± the gray-bearded man asked with disinterest, ¡°what do you wish for?¡±

 Chapter 170: Sweet Dreams

    <h4>Chapter 170: Sweet Dreams</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The mist floated on the ocean surface but strangely enough, it appeared to be unable to float onto the deck. Right next to one of the masts, the wooden barrels were spilling over with glittering treasure. Gu Jun eyed the scrolls and books among them and the desire to acquire them rose in his heart.

    ¡°Hey, dirty-minded Jun...¡± Wu Siyu called after him. Reminded of what the old captain mentioned, ¡®as long as the speaker is willing to be understood, the listener will naturally understand¡¯, she controlled her intention and asked softly, ¡°Do you think we can knock out this old man and hijack this ship as well as its treasures for ourselves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an idea.¡± Gu Jun shook his head with a chuckle, ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good one.¡± The old man¡¯s expression did not change, showing no sign whether he had overheard the two¡¯s conspiracy or not. However, Gu Jun believed this would not be the old man¡¯s first time offering transport to passengers from different worlds. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were not his first passengers and most probably others had thought about taking advantage of the seemingly frail old man before. Gu Jun turned to nce at the half open cabin door, might the screams belong to the fools who were mad enough to attempt to rob the captain?

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wu Siyu followed Gu Jun¡¯s gaze and the possible consequence crossed her mind, ¡°Fine... caution appears to be a virtue at the moment.¡±

    ¡°In any case, we should go for the spell books.¡± Gu Jun began. ¡°That is what we need the most now, not just for this mission but for future ones as well. Furthermore, it will be instrumental to Phecda¡¯s research into spells.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°Alright then. Perhaps I can wheedle a deal out of the old man. It is fairlymon for shops to offer free samples with their purchase, right? Buying books, gifting food, that sounds logical enough to me.¡± Gu Jun had no guarantee that was the case, but he turned to the old man and said, ¡°Old Sir, we would like the spell books, the kind that can help us understand spells, learn spells and provide us with the power to defeat our enemies. The literature is best written in thenguage we can understand and... the sacrifice needed to cast the spell be kept to the bare minimum if possible.¡±

    ¡°You sure are a fussy buyer but... I do happen to have something here that fits your description.¡± The grey-bearded man answered swiftly. The pair saw the old man reach out his wrinkled right hand and poked into the barrel filled with mystical writings to pull out a book about 8 cm thick. The pages were yellowed and there were some strange and mysterious patterns on the cover, apanied by some ancient writing...

    ¡°That is written in Oracle Bone Script.¡± Wu Siyu recognized the writing immediately, after all, she was from Shen Hai City¡¯s relic division. ¡°Xuan? It seems to spell the character Ðþ.¡±

    Even though Gu Jun did not have that much archaeological knowledge, he was familiar with Chinese history to recognize Bone Oracle Script, he just could not read them. ¡®Bone Oracle Script, is it? Looks like the tome is written way back in the Early Qin dynasty, at the early formation of our culture.¡¯ Gu Jun could not say he was that surprised. Humans had interacted with ultism when they were still Neanderthals, so their presence among the ancient civilization was not that surprising.

    ¡°I suppose you can call this... the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.¡± The old man continued evenly. ¡°Unfortunately this is just a copy, the original consists of seven separate scriptures but their current location is unknown... Fret not because this copy is more than enough to satisfy your earlier requirement, especially at a time like this.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart was racing, Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan? The old man appeared to be able to read his mind. If they were given a spell book from the foreign world, then it would be essible to him only but if it was a spell book researched by their ancestors, then perhaps it would be essible to Wu Siyu and even the whole Phecda. Gu Jun used to think that while humanity might have dappled in ultism but no civilization hade up with actual spells before but that appeared not to be the case. Perhaps it merely did not have the luck to enjoy the flourishing magic appeared to have had with the foreign civilization. The reason? Well, it would be a wonder if Gu Jun knew. Perhaps it was lost between generations or reced by technology... Regardless, he knew he needed this spell book.

    ¡°Is there any spell in this book that we can master now?¡± Gu Jun collected his wits so not to get ahead of himself.

    ¡°Any kind of spell book requires time to study and learn.¡± The old man lectured. ¡°In fact, the same tome might provide different enlightenment depending on its reader.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s eyes widened but there was something else on her mind, ¡°Sir, we¡¯re going to take this book, do you have any free gift to go with it?¡±

    This time, the question finally stumped the old man. He paused before saying, ¡°I can gift each of you a choice of weapon, a set of clothes, some tools and a set of food. Your clothes should not even exist here but the ship has casted a protective charm over them, but they will disappear once you disembark from the ship.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Wu Siyu turned her eyes to the sky, who knew what had popped into her mind from that statement.

    ¡°Old sir.¡± Gu Jun had no idea what the captain wanted in return so he nned to tease out his bottom line slowly, ¡°How about we trade with you this medic kit?¡± Of course, it did not contain the three Carlot instruments.

    ¡°I have no need for them.¡± The old man rejected without the need to think. Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank, the Carlot instruments were very important to him, they could help stabilize his mental state but it appeared like there was no other choice, ¡°How about this dissecting forceps?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want that.¡± The old man shot him down again.

    Gu Jun thought about it. ¡°I have some diaries, and letters in my mind, would those work?¡± The old man still responded with a headshake so Gu Jun offered, ¡°There is a presence of dark consciousness within me, how about that?¡± The old man replied, ¡°No, I have no interest in that at all.¡± Gu Jun was reaching his wit¡¯s end. ¡°I have a brain tumor, would you want that?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± It was not until now that Wu Siyu found out about Gu Jun¡¯s fatal illness. Her brows rose in surprise. ¡°For real?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s stabilized for now.¡± Gu Jun nodded but Wu Siyu still gave a long sigh.

    ¡°No, why would I want that?¡± The old man retorted.

    ¡°Old Sir, in that case, why don¡¯t you tell us directly what is there for us to give you?¡± Finally Gu Jun relented.

    ¡°You can offer me...¡± The grey-bearded old man said slowly, ¡°your sweet dreams.¡±

    Puzzlement was clear on the pair¡¯s faces so the old man exined, ¡°To dream is an ability, even more so when the dream is a sweet one... Nightmare has its own power, so does its opposite. But everyone has a limited amount of sweet dreams to dream and when all the sweet dreams are gone... one will lose the ability to dream. And those who lost that ability will be summoned by the dream...¡±

    ¡°You mean.¡± Gu Jun seemed to acquire some kernels of truth from the old man¡¯s words. ¡°The dreamless will be summoned away by the dreamer weavers?¡±

    ¡®Was that what happened with the Nightmare Illness? All of the patients¡¯ sweet dreams have been taken away? So they could only repeat the same nightmare whenever they sleep?¡¯

    The old man did not respond as if realizing he had already revealed too much.

    ¡°What kind of influence it will have us should we give you our sweet dreams?¡± Gu Jun moved onto the other question. He needed toplete this mission, he had to.

    ¡°You will not be affected for quite a long time.¡± The old man assured, ¡°I only need 100 sweet dreams.¡± Gu Jun was silent, 100 sweet dreams, from his childhood to his current age of 21, had he dreamt that many sweet dreams before? ¡®Bloody hell, now is not the time to dawdle, as long as it would not affect this current mission.¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s mind was made up, he took a deep breath and told Wu Siyu in a serious tone, ¡°Siyu, I¡¯ll surrender all 100 of them.¡±

    ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s tonecked surprise.

    ¡°Just hear me out first.¡± Gu Jun stressed. ¡°I am not long for this world.¡± Even though the physical tumor had stabilized, now he had the psychological tumor to wrestle with. ¡°So I am obviously the clearer candidate, the mission will be too dangerous if both of us are put under duress, at least one of us has to be in prime condition and return with the result... and you are more suitable for that job than I am.¡± He had a feeling that they would need to utilize more spells when they arrived at that ind and the corruption of his mind would only deepen. Probably that was why the ship allowed two passengers to board, one was destined to be the sacrifice.

    ¡°But I do not think so.¡± Wu Siyu looked him in the eye and argued in a rare serious tone, ¡°Because between the two of us, if I have to bet which one of us will survive, my money will be on you. You¡¯re good at spells and have shown again and again you know how to take care of yourself, I on the other hand, have not. If this is how I can contribute, I am more than d to do it.¡±

    ¡°Aiz, it is not a scrumptious meal on offer here, why are you fighting over this with me?¡± Gu Jun was not going to waste time on this. He turned back and announced, ¡°Sir, I will offer you 100 sweet dreams of my own! Take them!¡±

    Wu Siyu cried out, ¡°Hey, we were not done discussing it!¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡± The old man nodded easily. ¡°Your sweet dreams are more valuable after all.¡± The old man then reached out his right hand and pressed it on Gu Jun¡¯s head. Instantly Gu Jun felt like explosions had gone off inside his brain. Fear and pain from a thousand nightmares filtered into his brain at the same time, the scream escaped from his lips before he could stop himself!

    ¡°What...¡± Wu Siyu was in shock. She saw silvery strands being pulled out of Gu Jun¡¯s head. The strands were radiating a colorful warmth, they sang of security and bliss. For Gu Jun, it was as if the world around him had faded away and it was being reced by darkness. The happiness of his childhood, every happy moment of his life... they were slowly being reced by pain and terror...

    It was right then that he felt a connection with Landon, the man who had sacrificed everything to serve a greater purpose... Sacrifice is inevitable!

    Some images suddenly gushed out of his heart, resisting the external force that was working to im him, it was the Son of Steel.

    ¡°Your sweet dreams...¡± The grey-bearded old man was shocked, this was the first facial expression he had shown. ¡°What is this power of yours?!¡±

 Chapter 171: Illusion of Light

    <h4>Chapter 171: Illusion of Light</h4>

    After the initial shock, Wu Siyu quickly came to. When she saw the grimace on Gu Jun¡¯s face, she was desperate enough to plunge the scissors at the old man.

    ¡°Damn you, Gu Jun, why did you fight with me for this? I have never liked dreaming. Do you know how taxing that is? Dreams are nothing but a disturbance. One should be able to lie down and rest peacefully until they wake up naturally!¡±

    Just as she was lunging forward, she saw the expression of the old man shift. He mumbled with disbelief, ¡°Your power?¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± The image that rose in Gu Jun¡¯s heart became clearer and clearer. He could see the beautiful statue of the Goddess of Life standing in the middle of a fountain. Water, the source of life... There were buildings of ancient and impressive designs in the background. ¡®Is this Carlot Academy? Perhaps this is the chance I¡¯ve been waiting for.¡¯

    With the shred of consciousness left, Gu Jun flipped open the spell book in his mind and tried to trigger its illusion.

    As he did so, more images rushed forward. He could see rows of students sitting inside a spacious ssroom. They were all dressed in white, clean robes.

    ¡°When you study spells, it is instrumental to read beyond just the words.¡± Someone who appeared like the teacher was lecturing at the lectern. His tone was very stern. ¡°You have to use your mind to embrace and ept it. Allow its mental power to transmute your own. Allow its life force to transmute your own.¡±

    The students were listening quietly and taking notes. One of them, though, reminded Gu Jun of the man who was dissecting the Necro-skins down in the underground morgue. He was whispering to the people around them. They snickered among themselves, apparently sharing some inside jokes.

    ¡°Landon!¡± The teacher suddenly scolded him sternly. ¡°Pay attention in ss!¡±

    ¡®Is this Orlem, the teacher who was mentioned in Landon¡¯s notes?¡¯

    Landon made a face at his teacher, and this caused his ssmates to burst intoughter. Gu Jun felt a warmth enveloping him. This illusion was probably counted as a sweet dream.

    As the illusion faded away, a new notification came from the system. ¡°Your mind has been cleansed. Corruption lightened by two percent. Current corruption rate is three percent.¡±

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Gu Jun did feel a sweet rejuvenation coursing through his body. More foreign words were awakening in his mind, and the dark consciousness of the Son of Misfortune was ebbing like waves. Gu Jun was surprised that the illusion from this spell book would have this kind of recovery effect. This illusion was unique from the ones he had experienced before; it was warm and treasured. Perhaps this could be called a ¡®light illusion¡¯? And the ones that would cause pain and exhaust mental power were the contrast, ¡®dark illusions¡¯?

    This time, not only was his mental power not drained, he felt strangely refreshed. ording to the system, even the corruption had decreased. This proved that the corruption could be reversed! One of the methods was exactly this¡ªdigest the power of the Son of Steel. This was like a scale. Should one side go high, the other would have to go low, and vice versa. In that case, Gu Jun at least had hope that he could find ways to survive...

    It was right then that he could feel another external force in his mind. It was strangely unfamiliar. It had to belong to the gray-bearded old man.

    ¡®So, it is this force that is attempting to drain away my sweet dreams, huh?¡¯

    Gu Jun focused his mind and tried to sense it. Instantly, another vision jumped out at him. It was not as clear as the earlier vision, but he could hear someone shouting in delight, the voice bing shriller and louder.

    ¡°The wisdom of Barzai hath made him greater than earth¡¯s gods, and against his will, their spells and barriers are as naught!¡±

    There was maddening joy in it as if all the sweet dreams a human mind could ever imagine hade true. But in a split second, the shouting became such a deep cry, a cry wherein reverberated the horror and anguish of a haunted lifetime packed into one atrocious moment!

    ¡°Outer hell... Look away...¡± The pleading voice was mumbling incoherently, but Gu Jun could feel the painful abyss mentioned in the warning. It was trying to draw him into it. Gu Jun immediately used his refreshed mental power to exile it out of his mind. ¡°Leave. No matter what you are, get out of my mind!¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± The old man groaned in shock. The wrinkles on his face became darker and stranger. From Wu Siyu¡¯s point of view, the silvery strands snapped and slithered back into Gu Jun¡¯s head...

    ¡°Your sweet dreams...¡± The old man spoke suspiciously. ¡°You...¡±

    Gu Jun staggered for a bit as he came to. Wu Siyu immediately rushed forward to support him. Gu Jun turned to ask her, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It looks like the draining has failed?¡± Wu Siyu did not quite understand it either, but she tried to exin what she had seen as best she could. While she did so, she fixed her eyes on the gray-bearded man. If there was a boss in this dream world, it was definitely not this old man. He looked more like someone on a payroll, the kind that they could overpower. She whispered, ¡°Are you sure we cannot just knock him out?¡±

    Gu Jun was also studying the old man. Even though he had protected himself against his power, he still had little understanding of the old man¡¯s strength, and Gu Jun had a feeling that draining people¡¯s sweet dreams was not the only ability the old man possessed. The earth¡¯s gods? What was that supposed to mean?

    In any case, he did know more than before, so he asked probingly, ¡°Old Sir, your name is Barzai, right?¡±

    This old man appeared to be amon man a long time ago, but his sin was his pride and arrogance. For that, he was punished by terrifying madness. Perhaps that was how he found his way there, doomed to ferry this ship forever... Now Gu Jun felt like this old man was more like a prisoner who had lost all of his sweet dreams and had to rely on others for temporary sustenance.

    ¡°Barzai?¡± The old man¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°That is a name that I have not heard in a long time already...¡±

    Gu Jun had a feeling, but he could not confirm it, so he asked, ¡°Mr. Barzai, wee from the same world, don¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Young man...¡± The old man paused for a moment before the earlier indifference settled back. ¡°There are things that you do not need to know. That is not the purpose of your current journey, but heed this warning, the more you know about this ce, the harder it is for you to leave. This time... forget it. Take the things that you want. Consider them a gift.¡±

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu shared a look. Since the old man could not retrieve Gu Jun¡¯s sweet dreams, it would be totally logical for him to go back on his end of the bargain too, so why would he give them everything? Was it because they dide from the same world? In any case, this was when Wu Siyu¡¯s shamelessness kicked in.

    ¡°Then, can we take more food with us?¡± Wu Siyu asked openly. ¡°The doctor said I was born with a naturally big appetite. Am I right, Doctor Gu?¡±

    ¡°She is.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°Her stomach is about 1.6 timesrger than normal...¡±

    The old man looked at the two of them. After another pause, he said, ¡°She can take an extra loaf of bread.¡±

    The pair could hear the warning in the old man¡¯s voice, so they did not push further. But since they were given permission, Wu Siyu immediately turned to grab their grub. She went to grab some food and wine from the food barrel. These food items appeared to be quite special. Just from smelling them, they felt quite full. And then each of them selected two sets of cotton outfits and two pairs of leather shoes. They had that exotic look to them. Then, they opted for an oilmp, a small vial of gasoline, and a weapon each. Gu Jun went for a sword, and Wu Siyu took a bow. They could switch depending on the situation. Finally, the spell book.

    ¡°You two are very unique.¡± The old man personally handed the ancient tome over to Gu Jun. His tone was indifferent, but his words were kind. ¡°I have onest piece of advice to give you. No matter how deep you have studied any spell book, there will always be the inscrutable within it. It is the same with this one. Be careful of it.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently as he epted the book. Finally, he had ess to aplete spell book. ¡®Barzai, has he studied the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan before?¡¯

    Gu Jun held the spell book and walked to the other side of the deck. He took a deep breath and turned the pages. Wu Siyu looked over his shoulder, reading the same material while she munched on the piece of bread.

 Chapter 172: Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan

    <h4>Chapter 172: Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Gu Jun¡¯s hand lightly caressed the front cover of the spell book. The paper felt unfamiliar to his touch. He turned over to the first page. There was a line on it. It appeared to be the book¡¯s name. It looked like Chinese Calligraphy but not in anynguage format that he could understand. He could barely make out the characters ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan¡¯. Over the course of time, this spell book must have taken on different monikers, which meant that its original name was impossible to find as well as its original author.

    ¡°Do you recognize this type of writing?¡± Gu Jun showed Wu Siyu. Thetter shook her head. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it. I do not think we have a writing system like that.¡±

    She threw another piece of the bread into her mouth. The bread did not look that special, but the taste and texture were quite spectacr. It even triggered a melodious tune in her mind. But whenever she turned to look at the name of the book, it felt like she was looking down into an abyss. Barzai did warn them to be careful of it.

    ¡°Perhaps this is how Chinese is written where Mr. Barzai is from.¡± Gu Jun felt like even though the old man came from Earth. It might not be the Earth that they were familiar with. The spell book should be originally written in Oracle Bone Script, but theter copies might have different trantions. He first flipped through the whole book and realized with shock that other than the first few pages, the words in the rest of the book were blurred out like they had been ruined by water.

    ¡°Mr. Barzai, what¡¯s wrong with these pages?¡± Gu Jun held open the book and turned to the old man. Granted it was a gift, but there was no reason to scam them, right?

    ¡°As I¡¯ve said before, the original consists of seven separate scripts, so they have to be read in sequence,¡± the old man replied evenly. ¡°They might be inscrutable to you, but from where I stand, they are as clear as can be. How can you build a house without its foundation?¡±

    Gu Jun understood the lesson. It meant that he had to study it chapter by chapter. Thus, he turned to the first chapter. As strange as the script was, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu could still read it with some effort. However, the content of the chapter itself was quite confusing. There were statements like, ¡®Actiones with shapes, not lost¡¯ and ¡®no sun no moon, no sky no time¡¯. It felt like they could understand each character individually, but the way they were matched together held no meaning.

    ¡°It¡¯s like I am reading those prescription notes of yours,¡± Wu Siyu said.

    ¡°At least drug names have a chemical structure to follow, but this does not,¡± Gu Jun countered. He was reminded of Teacher Orlem¡¯s lecture in his previous illusion. The spell books had their own mental power and life source. Barzai had mentioned something of the same effect. Even Landon had written that in his notes, the content itself was not that important. The important stuff was the power within the content. One that had to be embraced and feel it with one¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Gu Jun turned to ask Wu Siyu for help. Should he show any anomalies, she would wake him up immediately. Then he sharpened his focus and channeled it to receive the content of the first chapter. He abandoned the attempt to discover their literal meaning but allowed the characters to flow into his mind and feel the power that they formed. Drugs had chemical structures. Perhaps spells had their own unique structure as well... just like a biological organism.

    Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of a theory in biology.

    ¡®Structure determines function.¡¯

    It was the structure of wings that determines the function of flight; it was the structure of the lungs that determined the function of the respiratory system. Thus, the difference between human beings, birds and necro-skins, was delineated. The structure of protein determined the function of the enzyme; the structure of DNA determined the function of the gene, the structure of nerves determined the function of actions and thoughts...

    From that, he was reminded of the school of Connectomics, the study of connectomes orprehensive maps of connections within an organism¡¯s nervous system to understand the functional mechanism of the brain. The so-called ¡®mental power¡¯ might belong to this category... the extremelyplex range of synapses, nerves, and connectivework.

    ¡®Allow its mental power to transmute your own, allow its life force to transmute your own.¡¯

    It hit Gu Jun then. The lesson from Mr. Orlem was not an analogy; it was quite literal. The mysterious power was resonating with his own body. Learning spells would literally transmute the structure of one¡¯s nervouswork! It was an actual biological transmutation!

    The corruptive patterns underneath Chen Defa¡¯s bones... were they not simr to some kind of nervouswork?

    It was like a door had opened in his mind, but while the light rushed in, so did waves of shadows. It was as if he was back outside the cavern, and Chen Defa was summoning the giant bats. He could feel the strange resonance around him...

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun forced himself to snap out of it. He was going to stop the training for now because there were still too many questions to be answered.

    ¡°The first chapter appears to be some kind of summoning spell,¡± he told Wu Siyu. ¡°But I have no clue what it might summon.¡±

    Wu Siyu had noment, but the gray-bearded man looked rather surprised. He mumbled, ¡°You are incredibly talented, young man.¡±

    Gu Jun saw the chance and tried to ask him for more information. ¡°Mr. Barzai, learning spells will morph one¡¯s mind and body, yes?¡±

    ¡°You have alreadye that discovery?¡± The old man turned to study him. ¡°You are specially gifted it seems, so in that case, you should understand how a normal body and mind could be a receptacle for superhuman powers. The study of spell books will change you, but whether that is a good or bad change, that is for you to decide.¡±

    With pleated brows, Gu Jun reached for his head. As he expected... if human beings had enough research into connectomics, if they could read neural mapping as clearly as electrical mapping, then they would have a deeper understanding of their mutation when Phecda was dissecting the head of the red-robed leader from the Afterlife Cult and the zombie, Chen Defa.

    ¡°Mr. Barzai.¡± From that, he had another question. ¡°Will the reader mutate into another existence when they have finished reading it? In that case, can they still study other kinds of spell books?¡±

    That was probably one of the sacrifices made by Carlot Doctors.

    ¡°There are endless sources of superhuman powers,¡± the old man said. ¡°It is futile to assume that you will encounter every single one of them.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded slightly. That was true... The spells trained by the R¡¯yleh Cult were different from the zombies, and the zombies had their own spells that were different from the Carlot doctors. They each had their own deities and higher existences that they worshipped, different power sources that they derived from. Therefore, spell books appeared to be able to be categorized based on their source of power. After one had decided to study a particr type, one could only research deeper into that particr school.

    ¡°So, what kind of source does this book derive its power from?¡± Gu Jun inquired. Was it Earth¡¯s gods?

    ¡°Curiosity kills the cat,¡± the old man answered. ¡°Learning the first chapter will not change you in any way. That change wille only in the third chapter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun was silent. This was simr to how one would pick a job system in online games. One had to take many considerations into ount before making the decision because the decision was irreversible. Based on his current condition, learning spells that derived their power from the Goddess of Life appeared to be the most appropriate, but... they were not exactly spoilt for choice at the moment. Gu Jun asked a few more questions, but the old man appeared to be done talking to them.

    After that, Gu Jun had Wu Siyu try to learn the first chapter. She could sense her mental power blossoming even though it did note as naturally as it did with Gu Jun.

    The mist still hung heavily around them. They discussed the contents and implications of the spell book. It had been about five to six hours since they boarded the ship, and it was then that they saw the shadow of an ind peeking out of the mist before them. From their vantage point, the ind was quite small, but there was a high mountain range, and dangerous reefs ringed the cliffs. There was also a jungle that seemed to hide all sorts of threats.

    Gu Jun looked at the ind, and his instincts told him that was their destination.

    ¡°That is where you are heading. Get ready to disembark,¡± the old man said casually. ¡°A storm ising.¡±

 Chapter 173: Island

    <h4>Chapter 173: Ind</h4>

    After a long stretch of silence, they could finally hear the sound of waves crashing. It made them realize they had been on the sea. The edge of the ind was covered in rotten ground. The white ship sailed gradually toward it before inching onto the shore. A nk materialized on the side of the deck, and it extended toward the shore. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were dressed in light gray cotton outfits, looking like Chinese travelers from exotds.

    When they went behind the cabin door to change, the sound of shrieking from the bottom of the stairs heightened. It sounded like some beasts were struggling to escape from their entrapment. The duo walked out immediately after changing. They did not stay to explore further. That was something they had agreed upon. Now, the pair walked down the nk and stepped onto the ind. The clothes that they originally wore instantly dissolved into wisps of smoke. When they turned back to look, the white ship had already sailed away into the world of mist. There went their hope of getting a ride back. How were they going to leave should theyplete their mission?

    ¡°So, is this it?¡± Wu Siyu observed their surroundings. When they were still on the boat, Gu Jun had described the basic background of the nightmare to her. The patients would find themselves at an abandoned ind in their dream. There would be withered trees, sodden leaves, and a mountain range in the distance. It fit their surroundings perfectly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jun nodded. He could recognize this shore. ¡°This is where the nightmare always starts.¡±

    They did not sense any human presence around them.

    ¡°Perhaps our arrival has been announced or perhaps not. In any case, we should be prepared,¡± Gu Jun warned. Thest words the captain said mentioned an imminent storm, but the sky was as clear as ever. However, Gu Jun doubted the old man would make a joke out of something like that. If they were caught in a storm, it would make their journey that much more difficult.

    The two stopped to take inventory. If they rationed carefully, the food and water couldst them for a few days. Other than that, they had the medic kit, an oilmp, and two weapons. The weapons were normal weapons; they did not possess any special power and were not some kind ritualistic relics. The sword was about one meter long, and the hilt was covered in exquisite carvings. The de was not sharp to the touch, but it could still hack through some tree trunks. The bow was made from wood. It had the same carving design as the sword. For some reason, Wu Siyu reminded him of a cat when she studied these strange carvings. Neither of them had received training in this kind of ssic weaponry. In fact, for a girl as slender as Wu Siyu, she had trouble just nocking the bow. The choice of the bow was more for covering all bases instead of their mastery of it. That way, they had one long-ranged weapon should the situation call for it.

    With regards to the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, Gu Jun felt like he had learned less than one third of the first chapter. They had not yet unlocked its power.

    ¡°I have no idea how long we¡¯ll need to travel.¡± He turned to regard the eerie forest head. There was a dreamlike feeling to everything. It felt like he could have floated through the forest if he wanted, but he knew that was not the case. He took out a bandage from the medic kit and twisted it into a rope. He tied it around his waist and Wu Siyu¡¯s to prevent them from getting separated. Then, the two made their way toward the forest.

    As they stepped under the dying branches, the world around them submerged into darkness. Gu Jun used the match gifted by the old captain to light the oilmp. The light was just strong enough for them to find their way through the undergrowth. Just like that, Gu Jun held the sword in one hand and themp in the other as he trekked through the forest. When they journeyed for about ten meters, they heard a rustling. They both turned toward the direction of the sound, but all they saw were the withered trees.

    ¡°Did you hear that?¡± he asked softly.

    ¡°I did,¡± she answered. ¡°I managed to sense that it was not a human. It was something else, but I did not get any further information.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun tightened his grip on the long sword, but it did not provide him with any security. The ind was too unfamiliar for them. Trekking through an unexplored forest with possible threat at every turn would test anyone¡¯s mettle. The two had decided to use the mountain as their guidance. Perhapsdy luck was smiling on them that day because they did not encounter any danger. They journeyed for another two hundred meters or so when they saw bright light breaking through the trees. It appeared like they had almost reached the end of the forest. As they stepped out from the interweaving branches, it was as if they had stepped into another world. Sunlight showered back on them again. Things were progressing exactly as they did in the nightmare.

    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Gu Jun said darkly.

    At the foot of the mountain about fifty meters away sat an old manor. This time, he could finally get a good look. The manor was three stories tall and seemed to be built from wood. It looked like it was three hundred to four hundred cubic meters. It had a very strange architectural design that reminded Gu Jun of the carcass of some kind of abnormal creature. But this time, there was no Ol Uncle Dog or anyone else waiting for them before the manor door that was thrown wide open. There was only silence.

    ¡°What are we to do now?¡± Wu Siyu looked at him. ¡°Are we going to just walk up to it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Gu Jun contemted. ¡°We have to consider that this might be a trap.¡±

    The ind was too unfamiliar to them, and thus, it was unwise to go exploring without any guidance. If they still had their armada of firearms, they could have tried to storm the house. Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog might have posed a threat, but there were two of them, and bullets would move faster than spells. Unfortunately, the sad reality was they only had a wooden bow and some arrows, and neither of them had training in archery.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Wu Siyu said. ¡°We can bind the arrowheads with bandages and soak them with the gasoline. Then we will light them up and shoot them at the house. The house looks like it is made from wood, so it should be mmable. The whole ce will copse in a ball of fire before you know it.¡±

    ¡°That... honestly is not a bad idea, but maybe we should consider other options first.¡±

    After all, who knew what kind of consequence mighte from such a drastic move? Perhaps they could find some valuable items inside the old manor. Gu Jun would only resort to destroying the manor when they had no other choice. They only had one chance to do this right.

    Gu Jun wanted to wait a little longer. ¡°If there are new patients from Eastern State, they should arrive punctually at 3 am. I wonder if we are close to that time here.¡±

    Would Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog appear then, casting spells to take those dreams?

    Time was a loose concept in the dream world. For now, they decided to go into hiding beside a copse of trees near the manor. Gu Jun had Wu Siyu pay attention to their surroundings while he took the time to brush up the knowledge on the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan. Time was passing supposedly, but the day showed no sign of changing. There did not appear to be a day night cycle in this world.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Wu Siyu suddenly pushed Gu Jun. ¡°Look, quite arge number of people areing.¡±

    She had been watching over the forest and the manor. The manor showed no activity, but figures started to tumble out of the forest one after another. They did not seem to notice each other. Their faces were wiped clean of emotion. Their gait was slow and shambling like they were sleepwalking. The group gradually walked toward the manor, and among them, there were familiar faces.

    Gu Jun had just turned his head around, and when he saw those faces, his heart scrunched, and his eyes widened.

    Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan, they were both there. Alongside them were his colleagues from Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department.

    ¡®What had happened outside? Why are they here in the nightmare?¡¯

 Chapter 174: Storm

    <h4>Chapter 174: Storm</h4>

    Figures trapped in a haze of somnambnce walked out from the withered forest, many of them were dressed in doctor¡¯s coats. They stepped onto the decayed soil and slowly shuffled their way forward. When Gu Jun saw these familiar faces, his heart sank. ¡®Are these parts of the illusion?¡¯ The risk was too high for him to find out.

    ¡°Siyu, we have to go and wake them up!¡± This should be their first time entering the dream, so if they did not follow through with the whole nightmare, especially thest part where they spoke to Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, then perhaps they would be spared from the Nightmare Illness.

    Gu Jun now realized that the Nightmare Illness was definitely rted to spell and spells had the ability to mutate one¡¯s nervous system.

    ¡°Okay!¡± Wu Siyu replied in a hurry, ¡°But how are we supposed to do that?¡±

    ¡°Shout at them!¡± Gu Jun could not tell for sure but he barged out from his hiding spot, yelling loudly, ¡°Zixuan! Monitor!¡± However Cai Zixuan did not appear to notice him, the former just kept on walking... Wang Ruoxiang though did turn her head around for a moment, a sign of her high spirituality, but she seemed to peer through Gu Jun before resuming her walk with the rest of the group.

    ¡°Wake up, you are in the middle of a nightmare!¡± Gu Jun pulled on Cai Zixuan and whacked the man on his balding head. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± A grimace of pain appeared on Cai Zixuan¡¯s face, ¡°Hmm...¡± he would feel that in the morning but for the moment, the p did nothing to stop him. More and more people were pouring out from the forest, the number had almost reached 100 and there were still more of them. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu could stop their two friends but how were they going to stop the others?

    ¡°Siyu, hold these two back.¡± Gu Jun hissed through his teeth. ¡°I¡¯m going to go burn that ursed house down!¡± That might be the only way to stop this. He rushed back to grab the sword, bow and other items before rushing to posit himself before the wooden manor. Wu Siyu had already manufactured some fire arrows earlier, now Gu Jun lit the soaked bandage and aimed the arrow at the withered branches that seemed to reach towards the roof of the manor. The first arrow lodged between the branches. The dried branches were perfect kindling and they took up the me almost immediately. The second arrow shot through the window of the second floor. The ss broke with a satisfactory shatter and licks of me started to appear inside the house. Thest arrow was sent flying through the gaping front door, the me had now reached its most destructive height!

    Strangely enough there was still no sign of Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog nor the other cultists.

    ¡°Get back, get back!¡± The people were dangerously close to the fire. Gu Jun quickly turned around to stop the people from walking into a fiery death. But ultimately he only had a pair of hands, he could not stop everyone. Thankfully, just as the old manor was getting swallowed up by the fire, all the dreamers showed signs of slowing down. Some still looked quite bleary but others appeared to be waking up. At that moment, to Gu Jun¡¯s pleasant surprise, Wang Ruoxiang called out with confusion, ¡°Gu Jun?¡±

    ¡°Wait, you can see me?¡± Gu Jun was rejuvenated with joy. ¡®It was effective, burning the house down was effective!¡¯ He said in a hurry, ¡°Wang Ruoxiang, you¡¯re in the nightmare, but it is time to wake up!¡±

    ¡°Nightmare? And you¡¯re in it?¡± Wang Ruoxiang seemed to be thinking about something before she responded in an airy voice, ¡°Then it has to be real...¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is!¡± For some reason, Gu Jun felt his instinctpel him to say this, ¡°It is already 7 am, time to check on theb rats, and then journey to the library or you might lose your favourite spot. You know you have to study to deal with the uing exam. What about your thesis? It is due today, but you have not started on it! You are going to fail! You need to wake up toplete it!¡±

    A shudder went through Wang Ruoxiang, her figure flickered in and out before she suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Siyu, that works!¡± Gu Jun said hurriedly, ¡°Try to make them panic, that should trigger their reflective consciousness!¡± He then turned to Cai Zixuan to demonstrate. ¡°Your soup pot is overflowing and the stove is left burning, you¡¯re going to burn down the whole hostel. Phecda is sending people over to check the absurd usage of electricity, they¡¯re going to confiscate your pots and cooker!¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± Cai Zixuan gasped in shock. ¡°Wait, Tycoon Jun? How...¡± He was still looking at Gu Jun before he was plucked out of existence. On the other hand, Wu Siyu shouted at the crowd. ¡°Careful, you¡¯re about to roll down from your bed!¡± The warning was surprisingly useful, arge number of people disappeared at once. Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help staring at her to which thedy just shrugged and said, ¡°That is the thing that I¡¯m most afraid of when I¡¯m sleeping.¡±

    The two hustled among the crowd and busied themselves for about 10 minutes. They managed to wake some up and the rest had disappeared on their own. Gu Jun took in the deep breath and he noticed finally there was a change in the sky, it had turned from pure white to a darker grey. ¡°The time for nightmare probably has passed.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Wu Siyu was drained and tired. ¡°Does that mean we have stopped the epidemic from spreading at least for tonight?¡±

    ¡°Probably so...¡± Gu Jun nodded but he did not feel any relief. ¡°If we failed to intercept them, the Eastern State¡¯s medical team would have copsed. Probably our action at Wrangel Ind has forced the bastards¡¯ hands, they have countered by upping their game.¡± That was entirely possible, they had lost Wrangel Ind and a group of members, Gu Jun had slipped through their fingers, bing something harder for them to control. For the R¡¯yleh cult, this was not a good thing. He was fighting against time and so was the cult. It would soon be time for them to settle the score.

    ¡°They probably did not expect us to enter the dream world.¡± Gu Jun said heavily, ¡°Thankfully we have sessfully burned down that ursed house...¡± At that moment, Wu Siyu pointed before her with a nched face, ¡°Dirty-minded Su, look...¡±

    Gu Jun turned his head back and saw that the raging me had disappeared and on the copsed ruin was now another old manor. It was 3 story tall, had strange architectural design, old and the front door was left open... It was a copy of the one that they had just burned down, down to the smallest detail. Wee to the dream world.

    ¡°Fuck it! We¡¯re going to burn this one down too.¡± Gu Jun said angrily, ¡°I want to see how many times it can regenerate itself.¡± However, before he could do anything, there was a rumbling in the sky. There were no signs of rain clouds but a storm started to pour. Theshing wind and piercing rain ravaged the ind. The already dying ntation was no match for the force of nature. As the captain predicted, the storm had arrived. The rain whipped their faces and bodies. The chill soaked into their bones. Even though they should be dreaming, the sensation could not have been realer.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this perfect...¡± Gu Jun grumbled.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say that we weren¡¯t warned.¡± Wu Siyu was shivering from the cold but her head was turned towards the open door. ¡°For some reason, I feel like the house is calling after us...¡±

    Gu Jun felt the same pull as well, could that be a trap? He had no clue but he was certain that they were going to discover something inside the house, there would be no reward without taking risk.

    ¡°I guess we shall go in to take a look.¡± If they stood out in the storm, they were simply going to get soaked to their death. The house would at least provide shelter. Furthermore, they could not wait any longer. They might not be able to handle the next 3 am. They had to deal with this before the next batch of patients arrived.

    So the pair carefully made their way to the old manor through the storm. They took caution of their surroundings but nothing happened and before long, they arrived at the open door. They shared a look and took the first step together into the shadowy embrace of the old manor.

 Chapter 175: Strange Manor

    <h4>Chapter 175: Strange Manor</h4>

    The pouring rain appeared to be trying to wash the ind clean. The gale picked up the scent from the decaying ground. But the moment Gu Jun stepped through the front door and into the old manor, he was hit by another smell. It was simr to the scent inside Chen Defa¡¯s cave. It was like the intermingling of several thousand decaying substances. It was the unique scent of a zombie¡¯s house.

    The old manor was barely lit. The floor, wall, and windows were covered in a thickyer of dust. Raising the oilmp, Gu Jun looked around him. This appeared to be themode for a wealthy family. The foyer was decorated with many obscure yet pretty looking art pieces. He could not recognize the artistic style, but they were strangely familiar to him, as if Gu Jun had seen them somewhere before.

    He turned to ask Wu Siyu for her opinion. Thetter shook her head. ¡°They do not have any distinctive style to them. Perhaps I just don¡¯t recognize them.¡±

    The design did not resemble any of the artistic styles on Earth. They did not look like animals or anything corporeal for that matter. They consisted of very abstract shapes, making it hard to describe in words.

    The pair circled around the first floor carefully. At the front were the foyer and the stairs. To the sides were the drawing rooms. The kitchen and bathroom were located at the back. They searched through the ground carefully, but they did not find anything. At first nce, it looked like an old home that had been abandoned for a long time, which was something strange. How did it manage to be spared from thieves and bandits?

    In any case, they returned to the foyer. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wandered to the wooden staircase that led up to the second floor before making his way toward it. Gu Jun moved with lightened steps, but as his weightnded on the old wooden steps, they still creaked noisily. Thankfully, the stairs did not copse from his movement. They sessfully reached the foyer on the second floor. They found themselves standing before arge window. The storm brewing outside had blurred everything from view.

    ¡°That room door is left open,¡± Wu Siyu said softly. Gu Jun turned to look. The room door at the end of the left corridor was left slightly ajar. No light spilled from the gap. They slowly approached it. Gu Jun carried the oilmp in his left hand, and his right brandished the sword, ready to strike...

    When they were several steps away from the door, Wu Siyu pulled on the bow and loosed an arrow at the door. The force knocked the door open, and the light from the oilmp spilled through. Instantly, the duo could see what was inside the room. Gu Jun¡¯s heart wrenched as he took in the sight of the human specimens. There were seniors, teenagers, children, and toddlers. Some of them were standing; others were sitting. These humans looked rather different from homo sapiens. Their facial features were slightly longer. When they were still alive, they would have radiated grace and softness. However, suspended in death, they only looked creepy. Clearly, some kind of antiseptic was applied to preserve their bodies. Their faces had stitched on smiles. The horrible stench of putrefaction came from this room.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s brows creased as a chaotic message rushed into her mind.

    Gu Jun was reminded of something else. A chill crawled through his smile, and his heart was bound by an unknown fog, causing it to pulse with pain. ¡®This ce... appears to be Mr. Chandler¡¯s home that was mentioned in the watcher¡¯s diary. And this room, it is the gallery maintained by Mr. Chandler.¡¯

    The wind outside screamed louder, muddling his thoughts.

    ¡®But how is that possible? Mr. Chandler¡¯s house should be located at Warsong in the foreign world, and they were in the dream world... Could the dream world be the foreign world? That can¡¯t be!¡¯

    Gu Jun knew that was not the case.

    ¡®So, what is this? A projection? Illusion? Memory? What kind of ce is this ind? Mr. Chandler and Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, they are both zombies, and they have both inhabited the dream world one time or another...¡¯

    Gripped by a premonition, Gu Jun whipped his head around to nce at the foyer. It was still dark, and there was nothing there. ording to the watcher¡¯s diary, he would see a ck shadow standing at the second-floor window every night, butter, he found out that it was not Mr. Chandler.

    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± Gu Jun asked Wu Siyu to confirm whether it was his mind ying tricks on him.

    ¡°I... feel too many things...¡± Her face was startlingly white. ¡°It is too chaotic here. This ce is like a tomb for too many trapped souls...¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, stop what you¡¯re doing now!¡± Seeing that, Gu Jun immediately demanded her to stop connecting with the world around them.

    Just as he was about to resort to a smack, Wu Siyu sighed. ¡°Oh well.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, this house is more than it seems,¡± he said as he moved back toward the foyer.

    The floorboards creaked noisily under their weight. He walked all the way back to the window, but nothing strange stood out at them. He nced out the window and peered through the gathering storm. Chilins covered his body because the scenery outside had swappedpletely. Gone were the decaying ground and withered trees. Instead, there was a luscious forest and paved streets. Not far away, there was a small wooden shed that appeared to have recently been built. Inside that shed, there was a simple table and chairs. Next to them stood a young man, holding an oilmp, his eyes fixated on the window Gu Jun was standing at.

    The young man had the appearance of the dead bodies in the gallery, which Gu Jun now realized was of the foreign civilization¡¯s race. He looked about twenty-five. His face was lined with nervousness and tiredness. This young man appeared to be the watcher, the author of the diary in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Right then, the watcher pulled his gaze back, sat on the chair, and turned to look away at the rain.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart twitched. ¡®Is it part of the illusion? One created by the house?¡¯

    ¡°Siyu,e here and take a look at this.¡±

    Wu Siyu had been following close behind. She also let out a gasp when she saw the change outside the window. ¡°Is that Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog? But that man does not look that old.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not him,¡± Gu Jun said while thinking, ¡®So, she can see this change as well.¡¯

    ¡°This might be an illusion. We should return to the first floor for now.¡±

    It was hard to tell when they fell into the illusion. Regardless, he wanted to check if the watcher could see them or not and what his response would be should that be the case. Therefore, the two went down the stairs back to the first-floor foyer. The scene outside the house had not changed. The wooden shed was just twenty meters away.

    ¡°Maybe we should head out to talk to him.¡± Gu Jun gripped the sword as he moved toward the front door. The freezing rain pped at his body.

    At the same time, the young man in the shed turned their way. He jumped up in a hurry and shouted, ¡°Mr. Chandler, you have to stay in your house. You have been put under quarantine. Please stay put. The Carlot Doctors will be here in a few more days.¡±

    The chill froze Gu Jun¡¯s brain and he stopped moving. Wu Siyu asked in confusion, ¡°What is he yapping about? Can you understand him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can,¡± Gu Jun said seriously. The watcher was speaking in the foreignnguage. It seemed like that Afterlife Cult had its hand in this after all.

    ¡°Mr. Chandler?¡± The young man stood on alert. ¡°What are you talking about? Who are you talking to?¡±

    The pair shared a look and it dawned on them. The young man appeared to be able to see only Gu Jun.

    ¡°I am not Percy Chandler,¡± Gu Jun said as he continued to move out the front door. ¡°Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, what kind of perverse trick is this? Do you think this will work?¡±

    The watcher responded in panic. Seeing the sword Gu Jun was holding, the watcher grabbed some kind of device from the table and warned desperately, ¡°Mr. Chandler, please respect the quarantine protocol! This is for your own good and the good of Warsong. I promise you, the Carlot Doctors will be here in a few days to help you!¡±

 Chapter 176: Shadow on the Second Floor

    <h4>Chapter 176: Shadow on the Second Floor</h4>

    The storm drenched the world around them. Gu Jun was about to step out from the front door when he saw the watcher pick up something that looked like ance in a hurry. He did not recognize that thing, but he knew that with another step, he woulde into much closer contact with it than he would have liked. In that moment, many considerations and thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. In the end, he took the step back and shielded Wu Siyu behind him.

    ¡®What if this conflict is the enemy¡¯s intention all along?¡¯

    From the diary, the watcher eventually entered the dream world through his dream. By then, the watcher had already mutated into a zombie, so he should have joined Mr. Chandler and the other zombies when he arrived at this ce and never left. If this was not an illusion, then could this be the zombie watcher? But howe he did not look like one? And why was he referring to Gu Jun as ¡®Mr. Chandler¡¯? Who was the one hallucinating? Was it Gu Jun or the watcher? Were they still inside a dream?

    ¡°Sir, my advice is for you to return to your home.¡± The young man pleaded with sincerity. ¡°You¡¯ll need as much rest as you can get.¡±

    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing,¡± Gu Jun said before he turned back into the house. He then whispered to Wu Siyu, ¡°We probably should check out the rest of the house before dealing with him.¡±

    The rain drowned out the other noises. The two climbed up to the second floor again. This time, they went down the right corridor. There was another room at the end of the corridor. It appeared to be the study. Rows of bookshelves were filled with books and scrolls. Gu Jun picked a random one to read. It was empty; every single page was nk. Wu Siyu saw the same thing. Gu Jun reached for another, and it was equally nk. They rummaged through the works of literature, tossing them onto the ground as they went along, creating chaos as they went. They soon looked through all the books and scrolls. All of them were empty. Gu Jun then overturned the bookshelves and table. The project was loud and noisy, but it was to no avail.

    ¡®Why?¡¯ Gu Jun thought with a frown. ¡®Is it because this is not that actual Warsong from the foreign world? This is just a projection? It is only a mirage?¡¯

    The pages might be filled in the real world, but in the dream world, they were empty tomes.

    There were still two closed rooms on each side of the corridors. Gu Jun told hispanion, ¡°Siyu, I need you to stay guard in the foyer and pay attention to any changes outside the window, especially that young man while I go and open these other rooms.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha.¡± Wu Siyu headed away with the oilmp. She stood at the foyer, and the light from themp was bright enough to light up most of the corridor.

    From right to left, the four rooms were number one to four. Gu Jun gripped the grayish-brown doorknob of Room 1 and twisted. It was locked. ¡®Is the key hidden somewhere around the house?¡¯

    In any case, Gu Jun was not going to waste time to go searching for it because he had something better.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun raised the sword with both arms and put all of his weight as he hacked at the lock. The wooden door was not that thick. A hole was smashed through quite easily. Gu Jun hacked off the broken lock mechanism and then kicked the door down. The weak light filtered into the room, piercing through the heady darkness. The room was bare, but Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed because he saw a humanoid shadow squatting at the corner. Before he could get a good look, the figure lunged at him, wailing something in throes of madness. The figure was close to his eyes in a matter of seconds. Gu Jun raised the sword in defense!

    However, the sword connected with nothing. The figure appeared to slip through him and out of the room... But for some reason, Gu Jun felt a sense of familiarity with that figure. Was that an illusion?

    ¡°Siyu?¡± Gu Jun called, and Wu Siyu turned to look at him with a calm expression on her face. He asked, ¡°Did you hear any screaming earlier?¡±

    ¡°What screaming? Yours?¡± she asked with a frown. ¡°All I heard was your grunts as you hacked away at the door.¡±

    ¡°Then you didn¡¯t hear it.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s mind was set. ¡®Only the door opener can see the shadow? But what exactly was that?¡¯

    ¡°What didn¡¯t I hear? But the young man appeared to hear something because he just turned this way with this anxious look on his face.

    ¡°Hmm, the room is empty, but there was a ghostly shadow in here earlier...¡± Gu Jun exined as he moved to Room 2. He raised the sword and mmed it down at the wooden door again. It did not take long for his arms to dull with pain. Even though this was the dream world, they entered it with their physical body, so their body worked the same away as it would as if they were awake. Gu Jun had already worked up a sweat. He ruined the lock and kicked the door down. Looking in via the weak light, he saw another empty room, but in the corner, there was yet another blurry human shadow.

    The moment the light shone into the room. The shadow lunged at him with a ghastly wail. The shriek was filled with madness but no trace of tears. It was as if the shadow had been trapped in the darkness for so long that it had forgotten the sensation of fear, and only madness was left in it. Gu Jun¡¯s heart shivered because he managed to chance a quick look at the shadow¡¯s face this time.

    It was Yang Jianming... the patient at thetter stage of the Nightmare Illness. When he just returned to Eastern State, Prof Qin had exined the pathology of Nightmare Illness to him, and he had been introduced to patients at three stages of the illness. Yang Jianming was the one who was at thetest stage. His mind was already gone by then. He was scheduled for the experimental lobotomy, but the man still perished from multiple organ failure eighteen hours after the surgery.

    ¡®Why is Yang Jianming here? Is that even the real Yang Jianming?¡¯

    Once this thought crossed his mind, the shriek took on a meaning that pierced his heart deeper than any weapon could. ¡°Doctor Gu! It was you. You killed me! Did you really think drilling holes in my drain would cure me? What kind of doctor are you? You¡¯re a killer!¡±

    Before the usation sank in, the figure disappeared as it leaped through Gu Jun and out of the room.

    ¡°Siyu?¡± Gu Jun turned around. ¡°Did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± Wu Siyu shook her head, but her face took on traces of concern. ¡°Was there another ghostly shadow?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡± Gu Jun studied the empty room. ¡®Was that an illusion? No, I don¡¯t think so. That should be the real Yang Jianming, so his mind was sucked into the dream world and trapped here? Is it the same with the other victims?¡¯

    The coldness crept around his heart and muddled his mind.

    ¡®Then that familiar shadow from Room 1... No, it couldn¡¯t be... could it? The blurry face, the familiar countenance... Was it really Prof Qin? The part of his mind that was sucked away? But there are only four rooms here. Even if there are another four rooms above, it wouldn¡¯t be able to house so many patients... No wait, this manor was reconstructed after I burned it down earlier. Does that mean it has endless versions of itself? This is a prison, a ce used to trap the spirit and soul of the Nightmare Illness¡¯ victims? And all those souls have provided sustenance to this old manor, giving it life...¡¯

    ¡°Dirty-minded Su, your face is horrifyingly pale,¡± Wu Siyu said urgently. ¡°Now you should stop. Stop using your ESP connection!¡±

    Gu Jun turned to look at her, and the oilmp cast her shadowy figure on the window. Another chill crawled over him. If he walked down now, it would exin how the watcher could have seen both Mr. Chandler and the ck shadow on the second floor simultaneously.

    Chaos and madness rocked in his mind.

    ¡®That diary, those entries, I need to be sure...¡¯

    Inspiration struck him then. He opened the watcher¡¯s diary in his mind and was surprised to find there was a new entry that had not been there earlier.

    ¡°A storm came out of nowhere that night. Like the tradition says, nothing good ever happens during this kind of weather. Mr. Chandler was suddenly struck with a mood to venture out of the house. He held a long sword in his arm and was mumbling incoherently. He looked like he was losing his mind. The symptoms must be sinking in. Poor Mr. Chandler. He is always so collected and gentlemanly. I have never seen him act untowardly in any kind of situation. This is one sin that he should have been spared from.

    ¡°Not long after he was persuaded back into the house, I heard some heavy knockinging from the second floor. It was so loud that even the rain could not drown it out. But the strange thing was, Mr. Chandler should be in the house alone. He could not have been responsible for those booming sounds because I kept my eyes on the second-floor window, and his shadow has not moved from behind the window.¡±

 Chapter 177: Drawing on the Third Floor

    <h4>Chapter 177: Drawing on the Third Floor</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡®How is this possible?¡¯

    Something detonated inside Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Thendscape of his mind was covered in tattered thoughts. The strange discovery gripped at his heart.

    ¡®Howe the content of the watcher¡¯s diary has changed? Shouldn¡¯t it have recorded things that happened in the foreign world a long time ago?¡¯

    This was a reward given by the system, a power that was not revealed to Afterlife Cult or R¡¯yleh Cult. It was the factor that made Gu Jun the unpredictable wrench in their ns.

    ¡®Could it be that they have entered a dimensional shift? The events that happen here can change the past?¡¯

    ¡°Gu Jun!¡± Wu Siyu hurried over and shook his body. ¡°Stop it now. I know that your mind is getting corrupted, I need you to stop what you¡¯re doing now!¡±

    ¡®Is that true?¡¯ Gu Jun pressed his hands over his brain, but he knew things were not as simple as that. This was beyond his control already...

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to open one of the doors myself.¡± Wu Siyu attempted to reach for his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll see for myself what¡¯s behind them.¡±

    ¡°No, no...¡± Gu Jun stopped her. ¡°If what you said is true, you have to ensure that you are not affected. One of us has to remain sane; we can¡¯t both fall into the madness, or... it¡¯ll beplete chaos...¡±

    ¡°What exactly have you seen?¡± Wu Siyu asked. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least tell me that?¡±

    Gu Jun nced at her, and a wave of uncertainty overwhelmed him. The girl¡¯s face appeared to be fading away. Her tone was bing unfamiliar.

    ¡®Is this really Wu Siyu? Could this person be an illusion used to trick me since I walked into the old manor or way before that? Has the real Wu Siyu been separated from me already? The Dirty-minded Yu I know wouldn¡¯t volunteer to do these kinds of things so actively... Or is this the hallucination making me doubt myself? What is real, and what is fake?¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing...¡± Gu Jun croaked out. ¡°We should head up to the third floor and see.¡±

    Perhaps Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog would be hiding there. He took over the oilmp and long sword from her and headed toward the staircase. Gu Jun kept a lookout on the girl trailing behind him from the corner of his eyes. For some reason, her expression appeared to be too sedated, her tone too even and her gaze too sharp. She did not appear like the usual Wu Siyu...

    Sensing his gaze on her, Wu Siyu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said again. He turned his focus back onto the broken steps and reached the third floor of the old manor. They managed to discern from the outer appearance that the third floor was about half the size of the first and second floor. It was probably used as some kind of loft. Above it was the nted roof. Gu Jun raised the oilmp to shine its ray around the ce. Spiderwebs dangled over the beams, and trash filled the rest of the room. There were medical books with foreignnguage, test tubes that had been left out in the open for so long that they had crusted, and torn documents...

    The rays shone about and lit up the strange drawings that appeared to cover every inch of the walls.

    ¡°Siyu, can you see these drawings?¡± Gu Jun asked darkly. He noticed drawings of giant bats, simr to the ones found inside Chen Defa¡¯s hiding ce. There were also paintings of broken carcasses, twisted trees, and tall peaks. One of the drawings appeared to be that of an abandoned ind, and an old manor sat in the middle of it...

    ¡°Of course I can. Strange feelings.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. The more Gu Jun interacted with her, the more he felt something was wrong with her. ¡®This is obviously not the real Dirty-minded Yu. Or is it?¡¯

    With gritted teeth, he ced the oilmp on a small wooden table and took out the Carlot Scalpel to hold it in his hands. He needed it to help clear his mind, but it did not seem to work this time. Some other illusory images kept flickering before his eyes.

    It was then that he noticed there was a yellowed envelope on the wooden table. It felt familiar to him. The letter that was mailed to Mr. Chandler, the system reward he obtained from performing the autopsy on the zombie...

    ¡°Is it the same letter?¡± Putting the sword down, Gu Jun picked up the letter to study it. Even though the envelope was covered in ayer of dust, the postal information on it was still legible.

    ¡°Recipient: Percy Chandler.

    ¡°Sender: Woody Orlem. Mailing Address: Capital ¨C Carlot Academy.¡±

    ¡®So, it is not the same letter. The one in my mind is sent from an ¡®old friend¡¯, and there was no mailing address... Hmm... This one came from Carlot Academy?¡¯

    Gu Jun had already torn open the envelope and plucked out the letter from within. It consisted of a single page, and half of it was written in the foreignnguage. Gu Jun skimmed through it to get the gist.

    ¡°You have been epted by the academy. The new semester will start on 1st September. Chandler, you have incredible talent that should not go to waste. Coming to the Academy will give you a new start. There will be challenges, but there will also be new friends and teachers to help you with them.¡±

    This... was a personal letter written by Teacher Orlem to Chandler to persuade him to register at Carlot. The words were serious, but the tone was kind and understanding. Orlem appeared to have found out about Chandler¡¯s hesitance to ept the offer.

    But by the looks of it, based on the watcher¡¯s diary, Chandler still did not ept the offer.

    ¡®But why?¡¯

    A splitting headache came then. He felt something, and he opened the letter in his mind to take a look.

    Confusion immediately rushed into his heart. It had changed. It had also changed. The letter mailed to Chandler by his ¡®old friend¡¯ had been changed to this letter that he had just read.

    ¡®Even the letter of correspondence can change? What is happening?¡¯

    He took a deep breath. Since he read through the letter, there was a feeling that he could not shake. It was as if his mind was slowly connecting with that of Chandler¡¯s. The hesitance, the reluctance, the fear of going to a new environment. Enrolling at Carlot meant a lot of things. He would carry the name of Warsong on his back, and the whole town would expect him to rise and make a name for himself at the capital so that all the cities in the world would have the name of Warsong on their lips.

    But thepetition at Carlot would be too intense. There were too many geniuses, and he knew he was not one of them. He was not born with such gifts... But the vigers did not know that. He had hidden this fact from them for far too long. If he stayed put and did not go to Carlot, his mediocrity would not be exposed.

    ¡®This is such a waste of his immense talent,¡¯ they would say, instead of saying, ¡®Turns out that Chandler is a good for nothing after all.¡¯

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun wanted to burn the letter. The headache was still torturing him. In the end, Chandler rejected the offer. He wanted to walk his own path. He started to study medicine and ultism on his own, but he kept failing and ended up with nothing...

    But on the other hand, whenever Chandler walked through the streets of Warsong, he would always be bombarded by the news about Carlot, because be it the drunkards in the tavern, the farmers in the field, or the other high society members, they were always willing to talk about the Carlot Academy and the shining stars that wereing out of it. The Son of Steel, Freud Landon... Genius, everyone called him. That was a genius that could even be ranked among the best that Carlot could offer since its inception. That was someone who was personally blessed the Goddess of Life herself.

    ¡°Son of Steel.¡± Gu Jun groaned in pain. He felt a ball of hatred burning inside him. He wished to push it away, but the more he did so, the more it took center stage. That was someone Chandler aimed to be but could never be.

    The brilliant Landon, the strong Landon, the shining Landon.

    The weak Chandler, the mediocre Chandler, the forgotten Chandler.

    The unlucky Chandler, the Chandler who would soon mutate into a dirty and despicable zombie.

    Inside this very manor, he had woven a dream for himself. In this dream, he was no longer Chandler. He was Landon. He was someone else. The epidemic was created by the cultist Chandler because they wanted to design a more horrible illness. It would provide a hotbed for the Necro-skins, which were scarier than the zombies, to rise. The army of Necro-skins would unleash themselves on this world and all the worlds. They would defeat Landon and alter everything that was thought to be permanent.

    But this was a dream, all a dream. The real Chandler was trapped there, trapped inside this damned house.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun squeezed his hands on his splitting head. ¡°This is all fake. I know it¡¯s not true. I am Gu Jun...¡±

    The flickering light suddenly illuminated a strange figure standing before him. The unfamiliar face appeared haggard, deranged, and sickened. The protruding cheeks, gums, and jaws were all early symptoms of a zombie mutation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Gu Jun gasped in shock as he grabbed the sword to defend himself, but he noticed with apprehension that the figure had done the same thing. The light flickered once more, and Gu Jun saw that he was standing before a tall bronze-rimmed mirror. That figure that he saw was himself, and there was no one around him, no Wu Siyu or anyone else.

 Chapter 178: Broken Finger (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 178: Broken Finger (2in1)</h4>

    Inside the dim loft, the swaying light reflected on the tall mirror. A mutated face colored in shock and surprise stared back at Gu Jun.

    ¡°What kind of sick joke is this?¡± Gu Jun staggered over unevenly. His heart was clenched with worry. The strange man in the mirror approached him as well. The man was wearing a cotton suit, and underneath the foreign race¡¯s feature and the zombification, Gu Jun could pick out features of his own face.

    Was the outward reflection of the self an urate portrayal of the real self? Certain cultures imed that the mirror could steal fragments of one¡¯s soul, but how much of that was true? When he looked into a mirror, was it the real Gu Jun that stared back?

    Gu Jun reached out to touch his own face in the mirror. The strange man in the mirror did the same thing. It was as if he could feel the protruding bones under the skin through the mirror. The facial bone structure was mutating. Even the touch of the skin was different. It felt mottled like lichen that grew in dampness and darkness. He could hear a whispering in his heart.

    ¡®You are Chandler. This is the real truth. Everything else is part of a hallucination. At the end of the day, they are mere stories that you have told yourself to escape the misery of your life inside this broken house...¡¯

    ¡°That is not true!¡± Gu Jun swiped with his hand, and the sword pierced the mirror. With a crisp shatter, the mirror broke into pieces. He lowered his head to look and saw that millions of the ugly faces were staring back at him.

    ¡®No, no...¡¯ Gu Jun shook his head vehemently. ¡®It is this house that is muddling my mind. Is this part of the nightmare? Has it infiltrated my thoughts? Wait, this feels like the draining of my sweet dreams on the ship before it was interrupted... Could this house be the source of Nightmare Illness? It drains people¡¯s sweet dreams to rece them with nightmares?¡¯

    He nced around and saw the drawings on the wall staring back at him.

    ¡®None of this is believable! It¡¯s all unreal!¡¯

    He rushed back to the wooden table to pick up the Carlot Scalpel.

    ¡®At least I can be sure that this thing is real... Or is it? After all, I am in the foreign world, and this is something purchasable by anyone who has been to Carlot Academy...

    ¡®Stop! I need to stop doubting myself.¡¯

    Gu Jun tried his best to clear his mind, but the ground started to sway underneath his feet. The air felt like they were closing in around him. A person¡¯s mental state was more than just their consciousness. It was rted to their physical state as well, and there were too many unknown factors that he was not familiar with since they were inside the dream world. However, there was one thing Gu Jun was certain of. He was currently being infected, and his mind was copsing. If this continued, he would be pulled into the whirlpool of madness and sucked into the abyss.

    Gu Jun knocked and bumped against the wall as he mbered back to the second floor. Wu Siyu was nowhere to be seen, not even the fake one. If she was also enduring the same madness spiral... Gu Jun worried about her because she did not have as much experience dealing with this as he did.

    The storm outside the house was still raging. Gu Jun turned to look out the window. The young man was still staying guard at his post.

    ¡®Has the young man been pulled into this spiral as well, sucked into this nightmare that will never end? He is to keep on watching forever... his role bing a part of his strange manor? But why? That does not exin why the content of the diary in my mind has changed...¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s head was pulsing with pain, but within that wrenching pain, he was struck by inspiration, but it was quickly overwhelmed by a new voice convincing him, ¡®No, that was just your imagination. You are hallucinating.

    ¡®No, there has to be a way to break out from this nightmare...

    ¡®So, I am Chandler? I am a zombie?

    ¡®You have shown me my face, but what about the rest of my body? Through the process of zombification, the human body will mutate into something different.

    ¡®I need to wake up from this nightmare...¡¯

    Gu Jun narrowed his eyes as he stared at his two hands. Suddenly, an idea came to him.

    ¡®I am a doctor. I can dissect myself!¡¯

    Earlier, the medic kit had been given to Wu Siyu to carry, and it had disappeared alongside the girl, but thankfully, Gu Jun had a toolbox strapped around his waist. He immediately took out a tourniquet and wrapped it tightly around the proximal phnge of his left pinkie to stop the blood cirction. He could feel the finger going numb and the skin turning purple. Everything was ready, well, except the anesthetic.

    Thunder boomed outside the house, and it brought with it a heavier storm. Theshing winds took on the sound of screaming ghosts, an ominous portent if there ever was one. Gu Jun nted himself on the floor and ced the oilmp beside him. He leaned his left hand as close as he could to the light, and the Carlot Scalpel was gripped tightly in his right. The dancing me was a direct contrast to the cold glint of the steel.

    ¡°I am a zombie? Then show me some proof!¡± With determination shooting through his eyes, Gu Jun used the scalpel and made a deep incision on the skin of his pinkie finger. ¡°Argh!¡±

    The skin tore open easily. The de sliced through the marrow, and the fresh blood gushed out from the release of pressure. Theplicatedwork of blood vessels and nerves sent jolts of pain to Gu Jun¡¯s brain from the damage. It coursed through his body. The pain was so intense that he could barely bring himself to scream!

    Remember how painful it was after identally kicking your toe against the table? Imagine that pain intensified one hundred times, and that was exactly what Gu Jun was experiencing. Gu Jun did not try to repress the biological pain. His work was not yet over. His slightly shivering right hand raised the scalpel again. ¡°Ah!¡±

    He had no time to prep the dissection. He went for brute force over precision. His aim was to study the phnx, and considering the situation, it would be much quicker to directly sever the end of his fingertip than to slowly peel back the flesh and skin. The result was that he would lose a segment of his pinkie, but that was little price to pay considering the bigger picture.

    However, Gu Jun did not opt for that option because he was worried that once the fingertip was cut off, it would be considered a separate part of his body and thus disconnected from his mind. In that case, he could not guarantee that the house would not take hold over it. The house could change, disguise, and confuse everything within it. Gu Jun had learned not to trust anything, so if he dissected the finger while it was still attached to the rest of his body, at least the pain from the surgency would inform him that it was all real.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The scalpel made another cut, and this time, it scoured off the finger pad. The pain was causing Gu Jun to quiver in cold sweat. ¡°Hang in there, Gu Jun...¡±

    Even with maximum-level Hands of Dexterity, his right hand was shaking violently. This was the first time he had such trouble controlling a scalpel, and the patient under his knife was his own self.

    ¡°F*ck...¡± he cursed. With ragged breath, he steadied his left hand and quickly cut off the fibrous partition, dorsal aponeurosis, and the rest. Scraps of bloody fleshnded on the dirty ground with a wet squish.

    At the same time, the watcher¡¯s diary in his mind appeared to have gained a new entry.

    ¡°Not long after that, I heard a gut-wrenching screaming from Mr. Chandler inside the house. It sounded like he was being tortured. I have heard from the others that the process of zombification is extremely painful, but sitting here in the rain, listening to it, I only understood I did not have the stomach to do this job.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Gu Jun was drenched in sweat. The skin and muscles of his fingertip had been shorn off to expose the bone inside. But the wound was still covered in too much blood and residual tissue for Gu Jun to see clearly...

    He grabbed the bandage to wipe away the blood and then used the scalpel to par away the excess. Each slice of the knife sent an electrifying pain through his body. His heart was almost bleeding from the pain. His face was a mask of terror, and he was sure his screams were getting more and more demented. The storm appeared to have picked up. It knocked against the manor until the whole structure felt like it was shaking. The light from the oilmp was dancing so wildly that it could be extinguished at any moment.

    From Chen Defa¡¯s autopsy, Gu Jun knew that the surface of every bone in the zombie¡¯s body would be covered in that corrosive pattern. It was a biological change brought on by the mutation. This was the knowledge that would provide Gu Jun with the needle to poke through the nightmare. With the shimmering light, Gu Jun moved his shuddering left hand to the oilmp. It lit up the dissected fingertip and the bone inside it. Gu Jun widened his eyes to look. The surface of the phnx... there was no pattern at all. It belonged to a normal human being.

    ¡°I told you I am not Chandler. I am definitely not a zombie,¡± Gu Jun grumbled under his breath. It was not a loud promation, but something was lifting from his mind. It was as if a haze had been blown apart. The darkness that had enveloped his body earlier slowly faded away. Now, Gu Jun was sure he had been trapped inside a nightmare. Gu Jun looked around him. The manor was a prison for many people¡¯s souls, including their sweet dreams and nightmares. One of them was the nightmare of the watcher and perhaps even the nightmare of Chandler himself.

    The watcher¡¯s diary should be a creation of this nightmare and not the actual one from the foreign world. In other words, the system¡¯s reward was not just a diary but a figment pulled out from this nightmare that provided Gu Jun the connection to it. The system remained an unreadable factor, but the fact that the abyssal mission would give this kind of reward meant that the watcher¡¯s nightmare was going to be the key. This nightmare the watcher had about the epidemic sweeping over the foreign world might be what the R¡¯yleh Cult and Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog had used to cultivate the Nightmare Illness that was currently ravaging Eastern State.

    Since a change in the dream would cause a shift in the watcher¡¯s mind, causing a change in his diary entry, could the reverse be true as well? Gu Jun settled down and believed it was worth a try. He opened the diary in his mind and focused his mind to write a new entry.

    ¡°Just as I thought the night was going to end in the worst way possible, the Carlot Doctors have arrived! They have rushed ahead of schedule toe rescue this poor town. To our vige¡¯s hope and surprise, there was one notable member among the doctors. It was the legendary Son of Steel. He has arrived at our humble vige!¡±

    Gu Jun watched as the outpouring of happiness, and joy filled the page. Suddenly, it felt like an earthquake had hit the surroundings of the house. Everything was shifting and changing again.

 Chapter 179: Editing the Diary

    <h4>Chapter 179: Editing the Diary</h4>

    The storm had not abated. Gu Jun walked to the foyer window on the second floor and looked out. He saw the change in thends around the manor. It seemed that color had returned. Despite the pouring rain, he could hear the sounds of cheeringing from the vige. The whole of Warsong vige hade alive.

    ¡°Mr. Chandler, Mr. Chandler!¡± Another excited call came from outside the house. It was the young watcher. The watcher risked the heavy rain and ran over to bring the good news. The rain soaked through his gray clothes, but it did not dampen his good cheer. He said joyously, ¡°The Carlot doctors are here! They have pushed their schedule ahead. Did you hear? Even the Son of Steel is here. Mr. Chandler, you are going to be saved. The whole of Warsong is going to be saved. We are all saved!¡±

    Gu Jun wrapped his bloody left pinkie in bandages. That was the only thing he could do for now. He¡¯d work on the wound when he had more resources. He put away the scalpel, picked up the sword and oilmp, walked down the staircase, and headed to the front door. The young man was standing five meters away from the open door and allowed the rain tosh on his young and innocent smiling face. ¡°This is such wonderful news!¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡± Gu Jun stared into the watcher¡¯s smiling face, knowing full well what would happen in the real foreign worldter. That was why this was a nightmare. But a nightmare was in essence a dream, and wasn¡¯t a dream supposed to bepletely separated from real life? No matter what happened or what would happen in the real world, that was not part of the dream. A dream was a dream. Gu Jun noticed that the entries of the watcher¡¯s diary in his mind after he had made this new entry had been wiped clean. The pages filled with words had all turned nk. This dream was already changing, and Gu Jun was the one responsible for it.

    Gu Jun shed the watcher a smile. Ignoring the pain from his bleeding pinkie, he summoned his focus to continue writing in the diary. ¡°I immediately brought this uplifting news to Mr. Chandler. It had the same resuscitating effect on Mr. Chandler as I hoped. The wailing and incoherent words were no more. Color returned to his face, and charm oozed out of this perfect gentleman again. It was around then that I realized Mr. Chandler had not kept his ownpany inside the house. After he was infected, his good friend, Miss Tamarine had slipped into Warsong to apany him and had slipped away from the guards¡¯ detection. Over these past few days, it was Miss Tamarine who had been taking care of Mr. Chandler¡¯s recovery. So, the ck shadow that I saw behind the second floor window all this time was actually Miss Tamarine.¡±

    One would think writing did not require much mental power, but it was surprisingly taxing on Gu Jun. Nheless, he had to finish this entry. Tamarine had the meaning of Siyu in the foreignnguage... When he was walking down the staircase, Gu Jun had noticed that Wu Siyu was not seen on the first floor. She might still be trapped inside the nightmare. Gu Jun had been reimagined as the zombie Chandler, while she was ced in the role of that incorporeal shadow. If she did not have a firm enough mind or some other issue arose, she might be drawn into this nightmare manor and etched into a part of its nightmarish existence. Like the young man, she would be posted behind the second-floor window, keeping an eternal watch.

    Of course, Gu Jun was not going to allow that to happen. This damned house did not even have afy couch for her to sit on. Gu Jun gritted his teeth to help him focus as he continued to jot down the diary entry.

    ¡°I finally saw Miss Tamarine in person. She did not show any symptoms of the disease, thankfully. She was a beautiful young woman in her prime. Dressed as she was in an ordinary cotton dress, it did not take away from her graceful presence. But probably due to her vigil over Mr. Chandler, her eyes looked rather tired. In any case, after I met her, the worry that had been troubling me finally washed away. There was nothing strange happening inside Mr. Chandler¡¯s house. Everything could be exined with reason.¡±

    After he finished writing thest sentence, Gu Jun felt a tightening in his brain, but at the same time, he could feel something rippling into existence behind him. He turned to look, and a familiar, slender figure reappeared beside him. She was carrying the medic kit and held a bag of food and a long bow in her hands. Her expression was one of confusion and mischief.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Wu Siyu looked around. ¡°Weren¡¯t we on the second floor earlier?¡±

    ¡°We havee down,¡± Gu Jun said.

    ¡°What happened to your finger?¡± She noticed it immediately.

    ¡°I cut off the end of my fingertip,¡± he said inly.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wu Siyu frowned, but she did not dwell on it. ¡°How are you going to make pinky promises in the future? Oh well, your loss.¡±

    Gu Jun felt relief wash over him. This was definitely Wu Siyu. That tone, the irreverence and indifference, it was Dirty-minded Yu alright. Seemed like she had not ventured up to the third floor. After she stopped at the second-floor window, she had been sucked away from Gu Jun. The one that followed him after that was no longer the real Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Mr. Chandler, what are you two talking about?¡± the young man asked with interest. ¡°What kind ofnguage is that?¡±

    ¡°It is the localnguage where Miss Tamarinees from,¡± Gu Jun answered in the foreignnguage. ¡°Do you mind giving me a moment to exin the situation to my guest, young man?¡±

    He pulled Wu Siyu to the side and briefed her on the general situation. In the end, he concluded, ¡°I am going to turn this nightmare into a sweet dream, which will definitely deliver a huge blow to the Nightmare Illness. This is our chance to turn this around.¡±

    ¡°So, in other words, you can shape this dream.¡± Wu Siyu got it immediately. ¡°Then, can you magic out a flock of penguins for me? That¡¯s the only reason I agreed toe on this trip, after all.¡±

    ¡°No can do.¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°There is no such thing as a penguin in the foreign world, but there are Carlot Doctors.¡±

    He took a deep breath. The rain seeped into the ground, and it brought out the fresh smell of spring. It rejuvenated Gu Jun and allowed him to continue writing.

    ¡°Even though the rain showed no sign of stopping, the Carlot Doctors immediately jumped into their rescue mission. Since Mr. Chandler was a famed researcher in the study of medicine in town and was once a hopeful candidate to study at Carlot Academy, the doctors rushed over here at first notice. They hoped that they could get more information about the epidemic and its pathology from Mr. Chandler. Thanks to that, I was given the privilege of being in the presence of these patrons of the Goddess of Life.¡±

    As Gu Jun wrote down the entry, the young man practically jumped out of his skin from sheer joy. His face was flushed with excitement. ¡°Look, the mayor is bringing them here!¡±

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu turned to look. They saw many people hurrying over from the forest path that they had taken earlier. The luscious foliage provided shelter from the pouring rain. The people that headed the group had clear faces. They should be the people and the mayor from Warsong. Their simple faces were enchanted with joy andughter trailed in their path.

    But the few figures that followed at the back... all of them consisted of blurry shadows. Their bodies and faces were blurred out like characters in a faded photograph. They only bore the shape of a human.

    Gu Jun understood the implication. Just like the literature they found inside the house, they only had the appearance but no content. Since this was the watcher¡¯s dream, the uneducated young man would not be able to dream up the content ofplicated literature.

    Simrly, the watcher would have no idea what these Carlot Doctors look like.

    ¡°Mr. Chandler, Miss Tamarine, here theye!¡± The young man¡¯s voice was shaking from nervousness. He straightened his shirt, and his eyes burned with passion. ¡°Look, just from their presence. You can tell they are set apart from the others. They are blessed by the Goddess... and that has to be Landon. Praise to the Goddess! We¡¯re saved! We¡¯re all saved!¡±

 Chapter 180: Wrestling the Dream

    <h4>Chapter 180: Wrestling the Dream</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The thunder crackled and rain poured, it casted ayer of shadow over Warsong in the dream world. In stark contrast, there was a rowdy celebration in front of the old manor.

    ¡°Itoch, the Carlot Doctors are here!¡± The mayor who led the group sang out happily. He was a slightly rotund middle-aged man, the joy on his face could rival that of the young man, in fact the whole group was rapt in good cheer. Whenever they chanced a look behind them, their eyes were filled with respect. However for Gu Jun and Wu Siyu, the doctors were merely blurry human cut-outs. This seemed to suggest that the young watcher had not encountered any single Carlot Doctor in his life and thus there was this emptiness in his dream.

    ¡°Mayor, everyone...¡± The young watcher called Itoch staggered forward. His tongue was tied when he faced those doctors, ¡°Sirs and madams, nice to meet you, it is our privilege to have met you. This, this is... like a dream...¡± The blurry shadows did not reply, it was probably because the watcher had not interacted with the real Carlot Doctors before and the respect he had for them was so deep that he did not dare to even put words in their mouths in his dream.

    On the other hand, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu walked out from the house and this time the watcher did not stop them. After all, the Carlot Doctors were already here, all of them were going to be saved. However, based on the previous entry in the watcher¡¯s diary, when the Carlot Doctors arrived at Warsong, all they did was to bury the victims. It would be impossible to imagine how disappointed the young watcher was then, and how much deeper that disappointment cut when he realized he had been infected by the disease himself. But this in itself was a contradiction. If the Carlot Doctors had really arrived at the young watcher¡¯s hometown, then the watcher should have no problem envisioning their faces in his dream. Therefore, Gu Jun could not help but ask, ¡®Was the entries in the watcher¡¯s diary even real in the first ce?¡¯

    ¡®The diary is a product of this nightmare,¡¯ Gu Jun percted, ¡®Perhaps it has been embellished and edited to record the worst, most painful and horrifying retelling of the actual story.¡¯

    Right then, Wu Siyu whispered to Gu Jun, ¡°Is it possible for him to see the real Carlot Doctors? That should bring a real smile to his face.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it wouldn¡¯t hurt to try...¡± Gu Jun said and was about to do something but he saw a new entry had been added into the diary on its own, ¡°Every single one of them was extremely kind, even the Son of Steel, Landon. They even praised me for my contribution in controlling the epidemic by standing guard at my post! That was truly the proudest moment of my life. How I wish I could run home to tell my whole family about this but I could not bring myself to be away from their presence. I would not miss any chance to spend time with these chosen of the Goddess. It was such a wonderful time.

    ¡°But what happened next pulled everything back into hell...¡±

    Suddenly, Gu Jun was assaulted by an intense headache. Wu Siyu could sense the change in the atmosphere, the thunder boomed and a murder of crows cawed from inside the jungle. They weathered the storm and flew into the dark sky.

    ¡°Be careful...¡± Gu Jun told Wu Siyu warningly, ¡°There is another force which is trying to wrestle control over this dream.¡± The cawing of the crows pierced through the thunder, it sounded like a luby from hell. Behind them, all the rooms in all the three floors inside the old manor lit up in yellowing lights!

    For the young watcher, the manor and the other vigers, the joy on their faces turned into shock and then finally into terror. The watcher gasped, ¡°Mr. Chandler... what, what are those things?¡±

    Gu Jun turned around and narrowed his eyes. He saw that behind the foyer window of the second floor stood a cluster of shadows, their shapes suggesting a gathering of both adults and children. In the middle of the shadows, there was a particrly curious figure, its limbs appeared to have mutated. With a shattering boom, the foyer window on the second floor cracked, giving the gathered group below a clearer view of the faces of these shadowy figures... They were the dead bodies from the gallery. The stitched smiles on their faces were creepy and their supposedly dead eyes appeared to be lit up with some strange life force. It felt as if some kind of unknown soul had been shoved into these hollow shells. Gu Jun could recognize the figure in the middle, it was Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog, his withered bark-like face had no expression.

    ¡°So no more tricks?¡± Gu Jun hissed through his teeth, the fury burned through his veins. ¡°Finally you have deigned to show yourself?¡±

    Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog did not reply but the carcasses around him groaned in this strange throaty voice, ¡°Child, you think you have arrived at the truth but you have no idea what our great n is, and you are no close to fathoming our purpose. You do not realize that every single psychological pain gathered here is used to cultivate a presence greater than all of us.¡±

    ¡°This dream has to be a nightmare,¡± Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog suddenly spoke. ¡°And the Carlot Doctors have to be hated creatures.¡±

    ¡°And you will have all the time in the world to understand why because this nightmare shall be your grave.¡± The bodies¡¯ voices suddenly picked up and they continued into the chanting of a spell. Their surroundings started to change once more!

    Every single rain drop carried with them a different version of the same nightmare. Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and the watcher were instantly overwhelmed by them... The trio appeared to have been sucked into a whirlpool, one made up of the twisted pain of the souls trapped within the old manor.

    In one moment, they were posited in the foyer of the second floor. The lights were dim, next to them, the corridors on both sides extended endlessly into the darkness. The endless corridor was filled with endless rooms. Every room was locked and a palpable darkness could be felt trapped behind each door. As they were dragged down the corridor, they could hear different maddening shrieksing from inside,

    ¡°No, don¡¯t do this to me!¡±

    ¡°Why, why has this happened to me?!¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    The deranged wails swam over the chanting of the carcasses. There were millions of differentnguage but they were all saying the same thing,

    ¡°You have walked through the first room,

    Walked through the 100th room,

    Walked through the 1000th room,

    Walked through the 10000th room,

    You will never escape this ce,

    You are not an inmate of this nightmare, you are the nightmare itself!¡±

    At that moment, the young watcher gripped his head and his face became wet with tears. Endless images surged into his mind, his hometown shrouded in darkness, the giant hole dug outside the vige, the storm that would never abate, the patients being kicked into the hole and the patients screaming with madness as they jumped into the darkness embracing it. The patients, the patients were people that he knew, they were the owner of the tavern, the farmer in the field, they were his family, his friend, the girls whom he had silly crushes on...

    This town was meant for destruction from the very beginning, there was nothing he could do to stop it. He was too weak, too small. The so-called Carlot Doctors were just figments of his imagination... a tortured imagination that would repeat itself and never end. The Carlot Doctors had never been to Warsong.

    ¡°Hallucinations, hallucinations... None of this is real.¡± The young watcher was shivering. The blurry shadows behind them had all started to shake, showing signs of copsing.

    ¡°No, Itoch, the Carlot Doctors are really here.¡± Gu Jun saidfortingly. He moved his left thumb and index finger with difficulty to push at the fingertip of his pinkie. The sharp jolt of pain shocked his mind into action. He took out the Carlot Scalpel and opened the iplete page of spell book in his mind. This was just a try but he had a feeling that it would work.

    He channelled his mental power into the page, and transnted the notes left behind by Landon and the illusion inherent within it into the watcher¡¯s diary, into this dream. A surge of energy flowed through him, it was the power of the Son of Steel, it lent a determination to Gu Jun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°See, they are standing right there. Even I can recognize them. That is Teacher Orlem, this here is Pedra Raybundy, and that is Landon, the Son of Steel!¡±

    A booming thunder eclipsed the chanting for a moment! Wu Siyu saw in surprise the change and so did Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog and the carcasses on the second floor. The blurry shadows that were almost copsing suddenly gathered in light, the brightness forced even the crows back. The shadows materialized into corporeality. There were both males and females, they were dressed in clean and pure white robes. Some of them carried medical bags and others tools. All of their details had been filled in. Each of their faces could be seen clearly.

    Even for Gu Jun, he was seeing some of these faces for the first time.

    The howling cry had stopped. The despairing face of the young watcher was once again filled with the rays of hope.

 Chapter 181: Eternal Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 181: Eternal Nightmare</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Carlot Doctors,

    In the times of peace, you fight for harmony.

    When the whole world is copsing and imploding and when humanity has nowhere else to turn but horror,

    You will not turn back.

    You shall use your sharp surgical knife to slice through the darkness.¡±

    As the shadows materialized into being, it burned through Gu Jun¡¯s store of mental power. To pour the notes and illusion from the iplete spell page into this dream, it weakened his heart and halted his breath. Some of the illusions were awakening within his mind. The great Carlot Academy, the young faces, he seemed to be hearing them learning this little ditty. The cold rain drenched the faces that hade into details. Teacher Orlem appeared to be a serious-looking middle-aged man, his beard was meticulously trimmed; there were 11 students following him, the guys were handsome and the girls imposing. Raybundy was a picture of honesty and kindness while Landon...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, that guy looks so much like you.¡± Wu Siyumented in surprise. After the swirl in the whirlpool, her face was now a bit pale. The person she was referring to was the ¡®Mr. Landon¡¯ on the young watcher¡¯s lips. He had the facial feature of the foreign race but there were features of his face that were startlingly simr to Gu Jun. And even his name tasted salty on Wu Siyu¡¯s lips!

    ¡°I have some history...¡± Gu Jun bit on his lips until they tore open. The taste of blood and pain sharpened his focus. ¡°With that guy.¡±

    ¡°Itoch, the Carlot Doctors are here, stop making a fool of yourself.¡± It was the mayor who said agitatedly. ¡°Snap out of it. And stand to the side.¡± The mayor was nothing more than the watcher¡¯s own mental projection but he seemed too deep in his own dream to tell the difference. He nodded hurriedly, ¡°Of course, what was I doing? There is no reason to be afraid now that they are here!¡±

    At the same time, the murder of crows had flown away, the storm was receding for the first time and the chanting from the second floor had stopped. However... The demented smiles of the carcasses standing beside the window had not disappeared.

    ¡°Child, you always manage to surprise us but you still do not realize the kind of nightmare that you are currently in.¡± The throaty voice that came out from the dead bodies did not carry any emotion, there was no mockery, shock or condescension, there was only indifference. ¡°Your imagination cannot even start toprehend how deep this nightmare is. Even if the real Carlot Doctors are here, they won¡¯t be able to do anything, much less these illusions created by you.¡±

    The chanting resumed with renewed fervour!

    The old manor morphed and it caused the watcher, mayor and the rest to retreat in gasps of terror.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun felt a force press on his mind. The exhaustion from earlier meant that he was unable to escape from its grasp. It filled him with pain, horror and madness. The old manor suddenly expanded in size like a balloon. It gave off a shadow like darkness, attempting to consume and corrupt everything around it. Before their eyes, the already towering manor grew bigger to be as tall as a menacing monster. Around them, the constant pouring rain had loosened the decaying ground. Right then things appeared to be climbing out from the soil. They were highly dposed bodies. Rotten soil and dposing juices dripped off their dead bodies and their flesh was barely hanging onto their frames. The dead bodies permeated the air with their horrible stench and overwhelmed the thunder and rain with their groaning. Theyplimented Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog who was mumbling something. It was the spell of the zombies, but it was far more powerful than the one used by Chen Defa.

    ¡°Child, haven¡¯t you realized your true origin?¡± Ringing above the cacophony of madness, it was the eerily level voices of the dead carcasses, ¡°You are our creation, we know you better than you know yourself. Is it this your first timeing to this ce? No, so why can¡¯t you remember anything about it?¡±

    In that moment, Gu Jun was given snatches of his memory. There were sounds of familiar music, it tingled repeatedly like the beeping from an answering machine. No, it was not just a normal beeping, it was Meeping... Glibbering...

    ¡®No wonder I can use the spell of the zombies, this exins it, no? The resentment Chandler has towards Landon is yet another ploy for these people to draw out the Son of Misfortune within me...?¡¯

    ¡°Ah!¡± The pain in Gu Jun¡¯s mind eclipsed the pain from his pinkie. His mind was fraying. The group of Carlot Doctors stood there motionlessly like mannequins and their shapes started to blur again.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, Dirty-minded Jun...¡± Wu Siyu wanted to do something but she was in the grip of the darkness herself.

    ¡°Child, it is this nightmare who brought you into this world.¡± The dead bodies said, ¡°Your soul is derived from a part of this nightmare.¡± Gu Jun and Wu Siyu watched helplessly as the nightmare continued to unfold. Behind the second floor window of the old manor that was expanding, more shadows walked out. They were children less than 10 years old, some of them were just toddlers. They shuffled to the window expressionlessly, there were tens of them, hundreds of them, no, thousands of them.

    ¡°They are those ESP children...¡± Wu Siyu confirmed, she could recognize among them the faces of the children who were used to harm Elder Tong inside the ssroom so many years ago.

    ¡®Try to listen to the voice of the dream... Is this nightmare part of that dream?¡¯ Gu Jun could feel his mind swaying... Even the spirit of the ESP children had arrived at this ce...

    ¡°Gu Jun.¡± The children said in unison and their tone was equally devoid of emotion, ¡°Mother is very disappointed in you.¡±

    ¡°Shut up...¡± The pain was still increasing. His mother¡¯s gentle smile shed across his mind...

    And then more people appeared behind these children. Was it part of his illusion or they were really there? The members of the Phoenix team who died. They too were staring at him and they began slowly, ¡°Gu Jun, it was Huang Guotong who murdered us in cold blood.¡±

    Then more people walked out, it was Ivanov and his crew, the Russians who died at Wrangel Ind. Then more faces appeared at the window. It was the mayor of Warsong and the rest of the vigers, but their frame had shrunk and their faces rendered unrecognizable by madness.

    ¡°Child, can¡¯t you see, you still do not understand this nightmare near enough.¡± The voices of the dead bodies continued, ¡°Even if you manage to burn off ayer and cut off another, you will still be buried by the rest of it. In fact, this nightmare is not even created by us but we know how to use it.¡± The chanting picked up and the strange sermon drilled into people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°Wee to this eternal nightmare,

    The paradise of the mad,

    The abyss of the despair,

    The circus of the fallen,

    The morgue of the living,

    Millions of spirits haunt this ce,

    In the raging illusions,

    Only the Great Ones rule everything!¡±

    Gu Jun was pulled deeper into the chanting and he could feel himself sinking. But at the same time, he heard some other voices cutting through. ¡°Ah Jun? Ah Jun?¡±¡±I am Zixuan, can you hear me?¡±¡±Are you there? Ah Jun?¡± He heard Cai Zixuan, Wang Ruoxiang, he heard Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, Elder Tong... What a weird time to start missing them... There were also Dirty-minded Yu, Prof Gu, Prof Qin, Brother Qiang and many more...

    ¡®When the whole world is copsing and imploding, someone needs to stand up to the horror.

    ¡®This nightmare has to be destroyed, and this darkness has to be vanquished.¡¯

    ¡°So everything is just an illusion...¡± Gu Jun said slowly. Gradually he stopped hanging his head in pain, instead it was held high staring at the group of shadows gathered behind the second floor window. ¡°These Carlot Doctors might just be an illusion to you but that matters not, because a real Carlot Doctor is here and Gu Jun is his name!¡±

 Chapter 182: Spell Versus Spell

    <h4>Chapter 182: Spell Versus Spell</h4>

    ¡°Only by breaking through the limitation of your pain can your mental power grow. Do not be afraid of pain; embrace it and surpass it.¡±

    This statement was written on the spell page. It was listed under training alongside ¡®sacrifice¡¯ as the basis principle to mastering spells. Transmutation of pain was a kind of power. Carlot Doctors not only had to face their own pain but the pain of the patients, so they had to understand it to better digest it.

    Gu Jun gave a long sigh as he appeared toe to a decision. The determination also made the power of light residing within him resonate with brightness. The figures of the Carlot Doctors revived into activity. He red angrily at the second floor of the old manor and sang in the foreignnguage, ¡°Carlot Doctors, in the times of peace, you fight for harmony.¡±

    The little ditty was in itself a protection spell. Lightning shed across the dark sky and pierced through the palpable darkness. The scattering of strange shadows on the second floor appeared to be temporarily frozen. Other foreign voices joined in. The twelve figures in white robes all took out their Carlot Scalpels. Even Raybundy¡¯s humble face was lined with courage as he sang loudly, ¡°When the whole world is copsing and imploding, when humanity has nowhere else to turn but horror...¡±

    ¡°You will not turn back.¡± The other students joined in, even Teacher Orlem. The young watcher was ecstatic. The faces of the mayor and the other vigers took on a semnce of joy. The vige of Warsong was going to be saved.

    The legendary Landon, his eyes were shining brighter and harder than his peers. He raised his scalpel in aggression and shouted out thest line of the spell. ¡°You shall use your sharp surgical knife to slice through the darkness!¡±

    With a resounding crack, some of the windows of the old manor were shattered. The eerie lighting inside the house started to flicker. The space appeared to be twisting.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu could feel the grip over her mind slowly releasing, and the world around them appeared to be brighter. The first thing she did was reach out and nt her hand on Gu Jun¡¯s arm to channel her mental power into him.

    More and more windows of the old manor shattered. The decaying corpses shuffled above exploded like bloated corpses, their putrefying pieces washed away by the cleansing storm.

    ¡°Child, you have tried your best,¡± the voice from inside the old manor said. The voice was indescribably sick. It was abination of the foreign people¡¯s dead bodies, the ESP children, and the dead. Underneath the indifference, there was an undercurrent of another emotion. ¡°But unfortunately, that is still not enough.¡±

    Every face suddenly turned into a mask of twisted horror in that moment, and they released shrieks that nketed the world. The bulging manor started to change again. The architectural shape and shadows were melting and morphing into strange yet majestic stone pirs and alluring carvings.

    The light that just brightened was instantly snuffed out, and the lightning in the sky was smothered out. Gu Jun focused his gaze, it was R¡¯yleh. It was a projection of R¡¯yleh.

    ¡®They are trying to connect to the dreaming energying from R¡¯yleh.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡± Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog¡¯s hoarse voice cut through. ¡°This nightmare is the amalgamation of many forces. You are not going to defeat it alone.¡±

    There was a rave inside the imposing old manor, but the group of Carlot Doctors stranded on the backward country roads looked like a group of defeated soldiers. Even with thebined mental power of Gu Jun and Wu Siyu, they were too drained...

    ¡°Is that so?¡± His heart felt like it was about to stop, but there was no trace of despair. The determination shone through. He had to destroy this nightmare. He had to stop that connection from being made, or else there would really be no more chances. ¡°I wonder where I can find reinforcements.¡±

    He had the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan in mind. Granted, he had only studied the first chapter, and his mastery of it was less than halfplete, but it was better than nothing.

    ¡°No sun no moon, no sky no time.¡± Gu Jun started to cast the spell. Wu Siyu and all the Carlot Doctors joined in. ¡°Actiones with shapes, not lost!¡±

    He tried his best to control the summoning power. The ripple of change could be felt around him. The earth appeared to be shaking. Some unformed darkness burst out from the ground. It was unclear what kind of existence it was. It all pounced at the old manor and leaped right into the second floor foyer. It jumped at the dead bodies, children, and Ol¡¯ Uncle Dog. Some shadowy figures instantly flitted forward to block their path. When the two parties collided, there was a strange shing sound. Both parties dissipated into nothingness. However, as the shadows inside the old manor faded, others moved forward to take their ce. They had formed a formidable bulwark. On the other hand, the number of shadows summoned by Gu Jun was decreasing, and their shapes were having greater trouble coalescing. They were like candles, snuffed out with a puff.

    ¡°Oh? These are... Regardless... they won¡¯t be enough.¡± The twisted voice began again. It had barely discernible impatience and condescension running through it. ¡°Child, do you still not understand? Even with your iron will, even if you exhaust all your mental power, it will not even leave a dent on this nightmare.¡±

    The young watcher, the mayor, and the vigers had their brows deeply pleated. Even they could tell that the Carlot Doctors could barely keep up. Every doctor¡¯s face was strained and stressed. They turned from feverish red to deathly pale. Some were already swaying and kneeling on the ground.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun took gruffy breaths. He wanted to challenge the voice, but he could barely summon the strength to even speak. The corruption rate had reached ten percent. The old manor was still standing strong, and the strange figures had not depleted. It was like a wall that could never be breached.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, do you hear that?¡± Wu Siyu, who was about to copse, suddenly let slip a whisper. ¡°Is that someone calling your name?¡±

    ¡®Someone is calling me?¡¯ Once she pointed that out, he could pick out strands of voices calling his name through the overall din.

    ¡°Ah Jun, can you hear us? Answer us!¡±

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, Tycoon Jun!¡± That was Cai Zixuan¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Kid, at least get us a response. We¡¯re here!¡± And it was Elder Tong.

    ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Gu Juntched onto these voices that appeared toe from nowhere. He could feel his mental power refreshing, rising, and boiling. With confusion, he responded in his heart. ¡®I can hear you. I am here. You guys... isn¡¯t this an illusion?¡¯

    Suddenly, the wind howled. A ripple through dimensions burst from around him, and something coagted into firm existence. It was a person. The two noted in shock that it was Elder Tong, followed swiftly by Prof Shen.

    ¡°Wait, how can you be here?¡± Gu Jun gasped in shock.

    ¡°Hahaha, kid, don¡¯t you know something called lucid-dreaming? We¡¯ve dreamt our way here.¡± Elder Tong chuckled, seeming to savor the surprise on Gu Jun¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ah Jun, it has been almost a week since you stopped the Nightmare Illness from iming the people from Phecda,¡± Prof Shen added seriously. ¡°With some outside help, Phecda managed toe up with a solution for us toe to this ce with you as the dream anchor. But that only works for people who you are familiar with and those who share a bond with you. Needless to say, we¡¯re here to help you.¡±

    Just as Prof Shen finished, more people materialized into being. As Prof Shen promised, they were all familiar faces to Gu Jun!

 Chapter 183: For the Sweet Dreams (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 183: For the Sweet Dreams (2in1)</h4>

    Gu Jun studied the familiar faces that had suddenly appeared around him. His eyesnded on this one and that other one, they were all smiling back at him.

    ¡°So this is the dream world?¡± The one who spoke was Xue Ba and it was followed by an uncouth curse by Lou Xiaoning, ¡°We have finally gotten into this godforsaken ce!¡± Uncle Dan followed up in concern. ¡°Ah Jun, what¡¯s wrong with your finger?¡± There were also members from the Demon Hunters, marksmen like Yang Henan and Zhang Huohuo. In fact, even Lin Mo who had retired from the frontline was there on the support of his artificial limb. The Arctic Wolf were there as well. Other than the Special Mobile Force, there were also people dressed in doctor¡¯s robes. Most of them came from Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department. After their narrow escape from this ce, they had now returned voluntarily. ¡°Ah Jun, we¡¯re here to help.¡±¡±It might not be much but we¡¯ll offer any aid we can.¡± They poured their support towards Gu Jun.

    ¡°So this is the damn ce which took everything from me...¡± Even Brother Qiang was here. He was supposed to be dreaming but his expression looked more alive than when he was awake. Wang Ruoxiang rolled back her sleeves and added with a smile, ¡°Gu Jun, you have shocked me out of my bedst time, you really think there won¡¯t be any consequences for that?¡±

    Hearing this, Cai Zixuan sighed with the apaniment of a poem, ¡°Ever since our parting, I¡¯ve thought of seeing you once more, How I¡¯ve been dreaming of having yourpany.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Even Prof Gu was here. The old teacher studied his student whom he had not met for a long time and the many things that he wanted to say waspressed into a single statement, ¡°You¡¯ve grown aplenty.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun regarded them and his eyes were turning red. Wu Siyu sighed. ¡°Looks like I finally have the chance to rest.¡±

    ¡°Prof Gu is someone very important to you.¡± Prof Shen exined, ¡°Your bond with him is incredibly helpful to help bring us here.¡± Gu Jun nodded, he noticed that not everyone that he knew was there, for example, he did not see the sign of Lee Yuerui and Wu Dong but Sister Liang who was responsible for his S value assessment was there. This led Gu Jun to the conclusion that the people who came had been filtered by Phecda; they had passed the test of consciousness and mental power. After the short reunion, the group turned towards the imposing old manor. They were both shocked and confused by the phenomenon that was only possible in the dream world.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been toote, have we?¡± Elder Tong asked. He frowned rmingly when he saw the familiar faces of the dead Phoenix members gathered among the shadows behind the second floor window...

    ¡°You¡¯re just in time.¡± Gu Jun said as he too turned back towards the window. ¡°They are trapped here, from back then until now.¡± Elder Tong took a closer look and his face sunk. ¡°Those are the children, aren¡¯t they? The ones who have disappeared, the ones from the ssroom...¡± Prof Shen added, ¡°Tong, after this dream is over, we shall go for a drink.¡± Elder Tong replied, ¡°With your inability to hold liquor, I¡¯ll be my ownpany after half a ss.¡± The two old friends chuckled but it wasced with bitterness.

    Right then, the watcher youth walked forward to ask in confusion, ¡°Mr. Chandler, who are these people?¡±

    ¡°Itoch, can¡¯t you see..?¡± Gu Jun answered, ¡°These are all Carlot Doctors.¡± He started to chant the first chapter of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan with renewed gusto, he could sense that he was summoning a greater power!

    Prof Shen, Elder Tong, Prof Gu, Brother Qiang... Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning... none of them needed to do anything, then again they couldn¡¯t even if they wanted to. Once they entered the dream, they had handed their mental power over to Gu Jun, they propped up this dream together and Gu Jun was the architect behind it. At that moment, they could see the ripple of mental power around them, and they were enveloped by an indescribable strange feeling. However, their mind was firm. ¡°Ah Jun, we will help you construct this sweet dream!¡±

    The lightning lit up the world and thunder boomed. Endless unformed shadows burst out from the ground, they rushed towards the old manor like a swallowing wave. Some charged into the first floor while others leaped straight onto the second floor. The old manor was trembling slightly from this assault. Some tiles ked from the roof and the lights inside the rooms were dimming. Gu Jun could feel that a small hole had been pierced through this nightmare, and their energy was pulling the hole bigger and bigger...

    ¡°So that¡¯s all?¡± The wicked voice said again and the impatience in it had thickened. ¡°Child, how many times do I need to repeat myself, it will never be enough!¡± The voice was practically screaming near the end. The old manor changed following it. It was already looking like a strange beast earlier but now, it was rapidly morphing into an inscrutable being. The monstrosity was sorge that it shielded the clouded sky from view. Its body was made up from darkness and the head appeared to be taking on the shape of a deep sea creature. Manyrge and twisted limbs slithered out from underneath the head, giving it a resemnce to the monster which was depicted by that unearthed stone statue... This was a projection weaved together from many victims¡¯ collective nightmare...

    ¡°Your arrival here has merely expanded the size of this nightmare, giving it more strength. Since you¡¯ve tried so hard toe here, I shall reward all of you with the honor to be eternally trapped here!¡± The voice boomed louder than the thunder and it seemed to echo from within the giant monster. The dark sky felt like it was going to copse and the storm picked up again. Even the sea that surrounded the ind started to churn with violent waves. Elder Tong, Xue Ba and the rest¡¯s faces were taut with exhaustion. The extremely strong mental assault caused them to quiver like a single leaf caught in the storm...

    ¡°Hang in there, people...¡±¡±Do not look at it!¡±¡±Clear your mind and focus!¡± The words of encouragement were for themselves and each other but even their frame started to flicker and their eyes started to ss over, this was the first sign that their souls were being drained. The chanting of the other Carlot Doctors turned stilted and slow...

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wu Siyu looked at the ghastly faces of the people around them and her heart pounded with difficulty. ¡®So it is still not enough?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is already more than enough.¡± Gu Jun suddenly mumbled. ¡°We have managed to cause a wound, and with that opening, we will get our chance. After all, even a microscopic bacteria can im a giant¡¯s life. This is because bacteria knows how to fester and slowly consume the rest of its host. Dirty-minded Yu, listen to me...¡± He turned to look at Wu Siyu and said, ¡°They are here in a lucid dream so they will return should they wake up, but it will be different for you. In a bit, I will try to use the spell that helped us enter the dream world to tear open a dimensional crack. If I seeded, you need to try to follow them to return to the real world!¡±

    ¡°But what about you...¡± Wu Siyu frowned but did not continue because the answer already came to her.

    ¡°The crack might open for only a few seconds.¡± Gu Jun continued, ¡°So do not hesitate, do not turn back, someone needs to leave with the result that we¡¯ve achieved.¡± At the same time, Elder Tong and the rest heard the ominous portent in Gu Jun¡¯s words. Their hearts sunk but at that moment, they had trouble even speaking, everything was swaying and blurring out of focus.

    The storm was spine-chilling but Gu Jun¡¯s eyes burned like the sun. He moved forward and all the Carlot Doctors trailed behind him as they headed towards the house of monstrosity. On the day he chose to return to Eastern State, he had already made a decision. Actually, he still had one more spell in his arsenal... but would that be enough?

    Regardless, Gu Jun and all the Carlot Doctors stood their ground and chanted out this spell in foreignnguage as loud as they could, ¡°???????????????????????,?????????????????,????????!¡±

    Thy shell is my meal, thy soul and thy name are blessed by my words, I am thy creator!

    Their chanting was louder than the thunder and gale, it drowned out the grunts of shock and anger of the monster. From that opening, a nightmarish energy like a billow of ck smoke rushed towards Gu Jun, it carried with it the dead carcasses, the children, and the dead souls... and all of their shrieking and wailing.

    This was the spell... used by the people from Afterlife Cult at the shrine of Riker City, it was a spell of consumption. Gu Jun¡¯s face turned purple and green. His skin cracked pieces by pieces as blood pounded all over his body. Landon, Raybundy, Orlem... all the Carlot Doctors were going through the same thing. However, their chanting did not stop, if anything, every syble had heightened in power, they were hellbent on draining and consuming every bit of this nightmare. Gu Jun could no longer differentiate whether it was the Son of Steel or the Son of Misfortune¡¯s presence channelling his power, the sole purpose in his mind was to swallow, to consume everything.

    Rate of corruption 15 percent, 20 percent, 30 percent...

    ¡°Ah Jun!¡± Many of his friends and mentors found their voices but it was already toote. They were already waking up.

    ¡°Child, why would you do this?¡± The voice demanded with hysteria as it tried not to slip into the endless nothingness. ¡°This is not your path, no...¡±

    ¡°Because I do not like you.¡± Gu Jun walked forward with the rest of the Carlot Doctors. He stopped right before the old manor, he raised the scalpel and pierced it right into the ball of darkness. ¡°And I am never one to be told what I should and should not do.¡± Yes, he would use this scalpel to cut through the darkness. ¡°You might be a divinity or you might be the devil, it does not matter, we shall embrace destruction together, after all, the human world doesn¡¯t need the intervention of these superhuman beings.¡±

    Elder Tong, Prof Gu, Wang Ruoxiang and Xue Ba saw with widened eyes as Gu Jun¡¯s figure waspletely shrouded within the energy that poured out from the giant monster. Right at that moment, some of them were pulled out from the dream back into the real world. At the same time, Gu Jun used thest trace of mental power he had to chant the zombie spell. He sought out the connection with the rest of his friends and mentors. Just as he felt something being split open, he severed the connection immediately.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Wu Siyu screamed in shock. A shimmering gash in the dimension appeared next to her. Gu Jun did not respond but she could hear his voice within her mind, ¡°Now is the time, go! This is our only chance.¡±

    For some reason, the telepathy that they had been trying but failed in the past somehow connected at that moment.

    ¡°But this will then turn into my own nightmare.¡± She said desperately.

    ¡°Everyone of us will have to make a sacrifice.¡± He said with finality. ¡°Go!¡±

    Wu Siyu¡¯s eyes brimmed with tears but also determination. She hugged the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan close to her chest and leaped into the dimensional crack. ¡°You are not dirty-minded, you are stupid! Stupid Jun!¡± Her shaking voice and her figure disappeared into the closing crack.

    ¡®Adieu, Miss Tamarine, take our result with you and return.¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡®Tamarine¡¯ also meant hope in the foreign vernacr.

    ¡°Don¡¯t do this!¡± Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang shouted. Elder Tong cursed. ¡°I knew you would have to be a hero...¡± But the next moment they were gone. All the familiar faces had been drawn out of the dream.

    The giant monster staggered before it disintegrated and copsed in wails of shock and disbelief. The millions of rooms shattered and endless glows of trapped souls escaped. After they had been trapped for so long, they flew right into the sky, it was like a majestic show of shooting stars, painting the ck canvas of the night sky with their mesmerizing colors. The sound of illness retreated into silence, and it was reced by a joyous cheer. It was the sound of release, the sound of freedom.

    ¡°Now, that should be enough...¡± Gu Jun grinned. As his consciousness wavered, he saw that the corruption rate in his mind had reached 49 percent. He copsed onto the decaying ground. He turned to look up at the spectacle in the sky and his heavy eyelids closed unwillingly. With thest bit of his strength, he raised the scalpel to his throat. The nightmare had been contained inside his body and now it would dissipate along with his life.

    So that all sweet dreams could return.

    So that everyone would have a sound sleep again.

 Chapter 184:

    <h4>Chapter 184:</h4>

    Angell¡¯s Order (2in1)

    There was a meteorologically strange weather pattern in Eastern State that December. A heavy storm hit the townter that month, almost drowning the entire city. Themon flu was a result of this shift in weather; most hospitals were covered in long cues, and the local authorities had even set up arge quarantine center. All themunication channels and traffic were heavily monitored. It did not help to ease the concern of the people. The situation in Eastern State was heavily scrutinized by the rest of the nation; they were worried that the illness might not be able to be contained.

    In an area unknown to the normal citizens, inside Eastern Phecda¡¯s Medical Department, there hung an even heavier cloud. Inside the psychology building, a big conference room on the tenth floor was remade into a ¡®Dreaming Room¡¯. All forty-six people who participated in the mission were lying in thefortable lounge, and they were connected to various machines. Their brain waves, heart rate, and other data were closely monitored. After they entered their lucid dream, their encephalograms started to change, but the operating members had no idea what it meant.

    ¡°Mr. Jiang, is this a positive development?¡± Yao Sinian asked a middle-aged man. Behind the man were six other members who were younger than him. Jiang Mingchang was a normal-looking fe who was slightly underweight. Dressed in a simple ck suit, he could easily fade into the background if not for his pair of eyes that spoke of great depth of knowledge. He and his people were the surprise aid provided to Phecda. They were all members from ¡®Angell¡¯s Order¡¯.

    It was 1925 when George Gammell Angell, the Professor Emeritus of Semitic Languages at Brown University, encountered a strange young man by the name of Wilcox. The young man had brought to Prof Angell a strange y figurine and described his strange dream to him. The young man¡¯s intention was to seek the prof¡¯s aid to help him decipher the hieroglyphs on the y figurine, but Prof Angell had found other leads from it. It was one rted to a cult and a ¡®collective nightmare-induced hysteria¡¯ that mushroomed all over the world in the summer of 1925.

    However, this incident was only privately investigated by Prof Angell. Due to the widespread hysteria and the cross borders of multiple countries, it was not picked up by the media. Furthermore, themunication technology back then was not as advanced as it was today. Therefore, other than the few news clippings that the professor himself found, there were no other clues.

    By agreeing to study Wilcox¡¯s dream, Prof Angell had encountered some surprising secrets about the cult. But not long after that, Prof Angell died. Granted, he was already at the advanced age of ny-two, and he was positively identified by the police to have died from an acute heart attack. The Order, however, believed that Prof Angell¡¯s death was due to foul y. He was murdered by the members of the cult.

    Prof Angell¡¯s death was not the end because his grandnephew and some of his students gathered to form this organization, Angell¡¯s Order, to continue the study of his work, on dreams, and on the cult. There were two reasons they had kept a low profile. One was to stay away from the cult, and the second was because their research was not the kind that would be appreciated by the mainstream scientific society. Over the years, the Order had expanded and had picked up members all over the world. This Mr. Jiang was one of them.

    However, Phecda knew nothing more about the Order. They still had many secrets about themselves. Regardless, it was Mr. Jiang who introduced Phecda to the research about the dream and the dream world as well as the knowledge that they had on the R¡¯yleh Cult. They believed that it was the same cult that they had been studying. In fact, the Order had long since tranted the statement ¡°Ph¡¯nglui mglw¡¯nafh Cthulhu R¡¯lyeh wgah¡¯nagl fhtagn¡±

    ¡°In his house at R¡¯lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.¡±

    ¡°We call them the Cult of Cthulhu,¡± Mr. Jiang informed Phecda. ¡°The cultists believe in the presence of Cthulhu, which is the closest trantion of its name that can be pronounced by the human tongue. They see this kind of existence as one of the Great Old Ones. Our research leads us to believe that the leader of the Cult is an old Chinese man who resides deep inside a mountain. He is known to the foreign cultist as ¡®The Undying One¡¯. The goal of this cult is to awaken Cthulhu from its slumber inside the underwater city of R¡¯yleh and return it to this world.¡±

    The information provided by Angell¡¯s Order matched the exploration and prediction provided by Gu Jun and the rest. The Order believed that should the cult seed, it would be the end of humanity. At the current stage, humanity should not even attempt to consider fighting the Great Old Ones but instead should focus on how to stop their arrival or rather how to avoid their detection. This matched Gu Jun¡¯s action of blowing up the channel to the foreign world.

    The aid from Mr. Jiang brought renewed hope to Yao Sinian and Elder Tong, but at the same time, they had their reservations. Why would the order offer such great help all of a sudden? What was their goal?

    ¡°We hope to bring the Order out into the light through this cooperation and show the rest of the globe our willingness to cooperate,¡± Mr. Jiang said in answer. ¡°Times have changed, and so should the Order.¡±

    Then he added that it was him who proposed to the Order that they should reach out to Phecda for this cooperation. ¡°I know how dangerous this Nightmare Illness is, and we cannot sit idle anymore.¡±

    ording to Mr. Jiang, Angell¡¯s Order was not a religious organization but an academic one. Their goal waspletely different from the Cult of Cthulhu.

    The Order was not all-knowing. After all, they were just a collection of academics. The only leg up they had was that they had started their research much earlier than Phecda. They had no solution to stop the Nightmare Illness, and they did not know much about spells, but they could provide tons of help in lucid dreaming.

    ¡®Should we believe these people?¡¯ After much consideration, Phecda decided the best course of action was to ept their offer of help while keeping them under close observation.

    ¡°There are two kinds of lucid dreams. One is to submerge oneself into the sea of one¡¯s unconsciousness; the second one is to enter into the Dreands.¡± The Dreands was how Prof Angell referred to the dream world. ¡°Only a small number of people have the talent to enter the Dreand. Even our Order has had little sess with it, and the few sesses were all thanks for lucky coincidences. But the situation here is different. Arge number of people have entered that nightmare, and within this short period of time, they still have a lingering spiritual connection with that ce. That means that we can use Gu Jun as the anchor. Since he is still inside the nightmare and has shown the ability to respond to the calls of the dreamers, perhaps we can reach him and enter the Dreands through lucid dreaming. But to do that, we need people that he is familiar with, people that he will easily be able to tune into spiritually.¡±

    After a long discussion, Phecda finally decided to give it a try, or rather, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian pushed them to this decision. For the two of them, they could not let the cult seed and could not afford to lose Gu Jun. Furthermore, they had to prevent the situation at Eastern State from worsening.

    ¡°We might only have one chance. This will greatly exhaust one¡¯s mental power. Those who enter the dreands will have their spirituality drained, and they might not enter it again.¡± It was this one time that the forty-six Dreamers entered the Dreands to help Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. A lot of people were selected, but it was a wild guess how many of them would be able to arrive at the Dreands. All of them were willing to take the double-risk. One risk was to ce their faith in the Angell¡¯s Order, and the other... well, entering the Dreands itself was a great risk.

    Di, di, di!

    Inside the control central, various machines beeped noisily. The workers stared quietly at the data on the different monitors. Suddenly, all the dreamers¡¯ encephalograms started to shift, forming irregr patterns that did not match anymon standard. But this data matched the data provided by the Order of the other dreamers quite perfectly.

    ¡°...¡± Tang Zhifeng, the leader of the psychology team, was stunned. Not all who were familiar with Gu Jun had volunteered to enter the lucid dream; most of themanders had to stay behind.

    ¡°They have entered the Dreands,¡± Mr. Jiang said. A suppressed excitement radiated from him, but the other six members of his order did not have the same emotional control as he did. Yao Sinian observed this quietly. If the man was not lying, this was also the first time Angell¡¯s Order had participated in a sessful lucid dreaming on such arge scale. But soon, the data on the monitors became increasingly maddening and hard to read. Even Mr. Jiang was shocked; he had not encountered this before.

    ¡°The things that they are currently experiencing in the Dreands...¡± Mr. Jiang admitted his ignorance. ¡°... are things that we have not been exposed to before.¡±

    That announcement pulled at the guts of everyone present. The dreamers¡¯ heart rates had gone over the safe rate. Some had reached extremely dangerous levels; their faces were distorted in pain, and their bodies were soaked in sweat. However, Mr. Jiang warned that the dreamers should never be woken up abruptly, or it would ce them in even deeper danger.

    All of a sudden, someone inside the dreaming world startled awake. He gasped heavily. ¡°Ah Jun...¡±

    It was Uncle Dan. Then more slipped back into the waking world. Lin Mo, Yu Xiaoyong, and Lou Xiaoning appeared like they had been through the wringer. Their faces were pale beyond belief.

    ¡°Ah Jun, Ah Jun, he...¡± Prof Shen said hoarsely, and his eyes were rimmed red. He stopped himself from finishing the sentence. He was still holding onto hope. Right at that moment, the dreamers who had awakened and the people inside the monitor room saw a blurry shadow appear inside the crowded dreaming room. The dimension appeared to have broken, and the space rippled into a crack. Through the many cameras, they only saw a ck shadow that was twisting and contorting. Before the people could react, a figure leaped out from the dimensional crack. She stumbled over. In a cotton dress, carrying a book, a medic kit, and a bag of food, it was Wu Siyu.

    She stood for a while before dropping the medic kit and the food expressionlessly. Then shey on the ground while hugging the book. She gave a long sigh and then stared numbly at the ceiling.

    At the same time, the rest of the dreamers who shared the deepest bond with Gu Jun¡ªpeople like Elder Tong, Prof Gu, Cai Zixuan, and Wang Ruoxiang¡ªwoke up. They were like fish out of water. They gulped in deep breaths as they whipped their heads around. Their faces were lined in shock, fear, and sadness...

    ¡°Ah Jun, where¡¯s Ah Jun?¡±

    ¡°Is Ah Jun here?¡±

    ¡°Gu Jun?¡±

    They screamed the young man¡¯s name as they scoured their surroundings. Gu Jun was wearing a cotton outfit, so he would stand out if he was there. But there was only one person in a cotton outfit inside the room, and that was Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time,¡± Wu Siyu said as her voice cracked. ¡°He did note back.¡±

    She could not sense his presence anymore. Gu Jun was in another world, perhaps in the Dreand or perhaps in heaven. Someone like him... deserved a spot in heaven, right? She resisted the heavy tears, wondering if stupidity was a kind of sin.

 Chapter 185: Here Comes the Sun

    <h4>Chapter 185: Here Comes the Sun</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    After people returned from Dreands and Wu Siyu fell through the dimensional gap, Phecda¡¯s Eastern State Division and the headquarters busied themselves with the aftermath. First, the dreamers had to be separated and interviewed one by one to confirm their mental state and to reconstruct everything that had happened on that ind in the Dreand. Wu Siyu was asked to describe everything from the moment she and Gu Jun stepped onto the white ship. Then, they were given some physical tests. Due to Wu Siyu¡¯s physical exposure to the Dreands and its unknown bacteria, she had to be separately quarantined. And because of her physical contact with the others inside the dreaming room, it meant the others were pped with the same treatment.

    All members from the Investigation and Review Departments were mobilized. They were busy from noon tote afternoon. The result was a great relief. Even though most of them had suffered psychological damage to a certain degree, the most direct impact being the lowering of their S Value, all of them could still be categorized as normally functioning.

    ¡°Mental power and the mind itself are two different things.¡± Regarding this point, both Phecda and the Angell¡¯s Order had the same understanding. Other than the lowering of the S Value, the overall mood of the group was demotivating and depressive. The reason was none other than Gu Jun.

    Thanks to their corroboration of the story, Phecda had constructed what had basically happened inside dreands. It appeared like Gu Jun had used a spell to consume that nightmare. A normal human would not be able to survive that kind of consumption, but they couldn¡¯t be sure either. They turned to the Angell¡¯s Order for some hope. With the sess of this mission, the Order¡¯s credibility inside Phecda had increased tremendously.

    ¡°We believe...¡± Mr. Jiang said in a severe tone. ¡°I cannot say what kind of physical transmutation will happen to his body, but it is almost impossible for a person to survive this kind of heavy mental impact.¡±

    ¡®Physical transmutation? Was there such a thing that happened?¡¯ ording to the descriptions from Elder Tong and the rest, the answer was a definite yes. Prof Gu, Wang Ruoxiang, and most of them who entered the Dreands were doctors. They knew from what they saw with Gu Jun, things were not going well.

    ¡°The skin on his face...¡± Inside the interrogation room, when Wang Ruoxiang thought back to that situation, a haze of mncholy clouded her face. ¡°First, the capiries burst. I was certain of that because the symptoms were fairly obvious. Then, there was subdermal hemorrhaging. In the end, even his skin started to crack...¡±

    Prof Gu sighed and provided an opinion that was darker but based more in medical science. ¡°I believe his cranial pressure was incredibly high, so the bleeding could havee from a brain hemorrhage. Ah Jun, he... he¡¯s probably already...¡±

    Everyone came to the same conclusion, but no one was willing to put it into words. Even the perpetual optimist, Cai Zixuan, had nothing to say but hung his head and sighed. However, no one wanted to give up. Therefore, that night itself, they gathered for another dreaming attempt. This time, even Wu Siyu joined in. Even though they were extremely tired, Gu Jun might be awaiting their rescue. Nevertheless, no matter how hard they summoned him this time, there was no reply. There was only silence, a silence that shocked their hearts harder than the loudest explosion could.

    They had been calling for three hours until thest one of them copsed from exhaustion. Several people, including Uncle Dan, had passed out and had to be sent to the emergency room. The spiritual connection they shared with Gu Jun was fading away with time. Wu Siyu made the most attempts. She could enter her own lucid dream but could find no way to reach the Dreands.

    ¡°How can I enter Dreands?¡± she asked Mr. Jiang. ¡°We have to at least bring Stupid Jun¡¯s body back, right? I¡¯m afraid the zombies might feast on him.¡±

    ¡°We have no physical way of entering the Dreands,¡± Mr. Jiang said cautiously. ¡°And this is the only way to do it. Throughout the history of the Order, we have only seeded only a few times. We have not entered the Dreands ourselves, and we are no closer to uncovering the talent and condition required. But in your current condition where your mental power hasn¡¯t fully recovered, it will only make the journey that much harder.

    ¡°But his body will be eaten,¡± Wu Siyu mumbled. ¡°Perhaps they might preserve his body to marinate, but still, the ending is the same.¡±

    Even though Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan refused to give up, as the leader and their senior, Yao Sinian saw the need to move on. Prof Qin, who had recovered slightly, and Elder Tong shared his opinion. Perhaps it was their experience that lent them the realization that life was hard, but life was always moving forward. Gu Jun had done his part, and now they needed to do theirs.

    ¡°Ah Jun has bravely sacrificed himself,¡± Elder Tong said heavily, without his usual humor. ¡°He has chosen that, and we should respect his choice.¡±

    Inside the quarantine activity room, when the rest heard that, something appeared to click. Cai Zixuan doubled over in a dry heave, and tears slid silently down Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s cheeks. Prof Gu turned away and sighed. Lou Xiaoning, Xue Ba, and Brother Qiang stood there numbly, their faces as gray as ash. Indeed, everyone had sacrificed something in this mission, but Ah Jun had made the biggest sacrifice... He had trumped them all.

    ¡°I know he made that decision.¡± Wu Siyu was still insisting on demands that sounded more and more like incoherent words to the others. ¡°But we still need to bring his body back, or else he will really be eaten! Who knows how painful it is to be eaten in the Dreands? And how much of one¡¯s body needs to be eaten to feel the pain?¡±

    Everyone knew that Wu Siyu was under the greatest mental pressure because Gu Jun gave her the second most difficult choice to make...

    ¡°Siyu.¡± Elder Tong sighed. ¡°Even the zombies would shy away from Ah Jun, that bonehead. His bones will mostly crack their teeth, so don¡¯t you worry about him.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± Wu Siyu argued. ¡°You know the zombies are like dogs, and dogs prefer hardier bones. They would slobber over a delicious meal like him.¡±

    Wu Siyu worried everyone with her mental state. The psychology group needed toe up with a therapy session for her, but some work had to be continued. Phecda could not halt themselves due to a sacrifice. Gu Jun would not have wanted that either.

    The things brought back by Wu Siyu from the Dreands were all taken away for research. The material of the cotton dress, its design, theposition of the food, the things inside the medic kit, and of course, the most important discovery of all, the tome of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan. It was aplete spell book, one written in an ancient Chinesenguage. This was a great addition to the Spell Department that was being constructed within Phecda. It would boost their standing and rate of improvement greatly. However, this was yet another reward traded with Gu Jun¡¯s life...

    Currently, every country in the world was conducting research andpeting in this field so that they could im a higher seat in the international organization that seemed inevitable in the future. With this Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan in Phecda, China practically had a nuclear bomb. It was more than enough to solidify their leadership position in the international organization.

    The research and utilization as well as expansion of the Spell Department was currently the most important focus of Phecda. At the same time, the depressing fog that had nketed Eastern State for many days finally cleared. In five consecutive days, there were no reports of any new Nightmare Illness cases. The patients who had not received the lobotomy stopped having the nightmares, and their symptoms were slowing down. The speed of atrophy for their nervous system was even slower than the patients who had undergone the surgery. They had hope that their illness could be monitored with medicine and physiotherapy.

    For the old patients who had gone under the knife, their condition was getting better as well. Prof Qin and Brother Qiang were more like their old selves. It was like something that had been taken away from them had been returned. The phobia Surgeon Zhu had suddenly developed just disappeared; even the man himself could not exin it. ¡°Earlier, it was like there was this whispering enhancing my fear, but now it¡¯s all gone.¡±

    Another three days passed, and there were no new victims. The recovery was going smoothly. Finally, the Eastern State Medical Department gave the announcement that the Nightmare Illness Epidemic had officially been curbed.

    Of course, no one could tell whether the epidemic would return in the future, but at least for now, after so many days, people deserved a good night¡¯s sleep.

    The public was naturally most buzzed about this news. Communication channels slowly reopened. The news of the flu being brought under control spread through many different media outlets. As the new year rushed in, the streets of Eastern State filled with crowds, parents with kids, couples, tourists... Things were returning to normal.

    But that good spirit did not spread to Phecda¡¯s Eastern Division because in their dream, they could still see that single figure walking with determination toward that creepy old manor, singing the inscrutable spell on his lips.

 Chapter 186: Medal and Will

    <h4>Chapter 186: Medal and Will</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The first five days of the new year flew by in a blur. It had been fifteen days since the mission to the Dreands. The Nightmare Illness had disappeared without a trace in half a month. While themunication channels at Eastern State were slowly reopening, the Medical Department had long since moved their focus to the rehabilitation of the patients and their respective research. The forty-seven dreamers had finished their quarantine yesterday. Their physical checks came back perfectly, with the exception of fatigue among the slightly older members.

    However,pared to the other Phecda members who had been infected by this Nightmare Illness, fatigue was nothing. There were fifty-six members from the Medical Department and seventy-two members from both the Scientific Research and Action Departments who were infected. Eight of them had unfortunately passed away while the rest had undergone lobotomies. Thetter included people like Prof Qin, Zhou Jiaqiang, and Zhu Ruiwen. Other than that, twenty-three medical professionals had suffered from mental trauma during their operation on the patients. Song Yilong, Chen Xinfeng, Juo Jun, and Huang Yanyu were among the first batch of doctors to participate in the lobotomy. Unfortunately, the doctors at ICU were unable to rescue them.

    139 members were heavily injured, and twelve died at Phecda¡¯s Eastern State Division, but the total death toll was thirteen. Thest was the member who had sacrificed himself from the Special Mobile Force, Gu Jun. There was a hall at the base of the Medical Department. It was sparsely decorated and could amodate over nine hundred people. It was normally used to hold various activities and ceremonies, but for today, the hall was solemnly decorated. ck curtains hung on the stage, and the stage was surrounded by floral arrangements sent over by the people. The nine hundred seats were filled with guests dressed in their funeral attire.

    This was a memorial that Phecda had organized for the members who had died in this incident. The event was livestreamed at the same time at the headquarters and other divisions across the country. On the stage, the pictures of the thirteen members were given center stage. Under their frames hung the Hero¡¯s Honor Medals that were awarded to them by Phecda. This circr medal represented Phecda¡¯s honor toward those who had rendered great service to Phecda in their lives. They were exquisitely designed and were adorned with Phecda¡¯s logo. In the pictures, all of them were wearing their doctor¡¯s coats. Some were filled with smiles while others appeared unfazed.

    The picture right in the middle showed the face of someone who was youngest among all of them. He had the wisp of a smile on his face. Under his picture frame hung the Hero¡¯s Honor Medal but also another star-shaped medal. It was glittering from its golden material and it had red stripes. It was the Phecda¡¯s Medal, awarded to those who had contributed greatly to the organization. Needless to say, the recipients of this great honor were all persons of great import within the organization.

    Due to Gu Jun¡¯s contribution in both the Malformed Banyan Disease case and Nightmare Illness case, as well as his contribution in bringing back a spell book for Phecda, the decision to award him with such an honor was unequivocal. In fact, a statue of the young man would be ced outside the surgical building of the Medical Department. The only thing that would have made this more of a celebration was if the award recipients were there to receive the awards in person, but that was not to be.

    Right then, the host Yao Sinian moved to the podium that was set next to the stage. As he announced the start of the memorial, funereal music rang out within the hall. Without any prompting from Yao Sinian, all nine hundred people in the hall stood up. They lowered their heads in respect to the thirteen faces on stage. Joining in on the ceremony were the members from the headquarters and other divisions. The family, friends, and colleagues of these heroes were seated at the front row of the hall. After a period to digest the news, they had managed to somehow move on already, but caught in this spectacle, their eyes started to rim with red. After the funeral music ended, as they slumped back into the seat, their hearts rxed slightly.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen.¡± Yao Sinian started his eulogy. His face lined with age twitched with emotion. ¡°I am sixty-two this year. The average age of these heroes is just thirty-eight years old, the youngest among them being only at the age of 21, but their courage and determination far surpasses someone like myself. They are heroes that we should all strive to look up to.¡±

    The guests were silent as they listened to Yao Sinian¡¯s eulogy, paying respect to the heroes respectively, Song Yilong, Guo Jun...

    The atmosphere inside the hall lowered until it was the turn for Gu Jun. At that moment, Prof Qin, Prof Gu, Elder Tong, Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan, Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, and the rest were all staring at that smiling face in the picture. The forty-seven Dreamers knew the details, but even the others knew that it was Gu Jun¡¯s sacrifice that had won them the victory over Nightmare Illness. The Phecda¡¯s Medal was proof of that.

    ¡°Before heading toward Wrangel Ind, Gu Jun wrote an undisclosed will,¡± Yao Sinian said. ¡°We shall read it out now.¡±

    Gu Jun had no family present, but he had seniors that he respected, friends that he was close to, andrades whom he had been in life and death situations with. They had been asked to read Gu Jun¡¯s will, but all of them rejected it. It was too cruel a demand to make of them. Therefore, it was a nondescript male member from the Recreational Department who walked to the podium. Under the hall¡¯s scrutiny, the member took out a piece of paper and started to read in a thick and calm voice.

    ¡°Time to head toward Wrangel Ind. ording to procedure, I have to write a will. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m even doing this. It¡¯s such a waste of time. I¡¯ve written so many of the same already. Couldn¡¯t they use one of those instead? Just change the name and location, and it¡¯s a go.¡±

    When the first sentence was read, a trace of smile appeared on the faces of many people.

    ¡°This kid...¡± Elder Tong grumbled under his breath.

    ¡°As a doctor, I am far more familiar with death than amon person. I know how helpless people can feel as life flits away, and there is nothing they can do about it. I have experienced that multiple times in the surgical room already, and each time, it has changed me. Should I die, I hope there are people who mourn me. In any case, do not let that bog you down for too long. Just mourn me for a little bit and then let time do the rest. The scar will heal. When facing death, time is the best medicine. I am not worried about you. It¡¯s time to go. This should be enough. Hopefully, this mission will be a sess.¡±

    The recitation ended, and the hall was filled with silence. Some took in choking deep breaths while others wiped away their tears. It was clear that the will was written in a hurry. Gu Jun must have been going through the motions when he wrote this. He did not go into any details. He probably did not have time to even sit down topile aplete will. But such a simple will had the energy to shatter the listeners¡¯ hearts.

    ¡®Ah Jun, of course, there are people who mourn your death.¡¯

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun?¡¯ Wu Siyu channeled her mind to call his name. ¡®They say you¡¯re dead, and they¡¯re reading your will. Now is the time to correct their mistake.¡¯

    But like always, there was no reply, only silence. Gu Jun was not showing up. Then it could only mean that he was really gone already... but...

    After Gu Jun¡¯s will was read, Yao Sinian continued with the eulogy. Then it was the turn for the family of each sacrificed member to take the stage to give a speech. But by then, Wu Siyu had already spaced out. Even when Prof Gu and Elder Tong took the stage to eulogize Gu Jun, she was not really listening. She almost fell asleep in her seat. When she was asked to give a speech about Gu Jun a few days ago, she had firmly rejected it. At that moment, she was pondering a question. ¡®Just mourn me for a little bit. How long is a little bit? Would a little bit mean forever in the foreignnguage?¡¯

    With these thoughts filling up Wu Siyu¡¯s mind, she upied herself elsewhere until she heard the funeral music around. Yao Sinian then took the stage onest time to announce the closing of the memorial service. Then, Wu Siyu stood up and exited the hall.

    ¡°We will help Ah Jun fulfil his wish,¡± Cai Zixuan said with forced energy. His bald forehead was shining. ¡°I wish to join the Special Mobile Force too.¡±

    ¡°I have already applied to join the Spell Department,¡± Wang Ruoxiang said seriously. Gu Jun had personally proven how medical knowledge and spell knowledge could be a good pairing. Based on what he had told Wu Siyu, all Carlot Doctors from the foreign civilization were spell experts. Wang Ruoxiang understood that the world was not going to be saved with just medical knowledge. The Spell Department would open its doors to talents from all over the country, and then the selected members would be gathered for special training. The department would also continue their research with Angell¡¯s Order. Elder Tong did mention that the Dreamers would be given priority to join the department.

    ¡°I did the same.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    Both Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning spoke up. Spells would be a great addition to their arsenal in the field.

    ¡°Oh, my application to move to the Recreational Department has been approved,¡± Wu Siyu suddenly said, but she added with a sigh, ¡°But I am still affiliated to the Spell Department.¡±

    Every department had members from the Recreational Department to deal with their misceneous tasks, and it was no different for the Spell Department.

    When they exited the hall, the sun was already setting. They chatted among themselves as they headed into the setting sun. After this day, life would pick up again.

    ¡®If only Gu Jun was still here with us,¡¯ they thought, ¡®he would have been a great asset to the Spell Department and the international organization that is already in the making. Hopefully, he is enjoying himself in heaven...¡¯

 Chapter 187: Zoog

    <h4>Chapter 187: Zoog</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Silence, emptiness, chaos...

    Does a human have a mind first or a body first? And where does this nothingness exist? Does it even exist?

    In the blurriness, a consciousness was slowly awakening. It could hear the pitter-patter of something strange and some whispering. Light... washed away the darkness slightly. Was it the eyes... the eyes...

    The consciousness slowly gathered its memory, and some pain came along with it. Enormous pain originated from everywhere. It was spreading and festering. The consciousness was like a candle left in the storm. It was close to being extinguished... but at that moment, it appeared to hear a different voice. It did note from anywhere close but somewhere among the chaos...

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun? They say you¡¯re dead, and they¡¯re reading your will. Now is the time to correct their mistake,¡¯ the voice said.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun? Dead? Will?¡¯ The consciousness percted on the meaning of these words, and suddenly, more awakened within him. Dirty-minded Jun, Dirty-minded Jun... The consciousness was clearing up, and the chaos was fading away bringing the voice with it.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun? Salty taste, Gu Jun...¡¯ As the name rose from nothingness, the consciousness was assaulted by waves of pain. Following the intense pain came the realization. ¡®Gu Jun, I am Gu Jun. But shouldn¡¯t I be dead already? And that was Wu Siyu¡¯s voice earlier... Shouldn¡¯t she have returned? Did she not return?¡¯

    As panic cut through his thought, other memories were returning. Images shed before his eyes... ¡®No, Dirty-minded Yu returned to the real world, I am sure of that.¡¯

    Gu Jun could only see darkness,plete darkness, but he could sense his presence.

    ¡®So, where am I?¡¯

    He appeared to be still inside a body, but he could not open his eyes. In fact, he could not move even a muscle in his body, but that did not take away from the pain ravaging his body. As his consciousness cleared up, more came to him. He turned to the system in his mind... However, it appeared like his mind had been exhausted as well. Just that movement of thought dazed him, and he felt too powerless to switch the system that he could have easily flickered on in the past.

    ¡®I don¡¯t even have the mental power left to open the system?¡¯ He could remember rather hazily that hisst mental corruption rate was forty-nine percent. ¡®That is so close to half. If I wake up, will the corruption go over half? So, what am I supposed to do now?¡¯

    Gu Jun was reminded of the fact that he should have sliced his throat already. The piercing pain informed him clearly that he had severed the main artery, and he should be suffering from cranial hemorrhage and cardiac arrest too

    ¡®So, am I a ghost?¡¯

    But he did not feel like it. The strange whispering and pitter patter were getting louder, and they sounded strangely familiar.

    ¡®Where have I heard them before?¡¯ Gu Jun tried to think, but he did not dare exhaust his mind too much. After a long time, the memory came back to him. It was when they were moving through the jungle on the ind. He and Wu Siyu had heard this rustling before. It sounded like something stomping over the dead leaves, but when they stopped to observe their surroundings, they did not find anything. The pitter patter was strangely rhythmic, and it was apanied by a soft voice that sounded like it was forced out of the throat. For some reason, Gu Jun felt like he was listening to a form ofnguage. It felt like something was moving through the forest and chatting.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Yu, are you there?¡¯ He called several times in his heart and tried to form a connection, but it was to no avail. She was not in the dream world. Gu Jun was sure that he remembered sensing Wu Siyu jumping through the dimensional crack. The voice that he heard earlier was probably a product of his subconscious.

    ¡®Is it possible that I was saved by some kind of existence?¡¯ Gu Jun thought to himself. Honestly, he was afraid of death like everyone else. He had chosen suicide because that appeared to be the only solution to end the nightmare. But now that he was alive, did that mean the Nightmare Illness was too? And what kind of state was he in? Was everything alright at Eastern State?

    He thought for a while as he listened to the strange noises around him.

    ¡®Locked-in Syndrome.¡¯ The name of a rare illness suddenly came to Gu Jun. Due to damage to the brain stem, patients would be trapped in the situation that he was currently in. Their consciousness was alive, and they could hear just fine. They had pain reflexes, but they could not speak or move. Because of this, the illness was also dubbed ¡®pseudoa¡¯. The condition was one of the many medical conundrums that challenged the human medicalmunity. There was still no effective treatment for it. But now Gu Jun remembered that some of the patients still could move their eyeballs and used this method tomunicate with the outside world.

    ¡®If my symptoms are reflective of Locked-In Syndrome, then perhaps I can try to move my eyeballs...¡¯

    He had lost control of his limbs, body, neck, and head. He tried to channel all the energy inside his body around his eyes.

    ¡®Move, just move...¡¯ He imagined gritting his teeth. ¡®Just a little bit!¡¯

    Suddenly, some kind of connection was reforged. A sense of familiar returned to him. It was the eyes. To be precise, it was the eyeballs, not including the eyelids. Gu Jun moved his eyeballs with difficulty. With that he heard the pattering stop before returning with urgency, it seemed to speak of surprise!

    ¡®Yes, I am not dead. My hearing is working fine,¡¯ he told himself and tried his best to roll his eyeballs again. All of a sudden, he felt a yank on his eyelids, or perhaps he had imagined it. But the dim light pierced into his eyes, causing his eyeballs to prickle with pain. ¡®This is a fresh kind of pain. Looks like I am really still alive...¡¯

    His consciousness was waking as his eyes regained focus. Everything came into focus for Gu Jun. Above him were the faces of several strange creatures looking down at him. Each of them was the size of a cat. They had brown fur, and their mouths tapered into a sharp snout. They had a pair of ck beady eyes. They looked like giant rodents...

    ¡®Giant rodents?¡¯ Gu Jun almost fainted from shock. ¡®The avengingb rats? This is my personal hell?¡¯

    However, as Gu Jun looked closer, he could see the forest on the ind in the background. The withered trees with their gnarly branches. Then his eyelids were mmed back like curtains, and he fell back into darkness. The rhythmic pattering began again, but this time, he could understand the meaning. In the dream world, as long as the speaker was willing, the listener and speaker couldmunicate despite the difference innguage. For now, he could hear at least five different voices whispering among themselves.

    ¡°The man has awakened, and he is listening in on us.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he is. Our ways always work.¡±

    ¡°Then, should we eat him? We¡¯ll skin him and then crawl inside him to feast on his delicious internal organs.¡±

    ¡°No, he has ingested the house. We won¡¯t be able to digest him.¡±

    ¡°Nothing can¡¯t be solved with some good spices.¡±

    ¡°I told you no already!¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do with him? Toss him into the sea?¡±

    ¡°No, he is very valuable. He shall be a very good offering...¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes, yes, offering! At least this one man can rece one hundred hens, one hundred quails, and one hundred fowls!¡±

    ¡°One hundred? Have you lost your mind? Dumb Zoog, dumb Zoog!¡±

    ¡°Then, then... fifty of each?¡±

    ¡°Honestly Zoog! Sigh, dear friends and family, let me tell you, this man here is at least worth one thousand hens, one thousand quails, and one thousand fowls!¡±

    ¡°One thousand?¡± The rapid session of tapping sounded like shock. ¡°Then doesn¡¯t that mean that our Zoog tribe won¡¯t need to give any more offerings this year should we put him up as sacrifice?¡±

    ¡°At least, did you not hear me say at least? It is quite possible we will be spared from the need to make the offering for next year as well.¡±

    ¡°Then we have to make him our offering. We must!¡± They cheered.

    Hearing them, Gu Jun tried his best to roll his eyes to attract the attention of these creatures called Zoog...

    But none of the Zoog responded to him. They continued to discuss joyously among themselves how many hens, quails, and fowls he would be worth.

 Chapter 188: Eyeball Language (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 188: Eyeball Language (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Gu Jun was still caught in darkness. Two days had passed since he recovered his consciousness. As tired as he was, sleep eluded him. It appeared like he had lost that ability, and so fatigue trailed him like a ghost. Other than learning how to control the movement of his eyeballs, there was no progress with the rest of his body. He still could not open his eyes. Earlier, it was the Zoogs who peeled back his eyelids.

    ¡®Systematic Autopsy, oculus...¡¯

    For the past two days, he had tried to remember what had learned in the past to resuscitate his mind. At the same time, he tried to extend his control to his eyelids.

    ¡®Argana Oculi essoria are used to protect, move, and support the eyeball. They include structures like blephar, conjunctiva,crimal apparatus, extraocr muscles, corpus adiposum, and fascia orbitalis... The blephar is situated in front of the eyeball. It is separated into palpbra frontalis and mris palpbra. The gap between them is called fissure palpebrae. The interior and exterior of the fissure palpebrae are respectively angulus oculi medialis and angulus oculi temporalis. The edge of the palpebrae is called margo palpebrae, and it is differentiated into the anterior palpebral edge and posterior palpebral edge...¡¯

    The pages of the chapter on the eye in Systemic Autopsy appeared in his mind. The more he tried to recall them, the clearer they became.

    ¡®Since I am not dead, I can¡¯t just wait here for death toe. I am a doctor. I can save myself.¡¯ Gu Jun had been attempting to train his levator palpebrae superioris and muscles orbicris oculi. As long as he gained control of them, he could open and close his eyes freely. Over the past two days, his training had reaped a slight result...

    Perhaps it sensed his eyeball moving about¡ªhis right eyelid was suddenly pressed onto by a furry paw. The tapping said, ¡°Be honest and don¡¯t move!¡±

    He could not move or speak. Gu Jun could not handle this pain one second longer. How was he going tomunicate with these creatures? Patients of Locked-in Syndrome could move their eyeballs tomunicate meaning. Well, since tapping could be anguage, why not the moving of the iris? This was the dream world. As long as the speaker was willing tomunicate, the listener would get the intention despite the inscrutability of thenguage used.

    Gu Jun was thinking as he tried to memorize the little linguistic knowledge he had learned... Okay, he would use the movement of his eyeball to create a ¡®Chinese character input method¡¯... The strokes of each character could be tranted into different movements of the eyes. One set of actions wouldbine to form a word. Moving from left to right, it would mean horizontal sh. Moving from top to bottom, it would mean vertical sh. Moving from right to left would be a dot. So on and so forth... When he was done writing a character, he could frown tomunicate that he had finished it. A blink of the left eye meantma, and a blink of the right meant period. Rapidly blinking the left eye twice meant a question mark, and the right eye meant exmation point.

    ¡®This should do.¡¯ Gu Jun memorized the simplistic rules of this made-upnguage. It was all he could manage toe up with on the spot. The passage of time was loose in darkness.

    Another day appeared to have passed. During that time, he had been studying how to use his eyes tomunicate with this simplenguage system. When he felt that he was ready, Gu Jun moved his two eyeballs to write out slowly, ¡°Hello.¡±

    As he knew, a Zoog had been standing guard over him, and instantly, the rapid patting came. ¡°You are speaking with your eyes?¡±

    A tremor of excitement spread through Gu Jun. He had seeded! It felt like he had been given a glimpse of light after so many years trapped in darkness. He quickly calmed himself and continued to move his eyes to ¡®say¡¯, ¡°Yes, my mind is clear. Thank you for saving me. I am just wondering, who are you going to offer me to, and what will happen to me then?¡±

    Rolling his eyes to all these different directions was incredibly taxing. When he finished that sentence, Gu Jun was feeling quite dazed.

    ¡°Quick, the man has spoken!¡± The Zoog gasped in shock, and soon, the rattling of feet approached.

    Gu Jun tried tomunicate in his strange way to try to get these creatures to lower their guard. ¡°Hello, I am from another world. My name is Gu Jun.¡±

    ¡°Ignore him!¡± The voice that definitely belonged to their leader said, ¡°Human beings are extremely cunning no matter which world theye from!¡±

    Gu Jun quickly rolled his eyes. ¡°I mean you all no harm...¡±

    ¡°He said he meant us no harm.¡±

    ¡°Then, is he implying we mean him harm?¡± the leader said angrily. ¡°Dumb Zoog! He is trying to make use of our kindness to cure him and help him return to that world. Regardless of what he says, I know that is his goal.¡±

    ¡°Then, is he just toying with us? Damn human, we should just eat him! Forget about the five thousand hens, five thousand quails, and five thousand fowls.¡±

    So, that was the final value that they had ced on him.

    The Zoog who had been proposing Gu Jun be cooked added, ¡°I know a cooking method that will guarantee to make a scrumptious meal of him! We shall turn him into a feeding box for the maggots. When the maggots are all grown inside him, we will pit roast him until seventy percent cooked. That way, it will preserve the freshness of the maggots and the juiciness of his flesh. With some spices and some moonshine, oh, I¡¯m swimming in the thought of it already.¡±

    ¡°Brother, should we keep the cooking just to his limbs? The rest of him should be worth at least three thousand of each bird!¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± The leader sounded like he had gulped before he groused in annoyance. ¡°Let me think about it!¡±

    ¡®Oh, no, please don¡¯t think about it.¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. His eyes stilled, not knowing what to say. These Zoogs were not humans; their way of thinking was even more unpredictable than Wu Siyu, so he had better kept his mouth, or eyes, shut for now.

    After the leader Zoog said they were going for a discussion. The pattering returned to normal pattering. They had shut down the channel ofmunication with Gu Jun. The man thus continued his training silently. He tried to summon Wu Siyu and the rest, but there was no response. He could not sense the movement of space either. His only working sense was his hearing. But there was something incredible about the human body. When one sense was eclipsed, the other senses would be heightened. He could thus hear the sound of pattering, rustling, and even the waves. It sounded like the Zoogs had taken him on the ship across the ocean.

    Two days passed, and the sound of waves faded away. Now, there was the sound of trickling water. It sounded like the ship had moved ind. He had no idea whether the Zoogs had harmed him or not because he could not tell where on his body the sensation of pain came from. He would probably be none the wiser even if the Zoogs had cut one of his legs off to eat. Regardless, Gu Jun kept up his training and did not give up. He trained his eyes and his mind.

    While the pattering was faraway, meaning that there was no Zoog around, Gu Jun wanted to try opening his eyes again. He channeled every ounce of energy in his body and lifted his levator palpebrae superioris!

    ¡®Ah...¡¯ The blinding light rushed in all too sudden. His instinct almost made him close the eyes that he had forced himself to open, but thankfully, he resisted the urge. As his eyes got used to the light, Gu Jun could see the white sky, green rivers, and the ck wooden brow of the small raft. It was hard to imagine that the way he would leave that ind and cross the sea would be in a small wooden raft. Currently, his whole person was stuffed inside arge wooden barrel. He tried to move his eyes downward. Thankfully, all his limbs were still ounted for...

    The part of his skin that he could see was covered in purplish red scabs. He remembered how every part of his skin had crackled open back then.

    ¡®I really am curious how these Zoogs manage to save me from certain death.¡¯

    Gu Jun looked around him and realized that the river trail they were on was snaking through a fertile in. The in had some forest, farms, and sparse farming houses. The rooftops were built with straw, and the houses were surrounded with green fences. Billows of smoke rose up from the chimneys. Gu Jun spotted some people moving among the farms, but they were too far from him, and his eyes had not recovered fully, so he could not see their faces too clearly.

    ¡®Help...¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to scream. ¡®Help me...¡¯

    But his vocal cords were not working.

    Suddenly, he heard the shuffling of feet. He immediately closed his eyes. He did not want the Zoogs to know that he could open his eyes already. After a while, he dared to open his eyes slightly. The surprisinglyrge Zoog next to him thankfully did not notice.

    Eventually, he realized the raft had beached on the shore leading into the forest. The group of about ten Zoogs picked up the wooden barrel and jumped down from the raft. As small as they were, they were surprisingly strong. Even while carrying him, they moved swiftly through the forest while chatting among themselves. They zig-zagged among the trees for what felt like a day when the sight opened before Gu Jun. There were several million Zoogs gathered in the clearing in the forest before him!

    The forest at the ind with the old manor was just a small vige for the Zoogs. This was the real base of the Zoogs tribe...

    The Zoogs squatted on the tree branches, hid among the bushes, and crawled inside the rotten tree holes. So many beady eyes looked his way, and they were all glowing. Among them, an old Zoog stood in the middle. The fur on his body was all white. He was possibly the person they regarded as the leader or the elder in this tribe.

    The wooden barrel was set down and frantic tapping rang out everywhere. Gu Jun finally saw now that the Zoogs made the sound by pping different parts of their bodies, and that formed the basis of theirnguage. The group of Zoogs that carried him tapped themselves all over as they appeared to try to exin Gu Jun¡¯s origin. The other Zoogs responded by excited tapping.

    ¡°Let him in. It does not matter,¡± the old Zoog said. He pulled on his white beard and looked rather kind. Gu Jun could understand them again, and right at that moment, he realized that the Leader Zoog of his group was exining to the rest the n that they hadid out for him. ¡°That way, we won¡¯t need to provide any offerings for the next five years!¡±

    ¡°Sigh.¡± The old Zoog sighed. The Zoogs that were about to rise into a mob all quieted down. The old Zoog studied Gu Jun and said, ¡°Is that how we Zoogs do things? Ludicrous! This man has consumed the house of nightmares. That is no way to treat him!¡±

    With that, Gu Jun¡¯s heart leaped with joy. He was about to use his eyeballnguage to thank the old Zoog... when thetter said, ¡°Offering him to that greedy cat will only get us at most five thousand hens, five thousand quails, and five thousand fowls. But if we sell him to the ck merchant, we can get at least ten thousand hens, ten thousand quails, and ten thousand fowls!¡±

    The realization dawned on the young Zoogs, and they broke out in cheers and yelps.

    ¡°That way, even after we make the offering of five thousand from each of the three birds,¡± the Old Zoog said, ¡°we will still have five thousand each left for our own tribe, won¡¯t we?¡±

    Instantly, the Zoogs in the forest broke out in brilliant cheers. The sound of excited cheering and tapping echoed throughout the forest.

 Chapter 189: Special Reward

    <h4>Chapter 189: Special Reward</h4>

    After the Elder Zoog made the decision, in the celebration of the Zoog tribe, Gu Jun was stuffed deeper into the wooden barrel, and the lid was firmly fixed on. They left a small air hole for air filtration, but it was clear that the oxygen density had decreased because Gu Jun soon felt a dullness to his mind. At a time like this, it was probably a good thing that he could not feel his body, or else the difort would probably increase manifold.

    ¡®F*ck...¡¯ Gu Jun opened his eyes, and the grain of the wooden barrel stared back at him. He was really not expecting to one day end up like this. Losing control of his whole body, unable to speak, only able to move his eyes, and his fate left in the hands of some rodent-like creatures. In his current state, he could not even end his own miserable life or fall asleep.

    Suddenly, he felt the wooden barrel being tipped over and starting to roll. Clearly, the Zoogs were moving him. They probably wanted him back onto the ship. The feelings of sadness, tiredness, and resignation appeared in his mind. He missed his bed, phone,puter, surgical scalpel... Hell, he even missed the feeling of sleepiness and hunger.

    ¡®No, I have to stick it out.¡¯ Gu Jun quickly stopped himself from going down this slippery slope. If he allowed himself to continue like this, he would soon give up and die an undignified death inside a wooden barrel. ¡®I can¡¯t die like this. I still have no idea if the Nightmare Illness has been stopped or not. I need to stay alive to find out.¡¯

    Gu Jun summoned his body to take a deep breath.

    ¡®Snap out of it, Gu Jun!¡¯

    Reasoning with these Zoogs appeared to be futile. The evil cat or the ck merchant that they were going to sacrifice him to did not sound like pleasant characters either. The chance of them letting him go free was close to zero. To escape from this tragedy, he would have to depend on himself. In that case, he would need to continue training his mind and try to regain control of his body.

    ¡®I need to recover!¡¯

    His current condition might be simr to those suffering from Locked-in Syndrome, but it was probably not the case. If he kept on training, he should be able to slowly regain control of the muscles for the rest of his body.

    Other than that, he still had another hopeful alternative¡ªthe system. For now, he could confirm that the system came from a source distinct from the Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Cult. It probably had something to do with the Son of Steel because the mission reward that it had given Gu Jun had been helping him to find, understand, and acquire the Son of Steel¡¯s power.

    ¡®If I regain enough mental power to reopen the system, then perhaps I will be able to find out about my current physical status and the possible solution to it. That might provide me with an out.¡¯ Gu Jun calmed his heart and silently recited, ¡®When Heaven is about to ce a great responsibility on a great man, it always first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, harasses him by troubles and setbacks so as to stimte his spirit, toughens his nature and enhances his abilities...¡¯

    The poem reminded him of Cai Zixuan, and that gave Gu Jun a burst of strength.

    He stopped worrying about where the Zoogs were rolling him and slowly brought up the medical texts from his memory, such as Systematic Autopsy, Study of Human Anatomy, Partial Autopsy...

    Time ticked by. One day, two days... It had been a week since the awakening of his consciousness. Gu Jun became more adept at moving his eyeballs, and the motion no longer drained him that much. In fact, his mental power felt more refreshed than before. Over the past two days, he had felt the bobbing of the wooden barrel, which probably meant that they were still on the boat.

    Suddenly, there was a smattering of ps from the Zoogs. They had probably reached their destination. The barrel was moved again. Anothernguage rang out. Gu Jun could recognize it as a humannguage. The speaker was male, and the tone was rather unique. Neither of them let him in on their conversation. With a creak, the barrel lid was peeled back. The light pierced into the container. Gu Jun¡¯s head was roughly yanked out by the Zoogs. He stopped hiding the fact that he could open his eyes. Gu Jun narrowed his eyes and looked upward. He saw a middle-aged human in ck robes staring back at him. The man did not have the facial features that resembled human beings or the foreign race. If anything, he looked more like...

    Mr. Barzai. Gu Jun was reminded of the old captain of the white ship. He had a feeling they were of the same race. However, this man was not affected by the sickness that ailed the old captain. He had an unfeeling feature. As their eyes met, a sh of greed pooled in the merchant¡¯s eyes like he hadid his eyes on some precious jewel. Gu Jun wanted to say something with his eyeballs, but the wooden lid was soon put back. The ck merchant and the Zoogs continued their negotiation until Gu Jun heard the excited tapping of the Zoogs. By then, he knew the trade had beenpleted.

    ¡®I wonder how this merchant will deal with me.¡¯ Gu Jun contemted the pros and cons of this situation. The pro was that the other party was a human being. It meant that they couldmunicate more easily; the con was that the other party was a human being. As the Zoogs said, human beings were extremely cunning, at least more cunning than the Zoogs. The man had purchased him at such a high price, so the chance of Gu Jun persuading him to let him go for free was close to zero. Soon, Gu Jun could hear the sound of other people, but thenguage still meant nothing to him. But it did tell him that this was a group of merchants and not a single travelling merchant.

    He felt like he was ced onto a wooden cart because he heard the sound of wheels creaking on the road. After his adventure with the Zoogs, where was he going next?

    ¡®Oh well...¡¯ Gu Jun sighed in his mind, mimicking Wu Siyu. There was nothing he could do about these outer changes. All he could do was focus on himself. He started to meditate to train his mental power. He imagined the fountain at Carlot Academy, picturing the Goddess of Life... the cleansing water, the power of life. He meditated for half a day. He felt more like himself and felt it was time to try opening the system again.

    ¡®There¡¯s no harm in trying.¡¯ Gu Jun focused his mental power and tried to bring up the system like he did in the past. Instantly, a jolt of pain seized him as his nerves pulled taut. It felt like something was stuck, but this time, he did not give up and tried to see it through.

    With a thud, the blockage appeared to be cleared. Something rushed it and echoed in his mind. It was the sound of the system notification. The sound had never sounded sweeter to Gu Jun¡¯s ears!

    ¡°Your mastery of Strong Heart has increased by 30,000 points. Current level: 1 (36,000/ 50,000 Mastery).

    ¡°Warning, your mind is currently corrupted. Current corruption rate: forty-nine percent.

    ¡°Warning, you are currently in an abnormal palsy state! Please attempt self-recovery through a system mission.

    ¡°You have rescued Warsong suspended in a nightmare, triggering a special reward. Please click to obtain your reward, unknown.¡±

    ¡®It worked!¡¯ Gu Jun imagined breathing a sigh of relief. He studied these notifications and felt his energy returning. The 30,000 mastery points were probably an umtion of all the ordeals he had been through from the moment he stepped into the old manor until the end. It appeared like the nightmare was finally over. The corruption rate of forty-nine percent did note as a surprise. What did was the strain that it would put on him. Even the simple effort of opening the system in his mind had be so difficult. Gu Jun wondered if the power of the nightmare he had absorbed had be a part of that corruption.

    If not for the Son of Steel¡¯s resistance and the Son of Misfortune¡¯s ingestion of the nightmare, the corruption rate would have been much higher than forty-nine percent.

    All in all, it was not too bad. At least the system rified that he could save himself bypleting the missions. That was good news. Furthermore, there was also that special reward. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes moved to thest notification. That was truly an unexpected reward, and he could use all the aid he could get at this moment. He clicked to ept the reward. Instantly, brilliant lights swam in his mind.

    ¡°You have obtained ten pages of the iplete spell book.

    ¡°You have obtained one Carlot Surgical Scalpel.

    ¡°You have obtained three old photographs.

    ¡°You have obtained five sweet dreams.¡±

 Chapter 190: Possibility of Saving Oneself

    <h4>Chapter 190: Possibility of Saving Oneself</h4>

    Stuck inside the dark barrel, Gu Jun wanted to sigh as he scrolled through the mission reward. Things would be a lot easier if the system gave him a reward like some firearms but things were never that easy, were there? In any case, Gu Jun turned to the host tab and realized that all the data indicators of his body had turned into ?. ¡®So that is what the system meant by abnormal palsy status.¡¯

    He looked at the rewards one by one. 1 Carlot Surgical Scalpel, clearly this was not something that he could obtain now. A sharp object inside a cramped space while he was incapacitated, Gu Jun could not see how that would end well. This reward though reminded him of his three other medical instruments. Their location was also unknown, whether they were still on him, taken by the Zoogs or confiscated by the ck merchant, he could not tell.

    ¡®This is a surgical scalpel, not a post-mortem scalpel like the one I¡¯ve been using.¡¯ Gu Jun noticed. ¡®This will probably trigger some kind of illusion rted to treatment than dissection.¡¯ But to trigger an illusion now would probably vanquish the little mental power that he still had left.

    ¡¯10 pages of iplete spell book,¡¯ he carefully checked out the floating object in his mind. cing the 10 pages beside the previous single page that he obtained, Gu Jun confirmed that they were different pages of the same book. He pulled the pages closer and saw that they too were filled with notes, and they were of Landon¡¯s handwriting. ¡®Completing an abyssal mission only gave me 1 page of the spell book but this time I got 10 pages.¡¯ This proved indirectly how difficult it was to take down the house of nightmare. Reading the spell book would be mentally exhausting so Gu Jun did not give it a detailed read, he merely skimmed through it to get a gist of their content. The 10 pages described more basics about spells and the focus of the pages was on ¡®rituals and ceremonies.¡¯

    There were 2 main types of spells, the first was the kind being casted and the second were the rituals. Compared to casting of spells, rituals often had stronger effects and certain effects could only be brought on through rituals. Rituals had their requirement and condition, they differed depending on the rituals. The conditions included the weather, the time, the location, the number of participants, the procedure, the items, the spells and the sacrifice...

    ¡®Rituals also need sacrifice and the sacrifice is muchrger than that when casting spells...¡¯ Gu Jun read silently. He was reminded of the tomb with the flexed burial, the Innuits at the snow-capped summit, the sacrifice of the Afterlife Cult to the Banyan tree and the intricately-designed trap at the altar... Those were all rituals which gave Gu Jun the impression that rituals were all evil and fanatical, but ording to the 10 pages, there were both dark ritual and light ritual.

    Without realizing it, the content had drawn Gu Jun in. He even read some of Landon¡¯s scrawled notes and he only stopped when his brain pounded with pain. The 10 pages helped immensely in his understanding of spells and rituals. If he could bring these knowledge back, it would be of great help to Phecda as well, but unfortunately, they seemed to be of no use in his current situation.

    Gu Jun took notice of the watcher¡¯s diary in his mind. After he consumed that house of nightmare, he had no idea what had happened inside that young watcher¡¯s dream. The system said that the town had been saved so Gu Jun decided to take a closer look. A few new entries were added at the end of the book. Basically it described how the Carlot Doctors saved the vigers and ended the epidemic, Warsong returned to its peace and quiet. Suddenly a new notification appeared from the system. ¡°Your mind has been cleansed, corruption rate decreases by 0.1 percent, current corruption rate 48.9 percent.¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Gu Jun did feel that sense of rejuvenation. This was a surprise reward despite how little it was. The degree of recovery somewhat exemplified how seriously corrupted he was, but the fact that the corruption could be reversed was a wee news. He still had hope for recovery!

    Gu Jun was instantly inspirited. He felt some shimmering of light. Closing the diary, he turned to the 5 old photographs. For now, he did not pull them closer for a look. They looked like scenic pictures, the picturesque nature was not dwindled by the age of the photograph. He clicked on the left most one to take a closer look and his mental power was instantly rejuvenated... The proid picture was that of a beautiful mountain with a waterfall, there was nothing too abnormal about it. There was no printing date and it was unclear who was the photographer.

    ¡°Your mind has been cleansed, corruption rate decreases by 0.01 percent, current corruption rate 48.89 percent.¡±

    ¡®Only 0.01 percent?¡¯ Gu Jun had mixed emotions. He moved to the two other pictures. They were both scenic pictures as he expected and they both helped lower another 0.01 percent of corruption each. After looking at 3 pictures, the corruption rate was now 48.87 percent. As slow as it was, he did feel something else change within him... it was as if the corrupted energy that was cleansed had turned into something else. He felt a categorical change to the nature of his mental power. ¡®This cleansing of corruption is another form of energy transmutation? If that is the case...¡¯ He pondered, ¡®If I have cleansed all the corruption, what will be of me? Will the transmuted energy change what I am?¡¯

    Like many other mysteries, there was currently no answer. For now, Gu Jun realized he better focused on how to save himself. He clicked open the mission tab, if they were tasks to save people or dissect something, then he¡¯d be screwed.

    ¡°Normal Mission: Roll your eyes 3000 times in a day, mission reward: 1 old photograph

    ¡°Difficult Mission: Roll your eyes 15000 times in 3 days, mission reward: 5 old photographs

    ¡°Abyssal Mission: Deplete the corruption rate by 10 percent in a week, mission reward: Unknown.¡±

    Thankfully, Gu Jun¡¯s earlier assessment of the mission system was correct, they were tailored specifically to his condition. Rolling his eyes was the only thing he could do now. The ¡®old photographs¡¯ should be simr to the one he had just obtained, they were some kind mental aid to help cleanse the corruption. The simple mission was no problem and so was the difficult mission. He did not need 3 days to roll his eyes 15000 times, if he hunkered down, he couldplete that in a day. The system mission would refresh daily so if he managed toplete a difficult mission every day...

    ¡®If each photograph represents a 0.01 cleanse, then I can umte a cleansing of 0.05 percent in a day.¡¯ Gu Jun calcted in his mind. ¡®I will need to decrease the corruption rate down to 8 percent to be my old self again. Based on the calction, I need 20 days to cleanse 1 percent of the corruption and 800 days to cleanse 40 percent.¡¯ 800 days, if only he could survive that long...

    ¡®That will take too long.¡¯ Gu Jun grumbled. The hope that was ignited fizzled out. The group of merchants was not going to keep him alive for 2 years for no reason. And that was not counting the difference in time flow. 2 years in the dream world equalled how long in the real world? Furthermore, the passage of time in different locations within the dream world appeared to be disparate as well. He noticed the way time flowed at the ind and when he was inside the old manor was different so his two years here might be longer in the real world. Perhaps for the system, time was meaningless, 2 years passed in the blink of an eye of an emotionless machine but it was different for Gu Jun. Gu Jun turned disappointedly to the abyssal mission. This was truly a contradiction. He was basically a living vegetable due to the high corruption rate so how was he going to lower the rate by 10 percent in a week?

    But based on his past experience, the system only gave him missions that he had a chance ofpleting...

    ¡®5 sweet dreams.¡¯ Gu Jun turned to thest unchecked reward. This was the first time he had encountered a reward like that, could this be his salvation?

    Sweet dreams. He was reminded of how the captain wanted to drain 100 sweet dreams from him and Wu Siyu, were the two the same thing? The special reward only awarded him with 5, it proved how valuable these sweet dreams were. Looking back, knowing that the old captain wanted to take 100 sweet dreams from them... it was truly a scam. If not for the abnormal power within his body, who knew what would have happened.

    ¡®What kind of purpose do these sweet dreams serve?¡¯ He noticed there were 5 bubbles radiating with flowy light dancing in his mind. They were shimmering with alluring images. 5 sweet dreams. He thought back to Mr. Barzai¡¯s exnation, ¡°To dream is an ability, even more so when the dream is a sweet one... Nightmare has its own power, so does its opposite. But everyone has a limited amount of sweet dreams to dream and when all the sweet dreams are gone... one will lose the ability to dream. And those who lost that ability will be summoned by the dream...¡±

    ¡®Are these 5 sweet dreams pulled from someone? Did they originate from the same person or from 5 different people? Are these sweet dreams one-time consumable or they can be used repeatedly? Will they help cleanse my corruption or do they have other functions?¡¯ Many questions surfaced as Gu Jun studied the five bubbles. He had a feeling these sweet dreams would not directly lower his corruption rate but they could bring him a chance to aplish that. He needed to explore further to find out more but there were only 5 sweet dreams and he couldn¡¯t afford to waste any of them.

    ¡®I would have to either digest the corruption for my own gain or let the corruption digest me.¡¯ The choice was clear. Gu Jun decided to give it a try and would call it quit should anything weird happen. He gathered his mind and clicked on the bubble on the most left. The surface rippled instantly as the bubble slowly grew in size. There was a pull that seemed to call towards Gu Jun...

    ¡®Hmm...¡¯ Gu Jun did not feel any difort so he surrendered to the pull and slipped into the sweet dream.

 Chapter 191: Nightmare Man

    <h4>Chapter 191: Nightmare Man</h4>

    ¡®Is this an illusion? No, it is not...¡¯ Even though Gu Jun could feel his mental power draining, it did not feel like he was inside an illusion. This was somethingpletely new and different. Currently he was inside a theatre, not the modern opera house but some kind of ancient round-topped yhouse with bad lighting, narrow walkways, and a small stage with curtains. There were 10 rows of seats before the stage and each row had 10 sturdy wooden chairs so 100 seats in total.

    ¡®Wait a minute, what¡¯s this?¡¯ Gu Jun noticed immediately that he could adjust his point of view freely. He could be looking from the top of the stage to the back of the seat from one second to the next. It appeared to mean that he was not here in the point of view of a person or an object. This kind of all-knowing perspective... seemed to suggest that he was embodying theatre itself.

    With this seemingly ludicrous idea in mind, Gu Jun moved his thoughts to try to open curtains and open it did. The stage was empty. Other than the dust on the ground, there was nothing. ¡®If I am the theatre...¡¯ Gu Jun thought confusingly, ¡®Who are the audience? And who are the performers?¡¯

    There was a wooden door behind the tenth row. It was closed but with a thought, it swung open easily. With that, a figure sauntered slowly into the theatre. The figure was shrouded in blurriness so much so that Gu Jun could not even tell their gender. Gu Jun tried to clear the shroud away but he felt the drainage on his mental power so he stopped. The person walked to the middle seat in the first row and then sat down facing the stage.

    ¡®The sweet dream belongs to this person?¡¯ Gu Jun thought. ¡®But whose idea of a sweet dream consists of sitting inside a small yhouse alone looking up at an empty stage?¡¯ The person sat quietly but the space around them started to ripple, bing unstable...

    ¡®Something¡¯s wrong.¡¯ Gu Juntched onto an idea among the many confusing ones, ¡®the y repertoire should be the real sweet dream, the audience is merely summoned here by the dream, while the repertoire is being handled by me, or rather the theatre itself. Probably by starting the y on stage that the sweet dream could be shown to the audience. Then the figure would actually materialize in the dream and lose the blurriness. The repertoire should be inside the dream already, there was no need for me to go search for it, instead I only needed to initiate the y...¡¯

    ¡®Ah,¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to start the y but he sensed quite a big problem, his mental power was too weak to move the y into motion. He had no choice but to stop and instantly the inside of the wooden barrel stared back at him. Helplessness overwhelmed him. ¡®I am not in the shape to do anything. Also where was I transported earlier? Was I still inside my own mind?¡¯ Gu Jun closed his eyes and entered his sea of consciousness. There were still 5 bubbles but the one on the most left had lightened quite a bit like it was about to burst. ¡®These sweet dreamsst more than one use but each use will deplete their energy. I wonder if that energy can be recharged. And was it the failure of triggering the sweet dream that caused the energy depletion? Will the energy not deplete if I was sessful?¡¯ New questions surfaced but temporarily he did not dare to enter this sweet dream again. It was the same with the other four, if he did so, he would only exhaust his and their energy pointlessly.

    ¡®For now, I better focus on recovering my mental power...¡¯ He decided. ¡®Only after I have enough mental power to control the machinations within the sweet dreams should I enter them.¡¯ But this led Gu Jun back to the issue of the corruption. With no other choice, he continued to train his mind and roll his eyes to helpplete the simple and difficult missions. ¡®Perhaps I can utilize the sweet dream with another 1 percent drop in corruption rate. Patience, now I all need now is patience.¡¯

    Gu Jun was feeling quite tired from all the mental activity, he decided to close his eyes to rest when he heardmotioning from outside. The axle of the wheel kept spinning and then came the tingling of bells, the whinnying of horses and other vehicles. It felt like he had entered a city as the sound of the street crowded in. He could listen to a lot more people speaking. Some of the conversations he could understand because the speaker meant for everyone to hear everything. One of them was the argument between a drunkard and the tavern owner.

    ¡°Fuck you! Do you know how long I¡¯ve lived at Dth-Leen? Don¡¯t you think I would know if I¡¯ve racked up a bill at the tavern?!¡±

    ¡°Get the hell out! Don¡¯t disturb the rest of my customers. Fucking bastard!¡± There was the sound of pushing and cheering from the crowd. The cart of the merchants kept on moving. Gu Jun thoughtched onto a piece of information. ¡®Dth-Leen¡¯, that appeared to be the name of this ce.

    ¡®So there are cities in the dream world as well. This world is not a collection of dreams but a dimension that is only essible through dream. This world appears to have its own local people and its own civilization... Could Barzai havee from this ce? He definitely does note from Earth. The fact that he had the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan in his merchandise probably meant that he had traded with Chinese in the past. That also means that I am probably not the first earthling who has ventured here.¡¯ Before Gu Jun could contemte further, the cart stopped. It appeared like they had reached their destination.

    The wooden lid was still secured as he was moved down from the cart and transported into who knows where. After a long time, the lid was taken off. He was taken out by several middle-aged men and women in ck robes. He found himself inside a storage room and finally got a better look at his physical condition. He finally understood why he had no living needs for so many days. The part below his knees were connected to some kind of organism that resembled a purplish-ck vine. He could see clearly that some of the vines had crawled into his skin and joined with his own blood vessels...

    ¡®Are those nts or animals?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. This waspletely out of his biological knowledge, after all he was in the dream world. ¡®So this was how the Zoogs saved me? The reason why the system showed ??? in my status?¡¯ The vines provided him with nutrients and siphoned away the excess, but were they responsible for his palsy as well?

    The ck-robed people took care of him gingerly, careful not to injure any of the vines as he was moved into a delicate-looking earthen pot. As his body made contact with the dirt, the vines quickly took root. His upper body was exposed and he was left leaning against a wooden stand that was stuck inside the pot. Then he was changed into a set of clean and strange looking outfit.

    ¡°Hello, can we talk?¡± Even though Gu Jun triedmunicating with his eyes, the ck-robed people ignored him like he was just another inanimate object. Then they took out two strange-looking metallic instruments. They looked like blepharophthalmostat and blepharostat. They forced them on Gu Jun¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± Gu Jun struggled to move his eyes but it only rewarded him with more pain. The metallic fixtures were put on and he found himself unable to even move his eyeballs and close his eyelids anymore. His eyes were peeled wide open as he was forced to look ahead. Fury burned within him, ¡®these bastards...¡¯

    They moved the pot onto a wooden wheelchair and covered him with a ck cloth before he was wheeled away. Eventually, Gu Jun heard an ecstatic voice saying, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, bringing you the next and unseen before ¡®Nightmare Wonder¡¯, the Nightmare Man!¡±

    The wheeling stopped with a thud. The ck cloth was pulled back and Gu Jun was greeted with a theatre filled with audience. The theatron rows could upy more than several thousand people each and currently the theatre was about 50 percent upied. The audience members were dressed in exotic clothing and had strange and unusual looks. Their gaze of confusion, curiosity and interest were all turned towards the stage, onto him.

 Chapter 192: Welcome to the Nightmare Wonder

    <h4>Chapter 192: Wee to the Nightmare Wonder</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, let us present to you the Nightmare Man, are you ready for the horror of your life?¡± Since Gu Jun¡¯s eyes were fixed to stare forward, he could not tell who the host was but based on what was happening, he understood that the reason the ck merchant bought him from the Zoogs was to make money off of him as a spectacle. Inside this strange theatre, there were seated about 300 to 400 audience in strange dressing, many of them wore an expression of suspicion.

    ¡°How is this a nightmare wonder?¡± A male audience in a round hat grumbled noisily, ¡°This is more like a freakshow!¡±

    ¡°That is one hell of an ugly man.¡± A female audience in purple robeined to her friend. ¡°And howe his face is destroyed like that? I know someone who had fallen into hot water when he was young, but even he did not look as disfigured as this.¡±

    ¡°Beautifuldy, this is the sign of the nightmare¡¯s corruption!¡± The host imed loudly. ¡°We will now instigate the pain, please look into his eyes, you will be granted visions of the nightmare.¡± Gu Jun could see from the corner of his eyes that a ck-robed man was walking towards him with a glittering silver needle. ¡®Stop!¡¯ His heart was shaking with nervousness, anger and some fear. ¡®Don¡¯t you do anything stupid.¡¯ However he could not make any sound. The ck-robed man stopped beside him and poked the needle into his right eye without any warning. The man was very fast and highly technical. He aimed for Gu Jun¡¯s musculus orbicris oculi, it did not cause any damage to his eyeball but did bring upon a hell of pain. He poked Gu Jun¡¯s right eye and then his left.

    ¡®Ah...¡¯ Gu Jun screamed in his mind. The pain instantly triggered the chaos in his mind, the power of the corruption was unleashed!

    He knew that if he did not survive this, once his consciousness was wiped out, he would be turned into a nightmare machine. He¡¯d be a puppet that would only respond to pain and nothing else. These ck merchants knew that very well so they did not converse with him at all, for them, Gu Jun was never a human being to begin with...

    At the same time, illusions danced around the theatre and the audience broke out in shrieks. The people who were voicing their suspicion earlier instantly had their faces frozen in fear. They saw maggots, broken fingers, gue, guillotine, fresh blood, wilted faces and open graves... Joy was a need, so was horror.

    ¡°Ah!!¡± being ravaged by the nightmare, some of the audience wailed, others cried tears of mercy. The man in the round hat shouted, ¡°Demon!¡± as he climbed to hide under the seat. They were normal citizens of this city, they rarely had the chance to venture out of the city so they had not seen nightmarish spectacle like this before. The female audience in the purple robe had her face turned ashen. She stared transfixed at the nightmare man on stage. She waspletely stunned, she couldn¡¯t move even if she wanted too. The nightmare man¡¯s face which was covered in purplish red scars, and the eyeballs bursting with veins, were tearing at her soul. ¡°How could there exist such a horrifying face in the world...¡± She wanted to move her head away but she felt apprehended by the pair of eyeballs. More madness streamed into her mind. Her heart was getting twisted as her mind spiralling into fanaticism.

    Just as the audience was about to go crazy, the ck-robed man reced the ck cloth over the nightmare man. The sound in the theatre immediately quieted down. The nightmare that troubled the audience earlier was slowly receding.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the nightmare is over!¡± The host eximed. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± Instantly, gasps, cheer and curses echoed throughout the theatre, the audience exploded in emotion. ¡°That is the most horrifying nightmare wonder I¡¯ve seen. Earth¡¯s God, what has this man even experienced?¡±¡±I¡¯d rather go to the legendary House of the Worm than to look into his eyes again!¡±¡±Son of the demon, the abandoned of the Gods!¡± The mob was getting angrier, ¡°We should burn this monstrosity in a cleansing fire now! This is a monster that does not belong in this world!¡±

    Earlier, Gu Jun had been trying his best to resist the darkness by thinking about the fountain at Carlot Academy and his friends in the real world but the nightmarish energy was consuming his sea of consciousness, leaving no space for him to hide himself. He was feeling rather dazed and overwhelmed when his attention caught the five sweet dream bubbles. Before his consciousness was fully consumed by the nightmare, he clicked on the most left bubble and he was immediately sucked into it. It was still a theatre before his eyes but it was an ancient yhouse without any audience. The nightmarish waves had disappeared, they were isted outside the bubble. His consciousness appeared to have slipped into a shelter. He understood in that moment how helpful the sweet dreams were. They were distinctive from his sea of consciousness because they belonged to other dreamers.

    Gu Jun gave a long sigh even though he could still sense the chaotic condition inside his sea of consciousness just outside the sweet dream, the waves were ravaging the bubble as well. He did not open the door to summon the audience. He did not do anything. He quieted down to meditate until he felt the situation outside had settled down.

    ¡®It¡¯s over?¡¯ Gu Jun cautiously exited the sweet dream. He was greeted by the ck cloth and the noises of the audience drilled into his ears. The bubble of the leftmost dream had lightened further but Gu Jun felt strangely rxed and his mental power felt more stable...

    At that moment, a notification came from the system, ¡°Your mind has been digested, corruption rate decreased by 0.1 percent, current corruption rate 47.87 percent.¡±

    ¡®Ah!¡¯ Gu Jun weed this notification with joyous surprise. He had not done anything but it had dropped for 0.1 percent! That was equal to consuming 100 old photographs andpleting 20 difficult missions. But something popped out at him. ¡®Digested? The system did not use the term cleansed but digested, why?¡¯ Gu Jun pondered about it and concluded that the audience had unwittingly taken away the nightmarish energy that was forcibly unleashed from within him... trading it with their own peace and hope... After all, he was not the house of nightmare, he was merely a receptacle for a pool of energy that had been greatly weakened. The horrors that he unleashed were for the purpose of entertainment, the audience was not harmed and they did not help to grow the darkness. By drawing on the life energy of the audience, he managed to digest 0.1 percent of the corruption.

    ¡®I¡¯ve been focusing on ¡®cleansing¡¯ but the goal of the abyssal mission is to ¡®deplete¡¯ the corruption so digesting it should work as well. Is this an opportunity toplete the mission?¡¯ Gu Jun heard the host announce in good cheer that the next nightmare wonder would be happening at the same time tomorrow. Gu Jun calcted in his mind, ¡®Therger the audience, the faster the digestion. This time the audience was only half full, if the theatre waspletely seated, the corruption rate might lower for 0.2 to 0.3 percent. If the show operates for 10 times a day, then wouldn¡¯t I be able to digest 2 to 3 percent in one day?! Then depleting the 10 percent corruption rate in a week should not be a problem!¡¯

    Surrounded by the audience¡¯s agitated screaming, Gu Jun heard the wheelchair that he was propped on being rolled to backstage.

    ¡®These people are banking on my human consciousness dying so that I¡¯ll be turned into a nightmarish spectacle for them.¡¯ Gu Jun contemted as he came to the decision. ¡®I mustn¡¯t let them know that ¡®I¡¯ still exists! I have to pretend that my consciousness has faded away and will not cause them any harm. I have supposedly be an empty shell after ingesting the nightmarish energy, that way they would hawk me out as the nightmare man without any hesitation...¡¯

    Right then, he saw the ck cloth move and his consciousness immediately flitted back into the sweet dream bubble.

    The group of ck-robed people studied him and all they saw were the emptiness in Gu Jun¡¯s pair of eyes. The ck cloth returned. Sensing this situation, after hiding out for a bit longer in the sweet dream, Gu Jun slipped out from the bubble. ¡®Yes, this is indeed my chance. Therger the audience, the greater the digestion. I probably will be able to move again in less than a month.¡¯

    Gu Jun rejoiced. The cunning of the Zoogs and the heartlessness of the ck merchants had given him a second chance at life. But there was still another problem, could the five sweet dream bubbles sustain him for that long?

    They did not remove the machine from his eyes. He could not close his eyes, making sleep impossible. He thus stared at the ckness of the cloth and meditated to recover his mental power. Time seemed to slow down.

    The next day, the nightmare wonder show arrived as expected. He was once again wheeled out of the darkness. Gu Jun could hear more noisesing from the audience. It was still the same host based on the recognizability of the voice. ¡°Is it that scary? Or as some of you im, it was our fake promotion? Is this really something Dth-Leen has not seen before? Well, see yourself. I bring to you the nightmare man!¡±

    The scarier the nightmare, therger the audience. Only by bing a hotspot at the city would Gu Jun be able to digest the corruption faster. He tried to focus on death scenes, darkening his mood and emotion. When the ck cloth was lifted off, he slipped into the sweet dream bubble. He could feel through the bubble, around 70 percent wide-eyed people sitting in the audience, this was almost double the amount of visitorspared to yesterday.

    Time to get this show started. In a haze, he clicked on the system and epted the abyssal mission:

    ¡°Abyssal Mission: Deplete the corruption rate by 10 percent in a week, mission reward: Unknown.¡±

    ept.

    ¡°Mission epted!¡±

 Chapter 193: Famous in Dylath-Leen

    <h4>Chapter 193: Famous in Dth-Leen</h4>

    Dth-Leen, a giant coastal city, was the harbor for the passing and going of numerous ships and vehicles. This was not a bright city by any means, as most of its buildings were ck towers built from basalt. There were narrow dark alleys between the towers. The alleys were squeezed with many squat taverns and the taverns themselves were squeezed with sailors from all parts of the world. The ce was a pit stop for many travellers but none of the locals had the travel bug. The world was filled with danger and as a normal person, why leave the city where they could get everything they ever wantedfortably?

    Every citizen of Dth-Leen knew about the ships with the ck sails. The ships were handled by the strange merchants who dealt in trades of jewels, ves and other curios. No one could tell for sure where these people came from, some said that they came from the legendary teau of Leng. Leng was in itself and of mystery, ording to legend, the ce was filled with endless horror but that was never verified because not many people dared to venture there to confirm the legends. Regardless, it was true that some ck merchants dealt with the trade of horror, with either news of horrifying nature or disfigured objects. These did not gather much attention in the past but recently, the ¡®Nightmare Wonder¡¯ the ck merchant brought to the Sunset Theatre had caused a ripple through Dth-Leen.

    The Nightmare Man, a scary and ugly man who could unleash illusions that could scare the whole theatre of audience witless. The first few shows were visited only by the loyal patrons of the theatre. They went with curiosity and suspicion but left with satisfaction like how one would feel after watching a scary movie. Some of these satisfied customers dropped by the taverns and that was how the news spread among the foreign sailors. The half-drunk sailors joked among themselves when they heard this. ¡°Nightmare? Strange man? I¡¯ve been on the seas for so many years already, howe I have not heard of anything like that before?¡±¡±Let me tell you about the true horror. That one time, our crew ran into a giant storm, our ship almost capsized, now that was real horror.¡±¡±Only those who have not seen the actual world will be scared by some kid born with disfigurement.¡±¡±Fine, I¡¯ll go to the show, guarantee you I¡¯lle backughing.¡±

    With the addition of these sailors, when it came time for the third showing of the Nightmare Wonder, the theatre was jammed. The management even had to add seats on the pathway. The smell of alcohol permeated the room. The sailors nced at the stage with condescension, believing the whole mystery was more show than substance. However when the nightmare man was wheeled onto the stage, his horrifying appearance caused their heart to quiver. Regardless, their fear was still mostly suppressed by the alcohol running in their system. They gloated about how each of them could havee up with a nightmare man of their own, just by locking a lowly ve and a mad beast inside a cage and everyone would have on their hands a nightmare man.

    But they were forced to eat their words when the ck merchant poked the nightmare man¡¯s eyeballs with the silver needles. The sailors dropped down in screams, perhaps due to their state of inebriation, their susceptibility to the nightmare even more intense than the locals. The ck merchants appeared to wish to make an example out of these sailors so the show went on longer than usual. It was not until the sailors went on their knees to beg for mercy, with some of them crying, vomiting and even fainting that the show stopped. Who knew what kind of tragedy they had experienced in their illusions. After this third show, the nightmare man was destined for stardom at Dth-Leen.

    After the sailors exited the theatre and returned to the taverns, they refused to admit their weakness. When others asked, they would say openly, ¡°it was nothing scary, I vomited because of the alcohol in my stomach and not because of anything else.¡±¡±It was just a disfigured man.¡± But their pale face and the avoidance of going into details had belied the truth. That drew up more hype among the sailors. More such conversations and bets appeared in the different taverns. ¡°You dastardly coward, I¡¯m sure a nce at the nightmare man will cause you to empty your bowels on the spot!¡±¡±Fine, care to put your words where your mouth is? We will go together but what will I get if you¡¯re the one who copses first?¡±¡±I¡¯ll do anything you want!¡±

    Not only the sailors, even the locals had shown more interest in this new arrival. The House of Worm and Leng were ces of legends, they would not have the chance to go visit, and even if they were given the chance, they wouldn¡¯t dare go, but Sunset Theatre was right in the city. After the show, they could walk out of the theatre to enjoy the timely sunset. Therefore, on the fourth day of the Nightmare Wonder, due to the exorbitant number of demand, the ck merchants decided to have three showings in one day. The number kicked up to 10 showings on the fifth day.

    This decision was understood by the merchants in the city. Every merchandise had their perishable date, especially those that came with mysterious power. There were too many strange and powerful forces in this world, and poprity ran on a deadline. Therefore on the sixth day, the sunset theatre was open all day for the showing of the Nightmare Wonder. The nightmare man was kept on stage but the audience under the stage swapped batch after batch. 3 shows, 5 shows, 10 shows... before noon, there were 15 showings already.

    People carried a trembling heart out of the theatre, theymented on the gold mine that the ck merchants had stumbled upon. The question raised was, where did they find this nightmare man? It had to be Leng, the teau with the endless horror. No one would have thought that the answer was Ulthar, a small township that was not far from Dth-Leen and the tribe of Zoogs that made the surrounding forest their home.

    Another batch of audience left the theatre, the strange curios on stage was covered back with the ck cloth. Sensing the return of the darkness, the eyes of the ¡®nightmare man¡¯ returned with the glow of humanity.

    ¡®That was the end of the 31st showing.¡¯ Gu Jun counted in his heart. The first showing digested 0.1 percent, the second 0.2 percent, the third 0.3 percent and every showing after that decreased the corruption rate by 0.3 to 0.4 percent. Now, the corruption rate had dropped down to 38.07 percent and thepletion rate of the abyssal mission was 9.8 percent. He believed one more showing and he¡¯d be down with the mission.

    For the past few days, Gu Jun could feel conspicuous change in his mental power, especially this morning, he could feel its recovery at a rapid speed and it now contained a kind of property that was different from before. ¡®What would that entail?¡¯, he could not tell for now. Going below the 40 percent was a breakthrough. When he reached that corruption rate, he felt a reconnection to his physical body, the various senses were returning. Now he could wiggle his toes or fingers slightly, that was an extremely good development. But the bad news was the ungual phnx of his left pinkie had been severed, it was probably the emergency rescue done by the Zoogs. He had been alternating the sweet dream bubbles to sustain his consciousness. 2 of them were still left untouched but 3 of them were at the verge of bursting already. As he slipped between the different bubbles, he realized they were of the same dream, strengthening the idea that they came from the same dreamer.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen.¡± The host¡¯s voice rang out again, as a new batch of audience shuffled into their seats. Gu Jun disappeared into a sweet dream bubble and he was greeted by the same old ancient yhouse.

    Soon the ck cloth was pulled back. He sensed quite blurrily the rowdy human presence inside the theatre, there were thousands of people who came to gawk at him...

    Suddenly something cleared in his vision. His heart that he had reconnected with suddenly started to race. Gu Jun saw there was a group of people sitting in the second row. Earthlings, they definitely looked like people who came from Earth.

 Chapter 194: Eye of the Abyss (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 194: Eye of the Abyss (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    There were 5 Asians sitting side by side in the second row. There were 3 males and 2 females, they looked around 20 plus. Over the past few days, as the audience gawked at him, Gu Jun had studied the audience members as well. He had seen so many races walk through the doors. Some had distinctively different cranial shapes but these five people, he was certain that they were of the same species as him but he did not know any of them.

    ¡®Calm down, calm down... are these locals or dreamers?¡¯ He suppressed his excitement and turned his thoughts to this question. He could not tell any further information from the way they were dressed, because they were all dressed inmon cotton robes. He knew from experience dreamers could not bring their apparel and they could change into any outfit that they wanted. It was possible that they were locals, after all, the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan suggested that ancient Chinese civilization might have once popted this world. But if they were dreamers... What was their background? What organization were they affiliated to? Phecda? R¡¯yleh Cult? Afterlife Cult? Or some other organization?

    ¡®I have no clue at all.¡¯ Gu Jun tried to focus on the five as best as he could without giving himself away. The two youngdies were quite beautiful but appearance could be deceiving. Best case in point, Gu Jun himself. In his current state, no one would have believed he was still sane. If he had to guess, the chances of these people belonging to R¡¯yleh Cult was much higher than Phecda because Phecda still knew nothing about the dream world but the R¡¯yleh Cultists had already upied a whole ind with that house of nightmare.

    ¡®Calm down or you¡¯ll expose yourself.¡¯ Gu Jun quickly reminded himself. ¡®Even if they are from Phecda, whether they can still recognize me in my current state is a problem; even if they can, how are they going to get me away from the ck merchants? If they are not... then I¡¯ll be getting myself in deeper trouble.¡¯ By now he could move his fingers and toes already and the day had just started, who knew how far his physical recovery would go when night fell? So Gu Jun decided there was no need to take unnecessary risk for now. Thus Gu Jun tried to dampen his racing heart while he yearned for these people to be from Phecda and yearn for news from the real world.

    He heard, as if through a screen, the host shouted, ¡°The Nightmare Wonder shall begin now!¡± for he was hiding inside a sweet dream bubble. Just like the past 31 showings, a ck merchant approached to poke him in the eyes with silver needle. His musculus orbicris oculi were punctured with holes. He was not given a chance to close his eyes for them to rest. Gu Jun worried about the state of his eyes. A jolt of pain shuddered through him and the whole audience copsed under horrified screams... expect a noted few. Gu Jun noticed that the five earthlings did not react as horrified as the rest of the audience. They merely had their brows frown and their muscles twitch. ¡®To be able to resist the assault of the nightmare energy, these people aren¡¯t normal people...¡¯

    When the ck cloth returned, and the show ended, there was chaos in the theatre. Gu Jun could only see darkness but he had trained himself to tune into the environmental audio cues. He hoped that the five would at least say something, giving him some clues. But the five appeared to have left the theatre already.

    ¡®They do not seem like people from Phecda...¡¯ At least Gu Jun got that impression. If Phecda was to send people into the dream world to explore, they would be a Special Mobile Force unit. A principle for such a unit was that there had to be an optimistic member, someone like Uncle Dan to lighten the mood at the required time. And during his leadership training, he knew that at times like these, when the group was assaulted by mental attack, the leader had to say something to stabilize the team.

    ¡®Who are these people? From their reaction, it was clear that they had not received Phecda¡¯s training.¡¯ While the question surfaced in his mind, another notification followed, ¡°Your mind has been digested. Corruption rate has lowered by 0.3 percent, current corruption rate is 38.04 percent.

    ¡°Abyssal Missionpleted! You havepleted the mission 39 hours before the designated time limit,pletion rating is 9 stars.

    ¡°Mission reward avable to ept: unknown. Please click to ept your reward.¡±

    He hadpleted it. The mission was not that hard, or at least it depended on how one would define the hardship of humiliation and pain...

    Based on his calction, he still had time before the next showing so he immediately clicked to ept the mission reward. Instantly, bright light lit up his mind.

    ¡°You have obtained a spell: Eye of the Abyss (Dream)

    ¡°You have obtained 100 old photographs.

    ¡°You have obtained 3 Sweet dreams.¡±

    When Gu Jun saw the list of rewards, he was quite happy. 100 old photographs could lower the corruption rate for another 1 percent and the 3 sweet dreams could give him the sustenance he needed to continue ying this role of a freakshow. But most importantly, a spell? And what did the (dream) mean? Was it used to cleanse his mind? It did not feel like so from the name... Gu Jun decided to click on it for more details. He saw a yellowed parchment float into his consciousness. There were some words written in foreignnguage on the parchment, they did not look like Landon¡¯s handwriting. The words were written with some forcefulness.

    ¡°The Dream world has its own rules, unique from other worlds. Some spells can still be used here but some can¡¯t. Some spells can only be used in this world and this kind of power has no limitation.¡± The denotation of ¡®dream¡¯ was probably a sign that the spell could only be used in this world. ¡°Eye of the Abyss: Is it a curse or a blessing to stumble upon this ancient spell? It does not require much to use it but one must possess a horrifying pair of eyes, one that has stunned many people¡¯s souls. I do not have that, and have not encountered anyone who possesses that qualification. ording to theory, the spell can awaken the dreamer and cause the locals of this world to hallucinate, lose their sight or even worse...¡±

    After reading the description of the spell, Gu Jun felt a chill running up his spine... Every usage of spell would increase the user¡¯s mental corruption rate so the ¡®low requirement¡¯ of this spell was perfect for the asion and he did possess the pair of eyes to use the spell. But ording to the author, he had not used the spell after he had obtained it, so it was unclear whether the effect would be as stated on the parchment. Before he could contemte further, the next Nightmare Wonder had begun.

    The mission list refreshed daily so he could not take another abyssal mission before the day ended, all he could do was to lie in waiting... Batches of the audience came in, got shocked and left... then came the 40th showing, 50th showing, 60th showing. The puncture wounds in his musculus orbicris oculi continued to increase while his corruption rate decreased and the nature of his mental power became firmer and sturdier. When the corruption rate lowered to 35 percent, he sensed that he could control his whole upper arm already; when it reached 30 percent, he sensed that he could struggle to stand up, but at the same time, the rate by which the corruption depleted had lowered, even a full house could only decrease the corruption by 0.1 to 0.2 percent. After a total of 100 Nightmare Wonders were over, the corruption rate was still stuck at 23.58 percent.

    After the 50th showing, some of the audience had gotten used to the horrors. In fact, Gu Jun noted some of the newer audience members were watching him like some kind of jewel. After the 100th showing, the host announced to the crowd the final Nightmare Wonder of the day. Gu Jun was covered in the ck cloth and pushed to the backstage. When he passed the pathway that he was familiar with by now, he could hear the conversation between the ck merchant and another party. Thetter was not afraid of being overheard so Gu Jun could hear him clearly, ¡°We want this nightmare man, name a price.¡±

    The ck merchant was still guarded around him because he could not understand the reply but from the tone... it did not sound like the offer was rejected.

    The other party added, ¡°This nightmare man will be made into a sacrifice, that is all you need to know. We will leave Dth-Leen tomorrow, so make your decision quick.¡± That was the only two sentences Gu Jun heard before he was shoved back into the dark storage room. The door mmed with a bang and the footsteps faded away. His time as a living curios was running out whether he liked it or not. He had not reached his satisfied condition but if he did not struggle now, he would be given over to people who would do much worse things to him than the ck merchants...

    ¡°Now is the time.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. Normally the ck merchants would put him in the storage overnight but the deal might go through tonight and he would be pushed out to be handed over to his new owner so he needed to escape as fast as he could. He quickly skimmed through the 100 old photographs and lowered the corruption rate to 22.58 percent. Under the ck cloth, he reached out his trembling right hand. With level 3 Hands of Dexterity, he still felt quite unfamiliar controlling his limb. Resisting the pain, he removed the fascinator hooks from his eyes. They yanked out with trails of blood.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Finally he could close his eyes. Instantly an indescribable pain tore through him, every cell in his eyeballs was pulsing with pain. Gu Jun kept his eyes closed for only a while because he was on a time crunch. Sacrifice, his experience as the nightmare man was a part of that sacrifice as well...

    When his eyes could focus again, he pulled the ck cloth back. There was indeed no one else in the dark and cramped storage room. He moved his trembling legs as he attempted to dig himself out from the pot but he was quickly yanked back by the cluster of vines, some of which had already crawled deep into the dirt. Clicking to ept the reward of the surgical knife, Gu Jun held the newly-acquired Carlot Scalpel in his right hand. He reached into the pot to sever the first vine and the moment the vine snapped, a giant shot of pain surged through him. This thing appeared to have be a part of himself, they were like an extension of his nerves.

    ¡°Fuck...¡± Now that he could speak, he needed to remain as quiet as he could. ¡°I need to return! People are waiting for me back on earth!¡±

    After Gu Jun saw through all the vines, he finally could pull out both of his legs. He used the wooden frame on his back as support to stand up. His legs were shaking and his muscles were weak. He was barely standing...

    Giving himself some time to rest, his next course of action was to leap out from inside the earthen pot. ¡®I can do it, I can do it...¡¯

    Suddenly, at that moment, the sound of footsteps approached. Then the storage room door opened and framed in the open door was a ck merchant.

 Chapter 195: Kill His Way Out

    <h4>Chapter 195: Kill His Way Out</h4>

    The ck merchants had a unique appearance in that they had incredibly wide lips. They wore long ck robes and turban around their heads. The turban was bundled into two strange protrusions before their forehead, giving them the appearance of horns. The ck merchant who opened the door looked exactly like that. Once he stepped into the room, he realized something was off. Inside the small storage room, the wooden wheelchair that carried the nightmare man was leaning against the left wall but he remembered quite clearly he had left the wheelchair in the middle of the room when he dropped off the cargo so why had it moved?

    The ck merchant looked around and saw not even a rodent. He walked towards the wheelchair with confusion and lifted up the ck cloth that covered the nightmare man. The nightmare man was still seated inside the pot, leaning against the frame. Stuck within the ruined face was the pair of widened eyes. Suddenly the ck merchant¡¯s heart squeezed as he realized what was missing... the eyes had lost their fascinators!

    Inside the pair of perforated eyes, there was no longer the fuzzy chaos but instead there was a sharp viciousness....

    ¡°I recognize you, you¡¯re the one who came to torture me with the needles every time.¡± A low voice growled warningly.

    ¡°You!¡± The ck merchant was stunned as he stared into the pair of eyes. Their merchandise was not dead, his consciousness was still alive, he had recovered! But how could anyone¡¯s mind suffer 100 showings of Nightmare Wonder, his consciousness should have been vanquished in the first showing! Just as these thoughts crowded his mind, the ck merchant shrieked and wailed. A giant stormy whirlpool was being unleashed from the pair of eyes, carrying with it all the terror from Leng.

    ¡°Ah...¡± The ck merchant instantly lost his power of speech. His eyes were overwhelmed by incredible pain and his face was a mask of terror. His hands raised tosh at his face. He wanted to gouge out his own eyes to make the torture stop but no matter how deep his fingers dug, no matter how hard he pulled, his eyeballs remained firmly stuck. The ck merchant cried andughed in crazed tears... Dig, dig, dig... The ck merchant stuffed the broken pieces of his own eyes into his mouth. He grinded them into pieces with his teeth, screaming all the while. Even so there were still shadows dancing inside the two bloody holes where his eyes were. He plunged deeply into the socket as he continued to dig deeper into his skull. ¡°Nightmare man, nightmare... abyss...¡±

    ¡°You merchants should know that everythinges with a price.¡± Gu Jun said darkly as he struggled to stand up. ¡°Normally I have sworn to only help and heal but for human traffickers like you, I can make an exception.¡± The power of the spell was quite strong but it only cost 0.1 percent corruption and it did not drain Gu Jun¡¯s mental power that much. However, from casting the spell, Gu Jun confirmed that his mental power had indeed be different in nature, the digested nightmare energy had turned him into a walking nightmare. He had just stood up when he saw 2 more ck merchants appear at the door. They gasped into the room with shock.

    ¡°My eyes are the abyss and the abyss is the truth!¡± Gu Jun casted the spell again, the rhythm of each syble and its power were close to the original from the parchment, even Gu Jun could feel a strange energy propelling towards his target. The two ck merchants at the door had their eyes burst open. Purplish red worms wiggled out from their eyeballs.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The groans came as the two crumbled to the ground. They scratched at their faces madly as their fingers dug into their eyeballs. ¡°Nightmare, nightmare...¡±

    ¡°A private showing of the Nightmare Wonder for you people.¡± Gu Jun grumbled. Perhaps it was the adrenaline from taking revenge, he felt energy coursing through his body despite the corruption increasing by another 0.15 percent. His body teetered but he did not fall. He looked around him and found his own medic bag inside a wooden shelf on the right wall. The 3 Carlot medical instruments were still there, they were probably kept there by the Zoogs and had been sold alongside him. He ced the newly-acquired surgical scalpel into the bag and then shoved the bag into his shirt. He grabbed a random white mask from the cluster of misceneous objects and put it on. The mask exposed only his eyes and it fitted his head quite snugly.

    He then grabbed another appropriately tall wooden stick to use as a walking stick. He shuffled out the door, dragging a cluster of vines behind him. By this point, he had to leave this theatre immediately, he was going to murder his way out if he had to. Gu Jun had just exited the storage room when themotion here had attracted the attention of the other ck merchants. 6 of them were rushing over from the stage. They were equally shocked when they saw him and without giving them the time to respond, Gu Jun chanted the spell again!

    Horrible screams echoed down the hallway. The ck merchants copsed instantly as they reached greedily for their eyes and the worms that crawled out from them. The worms crawled into their eye socket to rece the eyeballs which had been dug out. The worms gnawed and feasted to create holes. Fresh blood gushed out, bringing with them more worms. The ck merchants rolled on the pathway, as pain overwhelmed their bodies. There were more gnawing and more worms. The power of the dreand spell had no limitation.

    Gu Jun shuffled his way through, ignoring the crying ck merchants as he made his way to the stage. He was not familiar with theyout of the theatre so he had no idea where the exit was but based onmon knowledge, there should be an exit behind the audience seats. Sound of footsteps hurried after him, Gu Jun turned and saw there was another group of ck merchants that came after him. Gu Jun could recognize among them the ck merchant who purchased him from the Zoogs. He appeared to be the leader and his face was painted in rage.

    ¡°Hi.¡± He kept on moving while casting the spell. ¡°My eyes are the abyss and the abyss is the truth!¡± The hapless ck merchants fell to the same fate as theirrades. Before they knew what was happening, they crumpled in a group and the sound of screaming became louder inside the theatre.

    The ck merchants weren¡¯t the only ones inside the theatre, there were 3 straggling audience members as well. The trio looked on in shock at the nightmare that unleashed before them. Their faces paled and their tongues were caught...¡¯That, that is the nightmare man, he¡¯s wearing the same clothes... it has to be him in the white mask.¡¯

    ¡°Bring me to the nearest exit.¡± Gu Jun said as he walked towards them. ¡°I need to leave this ce. Don¡¯t you dare trick me.¡± He did not use any spell on the trio but the three were already crying for mercy. They pleaded. ¡°This way! This way!¡±¡±Please don¡¯t kill us!¡± They stumbled their way forward and refused to take another look back, one look into that abyss-like eyes was enough tost them a lifetime.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re not tricking me.¡± Gu Jun said. As he did not ce his trust blindly in these people, he kept his attention tuned to his surroundings. They walked for a distance, they did not leave the stage but they did lead Gu Jun to a side door hidden behind the stage. Once they reached the door, the three busted through the door and ran screaming into their freedom. The grunts of anger and pain closed in behind Gu Jun. Gu Jun hurried towards the exit. He had to find his way out soon and it was unwise to cast any more spells because the corruption had increased by 2 percent back to 24.78 percent, if the corruption reached 25 percent, he might lose his mobility again... Furthermore, he could feel the power of darkness inside him awakening, he was slowly losing control...

    When Gu Jun exited the door, he was greeted by a night sky. He found himself inside a narrow stone-paved alley and the smattering of people on the street looked over his way with curiosity. Around him were ck towers and the alleys formed a maze that weaved through them. Theplication of the geography stunned Gu Jun and he was at a loss where to go. By then, the sound behind him had grown louder. There werenguages of the ck merchant and othernguages. He recognized them as the voices of the buyer who was going to sacrifice him. Their eyes did not even blink during the Nightmare Wonder showcase, so Gu Jun knew they were not going to be easy to deal with.

    ¡°Sir,e with us.¡± Suddenly, a voice called out to him from the mouth of one of the alleys. Gu Jun turned to the voice, andplicated emotions rose within him. It was a duo from the group of earthlings. There was a man and a woman. They were speaking a strangenguage, not Chinese, ¡°You belong to the same type as we do, right?¡±

 Chapter 196: The Elder of Ulthar

    <h4>Chapter 196: The Elder of Ulthar</h4>

    ¡®Same type?¡¯ Hearing that, different thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, in the end, he decided to shuffle towards the two. This was a risky choice but it would be much riskier for him to stay behind. He trailed behind the two youth and passed through the maze-like alleys, turning and twisting around the narrow paths between the ck towers. The sound of pursuit was fading away. Gu Jun paid attention to his surroundings as he moved. There was nothing unusual. asionally, a passer-by might nce at them, clearly rushing about at night was not amon urrence at Dth-Leen. There was a strange smell that lingered in the air, it was quite pungent and carried a scent of danger with it.

    At the same time, Gu Jun was observing his two newpanions. They both had long ck hair and lithe physique. The man was slightly older and looked quite unassuming but the woman was quite beautiful.

    ¡®Why would they help me? What do they mean by we¡¯re of the same type?¡¯ After some journeying, they reached a shore underneath a stone bridge. There was an old raft that could fit 5 people which was tethered there. The bamboo pole at the stern had an oilmp hanging on it, its dim light lit up the surrounding. The man got onto the raft first and picked up the oars to ready their escape. The woman said, ¡°Sir, please get on.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± Gu Jun croaked, still refusing to expose his ownnguage because the usage of either earth¡¯snguage or the foreignnguage would expose too much information about him. He pointed at his eyeballs and returned to his use of ¡®eyeballnguage¡¯, ¡°Who are you people?¡±

    ¡°Sir, that will put so much strain on your eyes...¡± The woman frowned. ¡°I am Peacock and that is Mchite.¡± Gu Jun frowned behind his mask. He was quite sure that was not their real name. Both peacock and mchite were names of jewels and they did not exin much about the two strangers¡¯ origin. Probably like him, they too did not want to reveal too much about themselves.

    ¡°Why did you choose to help me?¡± He moved his eyeballs to enquire, to try to probe for their intention. It was still Peacock who spoke. She said seriously, ¡°Sir, you are a disciple of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, right? Its power could be felt through your nightmare, it was not strong but we could sense it, you have summoned its power before.¡±

    It then dawned on Gu Jun. ¡®So the same type meant that they were all training from the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan?¡¯ He thought about it and probed further. ¡°And I thought you saved me because we are of the same race.¡±

    ¡°That naturally is the other reason.¡± Peacock smiled. ¡°Sir, you sure are cautious.¡± Gu Jun nced at the ck towers that lined the river banks. Living at this kind of ce, caution was a virtue needed to survive. ¡°Where are you guys heading?¡± He asked.

    ¡°We need to leave Dth-Leen immediately.¡± Peacock looked at him and said kindly. ¡°We do not know what has happened to you, but you cannot stay here any longer. The ck merchants will not allow their ve to escape. Whenever one did, every ck merchant would unite and search the whole city to recapture them. Once they were captured, they would be stuffed into a wooden barrel until they die from starvation.¡± She turned to look down the horizon before adding, ¡°We¡¯re heading towards Ulthar, sir, you are wee toe with us. When we reach there, you are free to go your own way.¡±

    Gu Jun thought to himself. ¡®This group of people are very familiar with this world. If i ask about Ulthar, it would expose my ignorance which might be construed as vulnerability...¡¯ So instead he asked, ¡°Why are you guys going there?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going to visit Atal, the great elder at the Ulthar Temple.¡± Peacock answered, ¡°We have something to ask him.¡± Peacock did not go into details. Gu Jun understood this was caution on their part, after all wasn¡¯t he doing the same? Changing tack, he switched the subject, ¡°Where are your otherpanions?¡±

    ¡°They still have things to do at Dth-Leen.¡± Peacock answered. ¡°Sir, time is running out. You¡¯ll have to decide whether you¡¯reing with us or not.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know I was making my escape?¡± Gu Jun pressed. ¡°You appear to be waiting for me at the exit.¡±

    ¡°Because we were at the backstage of the theatre at the time.¡± Peacock answered. ¡°We saw people running in fear and screaming that the nightmare man wasing after them.¡± Gu Jun did remember the trio of audience members. It was an eptable exnation but it was still too much of a coincidence for Gu Jun¡¯s preference...

    In the end, he decided to get on the boat. Math prevailed, dealing with 2 people was much easier than dealing with the whole city of human traffickers. After he shuffled onto the raft, Peacock leaped on. With one at the stern, the other at the brow, they sailed down the river. Gu Jun made use of this chance to take an inventory of his status. His mental corruption was at 24.78 percent, that was incredibly dangerous. Of the 8 sweet dreams, he had 3 left and they were all close to bursting. The vines had be a part of his physiology whether he liked it or not. He would like to cut them off but using the Carlot instrument would expose himself. He slowly lowered the white mask. Under the fuzzy moonlight, the water reflected its blurry shadow. Gu Jun leaned to look at the river and his face stared back at him... And what a monstrosity it was. His face was filled with scars after the scabs had fallen off. The scars were lined closely, ovepping with each other and they were all purplish-red in color... There was arge gash at the left side of his neck and it looked extremely grotesque. The rims of his eyes were puffy and swollen. The blood vessels there had already dried out, stemming blood flow. His eyes spoke of nothingness. Gu Jun looked at that abnormal face and was dazed by his own reflection. ¡®I wonder... if I still taste salty now...¡¯

    ¡°Sir, we still have not gotten your name.¡± Peacock suddenly asked with friendliness.

    ¡°Nightmare man.¡± Gu Jun answered with his eyeballs as he put the white mask back on. He could not think of a better moniker.

    There was indeed some distance to travel between Ulthar and Dth-Leen. ording to Peacock, it would take 7 days onnd and 3 days on water. For the 3 days, whether they were on the raft or camping by the shore, Gu Jun had been meditating while keeping watch on the other two. During this period, Mchite had said less than 10 sentences but Peacock was quite a chatterbox even though she made sure to give nothing away in her conversation.

    It slowly came to Gu Jun¡¯s realization that Ulthar appeared to be the location where he was sold by the Zoog to the ck merchants. The rivers turned azure and the fertile fields returned. The quiet farmhouses returned to his sight. On the fourth morning, they walked down the cobblestone path to enter the ancient township. The houses were squat with triangr roof. Some houses had balconies extending out to the street. There were chimneys everywhere but even more ubiquitous was the... cats.

    After walking for a while, Gu Jun noticed the herds of cats. There were many species of feline. They were all well-fed with furry coats. They did not like strays. Peacock told him warningly. ¡°There is aw at Ulthar, no harm shoulde to the cats. The cats have great respect here.¡±

    Gu Jun was reminded of Wu Siyu mentioning she sensed cats from the long sword and wooden bow they got from the white ship...

    He did not wander off alone but followed the two towards the Ulthar Temple. The temple that was built among the small mounds was simple and unimposing. Gu Jun would have easily mistaken it for the manor of the local baron if he was not told it was a ce of worship. At the temple, Gu Jun did not see any idols but he did see more cats. At the tallest mountain of Ulthar, there stood a stone-hewn circr tower. The vines on the outside gave it a green color. The elder Atal was inside the tower. Every day, many locals and foreigners came to visit him, the queue was long at the entrance of the tower.

    As they joined the queue, Peacock informed Gu Jun, ¡°The great elder Atal is the disciple of Barzai the Wise, he has learned everything he knows from Barzai. ording to legend, they have climbed Hatheg- together but only Atal returned. Based on what Atal said, when Barzai was trying to get a glimpse of the earth¡¯s god, he was taken away by an unknown power.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s expression shifted immediately but it was shielded from view due to the mask. ¡®Barzai the wise? So that captain really dide from Ulthar?¡¯ At that moment, he appeared to hear Barzai¡¯s maddening scream again, ¡®The wisdom of Barzai hath made him greater than earth¡¯s gods, and against his will their spells and barriers are as naught!¡¯

    Did that illusion happen when Barzai and Atal were hiking Hatheg-? And what was the power that turned Barzai¡¯s extreme joy into intense fear? Barzai was the ferryman of the travellers into Dreands... then would this Atal know how to leave Dreands?

    Gu Jun was filled with anticipation and some suppressed hope. After a long day of lining up, finally it was their turn to enter the tower.

    Inside the inner room of the first floor, Atal in a long robe was seated on top of an ivory stage. When his wrinkled faceid his eyes on them, his expression changed greatly. The serenity that upied the elder disappeared as he jumped up in a gasp. He shivered as disbelief colored his face. ¡°Barzai the Wise has prophesied this... The arrival of the tattered one in white mask... Oh, Barzai the Wise! It has been 300 years but my knowledge is not even 1 percent of yours...¡±

 Chapter 197: Guest from the Prophecy

    <h4>Chapter 197: Guest from the Prophecy</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°The arrival of the tattered one in white mask...¡± The gasp echoed in the sparsely decorated inner room inside the Ulthar Temple. Seeing that figure, Atal¡¯s elderly face was filled with excitement, shock and some trace of fear, ¡°The prophecy, the prophecy hase true...¡±

    In response to this reaction by Atal, the three who just walked in halted immediately. Peacock and Mchite were in the middle of greeting Atal but they stopped in mid action as their eyes wandered curiously towards the nightmare man. Of everyone present, only he had on tattered clothes and only he had a white mask.

    ¡°Barzai the Wise...¡± Atal mumbled on his lips. In that moment, many considerations crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Along the way, he confirmed that Ulthar was as real as it could be, the farmhouses, the people and the cats supported that. The temple was real, the elders here and the pilgrims supported that. This was not a trap set by Peacock and Mchite. The elder said he was the prophesized man but he did not know what the prophecy entailed. Was he supposed to be a weed guest or be taken down immediately?

    If it was the former, no matter whom Peacock¡¯s group aligned themselves with, as long as he had Atal¡¯s help, he could get away from them easily. With his psychiatry training, Gu Jun noticed that the way Atal looked at him consisted of fear and shock but no hatred... With the decision made, he walked forward and spoke. ¡°I met Barzai the Wise not too long ago.¡± He spoke in Chinese and he channelled the intention for Atal to understand him.

    ¡°You...¡± Peacock¡¯s expression shifted, even Mchite frowned. The mute nightmare man had suddenly spoken. Even though they had suspected this strange man did havemand ofnguage, for the past 3 days, he had been croaking noisily ormunicating with his eyes.

    ¡°Sir, what did you just say?¡± Peacock whispered to ask. Gu Jun ignored her, it did not matter what they thought of him now, what he needed to do now was to convince Atal that he was his ally. He turned to the shocked Atal and continued, ¡°Barzai ismandeering the ship that ferries people from different worlds, and I have the fortune to have a long chat with him on the ship.¡±

    ¡°I should have known that Barzai the Wise is still alive.¡± Atal¡¯s face could not keep up with his emotions but his voice was still a mumble, ¡°His soul wouldn¡¯t have found peace due to prayers, so why waste time on them! Barzai the Wise, his soul has been hooked onto the white ship...¡±

    ¡°Mr. Atal.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°Barzai did tell me to ry some words to you. Intelligence and will can ovee the earth¡¯s gods but they are powerless before the forces beyond. A glimpse of that force and you¡¯ll be trapped inside an endless nightmare. Barzai told you to ¡®look away¡¯.¡± At the time, Gu Jun had no idea what this order of ¡®look away¡¯ meant but now, thinking back, it should be thest words Barzai had for Atal when he reached the summit of Hatheg-.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Atal was dazed as he fell back on the ivory stage. ¡°The Tattered One, indeed, you¡¯re right...¡± From the nearby Ulthar, Hatheg and Mir to the port city of Dth-Leen, only one person knew what happened that year and what Barzai had shouted, and that person was him, Atal.

    ¡°Look away! . . . Go back! . . . Do not see!¡± Barzai¡¯s frightful screams seemed to echo in his ears. At the time, he had his eyes closed and his hands over his ears. He fell from a spot near the summit, the height should have imed his life but he miraculously survived. All these years, he did not reveal to anyone what had happened on that mountain.

    ¡°The Tattered One.¡± Atal turned back to the figure and respect returned to his old pair of eyes. He asked with a catch in his voice. ¡°How is Barzai doing?¡±

    ¡°He still remembers everything.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°But he now has his own destiny to fulfil.¡±

    Peacock and Mchite were stunned. At Ulthar, other than the cats, the most respected figure was definitely Atal but now this religious leader of Ulthar stood up to invite the nightmare man to take a seat next to him. He then asked politely. ¡°The Tattered One, do you mind telling me why have you journeyed here?¡± Suddenly the situation had changed, now it appeared like Atal was going to help the nightmare man.

    ¡°Mr. Atal, I think you should turn your attention to these two guests first.¡± Gu Jun sat down. It was not that he felt indebted to the two but he wanted to get more information about them. He said purposely, ¡°Even though I travelled with them, I do not know them and we do note here with the same goal in mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Atal thought the two were Gu Jun¡¯s retainers. Now he turned to them and demanded, ¡°Young ones, what have brought you here then?¡± After the temporary shock, the two quickly came to and adjusted to this new development. ¡°Mr. Nightmare man,¡± Peacock first turned to the man on the chair but she did not dare to look into his pair of empty eyes. ¡°No matter what you think, we do not bear any malintention.¡±

    She then finished the rest of her greeting towards Atal. She introduced herself and Mchite before continuing, ¡°We are all followers of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. Even though the book came from our tribe but due to many reasons, it ismon consensus that Barzai the Wise is the master of its secret, followed closely by thee, Atal the Great. ording to legends, Barzai the Wise has studied the Pnakotic Manuscripts at Frozen Lomar as well and thetter has a key effect to achieve a full understanding of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.¡±

    Gu Jun was given a valuable lesson in all these tomes...

    ¡°Legends, the Pnakotic Manuscripts are just legends.¡± Atal had recovered to his usual self. ¡°It does not exist.¡±

    ¡°Great elder, our people need this knowledge.¡± Peacock continued firmly, ¡°We are gued by suffering and it is not an easy journey that we have taken here.¡±

    ¡°The earth¡¯s gods that we pray to...¡± Atal though changed the subject, ¡°Are just divines of themon worlds, they are not the real deity but they are protected by other greater power, and those greater forces...¡± Atal stopped himself, ¡°We are just mere mortals, we should not discuss them. But your people insist on learning about them and that is why suffering has descended upon your people, as they are looking for suffering in their pursuit of knowledge.¡±

    Gu Jun listened closely. He understood then that the earth¡¯s god was less powerful than the Great Old Ones. Probably they were just a lesser dominion like the Son of Misfortune?

    ¡°Elder Atal, Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock pleaded. ¡°I beg that you hear what has befallen our people first before you make any decision.¡±

    ¡°No, nothing can change...¡± Atal was about to say when Gu Jun cut him off. ¡°No matter, let her speak.¡±

    Language couldmunicate meaning but it would not show the perspective of the speaker. A R¡¯yleh cultist could believe their cult was suffering so why not hear her out first?

    Atal sighed softly and agreed. So Peacock started her tale with pleated brows

 Chapter 198: Landâ€™s Travellers

    <h4>Chapter 198: Land¡¯s Travellers</h4>

    ¡°Our people are once called the nd¡¯s travellers¡¯, Mr. Nightmare Man should know about this because after our ancestors arrived in this world, they have spent many years as nomads. They travelled from the Northernnd to the easternnd, and crossed the sea tond on the westernnd. About 50 years ago, they finally settled at the Bnazic Desert.¡± Inside the tower, Peacock began slowly but her tone was filled with mncholy and anger. ¡°Our people just wanted a ce to stay but Elder Atal, you should know that the Bnazic Desert is not Shangri by any stretch of imagination. The desert consists of the Bnazie who had settled at the desert earlier than we did, they upied the oases, leaving us with the barrennds and even so they often oppressed us. But the bigger threat¡ªthe same threat for everyone that lives at the Bnazic Desert came from the brutes residing at the Ossaran Steppes that was connected to the desert on its eastern side.

    ¡°Those brutes with their yaks never started farming, they survived fully on stealing and piging from others. They can¡¯t be reasoned ormunicated with. They are brutal, ruthless and their poption number is far higher than our people. We have settled at the Bnazic Desert for 50 years already and every year we would be invaded by the Ossarans.¡±

    Pain slowly etched its way onto Peacock and Mchite¡¯s faces.

    ¡°My father died in the skirmish with the Ossarans.¡± She continued, ¡°My mother was taken away by them, who knew what kind torture they would have put her through. When the Ossarans are done humiliating their captives, they would be sold to the ck merchants as ves and the ves would be exiled to god knows which part of the world.¡± Peacock nced at the mysterious man in the white mask. ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, when we decided to help you, it is not only because we are of the same race, but knowing that you might be the victim of the Ossarans, we could not just sit idle. Bringing back our people who have been exiled is one of our missions and it is something that our people have been constantly doing.¡±

    The nightmare man did not budge from his seat. His ssy gaze did not change, his expression was hidden behind the mask so it was unclear what was going through his mind.

    ¡°Every year, with the invasion from Ossarans, we continue to lose more people. But with a stringent determination, our people still manage to settle down and our poption has reached 30000 people. The growth in our size has unfortunately attracted the suspicion and caution of the Bnazie. Every autumn, the Ossaran tribes would join together tounch a fronted assault. In the previous years, the separate tribes of the Bnazic Desert would cooperate to resist the onught. But this year, we have gotten the news that the Ossarans and Bnazie had made a secret pact. The Ossarans will mount a genocide on our peoplee this fall and the Bnazie will not do anything to help.

    ¡°Elder Atal, there is less than 2 months away until the Moonless Night that signifies the advent of autumn. Without your help, our whole tribe will be wiped out!¡± Peacock said desperately, her beautiful features were scrunched up by stress. ¡°Migration is not an option because other ces will bring its own danger. If we could move to Ulthar, we would have done so already but the kingdom forbides that. For better or worse, the desert has be our home and our only solution is to defend it. We are all disciples of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, but Elder Atal as you should know, without The Pnakotic Manuscripts, we can¡¯t progress further than the 5th chapter to glean its deeper understanding. Therefore, our tribe has sent us out to seek foreign aid to help us survive this ordeal.¡±

    Hearing her story, Atal sighed and he announced quite inly, ¡°But I really do not have The Pnakotic Manuscripts.¡± At the same time, Gu Jun was busy parsing the information he had just heard. If Peacock was telling the truth, their ancestors were a group of people who entered the dream world a long time ago... But even after so many years, their poption had only grown to 30000 people, survival must have been difficult. However, Gu Jun was not surprised by that. He had been to quite a number of ces in this world already, with the exception of Ulthar which was quite peaceful, all the other ces were lurking with danger.

    ¡°Mr. Atal.¡± Gu Jun thought about it and then enquired from his host. ¡°Do you think she is telling the truth? Do you know of their people?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve not been to the Bnazic Desert myself but I can confirm certain details of her story, the Ossarans are not a tribe that deserve anyone¡¯s prayers.¡± Atal affirmed. ¡°I have heard of thend¡¯s travelers before because this is not their first timeing to me to ask for The Pnakotic Manuscripts, they woulde visit me every few years. But.¡± Atal sighed, ¡°You can turn this whole tower upside down, in fact, any visitor can do that but you will find nothing of value here.¡±

    Well, at least now Gu Jun knew thend¡¯s travelers have been in activity for years already. If everything Peacock said was true, then their tribe must have low hope in acquiring the tome from Atal because they only sent two people here considering the urgency of their situation.

    ¡°Have your people considered leaving this world?¡± He used Chinese to ask Peacock. ¡°To return to your ancestors¡¯ world?¡± Actually Gu Jun was trying to find out if they knew such a method or not.

    Both Peacock and Mchite were stunned. Peacock hesitantly said, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, has your happenstance made you forget about our people¡¯s history?¡±

    ¡°We have a home but we cannot return anymore.¡± Mchite who had been silent for so long finally spoke in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Jun asked, he had a feeling it was more than simply they did not know the method to return...

    ¡°Because our ancestral world has already been destroyed.¡± Peacock said with dampened spirit, ¡°That was why our ancestors have migrated into the Dreands in the first ce.¡±

    For some reason, Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. The way she phrased it was very weird, ¡®the ancestral world has been destroyed? By what? Meteoric crash in the dinosaur age or the great flood described in the bible? And did they just refer to this world as Dreands?¡¯

    ¡°Perhaps the earth¡¯s gods and other divinity will not heed our prayers.¡± Peacock continued but with determination, ¡°But our ancestors will look after us. We will follow Gu Jun, the Phecda Hero¡¯s path and stay in the Dreands to flourish.¡± When they mentioned the name Gu Jun, Peacock¡¯s face filled with reverence and Mchite¡¯s eyes were shining with religious fervor.

    On the other hand...

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows were highly raised behind his mask and chill ran through his spine. ¡°What do you mean by that? What is this Phecda Hero?¡±

    Once the questions left his lips, both Peacock and Mchite¡¯s expressions changed. Mchite even red at him with unbridled anger.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock said icily. ¡°Have you forgotten even the Phecda Hero? I need you to mind your words. Just like how Ulthar has itsw to bring no harm to their cats, our people will not allow anyone nder the name of our ancestors, even if it is from our kin. Furthermore, it is a great sin to even forget about the deed of the Phecda Hero.¡±

 Chapter 199: Timeline

    <h4>Chapter 199: Timeline</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Phecda Hero, Gu Jun?¡± Gu Jun wanted to chuckle. ¡°You mean that lousy medical student?¡± The whole situation felt surreal, two people who were much older than he was, were referring to him as their ancestral hero. It made him want to guffaw and he did.

    ¡°You bastard...¡± Mchite was about to tackle Gu Jun but was held back by Peacock. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Elder Atal aside, the mental power of this Nightmare Man was unpredictable. Even in his limping state, he was able to cut his way through the horde of ck merchants, something that both of them could not have done.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Gu Jun demanded sharply, ¡°Do you think you can trick me with these nonsensical stories?¡± His guard went back up again. He even started to suspect Atal next to him, after all who would start rambling about prophecies at their first meeting... Past, present, future, the passage of time was a mess. ¡®Are they in this together? What kind of trap is this? And what kind of organization is behind it?¡¯

    ¡°Aiz...¡± Sensing the suspicious gaze that Gu Jun levelled his way, Atal looked back with apparent confusion.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock said in a sincere tone. ¡°You know that the Phecda Hero is a great doctor so why would you nder his name in such a manner? ording to legend, if not for the hero¡¯s selfless sacrifice and allow the Goddess of Hope to bring the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan back from Dreands to our ancestral world, our race would not have survived.¡±

    ¡®Goddess of Hope?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s urge tough grew, his stomach was twitching from holding in theughter. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, this Goddess of Hope¡¯s name is Wu Siyu?¡± He really wanted to see the expression on Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s face when she found out about her new moniker.

    ¡°You...¡± The suppressed anger was turning Mchite¡¯s face purple. ¡°I will not allow you to...¡± Peacock was trying to hold her partner back but her face was equally lined with anger. ¡°Looks like Mr. Nightmare Man has been away from the tribe for too long that your thoughts have been corrupted... Indeed, that is our Goddess of Hope.¡±

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t you call her the Princess of Hope or better yet, the Grandmeister of Hope?¡¯ Gu Jun could not stop himself from bursting out with augh. He shook his head. ¡°I know this is all just a story but at leaste up with a more believable one.¡±

    ¡°Bastard, I will not stand for this humiliation anymore!¡± Mchite shook Peacock off and he jumped at the Nightmare Man. Spell appeared immune to the Nightmare Man, then he would use his fist. But in that moment, the Nightmare Man raised his eyes at him. Staring into that pair of ssy eyes, pain curled around him like a python. He gripped his face and he could hear Peacock¡¯s voiceing through hazily. ¡°Close your eyes! Mr. Nightmare Man, please don¡¯t do this!¡± Just as Mchite was about to gouge out his own eyes in hallucination, the mental energy that gripped him suddenly disappeared.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Mchite gasped hungrily for air as he turned back to look at the Nightmare Man¡¯s white mask.

    ¡°Told you not to act rashly, didn¡¯t I?¡± Peacock held her partner up as she scolded him softly. She too was covered in sweat. The two of them had studied the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan to the fifth chapter already, they were the elite among the elites within their people, but Mchite crumbled with just one nce. Was that a kind of spell? But the Nightmare Man had not even spoken a word... To think that a silent chant would evoke such power, they finally understood how he managed to escape from the ck merchants.

    ¡°Do you guys seriously have no idea who I am?¡± The Nightmare Man asked again, ¡°Are you going to keep up this charade?¡±

    ¡°I do not understand what you mean... but we definitely have no intention to trick you.¡± Peacock said confusedly.

    Atal who had been watching suddenly dropped this nugget of information, ¡°The first time thend¡¯s travelers came to visit me was 30 years ago.¡± Time, Atal realized that the issue here was time. Gu Jun took in a deep breath as he tried to suppress the rage within him... Mental corruption was more than just a number, he found out the higher the corruption rate, the more trouble he had controlling his rationality. From the perspective of psychology, he was suffering from anger management issues due to PTSD. Gu Jun monitored his breathing to help himself calm down. The more chaotic the situation, the more he needed to keep a cool head.

    ¡¯30 years?¡¯ He had no watch but the weather pattern differed based on the location in Dreands. Over the past few days, he had been watching the sky. There was day and night. The length of a day here was simr to how long it would be on Earth, or perhaps longer.

    ¡°How many days are there in a year?¡± He asked Atal.

    Atal answered calmly, ¡°380 days.¡±

    Gu Jun thought to himself, ¡®so 30 years here will be longer than 30 years on earth...¡¯ 30 years ago, he was not even born yet but the race ofnd¡¯s travelers already existed. Taking in the years they spent as nomads, their history should be longer than 30 years, so how did he, an unborn child, be their ancestor? It had been about a month since his separation from Wu Siyu and the rest. From the negotiation that took ce between the Zoogs and the ck merchant, Gu Jun realized a day at the abandoned ind was also a day at Ulthar. Even if 100 years had passed on Earth, the timeline should not be like this. It sounded more like... A group of people from the future had returned to the past and after wandering for many years in this world, their descendants had encountered him. But if that was true, the whole thing was soplicated that Gu Jun could barely wrap his head around it.

    ¡°We should both calm down.¡± Gu Jun observed the expression on the two¡¯s faces before he continued, ¡°I know quite a lot about this Gu Jun and the ancestral world that you mentioned.¡± Peacock and Mchite shared a confused look. ¡°Which is why I am curious, howe you are not speaking your ancestralnguage, you do not even have Chinese names, what happened to your ancestral surnames?¡±

    The Nightmare Man imed that he understood a lot about them but the questions he asked weremon knowledge among the tribe, this confused the duo.

    ¡°We have already abandoned the concept of ancestral names a long time ago.¡± Peacock answered. ¡°That will only cause separation and not unity.¡±

    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Gu Jun contemted. Indeed, the mark of an ancestral name would create separation based on bloodline... bloodline defined familial identity and each family would strive for the benefit of their own and not as a collective... The travellers now had 30000 people. The concept of the ancestral name was probably dropped when they were only several thousand people.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I have no idea what you mean by our ancestralnguage.¡± Peacock continued, ¡°But thenguage that we speak is definitely different from our ancestors. It has been 300 years since our ancestors, the Ten Thousand Kindle sessfully migrated into Leng. They did not carry anything with them. When they left Leng, there were only 2000 people left. We have lost technology because, ording to our historical teaching, most of the scientific theorems do not apply in this world. In the same way, we have lost knowledge,nguage and writing...

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, you have to understand that in that nomadic age, any kind of legacy is hard to maintain. We do not even have pen and paper for the first 100 year, we could only carve on stone and we were trapped inside the Eastern Desert for the next 100 years...¡± Peacock¡¯s voice took on a saddened tone as she went through her people¡¯s harsh legacy, ¡°However, certain measures have been taken to ensure that the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan and certain legends are passed down through generations verbally.¡±

    ¡®Degradation of civilization?¡¯ Gu Jun pondered. ¡®It is possible.¡¯

    ¡°Peacock, do you mind telling me the history of our people from start to beginning?¡± He requested, Gu Jun wanted to hear what kind of story it was, ¡°Make it as detailed as you can, just treat me as an outsider who knows nothing about our people.¡± As confused as Peacock was, she nodded. Mchite and Atal were listening quietly too.

 Chapter 200: Legacy

    <h4>Chapter 200: Legacy</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    â€œDeath of Viper, Advent of Scripture. Transference of Hope, Preservation of Kindle.â€?

    â€œThis legend is about the Phecda Hero, Gu Jun. It happened during thest century on Earth, at the time, the world had changed, many horrible gues ravaged our ancestral world. To search for the medicine that could cure all the diseases, the Phecda Hero entered Dreands with the Goddess of Hope. They arrived at the Ind of Giant Manor and defeated a viper that was as tall as a giant. The Phecda Hero used the scalpel to cut open the stomach of the viper to find both the medicine and the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan inside its stomach! Turns out the monster had predicted their arrival so it swallowed the items beforehand.â€?

    Peacock tried to keep her tone level but Mchite was getting excited from the retelling of the story. The epic fight between the Phecda Hero and the Goddess of Hope with the giant viper! This was a story that they could listen to forever. But on the other hand, Gu Junâ€™s brows slightly frownedâ€?

    â€œBut the cunning viper was not fully dead, when the Phecda Hero was checking the medicine, it took a sneaky bite at him.â€?Peacock sighed. â€œThe venom was inserted into the heroâ€™s body, he could have used the medicine to save himself but that meant the ancestral world would not be saved. The Phecda Hero did not use the medicine but gathered thest vestige of his power to open a dimensional wormhole. He had the Goddess of Life return with the medicine and the spell book while he remained forever in Dreandsâ€?buried on the ind of the giant manor.â€?

    Peacock was painting a beautiful picture with her words. Her tone took on a deeper cadence as she recited the famousst words the Phecda Hero had for the Goddess of Hope, â€œThereâ€™s hope with the scripture, and with hopees the kindle and those kindles will one day light up the world. That has always been the teaching and inspiration for our people.â€?Gu Jun listened quietly but the problem wasâ€¦â€™I definitely have not said anything remotely like thatâ€?

    â€œThe Phecda Hero has many kernels of wisdom that he has left in his legacy.â€?Peacock continued, â€œThey are the power source that keeps our people going.â€?

    â€œA real warrior is brave to face any fear in its face.â€?Mchite said solemnly with fire in his eyes.

    Gu Jun felt his stomach turning. He gave a long sigh and felt the breath catch in his throat. â€œAre you sure these are all true?â€?

    â€œThese are all legends that aremon knowledge to our people.â€?Peacock answered. â€œThat is what we were told.â€?As legends were, she did not dare to say that what they heard was the extent of the whole truth.

    â€œThey have to be.â€?Mchite though had a deeper faith than his partner. â€œOf course they are.â€?

    However even for the young man, when questioned, he had to admit there was no way for him to confirm that the tales from 300 years ago were true.

    Furthermore, Gu Jun acknowledged that verbal legacy would add further embellishment in the process of retelling. There would be exaggeration and personal touch until the story became a fixture in the groupâ€™s collective consciousness. This story of the Phecda Hero going to the Dreands to find some kind of miracle cure was not so different from the story of Gilgamesh going to the underworld to find the drug of immortalityâ€?

    If Peacock was telling the truth, then this Phecda Hero would take the status of someone like Yu the Great, or Gilgamesh in their culture. Even if the legend might not be 100 percent true, it would reflect part of the truth: Gu Jun and Wu Siyu did indeed arrive at the Dreands, defeat their enemy and in the end, Gu Jun did stay and Wu Siyu did return with the items.

    â€œAnd then?â€?He asked, â€œWhat happened next?â€?

    â€œThe Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan kicked off thest golden era of the ancestral world.â€?Peacock continued, â€œit was time of peace and development. The global supernatural alliance was formed and it collected the elites from all the countries. They revealed themselves to the public, which ording to legend amounted to several trillion people.â€?

    â€˜I wouldnâ€™t say several trillion but there was at least several billionâ€? Gu Jun thought. â€˜Global Supernatural Alliance?â€?He did hear Elder Tong mention that Phecda would push towards international cooperation to form a global organization but would the countriese together so easily? Especially during a time of peace? Gu Jun had his doubts, this was probably another exaggeration or a confusion in the timeline.

    â€œIt was an era of heroes and heroines! The elites from all over the world inherited the spirit of the Phecda Hero, they obtained power from Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan and led the people to defeat the supernatural evil and take down all the viins.â€?Peacock said proudly but as this was a tragedy, as she reached the denouement, her face crumbled, â€œAfter the golden era ended, came the era of copseâ€? First it was the epidemic of Bloody Lungs Disease. ording to legend, the disease was airborne and once infected, the victim would perish within days.â€?

    Gu Junâ€™s heart squeezed immediately. Airborne disease, fast spreading of the epidemicâ€?he knew very well what that meantâ€?

    â€œBloody Lungs Disease? Why is it called that?â€?he asked as a sh of shadow crossed his mind, the haemoptysis that destroyed the foreign civilization.

    â€ording to legend, the disease would affect the patientâ€™s lungs first before it spread to the rest of the body.â€?Peacock could not give more details about the symptoms because she did not know either. â€œIn the end, the patients would die from bloody coughs.â€?

    â€˜Bloody coughsâ€¦â€?Gu Jun leaned against the chair and closed his eyes tiredly. â€˜But haemoptysis is not supposed to be airborneâ€?Has it mutated when it arrived on earth or this is another embellishment in the legend?â€?In any case, Gu Jun believed this Bloody Lungs Disease was definitely haemoptysis. â€˜So in Peacockâ€™s story, haemoptysis will still ravage earth in the future, or at least the future of my timeline? Will it be the doing of the Afterlife Cult?â€?

    â€œThere were two other epidemics during the era of copse.â€?Peacockâ€™s voice dimmed. â€œThe first was the Petrification Disease that would turn people into stone and the other is the Mutated Scale Disease that will turn the victimâ€™s skin into fish scale before they crack.â€?

    Gu Junâ€™s heart sank even further. â€˜Multiple epidemics at the same time? Fish scale? If this was just a description of oneâ€™s appearance, then there was a skin disease currently in existence called ichthyosis vulgaris. A mutation of this disease can be responsible for the Mutated Scale Diseaseâ€?But how would one turn into stone? Is that an effect of a spell? Because petrification is biologically impossible. Or â€˜turned into stoneâ€?is yet another figurative speech? Could it mean immobilizationâ€?like Locked-in Syndrome?â€?

    â€œWhat do you mean by turning into stone?â€?He asked, â€œWhat kind of stone are you talking about?â€?

    â€œErmâ€¦â€?Both Peacock and Mchite were confused. Mchite responded with irritation, â€œStone is stone, the material used to make statues.â€?

    â€œA mortalâ€™s power,â€?Atal sighed, â€œis still too insignificant.â€?

    â€œFrom their discovery to their spread all over the world, the time taken was very short.â€?Seeing that the nightmare man had gone silent, Peacock took the cue to continue on her own. â€œIn less than a year, all the cities had copsed, the whole world crumbled into death and chaos. The heroes of the alliance brought all the survivors to set up thest bulwark at the south pole called â€˜The City of Kindlesâ€? but the arctic wind was no refuge against the disease, in the endâ€?the ten thousand kindles migrated into the teau of Leng.â€?

    Mchiteâ€™s jaw was clenched, he did not sigh or voice anything, he was paying respect to the loss of humanityâ€™s golden era.

    â€œOkay.â€?Gu Junâ€™s mind was fuzzy. He stared at the two and closely observed them, the more he did, the more unfamiliar he feltâ€?

    No, these two were not Asian. The details that he did not notice for the past few days now surfaced. They had mixed-race features with majority Asian gic influence. Global migration would ensure thatâ€?Gu Jun could see that they were not lying but it did not help clear up his mind. Peacock was about to continue her story of what happened to the ten thousand kindles after they arrived at Dreands but Gu Jun stopped her. He asked with a frown. â€œThe Goddess of Life that you mentioned, what happened to her then?â€

 Chapter 201: Genocide

    <h4>Chapter 201: Genocide</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    â€œThe Goddess of Hope passed away before her time.â€?Regret seeped into Peacockâ€™s voice. â€ording to legend, she went into a permanent slumber one day in the golden era. People said that her heart was broken when she separated from the Phecda Hero at the ind of giant manor. But the hope that she left behind will never break and the kindle she stoked will never be extinguished as well.â€?

    â€œIndeed.â€?Mchite nodded seriously, â€œWith the kindleses hope.â€?

    Gu Jun pressed for more details about this legend but there was nothing more Peacock could give, the rest had already lost in the river of time. He thus turned inwardly, â€˜Why would Dirty-minded Yu fail to wake up? Or is this another exaggeration of this story? Could the broken heart refer to cardiac arrest? But Dirty-minded Yu does not have any heart problems as far as I knowâ€?Depression? With my understanding of that girl, she is not the type that will be defeated that easily. Her heart is not that easily brokenâ€?Wait, permanent slumberâ€¦â€?A shiver coursed through his body, â€˜Yes, dream, she must have entered the Dreands.â€?

    â€œDirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun? They say youâ€™re dead, and theyâ€™re reading your will. Now is the time to correct them for their mistake.â€?Gu Jun remembered that he appeared to have heard this promation from Wu Siyu when his mind was still in a chaotic state. If that was truly her voice, then this girl hadâ€?a seemingly different understanding of his â€˜deathâ€pared to the other person. Obviously Phecda must have mastered some kind of method to send people mentally into the Dreands or else Elder Tong and the rest would not have shown up during their fight with the House of Nightmare. Dirty-minded Yu would have insisted on returning to the Dreands toe looking for him, probably needing to see his actual body to ept the truth that he had died. She might not be able to enter the Dreands physically but she could do so mentally.

    With her talent in parapsychology, she might fail the first few times, but eventually she would seed. However, should any ident happen to her mental projection when she was inside the Dreands, then it would confirm the legend that she â€˜sumbed to eternal slumberâ€? The more Gu Jun thought about it, the more worried he became. He really did not want any tragedy to befall her. Furthermore, it was he who ced that survivorâ€™s guilt on Siyu, depriving her of her usual indifference to everythingâ€?Based on the legend, something bad would happen to her soon.

    The Golden Era, the era of copse, just when did they happen? What year was it? How long did theyst? Enquire he did, but Peacock shook her head in response. There were too many variations in the stories, they ranged to a few years to several hundred years. Realizing he was not going to get any more details about the old world, he decided to ignore it for now and had Peacock continue her story about the ten thousand kindles at the teau of Lengâ€?

    These stories were closer to the current timeline so Peacockâ€™s retelling of them was much more detailed and believable. However for Gu Jun, it waspletely unfamiliar, he had a hard time even memorizing those strange, long, unfamiliar names of locations. But he tried his best to pay attention to look for possible clues. In the end though, it was all a haze for him.

    â€œMr. Nightmare Man, that is about everything.â€?Peacock concluded, her voice was getting dry from the long story.

    â€œWhat is your rank within your tribe?â€?Gu Jun asked, â€œHow much confidential information do you know?â€?It did not mean that Gu Jun thought she was lying, perhaps she was being lied to in the first ce. Peacock was slightly startled but she understood the manâ€™s suspicion. She replied with pride, â€œBoth Mchite and myself are â€˜Phecda Warriorsâ€?of the tribe, we know more than enough. But in our tribe, the most knowledgeable tribesmen are the â€˜professorsâ€?â€?

    â€œOh?â€?Gu Junâ€™s brows pleated. Looks like the Professors had be priests in this world. Gu Jun personally did not believe youngsters like Peacock would know all the historical details, there might be some secrets and truths that were only inherited by the central key person of the tribe. Information that would not benefit the rest of the tribe should they know about it. Information that would shatter their belief and cause disparity. Perhaps some of the Professors knew that Gu Jun had not said any of these things before, but like Peacock said, those words had be their spiritual guide, so it did not matter whether they truly came from his lips anymore. If he had the chance, Gu Jun would have to ask for more details from these professors.

    â€œVenerated sirs, our peopleâ€™s survival is now hanging on the line!â€?Peacock turned to nightmare man and then Atal, pleading sincerely, â€œWe need The Pnakotic Manuscripts, without its power, we will not be able to survive the invasion by the Ossarians.â€?

    â€œAiz.â€?Atal sighed evenly, his wrinkled face was as calm as ever. â€œShould you wish to discuss the learning of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan with me, then I will be more than happy to share my knowledge with you, but the Pnakotic Manuscripts is just a ridiculous rumors among the people, itâ€™s only a waste of time for you to havee here.â€?

    â€œVenerated Elder.â€?Peacockâ€™s face fell as she went down on her knees. â€œIt is different this time, our people are waiting for us to return to save them!â€?

    Mchite followed suit. His jaw was tight with emotion. â€œElder Atal, weâ€™ve spent 30 years building up everything that we are, why canâ€™t you just lend us a hand?â€?30 years ago, they were still unborn. If the tribe had grown strong by then, their childhood would not have been so grey, and their teenhood would not have been so difficult. They did not wish for their future generation to suffer the same fate as they didâ€?That was if their people could survive the imminent genocide.

    In their crisis, they would have to return with the miracle cure and tome just like the Phecda Hero and the Goddess of Hope did so that the kindle could continue to burn.

    â€œPlease donâ€™t be like this.â€?Atal sighed as he turned his eyes away. â€œI did hear of the Pnakotic Manuscripts when I studied with Barzai the Wise. ording to legend, the book is buried deep inside a library inside one of the ruined cities at Frozen Lomar. Iâ€™m sure you have noticed the problem already. This is just a legend, a copycat of those other legends about some kind of treasure inside a sunken city at the bottom of the ocean. Even if the book does exist, it is not here.â€?Atal shrugged, â€œLike I said, feel free to rummage through the temple and the tower if you do not believe me.â€?

    Gu Jun nced at the kneeling duo and he could feel theirplicated emotionsâ€?He seemed to have seen shadows of his own self on the days before he departed for Wrangel Ind.

    â€œPeacock and Mchite, do you mind leaving us for now?â€?he began, â€œI wish to have a private conversation with Mr. Atal for a moment.â€?

    â€œOkayâ€¦â€?Peacock could not read any expression due to the white mask but she knew it was unwise to go against the Nightmare Man. Furthermore, it sounded like the Nightmare Man was going to help themâ€?or was that her wishful thinking? She did not dare to have her hopes up but she did pull Mchite up to leave. â€œMr. Nightmare Man, we are of the same kin, that will never change no matter what.â€?

    After the two left, Gu Jun turned to the old man on the ivory stage and said directly, â€œBarzai the Wise has mee here to take a look at the Pnakotic Manuscripts, he said that he has already passed on the book to you. It is indeed not in the tower because it is in your mind.â€?

    â€œAh.â€?Atalâ€™s weathered face shifted as he moved his slightly overweight body around, â€œButâ€¦â€?

    â€œMr. Atal, there is no need to deny it.â€?Gu Jun pressed. â€œI need to see this Pnakotic Manuscripts.â€?

 Chapter 202: Ancient Seal

    <h4>Chapter 202: Ancient Seal</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Whether Atal had the Pnakotic Manuscripts or not? Gu Jun had no idea, the whole thing about Barzaiâ€™s wishes was just a bet and an educated guess. After all, all of his dealings with mysterious tomes so far had urred inside his mind, Gu Jun figured it would be the same for Barzai and Atal. Based on the manâ€™s reaction, Gu Jun knew that his bet had paid off. He was quite impressed that the old man had managed to keep the secret to himself for so longâ€?

    â€œThe Tattered One.â€?Tiredness started to line Atalâ€™s face. â€œKnowledge itself is a burden, the more you know, the heavier itâ€™ll get. Barzai the Wise thought that he had known everything, believing his intelligence can surpass the earthâ€™s god, but see what has befallen himâ€?Why would he ask you toe get the copy from me?â€?

    â€œI have no idea.â€?Gu Jun admitted, â€œBarzai operates in a way that is beyond us, I believe it is best that we just follow his instruction.â€?

    â€œPerhaps youâ€™re rightâ€¦â€?Atal sighed as brilliance returned to his eyes. â€œThe Pnakotic Manuscripts is a hand-written copy of a very ancient scroll. ording to legend, there are 5 chapters to the literature but Barzai the Great only has one. How he managed to get it, I too have no idea. The copy is indeed hidden in a sweet dream inside my brain, it is of the time I have spent under Barzai the Wiseâ€™s tutge.

    â€œI can copy a projection of this sweet dream for you with the chapter and the little research I have done on it inside it but I have to inform you, it is not a spell book and it really has no connection with Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan. With regards to what it is, I no longer have intention to find out.â€?Atal sighed heavily, â€œAfter the ident with Barzai the Wise, I have burnt all the physical copies and halted all of my research into it.â€?

    Gu Jun was naturally interested. Whether it was a spell book or not, it definitely had its research valueâ€?But he knew that Atalâ€™s warning should be heeded, this kind of mysterious knowledge could often transmute a personâ€™s body and mind. For now, his most important mission was to figure out how to return back to Earth. Thest time he managed that was due to the interdimensional pathway built by Elder Tong and the rest but that would not work now. Therefore, Gu Jun turned to Atal with this enquiry.

    â€œI am not that clear about that either.â€?Atal shook his head. â€œBut there is a creature residing in the nearby Enchanted Woods which might help you with that. I wonder if you have encountered them already, they are called Zoogs, a type of passionate and clever little creature.â€?

    â€œZoog?â€?Gu Junâ€™s eyebrows raised. â€˜Those big rodents have that kind of knowledge? This is perfect, I am looking for them as wellâ€¦â€?

    â€œBut I do know that the more a person settles in this world, the harder it is for him to leave.â€?Atal said, â€œEspecially after they be familiar with the deities as they possess mysterious power connected to this ce.â€?Gu Jun nodded silently. Barzai had given him the same warning, knowing too much was not good for him. â€œSo Iâ€™d advise you to not sink too deep into this manuscript.â€?Atal said as he mumbled an iprehensivenguage. It made no sense to Gu Jun but he saw Atal raise his hand to pull over a silvery strand from his head. It soon morphed into a sweet dream bubble. â€œHere.â€?

    Gu Jun reached out to ept the bubble and pressed it against his mind. The formless object leaked into his sea of consciousness. Gu Jun closed his eyes to sense it. In his sea of consciousness, a new sweet dream bubble was radiating beautifully, but evenpared to the 3 almost breaking sweet dream bubbles, it still appeared particrly fragile. Just like Atal said, it was just a projection. Gu Jun clicked on it and it felt like he had opened a bookâ€?

    Even though this was just a single chapter of the copy, there were 50 plus pages in total. It was written in the same ancient Chinese characters as the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, so Gu Jun could barely understand them. In any caseâ€?just as he skimmed through a few pages, his mind started to blur due to the tenebrous pull from the book.

    â€œThe Tattered One, you have seen it for yourself.â€?Atalâ€™s voice drifted in. â€œThe Pnakotic Manuscripts is not for us to understand, Barzai the Wise thought he had perused the entirety of it and he believed this is the fruit of intelligence of an ancient race that allowed them to resist the power of divinity.â€?

    At that moment, Gu Jun noticed a strange imprint kept appearing between the pages, it appeared like the seal for some kind of ritual. â€œWhat kind of seal is that?â€?he asked.

    â€œNo one knows.â€?Atal sighed as he thought back to his days of study, â€œBarzai the wise believes the seal contains some kind of power that will help you rise about the gods but you knew what happened up there, he was plucked out of the summit by a horrible force from the abyss. A few months after his disappearance, the people from Ulthar, Hatheg and Mir gathered their courage to climb the mountain in the morning to go look for him. After they reached the summit, they found no trace of Barzai the Wise but they did find a giant imprint on one of the boulders, it looked like it had been carved there by the godsâ€¦â€?Atal paused before continuing, â€œThe imprint is the same as the seal inside the book.â€?

    Gu Junâ€™s heart chilled. â€œIs it possible that the imprint was manmade?â€?

    â€œImpossible, none of us here can manage that, plus, the imprint is not new, it has beenâ€?carved into the mountain itself. The people believed it was an imprint left behind by the earthâ€™s god, consecrating the mountain as their home. Walk around the vige and the people will sign this seal at you as a symbol of blessing. The Ancient Seal is what they call it.â€?Atalâ€™s voice darkened, â€œBut I believe that it is a warning given to us mortals by the gods, Barzai believed that the seal can help him surpass the gods and so the gods proved him wrong by carving it where he stood. If you still wish to leave this world, I cannot tell you anymore than this.â€?

    â€˜Ancient Seal?â€?Gu Jun studied the mysterious seal in his mind, he could not understand it nor could he begin to fathom the depth of its powerâ€?

    This whole chapter appeared to be describing this seal. However, from where he was standing, that only brought him more questions. Atal had suddenly gone quiet. Gu Jun skimmed through the copy and found nothing so he turned to Atal to enquire him about how to deal with the vines around his legs. Atal said they looked like a nt from the Enchanted Woods and the Zoogs would know more about that. Gu Jun thus departed from the mncholic Atal. With the help of the walking stick, he shuffled out. He was immediately osted by Mchite and Peacock who were waiting at the exit.

    â€œMr. Nightmare Man.â€?Peacock asked nervously, â€œHow did it go?â€?

    â€œI have read the Pnakotic Manuscripts, it is a book of consciousness.â€?Gu Jun nced at the duo once before making his way down the hill. â€œIt really does not have any connection with the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, that legend came to be because Barzai was studying both of the tomes at the same time. Atal has no idea why your people are stuck at the fifth chapter of the book.â€?Peacockâ€™s face dropped and Mchite looked desperate. They turned to look inside the tower before deciding to follow the nightmare man.

    â€œSir, no matter if they are rted or not.â€?Peacock pleaded continuously, â€œCan you please tell us the content of the book? Perhaps it might be of help to us.â€?Naturally Gu Jun would not bow their demands so easily. After all, he had not trusted them fully yet. He did not even share the information about the seal with them even though any Ulthar resident would be able to tell them about it.

    â€œBring me to the Enchanted Forest.â€?He said, â€œAnd I will consider it.â€?

    The pair shared a look. They were given no choice. They could not win the nightmare man in a fight, so they could only follow along in the hopes that the nightmare man would be gracious enough to grant them the book once he was satisfied with their services. After leaving the temple, Peacock went to rent a donkey carriage. She helped the nightmare man into the carriage and the group departed towards their next destination. The Enchanted Woods was a giant piece of untouched forest, it was connected to Ulthar on its eastern side. After half a day of journey, the carriage finally entered the forest. The surroundings turned dark and creepy. Among the twisted trees, there appeared to be mysterious rustling. Gu Jun had the carriage stop. With the stick, he got down from the carriage. He looked around and could sense numerous beady eyes looking carefully at him.

    â€œZoogs, I know you are here, yes, I have returned.â€?Ignoring the pair who was clearly confused, Gu Jun took in the forest around him and continued, â€œI wonder if you have finished the 5000 hens, 5000 quails and 5000 fowls that you have kept for yourself? If not, you better hurry up because you are going to end up as toasted Zoogs soon. Just in case you do not understand me, I will be more direct.â€?He shouted, â€œToday, I will burn down this forest!â€?

    Suddenly frantic tapping echoed around them, it sounded like the cursing of ten thousand rats.

    â€œYoung man.â€?Right then, the elder Zoog with the white beard slowly appeared from within the trees. â€œI am sure we can talk this out. We are peaceful creatures, there is no reason to resort to drastic measures.â€

 Chapter 203: Hope of Returning

    <h4>Chapter 203: Hope of Returning</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    â€œWe Zoogs are friendly and know how to treat our guests. Our friend has returned. Juniors,e and pour our honored guests some wine.â€?Under Peacock and Mchiteâ€™s surprised gaze, the white-furred Zoog walked out from the forest while tapping his stomach. The existence of the Zoogs was not a secret but they normally would not appear before people so this was also the duoâ€™s first time encountering one at such a close distance.

    â€˜Young man?â€?They had been unable to tell what age the nightmare man was because his face waspletely ruined, but it would not be inappropriate for this elder Zoog to refer to Atal as a young man either so it did nothing to help them get a closer gauge of the nightmare manâ€™s actual age. To make things moreplicated, they failed to envision how the nightmare manâ€™s journey managed to entangle itself with these creatures?

    â€œHa ha, so now we are friends.â€?Gu Jun looked around. â€œSo where are my old friends then?â€?

    â€œThey have returned to their own vige with the rewards a long time ago.â€?The Old Zoog replied, â€œYoung man, we have our food and you have your health and freedom, isnâ€™t that a happy ending? Actually that was our n all along sending you the ck merchantâ€™s wayâ€¦â€?

    â€œSo you were actually taking care of me?â€?Gu Jun chuckled. â€œDo you really expect me to believe that? You should know how the ck merchants treat their ves.â€?His voice turned icy, â€œDonâ€™t think youâ€™ll get away with just some flowery words.â€?

    Sound of tapping exploded around them. The Zoogs came out of their hiding ces, from behind the trees, and from underground. There were millions of them, covering every spot that they could see. Their sound of argument rose over each other, â€œDonâ€™t you push it!â€â€It was us who saved you, so what if we got a few fowls from it?â€â€How the ck merchants treated you is their problem, it has nothing to do with us!â€?

    â€œMr. Nightmare manâ€¦â€?Peacock felt a pressure overwhelming her, there were too many of them. If they jumped at the three of them, they would not be able to fight back for long.

    â€œShush!â€?The Elder Zoog shouted over his tribe. â€œWe have not done our best to treat our valued guest. Sir, tell us, how do you propose we settle this?â€?The Zoogs patted their stomach in grumbling, they were already prepared to lose at least 1000 hens, 1000 quails and 1000 fowls.

    â€œI hear you Zoogs know the way to leave this world and reach other worlds.â€?Gu Jun said. The Elder Zoog was extremely cunning, so he cut straight to the point. â€œHow can I return to my old world? Also I need you to help clear these vines away from me.â€?Peacock and Mchite were stunned. â€˜Mr. Nightmare Manâ€?wanted to return to the already ruined ancestral world?â€?

    â€œLeave this world?â€?The Elder Zoog narrowed his beady eyes, his mind was calcting. â€œIn this world, where there are trees and underground holes, there will be traces of us Zoogs. So we do know a bit about that.â€?

    Gu Junâ€™s heart rose, finally he had found the hope to return home. It was true that rodent-like creatures were everywhere. Even inside the most sterileb, it would not have surprised him to find amon house rat there.

    â€œHow about this, we will provide you with the help.â€?The Elder Zog patted his beard and said, â€œAnd you will offer us a little present as a sign of our friendship, we only need 3000 hens, 3000â€¦â€?

    â€œWhat did you say?â€?Gu Jun cut him off. He stared into the rodentâ€™s beady eyes and narrowed his own. â€œI didnâ€™t hear you clearly, do you mind repeating yourself?â€?

    â€œI mean as friends.â€?The Old Zoog patted his beard, his expression unchanging, â€œIt is only fair that we should help each other so we will try our best to help you.â€?The surrounding Zoogs grumbled in annoyance but the resentment was instantly silenced by a nce from the Nightmare Man. Soon they all agreed with their elderâ€™s bright decision. Peacock shook her head lightly. Even the ck merchant could not suffer a direct gaze into the nightmare manâ€™s eyes, much less a small Zoog.

    â€œThen how am I supposed to return?â€?Gu Jun asked, â€œI call my home Earth, it is the 3rd in the sr system.â€?

    â€œSir, we do not understand this talk of â€˜sr systemâ€?â€?The Elder Zoog paced as he patted his body and the neighbouring trees lightly. â€œWe Zoogs like to travel around, to see the world and to listen to different sounds. Sometimes, we will be walking and suddenly weâ€™ve arrived at a different world. Weâ€™ll normally return after a quick nce because no ce is better than home. But after some time, we have mastered some kind of rules for this type of travelling. It is much easier toe back here than to leave, because there is only one Dreands but millions of other worlds. That is the first rule.â€?The Elder Zoog continued, â€œThe second rule is about the channel that connects two worlds. The location of the channel is not totally random. For example, at a ce like teau of Leng, the channels that appear there will be connected to an icy location in another world. But for channels at Enchanted Woods, theyâ€™ll connect to simr woonds in another world.â€?Gu Jun nodded silently. That was confirmed by Peacockâ€™s story, human beings entered Leng through the south pole and when he was on the white ship, he did travel from sea to sea.

    â€œThe third rule is that the channels usually appear at hidden spots, mostmon of them being inside caves. The fourth rule is that the channels are extremely unstable, they might exist for just a day or a whole month, but the more you use the channel, the faster it will copse.â€?

    â€œThere is no stable channel?â€?Gu Jun paid attention to the Old Zoogâ€™s eyes.

    â€œIf there is one, we have not found it.â€?The Old Zoog did not look like he was lying.

    â€œSo now we only need to find a channel?â€?Gu Jun asked, â€œAny channel will work?â€?

    â€œThat lies the biggest problem.â€?The Old Zoog said, and the other Zoogs concurred. â€œFinding you a channel is not hard, the hardest part is to map out the path, or else you might end up in a world dominated by goris, who knows.â€?

    â€œThen what should we do?â€?

    â€œSir, you know about lighthouses, right? Not all Zoogs know what that is. When you walk into a channel, it is like youâ€™re travelling through a dark sea, it can lead to many different worlds. Only a corresponding lighthouse can bring you back to your desired destination, you need to have something from the destination world to use as your lighthouse.â€?

    â€œBut anything that we bring over to this world will dissolve immediately.â€?Gu Jun said sadly. Then he thought, â€˜Does this mean the carlot instruments bring me to the foreign world?â€?

    â€œThatâ€™s why I said this is the biggest problem.â€?The Old Zoog pped his hands. Gu Jun wondered if the medical tool belt would workâ€?But before that, there was another issue to solve, â€œIs there any channel nearby?â€?

    â€œNo, there are no active channels nearby, in fact there are only a handful currently active in Dreands. They have different probability of appearance depending on the season as well. The Enchanted Woods has most of them appearing in spring. For now, there are 3 known channels to us, one is at Llosk, another at Valley of Narthos and thest at the Bnazic Desert.â€?

    â€˜Bnazic Desert?â€?Gu Junâ€™s eyes wandered naturally to the duo. He asked, â€œWhich is the closest?â€?

    â€œThe Bnazic Desert is the closest!â€?Peacock said hurriedly, â€œWe can reach that in 10 days, youâ€™ll need more than half a month to reach the other two ces.â€?

    â€œShe is right.â€?The Elder Zoog patted his head. Peacock leaped onto the chance and added, â€œMr. Nightmare Man, we will head to the Bnazic Desert, yes? If possible, you should return to the tribe with us.â€?

    Gu Jun pondered the choices. To save time, it was indeed the best option to head towards the Bnazic Desert. He could also see for himself whether the duo was telling the truth or not. Perhaps a visit to the tribe might prove fruitful too, he could gather more information from the Professors. Then something came to him, he asked the two, â€œDo you have anything from the ancestral world there, things like sacred relics?â€?Even though Peacock said that the kindles had not brought anything with them, it did not quite match up. When he and Siyu entered the Dreands, they had brought things with them, so if a group of people was migrating to a new ce, it made no sense for them not to bring any supply with themâ€?

    Mchite frowned and was about to say something when he was stopped by his partner who said seriously, â€œYes, there are such items with us at the tribe.â€?

    Gu Jun nced at her but could not tell whether she was telling the truth or not.

 Chapter 204: City of Kindle

    <h4>Chapter 204: City of Kindle</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    One could travel through eithernd or water from Ulthar to the Bnazic Desert. If one decided to go with the former, the journey would take them through the small towns of Hatheg and Mir, an area called the Stony Desert, a city called Meroe before they would arrive at the northern part of the desert. If they hurry, the journey would take about a month, it was longer but rtively safer. If they decided to go by water, they would be heading westward of River Skai, a detour around Mt. Lerion and they would end up at the eastern part of the desert. The fastest this route would take was 10 days but the journey would be filled with unknown danger, especially since they would be passing through the steppes where they¡¯d be exposed to ambushes by the Ossarians.

    Due to the time constraint, Gu Jun had decided to travel by water. When he left Ulthar, he still had many unanswered questions. He wished to climb to the summit of Hatheg- to witness that carved seal for himself, he wanted to get to know more about the Dreands from Atal or the Elder Zoog, but returning to earth was his main priority. He¡¯d been warned that increased knowledge about the Dreands would prevent him from leaving so he had held onto his ignorance.

    With regards to the sacred relic, Peacock refused to divulge more information about it, she merely stated, ¡°You¡¯ll see when you reach there.¡± Sounded like she was trying to trick him there. ording to the Elder Zoog, the vines around his legs were a species of nt called Life-draining vines, they had the ability to fuse with flesh and blood. The variant that the Zoogs used were the rtively passive kind, the ones at the easternnd were the more dangerous variant. The vines there had been known to capture hapless travelers, especially human beings. Some were kept conscious during their captive and they could do nothing but watch as they slowly became a part of the nt. This could not have happened biologically speaking but this was the Dreands, it had its own rules here.

    ¡°These vines are now part of you.¡± The Elder Zoog said, ¡°Actually you are able to control them, why don¡¯t you give it a try?¡± Gu Jun did what he was told. He channeled his focus and indeed the vines twisted under hismand. The vines were like his extended limbs. This¡­ would prove to be quite useful but he knew these things were consuming and changing his body and mind. Structure determines function, it might determine humanity too. Therefore, he had the Zoogs remove the vines for him. The Elder Zoog had him drink something called ¡®Vine-Shedding Wine¡¯. ording to the Elder Zoog, a few days after consuming this drink, the vines in the drinker¡¯s body would wilt on their own, there was no need for invasive surgery. Gu Jun adopted the suggestion but he demanded the Elder Zooge along with them and take the drink for five days on his own first. After the animal experiment, Peacock would be the human experiment. If nothing happened to either of them, then he would take the drink himself.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, it is my honor to be your test subject.¡± Peacock practically volunteered and she was not shy to let Gu Jun know about her reasoning behind it. ¡°I merely hope that this little contribution of mine will help increase your affection towards our tribe.¡± She was different from Mchite, thetter still had an edge about him and kept his reticence. Peacock though was the kind who was willing to try everything, even if it demanded her dignity. Gu Jun respected someone like this. To be fair he had no malice towards this pair, if he appeared harsh towards them, it was because he was still cautious around them. For all he knew, this duo could turn out to be some kind of cultists and he was being led to a trap.

    The peace at Ulthar was indeed a rarity. The moment they entered the riverway around Mt. Lerion, the surroundings became more dangerous. Thunder and lightning struck the summit of Mt. Lerion practically all day, the storm washed against the untouched forest constantly. They suffered the rain for 7 days before the barge broke through the forest and the group reached the Ossarian Steppes. The wild grass that was taller than human beings blocked their sight and they appeared to be hiding all sorts of threats.

    ¡°When we were young, we considered burning down this whole in so that the Ossarians would die and leave us alone.¡± Peacock suddenly said, ¡°The adults said that it won¡¯t work, the grass wouldn¡¯t burn but we did not believe them. Look at them, a little ember and the whole grass ins will light up.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun knew that was true. It was now autumn, the wild grass was turning dry and yellow, thus highly mmable. The ins appeared to not receive any rain during this season either.

    ¡°So the few of us¡­¡± Peacock shook her head with some chuckles, ¡°Myself, Mchite, Gold, Aquamarine and the rest sneaked out from the tribe and travelled for 3 days to reach the edge of the steppes. We dropped our torch and the fire was glorious¡­ it was literally a sea of fire. When we returned, we were so overjoyed, we could barely sleep.¡± Then she paused before she continued in a more depressed tone, ¡°But that did not stop the Ossarrian invasion either.¡± Gu Jun listened quietly. Over the few days of interaction, he could feel the sincerity from hispanions¡­

    With regards to thend¡¯s travellers, Gu Jun did ask the Elder Zoog about them in the presence of Peacock and Mchite.

    ¡°Thend¡¯s travellers are a group of strange people.¡± The Elder Zoog¡¯s tappingmunicated a sense of confusion, ¡°We do not know them that well.¡±

    ¡®There are people that the Zoogs are unfamiliar with?¡¯ He asked for details to which the Elder Zoog answered, ¡°Their gathering spots are incredibly well-hidden and even if we find it, it is impossible to get close to them.¡±

    ¡°We have always prided ourselves on our security.¡± Peacock exined, ¡°And forgive me for my directness but no tribe of ours will wee the sneaking activity of the Zoogs. Or else our defensive tactics will be in the hands of the Ossarian by the next day. We need to have maximum security that even a rat will not be able to sneak in.¡±

    ¡°If you ask me, the security is too tight.¡± The Elder Zoog sighed. ¡°Since this will be my first time heading to the Bnazic Desert, I suppose I shall see these defensive tactics with my own eyes.¡±

    Gu Jun sided with Peacock on this, if he was the tribe leader, he too would stop at nothing to stop the rodent invasion. On the eighth day, they descended from the barge at the mouth of the river and swapped for a camel carriage. They continued their journey through the windy desert. After 2 more days of travelling, they were getting closer to the nomad¡¯s settlement. Peacock and Mchite were getting conspicuously more excited and nervous, there was this light in their eyes.

    Gu Jun was suffering from thisplicated feeling. ¡®What is the origin of this tribe? The future? Parallel universe?¡¯ After 10 days, he basically confirmed that he was, as Peacock imed, the same kin as them, so he would help them as much as he could. Furthermore, while he could not glean more information from the Pnakotic Manuscripts, perhaps the professors at the settlement could?

    With the setting sun shining, the desert stretching down the horizon, the camels stamping rhythmically on the ground, the carriage was moving forward.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, look, there it is! Our pride, the City of Kindles.¡± Peacock suddenly yelped out excitedly as something came into her sight, she shouted. ¡°Sugar Gem!¡± She introduced with a smile, ¡°That little thing over there is Sugar Gem, she¡¯s our tribe sister.¡±

    Peacock leaped down the carriage agilely and ran forward. ¡°Sugar Gem, go and inform the others, we have a valued guest with us! Yes, of course I didn¡¯t forget the present that I¡¯ve promised you. Here, I got this at Dth-Leen.¡± She took out a ceramic puppy. ¡°Of course, you can have it, it¡¯s for you.¡±

    ¡°Sugar Gem!¡± Mchite who was driving the carriage cried out with cheer. ¡°That ceramic dog is worth more than a real one.¡±

    They were so happy with the reunion but inside the carriage, Gu Jun¡¯s heart had sunken to the depth as he looked around¡­

    There was no child that they spoke of, and there was no settlement either. There was not even a ruin, there was only ake that was close to being drained and a bunch of wild grass. Peacock left go and the little ceramic puppy dropped down noiselessly to the sand. She chuckled and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you listen to Mchite. The price doesn¡¯t matter as long as you love it.¡±

    ¡°I told you, they¡¯re a strange group of people.¡± The Elder Zoog inside the carriage added, ¡°We Zoogs can travel anywhere. We¡¯ve been to this settlement of theirs before but we have never seeded in finding their people.¡±

 Chapter 205: A Sacred Relic

    <h4>Chapter 205: A Sacred Relic</h4>

    The desert wind whipped up the sand and carried them into the dry littleke, causing the water to turn even muddier, highlighting the barrenness of their surroundings.

    ¡°Sugar Gem, run faster! Don¡¯t be afraid to wake everyone up, we have important guests with us!¡± Peacock shouted forward with a smile before turning to help pull the camel carriage to a stop. Then he helped Mchite support the Nightmare Man down the carriage. It had been several days since he drank the wine and the vines around his legs had almost withered but he still needed help walking.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, other than us Phecda Warriors, the rest of the tribesmen stay inside the city. They do not have much interaction with the outside world and the children are as curious as always, so they might be a little bit impertinent around you... I hope you will forgive them.¡± Peacock was trying her best to buffer the Nightmare Man to the reactions of her tribesmen. The gazes that they might level at the Nightmare Man would be more than mere curiosity, they might be filled with fear, suspicion and malice if the way Sugar Gem looked at the Nightmare Man was anything to go by. However, that was understandable because the Nightmare Man was dressed in such strange ways with his white mask.

    ¡°They are just a group of simple-minded people.¡± Mchite said seriously, ¡°They speak their mind directly.¡±

    Gu Jun looked around again, at that moment he was really unsure whether he should be thankful that he could not see these other nomads or not... He studied the pair and it did not look like they were tricking him.

    ¡°Then have theme out.¡± The Elder Zoog patted his stomach, ¡°Where are the people?¡± The 10 plus Zoogs who trailed along also looked around with open curiosity.

    ¡°Here theye!¡± Peacock suddenly said, she turned her head around to make the introduction, ¡°That over there is our tribe leader, the rest are all the respected professors. I am sure they can help you with the questions that you have.¡± Then she walked forward to exin. ¡°Leader and Professors, The Great Elder Atal has given the Pnakotic Manuscripts to this man.¡±

    ¡°Can you see anyone?¡± The Elder Zoog asked the other Zoogs and they all shook their heads in reply, ¡°No.¡±¡±They are so well-hidden.¡±¡±The legend about this city is true, there is not even one loophole.¡±

    Gu Jun shuffled forward with his walking stick as he trained his focus to sense his surroundings... This was not a dream... he had been trapped inside the old manor and had consumed numerous nightmares so he could tell that this was definitely not a dream. He was standing in and of scorched sand, surrounded by strange-looking rocks and patches of dry grass! There was no nightmare, no abnormality but theck of it was the biggest abnormality of all.

    ¡°Are you sure there are people here?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Is there a city here? Is there some kind of spell that you have not lifted?¡±

    Both Peacock and Mchite were dumbfounded. Peacock hesitated, ¡°What do you mean...?¡± She then added in a whisper, ¡°Leader, Mr. Nightmare Man has been through some inhuman ordeal under the hands of the ck merchants so it is natural that he is guarded around new people.¡± Suddenly they saw the nightmare man take out a small knife from his shirt pocket.

    ¡°Mchite, show me your hand.¡± Nightmare Man ordered the man, ¡°And don¡¯t move.¡± Mchite felt something was off but he obeyed the instruction. Once he did so, the nightmare man used the knife to slice at the flesh of his index finger. Fresh blood gushed out and Mchite groaned in both pain and confusion, ¡°Sir...¡± The nightmare man used the sharp end of the knife to dig inside the wound and that caused Mchite to scream louder from pain, ¡°Ah!!!¡±

    Peacock was stumped, she had no idea why the Nightmare Man was doing this. But she quickly opened her arms to the emptiness and shouted. ¡°Everyone, stop! Mr. Nightmare Man means no harm, stand back!¡±

    ¡°Not a mental projection.¡± Gu Jun grumbled. He walked towards Peacock with the knife. He did the same thing with her. She soon was bleeding openly, the pain did not make her disappear but it did serve to intensify her confusion and Mchite¡¯s anger. ¡®These two aren¡¯t mental projection and not dreamers. They exist physically in this world, then why? What is going on?¡¯

    ¡°None of you can see the rest, can you?¡± He turned to the Elder Zoog, thetter nodded. Gu Jun then asked, ¡°Over your life, how manynd¡¯s travellers have you encountered?¡±

    ording to Atal, thend¡¯s nomads visited him for the first time 3 decades ago and the visitation had been constant every few years.

    ¡°Erm.¡± The Elder Zoog did not quite get the meaning of this question. ¡°To be honest, we do not focus too much on thend¡¯s travellers. There are too many tribes in this world, and they are the least interesting among them.¡± Sensing the sharp gaze on him, the Elder Zoog quickly adapted, ¡°Based on the ones that have shown up at Ulthar in the past, we have met more than 10 of them but most definitely less than 20!¡± The other Zoogs nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡±¡±They alwayse in pairs and they will leave after visiting Atal.¡±

    Gu Jun turned back to the confused pair. ¡°So where are these 30000 tribesmen that you spoke of?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man...¡± Peacock could only respond with a frowning smile. ¡°We do not quite understand what you mean.¡±

    Gu Jun looked into her eyes and saw only the reflection of the emptiness around them but it was as if in her eyes, there was a crowded bazaar, curious and cute children, the serious guards and the respected tribe leader and professors...

    ¡®Hallucination? Illusion? Or some kind of mental obstruction?¡¯

    ¡°Then what about these sacred relics? Didn¡¯t you say the people have brought a few relics back from the old world?¡± Gu Jun could hear his voice rising. He was being yed a fool and that evoked the darker side of his emotion. Staring at the barren desert, an anger rose within him. If not for his strong will, he would have punished the duo already. The meaninglessness of the past few days of travel, the borate hoax that he had fallen for fed into his fury, and Gu Jun¡¯s corrupted mental state. ¡°There are no sacred relics to begin with, are there? That is merely a trick to get me toe here. Thend¡¯s travellers, the City of Kindle, they are all lies... to gain my trust to lead me here and you have concocted this whole charade to break my mind... Tell me, are you part of the R¡¯yleh Cult or the Afterlife Cult?¡± Mchite, Peacock and the Elder Zoog could see the dangerous glint in the Nightmare Man¡¯s eyes, his words were practically pushed out of his teeth.

    Tragedy was about to descend soon. The Zoogs hurried to hide behind the carriage and did not dare to make a peep.

    ¡°No! We have not lied to you.¡± Peacock desperately tried to exin while waving her hands in the air. ¡°Stay away, you are not his match! None of us are!¡± She shouted at the empty desert. She red at Mchite and said directly, ¡°He has extremely strong nightmare energy. He is probably just... testing us.¡± She then ran towards theke while shouting, ¡°Sir, look. This statue is one of the sacred relics, it is carved by the Phecda Hero, Gu Jun.¡±

    Gu Jun turned to her voice and saw only the cluster of rocks around theke shore but Peacock acted like she was in some kind of consecrated ground. She turned a rtivelyrge rock around and shouted, ¡°Look!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s gaze focused and saw that there was something carved on the stone that she had just turned over...

    It was that seal, the seal from the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

 Chapter 206: Stone, Scale, Beast Hide

    <h4>Chapter 206: Stone, Scale, Beast Hide</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, look, this is the carved picture left behind by Phecda Hero, Gu Jun,¡± Peacock said with clear reverence. Gu Jun inspected the rock sitting on the yellow sand as he slowly walked over. The night was falling as darkness swept over the desert. However, the imprint on the stone was still quite obvious. The Ancient Seal looked like a pair of antlers or a tree branch; There was a main trunk down the middle, three horizontal lines on the left and three on the right. The closer he walked, the greater the pressure on his mind, he did not like this seal, or rather, the dark energy inside his body did not like this seal. When the seal was carved onto the stone, it appeared to possess some kind of unique power.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this picture?¡± Gu Jun purposely asked Peacock. Based on the traces on the carving, it seemed like the seal had been there for a long time already.

    ¡°We view this as a kind of blessing.¡± Peacock exined with pride. ¡°Over the past 300 years, it has been apanying our whole tribe. Even through our most difficult time at the teau of Leng, we did not lose this relic, it is our symbol.¡±

    300 years. Gu Jun frowned, Barzai the Wise had been missing for 300 years, Peacock said their tribe migrated into this world 300 years ago. 300 years ago, the Ancient Seal appeared at the summit of Hatheg-, were all that rted somehow...? The other rocks around it were normal boulders, only this rock had the Ancient Seal on it. Gu Jun walked forward and bent down to touch the uneven surface of the rock, he could not sense anything but that feeling of disgust heightened. In fact, it felt like he was not touching a rock but some kind of slimy liquid.

    It was also then that he realized that within a nick on the rock, there was something slightly glowing, making the impression on Gu Jun that the inside of the rock was made of different material from the outside. It looked like... Opaline. Gu Jun had no idea why opaline could be found inside this stone but it did differentiate this rock from the rest. More chaotic thoughts rumbled in his mind and Gu Jun turned to ask, ¡°Where are the other relics?¡±

    ¡°The others...¡± Peacock hesitated, ¡°I have only heard about them but have not really seen them, they are only essible to the tribe leaders.¡±

    ¡°Bring me to them.¡± Gu Jun looked around. ¡°After I¡¯ve seen the relics and ensure that they are fine, I will hand over the Pnakotic Manuscripts.¡± After Gu Jun had calmed down, he decided it was better to just y along. If Peacock really was hallucinating, he would get more information that way. Peacock immediately turned to grumble to the air behind her before turning back to say, ¡°Mr. Nightmare man, I hope you are a man of your words. This way please.¡±

    Gu Jun followed her, trailed by Mchite. As anxious as the Zoogs were, they were not going to miss out on something so exciting so they followed sneakily behind. Perhaps in Peacock¡¯s imagination, the city was a sprawling town where it could fit 30000 people but they had led Gu Jun for less than 20 metres before they stopped still right next to thekeshore. Peacock raised her head to look at something. ¡°We¡¯re here at the temple.¡±

    Ever since her arrival at the City of Kindle, her mental state was not that normal, or perhaps it had always been that way. Gu Jun followed them into the ¡®temple¡¯ and was then led walking several times in circles. Perhaps they were going through some ritual or they were passing through the security inside the temple, regardless, after all that, the ¡®leader¡¯ finally ordered for the other relic to be brought forth¡ªPeacock dug out something from a patch of dry grass and handed it to Gu Jun. It was arge scale. Gu Jun studied it and frowned. The scale was about the size of an A4 paper and was as thick as a thumb. It was sturdy and hadyers of smaller shining scales. When it caught the light, it shimmered like metal.

    ¡°Have you guys seen this thing before?¡± He asked the Zoogs, this should be a scale from some kind of creature. The Elder Zoog moved forward and gave it a touch and a sniff. Then he patted his head to say, ¡°No, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not fish scale, it does not have that disgusting fish smell.¡± The Zoogs all imed that this was the first time they had seen something like this. They did not expect a treasure like this would be hidden at the settlement, it would trade for quite a bit of fowls from the ck merchants.

    ¡°ording to legend, this is a scale left behind by a patient of the Mutated Scale Disease.¡± Peacock borated, ¡°An important patient.¡± But she had no idea who that patient was. Other than Gu Jun and Wu Siyu¡¯s name, none of the characters in Peacock¡¯s tale of the old world had any names or titles to them. Gu Jun had her ask the ¡®professors¡¯ and he got the same answer.

    ¡°What other relics are there?¡± He asked.

    ¡°The leader hopes the Zoogs can leave first.¡± Peacock ryed the message from the air behind her. ¡°Because this is rted to the secret of our people...¡±

    Gu Jun nodded and had Mchite lead the unwilling Zoogs away but technically they had just moved about 30 metres away. Peacock rummaged through the grass for another item. It was a piece of badly kept beast hide but she treated it with utmost care. ¡°This is thest sacred relic.¡±

    Gu Jun epted it, this was the skin of some unknown creature. It was old but still sturdy. There were two rows of bloody sentences on it and they were written in Chinese.

    ¡°Secret Spell Appear, Death Follow Suit, Shadow Demon Dance, Madness Reign Supreme; Phecda Chaos, Tragedy Birth, High Treason, Big Copse.¡±

    ¡°What is the meaning of all these?¡± Gu Jun narrowed his eyes and the illusion started to dance at the corner of his vision. ¡°Peacock, tell me everything that the leader and the professors are saying about this.¡±

    This was the first time Peacock heard these secrets as well and the more she listened, the darker her expression became. ¡°After the ten thousand kindles migrated to Leng, they tried different methods to preserve their knowledge and history, writing on beast hides is one of them. But as time passes, this small piece is all that is left.¡±

    Then a startle came over her like she had been physically mmed into. She gasped in shock. ¡°Professor Bright Gem, are you sure? But! Okay...

    ¡°Professor Bright Gem said that actually thest leg of the Golden Era was not as peaceful as we thought.¡± Peacock sounded lost like she did not believe the words that left her lips. ¡°ording to legend and research, ¡®Phecda Chaos and High Treason¡¯ refer to a group of internal traitors among the precursor organization to the International Supernatural Alliance, the Phecda Organization. These traitors caused a horrendous tragedy which heralded the age of Copse.¡±

    Near the end, she was basically grumbling. In Peacock¡¯s knowledge, human beings were extremely united, Phecda and the International Supernational Alliance were hope leading humanity forward.

    ¡°Treason?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart bled like it was being pierced. Complicated emotions raged in his heart as he contemted this possibility. He was not familiar with the International Supernatural Alliance since it had not yet formed in his timeline but when the Spell Department was formed, it would mean arge intake of new members...

    Furthermore the traitors might not just be among the new members, the stance and thinking of the existing members could change at any moment, or perhaps they had a spy within Phecda for a long time already.

 Chapter 207: Hypnosis

    <h4>Chapter 207: Hypnosis</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Who are the traitors? Do you have their names?¡± Gu Jun enquired. Peacock was still in denial, she shook her head and said, ¡°ording to Professor Bright Gem, that part of the legacy has been lost in time but the statement, ¡®secret spell appear¡¯ should be a description of the traitorous party. It seems to suggest that it was a secretive infiltration, rather than a sudden riot.¡±

    Gu Jun went into silence. ¡®This ¡°secret spell¡± might not carry its literal meaning, it might be a code name...¡¯ He pursued a few more questions but the ¡®leader and professors¡¯ could not provide him with any more useful information. ¡°Keeping a legacy alive is hard work during the nomadic years.¡± Peacock sighed. ¡°Especially when ites to secrets that are only essible to the leaders and professors. Mr. Nightmare Man, please understand our difficulty.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Gu Jun lifted his head to the sky, night had arrived. However the Bnazic Desert was different from the other ces at Dreands, the night here appeared to possess its own phosphoresce that Gu Jun could see the churning sand around him clearly even without the use of any light source.

    ¡°Sir, what about the Pnakotic Manuscripts?¡± Peacock¡¯s voice wasced with clear anticipation. Gu Jun did not respond. All he did was pace around the rock while holding the scale, and the beast hide...

    ¡°Peacock, can you give me a projection of your sweet dream?¡± He asked. If he could take a glimpse into one of her sweet dreams, he would be able to glean more information from her. However, Peacock said none of her people knew how to do that.

    Gu Jun wondered if this whole City of Kindle was just a part of Peacock¡¯s imagination like how it was for the young guard at the haunted manor. However, unlike the guard, Peacock was physically existing in Dreands, not just a figment of imagination...

    ¡®You are being yed for a fool...¡¯ Gu Jun took a deep breath as he tried to suppress the whispers of the darker side of his spirit. He thought to himself, ¡®I am a doctor so I should look at this objectively and from a medical standpoint. In that case, this is nothing unusual. Both Peacock and Mchite suffer from ssic schizophrenia.¡¯

    Schizophrenia is a fairlymon mental illness, hallucinations and illusions are the main symptoms. For hallucination, paranoia was the mostmon manifestation. Peacock suffered from paranoia even when she was in a perfectly conscious state. The destruction of the human world, the imminent genocide of thend¡¯s travelers, she believed all these things with all her heart. Even her life goal, memory and intelligence had been all affected by it. To put it simply, she had lost her mind. It was a clich¨¦ for people who had seen ghosts in a horror movie to turn out to have schizophrenia, but for Gu Jun¡¯s sake, he really hoped Peacock¡¯s whole imagination was part of a horror movie plot or else he¡¯d be in huge trouble...

    ¡°Peacock, will you dream when you sleep?¡± He asked. Gu Jun wished to explore this phenomenon further from a medical standpoint.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Peacock answered inly although she did not quite get the reasoning. Gu Jun nodded silently. The activity of dream came from the subconscious. What was in her subconscious? Her real childhood? Gu Jun did not think Peacock grew up in this ¡®City of Kindle¡¯, in fact he did not think they departed from this ce to Dth-Leen either because there was literally no sign of human poption here.

    ¡°Are there any houses with beds here?¡± He asked, ¡°It does not need to be a big one, as long as it isrge enough for you toy downfortably.¡± He turned to the rest. ¡°The rest of you can stay here.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Peacock¡¯s expression shifted as a blush rose to her face. ¡°Sir, what are you nning?¡±

    ¡°You think so little of me?¡± Gu Jun sighed. ¡°I am just preparing to give you the Pnakotic Manuscripts but to do that, we require a quiet environment and for you to be in a rxed state.¡± Actually that was not his real n, his real n was to hypnotize Peacock and take a dive into her subconscious, just like how Sister Liang did with him.

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡± The blush did not recede from her face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for misunderstanding your intention! Please don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Gu Jun waved his hands. If she was caught in this nervous state, he would have more work to do. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving, before I change my mind.¡±

    So Peacock led him in a few more circles before they arrived at a small room. The leader and the rest waited outside. She was quite nervous. With confusion and excitement, sheid down on the small wooden bed inside the room¡ªin reality though she hadin down among the sands but from her expression, you wouldn¡¯t think she was feeling the grating from the sands. To facilitate this treatment, Gu Jun sat down on the sand as well¡ªtaking a seat next to the wooden bed.

    Due to his psychological and psychiatry training, he knew how to make suggestions and initiate hypnosis but the problem was he could barely make eye contact with his subject much less provide other reassurances like a smile. In any case, the first step was to get Peacock to unwindpletely so she would be susceptible to the hypnosis. He mimicked Sister Liang¡¯s technique and began by discussing Peacock¡¯s hobbies, avoiding any topic about the tribe.

    ¡°I do not have many hobbies.¡± Peacock said with a regretful smile. ¡°Who has the time for that...¡± It was not easy to have a well-guarded person open up their heart, Gu Jun now understood the difficulty Sister Liang must have had with him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something that you do to keep yourself upied when the day¡¯s work is done.¡± He tried to form a bond with Peacock. ¡°You can tell me anything, nothing will leave this room.¡± Hecked no authority around Peacock but what he needed now was trust. He tried to open his heart in the hopes that Peacock would do the same.

    ¡°Hmmm....¡± Peacock gave a long sigh as if a big burden had been removed from her shoulders. Then she started to talk. ¡°Actually I like to sing, I¡¯ve liked to sing since I was young. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a reason for it. I know how to sing every single song of our tribe...¡±

    ¡°What about the songs of the other people?¡± Gu Jun tried to lead her away from her identity as Peacock from the City of Kindle.

    ¡°I did learn quite a bit when I was on dispatch missions.¡± Peacock said softly, ¡°Ulthar has wonderful music, it probably has to do with their peaceful lifestyle.¡± Gu Jun chatted about different music and songs with her, asionally reminding her to rx. Gradually he noticed a softness appear on Peacock¡¯s face and her eyes turned ssy. She had entered the state of hypnosis. Her mind was conscious but different from normal. It was time for the second stage. Gu Jun began, ¡°Peacock, now I need you to close your eyes, open your mind and listen to my voice. I will try to connect with your subconscious so that I can share with you the manuscripts, I am sure we can do this.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, okay...¡± Peacock answered with her eyes closed. Gu Jun reached out to ce his hand on her forehead. That did not jostle Peacock awake, which was a good sign. Gu Jun knew now was the time to tap into the girl¡¯s subconscious. ¡°I need you to look into yourself.¡± He began slowly and weirdly enough, it was Gu Jun who was feeling nervous. ¡°Forget about Peacock for a moment. Instead I need you to imagine a red door before you in the darkness. Do you see the door? Good, now I need you to slowly walk towards it...¡±

    ¡°Oh, I do see it. Okay...¡± Peacock mumbled.

    Gu Jun slowly closed his eyes. A flickering bond allowed him to see the frame of a red door before him as well. The door was open and light spilled out from inside it.

    ¡°Walk into it. Let us see what is behind that door....¡± As he said that, he could feel Peacock¡¯s consciousness walking into the red door. Suddenly it felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his mind and everything became heavily distorted.

 Chapter 208: Double Memory

    <h4>Chapter 208: Double Memory</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    There was a giant distortion behind the red door, there was a flurry of light and shadow... It felt like twopletely different memories were shing against each other, forming a new creation with each collision. It looked like static from an old television. There was static, some images and then more static...

    Gu Jun felt an intense pain in his mind. Peacock under his right hand was shaking as well. Her struggle became more pronounced. She was waking up and shaking off the hypnosis.

    ¡°Wait, do you hear the singing?¡± He immediately stepped in. He did not hear any song himself but Peacock did like music so there had to be some symbolic presence in her memory, it would help her find a stable spot among the chaos.

    ¡°Yes... I do hear it...¡± Peacock mumbled, ¡°It is one of my favorite songs...¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are right.¡± Gu Jun continued with his hypnosis while using his own mental power to help push her forward. ¡°Think of the times you¡¯ve rxed to this song.¡±

    The lights and shadows started to stabilize. A song was weaving its way through. Suddenly clear memories shed before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. A white van sped down the highway, it was a young girl about 16 at the wheel. She had on mature make-up and fashionable clothes. While she drove, she sang at the top of her lungs. Her expression was haughty, even a little bit arrogant. The young girl... was definitely Peacock but just slightly younger.

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased, this was definitely not something that happened in the Dreands, the girl was not a member of thisnd¡¯s travelers either. He could hear more clearly that Peacock was singing an English Song... it was Taylor Swift¡¯s We are never ever getting back together. The song was quite famous but it was released about 8 years ago. ¡®Is that when this memory was from? Back when she was on Earth?¡¯

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Suppressing the agitation in his heart, Gu Jun asked. He realized Peacock really did not intend to lie to him, because he could sense that these memories were buried so deep that probably the girl herself did not know about their existence... Something bigger was at work here...

    ¡°It¡¯s Judy¡¯s birthday party...¡± Peacock mumbled and her voice was slowly changing, she was speaking in English, fluent English. Even her tone had changed, like it was a different person speaking, ¡°Tom will be there too, I know that bastard is going to beg me to forgive him. But fuck him! I¡¯ve given him enough chances, not anymore!¡±

    The images changed. Now there was a house with a garden and pool, noisy music and human activities. It was a party scene. Gu Jun frowned even further, this was not China... he could see Asian faces, but also Caucasians and African Americans, yes, this was definitely not set in China. So where did Peacock grow up? America? Europe?

    ¡°Is Tom here?¡± Gu Jun asked slowly, ¡°Is he here?¡±

    ¡°There he is...¡± Peacock murmured. In the image she was chatting happily with a group of girls when a young man walked over. She nced at him before giving a loud gasp, and released a flurry ofnd¡¯s traveller¡¯snguage, ¡°Mchite, where are we?!¡± Gu Jun now managed to take a good look, Tom was Mchite, or a younger version of Mchite...

    Instantly, the images started to flicker like it might copse at any moment. Peacock grabbed her head in pain and groaned. ¡°Where is this ce, who are these people? Our people are waiting for us to return. We have to return with the Pnakotic Manuscripts or the Ossarians will...¡±

    ¡°Kate, Kate?¡± The few girls asked in concern. ¡°Kathlyn, are you alright?!¡±

    ¡®Wait, they can hear her?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. ¡®This happened in her actual memory, and not a distortion of the two different identities?¡¯ At the same time, the young man¡¯s face dropped as he crumbled to the ground with his hands pressed against his head. ¡°Ah... No, Peacock, we might be falling into a hallucination...¡± The first half of the sentence was uttered in English, thetter half in thend¡¯s traveller¡¯snguage.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡±¡±Something¡¯s not right, did they have too much to drink? Someone called 000!¡± Gu Jun could hear the girls scream. ¡®Which country has the emergency number 000? Right, it is Australia...¡¯ He had been there for his brain tumor. So Peacock¡¯s memory of ¡®Kathlyn¡¯ was set in Australia.

    Seeing as the hypnosis was about to copse, Gu Jun quickly called out, ¡°Kathlyn, Kathlyn!¡± He hoped to use the name to stabilize her other identity. ¡°Did you hear that? There is another songing on, one that you have heard before. Kathlyn, what is the name of that song? Tell me.¡±

    ¡°Song?¡± Peacock muttered. Struggle was clear on her face as another consciousness was fighting for control. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a song to praise the Phecda Hero...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the song.¡± Gu Jun interrupted her and gave her the direct suggestion, ¡°It is an English song, you can hear it, just listen to the melody. The song that you¡¯ve been hearing on the way to the party.¡± He had no idea what he might dig up. How did Peacock and Mchite end up at Dreands? How did they get here? And what organization were they affiliated with?

    ¡°English song...¡± Peacock¡¯s voice was changing and she resumed her usage of English, ¡°Yes, I can hear it now...¡±

    Gu Jun used his mental power to stabilize the images but it was like trying to calm a raging sea. The pictures were shifting, her memory was swirling. A great expanse of desert, like the one that they were in now but there were stone houses, cleankes and tall statues... Suddenly the face of a cute girl shed through, she was holding a porcin puppy, looking at him with open curiosity. ¡®Sugar Gem... City of Kindles? Is this City of Kindles... It seems to really exist...¡¯

    But suddenly, the image of the desert changed again. It was still a sandy geography but there were some bushes and low trees. He could see some modern housing, a highway and a brown English road sign next to it...

    [ Wee To

    Geikie ¡ª Windjana Way

    LENGTH ¨C 155km ]

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun was about to take a closer view when the scenery changed again. The modern house, highway and electric poles faded away. In the endless desert, there were 5 young people striding down the sand. Peacock, Mchite and 3 other people that he had seen at Dth-Leen. They looked about their age now.

    They moved forward expressionlessly, with the emotion of robots. They were heading towards a cluster ofrge rocks, three of the rocks were arranged in such a way to form a gap and there was strange light leaking out from inside.

    ¡°That is...¡± Something triggered inside Gu Jun as he saw the five walked towards the gap one by one. One after another, they disappeared into the light. Thest to depart was Peacock, once she did, all the images started to twist madly.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Peacock¡¯s eyes flew open. Her face was scrunched together as she groaned continuously in pain.

    Gu Jun was forced out of it as well. He took a deep breath and quickly ordered. ¡°Peacock, it is over now! Wake up, it¡¯s over now!¡± They were still at the ¡®City of Kindle¡¯ in the desert at night. Mchite down the distance was kneeling on the ground with his hands over his head as well. The Zoogs patted their bodies, evoking gasps of shock.

    ¡°It is over now.¡± Gu Junmanded but Peacock was still trapped in the painful memory, her curled up body was shivering badly. Gu Jun twisted his brows and turned to shout at the Zoogs. ¡°Where is this channel that you mentioned?!¡± The Elder Zoog said it was in this desert but he did not pinpoint the exact location. ording to him, the Zoogs would have to be in the channel¡¯s proximity to sniff it out.

    ¡°Erm.¡± The Elder Zoog immediately snapped into action. He tapped his stomach to reply, ¡°Actually it is not far from here, we should reach it in another 500 steps.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. He nced at Peacock who was in throes of pain and then turned to look at Mchite who was asking the Zoogs who they were talking to. The young man appeared to have been sucked into a deeper whirlpool of hallucination...

    Peacock¡¯s group of five did note from the past or the future, but the present. They had entered the Dreands through a channel that connected to a desert somewhere in Australia. Once they reached this City of Kindles, they soon departed to Ulthar to search for the Pnakotic Manuscripts. At least something or someone who had taken over their bodies did.

 Chapter 209: Invisible Hand

    <h4>Chapter 209: Invisible Hand</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Before the existing questions could be answered, new ones had appeared. Gu Jun looked into the starless sky and felt at least somefort within him knowing that Earth had not copsed and was not destroyed. Peacock¡¯s group of five came from Earth and perhaps so did all thend¡¯s travellers for the past 30 years.

    ¡°I, I...¡± At that moment, Peacock groaned in pain. She lifted her eyes to look at him and they were filled with nkness. ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I don¡¯t understand...¡± She slowly stood up to look around. There was sand and nothingness, instantly tears poured out of her eyes. ¡°What, what happened to our settlements?¡±

    ¡°You finally see the truth?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart jumped, ¡°In actuality, there are only us around here.¡±

    ¡°The City of Kindle...¡± Peacock wanted to take a step forward but her knees buckled and she dropped to the sand like a deted balloon. ¡°Where is the city and the temple?¡±

    Gu Jun answered it for her. ¡°Everything has disappeared like a mirage being broken, yes? I can rte to that but for me, this is what I¡¯ve been seeing since you brought me here.¡± While he was sharing the mental bond with her, he had taken a glimpse of the City of Kindle, that did not appear like an illusion.

    ¡°Is it the Ossarians? But even they could not have removed the trace of everything so fast... or we¡¯ve gone to the wrong ce? But...¡± Peacock saw the two sacred relics the nightmare man was holding. She muttered, ¡°The relics are here...¡± She suddenly raced towards theke. She rushed to thekeshore where the cluster of rocks was and saw the rock with the seal. It was so simple-looking, it was just an old rock. The garden of statues had disappeared. Peacock returned with helplessness. When she passed Mchite, thetter did not seem to notice her. She picked up the porcin puppy from the sand and gave it a loving pat.

    ¡°Kathlyn.¡± Gu Jun decided to snap her out of it, he yelled in English, ¡°Can you hear me? You are not Peacock, your name is Kathlyn!¡± He was now certain that there was another personality hiding inside the shell of Peacock and that identity would be able to give him more information.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Peacock¡¯s still chaotic mind started to quiver again. ¡°What is all this? Ah... Kathlyn Lee...¡± her face twisted and her voice changed. The strange string of English letters came out again, ¡°Where am I... Have I lost my mind?¡± Then she switched back to thenguage of thend¡¯s travellers as she shouted at herself, ¡°Who are you? Get out of my mind!¡± Her two consciousnesses appeared to be fighting for dominance, it manifested as the girl¡¯s frantic scratching at her head like she was trying to yank both of them out. Gu Jun walked slowly towards her as the girl gradually calmed down.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock whispered. ¡°I recognize her now. Kathlyn, she is right here.¡± Her eyes focused and then the stability faded away, being reced by some youthfulness. ¡°Damn it, damn it! Mr. Mask, do you exist for real? Oh my god, what are those? Rats?¡±

    ¡°Calm down.¡± Gu Jun consoled her. ¡°You are Kathlyn Lee, right? What is the most recent date that you can remember? Answer me!¡±

    Kathlyn was rather startled by him and she uttered quite dazedly, ¡°It¡¯s somewhere around June.¡±

    ¡°Has there been any big change to Earth?¡± he pursued, ¡°Anything going on in China? Epidemic? Supernatural tragedy? Did you hear anything about that?¡±

    ¡°I... don¡¯t think so.¡± Kathlyn shook her head in confusion. ¡°Things are as they were.¡±

    Gu Jun gave a sigh under his breath, his worried heart finally rxed. If she was not lying, then it had been almost half a year since he boarded the white ship to Dreands. The Nightmare Illness was truly vanquished, there was no epidemic of it at Eastern State, China or the rest of the world.

    ¡°What is thest thing that you can remember?¡± Gu Ju asked.

    ¡°I... I am not sure.¡± Kathlyn admitted quite openly. ¡°I have some psychological problem, you know, the kind that needs medication for me to function properly. Tom, my boyfriend, is the same way. Honestly, why is he standing there like a dumb rock? Tom! I know this will sound weird but apparently we can see strange things.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°There is a city in the desert.¡± Kathlyn shrugged. ¡°It is like a desert mirage. Itesplete with houses, streets, and citizens. ording to Peacock, it¡¯s called the City of Kindle. By the way, I have no idea who or what she is. This kind of illusion started when I joined a party when I was 16...¡±

    ¡°Judy¡¯s birthday party?¡± Gu Jun asked which earned a startled look from Kathyln. ¡°How did you know that? Are you one of my imaginary friends?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Jun answered. ¡°You can¡¯t remember at all how you got here? Other than Tom, was there anyone else with you?¡±

    ¡°I really can¡¯t remember.¡± Kathlyn frowned in thought but in the end, she shook her head. ¡°All I can remember was going on a date to the cinema with Tom, I was leaving my apartment... and then, I was here.¡± Gu Jun asked Kathlyn a few more questions but he got nothing new. Like she said, she and Tom were just normal people. He tried to arrange his thoughts. Compared to schizophrenia, they seemed more likely to suffer from multiple personality disorder, there was an extra soul living in their bodies... a soul of and¡¯s traveller that seemed to havee from the future. That started to ur after the party that happened many years ago, but recently they stumbled into Dreands through some unknown methods. There were 5 of them. Then Peacock and the other personalities took over their bodies, seeing and experiencing different things.

    The senses of oneself depended on the stimuli received by the brain. These stimuli might note from the external world, it coulde from the internal world as well. For example, people with hallucination responded solely to their imagined world, with no regard for the actual world. Their imagined world was as real as the one outside. Be it Kathlyn or Peacock, before this, they did not know about each other and the other¡¯s memory. They were like chess pieces that did not know they were one. In that case, who was the puppet master ying at the chess board? How did they manage to do this and what was their goal? And where did these 3 sacred relicse from? Who ced them here? Thend¡¯s travellers from the past?

    The more Gu Jun thought about it, the greater the headache. The wind picked up a wall of sand that enveloped him like an invisible hand. And these information about the future? Are they real or not? The chaos within Phecda, the internal traitor, the age of copse, the bloody lungs disease, the mutated scale disease, the petrification disease...

    And what did the Ancient seal and the Pnakotic Manuscripts had to do with all that...

    ¡°What happened to the previousnd¡¯s travellers?¡± Gu Jun asked the Elder Zoog. ¡°Do you know?¡±

    ¡°Erm.¡± The Elder Zoog patted his head with difficulty. ¡°Even us Zoogs will not pay such close attention to these nobodies.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock had returned while Kathlyn faded away. She asked in confusion, ¡°Is this one of the nightmares you have casted?¡±

    At the same time,motion rose among the Zoogs. The Elder Zoog pped his hands to interrupt her and announced nervously, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I think you should know this. The channel has started to be unstable, based on our experience, it is about to copse soon.¡±

 Chapter 210: Shadow in the Library

    <h4>Chapter 210: Shadow in the Library</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    To make things even moreplicated, a few figures were spotted to be heading down their way on camelback. Gu Jun recognized them as the remainder of Peacock¡¯s group, there were 2 guys and 1 girl. They were Gold, Amberlite and Aquamarine, they were responsible to seek help and purchase spell books at Dth-Leen but they had returned empty-handed. They were confused by the situation at the ¡®settlement¡¯. Peacock heeded Nightmare Man¡¯s advice and had Aquamarine summon the stunned Mchite. Soon, Mchite who was literally standing metres away from them was led over and it was then that he saw the rest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time to exin and honestly I am not even sure what is happening.¡± Gu Jun addressed the five. ¡°But I need all of you toe with me. I am giving you two choices, you can follow me voluntarily or I will make you do so.¡±

    ¡°You are going to do what?¡± Gold was made even more confused, ¡°Sir, what are talking about? We are not going to follow the orders of a stranger!¡±

    ¡°You made me do this.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s gaze shifted as he released the nightmarish energy to attempt to knock them out, he had no more time. But Peacock intercepted in a hurry. ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, please, let me do the talking!¡± She pleaded with her friends. ¡°Guys, if we want the Pnakotic Manuscripts, this is the only way to do it. We need to listen to him. Just this one time, trust me, you¡¯ll understand why soon enough.¡± Due to their trust in Peacock, Mchite and the rest agreed after a short discussion. They agreed to have their hands tied up and their eyes blindfolded by Peacock.

    Gu Jun brought along the beast hide and the scale, he had Peacock and the rest drag the rock with the Ancient Seal with them. Mchite and the rest had no idea what was happening but Peacock had a sense of what Nightmare Man was nning. He was going to return to the old world through the channel... She found that hard to believe. After doing all the preparation, Gu Jun followed the Zoogs. Indeed after about 500 steps, they reached a cluster of rocks in the desert. Severalrger ones were stacked together to form a gap. A strange light wasing out from it, it matched the pathway that he had seen in Kathlyn¡¯s memory perfectly. He contemted to himself, the small medic bag would have to suffice as the lighthouse.

    ¡°That is as far as we¡¯re willing to go.¡± The Elder Zoog patted his stomach. ¡°Can you give us the camels as a departing gift between friends?¡± The Zoogs did not wish to follow this madman any further. This man was even harder to deal withpared to the evil cat. Gu Jun nodded. Since the Zoogs were not unwilling toe along, it might cause them to rebel should he force them. That could be dangerous because they were more familiar with the channels than he was. With the Zoogs watching, he moved into the stone gap, Peacock with her four friends trailed behind him.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Once he entered the channel, the surroundings darkened. The five followed beside him. When Gu Jun turned back to look, and the entrance had faded away into a pinprick of light even though they had not wandered that far away from it. He moved about 10 paces forward but he felt like he was stuck at the same spot. It probably due to the fact that the darkness was moving around them...

    The ripples of darkness coagted into different shapes and illusions danced at the corner of his eyes. Time and space were made twisted inside this channel. Peacock was as confused as she could be. Even though the other four were blindfolded, they too were assaulted by this strange feeling. They mumbled, ¡°Is this the Pnakotic Manuscripts?¡±¡±Where are we going?¡±¡±I appear to see... a ruin...¡±

    ¡°Stay tight!¡± Gu Jun resisted the mental pressure and tightened his grip on the medic bag to sense the direction. ¡®Is it this way or that way?¡¯ Every direction seemed to speak out to him. Static voices grew louder and louder, messing up his mind. Gu Jun suddenly whipped his head around to look down a direction, in that moment he felt like he had entered a city ruin. The sky was dark and the streets were filled with abandoned vehicles... There were human carcasses everywhere, they were dressed in modern clothes and the blood stains that seeped through their mask had turned ck.

    ¡°No, not this way...¡± Jolts of pain travelled through his mind. ¡®Was that the future? The age of copse? The future described by thend¡¯s travellers...¡¯ He turned his head to look down another direction, a different voice was now singing to him and it intensified his headache. Illusory fragments shed before him. There was a skull that was pierced through a bamboo pole, the eyeballs were dug out, his own face was staring back at him... there were more totem poles next to his and more skulls. He could not see the faces clearly but he could sense that they were Zixuan and Siyu... Gu Jun gripped his head, death, death...

    He appeared to hear the voices of many people singing, ¡°Phecda Chaos, Tragedy Birth, High Treason, Big Copse.¡± More illusory fragments followed... They wear different visions of his own death. In them, he was split in half, pummeled into pieces and burned alive...¡¯Are these... part of the future? I will embrace death? Or is this part of the chaos in Phecda? Which world will have this future?¡¯

    ¡°Whether this is the destined future or not, I will have to return.¡± Gu Jun tried his best to calm down. ¡°I need to return to that world!¡± However, there was something that spoke to him, it was as if there was something that awaited his understanding among this chaos. Another voice was calling him, he turned to look and the illusions changed again...

    He was inside a chapel with domed-ceiling. The ceiling was so tall that he could not tell how big the chapel was. He looked around and saw circr windows, arches, podiums and tables of unusually big size. Some of the tables were as big as houses. This kind of architecture did not seem possible to be manmade. But the thing that upied this space the most was the bookshelves. They were made from a ck-colored wood. They were arranged in long rows and each row was lined with equallyrge tomes. The spines had strange characters and pictures, lines, patterns...

    All of a sudden, he saw a familiar picture, the Ancient Seal printed on one of the book spines. He was about to take a closer look when he sensed something. He turned around and there stood a blurry shadow next to one of the bigger podiums. The shadow was so enormous that Gu Jun could not tell whether it had a human shape or not.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gu Jun asked darkly. The shadow appeared toe from the future, but different from the timeline where the City of Kindle resided. Suddenly a thought popped into Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Someone had channeled the soul of thend¡¯s travellers into the bodies of Kathlyn and her friends. The goal was to help Gu Jun leave Dth-Leen, escort him to Ulthar to get the Pnakotic Manuscripts and lead him back to the City of Kindles where he would get the three sacred relics and the information about the important change in the future. The puppet master pulling the string was this shadow.

    Gu Jun quickly blocked his mind off. No! He reminded himself. This was a thought that was inserted into his mind, the shadow was trying to manipte him...

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you doing this?!¡± He nced at therge shadow, suppressing the anger and confusion. ¡°These information, do you think I will believe them blindly? Also why go through all these troubles, why not just tell them to me directly? What do you want from me?¡±

    A twisted voice replied haltingly. It was in an unknownnguage, but it appeared toe from the shadow,

    ¡°...Mask-bearer... Not evil... Sweet dream, use sweet dream... change...¡±

 Chapter 211: Return

    <h4>Chapter 211: Return</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡®Now what the hell does that mean?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s head hurt. With the echo of each word, his brain would pound with greater intensity. ¡®Mask-bearer is not evil?¡¯

    The shadow beside the giant podium was bing blurrier. It appeared like with each word, the shadow was fading further away, its voice harder to follow. ¡°...Phecda Chaos... Secret Spell... Wearing a Mask... Gu Jun...¡± He heard his own name, the shadow knew his identity but at this point, that seemed to be a given... Ultimately, the questions were, who was this? And what was it trying to tell him?

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, the channel is about to copse soon!¡± Suddenly another voice cut in, it was the frantic scream of Peacock. The illusion of the grand library disappeared instantly and everything returned to darkness. But the darkness appeared to be boiling, it raged and swam... The ripples crashed into cracks, the dimension of space and time itself was bing unstable. They could feel their own bodies disintegrating. If they did not leave this ce soon, they would be forever trapped in this unknown dimension.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go!¡± Peacock said desperately, ¡°Should we turn back?¡± The rest had no idea what was happening, they reached for their blindfolds.

    ¡°No, follow me, this way!¡± Gu Jun gritted his teeth and pushed the questions to the back of his mind. With his grasp tightening around the medic bag, he raced down a direction. ¡°This way!¡± After the illusions faded away, so did the chaotic disruption, his spiritual sense wasing alive. He knew he was going the right way. And then came the light in the darkness, it was the exit!

    ¡®I need to return!¡¯ Gu Jun announced to himself, as well as the voices and illusions in the darkness. ¡®I need to return to the world that I came from!¡¯ Just as the dimension was about to copse, he lunged towards the opening. The glow enveloped him and a different kind of dimensional feeling reced the twisting spatial world, it became more stable, familiar and firm...

    ¡°Ah!¡± Peacock¡¯s group cried out beside him, they too had jumped through the gap. With a thud, Gu Junnded on the ground, the walking stiff flew out of his grasp. His palms pressed against the ground, sending back pangs of heat. He hadnded on scorching sand.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± He narrowed his eyes to look around. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, a desert came into his view, but it was different from the one at the Bnazic Desert! There were small bushes and when he turned back, he saw the cluster of stones from Kathlyn¡¯s memory but the strange light between the bigger rocks had disappeared, the channel connecting the two worlds had copsed.

    ¡°Have we returned?¡± Hecked the strength to sit up. Heid down in the sand, looking at the blue sky. Only then he realized how much he¡¯d missed the clouds and sunlight.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man...¡± Peacock began nervously, the rest of her question was iprehensible. Other than the familiar moniker, Gu Jun had no idea what she was saying. They were no longer in Dreands,munication was not based on intention anymore. He turned towards the direction where Peacock was pointing, and saw a furry animal standing on its two feet. Its stomach was bulging out as it stared fixedly at them,

    ¡°That is an Eastern Grey Kangaroo.¡± Peacock did not understand him but Gu Jun¡¯sugh of relief did signify that they were in no danger. Eastern Grey Kangaroo, native to Australia. Then he saw a ne fly through the sky, leaving a trail of white smoke behind it. Hisughter grew louder. ¡°We¡¯ve returned... to Earth!¡± Gu Junughed. He pointed at the sky for Peacock. ¡°Look at that thing.¡± Peacock¡¯s eyes were overwhelmed with fear, perhaps for her, that was some kind of giant flying monster. ¡°That is a ne,¡± Gu Jun exined, not caring whether she understood it or not.

    Relief and joy were not enough to describe his emotion. After experiencing death and so many ordeals, he had finally returned... But a worry still bugged him. ¡®Is this the timeline that he had departed from? I wouldn¡¯t have ended up in the plot of of the Apes, would I?¡¯

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man,¡± Peacock called out again. Then she pointed at her friends, especially their eyes and hands, clearly she was asking whether she could undo their binding. Gu Jun nodded his permission. Even though the Eye of Abyss was no longer usable in this world, he was not afraid of them. Peacock immediately helped her friends with their blindfolds and ropes. When the rest looked around, the shock was in on their faces. Where was this ce? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be taught the Pnakotic Manuscripts?

    Gu Jun struggled to stand up. He looked around and realized he had no idea exactly where they were. He knew the desert in Australia could stretch for miles without any human habitation, if they went down the wrong way, they might end up dying from dehydration.

    ¡°Peacock, I need you to summon Kathlyn.¡± He said, repeating the name, ¡°Kathlyn!¡± Peacock and Kathlyn couldmunicate directly through mental connection so there was nonguage barrier between them as they had no need fornguage. Peacock had a few more words with her friends again before closing her eyes. Her facial muscles twitched and when her eyes opened again, she was already a different person. Her mouth gaped wide open as she stared at Gold and the rest, ¡°Oh my god, who are these people? Tom! Please tell me I am not crazy!¡± But Mchite merely stared dumbly at her, clearly not understanding what she was saying.

    ¡°They don¡¯t understand English.¡± Gu Jun said in English, ¡°Can you speak Chinese?¡±

    ¡°Just rudimentarily.¡± Kathlyn shrugged. ¡°I can understand it but I can¡¯t speak thenguage.¡±

    ¡°That is good enough.¡± Gu Jun replied in Chinese, his English was not that good either, but a mixture of both should suffice for simplemunication. He said, ¡°Kathlyn, we need to leave this ce and find somewhere with human habitation. Geikie, Windjana Street, do you know where that is?¡± He had a feeling it was nearby.

    ¡°Geikie? Windjana? I think I know where that is...¡± Kathlyn frowned to think, ¡°I believe it is the name of a town somewhere on the northern-west side of West Australia.¡± Gu Jun had no idea what she was talking about, how he wished he had a phone then. ording to Kathlyn, all the cities here were settled near the shoreline. So if they were looking for human habitation, then they should head back down the northern-east direction. He epted this advice. Gu Jun used the shadow of the sun to determine the nautical direction. This knowledge that he picked during his training for the Problematic Team finally came into usage. Then he led the way and headed down the designated direction.

    ¡°So you are not Tom?¡± Kathlyn asked her boyfriend of many years. The confused gaze was answer enough. Mchite was for Tom as Peacock was for her. Kathlyn shook her head with a sigh, ¡°This is so strange... and they¡¯re also dragging a rock, can this get any stranger...¡±

    Gu Jun ignored her. As he shuffled forward with the walking stick, he pondered what the shadow had said. ¡®The mask-wearer is not evil? Use sweet dream to change chaos in Phecda? Is that what the shadow was trying to say?¡¯ He tried to remember that injected memory. ¡®Is it trying to tell me that I should continue wearing the mask... to hide my real identity? I know people would have assumed my death already... But no matter what, I need to gain contact with Dirty-minded Yu as soon as possible.¡±

    Gu Jun adjusted his route, moving towards the bushes and a steadier ground. After about 1 hour of walking, Kathlyn suddenly yelped, ¡°look, there¡¯s a highway and a car!¡± Mchite and the rest looked like they were about to run to escape from the metallic beast but Gu Jun could not have been more excited. There was a highway down the distance, and a yellow pick up was barrelling down it.

 Chapter 212: Secret Call

    <h4>Chapter 212: Secret Call</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    [ Wee To

    Geikie ¡ª Windjana Way

    LENGTH ¨C 155km ]

    Gu Jun nced at the road sign next to the highway and his heart was shaking. It was this road sign, this was the ce. There was a petrol station about 200 metres away and further from it were some low houses. There were people using the pumps in the station. He could see other human beings, and not chimpanzees, so he probably had returned to the correct timeline.

    Mchite, Gold, Amberlite and Aquamarine were as bewildered as they could be. They were talking over each other, asking questions. Kathlyn had long noticed the issue ofnguage barrier. ¡°Perhaps I have a solution.¡± She offered, ¡°I believe I share my consciousness with Peacock, maybe I can try working together with her?¡± Perhaps it was her years of psychiatric problems, Kathlyn epted this situation quite easily. At the very least this answered the problem that had troubled her for years.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth a try.¡± Gu Jun nodded. Even he could not tell for sure what was the nature of this rtionship between Kathlyn and Peacock. Instantly Kathlyn¡¯s expression changed, her brows locked, her eyes closed and opened with a painful grimace...

    Suddenly, her eyes burned with different light. It was Peacock who first spoke. ¡°Mr. Nightmare,¡± but then it was Kathlyn who continued, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still here! This can definitely work!¡± The two personalities upied the same body at the same time, acting as an intermediary.

    ¡°Let us go over there then.¡± Gu Jun headed towards the petrol station. He had Katlyn/Peacock remind the rest to just follow along and not do anything stupid. Thesend¡¯s travellers were like a child at a candy store, they were impressed by everything. They had been to so many ces at Dreands but they had not seen a ¡®car¡¯ before.

    This was a medium-sized petrol station, it came with a convenience store attached. It served mostly holidayers and truckers. The Caucasian, rotund security guard saw them heading this way and his eyes were fixed on them.

    ¡°Hi~¡± Kathlyn greeted him and said casually, ¡°We¡¯re on a fantasy-themed hiking trip.¡±

    ¡°I think I remember you.¡± The fatty said, ¡°Your vehicle has been parked there for almost 2 weeks already, we¡¯re about to call the cops.¡± This came as a surprise. So Kathlyn and Tom drove here in a red Ford which was now parked at a free parking lot not far from the petrol station. When the group walked over, they realized they did not have the key. Gu Jun grabbed the rock with the Ancient Seal and made quick work of the car window. That immediately set the rm off. Kathlyn shouted back at the security guard who turned their way, ¡°I lost the key!¡±

    The guard frowned. ¡®That¡¯s them right?¡¯ To be fair, he mixed Asian faces up too easily. But it was indeed Kathlyn¡¯s ride because her purse was lying in the passenger seat. Inside it was her phone, id and some cash. When the security came over with another guard, Kathlyn showed them her id to prove that they were not breaking into a car. Tom¡¯s phone was also there but both phones were dead. They thus headed towards the convenience store. The store was quite big, it provided all kinds of on the road services. There was a small market, a dining area, Atm machines, vending machines and even a small children ying pen. When they walked through the door, everyone, including the shoppers, and diners turned to look at them.

    ¡°Can you like remove the mask?¡± Kathlyn whispered to the nightmare man. ¡°You look too much like Michael Meyers, you do know that right?¡± In their cotton suit, they already stood out quite a bit but with the nightmare man¡¯s white mask, they were practically a walking signboard. It was little wonder people were staring guardedly at them.

    ¡°I know.¡± Gu Jun replied, ¡°But believe me, it¡¯s even scarier should they see what¡¯s underneath the mask.¡± In any case, he had more urgent things to deal with. He walked towards the socket to plug in the charger and switched on the phones. The phone showed that it was 5.21 pm Australian time.

    ¡°I¡¯m really back...¡± Gu Jun gave a long sigh. Only half a year had passed, thankfully.

    ¡°Why are there people inside that box?¡± At the same time, Peacock asked openly as she stared at the tv at the corner. Aquamarine answered, ¡°perhaps their souls are trapped inside it?¡± Mchite stared with disgust at the barrel-shaped diners, gulping on handfuls of French fries, fried chickens and coke. He said darkly, ¡°How could these be our kin? How will they even fight during the Ossarian assault?¡± They were conversing in their ownnguage but for the customers, they could be speaking Chinese for all they knew.

    Gu Jun did not have time to be their guide. He connected to the shop¡¯s wifi and hopped online. The world did not change that much. During January this year, the ¡®flu¡¯ at Eastern State had ended. There was no follow up news and clearly the people wanted to put that part of history behind them as well. None of the countries had openly made any statement about any secret organization or supernatural events...

    But what about other gue? Gu Jun continued his research. There was another outbreak of Eb in Africa, 5200 people had been infected and 3800 lives had been lost. This pulled at Gu Jun¡¯s heart but it was too early to tell if there was anyone behind the outbreak. But another string of news heightened his worry even further.

    ¡°Legionnaires¡¯ Disease outbreak in America, causing 15 death.¡±

    ¡°Legionnaires¡¯ Disease broke out in Western Europe, 26 infected and 3 death.¡±

    ¡°Legionnaires¡¯ Disease strikes before the Eb wave is over, causing more distress in Africa.¡±

    ¡°Legionnaires¡¯ Disease...¡± Gu Jun frowned. 3 different continents with all different countries but they had recorded the same outbreak in the past 2 months. Legionnaires¡¯ Disease is a form of atypical pneumonia caused by a strain of the Legione bacteria. The first known recorded outbreak happened in America in the year 1976 during a veteran¡¯s meeting at Phdelphia, hence the name. The bacteria was airborne, it entered the human body through the pulmonary tract, causing lung troubles...

    He looked up these information, the disease had 2 to 10 days of incubation period. Early symptoms included headache, listlessness and then a sudden fever that could reach up to 40 degree Celsius. Some patients might suffer from bloody sputum and bloody cough too... if left untreated, there would be hallucination, paralysis and chronic confusion...

    ¡°Legionnaires¡¯ Disease.¡± Gu Jun said to himself. The simrity to the Bloody Lungs Illness was too obvious to ignore, but could the two be really rted? The Legione bacteria was in itself a super bacteria, if it was mutated, then... Could these outbreaks be some kind of experiment by a secret organization?

    The more Gu Jun thought about it, the deeper his heart sank. He wanted to call Phecda toe and fetch him immediately but his knowledge of the future stopped him. ¡®The mask-wearer is not evil,¡¯ he still did not understand what that meant but the images that he saw when he was inside the channel... the different visions of his own death... he urged himself to not act too rashly, the possibility that the shadow was trying to warn him could not be ignored.

    ¡°Phecda Chaos.¡± For now, he was certain it would have nothing to do with Wu Siyu, she was not a traitor because in the future timeline, she was already dead. That meant she was the only person Gu Jun could trust. Even though he did not think Cai Zixuan or Wang Ruoxiang would be the traitors either, but he understood from personal experience how easily madness could take over one¡¯s mind. In fact, their body could even be taken over by other souls, the examples were standing beside him... so no one was exempted from suspicion.

    ¡°Now how am I supposed to contact Dirty-minded Yu?¡± Gu Jun looked out the store window. It was almost night time. The time zone at Western Australia should be simr to China. Their phones had disappeared when they got on the white ship but she probably still used the same number¡ªAs the group leader, he had memorized all the phone numbers of his members. Even though he had no idea whether Phecda member¡¯s phone line was monitored by the organization or not, he knew it unwise to call her directly.

    ¡°Unless....¡± Gu Jun frowned. ¡°I call and say nothing, that¡¯ll just be treated as harassment or prank.¡± With their ESP connection, and their sess of telepathy in Dreands... Gu Jun hoped that she might be able to sense something through the call despite their physical distance...

    ¡®What the hell, no harm in trying.¡¯ He did not use Kathlyn¡¯s phone but a service phone inside the store. Since this was an international call, he had Kathlyn pay the cashier before he picked up the speaker and typed in the number.

    It connected! Gu Jun felt his heart pound. And then it was picked up. Azy-sounding female voice came through, ¡°Hello?¡±

    He instantly gave out a sigh. A boulder dropped. It was Wu Siyu¡¯s voice, she was still alive! He did not speak, he evened out his breathing but inside he was screaming. ¡®Dirty-minded Yu, can you hear me? It¡¯s me Gu Jun! I¡¯m not dead! I¡¯m back!¡¯

    ¡°Hello?¡± Wu Siyu on the other end said again, ¡°Who is this? Hmm... O well.¡± Just as Gu Jun thought she was about to hang up, she suddenly paused and said, ¡°Someone once told me that in a scary movie, should you receive a call but the caller doesn¡¯t say anything, then you¡¯re in big trouble.¡±

    ¡®That does sound like something I would say.¡¯ Gu Jun thought. He believed he did say that in one of their chats during team training. But that was just half of what he said. Thetter half was, ¡®so normally to survive, what the receiver should do... is to hang up immediately.¡¯

    Du, du, du... and the call was hung up.

 Chapter 213: Be Clever

    <h4>Chapter 213: Be Clever</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Gu Jun listened to the dial tone from the phone and sighed helplessly. ¡®So it failed after all...¡¯ He turned to look at the other customers, took in Mchite and the rest who were still pointing at the television, as well as Kathlyn who was on her phone in the corner. She and Tom had been missing for more than 10 days already, she was calling home to assure their families that they were fine, to call off the police search.

    ¡®What to do?¡¯ Gu Jun was about to put the phone down when he realized that Dirty-minded Yu must have had her reason to bring up something like a horror movie clich¨¦ apropos to nothing. There were two possibilities to this, onem it just came to her for no reason, which was unlikely considering the team training was so long ago and horror movies was just one of their many topics, this seemed much too coincidental to be true, so it had to be the other possibility which was the ESP connection!

    ¡®Is it because of me calling her name internally that it reminded her of that conversation we had?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart trembled, indeed that was a possibility. He nced around. The ce was noisy and crowded, it might hinder his ESP connection, dampening its effect.

    ¡°Kathlyn,¡± Gu Jun called. When she was done with her own call, he said, ¡°Bring us to the closest motel, somewhere quiet.¡± Other than to contact Wu Siyu, Gu Jun still needed to deal with Mchite and the rest. The n was to hypnotize them to lure out their original personalities.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Kathlyn nodded. She was in need of a rest herself after such a long trek through the desert. Before they left, she went to grab some food from the diner counter. She ordered 5rge coke, one for each of them. She eximed happily, ¡°Drink up, my friends, I am sure you¡¯ll like this.¡± She bit on the straw and took arge sip. Instantly Peacock gasped, ¡°Ah, this is...¡± Mchite, Gold, Amberlite and Aquamarine took a more careful sip from their own cups. Gold almost spat it out, Aquamarine¡¯s face scrunched up and Amberlite could not stop coughing. This ¡®thing¡¯ had a texture even stranger than the rye wine at Dth-Leen, it was not spicy but it sure came with a unique experience...

    ¡°This is what we call the happiness juice, wee to the golden era.¡± Gu Jun took arge gulp of his own. He used to have a whole bottle after every surgery. With the sugary taste on his tongue again, that memory felt like a lifetime ago. They left the convenience store and walked towards the nearest motel since the Ford was too small to fit 6 people and a rock. This was a normal township but since it was the pitstop between the ind and the shoreline, there were some shops and hotels for tourists. When they passed a boutique, Kathlyn went in for a quick shop. She used her credit card to buy everyone a set offortable casual outfits. When they arrived at the 2 story tall hotel, it was also Kathlyn who handled everything. As per the Nightmare Man¡¯s request, she asked for 2 rooms, 1 small and 1 big. She registered for both with her ID.

    Thankfully it was not the tourist season so the elderly woman at the reception did not ask for more identification and documents, she only demanded that they keep the noise to a bare minimum. The sound of water came from the bathroom as warm, clean water gushed out from the shower, washing away the grime. Gu Jun rewarded himself with a good bath. His mental corruption rate was still as high as 24.68 percent, the missions that he had been secretly doing in the past few days only managed to lower it by 0.1 percent. Regardless, he felt more refreshed after the bath. The vines around his legs had all wilted away, leaving behind some surface scars. However, his whole body and face were covered in purplish-red scars...

    When he saw his own reflection in the mirror, he was startled because it was not the familiar Gu Jun who looked back at him...¡¯Will I stay this way forever? Is there a chance for me to recover?¡¯ As anxious as Gu Jun was, this was not the most imminent problem.

    He put on the new set of clothes, a long-sleeved t-shirt and khakis. He used a rubber band to tie his grown hair into a ponytail and walked out of the bathroom. Kathlyn and the rest were in the bedroom. Thend¡¯s travelers had seen the nightmare man in person before but this was the first time Kathlyn had seen it and it obviously had quite an effect on her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± She quickly shook her head realizing how rude it was to stare. ¡°It¡¯s just... rather unexpected.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Gu Jun smiled at her. ¡°I used to be quite handsome so I¡¯m used to people staring but I guess now it¡¯ll be for a different reason.¡± He had Kathlyn take care of the others while he retreated to the smaller room that did not have an attached bathroom. After he entered the simple wooden-floored bedroom, Gu Jun sat down on the chair near the bed. There was an old ckndline sitting on the dresser. He tried to remember their moment of telepathy in Dreands and Wu Siyu¡¯s voice when he was semi-conscious until a ripple surged through his heart.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, I hope you¡¯re more receptive this time.¡± He said to himself as he picked up the phone. He made the same call again...

    With a click, the call was connected. ¡°Hello?¡± Thezy voice said, the tone was unchanged from before.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun remained silent but this time he closed his eyes and tried to form a connection in his mind. Internally he shouted, ¡®Wu Siyu, Dirty-minded Yu, Tamarine! I, Gu Jun, am not dead, I am back!¡¯ This continued for about 10 seconds until her yawn came through the line. ¡°Who is it, is anyone there?¡±

    Gu Jun made his breathing more conspicuous to signify that someone was indeed there. He mumbled silently, ¡®Gu Jun, Gu Jun, Gu Jun...¡¯

    ¡°Pervert much?¡± Wu Siyu said with another yawn. ¡°O well, be my guest. You¡¯re the one calling me so the bill¡¯s on you.¡±

    Gu Jun was getting desperate, he could hear the television volume being picked up in the background and then came the sound of someone munching on chips. This young woman had clearly put down the phone, as she returned to her drama-chasing... ording to legend, she would have died in her sleep, is it because she had entered the Dreands as they thought or could it be something as mundane as high cholesterol level due to obesity?

    ¡®How could she be so free?¡¯ This thought crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. ¡®Wait, she has transferred to the Recreational Department, hasn¡¯t she?¡¯ At that moment, a satisfied burp came from the line. Gu Jun was still trying to summon her but it was to no avail. But something suddenly caught his eye, the television. Perhaps the key was not for her to hear it, but to see it. After all, they had managed 100 percent uracy rate in their Ganzfeld Experiment. ¡®I should try vision telepathy, that might be more effective.¡¯

    Gu Jun kept the phone connected while he picked up Tom¡¯s phone to find a picture of salt on the inte. ¡®My mental connection with Dirty-minded Yu should be strong, our telepathy would have left some traces between us, this distance is nothing!¡¯ He focused on the picture on the phone and like how he did it so many times in their Ganzfeld training, he transferred the image to her. After about 10 seconds, suddenly, Gu Jun could hear Wu Siyu¡¯s curious voice saying, ¡°Hmm... what is this taste... Salt?¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s working!¡¯ He eximed internally but quickly tampered himself. He could not allow any distraction. He searched for another picture and sent it again, this time it was the picture of a surgical knife. The volume of the television was lowered, Wu Siyu appeared to have picked up the phone again. Her voice that came next sounded so close. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡±

 Chapter 214: Rabbit or Kangaroo

    <h4>Chapter 214: Rabbit or Kangaroo</h4>

    It was rare for Phecda members to be given holiday much less one as long as a whole week. Wu Siyu decided to return to her hometown of Shen Hai City to rest. It was night time and she was warmly enshrined in her bed, watching the television on the wall. There were different kinds of snacks ced on her bedside table. Beside them was a ¡®lucid dream mask¡¯. This was a pirated version that she modelled after the ¡®dream mask¡¯ that the organization had, it was abination of a circuit that followed the eyeball movement and a mini controller. It could detect the user¡¯s eye movement during sleep and then give off LED lights as signals to stimte the user¡¯s subconscious, to help them enter lucid dreams.

    For the past half a year, Wu Siyu had sessfully mastered the art of lucid dreaming but that was just a stepping stone to her true goal. Even though Phecda did not approve of it, her eventual destination was the Dreands. She had learned a lot about it from the Angell¡¯s Order and she nned to take the next step during this holiday...

    When the second phone call came, she noticed that it came from a different number, but from theck of speaking, it appeared to be the same caller. Her first instinct was to report this to her superior because this situation was quite creepy. However something stopped her, and so she just left it be. A barely discernible breathing sound came from the phone, weirdly enough it felt quite familiar. That familiarity... reminded her of the Ganzfeld training, the voice of her partner¡¯s breathing when she was bombarded with millions of stimuli.

    All of a sudden, she felt a saltiness on her lips and then came a jolt of pain like she was cut with a sharp surgical scalpel. Something was making a connection in her mind. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ Wu Siyu grabbed the remote to lower the volume of the tv set while her other hand picked up the phone to her ear. The caller was still silent and the breathing rhythm had not changed.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± She voiced out the question in her mind, ¡°Is this you?¡± The breathing on the other end immediately picked up in intensity!

    Wu Siyu instantly switched off the television and sat up in bed. Her heart was pounding and her breathing was catching as well. It¡¯s him, the salty one! Yes, that was the taste that she remembered. ¡®Dirty-minded Jun is not dead, he is really not dead and he is back! But why is he not speaking? The situation does not allow for it? And those feelings earlier...¡¯ It hit Wu Siyu that Gu Jun was attempting a telepathic connection so she immediately closed her eyes and tried to open her senses up for ESP transmission...

    ¡®A rabbit?¡¯ For some reason, this image came to her, a cartoon white rabbit with long ears and a despicable smirk. ¡®That looks familiar... Wait, isn¡¯t that Snowball from The Secret Life of Pets?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯ve been turned into a rabbit?!¡± Wu Siyu gasped and suddenly she tasted salted rabbit meat. Then she heard a children¡¯s song and saw a rainbow as well as a kangaroo but she could tell that this was her own synaesthetic reaction. ¡®If he has been transformed into a rabbit, no wonder he can¡¯t speak,¡¯ But more images were stilling in. ¡®Huh? Cowboy? Dinosaur? Astronaut? What is this?¡¯ Normally she would have given up already but this was too important... Then it hit her. This was another movie, Toy Story! And there appeared to be a connection between the two movies....

    It was a secret life! The toys and pets could not allow human beings to know that they were conscious so they worked in secret. ¡®Is that what Dirty-minded Jun means? This is some kind of secret operative? He is still alive but he doesn¡¯t want others to know about it.¡¯ Wu Siyu believed she hit it on the nail then, if her call was monitored, then everything would be exposed. Therefore she could not force him to admit anything or else the call would be traced back to him...

    ¡°Aiz, look at me.¡± She purposely yawned and said, ¡°I was lucid-dreaming again... The days have been too peaceful recently that I may have had too much to eat. Maybe I should go out to meet new people, certain things are more easily shared with strangers. Sigh and now I¡¯m missing that dirty-minded Jun again.¡± While she said that, she kept her attention on the light breathing sound and tried to receive any iing new information.

    The sign for no smoking... and then Snox from Pokemon, it was snoring loudly...¡¯What¡¯s the meaning of these?¡¯ Wu Siyu had no idea whether they were messages from Gu Jun or her own mind ying tricks on her. ¡®Banning Snox? No wait, banning sleep.¡¯ She believed that was the message but why? She widened her eyes and nced at the lucid dream mask on the bedside table. ¡®Banning the action of dreaming? Banning the trip of Dreands? Well, it makes sense. If he has returned, then I won¡¯t be able to find him at Dreands, so it¡¯s reasonable for him to tell me not to go there.¡¯

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s time to go to bed.¡± Wu Siyu said as a probe. ¡°Hopefully there is no dream tonight, not the lucid kind nor the normal kind, I just want a nice uneventful, empty sleep.¡±

    She probably had it right because she saw the response in the form of a KFC Logo. A gently smiling gentleman, so it must mean that she was correct, do not dream. Wu Siyu continued the connection, she tried to ask him, ¡®Is there anything else? Where are you? How are we going to find you?

    ¡®An olddy crossing the street... Hmm, the focus is not on the olddy but the lights turning from green to red... Wait? Wait for him to make contact?¡¯

    The breathing was turning heavier and the connection was bing wispy. She believed this might be the limit for Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s mental power because she was feeling a bit of a headache herself and the transmitter would be under greater pressure than the receiver so she said, ¡°Okay then, that has been a good chat. No talk to you next time?¡±

    The colonel¡¯s smile returned and this time his smile appeared to be brighter. She focused her mind and tried to send back the same image. She had no idea she seeded or not because the call abruptly ended. Wu Siyu stared at the phone in her hand. A sense of surreality overcame her. ¡®That... was Dirty-minded Jun, right?¡¯

    She stood up to grab herptop. She keyed in the two numbers that called her into the directory checker and found out they were both Australian numbers. No wonder she saw a kangaroo earlier but how did Gu Jun end up here? Perhaps he had reincarnated not as a rabbit but as a kangaroo?

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s heart wrenched, be it rabbit or kangaroo, he had reincarnated as an animal. God knows the trouble he must have gone through to survive this long until he could make an international call like that. Then something tugged at her mind. She went online again and found out it was legal to consume kangaroo meat in Australia, this meant that Dirty-minded Su was still in danger! ¡®This dude is so dumb, if he really wants to reincarnate into an animal, wouldn¡¯t a cat make more sense? At least he¡¯ll have 9 lives.¡¯

    ¡®But perhaps he is still a man?¡¯ This thoughtforted her. There had to be a reason for Dirty-minded Jun to keep his return a secret but why? Even if he had returned as a kangaroo, he wouldn¡¯t be taken in as a scientific study, after all he was someone who was awarded the Phecda¡¯s Medal... right?

    Wu Siyu had a lot to think that night. She could barely sleep, much less dream. The thought bounced inside her mind like bumper cars and it kept her up all night.

    Her phone rang again as the sun came up. She nced at the caller id and was quite disappointed to find that it was not Dirty-minded Jun.

    ¡°Siyu, Ah Jun might still be alive! He has sent an SOS signal to us, it¡¯s a verified one!¡±

 Chapter 215: Destiny

    <h4>Chapter 215: Destiny</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    After putting down the phone, Gu Jun massaged his pounding temple and let loose augh. Thankfully, as entric as Dirty-minded Yu was, she was not dumb, she had gotten everything he had sent him. Without the call as a medium, the connection snipped off immediately, it was like the pathway had been closed. This kind of long-distance ESP connection was extremely draining. If not for his depleting mental power and the suspicion that a long call might arouse, he really did hope to chat longer with Dirty-minded Yu, the sound of her voice really confirmed that he had truly returned.

    Even though objectively speaking, it had not been that long since that night at the Ind of the Old Manor, it felt like a lifetime had passed for Gu Jun. ¡°Looks like nothing is wrong at Eastern State and everything is fine in China too.¡±

    The statement that Siyu said about ¡®the days being too peaceful recently that she may have had too much to eat¡¯ seemed to affirm that. But he knew that some unknown undercurrent was raging beneath the peaceful surface...

    ¡°At least for now, I can be sure that Dirty-minded Yu is safe. For the next step, I need to figure out a way to build a more stable hiddenmunicative channel with her. But before that, I have to find out what¡¯s going on with the others, settle the issue with Kathlyn and Peacock as well as the othernd¡¯s travellers, deal with the three sacred relics, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and finally decipher the message of ¡®using sweet dream to change Phecda chaos¡¯.¡± Gu Jun looked into his mind and realized he still had 3 almost shattered bubbles of sweet dream. Other than to provide shelter, their other possible purposes eluded him.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s the issue with my physical condition...¡± He pressed against his temple. The system showed that his brain tumor was stable even though he had not taken his medicine for quite some time already. Hopefully it would continue to stay that way because it would truly throw a wrench into his n if it decided to act up now. After some rest, Gu Jun stood up and left the room. The hotel was in its quiet season so the corridor was practically deserted. He walked down the corridor and entered therger room. By then Peacock and the rest had all bathed and changed into new clothes. Clearly they had asked Kathlyn for some exnation of their situation but they still looked as confused as ever.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Mchite asked. ¡°You say we¡¯re in the golden era of our ancestral world, does this mean we will not be able to return to the City of Kindle anymore?¡± The mention of their homnd brought on a color of disappointment on Peacock¡¯s face, she was the only one who had seen the real ruin that the City of Kindle was.

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Gu Jun admitted coolly, ¡°But I believe the five of you are destined for a greater mission, which is to prevent the age of copse from happening and to prevent the world from heading towards ruination.¡± That was his responsibility as well.

    Hearing that, they frowned silently. Finally it was Aquamarine who grumbled, ¡°But our settlement is still waiting for our return to save them...¡±

    ¡°No, that is in the future that has not yet happened.¡± Gu Jun encouraged them, ¡°As long as we can change the present, that future will not happen.¡± The five looked at each other, yes, they were interested but they were not na?ve. To stop the age of copse? They could barely stop the Ossarian Invasion.

    Noticing their roller coaster of emotion, Gu Jun told Gold and the rest to stay behind in the room while he had Peacock and Mchite follow him to the smaller room. Peacock would trante while Mchite was put under hypnosis. Drawing out Mchite¡¯s other personality came with its own risk, what if this ¡®Tom¡¯ wanted to call the police? So Gu Jun decided to take this slowly. His n was to first draw out as much information as he could and then regardless of the original personas¡¯ trustworthiness, he would have thend¡¯s travellers maintain the main control of the bodies. The two personalities couldmunicate internally and even swap if they wanted to but thend¡¯s travellers had to be the dominant personality. This was unfair to the original personality but desperate times called for desperate measures.

    Compared to Peacock, Mchite showed much greater resistance to the hypnosis. He was reluctant to form a bond with Gu Jun, even if he was told this was necessary to show him the Pnakotic Manuscripts. Mchite had even questioned that outright. ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, that was what you said when you needed us to follow you earlier. I still have not seen the manuscripts.¡±

    The other reason for his resistance was Peacock¡¯s presence. As close as the two were, Gu Jun could sense that there was some barrier between the two of them. Thankfully, these people had no idea the power of modern psychology had. Gu Jun stopped trying to engage Mchite in conversation since it was bing more and more like a one-sided conversation but he did have a clear vision of Mchite¡¯s goal and view. Therefore, Gu Jun opted for the Socratic Method. He used Mchite¡¯s strong desire to achieve his goal and attached it to Gu Jun¡¯s own psychological suggestion.

    Gu Jun used statements like these to help his persuasion, ¡°The Pnakotic Manuscript is only given to those with a chosen destiny, and Mchite, I believe you are one of the chosen ones. I know you have already noticed there is another consciousness inside you, Tom. Tom is your guide in this world, he will help youplete your mission. Mchite, to be someone like the Phecda Hero, to stop the age of copse in this world, that is your mission.¡±

    Combining Mchite¡¯s anticipation with Gu Jun¡¯s suggestive dialogue, the patient¡¯s psychological defence would eventually be broken down and he¡¯d be susceptible to ept the supposition that was fashioned to align with his goal. This was because the subject was willing to buy into that premise, and thus he was open to epting this kind of suggestive idea...¡¯Yes, this can help me achieve my goal¡¯, this was amon tactic utilized by marketers.

    Gradually, Mchite opened up to Gu Jun and passion colored his eyes. He even asked, ¡°I can really do it? I can be someone like the Phecda Hero?¡± Things were going smoothly. Gu Jun nodded and continued in a persuasive and confident tone, ¡°Yes, of course, you will too be a hero.¡±

    Seeing the charm that had been ced on Mchite, both Peacock and Kathlyn were shocked. Kathlyn thought to herself, ¡®This nightmare man has to be some kind of psychology professor.¡¯ This triggered an unexpected response in Peacock. Thend¡¯s travellers held great respect for professors and Kathlyn¡¯s throwawayment helped raise Gu Jun further in Peacock¡¯s eyes.

    After Mchite was hypnotized, Gu Jun thought it would be easy to summon out Tom but it was much harder than he anticipated. When Tom did show up, he was in a very withdrawn and drained state. His reflex was slow andx. He did revive somewhat after some hypnosis. After Gu Jun broke down the barrier between the two personalities, Tom and Mchite could appear at the same time, but the connection was very unstable. The harmonious co-existence like the one Peacock and Kathlyn shared appeared to be very unique.

    Gu Jun¡¯s work with Gold, Aquamarine and Amberlite supported that observation. They responded the same way as Mchite did or even worse. Their original personalities were of no help at all, they could not remember anything from their time in the Dreands. All they could remember were bits and pieces of their original lives. But they were certain that none of them had known each other before. They were not even from the same city, their residence stretched as far as the entire Australia.

    Kathlyn/Peacock was the anomaly... Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but turn to study ¡®them¡¯. There had to be a reason behind this anomaly, if it was the shadow¡¯s purposeful arrangement, what was the reason?

    ¡°All five of us have studied the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan to the fifth chapter.¡± Peacock was equally clueless regarding this. ¡°So we should have equal mental power.¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Kathlyn suddenly revealed. ¡°I believe I used to stay around here when I was a child, but I¡¯m not sure if that means anything or not.¡±

 Chapter 216: Using Sweet Dream

    <h4>Chapter 216: Using Sweet Dream</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Barrow Creek was 3 kilometres south-west of the copsed channel that connected the two worlds. 320 kilometres to the north of it, one would reach Warburton. 320 km was not a short distance and in Australia, there would be nothing but sparse desert that connected the two cities. Warburton was further ind, sitting right in the middle of the desert. That meant that the city had no tourism value and was mostly inhabited by locals. Kathlyn had spent her childhood there until her family moved to Melbourne when she was 11.

    ¡°That was all I can remember of my childhood.¡± Kathlyn could not pick up anything too special about it. ¡°It was a very small ce, in fact there was just one convenience store.¡± Gu Jun knew they would have to go to Warburton themselves to find out more clues. Thankfully, Tom Chen, Cers Wang, Jeff Carlos, Annie Ho were quite obedient. It was not that they were not scared but they were still willing to follow Gu Jun¡¯s orders... even though it was unclear whether that was because they were afraid of the nightmare man or Kathlyn was that good of a negotiator. That night before their departure to Warburton was a restless night for all of them... well, for all but one. That night, Gu Jun had the best sleep he had had in a long time. Even though the bed at the hotel was old and small, it was the mostforting sleep he had in his recent memory.

    The next morning, they prepared to drive to Warburton. Since Kathlyn and Tom drove there, it would be reasonable to expect the other 3 to do the same as well. In other words, their vehicles should be parked around the gas station too. Before they checked out, Gu Jun wished to contact Wu Siyu one more time, to confirm if she had any dream yesterday night. He picked up thendline in the small room... The call was picked up almost immediately.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s voice came through, she sounded quite anticipatory.

    ¡®Good morning.¡¯ Gu Jun said internally. Before he could continue, he heard the girl say in a rather obviously exaggerated tone. ¡°No matter what kind of pervert you are, I am so happy because I have just received wonderful news! Everyone is so happy!¡±

    ¡®What does she mean by that?¡¯ Gu Jun was startled. He tried to focus to receive the signal that she was sending his way. ¡®Salt... SOS signal... Zombie... Gu Jun... asking for help... Gu Jun has revived like a zombie?¡¯

    ¡®I have just received wonderful news! Everyone is so happy!¡¯ A thought crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind and it chilled him to his core. ¡®Dirty-minded Yu did not leak my secret but she was informed of my return through the official channel?! This means that someone is pretending to be me and reaching out to Phecda?! Is this the start of ¡®Phecda Chaos¡¯? Or the organization has noticed something off through our calls and this is a test for Dirty-minded Yu?¡¯

    Gu Jun was anxious but for this moment, pictorialmunication was too ineffective for it was impossible tomunicateplicated meaning and it was heavily exhausting. If he spoke, it would definitely expose his identity and would lose the chance to capture the traitors. Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of what the shadow said, ¡®use the sweet dreams to change...¡¯

    Regarding the sweet dream bubbles that were awarded by the system, Gu Jun had already exhausted 5 of them to survive the Nightmare Wonder so now he only had 3 left. He had been studying them over the past few days but he could not figure out any method to make the audience that entered the theatre to materialize into their respective owner, it was the same for all 3 bubbles. If he did not know the audience, how was he supposed to perform the show without knowing the content of their sweet dream? This was a question that had been bothering Gu Jun but now, a new idea surfaced. ¡®What if the sweet dreams are supposed to be ownerless?¡¯

    It had no content because it could be adapted to anyone¡¯s sweet dream. It did not belong to anyone so it could be applied to anyone. ¡®As Barzai said, human beings can be summoned by dreams... if I can adapt the bubble to fit Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s idea of a sweet dream, then perhaps the dream can ce both of our consciousnesses in the same ce, allowing us to speak directly... Dreams exist in a different dimension so the physical distance between us should not matter.¡¯ With this possibility in mind, Gu Jun was eager to give it a try.

    If it was indeed an ownerless dream, to shape it to another person¡¯s sweet dream would require the willing participation of the other subject, or else it would be a nightmare that summoned people against their will into it like the Nightmare Illness. Therefore, Gu Jun found the phone and transmitted two more pictures. One was a woman meditating and the other was the cartoon of a girl sleeping, hopefully she would get the meaning...

    After 10 seconds, Wu Siyu said, ¡°Sit down, close my eyes and start to sleep?¡±

    Gu Jun transmitted a smile to show that she was on the right track. He could then hear the sound of the chair being moved. He thus entered his sea of consciousness to click open one of the sweet dream bubbles. As weakened as it was, it was still shining beautifully.

    Instantly, he could sense that he had slipped back into the round-topped theatre. There were 10 rows of seats but the interior of the theatre appeared more decrepit than before. He tried to picture Wu Siyu and summon her name. He could hear her light breathinging through the phone and felt a bond between them. He then pulled open the small wooden door at the back of the seats. A blurry figure walked slowly into the theatre. It took the middle seat of the first row, it was still of indeterminate gender and age.

    ¡®This is still a nk person, a vessel to be filled.¡¯ Gu Jun thought as he tried to adapt the sweet dream to fit Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s imagination. Before this, the mental corruption rate of his brain was high and his mental power was low but now he was in a much better state. Gu Jun was confident that it would work this time!

    They had discussed the topic of sweet dreams before so Gu Jun knew some of Wu Siyu¡¯s wildest wishes. He decided to y out one of them on stage. The curtains of the small stage were slowly raised and it brightened the theatre for quite a bit. A cloud of candy cotton floated onto the stage. A person was lying on the cloud, enveloped by the fluffy cloud. The cloud was even morefortable than the world¡¯s softest pillow. And with a turn of the person¡¯s head, he could reach for the cotton candy by his lips whenever he felt peckish. He did not even need to lift his finger to satisfy that gluttonous itch. The cotton candy came in many vors, it mimicked the vors of all the wonderful food in the world. It did not even require the effort of mastication, it dissolved in one¡¯s mouth like the cloud that it was...

    Gu Jun trained his mental power to materialize this sweet dream while he was calling, ¡®Wu Siyu, this is your sweet dream! This is you!¡¯

    The breathing sound from the phone had faded away but the shape of the audience member was slowly solidifying. The body frame was bing slender and the figure started to lean against the chair. The clothes came into being, it was a set of casual clothes. Then came the ck short hair but the face was still blurry like one was staring through a looking ss. But this should be good enough.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu!¡± Gu Jun called multiple times. The speakers in the theatre broadcasted his voice and it boomed loudly.

    ¡°Aiz?¡± The figure of Wu Siyu suddenly sharpened into being as she came alive. She stood up and looked around with curiosity. Her eyes eventually settled on the stage. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, is that you? What are you doing?¡±

 Chapter 217: Spell Department

    <h4>Chapter 217: Spell Department</h4>

    ¡°It¡¯s me! But I am this theatre itself, I¡¯ve used a sweet dream to pull you in here.¡± Gu Jun looked at Wu Siyu who was looking around with open curiosity and he was excited, he had found the true purpose of the sweet dream bubble. He could feel the previously ownerless sweet dream start to slowly shape itself into Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s desire, her mind was taking gradual control of this ce. He gave her a simple exnation of the situation but the most important point was that they could directlymunicate with each other here and it would definitely not be monitored.

    ¡°So... you are really now a kangaroo?¡± Wu Siyu gasped. ¡°This is your marsupial pouch? I¡¯m inside your pouch? Eww, gross!¡±

    ¡°How did you evene to that conclusion!¡± Gu Jun was baffled, he really could not fathom how the girl¡¯s mind worked. ¡°I am still a human being!¡±

    ¡°Phew.¡± Wu Siyu instantly sighed in relief. ¡°Good, good... I don¡¯t think I want to have such close contact with a kangaroo.¡±

    Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He could not read her mind but he could sense her joy. However, how many percent of that was due to her discovery of him still being a human was unknown. He said, ¡°I was rescued by a creature called the Zoogs and had been on a long journey. Long story short, I just returned from the dream world yesterday to the real world and Inded in Australia. For now I have only contacted you. Only you know that I am still alive, so what do you mean by the things that you said earlier?¡±

    ¡°You have only contacted me? That¡¯s strange...¡± Wu Siyu frowned and sat back down. ¡°About an hour ago, I received a call from Elder Tong, he said you have visited many people in their dreams. Technically you did not appear to any of them but there was a voice that informed them that you are still alive and you are currently trapped on the ind of the old manor in the dream world. Prof Jiang believed that it was possible the signal was transmitted by you. Maybe you have used the power of dream to broadcast that message. Sobined with your previous contact with me, I was brought to believe that was the truth.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind was boiling from the information. ¡®She was informed by Elder Tong?¡¯ But more importantly, ¡°Who is Professor Jiang?¡±

    ¡°Jiang Mingchang, he is the representative from Angell¡¯s Order.¡± Wu Siyu then gave him a brief history of Angell¡¯s Order and their role in Phecda¡¯s dream world exploration. Turns out in the past half a year, even though Angell¡¯s Order still had not revealed themselves to the public, they had been cooperating with Phecda to conduct many joint researches into the dream world.

    The Spell Department had officially been established. His friends like Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning had all been recruited. Combined with the talent search all over the country, there were currently 530 members who had ess to the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan.

    Bureaucratically speaking, the Spell Department was directly under the headquarters. Temporarily it was more like a special Special Mobile Force because the members still had to report to their original postage while clearing up time to train their mental power and learn spells. In other words, during missions, Wang Ruoxiang was still primarily a doctor, Xue Ba an investigator and Lou Xiaoning a marksman. With regards to Wu Siyu, she was currently a member from the Recreational Department affiliated to the Spell Department and also the only one who had ess to the tome who was not from the Spell Department itself.

    Since the team leader Gu Jun was dered dead, the Problematic Team had been officially suspended.

    ¡°You are now the face of the organization.¡± Wu Siyu told him, ¡°Themed activities like ¡®learning to follow Gu Jun¡¯s example¡¯ have been organized many times. A statue of your image has been built at Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department as well, but personally I don¡¯t think it bears any close resemnce to you. The hands are too big.¡±

    Gu Jun thought to himself, ¡®that was probably how the legend of the Phecda Hero came to be¡¯. ording to Siyu, the 530 members were selected from different departments across the country, some came from Angell¡¯s Orders while others were new recruits. Gu Jun could not determine without investigation that the traitor would be among the members of Angell¡¯s Order or the new recruits. After all, Phecda would have done a heavy background check on them before epting them. Furthermore, the order had indeed been a great help during theirst mission. The most likely situation was both Prof Jiang and Elder Tong were being led by their noses and slowly corralled into the mastermind¡¯s evil n.

    ¡°Did Elder Tong mention how many people got the dream yesterday night? And are there any names?¡±

    ¡°I did not ask for details but Elder Tong said both Ruoxiang and Zixuan got it. I¡¯m supposed to be on holiday leave because of this, I was summoned back to the headquarters. I¡¯ll be taking a ne this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± A chill gripped Gu Jun. These people who received the dream were either targeted individuals or aplices to the traitors. He was thinking, could this be a trap? Using his rescue mission as a goal to lure these people into the dream world to kill them?

    Gu Jun thought back to the legend he heard from thend¡¯s travelers. ording to them, only the Phecda Hero and Goddess of Hope died during the golden era but he also knew that legend was often embellished and exaggerated. Furthermore, one had to consider the impact the alternative truth would have on the tribe¡¯s morale. What if Dirty-minded Yu was not the only one who sumbed to permanent slumber? The revtion of a mass massacre would greatly lower the tribe¡¯s morale...

    ¡°By the way, why do we need to keep this a secret?¡± Wu Siyu asked.

    ¡°Something happened to me in the dream world.¡± Gu Jun gave a deep sigh. ¡°I got from a reliable source that there is currently a group of traitors residing inside Phecda.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s brows creased deeply. ¡°So you¡¯re trying to smoke them out... Then it¡¯s possible the rescue signal is a trap, no wonder Elder Tong was curious why I have not received the signal. Actually I have not fallen asleep yesterday night, I wonder if I would have received the signal if I did.¡±

    ¡®She did not sleep?¡¯ Gu Jun asked. Wu Siyu exined that since he told her not to sleep, she did not. If he did not reach out to her yesterday night... and she had fallen asleep like normal, would she have heard the signal too? This could be a breach in the enemy¡¯s n... Or Gu Jun had fallen into his own hypnotic trick without even realizing it. When hope aligned with a supposition, one was more willing to buy into it.

    ¡°Then what should we do now?¡± Wu Siyu asked, ¡°Should we inform Elder Tong?¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, the situation now is very precarious...¡± Gu Jun said darkly. ording to her, Elder Tong had also been studying the tome. To be honest Gu Jun had expected nothing less. After all, Elder Tong was the leader of the Spell Department, naturally he woulde into contact with it. ¡°Spells can change people¡¯s mental power and unfortunately, even their mind. Until we can be sure, we mustn¡¯t make too close of a contact with any of these 530 people.¡± It felt quite ufortable because he would need to build this wall between his mentors and friends. Now Gu Jun understood why this statement was written at the first page of Carlot Academy¡¯s spell book, ¡®Humanity is built on the foundation ofmon power, so when amon individual obtains umon powers, they will be something else, moving further and further from the beauty and ugliness thatprise humanity. Anyone whoes into contact with spells will be forever changed by it.¡¯

    The acquiring of super power was in itself a sacrifice.

    530 members, there was no telling where their loyaltyy. Any one of the members could have started with pure intention but things could change over time...

    Could some start to feel an essential difference between themselves and themon people? Would they start to believe in elitism? If they had superior power, why shouldn¡¯t they govern over themoners?

    Furthermore, there were dark forces who were already ready to feed into such thoughts...

    ¡°Changes?¡± Wu Siyu was reminded of something and she said, ¡°Do you still remember what that grey-bearded old man said about ¡®the real choiceing after the 3rd chapter¡¯? The department has done some research on this. While there are no physical changes to those who have finished studying the third chapter, there are notable changes in their way of thinking.¡±

 Chapter 218: Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan Training Syndrome (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 218: Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan Training Syndrome (2in1)</h4>

    ¡®Changes in their way of thinking?¡¯ Gu Jun was alerted immediately. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Mainly itprises changes to their personal preference.¡± Wu Siyu stared at the cotton candy cloud on stage. ¡°For example, they used to like cotton candy but now they favor rock candy. As a member of the Recreational Department, I notice this quite easily. Oh, there is another curious change, they all have adopted a preference for the color yellow.¡±

    ¡°Yellow? The color of earth?¡± He asked. Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan was suspected to originate from the teaching of the earth¡¯s gods so could that be the reason why?

    ¡°That was the same hypothesis that Phecda came up with as well, yellow earth. In fact when I was close to them, I could sense the smell of dirt on them. However, there did not appear any change to their personality.¡±

    ¡°Are there signs of thought disorder?¡± Gu Jun pressed, ¡°Like thought deprivation or thought insertion?¡± These were both terms from psychiatry. Thought deprivation was having one¡¯s thought pulled away by an external force while thought internal was having thoughts that did not originate from one¡¯s mind forcibly injected into one¡¯s brain. Neither could be controlled by the subject, they were mostmon among victims of schizophrenia. Gu Jun had questioned Tom, and Kathlyn about it before. After that fated birthday party, other than illusory hearing, they asionally suffered from these symptoms of thought disorder. And Gu Jun himself had experienced thought insertion when he travelled between the two worlds. He wondered if any of these were rted.

    ¡°I have no clue but I heard the psychiatrists from the Medical Department have decided to treat these as signs of mild and unobstructive schizophrenia.¡± Wu Siyu answered. ¡°This was because the members are still highly functional, and they do not suffer from other symptoms. Other than these few minor curious changes to their individual preferences, they are perfectly healthy. To prevent the stigma, Phecda temporarily names this as ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome,¡¯ and for now there appears to be no negative effect. Oh, right. There¡¯s one more thing. ording to the members, they have experienced more vibrant dreams. Based on this situation, the Spell Department and the Angell¡¯s Order had done more research on it but they could not find any simrity among the dreams, so temporarily the diagnosis was it was due to the overactivity of the subconscious.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun murmured darkly. Other than way of thinking, the physical body should have transmuted as well, he had mastered the first chapter so he knew that to be the truth. Then again the change to one¡¯s nervous system was harder to detect.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, where are you in your training?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Hmm, around the second chapter.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m still far away from the 3rd chapter.¡±

    ¡°That might be a blessing in disguise.¡± Gu Jun announced glumly. ¡°Learning spellse with side effects, Phecda still has no idea what they¡¯re dealing with...¡±

    ¡°For the record, I am not beingzy, I just simply dislike the book, it feels like it has caused your death.¡±

    ¡°No, without it, we wouldn¡¯t have won that house of nightmare.¡± From Gu Jun¡¯s point of view, the spell book was like a double-edged sword, it would defeat the enemy but at a price. At the time, he was so determined to bring the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan back with him, but he was only going to allow Phecda to reveal it to the other members after doing much detailed research on it. For the very least they had to understand the risk from using the book first, but from what Wu Siyu imed, it appeared like Phecda had jumped headfirst into the study of spells.

    ording to Wu Siyu, over the past year, Phecda had been going non-stop researching the spell book, from its material, its font and their meaning. Their research revealed that if any picture was taken of the book, the words on it would turn into meaningless ck blobs, but when viewed through the human eye, the content would surface, reminiscent of the symptom for pressure of thought. Pressure of thought was another type of thought disorder, it was mostmon in patients of multiple personality disorder, it referred to the sudden addition of connections inside the brain that did not belong to oneself. This was categorized as another symptom of Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome.

    ¡°This phenomenon is not only limited to literal words.¡± She continued, ¡°To rify, all the members reported a feeling of connection with the book whenever they studied it. It was as if the book was bonding with them. To test this out, the department organized a control study. They had the contents from the same chapter copied onto a normal paper, and handed them to the members. The members said the feeling they felt from directly handling the book was missing and they could no longer understand the content of the copied chapter anymore. Therefore, the organization concluded that the book is spiritual, it cannot bemunicated through words alone, one has to personally read the book to understand it.¡± The tome was thus categorized as a unique relic, it could not be copied, not even with the best photocopy machine.

    Every Spell Department member had to read the book at least once before they started training for a new chapter or they would not be able to start their training. The Spell Department had done a sample study on this, a group was given the copy while the other was given the original, the former showed no progress in their training. Currently, the Spell Department only managed to decipher the content of the tome until its fifth chapter because that was where the progress made by the department¡¯s brightest member stopped. It was worth noting that the understanding of the book was directly corrted to one¡¯s mastery of it. For example, for Wu Siyu, she was unable to understand the content of the third chapter because she had not finished the second chapter.

    That was all Wu Siyu knew about the experiments, there had to be more but she had limited clearance to find out about them. Gu Jun knew that with her talent and potential, if she was willing, she would easily be leading the Spell Department now. Wu Siyu then updated Gu Jun on the status of his friends. Cai Zixuan probably did not have much talent in something like this, like her, he too was stuck in the second chapter; It was the same for Elder Tong, he too was stuck in the second chapter, it probably had to do with his age. Xue Ba was in the third chapter, Lou Xiaoning the fourth; but the most talented among them was Wang Ruoxiang. With her talent and hard work, she was now at fifth chapter and apparently she was close to mastering it already. But talent alone was not enough, every member had to go through a series of applications and assessment before they could progress to unlock the next chapter. The process was strict and rigorous, currently there were less than 10 people who were allowed to study the fourth and fifth chapter.

    ¡°In fact it was Ruoxiang who was the first to break through to the fifth chapter. From that, everyone spected that doctors probably do have affinity with spell learning.¡± Wu Siyumented.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. Monitor was such a studious person and she would never lose to others in terms of learning but now...

    ¡°Has any changes urred to the monitor?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the taste I have whenever I¡¯m around her has changed. The smell of formalin has lightened tremendously, and it has been reced by the taste of dirt.¡± Gu Jun asked about the other 2 members who were at the fifth chapters, they were neither new recruits nor from the angell¡¯s order. They did not seem suspicious but if no one seemed suspicious then everyone was suspicious. His anxiety deepened.... There was only one Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan, making it a precious artifact, could the uprising be rted to it?

    He then asked about the function of the few deciphered chapters, had the spell department experimented on them?

    ¡°This problem has been a thorn in Elder Tong¡¯s side.¡± She sighed. Gu Jun had reported to Phecda about concepts like sacrifice and mental corruption before, and the experiments by the Spell Department had proven that his warning was well justified. The 10 members who participated in the experiment of casting the spell from chapter 1 had shown varying rates of S value depletion. Some even reported headache and convulsions. The first chapter was about summoning. ¡°The summoned creatures are the giant bats that Chen Defa had summoned inside the cave. Currently Phecda has named them as Nightgaunt. They supposedly adopt some kind of mental existence, and they can be controlled. The nightgaunts are heavily aggressive and should be great in battle. Many experimental animals were scared witless in their presence.¡±

    Wu Siyu continued, the second and third chapters were aboutmunication with thend and strengthening of mental power. The fourth chapter apparently was about a deepermunication and the fifth chapter was another one on summoning but no one had tested it before. There was no outstanding experiment scheduled for it. This was because Elder Tong was worried that the experiment might cause the members to go crazy...

    ¡°That is entirely possible...¡± Gu Jun concurred. A price had to be paid to gain the power. For example, his mental corruption rose to 10 percent after he casted the spell from the first chapter. But he had not trained the second, third and fourth chapters before, would they make spell casting less draining? He would need to ask Peacock and the rest.

    Gu Jun then contemted why the traitorous party had not made any move yet. Then it hit him. Phecda was armed not only with spells but also heavy firearms. Even with a band of Phecda Warriors, thend¡¯s travellers were no match for the Ossarians so it meant that spell casters could still be overwhelmed by brute force. Therefore, without outside intervention, the traitorous party within Phecda would not dare to show their hands so soon, it was probably why they had used his name as bait instead. He wondered what kind of goal they were going for...

    Different thoughts muddled Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Wi Siyu had limited information but she had been of great help already.

    ¡°Siyu.¡± Gu Jun could not appear in person so he stressed his tone. ¡°Do not trust anyone too easily, keep a low profile when you return to the headquarters. If you¡¯re asked, just act dumb and allow the suspected party to make a mistake. Try to gather information in the meantime, like who has received the message, who has passed the training for chapter 3 and beyond... Make a list. If Elder Tong pushes forward with the experiment for Chapter 5 or they insist on going into the Dreands, just stand your ground and deny it, just say you have a bad feeling about it... Later, I will try to summon you into this ce without using the phone as a medium, but in any case, I will talk to you again tonight.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. She replied seriously. ¡°Understood, does this mean that the Problematic Team is officially back in business?¡±

    ¡°It was never off the business in the first ce.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡±

    ¡°Hey, wait.¡± Wu Siyu called after him. Her eyes looked around the theatre and smiled brightly, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, I am really d that you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°You know... me too.¡±

 Chapter 219: The Miraculous Effect of the Ancient Seal

    <h4>Chapter 219: The Miraculous Effect of the Ancient Seal</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The curtains of the small stage gradually closed, signifying the end of the sweet dream. The audience member faded into a nondescript shadow as they stood up to head towards the exit. After the audience departed, the theatre door closed and Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness retreated. He saw in his sea of consciousness that the sweet dream bubble that he just exited was no longer a colorful bubble but had changed into a cotton candy cloud. He could sense that it had grown firmer because it was rejuvenated by Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s mental power. ¡®The dream has be hers, and it can now be used repeatedly, this is a good thing.¡¯

    Gu Jun opened his eyes and put down the phone, he was still inside that small hotel room. 20 minutes had passed, simr to how much time had passed in the dream. The 20 minutes of ESP connection did not make Gu Jun feel mentally exhausted, no wonder it was a sweet dream. Gu Jun immediately clicked on the cotton candy cloud to see if he could summon Wu Siyu again. He failed probably because hecked stronger connection and bond, perhaps that could be ovee when the sweet dream was stronger in the future but for now he still needed a medium like the phone call. In any case, the good news was he could now have unmonitoredmunication with Siyu through this.

    There were still two more sweet dream bubbles left, he should be able to build simr bonds with 2 more people. However, it shouldn¡¯t be as easy as it was with Dirty-minded Yu because he had had ESP training with her before. Regardless, this was a valuable asset. ¡®I should try to make contact with Elder Tong, what would that old man¡¯s sweet dream be like? Winning the lottery?¡¯ Gu Jun gave it some thoughts before his mind returned to the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan. ¡®What is the source of its power? Is it the earth¡¯s god or some kind of darker force... It might not be a good thing to study too deep into it because it will change the personality of its trainers.¡¯ Gu Jun previously felt a kinship towards the tome because it did not belong to the R¡¯yleh Cult and Afterlife Cult¡¯s faith, and it originated from the intelligence of his ancestors, but now he couldn¡¯t be so sure. Thankfully, fellow disciples, Atal and Peacock¡¯s group appeared like they were fine. As strange as the background of Peacock¡¯s group was, they at least did not surrender themselves to darkness, if anything, they appeared to have more faith in light and goodness than normal people, especially in the way they would give up everything for their tribe.

    With many questions waiting to be answered, Gu Jun returned to therger room. Peacock, Kathlyn and the rest were waiting for him, some were standing, others sitting.

    ¡°Peacock, I have some questions to ask all of you.¡± Gu Jun enquired whether there were any symptoms among their people from learning the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan. What exactly were the seven secrets? Gu Jun did not ask Peacock and Mchite any of these on the journey from Ulthar to the City of Kindle because he was afraid it might hinder him from leaving Dreands. The five looked at each other, some of these information was supposed to be confidential but now that they had a new mission...

    In the end, they decided to share everything they knew and Kathlyn was the trantor even though she had no idea what these people were talking about. Gu Jun got the answer he wanted, none of them had a preference towards the color yellow, none of the tribe¡¯s people had their personality change and they suffered no psychological disturbance. ¡®Why is that the case? They derive their power from the same source so what¡¯s the distinction? Is the content different somehow?¡¯

    ¡°When you reach the end of the third chapter, you¡¯lle in contact with the source of the book¡¯s power.¡± Peacock said, ¡°Put it this way, it is a power that can connect oneself to the sky and earth. The Professors will conduct a ritual around the statues of the Phecda Heroes. The Phecda Seal will help us stabilize our journey into the fourth chapter.¡± The homesickness in her voice caused the faces of the rest to withdraw.

    ¡°Do you mind giving me more specific details?¡± Gu Jun frowned, he realized this ritual was the distinction he was looking for, and naturally the ¡®Phecda Seal¡¯ in question was the Ancient Seal.

    ¡°Erm...¡± Peacock tried to borate, ¡°The earth is a cradle for everything, both good and evil. The power itself has no differentiation between good and evil, it is us who will have to make that distinction. However, we are ourselves a creature of both opposites, therefore, during the ritual, the Phecda Seal will give us the blessing by temporarily sheltering us from the corruption of evil. It will cast away the evil for a few moments as we move towards the fourth chapter.¡±

    Gu Jun understood it immediately. Peacock was proud when she introduced the Phecda Seal as a blessing, she was not talking metaphorically, but literally. What Atal had said rang in his mind as well, ¡°Barzai the wise believes the seal contains some kind of power that will help you rise about the gods.¡± Other than that, Gu Jun remembered that Barzai was the master of both Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan and the Pnakotic Manuscripts, but was it as Atal imed that the two were not rted? There had to be some reason thatpelled Barzai to believe that he could rise above the earth¡¯s god with his own intelligence.

    Gu Jun looked at Peacock¡¯s group and then nced at the old rock ced on the couch. No, he now believed, there had to be a connection between these two...

    Atal did say that the Pnakotic Manuscripts was not a spell book, and that was confirmed when Gu Jun skimmed through it earlier, if anything, Gu Jun had a feeling that the tome had some kind of power that utilized rationality unique to humanity to counter the... technicality of spells. To quote Peacock, it helped to ¡®cast away the evil¡¯. Perhaps Barzai had figured out a way to use the manuscripts to counter the side effect from the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan... and that led to his pride. The two tomes originated from different power sources but that incidentally contributed to their contradictory yetplementary nature.

    ¡°This Phecda Seal.¡± Gu Jun asked Peacock. ¡°How can it be used?¡±

    ¡°One needs a ritual and...¡± Peacock paused. ¡°And with a spell from the tome, the seal can be used to help cleanse our mind shadow.¡±

    ¡®Mind shadow?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®That is quite clearly another moniker for mental corruption!¡¯

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Peacock said hurriedly. Gu Jun¡¯s widened eyes caused the atmosphere in the room to chill.

    ¡°Then do you mind showing me an example?¡± Gu Jun urged. ¡°Please.¡±

    Peacock did not dare to dawdle. She ced her palm over the seal and said, ¡°Just press on it like this and use your mind to sense it. Draw out its shape in your mind. The cleansing will be painful but it has proven useful. But, sir, as you know, there is nothing that we can be certain of anymore.¡± When Gu Jun had been in close proximity to the stone before, he responded with disgust. He now asked whether Peacock felt the same thing.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Peacock nodded and said with some pride, ¡°Because the righteousness of the Phecda Hero repels the evil energy within us.¡±

    ¡°Then I shall give it a try.¡± Gu Jun walked forward and sat down on the couch next to the stone. Amberlite and Aquamarine quickly stood up. Currently his mental corruption rate was 24.68 percent and the system missions had been refreshed during midnight. With a switch in his thought, he opened the system tab and clicked to ept the abyssal mission.

    Abyssal Mission: Deplete 10 percent corruption rate within a week. Reward: Unknown

    Mission epted!

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, ording to our tribe rules, a person can only ept cleansing once every 3 days and the ritual will need other people¡¯s help. The number of people varies depending on the situation.¡± Peacock said urgently, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, the cleansing of the mind shadow is something very dangerous. There are no statues of the Phecda Hero around here and without the protection of the Phecda Hero, we can¡¯t be sure what will happen.¡±

    ¡®I am the Phecda Hero.¡¯ Gu Jun said silently as his right palm pressed on the ancient seal. He closed his eyes and started to draw the seal in his heart...

    Suddenly, a giant pain exploded in his mind. It reared its ugly head like a wild beast.

 Chapter 220: Technological Product

    <h4>Chapter 220: Technological Product</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Instantly, Gu Jun felt like he was experiencing a million nightmares, like a million madmen were screaming into his ears at the same time. Among the screams, there was one that sounded very much like the joyful yet maddening promation of Barzai. Nightgaunts in thousands hid behind the screams and tore at him in the darkness as they tried to yank him back into the abyss. The overwhelming pain was dulling his consciousness. The next moment, he was bogged down by even more illusions, there was a stormy sea, wilted forest of trees and endless tragedies... The shadow that had corrupted his mind was more than just a psychological tumor, it was a coagtion of the nightmarish power.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun gritted his teeth to shelter hisst shred of rationality and dragged out that imprint that looked like both a branch and an antler in his heart. Using his mental power, he connected the imprint with the carving on the rough stone that his right palm was pressing against... The horizontal lines on the sides of the imprint wereing alive! In that moment, he could see the connective system within his body bonding with the branches of the Ancient Seal. Even the thick ck smog in his mind was connected. The ck smog rippled like it was mmed into by a giant boulder. Gu Jun knew this was the crucial moment. He focused his mind and ushered the ck fog towards his right hand, and through it, into the old stone!

    ¡®Go and face the thing that you despise! Go and corrupt this seal!¡¯ The ck fog raged against it, causing immense pain within Gu Jun. Itshed against his mind with indescribable revolt. However when the ck fog touched the branches of the old seal, it dissipated instantly. The old rock was slightly trembling but it was still holding on...

    At the same time, Gu Jun could feel the dark energy polluting his mind receding. Even though it had not transmuted into his own mental power, it was retreating. It did not take long for his physical body to reach its threshold. Every inch of his skin felt like exploding. His head felt as heavy as a mountain. The old stone had also started to shake more conspicuously, a sign that it was time to end the ritual. Gu Jun trained his focus and pulled his right hand back. Instantly the connection snapped. His body shivered and pain ate at his every nerve.

    ¡°Ah...¡± He gasped from pain. He noticed he was already covered in sweat and his right hand was trembling uncontrobly and every vein in it was bulging.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± Peacock gesticted frantically but Kathlyn failed to trante because she could not understand most of the technical terms. Peacock and the rest were shocked because they had not seen so much evil power being cleansed at one time. Kathlyn¡¯s group was shocked because the imprint on the old stone suddenly glowed before turning ck but the ckness disappeared instantly once the Nightmare Man let go.

    ¡°Is that some kind of magic...?¡± Kathlyn gasped in shock.

    ¡°No, not magic.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath and felt much better. It was like he had just been given a deep tissue massage, yes it would be painful during the process but after the fact, one would feel much more rxed. He looked at the stone and his eyes burned with passion. ¡°This is a relic used to neutralize mental corruption.¡±

    He saw a notification pop inside his mind. ¡°Your mental corruption was depleted, corruption rate decreased by 3 percent, current rate is 21.68 percent.¡±

    ¡®3 percent?¡¯ Gu Jun was overjoyed, it was much higherpared to the 0.3 percent from one showing of Nightmare Wonder but he did notice the difference between the two. This time, it was a depletion but during the nightmare wonder, it was a digestion. Having something forcibly yanked out of one¡¯s body was different from naturally assimting it as one¡¯s own, the former would be more taxing to the body but it appeared to be more effective. Now he understood why thend¡¯s travellers only had one cleansing every 3 days, but math-wise, he would not have enough time toplete his mission within a week. So it meant that he would have to take a risk, could he do it once every 2 days or perhaps he could try leaving his hands on the stone longer during each session?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± An inanimate object hade alive, if that was not magic, what was?

    Gu Jun studied the old stone in his hands, it did not appear to be physically different from before but something had changed... He believed it could be used repeatedly but there was an upper limit, like a machine would break after a certain number of uses. But for now, it should be able to hold on for quite a while. The content of the Pnakotic Manuscripts shed across his mind, there appeared to be a chapter on how to use this Ancient Seal. And the chapter included how to select the suitable rock and how to carve the seal...

    Even though the memory was flickering, Gu Jun¡¯s heart was racing, this imprint was the medicine he was looking for!

    It was also the medicine to cure ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome¡¯ and ¡®spell casting syndrome¡¯, it was far more useful thanmon drugs like nzapine, fluperamide and Lamictal. From the iplete Carlot Spell book, Gu Jun confirmed that the people from the foreign civilization would suffer from sacrifice after using their spells too. But he now believed the foreign civilization also had their own method of cleansing the corruption, perhaps it had to do with that fountain of the Goddess of Life. Or else even if the Carlot Doctors had the readiness to sacrifice, it could not support a whole civilization should all the doctors sumb to madness after using several spells and rituals.

    Undeniably this was currently a problem facing Phecda but with the Ancient Seal, the situation could be swiftly turned around. However, with Barzai as a cautionary tale, Gu Jun knew that the Ancient Seal was not going to help themon human ovee the power of gods... it would merely help one cast away the darkness in one¡¯s mind via channelling the divinity, in that manner, it was simr to a holy seal.

    ¡°Peacock,¡± Gu Jun said seriously, ¡°This stone is indeed a sacred relic.¡± A technology that utilized rationality to counter the darker effect of spell learning and casting.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Peacock nodded. The rest¡¯s expression practically said, ¡®but of course¡¯. Peacock exined further, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, it has to be because this relic is personally carved by the Phecda Hero!¡± Gu Jun turned to study the rock again and many questions surfaced in his mind...

    This group of people from the future said that ten thousand kindles came from the old world to dreands and they carried this relic with them, proiming that it was a legacy left behind the Phecda Hero. If he brought the stone back to Phecda now, it would be his legacy, wouldn¡¯t it? They said the City of Kindle needed the Pnakotic Manuscripts but now Gu Jun also realized Phecda needed the Pnakotic Manuscripts to settle its imminent problem. The shadow had arranged all these, to help him gain the manuscript and then the sacred stone... Was it trying to help Gu Jun stop the ¡®Phecda Chaos¡¯?

    Gu Jun could not figure it out so he put it on the back burner for now. He continued to ask Peacock about the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. ording to Peacock, the fourth chapter was to strengthen one¡¯s mental power, the fifth chapter could summon arger flying mental creature, it was simr to Nightgaunt, known as Larger Nightgaunt. Other than that, she added a warning, for those who had been corrupted by the darkness in the third chapter, when they tried to summon a Larger Nightgaunt, it would adopt a corrupted physical existence, the casters would be corrupted themselves.

    Gu Jun frowned. ¡®Turning mental existence into physicality? What kind of power would that be... Is it simr to how the system provided me with reward items?¡¯

    ¡°We are not familiar with the 6th and 7th chapter either.¡± Peacock said with some disappointment. ¡°We are unable to train for it, whenever we try, there will be a resistance that forbids us from going further.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun thought to himself, he wondered if it was rted to the Ancient Seal... Perhaps Wang Ruoxiang who had not interacted with the Ancient Seal would have no problem continuing...

    He then asked for more details but there was no more new information. So he stood up and announced, ¡°Okay, time to go to Warburton.¡± Then the group brought their luggage and the stone and checked out from the hotel. They searched around the gas station and did find the vehicles of the others. Gu Jun still used the same old rock to break into the cars.

    The six people were separated into 2 cars. Kathlyn would lead the way in the first car while Gu Jun followed behind her. It would take 4 hours of driving to go from Barrow Creek to Warburton. When they arrived, Wu Siyu wouldnd at the headquarters as well.

    The yellow sand rolled. The two cars drove down the empty highway. In the driver¡¯s seat, Gu Jun ced his hands on the steering wheel and looked ahead.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Yu and my friends, no matter how the road ahead is like, I have returned so we will traverse it together.¡¯

 Chapter 221: Transmission Tower

    <h4>Chapter 221: Transmission Tower</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The scalding sun shone relentlessly on the barrennd. The squat mountains stretched down the horizon and all the bushes they saw along the way were wilted and leafless, the ce probably had not rained for quite some time already. All signs of life had been drained away. As the two cars raced down the road, a heavy dust storm trailed behind them. Gu Jun and Kathlyn had been driving for about 3 hours on the western desert of Australia already. From uninhabited desert to gradual appearance of transmission towers, from desert roads to tarred streets. The GPS showed that they were only 10 km away from Warburton, this small town was settled not far away from an intersection.

    ¡°If only our tribe has this ¡®car¡¯...¡± Along the way, Peacock gave many simrmentations. In fact Mchite had alreadye up with battle tactics should they have ess to cars in Dreands. With cars, they could have easily trample over the horses of the Ossarian riders. Before they departed, they bought a set of walkie-talkie at the gas station and that was how they maintainedmunication.

    ¡°Nightmare Man, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Kathlyn said, ¡°We will have to turn left at the next intersection.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun answered. He looked out the window and saw more vibrant nt lives but... A strange feeling struck him. There was a transmission tower about 10 metres tall standing not far away from them. He felt like he had seen it before. Any anomaly was worth noting, Gu Jun asked with a frown. ¡°Kathlyn, do you see that transmission tower ahead? Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ve passed it before?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Kathlyn¡¯s confused response came from the walkie-talkie. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t every transmission tower look the same?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Even so, Gu Jun could not take his eyes off it. Eventually the Chevrolet drove past it and the tower receded into the background.

    ¡°Damn it, the GPS has broken down again.¡± Kathlyn cursed. The GPS had gone down and she realized she had lost telephone signal too, things were just getting worse. She groused, ¡°You see why I couldn¡¯t wait to get away from this ce. It¡¯s been decades since I¡¯ve been here but nothing has changed, it¡¯s still as backwards as ever!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s frown locked deeper. The GPS system in his own car had gone down as well, this couldn¡¯t be a coincidence... He nced at Gold and Aquamarine at the backseat through the rearview mirror and asked, ¡°Did you guys feel anything like any disturbance in the space?¡±

    Gold¡¯s original personality Cers Wang tranted the question for Gold. ¡°Why would you suddenly ask a question like that?¡± Gold, Aquamarine as well as Peacock and Mchite in the other cars were quite confused. To be honest, they had been too focused on sightseeing to notice anything. Regardless, all of them said that they did not feel anything... but they also knew that the Nightmare Man had the most acute senses of them all. The cars drove for a while longer and Gu Jun suddenly narrowed his gaze. Far down the straight highway, there was another transmission tower.

    ¡°Look!¡± He said darkly, ¡°It¡¯s that same transmission tower.¡± This time he was confident, even though most transmission towers looked the same, the angle the electrical wires were dangling from the tower couldn¡¯t be replicated so perfectly. Combine this observation with the fact that the GPS and phone signal had gone down, his heart tightened with bad omen.

    ¡°We¡¯ve passed this transmission power five times already.¡± Gu Jun thought back.

    ¡°Brother...¡± Kathlyn questioned, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s not just the desert ying tricks on you?¡±

    Gu Jun had considered that possibility too. Did something interrupt his mind, something like a false impression? False impression was different from illusion, it was a distorted perception of the subjective truth, it normally urred when the subject was under duress due to nervousness, fear or anticipation. It affected normal people too but they often snapped out of it quickly; some patients at the hospital might take the IV drip as a snake at first nce, it was not that umon but if they did not recover from that false impression, then they would be deemed to be suffering from hallucination.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been driving for hours, the mind will get tired.¡± Kathlyn said, ¡°I¡¯ve seen some strange things on the road myself.¡±

    Was his mind ying tricks on him? While Gu Jun was contemting, the car flew past the transmission tower again at 70 km per hour. Gu Jun hoped that it was just his tired mind... if not it would be too worrying... Yesterday night, members of Phecda received a dream message from ¡®Gu Jun¡¯ and now strange things appeared to be happening at Warburton... He did not think the two would be rted... but...

    ¡°We¡¯ve been driving for 8 minutes already.¡± He asked, ¡°Where is the left turn you mentioned?¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Kathlyn was stumped. Even Tom asked in confusion. ¡°Based on the GPS before it shut down, we should have reached that turn already.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes focused again and a conflicted feeling rose within him. It was that damn transmission tower again. Even though his mental corruption had dropped down to 21.68 percent, he still had trouble managing his emotions. He felt the urge to m a fist into the dashboard.

    ¡°Look.¡± With jagged breathing, he warned. The space was distorted and so was his mind.

    ¡°Motherfucker...¡± Kathlyn cursed loudly, ¡°It does look like the same transmission tower, the wild grass that grows around the base are the same.¡± Now even she could notice it, in fact all thend¡¯s travellers noticed it too. From God knows when, their two cars had entered an endless loop.

    ¡°We better stop now.¡± Gu Jun announced. The things that happened here and the things that happened at Phecda¡¯s headquarters were definitely not a coincidence. He could sense the danger around them now... He thought he would have time tounch his own investigation and meet up with Wu Siyu to find the suspects... Find some uses for the two remaining sweet dreams, and get to the bottom of the mystery around thend¡¯s travellers but it appeared like time was not on his side. If this was a ticking bomb, it was about to explode soon.

    ¡®Why?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s mind was fuzzy. ¡®Why now? What is so special about this timing? Why the desperation? Why make the move now?¡¯ Suddenly he was reminded of something Dirty-minded Yu said, ¡°With her talent and hard work, Wang Ruoxiang was now at fifth chapter and apparently she was close to mastering it already.¡±

    ¡®After she is done with the fifth chapter, with Ruoxiang¡¯s talent and Phecda¡¯s urgency, she will be the first to engage with the sixth chapter...

    ¡®The traitors do not want that to happen?¡¯ Some thoughts were flitting through his mind but none seemed concrete enough.

    By then the two cars had stopped by the roadside and they were about 10 metres away from the transmission tower. They all got down from the cars. The five normal people were confused and the fivend¡¯s travellers were serious. Peacock asked the nightmare man, ¡°Should we go over there to take a closer look?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Kathlyn said nervously, she had a different idea in mind, ¡°Should we try to go backwards to see if we can get out from this loop?¡±

 Chapter 222: Missing Person

    <h4>Chapter 222: Missing Person</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The transmission tower stood right there, less than 10 metres away, the wind even carried the smell of the dry grass that grew around it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head over there to take a closer look, the rest of you should follow me in the cars,¡± Gu Jun decided. The decision earned some grumbling from people like Kathlyn but eventually they got back inside the car and followed closely behind the nightmare man. Gu Jun treaded for a while on the barren sand and felt like he was walking on clouds. ¡®Is this another false impression, feels like the cars are floating off the ground as well...¡¯ He headed straight for the transmission tower. He walked around it once and found nothing. He did not reach out to touch the tower, it did not seem like a wise choice at the moment. When he lifted his head to look up at the tower, he saw that the tower reached deep into the sky, as if linking the sky and earth together... He was reminded of something and asked, ¡°Peacock, you mentioned the power within the third chapter of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan is a kind of ¡®power that can connect heaven and earth¡¯, do you mind giving me a clearer exnation?¡±

    ¡°Heaven Earth as One, the Unification of All Creation.¡± Peacock frowned, ¡°It¡¯s like... you can physically sense the presence of nothingness.¡±

    ¡°Sir, you suspect this situation might be rted to the tome¡¯s power?¡± Mchite asked, ¡°But I do not sense the presence of its power.¡± The rest of thend¡¯s travellers shook their heads as well. Gu Jun responded with silence. He thought to himself, ¡®thend¡¯s travellers ultimately do note into contact with that power at the end of the third chapter due to the intervention of the Ancient Seal, so their feeling is not entirely reliable.¡¯ In any case, what Gu Jun had was just an anxious hunch, there was no proof. With theck of new discovery, Gu Jun grabbed a throw pillow and dropped it on the ground to use as a marker. He crawled back into the driver¡¯s seat of the Chevrolet, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll try driving backwards.¡±

    The two cars made a u-turn and drove around. The midday sun was relentless, the whole desert appeared to be roasting. Thinking back, Gu Jun realized the key turning point was probably that stretch of road where the desert road turned into tarred street. Not long after that their GPS navigation failed and they lost their phone signal. It was probably then they entered this abnormal space, the transmission tower was probably an anchor within this space. Since this was a straight road, the two cars drove side by side. Soon Kathlyn¡¯s nervous and confused voice rang out, ¡°Oh no...¡±

    Even though he had expected this, Gu Jun¡¯s heart was frozen. That transmission tower had appeared in their sight again. It rose before them even though technically it should have been behind them.

    ¡°How can this be?¡± Cers Wang stammered, ¡°It¡¯s probably a different tower, right?¡±

    ¡°Guys, look...¡± Annie He breathed with a nched face. ¡°It¡¯s brown... that is the same throw pillow.¡± For these normal citizens whosest memory was that of leaving their home, this was as eerie as it could get. But even for thend¡¯s travellers, they were chilled by this situation as well. The two vehicles drove slowly towards it. They expected to see the same throw pillow lying at the same spot as before but curiously enough the pillow had be worn like it had been exposed to the elements for an extended period of time. It was dirtied by mud and the stitching frayed...

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡± Tom mumbled, ¡°How long have we been trapped here?¡±

    ¡°Look!¡± Kathlyn gasped. A cavalcade of vehicles dominated the street down the horizon. They were abandoned there in a haphazard cluster. The group was sure the vehicles were not there before. Gu Jun noticed that the vehicles were all smallpact cars. Some were of obsolete models and looked like they had been parked there for a long time already while others lookedpletely brand new. They stopped a few meters away from the heap of cars. There were 16 cars in total, some of the car doors were left open, others were closed but all of them were abandoned, there was no trace of humanity. The group descended from their cars again. Gu Jun was worried about them so he personally went to investigate the cars. He did not touch them or get into any of the cars, he merely studied them from outside but he managed to conclude that the owners had left their vehicles in a hurry.

    ¡°Oh my god...¡± Kathlyn¡¯s eyes were glued inside a white,mon looking car. There was a picture frame on the dashboard which had a family portrait. Even through the sand, one could see blurrily the happy smiles of a Caucasian family, 1 couple and 2 kids. Gu Jun asked her what was wrong, she stuttered, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen them before, when I was still living at Warburton at the time. I think I was about 10. One day the whole town was filled with missing person posters, it was this family that went missing, they werest seen driving around this area. Considering how small Warburton was, the disappearance was quite a big news.¡± The longer she looked at the picture, the shakier her voice got. ¡°There were all sorts of rumors as to what happened to them, serial killers, demons... children like us were spooked so I remember it very clearly.¡±

    ¡°Kate, what you¡¯re saying is that...¡± Tom was stunned, ¡°They were actually trapped in here? What did the police say?¡±

    ¡°There was no follow up, you idiot, they were never found.¡± Kathlyn scolded her boyfriend helplessly. Gu Jun narrowed his eyes as he scanned the vehicles around him, trying to assess what this all meant. ¡®These are all the cars that have been trapped here? But some have been here for decades while others just got here? That¡¯s why there are both new and old cars... but if that is the case, what happened to the passengers inside the new cars?¡¯ The same question troubled the rest of the group. Their eyes wandered about, the sides of the street extended into bleak and treacherous sandy desert, sparse with bushes and small trees. Perhaps the passengers had wandered off the beaten path?

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s head on down this way.¡± Gu Jun walked towards the southern-west side, which was where Warburton was supposedly situated. Peacock and the rest carried the old rock with them. They trekked through the zing desert for several hundred metres when they saw something appear before them. It caused Kathlyn and the rest to turn pale. Annie He covered her mouth, if not for Aquamarine¡¯s support, she would have vomited already.

    ¡°Ah... God damn it...¡±

    ¡°This is... My god...¡±

    There were some carcasses kneeling on the ground, there were adults and children but all of their heads had been cut off. The headless bodies were not left haphazardly, instead they were ced carefully several metres from each other and they knelt towards the same direction, facing the transmission tower. They seemed to form a circle around the transmission tower as the central point. But to make such arge circle, one needed more than a handful of dead bodies...

    As they walked closer, they noticed some of the lined carcasses had already shrunk into desated corpses. Their tattered clothes revealed parched skin that stuck to the bones. Strangely enough none of the bodies showed any sign of putrefaction but they gave off a horrible stench.

    The other bodies were rtively fresh, and putrefaction had not set in. This meant that the time of death for each body was different. Gu Jun¡¯s headache was returning and the shadow in his heart was reacting, the visions of death that he saw between the two worlds returned.

    ¡®Where have the heads of these bodies gone?¡¯

    ¡°This is probably some kind of ritual.¡± Peacock said chillingly. ¡°I do not recognize it but this suggests to me some kind of sacrificial ritual.¡± Mchite and the rest nodded solemnly in agreement.

    ¡®If this is a sacrificial ritual,¡¯ Gu Jun looked around, ¡®then these people who identally entered this abnormal space are probably taken up as the sacrifice, in that case, wouldn¡¯t that include us as well?¡¯

 Chapter 223: Yellow Spell

    <h4>Chapter 223: Yellow Spell</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The smell of putrefaction suffocated the air. The cadaver of this adult male was torn at its neck. Gu Jun bent over to take a closer look. He could see clearly the tearing of the muscle, the soft cartge and the trachea. The tearing was surprisingly even, the decapitation must have been done with an extremely sharp instrument but the strangest thing was there was no blood stter around the body¡¯s neck, clothes and surrounding ground. If the victim was decapitated when he was still alive, then the aorta would have gushed out with blood and the body would not have been so clean so the decapitation must have been done post mortem.

    ¡°Is this the work of the devil...¡± Kathlyn uttered shakingly. The rest turned their eyes away or else their stomachs might turn. This was not a pretty sight for thend¡¯s travellers either. The irreverent way the children were treated reminded them of the Ossarians. For some reason, Kathlyn had this hunch that the two missing children were kneeling before them. Time-wise they would be dead for more than 10 years already.

    ¡°Based on my experience, things like these are more often the work of human beings and not the devil.¡± Gu Jun announced, ¡°Someone who is under the delusion that they are aplishing some kind of great goal.¡± Even though he was not a forensic doctor, Gu Jun had more contact with dead bodies than a real one and the feeling he got from these bodies was... strange and inexplicable. For example, based on their level of decay, the bodies should have depleted to a skeletal frame by now and not remained as some mummified corpses. Staring at the neck of the carcass, illusion shed across his eyes like a shadow, he saw the severed nerves and veins on the exposed neck twisting together to form a spiral triangle... He walked to the next corpse and was assaulted by the same illusion.

    ¡°Spiral triangle, spiral triangle...¡± he mumbled as something came into his mind. He walked along the trail of the dead bodies. The kneeling bodies were ced equidistant from each other... As he walked past them one after another, eventually he could confirm his suspicion, ¡°They are not forming a circle but a spiral triangle with the transmission tower as the centre...¡± The shape meant that there would be moreyers. The distance that he had just treaded was either the innermostyer of the spiral or the outermost. Toplete the shape, there had to be moreyers, thus this ritual needed more bodies, more sacrifices...

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man!¡± Suddenly, Peacock who was at the back shouted in shock. ¡°Something is floating this way.¡± Gu Jun turned to look and a gust of wind was rushing in from the direction of Warburton. The sand was gathering and among them were several yellowed papers. The wind stopped as sudden as it began just as the papersnded squarely beside their feet. Gu Jun picked up one of the papers and instantly he frowned. The paper was about the size of his palm and an uneven spiral triangle was drawn on it with red and ck paint. He had a feeling this was the shape being arranged using the dead bodies...

    ¡°What is this?¡± Tom asked openly as he picked up one of the papers. There were 6 pieces of papers and they all had the same drawing, the six papers seemed to correspond to the six of them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve not seen this kind of seal before.¡± Peacock began before Kathlyn continued shakily, ¡°I have a very, very bad feeling about this...¡±

    The rest of the group studied the paper closely while Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wandered over to the old stone. Something hit him then and his heart wrenched.

    ¡°Secret Spell Appear, Death Follow Suit, Shadow Demon Dance, Madness Reign Supreme; Phecda Chaos, Tragedy Birth, High Treason, Big Copse.¡±

    He lowered his head to look at the yellow paper in his hand again. ¡®Could this be the secret spell...? A yellow spell...¡¯ The legacy of thend¡¯s travellers described plenty about the ¡®big copse¡¯ from the prophecy but they had little to no idea about the earlier part. They only knew that ¡®secret spell¡¯ and ¡®shadow demon¡¯ referred to the defining features of the secret n concocted by the traitorous party... But was that its actual meaning?

    ¡°Secret Spell Appear, Death Follow Suit,¡± Gu Jun felt this sounded more like a heraldry of the ¡°Phecda Chaos.¡±

    ¡®And these yellow papers... could they be a notification of death?¡¯ Gu Jun looked at the transmission tower down the distance and in that moment, another mirage struck him. He saw not a grey steel tower but a tower made up of human skulls. Adults and children¡¯s decapitated heads with their faces frozen in madness during time of death. There was no pain and terror, only madness that ravaged at one¡¯s deepest soul. The skull that was ced on the very top was still leaking with blood.

    ...

    After Wu Siyunded at the airport, she got into the car that would ferry her to the Spell Department base at the headquarters, this was a privilege extended to not many members of the Recreational Department. When she entered the base that was about 20 storeys tall, it was already noon. Inside therge first floor lobby, she encountered Cai Zixuan who was there to lead her to the conference room.

    ¡°Siyu, Ah Jun is still alive!¡± When Cai Zixuan saw her, he announced excitedly, ¡°I can recognize his voice, that was definitely him!¡± Over the past year, Zixuan¡¯s hair had fallen even more from his worry, eventually he heeded Elder Tong¡¯s advice and went bald.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu gave a vague response. Along the way, Cai Zixuan radiated joy as if he would be reunited with his old friend tonight. As much as Wu Siyu tried to see him as a suspect, she could not. She could see fireworks basically erupting within the young man, the joy was pure and unadulterated. When she walked into the conference room, about 30 people were there already, most of them had received the message. Wang Ruoxiang, Xue Ba and Lou Xiaoning were there, their expressions too spoke of happiness. Elder Tong, Prof Shen as well as the central figures of Angell¡¯s Order like Prof Jiang were there as well. Her eyes lingered on the new recruits, those did not know Dirty-minded Jun before this...

    ¡°Siyu, I know it was him.¡± Wang Ruoxiang said with a smile. ¡°Our previous medical assessment has to be wrong, after all Dreands is different from this world.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, calm down!¡± It was Elder Tong who spoke. He was now the leader of a department, he needed to rein people¡¯s expectations in before they got ahead of themselves, ¡°We cannot tell for sure that it is Ah Jun yet. There are still many things to consider, where did the voicee from; how did it reach us; and what is the meaning of this picture that it has given us?¡±

    ¡°What picture?¡± Wu Siyu asked. Elder Tong did not mention this detail during the call.

    ¡°The people who received the message did not enter a specific dream, but other than the voice, they could blurrily remember a picture.¡± Elder Tong pointed, ¡°The one on the screen now.¡±

    Everyone turned to the monitor, which was showing a picture that was pieced together by everyone who had received the message. The picture had a sandy yellow background and in the middle of it was an uneven drawing of a spiral triangle.

 Chapter 224: Sound

    <h4>Chapter 224: Sound</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Staring at the spiral triangle on the screen, Wu Siyu seemed to see it spinning and moving like an optical illusion.

    ¡°Siyu, what are your thoughts?¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice pulled her back. Everyone knew about the close mental connection Wu Siyu and Gu Jun once shared so they looked at her with anticipation but she shook her head. ¡°No idea, I¡¯ve not seen this before.¡± The others were silent. They were thinking, ¡®Howe she did not receive the message?¡¯ Before she arrived, they were discussing this. ¡®Is it because she did not study the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan enough? But Cai Zixuan, who stopped at chapter 3, did receive it, and Elder Tong did not, so that did not appear to be the case.¡¯

    ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep yesterday night, I spent the whole night watching some drama.¡± Wu Siyu exined. That kangaroo believed if she had fallen asleep, she would have received the signal too but now, the fact that she did not would screw with the enemy¡¯s n. The others looked instantly relieved. Cai Zixuan breathed out inprehension, that would exin everything. Wu Siyu turned her attention to the three who had reached the fifth chapter: Wang Ruoxiang, her friend; Gao Yi, male, 30 plus, muscr build with a chubby face, had sses and came from the Investigation Department; Zhang Zuodong, also 30 plus, male, a rather unassuming appearance, open and kind towards others, came from the Scientific Research Department. Both of the gentlemen had backgrounds working with the Special Mobile Force, in fact most of the members of Spell Department did. People like Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning as well as the leader of Arctic Wolf, Yu Xiaoyoung were also present in the conference room.

    Other than Wang Ruoxiang who appeared quite excited and Lou Xiaoning who was agitated, the rest looked quite at ease. Wu Siyu then moved her attention to the only new recruit in the room, Zheng Jialiang. He had studied to the fourth chapter, a young man less than 20 years old. This Zheng Jialiang was incredibly talented, he used to be a piano musician. He was epted afteryers of assessment and review. Due to his handsome looks, impable manners and deep knowledge, he was quite popr. Due to his young age, people called him Xiao Liang. Elder Tong and Prof Shen had deep hopes in him, seeing shadows of Gu Jun on this young man.

    Before this, Wu Siyu had no opinion regarding Xiao Liang... but now that she was looking for a possible traitor, Xiao Liang earned her the deepest suspicion... However, that kangaroo did warn her from prejudice, not everything might be what it seemed.

    Zheng Jialiang was eager but appeared hesitant to say anything, he knew that with hisck of experience, his opinion would not be valued much. He always said that it was a shame he did not have a chance to get to know Gu Jun, as he viewed Gu Jun as his idol.

    Then there were two members who came from the Angell¡¯s Order, Chen Zhaoliang and Yang Ying. There were so many people in the room that it was impossible for her to recognize all of them. Her main responsibility at the Spell Department was to provide food and amodation, so technically she did not have much interaction with the members. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to feel the room but found nothing either.

    ¡°You have no idea at all?¡± Elder Tong asked again as confusion appeared on his face. ¡°Nothing?¡±

    Over the past year, it was Wu Siyu who had been holding onto hope, she had been urging Phecda to bring back Gu Jun¡¯s body and she had been doing research on her own about the Dreands. Everyone knew about that so they shared Elder Tong¡¯s confusion, because she should be the most excited of them all.

    ¡°Perhaps it was the midnight oil...¡± Wu Siyu pressed her forehead, ¡°The brain is drawing a nk.¡±

    As disappointed as Elder Tong was, he knew it was not her fault. They turned back to the discussion. The archives and Scientific Research Department failed to give any help to the analysis of this picture. In the end, Elder Tong decided for everyone to move to the Dreaming Room and check if they could still receive the signal under the surveince of the devices.

    ¡°Siyu, especially you.¡± Elder Tong said, ¡°This is perfect because you should be feeling sleepy already.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Wu Siyu answered but she nned to only close her eyes and pretend to sleepter. It was 1 pm when they left the conference room, exited the building and headed towards arge dreaming room at the Dream Building. This Dream Building was a joint department between Angell¡¯s Order and Phecda, it was specially made tomit to research into illnesses rted to dream, nightmare and other sleeping disorders as well as research into Dreands. This dreaming room,pared to the temporary one set up back then at Eastern State¡¯s Psychology Building, was muchrger and had more equipment and devices. About 32 people would participate in this mission. Each of themid downfortably in a dreaming chair and put on the devices.

    ¡°My advice is for you to open yourself to the signal.¡± Prof Jiang told them, ¡°If you hear any sound, just rx and listen, don¡¯t do anything else. Since everyone is gathered here, the transmitted signal will be much stronger so perhaps we can get a clearer message this time.¡± Among the group, only two of them had not received the signal, one was Elder Tong and the other Wu Siyu. Elder Tong wished to hear the message for himself to make his own decision whether it was authentic or not. This was the first time Wu Siyu felt so ufortable lying in the dreaming chair. She narrowed her eyes and looked around, the bad feeling within her intensified...

    The kangaroo told her not to enter any dream so this presented a challenge for her... She closed her eyes but she knew she could not trick the encephalography. She would have to admit that she could not sleep... If possible, she wanted to contact the kangaroo now to ask what she should do. This morning they thought they could still have another meeting tonight but she did not have the time. Gradually Wu Siyu could hear the sound of light breathing around her, the rhythm became even. People were falling asleep... Elder Tong, Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan... Lou Xiaoning, Xue Ba, Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong, Zheng Jialiang...

    Listening to these even breathing, a strange feeling enveloped her. ¡®Why am I feeling drowsy? No, I must stay awake!¡¯ Wu Siyu opened her eyes but saw only darkness. ¡®Lucid dream? But I was sure I did not fall asleep... or did I?¡¯ Now she could not even tell anymore. A blurry figure slowly appeared in the darkness. It was familiar and it appeared to be screaming frantically, ¡°Siyu, it¡¯s me, Gu Jun! I¡¯m not dead, I¡¯ve been left stranded on that ind.¡±

    Wu Siyu wanted to open her eyes but she could not, it was like the dream had imed her. The strange feeling was muddling her thoughts and sense, preventing her from confirming whether it was Dirty-minded Jun or not. However, her instinct told her to not react to the voice no matter what.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it¡¯s me? Siyu, I can¡¯t hold onto this connection any longer, juste and take a closer look, you¡¯ll see that it¡¯s me...¡± She could see a yellow spiral triangle behind the figure, it looked like a seal. Or a whirlpool that was sucking her in. ¡®Could it really be Dirty-minded Jun? This is the real Dirty-minded Jun...? No, of course not, stop listening to it...¡¯ She scrunched up her brows in focus as she tried totch onto the details inside candy cotton dream...

    ¡°Siyu, please, you¡¯re the only one who can save me. It¡¯s me! Don¡¯t you want to save me? Please, just look at me and you¡¯ll know it¡¯s me!¡±

 Chapter 225: Trap

    <h4>Chapter 225: Trap</h4>

    ¡°It is really me, juste here and take a look...¡± The yellow spiral triangle started to spin as the figure urged in Gu Jun¡¯s voice.

    ¡®You are not!¡¯ Wu Siyu finally calmed herself. She tasted no saltiness on her lips. ¡®No matter who you are, you are definitely not that kangaroo, you¡¯re not even a rat.¡¯ She stopped replying and sat down on the floor. ¡®Waste your time if you wish, I am not going to respond anymore.¡¯

    ¡°I do not have much time left...¡± The voice appeared to know that it had failed so it stopped calling her to get closer, instead it said, ¡°I can gain contact with the rest of you but the method is veryplicated so this might be thest chance I can do so... Only by building a dimensional portal between Dreands and earth that I will be able to return...¡± The voice became intermittent but the content could still be heard clearly, ¡°Tonight, all you need to do is to arrange yourself in the pattern of this seal while facing the direction of hostel number 5, and activate the power of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. Sense it and make the connection... allow the dimensions to ovep... I need your help, the more of you the better because we only have one chance... I will be waiting for you... tonight...¡±

    ¡®Tonight?¡¯ Wu Siyu now could confirm that this had to be a fake Dirty-minded Jun. She had already promised to meet up with the real Dirty-minded Jun in the sweet dream tonight so this voice could not have belonged to him. All of the sudden, her eyes flew open. The room was still very quiet. She looked at the people in the dreaming room and her heart chilled. Without that kangaroo, she would have fallen into the abyss already...¡¯Who is behind that voice? Are they still inside the dreaming room?¡¯

    By then, the rest slowly woke up. Most of them should have heard the voice, Siyu could see that from the excitement on their faces. But based on the rules, the group was not allowed to exchange information immediately, instead they were ushered into separate rooms next to the dreaming room and worked with Phecda members to record down everything that they had experienced in their dream. After some consideration, Wu Siyu decided to be honest about her discovery. Regarding the question, ¡®do you believe the voice belongs to Gu Jun¡¯, she responded with a resounding ¡®no¡¯, and the reason was, ¡®It was just a feeling, I could feel that it was not him.¡¯

    After that, the group sat around the waiting area. Finally they couldmunicate with each other.

    ¡°Ah Jun looked so much thinner.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°The food there must disagree with him, there¡¯s not even someone to cook some soup for him.¡±

    ¡°Considering what we¡¯re facing,¡± Lou Xiaoning shrugged. ¡°No matter whether it¡¯s true or not, we still need to go and rescue him. After all there is no way of telling if it is him or not.¡± The others nodded silently. The real choice that was ced before them was actually whether they were willing to take this risk or not, if yes, they might save Gu Jun or they might be in trouble; if no, then definitely Gu Jun would be lost to them. Wu Siyu knew that was the case, if not for the appearance of the kangaroo, in spite of how suspicious the voice was, she would have made the choice to take the risk. The traitorous force was probably banking on that, they did not give them much time to consider and rash decisions always led to an awful oue...

    The more Siyu thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. She took out her phone to call a number, the emergency number given to her by the kangaroo, she was only supposed to call it during an emergency, Siyu felt like this was urgent enough, but the call... would not go through... the number was out of service...

    Soon, Elder Tong and Prof Shen walked out with the announcement, ¡°Of the 32 people, 27 heard the voice and the content they heard coborated with each other.¡±

    ¡°I still did not hear anything.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s face was lined with helplessness. ¡°Regardless, there is an ambiguity about this whole thing. If we are to follow normal protocol, we won¡¯t have enough time but if we follow the voice¡¯s instruction, that will put us in an unknown position and risk. What do you guys think?¡±

    ¡°I am willing to take that risk.¡± Wang Ruoxiang said seriously, ¡°What if... that is the real Gu Jun? I can¡¯t just ignore that possibility.¡± Cai Zixuan nodded. Others who were familiar with Gu Jun all agreed to take the risk.

    ¡°We all know spells now.¡± Xue Ba added, ¡°The voice wished for us to use the power of the tome which we are familiar with. Nothing hase to harm so far, so why should it now?¡±

    ¡°Other than that, we can do this outside.¡± Lou Xiaoning suggested, ¡°And set up an artillery perimeter around it. If anything strange happens, just unload the fireworks. That should lower the risk that we might face.¡± This could turn into a suicide mission was what she was saying. They were all prepared to sacrifice for the sake of Gu Jun. Their loss would not hinder Phecda either because the Spell Department now already had a mature cultivation system, yes, it would be a regret to lose them but it was not a loss that could not be reced. Elder Tong, Prof Shen and Prof Jiang had taken that into consideration. Just as the n appeared to go through, Wu Siyu suddenly piped up to say, ¡°I am against this mission!¡±

    The room silenced immediately. The person who supposedly would support this rescue mission the most... was against it?

    ¡°I have a feeling that was not Gu Jun.¡± Only Wu Siyu knew how dire the situation was. She needed to persuade the group to believe her without revealing the kangaroo¡¯s existence. She thought back to the voice and argued, ¡°The voice used the terms ¡®Dreands and earth¡¯! Dreands, Gu Jun would not have known that term in the first ce.¡± She had no idea Gu Jun had already familiarized himself with that terms from thend¡¯s travellers and Atal but that was beside the point.

    ¡®What?¡¯ The group looked at each other.

    ¡°I heard him say ¡®dream world¡¯ and not ¡®Dreands¡¯,¡± Wang Ruoxiang said with a frown. She was supported by Lou Xiaoning and Xue Ba who also heard ¡®dream world¡¯.

    ¡°Siyu probably heard a slightly different message than the rest of us did.¡± Prof Jiang offered. Wu Siyu frowned with apprehension, ¡®I¡¯ve been trapped...?¡¯ The voice knew that she did not believe him so they purposelyid down this trap, it appeared like she was the only one who heard the term Dreands being used.

    ¡°Probably Sister Siyu did not catch it that clearly?¡± Zheng Jialiang said and scratched his head while exining, ¡°The voice was quite blurry after all and Sister Siyu has synesthesia. With her unique background, it is not impossible for her to mishear the voice, right?¡± Hearing that, most people turned from confusion to understanding.

    Wu Siyu¡¯s heart twitched. She looked at Zheng Jialiang¡¯s harmless and youthful face, thinking, ¡®What is this guy up to...?¡¯

    Everyone wanted the message to be true because they wanted to rescue Gu Jun. Zheng Jialiang¡¯s seemingly kind words were meant to undermine her power of persuasion. Due to their eagerness, the rest was willing to buy into his words and believed that Siyu had most likely misheard the voice.

    ¡°That is possible.¡± Prof Jiang added, ¡°From what we gathered, those who have lesser training of the tome gleaned less information and blurrier messages.¡± Wang Ruoxiang, Gao Yi, and Zhang Zuodong, all three of them heard dream world; so did the members who reached chapter 3 and 4, they all heard dream world; instead it was those, whose study only reached chapter two, who could not be certain, their testimonials ranged from ¡®ind¡¯, ¡®Dreands¡¯ to ¡®Dream World¡¯...

    For example, Cai Zixuan had trouble recalling the message despite his close rtionship with Gu Jun, so it was not unlikely that Wu Siyu had misheard, this was not an issue regarding the bond of rtionship but their level of training with the tome.

    ¡°No, I did not mishear anything...¡± Wu Siyu knew that she was cornered. She looked at the faces around her and for a moment, they all looked unfamiliar to her, ¡°I know that Gu Jun is still alive but that was not his voice, it was trying to trick us.¡±

    ¡°Sister Siyu has been under great pressure.¡± Zheng Jialiang added with kindness, ¡°What happened today must have impacted her greatly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just shut up!¡± Wu Siyu was not one to lose her temper but this kid had been getting under her skin. His implication was that Siyu¡¯s S Value had probably copsed from this interaction with the voice, so no matter what she said, it should not be taken into consideration. Even if Siyu told the truth now, that Dirty-minded Jun was in Australia and she had justmunicated with him that morning, it would only make her look even crazier. People might even think that since she had been living in a dream over the past year, she had lost the ability to believe in the existence of the real Gu Jun. No matter what she said now, it would carry no weight.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zheng Jialiang closed his mouth and looked perfectly like a penitent junior.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Wu Siyu knew that the more she argued, the more unhinged she would appear. Unfortunately, cunning words and mind tricks were really not her forte. She looked pleadingly at her friends but they looked nkly back at her. ¡°Guys, this is a trap, I am sure of it!¡±

    The group did not know how to respond. Ultimately, it was Wang Ruoxiang who said, ¡°Siyu, I want to take this risk, we can¡¯t just give up on this chance because we are afraid...¡±

    Yes, this might be a trap but this might be their only hope to save Gu Jun.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start the preparation for now.¡± Elder Tong said darkly, ¡°We¡¯ll decideter whether we shouldmit to the mission or not.¡±

 Chapter 226

    <h4>Chapter 226</h4>

    : Herald

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The scorching sun toasted the desert. Gu Jun led the group several times around the transmission tower, they found in total 57 headless bodies and they were arranged in the spiral triangle pattern. For now, he told everyone to refrain from touching any of the corpses, they might be contagious. Then he ordered Mchite to pluck a few branches from the nearby trees. Mchite used the branch to poke at the shoulder of one of the male adults. He said instantly, ¡°It feels like I¡¯m touching a rock.¡±

    Gu Jun tried the same with another branch, he instantly understood what Mchite meant. The body appeared to be a mummified corpse but he was unable to move it an inch no matter how hard he pushed. It was the same when others tried it. The action was repeated with the other corpses. Even with the corpse of children, all of them failed to move it even if theybined their strength together. These headless corpses seemed to have melded into the ground.

    ¡°These people have turned into stone?¡± Kathlyn gasped.

    ¡°Impossible.¡± Cers Wang surprised them by exining, ¡°The mainponents of stone are silicate and silicon, those elements cannot be derived from the human body.¡± Thend¡¯s travellers shivered because they were all reminded of the same thing, ¡®The Petrification Illness, the legendary sickness that could turn human beings into stone...¡¯

    ¡°That might be true on Earth.¡± Gu Jun looked around, ¡°But we¡¯re in an abnormal space, we still have no idea how anything works in here.¡± The group was silent. Suddenly, they saw a dark blue car driving past the highway.

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Another group?¡±

    ¡°We should go check it out but be careful.¡± Gu Jun said as he raced back to the street. After his mental corruption lowered, his body became more agile. The most imminent question on his mind was, ¡®the fact that they are in this abnormal space now was due to a careless mistake or a purposeful trap?¡¯ This new arrival might give him the answer. When they reached the street, they waited for a while and saw the same blue car return from the other end.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Kathlyn waved to stop them. It was a Caucasian family inside the car, they were the Jacksons and their 7 years old daughter, Holly. They were just passing by, they were not even heading towards Warburton, but they seemed to be trapped in the same ordeal as Gu Jun¡¯s group was. Kathlyn exined to them the situation.

    ¡°You have to be kidding me...¡± Naturally Mr. Jackson refused to believe her. Combined with his caution of the man in the mask, he rolled up the window and stepped on the gas. But not long after that, the family returned to the same spot, once, twice, thrice... Mr. Jackson tried to drive backwards but eventually they ended up where they started... with Gu Jun¡¯s group.

    After the Jacksons, more vehicles entered this space. There were 5 cars and 1rge truck. 3 nervous families and 2 couples who found this to be quite exciting. The trucker could not stop cursing. Now 18 more people were trapped here. A strange wind flew from the direction of Warburton, carrying with it 18 yellow papers, one for each new arrival. Taking in all these, Gu Jun could basically confirm that the endless loop setup took in all the innocent passer-by...

    The people panicked andined, those who refused to stay got back into their vehicles and continued to drive but as expected, it was to no avail. When they discovered the corpses, some screamed. The couple with tattoos instantly took out their phones to share this on the inte. Kathlyn and Annie tried their best to persuade these people to stay back from the corpses on the ount that they might be contagious. The families with the children nodded nervously and stayed back but the trucker and 2 couples refused to listen. The couple with the tattoos was particrly uncooperative.

    ¡°Who gave you people the right tomand us around?¡± The bald, tattooed man purposely used his feet to kick at the corpse, ¡°You¡¯re just trapped here earlier than we did!¡±

    ¡°Just ignore him and stay away.¡± Gu Jun persuaded Kathlyn and the rest from having conflict with the man, then he turned to the families, ¡°If you treasure your lives, stay away from those corpses.¡± Naturally Gu Jun hoped that the innocents would be spared but he had no time to babysit people. Having conflict would only worsen the situation. ¡®What is happening here? What is going on back at the headquarters? Are these two things connected?¡¯ Without a phone signal, he could not contact Wu Siyu or anyone else. Gu Jun walked to the side to try to click open the cotton candy dream in his mind. He opened the door to allow the audience to walk in. He summoned again and again, ¡°Wu Siyu, Dirty-minded Yu!¡± But there was no answer, the audience member did not take on her appearance.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Yu, what is going on with you...¡¯ The anxiety in Gu Jun¡¯s heart grew as the faces of his friends and mentors shed before him.

    ...

    The voice did not taste salty, she did not feel the connection... Wu Siyu realized the more she tried to argue, the deeper the wariness in the way others looked at her. Xue Ba said, ¡°We were not afraid before, why should we be afraid now? The risk is worth taking.¡± Lou Xiaoning had confidence in the deployment of firepower. ¡°We have snipers, drones and missiles in case of contingency.¡± Cai Zixuan even had the time to go to the canteen to prepare ingredients for his soup. ¡°So that Tycoon Jun can taste them right away when he returns tonight.¡±

    ¡°But what if it really is him?¡± Wang Ruoxiang argued, ¡°Gu Jun has saved me in the nightmare world, I owe him this.¡±

    Siyu failed to persuade anyone, if anything, she was being persuaded by them to join the mission. As the voice said, they needed as many people as they could gather and Siyu might be the key. The kangaroo warned her from trusting anyone... but Siyu was cornered and the emergency number could not be reached....

    In the end, Wu Siyu decided to take the risk and confide in Elder Tong, ¡°Actually I have already gained contact with Gu Jun yesterday night... Yes, I know how coincidental that sounds, but it is true! What I¡¯m telling you is true! He has his own mission and he doesn¡¯t need us to open this portal for him.¡±

    ¡°Siyu, I understand your feelings.¡± Elder Tong sighed, ¡°There are suspicions about this whole thing, like why didn¡¯t he message me? But do you think I can stop them from doing this? That is Ah Jun we¡¯re talking about! The Spell Department is always tasked to be at the frontline when ites to missions like this and they¡¯re all ready to make the necessary sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°But I have really made contact with him, I even talked to him on the phone, well, he did not really speak... but he had his reasons not to...¡± She exined further to Elder Tong, revealing everything, including the existence of a traitor and Gu Jun¡¯s message for her to keep it a secret. But after Elder Tong¡¯s investigation and consideration, he still could not bring him to trust Siyu fully, ¡°What you¡¯re saying is a possibility but so is the situation described by that voice. Unless you can channel a direct conversation between me and Ah Jun, I cannot halt this mission. However I will take necessary precautions based on what you said. Zheng Jialiang will not be given a weapon during the mission and I will mobilize more people from the Action Department to tighten up security.¡±

    Wu Siyu felt helpless. She understood that with the little information that she had given, it was understandable that Elder Tong adopted this attitude. Curse the phone for not working at this crucial moment. She wanted to lie down on the ground. ¡®Dirty-minded Jun, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m too stupid andzy to stop them from wanting to save you... To stop them and save you, one only has one chance... Wait a minute...¡¯ Suddenly, Siyu realized there was one thing that she could still do.

    Night wasing, the number was still out of service, the team was about to depart.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided, I might be the key.¡± Wu Siyu told Wang Ruoxiang and the rest, ¡°I will join the team.¡±

    Holding a giveaway for the game, Pinstripe for my Patrons on our discord server. Do join for the fun and festivities: https://discord.gg/s4qraBx

 Chapter 227: Unknown Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 227: Unknown Ritual</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Night came eventually. A crescent moon and million stars decorated the dark sky. The constetions, which were hidden by smog in the city, were perfectly visible in the countryside. Rohini of the Tauri sat next to the crescent moon, glowing faintly in yellow. The team designated their mission at an outdoor experimental field outside the Spell Department. This ce was originally a field used for experiment so it was situated quite a distance from the nearby base and hostel. The perimeter was set up with cameras and guard towers posted with snipers. Drones flew across the sky, ready to unload their bullets if necessary. The tanks, armored cars, and missileunchers were in ce. Should anything bad happen, this piece ofnd would be levelled.

    35 members of the team and the group of Action Department members had all drafted their wills. For the higher-ups, this mission was not only to save Gu Jun, it was also an experiment to open a channel to Dreands so they had to be ready to be faced with any possible enemy. At that moment, many people were gathered inside the headquarter¡¯s surveince room. ¡°This mission will have asting influence.¡±¡±Hopefully it¡¯s a good one.¡±

    Back inside themand central at the Spell Department, Elder Tong, Prof Shen, and Prof Jiang stood waiting. Researchers worked in the background while members from the Action Department stood guard.

    ¡°Elder Tong, did you feel something will go wrong?¡± Prof Shen asked seriously. That afternoon Elder Tong suddenly mobilized a lot more security, he did not give an exnation to even Prof Shen. Elder Tong gave the order directly to the Action Department. The security detail at Spell Department was increased and all members of the department who did not participate in the mission were required to stay in their rooms and a heavy guard detail was posted at the hostels.

    ¡°One cannot be too cautious.¡± Elder Tong answered. Zheng Jialiang was not given a weapon and the snipers as well as drones were targeted on him. There were pros and cons to allow him on the mission. If he was really the traitor, then he would be exposed during this mission. A live feed of the field was shown on the monitor in themand central. There were only a small number of people who were allowed to carry firearms. The ostentatious reason given was that no one could tell what would happen when they crossed over to the Dreands. However, the real reason was Elder Tong had no idea who might align themselves with the enemy, if even there was one.

    In the middle of the emptynd, the 35 members stood 3 metres away from each other and formed a spiral triangle facing Hostel Number 5. Their expressions caught by the drones were calm but some were quite worried, like Cai Zixuan. Wu Siyu stood among them, her dark eyes looked around her and she noticed that Zheng Jialiang still appeared as harmless as ever...

    ¡°Is everyone ready?¡± Even though Xue Ba was not the one with the most advanced training when it came to the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan, his Special Mobile Force experience made him the leader of this team. He said seriously, ¡°we might only have one chance. If it is really Gu Jun, we will definitely save him; If it is the enemy, we will apprehend them.¡± Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong nodded. Wang Ruoxiang took a long meaningful look at Wu Siyu to her left and whispered, ¡°Siyu, remember to keep calm no matter what.¡±

    Due to Zheng Jialiang¡¯s subtle wordy and influence, everyone was brought to believe that Wu Siyu was too mentally frazzled to be standing there but everyone knew about her special mental bond with Gu Jun so she was given a special permission by Elder Tong. To everyone¡¯s hidden relief, she was not allowed to carry firearms.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu nodded and ended the conversation.

    ¡°Then let us begin.¡± Xue Ba looked at his teammates. Lou Xiaoning and Yu Xiaoyong nodded in return. They had no idea what would happen, but they were sure this ritual would greatly drain their mental power, and time was necessary for one¡¯s mental power to recover, so he was not specting when he said they only had one chance that night.

    Eventually, even the birds had quieted down, what was left was the buzzing of the drones. People everywhere were paying attention. The team standing in the spiral triangle focused at Hostel Number 5 as they thought back to the content of Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan and used their mental power to activate its power. They opened up their senses to their surroundings, made connection to thend and the night sky, to channel a mysterious force that appeared to derive from the stars...

    Wu Siyu naturally took no part in this. She kept her eyes peeled, watching the changes to the others¡¯ expression. Their faces took on a veil of shadow. ¡®Not yet, it¡¯s not yet the time... their mental power is still not exhausted enough...¡¯ To her consternation, she noted that the eyes of Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba and Zheng Jialiang had ssed over, or rather they were slipping into an illusion. A strange apprehension gripped her heart, she could feel a power of nothingness corrupting her mind, it appeared... to be the source of power behind the tome. Her senses became befuddled, this had happened to her for the first time.

    The night breeze chilled her bones. She looked up into the sky and realized with shock the stars and moon had faded away, leaving behind the sole yellow Rohini. The star seemed to have grownrger and closer, its yellow glow was practically consuming the night sky.

    ¡®Something is wrong, my mind is slipping away... Learn from Gu Jun! What would he do now?¡¯ Wu Siyu pinched herself heavily on her waist and the pain jolted her awake. She could see that the people around her were being mentally corrupted, the higher their training, the more obvious the corruption. Wang Ruoxiang, Zhang Zuodong and Gao Yi¡¯s bodies were radiating a yellow light. Their faces were twisted like they were seeing something horrible in their mind.

    Wu Siyu was suddenly reminded of what Gu Jun said, the reason behind Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome might not be that simple. ¡®What is the tome¡¯s source of power? Is this actually a ritual to corrupt their mind and transmute their personality? They are not traitors now, but after this ritual, they might be one. This ritual has to be stopped...¡¯

    Wu Siyu pressed on the rm that was given to her by Elder Tong as she moved from her designated spot. She made an attempt to charge into Wang Ruoxiang to knock her down. She had to stop this ritual! But at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared to block her.

    ¡°Command central, we have spotted a dimensional distortion!¡±

    ¡°We have lost aim of the targets! Repeat, loss of vision, we cannot aim at the targets!¡±

    A ripple appeared in the middle of the field. The snipers on the towers reported immediately. Due to the distortion, their scopes were rendered useless. Looking through the heat sensors, the shapes of the team members had melted into a glob with their surroundings. At the same moment, perhaps due to signal disturbance, several drones suddenly crashed to the ground. Back at themand central, as they listened to the live report and watched the scene unfold on the monitor, they were all nervous as hell. But no one made an order to stop the ritual because no one could tell for sure if this was not just an effect of the portal to Dreands being opened. ording to Xue Ba¡¯s description, when Gu Jun summoned the white ship, the dimension was disturbed as well. This appeared to mean that the mission of opening the portal was sessful but the problem was they had no idea where the portal would lead...

    ¡°Elder Tong, should we do something?¡± Prof Shen asked anxiously.

    Elder Tong though was suddenly assaulted by a headache, his mind too was affected by the corruption...

    ¡°Did you hear that? The singing?¡± Elder Tong¡¯s hoarse question startled Prof Shen and the rest, but soon they understood what Elder Tong meant. There was a song that seemed to being from the field while at the same time echoing inside their heart. Was it the team members in the field who were singing?

    But that could not be true because the song floated on the grace of a female voice, it flowed freely as a river and evoked the mncholy of loneliness. It rang through the night and slipped into everyone¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Along the shore the cloud waves break,

    The twin suns sink behind theke,

    The shadows lengthen

    In Carcosa.¡±

 Chapter 228: Stop the Ritual

    <h4>Chapter 228: Stop the Ritual</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Darkness had also descended inside that endless loop in the desert. By now, there were 54 people trapped there. People had tried multiple methods to leave but they all ended up at the beginning so eventually they had to ept that they were trapped inside this suspended space. Right this moment, most people were clustered around their own vehicles, only 20 of them heed Kathlyn¡¯s advice to stay together and park their vehicles by the roadside and keep their headlights open to expand their field of vision. This way they could be prepared for any change.

    ¡°Do you guys know something?¡± Mr. Jackson asked the man in the mask, he had discerned who was the decision maker here. The gaze of the masked man was scary and the purplish-red skin that was exposed was enough to put fear in others. In fact, some of them suspected this group of people was the culprit but the question was how did they manage to do something like that?

    ¡°I know some but what I don¡¯t know is more.¡± Gu Jun said. He frowned as he turned his head up to the night sky. He felt the stars and moon were dimming and the breeze was turning chill. Then he could hear a song drifting on the wind...

    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Gu Jun looked at the surroundings that were lit up by the headlights. ¡°There¡¯s someone singing.¡± Thend¡¯s travellers were the next to hear it, followed by Kathlyn¡¯s group andstly the rest of the people. A mncholic female voice was singing in an unfamiliarnguage but somehow everyone understood the meaning of the song. ¡®Where did the singinge from?¡¯ The panicked citizens looked around. The headless bodies in the dark were still immobile... were they singing? Both Kathlyn and Peacock saw a ripple in the dimension. Something was transmuting and ovepping. The flickering illusion messed with their visibility.

    ¡°Ah...!¡± Suddenly someone gasped. The Jacksons turned to look and saw the tattooed guy swayed towards a specific spot in the desert and knelt down. He was followed by a few others who refused to listen to Gu Jun¡¯s group¡¯s advice. Like puppets, they moved into position and knelt down one after another. These people turned their heads towards the transmission tower. Above the tower, there was only a single star lingering in the night sky, its yellow glow was spreading across the ck canvas. Gu Jun suddenly understood why the wound on the bodies were so even and why there was ack of blood... the decapitation was done after the petrification.

    All of them who received the yellow papers were going to end up as sacrifices. The yellow papers were indeed death notifications.

    ¡°Do not listen to that song!¡± Gu Jun shouted at the panicked people around him. ¡°It can control your mind!¡± He must end this ritual to save these people. That must be why the ck shadow had led him here, he was going to affect this change.

    ¡°Take care of yourselves!¡± Gu Jun told Peacock and the rest before rushing down a direction. At the same time, Holly who was in Mrs. Jackson¡¯s arms as well as the 10 children within this protective circle started to sing along with the female voice. They were joined by the other children from outside the circle. Their young faces slowly drained of expression as their mouths moved along to the song,

    ¡°Strange is the night where ck stars rise,

    And strange moons circle through the skies

    But stranger still is

    Lost Carcosa.¡±

    ...

    The night sky above the field had turned yellow. The dimension was twisting and the song was ringing out. A figure blocked before Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Songs that the Hyades shall sing,

    Where p the tatters of the King,

    Must die unheard in

    Dim Carcosa.¡±

    ¡°Sister Siyu, listen to the song, listen.¡± Zheng Jialiang stood to block her way, his young face filled with strange fanaticism, ¡°It¡¯s almost done.¡± Wu Siyu was not surprised to see this man, she was just curious whether he was a traitor sent into the Spell Department or he was turned into one while he was in the department.

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± She took out a stun gun, this weapon was given to her by Elder Tong. Elder Tong ultimately did believe her but he knew he could not stop the rest from attempting this mission so he handed Siyu the power to end the ritual if need be. She fired at Zheng Jialiang and the electrical wires hit the target. Zheng Jialiang did not even attempt to evade, he should be convulsing on the floor from the stun gun but he was still standing there, shouting feverishly, ¡°You cannot stop this, the whole world is responding to the brotherhood! Do you think this is the only ce? You cannot stop this! You poor thing, you have not reached the third chapter so you have not been revealed to the secret of the Hyades... Even when the descendent of Hastur is standing before you, you cannot recognize him!¡±

    Wu Siyu was about to run past him when she saw the people around her turn towards her. They had no expression but their eyes were glowing with a strange yellow light.

    ¡°Have you seen your yellow secret spell?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked.

    ¡°Have you seen your yellow secret spell?¡± Xue Ba asked.

    ¡°Have you seen your yellow secret spell?¡± Louxiaoning, Chen Zuodong, Gao Yi and the others also asked.

    Wu Siyu¡¯s heart thumped like it was hit, her grip on the stun gun tightened. Everyone was affected... The influence probably did not start tonight, not with this ritual, the insidious effect probably started when they decided to study the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. This was especially true for those who had reached the third chapter, and suffered from ¡®Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome¡¯, they were not traitors but their minds had been controlled. The culprit was this...¡¯brotherhood¡¯. Did they walk willingly into this trap or they had been hypnotized from the beginning? If not for the kangaroo, would she fall for the same influence? Would she sumb to madness too?

    Suddenly, some of them raised their weapons...

    ¡°Stop, wake up!¡± Wu Siyu shouted urgently, ¡°This is not who you are!¡±

    She noticed Cai Zixuan responding to her pleas. The man, who was just in the second chapter, was not under too great of an influence. He did not join in the chant about the yellow secret spell earlier. Cai Zixuan¡¯s face convulsed in pain and his weakened voice was almost drowned by the song, ¡°Siyu, run... this is not Tycoon Jun...¡± Wu Siyu was about to do so when she heard a painful groan from Wang Ruoxiang beside her. In that groan, Siyu tasted the Formalin. It hit her then, under Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s seemingly measured expression, there was still a struggle of self. The ritual was not yet over, they had not yet fully lost themselves!

    ...

    The yellow light swallowed up the sky as the children sang louder. More citizens shambled towards the desert and knelt down facing the transmission tower. Peacock and Kathlyn were quite dumbfounded while the parents like the Jacksons pleaded with their own children to stop in panicky voices. The nightmare man rushed towards therge red truck on the highway. The truck was 8 metres long and the truck bed was filled with tarped cargo. Compared to the other vehicles, it appeared lumpy and unwieldy. The trucker had already joined the kneelers so there was no one to stop Gu Jun from hijacking the truck. Gu Jun crawled into the driver¡¯s seat, thankfully the key was still stuck in the ignition. He put on the seatbelt, turned on the engine, gripped the steering wheel and stepped on the oil. ¡°This ritual has to be stopped.¡±

    The headlights lit up the road ahead. He kept his eyes glued to the transmission tower and kicked the truck into the highest gear. His feet pressed hard on the pedal, letting the truck pick up more speed!

    At the same time, the rest were stunned by what he was doing. ¡°What is he going to do?¡±¡±Oh my god.¡±

    Under their gaze, the truck picked up speed. It buzzed down the road but the sound was still too weak to drown out the singing,

    ¡± Song of my soul, my voice is dead;

    Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed

    Shall dry and die in

    Lost Carcosa.¡±

    Through the windshield, Gu Jun kept his eyes on the grey transmission tower that stood in the middle of the desert. He was getting closer and closer. He was driving down a straight line. The speedometer showed 80, 90, 100, 110 km per hour...

    The front of the truck was heading towards the side of the tower. Gu Jun gritted his teeth and kicked harder on the pedal!

    Thend¡¯s travellers gasped in shock while the others looked on in stunned silence.

    BANG! The truck rammed heavily into the 30 metres tall transmission tower...

    The windshield shattered, as did the headlights. The front of the truck crashed and the sideview mirrors were blown away. The heavy collision sent a huge tremor all over Gu Jun, shaking the bones and organs in his body. Thankfully the seatbelt kept him in ce. He opened his eyes and looked ahead. One side of the base had been bent by the collision and it caused the whole tower to sway. The singing of the children weakened. Gu Jun held the steering wheel and stepped back on the pedal, pushing the vehicle forward!

    ¡°Damn tower, it¡¯s time to fall! Carcosa shall remain lost!¡±

 Chapter 229: Madness (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 229: Madness (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The yellow light in the sky dimmed, the single star appeared to be swaying, like the transmission tower underneath it. The heavy-duty tires which had already dug deep into the ground were still rolling, causing a storm of sand and dust. The truck continued to push forward, bending the frame even further. The tower eventually tumbled towards the direction of the truck. The children stopped singing. Confusion colored Holly¡¯s young face before she crawled into her mother¡¯s embrace. ¡°Mummy, I had a nightmare.¡±

    That sent renewed hope to the citizens as well as thend¡¯s travellers. They knew the strange ritual had been disturbed!

    The transmission tower appeared to be the anchor of the ritual.

    ¡°This, this...¡± Kathlyn stammered in shock. ¡°Who exactly is this nightmare man?¡±

    ¡°That is what we wish to know as well.¡± Peacock sighed. They knew they would not be able to replicate the nightmare man¡¯s heroics because they did not possess sufficient mental power. The closer one got to the transmission tower, the greater its influence. If they attempted this, the truck would only veer from course but this nightmare man...

    The normal citizens gasped and turned towards each other. ¡°He has stopped it?¡±¡±That brother is awesome.¡±¡±Thank God we¡¯ve listened to him.¡± Even the most idiotic among them could tell by now that this group was not the culprit, if anything, they were there to help them so they better wised up and followed their instructions. Thankfully, none of the citizens who were inside the protective circle had been lured out into the desert. Those who refused to listen to Kathlyn¡¯s advice earlier saw this and quickly hurried over while screaming, ¡°help, help!¡±¡±Let us in there, please!¡± Peacock¡¯s group did not stop them because the greater the resistance to the ritual, the likelier the chance of it being interrupted.

    ¡°How about we push on the horns altogether?¡± Kathlyn suggested, ¡°That should interrupt the singing right?¡± Peacock already understood what car horns were, it was as loud as the shout of ten thousand people. She agreed immediately, ¡°yes, let¡¯s make everyone¡¯s car scream!¡±

    Thankfully, the others had gotten used to the strange vernacr of these people so they quickly crawled back into their cars. The car horns of all the vehicles inside the circle rang noisily. It was shrill and loud, causing their eardrum to buzz. The children all closed their eyes and pinched their faces in pain. But it was clearly working, with this din, the already weak singing voice was almost drowned out. Ironically just like the lyric, her voice was dying.

    Beep, beep! The car horns echoed through the night. Some of the citizens who were kneeling in the desert suddenly came to. They staggered up from the kneeling position when they noticed the headless bodies nking them. They screamed and started to run.

    ¡°Come over here!¡± Kathlyn and Tom shouted, ¡°Stay at the outer perimeter.¡± Out of concern for contagious disease, these neers were not allowed inside the circle. At the same time, at the transmission tower, the truck was still pushing, it did not appear like it would stop until the tower crashed. Hearing the noisy car horns, a chill smirk rose on Gu Jun¡¯s face. ¡®That¡¯s right! Make all the noise you can to disturb this ritual!¡¯

    Gu Jun was getting closer to the centre of the tower and it was now unwise to remain inside the truck. He picked up some random trash on the dashboard and ced them leaning on the gas pedal. He unhooked the safety belt and squeezed his shaking body out through the distorted car door. His body fell with a thud on the ground. He took a deep breath before climbing up and shuffled back to the circle.

    Gu Jun looked up at the night sky, the yellow light was fading. Regardless of the purpose of the ritual, it had been temporarily stopped.

    ¡°Secret Spell Appear, Death Follow Suit, Shadow Demon Dance, Madness Reign Supreme.¡± The secret spells, the song and yellow papers, had appeared but death had not followed suit, they had done enough to stop the prophecy... right? But what did the second half of the prophecy mean? The space around them was still rippling and cracking through dimension, Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped violently...¡¯I wonder what is happening back at the Phecda headquarters...¡¯

    ...

    The stars returned to the night sky, even the crescent moon winked at them from behind the clouds. The glow of Rohini was fading. Suddenly different sounds entered the experimental field, it sounded like car horns mixed with emotional human voices.

    ¡°Hold your firearms, people...¡± Xue Ba ordered with difficulty, ¡°Our minds are being influenced...¡± The people with the firearms looked up with confusion. Lou Xiaoning cursed loudly before she released her grip on the rifle. She uttered back in the same difficulty, ¡°We¡¯ve been tricked... this is not Gu Jun, not even the path to Dreands...¡±

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Wu Siyu was startled by this sudden sentience of her friends but she knew totch onto the opportunity, she screamed, ¡°Everyone, stop channeling the tome¡¯s power, the ritual is consuming your mind, you have to sever the connection now! Cut it off! Zheng Jialiang is a traitor, be careful of him!¡± Hearing that, the group quickly made use of this temporary weakness in the ritual to pull back their mental connection.

    ¡°Siyu.... Confiscate the guns...¡± Wang Ruoxiang said weakly, as Siyu expected, there was still some consciousness of the girl within her. Wu Siyu moved to oblige. She hurried to confiscate the weapons from Wang Ruoxiang, Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning and the rest. She armed herself with one while disarming the others. Her legs were turning into noodles but at least she had a weapon to protect herself now. She aimed the pistol right at the head of the angered and confused Zheng Jialiang.

    After a while, those who did not study in depth into the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan were slowly snapping out of it.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Cai Zixuan howled. Despite the cold sweat on his face, he was the first to sever the connection but he could barely stand up from the exhaustion. He was filled with indignation and disappointment... his best friend was still dead and this mission was a failure to begin with. Looks like the soup had been prepared for nothing. Cai Zixuan suddenly charged at Zheng Jialiang and punched thetter right in the face, knocking him to the ground.

    ¡°How dare you...¡± Zheng Jialiang shrieked like a caged beast. He growled in anger, ¡°How dare you! I am the descendent of Hastur, your future king, how dare you treat your king like this!¡± Everyone could now see how madness had gotten hold of Zheng Jialiang. They tried to connect this madman with the polite Xiao Liang but that only muddled their mind further.

    ¡°You have ruined everything, you bunch of idiots, pigs...¡± Zheng Jialiang stood up unsteadily. Blood poured out the corner of his lips. Seeing the yellow light fade away, veins popped on his forehead. He wailed in anger and pain. ¡°You¡¯ve stopped the arrival of Carcosa, tragedy will befall you...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about us.¡± Wu Siyu pulled the trigger and spark flew. ¡°because yours is arriving now.¡± The bullet hit Zheng Jialiang¡¯s right calf. He copsed back to the ground. Fresh blood gushed out but there was no fear on his face. He kept on mumbling incoherently. ¡°Ha ha ha... You have angered the brotherhood... You could have been royalty in the new kingdom, Sister Ruoxiang, Sister Siyu, you could have been my concubines! But you do not know how to treat your king correctly. People like you do not deserve a ce in my kingdom...¡± Zheng Jialiang started tough. ¡°Have you seen your yellow secret spell? That shall usher in your death tonight.¡± The man was truly mad, even his words made no sense but for some reason, Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan could not help but feel the truth in his words. Was it because there were still others like Wang Ruoxiang who had not severed their connection to the rituals? Or their minds were too muddled to make sense of anything?

    Even though the stars had returned, Rohini still shone the brightest. The ritual had been disrupted, but the brotherhood behind it... they were still doing something...

    ¡°Take a look.¡± Zheng Jialiang uttered with a cackle. ¡°Witness your guillotine. Nowhere in the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan does it tell you pigs that you are the only one who can assess its power, right...? In fact, among its many benefactors, you¡¯re the weakest bunch...¡±

    Right then, the female voice returned with vengeance. This time, it was backed up by many different sounds and voices. Wu Siyu instantly whipped the pistol around. Cai Zixuan and Xue Ba looked around with alertness. ¡°Be careful, the dimension is shifting!¡±¡±Something bad is happening!¡±

    ¡®Is this the power of nothingness? There is no explosion but the cracking, twisting and rippling of dimension happened so quickly.¡¯

    Zheng Jialiangughed crazier and crazier. He raised his arms high and sang along to the song! The demons from the brotherhood were here!

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu looked around at the illusion around them. It felt like several dimensions were ovepping over each other... there were mountains, forests, deserts... But in that chaos, she seemed to sense a familiar taste... A taste of salt...

    Suddenly night turned into day. The starlight faded but there was no sun either. The world was dim.They could confirm that their surroundings had changed. They were no longer at the experimental field but inside an open-air arena that bore resemnce to a coliseum.

    An open-air arena? There wereyers of stone-carved seats that surrounded them in the pattern of a spiral triangle. The seats were filled with people, they were all dressed in tattered earthy yellow robes and their faces were painted with yellow signs. The arena was gigantic, the seats rose into the sky. The yellow-robed audience members amounted to tens of thousands. They clustered close together and their faces were hidden behind the robes. It was hard to tell whether they were real or not. There was no cloud in the sky but a seriousness settled over the crowd. They were eerily silent considering their number.

    Brotherhood... it was the members of the brotherhood...

    The Phecda members had no idea where they were but they did notice they were ced on a stone stage in the middle of the arena. Not far from them were normal-looking citizens who appeared as confused as they were. There were vehicles beside them. Many had children with them. The Phecda members now understood that the ritual back at the headquarters was just a piece of the overall picture but for all appearances, it was the most significant one.

    Like Zheng Jialiang had imed, the ritual was urring all over the world. And now, the different ritual locations were ovepping at thisrge arena stage.

    ¡°Ha ha ha...¡± Zheng Jialiang started to guffaw. Looking at the endless rows of robed audience as well as several figures who were slinking their way, his eyes were dancing with so much excitement that he felt like fainting, ¡°My ves, they¡¯re here...¡±

    Seeing this, Wu Siyu immediately pulled the trigger and fired at Zheng Jialiang.

    Click, click... no bullets fired. She frowned to realize the gun had been transmuted into a stic one.

    ¡°Are you sure that is not a stage prop?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked. Her eyes shone with a dangerous glint. Other than Wang Ruoxiang, most members of her team including Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong, Yu Xiaoyong and the rest had all moved to stand beside Zheng Jialiang.

 Chapter 230: Guillotine

    <h4>Chapter 230: Guillotine</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Under the gloomy sky, inside the giant arena, the audience members were silent. This yellow human ocean appeared to pollute the very air with the essence of the yellow sign. The citizens who were teleported there were dumbstruck.

    ¡°Oh God damn...¡± The people repeated dumbly like they did not know what else to say. They saw that even the strange man in the man had been stunned into shock, he did not appear to expect this sudden change either. Children like Holly stuck helplessly to their parents, some were already crying but the sound of their crying only intensified the absurdity of the situation. It felt like millions of eyes were staring at them but none of them really existed. ¡®Are these people real or fake? Is any of this real or fake?¡¯ These questions permeated the minds of the people who were not corrupted, but they were fearful to know the answer, sometimes ignorance is bliss. The people also noticed some changes to the things around them. Cars had been turned into stone, guns into stic and even baseball bats into papers... Everything was going askew.

    ¡°Ha ha ha! Wee to my kingdom! These are all my loyal servants, for I am the descendant of Hastur, the owner of Carcosa, and I shall be the owner of Earth soon! Now, kneel before your king!¡± A crazed promation rose into the sky and the wind carried it everywhere. The arena must have a special acoustic design because the voice echoed endlessly. It originated from the centre of the giant stone stage.

    ¡°Ruoxiang, guys!¡± Wu Siyu pleaded. Cai Zixuan scratched his head in panic. ¡°Monitor, wake up, it¡¯s me!¡± Those who had stood to the other side were all members who had reached the fourth and fifth chapters. There was only a single exception, Lou Xiaoning. Her good left eye was bleeding with the internal struggle. She said darkly, ¡°They have changed... they are not themselves anymore...¡±

    ¡°No, notpletely.¡± Wu Siyu could still taste Formalin as weak as it was. It meant that Wang Ruoxiang was still in there somewhere.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be more worried about yourselves?¡± Zheng Jialiang challenged them. ¡°My ves, go and apprehend them, these people are brazen enough to injure your king!¡± Lou Xiaoning¡¯s heart sank. Her weapon was confiscated and the tome¡¯s power was still influencing them. The figures who strode towards them were definitely not going to be easy to deal with. But to their surprise, the yellow-robed figures did not head towards them. Instead, two of them pressed on Zheng Jialiang¡¯s shoulders and pushed him against the ground.

    ¡°You, you...¡± Zheng Jialiang stuttered. He tried to look but could not nce through the shrouded faces. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± He turned towards the audience members and none of them responded to him... Then he saw a small figure in yellow walk towards him. Instantly he demanded in anger. ¡°Mr. Wang Erde, what is the meaning of this?¡± This Mr. Wang Erde was only 1 metre tall and his face too was shrouded. If one stared closely enough, one would realize his skull was slightly deformed and he had an ugly, old face filled with scratch marks.

    ¡°Release me! I am the descendant of Hastur...¡± Zheng Jialiang proimed.

    ¡°You are not.¡± A faded but firm voice came from the small body. The small figure dropped a yellow paper onto Zheng Jialiang¡¯s head and continued in a hoarse voice, ¡°The throne was never yours and the crown will never be yours, you are just an idiot who cannot evenplete a simple task.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± Zheng Jialiang widened his eyes in shock. Anger and despair crawled onto his face. ¡°Mr. Wang Erde, you, you...¡± Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan frowned. ¡®What is happening?¡¯

    Then what happened next urred so fast that it ended before they could finish their breath. They could barely do anything. Anotherrge figure in yellow moved forward, he reached into his tattered robe to pull out a strangely-designed sword. The sword was adorned with yellow signs. With a swing, the executioner aimed the sword at Zheng Jialiang who was struggling to raise his head.

    Split, then came the sound of skin and neck breaking. The bone snapped, the trachea copsed and blood gushed out. A head was decapitated. The youth¡¯s face that was filled with anger, shock, despair and confusion rolled down the stone floor. Itnded right next to Wu Siyu¡¯s feet. After decapitation, the human brain would not die immediately. The oxygen would supply the brain for another few seconds, one could even control partial facial movements.

    ¡°...¡± Cai Zixuan saw that Zheng Jialiang¡¯s eyes were turning wildly, they appeared to be saying, save me, save me...

    ¡°I am just a member of the Recreational Department...¡± Wu Siyu groused. Knowing that this young man was a traitor did not make his execution that much easier to ept. Cai Zixuan and Lou Xiaoning¡¯s hearts numbed. Zheng Jialiang, Xiao Liang... appeared to enter the Spell Department not as a spy. This new recruit, who was well loved, had been corrupted and lured by the voice. He heeded the voice and his consciousness changed, lulling him into believing that he was the chosen one. But that was not true, the real culprit was this yellow-robed man by the name of Wang Erde.

    The remaining Phecda members who were conscious looked at the people around them and the sense of disgust fell heavily on them. The two figures in tattered robes released Zheng Jialiang¡¯s headless torso. The convulsing body copsed to the ground and dark red blood painted the floor immediately. The traitorous members, Wang Ruoxiang, Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong and the rest did not react in any way. It was not that they had lost their mind but their way of thinking had been transmuted, Zhang Jialiang¡¯s death evoked nothing within them. This worm deserved his death, at least now they would have some peace and quiet.

    ¡°False hope and overambitione with a price.¡± Wang Erde said slowly, ¡°But some refuse to ept the lesson.¡± The beady eyes on the ugly face turned out and sent chills down people¡¯s spines. False hope... Xai Zixuan, Lou Xiaoning and Xue Ba¡¯s heart gripped. Something within them gave away. Gu Jun was dead, he was dead half a year ago in Dreands. The figure and the voice did not belong to him, it was a false hope, something that was dangled before them by this Mr. Wang Erde as bait. Zheng Jialiang had died from overambition but... were they to die from hope?

    ¡°No...¡± Wu Siyu said softly. She wanted to raise her voice but her voice left her. ¡°No, Dirty-minded Jun is still alive...¡± But she had no idea where he was so she did not want to give them anymore false hope.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t view me as the enemy because that idiot has gotten at least something right.¡± Wang Erde continued, ¡°A new kingdom will rise in this world. All of us here will be its founder but some of you still have not realized that, but no matter because that will be fixed soon.¡± The voice suddenly rose in volume, ¡°Yes, it will!¡±

    Suddenly, the tattered robes of the audience members pped noisily. A giant wave of mental energy crashed onto the stage and the singing resumed.

    ¡°The king has not yet arrived, but we already have Cassilda with us, don¡¯t we?¡± The small figure turned around to nce at Wang Ruoxiang who was standing not far away. He continued in his loud sermon, ¡°Cassilda, Cassilda! Have you forgotten the picturesque scenery of Lake Hali, forgotten how you have serenaded it? Have you forgotten your name, Cassilda?¡±

    The strange glow that previously upied Zhang Jialiang¡¯s eyes now gathered within Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s eyes. She responded in a voice eerily simr to the female singing voice, ¡°Then Mr. Wang Erde, where is my crown?¡±

    The mental pressure pressed down on the semi-conscious Phecda members like Xue Ba, and Lou Xiaoning. They lost control of their bodies and knelt down on their knees.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Only Cai Zixuan and Wu Siyu remained standing but they were powerless to do anything. They saw a figure in yellow hand an exquisite crown to Mr. Wang Erde, the crown was shining with multi-colored jewels. The small figure carried the crown and walked towards Wang Ruoxiang who had bent down to ept the crown.

    ¡°Monitor, wake up...¡± Cai Zixuan pleaded.

    ¡°No, no...¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s taste of Formalin faded away and it was reced by a disgusting taste of chaos.

    ¡®This has to be a part of the ritual! In fact, this is probably the most crucial part. Zheng Jialiang was merely a chesspiece to push things to this stage, the real key person is Wang Ruoxiang... If she turns, with her talent and hard work, she will be the first to reach the sixth and seventh chapter of the tome... everyone else after her will be brought under her influence...¡¯ Wu Siyu knew that if the crown settled on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s head, thetter would be changedpletely like Zheng Jialiang. As desperate as she was, Wu Siyu could barely stay upright much less stop the ritual.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun, Dirty-minded Jun, where are you...¡¯ Probably because she missed him, because Siyu tasted that familiar taste of salt in the air...

 Chapter 231: Stranger (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 231: Stranger (2in1)</h4>

    The scent of blood lingered in the wind as it permeated the entire stone open-air arena. Despite the distance, the normal citizens like the Jacksons could see and hear what was happening in the middle of the stage, especially the horrible scream that pierced through their hearts. The head rolled onto the ground and its pair of despairing eyes seemed to stare at them through the distance, causing every hair on their bodies to stand. Some of the children were too scared to even cry while the adults were frozen by fear.

    ¡°What are these people...¡±¡±Demons, demons...¡±¡±No, no!¡± The presence of death enveloped them. The kneeling headless bodies had been transported onto the arena alongside them. The young man who was decapitated knelt into ce, it was not hard to imagine what would happen to them next. Be it adult or children, they would all be turned into headless torsos kneeling on the ground, singing that awful song.

    ¡°No.¡± Mrs. Jackson held onto her daughter and pleaded with the strange group of people, ¡°Please, you have to help us, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Mr. Jackson and the others followed suit, they were hoping the strange group of people would save their lives.

    ¡°I, I don¡¯t know what to do either...¡± Kathlyn stammered helplessly. She had no idea what was happening, she did not recognize those people in white and blue uniforms nor did she recognize the figures in yellow robes. But it was clear that thetter was preying on the former.

    ¡°Is this the power from the tome? It sure feels like it.¡± Peacock though was confused by another distressing observation. The song around them carried with it the power of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan but there was something different about it. The song evoked a sense of disgust from Peacock, Mchite, Gold, Amberlite and Aquamarine; it was not dissimr to how they felt when they tried to study the sixth chapter.

    Other than that, they were confused by the identity of the people in blue and white uniforms. Compared to people like the Jacksons, these people had more resemnce to thend¡¯s travellers. Due to that, Peacock¡¯s group felt an indescribable kinship to them. At that moment, the nightmare man suddenly spoke to the Jacksons, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move.¡±

    ¡°Peacock and the rest of you,e with me.¡± He ordered seriously as he made his way to the centre of the stage. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you a quick lesson so listen closely!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Thend¡¯s travellers followed with determination while Kathlyn and the rest were scared and confused, ¡°We¡¯re really going over there?¡±¡±Oh god...¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±¡±Don¡¯t leave us here!¡± The Jacksons and the rest yelped urgently but they were unable to stop the nightmare man and his group. Thus they could only watch as the group of strange people walked away. What were they trying to do?

    ¡± Songs that the Hyades shall sing,

    Where p the tatters of the King,

    Must die unheard in

    Dim Carcosa.¡±

    The song grew louder and louder. The tens of thousands of audience members joined in the singing!

    The citizens who were deposited on the stage, those who were plucked from forest, from mountains and from the sea... were all wrapped in terror. Some had their mouths dangling in fear, while others had crumbled to the ground. Some tried to look for an escape but of course there was none. They found themselves in an actual hell!

    ¡°Cassilda, Cassilda, your wondrous song has caused ripples upon the silent Laki Hali. You will lead all the strangers into the forgotten Carcosa. You will lead all the strangers to wee the light of Harsut, to wee his new kingdom!¡± The small figure was saying. His hoodie fluttered away to reveal his pointy, deformed head. It looked like the head of some alien creature. His ears looked artificial with its dark red color, his eyes were small and colorless, his face which was the color of earth was filled with fanaticism, turning his already ugly face even uglier.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The small figure asked. Wang Ruoxiang bent her head lower so that the small figure could put the jeweled crown on her head. She croaked out, ¡°Yes.¡± As desperate as Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan were, they could only watch as the beautiful crown settled on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s head. It fit snugly like it was perfectly made for her. When the crown found its new owner, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s eyes changed again, they turned fathomless like the waters of Lake Hali. ¡°Every kingdom is built from blood and every throne propped up by skulls.¡±

    The small Wang Erde asked. ¡°Your poweres not from the crown but you have given the crown its power. Listen to your inner voice, what shall we do to the futile resistance?¡± When he spoke, the beady eyes were already scanning the two young people who still refused to kneel down.

    ¡°Off with their heads!¡± Wang Ruoxiang turned to look at her former friends. ¡°I bequeath unto them the yellow sign.¡± Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong and the rest concurred with a fevered echo of hermand, ¡°Decapitate! Decapitate!¡± They were out for blood! Only fresh blood would turn the color of Lake Hali brighter, the air of Carcosa more fragrant.

    The figures in yellow robes nodded. Therge executioner handed the sword that was still bleeding over to Wang Ruoxiang. Thetter slowly walked towards her victims. The audience members had quieted down, they were waiting for the sound of the decapitation, it was their king returning to them. The yellow signs decided one¡¯s life. The citizens ced at different parts of the stage were gripped in fear, the execution that was still fresh reyed in their minds...

    ¡°Monitor...¡± Cai Zixuan struggled until his face grew sweaty. He looked at the approaching Wang Ruoxiang and he uttered with difficulty, ¡°Don¡¯t, we¡¯re doctors... we¡¯re doctors who graduated from Eastern State University...¡± Wang Ruoxiang continued to shuffle forward like death itself. Cai Zixuan¡¯s voice weakened until it could barely rise above a whisper. At that moment, Cai Zixuan was suddenly reminded of his years back at the university, the textbooks filled with human anatomy, the lectures,b rats, experiments, exams, his friends... as tired as the days were, he missed them dearly. Cai Zixuan sighed in his heart and the final thought that he had was of his parents. He wished for a bowl of his mother¡¯s soup.

    ¡°Fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning red with her only eye. Even missiles would be of no use now. Xue Ba, Yang Ying, Chen Zhaoliang... knelt helplessly as they watched Wang Ruoxiang walk towards Cai Zixuan. The sword was hungry for more blood.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Wu Siyu still had not given up. Normally she would sit rather than stand, but at this moment, she refused to bend her knees... Hope, with hopees energy... Even if they were to die, it was better to die with hope than to die in despair... Tamarine, it did mean hope after all... The interweaving of multiple thoughts and senses gave her a surge of power. She raised her head to shout, ¡°Listen to me, everyone, Gu Jun is still alive, he is not dead, he has returned to us! I havemunicated with him, he is still alive!¡±

    A ripple of warmth travelled through the depressed, disappointed and angry hearts of Lou Xiaoning, Xue Ba, Cai Zixuan and the rest. ¡®So Gu Jun is still alive... Thank you Siyu... at least I¡¯ll die peacefully with this news.¡¯ But if there was a heaven, they really did not know how they were going to exin themselves to Gu Ju... It was not that they were not prepared for the worst but after so much training, they failed to even use one spell, that was truly disheartening...

    ¡°Cassilda.¡± The small figure asked, ¡°What are you waiting for? The King¡¯s tattered robe will forever shroud over this world!¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang did stop because something had caught her attention. Gao Yi, and the rest of the figures in yellow saw it as well. There was a group of six who was hurrying over and the leader was someone in a white mask.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wang Erde turned to look. He was not surprised but he did cough with suppressed rage. ¡°Truly, truly? Is that so...¡±

    Wu Siyu turned and was stunned, ¡®what is this feeling?¡¯

    Cai Zixuan followed and his heart wrenched, ¡®Don¡¯te any closer please, normal people won¡¯t be able to stand against this!¡¯

    Xue Ba and the rest who were kneeling caught the new arrival from the corner of their eyes. ¡®Are those Good Samaritans? But why is one wearing a mask... this sure is strange...¡¯

    They had no idea who these people were, they thought they were normal citizens; but the normal citizens had no idea whom this group of six were either, other than they acted strangely. The six picked up their pace and the white-masked man in front was drawing something in the air as he moved. The other 5 were doing the same thing. They were drawing out the same shape in the same rhythm. Perhaps it was an illusion but Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan could see light gather in the air before them. The light materialized into an imprint, it looked like an antler or a tree branch. As the six continued to sign, the imprint glowed brilliantly white, burning away the darkness, like light cutting through their fog of despair!

    The leading masked man waved his right arm at Wang Ruoxiang. The shapeless imprint flew forward as the masked man yelled, ¡°Begone, begone!¡±

    ¡°Begone, begone!¡± The other five joined in. Their faces were lined with determination, their forward steps firm and unwavering. The blinding imprint grew in size as it moved through the air. The branches seemed to weave into a web of sharp des and phased through Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s body as well as those of Gao Yi and the figures in yellow robes. The web had sawn through every inch of their muscle, nerves and thoughts!

    Wang Ruoxiang wailed shrilly as her face twisted in agony. Her eyes were filled with blood as she staggered back for a few steps...

    Cai Zixuan, Lou Xiaoning and Xue Be were stunned. The power of the imprint influenced them as well, it was like they were given water after days of thirst. ¡®What is happening, who are these people... Howe the masked man¡¯s voice sounds so familiar...¡¯

    Wu Siyu¡¯s face was overwhelmed with disbelief and joy.

    ¡°Begone, begone!¡± The masked man continued with his attack. He and his group drew up more imprints as they moved steadily forward.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Wang Ruoxiang was hit multiple times by the imprints. Every part of her body was convulsing. Two different consciousnesses were fighting in her eyes. The screams that came out from her dainty mouth echoed in the arena, distorting the song in the wind. Her legs shuffled towards the masked man with the sword but the rest of her body held her back.

    ¡°Truly, truly...¡± Wang Erde was screaming as well but he only knew how to repeat this one term. ¡°truly!¡±

    All the traitors and the yellow figures around them were wailing in pain and madness, it was like they were being tortured. The imprint sealed up their power and it depleted them of their energy... The disgusting imprint was causing them to lose control of their power!

    Not far away, the normal citizens like the Jacksons were awed and shocked.

    I am d to announce that the goal has been reached to keep this project afloat. Thank you to all of my patrons. Additional support will provide additional weekly chapters.

 Chapter 232: Iâ€™m Back

    <h4>Chapter 232: I¡¯m Back</h4>

    Gu Jun did not recognize that mad young man who was decapitated. But based on his observation, he fitted the description of the new rising star in the Spell Department named ¡®Zheng Jialiang.¡¯ When he saw the yellow figures in the audience, Gu Jun understood the meaning of ¡°Shadow Demon Dance, Madness Reign Supreme.¡± If these weren¡¯t shadow demons, he didn¡¯t know what was. However, the people who were predicted to be dead by now were still alive, some were kneeling and others standing. There were so many familiar faces. Despite the distance, he could see them clearly. His heart warmed, it was these faces who helped him survive the ordeal when he was captured by the ck merchants and Zoogs.

    Now that he had returned, he refused to witness anymore death or madness among his friends. Monitor was not a traitor, none of them were, perhaps even Zheng Jialiang did not start off as one but their minds were corrupted. It was why ¡°Phecda Chaos, Tragedy Birth,¡± was thetter part of the prophecy; certain events could be stopped.

    ¡°Begone, begone!¡± As the wind howled, Gu Jun drew up another Ancient Seal and walked towards Wang Ruoxiang who was screaming like a madwoman. This was a technique that was recorded inside the Pnakotic Script, it was not a spell so it would not cause mental corruption. However, it would consume great mental power. This was because drawing these Ancient Seals required high coordination of the body¡¯s neuralwork, it was an energy formed through the collision of one¡¯s consciousness against time and space. This technology was beyond current scientificprehension, it was impossible to exin logically. Gu Jun did not understand it, neither did thend¡¯s travellers. They were merely following the instructions inside the Pnakotic Manuscripts. They recited the spell that was technically not a spell in their mind, it had no specific meaning, it was merely a promation. But the activated neural signal triggered one¡¯s biological responses like a battery being charged, under this condition, when they drew the ancient seal, they could inscribe it with power through an exhaustion of their mental power.

    ¡°Ah ah...¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s screams were piercing as faded yellow light dissipated from her body. The same was happening to the people behind her. Struggle and consciousness were returning to their eyes...

    ¡°Begone!¡± Gu Jun roared. He connected his mental power to those of Peacock¡¯s group and signed out another brilliant Ancient Seal. His heart pained seeing Wang Ruoxiang in this state. She was so heavily corrupted because she was a hardworking person, she should not be punished because of that.

    ¡°How dare, how dare you...¡± Wang Ruoxiang stammered madly. The jewelled crown had teetered by her head. However, it seemed like the dark energy was still in dominance. Her hand holding the sword was shaking as she threatened dangerously, ¡°I am Cassilda¡¯s descendant, my voice echoes above Lake Hali...¡±

    ¡°You are Wang Ruoxiang,¡± Gu Jun replied, ¡°I only know you by that name.¡±

    ¡°Truly, truly.¡± Wang Erde not far away was still grumbling, it was like he was responding to apletely different scenario, ¡°Is that so, is that so...¡± The small and weird creature suddenly lunged forward to swipe at the masked man. In the process, even one of his red ears had fallen off. His ugly face was twisted in horror. ¡°Is that so?!¡± The Phecda members who were semi-consciousness saw the masked man agilely lift up his leg and sent Mr. Wang Erde flying. The mannded with a heavy crack, it sounded his ribs broke. Mr. Wang Erde fell next to Zheng Jialiang¡¯s headless torso. The fresh blood of the young man instantly dyed the man¡¯s tattered robe red. Mr. Wang Erde coughed in pain but he kept mumbling, ¡°Truly, truly...¡±a

    After he copsed, the other figures in yellow had their protection against the Ancient Seal stripped away, the imprint dealt more pain! Wang Ruoxiang bit on her lips until blood leaked down her chin. The power of the Ancient Seal fought with the consciousness within her, the internal battlefield caused her to kneel to the ground...

    The normal citizens gasped in shock, some of the younger ones were cheering, things were finally looking up! But strangely enough, the ten of thousands of yellow shadows in the audience remained unmoved. Once again, it begged the question, ¡®Are they real?¡¯

    ¡°Ah.¡± Cai Zixuan felt the tension release on him. The feeling of someone gripping his neck had disappeared. He could breathe and speak again. Cai Zixuan quickly urged, ¡°Monitor, hang in there, don¡¯t lose to the demon in you!¡±

    The same sense of relief came over Lou Xiaoning and Xue Ba. They felt a kind of lightness that they had not experienced since they started the training of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. It was as if they were breaking through the surface of the water after being submerged for so long. Their eyes that regarded the six mysterious people contained shock, respect but also rm. These were definitely not normal citizens!

    Especially the one in the white mask, the eyes that nced at them brought chills easily...

    At that moment, the group saw Wu Siyu, who had gained her mobility, charge towards the group of mysterious people. She shouted excitedly, ¡°Kangaroo!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Lou Xiaoning called after her. Why was the normallyzy Siyu acting so strangely? They still had no idea whether the group was friend or foe. Cai Zixuan¡¯s heart twitched. ¡®Has Siyu lost her mind?¡¯ No one knew what Siyu meant by that ¡®Kangaroo¡¯, well... one did. But to the Phecda members¡¯ relief, the masked man did not harm Wu Siyu. He only looked at her and then at them. The sharp gaze mellowed out and the man said clearly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, we¡¯re friends.¡±

    Why? Why is that voice so familiar? That voice, that tone, the height...

    They then saw Wu Siyu grab the man¡¯s arm and then closed her eyes as if to taste it. Then she announced, ¡°Yes, this is the saltiness I¡¯m looking for! It¡¯s the real thing!¡±

    ¡°Ah?!¡± An impossible thought crossed Cai Zixuan¡¯s mind, his heart rose as his whole body jumped up from the ground, ¡°It, it, it...¡±

    ¡°What?¡± It hit Lou Xiaoning too. Her left eye widened. ¡°Fuck, really?!¡±

    ¡°Is that him?¡± Shock appeared on Xue Ba¡¯s face and his bushy beard shuddered. ¡°Ah...¡±

    Yang Ying, Chen Zhaoliang and the other Phecda members were confused by their reactions. Simr confusion was going through Peacock and Kathlyn, howe it felt like the nightmare man knew this group of people in blue and white uniforms.

    ¡°Guys, let¡¯s save our friends first.¡± Nightmare Man regarded Wang Ruoxiang who was on the ground, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, borrow me your mental power, would you?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Wu Siyu raised her hand. ¡°But I¡¯ve interacted with the tome, the nature of my power might have changed.¡±

    ¡°No matter, I¡¯ve changed as well.¡± The nightmare man said, ¡°It¡¯ll only need some getting used to.¡± Wu Siyu ced her hand on his shoulder, it had been so long since they had physical contact. She resisted the pain from the sharp scalpel and unleashed her mental power. The nightmare man walked forward and drew up another Ancient Seal. Thend¡¯s travellers provided him with all they had. This time they felt something different, a new mental power was pouring in, it reacted strongly with the nightmare man¡¯s spirit, it was a good reaction.

    ¡°Begone!¡± The nightmare man waved his right hand and the new Ancient Seal shone gloriously. It flew at incredible speed andnded squarely on Wang Ruoxiang.

    ¡°Ah!!¡± Wang Ruoxiang exploded in a scream that was louder and more maddening than before. Her pretty face was twisted in agony. Under the impact of this Ancient Seal, a yellow spirit was banished out of her body. The spirit dissipated quickly in the open air like it was never there to begin with. The female singing suddenly stopped. The open air arena was thrown into silence for that one moment. Another important part of the ritual had been interrupted.

    A few short breathster, the nightmare man walked forward and swiped up the bloody sword from the ground. His other hand plucked the jewelled crown off Wang Ruoxiang head. With a slice, he chopped the crown into two. ¡°Such trash.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, is that so...¡± Mr. Wang Erde was still screaming, wrapped in his vision of madness. ¡°I understand, it is so.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± The struggle on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s face slowly evened out. Her empty eyes slowly returned with spirit. She lifted her head at the masked man but seemed to see through it. She asked, ¡°Gu Jun, is that you...¡±

    Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning all turned their gaze to the masked man, waiting anxiously too for the answer.

    ¡®Gu Jun?¡¯ The other Phecda members were stunned. Their mission this time was to rescue Gu Jun but wasn¡¯t that a trap... Wasn¡¯t Gu Jun...

    ¡°Monitor, it¡¯s me.¡± The masked man told Wang Ruoxiang before announcing to the rest, ¡°It¡¯s me, Gu Jun, I¡¯m not dead, I¡¯m back.¡±

    A surprised smile carved Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s face but she said with some sarcasm, ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve owed you another life...¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Cai Zixuan screamed with joy. Lou Xiaoning guffawed. Xue Ba pped the man on his chest. ¡°Ah Jun!¡±

    Wu Siyu sighed out of tiredness. ¡°Finally, time for a good sleep.¡±

    While these people were celebrating, the normal citizens were confused. It was Kathlyn who asked in trantion, ¡°Who is Gu Jun?¡±

    The fivend¡¯s travellers had their jaws to the floor. Their legs were wavering...

    The nightmare man is Gu Jun?

    That Gu Jun?

    Phecda Hero... Gu Jun?

 Chapter 233: Is that so?

    <h4>Chapter 233: Is that so?</h4>

    ¡°Gu Jun?¡± Kathlyn could sense the shock within Peacock and confusion struck her. ¡°Who is that? Howe Peacock reacts like we¡¯re in the presence of some rockstar?¡±

    ¡°Rockstar? What is that?¡± Peacock could read her thoughts and wanted to p Kathlyn for disrespecting the Phecda Hero. Rockstar or not, nothing could be used topare to the Phecda Hero!

    ¡°Huh?¡± Kathlyn frowned. ¡°Is he really that famous in your circle?¡±

    ¡°He is our God.¡± Peacock realized that was the most appropriate analogy.

    At the same time, Mchite asked urgently, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, you said you¡¯re Gu Jun, what do you mean by that?¡± Gold added, ¡°This is no joking matter!¡± Aquamarine asked with a shaking voice, ¡°You just share a simr name with the Phecda Hero, right?¡± Either answer worried them. By now, the five knew that they hade from a future that had not urred and they were now in the golden era where the copse had not taken ce. Perhaps Gu Jun was still alive, but how was it possible... that it was them who had saved him from the Dreands?

    ¡°I am the Gu Jun you know.¡± The nightmare man said evenly, ¡°And over there is Wu Siyu.¡±

    ¡®What?!¡¯ The already stunnednd¡¯s travellers turned to look at the slender young woman with short ck hair. They felt struck like lightning. If Kathlyn had to make aparison, it felt like thend travellers had just found out they won the lottery but before they could cash it in, they were told their uncle had left them with a huge inheritance.

    ¡®But who is this Wu Siyu? Why would she cause such a reaction among thend¡¯s travellers?¡¯ The same question troubled Tom and the rest too. ¡®Is this yet another celebrity from their world?¡¯

    ¡®Of course, of course!¡¯ Peacock¡¯s heart was racing so fast. Her hands went to her knees as she doubled over. She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s the Goddess of Hope...¡± Naturally these people from the golden era would not understand the meaning the Goddess of Hope meant to them who grew up in the City of Kindle... During those dark times, the thought of the Goddess of Hope would bring them a mother-like warmth. A gentle caress, an encouraging whisper, those were the gift of the Goddess of Hope.

    But as thend¡¯s travellers looked at Wu Siyu... they were honestly quite disappointed. Compared to the statues in the City of Kindle, this youngdycked presence and grace, if anything, the other woman, Wang Ruoxiang fitted their vision better. Could this girl, who looked much younger than they were, really be the Goddess of Hope?

    ¡°Erm?¡± Wu Siyu was feeling awkward under their close scrutiny, she whispered, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably reminded of something you said. To them, you¡¯re someone like Pusa, the Goddess of Mercy.¡± Gu Jun shrugged, ¡°And I¡¯m probably Sun Wukong.¡±

    Wu Siyu rolled her eyes at him, but considering everything that had happened so far, would it be so preposterous? ¡°O well.¡±

    While thend¡¯s travellers were in shock, the Phecda members were overwhelmed by joy, excitement and confusion. Joy and excitement because Gu Jun was not dead! With his arrival, there was nothing that they could not ovee. The confusion was why was he wearing a mask? What spell was that imprint? And who were those five making all the noises around him?

    In any case, they quickly moved into action. Cai Zixuan and Yang Ying who had regained their mobility pulled Wang Ruoxiang over. Even though she was the one who had lost the most control, she was also the one who recovered the fastest. She was already more or less her old self while Gao Yi and Zhang Zuodong were still struggling....

    ¡°Peacock, just keep those questions forter, I¡¯ll give you the exnation after this. Now we need to focus on saving these people.¡± Thend¡¯s travellers nodded solemnly. They were definitely not going to disappoint the Phecda Hero!

    Gu Jun led the five of them over to Lou Xiaoning who had reached the fourth chapter of the tome. He applied another ancient seal on her and then the rest of the Phecda members to help cleanse their spirit. Temporarily, they skipped over the members who had not reached chapter 3 for their spirit was not that corrupted.

    ¡°This is awesome...¡± Lou Xiaoning grinned through the pain. ¡°This is one hell of a therapy!¡± Gao Yi and the rest groaned in painful release. Their eyes cleared up a lot after the session and their faces rxed from the grimace. Under Xue Ba¡¯s arrangement, other than Lou Xiaoning, the others were sequestered to the side to prevent them from further unpredictability.

    By then, the 10 people in yellow had retreated more than 10 steps away. The normal citizens around the stage started to rush towards the middle. The Jacksons were the first to run with their daughter, they knew the only way to survive was to stay close to the masked man!

    Up to hundred of citizens rushed towards the Phecda members and Cai Zixuan tried his best to keep them under control, to stop them from interrupting Gu Jun.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s us! Can¡¯t you recognize us?!¡± Mr. Jackson screamed. He hoped that his family would be given ess into the inner circle based on their previous bond with Gu Jun.

    Gu Jun ignored him as he walked towards Mr. Wang Erde. He used the sword to pick at the bloody robe and was dumbfounded to realize that the robe was empty... the strange figure inside it had disappeared. Gu Jun had been watching this heap of cloth and he was certain no one had escaped.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Suyi¡¯s heart twitched.

    ¡°Be careful, there is still residual energy in the air....¡± Wang Ruoxiang, who was resting, warned. ¡°Those audience... I can¡¯t be sure, but they aren¡¯t normal illusions... they are more like mental projections that originate from the force which those people were trying to summon... That Mr. Wang Erde, be careful of him...¡± Thinking back to what happened earlier, her expression grimaced in pain. ¡°We mustn¡¯t allow them to summon that force...¡±

    The group looked around. The anomalous environment that encaptured them did not dissipate; the dimension was still distorted. Despite the massacre andeback, the tens of thousands of audience had not moved, they watched on silently.

    ¡®Summon?¡¯ Gu Jun thought back to what Wang Erde had said, ¡°The King¡¯s tattered robe will forever shroud over this world.¡±

    ¡®The King?¡¯ His heart sunk. Zheng Jialiang kept saying he was the descendent of Hastur, ¡®Is that who they¡¯re trying to summon? The King in Yellow, Hastur?¡¯

    ¡°Is that so, is that so...¡± At that moment, Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s curious voice rang out again. The wrinkled face appeared among the audience, suddenly at this corner, the next moment appearing at the other side. He slipped among the audience like a shadow but his small body was doubled over like he was bowing. His annoying voice kept repeating, ¡°Oh, is that so, is that so....¡±

    ¡°What is he on about?¡± Lou Xiaoning groused impatiently. None of them had any clue but Gu Jun felt a great danger approaching. It was Wang Ruoxiang who said hoarsely, ¡°He is trying tomunicate with that power...¡±

    ¡°Is that so, you have not seen such a brilliant performance in a very long time... But it¡¯s still not enough? Not enough death... yes, death is the greatest release, the moment one acquires true spirit.... This showingcks spirit, is that so, is that so...¡± Wang Erde¡¯s ubiquitous voice was grating and it echoed throughout the open air arena. ¡°So we need more deaths to fix that?¡±

    Suddenly the song began again. Next to 10 figures in yellow, more of the same robed figures materialized behind them. They moved to form arge spiral triangle with the headless bodies on stage to surround the living. The normal citizens were scared into silence. Phecda members and thend¡¯s travelers frowned deeply. Even though the figures were adorned with tattered yellow hoodies, the hoodies had now fallen back and they revealed faces that were hidden behind a mask. A white mask, simr to the one worn by Gu Jun.

    ¡°Is that so?!¡± Wang Erde¡¯s unhinged voice called out, ¡°Then let us begin the final scene of this show!¡±

 Chapter 234: A Show

    <h4>Chapter 234: A Show</h4>

    The cold galeshed against people¡¯s faces. Panicked children hugged their parent¡¯s tightly but little did they know their parents were equally panicking. The yellow-robed audience did not move but the figures in the yellow robe and white mask did. They chanted out a heavy curse, sounding like a song of the dead. Darkness churned above them and the evil within the ground reawakened, causing the entire open-air arena to tremble!

    Xue Ba, Cai Zixuan and the Phecda members¡¯ expression changed because they could recognize the chanting as the summoning spell from the first chapter of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. However different from their usual training, these yellow-robed figures chanted the spell with such speed and mastery, and an undercurrent of madness coursing through it. In the blink of an eye, winged creatures flew out from all corners of the stage. They had dark fur and were the size of half an adult. They had a hook-like tail and knife-like talons. Their wings cut through the air like razors.

    These abnormal creatures, which looked like giant bats,unched themselves at the victims. They permeated the air with a horrible stench. These were... the nightgaunts!

    Gu Jun narrowed his gaze as his heart sank. Thest time he encountered these creatures were outside Chen Defa¡¯s cave. These creatures should be nothing more than a mental projection meaning they posed more threat mentally than physically. But in this abnormal space, they appeared to have taken on a physical body. A w from them would slice one¡¯s head clean off.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Cai Zixuan couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Lou Xiaoning, Yang Ying and the other Spell Department members were overwhelmed by shock. ¡®They are too powerful...¡¯ Even though they had been training mental power daily, none of them had casted the summoning spell before. They were no match for these cultists under the best circumstances much less now when they were injured and most of them still had not shaken off the influence of the mind control. The normal citizens screamed like headless chicken and they tried to force their way through the Phecda members.

    Gu Jun was about to do something when Peacock yelled, ¡°Why panic? These are justmon nightgaunts, leave them to us!¡± Instantly, the fivend¡¯s travellers came to a decision. Thend¡¯s travellers were not the only culture who studied the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan, as there were also Atal, Barzai and these cultists, but they were the only one who used the tome for a good purpose. The Professors in their tribe had been teaching them to use this power to protect the powerless...

    So those who dared to harm the innocent with the book would be their enemy!

    Peacock, Mchite, Gold, Aquamarine and Amberlite moved so fast that they shocked even Gu Jun. It showed their years of training and working together. They moved into the position to form a small ritual and they started to sign and cast spells. A brilliant white glow gathered within their circle and the song in the wind was blown out of tune. There was a trace of madness in their chanting, but both Wu Siyu and Wang Ruoxiang could feel the difference in their spell, theirs was a force that shone through the darkness.

    Larger shadows burst through the ground. They flew into the sky with thundering shrieks as their giant wings covered up the clouds! When the normal citizens saw this, they were frozen into ce. ¡®What kind of monsters are these?¡¯ Each of them was the size of a house, their opened wings were slightly injured but they were several ten metres wide. They sounded like cows but had heads like vultures. Their yellow and ck skin reminded people of rotten corpses. They had many long and twisted limbs which ended in giant ws. They were mental projections that were as palpable as the real thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s the summoning spell from the fifth chapter...¡± Wang Ruoxiang exined. Hearing that, Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba and the rest were startled. ¡®Who are these people?¡¯

    A name crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, Larger Nightgaunt. The creatures dived at their targets with echoing shrieks. These were not creatures of mercy. As their talons wed and wings pped, the smaller nightgaunts screamed in terror as they were squished, torn open and shed into shreds!

    Despite their numbers, the nightgaunts were no match for theirrger kindred. They soon dissolved into an invisible blood rain. The chanting of the white-masked figures was wavering, some of them faded away, the power of the yellow robes was receding.

    ¡°Oh wow...¡± Wu Siyu sighed in awe. Cai Zixuan cheered them on and Lou Xiaoning punched her fist in glory. These five were amazing! Even hope rejuvenated in the hearts of the normal citizens. In spite of the gore, this development gave them faith.

    Thend¡¯s travelers though were impervious to the reaction that they had evoked, they were too focused on channeling their power. Their heart weighed down from the pressure and their veins popped. In that moment, Peacock was reminded of her childhood, her parents, White Sugar and the City of Kindle. She was reminded of the steppe fire and the Ossarians that appeared like recurring nightmares... If what they did here could lead to a different future, then they would do everything they could to prevent the age of copse!

    As Phecda Hero had said, this was their destiny.

    ¡°Go!¡± Peacock waved her hand and anotherrger nightgaunt materialized beside her. Her mental power was reaching the bottom, her soul was drying up... This caused Kathlyn to worry, ¡®Peacock, don¡¯t push yourself too hard...¡¯

    Therger nightgaunts dominated the battlefield but the nightgaunts kepting. There were still tens of thousands of yellow figures in the audience.

    ¡°Is that so, is it finally time for the appearance of death?¡± Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s crazedughter rang out again, ¡°Delicious death shall bring upon the silence of the spirits!¡± The chanting of the yellow-robed figures changed. The nightgaunts stopped appearing but a much darker energy was rapidly materializing...

    The hearts of the Phecda members tightened, these people were also using the fifth chapter!

    ¡°They¡¯re trying to summon the actual...¡± Wang Ruoxiang gasped in a hurry, ¡°Byakee...¡± The name just tumbled out of her lips, as if it was already somewhere in her mind.

    Gu Jun made his move, he knew that thend¡¯s travellers could not hold on for much longer but they had already outdone themselves to have forced the enemy into this corner. The enemy threw everything they had into the gauntlet.

    This space did not belong on earth, it was twisted with the geography of Dreands and that provided him with the perfect opportunity to unleash his skill, one that was unique to Gu Jun as the nightmare man. It was time to remove the mask. Gu Jun plucked the white mask off with his left hand and his right hand sought out something from his medical bag.

    ¡°Ah...¡±¡±Ah Jun!¡± When his friends saw his face, some gasped in shock while others were dumbfounded. Cai Zixuan¡¯s face was red, Lou Xiaoning cursed and Wu Siyu widened her eyes, it appeared like she had tasted something from this changed appearance of Gu Jun. Gu Jun was quite a handsome man, even though his facial feature had not changed, the purplish-red skin and numerous scars were quite a horror to look at.

    ¡°Do not look at me, and bend down!¡± Gu Jun ordered loudly, ¡°Now!¡± The Phecda members moved to oblige in spite of their confusion. Cai Zixuan and Lou Xiaoning ryed the orders to the normal citizens, forcing them into motion. Peacock, and Mchite realized what the nightmare man was about to do so they too turned their heads away.

    ¡°I hear that you enjoy entertainment, well, do I have the perfect show for you.¡± Gu Jun raised the Carlot scalpel to pierce lightly but urately at his eyelids, mimicking the ck merchant. His current mental corruption rate was at 21.68 percent. As the familiar pain engulfed him, his consciousness slipped into the sweet dream bubble. His physical body stared at the yellow figures as his eyes widened. The gaze that appeared to have gathered the nightmare of the whole world stared right at them. ¡°It¡¯s time for the Nightmare Wonder.¡±

    Before the Larger Nightmare Wang Ruoxiang called Byakee had the chance to arrive, the white-masked figures were interrupted by a twisted nightmarish force. The figures crumbled as they reached out their hands to peel off their masks and dig out their eyes...

    Those who had been in the war against the house of nightmare could feel its nightmarish power surrounding them!

    Do not look, do not think, they kept their bodies bent but even so, a splitting headache threatened to break their mind.

    ¡°Ah, death, death...¡± Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s voice was filled with shock and even more madness, ¡°Is that so, so this is death...¡± With a loud boom, all the nightgaunt, big and small exploded in the air. Blood rained down as the stone stage started to crumble inch by inch...

    Corruption rate decreases by 1 percent, 3 percent, 5 percent, 10 percent, 18 percent!

    The sweet dream bubbles popped one after another, eventually even the cotton candy dream shattered. When Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness returned to his body, the corruption rate only had 3 percent left. He never felt so clear-minded and the purplish-red color of his skin was fading. He turned to check on the Phecda members, they were shocked but mostly fine. The normal citizens had just lived through a nightmare but they too seemed mostly alright.

    He then turned to the audience, most of the yellow figures had faded into a blur. Those who lingered were rolling on the ground in pain...

    By the looks of it, the Nightmare Wonder was again a huge sess. He walked towards the small yellow figure who had rematerialized on the ground. The figure screamed ¡®death¡¯ as he scrambled backwards. Gu Jun stared at the beady eyes filled with hatred and mumbled, ¡°My eyes are the abyss and the abyss is the truth!¡±

    ¡®Mr. Wang Erde, this is a private show meant for you only. Please enjoy the Eye of the Abyss.¡¯

 Chapter 235: Powerful Protect the Powerless

    <h4>Chapter 235: Powerful Protect the Powerless</h4>

    ¡°Death... Gu Jun, I know you but you do not know yourself... but you will, you will...¡± The stone stage was crumbling. Mr. Wang Erde crawled backwards as he screamed. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes turned as sharp as a guillotine and Wang Erde¡¯s beady eyes instantly exploded with veins. Horrid wails escaped from his throat, the other pink artificial ear fell to the ground.

    ¡°Curses, curses...¡± Wang Erde scratched at his disfigured face, leaving behind one after another bloody gashes. He scratched at himself like his life depended on it, peeling off his own skin and flesh. His wails of pain mingled with his crazedughter. This indescribable phenomenon chilled everyone present... Just how could one reach this stage of madness.

    ¡°Is the King of Yellow not here, death has not arrived... But the crown of the King is already on your head...¡± Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s hands suddenly went to his neck. Despite his small stature, the man was quite powerful. With a few twists, he snapped his own neck. Blood burst out and his whole body started to convulse into a strange state. With a few final maddened croaks, the light in the beady eyes faded. Mr. Wang Erde was dead, killed by his own hands.

    Following the death of this madman, the other white-masked figures dissolved into nothingness... This surprised the Phecda members, from the beginning, it was all the work of one Mr. Wang Erde? Or the other yellow figures had been transported elsewhere? The ripple in the dimension slowly stabilized and the image of the giant open air arena blew off like a fog. Suddenly, they realized they were in the middle of a desert and the rising sun wasing up the horizon.

    Peacock and Kathlyn who were still catching their breath looked around. Kathlyn was sure this was not the desert outside of Warburton and Peacock confirmed this was not the Bnazic Desert. Their cars and other items reverted to their normal state. If not for Zheng Jialiang and Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s bodies, the whole incident felt like a dream, which in a way, it was.

    Gu Jun closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to tamper the darkness in his heart. This Nightmare Wonder had depleted about 18 percent of the corruption rate. The two sweet dream bubbles could not shelter him for long, he mostly depended on Wu Siyu¡¯s cotton candy dream to survive the showing. Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s sweet dream was one hell of an antidote to the darkness. But after using the Eye of the Abyss, his corruption rate increased by 3 percent so he was now at 6.1 percent. In his mind, the notifications kept pinging.

    ¡°Abyssal mission, ¡®Deplete corruption rate by 10 percent within a weekpleted¡¯. Missionpleted before the allocated time limit,pletion rating 10 stars.

    ¡°Mission reward to be retrieved: Unknown, please click to ept your reward.

    ¡°Your mental corruption rate has lowered back to the safe zone, warning off.

    ¡°Mastery of Strong Heart has increased by 20000 points, and levelled up! Current level 2 (0/300000 Mastery)¡±

    ¡®A 10 starpletion rating reward? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve scored that high before... Also the skill, Strong Heart, finally levels up, it does feel like the heartbeat is more pronounced...¡¯

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s voice drifted over. ¡°Is it okay now? Can we look at you now?¡¯ Like the other Phecda members, she had no idea what happened earlier. She only knew Gu Jun had used a super powerful spell, which meant that it came with a great sacrifice.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now, I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun turned around to answer. Seeing everyone in a safe state, the pressure slid off his shoulders. He wiped at his eyes that were clouded by blood and requested, ¡°Zixuan, minding over to help me with the sutures?¡±

    Wu Siyu, and Cai Zixuan immediately rushed over while Xue Ba took out the satellite phone to contact the headquarters. Lou Xiaoning led the rest to maintain the order among the public.

    ¡°Ah, Tycoon Jun...¡± As one of the medics, Cai Zixuan was given a medic kit. With Wu Siyu¡¯s help, he put on the gloves and used cotton balls to clean away the blood before using needles to start the sutures. His hands were shaking... Not because of how scary his friend¡¯s face was or the difficulty of the suturing but the ache in his heart. Gu Jun was such a pretty sight to look at but now, he was going to be used as something to scare little children into doing their homework.

    Whimpering echoed among the children of the public as repeated promations of ¡®Oh My God¡¯ escaped from the lips of the adults. Kathlyn and Tom saw the tattooed man curl up next to his girlfriend, probably afraid that Gu Jun might remember him. The things that happened today would change these people¡¯s lives.

    ¡°My appearance is a bit different.¡± Gu Jun told his friends. ¡°But I am still the same person.¡±

    ¡°Compared to a kangaroo, I¡¯m relieved that you¡¯re at least still a human.¡± Wu Siyu studied him closely, ¡°In terms of appearance, nothing a trip to Korea can¡¯t fix, right?¡±

    Gu Jun chuckled out loud before breaking into a guffaw. ¡°I¡¯m sure there are other ways...¡± The two¡¯s banter lightened the mood and their worry about Gu Jun slowly turned into something eptable. After all, Siyu was right. The important part was that Gu Jun was still alive, everything else could be dealt withter.

    ¡°You reminded me of a quote.¡± As Cai Zixuan stitched, hemented, ¡°But no perfection is so absolute that some impurity doth not pollute.¡±

    ¡°Who is that from?¡± Gu Jun groaned, he had had enough quotes from Phecda Hero tost him a lifetime.

    ¡°Shakespeare, of course.¡±

    Gu Jun looked at his good friend, thankful that he had not changed, well except the number of hairs on his head as well as his skill as a doctor. The stitchwork on his eyelids was much more stable than Gu Jun remembered.

    Wang Ruoxiang and Gao Yi waited patiently for their next order when Xue Ba suddenly shouted happily, ¡°We¡¯ve gained contact! We¡¯re currently at the Gobi Desert, Phecda is sending in people toe get us already.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the update back at the Spell Department?¡± Wu Siyu asked.

    ¡°Elder Tong said thanks to your warning, the attempted riot has been stamped before it got the chance to fester. Thankfully, it did not have the chance to cause much damage.¡± Xue Ba walked over and handed the phone to Gu Jun, ¡°Ah Jun, Elder Tong wishes to speak with you.¡±

    Gu Jun epted the satellite phone and ced it next to his ears. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun?!¡± Elder Tong¡¯s raucous voice mmed into his eardrum. ¡°Is it really you?! For real?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Gu Jun chuckled again, he really did miss this old man. Listening to the old man¡¯s roaringughter and seeing the calm that settled around him, Gu Jun¡¯s heart warmed even though he knew there were still plenty else to be done. Things like cleaning up the traitors, curing the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome, researching the technique and utilization of the Ancient Seal... He also did not believe Wang Erde was the only member of this ¡®Brotherhood¡¯.

    Afterlife Cult, R¡¯yleh Cult and now another addition of the Yellow Brotherhood. The world was heading south and the future was unknown but as Gu Jun took in the familiar faces around him, he knew he could carry on. Like the lesson taught to thend¡¯s travellers by the professors, those with power should stand forth to protect the powerless.

 Chapter 236: Good News

    <h4>Chapter 236: Good News</h4>

    For Phecda¡¯s Gobi Desert Division, that morning was a buzz of activity. It was not difficult to retrieve a Special Mobile Force of only 30 plus people from the desert, but the difficulty was there were also 300 plus citizens of different nationality, 2 dead bodies and some vehicles. In any case, they were all brought back to base for quarantine. This incident dubbed ¡®Yellow Sign¡¯ had a Grade C confidentiality, and it would be directed straight from the headquarters. Therefore, other than the few division leaders, most of the members had no idea what they were doing, they were merely following the orders. The members of the Action Department sent for the rescue members did not even realize the masked man that they were escorting back to the base was... the departed hero whom Phecda had been using as its face for the past half a year, the recipient of the Phecda medal, the legend at Eastern State.

    Many people took private jets from headquarters to the Gobi Desert Division. Some were there to support the division; others were to investigate the desert to search for clues; some were members of the Spell Department. Prof Shen wasing over while Elder Tong had to stay back at the headquarters to hold the fort.

    When he saw the nightmare man, Prof Shen was both anxious and excited, worried that it was yet another false hope. The news that Gu Jun was still alive had been covered up, no one knew about it, not even his former colleagues at Eastern State because ¡®Gu Jun¡¯ was no longer a nobody, the name had an image to uphold. If the nightmare man was not him, then Phecda would have to deal with the pretender; but even if it was him, they would have to keep the news under tab for further observation.

    Everyone who was quarantined at the Gobi Desert Division had to go through a series of inspections, both physical and psychological. The priority was naturally given to the team from Spell Department, Gu Jun and thend¡¯s travellers. Zheng Jialiang¡¯s body and Mr. Wang Erde¡¯s body as well as the yellow robe that thetter wore were requested by Elder Tong to be sent back to the Spell Department for experiment and autopsy. Was Mr. Wang Erde even a human being? Or was he a mutated creature like the zombies?

    The X-ray imaging showed that he was a human but whether he had any mutation would only be found out after the autopsy.

    The next day, the important DNA report was out. Elder Tong and Prof Shen were overjoyed, the result matched! The nightmare man was indeed Gu Jun. More in depth physical checks were arranged for him. The wounds on his legs had mostly recovered and X-ray imaging did not catch any mutated growth; his skin showed pigmentation degeneration and suffered from severe scarring but they did not seem to affect his health. However, there was a surprising discovery that brought them even more joy.

    ¡°Ha ha ha! The kid is blessed, I tell you. His time is not up yet!¡± Elder Tongughed andughed.

    ¡°Good, good, good.¡± Yao Sinian who heard this news shared in the joy. They were d that Ah Jun had returned alive but they had not forgotten about the ticking time bomb in his brain stem, he would still perish in another few years but the X-ray showed that the tumor had shrunken so much that it had almost disappeared!

    This was a good sign, the kid would live to see his grandchildren even. The incurable brain stem tumor had recovered on its own? It might be a miracle if it happened to others but there had to be a reason for it to happen to Gu Jun.

    After being informed of the good news, Gu Jun was pleasantly surprised as well. There should still be some ¡®brain tumor targeting pills¡¯ among his ¡®remains¡¯, he nned to find a suitable time to give them to the Medical Department for research. If it could help advance the cancer treatment development, it would be wonderful.

    But for now, he exined to Phecda that the recovery probably had to do with the medicine provided to him by the Zoogs¡ªhe was not lying per se, the Zoogs did help him in some ways, maybe just not precisely with his brain tumour. Gu Jun gave a truthful partial report of his journey after his battle with the nightmare house until his return to Earth. Some parts were omitted or edited... most of them being the part about the people from the future and the city of Kindle.

    The reason? Gu Jun was cautious about the information chain going through Phecda, certain information he felt it was better to hold close to his chest. Before the rescue team arrived, he hade up with a front story with thend¡¯s travellers. Kathlyn, Tom and their friends suffered from multiple-personality disorder and were suddenly pulled into the Dreands. It was the Great Atal from Ulthar who summoned them, he took them in as his disciple and taught them the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. They were then given a mission to rescue him at Dth-Leen and bring him back to Ulthar to meet Atal. Atal gave him 3 treasures and taught him the Ancient Seal technique. The 3 treasures were very important.

    The words on the beast hide was Atal¡¯s prophecy. The fish scale was an unknown warning, while the stone with the ancient seal was an aid. Due to the prophecy, Gu Jun did not announce his return but chose to silently contact Wu Siyu first. Therefore, it was not Gu Jun who was the hero but it was Atal who had prophesied everything. With regards to why Atal wanted to do all that, he had no idea.

    Kathlyn and her friends were already clueless to begin with so they did not need to lie. For thend¡¯s travellers, after they found out about Gu Jun¡¯s real identity, they swore their allegiance to him. They were cautioned by Gu Jun to be careful of hypnosis and if asked, just reply with, ¡®I don¡¯t know anything, let me see the nightmare man.¡¯ Gu Jun believed no harm shoulde to them even if they were reluctant to provide assistance. Phecda would not treat them so heartlessly, would they?

    ¡°Even if I am tortured,¡± Peacock imed seriously, ¡°I will not say a single word.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I can make that promise...¡± Kathlyn sighed but what she did not realize was that she was already herself a barrier, because without her trantion, the people from Phecda wouldn¡¯t be able to understand thend¡¯s travellers. In any case, as Gu Jun expected, the members from the Review Department epted their version of the truth and did not cross any line. Well, to be fair, without any hint, no one would have even thought about time travelling so the version that he came up with was easily eptable. After all, there was no way for the Review Department to go to Atal to ask him for confirmation.

    On the other hand, Gu Jun did not hide information about Dreands in his report. He described its geography and different culture because he knew that the research into Dreands would not cease. He¡¯d rather provide them with information to prevent them from possible danger like transporting into the teau of Leng. Whether Phecda could find an actual channel, Gu Jun was not worried. Gu Jun himself could not find one without the help of the Zoogs much less these researchers who were unfamiliar with Dreands.

    After the reports were collected, the biggest trouble for Phecda was the members of the Spell Department, especially those who had shown signs of mental corruption and traitorous intent. It was clear that Phecda¡¯s current S value assessment system had be obsolete. Zheng Jialiang¡¯s death was a deep regret. If they could have discerned the sign of madness in him early on, the whole tragedy could have been avoided. At the very least, he would be kicked out and that would prevent him from pulling others into the abyss with him.

    Gu Jun learned from this that evil and good in humanity was not a thing of permanence, therefore a new system of S value evaluation and recalibration was that much more important. It was not something that could be resolved by shouting out slogans or having meetings. There had to be a solution and the Ancient Seal was clearly one of them.

    With his natural caution, Gu Jun did not hand over the entirety of the Pnakotic Manuscripts, he wanted to study them on his own further. However, the nature of the Ancient Seal, its utilization and how to materialize it with one¡¯s mental power, he exined all that to Elder Tong. ¡°The Ancient Seal is not a spell but more like a tool, it will not corrupt the user¡¯s mind but it can cause those creatures of darkness and maddened individuals to reel in disgust while applying mental damage. It can also help bnce out the power source that would corrupt the disciples of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. I believe it is some kind of ward, probably having simr usage as garlic to vampire.¡±

    Elder Tong epted Gu Jun¡¯s suggestion and ordered every member who had trained with the tome to ept the stone¡¯s cleansing.

 Chapter 237: Cleansing Treatment

    <h4>Chapter 237: Cleansing Treatment</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The team members, Gu Jun and thend¡¯s travellers had no trace of infectious disease on them so they were shuttled onto a private jet and sent back to the Spell Department¡¯s base at Da Hwa City. Da Hwa City was where Phecda¡¯s headquarters was located, it was adjacent to the metropolis Northern State City and it was a veritable metropolis in itself.

    Repatriation of the 300 plus normal citizens though would take longer. This was due to two reasons, one, it was unknown whether any of them was the member of this new organization, the Yellow Brotherhood; and two, they were all foreign citizens and returning them required some diplomatic haggling. Regardless, Gu Jun was spared from dealing with this because he had something more imminent to attend to. Even though he was one of the founding members of the Spell Department, this was the first time Gu Jun had entered the base. Driven by Cai Zixuan, he was given a tour of the base by Wu Siyu. The base was repurposed at one of the headquarters¡¯ old addresses. They added new buildings like admin building, Dreaming Building, Parapsychology Building, Assessment Building, Medical Study Building, Library, Canteen and hostels...

    ¡°And that is the recreational centre.¡± Wu Siyu looked at a cluster of buildings that included a five-star hotel not far away. The recreational centre was definitely the best feature of the Spell Department, there was a gym, ser field, bistros and restaurants, art centres... and even arge garden. Elder Tong knew how important recreation was for the members so the budget was not loose on this matter.

    ¡°By the way,¡± Wu Siyu was reminded of something, ¡°Your friends are here as well, they¡¯re currently working under me.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Gu Jun was startled and instantly one of the names came to him, ¡°Lee Yuerui?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°And his friends, Wu Dong and Lin Xiaotang.¡± Gu Jun then found out Elder Tong had requested for them to be moved here due to their supernatural experience at Longkan Seabelt as well as their talent at party-nning. Currently all three of them were tasked to work under Wu Siyu and they were quite hardworking. However, based on her observation, Lin Xiaotang had shown interest to be an official member of the Spell Department while the two guys were satisfied with their current post...

    Thest stop of the tour was the Medical Building where ¡®project ancient seal stone cleansing¡¯ would be conducted. Since cleansing was in itself an activity of mental exhaustion and Peacock imed that idents had happened during cleansing for the heavily corrupted before so the project was situated here where medical attention could be immediate. At the entrance, Gu Jun encountered a familiar face who was there to greet him, Uncle Dan. Inside the Spell Department, there was only a small amount of people who knew about the mission to save Gu Jun much less the knowledge that Gu Jun had returned, but as a member of Xue Ba¡¯s Special Mobile Force as well as due to his personal rtionship with Gu Jun, Uncle Dan was told the truth.

    ¡°Ah Jun...¡± Uncle Dan¡¯s kind face was filled with smiles as he patted Gu Jun heavily on his back. ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re back, I¡¯ve already made reservations at the club.¡±

    ¡°The recreational centre has all kinds of clubs,¡± Wu Siyu exined, ¡°Fishing club, barbeque club, chess club.¡±

    ¡°Fishing club?¡± Gu Jun frowned, ¡°Can you fish dirty-minded fish there, if not, I¡¯m not going.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s quite a unique request.¡± Wu Siyu pretended to be thinking, ¡°I¡¯ll send your request to the Scientific Research Department, perhaps they mighte up with something.¡±

    Cai Zixuan added, ¡°When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way.¡± Uncle Dan was not the only senior who had joined the Spell Department, due to their experience at Eastern State, both Prof Qin and Prof Gu had joined the department as well. However, Prof Qin had retreated from the frontline and was mainly focusing on his recovery; Prof Gu still maintained his lecturing post at Eastern State Medical University, providing new talent for Phecda. In the earlier secret video conference, Gu Jun had met up with his two mentors and promised to meet them in person when he returned to Eastern State. Now he was ushered to a surgical consultation room on the fifth floor called the ¡®Cleansing Room¡¯ where Gu Jun reunited with Elder Tong as well as had his first meeting with Prof Jiang, the representative from Angell¡¯s Order.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, I¡¯ve heard so many things about you.¡± Prof Jiang greeted him respectfully, ¡°I hope to hear more about the Dreands from you.¡±

    ¡°I too hope to hear more about the R¡¯yleh Cult from you.¡± Gu Jun nodded, he had already been given a briefing of the man¡¯s background. The shadow of the R¡¯yleh Cult bothered him, there were still problems like the Afterlife Cult, his parents, the Seagull as well as the Shaman in the forest...

    The Cleansing Room was a monitored surgery room. The surgical bed had been removed and reced by a table and chair where the rock with the Ancient Seal sat. Gu Jun and thend¡¯s travellers provided the instruction from the side while the room was guarded by armed Action Department members from outside, they would burst in to control the situation should anything go wrong. Possible threats included the cleansed member going berserk or the strange stone acting up. The first to attempt the cleansing was Elder Tong, the groaning that he made when pressing against the stone sounded more like something one would make during deep tissue massage. Elder Tong sweated profusely and felt rejuvenated afterwards. His face was practically glowing, ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯ve brought back something magical indeed.¡±

    The excitement for Elder Tong came not only from the Ancient Seal but also thend¡¯s travellers, whom he was told were Atal¡¯s direct disciples, all five of them had mastered the first five chapters of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. They were indefinitely loyal to Gu Jun so the Spell Department would have to take them, negotiation with Australia should not be a problem.

    Gu Jun also predicted that cleansing for members who had not reached the third chapter would not pose any problem, the best examples included Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan and Xue Ba. When they finished the cleansing, they reported that it was like going through a detoxing sauna. The real challenge was the members who suffered from Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan training syndrome.

    Lou Xiaoning who had remained mostly sentient throughout the mission survived the cleansing with a grit of her teeth; but it was not as easy for the other members, some were in such pain that their backs arched into impossible degrees while others screamed like they were being operated on without anesthetic. Cleansing of heavy corruption could not be done within a day, which meant that they had to go through the same tormenting process every 3 days. Gu Jun and thend¡¯s travellers would step in to stop the cleansing from going too far each time.

    ¡°Aiz...¡± Prof Shen sighed as he watched the proceeding in the surveince room, even Elder Tong¡¯s excitement was dampened. Even though the Spell Department was newly built, and both the leaders of the department as well as higher-ups at the headquarters had expected a rocky start but they did not expect things would go so south. These people were selected because they were the most talented members of Phecda, so why were they being punished for their hard work?

    The headquarters had not yet decided how to deal with this incident, so they decided to wait and see the cleansing effect of the stone first.

    At that moment, a heavily-monitored patient was sent into the Cleansing Room. Wang Ruoxiang, disciple of the fifth chapter, was taken under the Brotherhood¡¯s control to betray Phecda, she almost killed her teammates and was called the descendant of Cassilda by Mr. Wang Erde.

    ¡°Monitor, good luck, I believe in you.¡± Gu Junforted his old friend. ¡°I know for sure you will pull through.¡±

    ¡°No matter the result.¡± Wang Ruoxiang smiled slightly, ¡°At least I know I would have contributed to the advancement of medical science.¡±

    With Gu Jun and Peacock looking on, she sat on the chair and reached out towards the rock. Instantly her brows creased and her face started to distort with pain.

 Chapter 238: Technical Difficulty

    <h4>Chapter 238: Technical Difficulty</h4>

    Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s cleansing reaction was the most intense of all 530 members in the Spell Department. Just one touch on the stone caused the girl to scream in pain, her forehead broke out in cold sweat and they had not even begun the cleansing yet. This reaction startled even Peacock and Mchite. Gu Jun only allowed her to be in contact with the stone for five more seconds before he pulled her back. No matter how strong one¡¯s determination was, there was only so much one¡¯s physical body could take.

    To look on the bright side, Wang Ruoxiang did not show any fatal signs like brain haemorrhage or cardiac arrest nor did she scream out incoherent words like the King in Yellow or Carcosa. This proved that she was more or less herself, and hopefully that would not put her in too much trouble when the members from the Review Department went over the recording of her first cleansing.

    ¡°Gu Jun...¡± Wang Ruoxiang said between jagged breath, her tone as firm as ever. ¡°Just give it your best shot, I am not afraid of the pain...¡±

    ¡°I know but some things cannot be hurried.¡± Gu Junforted her. ¡°Monitor, you¡¯re a unique case, we have to take it especially slow.¡± That was evidenced by thetter cleansings. Gao Yi and Zhang Zuodong, who had also reached the fifth chapter, did not react as intensely as Wang Ruoxiang did and they showed clear signs of mental acuity after the cleansing. Wang Ruoxiang would need more cleansing.

    3 days after the first cleansing came the second. This time, people like Elder Tong, Cai Zixuan and Wu Siyu, who only finished the earlier chapters of the book, did not show any response when they interacted with the stone. While their hands were pressing against the stone, Peacock pressed hers against it as well. This apparently was an assessment method, if the stone did not light up, it meant that their mind was ¡®cleansed¡¯. After the second round of cleansing, the members who had reached the third chapter like Xue Ba had been officially ¡®cleansed¡¯.

    ...

    Gu Jun did not follow up on Uncle Dan¡¯s promise to go to the club because he had other things to busy himself with. He had multiple meetings with the Angell¡¯s Order to exchange information about the Dreands and R¡¯yleh Cult. He also participated in the autopsy of Zheng Jialiang and Mr. Wang Erde. To enter the morgue after so long, the pungent smell of Formalin on his nose and the firm grasp of the scalpel in his hand... felt somewhat like a homing.

    The autopsy result showed that Mr. Wang Erde was indeed a human. His disfigurements were all within medical exnation: the small stature was due to dwarfism, his ugly face was due to multiple scarrings. He had not shown any inexplicable mutation. Zheng Jialiang¡¯s body was even moremon. In a way, this highlighted how inconspicuous mental corruption could be on the surface.

    ....

    Another 3 days passed and the third round of cleansing ended. Both Gao Yi and Zhang Zuodong were basically ¡®cleansed¡¯ already but little progress had been made when it came to Wang Ruoxiang. Regarding this, Gu Jun had a new diagnosis. After all, the height of the corruption rate he experienced was at 49 percent. In that state, he suffered from full body palsy and was barely conscious. When he attempted the cleansing at 24 percent corruption, it had only dropped for 3 percent.

    For each subsequent cleansing after that, the corruption rate dropped by 1 or 2 percent. Based on his observation and calction, it meant that Gao Yi and Zhang Zuodong¡¯s corruption rate was at around 10 percent when they turned against Phecda but Wang Ruoxiang was probably in a more approximate situation as he was. Her corruption rate had hiked up to 20 to 30 percent before she lost her mind, therefore, the cleansing effect was so minimal. This was because each cleansing session could only lower the corruption by 3 percent, and thus it meant that she still had 17 to 27 percent to go.

    Gu Jun¡¯s conclusion was that the greater the corruption, the harder it was to cleanse. If not for the nightmare wonder showing as well as the sweet dream bubbles, he would not have recovered so soon. If he had started the cleansing with the stone, the effectiveness on him might be less obvious than it was for Wang Ruoxiang.

    ¡°The lower the mental corruption rate, the better the cleansing effect from using the stone. Everyone¡¯s mental corruption threshold before reaching the stage of ¡®madness¡¯ and ¡®betrayal¡¯ is different.¡± Gu Jun wrote down these two observations in his medical report and he exined further on the second point. ¡°This probably has to do with the unique state of each person¡¯s mental power, spirituality and consciousness. It could be rted to the source of the corruption as well. Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s corruption came from the King in Yellow, the faith of the Yellow Brotherhood; while my main corruption originated from the house of nightmare, the unknown power rted to the zombie cult and the R¡¯yleh Cult.

    ¡°Would different sources of corruption entail different madness thresholds? For example, would I have gone insane when I was 10 percent corrupted by the King in Yellow¡¯s power, but I would need to reach 50 percent for the same effect when it came to corruption by Cthulhu¡¯s power?¡±

    Based on the treatment result and Gu Jun¡¯s report, the Spell Department had a new direction to focus on. Currently the biggest task of the Spell Department was toe up with a new and effective ¡®S Value assessment system¡¯.

    ¡°Ah Jun, the situation is quite dire.¡± Elder Tong told Gu Jun, ¡°If we cannot find a solution to this problem, the Spell Department will be suspended. Phecda needs a controble unit and not a burden that will churn out turncoats and madmen.¡±

    The new S Value would be made up of 3 differentponents:

    The first was an overall grading of individual aptitude.

    The second was the individual¡¯s mental corruption threshold for madness when influenced by supernatural forces.

    The third was a quantifiable mental corruption rate, a real time status that could be essed and monitored as per individual.

    For example, Wang Ruoxiang would be grade A and Gao Yi grade B. They were both corrupted by the power of the King in Yellow but her threshold was at 30 percent but his was at 10 percent. Based on the new system, even if Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s corruption rate was at 10 percent, her new S value would not be too high; but when the corruption rate for Gao Yi reached 7 percent, his S value would be in the danger zone already.

    ¡°This is the only way toe up with a holistic assessment system.¡± Prof Shen¡¯s hair whitened over a week. His face was lined with worry. Aptitude Grading, Madness Threshold, Realtime Corruption Rate, how was one supposed to determine these three particrs? And how would one define them?

    Prof Shen and his people were stumped. Perhaps a super technology like the Ancient Stone would be able to do it but that was beyond their currentprehension. To derive science from the supernatural was to set down a foundation in unknown knowledge territory, it was impossible.

    Gu Jun asked thend¡¯s travellers for opinion but they had not faced this problem before. First of all, they did not train from any power sources other than the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan and only those who had the highest mental power would be chosen to be Phecda Warriors, this enabled a uniformity among the Phecda Warriors¡¯ aptitude grading and madness threshold. Even their assessment of corruption rate came from experience, either the warriors suffered death before mental copse or they relied on the stone cleansing. This was in itself not a bad idea but Gu Jun knew it was not suitable for Phecda and this world. If only Grade A individuals were selected, the Spell Department would be seriously understaffed, and wasn¡¯t that the reason why thend¡¯s travellers failed to expand and grow? Because the solution was too inflexible.

    Super technology... Gu Jun believed the answery within the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

 Chapter 239: New Ancient Seal Device

    <h4>Chapter 239: New Ancient Seal Device</h4>

    Opaline, a kind of carbonized silicone gem with 5 to 10 percent water percentage. At the Spell Department base at night, inside a standard hostel room, Gu Jun was studying a brilliant opaline. There were two kinds of opalines, ones with chatoyance and those without. The one he had contained chatoyant. It was oval in shape, 4.5 cm long and 2.1 cm wide. It came from western Australia. This was a particr request made by Gu Jun because he believed there was still a significant reason why they hadnded close to Warburton when they returned from Dreands. Since opaline was not a crystalline stone, some of its structure would change color or even crack due to water loss but it would not affect its structural stability.

    An opaline of such quality, with brilliant colors, smooth cut and high water concentration fitted the requirement of the Pnakotic Manuscript perfectly.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun grabbed the stone and sat down on the study table. The table was covered with carving instruments like carving knives, drills, needles and saw... It was like a mini jeweller¡¯s workshop. Around the corners, he had set up cameras to record his proceedings. Actually Gu Jun had no idea what would happen, he was going to carve an Ancient Seal on the opaline, but with regards to how to carve it and would it be effective, he was as clueless as anyone else.

    This was a technique introduced in the Pnakotic Manuscripts. Different from the bigger stone, this smaller stone was meant for ¡®rationality assessment¡¯... or at least that was how Gu Jun saw it, the words were too vague andplicated for him toprehend it perfectly. But the term ¡®rationality¡¯ was repeated so many times that he knew the civilization that came up with these technologies and techniques valued it a lot. Rationality was their main focus, knowledge and science were their only way to understand the universe. If one had to make an analogy, this little trinket would be like our pedometer, but while ours was used to check our umted steps, this was to check the wearer¡¯s rationality value.

    ¡°This insignificant trinket.¡± Gu Jun thought, ¡°Might be able to help solve our biggest problem...¡± The Pnakotic Manuscripts provided a detailed reconstruction of the necessary carving but each of the carved lines represented suchplex mathematical algorithms that it made Gu Jun feel so small in respect to the expanse of the universe, the science that currently eluded the human scientific knowledge. Just like how the prehistoric man did not understand decimal point, this was unknown territory for Gu Jun too.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath and picked up a carving knife. It fitted his hands perfectly, probably due to the effect of the Hands of Dexterity. He ordered his roommate Cai Zixuan, who had left earlier to stop anyone froming in, to disturb him. Gu Jun closed his eyes and opened the Pnakotic Manuscripts in his mind, he turned to the page about Ancient Seal essories. The impossible lines and indescribable pictures stared back at him. They taught him how to imbue the opaline with the carver¡¯s mental power, how to adjust the water percentage in the stone and to reconstruct its structure...

    Slowly, his mental power drain and a headache came.

    ¡°Urgh...¡± Images of Dreands suddenly came to rece the darkness. Gu Jun looked around and realized he was standing back in therge and imposing library. But this time the shadowy figure was absent. Therge rows of bookshelves were faraway, instead he stood next to one of the walls which was weakly glowing. He saw the stone-carved wall which was decorated with detailed carving. They were especially intricate, the patterns looked like they had been sanded out from the stone, instead of brutely carved out. The patternsyered upon each other, soft like feathers. They were many times moreplicated than the ones inside the Pnakotic Manuscripts. ¡®Are... are these the technological groundwork for the assessment stone?¡¯

    The more Gu Jun studied them, the more he was impressed by its delicate yet intense power. Each line and curve on the wall appeared to hook at his soul. Admiring the craftsmanship, Gu Jun lost track of time... After who knew how long, he slowly raised his right hand, attempting to touch the surface of the wall. Suddenly, the illusion faded away. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes flew open, the giant library disappeared and he was back in his sprawling bedroom.The sky outside the window was turning bright. The clock showed that it was 6 am, a whole night had passed.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath like he was readjusting to his body. A wave of fatigue mmed into him, almost knocking him over. It affected his limbs most intensely, they were so sore that he could barely move them... What happened that it incapacitated him so despite his level 3 Hands of Dexterity?

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped as he looked down at his table. ¡®What is this?¡¯ There were many chipped stones on the table. He was still holding the carving knife on his right hand and the opaline in his left. It was still oval in shape and nothing seemed to change about the gem except the previously absent ancient seal imprint on the surface. It had not been buffed but it looked perfectly naturally, the lines of the ancient seal even matched with the coloring of the stone evenly.

    ¡°This...¡± Gu Jun frowned. He noticed the tools like the drill had not been used, for all appearances, he had only worked with the carving knife. He gathered his strength to stand up and his knees almost went underneath him. He struggled to move to theputer and opened the surveince video. He saw that after connecting to the Pnakotic Manuscripts, his hands started to move on their own to work on the opaline... he looked at the recording at normal speed and then at double speed. He had spent the whole night carving away. He switched to a different camera angle. Gu Jun realized his eyes remained close, it looked like he was ¡®sleep-working¡¯.

    ¡°It appears like I have just carved an Ancient Seal on the opaline gem. I can feel the difference in the gem¡¯s internal structure due to the imbue of mental power.¡±

    But the question remained... How was it effective?

    Revising the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Gu Jun worked on the gem for a while longer. He saw its colors changing and the ancient seal imprint glow... He could not help butugh as he gripped the stone. Yes, it worked!

    He immediately called Elder Tong, it was time for him to interrupt other people¡¯s dreams for once.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Elder Tong picked up at first ring, suggesting that he had trouble sleeping. It was evident in the dark circles under his eyes when Gu Junst saw him.

    ¡°Elder Tong,¡± Gu Jun said with a smile. ¡°Elder Atal has taught me a technique which I just grasped; I havee up with our first Phecda Health Tracker.¡±

    ¡°What health tracker?¡± Elder Tong was stunned. ¡°Atal knows that kind of technology?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just an analogy, actually it¡¯s an assessment device that can be used to observe and monitor the rationality status of our Spell Department¡¯s members.¡±

 Chapter 240: Rationality Assessment Stone

    <h4>Chapter 240: Rationality Assessment Stone</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    A device that could monitor its wearer¡¯s rationality status. Due to this one statement by Gu Jun, the whole Spell Department was sent into a frenzy early in the morning. Elder Tong practically screamed during the call; Prof Shen was so frazzled that he forgot his breakfast; Yao Sinian, who represented the headquarters to deal with this incident, rushed to the Parapsychology Building at first notice.

    Other than that, there were a few Spell Department members present, they were requested to be part of the experiment. Currently they were waiting outside the experimentb and had no idea what was happening. Theb was heavily guarded by members from the Action Department. Inside the spaciousb, all the higher-ups were there. Their eyes burned with interest as they studied the opaline in Gu Jun¡¯s palm. Other than the Ancient Seal carved on its surface, there was nothing special about it. However, if this little trinket could really monitor one¡¯s rationality, then it would be worth more than its weight in gold.

    ¡°Watch this.¡± Gu Jun handed the opaline to Elder Tong. It was quite funny seeing Elder Tong treat the stone so gingerly. Gu Jun smiled, ¡°The gem won¡¯t break so easily. The stone does not require any mental bond to use. It can detect the wearer¡¯s state in real time, and in that manner, it is quite simr to a health tracker.¡± That brought on more excitement because it meant that one stone could be shared by many and it could also be used as a monitor device by the Review Department.

    ¡°Does this thing need to be charged?¡± Elder Tong asked, ¡°Like a phone?¡±

    ¡°No, but it is exhaustible. After the water particle inside the stone ispletely drained, it¡¯ll turn back to a normal stone.¡±

    ¡°Must it be an opaline?¡± Prof Shen studied the gem, yet another example of super technology.

    ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t know why myself.¡± Gu Jun paused before adding, ¡°But first, I believe an boration on the concept of ¡®rationality¡¯ is necessary. Being rational refers to a person¡¯s self-mental state which is not corrupted by any abnormal power, and being irrational is its opposite.¡± He drew these observations from the Pnakotic Manuscripts, ¡°But rationality will not be able to reflect the wearer¡¯s actual thinking, in other words, a person canmit murder, crime and betrayal while being totally rational. Rationality cannot reflect a person¡¯s thoughts and personality. For example, a person who is not mentally-corrupted at all will be shown to be perfectly rational even though they are the disciple of the King in Yellow, Cthulhu or some other supernatural forces.¡± Gu Jun knew this was a huge limitation but the stone was not a mind-reader, it was what it was.

    ¡°Humanity has always beenplicated.¡± Yao Sinian sighed while Prof Shen added, ¡°Ah Jun, to be able to monitor the changes to one¡¯s rationality state is already good enough. Combine this with our current S value assessment system, it should be enough for detecting any traces of psychological abnormality.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, based on my experience...¡± Gu Jun frowned, ¡°Once onees into contact with supernatural power, their mind will be corrupted, so if a Spell Department member shows a state of mental corruption without any record of using spells, then they should be captured and interrogated.¡± Mental corruption did not ur that easily, Gu Jun had experienced so many illusions in the past but those only applied mental exhaustion. One would have to use spells or interact with supernatural forces through other methods to be corrupted. Therefore even though the stone could not read people¡¯s hearts, it was able to act as an rm, revealing the members¡¯ secret activity if there was one.

    ¡°That should be enough for now.¡± Elder Tong nodded. ¡°Should this thing work, we will test everyone today, including the aunties at the canteen.¡± Gu Jun smiled and then proceeded with a demonstration, ¡°Pay close attention to the changes of its colors.¡± When he picked up the stone, it was glowing green; When Yao Sinian held it, the color was still green but the brightness faded.

    ¡°My mental corruption rate is currently at around 1 percent,¡± Gu Jun exined although ording to the system, it was only 0.32 percent, ¡°So the color shown was slightly deeper than Commander Yao.¡±

    Elder Tong, Prof Shen both gave it a try, both times the stone glowed in a faded green light. Gu Jun exined, the light could be delineated into four grades, their corresponding color designating the level of mental corruption. Each color was further delineated into three levels, light, medium and dark, signifying the severity.

    Green: Save, clean, or minor corruption, no effect on rationality.

    Blue: Worrying corruption rate, rationality has been influenced.

    Yellow: Severe corruption rate, grasp on rationality is wavering, close to madness threshold

    Red: Rationality is lost, in a state of madness.

    This stone provided a quantifiable assessment of one¡¯s Aptitude Grading, Madness Threshold, and Realtime Corruption Rate.

    This resolved the issue of people having different aptitude grading because the stone would assess the wearer¡¯s madness threshold and realtime corruption rate by adjusting them to the wearer¡¯s individual aptitude. After Gu Jun¡¯s exnation, the higher-ups ushered in the Spell Department members waiting outside to give the stone a try.

    Honestly, Elder Tong and the rest were quite worried. Once Wang Ruoxiang touched the stone, the color turned yellow. Gu Jun noted that it was a medium yellow; It turned faded blue for Gao Yi, which meant that he still needed more cleansing treatment; Cai Zixuan provided another stark contrast, the stone turned pale green in his hands, he was totally clean. Finally it was Peacock¡¯s turn, the stone was medium green, meaning slight corruption.

    Gu Jun had more experiments in mind. As per Gu Jun¡¯s request, Peacock moved into an isted room. She closed the steel door, and casted the summoning spell from the first chapter while holding the stone. Several nightgaunts appeared and her expression darkened immediately. Gu Jun and the others watched through the window and saw that the Ancient Seal on the stone started to glow, meaning that the user¡¯s mental state was currently being corrupted. Peacock was halted immediately. With a wave of her hand, the several nightgaunts disappeared. The stone in her hand was now deep green in color.

    ¡°Wonderful, wonderful...¡± Elder Tong¡¯s eyes were glowing. ¡°Ah Jun, with this baby, our Spell Department will be saved.¡± Prof Shen nodded in concurrence. The stone not only solved the department¡¯s biggest problem, it would also provide the country a leg up over the rest of the world. In spite of his excitement, Yao Sinian had already thought further ahead, could this stone be mass-produced? How were they going to utilize them? This kind of device should not be limited to the Spell Department, it would be great if every Special Mobile Forces or if possible, every Phecda member had ess to one. This way, they could monitor the corruption closely.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be mechanically mass-produced.¡± Gu Jun sighed. ¡°Making one of these requires great exhaustion of mental power, and they have to be hand-crafted. The blueprint given to me is also just a mental projection, I will try to replicate it in real life but I am not even sure it will work. If not, I¡¯ll try to figure out another solution.¡± But he still had good news for them, the bigger cleansing stone could also be manufactured and he too had the blueprint for it. He did not provide the other details because he had not studied fully the chapter about the Ancient Seal techniques in the manuscripts.

    Bearing in mind the stone manufacturing¡¯s many requirements, Yao Sinian came up with an idea. Phecda would recruit a new batch of members with high spirituality but they would not learn any spell or be involved in scientific research, their main purpose was mental power training and participation in the production line of the stones. They could be arranged under the review department, spell department... Or a new department, called the Ancient Seal Department could be constructed. This would be a new employment within Phecda, the Ancient Seal Carver.

    ¡°Ah Jun, you¡¯ve outdone yourself again,¡± Yao Sinian praised, ¡°This would qualify you for another Phecda Medal.¡± Gu Jun heard about this medal before and knew about the statue of himself at Eastern State¡¯s Medical Department...

    ¡°One needs to go through so much red tape to apply for the medal, I¡¯ll justmission a statue of Ah Jun to be built in front of the Spell Department.¡± Elder Tong waved his hands dismissively. ¡°That will be so much faster.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Gu Jun didn¡¯t know how to respond, ¡°I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary...¡± he had seen a bit too much of his own simrity replicated in statues tost a lifetime. In fact, whenever he was around thend¡¯s travellers, he felt like a moving statue. They joked about this. Just as they were about to leave theb, Prof Shen brought up something serious. ¡°Commander Yao, I hope you will be able to plead Ruoxiang¡¯s case with the headquarters.¡± After 3 cleansing, while most had been pretty much cleaned, she was still at a medium yellow level, this would definitely cast her in a suspicious light.

    ¡°I will do my best.¡± Yao Sinian promised. ¡°Ah Jun has also requested my help about this earlier but the best thing you can do now is to hurry up the cleansing process, that will make her case a lot more solid.¡±

    Gu Jun heard that and added, ¡°After this, I will go talk to her.¡± He had a solution in mind that he believed could work, it was rted to the reward that he had obtained frompleting his previous abyssal mission.

 Chapter 241: Lai Hwa Tree

    <h4>Chapter 241: Lai Hwa Tree</h4>

    Since Gu Junpleted the abyssal mission under the allotted 100 hours, he got apletion rating of 10 stars. This was the first time Gu Jun got a 10 star rating. He knew the reward was going to be good. However, since the reward was not specified, he found a secluded spot at the base before he pressed the button in his mind to ept his reward. Instantly a white glow suffused his mind, rejuvenating his body.

    ¡°You have obtained 3 sweet dreams; you have obtained 1 Carlot Autopsy Hammer; You have obtained one Lai Hwa Tree seedling.¡± To Gu Jun¡¯s surprise, there were only 3 rewards. The sweet dreams were still the same nk sweet dream bubbles; he pulled out the Carlot hammer, the hilt was 24 cm long and the diameter of the hammerhead was 2.5 cm wide. The hammerhead was joined to the hilt, it was hefty and sturdy. It had a smooth surface and was quite easy to use. It could not be considered long for an autopsy tool, but just for that fact, it was justpact enough for Gu Jun to carry it on his person.

    The most surprising reward was definitely the Lai Hwa Tree seedling. Rewards he had received so far had all been shapeless items that only existed in his mind or medical instrument and medicine. Seedling was something that could grow into a tree and this was the first time Gu Jun obtained a living organism as a reward.

    Lai Hwa Tree was a trantion from the foreignnguage, the term Lai meant barren field, while Hwa meant flowering, so together it meant blossoming flowers at barren wastnds, turning desert into oasis. ¡®Lai Hwa¡¯ carried the meaning of ¡®life¡¯ in the foreignnguage, so the Lai Hwa Tree was the equivalent of a life-giving tree in the foreign culture. Other than that, the term was also a ¡®spell¡¯, not a bad but good kind. Based on an educated guess, Gu Jun believed the foreign civilization to view this nt as one blessed by supernatural power, namely, the Goddess of Life.

    ¡®Lai Hwa¡¯ had manifold meaning in the foreignnguage and with that, a dangerous uncertainty. Even though it was part of a 10 star rating reward, Gu Jun did not manifest the seedling into existence.

    ¡°Living organisms are different from an inanimate object,¡± Gu Jun thought cautiously, ¡°especially for this kind of foreign organism that does not exist on Earth.¡± Lai Hwa tree was a nt of good luck in the foreign culture, or at least it was once, but would it carry the same meaning on Earth?

    In terms of best case scenario, its leaves, fruit and other parts would have miraculous uses. Crucial material could be derived from the nt like how salicylic acid, the mainponent in Aspirin manufacturing, was derived from willow bark.

    But worst case scenario, it would contain nt viruses that could infect Earth¡¯s microorganism, flora and fauna. Gu Jun was reminded of the Malformed Banyan Disease, the banyan trees, the Son of Misfortune and Landon¡¯s love of trees. There was no telling whether the Lai Hwa Tree was a tragedy or blessing... but Gu Jun believed the system would not give him random reward, it would show its use sooner orter. Personally, he believed the seedling was a blessing, but for now caution was necessary.

    ¡°Lai Hwa Tree, Lai Hwa Tree... if only there are books I can read on this nt...¡± However, Gu Jun was so busy during the week that this issue was pushed to the back. For now, he was more focused on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s treatment, and the solution would note from the tree, the hammer but the sweet dream bubbles. Gu Jun requested Elder Tong to allow him to bring Wang Ruoxiang on a nature walk around the park, his real purpose being to talk to her in private. Elder Tong approved.

    ¡°Monitor, this is a method that I¡¯ve picked up when I was in Dreands.¡± He exined the concept of sweet dream bubbles to Wang Ruoxiang and how she could be summoned there through forging of mental bonds. With the aid of this ¡®psychological shelter¡¯, she would not be under so much pain during the cleansing session. Therefore, she could go through a longer treatment, thus bringing about a more effective result.

    With Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s ingenuity, she grasped Gu Jun¡¯s n without the need for him to go into details. ¡°You only have 3 sweet dream bubbles left, are you sure you want to waste one on me?¡± She believed these bubbles could be used for greater purposes like creating secretmunication channels between mission members that could cross great distance. Just think about it, if radio signals went down and the members were separated from each other, the bubbles woulde in handy for information exchange.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that.¡± Gu Jun sighed helplessly, ¡°That¡¯s for future us to worry, we need to deal with your imminent problem now.¡±

    It was worth noting that Wang Ruoxiang had indeed touched upon the rarity of nk sweet dream bubbles. After Gu Jun returned from Dreands and his mental corruption rate lowered to normal, the reward of the daily Abyssal Mission reverted to normal autopsy-rted ones. Gu Jun had the notion that he would not be receiving any new sweet dream bubbles any time soon, so he needed to ration out the existing three that he had. It was why he did not form a sweet dream bond with Wu Siyu even though her cotton candy dream was extremely resistant to mental pressure. However, as a friend and a doctor, he had to help cure Ruoxiang¡¯s training symptoms.

    ¡°Okay then.¡± Wang Ruoxiang nodded, her eyes shining with appreciation. ¡°You can begin now.¡±

    ¡°First, I need you to tell me a sweet dream of yours.¡±

    ¡°How about world peace? That is the most important dream on my mind now.¡±

    ¡°At least that does not sound like the sweet dream of a Brotherhood member, if anything, it¡¯s more like the answer of a pageant queen.¡± Gu Jun chided her. He opened a sweet dream bubble in his mind and entered the yhouse. After the audience member sat down, he started the y. How would one imagine world peace? He conjured up a group of people from different nationalities holding hands and singing on stage. At the same time, he summoned, ¡°Wang Ruoxiang, Wang Ruoxiang.¡±

    He had not bridged a mental bond with Wang Ruoxiang before, but thankfully they were physically close to each other. Soon the audience member took on the appearance of a pretty woman. Her beautiful face looked around in confusion, ¡°Gu Jun? Is this it? Is it working?¡± Her voice was rather echoey but it was unclear whether it was due to her state of mental corruption or their weak bond. Regardless, Gu Jun knew the sweet dream had been established, this had be Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s domain.

    In the dream, he exined to her how it worked and then reminded her to keep it a secret. He did not know how to create nk sweet dream bubbles and he wanted to keep the whole thing a secret from Phecda. Wang Ruoxiang gave her promise, knowing theplicated bureaucracy of the organization. In the next two days, Gu Jun summoned Ruoxiang into the sweet dreams at different times to strengthen the stability of the dream and their bond.

    The 4th round of the cleansing treatment came as scheduled. It was also the first time the spell department used the opaline stone in conjunction with the cleansing treatment. During this treatment, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s treatment time was longer than the collective time of her previous three sessions and she showed conspicuous less pain and resistance to the stone. The opaline stone showed that her corruption rate had lowered from medium yellow to dark blue. It was very sessful.

    ¡°The higher the corruption, the harder it would be to cleanse but it¡¯ll be much easier from now on. Of course, her will of steel has worked wonders as well.¡± Gu Jun did tell the truth, he merely omitted some details.

    Yao Sinian was very satisfied. Out of his trust in Gu Jun, he did not question the sudden improvement in the result. Furthermore, the exnation given sounded valid. 2 dayster, which was 2 weeks since the rescue mission, the headquarters finally announced their administrative decision regarding this incident.

 Chapter 242: Reward and Punishment

    <h4>Chapter 242: Reward and Punishment</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    This incident sent tremors through the headquarters. Developing an understanding of spell was necessary but it should note at such a high cost. Yao Sinian and Elder Tong had done more than enough lip work to help salvage the situation. The arrival of the cleansing stone and the assessment stone helped greatly in their persuasion. The Ancient Seal technology was a game changer, at least it stopped the headquarters from making the decision to suspend the Spell Department fully. However, they did forbid Phecda members from responding to unknown rescue signals as well as conducting unknown rituals in the future, that was now aw.

    This time they were lucky but who knew what would happen next time. If the real Gu Jun did not show up on time, the most loyal members of the Spell Department would be murdered by the Brotherhood while the corrupted traitors would return to infiltrate Phecda.

    Elder Tong epted this punishment begrudgingly considering the possible consequence. The devil will use the thing you¡¯re most hungry after as bait to lure you in, that has always been the truth. However, there was another decision that the headquarters made which was not so well-received despite how logical it was.

    In the conference room, Elder Tong announced in a hoarse voice, ¡°All the members who showed signs of betrayal during this mission will all be suspended from their work indefinitely. They will be sent to a new base that the Correctional Department had recently built for re-education. For now, the project willst for 3 years.¡± Instantly the atmosphere in the room froze. Due to the uniqueness of spells, one could not forget what they had learned. Therefore when the Spell Department was built, it was already agreed that all the members would receive monitoring to a certain degree but rule-breakers would never be kicked out from Phecda while they were still alive due to their already existent knowledge.

    Elder Tong called it a ¡®project¡¯ but it was in truth an ¡®incarceration¡¯ of 3 years ¡®for now¡¯, who knew whether the headquarters would prolong the ¡®project¡¯ or not...

    ¡°What?!¡± Lou Xiaoning red with her left eye. She was spared from this punishment but...

    ¡°Ah.¡± Cai Zixuan turned to Wang Ruoxiang nervously. Wu Siyu frowned. Gu Jun asked darkly, ¡°Elder Tong, this is the leniency that you¡¯ve promised us?¡± Gao Yi, Zhang Zuodong, Yu Xiaoyong and the rest who showed signs of treachery during the mission either sighed or set their jaws. To sacrifice their lives on the battlefield was one thing but to be imprisoned like an inmate was another. However, no one could argue that the decision by the headquarters crossed any line. Wang Ruoxiang appeared serene like she had already predicted this result. Or it could just be a front.

    ¡°But their ¡®treachery¡¯ was an irrational behavior.¡± Gu Jun argued.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Yao Sinian interrupted sternly, ¡°Originally they were going to be fired and imprisoned for life but now at least they have a chance to return.¡±

    ¡°Have you heard of the first atomic missile project? The first batch of workers who worked on the missile had sacrificed their health due to radiation.¡± Elder Tong turned to Gu Jun, ¡°We are currently building an atomic bomb! Everyone should be prepared to make necessary sacrifices when they join the Spell Department, that is simply the truth.¡±

    Elder Tong looked at the faces of the people he had personally recruited, ¡°The Ancient Seal technology cannot read minds, that is the key problem. Personally, I wouldy my life down for any of you but I cannot say for sure if there are any bad apples among us. After all, I also thought Zheng Jialiang would be the next Gu Jun.¡±

    Gu Jun wanted to say something but swallowed it with a sigh.

    ¡°Time will tell what will happen.¡± Elder Tong continued, ¡°Time will also help the department grow. When we have reached the necessary breakthrough, with sufficient technology and management system, and your innocence proven, I will do my best to haul all of you out, because no one understands better than I do how it feels to be kicked to the side on the suspicion of distrust.¡± Elder Tong couldn¡¯t help but sigh, naturally he was disappointed by this result too. ¡°I will make this happen as fast as I can, that I promise you.¡±

    ¡°Elder Tong, I am okay with the arrangement.¡± Wang Ruoxiang uttered sincerely. ¡°I only hope that I can be allowed to continue my medical study when I am inside, I do not wish to stay idle.¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Elder Tong replied instantly, ¡°This is not an imprisonment, other than the ban from leaving the ce and further interaction with spells, the privilege you¡¯ll receive there will not be worse than what you¡¯re having here. In fact, it¡¯ll be like a vacation with more free time. I will not allow any of you to abandon your main responsibility, the learning must continue.¡±

    ¡°Ruoxiang, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yao Sinian added consolingly. ¡°The organization will find you the best professors to give you online lectures and you can apply for any books you need.¡±

    ¡°Then everything¡¯s fine by me.¡± Wang Ruoxiang shed a smile and nodded. ¡°I will use this time to finish a master¡¯s degree and a doctorate.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned, a medical student, especially one who specialized in clinical medicine, trapped inside an isted base, with no ess to patients, how was she going to conduct experiments and trails?

    Cai Zixuan knew the hardship ahead as well. Their monitor was the most hardworking of them all and this truly deprived her of the full potential of her talent.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± Wang Ruoxiang said, ¡°I¡¯m really fine with it. I know I will have to abandon clinical medicine but I can still study pharmacy or other school of medicine.¡± She said self-deprecatingly. ¡°In fact, with all the free time I will have, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll release more findings in peer-reviewed journals than the both of youbined.¡±

    Gu Jun smiled bitterly while Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°Sev¡¯ral plum branches stand at the wall corner there; Ev¡¯n in extreme cold they, alone, flow¡¯r in delight. Monitor, good luck.¡± Gu Jun also added, ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Gao Yi, Yu Xiaoyong and the rest followed Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s example and epted their assignment, it was not like they had much choice. Their hope was that their innocence would soon be proved and the day of return won¡¯t be that long in the future. Then the members of Action Departments led them away from the conference room. Although they weren¡¯t going to be transferred immediately, they were ushered away because Elder Tong wanted to spare them from the next item on the meeting.

    Since there was punishment, there was reward as well. A simple ¡®failure¡¯ was too simple of a word to conclude this mission. Gu Jun did return alive, he even smoked another evil cult out of the dark, killed one of its core members and brought so many important technologies back with him. Just from the result alone, the mission was a huge sess. The team members¡¯ courage was praiseworthy and so did their resistance against the dark forces.

    Among them, Wu Siyu had performed exceptionally. Due to her warning to Elder Tong, a huge tragedy was averted. She was given a Grade 2 merit, there was no medal but it would help in her future promotion.

    For Gu Jun, even though there was still much argument about how he dealt with the banyan tree disease, his sacrifice for the Nightmare Illness and what he had done during this mission more than enough lived up to his name as the Phecda Hero. And such a hero had returned from the dead. The headquarters spent half a month to confirm his identity and ascertain that he still belonged to their camp. This inspiring news had to be properly used.

    ¡°Ah Jun, the headquarters want to set up an individualmendation ceremony for you.¡± Yao Sinian said with a smile, to see Gu Jun receive the reward he deserved was a greatfort for the older generation. ¡°The ceremony will be broadcasted live to all the Phecda divisions. Those, who are too busy to attend the broadcast, are requested to watch its recording when they are free.¡±

    Cai Zixuan and Xue Ba were d for him. Gu Jun though was dumbfounded. ¡®I don¡¯t want to be the kind of person who would stand on the stage to recite a script for hours...¡¯

    Wu Siyu¡¯s neck shrunk. Thankfully she only got a Grade 2 merit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± Elder Tong grumbled, ¡°Take the glory when it¡¯s yours, ept the reward when you¡¯ve earned it, how else are people going to know that Phecda is fair to its members?¡±

 Chapter 243: Individual Commendation Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 243: Individual Commendation Ceremony</h4>

    Phecda divisions all over the nation received a notification from the headquarters that shocked the members. ¡°That Gu Jun from Eastern State is still alive?¡±¡±Not only that, he has aplished yet another great contribution!¡±

    Phecda was a mysterious organization for the outer world, but the Spell Department was in itself an equally mysterious department for Phecda¡¯smon members. Most members were not familiar with Dreands and its details, they only knew that Gu Jun had sacrificed himself to acquire victory over the Nightmare Illness... but somehow Gu Jun had managed to return alive. After the past half a year of promotion and posthumous des, Gu Jun became a celebrity of sorts within Phecda. In fact, due to his good looks, he even earned a fan club of not a modest scale among the female members.

    Everyone was understandably excited to hear that such a legend had returned. Following that, the members¡¯ desire to join the Spell Department was reignited. For some of Gu Jun¡¯s more fervour fans, their goal was to join the Spell Department, get close to him, start the initiation of contact and then... Snap, went the trap!

    Both the Spell Department and Eastern State Medical Department were in celebratory mode. Lee Yuerui, Wu Dong and Li Xiaotang were finally told the real identity of the masked man that they had been serving, it was actually their old friend!

    Thatte afternoon, as the masked man apanied Wu Siyu¡¯s group to head to the recreational centre¡¯s restaurant for dinner, they had a chance encounter. The restaurant was different from the canteen, in that thetter served fixed meals everyday while the restaurant would attend to customized orders. As long as you had the recreational department¡¯s coupons, other than protected animals, everything was on the menu. For someone like Gu Jun, it would be no problem for him to visit the restaurant daily. Furthermore, Wu Siyu was herself the manager of the restaurant, a manager who often misused her power to taste every delicacy in the world in the name of testing their vors.

    ¡°Old friend, it¡¯s me! Ha ha.¡± Lee Yuerui cut through the crowd and guffawed happily, ¡°You have no idea how much I¡¯ve missed you.¡±

    ¡°Hero!¡± Wu Dong was even more muscr than Gu Jun remembered, looks like his visits to the gym did not decrease even after his transfer to the Spell Department¡¯s base. His eyes that looked at Gu Jun were glowing with stars. ¡°Have I told you that you are my idol?!¡±

    Lin Xiaotong though acted more reserved than the two. ¡°Doctor Gu.¡± Looks like she too had been through a lot. Gone were her impetuousness and in its ce, was a sense of stability and trustworthiness. All three of them were respectful around Gu Jun. This was not because Gu Jun was frosty around them but the fivend¡¯s travellers, who trailed behind the Phecda Hero, were shooting warning nces at them. Thend¡¯s travellers attended Chinesenguage ss every day since they settled at the base. Thankfully theirnguage system was not that different from Chinese, there were just some alterations to the written characters and pronunciation so they took to the learning quite quickly and now all of them could speak Chinese, albeit ented.

    Gu Jun told Lee Yuerue jokingly, ¡°Actually, to be honest, I¡¯ve missed those memes of yours.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha! Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll promise to send more of those your way.¡± Lee Yuerui grinned. ¡°But do you mind if we take a picture together now?¡± Naturally this was to ride on Gu Jun¡¯s coattail, they were now members of Phecda, if they could upload a picture of themselves with the Phecda Hero onto the ssified Chat App, with quotes like ¡®me and my old buddy¡¯, the number of likes would go through the roof. ¡°I want in too!¡± Wu Dong might be slow at times but surprisingly not this time!

    Gu Jun agreed to their request, and he took many pictures with him. But he still kept his mask on and in every single picture one could see Wu Siyu photobombing in the background, either making faces or rolling her eyes.

    Lee Yuerui uploaded the pictures of them together as well as pictures of Gu Jun eating alone onto the app. As he expected, it soon went rival. The replies came in quickly. ¡°Is that Gu Jun ?!¡±¡±I want to be at the Spell Department too!¡±¡±Can you make an introduction?¡±¡±I wish to touch his face.¡± Everyone was curious how Gu Jun looked under the mask because in the headquarters¡¯ announcement, it was also stated that Gu Jun¡¯s face was ruined and he was missing a segment of his left pinkie. However, for the inquisitive members, the term ¡®ruined¡¯ was too ambiguous, they wanted to see the state of ruination for themselves, which in other words, meant they wanted to see Gu Jun¡¯s real face.

    They would get their wish realized on the day of Gu Jun¡¯s individualmendation ceremony. The ceremony was held at the headquarters¡¯ Phecda Hall. The decoration wasvish and the venue, that could sit 5000 people, was full. Due to the rtive peace of the recent months, every face in the crowd bore smiles. There were people from the headquarters and Spell Department, as well as invited VIPs from Eastern State. Gu Jun¡¯s mentors like Prof Gu, Prof Qin, Surgeon Zhu and Brother Qiang were all in attendance. They already had their reunion with Gu Jun backstage earlier, naturally that meeting was filled with mirth as well.

    Now, every Phecda member across the country tuned in to watch this ceremony in their respective bases. The host started the ceremony. The leader of Phecda as well as Elder Tong took the podium to make speeches. When Gu Jun walked onto stage, the audience was taken aback for a moment before they all stood up and responded with thunderous apuse.

    Gu Jun was dressed in the official Phecda uniform, with the star-shaped Phecda Medal pinned on hispel. He looked particrly dashing. He cut his hair and removed the mask for the asion. His face was still stained purple and red. It was covered in too many scars to count. Now everyone understood the headquarters¡¯ announcement, this was more than just a ruined face, the sight of it could make them empathize with the pain that Gu Jun must have gone through.

    ¡°This Gu Jun sure is a man among men.¡±¡±You¡¯re right.¡±¡±I¡¯m sure stic surgery can fix it, right?¡±

    Sitting in the front row, Uncle Dan whispered to his friends, ¡°Give Phecda¡¯s stic surgeons some time and they should be able to fix about 70 percent of his face.¡± The trip to Korea was just a joke, there were already quite a number of rted experts in the country. In fact, the stic surgeons at Phecda had indeed offered their services but Gu Jun was not in a hurry. He was too busy to go under the knife.

    ¡°Personally, I think this is just fine.¡± Wu Siyu looked at the figure on stage. ¡°He still tastes quite delicious to me.¡±

    ¡°Well, you do get used to it after a while.¡± Cai Zixuan rubbed at his bald head, ¡°At least Tycoon Jun still has his hair and brows, so that¡¯s something to work with.¡±

    Gu Jun on stage epted the first merit badge awarded to him by the leader and then walked to the podium. Instantly the apuse stopped. He nodded at the millions of people before turning to the prepared script. He started, ¡°Respected leaders and colleagues...¡± The script was written by him and then edited and vetted by ghost writers and editors. Therefore, these were not really his words, he was after all now a mouthpiece for Phecda.

    ¡°I believe it is the beautiful things which have kept me going until this day. The world is very dangerous and it is bing even more so by the day but the danger also highlights the preciousness of its beauty. Through the many missions I¡¯ve participated in, some of my teammates have sacrificed their lives, others their sanity; some are sitting in this hall while others are unfortunately absent. I believe this universe is in itself meaningless and we¡¯re the one who gives it meaning. We give meaning to ourselves and to others as well.¡± Gu Jun paused to look into the audience and the camera. ¡°My teammates, past and present, thank you for giving meaning to my life.¡±

    At that moment, Wang Ruoxiang, Gao Yi and the rest stood up and pped in front of the screen. Ruoxiang even choked with tears. The apuse was louder in the hall. Prof Gu, Prof Qin were both brimming with pride. Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba, Uncle Dan and the rest naturally joined in the apuse. ¡®Ah Jun, you have given us meaning in our lives too.¡¯ Peacock, Mchite and the others pped as loud as they could. Their eyes were red, since they were unable to return to the City of Kindle, so they decided to provide all the support they had to the Phecda Hero to prevent the era of copse from arriving.

    ¡°Thank you everyone.¡± Gu Jun smiled. ¡°Thank you to my superiors.¡±

    He was given another standing ovation. The apuse echoed inside the hall, and throughout every division across the nation.

 Chapter 244: The Cough on the Bus

    <h4>Chapter 244: The Cough on the Bus</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The bus door opened and the public, who had been waiting at the bus stop, fought to get onboard. It was early August, the weather was humid and hot. The day was still early but the sun had already turned this seaside town into an oven. The citizens felt like they were being baked. The air-conditioning inside the bus provided great refuge so every seat was heavily-treasured.

    ¡°Phew, this is such horrible weather.¡±¡±Sir, do you mind kicking up the air-conditioning a notch?¡± The passengers rushed onto the bus and once they upied their seats, they started toin at the bus driver.

    The driver, a middle-aged man, groused in return. ¡°It¡¯s turned to the max already.¡± He closed the door and drove away from the bus stop.

    Shen Haoxuan was one of thest passengers to get on. He was polite enough to not fight for any seat with his seniors so he stood holding the handrails. He was a high school student and he was currently enjoying his summer vacation. He trusted he did well for his exam and the result should be enough to get him into his dream university. During this summer break, his parents gave him permission to apply for a driver¡¯s license. He still had not acquired the learner¡¯s permit so he had to settle with public transport for now.

    That day, there was a manga con held at the small town. It was not that big of an event but it was enough to draw the attention of the local youths. Shen Haoxuan promised to meet up with his friends at the con and he was taking the bus there. With the thought of the adventure he would have, the young man could barely contain his excitement. ording to rumors, several famous youtubers would be there. He was so excited.

    ¡°Cough... cough...¡± Suddenly, a horrible hacking rang within the bus. It caused everyone to frown. Shen Haoxuan turned to the source and saw it came from an uncle seated not far to his left. The uncle was about 40 plus, and casually dressed. However, his face was scarily nched. The uncle was already on the bus when Shen Haoxuan got on. Despite the air-conditioning, the uncle was covered in sweat, his white shirt soaked with wet stains.

    ¡°Cough... Hmm...¡± The coughs finally petered away, his breathsbored heavily for a long time before they evened out.

    When everyone thought the episode was over, the coughing returned with a vengeance. It was so intense that it shook the uncle all over. His face was red and it sounded like there was thick phlegm in his throat. The few passengers who stood around him retreated backwards. The passengers who sat next to him and in the row in front of him also quickly stood up and moved away. There were 3 empty seats around the uncle but no one wanted to take them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on back there?¡± An auntie at the front of the bus turned around. Looking down two rows, one of which was deserted, sheined, ¡°If you¡¯re sick, at least wear a mask when taking public transport.¡±

    Her stern warning did nothing to stop the coughs and so the auntie¡¯sint grew louder, ¡°Can¡¯t you just hold it in? How about covering your mouth with your hands?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...¡± The uncle apologized. His voice was hoarse from all the coughing, ¡°It¡¯s just a small fever and minor cough.¡±

    ¡°Minor cough? You have to be kidding me.¡± The auntie chided, ¡°Why did they even let you on the bus?¡± She grumbled under her breath. Normally someone would stand up against such rudeness but today the rest of the passengers were also difited by the uncle¡¯s unsanitary habits. Shen Haoxuan had encountered sick people on the bus before but this uncle appeared like he needed a trip to the clinic or the hospital instead of a ride on the public transport.

    The bus continued its way through the small-town street. The atmosphere in the bus chilled. The uncle tried his best to keep his coughs down but his efforts only made his condition worse. As his saliva flew everywhere, the nearby passengers fidgeted anxiously and with suppressed disgust but the bus was too crowded for them to move elsewhere.

    ¡°Sir, can you stop here?¡± Someone asked, wishing to get down.

    ¡°Do you want me to get fined? The bus can only stop at designated spots.¡± The driver grumbled, ¡°If he refuses to wear a mask, then you can wear one of your own.¡±

    ¡°I... am... so sorry...¡± The uncle wanted to say something but it was covered up by continuous coughs. His hands pressed against his chest and his whole body shivered. ¡°It... was not... so serious... when I left home... this morning.¡±

    ¡°Please, just stop talking!¡± The auntie shouted in anger. ¡°I¡¯m begging you, next time, if you¡¯re sick, just don¡¯t take public transport and expose your germs to others.¡±

    Shen Haoxuan stepped in to say, ¡°The uncle is probably taking the bus to the hospital. Uncle, how about I call a taxi for you to take you there directly instead?¡±

    The other passengers agreed with Shen Haoxuan or they feared the bus might be required to make a pitstop at the hospital if this continued. The uncle¡¯s face was deathly pale and he was coughing so badly that it sounded like he could barely breathe. When he was not coughing, his body was practically convulsing from all the shaking.

    ¡°Hmm, hmm!¡± Suddenly, the uncle¡¯s eyes widened and his hands gripped at his chest. His head turned to the side and hacked out one loud cough, it sounded like something within him had shattered. Shock and fear filled the passengers¡¯ eyes. Both Shen Haoxuan and the auntie were startled as they saw the bloody liquid leak out from the uncle¡¯s mouth before he copsed to the floor. However, upon closer inspection, what they thought were blood appeared more solid than liquid as it came with some red sticky eroded substances...

    It looked like something that should be inside one¡¯s lungs. Little pieces of inmed and corroded chunks floated in the liquid. A horrible stench quickly filled up the enclosed space.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A young female passenger close to the copsed man screamed. The bloody liquid had sshed onto her dress and calves.

    ¡°Such a nuisance!¡± The auntie screamed in anger. At the same time, another young male passenger was hit by the horrible stench and his stomach started to turn. Unable to hold it in, the vomit shot out of his throat. His undigested breakfast spewed forth, spraying the floor and the clothes of the people around him. Instantly the smell inside the bus got even worse, the whole car turned into a living hell, apanied by frantic screams andints.

    ¡°Open the window, open the window!¡±¡±Just stop the damn car already!¡±

    Amidst the chaos, Shen Haoxuan waspletely stunned. He saw the auntie stand up to grapple with the control of the steering wheel. Instinctively, he charged forward with two other male passengers to hold her back.

    The uncle wheezed weakly on the ground. His face colored with pain and fear. His reddened eyes stared at the pool that came out from his mouth. ¡®What... are those...¡¯

    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± Heavy coughing exploded once again and bloody saliva flew everywhere. Micro bacteria floated into the air, some drifted into the air vent, and others into the passengers¡¯ respiratory tracts...

    It was chaos at the wheel and the bus teetered dangerously down the street.

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider a donation at: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

 Chapter 245: Small Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 245: Small Holiday</h4>

    Fishing was a veritable form of exercise, Wu Siyu stressed over and over. ¡°A whole day of sitting will fulfill a 24 hours exercising quota and by the end, you¡¯ll be rewarded with fresh catches for meals. Tell me, can you think of a better exercise?¡± She challenged.

    Honestly, Gu Jun did not have much interest in this ¡®exercise¡¯ but now, his mind changed. He could see Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s perspective. The birds sang beautifully among the trees apanied by the bubbling brooks. Gu Jun, Wu Siyu, Peacock, Uncle Dan and his friends enjoyed an outing in the wilds, they fished and cooked fish stew. The small river was hidden worlds away from the hubbub of the city and it took them away from the business at Phecda. They wanted to enjoy these two days of break as much as they could. Inside the electric cooker propped by the river side, a fresh pot of fish stew was cooking. The smell was heavenly.

    ¡°This is one good stew.¡± Cai Zixuan stirred thedle and started another one of his poems, ¡°An egret flies over Xisai mountain. The peach blossom is bursting, water is flowing and trout are getting fat and delicious.¡±

    ¡°That is one familiar poem...¡± Wu Siyu started, ¡°I think I¡¯ve studied it in school before, what¡¯s the rest of it?¡±

    ¡°A green bamboo-splint hat, a straw rain cap, why should I return while showering in this spring wind and drizzle,¡± Gu Jun volunteered before Zixuan got the chance to show off.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you guys this kind of activity is not suitable for me.¡± Uncle Dan shook his head and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m in the mind to see some other kinds of blossoms bursting if you catch my drift.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re one scious old man!¡± Lou Xiaoning scolded. Wu Siyu shrugged and Cai Zixuan chuckled, ¡°Uncle Dan, truly a man of culture.¡± Gu Jun joined in theughter. His mood brightened, he had not had a proper rest since his return from Dreands and these two days were a great balm to his soul.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Peacock thought to herself, and asked Kathlyn, ¡®What are they talking about?¡¯

    ¡®Sounds like a food discussion.¡¯ Kathlyn was equally confused, ¡®But it¡¯s probably some kind of wordy joke.¡¯ From the way the rest wereughing, they could tell Uncle Dan had made a joke but their Chinesenguage level was not good enough to catch the double entendre.

    It should be noted that Kathlyn, Tom and the rest had officially joined Phecda. They contacted their families to assure them of their safety but lied that they were currently backpacking through China. Sharing a body was ufortable but there was nothing to be done before they could find a solution. If they went under multiple-personality treatment to mould the two personalities into one, the main persona would not be them because thend¡¯s travellers had much stronger mental power than they did.

    Gu Jun had no solution to proffer either. Perhaps the race that came up with the many designs in the Pnakotic Manuscripts would, but there was no mention of the designers or inventors in the book. For the past few days, he copied out the blueprint for the cleansing stone and the assessment stone. He added his ownments and observations. He tried to think back to the lines that he saw on the illusory library wall. Essentially he had created a copy of the copy of the Pnakotic Manuscripts.

    The formation of the Ancient Seal Department came smoothly with Yao Sinian as the temporary leader. This was an independent department, it was responsible not only to manufacture Ancient Seal devices but also to train tactical members who were familiar with the usage of such devices on the battlefield. These members would not learn spells, instead they would be supporting members for the spell-casters. Gu Jun provided them with the technique with regards to how to draw out and cast the Ancient Seal mental projection. Due to his knowledge, Gu Jun was also made the technical advisor for the Ancient Seal Department.

    In terms of result, the department had already manufactured the first batch of stones 2 days ago. There were 5 assessment stones and 1 cleansing stone in inventory. They proved effective in tests but their quality was worse than the ones crafted by Gu Jun. The opaline would crack after about 10 uses. The other adjustment the department had attempted was in terms of the material. They tried using opaline outside from Australia and they were equally effective. Even though the product quality was less than satisfactory and the manufacturing speed was slow, those would be optimized in the future. As the department continued to grow, the quantity and quality would improve.

    For the Spell Department, they still relied on the devices created by Gu Jun. Gu Jun was not corralled to be made into a carver because that would be a waste of his talent. Instead every week, he was only tasked with carving one assessment stone. Since the cleansing stone that Gu Jun brought back could still support the Spell Department¡¯s requirement, Elder Tong did not request him to carve another one. Furthermore,pared to the assessment stone, it was much harder to manufacture the cleansing stone. For now, Gu Jun only managed to make one and it was only the size of aptop. It was far smaller than the one that he brought back from Dreands and it would probably break after multiple uses. However, thispact size was perfect for Special Mobile Forces on their missions, after all just imagine how inconvenient it would be to lug around arge boulder when stealth was required.

    Gu Jun¡¯s life was a buzz of activity before this small holiday. After the ceremony, he was invited to go on some promotional activities. He was required to greet some higher-ups. This was his first time meeting them, and they all smiled at him, encouraging him to work harder. Other than that, Gu Jun had his own tasks toplete, for one, he needed to study the Pnakotic Manuscripts further. Be it to rescue Monitor and the rest or to separate Kathlyn and Peacock, he needed more knowledge. He prayed that the peace wouldst longer so that everyone would have time to recuperate to their best condition.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun felt a tug on his fishing line!

    ¡°Wow!¡± Wu Siyu pointed at the river and cheered, ¡°We have a winner!¡±

    ¡°Siyu, don¡¯t cheer so soon!¡± Gu Jun carefully held the fishing pole. After he was sure the fish had taken the bait, he yanked the pole back with one smooth motion and a fat fish flipped its tail as it flew through the air.

    Seeing that, the others whooped and cheered. Lou Xiaoning said excitedly, ¡°This size is perfect for grilling.¡± Cai Zixuan added, ¡°Leave that to me.¡±

    Soon, the stew was ready. Cai Zixuandled a bowl for everyone and the portion was perfect.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun took a sip of the fresh soup and was thankful that he was still alive, ¡°Zixuan, your cooking skill has improved again.¡±

    Wu Siyu silently finished her soup and then picked at the fish inside the cooker. ¡°Zixuan, our restaurant¡¯s kitchen will always reserve a spot for you.¡±

    Cai Zixuan was happy seeing the satisfied expression on his friends¡¯ faces. He pped. ¡°Good food, good view, goodpany, what else can you ask for.¡±

    After the scrumptious soup, the group prepared to grill Gu Jun¡¯s fish but then Gu Jun¡¯s phone started to ring. Gu Jun took it out and his brows pleated. ¡°It¡¯s Elder Tong.¡±

    Everyone quieted immediately. Elder Tong knew how important this holiday was to them so he wouldn¡¯t call unless there was an emergency.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Gu Jun spoke into the phone. He stared at the flowing water, the reflection of the clouds on the surface kept shifting, Gu Jun had a temporary illusion that they took on the shape of wicked smiles.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Elder Tong said heavily and it made Gu Jun¡¯s heart sunk. ¡°Something happened, I¡¯m sorry but your holiday will have to be cut short.¡±

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider a donation at: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

 Chapter 246: Coughing in the Emergency Room

    <h4>Chapter 246: Coughing in the Emergency Room</h4>

    Just the thought of everything that had transpired on the bus made Shen Haoxuan shiver. If not for him and the few other passengers holding back the auntie from hijacking the bus, they would all be in a car ident. When the driver regained control of the steering wheel and stopped the bus, everyone hurried to get out. The driver called the ambnce for the uncle and the police toe detain the auntie. Due to his date with his friends, Shen Haoxuan left in a hurry. He called a cab to hurry towards the manga con.

    ¡°You have no idea, I almost died!¡± He told his friends. He couldn¡¯t believe that such incidents which only appeared in the news would one day apply to him.

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡±¡±Right, of course that happened.¡± His friends chided him sarcastically, ¡°Ha ha, everyone knows that an auntie can probably take you down with a swipe of her hand. There¡¯s no need for heroic pretense around us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Shen Haoxuan did not feel that heroic but he did feel quite energetic because he had done something good. The decorated stadium was filled with people, most of them locals or tourists from nearby towns who had heard of the event. Shen Haoxuan and his friends walked around the con, taking pictures as they went. Several famous youtubers were present, they even got a picture with a pretty youngdy. That alone made their pilgrimage worth it already. Unlike his friends, Shen Haoxuan had not been in a rtionship before. ¡®Maybe my luck wille during university,¡¯ He thought. He made a goal to get a girlfriend before he graduated from university... hopefully it was with the girl that he had been crushing on.

    ¡°Quick, log into at wechat!¡± When they were dining at the eatery next to the stadium that noon, his friend Liu Hui suddenly eximed, ¡°Deng Nuotong really did apply for Shen Shi University.¡±

    ¡°For real?!¡± Shen Haoxuan quickly took out his phone. He scrolled down the messages and saw that Liu Hui was not lying. Deng Nuotong was really applying to the same school as he was!

    Only Liu Hui knew about Shen Haoxuan¡¯s crush on Deng Nuotong. Shen Haoxuan was not adies¡¯ man by any means, in fact the only reason he had the girl¡¯s social media contact was because they worked on a group project together this one time. Deng Nuotong did note from a rich background or was she breath-takingly beautiful, but she had a ce in Shen Haoxuan¡¯s heart. He did consider confessing his feelings during the summer vacation but he failed to summon the courage every time...

    Later he heard through the grapevines that she scored about the same points as he did in the exam, so he wondered if she would apply for the same university, and now his dream hade true! The thought of reuniting with Deng Nuotong at university, and even possibly sharing the same public transport every day, warmed his heart. When they travelled to and from school in the future, there would be plenty of chances for him to make his move. Due to the excitement, Shen Huoxuan¡¯s heart raced so much that he started to cough, ¡°Cough, cough... ha, ha, cough...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±¡±Looks like there¡¯s a story here!¡± His other friends jumped on him. ¡°Haoxuan and Deng Nuotong? Tsk, tsk, there should be punishment for keeping this secret hidden from us.¡±

    Shen Haoxuan was so happy that he only smiled dumbly at his friend. His news made the rest of the con pale inparison, his heart was not there anymore, his mind was on other things; Things like getting close to Deng Nuotong, confessing sessfully, going to university together... his young heart had faith that his feelings would be reciprocated. After all, he had been picking up bits and pieces of evidence, like how Deng Nuotong looked at him, how the tone when she talked to him was different from when she conversed with the others, and how sometimes he would catch her smiling at him. It was like the sight of him made her smile, or at least... that was what he hoped...

    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± As happy as he was, he also felt a bit anxious. Ever since that coughing fit at the eatery, Shen Haoxuan¡¯s condition only intensified. Initially, he did not mind it that much but on the bus home, he coughed so loudly and incessantly that other passengers red at him. His heart skipped a beat. ¡®Damn it, I wouldn¡¯t have caught something from that uncle, would I?¡¯

    With a heavy heart, Shen Haoxuan returned home, which was a unit settled within a small apartment building. By then he was already feeling quite ufortable. He touched his forehead with his palm and he felt it heating up. He was reminded of the uncle¡¯s strange shivering and profuse sweating inside the air-conditioned bus...

    Shen Haoxuan grabbed the thermometer from the first aid kit to check his temperature. Fuck, he had burned up to 38 degree.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Mother Shen, who was cooking in the kitchen, walked out to ask. She grabbed the thermometer to take a look and gasped in shock. ¡°38 degree? Must be a sunburn, told you not to go out in such hot weather, didn¡¯t I? Go and take the fever medicine!¡±

    Father Shen, who was watching television, turned over, ¡°After taking the medicine, go and sleep, don¡¯t stay up to ying on your phone anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mom, dad...¡± Shen Haoxuan hesitated. He coughed heavily before continuing, ¡°I might need to go to the hospital... I fear this is something more serious.¡±

    ¡°Shush! What are you talking about?¡± Mother Shen interrupted, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine after taking the medicine.¡±

    ¡°I was on the bus with an uncle who was coughing his lungs out this morning.¡± Shen Haoxuan admitted. ¡°Then I started to cough at noon and it has been getting progressively worse ever since.¡± Mother Shen and Father Shen¡¯s expressions dropped immediately, this could be something serious.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t let it be TB.¡±¡±We¡¯ll go to the hospital now.¡± It was already quitete and they had not had dinner but they were more worried about their son. They grabbed some crackers and headed out to the hospital. Perhaps Shen Haoxuan would be required to take a blood test so they only had him drink some water. Along the way, Shen Haoxuan¡¯s coughing got more violent. His body slumped weakly on the seat. Seeing his son in this state, Mother Shen¡¯s worry was indescribable. She tested his temperature again, he was burning up to 40 degrees!

    Father Shen was told to drive faster. They reached the hospital as fast as the car could carry them and hurried to the emergency building. It was not often that the Shen family came to the hospital at night. Thest time they did so was years ago but that night they arrived to find the emergency building quite crowded. The waiting chairs were filled with patients and their families. Some were already attached to drips and others lined up for their turn. Majority of the patients were children and seniors but there were some youths as well.

    Noticeably, there were others suffering from serial coughing as well, they looked pale and sickly.

    ¡°When will it be our turn?¡± After waiting for a while, Shen Mother osted the passing nurse, ¡°My son is burning up to 40 degree already.¡±

    ¡°Soon, soon.¡± The nurse handed them an ice-pack before hurrying away, ¡°Here. Use this for now.¡±

    ¡°Mom, dad, don¡¯t trouble them.¡± Shen Haoxuan said between coughs. He was still quite conscious. ¡°They¡¯ll call when it¡¯s our turn.¡± Mother Shen and Father Shen sighed anxiously, grumbling about things like why hadn¡¯t it been their turn yet? Why were there only 1 or 2 doctors on duty?

    ¡°The doctors must be busy... having to see so many patients in one night.¡± Shen Haoxuan tried to say. Noting his wordsnding on deaf ears, he turned to y on his phone. ¡®Damn it, I still haven¡¯t sent a message to Deng Nuotong to congratte her. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll do it tomorrow... after the fever is over...¡¯

    Suddenly Shen Haoxuan coughed heavily and he could taste copper in his mouth.

 Chapter 247: Please Do Not Panic

    <h4>Chapter 247: Please Do Not Panic</h4>

    ¡°Due to the recent appearance of a new strain of legione pneumonia, the city will be ced under lockdown after 19:00 on August the 3rd. Please return home as soon as possible. Please do not panic and wait for imminent evacuation...¡± On the television screen, the male host announced seriously. His tone was severe yet powerful, filled with confidence needed to win over the disease. In San Hai City, every channel broadcasted thistest news. The inte was brought under control, and every phone in the city received simr messages that came every few minutes. The announcement arrived at 2 pm, and the lockdown would start at 7 pm. There was not much time for people to prepare, causing unrest in the citizens.

    Some wanted to hop onto their cars and leave San Hai City but they discovered with despair that all exits were blocked off. Others hurried to the supermarket to buy necessary provisions but they were stumped to find all the supermarkets and malls closed. In the news, the host had exined it quite clearly. This new strain of legione pneumophilia relied on airborne transmission. Even though it originated from nature, the bacteria could fester in manmade venttion and supply channels like the heating vents, water pipes and air-conditioning vents. These channels inadvertently helped spread the bacteria through the cirction of infected aerated solids. Exposure to the bacteria would cause symptoms like fever, sweaty profusion, difficulty in breathing and coughing. Therefore, ces like stadiums and malls were the most dangerous because they were huge health risks.

    All air-conditioning units as well as humidifiers and heaters in the city were immediately shut down. On the midnight of the 4th, the city would cut off water supply so citizens were advised to shore up on water. However, they were not for immediate consumption. If needs be, the water had to be put away for at least 10 hours before consumption. Stored water was to be moved away from exposed faucets. Citizens were advised to remain calm until quarantine and evacuation. Government officials would patrol the city section by section to iste the suspected and confirmed patients, and sequester them from the rest.

    ¡°Please wait at home patiently.¡± The host stressed. ¡°Please do not panic.¡±

    The news script naturally was revised again and again to minimize the panic as much as it could. For example, instead of saying there was an ¡®outbreak¡¯, it was an ¡®appearance¡¯ of legione pneumonia. Those who had medical background though frowned with confusion at the reports. With their knowledge, they knew that traditional legione pneumonia was not that infectious so the anomaly must have to do with this new strain. They wondered what kind of mutation it had undergone...

    Regardless, everyone felt the seriousness of the lockdown. It had been six years since Lee Mingqiu graduated from university. He was 30 years old and worked as a programmer at an ITpany.

    Once the announcement was made that afternoon, the wholepany was gripped by worry. Everyone wished to get off work early but the supervisors said that all workers should wait at thepany for the evacuation notices. ¡°Those who have children at home can leave but the choices are open to the rest. The traffic outside is a mess and there are people everywhere, the chance of infection is probably higher if you leave thepany.¡± That was the truth. Looking out from thepany window, people scurried down the streets and the vehicles could barely move, the traffic system was practically paralyzed.

    Since Lee Mingqiu was not a local and single, he had no reason to return to the apartment he shared with his roommate, he chose to stay at thepany. About half of his colleagues made the same decision. Not all who left had to return to take care of their children, some went fighting for provisions. ¡°Who knows when the evacuation notice wille. This bacteria can travel through water so I need to store up on boxes of mineral water.¡± Others thought these people were over-reacting, saying, ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing.¡±

    Thepany¡¯s central air-conditioning system was switched off. In the middle of the summer, the office space instantly turned into an oven. To make things worse, they were forbidden from opening the windows. ¡°This might be more serious than a bout of atypical pneumonia...¡±¡±Yes, that is true from how urgent the city had issued the lockdown.¡±

    The people who remained sat at their cubicles. After the initial intense discussion, most conversations had died down. Suddenly, Wei Xiaoru, who had been talking on her phone with a doctor friend, suddenly sighed openly, ¡°My friend said there are many different strains of legione pneumonia bacteria but we are probably dealing with a new one, one that is different from any known strain. Good air cirction is necessary to prevent festering of the bacteria as it deprives them of the ideal environment to grow.¡±

    ¡°Then why are we keeping the windows closed?¡± Zhang Dawei demanded. This was also a question that crossed everyone¡¯s mind.

    Wei Xiaoru thought for a while before answering, ¡°The main medium of transmission for the bacteria is the aerated solid mentioned in the news, but normally the bacteria can only travel for less than 200 metres through the air and survive for less than 1 hour in water. But since the news advised us to keep all windows closed and warn of the imminent cut of water supply, my friend concluded that there can only 3 possibilities. First, the new strain has more transmission mediums and can travel further through the air and survive longer in water; Secondly, that the disease control centre believes that... San Hai City has already been fully contaminated. Lastly, it is thebination of both.¡±

    The group looked at each other. Despite theirck of medical knowledge, they knew how serious things were. Transmitted through air and water? But human beings needed to breathe and drink to survive!

    ¡°The whole city is contaminated?¡± Zhang Dawei said angrily, ¡°How can that be? Or they have been hiding this from us for a long time already and it is not until now that they think evacuation is necessary?¡±

    ¡°ording to my friend...¡± Wei Xiaoru was confused too. ¡°The epidemic probably grew too fast for the government to do anything.¡±

    People were worried and anxious but they could do nothing but wait. They waited until 7 pm. Sound of sirens filled the city, announcing the start of the lockdown. They looked out the office window, the streets were now deserted. Only vehicles from disease control and quarantine centres as well as groups of members in white protective gear passed the streets asionally. They osted people still on the street and carried them away. It had already been stated in the news that encounters with the disease control members would only increase the infection rate so citizens were advised to stay out of the streets. The captured citizens would not be sent away from San Hai City but sent for inspection, suspicion of infection wouldnd them in forced quarantine and treatment. After the siren faded away, a broadcast could be heard all over the city, ¡°Please return home immediately...¡±

    The news also said that should one discover someone with symptoms around, one needed to stay away from them immediately and call the hotline for help; if one suffered from the symptoms, one should also call the hotline to seek immediate treatment.

    There was one question that bothered Lee Qiuming, ¡®Why is the government evacuating the patients before the normal citizens?¡¯ Probably as Wei Xiaoru¡¯s friend had imed, the whole San Hai City was contaminated already...

    The illness had atent period so it was hard to tell who was infected and who was not. A single victim could expand the infection radius indefinitely. Therefore, evacuation could not be made that easily. First, they needed time for the victims of the sickness to surface, to weed out the unhealthy ones from the rest. Then those who remained would probably be the only ones who were allowed to evacuate to another city...

    The office was silent when suddenly Lin Mingda, a colleague who normally kept to himself, started to cough. Instantly the rest whipped their heads towards him. Lin Mingda¡¯s face had nched by several degrees.

    ¡®Oh no.¡¯ Lee Mingqiu¡¯s heart tightened and he felt woozy. Wei Xiaoru next to him had color drained from her face.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Zhang Dawei jumped backwards and gasped nervously, ¡°Call the hotline, quickly call the hotline...¡±

    ¡°I, I...¡± Lin Mingda wanted to say something but it was swallowed up by his endless hacking, ¡°I, cough, cough...¡±

 Chapter 248: Contagious Atypical Pneumonia

    <h4>Chapter 248: Contagious Atypical Pneumonia</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    San Hai City was a small state and Jiang Xing Municipal within it was even smaller. Jiang Xing Municipal sat by the coastline but its tourism was not developed. The hospital at this small city had received more than 20 simr cases since the morning of August 2nd. They all suffered from the same symptoms: fever, listlessness and coughing. Those with light symptoms were diagnosed with flu while those with more serious symptoms were disagnosed with pneumonia.

    When Huang Lin, the doctor on night duty consulted a 18 year old patient named Shen Haoxuan, she heard from the patient quite inly that he was infected by a middle-aged uncle whom he shared a bus with that morning. Instantly, rms rang in Huang Lin¡¯s mind. This looked like the start of an epidemic. Huang Lin immediately requested for the patient¡¯s files of everyone who registered at the hospital that day. The middle-aged uncle whom Shen Haoxuan mentioned did exist, he was a 43 years old patient who was sent from emergency right into the medical ward at 8 am, Huang Guoxin.

    Reading through Huang Guoxin¡¯s medical history, Huang Lin¡¯s heart sank. The preliminary diagnosis Huang Guoxin¡¯s doctor gave him was ¡®right lower lung pneumonia¡¯. Huang Guoxin¡¯s situation was serious, his recorded temperatures ranged around 39.2 to 41 degree. He coughed constantly and his phlegm was sticky and brown. asionally there was blood in his coughs, apanied by what appeared to be decayed flesh. The lumps of flesh were temporarily identified as decayed tissues in the lungs. He was weak and sore all over his body. Clear moist rales could be heard on the back of his right lung and the chest x ray showed an irregr shadow of 6 cm x 8 cm at the bottom of his right lung. The inmmation was serious but there was no unique identifier. The patient said he had been coughing for days already but it only got serious this morning. There were a lot of phlegm and asional blood. He came to the hospital due to fear.

    Doctor Zhang, his attending doctor, instructed an inspection of the patient¡¯s vital signs as well as his liver and kidney function. The blood test showed that there was high concentration of white blood cells. Combining that with the result from the x-ray, Doctor Zhang diagnosed the patient to be suffering from bacterial infection in the lungs. After taking the patient¡¯s saliva and blood for bacterial culture, Huang Guoxian was immediately given drugs and cefuroxime sodium injection for infection resistance, etamste to stop blood boss and glucose drip. He was also given acetaminophen to help with the fever. However, a look at the patient¡¯s temperature records chilled Huang Lin¡¯s heart. Even with the drugs, the patient¡¯s body temperature had not dropped, remaining above 39 degree.

    ¡°Hopefully I¡¯m just being too sensitive.¡± Huang Lin then called the inpatient department to ask for Huang Guoxin¡¯stest update and her heart sunk right into ice. The nurse on duty told her that the patient¡¯s coughing had gotten more serious and his consciousness was wavering... Huang Lin had a feeling this was not a normal case of pneumonia and Doctor Zhang had unfortunately given a wrong diagnosis.

    Her trainee days at university informed her that 40 to 50 pneumonic patients in a day for a big city was no deal but for the poption at Jiang Xin Municipal, 20 patients in a day was too many. Wang Guoxim was the first patient they registered, and the second patient with simr symptoms appeared at 3 pm but after 7 pm, patients started to pour in! She herself had treated more than 18 patients with the same symptoms already! Combine that with Shen Haoxuan¡¯s testimony, there was only one conclusion...¡±This might be a contagious atypical pneumonia.¡±

    Huang Lin shared her report with another doctor working at the emergency room, Zhao Yutao. She considered reporting this to the bigger state hospital. Their hospital was a small one, there were only 2 doctors working the emergency shift.

    ¡°An epidemic?!¡± Zhao Yutao, who was already in his middle age, frowned. ¡°With the hot weather recently, it¡¯smon for us to have an influx of patients with pneumonia. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Once the news reached the state hospital, no matter if it was real or not, there would be much paperwork to follow up. Zhao Yutao did not want the trouble, especially now that it was midnight. Other than that, Zhao Yutao did not like Huang Lin that much, she was a graduate from a famous university, Eastern State Medical University. From his perspective, she was inexperienced and liked to make things out of nothing. ¡°We¡¯ll just transfer the first patient whom you pointed out to the state hospital, stating that we do not have enough equipment to deal with his conditions,¡± He advised.

    ¡°Brother Zhao, this is not something that can be settled so easily.¡± Huang Xin insisted on her observation, ¡°We need people from the disease control centre.¡± She turned to make the call to the hospital contagion management office and medical department. She reported the illness as contagious atypical pneumonia under the category B contagious diseases with signs of spreading. ¡°Thetent period for normal pneumonia should be more than five days. For this illness that we¡¯re dealing with, there are simr early symptoms but after the high fever, the patient¡¯s conditions will deteriorate at an rming rate. The same is observed from another patient who is suspected to have been infected from another patient. He started to have bloody coughs only after 6 to 7 hours!¡±

    Huang Lin stressed the severity of the situation and requested them to make the report to their superiors as well. Time was important in the early reporting of an epidemic, it was 2 hours for category A and 24 hours for category B and C contagious diseases. When category B disease showed signs of surfacing, it should be reported as though they were treating category A contagious disease. Huang Lin was worried that the medical department would dy their report. Every minute was extremely important, the earlier the steps to stop the contagion were taken, the more lives could be saved.

    Thankfully the medical department reacted swiftly, they called the city disease control centre at 20: 32 on August the 2nd. When Huang Lin finished her report, she returned to her post and treated her 21st, 22nd, 23rd pneumonia patients...

    When the number climbed up to the 30th case, even Zhao Yutao was panicking. So was the hospital¡¯s contagion management office. Even the nurses could tell something had gone awry. At the same time, the city disease control centre made immediate responses regarding this public health issue. They ordered Jiang Xin hospital to quarantine the patients and upgrade the safety of the medical workers. They also sent their expert He Feng and his team over to conduct an epidemiology investigation.

    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± When He Feng got the call from the centre, he was having dinner with his family, ¡°I¡¯ll depart now.¡± His wife worked at the disease control centre too so she understood his necessary absence but his seven years old daughter, Niu Niu pouted unhappily, ¡°Daddy, can¡¯t you go after dinner?¡±

    ¡°Daddy has to go to work. Stay home and apany mommy, okay?¡± He Feng patted her daughter¡¯s head. Disease control was basically a race against time. He was expected to be at any location where an epidemic was suspected, that was his job. With the night watching on, He Feng jumped into his car. His assistant Lee Wen handed him a stack of documents, it was the contagious disease reports written by Doctor Huang Lin, they detailed the patients¡¯ medical history and their individual information. He Feng looked through the files and his heart dropped with each turn of the page....

    The small town hospital did not have the device to conduct any antigen-antibody analysis, they did not even have a CT machine. Furthermore, it was only half a day, Huang Guoxin¡¯s professional opinion was that it was too early to tell if it was a contagious disease. However, He Feng agreed with Doctor Huang Lin¡¯s clinical assessment, this did not appear like a case of normal pneumonia.

    Suddenly, Lee Wen received a phone call and he said sadly, ¡°Leader He, the number at Jiang Xin Hospital has climbed up to more than 30 cases already.¡±

    ¡°Iste the whole hospital immediately.¡± He Feng¡¯s face wrinkled as he ordered quickly, ¡°Patients who show signs of vomiting are now barred from leaving the hospital. Get the centre to send in more equipment and devices, and everyone in the hospital has to be on Grade 3 protection. This time, we might even need to apply to lockdown on...¡± He halted and changed the ¡®entire San Hai City¡¯ that appeared on his lips to ¡°Jiang Xin Municipal.¡±

    Hopefully this was just a scare, with a contagion that could only travel through close contact between patients. Hopefully... the zone of the epidemic had not spread...

    The uneven small town streets were bumpy. He Feng looked out at the retreating streets and the faces of his wife and daughter shed across his mind. ¡®Niu Niu, daddy might need to stay outside for a few more days than promised before daddy cane home.¡¯

 Chapter 249: Legionella Pneumophilia

    <h4>Chapter 249: Legione Pneumophilia</h4>

    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± The sound came from different sickrooms, echoing down the hospital corridor. The small town hospital had limited amenities. That night, Shen Haoxuan was ced inside a quarantine room which was actually just a normal room. Of the three beds, two were left empty and Shen Haoxuan upied the only one. Needles stuck on the back of his arm. Thankfully his phone was not confiscated and the connection inside the hospital was not so bad so he could use his phone to while away some time. Shen Haoxuan typed a message and sent it to his good friend, Liu Hui, ¡°How unlucky can I be? I got diagnosed with pneumonia and is currently quarantined. I was in a normal sickroom initially but the doctor suddenly requested for me to be moved. Not only that, even my parents have to be quarantined as well. I know it¡¯s that uncle on the bus who infected me. Looks like I¡¯ll have to stay in the hospital for a few days, hopefully I¡¯ll be out of this ce before theic con ends on Saturday. Sad face.¡±

    There was no reply from Liu Hui. Shen Haoxuan coughed heavily. The drip was attached to his arm half an hour ago but the fever showed no sign of abating and his coughing only appeared to get more serious... He checked the update that Deng Nuotong released on Wechat that morning, ¡°Next stop Shen Shi University. Appreciate the past, look towards the future. Good luck!¡±

    ¡°He he, cough...¡± Shen Haoxuan couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He felt much better. Before this, he hoped for an extension of the summer holiday, but now he could not wait for the school to start. Suddenly he received a message notification on his phone, it was from his friend, Liu Hui. ¡°This is bad. I¡¯ve started coughing aroundte afternoon and now I¡¯m burning up to 39 degrees!¡±

    ¡°My god, probably you¡¯re infected as well?!¡±

    ¡°My mom has already given me fever medicine, do you think I still need to go to the hospital?¡±

    Reading the replies, Shen Haoxuan felt sorry for his friend. A weight pressed down on his heart. ¡®Is it because of me? Have I inadvertently harmed my friend and other innocent people who I came into contact with?¡¯ He thought about his parents, his other friends and the crowd at the earlier con...¡¯No, stop worrying yourself over nothing.¡¯ Shen Haoxuan tried tofort himself. ¡®Even atypical pneumonia is not that contagious. It¡¯s just a normal pneumonia, nothing the doctors can¡¯t fix, I¡¯ll probably be out of here in a few days.¡¯

    Shen Haoxuan replied, ¡°Of course, you need toe to the hospital. This is all my fault, after we both get better, I¡¯ll treat you to a good meal as an apology.¡±

    ...

    The 30th case, 40th, 50th... Thankfully, Jiang Xin Hospital normally did not have that many inhouse patients so it had sufficient bedspace to deal with the sudden influx of pneumonia patients. However, since each patient needed to be individually isted, it was only a matter of time until they ran out of room. That night every worker at the hospital was busy. The disease control centre had already given the order, the hospital was to be ced under lockdown. Only patients with suspected symptoms were allowed entry but everyone currently inside the hospital had to stay put.

    ¡°Aiz, Xiao Lin, you should have known something was wrong when the 10th case appeared.¡± Zhao Yutao changed his tune. He wore a three-ply mask and he kept finding excuses to slip away from the emergency room, to have as little contact with the patients as possible. Huang Lin ignored him. She stayed posted at the emergency room and even took her personal free time to call her university lecturers and ssmates for their opinions on this issue. One of her lecturers pointed out a possibility, could it be legione pneumonia?

    Even at state hospitals, misdiagnosis of legione pneumonia asmon pneumonia wasmonce enough much less at a small town hospital. This was because it was not amon disease so general practitioners had limited knowledge of it. Furthermore, legione pneumonia hadplicated clinical symptoms and could only be detected from blood tests.

    ¡°Legione pneumonia.¡± Huang Lin went online to research rted journals. Everything matched except one, which was the speed of contagiousness. However, some news articles that she read online worried her. Not too ago, outbreaks of legione pneumonia were reported at many cities across the globe. Huang Lin instantly reported this possibility to the hospital contagion management office, only then she found out the hospital had already received missives from the disease control centre in the previous month to be cautious of legione pneumonia. However, the hospital was constantly receiving official missives so they did not give it much attention. Standard contagion control measures, like cleaning the venttion system, were always taken.

    Legione pneumonia often festered and started inside a hospital but Huang Guoxin¡¯sst visit to the hospital was several years ago. That meant that he was not infected at the hospital.

    At 21:45, 1 hour after her report was made, the team of experts sent from the disease control centre arrived. The hospital staff, who came to wee them, were stunned as they saw the leader, He Feng and the vice leader, Lee Wen as well as the other two members decked out in full white protective gear. They even wore a helmet-like breathing equipment, ensuring not even an inch of their skin was exposed. When Zhao Yutao saw this, he added another 2yers of masks. Huang Lin then knew her suspicion was true. Even people from the disease control centre suspected this was legione pneumonia, a disease that could be transmitted through the air...

    After some introductions were made, He Feng¡¯s team discussed the patients¡¯ condition with Huang Lin as they headed towards the quarantine sickrooms. They first paid a visit to Huang Guoxin whose condition had worsened. His consciousness was slipping away and he had just hacked up a big pile of bloody phlegm. An intense stench of blood and decay permeated the room.

    ¡°None of this can be treated as normal waste.¡± He Feng reminded the people from the hospital contagion management office. After visiting the other patients, especially Shen Haoxuan, He Feng confirmed that they were dealing with an epidemic.

    ¡°A manga con?¡± Shen Haoxuan visited a manga con with more than 3000 visitors after he was infected. This knowledge chilled everyone¡¯s heart. He Feng immediately made several calls to ensure that the centre treated this seriously. He requested a temporary lockdown on Jiang Xin Municipal. However, he knew they were already toote. Any protective measures taken sote into the epidemic would not be that effective. In fact, if not for the recent outbreak of simr disease over the globe, his requests would definitely be vetoed immediately. There was too little supportive evidence and it was sote at night.

    After he concluded the disease as suspected legione pneumonia and the attending doctor Huang Lin shared his opinion, the disease control centre and hospital staff were worried.

    It was toote to draw blood for the antigen test. The human body required at least 1 or 2 weeks toe up with antigen; and the bacterial culture ordered by the hospital would take even longer toe up with the result. Thankfully, recent nucleic acid amplification testing technology provided great strides, with the identification of microorganisms shifting from their outer structure to internal DNA property, and tests moving from biological and immunization method to assessment of DNA level. PCR technology enabled a swift rudimentary testing result and proved very effective when facing a sudden public health threat. However, the small town hospital was too modest to possess a PCRb so they would have to either ferry the sample out or ferry the devices in.

    While they were on the way, He Feng had the foresight to request for the PCR equipment to be moved to Jiang Xin Hospital. Due to his superior¡¯s concern about legione pneumonia, his request was swiftly approved. As dawn broke, the batch of equipment finally arrived at the hospital. Apanying them were the technical workers, who wore tight protective gear as well. After they set up the small PCRb at the hospital, they instantly conducted 22 different kinds of respiratory illness bacterial pathogen tests for screening. Be it viral virus, flu virus, covid virus, legione strain bacteria, or any others, they would all be identified through their DNA markers.

    While they were waiting for the result, Lee Wen, who was the centre¡¯s liaison with the local hospitals, rushed into theb. His face under the helmet was grim.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He Feng asked, his heart prepped for the worst.

    ¡°Doctor Huang Lin has started to cough.¡± Lee Wen reported, ¡°So did the other doctor and nurses posted at the emergency room.¡±

    He Feng frowned immediately... Doctor Huang Lin had been working for only 6 hours at the emergency room. This was much faster than normal legione pneumonia which had an average of 36 hourstent period...

    This whole hospital was now infected. The people at the PCRb were urged to work faster. The result finally came the next morning. It was not a virus, not streptocus, not cmydia... The PCR result showed that it was indeed legione pneumophilia!

    Once the result was announced, He Feng, who had not slept, was quite relieved. This was because the pathogen was something that they were familiar with. Even though it spread quicker than usual, the standard control measures against legione pneumonia should be enough to curb the spread of the disease. Even though legione pneumophilia could be transmitted through the air, it required aerated solids to act as a transmission medium...

    Just as He Feng was feeling thankful for this break, without warning, his throat felt itchy and he started to cough violently as a pressure fell over his chest. Instantly, inside the smallb, the entire room fell silent. Everyb member looked at each other dumbfounded.

    ¡°Even Grade 3 protective gear is not enough...¡± He Feng mumbled numbly before he exploded in a string of horrible coughs. At the same time, panic and fear hit him, almost knocking him to the ground. The contagion was strong enough to pass through grade 3 protective gear... this was not the legione pneumophilia that they knew, it could only be a mutated form with especially strong contagious prability...

    Most of the visitors of the manga con that Shen Haoxuan attended were probably infected. That meant the entire Jiang Xin Municipal was infected, no, the whole San Hai City was infected...

 Chapter 250: Lighthouse by the Sea

    <h4>Chapter 250: Lighthouse by the Sea</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Bloody Lung Disease, Mutated Scale Disease, Petrification Disease. Not long after his return from the Dreands, Gu Jun warned Phecda of these three diseases using the name of Atal. Due to the many outbreaks of legione pneumonia over the globe, he suggested Phecda to start a disease control team which would specifically monitor the national reporting of legione pneumomia. Heeding Gu Jun¡¯s warning, Phecdamunicated with the national disease control centre multiple times but the inevitable still happened.

    Theb at the outbreak source just came out with the PCR result, the bacteria was legione pneumophilia and it was identified as a new strain. Serology test and bacterial culture result needed some more time but the prospect was not good. After Gu Jun received Elder Tong¡¯s call, the group ended their holiday and headed back to the Spell Department. By then San Hai City was officially on lockdown. However in the past 24 hours, many suspected pathogen carriers would have travelled to other cities already. Since the manga con did not require ID to enter, there was no way of telling who had attended the con. Furthermore, that was merely the confirmed activity of one patient, Shen Haoxuan. What about the other 35 passengers on the bus with him?

    This kind of investigation work could not be done by a single person or organization. Now Phecda, disease control centre and other national departments were working overtime to triangte and identify every pathogen carrier through information collecting and surveince. They were fighting against time to iste these people. Other preventive measures were taken as well. Necessary lockdown was in ce should other cities show signs of outbreak. This ced a giant strain on every government department, especially the ones with limited manpower. Take for example San Hai City, the local manpower alone was barely enough to enact the ordered measures.

    ¡°Elder Tong, we have to opt for the most stringent disease control measure.¡± Gu Jun was unwilling to suggest that but considering the severity of the situation, he needed to make himself clear. ¡°The bloody lung disease is more than capable of wiping out an entire civilization...¡± Fear was sometimes the best motivator. The staff working at Jiang Xin Hospital were all infected, so did the other patients at the hospital. Among the disease control centre members who were sent there, the leader He Feng already showed early symptoms even though he wore grade 3 protective gear. ording to thend¡¯s travellers¡¯ story, humanity eventually retreated to the City of Kindle at the south pole and in the end only 10000 people managed the migration to Dreands.

    Was Bloody Lung Disease haemoptysis...? No, this was not haemoptysis, but it might be a precursor to it. At least it showed that some organization was experimenting with the creation of haemoptysis. To Gu Jun¡¯s knowledge, the International Supernatural Alliance had not been built but Bloody Lung Disease had already appeared... the future had changed, the timeline described in thend¡¯s travellers¡¯ legacy was no longer useful...

    Gu Jun had many questions but there was no time for him to sit down to chew over them. That afternoon, after they returned to the Spell Department, Gu Jun, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, and thend¡¯s travellers wrote down their will before they departed towards San Hai City. They were apanied by arger team sent from the headquarters. Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan and the rest were requested to stay back at the base for precaution because no one knew where the epidemic might strike next.

    The Problematic Team¡¯s mission was not only to investigate the possibility of supernatural influence but also to test to see if the Ancient Seal technology worked on the patient¡¯s treatment. Gu Jun had little hope about that, he knew the Ancient Seal did not have that kind of power, but since the headquarters wanted to give it a try, he could only hope that he was wrong.

    By 2 pm of the same day, Jiang Xin Hospital surpassed 500 cases. Other hospitals at San Hai City had reported simr cases. Due to its quick spread, this incident could not be dealt from the dark like the Malformed Banyan Disease and Nightmare Illness. Therefore, the public was notified, put on lockdown and evacuated. To be fair, in this process there was no weak link. From Huang Lin¡¯s alertness, to the disease control centre¡¯s quick response, and thebined epidemic control efforts of the many government departments, everyone had worked hard to keep the damage to the minimum. If Doctor Huang Lin failed to report the situation on time, or if the disease control centre had ignored her report, or if the leading expert, He Feng did not treat this seriously... Things might be 10 times worse than it was.

    This legione pneumophilia strain was simply too powerful. Despite their best effort, there were over 3000 recorded cases already and the number was still climbing. Perhaps the next day they would wake up to 30000 cases or even more...

    On the ne heading towards the military base closest to San Hai City, everyone was silent. Before the nended, everyone put on the custom-made full body protection airtight suit. It came with an oxygen tank so that they would note into contact with the air of the city.

    In the car leaving the military base, Gu Jun watched outside the window as his heart grew heavy. The city was turned upside down due to this sudden outbreak. As they approached Jiang Xin Municipal, he heard the city-wide broadcast echoing in the air, ¡°Please return home immediately. Please do not panic. Please wait for evacuation notice and arrangement. Please return home immediately...¡±

    When they officially entered Jiang Xin Municipal, it was alreadyte afternoon. Gu Jun was hit by a strange feeling. It was something akin to d¨¦j¨¤ vu, he felt like he had been to this ce before even though he was sure that he had not. He stared at the empty streets...

    Suddenly he saw a banyan tree by the roadside and then another rolled past the car window. This small town had many banyan trees.

    ¡®Is it because of the banyan trees?¡¯ Gu Jun thought to himself when the car passed a seaside highway and then it hit him. He frowned as he pulled out a ck and white picture in his mind: in front of arge and twisted banyan tree by the seaside, several people in olbo either stood or sat in rows. There were male and female but they all had the same wilted face. The Afterlife Cult. ¡®This picture was taken here...¡¯ Gu Jun made that confirmation and then a ball of fire started to burn within him. This couldn¡¯t be a coincidence, the Afterlife Cult must be behind this epidemic.

    Gu Jun instantly ordered for a change of the route. He was in a different car from the rest who was heading towards the hospital. He asked the driver who was a local, ¡°Is there a big banyan tree that grows by the seaside here?¡±

    ¡°You mean the one by the lighthouse?¡± The driver replied, ¡°That tree is our city¡¯sndmark.¡±

    ¡®Lighthouse?¡¯ Gu Jun ordered the driver to make that their destination. Inside the car with him were Peacock, Aquamarine, and Gold. Soon the old banyan tree came into their view. It was practically simr to the one in the picture albeit with some added age to it. A narrow pebbled path winded out from behind the tree, and a 4 story tall white-walled lighthouse stood at the end of the path. The light at the top of the building winked weakly.

    The rm for city-wide lockdown rang then. It collided with the crash of the waves against the shore. Even through the protective suit, Gu Jun could smell the blood carried on the sea breeze. Gu Jun took a deep breath, shouldered the oxygen tank, readied his automatic rifle and led the way down the pebbled path towards the lighthouse.

 Chapter 251: Bloody Words on the Wall (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 251: Bloody Words on the Wall (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Shen Haoxuan¡¯s phone was confiscated when the people from the disease control centre came yesterday. Even if it was not, the young man was too weak to y with it anymore. Since he was hospitalized, his fever had not abated, and the constant coughing meant that he could not have a good sleep. He woke up with sores all over his body.

    ¡°Is that an rm...¡± Drifting in and out of sleep, Shen Haoxuan believed he heard a sirening from outside, it sounded like he was in a video game...

    He peeled open his eyelids. He was still the only one inside the spacious room. The stic pail that was ced beside his bed for his vomiting stink badly. ¡®Howe no one hase to clean it yet? When was thest time any nurse has been in here? It must have several hours already...¡¯ Shen Haoxuan¡¯s stomach churned from the horrible smell. His throat felt parched. He saw the water ss on the bedside table but he was too weak to even reach for it. He used everyst ounce of energy he had to press at the service bell by his bed. ¡°Nurse, nurse...¡± But no nurse or doctor answered his call.

    Coughs echoed outside the corridor. It was mixed with screaming, and hurrying footsteps. The hospital appeared to be crowded but no one seemed to hear his call for help.

    ¡°Can someone hear me...?¡± Shen Haoxuan wished to reach for the bell again but his arm was too sore to even move. The exertion caused the young man to cough again. He gagged as a ball of unknown substance flew out from his mouth andnded on his patient¡¯s garb. Sharp pain gripped his chest and he had trouble breathing. It felt like his lungs or his heart was breaking. The ball on his garb consisted of blood, brown phlegm and rotten tissue mixed together. It reminded him of the excretion hacked out by the uncle on the bus, but somehow this looked much more disgusting. Shen Haoxuan was disgusted by it but his body was too weak to swat it away. Surveying the emptiness around him, the young man was overwhelmed by fear. ¡®Am, am I going to die... No, I still have my university degree to get, I don¡¯t want to die yet...¡¯ Desperation fuelled his action, Shen Haoxuan found the energy to reach for the service bell again. ¡°Nurse, nurse... Cough... Doctor Huang... Is anyone there...¡±

    ...

    After the coughing started that morning, Huang Lin was assigned an individual sickroom. When she did her consultation round, she did not take off her mask. In fact, she added 3 extra plies but that was not enough. She appeared to be infected nheless. 3 hourster, the ¡®appeared to be¡¯ was confirmed. Her temperature started to rise and her coughing became more violent. Huang Guoxin¡¯s condition confirmed that antibiotics like akicillin and aminoglycosides meant formon pneumonia were useless.

    Huang Lin volunteered to use the treatment meant for legione pneumonia. She self-injected ilotycin and rifampicin, drugs meant to counter legione pneumophilia. But by afternoon, her condition continued to worsen and her coughs started to carry blood.

    ¡®Thetent period is 6 hours and the conditions take about 6 to 10 hours to worsen, it¡¯s acting too fast... And even the ilotycin has no use?¡¯ Huang Lin¡¯s mind was frazzled, ¡®So this is not legione pneumonia after all? But records of legione pneumonia did show that ilotycin shots have to be taken continuously for 2 to 3 weeks before the fever starts to recede. The effect will not be visible so soon, Huang Lin, calm down...¡¯

    Her resoluteness shrivelled when she got the news that the PCR results confirmed the bacteria as legione pneumophilia. Unfortunately, even Expert He started to show the symptoms, which meant that grade 3 protective gear was useless against it.

    Huang Lin¡¯s mind was then made. As a clinical doctor, she knew what this meant. She took out her phone and called her parents one more time after midnight. Then she called her boyfriend. She tried to keep her voice as even as possible. She advised them repeatedly to stay at home to wait for the evacuation notice, to keep the doors and windows closed and put on their masks.

    The corridor was bustling with noises, more and more patients rushed into the hospital. After making those calls, Huang Linid down on her bed. She picked up a pen and between coughs, started drafting her will on her patient¡¯s record. ¡°My condition is worsening. Based on what happened to Huang Guoxin, I¡¯ll lose my consciousness by tomorrow. I might not be conscious enough to write a will then so I¡¯ll have to finish it now. I will write until I am unable to. I have many things that I wish to say but I don¡¯t know where to start. After I leave, I will miss Dou Dou the most. To be honest, the dog is the thing I will be most worried about. I know how unfilial that sounds... but who will look after him after I¡¯m gone? I shouldn¡¯t have put off my wish to get the veterinarian degree. I¡¯m sorry Dou Dou, I¡¯ll make it up to you in the next life...¡±

    As her pen moved, tears slowly fell.

    ...

    34 hours after he was hospitalized, Huang Guoxin passed away from acute respiratory failure. Soon after the patient¡¯s death, the staff, who was responsible for Huang Guoxin¡¯s emergency rescue, showcased symptoms like fever and violent coughs. Without enough sickroom and manpower, the hospital practically halted in operation. Chaos was everywhere.

    He Feng was assigned a single room. He had no idea whether everything that they had done was meaningful or not. His understanding of viral pathology drained his hope. ¡¯34 hours from infection to death and no known drugs are effective? How will such an epidemic be contained?¡¯ He thought as powerlessness overwhelmed him. A grey thought crossed his mind... lockdown, abandon and destroy the infected area. Do not let anyone in and do not let anyone out...

    But he knew that was not possible. Just the thought of his 7 year old daughter made his heart wince in pain. His daughter, wife and his parents were in the infected area. Therefore, he had totch onto any shred of hope. His superior told him on the phone that the government had already sent over a secret service unit. This secret unit had settled many problematic cases in the past. As the rm rang, He Fang saw people in military grade gear walk into his room.

    ¡°Leader He, please press your hand on this stone and try to envision the imprint on it in your mind. See if it has any use.¡± This middle-aged man who introduced himself as Doctor Luo suggested. He Feng did as instructed but nothing happened. Doctor Luo made other attempts but it was all to no avail. He Feng had no idea what was happening but seeing the grim expression on Doctor Luo¡¯s face after everything was said and done, he knew these people sent by the government couldn¡¯t do anything either...

    ¡°I wish to make a phone call.¡± He Feng walked to the side. While he still had some energy left, he wanted to call home.

    ¡°Daddy, the siren is very loud.¡± Niu Niu¡¯s young voice came through the phone, ¡°Is there an earthquake? But I don¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an earthquake, it¡¯s just a drill, don¡¯t be scared...¡± He Feng said gently and tried his best to stop the urge to cough. ¡°Mummy is there with you, right?¡±

    ¡°But daddy, cough...¡± Niu Niu suddenly started to cough, it made her voice sound hoarse. ¡°When will youe back home?¡±

    Hearing that, He Feng¡¯s face turned ashen white.

    ...

    The coughing reverberated endlessly inside the office. Lee Mingqiu, Wei Xiaoru, Zhang Dawei and the rest waited anxiously outside in the corridor. The suspected patient, Lin Mingda was locked inside the office. They already called the hotline. After waiting for half an hour, finally a member from the disease control centre in heavy protective gear came.

    ¡°He¡¯s inside there!¡± Zhang Dawei pointed at the office door. He epted the mask given to him and quickly put it on. Wei Xiaoru added, ¡°We came out here once we heard him cough. The air-cond unit has been switched off a long time ago, everything will be fine, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but you¡¯re all now suspected victims.¡± The person from the disease control centre said in a heavy tone, ¡°Pleasee with me.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not us!¡± Zhang Dawei gasped in desperation, ¡°It¡¯s him!¡±

    ¡°The virus is transmitted through the air.¡± The officer replied, ¡°You have been in the same space as the patient so there is a chance that all of you have been infected.¡±

    Lee Mingqiu predicted this oue so he did not resist futilely like the rest. In the end, they were all led away. When they left theirpany, they realized not only their floor had been vacated, but everyone else inside the building was corralled out as well. Under the dim night, there were multiple vehicles parked by the road. There were not only custom quarantine vehicles, but also public transport vehicles like buses as well. Lee Mingqiu was ushered onto a medium-sized yellow bus. When he got on, he saw the other passengers in masks. They were silent and expressionless like statues.

    ¡°Please remain quiet, do not chat and do not panic.¡± The officer from the disease control centremanded. Lee Mingqiu sought out an empty seat and soon the bus started. It headed into an unknown destination in the night. Suddenly he heard a sobing from a corner of the bus and it was soon joined by others.

    ...

    The sea breeze howled and the sea was dark. The only light came from the lighthouse. This was not an abandoned building by any means, ording to the driver, there was a regr who came to do the maintenance. Before heading in, Gu Jun called for reinforcement. After everything was prepared, his team stormed into the lighthouse. Thend¡¯s travellers had taken rudimentary military training. They were followed by another unit from the Action Department.

    The light from the rifles scanned the darkness at the bottom of the lighthouse. The ce was deserted, empty of even trash. It only had a stone spiral staircase leading up. But something caught Gu Jun¡¯s eyes...

    On the wall by the mouth of the stairs, there was a bloody message written in the foreignnguage. It appeared to be painted with bloody phlegm. It trailed up alongside the staircase.

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the trenches. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 252: Old Man with Wilted Face

    <h4>Chapter 252: Old Man with Wilted Face</h4>

    The inside of the lighthouse was dim. Staring at the bloody statement on the wall, Gu Jun¡¯s hands holding the rifle tightened. He could not tell for sure when this message first entered his life... Was it at Longkan Sea Belt or when he was still a child? To his knowledge, the first conscious memory he had of this message was when he triggered an illusion inside his school¡¯sb, and found it written on the wall of a dpidatedb. Then during the hypnosis session of his recruitment process to join Phecda, he wrote down the same bloody message again.

    Gu Jun walked carefully forward to take a closer look. It was indeed painted there using bloody phlegm. From the paint¡¯s liquid state, it was clear that the message was recent.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go up to take a look.¡± Gu Jun said grimly. ¡®Afterlife Cult, Afterlife Cult... What are you up to this time? Why the need to create so many tragedies? You im that you know about the foreign civilization¡¯s history... so why insist on bringing the pain and tragedy that befall them into this world? For revenge? Or to summon this Great Old Ones? Or simply because you have lost your mind?¡¯

    The footfallnded softly on the stone staircase but the sound of the protective gear brushing against each other was particrly loud in the overall quietness. Gu Jun was the leader as they made their way up the spiral staircase. The staircase had a narrow surface and Gu Jun was reminded of the underground staircase that they had taken under the altar when they were trapped inside the abnormal space with the banyan tree trunk. The further they went, the more sensitive he was to a strange feeling in his mind. It sounded like voices were echoing in his ears...

    ¡°Do you guys hear any strange voices?¡± Gu Jun frowned. It sounded like a group of children singing.

    ¡°No.¡± Peacock answered, the others concurred.

    ¡®An illusion?¡¯ Gu Jun became more alert as they made way to the second floor of the lighthouse. It was equally deserted as the first floor. However the singing became louder, it was a song in the foreignnguage and it appeared to reverberate inside his heart.

    ¡°In the morning, mother died.

    ¡°In the afternoon, father died.

    ¡°I will die at night.

    ¡°Big pestilence, big pestilence.

    ¡°Everyone will die among the coughs.¡±

    Listening to the song, a splitting headache assaulted Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Illusions danced before his eyes...

    He continued to lead the way to the third floor, it was also deserted, the next stop would be the top floor of the lighthouse. ¡°Be careful...¡± Gu Jun had a feeling there was someone or something waiting for them there even though the heat sensor as well as the Action Department snipers posted outside the lighthouse confirmed that there was no one else inside the lighthouse.

    Gu Jun and his team stormed into the top floor. There was no one around, only a single headlight that was blinking weakly in the middle of the room. Gu Jun stared at the light and suddenly his head was so painful that it felt like the world around him was spinning. An illusion was iming him...

    In the blurriness, he made out that he was still inside the lighthouse. The sky was still dark, the sea raging but there was now an extra figure standing before him. It was an old man with a wilted face, he looked to be in his eighties but his white hair was properlybed and he wore a fitted dark olbo. The old gentleman did not give off a dangerous aura, if anything, he reminded Gu Jun of a respected schr.

    ¡°Child, you havee.¡± The old man held a fine china cup with tea. ¡°Wee.¡±

    Gu Jun instantly aimed the rifle at him. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±

    ¡°Calm down, child, this is just an illusion.¡± The old man said, ¡°I can¡¯t see you but I know that you can see me.¡± Gu Jun tried to shoot at the old man¡¯s calf but nothing happened... He was indeed trapped inside an illusion... The man from Afterlife Cult probably had ¡®recorded¡¯ this illusion for him to encounter...

    ¡°I am sure you have many questions.¡± The old man turned to face the dark sea under the ck sky and took a light sip of the tea. ¡°Is this pneumonia created by human beings? But why would someone do such a thing? I¡¯ve personally pondered questions like that for years as well.¡±

    ¡°Stop feeding me lies.¡± Gu Jun hissed angrily, not knowing whether the other party could hear him or not. ¡°This is just yet another mad raving of your cultist teaching.¡±

    ¡°Child, I am not attempting to persuade you.¡± The old man smiled gently like he predicted Gu Jun¡¯s outburst, which was impressive considering this was a ¡®recording¡¯. The old man continued, ¡°I merely wish to provide you with another point of view. Humanity often views gue and epidemic as something bad, even some of us from the old world share the same view, but do you know that humanity as well as this world is created and molded by gue and epidemic?¡± The old man¡¯s voice was soft and educated like a teacher giving a lecture.

    ¡°During the prehistoric time, humanity relied on uncooked meat for survival. However, human beings eventually stopped eating uncooked meat, not because the meat was not delicious but because there were too many fatal parasites inside uncooked meat. You¡¯re a medical student, you probably know more than I do how dangerous those parasites can be. Therefore, the consumption of uncooked meat was slowly abandoned, not because it was inconvenient or the meat not delicious but because it was detrimental towards survival. This was just one small example of how pestilence had shaped our history...¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s breathing was getting heavier, ¡°That is the reason behind your doing? Just who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°The history of humanity is the history of war and pestilence.¡± The old man took another sip of his tea before continuing, ¡°Why did the Ancient Chinese civilization start at the northern but not the southern edge of the continent? Because the humidity and dampness of the northernnds were warm beds for parasites and illnesses. The Mongolian brought the disease to Europe and the ck gue had changed the entire Europe; the European brought the gue to the new world and it almost wiped out the Indian natives with smallpox. Pestilence has been there every step of the way apanying every big change that has ever urred to humanity.

    ¡°Child, you see, for a world to bring about a big change, it has to be apanied by hunger, war, death and pestilence, especially pestilence. Every pestilence is nature¡¯s poption cleansing, only the strongest will remain and they will inevitably lead humanity to a greater height.¡± As if he could see the anger on Gu Jun¡¯s face, the old man nodded with a serene smile like how a patient senior would when faced with an impudent junior. ¡°We are creating a new world, that is our goal. I am not saying that we are 100 percent correct, but we are only trying our best to do good by humanity. Yes, there will be coteral damage but that is a necessary evil, no one can escape from the river of history. The fate of the majority is always decided by the arrangement of the few. They have their destiny to fulfil, and death will be it for some of them. Death is an enlightenment, their deaths will be remembered by history.¡± The old man took another sip of his tea. ¡°Child, certain corruption is so strong that only absolute chaos can end it. The new pestilence will create a new order, the new destruction will bring about a new world.

    ¡°And you,¡± The old man looked at Gu Jun, ¡°Will acquire a respected position in the new world for you are born to be among one of the blessed few.¡±

    ¡°Such twisted facts!¡± Gu Jun said darkly, ¡°No one has the right to be God, to create so many pains!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± The old man smiled. ¡°This is it until next time. Hopefully we¡¯ll be able to talk in person then.¡±

    The illusion ended. Gu Jun found himself staring at the empty top floor. The weak light flickered and the waves raged...

    ¡°Send people in here to get samples and to investigate.¡± He ordered through the walkie talkie as he rushed down the steps. ¡°Finish everything in an hour and then blow this ce up with missiles. Get moving now!¡±

 Chapter 253: Bacteria Under the Microscope

    <h4>Chapter 253: Bacteria Under the Microscope</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Not only San Hai City, this new strain of legione pneumonia also ravaged many countries across the globe. This was a global epidemic. Based on this rate of transmission, if effective measures were not taken soon, the whole world would be brought to its knees within a month. Even though they had never seen eye to eye, the government of every superpower country had to put away their differences for now. Researchers from all over the globe gathered together to race against time.

    Thetest secret update was that the strain was manmade and the epidemic was created on purpose: The information about the Afterlife Cult, Lai Sheng Company, the old man as well as the possible connection to R¡¯yleh Cult was shared...

    Phecda was at the frontline. The government sent out an armada of ships to station at the sea near San Hai City. Each ship came withplete research equipment and teams. They would ferry the samples and patients from San Hai City through helicopters and the experiments would be conducted on the ships. Should the disease infect the people on the ship, no one would be able to leave. From the moment they departed, these researchers knew that they were only staring down two results, sess or death. The first batch of samples and patients were transported out from Jiang Xin Municipal. Even though Jiang Xin Hospital was situated right in the epidemic¡¯s hot spot, the staff there did not give up their fight. It was chaos inside the smallb, the newly-arrived PCR devices were strewn on the tables as coughs echoed around them.

    He Feng took himself out of quarantine, so did his assistant Lee Wen and the rest of his team. However, they were still wearing the Grade 3 protective gear, not because it was effective, but to lower the intensity of germs in the air. They had all been infected but their work could not stop. Once they did, the resistance that they had put up might copse in a snap. Using Huang Guoxin¡¯s saliva as a sample, the bacterial culture was ced inside a small incubator at the corner. When the incubator was opened earlier, He Feng and his team as well as Uncle Dan were stunned. It was not because of the stench since they could not smell it. It was because inside the ss petri dish, there were already clusters of bacterial colonies. They were round, greyish white in color, damp yet glistening and had a slight protrusion. Those were the bacterial identifiers of legione pneumophilia.

    ¡°How long has this been cultivating?¡± Uncle Dan asked.

    ¡°Around 34 hours.¡± He Feng answered between coughs. ¡°We have not swapped out the cultivation medium at all.¡± Staring at the cultivation medium that was almost drained inside the petri dish, Uncle Dan was silent. This germination rate was too fast.

    There are four stages to microbial growth,g phase, exponential phase, stationary phase, and decline phase. Stationary phase is also the longest phase. To quote a medical study: at some point the bacterial poption runs out of an essential nutrient/chemical or its growth is inhibited by its own waste products orck of physical space, causing the cells to enter into the stationary phase. There is a process needed to reach this stage but based on what they were seeing, the bacteria in the incubator had already arrived at the decline phase¡ªthere was insufficient essential chemical inside the cultivation medium and there were more dead bacteria than living ones. This cultivation speed was several times faster than normal parasitic bacteria and normal legione pneumophilia. It was practically growing at the speed observable by naked eye.

    Furthermore, the decline phase was inordinately long. Bacterial culture in decline phase should not look like this, unless it was refilled with essential nutrients. Then what did these bacteria survive on? He Feng shivered even harder. Cultivation that would normally need more than 10 days waspleted within hours. That was why the patients¡¯ condition deteriorated so fast. Every single second, the bacteria was consuming their healthy lung cells, producing more strains of legione pneumophilia to corrupt the lungs further and copse the rest of the human physique.

    With Huang Guoxin¡¯s conditions as an example, He Feng predicted he would lose consciousness in another 10 hours. For the sake of his daughter, he prayed that he could struggle longer. Perhaps thisst push could bring them the needed breakthrough. Everyone in theb shared the same feeling. They swiftly spliced up the bacteria, put one part into another incubator and the other was handed over to a Special Mobile Force to be carried over to the ships. They had better drugs and equipment, and could do more antibiotic experiments on the bacteria to find its weakness.

    After doing all that, the team carried the petri dish over to the microscope to study it.

    ¡°Let me see...¡± Uncle Dan grumbled, ¡°What this thing looks like.¡± Uncle Dan leaned towards the scope. That was not easily aplished considering the gear he was wearing. When he finally got a look, Uncle Dan¡¯s heart wrenched. His vision seemed to waver for a minute. Under a microscope, a normal legione pneumophilia has an oval shape, looking like a gel sac. But under greater amplification, one could see that its surface was actually pitted and the cellr body was filled with globules that looked like brains or intestines. From appearance, it mimicked a worm.

    But this new strain, even though it was still oval in shape, there were more conspicuous dots on its surface. Through further amplification... the dots on the surface appeared to be tentacles that extended out from the cell. They kept wiggling. When one increased the amplification more, one could see that... each of the tentacles had something simr to a mouth attached to their end and it was feeding on everything around it...¡¯How can someone make something like this?¡¯ Uncle Dan¡¯s heart sank, ¡®Such madness.¡¯

    ¡°Cough, cough.¡± He Feng looked through the scope as well. This was the first time he encountered such a strange bacteria in his many years working at the disease control centre. Suddenly the door of the smallb opened and a few young people with guns walked in. The leading man¡¯s face was frightening. He Feng¡¯s team was dumbfounded, ¡®Are those burn scars? Does not look like so...¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun!¡± Uncle Dan cried like he had just found salvation. ¡°Quick,e and look at this.¡±

    It finally dawned on He Feng, this was Gu Jun, Doctor Gu! His superior mentioned that Doctor Gu was the hero of this secret department.

    ¡°Doctor Gu!¡± He Feng cried out as tears threatened to leak out from his eyes. ¡°Save us, save my daughter...¡¯

    From the moment Gu Jun walked into thisb, the illusions were luring him. He nodded in greeting at everyone before walking towards the microscope.

 Chapter 254: Dawn of a New Era

    <h4>Chapter 254: Dawn of a New Era</h4>

    Other than some devices, the temporaryb shared no resemnce with theb in his illusion but the moment Gu Jun stepped into the room, illusions raged at him like a suppressed flow breaking through a dam. The feeling started the moment he arrived at Jiang Xin Hospital. The various scenes he encountered tore at his heart, this was different from the chaos which he witnessed during the Malformed Banyan Disease and Nightmare Illness incidents.

    The hospital was filled to the brim with patients. When officials in protective gear appeared, patients, who could still move,tched onto them pleading for help. That made movement through the hospital incredibly difficult. Between the coughs, some pleaded for mercy, while others cursed them for their ipetence, for allowing the innocent citizens to wait and die... Some of the staff were still working at their posts while others had already abandoned all hope, waiting for death to arrive. Coughing, crying, cursing and pleading, it was a requiem that could copse the strongest mind.

    ¡°Move away, please move away.¡± The Action Department members had to wave the guns to clear a path. Gu Jun remained silent as he waded through the crowd. Even after he entered theb, he did not utter a word to Uncle Dan. He reached the microscope and ced his rifle on the table. He looked into the petri dish and saw the greyish-white bacterial clusters... The illusion grew stronger. Gu Jun leaned closer and the moment he saw the mutated bacteria, the splitting headache suddenly intensified. The world was twisting, wiggling along with the many tentacles...

    ¡°It¡¯s too slow, the germination rate is still too slow and the immunization is not good enough. If it can be neutralized by illotycin, then everything will be meaningless.¡±

    ¡°Not good enough! It has to be impervious to existing antibiotic, that is our only goal.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re getting close...¡±

    Gu Jun could hear a male voice speaking English. It sounded like the voice was speaking at different points in time. Was it during the process of creating this strain of bacteria? Suddenly his vision was pulled away from the microscope and the images around him changed. The familiar headache confirmed that this was not a recorded illusion but one that he had triggered... He once again returned to thatb but this time it looked well kept, and the bloody message was missing from the wall. Centrifuge, calorstat, working table, all the devices were arranged neatly. People in dark airtight suits operated on something. Gu Jun could not see their faces through the helmet but there appeared to be people from all races and they conversed in English. Suddenly someone cried out in excitement, ¡°Yes, it has gained immunization against illotycin!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have seeded!¡±

    ¡°Dear God, this is wonderful.¡±

    The illusion flickered. The members stood in a single file and the leader in the same dark gear stood before them. The figure held a petri dish with the cultivated bacteria and announced camly, ¡°This thing will leave arge gash on the world, but this is the dawn of a new era!¡±

    ¡®So these are the culprits...¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to take a good look at them but he was losing his focus fast. The pain intensified, it did not look like any of them had wilted faces... Gu Jun considered this before. The epidemic this time did note from an unknown pathology like the Malformed Banyan Disease but was a mutation of a known bacterial strain. There was no sign of any spell or ritual, one only needed some brilliant and wicked minds to aplish something like this. To mutate a bacterial strain, reliance on normal cultists was not enough, one had to have the cooperation of experts with medical and biological background. ¡®Were these people part of the Afterlife Cult... Or they were just working with them?¡¯

    ¡°The dawn of a new era,¡± The im made by the figure kept repeating in Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡°But this is the dawn of a new era...¡±

    He wanted to take another gander at the picture on theb table, it was something he had been meaning to dost time but the illusion halted too suddenly. Gu Jun shook his head and took a deep breath. He was annoyed at himself for not taking the chance to nce at the picture. ¡®Regardless of who they are, they are of the same opinion shared by that wilted old man, they probably found each other through this shared perspective. They want to create pestilence and through it design a new world...¡¯

    Using pestilence as a means of natural selection was extreme and sounded ludicrous but the philosophy had its followers. This argument had been around for decades. Gu Jun thought back to what the wilted old man had said, uncooked meat, ck gue, small pox... ck gue, ck gue... the most discussed pestilence in human history was the ck gue that swept the European continent, its aftereffect could be felt for centuries until the industrial age.

    There had been numerous researches on the positive influence of ck gue on Europe and the world atrge in terms of medical history, history, economy and sociology. Many theories that derived from these researches contradicted each other. The academia tried to put a halt to such research but they always managed to return.

    ¡°Ah Jun, are you alright?¡± Uncle Dan asked. After a few thoughts, Gu Jun told them, ¡°Uncle Dan, try toe up with the antibiotic immediately, I have a call to make.¡± He walked to the side with his phone and called themand central at headquarters. Once the call was connected, he said, ¡°Command central, please help me research the parties and academia who believe that the ck gue has positive impact on the advancement of Europe, I believe among them, we will find the organization who has coborated with Lai Sheng Company toe up with this pathogen. Pay close attention to any organization who has any connection to the belief that the ck gue is the dawn of a new era.¡±

    ¡°Copy that.¡± Themand central replied. At the same time, Uncle Dan and his team started to work on the bacterial antibiotic immunization resistance experiment. They were not testing for the effectiveness of the drug but were conducting tests to see which of the drugs had the strongest resistance against the bacteria. The tested ¡®drugs¡¯ were the items brought over by Gu Jun, the same samples were given to the research teams on the ships as well. They were the dust scrapped from the scale as well as the pills ¡®given by Atal¡¯. The pills were actually the only two medicine that Gu Jun had ever received from the system. One was the ¡®brain stem targeting medicine¡¯ and the other was ¡®human anti-inmmation medicine¡¯.

    Even though Phecda had looked through his stuff after his ¡®death¡¯, his stuff was put away without much fuss since nothing caught Phecda¡¯s eyes. They were just returned to him a few days ago. They included the two boxes of ¡®sleeping pills¡¯. Who would have thought they would end up as testing drugs!? Gu Jun naturally had more faith in the anti-inmmation medicine, after all, penicillin and illotycin are both anti-inmmatory drugs. They are not hard to manufacture but are extremely important. Matching drugs to the illness was very important in clinical treatment. Even though this was just a reward from a normal mission, it could end up saving lives. However, the problem was the medical lexicon of the foreign civilization might bepletely different from human civilization, ¡®anti-inmmation¡¯ might mean something totally different over there.

    The medicine was in gel capsules that contained chemical dust. This meant that if it was proven to be effective, the molecrponent could be studied immediately and then replicated...

    ¡°Try this one first!¡± Gu Jun pointed at the drug. Then he continued to ruminate over what the old man had said, it felt like something was whispering into his ear, ¡®You are unwilling to face the truth due to your sense of morality... the historical truth belongs to those willing to ept the truth... This pestilence shall be a great milestone in human history...¡¯

    Uncle Dan and the rest continued with their experiments using both dilution and diffusion methods.

    Gu Jun decided to put his thoughts away and joined the rest to help when his phone rang. It was a call from themand central. He answered it, ¡°Ah Jun, it¡¯s me, Xue Ba. The statement you gave is a direct copy of a im given by the English economist, Robert Rodgers in 1909. Robert¡¯s father, Roald Rodgers, a famed economist, and historicist was the biggest proponent of this philosophy in the 19th century.¡±

 Chapter 255: Rodgersâ€™ Order

    <h4>Chapter 255: Rodgers¡¯ Order</h4>

    ¡°Anyone who has studied the change to this country¡¯s societal changes and industrialization should understand that the visitation of the gue is the greatest milestone in our country¡¯s history. Let me put it this day, for years, many historical studies have proven this point: The gue is the turning point for our social lives. The gue has left arge gash on the society, but it was also the dawn of a new era!¡± Xue Ba¡¯s serious voice came from the phone. Gu Jun¡¯s jaw tightened. Yes, this was exactly what he heard. The figure in the illusoryb had said something simr.

    ¡°ording to our linguistic analysis, Robert Rodgers used ¡®the visitation of the gue¡¯, the term ¡®visitation¡¯ implies the invocation of the divinity. Rodgers Jr. clearly had a positive view of this tragedy.¡± Gu Jun was silent. ¡®Then what about now? Do the people I saw thought themselves as Gods or they were acting on God¡¯s will?¡¯

    ¡°The statement earlier was pulled from an argument Rodgers Jr. had with other economists regarding the impact of the ck gue. The other party believed that the gue had hampered Europe¡¯s progress but Rodgers Jr. inherited his father¡¯s belief and this Rodgers Sr. was a representative economist during his time.¡± Xue Ba continued to borate. Thanks to the inte, these information could be found easily. As mentioned earlier, despite being frowned upon, this was a mainstream philosophy. From a historical analytical standpoint, many economists concurred that the ck gue had a meaningful impact on the history of the European continent. Roald Rodgers held the belief that was supported by many of his academic peers and his belief had been studied until today.

    ¡°Rodgers Sr. believes that the ck gue caused the decline in Ennd¡¯s poption and that had led the country into a necessary revolution. First the ck gue devastated the system of serfdom, greatly increasing the freedom of the people. Due to theck of manpower during the gue, the hired had the clout to negotiate with their employees, to argue for a greater sry. The historical records showed that their ie had doubled or even tripled, and that ushered in the golden era of theborers. The schools had to open their doors to the normal citizens to cultivate them to fill in the holes that had been left vacant by the previous imperialists. Therefore after the gue, the livelihood of those living at the bottom had indeed improved, leading to the formation of arge middle ss and the increased variety of economic activities.

    ¡°Other than that, the gue, which had taken away the lives of many servants of cloth, caused the power of the church to dwindle. The getes grabbed the priests and missionaries and whipped them out on the street. People¡¯s faith in religion shattered and that gave way to the advancement of scientific thinking. The people even demolished jails and many ownednds for the first time in their lives... The bnce of societal wealth was reordered. And during this process of building a new bnce, there were manypetitions that could not have arisen in a peaceful era. Many manufacturing technologies arose during these times, ushering in the industrial revolution. Once the revolution arrived, the old world was already on its death knell. The farmers and the city workers united under the same slogan, ¡®What is the use of gentlemanly values to pioneer the arrival of the new world¡¯?¡± Xue Ba added brusquely, ¡°Thest statement was a recorded quote by Rodgers Sr.¡±

    Gu Jun could glean the inherent meaning. Was the death of certain people not necessary? What was a little violence, tears and tragedypared to the rewards to be reaped? As long as you could survive, your sry would easily triple, you would finally have a house under your own name and you would have a new life. Would you not support the turning point such as the visitation of the gue?

    Instantly, Gu Jun felt like he was hearing the wilted man speak: History was created by man, no, by the great among man. War is a way to change the world, and so is pestilence. Child, you are one of the great ones...

    ¡®Get out, get out of my mind!¡¯ Gu Jun suppressed the agitation in his heart. He looked at Uncle Dan and the rest of the team who were busy experimenting. The horrible coughs filtered into his ears. Regardless of the ¡®positive impact¡¯ that the ck gue brought, that was no reason to create another wave of pestilence. If this epidemic swept across the globe, Gu Jun knew from reliable sources that only the rich and powerful would be the ones chosen to migrate to the south pole and it would be the general public who¡¯d be left to die!

    ¡®If you are so hellbent on lowering the poption to wee in a new world, then I have a suggestion for you.¡¯ Gu Jun thought, ¡®You should allmit suicide now, isn¡¯t that a wonderful idea? Without you, the world will definitely be a better ce.¡¯ Instantly the whispering blurred but thest clear message slipped through, ¡®Child, the truth belongs to those who are willing to ept the truth...¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun, there are too many academics in the world who support this view.¡± Xue Ba asked, ¡°Can you give me a clearer direction on which party to investigate?¡± Gu Jun was equally stumped. Both Rodgers were historical characters and different from Angell¡¯s Order, their philosophy and belief was part of mainstream academia. However, it was not just research papers that some of the more extreme supporters of this view were interested in. Based on Gu Jun¡¯s illusion, in private, these people hade together to do something significant in pursuit of their shared philosophy... He described his illusion in more detail. ¡°I believe it might be a good start to research into the descendent or the students of the Rodgers family.¡±

    ¡°Copy that.¡± Xue Ba ended the call. Themand central was tasked to gain contact with the Ennd government. While Gu Jun was on the phone, Uncle Dan and He Feng were busy conducting the medical experiment. The diffusion method was toyer a cultivation medium on the petri dish and then ce some bacterial culture on it. That way the bacteria would grow on the petri dish. However, parts of the cultivation medium would be injected with the testing drug and if the drug was effective, it would form a protective circle that would stop the bacteria from growing into the medium. The team repeated this process many times with different drugs. The one good thing was due to the rapid growth of this strain, the result woulde back much faster than usual.

    He Feng¡¯s coughs became more violent and he asionally walked towards the nearby trash can to spit out his bloody phlegm. He had been running on hope that was brought by Doctor Gu¡¯s mysterious drugs. He Feng threw himself into work so he would not sumb to despair. Time slowly passed and Gu Jun joined the ranks of the researchers. The brain-stem targeting medicine, the scale dust, they readied the culture samples for them.

    Once again, Uncle Dan opened the incubator to ce in new petri dishes and take out the old ones. The group stared fixedly, even Gu Jun found his eyes unable to pull away from the bacterial culture inside thetest batch of petri dishes.

    ¡°Ah, this, this...¡± Uncle Dan stuttered in shock, ¡°Ah Jun, this...¡±

 Chapter 256: Silent Room

    <h4>Chapter 256: Silent Room</h4>

    ¡°This, this drug...¡± Uncle Dan¡¯s voice wasced with excitement, and the faces of the people around him changed. In the petri dish, some of the area had formed clots of bacterial colonies in stationary phase, their growth speed was staggering; while in other areas, namely the spots which had been added with the tested drug, had no sign of bacterial colony formation. This medicine was effective against the new strain of legione pneumophilia! It was effective!

    A light cut through the darkness. He Feng and his team were so excited that they lost their power of speech. Even though a stream of cough evoked from them, hope renewed their hearts.

    ¡°It¡¯s effective, Doctor Gu, your medicine is effective.¡± He Feng said between coughs, ¡°We¡¯re saved, we¡¯re saved...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s breathing turned heavy. After a temporary nk in his mind, these thoughts appeared. ¡®This disease is indeed not haemoptysis, because the foreign civilization already has the drugs to deal with this. The foreign civilization probably has mastered the pathology of this bacteria. How much did the Afterlife Cult contribute during the cultivation of this bacteria?¡¯

    Gu Jun quickly snapped out of it. Now was not the time for theorization, they were on a race against time. The ships had received the same drug samples already. He picked up his phone to call. ¡°Command central, drug test no. 1 is effective! Please order a molecr and chemical analysis of it immediately!¡±

    ¡°Roger that!¡± A powerful voice came through. Gu Jun could hear cheering in the background. Now he handed the work over to the research team. The earlier they finished the analysis, the earlier they could manufacture this drug en-masse.

    ¡®Hurry up, hurry up.¡¯ Gu Jun urged. ¡®This drug will be something history making, this is the dawn of a new era, not the pestilence.¡¯ However he was not blindsided by his hope. He still had his anxiety. With humanity¡¯s current scientific level, even the most experienced scientist might not be able toe up with theplete molecr structure of every substance, especially when it came to a drug that came from a foreign world. How many percent of it could be analysed and replicated would be a problem... Also it was still unknown whether the bacterial strain would develop an immunity against this drug or not. But now this was indeed a new ray of hope.

    Currently Gu Jun had 20 anti-inmmation pills, 15 were on the ship and theb had used 1 during the drug test so they had 4 left. Recently normal system missions no longer rewarded actual medicine anymore but old photographs to digest mental corruption, then again that could be viewed as some kind of ¡®psychological medicine¡¯. Gu Jun believed the pills had to be taken 1 to 3 times a day and 2 pills each time. To be honest, he had no idea about actual dosage, that was merely his educated guess. These 4 pills might just be enough to extend a patient¡¯s life for one day. But the current patient number at this hospital had amounted to the thousands. Some of them were seriously ill and would not live to see the next sunrise. The first patient, Huang Guoxin died after 34 hours...

    Gu Jun had no idea how long it would take for the researchers toe up with the result but he knew that most patients would not survive until that day. With that knowledge settling in his mind, his heart turned heavy but he tried to calm down. ¡®I need to go and check on those early patients to see if I can trigger any illusion in their presence... Perhaps one of them might be a person of importance in this whole incident...¡¯ This was not a logical thought but he was not dealing with a logical pandemic either... This pestilence had to be stopped and the number of patients had to be curbed.

    With a heavy heart, Gu Jun had He Feng lead him, Peacock and Uncle Dan away from theb towards the wards. Along the way they were still osted by patients but this time the way was cleared much easier because most of the patients had been imed by listlessness. A nudge and they crumbled like dominoes. Soon they arrived at a quarantine room. He Feng said between coughs, ¡°This patient, Shen Haoxuan was infected by Huang Guoxin because he shared the same bus with thetter.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun pushed open the door and entered. The stench was separated by the gear. He saw a young man lying in the middle of the bed. His patient¡¯s garb was dirtied by bloody saliva, corrupted lung tissues and other vomit. His cyanotic face was covered in the same filth.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, we have to save him!¡± He called out as he charged forward. Most of the patients died from asphyxiation due to the vomit clogging up their respiratory tract. Once he reached the bedside, he flipped over Shen Haoxuan¡¯s eyelids, a pair of cloudy white eyes stared back lifelessly at him. Gu Jun gritted his teeth as he continued to help clean away the vomit and conducted heart resuscitation. However, no matter how hard he pressed, the young man in the bed showed no response. After a while, Uncle Dan said softly, ¡°Ah Jun, he¡¯s gone, he¡¯s no longer with us anymore...¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun groaned like a trapped beast. But who could he me? There was ack of hospital staff here.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Uncle Dan sighed. It was always painful to witness the loss of a young life. This was not an old man in his seventies, this was a young man who had not even started his life¡¯s journey yet. Thend¡¯s travellers were silent, they were looking at the manifestation of the Bloody Lung Disease in their legends...

    ¡°26 hours.¡± He Feng gasped in shock. ¡°It has only been 26 hours since Shen Haoxuan registered at the hospital.¡± A young man should have a strong immunity system but he passed away faster than Huang Guoxin¡¯s 34 hours.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably the bacterial density in the air that has gotten higher.¡± He Feng suggested, ¡°Through inhtion of these corrupted air, it exacerbated their conditions.¡± Gu Jun looked around, this was not a quarantine room, it was just a normal sickroom, there was not even a gas tank.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go visit the other patients.¡± Suppressing the sadness, he left the room. They took a swift walk around the ward. Shen Haoxuan¡¯s parents had both passed away as well. The couple was quarantined at the same time as their son did. They died about 20 hours after they were infected. Shen Haoxuan¡¯s friend, Liu Hui had died as well, he died 27 hours after he was infected...

    There were other patients who were confirmed to be on the same bus as Huang Guoxin. The bus driver, a young couple, a middle-aged woman, they were all dead. The next sickroom to visit was Doctor Huang Lin¡¯s. Her symptoms showed around early dawn, and it had only been 20 hours since then. Gu Jun knew that Doctor Huang also graduated from Eastern State Medical University, she was his senior. They heard no coughinging from inside the room and their hearts sank...

    They walked into the room and saw Doctor Huang Lin copse in her bed. She was surrounded by vomit as well as paper and pen that had fallen out of her grasp. Her pretty face was ashen and filthy. Her eyes were diluted and gave no response to light. There was no pulse and heartbeat. Doctor Huang Lin was also dead.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Uncle Dan shook his head. He Feng coughed with difficulty. Peacock and the rest pulled back Gu Jun who tried to apply emergency rescue. Eventually Gu Jun stopped struggling. He picked up the medical history report on the bed and saw pages of the good doctor¡¯s will, ¡°My condition is worsening. Based on what happened to Huang Guoxin, I¡¯ll lose my consciousness by tomorrow. I might not be conscious enough to write a will then so I¡¯ll have to finish it now. I will write until I am unable to...¡±

    Gu Jun studied the handwriting that was blurred by tear spots and he felt his own eyes brimming. ¡°Senior, thank you for your service and rest in peace.¡±

 Chapter 257: A Pill

    <h4>Chapter 257: A Pill</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Death had arrived for the first batch of patients registered at Jiang Xin Hospital. The same was happening at the hospitals at San Hai City as well as all over the world. The death toll was climbing and the epidemic was getting out of control. Currently not all hospitals had gone into stagnation but none of the hospitals in the infected area had enough on-duty staff to deal with the influx of patients. Theycked necessary equipment too.

    At themand central in headquarters, the celebration they had from finding a possible cure was suppressed by a heavy silence. The monitors of the different departments were connected to the surveince of the different hospitals. Some had their eyes red while others lowered their heads. The monitors showed heart-wrenching images, especially those from Jiang Xin Hospital. From the lobby to the emergency room, and from the pharmacy to the wards... every corridor was filled with patients, shuffling, pleading and asking for help. Filth like blood and vomit was everywhere, on the wall, on the ground, on the patients. It was hell on earth. No one was there to clean up. As much as the patients cried, there was no doctor, nurse or staff who came to help them. This was because the angels in white had already copsed to the ground themselves, coughing weakly. Initially they tried their best to maintain the order, telling everyone to calm down... but they were themselves taken down by the disease and their words were slowly drowned out.

    The death notifications of medical staff arrived constantly at themand central. Doctor Huang Lin died, the other emergency doctor Zhao Yutao died too. Doctors in the nearby area, who were called back to help, died... The nurses at the emergency room died, the researchers who responded first-hand to the emergency died... Some of the patients who still had strength in them moved towards the exits but found that they were all sealed. The guards posted there were coughing violently as well.

    The whole hospital was transformed into a giant morgue, housed by the already dead and almost dead. The dead bodies lost their temperature, lost were the warmth of their skin, and the warmth of their life. They would never have the chance to aplish the things they set out to do, to make confessions they wished to make, to see the world they have yet to see. Those passions that burned dwindled into decay before disintegrating into nothingness. Dust to dust, earth to earth.

    ¡°Sir, we¡¯re running out of time but the researchers on the ships still need more time.¡± Inside themand room, Yao Sinian was in the middle of a discussion with the Phecda leader. ¡°We need to initiate the highest degree disease control measure now andmence lockdown of the whole state. Or else this epidemic will continue to grow and the whole country will... We will have to abandon San Hai City.¡± Actually since afternoon, public transport like flights and trains were already monitored. But a state lockdown was apletely different beast. This kind of protocol was not something that could be decided by Phecda, at most they could only send the proposal forward to the main government. But based on the development, the earlier the lockdown, the better it would be.

    ¡°Drug number 1¡± brought hope, but they were running out of time. Even if the whole world worked together, analysing the drug¡¯sponent, its chemical structure, testing the replication process, manufacturing the API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) and then the actual pills... even if they ignored the purity of the final result, the least they would need was 2 days. This was under the premise that everything went smoothly, but the people from the Research Team were not that optimistic. Theponent of this drug was extremelyplex. They could skimp on time by offering the patients API directly, but whether it was effective and whether it would carry side effects was unknown. Even so that would still take at least 1 day.

    With this strain¡¯s fatality rate and contagiousness, it could bring down a whole city within a day. If they did not control and limit the spread now, even if they had the manufacturing formter, there would be no one left to save.

    Abandoning San Hai City was not an easy choice... Because it meant that they would have to make the conscious decision to cease sending rescue efforts into the city. ¡°We¡¯ll make the proposal now.¡± The old leader said tiredly. Even though the central power of Phecda had been through a lot, this decision still chilled their hearts. Some decisions were impossible to make, but someone had to make them. They werecking manpower everywhere. To put it frankly, while San Hai City might still have some healthy citizens, the majority had been infected, the rescue effort used here could be deployed to some other cities which had not been so seriously infected, and that would be a better use of their resources...

    Perhaps some might have the necessary immunization system to survive this ordeal at San Hai City but these minorities would not be able to stop the city¡¯s inevitable copse. While the proposal was made to the government, themand central gave the order to the frontline. ¡°Everyone, be prepared to retreat! Problematic Team, evacuate Jiang Xin Hospital immediately. A helicopter will be there to fetch you to the mothership. Please respond if you have received this message.¡±

    Inside Jiang Xin Hospital, pleading and coughing reverberated through the walls. Uncle Dan, Peacock and the rest heard the orders from the headquarters.

    ¡°...¡± Gu Jun heard it as well but he did not respond. He knew what this order meant. He had visited all the patients, most of them were dead but none evoked the spirituality within him. He wanted to revive all of them, he wanted to save the living patients but he only had 4 anti-inmmation pills in his hands.

    ¡°Cough, cough...¡± He Feng next to him coughed violently. Gu Jun knew that the first symptom for this disease control expert appeared 12 hours ago, he still had some time left in him. He Feng¡¯s contribution could not be overlooked for the high efficiency of the measures taken at Jiang Xin Municipal.

    ¡°Mr. He.¡± With a heavy heart, Gu Jun thought, ¡®1 is better than 0.¡¯¡±You should take one of these to see if it works or not.¡±

    Spirit returned to He Feng¡¯s pale face. Light shone in his eyes. That was hope from a spring of life.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, Doctor Gu...¡± Due to the excitement, He Feng exploded in serial chokes. He had to turn his head away to spit his bloody saliva at the wall. This was not something he¡¯d normally do, this kind of medical waste should not be dealt like this...

    But now, He Feng pleaded in urgency. ¡°Thank you for giving this pill to me but I wish to give it to my daughter. Cough, cough. She is only 7 years old, she caught the illness less than 2 hours ago. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll respond to this better than I do, so can I give it to her? She is back home with my wife, my home is less than 1 hour car drive from here. Cough cough...¡± He Feng¡¯s face was purple from the coughing. ¡°I¡¯ll take the pill and drive home now. I still have 3 to 5 hours of consciousness, I need to return home, I need to... I¡¯ve promised her...¡±

 Chapter 258: The Choice

    <h4>Chapter 258: The Choice</h4>

    In the afternoon, after the news of the legione pneumonia outbreak at San Hai City was released online, the inte exploded. Initially, while shocked, most of the discussion was about how lucky they were for being physically far away from San Hai City but the horrible development caught everyone by surprise. News of lockdown came for many cities, the outbreak was happening all at once at different cities across the globe...

    Terror swept across the globe and the world wide web. What was happening in San Hai City? Who was the first to report the outbreak?

    ¡°Mr. He.¡± Inside Jiang Xin Hospital, Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered as He Feng pleaded with him. All parents would put their children first. The decision made by He Feng might bemon to those as parents but it was still quite admirable. The four anti-inmmation pills were not a cure-all by any means. If the biological simrity between homo sapiens and the people of the foreign civilization was to be believed, one pill would not be enough to cure the illness, it could only suppress the bacterial growth, one would need to ingest them for several days before the illness could be cured. One or two pills would probably only prolong the patient¡¯s death for another 50 hours. But perhaps this borrowed time could buy enough time for the pills to be replicated. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps... No one could tell what would happen now.

    ¡°Please take this pill for yourself first.¡± Gu Jun advised. Seeing the argument rising on He Feng¡¯s face, he quickly added, ¡°Mr. He, listen to me. Someone has to be the test subject to check the effect of the pills. Furthermore, in your condition, I worry you might not be able to make the journey home. You need to get better first.¡±

    He Feng¡¯s face lit up with hope. ¡°Doctor Gu, you mean you will give me more pills after I take this one?¡¯

    ¡°I will give you 2 more.¡± Gu Jun nodded. For all he had done, He Feng deserved this chance. ¡°Hopefully your daughter will be able to pull through.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, thank you...¡± He Feng was so touched that he could barely speak, ¡°Doctor Gu, cough, thank you so much...¡± To tell the truth, He Feng wanted to bring all 3 pills home, and give them all to his daughter or at least 1 to his wife, because Niu Niu would need her mom. But now he had no other choice. He knew how lucky he was to be given a chance like this. Before they moved to the next room, He Feng epted the pill from Gu Jun and swallowed one down with a gulp of water. He resisted the urge to vomit. He Feng, Gu Jun and Uncle Dan hoped for a miracle, praying that the pill would have an instantaneous effect like a spell.

    However, He Feng continued to cough and there was no recordable change to his body temperature and heart rate. The man himself felt no change either. This basically confirmed for Gu Jun that while this pill might be able to suppress the growth of the bacterial strain, it would require more than one pill to kill it.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Uncle Dan sighed. With the bacteria¡¯s startling life force, a single pill was not going to take it down. However, to look on the bright side, if He Feng¡¯s conditions slowed down and he survived longer than the average, then the pill would be considered effective already.

    ¡°Damn it...¡± Kathlyn grumbled. There was still no recorded case at the Australian city where her family was staying yet but she shared in their frustration. She wondered if humanity had enough time.

    ¡°Mr. He, we¡¯ll send you out now.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°Follow the evacuation team and go before the traffic system copses. Do not take any pitstop along the way. Once you reach home, we will call you to give you instruction on how to leave the city.¡± Once the Phecda members evacuated from the hospital, the patients would instantly go on a riot. Once the news broke, people would fight to escape and it would paralyze the public transport system.

    ¡°Thank you, really, thank you from the bottom of my heart.¡± He Feng choked on his feelings. ¡°Doctor Gu, I thank you on my daughter¡¯s behalf...¡±

    Gu Jun nodded wordlessly as he walked He Feng out with Peacock and the rest. Suddenly, the sounds of rotors echoed outside the hospital and then the voice came from the walkie-talkie, ¡°Problematic Team, please be prepared for retreat now!¡±

    The patients had no idea they had been abandoned. As Gu Jun¡¯s team walked through them, some of them tried to stop Gu Jun, while others just pleaded with their eyes. At the hospital entrance, with Peacock¡¯s apaniment, He Feng walked out from the hospital gates. However, Gu Jun stopped. He turned to take in the faces of the patients in the hospital.

    ¡°Ah Jun, it¡¯s time to go.¡± Uncle Dan sighed.

    ¡®Go?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart wrenched, ¡®And abandon these patients as well as the first responders like Lee Wen and the other hospital staff?¡¯ They were all infected and waiting for death. Gu Jun gritted his teeth so much that his facial muscle twitched. He could not make himself take the first step out. His agitation caused the darkness in his heart to awaken. He saw bleeding faces, some with human features, others with the features of the foreign civilization...

    He really wanted to save everyone. The bunch of crazies who wanted to herald in a new era, those were the ones who deserved to die... Visitation of pestilence as the turning point of history, he did not understand such crap but he knew that what was happening now was not right. These tragedies and pain should not arrive, they were not good for humanity.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Uncle Dan said again, ¡°We¡¯ve tried our best, sometimes, as doctors we need to recognize that.¡± Gu Jun responded with silence. ¡®Evacuate to the ships? All I know is clinical medicine and spell, I am of no help in terms of pharmaceutical studies, I¡¯ll be a wastrel there. There are more than enough people there, with experts from all over the globe, I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle up with the result soon.¡¯ Furthermore Gu Jun had a feeling the anti-inmmation pills alone would not be enough to end this epidemic. There had to be something special about Jiang Xin Municipal for it to be the source of the epidemic...

    ¡°No,¡± Gu Jun mumbled softly, ¡°Our battlefield is here, I don¡¯t want to evacuate.¡± The headquarters was stunned. Uncle Dan wanted to persuade Gu Jun when something caught his eyes. He gasped, ¡°Ah Jun, look! What¡¯s that! The strain has caused gic mutation?!¡±

    Gu Jun whipped his head around. Under the bush outside the hospital entrance, lit up by the dim street light, there was a brown shadow. It was asrge as a possum but looked like a rat. It had a silky fur coat and beady eyes... A surge of electricity coursed through Gu Jun¡¯s body, ¡®It¡¯s a Zoog! It would not have appeared here for no reason.¡¯ Based on what the Elder Zoog said, normally they would not stray too far away from inter-dimensional channels. They would stroll for a little bit before returning to Dreands. This meant that somewhere around Jiang Xin Municipal there was a channel that led to Dreands. This could not be a coincidence.

    ¡°Zoog!¡± Gu Jun screamed as he made a run for it. ¡°Stop right there!¡± The Zoog slipped away in a hurry. Under the night sky, he slithered away faster than a rat.

 Chapter 259: Zoogâ€™s News

    <h4>Chapter 259: Zoog¡¯s News</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Under the screen of the night, it was chaos outside the small town hospital. It was thebined din of the helicopter, the engines of the vehicles and the crying of the people... Under the cacophony, the shuffling of the Zoogs was hard to discern. The evacuation members saw with confusion a figure in full protective gear running down a direction, shouting ¡®Stop!¡¯. Thend¡¯s travellers, who had just escorted He Feng out, snapped into motion. They picked up their guns and charged down after Gu Jun. The figure disappeared so fast, and once it slipped into the forest, without any streetlight, he would be impossible to find. Gu Jun had the urge to pull the trigger to get it to stop moving but he knew the shot would only intensify the already heightened chaos and panic. Therefore, he kept on running but no one could run faster than a Zoog, definitely not someone being hogged down by a full set of protective gear...

    He caught sight of Peacock and her friendsing from the other side. He said hurriedly, ¡°Use your spell from the first chapter. I need you to corner him, not kill him!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡± Peacock moved to oblige. She expertly chanted the spell from the first chapter. The opaline stone on her wrist shone, while her mental corruption rate grew, a strange shadow burst out from the darkness. The nightgaunt was fast like lightning and charged at its fatty prey. In response to his panic, his coat of brown fur stood on end. Being mmed into by the nightgaunt, he rolled several times on the ground before careening into a palm tree. Just as he tried to get up, he saw the barrel of a gun point at him. Even though he came from the Dreands, he recognized the gun as a dangerous tool. Furthermore, it was yielded by the feared nightmare man. Tap, tap, tap... The Zoog patted his stomach in panic, signalling his surrender.

    ¡°Told you not to run, didn¡¯t I..?¡± Gu Jun caught his breaths before continuing, ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡±

    The Zoog patted his body and the palm tree beside him. The pair of eyes appeared to bemunicating something. But Gu Jun could barely understand the tapping. They were not at Dreands,munication did note that easily...

    By then, Peacock, Uncle Dan and the rest had arrived. Uncle Dan uttered with shock. ¡°A mutated creature?¡± Peacock used rough Chinese to exin. Uncle Dan sighed, if the bacterium could cause biological mutation, then it would truly be a nightmare.

    ¡°Peacock, can you guys understand him?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°No...¡± Peacock did not want to disappoint her idol but certain things could not be helped. ¡°We¡¯re not at the Dreands. Outside of it, only the cats at the Ulthar can understand thenguage of the Zoogs.¡±

    Gu Jun was desperate, they were wasting precious time, but what could he do? Suddenly an idea crossed his mind. ¡°I¡¯ll try tomunicate with it telepathically.¡± He told the rest. ¡°I need peace and quiet.¡± He bent over to pick up the Zoog by holding him on his back. He closed his eyes and clicked open one of his two remaining nk sweet dream bubbles. After the one audience member walked in, he started the y:

    Ten thousand fowls, 10 thousand quails, 10 thousand grouses, cooked in 10 thousand ways. Fried, steamed, grilled, baked... The stage became a food paradise, filling the theatre with delicious smell. Through his experience constructing both Siyu and Ruoxiang¡¯s sweet dreams, Gu Jun found himself getting better at this.

    ¡°Zoog, zoog.¡± Gu Jun channelled his focus at the blurry audience and summoned, ¡°Zoog, my Zoog friend! The food here is all yours!¡± Suddenly, the human shape morphed into a fatty Zoog, curled up on the seat.

    ¡°Tsk, I, how...¡± The Zoog looked around in fear but when he saw the image on stage, he was jumping with joy, ¡°Am I at Kadath?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in one of my dreams, I¡¯m the nightmare man.¡± A chilly voice rang out and it almost shocked the Zoog out of his life. He crawled underneath the chair and the nightmare man continued, ¡°Listen, it will depend on you whether this bes a sweet dream or a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Of course, what do you need?!¡± The Zoog said in a hurry. ¡°Our tribe leader has said that we mustn¡¯t do anything to anger you, you¡¯re as powerful as the evil cat from Ulthar.¡±

    ¡®Perfect.¡¯ Gu Jun asked him about the pestilence, the medicine and had the Zoog tell him everything he knew, which was a problem for the Zoog. He had no life-saving medicine and he did not have much information to offer either for he just got here!

    ¡°But I am sure this is rted to the House of Worm, because the channel that I took was at the teau where the House is located.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped. He asked, ¡°The house of worm?¡± When he was at Dth-Leen, he had heard that name mentioned by the audience before.

    ¡°It is a very scary ce.¡± The Zoog shivered just from the mention of it. ¡°A ce even us Zoogs are apprehensive of approaching! It is filled with death, worms and pestilence... Those foolish enough to explore it will lose their lives there and live the rest of their life as another worm.¡±

    ¡°Then how do you know this gue is rted to that ce?¡± Gu Jun asked. He was reminded of how the new strain looked under the microscope: the twisted tentacles on the cellr surface and the ck mouth at the end of each one. Could supernatural power be behind the strength of this bacterium? If that was the case, it might be a good thing...

    ¡°Respected nightmare man, I am not particrly sure.¡± The Zoog tapped on the legs of the chair. ¡°We Zoogs do not know everything but we do know that pestilence is always rted to the House of Worms. And I did spot a few strangers from your kin exploring it for these past few days but I have no idea what they were doing.¡± Gu Jun knew those people were not from Phecda, or any official organization. They should be the cultists from the Afterlife Cult, R¡¯yleh Cult or Rodgers¡¯ Order... There were too many crazies in this world.

    ¡°Do they know about this channel?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The Zoog patted his head. ¡°They entered through dreaming, that is quite obvious. It¡¯s not that easy to find physical channels. Only us Zoogs are so fine-tuned to their existence. This channel has only just appeared. With my experience, I believe it¡¯ll copse in another 3 days.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®just appeared¡¯? How long ago was this?¡± Gu Jun asked. This was very important. He exined to the Zoog how time was calcted on Earth and had the Zoog made the trantion.

    ¡°About half an hour ago.¡± The Zoog thought and answered. ¡°Actually the time flow here is quite simr to the time flow at the House of Worm. The appearance of this channel is probably due to the increased simrities between the two areas. I believe that has to do with this new gue of yours.¡± Gu Jun calmed himself down to make sense of things. Since this was his sweet dream, he could tell whether the Zoog was lying or not. Based on what the Zoog had said, it was not the appearance of the channel that caused the gue but the gue had bridged a channel between the two worlds. For now the channel was unknown to the enemy, perhaps this would be a turning point for them.

    Would destroying the channel help? Or should they enter the Dreand through the channel to investigate this House of Worms?

    Gu Jun believed the House of Worms was not under enemy control, they were probably just there for some other devious purpose.

    ¡°I need you to stick close to me and when we exit this ce, lead us to the location of the channel.¡± Gu Jun warned the Zoog. The Zoog nodded hurriedly. Gu Jun ended the dream. When he came to, Gu Jun was still holding the Zoog. He sensed the confused gaze others levelled him at him and he announced, ¡°Guys, we have a new mission.¡±

    He turned to look up at the starless sky. He told the headquarters through the walkie talkie, ¡°Command central, we¡¯ve just discovered a Dreand creature and located a physical channel between the two worlds. I suspect it is rted to the gue. Request to cancel the retreat. And request for more reinforcement!¡±

 Chapter 260: Departure

    <h4>Chapter 260: Departure</h4>

    Inside the dirty alley, exposed electric lines dangled from old electric poles. The streetlights had long since fused out but no one was ordered to fix them. The squat factory beside the alley was shrouded in darkness. The dim light from the shlights picked out the stains left on the alley from prolonged exposure to the elements and the trash that collected at the corners.

    There were some old residential houses opposite the factory. One of them had a small yard, and severalrge ck urns were arranged neatly by the gate. The yard was a small tofu making workshop. The ce was deserted after the lockdown, who knew where the owners were now. Most of the urns were empty except some which had thinyers of water at the bottom. When the workshop was in working condition, the ce would be permeated with the brilliant smell of ground beans.

    But now the whole workshop was taken over by Phecda. After checking out the ce, they found nothing suspicious. On the other hand, led by the Zoog, Gu Jun had people move away the porcin urns, and they revealed a small ball of blurry shadow at the corner of the walls. The ball was smaller than the mouth of the urns. If not for the Zoog, they would not have discovered it. This alley was just 500 metres away from Jiang Xin Hospital. It was backed up against an undevelopednd, wild with bushes and trees. With the sanitary quality of the ce, one could imagine the living conditions of the people residing here. The factory across the street belonged to a registeredpany and the tofu workshop was a family business, neither of them appeared to have any ties with Lai Sheng Company. Phecda was conducting further research, including the request for the surveince videos of nearby areas to check for suspicious activity.

    ¡°This is it...¡± Inside the sweet dream, the Zoog imed in shivers. ¡°Respected nightmare man, that is all I know, can I go now?¡±

    ¡°No, you cannot.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°You have to continue to be our guide, we might need to go to the House of Worms.¡±

    ¡°House of Worms?!¡± The Zoog pped in horror. God has mercy on this poor creature. ¡°Even us Zoogs do not dare to venture there.... Mr. Nightmare Man, it is not that I have no faith in your ability but a wise man will not voluntarily go to a ce like that...¡±

    ¡°Who told you I was a wise man?!¡± Gu Jun said darkly before ending the conversation. When he returned, the alley was filled with members from Phecda. They were all waiting for his instructions. Since he made the report, the evacuation was cancelled. Arge batch of reinforcement was sent from the ship. They hurried over on helicopters. Others came from nearby cities and the headquarters, there were even government officials from other countries. This strain of legione pneumophilia was rted to abnormal energy, this news was a ray of hope. It revived everyone¡¯s hope, both on the frontline and back at the offices andbs.

    With humanity¡¯s current scientific and pharmaceutical knowledge, manufacturing Gu Jun¡¯s mysterious drug would take too long, that was time which humanity did not have. A national lockdown was issued, and that was already the most the country could do to limit the spread of the epidemic. However, if the enemy had mastered the way to cultivate this strain of bacteria, they only needed to have their people spread it at various big cities and then... Well, the result would be devastating.

    Therefore, if the cultivation of the bacteria had the involvement of abnormal energy, then they were presented with another solution to this problem.

    ¡°Ah Jun, so what do you think?¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie. ¡°What did the Zoog say? What do you feel?¡± Destroy the channel or venture to the Dreand to investigate, everyone was waiting for Gu Jun to make the decision. The decision was indefinitely important, and Gu Jun technically did not have the clearance to make this kind of decision but with everything that had happened, even those, who were not satisfied with how Gu Jun dealt with the Malformed Banyan Disease, had to admit that Gu Jun¡¯s opinion was extremely important. He was the most familiar with the Zoogs and Dreands. This was also the channel he discovered. Due to his unique background and experience, he was the most suitable person to make this decision. Even though Gu Jun was not ranked that high in Phecda, the role of Phecda Hero lent him extra privileges.

    ¡°Elder Tong, I¡¯ve decided to go over there to take a look.¡± Actually Gu Jun had already made that decision when he met the Zoog. ¡°Since it was the gue which brought this channel into being, destroying it will only cause another to take its ce. Furthermore, we do not have time to waste.¡± Elder Tong and Yao Sinian on the other end of the line nodded solemnly. Due to the property of the channel, the greater the usage, the faster it would copse, so only a small Special Mobile Force would be dispatched. Due to the uniqueness of Dreands, they did not need to waste time on preparation as anything they brought over would instantly disappear once theynded.

    After some discussion, the members of the Problematic Team for this mission were decided. With Gu Jun, Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, Peacock, Mchite, Gold, Aquamarine and Amberlite as well as 8 elites from other departments, the team consisted of 16 members in total. Before they departed, Gu Jun silently retrieved the reward of the Lai Hua Tree¡¯s seedling and handed it over to the Phecda researchers. He said this was something Atal had the Zoog brought over. He requested them to cultivate it carefully and see if it could be of any use. After all, he might not return from his mission. A tree would be a good way to remember him by. Gu Jun stressed that the tree had to be kept alive since it carried the meaning of life in the foreign culture. Research could be done on it but they must not kill it.

    Before their departure, Gu Jun shared some of his views with themand central.

    ¡°One, the cultists are far more dangerous than we thought. Security details have to be increased around this tunnel and on the ships. I¡¯m afraid they mightunch an attack after they find out about this. They are extremely cunning. Do not try to capture them alive, fire immediately should they appear. Do not hesitate.

    ¡°Two, if our team does not return after 12 hours, blow up this channel. If we are still alive, we will continue the mission and once we do, we¡¯ll find another channel to return.

    ¡°Three, if we fail, and the epidemic spirals out of control... I believe, perhaps, migration to the south pole is necessary. Research for the medicine and try to preserve the kindle of humanity.¡±

    Gu Jun had considered everything, Yao Sinian had nothing more to add.

    ¡°Kid.¡± Elder Tong sighed. ¡°If your team does not return after 6 hours, we will send out a second team; after another 6 hours, the third team will be dispatched, this will continue until the channel copses.¡± No one could tell how long the channel would hold on so this was the only n they coulde up with for now.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Gu Jun did not want people to waste their lives but he knew that argument would be futile. Furthermore, who was to say theter teams could not finish what they started. Regardless, time was running out. Without any farewell, the Problematic Team departed.

    ¡°Hey, Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie, ¡°This time you have toe back alive.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun answered. ¡°You have to be safe too, everyone better be here when I return.¡±

    Under the night sky, 16 members of the Problematic Team and a Zoog made towards the channel between two worlds. Gu Jun had the Zoog lead the way. Even though the channel appeared small, when Gu Jun got close to it, the space around him distorted. As he stepped into it, the environs around him suddenly changed...

    It was a hard journey to return back to Earth but now he had volunteered to return to Dreands... the feeling wasplicated.

    ¡°Bring me to the teau where the House of Worm is.¡± He told the Zoog. ¡°If you dare to trick me, I¡¯ll ughter you.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, this way, this way...¡± The Zoog lifted his trembling w and pointed down a direction. Gu Jun followed. He was trailed by Uncle Dan, Peacock and the rest. Their footsteps were as determined as the expression on their faces.

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider a donation at: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

 Chapter 261: Fogged Plain

    <h4>Chapter 261: Fogged in</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    A fog hung over the teau that stretched down the horizon. There was light but it did nothing to help with visibility. The teau was barren except for sparse bushes and patches of green moss. There were also some malnourished trees. They were of unknown species and only grew 3 metres tall. Scattering of leaves dangled from their dense branches. Swayed by the freezing wind, the leaves looked like rusty old coins. The Problematic Team exited near the site of a ruin. The small ruin was so dpidated that neither they nor the Zoog could identify what it was supposed to be.

    Dreands was huge. ording to Gu Jun¡¯s knowledge of its geography, Ulthar and Dth-Leen were located to the west, while the House of Worm was based at the Kaar teau to the north. The 5nd¡¯s travellers stepped onto thisnd for the first time. Even the Great Atal would not dare say he knew this ce well.

    ¡°Do you know if we can find any supply or provision around here?¡± Gu Jun asked the Zoog and got a grumbling answer. ¡°I suppose there is one such ce...¡± With no time to lose, they departed immediately. Soon after the team exited the channel, their protective gears disappeared, so did their weapons and misceneous items. However, a cleansing stone and three rationality assessment stones Gu Jun carved remained; Like before, the medic kit as well as all of his Carlot Instruments stayed. However, the biggest surprise was that 3 of their pistols did not disappear into nothingness. They were all QSZ11 pistols. Before they departed, all 16 of them were armed with one pistol each but for some reason, only Gu Jun, Uncle Dan and Lou Xiaoning were allowed to keep theirs.

    The QSZ11 was convenient due to its diminutive size, it was only 15.3 cm in size and weighed a measly 1.2 kg. It used 5.8 mm caliber bullets and had a capacity of 8+1 shots. Gu Jun had no clue how much damage the pistol could inflict in Dreands but he knew how precious the 27 shots were. After about 15 minutes, they reached an abandoned wooden hut.

    ording to the Zoog, the hut was a base left behind by an exploration group who targeted the House of Worm some time ago. They kept all of their supply and provision here. However, for some unknown reason, the night before the group was about to make their departure, they disappeared without a trace. The provisions that were left behind rotted away once they passed their expiration date. They sat under a thickyer of gathering dust. The Problematic Team changed into some cotton attire and picked up the few pieces of cold steel still usable before they continued their journey to the House of Worm.

    ¡°Why did they disappear? Do you know anything?¡± Along the way, Gu Jun asked the Zoog.

    ¡°Respected Nightmare Man, the more you know about this ce, the more dangerous it is. You will be given glimpses of many things as you approach the House of Worm but remember to stay on course. The way to the House of Worm itself is a maze.¡± The Zoog¡¯s warning soon came true. Suddenly they saw a woman in a cotton dress running ahead of them in the fog.

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± Uncle Dan asked for his opinion as Gu Jun was the team leader.

    ¡°Ignore it, we will stay on our course.¡± Gu Jun said, cing his trust in the Zoog. ¡°Keep the eyes on our target.¡± They continued their way down the barrennd when suddenly a horse carriage rumbled past before their eyes. There were several individuals dressed in ck and had on crow¡¯s masks riding the carriage. Uncle Danmented in confusion, ¡°They are dressed in the attire of a gue Doctor during the European ck gue....¡± The crow¡¯s mask was the defining feature of a gue doctor, it worked as a respiratory filter.

    A strange agitation rose in Gu Jun¡¯s heart. ¡®Are these illusions pulled from our minds? Or the surroundings have purposely ced them in our way? gue doctors... and we¡¯re here to try to stop a gue... ck gue, it¡¯s the ck gue again.¡¯

    ¡°Are those the kin of mine that you¡¯ve mentioned you saw?¡± He asked the Zoog.

    ¡°No.¡± The Zoog answered fearfully. ¡°They were not dressed like that, and I saw them much closer to the House of Worm.¡±

    Gu Jun continued to lead the way. After about half an hour, the moss under their feet slowly turned ck and they gave off a presence of death. However, strangely enough, there were also more signs of life as the small trees appeared more constant in their sight. After they hiked over a small hill, a strange change greeted them among the heavy fog. It was like someone had abruptly sucked the colors out of the world. The green moss turned to ck moss and far down the distance, there were some stone buildings, forming quite a sizable manor.

    ¡°That, that is the ce...¡± The w that the Zoog used to pat his own body was shaking, ¡°After this stretch, I do not know the way anymore. I am of no use to you already, in fact, I will only burden you, so I¡¯ll leave now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Just follow along, you¡¯re a burden that we can shake off easily.¡± Gu Jun said icily. As they moved forward, everyone could feel their minds swaying. Gu Jun, Lou Xiaoning and thend¡¯s travellers who had received tons of mental training did not feel much but Uncle Dan and the rest who did not receive any spell training felt the effect almost immediately.

    ¡°This headache...¡± Uncle Dan pressed on his forehead with pain, ¡°It feels like images are being poured into my head.¡± Gu Jun frowned and quickly had Uncle Dan press his hands against the cleansing stone. With everyone watching, Uncle Dan reached out for the seal on the stone. He did not understand and had not used spells before so he should not suffer from mental corruption but as his hands made contact, the cleansing stone reacted quickly and Uncle Dan groaned in pain.

    ¡°No wonder this ce is so dangerous.¡± Gu Jun nced at the fog around them. The ce could mentally corrupt one¡¯s mind. The others also picked up the warning in Gu Jun¡¯s tone. They quickly took out the rationality assessment stones and shared it among themselves. Uncle Dan and the rest were proven to be mentally corrupted. Even though the corruption was weak, it was continually intensifying. Once it crossed the rationality threshold, their minds would break and they would sumb to madness. And the closer they were to the House of Worm, the stronger the corruption would be.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, why don¡¯t you stay guard here with the others?¡± Gu Jun said with a sigh. He did not wish for them to split but this was unavoidable. If he insisted on Uncle Dan and the rest to follow them, it was equivalent to pushing them towards a horrible death.

    ¡°Aiz, Uncle Dan, you¡¯re getting old.¡± Lou Xiaoning chided, ¡°Told you to study spells, didn¡¯t I? But you refused to.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m getting old.¡± Uncle Dan joked, ¡°If not for the policy that Phecda members can only get a full amount of retirement fee if they remain on duty until the official retirement age, I would have called it in a long time ago.¡±

    The team gave themselves 6 to 12 hours toplete the mission and they had already spent 1 hour so far. Therefore, after a few more words, the team split into two. Gu Jun¡¯s team of 7 and the Zoog would continue to head towards the manor and carried with them 2 pistols while Uncle Dan¡¯s team of 9 would wait on the side of the green moss armed with a single pistol.

    Gu Jun¡¯s team walked 100 metres forward and when they turned back to look, Uncle Dan¡¯s team already disappeared among the fog. When they moved for another 100 metres...

    Bang bang bang, suddenly, gunshots rang out behind them.

 Chapter 262: Worm on the Ground

    <h4>Chapter 262: Worm on the Ground</h4>

    As Gu Jun¡¯s heart seized, he turned to run backwards, ¡°Get moving!¡± Lou Xiaoning and the rest hurried after him. They were less than 200 metres away from where they departed from Uncle Dan¡¯s team, the distance should be close enough to hear any shouting but other than the gunshots, there were no other voices. If there was a gunfight, there should be moremotion. ¡®Is it possible that the fog can silence voices and sounds? But in that case, why can we hear the gunshots?¡¯

    Gu Jun focused but he could not sense any illusory whispering... However, it was this anomalous silence that made him extremely anxious...

    With them running at full speed, they returned to their departure spot in less than 30 seconds. The scenery was the same but Uncle Dan¡¯s team had all disappeared.

    ¡°What the hell, where are they...¡± Lou Xiaoning grumbled nervously. She raised her pistol to scan around but there was no visible target. All the 9 members including Uncle Dan, Ma Wei, Lee Meijia and the rest had vanished. There was no enemy around. There was no sign of fighting like blood on the ground either, the only thing there was were the empty bullet casings sitting snugly on the patches of green moss. There were 9 of them, so all 9 shots were fired. Toplicate things further, the casing fell in different directions, meaning the bullets were fired from different trajectories, which suggested multiple targets.

    ¡°Like I told you, they... they disappeared just like that...¡± The Zoog patted himself in fear.

    ¡°Impossible.¡± Lou Xiaoning came from the Action Department, she was an expert in surveince and counter-surveince, she refused to ept this truth. Her left eye red as she surveyed thend for clues. But she came up with nothing and that only made herself more agitated.

    ¡°I think... the only possibility is that...¡± Gu Jun looked up into the foggy sky, ¡°They have been captured by something flying.¡± The rest immediately turned their heads up to the sky. Beyond the fog, could there be giant predators... waiting to ambush their prey?

    If Uncle Dan was aiming at a fly target, it would exin the location of the empty casings but s there was no way to confirm that.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I think I found something.¡± The Zoog surprised everyone by saying that. The Zoog had their own talent, their nose was far more sensitive than any known Earth creature, they could sniff out the smallest change in the air. Now that he was on the same boat as the Nightmare Man, he decided to share everything that he found.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Gu Jun immediately had him share the discovery. The Zoog then led them about 10 metres away and had them inspect a wild bush. Peacock used a long sword to cut away the tall grass and then Kathlyn who shared her body gasped in shock. ¡°God damn it...¡±

    Mchite, Gold and the rest moved forward. Tom and the rest cursed. The disgust was clear in their voices. Gu Jun narrowed his eyes. It was a cluster of worms, wiggling on the exposed ground. They were pink in color and every worm was as thin as a thread. They looked so squishy and fragile. Many of them ovepped over each other, curling into a ball. Perhaps under the microscope, they would appear more terrifying but at their current size, they could be stomped into a pink paste quite easily.

    However, as the group continued to stare at the wiggling mess, their hearts felt difited like the worms were wiggling all over their bodies. Normally, Gu Jun should not respond so heavily to this visual stimulus. During the parasite cleansing operations, he managed to keep his cool while picking the wiggling parasites out of human flesh one by one. But now, as Gu Jun stared at the worms, his heart churned with turmoil. The horrible images kept shing in his mind... The broken body parts of Uncle Dan and the rest disintegrating into such masses of worms...

    ¡°There is something off about these worms...¡± Lou Xiaoning had her brows raised. She told Gu Jun, ¡°It feels simr to how I felt when I looked through the red door. It keeps filling my mind with pictures of decay and dposition.¡± The room that she saw behind the red door was the stone room. Gu Jun knew the stone room was for a time filled with mountains of carcasses. The ce, which symbolized a mother¡¯s womb, was then cultivating a new kind of life. With this information shared by Lou Xiaoning, Gu Jun confirmed that these worms indeed had some connections with dposing bodies...

    ¡°This is the only cluster?¡± Gu Jun asked the Zoog as his heart sank. Different rules applied at Dreands. A horrible thought kept bubbling up in his mind even though he tried to push it away, ¡®Could these worms be what¡¯s left of Uncle Dan and his team?¡¯

    ¡°Yes,¡± The Zoog patted affirmatively. ¡°They were not here earlier, they just appeared, but we shouldn¡¯t mind them that much, this ce is called the House of Worm for a reason. ording to legends, such worms inhabit the vicinity of the House of Worms. Every time an adventurer from a different world came to this ce, the House would collect a new species of worm.¡°

    Hearing that, the horrid thought crossed Lou Xiaoning¡¯s mind too. ¡°Fuck...¡± She red at the worms on the ground. ¡°Uncle Dan...¡±

    Feeling her anger, the Zoog quickly said, ¡°But that is just a rumor, no one can confirm it, definitely not us Zoogs.¡±

    Thend¡¯s travellers caught the implication as well and their hearts chilled. Kathlyn said softly, ¡°No way, but if that¡¯s the case, there could be more clusters of them, and why would they gather behind this bush?¡±

    ¡°Just forget about it.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath to silence the worrying thoughts. ¡°Do not touch them, they might be parasitic. Let¡¯s keep moving, we do not have time to waste.¡± Standing there was not going to solve anything.

    ¡°Uncle Dan... Uncle Dan?¡± Lou Xiaoning began but could not continue. In the end, she only cursed. Her left eye was slightly red.

    ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡± As the team leader, Gu Jun had to pull his team forward. Being trapped inmentation and regret was not going to help aplish their goal. After all, they had written their wills before embarking on the mission. They knew this might be a one-way trip. However, Gu Jun had trouble suppressing the questions in his mind as well. ¡®How did this happen? We were just gone for a few minutes... Who did this to them? How did they manage to swipe in so fast? Has someone been watching us from the dark?¡¯

    Uncle Dan¡¯s smiling face popped up in his mind and his heart wrenched. He mumbled to himself. ¡®Don¡¯t you dare die on me. You still haven¡¯t lived up to your promise of bringing me to the club.¡¯

    Thend¡¯s travellers¡¯ faces were ashen and there was fury in their eyes. Even though they did not know Uncle Dan for long, the kind and funny senior had taken them under his wings, it was Uncle Dan who taught them how to mix with the others at Phecda....

    With the fate of Uncle Dan and the other 8 members unknown, the atmosphere of the group dipped even further, but it made them move faster. They passed through the fog, getting closer and closer to the manor.

    Caw, caw. Suddenly a murder of ck crows flew through the sky, that was as ominous an omen if there ever was one. Those strange constructions came into view. As the crows disappeared, the woman in the cotton dress whom they saw earlier reappeared. This time she was pulling along a young girl with a ponytail. It appeared like they were running from something. Through the fog, the woman¡¯s pleas drifted through, ¡°Quick, run faster! We can¡¯t let ourselves be caught...¡±

    Lou Xiaoning and thend¡¯s travellers turned to Gu Jun. ¡®What should we do?¡¯

    Suddenly a young voice cut through the fog. It was tired, but firm. ¡°No, mother. We cannot escape death.¡±

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider a donation at: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

 Chapter 263: House of Worm

    <h4>Chapter 263: House of Worm</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The winds drown out the pleas. The woman dragged the little girl into the fog. Then the sound of carriage wheels rattling appeared from behind the pair of mother and daughter. It was the earlier gue doctor¡¯s carriage chasing the pair. Seeing the carriage, the mother urged, ¡°Come, quick...¡± Suddenly asso flung out, it tightened around the woman¡¯s body and pulled. She instantly fell to the ground.

    ¡°Ellie, go, run!¡± The woman screamed. The girl turned to take one nce at her mother before running away. Just as Gu Jun¡¯s team attempted to do something, a thicker fog rolled over and when it dissipated, the image all disappeared like it had been an illusion.

    ¡°What the hell...¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed, ¡°How can they do that? Aren¡¯t they supposed to be doctors?¡±

    ¡°In history, gue doctors bring only fear and dissension.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°Since they failed to cure the ck gue, they were seen as a symbol of pestilence and death so no one would want to cross their path.¡±

    ¡°So that woman was a patient?¡± Lou Xiaoning understood it now. Derived from the mother and daughter¡¯s conversation... they were not running away from monsters but from those gue doctors.

    ¡°Who do you think those people are?¡± Gu Jun asked the Zoog, ¡°Did you smell anything?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, that is the strange part.¡± The Zoog frowned. ¡°I could smell them clearly, they are of the same race as you.¡± He took a closer sniff at Gu Jun, ¡°Yes, the smell of your world. Strangely enough, they appeared to upy the space physically but the next second they disappeared into nothingness.¡±

    Gu Jun considered this discovery. He turned to ask thend¡¯s travellers for their opinion. They all shook their heads. In Dreands, it was often impossible to tell what was real and what was fake. In fact, their existence and the City of Kindle were still an existing mystery.

    ¡°Let¡¯s forget about them for now.¡± That was the only conclusion Gu Jun could make. He continued to move towards the manor which was less than 100 metres away. The architectural style of the manor was something that they had not encountered before. It was not particrly big but there was something bizarre about the ce. The stone that made up the building was ck in color, the roofs had sharp arches and dried vines hung on the walls. They passed through a stone arch that was carved with some strange pictures, they looked like some kind of seal...

    Gu Jun took a closer look. The seal had protrusions located at five different spots and connecting them formed an ¡®X¡¯. The protrusions were not simple dots but they resembled a ghastly open mouth... Gu Jun felt like they looked familiar, like the mouth at the ends of the tentacles of the legione pneumophilia... Looks like this epidemic indeed had some connection with the House of Worm.

    ¡°Is someone here?¡± The Zoog patted shakingly on his body. ¡°We¡¯re just passing by and noticing how pretty this ce is, we areing in to admire the stonework...¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡± Gu Jun said as he looked around. It was straight out of a horror movie. The fog lingered everywhere and there was no one in sight. Based on what the Zoog said, with the legendary status that the House of Worm enjoyed at Dreands, the cultists from Afterlife Cult could not have taken over this ce that easily. If anything, this ce impressed upon Gu Jun the feeling of a temple, and the cultists were here for some kind of twisted pilgrimage...

    ¡°Dear owner of the House of Worm.¡± Gu Jun did not barge in but took cautious steps towards the main house. He said to the surroundings, ¡°We¡¯re here because our world has been visited by a bloody cough epidemic, we¡¯ve ventured here to figure out why.¡± Despite his polite promation, his hands were cautiously ced on the pistol. Lou Xiaoning was ready to fire and thend¡¯s travellers were ready to cast their spells. In contrast to before, after they were officially inside the manor ground, they moved cially like they were stepping on thin ice. They watched the air and their surroundings closely. The main house was the biggest building at the manor, the rest looked more like stable and greenhouses. The main house was 6 story-tall and it was sorge they could not see the back of it from the front. The door of the main house was left open as if weing them.

    The door led right into a corridor that stretched into solid darkness, there was no sign of a lobby. The corridor walls were undecorated but the walls had some strange patterns that appeared to be swirling. The ceiling did not have any lights and was covered with the same strange patterns. ¡®So this is the House of Worm...¡¯

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun could feel his mind affected as he stared at the swirls of the patterns... It was the same for the rest of his team. Suddenly, the vision before them changed and it pulled at their hearts. The stone walls faded away, and in their ce, pairs of empty eyes stared back at Gu Jun¡¯s group! Endless carcasses in varying stages of decay stacked upon each other, forming the bricks that constituted the walls and ceiling. Their dposing juices were the glue that bound them together.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk...¡± The Zoog screamed in mercy, ¡°Goodness, we better leave!¡±

    ¡®So this is what the House of Worm really looks like?¡¯ The group felt a numbness crawling through their spines. The carcasses of explorers from different origins and races became part of the foundation for this horrid ce.

    For Gu Jun, shes of another vision appeared before his eyes. The carcasses faded away to turn into worms... long tapeworms, t lung fluke, transparent nematodes... their eggs throbbed and their young flew everywhere. Gu Jun¡¯s brain crumbled under a splitting headache as the young girl¡¯s voice echoed in his mind, ¡°We can¡¯t escape from death. Death is inevitable...¡±

    At the same time, Peacock could pick up someone speaking weakly. She retreated for a few steps and noticed a body stuffed into the wall of carcasses. The body was rtively fresh and looked quite human. His bloody face was turned outwards and there was some weak light in his eyes. He appeared to be still alive... The face stared at Kathlyn and she gasped, ¡°Wait, he¡¯s our people!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Lou Xiaoning hurried over and instantly her face dropped. ¡°Ma Feng, that¡¯s Ma Feng!¡± Gu Jun was pulled out of his reverie. He gritted his teeth and headed over. Indeed, the person who was pressed into the wall was... Ma Feng. Ma Feng was an elite from the Investigation Department, he was in his early 30s and had a crew cut. He was the scout of the team. But due to theck of mental power, he was left with Uncle Dan¡¯s group and then disappeared with the rest of them.

    Now that Ma Feng was found here, it could only mean that the rest...

    ¡°He, help me...¡± Ma Feng uttered weakly. The voice escaped from his body sounding like hisst.

 Chapter 264: Exposed Intestines

    <h4>Chapter 264: Exposed Intestines</h4>

    ¡°Help...¡± Ma Feng¡¯s face was covered in fresh blood that did not belong to him. It dripped down from some unknown creature stacked above him, miraculously, the man was still alive! Gu Jun studied the carcasses around Ma Feng and noted some gaps. He quickly told Lou Xiaoning, ¡°Let¡¯s try to nudge him out.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lou Xiaoning handed the pistol over to Peacock and then gripped Ma Feng¡¯s shoulders alongside Gu Jun. They gave him a pull and felt Ma Feng shift slightly, it was working! The two continued to pull.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Ma Feng groaned in pain, his face scrunching up in agony. That caused everyone¡¯s heart to quiver. They were afraid to leave Ma Feng inside the wall but at the same time, worried that the Ma Feng they pulled out would have only half of his body left. He was so deeply entrenched in the wall that they could not tell whether he still had his whole body intact or he had already be part of the wall. To their relief, when the two finally yanked Ma Feng out from the wall, Ma Feng¡¯s body was stillplete. However, the cotton shirt that he wore waspletely soaked. Dposition had settled in around his stomach and his small intestine hung out from the gaping wound.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Gu Jun warned, ¡°Do not touch his wound.¡± Lou Xiaoning and the rest hurried forward to help andid Ma Feng down on the floor. It did not help that the floor itself was... made from carcasses. The team did bring along a med kit with them into Dreands and thankfully not all of the tools inside it had disappeared. Mchite was the one carrying it. Now that Uncle Dan was missing, Gu Jun was the only team doctor. He opened the med kit and put on a pair of gloves quickly. In this environment, sterile operation was impossible.

    Once Gu Jun put on the rubber gloves that stuck tight to his skin, instantly something within him awakened, calming his agitated mind. Even though it had been some time since hisst operation, Gu Jun never forgot that he was foremost a doctor. As he evened out his breathing, he picked up the surgical scissors. He made quick work of Ma Feng¡¯s shirt to expose the wound around the stomach. The wound wasrge. With the navel as centre, it was around 10 cm in diameter. There was a cut that went down the whole length of his stomach.

    ¡°Oh God...¡± Kathlyn grumbled. Seeing the gore before her, a chill ran through her body and nausea assaulted her. The Zoog was trembling. Even though Gu Jun was no longer holding him, he did not dare to run away due to the fear of bing part of the house.

    ¡°What the hell happened?!¡± Lou Xiaoning groused. As she remembered, there was no trace of fighting or blood where Uncle Dan¡¯s team disappeared, ¡°Ma Feng, what happened? Where are the rest?¡± Ma Feng¡¯s face was pale, clearly the man had lost too much blood. He was going into hemorrhagic shock. He was mumbling but it was unclear whether he was answering Lou Xiaoning or just stringing along words incoherently, ¡°Worms, so many worms... Don¡¯te any closer...¡±

    ¡°This is not a gun wound.¡± Gu Jun continued to inspect Ma Feng¡¯s wound. The longer he did, the weightier the pressure on his shoulders. Things were not looking optimistic. There was a deep hole around the stomach but it was not a bullet wound, if anything, it felt more like something had forced its way into Ma Feng¡¯s stomach and made a mess of it while inside. But what could it be... Worms? The more Gu Jun thought about it, the chillier he felt. He looked at the bleeding stomach and thought, ¡®Will I find parasites inside there...¡¯

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Lou Xiaoning asked, cutting into his thoughts. ¡°Can he still be saved?¡±

    ¡°Hard to say.¡± Gu Jun turned to inject Ma Feng with a shot of morphine. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything more for him here. But if his bleeding can be stopped and we manage to hurry back to Earth in the next 3 to 4 hours, he can still be saved.¡± His diagnosis did not take into ount the possibility of parasites in the stomach. Regardless, Gu Jun was not going to abandon Ma Feng so easily. If he could not save his own teammate, how was he supposed to save the public from the gue. With the current condition and environment, Gu Jun could not perform any surgery, so the only thing he could do was to conduct emergency pre-opt prep. After the shot of morphine, he grabbed the hemostatic mp to mp up the bigger wounds around the stomach and then used his hands to shove the intestines back into Ma Feng¡¯s body. For cases of disembowelment, if only a small part had slipped out, normally, they would be left untouched to prevent further damage to the body. Instead the doctor would opt for open protective dding; however, in Ma Feng¡¯s case, too much of his intestine was outside of his body, they had to be put back in to prevent further infection.

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± Even though he was already given a shot of morphine, the enormous pain from his stomach still caused the man to wail in mind-breaking pain. The rest who watched on had their skin crawl with goosebumps.

    ¡°This is why I am not a doctor...¡± Kathlyn whispered softly. Tom kept gasping for air. Gu Jun, who was doing the operation, did not sweat but the people around him were covered in cold sweat. They watched as the bloody intestines were nudged back through the wound. Gu Jun¡¯s gloves were turning red... but his hands never shook and the pressure on the stomach wound was applied just right, ensuring no more damage on the delicate intestines. Phecda Hero was a real doctor. Peacock was reminded of some childhood legend, about how the Phecda Hero could bring people back to life... how fortunate she was to be able to witness it with her own eyes... Lou Xiaoning noticed that Gu Jun¡¯s skill did not deteriorate even though it had been quite some time since her team leader performed actual surgery, if anything, he had gotten more masterful than she remembered.

    ¡°Respected Nightmare Man, you impress me with your medical skill.¡± The Zoog patted himself. ¡°Even us Zoogs wouldn¡¯t have handled that so perfectly.¡± Gu Jun ignored the praise. After the intestines were ced back into the body, he grabbed the gauze to start the bandage.

    ¡°Worms, so many worms...¡± Ma Feng still mumbled incoherently. The moment Gu Jun finished the bandaging, the condition around them shifted. Endless worms crawled out from the walls and ceiling. Gu Jun¡¯s brows locked. ¡®This is not an illusion!¡¯ He reced the tools back into the med kit and then said hurriedly, ¡°Quick, we need to hurry ahead!¡±

    There was a whole world waiting for them to return, they could not surrender now. Due to ack of a stretcher, Gold was temporarily tasked with carrying Ma Feng in his two arms while the others guarded beside him. In only a few moments, the worms had overtaken the world around them. They ebbed like a wave. There was also a noisy buzzing from the flies. Somended on their hair and clothes. The younger worms crawled on the walls... giving the impression that the walls were moving. Everywhere they turned, they were greeted by these ghastly images.

    ¡°Fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed. The Zoog suddenly patted his head in urgency, ¡°The corridor is narrowing!¡±

    Gu Jun and the rest quickly noticed the two walls closing in. The space that was originally 5 metres wide was narrowing into 4 metres and it was still moving. They raced down the corridor and each step that they took carried with it a squishy sound. Their footfalls stomped on the worms but more worms rose out from the ttened flesh of their brethren.

    ¡°Run!¡± Gu Jun hollered, incidentally mimicking the woman whom they had encountered earlier, ¡°Faster!¡±

    ¡®No, mother, death is inevitable.¡¯ A wisp of a voice appeared to say.

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider a donation at: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

 Chapter 265: Food on the Table

    <h4>Chapter 265: Food on the Table</h4>

    A flea was a species of ectoparasite, of which there were 2500 plus known species in the world. An adult flea was generally 3 mm in size and they fed on blood. With a p, the Zoog pped heavily on his stomach, he swatted a flea, which attempted to pierce its sharp mouth under his skin, to death. But soon another took the dead flea¡¯s ce. The Zoog¡¯s paws kept swatting at them. At the same time, he screamed, ¡°Help! Help! Have mercy, I am just passing!¡±

    The walls and ceiling were closing in. They were now less than 1 metre away, squeezing the team in the middle. Endless worms and parasites swallowed them up like a swamp of disgusting and sticky waters.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Lou Xiaoning howled deeply. Flies and other worms flitted about her face. They were too small to be shot down by firearms and spells did not appear to work on them either. The others felt itchiness all over their bodies like every inch of their skin was upied by these worms. Ma Feng, who was being carried by Gold, had fresh blood leak out from hisyers of bandage. The blood attracted the worms. No matter how hard Gold tried to chase them away, the flies settled on the bandage and refused to budge. The bandage soon turned ck. A thickyer of worms stuck stubbornly to it. Ma Feng moaned in pain. The worms tried to drill through the gauze to bite at his intestines...

    ¡°Ready to cast the Ancient Seal!¡± Gu Jun ordered in anger. He did not want to use any spell or the Ancient Seal earlier because he did not want to act too rashly inside the House of Worm but now his hands were forced. ¡°Try using the Ancient Seal!¡± His right hand swiftly drew out a mental imprint and shot it at the wall on his right. Instantly, there was a harrowing wail. It came from an indeterminate source, it appeared toe from the wall but also echoed throughout the whole manor at the same time. Layers of worms shrivelled and dried up, king off the wall. The Ancient Seal was effective!

    Lou Xiaoning and the rest followed suit. Other than Gold who had his hands upied, the team split into groups of three. Each was responsible for 2 sides of walls and the ceiling. They casted the Ancient Seal as they pushed their way forward down the darkened corridor. Even though they managed to force the walls from closing in further, the continuous usage of the Ancient Seal drained their mental power quickly. Gu Jun knew this was only a temporary solution. Thankfully, the House did not counter by summoning more worms.

    Wait... Was that a light he saw in front?

    ¡°Hold on, the exit is just ahead!¡± Gu Jun yelled. The Zoog jumped down from his shoulder and slithered forward. In less than 10 seconds, the Zoog¡¯s shrill voice could be heard, ¡°There¡¯s a lobby here. Quickly, there are no worms here!¡± That news rejuvenated them. They casted a few more Ancient Seals. Right before they were about to copse, they plunged into the pool of weak light. The group crumbled to the ground and their heavy breathing echoed around the room...

    Behind them, the corridor of worms closed unceremoniously with a groan. The trace of a pathway hadpletely disappeared. The worms and flies, which stuck to them so stubbornly earlier, suddenly shrivelled up and died like their souls had been sucked out.

    ¡°That was so close...¡± The Zoog copsed on the purple carpet. ¡®What is this ce?¡¯ Gu Jun stood up slowly as he looked around. His guard was still up...

    This was a pentagonal lobby. There was arge firece at each corner, currently, they were empty and unlit. There was arge pentagonal wooden table ced in the middle of the room. On the table were tes of food, there were fresh fruits, roasted meats, wines and juices...

    Purple dining cloth draped over the table. Purple carpet covered the purple. Purple tapestries hung down the walls. Their meaning was unknown. Other than that, this was apletely enclosed room. There was no exit but based on what happened earlier, the exit could probably materialize any time it wanted. ¡®Is the House of Worm sentient? Or that was just a trap? Is it a calcted prediction that we would reach this room or were we supposed to die in the corridor earlier?¡¯ Before these questions were answered, Gu Jun would not touch anything in the room so carelessly.

    After a quick sweep of their surroundings, Gu Jun returned to check on Ma Feng. After the series of hurried activities, Ma Feng¡¯s internal organs were injured. That was observable from the blood pooling on the bandage. Gu Jun was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. He wanted to save Ma Feng but his experience as a doctor knew this was an impossible case. With the amount of blood loss and ack of blood bags, Ma Feng would not survive for long...

    Furthermore, no one could tell what kind of parasite and virus they had just been exposed to. He did not dare to return to earth without taking further precaution lest he brought back something far more dangerous than the new strain of legione pneumophilia. Therefore, rationality told him that even if they did achieve sess, they had to make sure they got disinfected at Dreands before finding their way back to Earth.

    ¡°Ah Jun...¡± Lou Xiaoning was an astute person. She stared at the dying Ma Feng, and said, ¡°Do you need me to save him from his misery?¡± Special Mobile Forces faced this kind of situation quite often. Every one of them understood it was better to perish than to end up as the team¡¯s burden.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s still hope.¡± Gu Jun croaked, ¡°He¡¯s still alive. Let him rest. We¡¯ll take a look around first.¡± Thus the group investigated the lobby carefully. They poked into the fireces and found nothing. They flipped over the tapestries and carpet and found nothing either. In the end, they gathered around the big table in the middle and their eyesnded on the delicious food. The food was definitely the most conspicuous feature of the room. It was inviting them to feast.

    ¡°I for one am not going to touch them.¡± The Zoog said, ¡°The food might smell or even taste delicious but they could be made of something totally different.¡± Gu Jun missed Wu Siyu. If she was there, she could tell the taste of the food by just looking at them...

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that a chicken thigh?¡± He turned to the Zoog and was suddenly reminded of theb rats he had experimented on.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man... I, I...¡± The Zoog panicked. ¡°I refuse. Please don¡¯t be mad but I am really not hungry.¡±

    ¡°Never mind then.¡± Gu Jun sighed. He could not bring himself to do it. Once theb rat started to speak, it was hard to make an experiment out of them.

    ¡°Leader...¡± Peacock had her face drawn and then she made a decision. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Mchite and Lou Xiaoning also volunteered.

    Ignoring them, Gu Jun darted forward, grabbed the edge of the table and flipped it over, ¡°We choose not to eat!¡±

    After weighing the option, Gu Jun felt there was much greater risk in consuming the food than otherwise. All the food and the tes that they were served in ttered noisily to the ground. The Zoog and the rest of his team stared on dumbfounded.

    As a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie. If you enjoy the book, please consider being a patron

 Chapter 266: Leprosy, Smallpox, Black Plague, Cholera

    <h4>Chapter 266: Leprosy, Smallpox, ck gue, Cholera</h4>

    Bang! The whole pentagonal table was flipped to the ground. Silence dominated the room for a few breaths before the group gasped in shock. The Zoog jumped onto Gu Jun¡¯s head frantically, Gold rushed to pick up Ma Feng from the ground while Gu Jun and Lou Xiaoning readied their pistols. Once the food hit the ground, it was as if the illusion put upon them was shaken off as the food took on a different appearance. The juicy chicken thigh dissolved into a pool of yellow pus, an apple turned into a bloodied white pus... The floor instantly flooded with liquid that appeared to ooze out of purulent tissues. An indescribable stench permeated every corner of this enclosed room, contaminating every air particle.

    ¡°Oh God, the smell.¡± Kathlyn¡¯s eyes watered from the stench. If not for Peacock¡¯s strength of determination, she¡¯d be vomiting already. One could not me her weak stomach because even Gu Jun, who was familiar with the smell of Formalin and dead bodies, almost retched. Other than a biological response, there was a sense of disgust that incited nausea. The stench slowly swamped up the room. With no venttion, the situation was getting worse by the seconds.

    ¡°It stinks greater than cat shit!¡± The Zoog patted Gu Jun¡¯s head toin. He¡¯d be dead if he had chomped on the ¡®food¡¯ earlier.

    ¡°What the fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning hissed angrily. Her explosive anger was lit up. ¡°You bunch of bastards from Lai Sheng Company,e out and face us!¡± Suddenly, the color of the opaline bracelet around her wrist changed, this was a signal of mental corruption.

    ¡°Calm down!¡± Gu Jun immediately casted an Ancient Seal to help Lou Xiaoning clear up her mind.

    ¡°Fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning staggered backwards before she steadied herself. The light on the stone dimmed and she groused, ¡°Who would have thought the smell can influence one¡¯s mind as well...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think the culprit is just the smell but this whole environment.¡± Gu Jun said darkly. His mentally-drained mind caused his vision to blur. The whole room radiated a sense of malice. The pus, which was slowly turning the floor into a swamp, was just the beginning. And those purple carpets and tapestries... Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of a lesson in color symbolism. He studied them when he did his research into the colors of the opaline stone. The color purple symbolizes royalty, dignity, saintliness and godliness in both eastern and western cultures...

    He looked around and he believed it was the cultists from Earth who decorated this room. However, the Zoog mentioned that the cultists dreamed their way into this ce so everything here could be an illusion.

    This lobby did not represent the House of Worm, that impression suddenly struck Gu Jun. It could just be a borrowed extension of the house, a room where the cultistsmitted their wicked activities.

    ¡°We need to find the exit soon.¡± The Zoog patted Gu Jun¡¯s forehead in worry. ¡°Or else we¡¯ll die from asphyxiation here.¡±

    ¡°Then please help us find one.¡± Peacock retorted. ¡°You Zoogs are expert at finding small gaps.¡± Lou Xiaoning then interrupted, ¡°The fireces will have to connect somewhere. Why don¡¯t you climb up them and see where they lead.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± The Zoog hesitated. His beady eyes stared at the ckened firece and his whole body shook like he was staring at the door into hell. However before the group could frown on the Zoog¡¯s cowardice, something else happened to distract them. After all the food dissolved into pus, a human carcass suddenly dropped down from each of the five fireces. They were strung upside down with bup rope that tied around their ankles. When Gu Jun¡¯s group inspected the room earlier, they were sure there was nothing inside the fireces, definitely not these bodies.

    Instantly, Gu Jun¡¯s heart twitched because he was afraid that he might see Uncle Dan¡¯s face stare nkly back at him. Kathlyn, Tom and the rest shrieked. Thankfully it was not Uncle Dan¡¯s team but whom the bodies belonged to did not make things any better. They were bodies of small children. They were of the same age as the girl with the ponytail whom they encountered in the fog earlier. And their faces...

    ¡°Ah.¡± Kathlyn felt her stomach churning. Peacock mped her hands over her mouth. ¡°Kathlyn, help me think of something else!¡±

    ¡°These poor things.¡± Lou Xiaoning hissed through her teeth. The opaline stone was shining again. ¡°Fuck...¡±

    ¡°Do they look that way because of some kind of disease?¡± Mchite asked coolly.

    ¡°Most likely...¡± Gu Jun narrowed his eyes at one of the children, ¡°That child appears to have died from leprosy.¡± He had not seen an actual leper before because vination for leprosy had curbed all cases as humanity entered the modern ear. However, in history, leprosy was a gue that influenced human history for thousands of years. Even today, there were still viges in China which were built back then to iste victims of leprosy. Leprosy was caused by bacillus leprae. The bacteria induce mutation to the victim¡¯s skin and nearby nerves, causing deformation and disability. Such was the poor state of the carcass inside the fireces. The inverted face was barely human and their neck and hands were clustered with bulging pustules...

    Gu Jun turned to the other carcass. It was a victim of smallpox. The face was peppered with small blotches, some of them were opaque while others had darkened. The exposed skin was covered with round scars like blisters from being burnt by hot water, this was typical of a smallpox victim.

    Gu Jun shifted to the next firece. The body¡¯s eyes were oozing pus and the skin had traces of blebs and pustules. Different from the victim of leprosy, this body was also covered with patches of ck scabs. This was the victim of pestis... or better known as the ck gue.

    With difiture, Gu Jun whipped his head to the next firece. The carcass inside was as thin as a stick. Faecal matter stuck to parts of their body. Cholera... this was a victim of cholera.

    Leprosy, smallpox, ck gue and cholera. These were all gues which had left a huge mark on human history, in fact cholera still ravaged third world countries to this day.

    There was onest firece left. Gu Jun looked over and he was overwhelmed by a sense of familiarity. It reminded him of Jiang Xin Hospital... The purplish skin, parched lips and bloody vomit all over the face and body... It was the legione pneumonia but it was unclear whether this was themon kind or the supernatural kind.

    ¡°This is an altar.¡± It finally dawned on Gu Jun. His heart shook from anger. ¡°These bodies are part of the ceremony.¡±

    Five different illnesses representing five different gues, but what was the goal of the ceremony? Were these dead bodies sacrificed to the House of Worms?

    ¡°Ceremony? Then those food wasn¡¯t meant for us.¡± The Zoog gasped, ¡°That was also part of the ritual sacrifice.¡±

    Unfortunately, none of them knew what the ritual was for and more importantly, whom or what the ritual was supposed to summon.

    The group looked around as they stood back to back in the middle of the pentagonal room. The stench rolled into a palpable mist and surged at the group. Behind the mist, there appeared to be endless eyes peering at them.

 Chapter 267: The Smallest Bacteria

    <h4>Chapter 267: The Smallest Bacteria</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Tik Tok, Tik tok. The clock kept turning. On the monitor at the emergencymand central, there was a 4 hours countdown to the departure of Team B and 10 hours left to blow up the channel. It had been 2 hours since Problematic Team A entered Dreands. The physical channel at Jiang Xin Municipal was still stable and more people had been assigned to guard over it. Team B and Team C were gathering and theyprised more members from the Spell Department.

    Commotion filled up themand central, every department was busy with assignment and arrangement. Elder Tong was having a discussion with Prof Shen and Prof Jiang. Long before Team A departed, they had already been discussing sending people into the Dreands through dreams like how they managed to at the ind with the house of nightmare through a mental connection with Gu Jun. If that was possible, they would not exhaust the physical channel. But the problem was they had no idea where Kaar and the House of Worm were. However, since there was a mental connection, Prof Jiang imed that it was theoretically worth a try.

    ¡°Do not attempt to have Wu Siyu dream her way into Dreands.¡± Gu Jun had warned before he left, ¡°She will be faced with tragedy if she does so, that has been prophesied by the Great Atal.¡± The issue was Wu Siyu had the tightest mental bond with Gu Jun. However, having predicted this contingency, Gu Jun offered another candidate, Wang Ruoxiang. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Wang Ruoxiang was thus summoned out from quarantine, and she was on her way to join the dreaming team...

    ¡°It¡¯s been 2 hours already.¡± Prof Shen said worriedly, ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on with Ah Jun¡¯s team.¡±

    The other thing, which worried themand central, was the seedling for the ¡®Lai Hwa Tree¡¯. Gu Jun said that it was a gift by Atal and it would have its uses. The researchers nted it in the greenhouse on the mothership. Since Gu Jun stressed that the seedling had to be cultured organically, the team had been following that principle. It was carefully monitored by a group of botanists. The main leader of the marine armada, Zhang Jingmin said, ¡°We will not let the Phecda Hero down.¡±

    ¡°Elder Tong, this body is acting strangely.¡± All over the world, the fatality number was still increasing. Huang Guoxin¡¯s body had been moved to the ship for further research. At that moment, a surveince video running 8 times on fast forward was ying on the monitor so everyone could see the changes happening to Huang Guoxin¡¯s body clearly. The people from the medical department chilled. Xiao Huiwen, who was there to observe the autopsy of the zombie, mumbled numbly, ¡°This is too fast, too fast...¡±

    Huang Guoxin¡¯s body recorded a steady body temperature of over 40 degree, in fact, the temperature had risen after his death. This was nothing strange, for example, for victims of cerebritis and pneumonia, due to the activity of the virus and bacteria in the dead body, the process of disintegration would elerate, producing heat. It was normal for the body temperature to rise for a short while after death. But the other process of dposition on Huang Guoxin¡¯s body was urring far too early than they were supposed to!

    Dposition normally urred after the first 24 hour after death but there were clear signs of dposition on Huang Guoxin¡¯s body less than 5 hours after his death. Every part of his body was dposing, the illness had apparently spread beyond his lungs.

    ¡°Baciemia.¡± Xiao Huiwen concluded, ¡°During the time of the death, the pneumonic bacteria infiltrated into the blood streams and caused baciemia.¡± That was the only valid reason to exin how the bacteria from the lungs could have travelled to the rest of the body. Baciemia is an illness where after a bacterium enters a person¡¯s bloodstream, they start to procreate inside the blood. They then travel throughout the whole body following the blood flow. Even if it is just a minor bacterium, baciemia can cause severe consequences like acute internal organs failure. The fatality rate of baciemia caused by pneumonia was as high as 60 percent and that was just ounting formon pneumonia... this would exin why the patients had such a short survival time after infection.

    The Medical Department came up with this hypothesis before but they did not have the time to conduct autopsy and analysis. But now it could be confirmed thatte stage patients of this new strain would suffer from baciemia, causing purulent infections all over the body. However, before this symptom could surface, the patients had already died from acute internal organs failure and thus the symptoms of baciemia were masked by other dposing phenomena.

    Not only Huang Guoxin, the bodies of the other patients at Jiang Xin Hospital showed simr reactions. Their dead bodies became warm beds for the festering of legione pneumophilia! They were literally morphing into pools of pus. To make things worse, the bacteria¡¯s growth appeared to have sped up after their hosts¡¯ death...

    ¡°I¡¯ll bet my life that there is spell work behind this.¡± Elder Tong said darkly, ¡°This bacterium is impossibly virulent.¡±

    ¡°You are right...¡± Prof Jiang concurred. ¡°Or it involves a type of science that we do not understand.¡±

    A normal legione pneumophilia was 0.6 to 1.2 millimeters in size, and the biggest among them could grow up to 50 mm. However, from the sample taken from the patient¡¯s blood and saliva, some of the new strain could grow up to 100 mm. However, the severity was not how big it could get but how small, because that would determine the kind of filtration device needed for decontamination. For now, the researchers had no answer but they were sure that it was smaller than 0.3 mm because the bacterium managed to pass through N95 medical mask which had over 95 percent filtration effectiveness.

    How small could a bacterium be? Well, the current smallest bacterium known to man was ¡®nanobacterium¡¯ which was only 50 nanometers or 0.05 mm in diameter. Therefore, from the virulity of its transmission, this pneumonic bacteria could be as small as 0.05 mm and that meant that only air-tight protective gear would be effective against them. However, the government did not have so many highly-protective gear to supply the public.

    Another strange thing was, from the patient¡¯s blood and saliva sample as well as air sample, the researchers failed to find such a small bacterium, the smallest among them was only 0.1 mm. ¡®Does this mean the bacteria can change their size and transform to adapt to their surroundings?¡¯

    In some bacterial culturebs in the space station, it was observed that some bacteria knew how to transform as an evolved resistance to drugs but the transformation was not instantaneous...

    However, this new strain could be something iprehensible ording to the current human scientific knowledge. ording to Gu Jun, the foreign civilization was ravaged by a ¡®hemoptysis gue¡¯ that could be transmitted without the trace of any bacteria, virus or parasite. It appeared to be transmitted through thoughts like the Nightmare Illness. If this new strain of legione pneumophilia was a precursor to this hemoptysis, then the people behind this were very close to their goal already....

    As a precaution, the country had already initiated the Kindle Project. Some persons of interest had been moved to the secret base. Elder Tong, Prof Shen and Yao Sinian thought silently, ¡®Ah Jun, what is happening over there. Please hurry.¡¯

    At that moment, suddenly an rm echoed in themand central. Themunicator gasped in panic. ¡°Command central, we have a sight of a new fleet!¡±

    The armada of research ships sent over a livefeed. Down the sea horizon, a ghost-like fleet sailed through the darkness.

 Chapter 268: Creature from the Sea

    <h4>Chapter 268: Creature from the Sea</h4>

    Fog suddenly started to roll in over the sea, turning the night even eerier and darker.

    ¡°The satellite cannot capture anything!¡±

    ¡°The boats appear to surface from the seabed...¡±

    ¡°Our radar is under interference!¡±

    The crew members were thrown into panic on the ships. The leader, Zhang Jingmin¡¯s face was creased with wrinkles. The satellite was blocked by the thick fog and thetest radar had been rendered ineffective, was this the working of spells?

    ¡°Warning, crewmates!¡± Zhang Jingmin ordered immediately, ¡°Be prepared for battle. If the enemy continues to approach, sink them without hesitation.¡± Zhang Jingmin was in his fifties, he had been in service of the marines and Phecda for many decades but this was the first time the responsibility on his shoulders felt so heavy. The research ships could not be breached for they bore the hope of the whole country. The crewmates were shocked and angered, some were confused but none was afraid. They had their reason to be confident.

    ¡®Is the fleet controlled by the cultists? How dare they attempt something like this?!¡¯ The ships were armed with heavy artillery and they had support fire from the missiles on the shoreline bases. Even without all the firepower, the enemy ships were too small to be able to cause any damage on the mothership. Even if the enemy somehow boarded the ship, they would never ovee the elite guards posted on deck.

    However, the atmosphere at themand central waspletely different, there was a palpable sense of fear. This was because the people there knew about the danger which the researchers were not familiar with, and that was the supernatural energy of spells.

    ¡°Pull out all the information on the Seagull now, the ship was registered under the Lai Sheng Company!¡± Elder Tong barked the orders. The leading ship on the monitor evoked a sense of familiarity within Elder Tong. He believed he had seen it somewhere before. Granted the ship on the screen was in much poorer condition than he remembered but otherwise, it looked the same. When the Seagull¡¯s limited information was shown on screen, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian¡¯s hearts sank in confirmation. The ¡®scientific research ship¡¯ that had disappeared at Long Kan Seabelt, the ship owned by Gu Jun¡¯s parents, was right before their eyes. ¡°If Ah Jun is here, I wonder how he¡¯ll feel about this...¡±

    ¡°Our opponent has brought out the big guns this time.¡± Elder Tong said, ¡°Even the dead has risen.¡± Gu Jun had once spected that Lai Sheng Company mightprise different parties aiming for different goals. The party that assaulted them at the altar with the malformed banyan tree disease called themselves the apostates. This time, it appeared like they were confronted by a differentpany. These people seemed to align themselves with the R¡¯yleh Cult, part of them were reincarnation of the foreign civilization and the remainder came from Earth. They conducted experiments on Spirit Children, and went out to the sea to search for R¡¯yleh. They were behind the statues, ceremonies and Nightmare Illness...

    This group had one ultimate goal, which was to summon the Great Old One named Cthulhu slumbering at the bottom of R¡¯yleh. Was cultivating this new strain of legione pneumophilia part of this goal? The so-called ¡®new world and new era¡¯ was one ruled by Cthulhu?

    The research ships boomed through high frequency speakers, ¡°The ships ahead, halt in your course now!¡± To no one¡¯s surprise, the order was not heeded. Zhang Jingmin ordered, ¡°Fire!¡±

    Cannonballs shot out from the mothership, aiming at the fleet which was still sailing forward. However, the cannonballs merely phased through the ghost ships, and sank into the sea...

    Gasps of fear erupted everywhere. However Zhang Jingmin, Elder Tong and the other higher ups expected this, the enemy was not stupid enough to voluntarily walk into their death.

    ¡°The enemy has casted spells or rituals that can twist the space around them.¡± Elder Tong updated the frontline. The Demon Hunters had encountered simr enemies in the foreign world before. Their bullets missed their target. However, to cast a spell with such arge area of effect, it would require a great amount of power, one that was probably not of human origin. Elder Tong continued to shout, ¡°Ol¡¯ Zhang, has your spell team be prepared for battle. Hit them with the Ancient Seal and sear away their disguise!¡±

    ¡°What, what is that...¡± Zhang Jingmin stammered.

    On the ocean surface lit up by the spotlights, there were numerous heads floating in the misty fog. It appeared to be an amalgamation of humans and fish. But this was no beautiful mermaid from fairy tales!

    Some of the monsters climbed onto the ghost ships. They had humanoid bodies and the smallest among them was asrge as a boulder. The bigger among them was practically a giant. They were bare-chested and their exposed skin was covered in scales. Spine protruded out of their back and there was a pair of gills that adorned the side of their necks. Their long limbs extended into webbed fingers and toes. Their skin was a sickly green color but the stomach was strangely white. Their head had the shape of a fish head but the features of a normal human. Their eyes bulged forward like that of a fish. The whole appearance was ghastly. They growled shrilly as if warning everything that dared to stand in their way. This was undeniably an unknown creature that came from the ocean, did they worship this Lord of R¡¯yleh as well? Did the destruction of the lighthouse summon these creatures?

    ¡°The prophecy...¡± Elder Tong sighed but he was quickly reminded of the Mutated Scale Disease that Atal had warned Gu Jun about. He swiftly ordered, ¡°Ol¡¯ Zhang, do not let anyonee into contact with those fish monsters! They might carry another contagious disease!¡±

    Suddenly, another rm rang in themand central. ¡°We¡¯re being ambushed!¡± Elder Tong¡¯s heart twitched as he jumped up from the chair. The Sos signal came from the channel at Jiang Xin Municipal. Gunshots, screams and wails echoed down the narrow alley. Broken limbs and blood danced through the air.

    Some of the guards were swallowed up by giant shadows that suddenly burst through the ground. Some were torn into pieces while others were dragged down into the bottomless pits. These cruel shadows were none other than the subterrain giant worms. The subterrain giant worm was a mutated creature Lai Sheng Company knew how to summon. Back when Phecda¡¯s Action Department ambushed one of theirirs, they were assaulted by these worms. These giant worms moved swiftly despite their size. The enemy must have ess to mysterious scouting ability because the channel was supposed to be a secret. The guards had already set up a defensive perimeter but they were still ambushed.

    The gunshots kepting. Even though the enemies were ferocious, the guards did not budge. Tanks and helicopters were on their way. They must not lose guard of this spot. The greater the enemy¡¯s desire to take this ce, the harder they needed to fight to defend it.

    ¡°Keep up the defence...¡± Elder Tong screamed. Seeing his disciples sacrifice themselves one after another, his heart bled. How he hoped that he could be at the frontline fighting with them. ¡°The Problematic Team probably has seen some results already or else the enemy wouldn¡¯t have forced their hands. So hang in there...¡±

    The words inspired the troops. ¡®Problematic Team, please be quick!¡¯

 Chapter 269: Thousand-Eyed Worm

    <h4>Chapter 269: Thousand-Eyed Worm</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Leprosy, smallpox, ck gue, cholera and legione pneumonia. The pentagonal lobby was an altar. The stench that rose from the pus asphyxiated Gu Jun¡¯s team.

    ¡°That body that died from ck gue, doesn¡¯t it remind you of the little girl that we saw earlier...¡± Lou Xiaoning pointed out. Her fingers covered her mouth.

    ¡°Looks like it...¡± The Zoog rambled in panic. ¡°I can sense a familiar smell from it.¡± Gu Jun studied their environments. Endless eyes appeared to be staring at them through the five walls and the raised ceiling. The gaze was unfeeling. He then turned to the five children¡¯s bodies. Was it really the body of that little girl? How long had Afterlife Cult been in existence that it was already active during the ck gue?

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts...¡± A splitting headache urred and Gu Jun was reminded of the flexed burial and the stone statue from the Early Qin tomb, the Innuits¡¯ ritual as well as the records of suspected ultist activities all over the world...¡¯Could the cultists have been active during the spreading of the ck gue during middle century Europe? How long has this ritual at the House of Worm been going on?¡¯

    ¡°Death is inevitable, none of us can escape from death...¡± the girl¡¯s voice echoed in his ears. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes focused because suddenly the body of the ck gue victim disappeared from inside the firece. The next moment, it moved to stand before them. The face filled with pus and ck blotches announced emotionlessly, ¡°Not even you, doctor.¡± Was that an illusion? But everyone saw it and it shut the Zoog up immediately. Before they could do anything else, the bodies of the other children came alive. They crawled out from the fireces and the pustules on their bodies burst from their movement.

    ¡°Doctor.¡± The girl, who died from the ck gue, demanded, ¡°How do you n to save us with your measly power? Do you really understand the secret of life and death?¡±

    With a loud boom, the room around them started to swirl and the pentagonal lobby started to change. The walls and ceiling morphed into sticky, yellow pus. The room dissolved into a sickly ocean that intended to consume everything. A giant shadow suddenly appeared at the spot where the girl was originally standing. It wasrger than a giant whale. It amalgamated from clusters of rotten meat, its endless twisted limbs iling about. The ghastly mouths at the end of each limbs snapped on and off, dripping with disgusting pus. It was the legione pneumophilia bacterium magnified several thousand times!

    It sat there wiggling like a creepy worm. The creature¡¯s body was covered in a nket of human eyes. The eyes embedded in the creature had different colors of pupil. With every blink, pus leaked out from them. Before this giant worm, Gu Jun¡¯s team appeared so small. They only nced at the eyes for a second before images of gues surged into their mind...

    ¡°Epidemic, disease¡±¡±The wounds on both humans and animals pustting¡±¡±30 to 40 percent fatality rate¡±¡±The gue imed the whole family.¡± They saw prehistoric men dying on the ins and in the forest ravaged by disease. They saw holes filling up with dead bodies and then torched in fire during the middle ages. They heard a children¡¯s ditty that was purportedly sung during the ck gue...¡±Ring around the rosey, Pocket full of posies, Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.¡±

    Then they were brought to the near future where Jiang Xin Municipal, San Hai City and the cities all over the world turned into ghost towns as the poption wasted away. These cities were dying, the world was dying.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Lou Xiaoning gripped her head and started to wail. His pistol fell into the pool of pus and her assessment stone glowed dangerously red, the opaline itself was cracking. Enormous sense of pain and helplessness consumed her, driving her crazy. The same was happening to thend¡¯s travellers. The loss of the City of Kindle, all the pain and confusion they had experienced since they left their homnd wed at their mind... Could they really... ovee this divine visitation of the gue... when they could not even defeat the thousand-eye worm before them... Before divinity, humanity¡¯s determination and strength... was as worthless as filth.

    ¡°Doctor, for human beings, the ultimate truth is death. It is the fairest judge, for death is inevitable, how do you n to resist the truth?¡± The girl asked. Gu Jun¡¯s head exploded. The strange worm evoked the darkness within him.

    ¡®...Better than us? This pustting worm is better than us? Laughable... But human, is your own power enough to prove it wrong?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s veins pulsed and his muscle twitched. ¡®Some cultists, no, not even cultists, just a mere worm can bring the world to its knees. Why? Because they have channelled the power beyond humanity... the power of the Great Old ones... Doctor, with your weak medical knowledge, who can you save? No matter how hard you try, the ending will always be the same, death... Even yours... Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.¡¯

    ¡°Shut up...¡± Gu Jun gritted his teeth and his whole body shook. His hands moved to sign the Ancient Seal but before he could, he copsed into the sea of pus. His body was overwhelmed by listlessness and pain, it seemed to weigh down on both himself and the Son of Steel. ¡®Facing the mutated creatures, and the unresolvable gue... Do you really thinkmon power is enough? Reach out for the fruits of darkness, they are not only essible to the cultists... The truth of this world is death, the worms of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡¯

    ¡°No, shut up.¡± He gripped the Carlot autopsy scalpel. Gu Jun refused to surrender to darkness. ¡°If you wish to die, then go ahead. Be my guest...¡±

    ¡°Are you talking to us?¡± Some of the eyes in the giant worm twitched as they turned to look at him. ¡°Mr. Gu, looks like you still don¡¯t get it. Death is not scary, it is an opportunity, death is an ascendancy to break free from the shackles of normalcy.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart shuddered as he staggered backwards... Those eyes... were from the wilted faces and the old man from the lighthouse... And the voice... Wait, it was the voice of the man who demanded the document from him! Had these people sacrificed themselves to summon this worm?

    His kin that the Zoog saw... They had be part of the thousand-eye worm.

    ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± The voice began again as all the eyes on the worms turned to look at Gu Jun. Thetter was the only one still resisting for the rest of his team had already gone down on one knee. ¡°We have misunderstood you and you have misunderstood us.

    ¡°You are an answer.¡± The voice rose in intensity. ¡°ept your power and awaken your consciousness. Come to us, Son of Misfortune, Master of gue, for we are your servants!¡±

 Chapter 270: Layers of Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 270: Layers of Illusion</h4>

    Tat tat tat, it was the sound of horse carriage rumbling on the road but at the same time, it somehow also sounded like the grunting of an automobile engine. imed by the oppressive pain, Gu Jun felt like he was ascending into the dark abyss. He was floating, the darkness around him intermittently brightened with illusions. ¡®Am I dead... Have I been consumed by the Son of Misfortune?¡¯

    Gu Jun could not tell whether he had managed to suppress the evocation of the dark energy within him or not... Gradually the sight cleared around him.

    Beneath the cloudy sky, there was a wooden cart dragged along by tworge horses. The stench was horrible. The wheels left uneven trails on the muddy grounds. A carriage driver sat on the front of the cart while the cart itself was stacked with human carcasses. This was a body cart. Both the bodies and the driver wore clothes that had a clear foreign civilization design. ¡®Is this an illusion from the foreign world... or is this part of Landon¡¯s memory?¡¯

    Suddenly the image around him shifted. There was now a yellow public bus rumbling down the road. He looked through the window and saw that the driver was a Phecda member wearing Grade 3 protective gear and the car seats were filled with people. Every passenger was dressed in casual clothes, some had died while others were still coughing blood...¡¯Is this... an image pulled from Earth? But what timeline this is from?¡¯ He remembered things were not that serious when he arrived at Jiang Xin Municipal... So would this have happened in this future or things had deteriorated to this stage when they were in the Dreands?

    In any case, it appeared like a Phecda member was tasked with dealing with the dying and the dead so that they would not fester on the street... It meant that the world had not beenpletely ruined yet.

    Suddenly, the bus morphed back into the carriage and the street turned back into a muddy road. He could hear an honest voice say, ¡°Sir, I am by no means a courageous man. In fact, you would not have been able to persuade me to do something like this a few days ago, but in these past few days, my wife and 3 kids left me. I am the only one alive but presumably not for much longer. Knowing that I will die soon from hemoptysis to join my family, there is not much to be afraid of anymore.¡± It was the driver who spoke as he stopped the cart. ¡°After that epiphany, I felt the need to do something, but I am just amon farmer. Other than farming, I am good for nothing.¡± The driver said with a self-deprecating chuckle. But as he spoke, tears slid down his wrinkled face. He turned to look at the cart filled with bodies. ¡°As I¡¯ve said, I am the only one left. I know every single person in that cart, we all lived on the same street. As neighbors, the very least I can do is to prevent them from going into the stomach of wild dogs or the monsters. I have, I have to... bury them all, even if I cannot provide them with more than a simple unmarked grave. I will still pray for them, even though I can¡¯t tell whether the Goddess of Life is real or not, and whether she still cares about us or not... If I start to think about that, I would not have the energy to do the simplest task of digging graves anymore.¡±

    The driver¡¯s voice caught as he wiped at his tears. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t me yourself. I know about the me that has been ced on your shoulders, everyone said that the Carlot Doctors have failed us but if you ask for an opinion of an old farmer, a doctor cannot cure all illnesses, only a God can do that. I am now standing before a doctor and not a God. I do not understand how God works but I know that Carlot Doctors are kind people... In fact, my eldest son was originally given a chance to join your ranks but now... everything is over...¡±

    With a crack of the whip, the hooves raised and the body cart continued its journey. Yes, everything is over. More memories of this incident came to Gu Jun. The whole street, no, the whole city was wiped out by hemoptysis, everyone was dead. The stragglers who survived turned insane, living out a life worse than death. People with their sanity intact like that humble farmer were among the minority... The gue brought not only death but also an extreme fear. Living in this kind of constant horror, naturally people would detach further and further from their rationality. Even in ces where the gue had not reached, people were grabbed by insanity.

    Suddenly the images switched to showcase the scene from a modern city. On the formerly busy street, a handful of pedestrians walked down the road wearing thick masks. Their eyes looked about frantically and their footsteps moved hurriedly.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, there was a scream. It was because someone saw a person wearing a white shirt that resembled a doctor¡¯s coat. The scream caused the people on the street to scatter like headless chicken. ¡®There¡¯s a doctor! Where there¡¯s a doctor, there will be a gue!¡¯

    The headache intensified. But was it a headache... or his self-consciousness evaporating?

    The images changed again. Now it was a muddy road on an abandoned in. A different kind of carriage was carrying the gue doctors in bird¡¯s mask. ¡®Is this an illusion from Middle Ages Europe?¡¯

    ¡°Ellie, quick, we need to hurry!¡± The woman in the cotton dress urged in panic. As the carriage rolled into town, the vigers of the small town were filled with dread because only gue would follow these horrible, cursed gue doctors. Some of the vigers raced down the street screaming for mercy, ¡°No, no...¡± Others knelt down on the muddy ground and genuflected towards the sky, praying for forgiveness. ¡°God, oh charitable God, please save us! We are all your children, we have survived until now thanks to your blessing, please continue to shower your blessing on us!¡± More vigers joined in prayers.

    Gu Jun had a hard time telling if all the vigers had lost their mind but there were some that were clearly insane. They tore off their own clothes, thered their bodies with mud,cerated themselves with the whip and screamed, ¡°It has arrived! The judgement has arrived! No one will be spared!¡±

    ¡®These poor, despicable, mad human beings. The ck gue has shown the world what they truly are, nothing but ugly little worms...¡¯

    ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Gu Jun reached his threshold of pain. ¡®Are they nothing more than ugly little worms to you?¡¯ He was suddenly reminded of that foreign cart driver... When his family was still alive, he hid in fear, he was probably one of those who prayed for the Goddess¡¯ mercy. But when push came to shove, he stood up to assume his responsibility. Among the victims of the ck gue, and among the victims of legione pneumonia, hope shone even brighter in these souls.

    ¡°Ellie, run, quick!¡± The woman cried as her body was dragged away by the gue doctors. The ponytailed girl named Ellie continued to hurry down the in. She gasped hungrily for air, seemingly running towards the open arms of death. Gu Jun felt himself trailing behind the fragile little girl. He must not let her die, no way...

 Chapter 271: A Shot of Streptomycin Sulphate

    <h4>Chapter 271: A Shot of Streptomycin Sulphate</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The fog rolled onto the in and the wild grass danced like demons. The girl gradually slowed down. The ponytail stopped swaying. She dragged her tired body towards a small tree and sat down to rest. The girl turned her head back and saw a person striding her way.

    ¡°Ellie, hello.¡± Gu Jun suddenly materialized before the small tree. He could not tell whether this was real or not. When he was in the middle of the chase, Gu Jun had a feeling that this little girl was a key character in this whole incident. If she could be saved, then maybe the ritual could be interrupted. Looking at her young face covered with barely discernible splotches of pustules and ckspots, Gu Jun hoped that he could still salvage this young life.

    ¡°Doctor, are you here for my bloodletting?¡± The girl asked with hollow blue eyes, ¡°Or to whip out my sins?¡± These weremon methods used to cure the ck gue in the middle ages. Bloodletting was themon solution to any kind of illness and whipping to ask for God¡¯s forgiveness was the same. The question held no emotion, there was a detachment that did not match the girl¡¯s age. Her pair of eyes reminded Gu Jun of the many eyes on the thousand-eyed worm. Gu Jun wavered under her scrutiny, the two forces within him tussled...

    It was then that Gu Jun realized he had notpletely lost himself since the two forces were still fighting for dominance. This reminded Gu Jun that he had his own fight against the thousand-eyed worm. The worm consisted of more than a single soul, it was an amalgamation of many wandering souls. Perhaps these souls still had their consciousness left, after all, the ritual had not been fully realized, which hopefully meant that the gue could still be stopped.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not here for either of those.¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°Neither of them will be useful, they are mere products of idiotic desperation.¡±

    ¡°But isn¡¯t that part of the dawn of a new era?¡± The girl asked as the ck blotches spread on her face.

    ¡°You mean to say that the gue will change human history.¡± Gu Jun argued, ¡°But gue is not the only way to usher in big changes. Even though I am a doctor, I know other fields can also usher in such changes as well, like advancement in science, or the invention of the printing press or the assembly line.¡± Many thoughts raged in his mind but his consciousness slowly calmed down amidst the storm. He noted a medkit appeared next to him. It was the medkit that the Problematic Team had brought with them into the Dreands. To deal with possible infections, the kit was stocked with different antibiotics. Gu Jun opened the medkit and took out a bottle of streptomycin sulphate. He pumped the syringe with a dosage of 25 mg to match the girl¡¯s less than 15 kg weight. He exined. ¡°This is streptomycin, it is perfect to deal with the bacillus pestis bubonicae that causes the ck gue. I will give you two shots each day and you¡¯ll be back on your feet in one or two weeks.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± The girl¡¯s eyes were still hollow. ¡°Death is inevitable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, we will all die in the end. But as doctors, our role is to dy the inevitability so everyone can have a fair chance at enjoying the gift of life.¡± Gu Jun was reminded of what the cart driver said, doctors are not god, they are just humans.

    ¡°You sure are stubborn.¡± The girl grumbled softly as hesitance appeared in her eyes. ¡°You could have gained the power of God...¡±

    ¡°But will I still be myself then?¡± Gu Jun chuckled. ¡°If not, then I¡¯d rather surrender that power. I wish to be resolutely Gu Jun and not something else.¡± He readied the syringe and was about to prepare the girl for the shot when thetter pulled back in a hurry.

    ¡°Why do you insist on hanging onto that despicable humanity?¡± The girl¡¯s splotchy face struggled with difficulty, ¡°It is the thing that blocks your way towards ascendancy.¡±

    Actually Gu Jun had been asking himself that. This was not the first time the Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Cult had posed him that question either.

    ¡®Why am I holding onto humanity?¡¯ Previous images shed before his eyes. Be it the foreign civilization, the prehistoric age or the modern age, the nature of humanity had not changed much. Indeed, he was shown the uglier side of humanity, like pus and filth, it disgusted him but... Gu Jun knew that there was more to humanity than that... Take himself for an example, two years ago, he lived his life between sins but now somehow, he had be the Phecda Hero.

    ¡°Humanity is soplicated that I cannot give you a clear answer now. Perhaps I am being stupid, but isn¡¯t that part of being human?.¡± Gu Jun walked forward to grab the girl by her right arm. He pulled her dirty shirtsleeve up. ¡°But I am sure I will not like a world that is filled with terror and pain. After all, I have taken the Hippocratic Oath, a doctor is there to undo the pain inflicted upon humanity.¡± The girl¡¯s arm was very bony, and it too was covered with pustting protrusions and ck splotches. ¡°For me, to head towards actual ascendancy, the only way is through the elimination of human pain.¡±

    Gu Jun dabbed a cotton ball into povidone and applied it generously around the injection spot. ¡°People like Hua Tuo and William Morton are the real great ones. Do you know, before they invented and came up with the usage of anaesthetic, undergoing surgency is no different from being tortured. But with their contribution, we humans know how to use science to counter pain. Oh, speaking of which, the discovery of anaesthetic is also a turning point in history, it also heralds the dawn of a new era, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± He stuck the needle into the girl¡¯s arm and pushed in the drug. ¡°Compared to a world which begs the divinity for power, I prefer to live in one that derives its power from scientific exploration. I don¡¯t think I want to walk in Landon¡¯s path.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± The girl¡¯s expression shifted. Her pair of blue eyes shone with creepy light. Theoretically speaking, a shot of streptomycin would not react so fast but at that moment, the pustules and splotches on her body and body rapidly disappeared. However, the struggle on her face grew more intense. The light in her eyes glowed and tears started to flow...

    ¡°Doctor,¡± Suddenly she asked in a tone that finally matched her age. ¡°Then can you save my mother as well?¡±

    Aplicated feeling rose in Gu Jun¡¯s heart before he nodded, ¡°Of course, as a doctor, I will try my best by any patient sent my way.¡±

    ¡°My mother is the vige tailor, she knows how to make beautiful dresses.¡± The girl said with a smile. ¡°She said she will make one for me when I grow...¡± Before the girl could finish, Gu Jun saw the world around him change again. He was ced back into the House of Worm. The thousand-eyed worm before him growled madly. Its limbs il about but its movement was conspicuously slower than before. It appeared as if it had been heavily hit.

    Among its many eyes, the pair of blue eyes on the top of its head took on the brilliance of humanity.

 Chapter 272: Eyes

    <h4>Chapter 272: Eyes</h4>

    ¡°Why, why would you sumb to despicability...¡± Among the sea of darkness, the growl of the thousand-eyed worm was as loud as thunder. The limbs whipped at Gu Jun¡¯s team. The giant monster applied great pressure on them but Gu Jun saw hope through the darkness. It was a pair of brilliant blue eyes, the one that belonged to the girl named Ellie. He gained mobility of his body again. Gu Jun picked up the two pistols that had fallen to the ground and pulled on the triggers.

    Gunfire bloomed and bullets shot out from the barrels. They hit the worm¡¯s head and lodged themselves around the pair of blue eyes. All 18 shots were fired, flesh and guts flew everywhere. The giant worm was stunned into temporary submission. At the same time, the damage caused the blue eyes to burn brighter. As the power of darkness receded, Ellie¡¯s self-consciousness burned brighter.

    ¡°Ellie!¡± Gu Jun shouted, ¡°Do not let that ugly thing control you!¡± The blue eyes blinked. The whole worm shivered like it was shocked. That small opening loosened the mental grip on the rest of Gu Jun¡¯s team. Once they struggled free, they joined Gu Jun to draw out the Ancient Seal. Being tortured so long by the sense of powerlessness, they channelled their spirit into the drawing of the mental seal. The shimmering white light cut through the darkness. As it mmed into the giant worm, there was an explosion. The iling limbs snipped and dropped to the ground as if they were sliced through by a thousand cuts.

    ¡°Despicable worms...¡± A strange voice that was mixed with the sounds of many different cultists began, ¡°Such foolishness will bring you nowhere...¡±

    Ellie¡¯s awakening had exposed the worm¡¯s weakness for it meant that the other consciousness could be awakened as well. The dark energy was a fatal bacterium when it was inside the human body but the souls that it had imed could be awakened to weaken the worm in return. As more souls rose to consciousness, the faster the worm would crumble.

    Gu Jun had no idea whom the eyes belonged to but he did know the names of those recently passed. He called out, ¡°Huang Lin, Shen Haoxuan, Huang Zuoxin, Zhang Bo, Liu Hui...¡± Despite his hope, he even shouted out the following, ¡°He Feng, Mr. He! Uncle Dan! Can you hear me?¡± Lou Xiaoning could see some of the eyes on the giant worming alive with humanity...

    ¡°Profound knowledge, benevolence for the world!¡± Suddenly inspired, Gu Jun shouted out the vision of Eastern State Medical University at the worm. ¡°Senior Huang Lin, my name is Gu Jun.¡± The giant worm was once again shocked. A pair of ck eyes blinked, ¡°You are also from Eastern State University?¡± A blurred female voice asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the 8 years clinical program.¡± Gu Jun said with excitement, ¡°I finished the 3 years of theoretical study but am currently undertaking my field study, so it means that I¡¯ve yet to graduate.¡±

    ¡°8 years program...¡± The female voice said with someint, ¡°The ones who have stolen all the perks from us.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Gu Junughed as he was reminded of the days from university. The students from the 5 years program viewed them as mortal enemies, iming that they were given more resources and easier coursework by the university. Some of them were true, while others exaggerated. Back then, Gu Jun had no animosity towards the 5 years program students or rather he was too busy wasting his life away to care.

    ¡°Senior, but our overall exam score is higher than your batch so the resource is not wasted on us as you imed.¡± He chuckled.

    ¡°That is because your batch has ess to better lecturers, betterbs...¡± The woman said, ¡°And you were sent to the best hospitals for your internships...¡±

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± Gu Jun smiled as tears threatened to flow out of his eyes.

    ¡°Junior, actually I still dream of returning to school one day to finish a degree in veterinary study.¡± The voice said with some mncholy. As Huang Lin awakened, another pair of eyes blinked. ¡°Doctor Huang, is that you?! Mom, dad!¡± It was Shen Haoxuan, ¡°What¡¯s happening... Am... Am I dead?¡±

    ¡°This is all my fault, I¡¯ve infected all of you...¡± Huang Guoxin said with regret but his voice was soon drowned out by the others. However, Gu Jun did not hear the voices of Uncle Dan¡¯s team so this meant that they were probably still alive. As time progressed, more eyes blinked with consciousness. The surface of the thousand-eyed worm started to crack like it was about to explode. A voice cut through the rest with anger. ¡°You bunch of idiots, idiots...¡± But it was nowced with pain.

    ¡°Senior Huang Lin,¡± Gu Jun said through the mist in his eyes, ¡°I need a favor. Please help me slow it down! Do not let it take over your consciousness!¡±

    In that moment, the eyes of Huang Lin, Shen Haoxuan and the rest shone with brilliance, determination and vehemence...

    Gu Jun opened the medkit as fast as he could. He filled up with the syringes with different drugs, streptomycin for the ck gue, dapsome for leprosy, cyclomycin for cholera, illotycin for legione pneumonia, there was not specific drug for smallpox but Gu Jun mixed up a cocktail of penicillin, rifampin, and vacocin. With multiple syringes in each hand, Gu Jun lunged at the giant worm. He plunged the needles right into the giant worm!

    ¡°Ah!¡± Instantly, the cultists¡¯ voice dissolved into screams. The skin of the giant worm cracked even further. The Zoog who was cowering in the corner tapped his body in awe. ¡°I¡¯ve not seen a battle like this before...¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s gutsy!¡± Lou Xiaoning praised. Kathlyn¡¯s group was stunned while thend¡¯s travellers looked on with passion burning for their idol. The syringes injected the drugs into the giant worm¡¯s body. Compared to its size, these dosages were small. However, they managed to bring life back to more eyes. A part of the worm¡¯s flesh burst into pus. Gu Jun did not retreat even when the pus and blood sshed onto him. He held onto the syringes tightly and continued to push the drugs into the giant worm. Suppressed eruptions echoed inside the worm¡¯s body. Its shell detonated. Some of the eyeballs closer to the surface sted into the air.

    ¡°Junior.¡± Huang Lin¡¯s voice rang out again. A pair of ck eyes turned to look at Gu Jun as they arced through the air. The voice softened. ¡°You¡¯re from the 8 years program so I¡¯m sure you can handle this and return safely. If my parents are still alive when you do, help me tell them, I love them and please remind them to take good care of Dou Dou...¡±

    ¡°Doctor, my name is Shen Haoxuan.¡± Another pair of eyes flew past. The voice was filled with the shyness of youth but it was alsoced with some sadness and eptance. ¡°Can you do me a favor... I have a crush on a high school friend of mine by the name of Deng Ruotong... I was nning to confess my feelings to her after we start university...¡±

    ¡°Doctor...¡± Huang Guoxin¡¯s eyes danced through the air. Then came Doctor Zhang Bo and the rest. With his jaws locked, Gu Jun nodded repeatedly. The eyes of humanity floated around the room and the pair on Gu Jun dampened with tears.

    ¡®Yes, we are just meagre humans... But these despicable eyes can sometimes shine with the light of God, at times with vehemence, other times with gentleness.¡¯

 Chapter 273: Closing the Door

    <h4>Chapter 273: Closing the Door</h4>

    The fog rolled in as the sea of darkness receded.

    ¡°Is... is it over...¡± The Zoog looked cautiously around. Gu Jun¡¯s team was still there but the House of Worm had disappeared without a trace. Thest thing the Zoog saw was the thousand-eyed worm detonating into pieces while screaming madly. Its eyes floated down like snow. Eventually the giant shadow that casted over them disappeared. It was as if a weight, that was ced on them, had been lifted. The suffocating stench dissipated, reced by a spring-like fresh air. Everyone was where they were, Gold still carrying the injured Ma Feng, Gu Jun holding two handfuls of syringes while gasping for air...

    Thetter looked around, the sound of the departed had disappeared, so did their eyes. But he appeared to hear a different kind voice summoning him. ¡®It feels like someone is trying to enter the dream... It sounds like Monitor...¡¯

    Suddenly, the Zoog caught something from the corner of his eyes. He patted himself nervously as he slipped away, ¡°Leader, leader, help!¡± The group then saw him run towards a group of Zoogs who was hiding among the trees. Gu Jun knew that the race of Zoogs settled at different parts of Dreands, the eldest among them was often the leader. Simr to the Elder Zoog he encountered at the Enchanted Woods, the leader Zoog here was also quite advanced in his age. Seeing the Zoogs attempt to slip away, Gu Jun hollered, ¡°Stop right there!¡±

    The Elder Zoog halted immediately, the others followed suit with some careening into the others. The notoriety of this Nightmare Man had spread like wildfire throughout the Zoog poption.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± The Elder Zoog would not have been able to survive for so long at The teau of Kaar without some cunningness. He knew who they could mess with and who they could not, the man before them was one of thetter. The Elder Zoog immediately rushed towards Gu Jun and began politely, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, wee to Kaar.¡± This was the first time Lou Xiaoning encountered so many Zoogs and noticed instantly that these erged rats were quite cunning little beasts.

    ¡°Where is the House of Worms?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Where has it gone?¡± Not only had the eerie manor different, so did the ck moss and wilted trees around them. They appeared to have been transported back to the greener side of the in but this time there was no sign of the House of Worm anywhere... except for the traces of pus that pooled around them.

    By then, Gu Jun confirmed that the thousand-eyed worm did not equal the House of Worm, the former was the manifestation of the power the cultists gained from the House of Worm through their sacrifice. Therefore, even if the worm was destroyed, the House of Worm should not have disappeared for no reason.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The Elder Zoog still had not caught up with the situation. The Zoog who ¡®apanied¡¯ Gu Jun quickly brought him up to speed and then the Elder Zoog patted his head and said, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I am not sure but I have heard of this theory before. I believe you have temporarily closed the doors of the House of the Worm to your world.¡± Gu Jun raised his brow, prompting the Elder Zoog to borate. ¡°The source of power for the House of Worm is a mystery to us as well. Many adventures havee here trying to glean its power but the ce has its own rules of operation. What you have done today... has vited its rules, so the House of Worm will no longer receive any sacrifice or request from your world. To put it another way, as long as the visitores from your world, no matter the method, they will not be able to enter or even locate the House of Worm anymore.¡±

    Seeing the frown on Gu Jun¡¯s face, the Elder Zoog added, ¡°It is quite a shame...¡±

    ¡°A shame?¡± Lou Xiaoning scoffed coolly, ¡°That is exactly what we want.¡±

    The existence of the House of Worm was undeniably a big threat for any world because this ce could be used by some crazed cultists to create disaster that could end a world. To end humanity, there didn¡¯t need to be a meteor crash or giant earthquake, they only needed to cultivate a bacterium that could not be cured by current human medical power. If earth was cklisted by this ce, it was good news. Overall, it could be considered a mission sess.

    ¡°How long is this ¡®temporary¡¯?¡± Gu Jun didn¡¯t want to get ahead of himself. ¡°When will it reopen its doors to us? A year? Several years?¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± The Elder Zoog patted his head. ¡°Probably not so soon. Time is precious to us but not so much for these mysterious forces. Centuries fly by for them. I suppose it¡¯ll be another decades or centuries before the doors reopen...¡±

    Gu Jun only then sighed in relief. This meant that in the visible future, the House of Worm could no longer be weaponized by the cultists. Furthermore, if they maintained a line ofmunication here with the Zoogs, Phecda would be given first notice whenever the House reopens. They would get here faster than the cultists. But whether the cultists had other resources other than the House of Worm was another issuepletely.

    Regardless, the most imminent issue now was to solve the epidemic ravaging Earth. Did the destruction of the thousand-eyed worm cause the new strain of legione pneumophilia to lose its supernatural power? What effect was incurred over there at the waking world by the defeat of the worm, if anything? Gu Jun had no clue, he could not even tell how much time had passed back on Earth. However, before they could return, Gu Jun had another mission to deal with. He asked the Elder Zoog, ¡°A few of our friends have disappeared, have you seen them?¡±

    ¡°We did see a few people from your race lying there on the way here...¡±

    Hearing that, Gu Jun immediately had the Elder Zoog lead the way. He grabbed the medkit and rushed after the Zoogs. They ran through the fog and eventually saw some figures lying beside a small tree. It was Uncle Dan¡¯s team who had disappeared. There were deep wounds on their skin but the most seriously injured was still Ma Feng.

    ¡°Ah Jun...¡± Uncle Dan was still conscious when they arrived. His lower left arm was bloody and the redness soaked through his pants.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Lou Xiaoning asked urgently.

    ¡°We were ambushed...¡± Uncle Dan answered. His pale face grimaced from pain. ¡°Once you left, the dimension shifted. Many limbs shot out from the ground. I opened fire immediately but we were quickly overwhelmed. Then it felt like I was pressed under a mountain of dead bodies. I thought that was the end of me...¡±

    Gu Jun instantly understood that there was no physical manor to begin with, the environs had been ying with their mind. Ma Feng was not the only one trapped inside the wall of carcasses, the rest of his team was inside there as well. If not for the disintegration of the thousand-eyed worm, Uncle Dan¡¯s team would be dead by now...

    Gu Jun made a cursory check of the members¡¯ injury. They all needed emergency rescue but the team¡¯s medical unit was seriously short-staffed. Suddenly a bright light burned in his sea of consciousness. ¡®Wait, this is...¡¯

    ¡®I am here.¡¯ He responded through his mind, connecting with Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s sweet dream. ¡®Monitor, monitor! We are here, we need your help!¡¯

    Suddenly, the Zoogs and the others saw pools of light gather around Gu Jun. They slowly coalesced into familiar faces.

 Chapter 274: Dreaming Team

    <h4>Chapter 274: Dreaming Team</h4>

    The first person who stabilized into existence was Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°Gu Jun?¡± The girl looked at him and then around them. When she saw the wounded, she frowned immediately. ¡°What happened?¡± The other figures slowly coagted. This time 30 members were sent into Dreands through dream, they were all members of the Spell Department, this mission was conducted at the Dreaming Building. Of the 30 people, most of them were from the Action Department. Including Wang Ruoxiang, there were only 5 who came from the Medical Department.

    ¡°We¡¯vepleted our mission, the power source of the new strain of pneumophilia has been destroyed.¡± Gu Jun said hurriedly, ¡°But we¡¯ve been exposed to arge number of parasites and we can¡¯t tell whether they¡¯re infectious or not so we cannot return for now. If any of you can return now, please inform themand central to stop sending in new fighters and instead we need greater medical assistance!¡± Immediately three members volunteered to be the messengers. The method used to wake up the dreamers was quite simple, one only needed to prick them on their finger and the pain would do the rest. Gu Jun¡¯s Carlot Scalpel was used for this purpose because he believed it would deliver the least mental damage.

    Wang Ruoxiang also snapped back to the waking world because she was the bridge. Dreaming a way into Dreands was not an easy feat, after all, the Angell¡¯s Order had failed to do so consistently even after decades of research. It was due to Wang Ruoxiang and Gu Jun¡¯s mental connection that the bridge could be formed. The dreamers naturally could not bring anything with them. Another noteworthy detail was that they had to dream while being fully-dressed, the apparel appeared to be some kind of shell that would anchor them in the Dreands.

    However, when they were in the Dreands, they could interact with other physical objects with the price of sacrificing their mental energy. The longer one spent in the Dreands, the heavier the exhaustion on the dreamer. Once they crossed a certain threshold, they would be forced awake. The four doctors who remained immediately jumped into action. They helped Gu Jun to address the injured while Lou Xiaoning and the rest helped with the heavy lifting.

    At the same time, a dreamer who was affiliated with the Investigation Department brought Gu Jun¡¯s team updates from the waking world. ¡°Elder Tong wanted me to tell you that the Seagull has reappeared in the real world...¡±

    Lou Xiaoning and the rest had no idea what The Seagull was, they only knew it had to do with Lai Sheng Company. However, Gu Jun¡¯s face shifted once he heard that name. His heart squeezed and his hands that were cleaning Uncle Dan¡¯s wounds halted...

    ¡®The Seagull?¡¯ He tried to focus and chased away the messy thoughts in his mind. He resumed his work while he listened attentively to the rest of the update. The Seagull had appeared alongside other sunken ships. They were apanied by the appearance of some fish-human monsters. The ghost fleet and the sea monsters had surrounded the armada of research ships. They were immune to cannon fire and their presence brought in a thicker fog on the sea.

    The channel at Jiang Xin Municipal was kept under control but at a heavy price. Over the past 3 hours, the fatality number from the disease kept climbing and the research into Drug No. 1 had reached a dead end. It contained some material that human beings could not identify at the moment. The Lai Hwa Tree seedling had been nted but it showed no growth. Whether the sess of Gu Jun¡¯s team over here had any impact over in the real world, the dreaming team could not tell yet.

    ¡®The Seagull, the Seagull...¡± Try as he might, Gu Jun could not stop the memory from returning, his childhood memories of ying on the ship¡¯s deck and his parent¡¯s blurred-out faces... His right hand that held the knife was shaking. This was the first time something like this had happened since he acquired Hands of Dexterity. Thankfully, it did not cause any mistake during his technical work.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s team members shared a look with each other, they could sense the fraying of Gu Jun¡¯s emotions...

    At that moment, Gu Jun appeared to hear Wang Ruoxiang calling him again. Therefore, he responded in kind, ¡®Monitor, here, here!¡¯ Soon another group of dreamers appeared. This time they were all doctors and nurses from the Spell Department. Once they arrived, theyunched into action. They took necessary tools from the medkit and got into their respective roles, delivering injections, cleaning wounds and making bandages. Seeing them arrive, part of the fighting dreamers returned as they were no longer needed there.

    The team now had enough medical workers and sufficient devices but there was a ring problem. The blood bags inside the medkit had disintegrated. Me Feng, who was the most heavily injured, was at the edge of his life, he needed blood transfusion immediately. Based on the situation, the only possibility was a blood transnt. Even if both subjects shared the same blood type, this method was going to be extremely dangerous but they had no other choice. The doctors knew this operation could not wait. Gu Jun was familiar with the blood type of his every member and the medkit had this information should he need to confirm. Ma Feng had Type B blood and so did Mchite. He was a muscr man and was not injured in the mission. Therefore, he volunteered to be the blood donor. Since there were no empty blood bags, the nurse sucked out the blood from Mchite through arge syringe and then carefully injected it back into Ma Feng¡¯s bloodstream.

    ¡°He needs an immediate operation.¡± Wang Ruoxiang told Gu Jun. Uncle Dan and the rest suffered from surface wounds, some only needed bandages while the more serious ones might need sutures or even amputation but Ma Feng needed a reconstruction of his exposed intestines. He had a fighting chance if he underwent surgery, if not, he¡¯d be waiting for death.

    ¡°I agree.¡± Gu Jun nodded. There were many surgical doctors which joined the second batch of dreamers. With Gu Jun¡¯s permission, they immediately undid Ma Feng¡¯s bandage around his stomach to inspect his abdominal cavity. They discussed how to conduct the operation while Wang Ruoxiang offered to help as a surgical assistant. Gu Jun did not participate, he even handed the bandaging and suturing jobs for Uncle Dan over to someone else. He was pulled by a desire to return to Jiang Xin Municipal to join the battlefield on the sea...

    ¡°Is there a way for me to dream my way back to my waking world? An inversion dreaming so to speak...¡± Gu Jun asked the Elder Zoog who had been studying them. Thest time when he was trapped on Dreands, he attempted this before but it was to no avail.

    ¡°I¡¯ve not even heard of something like that.¡± The Elder Zoog patted himself with difficulty. ¡°Dreands is the anchor of all dreams, where is one going to dream if not here?¡±

    Knowing how difficult it was, Gu Jun did not pressure the Zoog. He looked around to see if he could find any breakthrough. As ast resort, he checked his sea of consciousness: the system? Not of help; The one empty sweet dream bubble, no use; Dirty-minded Yu? Doesn¡¯t think so.

    Suddenly he caught something from the corner of his eyes. The ce where the Lai Hwa Tree seedling was situated had grown into a shiny silhouette of arge tree. The spot should have been empty after he had manifested the reward in real life so what was this?

    ¡®The seedling has been nted, could this be...¡¯ An idea struck Gu Jun. ¡®Is there a special connection between myself and this Lai Hwa Tree? Can this serve some unique purpose? There¡¯s no harm in trying, I suppose...¡¯ After vacating his sea of consciousness, he walked to a nearby tree and sat down. He closed his eyes and focused his mental energy on the tree silhouette. He felt a strange energy coursing through him, it felt like leaves and branches were growing out of him.

 Chapter 275: Sea Monster

    <h4>Chapter 275: Sea Monster</h4>

    Under the starless sky, intense nkets of fire swept across the foggy sea surface. The rocketunchers turned the sea into a zing hell but these measures only managed to hold the fish monster away from the research ships. The stalemate had been going on for half an hour already. The enemy¡¯s spell could hide their true location but once they breached through the frontline, their existence would be exposed. But the thing that worried the headquarters andmand central was the enemy did not appear to be nning a frontal breach. The ships¡¯ had lost signal of their radars so it meant that they had no idea what kind of forces were gathering underwater. In other words, the armada¡¯s weakness was tantly exposed.

    Other than the sea monsters covered in scale, they did not spot any other figure on the ghost ships. A few minutes ago, the dreaming team returned with the good news that the Problematic Team had seeded in their mission. That brought rejuvenation to everyone¡¯s spirit. However, it did little to chase away the darkness. The cornered cultists might retreat or worse, strike back with everything they had.

    The sea fog blurred everything. The guards on the deck paid close attention to their surroundings. The ghost ships flickered in and out of view. None of the ships were big but they were as vicious as banshees. Some of the guards heard the sound of heavy objects falling into water. It sounded like the fish monsters submerging themselves underwater. The guard tried to look over the deck but they saw nothing but the waves...

    Even the Spell Department members were confused. The enemy could be hiding anywhere underwater. Initially the Spell Department only sent the Problematic Team over to San Hai City but as the situation grew more severe, batches of reinforcement arrived. There was an elite team on the research ships now. They were led by Xue Ba and its notable members included Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan. They were all dressed in airtight protective gear.

    ¡°I can taste...¡± On the main deck, as Wu Siyu nced into the inky water, a stimnt sizzled her tongue. ¡°Blood, there¡¯s blood in the water.¡± She looked around and saw the opaline ne that hung around Cai Zixuan¡¯s neck glow red. ¡°Beware of mental corruption!¡± The rest of the team nced at each other. Not everyone was adorned with the rationality assessment stone but those who did had theirs glowing red.

    ¡°Command central, we¡¯re under arge scale mental corruption attack!¡± Xue Ba reported immediately. Once he did so, a chilling wind picked up and the team was assaulted by illusions. This inflicted the whole armada. No one was spared. The Spell Department members, the guards, the ship crew, the researchers all bent over from an intensifying headache. A strange sound, like the gushing of sea or wailing of an unknown sea creature echoed in their ears.

    Command central made preparation against arge scale mental attack but not arge scale mental corruption. To make things worse, this corruption affected even the Spell Department members who had received plenty of training. If they did not do anything soon, all the normal crewmates would be drawn into a maddening hallucination. The air froze at the headquarters. Elder Tong was pacing frantically. The Phecda leader now knew that the establishment of the Spell Department and Ancient Seal Department hade toote, they weregging too far behind in the field of ultismpared to the cultists...

    Suddenly, a wildly invigorating news came from theb on the ship, ¡°The new strain of the bacteria has deteriorated! The limbs on the surface of the cells, they, they... there¡¯s no words, but to say that they¡¯ve exploded! And the speed of the bacterial infection has greatly slowed down!¡±

    Instantly the dark clouds that brewed over themand central were blown away. This was undeniably the result of the Problematic Team destroying the supernatural power source of this bacteria. Under the microscope, the bacteria suddenly imploded and returned to a normal microorganism. It should be the same for the bacteria in the air and inside the patients¡¯ bodies. Its transmission power and lethality underwent a steep drop, all signs pointing towards the possibility of curbing this epidemic. Now that the bacteria¡¯s size returned to more than 0.3 mm, a normal N95 would be able to filter it out. If the bacteria regained its requirement of an aerate as a medium to spread, then its dissemination would greatly decrease. The fatality timer of 20 hours would now be prolonged to more than 1 week, it meant that the government would have enough time toe up with the vine. If that was the case, this would no longer be a national emergency level of danger.

    ¡°Listen up!¡± Elder Tong ordered the team at the frontline, ¡°The threat of the bacteria has been eliminated by Ah Jun and his group. Grab the seedling and prepare to retreat!¡± The research ships did not move because there was dimensional distortion around the sea. Furthermore, with the dysfunctional radars and the fog, they would be sailing in the dark. If they were not careful, they would end up sunken ships themselves. On the other hand, staying anchored would only make them sitting ducks.

    Drug No. 1 was split into 3 parts, one was taken by Gu Jun, another sent to the ships and thest preserved at the headquarters. With thetest update, it meant that the experimental drug was no longer that important, for the pharmacist could rely on normal drugs to deal with the weakened bacteria. Instead what was important on the ship was the Lai Hwa Tree seedling. Once the order was received, the researchers uploaded their data online while the ships covered fire as the armada retreated to shore. The important personnel were ferried away on helicopters. If necessary, the whole armada would be taken down by a missile.

    ¡°Prepare to retreat!¡± inside themand central of the mothership, Zhang Jingmin resisted the headache as he ordered his weakened crew. ¡®Isn¡¯t it a bit toote for that now?¡¯ There was chaos on deck. Both cannons and bullets were useless. Most of the guards had crumbled to the ground, groaning from headache. To make things worse, the sea monsters, which had disappeared earlier, now suddenly leaped up from underwater. Thump, thump, thump, their webbed feetnded loudly on the deck, the sound stomped at the crewmates¡¯ hearts...

    A dolphin could jump at most 9 metres out of the water, but this kind of mutated creature could leap more than 10 metres out of the water, was it due to the physical mutation or a spell assistance?

    The bulging eyes of the fish monsters glowed murderously. With webbed feet, they bounded around to avoid the gunfire. Theynded on the guards, grabbed them up and flung them into the sea. The guards were unable to stay afloat due to the weight of the protective gears. They swiftly sunk into the bottomless depth. Those who remained on the ships were affected by a heavy mental wave. These monsters were too powerful... They moved so fast and delivered punishment without mercy!

    Under heavy fire, some of the monsters were struck back but there were too many of them. The spell members tried to summon nightgaunts to attack the fish monsters while others drew Ancient Seal to hit at them but their mental power was soon drained and their mental corruption rate was hiking dangerously. They gritted their teeth to stabilize their mind but they could not hold on any longer.

    Wu Siyu stared at the blood around her and mumbled numbly, ¡°They are both standing species of fish but penguins are so much cuter...¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, you need to brush up on your biological knowledge, penguins are not a species of fish...¡± A voice rang out. She frowned. She was familiar with this voice but it should not have appeared here. Was she hallucinating? ¡°Penguins are mammals!¡±

    The voice came from behind her. When Wu Siyu turned around, she saw arge shadow standing behind her.

 Chapter 276: Giant Tree Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 276: Giant Tree Shadow</h4>

    Shrouded in dark fog, the shadow stood on deck. Based on its silhouette, it looked like a giant tree.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Granted Wu Siyu would often see some unusual things due to her synesthesia but this was something different. Its voice reminded her of Dirty-minded Jun. She turned to ask the people around her, ¡°Can you guys see this giant shadow? Can you hear it speak?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me!¡± The voice spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m Gu Jun, I¡¯ve travelled here from the Dreands through a mental connection with the Lai Hwa Tree acting as the medium.¡± Then the shadow slowly materialized. Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba were the next to notice it. Xue Ba immediately reported to themand central, ¡°We¡¯re osted by an unknown shadow, it ims to be Gu Jun! However there are some who fail to see or hear the shadow in question.¡± Its existence was not captured on the ship¡¯s radar and surveince either.

    A ripple of shock travelled through the headquarters. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian did not expect something like this. With the experience fromst time with the Yellow Brotherhood, they treated this with extra caution. Elder Tong responded urgently, ¡°Be careful, it might be a mental projection by the enemy. Continue your mission to retreat, do not get pulled into the battle by it!¡±

    Wu Siyu¡¯s nose twitched and a certainty came over her. He might turn into a kangaroo or a tree, but his taste was not going to change. Her mood brightened and she felt refreshed. Even her voice sounded clearer, ¡°Do you mind growing bigger, that might help scare the enemy.¡±

    ¡°Let me try.¡± Instantly the shadow of the tree grew for another inch. Its luscious branches covered the whole deck. This impertinence in face of battle helped Cai Zixuan recognize his old friend as well. He gasped in pleasant surprise. ¡°Tycoon Jun, it¡¯s really you? How did you end up here?¡±

    To be fair, Gu Jun had no exact answer to that question. He only knew that he had borrowed the connection with the Lai Hwa Tree to arrive here. His sensory stimuli at that moment were quiteplicated. On one hand, he could sense his physical body sitting at the in in Dreands but on the other hand, he could feel everything that happened on the ship, it was like he was dreaming or had entered an illusion. The sensation was blurry, flimsy yet somehow real. Was this reverse dreaming? He had no clue. Regardless, the Lai Hwa Tree seedling was more precious than he thought. Looks like it was not just a normal tree even in the foreign world. Then again, it was a 10 star reward for an abyssal mission, he should expect nothing less. At the same time, he had a feeling that he was able to use the seedling in this manner had everything to do with the two forces within his body...

    After these ideas settled in his mind, Gu Jun said, ¡°I¡¯vee to help you deal with all these monsters.¡± Everyone on deck realized that since Wu Siyu announced the arrival of the giant shadow, the fish monster had suddenly stopped their advancement. They growled angrily and evaded the gunfire but stopped all aggression. Were they too made apprehensive by the appearance of the shadowy tree?

    ¡°What kind of n do you have in mind?¡± Wu Siyu asked the big tree.

    ¡°Retreat now!¡± Xue Ba roared. They were running low on mental power, a drawn out battle was not beneficial for them, and Elder Tong had given them a direct order. No matter the giant tree was Gu Jun or not, it had provided them with a percent chance to retreat by holding the fish monsters back.

    Gu Jun studied the fish monster closer, he realized he could see better than when he was a mere human, it was as if every single leaf on his branch was an eye. He could take a panoramic view of his surroundings, the fog did nothing to obscure his sight. He could see the flow of air around him and strange lines which looked like electromaic waves. It was thetter which influenced people¡¯s mind. He could also discern some indescribable minor distortions in the space that caused the bullets to miss their targets. The bullets were consumed by small pockets of dimensional opening before making contact with their targets. Essentially the bullets were transported to another dimension. He turned towards the sea and discerned quite easily some of the ghost ships were just an illusion...

    Before he knew it, the sea breeze carried his field of vision out into the ocean. It allowed him to peer into the actual ships. He could see abination of both monsters and humans walking on deck. ¡®Are those cultists from R¡¯yleh Cult or Afterlife Cult? There are too little of them here to ount for the whole organization but they must have sent in their best units for this mission.¡¯

    As his eyesnded on the Seagull... Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. For some reason, he could not tell whether this particr ship was real or not. Thest time he saw a vision of this ship was inside the video Lee Yuerui had taken at the Longkan Seabelt. However, thest time he was on it personally was when he was 10, that was already 12 years ago. Suddenly many memory fragments bubbled up in his mind, some of them he thought he already forgot. He saw the younger version of himself running on the deck, ying inside the captain¡¯s cabin and turning the captain¡¯s wheel... He could hear the sound of his father and mother¡¯sughter... They sounded so warm back then but now it had been polluted by blood and the ult. Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of something his father once said, ¡°Our work is to maneuver this ship to find the truth!¡±

    ¡®Truth?¡¯ A fire burned through the memories and it lit up the bitterness of his pain. ¡®Truth is harming these innocents and bringing in pain and destruction? For the pursuit of this ¡®truth¡¯, you can sacrifice your own child?¡¯ Gu Jun was still unwilling to believe his parents were this kind of people. Perhaps... like Xiao Liang, they started as serious researchers but had lost their way in the process.

    Suddenly a fish monster leaped out from the sea and the heavy sound as itnded on deck interrupted Gu Jun¡¯s thought. It hissed at Gu Jun and something clicked within Gu Jun¡¯s mind... This sea monster... it was the ¡®Deep One¡¯ mentioned in the abyssal mission. He had nothing but a hunch to support this but his hunch had always been urate.

    ¡°Atal has told me about this kind of mutated creature before. They are called the Deep Ones, they are a kind of deep sea creatures who worship the Great Old One, Cthulhu.¡± Gu Jun announced to the retreating troops. ¡°My n is very simple. I will work together with Siyu to break down the enemy¡¯s control over the dimension and then the rest of you should be able to take them down with a nket fire. Just promise me, you¡¯ll leave me at least oneplete body for autopsy.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡± It was like a question mark appeared above Wu Siyu¡¯s head. She had no idea she was capable of something like that.

    ¡°You have a n? Can it work?¡± Xue Ba hesitated. Was this really Gu Jun or the enemy¡¯s trap?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s only one way to find out.¡± Gu Jun could not be sure himself. He came up with this n because when earlier he looked into the sky, he saw a spot that was akin to the eye of the storm.

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 277: Open Fire

    <h4>Chapter 277: Open Fire</h4>

    Based on Gu Jun¡¯s understanding of rituals, he knew that every ritual had an anchor. It was the equivalent of a creature¡¯s heart, examples including the patients¡¯ consciousness in the House of Worm, and the transmission tower inside the desert loop. The eye of the storm that he saw was clearly the heart of this dimensional ritual. Every other spell casted on the battlefield originated from this one spot.

    ¡°As long as we can disturb this eye of the storm, we might be able to interrupt the ritual. Even if it¡¯s only for a few seconds, that¡¯s more than enough for the cannonballs to sink those ghost ships!¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°Once the ships are destroyed, we should be safe.¡±

    This new update excited the people at both themand central and frontlines. Two more members from the dreaming team awakened. They reported that Gu Jun had indeed aplished ¡®reverse dreaming¡¯ at Dreands. Combine that with Wu Siyu¡¯s affirmation, they could confirm that the giant tree was really Gu Jun!

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the decision to you!¡± Elder Tong changed his order. Certain situations would have to be gauged by those physically in the battlefield.

    ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± Xue Ba enquired as he opened fire.

    ¡°We need to assault it with an Ancient Seal.¡± Gu Jun said hurriedly. ¡°I can feel a great store of mental power in my current state but I need someone to help me channel and release the seal. Dirty-minded Yu!¡±

    Dirty-minded Jun needed her to act as a medium to draw out the Ancient Seal. She shrugged. ¡°O well, you¡¯re the boss.¡±

    As if sensing that the humans were about to do something, the nearby Deep Ones suddenly became agitated again. They were not creatures without intelligence evidenced by the fact that they had their own system ofnguage which enabled them to coordinate each other¡¯s assault by howling among themselves.

    ¡°Protect Siyu!¡± Xue Ba shouted. The group fired. methrower burned. They formed a protective circle around Wu Siyu. Themand central at the mothership was silent. Zhang Jinming was just clued into thetest n. He resisted the splitting headache and moved into preparation with his crewmates.

    The Deep Ones kicked up their aggression. It was like they had lost their mind, but thankfully, they were forced back by the focus fire.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu,¡± Gu Jun said desperately, ¡°I need you to walk into the tree¡¯s shadow, I will channel my mental power into you, you might feel a great pressure from it so be prepared. Whenever you capture the eye of the storm or when I point it out, you draw out an Ancient Seal and shoot at it!¡±

    ¡°Here goes nothing.¡± Wu Siyu took one step into the shadow. Suddenly, a mental wave swallowed her up. She almost copsed...

    It was not entirely a painful experience, it was like she had been swallowed up by a whole sea of salt.

    ¡°Damn you, dirty-minded Jun... Are you trying to preserve me with salt?!¡± However, after the first onught, the visions around Wu Siyu changed. She began to see traces of supernatural energy in the air. When she lifted her head, she saw the aforementioned eye of the storm clearly. Others might not assimte into the experience of being bombarded by heavy stimuli so easily but for Siyu, this was not moreplicated than her usual synaesthesia.

    ¡®Now is the time, hold on tight!¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s voice echoed in her mind.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu instantly gathered all of her mental power and drew out an Ancient Seal with her right hand. As she painted the picture of the branches, the branches of the giant Lai Hwa Tree¡¯s shadow started to creak as well. The shadowy leaves rustled noisily as some kind of energy gathered. Cai Zixuan, Xue Ba noticed this from the corner of their eyes. Then many flowers appeared to bloom on the shadow of the canopy, were those Lai Hwa Flowers?

    A giant seal gathered before the tree. Just as Wu Siyu¡¯s right finger finished thest stroke, the Ancient Seal sted into the sky!

    The Ancient Seal could not be captured by camera, it was only visible to naked eye. Even the researchers could not confirm its nature. Some suspected it was a kind of yet to be discovered psychological or electromaic wave. In that moment, all the radars on the ship went down like they were shot by an electromaic pulse. The monitors turned into static. Seeing the giant Ancient Seal, the Deep Ones¡¯ fish head grimaced with pain.

    ¡®Carry on!¡¯ Gu Jun yelled internally, ¡®Send these creeps back to hell...¡¯

    The seal mmed into the eye of the storm. The st wave of the collision sent people flying and blew away the thick fog on the sea. The ghost ships then appeared on the satellite images.

    ¡°Open fire!¡± Zhang Jinming ordered. The disturbance to the ritual was achieved, now was their chance to strike back. Their earlier powerlessness transmuted into fury. The gunners on the ship pressed on the attack buttons immediately!

    The cannonballs and artillery flew at their targets. The previously invincible ghost ships crashed under the pressure. Holes were made on the cabins and many masts fell. Some of the Deep Ones on deck were immediately burnt into crisp by the fire. Their wails crackled along with the mes.

    Then came another round of heavy fire!

    As the real ships sank into the ocean, the illusory ships started to flicker. The Seagull was part of thetter. It was like they were being blown out of sorts by the sea breeze. The Deep Ones were gripped by panic and hatred. Most of them turned to dive into the ocean, attempting to retreat. The tables had officially turned.

    ¡°Go get them!¡± Wu Siyu shouted. An urge to take down the enemy rose in her heart, it was hard to tell whether it was her own or Gu Jun¡¯s. As the mental corruption that gripped the guards and Spell members faded away, their minds cleared. Their hands steadied on their firearms and thetter was quickly put to use at the retreating monsters. The Deep Ones moved fast but they were not faster than bullets especially when they were not actively trying to avoid them. As thick as the Deep One¡¯s scale was, they were unable to resist the pration of modern bullets.

    ¡°Ah...¡± A Deep One was turned into a beehive by machine gun. Another had its head shot through by a sniper bullet. A whole group of them were caught in the mes of the methrower. Their bodies melt in the extreme heat, the creatures of the sea perishing in a sea of fire. The lucky ones, who managed to escape into the sea, were fired at by the heavy artillery on the ships. Whenever one surfaced, they would perish immediately...

    At themand central, people of all ages cheered. Elder Tong took out the small sh of alcohol that he carried everywhere. Staring at the screen, he gulped the alcohol down and felt its warmth coursing through his veins.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 278: Excitement

    <h4>Chapter 278: Excitement</h4>

    The fog dissipated but the artilleries were still unloading. Arge missile was fired from the shoreline base. The enemy ships were blown into smithereens. They floated in pieces on the sea surface. The illusory ships, including the Seagull, dissolved into the fog before disappearingpletely. Seeing the ship from his memory evaporate, Gu Jun felt both disappointment and relief... he did not favor the possibility of facing those two individuals on the battlefield.

    After Siyu casted the giant Ancient Seal, Gu Jun could feel his connection to the Lai Hwa tree fraying. He would return to Dreands soon. He updated the rest about his team¡¯s situation over at Dreands. Xue Ba in return updated him about the weakening of the legione pneumophilia. That brought Gu Jun plenty offort.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to return to my body now.¡± Gu Jun could sense the power of the trees weakening. ¡°Remember to leave behind aplete corpse of the Deep One for me...¡± However, based on what he saw on the battlefield, that request might be hard to oblige. Under the focus fire of the crewmates, most of the Deep Ones had died a horrible death. Only a small amount managed to escape back into the ocean. They probably would not be missing drnd for quite some time. Wu Siyu did not join the battle, she had been staying inside the tree¡¯s shadow so she too could feel the connection breaking. She lifted her head to say, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, we¡¯re all waiting for you to return in person.¡±

    ¡°Of course, and I promise you it won¡¯t take as long asst time...¡± Gu Jun said as his voice petered away. Then the giant tree dissolved into the darkness like it was never there to begin with. The battle had been won so the retreat was called off. The researchers continued their study into Drug No. 1 and the new strain of legione pneumophilia while others threw themselves into works like saving the wounded, controlling the epidemic, maintaining the order... All in all, there was plenty to be done yet.

    Overall, the victory rejuvenated everyone on the ships and back at themand central. The fear, terror and despair was wiped away by a ray of hope. They were blessed with faith that they would be able to obtain the final victory.

    At the same time, back at the Northern Continent of Dreands, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes flew open.

    ¡°Ah...¡± He immediately crumbled to the ground. His mental power was drained and a heavy stone pressed down on his heart. His teammates hurried towards him and called for medical attention. Wang Ruoxiang immediately rushed over. Seeing Gu Jun¡¯s purplish face and slight convulsion in his body, she asked the nurse urgently, ¡°I need a cardin ampoule stat!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll survive...¡± Gu Jun eased his breathing. He made a mentalparison and realized the ¡®reverse-dreaming¡¯ was not as draining as his previous parapsychological endeavours. This was evidently a part of the system¡¯s help and intervention. When he was on the mission with Xue Ba¡¯s Demon Hunters, he needed human resuscitation for his heart to beat again but now he only needed a few deep breaths and his heartbeat returned to normal.

    Gu Jun then shared the good news on the waking world with the rest, it was meant to provide encouragement especially to those wounded. In a situation like this, the patients¡¯ survival instinct was very important. Mind over body as they say. Gu Jun collected himself and returned to finish the suturing on Uncle Dan.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, you have to hang in there.¡± He said self-deprecatingly. ¡°You don¡¯t want me to give you mouth to mouth, right? I¡¯m sure you¡¯d prefer those pretty girls from the club, speaking of which, you still owe me a trip to one.¡± He joked to try to lighten the mood.

    ¡°You have a deal. We¡¯ll do that when we return this time...¡± Uncle Dan chuckled but his face grimaced from the pain.

    ¡°You scious old coot, watch your wound.¡± Lou Xiaoning chided. ¡°And that was what you saidst time. Stop raising g and jinxing yourself.¡±

    Uncle Dan grinned before adding, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that. Even at my age, my ¡®g¡¯ is still being raised daily.¡±

    The dirty joke made everyoneugh. But once again it flew over the head of thend¡¯s travellers, theyughed because the others did.

    ¡°Doctor Wang, what did Uncle Dan mean by that?¡± Peacock whispered to ask Wang Ruoxiang, ¡°What¡¯s so funny about g raising?¡±

    Due to her limited understanding of Chinese, Kathlyn did not get it either, ¡°I guess it¡¯s a double entendre?¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± The smile hung awkwardly on Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s face. ¡°You know how jokes work, it¡¯s no longer funny if you spell it out.¡±

    Undeniably, the news of theirtest victory helped brighten the mood. Even though they were still not yet out of danger, they could make jokes and have fun. Even the barren in no longer felt so eerie. Laughter was good for the soul.

    The dreamers rotated batch after batch, after the wounded were all taken care of, the medical members woke up in the real world. Throughout this process, Wang Ruoxiang repeated the journey to lead people in and out of the Dreands. The researchers brought in new updates. The marine had obtained full victory, the cultists did notunch a counterattack and the crews were already cleaning up the battlefield. The physical channel at Jiang Xin Municipal had copsed and once it did, the subterrain giant worms all tunnelled back underground. However, the greatest news was the discovery of the changes to the legione pneumophilia from the sample that the doctors took from the patient¡¯stest blood and saliva sample.

    This was concrete proof that the destruction of the thousand-eyed worm regressed the evolution to the new strain, the epidemic could now be cured. Gu Jun was thankful for the news but he did not let his guard down. The closer they were to the end, the more cautious they had to be. The Lai Hwa Tree had almost faded in his sea of consciousness, he tried to sense it again but there was no response.

    Finally Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s mental power reached its bottom and her sweet dream bubble burst from exhaustion. The special bond between them lost. Now Wang Ruoxiang could not enter the Dreands that easily anymore, much less bring others with her.

    The number of people dwindled on the ins. The medical units had tried their best but with theirck of equipment and medicine, there was only so much they could do. The surface wounds of Uncle Dan and the rest had all been dealt with. As long as the wounds were not infected, no one faced the need of amputation; but the result of Ma Feng¡¯s surgery was not that ideal...

    ¡°Guys, don¡¯t let me burden you...¡± Ma Feng mumbled. He regained consciousness after the blood transfusion, but his face was still pale, he had not left the danger zone.

    Gu Jun turned to demand from the Zoogs. ¡°Do you have any idea how to save his life? Anything that could work, your people have saved me with a life-draining vine before, is there anything like that here which can help my friend? If you help us, we will repay you with luxurious gifts.¡±

    ¡°Well...¡± The Elder Zoog patted his head. Once he heard ¡®luxurious gifts¡¯, he said hesitantly, ¡°I do have an idea...¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 279: Golden Aloe

    <h4>Chapter 279: Golden Aloe</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Anyone who had interacted with Zoogs before knew that they were extremely cunning, or at least cunning enough to know that human beings match their cunningness. The younger Zoogs were already itching with excitement at the prospect of ¡®luxurious gifts¡¯. After all, this offer came from the nightmare man who had just dealt with the House of Worm. However, as interested at the Elder Zoog was, he knew the virtue of caution, ¡°We might not be able to do much with infectious disease but physical wounds like broken limbs or torn stomach... well, we might have a solution.¡±

    He patted his stomach sadly as hemented, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, as you know, we Zoogs are often toyed by those horrible cats. Whenever they feel like it, tragedy will befall us. Thankfully us Zoogs are a persistent and clever face. Through our wisdom, we¡¯ve mastered how to cure physical traumas. In fact, I am confident we will be able to heal the scars on your face.¡±

    ¡®My scars?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped. Even though that was not the most important thing now, if it could be done, why not? He asked the Elder Zoog at the Enchanted Woods about it before but the Zoog told him they could not help him. Now it looked they were just not motivated enough to help him, these bunch of greedy rats...

    ¡°What is this solution?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Our settlement is far from Ulthar but close to the House of Worm.¡± The Elder Zoog continued like he did not hear Gu Jun, ¡°Without such healing mastery, we wouldn¡¯t dare to settle here.¡±

    ¡°Sir.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s voice darkened. ¡°Time is important in saving lives, just get to the point.¡± Finally, the Elder Zoog felt like he had the upper hand, ¡°What do you mean by the ¡®luxurious gifts¡¯?¡±

    ¡°We have 8 wounded members with us. If you can heal all of them and work on my face, you¡¯ll be given 10000 fowls for each person healed, so 90000 fowls in total.¡±

    ¡°Only fowls?¡± The Elder Zoog had the younger ones quiet down. ¡°How could the value of lives be equated to simple fowls?¡± Lou Xiaoning and the rest had been listening in. At this juncture, Lou Xiaoning could not help but chime in, ¡°What, you want another 90000 fowls?¡±

    ¡°Even that will not be enough, we¡¯re talking about human lives here...¡±

    Seeing the impertinence on the Elder Zoog¡¯s face, Gu Jun¡¯s face dropped. These Zoogs responded to force but not persuasion, some threats were needed to put them in their ce. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t you forget why you need to offer sacrifices to the cats at Ulthar in the first ce. Since I¡¯ve promised you luxurious gifts, they will be luxurious but now saving people¡¯s lives is more important.¡± His eyes chilled, causing the previously cheering Zoogs to cower.

    ¡°Of course, of course! Life is priceless, saving them is more important.¡± The Elder Zoog quickly patted. Compared to the Elder Zoog at the Enchanted Forest, he was still too inexperienced, he had pushed too far. He sighed. ¡°I hope your promise of ¡®luxurious gifts¡¯ are not just some wild geese and hens but a promise that will involve treasures and jewels...¡± Seeing the chilling glint in the Nightmare Man¡¯s eyes, the Elder Zoog immediately slithered away. ¡°Quick, time is not to be wasted, follow me!¡±

    Earlier, the group chopped down the branches of the nearby trees to create a few rudimentary stretches. The wounded were ced on them and carried away. They packed up their stuff and followed the Zoogs deeper into the ins. Gu Jun walked at the front of the group. As he focused on movements in the fog, he listened to the solution offered by the Elder Zoog.

    ¡°To be honest, this thing is half the reason why we have chosen to settle here.¡± The Elder Zoog exined that there was a nt that was unique to Kaar. Its name could be tranted as ¡®Golden Aloe¡¯. Due to the treacherous nature of these ins and obscure growth condition of the nt, only the Zoogs knew how to find them. The team of 16 followed the Zoogs for 2 hours. Ma Feng¡¯s consciousness started to waver, this worried Gu Jun and Uncle Dan deeply. Thankfully, they reached their destination soon. By then they had wandered quite far away from the House of Worm, the barrenness of their environs faded away. If anything, they found themselves surrounded by verdance and life. After hiking past some rough boulders, they came across a smallke. By the shore was the patch of golden aloes.

    Gu Jun turned to study them. Through just a nce, he could feel the vibrancy of the nt¡¯s life force... The small patch had about 10 aloe nts but each of them was about 3 to 4 metres tall. The petals of giant leaves bloomed outwards.

    ¡°That is it. You only need to ce the wounded inside the nt.¡± The Elder Zoog exined, ¡°And let it envelope them. The juices of the nts will help recover and heal the physical wounds.¡± Viewing it from a medical perspective, the nt truly lived up to its name. Aloe vera gel was a natural external-use medicine, it could help with inmmation and analgesia, it could also speed up the closing of wounds by activating cell activities. Of course the effect would not be instantaneous, but this was the Dreamworlds, they worked under a different set of rules. The Elder Zoog confirmed that this had nothing to do with magical spell energy, if anything, the healing would help to cleanse mental corruption and not cause it.

    ¡°The Golden Aloe gains its nutrients from the essence of the Dreands itself.¡± The Elder Zoog exined, ¡°Therefore, they cannot be transnted to another world or even another location in Dreands. Mr. Nightmare Man, don¡¯t waste your time on attempting that, we¡¯ve tried it before and it always failed.¡± At least the Elder Zoog got that right. Gu Jun was indeed contemting that very thing. If he could harvest the nt and bring it back to Earth, it would be a great help in the advancement of medical science...

    ¡°Once it is plucked from the ground, it¡¯ll turn into a normal nt.¡± The Elder Zoog said, ¡°We¡¯ve tried picking some individual leaves for consumption and application, but the healing effect was non-existent. However, they make great raw material for the breweries. We¡¯re a race who likes their drinks.¡±

    The Elder Zoog was nervous once he noticed Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wandered greedily over the nts. The patch of Golden Aloes was their saving grace. If they were taken away, they would die out here.

    ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man,¡± he stressed again, ¡°Other than to help with external wounds, the golden aloes really have no other uses, it cannot bring the dead back to life.¡± He was afraid that the Nightmare Man would im all of the aloe. He should not have hungered for the man¡¯s promise of luxurious gifts, greed had tripped him again.

    ¡°We better focus on saving the wounded first.¡± Gu Jun did not give any other promise. These Zoogs could not be trusted fully. If the nt really had miraculous property, then he would study it further.

    Since the Zoogs had only used the nts on their own people in the past, the Elder Zoog did not dare guarantee that it would work on humans. However, Ma Feng was too heavily injured, if not for the emergency rescue earlier, he would not have survived until now. With no other option, Ma Feng volunteered to be the clinical experiment.

    Gu Jun and Gold moved Ma Feng into one of the golden aloes. Ma Feng¡¯s right hand dangled outside the leaves, and the bracelet of the rationality assessment stone hung around his wrist. The Elder Zoog said that the effect would not be instantaneous like spells. After Ma Feng was settled in ce, Gu Jun and Gold walked away to join the rest and observe the golden aloe.

    The giant leaves slowly wrapped Ma Feng inside the nt. The stone on the man¡¯s right wrist did not glow red.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 280: The Face is Back

    <h4>Chapter 280: The Face is Back</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    10 hours after Ma Feng was ced inside the golden aloe, the other wounded were sent into 7 other aloes. Gu Jun made this decision because the stone around Ma Feng¡¯s wrist did not react in any way, this meant that the nt would not influence people¡¯s rationality. Furthermore, when Gu Jun followed the Elder Zoog¡¯s instruction and used his fingernail to poke at the aloe¡¯s leaf to stimte it to open, they could see Ma Feng being enveloped in ayer of aloe gel. He looked much better and the wounds on his stomach had recuperated.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Mr. Nightmare Man.¡± The Elder Zoog said proudly, ¡°The Golden Aloe is the best at curing physical wounds.¡± Gu Jun did not retort. Life-draining vines, golden aloe, so many nts at Dreands did have a miraculous effect. When one was inside the golden aloe, the gel would not only heal the wounds, it would provide the body with nutrients so the patients could survive in it without food and water.

    After spending a whole day inside the aloe, Uncle Dan¡¯s review was, ¡°Even after so many clubs and massages that I¡¯ve been to, nothing canpare to that!¡±

    Everyone was still worried about thetest update from Earth. The epidemic managed to turn the world upside down in a few days. Therefore, Gu Jun asked the Zoogs for help to search for a channel with the promise of more gifts. When the new channel was found, and should the wounded¡¯s condition be eptable, they would immediately return. On the second day, Gu Jun also decided to journey into one of the aloes. Since not only his face, but also the rest of his body, was scarred, he undressed to only his underwear.

    ¡°Wow, I have no idea Doctor Gu has such a fit body.¡± Kathlynmented with admiration. Gu Jun underwent strenuous training to lead the Problematic Team so his body was muscr and sinewy. The face aside, he could be a candidate for Mr. Universe. ¡°Hmm, I didn¡¯t know doctors can be so sexy.¡±

    Peacock nodded with pride, she seemed prouder to hear this than to hear others praise her boyfriend, Mchite. ¡°But of course! That¡¯s the Phecda Hero after all!¡± She and Aquamarine were anxious to see Gu Jun¡¯s real face, they had seen his picture and his statue, but they had not seen his face in person before.

    ¡°The body is not bad.¡± Lou Xiaoningmented. ¡°But the g is better, he he.¡± Sheughed sciously.

    ¡®You know I can hear you guys right...¡¯ Gu Jun wanted to say something but, in the end, he decided to just wrap himself in the aloe leaves. When the leaves enclosed him, it blocked off the sounds from outside and the world dropped into darkness. He could feel the gel releasing from the leaves. It felt like he was submerged into a water tank, every inch of his body was covered in aloe gel. After the initial difort, he soon felt a refreshing warmth...

    There was slight itchiness on his face and body but that also soon disappeared.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Gu Jun could understand why Uncle Dan said it was the most rxing experience he ever had. Gu Jun had no idea whether it was more rxing than a massage but it was definitely rxing enough. It was like the caress of spring breeze, the kisses of clouds...

    The cellr activity of his skin cell should being alive to fix the old scars. Gu Jun did not wear the rationality assessment stone because he already had one in the form of the system. The system did not give any warning. With nothing else to do, he opened the system to take a look. After the battle inside the House of Worm and reverse dreaming, there was a new notification, ¡°mastery of Strong Heart increased by 80000 points, current level 2 (80000/300000 mastery)¡±

    The mission rewarded him with 80000 points. That went to show how dangerous the mission was. One wrong step and they¡¯d be in apletely different situation. Gu Jun shivered thinking back about the other possible oue...

    He opened the system missions and nced at the newly refreshed abyssal mission.

    ¡°Abyssal Mission: Complete the autopsy on 1 Deep One within a week. Reward: Unknown.¡±

    For the past 2 days, a thought had been bothering him. Was the Deep One born this way or they transmuted into this state like how human beings mutated into zombies? If thetter was true, would there be shipcrews of the Seagull among the Deep Ones...

    ¡°Phew...¡± Gu Jun sighed and cleared his mind. He should be able to get more answers when he returned for the autopsy. He unwound and started to slumber. Before he did, he epted a difficult mission so that he had a timer to mark the passing of time. When he woke up next, 24 hours had passed. He was awakened by a piercing light, it was the others checking up on him. They told him the Zoogs had not found the channel so he could continue to rest.

    Five days flew by and by now they were stuck in Dreands for a week already. Uncle Dan and the rest could walk unattended already and Ma Feng could shuffle around with crutches, they were no longer in immediate danger. Once again, the Elder Zoog bit on the stalk enclosing Gu Jun. The leaves opened slowly. The eyes of the people brightened. Kathlyn¡¯s gaze slurped up the view hungrily.

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Uncle Dan guffawed. ¡°Ah Jun, your handsome face is back.¡± The scars on Gu Jun healed almost fully, and his skin color faded back to normal human color. It was as if his skin had been fully exfoliated, removing the scabs and scars. The man looked dashing but with a hint of maturity.

    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Jun grabbed a scalpel and used the reflection as a mirror. Seeing his old face, he felt better.

    ¡°Leader...¡± Peacock said shyly. ¡°The legend is true, you are truly a handsome hero.¡± This time, Mchite was jealous but what could he say, that was the truth.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t get you humans¡¯ idea of beauty.¡± The Elder Zoog patted his stomach. ¡°If you ask me, he looks much better before.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if I can grow this golden aloe or derive its gel to patent a beauty lotion, it¡¯ll be a sure fire get rich scheme.¡± Lou Xiaoningmented.

    ¡®Beauty lotion?¡¯ Well since they were waiting anyway, the girls immediately jumped into the stalks of aloe to catch up on some beauty time.

    Gu Jun did not return to continue his treatment. He didn¡¯t mind the few scars left. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get used to his skin being as smooth as a baby¡¯s.

    Unfortunately for the girls, they didn¡¯t get much time for their beauty treatment because thatte afternoon, a Zoog burst through the fog gasping, ¡°We¡¯ve found it, we¡¯ve found a new channel!¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 281: Still There

    <h4>Chapter 281: Still There</h4>

    There was a city connected to the western part of Kaar by the name of Vornai, it was one of the major cities in the Northern Continent. The new channel the Zoogs discovered was near Vornai¡¯s border. It was already copsing when it was discovered so they had to depart immediately. Gu Jun understood how rare this opportunity was. These channels did not appear often. Even if they were lucky, they might not encounter another one for the next year. During this past week, none of Gu Jun¡¯s team showed any sign of sickness so the chance of them carrying any contagion was low. The Elder Zoog exined that as a result of the House of Worm banning the humans from receiving its blessing. Pestilence and illness might be harmful to humanity but these bacteria and viruses were the treasures of the house, since the house had closed its doors to humanity, therefore, they would not get any ¡®treasures¡¯ from it. That was naturally good news, Gu Jun did not want anything to do with this House of Worm anymore.

    It would take at least two days to travel from theke to Vornai, by the time they arrived, the channel might have copsed already. Therefore, they hurried and packed up. Before they departed, Gu Jun had another discussion with the Elder Zoog. Even though the Zoogs were naturally greedy, like humans, they were kind in their hearts. This time the Zoogs had lent tremendous help to humanity, Gu Jun¡¯s promise of a luxurious gift was not just an empty one, he really hoped everyone could gain from it. Therefore, he hoped to build a long-term cooperative rtionship with the various Zoog tribes across the Dreands.

    ¡°Sir, to put it simply, you only need to provide us with information like updates on the House of Worm as well as the appearance of other dreaming channels to us. And I can guarantee you an immense supply of fowls and hens in your future. In fact we will try to fulfil any request that you may have.¡± The Elder Zoog was interested but this involved too many tribes, it was beyond his decision, he stated that he needed to inform the Tribe Elder at the Enchanted Forest first. But even so, there was another hurdle... He tapped his stomach and sighed, ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, I¡¯ll be honest with you, we Zoogs have limited power when ites to bigger events involving the tribes. We have to get approval from the cats at Ulthar but they most likely will not agree to this. It is why we have never had extended interaction with any civilization before.¡± Gu Jun understood howplicated the Dreands was. Certain things could not be pushed so he said, ¡°Sir, regardless, we will wait for your reply after you¡¯ve notified your elder.¡±

    Gu Jun did retain a secret weapon, which was the sweet dream that he formed with the Elder Zoog in his mind. As long as the bubble did not burst, he could maintain contact with the Zoogs. He had named the Zoog ¡®Lucky¡¯ because the Elder Zoog¡¯s name was unpronounceable by human beings. This was because their name was made from tapping rhythm, it was not something that could be replicated through the human vocal cord. Lucky liked his new name because who wouldn¡¯t want more good fortune in their life?

    Admittedly, Gu Jun had already formed a friendship of sorts with the Zoogs. Whether the cooperation ended up following through or not, Gu Jun would not deprive them of his promise. ¡°You might as well start to think about what you want now, we can make a statue for you if you want.¡±

    ¡°A statue?¡± The Elder Zoog was clearly not interested. ¡°Regarding the request, I¡¯ll discuss it further with the tribe leader.¡± Lucky knew he had limited intelligence. With the promise of such a huge reward, he better left it with the tribe elder to decide how to derive the most from it.

    Gu Jun requested two young golden aloe stalks from the Elder Zoog as well as some raw materials from the aloe. Like all nts, the golden aloe had its growth cycle. The leaves that fell became the main ingredient for the local Zoog wine. The Zoogs allowed Gu Jun¡¯s team to take away 10 kg of such materials. Furthermore, the Zoogs gifted them several urns of aloe wine. But with regards to the young golden aloe stalks, the Elder Zoog realized this was room for more negotiation. ¡°Mr. Nightmare Man, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you but the nts will not survive after it leaves this ce. As long as you can ept that, we can allow you to take 2 stalks with you.¡± The golden aloe had no seed, they seemed to propagate through runners. As precious as the young stalks were, the Zoogs could part with 2.

    ¡°I still wish to give it a try.¡± Gu Jun smiled. He was more negotiable without the pressure of his teammate¡¯s lives on his shoulders. ¡°Sir, I am also just trying to do the best by my people, I am sure you can understand that. I won¡¯t give up unless I try it myself.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± The Elder Zoog relented but not before saying, ¡°But the ¡®luxurious gifts¡¯ have to be upgraded to ¡®extremely luxurious gifts¡¯ in this case.¡± There were differences between the two, the Elder Zoog stressed. If 10 fowls were luxurious and 1000 fowls would be extremely luxurious.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to feed you lies.¡± Gu Jun admitted, ¡°I can¡¯t do ¡®extremely luxurious¡¯ but will you settle for ¡®very luxurious?¡¯¡± And just like that, representing human civilization, Gu Jun exchanged ¡®very luxurious gifts¡¯ for two young golden aloe stalks from the Zoogs. The Elder Zoog imed that this would lower their brewery production by 10 percent, they would have to ration their drinking, it was quite a huge loss.

    Gu Jun collected not only the stalks but also some soil and water from theke. He used the empty med kit to culture the young stalks. Why wouldn¡¯t the golden aloe grow elsewhere? What was so unique about this ce? Was it the soil? Water? Atmosphere? In any case, he tried to maintain the growth environment as much as he could.

    However, the Elder Zoog¡¯s warning proved true soon enough. Despite the team¡¯s best effort, the two young stalks died when they reached the Vornai countryside. Seeing the lifeless stalks inside the kit, Gu Jun sighed silently.

    ¡°Ah Jun, we¡¯ve tried our best.¡± Uncle Dan felt the disappointment too, this could be a great breakthrough for humanity but there was nothing they could do. Even so, they would bring the dead nts back for the researchers to study. Regarding this, the Zoogs were naturally worried that the Nightmare Man would get angry but thankfully Gu Jun did not me them. They did not enter Vornai for 3 reasons, one was the time constraint; two was if anything happened to them in the city, they might be held back; three was Atal¡¯s warning, the more one knew about the Dreands, the harder it was to leave. The channel was located within a bunch of rocks outside the city. When they arrived, the channel was already glowing weakly.

    ¡°Respected guests, you have to go now.¡± Lucky studied the channel and said, ¡°By the looks of it, this channel can only be used onest time, so hurry.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay in contact.¡± Gu Jun bade farewell to Lucky and the other Zoogs before leading his team into the channel. The teammates tied themselves to each other with a rope around their waists. This time Gu Jun was not visited by any strange images. The strange shadow did not appear but there were plenty of strange illusions. His emotion was as tense as thest time he returned, concerned about the unknown world that they might return to. They had no idea what happened on Earth. It had been 10 days since they defeated the thousand-eyed worm, anything could have happened in that stretch of time. The Problematic Team prepared themselves for the worst. The air on Earth might be poisoned; they might return to a ruined world; even if the world was saved, global politics would have a tectonic shift after the epidemic. If they were dislodged outside of China, they would need to keep their identity a secret.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Holding a syringe, Gu Jun strode powerfully forward into the light.

    Beep Beep... The sound of car horns filtered into his ears... The images of the body cart that he saw inside the House of Worm shed before his eyes... Gripped by nervousness, Gu Jun walked past the light and felt a heaviness on his body. It was the familiar gravity of Earth. There was no particr stench in the air but the smell of exhaust fumes. Car horns became clearer and so did the vision before him. He looked around him and realized he had just exited a garden. He nced at the shop signs down the street, they were all written in Chinese... He looked up at the skyscrapers and the pedestrians down the street. Some wore medical masks, some didn¡¯t.

    ¡°We¡¯ve returned...¡± He mumbled. He could not help theugh from bubbling up his throat.

    The city street was busy with activity. Cars moved down the streets, the shops were open for business and pedestrians waited for the traffic lights to turn. An auntie frowned when she passed by them. Her expression seemed to say, ¡®Who are these people? Are they beggars? With that strange clothes and stuff... Tsk, youngsters these days, they should go find work instead of loitering around...¡¯

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Uncle Dan red back at her. Peacock and Ma Feng allowed themselves a small cheer. Lou Xiaoning screamed in joy. ¡°Yay!¡±

    Everyone knew what this meant. The new strain of legione pneumophilia did not destroy the world, this beautiful yet troubling world was still there.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 282: More than a Statistic

    <h4>Chapter 282: More than a Statistic</h4>

    Gu Jun¡¯s team waited inside a shop after requesting to use theirndline. 10 minutester, the police arrived at the scene. They were followed by the cavalcade from Phecda. Gu Jun¡¯s team and the public members they had interacted with were all ferried away in a quarantine vehicle. The reason Phecda members could arrive so soon was because they had a division at this city, and it was quite arge one. They had exited at Eastern State. Gu Jun had no idea how this was connected but he knew this was no coincidence. This at least proved that Eastern State had a close connection with Dreands. However, with regards to the channel that they had just used, based on the Zoogs¡¯ observation, no other creatures had used it before it copsed.

    Eastern State was spared from the Bloody Lungs Disease but it had suffered through both Malformed Banyan Tree Disease and Nightmare Illness. The silver lining was they had an efficient and mature protocol when it came to the handling of suspicious characters. All 16 members of the Problematic Team and their personal items were transported to the quarantine base for inspection and after everything was cleared, they would wait for the headquarters to assign the next arrangement.

    On the way to the quarantine base, Gu Jun, as the leader, was given a chance to have a private call with the leaders at the headquarters. The return of all 16 members was a pleasant surprise for the headquarters. This was because based on the dreamers¡¯ report, things with the wounded were not looking that optimistic, none of them believed Ma Feng could be saved. Other than that, Gu Jun¡¯s facial recovery was yet another good news. Yao Sinian said cryptically, ¡°Ah Jun, your face has returned at the perfect timing.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gu Jun was confused, it did not sound like Commander Yao was joking. He soon understood why. The Problematic Team entered the Dreands on the night of August 3rd; three hourster, on the early morning of the 4th, they dealt with the thousand-eyed worm. After the supernatural energy of the new strain was demolished, its transmission power was greatly decreased. The researchers confirmed that its smallest size had reverted to over 0.3 mm, meaning it could be filtered by N95 masks; Its transmission speed through air as well as its time of survival in water slowed down greatly. Because of that, the epidemic was curbed. There was no need for national lockdown, only quarantines at specific districts within San Hai City and heavy monitoring on the traffic and public transports within the country were ordered.

    Government workers were sent into areas, which were practically abandoned, and they had been trying their best to control the epidemic for the past few days. The workload for every unit was heavy but it was especially so for medical workers who headed the frontline.

    The good news was the spread of the epidemic globally had slowed down and illotycin regained slight effectiveness. The replication of Drug No. 1 was not 100 percentplete, the first batch of the pills was 2 milligrams lighter than the original but its clinical effect on voluntary patients showed positive results. The bad news though... Due to the overwhelming destructive power of the bacteria among the first batch patients, and ack of medical support back then, the umted fatality number was high. Yao Sinian and Elder Tong did not provide an actual number but their tone was heavy. Then they changed the subject to marine warfare. Currently the salvage process of the ghost ships and bodies of the Deep Ones were still ongoing. The only confirmation was the Seagull was not among the destroyed ships. Also, a global investigation had been carried out on Afterlife Cult, R¡¯yleh Cult as well as the suspicious Rodgers¡¯ Order.

    The various countries decided to wipe off these evil organizations at one go but international cooperation was always difficult. America, Russian, Britain... every global power had their own benefits to protect. However, those in the know understood that it was China¡¯s Phecda who led the frontline facing thistest legione pneumonia epidemic. In the aftermath of such a scarring global epidemic, the governments could not keep it a secret anymore. But, for now, they only revealed to the public that this was a mutation of the legione pneumophilia strain.

    ¡°Over the past year, there have been multiple changes over the globe. Thistest epidemic has brought everything once covered up to the surface.¡± Yao Sinian gave a long sigh. ¡°We have insider information that countries like America might reveal the existence of supernatural forces to its citizens as well as their counteractive measures. Based on the situation, Ah Jun, you might need to represent Phecda to walk into the public eye.¡±

    Gu Jun understood it immediately. Once America made the announcement, the other countries had to follow and that was how his face became that much more important. Commander Yao made it sound so simple, but Gu Jun knew it would be much moreplicated than that since it involved international politics. ¡®Am I a hero?¡¯ Gu Jun thought. ¡®Perhaps, but this time I am not the only hero.¡¯ He was reminded of those eyes and faces...

    ¡°How is the disease control expert from San Hai City, He Feng doing?¡± Gu Jun asked, he had been worried about this. Yao Sinian went silent and it was Elder Tong who answered, ¡°He Feng passed away on the 4th but his wife and daughter survive, they are recovering.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Gu Jun sank into silence. Doctor He was a hero too, he had done everything he could for his country and his family. Gu Jun asked about the other staff at Jiang Xin Hospital. Elder Tong revealed that the disease control team had all died on their post and most of the hospital staff spent theirst days at the hospital.

    ¡°Elder Tong, just give me the actual fatality number.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°I can handle it.¡± But when he heard that scary number, he was silent for a long time...

    After the call was over, Gu Jun ryed thetest news and the fatality number to his teammates. They had the right to know. Once they heard the number, the joy from their mission sess dissipated immediately. Globally, the bacteria had imed more than 2000000 lives. In 1917, Russian camp fever caused around 3000000 deaths; from 1918 to 1919, the Spanish Flu infected more than 10 billion people all over the world and caused 20000000 to 40000000 deaths. Inparison, the fatality number of the legione pneumonia might be small but remember that the number was umted from less than a month and not years.

    The team arrived at the quarantine base in a pall of heaviness. After a series of inspection and review, they were sent to individual rooms. Gu Jun tried to read and meditate but he could not shake his mind off the atrocious number and the people that it represented. He Feng, Shen Haoxuan, Huang Lin, they were all heroes in their own way... His mood only lifted a little when he received a guest that night.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to check the authenticity of our new stock.¡± Wu Siyu started to study him once she entered the room wearing an airtight protective suit.

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun nodded as he sat up in the chair. ¡°Scan me!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, hmm...¡± Wu Siyu walked around him. She nced at his hands, sniffed his hair, poked his face. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s the taste! It¡¯s the real deal alright.¡±

    Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu,¡± He sighed. ¡°Many people died but I¡¯m d that you are still alive.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu nodded heavily, ¡°I¡¯m not going to die so soon so you better stay awhile to keep me entertained.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 283: Change in a Family

    <h4>Chapter 283: Change in a Family</h4>

    From August 2nd to August 13th, in just a short 11 days, the epidemic had imed 200,000,0 lives around the globe. Most of the fatality came from the first 3 days of the outbreak. The aftermath was almost the same in major cities hit by the epidemic all over the world. Lively streets became deserted, with the asional teams from disease control centre passing by. Animals prowled the streets looking for food, and their perished owners. Outside the affected cities, people worked under the haze of deaths of loved ones and families. Medical masks, antibiotics, antiseptic gels, mineral waters flew off the shelves...

    Over the past month, everyone was focused on one hot topic, the epidemic. ¡°Jiahwa,ing to the ball game this afternoon?¡±¡±No thanks, if my mom finds out, she¡¯ll have my head. I think I¡¯ll just stay home.¡± Chen Jiahwa just graduated from high school, he nned to go on a trip around the country in August but that had to be cancelled. His summer holiday was thus spentying around at home. The news urged the citizens to stay home if there was no emergency. The government banned allrge activities and even entertainment venues like the cinema was to shut down. However, life being trapped at home was boring and hard. For example, the air conditioning could not be switched on due to the bacteria¡¯s transmission method.

    Of course, not everyone abided by the mandate. Most of them assumed they would be lucky enough to be spared from the infection. However Chen Jiahwa¡¯s mother was a doctor at the city public hospital. Due to his mother¡¯s expectation and his own interest, he applied for a medical degree at Ji Hwa University. Therefore, their family had a deep understanding of the importance of disease control. They kept the air conditioning and shower off. Perhaps because of that, the clouds over their family were thicker than the rest.

    The appearance of this epidemic readjusted Chen Jiahwa¡¯s parents¡¯ view of their son¡¯s future. Most of the fatality number was contributed by medical workers. Selfish as it was, his parents wanted him to give up the offer from Ji Hwa Medical School and choose a different career path. After all, which parents would willingly push their children towards death?

    But Chen Jiahwa did not heed their advice, it was not that he had such admiration for the doctor¡¯s coat but he did not want to sit through another entrance exam. The thought of daily revisions and exam questions numbed his skull, it was fate worse than death.

    ¡°Son, you have no idea how difficult medical study is.¡± His mother persuaded, ¡°You¡¯re going to have exams every day at university.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s not what you saidst month.¡± Chen Jiahwa butted back. ¡°You said it will get me a good job and a great marriage prospect.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true,¡± His mother groused, ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll end up with your father?¡±

    Actually Chen Jiahwa knew that his mother supported his decision to study medicine previously because she knew, as a male doctor, he would go further than she did on this career path. Even after so many years, she was just a doctor at a small city public hospital. It was not that she wasining but gender favouritism in her field of work was quite obvious. However, in the past few days, his mother changed her attitude. She sighed like she had ruined her son¡¯s life, like Chen Jiahwa was already in some kind of danger.

    ¡°Son, taking one more entrance exam is no big deal.¡± His father joined in. ¡°We¡¯re still young. Life is more important.¡±

    ¡®Is this really a problem of age?¡¯ Chen Jiahwa was toozy to get into this circr argument. He really did not want to sit for another entrance exam or he¡¯d be bald before 20.

    Due to the epidemic, the news had been heaping praises on the selfless spirit of the medical workers at the frontline. People had renewed appreciation of the medical workers but at Chen family, the opinion was reversed.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a ball game at the basketball court next to our neighbourhood. Why are you so scared?¡± His friend grumbled. ¡°Eastern State is not affected by the epidemic, so don¡¯t be such a chicken. Furthermore, we have survived that contagious flu, haven¡¯t we? I¡¯m sure everything will be fine.¡±

    During the start of the year, Eastern State was exposed to a serious contagious flu. At the time, the whole city was ced on lockdown and the citizens were not allowed ess to the inte. Theirmunication waspletely cut off. The other states did not realize much but the people of Eastern State spent their lives in fear for several months, it had even dampened the celebratory mood of new year. The atmosphere had lightened after half a year. In fact some began to take certain things for granted and went sparingly on their protective measures.

    ¡°It¡¯s different this time.¡± Chen Jiahwa sighed. ¡°There have been 200,000,0 deaths globally already. My mom has a friend who works at the state hospital. She said it¡¯s very serious this time, much more serious than the flu and it mustn¡¯t be underestimated.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine, you win. Be a coward if you want, I don¡¯t need a lecture.¡± His friend hung up.

    ¡°Well, cowards often live the longest.¡± Chen Jiahwa grumbled but strangely enough, howe his cowardice did not put a stop to his determination to be a doctor?

    ¡°So hot, so hot.¡± He dragged a chair to the balcony. As the wind caressed his face, he went scrolling online. Despite the heavy online monitoring, the rumors still flew everywhere. There was news from both inside and outside the country. There were multiple theories, there was even one where the government would decide on a national lockdown and the countrymen were to fly to the north pole. But the news that Chen Jiahwa told his friend was real, his mom did have a friend working at the state hospital.

    Looking through the news, Chen Jiahwa felt upset. But the pictures of the medical doctors in the protective gears going about their work and the pictures of children staring down hardship with determination... gave him a boost in his spirit. However, Chen Jiahwa knew these pictures did not describe the actual epidemic-stricken cities, they had been carefully selected by the government to monitor and ease the public emotion.

    After going through some mainstream news media, he logged into his social apps. Once Chen Jiahwa logged in, he saw there was a new notification in his inbox, ¡°Emergency, suspected appearance of legione pneumonia at Eastern State!¡±

    ¡°What...¡± He jumped up from his seat as a chill surged through his spine...¡¯Epidemic... here?!¡¯ He immediately clicked on the link, it was a picture of a team of quarantine cars. Government workers were ushering a group of strangely-dressed people into the cars. He pulled down to read thements, many Eastern State online users posted panickedments. At a moment like this, the appearance of quarantine cars meant only one thing.

    The more Chen Jiahwa read thements, the more lost he felt. He wanted to refresh the post but he realized the post had already been deleted by the admin.

    ¡°No way, this means that it has to be real...¡± He was gripped by fear. He went to search for other sources to corroborate the story but he found nothing.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 284: Video on the Internet

    <h4>Chapter 284: Video on the Inte</h4>

    After the rumor of the epidemic at Eastern State surfaced online, despite the admin¡¯s quick reaction, the news travelled too fast among theizens to be stopped. That night itself, the government came out with an official statement to stamp the rumors, ¡®there is no epidemic case at Eastern State! The group of people in cotton outfits are not suspected patients but members from the disease control centre. The quarantine cars were there for normal protocol investigation. Please do not worry and spread untrue rumors.¡¯

    However, with the possible severity of the situation, the government statement was practically useless. The citizens at Eastern State were like leaves in fall, copsible at any moment. It was not until 3 dayster when there was no official lockdown and no upgrade in security measures that the tension eased. Then the citizens started to turn their attention toints. Why were the members of disease control dressed so strangely? What were they up to?

    In the past 3 days, Chen Jiahwa cooped up at home with anxiety. With nothing else to do, he turned his mind to the future and second doubt started to settle in regarding his medical study... But other than the pain of re-examination, there was his stubbornness of youth, he refused to lose face among his parents and friends. The epidemic was everything people would talk about these days, so his friends knew he had been epted by a medical university. If he bowed out now, how was he going to show his face among his friends again?

    Would he dare to rush into the outbreak as a frontline worker? He had no answer. Chen Jiahwa was conflicted and he rejected invitations from his friends to go out for they would only mess up his mind further. So he spent all 3 days at home. He sat before theputer and refreshed the browser constantly for updates online. He used firewall to go through the government limitation and used google trante to obtain international news.

    Bill Thompson, an American posted on reddit, ¡°The people back at my hometown have all died, this is so surreal. They are all good people, some go to church daily. If God is real, why would he do this to us?¡± Deena Boulder offered a conspiracy, ¡°Is this epidemic as simple as it looks? Why did the fatality rate during the first 2 days be maintained at 100 percent but it dropped so steeply after that? The markers are too unrealistic, this does not follow any medical logic! Until now, no one has responded to this anomaly, it¡¯s like the government does not think this is an issue. What are they hiding? We need an answer!¡± Brandy Joyce pointed towards another problem, ¡°The President has not openly apologized after such a big epidemic, is he serious? And what is this nonsense about a new strain of bacteria, are we living in the Middle Ages? The whole Ministry of Health should be fired!¡±

    Chen Jiahwa scrolled through many threads. Theizens, media and political mouthpiece were hounding their government for an official statement. Facing these charges, many government officials hade out to face the media to give their exnation but most were just government talk. This angered the public further and it threatened the political stability of some countries. There were videos of Americans organizing street demonstrations but there was a link to another video that caught Chen Jiahwa¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Huh?¡± He clicked on it. ¡°For real?!¡± The video was taken at London, the international city bequeathed with the name, City of Fog. London was not affected by the epidemic. There was a strange simrity regarding the ces that were hit by the epidemic, it only affected smaller cities with limited poption. No one understood why.

    But now...¡±Oh my God!¡± Chaotic screams came from the video of London Streets. As the camera panned, there was billowing dark ck fog everywhere, it blurred everything in sight. The cameraman gasped in shock. ¡°The fog arrived less than 10 minutes ago. It¡¯s everywhere now!¡±

    Fog? Industrial pollution? Chen Jiahwa frowned, his heart skipped nervously for some reason... He did not know London that well but he knew industrial pollution ended after the industrial era, so this should not happen now. Most factories had been moved to 3rd world countries, so why would there be a sudden ck fog that descended over London? Was there even a natural fog that was ck in color? What was its nature? Poison? Atomic waste? What did this mean for London?

    Even through the screen, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s heart palpitated with fear. It must have been worse for the citizens of London. In the video, some were screaming, others praying. Silhouettes of the London police appeared in the fog. The cars could not move due to low visibility. The traffic jammed. In thement sections, the globalizens exploded but no one coulde up with a valid theory. Was this the start of another epidemic or was this a different mutation of the legione pneumonia?

    ¡°Is there really a hidden conspiracy behind this epidemic?¡± Manyizens opened up discussion about this and naturally it crossed Chen Jiahwa¡¯s mind as well. This kind of spection had appeared earlier. Could it be the work of some unknown power like alien intervention? Conspiracy theories filled the web but none had actual evidence. But evidence was staring them in the face? What could be the exnation behind this?

    Suddenly, there was a wave of new video uploads from another big city. This time it was happening at New York, another international city, which was also spared from the legione pneumonia. In the videos, endless birds covered the sky of New York city. There were so many of them that they blotted out the sun. They cawed eerily. The birds died in mid air andnded on skyscrapers, streets and people. Rigor mortis set in before they even hit the floor.

    Birds could be contagion carriers, so that was another thing to worry about. But... this whole thing was certainly not normal.

    The people of New York were running frantically for cover. Watching the video, Chen Jiahwa was lost. What was happening to this world...

    ¡°Jiahwa, this is big news!¡± His phone vibrated, it was a message from his friend. ¡°Look at the videos shared in our group!¡±

    He opened the chat group. The videos were those of London and New York. Looks like he was not the only one surfing the forbidden inte. His friends were all discussing this new development.

    ¡°That has to be a special effect! Probably a promotion for some new movie.¡±

    ¡°But what about those people? Will they spend so much on extras for a promo?¡±

    ¡°There are international news articles on these incidents, they are both real.¡±

    ¡°...Aliens are invading Earth?¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 285: Transmission of Emotion

    <h4>Chapter 285: Transmission of Emotion</h4>

    Gu Jun was in quarantine when he found out about the situation in London and New York. He had been there for 3 days already. After Siyu confirmed his identity, he worked with the headquarters through remotemunication to handle various incidents.

    ¡°Quarantine, quarantine, how much longer you people are going to keep him locked up?!¡± Elder Tong grumbled. He believed the Zoogs¡¯ statement that the House of Worm would not present humanity with anymore ¡®gifts¡¯, ¡°Which branch of Phecda does not need the kid, you tell me?!¡± However, Elder Tong¡¯sints did nothing to speed up the protocol. What did shatter the protocol was the sudden incidents that urred that afternoon. Gu Jun put on the airtight protective suit, went through the decontamination room and exited quarantine.

    ¡°Ah Jun, what¡¯s happening?¡± Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning and thend¡¯s travellers were all released as well. They knew that something must have gone wrong or else they would not be released 1 week earlier than scheduled.

    ¡°Something has happened over in America and Britain.¡± Gu Jun said darkly. The workers yed the rted footage on the phones for them. They watched the videos as they exited the quarantine building. They hopped onto a quarantine car, which was painted over to avoid public confusion, to head into the Eastern State City. These videos were not confidential, despite the inte monitoring within the country, they were easily essible without.

    ¡°Oh no...¡± Kathlyn fidgeted anxiously, ¡°Is Australia alright?¡± She called her parents and sighed in relief when she found out they were fine. The world was changing... The next day, one could wake up to find one¡¯s loved ones dying.

    ¡°Fuck, what now?!¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed loudly. They were still dealing with the aftermath of legione pneumonia but someone decided toe up with something new at a time like this?!

    ¡°This is bad, this is bad...¡± Even Uncle Dan was not in a joking mood. His face was stern. ck fog and dead birds, if they carried contagious virus or bacteria...

    Thankfully, things didn¡¯t look that way. The ck fog that swept London disappeared as fast as it came. It started to dissipate after 20 minutes, leaving behind a stench of putrefaction and a whole city of shocked citizens. Temporarily, there was no reported case of sickness. Over at New York, the dead birds were verified to be illusions coagted from ck fog. They dropped to the ground and covered the whole city in ayer of dead carcasses, but in less than half an hour, all of them dissolved back into fog. The only simrity was they too left behind a horrible stench of putrefaction. Regardless, the two countries had announced emergency lockdown, and they were both testing for signs of infections. It had been an hour since then and so far, there was no record of injury or fatality.

    ¡°These should be the effect of some kind of ritual...¡± Inside the car, Gu Junmunicated with the headquarters, ¡°They most likely do not carry any pathogen, at least that¡¯s what I felt when I saw the videos.¡± After his adventure inside the House of Worm, he became more sensitive to things like this. The videos did not give off a presence of death. Wu Siyu did not sense anything from them either, she felt like she was watching videos of a funny clown.

    ¡°You think this is just a scare?¡± Yao Sinian asked in confusion, ¡°It has no real effect behind it?¡±

    ¡°To perform a ritual to harm arge metropolis is not that easy.¡± Gu Jun shared his view. ¡°For now, I do not think our enemies are capable of that.¡± If they were, why not just hit big cities with the legione pneumonia in the first ce? Now he understood it was because of the House of Worm. Kaar was a rtively barren location, to ensure the connection between Dreand and Earth, the affected locations had to be barren cities themselves. They were also close to the sea due to the cultists¡¯ faith in Cthulhu. These were the connections between San Hai City and the other affected cities. The epidemic started at these ces and through the increase in fatality number, the thousand-eyed worm got stronger, thus spreading the epidemic further. This proved indirectly that the cultists did not possess super advanced biotechnology, they still need to rely on supernatural power to create the epidemic. Furthermore, if they did not use supernatural power, how were they going to awaken the Lord of R¡¯yleh?

    ¡°Then why do you think they are doing this?¡± Yao Sinian enquired. Hearing Gu Jun suggest that these incidents were not contagious, he rxed aplenty.

    ¡°I believe... they are trying to spread fear to create chaos.¡± Gu Jun answered as a chill tingled down his spine. Fear and chaos were the fodder for certain existence like the House of Worm. The cultists might be attempting to reopen the House of Worm or some other location...

    Scrolling through the international websites, manyizens responded in fear but of course, there were also those who revel in the chaos. They cheered for the end of the world, came up with conspiracies and added fuel to the fire... these were all seeds of chaos. Fear was a powerful emotion, many people were at their wit¡¯s end. One more push and who knew what they¡¯d do. Today it was London and New York, where it would strike tomorrow?

    Chaos and fear... these elements could be far more contagious than any known biological pathogen. Gu Jun got chills because he had this suspicion... that hemoptysis might start as a psychological illness. After all, a healthy mind equals a healthy body, the reverse is also true. After the foreign world was sucked into a whirlpool of enormous fear due to the attack of the Necroskins, hemoptysis arrived. Itpletely shattered the people¡¯s will for survival. The legione pneumonia epidemic and these feats of chaos were echoing that process.

    ¡°Commander Yao, Elder Tong,¡± Gu Jun added, ¡°We mustn¡¯t allow the public fear to intensify, this might be a psychological epidemic.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Elder Tong concurred. ¡°I¡¯ve been saying certain things are better dealt with honesty instead of covering them up, I hate that I¡¯m right this time.¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, be ready.¡± Yao Sinian said seriously, ¡°With this incident, the White House will have to admit the existence of supernatural forces, we are already in discussion with them about how much we should reveal to the public. It has been decided that once the US does so, we will follow up with our own announcement, and when that happens, you¡¯ll be pushed out into the spotlight.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 286: Federal Bureau of Mystery

    <h4>Chapter 286: Federal Bureau of Mystery</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Two days passed and no more news came from London and New York, the anomalous phenomenon that horrible day appeared to be nothing more than a phase. Order at the two metropolises was affected to a certain degree but the worst was the global terror it evoked. What was the origin of the ck fog? Terrorist attack? Various analyses and spections appeared online but one thing was for sure, the incidents happened for real, they were not CGI special effects. For the past 2 days, Chen Jiahwa spent his life in front of theputer.

    It was rtively quiet within the country but in America, people went on the streets, and the hashtag ¡®we demand an exnation¡¯ trended on twitter.

    ¡°Could it be something unnatural?¡± Father Chen offered but Mother Chen retorted, ¡°What era is it already?! Believe in science.¡± Chen Jiahwa though frowned silently, ¡®Can current scientific knowledge really exin everything?¡¯

    Heid in bed and tossed and turned thinking about his increasingly blurry future. His eyes were about to close when suddenly the phone on his bedside table rang.

    ¡°Who is it...¡± He grabbed the phone to check the caller Id. It was his friend, Xiao Lin. ¡®What the hell is he up to now? Does he not know it¡¯s already 1 am?!¡¯¡±Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Jiahwa, now is not the time to sleep! Big news, big news!¡± Based on the excitement and disbelief in Xiao Lin¡¯s voice, it did not sound like bad news. ¡°The American President is giving a speech. He¡¯s admitting to the presence of supernatural energy!¡±

    ¡®What?!¡¯ Chen Jiahwa bounced up from the bed. His drowsiness disappeared immediately.

    ...

    Over the past 2 days, Phecda were waiting. The higher-ups were still deciding whether to make any announcement and if yes, how much should they reveal? Due to many reasons, specifically the Chinese national culture, the Chinese government did not want to make this announcement and they had been persuading the White House to keep the supernatural a secret and instead use another method to calm the citizens. If not for the negotiating chip in Phecda¡¯s possession of Drug No. 1, the White House would havee out with the announcement a long time ago. For this kind of international negotiation, every party had their own corner to protect.

    In any case, the superior¡¯s intention was clear. China would not be the first country to make the announcement but once the White House did, they would immediately follow up. Therefore, various departments had been working overtime, and a celebrity unit within Phecda was ready for their spotlight. Once this mysterious veil was removed, many things would be different.

    ...

    ¡°No way, supernatural forces?!¡±

    ¡°I am definitely going to join the FBM.¡±

    When Chen Jiahwa climbed out of bed, his friend group was already busy with activity. Messages popped up on screen. People were excited. The announcement of the existence of supernatural force was like the admittance of superheroes in the real world. He rushed to hisputer to get online. The national media was rtively quiet but the internationalizens were already abuzz withments. He used the software to bypass the inte restriction. Due to differences in time zones, it was around noon in America. The American President was giving a speech at the White House.

    Chen Jiahwa knew a bit of English but thankfully there was a tranted subtitle. ¡°Supernatural forces¡± was defined as forces that current human scientific knowledge could not understand, naturally this was rtive to the era it was in. For example, prehistoric men would not understand the use of phones, so for them that too would be a supernatural force, not everything had to do with ghosts and gods. Every era had its own definition of the supernatural.

    The new strain of legione pneumonia as well as the strange events that happened at New York and London spoke of the supernatural. The more Chen Jiahwa watched, the more excited he became. Despite increased questions, at least the anxiety he had earlier disappeared, since now there was an exnation. The American President said that the world was in danger, ¡°But we have the strongest shield and the sharpest weapon to deal with this threat!¡± This was the announcement that excited Chen Jiahwa and his friends the most.

    The White House revealed the existence of a secret national department, Federal Bureau of Mystery, FBM for short. It was simr to the more well-known FBI but this department focused only on supernatural events.

    Mystery, ording to the dictionary, means something that is difficult or impossible to understand or exin. It originated from the Greek term, mysterion, which meant secret religious ritual.

    Apanying the announcement of this mysterious bureau was the introduction of its elite members, there were both African Americans and Caucasians. The men were tall and handsome, and the women sexy and attractive. They did not have uniforms but dressed fashionably, looking perfectly like superheroes.

    ¡°We thank FBM for their contribution for dealing with the danger that would have destroyed the world.¡± The President ended with, ¡°May God bless us.¡±

    The whole inte exploded. Sometimes even the truth was not that easily handled. Chen Jiahwa returned to his friend group. 8 of 10 messages were about FBM. Even though the White House did not state explicitly that it was FBM who had dealt with thetest epidemic, it was heavily implied. It was FBM who had saved the world from ruination.

    ¡°I wonder if our country has a simr department.¡± Wei Mingxuan asked.

    Ren Yu, ¡°I believe so, every country should have one, but they have been kept secret.¡±

    Lee Jiaqu, ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t think ours will be that impressive...¡±

    Wang Zirui, ¡°They probably spend their days working on paperwork and stuff.¡±

    ¡®Where is your sense of patriotism?¡¯ Chen Jiahwa¡¯s mood was dampened slightly reading these mockeries. He typed, ¡°Perhaps our counterpart is better than FBM? How else are you going to exin why we¡¯re spared from the ck fog?¡± He was about to press send but he stopped himself... perhaps internally he did not believe what he typed either.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Chen Jiahwa sighed. He was suddenly reminded of the group of disease control members in the cotton outfits who had caused unnecessary fear several days ago... With noparison, there was no damage. Look at them and then look at the FBM. With another sigh, he deleted his typed message and sent a different one, ¡°Ours should be just as fine. After all, we¡¯re quite a strong military country.¡±

    The chat group eventually petered into sharing of emoticons. They knew where to stop or else they might get into trouble. The censorship in China was notorious. With regards to what Chen Jiahwa said, no one agreed or even responded.

    ...

 Chapter 287: Press Conference

    <h4>Chapter 287: Press Conference</h4>

    After the revtion of FBM, the bureau swiftly became the most discussed topic on the inte. Globalizens were quick to share their views. Ellen Bryan wrote, ¡°I am proud of FMB! They have been working in the background, contributing silently. Their work is extremely dangerous but they have to keep their job a secret. That is so hard, definitely they are all heroes. The bad incidents aside, at least now we can officially celebrate them!¡±

    Alexandra Bodu wrote, ¡°As a European, I have my fair share ofints about America but I have to hand it to the brave fighters at FBM!¡± This post received many likes, approved byizens all over the world. Another post which received many likes was one written by KIUD1351, ¡°Oh my god! I recognize Grant Bell, we went to the same university but he disappeared after graduation and cannot be contacted. So he has joined FBM, honestly I¡¯m not surprised, he¡¯s our valedictorian after all!¡±

    Grant Bell was one of the elites in FBM. He was 30 plus, 190 cm tall and was incredibly handsome with sharp jaw, aquiline nose, and dark green eyes. He had the action hero good looks. It would not have felt weird if he was cast as the next superman. There were 11 members in FBM¡¯s elite unit. The few who caught people¡¯s attention were:

    Michael J. Bruce: African American, 30 plus, 2 metres tall, and bald. He was the most muscr of all the members. His ebony skin gave him a feral aura, like a bear which could fling a car away with a single swipe.

    Helen ire: reminiscent of her namesake, she was a beauty which could cause the war of Troy. ording to official information, she was 25 and had an auburn long hair. She stood out for her dazzling good looks. She had grey eyes and startlingly white skin. Complimented by her bright head of hair, she had the allure of a witch.

    Toddy Matt: at 19, he was the youngest member. His appearance made the whole event feel like a boybandpetition. Instantly he grabbed the hearts of young girls all over the world. In our world, appearances meant everything.

    Other than these 4, the others were not given much attention by the public even though the strongest member might be among them. In any case, all members of the elite FBM unit had a sturdy posture and sharp gazes. It was clear that these people were not promotional caricatures, they were actual elites from FBM. After their appearance at the White House, they were ushered into a press conference. These elites were given the Hollywood treatment. Everyone had a mic and the hall was squeezed to the brim with reporters. This conference would not only be livestreamed at various tv channels but also on the inte. It would be watched literally by the whole world. Monitors inside hospitals, at bars, even at Times Square were broadcasting the press conference.

    ¡°Mr. Bell, how do you define supernatural force?¡± A reporter asked, ¡°And do you guys have superpower?¡±

    ¡°No, we do not.¡± Grant Bell shed his handsome smile, ¡°We are not Avengers or X-men. Supernatural forces do not equate to superpower, it will not give you immortality or power of flight. We are just normal people who have some unique experience.¡± Naturally FBM had briefed the members about the statements that they should give to the media.

    ¡°We wish to know more about the legione pneumonia.¡± Another reporter asked, ¡°How did supernatural force get involved in it? And what have you done to curb the epidemic?¡± The other reporters readied their pens and cameras, this was a question most people cared about.

    ¡°To be honest...¡± Bell¡¯s smile lingered as he paused, ¡°There are still too many mysteries regarding this tragedy, we cannot give any conclusivements for now.¡± The media knew they would not receive all the information at once or else FBM would not have been in secret for so many years. But as a media, naturally they would not give up their hounding, they had to work hard to get at least some scoops.

    ¡°Then can you tell us exactly what kind of mission you have undertaken?¡± The reporter pressed, ¡°Was there a fight with these supernatural forces? Do they manifest themselves as monsters? What kind of weapons are effective against them? Guns? Swords or the cross?¡± The reporter¡¯s question was long but it was basically just one enquiry, please describe your job scope.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Bell¡¯s green eyes blinked. He scratched his head and then began hesitantly, ¡°We would normally, hmm...¡± Bruce next to him scratched his bald head, Helen looked on expressionlessly, others arched their brows, some shrugged. They seemed to be saying, ¡®It¡¯s no biggie, there¡¯s no need to go into details¡¯ or ¡®You must know that certain things are too confidential to reveal to the public¡¯.

    At the same time, in thement section of the livestream, the globalizens were gushing with praises.

    ¡°Just look at them, how dashing and gorgeous!¡±

    ¡°I still think they¡¯re hiding their superpower from us. Don¡¯t be surprised if Bell or Matt suddenly jump 10 inch into the air.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m in love with Helen...¡±

    ¡°This is the proudest moment for us Americans, we¡¯re leading the globe once again, as we always do.¡±

    Finally, Bell Grant said, ¡°I can only say that the situation with the legione pneumonia was veryplicated but we will continue to release the information as we see fit.¡±

    With the press officers controlling the conference, the reporters could only get so much before they were forced to change subject. Some of the more experienced reporters felt like this elite unit was hiding something. Regardless, at this timing, the appearance of FBM was a confidence boost to the world.

    However, back in China, the Chineseizens were boiling with resentment. This was because the national media still had not reported on this issue. Many forums were silenced and monitored. For all appearances, it was as if this announcement by the White House had never happened. ¡®What the hell? Is the government going to continue to pretend supernatural forces do not exist? Do we reallyck so far behind the other countries? We don¡¯t even have a ready department to deal with something this serious?¡¯

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter via ko-fi: https://tinyurl/ltdonation2

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 288: The Announcement

    <h4>Chapter 288: The Announcement</h4>

    Chen Jiahwa was also tuning into FBM¡¯s press conference. With his English level, he did not understand much, so he was more focused on the onlinements among Chineseizens. The disgruntlement on the inte grew but if there was a ce that could not achieve a unified front, it was the web. Some of theizens maintained their confidence and calmness. FBM appeared impressive but their own country¡¯s secret unit would not pale inparison either. After all, there were signs that suggested that.

    Based on what the US President said, supernatural forces had been active for quite some time. There had been some strange news that popped up online within the nationtely but they were allbelled as rumors. Looking back, some of them were probably real, but the fact that none of them ended in tragedy had proven something. Chen Jiahwa agreed with this perspective, he found many of the analyses reasonable. It had only been half an hour since the US president gave his speech but the conflict that originated from it was long and intense, it was the same within his friend¡¯s group.

    ¡°Now I start to suspect we do not even have such a department...¡± Wang Zirui added. He and Lee Jiaqu had been slinging mud at the government. Surprisingly enough, it was Ren Yu, normally a peacemaker, who got into argument with them, ¡°New York was filled with dead birds a few days ago and is still currently on lockdown! But nothing like that has happened here, why do you think that is?!¡±

    Wang Zirui, ¡°Easy, we¡¯re too easy a target for the supernatural forces to waste time on.¡±

    Chen Jiahwa was incensed. Granted the Chinese government had its problem but these people were being contrarian for the sake of it, ¡°Wang Zirui, what do you mean by that?¡± Wang Zirui started with the intention of making jokes but as the atmosphere intensified, he got truly riled up. He shot back, ¡°Well, probably due to how ipetent our administration is, even the supernatural forces does not want to deal with them.¡±

    Xiao Lin, ¡°That¡¯s enough from all of you. Look at the time. Better head back to sleep.¡± He knew his friend was trying to ease the tension but how could he sleep with a ball of fury in his heart... He was about to mount a retort when the chat group was swamped again. The message notifications pinged incessantly.

    ¡°Turn on the tv!¡±

    ¡°The news is out, our government is making the announcement too! The supernatural is real!¡±

    ¡°I swear to join Phecda!¡±

    ¡®What?!¡¯ Chen Jiahwa rushed into the living room and switched on the television. He glued his eyes to the screen and screamed excitedly, ¡°Mom, dad, quick! The announcement is here!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What announcement?¡± Father Chen and Mother Chen soon shuffled out of their bedroom. Why themotion so early in the morning?

    The Chen family was not the only one awake at that ungodly owner. If one looked out the window, one could see lightsing on one after another in the neighborhood windows. The whole city wasing alive. It was like thunder had just stricken the area, causing people¡¯s heart to palpitate. Of course, there were some who were spared like those who viewed sleep as the most important thing in the world. The broadcast was live on both the television and on the inte. Those who were still working tuned into the news through their phone.

    The announcement had been made! The existence of supernatural forces¡ªthings that human beings temporarily could not understand, was real! At the same time, a secret department called Phecda was revealed. They were responsible for dealing with supernatural incidents. But there were more revtions that caused Chen Jiahwa¡¯s heart to pound and Father Chen to cheer with excitement...

    During this official announcement, there were many unbelievable revtions. The announcement began with a solemn tribute to the victims and staff who had given their lives during the pandemic, it was followed by a high praise of the various departments rted to curbing the pandemic like the first responders, medical workers and researchers. Then the announcement stated clearly that the supernatural force in the recent pandemic was dealt by a special mobile force affiliated to Phecda. In fact, the only drug effective against this new strain of legione pneumophilia was the joint effort between the researchers and the team leader of this special mobile force, Doctor Gu Jun. The drug had been sent to the hospitals within the affected areas and donated to other countries. With the uing series of disease control activities, the pandemic should be effectively eliminated.

    Despite not revealing too many confidential information, the official statement covered most bases and answered many questions. At the end of the announcement, it added that a press conference with Doctor Gu and the elites from Phecda would begin half an hourter. The half an hour was naturally given to the public for them to process the information and for the media to work on their articles as well.

    ¡°So it was us who resolved the epidemic...¡± The revtion felt so surreal. He turned back to his phone, his friend¡¯s group was a mess already. He ran back to his bedroom to check on theputer. The inte exploded. Netizens who showed faith in the Chinese government earlier now started to brag. Chen Jiahwa skipped over the inte restrictions and found the overseas response to be less than optimistic. Even with his rudimentary English, he could see that other than a small percentage, most of the globalizens viewed thetest Chinese government¡¯s announcement with varying degrees of suspicion. For example, one imed that the form of the drug was stolen from other more advanced countries... Considering China¡¯s history, could these people be med?

    ¡°The truth will always prevail!¡± Before theputer screen, Chen Jiahwa pumped his fist. No wonder the Chinese government did not make the announcement at first notice, they wanted to gather more information first. Chen Jiahwa picked up his phone with excitement and typed the following into the group, ¡°Just now who was the one ndering our government for its ipetence?¡±

    Instantly, Renyu, Xiao Lin and other friends tagged Wang Zirui.

    Wang Zirui, ¡°ha ha... I was only joking, my fingers slipped. That was a typo.¡±

    They chided the man for a while before turning to other topics like how to join Phecda, and how the secret mobile force would look like, what kind of person Doctor Gu Jun was, how old he was... Their impression of this man was that of their medical professors in university, stuffy and cantankerous.

    The hot topic among the girls was whether there would be dashing soldiers within Phecda. Hot guys in uniform, that was every girl¡¯s dream. The half an hour was not long but it felt like a lifetime for those waiting. Finally the Phecda press conference began.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter via ko-fi: https://tinyurl/ltdonation2

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 289: First Showing

    <h4>Chapter 289: First Showing</h4>

    Solemnity was the overall atmosphere of the press conference. The press was fully seated but the stage was still empty. With the host¡¯s introduction, the Phecda members walked into the room. There were 8 of them in total, 5 males and 3 females. They wore sharp uniforms and tags on theirpels. They saluted the cameras before taking their seats. Press conferences in China had a different culture, it was more like a propagation of information to the public through the media instead of a conservation between the government and the media.

    From the moment the eight members walked into the room, the cameras started to sh. All the members were surprisingly young. A collective gasp went through the people watching the livestream. ¡®That is Gu Jun?!¡¯

    ¡°Oh my, look at how young that kid is!¡± Mother Chen gasped audibly. Even Father Chen nodded numbly, ¡°Jiahwa, he looks not much older than you.¡± The official had released the information beforehand. This Gu Jun was 22 years old, and he was a graduate from Eastern State University¡¯s clinical medicine ss. Chen Jiahwa was shocked as well. The passion within his heart started to burn again with the thought, ¡®Captain Gu started his journey as a doctor...¡¯

    The girls in the group chirped. Messages like ¡°I will love Gu Jun forever!¡±¡±My heart, my heart¡± started to flood the chatroom. As mentioned earlier, today was a first impression-weighted society. This Gu Jun easily captured the young girls¡¯ hearts. 182 cm in height, Gu Jun was quite imposing. He was not particrly handsome but he had a charm about him, one that could be felt by other males like Chen Jiahwa as well. Quiet, sharp but friendly, he was a big brother who would care for his teammates and would do anything to protect them. That was probably an aura that was cultivated from his days as the leader of the special mobile force, and from his work walking the fine line between life and death often.

    Renyu, ¡°This Gu Jun, man, he¡¯s impressive.¡±

    Xiao Lin, ¡°His gaze scares me a little. Scared emoji.¡±

    Following Gu Jun¡¯s revtion,izens both within and without the country had plenty to say. Most of the Chineseizens praised him for his aplishment despite his young age while those without challenged his youthfulness. Some even questioned the Chinese government¡¯s intention for pushing out someone so young to be the leader of such an important secret service unit. Were they trying to turn this important event into a reality tv show?

    Wang Zirui suddenly added, ¡°Howe this Gu Jun looks so simr to one of the people in cotton outfits who was captured earlier? I mean, guys, go andpare the footage.¡± That earned him more jabs from his friends. ¡°Stop talking nonsense!¡±¡±Someone¡¯s jealousy is showing.¡±

    Chen Jiahwa though shared Wang Zirui¡¯s suspicion. He pulled up the earlier video to look but the video was taken from a distance, the body frame was simr but the face was too blurry to tell...

    ¡°I swear to join Phecda, Big Brother Jun is mine!¡± Xie Yiyi, one of the girls, suddenly proimed. Who knew whether she was kidding or not. Chen Jiahwa chuckled, they say girls change their taste as fast as the wind, looks like it was true. Just not too long ago, she was the one who professed endless love for the gentleman from FBM. Nheless, she was not the only one falling for Gu Jun¡¯s charm. In fact, a fan club for Gu Jun was gathering on the inte.

    But no matter how handsome Gu Jun was, he was not going to get much fans among the guys. As nature proims, opposite attracts.

    Of the eight who took the stage, there were Gu Jun, Xue Ba, Ma Feng, Mchite and Luo Dan, nicknamed Uncle Dan, as well as 21 years old Wu Siyu, 29 years old Lou Xiaoning and 25 years old Peacock. The three girls were all beautiful. The most eye-grabbing was Lou Xiaoning with the eyepatch over her right eye. The youngest female member caught some eyeball as well. She was not a ssical beauty but her elfishness spoke of a quick and quirky disposition, she also acted the most casually on stage.

    Xiao Lin, ¡°Hey, that girl by the name of Wu Siyu is quite cute.¡±

    Huang Meiqin, ¡°Are you sure cute is the right word to describe a secret agent? I¡¯m sure she can lift you up with just one hand.¡±

    Wei Mingxuan, ¡°Look at the way she is seated, only the big boss can be so at ease, I¡¯m sure she is the strongest among them.¡±

    The group started to gossip, even the lurkers surfaced to join in the discussion. After a series of spection, the conclusion was: This Wu Siyu was definitely a mean character, the reasoning? Simple, she was seated at the press conference like it was her own home, only a character at boss level could be so rxed at such a formal setting. ording to literary logic, the big bosses knew how to hide themselves, this Gu Jun might be pushed as the frontman but Wu Siyu was the real shot caller. This added to Wu Siyu¡¯s allure and many wished to be lifted up by her.

    Of course, not everyone had a masochist tendency, Chen Jiahwa himself thought Lou Xiaoning was quite charming.

    Chen Jiahwa, ¡°I personally think Lou Xiaoning is quite dashing, anyone share my opinion?¡±

    Zhou Jiexuan, ¡°Peacock is of mixed blood origin! Her English name is Kathlyn Lee, she is totally my type!¡±

    Wang Zirui, ¡°Only the young choose, I want all of them, muahahaha.¡±

    Simrly, not all girls salivated over Gu Jun, other than Uncle Dan, there were promations of adoration for the muscleman Xue Ba, as well as Mchite due to his mixed blood good looks. Even Ma Feng gained fans due to his studious and intelligent presence.

    Of course since this was not a movie cast reveal, naturally the focus should not be on their appearances but since people knew only that much about supernatural forces and they had no idea what the job scope of Phecda entailed, they could onlyment on their appearance for now. Uncle Dan was ced there to lend some professionalism to the event, or at least that was what some of theizens professed.

    To be honest, everyone wanted to know more about their capability and the globalizens had one question on their mind, ¡®Do they have superpower?¡¯

    Chen Jiahwa watched the news while scrolling through the various forums. It was rowdy everywhere, both announcements from America and China had chased away the clouds that hung over the globe for the past few months.

    After the host introduced some more basic information about Phecda, it was time for the guests to speak. The crowd before the screen saw Gu Jun in the middle of the table pick up his script and hear him clear his throat.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Tomission Bonus Chapter via ko-fi: https://tinyurl/ltdonation2

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 290: Gu Junâ€™s Speech (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 290: Gu Jun¡¯s Speech (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡®Child, is this not the arrival of a new era, is this not a turning point in history... If not for this gue, you people will still continue to work like rats in the sewers. Instead of fighting darkness, you were part of the darkness.¡¯

    When Gu Jun and Wu Siyu arrived at the press conference, they could hear some whisperings in the undercurrent of the hubbub. ¡®The whole world will know about you. They will dissect your looks, your ability, your background, and your identity. They will praise and love you but soon they will be sick of you because you will be incapable of stopping the imminent tragedy for you are a gue doctor...¡¯

    After giving the military salute, Gu Jun took a deep breath and sat down. Before him were more than 10 reporters and a handful of cameras turned towards him. Indeed, the global audience was watching and this was a historical turning point. Even after their many ordeals, the elite members were nervous to show themselves before the public, with the exception of Wu Siyu.

    The whispering in Gu Jun¡¯s ears grew louder, it was practically howling at him. ¡®Where does this voicee from? Is it a mental attack? Or the manifestation of anxiety within me?¡¯ Gu Jun did not know but he tried his best to silence it. His mind was made and he would not be persuaded off course by these white noises despite how ufortable they made him...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± Wu Siyu next to him could sense his difiture, she leaned over to whisper, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun responded. There was a dark energy within him for he had consumed one before. Furthermore, he had a history with Afterlife Cult so the appearance of voices in his head was not anything new. Perhaps this was the equivalent of the ¡®ck fog¡¯ in China. If the new leader of the Chinese special forces had a nervous breakdown before the country, it would definitely shatter public confidence. Gu Jun focused his mind and told the chaos, ¡®The new era has indeed arrived, as it always does, but I¡¯m sorry, it will not be an era that you anticipated.¡¯

    The voice was silent for a moment before returning with vengeance, ¡®Then what kind of era will be it? An era of distrust? Country pitted against country, department against department, and individual against individual? Everyone has their own goal to pursue so conflict is inevitable... But wait a minute, you already know that, so, if anything, you are only going to usher in an age where the conflicts will be more pronounced.¡¯ Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s mind wavered and he saw some images. He could somehow tell that they werements from the inte. They reeked of the distrust, mockery and abuse against Phecda within and without the country. The altercations were escting. ¡®Is the voice channelling images into my mind?¡¯

    Despite everything, Gu Jun was impressed because he could sense that the origin of the voice was not nearby. It reminded him of his long-distancemunication with Wu Siyu when they were continents away... The voice was crystal clear in his mind despite the distance. It proved that he shared a connection with the owner of this voice for better or for worse.

    The distorted voice began again, ¡®Worms will never truly unite even before death. Face it, even the smallest of arguments will shatter any possibility of unity.¡¯

    ¡°Next, we shall invite Captain Gu as the representative to speak.¡± The host announced then. Gu Jun did have something on his mind to say, but he was there to y a role that day, which was to be the mouthpiece for Phecda. The script that he was given had been heavily vetted.

    The voice mocked, ¡®Listen to yourself, speaking those untrue words. Compared to the depth of supernatural energy and supernatural existence, how frivolous they sound. Since you have refused ascendancy, then struggle in the mud with the rest of the worms. Live in mud and die in mud.¡¯

    ¡°Good afternoon, everyone.¡± Gu Jun nced at the script before looking right at the camera. The voice annoyed him and his jaws gritted tightly. Before he knew it, a choice had been made. After reading out loud the first sentence, Gu Jun put down the script. He wanted to have his real thoughts speak through. The host and press officers frowned with surprise and consternation. ¡®What is he up to?¡¯

    ¡°It is now 2.25 am but the medical staff and workers are still fighting inside the surgery room,bs and their designated posts at the frontline. I wish to send my deepest respect to every single one of them for they are all heroes.¡±

    The reporters listened quietly. Even the crowd before the screen piped down. Most of the audience were either lying in bedfortably watching the press conference on their phone or cuddling up with their families watching the news in the living room. However, at the same time, there were others who were still fighting to save people¡¯s lives. Gu Jun strayed from the script, even though his words brooked no problem, the fact was the Chinese administration was not used to unnned surprises. The directors backstage panicked, ¡®Should we cut off the livestream?¡¯ Thankfully, experienced leaders like Elder Tong and Yao Sinian assured them of Gu Jun¡¯s ability. He knew what he was doing. Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan on stage peered at Gu Jun, thetter did not look like he was losing control and Wu Siyu did not send them any warning either.

    Ignoring the voice, Gu Jun continued sternly, ¡°People might think that we are the ones who have gained victory over the pandemic but that is not true. To win over the disease, to prevail over every tragedy, we need unity from all parties. Without the members from disease control centre, without the cooperation from the public, evacuation would not be done so effectively; Without theb workers, the drug would not be made; Without the fearlessness of the frontline medical workers, the patients would not be saved; Without the determination of the patients and their family members, the disease would have consumed more innocent lives.¡± When he said these words, his heart quivered. Faces of many people crossed his mind. He might not know them personally but he would never forget the feeling of their eyes settling on him.

    ¡°Over the past few days, I have been reading the wills of the frontline workers who have unfortunately passed away.¡± That was a job assigned to him by Phecda to see if he could make connection with the thousand-eyed worm and to ensure that the departed had truly gone to the great beyond. Incidentally, that helped forge a connection between Gu Jun and these nameless heroes. He continued solemnly, ¡°Huang Lin, 28 years old, main physician at Jiang Xin Hospital. Her dying wish was to study another degree in veterinary medicine and to marry her boyfriend. The things that were on her mind when she was on her deathbed were her parents and her pet dog, Dou Dou.

    ¡°Lee Huaihai, 32 years old, San Hai Hospital¡¯s main physician. His will was that he could get a few months of holiday to get away from the city and rx with a series of books. Before his death on duty, Doctor Lee serviced the Department of Respiratory Medicine for six long years and never asked for a day of break.

    ¡°Yang Fang, 25 years old, Phecda Action Department Member. His will was written before he departed for hisst mission. He wanted to go home to share a meal with his mother. He missed the taste of his mother¡¯s braised meat because he had not been home for 2 years already due to his work.¡±

    Gu Jun had already summarized the wills but even as he went through them, the stack never seemed to deplete. And the stack of wills he was given was only the ones who had died at San Hai City. Some did not even have the chance to write down any words before the disease imed them.

    ¡°He Feng, 43 years old, San Hai City Disease Control Centre¡¯s in-house Expert. His wish was for his parents, wife and daughter to survive. Mr. He wanted to see his daughter grow up healthily and safely, he wanted to be there for her when she went to primary school, secondary school, and college. He wanted to see her fall in love and to marry her off to the love of her life.

    ¡°Shen Haoxuan, 18 years, he was supposed to start university after this summer holiday. Hisst wish was to confess his love to his high school crush.¡±

    Gu Jun tried to not let his voice catch but his eyes were red. Some of the reporters wept silently.

    ¡°These were all normal people with normal wishes.¡± Gu Jun continued. ¡°They were imperfect but they are the true heroes of this story.¡±

    The voice silenced.

    ¡°This world is not perfect, it is not wless by any means but for these small wishes, it is worth protecting.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s focused gaze glinted dangerously as he announced the decision made by his superior. ¡°To do that, we Phecda will be the first to participate in the new international organization, The Global ult Alliance, a measure taken by the country to counter against the threat of the supernatural. I wish that every country will be able to put down their differences toe towards a holistic and in-depth cooperation.

    ¡°Our goal is very simple.¡± This was something Gu Jun added, it was meant for the media as well as the voice, ¡°We will destroy anything that wishes to stand in the way of human tranquillity.¡±

    The reporters buzzed noisily. Even the viewers before the screen were shocked. Who would have thought? Right after the revtion of a secret department, an international organization was to be built!

    Gu Jun then stood up, he was followed by his other teammates. All but one of them looked serious as they gave a final military salute to the camera. They then retreated backstage while the reporters busied with their breaking news.

    On the way back, Gu Jun could not hear the voice anymore. ¡®Better stay away and hide because I aming to get you.¡¯

    Indeed, what he did earlier was a deration of war, he was done being on the defensive end. It was a new era with a new organization and new way of operating.

    He would smoke these cultists out one by one. He¡¯d yank their tails like he did with theb rats to end their despicable lives. He believed that this would effectively usher in the true golden era.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

 Chapter 291: New Semester at Phecda University

    <h4>Chapter 291: New Semester at Phecda University</h4>

    For many people, August 19th represented a sleepless night; for others, they woke up to a changed world with supernatural forces, FBM, Phecda, Global ult Alliance... Simr headlines covered national newspapers and websites. They were apanied by the eight Phecda members who revealed themselves to the world for the first time. Following this revtion, the government announced many corresponding new policies to deal with this new era. Measures were taken to calm the public. The new policies would test the government¡¯s intelligence as well as the capability of various governmental bodies.

    Even though the name, Phecda, was now public knowledge, its actual job scope and department responsibility were still shrouded in mystery. Even on the recently updated official website, not much details could be found on it. However, the website did provide a Phecda Hotline, a number that the citizens could call should they encounter anything supernatural. Actually this hotline had been in existence for a long time already, but it was working under a different name. The announcement of the hotline came with its own problem. Calls flooded in from across the nation.

    ¡°Hello, is this Phecda Hotline? I feel like someone is stalking me...¡±

    ¡°Is this Phecda? I live on the top floor, the 23rd floor to be precise, but recently I keep hearing the sound of marble bouncinging from upstairs.¡± Actually research showed that 80 percent of tenants from apartment buildings heard this sound before. The scientific exnation was the sound was made by the cracking of metallic pipes in cement as they contracted and expanded due to the change in heat.

    99 percent of the calls led to nothing but the hotline was kept open just in case.

    Of the many new policies, there was one that captured the public¡¯s attention. The government was setting up a Phecda University and it would ept its first batch of students soon!

    The Phecda University was actually a repurposing of the headquarters¡¯ training academy. The government nned to expand on Phecda¡¯s training and educational system in the future and they would involve the supernatural in normal educational sybus to help cultivate and discover moretent talents. This provided an avenue for those potential to further their studies, instead of being lured away by the promises of the devil. Undeniably this got the most resounding response from the youths. They wanted to enter this circle, to witness the power of supernatural forces for themselves.

    That early morning, Chen Jiahwa was greatly inspired by Gu Jun¡¯s speech. In spite of his nervousness, he had made a decision which he immediately announced to his parents. ¡°I¡¯ll continue my study in medicine and then I¡¯ll join Phecda!¡±

    To his surprise, the opportunity came earlier than anticipated. The enrollment of new students for the first semester at Phecda University was open to final year high school students and the examination would be held in another 10 days. The content of the exam was not announced but the teachers received notification from the education department to have the students take good rest before the exam, for a fresh mind would be extremely important. This unique exam adopted a voluntary module, those who did not wish to participate or fail would sit for the normal university exam afterwards.

    Chen Jiahwa registered at first notice, so did his good friends, Xiao Lin and Renyu... even Wang Zirui did as well. Almost half of his ss volunteered, those who did not either wanted to go overseas or were stopped by their parents due to their worry of possible danger. On the other hand, seeing the privilege Captain Gu enjoyed from the government, some parents thought Phecda was a well-suited career path for their children. Regardless, the students were all excited as they imagined in the near future they¡¯d be flying through the cities and taking down superviins with superpower.

    The 10 days passed in the blink of an eye. The world changed aplenty. One thing of note was that the ck fog never returned. New York and London rescinded their lockdown. Air samples were taken multiple times and the result was satisfactory. The legione pneumonia epidemic petered out, there was no new outbreak and existing outbreaks were effectively dealt with. Drug No. 1 was improved upon to increase its effectiveness. Through the official statements of various governments, the origin of the medicine was rified. Public believed that it was due to this drug that the formation of Global ult Alliance or GOA went so smoothly.

    On the 19th, the United Kingdom made the announcement to join GOA. She was followed by Russia and other European countries... as well as other smaller countries. But it was not until 1 weekter that the United States decided to join GOA. However, at the same time, they too announced a different international organization named World Mystery Organization, or WMO. The United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and other countries became its members, as did China. As per human nature, instant unity was impossible. ording to specialists on tv programs, currently GOA and WMO were in a cooperative yetpetitive rtionship. Perhaps in the future, the two might be one but who would be the leader, that would depend on how each of the counterparts acted in the imminent future.

    The public had a lot to say about this development, there was a clearpetition between GOA and WMO; Phecda and FBM; Gu Jun and Grant Bell. Some even suggested an arena for both parties to have it out before the global audience. Winner takes all.

    In any case, the exam for Phecda University started at the end of August. Finally the content of the exam was revealed. The students were led into a silent room. They were then equipped with some vital reading devices and exposed to multiple pictures... The exam appeared to be a test of their mental power. This fitted with their teacher¡¯s advice of, ¡°The government is looking for talented individuals, forget about your final results and physical condition. If you¡¯re selected, then it means the country sees a purpose in you. Just take a good rest and do not be nervous during the exam.¡±

    Regardless, Chen Jiahwa could not stop his nervousness. He had no idea how he performed, for there was no yardstick for him to measure his performance. The result was announced earlier than he anticipated. When Chen Jiahwa returned home that afternoon, he already got the notification. His friend group was shaken once more. Even the teachers did not expect that only two students from their school were epted, one was Chen Jiahwa and the other, Lu Xiaoyue from another ss. There were in total less than 30 students from their city who were epted.

    Chen Jiahwa¡¯s eptance into Phecda University was treated as an equivalence to him winning a lottery, both his teachers and the school headmaster came to congratte him. A congrattory banner came up at the school gate, ¡°Congrattions to our graduates, Chen Jiahwa and Lu Xiaoyue for getting into Phecda University! We are so proud of you!¡±

    Father Chen and Mother Chen could not tell whether this was a good thing or not. When their rtives came to ask for updates, they had nothing to share. Chen Jiahwa himself was under great pressure but thankfully, the new semester soon started on 1st September.

    The new students from Eastern State were ferried away on a special bus, it was like they were heading to military camp. They were led by Phecda members to Phecda University which was situated at Da Hwa City. A mysterious allure permeated this ce. For that split moment, it felt like they had entered Hogwarts.

    They were split into schools based on their future profession. Chen Jiahwa chose to continue his study of medicine and he noticed many of the new students did as well. During the opening ceremony, 20000 new students stood in attention at therge pavilion as the various leaders took the stage to make speeches. Even though the teachers stressed on the importance of discipline, these new recruits were still teenagers, their excitable nature had not been tempered.

    Therefore, when Phecda University¡¯s Guest Lecturer, Gu Jun took the stage, many students, especially the girls squealed with excitement. It caused a palpable tremor through the crowd.

    The lecturers frowned instantly.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 292: Be Prepared for the Worst

    <h4>Chapter 292: Be Prepared for the Worst</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Over the past month, Gu Jun was extremely busy, but ording to Elder Tong, it was more like a vacation. Gu Jun was taken back from the frontline to deal with administrative ordeals, like ying his role as the Phecda Hero, epting interviews, going to functions, recording tv appearances... and today he was to attend Phecda University¡¯s opening ceremony. He had no heart in any of these, he wanted to be at the hospitals saving lives but even the Phecda Hero could not go against the government arrangement.

    In any case, Gu Jun still managed to find time toplete the system¡¯s normal missions. Unfortunately he did not get any new rewards, just the same old anti-inmmation pills. To make things worse, the abyssal mission of dissecting the Deep One did not reappear. In other words, Gu Jun satisfied himself with just only looking at recorded autopsy videos of other doctors, and had not personally worked on the carcass of the Deep One himself.

    Now we find Gu Jun giving yet another speech. This time in front of 20000 cheering Phecda University¡¯s new students. Seeing the excitement on these fresh faces, Gu Jun was gripped by helplessness and gloom. These youths had no idea about the darkness of the path they had embarked on.

    ¡°Good morning, students.¡± Gu Jun said into the standing microphone as he lifted his left hand. Thest segment of his pinkie was conspicuously missing. ¡°I dissected this pinkie myself during one of the missions, so I hope you understand that you are not here for a holiday.¡± Instantly the pavilion quieted down and the young faces filled with degrees of seriousness. Actually through the distance, they could not see Gu Jun¡¯s small finger but this was something heavily promoted in the Phecda Hero¡¯s profile.

    The students knew about the danger and hardship which awaited them in Phecda. It was the reason why some parents refused to allow their children to sit for the Phecda University exam. However, the 20000 new students still saw more of the heroism in Gu Jun than the hardships than he faced. They were buying more into the fantasy than the reality.

    ¡°Be prepared for adversity.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes swept the youthful faces and he said heavily, ¡°Be prepared for great adversities, adversities that will knock down a normal person, adversities that are worse than your greatest nightmare, adversities that will push your sanity to its limits.¡± Then, Gu Jun segued into the prepared script. The atmosphere was severe, the students listened closely, much more attentive than when the other leaders were speaking. Gu Jun¡¯s script consisted mostly of encouraging words.

    Actually, enrolment in Phecda University did not guarantee a membership within Phecda, in fact, the students had even smaller clearance than Phecda interns whom Gu Jun once was. Some of these students were unpolished gems and it would be a long time before they would see the battlefield. The Phecda University¡¯s main goal was actually to attract these people with potential. Since supernatural forces were just revealed, the public needed time to adjust and this was the perfect time for anarchy. These good seeds must not fall into the wrong hands. They would be cultivated under Phecda¡¯s watchful eyes. After a few years, when the new society settled, naturally there would be a new training process. Of course, that was in an ideal future because the world might end before then...

    In any case, these new students were indeed arge talent pool, they could be trained to be the central power of Phecda in the future, but for now, what Phecda seriouslycked was manpower and resources. Phecda could not wait that long. For that, the government had done other recruitments which included training and rmendations which were not revealed to the public. To Gu Jun¡¯s knowledge, some of his old friends like Zhang Haoran, Xu Hai, He Yuhan had already officially joined Eastern State Phecda.

    ¡°Hopefully, at least 1000 of these students can graduate to be official Phecda members.¡± That was Elder Tong¡¯s hope but he knew it was a hard wish. Even the Spell Department itself had less than 600 members. After Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s team finished their mission, they were sent back into confinement.

    Workers at the Ancient Seal Department manned by Yao Sinian would not be affected by mental corruption, and the department needed plenty of fresh blood. Therefore his department nned to open its doors to new members. 3000, 5000, the more the better. The students had no idea what awaited them, they would most likely end up working in a factory production line. ording to the government mandate, the country was now at war and everyone had to contribute. It was also because of that that Phecda¡¯s many proposals, which would be held up during normal circumstances, were given the green light.

    GOA formed quickly with its headquarters set at Da Hwa City. The Chinese government negotiated with the other countries about GOA¡¯s internal structure as well as its membership. At the same time, they had to figure out a way to coexist peacefully with the US¡¯ WMO. Gu Jun was thankful that he did not need to deal with these admin work. If he had to continue such life for another month, he might really go insane. His current position within GOA was still undecided, but he would be participating in the role of senior adviser for certain decision-making processes.

    Gu Jun ended the speech with thunderous apuse from the students. He was feeling tired. Elder Tong said he should view this as a holiday, but to be honest, Gu Jun rather spent his time inside the morgue.

    ¡°Leader Gu!¡± Just as Gu Jun turned to leave, suddenly a student among the crowd shouted, ¡°You are my idol!¡± The crowd exploded inughter. Some of the girls giggled among themselves. They stole nces at Gu Jun. Gu Jun took in a deep breath, if this was the Dreands, he would have treated the students to a showing of Nightmare Wonder already.

    These people still did not really understand his words, then again, some lessons had to be learned in person. It would appear that some hardship was already in these unfortunate souls¡¯ near future for most of the lecturers were already burning with fury.

    Gu Jun went through the old system and he knew the meaning behind the term Phecda. Eventually, these students would be moulded and shaped to bear the Phecda and then they too would end up moulding and shaping the next generation.

    With this in mind, Gu Jun walked back to the mic with a smile. ¡°Thank you, in that case, you all get another 3000 metres.¡± Then he left.

    His words were rather confusing. Most of the students looked at each other in confusion, only a small number frowned in shock. But all the lecturers smiled poignantly, good, good.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 293: The Word Lai

    <h4>Chapter 293: The Word Lai</h4>

    After attending the opening ceremony at Phecda University, Gu Jun returned to the Spell Department. He denied an appearance for a singing performance at a charity event that night, he¡¯d leave that to the professional. Gu Jun had something else more important to deal with. In the maritime warfare, 3 Spell Department members were heavily injured by the Deep Ones but thankfully they were all recovering. There were still many mysteries around that battle, namely the Deep Ones, the ghost ships, the Seagull, the space distortion ritual... and that Lai Hwa Tree.

    Due to the lockdown, the Lai Hwa Tree seeding had been left on the ship. A few days ago, it finally went throughyers of inspection and was being shipped back to the base. It was now nted at the Spell Department¡¯s garden. It was heavily guarded with radar around it and Ancient Seal stones buried under the ground. Ever since the tree returned to the base, Gu Jun would go and visit it whenever he was free.

    This afternoon, he used the limited spare time toe and visit the nt. He encountered Wu Siyu there. They both stood there and observed the green sprout that grew from the seedling. The nt was definitely growing but its growth was very stuntedpared to the growth pattern of normal nts. One theory suggested it was caused by the exhaustion during the battle on the ship. Of course, it could be due to other reasons like the difference of soil and airposition on earthpared to the foreign world. In any case, at least it was still alive, something that could not be said for the Golden Aloe. The wilted young stalks failed to resuscitate and the nt tissues were sent to a team of biologists to study and dissect. The government valued this golden aloe greatly for its miraculous effect that was most evident on Gu Jun¡¯s face.

    Simrly, they valued tactical cooperation with the Zoogs. In the bigger picture, it would benefit the entire humanity but if the bond was forged, it would enable China to gain a closer monitoring of Dreands, pushing GOA ahead of WMO. For that, even 10000000 fowls were worth it. After all, China was the world¡¯s greatest production country, 10000000 fowls was nothing.

    Gu Jun enquired from Lucky about thetest update in the sweet dream, to which the reply was, ¡°The tribe leader is still considering!¡± Whether they were considering the possibility of cooperation or the nature of the ¡®very luxurious gifts¡¯, Gu Jun was not told.

    ¡°I can feel that it is very hungry.¡± Wu Siyumented, pulling Gu Jun out of his reverie. She pointed at the young sprout. ¡°It¡¯s hungrier todaypared to yesterday.¡± As someone who had connected with the tree through its shadow, even she could sense nothing more than that. However, Gu Jun had his own opinion regarding this mysterious nt. The name Lai Hwa Tree was a trantion provided by the system, the term ¡®Lai¡¯ referring to barrenness. ¡®Lai¡¯ Hwa Tree, After ¡®Life¡¯ Cult, R¡¯y ¡®Leh¡¯ Cult... the sybles were homophonous, was that a coincidence? Gu Jun thought not.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll die from hunger.¡± Wu Siyu continued, ¡°Do you think we need to feed it mental power?¡±

    ¡°Well, we can try and find out.¡± Gu Jun squatted down and pressed his right finger on the sapling. He channelled his mental power... and nothing. ¡®What kind of nt is this, that it can support super long distance, even cross-dimensional astral projection?¡¯

    ¡°I got nothing, why don¡¯t you try?¡± Gu Jun stood up. Wu Siyu mimicked him. She sensed an openness, like the sky or the sea. ¡®Openness?¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of the big banyan tree at Jiang Xin Municipal, the levelled lighthouse and the old man in the lighthouse...¡¯Is there a connection among them? What we need now is an opening in the investigation to get at the people behind the voices... Although, technically we might be on the verge of one...¡¯ Gu Jun was given an update recently that both worried and excited him.

    Gu Jun turned towards Wu Siyu and began, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, have I told you about my background?¡± The girl turned to him and answered, ¡°You¡¯ve told me some and I¡¯ve heard some from the others.¡± Wu Siyu patted him on his shoulders, ¡°Care to share more?¡±

    Gu Jun gave a long sigh and said, ¡°I was once a Spirit Child cultivated by the Afterlife Cult. To be honest, I do not remember much from that part of my life. What I remembered was helping them with the trantion of the vocabry from the foreign world, and there was a ritual where they used me as a vessel for divinity.¡± Wu Siyu listened quietly. Gu Jun shrugged and continued, ¡°Well, there is more than one Spirit Child cultivated by the Afterlife Cult but I do not remember them nor would I be able to recognize them now. I do not know whether any of them are still alive... Except for the one who is currently in custody at Eastern State Phecda Division. And I wish to meet that person.¡±

    It was the information provided by this Spirit Child that the Action Department ambushed the Lai Sheng Company¡¯s base. Instead they were ambushed and 444 people died in that mission. At the time, Phecda still had reservations regarding Gu Jun¡¯s loyalty so they had been preventing the encounter of the two Spirit Children. Phecda kept their basic information secret from each other but now, the sanction was lifted.

    Regardless, Gu Jun still did not know much about this other Spirit Child, other than they existed.

    ¡°I believe it¡¯s a girl.¡± Wu Siyu twitched her brows as a surprising thought came into her mind, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, have you considered the possibility that you two might be siblings?¡±

    ¡°Nah, Phecda has made a DNAparison, we are not rted by blood.¡± Gu Jun said. ¡°And the person might not even be a girl.¡±

    ¡°Hmm... By the way, has a DNAparison been done between the two of us?¡± Wu Siyu turned her mischievous eyes on him. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m your real sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll send in a request to have the test conducted immediately.¡± Gu Jun nudged her head. ¡°And I will also order a measurement of your head size, to ensure that there is nothing wrong with it.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I already know the result.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve always suffered from psychological disorders.¡±

    ¡°Then you shoulde to me for treatment.¡± Gu Jun chuckled. He then took out his phone to call Elder Tong and made the request to meet the other Spirit Child.

    ¡°Ah Jun, actually even if you did not make this call, I was already nning for the two of you to meet.¡± Elder Tong said on the phone. ¡°The Spirit Child is still imprisoned at Eastern State, I will request for them to release the child and send them over here now. You¡¯ll meet up with them tonight. I need you to help me determine their loyalty and nature of their thoughts. I want to see if we can recruit them into the Spell Department, after all, Spirit Children, like yourself, are uniquely talented individuals.¡±

    Gu Jun agreed. The meeting was to happen that night. He was nervous, it felt like he was going to meet his other self.

    Who could it be? Would it be someone suppressed in his memory? Would the meeting bring up more memories from his past?

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 294: Another Spirit Child

    <h4>Chapter 294: Another Spirit Child</h4>

    The mountainous forest around the Spell Department¡¯s base rustled from the early autumn breeze. Fallen leaves twirled dpidatedly to the ground. Half an hour ago, Gu Jun received the update from Elder Tong that the Spirit Child had been escorted from Eastern State Division by a Special Mobile Force unit. After the Spirit Child arrived, they were sequestered inside an interrogation room and were being heavily monitored. Currently members from the Special Mobile Force and Spell Department patrolled the corridor outside the interrogation room.

    Gu Jun pushed open the room¡¯s steel door, walked in and closed the door behind him. Before he arrived, he studied the information Phecda got on this Spirit Child. As predicted by Dirty-minded Yu, the child was a girl. She was 21 years old and her name was Deng Ximei. The interrogation room was decorated more like a small studio, with homely furniture and decoration but windows were conspicuously missing. Once he entered the room, Gu Jun saw a young woman standing by the dining table. She turned to the sound of the door opening. The woman was dressed inly. She had a slender frame, oval-shaped face and her long hair was casually tied into a ponytail. She appeared calm, even serene like she was clueless to her imprisonment.

    Gu Jun stared at her pair of dark eyes and something moved within him... Was it his suppressed memory loosening? Or it was the sensation of meeting a kindred spirit, someone who had gone through the same difficult childhood as he did? The realization that he was not alone in this ordeal... The shared empathy lightened the pressure on his shoulders. Perhaps this meeting could solve many problems that had been troubling his mind.

    ¡°Miss Deng, nice to meet you.¡± Gu Jun began.

    ¡°The pleasure is mine.¡± Deng Ximei nodded slightly. ¡°You are once a Spirit Child, yes?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped but he showed nothing on the surface, ensuring that he revealed not even a shift in his micro expression, ¡°Why would you say that?¡± Naturally no one briefed Deng Ximei about her reason for being transferred here, in fact, she was not even told that she was at the Spell Department¡¯s base. After the severe consequence caused by her previous revtion, she spent thest year in a state of confinement. She was not exposed to any news and had no idea what happened beyond the four walls which housed her.

    ¡°We are different.¡± Deng Ximei suddenly uttered, ¡°Very different.¡± She was a woman of few years and her sound was like a barely discernible night breeze. It was not strong enough to bend the trees but it was cold enough to slip into people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°How so?¡± Gu Jun asked evenly even though he already knew the answer. ording to Phecda¡¯s files, Deng Ximei had ess to mental impressions... These impressions were not as intense as illusion and they were not as far-fetched as Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s synaesthesia. In her apparent bleakness, Gu Jun saw his former self... the self who drowned in a sense of homelessness.

    Last year, at the start of the Malformed Banyan Disease, it was Deng Ximei who approached Eastern State Phecda Division to seek protection. The version that she told Phecda was, her parents were former workers at Lai Sheng Company and because of that, she was part of Lai Sheng Company¡¯s Project Child Prodigy. However, as her parents noticed the project¡¯s negative influence over her, they sprang Deng Ximei out of the project and left thepany when she was seven. The years after that, she followed her parents and made temporary homes all over the country. They stayed at the city outskirts, and Deng Ximei was home-schooled. Looking back, she realized those measures were to avoid detection by the Lai Sheng Company. Last year, when the world went south, her parents made the decision for Deng Ximei to seek refuge with Phecda in exchange for information. Her parents left ¡®because they still had something else to do¡¯. But based on the clues provided by Deng Ximei, the Action Department members eventually found her parents dead in the forest. They were hung from trees. The front part of Deng Ximei¡¯s story was simr to the vision Gu Jun had for his parents, they both left Lai Sheng Company for protection of their own children...

    But perhaps because of that very reason, Gu Jun found her story hard to believe.

    ¡°Different is different.¡± Deng Ximei did not borate as she turned her face away.

    When asked, she admitted that she did notprehend the foreignnguage and there was no ritual of divine evocation in her memory. With regards to the location of Lai Sheng Company¡¯sir, it was dug out of her mind through hypnosis. ¡°Then do you know who I am?¡± Gu Jun pressed, ¡°Do you know my name?¡±

    Deng Ximei turned to study Gu Jun, memories appeared to move in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize you even though I believe I should...¡± Gu Jun studied her back, but the more he did, the more confused he became. At times like this, he appreciated Lou Xiaoning¡¯s overt personality. This young woman before him was shrouded in aplicated self-enclosure, it was as if a wall had been built around her. It was the reason why Phecda came up with nothing even though they studied her closely for half a year already. Based on the personality assessment by the Review Department, Deng Ximei was an introverted person with unyielding determination and high spirituality.

    It reflected in her way of life. In spite of her imprisonment, she did not turn towards hard work to prove herself like Wang Ruoxiang nor did she surrender to vices like Wu Siyu, instead she spent her days gardening, reading and writing. She was perfectly at ease. The woman was impregnable, the outer world did not move her and thus she responded to none of the distressing stimulus from the other world.

    Gu Jun still had trouble understanding her statement of ¡®we are different¡¯. Was it supposed to be literal or the ¡®we¡¯ referred to both of them as in the Spirit Children are different and thus superior from the normal people? Deng Ximei was exposed to the cleansing stone before. She passed the test, meaning she bore no mental corruption, but then the stone could not read thoughts.

    ¡°Miss Deng, many things have urred in the past year.¡± Gu Jun said as he watched her closely. ¡°Many innocents have died. Tragedies urred all over the world. These incidents are all rted to Lai Sheng Company. I have read your files, and you believe it was the people from Lai Sheng Company who killed your parents. If that is true, I wonder if you wish to take revenge on Lai Sheng Company on their behalf?¡±

    Deng Ximei¡¯s expression froze slightly...

    ¡°My name is Gu Jun.¡± Gu Jun said darkly, ¡°I, for one, will do everything in my power to crush them.¡±

    ¡°Gu Jun?¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Gu Jun, Gu Jun... So it is you.¡± Gu Jun blinked. ¡®This girl really knows me or she is just pretending?¡¯ In any case, he had no memory of her. ¡°Do we know each other?¡±

    ¡°You might have forgotten it but I haven¡¯t.¡± Deng Ximei reverted to her usual unmoved self, albeit with a trace of disappointment. ¡°I really did not expect we would be reunited like this.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun stared at her and focused his mind. His emotions raged and faces of young children shed before his eyes...

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 295: Illusion in the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 295: Illusion in the Forest</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Examining Deng Ximei¡¯s sylphlike face, Gu Jun¡¯s mind was frazzled. Illusions danced around the corner of his eyes. ¡®Did we meet when we were children or she is just making up stories?¡¯ He had read the stories that she wrote while in imprisonment, they were all fantastical stories based on her experience living in the countryside. The main characters were either nts or animals. They were extremely well-written so it suggested that the girl was a master story-teller, which Gu Jun had to be cautious about.

    ¡°Indeed, I do not remember much.¡± Gu Jun admitted. ¡°It¡¯s like someone has ced a lock on my memory.¡± He could not remember many details about his childhood before he was age 6 or 7. In terms of actual characters, other than his parents and the wilted faces from the Son of Misfortune evocation ritual, he could not remember any other person featured in his memory. He tried meditation and hypnosis but they were to no avail.

    ¡°Miss Deng, please tell me whatever it is that you remember.¡± Gu Jun said seriously.

    ¡°I can reveal to you some superficial impressions.¡± Deng Ximei replied evenly. ¡°We knew each other when we were young, in fact we were quite close. But as you know, superficialities are often unreliable.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Gu Jun countered, ¡°But howe you said you do not remember any other Spirit Children when Phecda conducted their investigationst year?¡±

    ¡°I did not wish to answer that question at the time.¡± Deng Ximei admitted but did not exin further. Gu Jun could sense her stubbornness, even now she held back information from him. Nheless, he had to push further, that was his purpose for being there. After getting a better read of this girl, he would hopefully know more about the other children and Lai Sheng Company. He felt a kinship with Deng Ximei but not from memory, instead that familiarity came from the sense that Gu Jun felt like he was staring at a mirror when he sat across from her.

    Gu Jun hoped that would work to his advantage. Gu Jun was more predisposed to persuasion than interrogation... If Deng Ximei was someone like him, force and oppression were not going to get him anywhere. Only by showing her his sincerity that he could break through her mental walls.

    ¡°Miss Deng, how about we go out for a walk?¡± Gu Jun suggested. Anyone would feel distressed in the room being watched by so many cameras. Deng Ximei nodded silently. A smile softened her face or was that Gu Jun¡¯s imagination?

    Originally, the two Spirit Children¡¯s first meeting was supposed to be closely monitored, a walk was definitely not part of the n but Elder Tong knew how difficult Deng Ximei was to crack. Instead of getting nothing, he allowed Gu Jun to try his method. The permission was given mainly due to the trust ced in Gu Jun. So Gu Jun led Deng Ximei out of the interrogation room, and walked towards the nearby park. The other members tailed from a distance.

    The night was dark with the streemps providing orbs of brightness. The leaves rustled in the wind. As they sauntered through the park, Gu Jun was suddenly reminded of a description from Deng Ximei¡¯s writing, ¡°The wind was travelling through. The wild grass waved in its trail as if urging the wind to bring them away on its journey. They wished to break through the imprisonment of the ground, despite knowing the risk that it would deplete them of their lives.¡± If one was to read from her writing, it featured themes where she fought against fate through her depiction of struggles in nature. This was noted by the Review Department who screened through her writing as well. It was why they were so confused about her, which fate was she fighting against? The fate of themon people or her own fate?

    With her intellect, Deng Ximei knew that her writing would be closely deciphered, but she still wrote them down. Or was this a double subterfuge? With her brilliance, it was not impossible...

    ¡°I¡¯ve read your writing, they are very good.¡± Gu Jun tried to forge a bond with her.

    ¡°Thank you... Writing is my only outlet when I miss life in the wild.¡± Deng Ximei nodded.

    Based on her files, Deng Ximei imed she spent her life from 7 years old to 20 years old growing up in the untamed wilds. Gu Junmented, ¡°Some belong in concrete jungle, while others in the real one. Despite the many inconveniences, I¡¯m sure there are plenty of fun to be had in nature, yes?¡± Perhaps he was one of thetter too because the sense of illusion grew stronger when they left the interrogation room, or was it due to thepany he had...

    ¡°There are plenty of both.¡± Deng Ximei said softly, ¡°My parents were expert survivalists, they were the ones who taught me everything I know.¡± Gu Jun could detect the faded mncholy in her voice, she must have a good rtionship with her parents... He said unprompted, ¡°Actually I envy your rtionship with your parents, mine was lost at sea when I was ten. It was probably the work of Lai Sheng Company.¡±

    Deng Ximei turned to him and suddenly announced, ¡°Mr. Gu, I too wish to destroy the Lai Sheng Company.¡± Gu Jun could read the determination in her eyes, and it excited his heart. ¡°Actually I¡¯ve been thinking about that since I approached Phecda.¡± As if moved by Gu Jun¡¯s revtion, Deng Ximei added, ¡°I know my captivity was due to the horrible consequences that I¡¯ve caused from my unearthed memory. But I really did not wish for that to happen. I am not a member of the Lai Sheng Company, I too wish to destroy them, for myself, for my parents... for you and for other Spirit Children.¡± There was that moment where Gu Jun was touched and he believed her fully. This was because he shared in her emotions, the sting of loneliness, the helplessness from being suspected, the willingness to face tremendous danger...

    ¡°I do not know what else I can do but I just remembered a few new information about Lai Sheng Company.¡± Deng Ximei confessed. ¡°I have not told them to anyone before but I will disclose all of it to you.¡±

    ¡°Miss Deng.¡± Gu Jun reached out his right hand, finally things were progressing. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can achieve our goal.¡±

    Deng Ximei stared at him before finally reaching out to grab his hand. Suddenly the umted illusions caused Gu Jun¡¯s head to spin. She was a medium, triggering an illusion. His grasp tightened as the image of Deng Ximei blurred, melting into the background of trees.

    ¡®Is that a little girl?¡¯ Gu Jun believed he saw a girl standing between the trees, no wait, there were other children around her...

    All of a sudden, the image rified. No, it was not a little girl but a young woman. Inside a deste forest where the old trees twisted, he could see two figures lying on the forest ground carpeted with fallen leaves. The young woman¡¯s gloved hands worked two nooses around the supine figures¡¯ neck. She made sure to tighten the knot. Initially the two figures struggled with minor kicks but gradually their activities died down. After that, the young woman climbed onto the tree. She tossed the rope over a thick branch and jumped down, using the branch as a leverage to lift the two bodies into the air. The young woman looked serene and Gu Jun recognized her as Deng Ximei.

    Gu Jun felt mmed into mentally as the illusion faded away. He took a deep breath as he turned to study the thin woman before him. He shrunk subconsciously backwards as angershed against his heart. It was her, she was the killer. She murdered her parents in cold blood and covered up her tracks.

    But why...

    ¡°Miss Deng.¡± Gu Jun looked into her eyes while still holding onto her hand. His voice was hoarse as he got right to the point. ¡°I just saw your parent¡¯s death, and they are a bit different from what you described.¡±

    Deng Ximei¡¯s expression remained unchanged. She barely even blinked. She responded as if she predicted this. ¡°That was merely the superficial impression. It is not the truth.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 296: Communication Base

    <h4>Chapter 296: Communication Base</h4>

    ¡°Then tell me the truth.¡± The wind chilled. Gu Jun no longer trusted anything that came out of Deng Ximei¡¯s mouth. He would suspect any of her exnations.

    ¡°I do not wish to go into the details.¡± But to his consternation, she did not even try to exin herself. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same with you? After our childhood separation, too many things have happened that made it difficult to go back even just mentally.¡±

    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Gu Jun stared with both eyes as his right thumb ced gingerly over her pulse. Her pulse was even and strong... Indeed, everyone had their secrets. They might be about their parents and many other different things. But could someone be so unfazed when their bold-faced lie was exposed? Gu Jun did not think he could have aplished that.

    ¡°Despite what Phecda thinks, I am not their caged bird.¡± Deng Ximei suddenly professed. ¡°Should I wish to leave this ce, death is my ultimate ticket.¡± Gu Jun caught the threat. The profile stated that Deng Ximei was a person with integrity despite her apparent shyness. She responded to respect and not intimidation. Gu Jun let go of her hand.

    ¡°Alright then, tell me what you¡¯ve remembered about the Lai Sheng Company.¡± There was no harm in hearing her out first.

    ¡°To be frank, you are not the only one who ¡®saw¡¯ things earlier, I did too. I ¡®saw¡¯ the voices that appeared in your mind during this one asion where you were faced with a gauntlet of reporters.¡± Deng Ximei moved forward, the fallen leaves crunching under her feet. ¡°The voices echoed with some of the locked mental documents my parents had left with me. It was like the key was found and I saw some numbers. I am no mathematician but these mental documents were poured into my brain so I can recite them at will.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart arose with suspicion. He was supposed to be the only one who knew about the strange voice. Was this a connection between Spirit Children? And what about those mental documents? How would one ¡®pour¡¯ them into one¡¯s mind?

    He was once again reminded of ¡®those documents¡¯. Could the documents Lai Sheng Company had been looking for all these years were poured into his mind?

    While Gu Jun was contemting, Deng Ximei rattled out two very long strings of numbers, they started with XX and followed by 10 numerals. Due to his research during the Nightmare illness, Gu Jun caught the meaning instantly. ¡°They are coordinates.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Deng Ximei looked at him. ¡°I have 15 such coordinates in my mind.¡±

    ¡°Where do you think they will bring us?¡±

    ¡°I believe these locations will contain themunicative device the voice used to contact you and the others. It is to my knowledge that Lai Sheng Company consists of multiple departments. Before they left, my parents worked under the Communication Department, so I knew a little about thesemunication bases.¡±

    Gu Jun thought back to the voice. At the time, he felt like the voice originated from a faraway location and the long distance prevented him from triangting its location but now, could the difficulty in triangtion due to the multiple sources of transmission?

    He had another question, ¡°The location of that base at Eastern State was really dug out from your memory?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Deng Ximei admitted. ¡°Butmunication bases are different from those hideout bases. The former is more numerous, and smaller in size.¡±

    The press conference where the voice appeared to Gu Jun happened quite a while ago so he sighed. ¡°The bases are probably empty now.¡± They would find nothing there like they found nothing at the ambushed base.

    ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡± Deng Ximei shook her head. ¡°Thesemunication bases are important in the sense of their locales. As you know, certain locations are reservoirs of power, they can be a tree, a cave, or a house... Forming a mentalwork is not easy and it will take more than a year to channel the energy to set up the necessary devices. This proves that Lai Sheng Company has been in existence for a long time already.¡±

    Gu Jun did know that. Take for example, that lighthouse at Jiang Xin Municipal, it radiated strange life energy. If thesemunication bases were ces of rituals, then they would still find something there even if the ce was vacated. Certain traces were not so easily removed.

    ¡°How did they channel the voices into my head? Is it through an ESP connection?¡± He asked. The government found no unexinablemunication signal during the press conference.

    ¡°I suppose, I¡¯m not really sure.¡±

    ¡°You sure know quite a bit.¡± Gu Jun could not help but note, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reveal these to the investigators earlier?¡± This meant that her previous confessions like iprehension of the foreignnguage and non-participation in any evocation ceremony would all be brought under question.

    ¡°Some really just came to me, while others...¡± Deng Ximei paused. ¡°What do you think?¡± This young woman was too unreadable, much harder to deal withpared to thend¡¯s travellers. In any case, Gu Jun felt like at a time like this, after he had gotten to know more about Deng Ximei, he believed honesty was the best policy. ¡°Miss Deng, I wish to trust you but I can¡¯t because I cannot ascertain what kind of person you are. But I assure you that I will not disclose the superficial impressions that I saw about you to any other. With regards to the authenticity and value of yourtest information, we will find out eventually.¡±

    ¡°A clever decision.¡± Deng Ximei said as she reached out to pluck a falling leaf from the air. ¡°The season of change has arrived.¡±

    Gu Jun looked at her and was reminded of another sentence that she wrote. ¡°Flowers will wilt, trees will die, but the season of change shall remain unchanged.¡±

    ...

    After he returned, Gu Jun kept his promise. He told Elder Tong that Deng Ximei was willing to cooperate but he still could not tell where her loyaltyy. Elder Tong showed great interest in the new information provided by Deng Ximei. If this was true, then the Afterlife Cult was up for a big loss, they wanted to use invasive voices to muddy his thoughts but they had inadvertently exposed their ownirs. If they could take over thesemunication bases, it would be a big victory for Phecda.

    However, with the experience from the previous mission, Phecda knew to treat the information offered by Deng Ximei carefully. Could it be a trap? Would there be mutated creatures or bombs waiting in ambush?

    Deng Ximei wrote down all 16 coordinates of themunication bases and they proved to be quite troublesome. 5 of them were located in the wilds, 11 were inside big cities, including Eastern State City and Da Hwa City. In fact, the one at Da Hwa City, was inside a shop lot along the most bustling merchant street.

    Was this an example of it being easier to hide a tree in a forest?

    Through satellite imagining, Phecda started surveince of these ces, every individual that came in and out were monitored. At the same time, profiles were made of the owners of these locations.

    As Deng Ximei said, these bases were ces of power so they would be well-protected and sustained by individuals with high spirituality. This did not work out well for Phecda as any sudden movement would be detected by the enemy immediately. They had to be careful to not allow the cultists time to destroy the bases so that important clues could be preserved.

    Timing was important, they had to ensure the missions went smoothly while protecting the lives of their members. For these reasons, Phecda opted for a stealth mission and all 16 bases would be hit at the same time. Phecda wished to clean them up in one fell swoop. For this mission, the headquarters set up amand central, it would be jointly led by Elder Tong, Xiao Sihui and Yao Sinian.

    The best Special Mobile Forces across the nation were mobilized, as were the members from the Ancient Seal Department and Spell Department.

    At Da Hwa City, the unit of Special Mobile Force reporting for this mission was none other than the Problematic Team led by Gu Jun.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 297: Li Qi Zai

    <h4>Chapter 297: Li Qi Zai</h4>

    It was still early in the morning but Da Hwa City¡¯s Nan Hwa Street was already busy with activities. Middle-aged aunties and uncles practiced tai chi, the cleaners swept the grounds, youngsters ran in tracks while couples walked their dogs. Most shops down the streets were closed except for a few which specialized in takeaway breakfast. Nan Hwa Street was the city¡¯smerce centre and it also was home to many luxury brands¡¯ branches. The fearful pall from the epidemic faded, evidenced by the activities that returned to the street.

    Suddenly, the aunties and uncles ying Tai Chi were stunned as they saw a troupe funnel into the street. There were armored cars, medic cars, quarantine vehicles, mobile cars... Each vehicle was marked with a star symbol, which was now familiar to the public. These were the people from Phecda. Before the public could react, a group of imposing soldiers came to chase them away, ¡°Please leave the scene immediately!¡±

    Some took out their phones to record this incident but they were immediately halted by the soldiers. The aunties and uncles, who¡¯d normally stay to gossip, ran faster than the rest, fearful that this might be another outbreak.

    Once the armored cars parked, the passengers unloaded swiftly. Before the public evacuatedpletely, these special agents assumed their position around a shop named Li Qi Zai. The explosive expert stuck a pipe bomb on the closed steel door. They made sure the people retreated a safe distance away before detonating the bomb.

    Bang! The steel door was blown away, the shockwave knocking over the items inside the eatery. Some of the aunties and uncles yelped as their ears buzzed from the explosion. Their towels dropped to the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± Some of the youngsters screamed as well. It was out of a mixture of panic and excitement, they never imagined encountering something like this before they left home that morning. Hearing the explosion, the tenants of nearby buildings looked out from their windows. Instantly some took out their phones to record this momentous moment. They uploaded the videos onto the inte.

    The special agents wore unique gear that consisted of, among others, anti-bullet vests, night vision goggles and helmets. It was impossible to tell their identity. It had been a few days since the government announced the existence of supernatural forces and Phecda but nothing big had changed since then. Other than the promotional activities carried out by the local tenancy organization, life moved on... So this sudden change hit the public like a p to the face!

    Naturally Phecda had considered the presence of the public when they drafted the n. It was why they had decided to make their move early in the morning. In one or two hours, the street would be jammed packed with shoppers. They avoided having the mission at midnight because the power of darkness grew under the vision of twilight.

    After the steel down was blown apart, immediately a tactical drone was sent in for reconnaissance. Gu Jun¡¯s team focused on the live feed sent back to the monitor. Once everything was clear, they would rush in immediately. Actually the superiors did not wish for Gu Jun to be a part of the mission due to its dangers but he insisted oning. Certain senses could only be picked up in person. By standing in themunication bases, he could get a clearer understanding of who Deng Ximei was. Furthermore, he refused to turn into a promotional celebrity in front of cameras, he had had enough of those days.

    The live feed from the drone was channelled directly to themand central and the mobile car. Li Qi Zai was an antique shop, the interior was ssically decorated with Tang Dynasty vases and china on the wooden shelves. There was no sign of life and the heat sensor did not detect any explosives either. At the same time, the mission was underway at 15 different locations across the country. There were already reports of skirmishes at some of them.

    ¡°Eastern State, Eastern State, the enemies are spotted to be using spells!¡±¡±Engaging the enemies at Cave No. 1. Discovery of zombies, discovery of zombies!¡± The updates travelled through themand central into Gu Jun¡¯s earphones. They made him hold his breaths.

    ¡®It¡¯s about time.¡¯ With a wave of his hand, Gu Jun¡¯s team stormed into the shop with the barrels of their rifles pointing at all corners of the room. From the moment Gu Jun stepped into the shop, he felt something was off. It was the grounded force mentioned by Deng Ximei. The shop was in the middle of a metropolis but Gu Jun felt like he had stepped into a tomb. The patterns on the vases... reminded him of flowers from the foreign world. Agitation muddled his mind as an echo of the voice he heard during the press conference reverberated in his ears. This ce was indeed amunication base.

    Before the mission, they did study theyout of the shop. The front was the shop and there was a 30 cubic metres room at the back which could act as a bedroom or a warehouse. The owner was not seen to leave the premise after closing hours yesterday night, so there was a possibility that he was still in the building. Gu Jun signed for his teammates to break down the inner door. With a few rams, the door shattered. The team then saw a middle-aged man standing by the wall, sshing it with paint. The room was empty but the walls were covered in strange patterns. The man was destroying the ritualistic patterns! Gu Jun immediately pulled the trigger.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Bullets made quick work of the man¡¯s calves. He copsed to the ground, dropping the paint bucket. Fresh colors pooled on the ground. The man¡¯s face gritted from anger and he howled shrilly, echoing a demon straight from hell, ¡°Gu Jun, it was us who cultivated you, you are created by us...¡±

    Bang, bang, bang! The man was rewarded with a few more shots to his calves. The pain convulsed his body but his face appeared even more distorted by fanaticism...

    Regardless of his intention, Gu Jun shot an Ancient Seal at him. Instantly the man shrieked with increased madness. Xue Ba took the opening and rushed forward to apprehend the man with a stun gun. Gu Jun ignored the man¡¯s im, if anything he was d that they had captured a cultist alive. But another question niggled at his mind, ¡®Why would Lai Sheng Company leave behind only a single person to defend such an important locale? That is very unlikely... From the force that channels through this ce, there should be more.¡¯

    Right at that moment, an urgent voice came from themand central, ¡°Problematic Team, attention please! Anomalous change is currently happening at Nan Hwa Street!¡±

    Anomalous change? What did that mean? But the answer soon arrived as the ground shook with tremors. Gu Jun frowned. They might have caught a big fish this time...

    He led his team out of the shop. The buildings down the street teetered dangerously and the public¡¯s screams of fear echoed everywhere. Despite the night-vision goggles, his vision was so blurred that Gu Jun took them off. He scanned the surroundings which were dipped in chaos energy. It was underground, something was causing the tremors underground. ¡®Subterrain giant worms? No, they are not that powerful. A spatial transmutation spell? Is this an enemy effort for offense or defence?¡¯

    Not much time had passed since the notice for evacuation. Some of the older public membersgged behind. They turned to look at Li Qi Zai from a distance. Like the nearby tenants, they were gripped by fear. But the sharp eyes among them caught a familiar face. They shouted. ¡°Captain Gu, that appears to be Captain Gu!¡±¡±You¡¯re right, it¡¯s really him!¡±

    ....

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 298: The Conqueror Worm

    <h4>Chapter 298: The Conqueror Worm</h4>

    Yes, it was Gu Jun! Thrill temporarily overcame their fear. But suddenly the tremors grew more pronounced, shattering the ss windows on the buildings. An old building several stories tall copsed to the side, leaning against the skyscraper next to it. Thankfully, it did not trigger a domino effect. The sound of fearful screaming and babies crying shattered this early morning peace. The Phecda members used loudspeakers to try to calm the public while others escorted the public into the armored cars.

    Everything happened too quickly. Just outside the front door of Li Qi Zai, the road cracked, lifting up the tiles and cement. Something was writhing out from under the ground!

    This triggered the rm in the Phecda members while sending waves of fear through the normal citizens. ¡°What, what is that thing?!¡± A middle-aged auntie shouted, ¡°Demon, it¡¯s a demon! Amitabha, Amitabha...¡± A youngster mumbled numbly, ¡°Fuck, fuck...¡± They dropped to the ground like fallen leaves. Try as they might, they could not summon the energy to move. The demon in question was more like a living whirlpool, it sucked away their soul, leaving behind only their fear and madness. Some of the middle-aged citizens pressed their hands against their heads in pain like they were being attacked by some intense sound waves. Their worlds twirled out of focus.

    ¡°Motherfucker, yet another giant worm...¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed. Gu Jun focused on the giant shadow that burst through the ground. His mind wavered, the monster knew how to weaken its victims¡¯ mental stability. Gu Jun did not recognize the monster. It was not mutated from the subterrain giant worm, or any known creature. It was 10 metres tall and had the appearance of a cocoon. It had no limbs, no visible eyes or mouth. It was blood red in color and the dust the fell from its body was dyed red as well. ¡®Is it real or just a mental projection? Feels like it¡¯s something between the two...¡¯

    Undeniably this was a worm, a very giant one at that. Gu Jun was not too surprised by that. Now that the House of Worm was closed to humanity, the cultists from Lai Sheng Company would not try to wiggle their way back in. Perhaps this worm was a summoned creature meant to reopen the House of Worm. However, it was clear that this giant worm was still in its nascent stage. Once it grew into its full potential, it could be several thousand times more powerful than this, but now...

    While everyone was stunned by disbelief, Gu Jun came to. He aimed the scope of his gun at the giant worm¡¯s head, and pulled on the trigger. ¡°Open fire!¡± Sparks flew and the giant worm wiggled from the nket fire. A groan came from an unknown source. The worm was real, it could be taken down by bullets!

    Lou Xiaoning and the rest quickly snapped into focus. They pulled on the triggers together. Flesh dislodged from the giant worm¡¯s body as it wailed in pain. At the same time, members from the Ancient Seal Department channelled to draw out arge seal and aim it at the worm!

    The blood red worm¡¯s wiggling sound turned shrill. It had no limbs, not even a head. Other than some minor mental assault, it could not do anything. After being hit by the giant Ancient Seal, blocks of meat disintegrated from its body but the flesh disappeared before they hit the ground. It spoke of the worm¡¯s instability. The dark energy coalesced into its physicality but once the flesh was separated from the main body, they would dissolve like a mist.

    Gu Jun¡¯s magazine was empty. Instead of reloading, he signed the Ancient Seal with his right hand. ¡°Begone!¡± With that hit, the giant worm suddenly exploded and nothing remained of its existence. The earthquake around the area stopped and the feeling of spatial distortion disappeared. What remained was the teetering buildings and the aftermath on the street.

    This scene baffled the public. The disappearance of the giant worm rxed their mind and normal thoughts circted through their head again. And the first thought for most was...¡¯Captain Gu, and you said you guys have no superpowers?!¡¯ They saw with their own eyes, Gu Jun and the Phecda members drawing out a glowing seal from thin air!

    ¡°They have superpowers!¡± A young man cheered excitedly, ¡°Captain Gu and his friends really do have superpowers!¡± As this news travelled through the crowd, the attending Phecda members corrected sternly, ¡°That is not superpower, but a kind ofser weapon. Please don¡¯t spread false news.¡±

    ¡®Laser weapon?!¡¯ The crowd looked at each other. None of them retorted the im since they did not quite understand this technology. But where was theser weapon, they swore they saw the light gather in Captain Gu¡¯s bare hands and not some kind of instrument...

    The news soon spread on the inte with apanying videos but they were quickly monitored and taken now. Themand central had prepared the necessary solution. Arge batch of government officers were sent in to clear away the public and deal with the aftermath.

    ¡°The giant worm was still growing.¡± Gu Jun informed Elder Tong. ¡°They probably just started cultivating them.¡± The skirmishes at the other 15 bases also ended. Only Gu Jun¡¯s team encountered the giant worm. That was probably because Phecda¡¯s headquarters was located at Da Hwa City, if they did not expose the threat during this mission, it would ferment to be a huge disaster. There were injuries but thankfully no report of death. Furthermore, they captured many cultists alive. Overall, the mission was extremely sessful.

    However, Gu Jun did not want to get ahead of himself. ¡®Could this all be a trap? After all, many questions remain unanswered.¡¯

    A discovery made them hurry back into the antique shop. Xue Ba found a trapdoor inside the warehouse. The building was built centuries ago and based on the original floorn, there was no basement. Clearly, this was an addition made by the cultists. The trapdoor was ced right in the middle of the room. A cement staircase led down into the darkness. The Problematic Team waited patiently as the drone slowly flew into the hole. The image captured in night vision was sent back onto the screen. The drone moved for about 2 metres before it hit the ground. The space could barely be called a basement, it was more like an extremely cramped tunnel. Even the miniature drone had trouble turning but eventually it did capture several points of light in the darkness.

    They were reflections from human eyes. Two humans were hidden inside the small tunnel. They were lodged into ce, their bodies crushed by the narrow space. In the night vision, the two faces stared back in maddening fanaticism. Since their discovery, they remained unmoved as if dead...

    When the drone turned around, the video captured various strange paintings and symbols on the tunnel wall. There was even a line written in the foreignnguage. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed as he read the sentence. It was richly rhythmic like a stanza from a poem, ¡°That the y is the tragedy, ¡®Man,¡¯ / And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 299: Man

    <h4>Chapter 299: Man</h4>

    With an impressive zero death, Phecda took over 16munication bases from Lai Sheng Company. They also captured 73 suspected cultists, 2 zombies but there was no trace of the Deep Ones. Unlike Chen Defa, the two zombies were not given the chance tomit suicide inside their hiding cave. Of the 73 cultists, only 6 were still alive. They were imprisoned but they were all in a state of madness. One of them was Zhao Jiantao, the middle-aged man from Li Qi Zai whom the Problematic Team apprehended. The two inside the underground tunnel were confirmed to be dead. Their cause of death was asphyxiation from cyanide poisoning but strangely enough, there was no trace of the poison in their system. That left only the possibility of supernatural causes.

    Regardless, the living was to be interrogated and the dead autopsied. Phecda had no mercy for these people. They would stop at nothing to acquire new clues.

    Due to the scale of the mission, especially the battle at Da Hwa City, meant that it was impossible to cover it up from the public. Therefore, Phecda made an official announcement that afternoon, stating that the mission was to take down an organized crime family working out of the country. The thing that caused the earthquake at Nan An Street was not a ghost or a demon, instead it was a cryptic with great strength, in the veins of King Kong. The evidence of ¡®superpower¡¯ was actually a type of new-fangledser weapon. On the seeding press conference, Gu Jun¡¯s team appeared before the camera again with the same official response. However, they refused the media¡¯s request to view theser weapon due to its confidentiality.

    This incident proved that Gu Jun and his team were not promotional materials in spite of their good looks, they were actual special agents. However, people in the know understood the use of exaggeration in the official statement. Lai Sheng Company was not ¡®taken down¡¯ but they were indeed dealt a severe blow. Due to the very nature of mysterious organizations, they would not have many members as they depended on secrecy and subterfuge. One member loss was one chip off the organization¡¯s power. None of the 73 cultists had wilted faces, which was a shame, as it meant none of them were among the administrative members. They most likely acted as liaison with the public. With the loss of the 16munication bases, Afterlife Cult¡¯s supernaturalmunication system within the country was seriously impacted. Combine that with the cultists that died in the marine warfare, Afterlife Cult would need plenty of time to recuperate from the damage this time.

    Other than that, Phecda collected a surprising number of new clues from these bases. Just from Li Qi Zai alone, they salvaged over 50 vases with foreign prints and encrypted documents, which were being deciphered by the Investigation Department as we speak.

    The bases were mutted to varying degrees by the cultists which depleted the locations¡¯ inherent power. However, Phecda managed to salvage arge number of ritualistic symbols and pictures, all of them were entered into the Spell Department¡¯s highly confidential cache. They were handled cautiously for they might cause mental corruption. Among all of the new discoveries, Gu Jun paid greatest attention to the foreign messages found. The foreignnguage was anguage of life, it carried more meaning than patterns and paintings. And of all the new messages, the one that confused and bothered him the most was the poem stanza, ¡°That the y is the tragedy, ¡®Man,¡¯ / And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.¡±

    The more he studied it, the bleaker he felt. He was not unfamiliar with this feeling, he encountered the same grey bleakness when he read the writings by Deng Ximei. ¡®Why? Is there a connection between the two?¡¯ Before he got more things figured out, Gu Jun did not want to confront Deng Ximei for he knew he¡¯d only find a brick wall. However, he believed the foreign poem to be rted to the giant worm, in fact, the Conqueror Worm should refer to the young creature that they encountered.

    ¡°These bastards want to take advantage of the legione pneumonia¡¯s residual impact.¡± Gu Jun told Elder Tong, ¡°Before the world has the chance to heal, they want to use this opening to create chaos to cultivate darkness, that is most likely theirtest goal.¡± Perhaps Gu Jun did share an inexplicable connection with Afterlife Cult for his prediction soon came true.

    ...

    Night fell and events from yesterday¡¯s mission created a bustle at base. Gu Jun walked out from the Medical Building¡¯s Autopsy Floor. Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan and Uncle Dan were dissecting the two bodies from the underground tunnel but so far they found nothing. However, their attendance was suddenly required by Elder Tong. They swiftly decontaminated, changed and hurried to the conference room situated in the same building. A monitor hung from the wall. A short video had caught Phecda¡¯s attention.

    ¡°This video was first uploaded to Youtube this morning.¡± Elder Tong exined. ¡°It caused quite an uproar in a short amount of time. It has filtered through the cracks into the country even though the government has taken measures to ban the ones on official video-sharing sites. But only so much can be done regarding the underground websites. In any case, take a look at this video for yourself first.¡±

    Millions ofizens had seen the video already and so far there was no reportage of public health concern. Thend¡¯s travellers volunteered to watch the video with the assessment stone. Thankfully, the video caused no sign of corruption on its viewers. However, protective measures were still taken for Gu Jun. He had on the assessment stone and several cleansing stones were ced within his arm¡¯s reach. He sat squarely in the chair and clicked for the video to y. The video had no sound and the muteness added to its eeriness.

    The video started with an innocent-looking cartoon. The style was colorful and childlike. On stage, there were actors dressed as angels and clowns, prancing and dancing, chasing a giant shadow that shifted magically into different shapes. They ran from one end of the stage to another, going around in circles. Suddenly a giant worm covered in blood wiggled on stage. The actors stopped in their tracks. Before they could react, the giant worm opened its maw to swallow them up. The worm munched greedily as the broken limbs and body parts plunked noisily onto the stage, slowly dying the stage red. The stage lights dimmed and the curtain fell. Then the video showed the y¡¯s name written in the foreignnguage, ¡®Man¡¯.

    If that was all, the video would not have gone viral so easily. It was because the video did not end there. After the cartoon, then came a footage of a live performance. A group of children in angel and clown costumes ran around a stage, as if chasing something. Suddenly the camera panned to the right corner of the stage where something appeared to be wiggling in the darkness...

    Just as the camera was about to zoom in... the video ended. No one knew the ending and where the video was taken. But the suggestion in this video entitled ¡®Man¡¯ was spine-tingling. Someizens had even started a petition to find those children.

    ¡°Those children...¡± Gu Jun who finished watching the video mumbled. Even though the opaline did not glow, his voice did darken, ¡°They are most likely Spirit Children, they might be Lai Sheng Company¡¯stest cultivated batch.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 300: The Past (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 300: The Past (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    With regards to this video, Phecdamunicated with FBM multiple times but the answer was always they were still checking the uploader¡¯s location. What did the video mean? What was its purpose? To taunt? To dere a war? After watching the video, Gu Jun felt extremely uneasy. Danger was imminent but he had no idea what form it would take.

    ¡°I wish to have another conversation with Deng Ximei.¡± He told Elder Tong. Gu Jun was desperate enough to talk to the girl to attempt to catch another break. Deng Ximei was still imprisoned at the Spell Department. Following Gu Jun¡¯s request, she was escorted to the foot of the hill beside the base. This was to be yet another private conversation between the two. After grabbing some stuff, Gu Jun headed to the meet up spot. When he arrived, Deng Ximei was already there. The ce was peacefully serene. She stood next to a tree with the serenity around her reflecting on her face. The guards stood a distance away from the duo. Despite the location, the ce was heavily guarded, so escape was impossible.

    ¡°Miss Deng, please take a look at these.¡± Gu Jun handed a stack of documents to her, ¡°These are the wills of all the victims who have died in the legione pneumonia epidemic.¡± Deng Ximei looked at him before reaching out to take them. For the past 2 days, she was given permission to acquire some outside information so she had some brief ideas regarding the extent of the epidemic¡¯s damage.

    ¡°The global fatality rate is over 2000000 people.¡± Gu Jun said heavily. ¡°If every victim was given a chance to write their will, we would be drowning in them. Honestly, I cannot tell what is really going through your mind but I implore you to consider the situation we¡¯re in ande to the right decision.¡± Deng Ximei looked through the wills silently. When she reached the fourth will, something changed in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve watched the video before I came here, I believe it is the initiation of some kind of sacrificial ritual...¡±

    ¡°Miss Deng,¡± Gu Jun interrupted her, the most crucial problem now was to find out whether she was trustworthy or not. ¡°Instead of the video, do you mind telling me everything from the start?¡±

    Deng Ximei looked up into the night sky. After a pause, she answered with a determination in her voice. ¡°I can but I might sumb to insanity as an effect. It¡¯s an irreversible process so... good luck.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Gu Jun asked with a frown. Weirdly enough, it did not sound like she was lying.

    ¡°Gu Jun.¡± Without looking at him, Deng Ximei continued as her voice hardened, ¡°Back then, you were the only one who escaped. In fact, for so many years, you were the only one who managed to do that.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. ¡°You mean...¡±

    ¡°Spirit barrier.¡± Deng Ximei said apropos to nothing. She walked forward as the night breeze lifted her long ck hair. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was trapped inside a small cage since she was born.¡± She began, ¡°She was forced to do things that she did not want to every day, but the girl knew a psychological technique from a different world. And she provided herself with the necessary sor to survive through it. She imagined for herself a different life, a different world, creating a spirit barrier so her sanity would remain intact.¡±

    The meaning of her words seeped into Gu Jun¡¯s veins like ice. The whole background that Deng Ximei had constructed for herself was a kind of spirit barrier, essentially a sweet bubble that she resided in. Once she was forced to face the real truth, she would need to face her real self... And sometimes, the hardest thing to face in one¡¯s life was oneself. Once the spirit barrier was lowered, Deng Ximei might sink into a psychological whirlpool for her true self was created solely for the perpetuation of chaos and madness.

    ¡°We can take this slowly.¡± Gu Jun loosened a breath. It was not that he did not trust her but he did not want to push her to the brink.

    ¡°No, you listen.¡± Deng Ximei demanded, ¡°This is a good season for change and time hase for me to wilt.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Gu Jun halted her again. He was suddenly reminded of something, ¡°I might have a better idea.¡± Other than the sweet dream forged with Lucky, he still had another empty sweet dream bubble. He intended to use it to build another bubble with Wu Siyu, it would help tremendously in their teamwork. However, a better use now presented itself. Furthermore, he could tell whether Deng Ximei was lying or not in the sweet dream bubble. Instantly, Gu Jun briefed Deng Ximei about the concept and asked for her sweetest dream.

    ¡°My dream?¡± Deng Ximei was quiet for a moment before answering, ¡°I suppose it¡¯ll be walking through a blooming season for every flower in the world among the mountains.¡±

    ¡°No problem, it¡¯s called a sweet dream bubble for a reason.¡± Gu Jun held her hands and closed his eyes to focus. He was not fearful of her tricks for there were snipers watching them closely and he made sure to keep part of his consciousness rmed... Perhaps due to the special bond between Spirit Children, the process of building Deng Ximei¡¯s sweet dream went very smoothly. Soon inside the small theatre, the only audience morphed into thenky girl. Deng Ximei looked around and her expression lit up with surprise as she looked at the stage.

    ¡°Miss Deng, can you feel it?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s voice echoed in the theatre. ¡°This ce can iste out your consciousness so any impact on it will be minimized. I suppose you can view it as another version of the spirit barrier. Voice what is on your mind but do stop if you¡¯re feeling ufortable, I do not wish to see you lose your mind.¡±

    ¡°...Hmm.¡± Deng Ximei was silent for a while before nodding. Her face changed due to the evocation of memory. At this ce, Gu Jun could tune into the girl¡¯s mncholy and intractability clearly and got a sense of what she had been through...

    Deng Ximei looked at the blooming flowers on stage and continued her tale. She appeared to be sharing her tale with the flowers as well as with herself, the self who had hidden for so long within her self-constructed spirit barrier.

    ¡°My name is Deng Ximei, the earliest memory I have was waking up inside a bandit¡¯sir. I am a Spirit Child and I was surrounded by other Spirit Children. At the time we were too young to know what we were doing, we simply did what we were told.

    ¡°Looking back, I realized these people never did consider the Spirit Children¡¯s future because the experiments conducted on us were filled with uncertainty. We are nothing but tools for them to abuse and sacrifice. Not every Spirit Children could be considered a qualified product, and even among the qualified ones, there was varying degree of sess. You were the most sessful one and I was one of the forgotten ones. You had given usnguage and with it, I offered them stories. This was a talent that I had since I was a child, I could write out poems and novels that once existed in the other world, bringing them a glimpse of the forgotten civilization.

    ¡°We knew each other when we were children and we were especially close. Don¡¯t you remember the childish promises that we¡¯ve made? Then again, that is probably a good thing because both of us fail to live up to fulfil any of them.

    ¡°Not long after you left, I was led into the forest. At the time, I was only seven. I was trapped there to attach myself to nature. Apparently, I was an attempt to extend a Spirit Child¡¯s spirituality through istion from the world. They hoped to get more stories out of me. Honestly, I do not dislike being in nature but I hated being around them. My parents... yes, they were my biological parents. Every Spirit Child has an identity in the foreign world, so I have another name, ¡®Lydia¡¯. ¡®Miss Lydia¡¯ was how my parents referred to me. Actually for so many years, I¡¯ve only seen them a few times. The older I got, the more knowledgeable I became and the more I suspected the things that were done to us. I started to question... their malice, madness and injury of the innocent...

    ¡°But I have hidden all of these thoughts, I cannot allow the organization to discover them in me. I did not tell them about the spirit barrier, it was ayer of protection I have given myself. Due to my scepticism, my inspiration started to dry up, and the stories that I came up with became lifeless. One dayst year, Lai Sheng Company decided that I¡¯ve lived to my expiration date. But before disposing of me, they wished to enter and dig out anything valuable which was left in my mind. My mind would be hollowed out and I¡¯d end up a lifeless husk. They sent out my parents to aplish that mission. Since those two were my blood rtions, we were innately spiritually close and even though they were my parents, I wouldn¡¯t put it past them to do something like that. After all, I was never a human in their eyes, I was merely a product.

    ¡°They had my parents bring me on a ¡®vacation¡¯ but it was just a transfer to a different mountain. They wanted to use the privacy of the mountains and our close proximity to strengthen the bond. I did not mean for things to end up that way...¡±

    At this moment, Deng Ximei¡¯s emotions were greatly impacted. Cracks started to spread under her feet. It swiftly extended out to cover the whole theatre. The flowers on the stage wilted and the whole bubble started to shake. Gu Jun instantly had her stop because he could sense the authenticity in her tale. If not for the sweet dream bubble, the pain and the madness would be enough to shatter her spirit barrier and then swallow up her mind. Her mental defence was too fragile to stand up to the revtion.

    Gu Jun knew what happened that night but Deng Ximei insisted on continuing her story. Her face turned inscrutable due to the constant shifting of expressions. There was pain, loneliness, chill, tion, relief...

    ¡°At the start, they were very kind and I tasted the sweetness of familial bond for the first time in my life but soon, as we started that bonding game, their malice reared its ugly head. They wanted to use spells to push my mind into the darkness. They assumed I woulde up with more stories that way... But the bond went both ways, I also gleaned some information from their minds. Among them were Phecda, themunication bases and the coordinates that I remembered just not too long ago.

    ¡°My spirit barrier saved me from the darkness. I did not fall into madness as they wanted but instead I havee to a decision. It was not a sudden urge nor would I im that madness had overtaken me. To be perfectly honest, I had been contemting that decision for a very long time. I have taken all factors into consideration before attempting it. I killed my own parents, I used the very ropes that they have prepared for me on them. Then I left the ce, ran out of the mountains and right towards Phecda, towards my new life.¡±

    ...

 Chapter 301: Supper

    <h4>Chapter 301: Supper</h4>

    After Deng Ximei revealed her story, the sweet dream bubble burst. Gu Jun snapped into his consciousness like being shocked awake by a nightmare.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s face was pale and her lips were purple. Gu Jun immediately tested her pulse, her heartbeat was racing too fast...

    ¡°I have killed them...¡± Her voice was icy. ¡°I pulled the noose around their necks...¡±

    ¡°No, you did not.¡± Gu Jun held the girl by her shoulders. Through the bond they shared in the sweet dream bubble, Gu Jun gained more trust in her. ¡°Deng Ximei, your parents led you away from the bandit¡¯sir when you were seven and you were brought up by them. They taught you many skills like how to survive in nature.¡±

    ¡°Is that so...¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s gaze wavered with ripples of struggle, ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m right.¡± Gu Jun stressed. ¡°The secret information, the spirit barrier technique, those were the things they taught you for your protection.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s emotions slowly levelled out and so did her pulse. ¡°Perhaps.¡±

    Gu Jun sighed internally. The girl¡¯s consciousness seemed intact if barely, but her S value must be horribly low. He did not intend to report everything that she had revealed to Phecda. He knew Phecda¡¯s administrative style, even with Elder Tong¡¯s support, honesty would bring more troubles than it was worth. For example, Deng Ximei¡¯s trustworthiness would be a point of heated debate, it would only drag things out. However, he¡¯d still be careful around Deng Ximei. He¡¯d no longer view her as an enemy but it did not mean he would let his guard down. At least that was the perspective he held for now.

    ¡°What is your favorite food?¡± Gu Jun had an idea.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Deng Ximei was startled by this non-sequitur.

    ¡°It¡¯s about time for supper, so why don¡¯t we go somewhere to eat?¡± Gu Jun suggested. Indeed he still had many questions and the issue with the video was urgent but if he pushed any further, it would be no different from killing her so a meal to ease the tension for both of them sounded perfectly logical.

    ¡°...¡± Deng Ximei gave it a surprisingly long thought before answering, ¡°Stir-fried bamboo shoots, stir-fried asparagus, stir-fried lettuce... is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to have any meat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not much of a meat eater but I guess a steamed fish works fine.¡±

    ¡°Understood, you lean towards the lightly-vored.¡± Gu Jun nodded as he reached for his phone. Once the call was connected, he shouted, ¡°Time to get to work! I¡¯ll be bringing Deng Ximei over for supper so please make these dishes for us.¡± He listed off the list of her favorite food and then ordered a few meat dishes for himself and a pot of soup. Deng Ximei looked on with confusion.

    ¡°You¡¯re now part of Phecda, you have to learn to enjoy these privileges.¡± Gu Jun waved his hands. ¡°Come on. Our destination, the recreational centre¡¯s restaurant!¡± His call was made to the restaurant manager, Wu Siyu. Even though it was already 11 pm, there was always someone from the Recreational Department on duty. This was because the restaurant was open 24 hours every day and 7 days every week. It was there to satisfy any member¡¯s midnight craving.

    When Gu Jun led the confused Deng Ximei into the restaurant, they could smell the delicious aroma at the entrance. Inside the ssically decorated restaurant, several members were enjoying their supper.

    ¡°Wee, wee!¡± Two passionate figures charged out to wee them, they were none other than Lee Yuerui and Wu Dong. ¡°Wee Captain Gu and Miss Deng!¡± The two were not familiar with Deng Ximei but they were told to treat Gu Jun¡¯s friends with utmost respect. Wu Dong¡¯s honest face brightened with smiles. ¡°Thank you for honoring us with your patronage, this way please! Our restaurant is the best choice for ate-night date.¡± Lin Xian who manned the cashier smiled coolly. This man really did not know how to read the room at all. Did he have muscle instead of a brain?

    ¡°Wu Dong, your help is needed inside the kitchen!¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°Get your butt in there now!¡±

    ¡®Howe their IQ¡¯s difference is so great even though they share the same surname?¡¯

    After being chased away by the manager, Wu Dong scratched his head in confusion. ¡®Did I say something wrong?¡¯

    Before Wu Dong left, Gu Jun introduced Deng Ximei to him and the others at the restaurant. Deng Ximei required therapeutic treatment and as someone who had gone down this path before, Gu Jun knew the importance of good friends so he nned to help her expand her social circle. Hopefully it would help her walk out from the haze of darkness.

    The two entered a private room. Soon Lee Yuerui served the dishes. Gu Jun had taken nothing but bread doing his autopsy at the Medical Building. His mouth salivated facing the tableful of scrumptious dishes. Deng Ximei picked at a bamboo shoot and then dug out the eye from the steamed bass. It was clear that Deng Ximei had not been taught official table manners. In fact, she did not have muchmon sense regarding the world, then again, considering her background, it was to be expected.

    ¡°If you like the fish eye, we can order some more.¡± Seeing how much Deng Ximei enjoyed the food, Gu Jun summoned Lee Yuerui over. ¡°Can we have a few more orders of steamed bass heads?¡±

    Suddenly Gu Jun felt a chill run up his spine. He turned and found Wu Siyu standing behind him.

    ¡°Ximei.¡± Wu Siyu was openly studying Deng Ximei who sat across from Gu Jun. She rubbed her hands wickedly. ¡°Can I touch you?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s chopsticks halted in mid air...

    ¡°Siyu has the ability to know how people taste like by touching them.¡± Gu Jun shrugged. ¡°That is how she gets to know something.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I wish to confirm if your taste matches your name, which has the meaning of roses.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Deng Ximei nodded.

    ¡°Wonderful, I¡¯ll just help myself.¡± Wu Siyu walked forward to touch Deng Ximei¡¯s hair, face, and neck... As she did so, her brows arched. ¡°Hmm, it does match up quite nicely. There¡¯s a taste of dew and the heady smell of nature... Sweet and refreshing, this is one good stream of water...¡±

    ¡°She is drinking from the mountain stream in your memory.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°The girl can taste anything she wants to.¡±

    A small smile broke on Deng Ximei¡¯s face. Perhaps she was reminded of her childhood. In any case, this was the first time Gu Jun saw the girl smile. It made her face bloom like a rose. Hemented with a smile. ¡°Deng Ximei, the smile looks good on you. We should all smile more often, we mustn¡¯t be bogged down by those bastards.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Deng Ximei nodded.

    ¡°Alright, enjoy your meal, I¡¯ve certainly enjoyed mine.¡± Wu Siyu licked her lips and prepared to leave. ¡°Call if you need me, I¡¯ll be watching tv over there.¡±

    Just as Wu Siyu ventured off, Gu Jun yelled her name, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu!¡± When she walked back to their table, he shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted you to do more exercise, it is good for your body.¡± Then he chuckled at his own joke. He did need someughter in his life.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Wu Siyu walked to his side and swung multiple punches on his shoulder. ¡°Well, boxing burns more calories.¡± But when she was done, she winced with pain as she massaged her knuckles. As she floated away, she grumbled, ¡°That was no fun, it was like punching a wall.¡±

    Deng Ximei smiled brighter, her eyes shining with resoluteness. ¡°Gu Jun, I am feeling much better now... I do not wish to take up too much time. Just ask me anything that you wish, I will tell you everything that I know.¡±

    Gu Jun took a deep breath and nodded silently.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 302: Lydia

    <h4>Chapter 302: Lydia</h4>

    Deng Ximei told Gu Jun many things, most of them ¡®taught to her by her parents¡¯. Probably due to her refreshment, her retelling was not as traumatic asst time. But due to Afterlife Cult¡¯s cautious attitude around Spirit Children, she had limited knowledge of the organization. For example, she knew nothing of the group¡¯s internal structure and main members. The information that she could offer was mostly about poems and stories from the foreign world. She also gave the names of a few other Spirit Children but she had not seen them since she was a child.

    However, she knew that they were still attached to Afterlife Cult because she chanced an encounter with them during a big ceremony that urred 5 years ago. They were not allowed interaction so she merely looked at them from afar. This meant that she had no idea with regards to their current conditions and allegiance. The ceremony was held around arge banyan tree, she remembered it clearly because such a huge gathering was not an often urrence within the organization. She saw many people that day, including those with wilted faces.

    Gu Jun was instantly reminded of the ritual meant to summon the Malformed Banyan Disease and to connect the channel between both worlds. ording to Deng Ximei, the Spirit Children attended the ceremony in the capacity of their foreign world¡¯s identities...

    It was not easy for her to go through these details. She stopped intermittently before she could continue. ¡°Lydia,¡± that was her identity in the foreign world, she was not a Carlot Doctor, in fact she did not even know much about the Carlot Academy. Lydia was a young and pretty woman, she had long luscious hair and onyx-colored eyes. She was well-read and was a literary talent. However, perhaps God envied her talent because she died from a heavy illness at the prime of her age. Herst project for the world was a poem entitled The Conqueror Worm. Deng Ximei recited the whole poem for Gu Jun. The poem described a tragedy by the name of Man, it also matched the content of that uploaded video: A bunch of clowns y-acting as Gods chasing after an unknown shadowy illusion before they were swallowed up by a giant blood red worm that suddenly appeared. Lydia might not have intended it but the poem also happened to possess ritualistic energy.

    Gu Jun detected the heavy hint of bleakness in the poem, it was like a lone traveler trudging through darkness but the break of the new dawn refused toe. Perhaps that was what Lydia felt at her deathbed. Humanity was like these clowns, chasing after illusory hedonism and godliness. They thought they had a im over their own destiny but at the end of the day, nomon human could evere near to the ultimate truth for a sudden tragedy or pestilence could wipe everything away. Famed billionaires, superstars, politicians that the world mourned over, they were nothing but sub characters in the tragedy, propping up the main character who was the conqueror worm. However, death allowed themon man a glimpse into the truth: Death can endmonality, for it is an ascendancy.

    ¡°One must not misconstruemonality as banality.¡± Gu Jun corrected sternly. He was reminded of Deng Ximei¡¯sment that she could always escape via death. That reflected the pessimism in her heart. He said encouragingly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with beingmon? At the very least, amon man can expect a good meal like this at the end of every day.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps Lydia still yearned for life and the poem is a manifestation of her unwillingness to part with it.¡± Deng Ximei sighed with a glow in her eyes. Gu Jun did not want to push too far into dismantling her life philosophy, these things took time so he astutely changed the subject. He asked her about the poem¡¯s ceremonial property.

    ¡°I believe the Conqueror Worm is a native creature of the foreign world, Lydia merely borrows its name for her poem but somehow, the poem was imbued with the energy to summon its namesake. The poem is always apanied by a haze of death.¡± Gu Jun showed her the video taken outside Li Qi Zai. Deng Ximei shook her head. That was not a Conqueror Worm, probably just its young.

    ¡°In the illusions that I saw...¡± Deng Ximei would be visited by asional illusions too. ¡°Conqueror Worm is as tall as a mountain. It starts its life as a young worm but can be fed and reared into maturity. The way to do that is to put on the tragedy of Man, to permeate this belief among humanity: life is meaningless, human consciousness has no value, death is the only real truth.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned, the statement verified his suspicion. Despite the heavy blows, Afterlife Cult showed no sign of receding, instead it attempted to create chaos to regain its footing.

    ¡°To put on the tragedy of Man?¡± He asked. ¡°What do you mean by that? Is it by uploading the video that I¡¯ve shown you earlier? Or to summon the worms for them to feed on actual humans?¡±

    ¡°Neither.¡± Deng Ximei pressed on her lips. ¡°The passing of a great literary giant like Lydia was a big loss for her admirers and the world atrge. People would feel sorry regarding her death, right? But would it not also make them reflect on the transience of their lives as well? If death could im someone as great as Lydia, what about nobody like themselves?¡±

    ¡°You mean...¡± A scary thought bubbled up in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. ¡°Lai Sheng Company would go after public figures?¡± A person¡¯s death might not attract any attention but if that person was a celebrity, especially one who had many supporters... To make the thought more worrying, what if the death did not stop with one celebrity but continued to im more than a handful of them?

    ¡°There is such a possibility.¡± Deng Ximei nodded. ¡°The actors on stage are often the people among us who shine the brightest.¡±

    Indeed, something like that would dent the public¡¯s confidence... Gu Jun considered other problems. ¡®What kind of method would they use? An illness? But how would that be connected to the summoning ceremony? How would it feed the young worms?¡¯ Deng Ximei could not provide him with the answers, she knew the poem but not the mechanism behind it. Gu Jun did not fault her for it, after all, he too had limited knowledge of the foreign culture, Landon and the Son of Misfortune.

    Noting the paleness of Deng Ximei¡¯s face and the dimness in her eyes, Gu Jun knew it was time to end the interview. Of course, the spirit barrier technique, the information about the other Spirit Children, the literature from the foreign culture were all very important but Gu Jun knew he had to take things slow. She needed time to recover or else they¡¯d get nothing from a madwoman. Furthermore, the information given by Deng Ximei so far was enough to keep Phecda busy for a while already.

    After supper, Deng Ximei was brought back to her cell by the guards while Gu Jun returned to the admin building to make histest report. Gu Jun offered his own version of the story to Phecda. To make his story sound more valid, he added, ¡°The great Atal has prophesied this. To quote, ¡®Roses might be thorny but they are still valued for their fragrance.¡¯ I didn¡¯t understand it before but I do now.¡±

    ¡°Kid.¡± When they were in private, Elder Tong grabbed Gu Jun to ask, ¡°Just how many things did this Atal tell you?¡±

    ¡°Quite a lot but I must have lost memory of some of them when I travelled through the worlds. Or perhaps they were magically sealed in my mind by Atal. Only time will tell.¡±

    When everything was said and done, it was already midnight. The sky was a swathe of ckness, but the base still had plenty of lights. Gu Jun walked back to the hostel alone but he did not feel any drowsiness. He looked up into the inky ckness, perhaps... The universe is indeed controlled by an inexplicable force of darkness and humanity is puny inparison but at least humanity also has the ability to appreciate such night sky. The view from where he stood was absolutely gorgeous.

    But Gu Jun could not help but wonder just how many such peaceful nights he had left...

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 303: A Small Livestreamer

    <h4>Chapter 303: A Small Livestreamer</h4>

    ¡°Sunny Day¡¯s Livestream, viewer number: 25, Followers: 123, Likes: 35, Donation: 6.¡±

    On screen, a sweet-looking young girl was singing. She asionally scratched her face. Her singing was nothing to cry about but she had youth and energy on her side. Whenever there was a donation, the girl would stop to thank them personally before continuing with the song. She only live streamed at night. This was a new career move for her and it had been going on for only a week and her highest viewer number so far was around 50 concurrent viewers.

    ¡°It¡¯s 12 already. My dear oppas, the livestream will end here for today, I¡¯ll see you all tomorrow. Again, thank you for Mr. Chilli¡¯s donation! Bye bye, good night!¡± The sweet girl smiled and stood up. The video froze. After the viewers greeted her good night, the number dropped drastically. Tian Yi sighed and scratched her face. She grabbed her phone to check her ie for the night... After the cut taken by the tform, she would earn 15 RMB.

    ¡°O well.¡± She told herself, ¡°It¡¯s better than nothing.¡± Sitting in front of the camera, she created the illusion that she was living in a girly-decorated bedroom; but beyond the camera, this was actually a cramped living studio. With only one room and attached toilet, it cost her 300 RMB per month for rental. As mentioned earlier, she just started trying out livestreaming. The 300 RMB could be considered her investment. She doubted having the hostel she previously shared with the other factory workers as the background would earn her any views.

    Tian Yi needed to get up early to go to work tomorrow morning. She set the rm to ring at 6. 30 am and then hurried to use the bathroom. She just celebrated her 18th birthday this month but she dropped out from school 2 years ago. This was not umon for children from the countryside, education was simply not that valued. She left her hometownst year to move to this seaside town along the eastern coast. She found a job working at a jewelry factory and earned 2000 RMB per month. The small town was spared by the legione pneumonia. The factory closed for several days before it opened for business again. However, for safety precaution, every worker was required to wear a mask to work. Nheless, as time passed, the masks started disappearing.

    Recently, all her colleagues could discuss Phecda, Phecda University, supernatural forces, and Gu Jun... But for Tian Yi, these were so far away from her life that they appeared to be from another world. Instead she was more concerned about her own life, was she going to spend her whole life like that? Working day in and day out at the assembly line, earning the bare minimum wage every month... When she started her job, she was excited whenever she received her sry but half a yearter, the excitement had worn off... It was not that the work was particrly taxing but she simply did not feel any satisfaction from her work, she felt like she was wasting her life away. A life like that was not worth it...

    Tian Yi wished to leave the assembly line and thepany. As a young person, she had many dreams, but there was one that stuck close to her heart. Recently, there was a celebrity who had risen from a simr background as her.

    ¡°The celebrity was previously a factory worker as well! To be honest, I don¡¯t think she looks that much prettier than any of us, so why can¡¯t we achieve what she has?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a secret, I heard she got a friend that got famous online from livestreaming. They only needed to go online and sing for a few hours and there¡¯d be several millions in their bank ount at the end of the year.¡±

    ¡°Several millions?!¡± Tian Yi could not wrap her head around such an astronomical number. If she could earn ten thousand a year, she would die happy. ¡®Several millions a year? What kind of concept was that? Celebrity? Livestreaming? I... don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ That was the motivation Tian Yi needed to move out from the factory hostel and invested in a set of livestreaming equipment. She wanted to give it a go. The rental¡¯s environment was not so good, it was surrounded by other vige houses. The sound of children crying, the passing of bicycles and motorcycles, the barking of dogs as well as the crowing of the chickens reared by a local grandma, these noises apanied her daily life...

    Even though her ie from her one whole week of livestreaming was less than 100 RMB, when she received her first donation, Tian Yi could not be more excited. She saw hope! Rome was not built in the day, she knew the more popr she got, therger her ie would be.

    Tian Yi used the towel to dry her hair when she felt an itch on her cheeks. Her hand reached up involuntarily to scratch it. Her fingers scratched here and there. She grabbed a mirror to take a look. She noticed her face in the mirror was red from all the scratch marks. ¡°Jesus, I better stop with the scratching.¡± Tian Yi applied some lotion that she splurged on generously on her face. It was just an itchiness, it would go away in the morning. After drying her hair, she dimmed the light andid down in the pallet pushed to the corner. She grabbed her phone and checked the email again, ¡°Dream Girls, your registration has been epted!¡±

    As she re-read the mail, Tian Yi¡¯s heart filled with anticipation for her future. Dream Girls was a talent scoutpetition looking for the next star among young girls all over the country. The goal was to form a girl group from the finalists andunch them into stardom. This kind of show gained enormous poprity over the past few years. As they say, do not ce all your eggs in one basket. While focusing on building her livestreaming career, Tian Yi also applied for the more traditional route to stardom. Who knew, maybe she would be lucky. Whenever she felt down, she would read this email and felt energy surge through her.

    ¡°Time to sleep, still gotta work tomorrow.¡± Tian Yi put down the phone and closed her eyes. She still needed to report at the factory tomorrow morning...

    Just as she was about to drift off, the itchiness on her cheeks returned and chased all her drowsiness away.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Tian Yi sighed helplessly. She tossed and turned before she surrendered and scratched her face again. ¡®It¡¯s not some kind of allergy, is it?¡¯ It would cost to visit the doctor... thankfully, she felt better after some scratching. She was tired from a whole day of working, so eventually she dropped off to sleep. Even in the state of somnolence, her hands moved to scratch her cheeks...

    She did not realize that until the itchiness became so pronounced that it woke her up.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Tian Yi scratched heavily and it eased her annoyance somewhat. However, the itchiness worsened to be a burning sensation and she could feel slight swelling on her cheeks. That woke her up instantly...

    ¡®Could it be smallpox?¡¯ The thought shot her out of bed. She still needed to appear before the camera tomorrow. It was 2.30 am. It should be quiet around the area but the dogs were still barking. The growls were insistent yet despondent, who knew what they were barking about.

    In any case, they annoyed Tian Yi. She went to switch on the lights. ¡®Please don¡¯t let it be smallpox...¡¯ She grabbed the mirror. When she saw her reflection, chilin broke out all over her skin. The mirror shattered against the floor but the shattering sound was drowned out by the young girl¡¯s scream.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 304: A Big Superstar

    <h4>Chapter 304: A Big Superstar</h4>

    The crew finished the outside shoot of an uing young adultedy drama aroundte afternoon. The crew was busy collecting the props and equipment. The female main character, Xie Yiman, despite her young age of 18, was the biggest celebrity on set. With the apaniment of her personal team, she changed out of her costume, redid her make-up, put on her sunsses and readied to leave.

    ¡°Yiman, there are reporters outside the set as well as some fans.¡± Her manager asked, ¡°Would you like to meet them?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Xie Yiman smiled as she scratched her cheeks. ¡°That sounds marvellous.¡± Sometimes, fans and reporters were brought to hype up a scene, but this time, Xie Yiman knew these people were not hired extras for this was not a big event. The so-called on set pictures and fan pictures were handled and edited by the PR department. They had to fit the celebrity¡¯s brand and the public¡¯s requirement. Should they be sexy or cute, those were all rehearsed and decided at thepany. Entertainment business was still a business. Xie Yiman knew these things but they were handled by herpany and manager, she was only responsible to cooperate.

    Two years ago, she could not imagine enjoying treatment such as these. At the time, she was just a young actor without a im to fame. Initially, she started as a child actor because her dad knew someone at the tvpany. However, herpany did not have much hope in her so her management was the most surprised at her current sess. Her big break came from a movie that no one had much faith in. Overnight, she rose from a sparrow into a phoenix and the offers rolled in. Two yearster, Xie Yiman stabilized her position as a famous and celebrated actor. With a healthy image, her future was bright.

    When Xie Yiman and her team left the studio, she saw the reporters and fans cordoned off by the security. The reporters¡¯ cameras were already shing while the fans holding her name cards cheered, ¡°Yiman, Yiman!¡±¡±Yiman, we love your films!¡±¡±Can you sign our cards?!¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much foring.¡± Xie Yiman walked over to greet her fans and sign their posters. She was used to dealing with things like this. Internally, she was proud and happy. Her hard work, effort and luck pushed her to this state but this was, for her, only the start of her career. If there was no misstep, she would eventually reach greater heights!

    After greeting all her fans, Xie Yiman was escorted by the security back to her car. Even after the car drove away, the fans¡¯ passionate chants could still be heard. Sitting in the spacious backseat, Xie Yiman picked up a script to read. She had to attend an online interviewter that night. The questions which the host would pose had already been decided between her management and the productionpany. How she was to answer was written in the script. After going through the script, Xie Yiman gave some opinions to her manager and wanted to edit some of the answers. After that was done, the manager brought up another issue. ¡°I just got thetest update this afternoon, the condition to appear in the movie by Phecda is quite tyrannical.¡±

    ¡°What are the conditions?¡± Xie Yiman asked as she scratched at her cheeks. This was a movie sponsored by Phecda. It had a plot based on an actual mission led by Gu Jun¡¯s team. This was a perfect opportunity since Phecda was everything people would talk about nowadays. Furthermore, the movie would have the government¡¯s support behind it, which was rare in China¡¯s entertainment industry. Therefore, many actors vied for a spot. Xie Yiman would fight for the main role for the sake of her career.

    ¡°You cannot take other movies while the shoot is ongoing.¡± The manager exined, ¡°And before the shoot, you have to receive a one-month long military training. We need to seriously consider this. I¡¯m sure you can endure the training but this is about the other resources. During this period, you could have finished another 3 movies and that is not counting dramas and web series.¡±

    ¡°But... this is a movie by Phecda!¡± Xie Yiman hesitated, this was one of the rare moments she pushed against management, ¡°It will definitely be popr, the same cannot be said for the rest. Furthermore, Phecda will need to produce more promotional media. If I can nab this role, they will be more inclined to sign me up for future roles.¡± Entertainment, like fashion, had many styles that came and went. Perhaps in a few years, her star would dim so mostpanies squeezed everything out of their celebrities while they were still worth that price. However, Xie Yiman had another goal in mind. Like Chanel, she was going for longevity in her career.

    ¡°I still think we should fight for the Phecda movie.¡± Xie Yiman scratched harder but the itchiness did not seem to abate.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with your face?¡± The manager asked nervously. She noticed that Xie Yiman had been scratching her face non stop until it had reddened. As a celebrity, the face was the most important asset. As an actor, Xie Yiman¡¯s acting was passable, but her forte was in youth movies and that depended a lot on her face. Her rise and fall would affect the livelihood of her whole team, as well as her managementpany, and the movie sponsors. Therefore, her team focused greatly on the maintenance of her face, there must not be any w. A minor allergy could be a career-ending tragedy. To add to the manager¡¯s worry, in the documents that Phecda sent to all managementpanies 2 days ago, they stressed the safety and health management of their artists.

    ¡°It¡¯s just some itch.¡± Xie Yiman frowned. ¡°It feels like something is crawling under my skin.¡±

    ¡°We better head to the hospital then.¡± The manager had the driver change the course. The interview could be postponed, it was not a live show anyway. The manager had Xie Yiman resist the urge, if her scratchings left behind scars, there would be hell to pay. For the initial half an hour, Xie Yiman tried her best to resist but the itchiness grew more serious... It felt like her whole face was burning up. There were ants crawling inside her every pore, munching on her nerves. Eventually she surrendered to the urge. ¡°Ah...¡±

    ¡°Stop that.¡± Her manager hurried to interrupt. The assistant grabbed an ice pack for Xie Yiman to put on her face while the manager shouted. ¡°Step on the oil!¡±

    Xie Yiman started to panic then. She still had the movie to finish, a character to fight for and shows to shoot. This was not the time to let people down. The suppressed itch made her roll about in the car seat, she wished desperately to scratch her face off...

    ¡°Just one scratch, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± She pulled off the ice pack and started to scratch with vehemence. At the same time, she noticed with confusion that both her manager and assistant had frozen in ce. Neither of them came to stop her.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong...¡± Xie Yiman nced at the rearview mirror. When she saw her own reflection, her mind nked.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 305: Erythema

    <h4>Chapter 305: Erythema</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The vicious barking shattered the quiet of the night. The dim moonlight barely lit up the vige roads. Tian Yi shuffled listlessly down the road. Her gait was uneven. She asionally scratched at her face. Her rental home was by the main street cutting through the vige and the vige hospital was on the other side. This was the first time she would be visiting the doctor since she moved here. When she walked out from the alley, a motorcycle shot past and almost rammed into her. The motorcyclist cursed in the local ng. Tian Yi did not get the message but from the tone, it sounded like he was scolding her. Tian Yi pulled her coat tighter. She picked up her pace and the wind chilled her heart.

    When she reached the vige hospital, she was greeted by an empty building, there was not even a night guard on duty. There was just a vige patrol slumped at the nearby bench snoring...

    ¡°What was I thinking? It¡¯s already midnight...¡± Tian Yi mumbled to herself. As she scratched her face, she looked at the emptiness around her. Suddenly she missed her hometown. Holding back the tears in her eyes, she nned what to do next. ¡®Should I call an ambnce? But I won¡¯t be able to afford it...¡¯ Tian Yi did not know what to do. She paced in front of the vige holiday before she pulled out her phone to call her colleague, Sister Lee. Sister Lee was their senior and she had worked at the factory for years already. She looked over the newer recruiters like a big sister. If not for the emergency, Tian Yi did not want to disturb other people at midnight.

    Once the call was connected, Tian Yi rted her situation. Sister Lee sighed helplessly, ¡°Of course the vige hospital is going to be closed at a time like this. You should head to a private clinic.¡± Sister Lee gave her an address and consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s probably a side effect from using a bad beauty product. It¡¯s just a skin allergy.¡± Then she hung up.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Tian Yi answered to the dial tone. She followed Sister Lee¡¯s instruction and soon found the clinic. The clinic was not technically a registered one, it was more like the side business of a family doctor. The doctor conducted the business from their own home. Tian Yi¡¯s hometown had such amenities too. When Tian Yi arrived, the gate of the house was closed, but following Sister Lee¡¯s instruction, she shook the iron gate and shouted, ¡°Doctor Liang, Doctor Liang, please, I need your help!¡±

    Suddenly Tian Yi heard a growle from behind her. She turned and saw arge ck dog standing not far away. Its fur was standing on end as it gritted its jaws at her. It growled as it retreated. It looked like it was both afraid of and disgusted by her. Fuelled by fear, Tian Yi shook the gate harder. Eventually the door opened and a balding middle-aged man walked out, grumbling with annoyance, ¡°Who is it... Do you know what time it is...¡± But when he saw her face, he stopped talking. He scratched his head. ¡°Is that a skin allergy? Come on in...¡±

    ¡°Doctor Liang, I did not wish to disturb you sote at night.¡± Tian Yi was embarrassed by her desperation but itchiness overwhelmed her shame. As she followed the doctor, she exined nervously, ¡°I don¡¯t know why this is happening. The itchiness started this morning but it was only minor, that is until tonight. I woke up at midnight from the itch and it was already like this.¡±

    There was a mirror in the hallway and Tian Yi¡¯s reflection caught her attention. She was honestly quite pretty, it was why she had viewersing to her livestream. But now on her cheeks, there were slight swellings. They did not look like small pox and did not cover arge part of her skin. Instead they were patches of redness with irregr shapes. They suggested some growth inside her pores. The patches appeared to form a picture, or a pattern. It looked like the limbs of some kind of insect... or spider.

    ¡°Doctor Liang, I feel like there are many worms under my skin.¡± Tian Yi said with a catch in her voice.

    ¡°Silly girl, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just an allergy.¡± Doctor Liang yawned. ¡°It¡¯s probably something you ate.¡± He took some pills out from the medicine cab, there were ritin and Carulon. ¡°Take these for a week and one each day.¡±

    Tian Yi wasforted when she heard that. But that did not stop the itch on her face. ¡°Doctor Liang, can you give me a drip? I wish to get well faster.¡±

    ¡°What drip?¡± Naturally Doctor Liang was unwilling. It was already midnight, if he had to prepare to drip, he¡¯d be here until dawn. ¡°Youngdy, skin allergy is just a small issue. You¡¯ll feel better after taking the meds.¡±

    But Tian Yi pleaded relentlessly. She could wear a mask for work but what about her livestream? She just started and if she took a week long break now, it would greatly hinder her reputation. After much pleading, Doctor Liang sighed, ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯llpromise and give you a shot.¡± Actually it was just a shot of Carulon. After mixing the dosage, Doctor Liang injected it into her skin.

    ¡°Alright, now you need to go home and rest.¡± After giving her the meds and taking the money, Doctor Liang sent Tian Yi on her way. With a m, the door and gate closed.

    Even with the shot, the itchiness did not abate. ¡®Probably the meds take time to work...¡±

    The meds and consultation cost 200 RMB and it would not be covered by her health benefits. That hung heavily on Tian Yi¡¯s mood. It looked like she would have to survive on bread for the rest of the month. Tian Yi looked up into the night sky and sighed. She held the small bag of meds and headed back to her rental home while scratching her face.

    ...

    ¡°Yiman, resist it. Stop scratching.¡± After they reached the People¡¯s Hospital, Xie Yiman put on a fashionable ck mask and was escorted by her manager and assistant into the hospital. Along the way, the manager called thepany to rte the information and thepany ryed the news to Phecda as per the organization¡¯s request. Therefore, before Xie Yiman could register at the dermatology department, her whole team was ushered away by a group of well-scrubbed hospital staff into quarantine.

    Xie Yiman was shocked and her manager panicked. Why were they being sent to quarantine?

    ¡°There are too many unknown factors regarding Miss Xie¡¯s dermatological condition, it might be contagious. We are merely following the procedure.¡± Since this happened at the city adjacent to Da Hwa City, the expert from Phecda would arrive soon. The disease control centre made their move as well. None of the doctors went in to offer Xie Yiman treatment. Instead they put on protective gear and observed the strange welds on Xie Yiman¡¯s face through the quarantine room¡¯s window. They frowned in confusion.

    ¡°That looks like lupus erythematosus...¡±

    ¡°It does, but lupus erythematosus does not spread so quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, and normally it won¡¯t cause itchiness.¡±

    Xie Yiman was spared from these discussions inside the room. However, she could not resist the temptation anymore. She scratched at her face like crazy.

    One hour after their hospitalization, the experts from Phecda finally arrived and among them was the popr Captain Gu.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 306: Dermatomy

    <h4>Chapter 306: Dermatomy</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Less than a few days after the Afterlife Cult¡¯s 16munication bases were destroyed, the things Phecda worried about still happened. Gu Jun was currently standing outside the quarantine room at People¡¯s Hospital. Beside him were Deng Ximei, Uncle Dan and the expert dermatologist from Phecda, Zhang Donghao and Sun Wei. They looked through the pictures of Xie Yiman¡¯s face earlier and all of them believed this was not a normal case of skin allergy or inmmation. This was because the irregr patches on her face formed a strange picture, in fact, they reminded Gu Jun so much of the Host of R¡¯yleh¡¯s wriggling tentacles.

    ¡®Is this a type of dermatological illness? Or a symptom caused by a more hidden illness? Is it contagious?¡¯ Still dealing with the aftermath of legione pneumonia, Phecda was prepared for the worst.

    Inside the room, Xie Yiman paced about anxiously. Her face was covered in welts from constant scratching. Part of her face was torn. This made her youthful and pretty face look quite disfigured. The destruction of beauty was always something regretful. Seeing how troubled the young woman was, everyone¡¯s heart went to her. Naturally Gu Jun knew who Xie Yiman was. Two years ago, before the world went to shit, Gu Jun admired this up anding actor. He even watched a few movies she starred in. Who would have thought this would be the way they met...

    When he walked into the room, Xie Yiman¡¯s excitement was clear. Even though they were all dressed in protective gear, she recognized Gu Jun easily. Herpany had already decided that should she get the role for the Phecda movie, they would create some rumors between Xie Yiman and Gu Jun for promotion. After the brief greeting, Gu Jun said, ¡°Miss Xie, we suspect your illness has something to do with supernatural energy, so we will perform some tests on you.¡± He stood less than a metre away from Xie Yiman. From this close contact, the feeling of illusion surged at him... When Xie Yiman opened her lips to speak, Gu Jun seemed to see hermercially brightened teeth turned into irregr jaws and her throat a ball of darkness. Deng Ximei gave Gu Jun a silent nod, this was her signal that she believed this had to do with the Conqueror Worm.

    Uncle Dan went through the regr procedure. He had Xie Yiman press against the cleansing stone and applied the cleansing seal on her but neither worked. Then the dermatologist examined her for a prognosis. Her symptoms included erythema, serious itchiness, and local edema. Her face was full of scratch marks. Other than the rapid growth of the red welds and the shape that they formed, there was nothing too irregr about her conditions. The most imminent thing that they needed to figure out was the illness¡¯ pathology and whether it was contagious. Therefore, they needed to perform a minor dermotomy on Xie Yiman to acquire her tissue sample for PCR screening and bacterial culture to see whether there was presence of bacteria, virus or parasite in her skin lesion.

    ¡°But my face...¡± Once Xie Yiman heard what they were about to do, her face paled.

    ¡°Miss Xie, I hope you¡¯ll consider our current condition.¡± Gu Jun understood her worry and consoled warmly, ¡°Furthermore, we¡¯ll only make three small incisions at barely noticeable locations, the incision will be as small as the size of a nail. It can be perfectly covered with bandages and they will not leave behind any scar.¡±

    Xie Yiman still had her worry but soon the nurses came in with tools like surgical knives and petri dishes. Then again, she consoled herself with the fact that she had more things to worry aboutpared to possible scars. If she saw herself in the mirror again, she might faint.

    ¡°Ah Mei, do you think this is contagious?¡± Gu Jun asked Deng Ximei as he observed Zhang Donghai perform the dermotomy. The girl¡¯s feelings were much valued due to her connection to the illness. Could Xie Yiman be Earth¡¯s ¡®Lydia¡¯?

    ¡°If you¡¯re asking for my opinion.¡± Deng Ximei answered softly, ¡°The illness is contagious in the sense that the selection of the on-stage actors is totally random.¡±

    Random? Yes, indeed, the randomness of tragedy and the great levelling of death... If that was the case, not only celebrities but everyone who ¡®worked on stage¡¯ would be in danger. However the silver lining was, the audience member would not be in any danger of being contaminated.

    After the incisions were done, the dermatologists prescribed Xie Yiman some anti-allergy drugs and even some of the replicated Drug No. 1 as well as boric acid lotion to help with the itchiness. Before they understood the pathology, that was the most they could do. Disease control warning was ordered throughout the nation. Once any hospital registered a patient with simr dermatological symptoms, the patients had to be quarantined immediately and have the case reported to Phecda.

    At midnight, the PCR result arrived. Xie Yiman¡¯s skin tissue showed no sign of regr bacteria and virus. Xie Yiman¡¯s team and the movie crew who interacted with her daily showed no symptoms either. However, while they waited for the result, the second and third patients appeared. The ¡®stage¡¯ was being set. By noon of the second day, there were 136 confirmed cases and they were spread across the nation. They were all members of the entertainment business, ranging from actors, singers, models, hosts to youtubers. Some of them were the biggest stars while others were barely known.

    To make things worse, this unknown illness also broke out in the US and UK. The total number of patients around the globe had broken through the one-thousand threshold and it imed many sessful celebrities. Before GOA or WMO was officially in duty, they were already faced with such a big challenge...

    The pathology of all the patients was the same, they started with itchiness on their faces until a certain threshold when erythema and local edema appeared. But the time taken to reach the threshold was different, based on the information gathered, the more famous the celebrity, the quicker they¡¯d reach the threshold. For now, this information was held from the public and all the rted personnel was quarantined. However, if nothing was done soon enough, the lid would soon be blown off. The public would eventually realize the disappearance of all these celebrities.

    ¡°Ah Jun, could this be the Mutated Scale Disease mentioned by Atal?¡± Elder Tong asked. In the prophecy, the Mutated Scale Disease referred to the growth of scale all over the victim¡¯s body. This was clearly a dermatological illness. Based on the analysis of medical experts, this could only be a form of hyperkeratosis, which caused the formation of keratin that resembled fish scales.

    ¡°That is possible.¡± The possibility already crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. The Deep Ones... Could the mutated creature that worship the Lord of R¡¯yleh be rted to the Mutated Scale Disease? Furthermore, the rashes on the victims¡¯ faces appeared to form the image of the statue...

    If that was true, then they were in for a big problem, because Mutated Scale Disease had to have caused some serious damage on humanity to be left in thend¡¯s travellers¡¯ legacy. In any case, whether this skin disease was Mutated Scale Disease or not was still ambivalent. The most worrying problem though was they still had no way of treating this illness. Drug No 1, ritin, boric acid lotion were all useless... Even facial anaesthesia proved ineffective.

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± In just a day, Xie Yiman, who was the first to receive professional treatment, looked much haggard. Since the illness started, she had not had a moment of rest due to the relentless itchiness. Her skin was torn and bleeding from the endless scratching. Honestly, she wanted to strap her hands together because she knew how important her face was. Even the medical workers advised her from doing so but the itchiness was too impossible to ignore. Resisting the urge caused other symptoms like heart palpitation and breathing difficulty. Her mental state was also worrying.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 307: Neuropsychiatric-based Dermatological Disorder (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 307: Neuropsychiatric-based Dermatological Disorder (2in1)</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Help, it¡¯s so itchy... There are many worms crawling inside my face...¡± Inside the quarantine room, Xie Yiman paced around in pain. She¡¯d bury her head deep into the pillows or pinch her arms heavily but eventually she¡¯d return to scratching her face. Her face was now filled with scars. Suddenly she mmed her head against the wall and the attending nurses quickly rushed in to stop her. Beneath the halo of celebrity, she was just an 18-year-old girl and she started to weep. The live feed of the situation inside the quarantine room was wired to a conference room inside the hospital through the cameras. Uncle Dan, Gu Jun, Zhang Donghai and the other doctors frowned as they watched the development on screen, it was clear that Xie Yiman¡¯s mental state was worsening.

    ¡°The patient has shown increased signs of self-muttion, we need to post more caretakers to watch over her.¡± Zhang Haidong said.

    ¡°Prof Zhang, if we strap the patients into ce,¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Will it worsen their mental stability?¡±

    What was the cause? Since they had no answer, there was not much they could do. If this was a dermatological illness, it was not from a virus, bacteria or parasite, it was not an allergy or a skin tumor... X-ray imaging and vital signs of the victims gave nothing valuable either. Local anaesthesia could not stop the itching. Combining all these factors, all the doctors across the country reached the consensus that this was more like a ¡®neuropsychiatric-based dermatological disorder.¡¯

    Gu Jun was afraid that was the case because once it was defined as a neuropsychiatric illness, the treatment would be extraordinarily hard. If it was caused by a bacterium, then they would only need to kill the bacteria, but things were different if it was a psychiatric illness. In modern age, psychiatric disorders were surprisinglymon due to the amount of stress people suffered from daily life. It was why over the counter antidepressants was such a million dor industry.

    In fact, there was an actual psychiatric disorder called fictitious dermatitis that bore resemnce to Xie Yiman¡¯s conditions. The patients wouldin of parasites in their bodies even though all the testing had shown that there was nothing. They refused to believe in the results and insisted on the presence of parasites. Nail biting and minor self-muttion was amon manifestation of this illness. If not for the brand-like rashes on the patient¡¯s faces and their simrity in career background, this could be easily misconstrued as fictitious dermatitis.

    ¡°Immobilizing the patient will worsen her mental state.¡± Zhang Haidong said sternly, ¡°Ah Jun, I think you need to go talk to the patient, after all, she has formed a bond with you.¡±

    ¡°If nothing works, shall we try induceda?¡± Uncle Dan gave a suggestion that was on everyone¡¯s mind. Induceda was mainly used to treat concussion victims. But sometimes a deep anaesthesia was necessary to immobilize certain patients.

    ¡°Let me try talking to her first.¡± Gu Jun said. Neuropsychiatric disorder referred to either abnormality in the neurological function or mental disturbance, this case leaned towards thetter because local anaesthesia proved futile. Then the key treatment method here would have to focus on how to correct and adjust the patient¡¯s mental status.

    ¡°To cure this kind of illness, one normally needs to find a trigger.¡± Zhang Haidong offered. With decades of experience in the dermatological department, he was the leading expert at Phecda. ¡°Such patients have an abnormal mentality, there is a trigger of sorts in their mind. Once it¡¯s switched off, the itching will stop. So one has to convince them that the treatment is effective, then the trigger will be switched off. But that in itself is a circr activity, it is why this illness is so hard to treat.¡±

    How to stop the itchiness was the main problem. For normal neuropsychiatric-based dermatological disorders, some medicine would have rtive relieving effects. Patients with light syndrome would even react positively to lotion being applied on the affected area. If anti-inmmation and anti-itching medicine did not work, then the doctor would prescribe anti-depressant and sedative before finally applying local anaesthesia. In Xie Yiman¡¯s case, they had reached the anaesthetic step by prescribing her the procaine block therapy. Local anaesthesia was applied to lower the sense of itchiness or pain and with psychiatric treatment, one would head towards recovery. But due to supernatural influence, none of these methods worked. Theoretically speaking, Xie Yiman should not be able to feel her face anymore but she imed constant itchiness from crawling of worms. Gu Jun even applied the golden aloe but it was also useless. Perhaps a live aloe would be effective but they still had not figured out a way to transport that out from the Dreands. ording to Lucky¡¯stest report, there was no new activity at the House of Worm and there was no sight of any new channel either.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± After the meeting ended, Gu Jun returned to the quarantine room. Currently all the patients were kept at local hospitals, Phecda was still considering the logistics of moving all the patients. That needed more time to confirm and n. But the patients could not wait anymore.

    ¡°Captain Gu, save me!¡± When Xie Yiman saw him, she flew to grab at his protective suit and pleaded, ¡°Please save me...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. Whenever he heard these please, his heart would tear. Temporary, the most serious patient of this new illness was Xie Yiman. The rash on her face did not expand but the itchiness was close to breaking down her mind.

    ¡°Yiman, we have grasped the basic situation already. The suit is just part of the procedure, your illness is not contagious. It is not caused by bacteria or virus, instead your mind is being influenced by some kind of supernatural forces.¡± Gu Jun patted Xie Yiman¡¯s shoulder and gently exined to her the concept of neuropsychiatric-based dermatological disorder. He took special care not to trigger anything in her. Prof Zhang warned him of the mental instability in such patients, they got anxious very easily. ims like ¡®you are not sick, it¡¯s just something wrong with your mind¡¯ would not sit well with them. After years in clinical treatment, one¡¯d learn how to interact with patients. Respect and empathy towards patients were extremely important. Therefore, when Gu Jun chatted with Xie Yiman, he was careful to not paint her as a crazy person but as a victim.

    ¡°That kind of force formed a mental connection with you and it poured negative stimuli into your brain, making you believe that there is itchiness on your face and it will not go away no matter how hard you scratch at it. But if we sever this connection, the itchiness will go away.¡± Gu Jun was not just specting, that was how they cured Nightmare Illness.

    ¡°Then... then what should I do now?¡± Xie Yiman was confused and anxious but she had trust in Gu Jun.

    ¡°We will increase the dosage of sedative in you and affix you to the bed. Your limbs will be tied and all you need to do is to focus your consciousness and resist!¡± Gu Jun encouraged. ¡°Ignore the itchiness and we will see what will happen tomorrow!¡± To have the patient face the connection and resist it head on might be able to disrupt the mental connection.

    ¡°No, no, no...¡± Once she heard that, Xie Yiman panicked. She screamed with tears. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d die! Captain Gu, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to resist but I can¡¯t! Do you understand me? I can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do it...¡± Seeing her agitated emotion, Gu Jun knew this method would not work because the focus of the treatment was not on the sedative but on the patient¡¯s mental resistance and strength.

    ¡°Captain Gu, if you wish me death.¡± Xie Yiman suddenly said, ¡°Then I¡¯d rather die now thanter!¡± She turned to ram her head against the wall, Gu Jun immediately pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t! We have other treatment methods, if this does not sound good to you, we can try another one. Don¡¯t give up so soon.¡±

    ¡°What other method?¡± Xie Yiman asked between breaths. She scratched her face violently as hope relit her eyes.

    ¡°Induceda.¡± Gu Jun said, that was the final solution. ¡°We will perform a full body anaesthesia for you to go into aa so you won¡¯t be able to feel anything.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect!¡± Xie Yiman nodded with joy. ¡°This is good, I¡¯ve been yearning to sleep. This is perfect!¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s a risk that you might not be able to wake up anymore.¡± Gu Jun had the responsibility to tell her that. Normally, if a doctor wanted to wake a patient from an induceda, they would lower the dosage and perform physical movement like shaking the patient but there was no telling what would happen in this case. Gu Jun personally was against induceda because of this risk. Furthermore, who knew what would happen when the patient lost full consciousness, would their condition exacerbate?

    However, if they did not take any measure soon, the itchiness would drive the patients insane. Facing a new illness, every treatment method had to be tried and someone had to volunteer to be the white mice.

    ¡°I...¡± Xie Yiman was stunned, there was a chance that she would not wake up? ¡°Then can I call my parents first?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Gu Jun abided by her request. This was not a problem because her family had been brought under Phecda¡¯s protection. Xie Yiman had a long chat with her parents. She choked on her words several times, no one expected her to go through a risk like this. But less than an hourter, due to the increased itchiness, she decided to go for the trial. At that point, she only wanted to rest...

    Once the method was decided, it was quickly executed. Various devices were moved into the quarantine room. The team of anaesthetists was ready and they decided to give Xie Yiman a respiratory anaesthetic. This famous celebrity slowly closed her eyes in pain and anticipation. At 2 pm, Xie Yiman was the first to ept an induceda as a responsive treatment to this new illness.

    After she went out like a light, her condition was closely monitored. Gu Jun, Deng Ximei and Uncle Dan guarded beside her bed with the team of anaesthetists, watching her quietly...

    From the start, Gu Jun was against induceda and as he studied Xie Yiman¡¯s ruined face, the ominous feeling within him grew. Half an hour after the induceda, while Xie Yiman remained motionless in bed, the devices next to her started to beep. Encephalography for conscious and unconscious individuals waspletely different. The encephalogram showed that Xie Yiman¡¯s brain activity was resuscitating but in real life, the girl was still unmoving.

    ¡°Wake up the patient now!¡± Gu Jun said urgently and took a deep breath. The team of anaesthetists moved into action. Uncle Dan gritted his teeth in regret. ¡°Damn it, I should not have suggested this, this is all my fault...¡±

    ¡°Uncle Dan, at the time, we had to try something.¡± Gu Jun knew this was no one¡¯s fault. Uncle Dan had the patient¡¯s best interest in heart.

    Suddenly, Deng Ximei whispered to him, ¡°Perhaps, this is the opportunity for us... to see what Xie Yiman is currently experiencing ourselves?¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 308: Two Girls

    <h4>Chapter 308: Two Girls</h4>

    ¡°See what Xie Yiman is currently experiencing ourselves?¡± Gu Jun turned to ask Deng Ximei for rification, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I mean...¡± Deng Ximei borated with uncertainty, ¡°We are technically her audience off the stage, so we share a unique bond with her. Perhaps we can try using that bond to see what she is going through, to see how we can help her.¡±

    Gu Jun understood it immediately, she was suggesting he build a mental bond with Xie Yiman. This was not as easy as it sounded. First of all, they were not in Dreands and there was no close rtionship between Gu Jun and Xie Yiman. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu could do it because of their training and Gu Jun shared a Spirit Children bond with Deng Ximei, but Xie Yiman did not fit either of these criteria. This was also probably why despite the sense of illusion since Gu Jun stepped into the room, none had not been triggered.

    The encephalograph became more and more abnormal and Xie Yiman started to show signs of epilepsy. Her face twitched slightly and the patches that resembled the monster¡¯s tentacles wiggled. The doctors prevaricated over two possible solutions to wake her up, one was instantaneous and the other slower. Both solutions required the cessation of respiratory muscle rxant and anaesthesia. The instant solution was to use 5L/min of oxygen flow to control the patient¡¯s breathing and to speed up the patient¡¯s discharge of drugs, the patient was predicted to awaken within 1 to 5 minutes. The slower solution had a buffer period where the drug would be reced by disoprofol. The drug would be given for 3 to 10 minutes to travel through Xie Yiman¡¯s system before the other steps were taken. For this method, the patient was predicted to awaken within 5 to 15 minutes. The final step of both solutions was for the patient to be injected with fentanyl to prevent and ease possible hallucination from the awakening.

    Normally, the doctors would go with thetter. This was because most patients suffered from mild hallucination after being manually awakened from aa, some symptoms included agitation, incoherence and random mumbling. Without the buffer, the patient would suffer from too intense of a stimnt upon waking up, it would not only injure the patient physically but also mentally, leaving behind multiple side effects. But considering Xie Yiman¡¯s condition, the team of anaesthetists was stumped, both solutions provided its set of problems.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, what should we do now?¡± The main anaesthetist, Lee Weiyuan, asked urgently, he left the decision with Gu Jun, ¡°Fast or slow?¡±

    ¡°Ah Jun, her blood pressure and heart rate are climbing.¡± Uncle Dan noted with nervousness, ¡°I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be able to hold on should we drag this out longer.¡± Many medical experts were watching the live feed of the sickroom at the headquarters. However, none of them provided anyments because it had already been decided that Gu Jun would personally handle this case. Furthermore, no one was more familiar with the patient¡¯s condition than the doctors attending to her.

    ¡°No, take it slow!¡± Gu Jun shared a different opinion from Uncle Dan. He said with determination, ¡°Go with the disoprofol, try to control her awakening within 10 minutes.¡± He believed if they attempted the awakening without the buffer, it would increase the patient¡¯s blood pressure and heart rate further. Even if she was ultimately rescued, her heart would be seriously damaged. But the greater danger lied with her mental state. The rash decision might cause the copse of Xie Yiman¡¯s self-consciousness and she¡¯d be dead in a manner of speaking.

    ¡°Prepare the disoprofol stat!¡± The team of anaesthetists moved to oblige. If there was no ident, the patient would awaken after 10 minutes. Gu Jun turned to study the encephalogram and her other vitals like blood pressure and SpO2. The mild convulsion was more pronounced on Xie Yiman¡¯s body. Who knew what she was experiencing in this semi-conscious state... He turned to look at Deng Ximei and came to another decision. Gu Jun uttered darkly, ¡°Ah Mei,e, we¡¯ll give it a try. You have a closer connection with her, so you¡¯ll lead the way.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Deng Ximei nodded. The two then walked closer to the bed. Without standing in the anaesthetists¡¯ way, they reached out to touch a rash on Xie Yiman¡¯s face which was scarred from the scratching. Knowing what they were attempting, Uncle Dan ordered softly for the rest to be as quiet as they could and keep away from the duo. Gu Jun started to focus and the blurriness of the illusion intensified. Clearly a supernatural influence imed its stake over Xie Yiman. If he did not wear the protective gear, and was physically touching her, the feeling might be more intense.

    To make an analogy, Gu Jun was currently pacing outside a door that was already open but he was unable to walk through. But at that moment, another mental presence arrived. He could detect the scent of morning dew in the air, Dirty-minded Yu did not lie, it was Deng Ximei. Gu Jun followed this mental presence and walked through the door to enter Xie Yiman¡¯s mental world...

    Instantly, Gu Jun was enveloped by itchiness, it was as if every cell and every pore in his body was itching but he was unable to move. ¡°Fuck...¡± Now Gu Jun understood how Xie Yiman felt. Constant itchiness was a kind of pain, it could impact even the strongest mind. But Gu Jun could still hold on as his ball of fury burned away some of the itchiness.

    The sense of illusion coalesced. In the darkness, he saw the figure of a young woman running ahead. He screamed loudly, ¡°Xie Yiman! Xie Yiman,e back! It¡¯s time to wake up!¡± The young woman turned around and Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered. The girl¡¯s face was barely recognizable, patches of skin were falling from her face. They revealed small worms that crawled all over her skin. She seemed to suffer from dermatitis exfoliativa... With a sh, Gu Jun saw the face covered in scales... His heart sank, was this skin disease a prodromal stage of human mutation? If this stage was allowed to continue, what would Xie Yiman and the other patients mutate into?

    Seeing the young girl turn back, Gu Jun shouted again, ¡°Xie Yiman, don¡¯t go! Come back!¡±

    ¡°Captain Gu.¡± The girl said with strange cheeriness. She reached up to pluck away a piece of her king skin and fling it to the side. She continued in a strange voice, ¡°I am not Xie Yiman, if only... If only I am Xie Yiman...¡±

    Gu Jun was startled, this was unexpected. ¡°Then can you tell me who you are.¡±

    ¡°Captain Gu, isn¡¯t this supposed to be nothing more than a normal skin allergy...?¡±

    The girl asked as she plucked away more and more kes of her skin to reveal the scales crawling with worms. ¡°I went for treatment at midnight and took the shot... I¡¯ve paid so much money, money that I¡¯ll need to livestream for months to earn back... so why, why... why does this still happen to me?¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

 Chapter 309: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 309: Awakening</h4>

    The figure of the young woman blurred as if melting into the darkness.

    ¡®Who is she?¡¯ Gu Jun was confused, ¡®Why would she be inside Xie Yiman¡¯s mental world? What is the connection that they share? From the information that she shared... She was a livestreamer but she was probably not a famous one based on the fact that she thought paying for a skin allergy treatment was costing her too much. If this patient had gone to the hospital, where is she now? Is she among the 156 patients within Phecda¡¯s monitoring?¡¯ Suddenly a thought crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡®No, we¡¯ve been assuming that Xie Yiman is the Patient Zero and the one with the most serious condition but what if that is not true? What if this young girl is the real Patient Zero?¡¯

    ¡°Miss, I wish to help you!¡± Gu Jun said immediately, ¡°I will do my best to help you.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± The girl replied, her voice bogged down by depression like fallen leaves decaying in autumn, ¡°There are simply too many problems...¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Gu Jun wanted to continue his persuasion when a giant impact mmed into him. It felt like he was being run into by a car. His mouth opened to evoke a scream as the girl disappeared among the darkness... Suddenly, the illusion ended and so did the itchiness.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun came to and sucked in a cold breath before his breathing came unevenly. Beside him, he could hear Deng Ximei gasping for air as well. Uncle Dan and the rest were still focusing on waking up Xie Yiman. Gu Jun looked at the patient and then at her vital signs. Her heart rate and blood pressure had risen but not yet to the danger zone. He asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°You were away for 5 minutes.¡± Uncle Dan reported. ¡°Earlier there was a drastic change in the patient¡¯s haemodynamic, but it has evened out now.¡±

    ¡°I saw Xie Yiman...¡± Deng Ximei¡¯s knees buckled. ¡°She was unable to move and the itchiness brought her plenty of pain. She was at the verge of a breakdown, I did what I could to share in her pain... but I appeared to sense another person there.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded thoughtfully. ¡®I did not see Xie Yiman or Deng Ximei... and Ximei ims she did not see the other girl? Wait, could the girl be Deng Ximei?¡¯ Deep inside his heart, Gu Jun still had his reservation about Deng Ximei... that was to be expected for someone who was paranoiac. He missed Wu Siyu, he needed confirmable information. After about 10 minutes, Xie Yiman woke up. Due to the effect of the muscle rxant, she could not move her limbs. The good thing was the convulsion had stopped but the bad thing was her open eyes spoke of endless pain and her lips opened to groan weakly. Initially, they nned to inject some atropine to ease out the muscle rxant, to help the patient¡¯s recovery. But every drug has its side effect and Xie Yiman just suffered from a disturbance to her haemodynamic. Gu Jun did not dare to apply more drugs into her body. Since her vitals were in the eptable range, he nned to let her be. The dosage of the anaesthesia that they used was not high so Gu Jun hoped for the patient¡¯s body to digest it naturally. Therefore, he only had the nurses help massage the patient¡¯s limbs.

    After a while, Xie Yiman could finally speak. She groaned helplessly, ¡°Help... help me... let me out...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± Gu Junforted, ¡°You¡¯re back from that ce, everything is okay now.¡± But no matter what he said, Xie Yiman did not respond with rity. She kept mumbling incoherently. Clearly she was under the influence of hallucination. Normal patients would suffer from hallucination after an induceda so this was no indicator that Xie Yiman¡¯s mental state was broken. They would have to wait until the drug left her body to make the next assessment.

    Gu Jun had the nurses scratch Xie Yiman¡¯s face, and this appeared to be effective. The groaning died down. Uncle Dan and the rest sighed in relief. It appeared like an induceda was not the way. If not for Gu Jun and Deng Ximei¡¯s mental intervention, Xie Yiman probably would not be alive now. The discussion was heated at the headquarters. Was this a unique case? One sample case was too little, more experiments had to be done to be sure.

    Temporarily, they won¡¯t be getting anything new from Xie Yiman. Gu Jun walked out from the sickroom andmunicated with themand central, ¡°Xie Yiman is not our Patient Zero, there is another person. It¡¯s a young girl and she¡¯s a new livestreamer. She has visited the hospital and was diagnosed with skin allergy. Shemitted the visit at midnight. Please look for her now, she is very important!¡±

    Themand central immediately moved into action. Theypared the description with the 156 patients under their monitoring and none of them matched! This patient was still out there!

    If she visited a public hospital or private clinic, due to her symptoms and rare consultation hours, it should not be too hard to locate her but that too required some time. Gu Jun hoped that they would not end up finding the girl¡¯s death notice...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, I need you toe over here now. I need your help.¡± He then made another call. There were too many surprising developments in this case.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°Do you want me to bring some boxed meals for you?¡±

    ¡°Bring some barbequed pork with rice.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°Everyone in the team needs the boost in energy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll throw in an extra chicken leg for you.¡± Wu Siyu added.

    He called Dirty-minded Yu over not for the food but for another mission. Gu Jun wished to ask Deng Ximei more about the spirit barrier and Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s presence could act as a living lie detector. After their chat, Deng Ximei handed over the songs and poems as well as portraits of other Spirit Children that she could remember but she did not provide any new information about the spirit barrier. She imed that she did not know how to describe it. She only knew how to utilize it but not the theory behind it. Phecda still did not know anything about the spirit barrier.

    Gu Jun had his suspicion.

    The fact was that the Afterlife Cult should already know about Deng Ximei¡¯s association with Phecda but they still insisted on performing the ritual of the Conqueror Worm whom Deng Ximei had deep ties to. First there was the strange video and then now this illness. Did they run out of ideas or there was an ulterior motive? Gu Jun leaned towards thetter and he wondered what kind of role Deng Ximei would y in it...

    Soon Wu Siyu arrived with members from both the Spell Department and Recreational Department, bearing delicious food. Without wasting any time, Gu Jun pulled Deng Ximei to the side. Wu Siyu hugged the girl like a sloth andid her head in the crook of Deng Ximei¡¯s shoulder. Wu Siyu shot a nce at Gu Jun, ¡°I¡¯m ready now, fire away.¡±

    ¡®Couldn¡¯t you make this less obvious...¡¯ Thankfully her synesthesia did not require the forming of a mental bond so, in spite of appearances, this should work fine.

    ¡°Ah Mei, I¡¯m wondering if you can impart the technique of your spirit barrier to the patients.¡± He asked, ¡°To help them block out the itching stimulus.¡±

    ¡°...I can¡¯t.¡± Speaking of this topic, Deng Ximei¡¯s usually serene face evoked with emotion, ¡°Spirit barrier is not usable on everyone, the user has to have some spiritual talent and a barrier takes time to build. At the very least, it will take a month... And with the mental state of the patients, I don¡¯t think it is possible.¡±

    Wu Siyu shot Gu Jun a look. He caught it, Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s perception was that Deng Ximei was not lying. To be honest, he also did not think Deng Ximei would be that good of a double agent. So the bigger possibility was that the Afterlife Cult had mastered some other information about the Conqueror Worm that eluded Deng Ximei, information that they probably procured from other Spirit Children...

    At that moment, Uncle Dan rushed over and said urgently, ¡°Ah Jun, this is bad! Xie Yiman is showing new facial deforming symptoms!¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 310: Pre-op Consultation (3in1)

    <h4>Chapter 310: Pre-op Consultation (3in1)</h4>

    Gu Jun put on the protective suit before hurrying back to the sickroom. Now the contagiousness of Xie Yiman¡¯s illness was brought back into question. After all this was not a normal dermatological illness but it could be the prodromal stage of a transmutative disease. When he returned, Xie Yiman was more sentient than when he left her as she called out his name once she saw him, ¡°Captain Gu, Captain Gu!¡± Gu Jun noted for himself the new facial symptoms that Uncle Dan described on the way back. The infected area on the patient¡¯s face expanded. The irregr erythema previously consigned themselves to the patient¡¯s cheeks but now it was spreading. ording to this rate, the rash would be all over the patient¡¯s face by tomorrow morning. Furthermore, there appeared to be scaly kes of skin forming above the erythema. The white epidermalyer cracked to resemble little red flecks of scales.

    Gu Jun saw an illusion of this illness spreading to every inch of the patient¡¯s skin and the edematous would exacerbate until the skinpletely fell off. It would be a case of dermatitis exfoliativa like the young girl Gu Jun saw in Xie Yiman¡¯s mental world. However, after the human skin was removed, a new dermalyer would rece it, a scale-like keratinized skin with different pigmentation.

    ¡°So itchy, so many worms...¡± Xie Yiman¡¯s word reflected the change in her mental state, ¡°They have crawled to other ces. Please help me...¡± Gu Jun conducted some inspection and he turned away with a frown.

    ¡°The patient probably has entered the second stage.¡± He informed themand central darkly, ¡°The previous stage is probably the prodromal stage, the chance of this being the Mutated Scale Disease has greatly increased.¡± Even though currently Xie Yiman was the only one with this new symptom, this proved some dire facts. This was more than a mental disorder, it was also a neurological abnormality. The doctors were faced with problems in the patient¡¯s neurological system that current medicine did not understand that much.

    Mutated Scale Disease, if this was what it is, was not good news. Gu Jun reminded themand central to take a sample of Xie Yiman¡¯s scale-like skin kes to make DNAparison with the scale he brought back from the Dreands and the skin of the Deep Ones. He had a feeling the Deep Ones would be the breakthrough but the damn system still had not provided him with the abyssal mission of dissecting them.

    Once Xie Yiman¡¯s new symptom appeared, the experts at headquarters and He Bei City¡¯s People Hospital had to discuss new treatment methods.

    ¡°Ah Jun, we have to consider the possibility of surgery.¡± Zhang Donghai told Gu Jun, ¡°The condition of the patient is worsening too fast, we can¡¯t waste anymore time.¡± Now they were faced with mainly two solutions. One was to sever the patient¡¯s mental connection with the pathological source, which was supernatural-based; and the other was to slice off all the mutated skin and transnt them with new skin, which was based in modern medical science.

    ¡°We can start with radiofrequency rhizotomy on her trigeminus and nervus facialis to observe its effect.¡± Zhang Haidong suggested. When they dealt with Nightmare Illness, they attempted lobotomy, a surgery meant to destroy the patient¡¯s central stem nerves, to disrupt the patient¡¯s connection to the Nightmare House. It helped to greatly reduce the speed of mental degradation. Now this method could be replicated by destroying the facial nerves on the patients of Mutated Scale Disease.

    The second method could prove effective too. Once the diseased tissue was removed, the illness would be manually extradited from the patient¡¯s body, this proved sessful when treating patients of Malformed Banyan Tree Disease. However, if this was a neurological illness, excision of the old skin would not help anything. Therefore, when both solutions proved equally unreliable, the team of doctors leaned towards the former. The main reason was radiofrequency rhizotomy (also known as radiofrequency lesioning, short formed as RFL from now on) had a lower risk.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun frowned deeper. Even for normal people, the negative consequences from RFL could be unbearable. Trigeminus was aplex nervi cerebralses, it has three nerval functions: pain, touch and movement. RFL could control the zone of the damage. For example, RFL is mainly used to treat prosopalgic patients.

    The treatment theory is very simple, the electrode will be inputted into affected nerve clusters to destroy the nerves ending that cause pain while leaving the nerves endings responsible for touch and motor function untouched. When your brain cannot receive the pain stimulus anymore, you would not feel the pain. But the surgical effect might not always be idealistic. Some patients lost all functions after the surgery. They suffered from facial numbness, in severe cases, the surgery might even influence the motor skills of the tongue, eyes and nose, causing speaking, and even breathing difficulty.

    For now, the medical team suggested a surgery that would only maintain the motor skills or at least they would try to. However, the trigeminus was not the only nervi cerebalses the surgeons suggested they operate on. The second RFL was meant for nervus facialis¡ªthis was aplex nervi cerebralses that mostly monitored the facial motor skills that manifested facial expressions. Its destruction would cause facioplegia. Basic expressions like arching the brows, puffing the cheeks and pouting would be impossible. Xie Yiman was an actor, a young star on the rise, ruining these two nerves would equal to ending her career. Was that something she could ept in her current mental state?

    ¡°Ah Jun, do you think we should exin theplication of the surgery to the patient?¡± Elder Tong at themand central asked. Gu Jun was silent. This was a conundrum. If he told Xie Yiman, the girl might mentally copse. But if he did not, it would give the dark forces the chance to fester. When she found out her life had been ruined without her permission, the consequence would be horrible...

    ¡°Let me think about it...¡± Gu Jun could not make the decision. ¡°I feel like this kind of decision should be made by the patient herself...¡±

    ¡°Then you should help her consider it.¡± Zhang Donghai showedpassion and encouragement, ¡°We doctors are tasted with jobs like that too.¡± How to deal with the patient¡¯s psychology, how to exin the necessity of the surgery and how to ease the patient¡¯s tension pre-surgery was one of the doctor¡¯s main responsibilities.

    This task was handed over to Gu Jun because Xie Yiman was his patient. For the other 155 patients, despite their celebrity status, the government was not going to show them preference. Themand central had already selected 45 individuals for RFL. The 45 individuals were selected from different backgrounds, gender and stages of illness, toplete the sample variation. The 45 individuals were separated into 3 groups, 15 patients per group. The first group would have their trigeminus removed, the second group their nervi facialis and the third group both. Another control group would be set up forparison.

    At the same time, other patients were sent into other preparatory experimental groups. One group was nned for sensory rhizotomy of the trigeminal nerve, this was a brain surgery. If RFL did not work, they had to go for a more invasive surgery, of course it came with bigger risks and more possible side effects. Another group was nned for dermatomy and skin transnt. They had to cover all bases.

    However, Xie Yiman¡¯s treatment would be left in Gu Jun¡¯s hands. As the only patient with the second stage of illness, her condition was very unique. At the prodromal stage, RFL or dermatomy might work but perhaps not at her stage. Not all patients had the choice of epting or denying surgery, but Gu Jun wanted to give Xie Yiman the right. However, he also understood that this illness was more than just one Xie Yiman, it had consequences that could be felt all over the world. Before returning to the sickroom, Gu Jun found Wu Siyu to chat, he unloaded upon her his sense of loss.

    ¡°So anything is possible and no one knows what will happen.¡± Wu Siyu concluded, ¡°I finally understand why I chose not to be a doctor.¡± She patted his shoulders, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, if I was you, I would give her hope. I would show her the picture of you as the Nightmare Man and then share the story of the Dreands and the golden aloe with her. Show her the hope that her facial palsy could be treated. Tell her about the Great Atal and how powerful he is, he might have ways to treat her.¡±

    ¡°That will indeed make her feel better...¡± Gu Jun concurred. ¡°With hope, there¡¯s a reason to live and technically I won¡¯t be lying.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°One can live without a face but not without a heart.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do it your way.¡± Gu Jun decided, ¡°After all, who am I to question the Goddess of Hope?¡±

    When the two entered the quarantine room, Xie Yiman could already move on her own but apanying that sentience was a vengeful return of the itchiness and a deep panic. Earlier, Xie Yiman pleaded desperately for a mirror. After being given the permission by Gu Jun, the nurse handed her one and now the young star was sitting in her bed soulless and numb.

    ¡°When I was in thea, I think I saw a person...¡± She mumbled, ¡°The skin on her face was falling, will that happen to me too?¡± Gu Junforted her as best as he could and asked her some more questions. Xie Yiman did not have any female friends who was a livestreamer and she did not interact with the young girl in hera. She only stared at the other girl from a distance. The girl eventually ran away. Just as Xie Yiwan was about to surrender to the darkness, she felt someone pull at her. And the itchiness eased. When Gu Jun asked more about the force of the pull, Xie Yiman described it as a faded sweet scent. So it was indeed Deng Ximei who saved her.

    ¡°Yiman, I want you to take a look at these pictures.¡± Gu Jun handed her Wu Siyu¡¯s phone, it contained the pictures of him when he was the nightmare man.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± Xie Yiman was befuddled. This person looked to have more serious facial scarring than she did.

    ¡°This was me.¡± Gu Jun answered. He reported his action to the superior. They approved of it but the golden aloe had to be kept a secret. They were afraid that its revtion might put the Zoogs in danger. Gu Jun agreed so he only told Xie Yiman about the Dreands and its magical medicine as well as the power Great Atal. The cultists could have assaulted Ulthar but they did not, Gu Jun believed it had plenty to do with Atal and the cats. There had to be a reason why Ulthar could be a sanctuary at a ce as dangerous as the Dreands.

    ¡°If my face can be cured, so can yours.¡± Gu Jun first gave Xie Yiman hope before telling her about the surgery. As he expected, Xie Yiman¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears.

    ¡°Listen to me first!¡± He said quickly, ¡°Atal knows everything and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to cure your condition but to do that, you have to stay alive! As long as your self-consciousness is intact, as long as you manage to survive the surgery, then there is always a solution to heal your facial injury.¡± Wu Siyu next to him nodded. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve not met Atal in person, I hear that he looks not one day older than 100 years old even though he is already 300 years old. Clearly, the Great Atal has great experience in beauty skincare.¡±

    ¡®Was there a difference between how a person looks at 100 years old and 300 years old?¡¯ Gu Jun sighed and nodded, ¡°Indeed, the Great Atal looks very young for his age.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Xie Yiman was lost and confused, the small hope was extinguished by a greater despair. Two days ago, she was shooting a movie, she had plenty of shoots lined up, her poprity ensured her stardom and she was going to fight to ensure her star continued to burn... She was aiming for the Oscar, the Golden Globes, to be part of the movie history... But now she would end up prosopoplegic, unable to make simple expressions like turning her eyes or moving her lips...

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t happen to me...¡± Her tears fell endlessly, ¡°What have I done wrong?!¡±

    ¡°You did not do anything wrong, you were just unlucky.¡± Gu Jun said seriously. Illness was not selective... Although that might not be true in this case. He shook his head and focused, ¡°Yiman, but you are not the only one. There are many people in your line of work who are going to undergo this surgery.¡± He listed out the names given by Phecda, they were all famous individuals. ¡°Yiman, this is a war that we have to win.¡±

    Even though the tears were still falling, Xie Yiman¡¯s emotion was no longer that haggard. Knowing that others shared in her tragedy did make her feel better... She could not imagine facing this alone. Gu Jun could empathize with that. It was not that we wish illness on others but we hope there was someone out there who could understand what we were going through. Without empathy from others, one would face the illness with loneliness and disquiet, that was too heavy a burden... He did not think Xie Yiman or the girl in his illusion would be able to face a challenge as big as that...

    But how can he be sure that was not exactly what the young girl was going through? Still unfound by Phecda, would she know that there were others sharing the same fate as she did? Would she think she was the only cursed one in the world? How would it make her feel about her existence? At that moment, Gu Jun felt a strange connection with ¡®Lydia¡¯, it was unclear whether that was a good thing or not.

    But no matter what, he would try his best to save Xie Yiman.

    ¡°Yiman, I heard from the superiors that Phecda and GOA in the future will set up a new department responsible for public image.¡± Gu Jun was not lying, that was true, the new department would be modelled after Phecda¡¯s Public Rtions Department. ¡°The movies would be all handled by this department. They are looking for directors and actors. Yiman, if you survive this, I¡¯ll be sure to rmend you to join this department. Even with face palsy, one can be a great actor. Have you heard of Takeshi Kitano? Sess is still within reach. The important thing is to be alive, anything is possible when one is alive.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Wu Siyu concurred, ¡°Well said.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Gu...¡± Xie Yiman sobbed. Of course she felt the two¡¯s concern. She knew they sincerely wanted to help her and hearing those words, she did not feel her future was that dark anymore. But she ultimately could not personally decide to destroy her career....

    ¡°I do not understand medicine and much less about supernatural energy...¡± Xie Yiman scratched at her face. ¡°But I believe in you. Please help me make this decision for you know this better than I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. If surgery was not undertaken, there was definitely no chance for survival. He nned to start with RFL of the trigeminus before moving onto the nervi facialis if the effect was not satisfactory. ¡°Then I need you to be ready. The first surgery will start 2 hours from now. I swear to remove the itchiness once and for all.¡±

 Chapter 311: Pre-op Meeting

    <h4>Chapter 311: Pre-op Meeting</h4>

    Due to the heavy inte monitoring within the country, the video ¡®Man¡¯ was not that widespread and not many people knew about it. However, the situation waspletely different outside the country. It soon gathered a cult following and that seemed to urge the creator to upload a second video. The video was uploaded by the user, WeWatched_2021. While the video, Man, was taken off Youtube, the ount was not. Clearly FBM nned to fish the user out. WeWatched_2021 did not seem to fear the supervision either. They used the same ount to upload a new video entitled, the Performer.

    The video still took ce at the same stage but instead of children, there was a mermaid-like monster covered in scale watching silently before the camera. It looked too real to be a CGI. Even though the ¡®Performer¡¯ did not include anything gory, the video evoked a sense of difiture in its watcher... Once Phecda saw the video, they recognized the actor in the video as the Deep One. The information was shared with FBM. This meant that the dermatology illness might really have to do with the Deep Ones. In the video, the Deep One stood silently for a minute before pictures of various celebrities shed through in a coge. They consisted of famous individuals from all over the world. At the end of the video, a subtitle in both Chinese and English wrote, ¡°Where are they now? Are they still okay? Your governments are lying to you. Go look for them and see for yourself what is really happening.¡±

    Simr to Man, the video had no voice but the watchers could hear a strange voice that sounded like bothughing and crying at the same time. If only one watcher reported this sensation, then it would be nothing but almost all the watchers had the same experience. This could only mean that the video could influence the watchers¡¯ mental state. Was it the effect of supernatural energy? In any case, that increased people¡¯s attention to the question asked at the end of the video. This was a video meant to create panic among the public and to taunt the government. Even though it was swifty banned, the question it posed already became a hot topic online. Indeed, what had happened to those celebrities? Were they in danger?

    The celebrity effect is the ability of famous people to influence others. Regardless of WeWatched_2021¡¯s identity, his intention of using celebrities to initiate discussion was sessful. Many celebrities soon responded on social media with ims and even selfies to prove that they were fine. Some bought their stories while others suspected this was just a media stunt.

    The video naturally was blocked in China. However, someizens still managed to get their hands on it. The question spread among the small circle.

    ¡°There is a picture of Xie Yiman among the coge!¡±

    ¡°Yiman was seen signing photographs for her fans outside the movie studio yesterday, she¡¯s fine. The video is just to scare people.¡± Xie Yiman¡¯s fans were quite worried. After all, she did not show up on the scheduled inte talk show and her team had been radio silence on social media for the past two days. They prayed for the safety of their idol.

    ...

    ¡°Ah Jun, there are three types of anesthetic preparation model to RFL. The first is full body anesthesia, the second is to apply locational anesthesia after the puncture is in ce, while the third is to abandon the anesthesiapletely and instead opt for a slow increase in the temperature of the electrode after it has been plunged into ce.¡±

    Inside the conference room at People¡¯s Hospital, a team of doctors were having a pre-opt meeting. Gu Jun sat at the table and frowned as he looked at the human facial diagram on screen while listening to the main surgeon, Si Kouxian. Si Kouxian, a neurological expert, was also the main surgeon during the lobotomy for the Nightmare Illness. He was mentally impacted during the surgery but he recovered perfectly. He was recruited to join the Spell Department after. Since the surgery was a type of neurological intervention therapy, he was naturally one of the main surgeons.

    Gu Jun would act as the assistant for he had no experience performing this kind of surgery. He had not even operated the c-cam x-ray, which was the mostmon device in this kind of surgery. Dermatologists like Zhang Donghai and Sun Wei were sent away. The team of surgeons was sent over from the headquarters. Other than Si Kouxian, there were also other neurologists as well as doctors from the Spell Department like Cai Zixuan who were there to help and learn. There were also members from the Ancient Seal department. To ward against possible mental assault, cleansing stones were ced outside the surgical room.

    Wu Siyu and Deng Ximei would provide mental support, currently, they were also seated at the conference table. If Uncle Dan had a say, he would bring Wang Ruoxiang into the team, but unfortunately...

    ¡°If we go for local anesthesia, we risk the drug going into the patient¡¯s blood or csf.¡± Si Kouxian said, ¡°That will only influence our ability to locate the trigeminus, thus lowering the quality of the surgery. The risk of ruining the nerves will increase. Furthermore, the radiation can only begin after the abatement of the first anesthesia, thus lengthening the surgical time. Lastly, locational anesthesia will influence the rity of the surgery effect.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded silently. Facial surgery was different from other surgeries for one had to take into consideration the protection of the human skull.

    ¡°If we skip anesthesia though, the patient will be exposed to great pain.¡± Si Kouxian looked around the table. ¡°The patient has shownplication in her hemodynamics this afternoon, subsequent pain might cause cerebral vascr idents. Ah Jun, you are most familiar with the patient¡¯s condition. You should decide the surgical method.¡± The other doctors agreed. After all, Xie Yiman was Gu Jun¡¯s patient. Gu Jun had made many medical decisions that day and every single one of them could be fatal. He felt like he was walking on a tightrope over a chasm, one wrong step and he¡¯d fall but the one dying would not be him but the patient. The heaviness of deciding someone¡¯s life was not something easy to bear.

    ¡°We¡¯ll skip the anesthesia.¡± Gu Jun made the decision. ¡°For one, there are simply too many negatives to the application of anesthesia; for another, the patient has already shown negative reaction to anesthesia during earlier treatment;stly, the patient is already under constant pain, I do not think the surgical pain will make her keel over, if anything, the difference in pain might cause a diversion from the constant itchiness.¡±

    He was speaking from experience. When he was the Nightmare Wonder at Dth-Leen, the hardest ordeal was the constant difiture, when another sensation came to refresh his sensation, even if it was just a different kind of pain, it would ease the tension in his mind.

    ¡°Okay then.¡± The other doctors had no objection. Every decision came with its risk. It was hard to tell beforehand which would be the correct solution. This kind of RFL surgery was not that hard to perform. After the main decision was made, the meeting soon concluded. Just as the group prepared to leave the room, Gu Jun received atest update from themand central.

    Information regarding Patient Zero was found, it was an 18 years old girl by the name of Tian Yi. However, the girl was currently missing, in fact she had been missing for days already. Her doctor consultation was recorded to be 5 days earlier than Xie Yiman¡¯s.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 312: RFL Surgery

    <h4>Chapter 312: RFL Surgery</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Midnight consultation, a young girl with erythema and she was diagnosed with skin allergy. There were plenty of patients that fitted the first two criteria but to fit all three, Tian Yi was the only one. Her consultation was one week ago and her first symptom appeared one day before that. That day was also the day Phecda took over Afterlife Cult¡¯s 16munication bases and Gu Jun¡¯s team brought down a red worm. Looking back, perhaps the mission did not stop the ritual but rather it had initiated a new one. The still living 6 cultists were being heavily interrogated but their mind was too broken to provide any useful information.

    The tragedy began with Tian Yi, the 18-year-old girl who started her livestreaming career less than 1 week ago. When Gu Jun looked through her files, he felt a weight in his heart, this was just a young girl trying her best to fight for a better life for herself. And now she had disappeared and no one could tell when did that happen.

    The investigation result showed that thest person to have seen her was Doctor Liang. At the time, he injected her with a shot of Carulon, prescribed her a week¡¯s worth of medicine and charged her 200 RMB, which was honestly quite expensive. Doctor Liang was not briefed about the Mutated Skin Disease. When he was questioned about that night, he said with confusion, ¡°There was nothing too special about it. She had skin allergy so I gave her a shot, some medicine and she left... Oh, the dogs outside were barking constantly even after she left. I remember I have trouble sleeping that night because of it.¡±

    What were the dogs barking out? Was there someone or something else who came along with Tian Yi that night? Tian Yi did not show up for work the next morning, she called for a sick leave, which proved that she was still alive. But she still did not show up for work the day after. She stopped livestreaming and basically went off the grid. Something must have happened to her...

    After 3 days of absence, her supervisor called her but there was no answer. Her friends did not think much about her absence, believing she merely stayed at home because of her skin allergy. Unless it was the day for rental payment, herndlord would not visit her and her neighbours minded their own business. The vige street did have cameras but they were just for show. They had been broken for months already.

    Tian Yi¡¯s parents divorced years ago and she grew up at an orphanage. She had no contact with her parents since she was young. No one would have cared about someone like Tian Yi if not for the uniqueness of her case. It was why her disappearance was shrouded in so much mystery. Regardless, Phecda sent out investigators to find clues. After all, a girl could not just disappear into thin air. Eventually the clues would surface. The only silver lining from the news was that the illness appeared not to be contagious because the vige did not record any other patients. Gu Jun shared the files with Deng Ximei. The girl shook her head, she did not feel anything.

    In any case, Xie Yiman¡¯s surgery had to continue. Gu Jun went through decontamination, scrubbing and so on. When Gu Jun¡¯s team entered the surgical room, the patient was lying on the operation table. Her body was strapped in. The Ancient Seal stone was ced in the room. The c-arm x-ray was ced next to the patient¡¯s head. Various devices beeped in the background. Naturally there were cameras monitoring the situation in the room as well.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Uncle Dan asked since he noticed Gu Jun take a deep breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I have not been in a surgical room for so long.¡± Gu Jun exined.

    ¡°But Tycoon Jun, you have been out there saving lives just the same.¡± Cai Zixuanforted. Gu Jun nodded silently. They better prepared themselves for the battle ahead.

    Wu Siyu, Deng Ximei and the members from the Ancient Seal Department stood to the side while the medical members walked towards the surgical table. Xie Yiman looked at them nervously. Even though she had been given pre-op consultation, and was told about the surgical procedures, it was impossible for her not to be worried.

    ¡°Just rx.¡± Gu Jun said consolingly. ¡°Anaesthesia is normally not required for this kind of non-invasive surgery, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Si Kouxian concurred, indeed this was not a big surgery. Gu Jun epted the skin marker from the nurse. Comparing the facial EEG done on Xie Yiman earlier, he drew out the surgical lines on her face, so that the main surgeon would know where to input the electrodes.

    Xie Yiman started to sob. She felt like a pig waiting to be ughtered. After Gu Jun was done, Zhang Jingsong operated the LNG30-1 frequency monitor to triangte her forame novale. The surgery would have the surgeon input the electrode through the forame novale to reach the trigeminus and destroy its nerves endings. The surgery would start with her right side before moving to the left. After the x-ray from the frequency monitor was fixed, the x-ray imaging screen soon showed the patient¡¯s forame novale. Si Kouxian took out a long electrode, its edge shining with a cold glint. Over at the headquarters, the other experts watched with bated breath as the first RFL surgery attempted to treat Mutated Scale Disease.

    Gu Jun applied disinfectant on Xie Yiman¡¯s corrupted skin and then ced a towel over her face. The patient instantly screamed, ¡°No, no! Let me see, please!¡± Gu Jun had the nurse change it for a smaller towel. It covered only her cheeks, without blocking her sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± He consoled, ¡°It¡¯s just a minor surgery.¡±

    Holding the electrode, Si Kouxian leaned towards the surgical area. With the aid of the X-ray, he pushed the electrode into the bottom edge of her zygomatic upper jaw... The angle of the suturing was calcted via trigonometry. The trajectory had to be followed minutely to reach the nerve clusters.

    The needle head punctured through Xie Yiman¡¯s mutated skin. With Si Kouxian¡¯s expert manoeuvring, the small electrode slowly disappeared into Xie Yiman¡¯s face. When the electrode stuck into the forame novale, Si Kouxian could feel clearly the needle being sucked into ce by the facial muscles. The suturing was sessful. At the same time, Xie Yiman felt an overwhelming pain in her face, it caused her to yelp, ¡°Ah!¡±

    ¡°Does it feel simr to electric shock?¡± Gu Jun asked urgently, that was a normal reaction.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s so painful...¡± She groaned. Despite theck of rity, at least she was speaking. The rationality assessment stone around her wrist did not glow so Gu Jun nodded at Si Kouxian to continue.

    ¡°The electrode is in ce.¡± Zhang Jingsong studied the x-ray images. There was now an additional dark line on screen, it was the electrode.

    ¡°You hear that? The first step is sessful!¡± Gu Jun encouraged Xie Yiman loudly, ¡°Hang in there, it¡¯ll be over soon.¡±

    The other experts applied for an electrical stimulus triangtion, the patient responded in kind so the position of the electrode was definitely correct. The nurse adjusted the temperature and time on the RFL machine. The temperature of the electrode would rise to 80 degree andst for 90 seconds. For now, they decided to repeat this process 3 times. All the electrical wires were connected. Gu Jun stood beside the machine, watching the start button. Once the button was pressed, the trigeminus on Xie Yiman¡¯s right face would be destroyed.

    ¡°Yiman, hang in there, brace yourself.¡± He said as he pressed the button.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Xie Yiman screamed in pain. If not for the straps on her body, she would be rolling in pain. The temperature rose and so did the pain she experienced. Something scorched inside her face...

    The worms scattered from the fire. They crawled and rolled. They burned in fury...

    ...

 Chapter 313: Mid-Surgery

    <h4>Chapter 313: Mid-Surgery</h4>

    The needle head of the electrode was metallic so it could conduct heat. Through pulsation of a radiation beam, it would heat up the suture point. At that moment, Xie Yiman¡¯s trigeminus was being destroyed by the needle heated up to 80 degrees Celsius. Her brain felt like it was melting. The wormsshed out in response. Everything culminated in a ball of impossible pain. The doctors and nurses watched over her. Gu Jun nced at the time on the RFL machine, there were still 40 seconds left to her first session. 90 seconds never moved so cially. The cries of the patient gnawed at their hearts.

    Suddenly, Deng Ximei let out a yelp, ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡± As if proving her point, the assessment stone around Xie Yiman¡¯s wrist glowed faint red. However, none of the doctors felt anything, unlike the operation during the Nightmare Illness lobotomy, this mental assault appeared to only affect the patient. Gu Jun focused his eyes. This was at least evidence that the surgery was working!

    The thought was shared by the people at the headquarters. Excitement charged the air in the surgical room. A surgical ident was not positive, yes, but something more awful would be ack of response. However, it was still unknown whether this was a good or bad response...

    ¡°Prepare the Ancient Seal!¡± Gu Jun ordered calmly. Wu Siyu instantly led a team to sign the Ancient Seal onto the patient. Xie Yiman shrieked louder. Her mental corruption faded but her heart rate and blood pressure rose. Uncle Dan reminded Gu Jun nervously of that detail.

    ¡°Yiman, hang in there, there¡¯s only 10 seconds more...¡± Gu Jun gripped Xie Yiman¡¯s trembling hand as he looked frowningly at the timer on the RFL machine. The number on the timer was dropping but the number on the patient¡¯s vitals was rising. Si Kouxian ordered, ¡°Ready the anaesthesia, 4 ml Disoprol and 4 ml Sufentanil.¡± Even though Gu Jun decided on the surgery method, Si Kouxian was the main surgeon. It was the main surgeon¡¯s responsibility to adjust to the changes that would ur during the process of surgery, so it had been decided pre-op that Si Kouxian would jump in to handle these kinds of emergencies.

    ¡°Come on, just 5, 4 more seconds...¡± Gu Jun did not wish for the use of any anaesthesia but he understood the peril Xie Yiman was in. Just as the nurse was about to inject the anesthetic into the patient, the RFL machine beeped, the first session was over.

    ¡°Hold the anaesthesia.¡± Si Kouxian halted the nurse. If the anaesthesia was applied, they would not get any answer from the patient and that would greatly influence their assessment of the surgical result. They checked Xie Yiman¡¯s vitals. Thankfully, they all started to drop back towards normal level.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Xie Yiman sucked in a breath. She uttered with tears. ¡°Doctor Gu, I can¡¯t do this anymore, it¡¯s too painful...¡±

    ¡°But you have to!¡± Gu Jun patted her hand. ¡°The pain is there because it is effective. When this is over, the itchiness will be gone.¡± After the patient¡¯s emotions stabilized, Si Kouxian and Zhang Jingsong stepped forward to inspect her right face and enquire about her sensory situation. The surgery tried its best to prevent harm to the nervus ocris, so the intended effect was facial anaesthesia. Xie Yiman could not provide a clear answer. It felt numb and the pain had faded somewhat but there was still some itchiness.

    ¡°I can sense the worms, they are crawling...¡± Xie Yiman choked out. ¡°Doctor Gu, they are going to crawl all over my body.¡± The swelling on her right cheek grew bigger but the erythema did not spread. Would the surgery cause the mutation of her skin disease to spread like Xie Yiman imed? No one knew, for these ¡®worms¡¯ only existed in her mind. The doctors had no physical evidence to support or deny her im.

    ¡°They are just trying to scare you.¡± Gu Jun said. He suspected these worms feed on their host¡¯s despair and fear. ¡°If they are that powerful, you¡¯d be dead already.¡± Logic was worthless at the moment, it was better to give the patient hope, to provide her with the will to live. Gu Jun knew how much Xie Yiman valued her career, so he promised, ¡°Yiman, I have a wish to be a director. If I have the time in the future, would you y my main female character?¡± The others knew that his words were meant for encouragement. Naturally Gu Jun would not have any free time to direct a movie in the foreseeable future.

    ¡°Can I have a cameo role?¡± Wu Siyu chimed in, ¡°I have the acting itch too.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll write you into the script.¡± Gu Jun nodded. He made it sound like the movie was already underway. If one day he really had that time, then he¡¯d live by his promise, but who knew when that day woulde. In any case, the back and forth between the two gave Xie Yiman a lot of hope. She could already see the Phecda movie in her mind¡¯s eyes. ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be my honor....¡±

    After a small break, the second session came. Giant pain engulfed Xie Yiman again, shattering her will and exhausting her mind. However, with the promise that Gu Jun had given her, she fought on. The dreams she had, it kept her going, she refused to die just like that...

    ¡°Ah...¡± Xie Yiman gritted her teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot. Be it pain or itchiness, she would survive this!

    ¡°Hang in there.¡± Gu Jun gripped her hand tightly. He wished he could share in her pain.He did not wish to see a living person perish on the surgical table before his eyes after suffering such intense pain. He swore to save this patient.

    The air in the room solidified from the high tension. The second and third session ended. The electrode was removed. Then blood clotting agents and cold baths were applied on the surgical areas. Half of Xie Yiman¡¯s face swelled. The sense of pain and touch on the right side of her face was gone. Her teeth felt as heavy as stone. The itchiness on this side of her face appeared to have dwindled or at least that was what she felt...

    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll proceed with the other side.¡± Gu Jun nodded at the main surgeon. They adjusted the machine and prepared to perform the surgery on the left side of Xie Yiman¡¯s face. Normally, the surgery would not be performed consecutively but the patient¡¯s condition did not allow them time to wait. The earlier procedure was repeated on the other side. Just as Gu Jun was about to press the start button, Xie Yiman suddenly gasped nervously, ¡°Captain Gu, wait, I think I see someone...¡± Her determination swayed, ¡°It... it¡¯s a girl. The girl with the king face. I¡¯ve seen her before... She¡¯s in my mind, watching me...¡±

    Gu Jun instantly stopped to look around. So did Uncle Dan and Deng Ximei. The rationality assessment stones did not react.

    ¡®Tian Yi is here? She¡¯s mentally-connected to Xie Yiman¡¯s?¡¯

    Cai Zixuan was the first to notice the change. He whispered urgently to Gu Jun so that the patient would not hear him, ¡°Tycoon Jun, the erythema on her face is spreading!¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 314: Blessing of Misfortune

    <h4>Chapter 314: Blessing of Misfortune</h4>

    Gu Jun turned and saw the scaly erythema turn red as blood. It was spreading at a speed noticeable to the naked eye. Si Kouxian and Uncle Dan frowned. Seeing this, Xie Yiman asked in panic, ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good news, the operation has proven to be very effective!¡± Gu Jun eximed confidently. He was not just consoling her. The right side of her face was still swollen but the erythema did not spread. However, on the left side of her face, which had not received the RFL surgery, its infected area had expanded by 1 cm already. This proved that RFL on the trigeminus was effective in controlling the patient¡¯s condition. Ignoring Tian Yi¡¯s purported presence, Gu Jun took in a deep breath and hit the start button, ¡°Yiman, hang in there!¡±

    Instantly Xie Yiman wailed in pain. The agony was more intense than before. Her whole body convulsed involuntarily. Her heart rate and blood pressure rocketed again.

    ¡°Surgeon Si, apply the anesthesia when necessary,¡± Gu Jun told Si Kouxian before turning to shout, ¡°Wu Siyu,e help me!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu moved to oblige, ¡°You need some mental power support?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I wish to perceive the room in a wider spectrum.¡± Gu Jun nodded. He did not ask for Deng Ximei¡¯s help because that would throw in an uncountable factor. Ever since Xie Yiman mentioned the existence of the girl in the room, Gu Jun could sense Tian Yi¡¯s flickering existence as well. Perhaps that was because they had once shared a brief conversation. Wu Siyu ced her hand on Gu Jun¡¯s arm to channel her mental power into him. Gu Jun grasped Xie Yiman¡¯s hand to use her as a medium.

    There were many people inside the surgical room. Not all of them were from the Spell Department, but all of them had been briefed on the importance of keeping quiet when Gu Jun was in this state. Therefore, the only thing echoing in the room at that moment was Xie Yiman¡¯s horrible shrieks, it sounded like she was being yed alive. Gu Jun closed her eyes to enter the darkness, to swim into the girl¡¯s mental world.

    The images materialized before him. The king skin, the scales, and the blurred shadow standing over there. He called out cautiously, ¡°Tian Yi, is it you?¡± The figure was slightly startled and turned to look at him. The eyes were startlingly human...

    ¡°Where are you in person?¡± Gu Jun asked, he desperately wanted to help this poor girl. ¡°Can you let us help you?¡± The figure did not speak but turned to attempt to run away.

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Gu Jun shouted, ¡°Tian Yi, I know you too are an innocent victim, you¡¯re not responsible for Xie Yiman¡¯s illness, are you?¡±

    ¡°I... I am not...¡± The figure halted and replied in a barely discernible voice, ¡°I¡¯m just here to observe.¡±

    ¡°Then you...¡± Gu Jun felt a mental assault. Tian Yi¡¯s voice twisted, it took on a more sinister tone. ¡®I¡¯m here to observe Xie Yiman in pain, to see whether she would experience the same pain as I did. I wonder if someone like Xie Yiman would feel pain too. Doctor Gu, there is no fairness in this world, we are born with wildly different gifts, but tragedy is the great leveler... A small fry like myself, someone who is totally dispensable, can have Xie Yiman share the same pain as I do... Isn¡¯t that wonderful? This proves that Xie Yiman is not that special, and neither am I. Our existences are finally equal... The tragedy has validated my existence... Doctor Gu, tragedy is a miracle, it can shatter destiny; death is a truth, it can end all fabrications.¡¯

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s brain broke. He saw many illusions. He saw Xie Yiman attending the movie premiers; he saw her signing autographs for her adoring fans; he saw her taking pictures for the reporters; then he saw Tian Yi curl up in a rental less than 10 cubic metres, singing on the inte essentially begging for money.

    ¡®Tragedy, tragedy... Have you really understood its virtue? Could you not see the blessing brought upon by this cmity?¡¯ The dark force within Gu Jun roiled. Suddenly something hit him. This ritual, Lydia, and the Son of Misfortune...

    Noticing the girl walk away, he calmed himself and then shouted, ¡°Tian Yi! I don¡¯t know what other people are doing but no matter if you are Tian Yi or Xie Yiman, as a doctor, I will do my best to save you. Close your ears to that voice, do not get deluded by it!¡±

    ¡®Is it really a delusion? Is the blessing of tragedy a delusion...¡¯ That sounded like Tian Yi¡¯s reply. In any case, the girl continued to saunter away until she disappeared into nothingness.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun suddenly came to. His body was covered in ayer of cold sweat. The mental exhaustion made his head throb. He turned to look at Deng Ximei. Afterlife Cult¡¯s action, the ritual of the Conqueror Worm, was intended not only to create public havoc, it had a clear target as well. As the reincarnation of Lydia, Deng Ximei was targeted, but Gu Jun realized he was the target as well... Or rather, the Spirit Child within him, the Son of Misfortune was. Could there be a rtionship between Lydia and Landon? Did she die of hemoptysis too?

    ¡°Ah Jun? Si Yu?¡± Uncle Dan asked with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s face was pale but Wu Siyu did not look any better. She leaned against the wall and sighed, ¡°I¡¯m fine, better check up on him...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine too... How¡¯s the surgery going?¡± Gu Jun powered on. He returned to aid in the surgery. While he was mentally away, the first session on the left side of her facepleted. Xie Yiman survived. Maybe it was the effect of surgery or maybe it was Tian Yi¡¯s departure, the spreading of erythema slowed. When all three sessions werepleted, her whole face was swollen like a balloon, her usual beauty gone without a trace. However, the surgery was indeed effective. The spreading of the erythema had slowed down conspicuously.

    ¡°It feels like...¡± Xie Yiman touched her cheeks. Her face should have no sense of touch anymore. ¡°There¡¯s some itchiness left but it¡¯s no longer that obvious...¡±

    Si Kouxian and the other doctors shared a look. Ultimately, it was still Gu Jun who made the decision, ¡°Perform RFL on the nervi facialis.¡± If they continued to work on the trigeminus, it might lose its motor skills, which would lead to horrible consequences. Hence, they moved onto a different surgical area. The goal of the surgery remained the same, which was to eliminate the sense of itchiness and to stop the spread of the diseased skin.

    ¡°Okay...¡± Tears poured out from Xie Yiman¡¯s eyes. Once the nervi facialis was destroyed, her facial expression muscle would lose its motor skills.

    The room bustled with activity. Si Kouxian inserted the electrode from the bottom of her canals auricris. The electrode passed through the foramen stylomastoidem to reach the nervi facialis. After the depth was confirmed, Gu Jun pressed the start button once more. Xie Yiman screeched like a banshee. Technically she should not feel any pain on her face anymore but there was something exploding in her mind...

    The rest could only watch on in silence as a star was brutally wiped out of existence by tragedy.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 315: Face in the Mirror

    <h4>Chapter 315: Face in the Mirror</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The first, second and third session, Xie Yiman suffered through all of them without the use of anaesthesia. After the surgery was over, her mind was too weak to even answer the doctor¡¯s questions. The electrode was removed from her body and she was given antibiotics to prevent intracranial infection. Gu Jun personally applied the ice pack on her face. He asked, ¡°Yiman, do you still feel the itchiness on your face?¡±

    ¡°Itchiness?¡± Xie Yiman¡¯s swollen face could no longer make any expression. She could not frown or pout. Her mumbling voice was no longer incoherent, instead it was filled with a sense of loss and eptance. Theck of joy was striking. ¡°I... I don¡¯t think so, I don¡¯t think I can feel anything on my face anymore...¡± Without skin and working facial muscle, did she still even have a face left?

    When the doctors heard this answer, they sighed in mixed relief. The result was optimum. After the surgery, Xie Yiman never onceined about the itchiness. Before the surgery, she could barely resist the urge to scratch her face but now she justid there quietly. The spreading of the erythema had stopped. After taking a breath, Gu Jun announced to everyone, including himself, ¡°The operation is sessful.¡±

    Wu Siyu, who previously leaned against the wall, slid to the ground. She did not wish to move even an inch of her muscle anymore.

    The surgery was a sess! This should be a happy result but it came with such a heavy price. Destroying most of the function of the patient¡¯s nervi facialis and trigeminus appeared to sever the patient¡¯s connection to the unknown pathological source and silenced those psychological worms. Just like Zhang Donghai imed, once the trigger was switched off, the itchiness disappeared.

    The surgical result was a source of inspiration for the people back at the headquarters, they immediatelymunicated the result with the rest of the world through the name of GOA. This was not an easily-eptable treatment method but it could save lives. The experimental groups would continue as usual as medical science always required more clinical samples.

    ¡°Yiman, the itchiness is gone and the spreading has stopped, your dermatological illness has been brought under control.¡± By the surgical table, Gu Jun studied the young girl with a swollen face and crooked lips. A cold breeze blew through his heart. ¡®What kind of ¡®blessing¡¯ is this...¡¯ He said seriously, ¡°We¡¯ll see how your infected skin progresses before we decide what to do next.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay...¡± Xie Yiman answered. ¡°Doctor Gu, do you mind bringing me a mirror?¡±

    Uncle Dan advised against it, it would cause too much trauma on the patient.

    ¡°Get her a mirror.¡± Gu Jun told the nurse. Xie Yiman¡¯s trust in him was built upon his respect towards her, she had the right to look at herself. The nurse grabbed a normal mirror over for Xie Yiman. The patient looked at her reflection and was silent for a while before she emitted a cry that sounded like bothughter and cry. Her voice was distorted even further from the motor damage to her oral cavity and tongue.

    ¡°Yiman, just rest for now.¡± Gu Jun consoled, ¡°You need to rest so that you can recover.¡± The other doctors offered constions as well to help build the patient¡¯s confidence. However, the words fell on deaf ears. Before the operation, Gu Jun had negotiated with themand central to have Xie Yiman¡¯s parentse look after her. The girl had a close rtionship with her family, hopefully her parent¡¯s encouragement could give her strength. Soon Xie Yiman was moved onto a gurney and pushed out of the surgical room. She would take some X-rays before returning to the sickroom.

    Even after the patient left, Gu Jun still stood beside the surgical table. It was not until Wu Siyu came to pat him on his shoulders that he left with the rest.

    Gu Jun removed the scrubs, went through decontamination and returned to the conference room for post-op discussion. They followed up on Xie Yiman¡¯s post-op situation. The nurse responsible for Xie Yiman¡¯s recovery came with the report. The patient reported difiture in her mouth, nose and ears but there was no problem with her sight, thest was a very good news. Since there was no report of blindness, it meant that the surgery did not affect the first branch of the trigeminal nerve.

    After a dinner break, the conference continued. They looked at the surgical result of the experimental groups through the monitor nervously. The victims who were still in prodromal stage showed a better receptibility to the surgery. However, performing RFL on only the trigeminus or nervi facialis did not bring optimum results; only by destroying both sets of nerve endings that the itchiness could disappear. That was simr to Xie Yiman¡¯s condition.

    After the meeting ended, Gu Jun finally could rest. It was by then 11 pm. He had made People¡¯s Hospital his temporary home and the admin gave him an office to act as his room. Heid down on the sofa and gave out a long breath. He closed his eyes to arrange his thoughts. Earlier, he osted Deng Ximei. ording to the girl, Lydia supposedly did not know Landon.

    ¡°This is such a long day...¡± Gu Jun grumbled as he massaged his pounding temples. Performing induceda, pre-op intervention and RFL surgery took up most of his day but it was all worth it, for a life was saved. Honestly, he was not that physically tired but what he experienced that day... Like Deng Ximei would say, was more than superficial. The mental pressure was enormous. He might need to visit Sister Liang for a therapy session.

    Gu Jun shook his head and then clicked open the new system notifications.

    ¡°RFL surgery, 2 star, sess. Personal contribution 15 percent, ranked third.¡± The biggest contribution was done by Si Kouxian, followed by Zhang Jingsong.

    ¡°Strong Heart mastery increased by 10000 points. Current level 2 (120000/300000 Mastery)¡±

    ¡®This mysterious system...¡¯ Gu Jun wondered, ¡®What kind of forces does it originate from?¡¯

    ¡°Is it a power I¡¯ve obtained at Long Kan Seabelt? Or this power has always been within me and the ident has merely triggered it?¡± Gu Jun leaned towards thetter. ¡°Could it be rted to Landon and the Son of Misfortune?¡± He thought for a while and came to no conclusion so he turned his mind to rest. It had been a long day. Visions swam in his mind, flickering in and out...

    It disturbed Gu Jun¡¯s rest. He slept but did not feel rested. When he opened his eyes, it was already midnight. Seeing as he woke on his own, there should be no emergency, and that was a good thing.

    ¡°The mission list should have been refreshed already.¡± Gu Jun opened the system to check. He jumped up immediately and raced out of his room. ¡®It¡¯s finally here!¡¯

    Abyssal Mission: Complete the autopsy on a Deep One within a week. Reward: Unknown.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 316: Autopsy of the Deep One

    <h4>Chapter 316: Autopsy of the Deep One</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    From maritime warfare, Phecda salvaged plenty of the Deep One¡¯s carcasses. There were in total 165 sets of them, 21 of them were rtively intact, while 3 werepletely unharmed. As promised, they reserved one for Gu Jun. One month had passed since then. The autopsy department had done numerous autopsies on these mutated creatures. Experts like Xiao Huiwen had had his fun. The tragedy of Gu Jun willy-nilly naming the unknown parts was avoided this time. This kind of mutated creature posed multiple biological problems and there was still no concrete evidence to prove that they were mutated from human beings.

    Analysis of their DNA was still ongoing but current autopsy results showed many simrities between the Deep Ones and human beings, an example being their reproductive system. When the headquarters received the call by Gu Jun that morning, they were confused, why the sudden urge to perform an autopsy on the Deep One now? Regardless, they abided by his request. They immediately sent people to transfer the Deep One carcass reserved for him. It was transferred from the Medical Department to People¡¯s Hospital. Experts like Xiao Huiwei and He Tao tagged along.

    Inside a morgue at People¡¯s Hospital, the sting of Formalin permeated the air. Shadeless lights lit up the autopsy table. The Deep One¡¯s carcass was ced on top of it. It was about 2 metres tall and its skin was covered in greyish-green scales. This Deep One died from a gun shot through the heart. Therefore, the carcass was rtively well-preserved. A group of people in masks and scrubs stood around the table. They were none other than Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan, Uncle Dan and the rest.

    ¡°Gentlemen, if there is no ident, we will be posted here for the entirety of theing week.¡± Gu Jun told everyone. He only rested for less than 4 hours after the long day but a new battle already began. His aim was toplete this mission with 10 stars to acquire the best reward. However, it did not escape Gu Jun¡¯s attention that in this one week, no one knew how Xie Yiman¡¯s condition would progress, anything could happen.

    ¡°Come and rest if you¡¯re tired.¡± A sofa was ced by the wall and Wu Siyu made herselffortable. ¡°I can squeeze out some space.¡± To prevent possible illusory intervention, Deng Ximei and thend travellers were there as well. After all, they were more familiar with spells and the Ancient Sealpared to Phecda¡¯s othermon members. Kathlyn stared at the carcass of the Deep One and she mumbled, ¡°Oh my god...¡± Although she could not tell what kind of malevolent god would create this kind of dark creature.

    Gu Jun studied the strange fish head and the protruding eyeballs. For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity with it as if he had seen the face before...

    ¡®I¡¯ll find out further once I cut it open.¡¯ Gu Jun thought as he ced his four Carlot instruments on the metal tray. Scissors, scalpel, tweezers and the hammer with the long handle. He told the others that the hammer was a gift from Lucky, a product of Dth-Leen.

    ¡°Where should we start?¡± Xiao Huiwen asked. Due to the time constraint, they did not have a meeting beforehand. ¡°I suggest we start from the limbs as a warm up.¡± Xiao Huiwen had the same suggestion when Gu Jun operated on the zombiest time.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the face.¡± Gu Jun announced as he used his hand to touch the scaly face. This time he was not the first to conduct the autopsy on the Deep One. He watched recordings of other autopsies beforeing here so he felt there was no need for any warm up. If this creature could trigger his illusion, the earlier it came, the better. The scales soaked in Formalin were still surprisingly tough. As Gu Jun brushed his hand through them, they felt strangely familiar to Xie Yiman¡¯s diseased skin...

    ¡®Is it really mutated from humans? But the creature¡¯s gills, webbed limbs and cranial shape suggest that this is apletely different kind of species. If this was originally a human, the transmutation would not have happened through just a dermatological illness, it must have gone through other mutations, growth and keratinization which require time.¡¯

    The biologists conducted a simtion on this but they failed for there were simply too many unanswerable theoretical problems. Furthermore, there was another big conundrum, which was how far down into the sea this creature could dive? The difference in depth would bring a huge difference. The sea brought with it the factor of underwater pressure. Without any equipment, the deepest depth a human being could dive was 125 metres. Inparison, with its unique biological evolution, the whale could dive for more than 2000 metres underwater. Based on the Deep One¡¯s biological structure, it should be able to dive up to 500 metres in depth only but during the marine war, the military submarines spotted signs of the Deep Ones at depth of more than 1000 metres.

    People thought the name ¡®Deep One¡¯ came from Gu Jun¡¯s inspiration but Gu Jun himself knew the nomenture came from the system and there had to be a reason behind it. However, the problem was Gu Jun could not confirm it was indeed a Deep One lying on the autopsy table. In any case, Gu Jun had two goals for this autopsy. One was to find out the connection between the Deep One and the skin disease; and two was to find out the mystery behind the Deep One¡¯s diving capability. Even if he could not get to the bottom of either truth, some clues would be better than nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± Gu Jun used the medical marker to draw out a line on the scaly face. Then he grabbed the scalpel and clicked open the mission in his mind, ¡°Mission epted! Currentpletion rate: 0 percent. Current remaining time: 167:59:59¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Xiao Huiwen urged nervously but Gu Jun was moving too fast. ¡°Ah Jun, what kind of vivisection are you nning to make?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the shape of the prodromal erythema?¡± Cai Zixuan recognized the impression drawn out by Gu Jun¡¯s marker, despite the difference in the facial structure of the human face and fish face.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re correct¡± Gu Jun nudged the tip of the Carlot Scalpel into the gap between two scales. The sharp point failed to pierce through with the first thrust so Gu Jun applied greater pressure.

    ¡°Be careful! You have to handle the pressure more carefully.¡± Xiao Huiwen could not help but warn. He was more nervous than the young man holding the knife. ¡°There are many nerve endings in its face!¡±

    The scales were tough and tenacious, making it difficult to cut through. If the applied force was too small, the incision would not be made; if the force was toorge, the scalpel might break, or the scalpel might push too deep thus destroying the internal nervous system and circtory system.

    Xiao Huiwen knew how difficult this autopsy would be. Even the experts who practiced on the Deep Ones daily still had trouble with this. But under their stunned gaze, Gu Jun¡¯s first cut was firm and confident. He increased force and instantly, the strange scalpel pierced through theyer of scales.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

 Chapter 317: Scale

    <h4>Chapter 317: Scale</h4>

    Once the scalpel plunged into the skin, Gu Jun felt a resistance against his force. He had reached the ¡®human-fish fascia superficialis¡¯. Theyer of tissue was simr to human fascia superficialis hence the naming convention. However, it had more blood vessels and nerve endings as well as a higher density of fatpared to humans.

    The keratinized skin formed scabs about the size of one¡¯s thumb. They could be peeled off scale by scale. Holding the scalpel, Gu Jun understood Xiao Huiwen¡¯s warning for a smooth control of applied pressure. His hands were like a calibrated machine as they cut urately around the edge of the scale. The scale itself was left uninjured. It was not until Gu Jun used the tip of the scalpel to nudge underneath the scale and apply the tweezer on it that the piece was plucked off perfectly. At that moment, he turned to the system. The notification said, ¡°Current autopsypletion rate: 0.01¡±. That confirmed the creature lying on the table was indeed a Deep One.

    Based on his previous experience, dissecting one scale would not always equal to 0.01 percent obtained progress throughout the autopsy. The high number was because this was the first time Gu Jun spliced out this tissue.

    ¡°Phew.¡± Xiao Huiwen released the breath he was holding. He was once again impressed by Gu Jun¡¯s technique and mastery. Based on his working records, it had been some time since Gu Jun¡¯sst autopsy but even so, his handiwork was still wless. The severed scale was perfectly preserved, the tissues under the scale were not injured at all. This meant that the fascia superficialis revealed under the scale was smooth and glistening. Seeing this, Cai Zixuan remarked softly, ¡°I suppose this is what they would call ¡®skin like snow¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Young man.¡± Uncle Dan nced at Cai Zixuan, ¡°You have an even more unique taste than I do.¡±

    On the other hand, Gu Jun studied the scale in his tweezer closely. Each of the scales possessed dark red capiries but they wererger than normal human capiries. They were visible to the naked eye. The capiries dropped off the edge and bottom of the scale. They were probably used to connect the scales to their adjacent units. It had been named ¡®Scaly vein¡¯. For some reason, the observation of the scales blurred Gu Jun¡¯s mind. He was given a vision of the Deep One diving into the depths of the sea. Deeper and deeper it went...

    If Gu Jun was the one who named this capiry, he would probably call this the scaly muscle. Even though the concept of ¡®muscle¡¯ came from Chinese medicine, it was not a unique term in autopsy science. ¡®Muscle¡¯ was an umbre term, it included the meaning of muscle, tendon, sinew, joints and so on in modern medicine. But because of that, Gu Jun felt ¡®scaly muscle¡¯ would be able to exin the wide array of usage this tissue hadpared to scaly veins. What was the use of scaly muscle? As a connective tissue between scales for contraction and movement, or it served a bigger purpose than that?

    ¡°I have a feeling that this scaly muscle.¡± Gu Jun said contemtively, not realizing he had renamed the tissue. ¡°Might be one of the keys to the Deep One¡¯s deep-diving ability.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Xiao Huiwen asked. The team at headquarters looking in through video was made curious by this statement as well.

    ¡°Solely based on this creature¡¯s biological structure, it cannot dive that deep underwater.¡± Gu Jun stated, this was something being looked into already. ¡°But as everyone knows, this kind of mutated creature¡¯s biological structure often can generate supernatural energy, for example, the corrosive patterns inside the zombie¡¯s bones.¡± The same patterns did not appear on the Deep Ones¡¯ bone. This kind of deep sea creature had very low bone density as it aided in underwater survival.

    ¡°The scaly veins can generate supernatural energy?¡± Xiao Huiwen stressed, for scaly muscle was not a technical term employed in autopsy science.

    ¡°I believe they connect with each other to form awork.¡± Gu Jun announced as he nced at the carcass on the table. ¡°These scaly muscles... I mean, veins form awork that cover the entirety of the creature¡¯s body. My hypothesis is that it is thiswork that helps the creature adjust to the underwater pressure.¡± It wasmon knowledge to Gu Jun and members of the Spell Department that certain lines or patterns could produce energy. For example, the Ancient Seal, despite eluding theprehension of modern science, it was proven to be effective. People looked at each other, the problem was there was no way to test out Gu Jun¡¯s hypothesis.

    ¡°Perhaps we can try to map out the scalywork of this body.¡± Gu Jun suggested as he passed the scale over to Cai Zixuan. ¡°Zixuan, take pictures of every scale and number them. Focus on the situation of the scaly muscle, specifically on how each scale connects to each other. After we remove all the scales from its body, we will try to piece them back together, to see if we can reconstruct the scalywork. I know how hard that is but we shall try our best.¡± The carcass was notpletely uninjured. There were gunshot wounds around the chest, they ruined most of the scales around that area.

    ¡°Copy that.¡± Cai Zixuan nodded. This operation required more manpower so Uncle Dan hurried to make the arrangement. No one would im that Gu Jun was wasting time, after all scientific research was all about trial and error. Before this, the other members had been viewing the scaly veins as individual units because the carcasses were not so well preserved. Furthermore, the dissected scales in previous autopsies were not as well-preserved as Gu Jun¡¯s handiwork. The fact that Gu Jun viewed the scaly muscle as part of a big picture could be a breakthrough. But Xiao Huiwen frowned and grumbled, ¡°They are called scaly veins...¡±

    With that done, Gu Jun moved onto the next scale. He cut them ording to the initial shape of the erythema on Xie Yiman¡¯s face. His incision was careful to limit the damage to the scaly muscle as much as possible. As the scales were parred off, the sense of familiarity intensified. Illusory visions swam in his mind.

    ¡®It feels like...¡¯ A thought crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡®I know this person...¡¯ The smell of Formalin stung his eyes, causing Gu Jun to frown. As he removed the next scale, the illusion coalesced and his head pounded. It was as if he was slowly removing a person¡¯s mask. The closer he came topleting the pattern, the clearer the human face that stared back at him.

    ¡°Do you guys see...¡± Gu Jun asked the people around him, ¡°A human face?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Cai Zixuan shook his head. The rest did the same. However, Gu Jun saw clearly that a human face was hidden underneath the scales. It belonged to a middle-aged man with a strong jaw....

    ¡®Is it my high spirituality?¡¯ He focused and tried to trace this partial face in his mind. Hetched onto something in his memory.

    Then came the sound of the ocean.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 318: Dagon

    <h4>Chapter 318: Dagon</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Just... Let me rest for a bit...¡± Gu Jun stopped moving as he focused on the sound of rushing waves. He allowed himself to be led by the illusion down the memoryne. He felt himself drifting away from the morgue as the light from the shades faded away. A different light appeared before him, it looked like the glistening of scales, no, it was more like the reflection of light as it refracted on the sea surface. Yes, they were light fractals dancing on the sea.

    The sound of the motor rumbled. Gu Jun realized that he was on a ship, more specifically the deck of the Seagull. ording to its registration file, the scientific observation ship owned by his parents was 103.8 metres tall and could store 5536 ton of water. The cabin itself was 4 storey tall. There were 28 ship crew, and 82 researchers on board. Gu Jun could sense people walking around him on the deck....

    When he was small, he liked to run all over the ship. He knew every ship crew but he was too young to notice any anomalies about them. Thinking back, whenever these people spoke of the sea, Gu Jun remembered there being an inscrutable passion in their eyes.

    ¡°Kid, let me tell me, this world is very strange.¡± The voice suddenly rang out. ¡°There are certain ces that you know exist, you¡¯ve heard many things about it, interacted with people from the ce but you can never find the ce itself.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind pulsed with pain but he tried his best to focus. The face flickered.... But the voice caused the flickering faces to slowly ovep over each other. Suddenly the name dawned on Gu Jun. Uncle Lee! Uncle Lee Zhenghong. He was the first mate of the Seagull.

    The headache intensified and his heart wrenched... Even though he did not visit the Seagull that often, Gu Jun had fond memories of Uncle Lee Zhenghong because Uncle Lee was tall and handsome, funny and treated him well. He often read him stories and sneaked him snacks. Uncle Lee... had been transmuted into this kind of half-human half-fish creature?

    ¡°What kind of ce is that?¡± He could hear his young voice asking. The adult Gu Jun thought, ¡®Was he talking about R¡¯yleh then?¡¯

    ¡°Well, there are many examples.¡± Uncle Lee said with a chuckle. The blurred face looked down at the sea. ¡°For example a small town called Innsmouth. It should be there but we can never find it. Your parents are so going to scold me for telling you these things again, ha ha.¡±

    ¡®Innsmouth?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s brain carried both his current confusion and his young curiosity, ¡®What kind of ce is that?¡¯

    ¡°There are too many secrets about this world.¡± Uncle Lee parted with this word of wisdom.

    ¡°Wait...¡± Gu Jun wanted to call after him but the memory or the illusion was swaying. A storm ravaged his surroundings. The ship rocked among the waves, and hiding between the giant waves, appeared to be an inscrutable shadow. He could hear a shocked and fanatic chanting. It was the ship crew shouting, Dagon, Dagon, Dagon...

    Suddenly, the illusion shattered and Gu Jun snapped into being. He almost copsed by the autopsy table.

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± Thankfully Uncle Dan rushed over to help him. Wu Siyu and Deng Ximei walked over. The former asked, ¡°Do you need some recharge?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s voice was hoarse. He turned to stare at the inhuman face, the bulging grey eyes, the scales, the white stomach, the gills around the neck, the webbed feet and long ws... How could this monster be Uncle Lee... But it was indeed Uncle Lee. If this was what happened to the ship¡¯s first mate, did the same destiny descend on the rest of the crew? Was the ship crew part of the 165 Deep One carcasses lying at the morgue? Why would they transmute into Deep Ones, was it to travel to R¡¯yleh?

    Based on Angell¡¯s Order¡¯s research, R¡¯yleh was an ancient city submerged in the depths of the sea. Human beings would have trouble reaching there with their current biological structure. But if they mutated into the Deep Ones, they could easily dive for more than several ten thousand metres underwater...

    ¡°I¡¯m suddenly reminded of something, I need to go make a call to the headquarters.¡± Gu Jun announced. He put down the scalpel and ran to themunication room next door. He ryed to the headquarter this highly confidential information. The Deep One currently lying on his autopsy table was the former first mate of the Seagull. When he was alive, he was searching for a mysterious small town called Innsmouth. Thenguage that it was in was unknown. He also heard the name of a giant sea monster called Dagon.

    ¡°Copy that, we will start researching them immediately.¡± Themand central responded. However, one of the questions was answered instantly. It was Elder Tong who said, ¡°Dagon is the revered Fish God of the Philistines. It has the appearance of half human, half fish.¡±

    Gu Jun took in the new info silently. The Philistines were an ancient people who lived on the south coast of Canaan from the 12th century BC until 604 BC. Their civilization was masterful at sailing and they worshiped the oceanic divinity. Dagon was their Fish God and the name was repeated many times in the Old Testament. Actually, Gu Jun did encounter the name of this divine in his previous studies. But at the time, he had no idea it yed such a huge role in the disappearance of the Seagull.

    If Gu Jun¡¯s memory was not wrong, Dagon had some kind of rtion with the Deep Ones and R¡¯yleh as well.

    As Gu Jun processed this information, themand central returned with updates from their research. Elder Tong said excitedly, ¡°We found an old newspaper article from the year 1920. There is a recorded mystery about a US marine who imed he had encountered Dagon around a reef at the Pacific!¡±

    The Phecda Archive had been collecting ancient information. After being made privy to Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Cult¡¯s long history, Phecda began collecting these old newspapers. With a search on theputer, this old article was pinged. These two cults had been in existence before the formation of the Chinese republic.

    The article Elder Tong found was published in World News¡¯ wonders of the world segment on the 20th June in 1920. This kind of segment was often overlooked, for they rarely based themselves in reality. Who would have thought it would provide such valuable information now.

    Soon Gu Jun was faxed the copy of this news article. The Wonders of the World segment upied just a small corner of the page, probably it was just for people to nce over.

    ¡°Us Marine thought missing was found miraculously alive. The man imed to have sighted the legendary sea monster at the Pacific.¡±

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 319: Information Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 319: Information Exchange</h4>

    The incident urred around the first world war. The marine officer, Jack Wales, ran into the German marine on a cargo escort mission. His whole ship was captured. However, Jack Wales managed to sneak out on a lifeboat while the enemy was not paying attention. He floated on the sea for days. During that period, his lifeboat floated onto a small reef ind that reeked of a heavy stench. He could not recall its exact location. He explored the ind to look for supply and found instead a giant sea monster which was suspected to be Dagon on top of a hill. He was so scared that he barely remembered running back to his lifeboat. When he next came to, he was already inside a hospital in Los Angeles.

    ording to military records, Jack Wales was eventually rescued by a passing ship. His ims were taken as the rambling of a starving man. Since his rescue, the marine officer suffered from paranoia, and had trouble sleeping. He was tormented endlessly by his encounter. He believed that one day the whole human race would one day be dragged into the ocean by the monster and deep sea creatures would rule the world. Gu Jun¡¯s brows locked as he read through the article. He read it many times and his heart jumped with agitation...

    Now, it looked like the man¡¯s prophecy hade true. His nightmare was probably more than just a dream. He most likely fell under mental corruption on that ind.

    ¡°I have a feeling this is real.¡± Gu Jun told themand central. ¡°But there is too little information in the article. Many statements of the marine were not published.¡± However, there was not much they could do about it, after all, this happened more than a century ago. They should be thankful that Phecda even found this article. Phecda searched for the staff of World¡¯s News but the paper had long since disbanded. Online search of the name, Jack Wales came up with nothing.

    ¡°The Pentagon should have more information, after all, they keep records on all of their soldiers.¡± Elder Tong said with pain. ¡°But FBM will not necessarily cooperate with us. After all, this involves their nation¡¯s confidential information.¡± Gu Jun also heard about theck of happy progress between the two international organizations. Now that the epidemic of legione pneumonia was dying away, various countries started to build up walls again.

    The United States was a global superpower. Understandably, they would not cede their leadership to another country. Recently, they reached out to Angell¡¯s Order, splitting the academic group into two. Professor Jiang¡¯s group aligned themselves with Phecda, while others cooperated with the US. Even though both groups still shared information, the government they affiliated with had already started dropping hints to be careful of espionage.

    Furthermore, FBM was said to have made headways when it came to spell research as well. After all, there were many ult organizations in the world, with FBM¡¯s sponsor, it was not hard for them to find one who was willing to divulge their secrets. In fact, the fever of extra-sensory research in the 80s was due to thepetition between US and Russia. So theoretically the Ganzfeld Experiment and concept of parapsychology were products of the western world.

    Now that the US had thrown themselves into this research, with their power and influence, it was only a matter of time until they reached a breakthrough in spell learning. Phecda had given necessary warnings to all countries regarding the danger of spells. The incident of the Yellow King was shared as a learning experience. If one was not careful, the whole department or even the government could be infiltrated and the world would be brought down. Phecda would select a time to reveal the Ancient Seal technology, for this involved global safety.

    ¡°Ah Jun, leave the politics to us. You focus on the autopsy. We have plenty of negotiating chips, we¡¯ll get the necessary information somehow.¡± Elder Tong was not bluffing. The US had already shown interest in acquiring a Deep One¡¯s carcass from China.

    ¡°Okay, try to ask them about Innsmouth too. I have a feeling this is an English term.¡±

    After ending the call, Gu Jun returned to the morgue. His goal was to earn a 10 starpletion rate. Uncle Dan, and Xiao Huiwen resumed the job. Gu Junmitted one incision after another, splicing away the scaly muscles from theplicated nerves and capiries. The once familiar Uncle Lee was cut into pieces. ¡®Uncle Lee, why did you do this? Is it to find your truth?¡¯

    Gu Jun had a feeling that his parents were not part of the Deep Ones. They were somewhere else still plotting something...

    Time passed and the autopsy was being slowlypleted...

    After the first midnight, Gu Jun¡¯s teampleted the facial and cranial autopsy of the Deep One. After a 2 hour break, they moved onto the neck. The autopsy was not hundred percent sessful. After all, this was the first time Gu Jun dissected a Deep One. The neck of the Deep One was extremelyplicated. The gills meant that it had zero simrity to the human neck system. Only when he saw the shrunken lymph nodes that Gu Jun could believe this was once a human.

    Every scale that Gu Jun removed was handled carefully. Cai Zixuan led a team to chart out the possible scalywork.

    After the first 24 hour, Gu Jun rested only 3 times, each time for 2 hours. By then, thepletion rate was 21 percent. During their second break, Gu Jun made a hospital visit round. Xie Yiman¡¯s condition was stable after the operation, the itchiness did not return and the erythema did not spread. However, the skin mutation did not stop. More skin ked and the new skin appeared to have keratinized. If this continued, they might need to perform a dermotomy.

    After the second 24 hour, fatigue caught up to Gu Jun. He needed more rest but even so he only took 2 hours each time. Cai Zixuan and Uncle Dan had thrown in their towel. They were reced by another team. Xiao Huiwen grumbled about the energy of youth. By then thepletion rate was 40 percent.

    Xie Yiman¡¯s condition remained the same. The investigation department came back with new clues. They confirmed that Tian Yi left her rental at 6 pm the day after her night visit to Doctor Liang. She wasst seen by a river adjacent to the vige. An old farmer working the field imed to have seen a young girl wearing a scarf wrapped around her face walking by. The investigation department followed up on other clues. When Gu Jun woke up from a quick break, he received news from Elder Tong.

    With a heavily burnt carcass of a Deep One with missing leg, Phecda traded with FBM all the files on Jack Wales. It contained a detailed interrogation on Jack Wales when he recuperated from the hospital. Most of the articles were sent over in their original copy to see if Gu Jun could trigger any illusion, but they would take time to arrive. Instead, Gu Jun could satisfy himself with the soft copies for now.

    ording to the report, after many failed suicide attempts, Jack Wales just up and disappeared one night.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 320: Case Number: 86-478-0951

    <h4>Chapter 320: Case Number: 86-478-0951</h4>

    Gu Jun did not go through the copies for it would lower his preconception of the original. The information would be the most impactful when observed from the first stimulus. When the third 24 hour ended, thepletion rate was at 63 percent, they had finished the dissection of the Deep One¡¯s stomach and spine.

    Over the past three days, Xie Yiman¡¯s condition proved stable after the RFL surgery. In contrast, patients who did not undergo the surgery were still tormented by itchiness. Some of the patients had entered the second stage. The medical team decided to perform the full surgery on them. The control groups who went for dermotomy and skin transnt showed the same negative result as well, all 15 patients suffered from mind-breaking itchiness. The newly grafted skin cells soon showed signs of disease. Therefore, the medical team could confirm that the source of illness was not dermatological but neurological. Of the patients who received the same treatment as Xie Yiman, another 15 were selected for skin transnt, and the result was still being observed. Xie Yiman was not part of the 15 for she was still recovering and Gu Jun was busy with the autopsy.

    The bad news was that new patients continued to appear and they were no closer to discovering its pathological trigger or origin. The number of patients within the country had reached 371, while globally, it had shot past 2000. Public figures from the entertainment industry, the sports and the literary world sumbed to the illness. If this continued, it was only a matter of time until all leaders from various industries fell under the grasp of the illness...

    Now it did not sound that unbelievable that this would eventually be featured in thend traveller¡¯s legacy as the feared Mutated Scale Disease. In less than a week, the tragedy was already bursting at the seams. This was especially true in western countries when annual events like film festivals and fashion gs were suddenly cancelled. Despite the PR¡¯s teams¡¯ reassurance, the public¡¯s interest was piqued. A rumor circted that something horrendous was happening. A stream of terror and panic flowed through the crowd.

    Another dawn broke. The original files on Jack Wales were sent to People¡¯s Hospital by a Special Task Force. When Gu Jun walked into the empty conference room, he was greeted by a huge stack of files. The files had been sealed up for more than a century. The old man folders were moldy. Naturally they were all written in English. Even though his English level was passable, themand central also sent over a tranted version for him to use as reference.

    ¡°Time to study.¡± Gu Jun pulled over the chair and skimmed through the files. They included Jack Wales¡¯ personal service filles, a detailed interrogation recording, medical report, and investigation report...

    The whole incident was shrouded in mystery, the biggest one being the issue of time. The incident began on 5th October 1914, at the time, the first world war just started. The German fleets were still active around the Pacific Ocean and Easter Ind was one of their supply pitstops. On that day, the cargo ship escorted by Wales¡¯ team was captured by a German fleet to the east of Eastern Ind. ording to Wales, he managed to escape in a lifeboat 5 days after he was made captive. He floated on the sea for days before the small boat stranded on the swampy ground of the unknown ind. He stayed on the boat for 3 days before disembarking to explore the ind. He encountered Dagon as he crested a hill. He immediately turned and ran back to the boat and escaped back to the sea.

    Half a month had passed since his capture so the day Wales escaped the ind should be around October of 1914. However, when Wales recovered at the Los Angeles Hospital, it was already 16th of April in 1920. ording to the captain of Iron Rain who rescued Wales, they rescued him on the 23rd of March in 1920 around the eastern sea of Easter Ind. He was half-hallucinating when he was rescued. He would chuckle mindlessly. His clothes were tattered and his beard needed a trim. It looked like he had been stranded on the sea for a very long time. So where had Wales been for the missing 5 years? Did he stumble upon another ind, or there was no ind to begin with and Wales had been floating on the waves? The most possible scenario epted by the Pentagon was that the marine hadnded on the uninhabited I Ss y Gomez which was close to Easter Ind. Trapped on the ind for years withoutpany, he missed out on news like the defeat of the Nazi and the ending of World War One. The solitary confinement broke his mind and that was how he came up with so many unbelievable stories.

    These were the suspicions and spections the interrogators assigned to Wales¡¯ case had.

    Gu Jun though believed that perhaps Wales did just spend less than a few days on the mysterious ind, or the time flow on the ind was different than the rest of the world. The ind might be an abnormal space. The north pacific ocean, Easter Ind, and I Ss y Gomez...

    Phecda had entered a joint investigation with FBM to investigate these locales. Then Gu Jun turned to look at Jack Wales¡¯ service profile. He was a marine lieutenant, born on 8th June 1879. Looking at the faded ck and white picture of the handsome young man, Gu Jun¡¯s mind wavered. It was as if the fear tormenting Wales reached out to him through the picture. This feeling confirmed that Wales was not making up stories. Putting away the file, Gu Jun picked up the interrogation records. The records were split into many different parts, like how Wales was captured by the German, how he managed to escape and on. The focus was on whether to send Wales to military court. The interrogation did not focus much on the sea monster for it was not deemed important.

    ¡°Conversation recording with Lieutenant Jack Wales- Ind. Information Number: 86-478-0951. Date: 4-27-1920.

    Investigators: Robert Baldwin and Margaret Berry

    Baldwin: Can you describe for us that ind?

    Wales: I am not sure it was even an ind. I have no idea how big it was. The location where my boat stranded was a dark swamp. The ground was slick with mud and the air was... indescribably horrid. The ck mud was littered with carcasses of various fish and animals... It was like they were ced there for some sort of native sacrifice...

    Baldwin: Sacrifice? Why would you have that impression?

    Wales: On the fourth day, I decided to move deeper into the ind. I made the tallest peak on the ind my destination. After 4 days of hiking, I finally reached the foot of the hill... When I reached the peak, I saw... arge stone que standing on the opposite end of the hill. The que had many inscriptions and carving... Oh God, do you really need to know these things. That que has to be the creation of the devil...

    Berry: Mr. Wales, please calm down, you are very safe now.

    Baldwin: Can you describe for us the inscription and carving?

    Wales: I¡¯ve never seen that type ofnguage before, they looked like hieroglyphs or some kind of aquatic symbols... The carvings were strange and distorted... They are the creation of the cursed ult! God, please forgive me...

    Baldwin: Sir, can you give us more details about the carving?

    Wales: Their ugliness is beyond our humanprehension. They have human frames but are covered in scales. They had webbed limbs and their heads were the appearance of fish with bulging eyes... In the carving, they were brutally murdering a giant whale... I do not wish to think of those things anymore, inparison, human sins appear to be so inconsequential....

    Berry: Then the Fish God, Dagon that you mentioned appeared?

    Wales: That monster, that giant monster... I do not wish to think about it anymore... It will drive me mad, really...

    Berry: Sir, calm down. The Nazi regime has copsed, you¡¯re home now, no one can harm you anymore.

    Wales: No, no.... I¡¯m not afraid of the Germans, no...¡±

    After reading the files, the connection Gu Jun had with Wales tightened and so did the agitation in his heart. The carving on the stone que was clearly depicting the Deep Ones and the inscription was probably the Deep Ones¡¯nguage. Gu Jun wished he¡¯d know what was written on the que.

    Gu Jun took a deep breath and turned the page over to continue to read.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

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 Chapter 321: Medical Report

    <h4>Chapter 321: Medical Report</h4>

    ¡°Berry: Mr. Wales, we¡¯re so sorry to dredge up these memories but this is our job, please cooperate with us.

    Baldwin: Actually we are trying to help you. Put it this way, Mr. Wales, this will help clear up your suspicion of collusion with the enemy.

    Wales: Collusion? How dare you! Don¡¯t assume I¡¯m a traitor just because of the state I¡¯m in... if you have seen the things I have, you would not be taking me so lightly... That thing is not a freakshow from the circus, it is stranger than fiction. It possesses the strongest presence of death and despair even though it is definitely alive.

    Berry: Sir, we are willing to believe you. Please describe it further.

    Wales: That giant monster... there are no words that can encapste its horror. There is a river at the bottom of the hill. It emerged from that river. And the sound that it made... Urgh... My head.

    Note: Jack Wales¡¯ face nched and he tried to bang his head against the table. The investigator provided him with an Aspirin.

    Berry: Sir, do you feel better? Can you continue for us now?

    Wales: That thing... is probably several hundred feet tall, it too was covered in scales. It looked simr to the carved monsters but it had more limbs. Once it crawled out from the water, it rushed towards the stone que... The moment I saw it, my head felt like breaking. I probably lost my consciousness then. I have no idea what happenedter. I have no memory of how I escaped from the ind. But I think I ran into a storm, there was loud thunder and other sounds...

    Baldwin: Can you give us a more precise description of the monster?

    Wales: I¡¯ve told you, it is indescribable... Let me ask you, can you describe darkness? Darkness is darkness...

    Berry: Then why would you think that is the Philistinian Fish God, Dagon?

    Wales: I have a blurry memory of that storm. Other than thunder, I heard other sounds... That was why I believed the carcasses by the shore were sacrifices. The sounds were like evocation of the divine, it was the damn ult... They were calling the name, Dagon, Dagon...

    Baldwin: Could that be part of your illusion? People would often hallucinate under the condition of extreme hunger and fear.

    Wales: I... I cannot be sure, but after I woke up, I swore I could see it. It is following me, in fact, it is nearby now...

    Berry: Mr. Wales, I can assure you that there is no sea monster about several hundred feet tall near this hospital.

    Wales: No, you don¡¯t understand... It exists in my mind, the monster is suckling on my brain matter. Damn it... I need a shot of morphine, please give me one. As long as my brain is numbed, it will disappear...

    Baldwin: Sir, the doctor believed what you really need is a serene environment to calm your mind.

    Wales: None of you believe me, I know it. Everyone thinks I am lying... How I hope that is true, that this is just a hallucination...¡±

    After reading that page, the agitation in Gu Jun¡¯s heart grew. It almost caused him heart palpitation. He believed Wales¡¯ im of the storm because when he conducted the autopsy, he experienced the same illusory storm. He too heard the passionate screams of Dagon, they were definitely cried out by Dagon¡¯s worshippers.

    ¡®Carving?¡¯ Gu Jun was reminded of the statue that the R¡¯yleh cultists worshipped. There had to be a connection between Dagon and R¡¯yleh, but Dagon might not necessarily be equal to R¡¯yleh. ording to the cultists, the Lord of R¡¯yleh had been in hibernation for millions of years but Dagon was seen by Wales in the past 100 year.

    Perhaps this was a different cult, a Dagon Cult who worshipped Dagon like the Philistines. ¡®Are they different from the R¡¯yleh Cult or part of the R¡¯yleh Cult?¡¯ Gu Jun took a deep breath to ease his thoughts. He turned back to the medical report.

    Los Angeles Hersai Hospital, the Psychiatry Department

    Physician: Doctor Anthony Finn. Date: 4-25-1920

    Patient: Jack Wales. Gender: Male. Race: Caucasian. Age: 40. Height/ Weight: 6 feet 1 inch/ 168 pounds

    Diagnosis result: Shell Shock and Morphine Addiction

    Detailed Report: The patient is once a marine lieutenant, he was made captive by the German. This experience caused mental damage to the patient. His symptoms include high tension, constant paranoia, insomnia, hallucination. Official diagnosis is shell shock. The patient adopted a quick addiction to morphine and showed self-mutting tendency. Needs plenty of care.

    Gu Jun frowned as he studied the old medical report. Shell shock was PTSD¡¯s former name but was Wales suffering from normal PTSD?

    Jack Wales was not a soft-spined person, in fact he was very tough or else he would not have survived the capture and being stranded for so long at sea. However, such a tough soldier lost his mind with just a nce at Dagon...

    ¡°Is it due to mental corruption?¡± The more Gu Jun thought about it, the more weighed down he felt. It was not rare for one¡¯s mind to be traumatized through the sight of something highly terrifying. However, they had crossed paths with many mutated creatures in their line of work. Zombies, Deep Ones, Nightgaunt, after the initial shock, none of them had shown permanent mental damage. Then again, this Dagon was probably not a normal mutated creature. After all, it was a Fish God... Could this monster have taken a part in this tragedy? What was its connection to the foreign civilization and the Afterlife Cult?

    Gu Jun had many questions. Some of the answers were just at the tip of his tongue but he needed a little more nudge to point him down the correct direction... He read all the documents on the table again and found nothing new. Back then the US military did not treat this issue too seriously. The conclusion drawn was that Wales suffered from shell shock after being captured by the Germans and then stranded at sea for so many years.

    ¡°I Ss y Gomez.¡± Gu Jun mumbled the name, he had a feeling he needed to be there in person. He arranged his thought before making a call to themand central. He shared his thoughts. He believed Wales was telling the truth, there was something strange about that part of the sea. There might be a channel there that could lead to Dagon¡¯sir and this illness was most likely rted to Dagon¡¯s influence.

    His words did not technically bring any new breakthrough for Phecda had already started their investigation of the area. Therefore, the call ended fast. Gu Jun immediately returned to the morgue. Despite his pulsing temples, he needed to continue his work. His system was triggered at Long Kan Seabelt. He remembered seeing many inscriptions and carvings on the spires at the bottom of the sea... but did the spires exist for real? Phecda sent people to Long Kan Seabelt after the fact, and they reported no sighting of such underwater spires.

    ¡®Is there a connection between all these?¡¯ Gu Jun put on the scrubs and rubber gloves again as he headed towards the autopsy table.

    ¡®I have to obtain the 10 star reward for this abyssal mission!¡¯ Perhaps the system might provide him with the direction he needed to move forward.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 322: A Foreign Letter

    <h4>Chapter 322: A Foreign Letter</h4>

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu woke up blurrily from the sofa and practically sleep-walked her way out of the morgue before returning. Just as she was about to slump down on the sofa, something struck her and she stopped. She turned around and stumbled over to the autopsy table. The autopsy had reached the fifth day. The autopsy team had switched multiple times but one figure had remained the same. Gu Jun was currently focusing on the dissection of the Deep One¡¯s lower right ankle. When the fourth 24 hour passed, thepletion rate was at 82 percent; there was another 5 hours to the next 24 hour. Once the 5th 24 hour was reached, thepletion rate was 96 percent. It was close to the end now...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, how about some water?¡± A fuzzy voice asked from behind. He turned and saw Wu Siyu. He put the scalpel down. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m so thirsty.¡± Over the past few days, Wu Siyu sometimes took over the job of the nurse. She went to grab a bottle of mineral water, pulled on Gu Jun¡¯s mask and fed him the water.

    ¡°Miss Wu, your Uncle Dan is thirsty as well.¡± Uncle Dan on the other side grumbled. Cai Zixuan also stopped, waiting for her, ¡°Siyu, you remind me of a poem by Alfred Noyes, Listen! On sweetening air/ The ckbird growing bold/ Flings out, where green boughs glisten,/ Three sshes of wild gold.¡±

    ¡°Mchite, you heard them, right?¡± After feeding Gu Jun, Wu Siyu ordered Mchite, ¡°Go get some water for Uncle Dan and Zixuan.¡± She helped Gu Jun adjust his mask back on and shuffled her way back to the sofa. Peacock and Deng Ximei did not volunteer to take Mchite¡¯s new job.

    ¡°Dear Lord, what is this differential treatment?!¡± Uncle Dan huffed, ¡°Miss Wu, then how about some cheerleading or words of encouragement?¡±

    ¡°Uncle Dan, let it go.¡± Gu Jun chuckled, ¡°You¡¯d have a better chance requesting a team of cheerleaders from Phecda than to get one out of her.¡±

    As if provoked, Wu Siyu turned around and jumped weakly, shouting, ¡°Keep going! Keep going! Everyone is doing great! Go Phecda!¡± Then her eyelids dropped and she shuffled away.

    ¡°That was more like zombie cheerleading.¡± Uncle Dan grumbled. That lightened the mood in the room. In any case, the half-hearted cheerleading did invigorate Gu Jun. Over the past few days, his sleep debt caught up to him but he refused to lie down. With the system monitoring his vitals, he knew he was still quite a distance away from dying on the job. With the burst of energy given by Siyu, he decided to push for thest 4 percent of the mission.

    After they were all given water, Gu Jun picked up the scalpel and pushed it through the Deep One¡¯s webbed feet. The webbing between the toes appeared to form from muscr growth. They did not possess any blood capiries; it was just ayer of skin...

    Time ticked by. One hourter, thepletion rate reached 98 percent. After another 2 hours, thest 1 percent remained. Under the soft shadeless light, Gu Jun blinked his bloodshot eyes and spliced out the scale on the back of the Deep One¡¯s left ankle... After who knew how long, the melodious sound pinged in his mind. A few notifications arrived, ¡°Abyssal Missionpleted! You havepleted the mission 45 hours before the allotted time,pletion rating 10 stars. Rewards waiting to be obtained: Unknown. Please click to ept your reward.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s over. After five days, it¡¯s finally over!¡¯ Gu Jun gave a long sigh. His energy left him immediately and his body teetered. He stopped working on the next scale but ced the scalpel on the metal tray. He told Uncle Dan, ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore. I need a rest. All of us should take a rest. There¡¯s no need to hurry anymore...¡±

    He waved his friends¡¯ concern away. He removed the gloves and washed his hands. Then he exited the morgue. After a quick shower and change, Gu Jun entered the small office provided for him. He copsed into the sofa before turning to ept the reward.

    A ball of light erupted in his tired mind. Something coalesced into form. At the same time, some messages appeared.

    ¡°You have obtained 1 scroll of the Deep One¡¯s Language Mastery Textbook.¡±

    ¡°You have obtained a letter of correspondence.¡±

    ¡°You have obtained 1 Carlot Autopsy needle.¡±

    ¡°You have obtained one iplete sweet dream from the Son of Steel.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart jumped with excitement. ¡®An iplete sweet dream from the Son of Steel? Does this mean I canmunicate with Landon¡¯s lingering spirit?!¡¯ He immediately tried to enter this sweet dream bubble. It was colorful but blurry. The images were too bright to be made sense of. Gu Jun found he was denied entry into the bubble. Was it because he was too tired or there was ack of connection?

    He normally would not get the new Carlot instrument but based on his experience, these carlot instruments could help strengthen the bond between him and Landon. Therefore, Gu Jun instantly reached for the long autopsy needle. When asked, he¡¯d say this was a new gift from the Zoogs. Holding the needle, he realized despondently that the connection was still too weak, he was missing something...

    Gu Jun turned to the other two rewards. The ¡°Deep One¡¯s Language Mastery Textbook¡± was an ancient scroll. He could see some strange symbols and writing on the scroll, was this the same text that Jack Wales saw on the stone que?

    Naturally Gu Jun was inspired. If he could learn the Deep One¡¯snguage, it would be of great help in the future. The timing of the system reward was opportune, it was as if the system knew what he needed. He attempted to study thenguage but his mind was not cooperating. He was too tired. Whenever he tried to focus, the writing wiggled away from him. Gu Jun had to stop. Finally Gu Jun¡¯s mind fell on the envelope. He opened it easily and it contained a letter written in foreignnguage.

    This was the first time he saw such handwriting. It was pretty, cursive yet austere. When he saw the letter was addressed to ¡®my dear friend, Freud Landon,¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart hiked up to his throat. This was a letter someone wrote to Landon. It contained a poem, a very familiar poem.

    ¡°That the y is the tragedy, ¡°Man,¡± / And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.¡±

    It was a letter written by Lydia on her deathbed...

    Just the sight of the poem caused Gu Jun¡¯s head to burst. Many illusions swam before his eyes, the power of darkness called out to him. He could feel the pain, struggle, despair and depression that Landon had once gone through... Landon did know Lydia, in fact they were good friends...

    Lydia¡¯s death and this poem clearly left a deep impact on Landon.

    A scary thought crossed his mind and Gu Jun broke out in cold sweat. He bounced up from the sofa and ran towards the morgue.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 323: Safe Travels

    <h4>Chapter 323: Safe Travels</h4>

    Around noon of January 18th, Gu Jun walked towards the Psychology Building apanied by Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan. After entering the building, they came to a cerebral function researchb on the 5th floor where Prof Shen awaited them. Alongside Prof Shen was the leader of theb Professor Ma Jun and his colleagues. Prof Ma was the nation¡¯s leading expert on the brain and he was part of Gu Jun¡¯s treatment team. Gu Jun¡¯s brain was currently in an abnormal state. He did not suffer from anymon mental disorder, like anxiety, depression, irritability or hallucination. There was no noticeable change to his personality either.

    However, once he came into contact with ¡®abnormal forces¡¯ or ¡®supernatural forces¡¯, like the Zoogs, Dreands, spell, illusion, R¡¯yleh and the like, he would suffer a splitting headache. The contact here included hearing them in passing from other people¡¯s conversation as well as thinking or physically interacting with them. The symptom when he heard about them from the others was the lightest. If he did not fixate on it, then it would only lead to a minor headache; but once he started to ponder upon it, then the symptom would great intensify. His brain felt like breaking; the condition was worst if he participated in the activity personally.

    Regardless of the symptoms, once he severed the contact, his headache would slowly recede. And he was perfectly fine when contact was null. In contrast, the longer the contact, the more intense the pain. In fact, the pain could reach such heights where Gu Jun would convulse involuntarily and go unconscious. For example, 3 days ago, Gu Jun was reading a document sent over by Elder Tong about GOA. He only read 2 pages when he fainted from convulsion. That frightened everyone around him. Thankfully due to the swift reaction of the nurses, he awakened soon after. That caused a damper over everyone¡¯s mood for they knew they were in for a big trouble.

    Gu Jun knew his situation was not optimistic too. Just reading two pages exhausted theplete store of his mental energy. He felt weak and listless. He only recovered 24 hourster. The human brain was tooplex. Furthermore, Gu Jun had suffered from brain tumor, cerebral anoxia and not to mention, he had a polymer stuck in his head. His injured part was the right prefrontal lobe and thatplicated things even further.

    Thankfully, there was precedence to Gu Jun¡¯s case. His condition was very simr to PTSD, with his trigger being supernatural elements. Jack Wales suffered from the same PTSD symptoms as well. In fact, some of the other surviving agents had minor PTSD too. However, different from them, Gu Jun did not show any other typical PTSD clinical syndrome. He did not show experience of painful shbacks, no negative change to his perception, did not put on excessive alertness and so on. Based on his self-assessment, Gu Jun also believed that he did not have these problems. Psychologically speaking, his mind was willing to face these ¡®traumas¡¯, he showed no trace of avoidance. However, his biological reaction to the trigger showed great desire for avoidance. Despite theck of psychological pain, there was intense biological pain. And that fitted with the diagnosis of PTSD.

    Regarding this situation, the higher-ups including Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were worried. As his mentor, Elder Tong did not wish to see Gu Jun suffer like this. Personally, he¡¯d rather Gu Jun stay away from the supernatural. For the past 2 days, Gu Jun had contributed more than enough to warrant a safe retirement... But that would be a great loss to the world and Phecda. Phecda would not lose such a great member. Therefore, the treatment team was called into action again. Surgeons like Liu Mingfeng receded to the background as neurologists like Prof Ma Jun took over the helm. Their main mission was to search for the pathological mechanism. Was this a problem with Gu Jun¡¯s psychology or a biological problem with his brain?

    Gu Jun had attempted the cleansing stone and there was no sign of mental corruption. He had not taken the S value assessment for Prof Shen worried that the images of the battlefield and death might send him into anothera.

    Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan walked into theb. The advanced devices there would be used to conduct a more detailed inspection of his brain. Theb was spacious and bright. It was separated into multiple rooms and the front room led off to different inspectionbs.

    After the perfunctory greeting, Gu Jun was led by Prof Ma into the FMRIb. Functional maic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. The primary form of fMRI uses the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrast. It is non-invasive and doesn¡¯t involve radiation, making it safe for the subject.

    ¡°Functional maic resonance imaging measures the small changes in blood flow that ur with brain activity.¡± Prof Shen exined to Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan, ¡°During the test, Ah Jun will be given stimuli-rted task toplete and through the signal changes to his blood flow, we can determine the neuronal activation of specific brain area. That triangtion can help us determine pathological mechanism.¡±

    ¡°Well, I got nothing.¡± Wu Siyu looked through theb window to see Gu Jun lying on the fMRI bed. ¡°Prof Shen, can you lower it to normal people level?¡±

    Actually Cai Zixuan did not understand fMRI that well either. Modern medicine had too many specializations. He did not study neurology so some of the terms flew over his head as well. He did some homework because he was to apany his good friend today and he barely grasped what Prof Shen said.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Prof Shen thought about it and tried to exin it in the inestnguage, ¡°Oxygen is delivered to neurons by haemoglobin in capiry red blood cells. When neuronal activity increases there is an increased demand for oxygen and the local response is an increase in blood flow to regions of increased neural activity. Since blood oxygenation varies ording to the levels of neural activity these differences can be used to detect brain activity. This form of MRI is known as blood oxygenation level dependent or BOLD imaging. This will help us find out which neural voxel of his brain is active when he is under trigger.¡±

    After hearing the new exnation, Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°Okay, I still got nothing.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Prof Shen felt the need to go into even more basics, ¡°BOLD imaging is the standard technique used to generate images in fMRI studies, and relies on regional differences in cerebral blood flow to delineate regional activity. Deoxygenated hemoglobin is paramaic whereas oxygenated hemoglobin is not, and therefore the former will cause local dephasing of protons, and thus reduce the returned signal from the tissues in the immediate vicinity...¡±

    ¡°Prof Shen, the more you exin, the more confused I am.¡± Wu Siyu raised her hands to stop the prof. ¡°See if I get this correctly. This scan is to check which part of Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s brain is affected when he is faced with the trigger and from that part, we hopefully can find the problem.¡±

    Cai Zixuan felt like she had summarized the situation quite perfectly.

    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± Prof Shen concurred, ¡°But of course the human brain is moreplicated than that...¡±

    As Wu Siyu nodded along, her mind went elsewhere. She didn¡¯t need thisplexity in her life.

    At the same time, the machines in theb started to whir. The bed carrying Gu Jun slowly moved into the circr gradient coils.

    ...

    The ie from Webnovel is so low that thepany has hinted for me to drop the book.

    However, I will continue the trantion thanks to your donation. I suffer from anxiety disorder so your donation will go towards footing my monthly medical bill.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 324: Polynesian Island

    <h4>Chapter 324: Polynesian Ind</h4>

    Easter Ind was part of the Polynesian inds, it was only 162 cubic km in size and had around 5000 permanent citizens in poption. The ind was most famous for its mysterious Maoi statues. Earlier on the ne, Xue Ba filled everyone in on these trivia. There were more than 600 such statues on the ind. When they were carved, whose handiwork was it, what was their purpose, these were all mysteries to this day. It eluded the researchers.

    Gu Jun¡¯s team arrived at Easter Ind on the dawn of the second day. The members from other countries were already there. They met up at amand central that was set up at a hotel on the ind. Some of them looked familiar because they were the poster child of the new supernatural units from their respective countries. For example, there were Bell Grant, Michael J. Bruce, Helen ire, Teddy Matt as well as other members from FBM. There were about more than 100 of them in attendance. The teams from Ennd, Europe and Russia had more than 100 members as well. These were just the members responsible to work the frontline, one still had not taken into ount the administrative members and the researchers. Inparison, Phecda only sent over 25 people for the frontline.

    ¡°Jun.¡± Bell Grant shed his brilliant smile. ¡°We should have made acquaintance a long time ago. You have done a wonderful job for this world.¡± Michael J. Bruce pulled Gu Jun into a bear hug. ¡°Well done, kiddo.¡± Helen ire studied Gu Jun with interest. They had read files on Gu Jun before, so they did not dare to underestimate him. However, this did not mean that they put themselves in a lesser position either. FBM and by extension, the US had never looked up to Phecda in the past and they had no reason to start now. Every single one of FBM¡¯s members was an elite, they had all faced and neutralized supernatural threats before. Other than theirck of mastery in spells, they were as experienced as Gu Jun, if not more. In fact, from their perspective, Gu Jun¡¯s team was just lucky. If they were the ones in Gu Jun¡¯s shoes, they would have turned out more powerful and experienced than Gu Jun was.

    In any case, the White House, Pentagon and the Congress had already turned their focus onto this field so it was only a matter of time before they lead the pack again...

    ¡°It¡¯s my honor to meet you.¡± Gu Jun said. The hotel lobby was filled with people from so many countries. It had a party-like atmosphere. Honestly, Gu Jun was not satisfied with what he saw because most of these people did not grasp the danger that they had thrown themselves into. Yes, they were all elite agents but Gu Jun still remembered what happened to the elite team from Russia during their mission at Wrangel Ind. If I Ss y Gomez was as dangerous as he feared, Gu Jun did not wish death on so many innocent lives.

    Therefore, Gu Jun tried tomunicate with the Chinesemand central with the suggestion for certain teams to stay behind at Easter Ind to provide backline support. However, neither GOA nor WMO was well-established enough to wield such persuasive power over the troop. Every country had their own goal to pursue, the frontline was dangerous but even more so was to be perceived as cowards. Therefore Gu Jun¡¯s suggestion naturally was ignored.

    ¡°Ah Jun, just focus on what we¡¯re supposed to do.¡± Xue Ba advised with a sigh of helplessness. ¡°International affairs are tooplicated for us.¡±

    ¡°But I really do not wish for people to voluntarily walk towards their death.¡± Gu Jun said darkly, ¡°Furthermore, fear and death will provide nutrients for these dark forces.¡±

    ¡°Fuck them really.¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed under her breath. ¡°Look at them, you¡¯d think we¡¯re going on a summer trip.¡±

    Thanks to the advancement in science, for the past 100 years, study into supernatural energy was sidelined. The research into the supernatural that arose in the 90s ended in failure. It only resurfaced in the recent 2 years and that was due to the prompting from darker forces. For better or for worse, these gathered elites were humanity¡¯s strongest force against supernatural threats. As this thought entered Wu Siyu¡¯s mind, her shoulders shrunk...

    Phecda tried its best to do lip service, using both persuasion and negotiation to demand every country lower their member count. In the end, the Shearwater team from the US dropped down to 62 people and thebined members of the other countries lowered to 85 people while Phecda remained at 25 people.

    That afternoon, these 172 elites boarded a destroyer to head towards I Ss y Gomez. The sea breeze was briny. Gu Jun stood on the deck and looked down the horizon. Gradually a small ind appeared in his sight. I Ss Y Gomez was at the northern tip of the Polynesian Inds. Go further north and you¡¯d reach North America. The ind was only 1.5 cubic km in size and its highest sea level was 30 metres. The whole ind could be captured in one nce. There was no forest and the ind only had 4 recorded terrestrial nts. They were all ferns and mosses. The ind had no harbor and the only man made structure was a lighthouse. It was painted white with a conspicuous ring of red line in the middle. It stood on top of the ck rocks by the shore.

    The ind had a level sandy ground which was suitable for helicopternding. It was how the Chilean military normallynded on the ind. The ind¡¯s shoreline was ringed with cliffs and swamps so arrival by sea was extremely difficult.

    The closer the destroyer came to the ind, the clearer Gu Jun could see it. The dark rocks by the shoreline were dark, chaotic and sharp...

    Illusions danced before his eyes. Earlier he spent most of the travelling time catching up on sleep so he felt quite refreshed. He channelled his focus and saw a storm... Or was an illusion or a premonition... Jack Wales did mention a storm in his journey. Was this where he was stranded? And was Tian Yi here now?

    Before this expedition, many countries hadunched investigations into this small ind but it was to no avail. However, this time, it was different, this time they were prepared to trigger supernatural energy, to enter an abnormal space.

    To that effect, they did not arrive via helicopter but mimicked Jack Wales¡¯ journey. They hopped onto small lifeboats and left the destroyer with their weapons and supplies. They rowed their way towards the abandoned ind.

    ...

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 Chapter 325: Tidal Pools

    <h4>Chapter 325: Tidal Pools</h4>

    The Problematic Team was split into two lifeboats. Some members were tasked with defence while others were responsible to row towards their destination. Gu Jun was one of thetter. Without any training, Gu Jun only knew how to apply brute force to the paddle. His muscle soon felt sore. Staring at the swamps by the shoreline, he wondered if Jack Wales had experienced the very same thing...

    Xue Ba, Lou Xiaoning and Mchite worked beside him. Wu Siyu, Uncle Dan and Peacock guarded the horizon with their guns. Deng Ximei sat silently in the middle of the group. Around them, more than 10 lifeboats proceeded to their destination in this prehistoric manner. The Shearwater Team strived to lead ahead. The male members threw everything into the rowing exercise. It was clear that they wanted to be the first team tond.

    ¡°Let them be.¡± Lou Xiaoning red with her left eye. She groused, ¡°That way they¡¯ll clear away the traps for us.¡± Getting first was pointless in this kind of mission. The Problematic Team decided to bow out from thepetition. Gu Jun was too troubled by his own problems to be distracted by it. For an instant, the other lifeboats and his team members faded away. The waves rocked the boat. The lines between dimensions blurred... The headache worsened and that brought with it an affirmation...

    ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡± He said hoarsely, ¡°This is not a simple mission.¡±

    ¡°I feel... a mounting headache.¡± Deng Ximei added. ¡°There¡¯s the presence of supernatural power.¡±

    That snapped the team into focus. Xue Bamunicated with themand central on the destroyer and shared the warning with the other teams. Despite their own goals, the other countries knew about Phecda¡¯s capability so they too raised their guard. Even the Shearwater¡¯s boat had slowed down.

    The destroyer responded with a report that the radar and satellite found nothing suspicious. The weather was perfectly fine and there was no sign of a storm. The Problematic Team knew that did not mean anything. If there was a dimensional rift, all logic could be thrown out the window. Some of the lifeboats soon stranded on the swamps. The members disembarked and moved forward on the exposed rocks. In actuality, I Ss y Gomez was a volcanic indprised of two seismic rocks, one was 4 hectors to the west and the other 11 hectors to the east. Most of the teamsnded on the eastern side because it was closer to the ind¡¯s tallest cliff.

    Gu Jun¡¯s team stranded inside a tidal pool. They stopped rowing and prepared tond. Just as Gu Jun stepped out from the boat and his feetnded on the greyish-ck stone, images shed before his eyes. Staring into the tidal pool, he saw the brackish swamp filled with fish and animal bodies described in Jack Wales¡¯ files... The Maoi statues from Easter Ind shed before his eyes too... Dead bodies, the statuesposed of dead bodies... It was some sort of ritual...

    The tidal pool, the horrid swamp, the statues, the carcasses, the two illusions ovepping over each other. Gu Jun pressed against his head.

    ¡°This is strange...¡± He said darkly, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be plenty of birds around this ind?¡± Once Gu Jun pointed that out, a blind spot in his teammates¡¯ mind cleared. When they were rowing on the lifeboat earlier, they saw many birds circling above the ind.

    ¡°This ind is also known as the sanctuary for Christmas Shearwaters.¡± Xue Ba recited, ¡°Because this ce has thergest poption of that particr species in the world. At its height, there will be more than 5000 of them here. The ind is also inhabited by other species like the blue-faced booby and noddy tern...¡¯

    ¡°Captain Xue, that¡¯s not the point.¡± Uncle Dan had to interrupt Xue Ba. ¡°The point is where are all those birds now?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps... we¡¯ve already arrived at our destination.¡± Gu Jun turned to Deng Ximei. ¡°Ah Mei, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°The dimension has shifted.¡± Deng Ximei said, ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re seeing illusion, or we¡¯re illusions ourselves.¡±

    The other teams soon noted the anomalies too. Not only the birds, even the signal on theirmunicative devices weakened tremendously. There was serious signal blockage. With the weak signal, they only managed to maintain a flickering connection with the destroyer.

    The destroyer reported that they could still see the birds from the ship!

    They already encountered something so strange the moment theynded. Despite the varied membership of the group, the main decision maker was still Phecda and FBM. The leader of Shearwater, Bell Gant informed Gu Jun, ¡°We¡¯ll request for the ship to send in more backup through helicopters.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Jun frowned once he heard that. He denied it. ¡°Our method of arrival has opened up the door. If the helicopters intervene, then the whole process will be disrupted. Suppose our enemy has the ability to freely open and close the door, then we won¡¯t have this chance ever again.¡± Gu Jun did not want to argue with Bell Grant so he switched directly tomunicate with themand central. Now was not the time for politics. ¡°From now on, only people on the ind can leave but people outside mustn¡¯te in!¡±

    Wales did eventually escape from the ind so departure should be possible but leaving the ind meant ending everything and re-entering might not present them with the same opportunity again.

    Therefore, Gu Jun¡¯s suggestion was, ¡°A part of us should evacuate when we still have the opening!¡±

    Did the enemy expect their arrival? Was this an ident or a trap? Gu Jun had no idea but he knew that any loss of the 172 elites would be a great blow to their respective country and overall global safety. Against the threat of supernatural forces, the resistance they could mount was small. They should not put all of their eggs in one basket. If all 172 of them perished, the world would be defenceless. However, Gu Jun¡¯s advice was not taken so seriously. It was viewed as a political manoeuvring to preserve the spoils of the mission for China.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun.¡± Wu Siyu patted Gu Jun¡¯s shoulder. She did not say anything but she didn¡¯t need to.

    ¡°Listen to me!¡± Gu Jun shouted at the top of his voice and in English, ¡°I do not wish to participate in meaningless argument andpetition, what we need now is to unite. You can stay if you want to but please stick close to each other. Because the storm cane at any moment without warning. I¡¯ve personally experienced it myself.¡±

    His warning was somewhat taken. The leaders warned their members to stay in line. Themand central took Gu Jun¡¯s advice and rescinded the order to deploy reinforcement. But they urged them to hurry because it would soon be time for high tide.

    The tallest cliff on the ind was about 50 metres away from where theynded. To Gu Jun¡¯s knowledge, height figured greatly in performance of ritual so the leaders of the many teams, Gu Jun included, made that their destination. They moved carefully.

    ...

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 Chapter 326: The Storm

    <h4>Chapter 326: The Storm</h4>

    The wavespped noisily against the shore. The sky darkened as the tides began to rise. The lifeboats were stranded around the tidal pools. The teams were led by Gu Jun and Lou Xiaoning towards the highest cliff on the ind. Even the Shearwater knew now was not the time to fight for dominance. Gu Jun used more than 5 minutes to close the distance of 50 metres because he¡¯d stop every few steps to sense his surroundings...

    He could detect the breeze picking up. The wind carried with it not only the saltiness of the sea but also a trace of dposition. To confirm, Wu Siyu¡¯s voice came from the walkie-talkie, ¡°The taste around us has changed, be careful.¡±

    ¡®She sensed it as well?¡¯ Gu Jun immediately warned the other teams, ¡°The anomaly around us is intensifying!¡±

    The lighthouse on the ind was built by the Chilean military but that was done only several decades ago. Before that, this small ind had no trace of human activity, perhaps... this was a ce uninhabitable by humans...

    The sea breeze turned so violently as Gu Jun crossed thest meter. He stood at the highest point of the ind. From his vantage point, he noticed that the tidal pools had all been covered up by the rising tides. From the sea, the waves crashed relentlessly against the shore.

    ¡°Buddy, there¡¯s nothing too special about this ce.¡± Michael J. Bruce said with some annoyance. His tensed muscles rxed.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably just a collective illusion that none of us can see the birds.¡± Bell Grant wiped the sweat from his forehead. The face that had many adoring fans looked around, ¡°They are still here and we are too, but for some reason, we cannot see each other.¡± The incident was strange but not strange enough to warrant unnecessary rm. The other teams started to rx and grumble under their breath.

    ¡°No...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s headache worsened as he looked at the raging sea. An indescribable panic filled his heart, like a bird stranded before theing of a storm... Wait, a storm... Gu Jun noted how fast the water level was rising and his heart squeezed. The birds would be most sensitive to the changing of sea level. They did not see any birds because...

    ¡°Everyone, stay away from the shoreline!¡± Gu Jun shouted into the walkie-talkie. ¡°Head towards high ground now! A heavy storm ising! Move!¡± Before he finished, the rest of Problematic Team moved to oblige. They carried little supply with them. But the members of the other countries hesitated for a moment before they heeded Gu Jun¡¯s advice. Some of them ran to the cliff, others to the helipad while the rest to the lighthouse.

    ¡°Stay away from the lighthouse!¡± Gu Jun shouted again. Wu Siyu understood why. ¡°The lighthouse does not feature in Jack Wales¡¯ story, it¡¯s too dangerous to go exploring now!¡±

    Suddenly, dark clouds descended upon them. The thunder boomed, shaking the whole ind. Now everyone understood the warning that Gu Jun gave earlier. This change in weather pattern was indeed too sudden...

    The galeshed and giant waves crashed against the shore. The lifeboats capsized and some of the supplies sank into the sea. The destroyer out in the sea blurred out of existence. The already weak signal with themand central broke offpletely.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Screams echoed everywhere. They came from the Shearwater members who were swept away by the waves. Of the 172 members, Shearwater had 62 people. With their dominance in numbers, despite Gu Jun¡¯s multiple warnings, some of them stayed behind to guard the lifeboats. The Russians and English also did something simr. It was these unfortunate agents who emitted the wails that echoed in the storm. Some of them were knocked unconscious by the waves while others were dragged towards the tidal pools. An English female agent shrieked in fear. There was supposed to be firm rocks under the tidal pools but she found no footing. It felt as if she was sinking into a swamp. The agent next to her hesitated between saving her and running to safe ground on his own but before he could make any decision, a giant wave took him away. The howls of these agents dispersed through the wind. For some reason, it sounded like they were crying out for Dagon!

    Panic started to spread as people rushed towards higher elevation. Gu Jun watched on helplessly as the veins pulsed on his forehead. As unwilling as he was, his rationality pushed him to shout into the walkie-talkie, ¡°Run! Do not stop to save anyone, they are toote to be rescued now. Move away from the shore now!¡± Then he red at Bell Grant¡¯s team who was stunned into silence. ¡°Those agents could have lived.¡± Despite its size, the strange giant waves spared the higher ground. If those people were allowed to leave their guard post, they would not have died. Being told off by Gu Jun, the faces of Bell Grant¡¯s team darkened.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for us to really cooperate with each other.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. ¡°But we are not politicians, there is no reason tomit to any political maneuvering. How to survive and how toplete the mission should be our utmost priority.¡± The Problematic Team could not control the minds of the other agents. All 25 members of the team were squeezed on the highest cliff and watched cautiously around. The mindless savagery of the storm tore at their heart. First the agents posted by the lifeboats were swept away, then came the agents who unfortunately ran too slow. Their faces were frozen in despair and panic as they were imed by the sea. In just a short moment, the joint team lost 45 agents.

    ¡°So we are supposed to stay here and do nothing?¡± Michael J. Bruce grumbled, ¡°That¡¯s fucked up!¡±

    ¡°Big guy, what do you suppose we can do considering we have no idea what we¡¯re even dealing with?¡± Lou Xiaoning berated. ¡°We¡¯ve already told you the mission does not need so many participants but none of you wished to listen.¡±

    Gu Jun remained silent as he paid attention to the surroundings. The sea continued to rage but suddenly a lifeboat passed through the storm. It was a German lifeboat that was recorded in the Pentagon¡¯s file... Was he mistaken or was there a person in the boat?

    ¡°Motherfucker...¡± Lou Xiaoning noticed this as well. The others soon caught up. Everyone skimmed through the rted file before they departed. That person on the lifeboat appeared to be Jack Wales. The figure on the boat paddled ferociously towards the ind whileughing maddeningly...

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. When Wales escaped the ind, he imed to be caught in a storm. He could hear the thunder and many people screaming the name of Dagon.

    Was this an illusion or a temporal twist?

    ..

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 Chapter 327: Bodies in the Mud

    <h4>Chapter 327: Bodies in the Mud</h4>

    The storm drowned out the human screams. The small ind shook under the wrath of nature. It shook the survivors¡¯ hearts as well. Their eyes could barely open in the storm. The little that they saw changed before their eyes. The illusory and the real were ovepping. The storm appeared to have pulled them into a different world, or perhaps this was how the ind actually looked like.

    ¡°Oh my god...¡±¡±Where are we?¡±¡±Is this the lost ind mentioned by Jack Wales?¡± As the vision cleared, the gasps erupted. The storm suddenly abated and when they came to, everything was different. They were no longer on a small ind. There were mountains that stretched down the horizon and before them was a sparse in with bushes and trees. Instead of a cliff, they found themselves standing by the edge of a ck swamp. Everything Jack Wales imed was happening before their eyes. The stink made their eyes water. Several lifeboats were stranded and the swamp was filled with corpses. There were dead fish, animals and...

    The corpses of the agents who died in the storm. Their bodies were half-submerged in the ck mud. Their exposed torso and head were already dposing and there were mysterious bite marks on their bodies. Their features, though, were still recognizable. Their bulging eyes spoke of the horror of death. Who knew what they saw before they perished...

    ¡°No! Elina, no...¡± Someone¡¯s wail broke the silence. It was an English agent, Calum Degrase. He was not given guard detail but his girlfriend and a few of his friends were. They were now dposing bodies stuck in the mud. The wails were echoed by others. It was not only Calum Degrase who had just lost his lover and friend. At first nce, there were more than 20 bodies in the swamp. The horrifying deaths of these agents corrupted the mental stability of the living agents... Less than 5 minutes ago, they were stillughing and chatting but now... Death came so suddenly.

    ¡°It¡¯s you, this is all your fault, bastard!¡± Calum roared with a face red from anger. He lunged at Gu Jun with a ready punch, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn us earlier?¡±

    The mud slowed him down. Before his punch connected, Gu Jun stopped the man in his path with a direct hook to the man¡¯s face. Calum was knocked over. The people around him gasped. Gu Jun surely spared no mercy for a grieving man... Xue Ba and Mchite rushed forward to detain the enraged man. Gu Jun ordered calmly, ¡°Uncle Dan, an anaesthetic shot stat!¡± The Problematic team kept most of their supplies. The medkits contained quite a number of sedatives. Uncle Dan moved to oblige.

    Lou Xiaoning reprimanded in Chinese. ¡°What do you mean by that? Even at the hotel, we¡¯ve warned you guys of the danger, even earlier, we¡¯ve urged everyone to run to high ground but did anyone listen to us? Do you think we wish to see so many deaths? How is this our fault?!¡± Kathlyn tranted that into English. The Shearwater members were silent. The English team only had 3 remaining agents left alive. None of them knew what to do. ¡°So what do you n to do?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± Calum Degrase hissed and snapped his teeth before he started to cry.

    ¡°He needs to be sedated immediately.¡± Gu Jun minded his terminology, he did not bring up words like ¡®mental corruption or mental breakthrough¡¯ for he feared that it might influence the other living agents. He noticed some of them were at the verge of a mental breakdown too. After Uncle Dan readied the sedative, Gu Jun epted the syringe. Gu Jun rolled up the man¡¯s right shirtsleeves and injected the drug into his right inner vein. He did not fault Calum Degrase for his meltdown, after all, the man had just lost so many of his loved ones. Gu Jun would probably be worse if he was in his shoes.

    There were quite a number of doctors and psychiatrists who survived. They caught up to what was happening. They started to consult the surviving agents. They found out that there was more than one agent that needed sedatives. Their weapons were confiscated and were corralled together for easy monitoring. These people might suffer from PTSD and would need multiple counselling should they survive this mission. For now, they needed to be desensitized.

    2 to 3 minutes after the sedatives were applied, Calum Degrase started to calm down. He stopped screaming but his soul appeared to have disappeared. When the doctor asked him about his condition, he just shook his head. The others who were given sedatives responded in the same listless way.

    The other members started to salvage the supply and made inventory. 172 agents arrived at the ind but now only 109 were left. 63 agents lost their lives in that strange storm. And among the 109 living, 17 of them were sedated so only 92 agents were avable for the next step of the mission.

    ¡°What should we do about the dead bodies?¡± Bell Grant asked Gu Jun, ¡°Should we dig them out?¡± Now they knew it was better to heed Gu Jun¡¯s advice. There were 45 visible corpses around them, so 18 were missing. They had probably submerged into the swamp. If that was true, digging them out was not going to be easy. But then it did not feel right leaving them in the depths either. In the end, they opted for thetter because leaving the dead agents in the watery grave would cause mental stress on the surviving agents. They set up a temporary camp on the adjacent in. Since Jack Wales once did the same, the ins should be rtively safe. He eventually escaped through the ins back to the real world as well.

    So what was this ce?

    Gu Jun had no idea but he was sure it was not Dreands. That was because they still had their weapons and supply. This was more likely an abnormal space. The sea, swamp, in and mountains were joined together seamlessly. That could not have been natural.

    ording to the files on Jack Wales that some of them brought over, Wales imed 4 days of trekking down the western side of the ins would bring them the highest hill. A river slithered through the hill and the stone que with the carving and text would be on the other side of the river. That was where he was visited by Dagon.

    With such arge distance to cover and so many weakened members to take care of, the best solution was to set down a main camp and then split into two groups. One to guard the camp and the other to head towards the hill.

    Gu Jun looked around and contemted. ¡®Is that really the best course of action?¡¯

    ...

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 Chapter 328: Unity

    <h4>Chapter 328: Unity</h4>

    ¡°No, We will not set up camp or split up. We¡¯ll move together as a group.¡± Gu Jun announced. Thinking back to his own history, splitting up never led to anything good. However, there was another reason thatpelled him to make this decision. Gu Jun did not exin it to Bell Grant immediately but gathered all the leaders from the various countries for an emergency meeting. He and Xue Ba represented Phecda while Bell Grant, and a middle-aged man, Bill Harrison represented FBM, there were also Alexandra Puloscov from Russia, Paulina Grisman from Europe and Ram Frederickson from Germany as well as some others. Due to the recent deaths, the leadership hierarchy had shifted for some, in any case, all the shot callers were gathered by Gu Jun.

    ¡°I believe everyone is ready for a battle.¡± Gu Jun looked around. ¡°There has to be something strange over at the hill and battle is inevitable. We might face cultists or something even worse. I hope that it is the former but we have to consider that our adversary might be Dagon. I do not wish for such arge group to engage this mission but it is what it is and we might as well make use of our number¡¯s advantage. If we are to set up camp here, we need to clear away the dead bodies but that itself is risky.¡± Gu Jun considered this rationally. ¡°For now, the living members are more important. Regretfully, we must abandon the dead. If we split up, that means that we will have to leave behind our best doctors to take care of the weakened, and that will greatly diminish our fighting capability.¡±

    The others listened as they nced at the dead agents in the swamp. The faces of the former agents hooked at their hearts... They were more than mere bodies. They applied great pressure on the still living as if ming them for the lives that were prematurely taken away. The agents were not unfamiliar with this kind of anomalous activity but they had not encountered something of this scale before.

    ¡°But leaving the dead behind will pose its own risk, no?¡± Ram Frederickson asked. His hooked nose twitched with apprehension. ¡°Will it help us weaken the dark forces if we scorch the swamp with all the bodies in it?¡± This idea did cross Gu Jun¡¯s mind before. After all, he had done the same thing to the House of Nightmare. But this time, things were different.

    ¡°Mr. Frederickson, certain ces have existed far longer than human civilization. In truth, we are too weak to destroy these ces and they might not even show particr interest in us, they are just forces without consciousness. Even the dark forces abide by their own rules too. Our careless action might bring us into greater danger. Jack Wales did not disturb the swamp and so I trust that we should not either.¡± Gu Jun locked his gaze down the distance. ¡°What we need to do now is to eliminate the party who uses these forces to create tragedy. If anything, I believe the fighting among us humans barely interests the greater forces or presences at these ces.¡±

    The group was silent. They knew Gu Jun was right. Sometimes darkness fell because humanity had snuffed out its own light.

    ¡°Therefore, I believe we should gather our light¡ªliterally and figuratively and push our way forward. We shall kill anything that attempts to stop our way. We will fight until we can¡¯t, but to do that, we have to be open to each other and attempt for actual unity.¡± Gu Jun nced at the faces around him before continuing, ¡°To be honest, I have no idea whether any of us can return alive. It¡¯s pointless to consider anything beyond immediate survival. Why bother withpetition outside this ind when we can¡¯t even be sure we¡¯ll live to leave this ce?¡± At the end, Gu Jun said with sincerity, ¡°To initiate this proposal, we Phecda will teach all of you how to sign the Ancient Seal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Bell Grant was quite surprised. The rest was shocked too. GOA introduced the Ancient Seal and its rted technology to the various countries before.

    ¡°Yes, we are willing to do so. Unity is most desired now.¡± Xue Ba concurred. Before the departure, the headquarters had given them the permission to do this during emergencies. This was because GOA eventually nned to share this technology with the world. Earth was too small. If a country fell into darkness, the other countries would be dragged down with it as well.

    The Ancient Seal would not harm any individuals uncorrupted by dark forces, if anything, it would have a cleansing effect on them. It would only injure those born or corrupted by darkness. Therefore, the technology should be made moremon in the future. However, Phecda decided to keep its other technological products and the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan to themselves for the foreseeable future. After all, international politics was aplicated one.

    But for now, Gu Jun, representing Phecda, offered this olive branch.

    ¡°However, as a condition, we will be given unequivocal leadership of the group.¡± Gu Jun negotiated. The rest hesitated. After all, why would suddenly Phecda be so generous? What was the agenda behind it?

    Gu Jun ignored their suspicion and called Peacock over to sign an Ancient Seal. Instantly the air around them cleared up.

    ¡°I really do not get you people.¡± Peacock reproached. ¡°Everyone from my hometown is very united but I do not wish for it to return. I hope you¡¯d appreciate what you have.¡± What she said had no logic. Only Gu Jun and Kathlyn really understood what she meant. Yes, they too did not wish for her hometown to emerge.

    ¡°Her hometown is a ce born out of the apocalypse.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°She¡¯s very imaginative.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Kathlyn nodded. ¡°That I am.¡±

    Puloscov was the first to agree, then he was followed by Grisman and Frederickson. Lastly, the FBM consented. The team would be reassigned with Phecda in the leading role but every big decision would be discussed.

    First, they taught the Ancient Seal to the living members. With psychological training, it was not hard to learn the Ancient Seal. After all, everyone there was an elite so the learning posed no issue. The Ancient Seal proved ineffective on the 17 sedated agents. They needed to be monitored through medicine. The 109 team formed a new tactical order and hurried towards the hill with their supply. They tried to reach the foot of the hill in 3 days. But they only moved for half a day when the scouting team noticed something through the telescope.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the right ce!¡± Lou Xiaoning¡¯s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. ¡°There¡¯s a bunch of people ahead in Afterlife Cult¡¯s apparel. I suspect they are the cultists we¡¯re looking for.¡±

    Gu Jun immediately rushed to meet up with the scouts. Looking through the scope, he saw several figures standing sparsely among the trees and bushes. They wore the ck robe from the Afterlife Cult and their heads were all hooded. They stood motionlessly with their faces turned to the team.

    The chill wind picked up, caressing the grass and leaves, and fluttering the edges of the ck robes.

    ...

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 Chapter 329: Creature of Blood and Flesh

    <h4>Chapter 329: Creature of Blood and Flesh</h4>

    The sky darkened. The grass wavered but the ck robed figures stood motionless. The group of 100 plus agents stopped moving. The walkie-talkies crackled with reports from the scouts posted at both the front and rear of the group. Leaders like Gu Jun used their binocrs to look around. Without them realizing it, ck-robed figures had materialized next to the wilted trees on the in. These figures blocked all directions, including the shoreline where they came from. There were probably more than several thousands of them.

    ¡°Damn it, where did these peoplee from...¡± Bruce cursed. None of his teammates was able to answer him. Before departing for the mission, they read the files provided by Phecda. The core members of Lai Sheng Company believed they were reincarnated individuals from a different dimension. They wished to usher in a new era and take control over Earth. To achieve that purpose, they cooperated with the R¡¯yleh Cult.

    ¡°What... are they holding?¡± Paulina Grisman asked, ¡°Knives?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed around their hands. Those were scalpels and they all had Carlot designs.... He used the binocrs to look around. The ck robed individuals¡¯ right hands all held a silver scalpel with the de pointing down.

    ¡°Ah Jun?¡± Xue Ba, who also noticed this, prompted Gu Jun. Only Gu Jun knew how to utilize these kinds of strange instruments.

    ¡°I too have no idea what¡¯s going on...¡± Gu Jun said darkly. His heart was pounding so hard it almost jumped out of his chest. ¡°The enemy intends to stop us from going up the hill... or else they would not have shown up so soon...¡± Like what Lou Xiaoning imed, they were at the right ce and their arrival was probably not weed. The storm probably had nothing to do with the cultists either or else they would have all sunken to the sea already.

    ¡°Snipers!¡± Gu Jun shouted with fury in his eyes. ¡°Open fire.¡± To be honest, he did not anticipate sess from the snipers because Gu Jun knew the cultists would not have stood there as sitting ducks. However, they had to do something. Instantly, the snipers opened fire. Therge calibre bullets could easily break one¡¯s spine. The ck-robed figures did not move to evade. To Gu Jun¡¯s surprise, the bullets hit their targets. The ck-robed individuals did not appear to be an illusion and they did not possess the spell to defend themselves...

    Bang! One of them had their head explode while another had gained a big hole drilling through their chest. Their ck robes instantly dyed with blood. They copsed but soon, they climbed up from the ground.

    ¡°Jesus Christ!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not dreaming, am I?¡±

    ¡°Those are not humans, what are they...¡±

    The snipers gasped in shock. The expression of the variousmanders darkened. How did they survive that? Their vital organs like ¡®brain¡¯ and ¡®heart¡¯ were moved to other locations of the bodies?

    The team had limited resources and it was not the time to waste bullets. Puloscov suggested gruffly. ¡°Captain Gu, we should try mortar missiles.¡± Gu Jun approved. Perhaps blowing them up would help. The artillerymen moved into action. They fired off a mortar at a cluster of individuals gathered near the hill. The mortar shell exploded. The 3 closest individuals were instantly vaporized. Their broken body parts showered in a rain of blood...

    However, what happened next chilled the agents¡¯ heart. Through the binocrs, they saw the broken muscles slowly wiggle to gather at one spot. They fitted into ce like a puzzle to reform three individuals. Then the three calmly picked up the scalpels that dropped to the ground in the explosion. The ck robes did not reconstruct themselves so the figures¡¯ actual appearance was exposed. They had no bone structure or organs like brains or heart, they were a coagtion of some kind of dark red rotten flesh.

    ¡°My god.¡±

    ¡°What in the world are those...¡±

    The agents were shocked. This was a first time encounter even for Gu Jun. His heart wrenched and his brain trembled. Unlike the enemies that he had faced in the past, this creature had broken through the limitation of biology. They were quite literally products of darkness. He was suddenly reminded of a sentence, ¡®Creature of worm and maggot breaking through the barrier, reshaping and reforming...¡¯

    A voice then rang in his heart, ¡®What is life, what is death...¡¯

    At that moment, all the ck-robed individuals removed their hoods. The exposed faces delivered a huge mental blow to the agents. These non-humans retained the shape of human heads but their faces wereposed of dark red flesh. These creatures were beyond the agent¡¯sprehension of abnormal creatures. While the agents were stunned, the robed individuals moved. They gripped the scalpel and closed the circle around the agent.

    ¡°Captain Gu, what should we do?¡± Bell asked. ¡°Will Ancient Seal work on them?¡±

    ¡°They are influencing our minds! I can feel that...¡±

    ¡°We mustn¡¯t let theme any closer!¡±

    The wind howled. The low clouds suppressed the life on the ins. ¡®Is that the sound of wind or thunder?¡¯ A blurry voice echoed around them. It was the sound of someone chanting a word in repetition. None of the agents understood it. However, it appeared to arouse some activity from the sedated agents.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Carl Dous pressed his head like something was trying to force its way out. Suddenly he shouted, ¡°We¡¯ll all die today, yes, today will be ourst!¡±

    ¡°Give him a disoprofol shot stat, knock him out!¡± Uncle Dan ordered immediately. Gu Jun already told him that once these people started to show any sign of madness, they should be immediately sedated. Instantly, the medical members apprehended all 16 mentally-unstable agents and injected them with the sedatives. After 40 seconds, the agents drifted off.

    However, the other agents fell increasingly under the influence of the sound. The voice appeared to carry some kind of dark magic with it...

    Since the Spell Department offered a lesson in the foreignnguage, Xue Ba finally picked up on the word. It was a foreign term.

    Tragedy! The term was also synonymous with destruction and death.

    ...

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 Chapter 330: Changing Faces

    <h4>Chapter 330: Changing Faces</h4>

    Tragedy, tragedy... A maddening howl carried on the wind. Every nerve in Gu Jun¡¯s mind jangled with pain. They morphed into worms that wiggled about maddeningly. He could hear more voices but he could not pinpoint their sources. The voice said, ¡®Respected Carlot Doctors, have you ever managed to rescue anyone whose life is at an end? You are not able to resist against Death. Before Death, you are unable to do anything. You said you have tried everything but that is a mere excuse for your powerlessness, ignorance and foolishness. You do not really understand death so how are you able to ascend to a state beyond an ignoble existence...¡¯

    ¡°Open fire...!¡± While he was still conscious, Gu Jun hissed through his teeth. He believed that was the most appropriate course of action at the moment, ¡°Blow up these creatures and push forward. Before they could reconstruct themselves, hinder them with the Ancient Seal...¡± His order was heeded by many. The leaders gave the orders through the walkie-talkies. Soon the howling was drowned out by gunfires...

    The team pushed forward while guarding their sides and rear. The fainted agents were carried on stretchers by medical members. The ck-robed individuals regenerated themselves even after they were blown into meat pies. To the agents¡¯ astonishment, the flesh did not appear to possess any individuality. Any random pieces of flesh could join together to reform a ck-robed individual. This was not a regeneration but more like a transmogrification. It seemed to suggest that all the ck-robed individuals could also gel together to form arger existence...

    Then something horrendous happened. The reconstituted faces were adopting shapes at a rapid speed. Their facial features were changing. Ayer of skin grew on the face. In the eye sockets, there were no eyes but balls of flesh. Gu Jun alone could recognize the faces as the faces of the wilted men from the Afterlife Cult. Without any expression, they looked scarier than the zombies.

    ¡®You seem to be curious to know what we are, who we are... But don¡¯t you already have the answer? Faces? When you look into the mirror, do you really think it¡¯s your own reflection looking back at you? Faces, faces, they are such a curious little thing.¡¯ Suddenly, the faces of these individuals changed. Their skin dropped to the ground before being absorbed back into the body. At the same time, the shape of their heads was shifting. The facial features morphed into that of a young girl. It was Xie Yiman. What remained of the monstrosity were two balls of flesh inside the eyes.

    With a bang, the head was blown open by arge calibre bullet. However, the headless body merely swayed for a minute before the head regenerated itself.

    ¡®Is she your patient? You believe that you¡¯ve saved her, but if that¡¯s the case, why is her face here? You have wasted so much effort and energy to console her, save her... and this is what you have to show for itt. And to think that you believe you have saved her. Let me tell you, you have failed. You did not save her, and you will fail to save the next victim.¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s head was splitting like millions of worms were digging their way out of his head. Suddenly he heard a painful scream. It sounded familiar. Gu Jun turned to look and saw Xue Ba¡¯s face paled with pain. ¡°Ah... Ah Jun, it¡¯s a tragedy...¡± Xue Ba¡¯s rifle slipped from his grasp. His right palm gripped at his heart as he suddenly tumbled to the ground. His muscles froze up like stone.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, Captain Xue needs emergency rescue...¡± Gu Jun had no idea the order left his lips or not, his consciousness was fading. Thankfully, he saw the medical members running over with the medkit. Wu Siyu rushed towards him. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± Peacock signed an Ancient Seal at Xue Ba but it was futile. Xue Ba¡¯s pupils were dting. Uncle Dan said urgently, ¡°His heart has stopped. I need levarterenol stat!¡±

    ¡°Motherfucker...¡± Lou Xiaoning at the frontline heard everything through the walkie-talkie. Why would Xue Ba suddenly crumble? The man¡¯s vitals were over the benchmark during histest health check-up. He even gloated about it for a while. The man could consume several kilos of beef in one sitting. He even registered for extra-curricr sses to improve himself, hoping to impress others with extra random trivia... So how could a healthy man just copse like that? Was it a mental attack? But who was responsible for it?

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, how are you?¡± Wu Siyu noted how pale Gu Jun¡¯s face was. She went forth to hold his arm and instantly she screamed with pain. The moment she touched him, it felt like she was pulled into a dark abyss. In the end, it was Gu Jun who pushed her away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me... I¡¯m being influenced by abnormal energy...¡±

    ¡°The Conqueror Worm.¡± Deng Ximei, who walked over, mumbled in confusion. She too was gripped by a strange influence. ¡°It¡¯s the power of the Conqueror Worm. Leader Xue listened to its voice... And that is why death hase for him...¡±

    ¡®Conqueror Worm?¡¯ A buzzing echoed in Gu Jun¡¯s ears. Lydia¡¯s letter bubbled up in his mind...¡¯Let it end, let death end everything for death will be another new beginning.¡¯ The screaming in the wind grew louder. Tragedy, tragedy, the voice took on the brashness of Xue Ba¡¯s tone. At the same time, the other agents tried to unload everything they had on the undead monsters but it did not stop the monsters from closing in. They turned to Gu Jun for advice, but thetter was silent...

    ¡°He¡¯s thinking!¡± Wu Siyu exined. Lou Xiaoning took over themanding post, ¡°Just keep on firing for now!¡± The agents followed her orders. Those close to the frontline signed out Ancient Seals. However, suspicion and worry started to set in. Was the Ancient Seal really useful... They stole nces at the fallen Xue Ba...

    The flesh flew everywhere and firepower picked up. However, the monsters regenerated faster as a countermeasure. A few more of them appeared down the ins. The faces that they wore had the same square jaw, it was Xue Ba¡¯s face. However, the man¡¯s expression of fortitude and courage turned into creepiness and absurdity on these monstrosities.

    Scanning those faces, Gu Jun spotted Xie Yiman¡¯s, Xue Ba¡¯s and even himself...

    His consciousness wavered. The familiar faces looked at him and everything seemed to stand still. He could feel his consciousness dissolving but, in that state, an epiphany dawned on him.

    ¡°That the y is the tragedy, ¡°Man,¡± /

    And its hero, the Conqueror Worm.¡±

    ¡°The fruits of darkness sprouts, shrouded by the darkness of the trenches. The parasites of death will live with the Heavens and Earth forever.¡±

    Death arrived so suddenly on stage. It was tragedy that brought death, and death was heralded by the Conqueror Worm. The Conqueror Worm was the parasite of Death. In other words, the Conqueror Worm was the Son of Misfortune and the Son of Misfortune was the Conqueror Worm.

    ...

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    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 331: Around the Stone Plaque

    <h4>Chapter 331: Around the Stone que</h4>

    With a buzz, Gu Jun felt his consciousness rising above the in, torn away by the screams and the wind. He could see the monsters closing in on the agents. He saw the gun firing and flesh flying... His consciousness was soon pulled towards the mountain range. Distance became rtive. In just a few moments, he arrived at the hill. The summit was barren, all the nts at the verge of death. He arrived at the hill in Jack Wales¡¯ story and saw the stream that split the valley into two. On the opposite hill, there stood a stone que! Dark shadows crowded around it. The stone que was asrge as a skyscraper, it shattered the logic of physics. The surface was covered in symbols, texts and pictures.

    Gu Jun captured the likeness of the Deep Ones among the picture. There was also arge and vicious shadow.

    At the bottom, there was an indescribable giant shadow... He had seen the simr shadow on the statue of the Ancient Tomb and the Inuit¡¯s carving. It was the Great Old One slumbering at the bottom of R¡¯yleh. This proved that the Deep Ones and Dagon were the servants of the lord of R¡¯yleh.

    ¡°Wait... that is...¡± In the middle of the que, a twisted form of a human being was stuck there. He could recognize it as Tian Yi. However, the girl¡¯s body was covered in scales. Without any rope attaching her to the que, she was somehow suspended there. Her limbs ovepped with the twisted limbs pictured on the que. Her face was devoid of life. Her eyes were ck like the eyes of an abyss. Before her, about 20 Deep Ones stood in her defence.

    Individuals in ck robes stood behind the Deep Ones. They were separated into different groups. Most of them had different faces, only about 10 of them had the same wilted faces. They were all filled with fanaticism as they waved their limbs in a rhythmic and strange manner. It was some kind of ritual...

    Another group which consisted of all wilted faces walked around the stone que. They sang the Conqueror Worm, summoning Dagon. Thest group was a small cluster of individuals in red robes. They stood to the side watching coolly.

    At that moment, just underneath Tian Yi, a whirlpool-like ck hole appeared. It was as if the door to hell had opened. The cultists stopped their strange dancing. They walked towards the ck hole without hesitation. These words were chanted firmly on their lips, ¡°That is not dead which can eternal lie. And with strange aeons even death may die. In Dagon¡¯s name, tragedy shalle!¡± They walked through the ck hole into the stone que. The moment they were swallowed up, their fanatic cries turned into extreme shrieks. The sound was only made possible by those tortured in hell. However, that did not stop the others from following the ones before them.

    ¡°Sacrifices... these people are making sacrifices out of themselves...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart trembled from this scene. The cultists were sacrificing themselves for Dagon... The Afterlife Cult borrowed Dagon¡¯s power to perform the ritual of the Conqueror Worm... and created this Mutated Scale Illness... He seemed to hear a voice saying, ¡®Child, do you understand it now? Yes, everything we¡¯ve done is for you.¡¯

    Something spliced through Gu Jun¡¯s brain. Information surged into his mind from the stone que, instantly many things cleared. The ritual of the Conqueror Worm was made in his name... It was for the pleasure of the Son of Misfortune... The individuals consumed by the stone que were the sacrifice the Afterlife Cult used to gain Dagon¡¯s blessing. The Mutated Scale Disease would not transform one into Deep Ones but the illness would cause biologicalplications that would lead to death. Dagon¡¯s blessing was its pathological origin, it was a type of psychological sea worm. The Conqueror Worm was its medium. The tragedy would descend randomly on people on stage.

    Tian Yi, there was nothing too special about her. She was merely the first actor to be struck down by the blessing. It had nothing to do with her background, such was the randomness of tragedy. But the moment she became Patient Zero, her existence took on a uniqueness as she became the herald of this ritual. She was already trailed the night she visited the doctor. The second day she was summoned to the riverside and brought here by the Deep Ones. She was consumed by the stone que. Her consciousness was sted out of her body but she could now visit other patients¡¯ mental world and she chose to visit her idol, Xie Yiman.

    ¡°This is meant for me...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s body was gripped by pain. His earlier suspicion was confirmed. This ritual was targeted at him. The warning he received was real. The Afterlife Cult did not control everything, if anything, they had paid heavily to gain Dagon¡¯s blessing. Who knew how many of its members had been turned into sacrifice? This bunch of people not only wanted to create chaos and terror, they wanted to end him so that the Son of Misfortune could take over his body as a vessel. The dark force installed by the Mutated Scale Disease would sustain the Conqueror Worm and that was why the power of darkness grew within him. Over the past 2 years, the Afterlife Cult had been trying to consume, persuade, control him but it all failed... Instead, he interrupted the evils of the Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Cult again and again.

    After the failure of legione pneumonia, these people gave up the idea of winning Gu Jun over¡ªIf Gu Jun was willing to surrender to darkness, and utilize the power of the Son of Misfortune, he would be a powerful weapon, but now, wiping Gu Jun out of existence became these people¡¯s first objective. Ending him and ending Deng Ximei, two Spirit Children who had turned against the organization. After he was gone, the Son of Misfortune would take his ce...

    The voice began again, ¡®Child, this could have been all yours but you have given up the opportunity to be something greater... But we are not surprised, humanity is not divinity. It is your fate and our fate... For example, it was you who brought on this gue of mutated skin.¡± Gu Jun felt the dark energy seeping into his heart, he was dying. ¡°It was your destruction of ourmunication bases that interrupted our initial ritual, but that helped start this ritual and heralded the tragedies.¡±

    The information poured in from the que. Afterlife Cult¡¯s initial n did not include borrowing Dagon¡¯s power. Their original n was to use the horror collected at London and New York to summon the young of the Conqueror Worm at Li Qi Zai. To feed the worm, they would direct the worm to the nearest theatre to feast on the actors on stage. They chose to conduct the ritual at Da Hwa City because it was close to Phecda¡¯s headquarters. They still had things to do after the ritual. The expected result was to have Deng Ximei die in their hands and Gu Jun eclipsed by the rise of dark energy within him. But Afterlife Cult did not want him dead, they still needed his body to summon the Son of Misfortune. It was why they had not attempted assassination. Without enough preparation, his death would not invoke the Son of Misfortune and amon man¡¯s body could not support the presence of the Son of Misfortune. Therefore a better vessel had to be manufactured. The Son of Misfortune would not appreciate being limited to a single form. When the young worm consumed and digested the power of Misfortune, it would grow into the real Conqueror Worm. For this n, the Afterlife Cult had worked for years in secret but they did not expect Deng Ximei to know the location of thesemunication bases.

    ¡°Ah Mei was not lying, she just wanted to have a new life...¡± The images on the hill blurred. Gu Jun wanted to do something but mysterious forces held him back. Deng Ximei was in danger and so was he...

    This ind was Dagon¡¯sir, it was not within the control of the Afterlife Cult or the Deep Ones. This ce was not somewheremon creatures could fathom. If not for the intervention of the agents on the ind, the ritual would continue and more patients would appear. More dark energy would gather and eventually the dark forces within Gu Jun would consume him... But since the agents arrived on the ind, the Afterlife Cult had to change their ns.

    To elerate the ritual, the cultists sacrificed themselves. The Afterlife Cult did not have that many members left. They had already sacrificed a lot to the House of Worm. The thousand-eyed worm consisted of many cultists; Other than that, arge chunk of their members died at the House of Nightmare and on the ghost ships. Then more perished at themunication bases. For this ritual, the organization paid a lot. This was the final strike of the Afterlife Cult, it was time for a showdown. Everything they did was to summon misfortune. Once the Son of Misfortune arrived, all their failures would be worthwhile...

    Tragedy, tragedy... Xue Ba heard the call and died on the spot...

    If this ritual was not stopped, more would sumb to the same call.

    Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s mind was pulled back by a shrill yelp. The ins shed before him. He could see Wu Siyu clutching her face in pain. Her voice was shaking, ¡°My face... it¡¯s changing... It¡¯s Ah Mei¡¯s face... Deng Ximei¡¯s face is recing my own...¡±

    No, I cannot die like this...

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightened. He was going mad.

    ...

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 Chapter 332: Hold onto Hope

    <h4>Chapter 332: Hold onto Hope</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Due to the condition of Xue Ba, Gu Jun and 17 other agents, the group halted their progress at the ins but the gunfire did not cease. It had been five minutes since the medical unit gave the shot to Xue Ba. It showed no effect, his heart was silent. Uncle Dan persisted with heart resuscitation on his old partner. He pressed heavily on Xue Ba¡¯s chest, he refused to give up. But suddenly, Wu Siyu who guarded beside Gu Jun wailed in pain.

    ¡°Take over for me please!¡± Uncle Dan handed the job over to his assistant, Zhang Huohuo before he rushed over to Wu Siyu, ¡°Miss Wu, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Wu Siyu was not the only one with a problem, even Deng Ximei¡¯s face was pale and her body was swaying. Gu Jun was still in a state of hallucination. His eyes gradually focused but no words came out of his lips, who knew what he was experiencing...

    ¡°My face, it¡¯s changing....¡± Wu Siyu said in pain as she moved her hands that covered her face away, ¡°It¡¯s changing into Ah Mei¡¯s face...¡± Uncle Dan took a quick examination. Other than some minor swelling and a pair of purplish lips, there was nothing wrong with her face. However, Siyu imed her facial features were morphing, they were disintegrating and reshaping. Was it a mental corruption? Peacock hurried to channel an Ancient Seal but it was to no avail.

    ¡°Miss Wu, your face is fine. It¡¯s just a psychologicalplication.¡± Uncle Dan consoled before turning to look at Deng Ximei. ¡°Miss Deng, what is the meaning of this?¡±

    Turning into Deng Ximei¡¯s face? Thend¡¯s travellers were confused and anxious. Nothing could happen to the Goddess of Hope under their watch! In their desperation, they levelled hostile gazes at Deng Ximei for they were warned of the girl¡¯s allegiance before the departure. And this incident, could it be her doing...

    ¡°It has nothing to do with Ah Mei, my feeling tells me that...¡± Wu Siyu said through painful tears. She pinched her face. ¡°So a psychologicalplication? That¡¯s something I¡¯m familiar with... They¡¯ve gone after the wrong person... I¡¯m not normal to begin with...¡± She touched her face like she was familiarizing herself with it. ¡°I¡¯ve used that old face for 21 years already, perhaps it¡¯s time for a new one. And I don¡¯t need to go under the knife for it? That¡¯s not a bad deal... I think I better sit down...¡± She plopped herself down on the ground, ¡°It¡¯s morefortable this way...¡± The others were shocked and inspired, the girl¡¯s optimism knew no bounds. The most inspired was none other than thend¡¯s travellers. Even in the midst of the abyss, their Goddess of Hope was still radiating light.

    Everyone had their own measures to deal with mental assault. After a while, Wu Siyu¡¯s expression softened. She even managed to encourage Gu Jun, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun... I know you¡¯re fighting the fight too... We will have to return, every one of us. Please don¡¯t make me waste all my money preparing those presents...¡±

    The group saw the changes to Gu Jun¡¯s face. It was true that he was fighting something. Uncle Dan checked Deng Ximei¡¯s vitals, her heartbeat and blood pressure were rocketing. It had reached a dangerous level. At the same time, the flesh monsters gradually approached. They were now less than 100 metres away. It did not go unnoticed that the Phecda leaders, whom the group had epted and depended on, were the first to copse...

    ¡°First it¡¯s Captain Xue, thenes Captain Gu, what the hell are they doing?!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening... is the ancient seal really useful?¡±

    ¡°Damn it! They are only 80 metres away now!¡±

    The morale shook but at that moment, one of the agents from FBM, Bill Harrison shouted, ¡°Agents, trust in our friends from Phecda! They are currently under the heaviest mental assault; I can feel that. They have pulled the greatest psychological pressure away from us so we must not give up! We have to hold on!¡±

    ¡°Stick to your post!¡± Bill Grant added, ¡°When they¡¯re less than 30 metres away, pulpifying them, and then hit them with the Ancient Seal!¡± Pusolcov roared until his beard shook. ¡°Captain Gu¡¯s team has their own battle to fight, and so do we!¡± Grisman and Frederickson concurred. These leaders knew it was important to steady morale. Furthermore, they believed someone like Gu Jun would not have halted for no reason. They mustn¡¯t add to his trouble. Captain Gu¡¯s earlier speech was correct. They should leave the conflict outside the ind forter, now it was most important to secure a victory here.

    Inspired by their leaders, the agents swiftly calmed down. They were all elites with great responsibility on their shoulders. A tragedy like the legione pneumonia must not be allowed to happen for the second time...

    The gunfire continued. The flesh monsters were now 40 meters away...

    At that moment, an assault unit led by Lou Xiaoning fired off an Ancient Seal, it hit both a shambling flesh monster and the shattered flesh on the ground. The broken flesh sizzled in a ck smooth before finally settling down as an inanimate object. The flesh monster shrieked in pain.

    ¡°It¡¯s effective!¡± Lou Xiaoning shouted, her voice travelled through the walkie-talkie and inspired the agents. The Ancient Seal was effective!

    This creature of darkness could still be stopped by the Ancient Seal, that gave the agents a ray of hope. But only Phecda members mastered the usage of Ancient Seal, the others had only picked it up less than a few hours ago. Furthermore, using Ancient Seal would drain mental power. Once it lowered beyond a certain threshold, it would be easy for the agents to sumb to the voices of the call.

    On the other hand, Wu Siyu¡¯s forehead was covered in cold sweat. Extended pain could pare down even the strongest mental fortitude. She might be able to survive for now but for how much longer?

    ¡°Miss Wu, how about a shot of morphine?¡± Uncle Dan suggested. Xue Ba¡¯s heart was still silent and things over here were not looking better either.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d prefer a shot of coffee...¡± Wu Siyu mumbled.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure also a couch... a tv set... and some bags of snacks...¡±

    Hearing this second set of voices, Uncle Dan eximed with joy, ¡°Ah Jun!¡±

    Wu Siyu, though, sighed and her eyes shone. ¡°I can do without the tv set... You can sit next to me and we can chat instead...¡±

    ¡°Sure, we always have plenty of topics to chat about...¡± Gu Jun finally responded. Even though his voice was still weak, and his consciousness wavered, he was present. ¡°Ah Mei is our ally... This is the effect of the ritual on the hill, it¡¯s power of Dagon, the power of misfortune...¡±

    Hearing this, the lethargy that pressed on Deng Ximei¡¯s heart lightened. She knew that her former childhood friend finally regainedplete trust of her again. And now perhaps it was time for her to do something for him and for them.

    ¡°Ah Jun, Siyu, Uncle Dan, Peacock and everyone else... thank you for everything.¡±

    ..

 Chapter 333: Desire to Burn

    <h4>Chapter 333: Desire to Burn</h4>

    Despite the howling wind, the girl¡¯s whispering was heard clearly. When everyone heard Deng Ximei, an rm rang in their mind. Gu Jun snapped into focus. His heart shook and instantly turned to say, ¡°Ah Mei, don¡¯t! Suicide is not going to stop the ritual... It¡¯ll only make things worse because one of the more important steps to this ritual is your death...¡±

    Suicide? Wu Siyu and the rest also panicked. Uncle Dan rushed forward to stop the girl.

    ¡°Death will not solve anything...¡± Gu Jun said with difficulty, ¡°Only in life can we have hope...¡±

    ¡°Guys, I¡¯m not going to kill myself.¡± Deng Ximei raised a smile at them. ¡°But I do wish to interrupt this ritual. This ritual is connected to Lydia and so as long as Lydia is present in this world, the ritual will continue. But I am not Lydia, I am Deng Ximei.¡± The others had no idea what she was saying but Gu Jun thought of another possibility immediately. ¡°No, Ah Mei!¡±

    The anxiety was like a key, and it unlocked some memories... from his childhood. A group of children was running around. He saw himself ying lego blocks with a thin-looking little girl. They were building a castle... He remembered saying he would do anything to protect her...

    ¡°I was once a prisoner!¡± Deng Ximei widened her eyes as she walked towards the hill. Her thin body moved straight like a rod. Gu Jun knew that she was going to shatter her Spirit Barrier! Uncle Dan and the rest were not clued in. They saw the changes to Deng Ximei¡¯s expression, like a flower, it bloomed and then wilted.

    ¡°Even today, I came with shackles around me...¡± Deng Ximei said. Some images shed across her mind. When she was a toddler, she was trapped inside buildings; then when she was a child, she was trapped inside forests. She saw many horrible deaths, indescribable madness, deep fear and stark horror... She saw a little girl materializing imaginary friends forpany, she saw how a young woman created an imaginary life around her. She saw herself construct theyers of spirit barriers around her heart. The barrier protected her but also buried her.

    ¡°But now I am going to shatter all these shackles.¡± Deng Ximei raised her hands. She stared right into the dark night of her memory. How she used the thick rope to end the lives of the two individuals most closely rted to her. Enormous pain overwhelmed her and her mind wavered. But she swore to face her real self no matter how ugly it was. She was Deng Ximei, and not Lydia. She might be born in sin and grew up in darkness but she was willing to burn like the sun.

    With a buzz, the barrier copsed. Deng Ximei¡¯s knees buckled. Endless memories crowded her mind. The past became so clear as it attempted to swallow her present. With a determined heart, she shouted, ¡°This is another y, its name too is Man!¡±

    Ah Mei... Gu Jun could tune into her mental explosion. At this moment, she was suffering theplete copse of her mental world. This destruction severed her special connection to Lydia. Deng Ximei was not Lydia, Lydia did not exist in this world. A stronger gale picked up on the ins but strangely enough, the wind appeared to slow everything down...

    The flesh monster shrieked and several of them burst open on the spot. Using this opportunity, Bill Grant and the other leaders opened fire with both Ancient Seal and bullets. ck smoke rose from the peppered flesh. The table was turning. Deng Ximei¡¯s action weakened the ritual.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m fine now...¡± The strange pain disappeared from Wu Siyu¡¯s face. Her face had returned. Gu Jun had his consciousness stabilized, and the view of the hill blurred away.

    Around the stone que, the cultists panicked. Even the chanting had stopped. The people in red robes frowned. They did not anticipate the weak-looking girl could cause such a huge damage, they had greatly underestimated her...

    At the same time, Deng Ximei teetered and fell. Uncle Dan and Peacock rushed forward to hold her. Her face was purplish, her normally clear eyes were bloodshot. Her consciousness was slipping away.

    ¡°Miss Deng, hang in there!¡± Uncle Dan called as he applied emergency rescue. After Xue Ba, another member of Phecda fell.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun tried to channel his focus to regain control of his body. He too needed to break through these shackles... But at that moment, the scene on the hill rified again and the voice returned. ¡®You children surprise us... But have you forgotten you are all our creation... All of you are created frommon power so how could you fight against the real power of the Great Ones... And no, we are not talking about us...

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter that Lydia is no longer with us because we still have the Son of Misfortune. Once the abyss arrives, death is nothing but an overridable concept!¡¯

    Gu Jun saw the cultists walk into the dark whirlpool of the stone que. A few red robed individuals joined them. They were increasing the sacrifice to strengthen the ritual. His mind was suppressed once more... He found himself stuck inside a swamp. The ck decayed bodies inside the swamp dragged him down into darkness. The dark forces within him boiled.

    Death... Misfortune... Aren¡¯t they things of beauty... Aren¡¯t they a type of ascendancy that can end all banality...

    Therge stone que started to bleed red. The redness seeped into the ground. At the same time, over at the ins, more ck-robed individuals materialized. They all held Carlot Scalpel. The mood darkened and Lou Xiaoning cursed, ¡°Fuck, these things can¡¯t ever really die...¡±

    The new arrivals removed their hoods. They had wilted faces that bore eerie resemnce to Gu Jun¡¯s face. An epiphany hit Gu Jun like a thunder. The wilted face was the face of the Son of Misfortune, it only appeared so misshapen because it was forcibly ced on the skull of homo sapiens. Afterlife Cult, this organization...

    ¡°Oh, Great Son of Misfortune.¡± The voice said, ¡°You should have known this already... We are your servants, we have been serving you since the days in the foreign world. Freud Landon, it was you who showed us the miracle of reincarnation, it was you who visited destruction on Carlot Academy. It was you who told us to abandon the Goddess of Hope, it was you who showed us the face of real divinity. It was you who showed us the way to other worlds and it was you who wanted us to summon you here. We are apostates but we have never given up on faith.¡±

    ...

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    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 334: Two Deep Ones

    <h4>Chapter 334: Two Deep Ones</h4>

    A heavy blow was dealt to Gu Jun¡¯s mind. All of his suspicions and truths that he refused to believe were true. These cultists knew that Son of Steel was Son of Misfortune, in fact this wasmon knowledge in the foreign world. The Son of Misfortune destroyed Carlot Academy? It was Landon who brought despair upon the world? It was Landon who urged people to turn their backs on the Goddess of Life and turn their faith to the true God, the Lord of R¡¯yleh?

    Which of the information was true? All of them? Gu Jun could not tell anymore. Too many truths were bent out of shape by history and time. But he believed in one truth. There was power of light in Landon, the Son of Steel had always existed within the Son of Misfortune. It was why he still had hope, even now, the world still had hope... The system, that mysterious power, it should be the handiwork of Son of Steel...

    ¡°Tragedy, tragedy!¡± The call in the wind began again. The ck-robed individuals closed in. Be it the new arrivals or the old ones, they moved faster. The shattered flesh regenerated faster. Gu Jun wanted to do something but he could not even summon the energy to open the system in his mind. His consciousness faded...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± Naturally Wu Siyu could sense his distress. She reached out to share with him her mental power. ¡®No, stay away!¡¯ Gu Jun was so worried that he managed to utter a weak, ¡°no...¡± The dark force within him was going out of control. If she connected with him, he¡¯d draw her into the abyss. Hearing his warning, Wu Siyu halted. But her brows were locked and she asked, ¡°Then what can I do?¡±

    The grass on the in coiled being ravaged by the wind. The ritual had reached a new height. More ck-robed individuals climbed out from the mud. Their sudden appearance broke up the agents¡¯ formation. Two agents from the assault team staggered and fell. The surrounding ck-robed individuals lunged forward and stabbed them repeatedly with the scalpel. The two agents screamed as their fresh blood dyed the sharp scalpels red. The team of 100 plus agents were fighting against millions of monsters that could regenerate. They had no number¡¯s advantage and their weapons were too weak. Once this became a close quarterbat, it would be too dangerous to use firearms. The monsters could regenerate but if any of the agents was hit by stray bullets, they¡¯d be dead. Eventually, the Russian leader, Puloscov was apprehended by a few flesh monsters. They bit on his face and neck. Others stuck scalpels into the man¡¯s body.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Puloscov wailed. The scalpels stabbed multiple times into his eyes. ¡°Open fire!¡± The Russian agent roared in anger. They fired at the monsters, turning them and their respected leader into mush.

    The number of fatalities was rapidly climbing. Toddy Matt, the young man from DBM was swamped by ck-robed individuals. His friend, Michael J. Bruce wanted to go and help but he was stopped by the flesh monsters. The ins were turning into hell. The agents¡¯ physical and mental power were draining. It was getting difficult to even sign the Ancient Seal. And there were still so many enemies...

    Other than Zhang Huohuo who still worked on Xue Ba¡¯s heart resuscitation, and Uncle Dan who applied emergency rescue on Deng Ximei, the other medical units joined the battle. The 17 sedated agents were easy prey for the flesh monsters. Carl Dous¡¯ life was ended with a slice to his throat. Before he perished, his lips seemed to say, ¡°Today we will all die...¡±

    Leaders like Bell Grant and Frederickson urged the others to hold on but they knew this was a losing battle. Even thend¡¯s travellers, who were used to death and brutality, were stunned. They were not facing normal adversaries here...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Wu Siyu did not give up. Since she couldn¡¯t touch Gu Jun, she used her voice to summon him.

    It proved useful... If not for her, Gu Jun would have lost his consciousness already and he¡¯d sumb to darkness.

    He watched the development on the hill. Members of the Afterlife Cult had all walked in the stone que. Only a few individuals in red remained. Then the Deep Ones walked into the que. Afterlife Cult, R¡¯yleh Cult, Dagon¡¯s Sect, they had ovepping members.... Because the Son of Misfortune, and Dagon were both servants of the Lord of R¡¯yleh.

    Gu Jun was reminded of the system, it was a power he triggered at Long Kan Seabelt. It activated the power of both the Son of Steel and Son of Misfortune within him. Thinking back to the rewards he had received, they were all rted to these two forces of power. Long Kan Seabelt... The Seagull...

    Perhaps due to this astral projection state that he existed in, Gu Jun appeared to gain a new understanding of the Deep One¡¯s Language Mastery Textbook scroll. He suddenly gained a renewed appreciation of the words and symbols on the stone que. It opened him up to the abyssal world described in the que. There were many lost souls and sacrificed individuals in there. There was life within the stone que...

    He saw two Deep Ones smiling at him. Their faces reminded him of his childhood.

    ¡°Xiao Jun...¡± A soft woman¡¯s voice said. One of the Deep Ones spoke. ¡°You¡¯ve arrived. The journey must have been difficult.¡±

    The other Deep One spoke in a sturdy male voice, ¡°Xiao Jun, you¡¯ve grown up so much!¡±

    It hit Gu Jun then. It was them, they were inside the stone que, they had sacrificed themselves to Dagon a long time ago.

    ¡°What are those documents?¡± He demanded loudly, ¡°Where have you hidden them?¡±

    ¡°Documents?¡± The woman¡¯s voice was still gentle. ¡°Aren¡¯t they supposed to be inside your mind?¡±

    Gu Jun understood it then. The ¡®documents¡¯ were the rewards given by the system. They had used this method to hide it away...

    ¡°This system is your creation?¡±

    ¡°No, we do not possess that kind of power, it is a talent that you¡¯re born with. We merely helped you fix it so that it can be activated.¡±

    He was just a projected consciousness but Gu Jun could feel his eyes watering. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Why, why would you do this. What kind of people are you...¡¯

    ¡°Xiao Jun, we are merely children of circumstances.¡± The gentle woman said, ¡°We are born into families who worship R¡¯yleh, we had no choice. But your father and I have always harbored a different ideology, it was why we ended up together.¡±

    ¡°What ideology is that?¡±

    ¡°You should know by now that no matter whatmon people do, these existences will not perish. Like fire, they can be used to burn everything or it can herald in a new era. Too many people around us want to use the fire for its destructive power. Our familial bonds and organization responsibility bind us. But we did what we could, to turn the fire towards the light, to avoid a disastrous ending.¡±

    In that moment, he saw some visions from the past but Gu Jun was given a new angle to understand them. When the woman plunged the knife into Elder Tong, the de was calcted to enter a spot where none of the vitals would be injured. If not for her, Elder Tong would be dead already. This woman tried her best to protect the Spirit Children...

    ¡°Then, why, why didn¡¯t you join Phecda...¡± He pleaded.

    ¡°Xiao Jun, we¡¯re so sorry to disappoint you but we¡¯re not good people.¡± The woman said, ¡°But... we¡¯ve been trying to do good things...¡±

    ¡°Like today.¡± The man said with a smile. ¡°Silence the Son of Misfortune and keep R¡¯yleh submerged. That is not a bad ending. Xiao Jun, go ahead, we¡¯ll support you. End this ritual. Burn away evil like us!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s tears dropped. A new force emerged in his heart to fight against the darkness. It was the spire. The spire that he saw at the ocean floor was now rising inside his heart.

    ...

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    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 335: The Collapse of the Banyan Tree

    <h4>Chapter 335: The Copse of the Banyan Tree</h4>

    Blood dyed the ins red, and clouds dropped from the sky. The lives wandering on the ind disintegrated into nothingness. The grass was dying, the trees were dying, thend was dying, but something was emerging from their death. The power of the ritual increased conspicuously. The influence on the agents¡¯ mental state strengthened. More people died from the stabbings. As primitive as the method was, it was highly effective. Only about 50 agents remained standing. Their defensive circle tightened as they mounted the final defence. Amidst the chaos, Gu Jun remained motionless but strangely enough, none of the monsters made any offensive attempt at him.

    What was going on? Was he fighting a mental battle, or he had already given up? At a time like this, the leaders from the other countries, who had been encouraging their members, started to harbour suspicions... Shadows darkened their hearts as death loomed in the near future. However, Wu Siyu did not give up as she continued to call upon Gu Jun. She shared the strongest mental bond with him and thus she was the one who was the most tuned into his mental status... A new surge of power arose within him and that brought rejuvenation to her as well.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, listen to me...¡± Gu Jun finally spoke albeit in a coarse voice, ¡°The opportunity is here but we only have one shot at it.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wu Siyu tensed as if knowing this was not going to end well.

    ¡°I will try to gather all the monsters at one spot.¡± Gu Jun assessed the bloody surroundings before his gazended on her face. ¡°And you will lead everyone to sign out the Ancient Seal. End the ritual like how you didst time. Take these instruments, they will help increase the power of the Ancient Seal.¡± He handed the medkit, with all the Carlot Instruments in it, to Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, I have something that I need to tell you.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s grip tightened over the medkit as her eyes shone with tears. ¡°But I¡¯m not going to tell you now, so if you do not survive this, you¡¯ll never hear what I have to say.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Gu Jun nudged Wu Siyu lightly on her head before he turned to shout at the nearby agents, ¡°Listen to Siyu¡¯s orders! She knows what to do.¡± Due to the new source of power, Gu Junnded in a precarious mental state. He barely maintained his consciousness but somehow could utilize the yet-to-be fully awakened power of darkness... However he could not sustain this state for long so he had to make his move now... He¡¯d end the ritual once and for all...

    With everyone looking on, Gu Jun walked towards the hill and sang out the song in foreignnguage, ¡°Sons of Worms, reshape yourself.¡± A simplemand brought upon an immense change. He repeated the chanting again. His voice filled with power. Wind churned the dark clouds. Energy was palpable on the ins as it nketed everything under its influence. Time and space were dragged into a figurative swamp, every agent could feel their actions slowing down... The bullets stopped moving and gunfire ceased. They thought they were going to die under multiple stabbings earlier but now even the flesh monsters had stopped...

    Then to everyone¡¯s surprise, all the monsters moved away. The flesh on the ground reanimated themselves and joined their other brethren as they slowly shuffled towards Gu Jun.

    ¡°Captain Gu...¡±¡±What¡¯s happening, is this his power...¡±¡±This is not a power yielded by amon human...¡±

    Bell Grant, Grisman, Frederickson and the likes were shocked. In fact, even Lou Xiaoning and Peacock were stunned. ¡®Ah Jun... Can control these creatures of darkness?¡¯

    Before they could make sense of this new development, they were greeted by something even stranger. The ck-robed monsters walked to gather at the empty spot before Gu Jun. Their bodies glued to one another and their limbs started to twist together. The sound they made was indescribable. It was the sound of bones and skin breaking and forming at the same time. The monsters twined together...

    Everyone was gobsmacked watching this but the people from Phecda were instantly reminded of something. It was the Malformed Banyan Tree. The flesh bound together and the bones formedttices. The ck-robed individuals were shaping into a big banyan tree with great branches. As more monsters joined the ceremony, therger the tree became until it grewrge enough to cover the sky. Soon, no trace of flesh could be found on the in. They were all now part of the Banyan Tree. In the middle of the giant tree, there was arge ck tree hole. Inside the tree hole, there was a throne made from flesh and blood. Steps, made from flesh and bones, extended out from the tree hole, which was raised more than 10 metres in the air, to the ground. The bark was filled with different faces. There were wilted faces, faces of the Deep Ones, faces of the cultists, and even faces of Xie Yiman, Tian Yi and Xue Ba...

    The agents finally understood the seemingly incoherent ount given by Jack Wales. They were in the presence of something immensely powerful. Just a nce of it could turn their brains into mush. A few more nces and they¡¯d drop into madness... However, Wu Siyu and the others from Phecda needed to hold on, they still had the mission given by Ah Jun toplete...

    The wails died away, all that remained was silence. Then to everyone¡¯s surprise, Gu Jun walked up the steps and crawled into the tree hole. The man had no expression. He sat down on the throne and faced them like a newly appointed king.

    ¡®Who is this person... or rather, what is he turning into?¡¯ The agents shivered. As they scrutinized the tree and the individual inside it, they could feel its immense power locking them into ce. Suddenly, the tree hole shrunk. The dark red flesh reached out to swallow Gu Jun. In practically a moment, Gu Jun waspletely consumed. Only his face remained visible and his eyes were red and ck in colors. Before the banyan tree, numerous illusory individuals appeared kneeling towards the tree. All of them bowed lowly. There were humans, mutated creatures, rotten bodies and even sets of skeletons. Those kneeling in front were the agents who just perished. Among them were Puloscov, Toddy Matt and Xue Ba. The living were overwhelmed by despair but Wu Siyu knew this was still Dirty-minded Jun! She could taste him on her lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s him... He¡¯s still with us...¡± She croaked out. ¡°This is his idea...¡±

    ¡°Wu Siyu!¡± It was unclear whether the voice came from the tree or her mind but she could hear Gu Jun saying, ¡°Now is the time!¡± Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness struggled. Half of it was his own, while the other half belonged to darkness. This was thest step of the ritual, all of its energy was gathered here. If the Son of Misfortune was sessfully evoked, he¡¯d live in this state, the tree being his usual form... But now, Gu Jun¡¯s power kept the door of the abyss closed but who knew for how long...

    ¡°Now is the time, everyone...¡± Gu Jun had no idea whether his voice could be heard or not but he could feel the dark red flesh joining with every inch of his skin and melting into his brain. He was bing a part of the banyan tree. ¡®But I... can¡¯t die just like this... This world is not supposed to end yet, R¡¯yleh will slumber for a lot longer... We will return to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival... Dirty-minded Yu still has something that she needs to tell me...¡¯ Gu Jun summoned all of his strength. He unlocked the broken sweet dream from the Son of Steel in his brain. Instantly, there was a burst of light energy. It suppressed the darkness within him. Now was the chance!

    The wind picked up again and the grip loosened on everyone.

    ¡®Now, do not hesitate...¡¯ The voice echoed inside Wu Siyu¡¯s heart. With tears shining in her eyes, she held the Carlot Instruments tightly. ¡°Hit it with the Ancient Seal!¡± She shouted as tears slid down her face. ¡°Everyone, give it everything you got!¡±

    Thanks to their usual training, the Phecda members soon moved into position. Without wasting much time, the other agents followed suit. The remaining agents joined Wu Siyu to hit the twisted human-tree creature with an Ancient Seal. A scorching seal sted forth. It gained power from the Carlot Instruments and hit the tree squarely. The wind howled as loudly as the wails of the tree. The earth moved and the world swayed before everyone¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun, you have to survive. Can you hear me?¡¯ Wu Siyu¡¯s voice faded away. Gu Jun felt everything disintegrating. He could feel the banyan tree copsing and breaking into pieces... His own body shattered as well. There was immense pain but... at the very least, the door on the stone que closed and the ritual ended. Every single member of Afterlife Cult, including thest red-robed individual had sacrificed themselves to the stone que and now they would forever be suspended in hell and silence...

    Before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes, the broken sweet dream enveloped him. It was beautiful. It was the Lai Hwa Festival. The Lai Hwa Trees bloomed beautifully. Landon and his family, Lydia, and his good friend Pedra enjoyed the outing,ughing and chatting. Different from the well-known Son of Steel, this was Landon as amon man, brilliance in hismon humanity. Heughed.

    Then the sky darkened and a full moon rose in the sky. It was mid-autumn festival. There were Gu Jun, Dirty-minded Yu, Zixuan, Uncle Dan, Deng Ximei and the rest having a party under the moon...

    The sweet dream faded away... as did his consciousness... Both of the light and dark energies disappeared...

    The curtain was down. The y was over. This too was a y which was entitled man.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s ie is low so I fully depend on your support for the continuation of all my projects.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 336: Beyond the Island

    <h4>Chapter 336: Beyond the Ind</h4>

    In the past 3 days, the tides rose and fell around I Ss y Gomez. The tidal pools filled up with the sea water during high tides and exposed its dark rocks during low tides. Everything appeared normal. However, beyond the ind, ships from multiple countries patrolled the seas day and night, cordoning off the location.

    3 days ago, a team of 172 agents took about 10 lifeboats to embark towards the small ind. The agents imed no sight of birds on the ind even though the sea birds were inly visible from the destroyer. Due to Gu Jun¡¯s request, the destroyer did not act upon this anomaly. They waited for more updates.

    However, no one could exin what happened next. All the radar equipment on the destroyer was disrupted. Even the satellites could only send back blurry pictures. The crewmates who saw the ind with naked eyes doubled over with pain. Emergency rescue was immediately dispensed but it turned out to be unnecessary. The pain left as sudden as it came. When everyone came to, and turned to look back down the ind, all the agents had disappeared, all 172 of them as well as the lifeboats.

    Whether I Ss y Gomez was indeed the location featured in Jack Wales¡¯ story or not, there was definitely something strange going on here. After the incident, the initial order came from the headquarters at Easter Ind for the ships to stay put to not interrupt the ns of the agents. But over the past 3 days, tension was high at themand central as the higher-ups from different countries argued over the next course of action. Should they wait, send more troops into the ind or sink the ind directly? FBM leaned towards sending in more reinforcements while Phecda preferred the method of wait and see.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that we¡¯re cowardly but patience is necessary at a time like this!¡± Elder Tong joined the conference through skype. ¡°The ind is clearly the entrance to an abnormal space, the smallest interference can cause it to copse, then no one inside will be able toe out.¡±

    However, something worked against Elder Tong and pressed on the necessity to act. In the past few days, the epidemic of the Mutated Scale Disease suddenly exploded. More famed individuals fell under its clutches. It progressed so fast that soon an exnation to the public would be necessary. This ced a lot of pressure on Elder Tong and Phecda.

    To be fair, within Phecda, different factions were already discussing the necessity of sending in more reinforcements. After all, they could not wait forever.

    Things changed on the fifth day after the agents¡¯ disappearance. Around noon, the medical crew working the frontline with the patients of Mutated Scale Disease sent over news of joy. The itchiness of the patients suddenly disappeared! Even the new patients who had not undergone RFL surgery reported the sudden disappearance of all the worms. And those who did undergo the surgery resuscitated with a refreshed state of mind. Patients like Xie Yiman, who suffered so many symptoms, were recuperating. This pointed towards one possibility. The source of the contagion had been destroyed, victory was achieved.

    Themand centrals all over the world were overjoyed. Everyone was in a celebratory mood. Mutated Scale Disease, the strange illness that descended upon the world at the start of the month, seemed to have ended.

    ¡°Prepare the rescue teams!¡± Elder Tong ordered the people at Easter Ind, ¡°Time might pass differently on the ind. The joint unit might return at any moment in time, it could be today, next week or even next month, just be prepared.¡±

    The rescue teams on the destroyer had always been ready and now they couldn¡¯t wait to get into action. To Elder Tong and everyone¡¯s surprise, a new incident urred that very evening. Just as the tides rose up to the tidal pools, there was a sudden dimensional disruption. The radar of the ships went down and the crewmates suffered from sudden pain again. None managed to catch the dimensional shift in progress. When they recovered, the disappeared agents reappeared. Some of them returned as bodies floating on the sea, while others stood on the shores. A few were already highly dposing inside the tidal pools. When the pictures were transferred to themand central, the joy of victory dissipated immediately.

    ¡°Get moving!¡± Elder Tong¡¯s jaw was tensed. ¡°Set out the rescue teams now!¡± Everything went into motion. The rescue helicopters on the destroyer flew into the sky. The rescue ships departed as well. They salvaged the dead and rescued the living.

    ¡°There are so many losses...¡±¡±My god, what happened to them...¡±

    Through the images taken from the helicopter, the monitors showed an ind that had been turned into a ughterhouse. There was blood everywhere. The dead agents were left to rot on the ground. Their heads and necks were heavily mutted. The injuries did not look like they were made by gunshots but they looked more like stab wounds. At themand central, the people from FBM were in silent mourning. They sent in 62 agents but only 10 of them could still be seen standing. The other countries did not fare any better. Ennd, Russia and Europe representatives scoured the images but they saw only the dead and injured. Many notable agents from their countries were also dead. They sent in a total of 85 people and now there were only about 20 people left.

    Most of the standing agents were from Phecda. They sent in 25 people and now it looked like more than 20 of them remained. In fact, most of them were busy applying emergency rescue to the other agents.

    ¡°Where is the injury list...¡± Elder Tong¡¯s heart gripped. He reached for his canteen and tossed back a mouthful of alcohol. Looking on were Prof Shen and Yao Sinian. They did not wish to see any familiar names on the list. However, reality was always harsher than wishful thinking. As images and information came back from the scene, themand central soon received a call from the ind. The caller was Lou Xiaoning. This could only mean that the two superiormanders above her were...

    ¡°Captain Xue is dead.¡± Lou Xiaoning¡¯s voice echoed in themand central, ¡°There¡¯s nothing we can do now, rigor mortis has set in. Rescue is still being done on Deng Ximei, she has a weak breathing... Captain Gu... he has done the most again... He suffers from multiple fractures and a loss of heartbeat. Uncle Dan examined him and noted cerebral haemorrhage, it¡¯s not looking good...¡±

    Dark clouds descended over themand central. While everyone was silent, Elder Tong uttered in a shaking voice, ¡°Continue with the rescue effort! Try to save everyone, even those that can¡¯t be saved.¡±

    The live feed was shown on the big monitor. Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo carried the unconscious Gu Jun onto the stretcher. Wu Siyu and Peacock followed behind them. Gu Jun looked as if he had just been pulled out from a pool of decayed mud. His limbs were stiff and he looked positively dead.

    ...

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    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 337: ECMO

    <h4>Chapter 337: ECMO</h4>

    ¡°Ah Jun has gone into cardiopulmonary arrest for 2 hours and 5 minutes already. We¡¯ve done electric defibrition, given him adrenaline shots, and applied constant external cardiacpression.¡± The rotors buzzed noisily as Uncle Dan brought the rest up to speed inside the cabin. The rescue team was led by Phecda members as well. Liu Mingfeng, who graduated from the emergency rescue unit into the Spell Department was the leader. This middle-aged man knew both Gu Jun and Uncle Dan. As Liu Mingfeng listened to the updates, he checked vitals on Gu Jun. The manid supine on the stretch.

    As mentioned before, the Special Mobile Force did not lose any supply after entering the abnormal space so they had ess to both mobile defibritors and respirators. So all possible emergency rescue efforts had been administered, in other words, Uncle Dan had done everything he could but...

    The man¡¯s pupils dted and there was a notedck of response to light. Zero muscr response to stimulus, and there was not even a heartbeat on the electrocardiogram. ording to Uncle Dan, they gained their mobility only moments after the final battle. Therefore, the emergency rescue on Gu Jun began 6 minutes after his cardiopulmonary arrest. Even with the best effort, the sess rate was only 10 percent. ording to the current international standard, if CPR was conducted after 30 minutes of cardiac arrest and the victim showed no signs of recovery, the patient would be announced dead.

    In Gu Jun¡¯s case, it was worse because his heartbeat had stopped for more than 5 minutes before CPR. That meant a prolongedck of blood flow to the brain, causing irreparable damage to his brain cells. Cerebral death would lead to permanenta even if the patient was rescued. There was an obvious skinceration more than 5 cm long on Gu Jun¡¯s right cheek. Part of his skin was bruised and swollen. His right eye was bloodshot. All these pointed towards cerebral damage.

    Compared to these two situations, the fractures over his body did not appear that serious. In one word, the situation was not optimistic. Technically speaking, the body on the stretcher would scientifically bebelled as a cadaver.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead.¡± Wu Siyu suddenly piped up. She was still holding the medical instruments. ¡°I can feel it in my heart. He is not dead.¡± Uncle Dan knew how hard this situation was for Miss Wu, after all, it was her who led everyone to deliver the fatal blow on the banyan tree... But overall, her mental state was rather stable. Regardless of the official scientific diagnosis, the rescue team did not give up. Their job was to wrestle with death. As rare as it was, there were still precedences of patients who were rescued after hours of cardiac arrest as well as patients who awakened from certifieda. Gu Jun was not a typical person, he¡¯d pull through.

    Regarding the other two injured members, Deng Ximei¡¯s situation was not so bad but Xue Ba was in a much worse condition. However, the rescue effort did not cease on either of them either. Zhang Huohuo continued the external chestpression on Gu Jun while nurses hurried over with an ice-pack to lower the temperature around his head. Another nurse attached Gu Jun to a catheter. Liu Mingfeng and Uncle Dan stared closely at the urine bag. If there was urine, then it meant there was still a chance. Once the catheter was connected, they saw dark brown urine streamed into the urine bag.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a chance!¡± Uncle Dan screamed out from joy. Wu Siyu¡¯s face brightened immediately.

    ¡°Yes, there is still a chance. Quick, record the urine volume.¡± Liu Mingfeng informed the nurses. The urine might exist inside Gu Jun¡¯s dder before hisa but it was still a good sign. ¡°Tell the ship to prepare ECMO. We¡¯ll need it once wend.¡±

    ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is an extracorporeal technique of providing prolonged cardiac and respiratory support to persons whose heart and lungs are unable to provide an adequate amount of gas exchange or perfusion to sustain life. ECMO works by temporarily drawing blood from the body to allow artificial oxygenation of the red blood cells and removal of carbon dioxide. Generally, it is used either post-cardiopulmonary bypass or inte-stage treatment of a person with profound heart and/or lung failure.

    Due to the technical difficulty of operating such a device and its high price tag, not every hospital had ECMO or a team to perform surgeries with it. However, these were not problems for the team waiting on the destroyer. Vasculocardiology experts, cardiosurgery experts, invasive technology experts, emergency rescue experts, anaesthesiology experts, neurosurgical experts, neurology experts, orthopaedics experts, critical care experts... formed a team on the ship. Some of them were present in person while others joined through Skype. This ECMO would be carried out immediately.

    Everything weighed heavily on this operation. With ECMO, even if Gu Jun was already a cadaver, it would help to preserve his body. Xue Ba would be put under ECMO as well.

    ¡°Is there a supernatural influence behind the patient¡¯satose condition?¡± Liu Mingfeng asked.

    Uncle Dan shivered as he thought back to what happened back on the ind. ¡°It was Ah Jun who gathered the dark energy to one spot. Basically he was consumed by it before we had the chance to mount a counter attack. It was the exnation behind his fall from a tall spot. The fractures and cranial trauma came from that.¡±

    Both cleansing stone and Ancient Seal were used. Gu Jun showed no sign of mental corruption. Wu Siyu shared her views. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is supernatural influence here. Yes, the dark energy once swallowed him... but at thest moment, the energy was sted away. He still tastes salty, granted not as salty as before, but it still tastes like him.¡±

    Liu Mingfeng nodded. Hopefully that was true or else it¡¯d seriouslyplicate the situation. Less than 5 minutester, the helicopternded on the deck of the destroyer. They carried Gu Jun on the stretcher directly towards the ECMO surgical room set on the ship. The cardiacpression was applied throughout. One minute difference could determine the patient¡¯s life and death. The battle at the frontline was over but now it was the start of the war for the logistic members. They had to fight to achieve victory here as well.

    Back at themand central, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian¡¯s faces were stern as they watched the emergency rescue on ship. Gu Jun was soon pushed into the ECMO surgical room. The nurses changed him into a surgical scrub. The waiting team moved into action. The first step was to perform venous canntion, it was the most difficult and important step. While the cardiacpression was ongoing, they would open a small hole on Gu Jun¡¯s calf to search for his arteria cruralis and femoral vein to perform canntion. Then they would be connected to the ECMO machine through a long pipe. A mishap during this step would cause immense blood loss. It¡¯d dy the emergency rescue and make the situation worse.

    With the shadeless lights working in the background and directions provided by the ultrasound, several doctors and nurses performed operations on Gu Jun whoid serenely on the surgical table.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s ie is low so I fully depend on your support for the continuation of all my projects.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 338: 10 Percent Chance

    <h4>Chapter 338: 10 Percent Chance</h4>

    Wu Siyu, who also scrubbed up, stood outside the surgical room. Through the small window on the door, she could look into the room. There were three surgical rooms down this corridor. Two of them were respectively upied by Gu Jun and Xue Ba. The corridor was adorned with a row of chairs and several monitors hung opposite it. The monitors broadcasted the livefeed of the situation inside the surgical rooms. Several substitute medical workers stood at the ready to change shift. Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohuo sat on the chairs. Their faces turned towards the monitors and their eyes spoke of heavy lethargy. After everything that urred on the ind, they were already very tired. On top of that, the two of them had been taking turns doing CPR non-stop on Gu Jun and Xue Ba. If not for their strong determination, the two victims would have perished already.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, Siyu! Is there any update?¡± At that moment, Lou Xiaoning hurried over from the lobby. Thend¡¯s travellers trailed behind her. They knew that the ECMO operations were being performed on Gu Jun and Xue Ba while Deng Ximei, who still had a weak heartbeat, was transferred to ICU.

    ¡°They¡¯re both undergoing endovascr prosthesis now.¡± Uncle Dan answered softly as his eyes stayed transfixed on the monitor. ¡°Opening on Ah Jun¡¯s calf has been made and the blood vessel is found... And okay, just like that, perfect... the canntion insertion is sessful!¡±

    A slight cheer went through the people in the corridor. This was a good start. Lou Xiaoning walked to stand beside Wu Siyu. Her left eye looked through the small window and only saw the medical workers bustling around the surgical table. Through the gaps, she caught a glimpse of Gu Jun attached to blood bags, IV bags and other machines like electrocardiogram monitors and anesthesia apparatus. A nurse was conducting chestpression on him while a doctor was bandaging his surface wound. Normally, Gu Jun would be the one doing all these things instead of the other way round.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Lou Xiaoning could not help but sigh. Days ago they were fighting on the battlefield but now...

    Suddenly, the main surgeon of the ECMO team, Luo De¡¯s voice echoed out from the speakers, ¡°Cirction in preparation.¡± A group of people inside the surgical rooms was there to specifically deal with the ECMO devices. It had many operating factors and those factors could change at any moment. Heart-lung-ECMO inter-circtory factors and readings could only be understood by trained specialists. These were why ECMO surgery was so hard. After all the preparation was done, Luo De instantly connected the blood vessel transfer tube to the canns. The hearts of everyone else inside and outside the room tensed. The ECMO was officially in operation!

    There are two main modes of ECMO support, Veno-Venous (VV) and Veno-Arterial (VA).

    VV ECMO provides support for the lungs only. One or two canns are ced inrge vein(s) on the side of the neck or in the groin area at the top of the leg. The patient¡¯s heart will continue to work normally. The ECMO machine will drain the blood from the vein through the cann. Oxygen will be added to the blood, carbon dioxide will be removed, and then the blood is warmed and returned back to the right side of the heart through the cann. The patient¡¯s heart pumps the oxygenated blood to the body, so that the lungs have time to rest and recover.

    VA ECMO provides support for both the lungs and the heart. Two canns are ced inrge vessels on the side of the neck, directly into the chest (while the chest is covered with a sterile protector) or into the groin vessels. The ECMO machine will drain the blood from the vein, add the oxygen and remove the carbon dioxide, warm the blood and then return the blood to the artery and mechanically ¡°pump¡± the blood through the body. This method allows the blood to ¡°bypass¡± the heart and lungs, allowing them to rest and get better.

    However, if the patient¡¯s heart stopped beating after 3 hours, blood clots might form under VA mode, causing thrombus and pulmonary edema. In that case, thoracotomy was required and AAA Mode would be used.

    Currently Gu Jun undertook VA mode. Uncle Dan and the rest saw dark red liquiding out from the transfer tube, that was blood from inside Gu Jun¡¯s body... Due to the low oxygen ratio in the venous blood, the blood would be expectedly darker than usual but Gu Jun¡¯s blood was so dark that it was almost ck and clotting...

    The excitement immediately drained from Uncle Dan¡¯s face and the man sighed under his breath. As a doctor, he knew what this meant. Gu Jun had 1 percent of surviving. Now he not only had to contend with pulmonary and cerebral problems but also internal organ damage due to anoxic anoxemia... The other medical doctors on the corridor turned their heads away and sighed weakly. The collective sigh nketed heavily on everyone present.

    At the same time, after the blood entered the ECMO machine, it was transferred back into Gu Jun¡¯s body through the canns and the first cirction waspleted. Only then did the chestpression stopped. However, the time needed by patients to resuscitate their heartbeats after being attached to the ECMO machine varied ording to the individuals, some reacted instantly, others might take hours... On the electrocardiogram, Gu Jun¡¯s heart showed no sign of beating. After the chestpression stopped, he tlined.

    ¡°We have another half an hour.¡± Uncle Dan said, ¡°If Ah Jun can recover some heartbeat, then we can avoid the thoracotomy...¡±

    CT devices were moved into the surgical room earlier. While Gu Jun was in ECMO state, the rescue team conducted a cranial CT on him. The imaging confirmed that he suffered from severe cerebral haemorrhage. Craniotomy had to be conducted instantly because they needed to leave time for possible thoracotomy. After that, there was still bone fraction reduction surgery.

    On the other hand, Xue Ba did not suffer from bone fractures and cerebral haemorrhage. His ECMO was also very sessful. But his blood condition was more severe than Gu Jun, that meant that he suffered from greater organ damage.

    ¡°Aiz, I¡¯m going to spare myself the knowledge. Ignorance is bliss.¡± Uncle Dan stood up and ushered everyone away, ¡°We¡¯re not going to be of much help here. We might as well go up to the deck for some fresh air.¡± Mainly, Uncle Dan was worried about Wu Siyu. He didn¡¯t think the girl would survive watching the surgeries being conducted on Gu Jun. The young man would be shaved, scalped, and had his skull drilled and saw into...

    ¡°Uncle Dan, I¡¯m fine.¡± Wu Siyu replied. ¡°I wish to stay here. I feel like he can sense our presence and staying here will give him the motivation to wake up.¡±

    ¡°Alright then.¡± Uncle Dan did not push her. Staying or leaving were neither particrlyfortable options so he¡¯d go along with her decision. Lou Xiaoning and thend¡¯s travellers stayed as well. They watched the monitors and chatted aimlessly among themselves. Time was drawing close to the 3 hours limit for Gu Jun. Suddenly a cheer erupted inside the room. It caused everyone outside the room to spring up from their seats.

    ¡°There¡¯s a heartbeat! The patient has shown signs of autonomous heartbeat!¡± On the electrocardiograph, it was no longer a strange line. There was a minor fluctuation. Gu Jun¡¯s heart hade back online.

    ¡°This kid has one powerful heart!¡± Lou Xiaoning said excitedly, ¡°You gotta give him that.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for thoracotomy, this is good, good.¡± Uncle Dan mumbled to himself. Even though this did not mean that Ah Jun was out of the danger zone, it was a good start. ¡°This is good... Captain Xue, Captain Xue, you mustn¡¯t lose to your junior, okay...¡±

    ¡°Phew...¡± Wu Siyu finally sighed as she slumped down in the chair. ¡°And I thought I would have the chance to see what¡¯s inside his heart.¡±

    ¡°What else could be in there?¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice came from themunicator, ¡°Are you expecting to find your name carved there?¡±

    The group smiled reservedly. Admittedly the war was not yet over, but now at least there was hope.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s ie is low so I fully depend on your support for the continuation of all my projects.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 339: PEEK Polymer

    <h4>Chapter 339: PEEK Polymer</h4>

    It was local time, September 18th 2021 when the international joint unit reappeared at I Ss y Gomez. At 18:12 of the same afternoon, the rescue team started the ECMO surgery on Gu Jun; his heart regained function at 18:37. His EF, or Ejection Fraction, a measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction, stayed a dangerously low 10 percent for the standard value is at 50 to 70 percent. Due to massive haemorrhage in his right parafrontalia, the team of neurosurgeons led by Si Kouxian conducted a craniotomy on Gu Jun at 18:42. The incision was made and the skull drilled to remove carene, cerebral dura and clear away blood clots.

    Out of consideration to Gu Jun¡¯s medical history, if they preserve the carene, it might cause a high risk of high cranial pressure or post-op brain edema. Gu Jun might not survive a second brain surgery, therefore the team decided to remove the carene. It meant that Gu Jun lost part of his right skull. Half of his scalp had a sunken impression. If he survived, they would perform cranial reconstruction surgery. Thankfully Gu Jun did not suffer from any other brain trauma so the craniotomy only took 4 hours toplete.

    Then it was time for the team of orthopaedists led by Wang Huikang to do their work. They conducted debridement and suturing on many soft tissues. Then it was followed by open reduction internal fixation of bone fractures at the palms, phnges, cubitus and lower left tibia as well as reduction surgery at shoulder joints. From these traumas, the doctors surmised that Gu Jun fell with his hands facing down trying to cushion the fall. Then he knocked the right side of his head. It was why he suffered heavier trauma on his upper body. Thankfully, his lower body was not affected that seriously and it provided a safe spot for the ECMO surgery to conduct canntion.

    The surgeries came one after another. It took a total of 22 hours. When everything was over, it was already 21:25 on September 9th. Throughout this period, the ECMO team led by Liu Mingfeng kept a close observation on Gu Jun¡¯s vitals and readings. These operationsplicated the utilization of the ECMO machine. Thankfully, the team was very experienced and they maintained a stable condition for Gu Jun.

    Experts like Lee Cheng and Zhang Zeli from the pulmonary department did not dare to rx for even a second. Even though Gu Jun¡¯s heart had regained autonomous activity, his heartbeat was still too weak. During Gu Jun¡¯sst physical check, his heart was healthy enough to support him to the advanced age of 120 years old but now the reports showed that he suffered from asystole. But with the support and effort of the medical team, Gu Jun did not suffer a second cardiac arrest. His haemodynamics slowly stabilized and his ef rose back to 20 percent and he recovered weak breathing. At that moment, the team could finally say they had won the first battle.

    Everyone sighed in relief. But there was still a long, arduous battle ahead. On the afternoon of September 20th, Gu Jun¡¯s EF dropped back to 10 percent and x-ray scanning showed that there was great effusion in his chest. His lungs showed inmmatory infection... The rescue team returned to the surgical room to deal with theseplications. This battle took up yet another 30 hours.

    The 21st was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wu Siyu and the rest spent it on the destroyer. Gu Jun¡¯s craniotomy showed no post-op syndrome, this was one of the little good news. The other good news was his ECMO surgery did not suffer blood leakage and it did not cause calf swelling. After these hurdles, Gu Jun¡¯s condition started to stabilize and the medical attention turned to nursing and care. A week after the surgeries, his EF rose back to 30 percent; and after another week, it rose up to 40 percent. His vitals stabilized and therefore 14 days after the ECMO surgery, the team detached him from the system and transferred him to ICU.

    By then, Gu Jun¡¯s team had already been sent back to the headquarters at Da Hwa City for subsequent medical treatment. Deng Ximei woke up on September 23rd. Despite some minor headache, she was mentally sound. Her body was fine but she appeared to have lost the power of speech. Due to her performance in this mission, she was officially epted into the Spell Department. Elder Tong had high hopes in her, hoping that she could one day unlock her full potential. However, for now, she still needed many recuperative treatments. Everyone was overjoyed to hear about Deng Ximei¡¯s recovery but on October 6th, their mood dropped back down.

    This was the 18th day Xue Ba was on ECMO. There was a blood infection that caused lungs and liver failure. The medical team tried everything but it was to no avail. On 23:36 that night, the team officially announced Xue Ba¡¯s death. This was a heavy blow for everyone at Phecda. Xue Ba, the team leader of Special Mobile Force, Demon Hunters died at a young age of 39.

    Gu Jun¡¯s condition was not that optimistic either. Even though his breathing had recovered and he had been taken off anaesthetic, he showed no sign of resuscitation. The encephalogram confirmed that he was unconscious, this all pointed towards brain death. Even the experts could not give a clear diagnosis on issues regarding the brain. He might be a permanent vegetable or he might wake up tomorrow...

    The days went by. On the 18th of October, Gu Jun was still unconscious. He missed the ceremony Phecda gave Xue Ba. Thetter was given a hero¡¯s burial at Phecda Revolutionary Memorial Park. Everyone was present except one.

    On the 60th day of hisa, the imaging showed that his bone fracture recovered nicely so the team removed the sters. Despite his condition, Gu Jun was given the best care. The team came over to help him with physical recovery like massage and physical therapy to maintain his muscture. He had lost plenty of weight but he did not suffer from muscr atrophy.

    On the 90th day of hisa, 3 months after the craniotomy, the team conducted cranial reconstruction surgery on him. They used the best material, PEEK or polyether ether ketone. PEEK offers optimal bone growth and is radiolucent. The surgery was very sessful. A polymer was now added inside Gu Jun¡¯s skull but it was not visible from the outside. His face still looked the same.

    It was finally December 31st, thest day of 2021. By then, Gu Jun had beenatose for 103 days already.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s ie is low so I fully depend on your support for the continuation of all my projects.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 340: Visiting Hour

    <h4>Chapter 340: Visiting Hour</h4>

    The encephalogram, and electrocardiogram showed no changes from usual. The vitals were moving smoothly. This was inside a single ICU room at the headquarters¡¯ medical department. Despite the many devices, the room was quiterge. It was none other than Gu Jun whoid in bed. Short ck hair started to grow back after his surgeries and his sleeping face showed nothing but serenity. He was growing thin by the days. 3 nurses worked on shift to look after him. One of them, Nurse Liu was currently seated beside his bed, reading a magazine.

    Nurse Liu was in her 30s and she was an experienced member of Phecda. She was once a member of Special Mobile Force and was an expert at nursing. Nursing care was quite a busy job but one could asionally find some downtime, like what Nurse Liu was doing now. Like normal hospitals, mobile phones were banned inside ICU for the signal might disturb the devices or influence the patient¡¯s brain recovery. The ICU at Phecda banned apaniment of family and friends but the visitation hours were open from 16:00 to 16:30.

    With Gu Jun¡¯s poprity, there were many who requested to visit him but out of consideration for his condition, and his unique identity, not many were given that privilege. The visitation privilege was delineated into 2 levels. Level 1 visitors could only watch from outside through the window and Level 2 visitors could enter the room. The number of people with level 2 visiting privileges could be counted on one hand. They were either Gu Jun¡¯s direct superior like Elder Tong or Yao Sinian or his very close friends.

    People like Elder Tong were too busy toe visit Gu Jun daily even though he kept a constant tab on the young man. But even so, Gu Jun nevercked visitors. Wu Siyu woulde visit him daily to try to attempt mental connection to draw him out. This non-traditional treatment was performed many times in the past few months. Other than Wu Siyu, the team also assigned other friends and mentors of Gu Jun like Uncle Dan, Cai Zixuan, Deng Ximei and Wang Ruoxiang toe make an attempt... but there was no noticeable result.

    Cai Zixuan was another constant visitor. He¡¯d bring his home cooked soup with him for the nurses. Poor Gu Jun could only satisfy his craving through smell. During this period, Gu Jun was attached to IV drip and glucose drip.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, see, you¡¯re on the front page again.¡± Nurse Liu was reading a magazine Phecda sold to the public entitled, ¡°Phecda Secrets¡±. The copy had another article on Gu Jun, who was known directly as Phecda Hero by now. Even though Gu Jun was only 22, the contribution that he had made to the world was sufficient enough for him to carry that title. In the first month of hisa, many different world leaders came to visit him and because of that Nurse Liu got to interact with some incredible characters. She was honored to be part of this team. Nurse Liu turned to study the young man in bed and she sighed. The gods always envy the young and talented.

    It was about time for visitation hour. Today was thest day of 2021, she expected arge group. As she expected, Wu Siyu soon arrived and she brought many people with her. There were Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning, Cai Zixuan, Deng Ximei, Peacock and the rest. Since not all of them had level 2 privilege, some of them stopped outside the door and waited at the lobby.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, we¡¯re all here toe see you.¡± Wu Siyu pushed open the door. ¡°Nurse Liu, how is he today?¡±

    ¡°The same.¡± Whenever Nurse Liu said that, Wu Siyu would respond with a slightly disappointed oh.

    Back at the lobby, Uncle Dan made an introduction to the nurses about a new visitor, Xie Yiman, the famous actor. She was Gu Jun¡¯s main patient during the Mutated Scale Disease crisis. She had now fully recovered. Her application to join Phecda was approved and she just officially became a member of the Public Rtions Department. The organization gave her a one-time Level 2 Visitation Privilege to see if she could trigger any special reaction in Gu Jun.

    ¡°Nice to meet everyone.¡± Xie Yiman greeted. She walked into the room and said with a smile, ¡°Hi, Nurse Liu.¡± Or at least she tried to smile. She imagined she had smiled but her face remained expressionless. Nurse Liu and the other nurses knew about Xie Yiman¡¯s condition. Her skin transnt surgery went smoothly, she retained quite a pretty face. The minor skin discoloration could be covered up by make-up. However, she lost control of her facial muscle and it gave her an aura of aloofness.

    ¡°Doctor Gu.¡± Xie Yiman sidled up to the bed and saw Gu Jun who was thin as a stick. Despite her mental preparation, the disjointed image that she had of the tall and handsome Doctor Gu and the supine creature in bed caused tears to form in her eyes.

    ¡°I am Xie Yiman, I¡¯vee to visit you... It¡¯s hard seeing you like this, especially since I¡¯m such a big fan of yours. I heard that you sacrificed yourself for a mission. I wanted to give you an update about my condition so you don¡¯t need to worry about me anymore. My skin transnt surgery went smoothly and there is no after effect from the RFL surgery. Even though I couldn¡¯t feel and move parts of my face anymore, I can still breathe, see and eat without any problem...¡± Uncle Dan outside the door nodded. Xue Yiman was just 18 so she recovered very well from the surgeries. Not all victims of Mutated Scale Disease were that lucky. Some had trouble just blinking or swallowing. Those who did not undergo the RFL surgery before the ritual ended were lucky. However, even though the itchiness had faded away, they still had mutated skin on their faces so all of the victims went for skin transnt.

    ¡°I¡¯ve joined Phecda¡¯s Public Rtions Department.¡± Xie Yiman wiped away her tears. ¡°Many countries n to give an announcement to the public regarding the Mutated Scale Disease and I will return to the camera then. That will be my first mission... Doctor Gu, this incident has changed my life, and not just because of the things that happened to my face. I¡¯ve personally changed a lot, I found a new goal in life. I n to study hard to join the Spell Department! Elder Tong told me I have quite a good talent since I have high spirituality...¡±

    While Xie Yiman told Gu Jun her story, Wu Siyu held Gu Jun¡¯s hands but she felt nothing but a pool of still water. Even the sharpness of the scalpel had disappeared. She had Xie Yiman grab Gu Jun¡¯s hands too but that did not help anything.

    Even though they did not expect much to begin with, facing this result, there was still disappointment. How would one awaken Gu Jun? They just wish for a little reaction from him. Or was the man really...

    Every visitor was only given 15 minutes to stay. Soon the group returned with disappointment but Wu Siyu stayed for a while longer. Due to her unique status, she was given an extra 15 minutes to her visitation time.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s ie is low so I fully depend on your support for the continuation of all my projects.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 341: Chicken Thigh

    <h4>Chapter 341: Chicken Thigh</h4>

    Wu Siyu sensed something was different that day. She nced at the encephalogram, the electrocardiogram and finally Gu Jun¡¯s face. What was different?

    ¡°Did he have any other visitors today?¡¯ Wu Siyu asked Nurse Liu. Different visitors might leave behind different presences.

    ¡°No.¡± Nurse Liu shook her head. ¡°Just you guys.¡±

    ¡®Well, that¡¯s strange.¡¯ Wu Siyu looked around. She still believed there was something different about the ce. She checked the corners of the room, behind the devices and looked out the window. She found nothing but the longer she searched, the greater her confirmation that something else had been there! ¡®A ghost?¡¯ She walked back to the bedside and saw the steady pulse on the electrocardiograph... Momentster, Wu Siyu shook her head. Even after so many months, she still had no idea how to read one. She only knew that it did not read like the electrocardiogram of a person with brain death, but more consistent with the electrocardiogram of a person in deepatose.

    ¡®How to wake him up?¡¯ An idea came to her mind. She got this inspiration from fairytales. Sleeping Beauty and Snow White as well as the curse on the Frog Prince was cured by a kiss. Wu Siyu attempted this several months ago and naturally it did not work. But she felt something was different that day...

    ¡°Nurse Liu, help me keep an eye on the electrocardiograph.¡± She decided to give it one more try. She walked to the bed and leaned down to nt a kiss on Gu Jun¡¯s pale lips. The two sets of lips touched each other but she felt nothing. She maintained this pose for several seconds before lifting up her head. ¡°So, is there any change?¡± Once again, Nurse Liu shook her head, ¡°Still nothing...¡±

    Wu Siyu sighed. ¡°O well.¡± She tapped lightly on his cheeks and grumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve been lying there for 3 months already, is that not enough? You can¡¯t bezier than me, the world¡¯s going to end if that¡¯s the case.¡± Soon her half an hour visitation hour ended.

    Wu Siyu prepared to leave. Before she left, she said, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, I¡¯lle back to see you next year. Yes, it¡¯ll be the new year tomorrow. Happy New Year¡¯s Eve. Hopefully, you¡¯ll wake up soon, that¡¯s my only new year¡¯s hope.¡± She stopped for a while before leaving the room. She walked down the corridor before she stopped again. That feeling was equally strong outside the room...

    Wu Siyu looked around before lifting her head to look at the ceiling. There were lights and air vents...

    ¡®Air vents?¡¯ There was one inside Gu Jun¡¯s room as well. She frowned as she opened her senses to it. She saw some strange images, there were pipes, apples and boxes...¡¯Super Mario? No, wait, it¡¯s another game. It¡¯s Chip ¡®n Dale Rescue Rangers! Could it be Dirty-minded Jun? Last time he was a kangaroo but this time he¡¯s turned into a squirrel?

    ¡®But there was another possibility, which is rat infestation. This does not appear that sanitary, I should report this to the admin. But I better be sure first.¡¯ Wu Siyu wiggled her nose to sniff. She allowed her body to follow her senses. It felt like she was ying a game of Chip ¡®n Dale Rescue Ranger, jump, jump, dodge, dodge...

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Nurse Liu exited the room for it was the end of her shift. Seeing Wu Siyu bounce and skip down the corridor, she could not help but frown. Gu Jun¡¯s situation left a heavy impact on Wu Siyu. The nurses had been given orders by their superiors to pay attention to her mental state as well. Considering that the new year wasing, the celebration appeared to have caused some disturbance to her mind.

    They were on the 10th floor. After Wu Siyu skipped down the corridor, she arrived at the stairwell. She then went to the rooftop of the 21st floor. The guards at the door looked suspiciously at her when Wu Siyu walked past them to study the air vent¡¯s exit. She wandered about for a while before returning to the stairwell. She skipped down the stairs to the ground floor and left the building. She took a break when she was outside before wandering over to a nearby park. The sky was blue, it was only 5 pm. Walking among the trees, Wu Siyu sensed that the thing had already discovered her and it was trying to hide from her. She stood there until an idea came to her. Wu Siyu sighed and said loudly, ¡°I was being too suspicious. There¡¯s nothing around here. I should leave.¡±

    Wu Siyu turned around and moved away. One step, two step, three step, after about 10 steps, her eyes focused and she whipped her body around. She saw a sneaky shadow slither up a maple tree in panic. It was a squirrel! Arge squirrel!

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve already seen you. What¡¯s the point in hiding anymore?!¡± Wu Siyu ran to stand under the tree. She tilted her head up to study the animal on the branch. Recognition dawned on her. She had heard many stories from Dirty-minded Jun before. There was a particr Dreand native that featured prominently in some of his stories. She gasped in shock while pping excitedly, ¡°Zoog, you¡¯re a Zoog. Zoog, Zoog, Zoog!¡±

    The Zoog on the tree studied her with his beady eyes. He hopped between branches as if pondering how to escape...

    Wu Siyu knew that Dirty-minded Jun owed the Zoog tribes a ¡®very luxurious gift¡¯ and had a sweet dream connection with a Zoog named Lucky... Then it hit her. This Zoog should be Lucky, who came here looking for the promised gift from Gu Jun.

    ¡°Are you Lucky? The Zoog with a sweet dream connection with Dirty-minded Jun?¡± She asked as an excitement rose in her heart. She used to share a sweet dream connection with Dirty-minded Jun but it broke. Wu Siyu knew that the connection was much stronger than a normal mental connection and thus a bond was more easily formed. Humans failed to summon Dirty-minded Jun but who said a Zoog can¡¯t?

    Seeing Lucky was about to make his escape, Wu Siyu panicked. If she missed this opportunity, who knew how much longer Dirty-minded Jun would slumber.

    ¡°Hey, wait!¡± She called after Lucky. ¡°You¡¯re here for the gifts, right? I can arrange that for you. I know Gu Jun, I am very close to him! It¡¯s true, I¡¯m not lying to you. Lucky, Lucky?¡± She repeated the name. However, thenguage barrier was a huge problem. The Zoog did not understand what she was saying.

    Then Wu Siyu remembered that Lucky had been on a mission with Gu Jun¡¯s team at the House of Worm before, so he should have picked up a few Chinese words by now, for example simple vernacrs like his name and his hobby.

    ¡°Chicken thigh? Chicken thigh?¡± Wu Siyu mimicked the action of masticating and tearing off a chicken thigh. ¡°Lucky, would you like a chicken thigh?¡±

    But from the Zoog¡¯s perspective, it looked more like she was threatening him with what she¡¯d do to him if she ever caught him, which was to cook him and to eat him...

    ...

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    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 342: Rising Tempo

    <h4>Chapter 342: Rising Tempo</h4>

    ¡°Chicken thigh?¡± Wu Siyu saw the confusion on the Zoog¡¯s face so she changed her tack to mimic a chicken. She even clucked a few times before tapping on her calf. ¡°Chicken thigh! Fried, steamed, braised... any kind you want!¡± Suddenly the Zoog plopped down from the tree. He looked pleadingly at her while tapping his head as if saying something.

    ¡®Hmm? Why did it suddenlye down from the tree?¡¯ The Zoog used his paws to pat himself and the trees around him. Wu Siyu did not understand him but did sense something. ¡®Pillow? O wait, that¡¯s the Nightmare Man! Chicken thigh? So he does get me after all! Wait, dead rat?¡¯ Her eyes danced around before guessing, ¡°So, you¡¯re here to find the Nightmare Man, which is Gu Jun, to ask him for chicken thigh. You do not mean any harm so please don¡¯t cook you...¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Everything fell into ce then. So the Zoog was so scared he fell down from the tree. Her offer of gifts was perceived as bodily threats. Then didn¡¯t that mean her chicken acting was aplete failure? O well.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to cook you!¡± Wu Siyu exined with sincerity but Lucky closed his palms and begged with mercy. She sighed, ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat you, I already know what you taste like. For your information, you taste nothing like rats but more like cats.¡± She meowed. ¡°Cats?¡± Well, that only made Lucky shiver even more in fear... This won¡¯t do.

    ¡®What would a normal person do at a time like this...¡¯ Wu Siyu studied the sky. Her senses could see the signal waves coursing through the air and an inspiration dawned on her. She instantly pulled out her phone. She grabbed it when she left the ICU earlier. She went online to search for pictures of chicken thigh, especially ones that were juicy and crispy. She showed the pictures to Lucky, ¡°This one!!¡± The Zoog¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the pictures. His paws went involuntarily to his mouth.

    ¡°I know...¡± Wu Siyu put up a picture of her and Gu Jun together. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Then she added a picture of two mice holding hands, ¡°We¡¯re very good friends!!¡± She pointed at Lucky and then showed the picture of the chicken thigh again. She passed him the phone in a show of friendliness. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the chicken thigh that he owed you.¡±

    Lucky somewhat got her message. His fur coat rxed and the fear in his eyes faded. Then came another series of tapping. Wu Siyu listened to him quietly. She slowly picked up the difference in the rhythm... It was like she was tuning in better to the Zoog¡¯s intention. She could hear the sound ofughter between friends. She nodded. ¡°Yes, friends!¡± She showed him a corresponding picture and added, ¡°We will give you the chicken thighs but Dirty-minded Jun is now in aa. I¡¯m sure you saw him earlier. We need to wake him up first, then I¡¯ll bring you to Kentucky immediately.¡±

    Lucky paused but it was unclear whether it was due to hesitation or confusion.

    ¡°Gu Jun!¡± Wu Siyu tapped the picture of the man on her phone. ¡°Sleeping!¡± The picture of eyes closed. ¡°Wake him up!¡± The picture of eyes open. Lucky patted himself for a while. Through her senses, Wu Siyu felt like Lucky imed he could not guarantee whether he could wake Dirty-minded Jun or not but the debt made by humanity had to be paid...

    ¡°We¡¯ll not turn away from our promises. Some chicken thighs are nothing to us.¡± Wu Siyu looked at the sky, it was nowte afternoon. The desire to sleep would increase with nightfall. Dirty-minded Jun might decide to sleep right into the new year... Well, not on her watch! Wu Siyu knew time was of the essence. They had to wake Gu Jun up before midnight.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Wu Siyu grabbed her phone back and pulled the Zoog up into a hug. She raced towards the hospital. ¡°We¡¯ll go save him first!¡± Initially Lucky struggled but he gave up after finding out he was held too fixedly in ce. Zoogs were not used to being in the presence of so many people, that was not the habits of the Zoogs. Therefore, when Wu Siyu ran into the elevator and there were some other people inside it... Lucky froze into ce and looked for all intent and purpose, a plushie.

    ¡°Quick, quick...¡± Wu Siyu mumbled as she fixed her eyes on the lights above the door... The elevator took forever before it reached the 10th floor. Once the door opened, she burst her way through while hugging Lucky. Her destination was the ICU.

    ¡°Siyu?¡± Nurse Liu was still there. When she saw Wu Siyu run over, hugging some kind of strange plushie in her arms, Nurse Liu frowned... But that was not the end of the surprise. Suddenly Nurse Liu saw the eyes of the plushie move as it turned over to study her... It was alive! Nurse Liu was dumbfounded, so did the other nurses on duty. They saw the big rat struggle in Wu Siyu¡¯s arms...

    One of the nurses came to and hit the emergency button. ¡°Alert, Wu Siyu has arrived with an unknown organism!¡±

    Wu Siyu was stopped by the guards outside the door. She said in a hurry. ¡°There¡¯s no time to exin. This is a Zoog. Just report it to your superior. The Zoog, Lucky is here to find Dirty-minded Jun, he knows how to wake him up!¡± Dirty-minded Jun kept the sweet dream he shared with Lucky a secret so she did not bring that up either. As preposterous as that sounded, this was Wu Siyu so the guards and nurses followed her instruction. Wu Siyu paced anxiously in the lobby. The doctors in the same building rushed over. Liu Mingfeng, Lee Cheng, Zhang Zeli were among them. They were confused. ¡®What is that thing? Is it contagious or not? What¡¯s a Zoog?¡¯

    Many people were clueless about the presence of Zoogs and the golden aloe so they had no idea what Wu Siyu was up to. They had tried so many things but failed and she was now saying a big rat could seed where they failed? Regardless, the superior soon responded with the order for them to cooperate fully with Wu Siyu and the Zoog!

    The sky darkened. Once Wu Siyu got the clearance, she burst through the door. She hugged the Zoog as she ran to the bedside. She looked at the sleeping man, ¡°Lucky, please.¡± She ced the Zoog beside Gu Jun¡¯s head. At the same time, the medical workers gathered outside the door. More doctors were rushing over. Theteers looked at each other, asking for updates. But Liu Mingfeng and the nurses could only shake their heads. They too had no idea what was happening.

    Lucky extended his paws and started tapping on Gu Jun¡¯s forehead. This caused the doctors¡¯ hearts to wrench. This was the 13th day after Gu Jun¡¯s cranial reconstruction surgery. A normal patient would have to take care of their wounds for at least 3 months post-op, the wounded area was particrly sensitive to trauma...

    However, the big rat seemed to get into a rhythm as it continued to tap on Gu Jun¡¯s forehead. It appeared to be dancing. Wu Siyu stood there silently. She looked at Gu Jun and then at the encephalograph, yup, she still did not know how to read it... One hourter, with the tapping carrying on incessantly, suddenly... She tasted a long-awaited sting on her tongue. It was the taste of salt!

    ¡°Huh?!¡±¡±The frequency is rising!¡± Due to the sudden change in the encephalograph, the medical workers¡¯ eyes widened. This proved that the patient¡¯s consciousness was awakening...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Even Wu Siyu detected the jump in the previously static line. The line was peaking more constantly now! Her emotions gushed forward but suddenly Lucky stopped. Dirty-minded Jun was still unconscious. She felt like it was still missing something, something crucial. Then, it hit her. With everyone looking on with shock, Wu Siyu pushed Lucky aside, leaned over and nted a wet kiss on Gu Jun¡¯s pale lips.

    On the encephalogram, the frequency recorded the highest peak. The patient... The patient was waking up!

    ¡°Ergh...¡± A low groan escaped from the throat. Everyone heard it clearly, it was Gu Jun¡¯s voice!

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s payment is basically non-existent so as a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie.

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    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 343: Awakening

    <h4>Chapter 343: Awakening</h4>

    The groan that Gu Jun made was like a song from heaven. It sent a ripple of joy through the room. Hearing that, Wu Siyu¡¯s lips slowly parted as she pulled back. She summoned his name, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun?¡± The Zoog looked on with his beady eyes as he pped his paws noisily. Everyone saw the eyelids on Gu Jun¡¯s sunken face slowly flicker. Liu Mingfeng and the other experts were worried. Mostatose patients suffered from multistage convalesce while the minority regained their consciousness instantly. Gu Jun was given CPR 6 minutes after hisa so he had a high chance of suffering from cerebral anoxia. Furthermore, with his multiple surgeries and prolongeda, no one could guarantee he would not suffer from permanent cerebral nerves damage...

    Could he even open his eyes?

    The answer came soon enough as Gu Jun¡¯s eyelids gradually opened and his exposed eyes winced from the sudden bright light.

    ¡°Hello!¡± Seeing his eyes open, Wu Siyu sighed in relief. ¡°My god, do you know how long you have slept? It¡¯s finally my turn.¡± The people could barely contain their excitement but they reigned it in because they still had many things to check. Liu Mingfeng requested, ¡°Siyu, do you mind if we perform a consciousness status examination on him?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. She picked up Lucky and moved away. Liu Mingfeng and the other experts crowded around the bed. It was Liu Mingfeng who asked, ¡°Doctor Gu, can you hear us?¡± The small nod from Gu Jun brought another wave of excitement. Liu Mingfeng followed it up with, ¡°Do you remember your name? What is thest thing in your memory?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Gu Jun... and I was trying to end the ritual...¡± Gu Jun said slowly, ¡°Did we seed...¡±

    ¡°We did! Do you know who I am?¡± Wu Siyu poked her head through. If he lost his memory, then there would be some big problems.

    ¡°You¡¯re Siyu...¡± When Gu Jun saw her, his lips curled into a smile. ¡°It¡¯s wonderful to see you...¡±

    Wu Siyu was so happy that she squeezed harder around Lucky. ¡°Good, good! Well, I¡¯m not going to interrupt the examination anymore, I¡¯ll go take a break.¡± She pulled a chair over.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, how many fingers do you see?¡± Liu Mingfeng extended four fingers of his right hand, ¡°And can you name them?¡±

    ¡°Four, and they are index, middle, ring and pinkie finger...¡± Gu Jun said in a weak voice. As more exams were conducted, the general cheer increased. The patient was fully conscious! He had a good assessment of his surroundings and himself. There were no blurred memory spots and his mind functioned perfectly.

    Then Nurse Liu carried out a physical functional assessment to trigger his muscr reaction. She had Gu Jun move his limbs and bend all the joints in his body... Despite clear weakness and some involuntary shaking, Gu Jun cleared the test. There was no muscr atrophy.

    Granted he suffered from normal syndromes like headache and chest ache, it was much better than when he came in for the operations. He lost breathing for 2 hours and required ECMO to survive. He underwent a series of harsh surgeries and woke up 103 days after hisa. This was a miracle, a medical miracle. Smiles bloomed on the faces of the doctors and nurses. It was a regret that they could not save Xue Ba but they, with the help of the Zoog and Wu Siyu, managed to pull Gu Jun back from the abyss. That was constion enough.

    The news quickly spread through Phecda. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian who got the news were excited. Elder Tong guffawed, ¡°Ha ha ha, the kid is so damn lucky! There¡¯s no two way around it!¡±

    Back at the hospital, the elevator door opened with a ding. Uncle Dan, Cai Zixuan, Deng Ximei and the rest rushed out. After they left the hospital, they went for dinner at a nearby restaurant. When they received the message from Wu Siyu, they immediately rushed back. The crowd bustled around the nurse station. Many medical workers were there and more security detail was assigned. Many people were denied entry but once Gu Jun heard it was his friends, he stated his intention to meet them. When they reached the door outside Gu Jun¡¯s room, they could hear Gu Jun¡¯s soft voice talking. It was true, the man had woken up!

    When they entered the room, Wu Siyu was sitting on the chair by the bed. She hugged the life-saving Zoog in her embrace. But he was hidden underyers of clothes so it looked like Wu Siyu was hugging a pile ofundry.

    ¡°Ah Jun!¡± Uncle Dan cried out in joy. Cai Zixuan¡¯s eyes watered with tears. Deng Ximei also revealed her first smile in months.

    ¡°Doctor Gu.¡± Xie Yiman wanted tough but her face could not make any expression. ¡°This is great...¡± Thend¡¯s travellers were so excited they lost their ability of speech. Lou Xiaoning cursed from enormous joy. Gu Jun feltforted seeing them. Earlier, he had a long distancemunication with Elder Tong and from that, he got the update about Xue Ba. Initially, due to their intention to shelter his mental state, they wanted to spare him the news but Gu Jun insisted. When he found out, he was silent for a long time.

    Gu Jun did not chat with them for long as he just woke up. He still needed time to rest. His friends only stayed for about 10 minutes before they departed. Xie Yiman updated Gu Jun again about her uing project before she left. She reminded him to take care of himself.

    Lastly, Wu Siyu and Lucky were also requested to leave the room so the patient could rest. Lucky responded not so well to this demand. He struggled out from the jacket. The debt was made by the Nightmare Man, he wanted to make sure the man would not renege on the promise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry...¡± Gu Jun smiled, ¡°Now that you¡¯re with Dirty-minded Yu, you¡¯ll be opened to the vors of the human world...¡±

    ¡°Okay then! We¡¯ll be leaving now.¡± Wu Siyu pinched his face. She really did not want to leave but he needed to rest. ¡°I¡¯lle visit next year. Oh, yea, happy new year.¡±

    ¡°Happy new year to you too.¡± Gu Jun smiled. As she turned away, he called after her. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, wait... Don¡¯t think you can dismiss me with a simple greeting... I still remember your promise of gifts. There was the one for the Mid Autumn Festival and now the New Year¡¯s one on top of that...¡±

    Their friendsughed. They vacated the room and left some privacy for the duo.

    ¡°That¡¯s why sometimes amnesia can be a good thing.¡± Wu Siyu pouted. ¡°Thankfully, I¡¯m always prepared with presents. Here¡¯s a small one for you for now.¡± She leaned in to kiss him on his forehead. Then she ran to chase after the others while hugging Lucky. ¡°Lucky, let¡¯s go eat some chicken thighs!¡±

    ¡°Wu Siyu!¡± Gu Jun chuckled loudly, ¡°That is a wonderful present, I like it very much...¡±

    ¡°Good, but damn, if it¡¯s not salty.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s reply drifted from outside the door. Then her footsteps petered away as she bounced down the hall.

    ...

    Webnovel¡¯s payment is basically non-existent so as a fan trantor, your generosity is my main source of ie.

    To incentivize donation, I will do my best to provide perks depending on the tform the donation(s) is made.

    Donate 6 USD to get 1 bonus chapter release: https://ko-fi/lonelytree

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 344: Changes in the Brain

    <h4>Chapter 344: Changes in the Brain</h4>

    After his friends left, the nurses switched off the lights and exited so that Gu Jun could rest. In the quietness, he closed his eyes. Gu Jun knew he needed to rest but the sleep won¡¯te. Wu Siyu¡¯s face appeared before his eyes and his lips curled into an involuntary smile. ¡®Dirty-minded Yu, thank you for everything. It must have been hard on you for the past few months. Enjoy yourself at the dinner...¡¯

    Gu Jun knew Lucky was in good hands. This giant rat was more than just a simple abnormal creature. Phecda might collect a sample of his fur and saliva for research but they would not do more than that. After all, Lucky was a VIP here. His request, provided that they did not cross the line, would all be entertained, for it was important for humanity to form a rtionship with the Zoogs tribes. With regards to the very luxurious gifts he had promised, Gu Jun would think about itter...

    Contemting these things caused a headache to surface but considering his condition, a headache was nothing to worry about. He was given a brief on how his life was saved earlier. ¡°I¡¯ve gone through an ECMO. This life has truly gone to hell and back...¡± He also knew about the PEEK polymer in his skull. He reached out to touch it. It did not feel any different. He looked at himself through the mirror, he did not appear any different either. However, it did not stop the knowledge that there was something fundamentally different about him. Actually, if he was given the choice, he¡¯d go for the titanium skull, purely because it¡¯d look cooler... With that in mind, Gu Jun chuckled self-deprecatingly. Suddenly a numbness took over his arms and a weight crushed his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a very horrible state now, it¡¯s even worse than when I was the Nightmare Man, but something is also very different in this case...¡± Gu Jun turned to the system but once he tried to do so, the headache intensified.

    The system had turned into a ball of chaos....

    ¡°The system is broken.¡± Finally, everything returned to him. ¡°After it collided with the power of the Son of Misfortune, the system exhausted itself and disintegrated.¡± In this dangerous world, even the system could die. This meant that he could not examine his physical vitals and mental corruption status anymore. He also lost his mission list and the mental rewards that he had obtained in the past. The greatest aid in his journey disappeared. The system was created by the Son of Steel to deal with the Son of Misfortune. It copsed because its job was done. Gu Jun could sense the agitation, which had been bothering him, disappear...

    The Son of Misfortune¡¯s shadow departed from this world. The Afterlife Cult was demolished, at least for now. All of its members sacrificed themselves to Dagon. The Son of Misfortune failed to descend hence they were unable to revive.

    ¡®Mom, dad, the Seagull... I guess this is goodbye.¡¯ With these thoughts in mind, Gu Jun was faced with mixed emotions and a pounding headache...¡¯I better don¡¯t push myself since I just woke up or I might go under another slumber. I should take a rest now.¡¯

    However... the power of the system did not seem to dissipatepletely, after all, that ball of chaos still remained. Therefore, Gu Jun still had ess to skills like Hands of Dexterity and Strong Heart. Furthermore, he still shared a sweet dream connection with Lucky. Whether the system would return, that was a worry for the future.

    Gu Jun slowly turned around to calm his thoughts and dropped into a tired slumber. His sleep was not peaceful. It was as if he was subconsciously afraid that he might not wake up next time. He came to after a short rest and forced himself back to sleep. This repeated itself multiple times until he opened his eyes to see the clock on the bedside table show that it was already 2 am on January 1st. The new year had arrived.

    After an uneasy sleep of 8 hours, Gu Jun did feel better. With nothing else to do, the thoughts from the previous night returned to his mind. The sweet projection of the Pnakotic Manuscripts given to him by Atal was not part of the system, he wondered if it was still there or not...

    The blurry ancient scroll was still there but once he reached for it, the headache stopped him. The scroll looked like it was about to crack. He gave out a breath and halted his action. Now was not the time to push himself.

    ¡°I should go back to sleep then...¡± Gu Jun turned away from the clock. But this time, he was visited by the faces of Tian Yi and Xue Ba. The updates that he was given crowded his mind. Ever since the battle at I Ss y Gomez, the world had enjoyed 3 months of peace. The legione pneumonia waspletely curbed. Despite theck of vine, there were no new recorded patients. All quarantined areas were open back to the public and reconstruction was underway.

    Mutated Scale Disease was taken care of as well. The various governments nned to make an announcement about it soon. They were now discussing the content of the announcement. Due to the heavy sacrifice on the ind, the countries¡¯ attitude towards global safety and supernatural energy had a drastic change. International cooperation became moremon. Both GOA and WMO progressed smoothly. An international navy had surrounded I Ss y Gomez but they failed to find any abnormal channel or phenomenon.

    When he was talking to Elder Tong earlier, Gu Jun warned, ¡°Just stick to observation... Do not do anything drastic, we, humans do not have the power to face Dagon...¡±

    Dagon was not a normal Deep One, thetter was merely the former¡¯s worshippers. Humanity should not go after Dagon, that would be equal to actively seeking death. Elder Tong shared Gu Jun¡¯s opinion but to have every country in the world agree to a decision was basically impossible.

    ¡°Ah Jun, leave these things to us, you need your rest.¡± Elder Tong said, ¡°Your health is too important for us and this world.¡±

    Over the past 2 years, mainly it was people from Afterlife Cult and R¡¯yleh Cult that surfaced from darkness. After thetest two wars, these two cults had pretty much been levelled. However, there were other cults to worry about. For example, the Yellow Brotherhood...

    Gu Jun hoped but did not believe that the peace wouldst.

    He had a feeling that his convalesce was going to take some time. His headache suddenly returned. His temples pulsed and he swore he could feel the PEEK polymer sinking into his skull.

    ¡°I should sleep. Tomorrow... no,ter today, I¡¯ll start the rehabilitation exercise...¡±

    ...

 Chapter 345: Half a Month

    <h4>Chapter 345: Half a Month</h4>

    Less than a few days into 2022, GOA and WMO represented the world to announce the incident of the Mutated Scale Disease to the public. A heated discussion started when the short videos were published on the inte Septemberst year. However, it was swiftly dealt with by most governments but now the public finally knew the truth. Thankfully, by then, the crisis was already averted. The terrorist organization behind it was dissolved by the joint effort between all countries.

    Mutated Scale Disease affected mostly public figures. There were 5264 victims in total and 27 deaths. Patient Zero, Tian Yi died under the hands of the terrorists, 17 victims died from surgicalplications while the remaining 9 patientsmitted suicide. Of the victims, 45 percent of them were famed individuals. It exined why so many celebrities had disappeared from the public¡¯s eye all of a sudden.

    Once this was announced, it instantly caused a ripple of shock throughout the world. Even though the general public was technically not affected, the Mutated Scale Disease was equally terrifying to them. This fear was heightened when they realized none of the reports exined the origin and pathological process of the Mutated Skin Disease. All were instead carpeted under the umbre term of supernatural forces. At the same time, the recovered celebrities showed themselves before the camera again, to instil confidence back into the public. Xie Yiman attended the press conference alongside the main members of Phecda like Uncle Dan, Lou Xiaoning and Wu Siyu. Xie Yiman gave a speech expressionlessly, ¡°We will not submit to darkness, we will continue to fight.¡± Other than that, Xie Yiman¡¯spany also released a statement that the star would join Phecda as her way to contribute to the country and she announced a permanent retirement from the silver screen. Xie Yiman¡¯s fans were saddened by this news but they still showed support to their idol.

    The press conference also had a memorial for those who unfortunately passed away during the mission. There 172 agents that participated in this mission and every country suffered sacrifices. The US lost 51 agents, they had a high fatality rate of 82 percent. Notable sacrifices included Toddy Matt and Michael J. Bruce; Russia and English had abined loss of 65 agents or a fatality rate of 76 percent. In stark contrast, Phecda had only a mere 4 percent fatality rate. Their only sacrifice was Xue Ba. Initially FBM refused to release the truthful data but Phecda insisted on it. Phecda made the official statement that the low fatality rate was not because Phecda members did not join the frontline. In fact, it was Phecda members, especially Captain Gu, who contributed the most to this victory. Instead the main reason behind the difference in fatality rate was due to the fact that Phecda had a deeper experience dealing with supernatural forces. During the mission briefing, Phecda had provided many tactical advice but they were not adopted by the other countries. Theck of cooperation was the reason why the fatality rate was so high. Phecda used this chance to stress that they were willing to share their leading experience and technology with other countries. They only hoped that the other countries could put down their prejudice toe to a consensus, to form an international organization that could really benefit mankind. To proffer an example, Phecda had shown its sincerity by contributing an important technology in the Ancient Seal during this mission.

    With regards to these statements by Phecda, the global citizens had plenty to say and not all of them pretty. However, officially, the various governments had to admit that there was a problem in seeking amon ground and Phecda had indeed contributed the most towards the sess of this mission...

    The Ancient Seal technology made them acknowledge their differencepared to China. They desperately needed the technology so for now they were willing to work for amon ground.

    Naturally, there were unequivocal opinions regarding these statements. Conspiracy theories mushroomed on the inte. International cooperation tested not only the sincerity of various governments but also the understanding and tolerance of the global citizens. So far, there was still a long way to go before the goal could be reached. To be honest, some of the faultid with China as well. As important as their contribution was, it was not going to garner them any point by shoving it in people¡¯s faces. As the saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

    Gu Jun did not attend this press conference in person but he did drop in through a video recording. His face looked thinner but he appeared fine. Gu Jun¡¯s heavy injury for the sake of the mission became a point of advertisement for Phecda. Therefore, the public knew that Gu Jun had beenatose for 103 days and only awakened on thest day of 2021. Currently he was still in recovery. Gu Jun¡¯s fans held a vigil for him, praying for his swift recovery.

    On the second day, Gu Jun requested the removal of the nasal feeding tube. Due to the expert care by the nurses, and despite his loss of muscle mass, Gu Jun was strong enough to get down from bed with the help of a walking stick. In terms of physiology, his recovery was swift. On January 7th, he was escorted out from ICU to a normal VIP sickroom.

    At the same time, Lucky was having the time of his life. Perhaps due to his extended interaction with human beings, he had gotten more cunning during his dealings with humanity. He understood that he was a valued guest and thus was not in a hurry to end his ¡®official visitation¡¯. He imed that the channel he used toe here had copsed so he would not be able to return to Dreands anytime soon. Therefore, he would use this time toplete the task given to him by the tribe leader, which was to observe human civilization, and to weigh the prospect of a coboration. Regardless of the authenticity of his words, Phecda treated him like a VIP and tried everything to keep him happy.

    After knowing about the concept of protected animals in the human world, Lucky once demanded that the human civilization register the Zoogs as one as well. Phecda gently denied his request by giving the reason that the Zoogs had the advantage in secrecy and a low profile, so an official statement like that would blow their cover. Lucky eventually agreed with that reasoning so he demurred. Then his attention was taken elsewhere like enjoying humanity¡¯s best wine, most expensive food and thergest chicken thigh...

    Gu Jun had no idea whether the Zoogs had this nature in them or this was just unique to Lucky but thetter had requested to visit the club. Turns out it was all a misunderstanding. During the mission at House of Worms, Lucky overheard Gu Jun used the club as a reason to convince Uncle Dan to hold on for his life. From that, Lucky assumed the club was a nirvana that charmed even the Midnight Man. When he arrived though, the pounding music immediately gave him a headache and he scurried away.

    Of course, these were just rumours brought to Gu Jun by Siyu and his other friends. These visitations were Gu Jun¡¯s daily pocket of joy.

    Days passed by and it soon was the 15th day since Gu Jun woke up. He had abandoned the walking stick and wheelchair. He had not achieved full recovery but he could now walk on his own and his pulmonary function was returning to normal. With constant training, it was possible that he¡¯d return to his tip top form.

    However, his psychological problem did not change for the better. Instead, Gu Jun seemed to face a special kind of atypical PTSD.

    ...

    Thank you so much for your continued support. This project won¡¯t be possible without you.

 Chapter 346: PTSD

    <h4>Chapter 346: PTSD</h4>

    Around noon of January 18th, Gu Jun walked towards the Psychology Building apanied by Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan. After entering the building, they headed to the cerebral function researchb on the 5th floor where Prof Shen awaited them. Alongside Prof Shen was the leader of theb, Professor Ma Jun and his colleagues. Prof Ma was the nation¡¯s leading expert on the brain and he was part of Gu Jun¡¯s treatment team. Gu Jun¡¯s brain was currently in an abnormal state. He did not suffer from anymon mental disorder, like anxiety, depression, irritability or hallucination. There was no noticeable change to his personality either.

    However, once he came into contact with ¡®abnormal forces¡¯ or ¡®supernatural forces¡¯, like the Zoogs, Dreands, spell, illusion, R¡¯yleh and the like, he would suffer a splitting headache. The contact here included hearing them in passing from other people¡¯s conversation as well as thinking or physically interacting with them. The symptom when he heard about them from the others was the lightest. If he did not fixate on it, then it would only lead to a minor headache; but once he started to ponder upon it, then the symptom would greatly intensify. His brain would feel like breaking; the condition was worst if he participated in the activity personally.

    Regardless of the symptoms, once he severed the contact, his headache would slowly recede. And he was perfectly fine when contact was null. In contrast, the longer the contact, the more intense the pain. In fact, the pain could reach such heights where Gu Jun would convulse involuntarily and go unconscious. For example, 3 days ago, Gu Jun was reading a document sent over by Elder Tong about GOA. He only read 2 pages when he fainted from convulsion. That frightened everyone around him. Thankfully due to the swift reaction of the nurses, he awakened soon after. That caused a damper over everyone¡¯s mood for they knew they were in for a big trouble.

    Gu Jun knew his situation was not optimistic too. Just reading two pages exhausted theplete store of his mental energy. He felt weak and listless. He only managed to recover 24 hourster. The human brain was tooplex. Furthermore, Gu Jun had suffered from brain tumor, cerebral anoxia and not to mention, he had a polymer stuck in his head. His injured part was the right prefrontal lobe and thatplicated things even further.

    Thankfully, there was precedence to Gu Jun¡¯s case. His condition was very simr to PTSD, with his trigger being supernatural elements. Jack Wales suffered from the same PTSD symptoms as well. In fact, some of the other surviving agents had minor PTSD too. However, different from them, Gu Jun did not show any other typical PTSD clinical syndrome. He did not show experience of painful shbacks, no negative change to his perception, did not develop paranoia and so on. Psychologically speaking, his mind was willing to face these ¡®traumas¡¯, he showed no trace of avoidance. However, his biological reaction to the trigger showed great desire for avoidance. Despite theck of psychological pain, there was intense biological pain. And that fitted with the diagnosis of PTSD.

    Regarding this situation, the higher-ups including Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were worried. As his mentor, Elder Tong did not wish to see Gu Jun suffer like this. Personally, he¡¯d rather Gu Jun stay away from the supernatural. For the past 2 years, Gu Jun had contributed more than enough to warrant a safe retirement... But that would be a great loss to the world and Phecda. Phecda would not lose such an important member without a fight. Therefore, the treatment team was called into action again. Surgeons like Liu Mingfeng receded to the background as neurologists like Prof Ma Jun took over the helm. Their main mission was to search for the pathological mechanism. Was this a problem with Gu Jun¡¯s psychology or a biological problem within his brain?

    Gu Jun had tried the cleansing stone and there was no sign of mental corruption. He had not taken the S value assessment for Prof Shen worried that the images of the battlefield and death might send him into anothera.

    Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan walked into theb. The advanced devices there would be used to conduct a more detailed inspection of his brain. Theb was spacious and bright. It was separated into multiple rooms and the front room led off to different inspectionbs.

    After the perfunctory greeting, Gu Jun was led by Prof Ma into the FMRIb. Functional maic resonance imaging or functional MRI (fMRI) measures brain activity by detecting changes associated with blood flow. The primary form of fMRI uses the blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) contrast. It is non-invasive and doesn¡¯t involve radiation, making it safe for the subject.

    ¡°Functional maic resonance imaging measures the small changes in blood flow that ur with brain activity.¡± Prof Shen exined to Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan, ¡°During the test, Ah Jun will be given a stimuli-rted task toplete and through the signal changes to his blood flow, we can determine the neuronal activation of specific brain areas. That triangtion can help us determine pathological mechanisms.¡±

    ¡°Well, I got nothing.¡± Wu Siyu looked through theb window to see Gu Jun lying on the fMRI bed. ¡°Prof Shen, can you lower the exnation to normal people level?¡±

    Actually Cai Zixuan did not understand fMRI that well either. Modern medicine had too many specializations. He did not study neurology so some of the terms flew over his head as well. He did some homework because he was to apany his good friend today and he barely grasped what Prof Shen said.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Prof Shen thought about it and tried to exin it in the inestnguage, ¡°Oxygen is delivered to neurons by haemoglobin in capiry red blood cells. When neuronal activity increases, there is an increased demand for oxygen, and thus the local response is an increase in blood flow to regions of increased neural activity. Since blood oxygenation varies ording to the levels of neural activity, these differences can be used to detect brain activity. This form of MRI is known as blood oxygenation level dependent or BOLD imaging. This will help us find out which neural voxel of his brain is active when he is exposed to specific trigger.¡±

    After hearing the new exnation, Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°Okay, I still got nothing.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Prof Shen felt the need to go into even more basics, ¡°BOLD imaging is the standard technique used to generate images in fMRI studies, and relies on regional differences in cerebral blood flow to delineate regional activity. Deoxygenated hemoglobin is paramaic whereas oxygenated hemoglobin is not, and therefore the former will cause local dephasing of protons, and thus reduce the returned signal from the tissues in the immediate vicinity...¡±

    ¡°Prof Shen, the more you exin, the more confused I am.¡± Wu Siyu raised her hands to stop the prof. ¡°See if I get this right. This scan is to check which part of Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s brain is affected when he is faced with the trigger, and from that, hopefully we can find the problem.¡±

    Cai Zixuan felt like she had summarized the situation quite perfectly.

    ¡°That¡¯s about it.¡± Prof Shen concurred, ¡°But of course the human brain is moreplicated than that...¡±

    As Wu Siyu nodded along, her mind went elsewhere. She didn¡¯t need thisplexity in her life.

    At the same time, the machines in theb started to whir. The bed carrying Gu Jun slowly moved into the circr gradient coils.

    ...

    Earning from Privilege System will be calcted in the same system as well. Ie, for this month, the ie was 32 Usd so there would be 3 additional chapter release this month.

 Chapter 347: BOLD-FMRI

    <h4>Chapter 347: BOLD-FMRI</h4>

    Gu Jun remained motionless as the bed moved into the machine. He cleared his mind for the device to record his brain when it was in rxed mode. In front of the control panel that was situated in the front room, Prof Ma and Prof Shen studied the images that popped up on the monitors. Gu Jun¡¯s brain oxygenation level appeared in the images but only the professionals could understand the meaning of the difference in color and intensity of the different voxels. Even Cai Zixuan did not grasp it fully, much less Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Ah Jun¡¯s current state is perfectly normal.¡± Prof Shen informed them. After they had enough control samples, Prof Shen told Gu Jun through the speaker, ¡°Ah Jun, we¡¯ll start the stimulus tests now. The stimulus will go from light to intense. First, I will list out the terms of various abnormal elements, listen to them carefully. If you feel any headache, do not resist it. Scream to inform us about the intensity of the pain but if the pain gets too much, you have to tell us so that we can stop the examination immediately.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun replied, ¡°Prof Ma, you can start now.¡±

    Prof Ma did as he promised, going through the terms one by one, ¡°Spells, Deep One, Malformed Banyan Disease...¡± As Prof Ma spoke, the color intensity of the brain imaging brightened immediately. Gu Jun¡¯s brain activity wasing alive. ¡°Mutated Skin Disease, Ritual, Dagon, Tian Yi...¡± The color became brighter and brighter. It pulled at everyone¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun suddenly groaned in pain. Thetent pain in his mind intensified into a drastic pounding. It caused his limbs to go rigid. That was the result that they wanted and the purpose of this examination. The machinepared the imaging of Gu Jun¡¯s brain scan in this state and his rxed state. The anomalous voxels were marked out in the monitors. Prof Shen nced through them and immediately frowned. He exined to Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan, ¡°The prefrontal lobe, corpus amygdaloideum and hippocampus show clear increased blood flow.¡± Cai Zixuan could not help but sigh as he scratched at his bald head. This was definitely not a good sign...

    Cai Zixuan studied some journals on PTSD before he arrived. One of the main research results about PTSD imaging did discover functional anomalies in the patient¡¯s prefrontal lobe, corpus amygdaloideum and hippocampus. The pathological theory proffered was named the ¡®prefrontal lobe-amygd-hippocampus circuit¡¯. To borate, it was the functional weakening of the prefrontal lobe that caused the attenuation in the adjustment and control ability of the amygd, increasing thetter¡¯s sensitivity towards terror. The damage to the hippocampus caused an imbnce in the connection between the patient¡¯s prefrontal lobe and amygd as well as affect the patient¡¯s retention of certain memory. Tycoon Jun¡¯s fMRI imaging presented a ssic case of this problem. During the battle at the ind, Tycoon Jun suffered cerebral hemorrhage at his right prefrontal lobe. It would appear like it was that damage and the corresponding surgeries, causing the destruction of his prefrontal lobe¡¯s function that was the source to Gu Jun¡¯s PTSD problems.

    ¡°Ah Jun, we will now increase the stimulus. I want you to think back to what happened on I Ss y Gomez.¡± Prof Ma added, ¡°But do stop if you can¡¯t stand it anymore, do not push yourself.¡±

    Gu Jun obliged. The pain threatened to cross his threshold and his breathing turned into panting. Finally came the most intense task. The nurse posted beside the fMRI machine handed him a set of files. They contained pictures of the bodies of Deep Ones as well as pictures of Malformed Banyan Disease¡¯s victims. Gu Jun only took a glimpse at 2 of them before his brain reacted with such intense pain that his whole body convulsed involuntarily. He immediately closed his eyes to sever the connection. The task ended then. However, Gu Jun still could not leave the bed. The machine would continue to record his brain oxygenation level as he reverted to his normal state.

    In the other room, as Prof Ma and Prof Shen studied theparisons on the monitors, their faces darkened...

    When Gu Jun pictured traumatic scenarios, the blood flow continued to increase; but when he was given visual stimulus of the actual scenario, there was a drastic change to his hemodynamics, and it was not limited to the three locations of prefrontal lobe, amygd and hippocampus. Instead it affected the whole brain. This biological reaction was more intense than a normal PTSD victim. Furthermore this kind of rapid blood cirction in the brain was extremely dangerous for it could cause umtion of blood pressure and thus led to rupture of cerebral blood vessels. Considering Gu Jun¡¯s medical history, this level of reaction was more than enough to im his life.

    ¡°This is really not optimistic...¡± Prof Shen mumbled. He was not a pessimistic person but the discovery was crushing. After Gu Jun left theb and saw the expression of their faces, he knew the situation was not good. When he studied the imaging result, he felt lost. ¡®A functional abnormality caused by damage to the prefrontal lobe? That is notoriously hard to treat...¡¯

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun.¡± Wu Siyu patted him on his shoulders, ¡°You were in aa half a month ago, I¡¯m sure this is just a phase.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Gu Jun nodded at her before turning to Prof Ma, ¡°Prof Ma, I wish to conduct both MRI and MRS tests to have a moreplete profile.¡±

    MRI or maic resonance imaging is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body; While MRS or Maic Resonance spectroscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic test for measuring biochemical changes in the brain. Both of these tests could gauge the size and possible damage to the patient¡¯s hippocampus. These two tests involved radioactive scans so the professors did not intend to use them in consideration of Gu Jun¡¯s physical conditions.

    But since Gu Jun personally requested for them, after Prof Ma and Prof Shen discussed it, they agreed to his request. However, they demanded that Gu Jun rest in theb for 3 hours first before the test could be conducted. Gu Jun¡¯s MRI imaging showed a shrunken hippocampus, his cornu temporale ventriculiteralis expanded but the grooves of his hippocampus disappeared. The MRS result concurred with that finding. His hippocampus released a conspicuousck of neurological signals.

    After that, Gu Jun conducted other tests like a blood test to check his Brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF level. Researches showed that patients with PTSD had lower BDNF levelspared to normal individuals. Gu Jun¡¯s result came back to reflect that. His BDNF level dropped drasticallypared to his previous physical examination. Phecda also had its own research that showed that people with high spirituality had higher BDNF levels than normal and they suspected it might be the source of one¡¯s spirituality.

    So Gu Jun appeared to not only have lost his high spirituality but also suffered from endourological symptomsmon in PTSD patients.

    When all these test results were ced together, Prof Ma and Prof Shen knew the answer... there had been an irreversible structural change to Gu Jun¡¯s brain.

    ¡°Ah Jun, go back and rest. Do not think about it, we will definitelye up with the best solution for your problem.¡± Prof Shen consoled in forced levity as he escorted the trio out of hisb. Then Prof Ma and Prof Shen retired to the conference room next door for a long-distance meeting. Elder Tong, Yao Sinian as well as the leader of Phecda himself were waiting for these test results.

 Chapter 348: Analysis Report and Treatment Solution

    <h4>Chapter 348: Analysis Report and Treatment Solution</h4>

    ¡°How¡¯s his situation?¡± Once the video was connected, Elder Tong asked in a hurry. He was currently in Russia to manage some admin work rted to GOA. Only higher-ups from Phecda were allowed to attend this meeting. After 2 years, the core membership of Phecda had changed. Some of the older generation retired for new blood to take their ce.

    ¡°Not so good.¡± Prof Shen and Prof Ma brought the bad news. After exining some of the results, Prof Ma concluded, ¡°I believe Ah Jun does not suffer from psychological trauma but it is cerebral damage that causes his kind of evasive symptomsmon in PTSD victims.¡± This news froze the air in the room.

    ¡°What are the chances that he¡¯d injure his prefrontal lobe...¡± Elder Tong¡¯s face was red. Yao Sinian sighed. The others looked depressed. None of them liked this diagnosis for it was the worst possible result. They hoped for discovery of supernatural intervention or mental corruption as that would at least provide an opportunity for them to solve the problem. If not, they¡¯d rather Gu Jun suffer from psychological PTSD. In that situation, it would be his psychological state that caused the change to his biological state. Therefore, a recovery of his psychology would reverse the problem to his biology. With medicine and therapy, as well as the mental barrier technique contributed by Deng Ximei, the problem would be solved slowly but surely. Of course, that was the optimal result they¡¯d hope for in that case.

    Current medical science cannot do much with regards to PTSD. There is no drug that is 100 percent effective against it. Most of the drugs prescribed are anti-depressants and sedatives. They mainly focus on the symptoms not the source. Therefore, the treatment efficacy is low. In fact, ording to statistics, one third of PTSD victims will have to live with it for life. Half of these victims suffer from other mental disorders and suicide rate among PTSD victims is 6 times higher than normal individual. But at least this problem has a semi-reliable treatment solution and there is hope for recovery.

    But for Gu Jun, it was the worst possible oue. He did not suffer from psychological trauma but his PTSD was caused by cerebral damage. This was a problem that could not be cured. How could one reverse irreparable damage to the brain? That was not possible with current human medical technology.

    ¡°Is there any solution in terms of medicinal treatment?¡± Yao Sinian asked after a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Current medicine will not have much effect on his condition but we can try.¡± Prof Ma sounded helpless too. PTSD was both the world¡¯s and Phecda¡¯s problem.

    PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four types: intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, as well as changes in physical and emotional reactions. Medical treatment is to help alleviate these symptoms so that the patient could maintain a semnce of normal everyday life.

    Gu Jun did not suffer from many of these symptoms so he did not need anxiolytic drugs. Instead he would be prescribed anti-depressant that contain levarterenol to see if it¡¯d help to lower the avoidance symptoms and improve his neuroendocrinology. Brain damage required time and luck to recover.

    ¡°The patient needs to rest for quite some time for his brain to recuperate. Then we will conduct more stimulus tests in stages. We will also conduct examinations at regr intervals to observe the change to his brains. If there is sign of recovery, we might proceed with the trauma exposure method. Treatment on this patient cannot be rushed, the treatment time should be set for more than a year and we have to be prepared to face the possibility...¡± As unwilling as Prof Ma was, his responsibility was to report his findings clearly and expertly, ¡°that the patient might not ever recover. His symptoms might worsen and he would have to rely on drugs for life. Within the imminent future, it is not advisable for the patient to interact with anything rted to the supernatural and he should avoid any supernatural-rted news in his everyday life.¡±

    Listening to the doctor¡¯s diagnosis, Elder Tong¡¯s face darkened further. But they knew Prof Ma was only saying this out of consideration for Gu Jun¡¯s health. After all, Ah Jun almost suffered from cerebral haemorrhage simply because he looked at a few pictures...

    ¡°Other than that, we are worried that...¡± Prof Ma continued, ¡°This arrangement will cause him actual psychological PTSD.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve chatted with Ah Jun earlier.¡± Prof Shen concurred, ¡°In terms of the incidents at the I Ss y Gomez, he did not appear to suffer from any trauma, if anything, he appeared to have learned many lessons from it. However, he was incredibly depressed by the results today, that was inly visible. If we force him into semi-retirement, we fear it might be traumatic to him, causing an exacerbation of his PTSD symptoms.¡±

    Everyone was silent. This situation would be a heavy blow to anyone. Gu Jun was only 22 years old, his future was bright and the world needed someone like him and the young man had his own life goal to pursue. But after doing everything right, despite his narrow escape from death, he had lost his unique ability, and would be essentially cut off from his work ...

    Among the 27 victims of Mutated Scale Disease who died, 9 of themmitted suicide post-surgery. Most of them were celebrities like Xie Yiman. They were at the height of their career but lost everything overnight. In PTST terminology, the 9 patients¡¯ suicide was an acute stress reaction. Other surviving patients had less severe forms of it as well.

    For now, Gu Jun only suffered from the symptom of avoidance but who could tell what would happen in the future. The functional change to one¡¯s brain structure could affect one¡¯s emotions. If Gu Jun¡¯s condition continued to worsen, there could be a negative impact on his emotions. This was traceable in many medical researches. When that happened, they would lose the Phecda Hero in every meaning of the word.

    ¡°We have to be prepared then.¡± The leader of Phecda said, ¡°During the next crisis, we need to have someone rece Gu Jun¡¯s position.¡±

    Gu Jun was given a long holiday but abnormal events would continue to happen. They could not rely on Gu Jun¡¯s ability to help solve those problems anymore. Actually when Gu Jun went into thea, Phecda had already made the necessary arrangement. Gu Jun¡¯s existence had made life for Phecda extremely easy for the past two years but reality proved that they could not rely on him forever. Therefore, while he wasatose, Phecda had been busy training new talents. Their goal was to mold the next 100, 1000 Gu Jun¡¯s.

    ¡°I will try to request to have Wang Ruoxiang released back into our Spell Department again.¡± Elder Tong grumbled, ¡°I will also increase the training for Deng Ximei. They are wonderful talents. Wu Siyu has the talent but she does not have the drive. Phecda University needs to open its door for another batch of new recruits... And Ah Jun...¡± Elder Tong gave a long time. ¡°It¡¯s lucky that the kid manages to survive after what he¡¯s been through... I¡¯ll go talk to him about the long holiday awaiting him. Sigh...¡±

    The group was silent. Temporarily, that was everything they could do.

 Chapter 349: Before the Grave

    <h4>Chapter 349: Before the Grave</h4>

    There was a quiet solemnity at Phecda Revolutionary Memorial Park. A few fresh flowers were ced before Xue Ba¡¯s grave. Gu Jun ced the bouquet that he brought among them. He stared at the handsome face on the tombstone quietly.

    ¡°Captain Xue, thank you for everything that you have taught me.¡± He began softly. He knew that Captain Xue¡¯s soul perhaps had already been drawn to be the servant for the Son of Misfortune and he would live out the rest of his non-life in that strange church... These thoughts caused Gu Jun¡¯s brain to throb and he had to stop. It was probably the blood rushing to his brain. Gu Jun wanted toe pay respect to Xue Ba alone and to say his goodbyes but he was still trailed by a few members from Phecda. They were worried that he would need emergency rescue. It was January 26th. One week ago, Elder Tong hurried back from Russia. He exined to Gu Jun the test results and Phecda¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Ah Jun, I understand what you feel...¡± Elder Tong sighed, ¡°But such is life.¡±

    Naturally Gu Jun had problems taking in this result. There was loss, depression and an anger that found no vent. When he woke up from thea, he thought he¡¯d jump right back into action. There were many things waiting to be done like the formation of GOA and the bridging of rtionships with the Zoog tribes. He even contemted a return to Dreand. But now...

    However, beneath the depression, there was also a sense of relief. He did not know what to think.

    ¡°Elder Tong, I¡¯m fine.¡± He said at the time, ¡°I¡¯ve done everything that I could... To be honest, I¡¯ve been meaning to take a break.¡± Heughed self-deprecatingly, ¡°I was so busy that I didn¡¯t have time for movies. I don¡¯t think I can stomach that kind of hectic schedule anymore. Finally I am relieved from the heavy responsibilities! This is a good thing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Elder Tongughed along with him. ¡°You¡¯re essentially taking a paid holiday so enjoy it to your fullest! Take good care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°Of course... I¡¯ll leave the rest to you...¡± Gu Jun did not know what to say next. There was only so much self-deprecating humor he could muster at the time.

    Regardless, over the past week, he still attempted some unconventional treatment. After all, his state was undeniably unconventional. For example, the system in his mind disintegrated but it did not disappear. It remained in his mind as a ball of chaos. What kind of influence would it have on Gu Jun now? Was it an after-effect from him being once consumed by darkness? He had no answer.

    Gu Jun¡¯s first attempt was the spirit barrier technique provided by Deng Ximei. In essence, it was like a self-hypnosis method employed by the foreign civilization. Ayer of conscious protective barrier was formed through technical meditation and self-imagination. Phecda valued this technique greatly because the spirit barrier had many uses. ording to Deng Ximei, other than a shield, spirit barriers could help assist those suffering from mental corruption by transferring the corruption onto the barrier. The spirit barrier could take the form of a virtual self or a dreamed future or a valued past. This technique was extremely valuable to frontline fighters and it enabled Phecda to master yet another advanced psychological technology.

    Phecda had already selected the first batch of members from the Spell and Ancient Seal Departments to train this technique. Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan were among the selected. None of thend¡¯s travellers were picked for they already possessed a second persona. An additionalyer of mental barrier wouldplicate too many things.

    Gu Jun¡¯s usage of the spirit barrier was for self-treatment. He used a dreamed future to construct a barrier to try to treat the avoidance symptoms. But before he could start, just from listening to the exnation from Deng Ximei, the headache returned. The first attempt thus failed. The second attempt the day after ended in failure as well. He could not reach the level of self-meditation needed for the construction of the barrier. His mind was too befuddled. It was like asking him to run 1000 km with leads tied to his ankles.

    After the failure with the spirit barrier technique, Gu Jun turned to Ancient Seal technology, psychotherapy, Chinese and western medicine, and even prayers. None of them were effective. His hope was dashed one after another. In the end, Gu Jun had no choice but to ept this bitter result.

    It was the 26th, there were not that many days left until the eve of lunar new year. Thanks to the recent peace, everyone was given a rare holiday to return home to their families but many were too worried about Gu Jun to abandon him at the headquarters. Knowing that, Gu Jun requested to start his holiday early. His intention was to leave before New Year so that everyone could enjoy their holidays without having him as a burden.

    ¡°Captain Xue, I¡¯m going to leave this afternoon.¡± Gu Jun whispered to the tombstone. ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to return.¡± He would return for his scheduled brain scans but his ¡®official return¡¯ was undated. He was barred from participation in both frontline and admin work. Even his request to transfer to the Recreational Department and Public Rtions Department was denied. As long as it was within the scope of Phecda and GOA, he would be exposed to supernatural elements and information, and that went against his prescribed convalesce arrangement.

    In terms of supernatural elements, he only showed ack of intense reaction around Lucky. He still suffered from a minor headache but that was it. Perhaps it was due to the sweet dream connection he had formed with Lucky or the Zoogs themselves was a non-trigger for Gu Jun. Therefore it meant that Gu Jun would still sit in the meetings regarding the formation of an alliance with the Zoogs. But ultimately, the best arrangement for his situation was to remove him from Phecda and allow him to return to a normal life.

    ¡°Captain Xue, don¡¯t be sad for me.¡± Gu Jun continued, ¡°Compared to many others, I am already very lucky. Captain Xue, if you ask me, a hero like yourself deserves a better way to go than to sumb to a sudden misfortune and perish without causing nary a ripple...¡± He took a deep breath. It was hard to tell whether he was referring to Xue Ba or himself. ¡°But this world is nothing but a vessel of regrets. Anyway, that¡¯s all. I have to return to the hostel to pack. I¡¯lle visit you next time.¡±

    Then Gu Jun gave a military salute at the tombstone before he turned to walk away.

 Chapter 350: Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 350: Goodbye</h4>

    Rain clouds hung low in the sky. Wintry winds swept the streets. The weather report warned of a drizzle. Inside the hostel at Spell Department¡¯s base, Gu Jun was packing his stuff into a suitcase. Phecda allowed him to bring the Carlot Instruments with him for they did not trigger intense PTSD. In fact, a moderate amount of trigger stimulus would be conducive for his recovery. He did not have that many personal items because he did not have time to make this ce his home since he moved into it. Therefore, he did not spend much time packing.

    While he wasatose, he received gifts from many parties. He smiled as he took out two postcards from the table drawer. They were sent by Wu Siyu. She was on mission at Northern City so she was unable to be there to visit him, thus she sent him postcards instead. It was Nurse Liu who intercepted them on Gu Jun¡¯s behalf. Gu Jun held the two postcards and read them again.

    ¡°Hopefully this card can reach your hands safely. I¡¯ve already known you for quite some time and we¡¯ve been through a lot. I guess what I want to say is, it¡¯s my luck to have known you. I hope you have a speedy recovery. ¨CWu Siyu.¡±

    ¡°The second card is to make sure the envelope reaches the minimum weight limit for postage... I don¡¯t really know what to say. I hope you¡¯ll wake up to read these soon. Good luck and everything. ¨CWu Siyu.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart warmed. He yearned to see the author in person and hear her voice. Some people¡¯s handwriting did not reflect their personality but that was not the case with Wu Siyu. Her handwriting was pretty but with a hint of naughtiness. If there was aint he had, it was there was too little written on the postcards. If he has his way, he¡¯d want 10 fully written postcards.

    There was a sudden knocking on the open door. Gu Jun turned around and saw Wu Siyu standing beside it. She carried a small brown suitcase. She said, ¡°Good afternoon, Mr. Gu. I am Wu Siyu, a representative of the Recreational Department. I am tasked to open your eyes to the better thing life has to offer. Our first destination is my hometown to celebrate lunar new year.¡±

    ¡°Good afternoon, Miss Wu.¡± Gu Jun smiled. Dirty-minded Yu too was given quite a long holiday. She was right that he would be assigned a Recreational member to watch over his schedule and monitor his health during his period of convalesce. Gu Jun had no living family so it was not a bad idea to celebrate the new year with her family.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk. You expect two postcards to wake me up? I expected at least 10 of them.¡± Gu Jun waved the postcards at her.

    ¡°Now I understand why they call you Tycoon Jun.¡± Wu Siyu chided. Gu Jun nudged her on her head. She then added, ¡°Fine, when we¡¯re free, I¡¯ll draw a portrait for you aspensation. Honestly I haven¡¯t picked up a paintbrush in such a long time already.¡± She studied art painting as her university degree. It was her painting talent that got her into Shen Hai City¡¯s Relic Department. However, Gu Jun had not seen her use this talent before. After the luggage was packed, the two walked towards the living room where a delicious smell permeated the air. The smell drifted in from the kitchen. Cai Zixuan made a pot of pig¡¯s brain goji soup. It would help with brain injury. Considering this was thest chance Gu Jun would have the chance to taste his cooking, Cai Zixuan poured his heart into it. He had been cooking since morning and the pot was filled with the ingredient¡¯s essence. Hedled two full bowls of soup and they smelt heavenly.

    ¡°They smell so good.¡± Wu Siyu stared unblinkingly as her throat parched.

    ¡°Thene have some.¡± Cai Zixuan served Gu Jun one bowl and Siyu another. Hedled half a bowl for himself. The three of them sat down at the dining table to share the meal. Cai Zixuanmented, ¡°Tycoon Jun, you¡¯ll have to learn how to cook soups yourself. We are what we eat. You need to watch your diet closely.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right...¡± Gu Jun took slow sips of the soup. It was truly as good as it smelled. For the past few days, they had scrounged up every nutritious thing for his diet. He even munched on a leaf of the Lai Hwa tree but it did not seem to have any effect. On a side note, the Lai Hwa Tree was now about 10 cm tall. It did not bear that many leaves yet.

    ¡°Actually, I have a list of ingredients that might help you...¡± Wu Siyu said between chews. ¡®How about panda meat?¡¯ She thought about it. ¡®Better not, pandas are too cute.¡¯

    ¡°Pandas are protected animals, you know.¡± Gu Jun said. Wu Siyu frowned. ¡°How did you know what I was thinking?¡± Gu Jun answered, ¡°The picture of a panda is floating above your head.¡± Wu Siyu looked up. A panda waved back at her.

    Looking at the two of them, Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°I¡¯m already missing you guys even though you haven¡¯t left. Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow...¡±

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu shared a look. That was Shakespeare!

    After having their fill, Cai Zixuan walked the duo out. This hostel would always be kept for Gu Jun. Cai Zixuan would move to another room to share with another roommate for Phecda members required a roommate to watch over each other¡¯s mental state. The trio took the elevator to reach the first floor lobby. They walked out the door. By then, the sky was drizzling. Raindrops pattered on the ground and people¡¯s hearts.

    Even though Gu Jun already requested for a silent parting, Elder Tong and many people came to bid him farewell. Among them was Wang Ruoxiang, she had been transferred back to the Spell Department from quarantine. Her good behavior during quarantine and contribution during the legione pneumonia crisis helped her case a lot, but after her return, her actions would still be heavily monitored. Wang Ruoxiang nodded at Gu Jun. She was not worried about Gu Jun, she knew Tycoon Jun was not the kind to be crushed so easily.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± Uncle Dan said with smiles, hiding all traces of mncholy. ¡°Enjoy this holiday as much as you can. A good mood can help tremendously with recovery.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to waste too many words on you.¡± Lou Xiaoning began, ¡°Don¡¯t get sucked into fucking depression. There are still many things that you can do even if the worst happens! But of course, I have faith that you will recover!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± Peacock still reserved respect for him. ¡°You will always be our hero.¡± Kathlyn chuckled, ¡°Thankfully you¡¯re close to them or else Siyu¡¯s going to get jealous.¡± That earned augh from everyone, even Wu Siyu. She shrugged. ¡°The sting of jealousy will help tamper the saltiness. It¡¯s good.¡±

    Deng Ximei was as usual a person of few words. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°This is for both of you.¡± Elder Tong gave both Gu Jun and Wu Siyu two bulging red packets. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare spare any expenses!¡± Then Elder Tong petered into a sigh... Prof Shen¡¯s eyes were wet. Two years ago, he and Prof Shen handpicked these two for a new type of training but so many things had happened since then. It was worth noting that Xiao Xu had officially been transferred into the Spell Department and would be given focused training.

    ¡°Elder Tong, Prof Shen, everyone...¡± Gu Jun took in their faces. ¡°Take care of yourself and don¡¯t worry about me. I might not return to fight with you anymore but I will keep on going. Who knows, perhaps this new life might fit me like a glove.¡±

    ¡°It will, it will.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed.

    A van parked by the exit was there to send the duo to the airport. They would take the ne to Shen Hai City where members from Phecda would be waiting for them. The drizzle turned heavier. The group helped them put their luggage into the trunk. Then Gu Jun and Wu Siyu got into the car. Soon the ck military truck rumbled noisily as the engine started. With the group looking on withplicated emotion, the car left the Spell Department to head into the outside world.

 Chapter 351: New Stage of Relationship

    <h4>Chapter 351: New Stage of Rtionship</h4>

    Gu Jun¡¯s new home was a VIP suite at a 5 star hotel situated at Shen Hai City. It was not far from Wu Siyu¡¯s home. The Phecda members intercepted them at the airport. Wu Siyu apanied Gu Jun to check in at the hotel before returning to her own home.

    Currently Gu Jun was on a paid holiday. He could live anywhere he wanted and for as long as he wished. For now, he nned to spend the lunar new year at this city so this suite would be his temporary home. It had a living room, two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom, and even a balcony that offered the best view of the city. Heid down to sleep after he settled in. Early the next morning, he went out shopping with Wu Siyu to prepare the presents for his afternoon visit. There were only a few days left to lunar new year. The street was decorated to wee the Chinese New Year. The shops bustled with new year decoration.

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu held hands as they strolled down the street. This was their first official date after they had confirmed their rtionship. Naturally they were not in uniform. They had on casual outfits and sunsses. No one would recognize them as the famous heroes. Among the crowd, they looked like a normal couple.

    ¡°My parents are very easy-going.¡± Wu Siyu swung his hand. ¡°Some fruits will be enough.¡± Ever since Gu Jun became like this, now whenever she touched him, she would not recoil from pain anymore. That was a silver lining in a way.

    ¡°No way.¡± Gu Jun squeezed her hand and said with a smile. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m meeting your parents. It¡¯s a SSS grade mission.¡±

    ¡°O well...¡± Wu Siyu leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed, ¡°Fine, you win.¡±

    Walking among the crowds, picking out presents with a girlfriend, that was a life Gu Jun did not expect he¡¯d lead any time soon. However, it did help calm his emotions. The immediate joy made the suffering rted to Phecda fade slowly into the background. However, whenever his overly taut nerves rxed, his brain would asionally waver from the sudden release of tension. In fact, it was happening to Gu Jun now. As he was in the middle of selecting a calligraphy drawing, his vision suddenly blurred. It was not an illusion, in fact, this was not a feeling he was familiar with. It just only urred recently; it was probably a side effect from his brain damage.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Wu Siyu asked with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun rubbed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing new.¡± The dizziness left as sudden as it came. He felt fine again and continued with the purchase. Dirty-minded Yu said that her parents admired calligraphy. After buying the present, they had lunch at a nearby restaurant and followed it up with a movie. They left for Siyu¡¯s home around 5.

    Wu Siyu came from a middle ss family. Her parents owned a painting studio. Due to their expert management, they enjoyed a fairly good, if slightly above average, life. They currently resided at a unit within a high-ss apartment. Even though Gu Jun had fought with the supernatural, he was still nervous meeting his girlfriend¡¯s family for the first time. With Siyu leading the way, he entered the house and met Father Wu and Mother Wu.

    ¡°Mom, dad, this is Gu Jun.¡± Wu Siyu extended her palm towards him and announced seriously, ¡°My colleague, my friend and also my boyfriend.¡±

    Gu Jun smiled as he saw the smiles reflected on Father Wu and Mother Wu¡¯s faces. The two seniors were very weing. Due to Phecda¡¯s promotional effort, they knew a bit about Gu Jun¡¯s family background and health condition. Therefore, they kept the conversation civil. They chatted about harmless topics and Siyu¡¯s childhood. Then Gu Jun spotted a framed picture of Wu Siyu when she was small. She was sliding down the slide with the pose of Superman. He could not help but chuckle. Seeing this, Mother Wu took out some other photo albums to share with him more pictures of Dirty-minded Yu. They ranged from when she was still a baby to when she graduated from high school.

    ¡°Siyu is always such a naughty girl.¡± Mother Wu chided. ¡°We were worried that she might grow up to join the gangs but who knew she would turn towards the arts instead.¡±

    Gu Jun saw a picture of a small Wu Siyu lying down in a sand pit. It perfectly mimicked the pose of the adult Siyu lying on the couch. It drew a realugh out of him. The more he knew about her background, the more he found himself falling for this unique young woman.

    After a while, Mother Wu and Father Wu excused themselves to prepare dinner. Taking this opportunity, Gu Jun slid over to the couch to hug Siyu. He whispered into her ears. ¡°I realize I am falling deeper and deeper for you with every new discovery.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. ¡°I also realize I like to kiss you more and more.¡± Then she stole a smooch on his lips. The timing was perfect as Father Wu suddenly turned around to ask, ¡°Ah Jun, do you want anything to drink?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I can¡¯t have too much sugar now.¡± Gu Jun stood up and fixed himself. Wu Siyu called after, ¡°Give him a bowl of salt water, he likes those.¡± She meant that as a joke but Mother Wu really did prepare one. Gu Jun thanked her with a chuckle. He intended to help out in the kitchen but Wu Siyu held her back. If he went to help, she¡¯d be forced to help as well so using Gu Jun¡¯s need for rest as an excuse, she pulled him away from the kitchen door. She led him to her bedroom.

    Compared to the kitchen, Gu Jun was indeed more interested in her bedroom so he did not put up much resistance. Gu Jun suspected Siyu had returned to clean up the ce yesterday night because the room was spotless. There was a shelf, dresser, television, bed but the most eye-catching piece of furniture was a cupboard that showcased her painting. Her home had a gallery and a studio but this cupboard was clearly meant for Siyu¡¯s personal favorites.

    Wu Siyu copsed on her bed once she entered her room. Gu Jun said he wanted to check out her paintings so he walked over to the cupboard. He took out some scrolls to admire them. Both of Siyu¡¯s parents came from an artistic background and worked in the world of art. Therefore, it appeared natural that she¡¯d follow in their footsteps. Painting was also her hobby. Her synaesthesia allowed her to have a greater range of artistic expression than normal. She had a unique style in her paintings. They were bursts of colors that seemed toe alive depending on the fall of the light. Gu Jun was no art critic but he enjoyed her paintings. Well, some of them more than the others...

    ¡°Dirty-minded, I suddenly realize there is amon point in our university degrees.¡± Gu Junmented.

    ¡°Huh? How is that possible?¡± Wu Siyu turned around to look at him.

    Gu Jun walked over and showed her a nude drawing portrait. He whispered something in her ears which earned a smile from Wu Siyu.

    ¡°It¡¯s a prerequisite ss for art students.¡± She suddenly studied him with the eye of a painter. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, actually you know what, you¡¯ll make a good nude model. When you¡¯re free, you should model for me. Then perhaps, you too can paint me like one of the french girls.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Gu Jun was stunned as his heart skipped. There was really no telling what this girl might say next... It felt like he had returned to his teen years. He suggested with surprising shyness, ¡°Then how aboutter tonight? At my ce?¡±

    ¡°Hmm... We should wait until you get better. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get a brain haemorrhage.¡± Wu Siyu thought about it and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m sure that is one of the things we are not supposed to do.¡±

    ¡°Then you should have thought about that earlier before you suggested those things.¡± Gu Jun sighed. Thankfully, there were other things they could do for now...

    Blood coursed through his veins but suddenly pain pierced at his brain. Something shed before his eyes. He looked down at the paintings. He put the nude portrait away and turned back to study one of the colorful watercolors...

    The earlier vision solidified... Was that a symbol that he saw...?

 Chapter 352: Under the Moonlight, Beside the Streetlight

    <h4>Chapter 352: Under the Moonlight, Beside the Streetlight</h4>

    The symbol rified but not enough for Gu Jun to get a concrete sense of it. The pain dulled but only slightly.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun?¡± Wu Siyu spotted this and she immediately sat up. Her brows wrinkled, ¡°You¡¯re not really suffering from a haemorrhage, are you...¡±

    ¡°No... it¡¯s not that serious.¡± The feeling disappeared. Gu Jun shook his head and looked at the watercolor he was holding with confusion. He asked. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, what is this painting about? Is there any symbolic meaning behind it?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Siyu turned to look at the painting, ¡°No, I was merely painting the sky. The colors and lines represent the ever-changing clouds and refraction of light. There¡¯s no symbolic meaning.¡± With her exnation, Gu Jun achieved a deeper appreciation of the artistic vibrancy of the painting but the strange feeling did not return. Was the strange feeling triggered by this specific painting? It did not appear so. After all, when he was selecting the calligraphy this morning and even days before, the feeling also came to visit him. This was unlike the normal illusions, it was more like a temporary faze to his perception. The medical team diagnosed it as a side effect of his cerebral damage or part of the mental disorder due to PTSD. Gu Jun wiped the sweat from his forehead and shared with Wu Siyu what he just experienced. He said self-mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s just a new side-effect, I¡¯m not used to it. To be honest, I quite miss the illusions.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not a problem. I can see them all the time, I¡¯ll just share them with you.¡± Wu Siyu looked around and rattled out what she saw. There was a piano, some flowers, snacks and a bag of chips... Suddenly her eyes widened, ¡°Oh wait, that bag of chips is real. Help me get it please.¡±

    Gu Jun let out augh as he got up to help her grab the chip left on the dresser. After staying in her bedroom for a while, Wu Siyu led him to visit her family¡¯s gallery and studio. The gallery had some rare collections but none of them were too expensive. They were more of the sentimental kinds. The calligraphy that he bought over was already hung on the wall. The strange feeling no longer reappeared so he tossed it out of his mind.

    The night arrived and dinner started. Father Wu and Mother Wu had prepared days for this meal. There were 6 dishes on the table. There was steamed chicken, braised ribs, fish-head noodles and so on. There were even deserts. It was by all definition, a feast. The atmosphere was joyful andughter echoed throughout the dinner. Mother Wu and Father Wu were satisfied with their daughter¡¯s boyfriend. His superhero image was a plus but the real Gu Jun was down to earth and seemed to match Wu Siyu well so her parents took an immediate liking to him. But because of that, they felt real regret with regards to what happened to Gu Jun. Knowing that it was a taboo topic, all they could do was to shovel more food onto his te. Gu Jun felt enveloped by their warmth and he enjoyed the meal greatly. After dinner, he insisted on helping with the dishes so Wu Siyu had no choice but to help out as well.

    Then the four of them returned to the living room. They watched television and chatted about nothing of import. Gu Jun announced his intention to leave when it was around 10 pm. He needed to sleep early for that was part of his treatment process. Mother Wu and Father Wu walked Gu Jun to the door. They told him repeatedly toe visit again. Gu Jun naturally gave them his promise. He was not just being perfunctory. Wu Siyu walked down with him. When the door of the elevator closed, with just the two of them in it, while Gu Jun sighed surreptitiously in relief, suddenly Wu Siyu punched the air and announced, ¡°SSS Grade missionpleted!¡±

    ¡°How do you think I did?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I felt like I was more like the guest.¡± She said, ¡°They already treat you like a son.¡±

    The two shared a look andughed. They were both d that everything went so smoothly. A crescent moon hung brilliantly in the night sky. After leaving the building, the two sauntered down the pebbled path down into the nearby garden. They talked about going to the beach and the theme park. Love was a kind of supernatural energy too because whenever he was around Siyu, Gu Jun felt time slipping away from his fingers. Without even realizing it, it was already 10 pm. But the couple did not want the date to end. However, out of concern for Gu Jun¡¯s health, Wu Siyu pushed him towards the gate. ¡°Go on, bye, see you tomorrow.¡± She waved before turning back.

    ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± Gu Jun waved back. He too turned to walk towards the gates. But before he reached it, he turned to look back. In that instant, he saw Wu Siyu also turn back to look at him. The moonlight caused her figure to shimmer.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to ensure you return to your home safely before I go.¡± He exined.

    ¡°O well, if that¡¯s what you wish.¡± Wu Siyu nodded. She waved wider this time. ¡°Good night.¡± But she walked for a distance before she turned back again. She smiled and so did Gu Jun. ¡°Good night!¡± There was no reason for their smiles other than the sight of the other. They already spent a whole day together and they would spend another full day together tomorrow but they were still so unwilling to part.

    ¡°Good night, sweet dreams!¡± Wu Siyu waved again. She turned back and pranced away like a doe. Gu Jun watched her bounce off and disappear around a corner. Then he turned back and started his journey home. But as he moved towards the gate, a bad omen rose in his heart...

    His feet were about to cross over the gate when a scary image rose in his heart. He saw Siyu trap inside the elevator as the building crumbled around her. Gu Jun whipped his body around and raced back towards the garden. He chased after the slender figure. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu! Wu Siyu!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± By then Wu Siyu had reached a stop under a streemp installed in the neighbourhood. The faded light enhanced her facial features. Seeing the urgency on his face, she immediately asked with concern. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Seeing the worry on her face, Gu Jun could not help butugh at himself. He slowed down and scratched his head. ¡°Perhaps I really do suffer from PTSD... I had so much fun today, Dirty-minded Yu, I¡¯m afraid... that once I wake up tomorrow, you¡¯ll be gone.¡± He sighed as he confessed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid to wake up to find out this has all been an illusion, none of this is real. I¡¯m afraid that this is just a hypnotic scenario created to fool me by the bastards... and I¡¯m afraid something bad might happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, you know what, I¡¯m afraid too.¡± Wu Siyu chuckled and said, ¡°But fear shall never stop in the way of having fun. We should know better than to sumb to fear.¡± She suddenly raced over to pull him into a hug and stood on tiptoe to nt a wet one on his lips. Gu Jun stopped talking and got drawn into the kiss instead.

    The night breeze made the fallen leaves dance in the air. The streetlight casted a halo on this lovely couple.

    Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.

 Chapter 353: Paranoia

    <h4>Chapter 353: Paranoia</h4>

    It was already 22:40 when Gu Jun arrived at his hotel andid down to rest. It was 10 minutes over his scheduled bed time, it was still eptable. He sent a good night message to Wu Siyu and received a reply before he ced the phone down on the bedside table and closed all the lights.

    ¡®I¡¯ve lost count of the good nights we¡¯ve wished each other tonight...¡¯ Gu Jun closed his eyes with a smile. He adjusted his breathing and emptied his mind. ¡®Tomorrow we¡¯ll go to the beach. Even though there won¡¯t be any swimsuits in winter, there¡¯ll still be plenty of fun...¡¯ He gradually rxed as the fun of the day floated before his eyes. He felt the pull of sleep...

    Suddenly, Gu Jun was overwhelmed by a falling sensation. This was fairlymon. Scientifically, it was called a hypnic jerk. It is the feeling triggered by a sudden muscle twitch, causing the feeling of falling while sleeping or dreaming. Hypnic jerks typically ur moments before the first stage of sleep. However, this particr instance worried Gu Jun, it reeked of the supernatural... Or was it just his paranoia acting up... He took several deep breaths to try to suppress these thoughts but eventually his eyes flew open. He did not move his body, just his eyes. The bedroom was dark. The light filtered in through the window gave the furniture in the room a blurry shadow. There were no other people or any Zoog in the room. However, Gu Jun¡¯s skin crawled with chilins. It felt like someone was staring at him...

    However, infiltration was impossible. Due to his unique status, there were Phecda members who guarded outside his door. Furthermore, Phecda had cooperated many times with this hotel management so it couldn¡¯t be an inside job either. When he scouted the hotel earlier, he did not identify any suspicious character either.

    ¡®The dresser?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s gaze eventuallynded on therge wooden dresser to the right of the bed. ¡®Is someone hiding in there?¡¯ He looked around as thoughts ran through his mind. He grabbed the phone and jumped out of bed. He sted out from the bedroom. Then he immediately called the two guards in. Gao Haoze and Lin Ziyong were bothrge, imposing men. Dressed in ck suits, they looked like a celebrity¡¯s personal guards, which in a way, they were. They wore the opaline assessment stone and were taught lessons on how to sign the Ancient Seal. Both of the gentlemen were elites, like everyone else in Gu Jun¡¯s personal guard entourage.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± The team captain, Gao Haoze asked respectfully even though Gu Jun was much younger than he was.

    ¡°I suspect there is someone else in the room.¡± Gu Jun said seriously, ¡°They might be hiding inside the dresser.¡± Both Gao Haoze and Lin Ziyong snapped into attention. They were disappointed and angered at themselves. How could they discover nothing on their surveince? This was a huge mistake on their part. Being on guard duty meant curbing all possible danger while causing the least amount of disturbance to their person of interest, but now Doctor Gu suspected there was someone else in his room...

    Doctor Gu was famous for his sharp instinct, his prediction had never been wrong... At least not until now. If someone had infiltrated into his hotel room, they would only mean serious harm to Gu Jun. The chance of it being a fan or a thief was miniscule. Therefore Gao Haoze immediately called for backup. The other members rushed over. After they were ready, they stormed into the bedroom with their rifles engaged. They pressed towards the dresser as well as any other spot in the room where someone could hide. However, there was nothing... not even a cockroach in the dresser or under the bed.

    Gu Jun¡¯s creased brows refused to rx. The agitation that he felt earlier was still there but it had lightened aplenty.

    ¡°Captain Gao, I was probably being too nervous.¡± He sighed, ¡°It¡¯s most likely because I¡¯m still not used to this ce.¡± Despite everything, Gao Haoze¡¯s team still gave the ce a clean sweep. They checked the entire hotel from the rooftop to the basement. They even scanned the surveince videos again. No discovery was made. Regarding the false rm of this Phecda Hero, they did not have anyint, instead they showed more than enough understanding. This was not their first day working under Phecda. Guard detail was amon mission for Special Mobile Forces so they were familiar with their client¡¯s acts of paranoia. Furthermore, they had worked with colleagues who suffered from low S value and PTSD before. Even though they did not know the absolute detail about Gu Jun¡¯s condition, from the orders given by their superiors, they knew Gu Jun could not suffer anymore unnecessary worry. Gao Haoze signed for his teammates to retreat before he reported, ¡°Doctor Gao, this ce is very safe. You can rest with ease. We will guard this ce with our lives.¡±

    ¡°Okay... I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Gu Jun nodded. It was clear from Captain Gao¡¯s choice of word that he was concerned about Gu Jun¡¯s mental condition. After sending Captain Gao away, Gu Jun sat down back on his bed. For the moment, he was lost.

    ¡®Will my symptoms from PTSD worsen?¡¯ Gu Jun knew that was possible and it was the very thing that worried Prof Shen. ¡®Paranoia: a mental condition characterized by delusions of persecution, unwarranted jealousy,ck of focus, irritability, self-destructive behaviour, or exaggerated self-importance, typically worked into an organized system.¡¯ Gu Jun recited the textbook definition of paranoia in his mind. It perfectly exined his condition. ¡®Is that all to it?¡¯ Gu Jun copsed on the bed. Looking up at the ceiling, he sighed. He did not suffer from unwarranted jealousy but he couldn¡¯t say the same for delusions of persecution...¡¯But I already suffer from minor paranoia before this... Dirty-minded Yu, I miss you...¡¯

    Gu Jun adjusted to his sleeping position again. He slowly closed his eyes. Just as drowsiness imed him, the falling sensation returned. This time he kept his eyes closed. His breathing turned heavy. A ball of fire lit up within him...¡¯irritability?¡¯

    ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Gu Jun asked in his mind, ¡®Who the hell are you? What are you doing? Is this a mental signal? Part of a ritual? Answer me!¡¯ People with mental problems would not admit that they had any problem. But in this case, Gu Jun really did not think he suffered from PTSD. As the questions of the supernatural filled his mind, the headache returned...

    ¡®What are you intending to say? What do you want to tell me?¡¯ Gu Jun opened his eyes. He knew he could not hold on any longer, he was close to epilepsy. However, he swore he could hear a voice. Or was it an illusion...

    He pressed his eyelids closed. He tried to focus on the voice. The voice appeared to be saying...

    ¡°If you can hear us... We are... innocent...¡±

 Chapter 354: Signal or Illusion

    <h4>Chapter 354: Signal or Illusion</h4>

    Inside the quiet bedroom, cold sweat slid down Gu Jun¡¯s forehead. The headache intensified as a voice drifted towards him through the darkness. It was staticky like it came out from an old-fashioned radio. It was intermittent. It was a firm male Chinese voice and it uttered evenly, ¡°If you can hear us... We are... innocent...¡± No matter how hard Gu Jun tried to focus, he could not hear anymore than that... It did not feel like someone was trying to converse with him. It was more like a transmission signal and he was the only one who could tune into it.

    ¡°If you can...¡± The pain reached Gu Jun¡¯s threshold and the voice faded away. His eyes flew open and Gu Jun took gasping breaths. He was exposed to strange voices in his head many times in the past, some came from mental intervention, while others were through the medium of spell or ritual but this time, it felt very unique... His most direct impression was, it was some kind of broadcast signal. ¡®But who¡¯d broadcast something like this? What would be the purpose?¡¯

    Gu Jun dissected the single sentence.

    For one, ¡®if you can¡¯ suggested that the other party considered the possibility Gu Jun could not hear him; the broadcast would not be picked up by anyone.

    For two, ¡®we¡¯ meant an organization. And it was from within the country for thenguage used was Chinese.

    For three, ¡®innocent¡¯ signified that the broadcaster wished to persuade the listeners that they were on the same side as them. Considering the signal was received by Gu Jun, it was safe to assume that these people meddle in the supernatural as well. It was the only reason to warn the listeners of their stance. A normal radio channel would not preface their broadcast with such warning. Of course, this could very well be a trap for the listeners to think this way.

    Gu Jun looked around him and saw shadows looking back at him. ¡®Innocent?¡¯ He had very serious doubts about that. Gu Jun was not sure he was the only recipient or not, but how many organizations within the country could aplish something like this? It was beyond Phecda and even FBM. He and Dirty-minded Yu sessfully transmitted pictures before but it was not even close to the level of something like this. If they were really innocent, with such powerful resources, why didn¡¯t they show themselves after so many tragic incidents? Both FBM and GOA were public organizations now, they could be easily reached.

    Gu Jun frowned as another possibility entered his mind. ¡®Could it be a transmission from the future or the past? No, it does not feel like it... Or it¡¯s from another dimension like the Dreands? ...But then again, I probably shouldn¡¯t think too much of it. It¡¯s most likely the Afterlife Cult¡¯s doing again... It does sound like their modus operandi. After all, they stressed that they were innocent and they only wanted to help usher in a new era.¡¯

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gu Jun stood up and asked the emptiness around him. He checked for ripples in the air. ¡°Innocent? But innocence is subjective. Your moralpass might be different from ours.¡± He said as he moved around the room. He pulled out the drawers and opened the dressers. All the while, he maintained this one-sided conversation. ¡°Are you the R¡¯yleh Cult? I know some of you are still alive. The people from Afterlife Cult might have sacrificed themselves but you people are still out there, probably hiding in some mountains, trying to summon Cthulhu with that shaman of yours... Or you¡¯re the Yellow Brotherhood.... Mr. Wang Erde, is that you? You¡¯re not dead, are you?¡±

    These thoughts gripped Gu Jun¡¯s brain and squeezed on it. His heart skipped a beat as his muscle tensed. The symptoms angered him further. Now just the thought of the supernatural could weaken him to this state...

    Then some scary images filtered into his mind. Cities crumbled into dust, Wu Siyu¡¯s smiling head stuck on a pike... His heart wascerated.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun groaned from pain. He vented his frustration at the innocent wooden dresser. The dresser shuddered. He took a deep breath and tried to control his emotions... PTSD... He ultimately could not ept this condition. He was deprived of the ability to even protect the person he loved...

    ¡°If you can hear me, listen carefully...¡± He slugged back to the bed. ¡°No matter if you¡¯re innocent or not, I¡¯m already useless. There¡¯s nothing you can get out of me...¡±

    That very thought confused Gu Jun. ¡®What is their goal? To push me towards madness? Even though I¡¯m already practically a benched yer? Or... was the voice that I heard even real?¡¯ Gu Jun used to be able to identify the authenticity of these voices easily but that ability had deserted him. Then again, this could be the uniqueness of the broadcast. It was extremely random, it had no trigger like Gu Jun¡¯s other illusions. Or all of these were just syndromes of his PTSD...

    Gu Jun sat by the bed for a long time before he broke into a bitterugh. ¡®Be thankful, it¡¯s a miracle that you¡¯re still alive. You should be dead from the brain tumor two years ago. You should be thankful for what you have today. I have left Phecda for just one day, it won¡¯t be that easy to revert to normal life. This ismon among veterans. Whether they suffer from PTSD or not, there will be an adjustment period... I should heed the doctor¡¯s orders and take my medicine and rest.¡¯

    Gu Jun persuaded himself that it was nothing more than his illusion¡ªafter all, research showed that 50 percent of PTSD victims suffer from acoasm. Regardless, he gave Elder Tong a call and reported the incident, ¡°It could be someone or some organization broadcasting their signal. I worry this might be their new method of recruitment.¡± Elder Tong treated it seriously and quickly made an enquiry. The result showed that no one other than Gu Jun had reported something simr.

    ¡°Ah Jun, we will follow up on this and we will update you if there¡¯s anything new.¡± Elder Tong said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, you should be sleeping.¡±

    It was almost dawn when Gu Jun ended the call. His head was still pulsing. Heid down in bed and took deep breaths. He forced himself to go to sleep.

 Chapter 355: Little Niece

    <h4>Chapter 355: Little Niece</h4>

    When Gu Jun woke up the next morning, his head still felt a bit swollen. But when he saw Wu Siyu in the lobby, he instantly felt better. During their breakfast at the hotel, he brought up briefly what happened the night before.

    ¡°Have you experienced this sensation of the inability to locate your phone or keys?¡± Wu Siyu started her lecture. ¡°You could not find it no matter what. But the moment you decided to give up, it appeared right at the ces you¡¯ve searched before. I believe this is something simr. Perhaps the timing is not right yet. Perhaps it¡¯ll reveal itself to you in the near future.¡±

    Gu Jun did feel much better hearing that. He nodded. ¡°Yes, master Dirty-minded Yu.¡± He too believed that if there was really someone trying to reach him, they would not stop right then. For the next two days, the signal no longer appeared and so did the sense of anomaly. Phecda also did not find out anything new. FBM had nothing to share either. The ¡®mysterious signal¡¯ appeared more and more like an imagination constructed by Gu Jun. Regardless, they still kept an eye on it. The medical team heard about Gu Jun¡¯s symptoms of acoasm and they worried about the exacerbation of his PTSD.

    Gu Jun was worried about it too. As human beings transmuted towards zombies or Deep Ones, there would be changes to their biological structures. Transmutation of the brain would cause changes to one¡¯s personality that was irreversible. This change was subconscious. Thankfully, for the next two days, Gu Jun did not suffer from any other symptoms. In fact, once he lost himself in the rxation activity, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu threw that issue out of their mind. They visited the beach, cinema and many different restaurants. Shen Hai City was their yground. The Lunar New Year¡¯s Eve arrived in the blink of an eye. Wu Siyu had to stay home that day to y host to visiting families and Gu Jun would drop by in the afternoon.

    The visiting family in question was Wu Siyu¡¯s aunt or Mother Wu¡¯s younger sister. Auntie Wu and her husband were workers at an ITpany. They had a single girl named Lee Kedou. She was only 5 years old. The girl was clever and cute but in terms of naughtiness, she could rival the young Wu Siyu. During the first day of kindergarten, while the other children were crying for their parents, Kedou pped her hands and danced. One time, a boy tried to bully her and Kedou rewarded him with a punch to the face. The shadow of young Wi Siyu was quite present on this precocious little girl. Because of that, Kedou and Siyu shared a very close rtionship. In fact, she had helped changed Kedou¡¯s diapers many times, a feat that Siyu would not have done for many people. But ever since Wiyu joined Phecda, she did not get toe home that often. At most, she could only talk to her family through Skype so she had lost touch with her cousin somewhat.

    ¡°I have to warn you, this cousin of mine is very naughty.¡± Wu Siyumented, ¡°She¡¯s somewhat of a little demon. Is it wrong of me to say something like that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just exaggerating.¡± Gu Jun chuckled. He had heard about this cousin from Dirty-minded Yu before, in fact, he had watched a video recording of Kedou¡¯s kindergarten stage performance. Even if the girl was a she-demon, Gu Jun was not afraid. He was very good with children. After all, he had a secret weapon: Endless store of money. Which child would not sumb to an avnche of gifts and bribes?

    That afternoon, Gu Jun visited Wu family with a carefully assortment of selected new year presents. He met Auntie Wu¡¯s family through Mother Wu¡¯s introduction. Kedou was dressed in an Elsa costume. She would grow up to be a beautiful princess. Her hair was braided. She had an oval-shaped face andrge blinking eyes. Her gaze did not have the shyness and fearmon to young children but it shone with curiosity.

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Gu Jun greeted her with a smile.

    ¡°He he.¡± Kedou giggled, exposing her baby teeth. ¡°You¡¯re Sister Siyu¡¯s boyfriend!¡± The bribes of dolls, legos and so on worked perfectly. She followed Siyu¡¯s example and called him Dirty-minded Jun but with an additional Brother affixed to it. The bribe might have worked too well because Gu Jun found himself with a small bodyguard. Wu Siyu sighed in relief when she saw this because it meant she could lie down and bezy in peace. Gu Jun yed blocks with Kedou while the adults busied themselves in the kitchen.

    The naughtiness of Kedou shone through then. Realizing they were out of the adult¡¯s earshot, she leaned over to ask, ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, have you kissed Sister Siyu already?¡± The little girl knew about kissing because it was featured in fairy tales. Kissing was done between couples, after all, Snow White was awakened from a true love¡¯s kiss.

    Gu Jun could not help but chuckle. He sneaked a nce at Wu Siyu before leaning back to whisper conspiratorially, ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°Ah, kissie, kissie!¡± Kedou finally caught Wu Siyu¡¯s tail. She giggled out loud. ¡°Shame, shame!¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s so shameful about that?¡± Wu Siyu pulled Gu Jun over for a big, wet kiss. She purposely made a smooching sound. ¡°Aren¡¯t you jealous that my boyfriend is so handsome?¡± She then broke into a wickedugh, ¡°Muahaha.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s stomach pained fromughter. This was one unique sisterly fight. Kedou pouted for a while before her eyes turned to study Gu Jun and Siyu. Suddenly something came to her and she asked, ¡°Then will Sister Siyu have a baby?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Wu Siyu was stumped. Even though maternity leave was a great paid holiday, she was not ready to im that yet.

    Gu Jun wanted to give Kedou a thumb¡¯s up. There were not many people in this world who could stump Wu Siyu. The girl thought kissing would lead to pregnancy. If that was true, then he¡¯d be a father of a dozen children by then. With a smile stered on his face, Gu Jun left this situation for Dirty-minded Yu to handle.

    ¡°You¡¯ve kissed after all.¡± Kedou said in a way of argument.

    Wu Siyu sighed beforeunching over to nt a kiss on Kedou. ¡°Kedou, now you will have a baby too.¡±

    ¡°Sister Siyu, you can¡¯t trick me.¡± Kedou said seriously, ¡°It will only work between boys and girls and they need to love each other.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not wrong...¡± Gu Jun grinned wickedly. The troubles from before seemed a world away.

    ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t be having a baby anytime soon.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged, ¡°Well, that might be wrong. I am after all carrying a food baby.¡±

    Kedou¡¯s attention was soon distracted. She was at an age which was interested in everything. When she saw the television, her eyes widened and she gasped, ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, I saw you on the television that day. You look so handsome in your uniform.¡± Gu Jun guessed it was some kind of Phecda¡¯s promo video. He had not done any new ones but they could always rey the old ones.

    ¡°The uniform is from Phecda.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°Your sister Siyu looks good in it too.¡±

    ¡°Hah...¡± Wu Siyu nudged against his shoulder. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, I have other uniforms that I look better in, would you be interested to see them? In fact, I think I have a school uniform somewhere in my room.¡±

    Well, that certainly caused some reaction in Gu Jun. Images that would put me, the trantor, into trouble with the authority entered his mind. Gu Jun noticed Kedou was looking at them with interest but he still leaned over and said affirmatively, ¡°Of course.¡±

    Reality proved to be more disappointing. Wu Siyu returned dressed in a normal blue and white tracksuit as well as a pair of sport shoes. It was not the uniform Gu Jun had in mind but it was still a school uniform alright...

 Chapter 356: Phecda Universityâ€™s Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 356: Phecda University¡¯s Holiday</h4>

    ¡°Happy new year!¡± At Eastern State, Chinese New Year songs broadcasted through the speakers of every mall. Shoppers bustled around each other, carrying bags big and small. It would be New Year¡¯s Eve tomorrow, and everyone was out to prepare for the celebration. Food and decoration were the main item on sale. For the past year, Eastern State had survived through a lot. At first, there was the dangerous flu, then came the fear of the legione pneumonia and finally there was the shadow of the Mutated Scale Disease. Finally, they could put the horrendous year behind them. Everyone looked forward to a better new year.

    At that moment, Chen Jiahwa apanied his mother to go new year shopping. In his Phecda University uniform, he stood out easily. Under heavy national promotion, things like Phecda and Phecda University slowly became part of the public life. The public knew more about them and their job to protect the public from dark forces. To normalize Phecda members was to increase the public¡¯s confidence and lower their fear towards Phecda. That way they would be more open to seeking help from Phecda. Therefore, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s get-up was not only approved, but encouraged by his school.

    Many people turned to steal nces at him, especially girls from his age group. At the end of the day, Chen Jiahwa was only a 18 years old young man, feeling the scrutiny of the fairer sex on him, he walked straighter and his head held taller. The hardship that he experienced during the past semester was all worth it.

    They entered a candy and dry goods store. The boss was his mother¡¯s old school friend. As they walked in, the boss and his wife immediately rushed forth to greet them, ¡°Jiahwa, it¡¯s been so long!¡±¡±How is Phecda University?¡±¡±Are you on holiday?¡± The other customers in the shop all turned over. A group of young girls practically had stars in their eyes.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m on holiday,¡± Chen Jiahwa answered. His mother added in a worrying yet gloating sigh, ¡°Aiz, what is so good about this Phecda University? I already told him not to enroll in it but he refused to listen to me! He only gets one week of new year holiday! What kind of school treats its students like that?!¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Chen Jiahwa hissed with embarrassment. He already warned his mother from saying such things but no one was able to stop a parent from showing off their children. It made Chen Jiahwa¡¯s face blush, especially when he noticed the group of girls was still looking his way.

    ¡°You should be so proud of Jiahwa!¡± The boss praised, ¡°Now who does not know of Phecda? Only the best of the best will be selected to join this university!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but...¡± Mother Chen sighed but this time, there was real concern in it. ¡°Just look at the news, there was a new batch of sacrifice recently. Even Gu Jun was heavily injured. He wasatose for months. This job is too dangerous.¡± Gu Jun was not as famous as, let¡¯s say, Taylor Swift but most people who followed the national news knew of his name.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The boss concurred. His wife added, ¡°In any case, they¡¯ll be our hope in the future! By the way, Jiahwa, are you friends with Gu Jun?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Chen Jiahwa chuckled. Not many people knew about the delineation between Phecda and Phecda University, they assumed that joining Phecda University equal to being a part of Phecda. The truth could not have been further from that. Chen Jiahwa exined, ¡°We are just normal students. Gu Jun is among the most elite group of Special Mobile Force members.¡± The existence of the Special Mobile Force had been revealed to the public as well. The eyes of the girls glowed brighter when Gu Jun¡¯s name was mentioned but when they heard Chen Jiahwa did not know him personally, the light dimmed.

    Chen Jiahwa did not mind that because he was Gu Jun¡¯s fan too. ¡°But I have met Gu Jun during the university¡¯s opening ceremony. He came for a speech. Then, when we visited Phecda¡¯s Eastern State Division, we saw his statue in front of the Medical Building.¡± To Chen Jiahwa, that did not amount to much but in the ears of the customers and the boss, it was mighty impressive. Some of them just found out through Chen Jiahwa that there was a statue of Gu Jun at the Eastern State Division. That bit of insider information lifted their impression of Chen Jiahwa.

    ¡°Jiahwa, then would you have the chance to join the Special Mobile Force in the future?¡± The boss asked. If Jiahwa did, then perhaps he could use that as a promotional resource for his shop.

    ¡°There is a chance.¡± Chen Jiahwa nodded and his voice involuntarily raised, ¡°I did perform quite well in school.¡± He was not bluffing. His result in both medicine and other courses was out of the charts. With his talent, he was selected to join a special ss when the new semester started. This special ss was big news, for it would be led by Phecda¡¯s legendary character, and Gu Jun¡¯s mentor, Elder Tong. Only 50 students were selected from Phecda University. They would join other recruits to undergo a two-month long training.

    ¡°This training ss will determine your future.¡± His teacher announced sternly, ¡°You are all now pieces of white paper and that is your advantage. You can take on any colors you wish and for that you are highly flexible. But at the same time, that is your weakness for you have not experienced anything. How to approach this opportunity, how to maximize your gain from this ss, and how to pursue a future in Phecda, that will depend on how you perform.¡± Because of that, the seven-day holiday felt like a lifetime for Chen Jiahwa. ¡°When you return home for your holiday, do not put on any high horses.¡± His teacher¡¯s other lesson rang in his mind. ¡°You will be looked up to but not because of who you are but what your uniform represents. The public do not see you but people like Gu Jun and Xue Ba. So conduct yourself ordingly.¡±

    The caution snapped Chen Jiahwa out of his reverie. He quickly straightened himself. He distanced himself away from his mother and the boss and his wife. Indeed, his uniform was eye-catching not because of the person wearing it but because they were also worn by people like Xue Ba and Gu Jun.

    Right at that moment, the group of girls came over. They asked with giggles, ¡°Brother, can we take a picture with you?¡±

    Chen Jiahwa could not help his heart from racing. Before he joined Phecda University, no girls had actively approached him before. He was flustered but he tried his best to not show it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but our school rules forbid us from doing that.¡± They were allowed to wear the uniform in public but they had to watch their mannerism. In today¡¯s day and age, the smallest misdemeanor would be captured and posted online for dissection.

    ¡°Oh.¡± The girls were disappointed. It was not often one would chance a Phecda member. There were only so many of them in the city. How could they let this opportunity slip by? Another girl asked for his signature while her friend requested to add him as Facebook friend, both requests were denied.

    Eventually, one of the girls came up with a brilliant idea. They moved away to take a selfie with the young man from Phecda as the background. Say cheese!

 Chapter 357: Happy Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 357: Happy Holiday</h4>

    On the afternoon of new year¡¯s eve, Cai Zixuan also returned to his hometown of Nan Ling¡¯s Guang Ting City. Once hended, Chinese New Year song assaulted his senses. His face lit up with a smile. This was part of the Chinese New Year tradition. Simr to other departments, the Spell Department took holiday in shifts. While a batch of members returned home for celebration, the others had to stay to guard the base. Cai Zixuan¡¯s holiday was from New Year¡¯s Eve to the second day of New Year, he was lucky to be given such a wonderful shift.

    Of course, some of the other members volunteered to celebrate the New Year at the base. They included people like the monitor, Uncle Dan and Deng Ximei. Even though the recent months were peaceful, they should not let their guard down. In any case, should nothing happen, they would celebrate the new year at the base.

    It was noon when he reached home. Cai Zixuan just greeted his family when his phone vibrated non-stop. It was Tycoon Jun giving away gift cards! Tycoon Jun was Tycoon Jun for a reason. The total amount given away was up to several thousands. The timing though was extremely cunning. Tycoon Jun chose to release the gift cards around noon when most people were busy with lunch. So the biggest benefactor was Wu Siyu. ¡®They probably nned this together,¡¯ Cai Zixuan suspected. ¡®Ah, young love.¡¯

    Uncle Dan, ¡°Hey, give us some more! Also, Miss Wu, stop cheating!¡±

    Peacock, ¡°Thank you Boss Gu, Happy New Year.¡±

    Kathlyn, ¡°Thank you Boss Gu, Happy New Year.¡± The girls shared a body but they each had their own phone and social media ount. Cai Zixuan had witnessed for himself how the girl managed to operate both phones simultaneously with one on each hand. Uncle Dan was only joking but the next wave of gift cards soon arrived. Instantly they were swept away, but the biggest winner was still Wu Siyu.

    Uncle Dan, ¡°Now I¡¯m not even sure you¡¯re spreading new year cheer or dogfood.¡±

    Peacock, ¡°Thank you Boss Gu, Happy New Year.¡±

    Kathlyn, ¡°Thank you Boss Gu, Happy New Year.¡±

    Cai Zixuan sat on the couch, looking through the message while he chatted with his girlfriend, Jiang Banxia. Yes, he had a girlfriend. They were in a rtionship for a year already. Currently, their rtionship was long-distance. Jiang Banxia was still studying at Eastern State Medical University, her request to join the Spell Department was denied.

    ¡°Friends, the game shall continue tonight!¡± Tycoon Jun announced. That bit of money was nothing for Tycoon Jun. Phecda members enjoyed lucrative sry, and for someone like Gu Jun, the bonus he received would be in the astronomical range. After a while, Lou Xiaoning suddenly appeared, ¡°What¡¯s this?! I was absent for both times?! Encore, encore!¡±

    Cai Zixuan chuckled and shared some of the gift cards that he got from Tycoon Jun. ¡°Happy New Year!¡± Instantly, they disappeared. This time, the fastest member was Uncle Dan, followed by Wu Siyu. Lou Xiaoning still got nothing.

    Uncle Dan, ¡°@Wu Siyu @ Gu Jun, I see that Miss Wu is not the fastest this time. If this is not evidence of your wicked plot, I don¡¯t know what is.¡±

    Peacock, ¡°Thank you Zixuan, xoxo, happy new year.¡±

    Kathlyn, ¡°Thank you Zixuan, xoxo, happy new year.¡±

    Lou Xiaoning, ¡°Motherfucker...¡± Cai Zixuan chatted with them a while longer before he was called for lunch. Their family tradition was to have tang yuan on New Year¡¯s Eve morning. When he was at school and at the base, Cai Zixuan was the designated cook. But at home, most of the time, he waited around for food. The tang yuan was handmade by his mother. There were different fillings. Some were vegetarian and others filled with seafood and pork.

    ¡°They smell so delicious.¡± Before starting the meal, like all young people these days, Cai Zixuan snapped a picture and sent it to his girlfriend and shared it among the chat group. He racked up plenty of likes.

    Gu Jun, ¡°I am salivating. What I have here is merely a bowl of sunflower seeds...¡±

    Wu Siyu, ¡°You should be thankful that I¡¯m willing to share them with you. But while you taste sunflower seeds, I taste the tang yuan. The taste is salty, I like it a lot.¡± Cai Zixuan knew about Siyu¡¯s synaesthesia. She could taste something by looking at them. His mother¡¯s tang yuan was of the Nan Ling kind which was famed for their slight saltiness.

    ¡°Mom, many of my colleagues praised you for your scrumptious looking tang yuan.¡± Cai Zixuan said. His motherughed. The other family members joined in theughs. Sitting there at the table, Cai Zixuan also tasted something. It was not saltiness but the taste of his childhood, the taste of togetherness. After what he had been through, Cai Zixuan gained a new appreciation of what he had. A family reunion soundedmon enough but that was an impossible dream for some families this year. So he knew to appreciate a moment like this.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to watch the New Year Special tonight, anyone want to join me?¡± Cai Zixuan asked, ¡°There will be a feature from Phecda.¡± Their family did not have the tradition of tuning into the new year special. Due to the dialect difference, his grandparents did not understand most of the program so usually they would go out to see the fireworks. Cai Zixuan¡¯s personal reason for watching it this year was because there would be a program where Phecda members from different departments would take the stage to greet the audience a happy new year. Even though the Spell Department was still a secret, initially Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were part of the line up. But once the Public Rtions Department got wind of Gu Jun¡¯s condition, naturally his attendance was no longer required. Since Gu Jun bowed out, it seemed inappropriate for the rest of his teammates to show up without him. But Phecda would assign a Special Mobile Force to monitor and observe this program. Lou Xiaoning was one of the guards.

    Secondly, the New Year Special would have a memorial segment where they would connect through live tv to ces most affected by legione pneumoniast year. This would be the first new year celebrated by San Hai City after they were hit by the tragedy. The city held many memorial events. After the lockdown loosened, many locals who moved away returned. At the same time, the government encouraged fresh blood to move into the city to help rebuild the ce.

    ¡°I will, I will!¡± His little sister was the first to raise her hands. His parents smiled and obliged. Cai Zixuan nodded happily. He¡¯d exin the program to his grandparents if they did not understand it.

    They took a rest after lunch. Then they went to rece the spring couplets. The spring couplets posted on the door announced brightly, ¡°Heaven adds time and people get older; spring fills the world and blessing fills the door.¡±

 Chapter 358: Happy New Year

    <h4>Chapter 358: Happy New Year</h4>

    On the night of the New year¡¯s Eve, the big national tv event would start at 8 pm. Even though the rating slid as the years went by, many families still tuned into the show. Some through tv and others through the inte.

    At the backstage where there was no camera, Phecda members patrolled the stage with the local security. This was not an actual live broadcast, there was a certain dy and some pre-recorded segments. This was to allow leeway for minor idents. However, if a big tragedy happened, the event would crumble, and it would naturally cause serious consequences. A big stage like this was perfect for the Conqueror Worm so no one dared to let their guard down. Gu Jun had warned Phecda about this concern as well. Because of that, Xie Yiman would be absent from the event. Those attending the Phecda segment were members who had no participation in the Mutated Scale Disease.

    ¡°Nothing¡¯s out of ce backstage.¡± Lou Xiaoning reported tomand central. She led a small unit of patrol. The backstage was huge and it was split into many different sections. The reporters and celebrities were extremely busy. Phecda members had sharper intuition than normal people. They were basically scanners for abnormal activities. Lou Xiaoning¡¯s left eye looked around and told one of the newer members, Lv Zhidong, ¡°Be on your guard.¡± Lv Zhidong was a member from the local Special Mobile Force. He just got promoted to join the Ancient Seal Department. He was a good fighter butcked experience, amon problem with most of the new recruits. ¡°Those bastards like to strike when you¡¯re happiest so do not let your guard down until the event is officially over...¡±

    ...

    Dances, songs, sketches, the program went smoothly. Some were naturally more exciting than the others. It was soon 9.30 pm. One of the highlights of the event that day was undeniably the appearance of the Phecda Members, in fact most of the audience tuned in for this reason only. With the host egging on the atmosphere, a team of 30 members walked onto the stage amidst thunderous apuse. There were males and females. They all wore clean-cut uniforms. They said in unison. ¡°Phecda wishes the whole country a happy Chinese New Year!¡±

    All eyes were on them. Many youths felt their blood boil. At Eastern State City, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s family was tuning in as well. Chen Jiahwa was naturally excited. A st of energy coursed through his body. He would work extra hard during the training ss! He would join Phecda, be a part of Special Mobile Force, to pay tribute to his idol, Gu Jun!

    At Guang Ting City, Cai Zixuan¡¯s family was also in front of the tv. His family was proud of him. To be honest, Cai Zixuan was far senior than any of the members who took the stage but his grandparents who did not grasp much of the situation sighed, wishing their grandson was as winning as these young people on the tv.

    Cai Zixuan did not correct them. Certain details he wanted to keep away from his family. Instead he sighed, ¡°May we all be blessed with longevity.¡±

    ...

    Night fell at San Hai City. During the tragedy, many of Deng Ruotong¡¯s friends passed away. Thankfully, her family was spared from the tragedy because they were away on a trip.

    One day, she received a phone call from the legendary Gu Jun out of the blue. Gu Jun exined that he received a request from Shen Haoxuan to tell her about his crush. He wanted to wish her good luck at Shen Shi University... After the call ended, Deng Ruotong sighed. So many things... none of them were given the chance to tell each other. Shen Haoxuan did not have the chance to attend Shen Shi University but neither did Deng Ruotong. That was because she was selected to join Phecda University and would be joining the special training ss soon.

    When the memorial segment came on the tv, the living room was quiet. In fact, the whole city was quiet. The host made a live connection with people posted at San Hai City. Families for some of the frontline workers appeared on screen. One of them was He Feng¡¯s family. Mrs. He had tears in her eyes. The seven-year-old Niu Niu struggled to keep her tears from falling when she said proudly, ¡°My daddy is a hero.¡±

    A nket of mncholy settled over Deng Ruotong. Suddenly she stood up and walked back to her room. Ever since the epidemic, she had been avoiding her newly-minted book of graduation photos. But for some reason, she feltpelled to look through it that night. There were 45 people in her ss. Their familiar faces stared at her. Everyone was smiling as if they could not wait to rush into their bright future.

    Deng Ruotong¡¯s fingers caressed their faces. Zhong Meihan was dead, Xiao Yirou was dead, Chen Shan was dead, Lee Tingting was dead... Shen Haoxuan was dead, Liu Hui was dead, Wang Wenyuan was dead, Zhang Zhiwei was dead... Of the graduating ss, less than half of them remained. The epidemic had passed but at what cost...

    ¡°Everyone, happy Chinese New Year...¡± Deng Routong whispered to the smiling faces. ¡°I promise to work hard on your behalf during the training.¡±

    ...

    At Shen Hai City¡¯s Wu family, things were busy since early morning. Both Wu Siyu¡¯s parents and her aunt had a single daughter. Their extended family gravitated towards children so Wu Siyu¡¯s grandparents, uncle and cousin arrived one after another. Gu Jun was weed as part of the family. Gu Jun showed respect to his seniors but in the presence of so many elders, a troubling thought kept bothering him... He wondered if he had any grandparents still alive. When he was young, his parents told him that they were the only family he had but now he could not be so sure. Back when he encountered them in the stone que, his parents said that they were born in a family of R¡¯yleh worshippers... That meant he was part of a family tree. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if any branches of the tree were still present in this world.

    His concern for the event¡¯s safety also caused his nerves to be taut. The strange feeling made a return.

    Everyone gathered around the tv to watch the show. When Phecda members took the stage, Kedou jumped up in cheer. But Gu Jun and Wu Siyu only cheered when the whole show was over. Nothing happened, everything went smoothly. They were unable to rx until the final program ended.

    As the night went on, the elders slowly retired. Kedou slowly drifted away on the couch. She proimed that she would stay up until midnight to wee in the new year but it was now only approaching 11 pm. As they reached the midnight countdown, Wu Siyu yed the sound of firecrackers on her phone. Kedou¡¯s eyes flitted blurrily. She was just in time for the countdown.

    Wu Siyu announced loudly, ¡°It¡¯s finally new year! Time for angpao!¡± Once Kedou heard the term angpao, she jumped up from the couch. She went around the room, shouting, ¡°Happy new year, thank you for the angpao!¡±

    Mother and Father Wuughed as they handed the red packet to their niece. Wu Siyu then lined up behind Kedou, ¡°I hope you haven¡¯t forgotten about me.¡±

    Gu Junughed and joined in the festivities. ¡°Happy new year!¡±

    The credits rolled on screen. Gu Jun gave a real sigh of relief. He epted the angpao from Wu Siyu¡¯s parents and other seniors. He also gifted angpao of his own. He went on the inte and scrolled through the news... There were no idents...

    Despite the presence of many seniors, he could not help but pull Wu Siyu into his arms. He nted a kiss on her. They were friends and lovers. Before he said anything, Wu Siyu read his mind. She squeezed him back and her eyes shone softly, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, happy new year.¡±

    ¡°Happy New Year.¡± Gu Jun nodded with a smile. Everything was worth it, for this very moment, every pain that he suffered was worth it.

    Faces of his friends crossed his mind. ¡®Captain Xue, everyone... we¡¯ve all achieved something here. Happy new year. May all of us have a life of bliss and longevity.¡¯

 Chapter 359: Jiang Nan Historical Town

    <h4>Chapter 359: Jiang Nan Historical Town</h4>

    For the first three days of the new year, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu enjoyed themselves thoroughly at Shen Hai City. They admired the blooming orchids in the day and visited thentern festivals at night. Sometimes, they went alone while at other times, they were apanied by Wu Siyu¡¯s parents. But whenever Kedou was there, there would never be a boring moment. On the fourth day, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu¡¯s family visited a nearby historical city.

    This was a Jiang Nan historical town famed for its canals and decorative bridges. The ssically-designed buildings and streets were beautifully decorated. Rednterns dangled from roof beams and there were lion dances to help bring in the new year. Gu Jun and Siyu babysat Kedou. They visited all the points of interest. Each of them munched on new year candy, the situation could not have been any sweeter.

    ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, I notice someone is following us.¡± Kedou suddenly announced mysteriously. Gu Jun¡¯s heart tensed, the nerves that rxed for days instantly pulled taut, ¡°What?!¡± Wu Siyu surreptitiously looked around. They were standing before a small stone bridge. The crowd was heavy. Everyone was dressed in new year clothes. Some were taking pictures, others wereughing and chatting among themselves. There were couples toying with each other and families posing for the camera...

    ¡°Over there.¡± Kedou pointed behind them, ¡°The group in the grey clothes. They¡¯ve been following us. In fact, I even saw them yesterday.¡±¡®Grey clothes?¡¯ Gu Jun turned to look. After confirming once more with Kedou, Gu Jun broke outughing, it was Captain Gao from their security group. Captain Gao¡¯s team had been doing surveince work while they enjoyed themselves. Theirs was a hard job.

    ¡°They are your Sister Siyu¡¯s and my friends.¡± Gu Jun exined with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re here to y too but they don¡¯t want to disturb us.¡± He stole a nce at Wu Siyu, his glowing eyes seemed to say, ¡®your little cousin is extremely clever.¡¯ For a 5 years old girl, her power of observation was off the charts. After these few days of interaction, Gu Jun confirmed she was not only not naughty, she was extremely loveable. Wu Siyu titled her head and fired back with a frown that said, ¡®Just you wait and see.¡¯

    ¡°But why can¡¯t they join us?¡± Kedou asked with her big eyes blinking, ¡°Can I go over to get to know them? I also want to be their friend.¡±

    ¡°You just want to get angpao from them.¡± Wu Siyu exposed her directly. Kedou giggled and retorted, ¡°Well, who wouldn¡¯t want a good new year cheer?!¡± Thus the two led Kedou towards the guards. Gu Jun called for Captain Gao¡¯s team to stop and introduced Kedou to them. Captain Gao¡¯s team was obviously not prepared for this. They did not carry any angpao packet on them but thankfully Gu Jun managed to stealthily sneak them some. And thus ended the meeting between Kedou and Captain Gao¡¯s team.

    After they walked away, Kedou posed another question, ¡°Where are your other friends? They have been following us since yesterday too.¡± Hearing that, Gu Jun could not help getting a bit anxious. He led Kedou to meet up with the guards who cleared the way for them. Even though a child wouldn¡¯t understand much, they often had high spirituality and possessed sensitivity that adultscked. Would Kedou have noticed... things that they missed?

    After meeting all the guards, Wu Siyu asked, ¡°Kedou, is there anyone else following us that you have not met? Think clearly about it. If you answer it correctly, I¡¯ll give you a big angpao.¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Kedou¡¯s face scrunched up in thought, ¡°Maybe, maybe not...¡±

    ¡°I need a confirmed answer. There¡¯s no cheating.¡± Wu Siyu continued to patiently dig for information, ¡°It can be more than people, if there¡¯s other things like cats or dogs following us, you can tell us too.¡±

    ¡°Anything works?¡± Kedou¡¯s eyes widened as she looked around. ¡°Let me think. But if I get this answer correct, I want another candy.¡±

    ¡°Okay, if you get it correct, I¡¯ll buy you a whole candy store.¡± Wu Siyu promised. Kedou cheered.

    At the same time, Gu Jun assessed their surroundings. Far down the street, a middle-aged man looked over. His heart chilled but the man¡¯s eyes soon moved away. Perhaps he was checking out Wu Siyu or he was looking over them. Someone at the stone bridge caught Gu Jun¡¯s attention because the smile on his face was extremely unnatural. But Gu Jun soon realized that was because he was posing for a picture and the man apparently was ufortable before the camera. ¡®Is this result of paranoia? I feel danger all around us...¡¯

    Wu Siyu popped a piece of candy into her mouth. ¡°If you get this right, you¡¯ll have so many sweets that your teeth will fall out.¡±

    ¡°I got it! There¡¯s nothing else following us but...¡± Kedou raised her hand to answer, ¡°The shadows.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by the shadows.¡± Gu Jun asked for more details. Kedou thought they were ying a game of riddles, so she too did not know how to exin. ¡®But... are the shadows justmon shadows...¡¯

    ¡°Bingo! Let us go candy shopping.¡± Wu Siyu led Kedou to a nearby stall selling new year candy.

    ¡®Shadow? Shadow?¡¯ Gu Jun frowned. When he pulled out of his thoughts, he realized both Wu Siyu and Kedou had gone missing. His heart squeezed in fear. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu?¡± He turned around and finally saw the duo walking back towards him. He rushed over to join them. He sighed in relief when he was in their proximity. But he still would not let go. He asked Kedou more about the shadow, this time even Wu Siyu joined in. They wanted to get Kedou to give them more descriptions about the shadows. Kedou was made confused by them. What was so unique about shadows?

    Eventually the two stopped and continued their itinerary at the historical town. As dusk arrived, they gradually put down their guard. However, they did report this to Captain Gao¡¯s team. Before night came, they met up with Siyu¡¯s family to find a nearby restaurant for dinner. They booked a riverside room. As they seated, the server came in with the drinks. Wu Siyu and Gu Jun were asked to make the order.

    ¡°He he, such a big harvest this year...¡± Kedou silently turned away from the adults and slipped over to the window beside the balcony. She took out the angpao from her pocket to count. The balcony had a ss window that offered the view of the canals. It was very safe so the adults did not interrupt her. They were used to the girl¡¯s naughty ways. 1, 2, 3... Kedou¡¯s hands were overloaded with angpao. She could buy so many toys. Her mom promised to help her save the money but honestly, she¡¯d prefer to buy toys or new clothes with the money.

    At that moment, something caught Kedou¡¯s attention. There was someone standing across the river. Amidst the crowd, there was someone who stopped to look at her. It was a member of a lion dance troupe. He wore a smiling buddha mask. The frozen smile on the mask turned towards Kedou and thetter couldn¡¯t help but smile back.

 Chapter 360: Split Cross

    <h4>Chapter 360: Split Cross</h4>

    ¡°He he he,¡± Kedou giggled as she waved out the window.

    ¡°Kedou, what are you looking at?¡± Kedou¡¯s mom noticed this and asked with confusion.

    ¡°There¡¯s a smiling buddha over the bank looking at us.¡± Kedou said. Once he heard that, Gu Jun jumped up from his seat. He hurried to the balcony and looked over the river. Once the smiling buddha saw him, the former turned and walked away. Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. He immediately took out his phone to call Captain Gao, ¡°Captain Gao, there¡¯s a man in a smiling buddha mask across the river who is acting strangely. Detain him.¡±

    At the same time, Wu Siyu led Kedou back to the dining table and assured her family that everything was fine. The guards had been patrolling the opposite bank because that was a perfect vantage point to attack Gu Jun¡¯s booked room. Therefore, once Gu Jun gave that order, Lin Ziyong led a few of his colleagues to immediately surround the man in the smiling buddha mask. They moved swiftly and effectively in ount of the crowd. Gu Jun observed the operation from the balcony. The man in the mask immediately panicked. He gestured wildly before removing his mask. It was a young man.

    ¡°Doctor Gu, the man ims that he is just taking a break by the riverside.¡± Lin Ziyong reported. Soon, the other members of the young man¡¯s lion dance troupe walked over. They frowned when they saw their friend detained by the police.

    ¡°Detain all of them for now...¡± Gu Jun was unsure himself. ¡°There¡¯s something strange about this...¡± His head was pounding. He returned to the dinner but the food felt tasteless. His heart worried nonstop. After dinner, he pulled Wu Siyu over to whisper, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, I don¡¯t think we should return home tonight. Maybe it¡¯s a better idea to stay overnight at Phecda.¡± Wu Siyu knew about his concern. His worry was not unfounded so she nodded.

    Gu Jun immediately had Captain Gao call for reinforcement. Wu Siyu¡¯s family was escorted towards Shen Hai City¡¯s Phecda division base. They were ced at a safehouse meant for members of Phecda. Kedou was curious about everything that she saw. She treated this as another part of the holiday but the adults could not help but worry. This was not how they envisioned spending the new year.

    The night passed peacefully. The people from the Investigation Department interrogated the man in the smiling buddha mask. The man admitted to waving at a girl by the window but that was part of his job. He was to bring cheer to children. After a long series of investigation and background check, the Investigation Department cleared the man and his troupe. But they had to be detained for days before their release. On the afternoon of the fifth day of New Year, Gu Jun and Siyu¡¯s family left the base. It was yet another fake scare. This was not the first time it happened and it would not be thest. Gu Jun felt quite guilty to have ruined the lion dance troupe¡¯s new year holiday... But he could not shake off the sting of imminent danger. He felt like someone was targeting them but he could not put his finger on it... PTSD and paranoia. Was that everything to it? His mood tensed again.

    ¡®Even though I¡¯m spared from further cerebral damage, can I really return to a normal life?¡¯ Now whenever he walked down the streets, every pedestrian took on an evil glint in his eyes. And the question popped up every so often... It was as if there was a voice warning him incessantly, ¡®Gu Jun, do you think everything is over now? Do you think you can leave just like that? You can¡¯t escape from your destiny no matter how hard you try. You are born for the purpose of misfortune, it shall follow in your wake...¡¯

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, go back and have a good sleep.¡± When they parted that night, Wu Siyu consoled him. ¡°Nothing happened is a good thing.¡±

    When Gu Jun returned to the hotel, the conspicuousck of Wu Siyu and Kedou¡¯s voice amplified the anxiety in his heart.

    ¡®Misfortune...¡¯ He thought, ¡®Perhaps temporarily I should stay away from Siyu and Kedou. In fact, maybe I should go into seclusion.¡¯ He was afraid of bringing misfortune upon others. He was afraid that his friends would be targeted due to their proximity to him. Gu Jun sat on the couch and watched mindlessly the show on the tv. His brain pounded from the befuddling thoughts. When he felt sleepy, it was already 10 pm. It was time for bed but he felt too listless to move. He decided to do a Wu Siyu and copsed down on the couch. He didn¡¯t want to grab the remote to switch off the tv. Even though he was not watching it, he appreciated it as a background noise. It helped to silence the voices in his head somewhat. He narrowed his eyes at the screen. It was showing a sketch. Theedians got guffaws from the audience. After who knew how long, Gu Jun¡¯s vision blurred but his mind still felt wide awake. He entered a state of semi-somnolence...

    He heard the constant sound of static. Was it from the tv? But this kind of new model should not produce this kind of sound. But through the white noise, a firm male voice said, ¡°If you can hear us.... We are... innocent...¡±

    Gu Jun snapped out of it immediately. However, he tried to keep his emotion as even as possible to allow the white noise to continue...¡¯It¡¯s that voice again. I definitely heard it this time. It¡¯s not an illusion. The voice¡¯s tone and range are the same. Is it a recording or a live broadcast? Who or what is this? Is it really due to my recent anxiety and paranoia?¡¯

    ¡°Please do not... tell anyone else... signal weaken...¡±

    ¡®Signal!¡¯ Gu Jun heard clearly the term signal but what did the whole sentence mean? ¡®Please do not tell anyone else about this voice or else the signal will weaken?¡¯ He based this judgement on the fact that since he revealed his previous discovery to Phecda and Dirty-minded Yu, he did not encounter another broadcast for a whole week. Gu Jun decided to think about thatter, for now he needed to focus on the signal. But his headache soon took over and the male voice wavered.

    ¡°Help... us... symbol...¡± There were too many holes in this sentence because the words came too intermittently. He had trouble specting the meaning but he did catch two of the terms clearly.

    Help. Was he to provide help or the voice was there to help him?

    Symbol? When he saw Wu Siyu¡¯s painting for the first time, it was also the only time he encountered the fleeting appearance of a symbol...

    Then, Gu Jun¡¯s vision blurred further. The LED screen filled up with white static. The feeling... was that of an illusion... The surroundings shifted. Inside another dpidated room, he was seated before an obsolete model of a television. The two televisions ovepped over each other and a symbol appeared on the screens.

    It looked like an X but upon closer inspection, there was a gap in the middle. It was a split cross.

 Chapter 361: GOAâ€™s First Special Mobile Force

    <h4>Chapter 361: GOA¡¯s First Special Mobile Force</h4>

    The cross, like the circle and the line, is one of the oldest symbols in human history. It could be seen in cave paintings of many ancient civilizations. The cross has many variations to its form, a split cross is one of them.

    Inside the quiet hotel, the LED tv had been switched off. Gu Jun used a ck marker to trace out the symbol on A4 paper. In his semi-illusory state, it was this symbol that he saw. He was sure of that. The experience halted due to a pounding headache. During his study into ultism, he did look through some literature on the philosophy of symbols before. The current academia had no consensus on the meaning of these ancient symbols. They might be nothing more than the prehistoric man¡¯s artistic expression.

    ¡°The signal gave me this symbol but what for?¡± Gu Jun thought aloud. The man behind the voice might be evil and this was part of his wicked n. But what if, as the voice imed, they were innocent? When Gu Jun first returned from the Dreands, he received intervention from the future. It was a tremendous help during the King of Yellow¡¯s incident.

    ¡°I saw thisst time on Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s painting and this time it was on a tv screen... Both of them are a form of pictorial medium. Is that one of the conditions required? It requires a medium to transmit this symbol? Or is there something special about Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s painting? She said the painting was of the sky... Sky of nothingness...¡± He decided to have a deeper chat with Wu Siyu about this but then another warning came into his mind, ¡®Telling others might weaken the symbol.¡¯

    In the end, after much contemtion, Gu Jun decided to keep this to himself for now to see if the next signal would return with greater rity. If he was grasped by madness, he wanted to see for himself the face of madness and not drag others down with him.

    ...

    Even during the lunar new year, GOA continued to work. Since its announcementst August, both GOA and WMO had achieved actual progress through the joint effort tobat Mutated Scale Disease and multiple months of negotiation. GOA¡¯s goal was tobat dark forces and eliminate evil organizations all over the world. They would pour in their elite force into any member country that faced such problems. The situation would be swiftly dealt with and contained so it would not spread to cause a global emergency. The main focus was often to find the source and vanquish them. To achieve that, an effective Special Mobile Force was necessary. Through former experience, a team of small elites was more crucial than arge army to forge a way to victory.

    GOA¡¯s first Special Mobile Force was still unnamed but it would consist of the best agents from each member country. The current member number was fixed at around 20 to 30 people. On the seventh day of new year, at Phecda¡¯s headquarters, the representatives from various countries gathered inside arge conference room. They sat along the side of the conference table and turned to look at therge monitor. The monitor consisted of a brief introduction and a headshot of the few members Phecda intended to join GOA¡¯s first Special Mobile Force.

    Lou Xiaoning, Deng Ximei, Ma Feng, Peacock, Mchite

    Seeing the list, the other representatives frowned.

    ¡°This...¡±¡±Why is Mr. Gu not on the list?¡±¡±What is the meaning of this?¡± Other than Russia who already knew the truth, representatives from the US and UK showed great dissatisfaction and confusion. It was not that these offered members were not good enough but how could it be the best Mobile Force without Gu Jun? They knew about Gu Jun¡¯s heavy injury anda but hadn¡¯t he woken up already? After all, it was Phecda themselves who imed that his recovery was going well.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen.¡± Elder Tong interrupted sternly, ¡°Please quiet down for a moment and I¡¯ll exin. Gu Jun¡¯s health condition is veryplicated. You should understand why Phecda released positive information about his recovery. But to tell the truth, the opposite is true. Unfortunately, he needs a break from the frontline.¡± The official statement of Gu Jun¡¯s perfect convalesce was merely to scare the cultists...¡±Yes, that means that Gu Jun won¡¯t be joining us any time soon.¡±

    A nket of silence fell over the room. The representatives looked at each other, this was truly bad news...

    ¡°How bad is his situation?¡± Frank Davis, the representative from FBM asked. His face under white beard wrinkled.

    ¡°Very bad.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s tone lowered. ¡°I¡¯ll put it this day, Gu Jun now suffers from symptoms of PTSD.¡± The faces of the other representatives darkened. For a moment, they did not know what to say. They knew what PTSD meant, especially for someone who had to interact with the supernatural often. It was like a candle was snuffed out. No longer how bright it shone before, now it was nothing but darkness and wax.

    Even Yao Sinian felt the gloom draped over him. Gu Jun¡¯s holiday had started less than a month ago but the recovery shown was not optimistic. There were many reports of his paranoia, like suspicion of people in his room and presence of enemy during family outings. He tried to be reasonable but... This was definitely not a good sign. Many PTSD victims were eventually pushed towards drug use and alcoholism due to reasons like these.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be frank. Will Mr. Gu ever return?¡± Gaiman Ashe from the UK asked. Everyone wanted to know the answer.

    ¡°No one can tell for sure.¡± Elder Tong sighed helplessly. ¡°But for now, we can only hope that our hero can have some peaceful days ahead and that is already the best we can pray for.¡± The group was silent. It meant that... There was probably no more hope for Gu Jun. This was good news in a way for FBM because the loss of Gu Jun would be a big blow to GOA and Phecda, but Davis and Ashe found themselves unable to find joy. The loss of Gu Jun would also be a great loss to the world too.

    ¡°Even without Gu Jun, the five we sent are the absolute best of the best.¡± Elder Tong changed the subject, ¡°Especially this Deng Ximei, she has immense potential.¡± The other representatives were given some time to get to know the five better through their profiles. After Phecda, the other representatives revealed the choice of their agents to join this first Special Mobile Force. Each country sent about 3 to 5 agents.

    For Russia, there were Maxim Kusov, Karina Sokolova, Ivan Nikilov... From FBM, Helen ire, Sam Watt, Danny Austin...

    ...

    Gu Jun did not tell anyone about the second signal that he received. Three dayster, when he slumbered on the couch in front of the tv, the third signal appeared. Even though the content was simr tost time, everything was clearer.

    Finally, Gu Jun revealed this information to Wu Siyu and held her to secrecy. He had his friends at Phecda research into the symbolism of the split cross. He did not exin the true origin of the cross, he merely said it was something he saw in an illusion. He requested the organization to pay attention to its various iterations.

    Due to his PTSD, Gu Jun¡¯s words were not treated as seriously as before. However, Phecda still sent some members to look into the split cross but they found nothing. The symbol was not known among any of the Phecda¡¯s files on evil organizations. This lowered Gu Jun¡¯s credibility even further.

    Another 3 days passed but the signal did not return. There was no sign of it on the following day either.

 Chapter 362: Pile of Dolls

    <h4>Chapter 362: Pile of Dolls</h4>

    On the 13th of February, a news article shook the world. GOA¡¯s first Special Mobile Force, The One was officially announced! The unit was formed by elites from various countries. During the press conference, the members revealed themselves to the world. There were Lou Xiaoning, Ma Feng from Phecda, Sam Watt from FBM, Maxim Kusov from Russia. There were seven members in total. They turned towards the camera to read out GOA¡¯s alliance deration. They would put aside international conflict to swear to protect global safety.

    This news was heavily reported all over the world. The biggest question was, ¡®Where was Gu Jun?¡¯ ording to the official statement, Gu Jun was still resting but should The One need him, he would return. However, the public was not so easily fooled and conspiracies started to fly... That was not helped by the fact that star agents from FBM like Bell Grant and Polina Grisman from Europe were not part of the One.

    They probably were waiting for WMO to form their own unit. After what happened to Gu Jun at Dagon¡¯s Ind, they were less than confident in GOA¡¯s effort since it was ultimately led by the Chinese.

    ...

    On the fifth day of the new year, Phecda¡¯s special training ss officially started. 50 students from Phecda University and 50 members chosen from other channelsmitted to a secret training at Northern Desert Phecda Division. The trainees passed their days in difficult training. The only time they could ess outside information was through the newspaper provided at the canteen. The news about the One inspired them. However, most spent the break for a quick nap as mental power training required a fresh mind.

    On the first day of training, the main lecturer, Prof Shen told them, ¡°Gu Jun and Wu Siyu spent their first two years training at this ce. After their training, their mental power reached a very high number. Gu Jun was 75 and Siyu 70. They both achieved 10 points increase within a month. If any of you can reach 70 points by the end of the training, then congrattions, your future will be immensely bright.¡± Prof Shen did not reveal to them what their initial mental power point was, he only told them to focus on their training.

    On the first day of training, the students received another shock. One of their trainers was a boy around 11 years old. He was Xiao Xu, the boy who had Asperger¡¯s. The boy started the training with Gu Jun and Siyu. Prof Shen reminded them to not underestimate Xiao Xu due to his age for his mental power was far higher than any of them and he had not even celebrated his 12th birthday yet. Even though Xiao Xu was extremely reticent, he was not unapproachable. Some of the girls even surrounded him to press him for gossip about Gu Jun.

    ¡°None of you have a chance...¡± Xiao Xu said softly, ¡°When I saw Gu Jun and Wu Siyu for the first time, I knew they¡¯d end up together...¡± This dampened some of the girls¡¯ spirit but others asked him why.

    ¡°Statistics.¡± Xiao Xu answered, ¡°Coincidences are sometimes actually necessities...¡±

    The gossip was a little brightener in their training. However, Xiao Xu¡¯sment did cause some ripples among the young trainees, because they needed to pair up into duos before their official training started. There would be male and female in a pair, this was to mimic the sess story of Gu Jun and Siyu. A close rtionship was a double-edged sword, it could strengthen the pair¡¯s bond but it was also a burden. The human heart was not made of steel. After extended periods together, feelings would surface and that could be used by the darker forces as leverage.

    Prof Shen allowed them freedom to pick their own partner. Those without any partner by the end of the session would be randomly paired. Chen Jiahwa quite liked a girl he recognized from Phecda University. He approached her to ask her to form a pair. She agreed. Her name was Deng Ruoxiang, she was pretty and kind.

    ...

    For couples, 2022 was a very special year. February 14th was western Valentine¡¯s while February 15th was Chinese Valentine¡¯s. For Gu Jun and Wu Siyu, these two holidays were extremely precious because after the 15th, Wu Siyu would have to report back to work. Even though her apaniment was good for Gu Jun¡¯s recovery, she was also needed elsewhere. For example, Lucky demanded for her to be trantor for the Zoogs¡ªhe had trouble conversing with anyone on Earth except for Wu Siyu. If humanity could not even show the Zoogs that little sincerity, then there was no need to talk about an alliance.

    Regarding this, Gu Jun wished for Wu Siyu to return too. He could see the big picture. Therefore, on thest two days of her holiday, they wanted to be together without any other disturbance. They wanted to spend some alone time. They travelled to Su Hang and booked a private suite by theke. The mysterious signal did not reappear but Gu Jun knew it could not be forced so he tried to enjoy the sweet moments as long as he could. After two days of ying, the couple returned to their suite.

    Before Gu Jun entered the room, he told Captain Gao¡¯s team in a very serious tone to move their guard station away from the door. They could watch the surveince or patrol the hotel, in fact he even told them to go on a break for the night. Just stay the fuck away from the door.

    ...

    As night fell so did the rain at Shen Hai City. It was Kedou¡¯s bedtime already. To train her independence, Kedou was given her own bedroom since she was young. After Mother Lee snuggled Kedou into her bed and read two bedtime stories for her, Kedou¡¯s eyes were dimming. Mother Lee put down the book and kissed her daughter on her forehead, ¡°Good night.¡± Switching off the bedsidemp, she exited the room. She had her own Valentine¡¯s celebration with her husband. However, after Mother Lee closed the door, Kedou¡¯s eyes flew open. Her eyes looked around. The room was dark and everything was shrouded in bleakness. Her eyes eventually settled on the pile of dolls in the corner...

    As she stared at it, her young face suddenly broke into a smile. Kedou sat up in bed and said softly, ¡°You¡¯re finally here. I can see you now.¡± Then, a human figure walked out from the pile of dolls. She wore a red lion dance outfit, the mask of the smiling buddha and carried arge fan. The person took deliberate steps until she reached Kedou¡¯s bedside.

    ¡°I want to listen to the stories!¡± Kedou said excitedly, ¡°Stories about man-eating monsters!¡±

    ¡°Of course...¡± The smiling buddha wiggled its head at her and looked quite funny. Kedou broke outughing but she quickly mped her hands over her mouth. She then winked at the smiling buddha. The rain poured even harder, dimming the sound inside the child¡¯s bedroom but Kedou¡¯sughter eventually grew so loud that she was overheard by her parents in the living room. They pushed open the door in confusion and switched on the light. They saw their daughter sitting on the edge of her bed and she could not stopughing.

    Mother Lee frowned, ¡°Lee Kedou, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    ¡°Who were you talking to?¡± Father Lee looked around but saw nothing suspicious. Did Kedou wake up to y with her toys?

    ¡°Big sister says I can tell you now.¡± Kedou¡¯s eyes brightened from joy, ¡°She just left.¡±

    Mother Lee and Father Lee were shocked. ¡°Big Sister? Who is that?¡± As they understood, Siyu was not staying at their home.

    ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s big sister!¡± Kedou exined with a smile, ¡°We are good friends, she has beening to tell me stories every night.¡±

 Chapter 363: Big Sister

    <h4>Chapter 363: Big Sister</h4>

    The moon shone like a shining disc on theke surface. The night breeze caused flickering ripples as it also ruffled the cotton curtains in the suite.

    ¡°Cheers.¡± The two figures by the balcony raised their sses to each other. It clinked beautifully. Gu Jun drank juice because he was not supposed to touch alcohol in his condition. Siyu though had red wine. Her cheeks flushed and it made her look even more alluring. He hugged her by her waist. Siyu could read his thoughts. It had been enough time since his surgery and tonight was such a special moment...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, you know, there¡¯s a good thing about this.¡± She said, ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t be able to even touch you.¡±

    Gu Jun smiled. She would feel cut by a scalpel whenever she touched him in the past. ¡°Oh, but I assure you, it¡¯s still very pointy and sharp.¡±

    ¡°Tsk...¡± Wu Siyu rolled her eyes before smiling, ¡°O well.¡± They put down the sses and went for a kiss. Hemented on the taste of alcohol while she groaned about his taste of salt. They continued their kiss all the way back into the room. Suddenly the phone rang. The two stopped. He kissed her forehead helplessly. It was her phone. They really did not want to be disturbed that night but sometimes duty called.

    ¡°Hopefully, it¡¯s a telemarketer...¡± Wu Siyu walked towards the living room to pick up her phone. Gu Jun hugged her from behind. He sniffed her hair and askedzily, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, have you considered keeping long hair?¡± As she picked up her phone, she answered, ¡°I did when I was young but it was too troublesome to maintain so I had to cut it short.¡± Wu Siyu nced at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s my aunt.¡± She answered it. ¡°Hello? Is there anything wrong, auntie?¡±

    Gu Jun was very close so he too could hear Mother Lee¡¯s nervous response from the phone, ¡°Siyu, something weird has happened to Kedou.¡± Kedou¡¯s mother recounted the event, ¡°She said it was Ah Jun¡¯s big sister and she has beening to tell her stories every night and the stories are all about monsters eating people...¡± Hearing that, Siyu¡¯s mind cleared up immediately. She could sense a trill of eerie voice and the smell of blood...

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart froze. His heart squeezed from anger and shock. His head started to pound. ¡®It¡¯s finally here...¡¯ He shook his head at Wu Siyu and whispered, ¡°I do not have a big sister... at least not in my memory...¡±¡®But could I have one?¡¯ Gu Jun could not give a rational and affirmative no. It could be a step sister, half sister, or even a blood sister. After all, his family background was a whole lie. The only truth he had was, ¡®We were born in a family of R¡¯yleh worshippers...¡¯

    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll immediately send my colleague over to your house. Then Dirty-minded Jun and I will hurry there as well. Keep an eye on Kedou.¡± Over these past few days, Wu Family and Lee Family were under protection from Phecda but that indirectly showed the severity of the situation. None of their high spirituality colleagues noticed this infiltration. Before Wu Siyu ended her call, Gu Jun already pulled out his own phone to call for reinforcement. He wanted Captain Gao to assign a helicopter to fly them back but due to the uncertainty of the situation, Phecda advised against it. A car ident was easier to avoid than a ne ident so they settled for a truck.

    Wu Siyu asked her auntie for more information. Kedou did not know the name of Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s big sister but she said the woman¡¯s voice was mellifluous and had a great sense of humor. She appeared in the form of the man with the smiling buddha mask. Gu Jun believed it was not the man whom they saw at the historical city, after all, their whole troupe was still behind bars. Gu Jun believed Kedou was visited by another shadow... Perhaps, the shadow had simply made use of the smiling buddha¡¯s image...

    Captain Gao soon arrived to knock on their suite door. The couple shared a look which spoke of many emotions. Their Valentine¡¯s had to end early. On the way back to Shen Hai City, Gu Jun bubbled in anger. He knew the bastards woulde after him... but through a five-year-old girl? That was a new low. Even though Mother Lee taught her daughter well to stay away from strangers but this was not a normal stranger, they knew how to appeal to a young child¡¯s imagination... Those bastards...

    Could this be rted to those mysterious signals and symbols? Gu Jun was not sure.

    When they arrived at Shen Hai City, Wu Family was already transferred to the safehouse but to preserve the crime scene, Lee Family was asked to stay at their home. Kedou had no idea what happened, she even slipped off to sleep on the living room couch. When Gu Jun and Siyu arrived at the heavily guarded Lee Family, it was already dawn. Kedou was shaken awake by her mother. When the girl saw the duo, she cheered, ¡°Sister Siyu, Brother Dirty-minded Jun!¡± Seeing them, both Father Lee and Mother Lee sighed in relief.

    ¡°Kedou.¡± Wu Siyu grabbed her cousin into a hug. She sighed and then groused, ¡°Are you doing this because you¡¯re envious of my handsome boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Kedou answered brightly, ¡°What have I done?¡± Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but ruffle the young girl¡¯s hair. Seeing how cheerful she was, the weight left his shoulders. Who could me the girl? Of course, she should have told the adults about this but none of them asked her either. Furthermore, it was too easy for dark forces to trick a five-year-old girl... ording to Kedou, it was the big sister who told her to keep it a secret because she wanted to give Gu Jun a big surprise. Furthermore, due to fairy tales, it was easy for Kedou to ept a person materializing from a pile of dolls. On top of that, Kedou knew from tv how powerful Siyu and Gu Jun were so it was nothing too strange for Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s big sister to have some tricks up her sleeves as well.

    Before they entered the heavily guarded child¡¯s bedroom, Wu Siyu signed an Ancient Seal on Kedou. Kedou only cheered, ¡°Yay, fireworks!¡± There was no sign of mental corruption. But seeing this, Gu Jun¡¯s headache intensified. Kedou¡¯s parents did not know about the Ancient Seal so their jaws fell open.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just a newly designedser equipment.¡± Wu Siyu opened her palm to show them something. ¡°It¡¯s used to check a person¡¯s mental status and Kedou is doing just fine.¡± What they saw on their niece¡¯s palm was just a normal-looking key...

    ¡°Kedou, we¡¯re going to your room now.¡± Wu Siyu ced the key back into her pocket and then picked up her cousin. ¡°How did youe to know this big sister. What kind of stories has she told you, can you tell Sister Siyu about them?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Kedou nodded. Then she turned to Gu Jun, ¡°But there is something I need to tell Brother Dirty-minded Jun first. It¡¯s a message from his big sister!¡± Before they could react, Kedou¡¯s expression shifted to take on a mask of terror. A hoarse voice said, ¡°My beloved little brother, good afternoon. The girl is very cute, but... she can be made cuter. This is a little new year present I have for you.¡± Her voice was strange like it was forced out from Kedou¡¯s throat and it sounded distressingly little like a human voice.

 Chapter 364: Lantern Festival (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 364: Lantern Festival (2in1)</h4>

    The strange voice made by Kedou shocked everyone in the living room. However, be it Wu Siyu or Gu Jun, other than the concern they had for Kedou, they did not feel the presence of any dark forces. When Kedou finished rying that sentence, she started to giggle and cried out happily, ¡°Surprise!¡± Her face took on the usual childlike and innocent smile, clearly this was just a game for her.

    ¡°Lee Kedou!¡± Mother Lee was so worried her eyes brimmed with tears. She fetched her daughter back from Wu Siyu, ¡°You gave me such a fright.¡± Father Lee paced worriedly. Everything that happened so far flustered the normal couple greatly.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be fine.¡± Wu Siyu patted Kedou¡¯s back as she consoled her aunt and uncle.

    ¡°Everything looks normal in here...¡± Captain Gao whispered to Gu Jun. They had just scanned Kedou¡¯s bedroom. Both cleansing stone and assessment stone showed no response. Combine that with Kedou¡¯s current condition, what happened earlier was not an actual mind control but more like a staged performance.

    ¡°Kedou, was it you who made that voice earlier?¡± Gu Jun asked as his headache intensified.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Kedou said proudly as if to show off, ¡°I¡¯ve studied it for days from your big sister. She said it was a style of singing, not many people can learn it but she praised me for picking it up so fast.¡± Kedou said before she continued in that strange voice, ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, don¡¯t you think I did a good job?¡± Hearing that strange voice, Gu Jun¡¯s heart responded with agitation. ¡®Is this a taunt or mockery from the enemy?¡¯

    But to their relief, at least this was just a mimicry done by Kedou. However, they had no idea how Kedou managed to learn to utilize her vocal cords and throat to make such a sound. Kedou herself could not exin it either, she said she just repeated what she was told.

    ¡°Silly girl, do not use that voice ever again.¡± Wu Siyu advised her cousin sternly, ¡°The big sister was ying with you, that was the sound of a pig grunting.¡± Gu Jun nodded, ¡°Yes, a very ugly pig at that.¡± They had no idea whether this was a part of a spell or not because casting a spell required the caster to first familiarize themselves with its castingnguage and tone. Perhaps Kedou had only mastered the vocal condition to cast the spell but not the content of the spell itself. Maybe this was the shadow¡¯s first step to corrupt the little girl. In any case, no one could tell whether talking in such a manner would leave a negative impact on her or not... But it was better to be safe than sorry.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Kedou gasped in shock. ¡°So I was tricked?¡± But instead of getting angry, she started tough. She found the whole thing just fun. She had no idea how great the worry she had caused the adults. The concern was palpable in the air. It was as if a noose was being slowly tightened around the girl¡¯s neck. They looked around but saw nothing.

    Wu Siyu had her aunt and uncle stay in the living room while she carried Kedou to follow Captain Gao¡¯s team into Kedou¡¯s bedroom. Gu Jun tagged along but he paid close attention to his mental status. He¡¯d leave should anything try to trigger his PTSD. There was nothing too special about this bedroom. The wall was painted sky blue and had paintings of cartoon characters. There was a children¡¯s bed with a wooden partition and all the furniture was child sized. The bookshelf was lined with storybooks and toys cluttered the floor. A pile of dolls sat at the corner of the room. Wu Siyu carried Kedou over and rummaged through the room. Earlier the guards had done a bomb sweep and found nothing suspicious.

    Wu Siyu had the same result. Only when she looked through the pile of dolls that her synesthesia started to act up. Her vision swam... But the feeling was not intense enough to cause actual illusion. Wu Siyu saw a blurry shadow who once visited the ce. The shadow possessed... immense power.

    On the other hand, when Gu Jun stepped into the room, for some reason, his childhood memory fragments and figments of foreign characters flooded his mind... His headache soon turned unbearable. His muscles tensed. Gu Jun took a deep breath before turning away from the room. After such a long time in recovery, his symptoms still showed no sign of alleviating... He could not even stand inside a room with a lingering supernatural presence.

    Wu Siyu eventually sat down on Kedou¡¯s bed and asked her for the details. Kedou described it with great amusement and interest, ¡°I met her at the historical town! Then she came to visit me at night. She told me stories, taught me how to sing and yed with me. She is a very good person!¡± Then Wu Siyu had Kedou retell the stories about the man-eating monster. Kedou said she liked those stories because she had not heard anything like them before.

    Kedou was quite excited in her recounting of the tales. ¡°The monster came from the sea. It was huge, as tall as the sky! With one yawning of its mouth, it swallowed up the whole city! But it is fine because everyone lived happily ever after inside its stomach. Oh, there is another one about a couple. They have been in love for a long time. On the day of their wedding, the monster came to visit and swallow them! They too had their happily ever after inside its stomach.¡± Kedou recounted several simr tales, they featured the sudden appearance of the monster and the people it swallowed having a happy ending in its stomach.

    When Gu Jun heard Wu Siyu¡¯s retelling in the living room, his heart chilled... The so-called big sister was growing the seed of darkness inside Kedou¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Kedou, have you ever since that big sister¡¯s face before?¡± Wu Siyu asked, ¡°Erm, I mean, has she ever taken off the smiling buddha mask?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? No, big sister said it¡¯s more fun to keep it on.¡± Kedou giggled. ¡°But she promised she¡¯d take it offter tonight!¡±

    ...

    After the investigation wrapped up at Lee Family, Captain Gao sent Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and the Lee Family to the Phecda safehouse. This incident shocked the people at headquarters. Elder Tong personally made the call to get more details from Gu Jun and Siyu. Other than proving that Gu Jun¡¯s recent paranoia was notpletely unfounded, the situation could not have been worse. After all, Kedou, their target this time, was only 5, but history showed that the R¡¯yleh Cult was not above harming children. Both Deng Ximei and Gu Jun were perfect examples...

    ¡®Gu Jun¡¯s big sister? Is that another Spirit Child?¡¯ But ording to Deng Ximei, there was no such character. Due to the uniqueness of Gu Jun¡¯s talent, the cultists wouldn¡¯t have assigned any other Spirit Child to be his stepsister.

    The Investigation Department was stumped. They had already checked Gu Jun¡¯s family background when he first joined Phecda. They found nothing then and they found nothing now. Regardless, they tried their best. Even the recently formed The One unit from GOA joined in the investigation. But naturally Gu Jun was banned from participating in any of these...

    On the next day, the preliminary investigation came up with nothing. Kedou¡¯s condition was stable. They were unsure how the enemy appeared inside the child¡¯s bedroom, it could be a mental connection or a type of spell. Since yesterday night, a gloom hung over Gu Jun. He was angry at the enemy but more at himself for being so helpless. His girlfriend¡¯s cousin was being targeted by the enemy but he could do nothing but to wait for that suspicious signal to return.

    What did the ¡®small new year present¡¯ mean? There should be more to this than that...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun,e, let¡¯s leave this ce.¡± Around 3 pm that afternoon, Wu Siyu came to visit Gu Jun. She pulled him towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ve reported this to the superior. We will continue with our holiday, in fact, I¡¯ve already booked a suite with a greatke view.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. ¡°At a time like this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Chinese Valentine¡¯s today.¡± Wu Siyu looked at him and shrugged. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to take the initiative this time. The news said that the next time two Valentine¡¯s oveps will be in the year 2041. That¡¯s 19 yearster. Just imagine how old and weak we¡¯ll be by then...¡±

    Gu Jun studied her beautiful face, her twinkling eyes and his blood boiled. ¡°Yes, we might be older then but I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll still be able to enjoy certain pleasure.¡± This time, it was he who dragged her along. ¡°The bastards wanted us to worry, then we should do our best to enjoy this Valentine¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only 3 pm now. It¡¯ll take one hour to reach the hotel.¡± Wu Siyumented. ¡°If we move fast, we will have plenty of time.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s brows raised with interest. But he only replied with a mysterious smile. ¡°Have you arranged for Captain Gao¡¯s team to stay away from the hotel door?¡±

    ¡°Erm, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Wu Siyu admitted, ¡°Will that be necessary?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s best if we do not disturb anyone, especially considering the ns that I have in mind.¡± Gu Jun answered wickedly.

    The duo burst into giggles. They raced down the corridor and left the depressing base to head towards the outside world.

    No one came to disturb them after they checked into their suite. One was 22, the other 21, there were plenty of activities to be done on such a special Valentine¡¯s.

 Chapter 365: Little Red Riding Hood

    <h4>Chapter 365: Little Red Riding Hood</h4>

    ¡°Big bad wolf knocked on the door and said, ¡®Little Red Riding Hood, it¡¯s me, grandma. Open the door, I brought cakes for you¡¯.¡± Inside the child¡¯s bedroom, the bedsidemp glowed warmly. Song Fang sat on the edge of the bed as she read the fairy tale to her daughter. She mimicked the wolf¡¯s wicked tone and said, ¡°Little Red Riding Hood, please open the door. Grandma has journeyed for so long and I¡¯m tired. And the cake is melting, please open the door.¡±

    Her six-year-old daughter, Hui Li listened attentively. Her small face scrunched up with nervousness as her eyes blinked. Actually this was not the first time little Hui Li heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood but it was her favourite story.

    ¡°After Little Red Riding Hood opened the door, the wolf swallowed her whole into its stomach.¡± Song Fang gasped with melodrama. Hui Li¡¯s eyes colored with shock. But Song Fang quickly added, ¡°But right at that moment, a hunter passed by. He screamed, ¡®Wolf, I¡¯ve finally found you!¡¯¡± The story ended in the usual way. The hunter ughtered the wolf and rescued Little Red Riding Hood. He then warned the girl to take good care of herself and be careful around strangers. When the story ended, Little Hui Li appeared pensive and her eyes blinked.

    ¡°Hui Li, howe you keep blinking tonight?¡± Song Fang noticed this and asked with concern, ¡°Do you feel something ufortable in your eyes?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Hui Li rubbed her eyes, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong.¡± Song Fang looked closer into her daughter¡¯s eyes and sighed surreptitiously when she saw no redness or puffiness. She put it down to her daughter¡¯s tiredness. After all, it had been continuous days of new year celebration. It was gettingte so she said, ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ll just read one story. Time to go to bed.¡±

    ¡°Okay...¡± Hui Li answered. But as her mother stood up, she said, ¡°Mummy, I¡¯m scared.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Mummy will stay here with you until you fall asleep, okay?¡± Song Fang sat there, watching her daughter fall asleep, which was soon. As a mother, she could not help but smile. Her daughter had a round face, longshes, cute nose and curved lips. She was her little angel. Hui Li was a clever little girl, she had never worried her parents before. Song Fang picked up her phone and quietly snapped a picture of her sleeping daughter. She uploaded it with the caption. ¡°She wants me to read her the Little Red Riding Hood but she got too scared to sleep alone. Baby, should there be a big bad wolf, mummy will do everything to protect you!¡±

    After the status was posted, Song Fang got manyments and likes. Most of them came from family and friends. Everyonemented on how cute Hui Li was and that made Song Fang happy and proud.

    ¡°Good night, little angel.¡± Song Fang then stood up to leave the room. After a few steps, she stopped and turned to the room corner. There was nothing there and she had no idea why she had the urge to look there earlier. After a few stares at the corner, Song Fang continued her way out of the room. Actually, Song Fang was only 33 this year. If she was younger, she¡¯d never be home on Valentine¡¯s Time, especially this year where two Valentine¡¯s were adjacent to each other. This kind of event happened perhaps once in a lifetime. Should she be 8 years younger, Song Fang would be out on a shopping spree with her boyfriend. But in her case, the boyfriend had be her husband, and a child had fitted into the picture. That changed everything. The family¡¯s focus was no longer on the adults but on the child.

    She and her husband had normal jobs. After taking away the fees like insurance and house loan, they had little allowance left each month. They spent most of their money on Hui Li, for her kindergarten sses, piano sses, ballet lessons and so on. There was also the milk powder, new clothes and toys. The focus of their world was Hui Li. Song Fang could not recall thest time she went out on a date with her husband.

    With some help from their parents, life was passable. Hui Li¡¯s grandparents hinted at the possibility of a second child but they simply did not have the economical standard to support that.

    ¡°Has our baby fallen asleep?¡± Her husband, Zhong Zhihao asked. Seeing Song Fang nod, Zhong Zhihao bounced up from the couch and handed his wife a present he hid behind him earlier. ¡°Honey, thank you for everything. Happy Valentine¡¯s.¡±

    Song Fang was surprised and honestly quite happy but she groused, ¡°Where did you get the money to buy this?¡± She handled the family ount and she was a very good ountant. She opened the present box and saw a silver ne. From the brand, she knew the ne cost around several thousand RMB.

    ¡°I saved this on the side but this is the most I could afford.¡± Zhong Zhihao said with a smile because despite theint, he saw the smile that threatened to appear on his wife¡¯s lips. ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve saved to surprise you with this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather you spend it on food, at least Hui Li can also benefit from that.¡± Song Fangined but she still put on the ne. She had not splurged on things like this for a long time already. Try as she might, she could not stop the grin from surfacing on her face.

    ¡°Ha ha, sometimes, a husband gotta pamper his wife.¡± Zhong Zhihou chuckled. Before Hui Li arrived, both he and his wife were shopaholics. He used to change his phone whenever a new model came out but he had used his current one for years already. Having a child really did change everything.

    Was it easy to have a child? Was it tiring? Yes, of course. Sometimes, even though they would not admit it out loud, the couple would wander to themselves, how did they end up on this path in life. But as soon as they saw Little Hui Li¡¯s innocent smile, or heard her call them ¡®mummy¡¯ and ¡®daddy¡¯, or witnessed her confidence when she yed piano and performed ballet on stage, everything would be worth it...

    Song Fang and Zhong Zhihou sighed. They would do everything in their power to maintain this family, to give Little Hui Li the best she deserved.

    ¡°Now that the girl is asleep...¡± Zhong Zhihou suggested, ¡°Honey, we haven¡¯t done that in a long time already.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the catch.¡± Song Fang chided. ¡°I was wondering why you¡¯d suddenly buy me a present.¡± Ever since they married, everyday life has worn out the romance in their lives. But on this special holiday, Zhong Zhihou nned to reignite some of their old passion. Song Fang was willing to y along. But just as things were getting to go, a sound came from Hui Li¡¯s bedroom. Initially, they thought they heard it wrongly but the sound slowly rified.

    ¡°Honey?¡± Song Fang frowned in worry as she rushed to the bedroom. Zhong Zhihou followed but something stopped him. ¡°Wait!¡± He ran into the kitchen to grab a knife before catching up to his wife. It was a very strange voice, like one made from a mechanical toy but they swore they did not purchase such a toy for Hui Li...

    The couple stopped before the door before pushing it open and switched on the light. ¡°Hui Li!¡±

    Shock and terror overwhelmed them. The sound originated from Hui Li. The girl was seated upright in bed. Her face was twitching and her eyes blinked rapidly. Her mouths moved like she was chanting. Her voice sounded like whispers of an old forest or the roar from the abyss.

 Chapter 366: Paediatrician Clinic (2in1)

    <h4>Chapter 366: Paediatrician Clinic (2in1)</h4>

    Even though it was Chinese Valentine¡¯s, it was not a public holiday so hospitals were open for business. Nan Xiang City¡¯s Third People Hospital saw arge crowd in the emergency room. The patients and their families filled up the waiting hall and the buzzer kept ringing. There was a superstition at most hospitals. Hospital staff should never say things like ¡®things look quite quiet today¡¯ or else things would quickly go south. In fact, an experiment had been done on this overseas. Two groups were isted with normal workflow. One of them spoke the taboo and the other did not. The result showed that the former indeed ended with more workload.

    Regardless, tonight at the Third People Hospital, everyone was busy regardless of the taboo or not. The bustle was especially heavy at the paediatrician clinic. The doctors and nurses there had worked from afternoon until dawn.

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep him on observation after giving him this shot.¡± Liu Guolin, one of the main physicians just finished checking a seven-year-old boy with fever. To be honest, he was against administration of the shot. Temperature of 38.3 degree was not that high and the boy did not suffer from other symptoms like coughing or phlegm. The optimum treatment should be an ice pack and lots of water. Normally, a few days of rest would return the boy back to normal. If that did not work, only then would he apply the shot. The shot was not an ambrosia, it had many side effects. In fact, it had caused cases of fatality before. Even though the dosage would be heavily controlled, most doctors would not suggest a shot in this situation. But the boy¡¯s parents were particrly insistent on the shot. They wanted the immediate effect. Due to theplicated legal-binding rtionship between doctor and patient, Liu Guolin eventually caved in and obliged.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Once the parents led their boy out of his room, Liu Goulin shook his head and sighed, ¡°Such parents.¡± Doctors like him often had suchints in private. Certain patients and their families were too opinionated, they¡¯d rather put faith in web medical advice than to ce trust in actual doctors. In fact, some of them treated hospital doctors with open hostility.

    In today¡¯s age, being a doctor, especially at a Chinese hospital was incrediblyplicated. Other than to cure patients, they had to deal with bureaucracy from both the pharmaceuticalpanies and the patients. For example, when a doctor gave a prescription, they had to consider whether to prescribe imported medicine or local medicine. Even though they might have the sameponent, the imported medicine would cost 100 RMB but the local counterpart 30 RMB. If they prescribed thetter, the hospital would lose ie and the doctors would lose bonus. Their superiors wouldin and their days at the department would be hard.

    Other than that, the doctors had to consider the consequence. If something bad happened, the patient¡¯s family would me the doctor. usations like ¡®why did you not prescribe the imported medicine¡¯, and ¡®is it because you took a cut from local medicine pharma¡¯ was far toomon. However, it was also these patients whoined about the high cost of medication. At the end of the day, it was always the doctors who were med.

    This was particrly true in paediatrician clinics. Children normally could not express clearly their symptoms and every parent held their children like treasure. When a child started to wail, not many parents could keep their cool and their only vent at the hospital was the staff...

    Liu Guolin worked at the hospital for five years already. At the start, he¡¯d try to reason and exin to the parents but now, he¡¯d just go along with their request... he knew he was being limated into the people he detested the most but sometimes there was no other solution... He was not Gu Jun, not a Phecda member. He was just amon doctor. He had his own back to watch. Ever since the p he received from an agitated mother, Liu Guolin just wanted to keep a low profile...

    Tonight, he worked the day shift. His shift would end at midnight and he did not want anymore trouble until then. Liu Guolin just removed his mask and took up his thermos for a drink when the next patient rushed in. A couple around 30 carried a girl around 5 years old into the emergency room.

    ¡°Come and greet Doctor Liu.¡± The mom pushed the girl forward and the girl said politely, ¡°Good evening, doctor.¡±

    ¡°Very good, good evening.¡± Liu Guolin studied the girl¡¯s medical history handed to him by the girl¡¯s father. The girl was 6 and she did not suffer from any serious illness before. From his observation, the girl did not show any symptoms like fever, stomach ache and so on. The patient looked perfectly normal. She was not crying, or making a fuss. Liu Guolin thus asked the parents, what was the problem.

    The mother answered in a nervous voice, ¡°Doctor Liu, something is wrong with my daughter. She kept blinking her eyes and scrunching up her mouth and nose. But the strangest thing is whenever Iy her down to bed, she would make this strange noise... I can¡¯t replicate it but it is just awful...¡±

    ¡°We were so frightened.¡± The father added nervously. ¡°The sound could not be made by a normal girl. Doctor Liu, can you check what¡¯s wrong with our daughter?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Liu Guolin nodded. He shone a light into the girl¡¯s eyes and inspected her throat and mouth cavity. There was nothing wrong, there was no inmmation of the tonsil. Her eyes reacted to the light just fine, everything was perfectly normal. Liu Guolin already made his diagnosis, this was yet another case of the parents being overly worried. The child was fine, she probably just was going through a phase. But that worried her parents so much that they thought a visit to the emergency room was necessary. Of course, he would not say that out loud but continued his examination. The mother imed the symptoms only appeared that morning. It became moremon at night. The girl made that strange sound only once so far.

    ¡°Little girl, your mom says you¡¯ve been blinking your eyes constantly. What¡¯s wrong, do you feel ufortable around the eyes?¡± Liu Guolin asked the girl. He kept his voice gentle and kind to not spook the girl.

    ¡°Erm...¡± The girl shook her head shyly. ¡°No, I just feel like blinking.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you feel like blinking now?¡± Lui Guolin asked with a smile. They had been in his room for 3 minutes already. Based on his observation, the girl did not blink that often.

    ¡°No.¡± The girl answered.

    ¡°Then... is it like an itch?¡± Liu Guolin suggested, ¡°You feel like scratching it when there is an itch but you feel fine otherwise.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The girl agreed with the analogy. Her parents looked at each other, they had no idea what this meant.

    ¡°Then is it the same case with the sound that you made?¡± Liu Guolin asked, ¡°The sound was stuck in your body like a sneeze and you have to let it out?¡±

    The girl nodded again.

    ¡°Then can you resist it?¡± Liu Guolin pressed. ¡°When you want to blink and make those sounds, can you resist the urge?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± This time the girl shook her head. She turned to her parents. ¡°I never wanted to do any of that... I don¡¯t know.¡±

    By then, Liu Guolin confirmed his earlier diagnosis. He picked up the pen and scribbled hastily on the medical pad. The girl was fine, she was probably just trying to scare her parents. He sneaked a nce. The father appeared more collected than the mother. He had the mother bring the girl out of the room first. Then he worked out the words he wanted to say so that they won¡¯t trigger the father.

    ¡°The girl should be fine.¡± Liu Guolin began slowly and he¡¯d stop when he noticed something was wrong. ¡°At her age, a child will often use this method to grab a parent¡¯s attention. Just pay attention to her needs and she¡¯ll be fine after some rest...¡±

    ¡°Doctor Liu!¡± The father interrupted harshly. He was even more agitated than the mother. His face was flushed. ¡°This is not that kind of problem! My daughter is a very obedient child. We are a great family and she normally will not act like this. And that voice she made is too strange, it¡¯s not even human-like... Doctor Liu, wasn¡¯t there news about supernatural energy recently? Could this be rted to that...¡±

    Liu Guolin grumbled internally, ¡®Then why do youe to me? Go to Phecda.¡¯ But honestly, his professional opinion believed that was not the case. The girl looked so healthy, her parents were probably being overly concerned.

    ¡°Erm.¡± Liu Guolin nced at the girl¡¯s medical history, her name was Guo Qinying. ¡°Mr. Guo, calm down. I¡¯m not saying that it is that case with Qin Ying. Perhaps she just wanted to y a joke but when she saw how worried she made you guys, she did not dare to admit it due to fear of admonishment. For now, I think you should keep a close eye on her and do not pressure her. If this continues, then we¡¯ll see what we can do.¡±

    ¡°But...¡± Mr. Guo said anxiously, ¡°That voice was too scary... It sounded like the repetition of two sybles, like she was summoning something or someone.¡±

    Liu Guolin wanted tough. Some of these parents had such vibrant imagination. Ever since Phecda revealed itself to the public, some of the parents he met could be a scriptwriter. A small cough could be legione pneumonia and a trip was them having a malicious shadow. Some of the children picked up on this fashion. To avoid school or scolding, they made up sickness like stomach ache. In the past, their parents would not have believed it but now everything was a cause for worry. Work for doctors like Liu Guolin was getting more and more difficult.

    ¡°Mr. Guo, then how about you try calling the Phecda hotline? Because if it¡¯s really rted to supernatural force, then I can¡¯t help you either.¡± Liu Guolin naturally wouldn¡¯t say affirmatively it was rted to the supernatural. He had learned from experience which terms could be a trigger. Adding ¡®if¡¯, ¡®perhaps¡¯, ¡®possible¡¯, ¡®should¡¯ in his diagnosis... could save his career.

    ¡°Oh...¡± Mr. Guo scratched his head. He wanted to say something but stopped himself. Thankfully, Mr. Guo was ultimately a reasonable man. He did not make a scene and left with his daughter¡¯s record. Liu Guolin made the right choice because once Mrs. Guo heard about the diagnosis, she charged back into the emergency room to demand for shots and medicine. She demanded that Liu Guolin at least do something. Liu Guolin was speechless. The girl was perfectly healthy, what was the basis for him to prescribe medicine?

    In the end, it was her husband who pulled her away.

    The couple stayed at the hospital to observe their daughter¡¯s condition. Thankfully, little Qin Ying did not show any more symptoms so the parents eventually calmed down.

    At midnight, Liu Guolin handed the work over to his night shift colleague. He removed his doctor¡¯s coat and returned to the hospital staff hostel to sleep.

 Chapter 367: Strange Illness

    <h4>Chapter 367: Strange Illness</h4>

    Words could not describe how tired Liu Guolin was after attending to 100 cases in one afternoon. After a quick shower, hended on his bed and drifted off to sleep. His phone was set to vibrate. He had a nurse girlfriend who worked at the same hospital so neither of them had the time to celebrate Valentine¡¯s. Liu Guolin slumbered until incessant knocking came on his bedroom door. The person outside it shouted loudly, ¡°Ol¡¯ Liu! Ol¡¯ Liu!¡±

    ¡®Who the hell is it... Can they tell what time it is?¡¯ Liu Guolin very unwillingly peeled his eyes open and nced at the phone on his bedside table. It was already 6 am. There were 15 unanswered calls... A jolt of shock went through him. He checked the phone records, not all of them came from his girlfriend, instead most came from his boss, Doctor Lee and they were made within the span of thest half an hour. Instantly Liu Guolin woke up with a start. The sound from outside the door took on an identity, it was the sound of his female colleague, Zhang Wenjun from the pediatrician clinic. She was supposed to take over the day shift...

    ¡®What¡¯s the emergency?¡¯ Liu Guolin¡¯s heart squeezed. This could only mean bad news...¡±Coming,ing.¡± He quickly sat up and put on a pair of trousers and shirt as he hurried to open the door. Zhang Wenyu fidgeted anxiously outside the door. Once she saw him, sheined instantly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer any of the calls? You still have the mood to sleep... The people from Phecda areing. Clean up your act. Our boss is frazzled. Even the hospital directors areing. So, please hurry up!¡±

    Liu Guolin was stunned. ¡®What... The people from Phecda areing?¡¯ Liu Guolin was instantly reminded of the little girl from yesterday night. ¡®The blinking eyes and incoherent voices... Could it really be rted to supernatural forces? But it is impossible, the patient looked perfectly healthy, all her vitals were in optimum shape... What kind of illness could it be? Is it contagious? Probably not, or else it¡¯d be someone from the disease control centre would knock on my door now...¡¯ The flurry of thoughts crossed Liu Guolin¡¯s mind as he hurried to grab his coat and followed Zhang Wenjun back to the pediatrician clinic.

    Even though Third People Hospital was only a third grade hospital at Nan Xiang City, it was by no means a small hospital, that early morning, following a call from Phecda at the adjacent Eastern State, the hospital was soon cordoned off by police. The hospital looked very much unlike its usual self. Both the hospital director and vice director were there. Zhang Dongliang, head of the emergency department and Zhou Guihong, head of the pediatrician clinic were present as well. When Liu Guolin arrived, the ce was already filled with many who outranked him and that made it conspicuously clear that it was the most junior doctor who arrived thetest.

    ¡°Xiao Liu, you¡¯re really something else!¡± Once Superior Zhang saw Liu Guolin, he was so anxious he was about to explode, ¡°You¡¯ve caused a big trouble this time.¡±

    ¡°Superior Zhang, I...¡± Liu Guolin began hesitantly but, in the end, he silenced himself and shouldered the me quietly. After all, he noticed both the hospital directors were looking his way with fury in their eyes. Liu Guolin could only grumble internally about how unlucky he was.

    ¡°I know you have your excuses but you should be sensitive enough to notice this.¡± Superior Zhang huffed angrily, ¡°We have three patients with the same symptoms and epidemiological characteristics.¡±

    Liu Guolin was startled. He shuffled down the corridor and looked into the three adjacent quarantine rooms. Each of them housed a child and their nervous parents. All three patients were from age 5 to 7 and they were all girls. Guo Qinying whom he consulted yesterday night was one of them.

    ¡°What is going on...¡± Liu Guolin whispered to Zhang Wenjun. With such clear ovepping properties, it fitted the early signs of an epidemiological outbreak.

    ¡°No one knows yet.¡± Zhang Wenjun whispered back. The eyes behind her round-rimmed sses were filled with confusion, ¡°Based on Superior Zhang and Superior Zhou¡¯s opinion, this looks like Tourette Syndrome but Tourette Syndrome has only 1 percent infection rate among pre-primary children. It¡¯s fine to have 1 patient in a night but three? That is highly unusual...¡±

    Tourette Syndrome? Liu Guolin was shocked as the epiphany dawned on him. Indeed, why hadn¡¯t he thought of that rare disease yesterday night...

    Zhang Wenjun handed him a stack of documents, ¡°Quickly look through these. The people from Phecda will be here soon.¡± Liu Guolin gave it a quick skim and cold sweat broke out on his forehead. ¡®This is bad, this is really bad...¡¯

    Tourette Syndrome has no clear pathology. It typically shows up in children between ages 2 and 8. It manifests in two main symptoms, multiple movement tics and coprlia. The tics are typically preceded by an unwanted urge or sensation in the affected muscles, they can sometimes be suppressed temporarily. They might also change in location, strength, and frequency. Common tics are blinking, coughing, throat clearing, sniffing, and facial movements. In severe cases, it might even mimic epilepsy.

    Coprlia is a form of vocal tic. The patient would make sudden noises that sounded like obscene or incoherent remarks. However coprlia is very rare even among Tourette Syndrome patients. Therefore, having 3 patients showing both symptoms at the same hospital in one night was definitely unusual... Normally Tourette Syndrome was not contagious and it would not affect the patient¡¯s life expectancy or intelligence. Many famous individuals suffered from this illness, for example historians believed that Mozart was one of them.

    For most cases, motor and vocal tics did not require treatment, and modern medicine had no drugs to treat them either. Instead, the patients would be arranged for psycho and physio therapies to help lower the severity of the symptoms. In fact, many patients lose their symptoms after they reach adolescence. Therefore, this makes the diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome extremely hard. Many patients with light symptoms might not even know they suffer from this illness, their symptoms would be treated as naughtiness, impoliteness, juvenile curiosity by their teachers, friends and families. This was especially true in countries where such medical knowledge was notmon. Sometimes even doctors would miss the diagnosis, case in point, Liu Guolin...

    ¡®What the hell is happening?¡¯ Liu Guolin looked at the three patients in the quarantine rooms with befuddlement. Tourette Syndrome is moremon in boys, males are about three to four times more likely than females to develop Tourette syndrome. This did not help the diagnosis of the illness for parents saw this as boys being boys.

    But... in this case... the patients were all girls...

    Before Liu Guolin could finish reading the files, the people from Phecda arrived. There were two groups. One was the medical doctors, led by a middle-aged man and the other were in protective suits. Seeing their arrival, the hospital director, vice directors and the different department heads rushed to wee them. Liu Guolin and Zhang Wenjun followed closely behind.

 Chapter 368: The Call of the Girls

    <h4>Chapter 368: The Call of the Girls</h4>

    From Phecda, the leader of the medical unit was Professor Peng Jianlong, and the leader of the investigation unit was Wang Ke. With a wealth of societal experience, the hospital directors and department heads saw with one nce that most members of the medical unit were too young to be experienced medical staff. They were probably just interns. Nervousness was in on their faces. However, among them, there was a young woman named Jiang Banxia who stood out from the others. She appeared calm and collected. After a brief greeting, Prof Peng and Captain Ke asked for details from Liu Guolin and Yu Chunhui, the two on-duty emergency room doctors.

    Of the 3 patients, Liu Guolin only consulted Guo Qinying, the other two girls were Yu Chunhui¡¯s patients. When Doctor Yu consulted the second girl, he did not think much of it either but when the third girl with the same symptoms appeared, the rm bell rang in his head. Once he went through the hospital records and saw there was a previous patient with simr symptoms, he realised instantly how serious the situation was. However, the reason this incident was picked up by Phecda was because many parents from this district called the Phecda hotline to ask for help with simr problems.

    ¡°At the time, the patient looked healthy in my eyes...¡± Liu Guolin said with regret. ¡°She did not have any motor tic or other strange manifestation. So I thought she was just ying a trick on her parents. I did not consider the possibility of Tourette...¡± And so far, none of the 3 girls showed any tics since their hospitalization.

    ¡°Doctor Liu, Doctor Yu.¡± Wang Ke said, ¡°We need you to remember as many details from the consultation you had with the patients as you can. We will record them down.¡±

    Currently there were 15 sick children at Nan Xiang City and there were also some at Eastern State. This was working up to be an epidemic. However, Tourette Syndrome was not supposed to be contagious. While the exact cause is unknown, it is believed to involve abination of gic and environmental factors.

    Therefore, in this case, supernatural forces had to be involved. That initiated Phecda¡¯s quick response. The headquarters said that this was probably rted to an incident that recently happened at Shen Hai City. Wang Ke did not know the details but he knew it was rted to Gu Jun...

    They chose to visit this hospital because Nan Xiang City had the most recorded patients and Third People Hospital had the earliest recorded patient.

    The medical unitunched into work. It pained everyone¡¯s heart that these innocent girls were targeted. However, they had examinations to conduct. Was this illness contagious? And if it was, what was its transmission method? Was it virus, bacteria, or parasite... they had to check for everything. After the people from the disease control centre collected their samples, Prof Peng led his people into the quarantine rooms for medical enquiries.

    Honestly, Doctor Liu could not be med in this case because it was really hard to tell there was anything wrong with the three girls just from observation alone. Other than tiredness, and shyness from being surrounded by so many strangers, there was nothing wrong with them. Their enquiries led to nothing but it caused Wang Ke to frown when he heard their discovery. All of the parents said that the girls started to make strange noises after their parents told them bedtime stories and put them to bed. The motor tics of blinking also only exacerbated at night.

    ¡°Tourette Syndrome consists of both acute andtent types.¡± Outside the room, Superior Zhang told Liu Guolin who just finished his recording. His face was lined with confusion, ¡°There is normally a stage of onset. Gaining such conspicuous motor tic in just half a day is not normal...¡±

    ¡°Superior Zhang, since supernatural forces are involved, it¡¯s beyond ourprehension already.¡± Liu Guolin grumbled, afraid that he¡¯d carry the me. He knew the severity of the situation. He was worried that he¡¯d be made into the scapegoat, that he would be med for the incorrect diagnosis...

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yu Huichun had the same worry. He nced at the people in Phecda uniform from the corner of his eyes. Heined in a whisper. ¡°Phecda did not give us any warning to be on the lookout for Tourette Syndrome. This is their mistake, it¡¯s hardly our fault...¡±

    ¡°Is this time to talk about things like that?!¡± Leader Zhang exploded, ¡°If this turns out to be another tragedy like legione pneumonia, just imagine the scope of the tragedy we¡¯re in! I know what you¡¯re thinking! You¡¯re scared that Phecda will shift the me unto you, aren¡¯t you? Let me tell you, they are not like us, they sincerely have the public¡¯s interest at heart!¡±

    Liu Guolin was annoyed by the lecture but he knew better than to retort. Zhang Dongliang was much slicker than he was and knew how to survive in different situations. However, he was also a good and professional doctor and he had taught Liu Guolin a lot. For example, in terms of prescribing medication, it was Zhang Dongling who taught him to base it on the patient¡¯s dressing. If they were well-dressed, prescribe the expensive drugs; and if they were normally dressed, prescribe the cheap drugs. Like what Zhang Dongliang said, the world was not ck and white, it was mostly grey.

    Therefore, Liu Guolin was not surprised that Zhang Dongliang tried to butter himself up to Phecda. Compared to Superior Zhang, he was still too fresh in this game of society... If he had stayed longer yesterday night, perhaps Phecda would have intervened earlier and he¡¯d be spared the me.

    ¡°Xiao Liu, Xiao Yu, I know work must be hard on all of you considering the stress we suffer daily.¡± Superior Zhang sighed, ¡°But there are different scales of severity, and this is right on top.. In such situations, it¡¯s pointless to focus on the small things.¡±

    ¡°Superior Zhang, then what should we do now?¡± Yu Chenhui asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ll start with the examinations like MRI, CT scan and so on... to see if we¡¯re really dealing with Tourette.¡± Superior Zhang was about to continue when a strange sound interrupted him. It startled Prof Peng inside Guo Qinying¡¯s room as well as Wang Ke who was interviewing the other hospital staff. The strange voices drifted into all of their ears and it appeared to emit from all three quarantine rooms at the same time.

    Little Qin Ying¡¯s face twisted into indescribable ugliness, her throat evoked a strangling voice. Phecda members like Jiang Banxia and the doctors like Liu Guolin finally understood the concern of the girls¡¯ parents. They too could not describe this sound, it was like the sound of something wiggling in the deep abyss...

    This was not Tourette Syndrome... A vocal tic did not sound anything like this...

    The three girls called after something unanimously. Suddenly, it hit Wang Ke and Jiang Banxia. They were summoning a person¡¯s name.

    ¡°Gu Jun... Gu Jun...¡±

    Wang Ke was immediately reminded of the Malformed Banyan Disease. When part of the patients saw Gu Jun, they¡¯d be agitated and screamed at Gu Jun, calling him, ¡®the thing inside the banyan tree¡¯.

    ...

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 Chapter 369: Tree by the Roadside

    <h4>Chapter 369: Tree by the Roadside</h4>

    On the night of Chinese Valentine¡¯s, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu left behind many beautiful memories.

    But the next morning, the call came. Inside the suite, they were briefed about thetest bad news. An abnormal Tourette Syndrome was affecting young girls across the country. It had an unknown transmission method but all recorded patients so far were located around Eastern State. Thus far, there were 75 registered patients and they all called out the name, Gu Jun. On the other hand, Kedou did not show further symptoms. It was hard to tell if there was any connection. Could this be the ¡®small new year present¡¯ meant by Gu Jun¡¯s big sister? Gu Jun boiled from anger as headache threatened to split his head. ¡®Who is this big sister...?¡¯

    ¡°Eastern State, Eastern State...¡± He made the connection, ¡°Clearly someone wants me to go back...¡± Speaking of, it had been some time since he returned to Eastern State. Before 7 am, the duo checked out of the hotel and returned to Shen Hai Phecda Division.

    ¡°The patients were all read bedtime stories before they acted up.¡± Inside the car, Wu Siyu was reminded of something, ¡°Could they all be stories about man-eating monsters?¡±

    ¡°You mean like the ones told by the smiling buddha?¡± Gu Jun groaned, resisting the headache.

    ¡°After all, it¡¯s quite amon setting in fairy tales.¡± Wu Siyu gave a few examples on the spot, there were the man-eating wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, the man-eating witch in Hansel and Gretel...¡±I wonder if the parents read such stories to their children.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s hunch was proven correct. The investigation team discovered that most patients had listened to or read such stories one week before the surfacing of their symptoms. The pathology between that and the illness was unknown but it had to be rted. The stories were probably the pathological origin.

    Phecda immediately made a statement, requesting parents to cease reading such dark stories to their children for it would affect the child¡¯s psychological growth. Furthermore, they warned any family to visit the hospital should their child showcase symptoms of Tourette Syndrome; The television studios were also banned from broadcasting cartoons with violent themes for the foreseeable future. Even though Phecda did not go into details, the public knew to pay attention to their announcements.

    When Gu Jun and Wu Siyu arrived at the base, they dropped in to check on Kedou. The girl was rascally as ever, there was nothing wrong with her. But by then, the number of sick children had climbed up to over 100 and they were all girls between ages of 5 and 8.

    ...

    At Nan Xiang City¡¯s Third People Hospital, the hospital staff bustled in and out. Over the morning, they had already epted 15 sick children. Some of the results also came back from examination. There was no sign of pathogen in any of the samples, the illness did not appear to be contagious by normal standard. The MRI scan eliminated deformation in the patients¡¯ brain; and TSH evaluation eliminated the possibility of hypothryeosis; examination of cerusmin and serum copper eliminated the possibility of Wilson-broncqdisease... It was not caused by bacterial infection, drug use, head trauma, cerebral inmmation or monoxide poisoning either. Biologically speaking, this was an incurable Tourette Syndrome.

    There is an academic hypothesis regarding the cause of Tourette Syndrome as having a rtion to the dysfunction in neural circuits between the basal ganglia and rted structures in the brain. This was something beyond current human medicalprehension. Even brain experts like Prof Ma Jun from Phecda could only prescribe antipsychotic medication as trials. Human technology was very advanced but the understanding of human anatomy was limited. When it came to issues regarding the brain, even the best doctors were stumped. If a doctor could treat Tourette Syndrome, he¡¯d be capable enough to treat multiple neurological illnesses. That contribution would earn him more than 2 Nobel Prizes, he¡¯d be a name forever remembered in human medical history.

    Despite the challenge, the hospital staff worked non-stop. They tried their best toe up with ideas. Liu Guolin resuscitated from his slump. After the lecture from Superior Zhang, he threw himself back into work. He knew it was time to act more like a doctor. Perhaps inspired by Liu Guolin or perhaps feeling sorry for the girls, Yu Chunhui and Zhang Wenyu worked extra hard as well. Led by Superior Zhang, they worked so tirelessly that they missed lunch. What they reced it with was a few hurry bites of bread. More patients appeared at the hospital as the day went on. Their work continued to pile on. Seeing how tired the staff was, the hospital director ordered them to take a break. Other doctors would take over their shift. Therefore, the four doctors and a few of their colleagues found themselves on the way to the hospital canteen.

    ¡°The gap between each tic is too long.¡± Superior Zhang observed. His bby face frowned with consternation. ¡°It has been almost 12 hours since theirst paroxysm... Even though there is no rhyme and reason to the tics of a Tourette Syndrome patient, the gaps between each tic shouldn¡¯t be this long.¡±

    There was a sizable garden that connected the paediatrician clinic and the canteen. As they passed through the trees, they found the change of scenery quite refreshing.

    ¡°Superior Zhang, we know too little about what we¡¯re dealing with.¡± Yu Chunhui said to change the subject, ¡°It¡¯s a waste of time to dwell deeper on it.¡±

    ¡°We have nothing better to do anyway!¡± Superior Zhang groused, ¡°Think of your own daughter or your rtive. What would you do if this illness ims them...¡±

    ¡°Sigh, why would the illness only target girls? Those poor things.¡± Zhang Wenjun sighed. ¡°I wish we could know more.¡±

    Liu Guolin was about to share his thoughts when he noticed a looming shadow beside him. He lifted his head from instinct and saw a giant shadow toppling towards him. His heart squeezed... The people around him screamed, and tried to run for cover...

    idents always came without warning.

    Another group of hospital staff, who was walking from the canteen to the pediatrician clinic, yelled in fear as they saw the giant tree creak and tumble. There was no wind or rain. The tree trunk appeared to have rotted from inside. It leaned over and crushed the passing crowd.

    One of the nurses copsed to the ground. Even though her colleagues immediately attended to her, she still looked quite numb. She saw the group of doctors being crushed by the big tree. The rotund middle-aged man who led the group was skewered through many parts of his body by tree branches. Blood flowed like rivers. The chance of him being alive was zero. A female doctor had her waist crushed by a thick log. A young doctor had his head whacked off his shoulders by a thick branch...

    The severed head rolled for several metres. The nurse recognized the bloodless face. It was Liu Guolin, the paediatrician doctor.

 Chapter 370: Piano Recital

    <h4>Chapter 370: Piano Recital</h4>

    The copse of the tree at Nan Xiang City¡¯s Third People Hospital caused 7 instant deaths. They were from all hospital staff, 4 of them doctors and 3 nurses. All of them participated in the Tourette Syndrome consultation, in fact, Liu Guolin was the attending physician of said hospital¡¯s Patient Zero. Was the fallen tree... just an ident?

    When Gu Jun heard this horrible news, he was inordinately angry. He did not believe for a second this was an ident. Was this a tragedy or a sacrifice? Who was it for? How was it managed?

    Gu Jun¡¯s emotion was shared by many. Members of Phecda boiled with anger as well. A tree fell and imed 7 innocent lives. Such idents did happen asionally and it always brought with it immense pain, but it was especially true this time because this was clearly a premeditated murder. The oak tree that fell was over 500 years old but during the previous inspection by the Forestry Department, it was perfectly healthy, there was no danger of falling. When the botanists from Phecda went to inspect the scene, the cause of the copse was a shrunken root system and decay of the main trunk. Only through prolonged dposition that this was possible...

    The oak tree was over 20 metres tall. The bark scabbed into unnatural formations. The branches were thick and twisted. It had the appearance of a haunted tree from fairy tales. It fell so perfectly to cause 7 people to die on the spot, probability-wise that was close to zero. The whole thing reeked of supernatural intervention. The oak tree had no symbolic meaning in China, but in western culture, oak trees were always associated with the mysterious and malicious. For example, in ancient rome, cultist priests worshipped oaks and mistletoes. They conducted living sacrifices inside oak forest. And in medieval Europe, witches were said to have their covens deep inside the oak forest. But these were just historical rumours. Unlike the Free Masons and Illuminati which had be part of the public culture, no one had much information on these secret cults.

    From what happened today though, the rumors surrounding the witches¡¯ covens might not be entirely facious. The oaks, the witches, the chosen target of young girls as well as a shadow who self-proimed herself as Gu Jun¡¯s big sister... So many elements spoke of witchery.

    Was this part of R¡¯yleh Cult¡¯s doing? Not even Phecda could be sure because this incident was so unique from any of their previous cases. Could it be another organization who also worshipped the Lord of R¡¯yleh? An organization like Lai Sheng Company or Dagon Cult? Gu Jun was sure there was a connection between the banyan tree and the oak tree but he could not put his finger on it. If the banyan tree represented the Son of Misfortune when what would the oak represent...?

    Just the thought of it caused a de to saw through his brain. He had to stop.

    On that very same day, something else happened. Among the 126 registered patients, there was a girl quarantined at Eastern State Medical University¡¯s attached hospital. Her name was Zhong Huili, she just had her 6th birthday party. The girl came from a normal family but her parents enrolled her in piano sses when she was 4. Little Huili was not particrly talented. After 2 years of training, she was slightly above average in piano skill but she had never won anypetition. Huili was quiet and obedient. After she was quarantined with her mother, she did not make any fuss except making multiple requests of, ¡°Mummy, I want to y the piano.¡±

    Her mother, Song Fang med herself for not noticing her daughter¡¯s symptoms earlier so she now paid extra attention to everything her daughter said and did. She thought this was an unusual request so she reported it to the nurse. Normally Huili never showed much interest in the piano so why would the girl make such constant requests that day?

    After getting the news, the Eastern State Medical Department¡¯s interest was hooked. This was because in past research, many children with Tourette Syndrome would temporarily lose their tics when they were entirely focused on an activity, ying piano would be a perfect example. Every method had to be tried so Phecda immediately transported a piano to the hospital to fulfil Huili¡¯s request. The piano was ced inside an empty examination room. There were cameras everywhere and Phecda members guarded outside the door to deal with sudden idents. The activity would be stopped once something went wrong. In such an environment, Little Huili sat alone before the grand piano. With the assessment stone around her wrist, the girl prepared for her recital.

    Huili¡¯s parents, Song Fang and Zhong Zhihao were given permission to stay in the surveince room. They watched the screen anxiously. They were joined by other Phecda members from the Eastern State Division and the headquarters. Everyone held their breath. Elder Tong was one of them. He was afraid that once the girl¡¯s finger touched the piano keys, the well-inspected piano which was painted with the Ancient Seal would suddenly explode.

    A melody started to y. Earlier when Song Fang asked Huili about the song that she wanted to y, Huili just shook her head. She said she didn¡¯t know, she just wanted to y.

    On the screen, the girl¡¯s fingers pressed against the keys. After giving it some tuning, her small face focused into attention. Her hands flew like lightning. With a speed that was disproportionate to her age, she yed maddeningly. However, she was not just bashing against the keys. A melodious harmony poured out from the piano. It was swift yet impressive.

    ¡°This, this...¡± Song Fang was flummoxed. Zhong Zhihao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Is this their daughter?¡¯ Technically, they should be over the moon because their daughter was a prodigal pianist but now, all they felt was chills. They just wanted their normal daughter back. A contained gasp travelled through the headquarters. No one expected this.

    ¡°Should we end the performance?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Wait, just wait a little longer...¡± Elder Tong ordered. Since the assessment stone did not glow and the guards posted outside the room did not sense anything out of ce, the performance could go on. Elder Tong had been through many things in his life and that provided him with a sharp eye for talent. The girl was immensely talented, she was even more gifted than Xiao Xu...

    ¡°What song is this?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mozart.¡± Someone gasped, ¡°But a child shouldn¡¯t be able to perform a song like this!¡±

    At the same time, a wave of thought overwhelmed the doctors. ¡®Is this phenomenon unique to Little Huili or it manifests itself among all the infected little girls?¡¯

 Chapter 371: The Magic Flute

    <h4>Chapter 371: The Magic Flute</h4>

    Masterful, there were no other words to describe Huili¡¯s performance. She was better than most famed pianists over the world. Her graceful yet maddening performancested for 20 minutes before it was forced to a halt by Phecda members. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Other than tiredness, there were no negative symptoms on Huili after her performance. Both her physical and mental state were stable.

    ¡°That was Mozart¡¯s The Magic Flute,¡± A researcher in the music philosophy sector observed, ¡°But it has been edited with a faster tempo...¡± The Magic Flute was Mozart¡¯sst creation, it was hisst opera and was widely-believed to be his best work. The opera included both singing and spokennguage during its debut and it was 2 acts long. Huili just performed the piano¡¯s apaniment to the opera. Mozart was a musical genius who died at the young age of 35. Many historians believed that the genius suffered from Tourette Syndrome and it was the illness that supplied him with such great inspiration. Of course, this hypothesis was never confirmed. In fact, today, Mozart¡¯s death was still shrouded in mystery.

    After the debut of The Magic Flute on 30th September 1791, Mozart fell seriously ill. He suffered from rashes, swelling, nausea and pain. On the afternoon of 5th December, the musical genius bade farewell to the world. Based on the description of his death, historians and researchers proposed more than 100 hypothetical causes of death. However, there were other aspects of Mozart¡¯s life that were unequivocal. For example, he was part of the Free Mason and was greatly interested in the study of magic and ultism. The other creator of The Magic Flute, Emanuel Schikaneder was also known to be a member of the Free Mason. The opera itself contained many ultist symbols and it thus gained recognition as the song of the Free Mason.

    Compared to the actual dark forces, the Free Mason was a small fry. If they had managed deeper understanding of spells and rituals, they would not have gained such infamy among the public. Actual cults would be more secretive. Because of that, Phecda came up with a hypothesis. ¡®Is it possible that Mozart joined other cults to gain things that the Free Mason failed to provide him? A cult... like the R¡¯yleh Cult?¡¯

    What was the actual meaning of the Magic Flute? And why was there a noted variation to this version performed by Huili?

    ¡°I have no idea what was the song that I yed, I just felt like ying it.¡± Huili was unable to provide more rification. Her mother, Song Fang imed that the only Mozart tune her daughter should know was the Turkish March. She had not heard of the Magic Flute before.

    After the performance by Little Huili, Phecda did other experiments. Huili was not the only girl who studied piano among the patients. Even though none of them requested to y the piano specifically, when they were seated before one, it was like something took over them. Many parents were shaken, especially those who did not send their children to any piano sses... These girls, with no exception, showed immense talent at the piano and high spirituality. If this was under other circumstances, Elder Tong would be overjoyed, this was better than winning the lotto.

    Even though no negative effect was noted among the pianists and listeners of the Magic Flute, no one could tell whether it was dark music or not. Everyone felt chilled once they got reminded of how curious Mozart¡¯s death was. Therefore, all the information about this opera was swiftly and silently banned from the inte and research was done carefully.

    On the night of the 16th, Phecda made the announcement about the Tourette Syndrome illness. Once that announcement was made, the paediatrician clinics all over the country were stuffed. Even the slightest inconsistency in their children¡¯s behavior would cause their parents to drive them to the hospital. The number of patients with suspected Tourette Syndrome exploded. However, the illness only had a 1 percent chance to affect pre-primary children. Soon most of the children were diagnosed to be perfectly fine. They were either just toying with their parents or suffered from other milder illnesses.

    The patients of abnormal Tourette Syndrome shared some unique properties. They were all young girls, were exposed to monster-rted fairy tales before bed and showed spectacr talent in piano-ying.

    By the 18th, there were in total 520 patients registered at Eastern State. They were all young girls between the ages of 5 to 8. The intermission between each tic became shorter. Initially they acted up only twice per day, once in the morning and another at night. But now, it increased to 3 to 5 irregr tics within a day. Their condition was worsening. Their strange voice still sounded like a summon for Gu Jun.

    The days went by but the number of patients held at 520. The incident technically started on the 14th with Kedou. 14th was Valentine¡¯s Day and 520 was homophonous to I Love You in Chinese.

    Gu Jun suffered the headache as he took in thetest info. A thought slowly rified in his mind, this was definitely the ¡®small new year present¡¯ meant for him. The 520 girls who became specially gifted were the new year present... But would Phecda dare to ept this gift?

    These innocent girls would be temporarily quarantined. Whether their mind was still sound and what they represented were all a mystery. What could Phecda do for them? Taught them to listen to the voice just like the Afterlife Cult did with the Spirit Children?

    520 girls, man-eating fairy tales, Mozart, Free Mason, and the Magic Flute. It was confounding.

    The Magic Flute was a fairy tale opera. The inspiration behind it was contentious but schrs believed it was inspired by the fairy tale, lulu oder die zauberfl?te. In this opera, the Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter Pamina from captivity under the high priest Sarastro; instead, he learns and bes enchanted by the ideals of Sarastro¡¯smunity and seeks to join it. Separately, then together, Tamino and Pamina undergo severe trials of initiation, which end in triumph, with the Queen and her cohorts vanquished. The theme of the opera was light versus darkness, kindness versus evil, love versus death, a very typical fairy tale background.

    ¡°We might be facing...¡± Gu Jun told Elder Tong and Siyu, ¡°Pure evil this time.¡± This was a hunch he had. In the past, the cultists they faced thought they had a greater goal, they believed they were doing the right thing, but this time he only sensed grant disregard for destruction and humanity from his ¡®big sister¡¯. Pulling children into darkness, killing innocent people with a tree, they appeared to have no purpose but to grab his attention...

    ¡°I need to return to Eastern State.¡± Gu Jun requested from Elder Tong, ¡± I need to.¡±

    ¡°But Ah Jun, your body...¡± Elder Tong hesitated.

    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Gu Jun retorted. ¡°The bastard is clearlying for me. If I do not answer her call, who knows what this ¡®big sister¡¯ will do next?¡±

    The little girls¡¯ conditions were worsening by the days. There was a clock ticking above Gu Jun¡¯s head but when the timer ended, while he might not die, a group of innocent children might. He needed to return to find a breakthrough.

 Chapter 372: Curses

    <h4>Chapter 372: Curses</h4>

    There was a stone statue which stood in front of the Psychology Building at Eastern State Phecda¡¯s Medical Base. The statue was that of a young man. He wore a doctor¡¯s coat and had a straight posture and determined expression. This was the statue made of Gu Jun after his sacrifice during the Nightmare Illness incident, it had been a year since then. On the afternoon of 21st, Gu Jun returned to this ce of old memories and saw his own statue for the first time.

    He was still at Shen Hai City yesterday night. He arrived early in the morning. He was joined by Wu Siyu who currently stood beside him. Kedou and Siyu¡¯s family were temporarily moved to Da Hwa City¡¯s headquarters for protection.

    ¡°Without the saltiness, there is no soul.¡± Wu Siyumented as she studied the statue. This was not the first time she studied the statue and every time she would have found a new feature toin about. ¡°And they got the feeling of muscle all wrong.¡±

    ¡°Erm, we¡¯re talking about stone, right?¡± Gu Jun looked at her.

    ¡°Of course, I can sense its material through sight.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. ¡°It does not feel like you.¡±

    Well, what could Gu Jun say to that. Personally he did not think the statue was that bad but it did make him feel embarrassed. Over the past few days, his condition did not improve and the mysterious signal did not return. Previously, when he did not tell anyone about the signal, it returned in 3 days; but after revealing its presence to Wu Siyu and Phecda, it had been 12 days since itsst appearance.

    He did not bring along the suite¡¯s LED tv on his journey but Gu Jun did carry along Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s watercolour of the sky. The two stopped for a while at the statue before following Tang Zhifeng and Prof Peng, who came to wee them, into the Psychology Building. The neurological department was stumped with the abnormal Tourette Syndrome so they handed the problem over to the psychology department. After all, a normal Tourette patient¡¯s main treatment was based in psychotherapy. For now, there was no talk of lobotomy or other surgery, because the patients were all just young children... Plus they did not show any sign of being in pain. Despite the increase in tics, the girls¡¯ condition was basically simr to those suffering from normal Tourette Syndrome. Other than that, the spread of the illness appeared to have stopped for there was no new registered patient. Therefore, the medical department temporarily would not perform any irreversible operation on these girls that would cause severe side effects or consequence.

    ¡°Ah Jun, long time no see.¡± Tang Zhifeng sighed. Last time they met was during the Nightmare Illness tragedy. Everyone thought Gu Jun had died.

    ¡°Director Tang, I¡¯ve been meaning to return but there was no opportunity.¡± Gu Jun was telling the truth. After he returned from Dreands, he had to contend with legione pneumonia and Mutated Scale Disease. Actually on his holiday, he did n to return to Eastern State after his stay at Shen Hai City but change pushed his schedule forward. After entering the building, Gu Jun was greeted with more familiar faces. There were Sun Yuheng and Jiang Banxia who joined Phecda at the same time as Gu Jun. Jiang Banxia was Zixuan¡¯s girlfriend.

    Zixuan was present as well. He was sent over by Phecda. He was d to be reunited with his best friend. The members of The One were there as well. Deng Ximei, Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan and Peacock had already arrived. They were out investigating the woods around Eastern State but so far, they found nothing. When Gu Jun was briefed on these things, he felt many scrutinizing eyes on him. He knew that they would stop the report should he show any sign of difiture.

    The mission Elder Tong gave Cai Zixuan was to look after Gu Jun. Wu Siyu was prone to day-dreaming and most people were unfamiliar with Gu Jun¡¯s condition so Cai Zixuan was given the responsibility to keep a close eye on his friend.

    Some of the girls had already been transferred here. They included Zhong Huili who was the first to perform the Magic Flute. Examination confirmed that there was no airborne pathogen so they were spared the protective suit. They only wore masks. Inside the single-bed room, Gu Jun¡¯s group finally met Zhong Huili, the 6 years old girl. Little Huili was looked after by her mother. Over the past few days, Huili had met many doctors so she was no longer as shy as before. Her cheeks flushed with good health. Her innocent eyes blinked as she looked around to take in all the new faces. She did appear like a perfectly healthy child. But as Gu Jun studied the girl, a dull pain surfaced in his mind...

    ¡°Little Huili, do you know who I am?¡± He pulled down the mask and asked with a smile. Huili¡¯s mother, Song Fang was shocked and overjoyed. She definitely recognized Gu Jun! It was the Phecda Hero, they passed his statue on the way into the building. Even though she did not know what this represented, Song Fang saw hope! Gu Jun would save her daughter.

    ¡°You¡¯re the big brother from tv!¡± Huili recognized him as well.

    ¡°Yes, my name is Gu Jun...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s headache intensified so much that he had to take a deep breath and leaned on Cai Zixuan to steady himself... Something about this ce perturbed him... He continued in a darker voice, ¡°I¡¯m here, I¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    Suddenly, Huili¡¯s eyes blinked rapidly. Her face twitched and she started to curse like a sailor! Then she crawled into her mother¡¯s embrace and began to cry. This was clearly one of her tics... but Director Tang and Prof Peng frowned. This was the first time the patient showcased symptoms of coprlia during her tics and did not groan out Gu Jun¡¯s name. What brought on this change? Was this a coincidence? Or... was it rted to the dark force corrupting these girls? The enemy could control the girls to make the sound that they wanted?

    Being cursed at, it irked Gu Jun disproportionately. It lit up the anger that had been collecting inside him. The thought of the 520 sick girls and the 7 dead hospital staff weighed down on his mind and Gu Jun roared at the room around him, ¡°Fuckers! Aren¡¯t you searching for me? So why are you still in hiding? Come out and face me!¡±

    ¡°Fuckers!¡± Little Huili suddenly stopped crying and joined in the cursing. She repeated Gu Jun¡¯s curses. ¡°Fuckers, fuckers, fuckers!¡±

    Her face twisted into unrecognizability. The curses from her lips sounded like mockery. However, the opaline bracelet around her wrist did not glow, this was not a mental corruption...

    Song Fang was at the verge of tears. The others were helpless too.

    Suddenly Gu Jun groaned in pain as his hands pressed against his head. His muscle tensed and his body started to convulse. The situation turned chaotic. Cai Zixuan and Wu Siyu immediately dragged him out of the room. Sun Yuheng and Jiang Banxia followed in shock. Only then they realized the severity of Gu Jun¡¯s condition... Song Fang was stunned beyond belief.

    However, Little Huili continued to curse incessantly like nothing was out of ce.

 Chapter 373: Oak Forest

    <h4>Chapter 373: Oak Forest</h4>

    The crows cawed ominously. Inside the forest, the shadows danced as if alive. The sky was gloomy, the rocks uneven and the leaves dead. Green algae floated on the surface of a dirty-looking pond. Next to the pond slept a rotten tree trunk. From its size, it was clear that it was once arge and imposing tree. It appeared to be an oak tree.

    ¡°Where, where am I...¡± Beside the small pond, Gu Jun looked around in confusion. He pressed against his head. ¡®Is this an illusion or a dream? No, it does not feel like either of them...¡¯ He was there physically, that he was certain of.

    ¡®What happened? I remember returning to Eastern State Phecda Division with Siyu to visit one of the patients named Zhong Huili. Then... During our visitation, Little Huili started to act up and curse at me. The headache caused my body to convulse and then...¡± Some blurry and iplete memories shed before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. He saw himself rumbling, and then screaming before pushing his way through the group... Gu Jun screamed at the nervous Wu Siyu to leave him alone. He ordered Cai Zixuan to stop following him. He ran down into the darkness...¡¯Did I lose my mind? Is this due to paranoia or something else?¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sunk for both of those situations were quite likely, his mental and physical state was nowhere as good as before. There was a biological change to his brain and he was formally diagnosed with PTSD which could cause violent mood swings. Furthermore, Gu Jun could not discount the influence of those cursesmpooned at him by the girl.

    ¡°What is this ce?¡± Gu Jun studied his blurry surroundings. It reeked of death and decay. It was clear to Gu Jun that such ces would be a gathering spot for dark forces and its followers. He could easily envision some cultists performing a ritual beside the dark pond to extend their clutches towards innocent little girls. He made a quick scan on his inventory, there were nomunication devices like phone or walkie-talkie, but he still carried his backpack on him. It did not contain many things. It had the five Carlot Instruments and Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s watercolor... In other words, there was nothing he could use tomunicate with the outside world or to help him identify his current location.

    Through the gaps in the foliage, he saw a starless sky. The leaves rustled from the breeze but the dark clouds refused to budge. Gu Jun stood at the spot for quite some time as he turned his sense of hearing to his surroundings. He could hear the sounds of the forest but nothing that resembled human activity...¡¯I probably ran away from the Medical Department Base and straight into the nearby forest. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s impossible that no one has found me yet. The base is surrounded by patrols, surveince cameras and guards. Furthermore, no matter how fast I moved, I couldn¡¯t outrun a canine unit. They would have easily caught up to me...¡¯ Gu Jun thus had reason to believe he was no longer around the base. He could not fathom his friends really heeding his advice and leave him be.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Pain gripped his mind as more memory fragments returned to him. He could hear his friends shouting, ¡°Be careful!¡± Then he saw Wu Siyu jump forward to knock him out of the way. He appeared to... have used a spell to summon something. Was it a spell from the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan? Did he summon Byakee from the fifth chapter? Of course these were just mere spections. When he gave it further thought, he found that situation to be unlikely because he had not studied the fifth chapter yet.

    However, he was sure he did summon some kind of mutated creature and rode it to leave the base. ¡®Could it have been a foreign spell?¡¯ Gu Jun was not sure. He could not even tell he was still in Eastern State anymore. ¡®How was it possible that I was able to use spells? There should not be any reserve of mental power left in me... But then again, there is no telling what will happen to one¡¯s mental power when one sumbs to madness.¡¯

    Gu Jun contemted his situation when a gale picked up. The grasses around him swayed. He turned around and saw a shadow flit through the forest. He frowned and turned back to the pond. Other than his reflection, there was a cluster of mud-like rotten meat floating on the surface. Those were definitely not there earlier...

    ¡®I can¡¯t stay here like a sitting duck...¡¯ Gu Jun studied the ground around him to look for his own trail of footprints but there was none. It appeared like... the creature which he summoned had dropped him here and the pile of rotten meat was what remained of it.

    Ting, ting, ting... The sound of piano ying drifted on the cold wind. ¡®That¡¯s the sound of a piano, but why would there be a piano inside a forest like this... Am I deep inside the enemy¡¯sir? Is this some form of an invitation?¡¯ Gu Jun was no musical aficionado but the more he listened to the song, the more familiar it felt to his ears. It sounded like the Mozart piece yed by the girls.

    ¡°Who are you people?¡± Gu Jun asked softly as he grabbed the Carlot Scalpel and held it in his grasp. The piano tune became clearer. The melody was graceful and mellifluous. It sounded like the forest itself was whispering to Gu Jun. However, Gu Jun closed his ears to its whispering. He walked away from the source of the piano and into the dark forest. However, after walking for several metres, it sounded like he was moving closer to the piano yer...

    He instantly turned around and went down the opposite direction. After travelling for some distance, the piano sounded even closer. Gu Jun tried all possible directions and confirmed that no matter which direction he took, he would move closer to the piano. Even if he stayed at one spot, the tune of the piano approached him. It followed him like a shadow. Gu Jun was in the enemy¡¯sir, no matter what he did, it would not stop the piano music from creeping up on him. In that case, Gu Jun decided to follow his instinct. He took 10 steps, 20 steps, 50 steps... The piano music came from all corners of the forest. He eventually traversed out from the forest into a rtively sparse woond. The area was covered with ancient andrge oak trees. The branches contorted to form a strange panorama.

    Beside one of the oak trees, there was an old piano covered in moss. A person was seated before the piano. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes focused on the person. ¡®What is that, is it even human...¡¯

    The figure had on meagre clothing. Its body was swollen like a bloated corpse, however, its arms were dehydrated and shrunken like a pair of bones. Its tapered fingers danced beautifully on the piano keys. From its observable frame, it did look like a human being, an old man to be precise. Then the figure slowly turned to nce at Gu Jun. It had a bloated, wrinkled face. The pair of eyes filled with pain.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. Another jolt of pain shot through his brain as a tingling female voice echoed through the forest. ¡°My dear baby brother, you¡¯re finally here...¡±

    Under the oak tree, the swollen old man continued to y the piano.

    ...

 Chapter 374: Girls

    <h4>Chapter 374: Girls</h4>

    The refreshing breeze, brilliant piano music and a warm and gentle female voice. ¡°Brother, my sweet little brother, we have finally met.¡±

    Under the shadowy oaks, the swollen old man continued to y. Gu Jun could not tell where the voice came from. He focused his sight, ¡°You said you¡¯re my big sister? What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°I mean what I said quite literally.¡± The female voice chuckled. It sounded like an older woman. ¡°Little brother, look at how tense you are. You must have been under great pressure. Poor thing, it must not have been easy to shoulder the tragedy of the world on your shoulders.¡±

    Gu Jun gritted his teeth slightly. ¡®Yea, no thanks to you...¡¯

    ¡°Yes, it is indeed not easy.¡± He said darkly, ¡°To deal with bastards like you. But luckily, that thing under R¡¯yleh is still asleep.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, brother, I think you are mistaken.¡± The woman¡¯sughter brightened. ¡°I have nothing to do with the thing at R¡¯yleh, in fact you might even say we have a hostile rtionship. To keep that thing asleep is actually ourmon goal.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gu Jun decided to y along. ¡°Well that¡¯s strange. ording to my knowledge, our whole family should be R¡¯yleh worshippers. So what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°I simply happened to find a better entity to admire. It has a thousand faces.¡±

    ¡®Another cult?¡¯ Gu Jun scoffed derisively, ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fucking admirable.¡±

    ¡°Little brother, mind what you say.¡± The woman said with added sternness, ¡°A closed mouth catches no flies. Some things are better kept to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you.¡± Gu Jun repeated 3 times. ¡°Was it you who was behind the copse of the oak tree at Nan Xiang City¡¯s Third People Hospital?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that...¡± The woman¡¯s voice took on levity once more. ¡°I was in the mood to see them dead so I did kill them, yes.¡±

    Gu Jun had a hard time suppressing his anger. Those seven doctors and nurses had just finished a long shift helping those girls... But because of a whim, they were killed.

    ¡°Are you mad?¡± The woman sounded regretful. ¡°If you have told me earlier, then I wouldn¡¯t have killed them. Well, little brother, such are the fate ofmon people. Death is omnipresent. But you do not need to worry about that anymore because your big sister will be there to protect you from now on.¡±

    Before Gu Jun could say anything, he heard incessant footstepsing from around him. His eyes turned and saw many figures walk out from the forest. Even though he knew they were just illusions, Gu Jun was still stunned when he saw them. They were all little girls. Kedou and Huili led the group of girls. Their cute faces were filled with innocent smiles. The girls stepped on the fallen leaves. They were all the victims of the abnormal Tourette Syndrome. Some of them were in patient¡¯s garb, while others wore frilly dresses. They looked normal but there was a spine-tingling evil in their eyes.

    ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun,¡± The girl who looked like Kedou greeted him with a sweet smile.

    ¡°Big brother.¡± The figure who resembled Huili greeted him as well.

    Gu Jun scanned his surroundings. He had read some of the patient¡¯s files yesterday so he could put names on some of the faces. There were Guo Qinying, Huang Yinuo, Lee Sihan, Zheng Xin... The girls slowly approached him from all sides. The piano music suddenly picked up tempo. The old man changed the tune to Mozart¡¯s Turkey March.

    ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, we just want to eat you.¡± Little Kedou said with a smile, ¡°Then we will be able to live happily ever after.¡±

    ¡°You are not Lee Kedou...¡± Gu Jun warned in a chilling voice. Waving the scalpel before him, he screamed at them. ¡°Do note any closer!¡±

    ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± The mature female voice rang out again. ¡°It¡¯ll be over soon.¡± Gu Jun could not tell what the girls were nning but they popted the forest, filling up every nook and cranny.

    ¡°Little Red Riding Hood, Little Red Riding Hood.¡± Little Huili began, ¡°Grandma is here, I¡¯ve brought delicious cake for you.¡± Little Xinying continued, ¡°Little Red Riding Hood, grandma has journeyed for a long time. Grandma is quite hungry.¡± Little Kedou followed up, ¡°Little Red Riding Hood, grandma just wants to eat you. Don¡¯t worry, grandma will make sure no morsel is left of you.¡±

    Suddenly, without any warning, the girls jumped at Gu Jun. He was unable to bring himself to hurt the little girls. Gu Jun was soon overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Initially he could shove them back but there were simply too many of them. The girls were surprisingly powerful for their age. After Gu Jun shoved them back, they responded by kicking and punching Gu Jun.

    Pain came from both his body and mind. Gu Jun felt control leaving his body. His muscle tensed and he fell frozen to the ground. He kept mumbling something but he could not tell what it was. Was it to plead for the girls to stop or was he calling Kedou and Huili¡¯s names?

    The girls ignored him. While they continued to tell each other fairy tales, they kicked, stepped, punched, mauled at their victim...

    Once a girl had finished her work, another came to take her ce. Every hit was more vicious than the one preceding it. They grabbed the mud and lobbed it at Gu Jun. They picked up the broken branches and small boulders to whack him. A girl picked up the scalpel Gu Jun dropped and plunged it right into Gu Jun¡¯s shoulder. Blood gushed out from the wound.

    In the background, a happy melody continued to y.

    Gu Jun was soon engulfed by the intense pain. A blurry illusion shed before his eyes... He saw what would be of him. The girls would continue to pound on him until he became a pile of rotten meat.

    ¡°Why, why?¡± Gu Jun did not get it. He felt a hard kick on his right forehead. It appeared to have shattered his polymer skull. His limbs were frozen solid. His heart and blood were ceasing. ¡°Why do you want to eat me? Can my flesh give you immortality?¡± To his knowledge, the power of both Son of Misfortune and Son of Steel had already vacated his body, he was just a normal human now...

    ¡°Ha ha ha.¡± The female voice chuckled. ¡°My silly little brother, it¡¯s much better than that! You have no idea how precious you are now. After you are consumed, I can finally arrive at this world in my true form... This innocent and perfect world...¡±

    The girls continued to deliver their punishment on Gu Jun. His consciousness flickered. His mind was too weak to even contemte what the woman meant.

    A girl rummaged through his backpack. She found the surgical instruments.

    Wu Siyu¡¯s watercolor was tossed into the air. Gu Jun¡¯s blurry sight caught it. ¡®Dirty-minded Yu, I miss you so much...¡¯

    Tsk, tsk. At that moment, a white static noise entered his ear. ¡°If you can hear us... we are... innocent...¡±

 Chapter 375: Old Witch

    <h4>Chapter 375: Old Witch</h4>

    ¡°If you can hear us... We are... Innocent... Please do not... tell anyone else... signal weaken... Help us... Symbol...¡± In that moment of twilight, Gu Jun heard the mysterious signal again. It belonged to a party different from the girls. The symbol of the split cross returned. Gu Jun spotted it on the watercolor drifting through the air. A split cross was embossed on the watercolor and it was glowing strangely... An inspiration surged through his mind and he was reminded of what the woman said earlier.

    ¡®I am very precious now? After consuming me, she can arrive at this world in her real form? But why now? Is it because of this? I can receive signals other people cannot? Because my mental and physical state is unique from others? Perhaps we got it all wrong. The headache is not an evasive symptom from PTSD but a side effect from this special state I¡¯m in...¡¯ The longer he stared at the symbol, the stronger the inspiration.

    Suddenly, the watercolor was grabbed by one of the girls. She was about to tear it into pieces. Gu Jun felt a rage burning within him. ¡°Let go off... Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s painting!¡± The tension in his body melted like snow. He jumped up with a snarl and swiped the girls away from him.

    ¡°Brother Dirty-minded Jun, you don¡¯t y fair. Be nice.¡± Little Kedou said with a giggle as she attempted to snip away his finger with the dissecting scissors. Before Gu Jun could steady himself, he felt a dull pain from the back of his head. Another girl just mmed into his skull with the autopsy hammer. The girls¡¯ faces turned ghastly as they screamed at him, ¡°Be nice!¡±

    ¡°Stop this y-acting!¡± He roared in anger. While his mind was still intact, Gu Jun used his right hand to sign out an Ancient Seal. The Ancient Seal sted forward, carrying his umted anger and depression. The group of girls who was hit groaned. In a flickering moment, Gu Jun saw their small disguise wavered like ayer of skin being shed. Decayed flesh was exposed. It was dark, ugly and disgusting.

    ¡°Oh... the power of the Yith... Ha ha...¡± The womanmented with a smile but there was now an edge. ¡°The bunch of worms overlooked by the master. No wait, they¡¯re less than worms.¡±

    ¡®The Yith?¡¯ Gu Jun heard this term for the first time. ¡®Is there a connection between the Pnakotic Manuscript, the Yith and the House of Worm?¡¯ He also had no idea what she referred to by her ¡®master¡¯ but she did mention she admired a presence with 1000 faces...

    There were 520 girls there but they should all be the shadows controlled by one person.

    ¡°Little Brother, do not walk in the false trail of the Yith. It¡¯s foolish to think that technology can challenge the Gods.¡± The woman said, ¡°¡®Technology¡¯ is merely a toy given to humanity for them to distract themselves by the Gods. Humanity has no idea the true power of real divinity.¡± The piano picked up tempo. The bloated old man changed a tune and his fingers danced fast like lightning. ¡°Would you like to know the divine secret? Come, lick my ass clean and I¡¯ll share some of them with you!¡± With the shrill shout, Gu Jun saw some of the girls erge rapidly. Their innocent faces wrinkled and took on age spots. Their skin looked like cracked oak bark. The girls morphed into strange croons.

    ¡°So this is your real appearance...¡± Gu Jun said hoarsely. Blood still oozed from his shoulder wound. ¡°You are not Kedou, and not my big sister... You are the Queen of the Night, the old witch...¡±

    ¡°You wanted a family right? So I¡¯vee to be your big sister.¡± The woman chuckled in a silvery tingle. The wrinkled faces grinned wildly, ¡°Little Brother, if you prefer beautiful women, then I can take that form as well. I can be the most beautiful woman you¡¯ve seen.¡± Gu Jun scanned the surrounding girls and witches before his eyesnded on the piano, the one under the oak tree. That should be the key. He was about to rush towards it but the girls blocked his way. ¡°What are you doing?¡±¡±Big brother, don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Gu Jun kicked the girls away and signed another Ancient Seal. The girls were illusions but their wails of mercy still wed at Gu Jun¡¯s heart. The multiple usage of the Ancient Seal tired him and his muscle started to tense again...

    ¡°Little brother, my dear little brother, let us stay here happily ever after.¡± Suddenly Gu Jun felt a pierce of pain at his stomach. One of the old witches punctured his left abdomen with his suturing needle. The witch licked the fresh blood off the needle. The female voice sang beautifully, ¡°Your blood, it¡¯s so delicious...¡±

    At that moment, with a loud boom, the old witch¡¯s bloated head exploded. But there was no bursting of flesh. Turns out the witch was not made of flesh. It disintegrated into ck muck, like the mud from the earlier pond.

    Gu Jun gasped in shock. He noticed the shot was made from arge calibre bullet, most likely a sniper rifle...

    ¡°Ah!¡± The woman¡¯s voice became agitated, ¡°Curses, such annoyance. Damn, damn, damn, damn...¡±

    ¡°The girls and the witches are of the same origin!¡± Gu Jun shouted as he realized reinforcement had arrived, ¡°They are all part of an illusion! Destroy the piano. Use missiles. Quick!¡± He shouted as he turned to run away so that he would not be in the missile¡¯s trajectory. Just as he finished, a mini missile arched through the air. It flew across the evil oak forest andnded squarely on the ck piano.

    The music stopped. The piano and the bloated old man dissolved into a pile of ck mud.

    All the remaining girls morphed into old witches before they disappeared one after another. The forest floor was covered in ayer of rotten mud. Eventually only a single figure remained. Hernky body was barely covered in clothing. She had an ugly face and wrinkled skin. Her fingers were as long as ws and she stood where the piano originally was.

    Bang, bang, bang!

    Then came a quick session of gunfire. Gu Jun turned to look and saw a group of people firing non stop at the old witch. It was The One from GOA. There were Lou Xiaoning, Deng Ximei, Helen ire and Wu Siyu. ¡®Now these are the beauties I don¡¯t mind seeing.¡¯ Gu Jun let go of a sigh...

    The gunfire did not stop. It caused the old witch to retreat. Her body twitched as bullets shot through her body.

    The woman¡¯s voice turned hoarse as it cackled creepily, ¡°Ha ha ha... my dear little brother, does this not remind you of The Magic Flute? But no matter, the game has just begun... After all, I have found you... Now, promise me, you¡¯ll be a good boy until I return to get you.... Ha ha ha...¡±

    The ugly rotten body of the witch imploded into a pile of decayed mud.

 Chapter 376: Water Color

    <h4>Chapter 376: Water Color</h4>

    ¡°Ah Jun? Ah Jun? Are you alright?¡± There were so many beauties but it was Uncle Dan who got to him first. Uncle Dan lifted Gu Jun into a seating position to inspect the wounds on his stomach and shoulder. ¡°Thank God the wounds are not deep...¡± Gu Jun did not present a pretty picture. His whole body was covered in bruises, mud and leaves. Who knew what kind of torture he was put through?

    ¡°Everything went too smoothly for too long.¡± Wu Siyu held his arm andmented with regret, ¡°We should have taken a closer care of you.¡± Deng Ximei studied him quietly, her eyes shining with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡± Gu Jun allowed himself to be carried to the spot covered with surgical cloth. Uncle Dan and the other medical units like Sam Watt and Karina Sokolova came to address his wounds. They gave him a shot of morphine and then worked to cleanse, suture and bandage his wounds.

    Then, he had Lou Xiaoning fill him in on what happened. His memory fragments were correct. 3 hours ago, he sumbed to madness after his interaction with Little Huili. As he raced out of the Psychology Building, he chanted an unknown spell to summon an abnormalrge ck bird and rode it into the sky. After Wang Ruoxiang at the Spell Department was given a look at the recording, she confirmed that the bird was not Byakee. Thend¡¯s travellers concurred that the summoned creature was not a nightgaunt as well.

    The ck bird flew exceptionally fast, but it was not fast enough to escape a missile. However, themand central did not order an attack due to the cargo it carried. Instead they used the satellite to trace its movement and discovered the bird eventuallynded at the forest north of Eastern State. The One was immediately sent out on a rescue mission. When they arrived, Wu Siyu and Deng Ximei immediately picked up Gu Jun¡¯s trail. The team soon found him and arrived at the nick of time.

    Comparing notes, Gu Jun realized that he had arrived at the forest for quite some time already. He probablyid beside the pond for hours before he gained his consciousness. Or perhaps the witch needed these few hours to manifest her power at this ce. And it was her power that blurred Gu Jun¡¯s sense of time. As evidence, earlier, the sky through the foliage was dark and starless but now the warm sunlight streamed through.

    ¡°Hey, speaking of which, this has to be a supernatural incident, right?¡± Lou Xiaoningmented as her left eye gave Gu Jun a once-over, ¡°So howe you didn¡¯t seem to be affected by PTSD?¡± That observation inspired the rest. Their emotions took a roller-coaster ride. Gu Jun clearly appeared to have lost his mind earlier but now he had calmed down.

    ¡°He does feel quite different...¡± Wu Siyu said contemtively as she used the antiseptic tissue to clean Gu Jun¡¯s face. ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t exin it well but I guess it¡¯s a good thing?¡±

    Wu Siyu was not a person who was normally at a loss of words. She often had a unique perspective regarding issues that would have stumped normal people. But now, even Siyu could not give an exnation to this situation. That went to show theplication of the situation.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to exin...¡± Gu Jun said. He chose not to reveal the mysterious signal. ¡°But I believe that I have not lost my mind... That witch was a cultist and not my big sister. But she did not belong to the R¡¯yleh Cult either. Her goal is to eat me and she worships an entity that has a thousand faces...¡± He shared the information that he had just obtained. The information was ryed back to the headquarters. Elder Tong was quite happy to hear that Gu Jun¡¯s PTSD appeared to have recovered somewhat.

    ¡°Another cult?¡± However, Elder Tong was equally saddened by this news. Then again, it could not be said that he was surprised, these cults were like cockroaches.

    ¡°I¡¯m not even sure there is a big organization behind this.¡± Gu Jun shared his own thought, ¡°I feel like the single witch is the mastermind behind all these...¡± Gu Jun studied the ck mud and the eerie oak trees around him. A spill crawled through his spine. ¡®Is it over? Is the incident over? No, the witch has not officially ¡®arrived¡¯ at this world. We probably just managed to vanquish some of her invading shadows. But her shadows were already powerful enough to inflict 520 girls with Tourette Syndrome and kill 7 hospital staff...¡¯

    Gu Jun had no idea how she managed all that. He was sure the witch would return. Her parting words was, ¡®I¡¯ve already found you¡¯. Was he something like a key, an anchor or a connection device? His presence attracted the witch from another dimension like a flower attracting the attention of bees...

    While he percted over these things, Deng Ximei and the rest picked up his backpack, the Carlot Instrument and Wu Siyu¡¯s watercolor from the ground. Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered, the strange feeling returned. Perhaps due to the proximity of so many other people, the signal was weak... The crowd disturbed his ability to intercept the signal. ¡®I have to get to the bottom of this signal. That appears to be what the witch is after. I have to find out what¡¯s behind it before the witch returns... or I might not be so lucky next time.¡¯

    With that in mind, once Uncle Dan and the rest were done with the simple bandage and wanted to take him back to the base for a more detailed inspection, Gu Jun pulled himself up to grab his backpack. He then said, ¡°Guys, I need to be away for a while. Please do not follow me. Trust me.¡±

    Uncle Dan and Lou Xiaoning frowned.

    ¡°Let him go then.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice crackled through themunicator. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re supposed to be on holiday. Sigh.¡±

    ¡°Then you have to be careful.¡± Wu Siyu noticed her watercolor Gu Jun was holding. ¡®Is it because of the signal?¡¯

    ¡°Sure.¡± Gu Jun nodded before he wobbled deeper into the forest. However, something just didn¡¯t sit right with Wu Siyu. Seeing Gu Jun walk away, suddenly a flurry of anxiety arose within her. She was reminded of the sweetness and concern they shared on the night he first visited her family. Her body moved to catch up to him. ¡°Dirty-minded Jun!¡±

    Gu Jun halted and turned around to see his lover running towards him. He nted a kiss on her forehead and held her hands. ¡°Just wait for me. I promise it won¡¯t take long.¡± He then waved at Deng Ximei and the rest standing behind Wu Siyu. After onest look into Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s eyes, Gu Jun turned to head into the forest. Trudging through the muddy ground, and asionally scanning the watercolor, he tried to trace the direction of the mysterious signal.

    ...

    He walked around trees, natural caves and ponds. He found himself getting closer to the source of the signal. The theme of the watercolor was the sky. Wu Siyu used brilliant colors and lines to evoke the transient clouds and nothingness. At that moment, the scenery in the painting started to move to form an indescribable ball of chaos...

    ¡°If you can hear us... We are innocent...¡± Gu Jun saw the split cross shining on the painting against. Suddenly, light burst through the painting and blinded his eyes.

    ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯ His arms shook involuntarily. Gu Jun looked on with shock as his hands that held the painting started to disappear. To be more precise, his hands were reaching into the painting...¡¯Is there a different dimension inside the painting? No, this painting, it is a channel that connects to a different dimension.¡¯

    ¡°No, wait, the channel is not the painting but the symbol!¡± Gu Jun gasped as the reality hit him. The split cross burned with a vengeance and a force yanked him forward. The next moment, the man disappeared into the painting. The watercolor fluttered to the ground and the forest returned to its silence.

 Chapter 377: Positive

    <h4>Chapter 377: Positive</h4>

    Gu Jun was officially dered a missing person. On the afternoon of 21st, after The One rescued him in the jungle, the man requested to be left alone and he promised he¡¯d soon return. They waited at the oak clearing for an hour but Gu Jun did not return. So one hourter, they decided to follow his footsteps to find him. The team eventually found Siyu¡¯s watercolor that Gu Jun held in his hands earlier by a cave. That was also where the man¡¯s trail ended. Nothing of his other affects was found. There were no visible clues. Deng Ximei and Wu Siyu sensed nothing either.

    They immediately called for reinforcement. After therger group arrived, they used canines and devices tounch a carpet search around the forest. They searched for a whole week, and turned the ce upside down but there was no breakthrough. Gu Jun might have used a spell to aid in his departure but the satellite images at the time did not capture anything. However, that only proved that he did not travel through the sky, there were other methods he could have used.

    ¡°A person cannot just vanish into thin air, can he?¡± Elder Tong was troubled. The group was stumped too. Gu Jun did not even tell them what he was up to when he left.

    ¡°I thought he just wanted to use the toilet.¡± Lou Xiaoning was confused, ¡°Why else would he refuse to have anyone follow him?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that mysterious signal.¡± Wu Siyu shared her thoughts with Elder Tong for Elder Tong was the only one other than herself who knew about it. ¡°He was holding my painting when he left so he probably intercepted that signal again.¡± She however did not reveal the painting¡¯s connection to the split cross. She had promised Dirty-minded Jun that. Was the signal part of Gu Jun¡¯s PTSD symptoms or it existed for real? For now, Elder Tong leaned towards thetter, Gu Jun did not appear like he had lost his mind. But what kind of signal was it? Who was this ¡®we¡¯? Was it them who stole Gu Jun away?

    After another week-long search, Phecda had to ept this bitter truth. They stopped the rescue effort and left behind only a small unit to continue the search.

    Gu Jun was missing. After he entered the forest, he was taken away by some unknown individual through some unknown methods.

    In this half a month, no trace of the oak witch was found. The witch disappeared and so did all the anomalous activity. Could it be the witch who kidnapped Gu Jun? That was a possibility, a notably bad one. The country did not receive any new Tourette Syndrome cases. The percentage of patients was maintained within the average one percent. However, the 520 girls did not fully recover. When the battle happened on the 21st, none of the girls went missing so it was confirmed that the girls in the forest were disguises taken on by the witch. So far, the girls still suffered from motor and verbal tics but the frequency was not higher than normal Tourette Syndrome patients. Their verbal tic got better as well in the sense that they no longer sounded so creepy. At the same time, their piano talent greatly deteriorated. Only 7 girls retained supernatural talent and one of them was Zhong Lihui.

    Arrangement for these girls and their family tested Phecda¡¯s internal management skill greatly. For now they were all still in quarantine for further observation and treatment. However, they were also given the best education. Basically, they were attending a boarding school. Their parents were allowed weekly visits. This was because despite their decreased talent, they still showed great spirituality and that meant that they were an unusual source of potential talent. If they grew up without any further incident, and retained their spirituality into adulthood, they would be recruited into Phecda.

    Kedou though was a unique case. She did not suffer from Tourette Syndrome but for all intent and purpose, she was Patient Zero. After much consideration, Phecda arranged for her family to return to Shen Hai City but they had to receive routine S Value check up and stone cleansing.

    After everything was settled, Phecda came out with a new announcement. It sent a wave of relief through the country, especially among the parents. Phecda¡¯s announcement stated that there were around 100 children around Eastern State who got affected by an unknown alien transmission. They fell under an illness simr to Tourette Syndrome but the incident was over. None of the young patients died and they were all now in treatment.

    Even though there were still the usual conspiracy theories, things were slowly returning to normal. The ban on cartoons was lifted.

    The death of 7 hospital staff at Nan Xiang City¡¯s third People Hospital were hushed up but their family was givenpensation by the government. The resolution of this issue should be celebratory but Gu Jun¡¯s disappearance cast a pall over those in the know.

    ¡°Is it possible that Mr. Gu has gone back to the Dreands?¡± Peacock offered. ¡°Maybe he found a channel that leads back to it?¡±

    That was indeed possible but Lucky, who was threatened by Wu Siyu, admitted in a quivering voice that he would be able to sense the presence of any channel that had appeared in the past month. But when he joined the search party for Gu Jun, he did not sense any trace of Dreands in the forest. With regards to the oak witch, he shook even harder, ¡°She must be something evil. I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t care, I don¡¯t want to know!¡±

    Lucky was just a small Zoog, his knowledge was limited. He was there as an envoy for the Zoog so Siyu did not really hurt him.

    If Gu Jun did not travel to Dreands, then could he have travelled to another dimension? Deng Ximei said that she did not sense a connection to the foreign world though. The group reached a dead end. They did not expect the hurried farewell at the oak woods would end up to be a permanent farewell.

    Phecdaunched an intense research into the watercolor. They found nothing unusual about it. Eventually they returned it to the owner to see if Wu Siyu could detect something from it. When Gu Jun first received the signal, she already studied the painting with him. It was a watercolor she did when she was 16 or 17. She could not remember the details that clearly anymore. She kept it because she thought it was quite a good painting. Perhaps, the painting was nothing unique, but the symbol and signal that Dirty-minded Jun managed to intercept through it was.

    Regardless, Wu Siyu spent her days staring at the watercolor, waiting for the signal but there was nothing.

    ¡°It has been half a month already, it has taken too long...¡± Wu Siyu now understood why she felt so uneasy back then. If only she had climbed atop him like a sloth and refused to let go. However, she did not think that Dirty-minded Jun was dead and she stopped her mind from going down that road.

    Thankfully for now, there was something else that upied her mind. Since a few days ago, a strange feeling had been bothering her and her monthly visit... did not arrive.

    Her boyfriend was a doctor but he was missing. Thankfully she was surrounded by other doctors. She went to Zixuan¡¯s girlfriend, Jiang Banxia for advice.

    The test result could be checked within 10 days of conception. It had been 3 weeks since the Chinese Valentine. Wu Siyu bought a pregnancy test kit and returned to her hostel.

    Wu Siyu slumped on the couch and studied the stick in her hands.

    ¡°Erm... It¡¯s positive.¡± She rubbed her stomach, ¡°It¡¯s not a food baby but an actual baby this time.¡±

    Once the shock passed, Wu Siyu was confused. She remembered Dirty-minded Jun taking all the precautions so why would this happen? She looked online for answers. Turns out condoms were only 85 percent effective. For some reason, she felt cheated. Wu Siyu closed her eyes and her mind started to wander.

    ¡®An ace in the hole, that¡¯s impressive.

    ¡®With the amount of exercise we¡¯ve done, the probability increases by each instance.

    ¡®The probability of one getting synaesthesia is 1/10000 so what is 15 percent really?

    ¡®I will have to take maternity leave. At least that means I¡¯ll have 6 months of paid holiday...

    ¡®Single mother at 21. Sure, why not? It¡¯s nothing unusual and perfectly salty.

    ¡®But the biggest problem is...where is the baby¡¯s father?¡¯

 Chapter 378: Wasteland

    <h4>Chapter 378: Wastnd</h4>

    After being pulled into the painting by a mysterious force, Gu Jun started to fall. All his eyes could see was shifting lights and flitting shadows. It felt simr to when he crossed over to Dreands but... not quite the same. The space appeared to be squeezing into him. He had no idea how he looked but his heart was pinched together in anxiety and nervousness. Blood streamed through his capiries and his head numbed as the blood rushed to his brain. The simple bandage on his stomach and shoulder threatened to tear open...

    Gu Jun had no idea how long he was suspended in this state. It felt like both a second and a lifetime.

    Bang! The sound of something heavy hitting the ground. That something was Gu Jun himself. ¡°Ah...¡±

    Blinding light dted his pupils. He narrowed his eyes as he studied around. The sun was zing through the barely clouded sky. It looked to be around noon. He stood on a barren wastnd that stretched down the horizon. The ground was parched and cracked. There was no sign of any vegetation. The desteness of his area helped Gu Jun snap quickly into attention. Pressing against the ground, he gently stood up. The ground waspact and tough, a result from ack of water. Gu Jun had been to many barren ces in his lifetimes, like the ins and desert at Dreands but this ce topped the list. He searched for a long time, but found no sign of life, not even rocks and pebbles. There was only cracked dry earth. ¡°Where the hell am I?¡±

    ¡®Inside Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s watercolor? No, it felt more like the split cross has used her painting as a medium to construct a channel to bring me here.''¡±So... I am in a different world?¡± The thought came to Gu Jun but the gravity, sunlight and air pressure did not bring him any difort. If anything, he felt a familiarity with the ce. The only difference was the air here was extremely dry and appeared to have a low oxygen density. He took in several deep breaths but all it did was to sear through his lungs.

    Gu Jun stopped to examine his wounds. Thankfully the wounds did not tear. Gu Jun decided it was best to move while there was still sunlight. He tried to gauge the nautical direction but it did not seem to have much point when every direction yielded the same infecundity. Everywhere he looked, barrenness stared back at him.

    ¡°Is anyone here?¡± Gu Jun said. Before he understood the situation, he did not dare scream. He conversed with the space around him, assuming that someone was observing him. ¡°I¡¯ve arrived. I heard your signal. You drew me here, right? So, please show yourself.¡± However, he got no response other than the hot wind. The sun baked the ground. Just standing there for minutes caused Gu Jun to sweat profusely. It was not good for his physical condition for the heat would cause his fresh wounds to inme. He removed his muddied jacket and opened his backpack. There was a 550 ml mineral water bottle, 3 packs of digestive biscuits and some snacks. That was all the provision he had. Based on his assessment, food and water was his most immediate concern. Who knew how long it would take for him to leave this barrennd?

    ¡°Since I came from Eastern State, I might as well head down the eastern side.¡± With the decision made, Gu Jun wielded the scalpel as a weapon and started his journey. The thought rumbled through his mind. ¡®Back on Earth, I should be considered missing already... I don¡¯t have the watercolor with me so they should be able to find it, but that¡¯s probably the only clue they¡¯ll find. However, I¡¯m sure Phecda will stillunch a carpet search...¡¯ He was reminded of the promise he made to Wu Siyu and chuckled bitterly at his inability to fulfil it. Now whether he was able to return to Earth was still an unknown.

    Another unknown to consider was that witch...

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart was weighed down by these problems. He swore to solve some of them before he returned.

    ¡®I wonder if I am still on Earth...¡¯ Gu Jun looked up into the sky. When night fell, he would be able to tell further by studying the constetion. Gu Jun walked down a straight road for a whole hour. He believed he had covered about 5 km but the scenery around him did not change at all. He stopped for some water before he continued to trudge for another hour. The ground was still as parched as ever. But on the third hour, he finally saw something different down the horizon.

    ¡®Is that a g?!¡¯ Gu Jun focused his gaze. A pole was stuck into the ground and a g was hung at the top. Never had he ever missed having a pair of binocrs that much. He did not have much water left. He had no choice. Perhaps the g was a trap but it could represent aid and hope. Regardless, the only thing he could do was to stay on his guard while slowly approaching the g.

    After walking for half a kilometre, Gu Jun realized... it was not a g but rotten tatters tied around an iron pole. A ck iron cage strung from the top of the pole and someone appeared to be caged inside it... He walked closer and confirmed that it was a person, a dead person to be exact. It was a kneeling desated corpse. The hands were tied behind the body and the person was left to dry under the zing sun. Part of his flesh was so disintegrated that pieces of white bone peeked through.

    ¡°That appears to be a human body.¡± With his knowledge of human anatomy, even through the distance, Gu Jun could tell the body inside the cage belonged to a homo sapien. ¡®What kind of ce is this?¡¯ He looked around with guardedness. This was no friendly location. Evil lurked at every corner.

    At that moment, something caught Gu Jun¡¯s attention. A piece of paper was wedged between a crack in the ground. He went over to pick it up. His brows furrowed. It was a faded charity event poster. It was quite well-preserved if one ignored the bloodstain on it. The poster featured the sea with two swimming dolphins. The event slogan announced brightly, ¡°Protect the ocean, save the world.¡±

    That confused Gu Jun further. He studied the poster and then the corpse inside the cage. Did the dead person bring the poster over? He also transmigrated into this world just like he did? Or they were still on Earth?

    Based on the condition of the corpse, it appeared like they were starved to death inside the cage. Who would do something so cruel and for what purpose...

    Suddenly, a buzz came from the distance. It was the sound of a motor engine. It came closer and closer.

    ¡®Someone¡¯sing!¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped but at least he was prepared. After all, he had considered the possibility of the ¡®g¡¯ being a trap. ¡®Are there bandits on the road? Will I be tossed inside the cage if I¡¯m captured?¡¯

    There was no cover for him to hide and Gu Jun knew he could not outrun a motor vehicle. Gu Jun soon saw the motor vehicle in question, it was a strange vehicle fitted together with different, irregr parts.

 Chapter 379: Motorcade

    <h4>Chapter 379: Motorcade</h4>

    There was shrill engine noise and billowing smoke. The big cross country tires caused the cracks to widen and dust to fly everywhere. The vehicle looked like it came right out from Mad Max. It had the structure of a cross country trunk but the front of the car was fitted with a steel te armed with sharp gears. The sides were protected by iron tes. Through the shattered car window, Gu Jun saw 4 people sitting inside the car. They were all men of prime age andpact build.

    Even though the dust covered up their faces, Gu Jun managed to identify the passengers as human beings. They were Asians, probably the same descent as he was.

    Despite the tattered appearance of the vehicle, it was moving at 80 km per hour. As mentioned earlier, outrunning it was impossible so Gu Jun did not make futile resistance and only stood there patiently. Holding the poster in one hand and the scalpel in another, he waited for the men to arrive. He hoped to solve this encounter without conflict.

    ¡°Stand right there and don¡¯t move!¡± A rifle barrel poked out from the broken windshield. Gu Jun could not identify the weapon model, it appeared to have been heavily modified. The person spoke Chinese but he had a very weird ent. Thankfully, Gu Jun could still understand him. Gu Jun responded calmly, ¡°Ie in peace. I do not wish for any altercation.¡±

    The car stopped before him. The square-faced man at the driver¡¯s seat asked, ¡°Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Eastern State.¡± Gu Jun answered, even though he had no idea whether he was still on Earth or not. The men shared a look as if they had not heard of the ce before. The bald-headed man in the passenger seat kept the gun trained on Gu Jun. While he studied Gu Jun, he questioned, ¡°You look quite fit, life must have been good for you so how did you end up here?¡±

    Gu Jun answered honestly, ¡°I am just passing by.¡±

    ¡°Friend, you¡¯re here to look for the Angel City, aren¡¯t you?¡± The square-faced man asked while levelling Gu Jun an eagle-eye gaze. ¡°Or you¡¯re from the City itself?¡±

    ¡°I have not heard of Angel City.¡± Gu Jun realized he was under great scrutiny so he decided to be as open as possible. ¡°I am honestly lost. I don¡¯t even know where I am.¡±

    ¡°You are alone?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Jun answered. His mind pondered over this new information. ¡®Angel City...¡¯ It reminded him of the City of Kindles. ¡®I am still probably on Earth but... I¡¯ve crossed into a different timeline. Am I in the future? Barrenness and parchednds, that is what awaits us in the future? Then again, which version of the future is this? This future does not appear to share the same timeline inhabited by the City of Kindles...¡¯

    ¡°Friend, I don¡¯t care where youe from.¡± The square-faced man said darkly. ¡°But you¡¯ll have toe with us. We¡¯re heading to Angel City.¡± Gu Jun noticed that when the man mentioned the ¡®Angel City¡¯, his voice dripped with condescension and fear. It was like he was talking about the residence of the devil. He noticed a shift in the other men¡¯s eyes as well. They carried a heavy hatred and anger towards this ce.

    ¡°You are not going to stop us.¡± The bald man warned, ¡°Even if the Locust God descends on us today, it will not be able to stop us.¡±

    Then, their voices were overwhelmed by a greater engine roar. Gu Jun saw arge cavalcade of carsing from the direction the truck came from. A dust storm trailed behind it. It dawned on Gu Jun then that the 4 men he had been speaking to were merely the scouts. The main army was the one behind. Soon the cavalcade arrived. There were about 20 cars and they all had the strange automotive design. Most of them were trucks but there were several vans as well. Thergest of them was a red-colored truck that was surrounded in the middle of the cavalcade. An unknown cargo sat on its carriage. It was hidden under an old tarp and the cargo was heavily guarded. Clearly the thing under it was very important to these people. Each vehicle had 2 to 3 people and the clothes they wore showed some age. Most of them were thin andnky. They had yellowed skin, which was a sign of malnutrition.

    Gu Jun then realized the 4 acting the scouts were the elites. Because of that, even though he just survived an ordeal with the witch and he had lost body mass from his recenta, among these people, Gu Jun still appeared like a giant. Another detail jumped out at him. The cavalcade was filled with men, there was no sign of any woman.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A middle-aged man with a bushy beard inside a small car shouted. He appeared to be the leader. The scouts did not descend from their car but shouted back directly to update their leader. Gu Jun said, ¡°My name is Gu Jun.¡±

    The new arrivals took caution around this foreigner. He was not only fit and muscr, he was also calm and collected. Most people would have begged for mercy when they came across their cavalcade. Not many could stand firm to converse with them like this Gu Jun. Then again, the man did appear to be too soft and na?ve to be trusted easily.

    ¡°Brother.¡± The leader began. His eyes were not as sharp as the square-faced man but he carried an aura of dignity with him. ¡°We are not bandits but there mustn¡¯t be any hups in our n today so you will have to follow us for now. I am so sorry.¡±

    Gu Jun studied the men. They were armed with guns. This was not Dreands so Gu Jun could not use the Eye of the Abyss and he could not remember the spell he used to summon the big bird. Furthermore, he knew he should consider himself lucky that the men did not pepper him with bullets without any negotiation.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°But I have a question. What happened over there?¡± He pointed at the iron cage, ¡°What happened to that man?¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to test our patience?!¡± Someone groused loudly. ¡°As someone from the Angel City, you should know better!¡±

    ¡°We honestly have no idea who that is.¡± The leader waved for his people to stop. ¡°He should be someone passing by just like you but he was unlucky to get captured by the Flying Locust and was then sacrificed to their Locust God. In any case, we do not have time for stories. Ah Bao, grab him into the car! Brother, please cooperate. This is for your own good.¡±

    Ah Bao was a young man around 18. He jumped down from a van. Gu Jun followed along and crawled into the van. When he did so, the other passengers turned to stare at him. Soon the cavalcade continued their journey. The engine roar was booming.

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind burst with questions. ¡®What is this Angel City? Who are the Flying Locusts and Locust God? Is it another evil cult? Why are these people going there today? To fight? It does look like it...¡¯

    Gu Jun tried to get some information from the other passengers. He looked around and realized Ah Bao was the youngest and thus probably had the loosest lips. Gu Jun focused his attention on Ah Bao. ¡°I came from anothernd, so I really don¡¯t understand what is happening here.¡±

    But Ah Bao did not appear to have heard him. Instead the young man studied the poster Gu Jun held with greater interest. ¡°What is that thing? Is that a picture of the ocean?!¡± An excitement took over Ah Bao. He shouted at the other passengers. ¡°Hey, guys. This picture has the image of the sea on it.¡±

    That attracted the attention of the other guys instantly. If not for the loud engine that overwhelmed Ah Bao¡¯s voice, Gu Jun believed the men from the other vehicles would have turned to look this way as well.

 Chapter 380: Water Mammal

    <h4>Chapter 380: Water Mammal</h4>

    The van rumbled forward. Gu Jun was quite surprised that a normal poster could evoke such excitement from Ah Bao and his friends.

    ¡°Brother, where did you get this painting?¡± A man with a tiny nose called Ah Qiang, stared until his eyes were burning, ¡°I¡¯m willing to trade 5 rats for this!¡±

    ¡°Aiz, if only Li San can see this.¡± Another man called Shou Hou sighed. ¡°She has always wanted to see the sea.¡± Ah Bao exined to Gu Jun that Li San was Shou Hou¡¯s younger sister. But to Gu Jun¡¯s confusion, from their tone, it did not sound like Li San had passed away or in danger so he asked, ¡°There¡¯s still a chance in the future for her to see this, right?¡± Ah Bao giggled wickedly, ¡°That¡¯s hard to say.¡±

    ¡°What are those?¡± A slightlyrger man called Da Niu pointed at the two animals on the posters with creased brows. ¡°Are they fish?¡±

    ¡°Of course, they are, but we¡¯re just not sure what kind.¡± Ah Bao huffed. He already confirmed those were fishes.

    From their conversation, Gu Jun derived that these people had not seen fish before. Then again, with the geography that he had seen so far, that was not that surprising....

    ¡°They are actually not fish but dolphins.¡± He exined gently. ¡°Even though they are aquatic creatures, they are mammals and have high intelligence.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Ah Bao voiced his confusion. The rest of the guys looked at Gu Jun with nkness too.

    Gu Jun was startled seeing the apparent confusion on the young men¡¯s faces. ¡®Is this an effect of the apocalypse? Education will be the first system to copse if the need to survive bes the most prominent in a culture... What kind of era is this?¡¯ Gu Jun gave an impromptu ss in biology. ¡°We humans are mammals too and mammals are characterized by the presence of mammary nds that produce milk. Fish do not have that. Theyy eggs instead.¡± The group scratched their heads. Ah Bao understood it better than most but most of them got the idea of mammals somewhat.

    ¡°By mammary nds, you mean...¡± Ah Bao cupped the area around his chest and his expression took on a different kind of excitement. The guys started tough, it was a dirty joke shared among men. However, none of them believed that dolphins could be a mammal. They took that as a joke from a foreigner. ¡°Feeding in the sea? Won¡¯t that contaminate the milk?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell whether these two are fish or mammals. In any case, I do not see them carrying the necessary tools required for milk-feeding.¡± Da Niu stared seriously at the two dolphins inside the poster.

    Ah Bao sneaked in a joke. ¡°Brother, you must have missed the touch of a woman until you¡¯ve lost your mind. You do realize you¡¯re lusting after two fishes, right?¡± That made the groupugh even louder. Nothing helped men bond faster than dirty jokes. Then they started to discuss which of the women they knew had the biggest breasts. Men of their age often talked about such topics, that was nothing too surprising about that. Gu Jun knew that if he did not change the subject, they¡¯d continue this topic all day. When he tried to draw information out of them but none of them fell for his trick. Their growth condition appeared to have reverted them to a more barbaric culture. They were not used to conversational civility and said directly what was on their mind.

    ¡°Guys, I really just want to know.¡± Gu Jun decided to shoot right to the point then. ¡°What kind of ce is this Angel City?¡±

    Theughter stopped immediately. The engine roared while Ah Bao and his friends looked at each other.

    ¡°Alright then, after all, this should bemon knowledge.¡± Ah Bao thought about it and said, ¡°Where did you say youe from again? Eastern State? Is it a city dissimr from this ce? Anyway, Angel City dominates the water source and oil rigs at thisnd. ording to rumors, they enjoy the greatest of life. They have everything, but some of the things were ours, they have stolen it from us...¡± Ah Bao¡¯s anger got in the way of a logical retelling of the history but Gu Jun got the gist. The forces from Angel City ruled over this wastnd and the meagre resources that it offered. People like Ah Bao were smaller tribes who were bullied. Some of them moved around to avoid detection while others tried to resist but most of them ended up dead or as ves.

    ¡°But we¡¯ll show them!¡± Da Niu grumbled in a booming voice. ¡°If Angel City wishes us death, then we will bring death right to their doorstep.¡± Gu Jun wondered if this was the leader¡¯s n all along. He knew the younger members wouldn¡¯t be able to keep their mouth shut for long so he purposely arranged for Gu Jun to ride with them so that Gu Jun had the chance to get an update of the situation.

    ¡°I heard your leader used the term Locust God earlier.¡± Gu Jun pressed, ¡°What is that? I¡¯ve not heard of something like that before.¡±

    The group was confused. Ah Bao asked with curiosity, ¡°Your city does not suffer from the locust gue?¡±

    ¡°We do but there is no such thing called Locust God.¡± Gu Jun looked out the window. The barren wastnd... Could this world have been destroyed by locust gues? He continued, ¡°We probably have different cultural backgrounds. So what is the story behind this Locust God?¡±

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Ah Bao started with a sigh and it darkened his young face. ¡°It started, I don¡¯t know, several hundred or probably thousand years ago, there was an endless gue of locust. They consumed all the nts and drained all the water. They also brought with them a great gue which imed many lives. Then for some reason, people started to worship this Locust God. The Locust God¡¯s strongest and most devout disciples are called Flying Locusts. They are the rulers at Angel City. But truthfully, they¡¯re nothing but bandits.¡± Ah Bao scoffed with condescension. ¡°What God? The worms are nothing but our enemy. Why should we worship them?¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. This was not a story he expected. The apocalypse described by the R¡¯yleh cultists was a world submerged in water, it had nothing to do with locust gue.

    ¡®Worms?¡¯ His heart quivered as he remembered the mockery by the witch, ¡°The Yith? The bunch of worms overlooked by the master.¡±¡®Am I being suspicious... or there is a connection here?¡¯

    ¡°What kind of worm are these locusts?¡± Gu Jun wondered if the locusts here were different from the ones that he knew. Could they be a mutated species? Why would these people refer to locusts as a ¡®worm¡¯ and not an ¡®insect¡¯? Was it because they did not understand the concept ¡®insect¡¯? ¡°What do they look like?¡±

    ¡°None of us has seen it, those who did are already dead.¡± Ah Bao said with hatred. ¡°ording to legend, they¡¯re a kind of aquatic worm. Whenever they arrive, they will suck away all the water.¡±

    Gu Jun memorized this detail. Then he wanted to find out the supernatural energy level of the enemy. ¡°Do these Flying Locusts really have divine power?¡±

    That riled the group up. There was an undercurrent of fear under their rage though.

    ¡°Who cares!¡± Ah Bao huffed, ¡°Foreigner, listen to this. Angel City is going to attempt a big sacrifice to summon a locust gue! When that happens, other than Angel City, everything alive, including ourselves will be consumed by those worms! Don¡¯t you think they have lost their minds?¡±

    ¡°Then, you guys n to...¡± Gu Jun hesitated. As he expected, they were going for a fight. But the problem was how were they going to fight against the Angel City and the Flying Locusts who had such firm hold over the wastnd?

    ¡°We are going to level the ce.¡± Ah Bao gritted his teeth. ¡°Today, Angel City will be wiped off the map.¡±

    Da Niu concurred, ¡°The women were forbidden froming with us! There are still plenty of men back at home, like my younger brother. After Angel City is destroyed, the women can repopte the world. None of them will believe in the worms anymore. After a few more decades, everything will turn for the better!¡±

    Shou Hou and Ah Qiang¡¯s expressions becameplicated. There was solemnity but also fear and loss.

    Gu Jun then realized that this was a one-way trip. Those participated in this journey did not expect to make it back home. But there was still something that bugged Gu Jun. ¡°How big is this Angel City? How many people live there?¡± Could this Angel City actually be a small hamlet with just several hundred people in poption?

    ¡°Well, look over there. We¡¯re almost at its border already.¡± Ah Bao pointed ahead. The engine roared louder and the men screamed in bloodlust. Gu Jun turned to look and he was stunned by what he saw.

    Down in the horizon, there was a cityscape. There were endless skyscrapers... Angel City was a modern metropolis.

 Chapter 381: Boom

    <h4>Chapter 381: Boom</h4>

    The city that rose on the horizon had skyscrapers surrounded by an imposing stone wall. It stood right on the wastnd. The city would be glittering at night but even in daylight, it was clear that it was not in ruins. At that moment, an opposing cavalcade was hurrying over. It was the armored vehicles from the Angel City, there were tanks and armored trucks. There were even helicopters patrolling the sky. Gu Jun was shocked. However, his shock was not shared by the other men in his group. They were all shouting and chanting. It was the fire of men unafraid to die.

    ¡°Ah Bao?¡± As Gu Jun came to, he asked in a hurry, ¡°Do we even have enough people to do this? To demolish the Angel City?¡±

    ¡°We definitely do.¡± Ah Bao answered passionately as he waved his fists. ¡°The fact that we¡¯re here is already more than enough. Ha ha ha!¡±

    Gu Jun knew these people were barbaric but not stupid. He even sensed great intelligence in the leader. He wouldn¡¯t have led these men into their death for no reason, so they must have some kind of secret weapon... Gu Jun¡¯s eyes moved to the red truck. Just what was underneath the tarp?

    ¡°You are now in the Angel City¡¯s territory!¡± The speaker announced from the helicopter. ¡°Leave immediately or you¡¯ll be punished as trespassers!¡±

    ¡°Come and get us!¡± Ah Bao¡¯s screams turned wild. He was joined by Da Niu and Shou Hou. ¡°Send your best Flying Locusts!¡±

    Gu Jun noticed that a yellow cloud started to gather above the Angel City. As he took a closer look, he realized it was a giant cloud of locust. Their wings pped noisily to form a gushing sound as they flew towards the small cavalcade. The cracks on the ground split bigger with each p of their wings.

    ¡°Those... those are?¡± He stammered.

    ¡°The Flying Locusts have used their spell. They must know we¡¯re not to be trifled with!¡± Ah Baoughed. It dripped with his hatred. ¡°Those are not the Locust God they worship; they are just small worms. But be careful not to get bitten. They have a nasty bite. Their bites will cause horrible wheals and you¡¯ll die from excruciating pain. That¡¯s how they killed my brother and father.¡±

    But the swarm did not seem to dampen the men¡¯s spirit. They readied their weapons. Several roughly made rocketunchers aimed at the helicopters in the sky. Despite their patchwork appearance, the rocketunchers packed some punch. A helicopter was hit and it brought on great cheers from the men.

    Gu Jun was transfixed. The Flying Locusts knew spells and they were in fact very good at it... Back on earth, the whole Spell Department was drained just to summon a giant nightgaunt. Just how many spell casters and how much mental power was needed to summon such arge swarm of locusts?

    The fallen helicopter did not stop the Flying Locust. The armed trucks continued their advancement. The Flying Locust had advantage in both numbers and the quality of their weapons.

    ¡°Ah Bao, is there some kind of secret weapon on that middle truck?¡± He knew his question would raise suspicion but Gu Jun was too worried about his own survival to care. ¡°Or else we won¡¯t be able to win this...¡±

    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re one hell of an observer!¡± Ah Bao turned to the truck with a glow in his eyes. ¡°Today, Angel City and its residents are doomed!¡±

    ¡°What kind of weapon is it?¡± Gu Jun asked agitatedly.

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m not sure you¡¯ve heard it before.¡± Ah Bao guffawed, ¡°It¡¯s called an atomic bomb.¡±

    Gu Jun was baffled. Then he saw someone pull back the tarp of the truck. A giant atomic bomb sat in the carriage. Its cylindrical shell was painted military green. It was connected toputers which were manned by several young men who were hidden under the tarp.

    ¡®Atomic bomb?¡¯ Gu Jun¡¯s expression shifted once more.

    ¡°Oh, you can bet your ass that it is strong enough to blow up the entire city, ha ha ha ha!¡± Ah Bao shrieked loudly.

    Gu Jun¡¯s forehead broke out in cold sweat. He said hurriedly, ¡°But an atomic explosion has a great destructive range and it will emit radioactive waves. The consequence...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our tribes have already moved to a safe location!¡± Ah Bao chuckled. ¡°Brother, you are quite knowledgeable but we¡¯re not stupid either.¡±

    Someone on the helicopter probably spotted the atomic bomb because the voice on the speaker turned nervous. On top of the repeated warning, there was now request for negotiation. The swarm of locusts was approaching. The men picked up their guns and the gunfire intersected with the crazed and fanatic screams.

    ¡°Where did you guys manage to find... this atomic bomb?¡± Gu Jun still found it hard to believe. Could this just be a normal missile?

    ¡°That day, a foreigner visited our ce.¡± Ah Bao, who was most in the deepest grasp of fanaticism, exined, ¡°He drove this truck with him. It carried many unique materials and tools, many we have not seen before. He taught us how to use them, how to manufacture bullets and ammunition. He taught us new things every day. He even gifted us this atomic bomb, he said he found it at an abandoned military base.¡±

    ¡°Then where is he now? What happened to him?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart cried with rm. Who was this man? Something did not sound right...

    ¡°You¡¯ve already met him. He¡¯s the one inside the cage. He was killed by the Flying Locusts.¡± Ah Bao hissed through his teeth. So the leader told a lie earlier.

    Gu Jun did not get it. This meant that the poster he had did not belong to the man inside the cage or Ah Bao would have seen it before.

    ¡®Wait a minute, if this is a real atomic bomb...¡¯

    ¡°Wait a minute!¡± He screamed at the leader. ¡°There has to be other methods, please wait!¡± But no one was willing to listen. His voice was drowned out by the literal war around him. The locusts came and surged into the first car. Instantly, the 4 elite guards were brought under the weight of the locust swarm. They wailed in pain and mercy. The leader ordered without hesitation. ¡°Let it fly!!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over for Angel City!¡± Ah Bao cheered. The people around him joined in the festivities. Tears welled in their eyes but they were all smiling. Gu Jun could not stop the imminent doom and he had no way to stop it either. He saw the man on the red truck press on the initiation button.

    The military green shell was filled with high density uranium. The explosive inside was ignited and that caused massive pressure to propel the warhead forward. In a few seconds, the critical mass would create an atomic chain reaction and highly destructive energy would burst through and leak out...

    In just a few seconds, millions of locusts flooded this strange cavalcade. The excited screams turned into shrill cries. Ah Bao, Da Niu and Shou Hou¡¯s faces were crawling with locusts. But their eyes were open to see the horrified expression on the members of the Flying Locusts...

    A giant explosion and a giant mushroom cloud. The voices from both sides disappeared. Every face dissolved into dust. All the cars, locusts and helicopters turned into nothingness. The metropolis that stood imposingly on the wastnd seconds ago was wiped out of existence.

    At that moment, before the citizens could react, they were oxygenated into nothingness.

    At that moment, Gu Jun appeared to hear Ah Bao chant a strange name, iming that they had seeded. It was the name of the foreigner.

    ¡°Nyathotep,¡± yes, that was his name.

 Chapter 382: Another World

    <h4>Chapter 382: Another World</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Pain, so much pain. After hitting the ground heavily, Gu Jun could not stand up. His world teetered and there was a buzz in his ears. ¡®I¡¯m still alive... after the atomic explosion... But where am I now?¡¯ Waves of agony crossed his mind. Gu Jun took a long time before his brain started to function again. Just as the leader shouted for his men to initiate the bomb, an inspiration struck Gu Jun. He turned to look at the charity poster in his hand. He arrived at this world through Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s watercolor, could he leave it through another pictorial medium...

    During emergencies, a surge of adrenaline could provide people with energy to aplish things that they normally could not. Gu Jun had no idea it was due to his own power or some other intervention. Several spots of bright lights appeared on the poster. It intersected to form the split cross. His hands slipped through it and Gu Jun was soon dragged towards another dimension. Before the atomic explosion destroyed everything, Gu Jun managed a narrow escape. Gu Jun had no idea what happened next but for a split second, he appeared to float through the air and saw everything from his mind¡¯s eye.

    Angel City, the metropolis that worshipped the Locust God, its walls, skyscrapers, roads, schools, hospitals, locust temples... were all vaporized. The damage of the atomic bomb surpassed Gu Jun¡¯s expectation. Even an atomic bomb from Earth would not cause such huge damage. Earth¡¯s atomic bombs could deal high amounts of explosion damage but they could not cause immediate vaporization... Gu Jun was not even sure the thing could be called an atomic bomb anymore. So just what kind of military base would carry something like this? Or... this was just his imagination filling in the nks in his mind?

    After an unknown amount of time, the scene before Gu Jun cleared. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ He scanned his surroundings. He was no longer at a barrennd, instead he found himself near a hill overgrown with green grass. There were bushes and trees. He even saw two horses grazing peacefully. Down the distance, at the top of the hill, there were a few houses. They had distinctive European architecture, with nted roofs, white walls and chimney. ¡®Have I returned to Earth?¡¯ But Gu Jun soon noticed something that conflicted with that hypothesis. It was clearly fall! The trees were maple trees and the leaves were orange and red. ¡®Could I have returned to Earth but in a different timeline...?¡¯

    Gu Jun wanted to sit up to get a closer look but the motion tore at the wound around his stomach. It caused him to groan in pain. He turned to his stomach and saw the bandage soak with redness.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, I told you to do a surgical knot but you insisted on a square knot...¡± He sighed helplessly, ¡°Now see what you¡¯ve done.¡± He slid the backpack off his shoulders and looked up into the blue sky. A sense ofcency came over him. If Dirty-minded Yu was beside him, this would be quite romantic...

    Gu Jun tried to clear his mind and be positive but the experience from the barren wastnd stuck in his mind. Angel City, worms, gue of locust, Locust God, Flying Locusts... Gu Jun gave a long sigh. Ah Bao, Shou Hou, Da Niu and the rest, they all vaporised. Even though he did not know them that long... Gu Jun felt sorry and sad. They were just young boys who never even saw the sea in their lives. And they were not the only party whose lives were lost. There were also people from the Angel City. The thoughts bounced around his head before hended on the name that was Ah Bao¡¯s lips before the final moment, the long and strange name.

    ¡®Nyathotep, that does not sound like a Chinese name, hell, it does not sound like a foreigner¡¯s name either. ording to Ah Bao, this person came with an enormous atomic bomb and handed it to them. He essentially had caused a great destruction... Is that possible? Yes. But... Something does not sit well with this story.¡¯ The image of the desated corpse inside the iron cage appeared before Gu Jun. ¡®Is that really Nyathotep?¡¯

    ¡°Chaos, death, destruction.¡± He shook his head but he was no closer to understanding the truth. ¡°What kind of timeline did that wastnd exist in? I¡¯ve arrived there through the power of the split cross and now I¡¯m here. Since when did I gain the ability to traverse through dimensions?¡± Gu Jun scratched his forehead. It wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the polymer in his skull, right? In any case, this was probably the power which the witch wanted from him. She would consume him to gain this power and traverse in person to Earth. ¡°Can this ability be manually controlled? And what kind of resources does it exhaust, if any...¡±

    Gu Jun checked himself mentally. ¡°My mental state appears to be fine, I do not feel particrly tired... So if there¡¯s an exhaustion, it should not be of the mind...¡±

    Speaking of which, he checked into his sea of consciousness to inspect the system. It was still a ball of chaos but he realized with pleasant surprise that his internal exploration no longer caused pain as immense as before. There was now only a dull ache. That was a huge improvement as he once almost copsed from just checking the remnants of his system.

    ¡®Is it possible that...¡¯ Gu Jun pondered, ¡®These transmigrations ameliorated my situation?¡¯ He had a paradigm shift in his thought. Perhaps he did not suffer from PTSD but the PTSD-like symptoms were mere manifestations of a new kind of power in his body. His unfamiliarity with it caused the syndromes but now his body was learning to slowly adjust itself to the newfound power...¡¯If that is the case, I am slowly recovering and easing into a new state.¡¯

    With that positive thought in mind, Gu Jun opened his eyes and his heart beat harder. ¡®It¡¯s not yet over. Like the witch said, I¡¯ve be more precious... and that attracted the attention of these demons... For now, I should identify my location and find the connection between all these clues. I have to get to the bottom of the signal as well as the symbol and then gain contact with Phecda...¡¯

    ¡°I should be in Australia or Europe.¡± Gu Jun struggled to stand up. The building had a clear non-chinese architectural style. He studied his stomach wound. The bleeding had stopped so temporarily he could leave it be.

    However, Gu Jun knew that even though this ce did not appear as dangerous as the wastnd, dark currents could be hidden under the peaceful surface. He proceeded slowly towards the houses on the hills as he watched his surroundings. When he was about 10 metres away from the houses, Gu Jun saw someone walk out from one of the side doors. It was a short and fat Caucasian woman. She was carrying a wooden pail ofundry. The attire, essories that she wore... suggested a medieval era.

    The woman spotted him as well, and the moment she did, she screamed in an unrecognizable English ent, ¡°Oriental Demon! There¡¯s an Oriental Demon!¡±

 Chapter 383: A Small Place

    <h4>Chapter 383: A Small ce</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Oriental Demon!¡± The middle-ageddy howled. Her tone dripped with surprise and disgust.

    ¡®Oriental Demon?¡¯ Gu Jun might not understand the first world but he did grasp the second. From the tone employed, he quickly came to the realization that he had ended up at a ce where the residents were not friendly to Easterners. The people from the other houses came out from hearing the scream. The first was a fat and short middle-aged man. His face was heavily freckled. He shouted agitatedly, ¡°Damn you, bastard. Fucking heathen. Get out of here! Stay away from our homes!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun raised his hands in surrender. He did not want to get into conflict with these people. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, John. You useless thing, how could you let this heathen into our town?!¡± The middle-aged man cursed. A child less than 3 peeked out from the house. He looked on with curiosity. Noticing this, the man shouted, ¡°Grab me my damn gun, quick!¡±

    Well, Gu Jun definitely understood the meaning of gun. He hurried down the hill to make his escape. ¡®What kind of ce is this?¡¯ He skidded down the hill and rushed through a maple forest. He crossed the forest and arrived at a narrow muddy track. ¡®Wait... Are those electric poles?¡¯ They were extremely old-fashioned wooden electric poles but they could still transmit electricity. There was industrial electricity and firearms, so this timeline should be quite close to the modern era. While he processed this information, Gu Jun heard a sudden barkinge from behind him. It was followed by the hoarse shouting of a bunch of men.

    ¡°Bastard Orientals, they are all Demons!¡±¡±We mustn¡¯t let him get away, he¡¯ll bring death upon all of us!¡±¡±st it, Ford. Why did you let him get away? You should have shot him at first nce!¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. Even though he knew that running would risk tearing the wounds on his body open, he had no choice. As Gu Jun made his escape, he cursed, ¡®These motherfuckers.¡¯

    Discrimination against easterners appeared to be prevalent in this town. If he was shot dead at a countryside town like this, they would just bury him at an unmarked grave. No punishment woulde to these men. He was no longer at the wastnd but this ce was equally dangerous. The barking closed in and so did the curses and the footsteps of those men.

    Gu Jun¡¯s speed was slow due to his wounds. Those people would soon catch up to him. If not for the dogs, he could have found a hole to hide in but that option was no longer avable. He had no weapon to defend himself with in his backpack... He did not have any painting that he could escape into either.

    ¡°What to do, what to do...¡± Gu Jun mumbled frantically. He had toe up with something quick. He had no gun and spells were still off-ess to him. ¡®Maybe I can fool them? Tell them that I¡¯m actually a prince from the Far East and I¡¯ll reward them with money if they help me to return to my homnd?¡¯

    At that moment, Gu Jun saw a horse carriage with bales of straw hurrying down the track. The driver was a Caucasian old man. His face was naturally red and he had a long bushy beard. The hands that gripped the reins were strong and calloused. This was a man of the field. The old man did not look at Gu Jun with fear or hatred but instead there was reverence in his eyes.

    ¡°Kid, get in.¡± The old man shouted. ¡°You can understand me, right? Get in the cart if you want to live. Hide among the bales. The boors areing, quick!¡± Gu Jun weighed his option. On one hand, there was a group of men armed with guns chasing him and on the other, there was an old man who offered him assistance. As suspicious as the circumstance was, Gu Jun chose thetter.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Jun crawled into the cart and buried himself inside the bale. The old manshed on the whip and the horses neighed. The cart instantly moved on. Gu Jun saw through the gap a few giant dogs burst through the forest. They sniffed around to track his trail. They were soon followed by their owners. Every man was armed with rifles. They cursed among themselves as they searched for Gu Jun.

    The carriage thankfully carried Gu Jun away from these men. Gu Jun did not move or make any noise. He silently observed his surroundings. The town must have a low poption. The carriage had been moving for quite some time but he saw only a smattering of houses. However, he noticed that most of the houses contained rtively modern items in their yard. One of the yards even had a ck automobile parked there. It was an old model but it did not run on steam but fossil fuel. With fuel and electricity, this should be around the 20th century.

    As the carriage moved onto an empty path, Gu Jun asked the driver. ¡°Sir, thank you but where are we heading?¡±

    ¡°My farm.¡± The old man answered. ¡°I mean, you can get down now but I¡¯d advise against that. You have no idea what those people are capable of.¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re different from them?¡± Gu Jun probed. He wondered what the old man was after.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± The old man chuckled openly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ve always been interested in the Eastern culture and what better way to study it than to interview someone who lives it. But kid, I would have saved you even if you¡¯re Indian, African or Russian... As long as you¡¯re human, that¡¯s worth saving.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned slightly. He sensed that the old man was hiding something from him.

    ¡°Sir, I will answer all of your questions if I know the answer but before that, I have a few questions of my own.¡± He had to get the basics first. ¡°What is this ce and what is today¡¯s date?¡¯

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The old man was clearly confused by the questions but he answered regardless, ¡°We¡¯re at Massachusetts. Today is 25th October 1929.¡±

    Despite his previous spection, Gu Jun was still surprised. ¡®I have travelled back into the past? But how did I end up in Massachusetts, America?¡¯

    ¡°Massachusetts?¡± The only thing that he could make any connection was the district of New Ennd at Massachusetts. The ce which was the setting for the famous Salem witch trials...

    ¡°Yes.¡± The old man reaffirmed. ¡°You¡¯re at Chickasaw, Massachusetts to be precise. It¡¯s a small town adjacent to Arkham, Innsmouth and Newburyport.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®What?! Innsmouth? I¡¯m near Innsmouth?¡¯

    He first encountered this term from the triggered memory fragment he had with Lee Zhengbo, the Seagull¡¯s first mate. It was a location the Seagull had been searching for but was unable to find. ¡°It was there but it could not be found,¡± was what Uncle Lee said.

    Even Phecda could not find it. GOA reached out to WMO tounch a joint search but the ce was too elusive. The town never existed in the past or present.

    But somehow...

    Gu Jun was stunned. He cursed under his breath. ¡®Of all the people, I¡¯m the one who found it?!¡¯

 Chapter 384: Oriental Demon

    <h4>Chapter 384: Oriental Demon</h4>

    The carriage kept on rolling down the mud track. It left the already remote small town to arrive at an even more abandoned countryside. It was by thente afternoon. The setting sun dyed the sky red. Night would soon arrive as evidenced by the birds returning to their nests. With a yip from the old man, the brown horses stopped. The inertia caused some of the bale to drop. ¡°Mr. Gu, you cane out now.¡± The man introduced, ¡°Wee to my farm. I¡¯m alone here, unless you count the animals.¡± A few dogs came forward to greet their guest with cheerful barks.

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Joyce.¡± Gu Jun crawled out from the cart. His eyes scanned the surroundings carefully. This was not a big farm. It was practically just a yard converted into one. A fence was ced around a 2 story building and the space contained a wooden shed, stable and chicken coop. It permeated the air with a stale barnyard smell. However, the ce was still quiterge for a single old man to manage on his own.

    ¡°I was not the only one here.¡± Mr. Joyce appeared to notice the question on Gu Jun¡¯s face and he exined in the same open tone, ¡°There were my wife and my son but they have both passed away. My son got into an ident and my wife died from the loss.¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± The pain was clear underneath the frankness of Mr. Joyce¡¯s tone. The old man moved the bales and worked for a while before heading into the house. ¡°Time for dinner. How does some fried eggs and bread sound?¡±

    ¡°Wonderful.¡± Gu Jun was starving. His stomach rumbled at the sound of food. He only had a simple breakfast that ¡®day¡¯. He traversed from Eastern State Division to the oak forest, then to the wastnd and now he was here. He was both physically and mentally drained. He followed the old man into the house. Even though Massachusetts was already quite developed in the 1929, that was only limited to bigger cities. At smaller towns like Chickasaw, the footsteps of technology had not arrived. Mr. Joyce¡¯s home was simple and sparse. There was no electronics like television or phone.

    ¡°My son,¡± Mr. Joyce began as if to himself, ¡°Jack was a wonderful young man. He died at 26. He perished near Innsmouth. He went there searching for a better work opportunity but on the way there, he ran into an ident. A carriage-pulling horse was spooked. The tragedy injured several people and Jack was one of them. He was especially unlucky because the horse trampled on his chest in its panic and he died on the spot.¡±

    Gu Jun was silent. He followed the old man into the kitchen and noted basic appliances like gas burners.

    ¡°Such idents aremon at Innsmouth.¡± Mr. Joyce continued, ¡°The ce is home to a coterie of strange incidents. Chickasaw is already backwards enough but Innsmouth is even more secluded. It¡¯s an old port city. ording to legends, it was a metropolis 100 years ago but now it is practically a ghost town. No train passes by the ce and if you want to head there, you have to pass through Arkham first.¡± Mr. Joyce sighed, ¡°My poor Jack. His mind was always on the gold. He thought he could repurpose the abandoned houses at Innsmouth but instead lost his life on the way there.¡±

    ¡°Does the ce still have many people living there?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°Not many lives there now.¡± Mr. Joyce cracked some eggs to prepare the omelette. ¡°There are some fishermen who have lived there for generations and there is still a gold forging factory. With gentrification, only the older generation will remain at such an obsolete location but strangely enough, you will never see a senior at Innsmouth. Its citizens are all young people in their prime. It was as if the citizen will automatically move away once they pass a certain age.¡±

    Gu Jun contemted silently. ¡®Move away? To where?¡¯

    ¡°The people of Innsmouth are strange and secluded.¡± The eggs fizzled on the stove. Mr. Joyce flipped them over. ¡°Cities around Innsmouth have many legends about the ce but of course, most of them are probably just malicious rumours. It¡¯s due to the fact that Innsmouth has a different religious belief than we do... And we¡¯re always prejudiced against those different than us. Actually, Mr. Gu, that is why I¡¯ve invited you here. I have a few questions rted to this and perhaps you¡¯ll be able to provide me with rification.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to answer.¡±

    Mr. Joyce turned to look at him before pulling his flushed face down. ¡°One of the legends states that the people at Innsmouth worship demons. They perform many sacrificial rituals for their demonic deity. I have my suspicion that my Jack¡¯s death is not that simple. I suspect that he made a sacrifice to the demon.¡±

    Gu Jun felt a trace of hostility under the old man¡¯s line of questioning...

    ¡°The deity that the Innsmouth citizens worship is apparently named Dagon.¡± The old man continued, ¡°It¡¯s a deity that originated from a religion brought over by Oriental sailors.¡±

    When he heard the name Dagon, Gu Jun¡¯s headache returned, but many questions cleared in his mind. Dagon, of course... The power the Seagull was searching for. If the people of Innsmouth worship Dagon, then they could transmute into the Deep Ones... that would exin why the average age of Innsmouth citizens was maintained at teenhood.

    ¡®But an Oriental origin?¡¯ That exined why those men were so eager to chase him away. It provided a context to their behavior...

    ¡°Mr. Gu, I wish to ask you.¡± Mr. Joyce¡¯s voice darkened. ¡°How much do you know about this religion of Dagon?¡±

    Gu Jun did not know how to answer. He did know a little about Dagon but not because he was Oriental. Innsmouth existed in this world, a fact that was not true for the Earth that he departed from, so none of his conventional geographical knowledge could be used. He was not even sure that Oriental in this world referred to China...

    Meeting the old man¡¯s eyes, Gu Jun knew that this was not a question that he could skip over with a lie. Regardless, he needed more information. He knew how lucky he was to run into a gentleman who did not greet him with a gun to the head at a ce where hostility against easterners was strong and epted.

    ¡°Mr. Joyce, I do not worship Dagon.¡± Gu Jun began with sincerity and severity. ¡°To be honest, the worshippers of Dagon are my enemy.¡±

    ¡°So you do know things about that religion?¡± Mr. Joyce began to get excited. His white beard trembled.

    ¡°On the shiping to this country, I fought with a few Dagon worshippers.¡± Gu Jun continued, ¡°Sir, I can assure you that in my hometown, people hate the Dagon worshippers too. They are an evil cult. But strangely enough, ording to them, they were a religion that was based in the western civilization. But now it appears like we have all been fooled. If you ask me, the religion probablyes from the depth of hells itself. Mr. Joyce, I am sorry to say this but I do think your son¡¯s death is highly suspicious.¡±

    ¡°I knew it...¡± Mr. Joyce gritted his teeth. His face flushed from anger and his eyes watered. ¡°The coroner could not find Jack¡¯s heart and they told me it was because it was trampled into pieces by the horse. But I have dealt with animals in my entire life. I know a horse injury when I see one...¡±

    Gu Jun sighed as he was reminded of Tian Yi and Xie Yiman. He wouldn¡¯t put this ¡®ident¡¯ past the cultists. They had no bottom line.

    ¡°I knew it...¡± The old man mumbled. ¡°This exins why two years ago, many people at Innsmouth were captured by the federal police and many old houses that lined the shore were burnt down.¡±

 Chapter 385: Keziah Mason

    <h4>Chapter 385: Keziah Mason</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Mr. Joyce ted the omelette and sliced bread before bringing them to the table. The dining table was pushed to the corner of the kitchen. The surface was covered in mottled oil stains and some spots were mouldy. Normally, a medical student like Gu Jun would have a higher requirement for cleanliness but his hunger won over. Once dinner was served, he started to chomp down. The meal was scrumptious, it brought new meaning to the phrase farm to table.

    ¡°What happened back then?¡± He asked the old man about the incident that happened 2 years ago at Innsmouth.

    ¡°To be honest, we outsiders know very little about it. It happened around the winter. The rumors were that it was due to prohibition vition but I know for a fact that¡¯s not possible. Jack has done plenty of research into the economic structure of Innsmouth and Innsmouth has no one selling bootleg alcohol.¡± Mr. Joyce had his suspicions regarding this spection. ¡°Many people were captured but no one knew where they were taken and there was no following trial. The news slowly died away. There were some inquiries being done but those were quickly suppressed by the government. I swear something must have happened there.¡± Gu Jun frowned silently. Could it be an action taken against Innsmouth by FBM? Back in his world, Innsmouth did not exist so FBM could not do anything, but if Innsmouth did exist, FBM and by extension, the US government, could have done something like this.

    ¡°I just want to know the truth about my son¡¯s death.¡± Mr. Joyce munched on the bread and his voice caught. ¡°I¡¯ve tried asking the police but no one paid me any attention. I¡¯ve tried the media but no one was interested in my story. My friends either thought I¡¯ve lost my mind or they did not want the trouble.¡±

    ¡°Sir, perhaps.¡± Gu Jun offered, ¡°I can help you conduct an investigation.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Mr. Joyce¡¯s eyes were practically shining. Gu Jun then came up with something more persuasive, more fitting for his identity. ¡°I need to find something to do to earn my ce since I just arrived in this country. I can help you go to Innsmouth to investigate. I¡¯m an outsider, perhaps they won¡¯t pay me any attention.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gu, you¡¯ll be able to fit right in there!¡± That was one of the reasons why Mr. Joyce helped Gu Jun. He was d that the man made him the offer. ¡°You can pretend to be a Dagon disciple!¡±

    ¡°Yes, but to do that, I need to know more about them.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°For one, I wish to know is there any legend about witches at Innsmouth?¡± The talk of witches was taboo at a ce like this. If this was 200 years ago, private discussion of witches could bring them to the gallows.

    ¡°Witches...¡± Mr. Joyce widened his eyes and then chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll put it this way, everything that happens here is rted to witches. Ol¡¯ John¡¯s family lost a few eggs, it must be the work of the witches. Ol¡¯ Carter¡¯s family dog kept barking at night, it must because there were witches on the prowl.¡± The old man munched on the bread as he mumbled. He identally choked on some crumbs, ¡°See, perhaps there were witches listening in on us and she made me choke. Ha ha....¡±

    It was clearly a joke but Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. He studied the old man¡¯s shadow under the light. The sky outside was darkening... He knew the joke might not be entirely false. Kedou did mention seeing something in the ¡®shadow¡¯ before.

    ¡°Legends about witches are what I grew up with.¡± Mr. Joyce clearly did not think much about this. ¡°Naturally there are stories about witches at Innsmouth, but based on my knowledge, it has nothing to do with the Dagon Cult. But there is a famous witch house at Arkham.¡±

    Gu Jun was surprised. Arkham was a location that the old man mentioned earlier. Gu Jun thought it was just a normal location but now it appeared like he was mistaken.

    ¡°Arkham?¡± He prompted.

    ¡°Arkham is the biggest city around this district. It¡¯s quite developed, at leastpared to the rest of the district.¡± Mr. Joyce exined. ¡°That ce is filled with strange legends too and one of them is rted to the witches. But to exin that, I will have to tell you the stories about Salem that happened years ago.¡±

    Gu Jun did know his history but he did not stop the old man from telling his tale. After all, the history here might be different. But based on what he heard, everything sounded the same. The stories were about the Salem Witch Trials. It happened 200 years ago, in 1929. It started with a preacher¡¯s daughter at Arkham who fell under a strange illness. Soon after, the girls that she normally yed with fell under the same illness. It did not take long for the illness to infect all the girls in the city. ¡°They would scream and convulse. It was like they were possessed, making curse-like noises.¡± Mr. Joyce regaled Gu Jun with these historical pasts. ¡°At the time, no one, not even the doctors, knew what to do with it.¡±

    Gu Jun was silent. In medical history, the Salem Witch Trials was also an unsolved mystery. There was a hypothesis suggesting that the witches were actually victims of Tourette Syndrome but theoretically speaking, Tourette Syndrome was not contagious and it would not cause hallucination. Another hypothesis was that it was due to ergotism, a condition that develops from ergotamines, substances produced due to fungal contamination of grains. However, that did not exin why only the girls were infected. Due to the gue, the town of Salem underwent history¡¯s biggest witch hunt. ording to the old man, several hundred people were captured and tortured. People died from public stoning and on the pyres.

    ¡°Keziah Mason was one of the used witches.¡± Mr. Joyce continued, ¡°But somehow this witch managed to escape from the Arkham prison and she vanished overnight! The next morning, the prison guard was found rambling incoherently. He imed that Mason has used some lines and angles to open some kind of dimensional portal...¡±

    The old man¡¯s disbelief in these stories was evident. From the old man¡¯s perspective, the Dagon worshippers did not have any superhuman ability, they were just delusional and crazy. He treated these local witch legends with the same attitude. The stories were most likely exaggerated. After all, if Mr. Joyce believed in the actual existence of the devil, he would not be in such a convivial mood with Gu Jun.

    However, Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled from the story. ording to Kedou, the witch¡¯s shadow walked out from the corner of her bedroom... That matched the story of how this Keziah Mason escaped from her imprisonment. However, that was not evidence enough for Gu Jun to confirm that this Kezain Mason was the witch behind the tragedy back on Earth.

    ¡°In any case, Keziah Mason¡¯s home is located at Arkham.¡± Mr. Joyce exined, ¡°Naturally everyone gives it a wide berth.¡±

    Suddenly a thought dawned on Gu Jun. The reason why he was transported to this space and time... Could Arkham be his actual destination and not Innsmouth? Was he supposed to find some clues at this Witch House? Could this Keziah Mason be his ¡®big sister¡¯ or the existence with a thousand faces?

    While Gu Jun was thinking, the dogs outside the farm started to bray. It was followed by approachingmotion.

    ¡°Joyce, you old bastard, someone saw you brought the heathen home!¡±

    ¡°You sted old thing, hand over the heathen. Do you intend to have us killed, like you did Jack?!¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way, bitch!¡± With the curse, one of the dogs yelped in pain. Clearly the mob had arrived and their first victim was the innocent animals.

    ¡°Damn it, damn it...¡± Mr. Joyce put down his bread and stood up. His beard trembled from anger. ¡°Damn it, those bunch of boors have found their way here!¡±

 Chapter 386: Hide

    <h4>Chapter 386: Hide</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Under the night sky, the dogs got louder and so did the men¡¯s curses and shouts. Gu Jun only had enough time to eat 2 fried omelettes. He did not even get to finish his bread and obtain more information about Arkham or Innsmouth before the interruption came. He was angry. He asked, ¡°Mr. Joyce, do you have any guns?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Mr. Joyce was stunned. He did not expect the man to opt for a firefight but now was not the time to act rash. ¡°They have the numbers advantage, plus kid, if you really injure someone, this will be brought to court and then you¡¯ll never leave this town ever.¡±

    ¡°Then can we call the police?¡± Even though Gu Jun knew that probably won¡¯t help much.

    ¡°I do not have a phone!¡± Mr. Joyce was agitated. ¡°And even if the police came, do you think they will help an outsider like yourself? Don¡¯t be na?ve, they will only help those brutese up with awful excuse to murder you. Quick,e with me. You can hide in the basement for now.¡±

    ¡°Do they know about the existence of this basement?¡± Gu Jun frowned. He carried his backpack and followed the old man deeper into the house.

    ¡°I will not let them search this ce!¡± Mr. Joyce promised urgently as he pulled the trap door leading to the basement open.

    ¡°No...¡± Gu Jun shook his head. If he went down there, he¡¯d be trapped. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if I hide outside in the jungle.¡±

    ¡°They have dogs with them!¡± The old man pointed out but he knew that the man was not going to be persuaded otherwise. ¡°So be it. Hurry up to the second floor and find a ce to hide. Just be still.¡±

    That sounded like a better idea. Gu Jun hurried up the wooden steps. He turned around before he reached the top. He whispered to Mr. Joyce who was turning to the door. ¡°The kitchen! There are two tes.¡± The old man got the hint. He hurried to the dining table to clear away the tes. By then, the men had reached the front door.

    ¡°Joyce, hand us the heathen!¡±¡±There is no hiding for either one of you!¡±

    The old man cleared away the table before he walked over to the door. He yelled at the top of his lungs, ¡°Who the hell is making all that noise?¡±

    On the other hand, Gu Jun knelt down on the second floor. The ce was dim but of course, he was not dumb enough to switch on the lights. The second floor was sparse and rustic. There was a living room and 3 other rooms. He paced lightly around to find a ce to hide while paying focus to the argument outside. Mr. Joyce imed that he was the only one at home. The mob wanted to search the house but the old man denied them entry. He warned that if any of them dared to illegally trespass into his house, he¡¯d shoot them down.

    As Gu Jun went down the corridor, his eyes caught the pictures hanging on the wall. It should be Mr. Joyce¡¯s family portrait. Mr. Joyce looked so much younger in them. Beside him was a pretty woman and a dashing young man. They were once a happy family. These paintings were all oil paintings. Gu Jun wondered if they were painted by Mr. Joyce¡¯s family or he bought them from someone else. Suddenly, Gu Jun¡¯s vision blurred. The headache returned and so did the strange sensation...¡±The transmigration... is about to initiate again...¡±

    The headache was even more intense thanst time. Perhaps it was due to his unwillingness to leave. His emotions shed together and his muscles cramped. ¡®No, I don¡¯t want to leave.¡¯ Gu Jun tried to resist. He still had many mysteries to solve. Plus he did not understand how this transmigration ability worked. It was like he was being shoved into a vehicle without being told his destination. What if he was transported back to the wastnd? Or somewhere 100 times more hazardous than this ce... Furthermore, he still had not aplished his promise to the friendly Mr. Joyce. He still had not visited Arkham or Innsmouth, there was no telling whether he¡¯d be able toe back here or not...

    The argument outside the house grew louder. Mr. Joyce was unable to chase the mob away. They were dead set on the belief that the heathen was inside Joyce¡¯s house. A man cursed, ¡°Joyce, the legend must be true. You havemitted some kind of dark transaction with the people from Innsmouth. You sold them your son and wife to gain favor from the demon!¡±

    ¡°How dare you?!¡± Mr. Joyce exploded in anger. His voice shook. ¡°You son of a bitch, how dare you...¡±

    ¡°Old man, I¡¯m sorry but this is for the safety of our town!¡±

    Then came the sound of fighting, the old man and his dogs screaming. But soon the fighting died down. The old man could be heard screaming that he would murder them all. Obviously he was overpowered. With a bang, the front door was kicked down and the mob rushed in. ¡°You guys go down there, we¡¯ll go upstairs!¡±

    ¡®Fuck... Why must it happen at a time like this...¡¯ Gu Jun felt the control of his body fading. Every inch of his body went into spasm.

    Tap, tap, tap. Footsteps creaked on the wooden steps. The sound of the men rushed up into the second floor. The curses arrived soon after. ¡°Heathen,e out!¡±¡±You won¡¯t be able to hide from us. This is not Innsmouth, no one will provide sanctuary for you!¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s head was splitting. It was the same back at the wastnd. ¡®Everywhere I go, there is chaos and death...¡¯ Suddenly he spotted the split cross. It appeared in one of the oil paintings. It glowed weakly. Right at that moment, his body leaned weakly forward. His hands brushed against the painting. The moment the men walked out from the stairs, Gu Jun was sucked into the oil painting. The painting fell to the ground and the frame cracked. The light faded away.

    ¡°He¡¯s here! He¡¯s here!¡±¡±Old man, you lied to us!¡±

    The men hurried towards the sound. They searched all three rooms on the second floor, then the first floor and the basement. They even ransacked the small farm but they found no Easterner. There was nothing out of ce. The men looked at each other. Their hunting dogs wouldn¡¯t get the scent wrong...

    Mr. Joyce was equally confused. ¡®Where is the young man? Could he have jumped down from the second floor window into the forest? But the hunting dogs would have picked up on his trail.¡¯

    As confused as he was, the old man puffed up his chest with indignation. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I am not harbouring anyone here! You bunch of ingrates, trampled into my house, beat up my dogs and ndered my family¡¯s name! You bunch of bastards!¡±

    The mob scratched their heads and shied away from Mr. Joyce with shame. They could only vent their anger on the hunting dogs. Why would the dogs lead them to poor Mr. Joyce¡¯s ce?

 Chapter 387: Illusion or Not

    <h4>Chapter 387: Illusion or Not</h4>

    Beep, beep¡ª

    The sound of a car honk buzzed in Gu Jun¡¯s ears. It was followed by the driver¡¯s curses. ¡°Do you have a death wish running out into the street like that?! Get out of the way!¡±

    The vision before his eyes cleared. He realized he was standing in the middle of a tarred road. A small car stopped beside him. The person cursing him was the driver and he cursed him in Chinese...

    Gu Jun looked around. There were skyscrapers and Chinese signs. The pedestrians looked his way with interest. It was a modern Chinese metropolis. He was home. He gave a long sigh. He had finally returned home.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He apologized to the driver and slowly made his way back to the pedestrian walkway. The muscle spasm and headache disappeared. He was tired but he felt emotionally better. The transmigration appeared to have digested more of the stored energy. Perhaps he could officially end his holiday now. Gu Jun walked towards one of the shops. He wanted to gain contact with Phecda as soon as possible. He had a lot of new information to share.

    The shop was a convenience stop. The middle-aged boss sat behind the counter, watching youtube on his phone. Several customers studied the items on sale. Once Gu Jun entered the shop, everyone turned to look at him. Gu Jun was not surprised by this. After all, he must have posed quite a look with two bloody wounds. Furthermore, he was a celebrity Phecda member. He was Phecda¡¯s mouthpiece after all. Gu Jun nced at the calendar on the wall. It was 10th March 2022. He left on 21st February 2022... so half a month had passed.

    The boss looked too at ease to point towards any disaster during his absence.

    ¡°Hello, boss.¡± Gu Jun greeted the fat boss. ¡°My name is Gu Jun. I wish to borrow your phone to make a call. You know Phecda, right? I wish to contact them. This ce will be flooded soon but don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just protocol.¡± He warned the other customers.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The boss looked at him warningly. ¡°Who are you?¡± The other customers looked at him with open curiosity.

    Gu Jun shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m Gu Jun from Phecda. You can search for me online.¡±¡®This boss doesn¡¯t read the news?¡¯

    ¡°Erm.¡± The boss¡¯ face wrinkled with confusion, ¡°Are you famous on the inte?¡±

    ¡°I suppose you can say that.¡± Gu Jun picked up thendline on the counter. He called Phecda hotline but the number was disconnected...¡¯I got the number wrong?¡¯ He tried again but the result was the same. His heart sunk. He tried Wu Siyu¡¯s number next and this time, it was connected. A female voice answered, ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, it¡¯s me!¡± Gu Jun said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± But then suspicion kicked in. ¡®No, wait, that does not sound like Wu Siyu¡¯s voice...¡¯

    ¡°Who?¡± As he expected, the woman on the other end said. Gu Jun exined, ¡°I¡¯m looking for Wu Siyu, is this not her phone?¡± The woman answered, ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. This is my number. You got the wrong person.¡± The call was cut off. Gu Jun tried again and the call was cancelled. He then tried Elder Tong and Cai Zixuan¡¯s numbers. They were all answered by random strangers.

    Gu Jun was lost, but a suspicion started to arise in his mind.

    ¡°Brother, how many calls you¡¯ve made already?¡± The boss groused, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you buy something at least...¡±

    ¡°Boss, do you mind lending me your phone?¡± Gu Jun asked. ¡°I wish to check something.¡± Naturally the boss refused. ¡°Leave! Don¡¯t cause trouble for me! Leave or I¡¯ll call the cops!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just need to go online for a moment!¡± Due to the severity of the situation, Gu Jun grabbed the phone from the boss. The boss screamed for help. The customers surrounded Gu Jun but they did not turn to violence. After all, they weren¡¯t sure they could take down Gu Jun, who was so muscrly-built. ¡°Brother, you¡¯ll hurt other people if you continue to act like this.¡±¡±You look like a reasonable person, why resort to violence?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry...¡± Gu Jun apologized as he went online. His eyes widened. There was no Phecda, no Gu Jun, no Wu Siyu, no nothing. However, the historical event was still the same. But recent events rted to the supernatural were all wiped out of existence. Gu Jun returned the phone back to the boss. He turned to look at the traffic outside the shop. His ears buzzed but his heart settled. He had arrived in a parallel universe. The wastnd and Massachusetts he visited were probably parallel universes as well.

    ¡°But...¡± the thoughts turned chaotic in his mind. ¡®How many parallel universes are these? Countless? Is there a rtionship between them? Can I travel to Dreands from this ce? Will I reach the same Dreands or a parallel Dreands? If it¡¯s the former, can I visit the other parallel universes through Dreands?

    ¡®There should be a Phecda-equivalent in this world. It probably does not go by that name. But it has not been exposed to the public because there were no cases of legione pneumonia and Nightmare Illness to warrant their exposure... Does R¡¯yleh exist in this universe?¡¯

    The more Gu Jun thought about it, the more confused he became. The Great Old Ones, Dagon, the Son of Misfortune... Could they travel through these parallel universes? Probably not, because his own world did not have Innsmouth but the other universe did.

    At that moment, a few police officers arrived. They interrupted Gu Jun¡¯s thought.

    ¡°That guys tried to rob me!¡± The boss pointed at Gu Jun. The other customers were his witnesses.

    ¡°I was just trying to borrow it from him.¡± Gu Jun apologized again. He did not want to spend a night in prison. He needed his freedom to conduct his investigation. Thankfully, the Chinese police in this world also had a half eye open, half eye close policy. Since no one was injured and the ¡®burr¡¯ had shown such sincerity in his apology, they only lectured him before they let him go. ¡°You have full faculty of your body and mind, make yourself useful to society, instead of bothering these fine citizens.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Gu Jun nodded. After the police left, Gu Jun also departed from the shop. He walked down the street with locked brows. He had no official identity and no money here. He did not know anyone. He paced down the street wandering what to do next when he noticed a man turning over to stare at him. Gu Jun stopped moving. He noticed the man was not amon citizen, he had an air of the supernatural on him...

    It was a man over 30 or perhaps younger. His face was full of beard and the dark circles around his eyes aged him greatly. The man was of average build and wore cheap clothes. The longer Gu Jun studied him, the clearer the fanaticism in the man¡¯s eyes...

    ¡°Hello?¡± Gu Jun began with caution. Was this someone from the government or the cult?

    ¡°Ha ha, are you an illusion?¡± The man croaked. ¡°You¡¯re not an illusion? You¡¯re really here? I might be crazy but I know that I¡¯m not. Am I crazy, am I not crazy? I saw you in my illusion. Many times I saw you. You are a doctor, you have dissected a zombie, peeled off parasites.... You¡¯re here, you¡¯re finally here. Yes, it¡¯s you, you¡¯re real... I¡¯m not crazy. I was right...¡± The man was overwhelmed with excitement, ¡°You are the person I saw in my hallucinations!¡±

 Chapter 388: The Same Kind of People

    <h4>Chapter 388: The Same Kind of People</h4>

    The cars rumbled down the road. By the street, two strange men looked at each other through a distance of 10 steps. An auntie walked by and nced at the two of them. She hurried away from fear of her own safety. These two cut a strange figure, one was in dirty clothes, like he had just rolled in the mud; and the other needed a good shaving, his expression was that of a madman. ¡®Is this going to escte into a fight?¡¯ The auntie moved quickly away.

    ¡°I am right...¡± The bearded man said excitedly, ¡°Those are not illusions, I did not suffer from PTSD...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s face was void of emotion but his heart rippled with excitement. The man¡¯s rambling made perfect sense to him. However, he maintained maximum caution. This man could be another disguise taken by the witch.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked, ¡°Where have you seen me before?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, I know you belong to a mysterious government organization, me too.¡± The manughed. ¡°I know you are not a bad person, because neither am I.¡± Gu Jun listened to him cautiously. ¡°At our ce, the mysterious organization is called Mysterium. Many things happened in the recent years, it should be the same over at your side, right? I saw some of them.¡± The man¡¯s voice picked up with excitement like he had found the answer which eluded him for so long. ¡°I know you have your suspicion, I understand. I am in the same field as you do after all. I am the best in the field, well, was... At this ce, I am probably the only one who can confirm your real identity, we are the same type of people...¡±

    Mysterium? Gu Jun thought about it. There was no harm in meeting them. ¡°Then call the people from Mysterium toe fetch us.¡± Only when the official cavalcade arrived then Gu Jun could affirm the man¡¯s identity.

    ¡°No, we mustn¡¯t include Mysterium in this.¡± The man shook his head hurriedly. His bushy brows pleated together. ¡°We have to keep this to ourselves or else the signal will weaken. This is the confirmation I need that my research is on the right path. We need to gain contact with that signal, that is the most important mission.¡±

    Gu Jun narrowed his eyes slightly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°That signal!¡± The man lowered his voice so the pedestrians could not hear them, ¡°The split cross.¡±

    Gu Jun was surprised the man knew that much. ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°You have to trust me, we don¡¯t have time to waste...¡± The man pulled at his hair, which honestly did not help with his persuasion. ¡°How can I make you believe me... Okay, you see that flyover over there? We¡¯ll meet up there in a bit but for now you must go into hiding. I will call the people from Mysterium over for you to see for yourself...¡±

    ¡°Make them stay longer.¡± Gu Jun said. He wanted to see what was really going on.

    ¡°I know, I know. I know how your brain works.¡± The man took out a phone from his pocket, ¡°I will prove to you that they are from the government.¡± Gu Jun walked a distance away. He was a bit too conspicuous but he came up with the perfect disguise to blend in. He sat down by the street, took out a marker from his backpack and wrote ¡®Donation to help with medical bill¡¯ on a cardboard and ced it before him.

    ¡°Send some people over now!¡± The man shouted urgently into the phone, ¡°It¡¯s serious. I¡¯m not being crazy. Send as many people as you can...¡± The man gave his location. ¡°Quick, quick. Send all the armoured cars you have... Just think of all the contributions I¡¯ve done in the past, will I lie to you... There¡¯s no need to evacuate the crowd, that will alert the enemy... I¡¯ll keep the public safe.¡± Gu Jun was studying the man closely. He was a prime example of someone who suffered from PTSD.

    Suddenly a young woman, who passed by, dropped 50 RMB into his open backpack. She nced at Gu Jun¡¯s face and sighed.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you for your kindness.¡± That was all he could say. It was ironic because when he was splurging away his money, many of his friends predicted that he would one day end up begging on the street.

    ¡°Brother, I am just a university student, I can¡¯t help you that much.¡± The young woman said. She continued, ¡°Do you mind telling me what happened to you?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me but I was stabbed twice by girls.¡± Gu Jun exined as he paid close attention to the man. About half an hourter, arge cavalcade rushed down the street and blocked off the road. There were many armoured cars, trucks and quarantine vehicles. The shop owners and pedestrians on the street looked on with confusion... Seeing the scale of the cavalcade and the numerous agents that descended from the vehicles, he already came to a conclusion. Even though the agents dressed in the same uniform, he could easily identify their background and corresponding department. Investigation Department, Action Department, Medical Department, once you stayed in them long enough, you¡¯d adopt their culture and mannerism.

    ¡°Please do not move!¡± The bushy-beard man pleaded. ¡°Just stand right here. Wait for a moment, it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± The group really heeded his order. They looked at each other but stayed on alert. About another half an hour passed. Gu Jun was reminded of his own PTSD experience. If he requested the same thing from Phecda, they¡¯d probably do the same thing so this man was of a high ranking as well. Same type of person was what he said...

    ¡°Captain Yu, what have you sensed this time?¡±¡±Is it really wise for us to just stand here and do nothing?¡±

    Just as the agents came up withints, the man walked towards the flyover. ¡°It¡¯s gone... It¡¯s fine now... I think...¡±

    Yet another false rm? Gu Jun saw the people from Mysterium shake their heads and sighed. Their expression spoke of helplessness and disappointment. A muscr man punched at the side of an armoured car and groaned in pain. ¡°Why did this happen to Captain Yu? He deserves better...¡±

    It was clear that these people were annoyed but it was the opposite for Gu Jun. He finally understood the excitement that coursed through Captain Yu when thetter encountered him. They could cooperate to produce greater power. But what was this ¡®research¡¯ that Captain Yu spoke of? Why was he given visions of Gu Jun?

    He sat there in his disguise until the cavalcade dispersed. He stood up and he had earned 200 RMB for his stint. Thanks to these kind people, this was the only asset he had in this parallel universe. Gu Jun approached Captain Yu while he kept an eye on his surroundings just in case someone from Mysterium stayed behind to watch over Captain Yu. This appeared not to be the first time Captain Yu ¡®acted up¡¯ so no one osted Gu Jun on his way to the flyover.

    Pedestrians moved up and down the flyover. The man with the beard did not draw too much attention but he was not hard to find. Gu Jun looked at him and Captain Yu looked back at Gu Jun. His eyes were shining. ¡°Now you believe me? I am Yu Chi, the leader of the Icebreaker Team from Mysterium¡¯s Special Mobile Force. I¡¯m an archaeologist.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Gu Jun.¡± Gu Jun nodded. ¡°The leader of the Problematic Team from Phecda¡¯s Special Mobile Force. I¡¯m a doctor.¡±

 Chapter 389: Different Worlds

    <h4>Chapter 389: Different Worlds</h4>

    At the base of the Spell Department, inside a private room at the restaurant, the delicious smell of chicken permeated the air. The carved wooden table was filled with chicken legs cooked in different methods. There were chicken legs sourced from different fowls, like hens, ck-bone chickens, bramble finches and so on...

    ¡°Yummy, yummy.¡± Lucky plopped himself on the table like azy cat. His oily paw grabbed at the chicken thighs and savored the different kinds of offering. He asionally patted the table to say, ¡°So this is fried chicken, it¡¯s so crispy! And this is stewed chicken, the flesh is so tender...¡±

    Peacock and Wu Siyu were both seated at the table but only thetter could understand Lucky somewhat through her synaesthesia. Even though the Scientific Research team had done everything they could, the analysis of the Zoognguage was going cially. This was because theirnguage did not operate on the basis of voice but through gestures and tapping tempo as well as an ¡¯emotion¡¯ that the Zoog themselves could not exin.

    ¡°Lucky, is there any news about Mr. Gu from Dreands?¡± Peacock asked. That was the goal of this feast.

    ¡°Nope...¡± Lucky munched on the chicken thigh. ¡°Why are you guys so worried, that is the nightmare man, he¡¯ll be fine...¡± Gu Jun had been missing for a month already and there was no news about him. Phecda was prepared for the worst. They might lose him forever. Lucky nced from the corner of his eyes that Wu Siyu had taken out her phone. She pulled out a few pictures of arge tabby cat and showed them to Lucky. Lucky¡¯s paws shuddered until the food dropped to the table. Lucky had been here for months already, he was given the best treatment. He was now as round as a ball butpared to the tabby cat, he was still miniscule. This was because the Zoogs feed on chicken, while the cats feed on...

    ¡°My friend told me this a few days ago, that is the truth!¡± Lucky said in a hurry as he pushed another bite of chicken into his mouth to calm his emotion. Another Zoog arrived on Earth about 3 days ago. But he onlymunicated with Lucky. After attending a feast, the Zoog soon disappeared. Before the alliance was officially formed, the Zoogs would not reveal the actual location of the various channels. The excuse given was to preserve their safety.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Wu Siyu opened the Talking Tom Cat app on her phone. After her research, she realized this app had a devastating effect on the Zoog. Whenever the Zoog tapped out their words, the virtual cat would repeat it and the Zoog would cower like they were being tortured. This method worked every time, and it required no more effort than a click on her phone. It was both effective and efficient. She retorted to this method now to dig for more information. She had to consider both Dirty-minded Jun and the life within her. Wu Siyu did not tell anyone about her pregnancy. She was scheduled for an ultrasound inspection in a few days, then she¡¯d decide what to do.

    ¡°God almighty...¡± Lucky patted his head in terror. The virtual cat mimicked it perfectly but with a consciousck of soul. For the Zoog, the experience was equivalent to human beings being exposed to the sound of hell. Lucky pressed on his ears in pain. ¡°Please stop it...¡±

    Wu Siyu shrugged and closed the app with disappointment. They were ying the role of good cop and bad cop. Now that the bad cop had done her job, it was time for the god cop. Kathlyn massaged Lucky¡¯s head, like cats, the Zoog like these affectionate scratches. Peacock asked, ¡°The Dreands can pass to other worlds and you Zoogs often travel to different worlds. Could Mr. Gu havended on those worlds?¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t heard about that either.¡± Lucky sucked in the chicken like a tornado. He was ready to make his escape soon. ¡°This ce is different from other worlds. Some worlds are like a single fowl but this ce is like a tableful of wonderful chicken feast.¡±

    Wu Siyu tranted as best as she could. Neither Kathlyn nor Peacock got it. They asked, ¡°What did he mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Same world but different tastes?¡± Wu Siyu guessed. ¡°There could be many earths?¡± She had thought about the possibilities of parallel universes before. Could Dirty-minded Jun have travelled to a parallel universe? Could he have met a different yet simr Wu Siyu there? But her name might be Wu Yueyu or Wu Yusi...

    ¡°Parallel universe? Never heard of it.¡± Lucky swallowed a mouthful of chicken. ¡°We have not discovered anything like that. Whenever wee to this, this ce is where we arrive at. But your ce is veryplicated. It can present itself in varied forms of chicken thigh, we Zoogs do not quite get it either...¡±

    Well, he had sessfully confused all of them.

    ...

    The metropolis was called Le Ning City, it was the nation¡¯s biggest economic hub. However, you wouldn¡¯t know that from the dirty streets, and the neighbourhood of low-ie houses where Captain Yu stayed. The paint on the brick wall peeled and trash littered every corner of the road.

    ¡°Captain Yu, why do you stay here? Is there anything special about this ce?¡±

    ¡°Not really, I just like it here. I like this kind of old ces, the dirtier they are, the safer I feel...¡±

    ¡°And Mysterium lets you be? They didn¡¯t send people toe protect you?¡±

    ¡°They used to but I chased them all away. This ce is clean, it is clean.¡± Gu Jun followed Yu Chi silently. What Captain Yu portrayed was a ssic evasion symptom due to PTSD. Along the way, Gu Jun observed that even though Captain Yu was not crazy, he did appear to suffer from PTSD. Not the kind simr to Gu Jun but actual PTSD.

    Yu Chi¡¯s abode was a dpidated red-brick rental. There was only one floor. It had a living-cum-bedroom and a toilet. It was probably a warehouse in the past. The walls were mouldy and were painted with many symbols. Gu Jun saw symbols of stars, feathers, snakes and crosses. They were most likely Captain Yu¡¯s handiwork. The rental was about 80 cubic metres but it was crowded with the collection of various outrements. However, Gu Jun did not notice necessary amenities like beds and tables.

    ¡°Captain Gu, just find a random ce to sit.¡± Once Yu Chi entered the room, he went rummaging through his stacks of books and documents. ¡°I know no idea where the difference between our two worlds lie, perhaps the difference started back in the prehistoric era. Our team found the earliest depiction of the split cross on the cave painting at Blombos Cave as well as little rocks along Nambia¡¯s Swakop River valley...¡±

    Along the way, they did not exchange any information for fear of being overheard and thus weaken the mysterious signal.

    ¡°Blombos Cave and Swakop River...¡± A detail popped out at him. When he asked Phecda to research the split cross, they expanded the research to include all sorts of ancient symbols, especially those rted to split crosses. One of them was the intersecting parallel crosses. This symbol looked like the Chinese character ¾®. So when Captain Yu mentioned those two locations, the research result immediately came to Gu Jun. ¡°Yes, we found symbols at those ces too but they¡¯re of the intersecting parallel crosses.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha...¡± Yu Chiughed with excitement. ¡°I was right. Our history is practically the same but with minor yet important differences...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, what do you think is happening?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Do our worlds exist in parallel to each other?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe, maybe not. The key will be that signal.¡±

    Yu Chi finally found the document he was looking for. He handed it to Gu Jun. ¡°I feel like someone is summoning us! A presence on a higher n, they are broadcasting signals to contact people from different worlds. Only we who are specially gifted can hear them. Captain Gu... your presence here has verified another one of my hypotheses! We can cross the barrier between different worlds!¡±

 Chapter 390: Thing in the Soil

    <h4>Chapter 390: Thing in the Soil</h4>

    December 3rd was the annual Arbor Day. The students at Mo Bei City¡¯s Gao Ji High School had activities to celebrate it. Early that morning, the teachers and students who participated in the event departed with joy and excitement. Mo Bei had plenty of sandy ins so vegetation and habitat-preservation was incredibly important. The city valued international events like Arbor day greatly. The city wanted to instil earth-loving habits in children since they were young so the annual activity included high school students from all over the districts. There were around 300 plus people in attendance.

    ¡°Dear students, afforestation is important for our future. nt a tree when you¡¯re free. One tree can save numerous lives. We need to try our best to save our hometown, to turn our streams clearer, our forest greener.¡± The students stood at a wastnd away from the city and listened to Headmaster Chui¡¯s speech obediently. One of them was Lee Yuhan. He was in second year high school. This was his second year attending the Arbor Day activity. He still remembered the terror fromst year. The horror mainly came from Headmaster Chui. It was not that Headmaster Chui was a stern educator, in fact he was quite popr among the students for his friendliness but his one downfall was his penchant for giving long and drawn out speeches.

    After a long time, just as people were falling asleep, Headmaster Chui finally finished his speech. He ordered the people to start moving. The wastnd was not technically a desert, there were still some sparse patches of grass but they were dying out. The location to nt the tree had been marked out by people from the Forestry Department and the tree seedlings were provided as well. The students only needed to dig out the hole and nt the seedlings.

    ¡°Students, nting a tree is nting a hope, nting a tree is nting your bliss.¡± Headmaster Chui said seriously. He continued with his speech as he moved through the crowd. ¡°nting a tree is nting your future! Hey, those over there, why are you standing there for? Get moving!¡± The people around him giggled. The group pointed out by the headmaster was Lee Yuhan and his friends. They were not beingzy, they just had not started yet.

    ¡°Headmaster Chui, it¡¯s because we thought we¡¯re not done with your speech yet. We respect you so we haven¡¯t moved.¡± Lee Yuhan sighed loudly and that earned a greater bout ofughter. Headmaster Chui did not mind this kind of jab but he did grab a shovel and push it to the kid, ¡°I¡¯m done now! So get digging!¡±

    Under the smiling scrutiny of his friends, Lee Yuhan epted the shovel. As the future of the country, he was already 1.8 metres tall even though he was only in his second year at high school. He was a basketball yer so he was muscrly built as well. He plunged the shovel into the ground and nudged the shovel around to loosen the dirt. Then he shovelled up a big mound of dirt. It was quite taxing but not that difficult!

    ¡°Very good, keep digging.¡± Headmaster Chui nodded with satisfaction and wandered off to monitor other students.

    When Lee Yuhan pushed in the shovel for the second time, he felt something wrong... Something made him feel uneasy. There appeared to be something hidden in the ground... With the third shovel, he saw something peeking through the hole. ¡°What... what kind of bug is that?¡±

    His friend, Wang Jia Er saw it as well. His eyes widened. The girl, He Xingyi screamed in shock. They saw among the loosened dirt a cluster of stuff that looked like small cocoons. There were many small yellow stripes on them. They were all immobile.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Their teacher, Teacher Liang as well as Headmaster Chui walked over. Seeing this, the two adults frowned. Something appeared to be wrong with this piece ofnd. Headmaster Chui said, ¡°That appears to be locust eggs... Teacher Liang, go and get Captain Luo and his team.¡± Headmaster Chui was a native Mo Bei City citizen. He was used to farming but Captain Luo was a representative from the Forestry Department so he should know more.

    ¡°There are so many of them.¡± Headmaster Chui shovelled out another block of dirt. It was filled with eggs.

    Lee Yuhan and the other students looked at each other. More were crowding over. Should they call Phecda? Due to advancement in science, locust gue was mostly a thing of the past. However due to the arid geography of Mo Bei, there would be small locust infestations every year. Thanks to the cooperation from many departments, it never became a big issue. Most of the students had not been in a farm before so they had never gained contact with any locust much less their eggs.

    ¡°Jesus, this is not good for my trypophobia...¡± One of the girls groaned in disgust but she could not pull her eyes away.

    ¡°You newer generation do not know how to appreciate the good stuff.¡± Headmaster Chui huffed. ¡°When I was your age, we used to dig out these things and then roast them. They¡¯re such delicacies...¡±

    The students moaned in horror but Lee Yuhan felt a strange sensation overcame him. ¡®These are food?¡¯ His Adam¡¯s Apple wiggled...

    By then, Teacher Liang hurried over with Captain Luo and his team. Headmaster Chui cleared away the students.

    ¡°Headmaster Chui, you¡¯re right. These are locust eggs.¡± Captain Luo recognized them with one nce. ¡°These should be Dasyhippus barbipes.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Headmaster Chui took out his phone to check for more information. This was a perfect time for outdoor education. ¡°Students, a female locust¡¯s ovipositor can extend twice its body size once it¡¯s punctured into the ground. She can produce 100 eggs in one instance. During a locust gue, there could be several thousand egg clusters within each cubic metre and each cluster contains about 50 eggs. This means that each cubic metre can have more than several ten thousand locust eggs! If they sessfully survive the winter and break out from their cocoon in the summer, it¡¯ll be a real tragedy.¡±

    A cubic metre can foster several ten thousand locusts? That was unbelievable.

    ¡°Of course, things are not always that serious.¡± Captain Luo¡¯s honest face smiled. ¡°Not every egg will sessfully hatch and normally there won¡¯t be that many eggsid. For this kind of dasyphippus barbipes, ording to the Forestry Department¡¯s recent record, we normally have around 30 locusts within each cubic metre. It¡¯s considered abnormal if we have more than 100 of them within one cubic metre.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Headmaster Chui nodded. ¡°Students, you hear that? Presence of locust and locust gue are not equivalent to each other.¡±

    ¡°However, if the locust eggs are widespread and there is ack of prevention taken, then even a small density locust swarm can cause a gue.¡± Captain Luo added. It was like he was the sounding board to Headmaster Chui in aedy duo. That earned augh from the students. ¡°Our Mo Bei City is about several ten thousand mu if you include the surrounding farms and fields.¡±

    However, they had not encountered any locust problem in the recent years. Captain Luo shovelled around the area where the locust eggs were found and thankfully they found no other egg clusters. Lee Yuhan was probably just lucky. The eggs were gathered around that small hollow. But this discovery did mean that the Arbor Day Activity had to be called to a halt. Captain Luo needed to call people over from the Forestry Department to check the ground, apply pesticide and so on.

    ¡°Captain Luo!¡± Lee Yuhan chased after the captain and posed a question, ¡°How deep can these eggs normally bury themselves?¡±

    ¡°Not very deep, they¡¯re normally found less than a few metres underground.¡± Captain Luo answered. He was grateful that young people were that interested in things like this.

    ¡°Okay...¡± After he got the answer, the strange sensation within Lee Yuhan intensified. The more he stared at the exposed egg cluster, the stronger the sensation. He looked around at the barrennd... Could there be more of these eggs buried deeper underground?

    The hunger awakened within him. It caused Lee Yuhan to swallow once more.

 Chapter 391: Land of Mu

    <h4>Chapter 391: Land of Mu</h4>

    Inside the dpidated rental, Gu Jun and Yu Chi exchanged information about the two worlds. There were new answers but also new questions. Yu Chi, 29 years old, a student of archaeology, he joined Mysterium when he was 21 and was promoted to lead the Special Mobile Force, the Icebreaker when he was 27. He was forced into retirement due to PTSD when he was 29 and he had been in this semi-retired state for half a year already. Yu Chi did note from aplicated background but there was one detail about his family history that stood out to Gu Jun. Both his father and grandfather were archaeologists and they died from mysterious circumstances. Neither of them worked for Mysterium. Due to the investigation he conducted when he was leading Icebreaker, Yu Chi found out both his father and grandfather were killed by cultists.

    Gu Jun gave a simple introduction about his childhood as a Spirit Child and the foreign world. Yu Chi¡¯s world did not seem to have simr counterparts.

    And the Dreands...

    ¡°No, we have not heard of anything like that.¡± Yu Chi was clearly surprised. ¡°We¡¯ve entered abnormal space and we can perform lucid dreams but we have not ventured to this Dreands.¡± This was beyond Gu Jun¡¯s expectation. He thought all parallel universes could be connected via the Dreands.

    ¡°Is it possible that the ce just hasn¡¯t been discovered yet?¡± Gu Jun pondered.

    ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. Mysterium might not have discovered it but the cults definitely would have.¡± Yu Chi scratched his head. Gu Jun understood what he meant. The cultists would not have given up a resource as precious as the Dreands. Yu Chi suggested, ¡°Could this be another difference between our worlds?¡±

    In any case, they put this question aside for now and moved onto the next topic, the cults. When Gu Jun heard the term, the Great Old One, he frowned. It could not have been a coincidence that the term was repeated in this world...

    ¡°Ghatanothoa, we¡¯ve seen its reproduction on some cave paintings and statues.¡± Yu Chu showed Gu Jun a few pictures. As he made the introduction, Yu Chi¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot and his tone fanatic. ¡°These images might influence your mind, be careful...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, we do suffer from the same fate.¡± Gu Jun said self-deprecatingly. In the past, his mind would be impacted whenever heid his eyes on the image of the Great Old Ones. Now it was no different. As expected, with just one nce, his mind ached. However, this was a positive proof that the existence depicted in the pictures was not just a legend. How was he to describe the thing that he saw? Gu Jun had no words for it because it could not be described with words. No human concept could define it. It was enormous with numerous tentacles, eyes like deep-sea octopus. Its body looked soft but contained patches of scales and wrinkles...

    ¡°This thing...¡± Gu Jun took in a deep breath. It did appear like the Lord of R¡¯yleh but there were minor differences. He put down the pictures and shared the tales of R¡¯yleh. ¡°Could they be the same legend with different names?¡±

    ¡°Captain Gu, names possess power.¡± Yu Chi croaked. ¡°Spells rely on drawing from the actual name of its source. If ¡®Cthulhu¡¯ has power, so does ¡®Ghatanothoa¡¯, so they should be two different existences...¡± Gu Jun concurred. That was indeed the case. For spells and rituals, a minor mispronunciation in the name could cause it to fail. In that case, why would these two beings be so simr? Not only their images but also their background. R¡¯yleh was a city and Land of Mu was a continent, they were both sunken in the deep ocean.

    The duo then proceeded to discuss the issue of spell. Gu Jun realized this world was more advanced than Earth. Mysterium already had a Spell Department 2 decades ago. In fact, it featured greatly in the naming of Mysterium. In an incident that happened 30 years ago, some government officials excavated an ancient sutra called Nine Mysterium Arts from a pre-Qing dynasty tomb. It was a great archaeological find but it was not revealed to the public for Nine Mysterium Arts was a spell book. After years of research, Mysterium gained some understanding into the tome. The book possessed chapters on summoning, offensive and defensive spells. Gu Jun hungered after the knowledge, ¡°Captain Yu, then what is the source of this Nine Mysterium Arts? And how do you guys solve the issue of mental corruption?¡±

    ¡°We named the source of the power as the King of Hsan.¡± Yu Chi answered. ¡°With regards to your other question, there is a second relic that was unearthed during that excavation. It was a giant opaline gem. It should not belong there because it waster identified as a mineral from Australia.¡± Gu Jun then was told there was also a seal carved on the opaline gem but here, the seal was called the Branching Seal.

    The Pnakotic Manuscript was a copy so it was not strange for its content to be circted elsewhere but the strange thing was how simr these two worlds who acquired it were. After someparison, the duo confirmed that both worlds possessed the technology of Ancient Seal, mental cleansing and monitoring. The two worlds had minor differences since prehistoric times and they experienced many different big events but they somehow arrived at the same results. Was this development independent from each other or there was a mutual influence?

    Gu Jun contemted for a long time. One could not proceed to the Dreands from this world, but Mysterium had ess to Ancient Seal technology, this proved that the Pnakotic Manuscript did not originate from Dreands. In that case, who were the Yith? Where did theye from? Yu Chi and Mysterium had not heard of the Yith before and had not visited that grand library.

    Due to its longer history, Mysterium¡¯s headquarters had more than ten thousand members who knew spells and they had guards stationed across the nation. Both Phecda and GOA would need years before they could mature to this state.

    ¡°Despite the many precautionary amenities...¡± Yu Chi said, ¡°Over-usage of spell is still a problem. Mysterium has a very high turnover rate...¡± Before they ventured into the technological details, Gu Jun had a question he needed to ask. ¡°Captain Yu, you mentioned you saw illusions about me. What exactly did you see?¡± He wouldn¡¯t have seen images of him making out with Wu Siyu, would he?

    Yu Chi exined, ¡°People with high spirituality and unique talent are often exposed to illusions. They sometimes can be of help, other times of hindrance. Half a year ago, we defeated a cult from the Land of Mu... And then it happened to me. I started to receive that signal and began to see illusions about you.¡± Gu Jun nodded. After hearing some of the illusions, he realized they were not chronologically ordered and they were all from the past.

    ¡°I told the others about you that I saw from a different Earth. Initially they did research into it but after a while, they thought I have lost my mind, have I lost my mind...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu... you didn¡¯t see anything private about me, right?¡± Gu Jun eventually posed the question directly or else his heart could not sit well. He would not know how to face the man.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yu Chi was confused. He scratched his beard. ¡°Define private.¡±

    ¡°Things between me and my girlfriend.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°Well, those kinds of things.¡±

    ¡°What, you have a girlfriend?¡± Yu Chi was shocked and flustered. ¡°I thought you were a couple with that man with very little hair.¡±

    ¡°Who, Zixuan?¡± Gu Jun gave the description and confirmed Yu Chi was talking about Cai Zixuan. Gu Jun frowned. ¡°No, Zixuan has his own girlfriend and we are definitely not a pair.¡± As if sensing the eyes on him, Yu Chi said hurriedly, ¡°No, of course not... I didn¡¯t mean... I don¡¯t have a girlfriend myself, I¡¯m too busy...¡¯

    ¡°Understood.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°I really do.¡±

    Then they moved onto the mysterious signal and the cross. This was the most desperate and important detail.

    ¡°Brother, now I don¡¯t think we exist in parallel universes,¡± Yu Chi¡¯s tone turned heated again, ¡°I think we exist in different realities of the same overworld.¡±

 Chapter 392: When the Symbols Overlap

    <h4>Chapter 392: When the Symbols Ovep</h4>

    Yu Chi ransacked the already messy room before he finally found what he was looking for. It was a ping pong ball. He walked to the working table and shoved all the crap away.

    ¡°Captain Gu, let us assume this is Earth.¡± Yu Chi ced the yellow ping pong ball on the table and then grabbed a mirror to ce it beside the ping pong ball. ¡°There is another Earth inside the mirror.¡± Then, he used his phone as a mirror to ce on the other side of the ball. ¡°There is another Earth here too.¡± Yu Chi¡¯s eyes danced with excitement, ¡°They are different even though they are reflecting the same things!¡± Gu Jun nodded slightly, he slowly caught up to what the man meant.

    ¡°That split cross.¡± Captain Yu excitedly grabbed over a pen and searched for a piece of paper. He said, ¡°Many people don¡¯t understand the importance of symbolism. Symbolism is at the start of every civilization. They might be simple but they carry themon messages of a sharedmunity. It is the precursor to cultural empathy, andnguage... So Captain Gu, why this symbol? What is the message ¡®we¡¯ try to transmit in the signal?¡± Gu Jun had been pondering the same question. He already shared his opinion regarding the transmigrating power of the cross and he understood from Yu Chi that the cross was featured every time he saw an illusion about Gu Jun.

    ¡°Captain Yu, I see two possibilities about this. One, this split cross symbol possesses some kind of power like the Ancient or Branching Seal, and was adopted by the signal transmitter as a medium; Two, the transmitter chose this symbol and then imbued it with power.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the order is important.¡± Yu Chi nodded incessantly, the man appeared like he was on drugs. ¡°But they must have something to tell us from the specific usage of this symbol! They know about the weak transmission of this symbol but they still use it. Why?... I¡¯ve considered many possibilities, could the symbol represent something more like sunlight or crosshair? I could not figure it out until today, until your appearance. After the talk we had, something cleared in my mind. See...¡± Yu Chi opened another piece of paper and drew a split cross on it. It had 4 ends and a disjointed centre.

    ¡°We¡¯ll call your world the Phecda World and mine the Mysterium World.¡± Yu Chi said as he wrote down Phecda World on one end and the Mysterium World on its corresponding end. ¡°They¡¯re split open right? But how about now?¡± he added a stroke to join the two lines together. ¡°They¡¯re now connected! Captain Gu, they¡¯re all parts of Earth.¡± Yu Chi widened his bloodshot eyes. ¡°This whole split cross in its entirety represents the Earth.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart quivered but different from Captain Yu¡¯s excitement, as he studied the split cross, a spine ran up his spine. ¡°Captain Yu, before I arrived at the Mysterium World, I transmigrated to two different worlds, they too are different versions of Earth. One of them containsndmarks that I know do not exist in both of our worlds.¡± He already asked Yu Chi earlier about the existence of Innsmouth and Arkham. Gu Jun took over the pen and wrote down the Wastnd World and Massachusetts World on the two unupied ends and connected them. The four worlds then formed aplete cross.

    ¡°Yes, yes...¡± Yu Chi mumbled as if cast under its spell, ¡°Four worlds, you¡¯ve visited all four worlds of Earth...¡± Gu Jun pondered deeply. This exined why his parents and Uncle Lee could not locate Innsmouth even though it should be located in Massachusetts. Because it was not the same Massachusetts. Simrly people from the Wastnd World would not be able to find Hawaii. Some ces even though they existed on Earth, they were exclusive to specific worlds.

    ¡°Captain Yu, is it possible for these worlds to have their independent timeline?¡± He posed another question, ¡°Both our worlds are in the year 2022 but the Massachusetts world appears to be around the early 20th century and the Wastnd World¡¯s timeline is probably about 100 years into the future...¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s possible but it might be a temporal distortion during travelling as well...¡± Yu Chi grumbled. He scratched his hair anxiously, ¡°I suspect there are more than these 4 worlds. The cross is the chosen symbol because these four worlds are more deeply connected, but that does not preclude the possibility of other worlds... Of course, that is just my guess... It¡¯s not a parallel universe but different reflections of the same world. They¡¯re supposed to be split but they¡¯re now crossing, will they one day coincide?¡± Yu Chi was drawn into fanaticism but his rambling chilled Gu Jun even further, ¡®coincide¡¯?

    That sounded impossible but he, someone from the Phecda World was standing at the Mysterium World. Furthermore, the witch wanted to consume him so that she could descend on the ¡®innocent and perfect world¡¯. Thinking back, it was possible that the witch originated from the Massachusetts World. She could not physically transmigrate but her shadows could. His constant transmigration and Yu Chi¡¯s illusion... were they caused by the imminent coincide of the many worlds?

    ¡°Captain Yu...¡± The more he thought about it, the more chilled he was, ¡°Is it possible that we¡¯re the ones who triggered the closing of the split cross?¡±

    ¡°That is possible, anything is possible.¡± Yu Chi pulled out a handful of his hair. ¡°Or this is already happening. Like part of nature, rising and falling of the tides. But we¡¯re the ones who discovered it first. Captain Gu, our worlds might not have much time left, the responsibility on our shoulders is heavy...¡±

    Gu Jun frowned deeply, how would the worlds coincide? Time was a concept, space was not. Different worlds could have different locales but the locales were reflections of each other. So if the four worlds coincide, which space would be reced? And which space would be dominant?

    ¡°The most immediate thing for us to do is to contact that signal...¡± Yu Chi was still mumbling, ¡°We need to figure out a way to respond to it...¡± They were both unique PTSD patients. The long discussion on supernatural events almost drove Yu Chi insane and Gu Jun¡¯s headache was returning.

    At that moment, there was a knock on the rental¡¯s steel door. That snapped the duo out of it. A beautiful female voice came from outside. ¡°Captain Yu? Open up, I know you¡¯re in there, I bought some food for you.¡±

    Gu Jun sighed and shrugged. ¡°Your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Told you, I have no girlfriend...¡± Yu Chi whispered, ¡°She¡¯s a colleague, a former teammate! Quick, put these things away, we mustn¡¯t let her know!¡± Yu Chi threw himself into the clean-up detail. Gu Jun helped. ¡°We have toe up with an exnation. Who am I, why am I here? What is our rtionship?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, how about you being a drifter?¡± Yu Chi suggested, ¡°I saw you rummaging for food among the trash and I brought you home out of kindness. Yes, that¡¯d work...¡±

 Chapter 393: About the Signal

    <h4>Chapter 393: About the Signal</h4>

    Gu Jun sat primly on the stic chair, looking as unimposing as he ever could but the bloodied bandage stood out like a sore thumb. Before him, next to Yu Chi stood a 25 years old woman. She was quite pretty in her denim get up. Her name was Feng Peiqian, a member of Icebreaker. She was a biologist and shared a good rtionship with Yu Chi.

    ¡°Captain Yu, you mean... You saw this person rummaging through trash on the street so you brought him home and now he¡¯s your friend?¡± Feng Peiqian studied the man cautiously. He did look the part of a drifter but the face spoke of something more civilized. She could not get a good read on this man...

    ¡°Hello.¡± Gu Jun greeted her dumbly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. He has no official ID and he only remembers his name is Ah Jun. I feel a sort of bond with him so I thought I would keep himpany. It¡¯s good karma.¡± Then Yu Chi moved to chase Feng Peiqian away. ¡°Peiqian, go back to work. I have a feeling something is about to happen... Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not crazy. Ah Jun and me will be fine...¡± Gu Jun kept a silly smile on his face. Yu Chi advised against hiding him in the bathroom because Feng Peiqian was a brilliant investigator. If she found something overly suspicious about Gu Jun, she¡¯d report it to Mysterium and that would lead to a whole lot of trouble. However, now Gu Jun wished he¡¯d gone into hiding because he realized that this Captain Yu really did not know his way around women. Even a blind man could tell Feng Peiqian had some affection towards Yu Chi.

    ¡°Erm... Shouldn¡¯t we bring Ah Jun to the hospital? He¡¯s bleeding.¡± Feng Peiqian turned around to look at Gu Jun. She did not want to leave.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. He said it¡¯s been like that for days already...¡± Yu Chi pushed her all the way to the door. ¡°Ah Jun has nothing to do with Mysterium...¡± With a bang, the steel door closed. Yu Chi ran back to the table. ¡°Women can be really troublesome... already told her we¡¯re fine...¡±

    ¡°Erm...¡± Gu Jun hesitated to speak, in the end, he shrugged. No wonder this man was single at 29. ¡°Do you think she bought our story?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Yu Chi took out the hidden document and said hurriedly, ¡°Peiqian will get people to check your background, she¡¯ll suspect you¡¯re a cultist sent to spy on me. Naturally she will not find anything on you, which will only arouse her suspicion further. This ce will be monitored, people will be sent over so we need to hurry. Just ignore them for now...¡±

    At least Captain Yu still knew his job. Gu Jun nodded. ¡®So I am now a suspected cultist. Well, to be fair, I was once a young cultist.¡¯

    ¡°Captain Yu, why do you think the signal will weaken once we share it with others.¡± Gu Jun picked the cakes that Feng Peiqian brought to eat. ¡®Today¡¯ he only had two eggs at Mr. Joyce¡¯s. He was quite hungry. The cakes were delicious so he enjoyed it very much.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about that too...¡± Yu Chi scratched his head and his expression pained. ¡°Is it possible that the more people who know about it, the more it will approach reality? If the four worlds coincide, which will be the reality? Which world will fade into hallucination? This kind of pondering is beyond us... It is of a much higher dimensional thinking...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, we could try to see this from an understandable angle.¡± Gu Jun had to interrupt the man by handing him a cake. If Captain Yu continued to hit his head against this mental wall, he¡¯d really go insane. Gu Jun shared his thought, ¡°Is it possible that it mimics inte speed? There is a limited bandwidth and the more people who use it, the slower it¡¯ll be. And those who do not have good receptive power will hog and slow down the speed? But if we¡¯re the only ones who use the inte, then the speed will be fast.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Yu Chi swallowed the cakes without chewing. His mind was still on the questions. ¡°Then will the receptive power increase if people like us gather together at one stop? Our encounter... is not a coincidence. Like a ma, we¡¯re attracted to one another through our connection. How do you exin our paths crossing at a big city like Le Ning City? This is not a coincidence...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve not experienced that weird sensation since I got here.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°But I also feel the most present here.¡± He felt the least grounded when he was at the Massachusetts World, he felt most like himself when he was here.

    ¡°Theck of the sensation might not equal to ack of signal, it might be because the signal has stabilized instead...¡± Yu Chi said hurriedly and maddeningly, ¡°Captain Gu, don¡¯t you think your headache has lessened? We need to figure out a way to intensify the signal. To do that, we need to conduct experiments. Location might be important. I have an idea. We¡¯ll go to the countryside and find a high spot away from the crowd. We¡¯ll set up receivers there.¡±

    The ¡®receivers¡¯ were simr for both Gu Jun and Yu Chi. They were some kind of visual medium, like television, pictures, drawing. They saw and heard the signals through simr mediums, the difference was Gu Jun could transmigrate through them while Yu Chi would see illusions about Gu Jun.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Gu Jun nodded as he reached for another piece of cake. ¡°But let me finish first.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up,¡± Yu Chi looked at the cakes anxiously. ¡°Peiqian always brings too much... how did she expect me to finish that much...¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you finish them this time...¡± Gu Jun gobbled everything up because it was already dusk. Then the two of them grabbed the documents, a stack of documents, radio and equipment like shlight. They ced everything in Yu Chi¡¯s white car which was parked not far away. Their destination was Peach Mountain which was adjacent to Le Ning City. It was far enough from the metropolis and had a high elevation. They drove along the deserted highway. It was toote for that many cars.

    Along the way, Gu Jun and Yu Chi who drove, did not speak because they needed to rest to clear their minds. They were already quite drained from a whole afternoon of chatting. If the sensation arrived, they needed to be mentally sound to receive it. When the car arrived at the foot of Peach Mountain, the sky already darkened. A veil of darkness fell over the jungle which echoed with the chirps of unknown creatures. The uncle who guarded the gate stopped them, ¡°We¡¯re closed! No more entry!¡± Yu Chi exined urgently, ¡°We just want to go star-gazing.¡±

    Yu Chi ignored the man and stepped on the oil. Gu Jun could only mouth an apology at the poor uncle through the window.

    ¡°Aiz, such ridiculousness!¡± The uncle groused as the car sped up the mountain. ¡°Two mening to stargaze at night. What is the matter with the world these days?¡±

 Chapter 394: Tree Farm

    <h4>Chapter 394: Tree Farm</h4>

    At Mo Bei City, not many citizens still worked the farms. Most of the younger generations had moved to Beijing, leaving behind the old to guard over this ancestralnd. Bei Mian Vige at Ma Er Wan District¡¯s Yun Lin City was one such example. The vigers lived by the river and survived on small scale farming. Beyond the tillednds were wastnds. Desertification arrived quite some time ago, other than some worked grounds, the ce was not suitable for ntation or animal rearing.

    However, to counter this, over the past decade, thanks to the government, there had been changes to thend. If you looked from the sky, you¡¯d see some green at the wastnd around the vige. It was a small forest thanks to the afforestation effort. For most, Arbor Day came once a year but for 79 years old Wang Fuhou, he woke up to look after the trees every day. Early in the morning, before the sun even rose, Wang Fuhou was woken up by the birds chirping. He and his wife lived at a small brick house near the small forest. They managed 50 mu ofnd 30 years ago but now, they had nted trees over 200 plus mu ofnd. The old couple was used to this kind of life.

    ¡°Honey, honey.¡± Wang Fuhou shook his 77 years old wife, Zhang Maidong, ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up, we still have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Look at how excited you are. Aren¡¯t you a little tired at your age...¡± Zhang Maidong pretended to grouse, ¡°People at our age should have gone into retirement already...¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Wang Fuhou chuckled as he crawled out from bed. ¡°Neither of us have finished school but we know about the importance of hard work. Someone has to nt these trees or else what can we leave for our future generations? The only hope I have now is that I can live for a few more years to nt more trees.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t need the government spiel from you. Save those for the reporters.¡± Zhang Maidong chided jokingly. Wang Fuhou¡¯s wrinkled face brightened with a big smile. He and his wife were just honored by the major this past Arbor Day. Afforestation was now a national hot topic thanks to Phecda¡¯s encouragement to greenify the environment. Afforestation was not a lucrative business. It required a lot of manpower andrge machineries; They often needed to hire extra hands around the tree farm during nting season; maintenance of the farm also required money. The source of ie came from the cultivation of tree seedlings and fertilization of the fallen branches and leaves. With several ten thousand in profit every year and some government support, Wang Fuhou could keep his family afloat. Their 3 children had already moved away and had their own family. asionally they would return to help but they wouldn¡¯t stay for long. Not everyone was suited for this kind of work.

    Wang Fuhou bought the 30 mu ofnd initially to earn the government sponsor to start the business but after so many years, he found himself getting interested in afforestation and what it represented. Wang Fuhou knew his wife felt the same way despite her sharp tongue. After all, for so many years, she shared half of the hard work required to turn the wastnd into greennds. 30 years ago, this ce had no electricity, no water, no roads, no nothing, it was truly a wastnd. It was the senior couple who slowly brought everything back to shape. Pines, locust trees, Weeping Willows, Linn trees... As the different varieties grew, verdancy arrived at the wastnd.

    ¡°How about we undertake another 10 mu ofnds for afforestation? Next time, the government will surelymend me again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so! That will take years out of my life!¡± After joking with his wife, Wang Fuhou put on his jacket and cap and headed out from the brick house. The day was foggy and the birds sang louder. Wang Fuhou stepped on the fallen leaves and strolled through the forest that he had personally grown. New leaves and branches peeked out in spring. These young greens lifted his spirit.

    ¡°Such a soothing vista.¡± Wang Fuhou did not attend much school so he did not know many big vocabries but the reporters who came that day kept repeating this phrase so he picked up on it. To think that he would get on the national news at his age, the old man¡¯s smile brightened further. He was d that he had done something with his life.

    ¡°Hmm, maybe I should take another contract from the government.¡± Wang Fuhou pondered as he tripped on a fallen branch. His knees buzzed with pain. ¡°I¡¯m really getting old.¡± The old man sighed. No one could resist the ravages of time. He gave another sigh as he thought back to his youth. He used to be able to carry multiple tree branches on his own and climb up tall trees with ease but now he had to watch where he walked carefully. He was getting older but the trees around him grew taller.

    Wang Fuhou continued his journey until he reached the spot for Fu Hou Tree, the first tree they ever nted. It was a locust tree, it had grown so big that his hug could not envelope the thick trunk anymore. Wang Fuhou woulde visit this tree every morning before he started his job. The tree was like a child for them.

    ¡°...Where¡¯s the tree?¡± But now Wang Fuhou stood there stumped. He looked at the sparse forest. This ce which he had traversed for years suddenly looked so unfamiliar to him. He was the one who grew this forest, he could traverse through it with his eyes closed but the Fu Hou Tree was not where it was supposed to be. Wang Fuhou found that he had lost his way. Not only Fu Hou Tree had gone missing, so had other trees.

    ¡°Where, where am I?¡± Wang Fuhou was confused. This spot did not look like any location he had visited before. This was not his tree farm. ¡®The distance between each tree is wrong! There shouldn¡¯t be so little trees! Someone came for illegal logging?¡¯ As the thought crossed his mind, Wang Fuhou¡¯s heart lit up with panic and anger. But then he calmed down and realized that was impossible. ¡®There would bemotion from logging and we would have heard something. Plus there are no trails on the ground and no logging dust... This is so strange.¡¯

    Wang Fuhou trekked ahead in confusion. Strangely enough, the other parts of his tree farm remained the same, only the 30 metres around the Fu Hou Tree had changed. He returned to the spot. He discovered not only had the trees disappeared, none of the remaining trees had new shootsing through. All the trees were dead. Some of their barks cracked like they could topple at any moment. Thend under his feet was ck like nutrients had been drained out of it.

    ¡°What is going on...¡± Wang Fuhou grumbled as he moved to stand before another locust tree. He reached out his callous right hand to inspect the cracked bark. The old man¡¯s eyes widened as fear surged through him. His hand plunged right into the trunk like it broke through the surface of water. The old man then was ravaged by an immense pain like his whole body was burning. His cell threatened to implode. ¡°Honey, honey...!¡±

 Chapter 395: Voice from the Radio

    <h4>Chapter 395: Voice from the Radio</h4>

    Stars dangled in the night sky above Le Ning City. It looked no different from the night sky back at Phecda World. The wind blew from the summit and Gu Jun was feeling a bit chilly. The headlights cut through the mountain fog but it did nothing to sear away the unspeakable eeriness. If the worlds coincide, where would be the starting point? The mountains or the sea? He turned around and helped Yu Chi set up the space. This piece ofnd was not open to the public yet because the roads and banisters were not yet ready. Cars were not supposed to reach this point but they removed the roadblock to gain ess. The ce was quiet. The camping ground was on the other side of the mountain.

    They stuck several poles into the ground and tied them with ropes to make something akin to a clothesline. But instead ofundry, they hung paintings. None of the paintings were printed, they were all hand drawn. Based on Yu Chi¡¯s previous experiments, hand drawn paintings proved more receptive to the mysterious signal. The paintings flickered in the wind. The mountain was turned into a primitive gallery.

    ¡°Captain Gu, it¡¯s all on us now...¡± Yu Chi set up a digital camera on a tripod. He started it to record everything that would happen. Gu Jun went to check the camera screen. REC, 00:01:23.50, it was working fine. Yu Chi then switched on the old-fashioned radio. White noise filtered through, it mixed with the rustling leaves, howling winds and buzzing insects. Gu Jun did not stay affixed to a single pole but moved around, taking in each picture. If something went awry, they would stop the transmission immediately or at least that was the n. The hardest thing about this mission was they could not request for reinforcement and they were barely reliable agents themselves due to their PTSD background. This mission was highly risky but they had no other choice. It was not a coincidence for them to meet, something muste of this.

    ¡°Captain Yu, let us begin.¡±

    ¡°Okay... Okay...¡± The two of them stood in the area cordoned off by the paintings. They quieted down to listen to the white noise and watch the swaying paintings. There were watercolors, oil paintings, pencil sketches... Gu Jun and Yu Chi did not form a mental bond because they were not familiar enough with each other and the way they corresponded to the symbol waspletely different. But would the duo¡¯s close proximity increase the signal¡¯s strength?

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes travelled among the paintings, there were scenery, animals and portraits... White noise, stars, camera and trees... After 10 minutes, suddenly there came a barely discernible sense of anomaly. About the same time, Yu Chi imed with excitement, ¡°It¡¯sing, I think I feel something...¡±

    With that, Gu Jun confirmed that he was not just imagining things. He looked around and realized the paintings appeared toe alive and the stars shone brighter in the sky. The space around them was changing. The headache slowly returned but it was not so intense that he could not suffer it. ¡®If this is necessary, thene get me...¡¯

    The white noise from the radio suddenly stopped. Before the two could do anything, they heard an even male voiceing out from the radio, ¡°If you can hear us, this signal... We are... innocent...¡±

    A load shifted off Gu Jun¡¯s heart. Finally they got the signal. He noticed there was a new phrase this time, ¡®this signal¡¯!

    ¡°Ah...¡± Yu Chi groaned in passion, his bushy beard shuddered. He almost lunged at the radio. They were sessful, the signal was really amplified.

    ¡°Please do not tell anyone else about this signal... signal weaken... When you hear this, your world... dimension... Help... us... This symbol, can enable you...¡± As the signal rified, Gu Jun¡¯s heart rose and fell. What would happen to ¡®your world¡¯? Would the different dimensions collide like they suspected?

    ¡°We need to respond, we need to reply somehow...¡± Yu Chi mumbled feverishly, ¡°Captain Gu, there has to be a channel for the signal to get transmitted here so we should be able to use the channel to transmit a response back. Is the symbol the channel? We should try to control it, control it...¡± Gu Jun knew they were running out of time and this was a rare opportunity that they must not waste. He resisted the pain and opened his eyes wide. He saw an embedded split cross among all the surrounding paintings. Light, there was light. But at the same time, they noticed something new. Faded yellow trails circted between the four ends of the cross, like they were trying to connect them. Was this because of Gu Jun and Yu Chi¡¯s union or was it due to something else?

    Gu Jun also felt something else awakening in his mind, it was the chaos which remained of the broken system...

    A familiar sense of suction rose but he tried his best to fight against it. He nted his feet into the ground. It was still too early to transmigrate. Furthermore, there was no telling which world he might transmigrate to, it might be a brand-new world... So before he could get a better understanding of this system, Gu Jun figured he better stay put.

    ¡°Captain Gu, we have to try to respond!¡± Yu Chi said hurriedly. ¡°That will naturally expose to them our identity and location. There is inherent risk in that but we are also led by the symbols to this juncture. This proves that we have not lost our minds. Currently, we need help so it is worth a try. Be careful but I still say we should attempt to make contact with the signal transmitter...¡±

    Gu Jun took a deep breath before he nodded. He knew the signal did note from the witch, the feeling waspletely different. Furthermore, the anomalous feeling that overcame him was different from dark corruption. On top of that, it had aided Gu Jun greatly after he digested its power so Gu Jun also believed in the friendliness of the source. Of course, this did not preclude the possibility that this whole thing was a trap...

    In that moment, they turned towards a random direction and shouted at the darkness and the stars. ¡°We have heard you! Can you receive that? We have heard you!¡±

    The radio flickered between the white voice and the man¡¯s voice. This instability caused an audio distortion. The machine seemed to spark and died before it came back online. It stuttered. The voice turned hoarse, strange and blurry. The wind picked up and the paintings almost flew off their hinges.

    Suddenly, both Gu Jun and Yu Chi heard the voice say, ¡°Hello... yes, we can hear you...¡±

 Chapter 396: Door Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 396: Door Shadow</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    A distorted voice came out from the radio. It was of indeterminate gender, it might not even be human but at least Gu Jun and Yu Chi heard it clearly this time. Gu Jun was rtively calm while Yu Chi¡¯s face was red from excitement. His voice shook. ¡°Who are you, where are you! What should we do now?¡±

    But the voice from the radio came intermittently. Some words were clear but most were distorted beyondprehension. It sounded like it came from deep underground or space. ¡°We... Space... Fragment... World... Go... Find... Time... Space...¡± The sentence was too chopped up to make any sense of it. The wind blew relentlessly and the shadows of the tree appeared to multiply. Gu Jun¡¯s headache intensified. He knew time was running out. The strength of the signal was weakening and he could not hold on much longer. He asked urgently, ¡°Are you humans too? Humans from another world?¡±

    A strange voice uttered from the radio. ¡°Are... humans...¡±

    ¡°Are you the Yith?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Are you the Yith?¡± Even though he had no idea who the Yith were.

    ¡°...Great... Space...¡±

    ¡°What are we to do?!¡± Yu Chi repeated his question anxiously. He thought that was more important. ¡°Tell us!¡±

    ¡°...ept... Find... More...¡± With a click, the radio died. No more sound came out of it. All the split crosses disappeared. The light faded away. Gu Jun doubled over from cerebral pain, it was as if a synapses snapped in his brain. He pressed his hands against his head and slowly crumbled to the ground. Beside him, Yu Chi did not fare any better. After a paroxysm of screaming, he copsed to the ground, gasping for air. Both of them knew that the connection was lost. Gu Jun shivered as the night breeze soaked through his cold sweat. He took a long time before he gave out a long sigh. He went over to check on Yu Chi. He asked, ¡°How are you, Captain Yu? What¡¯s your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Even though the signal was widely broadcasted but we got an instant response, it was as if there is always someone posted at the transmission source...¡± Yu Chi was still catching his breath. His face colored with anxiety and regret. ¡°They were waiting for a reply so once we did, they answered us immediately...¡±

    Gu Jun concurred with a nod. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re humans like us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t really considered that...¡± Yu Chi climbed up and he frowned deeply, ¡°Space, fragment, world, what do they mean? What could they represent? Fragments, are they trying to say the worlds are fragments of aplete Earth? But what are we supposed to do with that...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, ept.¡± Gu Jun reminded him. He believed that verb was the most important message in the reply.

    ¡°But ept what?¡± Yu Chi questioned.

    ¡°Maybe our mental power?¡± Gu Jun suggested, ¡°I was having a horrible headache earlier but now I feel much better. The more I ept the symbol, meaning the more I use it, the lighter my symptoms. Medically speaking, that is a form of eptance treatment.¡±

    ¡°You mean? Right, of course...¡± Yu Chi scratched his head. ¡°Yes, I think you¡¯re right. People think I¡¯m going crazy but actually I¡¯m not...¡±

    ¡°ept the power.¡± Gu Jun thought. ¡°But then what? Find more people like us and gather them together?¡±

    ¡°Yes, maybe, maybe...¡± Even though they did feel better mentally, it was also true that they were approaching a dangerous state of exhaustion. The mad would not think they were mad. Yu Chi was showing state of madness and that worried Gu Jun as a doctor.

    ¡°Captain Yu, patience is key and that is instrumental in medicine. Even the best medicine has to be taken at epted dosage, taking a whole bottle at one go will only lead to death and overdose. We should take a breath to recover before attempting this again. Perhaps we can look for a better location.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Chi nodded. ¡°At least, our attempt tonight proves that different locales can influence the strength of the signal. Perhaps we might encounter a more suitable ce in the future. This mountain still has other campers and that might have intervened with the reception. Furthermore, perhaps we can get better paintings... There is space to improve...¡±

    Gu Jun stood up. He swayed before he steadied himself. He then walked towards the tripod. The camera had been recording since they started. He wondered if it caught anything worth reviewing...

    Gu Jun pressed the stop button. He then yed the recording. Yu Chi walked over to join him. The camera could record both audio and visual. The recording started with the sound of bugs.

    The duo in the recording said,

    ¡°Captain Yu, let us begin.¡±

    ¡°Okay... Okay...¡±

    Then came the static. Gu Jun did not fast forward, in fact, he¡¯d slowed down and checked every frame closely. When he reached the 12th minute mark, Yu Chi in the recording could be heard saying, ¡°It¡¯sing.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s expression dulled in the recording. They heard the signal at that moment but in the recording, there was only white noise. The camera was ced right next to the radio so the chance of ruined recording was minimal. There was the stutter in the transmission but there was no male voice. In the recording, none of the painting showed the symbol, and they did not light up either. Everything was normal inside the recording. The only thing not normal were the two actors. They were seen getting worked up over nothing and then proceeded to shout at nothing. White noise, there was nothing but white noise.

    ¡°Captain Gu, we¡¯re not crazy...¡± Yu Chi said hoarsely, ¡°I know we¡¯re not crazy... We really heard something... The voice and we saw the crosses earlier...¡±

    Gu Jun watched the recording silently as chilin rose on his skin. He rewound the recording and froze at one of the frames. Just around the time Gu Jun asked, ¡°Are you the Yith¡±, both Gu Jun and Yu Chi¡¯s shadow appeared toe alive. The shadows took on a life of their own and rearranged themselves into a strange shape...

    ¡°I believe we are not crazy, this here is proof.¡± He sharpened his eyes. ¡°Captain Yu, don¡¯t you think that looks like a door?¡±

    Yu Chu studied their shadows and he noticed their shadows had morphed into rectangles. It gave the impression that they were each standing before a door.

    ¡°Yes, they do look like doors...¡± Yu Chi mumbled confusedly. ¡°ept, ept the invitation to go through the door? But the door to where?¡±

 Chapter 397: Disappearing Forest

    <h4>Chapter 397: Disappearing Forest</h4>

    After getting the call, Ma Zhengxin and his colleague, Bian Yi soon mobilized. They were both police officers posted at Mo Bei City¡¯s Yin Lin Town. The ce had a low crime rate because it had a low poption number and most of them were seniors. Burry was umon, their main job scope was to negotiate civil arguments. But this call that they just got from Bai Mian Vige was rare and unusual, it was about illegal logging. Since the caller Tian Fuhou was considered a local celebrity and was at an advanced age, they treated this case seriously. When Ma Zhengxin and Bian Yi arrived at the tree farm, it was still early morning. They saw Wang Fuhou and his wife standing there, fidgeting with confusion, nervousness and anxiety.

    ¡°Many of my trees are gone!¡± Once he saw them, Wang Fuhou osted them and exined the situation. His wrinkled face was filled with agitation and fear. ¡°I tried to press my hands against one of the trunks and they phased through it. When inside, my arm felt like it was being burnt, look!¡± The old man rolled up his shirt sleeves. His skin appeared leathery, it could have been from fire or age. This whole incident was unbelievable. Yes, the trees at Wang Fuhou¡¯s tree farm were sparser than the other farms that they passed along the way and the ground appeared cker in color, but illegal logging was a huge endeavor. It required heavy machinery and great manpower, but there was no trace of those at Wang Fuhou¡¯s tree farm.

    ¡°Master Tian, is it possible that you¡¯ve remembered the location of the trees wrongly?¡± Ma Zhengxin asked.

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Tian Fuhou huffed, ¡°I remember every single tree that I nted, I can¡¯t be wrong.¡±

    ¡°I can attest to that.¡± His wife, Mai Dong sighed, ¡°We¡¯ve apanied these trees for decades already, how could we remember them wrongly?¡±

    ¡°Master Tian, you said you can reach your hand into the trunk?¡± Bian Yi said jokingly, ¡°Then let me try.¡± Ma Zhengxin had a bad feeling but he did not say anything. Bian Yi casually raised his right hand and pressed it against the cracked tree. His hand phased through the bark and his middle-aged face instantly dropped. With a scream, Bian Yi pulled his hand out. His whole hand was shaking. His face turned red and blue, ¡°Inside, it¡¯s real...¡± Ma Zhengxin was dumbfounded while Tian Fuhou eximed, ¡°Look, look!¡±

    Like magic, a water ripple spread across the surface of a locust tree. And then the whole tree disappeared. It dissolved into thin air just like that. As they looked around, the tree farm appeared sparser. There was more than one locust tree that disappeared.

    ¡°This, this...¡± Bian Yi mumbled confusedly. Tian Fuhou and Mai Dong were in their 80s already but this was the first time they encountered something like this. Their pale faces spoke of bewilderment.

    ¡°Report to Phecda.¡± Ma Zhengxin finally spoke. His body shivered as an indescribable fear surged through his heart. ¡°Report to Phecda now.¡± This incident was beyond theirprehension. In a panic, Ma Zhengxin pulled out his phone to report this to his superior. His superior immediately connected him to Phecda¡¯s Mo Bei Division. This was the first time Ma Zhengxin interacted with these people, ¡°Trees are disappearing and you can reach your hand into them...¡± After a few moments, after Ma Zhengxin calmed down, he exined the whole incident with greater rity. One could not me his fluster because his normal job was to act as negotiator, thest time they encountered a theft was about sometimest year.

    Phecda viewed this seriously. They were told to stay put and people from disease control centre would be over soon to send them into quarantine and inspection. Ma Zhengxin was frightened. Even though the person assured him this was normal protocol, Ma Zhengxin could not help but be reminded of the legione pneumonia that urredst year...

    ¡°So what is going on?¡± Tian Fuhou walked over anxiously. His face appeared to have paled. He coughed suddenly. This cough caused Ma Zhengxin and Bian Yi¡¯s hearts to quiver. Ma Zhengxin asked hurriedly, ¡°Master Tian, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a cough...es with age.¡± Tian Fuhou said softly, but he too was worried. His wife Ma Dong came to pat his back. Bian Yi sighed as he pulled out a cigarette box and lighter from his pocket. He was about to light one up.

    ¡°Officer Bian!¡± Seeing this Tian Fuhou shouted in a booming voice, ¡°We can¡¯t have any fire source here, can¡¯t you see the trees around you! Tsk.¡± Bian Yi put away the cigarette and lighter abashedly. Tian Fuhou added, ¡°Every single one of these trees takes more than 10 years to grow...¡± The old man mumbled as he studied the trees dwindled before his eyes. ¡°Officers, do you think all of my trees will eventually disappear?¡±

    ¡°Master Tian, we really do not know, this involves supernatural energy.¡± That was the only answer Ma Zhengxin could give. He too was clueless.

    Half an hourter, there came the sound of helicopters from the sky. It was the people from Phecda. Soon, the four saw a group of people trudge through the road with fallen leaves. They were all in airtight suits and armed to the teeth. This was the Special Mobile Force, the Snow Dust posted at Mo Bei Division. The leader was Lee Weiqian, ¡°Officer Ma, Officer Bian, thank you for your service but we¡¯ll take over now.¡± Ma Zhengxin sighed in relief, he even stood up straighter. ¡°The people from disease control will arrive soon, you¡¯ll be transferred to their base.¡± Lee Weiqian exined, ¡°But for now, please exin the situation to us in detail.¡±

    With a quick walk around, the Snow Dust could see the situation for themselves. There was a clear delineation in the color of the soil. All of them frowned. The Snow Dust had experienced dealing with supernatural forces and Mo Bei Division was a big base where the Phecda Hero oncepleted his training. The Snow Dust had constant training and interacted with spells and Ancient Seal... but the tree farm did not give off a sense of corruption. The whole situation was quite unique.

    Snow Dust¡¯s scientific research member, Liu Wenhan used a go-pro to reach into one of the pines. The machine phased easily through the bark. On the monitor, the group saw a twisted blurriness, it definitely did not look like the inside of a bark. Suddenly, the monitor darkened. The signal disappeared. Under everyone¡¯s scrutiny, Liu Wehan slowly pulled the machine out. The camera shattered and the part that was extended into the trunk was scorched... Was this the effect of spells? Lee Weiqian could not tell. The situation here was more severe than they anticipated.

    ¡°Command central,mand central.¡± Captain Lee immediately used his satellite phone to report this to his superior. ¡°This is the Snow Dust team. The report is true. There is an abnormal activity at this tree farm. The affected area is about 300 cubic metres. The officers on site can confirm that the trees are still disappearing. The remaining trees show increased dposition, and the situation is worsening.¡±

    At the same time, Tian Fuhou studied these Phecda members, he knew that Phecda was more capable than a normal government unit. He asked the female member who was standing near them. ¡°Miss Chen, will the rest of my trees disappear eventually?¡±

    ¡°Master Tian, don¡¯t you worry.¡± Chen Qiuxuan consoled but she did not dare give any promises, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that serious. Just take these few days off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking any break at my age...¡± Tian Fuhou mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ll rest when I can¡¯t work anymore...¡±

    The old man looked around his farm and thought back to the days when he just started. At the time, this whole piece ofnd was just a wastnd. He and his wife levelled the ground, started the irrigation, nted the seeds... For years, they only had a meal a day and it was a simple porridge... They¡¯d work until nightfall and continued the same work the next day.

    ¡°I was thinking about taking a contract for another 10 mu ofnds.¡± Tian Fuhou said, ¡°This time, I¡¯ll nt nothing but Mongolian Pines. They can grow for hundreds of years, unlike por trees which can only survive for decades. Miss Chen, several hundred yearster, this desert will be turned into a forest so we have to protect these trees...¡±

    ¡°Master Tian...¡± Chen Qiuxuan was about to say something when her heart wrenched. Lee Weiqian and Ma Zhengxin gasped in shock as well.

    Tian Fuhou¡¯s face nched and blood poured out from his nostrils.

 Chapter 398: Radiation

    <h4>Chapter 398: Radiation</h4>

    At the Phecda Base deep inside Mo Bei City¡¯s Chi Lin Town, the special training ss that started around Lunar New Year would be over in another half a month. Over the course of the training, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s life was harsh but fulfilling. He formed a deep bond with his partner Deng Ruotong. This wasmon for many trainees. It was not unusual for paired couples to get closer in enclosed space. None of the trainees knew how they did and whether they could join Phecda after their training ended, the only thing they could do was to give it their all.

    Today was the day long awaited by the trainees because several VIPs would being over for guest lectures. Even though Wu Siyu and Gu Jun were not part of the line-up, they¡¯d still get personal lessons from Lou Xiaoning, Peacock and Mchite. The lecture was scheduled around noon but before the lecture started, the trainees were told that the ss was cancelled. Their main lecturer, Prof Shen announced with concern, ¡°Students, there are some idents that urred at Mo Bei so they have to go attend towards it.¡±

    Inside the big ssroom, the students were silent as they looked at each other. They were nervous. What kind of idents?

    Chen Jiahwa shared a look with his partner, Deng Ruotong. They exchanged thoughts through micro expression, they both noticed Prof Shen¡¯s tone was heavier than usual. ¡®What is going on...¡¯ Chen Jiahwa wished to know more but he knew he was still too inexperienced. Deng Ruoxiang took a deep breath and the faces of her old friends who perished in the legione pneumonia epidemic floated before her eyes.

    ¡°Students, I know you have a ball of passion within you.¡± Prof Shen looked around and said encouragingly, ¡°You¡¯re all valuable seeds, but you still need time to grow. The best thing you can do now is to continue your training. This incident temporarily does not affect us and hopefully it won¡¯t any time soon.¡±

    The trainees understood the message. They all nodded.

    ...

    At the same time, emergency physical checks were being conducted at Mo Bei Division¡¯s Medical Department. After Tian Fuhou, Mai Dong, Ma Zhengxin and Bian Yi, the four suspected patients were quarantined by the disease control centre, they were arranged for various body checks and contagious disease inspection. Tian Fuhou had a nosebleed at the mutated tree farm and he reported feelings of nausea and listlessness. The people from disease control confirmed that the nosebleed was due to damage to the pituitary membrane. The nosebleed stopped after an ice-pack was applied. The old man said that he felt fine when he woke up that morning. Despite his age, he worked the tree farm every day so he had enough exercise to ensure a healthy body.

    On the way to the medical base, Mai Dong and the rest showed simr symptoms. Mai Dong¡¯s condition was the worst. She too suffered from nosebleed; While Ma Zhengxin and Bian Yi only reported feelings of nausea and listlessness. ¡°There¡¯s no pain.¡± Ma Zhengxin had trouble describing his feelings. ¡°It¡¯s like every bone and muscle in my body is slowing down, it is like car sickness in a way...¡±

    Before the results came out, the doctors could not make any diagnosis. Other than the minor burn marks on Tian Fuhou and Bian Yi¡¯s arms, they did not suffer any surface injury. And their symptoms weremon enough for many illnesses.

    But when the results arrived, the doctors at the base were shocked.

    ¡°There¡¯s a rtively low level of lymphocyte, granulocyte, and blood telets in their bodies, there¡¯s also a dyed erythrocyte reaction...¡± The main physician, Yuan Yongqing said as he studied the blood test results. What kind of force would cause such severe damage to the patients in such a short amount of time? A thought crossed his mind. Deficiency of peripheral red blood cells, nausea and vomiting were typical preliminary symptoms for acute radiation sickness!

    The diagnosis was perfectly rational but it was hard to believe. Atomic radiation? But Bei Mian Vige was not close to any radioactive buildings, there wouldn¡¯t be any sudden radioactive corruption... But the science could not be wrong.

    But then again, there was a 300 cubic metre mutatednd at Tian Fuhou¡¯s tree farm. The remaining trees were still disappearing and the soil turning charred. The smell of death sucked away any life force, and everything was moving towards the apocalyptic. With the presence of abnormal forces, anything was possible.

    ¡°Grab the bolometers now!¡± The people atmand central quickly mobilized. The result was sent to the headquarters. The members of Spell Department were dispatched. The Medical Department continued with biometric inspection of nuclear radiation injury on the four patients. Even though there had been new recent development in this field, the process was not as simple as a blood test. Blood routine examination was only useful for early detection but to find out the exact biometric radiation dosage, many other analytical methods had to be applied.

    Tian Fuhou and the rest undertook trichoscopy, cytogics inspection, radiation-induced molecr study...

    Gray (Gy) is the mostmon unit used to measure radioactive dosage. 1 Gy means that 1 joule of radioactive energy is found inside each kilo of the studied substance. Human body will have no acute sense of pain but will suffer from low blood cell count when exposed to radiation as low as 0.25 Gy; when radiation reaches 6 to 30 Gy, the human body will react with nausea, vomiting and stomach ache. Death ismon at this stage if immediate surgery is not performed; When the radiation is over 30 Gy, the patients¡¯ central nervous system will be damaged and symptoms include headache, blurred consciousness, fainting spells and so on. The chance of survival at this stage is very low... Of course, in unique cases where there is constant radiation exposure at a specific spot, there might be skin ulcers, mutation and so on as well.

    In this case, if the four patients really did suffer from radiation sickness, then their radiation dosage would be at least over 6 Gy already... What awaited them was a long and painful suffering before death came as a release.

    ...

    On the other hand, the Snow Dust immediately started their inspection of the mutated area once the military bolometers arrived.

    ¡°Lead, leader...¡± Liu Wenhan adjusted the bolometer and he stammered as he studied the data that came back on the monitor, ¡°There¡¯s radiation, there¡¯s definitely radiation here!¡± That announcement sent a tremor through themand central and the site.

    ¡°Evacuate now! Evacuate now!¡± Lee Weiqian shouted urgently. The Snow Dust ran as fast as they could away from the tree farm. They had drawn faces. The airtight suit they had on was not fitted with professional radioactive protective gear. In other words, they too had been exposed to radiation.

 Chapter 399: Evacuating Bus

    <h4>Chapter 399: Evacuating Bus</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Since the morning of 14th of March, Bei Mian Vige had not had a moment of peace. Squat housing peppered the farnds. The yards were cordoned off with wooden fences to be turned into simple vegetable patches or chicken coops.

    ¡°Baby, look, that¡¯s a helicopter!¡± Around 8 am, one of the farmer¡¯s wives, Zhang Suqin hugged her son while pointing at the sky. Her 5 years old son waved happily as several military helicopters flew across the sky. The son¡¯s father, Guo Lei, though started to frown. He grumbled nervously, ¡°Why would the helicopterse over this way?¡± The five helicopters thennded near Elder Tian¡¯s tree farm. ¡®They¡¯re here to capture Elder Tian? But he¡¯s just an old man, why the need for such a big armada?¡¯ Guo Lei frowned at his own spection. The vige had around 500 vigers so they basically knew each other. Elder Tian was famed for his hardworking nature. He did not gamble and did not drink. People farmed vegetables, he farmed trees. He did not even get into argument with the local farmers so what kind of crime could the old man havemitted?

    Soon, a drove of cars came from the highway. They all had the Phecda symbol, it was then that Guo Lei knew something was off. Guo Lei got increasingly worried so he followed a few of the vigers to go to the tree farm to take a closer look. But they were blocked by the police. The road to the farm was cordoned off.

    Another hourter, at around 9.30 am, there were more helicopters and vehicles heading into Bei Mian Vige. There were buses, medical vans and armored cars...

    Elder Zhang and Elder Wang were ying chess, while the others worked their fields. Their main topic was the incident at Elder Tian¡¯s tree farm. Suddenly a voice from the loudspeaker shattered their activity. It came from a helicopter from above. ¡°Dear vigers, due to the ident at the nearby tree farm, we will initiate instant evacuation for the sake of everyone¡¯s safety.¡± At the same time, the vige leaders ran from door to door, to have everyone follow the government¡¯s mandate, to pack up and evacuate immediately.

    ¡°Leave behind the food and clothes! Just pack your id, medical history, bank ount statement and anything valuable. Hurry!¡±

    The vigers were stumped. Listening to the broadcast and watching the helicopters and cars... an epidemic? But no one in their vige fell ill recently...

    ¡°Mummy, there are so many cars!¡± The boy was too young to understand the severity of the situation. He pointed at the cars happily. His mother, Zhang Suqin did not answer but hugged him tighter. The broadcast repeated itself again and again. The cars stopped at the vige entrance. Teams in different colored airtight uniforms descended. They were tasked with different responsibilities as they surged into the vige. Barking erupted everywhere. Some of the members led the vigers into the vehicles. Most of the vigers were seniors so they could only move that fast.

    Other Phecda members though could be seen moving around the vige with some futuristic-looking devices. They reported constantly into their phone.

    Guo Lei went to find his aging parents while Zhang Suqin grabbed a luggage and started to pack. Even though the broadcast mentioned specifically not to bring any clothes, Zhang Suqin still grabbed a few of her son¡¯s favorite shirts. Soon the members in the protective gear arrived to hurry her to leave. She hauled her luggage in one hand and carried her son in another as she followed the officer out. At the vige entrance, 400 plus vigers got into big buses with the aid from the Phecda members.

    Before they got on the vehicles, each viger needed to show their identity card to show that they were indeed local vigers. But the seniors had trouble finding their documents at the best of time, much less during an emergency like this. In any case, those too slow were all sent to thest bus.

    Everyone¡¯s phone was confiscated even though the signal was already lost. One could not make or receive any call. When a bus was full, the door closed and the driver drove away. None of the passengers knew their destination. Guo Lei met up with his wife at the vige entrance. His family got into one of the big buses and had the seat near the back. They knew everyone on the bus. Some were silent, others sighed while the younger one grumbled with annoyance.

    ¡°Mummy, mummy, where are we going?¡± The boy whispered. Despite his tender age, he could sense the tension in the air and he was afraid.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhang Suqin patted her son¡¯s back. ¡°Mummy told you the big brothers and sisters are good people, right? They¡¯re bringing us on a trip.¡±

    ¡°Then mummy, when will wee back?¡± The boy asked innocently. He anticipated a positive answer. The adults in the car were enveloped in the fear of the unknown, they were worried whether they¡¯d survive until tomorrow. It was not until this boy¡¯s innocent question that they wondered if they would ever return to Bei Mian Vige.

    Guo Lei looked at his son and then at the fields and vige outside the window. His heart panicked. He returned to the vige after years of working in the city. He disliked the hectic lifestyle in the city so he chose to return. He hoped to live a peaceful life here. He nned to contract a few tree farms like Elder Tian did... But now... would they even return to this ce?

    ¡°Yes, soon we will.¡± Zhang Suqin nodded as she forced a smile. ¡°After all, this ce is our home.¡±

    By then, the buses already got on the highway. Further and further, they departed from their home. One of the members in protective gear stood up then. It was a young woman. She said, ¡°Elders, my name is Fang Yi, I¡¯m a doctor. If you feel any difort, please inform me immediately. Now, I need to do a poll, do any of you suffer from thyroid disease?¡±

    The crowd cooperated as best as they could in spite of how confused they were. After the questioning was done, Doctor Fang had a few of the other members provide the vigers without thyroid disease with a small pill and a small paper cup of water.

    ¡°This is an iodine shell.¡± Doctor Fang introduced, ¡°Please ingest it now.¡±

    Iodine? Guo Lei and Zhang Suqin were confused and many of the other vigers asked about it as well. But some of the seniors swallowed the pill obediently.

    ¡°Elders, to tell the truth, there is some radiation problem at the tree farm,¡± Doctor Fang exined. She was given permission to provide some exnation to the vigers. Once she brought up radiation, the faces of the younger vigers like Guo Lei shifted. But the older generation was still clueless.

    ¡°There is no need to panic. We did not detect any radioactive substance in your vige, the contamination is only limited to the tree farm so everyone should be fine. In other words, this evacuation is just a safety precaution and so is the iodine shell. Those without thyroid problems will not respond negatively to the shell. Once you¡¯re relocated, a more detailed body inspection will be provided. If everything is cleared, this iodine shell is the only medicine you¡¯ll need to have.¡±

    Doctor Fang kept her tone optimistic and her words simple so that the seniors could understand her better. But most of the seniors still looked at her nkly. Regardless, it was wired into their bones to follow the government¡¯s arrangement. It was instead the younger generation on the bus who sighed in relief. It was not an epidemic, but radiation. The vige was not infected and they were fine...

    Zhang Suqin hugged her child. Her husband was about to ask something, ¡°Doctor Fang...¡± when a loud explosion came from behind them! The bus trundled all of a sudden.

    ¡°Ah... What, what was that?¡±

    ¡°Was that an explosion? It sure sounded like one...¡±

    ¡°What exploded?¡±

    The passengers panicked. The clouds that hung over Guo Lei and Zhang Suqin¡¯s faces earlier returned. They turned back to look out the window. They saw no smoke or me but they were certain the explosion came from Elder Tian¡¯s tree farm.

    ¡°Everyone... don¡¯t worry.¡± Doctor Fang hesitated. The driver, herself and the other Phecda members frowned underneath their helmets. The explosion was not part of the evacuation n.

    The sun shone brilliantly outside the window. The grass danced in the wind. But they felt nothing but chill.

 Chapter 400: 6.5Gy/h

    <h4>Chapter 400: 6.5Gy/h</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    On 13th March, the day before the incident, the Forestry Department conducted radiation inspection at major cities like usual. Eastern State City logged in an average of 83.2 nGy/h, perfectly normal; Da Hwa City, 101.8 nGy/h, perfectly normal; Guang Ting City, 106.7 nGy/h, perfectly normal; Mo Bei City, 73.7 nGy/h, perfectly normal. To borate, 1Gy=1000mGy=1000000uGy=1000000000nGy and 73.1-125.7 nGy/h was considered an epted value for human-inhabited cities.

    Forparison, the radiation dosage at the tree farm¡¯s mutated area was 6.5 Gy/h. In other words, if a person stayed within that area for one hour, he would be exposed to the umted radiation exposure of 1070 years at Mo Bei City. Once the dosage was over 0.25 Gy, it was no longer safe much less 6.5 Gy. That was why when the Snow Dust got that reading, the leader, Lee Weiqian instructed for them to evacuate immediately. However, the fact was the 16 Special Mobile Force members had already stayed within the mutated space for almost an hour already. Granted they were in medical protective gear, but they would still be exposed to a certain amount of radiation poisoning.

    The atmosphere at Mo Bei Division¡¯smand central sunk to rock bottom. After a quickmunication with the headquarters, a new order was made. Both Bei Mian vige and Yun Lin Town were to be evacuated immediately. With regards to whether to evacuate the entire Mo Bei City, that would have to depend on the fluctuation of the radiation.

    However, there was a silver lining. Once one stepped out of the mutated area, the radiation pollution rate would drop back to normal. It was strange but the discovery was a relief. Naturally, this was incredibly unusual.

    ¡°This is impossible...¡± Phecda contacted the Energy Department to handle this. The top nuclear engineers were stumped. ¡°Radioactive substances will spread with the wind, it¡¯s impossible for one area to be 6.5Gy/h polluted but the adjacent area is only at 106nGy/h...¡± This concept wasmon knowledge not only to nuclear engineers but also people like Elder Tong and Yao Sinian. This was not possible in nature, then again they were dealing with a supernatural event.

    At least, this meant that the surrounding citizens were not corrupted and they were given enough time to conduct the evacuation. As long as they sealed up the mutated area, the damage could be contained.

    ¡°The problem is, will this mutated area get bigger?¡± Elder Tong cut to the core, ¡°Will the radiation dosage increase?¡± In the next two hours, none of these worries happened but the trees inside the mutated area continued to disappear until one tree was left standing.

    Lou Xiaoning, Mchite and Peacock arrived at the site. They wore anti-radiation suits and walked around the tree farm. They confirmed that the situation was worsening. They attempted Ancient Seal, there was no response. However, all of them felt difited by the tree farm. It felt wrong. It was unlike a typical dark corruption. It was indescribable...

    The Snow Dust retreated from the frontline and was given iodine shells immediately. They were sent to Medical Department for inspection. They did not show any symptoms, which was good news. However, the pain might arrive one week or even one yearter without warning. Due to this incident, the Snow Dust was given an early retirement. They were exposed to too much radiation. The team was not alerted to this danger because there was no visible drifting substance within the tree farm and glowing substance in the air.

    ¡°When you stand there...¡± This was what Lee Weiquan said when he reported this to the headquarters, ¡°It feels very surreal like you¡¯re floating. Perhaps there¡¯s spatial distortion behind it. You feel like you¡¯re standing at the edge of a cliff. There¡¯s some kind of force pulling at you like you¡¯d disappear at any moment like the trees around you.¡±

    The video they took at the tree farm seemed to verify that. The videos appeared to have been given the motion blur special effect. The trees, ground or people were pulled left and right by some kind of force. The image also captured some strange light and lines. The researchers wondered if this was a problem with the camera itself or if it had really captured something the human eye could notprehend.

    On the other hand, the Energy Research Centre at Mo Bei¡¯s Chi Lin base was busy analyzing the radioactive substance within the tree farm¡¯s soil and the article of clothing which belonged to Tian Fuhou¡¯s group. Did the radiatione from a nuclear reactor, nuclear explosion or something else? Of course, the best sample would be the disappearing trees. However, despite Snow Dust¡¯s multiple attempts, they were unable to sample any fallen leaf or bark. Once the instrument came into contact with the trees, they would phase right through and be scorched. It was like the trees were already gone and the ones left on Earth were just residual images, images that could give off high radiation waves.

    Regarding this, the headquarters came up with a hypothesis, could these trees be like the big banyan tree at Gu Rong Vige? They were connected to another space? But unlike the banyan tree which was connected to the foreign world, these trees were connected to a nuclear reactor? But that still did not exin why the radiation did not expand beyond the mutated area.

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Tong, do you think some kind of cult is behind this again?¡± The headquarters was overwhelmed with activities. Every member fought at their respective post. The big monitor showcased the images taken by different cameras posted around the mutated area. It also showed the evacuation status around Bei Mian Vige. In the video, the vigers were being escorted onto the buses. Yao Sinian pleated his white brows, and asked his old partner beside him.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say...¡± Elder Tong hesitated. This whole incident was unlike anything they had dealt with in the past, it did not smell like the action of any cult. If they wanted to create terror, why pick a spot so secluded like Bei Mian Vige? Or this was just the start of some kind of bigger ritual?

    ¡°I am worried that this area will continue to grow and it¡¯ll spread faster and faster...¡± Elder Tong had the urge for a drink. ¡°Sometimes this kind of abnormal space has a life of its own. The more energy it has consumed, the faster it¡¯ll grow... If only Ah Jun is here... Ah, the kid has made us grow to rely on him too much...¡±

    The responsibilitynded back on the shoulders of these two seniormanders. But this time they did not have Gu Jun around to help them.

    This was a big deal because it involved radiation and Phecda had lost its biggest weapon. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were not 100 percent confident that Phecda and GOA were ready to face this challenge but such was fate, they would not wait for you to get ready.

    Just as Elder Tong shook his head and was about to say something, an explosion came from the speakers. The surveince videos on the monitor all turned ck. Everyone¡¯s faces darkened. There was an unexpected explosion at the tree farm. This most likely signified that the mutated area had expanded.

 Chapter 401: Three Explosions

    <h4>Chapter 401: Three Explosions</h4>

    When the first explosion happened, Lou Xiaoning and the other researchers were not far from the break off line. They were in heavy protective gear but they were still blown several metres away from the st wave. When they came to, all of them stood up and ran. However, they experienced from first hand the explosion did not contain any mes or dark energy. It was like the air itself had exploded. The best analogy was that of an expanding balloon. It reached its maximum size and thus had no other option but to pop.

    After the explosion, the size of the mutated area reached 30000 cubic metres, it had expanded about 100 times. The bolometer recorded a value of 13.7Gy/h, the radiation had increased by 1000 times. Counting from the time Tian Fuhou reported the incident, only 4 hours had passed.

    The second explosion urred at 16: 03, 6 hours from thest explosion. It was definitely more terrifying from the previous one. The mutated area expanded to 3,000,000 cubic metres or 3 cubic kilometres. It too had expanded 100 times. The radiation value was recorded at 25.2Gy/h. By then, Tian Fuhou¡¯s entire tree farm had been corrupted. So did the grounds around it. The soil darkened and the air was heavily radiated. The trees that took decades to grow, the pines, the locust trees, the willows... they were perishing before one¡¯s eyes. They were literally pulled out of thin air.

    The hearts of the people at headquarters quivered as they watched Tian Fuhou and Mai Dong¡¯s decades of hard work being undone. The forest was swallowed up by the abyss and thend turned back into a wastnd. When thest tree disappeared, the explosion seemed to cease. The hypothesis was that it was the trees that caused the explosion and subsequently expansion of the mutated area. But why would that be the case? What was so special about these trees that they could control the explosion?

    However, this hypothesis was disproved about 10 hourster when the third explosion urred at 02:18 on the morning of 15th March. Even though the area only expanded 10 times, it had already reached a size of 30 cubic kilometres and the radiation value was at 30.6Gy/h. The entire Bei Mian Vige was over.

    Thankfully, there was no life loss. All of the vigers had already been evacuated. That included the pets, livestock and even wildlife. Radiation poisoning could cause gic mutation. If the animals were left behind, they might lead to mutated creatures or mutated parasites. At the same time, evacuation was underway at all 6 small towns at Ma Er Wan.

    The mutated area had grown from 300 cubic metres to 30 cubic kilometres within a day, that was a growth of 1,000,00 times! If this speed was maintained, within the next day, the whole Mo Bei would be turned into a wastnd and then within a week, the whole state would be destroyed. Yes, radiation poisoning was serious but when the police station received the call from Tian Fuhou, they did not expect the situation to worsen so quickly. By now, the government had made this a national emergency and Phecda was given the order to stop the expansion immediately.

    However, that was easier said than done. One could quarantine the patients to curb the spread of legione pneumonia; but no one knew how to stop a radioactive explosion that appeared out of nowhere. Furthermore, evacuation could not be done overnight and by the speed this expansion was going, could they even outrun it?

    The One from GOA and many Mobile Special Forces were sent out. Phecda mobilized everyone towards Mo Bei. Members from GOA also sent in reinforcements. After all, the mutated area might eventually expand to their own country and radioactive substances could corrupt water sources and air. Once the mutated area grew big enough, it would destroy the entire world.

    To be honest, since the first explosion, Phecda had already attempted many solutions. They had tried putting cleansing stones around the border and tried firing missiles into the mutated area but none of that was effective. Then they tried to treat the mutated area as a nuclear reactor with leakage by pouring boric acid through airdrops to neutralize the radiation but that was no use either.

    ¡°For the third explosion, why has the expansion only increased tenfold and not a hundredfold like before, even though it has taken the longest to umte?¡± Elder Tong, the researchers and the nuclear engineers noticed this discrepancy. The expansion speed had slowed down! Was it the effect of the boric acid or this was its natural progression?

    There was another thing worth nothing though, it was the trees. For the first explosion, the mutated area was limited to Tian Fuhouo¡¯s tree harm. There were trees everywhere. But for the second explosion, the tree farm was only half of the 3 cubic km radius. The other half was mostly desert.

    ¡°Let us try to envision this mutated area as a lifeform.¡± Elder Tong suggested, ¡°It¡¯s like a ritual that needs sacrifice, and consumption for growth. Is it possible that with a greater number of living objects in the mutated areas, the faster it will grow and vice versa?¡± This was a hypothesis of course, but it was also the only possible solution that could slow down the expansion. With so many uncertainties in the air, airdrops of boric arid continued while Action Department members were sent out to kill all the nts near the border. The 10 kilometres around the border was delineated as the quarantine circle. Every tree within the quarantine circle was logged and removed while small nts were burned on the spot. The quarantine circle was limited to 10 kilometres because of two reasons. 1 was theck of time and 2 was the barren environment might cause the expansion to grow faster. After all, this was just a hypothesis.

    However, they could not do anything regarding the nts that were already caught within the mutated area. With 30.6Gy/h radiation value, one minute of exposure to it would cause permanent damage to the body. This was proven by robots andb rats. So the headquarters did not send too many people into it to avoid unnecessary sacrifice.

    Nevertheless, despite this, The One still nned to send someone into the mutated area to get a feel of the ce. This excursion wouldst for a mere 5 minutes.

    At the same time, the result came from the Energy Research Centre. When Elder Tong and Yao Sinian saw the result, they did not know what to think.

    The radioactive substance inside the area did note from a nuclear reactor but a nuclear explosion, a giant one at that. But it was clear that wherever the nuclear explosion was, it was not anywhere on Earth.

 Chapter 402: Acute Radiation Sickness

    <h4>Chapter 402: Acute Radiation Sickness</h4>

    The headlights cut through the darkness. The sound of engines echoed through this desertednd. The citizens of Ma Er Wan had been safely evacuated. There were no longer any citizens or animals within the quarantine circle. The nts were the next to go. At Mo Bei, trees were a rarity and thus every single one was precious. The logging trucks, excavators and dredgers, which were part of this Quarantine Circle Project, moved towards the afforestation spots.

    At Mo Bei Command Central, Zhou Dajun, the mainmander had his face drawn. He was a Mo Bei local, he saw for himself how the environment at his hometown improved with his own two eyes... ¡°Start!¡± With an order, the vehicles rammed into the lively trees. Then came the sound of sawing and falling... The trees fell one after another. The logs were carried away by the trucks, leaving behind not even a seedling.

    At the same time, thend was torched. It burned away the wild grass, the colors of spring and the signs of nature. Overnight, everything morphed into smoke and dust. Quarantine circle... or more literally, the Death circle surrounded the 30 cubic km of mutated area.

    ...

    At Mo Bei¡¯s Phecda Division, two surgeries were imminent. The patients were Tian Fuhou and Bian Yi. They were scheduled for right upper arm amputation. Both of them had reached their hands into the locust tree, which caused minor burns on their arms. Turns out that was caused by direct exposure to radiation. For the human body, 1 Gy equals to 1 Sievert (Sv). Sievert is a derived unit of ionizing radiation dose in the International System of Units and is a measure of the health effect of low levels of ionizing radiation on the human body.

    Currently, the radiation dose within the two were respectively 6.2 Sv and 4.5 Sv in general but 1723 Sv and 1871 Sv in their right arms. The other two patients, Mai Dong and Ma Zhengxin measured respectively at 5.6 Sv and 4.2 Sv. The four¡¯s acute radiation sickness worsened. There was constant vomiting, headache and dizziness. After the result confirmed that it was radiation poisoning, the medical unit prescribed them anti-radiation medicine, antemetic and sedative. For now, Mai Dong and Ma Zhengxin¡¯s situation was brought under control. However, Tian Fuhou and Bian Yi hadined of increased pain around the burn marks since noon.

    At 1723 Sv and 1871 Sv radiation doses, their conditions were worsening fast. The scorched skin first swelled before dposing. Then the vessels under the skin imploded and the tissues disintegrated. The impacted cells were digested,and the hands no longer looked like one. Tian Fuhou rolled about in bed. In all these years, no matter how hard life was, the old gentleman never shed a tear facing these hardships. But now, the old man washed his face with tears and moaned nonstop. The pain was unbearable. For a 79 years old man, the intense pain also caused his blood pressure to rise and gave him breathing difficulty. His bodily functions were damaged and there was danger of cerebral haemorrhage and cardiac arrest. The medical unit instantly injected the old man with morphine but that was practically ineffective against radiation pain. After all, for radiation sickness, there was no cure.

    Officer Bian Yi was not faring any better. In fact, he might be worse, because his dose was higher. The wailings echoed inside his room as well, it sounded like hell on earth. The situation had worsened until amputation was necessary. The patients were unable to bear the pain and the radioactive isotope might continue to spread if the hands were left connected to the body. The surgeries should have been done in the morning but there were simply too many questions, was there a supernatural influence behind the radiation within the mutated area? Was this a simple radiation sickness? Would the anaesthetic be effective during the surgery? Could surgery even be possible?

    The surgical building was busy. The medical unit sent by the Spell Department arrived that afternoon, among them were Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan. The two of them would be the third assistants in the uing surgeries. Facing such unusual circumstances, they naturally were reminded of Gu Jun but at the pre-op meeting, they cleared their mind and focused on the surgical discussion. The medical members for the two surgeries gathered at the conference room, in attendance were the many experts.

    ¡°Based on current observation,¡± A middle-aged man with an honest face stood before the monitor to give his exnation. This was Professor Zhang Bohai. Prof Zhang was the chairman of the clinical emergency rescue unit of radioactive incident, as well as the member of organizations like radioactive medical research centre and radioactive nursing care society. This member of authority would lead the other members to cooperate with Phecda to deal with the emergency rescue and healthy safety measures required in this mission. ¡°The symptoms of the two patients are simr to normal acute radiation sickness, current readings do not suggest the influence of the supernatural. We believe that the surgeries can be conducted as normal, using full body anaesthetic.¡± Prof Zhang concluded, ¡°The earlier the surgery is done, the better.¡±

    Everyone nodded. Tian Fuhou might not survive the surgery without anaesthetic. His spirit might be strong but his blood pressure would shoot through the roof. Wang Ruoxiang nodded slightly. This was her first mission since she returned to the Spell Department. She did not expect it to be such a big challenge.

    One of the biggest challenges for these two surgeries were the extremely unwieldy anti-radiation gears that all the doctors and nurses were required to wear. Prof Zhang would not personally join the operation. The main surgeons were instead Yang Rongzhong and Tan Bo, both experienced surgeons. Both surgeries were assigned attending Spell Department members to deal with possible supernatural idents. Aftering up with the surgical procedures, the two main surgeons set up their individual surgical ns with their own teams. After the meeting was over, the doctors moved towards the surgical rooms.

    ¡°Aiz.¡± Cai Zixuangged behind. Studying the mutated scans of the patients¡¯ arms on the monitor, he sighed. Tian Fuhou¡¯s right arm, the arm which was responsible for greenifying several hundred acres ofnd, was about to be sawn off.

    ¡°Zixuan, don¡¯t worry,¡± Wang Ruoxiang patted the shoulder of her old friend, ¡°With or without radiation, your hair is fated to be gone.¡±

    Over the two years, she had changed a lot but she still had a glossy head of hair.

    ¡°You¡¯re right about that.¡± Cai Zixuan touched his bald head with a smile. He knew the monitor was trying to lighten the mood. The two moved to follow up with the rest. It was already midnight but their battle was just starting.

 Chapter 403: The Poster

    <h4>Chapter 403: The Poster</h4>

    ¡°You only have 5 minutes, do not wander too far. Run back once you hear the rm and do not touch anything inside, unless... unless you feel like there is a need to. Make the decision yourself but do not touch anything unless it is absolutely necessary.¡± Elder Tong gave themand to the One through themunicator. His old face wrinkled. ¡°One touch might lead to amputation, you know the consequence.¡±

    The night was still young. The spotlights set up by the engineering team lit up a in on the south side of the mutated area. Many people were gathered there. It had been 2 hours since the third explosion. Using the average time between previous explosions as a yardstick, they believed they still had time to conduct some exploration. The radiation level inside the area was not high enough to neutralize robots and vehicles so they could send in robotic scouts. But no matter how high tech they were, they were a bunch of soulless machines, they had no spirituality and senses.

    To conduct a sensual experiment, they needed living humans. Therefore, The One would send in 3 members for this mission. They were Deng Ximei, Sam Watt and Ivan Nikilov. A walk through an environment with 30.6 Gy/h for 5 minutes theoretically would expose the person to 2.55 Gy radiation dose. But thanks to their protective gear, based on calction, they were expected to take in 500 mSv to 1 Sv per individual. The safety level for the human body was 100 mSv or at maximum 250 mSv. At 500 mSv to 1 Sv radiation, their bodies would be slightly damaged and their chance of getting anaemia and cancer would highly increase. But now there were no other choices.

    ¡°Ximei, take care of yourself.¡± Before the trio departed, Lou Xiaoning gave Deng Ximei a tight hug. This poor girl had gone through a lot. She had just survived a brush with death in the previous mission and now that she had finally recovered, she was sent into a radioactive wastnd. This couldn¡¯t be helped because, among everyone there, Deng Ximei had the highest spirituality. Peacock, Mchite and Uncle Dan gave her their blessings as well. They would not be tagging along but if necessary, they too would not hesitate to make the sacrifice.

    ¡°I will.¡± Deng Ximei nodded and did not borate. Her personality did not allow her to express how thankful she was for theirforting words.

    Time was up. Under the scrutiny of everyone, from the drones and the monitors at themand central, the three warriors headed into the mutated area in protective gear and their weapons of choice. 5 minutes was just 300 seconds but this was a very valuable 300 seconds. Each second burned at their life so not one second could be wasted.

    At the same time, people were silent at themand centrals at both Mo Bei and Da Hwa City. The tension was palpable.

    Deng Ximei breathed in through the oxygen provided by the oxygen tank and stepped into the mutated area. Once her feetnded on the scorched soil, she felt something was different. The spotlight shone the area around her brightly but radiation was not visible to the naked eye. However, she seemed to be able to sense the space around her distorting... She studied the trees that still remained and felt a strange energy consuming and growing... She moved towards the tree farm which was further north and kept her eyes on the ground. With each step, there was a crack and her mind snapped with pain. Irregr illusions shed before her eyes. Wastnd, a much bigger wastnd. Flickering, they had no wings but they covered the sky. They consumed the trees and every sign of life... What kind of organism was this? They grew out from the scorched soil...

    At that moment, Deng Ximei spotted a piece of paper on the ground. It was half buried in the soil. The exposed half suggested a poster. It was the ocean with two dolphins swimming. The slogan said, ¡°Protect the ocean, save the world.¡±

    ¡®Where did the postere from? Was it originally here?¡¯ Deng Ximei looked around her, she did not see any other trash. Furthermore, despite its age, the poster was not ruined, it even had some barely discernible blood stains on it. It did not appear like it had been buried here long. For some reason, a feeling surged within her heart. This was the necessity mentioned by Elder Tong... This poster was very important and she might only have this one chance to acquire it. Perhaps when she turned around, or moved her eyes away, it would disappear like an illusion. Deng Ximei bent over and reached out her right hand towards the ckened soil.

    ...

    The shadeless lights lit up the surgical table, the data and lines showed on anaesthesia apparatus. The surgical members in heavy gear surrounded the surgical table where Tian Fuhouid. The wrinkled face was serene from sedated sleep. His damaged upper right arm was exposed. The part below the elbow was so decayed it had lost its shape. The swelling had also reached the part above the elbow.

    The main surgeon, Yang Rongzhong and the second assistant, Qu Longguang were focused on separating the median nerve, brachial artery, vein and nervi ulnaris within the musculus biceps brachii. Wang Ruoxiang, the third assistant, helped with bandaging. Even though she was the youngest in the room, she performed every task perfectly. Everything went smoothly.

    Then, Surgeon Yang sliced off the muscle under the secant ne before he spliced open the periosteum. The old man¡¯s upper arm was not exposed to too much radiation, it looked quite normal. Soon, the grating sound of an electric saw buzzed in the room. Main Surgeon Yang held the bone saw firmly as he saw through the right humerus.

    Bone dust flew everywhere. Eventually, only one-third of the old man¡¯s right upper arm remained. The other parts had been all sawn off, like the trees that he nted. The isted diseased tissues and bones were immediately ced inside a lead bin by the nurses. The bin was a nuclear shielding bin. The nurse hurried out of the room with the bin. The diseased body part would not be destroyed but would be sent to the researchers for further study.

    Everyone sighed in relief inside the surgical room. Nothing unusual happened. The old man really did just suffer from normal acute radiation sickness. They continued to work on the radial nerve, and then finished up with suturing and bandaging.

    ...

    ¡°The 4 minutes mark is up. The One subunit, return immediately!¡± The loud rm buzzed. The people outside the border looked on nervously. The three members did not wander too far so they could still be seen. Once the rm rang, both Sam Watt and Ivan Nikilov hurried to join the rest. The two men ran like their lives depended on it, which was in a way, true. But a single figure, one slender woman, remained unmoved after she bent down to the ground earlier...

    ¡°Ximei!¡± Lou Xiaoning shouted anxiously. Uncle Dan and Peacock joined her in shouting. ¡°Come back here!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to move!¡± The foreign agents like Helen ire picked up the shouting as well. Even though the team was just formed, they already had quite a bond with each other, ¡°Pleasee back!¡±

    ¡°Deng Ximei, Deng Ximei!¡± The broadcast said repeatedly. The two male members already left the mutated area but she was still immobile.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± Lou Xiaoning reported to themand central. ¡°Did Ximei faint over there? We will move in to rescue her.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Elder Tong was nervous too but he did not allow that to muddle his judgement, ¡°Is it possible that she sensed something? Or there is something there that caught her attention?¡±

    The drones could not provide any answer because Deng Ximei¡¯s body blocked the soil underneath her from view. Just as Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan were ready to charge into the field, Deng Ximei suddenly moved. She swiftly stood up and rushed towards the border. When she escaped, the 5 minute mark was already over, she was in there for 5 minutes and 30 seconds.

    ¡°Fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning sighed in relief, ¡°Why do you scare us like that?¡± But her left eye immediately zeroed in on the paper Deng Ximei was holding. Uncle Dan and the rest of the team noticed it as well.

    ¡°Miss Deng, what happened?¡± Uncle Dan asked.

    ¡°I found this poster buried in the soil.¡± Deng Ximei exined excitedly, confusedly and fearfully. ¡°I sensed its importance so I went to pick it up, but when I did, I was greeted with an illusion. A group of people was driving towards a city. One of the trucks carried an atomic bomb, they fired the bomb and caused the nuclear explosion... I believed I saw Ah Jun on one of the trucks.¡±

    The group frowned... They did not know what to make of this.

 Chapter 404: The Taste of Soil

    <h4>Chapter 404: The Taste of Soil</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    th of March was a Friday. After thest ss ended, Gao Ji High School¡¯s students started their weekend holiday. However, Lee Yuhan did not return home. Instead he told his parents that he and a few friends would spend the night at Wang Jia Er¡¯s house. They were going to have a party. Wang Jia Er came from a rich background and his family owned a bungalow. His parents were often absent on business trip and today was one of those days where Wang Jia Er had full ess to the house. They had many simr parties in the past. Therefore, Lee Yuhan¡¯s parents did not question him, neither did Sun Haoran, Huang Yiyang, He Xinyi, Tang Yi and Zheng Meihan¡¯s parents. Technically they were not lying, there was indeed a party scheduled.

    ¡°There¡¯s news online that Ma Er Wan is being evacuated!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°They say that it¡¯s because a heavy sandstorm is heading that way.¡±

    ¡°Does a sandstorm warrant an evacuation?¡±

    At Wang Jia Er¡¯s home, inside the dining room, the high school students of 4 boys and 3 girls sat around the pretty marble table. The chandelier lit up their faces that appeared nervous and cautious. The girls scrolled through their phones. Ma Er Wan was north of their city and it was quite a distance away so the evacuation did not really affect them that much.

    ¡°Stop idling,¡± Lee Yihan summoned everyone. ¡°It¡¯s time to feast. You can bow out if you¡¯re afraid.¡± The seven students silently removed the stainless covers before them. Underneath them sat 7 pretty China and each te was served with a ball of brown soil. The sound of stomach rumbling rang out. With the way the youngsters viewed the soil, you¡¯d think there was a lobster dinner ced before them. But these were just normal soil, one they had just dug up from the bungalow¡¯s back garden. They put down their phones. They were silent. Struggle was clear on their faces...

    ¡°This... is highly abnormal, right?¡± Zheng Meihan pointed out.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t we done the research? We¡¯re suffering from allotriophagia.¡± Huang Yiyang grumbled.

    ¡°If my parents find out, they will probably send me to Prof Yang for electric shock treatment,¡± Wang Jia Er sighed.

    ¡°Allotriophagia... Actually quite a lot of people suffer from it...¡± Tang Yi argued.

    Lee Yuhan was silent. This whole situation started on Arbor Day, which happened 3 days ago, when he silently stole a ball of soil from the desert home. Lee Yuhan was unable to sleep that night at the student hostel. In the end, he failed to resist the urge within him and took a munch of the soil.

    After that, he went online to do research. He self-diagnosed himself as suffering from allotriophagia, a morbid impulse to eat unnatural foodstuffs like dirt, paper, hair and so on. The pathological origin of allotriophagia might be due to malfunction of the body metabolism, abnormality in the sense of taste, or psychological trauma. However, there was no clear treatment for it.

    Lee Yuhan had no idea why this sudden impulse took over him. He traced it back to the moment heid his eyes on the locust eggs. After taking a munch of the soil, Lee Yuhan was not only saved from the hellish agony, he was also rewarded with a heavenly satisfaction. He had never enjoyed such satisfaction from food before. Homecooked meal, restaurant-grade dinners, none gave him such orgasmic experience. From then on, Lee Yuhan knew that he would be unable to remove the soil from his daily diet.

    It was also that same night when his roommate Wang Jia Er walked into his strange behavior of his. Just as Lee Yuhan tried toe up with an exnation, Wang Jia Er said he too wanted to take a bite. He revealed that he also was suffering from that stomach-churning torment. Sun Haoran, Huang Yiyang were their best friends; He Xinyi was Wang Jia Er¡¯s girlfriend and Tang Yi and Zheng Meihan were He Xinyi¡¯s best friends, so over the past few years, the seven of them shared the ball of soil. All 7 of them participated in the Arbor Day activity. Obviously, that was a cause and effect rtion here. Their dietary demands had been permanently modified on that day.

    This group of teens was anxious and frightened by their own behavior. They were afraid that their stomachs would be ruined. They wanted to confide in their parents or even call the Phecda hotline but they were afraid of being exposed as monsters... In any case, whenever they gathered the courage to seek help, there would be a voice inside their head, telling them, ¡®Do not tell anyone, now is still not the time.¡¯

    So that was how things reached this state. This issue remained a secret within the 7 of them. They observed that other than the allotriophagia, they did not suffer from any other mental or physical problem.

    However, the issue was, after much sharing, the ball of soil brought back by Lee Yuhan had finally been fully consumed. Not a dust remained. They even fought over the paper that was used to wrap the soil. Once detached, they realized they were acting like addicts. If they did not get their dietary demands fulfilled, they could not function normally.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll start first.¡± Lee Yuhan could not resist anymore. He used his hands to shovel the brown dirt into his mouth. However, he soon frowned. He practically spat out the wet soil. He choked out in panic and shock, ¡°What am I doing? This is not right! No, wait! It¡¯s the taste that¡¯s not right!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Wang Jia Er grabbed a small piece of soil and threw it into his mouth. He reacted the same way. His face was red.

    ¡°No way!¡± He Xinyi and the rest panicked but after the five tasted their own te of soil, they were distressed. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over for us now.¡± ¡°What to do? How are we going to survive the day?¡± ¡°Lee Yuhan, do you still have that kind of soil on you?¡± This kind of normal soil won¡¯t do. The taste is world¡¯s away.

    ¡°You people have ingested all that I had...¡± Lee Yuhan grumbled with annoyance but then his eyes lit up. ¡°But, wait, we can just go to the source! There is plenty of soil in the desert we visited during Arbor Day. The ce is practically a wastnd, there is no fence and guard. Why haven¡¯t we considered that?!¡±

    The rest of the group agreed immediately as they saw the ray of hope. They could not resist the urge anymore. There was a glutinous desire that lit a fire through them. They had to consume those soil or they would die, yes, they would die...

    The seven teens moved immediately. They had a choice of vehicle in the family garage. The silver MPV wasrge enough to amodate seven people. However, none of them were old enough to apply for a driving license. Thankfully, Wang Jia Er knew how to drive, he learned it on his own. They crawled into the MPV and departed immediately. They prayed that they wouldn¡¯t run into any roadblock.

    Mo Bei City was a small city. They purposely went along the less travelled path. Thankfully, they did not run into any trouble on the way to the desert at the northern side of the city. When they arrived, night had fallen. There was no guard or housing in the vicinity. There was not even the sound of bugs. After the car was parked, the teens rushed out from the car and raced towards thend where some small trees were nted.

    ¡°This way, this way!¡± Lee Yuhan recognized the route. He rushed towards the spot where he dug out the eggs.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Captain Luo from the Forestry Department say they would send people over to spray the area with pesticide? Will that affect us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat if you¡¯re that afraid!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of the pesticide, I¡¯m more afraid of dying from starvation...¡±

    ¡°Listen to me, I¡¯m just saying the pesticide might alter the taste of the soil here as well!¡±

    They argued agitatedly. However, they suddenly stopped both their arguments and footsteps. They looked confusedly down a spot 10 metres away, a spot right next to a small tree. With the weak moonlight, they saw a person kneeling on the ground. His back was towards them. The man¡¯s hands dug at the soil hungrily. They shoved them continuously into the mouth. The man made a strange guttural voice. There was a small hole next to the man. The disappeared soil should be inside the man¡¯s stomach by now. The man looked familiar to the students...

    ¡°That appears to be...¡± He Xinyi¡¯s eyes widened. Disbelief was clear on the faces of her friends. However, their throats shivered. The man¡¯s sound of mastication and ingestion lit up their appetite. At the same time, the man heard their movement and turned around in shock. The normally peaceful and kind middle-aged face was now covered in aplicated expression. The slightly open mouth was covered in soil. His cheeks and chin were smudged with dirt.

    He must have been feasting madly on the soil before they arrived.

    The teens recognized this man, it was their respected headmaster, Headmaster Chui.

 Chapter 405: Protect the ocean, save the world

    <h4>Chapter 405: Protect the ocean, save the world</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°I swear there is no such thing as an atomic bomb at Dreands.¡± At Da Hwa City¡¯s headquarters, Lucky exined with misery. Lucky stood on Wu Siyu¡¯s shoulder and wore an orange jacket. His rat-like face and two ws were the only things exposed. From just appearance, he looked like a plushie. He patted her shoulders and continued, ¡°The Dreands is an idyllic ce, we do not have destructive creation like the atomic bomb, or at least I have not heard of something like that.¡±

    Wu Siyu did not follow the Spell Department¡¯s team to Mo Bei. This was because the day before, she went for a prenatal supersonic inspection and told her superior about her pregnancy. Radiation had greater influence on children, especially fetuses since the cellr activity of the fetus was more active. If they were affected by radiation, there would be a higher chance of mutation during cellr recovery. It would lead to congenital disease, deformation and even stillborn. Therefore, pregnant women should not be exposed to any supernatural radiation, not even at 100 mSv, which was considered safe for others.

    Wu Siyu¡¯s pregnancy was good news but the timing was all wrong. The tragedy at Mo Bei just happened and the father was missing. This revtion caused a mixture of emotions to arise within the higher ups and the duo¡¯s closer friends who knew the truth. Some of them had a concern that they did not dare voice, ¡®Was the baby going to be normal?¡¯

    Wu Siyu was too early in her pregnancy for amniocentesis inspection and nothing much could be seen from the B scan. But based on all the other examinations, it was confirmed that she was pregnant and everything was proceeding smoothly.

    ¡°So the illusion that Ah Mei saw...¡± Wu Siyu pondered, ¡°If she really saw Dirty-minded Jun, then it was not at Dreands.¡± To be fair, she did not really understand what was happening. She just received the call from Elder Tong. He merely told her toe to the Spell Department base and he did not go into details. Even though it was already midnight, due to the severity of the situation, Siyu had no choice but to climb out from her bed. Soon Siyu arrived at themand central. Everyone was busy. She nced at the monitor, it was 4: 53 am. The screens showed the logging going on in real time and the One waiting at the quarantine circle. Deng Ximei and the two members were given emergency care.

    ¡°This poster is definitely unusual...¡± Elder Tong discussed this with Yao Sinian. When the former saw Siyu, he called her over, ¡°Siyu,e and take a look at this poster. What is the thought thates to you?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s interest was piqued. She walked over to study the picture on one of the screens. She instantly frowned with shock.

    Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were excited with the result of the mission. The contribution made by Deng Ximei was a breakthrough, the 3 members from The One did not sacrifice themselves for no reason. The illusion Ximei saw affirmed the Energy Research Centre¡¯s conclusion, this was radiation caused by nuclear explosion. But where was the setting for this illusion, what did it mean? Why would Gu Jun be a part of the nuclear assault team?

    There were two possibilities. One, Gu Jun was really there and two, Deng Ximei saw wrongly, after all, the girl could not be 100 percent sure herself about what she saw. The poster that Deng Ximei brought out was physically inside a lead bin at Mo Bei. However, a picture of it was taken at the first notice. Themand central did research on it but could not find simr printing style or relevant posters at Mo Bei City, across the country or even globally. The poster was too simple to derive much from it. Other than the ocean and the two dolphins, the only thing to go by was the Chinese slogan, ¡°Protect the ocean, save the world.¡± There was no mention of the charity organization, no address, no date and no usable information.

    The font was the mostmon ËÎÌå, the only ir done to it was the bolding of the characters. Therefore, the research went nowhere. They were also waiting for results from the actual poster, its radioactivity; carbon dating to determine its time of manufacture; as well as a DNA sampling on the blood stain on the poster.

    ¡°Protect the ocean, save the world?¡± Elder Tong mumbled, ¡°Could this be rted to the R¡¯yleh Cult?¡± Prof Jiang from Angell¡¯s Order was there as well and he said, ¡°That is possible, the ocean is the world to them.¡±

    ¡°Erm, Elder Tong and everyone...¡± Wu Siyu cleared her throat. ¡°This poster was designed by me. I painted the background myself.¡± Her revtion stunned everyone present. Elder Tong¡¯s face drawn. Chill rose in their heart. Lucky didn¡¯t quite understand it but he could sense the tension in the air. He shrunk deeper into the crook of Wu Siyu¡¯s shoulder to make himself invisible.

    ¡°I designed this poster when I was still in high school, it was for a school event affiliated with The World Ocean Day.¡± Wu Siyu exined as her eyes turned around, ¡°It was a small event. The students were tasked to make a poster and print 100 copies for it to share among the school body. If not for seeing this poster myself, I wouldn¡¯t have remembered anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Girl, are you sure about that?¡± Elder Tong asked.

    ¡°I should have the original copy. I have a cloud storage that I use to keep all of my designs.¡± Wu Siyu immediately had one of the workers handed her aptop. She logged onto her cloud storage and pulled up the relevant folder. It wasst edited 5 years ago. She downloaded the folder named ¡®Protect the ocean, save the world¡¯. With everyone watching, she clicked it open. There were the PSD documents for the poster, the background picture. She clicked open the finished poster and it showed up on screen. There was the ocean, two dolphins and the slogan, everything was the same.

    Elder Tong, Yao Sinian and Prof Jiang were silent...

    It was a charity poster to celebrate World Ocean Day but there was no mention of the day itself, that was truly Wu Siyu¡¯s style.

    ¡°I¡¯m 21 now,¡± Wu Siyu calcted, ¡°I did this poster when I was in second year high school so that was 5 years ago. I remember printing 100 copies of this and most of them went into the trash cans after school. The event was just a procedure so no one really paid attention to the poster-making, including myself. In fact, I did not even keep a hard copy of my own poster.¡±

    Was it possible that this poster was one of the copies printed by Wu Siyu? It somehow travelled from Shen Hai City to Mo Bei City? But if that was the case, why and how?

    At this juncture, Wu Siyu felt like she needed to rify some things. ¡°When Dirty-minded Jun first heard the signal and saw the symbol, it was through my painting. My painting triggered something in him. And then on the day of his disappearance, he was carrying my watercolor and now this poster...¡±

    A giant shadow loomed over themand central. Now that they thought about it, there were so many supernatural events that revolved around Wu Siyutely. The issue with Kedou and the abnormal Tourette Syndrome; her sudden pregnancy; her paintings¡¯ connection to Gu Jun¡¯s disappearance... It was why people like Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were concerned. The more they thought about it, the more chilled they were. There was no such thing as coincidence, everything was rted somehow. Was Wu Siyu really pregnant? Was she carrying... an actual baby in her womb?

    As if sensing the hostility, Wu Siyu reached towards her stomach. She could sense the lifeing from it. It was not a food baby. To be honest, she panicked. She needed to protect this child, thisst connection that she might have with Dirty-minded Jun.

    ¡°The original painting of the background should still be at my home. You¡¯re telling me... For some unknown reasons, my paintings have gained some kind of power?¡± Wu Siyu was confused, so did everyone else. In any case, themand central immediately had people from Shen Hai Division send people over to Wu Family to transport away all of her paintings, especially the ones with marine motifs.

    On the afternoon of the 16th, the inspection result on the poster started to arrive. It was not radioactive and was not exposed to radiation, this was an anomaly; based on carbon-dating, this poster was not a relic, it was a modern product; and the DNA analysis of the blood stain on the poster proved that it belonged to...

    Wu Siyu.

 Chapter 406: Normal and Abnormal

    <h4>Chapter 406: Normal and Abnormal</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Over the past few days, Gu Jun had been busy attempting to ¡®ept¡¯ the power at the simr yet unfamiliar Mysterium World. His method of choice was to constantly expose himself to various visual cues to actively trigger the symbol and signal to use mental assault to st at the chaos in his mind. The side effect was it brought with it plenty of headaches. He might lose his mind from this, Gu Jun knew that risk. This action was not at all medically-appropriate but he did it nevertheless.

    Yu Chi followed his example. Normally they would do this together, hoping that theirbined effort would strengthen the signal. Furthermore, Gu Jun felt like he needed to keep an eye on Yu Chi. The man would probably go insane before he did.

    In any case, the exercise was not futile. He could feel his mind be more stable and the ache decreased with each exercise. His body would not go into palsy when he encountered abnormal events anymore, instead there was merely some difort. The chaos in his mind started to take on some signs of life. However, ever since their contact at the summit of Peach Mountain, neither of them had gainedmunication with the mysterious signal again. This drove Yu Chi up the wall. ¡°What exactly is the problem?¡± He mumbled to himself, ¡°We¡¯re mentally more stable and the signals are getting clearer. We heard more terms in the broadcast but howe we are unable to form amunication anymore?¡±

    They repeated their effort on the summit of Peach Mountain but there was nothing. Gu Jun actually had another issue on his mind. On that night, when theymunicated with the signal, he felt something was different. The force from the split crosses was no longer as strong. In the following days, the symbols still pulsed with yellow light but something was missing. He was unable to transmigrate through the world anymore. Why? Was it a problem with the medium? The first three times, the mediums were respectively a watercolor, a poster, and a countryside painting, what was unique about them?

    ¡°Captain Gu, could there be a different form of energy? An energy that we¡¯re not familiar with! Let¡¯s call itmunicative energy for now. To achievemunication, the strength of the signal is not the only factor, themunication will exhaust thismunicative energy as well. In other words, we have exhausted all of our energy during our previousmunication so the contact cannot be built anymore.¡± Yu Chi pondered on this hypothesis. ¡°ept, find, more. Is it possible that the three terms are not chronological in order but are meant to be understood simultaneously? We have to ept the power and find something so we can gain moremunicative energy? That way, we can form a more stablemunicative channel and we might even trigger that shadowy door...¡±

    Gu Jun concurred, of course, anything was possible at a time like this. Then again, did his transmigration require energy as well? One simr to thismunicative energy?

    ¡°But what energy is it?¡± Yi Chi fretted anxiously. Ever since Gu Jun arrived, Yu Chi had stopped taking his medication. The man was now teetering the line between sanity and insanity. When he slept at night, he did not use the bed but squeezed between the hoarded trash in the room. This meant that Gu Jun could not have a good sleep either. This was his seventh day at the Mysterium World. The longer he was away from the Phecda World, the more anxious he became. He was particrly concerned these past two days as if something was warning him of possible danger at Phecda World. The other reason for hisck of sleep was Captain Yu¡¯s snoring and somniloquy. The man rambled in his sleeps and the words he said were loud and unfathomable.

    Everyte afternoon, the young woman by the name of Feng Peiqian would arrive at the rental like clockwork. She¡¯d bring over delicious food every time. Sometimes, she moved to clean up the space but Yu Chi always stopped her. He¡¯d stop her from messing up his mess.

    Gu Jun knew better to get between these two. However, he could not help but makeparisons between them and his rtionship with Dirty-minded Yu. If this situation happened to them, he¡¯d be the one cleaning up and she¡¯d be lying there, saying ¡®o well¡¯.

    ¡°Ah Jun.¡± At that moment, while Yu Chi went to use the bathroom, Feng Peiqian finally had the chance to have a private moment with Gu Jun. She asked with a friendly smile, ¡°Do you really have no memory at all of your background?¡± Gu Jun was familiar with her goal. Yu Chi already told him that his rental had been watched by Mysterium but he ced anti-bug devices in the room.

    ¡°We¡¯ve checked the traffic surveince from that day.¡± Feng Peiqian spoke as if to herself, ¡°You appeared practically out of nowhere. Granted the spot you appeared at is a surveince blind spot but we should be able to see you move towards that spot from the other cameras. But that was not the case, so where did youe from?¡± Her face chilled and she moved from friendly conversation to sharp interrogation, ¡°Who exactly are you?¡±

    Gu Jun continued to smile dumbly. Now was still not the time. But certainly, the attitude Mysterium had towards him was turning more aggressive.

    ¡°Is it because we are too normal?!¡± Yu Chi suddenly burst out from the bathroom. He rushed to the corner to look for the medicine he abandoned. Feng Peiqian stood up to watch over her former captain while keeping an eye on Gu Jun. ¡®What is Captain talking about? Who is too normal?¡¯ ¡°Captain, what do...¡± She was about to ask when Yu Chi once again pushed her towards the door. ¡°Peiqian, it¡¯s gettingte, you should go home! Ah Jun and I will be fine...¡±

    ¡®Too normal?¡¯ When Gu Jun heard that, a thought came into his mind. ¡®Is it possible that thismunicative energy derives itself from a pained and abnormal mental state? For example, certain mental patients will gain ess to unusual sensitivity to things. Activities like hypnosis and religious rituals would induce the participants into an abnormal mental state to achieve certain goals... Like Elder Tong once said, there¡¯s benefits to having low S Value...¡¯ The more he considered it, the more Gu Jun wanted to give it a try...

    ¡°These things originate from the illusory.¡± Gu Jun said with a frown. ¡°So for us with actual flesh and blood, we might really need to be in an abnormal state to gain ess to them.¡± After all, if they showed the recording of themselves at the Peach Mountain to others, no one would say they were sane. But they indeed saw and heard something that night.

    ¡°This is such a paradox...¡± Yu Chi had already sent Feng Peiqian away. His expression pinched from hearing Gu Jun¡¯s opinion. ¡°The more we ept the power, the more normal we¡¯ll be. That means we¡¯ll be saner and have lessmunicative energy. Then how are we supposed to contact them again?!¡±

    ¡°No, Captain Yu, there¡¯s still a way.¡± Gu Jun shared his idea. ¡°I am more familiar than you in the field of psychology. It doesn¡¯t matter that we have a stronger mental power as long as we can induce ourselves into a temporary abnormal mental state during point of contact.¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Chi¡¯s mind came to. He said excitedly, ¡°You mean like through drinking and taking drugs?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    But Yu Chi had new problems. ¡°But if we take drugs, how can we tell which illusions are real and which are drug-rted? We can¡¯t possibly record what we saw and heard either!¡±

    Gu Jun sighed. ¡°Captain Yu, we are not going to take hallucinogenic drugs, it¡¯ll harm our brain and cause addiction.¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Yu Chi scratched his head.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just use abnormal creatures as stimnts.¡± Gu Jun asked with a raised brow. ¡°Captain Yu, are there creatures like zombies and Deep Ones in this world? Preferably alive ones.¡±

 Chapter 407: Zombies

    <h4>Chapter 407: Zombies</h4>

    Gu Jun had no idea how Yu Chi negotiated with Mysterium, perhaps he reasoned with them or perhaps he argued with them. In any case, Yu Chi did not reveal anything about Gu Jun. Due to his former contribution and reputation, Mysterium relented in the end. They sent out Feng Peiqian to help satisfy his demands while keeping a close eye on Gu Jun. There were no Deep Ones in this world, Gu Jun was now sure of that because the Deep Ones were directly connected to the Dagon Cult. The cultists who worshipped Ghatanothoa at thend of Mu had connection to the sea but they would not transmute into Deep Ones.

    Thankfully, there were zombies in this world and there were ancient legends about them. Clearly, this kind of creature had existed in this world since prehistoric time as well. The difference was that the zombies at Phecda World could travel to Dreands but the zombies at the Mysterium World could not. They did not have the ability of astral projection. Because of that Phecda had trouble catching any zombie alive. Be it Chen Defa or the zombies captured at the Afterlife Cult¡¯smunication bases, none of them survived long enough for interrogation. However, things were different for Mysterium. In fact, there were several zombies being kept in the prison meant for abnormal creatures.

    At that moment, 3 zombies were kept inside arge iron cage. They were transported to the Peach Mountain summit by a Special Mobile Force unit led by Feng Peiqian. The mountain had been cordoned off by Mysterium, all visitors and normal guards had been sent away. Following Yu Chi¡¯s demand, the number of Mysterium members was low as well. The 3 zombies were heavily shackled and their jaws were sealed with electric mps. This made them less aggressive but it also lent them a more horrendous appearance. The wrinkled skin growing with mold shimmered weakly under the moonlight, looking like balls of ethereal me.

    ¡°Captain Yu, looks like we¡¯re on the right path.¡± On the summit, Gu Jun and Yu Chi had set up everything. Replicating the scene from their previous sess, there were the old-fashioned radio, the camera, and the lines of paintings that surrounded them and the zombies. Gu Junmented as he studied the zombies. His consciousness was wavering already. However, his body did not go into palsy. The evasion symptoms from PTSD did not trigger, he seemed to have gotten better.

    The positive influence showed on Yu Chi as well. He never suffered from palsy but he¡¯d scream incoherently before supernatural presence. However, now, other than some added anxiety, Yu Chi could converse normally, ¡°Yes, it appears like you¡¯re right...¡±

    Feng Peiqian and the five other Mysterium members stood outside the line of paintings and looked on with shock. Before they arrived, they were enormously worried. They had no idea what Captain Yu was up to and they suspected Gu Jun was using Captain Yu to rescue these zombies, but of course, the thing that worried them the most was Captain Yu¡¯s health. Based on his condition, should he be exposed to 3 zombies at the same time, he¡¯d required emergency rescue. To that effect, a team of medical members were waiting not far from the summit and they¡¯d rush in to save Captain Yu whenever things went south.

    ¡°Captain Yu, you...¡± Feng Peiqian was pleasantly surprised but was also confused, ¡°You¡¯ve recovered?¡±

    ¡°Have I recovered...?¡± Yu Chi studied himself and scratched his head. ¡°I do feel much better but I have gotten too normal, I am still too normal.¡± Feng Peiqian was lost and so did the rest of her team. What induced this change? Their eyes wandered naturally to Gu Jun. Indeed, after this man¡¯s suspicious appearance, within the week, Captain Yu hadmitted many inexplicable actions. For better or for worse, there was improvement on Captain Yu to show for it...

    Gu Jun ignored their stares. He focused on himself. His head felt heavy, his blood pressure was clearly increasing but his cerebral space appeared to have achieved a new haemostatic equilibrium. His heart pounded heavily, the feeling of Strong Heart had returned. Even the feeling of his hands, the Hands of Dexterity, the acute mastery of every nerve and muscle had returned as well. More than that, his skills not only returned, they appeared to have upgraded to achieve a newer form. If he went for a mental strength test now, the value might overshoot 100. In other words, he was sure he¡¯d be able to officially return to Phecda, provided that he was able to transmigrate back to that world.

    ¡°Still too normal...¡± Yu Chi pulled at his beard with agitation. ¡°Are the zombies not enough? Ah, Peiqian, I know. Remove their jaw mps, quick! That¡¯s right, I remember their words will be able to cause people to go insane. Let them speak, quick...¡± The mouth mps were remotely controlled, one did not need to operate them manually. Gu Jun agreed. ¡°Hopefully you guys haven¡¯t pulled out all of their teeth.¡± A zombie without teeth was like coca-c without ice, salt without pepper, they¡¯d be soulless.

    ¡°Huh, so you do know how to speak.¡± Feng Peiqianmented softly, ¡°What happened to your characterization?¡± Previously, the man had been assuming the identity of a floater who only knew how to smile dumbly.

    ¡°Errr.¡± Gu Jun once again shed them the nk smile that he had mastered. What he got in response was a rather hostile gaze from Feng Peiqian, Chen Ziyuan and the rest. It was this harmless smile that hid many dangerous intentions. The big bad wolf wore a simr smile before he swallowed the red riding hood. They clearly did not trust Gu Jun.

    At the same time, the few zombies groaned loudly. One of them even rammed against the cage. It rang noisily. The group¡¯s attention was pulled towards them. These creatures had human-like intelligence. They understood what the Mysterium members were saying, they too wished to have the mps removed.

    ¡°Peiqian!¡± Yu Chi ordered. He appeared to be more anxious than the zombies.

    ¡°Fine, captain. But if you n to do some kind of experiment, you better be ready.¡± Feng Peiqian warned, ¡°The zombies know how to cast spells.¡± Yu Chi red at the zombies, ¡°Just ignore them unless they try to summon something. In fact, no matter what happens to me and Ah Jun, just let us be.¡± Gu Jun nodded silently. He began the recording and walked over to switch on the radio. The static rang out immediately. The sound instantly brought Yu Chi and his mind into another state. On the other hand, Chen Ziyuan and the rest were ready with the stun guns. Feng Peiqian pressed on the remote and with a click, the mps on the 3 zombies were released.

    ¡°Ah...¡± They opened their dog-like jaws to expose their darkened fangs. ¡°You should not have done this, you will pay...¡± Looking at the bloodied maw, listening to their grumbling, Gu Jun¡¯s mind dulled with pain. ¡®Yes, this is the feeling...¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯sing, it¡¯sing!¡± Yu Chi voiced the same sentiment, ¡°It¡¯s working! Yes!¡±

    Feng Peiqian¡¯s team looked over with confusion. They saw the two approach the zombies. The night breeze caused the surrounding paintings to p in the wind. Feng Peiqian suddenly shivered even though nothing seemed different from before. The static was still static and the paintings were still normal paintings. Captain Yu ordered them earlier to be silent and he also banned usage of telmunication devices so they could onlymunicate with eyes. ¡®What is going on?¡¯ In any case, they trained their focus to resist against the mental assault by the zombies.

    ¡°If you can hear us... We are... innocent...¡± The symbols appeared on the paintings and the signal broadcasted from the radio. Gu Jun frowned. The mental assault from the zombie mmed against his mind, it pushed him near the brink of madness. In this state, he yelled into the night sky, ¡°We have heard you, please respond, please respond.¡±

    ¡°We are here!¡± Yu Chi also shouted like a madman, ¡°Right here!¡±

    Amidst the groaning of the 3 zombies, and the confusion of Feng Peiqian¡¯s group, another voice descended, but it was only audible to Gu Jun and Yu Chi. The radio clicked and stopped for a few moments before the distorted voice began again, ¡°Hello... There isn¡¯t much time... Unable...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart rose and sank. ¡®Not much time? For what?¡¯ He demanded hurriedly, ¡°Then what should we do? Tell us!¡± Yu Chi had considered this possibility as well. This kind of interdimensionalmunication might exhaust something else other than ¡®madness energy¡¯. Indeed, they did not have much time left, not everymunication would prove sessful and they had limited trials.

    ¡°ept... go...¡± Even though their mental strength improved,pared tost time, the voice was even more muddled and harder to identify, ¡°Australia... Pnakotus... Seal... Stone... Pnakotus... Entrance... Bound your brain... ept...¡±

    Static suddenly returned to the radio and the split crosses disappeared from the surrounding paintings.

    ¡°Ah!¡± A splitting headache ravaged Gu Jun. It was like arge hammer rammed into him. He knew this signified the end of thismunication. The briefmunication was enough to deliver him immense pain.

    ¡°Pna, pna...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s face colored red and blue. He gasped heavily. Unable toplete his sentence, he turned to Gu Jun.

    Among the sea of roaring thoughts, Gu Juntched onto one, the Pnakotic Manuscripts, Pnakotus.

    ¡®We¡¯re to go to Pnakotus? Seal... It¡¯s the Ancient Seal. Stone, opaline stone?¡¯ Something came to him and hisprehension of the statement improved. ¡®Pnakotus! Opaline stones are used in the manufacturing of the Ancient Seal. They can help us find the entrance to Pnakotus!¡¯ The cleansing stone he brought back from City of Kindles, the stone Mysterium unearthed were all made from Australian Opaline. Gu Jun knew that something was unique about Australia, after all, his first return from Dreandnded him at western Australia.

    After the world announced the presence of the supernatural, Australia also joined GOA so there had been more frequent cooperation between Australia and Phecda. One of the joint efforts was to conduct research at the location where Gu Jun and thend travellersnded from Dreands and the small town where Kathlyn grew up. They came up with nothing. But what if... they had been searching in the wrong world? Just like Innsmouth, it did exist in Massachusetts, just not the Massachusetts at Phecda World. Was it not possible that Pnakotus was situated in Australia but the Australia in the Mysterium World?

    ¡°Captain, are you okay?!¡± Peng Feiqian asked nervously. Seeing that the activity appeared to be over, she enquired, ¡°Can wee over now?¡± Chen Ziyuan¡¯s gun was aimed at the 3 zombies. If the zombies acted up, then they¡¯d be treated with the stun gun.

    The six members had no idea what just happened. Could they have performed a ritual?

    Mysterium naturally had this suspicion, because the requirement for a set location, the set up of the many objects, as well as the presence of the zombies to provide a dark energy, this seemingly dense Gu Jun was not dense at all. Could he have dragged Captain Yu into darkness?

    Gu Jun chilled from the cold sweat that covered his body. ¡®This is the answer? Locate Pnakotus?¡¯

    Perhaps ¡®there isn¡¯t much time¡¯ had another meaning, they had to mobilize immediately.

    ¡°Captain Yu, I believe our next stop is Australia.¡± He said.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll depart tonight...¡± Yu Chi was on the same page as he was. He did not answer Feng Peiqian as his mind was still processing the clearest phrase that they had heard earlier. ¡®Bound your brain.¡¯

    What had bound their brain? How would they get it unbound? If they kept it bound, what would happen?

 Chapter 408: Vodka

    <h4>Chapter 408: Vodka</h4>

    Due to the ck of time¡¯, Yu Chi had another negotiation with Mysterium that very night. Gu Jun was not clued in to the process but it did prove that Yu Chi had a high standing in the organization. The two of them were allowed to depart that night. Their destination, Western Australia. They would be apanied by Feng Peiqian¡¯s unit. When they arrived, they would be joined by the local Australian Safety Bureau, this was after all, an international event. Be it Mysterium or the Australian Safety Bureau, they had no idea what the goal of this mission was, Yu Chi only told them he was going on an archaeological dig.

    The travel time would take 10 hours so Gu Jun decided to rest on the ne. When theynded in Australia, it was already the next morning. It was 18th March at Mysterium World. Neither of them participated in theplicated international liaison. That was handled by Feng Peiqian. In the end, their group gained an additional six members from the Australian Safety Bureau. The first stop of their journey was the small town where Kathlyn grew up or at least the location it corresponded to at the Mysterium World. Since the Mysterium World¡¯s Australian government had a different road nning, ¡®Kathlyn¡¯s hometown¡¯ was not situated by the roadside and attracted no settlers. Thus the ¡®town¡¯ was more like a barren wastnd. It was adjacent to the desert. Other than some sparse tree and the asional kangaroo, there was nothing.

    ¡°Captain Gu, is this really the ce?¡± Yu Chu stood on the wastnd and looked around. Gu Jun stood beside him. Thend¡¯s travellers¡¯ origin was still a mystery, perhaps it could be solved here. Feng Peiqian and the rest waited a distance away with thend rovers and a medic car.

    It was now the start of fall in Australia. The weather was still quite warm. They were all in thin T-shirts and khaki shorts. They looked like visitors who got lost on their way to the beach. The wounds on Gu Jun¡¯s stomach and shoulder no longer needed bandaging. The wounds had healed nicely. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know.¡± Gu Jun admitted, ¡°But I have a feeling the opaline will guide us.¡±

    They were looking for something but the problem was they had no idea what that something was. Pnakotus sounded like a city, but where would it be located? An abnormal space? Underground? In the sky?

    ¡°Captain Gu, have you ever wondered why it is us who are chosen?¡± Yu Chi mumbled, ¡°There are many different subworlds so why the two of us? You¡¯re a doctor and I¡¯m an archaeologist, there has to be a reason we¡¯re pulled together. What use can I serve? My profession means that I am familiar with dig sites. Is it possible that this means the thing that we¡¯re looking for is buried underground?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Gu Jun studied thend around him. The sky and the horizon joined together. There was no building within his sight. Australia wasrge enough to have several stretches of uninhabitednds. The scenery around Gu Jun reminded him of the Wastnd World. If a city was buried here, it would be impossible to find without any clue. The whole morning, the two paced around the ¡®small town¡¯ but found nothing. They used their senses and devices like radar and archaeological detectors but none proved effective.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working...¡± Yu Chi tossed the devices aside. He pulled on his hair and beard like he was trying to yank his face off. ¡°The other party can make inter-dimensionmunication so we wouldn¡¯t be able to detect their clues using our backwards scientific technology. They could have easily used some kind of tech to ward off our detection...¡± The more Yu Chi thought about it, the more pained he became, ¡°What should we do, what should we do...¡± Gu Jun frowned. He had nothing to provide, archaeology was not his strong suit. Instead he thought back to the instruction they got yesterday night. He eventually said, ¡°Captain Yu, the statement ended up another ept and something about our brain being bound. Does this mean we need something to unbind our brain? Only then we can ept and locate the ce?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s eyes widened. He looked around. ¡°It¡¯s still the same old problem. We¡¯re still too normal, too normal...¡± Yu Chi suddenly roared, ¡°Peiqian, Peiqian! Where¡¯s my alcohol? I need alcohol!¡±

    Peiqian¡¯s group immediately rushed over. They were startled by Captain Yu¡¯s behaviour but they still abided by his instructions. Yu Chi had considered this problem. He initially wanted to bring the zombies over but both Mysterium and Australian government said no. Gu Jun was against the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs like LSD on the basis of negative drug use. Therefore, Yu Chipromised and opted for alcohol, strong alcohol to be precise!

    Feng Peiqian rode over in a cross-country cart. The boot was filled with crates of alcohol. Yu Chi took out a small vial of vodka. He tipped off the cap and tossed half of it down his throat. Gu Jun was both impressed and shocked even though he knew what Yu Chi was going for.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s cheeks reddened immediately. Drops of vodka stuck to his face. He wiped them off and finished the rest of the bottle. Then, he suddenly pressed his head in pain and the vodka bottle dropped to the ground.

    ¡°Captain!¡± Feng Peiqian gasped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch him!¡± Gu Jun screamed. His own heart was racing. ¡°Captain Yu probably saw something...¡± Gu Jun was usually the one who triggered illusion, this was the rare few times he witnessed another person being taken by illusory sight.

    ¡°You!¡± As nervous as Feng Peiqian was, she understood the reasoning behind Gu Jun¡¯s warning. Her team stopped moving and watched nervously as Yu Chi teetered around before he copsed to the ground. In less than a minute, Yu Chi suddenly sighed and spirit returned to his eyes. ¡°Ah...¡± The group immediately surrounded him but Yu Chi pushed them away. The half-inebriated man pulled Gu Jun to the side. He turned them away from the rest so they could not read his lips.

    ¡°I saw it, I saw the Phecda World...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s voice was hoarse and his mouth stunk of vodka. ¡°I saw that friend of yours, Cai Zixuan...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed. Looks like Captain Yu¡¯s ability was to nce into the Phecda World and not specifically to him. Captain Yu saw him because he used to be there but now that he was here, Captain Yu saw other people from Phecda World in his vision.

    ¡°He was inside a surgical room, participating in an operation.¡± Yu Chi thought back to his vision. ¡°There were many people around him. They were all dressed in heavy protective gear and they were performing amputation on a middle-aged man. They were cutting off his right arm. The surgeon saw the arm off and the nurse immediately ced it inside a bin. The bin was stainless steel and it had a symbol on it...¡± Gu Jun frowned. Amputation? Middle-aged man? Since the arm was immediately ced inside a bin after amputation, it meant that the arm needed to be isted? But why? What kind of sickness could it transmit?

    ¡°Let me draw out the symbol for you...¡± Yu Chi squatted down and used his finger to draw out the symbol on the dirt. ¡°It¡¯s yellow here and ck here.¡±

    Naturally Gu Jun recognized it immediately. He said darkly, ¡°That¡¯s the symbol for radiation warning.¡±

    He understood then that the bin was a lead bin and Zixuan was wearing an anti-radiation suit. The patient on the surgical table probably suffered from acute radiation sickness. As the conclusion dawned on him, Gu Jun felt chilled. Nuclear explosion, that just happened at the Wastnd World and instantly there were patients with acute radiation sickness at the Phecda World... This could not be a coincidence. If this was just a normal radiation injury at a factory, it wouldn¡¯t have involved Phecda. The involvement of both Phecda and the Spell Department spelt big trouble. And this trouble was rted to radiation.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled but his body was sweaty. The scene from the Wastnd World shed before his eyes. The City of Angels and its vicinity were instantly vaporized by the atomic bomb. Based on the size of the bomb, how much radiation would it emit?

    ¡°Captain Yu... I fear the Phecda World and the Wastnd World are already ovepping.¡± When Yu Chi heard radiation, the severity of the situation snapped him out of his inebriation.

    ¡®There¡¯s not much time¡¯ was not an empty warning. A huge tragedy was imminent. The door to Pnakotus was still unknown but the door of the abyss appeared to have been opened.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the alcohol?¡± Gu Jun stood up and used his feet to wipe the radiation symbol off the sand. He strode towards the cart. With everyone looking on in shock, he picked up another bottle of vodka and glugged it down. He had not tasted alcohol in a long time. Since he bade farewell to Tycoon Jun, he had not touched alcohol. Furthermore, he just recovered from a brain surgery, so technically he should abstain from alcohol. But like Captain Yu said, he was too normal, it wouldn¡¯t work.

    Glug, glug, glug. Gu Jun finished the bottle in one gulp. His oesophagus burnt. The alcohol hit his system and his knees wobbled. His vision blurred and his brain pounded but soon that turned into a sense of chaos. A leap and the world turned upside down, things looked so different...

    He could even hear a voice talking to him. ¡®Come, quick, this way.¡¯

    ¡°Captain Gu? Captain Gu?¡± Yu Chi enquired. He saw Gu Jun holding the bottle and staggered forward towards the zing sun. Yu Chi shook his head and made to follow, ¡°See, I told you. We need alcohol... more of them...¡±

    Feng Peiqian, Chen Ziyuan and the rest looked on with mixed emotions. But at least they got new information from Captain Yu in his state of inebriation... Captain Gu? This Gu Jun was also a Captain? What kind of Captain? There was such a hierarchy among the cultists too?

    The group watched the two drunkards sway their way forward. For now, they could only hop on the cross-country carts and followed with these questions crowding their minds.

 Chapter 409: green-banded broodsac

    <h4>Chapter 409: green-banded broodsac</h4>

    Inside a square ss box, a snail was crawling slowly. It was an Amber Snail, a mollusc foundmonly in china. Its preferred habitat are the dark and wet ces like the drains. It also prefers heavy moisture but it can resist moderate heat and cold. It can also float on the surface of water. It feeds on dposed material and young sprouts of nts like lichen, moss, mushrooms and so on. The shell of an amber snail can range from many different sizes but they are normally oval in shape. They have 3 to 4 whorls and they can be from 5 to 15 millimetres tall and 3 to 8 millimetres wide. Their shell is thin and the surface is usually yellow or brown in color. Their body is translucent or half-translucent.

    However, in this case the snail inside the ss box had two particrly swollen antennae. Compared to a normal amber snail, this snail was quite different. Inside its translucent body, one could see the presence of alien objects. They were not the snail¡¯s internal organs. Suddenly, the snail started to crawl with a speed notmon for a mollusc. Its swollen antennae were like two drills. The bands of colors spun and shimmered.

    ¡°Students, this here is a snail infected by a parasite. The color and lights that you see are actually arge amount of parasite wiggling inside its body.¡± In the biology ss, the teacher exined carefully. The monitor showed a slow-motion video of the snail inside the box with 10 times amplification. It was still the same amber snail but the students could see the horrifying details. The thing was not glowing naturally. The snail¡¯s body was stuffed with parasites. They wiggled and squeezed against each other.

    ¡°These are Leucochloridium paradoxum, or the green-banded broodsac. It is these parasites that cause the gic mutation to the snail¡¯s body. They also control the snail¡¯s mind.¡± The video changed and it now showed an image of the parasite under the microscope. It looked like a giant worm. Some of the students frowned while others looked on with interest.

    ¡°First, the snail ingested the parasite¡¯s eggs.¡± The middle-aged lecture continued, ¡°And that was how the parasite entered the host¡¯s body. Then the eggs will travel to the snail¡¯s digestive system to develop into their next stage, the sporocyst. At this moment, the snail appears perfectly normal, perhaps even itself has no idea there are parasites in its body. The nutrients that it consumes from food are constantly stolen by the parasites. Then again, we aren¡¯t snails so we cannot be sure about this. We cannot tell how they feel exactly.¡±

    A smallughter echoed in the ssroom but it soon died down. The simted video on screen showcased the growth of the parasite. The sporocyst grows into long tubes to form swollen broodsacs filled with hundreds of cercariae. These broodsacs invades the snail¡¯s body, specifically its antennae, causing them to transform into swollen, pulsating, colorful disys. The growth expanded the antennae in size so much that the snail could not retract them anymore and the bright antennae could only be dangled outside its shell. Watching these images, the students felt sorry for this poor snail.

    ¡°Once the broodsacs enter the snail¡¯s antennae, they will gain the ability to control their host. Amber snails are nocturnal creatures but after being taken control, they will be active around daytime and appear at ces where sunlight is plenty. Furthermore, they will now move 3 times faster than usual. In a way, the parasite has helped the snail broken through their biological limitation.¡± The teacher gestured at the mutated snail inside the box. Its antennae glowed like disco sticks. ¡°Currently no research knows how the broodsacs manage to take control over its host but I am sure some of you will figure out the mechanism in the future. Despite its size, this parasite is incredibly clever. They transform the snail¡¯s antennae into a swollen disy of colors, imitating the appearance of a caterpir. The parasite deprives their hosts of its fear and controls them to move under the sun. They will also control the snails to move to higher elevation to make themselves as pronounced as possible. Why? This is for the birds to see them. Once the birds see the shiny object shaped like a worm, they¡¯d swoop down to swallow it. However, in this case, the caterpir is actually the snail¡¯s antennae filled with broodsacs.¡±

    The teacher paused and wrote down the following on the ckboard. He stressed, ¡°Aggressive mimicry, this is how the broodsacs benefits from this phenomenon.¡±

    Aggressive mimicry is a biological concept, to put it simply, an organism uses promises of mating or food to lure its prey into its trap. For example, the pitcher nt would mimic a flower to attract bugs. Consumption, survival, mating, this is nature¡¯s brilliance.

    ¡°The snail is the primary host.¡± The teacher continued to write on the ckboard. ¡°The birds are the secondary hosts. After the broodsacs are ingested by the birds, they will start to reproduce. Then their eggs will be ejected out alongside the bird¡¯s faecal matter. The faecal matter would be food for other snails... and thus begins another cycle.¡±

    The students felt chilled and revolted. The broodsacs turned the innocent snails into fake food to prey on the birds. These parasites were small but they could engineer such malicious and eerie tactics. They could even discern the difference between night and day, and difference in elevation. They knew how to control their hosts to make them as conspicuous as possible. Be it brilliance or instinct, this was scarily surprising.

    ¡°Sir, then can the broodsacs control the birds?¡± A male student asked.

    ¡°There is no evidence so far that supports that.¡±

    ¡°Then can it enter the human body?¡±

    ¡°These are not mind-controlling parasites from video games.¡± The teacher chuckled. ¡°Our human body is far moreplicated than that of a snail and bird. We also have a strong immune system. However, we do have other parasites to deal with, for example, the tapeworm. And, I know what you¡¯re going to ask next. No, there are currently no parasites that can control human mind and action. Well, perhaps there is one. The name is money.¡± The teacher added, ¡°Latin name Aes.¡±

    The students chuckled. Indeed humans are not snails, they should not be taken control by parasites so easily.

    At the same time, inside the ss box, the snail continued to crawl without a moment¡¯s respite.

    ...

    The call was connected.

    ¡°Hello, is this Wang Jia Er¡¯s mother? I am Lee Yuhan¡¯s mother. Yes, our sons stay at the same hostel.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes. How can I help you, Mrs. Lee?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Yuhan told us yesterday night that he and a few friends would be spending a night over at your house. I called him this morning and there was no answer. It¡¯s getting to be noon soon and still there¡¯s no answer. I have Jia Er and his friends¡¯ numbers too. I call all of them but none of them is picking up...¡±

    ¡°Is that so... Mrs. Lee, Jia Er¡¯s father and myself have been overseas for the past few days. But don¡¯t you worry, the youngsters must be upte for a party. It¡¯s a weekend today, so they¡¯re probably still in bed.¡±

    ¡°I thought so too but something¡¯s strange... None of them has posted anything on their social media since yesterday night. If they had a party, wouldn¡¯t they have plenty of pictures to share?¡±

    ¡°Hmm... how about this? I¡¯ll call my neighbourhood watch to send someone over to check on the house. Perhaps they¡¯re just drunk.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Mrs. Wang, thank you so much and sorry for the disturbance.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, this is Jia Er¡¯s doing after all.¡±

    The call ended. Half an hourter, the call was returned.

    ¡°Hello, Mrs. Lee? The guard went to check earlier. There was no one home and my house garage door was left open. I looked at the picture sent over and the MPV is missing. I had the guard check the neighbourhood camera. The car was driven out yesterday night. Jia Er was behind the wheel and Yuhan and the rest were also inside the vehicle...¡±

    ¡°What... Jia Er knows how to drive? But where were they going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure but Mrs. Lee, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine. They are just being young, we shan¡¯t panic.¡±

    ¡°This has gone far enough, we should call the police.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Mrs. Lee, we don¡¯t need to make this such a big deal just yet... Mrs. Lee, don¡¯t think I¡¯m just covering for my son. What if every single one of them is involved in something illegal? After all, we don¡¯t know anything. If, and I¡¯m just specting here, what if they have illegal substances like pills or cannabis on them? If we call the police, their future will be ruined!¡±

    ¡°What? You, this... But shouldn¡¯t their safety be our primary focus? Furthermore, my Yuhan will never touch drugs.¡±

    ¡°I was just making a spection. Wait, Mrs. Lee, quick, log onto your social media! My Jia Er just updated his status. See if your Yuhan has done the same.¡±

    ¡°Let me check. Oh, yes, he did! So he has his phone with him, then why didn¡¯t he pick up? He didn¡¯t even think about sending a message back to report his safety. These kids... they really want to scare the hell out of us. But then what is the meaning of this update... ¡®I witnessed God, I am his incarnation in the human world¡¯.¡±

    ¡°...Jia Er uploaded the same status. Probably they went to their idol¡¯s concert?¡±

    ¡°Probably. This kid... Mrs. Wang, I¡¯m not going to trouble you anymore. I¡¯ll call Yuhan again. When hees home, there¡¯ll be a beating for him.¡±

    ¡°They are just being youths, a little lecture should suffice, but you¡¯re right, I¡¯ll have to deal with Jia Er when I return home too.¡±

 Chapter 410: Iâ€™ve Seen It

    <h4>Chapter 410: I¡¯ve Seen It</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    At Mo Bei¡¯s Gao Ji High School, the third-year students continued their fight. There were less than 100 days left until their final exam.

    ¡°Head discipline teacher Wang, please get all the third-year students to gather at the field...¡± When Headmaster Chui entered the room, every staff member in the office was confused. The headmaster¡¯s ck suit was covered in dust. His honest face was smeared with dirt. His forehead had a sheen of sweat and he looked quite unlike himself.

    ¡°Headmaster?¡± The discipline teacher, Wang Jinbo osted Headmaster Wang, ¡°And you wish to do this because...¡± Since yesterday afternoon, the headmaster disappeared off the face of the earth. Yesterday, Wang Jinbo had some questions for the headmaster but thetter did not answer his call or respond to any of his messages. It was inappropriate for a subordinate to question his superior¡¯s action so he let it be. But now, Wang Jinbo had to question the headmaster¡¯s order. During this crucial moment, the third-year students should spend every second on their studies. Therefore, if there was nothing really important, they should not be interrupted. Headmaster Chui should understand this, he was the one who had the staff cut the third-year students some ck when it was around exam season. For example, the mock examst week waspleted quickly and without fuss. It helped identify the individual student¡¯s weakness in their respective subject. Then the tutors would be assigned to aid with their study. So why this impromptu gathering now?

    ¡°Just gather everyone.¡± Headmaster Chui ordered. ¡°I have something that I wish to tell them.¡± With that, the headmaster turned and walked away. The other teachers looked at each other. For some reason, Wang Jinbo felt the headmaster¡¯s gait was rather strange. Even though the staffined among themselves, this was the headmaster¡¯s order so the broadcast could soon be heard around the school, ¡°All third-year students, please gather at the field immediately. Headmaster Chui would like to have a word with all of you.¡±

    It was almost noon and the students just finished their morning sses. They were supposed to have their noon break now. ¡®A word from the headmaster?¡¯ None of them were notified of this arrangement. Therefore, as they moved towards the field, they mumbled among each other. Soon about 1000 third-year students gathered at Gao Ji High School¡¯s asphalt field. They were in green uniform and stood in neat rows. The youths had on different expressions but most of them sheltered their eyes from the blinding sun. ¡®Dear headmaster Chui, look at the time, the sun is right at its zenith, is this really the time for a speech?¡¯ But then again, not only the students were exposed to this torment, the school staff like Wang Jinbo were there as well. Despite Headmaster Chui¡¯s well-loved status, at that moment, many people were silently cursing him.

    ¡°Dear students.¡± Soon, Headmaster Chui on stage said into the mic as his eyes scanned everyone present. ¡°I am 49 years old now. When I was your age, I didn¡¯t know much and now several decadester, I still can¡¯t say that I am that much wiser. I¡¯ve read plenty of books in my life but the more I study, the more I realize how little I understand.¡±

    The students sighed among themselves. They were called out in the middle of the day to hear a lecture like this? Wang Jinbo and the other teachers sighed as well. ¡®Headmaster Chui, you could have easily gone through this speech through the broadcasting system, why the need to gather everyone outside in the sun?¡¯

    ¡°Many years ago, I came across this excerpt from Zhuang Zi¡¯s Enjoyment in the Untroubled Ease. The morning mushroom does not know (what takes ce between) the beginning and end of a month; the short-lived cicada does not know (what takes ce between) the spring and autumn.¡± Headmaster Chui swiped at his sweat. His middle-aged face was twitching strangely. ¡°We humans pride ourselves on our knowledge but when you look up into the night sky, how could you still hold onto that pride? Students, we are the morning mushrooms and cicada. Even if we work our whole life, and spend years doing research, we will forever be trapped in the darkness, we will never approach the great truth.¡±

    As the headmaster went through his speech, the students were getting increasingly confused. They all felt something was off. The staff was equally confused. What was the purpose of the headmaster¡¯s speech? To inspire the students to not fret too much about the uing exam?

    ¡°So many years ago, I gave up on my pursuit.¡± Headmaster Chui continued, ¡°I submitted to the limitation of my thoughts. I just wanted to enjoy a good enough life. But students!¡± The headmaster¡¯s voice turned agitated and sweat poured out from him. ¡°A few days ago, yes, just a few days ago, something changed. An opportunitynded on me. It was yesterday night when I stumbled across the truth! I saw the great truth. The truth where even the glow of the sun, the stars, the moon could not reach. But a door towards grasping it was suddenly opened to me.¡±

    The confusion deepened but it did pique the students¡¯ attention. What was this truth the headmaster promoted? Hard work can lead to good results? Or... He was going to tell them he had won the lottery? Well, if that was the case, then Headmaster Chui¡¯s speech would make a lot of sense.

    ¡°I know my words will sound fake and exaggerated to your ears but the truths that I speak off cannot be expressed with words. They too have no name and they cannot be fathomed by our human minds. Even the sun cannot cast a shadow on them and the night cannot wipe away their existence.¡± Despite the sun, Headmaster Chui was sweating a bit profusely. Suddenly blood vessels popped in his eyes and his eyes started to bulge. ¡°Students, I have seen these truths that can only be described as God. I have witnessed God!¡±

    It was then that everyone present noticed the abnormality about the headmaster. It did not sound like Headmaster Chui was there to inspire the students but to...

    They all frowned as they saw the headmaster¡¯s face swiftly reddened. The veins popped on his face and they appeared like worms pulsing under his skin. Something... was not right.

    ¡°Headmaster?¡± Wang Jinbo hurried on stage with other teachers. They made to pull the headmaster off stage.

    ¡°I witnessed God.¡± Headmaster Chui repeated with a fanatic smile on his face. ¡°And I am his incarnation in the human world.¡±

    The transformation urred so suddenly. The students were so stunned that none of them thought to scream. The blood vessels on Headmaster Chui¡¯s face and neck bulged to a size that could not be supported by the normal human physiology. The blood vessels shimmered eerily. Headmaster Chui¡¯s skin turned translucent to reveal the strange spectacle that was happening underneath.

    ¡°This, this...¡± Wang Jinbo was frozen into ce by fear. His legs refused to move. The other teachers panicked. ¡°Ah, ah...¡± ¡°Super, supernatural energy...¡± ¡°Phecda, someone calls Phecda!¡±

    The young students were calmer inparison. If not for the ban against phones at school, they¡¯d be recording this now. ¡®What are those things inside Headmaster Chui?!¡¯

    There were strands, dots and clusters of them. They leaped, squeezed and wiggled under the translucent skin. They emitted a harrowing light. This turned Headmaster Chui¡¯s head into a living disco ball. His eyes were forced out from the socket from behind. But when everyone came over the initial shock, their hearts chilled.

    Headmaster Chui, he was a respected member of the school. But... what had happened to him...

    ¡°Students, stay in your line and head back to your ssrooms now!¡± Wang Jinbo ordered in a hurry after he recovered. His voice was shaking. As the teachers moved to lead the students away from the field, Headmaster Chui started to cackle. There was no pain, there was only joy and excitement. ¡°God has sent me to help you, to help you witness his glory.¡±

    Then came a wet explosion! The field echoed with the chaotic screams of the students, especially the shrill wailings of the girls. Some of them fainted on the spot. Headmaster Chui¡¯s head suddenly exploded. It did so without warning. The flesh disintegrated. The strands and clusters of unknown organisms flew through the air andnded on the ground. They wiggled and wiggled.

 Chapter 411: The Soil in the Stomach

    <h4>Chapter 411: The Soil in the Stomach</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    With a dull thud, the fresh body that died 2 hours ago was ced on the autopsy table. Chui Jianbiao, male, 46, former headmaster of Mo Bei¡¯s Gao Ji High School. Inside the Mo Bei Division¡¯s autopsy room, Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan and autopsy experts like Zhang Ruiyuan wore heavy protective gear. Ancient Seal stones and cameras were arranged in the room like usual. They studied the body on the table, another victim imed by supernatural forces. The body had its limbs and torso intact. The stomach showed signs of obvious swelling. But the head that ¡®exploded¡¯ could not be salvaged. What was left of it was the torn skin around the edges of the neck. The group canvased the school and discovered that the victim¡¯s entire head, including the skull, had dissolved into a light-yellow liquid and they contained an enormous amount of unknown parasite.

    Based on the statements taken from the staff and students, at the time, Headmaster Chui¡¯s entire head turned transparent before it exploded. How did that happen? What was the supernatural influence behind it? There would be clues inside the head but the head was no longer in existence, they could only turn to the rest of the body for investigation.

    Gao Ji High School was already ced on lockdown and the area around the school was cordoned off. Everyone at the school was led to the quarantine base outside the city for inspection and protection. Temporarily, there were no distress signs from any of the students or teachers. However, it was still too early to tell if there was aerated pathogen released from Headmaster Chui¡¯s self-implosion.

    This tragedy added stress to the already disastrous situation at Mo Bei but could the two events be linked? More workloads fell on Phecda.

    Inside the autopsy room, their first mission was to dissect the victim¡¯s torso, intestines and then stomach since the main infection method used by parasitic organisms was through ingestion. The X-ray imaging showed arge of foreign object inside the body¡¯s stomach and that should be the main reason behind the dead body¡¯s swollen stomach.

    Zhang Ruiyuan used the scalpel to slice open theteral abdominal wall and peritoneum. Instantly they were assaulted by the gas that emitted from the peritoneal cavity. The group noticed that the peritoneal cavity was also filled with the light-yellow liquid mixed with the parasites. They all frowned, this was absolutely unnatural. Cai Zixuan sighed softly. He believed the whole body was infected. This was because they could see with naked eye, the abnormal blood vessels under the victim¡¯s skin. Something seemed to move within them. This was not good news.

    Due to the time constraint, after the peritoneal organs were removed, they moved towards the stomach tissue near the colon. From cardia to pylorus, and extending down to the duodenum, everything was swollen. Even though the stomach was the biggest organ in the human digestive system, the stomach of this victim was inordinately bloated. Zhang Ruiyuan used the autopsy scissors to carefully snip open the stomach. They did not see anymon food like digested rice or vegetables. In fact, the system consisted of zero undigested food.

    Instead, Headmaster Chui¡¯s stomach was filled with brown substance mixed with stomach acid. It was quite easy to identify.

    ¡°It¡¯s soil.¡± Zhang Ruiyuan mumbled as he peeled back the stomach lining with the tweezers. ¡°It¡¯s all soil in there.¡±

    The human stomach did not have the ability to digest soil. If one took a very small amount of it, the body would release them with other faecal matter. The intestines might even be able to absorb the calcium from the soil. But prolonged ingestion or a sudden gluttonous consumption would clog the digestive system. The indigestible material would be collected inside the stomach, causing abdominal and stomach problems. Therefore, even those with allotriophagia or those who had such culture knew better to ingest so much soil at one time.

    Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan shared a look. This had to be the working of supernatural forces. But this led to another question. Did Headmaster Chui start this weird diet because he was infected by the parasite or did the parasitic infection cause him to start eating dirt?

    ...

    ¡°Ingestion of soil?¡± At themand central, when Elder Tong and Yao Sinian saw the update in the autopsy room, they were surprised but not shocked. ¡°Take those soil samples andpare them to the soil taken from the Arbor Day activity. See if ites from there.¡± Elder Tong ordered.

    Everything was shrouded in mystery but there were still some clues. However, these clues only made them even more worried. The investigators managed to reconstruct Headmaster Chui¡¯s dying words from the staff and students. It was not a 100 percent replication but byparing notes from about 1000 people, it was a close enough approximation.

    It could no longer be confirmed what Headmaster Chui¡¯s state of mind was at the time, but at least Headmaster Chui looked sentient and his words were not slurred. It did not appear like he was hallucinating but more like he was charmed or brain-washed.

    ¡°A few days ago, yes, just a few days ago, something changed. An opportunitynded on me,¡± based on that statement, they derived that this change to Headmaster Chui started within these few days. Phecda¡¯s focus narrowed down to Arbor Day when they failed to reach the other teachers who participated in the same Arbor Day activity as Headmaster Chui. The rm increased further when the same happened with the students and the staff from the Forestry Department. Everyone present for the event, all 300 plus of them could not be reached. ording to their parents, some of the students went out for a party yesterday night and could not be contacted since.

    Before Headmaster Chui appeared at school to demand for the gathering, students like Lee Yuhan and Wang Jia Er, all posted the same status online. ¡°I witnessed God, I am his incarnation in the human world.¡± Headmaster Chui was said to proim the same thing before he self-destructed.

    Combine that with the soil found during the autopsy, Phecda confirmed the issue originated from the Arbor Day activity. Something happened that day which infected all these people. However, this illness was different from any other sickness they had faced in the past. The sickness was still in itstency. None of the patients reached out for help. They would not even appear sick to others. Within the past few days, who knew how many people would havee into contact with these parasitic carriers already.

    The Forestry Department did not take any action on that piece of desert because no agent reported anything about it. Through in-depth investigation, Captain Luo, who led the group on that day, wasst heard telling his friend on the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll have to go. A student appeared to have dug up some locust eggs.¡±

    However, no mention of this incident was brought up to the Forestry Department and his friend did not ask for follow up. This was because the discovery of locust egg at Mo Bei during this season wasmon.

    Phecda though immediatelytched onto the problem. This was the main issue, the locust eggs...

    ¡°Soil ingestion? Could the parasite havee from the soil that contains these ¡®locust eggs¡¯?¡± Elder Tong made the connection easily. A group of investigators as well as the One were sent out to the piece ofnd. Elder Tong¡¯s instinct told him that things were not that simple. This incident might be much more serious than the radiation.

    Yao Sinian seemed to age overnight. Hundred of human lives were at stake but the more important problem was... where the hell had they gone?

    Themand central used Mo Bei City¡¯s surveince system to track and identify these missing individuals but none was found. It was as if they had all disappeared. If every single one of them was as sick as Headmaster Chui... It would mean that hundreds of living biological weapons carrying parasitic pathogens were on the loose and they could explode at any moment.

 Chapter 412: Entrance

    <h4>Chapter 412: Entrance</h4>

    The sun was setting. 4 cross-country vehicles and a medic car slowly moved through the red desert, following the two drunkards. Feng Peiqian had no idea what Captain Yu and Gu Jun were doing. They had been doing this for the better half of a day already. Even though the two still teetered precariously, they never once got close to actually falling. They had crossed 40 km. Along the way, they did stop a few times for food and water and to replenish the alcohol in their system.

    ¡°Hey, what exactly are you guys looking for?¡± The leader from the Australian Safety Bureau, Peter Bower asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us? Maybe we¡¯ll be able to help.¡± Of course no matter what they found, it would belong to Australia and not Mysterium.

    ¡°Captain Bower, you might not believe me,¡± Feng Peiqian shook her head, ¡°But we are as clueless as you are. You too are familiar with Captain Yu¡¯s condition.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The five Australian agents clearly had their suspicion regarding this. Night was falling and temperature dropped. Everyone could feel the night breeze picking up. ¡®Where are they heading actually? Shouldn¡¯t they be tired by now?¡¯

    ¡°Where is it, where is it...¡± Yu Chi mumbled. He tossed the bottle down his throat but the bottle was already empty. Yu Chi stayed in this half-inebriated state for the whole day already but he only triggered that illusion once. There was little to no progress to the search for Pnakotus. To be honest, he was merely following Gu Jun. Whether Gu Jun knew the direction or not, Yu Chi himself could not tell... It appeared like Gu Jun knew the way or maybe not...

    The ground trembled and the alcohol made it difficult for Gu Jun to keep his eyes open. His head pulsed with greater pain. Suddenly, a difort gripped his stomach. Something was gushing up his throat. He had to move a few steps away before the projectile vomit shot out from his mouth. Nausea was apparently infectious because after Gu Jun vomited, it elicited the same urge within Yu Chi and thetter started to empty his own stomach as well. Instantly, the horrible smell of alcohol and undigested food permeated the desert air.

    ¡°Oh my lord...¡± Peter Bower cursed as he pinched his nose. For that moment, he did believe what Feng Peiqian said. If these two drunkards could find anything useful, then it would be a miracle. Other agents like Ed Andrew and Edith Jackson also shook their heads. Before they departed, the bureau told them to pay extra attention on this mission but now it looked like a day wasted.

    Chen Ziyuan and the rest sighed helplessly. Feng Peiqian ordered for the cars to stop. She jumped down and hurried over with two bottles of water. ¡°Captain, here¡¯s some water.¡± But right at that moment, Gu Jun caught something from the corner of his eyes. ¡®Wait, that, that appears to be an opaline...¡¯ He staggered forward. It wasmon for one to find natural pebbles on the desert floor but most of them were gobi stones. But this one, this one had an iridescence to it... Gu Jun picked up the rock. This was an unadulterated mineral about the size of an adult fist. The outeryer had a shine unique to opaline. Earlier that morning, Gu Jun suspected that opaline might guide their way and it would appear like he was right...

    He held the stone and scanned the surroundings. His heart palpitated. ¡®Yes, this is the ce.¡¯ They started at the space where Kathlyn¡¯s hometown should be and after walking for a whole day, they finally reached their destination.

    ¡°Captain Yu, Captain Yu...¡± Gu Jun summoned. ¡°Come and look at this.¡± Yu Chi pushed Feng Peiqian who handed him the water away. When he saw the opaline in Gu Jun¡¯s hands, his face reddened. ¡°Is this it? This is the ce?!¡± Opaline was not that easy to find, normally they would have to be mined from underground. It was almost impossible to pick one up on the surface like Gu Jun just did. ¡°Peiqian, quick, go and get my gears...¡± Yu Chi ordered hurriedly. Even though he had no idea what his archaeological tools could do in this case, it was worth a try.

    As confused as Feng Peiqian was, she followed the orders. After all, she had fulfilled even more confusing orders in the past 2 days. Soon Yu Chi started to utilize and manipte the various archaeological devices like radar and metal detectors. Like before, they were all useless. The distance between earth shell and earth core was 6300 plus km. If Pnakotus was buried very deep, these devices would not be able to locate it.

    While at the time, Gu Jun contemted. Assuming they could not reach the entrance through normal physical methods... It hit him then. The shadow of the door, that might be the entrance.

    ¡°Captain Yu, stop looking. I believe the door is not underground.¡± He said, ¡°The door is with us all along.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Epiphany dawned on Yu Chi too. ¡°But how are you going to open it? What if it is situated in another dimension?¡±

    ¡®Another dimension?¡¯ Feng Peiqian was befuddled. The agents from both countries who overheard the conversation through the walkie-talkie were confused as well. ¡®These two must be drunk.¡¯ But one of them was the famous Captain Yu and the other was a suspected cultist, what they said would still cause the others to go on alert. However, they did catch a detail, ¡®door¡¯, these two were looking for some kind of door.

    ¡°I wish to try something.¡± Gu Jun told Yu Chi. ¡°But I need full focus, there must be no interruption. I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡±

    ¡°Of course, don¡¯t worry.¡± Yu Chi nodded seriously. Most of the liquor had been vomited out already. Gu Jun was going to attempt to assess the Pnakotic Manuscript in his mind. Even though he was still unable to interact with the ball of chaos, he felt like he was mentally strong enough to open the projection of the scroll. Furthermore, the manuscript might trigger something at this possible ruin site of Pnakotus. Gu Jun closed his eyes and held the opaline tightly. He focused his alcohol muddled mind and opened the projection. If this was weeks ago, he¡¯d crumble immediately from pain but now he could grit through the pain and burst through the barrier.

    After so long, he finally managed to open the Pnakotic Manuscript again. The strange Chinese characters, lines and paintings instantly filled up his mind. They formed a giant torrent to sweep him away.

    ¡®I wish to open the door to Pnakotus...¡¯ Gu Jun focused on this thought as he searched for the answer within the manuscript. ¡®The door that leads to this forgotten city.¡¯

    On the other hand, Feng Peiqian, Peter Bower and the rest were idling but now they widened their eyes in shock and some of them cursed out loud. Even though they were supposed to be prepared, they moved frantically into action. They should have known that this Gu Jun was not a normal man!

    At that moment, a glow surrounded Gu Jun. To be more precise, the glow emitted from the stone he was holding. It seemed to coagte into the shape of a door.

    ¡®The door is with us! This is the door! But what is he going to do with it!¡¯

    ¡°Damn it...¡± Peter Bower gasped and he turned toin at the Chinese agents, ¡°This is not part of your n, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know this person...¡±

    ¡°All of you, stop right there!¡± Yu Chi screamed at the group who was moving to detain Gu Jun. Before the door materialized fully, Captain Gu must not be interrupted. Yu Chi shouted, ¡°Peiqian, if you still consider me your leader, please don¡¯t interrupt him and do everything you can to stop them! This is very important, Captain Gu is very important!¡±

    The shape of the door around Gu Jun continued to grow.

 Chapter 413: Forgotten City

    <h4>Chapter 413: Forgotten City</h4>

    It was not easy to be ced with a responsibility to make a decision that would have longsting consequences. In the past, Captain Yu had made many inexplicable decisions but, in the end, they¡¯d turn out to be the correct one...

    ¡°Listen to the captain!¡± Feng Peiqian eventually chose to believe in Yu Chi. Furthermore, based on her observation so far, Gu Jun did not give off the presence of a cultist. Chen Ziyuan and the other Chinese agents stopped but the Australian agents did not. Since Mysterium had managed an international rtionship that Phecda could not, the Australian agents knew how to sign the Branching Seal. Due to Captain Yu¡¯s words, they decided on signing the seal instead of using the firearms. Like the ancient seal, the Branching Seal would only work on dark forces. This attack would prove Gu Jun¡¯s real identity!

    They moved so fast that Feng Peiqian was unable to stop them. Yu Chi jumped to block before Gu Jun but the mental imprint phased through him and hit Gu Jun squarely. However, the result surprised even Feng Peiqian and Peter Bower. The seals dissolved into the glow of the door and caused it to burn brighter. The door instantly grew to about 10 metres tall. The glow materialized into corporeality. It looked like an arch made from stone. The stone was carved with strange lines. It shattered through dimensional limitation to appear before them, radiating an indescribable presence. There was a buzz and a mental shockwave froze all of them into ce.

    Peter Bower and his team wanted to raise their rifles to ward against possible danger that coulde out from the door but they realized they were unable to move... Their hearts tightened. ¡®Are we going to die here?¡¯

    ¡°Look, the Branching Seal does not cause any damage, instead it has helped with the materialization of the door!¡± Yu Chi shouted excitedly. He knew the reason behind this but he could not reveal it so his words sounded as iprehensible as ever. ¡°We are doing the right thing then. This world is in danger. No, these worlds are in danger!¡±

    When Gu Jun recovered and opened his eyes, his mental store was already half exhausted. If not for the ancient seals levelled at him, the exhaustion would be greater. The door was now open but it would only remain open for a short period of time. He knew that instinctually.

    ¡°Leave them be, Captain Yu!¡± Gu Jun pulled Yu Chi and leaped into the open door of light... The sub worlds were coinciding. The Phecda World was already feeling its impact, soon the tragedy would befall Mysterium World too. As the signal said, ¡®time is running out¡¯. At this juncture, they had no choice, they had to venture to Pnakotus.

    Feng Peiqian wanted to scream something but the words were stuck in her throat. When the sound escaped her lips, the door of light already dissipated into prickles of radiance. Everyone regained their mobility. They looked around with befuddlement. Nothing happened to them but something huge definitely had transpired here. And where did the duo go?

    ¡°Headquarters, pleasee in!¡± Peter Bower used the satellite phone to contact the Australian Safety Bureau and reported everything in a hurry. The headquarters responded with an immediate reinforcement to seal up the area.

    ¡°We really have no idea what happened.¡± That was all Feng Peiqian and her team could say. The Australian Safety Bureau¡¯s people soon arrived in helicopters and cars. They cordoned off this ce as well as the locations that the disappeared duo had visited that day. They looked everywhere but they failed to find any door or even the stone that Gu Jun once held. Mysterium was equally stumped. Yu Chi was Mysterium¡¯s agent but he was supposed to be on permanent duty leave due to his conditions so they too had no idea what was on his mind.

    ...

    The moment Gu Jun pulled Yu Chi into the door of light, they were engulfed by millions of illusions. He seemed to be soaring through a city and plummeted through the blurry grey sky at an incredible speed. The city was built on top of a barrennd. The stone buildings had tall serrated stone walls, grotesque gardens and unusual statues... Some of the buildings were so wide they stretched down the horizon, others were so tall they literally reached into the clouds. Gu Jun had seen many majestic architectures in his life but the constructions before him resembled none of the architectural styles that he was familiar with. It was unlike the spires at Dth-Leen, it did not bear any resemnce to the architecture of the foreign civilization and naturally it did not share any simrity to human buildings either.

    This was the creation of another civilization, a forgotten civilization. Perhaps... the Yith mentioned by the witch...

    ¡°Ah...¡± An overload of information assaulted Gu Jun. He was like a boat being rocked about in a sensory storm. He could feel his soul distorting from the onught of new information. The feeling of convolution aggravated as heid eyes on the mystifying carving on the stone buildings. Ancient Seal, he saw severalrge boulders carved with the ancient seal ced before the entrance of arge building. These boulders were wards against dark forces. Even if the whole city copsed, no demonic influence would corrupt this substantial construction. The building had a rounded dome, endless circr windows and stone pirs that stretched high into the sky...

    Suddenly the recognition dawned on Gu Jun. He had been inside this building before, it was that library!

    When he first returned from Dreands with the 3 sacred relics of City of Kindles, he encountered an illusory majestic library in the channel. A shadow greeted him between the bookshelves and it was the shadow who warned him of the danger imminent to Phecda. Later, when he first used the Pnakotic Manuscript to try to manufacture the rationality assessment stone, he returned to this library a second time. And now he had ventured to this ce through the door of light.

    Suddenly, the vision before his eyes changed. The ground beneath his feet solidified. He hadnded on firm ground. With a thud, Yu Chinded beside him. The man groaned in pain. They were on a spacious stone tform. Behind them was a wall and before them, two stone staircases led upwards. A row ofmps lined with walls on both sides. There was no wick or oil inside them but themps were burning. This was the product of some kind of unknown technology.

    ¡°Captain Yu, I believe we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Gu Jun was excited. The Pnakotus Library, and they were at its entrance. This ce had aided him many times in the past so Gu Jun believed they were at the right ce.

    Yu Chi quickly climbed up from the ground. His enthusiasm was palpable. ¡°Are we still on Earth? Or this is some kind of abnormal space...¡± Yu Chi was almost mad with excitement. He yearned to touch the stone walls. As an archaeologist, this kind of ancient relic was what dreams were made of.

    ¡°They are both possible.¡± Gu Jun said when he saw something and frowned. They were the only two persons on the stone tform but behind them, there were three shadows.

 Chapter 414: 3 Shadows

    <h4>Chapter 414: 3 Shadows</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The flickering light casted 3 ck shadows on the stone tform. One was Yu Chi¡¯s shadow and two others came from Gu Jun. One was normal and the other was tilted and cracked. Many assumptions crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind but he first asked softly, ¡°Captain Yu, do you see what I see?¡±

    ¡®What?¡¯ Yu Chi followed his confused gaze and immediately his expression changed with a tighten of his jaw. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± They did not carry any weapon, they only had their own backpacks which contained archaeological and medical tools.

    ¡°Captain Yu, hit it with the Ancient Seal!¡± Gu Jun suggested. Yu Chi moved to oblige. The seal mmed against Gu Jun¡¯s two shadows. One of them swayed as if blown by a heavy wind. Suddenly, a femaleughter echoed around them, ¡°Captain Yu, that is not the way to treat a woman.¡±

    Hearing that voice, Gu Jun¡¯s heart immediately chilled. ¡°It¡¯s that witch.¡± When they were doing research, Gu Jun already briefed Yu Chi about the witch and Tourette Syndrome. He suspected the witch was Keziah Mason from the Massachusetts world.

    ¡°The witch?¡± Yu Chi red angrily. The witch was a force of darkness so how could it be here?

    ¡°My dearest brother, haven¡¯t I already told you that I¡¯ll always be there for you...¡± The shadow flickered gently. Gu Jun¡¯s excitement dissipated, he felt engulfed by darkness. Moments before, he confirmed that he was at the right ce and the mysterious signal came from good people but now everything was thrown into uncertainty again. Now he suspected his journey here was all part of the witch¡¯s n.

    ¡°Feeling confused? Could this ce be a trap?¡± The shadow chuckled. ¡°Or will you find the solution you¡¯re looking for here? I do wish to know as well. Little brother, the game is reaching its end but for now, looks like I¡¯ll be the final victor.¡± Before they could react, Gu Jun felt something undted within his body. The shadow departed from him and raced up the stone steps.

    ¡°Keziah Mason!¡± Gu Jun shouted, ¡°That¡¯s your name, right? The witch from Arkham!¡±

    There was no reply. The stone steps were empty, there was no trace of any shadow, only the weak light and the cold that permeated the two men¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Yu Chi gripped his head tightly, ¡°What does she want? What could be stored here? If we¡¯re just the keys and she has made use of us...¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, no matter what, we have to stop her.¡± Gu Jun was disappointed in himself but he knew the importance of keeping a cool head. ¡°If she¡¯s here to look for something, we need to stop her; if something is waiting for us here, she¡¯ll do everything to stop us.¡± Therefore, like she said, the game had almost reached its end.

    Yu Chi shook his head to clear his mind. Feeling that was not enough, he gave himself a few heavy ps, to snap his brain out of the state of inebriation. ¡°Why did she choose to show up so soon? Was it voluntarily or otherwise? How did she manage to follow us?¡± Yu Chi voiced out the questions in his mind.

    The two moved up the stone stairs with extra alert. Gu Jun held the Carlot Scalpel while Yu Chi armed himself with a shovel. These were the most powerful weapons they had at the moment. Even though neither of them came from the Action Department, they received enough training to win in a street brawl with these seemingly inconvenient weapons. However, before the forces of darkness, the resistance they could put up would be puny.

    ¡°I feel like she is something like us.¡± Gu Jun pondered. ¡°She knew about the different worlds earlier than we did but she worshipped darkness so she had ess to greater power. However, even so she could not physically transmigrate between the different worlds. It was why she wanted to consume me earlier but now... I¡¯m not sure anymore.¡±

    ¡°Captain Gu, didn¡¯t you say she scoffed at the Yith¡¯s culture and achievement?¡± Yu Chi asked, ¡°So what could she have wanted from this ce? The evidence of our failure?¡± If the Pnakotic Manuscript was the Yith¡¯s creation, then naturally Pnakotus would be a Yith city.

    ¡°There is no telling when she is lying and when she is not.¡± Gu Jun picked up his pace and he climbed up the long stairs. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to be on our guard.¡± From the earlier illusion, they had a sense of the enormity of this building. There were incalcble steps from the tform to the front door. They hurried for about 10 minutes but it seemed like they were moving on the same spot. This reminded Gu Jun of the stone steps underneath Rikers. The men were exhausted but they could not rest. They were racing against the witch. Furthermore, they feared that once they stopped, they would never be able to summon the energy to continue anymore.

    They already trekked through the desert for a day and their physical condition was less than optimum due to the heavy alcohol in their system. The climb proved not only to be a mental problem but also a physical problem. They were running on a determination. If they stopped, they would probably need days to recover. Should that happen, everything would be toote.

    Thankfully, when they almost lost their breaths and their knees were numb from pain, they finally saw the end. When they crossed thest step, they instantly fell on the rtively widending. They gasped hungrily and their skeletons felt like they were copsing.

    ¡°Captain Gu, in our state...¡± Yu Chi said between breaths. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to take down even a gori.¡±

    ¡°Even in our normal state, we won¡¯t be able to take down a silver-back gori...¡± Gu Jun countered but he knew what Captain Yu meant. Now that the drive that propelled them had deserted their bodies, they found it difficult to even move a muscle. He worried that the witch would choose this moment to summon a group of kids like how she did back at the oak forest. Even if the girls were all less than 3 years old, being surrounded, the two men would still be beaten to death. Thankfully, they were not at the oak forest and the witch did not appear to be that powerful here.

    Gu Jun lifted his eyes to look around. This was a spacious stone corridor. There were some stone pirs before them and further away was an imposing door. Through it, Gu Jun could glimpse somerge bookshelves. The shape of the corridor confirmed that the building had a domed ceiling.

    ¡°We¡¯re here, Captain Yu...¡± Gu Jun wanted to climb up but his muscles refused to budge. ¡°I¡¯ve been here twice already.¡±

    At that moment, Gu Jun saw a group of bat-like creatures rush towards them through the stone pirs like a surge of current. Each of them hissed dangerously through their sharp jaws.

    ¡°You guys sure took your sweet timeing here. It¡¯s unwise to make ady wait, you know?¡± The female voice said with a cackle.

 Chapter 415: One more Time

    <h4>Chapter 415: One more Time</h4>

    Before Gu Jun could react, the bat-like shadows swallowed him and Yu Chi. They were not corporeal but they were not pure mental projection either, they were something in between. They feasted on the men¡¯s mind and body. Yu Chi screamed in pain. He swung the shovel about him but it proved useless. The same thing was happening to Gu Jun. He was too tired to put up much of a resistance. He could barely put up his arm to sign the Ancient Seal...

    ¡°Goodbye, I¡¯ve won.¡± The witch chuckled before she dissolved again into nothingness. Gu Jun struggled as best as he could but light disappeared from sight. Like a fire being extinguished... Was this how death felt like...

    Tik, tik. He believed he heard the sound of an old radio crackling. It sounded strange in this context. Suddenly there was a dull thud of something falling and then halting respiration. Finally, there was an excited male voice who asked, ¡°Are we still on Earth? Or this is some kind of abnormal space...¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s vision cleared and he saw Yu Chi climb up with enthusiasm beside him. They were on a spacious stone tform. Behind them was a wall and before them, two stone staircases led upwards. A row ofmps lined with walls on the sides... This was... the entrance, the ce where they firstnded. What... was going on?

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind buzzed with iprehension. He felt mentally and physically exhausted but not drained. It reminded him of his state when he first arrived here. There was no visible wound on his face. It was as if the brush with death earlier did not happen. To borrow an analogy, someone had loaded thest save file because they failed the level. Gu Jun looked around and his mind worked overtime.

    At the same time, Yu Chi did the same and he soon discovered the anomaly. As he stared on the ground behind them, he whispered nervously, ¡°Captain Gu, look.¡± Gu Jun knew what Yu Chi was referring to, but how should he respond? He was reminded of the shadow inside the library and his ability to warn him about imminent danger in the future... And they were at Pnakotus... So what he experienced earlier should be an illusion, or rather, a possible future. The mysterious shadow was trying to warn him of the ruinous ending...

    ¡°What?¡± He looked back casually, pretending not to notice that he had two shadows. Captain Yu clearly did not experience the illusion earlier and Gu Jun could not exin it, worried that once he did, they would end up in the same ending. Even now, without the physical taxation from climbing the long stairs, they were not in a good enough state to have a conflict with the witch. What they needed to do now was to neutralize any possible sh and try to recover as much as they could.

    ¡°The shadows on the ground.¡± Yu Chi said seriously as he readied to sign the seal. ¡°You have two of them.¡± Gu Jun pretended to be shocked and then narrowed his eyes on the ground. He frowned deeply and said, ¡°I only see one. Captain Yu, are you still on the alcohol buzz?¡±

    Yu Chi shook his head and pped himself several times. He took a second look and there were still 3 shadows on the ground. ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡± Captain Yu had his own discretion. He signed the Ancient Seal and the shadow which was hit flickered. A female voice chuckled, ¡°Captain Yu, that is not the way to treat a woman.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank and he continued to act dumb. When Yu Chi gasped out, ¡°Who are you?¡±, Gu Jun questioned, ¡°Captain Yu, who are you talking to?¡±

    ¡°My dearest little brother, you can stop acting.¡± The witch cackled. ¡°I know you can see and hear me, you have such awful acting skill.¡± Gu Jun ignored him but Yu Chi was spun into confusion. He scratched his head in self-doubt. ¡°Am I in a hallucination? What does this mean? What is the significance? Are you a ghost? Am I a ghost?¡±

    ¡°Little brother, you should stop acting or your friend will really go crazy.¡± The witch said haughtily, ¡°Little brother, the game is reaching its end but for now, looks like I¡¯ll be the final victor.¡± Instantly, the shadow left Gu Jun¡¯s body and flew up the stairs. Gu Jun watched in silence as Yu Chi¡¯s gaze wandered up the stairs. Gu Jun knew the witch would be waiting to ambush them at the top of the stairs so even though they were in a time crunch, he suggested, ¡°Captain Yu, we should take a good rest before we depart. The journey ahead looks strenuous.¡±

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have much time left already.¡± Yu Chi narrowed his eyes at Gu Jun suspiciously. Perhaps he was already questioning the identity of the man before him.

    ¡°I have a feeling this is something we need to do.¡± Gu Jun said, this could not have been a clearer hint. With clear hesitation, Yu Chi joined Gu Jun at the bottom of the steps. However, they only started to rest for a while, when Gu Jun felt the surrounding distorting. He heard the static from the old radio again... He was shocked... ¡®Does this mean... Again?¡¯

    Suddenly there was a dull thud of something falling and then halting respiration. Finally, there was an excited male voice who asked, ¡°Are we still on Earth? Or this is some kind of abnormal space...¡±

    Gu Jun found himself standing and Yu Chi beside him was already crawling up from the floor. Yes, it was yet another repetition. He just witnessed another illusion from the future, or rather the future timeline was once again interrupted. Butpared to before, he felt slightly different. His mental and physical strain was even more pronounced. This kind of rewind could not go on forever... perhaps this was theirst chance. If they continued to fail, then the only ending they¡¯d reach would be death.

    ¡®We would fail even after we choose to rest on the steps? Why? Time... The witch has too much of a leg up on us. She will achieve her own goal and we will lose this battle.¡¯ In that moment, many things crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. However, he quickly snapped out of it. He turned to face behind Yu Chi and shouted, ¡°Captain Yu, you¡¯ll watch the front and I¡¯ll watch our back! Be on guard. Do not move your sight away from even a second. This ce might be lurking with danger, we can¡¯t let our guard down.¡± He naturally saw the 3 shadows on the ground but he did not point it out. His eyes swept over them but ignored the anomaly as casually as he could. At the same time, he tried to keep an alert about the witch. He wanted to let her know that he was privy to her presence but he was not going to expose her just yet.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Yu Chi nodded. Watching out for each other¡¯s back was indeed the optimum tactic in this kind of narrow, enclosed space. Yu Chi stared cautiously down the long staircase. He mumbled enthusiastically, ¡°Where will this lead up to? A lost civilization, a city underground...¡±

    The tilted shadow on the ground remained unmoved. Gu Jun had no idea whether the witch could move freely or she needed someone to expose her to gain mobility. Language was inherently powerful, that was evident in spells and rituals. Would verbal discovery of the shadow be a kind of summoning spell in disguise?

    Regardless, Gu Jun did not dare to riskmunicating the danger to Yu Chi because ording to their previous two ¡®trails¡¯, the witch showed up every time after Yu Chi spotted and exposed her. The only thing Gu Jun could confirm for now was the witch arrived here through her connection with him. It was him who brought her here so it should also be him who kept her trapped inside his shadow.

    At that moment, since no fuss was made about the witch¡¯s shadow, the witch did not announce herself. It was unknown whether this meant that she was still in her slumber or she was plotting something else.

    ¡°Captain Yu, we should take a break.¡± Gu Jun suggested, ¡°There is no telling what might be waiting for us up there. A rest is crucial.¡±

    Yu Chi did not suspect Gu Jun because he did not notice the third shadow and he agreed that they indeed need to rest at that moment, ¡°Of course.¡±

    The two sat down at the bottom of the steps. Staring at the 3 shadows, Gu Jun made some calction in his mind. He was trying toe up with a solution to this impossible quagmire.

 Chapter 416: 4th Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 416: 4th Explosion</h4>

    At Mo Bei City, at 20: 25 of 16th March, the fourth explosion urred 18 hours and 7 minutes after its preceding explosion. This explosion caused the mutated area to expand double its previous size. From the satellite picture, the area had expanded from 30 cubic km to 70 cubic km. In other words, it easily engulfed the quarantine circle. This proved the futility of the quarantine circle.

    The gap between the 4th and 3rd explosion was 80 percent slower than its predecessor and the expansion rate lowered from 10 times to only twice as big. The rate of expansion had conspicuously slowed but it was still growing. This meant that Phecda still could not let their guard down. Even if the expansion proceeded at this slower speed, it would destroy the whole district within half a month. Considering the mutated area was only 300 cubic metres less than 24 hours ago, looking from the big picture, the expansion was not slow at all. It was rapidly growing.

    The animals and citizens close to the expanded area had all been evacuated so there was no recorded death. Even though Mo Bei City had an overall low poption, there were still 3,000,000 citizens who called this ce their home. It had only been 2 days since the incident started but things had gotten so severe that a district-wide evacuation had to be considered. And that was going to be arge project. Phecda and various departments initiated the evacuation ording to protocol. The news was not broadcasted and everything was done quietly to prevent the citizens from blocking the traffic in their hurry to escape. That would only make the situation worse. This was already hard enough but the situation at Mo Bei Gao Ji High School only made things worse.

    Phecda¡¯s search effort for Lee Yuhan, Captain Luo and the like had not stopped since that afternoon but so far, they had no breakthrough. This incident appeared to have calmed down after Headmaster Chui¡¯s self-explosion but this calm felt more like one before the storm. Everything knew things were not going to be that simple. The problem was how far could this supernatural conspiracy have gone?

    Reinforcement was sent into Mo Bei from across the nation. That afternoon, arge group of members came from Da Hwa City¡¯s headquarters. Wu Siyu and Lucky were among them. Wu Siyu was pregnant but she was also a unique member. She would have to be present at Mo Bei to get a clearer sense of things. She at least had to interact with the poster in person, the one that she believed she made when she was still in high school. The world was ending, so even a pregnant woman had the responsibility to save their home.

    Lucky hugged a bucket of KFC fried chicken and his tail wagged continuously. He finished a chicken thigh in a few seconds before he moved onto the next one, ¡°If this world is going to end soon, I¡¯d better eat as many buckets as I can.¡± He knew something big had happened so he did not want to stay here anymore. But he also was clever enough to reject Phecda¡¯s request for him to enter the mutated area to sniff out a channel to Dreands. ¡°The area is too big. You told me it is currently 70 cubic km. With just myself, it¡¯ll take more than a month just to sweep the ce...¡±

    ¡°Fine, even though you¡¯re a Zoog and I¡¯m a human, I understand your concern.¡± Wu Siyu really did. In fact, she wished that she was a Zoog at that moment. That way she could happily munch on KFC instead of being forced to spend her time at Mo Bei Division¡¯s base to think about the poster that she randomly made in high school. It made no sense to her. ¡®Saving the world, that shouldn¡¯t be my responsibility and I would not do it for all the chicken thighs in the world! Hmm... what if I am a Zoog?¡¯ The more she thought about it, the more she found it attractive.

    Dirty-minded Jun was a kangaroo and she would be a Zoog. She could crawl into his pouch and save even the energy needed to walk. They were both mammals so it should be fine. Sometimes, Wu Siyu would get pulled into these daydreams and times always flew when she was in this state. She only came to when Lucky cleaned out the whole bucket of KFC. With regards to that poster, she already touched it that afternoon. She confirmed that it was her creation but it triggered nothing in her and she could not exin why it had appeared inside the mutated area.

    But now, when she put Dirty-minded Jun into the equation, something appeared to line up. ¡®Wait, the poster did taste somewhat like him... It was like he had personally touched the poster before. Could that really be the case?¡¯ Wu Siyu pondered. Ximei saw Dirty-minded Jun in her illusion. Was that enough confirmation?

    After giving it some thoughts, Wu Siyu decided to report this finding to Phecda. However, this finding only added to the overall mystery. How did Gu June into contact with this poster? There were so many puzzle pieces. Perhaps it was clear from Gu Jun¡¯s perspective but it could not have made less sense to them.

    After the fourth explosion, the evacuation continued and so did the search for the patients of the illness temporarily named ¡®Locust Sickness¡¯.

    Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s group continued with their autopsy of Headmaster Chui while Deng Ximei, Lou Xiaoning and the rest of The One continued their investigation. Wu Siyu decided to contribute by returning to her original talent that got her recruited by Phecda, painting!

    ¡°This whole incident is rted to my watercolors and poster so perhaps there is a problem with my paintings. I will try to draw some new paintings to see if anything happens.¡± Her suggestion was approved by the headquarters. The Mo Bei division cooperated immediately by clearing out a room to be turned into her studio. It was fitted with canvas, paints, brushes. Since Wu Siyu had no idea what to paint and the style that she¡¯d use so they provided her every possible tool.

    Cameras were also fitted inside the studio. It would record her whole painting process. Guards from the Action Department waited for orders outside the door. But inside the studio, Wu Siyu was left alone with Lucky.

    ¡°I feel like maybe I should start with watercolors.¡± Wu Siyu stood before an easel and ced a nk canvas on it. ¡°What shall I paint?¡± She moved around, mixing the paints and preparing her brush. It brought back old memories. She had not been so focused to do a painting in such a long time already but still no inspiration struck her. In the end, she decided to just follow her heart. She would paint anything that came to her mind. She¡¯d lose herself in the painting and her subconscious would guide her hands.

    Wu Siyu stretchedzily and grabbed the tools like brushes, color palette before she started on the canvas. On the other hand, Lucky couldn¡¯t care less about what was happening. He munched on his next bucket of KFC, asionally ncing at the canvas which was taking on increasing explosions of color.

 Chapter 417: Thing in the Painting

    <h4>Chapter 417: Thing in the Painting</h4>

    1 fried chicken, 2 fried chicken, 3 fried chicken. As Lucky munched on his food, he watched Wu Siyu work. Initially, he waspletely at ease but slowly, his fur started to stand on end. The thing inside the painting, that was...

    The colors of ck, white, orange and grey were mixed together, adding wild colors to the object in the painting. The thing had two different colored eyes, one was yellow and the other was green. The gaze spoke of dangerous intent. That was a cat! Arge cat with a horrible mix of colors in its coat. Its ears were perked up as it looked ahead.

    ¡°Why, why did you paint this?¡± Lucky immediately patted his legs to ask. Was this some kind of tactic to make him cower to their demands? By then Wu Siyu was so caught up in her painting process that she did not notice Lucky. She continued with multiple brush strokes to fill in the background. It was a kaleidoscopic backdrop. It was symmetrical yet extremely chaotic. The cat sat in the middle. Finally she stopped. It was like she came out of a deep trance and she took a step back to review what she had done.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She scratched her head with the end of the brush. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Even though the painting caused Lucky to cower in fear, Wu Siyu felt nothing from it. It was just a normal painting to her. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a cat, a very fat one.¡± She told the camera. ¡°I honestly have no idea why I painted this.¡±

    Back at themand central, Elder Tong and the rest were equally confused. What was so unique about this? Was this just the manifestation of Wu Siyu¡¯s subconscious and nothing else?

    Wu Siyu studied the cat in the painting when she saw the cat winking at her. Then its fur started to shimmer. The kaleidoscopic background was moving... Was it her synaesthesia or was it real? She could not tell anymore.

    ¡°Lucky,e over here.¡± She summoned, ¡°See if you think this cat is actually moving or not.¡± Even though Lucky only got half of the gist, he immediately shrunk his neck and tossed the chicken thigh away. ¡®Such a vicious tactic, no wonder the tribe leader told us to be extra careful around humans. They want to feed me to this cat! This is so immoral...¡¯

    The more Wu Siyu looked at it, the more she felt like the cat was moving but strangely enough, while the eyes were blinking, there was no life to them. They looked like empty shells, but the pair of eyes appeared to have some kind unique attraction. She felt the background was spinning faster and faster... Suddenly with a tter, the palette and brushes fell to the ground. The paint sttered everywhere.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Lucky who was making his escape turned around. He saw Wu Siyu standing there, unmoving. A different kind of anxiety overcame him. He patted his head to say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Was this another conspiracy by the humans? But as he moved about to another angle where Wu Siyu was no longer blocking the canvas, Lucky was stunned. The multi-colored cat on the canvas had disappeared... It disappeared, just like that. The canvas still had the beautiful background but not the cat. The space where the cat once upied was not empty, instead it was filled in by the background. Everything seemed right. It was as if this was the painting Wu Siyu had started with but Lucky was sure he saw that cat inside the painting.

    ¡°What, what is going on?¡± Lucky patted his paws in shock. Wu Siyu did not answer. She stood there like a statue. Lucky by then noticed something had gone wrong. He sidled up to her and noticed the lifelessness in her eyes. It was like she... had been turned into a shell, staring straight at the canvas before her.

    ¡°Help, help!¡± Lucky patted on the ground anxiously, ¡°Something¡¯s not right!¡± The Elder Tong spotted this from themand central and immediately ordered the Ancient Seal team posted outside the studio to head in. Everyone was shocked, the painted cat had disappeared and so did Wu Siyu¡¯s soul. The medic team conducted a quick check on her. Her eyes responded normally to light and she had normal breathing and pulse. She did not faint or went into aa. But it was also true that there was no life in her eyes and she did not respond to any surrounding stimulus. It was like she had turned into a walking carcass.

    However, there was no sign of dark corruption inside the room or in the watercolor. Perhaps things happened too fast for the surveince to capture anything. Within one frame, the watercolor changed and the cat disappeared. Did the cat take away Wu Siyu¡¯s soul? They originally depended on Wu Siyu to find a new clue, but it brought them a new problem.

    However, this did prove that Wu Siyu was indeed a vital character in this incident and there was some kind of strange power inherent in her painting. They were dealing with apletely unpredictable enemy.

    ...

    ¡°Meow?¡± When Wu Siyu recovered, she realized her surroundings and even herself werepletely different. The cat in the watercolors drew her in. She stared into its eyes and she felt herself being sucked in. The next thing she knew, she was like this. She looked at herself. She lifted her hand and she saw a paw. She had turned into the cat that she drew. ¡®Can someone tell me what¡¯s happening? I¡¯m waiting...¡¯ Wu Siyu wanted to say that but the voice that came out of her throat was, ¡°Meow, meow, meow?¡±

    She looked around. There was grey sky, a spacious darkened wastnd. It stretched down the horizon. There was no building, nt, humans, only wastnd.

    ¡®Have Inded at the mutated area?¡¯ Wu Siyu thought as she tried to sniff out the smell of radioactive substances in the area. But when she moved her feline body, other than the overweight problem that slowed her movement, she did not feel any pain or difort. ¡®O well, these things can¡¯t be rushed.¡¯ She meowed to herself, ¡®As they say, cats have nine lives, and I¡¯m only on my first one.¡¯

    Wu Siyu did have a wish to be a cat when she was young and now, she finally got her wish fulfilled. She bounced up from the ground and wagged her tails.

    ¡®Well, this is an unexpected perk. Despite my size, I can jump so high.¡¯ She scratched at the ground. The soil here had simr usage to a cat¡¯s litter box.

    The more she stayed there though, the more Wu Siyu felt like she was no longer on Earth. The ce fitted the description of the illusion described by Ximei more...

    Meow! Wu Siyu stopped ying with her paws as a thought entered her mind. ¡®Where has Dirty-minded Jun disappeared to? And why was my watercolor the only thing left of him in the oak forest? The simrity here is my watercolors. Is it possible that Dirty-minded Jun was pulled into them as well? The difference is that I¡¯m here in the form of a cat but Dirty-minded Jun most likely still retains his human form. Does this mean... I will be able to find him... somewhere around here?¡¯

 Chapter 418: Border

    <h4>Chapter 418: Border</h4>

    Under the ashen sky, the scorched wastnd stretched without end. A fat mutli-colored cat padded down the ground. Sometimes she stopped to scratch behind her ears or use her tail to fan herself. ¡°Meow? Meow?¡± The cat mewled several times, actually she was saying, ¡®Dirty-minded Jun? Dirty-minded Jun?¡¯

    Wu Siyu had wandered for hours already but it felt like she had been going around in circles since nothing around her had changed. To confirm she tried pacing at the same spot for half an hour, from that she confirmed that the feeling was different. It was like eating through synesthesia and actually eating. The difference was small but present. ¡®Am I inside the painting?¡¯ She did not think so because this did not look like the world that she had painted at all. Therefore, the watercolor was most likely a channel between two worlds.

    There was nothing of interest for her to investigate so that was quite convenient. If only the wind here was a constant 27 to 28 degrees.

    Also she noticed that her cat body probably possessed some kind of mysterious power or else she¡¯d be cooked by radiation by now. Her ws should be smoking but she was fine. She wondered what was happening to her real self back on Earth? If she was unattached, Wu Siyu probably would not have even thought about that but now she had to worry on behalf of two persons. The poor baby, they had lost their father and now they were going to lose their mother too.

    ¡®I need to find a way back,¡¯ She dered, ¡®But it would be great if I can locate Dirty-minded Jun first.¡¯ Wu Siyu continued to move forward. Suddenly, something appeared down the horizon. Her cat eyes widened. It looked like a g. Based on Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s horror movie logic, the right choice when in this kind of situation was to ignore it and turn around. To survive, Wu Siyu believed Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s mental framework would make more sense than hers did. Furthermore, if she ced herself in Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s shoes, then she would not need to do any thinking of her own. That was just perfect.

    However, something stopped her from turning around. She saw a human shape down the distance. Even though she tasted no saltiness, she worried that it was Dirty-minded Jun. Therefore, Wu Siyu slowly approached the g. When she got closer, she got a good look. It was an iron pole stuck into the ground. Some tattered clothes and arge cage were hung on the pole. The person was trapped inside the cage. He was definitely dead. The kneeling body was desated and fully dposed. His back, limbs had disintegrated to bones.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right.¡± Wu Siyu stopped moving and backtracked for a few steps. Her tail raised in rm. If this was the ce where Ximei saw in her illusion, then a giant atomic explosion just urred here. There should not be an iron pole still standing upright. Furthermore, the body would have been vaporized and not only dposed.

    ¡®This has to be a trap.¡¯ Wu Siyu affirmed, ¡®but what is the goal of the trapper?¡¯ She thought about it and her mind came up with a cartoon of her cat self leaping through the air screaming ¡®Dirty-minded Jun, is that you?!¡¯ The iron cage opened up to swallow her and she was unable to leave.

    Then the cartoon redrew itself to show the cat Wu Siyu sidling up to the iron pole. When she got close enough, another cage burst out from the ground and she was made the second captive. In any case, this would not end well.

    ¡®Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s perspective is as useful as ever.¡¯ Wu Siyu nodded and turned around. She dashed away. Who was inside the cage? How did he die? How did the dead body survive the atomic explosion? Who was he waiting for? Was it really a trap? So many questions, but Wu Siyu did not intend to answer any of them. After all, she was just a cat.

    Wu Siyu kept moving for a long time. She only stopped when she believed she was faraway enough to not see the iron pole anymore. She turned around and proved that she was right. ¡®By the way, howe I don¡¯t feel any hunger at all? Is it due to the heavy store of body fat?¡¯

    She had covered so much distance that her actual self would be copsing on the ground by now. Her real self wouldn¡¯t be able to move without some rest and food.

    But now, her cat self not only did not feel tired or hungry, she was incredibly energized. If she faced 10 Zoogs or a panda now, she had confidence she would not lose. And that was the problem. ¡®What exactly am I now?¡¯ Wu Siyu only knew that a normal cat would not have aplished this so the reason would be the mysterious power that constituted the cat.

    Should she have tried to investigate the source of the power and see if there were other ways to utilize it? Perhaps this was the method necessary to go home? But the problem was, what if the source was evil? Would she be corrupted from the exploration of it? Furthermore, would she be able to tell the difference? A crazy person would not know they were slowly going insane...

    ¡®Ah! So this is what it feels like to be Dirty-minded Jun!¡¯ She suddenly felt heartache for him. Wu Siyu patted her head with her paw. If this was how she had to live her life, she too would have a cerebral hemorrhage soon. ¡®I¡¯m definitely more suitable to be the support character.¡¯ She thought, ¡®So... should I investigate or not? Maybe I should because I have not done that since I appeared in the body of this cat. The connection between my consciousness and this body is not at its optimum form. But once the connection is made, will I be stuck in this feline form forever?¡¯

    ¡°Jesus, it¡¯s happening again. Dirty-minded Jun, shoo shoo.¡± Wu Siyu patted her head again. She almost lost her mind just from a taste of Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s suspected PTSD symptom, paranoia. In this situation, Wu Siyu decided to abandon Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s perspective and be the best Wu Siyu she could be: O well, I¡¯ll just wander about for a while first, I¡¯m sure something will happen soon enough~

    This world had a day and night cycle. As time passed, the sky darkened. Wu Siyu sauntered about when she spotted a strange discovery. There appeared to be a border that split the sky into two. One side was dusk but the other side was dawn. Furthermore, she saw a drone. It buzzed on the other side of the sky, it was a Phecda drone.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ She studied the clearly delineated skies and then she noticed the grounds on both sides were different as well. Even though they were both scorched wastnd, one side was lighter than the other and the lighter side was mixed with some brown soil. She saw a few tree stumps, they looked freshly cut. She recognized them as the tree stumps from the quarantine circle.

    ¡°So that side is...¡± It soon dawned on Wu Siyu, ¡°from the mutated area. It¡¯s part of Earth.¡±

    ¡®Then what is this side?¡¯ She looked underneath herself and then turned to look behind her, before turning back to study the mutated area before her... The mutated area was the point of intersection for these two worlds.

    At that moment, Wu Siyu saw the drone fly towards her. But the moment it crossed the border, it disappeared. She believed it had continued its journey back on Earth. It did not disappear but returned to the sky beyond the mutated area instead of crossing into the space where she currently inhabited.

    ¡®Will I be able to enter this mutated area?¡¯ She pondered, ¡®Can I use this mutated area as an intermediary pitstop to return back to Earth?¡¯

 Chapter 419: Multi-colored Cat

    <h4>Chapter 419: Multi-colored Cat</h4>

    Wu Siyu used a surprising amount of effort before she managed to yank off a ball of fur. ¡®If these furs can get over the border, then I should be able too.¡¯ She studied the mutated area which was one step away and waved her paws. The ball of fur was supposed to lift up into a draft of wind but there was not one, therefore, Wu Siyu puffed up her cheeks and blew as hard as she could. Her whiskers were shuddering from the effort. The fur finally floated over. It slowly drifted across the border andnded on the scorched soil of the mutated area. It was sessful. The fur crossed the border safely.

    Wu Siyu nted herself on the ground and started to observe. The ball of fur did not burn and it did not seem to change at all. Perhaps as long as it was a part of her cat body, it would not be affected by radiation? She waited a while longer until the sky at the mutated area lightened. She¡¯d have greater visibility. She turned back to look. She was already at the edge. If there was a 5th explosion, it would engulf the ces that she had treaded. In other words, it included the iron pole and the dead body inside the cage...

    Wu Siyu had a feeling that it was not only a trap. If that thing was ovepped onto Earth, it would bring a greater tragedy upon Earth.

    ¡®O well, looks like I¡¯ll have to take that swing...¡¯ With no protection avable. She wiggled her body and raised her tail as she slowly edged towards the border. If she felt pain from the tip of her tail, she¡¯d shrink back immediately... The worst oue would be to lose her tail. She¡¯d consider that a weight loss. Since it would not affect her limbs and brain, it was the most reasonable solution.

    The tail tip eventually crossed the border and then came the rest of the tail. It was fine! She did not feel any pain or itchiness. Her synaesthesia gave her no warning either. ¡®Alright, it¡¯s time to slowly move over.¡¯ Wu Siyu padded backwards. Her fat stomach and back paws entered the mutated area. They were followed by her front paws, neck and head... The radiation burns did not happen. Her whole cat body was standing inside the intersection point of the two worlds. She looked up into the sun and even the air felt fresher. However, her surroundings were as lifeless and wilted as ever. ¡®Even though this ce is also under radiation, it¡¯s much better than where I came from. The radiation level over there should be over 100 plus Gy/hour. It is why I feel freer over here.¡¯

    However, she also sensed that she was unable to return back to Earth from this mutated area. Standing at the border, she could only see the wastnd and not Mo Bei as she believed the drone did. The mutated area was about 70 cubic km in size. If she walked from one edge to another, in her current state, it would take days. Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s voice appeared to tell her that was not a wise idea. Instead it reminded her that what she needed to do now... it was to re-establishmunication with Phecda.

    ¡®When you¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.¡¯ Wu Siyu stood for a while before she moved to action. She was at the edge and so did the Special Mobile Force units. Perhaps they would be surprised to find a sudden appearance of a cat here. To make herself more conspicuous, she sauntered about with her tail raised high. She asionally leaped into the air and gave a few shrill whines. ¡°MEOW!!¡±

    ¡®I¡¯m here, I¡¯m here! This is Wu Siyu, calling for headquarters!¡¯

    ...

    ¡°Look, over there! Is that... a cat?¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The mutated area was growingrger, its border alone covered miles. Therefore, it was unrealistic to expect every inch to be monitored by Phecda. However, for the border that was closest to Mo Bei City, a newyer of quarantine circle was being constructed so there were arge number of engineering and action Department members. At that moment, several patrols saw with shock that less than 1 meter away from them, right inside the previously deathly silent mutated area, there was a fat and strange mixed-colored cat. The cat leaped here and there, calling and meowing. It appeared to be taunting them.

    With a nce, they knew that this was not a normal or stray cat. After all, what kind of stray could be so well fed?

    Therefore, they instantly reported this to their superior. Soon a drone came over and the camera pointed at the cat on the ground. The image was broadcasted to the big screen at headquarters. Of course not everyone knew about Wu Siyu¡¯s painting ident yesterday night. Even at the headquarters, only higher ups like Yao Sinian and Elder Tong knew about it. Therefore, when most saw that cat, the one with dual-colored eyes, a chill crawled into their hearts. The satellite failed to capture the cat¡¯s mysterious appearance, it seemed to materialize out of thin air.

    Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were shocked and confused. ¡®Isn¡¯t that... the cat from Wu Siyu¡¯s painting? It disappeared from the painting and now appeared here? Why?¡¯

    Ever since yesterday night, Wu Siyu had entered a state of soullessness. But strangely enough, there seemed to be a lingering consciousness within her, or it might be her survival instinct taking over. She did not need others to care for her, she knew how to eat, sleep and use the bathroom on her own. Since the incident, she had not uttered a word but she continued to keep her body working like an automaton.

    ¡®What is up with this cat? Is it calling people toe get her?¡¯ The headquarters maintained amunication channel with The One who was present at the scene. As the team rushed towards the border, they tuned into the broadcast and were briefed about the relevant information.

    ¡°I have a feeling...¡± Deng Ximeimented, ¡°That the cat is very much like Siyu. Especially the eyes.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, they do bear many simrities.¡± Lou Xiaoning though based her observation on the cat¡¯s mannerism and actions. ¡®Is it possible that due to some unknown reason Siyu¡¯s soul had travelled into her own painted cat?¡¯ Elder Tong concurred with their assessment. He was quite excited. ¡®Does this mean Siyu has found some new clues? Will this be the breakthrough they need?¡¯

    ¡°Better be prepared to intercept this cat.¡± Elder Tong told the One. Since Deng Ximei and the guys were already exposed to the radiation in their previous excursion, Elder Tong¡¯s order was mainly directed at Lou Xioaning. The radiation inside the mutated area worsened, so they could only manage 2.5 minutes inside it while they had a 3.5 minutes window earlier. After the 4th explosion, the radiation reading was now 60.3 Gy/h.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to check it out.¡± Lou Xiaoning was not afraid, ¡°I don¡¯t mind staying a while longer in fact.¡±

    However momentster, thetest image taken by the drone caused Elder Tong and The One to lose their earlier enthusiasm. The multi-colored cat was seen scratching around on the scorched soil. It was a sentence that said, ¡®I witnessed God, I am his incarnation in the human world¡¯.

    That was the exact sentence Headmaster Chui and Lee Yuhan, confirmed patients of Locust Sickness had said.

 Chapter 420: Locust

    <h4>Chapter 420: Locust</h4>

    ¡°I am Wu Siyu, I came from the other world.¡± Wu Siyu went through a lot before she managed to w this out. It was then that she appreciated and envied the Zoog¡¯s system ofnguage. They had worked out a system ofmunication through tapping themselves and objects around them. That would save so much time and energy. It would not cause their ws to dull with pain either.

    She nced at the drone that stopped in the sky. She waved her paws at it, ¡®That¡¯s right, it¡¯s me, the Cat Wu Siyu. Please send this message back immediately!¡¯ The drone buzzed. It did not descend nor did it return.

    ¡®The headquarters should have noticed all these already, right?¡¯ Wu Siyu thought. Elder Tong would have sent people from The One to inspect the situation, that was the protocol. Due to the severity of the situation, Wu Siyu continued to use her w to swipe out another line on the soil. What¡¯s a little pain if it could help her save plenty of lives? ¡®I suspect the two worlds are coinciding and the point of ovepping is this mutated area. The world that I came from just survived an atomic explosion. There was nothing in sight but I did encounter a strange dead body. If the mutated area continues to spread, I¡¯d suggest Phecda blow up this whole area directly and do not venture into this ce.¡¯ To save the trouble, she did not reveal that she came to this conclusion through the aid of Dirty-minded Jun¡¯s voice in her mind.

    That was her finding so far... O wait, there was one more thing. Her w continued to move, ¡°My paintings can transmigrate people through the different worlds. There is some kind of mysterious power within this cat¡¯s body. I am not affected by the radiation, I don¡¯t know why.¡±

    ¡°Meow...¡± When she was done, Wu Siyu finally could sit on her haunches to rest. ¡®Now, it¡¯s time to wait. Since the drone is already here, the members shouldn¡¯t be too far behind.¡¯

    While she rested, she watched the situation on the other side of the border. Night had fallen. The scorchednd was supposed to be devoid of life but for some reason, Wu Siyu heard some barely discernible movement... She wondered it the sound was due to the worlds coinciding. It sounded like the ground itself was moving, like something was trying to break through the earth.

    ¡®Hmm, I guess I should report this as well.¡¯ Wu Siyu meowed tiredly. But she did crawl up from the ground and continued to write with her w. However, before she could finish, she noticed 3 members approaching her from the border of the mutated area. The border was 10 metres away and the three seemed like they materialized from thin air.

    ¡®You¡¯re finally here!¡¯ Wu Siyu could recognize their symbol, they were not from The One, but the Action Department. Their rifles were all aimed at her.

    ¡°Hey, be careful with that...¡± Wu Siyu was afraid of friendly fire, ¡°Move those things away from me.¡± But she herself heard that it was only a string of meows that emitted from her mouth. At that moment, two more members appeared. They pushed with them a big iron cage. The cage was attached with ancient seal stone and an electric shock device. It was meant for apprehension of criminals.

    ¡°The cat over there, listen! We don¡¯t care what you are, stop what you¡¯re doing immediately!¡± One of the members said sternly. He warned, ¡°If you continue to write with your ws or make any noise, we¡¯ll fire immediately. If you attempt any resistance, we¡¯ll fire as well! Now please slowly walk into this cage. You only have 2 minutes.¡± The cage was attached to remote-controlled wheels. With a press of a button, it would whir forward and backwards. The door of the cage creaked open, waiting for its target to enter it. Being targeted by 5 rifles, Wu Siyu was stumped. ¡®What? Oh, you suspect I am Wu Simiao pretending to be Wu Siyu?¡¯

    Wu Simiao was the nickname she had given herself in this feline state. It was after all, the only voice that she could make. Wu Simiao understood the suspicion that these people had but to be honest, if she¡¯d elect an animal to assume Wu Siyu¡¯s identity, she¡¯d pick... some kind of deep ocean creature instead of a cat.

    In any case, Wu Siyu felt things were not that simple. Why would they warn her from wing out more words?

    In the Phecda guide, when a suspected enemy wishes to speak, then let them speak because regardless of the authenticity, their words would be information that could be dissected. The only exception was when the information could cause damage or pose inherent threat like mental corruption or the words were part of a curse or ritual. ¡®They did not wait for the Special Mobile Force but sent in the Action Department members instead... Based on everything that is going on, it feels like they¡¯re suspecting me of performing a ritual and these people are sent here to stop me. But as strange as my sudden appearance was, why would theye to that conclusion? There¡¯s nothing wrong with what I wrote, right?¡¯

    Wu Siyu nced at the iron cage that slowly moved towards here and then at the words that she wed out...

    ¡®Everything is normal to me.¡¯ She was stumped but she knew something was definitely off. ¡®Hmm? So I am to walk into the iron cage silently? These peoplee from Phecda, if I¡¯m able to travel back to Earth inside the cage with them, it¡¯ll be wonderful. If not, I¡¯ll just return to the wastnd once I cross the border. Entering the cage seems like not a bad choice.¡¯

    However, she was suddenly reminded of the iron cage, the one with the dead body inside it. An anxiety surged through her heart. Wu Siyu had always been a happy-go-lucky person, it was only when she was in real danger, that her spirituality would respond with such rm.

    ¡°Please enter the iron cage immediately!¡± The member shouted again. The drone in the sky captured these interactions silently. This was clearly an instruction from the headquarters. Wu Siyu hesitated. If she did not abide by the order, she¡¯d be turned into a beehive; but if she did, she doubted she¡¯d end up any better... Clearly, Wu Simiao had lost Phecda¡¯s trust.

    At that moment, she saw something that caused her heart to skip a beat. The sound was turning louder! The soil at the wastnd was trembling. Along the border, blocks of soil were sshed into the air. Something was breaking out from the ground. But the things that caught her attention was a cloud of shadow that buzzed through the night sky. It was a cloud of locusts, a horde that carried radiation with them.

    Wu Siyu saw these things clearly but the 5 Action Department members showed no recognition of these things. Wu Siyu¡¯s instinct told her that once these locusts flew into the mutated area, despite these people¡¯s heavy protective gear, they would be swallowed up in an instant and they¡¯d end up a part of thendscape forever...

    ¡®I have to warn them of the danger!¡¯ In her desperation, a thought crossed Wu Siyu¡¯s mind, ¡®Should I make use of the mysterious force inside this body?¡¯ She felt like if she epted the force, she would gain immediate ess to great power, power that would allow her to leap right onto the drone and send the few members flying out of the mutated areas with a few kicks. But first, she would have to ept the mysterious force...

 Chapter 421: Dead Body in the Cage

    <h4>Chapter 421: Dead Body in the Cage</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡®Hmm, I better not...¡¯ Wu Siyu came to a decision quickly. The unknown force was like an unfamiliar te of meat. It could be fabulously cooked but they might be human meat.

    ¡®I am not to w on the ground, make any sound or resist, but they did not say I could not move my body...¡¯ She studied her five colleagues and the clouds of locusts that slowly approached. She suddenly stood on her two feet and waved her paws to make a sign. ¡®If words cannot transmit my meaning, I wonder if bodynguage can or not?¡¯ She formedmon tactical signs among Special Mobile Force and Action Department. ¡®Danger ahead! Retreat! Retreat!¡¯

    To ensure that her signs were not treated as a taunt, Wu Siyu even used her ws to make a heart. ¡®That should be enough, right?¡¯ The five agents were confused but they seemed to recognize her hand gestures...

    It was quite hard for Wu Siyu to maintain this pose. She signed for them to retreat again and then patted her tummy. She mimicked the Zoogs. Due to her constant interaction with Lucky, she was very good at this. She hoped that that would help rify her identity, or at least send the message that, ¡®Even though Wu Simiao might have been corrupted by darkness, the corruption is notplete, there is a part of her conscious self that is still struggling.¡¯

    ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡± Wu Siyu signed thatmand again and again. The locusts were close before her eyes. In her desperation, she mimicked a drinking pose. ¡®Elder Tong, you old drunkard, is this not clear enough for you?!¡¯

    Finally, the five Action Department members moved and they retreated in unison. The leader shouted, ¡°If you mean well, please enter the iron cage on your own.¡± Once the five of them exited the border, Wu Siyu could not see them anymore. It was like they were wiped out of existence. She gave a meow of relief. She had seeded...

    She realized the problem should be the words she had wed out, but she could not tell what was wrong with them. However, she suspected that it was her cat¡¯s body or this mutated area itself that caused her the inability to usenguage normally. Thankfully, bodynguage still worked. ¡®Is it because verbal and writtennguage can be imbued with power but bodynguage cannot?¡¯ As these thoughts crossed her mind, the locust crossed the border. It was then that Wu Siyu realized, ¡®Shouldn¡¯t I be more worried about my personal safety? Hmm... do locusts feed on cats?¡¯

    The locusts had the appearance of ants. Some were as big as one¡¯s fist but others were as small as a fly. They were all ashen grey in color and had ck spots on their bodies. They exuded presence of death. The two light red antennae twitched continuously. It was as if she was hit by a tsunami or caught in a sandstorm. The horde of locusts swarmed into the mutated area. The previously empty space buzzed with insectoid activity. Suddenly finding herself in the midst of an insect ocean, Wu Siyu curled up into a ball. She closed her eyes and used her paws to lower her head. ¡®Please don¡¯t eat me... Cat¡¯s flesh is not appetizing... or at least I believe so...¡¯

    The locusts did not eat her, in fact, they did not even touch her. They all flew by her. However, the locusts did show intense malice. They attached themselves to every object within the area and swallowed up everything. In just the blink of an eye, the iron cage from Phecda was nibbled into nothingness. Even the cleansing stone and electric shock devices were disintegrated in their maws. Some of the locusts died from poisoning and shock and their brethren flew forward to ingest these fallen members. They took away the tree stumps, the paved street, the electric poles, the buildings... And even the drone in the sky. Despite their varied material, none of them survived the locust swarm.

    Another change was the soil on the ground. It turned cker, and more like the soil from the wastnd. Suddenly, it dawned on Wu Siyu the reason why the wastnd would look that way. It was more than the nuclear explosion. Nuclear explosions would leave behind some trace at least. Now she realized those traces had all been consumed by these locusts. The nts, the minerals, the stones, the cement... they were all consumed. But why did the iron cage and the dead body inside it remained?

    She contemted for a while before turning around. Using his feline speed and grace, she closed the 10 metres distance in only a few seconds. She crossed the border, left the mutated area and returned to the wastnd. No gunshots were heard. She did lose some fur, but there was no wound or pain. As Wu Siyu turned back to study the mutated area, the locusts were still swarming around. She saw the locust swarm that stretched down the horizon and she could confirm that every inch of the 70 cubic km mutated area should be covered by locusts by now. This was no 5th explosion but it was still not a good development either. If this locust swarm migrated to earth... it would cause a more devastating effect than radioactive substance leakage. Radiation poisoning at least had a pollution range, one only needed to evacuate from the affected range, but these locusts would destroy everything.

    Wu Siyu stopped to watch for a while before she continued on her journey. She knew she shan¡¯t stay in the mutated area. Phecda would figure out a way to deal with these locusts, and the most likely solution was carpet bombing. Technically, the explosion would not affect the wastnd beyond the border of the mutated area but even so Wu Siyu was not going to stay to watch the destruction.

    The locusts came from the wastnd so there had to be something to be found here. That was probably the reason why she was sent here. But why through her painting, and why must she assume this feline form?

    ¡®At the end of the day, the responsibility is mine...¡¯ Under the nket of night sky, Wu Siyu picked up the pace. Along the wastnd, the number of locusts was astronomical. There was no way they could be reasonably wiped out. Even a carpet bombing wouldn¡¯t kill all of them, furthermore, what was preventing them from consuming the missiles?!

    With these thoughts bouncing in her mind, she returned to that fated locale. She looked down the distance. The iron pole was still standing there and the cage hung from it. A kneeling human body with exposed bone was trapped inside it. Everything was the same as it was. The locust swarm flew past it like the thing was not there. In essence, they treated the thing like they treated her. ¡®Does this mean that there is some kind of connection between my current state and this dead body?¡¯

    ¡°Hello??¡± Wu Siyu shouted at the iron cage, but of course, it was in the sound of a meow. ¡°Who are you? I¡¯m not going any closer. I¡¯ll just sit right here. Was it you who summoned me to this world? Are you really dead?¡±

    Perhaps it was her synaesthesia or her instinct, something told her the body was not really dead. Just as she finished, suddenly the body inside the cage moved and lifted its head.

 Chapter 422: The Storm

    <h4>Chapter 422: The Storm</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Silence dominated Phecda¡¯s headquarters. A section of the big monitor had turned ck. That was the feed from the drone. Based on the report of the on site agent, the drone was consumed by the locusts. And on the screens of the cameras outside the mutated area, the locust swarm was so heavy that it almost leaked out from the screen. They kept appearing from the border but none of them flew out from the mutated area. Even if they did, they would disappear once they crossed the border just like that strange, multi-colored cat.

    It was Elder Tong who ordered the five agents to retreat earlier. The loyalty of the cat was in a grey area and they still could not discern the rtionship between the cat and Wu Siyu. Now, the situation was even harder to understand. If not for the strange cat¡¯s warning, the five agents would be dead already. However, the writing left behind the strange cat did indeed exude the darkness of a cultist and could corrupt people¡¯s mind. First, many people at headquarters felt difort as they were read the twisted words; when the agents turned to look at the writing in person, their opaline stone glowed red. This was a signal of mental corruption. It was why the headquarters had decided on the action that they did.

    The stance of the cat blurred but another problem rified.

    ¡°These locusts appear to have entered the mutated area from another space and they could only return back to that space. It is the same with those radioactive substances. There is a kind of barrier that they can¡¯t break through...¡± At themand centre, the technical worker analyzed the flight trajectory of the locusts and the videos recording the cat¡¯s appearance and disappearance repeatedly. Elder Tong came to the same conclusion as did the One. The mutated area was like a junction, all roads could lead to the centre but the roads themselves did not ovep. They were one-way only. At least that was the case for now. If one day they ovepped, then...

    This supposition gave many people apprehension. The mutated area appeared to be the point of intersection for many spaces. The nuclear explosion did not happen in this world but in another world. Some of these spections derived from the term written by the cat, ¡®multi-worlds¡¯.

    ¡°I witnessed God, I am his incarnation in the human world¡¯.

    ¡°This city is being buried, this world is edging towards death. The energy of life will depart from some, while strengthening others. All the questions will be answered, but due to the weakness of your mind, even when the answer is boiling under the sun, burning in the night, you will never witness it or interact with it.

    ¡°Unless you are the chosen ones. Fact is they will witness truths that you can¡¯t.

    ¡°I can hear them, the sound of their approach. They will crawl out from the ground and descend from the sky. They will arrive from the multi-worlds. The storm is imminent, insects and worms shall ride the wind; The flood is imminent, mayflies shall ride the waves...¡±

    These words that the cat left behind appeared to share the same origin as Headmaster Chui¡¯sst word, but with more dark predictions or revtions. ¡®What is this God? Does it refer to these locusts?¡¯

    The day had just started but it was fated to be a long one. After a discussion between Elder Tong, Yao Sinian and the othermanders, they decided to attempt an attack. If the mutated area was a junction, then they would try their best to stake their control over it.

    The One arrived at the scene. It took the swarm less than one hours to cover up the entire mutated area. They flew at an incredible speed of 80 km per hour. Their collective pping wings sounded like the gushing of water. The swarm swallowed everything in sight.

    Lou Xiaoning, Sam Watt, Ivan Nikolov led a group of Action Department members and posted themselves near the border with methrowers. The target was so ubiquitous that they did not even need to aim. They aimed the nozzle at the mutated area and licks of me burst forward. The me leaped through the border and fields of locusts immediately caught on. They crackled strangely.

    ¡®They look quite edible...¡¯ Peacock thought as she watched the fire toast the locusts. The City of Kindle had no concept of snack. When she was young, she used to venture out to the edge of the Ossarian fields with Mchite to capture and roast insects to eat.

    ¡®Stamp out that kind of thought!¡¯ Kathlyn immediately gasped in shock. ¡®My god, if we consume those bugs, we might be infected by the Locust Sickness...¡¯ Peacock¡¯s heart tremored. She could not tell whether this sudden desire waspelled by her memory or influenced by the locusts. In any case, the opaline stone around her wrist did not light up. They still reported this to the superior and it was valued heavily. Elder Tong demanded that if anyone showed interest to feast on the locust, they should report back to the base immediately. There was no telling what a diet of these locusts might do to one¡¯s body.

    Thankfully that worry did not happen. Perhaps it was because they were outside the border or because they were spared from the smell of roasted locusts. These locusts had an inexplicable mandible strength and consumptive energy. They were definitely mutated creatures but at least they could be killed by methrowers, grenades and other explosive weapons. In contrast, Ancient Seal had no effect on them. However, the biggest problem was there were simply too many of them. Their number was endless.

    Themand central issued the next order. A drone was sent in to try to collect the DNA sample from these locusts. A grenade levelled the ground where the strange cat had scrawled out the ominous warning. If it was part of a ritual, it had to be disrupted. However, it did nothing to slow down the locust swarm.

    At that moment, a new development startled everyone. Around the mutated area, from the quarantine circle, signs of life appeared from these seemingly deserted ins, farnds and forests around Mo Bei...

    ¡°We are registering sights of many insects and birds!¡±

    Mo Bei had aplicated geography. There were many barrennds. Locust gue was an annual problem, but the government always managed to contain it. However, at that moment, so many locusts appeared in the sky of Mo Bei even though it was not the season for them to be active. Apanying them were other insects like mosquitoes, flies and flocks of birds. They came from various ces of origin but they gathered as they flew towards the mutated area. Had they been dominated by fear or controlled by darkness? There was no telling for now.

    They formed a moving dark cloud in the sky, blocking out the sun.

    ¡°The fuck...¡± Lou Xiaoning cursed as she saw the cloud approach. Deng Ximei was stunned as she was reminded of that illusion, that ce devoid of life.

    ¡°Shoot them down!¡± Lou Xiaoning ordered in a hurry, ¡°Do not let them enter the mutated area!¡±

    Bang, bang, bang. The group aimed their guns at the air. However, their effort barely registered before the great tsunami. If they stood there any longer, they¡¯d be dragged into the mutated area by the insects and birds. Therefore, Elder Tong ordered them to get back into the armored car and prepare to evacuate... He had a feeling the fifth explosion was not going to be long now...

    The insects and birds flew into the mutated area from all sides. They were instantly feasted on by the locust swarm. The birds¡¯ caws erupted everywhere. They were indeed gripped by fear. The mutated area turned into a ughterhouse. However, the insects and birds continued to fly into it, sacrificing their flesh, blood and life for these locusts, for that unknown ¡®God¡¯.

    ¡°The energy of life will depart from some, while strengthening others.¡±

 Chapter 423: Big Library

    <h4>Chapter 423: Big Library</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    The long stone staircase appeared to extend into the sky. Gu Jun and Yu Chi rested for some time before they made their way upwards. They paid close attention to their physical and mental state. Compared to the ¡®first time¡¯ they climbed this stone staircase, they took a much longer time this time. When they arrived at the top, their breaths were even but their knees were slightly dull with pain.

    ¡°Captain Gu, did you notice anything out of ce?¡± Yu Chi asked as he stared admiringly at the stone pirs and arches before him.

    ¡°No, everything¡¯s normal.¡± Gu Jun was responsible to cover their backs. He would asionally steal a few nces behind him but Yu Chi was too absorbed in their surroundings to notice. Gu Jun also kept his eyes on the shadow of the witch. The old hag did not appear, perhaps she could not, or perhaps this was another conspiracy of hers. Along the way, many thoughts crossed his mind but they were like a ball of twine that he was unable to untangle.

    ¡°There¡¯s an entrance there.¡± Yu Chimented, ¡°I can see some bookshelves through it... Captain Gu, I believe this is the ce you¡¯ve been to in your illusions.¡±

    ¡°I think so too. Let¡¯s keep on moving.¡± Gu Jun said as they maintained the same tactical posture. The duo slowly crossed the spacious lobby towards the door. When they passed the stone pirs, they could not help but admire the exquisite carving, patterns and inscriptions on them. These things impacted the limits of their imagination and broadened their mind to a higher and deeper perspective. But unlike the stone statuettes from the R¡¯yleh Cult or Land of Mu which would cause mental corruption, they were still sober, if anything, they felt mentally refreshed. This experience was reminded of their interaction with the Ancient Seal. They came from the same family, the Pnakotic technology.

    When they reached the door, Yu Chi looked carefully around. He did not spot any trace of seal or ward. He used his shovel to poke ahead and it easily crossed the threshold of the door. ¡°Captain Gu, I¡¯ll go in first. You decide on your action depending on the situation.¡± Gu Jun nodded. His heart gripped with tension because this was already beyond the mark he had experienced in the previous two timelines. For all he knew, Captain Yu might be sliced into pieces by a web ofser beams once he stepped through the door.

    ¡°Captain Yu, why don¡¯t you lead by extending only your hand first?¡±

    ¡°You have a point...¡± Yu Chi understood the caution. His beard tensed as he slowly reached out his left hand into the door... Yu Chi sighed in relief. Nothing happened. He took a careful step into the inner room. Still nothing happened. Looking around, all he could see was imposing bookshelves. The bookshelves were made from some kind of ck wood. They lined up row after row. Some reached straight to the domed ceiling, they appeared to act as additional architectural support. Giant books arranged the bookshelves, the spines were printed with unique hieroglyphs. Combine that with the inscriptions on the outside pirs, this was a civilization which had an advanced hieroglyphguage.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Yu Chi gasped in excitement. If not for his strength of will, he¡¯d die from excitement. This ce was the fatal attraction for any archaeologist. Money and beauty paled immeasurably before it. He shook with barely contained excitement as he considered the amount of information he might locate among these tomes.

    ¡°Captain Yu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Jun asked as he heard that pained groan. He was quite shocked.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I am just too thrilled to be here...¡±

    Gu Jun observed a while longer to make sure everything was fine with Yu Chi before he joined him. Even with Yu Chi leading the way, Gu Jun was still careful. He paid special attention to the shadow behind him. Once he crossed the door, he noticed the shadows on the hexagonal tiles disappear. His, Yu Chi¡¯s and the witch¡¯s all vanished. Was this... an effect of the bright light? As a doctor, he was familiar with the function of shadelessmps.

    Gu Jun looked around and he spotted big crystal globes on giant tforms. The light that they cast did not form any shadow. But Gu Jun knew that the inability to see the shadow did not mean that they had disappeared. ¡®Could the witch follow us in here?¡¯

    ¡°Every single one of these books is heavy enough to crush us with their pure weight...¡± Yu Chi groused anxiously, ¡°How is one supposed to read them?¡±

    The books were studied using conventional methods. One had to read them page by page. That conclusion was drawn from the presence of reading tables as well writing outrements like paper and pens that left on some of therge tforms. However, there was nothing that resembled a chair. For such arge reading table, the creature that utilized them had to be at least 3 to 4 metres tall.

    The members of this civilization probably abandoned this ce in a hurry. Not every table was neatly packed away before they left. Gu Jun believed they evacuated and were not killed because there was no sign of struggle. Then again this was just a spection, there was no telling what kind of logic worked here.

    ¡°Captain Yu, I cannot see our shadows anymore.¡± Gu Jun prompted carefully, ¡°Mind turning around to check?¡±

    Once he pointed that out, it immediately got Yu Chi¡¯s attention. This anomaly caused the man to get even more tense. These books were such a treasure and there had to be a trap guarding these treasures. On the other hand, Gu Jun sighed in relief because the witch did not announce herself. Yu Chi could not see her, but Gu Jun still could not tell whether it was a good idea to bring that up or not.

    After a quick discussion, they decided not to touch anything around the library for now. The bookshelves, tforms, tomes were off limits. Instead they would work to find the location where Gu Jun had visited in his previous illusions. In that illusion, he was between two bookshelves and before him was arge podium. The duo headed into the room and realized that the ce was impossiblyrge. Even thergest human building was nothingpared to this. They walked for half an hour and found themselves still treading along the same ck wood bookshelf. The size of this library was beyond the concept of human measurement of size.

    After another trekking, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes suddenly focused. He saw the simr podium from his illusion. On top of this podium sat several machines made up from ss tubes, metallic pipes and unknown materials. In spite of its strange design, it looked like a shuttle, albeit a very giant one. It would feelrge even for the tallest man, but it would fit snuggly with the creatures who utilized this giant library.

    ¡°I feel like we¡¯reing to the spot...¡± Gu Jun said heavily, ¡°This ce feels familiar, I was just standing a few metres in front of us...¡± This was a very strange feeling. Gu Jun had no idea whether this was the first time he was here or not. He could not tell whether the timeline he was in was supposed to be the past, the present or the future.

    ¡°What about those machines?¡± Yu Chi asked with fervor. Both the tomes and the machines presented a wealth of archaeological knowledge to the man. Could they still move? What fuelled their life force? What was their purpose?

    Both Yu Chi and Gu Jun felt that the mysterious signal had theme to Pnakotus because they were destined to make use of these machines.

    ¡°Captain Yu, how about I take the lead this time?¡± Gu Jun said as he moved forward towards the first podium. ¡°If anything goes wrong, shout to warn me.¡±

    Yu Chi took up the guard post. Gu Jun moved closer and closer to his destination. Perhaps it was his psychology acting up, his brain suddenly numbed with pain. Way back then, the blurry shadow appeared in this library, right next to that podium...

    He remembered the elongated length of the shadow. He could not tell its actual size. But he knew now no shadow could be casted within this library...

 Chapter 424: Cross Temporal Conversation

    <h4>Chapter 424: Cross Temporal Conversation</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    When Gu Jun stood at the location he once assumed in his illusion, he confirmed that yes, this was indeed the ce. The corridor between two giant bookshelves and 6 to 7 metres away from the podium. The only thing missing was the shadow. Gu Jun turned back to look. He still could not see the shadows on the ground. Yu Chi, who had moved further on, turned to look over. After a brief pause, Gu Jun continued to move. He approached the podium until he stood right beside it. This podium was rtively small. When he stood next to it, he took in more details of the machine on the podium, details like its giant ss tubes and metallic beams.

    Perhaps it was due to the close proximity, the longer he studied the machine, the stranger he felt. Some of the details gradually materialized in his mind... He saw himself lying inside the ss shuttle, manipting the metallic beams with both of his hands...

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s brain pulsed with pain. He was suffering from hyperemia. His heart tightened and his heart rate rose.

    ¡°Captain Gu?¡± Yu Chi next to him immediately asked with concern, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I am seeing something, but I¡¯m still fine...¡± Gu Jun pressed his hands against his skull but that did not do anything to help lower the cerebral pressure. Illusions swam around him. He could see the intricate parts within the machine start to turn and activate like cogs. ¡®This machine is still usable...¡¯

    Suddenly, there was a series of strange creaking and cracking. Some of the tubes at the top of the machine lit up. Instantly, the machine took on a variety of colors. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes widened involuntarily as he heard Yu Chi gasp beside him, ¡°The machine... the machine is activating! Captain Gu, is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t...¡± Gu Jun answered immediately but he caught himself. ¡®How can I be sure that I am not responsible for this...¡¯ But the truth was even if he was responsible, he had no idea what was the mechanism behind it. In any case, an intense feelingpelled him to say, ¡°Wait, Captain Yu, let¡¯s just see what will happen first!¡±

    The light of the machine brightened in intensity. It covered the surrounding inscriptions, lines and carvings on the podium with its brilliant hues. With the podium as the centre, a circr dome of light was formed. It was about 10 metres in diameter. Gu Jun looked around in confusion. He noticed spatial ripples within this ce. There was clear distortion. It was like everything was changing yet everything was still the same.

    In an instant, Yu Chi suddenly disappeared, the man just dissolved into thin air. Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank and the headache intensified. ¡®What has happened to Captain Yu? What¡¯s happening to this space, this time...¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s head slumped. A simple thought weighed down on his mind. He could feel its palpable heaviness that he could barely lift his head. ¡®This is not normal, it shouldn¡¯t be like this. There is another force in action...¡¯ The shadows, he finally saw it. He had two shadows and they were tangling together. One was his own and the other belonged to the witch. The witch was still following him, she trailed him into the library. She had been lying in wait, waiting for a chance to strike.

    This spatial distortion weakened Gu Jun and the witch used this opening to attempt to take control over his body. She wished to consume him, that was her n all along. However, this time, her n might not end up a failure...

    ¡°I knew you¡¯re here all along...¡± Gu Jun gritted his teeth. He resisted the pain and hissed angrily, ¡°Get out!¡±

    The witch did not respond or answer. But at that moment, Gu Jun saw something that startled him. In the corridor between the bookshelves, a figure was walking over. It was a man, he wore a cotton outfit from a strange culture. He was unkempt and his skin was a sickly purplish color. His sharp eyes spoke of suspicion and warning.

    ¡®It¡¯s me, it was me...¡¯ The epiphany dawned on Gu Jun, ¡®It has always been me.¡¯ The shadow, the shadow that he encountered back then, was himself. This was two versions of himself crossing paths in their different timelines. There was no present, this was a conversation between the future and the past.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± At that moment, the man, or more precisely, the nightmare man demanded. Gu Jun remembered this conversation. He knew the nightmare man would then ask, ¡®Who are you? Why are you doing this?!¡¯

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you doing this?!¡± The man challenged. His tone was suppressing great anger and anxiety. Gu Jun remembered at the time, he was still under a great mental corruption, ¡°These information, do you think I will believe them blindly? Also why go through all these troubles, why not just tell them to me directly? What do you want from me?¡±

    Gu Jun opened his lips to say something but it was that moment that the witch summoned her power. His head split and his body teetered... His hands went to his head and his words became intermittent, broken and distorted. ¡°...Mask-bearer... Not evil... Sweet dream, use sweet dream... change...¡±

    But, wasn¡¯t that what he was supposed to say from the start?

    The nightmare man frowned. Gu Jun knew very well that the man had heard every word. His headache grew more serious. Perhaps it was a side effect from the cross-temporal conversation or it could be because he was conversing with himself. There were two individuals but only one brain between them. So technically, he was forcibly inputting information into his mind...

    ¡°...Phecda Chaos... Secret Spell... Wearing a Mask... Gu Jun...¡± Actually Gu Jun wanted to identify himself as Gu Jun but as he remembered, he only managed to utter the name. The witch¡¯s power was awakening, he could not stay in this state any longer. Even though he had more things to say to that man, he could not do it. The super temporal space copsed and the nightmare man disappeared. Gu Jun blinked his eyes in pain. He finally saw Yu Chi again. Probably only a few seconds had passed in this timeline. Gu Jun noticed Yu Chi was in the middle of raising the shovel as he attempted to cut off one of the ss tubes. This was definitely not amon archaeological protocol. But he did it to save Gu Jun.

    ¡°Wait...¡± Gu Jun hurriedly stopped him. The machine had stopped working, the lights faded away. However, he still needed to fend off the witch¡¯s corruption. His status had not fully recovered so he stuttered, ¡°Captain Yu, I¡¯m fine... Listen to me, this machine can enable cross-dimensional conversation... I just conversed with myself from the past... Does that mean that we can use this machine to form a closermunication with the mysterious signal?¡±

 Chapter 425: Locust Illness

    <h4>Chapter 425: Locust Illness</h4>

    Dark shadows pressed down on the sky, but they were far from innocent ck clouds. A fleet of drones flew past the border line and dropped incendiary bombs on the ground but before the wiggling ground could burn in a sea of fire, the locust swarms engulfed the fleet. The drones exploded in the air. Before their parts could careen to the ground, there was already nothing left of them. Drones, helicopters, tactical nes, no matter their speed or function, they went through the same fate.

    During these trials, the pilots managed to escape through an airdrop before the nes entered the mutated area. That was how Phecda kept an impressive zero injury. The mutated area waspletely stuffed with locusts. They covered up to 20000 metres into the air. That was already in the troposphere and stratosphere. Insect should not have survived at such heights, but there they were. To have topletely fill up a space that is 70 cubic km wide and 20000 metres tall, the number of this locust must have reached an astronomical level.

    When a drone was sent higher than 2000 metres, the signal was instantly lost and no one saw the drone again. They probably were brought down by a spatial distortion; if they went higher into space, the satellite imaging could only capture a blob of ck blurriness. Earth revolves on its own axis, so the ¡®space¡¯ above the mutated area would be constantly moving. That made tracking the locusts much more difficult.

    Other than going high, Phecda tried going low. They used an excavator to dig to 1500 meters underground. Again, the border came in useful. The soil on either side waspletely different. Once one crossed the line, there would be intense radiation in the ground. To add to their worry, the radar picked up signs of life squirming underground. Was the swarm of locusts also crawling underground? But shouldn¡¯t they have burst through the earth already? Or could these wiggling things be young locusts? Or something elsepletely?

    After these trials, themand central decided tounch a low altitude missile bombardment but it was to no avail. Even after they were burned into crisp or vaporized, the number of locusts did not seem to decrease. Their buzzing wings echoed through the skies. It sounded like a fatal summon as more insects and birds from beyond Mo Bei flew themselves into the swarm. Before the gigantic swarm, the human strength appeared so miniscule. Everyone knew this had to be stopped, they mustn¡¯t let this mutated area continue to grow...

    However, what were the usible solutions to this problem? Someone suggested a wall to zone in the mutated area and cover it up with a dome. But with the fifth explosion, the wall would be part of the mutated area and nothing would remain of them once the swarm got to them. Furthermore, a construction of such a wall required more than several years.

    Inparison, it had only been 4 days since the start of this incident. On the morning of 14th March, Tian Fuhou called the police, and today it was only 17th March. If they could not discern the source behind the sudden appearance of this mutated area, the Locust Illness and the swarm, none of these solutions was going to be useful. However, how was Phecda supposed to do that?

    The multi-colored cat had disappeared; Wu Siyu was still a walking automaton; Gu Jun had disappeared; their only opening was to find people like Lee Yuhan and Wang Jia Er. That was what The One had been doing. On the other hand, the evacuation of the entire Mo Bei City was underway. Early this morning, the citizens of Mo Bei city woke up to a horrifying sight of insects and birds flying towards the north. Their numbers had not ceased.

    Soon the citizens received the news. The speakers and sirens rang around the city. ¡®An extrarge sandstorm¡¯ might sweep the entire city so they needed to evacuate immediately. The citizens were advised to not panic and follow the agents who would lead them to a safer location. The announcement tried to minimize the impact but not many believed it. They just wanted to leave this ce as soon as possible!

    The panicked yelling of adults and crying of children could be heard everywhere. Throngs of people waded through the city streets to look for the exit. The inte was a mess. Amidst this chaos, the doctors continued their work. Since yesterday, Wang Ruoxiang had participated in 3 autopsies on Headmaster Chui. She had umted less than 3 hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. The sleep that she got was barely enough. She was incredibly tired but she tried to focus as she sat in this diagnosis meeting. The epidemic of Locust Sickness... finally arrived.

    ¡°Ah... I need to eat soil. Doctor, please give me some...¡± ¡°Doctor, I can¡¯t do this anymore. I need it. I need it...¡± Two rows of doctors lined down the table. They watched silently the videos that were taken from inside the sickrooms.

    ¡°Headmaster Chui self-imploded at 12:13 on the 16th, which was yesterday.¡± Si Kouxian, the neurosurgical expert from the Spell Department exined, ¡°The other students and teachers present during the man¡¯s explosion appear to have been infected. They showcase symptoms of allotriophagy, specifically the desire to consume soil. It took 9 to 10 hours for this allotriophagy to form. After 22 to 24 hours, the desire became uncontroble. The patients disy deep agitation, desperation, listlessness and verbal pleading for soil. This is very simr to drug addiction.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang saw a female student try to bang her head against the sickroom wall. She was held back by the nurses. There was a video of the discipline teacher, Wang Jinbo fidgeting on the bed or pacing around the room. He kept mumbling something. The audio was amplified and they could hear the man grumbling, ¡°What is happening to me? Why the sudden wish to eat soil...¡±

    The base had 1006 such patients in quarantine, they were all students and staff from Mo Bei Gao Ji High School. Basically, everyone who was present during Headmaster Chui¡¯s demise was infected. From then until now, within these 30 hours, the patients could still drink normally but their appetite drastically decreased. Initially they¡¯d eat some with coaxing but after around the 20th hour mark, they refused to consume anything but soil.

    The doctors looked severe. This Locust Sickness was now confirmed to be contagious but they still had no idea what was its method of transmission. In fact, they could wake up the next morning and found themselves inside the quarantine sickroom, pleading for soil.

    If witnessing a patient or the parasite would cause infection, then arge number of Phecda members and medical workers fitted that bill but thankfully so far none of them had shown any symptoms of Locust Sickness. If the transmission required one to inhale the parasite for infection, then Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion was not strong enough to cover the entire field. Furthermore, the doctors found no anomaly in the patient¡¯s physical and they could not detect any pathogen.

    The patients temporarily only suffered from mental problems, which was allotriophagy. Perhaps after ingesting the soil, their sickness would progress to the next stage. But how did they get infected? Was it because they bore witness to Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion? Or Headmaster Chui¡¯sst speech possessed some kind of curse-like effect?

    Was every patient contagious or the ability to spread the epidemic was unique to selected patients? Wang Ruoxiang pondered and something came to her...

 Chapter 426: 50 Grams

    <h4>Chapter 426: 50 Grams</h4>

    After the meeting, the medical team and themand central decided on a clinical experiment. 10 patients would be chosen to be given normal soil to see if it would lessen the addiction effect. They would also observe the change to the patient¡¯s mind and body. Temporarily they were not going to touch the abnormal soil with the parasitic eggs.

    The 10 patients were soon selected, there were 5 teachers and 5 students, 5 males and 5 females. Their age ranged from 17 to 45. They all volunteered. The patients suffered from the same conditions. Their mental state was close to delirium. The psychologists¡¯ intervention proved ineffective. They simply demanded for soil. Once the clinical experiment was brought up, they fought to be a part of it.

    The 10 patients were escorted into isted quarantine sickrooms. Cameras would take down the whole process. Inside the room was also the electrocardiogram, stomach pump, cleansing stone and other devices. The head discipline teacher, Wang Jinbo was one of the volunteers.

    Everyone had nothing bad to say about the head discipline teacher. Mr. Wang was currently 40 plus. He was strict but that was because he cared about the students. He distanced himself from office politics and since he became the head discipline teacher, the school¡¯s performance improved. The man was partly responsible for the rising reputation of Mo Bei Gao Ji High School. Normally Mr. Wang would be dressed in a casual suit and his hair would be properly set. He had that old professor vibe to him. Whenever the students saw him, they would show him great respect even though they¡¯d also gossip about the amount of hair gel he would have gone through in a month.

    But now, after 30 hours of torment, Mr. Wang lost so much worse for wear. His hair was rumpled and two heavy eye bags sat on his face. There was a strange and suppressed desire in his eyes. He was like a rpsed addict who was dragged back to rehab.

    ¡°What is going on, what is going on...¡± Wang Jinbo sat by the bed and mumbled. He¡¯d pull on his hair and scratch his throat. He felt like he had not eaten anything for 10 days already. His stomach was rumbling. He desperately needed to eat but he would only put one thing into his mouth. Before entering this room, Wang Jinbo was arranged to do some physical inspection and now the nurse connected the electrocardiogram to his body. The cameras recorded everything.

    At that moment, the door opened. Several medical workers in heavy suits walked in. Their tag identified them as doctors and nurses. They pushed along a stainless-steel cart. The cart contained syringes, drugs and a covered te.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Wang Jinbo could smell the barely discernible scent of soil in the air. It required everything he had to not jump up from the bed to grab at the te.

    Si Kouxian and Wang Ruoxiang were part of the team. They were there for clinical observation. Not only the data collected from the devices, they wanted to observe the psychological changes in the patients in person.

    ¡°Mr. Wang.¡± Si Kouxian addressed the patient, ¡°We¡¯ve brought you 50 grams of soil.¡± 50 grams is about the weight of one egg. Ingesting 50 grams of soil would not be fatal, although it might cause indigestion, diarrhea or so on. However, those with a strong stomach might not be affected at all. In any case, this was a safe amount. The soil was transferred from the south, it was not dug up from around Mo Bei. They had been examined. The soil contained no parasite, virus or bacteria. The soil provided was worked and clean loose soil.

    ¡°50 grams?!¡± Wang Jinbo gasped in disappointment. He instantly became more agitated. How much was 50 grams? One mouthful or two?

    ¡°Yes, 50 grams. This is just for us to observe the changes.¡± Si Kouxian said. With the patient¡¯s condition, allowing them a free buffet would cause clogging in their intestinal tracts.

    ¡°Okay... where is it?¡± Wang Jinbo demanded. He saw the nurse pull back the te cover and a patch of brown soil sat on the te. Once the nurse pushed the cart over, Wang Jinbo reached hungrily for the soil and shoved it into his mouth. His cheeks were stuffed immediately. He masticated madly before he wolfed down the whole soil. Gluttony and greed were in in his action. Wang Jinbo did not lose his rationality, he was quite ashamed and pained by how he was acting. However, he was too weak to control his urge...

    At the same time, the doctors kept their eyes close on Wang Jinbo. The result of this clinical experiment was very important. If the patients could get some mental satisfaction and some relief from these with no bad influence to their bodies, then this could be a valid cure. The small bit of soil could be used to apany other normal food and that would ensure the patient¡¯s nutrition needs. Daily ingestion of 50 grams of soil was not too bad on the human body. There was precedent in the world where someone had survived on such an amount for 10 years and their bodies were perfectly fine.

    If this could be settled, Phecda could turn their focus to epidemic control, to prevent more people from falling under the influence of Locust Sickness.

    ¡°Urgh, urgh...¡± Wang Jinbo issued a strange swallowing sound. He licked his fingers that had grabbed the soil clean. Then he even grabbed the te which had carried the soil and licked that clean. Wang Ruoxiang watched the electrocardiogram. The patient¡¯s blood pressure and heart rate were rising. Even though the cleansing stone and opaline stone showed no response, Wang Ruoxiang saw... an increased fanaticism in Mr. Wang¡¯s eyes...

    ¡°Is there more? Please, give me more!¡± Wang Jinbo¡¯s middle-aged face flushed. The desire in his eyes did not dissipate. ¡°This is not enough, it is really not enough... And the taste is not right, even though I have not had the real thing before but it tastes different from what I expected...¡± The patients were not informed of the origin of the soul. They would assume the soil sample came from Mo Bei. At that moment, the doctors shared a look. The patients appeared to be able to differentiate the soil variants even though they had not tasted the actual abnormal soil before. The question was, would normal soil be effective? Could it alleviate the patient¡¯s symptoms?

    ¡°Mr. Wang, we will only provide 50 grams per day.¡± Si Kouxian exined, ¡°Do you feel like eating something else? We can get them for you.¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Wang Jinbo¡¯s face reddened before it nched. Suddenly cold sweat broke out on his forehead and he gripped his stomach. ¡°Ergh, the ache...¡±

    Seeing as the patient¡¯s heart rate rose to 145 times per minute, Si Kouxian ordered, ¡°Prepare for gastricvage now!¡± The team moved into action. The doctors¡¯ heart sank despite already being prepared for this. It was why the stomach pump was moved into the room. Even apomorphine was prepared for emetics. Even though the drug would take effect 5 minutes after injection, it had too many side effects. It would cause mental disturbances, in serious cases, it might lead to loss of consciousness so it would only be used in extreme situations.

    However, before the nurse even had the chance to connect thevage tube, Wang Jinbo suddenly bent over and vomited into the wastebasket next to the bed. The stench instantly filled up the room. The ingested soil mixed with stomach acid and fresh blood sttered into the basket.

 Chapter 427: Another Experiment

    <h4>Chapter 427: Another Experiment</h4>

    After the vomiting, the team still conducted gastricvage on him to pump out the remaining 50 grams of soil. Then his vitals slowly dropped down to slightly higher than average level. All 10 participants of the clinical experiment showed the same result. After consuming the soil, they all showed symptoms of food poisoning like stomach ache and vomiting. 6 of them even vomited blood.

    The medical team conducted a gastroscopy on all the 10 patients. They discovered there were bloody scars on their intestinal walls and gastric mucosa. This was probably due to the patients¡¯ rapid ingestion of soil. The harsh particle of soil grated against their fragile organ walls. The medical teams immediately applied anti-bleeding treatment and hooked the patients up to IV and blood glucose. Acute haemorrhage of the intestinal tract was nothing serious, the more serious issue was the change to the patients¡¯ state of mind.

    After the experiment, all 10 patients became so agitated, they almost lost their mind. 5 patients, including Wang Jinbo had to be sedated. They kept howling for a different type of soil. They levied horrible words at the doctors and nurses. The patients cursed them for trying to take their lives.

    If the patients had no appetite or could not perform normal food consumption, the doctors could still inject nutrient cocktails into their body to maintain their health. But the mental problem was a different issue. For now, they could use sedatives, but if the situation worsened, they would have to opt for induceda and nervous impairment surgery...

    Even if Phecda had the best resource, this was not a direction they wanted to take. Si Kouxian had experienced this conundrum before. The patients of Mutated Scale Diseaseined of incessant itchiness and now patients of Locust Sickness had the desire for specific soil. Because of that, they might have the same pathological history, their minds were affected by some kind of ritual or dark forces. Phecda even suspected that force came from the mutated area. However, Phecda temporarily could not do anything to advance into the mutated area.

    Were they supposed to give the patients the abnormal soil? Or should they go for nervous system impairment surgery? Lobotomy? These suggested clinical projects were sent to themand central. Nervous impairment surgery and lobotomy would cause irreparable damage while providing the patients with the abnormal soil might progress them to the next stage of the illness.

    During Headmaster Chui¡¯s autopsy, the medical team came up with a question: Was the patient infected first and thus had the desire to consume soil or did they first consume soil and got infected?

    Now the situation with Mr. Wang presented another problem, the patients desired the abnormal soil for the soil itself or the locust eggs inside the soil? The size of the abnormal wastnd was quiterge. Some of the soil contained clusters of locust eggs, some did not.

    The first problem could not be rified. A normal person would not suddenly gain the desire to eat dirt. Furthermore, there were still 300 plus people missing. They probably were mentally affected before they started to get the desire to ingest soil. However, there was no evidence to support that. No records could be found about Headmaster Chui¡¯s first intake of the soil. But if they could rify the second problem, then they could derive the answer for the first problem.

    If the patients were first mentally affected andpelled to consume the locust eggs, if this was the pathological process, then no matter how many normal or abnormal soil they had ingested, as long as the patients were not given the eggs, they would not proceed to the next stage. In other words, these patients infected by Headmaster Chui still did not have any parasite inside their bodies, they did not carry any pathogen. If that was the case, as long as they were banned from interaction with the locust eggs and perhaps moved out from Mo Bei, it would help quarantine the spread of disease. In terms of treatment, the teams could try giving them Mo Bei soil or even abnormal soil without locust eggs.

    However, the other possibility was the patients started to carry parasites once they were mentally affected. The moment they ingested the correct soil, the eggs would grow, and reproduce inside their bodies.

    Or Headmaster Chui was only infected after ingesting the locust eggs but he became a pathogen carrier from it. The new patients infected by Headmaster Chui had parasites in their bodies through exposure to the carrier even though they had not personally ingested the locust eggs... This was the worst and most inexplicable oue.

    For now, Phecda had no idea where the 300 plus missing persons were and they could not tell what was so special about the abnormal soil other than the presence of locust eggs. From the analysis of the soilposition, the abnormal soil was no different from other soil samples taken from Mo Bei. It had no radiation poisoning.

    Due to the worsening condition, themand central eventually gave the order to conduct another clinical experiment. The experiment had to be performed to gain the result.

    Around 10 pm on the 17th of March, the quarantine base was busy. Wang Ruoxiang rubbed her temple and tried to focus.

    6 patients would participate in this experiment. Four of them had just participated in the earlier clinical experiment with the normal soil, 2 of them vomited blood, 2 did not, one of them was sedated; the remaining 2 patients were not part of the previous experiment.

    Due to the unknown pathological mechanism of Locust Illness, the whole experiment was dangerous. For now, all they knew was that the infected students and teachers had listened to Headmaster Chui¡¯s speech and were present when he exploded.

    The patients might start to breed parasites once they ingested the abnormal soil before eventually self-imploding. From that, the illness would continue to spread. All 6 patients would be carefully monitored but themand central would not be watching it live. In fact, not all members of the medical teams would be part of the experiment.

    There were only 3 people working the frontline of this experiment. They were tasked to monitor the cameras and rush into the quarantine room if necessary. All 3 of them were prepared for possible infection. ¡°I know how to read the patients¡¯ mental state, I know spells and I am familiar with emergency rescue.¡± One of the three was Wang Ruoxiang who volunteered. She wanted to contribute after being quarantined for so long. Gu Jun was missing, Wu Siyu was mentally absent, Deng Ximei and the One ventured into the mutated area, it was about time she did something.

    Elder Tong epted her voluntary offer. The danger of this experiment was no less than entering the mutated area, but this was Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s intention. Other than Wang Ruoxiang, the other two were the nurse, Lin Size and the Investigator Department member, Chen Xiang. Both of them knew the Ancient Seal.

    The 6 experiments would not be conducted simultaneously. If the first patient caused great quandary, then the rest of the experiment would be halted. The participant of the first experiment was a 18 years old male student named Zhou Kewen. He was part of the previous experiment. He did vomit blood and was given sedative.

    In the room, Zhou Kewen was half fixed to the bed. His legs were bound together but he could still move his hands. Despite the sedative, he was still quite active. The sickroom door opened and a drone cart moved in. The door was closed. The cart only had a 50 gram of brown abnormal soil on it. It did not contain any locust eggs.

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± Zhou Kewen¡¯s heart rate rose immediately as he started to struggle. Before the cart reached his bed, he already lunged towards it. The speaker at the corner crackled with Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s voice, ¡°Student Zhou, please try to control your speed of ingestion. Be careful to not injure your oesophagus...¡±

    Her advice fell on deaf ears. Once Zhou Kewen¡¯s trembling hands reached the soil, he stuffed them into his mouth. His expression was demented.

 Chapter 428: Gastroscope

    <h4>Chapter 428: Gastroscope</h4>

    Inside therge office connected to all the quarantine rooms, there were only Wang Ruoxiang, Lin Sizhe and Chen Xiang. They sat in a row to observe the situation inside one of the rooms. The patient, Zhou Wenke was madly engulfing that 50 grams of abnormal soil.

    ¡°Hmm, hmm...¡± The strange guttural sound came from the speaker. The patient ate like he had been starved for days, it reminded Chen Xiang of those zombies in video games. The way he ingested the soil would greatly injure his intestinal tract. After consuming all the soil, Zhou Kewen grumbled in anxiety, ¡°I need more, this is not enough. Is there more? I need more!¡±

    ¡°Student Zhou, please calm down.¡± Wang Ruoxiang consoled without abiding by his request. In the earlier experiments, in less than a minute after the patients consumed the soil, their bodies reacted with food poisoning. So whether the difference in soil would matter or not would be told immediately. The time ticked by on the clock. 1 minute passed and then 2 minutes, 3 minutes. A whole 5 minutester, Zhou Wenke did not exhibit signs of food poisoning. His vitals were stable and his mind was clear, if one ignored his constant yearning for more soil.

    ¡°There¡¯s the result. The abnormal soil is clearly ingestible by the patients.¡± Lin Sizhe concluded.

    ¡°More than that, the patient¡¯s vitals became more stable.¡± Chen Xiang observed. From all the physical observation, it was like the patient had been given some kind of miracle drug and not soil. Wang Ruoxiang pondered the meaning behind this. The patients yearned for these soils but in terms ofposition, these were just normal soils...

    ¡°Student Zhou, we will send in some bread, banana and water. If you finish them all, we will provide you with another 10 grams of soil.¡± She continued with the next step of the experiment, the donkey and the carrot stick. Soon another robot cart rolled into the room. It carried 100 grams of bread, 50 grams of banana and 200 ml of water. With the soil as a reward, Zhou Kewen practically sucked all the food down his throat. Five minutester, he did not show any negative signs. As promised, Wang Ruoxiang gave the patient 10 grams of soil. Like before, nothing happened either. If the patient only desired after this particr soil, then they could be diagnosed with allotriophagy... but the problem was the supernatural implication behind this strange dietary desire. Was this a sign of the mutated locusts being present inside the patient¡¯s body?

    The answer would have to wait. After all, 4 days had passed from Arbor Day to Headmaster Chui¡¯s self-destruction.

    Due to the emergency of the situation, the medical team conducted the first gastroscopy 5 hours after the patient¡¯s ingestion of the soil and the surgery was repeated every 5 hours after that. In the meantime, the trio continued with the experiment on the other patients. The second patient, Sun Chuiting did not participate in the previous experiment. She was 37, a female teacher. Soon all 6 patients finished the experiment and none showed negative response.

    Wang Ruoxiang reported the finding to the headquarters. From her observation, none of the patients showed worsened condition after being given the soil. If the patients could maintain this positive status and no trace of parasite was found inside their bodies, then this could be a temporary solution...

    On 18th March, at 02:34, in less than 4 hours after consuming the soil, the first patient reported great abdominal pain. Zhou Kewen¡¯s face nched as cold sweat slid down his cheeks. He described the pain as ¡®his stomach twisting like something was crawling inside it.¡¯ Wang Ruoxiang and her colleagues immediately jumped into action. Things appeared to have headed south after all. They did not understand the illness¡¯ pathology but the thing that worried them the most was whether they could progress with gastroscopy. Normally, one had to be on an empty stomach for gastroscopy as food and digested remnants would block the view and prevent the doctors from getting a good view of the stomach tissue and the procedure would cause nausea. However in this case, they needed to check for the presence of parasites inside the patient¡¯s stomach so they had to carry on with it. After entering the room, Wang Ruoxiang injected Zhou Kewen with sedative and applied anesthetic around his throat.

    ¡°Doctor, I don¡¯t want to die...¡± Zhou Kewen pleaded. The young man¡¯s face scrunched up from pain and fear. Tears welled up in his eyes. Both Lin Sizhe and Chen Xiang moved to detain the patient. Zhou Kewen was still conscious so he cooperated by lying as still as he could.

    ¡°I know, we will do our best. Now we¡¯ll start with a gastroscopy.¡± Wang Ruoxiang exined the details of the procedure consolingly to the patient. Then she focused to start. The painless gastroscopic device was ced beside the bed. She held the front of the scope in her right hand and slowly inserted it into the patient¡¯s mouth cavity. Normally, the patient would feel a bit nauseous at this stage. Zhou Kewen was no exception. His throat swallowed involuntarily, causing the upper esophageal sphincter to open. At that moment, Wang Ruoxiang slid the gastroscope through the opening.

    ¡°Urgh...¡± Zhou Kewen groaned in pain.

    The slender scope slowly reached into the patient¡¯s stomach. The video captured was shown live on the gastroscope monitor. As Wang Ruoxiang adjusted the scope, she studied the monitor. Her brows slowly pleated.

    On the monitor, red flesh showed peristaltic movement. She was at the esophagus. All the undigested food was exposed. Some stuck to the stomach lining, others churned following the patient¡¯s swallowing motion. Brown soil was mixed with blood and barely digested food. It looked a mess.

    On the stomach lining, and among the digested glob, there were threads of half-transparent objects. They were not affected by stomach acid and wiggled constantly. They looked like anisakis, a kind of parasite that grew inside oceanic creatures and human bodies. The human would get infected by it through ingestion of infected fish. They were immune to stomach acid because they had great prative ability. They would prate through the stomach wall, causing gastric perforation. For now, there was no drug to counter this parasite. The only solution was to manually retrieve them out from the stomach. Those infected by anisakis would fall ill within 1 to 5 days. Clinical symptoms included nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain...

    If Zhou Kewen went to amon hospital in this condition, he¡¯d be diagnosed with anisakis infection. But since Lin Sizhe had participated in Headmaster Chui¡¯s autopsy, he recognized the parasite easily as locust worm and not anisakis. Wang Ruoxiang could give an even more detailed analysis. She had seen this kind of parasite in various organs of Headmaster Chui¡¯s body. They were the mostmon, youngest stage of the abnormal locusts.

    They were present, the parasite was present inside the patient¡¯s body.

    On the day of Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion, Zhou Kewen was standing at the very back of the group. In terms of distance, he could not have been in contact with the spray of parasites.

    ¡°What is that...¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s brows deepened. She saw a piece of stomach lining was turning translucent. It then rapidly disintegrated into a cluster of worms. The original stomach lining turned scorched brown, like it had been burned. There was no trace of blood. The newly formed worms wiggled as they submerged into the stomach liquid and flowed with it down into the intestines. It would then turn the intestine into an ocean of parasites.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± Lin Sizhe was dumbfounded. He saw with disbelief as human tissues transmuted into parasites. Even though Chen Xiang was an Action Department member, he knew how bad the situation was. If stomach lining could be transmuted, then what about human muscles or skin?

    Seeing the change to their expression, Zhou Kewen instantly groaned louder. Clearly he was concerned by what they saw. Wang Ruoxiang was silent, she found herself unable to utter empty constion like ¡®you¡¯re fine, everything¡¯s fine¡¯.

    Thinking back to the parasites that infiltrated every part of the Headmaster Chui¡¯s body, including the bones, her heart chilled and her ears buzzed...

    There was no need for eggs, these infected victims did not need to ingest the parasitic eggs. Based on what they saw... Any part of the patients could be transmuted into this kind of locust worm before their whole body was morphed into a pile of worms. The pathogen existed on a higher ne.

    The patients did not need to ingest the eggs because they themselves were the eggs. The ingestion of the abnormal soil was to gain the necessary nutrient to grow...

    Locust Sickness, this was truly the Locust Sickness.

 Chapter 429: The Hypothesis of Parasitic Gene

    <h4>Chapter 429: The Hypothesis of Parasitic Gene</h4>

    After the gastroscopy, Zhou Kewen was gripped by great nausea but he did not vomit anything. His situation was not optimistic but he was not briefed about it by the medical team. Wang Ruoxiang simply gave him an anti-inmmatory drug to help with the abdominal pain. However, once the scope was removed, the young man started to plead for more soil again. The trio retreated out from the quarantine room. Not long after that, the second experiment participant, Sun Chuiting reported the same problem. They too performed gastroscopy on Sun Chuiting and found the half-translucent locust worm inside her body too. The discovery was consistent in all the six patients who participated in the experiment. There was no difference whether they had consumed normal dirt, vomited blood, were sedated or not.

    Interacting with these patients, even through the protective gear, the chance of the trio being infected greatly increased. A moment of terror shed temporarily across Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s mind but she quickly moved her focus away from it. If she was infected, then she¡¯d work faster while she was still in control of her senses. She summarized the thoughts she had from Headmaster Chui¡¯s autopsy and initiated a 3 party meeting with the medical team and the headquarters. Before entering the conference room, she had to go through a series of inspections, including being shot by an Ancient Seal. Due to her history, such measures had to be taken.

    Only a small member joined the meeting. From the medical team, it was Si Kouxian; from themand centre, it was Yao Sinian. After hearing the news, their faces were drawn. There were about 1000 patients who had not consumed the abnormal soil but with a mouthful of the abnormal soil, they could easily turn into a walking locust incubator. The experiment proved that their allotriophagy could not be entertained as it was equalled to rearing the parasites in their bodies. ording to Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s prediction, the patients would perish from enormous pain. Lobotomy or nervous impairment surgery could help them avoid death... but for a medical practitioner, this was not an easy choice to make.

    Wang Ruoxiang had several ideas of her own. ¡°Does Headmaster Chui have the same pathology as Teacher Wang and Zhou Kewen?¡± Wang Ruoxiang posed. Normally for parasitic illnesses, the pathology was the same, unless Headmaster Chui was the first host and the students and teachers were the second hosts but that did not appear to be the case. There were three stages of parasites found inside Headmaster Chui¡¯s body, the young worm, adolescent worm and adult worm.

    The young worm was found in both Headmaster Chui and Zhou Kewen¡¯s body but in thetter¡¯s case, the young worms basically formed themselves from the young man¡¯s bodily tissue. Theoretically speaking, the progress of the worm growing from youth to maturity should be the same. ¡°But what if that is not the case?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked seriously, ¡°They already showed some differences in their pathology. Headmaster Chui exploded after 4 days but his stomach was still mostly intact, there was no sign of tissue damage or repair; but in just 4 hours, the stomach lining in Zhou Kewen and Sun Chuiting¡¯s body had almost worn off. This is a big difference.

    ¡°The other difference is in terms of their mental state. Even before his self-destruction, Headmaster Chui was rational and even passionate; but Zhou Kewen and the rest were in great pain and madness. A female locust can produce 100 worms each time, I¡¯m thinking, is it possible that patients like Headmaster Chui and Lee Yuhan are like the female locust equivalent? A unique form of carrier? And the second batch of victims are the locust eggs?¡± Wang Ruoxiang stated. This was her medical analysisbined with her spiritual prediction.

    Under normal circumstances, after one was infected by a parasite, there were some specifics that one could observe. The carrier referred to those who did not showcase prominent clinical symptoms but had the ability to transmit the pathogen. Parasites rarely cause acute infection illnesses. Normally, they would slowly progress into deeper infection due to ack of treatment. Examples included the formation of ascaris ova granuloma and hepatic fibrosis due to schistosome. The speed, and infection range like Zhou Kewen¡¯s batch was definitely abnormal.

    There was another possibility calledvra migrans. This refers to the situation where the young are unable to grow into adults due to ipatibility with the host but they could survive and even move inside the host¡¯s body causing partial or full body mutation. Since there was no trace of adolescent or adult worms inside Zhou Kewen¡¯s body, this could be a possibility; Even though they were both humans, the second batch might be ipatible for the locust so it led to these different acute symptoms.

    ¡°If the 300 plus patients who are currently missing suffer from acute symptoms like Zhou Kewen, they should have gone to the hospital, right? But there is no such record. They act more like carriers. But for Teacher Wang and Zhou Kewen, you can notice their abnormality with a nce.¡±

    ¡°So you believe this second batch of patients are not contagious?¡± Si Kouxian asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just feel that they are different.¡± Wang Ruoxiang admitted, ¡°But in terms of transmission method, I do have some spections.¡± Water-borne transmission, food-borne transmission, air-borne transmission, earth-born transmission, human body direct transmission, these weremon transmission methods for parasites. For now they could not exclude the possibility of the second batch of victims inhaling the air with the locust egg at the field. But that seemed unlikely. Everyone at the field, no matter the distance, was infected. But the school guards, canteen workers also heard Headmaster Chui¡¯s speech, they simply did not witness the self-explosion. They were not present at the field. Until now, they showed no trace of infection. Therefore, the medical team narrowed the transmission requirement down to having witnessed Headmaster Chui¡¯s self-explosion.

    Wang Ruoxiang now had witnessed the mutation of the patient¡¯s stomach lining and the gastroscope had recorded the image. Would she be infected? What was the transmission method? Mental influence? Where did the pathogen reside after they entered the human body? They were not physically visible and unlike the Mutated Scale Disease, it was not a nervous system mutation that was caused by ritualistic power. In this case, the whole human body was infected and the infection was contagious. In earlier animal experiments,b rats were given abnormal soil with locust eggs and parasites harvested from Headmaster Chui¡¯s body. They did not show any symptoms. The egg and parasites were ejected out of their bodies with other effluence. It was the same with otherb animals. This was a parasite that only impacted human beings.

    ¡°Our current hypothesis is that the new batch of patients are mentally impacted and thus caused metabolic mutation because they have witnessed the explosion.¡± Wang Ruoxiang stressed, ¡°And that exined why only the students and teachers at the field are infected, but how can we be sure that in that moment of self-implosion, all 1006 students and teachers saw it with their own eyes? That did not match the result from the Investigation Department.¡±

    Si Kouxian and Yao Sinian knew what she was getting at. Even though everyone said how scary that scene was, after more detailed questioning, quite a number of people did not see the explosion for themselves. Some were too far behind to see anything and others were simply not paying attention to the headmaster. However, all of them were infected. That brought into question the hypothesis of the transmission method being the requirement to witness Headmaster Chui¡¯s self-explosion.

    ¡°But what if there is an actual range? But the range is justrge enough to cover all 1006 people at the field.¡± Wang Ruoxiang continued, ¡°No matter they were listening to Headmaster Chui¡¯s speech, no matter they saw the explosion, no matter their emotions at the time, as long as they were within this range, they would be infected.¡±

    As the two listened, they realized this was simr to a different problem they were dealing with...

    ¡°What if the transmission method was through radiation?¡± Wang Ruoxiang postted. ¡°A physical radiation urred the moment Headmaster Chui¡¯s head exploded. The energy expended in a particle or electromaic wave until it dissipated. The whole process covered the entire range of the field. Once the human body within this range was exposed to this radiation, they would undergo gic mutation simr to how one would suffer from exposure to nuclear radiation. However, the mutation here involves a fixed transfiguration of the DNA strand, causing the human body to turn into a big locust egg. With sufficient nutrient, they would start to mutate into locust incubators.¡±

    Her hypothesis, as shocking as it was, was a great epiphany. It was not ingestion, airborne, saliva, interaction, dark corruption, mental influence... but radiation. That was why Ancient Seal had no use. This was on a biological level, it involved gics. If that was the case... the strength of one¡¯s determination would not have mattered, this was not a problem of the mind but of the gene. This kind of unique illness, where the pathogen infiltrated the human genes through radiation was something Phecda, no, the whole humanity had not faced before. Even if this was not an abnormal disease, in terms of gic illnesses, human medicine was incrediblycking.

    ¡°I have another hypothesis.¡± Wang Ruoxiang said after a long sigh. What she said frightened everyone who heard her. ¡°What if that slice of wastnd is itself a mutated area? It can give off this unique strain of radiation and that was why everyone who participated in the Arbor Day activity was infected.¡±

    Since Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion, in the past 40 hours, there were plenty of Phecda members including the One who had entered that wastnd. Even though they all wore anti-radioactive gear and did not stay for long... Peacock did express the wish to try the abnormal locusts before.

 Chapter 430: 15 Gunshots

    <h4>Chapter 430: 15 Gunshots</h4>

    At 4 am, the sky was still dark. 5 cubic km around the wastnd, the frontline workers were notified to evacuate but they had no idea this was an emergency evacuation. From the start, these workers had performed a series of radiation inspections at the wastnd. They did not detect any high radiation. But of course, there was some minor natural radiation. But now the headquarters suspected there might be a kind of locust radiation among the ¡®natural radiation¡¯ that could infiltrate the human genes.

    How did human DNA look like in the past? The past here referred to several billion years ago, the start of the mammalian animals. Before the modern human DNA framework was formed, it might be hard to believe but about 8 percent of human DNA came from prehistoric virus. Most of them were retrovirus, this kind of virus could infiltrate into the host¡¯s cells and then input their own gene into the host¡¯s DNA to aplish parasitic infection. These parasitic genes would participate in the host¡¯s cellr activities and adopt them to their personal requirement. These retroviruses would be transmitted to the host¡¯s next generation through semen or ovum. The reason that human beings were the way human beings were today, the origins of certain organs and the brain synapses... had deep rtions to these parasitic genes.

    After billions of years, human beings had adapted to these viruses. This wasmon to most mammals. Animal experiments had been done to split out these virus genes and they realized theb rats soon perished. These virus genes were rtively stable inside the human body. But if a new kind of virus wished to infiltrate into this body, like the HIV virus, which was another retrovirus, then there would be a serious problem. On the other hand, medical science had attempted to input specific external gene information into the human body for the sake of recovery, this was gic treatment.

    Therefore, was it possible that the pathogen for the Locust Sickness was a strand of specific DNA information that was input into the human gics through radiation?

    ¡°The hypothesis of carriers and infected¡± as well as ¡°The hypothesis of parasitic gene¡±, these two hypotheses provided by Wang Ruoxiang were heavily valued by themand central. Wang Ruoxiang was a star student. Even though her hypotheses could not be proven for now, they had plenty of supportive evidence. The first was since all bodily tissue within the victim could be transmogrified into locust worms, then this could indeed point towards an issue on a gic level. The second was the connection to the mutated area. Radiation could indeed cause DNA mutation.

    The Scientific Research department immediately sampled the patient¡¯s and the parasite¡¯s DNA forparison, but these analyses took time. The 6 patients who participated in the second experiment were immediately transferred to an isted building. The others stayed where they were. The self-implosion of Headmaster Chui caused a radioactive corruption of about 8000 cubic metres with the man as the centre.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking what is so special about the soil there...¡± This was the supportive argument behind Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s hypothesis. Since there was no difference in soilposition, then could the difference havee from radiation pollution? Its difference was not something current human technology could detect? The locust egg was not the key or perhaps they were by-products of the radiation? This hypothesis caused great distress to Elder Tong. If the wastnd was another piece of mutated area... then it was more dangerous than the nuclear mutated area. At least for thetter, they could tell the border clearly. For this wastnd, they could not tell where the border ended. There was no disappearing trees or discoloration in the ground to mark the difference.

    ¡°Assuming the wastnd is connected to anormal abnormal space and like how the locust swarm can arrive at our world through the other mutated area, could the carriers like Lee Yuhan have travelled to another world?¡± Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s hypothesis was perfectly logical. Even at a ce as sparse as Mo Bei, with Phecda¡¯s technology and manpower, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to locate these 300 plus people. All the surveince pointed towards the fact that they did head towards the wastnd. Their vehicles were still parked there. So where had they gone? To another world? Like that multi-colored cat?

    Compared to these people, the headquarter¡¯s main mission was to deal with the members who had entered the mutated wastnd. Would these people be mew carriers?

    If that was the case, before their self-explosion, the carriers¡¯ inherent radiation was not strong enough to contaminate others, that was the only good news. That meant that these people did not need to be quarantined for now. Of course, there was the possibility of there being a threshold and those within the threshold simply were in thetent stage. Headmaster Chui and his group stayed at the wastnd for 1.5 hours during Arbor Day without protection, that was a referenceable data.

    Some of these members had stayed here for more than 30 hours. Some had changed shifts while others set up camp there. Even with the protective gear, they had been there at least 10 times longer than Headmaster Chui... This evacuation was done in secret to not arouse the frontline workers¡¯ suspicion. No one could tell for sure what was happening so there was no need to raise unnecessary havoc.

    The One was also ordered to return from the nuclear mutated area. They too had visited the desert wastnd. 12 of them did, 6 came from Phecda. They were Lou Xiaoning, Ma Feng, Deng Ximei, Peacock, Mchite and Uncle Dan. They arrived and left together. They stayed for 31 minutes. They walked around the area before being transferred away. Therefore, all 12 of them could have been infected but due to difference in physical state, they¡¯d manifest different symptoms. Among them, Peacock showed the most obvious symptom. During the evacuation, Peacock was assigned an isted vehicle. She was tasked with a small experiment.

    She had Kathlyn take over the body. This change caused a strange influence on Kathlyn. Since she was not as mentally strong as Peacock, she was more easily influenced, ¡°I feel so hungry... I want to eat dirt and there is a voice that forbids me from telling you guys that...¡± Inparison, Peacock felt more at ease in the body. Ever since the desire to eat locust appeared, she silenced it easily. She felt quite peaceful. But this did mean that... her body indeed had been infected by Locust Sickness.

    The secretmand central was silent. Elder Tong and Yao Sinian¡¯s expressions were dark. Things were slowly proving Wang Ruoxiang right. Before they could react, another bad news came from the inte, ¡°There are members who refuse to retreat from the desert wastnd frontline! I repeat, there are members who refuse to retreat from the desert wastnd frontline!¡±

    There 173 members from Phecda who worked the 2 cubic km of the desert wastnd. 5 of them were from the Spell Department and 10 were from the Ancient Seal Department.

    ¡°Get me connected to their leader now!¡± Elder Tong hissed through his teeth. The leader sent by the Spell Department was Yu Xiaoyong. Yu Xiaoyong was the original captain of the Arctic Wolf Special Mobile Force. He was handpicked to join the Spell Department. In the Yellow Brotherhood incident, he was part of the ¡®traitors¡¯ and was imprisoned alongside Wang Ruoxiang. He just returned to his post 1 year ago. Elder Tong, went against manyints, to rescue people like Wang Ruoxiang and Yu Xiaoyong from imprisonment. If they disappointed Phecda again, Elder Tong would be in serious trouble. And now Phecda really did not have the time to deal with more dissent...

    Soon, the image was connected to the wastnd frontline. Yu Xiaoyong¡¯s tense expression appeared at the temporary camp headquarters. Behind him were a group of familiar faces. They were members Yao Sinian and Elder Tong personally selected to join the Spell Department and Ancient Seal Department.

    ¡°Elder Tong... we have ingested too much soil... I, I cannot help it...¡± Yu Xiaoyong¡¯s voice trembled and his eyes reddened. ¡°None of us can resist it. What I want to say is, we tried to physically fight it but there is a voice calling for us and we eventually sumbed to it...¡± So these people had not lost their mind, they were not as sick as Headmaster Chui yet. They knew the condition that they were in and could see the purpose behind this sudden evacuation.

    ¡°I can feel the change in my body, parts of my body are changing... I can see worms under my palm...¡± Yu Xiaoyong croaked. ¡°We can¡¯t be saved. We have eaten too much soil. We have been changed... If we return and are forbidden from eating soil, we¡¯ll go insane; if we stay here, we too will go insane as the worms take over our mind...¡±

    Elder Tong, Yao Sinian and others were lost. The rationality assessment stones did not glow. This was not a dark corruption. It was radiation and mutation.

    ¡°The wills that we¡¯ve written every time before our departure finally cane into use... Of the 163 people here, 82 of us are willing tomit suicide. All members from the Spell Department and Ancient Seal Department agreed to it. This is a free choice so we won¡¯t force the other colleagues. But personally, I¡¯d suggest the headquarters to blow up this ce with a missile. Do not let them go because they will turn into your enemy...

    ¡°We have to make the move while we are still ourselves... Soil, I want soil. Eat more soil and we can see god... A voice told us that. Perhaps I know spells so I could hear more... because I also heard, eat more soil and I will be part of the Flying Locust... But no, I know I am Yu Xiaoyong, the former Arctic Wolf leader and proud Phecda member...

    ¡°Now, please look away from the screen but record it, perhaps the science team can get some information from this... Elder Tong, and other officers, we¡¯re sorry but this shall be where our fight ends...¡±

    Yu Xiaoyong gave a military salute, took the gun from his waist, aimed it at his head and pulled the trigger.

    With a bang, the bullet shattered the skull and blood sshed everywhere. Along with the blood was brain matter and half-translucent young locust worms.

    The other members behind him all raised the gun with pain, determination and struggle.

    Bang, bang, bang, bang...

    There were 15 gunshots fired.

 Chapter 431: Flying Locust

    <h4>Chapter 431: Flying Locust</h4>

    ¡°My Jia Er is a good boy, he will never hurt anyone, he would even purposely take a detour around a line of ants when hees across them.¡± Inside the interrogation room, Wang Jia Er¡¯s mother imed weakly, ¡°Granted we allow him plenty of freedom because my husband and I are too busy with our business but he has given us no reason to worry about him before... I refuse to believe that he has changed so much in just a span of a few days. Can¡¯t you just tell me what crime he hasmitted? Where is my boy now?¡±

    After Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion, the family of the first batch of patients was quickly quarantined. That was because they had the closest contact with the patients. Among the student families, Wang Jia Er¡¯s parents were rather unique because on the week of Arbor Day, they were out of the city on business. This interrogation was not conducted at Mo Bei City but the adjacent Chi Lin City.

    ¡°Jia Er is a very obedient child and he knows the limit so we never stop him from inviting his friends to our home. That day when Lee Yuhan¡¯s mother called me, I didn¡¯t think anything would happen. I merely was concerned for their future when I persuaded her from calling the police. They are still too young to know about the consequence of their actions... Have I told you about this? Jia Er has been donating and volunteering at several stray animal shelters. He always wants to have a pet but we won¡¯t allow it so he visits them at the shelters instead. He is a very kind young man and filled withpassion. Sometimes, I feel like he is sent here to teach me and my husband a lesson in life...¡± Mother Wang¡¯s eyes watered, ¡°Jia Er, my son... please let me see him...¡±

    ...

    Dawn broke and the sun rose to the sky. A new day was beginning at Mo Bei City. Even though the city was not a metropolis, it had a poption number of about 2,000,00. The city did not have many skyscrapers but the ce was still bustling with activity. Cars jammed the business centre.

    Today, it was Zhu Haiwei¡¯s holiday break. His girlfriend, Jin Lixin also applied for an off day. They could finally leave the base for a sweet outing. Both of them worked at Mysterium, one was in the Investigation Department, the other Medical Department. This kind of holiday was extremely rare. However, since Mysterium managed to deliver a heavy blow to the Land of Mu Cultst year, their lives had quieted down a lot. Compared to members of the Spell Department, their lives could not have been freer.

    Today was not exactly a holiday. Zhu Haiwei had a n, something that he had been preparing for months already. He and Lixin were in a rtionship for 3 years already and they were both heading into their 30s. Since things were rtively peacefultely, why not tie the knot now? After all, they might not have this break in their schedule anymore. The pair walked down the busy street. There were several restaurants with outdoor seating and 70 percent of them were upied by tourists.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Jin Lixin pushed on the sses sitting on her nose. ¡°You¡¯re never good at keeping secrets,e on, spill it.¡±

    Zhu Haiwei was quite nervous. He smiled bashfully. He didn¡¯t know how to be romantic, he went online to search for temtes of proposals but he couldn¡¯t find one that fitted himself. Furthermore, with the nature of their career, they couldn¡¯t make too big of amotion even for a proposal event.

    ¡°Lixin.¡± Zhu Haiwei began sincerely. He was about a head taller than his girlfriend. If he went down on one knee, it would attract too much attention so he could only assume a strange half-kneeling posture. ¡°Marry me, be my wife and let me take care of you forever.¡±

    Jin Lixin was first startled before she started tough. ¡°That¡¯s all... there¡¯s not even a wedding ring?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t bought it yet.¡± Zhu Haiwei chuckled as he scratched his head. ¡°Well, we are on holiday break today, right? Why don¡¯t we go make the purchase now?¡±

    ¡°That has to be the most casual proposal I¡¯ve ever seen...¡± Jin Lixin grumbled but she could not hide the smile on her face. ¡°But I guess that¡¯s why I love you. Okay. Yes.¡±

    ¡®She said yes?¡¯ Zhu Haiwei¡¯s heart quivered. He did not show much excitement outwardly but internally he was overjoyed. He sighed in relief. ¡°Then let¡¯s go ring shopping now!¡± He grabbed his girlfriend¡¯s hand and headed towards the mall. The two walked for a distance, before they even got into the mall, they heard a surprised yell from a person in the crowd. The security uncle who guarded the mall entrance had his mouth gaping as he looked up into the sky. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Both Zhu Haiwei and Jin Lixin turned back to look with confusion. Their hearts squeezed. On the previously clear blue sky, there were now flying shadows. They were giant birds flying down different directions. One of them soared towards the mall. They could see clearer now the ¡®bird¡¯ had a bat-like wings, elephantine body, an equine head and the body was covered in strange scales and feathers. There was a man standing on the back of the bird. The man looked about 17. He wore a green school uniform, he looked like a high school student.

    ¡°What is that?!¡± Some of the tourists took out their phone to capture this moment. Others were stunned. Zhu Haiwei was confused for a moment before he recovered. Instinctively, he reached for his gun and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m with the police! This is dangerous! Evacuate into the mall now, quick! Lixin, call the headquarters!¡± He did not know any spell but he raised the pistol and aimed it at the swooping shadow. He pulled the trigger several times.

    ¡°Get into the mall please!¡± Jin Lixin tried to control the crowd. She realized that this was not a mutated creature in Mysterium¡¯s database!

    The bullets hit the bird on its body and wings. ck blood spurted. It was corporeal. However, it did not stop and continued to fly their way. The citizens at the za were dumbfounded. Some did follow the advice to head into the mall but others came out from the mall, wishing to take a closer look.

    Suddenly, Zhu Haiwei, Jin Lixin and the citizens saw a strange scene. The young man who sat on the giant bird had his head turn red due to blood rushing to it. There was a glow that emitted from under his skin. His skull turned transparent and the worms that resided inside his brain were shown. The worms... were the ones giving off the light as they wiggled in the man¡¯s brain...

    The young man did not raise his voice but everyone could hear him clearly, ¡°The storm is imminent, insects and worms shall ride the wind; The flood is imminent, mayflies shall ride the waves.¡±

    Bang! With a crisp snap, the translucent brain exploded. The worms sttered everywhere and fell from the sky. Theynded on Zhu Haiwei¡¯s face and on the ground. The industrial za echoed with another wave of screams.

    This kind of shrieks echoed throughout the entire Mo Bei City as the birds descended upon it.

 Chapter 432: The Invasion

    <h4>Chapter 432: The Invasion</h4>

    A gaunt stray dog yapped and scurried frantically down the road. Its matted fur shivered and its tail curled tightly together. The sound of rotors buzzed from the sky. It was apanied by the broadcast saying in calming tones, ¡°Please stay in order. There is no need to panic.¡±

    Crying, shouting erupted all over Mo Bei City. Evacuation buses were everywhere. Soldiers hurried citizens onto the buses. Armored cars and medical ambnces rushed down the streets. The city-wide evacuation began yesterday morning. It had been a day but the evacuation effort was still not yetplete. The city had over 2,000,000 people and there might be the infected among them. Procedures like inspection, recement and evacuation took up time. Another problem was where would the people be evacuated to? Before more information could be gleaned about the epidemic, the whole Mo Bei district would be closed down.

    Liu Hongqiang was numb as he queued up to get onto the bus. He was just a normal office worker, he had no wife and children. He moved to Mo Bei for his job so he lived alone. He was worried about his parents. Not long after the hordes of insects and birds gathered in the skies of Mo Bei yesterday morning, the city was told to evacuate. The citizens were thrown into chaos. Some of them tried to drive away with their families in cars but the government stopped them. Temporarily,w was still enforced. The evacuation was conducted section by section. At that moment, Liu Hongqiang overheard someone in front of the line ask the soldier on post, ¡°Sir, what is happening, is this another epidemic?¡±

    Ever since the evacuation notice, this was not the first time he heard that question. In fact, he had personally asked that question himself. Despite the heavy monitoring of the inte, rumors flew among the Mo Bei citizens. Some imed that it was the return of legione pneumonia and others said it was a seconding of the ck gue. There was also a spection of radiation poisoning¡ªsince many soldiers wore suit with the yellow and ck radiation warning symbol. In any case, none of them believed the official exnation of it being a superrge sandstorm.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an epidemic.¡± The soldier answered. ¡°Do not worry, you will all be settled into a safe ce.¡± But suddenly, gasps of fear erupted around him. They all looked into the sky. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Is it a bird?¡± Ever since yesterday morning, Mo Bei¡¯s sky had been incredibly busy but the new arrival was nothing like the insects or normal birds.

    Liu Hongqiang turned to the voice and saw a giant bird with a horse¡¯s head swoop towards them. Thebat helicopter countered with heavy fire. The giant bird was shot. It shrilled sharply as its blood and flesh sttered to the ground. However, it did not perish without a fight. At that moment, it picked up speed and the bird rammed into the helicopter which was too slow to evade such an attack.

    ¡°Get into the bus!¡± The soldiers urged nervously. They had been given thetest order by the headquarters. They were to skip the individual inspection and hurry along the evacuation. The citizens eximed in horror. That was the result of supernatural energy...

    Some children cried but some of the kids jumped excitedly. They saw from tv and learned from school that despite the scariness of supernatural energy, they had Phecda, the Problematic Team and The One to protect them. The well-known heroes woulde to save them. Yes, heroes like Doctor Gu, Gu Jun!

    Whenever the children yed home, everyone wanted to be Doctor Gu, no one wanted to be the gue monster.

    ¡°Mommy, there¡¯s no need to be afraid.¡± A child told his mother confidently, ¡°Doctor Gu will win with the help of the One. They are all superheroes.¡± But the mother still could not shake off the fear. She hugged her child tightly as she watched the helicopter spin out of control. The rotor creaked noisily as it malfunctioned.

    ¡°Warning, we¡¯re preparing for emergencynding!¡± The broadcast from the helicopter turned anxious, ¡°Look out down there! Clear out a space!¡±

    At the same time, more giant birds came from the horizon. It was like they were infiltrated by a strange army. The city defense responded with more helicopters and fighter jets. However, the clouds of normal birds and insects posed a great problem. They lowered visibility and they could easily enter the engine to cause malfunctions.

    Another bird wasing towards where Liu Hongqiang was standing. He was with the other evacuating citizens, there were about several thousands of them. Some of the buses hurried to leave but not every citizen was on the bus yet. Some were too stunned to move. Liu Hongqiang was one of theter ones because he saw the person standing on the bird. It was a girl who wore a green school uniform which he recognized easily. It was the uniform from Mo Bei Gao Ji high school, his alma mater. However, he could not process... what he was seeing.

    ¡°The storm is imminent, insects and worms shall ride the wind; The flood is imminent, mayflies shall ride the waves.¡±

    The high school girl on the bird suddenly announced. Despite the din, her clean voice could be heard clearly. Bang! There was an explosion. The crowds screamed. The children cried.

    The gaunt stray dog continued to find a hiding ce. Due to overwhelming fear, its body shook heavily. He tripped on his own legs several times. Finally, he managed to crawl into a tipped over trash can. He shivered involuntarily as he squeezed as much as he could deep into the trash can...

    The many horrible sounds, the gunshots, the explosions, the screams of humans, the shrieks of the strange birds... echoed inside the hollow space.

    ...

    The situation at Mo Bei City was shown on the big screen at Phecda¡¯s headquarters. The atmosphere was negative as people bustled about. They felt lost and confused. Before the actual chaos came, there were already various warning reports. But no one expected shit to hit the fan so fast. The threats that entered into this world included both things that they could see and they could not see.

    ¡°Unknown organism spotted at the desert wastnd!¡±

    ¡°The unknown organism is 99 percent simr to the abnormal bird Gu Jun once summoned!¡±

    ¡°There is someone riding on the bird!¡±

    ¡°Facial recognition confirms that it is Lee Yuhan. He is one of the first batch of missing patients!¡±

    ¡°They are flying towards the city!¡±

    ¡°The missile system is down. Whenever the abnormal birds are within 1000 metre range, the signal will be disturbed and the system will shut down!¡±

    ¡°The abnormal birds have entered the city, prepare for battle!¡±

    ¡°Notification of explosion! There are 3... no 4 patients who rushed into the crowd at Mo Bei City and self-exploded. It is confirmed that their heads are carrying parasites.¡±

    ¡°The mutated area... the mutated area at the tree farm has just exploded for the fifth time. Warning, the mutated area at the tree farm has just exploded for the fifth time, the border has greatly expanded!¡±

 Chapter 433: Dare-to-Die

    <h4>Chapter 433: Dare-to-Die</h4>

    Various reports kepting in. Elder Tong sat on themander¡¯s seat, watching the chaos on screen and he was silent. The locust radiation had been proven, the desert wastnd had fallen. Of the 163 frontline workers, 82 of them chose tomit suicide, and the rest... were sted into meat cakes by missiles. It was also from this wastnd where the big abnormal birds and missing patients started to appear. They were most likely the Flying Locust mentioned by Yu Xiaoyong in his dying words. These patients turned Mo Bei City into a battlefield.

    The fifth explosion happened. Morend turned dark and scorched. The locust swarm invaded the previous border and soon delineated a new border. The mutated area grew from the previous 70 cubic km to about 350 cubic km. It had expanded about 5 times. Its growth speed had increased again. The quintuple expansion was beyond Phecda¡¯s expectation. The fourth explosion only caused a double expansion and the expansion scale was on a downward slope. However, there was also no locust swarm and flocks of insects and birds volunteering their deaths to the swarm before this fifth explosion...

    After this explosion, the cameras, drones set up within the previous border instantly lost their signals. They were ingested by the swarm. The 627 Phecda members who worked the field perished as well. Their finalmunication with the headquarters was filled with horrid screams and wails. None of them survived because once the border expanded, the locust swarm surged in from their original dimension. The mutated area grew too fast. Those who died were the necessary technicians working the field to find the solution to the problem...

    If the One was not summoned back earlier, they¡¯d fall to the same fate. 790 members already perished in this tragedy. And that was not counting the number of civilian fatalities. With the expansion of the two mutated areas, and the arrival of the Flying Locust... this number would hike soon enough.

    ¡°Elder Tong? Elder Tong?¡± Themunicator beside him urged. There were many people waiting for Elder Tong¡¯s order, what should they do now? Elder Tong did not space out, he simply did not know what to say. Everyone, even Yao Sinian was waiting for him to say something, as if this old man had some brilliant idea that could easily turn the situation around. But Elder Tong knew that he was not that capable... ¡®We are too weak to deal with this tragedy. If it is just the chaos at Mo Bei City, then we can still contain it with both Phecda and the country¡¯s military power... provided that those abnormal creatures, and the Flying Locusts can be killed by normal weapons... The best oue is that a district will be wiped out. Several hundred thousand lives will be lost.

    ¡®But what about the worst? Now we are faced with two mutated areas. One is clearly expanding and the other is still aplete mystery. One has radiation poisoning and the other has locust radiation. Exposure to either guarantees a horrible death. We are too weak, this is a truth that everyone knows but refuse to admit. Human beings are too weak... to do anything... A single tornado, earthquake, tsunami is able to wipe us out... Much less an atomic bomb like the one Deng Ximei saw in her illusion.

    ¡®Now it looks like the nuclear explosion did not wipe out these locusts. If anything, it appears like these locusts survive on radiation.¡¯

    Atomic bomb was humanity¡¯sst resort but Elder Tong was against using it. He believed that would only expand the size of the mutated area. ¡®An atomic bomb might vaporize the first wave of the locust swarm and then what? The second swarm would juste and take their ce. They had toe from somewhere, a single source. Without dealing with this source, the problem couldn¡¯t be solved. But we will have to try something soon... the result might not be what I expected... Perhaps the result might turn out to be good... After all, there is no other solution...

    ¡®Why would Gu Jun be seen summoning that abnormal bird in the past? Why? Where is he now? How is he part of that nuclear explosion? What kind of forces are behind this?¡¯ Questions, questions and more questions. It was like they found themselves inside a thick fog that deprived them of their senses. Everything was an unknown. However, Elder Tong couldn¡¯t bring himself to expose these thoughts. He was the leadingmander, everyone looked to him for guidance. However, even though he tried to keep a straight face, he noticed the moral around him was dipping. Everyone shared the same confusion and sense of loss. Because of that, Elder Tong knew that he had to power on. He was silent for 10 seconds before he said, ¡®Initiate the Dare to Die Mission.¡±

    This was one of the few choices they had left. The mission would send out a team into the desert wastnd to detect for new changes. The dare to die team had one hour to work. Once the first batch was done, the second batch would rotate and take their ces. Within this one hour, how much locust radiation the members would be exposed to and whether they could turn into Locust Sickness carriers was unknown. There was not enough data to support or deny it. In any case, the dare to die teams would be immediately isted and most likely be sacrificed...

    With regards to the other mutated area, due to the locust swarm, it was pointless sending in people.

    Now, the screen broadcasted the livefeed from the desert wastnd. The first batch of dare to die units of 20 members were ready to depart. The elite members knew what they were facing. They volunteered for the mission and had all written their will. Some of them were from Mo Bei and this was their home; others might not be from Mo Bei but this was still their country.

    Making sacrifices was never easy but someone had to do it... At least, they had thefort of knowing that their families would be taken care of by the government. Of course, the premise was that Earth itself had to be safe.

    ¡°My friends.¡± Elder Tong¡¯s voice was hoarse as he resisted the tears. At this moment, mncholy was not needed, instead they needed a leader who could inspire. Elder Tong¡¯s heart almost stopped when he said, ¡°Depart for the mission, good luck.¡±

    There was not a dry eye in themand central. Yao Sinian gave a long sigh. For an old man like himself to watch troops of young people walk into their death, his heart was filled with sadness.

    On the screen, the first unit got onto the tactical vehicle and departed. Humanity was weak but they had their moments of brilliance. Elder Tong sunk back into silence. Themand central did not need to direct the battle at Mo Bei City¡¯s city centre. The battlefieldmanders were doing a good job. The abnormal birds were being brought down but not before the members of Flying Locust hadpleted their self-explosion. Some exploded close to the ground, others higher in the air.

    Headmaster Chui¡¯s explosion caused a radiation radius of about 8000 cubic metres. The self-explosion of these Flying Locust members might cause a bigger radius than that.

    At that moment, themunicator beside Elder Tong asked, ¡°Elder Tong, are we going to continue the Life Circle Project?¡±

    Elder Tong was temporarily stumped. ¡®Life Circle Project? What is that?¡¯ Then it came to Elder Tong. How could he have forgotten about the mission that he personally designed? It was an attempted project to stop the expansion of the mutated area by logging and burning all signs of life in a circle around the border. However, a question niggled at his mind... ¡®Wasn¡¯t that mission supposed to be called the quarantine circle project? When did it be the Life Circle Project?¡¯ Elder Tong thought about it and suspected perhaps his memory had failed him and it was called the Life Circle Project all along...

 Chapter 434: Competing Reality Hypothesis

    <h4>Chapter 434: Competing Reality Hypothesis</h4>

    Was it the quarantine circle or life circle? Elder Tong couldn¡¯t help the niggling sensation. It was like after a moment¡¯s reprieve, some minor yet important detail was different. Looking around, themand central was busy as ever, but... Elder Tong¡¯s eyesnded on a water cup next to him. He remembered finishing the water but now the cup was full. ¡®What is this life circle project?¡¯ Elder Tong turned to one of the screens. He saw trucks and carts carrying nts like trees and flowers as well as livestock like cows and sheep towards the border of the mutated area. Some of the nts were being nted into the ground, others were abandoned just like that; the animals were chased into the hurriedly built pens.

    ¡®Wait a minute... I¡¯m not drunk, am I...?¡¯ Elder Tong scratched his head. Howe he remembered a different version of this? Quarantine circle was to manually destroy all the nts around the border of the mutated area to deplete the sources of life being essible to the mutated area to stop its expansion. At the time, two proposals were given to him and Elder Tong remembered he chose the quarantine circle proposal.

    The hypothesis of intersection between two dimensions appeared after they spotted the multi-colored cat. The quarantine circle was already in effect then. It did help to slow down the expansion speed of the mutated area, it proved useful... Or did it?

    Before the appearance of the multi-colored cat, Elder Tong already proposed the hypothesis of ¡®multiworld ovepping¡¯ based on his own analysis. It was because of this that Elder Tong came up with the following hypothesis which was the Competing Reality Hypothesis. If the two worlds were ovepping, two realities wouldpete. Which one would remain as the ¡®real¡¯ reality and which would disappear?

    Of course, reality A at world B could trade ces with reality B at world A. But why was the mutated area looking like this? Why was the wastndnd invading into Earth and not Earth which invaded into the wastnd world? Initially the mutated area was only 300 cubic metres, its discovery was due to Tian Fuhou who reported the disappearance of his nted trees. The trees within the area disappeared one after another and the mutated area took on the shape of the Wastnd Land. The scale continued to tip and the reality from the Wastnd World won out. That led to the first explosion and expansion of the mutated area. The appearance of the locust made the mutated area even more barren; the sacrifice of the insects and birds lowered the life force and the world was slowly being made into a wastnd...

    Due to thepeting reality hypothesis, after the first explosion, while the mutated area was still limited to Elder Tian¡¯s tree farm, Elder Tong had various departments start the life circle project, which employed arge amount of nts and animals to surround the mutated area. This was thepetition of two realities. The closer the mutated area mirrored a particr world, the reality of that world would have the bigger chance to be the ¡®real¡¯ reality. Therefore, they had to figure out a way to chase away the aura of death, and darkness. To do that, they constructed a life circle, a living zone, in essence, an antibiotic to counter the virus that was the wastnd reality. But now with the appearance of the locust swarm and the Flying Locust, the wastnd reality was winning. The second explosion urred and the mutated area grew to about 3 cubic km.

    ¡®Wait, what...¡¯ Elder Tong¡¯s brain numbed. It was like he was suffering from a hangover. Facts were remembered wrongly and things were forgotten but he had not had a drop of alcohol... ¡®The second explosion? Wasn¡¯t it the fifth already?¡¯

    During the fifth explosion, the mutated area grew to 350 cubic km and the whole Ma Er Wan was lost. 627 members died because they did not have the time to retreat...

    During the second explosion, the mutated area grew to 3 cubic km, it covered Tian Fuhou¡¯s tree farm and nearbynds. Temporarily there was no life lost...

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Elder Tong checked the screens in confusion. The One sent 3 members into the mutated area, Deng Ximei discovered the poster and saw the illusion. Wu Siyu painted the watercolor and lost her soul. The multi-colored cat and the locust swarm appeared. However, no birds and insects flew into the swarm to sacrifice themselves. The situation at the mutated area was still under control. The evacuation at Mo Bei was going smoothly because it began much earlier.

    On the desert wastnd¡¯s side, things appeared simr to what Elder Tong believed happened. Headmaster Chui exploded, the staff and students were infected, the clinical experiments were done, Wang Ruoxiang gave her hypothesis, the locust radiation was discovered. 163 people, including Yu Xiaoyong died. Peacock showed signs of infection. The Flying Locust appeared, the city sunk into chaos and the dare to die units were sent in...

    The memory loss and changes appeared only to apply to the mutated radiation area. It was his choice of life circle over quarantine circle that caused this series of changes...

    ¡®But... Multi-world ovepping hypothesis,peting reality hypothesis, life circle project... Did I reallye up with all of them?¡¯ Elder Tong was confused.

    ¡°Guotong, should we use the life circle at the desert wastnd too?¡± Yao Sinian asked, ¡°If the wastnd ispeting for reality with our world, then the life circle should be usable there too...¡±

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Yao, don¡¯t you feel that something is wrong? We were sitting here earlier but things were not like this.¡± Hearing that, Yao Sinian frowned. The suspicion in his heart grew. ¡°I thought it was just me. Some details did seem different to me.¡±

    ¡°Investigate it immediately!¡± With the order from Elder Tong, an investigation was conducted immediately. A questionnaire was posed to everyone at themand central. Soon the result came. 65 percent felt there was a discrepancy in their memory, 24 percent was uncertain, 11 percent felt nothing was wrong. This... something strange was happening...

    For the One and Spell Department members like Wang Ruoxiang, or people with high spirituality, 86 percent of them felt something had shifted. Some of them even gave the term quarantine circle when asked.

    ¡°I remember I have absorbed around 500mSv dosage of radiation.¡± Deng Ximei said, ¡°But now I am told it was only 200 mSv.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t many die at the frontline?¡± Lou Xiaoning grumbled in confusion, ¡°I remember being angry about it.¡±

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Uncle Dan groaned, ¡°Am I suffering from Alzheimer¡¯s?¡±

    Elder Tong tried to think back to when these thoughts appeared in his mind. He tried to dig in his memory but realized there was an empty space. It was like there was a moment in time where he was unconscious and his memory was tempered with. The more he tried to understand it, the more confused he became. It was as if there was a moment when his body was taken over by another version of himself. These hypotheses and thoughts were provided by an intruder. This thought made Elder Tong fearful and agitated. A force from a higher dimension had reached into the past to change some minor points, specifically some tactical decisions made by him, Elder Tong. These small changes caused a big difference in the present. But it was a better present...

    Who was it? How did it aplish this? Was it a friend or a foe? If it was a friend, why not lend a greater help by changing the situation at the desert wastnd as well? Was it not possible or was there another reason?

    Elder Tong stared at the big screen and his mind was muddled. He picked up the cup of water and gulped it down. In any case, he needed to make a decision now, how was he going to handle this change? No matter the choice he made, there was a risk involved. In the end, Elder Tong decided to follow his instinct. The invasion of body or mind felt weird but it felt as weird as when he used the Ancient Seal, they probably came from the same source.

    ¡°Initiate the life circle project at the desert wastnd as well!¡± Elder Tong ordered and told Yao Sinian as well as the rted members at the field. ¡°Pick up the speed! Call the dare to die units to retreat now. Instead send in the infected patients to the frontline to try out the soil. Control their amount of ingestion but use them to delineate the border. Set up snipers around the border. Shoot down any Flying Locust member that you encounter. Aim for the head! Do not let any of them past the border!

    ¡°We need more trees and more life to turn the wastnd into a forest, to turn the desert into oasis. Other than the life circle, we need to continue killing those locusts. We need to counter the reality invasion. The closer these mutated areas surge with life, the stronger our world¡¯s reality will be able to assert itself!¡±

    With Elder Tong¡¯s inspiring words, all unitsunched into action. The national military sent in reinforcement. Even though the locust swarm was endless, so did the military firepower. The situation was not positive but the war was not yet over. They had not lost, they needed to win.

    Elder Tong knew something there was something bigger at work. For now, they needed to fight for time. They needed to narrow down the two mutated areas and prevent them from expanding. That was most helpful to win the war. They were not the only parties in this war, there were unknown forces fighting at a higher dimension.

 Chapter 435: Supertemporal Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 435: Supertemporal Exchange</h4>

    If time was flexible and you could reach into any moment in the future and the past, would you change everything? The blood rushed to the brain¡¯s frontal lobe, parietal area, temporal lobe, ipital lobe and epenceph. Waves of pain overwhelmed him and everything was red. The PEEK polymer connected to the skull stretched to burst through the skin. Blood capiries popped in the widened eyes. Unknown light flickered in the eyes, they seemed toe from a different dimension. The man¡¯s body which the bloodshot eyes belonged to was currently lying t inside a giant ss chamber.

    His hands were not long enough to reach out to grip the strange metallic beam but when heid down, some threads rose from the bottom of the chamber. It was unable to tell whether they were corporeal or just reflections of light. They pierced through his skin, connected to his nervous system and then crawled out from his body again. Instantly, he felt his hands changing. They became longer. The 10 fingers disappeared, instead, his arm ended in a cylindrical organ with a giant w attached. He appeared to have morphed into a different species. Not only his hands, the threads even slithered into the other parts of his body, including his brain.

    The machine made a strange and screeching sound. The metallic beams and tubes made from unknown materials started to operate. The machine and the carvings, inscriptions and patterns on the tform initiated their mysterious purposes. Yu Chi, holding a shovel by the side, stood on the tform. He watched the proceeding with nervousness and some envy. Even though it was clear that the man in the chamber was under great pain, Yu Chi would have given up everything to trade ces with him. The opportunity to use ancient technology wouldn¡¯t chance upon every archaeologist. However, it had been decided that Yu Chi would be on guard duty. If any abnormality took over Gu Jun, Yu Chu would drag him out from the chamber but the problem that they worried about before they put this n into action urred¡ªYu Chi had trouble telling what was normal and what was abnormal.

    ¡°Captain Gu?¡± Yu Chi had no choice but to ask the man himself, ¡°How do you feel?¡± But he got no answer except Gu Jun¡¯s face turned even more horrifying. Every vein on his face popped. ¡°This is bad...¡± Even though Yu Chi was no doctor, he realized that this was not how a normal human body should react. Furthermore, Yu Chi knew about Captain Gu¡¯s history of brain damage. He was worried that Gu Jun¡¯s head might explode like a balloon. Yu Chi was suddenly reminded of the intermittent messages from the mysterious signal, ¡°...Your brain limited... ept...¡±

    ¡®Is it our human body has limited our brain? ept power and ept this machine...¡¯ Yu Chi studied this machine again and hesitated about doing something but he was afraid to interrupt Gu Jun. At that moment, there was a whiz. Lights in some of the tubes faded. The veins on Gu Jun¡¯s face slowly returned to normal but his eyes were still red. Yu Chu called hurriedly, ¡°Captain Gu, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can...¡± Gu Jun answered slowly. His voice was weak and low. Despite the weakness, there was severity in it.

    ¡°So how was it?¡± Yu Chi asked, knowing the situation wouldn¡¯t be that great.

    ¡°This machine can enable one to travel through time and space to infiltrate into the brain of the other lifeform in that specific dimension... I... have just returned to Phecda World from several days ago and changed some things... Captain Yu, there¡¯s big trouble at both Phecda World and Mysterium World. Both of our Mo Bei Cities are under attack...¡±

    ¡®A time machine?¡¯ Yu Chi was shocked and excited. He listened to Gu Jun slowly tell his story. Earlier, after Gu Jun climbed into the chamber, the connection to the machine was fully automatic. He did not do anything, or rather, he ¡®epted¡¯ it. But during this process, he could feel the ipatibility between his body and the machine. It was like a ps 4 trying to y a ps 5 game. The ipatibility was very dangerous, it could have killed him at any moment. Furthermore, Gu Jun had to deal with the witch¡¯s presence. However, when he was inside the chamber, Gu Jun felt a great lowering of the witch¡¯s power.

    In this case, the witch was not the main problem. The main problem was hisck of brain power and unfamiliarity with this machine. After the forced connection, Gu Jun found new information gushing in his mind, including the theory and operation manual to this machine, but he could only understand the most surface level of it. Other than that, another detail rified for him. Someone told him that this Pnakotic Library, these tomes, knowledge and technology did not originate from the Yith but the essence the Yith had collected from their travels through the river of time and through different worlds. The Yith used this machine to input their consciousness into other creature¡¯s minds to absorb their knowledge.

    Among the bookshelves, there was a tomb about the homo sapien civilization. There was only one becausepared to other long and great civilizations, the homo sapien civilization was like a newborn. After knowing that, Gu Jun naturally wished to know what was written inside that book and he wanted to know if there was a tomb on the foreign civilization. But these thoughts he put on the backburner for now, he had something more important to do.

    Yu Chi¡¯s supposition was correct. The human body had limited brain power, Gu Jun agreed with it. If his brain could support a greater and faster blood flow, things might turn out differently. He could achieve a greater mastery of this machine. At their current stage, human body was unable to use this machine. There was danger of brain haemorrhage and cardiac failure. The human body was too fragile. Gu Jun¡¯s case was unique because he had firm determination as well as the guidance from the machine itself.

    Furthermore, he had a feeling that when he traversed through time to infiltrate other people¡¯s mind, at the same time, a different lifeform traversed through time back to the ¡®present¡¯ to inhabit his mind, to help stabilize his body. It should be the Yith. But Gu Jun had a feeling the Yith still did not want to expose themselves. ¡°I believe they do not even want to get involved in this problem.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°I cannot be sure that the Yith is behind the mysterious signal but they are involved in this somehow so they are technically dragged into this. They are very careful. Even if they could have taken full control over our body, they did not do that. That showed how cautious they were.

    ¡°And there¡¯s something even though I¡¯m not sure about it... but something probably happened here, something that they cannot resolve on their own so they left this ce to escape into the future. Being an observer in the river of time and not causing any changes is not that exhaustive but initiating changes will cost. It is rather simr to casting spells. However, the sacrifice needed is impossible to predict. On top of that, the sacrifice imposed is unable to reverse. The sacrifice itself was immune to time maniption. These are the amendments enforced by the universe to stop interruptions to the flow of time. Therefore, the Yith normally will not manipte the situation, most of the time, they merely observe. Because the sacrifices needed to intervene are sometimes farrger than the entire Yith civilization can sustain.

    ¡°The sacrifice could be a single member of the civilization or the copse of the entire civilization. I have no idea what sacrifice demanded of me from my action would be... Hopefully, it is nothing more than a 24 hours shortening of my life...¡±

    Yes, it was Gu Jun who had infiltrated Elder Tong¡¯s mind. His initial target was Wu Siyu because they shared the strongest bond. He would have a much easier time to assume her mind and glean information from her knowledge. Wu Siyu would also be more sensitive to his presence in her mind and more receptive to his attempts atmunication. Furthermore, Gu Jun had been curious about how Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s brain was like on the inside. Since he could not cut it open, this was the best solution. However, the connection could not be made because Gu Jun could not locate her, it was like she had disappeared...

    This kind of connection required the receptiveness from the other party so the Yith often went for those with high spirituality. However, the infiltrated would not realize their mind had been ¡®visited¡¯ after the fact unless they tried to focus on it. Therefore, Gu Jun chose Elder Tong. Elder Tong was the mainmander and knew the most about the whole situation. He was also the person who could influence the situation the most. At the same time, Elder Tong was someone with high spirituality and knew both spells and Ancient Seal. He was a good candidate.

    ¡°Elder Tong, Elder Tong...¡± Gu Jun searched for his connection with Elder Tong. The machine twisted everything into a ball of chaos and he was able to swim through it. If he had enough energy, he could control the specific point in time he wanted to travel to but he did not and he was unable to afford the price anyway. Even if he just observed, using this machine one time would cause great exhaustion to the human body and mind. He and Yu Chi were unique cases. If it was a normal human, using the machine once would cause several years ofa or even brain death.

    In any case, Gu Jun sessfully infiltrated into Elder Tong¡¯s mind. The timing was not chosen by Gu Jun but by the machine or rather the Yith. Just as he entered Elder Tong¡¯s mind, there was a moment where Gu Jun could look through every memory and thought in Elder Tong¡¯s mind from his birth until the moment of infiltration. However Gu Jun was not powerful enough to stay in that phase. Few secondster, all he saw were lotto numbers, alcohols and funny videos... Regardless, he tried his best to pull information. The nearer it was to ¡®present¡¯, the clearer the information. The mutated area, nuclear radiation, evacuation, quarantine circle...

    Gu Jun saw some but not others. It was like trying to look through a fog, he could see only the general frame. Deng Ximei appeared to have entered the mutated area and found the poster he once held and saw the illusion... And this locust Sickness, he did not know much about it. He knew the patients would hunger for soil and self-explode. Some of the patients became part of the Flying Locust and they came from another mutated area.

    In that time crunch, Gu Jun inputted several concepts into Elder Tong¡¯s mind so that he could grasp what was happening. The multi-world collision was confirmed, thepeting realities were still a hypothesis. Which was the ¡®real¡¯ reality? Gu Jun had been pondering over that. After he gained some information about the mutated area, he was certain the mutated area was not a lifeform but a battlefield. Therefore, the quarantine circle was the wrong solution, instead he provided the life circle mission as a solution.

    With regards to the desert wastnd, Gu Jun believed it was not coinciding with the Wastnd World but instead the Massachusetts World or the Mysterium World. The chance of it being thetter was higher because Massachusetts World was situated about 100 years ago. Mo Bei at the time should be wildly different from Mo Bei in the present so the difference should be clear.

    About that time, Gu Jun¡¯s brain reached its limit. He was forced back by the machine and that saved his life. After telling Yu Chu all that, Gu Jun frowned and said, ¡°Captain Yu, I am unable to find anything on Wu Siyu, I worry about her.¡±

    In a flickering moment, in Elder Tong¡¯s mind, Gu Jun seemed to sense that Dirty-minded Yu was in danger... Now he was concerned this was the price he had to pay for messing with time itself...

 Chapter 436: The Witch

    <h4>Chapter 436: The Witch</h4>

    ¡®If there is any sacrifice, let me pay for it.¡¯ Gu Jun thought as heid inside the ss chamber. His body was connected to it. His eyes fixed at the library¡¯s domed ceiling. ¡®I¡¯ll take on everything. It was me, Gu Jun who changed the time so let me suffer the price alone.¡¯

    ¡°Captain Gu, we still haven¡¯t confirmed everything yet...¡± Yu Chi shared the burden of worry but he was not one who knew how tofort others.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Gu Jun knew it was pointless lying there, wrecked by concern. Time was precious. Both Phecda World and Mysterium World were in danger. So in spite of his splitting headache, he moved into action. ¡°I can feel the Yith making their moves as well. They have their own arrangement. Perhaps they are even listening to us right now.¡± Gu Jun was not just specting. He seemed to know this for a fact, it should be the consciousness imnt of the Yith. ¡°They do not wish to show up to expose their location in time. But they wish to help us to achieve ourmon goal. Captain Yu, you should get into the machine, see what will happen.¡±

    Yu Chi had been waiting to do that. The excitement bounced off his skin. He walked over to the neighbouring tform andid down into the ss chamber on it. Despite the state of abandonment, the chamber was spotless. Through the transparent bottom, one could see the exquisite carving, inscriptions and patterns on the tform. They were part of the machine. Once Yu Chiid down, he experienced what Gu Jun exined. Some of the light came from under the machine to join with his body...

    ¡°I think... I¡¯m ready...¡± Yu Chi said after a deep breath. ¡°What now?¡± Gu Jun had no idea what would happen next either. ¡°We should try to empty our minds to ept the Yith. With our physical limitation and the exhaustion caused by temporal crossing, we might only have one chance at this so we need to try our best.¡± After that, they moved into action. Gu Jun had no idea whether Yu Chi was sessful or not.

    Gu Jun already had too much on his hand to manipte the machine for himself. He focused on the special pattern on the domed ceiling and a strange sensation started to creep towards him. The power of the witch struggled to awaken as well. The two forces intertwined and the machine whirred to life once more as the tubes lightened up again. His eye suddenly widened and his blood shot through his body. His brain was expanding, the feeling returned.

    ¡®The Yith, the Yith...¡¯ Gu Jun summoned in his mind. ¡®Use me but please do not harm anyone else...¡¯ He was trying to open himself up to everything. His body was morphing into a cylindrical shape that was justrge enough to fit into the ss chamber. At the top of the cylindrical body, there were 4 column-like tentacles. Each tentacle was attached to different things. Two of them grew into crab-like pinchers; the other one had a red organ that had 4 suction tes; while thest ended in an irregr yellow ball about 0.6 metre in diameter. On the ball, there were 3 ck oculus that made a circle. They enabled the creature to look at all angles of a 3-dimensional space. This round ball appeared to be its head and on the top of its head, there were four greyish-white slender stems. Each stem had a blossom-like organ at its end. It was perhaps an antenna or a signal receptor; underneath the head, right where the human jaw would be there were 8 green small whiskers wiggling.

    The whole body, from the cylindrical ¡®torso¡¯ to the tentacles, was covered in a ragged semi-stic scale that changed colors. The underside of the cylindrical ¡®torso¡¯ was covered in ayer of greyish white gel. Through contraction of the body, it could move forward like the snail but at a much faster speed. This strange lifeform appeared to be the Yith... No, more precisely, this was one of the forms of the Yith. When they built this library, they adopted this form. Since they were an essentially mental parasitic race, they could exist in another body... It was the reason Gu Jun could not confirm whether this was the Yith¡¯s actual form. In any case, Gu Jun felt his whole body being torn apart before being remade into this form.

    The tentacle with the 4 suction cups reached towards a metallic beam and started to operate it. The stems and whiskers around the ¡®head¡¯ connected to other parts of the machine too. Gu Jun was both in his human state and the Yith state. He was assimting into the machine. When the machine stopped, his brain might really split open.

    ¡®Where... am I going...¡¯ Illusion swam before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. The cylindrical body was sucked into the temporal whirlpool. His head, his hands, his body was twisting. The horrifying sound of a gramophone needle grating against a broken record buzzed in his mind. Suddenly, everything stopped.

    ¡°I hear that some citizens at Arkham have gone insane again.¡± ¡°Those demonic servants, they should all go to hell.¡± ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been clear enough? If you ask me, we should just burn all of them! Just what did we, the people of Salem ever do to deserve this horrid fate?!¡±

    Gu Jun could hear some snippets of angry conversation. It was spoken in English... ¡®Arkham? Salem? Does this mean I¡¯m at the Massachusetts World?¡¯

    There was a pull on his nerves that caused Gu Jun to suck in a breath. It also solidified his presence in this strange ce. This time, it felt totally different to when he entered Elder Tong¡¯s mind. This time, the infiltration was even moreplete. Gu Jun nced at his hands, they belonged to a human. This was a Caucasian male with callused hands. Some information entered his mind. The man¡¯s name was Sam Maness, he was a prison guard at Salem. The year was 1692, the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Many people were imprisoned on suspicion of witchery or collusion with witches. A young girl at Arkham, Keziah Mason was just captured and thrown into jail.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath and his vision rified. The dim and wet jail was built underground. He was at the entrance. A group of jail guards were cursing and chatting, they were the ones who uttered those words earlier. Almost instantly, Gu Jun saw someone that was different from the rest of them. It was a middle-aged man with a potbelly and freckles. He too was looking at Gu Jun with awe.

    ¡°Ol¡¯ Yu?¡± Gu Jun asked in Chinese. The middle-aged man nodded immediately. The other prison guards heard Gu Jun and someone asked, ¡°Sam, what did you just say?¡± During this period, everyone was very sensitive to foreign words, sounds andnguages.

    ¡°What?¡± Gu Jun shot back. From the host¡¯s mind, he knew they were all guards of the same rank so he had to act like he belonged there to lower the suspicion. ¡°I was saying, I n to go down to the cells for patrol, any one of you want toe with me?¡± He knew these people would not want to interact with these evil things due to fear of being cursed. As he expected, the guards looked at each other but no one said anything. In the end, it was the infiltrated fatty, Gilman Porter who stammered, ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°Then,e on.¡± Gu Jun urged as he stepped down the stairs. Yu Chi grabbed an oilmp and moved to follow.

    ¡°Why are you guys suddenly so interested in the patrol?¡± ¡°Have you fallen for the witch¡¯s beauty?¡± The guards behind them cursed andughed, ¡°She¡¯s the devil, do not be fooled by her looks!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything that would harm the rest of us!¡±

    Gu Jun knew from his own research that most witches in history were set on the pyre due to their beauty. They were envied and like Eve, that was their primitive sin. In the Salem Witch Trials, most of the witches were young girls. The two went down the stairs and with a previously decided signal, confirmed the other¡¯s identity. As they went down the steps, the thicker the moisture. A rancid smell lingered in the air. The wooden cells were mouldy and overgrown with unknown mushrooms. Some of the cells had malnourished and dirty inmates while others were empty. Seeing the duo passed by, some of the inmates pleaded their innocence, others groaned incoherently. There was little that just stood there quietly.

    Gu Jun paid attention to his surroundings. There had to be a reason the Yith sent them here, it was probably to do with that witch. For now, Gu Jun could not sense the witch trailing him anymore. Who knew where she had gone? Then again, the Massachusetts World was where the witch came from originally...

    The two walked almost to the end of the underground jail when they heard the sound of shackles clinking. Most of the cells here were empty but one of them carried an important inmate. The police found many tomes about the ultism at her ce, things that would only be understandable by Satan¡¯s worshippers. The evidence was more than enough to implicate her.

    Right at the end of the trail, Gu Jun saw a 18 years old Caucasian young woman inside the cell. Despite her slender frame, she carried a dangerous aura about her. She had a curtain of ck hair, faded green eyes, marble like skin and a pretty face. From the looks of it, this young woman was the type who would be casted into jail due to other people¡¯s jealousy of her beauty. Gu Jun didn¡¯t know about the others but he was certain this was Keziah Mason and she was definitely a witch but he just wasn¡¯t certain that initiation happened before or after her imprisonment.

    ¡®Could this be the same witch who entrapped me at the oak forest?¡¯

    ¡°What... are you two?¡± Suddenly, before they even said anything, Keziah Mason asked, ¡°I can see you, your real identity.¡±

 Chapter 437: Temporal Shackles

    <h4>Chapter 437: Temporal Shackles</h4>

    The young witch, Keziah Mason¡¯s pale green eyes were sharp. Perhaps as she imed, she really could see their true form. Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He shared a look with Yu Chi and then asked, ¡°What real identity?¡±

    ¡°You two are strange, cylindrical creatures.¡± Keziah Mason said, ¡°And you¡¯re possessing these two men¡¯s bodies.¡± She was telling the truth after all. Was this the witch from 1692 or 2022? Gu Jun swiftly assessed the situation. History was always shrouded in the mystery of time. The Salem Witch Trials might have two different temporal variations. Over at the Phecda World, the victims of the trial were innocent but in this world, the victims might be actually witches.

    Based on the prison guard¡¯s memory, Keziah Mason had the ability to open dimensional doors... In other words, she could have left her imprisonment any time she wanted but she preferred to stay. Yu Chi didn¡¯t say anything and left this situation to Gu Jun, after all, thetter was more familiar with the witch. Other than that, Yu Chi was more interested in the oilmp he was holding.

    ¡°Then what is your real identity?¡± Gu Jun asked. He believed Keziah Mason was that oak forest witch but even standing there, he had no firm evidence. He wouldn¡¯t be a bit surprised the pretty woman turned into an ugly hag, perhaps that was inevitable.

    ¡°I am the sole heir of the Mason family.¡± Keziah Mason challenged, ¡°I¡¯m 17 and beautiful. I have inherited 10000 pounds and a big house at Arkham. I live alone in this New Land, so what do you think I am?¡± The girl smiled, ¡°Gentlemen, have you heard of the tale, Little Red Riding Hood? I am that Little Red Riding Hood surrounded by packs of wolves.¡±

    Gu Jun studied the witch¡¯s gorgeous face. The woman was a natural born liar.

    ¡°Your house is a museum of ultism.¡± He countered. His host, Sam Maness had not been to Arkham but he did hear it from the others. His mind shed with many creepy images drawn from imagination and the horror they elicited. ¡°Everyone imed that you¡¯ve made a deal with satan.¡±

    ¡°To survive in the wilds, it¡¯s only natural for Little Red Riding Hood to learn some skills to protect herself.¡± Keziah Mason said evenly like she was talking about someone else. ¡°The Mason family was puritans, but my father, mother and siblings died... There was no reason to be sad for their death, illness imed them, or perhaps fate did. Since God did not look after my family, I consulted other powers who might. What is wrong with that? Perhaps I am born in sin.¡±

    ¡°Then have you found that other power?¡± Gu Jun asked without prejudice.

    ¡°I did.¡± Keziah Mason nodded. ¡°A very powerful force, one that deserves my worship.¡± Gu Jun had heard her im something simr, something she would say in the future, ¡°A presence with 1000 faces?¡±

    ¡°A presence with 1000 faces?¡± The girl was slightly startled before the corner of her lips curled into a smile. She mumbled, ¡°So that is what I¡¯m looking for.¡± Yu Chi caught that and turned to nce at his partner. They seemed to have inadvertently provided her with guidance. Gu Jun frowned. Did he really let something crucial slip? Or this was another one of the witch¡¯s tricks?

    ¡°I understand it now.¡± Keziah Mason stroke forward and the ankle shackles rankled noisily. A brilliant light shone in her eyes. ¡°Gentleman, before this, like every normal human, I foolishly thought this world was equal to what we saw on the surface. I believed time is linear with passing day after day. But you have made me understand that that is not the case, our eyes have fooled us. Time is circr, it¡¯s a curve, an ovep, a cycle... it is anything but linear.¡±

    Gu Jun listened to her quietly. Despite his caution and hatred of the witch, he had to agree with her statement. Because he had experienced the fluidity of time many times, in fact, he was experiencing it now.

    ¡°We knew each other from the future, right?¡± Keziah Mason turned over. ¡°Me and you. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t know this fatty.¡±

    Yu Chi¡¯s lips opened as if wanting to say, ¡®actually I¡¯m not fat...¡¯

    ¡°Sir, I can see that you hate me.¡± The girl smiled. ¡°But you have ever considered, I might not have the freedom of choice in the future. Ever since this moment, my way has been paved. Due to your current presence and the information you revealed, I would have to follow your script to worship the presence with the 1000 faces, to use those ult studies and be a witch. If you have not arrived here, I wouldn¡¯t have understood these things and I might die in this prison. Then you would have no reason to hate me in the future.¡± She shook her head and sighed. It was unknown shemented her fate or something else. ¡°Therefore, I am trapped. You¡¯re the one who put the shackles of time on me. Until we meet again, until your eventual second arrival, my freedom of choice has been stripped. I simply wonder... does this mean you have altered the passage of time or this is how it was supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything.¡± Gu Jun said darkly. She was the one inside the prison and he was free but for some reason, due to what she said, he too felt the sense of imprisonment on himself.

    ¡°The fact that you haven¡¯t said anything makes it worse.¡± For a certain moment, the faded green eyes dimmed. ¡°You would only treat your enemies that way, you¡¯re not my savior from the future. You¡¯re not here to save the innocent witch. You¡¯re none of that. We would be enemies in the future, haven¡¯t that already been arranged? I would have to do the things that make you hate me.¡±

    Yu Chi¡¯s heart chilled and trembled. The girl was meticulous and cunning but her argument was wless... If she did not be the witch, Gu Jun wouldn¡¯t have arrived at the oak forest, he wouldn¡¯t have transmigrated to the Wastnd World, they wouldn¡¯t arrive at Pnakotus and end up at 1692...

    Temporal shackles?

    ¡°You don¡¯t even know who we are.¡± Gu Jun said with less conviction.

    ¡°But I will.¡± Keziah Mason said softly, ¡°What I really don¡¯t know is, with this temporal shackle, will the road towards the abyss be the only avable path for me?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind was frazzled. Assuming the girl still hadn¡¯t started her study in witchery, then why did the Yith send them here? What was the purpose? Toplete a temporal circle?

    ¡°What do you think will happen if I kill you now?¡± Gu Jun asked.

 Chapter 438: The Origin

    <h4>Chapter 438: The Origin</h4>

    ¡°Perhaps that is exactly what you¡¯re sent here to do?¡± Keziah Mason looked at them calmly. ¡°From how I see it, we¡¯re all inmates of time, we do not have freedom of choice. Because no matter what we did, it could be how things should have been originally or it would ultimately change the future.¡± Inside the mmy underground prison, there was heavy silence. Gu Jun had to admit she had a point. This was a temporal conundrum and they were right in the middle of it.

    But there was one thing for sure... No matter what this girl said, thought or believed at this moment, in the future, she would be a force of pure evil. People would change, especially those who had interacted with darkness. But could that change happen after death?

    ¡°What do you think this presence with 1000 faces represents? What is its name?¡± Gu Jun interrogated. Now it was even impossible to tell whether it was the witch who told Gu Jun about this presence or the other way round.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say.¡± Keziah Mason shook her head. ¡°But since it has 1000 faces, couldn¡¯t it have 1000 names?¡±

    ¡°There has to be an original name.¡± Gu Jun said. The images of the medical workers crushed by the oak tree and the girls with Tourette Syndrome and their parents caused the anger umted in Gu Jun¡¯s heart to boil...

    After they arrived at this world, the witch¡¯s presence disappeared. Where had it gone to? Could it be inside this young girl before them? Under this seemingly-innocent face, what kind of evil lurked within? But could she be med for sin that she had notmitted?

    Gu Jun could not decide but he was unwilling to let things end in such a temporal circle, something had to be changed. If everything was just a chess piece, ying along a predestined path, then who was the chess yer? The Yith? The 1000-faced presence? Time itself?

    ¡°I still need to attempt something.¡± Gu Jun said as he reached for something around his waist. With a tingle, he took out the cell key. ¡°Miss Mason, we are indeed an enemy but you got one thing wrong. You¡¯ll be a phnthropist in the future, you will do many good things.¡±

    Yu Chi nced at his partner in confusion. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Kezian Mason chuckled as if she heard through his lies. ¡°Have you forgotten I have ten thousand pounds? I have never felt charitable with them before.¡±

    ¡°But you will, if you can survive this.¡± Gu Jun opened the cell door. He pulled the wooden door open and it creaked noisily.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to do this.¡± Keziah Mason stared at him directly, ¡°I can see that, sir, you¡¯re the one with the kind heart.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart tightly. Indeed, he found it difficult to push forward with his threat. The girl before him might not have sumbed to darkness yet... Could she be considered the same person as the witch that harmed him in the future? If he killed her here, would he have an innocent person¡¯s life on his hands... Other than the temporal quandary, he was faced with a moral quandary...

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong!¡± He closed his hands around the girl¡¯s slender neck and mmed the girl against the wall to stop her resistance. The girl¡¯s face reddened. Her body struggled instinctively but the girl was too weak to wrestle loose from a grown man. Plus her limbs were manacled. Her eyes bloodied and teared. She croaked for air.

    ¡°Captain Gu!¡± Yu Chi hesitated. The face of the fat man reddened as well. The girl¡¯s face turned purple. Her pupils turned and her limbs went limb. Death was so close...

    But suddenly air sucked into her lungs again. She coughed with difficulty as oxygen resuscitated her body. Gu Jun also took a deep breath. His fists tightened. At thatst moment, he still could not feel the witch¡¯s presence on her. She was not the witch or at least not yet.

    ¡°I am right after all...¡± Keziah Mason said between coughs. She chuckled bitterly, ¡°Just what kind of sin I wouldmit for you to silence your morality to almost kill me...¡±

    At that moment, hurried footsteps came from the steps. It was the other prison guards. ¡°Sam, what have you done?!¡± They turned to look at the cell in shock and surprise, ¡°You dare to touch the witch?¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡±

    ¡°Did you know something we didn¡¯t, Sam?¡± A tall guard with a hooked nose asked in a whisper. His tone wasced with prurient intents. The prison guards would naturally get more news than the normal citizens. They knew more about the things that happened at Salem and Arkham. They knew most of the inmates were innocent. This Keziah Mason... there were rumors that she was implicated because of her inheritance and beauty. The so-called evidence was nted at her home...

    Andbined that with what Sam had done... The girl almost died. If she was a real witch, she would have easily stopped Sam.

    As their eyes swept over the girl¡¯s barely covered body and her beautiful face, an obscene desire rose among them... Everyone knew the family history of this girl, she was thest one of her lineage. She could have died in the cell and no one would have cared. They could have done anything they wanted to do. Furthermore, she was a suspected witch, no one would believe her words.

    ¡°I got news that...¡± Gu Jun could sense the change in the air. ¡°This girl is a witch.¡± The other guards snickered among themselves. They knew Sam too well. If the girl was a real witch, Sam would be the first to run. But if there was an advantage to take, he¡¯d be the first to go for it as well.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The hooked-nose prison guard sauntered towards the cell. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to interrogate her myself.¡± Seeing the scious fire dancing in the guards¡¯ eyes, Yu Chi said urgently, ¡°What are you people doing? We have no right to interrogate the inmates!¡±

    ¡°Stop grandstanding! Get out of the way!¡± The hooked-nose guard pushed the fat man heavily to the side. ¡°Sam, get out. You¡¯ve had your fun, it¡¯s my turn.¡± At that moment, Gu Jun and Yu Chi could feel their consciousness flickering. The hosts were resisting them. The more urgent they felt, the harder it was to stay in the hosts¡¯ body... They had a hard time even uttering a word.

    Keziah Mason was still recovering from Gu Jun¡¯s assault. Staring at the approaching prison guards with their disgusting grins, she saw her imminent fate.

    ¡°Sirs, I understand it now. So this is how things will be... My power wille from this...¡±

    ¡°No...¡± Gu Jun tried to stop the guards but the host¡¯s body refused to listen to him.

    ¡°We¡¯re all inmates of time...¡± Keziah Mason continued in her rumblings. The prison guards ignored her for they had something else in their mind. Her face turned from purple to white. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to understand everything but we are never supposed to anyway...¡±

    Suddenly, a cat¡¯s meow rang through the prison. Gu Jun saw a fat multi-colored cat jump out from the previously empty cell corner and leaped on the hooked-nose guard¡¯s face. Her two ws swiped viciously. The skin tore open and blood flew. The hooked-nose guard wailed in mercy. The other prison guards gasped in shock.

 Chapter 439: 50ï¼Œ51

    <h4>Chapter 439: 50£¬51</h4>

    ¡°Ah, ah...¡± The prison guard with the hooked nose screamed for mercy. The other guards bumped into each other in chaos. A cat? Why would there be a cat here?! The only entrance to this jail was the stairs. They had guarded this ce for so long and had not seen a mouse much less a cat. Cats were often associated with witches and dark forces...

    ¡°Get away, get away!¡± The prison guard yelled as he tried to hit the cat. But despite its size, the cat was extremely agile. It jumped around the man¡¯s head to avoid all of its attack whilending a few of its own. Lashes of blood appeared on the man¡¯s face. The guard eventually turned to his colleagues for help. ¡°Quick help me to chase it away!¡± The prison guards were overtaken by lechery earlier but now as they took another nce at the suspected witch, they believed they saw a ball of curious ck fog around her. Sam said he had news that the girl was indeed a witch. Then did that mean the cat was her familiar?

    ¡°Run, run... We need to get others toe help us!¡± ¡°I told you something¡¯s wrong about her! Damn demon!¡± The other guards turned to escape. The hooked-nose guard scrambled out from the cell and followed the rest of them, ¡°Satan, satan. Stay away!¡± Some of them turned back to look and saw Sam and his friend still stood there dumbly. They urged, ¡°Sam, Gilman, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Just ignore them...¡± ¡°Save ourselves first!¡±

    Seeing the guards throng past in panic, the other inmates had no idea what happened but they made noises by screaming and knocking their shackles against the jail bars. It made the ce even more chaotic and the guards ran even faster. Some even stumbled. At the same time, a satisfied meow echoed inside the prison.

    Strangely enough, since the cat¡¯s appearance, Gu Jun felt his consciousness stabilizing. Yu Chi was also recovering. Keziah Mason seemed as surprised by this cat¡¯s appearance as they were... After looking around, Gu Jun¡¯s eyesnded back on the cat. He looked at it and it looked back at him. The multi-colored eyes reminded him of something familiar... The cat padded over and its nose twitched as if sniffing for a smell.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any cats in the prison earlier.¡± Yu Chi said in English which Keziah Mason also understood. ¡°It just suddenly materialized out of nowhere.¡±

    ¡°I did not do anything.¡± Keziah Mason admitted, ¡°I did study the ult but I have nothing to do with this cat.¡± Gu Jun frowned. Was this supposed to happen? Moments earlier, he thought that was it. Yu Chi and he would be dragged back to the library and Keziah Mason would be left to the guards¡¯ mercy. It pushed her over to the dark side and started her journey into the abyss... But this cat came to save her, why?

    Suddenly, the cat seemed to have sniffed something. It mewled several times in excitement. Its fur coat shimmered. To their surprise, it suddenly stood on its hind legs and reached out a paw towards Gu Jun.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Gu Jun was both confused and rmed. He did not take the cat¡¯s hand but asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    The cat called a few more times, there seemed to be annoyance in its tone.

    ¡°I can see that something is possessing it as well...¡± Keziah Mason said, ¡°But I can¡¯t tell what its real identity is.¡± Thisplicated the situation. Gu Jun wondered could it be the Yith? It wouldn¡¯t be that out of the box.

    The cat used its w to scratch something on the dirt floor. Then it patted the ground to get their attention. Gu Jun lowered his head and saw an Arabic number. He asked in English, ¡°5?¡± The cat nodded. It used its surprisingly flexible paw to give Gu Jun a thumbs up. Yu Chi also entered the cell and his eyes burned with passion. He was particrly interested in these mysteries, ¡°It is trying to tell us something. What is the meaning of this 5? 5 days? 5 times? 5 people? 5 metres?¡±

    As if confirming that they were looking at the same number, the cat wed out a 1 next to the 5. So the trio saw the number 51. The two numerals were close enough to each other to make it 51 and not 5 and 1.

    ¡°51?¡± Gu Jun said as if to himself. The cat instantly nodded and gave him another thumbs up.

    ¡°51? It¡¯s an odd number...¡± Yu Chi pondered in Chinese, ¡°We¡¯re in America, if we include Puerto Rico, the country has 51 states. But this is only 1692, the independence wille in 1775... The periodic table? The 51st element is Stibium, no, that doesn¡¯t sound right either...¡± Then something came to him. Yu Chi gasped, ¡°Fifty one, Area Fifty one.¡±

    Be it at Phecda World or Mysterium World, Area 51 was an infamous location. There were many rumours about aliens circting the ce. Furthermore, they knew Area 51 was one of FBM¡¯s secret bases.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®This cat wants us to go to Area 51? In the year 1692?¡¯ But Area 51 was in Nevada and they were in Massachusetts. Geographically, they had a long distance to travel and in 1692, the westward expansion trails hadn¡¯t even started yet... So he began to have second doubts, was that really the meaning of 51?

    While the duo discussed this, Kezian Mason was silent. She was as confused as they were.

    ¡°Meow!¡± The cat groaned in dissatisfaction. It waved her paws as if telling them that they were wrong. It patted the number again and then pointed at its mouth. ¡®Recite this, recite this a few more times...¡¯

    Gu Jun seemed to hear its voice. He mumbled on his lips. Fifty One in English? Wu Shi Yi in Chinese...

    ¡°Wu Shiyi, Wu Shiyi?¡± His heart suddenly squeezed. ¡°Wu Siyi? Wu Siyu?!¡± When he said Wu Siyu¡¯s name, the multi-colored cats called out loudly. Its paws patted at itself and then at the number on the ground.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Gu Jun tried to calm down. ¡°You wish to threaten me? I¡¯ve already said it. Come after me if you want, this has nothing to do with Wu Siyu...¡±

    The cat spun away and tumbled to the ground. Its paw trembled weakly as if disappointed in him. But eventually it climbed up and scratched down a 50 next to 51. They were on the same line to each other but there was a space between the two numbers. It patted its paw requesting them to read it again.

    Yu Chi was beyond confused. Gu Jun mumbled, ¡°Fifty or Wu Shi in Chinese. That sounds like I am in Chinese... Wait a minute. I am Wu Siyu?¡±

    ¡®I am Wu Siyu?¡¯ He took another nce at the cat and the sense of familiarity returned.

    ¡°Meow!¡± The cat nodded repeatedly. It leaped right onto his shoulder. It brushed against him and then whined in its catnguage. Naturally Gu Jun could not understand it, neither could Yu Chi nor Keziah Mason.

 Chapter 440: Kaleidoscope on the Wall

    <h4>Chapter 440: Kaleidoscope on the Wall</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Meow, meow, meow meow meow!¡± Inside the open jail case, the cat who identified herself as Wu Siyu made a huge ruckus, as if warning them of something serious. Gu Jun understood not a single word of it. This was even harder to understand than the Zoog. He picked up the cat from his shoulder to study it once more. For some reason, he did see Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s presence on the cat... ¡®The ident that happened to Dirty-minded Yu was that she got turned into a cat? Was it this before he changed the quarantine circle into life circle or after?¡¯

    ¡°Captain Gu?¡± Yu Chi scratched his head in befuddlement. ¡°This... this is your girlfriend?¡± Before Gu Jun could say anything, the cat nodded and gave Yu Chi a thumb up.

    ¡°You¡¯re Dirty-minded Yu, yes? What happened?¡± Gu Jun decided to believe it for now. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just write out everything in Chinese but had to depend on numbers? Is there something preventing you from using normalnguage?¡± The cat nodded. It meowed with sadness. Gu Jun missed the sweet dream bubble that they once had. Then they could have skipped this charade but for now, he asked, ¡°Then I¡¯ll list out some suppositions. You nod if I¡¯m correct and shake your head if I¡¯m wrong. Did you turn into this state willingly?¡±

    The cat shook its head. With the mention of this tragedy, its eyes dimmed.

    ¡°Are you still alive?¡± Gu Jun asked with a squeeze of his heart. ¡°The human version.¡± The cat first nodded before it shrugged as if saying it was also only guessing. It could not confirm. Regardless, Gu Jun still sighed in relief. Just like that, he grasped a brief idea from the cat. Dirty-minded Yu was still alive but due to some reason that eluded her, her consciousness was transported into this cat¡¯s body and transmigrated to a different world. Something happened and she ended up here. With her exceptional sense of smell, she sniffed out his real identity. She came here to look for him. He did not ask for too much detail because it was not the time. Plus, the witch was in the room with them. She might use this information against them.

    ¡°When I first met Wu Siyu, who initiated the handshake?¡± Gu Jununched a surprise question.

    ¡°Meow?¡± The cat was startled. ¡®Who would remember something like that...¡¯ She scratched her paws and then shrugged. ¡®Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t ask. O well.¡¯

    At that moment, a series of voices came from the stairs. The guards were back with reinforcement. From the heavy footsteps, it sounded like there were a lot of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let her run away!¡± ¡°I saw her summon that strange cat. Damn witch, she¡¯ll curse this vige!¡± ¡°Sam and Gilman are still under her charm, those poor things.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stone both her and that cat...¡±

    Gu Jun shared a look with Yu Chi. They knew those were not empty threats, in fact, the situation might escte to something worse. Once one was branded a fanatic or a witch, even the dirtiest sin could bemitted against one in the name of justice. That was Salem in 1692. In their current state, without any weapon, their instability made casting spell a dangerous effort too. It was unclear whether they¡¯d survive this ordeal or not. However Gu Jun could not let these people get their hands on the cat, he would not let anyone harm it. Because there was a real possibility that this cat was really Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Captain Gu, I will try to use spells.¡± Yu Chi said hurriedly, ¡°I will use Nine Mysterium Arts to summon the nightgaunts that you mentioned. Once they see that, they¡¯ll scurry in fear. If they¡¯re attacked, they¡¯ll be dazed and the strong mental assault would cause nothing more than a headache. Since guns are already avable in this era, we need to be careful...¡± When they were still at the Mysterium World, Gu Jun knew from Yu Chi that the Nine Mysterium Arts was closely rted to the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan, thetter appeared to be a copy of the former. Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan had more missing chapters and was thus far more unyielding. The Nine Mysterium Arts was more holistic and provided an easier solution to mental corruption. Therefore, Yu Chi was more suitable to cast the spell. Gu Jun hoped that Yu Chi would not gopletely insane from this...

    But at that moment, the catnded on the ground with a meow. With a bounce, it leaped into the air onto one of the jail cell walls. With unimaginative speed, it waved its ws to scratch out a symmetrical symbol on the wall. It looked like a kaleidoscope. Keziah Mason¡¯s eyes shone. ¡°I¡¯ve seen this before. In my study of ultism, this symbol is rted to space...¡±

    Gu Jun looked on in shock. He saw the lines twirling in the centre of the symbol. A thought rose in his mind.

    The cat kicked at the centre of the kaleidoscope several times. It seemed to activate it. The kaleidoscope started to twirl. Light emitted from a wall before it turned into a blurry chaos. A dimensional door had been opened.

    ¡°Meow!¡± The cat screamed as if saying follow me. The first to move was Keziah Mason. She did not hesitate. This was the power she had been searching for.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. The sound of the prison guards approached. In the host¡¯s memory, he knew there was suspicion that Keziah Mason knew how to open dimensional doors and she would eventually use that to escape from imprisonment. ¡®Has history really changed? Or this is meant to happen either way? It was the cat who opened the dimension door and everything is moving in circles.¡¯

    Yu Chi was shocked. Not only split cross but also kaleidoscope could initiate transmigration. What did this represent? What kind of power was behind this?

    Keziah Mason reached the wall. The cat mewled in a hurry. It was having a hard time holding the door open.

    ¡°Captain Yu, let¡¯s go.¡± Gu Jun took a deep breath. ¡°We do not have much choice.¡±

    ¡®Are they going to enter with the prison guards¡¯ body?¡¯ They did not even think of that in the emergency of the moment. Once they neared the portal, they felt themselves morphing back into the Yith¡¯s shape. This appeared to be part of the Yith¡¯s arrangement... With Gu Jun at the front and Yu Chi at the back, they slipped through the kaleidoscope. Everything shifted.

    With two thuds, the two guards fell to the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s right there!¡± The prison guards returned. They brought with them the police, priests, and other citizens. They arrived just in time to watch the horrifying scene. Their scalps numbed. Two shadows, the cat and the witch disappeared into the wall. Then the twisting lines and light disappeared, everything returned back to normal. But inside the cell, there was no longer the witch, the cat or the shadows.

    There was only a pair of empty manacles and two fainted prison guards.

 Chapter 441: The Centre

    <h4>Chapter 441: The Centre</h4>

    The collective sound of insect wings pping buzzed in his ears. It flooded his mind. ¡®Where am I...¡¯ Gu Jun peeled open his eyes and saw a dark sky. They were locusts, the type that he had once seen flying out from Angel City. Currently they covered heaven and earth, their number was astronomical. They stretched from one horizon to another. The ground underneath him was scorched. There was no building, nt or animal... This was the Wastnd World. He was back at this ce? Why? Gu Jun thought when he saw not far away from him the multi-colored cat, Keziah Mason and Yu Chi lying on the ground. Yu Chi was in his human form with his unkempt hair and bushy beard. He was in a casual T and cargo shorts. He looked just like the human version who crawled into the machine at Pnakotus.

    What about himself... He studied his hands. They were the hands that had the skill, Hands of Dexterity. They appeared to havended here in their original form, from the Massachusetts World to the Wastnd World, from the past to the future. But their original forms should be lying at Pnakotus in the Mysterium World...

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun pressed his head and stood up. He looked around and confirmed that he was indeed in his human form. Every single one of his scars was there and his consciousness was stable. Despite his headache, he was physically present. At that moment, he heard the multi-colored cat groan weakly. He walked towards it and asked, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, are you okay?¡± The cat stood up cautiously. She looked positively drained.

    The next to wake up was Keziah Mason. As she looked around, she nced with barely conceble surprise, ¡°Is this... Hell?¡±

    As Yu Chi woke up, he realized at first nce they were at the Wastnd World. They had transmigrated to this ce in corporeal form. This was proven by the fact that Gu Jun could pick up the cat and Yu Chi could grab a handful of sand. Furthermore, they noticed their bags and supply had materialized beside them, partially covered by the scorched soil.

    ¡°This looks like where the nuclear explosion urred.¡± Gu Jun said grimly, ¡°If there¡¯s residual radiation, we¡¯ll most likely survive for another week.¡± He had many questions, for example, why were there still so many locusts? When he wasst here, he was sure the nuclear bomb had vaporized everything, including the locusts... unless someone had summoned them again. Another question he had was, was there radiation here? Once the human body was exposed to high radiation, they would soon reel from the negative impacts like nausea, dizziness and so on. However, the 3 of them and the cat appeared to be perfectly fine. When the cat heard Gu Jun mentioned radiation, she shook her head as if saying there was no reason for them to worry about that.

    There was radiation but they were not affected by it? Suddenly a thought entered Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡°Is it possible that we are not actually here... but we¡¯re in a different dimension...¡± He was from the Phecda World; Yu Chi, the Mysterium World; Keziah Mason, the Massachusetts World; and this multi-colored cat, assuming she was Wu Siyu, this was where she came from. It was the cat who brought them here, the cat appeared to represent the Wastnd World. The split cross, the 4 worlds, the 4 lifeforms, they were all here.

    ¡°Ah!¡± When Yu Chi heard that, he said with excitement, ¡°ept, gather, we¡¯re all here... We¡¯re in a unique dimension, perhaps we only look this way to ourselves but we¡¯re not really here, we¡¯re not at the library either. We are in 4 different worlds but we are in none of the world. We¡¯re at the centre, or we¡¯re close to the centre... Who, who arranged this and why...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s words tinged with fanaticism. Gu Jun¡¯s head pounded. He was inspired, ¡®Centre of the cross? If that is the case, what kind of role did the Yith y?¡¯

    However, instead of trying to make these spections, Gu Jun thought it was easier to figure out a way tomunicate with this cat. If it was Wu Siyu, then what happened to her, why would she know how to open that kaleidoscopic door? Was it a spell or super advanced technology? That was not some simple skill.

    Now that they had tools, they could attempt simplemunication.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu,e and try this.¡± Gu Jun drafted out the alphabet system. ¡°Use english or pin yin to write out the words in your mind. Point them out one letter after another. Then we¡¯ll confirm the meaning again with nodding or shaking of the head, is that okay?¡± The cat nodded but she appeared nervous as if she had something else to do.

    ¡°Think about what you want to say first.¡± Then Gu Jun turned to have a private conversation with Yu Chi. He told him about the witch¡¯s presence in the library and the two rewinds. He needed Yu Chi to watch over Keziah Mason because that witch¡¯s power had disappeared. After Yu Chi learned this, he understood why Gu Jun was so cautious around this youngdy. There was indeed something inexplicable about this.

    Soon, the cat was done choosing the letters. She decided to go with pin yin because Keziah Mason wouldn¡¯t understand that. Also Wu Siyu was bad with English. Gu Jun studied the system and used a notebook to jot down every letter Wu Siyu pointed at... Based on what the cat said, Gu Jun gained more information about the situation. He got clued in about Wu Siyu¡¯s information that he missed from Elder Tong, things like the mutated areas, the poster, the painting, and how she arrived at the Wastnd World.

    ¡®The poster is her work as well?¡¯ Gu Jun was startled. ¡®Could it be that the thing that initiated the transmigration is not the split cross but her painting? Or rather her painting needs to be present too as the medium? The watercolor, the poster and the painting at Ol Joyce¡¯s home at Chickasaw...¡¯ He thought back to that countryside painting. It looked familiar, had he seen it at Wu Siyu¡¯s home before? If her poster could appear at the Wastnd World, it was not preposterous for her other paintings to find its way to Chickasaw.

    ¡°Captain Yu, there¡¯s a chance that we got something wrong.¡± He mumbled. Ever since he arrived at Mysterium World, they had been attempting tomunicate with the mysterious signal. The split crosses appeared in many paintings but neither time, they initiated physical transmigration. Gu Jun thought it was because his power had weakened. But could it be due to the fact that they did not have Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s paintings?

    Yu Chi listened to Gu Jun but he was lost. He was confused whenever it was rted to women...

    ¡°And then?¡± Gu Jun asked as he stared at the fidgeting cat, ¡°What happened after you arrived at the Wastnd World?¡±

    At the same time, they noticed that the number of locusts around them increased. If it was a flood earlier, now it was a tsunami.

 Chapter 442: Conversation with the Dead

    <h4>Chapter 442: Conversation with the Dead</h4>

    In the near past, this event happened. The locusts¡¯ wings pped noisily. The swarm of locusts moved through the sky, nketing it ck. Wu Siyu stood on the wastnd in cat form. She stared at the iron cage as the dead body inside it slowly raised its head. She knew there was something wrong about it but seeing that in action, she couldn¡¯t help but grumble internally, ¡®What kind of terror is that?¡¯ The human face was half decayed to expose the white skull inside. The decayed half was crawling with maggots.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Wu Siyu greeted, ¡°Was it you who summoned me here?¡±

    ¡°Wu Siyu, I know you very well...¡± The dead body began. The thing should not have a vocal cord but it spoke perfectly, ¡°I know everything about you but something troubles me. Howe of all the banal creatures, you¡¯re the one being given such a unique soul...¡±

    ¡°Maybe...¡± Wu Siyu suggested, ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve drank many coca-c?¡±

    ¡°No, it has nothing to do with that.¡± The corpse countered.

    ¡°Fine, who are you? Why did you summon me here? Was it you who summoned these locusts too?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The corpse answered. ¡°I belong to another party and serve another force. These locusts are summoned by the Locust God¡¯s disciple, their base is somewhere called Angel City, it¡¯s not far away from here. They have enved thisnd. I¡¯ve joined the resistance by giving them an atomic bomb. They exploded it right around Angel City. I know you¡¯re looking for him, Gu Jun. He was with the resistance army during the explosion... He¡¯s not dead, at least not yet. He¡¯s now in another world and he¡¯s in great danger.¡±

    Wu Siyu had great suspicion about this, after all, she was conversing with a corpse.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t the atomic bomb destroy Angel City?¡± She asked. In Deng Ximei¡¯s illusion, there was a ruin of a city.

    ¡°Angel City has been destroyed...¡± The corpse exined, ¡°But there is an altar underneath the city that was spared from the explosion. Some of the Locust God¡¯s disciples survived by hiding there. They are currently in the middle of a big sacrificial ritual. If they seed, the Locust God will descend upon us.¡±

    ncing at the locust swarm in the sky, Wu Siyu pondered out loud, ¡°So the coinciding of the worlds, the mutated areas, they are all these people¡¯s doing?¡±

    ¡°Not entirely. Certain things are soplicated that they are beyond ourprehension.¡± A slice of flesh fell down from the corpse¡¯s face. Its body swayed. ¡°My power is reaching its limit. The reason I¡¯ve managed to stay this long is due to scientific arcana. Your mental possession of the cat¡¯s body, time travel, they are all examples of scientific arcana. It is like the Ancient Seal technology that you¡¯re familiar with. What you need to do now is to ept the power inside the cat¡¯s body, head to Angel City¡¯s underground altar and destroy the ce. Then the danger at Gu Jun¡¯s side will be resolved and everything will be fine again...¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. ¡°If you¡¯re a panda, I might believe you but you¡¯re a corpse. Like how Gu Jun would say, in horror movies, talking corpses are often questionable characters... unless of course, we¡¯re in Disney movies, which I am sure we are not.¡±

    The corpse was silent for some time. ¡°I am not lying to you, and you shouldn¡¯t even worry about that now, instead you should be concerned about these. Let me show you...¡± Light suddenly appeared in the corpse¡¯s hollow eyes.

    Wu Siyu did not want to see this so she quickly used her paws to shield her eyes. However, some images still appeared in her mind. He saw Dirty-minded Jun and another man being bitten to death by bats, being burned to death by fire, being crushed by boulders, consumed by locusts, decapitated at a public execution, died due to brain haemorrhage... In that moment, Gu Jun died 1000 times in 1000 different ways. She witnessed all of them. Wu Siyu¡¯s heart palpitated. There was no way these images were real. A person couldn¡¯t have died 1000 times over, even a cat only had 9 lives...

    ¡°These are all possibilities in the future.¡± The corpse¡¯s almost even voice began again, ¡°For now, they still have not happened but for Gu Jun and his partner, all variations of their future lead to death. You are the only one who can change that, only you.¡±

    ¡°Why me?¡± Wu Siyu did not get it. Howe her paintings suddenly possess mysterious power and her poster suddenly could allow people to transmigrate between worlds?

    ¡°You¡¯ll understand it in the future.¡± The corpse answered. ¡°Just ept your power now, ept the power in the cat.¡± Wu Siyu scratched behind her ears. She missed the days spent lying on the couch, munching on snacks and sipping on drinks. Between a life of heroism and a life of mundane peace, she¡¯d prefer thetter.

    ¡°I still choose... to not believe you.¡± Wu Siyu said, ¡°The reason is still the same, you¡¯re not a panda.¡±

    The locusts filled the sky. The corpse eventually said, ¡°You¡¯re very cautious but you shouldn¡¯t be in this case. I will use thest of my power to help you, you can utilize it without epting it. Use it to destroy the underground altar, the Locust God mustn¡¯t appear...¡± Wu Siyu refused but her mind swayed. It was not a corruption but when she came to, something was different about her cat¡¯s body. She did not ept any power but she felt some new forces within her.

    ¡°What is the origin of the scientific arcana that you mentioned?¡± She asked, ¡°Who do you serve?¡± The corpse did not answer. In that moment, it was as if a barrier had broken. The locusts that previously ignored the iron pole and cage surged forward and made quick work of the pole, cage and corpse. The next second, nothing remained.

    ¡®This is strange. It smells so fishy.¡¯ Wu Siyu thought. She looked around and could feel something moving. Deng Ximei reported the same feeling in her illusion, she saw something breaking through the ground... The Locust God? And its disciples? Shadows loomed in her mind, they coagted into images of the apocalypse. A big sacrifice, they were going to sacrifice a whole world, no wait, multiple worlds...

    Wu Siyu turned her cat¡¯s head down the mutated area. That was where the entrance to the underground altar was. She felt that in her cat¡¯s body. She sensed a timer as well. It told her she only had less than 5 hours left. Whether the corpse was telling the truth or not, she was sure if she did not do something by the end of the countdown, something very bad would happen...

    ¡°Fine, looks like I¡¯m forced into motion by that corpse. The fact that it did something like this to me proves that it is not a good character.¡± Wu Siyu summoned Gu Jun¡¯s name and thought about the horrid images from before. There was a brief connection. She swiftly moved her ws to draw out a kaleidoscope on the ground. She squatted in the middle. Light emitted from the ground. The dimensional door opened. She jumped into it.

    Wu Siyu decided not to head towards the underground altar but to locate her child¡¯s father first. However, Wu Siyu could not tell whether this was the corpse¡¯s conspiracy all along. After all, she was utilizing a power beyond her understanding. Furthermore, the corpse could have easily manufactured 1000 different images of Dirty-minded Jun dying to frighten her.

    ¡°What else can I do? My hands are tied too.¡± She had to preserve herself but she couldn¡¯t let Dirty-minded Jun die either. She won¡¯t allow her child to be born an orphan. An orphan would have a hard life, just like his father.

 Chapter 443: The Ladder Going Down

    <h4>Chapter 443: The Ladder Going Down</h4>

    Between the swarm of locusts and scorched ground, 3 people and 1 cat hurried on their way. Along the way, the cat pointed her paw at the alphabet form while Gu Jun jotted them down. Based on the cat¡¯s description, Gu Jun caught the gist of her travel. Many questions bobbed in his mind. Who was that body, what was his history with the Locust God, what was scientific arcana, where did the power in Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s paintingse from and what did all of these have to do with the Yith... The questions entangled together. At that moment, the cat finished spelling another sentence. Gu Jun¡¯s lips moved as he read it in his mind, ¡®Ps, congrattions, you¡¯re going to be a father soon. You¡¯ve scored during that time around new year.¡±

    His heart stopped. He halted and his face flushed as he turned to nce at the cat on his shoulder. If this was really Wu Siyu, and if she was not joking... The cat patted her stomach and then waved her paws as if saying it was not the cat which was pregnant. Then she spelled out, ¡°The human one.¡±

    ¡°Captain Gu?¡± Noticing Gu Jung behind and the weird expression on his face, Yu Chi stopped nervously to ask, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Keziah Mason stopped with confusion as well. Yu Chi could not tell whether Gu Jun heard good news or bad news. The man just stood there numbly as if petrified.

    ¡°Meow!¡± The cat mewled and reached out to pat Gu Jun¡¯s shoulder as if saying, ¡®I know how you feel.¡¯ Gu Jun took a deep breath and raised his brow. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it for real. Dirty-minded Yu, we¡¯ll have to return alive, we need to.¡± He would not wish his own childhood experience on his own child. Furthermore, if she die in this cat form, what would happen to her human form?

    ¡°Captain Gu?¡± Yu Chi asked again.

    ¡°It was just something unexpected.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°My girlfriend is pregnant.¡±

    Yu Chi felt hit by the head with a mallet. He saw the cat rub her belly. When he came to, Yu Chi congratted the pair and then he worried. The pressure would be huge for these young parents to have a child at their age, furthermore, the situation of the world was also worrying... Theymunicated in Chinese so Keziah Mason couldn¡¯t understand it. She stayed silent. She was not clued into the information given by the cat earlier as well.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± Gu Jun picked up his pace and asked the cat, ¡°How much time left?¡± The cat bit on a pen and wrote down 4:23. She could write down numbers but when she wrote in letter, they would be distorted. This was her observation from the hostility shown to her when she tried tomunicate with Phecda. But why? Why would it only affect written characters?

    Gu Jun noticed that time itself had gotten fluid after their multiple transmigration. ording to Dirty-minded Yu, she was at the Wastnd World for less than a day but when he was in Elder Tong¡¯s mind, he believed multiple days had already passed. In fact, he had spent almost half a month at Mysterium World. The timeline was all over the ce.

    Even now, their movement speed was not in line with time and space either. It felt like they covered hundreds of metres with one step. Even though the surrounding looked the same, they could feel the difference. To prove that, they came up with a small experiment. Gu Jun plucked a ball of fur from the cat and stuck it into the ground. They walked for a few steps and turned back to look. The tuft of fur had disappeared. But when they walked back for a few steps, the fur returned.

    ¡°This is a different dimension with its own rule.¡± Yu Chi mumbled his earlier hypothesis. ¡°We are not really here... the centre...¡±

    Everything was inexplicable due to the chaos. Were they doing this out of freedom of choice orpelled by time? No one knew anymore. Even though the distance shortened, they still had to traverse for half an hour. The cat though saved her energy by slumping over Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders. The countdown had less than 4 hours less. They had been following the movement of the locusts. Wu Siyu raised her paws to signal her confusion about this. ¡°I remember this was where the mutated area was when I first arrived here.¡± But now they were still trekking on scorchednd. The swarm of locusts was still moving forward. There was no sign of the mutated area, nothing changed down the horizon.

    ¡°I believe the size of the mutated area has expanded.¡± Gu Jun said. His infiltration of Elder Tong¡¯s mind worked and his spection was correct. ¡°The construction of the life circle contained the mutated area. Even so we only have 4 hourster, things are progressing at a dangerous rate...¡±

    Wu Siyu herself could not tell where exactly the Angel City and the entrance to the underground altar were. However, it was as if there was an invisible GPS system within the cat¡¯s body. With that as guide, she led them through another stretch of journey.

    Eventually, a sense of familiarity came to Gu Jun. He had been here before. A giant metropolis once sat here, the Angel City. But now there was nothing. Everything was vaporized by the nuclear explosion. The photon radiation, nuclear radiation, radioactive wave and electromaic pulse from a nuclear explosion had a certain range. Underground bunker was not unheard of at the Phecda World. If the altar was built deep enough underground, it could survive the explosion unscathed.

    ¡°Moew!¡± The cat called as she jumped down from Gu Jun¡¯s shoulder. Her nose sniffed around. She padded to a spot and patted the ground with her paws. This was the ce.

    ¡°This is it?¡± Yu Chi walked over and knocked the ground with his hands. He was the team¡¯s archaeologist. He dug with his shovel. After parting the surface away, they were greeted by some fallen debris. The two men worked together to move the boulders away and then a small circr entrance was exposed. The entrance was very small and the light could go down for only 5 metres. The tunnel seemed to disappear down into darkness. The tunnel went vertically downwards. It was not carved out of stone or made with cement. Instead adder was built into the wall. Yu Chi grabbed the first rung and shook. It did not budge but it did not look that stable either. However, the altar should be protected by some kind of power or else the entrance wouldn¡¯t be so well-preserved. Gu Jun nced down it. In this kind of situation, the order was important. If the person above decided to kick at the people below them, all of them at the bottom would tumble down into the unknown darkness.

    ¡°Miss Mason.¡± He turned to Keziah Mason, ¡°Due to the unique circumstance, we¡¯ll have to ask you to go first.¡±

    Even though Yu Chi wanted to be the first to see the altar but he understood the possible danger. He scratched his head. ¡°Miss Mason, you¡¯re wearing a dress and it¡¯s inappropriate for us to climb below you. I¡¯ll go second, if anything happens to you, I¡¯ll grab you.¡± Wu Siyu knew who the girl was. She hissed as if in warning.

    ¡°The witch goes first. I¡¯m fine with that.¡± Keziah Mason was still dressed in 17th century dress. But it did not restrict her movement. She grabbed the handle and descended into darkness. Then Yu Chi followed. Last was Gu Jun with the cat hugging his neck. With both hands and feet on the rungs, he went down the stairs. He was suddenly reminded of Ah Bao, Shou Hou from the resistance. He sighed. After paying with their lives, the Flying Locust was still around. But perhaps things would change once they arrived at the bottom of these stairs.

 Chapter 444: Delineating the Border

    <h4>Chapter 444: Delineating the Border</h4>

    The invasion of the Flying Locust dropped the entire Mo Bei City into chaos. On the morning of 19th March, a day after the appearance of the Flying Locust, about 100 first batch patients rode on strange birds and arrived from the desert wastnd. They either self-exploded or were shot down by snipers. For now, Mo Bei managed to hold back the first wave of invasion but with great loss. Evacuation effort at certain districts had to be halted. One of the districts was delineated as the first quarantine zone and it was filled with more than ten thousand suspected infected patients. When the carriers exploded, they were all within the radiation radius¡ª 8000 metres if they used Headmaster Chui as standard.

    Among them, there were Phecda members, soldiers and arge number of citizens. There were also children and senior citizens.

    There was also a second quarantine zone for people who had interacted with the suspected infected patients. After a 24 hour observation, the suspected patients at first quarantine zone were all diagnosed with allotriophagy; at the second quarantine zone, there were 3000 plus people with positive diagnosis. This outbreak tested the government¡¯s manpower and management skill. Quarantine, guard, treatment, pain alleviation... all this needed manpower or it would escte to a worse situation. With the government¡¯s help, troops, who had written their wills, were sent into Mo Bei.

    Back at the quarantine base, the condition of the second batch victims worsened. After the appearance of Flying Locust, the mental problem of the patients conspicuously worsened. Thousands of students and staff from Gao Ji High School started to suffer from hallucination. However, the medical team had no other solution other than to shoot them with sedatives. The more worrying part was the patients¡¯ physical condition. Even with the IV drip, their bodies suffered from dehydration and starvation symptoms. Their vitals were dropping and blood flow to the brain ceased, causing cerebral ischemia.

    The normal human body wasplex enough but the DNA analysis of these Locust Sickness patients confirmed Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s hypothesis. Compared to their previous DNA make-up (derived from hair samples taken from the patients¡¯ homes), there was a giant difference. The mutated DNA location was simr across all the samples. Human DNA was veryplex, a single mutation in the DNA strand could cause great mutation to the human body. In the Locust Sickness¡¯ case, there were multiple mutations in the DNA strands. They could not tell whether the ¡®locustization¡¯ was caused by a single mutation or multiple mutations. The only thing they could confirm was this sickness was due to DNA mutation.

    That was the result that the medical team, including Wang Ruoxiang who came up with the hypothesis hoped to be wrong for this was a problem beyond current human medicalprehension.

    This was a gic problem. To ease the patients¡¯ pain, the medical team knew exactly what to do. It was to provide them with the abnormal soil. However, that would mean pushing the patients towards death. If they had years,bining the greatest scientific minds of the world, they mighte up with a gic correction treatment. But they did not have years, they barely had a week. Si Kouxian, Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan were suffocated by a sense of helplessness.

    The earliest clinical experiment was over. 6 patients were sent to the desert wastnd¡¯s frontline, they helped the dare-to-die team chart out the border. The patients managed to use their bodily instinct to differentiate between the two different types of soils. During this first mission, despite the patients¡¯ desperate yearning, the dare-to-die team forbad them from consuming any of the soil.

    However, 6 patients were not enough to chart out the seemingly long border. Due to the time constraint, they needed more patients to help out at the desert wastnd. Hence a second clinical experiment was ordered. This time, they needed 100 patients. So many people volunteered, in fact, they fought to be a part of the experiment. At least then they had a chance to interact with and maybe eat some of the abnormal soil.

    ¡°I wish to do something...¡± Zhou Kewen said during his application. ¡°I know my life is over, but at least let me make my death valuable...¡± His expression pained thinking about his death. Hisst wish was one hugely influenced by his biological needs, ¡°Can I feast on the soil before I die? Let me have my fill before I die, I¡¯m begging you...¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let my students take this risk.¡± The discipline head, Wang Jinbo applied too. He too wished to have a meal of the soil before he died. In thisplex cocktail of emotions of fear, desperation, and twisted gluttony for the abnormal soil, the 100 considerably stable patients joined the mission.

    During the mission, 63 of them lost their mind. They broke free from the dare-to-die¡¯s team watchful gaze and rushed towards the border. They were not trying to escape. Instead, they copsed to the ground and shovelled handfuls of dirt into their mouths. These people were gone. Some of them had tears running down their faces, while they stuffed their mouth with soil. They were unable to resist the hunger. When hunger dominated one¡¯s sense, madness was themon denominator. Hunger, extreme hunger, most modern man had no idea what that meant. However, history provided many bloody examples of it. It turned humans into beasts. Human morality and pride were shattered. They feasted on mud, tree barks and even their own children... Anything that was able to satisfy that hunger.

    Bang, bang, bang...

    Following their instructions, the snipers eliminated these maddened patients. Mr. Wang, Zhou Kewen... died from a shot through the skull. The snipers attempted the cleanest shot to preserve the patients¡¯ dignity as much as they could. The patients¡¯ bodies copsed on the wastnd and they were then thrown into zes by mortars.

    The remaining 37 patients suffered from greater radiation damage. Their condition worsened after they returned to the base. After the mission was over, they all chose euthanasia. These 100 patients chose to make their deaths meaningful. If human civilization survived this invasion, they would be remembered. But for now, themand central did not have the time to worry about them. With the death of patients, the border of the desert wastnd was finally marked out. It was about 2 cubic km in size. The life circle mission was quickly initiated.

    As a doctor, Wang Ruoxiang stayed to observe and analyse the situation at the frontline through the monitor. The gunshots shattered her heart as well. It tore through her nerves.

    ¡®Are we doctors or undertakers?¡¯ She questioned internally.

    What else could clinical doctors like them do at this moment? When she was still at medical school, her teacher once said, the doctor¡¯s biggest responsibility was to alleviate the patient¡¯s pain. A good doctor was not one who saved the most lives but those who could provide the mostfort to the patients. There were simply too many incurable diseases, cancer being the big one... What a good doctor needed to do was to ay their suffering...

    She had not had a good sleep in a long while. Whenever she closed her eyes, the patients¡¯ painful deaths would return to haunt her. Even under such condition, Wang Ruoxiang participated in the returning patients¡¯ consultation and euthanasia. Locust Sickness changed their bodies and corrupted their minds but at least they could leave this world peacefully. The day was meant to be long but at 9 am, an unexpected change arrived.

    Wang Ruoxiang was shaken awake from a blurry dream. She then rushed to themand central. Everyone was staring at the monitor. It showed the situation at the desert wastnd¡¯s frontline. A drone appeared in the air and a remote-controlled vehicle rolled through the ground. They crossed the border from another dimension and entered the desert wastnd. However, these were not Phecda¡¯s outfits. The logo on them was unfamiliar. They had the Chinese character Mysterium on them.

 Chapter 445: Contact

    <h4>Chapter 445: Contact</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Inside the secretmunication room, Elder Tong hurried to take a seat. The new situation at the desert wastnd sent a shockwave through the whole frontline. Where did these dronese from?

    The desert wastnd appeared to be connected to a different dimension, one that was different from the one connected to the tree farm mutated area. There was no locust but there was the Flying Locust. Therefore, it made it difficult to discern the loyalty of these new appearances. The other party probably understood this so both the ne and tank drones carried banners that said in both Chinese and English. ¡°We need to talk.¡±

    Interacting with the unknown was always risky, sometimes it was better to destroy them with a missile but currently Phecda had nothing to lose. Conversation with the enemy might even garner important information. Therefore, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian decided to initiate a conversation. At that moment, at the border of the desert wastnd, Phecda sent out a tropp of pilotless drones.

    Based on the technicians¡¯ analysis, the drones from the other party were not manufactured on Earth but they did appear to have good quality. Under the group¡¯s watchful gaze, Phecda¡¯s drones crossed the border. They stopped about 100 metres from Mysterium¡¯s drones. This was going to be a historical moment so everyone was nervous. Remotely controlled bymunicator, Phecda¡¯s drones broadcasted the following, ¡°Who are you? Part of the Flying Locust?¡±

    Soon after, the Mysterium drone responded with the same broadcast. An even male voice said, ¡°We wish to ask the same question. We are not the Flying Locust you mention. A group of cultists appeared here riding on strange birds and caused great devastation on our city. Then many unregistered missiles bombarded this area and their targets were all the cultists. Therefore, we have reason to believe you, from another world, are also fighting the cultists.¡±

    This information confused everyone. Flying Locust also suddenly appeared at the mutated area in the world where these Mysterium¡¯s drones came from? But Phecda knew that Flying Locust did not originate from Earth... Could the desert wastnd be connected to a third dimension? These thoughts crossed Elder Tong¡¯s mind. A greater power at a higher dimension was helping them. Dreands and foreign world had proven the theory of multiverse and parallel universes. Then could Mysterium be their ally from a parallel universe? Mysterium appeared to havee to the same conclusion as well from the fact that Phecda had gone after the Flying Locust...

    As these thoughts bounced in Elder Tong¡¯s mind, more concepts joined them. They appeared to be left there in his mind. ¡®Multiverse, coincidence, Chinese... Could Mysterium be their counterpart in a parallel universe?¡¯ Elder Tong voiced this thought. It shocked everyone but it also gained some agreement. They decided to ask to find out. ¡°Our city was also heavily devastated by the Flying Locust, our city is called Mo Bei.¡±

    Soon, the Mysterium¡¯s drones answered, ¡°Our Mo Bei City was the one being assaulted as well.¡± Aplicated emotion rose in both parties. They continued to exchange information and it verified the concept of parallel universe. They had the same Earth with simr geography, they had Phecda/Mysterium... they were the same but notpletely simr. As interesting as it was, they did not have time to go into details, furthermore, both parties were still cautious of each other. Elder Tong, Yao Sinian and other higher ups would not take these information at face value and it appeared like it was the same for the other party.

    However as the conversation continued, a statistic was revealed. Mysterium World only had one mutated area. 200 Flying Locust members arrived at Mo Bei City and started to self-destruct. It sent the whole city into chaos. Currently, things had been brought under control and the rted personnel quarantined. Thankfully, there was not much casualty, only 3 soldiers had died. Hearing these reports, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s heart chilled. If this was true...

    At the Mysterium World, the Flying Locust came without warning. At least for Phecda World, they had the tree farm incident to warn them of the imminent danger. Mo Bei City at Mysterium World waspletely unprepared for the invasion. About 100000 citizens were infected. Even though Mysterium treated this seriously, they had underestimated the situation¡¯s severity. Their patients were still in the first stage of Locust Sickness, they suffered from agitation,ck of appetite, these were symptoms that appeared easily rectified... Mysterium still had no idea Locust Sickness was caused by DNA mutation.

    ¡°Elder Tong, 100000 people...¡± Wang Ruoxiang said urgently, ¡°There has to be a reason why the Flying Locust is doing this. Why would they infect these people? I suspect the patients are a kind of sacrifice. They have 100000 people, we have 13000 people, that is not a small number...¡±

    At that moment, the Phecda drones intercepted some video signals. After multiple inspections, the monitor yed them. Everyone¡¯s heart squeezed as they saw another Mo Bei City appear on screen. The geography was simr but the cityscape was different. Then there was the chaotic recording from when the Flying Locust invaded. The faces of the Flying Locust belonged to the missing students and staff Phecda had been looking for. Sun Haoran, Mei Yiyang, He Zhiyi, Yang Yi, Zheng Meihan, these 5 were the ones who participated in Wang Jia Er¡¯s party. So far, only Lee Yuhan remained missing. It was unclear whether he did not join this invasion or he was not captured on film.

    Mysterium said there were 200 members of Flying Locust that invaded them. Combine that with the 100 from Phecda, there were 300 Flying Locust in this multiverse invasion. Among the carriers, there were still 7 that remained unfound.

    Phecda had more information regarding Locust Illness, but Mysterium had more understanding when it came to rituals and spells. ¡°A ritualistic energy permeates this mutated area. We believe a joint effort from both dimensions is necessary to disperse it.¡±

    Elder Tong and the rest knew that the mutated area was abnormal but they had no idea it was thick with ritualistic energy. They had no technology to verify this statement either. Was Mysterium really more advanced in the study of spells than Phecda... or was this a trick?

    Then the Mysterium¡¯s drone said, ¡°We have a hypothesis. One of our important leaders, Captain Yu suffered from multiple hallucinations. He imed he saw a young man from a parallel world, he saw him conducting an autopsy on zombies and partaking in supernatural events. Recently, there was an unknown young male that suddenly appeared at Captain Yu¡¯s house. He conducted secret research with Captain Yu. We cannot find any information about him but we are sure he is familiar with supernatural events. We wonder if you know this person? Is it possible that he came from your world?¡±

    Elder Tong¡¯s heart jumped. Young man? Zombie autopsy? Sudden appearance?

    Yao Sinian and Wang Ruoxiang leaned forward nervously. Their minds went to the same ce. Then Mysterium sent over a new visual information. The video was soon broadcasted on the monitor. There were many video recordings and they could clearly see a young man that they were very familiar with walking alongside a man with a bushy beard...

    Gu Jun, it was Gu Jun.

 Chapter 446: Ancient Seal Net

    <h4>Chapter 446: Ancient Seal Net</h4>

    Peacock and Kathlyn¡¯s desire for soil increased but it had not yet reached the level of addiction. However, this did cause their focus to stray and agitate their mind. Phecda had no choice but to iste them for now. At the same time, GOA¡¯s The One was given a new, important mission. A batch ofrge cleansing stones was being moved to the life circle around the desert wastnd. The Ancient Seal department members would ce them strategically at 7 different spots. At the Mysterium World, cleansing stones would be ced at the same corresponding seven spots. The locations were provided by Mysterium. They used the wastnd¡¯s ritualistic energy to chart out its border. They did not initiate the life circle mission before but they did now.

    Since the solution offered by Mysterium was to apply the Ancient Seal Technology and not somethingpletely unknown to Phecda, the higher-ups were able toe to a consensus easily. The other reason Phecda chose to believe Mysterium was the video of Gu Jun, even though neither party knew exactly what meant. Thest reason was because Gu Jun and Captain Yu were bothst seen at Mysterium World¡¯s Australia.

    ¡°That was the ce where I was born.¡± Kathlyn said confusedly. It was also the location where Gu Jun and thend¡¯s travellersnded when they returned from Dreands for the first time. With thisyer of connection, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian believed Gu Jun was carrying out his own mission, it probably had to do with the Ancient Seal technology too. The mysterious signal, the split cross, everything could be connected.

    Phecda and Mysterium had their own responsibility to fulfil, they had to end the ritual, shut down this desert wastnd and weaken the enemy. Due to the locust radiation (possibly the manifestation of the ritualistic energy) both parties did not send any agents into the field, instead they continued themunication through drones. Phecda was given directions on what to do, this was one of the ways to utilize cleansing stones. 7 stones formed a circle to initiate a regional cleansing to interrupt the ritual. Each cleansing stone had to be operated by a member with high spirituality. This was the problem for the Phecda World. Mysterium sent out The Icebreakers which was familiar with this operation. Even without Captain Yu, they knew how to operate this mission.

    The One sent out 14 people, 7 as back up but everyone would attempt this for the first time. Mysterium sent over a copy regarding their unearthed stone statuettes and the details for Branching Seal Cleansing Net.

    This Ancient Seal Technology was unique in the sense that it contained no spell or incantation, it was instead operated through inexplicable arrangement of lines and cements. The users had tomune with the stones mentally and use their mental power as a fuel to activate the.

    Even if Phecda replicated the lines and arrangements perfectly, there might be some hups due to the inexperience of the users. The perfect analogy was no matter how hard they trained, no one at the Ancient Seal Department was able to replicate cleansing stone and assessment stone that were to Gu Jun¡¯s quality. Regardless, The One had no option but to push forward. On the way to the desert wastnd, the One practiced on each other so they would at least be familiar with it when they arrived.

    Lou Xiaoning, Deng Ximei, Mchite, Helen ire, Sam Watt, Karina Sokolova and Ivan Nikilov, these 7 members from Phecda, FBM and Russian Bureau of Safety each took their ce next to a cleansing stone. They were all briefed about thetest situation. They knew about the other world. There were 7 agents taking their ces in the parallel world.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Lou Xiaoning said as her voice travelled down the channel. ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡± Deng Ximei added.

    ording to Mysterium, the sessful formation of the cleansing required the unity of everyone¡¯s mind. Just like their team¡¯s name, they needed to be thinking like one to seed, any stray thought would cause a negative result. Phecda could have sent out an all-Phecda team but The One was the teampiled from the best agents in the world. They had been training for some time already. This was a test and also an opportunity for world unity.

    The readies reached themand central. Elder Tong watched closely. The other members at the frontline could only see within their limited field of vision. The people at themand central could watch all 7 locations clearly. The desert wastnd was rtively quiet. Above the area, drones from both worlds were still hovering. But they could barely see beyond the border. It had been decided by both parties that the Icebreaker would slow down their speed and try toplete the connection within 3 minutes, in other words, the One had to form the connection within the same time limit.

    ¡°Good luck to all of us. Let us begin.¡±

    Every agent pressed their hands against the cleansing stone. The drone from Mysterium initiated the mission. Deng Ximei emptied her mind and allowed it to be filled with lines she saw from the copy. They passed through her body into the stone. Her mind was clear and her guard was down. She allowed her mental power a free reign. The people around the 7 agents were on guard duty. At the same time, people at themand central watched with bated breath.

    The cleansing stone adjacent to Deng Ximei was the first to light up. Then it was followed by Lou Xiaoning and Sam Watt. Their stones glowed a faded yellow. In the past, the cleansing stones would only respond to those with mental corruption. Phecda had no idea they could be used like this as well. Mysterium was not lying...

    Soon, all 7 stones lit up. Everyone sighed in relief. The One was in unity. It was now 11 am but even the sun was blinded by the light that burst from the stones. The drones overhead captured everything from above. In the 2 cubic km space, the 7 lights joined to form arge ancient seal.

    ¡°It works, we have seeded.¡± Elder Tong mumbled nervously. The One used 2 minutes and 36 seconds toplete the seal, it was under the necessary 3 minutes!

    Deng Ximei, Lou Xiaoning, Mchite... all members of the One were suspended in strange status. They could see the invisible objects inside the desert wastnd. The locust radiation was exposed to their eyes. The electromaic waves carried the parasitic DNA codes and they manifested as strange bugs in the air. They spread, transmitted and twisted...

    Now was the time to chase away the darkness and end the ritual!

    Deng Ximei¡¯s eyes widened and her hair floated on the wind as she channelled her full focus. It was then that the surface of the desert wastnd started to tremble. It felt like a minor earthquake erupting.

    ¡®Fuck...¡¯ Lou Xiaoning cursed internally. ¡®I knew it wouldn¡¯t be so simple.¡¯

    The seven members of the One felt a resistance to the cleansing. The opposing force gushed forward from the desert wastnd that they attempted to seal away with the Ancient Seal.

    Deng Ximei¡¯s brows furrowed. The illusions returned to her. She saw something breaking through the ground...

 Chapter 447: Deep Underground

    <h4>Chapter 447: Deep Underground</h4>

    The verticaldder appeared to reach deep underground. Even with the flickering light that dangled from Gu Jun¡¯s backpack, they could barely see their surroundings. Gu Jun, Yu Chi, Keziah Mason and the cat had been travelling down the stairs for 2 hours already. Based on the progress they made, they were about 1000 metres underground already. Exhaustion imed their bodies but the stairs still kept on going. Theoretically speaking, the deeper they went, the thinner the oxygenposition should be but they did not notice that change. It was unknown whether this was due to the uniqueness of the dimension or the abnormal energy in the world.

    The other situation was the ability to closerge distances with small steps was not replicated here. This made it perfect for the Ganzfeld effect. There were a few moments where Gu Jun believed he saw some illusions. Or perhaps they were glimpses into another world of Flying Locusts heading towards metropolises...

    Yu Chi though had his attention turned elsewhere. The dim light reflected against the carving on the walls. They were mostly lines that had the appearance of strange locusts. Rituals normally required a specific environment set up and these were probably one of them.

    ¡°Meow?¡± Suddenly the cat growled with uncertainty.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Jun asked. With no paper, it was basically impossible tomunicate with the cat. But her meow made all 3 of them stop temporarily. The next moment, the whole steeldder shook. It grew from weak to strong. Yu Chi gasped. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± The three gripped the rungs tightly and leaned close to the wall. The cat hugged Gu Jun¡¯s neck with her paws and used her tail to twine around thedder frame. Beneath them was an endless abyss. If they slipped... the fall would be fatal.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Kezian Mason groaned in pain. If she still had not obtained the witch¡¯s power, this would be a harsh test on her. Gu Jun understood that. She was not as powerful as the men and had not attended military training. She was essentially a pampereddy from the 17th century, the most physically-demanding thing she had done was probably social dancing at balls.

    Regardless, Gu Jun did not let his guard down. After all, the witch¡¯s power was still out there in hiding. Could it really abandon its original host? Gu Jun could not tell. Keziah Mason was clueless as well but fate decreed that she¡¯d regain control of it in the future. They hung there for a minute but the quake showed no sign of abating. If anything, it grew stronger. The walls itself were shaking like something was gushing down from above.

    ¡°Meow, meow!¡± The cat hissed urgently. There was a new change to the situation. Even though there were still 2 hours to the countdown but no one could guarantee nothing else would happen before the countdown ended.

    ¡°Keep on going on!¡± Gu Jun shouted, ¡°We have to, this quake won¡¯t be stopping anytime soon.¡± Since Keziah Mason was at the bottom, if she did not move, the rest of them couldn¡¯t as well. However, this was hard on her. She had almost slipped several times already. Gu Jun missed Xue Ba then. With Captain Xue¡¯s size, he could have carried Keziah Mason easily while climbing down. In contrast, he could only carry a cat.

    ¡°My arms are shaking...¡± Mason¡¯s voice was shaking as well. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore...¡±

    ¡°Miss Mason, I need you to focus, we¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± Gu Jun instantly answered, ¡°I can already see the ground. We¡¯re not far away!¡± This was just a lie, just like a white lie the doctors told their patients. He looked down and saw only a yawning abyss. He had no idea how much hope his words gave Mason but the girl did continue to move downwards and in a surprisingly stable descent. Gu Jun could not help but wonder if her frailty was an act. After all, the exercise was strenuous even for him.

    ¡°Captain Gu, we need to pace ourselves...¡± Yu Chi said between breaths. ¡°Remember the stairs fromst time.¡± Yu Chi did not go into details but Gu Jun caught the gist. He was referring to the stairs at Pnakotus Library. Was this a trap to drain their energy so that the things at the bottom could have a field day with them? Was this supposed to happen or they were changing time?

    ¡°There¡¯s not much rest we can take hanging by the stairs.¡± Gu Jun said helplessly. ¡°If anything, we¡¯ll be even more tired if we dangle here for too long. I think we should just power on down.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yu Chi agreed but his voice took on an edge. The quake did not stop and they had to move forward. Each step became more dangerous than the one preceding it. After another half an hour, Gu Jun finally spotted the blurry ground. It was a hollowed-out cave. There was no one in sight. ¡°We¡¯re almost there!¡±

    This time, Keziah Mason answered hoarsely, ¡°Sir... you¡¯ve said that about 10 times already...¡± But seeing is believing. When she looked down on her own, she realized he was telling the truth this time. Energy surged through their bodies to finish this final stretch. Soon, the three of themnded on the tunnel. Basically they all crumbled to the ground with no energy to even move a single muscle.

    ¡°Meow...¡± The cat was the only one whonded on her feet. Her tail swished the air. She looked at the 3 piteously. She was thankful that she was spared the exercise. The cave was unguarded probably because all the locust god cultists were gathered at the altar. The cave led off to 16 different tunnels, 4 on each side. They looked suspiciously simr with strange light fixtures affixed to the wall. The tunnel roads were smooth and they stretched forward like a maze. The quake was still going. The three rested for a while before they could stand up again. The two men had no idea what was the girl¡¯s status but their own bones felt like breaking.

    ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Yu Chi scratched his head as he looked around, ¡°Which road leads to the altar or this whole thing is the altar?¡±

    ¡°Do we really have enough power to destroy this ce?¡± Gu Jun asked with a frown and no one answered. This was not a small ce, it was like an underground city. Furthermore, the Angel City cultists not only knew spells, they had conventional weapons like guns and grenades. The trio though had nothing but fatigue. It felt like they were walking towards their doom.

    ¡°Meow.¡± The cat raised her paw to point down a direction and then she spelt out the following with the letters, ¡°I think it¡¯s this way, I can hear voicesing from it. I¡¯ll lead the way. I¡¯m small and light on my feet. Plus I have 9 lives.¡±

 Chapter 448: Unearthing

    <h4>Chapter 448: Unearthing</h4>

    On the monitor at themand central, it gave a bird¡¯s eye view of the desert wastnd. The earth shook and the Ancient Seal Net tore with sparks. The signal was disrupted as the image turned blurry and the audio turned staticky. The buzzing of the drones became more piercing. Mysterium had warned them of possible counter from the ritualistic power. Even though Elder Tong and Yao Sinian wanted to do something, they could only wait and watch for now. Every unit was in a ready position. The fighter jets, missiles were ready.

    ¡°The ritualistic energy is counteracting, suppress it!¡± The Mysterium drones said through loudspeaker. The voice was heard by all the 7 agents from the One. They were seen on the 7 different screens to press their hands on the cleansing stones. Their faces burned red and veins popped on their arms. The shiny Ancient Seal Net was exhausting their mental power. Everyone could see that these 7 agents threw everything they had behind this. The 7 agents from Icebreaker at Mysterium World were doing the same.

    However, this ritualistic energy was extremely powerful. It won¡¯t be easy to suppress this rebound of force.

    ¡®Please hold on...¡¯ Wang Ruoxiang prayed. She hoped that she could do something but she was not Gu Jun. Her contribution was mostly at the surgical rooms and not the front line. However, at the moment, her eyes widened as she captured something on screen, ¡°What, what is that...¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang hoped that she was only hallucinating. However everyone else soon saw it as well. The surface of the wastnd groaned to life as it morphed into a whirlpool. Soil sunk and shifted as something tried to break through the ground.

    Bang! Those who were tuned to the live footage had their eardrums injured. The analytics of the recorded audio were off the charts. The frequency and decibel were extremely high. A strange howl was emitting from the centre of the earth whirlpool. It sounded like the amplified shrill of a mandrill or the summon of a demon who lived underground. The echo caused one of the agents who wore the earpiece to convulse and copse to the side with blood rushing to their faces. Seeing this, the medical team immediately moved into action. They suffered from cardiac arrest. The reason was unknown but it probably had to do with that echo. The other agents who heard the shriek suffered different degrees of difort. There were reports of nausea, dizziness and cold sweat...

    Thankfully, Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were not wearing any headsets or they¡¯d be the one needing emergency rescue. Themand central was in such bad shape even though the echo travelled to them through the transmission of waves, in that case, how bad would the situation be at the frontline?

    After the shriek, themand central¡¯s visual connection to the frontline disconnected. It was unclear whether it was a signal problem or a machine problem. But it was clear that some abnormal creatures had crawled out from the ground. This was not the subterrain giant worm or Conqueror Worm which they had faced before. It was a different existence, something that could emit a howling shriek.

    ¡°Abnormal creature discovered!¡± ¡°Open fire!¡± The gunshots came from all sides. The shriek caused some damage to the frontline agents too but these Special Mobile Forces were stronger both physically and mentally so they were still standing. ¡°...The enemies are moving too fast for us to hit them!¡±

    ¡°They seem to know how to read our bullet trajectory...¡±

    ¡°The enemies have the power of flight!¡±

    ¡°The enemies can go invisible! I repeat, the enemies can go invisible!¡±

    The visual connection was down but the audio connection was not. Live battle report and fighting sound came from the speakers, it cast a pall over themand central. Elder Tong mmed against the monitor. This damn signal, why it still won¡¯t reconnect?!

    Themand central had a picture from the frontline agents¡¯ frantic descriptions. There were 3 abnormal creatures that surfaced, they were of the same species. They wererge and eerie. Each one was as tall as a two-story building. They looked like hydroid but they were made from twisted polyps. They had elongated bodies and a giant opening was ced at the bottom of their body. Their bodies were covered in iling tentacles. Since the agents did not spot any wings, they thought these were a mutation of the subterrain giant worms initially. But when the giant creatures floated into the air with their wingless bodies, this observation was quickly vetoed. They soared into the sky without any problem and the ghastly tentacles fluttered along the wind.

    ¡°There are no exposed organs on the surface!¡± Lou Xiaoning said nervously, ¡°There are no eyes, or mouth...¡± There were no eyes or anything simr. These supposedly blind creatures had startling senses. Just like how a fly could sense the movement in the air, they easily evaded the flying bullets before they could hit their target. None of the bullets hit. Guns, humanity¡¯s deadliest weapon posed no threat at all to them. But to their agents¡¯ deepest consternation, the 3 creatures managed to disappear into the air before they materialized somewhere else. This happened a few times before the agents knew what was happening. Every time before the creatures were about to disappear, a temporary glow covered their body and turned them translucent. However, this process happened so fast that human eyes could not capture what was inside the creature¡¯s body. This was not an isted event, it was a controble power. Perhaps it was an effect of the ritual or these creatures knew how to go invisible innately.

    ¡°These are the things I saw at the end of the illusion when I interacted with the Siyu¡¯s poster...¡± Deng Ximei gave another report. ¡°Flying polypus hydroid...¡±

    Flying polypus hydroid? Well, that was quite a literal description. But what was the rtionship between these Flying polypus hydroid, Flying Locust and Locust Sickness? The mechanism they used to turn transparent was simr to the invisibility mechanism employed by the Flying Locusts before they self-destructed. Were these the ¡®Gods¡¯ worshipped by the Flying Locust?

    ¡°We have no information, this is also our first encounter!¡± Mysterium¡¯s drones said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll call them Flying polypus hydroid for now.¡± Elder Tong answered urgently, ¡°Where are they now? Can you still see them? Can you lock onto them with missiles?!¡±

    At the same time, another shriek came from the frontline. Lou Xiaoning cursed heatedly, ¡°Fuck, more bugs areing out from the ground. There are so many of them...¡±

 Chapter 449: Flying Polypus Hydroid

    <h4>Chapter 449: Flying Polypus Hydroid</h4>

    Buzz, the strange wails exploded in people¡¯s ears...

    At the desert wastnd, strange creatures burst out from the ground.

    ¡°The heat sensors are not working...¡± Some frontline agents aimed heat imaging sensors at the flying polypus hydroids but it was ineffective. These abnormal creatures either had anti-scanning defence or they did not emit heat, both possibilities boggled one¡¯s mind. The gunfire continued, there were bullets and small missiles. With another shriek, the signal was interrupted. The small missiles continued their bombarding. There were about hundreds of hydroids that appeared but none of them was hit. Thankfully, there was no injury from the frontline either, it was the same on both Mysterium and Phecda¡¯s side. These hydroids appeared like they were unable to break through the dimensional border, they could only move within the desert wastnd.

    For now, it could be confirmed that other than the Phecda World and Mysterium World, the desert wastnd was connected to at least one other dimension. Perhaps it was the world where the nuclear explosion urred. Even though the enemies were still trapped, Deng Ximei and the rest were at their breaking point. The light of the Ancient Seal Net dimmed. Their mental power drained.

    ¡°We mustn¡¯t let them break through our defence...¡± Deng Ximei had a very bad feeling. Their failure would not only affect the immediate frontline but perhaps the whole Earth. At that moment, themand central issued another order. The troop of fighter jets took flight into the desert wastnd. They were pilotless military jets with high artillery damage. One was enough to turn an area into a ruin. However, just as they crossed the border, several hydroids materialized around them. The tentacles of the creatures wrapped around the jets easily. They tore off the metals with surprising ease. A series of explosionster, the drones all careened to the ground.

    ¡°Prepare to retreat!¡± Mysterium¡¯s drones hadn¡¯t been destroyed and they announced staticky, ¡°The energy of the cleansing is not enough to stop the ritualistic area¡¯s imminent expansion. Members of Phecda, please retreat within the next 1 minute. We will try to hold on for another 5 minutes. 10 minutester, we will initiate indiscriminate carpet bombing.¡±

    At themand central, Elder Tong and the frontline agents swiftly agreed with this decision. Yes, indiscriminate and saturated bombings. That would mean an endless parade of missiles to besiege the isted target, which in this case was the desert wastnd. The main point here was firepower, so much firepower that the target would be buried underneath it. The earlier small missiles were made null by the hydroids¡¯ shrieks but Elder Tong believed it exhausted them to use those shrieks as well. Perhaps once they were fully exhausted, the missiles could finally hit their target...

    If they couldy waste to the desert wastnd, perhaps thend would be too barren for more abnormal creatures to emerge.

    ¡°Ah...¡± When Lou Xiaoning heard the order to retreat, as unwilling as she was, she knew she was not mentally stable enough to carry on. Plus time was of the essence. She yanked her hands off the cleansing stone and severed the connection to the. Her entire person copsed before she gritted her teeth and stood up again, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Mchite, Helen ire and the rest shared in her frustration but they were soldiers who listened to orders. The enemies were too powerful, much more powerful than zombies, Deep Ones and subterrain worms. As she retreated, Deng Ximei turned back to look. Her expression was lost. They could retreat for now, but could they retreat forever?

    The frontline materials including the cleansing stones were abandoned. All the frontline agents hurried into helicopters and trucks. They departed. Back at the desert wastnd, more hydroids crawled out from the ground. There were now more than 300 of them.

    After 1 minute, the Phecda members had fully evacuated and the Mysterium members started their retreat. After 10 minutes, both sides were already some distance away from the border. All kinds of missiles were fired from both Phecda and Mysterium¡¯s sides. Loud explosions echoed in themand central. Some of the missiles malfunctioned in mid air and exploded while others dropped to the ground in a fiery death.

    No one knew whether the abnormal creatures were killed or not. The signal to the border and to the Mysterium World was lost. The satellite only managed to pick up unclear images. But based on the retreating agents¡¯ report, the strange shrieks could still be heard. 15 minutester, without any warning, the desert wastnd expanded. The cameras which were posted 3 km away from the original border caught the gliding trace of a hydroid.

    At themand central, people looked on nervously. They had no idea how much bigger the area had expanded. The vehicles carrying the agents kept on moving. The drones went the other way to stop the enemy and gauged the border...

    Were the missiles effective? Was that thest resort avable to themand central? Did these creatures have weakness and what was it?

    At the quarantine base, Wang Ruoxiang and the rest watched closely. These thoughts bounced in her brain. They were wrapped in confusion. Human understanding of biology could not exin these flying polypus hydroids, how they did gain the ability of fly and invisibility?

    At least zombies could be understood to a certain extent, they were a kind of mutated human beings, same with the Deep Ones. But these creatures, they once again shattered human belief.

    To make matters worse, a new symptom suddenly ravaged the patients at the quarantine base. The livefeed from the patient¡¯s room was fed into themunication room. Wang Ruoxiang, Si Kouxian and the others looked on in shock.

    On screen were the second batch of patients, the staff and students from Gao Ji High School. Some of them had been given induceda due to extreme pain and hallucinations; others were strapped to the bed to protect themselves. Just moments earlier, all 100 plus of them started to shake. Their muscles tensed. The waking ones had their pupils rolled back in their heads and their facial muscle twitched. However, this symptom did notst for long, only for 30 seconds. Then they all calmed down, not to their sickened state but their pre-sickened state.

    The patients who were supposed to be in induceda opened their eyes. Due to theirck of constraint, they walked down from beds; while the restraint patients sat up in bed. They all turned to the camera in the corner. They looked just like normal persons, trying to attemptmunication.

    Wang Ruoxiang could recognize some of them. There were the math teacher, Fan Jianguo as well as students, Hou Xingxing, Zhang Zihao, Lin Xintong, Xu Yan...

    Suddenly the patients all uttered at the camera. ¡°Human friends, hello. We are the Yith, wee from the future.¡±

 Chapter 450: Maze, Symbol

    <h4>Chapter 450: Maze, Symbol</h4>

    Low and barely discernible chanting ricocheted in this underground tunnel. Yu Chi, Gu Jun, Keziah Mason and the cat treaded for half an hour and there was still no end in sight. They took multiple turns and everything remained the same. The light fixtures on the walls were the same, the faint voices, the quaking, they were constant and unchanging. They found themselves at another junction. It split into 8 different tunnels and adder that led vertically upwards. However, they were probably not going in circles because this set ofdders looked so much newer than the one they used earlier. Regardless, the cat, or in other words, Wu Siyu had to admit that they were lost.

    ¡°Meow.¡± She shrugged and copsed right in the middle of the road, a clear sign that she had given up on the leading role and also, she needed to rest.

    ¡°You can¡¯t sense anything anymore?¡± Gu Jun asked. He personally was unable to do it, his mind was muddled at this ce. Wu Siyu shook her head. She thought she had something earlier but now she realized it was merely a misguided feeling.

    Gu Jun looked around and a sh of panic gripped his heart. Something bad was urring... They were less than 1 hour and 30 minutes away to the end of the countdown. Keziah Mason looked as lost as they were. Her attention was distracted by the electric lights on the wall. That was something as incredible as magic for a girl from the 18th century.

    ¡°Captain Gu, I have an idea.¡± Yu Chi sidled up to the wall. ¡°Come and look at these carvings. I¡¯ve been studying them since we arrived. From the ce wended to here, the walls are covered in carvings.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Gu Jun noticed that as well. He wondered if they were part of the ritual or just a decoration. Yu Chi though had a different perspective. He scratched his beard and his face was red. He had trouble forming the words due to his abnormal PTSD. ¡°These are cave paintings, but they are also symbols and letters... How am I supposed to say this? Stone can be a medium! It is why the carvings on stone and paintings on cave walls have always been viewed as symbols and markers.¡±

    Gu Jun nodded. ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Meow.¡± Wu Siyu was listening in as well.

    ¡°Symbols are letters...¡± Yu Chi scratched his head. ¡°Or I should say it like this. There are three kinds of earliest known human writtennguage, the Egyptian hieroglyphs, Sumerian cuneiform and the Han¡¯s Oracle Bone Scripts. They are all refined from simple symbols.¡±

    Through the weak light, Gu Jun studied the clustered symbols on the wall. ¡°Captain Yu, you mean to say these symbols actually have meaning to them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s exactly what I mean to say. These might be part of a spell, invocation, or historical records.¡± Yu Chi exined with passion burning in his eyes. If there was a way to copy all of these, he would spend his lifetime studying them. However, that was not all. Yu Chi continued, ¡°I have studied some ancient linguistics. The more I studied this wall, the more they appeared like ancient writtennguage to me. Look, this here is the bone oracle script for the character ¡®Worm¡¯. Hieroglyphic writings are simple visual descriptions of an object, concept and action. See, this character looks like a worm.¡±

    Gu Jun could see it. The character looked like a worm, a snake or a fish hook. As he pondered these things, an uneasy feeling rose in his heart. The Chinesenguage system that they used today was developed from the Bone Oracle Script. It was the onlynguage in the world that survived such a long history of time. Was there a meaning to it? Why were they appearing on the wall?

    ¡°As we move further, the number of Bone Oracle Script decreases and they are reced by more cuneiform and hieroglyphs. I believe they might suggest a passage of time. The deeper we go, the older thenguage system on the wall. Captain Gu, we will return to the dawn of human civilization. We, from the end of human civilization willplete the circle. Other than that,nguage marks the start of every civilization. It has always been deemed as a crucial information technology.¡± Despite the pell-mell exnation, Yu Chi managed to get his point across. ¡°This religion of the Locust God is not that simple. It is more than just a bunch of locusts, I suspect it has to do with time, technology and civilization expansion as well as progression. It is the only reason their altar would look like this. I believe this whole underground system is the altar itself.¡±

    ¡®Technology?¡¯ The term caused Gu Jun¡¯s brows to crease. Technology, it was the power utilized by humanity and the Yith to resist against the dark forces...

    ¡°Meow?¡± Wu Siyu asked. ¡®Then how is this going to help us get to our destination? Or are we already at our destination? All we need to do now is to bite, scratch, pummel the walls? That¡¯ll destroy the altar?¡¯

    ¡°She¡¯s asking what should we do now?¡± That was what Gu Jun got from her meow.

    ¡°We should retrace the timeline and go back in time!¡± Yu Chi eximed as he reached out to study the symbols on the concrete wall. ¡°These symbols can be traced back to their origins. Humans existed before civilization. The ape-man, prehistoric men... Look, there are not many hieroglyphs here but there are a lot of Mesolithic symbols. This is a symbol of a bull and this here is the symbol for feather... They are all cave paintings from the Mesolithic time.¡±

    Only Yu Chi had these archaeological knowledge. Therefore Gu Jun did not give any opinion. Keziah Mason stood to the side quietly, Wu Siyu shrugged and went along.

    ¡°Captain Yu, why don¡¯t you lead the way?¡± Gu Jun suggested, ¡°This might be why you¡¯re here... All of us have a reason to be here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try...¡± Yu Chi instantly went down a small distance into the other 7 tunnels. He studied the symbols on the door and determined the timeline each of them should refer to. Some of the tunnels led towards the Neolithic age, which waster than the Mesolithic age.

    If Yu Chi was right, they needed to go back to the past, go back to the beginning, so they needed to find the path with Paleolithic symbols. There were 3 tunnels with paleolithic symbols but only one of them had the Oracle Bone Script of Worm.

    ¡°This character keeps appearing.¡± Yu Chi scratched his head and said, ¡°It should not be here. Based on the timeline, it shouldn¡¯t be around anymore. Even the Egyptian hieroglyphs are no longer visible so why is it still here? Bone Oracle Script hasn¡¯t been invented in paleolithic times. Unless... it has travelled through time.¡±

    Gu Jun studied the worm character. Who were the time travelers? The Locust God worshippers or them, the intruders?

    They had less than 1 hour and 10 minutes left. Since they had decided on a path, the group resumed their journey deep into the tunnel. But it was unclear whether they were the hook or the hooked fish.

 Chapter 451: The Yith

    <h4>Chapter 451: The Yith</h4>

    Wang Ruoxiang rushed down the corridor towards the patient¡¯s ward. After briefing themand central, Elder Tong ordered her to initiate contact. Was this a new symptom of the patients¡¯ Locust Sickness? However, of the 900 plus patients, only 150 people showed this symptom. It appeared like hallucination but the patients were kept in isted rooms. They did not have contact with anyone, not even the medical workers, after being quarantined. So if this was a ruse, how did they manage toe up with the same statement, iming that they had turned into a kind of creature that travelled from the future without any interaction?

    ¡°Yith¡±, that was what they called themselves. The word bore no meaning in the human dictionary. Currently, the 150 patients were extremely quiet, they sat on their beds awaiting contact with human beings. These people requested for a face-to-face interview, that was stated clearly in the surveince. ¡°We know what is happening, we have the same enemy, the flying polypus hydroids.¡±

    ¡®Flying polypus hydroids¡¯, they came up with the name so easily even though these creatures were just named by Deng Ximei moments ago, and the naming was only just temporary. When asked, Deng Ximei did not know how she came up with the naming convention, it was simply the first thing that came into her mind. However, from the looks of it, there was more to this than that. At least, one thing was for sure, these patients were not hallucinating.

    When Wang Ruoxiang arrived at the lobby outside the wards, she was greeted by many of her colleagues. Cai Zixuan osted her to say, ¡°They have not uttered another word since.¡± As a doctor from the Spell Department, Cai Zixuan participated in autopsy on Headmaster Chui and so on, the information he knew was only a little less than Wang Ruoxiang.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to them.¡± Wang Ruoxiang went to the dressing room and put on a thick anti-radiation suit and an opaline bracelet. These patients had not eaten any abnormal soil, so their bodies had not transmuted into an incubator for the parasitic locust and thus did not possess the ability to self-destruct. However, Phecda could not be sure whether these patients were a source of locust radiation or not, therefore, any contact carried a risk. With everyone, including the people atmand central, watching, Wang Ruoxiang and 4 members from the Ancient Seal Department pushed open the ward entrance and entered the room where Math Teacher Fan Jianguo was isted.

    Fan Jianguo was a middle-aged man in his 40s. He had medium build and wore a pair of ck rimmed sses. His face was rather haggard-looking but the addiction-induced madness was gone. Teacher Fan just awakened from an induceda. The muscle rxants shouldn¡¯t have lost their effect so soon, this was scientifically inexplicable. After reviewing the timeline, Teacher Fan was the first surviving patient to show signs of abnormality so themand central chose to speak with him.

    The Ancient Seal members held their pistols guardedly at Teacher Fan. Thetter regarded them with evenness. ¡°Hello.¡± Teacher Fan said, his eyes glowed with an inhuman radiance.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Wang Ruoxiang narrowed her eyes. She stopped 3 metres from the bed. ¡°Do you mind telling us what is going on?¡±

    Teacher Fan¡¯s voice was as still as water, ¡°We will reveal to you some but not all. After all, we are uncertain about some details as well. The Yith and humanity are not enemies. We bear no hostility against your civilization, only curiosity. Furthermore, we share the same enemy.¡±

    ¡°The Yith, is that your biological name?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked, ¡°And what do you mean when you say youe from the future?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have been longer in existence than you do and we popte this earlier than humanity.¡± Teacher Fan exined, ¡°That was more than several hundred million years ago. When we first arrived at this, we had a war with the flying polypus hydroids. At the time, we won but the flying polypus hydroids possess a uniqueness that we Yith are unable to fathom. Their setback was temporary and when they returned, we would fall. We saw our race¡¯s downfall. Therefore, we used time travel and consciousness exchange technology to attach ourselves to a different organism in the future.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang frowned deeply. So did plenty of people who heard this at themand central... What the man said sounded right out of science fiction. Several hundred million years ago? The earliest dinosaur fossil was dated only 1.6 hundred million years ago. The earliest sign of human civilization ording to the academic was formed less than 6000 years ago.

    However, Elder Tong¡¯s interest was piqued. He personally believed that Teacher Fan was not crazy. This was not a trick by the cultists either. What Teacher Fan said could exin the situation that happened to him earlier, the exchange of quarantine circle to life circle... was it not the Yith¡¯s doing?

    ¡°Humans, we¡¯ve always been friends.¡± Teacher Fan added, ¡°The Ancient Seal that you¡¯re using is part of our technology.¡± Hearing that, Wang Ruoxiang frowned deeper and the other members picked up their guards... ¡°The thing around your wrist that you call a rationality assessment stone is part of our technology as well. Pnakotus, that was once our home.¡±

    Pnakotus, the Pnakotic Manuscript, the connection was made instantly in Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s mind. ording to Gu Jun, he obtained the Pnakotic Manuscript from the Great Atal, and that was where the Ancient Seal technology came from. These patients were not suffering from delirium, they knew a lot.

    ¡°How do you expect us to trust you?¡± Wang Ruoxiang demanded, ¡°Since you im to know about our situation, then you should know why we can¡¯t ce our trust in you so easily. If the Yith does exist, how can we know that you are them?¡± Wang Ruoxiang was particrly dubious especially after her experience with the Yellow Brotherhood. Now she understood the burgeoning behind Gu Jun¡¯s paranoia.

    Before this contact, themand central had already begun their analysis. Was the Yith real? If they were real, were these patients really Yith? Or cultists masquerading as the Yith?

    They knew quite a bit about the Locust Sickness¡¯ influence on the patient¡¯s biological make-up but they did not have sufficient knowledge regarding its mental influence. Could the carriers have taken control over the mind of the infected patients? Could this be a ploy by the Flying Locust?

    Teacher Fan answered serenely. ¡°We have always valued rationality and caution, we appreciate to see them reflected in humanity.¡±

    ¡°Then, I have a few questions that I hope you can answer.¡± Wang Ruoxiang took out the list of questions given to her by themand central, ¡°Do you have any treatment solution to the Locust Illness? Why do you choose to attach yourself to the patients, can you possess the minds of any other humans? Or there is a special reason to possess these patients? Can you help us defeat the flying polypus hydroids? Solve the two mutated areas? Settle this tragedy? What is your goal?¡±

    She asked many questions, she hoped for positive and trustful answers... Sadly, humanity was currently too weak. She prayed for hope, even from this questionable source.

    The answer that she got from Teacher Fan though waspletely unexpected, ¡°Doctor Wang, you know of the green-banded broodsac, right? In this case, we Yith are the birds who had consumed the infected amber snails.¡±

 Chapter 452: Illusion in the Tunnel

    <h4>Chapter 452: Illusion in the Tunnel</h4>

    As the tunnel shook, so did the lights on the wall. The flickering lights highlighted the peolithic symbols and the Bone Oracle Script for worm. They had less than 1 hour left. Gu Jun and his group had made quite a distance down the tunnel. They passed three junctions and took multiple turns. Yu Chi used the symbols on the wall to determine their direction. However, they did not move any closer to the source of the mumbling chanting. As a result, Yu Chi became more agitated. He started to second-doubt himself.

    ¡°Captain Yu, calm down. We need to keep our heads cool especially at a time like this....¡± Gu Jun said even though he too felt his mind being disrupted. Ever since they dropped down thedder, he¡¯d been assaulted by the asional illusion and it had only gotten worse. The symbols on the wall did change but the difference was too small to notice immediately. It gave the impression that he was walking around the same spot. There were even a few moments where the things around him fell away and he was left alone in this endless tunnel. The headache pounded in his mind.

    Suddenly, there was another sh of pain. The PEEK polymer appeared to crack. ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun gripped his head and crinkled his eyes. However, the pain refused to abate. He was close to the bottom of his strength, both mentally and physically... The sound of Yu Chi talking and the cat meowing seemed to fade away...

    When Gu Jun reopened his eyes, he realized... There were no people and no cat around him. ¡®Is this an illusion?¡¯ Gu Jun shook his head and rubbed his eyes. Things remained the same. There was only emptiness and the tunnel walls around him. His heart sunk. ¡°Captain Yu? Dirty-minded Yu? Mason? Witch?!¡± He shouted but the only answer was the continuous chanting. They were inside a strange dimension, so it was entirely possible for the space to identally distort and separate them from each other. Or was this another problem thrown at them by the cultist? ¡®Am I... hallucinating?¡¯ Gu Jun had no clear answer.

    Suddenly, he felt someone staring at him from behind... Gu Jun whipped his body around and saw nothing. But when he turned back, he saw a shadow standing in the darkness. It made his heart shrink. It was a tall and muscr shadow with a square jaw. It was Xue Ba. ¡°Captain Xue?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but call after him. The shadow turned to look at him and there was ash in its eyes. That made Gu Jun snap out of it. ¡®No, it can¡¯t be Xue Ba. Captain Xue is dead, he wouldn¡¯t show up here. Not even his soul...¡¯ He calmed his mind and told himself that it was just an illusion, a trick...

    ¡°Ah Jun, do you really think this is nothing more than a trick...¡± it was Xue Ba¡¯s voice who said that. ¡°Or a regret that has been hounding you?¡±

    Gu Jun refused to listen to it. He walked forward cautiously and mewled a few times. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, dirty-minded Yu?¡± This was the work of the cultist, or some kind of dark energy. It was evoking the dark images in his mind, to make him lose control, that had to be it. This was not his first time facing something like this.

    ¡°An illusion only works because it dangles something you yearn after but you can¡¯t have, s this is not that. You should know that very well. I am Xue Ba and you fail to save me. You can ignore me, you can look over me. But you know, deep inside, these regrets will always apany you until you die...¡± While Gu Jun moved forward, he did not put his guard down. But at that moment, he stopped. Xue Ba disappeared and in the darkness, he saw other shadows. There were Prof Qin, Brother Qiang and Surgeon Zhu, they were forced into retirement after receiving the lobotomy during the Nightmare Illness. They were unable to recover to their optimum form. Of course, that was one of his regrets...

    Gu Jun¡¯s mind wavered as more shadows appeared. Huang Lin, He Feng, Shen Haoran from the legione pneumonia... Tian Yi from the Mutated Scale Sickness...

    ¡°Take a look at what¡¯s inside your bag. Medical instrument... Doctor Gu, that¡¯s right, you are a doctor but tell me, how many people you¡¯ve killed, and how many you¡¯ve saved?¡± The voice increased in volume. It was like the voices of the other victims joining Xue Ba. Prof Qin sighed, ¡°Ah Jun, life is filled with regret. The longer you live, the greater the regret...¡± His parents lectured, ¡°We are all prisoners of time. The future will always be an unknown. Time is not always on your side. You can encounter the best opportunity and the most treasured item when you were still not yet mature enough to im them. So what¡¯s left but regret?!¡±

    ¡°Prisoner of time... prisoner of time...¡±

    The whispering continued. Gu Jun¡¯s mind suffused with painful thoughts. His mind broke down.

    ¡®Regrets? Yes, I do have plenty of regrets...¡¯ It had been 2 years since he became a doctor. Starting from his encounter with the Malformed Banyan Disease, regret piled on him. The vigers from Gu Rong Vige... The vige elders who wanted only the best for the vige, the children who were innocent victims, the elderly who just wished to live out the rest of their lives in peace... Then came the legione pneumonia which imed hundred million lives... Finally, this Locust Sickness, who knew how many innocent victims would die a horrible death, how big the tragedy would be, how many families would be shattered, how many parents would lose their kids and how many kids would lose their parents. ¡®As a doctor, what have you done to prevent this tragedy? For shame...¡¯

    Suddenly some images appeared before Gu Jun¡¯s eyes. Two differentparative side by side images. One was the quarantine circle, inside the mutated area, the locust swarm consumed many frontline agents. The other was the life circle where the agents survived.

    ¡°Because you have changed time... these people, they were dead, people mourned them... but since you¡¯ve changed the past, so did the future. Isn¡¯t that important? What¡¯s more important is that you have this power, this opportunity to master time.¡± The voice began again beside his ears and in his mind. It slowly turned into his own voice.

    ¡°The path that you¡¯re walking on is a path going backwards in time. Go back to that cruise ship, go back to the moment you entered Eastern State University, or might as well, go back to the start... Go back to the past, you can change, no you can correct everything. The future is uncertain and thus an unknown. But the past, you can edit it, yes, you can edit the past...

    ¡°You can undo all of your regrets, you can ensure that they do not happen. These people¡¯s deaths and losses can be rectified... And the sacrifice? None. Because that is what you are naturally capable of. Indeed, this is what we offer you. Do you really want to refuse it?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s head spun. He wanted to say something but his mouth was drying. ¡®Change everything? Correct everything... and make everything right again? That does sound wonderful...¡¯

    At that moment, he heard a cat¡¯s call. Or perhaps it was Wu Siyu saying, ¡°No, to hell with your offer. One life is tiring enough, you want me to redo everything and start all over again? Can you imagine the work involved?! If I do ept, that will be my biggest regret.¡±

 Chapter 453: Big Sacrifice

    <h4>Chapter 453: Big Sacrifice</h4>

    ¡®She does have a point...¡¯ Gu Jun focused and tried to straighten his mind. He did not know what to think about the offer but he was sure that it was a lie when it said there was no sacrifice. ¡®I¡¯ve seen the movie Butterfly Effect... My own regrets might be rectified but what about the others? Who am I to define their lives... Furthermore, after you correct one regret, another would surface, you¡¯d end up living in the past forever...¡¯ Gu Jun pressed against his head to focus on that barely discernible cat¡¯s call. The voice was like a light in the dark. He took a deep breath and shouted. ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, if you can hear me, w at me, help pull me back!¡±

    Suddenly, he felt a searing pain on his face. The illusion before his eyes was sliced away and the other voices faded away. He shook his head and the cat reappeared before him. His hands reached for his right cheeks. ¡°Do you have to attack the face...¡±

    The cat which justnded back on the ground raised her w. ¡°You could have scratched my palm.¡± Gu Jun seemed to gain a closer connection with her. ¡°It¡¯s your loss too if my face is ruined.¡± The cat turned to study her ws. There was no blood, so everything was fine. Gu Jun then looked around. Yu Chi and Kezian Mason were still there.

    ¡°Captain Gu, there was an illusion...¡± Yu Chi said between heavy breaths. ¡°It tried to trap us here...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Keziah Mason¡¯s expression was strange, even stranger than before. It was basically impossible for her to survive that long if she was just a normal girl. The cat made a gesture to signify that they only had half an hour left. The time they spent trapped inside the illusion was longer than they thought. The group rested for a while before they continued. Other than the Bone Oracle Script for worms, the other symbols started to be more and more simple. Eventually, there were only lines, dots and circles. That was how the human writing system started. Soon, no more symbol was left on the wall, not even the Bone Oracle Script. They probably had gone even further than the paleolithic stage. At the end of the tunnel, there were colorful lightsing through. It was the exit. Did the Angel City¡¯s cultists know about their arrival? Were they waiting for them?

    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the pack again.¡± The cat meowed and happily pounced forward. At this point, there was no other option but forward.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Gu Jun basically had 100 percent confidence that she was Dirty-minded Yu now. His heart twitched with concern. ¡°If there¡¯s any trouble, just scream.¡± The cat soon disappeared into the light. But she returned in less than 3 seconds. She waved her paws. ¡°There¡¯s no one here. It¡¯s a strange space where I was given glimpses of many scenes...¡±

    Shemunicated a lot, Gu Jun had no idea whether he had caught everything. ¡°Come on, let us go together.¡± He purposely ced Keziah Mason between him and Yu Chi. He held the sharp Carlot scalpel, the only weapon that he had. The three of them came before the light and took the first step together. It was just a step but it felt like they had traversed to a different dimension. The light coagted into chaos and they were standing right in the middle of it.

    In their line of sight, other than the entrance, there was no building or decoration. There was only a river of light, that seemed to flow millions of kilometres underground before cycling upwards into the sky. The mumbling chants still echoed around them. Gu Jun looked here and there. He frowned. There appeared to be many people here but for some reason, they could not see them...

    ¡°The source.¡± Yu Chi grumbled as his thoughts fumbled around. ¡°The source of human civilization, the source of time...¡± Keziah Mason looked around as well. Her eyes wandered about as they took on an impassioned glow.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, can you see anything now?¡± Gu Jun wondered if the images that they saw were the same or different?

    ¡°No.¡± Wu Siyu shook her head. ¡°But I did see some strange images earlier. Mo Bei at Phecda World was infiltrated by locust swarms.¡±

    ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ Gu Jun thought about it as he was reminded of the offer earlier, ¡®The mastery of time... Could this ce... be something simr to the Yith¡¯s time machine?¡¯ Gu Jun did not think that time travel was a technology unique to the Yith. If the Yith could havee up with it, what was stopping the other forces from doing the same? If the Locust God could do it, then...

    Gu Jun¡¯s head pounded as information sted into his mind. If this space was somewhat simr to the Yith¡¯s time machine, a product of space and time... if the locust god cultists were here but also not here...

    ¡°The cultists might exist in a different timeline.¡± He said as he looked around, ¡°A different dimension. This ce is also where time and space ovep.¡±

    ¡°That does sound like it.¡± It dawned on Wu Siyu, ¡°If you look closer, you can see some points of ovep.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re casting the spell at another temporal space?¡± The more Yu Chi thought about it, the more shocked he was, ¡°This ritual involves time and space... Then the sacrifice will have to be ginormous. What kind of sacrifice could that be?¡±

    The cultists themselves or the first batch of Locust Illness Patients? Gu Jun was reminded of the barrenness at the Wastnd World. It was lifeless. Then he thought of Pnakotus. It was not a ruin but it too was lifeless. Could the sacrifice be a whole civilization, a whole race?

    Locust God, what was this power that the people at Angel City worshipped?

    Gu Jun studied his surrounding emptiness and his heart flustered. For a moment, an inexplicable sadness overwhelmed him. Emptiness, there was nothing. Chaos, the element before the big bang. The locusts could consume everything, did that everything include different timelines?

    For a race and civilization, consuming its presence would not wipe it out of existence, but if you consume its past and future as well, then nothing would be left of it.

    ¡°They are sacrificing humanity.¡± Gu Jun suddenly announced. ¡°They are not humans anymore. The cultists, the Flying Locust, they might look like humans but they are worms, they are locusts that live inside the human body. Humans are their hosts this time but they could have easily inhabited other lifeforms.¡± His heart chilled and so did Yu Chi¡¯s face. Due to the information brought by Wu Siyu, they gained a further understanding about the Locust Sickness. Headmaster Chui, the parasites, self-explosion. Gu Jun was under the impression that Angel City was inhabited by other humans, but they were in opposing camps from the resistance. But they were not humans. Instead they were locusts inside the human bodies. They destroyed a civilization by inhabiting and consuming them. And then they would move onto the next civilization.

    That was the lifespan of these locusts. They moved from one host to the next. That was the nature of locust.

 Chapter 454: Panorama

    <h4>Chapter 454: Panorama</h4>

    ¡®Sacrifice the whole human civilization?¡¯ This idea chilled them to the core. Gu Jun had faced Afterlife Cult, R¡¯yleh Cult, the Yellow Brotherhood; Yu Chi had dealt with the Land of Mu Cult, these cults were different from Flying Locust in the sense that they wanted to use destruction to usher in a new era, a new world but these Locust God cultists only had destruction in mind.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the source...¡± Yu Chi gripped his head tightly, ¡°There is no humanity here, it has not yet existed...¡±

    ¡°Then, what should we do now?¡± Kezian Mason suddenly asked.

    ¡°Wait, you can understand us?¡± Gu Jun turned to her and his suspicion rose. They had been conversing in Chinese.

    ¡°I do once we enter this space.¡± She answered, a sharpness coloring her green eyes.

    ¡®Meow? Is this ce like Dreands?¡¯ Wu Siyu moved her throat and a humannguage popped out. ¡°Hello?¡± Gu Jun whipped his head to her immediately. It was Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s voice that came out from the cat...

    ¡°Ah, I can finally speak humannguage again.¡± Wu Siyu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. To spell out a whole sentence whenever she wanted to talk was so tiring. She saidzily, ¡°There¡¯s still 20 minutes to the countdown but I have no idea what to do. The body inside the cage didn¡¯t get the chance to tell because he was consumed by the locusts. He did mention I have to use the power inside my cat body.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a minute first...¡± Gu Jun stopped her. He didn¡¯t want her to take the risk alone. ¡°We should try other methods first.¡± The chanting grew louder, they felt they were getting close to it. They felt surrounded, overwhelmed and swamped. They decided to try Ancient Seal first. Wu Siyu was tasked to keep an eye on Keziah Mason. Yu Chi gathered hisst remaining mental energy to cast an Ancient Seal. It caused not even a ripple.

    ¡°Captain Gu, should I try to cast a spell?¡± Yu Chi said anxiously, ¡°Sometimes, a spell can interrupt a ritual, I¡¯ve tried that before. A second source of power can corrupt the ritual. Use poison to fight poison. It doesn¡¯t hurt to try.¡± Actually Gu Jun had attempted that before as well. It was an idea. Even though he suspected its effectiveness in this situation, he agreed to it. Yu Chi moved to action. He casted the spell from the first chapter of Nine Mysterium Arts to summon a small nightgaunt. Yu Chi¡¯s abnormal PTSD was more severe than Gu Jun. It was fine when he used the Ancient Seal but once he casted the spell, his mind and body copsed with pain but he resisted them until he finished casting the spell. Yu Chi¡¯s incantation was strong, it was not overwhelmed by the chanting of the Locust God¡¯s worshippers. Several shadows rushed out from beneath Yu Chi. However, before they could form, they dissipated...

    ¡°Ah...¡± Yu Chi hissed in pain as his beard shook. ¡°It¡¯s not good enough. I am not powerful enough to stabilize them.¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu, halt what you¡¯re doing!¡± Gu Jun immediately went to hold his partner. His heart sunk. His mind twirled with questions. ¡®What was the Yith¡¯s n? Has the Yith seen what would happen here in the future? If they had, then they should know about our quandary, they would know that our spell and Ancient Seal wouldn¡¯t be able to solve this problem...¡¯ Gu Jun knew some other spell, but the power of the Son of Misfortune had departed from his body... he no longer had the power to cast them. Furthermore, he still had no idea what kind of role the Yith yed in this whole situation.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, let me try.¡± Wu Siyu scratched her whiskers and said, ¡°The reason we¡¯re here is deeply tied to the power in my cat¡¯s body. It¡¯s inevitable.¡±

    ¡°Be careful.¡± Gu Jun ultimately could not argue with her reasoning. He and Yu Chi were both drained. Wu Siyu instantly waved her two cat¡¯s paws in the air. It looked like she was dancing but actually she was drawing. Her inspiration was a kind of feeling. The reason they were here was because she allowed her feelings to guide her to draw out the strange kaleidoscope. Now once again, she surrendered herself to the feeling. As she gestured around, light rippled around them. It spread forth, wave after wave. Both Gu Jun and Yu Chi felt it immediately. The altar¡¯s quake shook harder. It was working...

    Gu Jun suddenly turned to the side. A giant scroll unfurled before him. Some images were coalescing. ¡°Are you guys seeing this?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡± Yu Chi mumbled. Keziah Mason frowned, clearly she saw it as well. Wu Siyu waved her ws again. The power in her body was activated and the images rified.

    ¡®Hmm?¡¯ The image confused the cat herself. It looked like a patient¡¯s room and some members in anti-radiation suits were standing in it. This was not a 2d picture, it felt more like a 3d experience. In fact, Gu Jun felt like he was inside the image in person. He could check out all the details. It was because of that Gu Jun could immediately recognize one of the people in the suit as Wang Ruoxiang!

    His monitor stood at the front and she was conversing with a middle-aged man sitting in the bed. ¡®Is that a patient of the Locust Illness?¡¯

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s head pounded with pain. He understood what Keziah Mason felt like when she saw them at Arkham Prison. He saw it, he saw a different existence inside the man¡¯s body. A cylindrical lifeform, the Yith.

    ¡°Captain Yu, that¡¯s the Phecda World.¡± He said heavily, ¡°The Yith is there...¡±

    Wu Siyu¡¯s paws did not stop. She gestured wildly like a master painter at work. Opposite to the scroll of the Phecda World, another scroll appeared. This time Yu Chi easily recognized the symbol of Mysterium, his colleagues from Mysterium. They were inside a patient¡¯s room and the Yith was there too. The scrolls kept increasing in number. With them as the centre, they gradually unfurled. They ovepped, coincided. Gu Jun could not catch up with all of them. He could barely understand the meaning of one before his attention was pulled away by another.

    The mutated area, the locust swarm, the life circle; the other mutated area, endless bombing, a strange flying creature. Flying polypus hydroids, he heard someone call out that term... The One, Deng Ximei, Lou Xiaoning... Themand central, Elder Tong... The streets of Mo Bei City and the evacuation...

    In that moment, he saw everything that happened at Phecda World, the Mysterium World and the Massachusetts World. They were inside a panorama. The connection of the different events was showcased before them. Everything was ced right before them to witness, now it depended on whether their sight was sharp enough to pick up the difference and simrity.

    This sudden exposure to everything confused Gu Jun. ¡®Where did this powere from...¡¯

    ¡°Doctor Wang, you know of the green-banded broodsac, right? In this case, we Yith are the birds who had consumed the infected amber snails.¡±

    At that moment, Gu Jun heard the Yith tell Wang Ruoxiang.

 Chapter 455: The Bird

    <h4>Chapter 455: The Bird</h4>

    Inside the altar, scrolls surrounded the 3 people and 1 cat. It reminded Gu Jun of the set up he made with Yu Chi to connect to the mysterious signal. Gu Jun¡¯s attention was more pulled to the quarantine room at Phecda World. Wang Ruoxiang, who was conversing with the Yith, was stunned, so was Gu Jun himself.

    ¡®Green-banded broodsac?¡¯ Wang Ruoxiang indeed did not expect that. She had no idea why the patient who called himself the Yith would say that. Of course she knew what green-banded broodsac was. The snail was the first host and the bird the second host. The parasite grew inside the snail and then its eggs were swallowed by the bird and spread through its fecal matter. The second generation of snails fed on them and initiated another parasitic cycle. However... If this was the analogy used, it meant that the Yith could not help destroy the parasite inside the snail¡¯s body. Themand central who tuned into the conversation were equally confused.

    ¡°You mean...¡± Wang Ruoxiang studied the calm-looking man on the bed, ¡°The Yith will not help us to resolve this tragedy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but things aren¡¯t that simple.¡± Teacher Fan began. ¡°Like I said, the war between the Yith and the flying polypus hydroids was a possibility that will only lead to failure. The first reason is the mental structure of the flying polypus hydroids was one we Yith cannot infiltrate but the second reason is the main reason. We are unable to defeat the greater power supporting the flying polypus hydroids, the Locust God. That is the God worshipped by the Flying Locust, the source of the Locust Sickness.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s frown was deeply locked, her heart continued to sink. She personally believed that the patient was the Yith, at least she hoped that it was true. But even such a powerful race, one that had the time travel technology and mind transfer technology could not defeat the Locust God?! This wave of surprise and disappointment swept through themand central as well. Moments earlier, they thought they had gained a powerful ally, they hoped that the Yith could help them turn the situation around.

    ¡°You mentioned that we are friends? But what you¡¯re saying does not imply that at all.¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked darkly. The Ancient Seal members behind her picked up their guns. ¡®Could this man be controlled by the cultist and this was another trick to lower their morale?¡¯

    ¡°Yes, we are friends.¡± Teacher Fan said, ¡°I understand the conundrum you¡¯re in but please let me finish. In the original future, the Yith will be defeated by the flying polypus hydroids but the real reason that caused the extinction of the Yith was the Locust Sickness. At thete stage of this sickness, the victims themselves would not only have their biological body turned into parasites, their brains will be transmuted as well. They would be mindless worshippers of the Locust God. Therefore, to save them, their consciousness has to be vacated as soon as possible. Once the parasite travels to the brain, nothing can be done anymore.¡±

    As she listened to this, Wang Ruoxiang was reminded of the mad ravings of the patients... ¡°I can hear them, the sound of their approach. They will crawl out from the ground and descend from the sky. They will arrive from the multi-worlds. The storm is imminent, insects and worms shall ride the wind; The flood is imminent, mayflies shall ride the waves...¡±

    ¡°Therefore, we have escaped to a further future, but time is a veryplex thing. This escape into the futurees with a price, we¡¯ve lost our true freedom because of it. We owe time a debt and we owe the Locust God a sacrifice, which are our own destruction. We need to keep our temporal location a secret to escape Locust God¡¯s detection to avoid extinction; but at the same time, we need to pay our debt in both time and sacrifice or the Locust God woulde after us. It knows the fate that we have scammed from it, it merely has not taken any punishment against us.¡±

    Whenever Teacher Fan spoke of Locust God, his tone would beplicated. It was not admiration, not passion, not hatred or fear. Theplication reminded Wang Ruoxiang of how she felt when she faced a difficult problem in a test. She was confounded by it but at the same time, enjoyed the challenge. The Yith owed the Locust God a sacrifice, therefore...

    ¡°Therefore, we became the second host for the Locust Illness. It was us who carried DNA information of the Locust Sickness through time.¡± Teacher Fan continued evenly, ¡°We cannot copy or preserve these information for that will expose us. In the far future, we retain our lifestyle, we make use of our technology to travel to different timelines. We observe other civilizations, record them and bury the Locust Sickness¡¯ DNA at the timelines we visited. That way, our responsibility as birds ispleted. Some point in time, a time that even we cannot calcte, the locusts will rise up from the ground. What you¡¯re experiencing now is the coincidence of 4 different timelines. That is not something we Yith activated or something we can change or even participate in. But because of this, the Locust Sickness has arrived and it has attracted the Locust God¡¯s attention. And now.¡± Teacher Fan concluded in a matter-of-fact manner, ¡°The human civilization is copsing.¡±

    At the altar, Gu Jun was silent and his face darkened. The same conversation was happening inside the room at Mysterium World. Yu Chi gripped his head and he grumbled in pain. ¡°The Yith are the carrier? It was the Yith who transported the Locust Sickness to other timelines so that the Locust God can consume other civilizations. That way the Locust God will temporarily forget the debt the Yith has owed it.... The Yith are the carriers... Did we cause this gue because we have responded to their signal... No...¡± The same thoughts crossed Gu Jun¡¯s mind. The Yith was the aplice, the race that adored science and rationality, shifted the genocide onto other civilization to preserve their own. Keziah Mason¡¯s expression shifted while Wu Siyu waved her paws to maintain the scrolls.

    ¡°That means we are enemies...¡± In the room, Wang Ruoxiang said in suppressed rage, ¡°how are we friends?¡±

    ¡°No, we are indeed friends, we merely are unable to change the fact of humanity¡¯s destruction.¡± Teacher Fan argued, ¡°The problem is not the flying polypus hydroids but the Locust God. Doctor Wang, races like us are like babies in the grand scheme of the universe but not the Locust God. In our future, it is not that we have not simted scenarios that could have helped your civilization escape this tragedy. Just like every civilization that has been destroyed, no matter how many simtions we make, the only thing we can confirm is destruction is inevitable. Humanity will and must die. If the Yith attempt to change that, our temporal location will be exposed and we¡¯ll die as well. Doctor Wang, rationality tells us what we should do and rationality should also tell you what you should do.¡±

    ¡°What should we do then?¡± Wang Ruoxiang hissed through her teeth. She almost reached out to strangle this man. ¡°Wait for our death?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Teacher Fan said, ¡°Part of you can join us, be the Yith.¡± This answer indeed startled everyone again.

    ¡°The Yith has no physical body, we are a consciousness-based lifeform. For you to understand it, you can imagine us as a set of data. If you input this set of data into a mushroom, then that mushroom is a Yith, if you input that data into a human, then that human is Yith. The Yith is not a singr race, we are made from many different aboriginal races. We Yith do not care about the physical bodies. We do not have an order, or a hierarchy, we are all Yith. Therefore, we can transfer part of your race¡¯s consciousness to the future and transmute those consciousnesses into data and escape the shackles of physicality. You will then possess the same mental strength as we do. Regarding who will be selected to join the Yith, we Yith have our own method of selection, in fact, the selection has already been done.

    ¡°That way, even though human civilization will perish, humanity will survive in another form. Humanity will be part of the Yith. With the participation of humanity, the Yith¡¯s mental frame will grow. We shall share our intelligence, our knowledge and technology. We will search for greater intelligence to unlock the secret of this universe. We are a race, a great race. At a point in time, the Yith will figure out a way to defeat Locust God and find a real solution to resolve Locust Sickness and all the other illnesses. Doctor Wang, this is our sincere offer. We are friends, because we are indeed friends.¡±

    Once Teacher Fan finished, the room sunk into silence. The members halted their words, their hearts chilled. Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s ears buzzed. The Yith had given them a blueprint, a way to preserve the ember of humanity... Her mind was muddled. When she heard the question from themand central, she asked numbly, ¡°What do you mean by your own method of selection?¡± There were 76 hundred million people on Earth. Or rather 76 hundred million people in Phecda World. Including the people from Mysterium World, the number would double.

    ¡°If possible, we wish to save all of you.¡± Teacher Fan continued, ¡°But time travel has its own limitations and rules. Saving everyone will not only attract Locust God¡¯s attention but also its wrath. Furthermore, Doctor Wang, this consciousness transfer itself requires sacrifices. Also, not everyone will be able to approach the Yith, not every consciousness can be easily traded into the future. Even if they can, not every consciousness can be transmuted into data and not every consciousness will be of use to the Yith as a race. Therefore, we have to select the most suitable candidate. For example, you Doctor Wang, you are in our list. Many people in Phecda as well as great talents in every industry over this world are in our list.

    ¡°Doctor Wang, you might ask how can the Yith really understand the entire poption of Earth? How can we know we have made the correct selection? We have the necessary technology to perform the scanning. Of course it is not 100 percent urate, we still do not have that intellect. But we will try our best to pick out the best from your world. The current list is 50000 people, and that is already stretching the limit. 50000 people will be the Yith and then you¡¯ll better understand what we¡¯re saying now.¡±

    When Teacher Fan finished, Wang Ruoxiang asked, ¡°Is Gu Jun part of the list?¡± That was her question, also the question from themand central. ¡°Where is Gu Jun now?¡± They still had a hero, a hero who had saved them from multiple tragedies...

    ¡°People like Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and Yu Chi.¡± Teacher Fan answered. ¡°Are rted but also unrted to the Yith. We do not participate in their lives.¡± Wang Ruoxiang narrowed her eyes sharply. The Yith had answered indirectly... Gu Jun, Wu Siyu were not part of the list? Why?

    ¡°We do not have much time left, 15 minutes to be exact.¡± Teacher Fan said. ¡°Doctor Wang, we¡¯re here to take away the DNA codes of the Locust Sickness and to make an announcement. We will only participate in this situation this one time, we will not go back in time to repeat this. Please trust me when I say, we Yith are powerful enough to force consciousness transfer of humanity¡¯s best minds to join the Yith but that is not something we wish to do.¡±

    ¡°Then have you not seen the future of this conversation?¡± Wang Ruoxiang asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know the answer we will give you?¡±

    Teacher Fan answered serenely, ¡°Whenever it is a timeline rted to the Locust Sickness, there will be a temporal fog that we can¡¯t see through. That naturally will influence our simtions. Furthermore, it is unwise for us to venture too close to the Locust God. In other words, we know humanity will fall, but we do not know every detail of the inevitable fall.¡±

    At themand central, everyone was silent. It was Yao Sinian who eventually said, ¡°This might be the enemy trying to lower our morale...¡± The normally talkative Elder Tong was silent. Perhaps it was the influence of the information input because his understanding of the Yith suddenly increased.

    ¡°Now, please pay attention, and please notify others.¡± Teacher Fan said, ¡°One minuteter, we will force a thought imnt into the selected 50000 humans. We will send images of the other civilizations ruined by Locust Sickness to you. Our goal is for you to see the situation that you¡¯re in. This is an inevitability that humanity cannot resist. Hopefully you can make a rational decision.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang frowned. The brains of 50000 elites would be infiltrated just like that?

    ¡°Warning, warning!¡± The rm came from themand central. ¡°Raise the defence against mental infiltration!¡±

    She hurried out of the room with her colleagues. She mmed the door shut. Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s heart was strung taut. She looked around. And then focused to resist this invisible threat...

    The warning was given to the One as well as the elites stationed at Mo Bei and the leaders of various countries. Phecda had no idea who were on the Yith¡¯s list, there was only so much they could do. 1 minute passed, not one second too early, not one second toote.

    Suddenly, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s mind throbbed with pain. It was like she was being pulled into a whirlpool or a whirlpool was forcibly shoved into her mind. She was unable to do anything against it. She yelled out in pain. Many images shed before her eyes, they were all shots of carnage and destruction.

 Chapter 456: Rationality, Emotions

    <h4>Chapter 456: Rationality, Emotions</h4>

    Strange noises and gory images. They rushed into Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s mind as well as the consciousness of the 49999 selected individuals all over the world. The One was assaulted by the mental wave, back at themand central, people like Elder Tong and Yao Sinian were exposed to the same fate. They bore witness to how Locust Illness brought down many different civilizations. There were so many different cultures, and races. These people exhausted everything they had but they were powerless against the abnormal locusts. They were eventually consumed and everything turned into nothingness...

    They also saw how the Yith travelled through time, carrying the Locust Sickness¡¯ DNA with them. They cleverly skipped through time to avoid extinction.

    The 50000 individuals were carefully selected. Even though this wave of mental input was strong enough to destroy a person¡¯s mind, all the selected individuals had a strong enough constitution to sustain it. Some were angered by what they saw, others were silent in thought. Some scientists were beyond joy. The temporary shes of knowledge were everything they had been searching for. The invitation by the Yith was already lighting up their mind. This was not an easy invitation to ept. Their families, friends, lovers... were not on the list. It was hard to put down everything, to go to the future, to be the Yith.

    ¡°Doctor Wang, we admire you greatly.¡± Teacher Fan said calmly. ¡°Your intelligence, learning capability, observation power and logical mind is top notch among humanity. It was you who first hypothesized the Locust Sickness¡¯ pathology. We Yith wee you.¡± Wang Ruoxiang was currently outside the patient¡¯s room but she could still hear Teacher Fan clearly. ¡®Allow this world to go to ruination and escape alone to the future?¡¯

    ¡°You Yith made this decision under these circumstances?¡± Wang Ruoxiang mumbled as if to herself.

    ¡°You humans put too much emphasis on concepts like family, race, rtionship and country. Consider the concept of Imagined Community proposed by Benedict Anderson, an imaginedmunity is amunity due to their shared benefit. When necessary, building, participating and protecting thismunity is rational; but when it¡¯s unnecessary¡ªwhen thesemunities can no longer bring benefit, abandoning them is another rationality.¡±

    ¡°You mean... abandoning our parents and children is rational?¡±

    ¡°That depends. I know this is very hard to ept for emotional creatures like humanity but this is not a multiple-choice question. Your escape will not cause their destruction, if anything, the escape is a chance for you to survive, to continue your civilization. Then epting this chance to survive is rational.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that selfish?¡±

    ¡°The essence of nature is selfish, you¡¯ve done research into that already.¡±

    ¡°Then if necessary, you two will abandon the Yith race?¡±

    ¡°Of course, everything depends on the situation. A physical shell can adapt, so can one¡¯s consciousness. Nomenture does not matter, form does not matter, emotion does not matter, concepts like ¡®family¡¯ do not matter... Nothing matters, except the result.¡±

    ¡°Then what kind of result you¡¯re looking for? What is your goal?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, the Yith are reaching for the epitome of intelligence. We will use rationality and science to reach that summit.¡±

    ¡°So... you do not believe in any form of emotion?¡±

    ¡°Broadly speaking, rationality is also a type of emotion. Our passion for rationality and science, our determination towards pursuit of intellect is an emotion. Narrowly speaking, emotions are imagined feelings instigated by chemical reactions of hormones. It is irrational, temporary, weak, blind, stupid and it can influence rationality. However, rationality can trump emotion.¡±

    ¡°Rationality can trump emotion, is that your mission?¡±

    ¡°If that aids in your understanding, you can see it that way. We are observers, archivers, thinkers. We search for essence of things.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if you have heard this biological hypothesis that humanity came up with up...¡± Wang Ruoxiang mumbled but in reality, she was only conversing in her mind, ¡°To maintain a vibrancy of life, a lifeform has to maintain diversity in their gene pool. For a race, even a sickness DNA can be good. Certain illness DNA coding can be of miraculous use under certain circumstance to help the race survive. Therefore diversity is crucial in both biology and in thinking...¡± With her brows arched, she looked towards Teacher Fan inside the patient¡¯s room. ¡°I notice your race¡¯sck of diversity. You should have plenty of diversity since you arepiled of different civilizations but since your collective consciousness has blind faith in rationality, that limits your frame of thinking. A race like that will never reach the summit of intelligence. From my perspective, rationality alone will not allow one to witness the pure essence of things.¡±

    ¡°Doctor Wang, that is a brilliant insight.¡± Teacher Fan replied, ¡°We wish to discuss this with you further but you only have 10 minutes left. Please make your decision quick, please make the rational decision. Do not be blinded and shackled by emotions.¡±

    At that moment, the selected were all joined to the Yith. The conversation between Wang Ruoxiang and Teacher Fan crossed their mind. Family... Imagined Community... Friends... Selfish... Emotions, shackle the mind...

    The tsunami wasing and humanity was just a small boat waiting to be capsized.

    At the desert wastnd frontline, Lou Xiaoning red her right eye and said, ¡°What emotion, what rationality, why don¡¯t you tell that to people like Xue Ba?! If they didn¡¯t act so foolishly, they might still be with us today. I don¡¯t know about others but, I Lou Xiaoning will answer you now. I am not leaving, I¡¯m not a coward.¡±

    ¡°This is my home.¡± Deng Ximei said softly, ¡°I won¡¯t go too, I can¡¯t bear to leave my home.¡±

    ¡°Life has meaning because it is fleeting.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed, he too was selected. ¡°I¡¯m staying too.¡± He was unable to let go as well. How could he? His family¡¯s warmth, his mother¡¯s cooking, his girlfriend and everyone else...

    Hearing these, Teacher Fan appeared to frown slightly, ¡°You are only seeking your own death.¡±

    ¡°I do not wish to be a creature like the Yith.¡± Wang Ruoxiang had her decision as well. ¡°I see that as another form a death, a non-life that is soaked in formalin.¡±

    People like Uncle Dan, Ma Feng, Mchite, Peacock, Uncle Tong and Yao Sinian agreed. Some of humanity would ept the Yith¡¯s offer but not them. They would fight to the end. ¡°We humans are different from the Yith.¡±

 Chapter 457: Choice

    <h4>Chapter 457: Choice</h4>

    Do not be blinded and shackled by emotions.

    Inside the altar, when Gu Jun heard the Yith said that, he was reminded of the intermittent mysterious signal, something about their brains being shackled. At the time, Yu Chi and he thought the thing shackling them was their bodies but turns out it was their emotions? So did this mean that the Yith was behind the mysterious signal?

    They had 5 minutes left. Gu Jun¡¯s emotions wereplicated. They could see everything, the detailed situation of all 50000 individuals being selected. The selected were also connected by an invisible mental bond. Floating in the sea of emotions, most of them were tied down by familial connections. However, there were some elderly individuals, those without families as well as scientists who yearned for the ultimate scientific truth who chose to leave with the Yith. The moment their choice was made, their consciousness would be sucked out immediately and transported to the far future. They were not given the chance to even say farewell to their families, kiss their children, hug their parents, call their friends... there was no time.

    To be the Yith, one had to ovee these emotions and this was the perfect way to start. With regards to those who chose to leave, there were voices of understanding and condemnation. Humanity was a creature of choice, some would go and some would say. That was human diversity. Gu Jun studied the panorama and a fury burned within him. Suddenly a voice seemed to be asking, ¡°And you... what would you guys choose?¡±

    They too had their own choices to make...

    ¡°Captain Yu, did you hear that?¡± He asked.

    ¡°I did.¡± Yu Chi looked around nervously. But there was nothing they could do but wait. For both Phecda and Mysterium, 90 percent of the chosen ones decided to stay. Those who left were mostly side-liners who worked the charts and research. The frontliners andmanders chose to fight to the end.

    ¡°If you intend to leave, then hurry up!¡± At themand central, Elder Tong mmed against the table, ¡°If not, we still have plenty of things to do!¡±

    ¡°No one is leaving. If we choose to run every time human beings face tragedy, can we survive until today?¡± At the frontline, Lou Xiaoning cursed. Of course, not everyone in the One shared her opinion. In fact, 3 of their members left, 2 from FBM and 1 from Russia.

    ¡°Maintain the life circle!¡± Elder Tong ordered. ¡°Keep control over the desert wastnd and try to connect with Mysterium. While we have this mental connection, we should try to initiate the cleansing again. We need to try every weapon and spell to find the weakness of these flying polypus hydroids. Move, move, move!¡± The various departments never stopped working. The vehicles which were retreating earlier, now reared around to head into the danger zone.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you people get it?¡± Teacher Fan¡¯s voice colored with helplessness. ¡°It¡¯s pointless, you won¡¯t win this. This is a war you can¡¯t possibly win.¡±

    ¡°It is not that we don¡¯t get it.¡± Wang Ruoxiang said as she hurried away towards the dressing room. ¡°It¡¯s that we know we can¡¯t give up.¡± She told themand central that she would be of greater use outside the quarantine base. She wanted to go to the frontline. At least she knew how to cast spells. At the Spell Department, other than Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and Deng Ximei, the strongest spellcaster was Wang Ruoxiang. At this point, there was nothing to lose to try to summon Byakee.

    ¡°Behind Mo Bei is the whole world. Our families are behind us, we will not give up the defence of Mo Bei.¡±

    ¡°Families... you are still shackled by emotions...¡± Teacher Fan sighed. ¡°The essence of biological nature is selfishness, please do not surrender to meaningless pressure of morality...¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Biological nature is selfishness.¡± Wang Ruoxiang countered, ¡°But we believe thebination of emotion and rationality can ovee that selfishness.¡±

    ¡°Ovee selfishness? Doctor Wang, we have studied humanity for a long time. Humanity has a precious naivete about the world, that is a reason why we wanted humanity to join the Yith. Your ideas can help expand our mental frame...¡±

    ¡°Then, be silent and watch.¡± Wang Ruoxiang removed the suit and tossed it away. She put on her white coat, pulled up a ponytail and hurried away. Cai Zixuan and the rest followed her. They would join the frontline as spellcasters. Death wasing no matter where they were, in that case they might as well take down some locusts before they died.

    Time... 1 final minute left.

    Inside the altar, the voice rified, ¡°You want to do something but you can¡¯t. Everything here is beyond yourprehension... You believe since there is a 1, there will be a 2, there is a sequence to everything. Since there is yesterday, there will be today and then tomorrow. There is a start, a process and an ending. There are questions and corresponding answers. There is chaos and order. There is rise and fall, strength and weakness, life and death.

    ¡°Duality in everything, cause and effect. You are used to seeing things this way, this is the lens you utilize to understand the universe.

    ¡°But... is that really correct? Is there really a logical sequence to everything or is that just your wishful thinking?

    ¡°If there is no duality, no cause and effect, no time, no order, no meaning, then does that mean everything is nothing but a ball of chaos?¡±

    The voice echoed inside Gu Jun¡¯s heart. It reverberated in Yu Chi, Keziah Mason and Wu Siyu¡¯s minds as well. Wu Siyu had stopped moving her paws. The scrolls gradually ovepped over each other. The different worlds, different locales were contorting.

    ¡°Why? Why did a poster you drew in high school would appear in a different world? Why did your painting suddenly possess such power?¡± Wu Siyu wagged her tail as if saying, ¡®o well, who cares?¡¯

    ¡°There is no reason, it merely is. Keziah Mason, why did your family have such horrible death? Why was you sent into prison? It is not because you are a prisoner of time, it merely is. Yu Chi, why do you suffer from abnormal PTSD? Why the split cross? There is no reason no matter how hard you research, it merely is.

    ¡°It merely is, a simple concept that humanity cannotprehend. In fact, the more you try toprehend it, the more confused you¡¯ll be. That is the w of the human thinking process... You need a reason, a logic, a truth...¡±

    The voice continued to bounce around as the panorama churned like a whirlpool. Gu Jun¡¯s head throbbed. It felt like the altar was spinning. The chanting raised in volume. Around their group, light exploded. Crimson glow interweaved everywhere. It took on a confusing and menacing hue.

    Locust God was about to descend. The voice, it belonged to the Locust God.

 Chapter 458: Locust God

    <h4>Chapter 458: Locust God</h4>

    Impossible images showed on the big screen at themand central. The locusts inside the mutated areas bounced against the border, the life circle gradually wilted.

    ¡°There¡¯s a new update...¡± This was the first time the people managed to see with their naked eyes how the mutated area expanded, how it corrupted the space, turned the ground ck. nts inside the life circle wilted at a speed observable to the naked eye. Their verdant color instantly turned to ash. The animals inside the pens like cows, ducks, chickens, horses cried in despair. They knew darkness had arrived. The cattle shivered in fear, while horses bumped against the wooden beams in a desperate effort to save themselves. However, second severalter, they were all eaten alive by the locusts.

    The agents brandishing the methrowers had to retreat while holding their line. The scorched ground was everywhere. Soon human cries joined in the cacophony. Death had descended on humanity. The locusts ate through the agents¡¯ gear, and then they feasted on human skin, tendons, bones, flesh, blood... There was a fleeting moment where the dying human could see their own organs in full disy.

    The mutated area was rapidly growing. This time it was not followed by an explosion, it directly tore through the reality. It was spreading like an ugly wound. Power poured over from the Wastnd World and it was unstoppable. Over at the desert wastnd, the same thing was happening. More flying polypus hydroids burrowed out from the ground. Their wails caused all the machineries to malfunction. It also shattered the eardrums of nearby agents. Blood oozed out from their ears. The frontline agents continued to fire inside their armored vehicles, tanks and helicopters.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Lou Xiaoning controlled the artillery cannon fixed to the car and unloaded on the abnormal creatures that flew in the sky. None of the bullets hit. Then again, that was not her goal to begin with. Her aim was to buy time for the other members to return to their posts at the cleansing stones. They wished to draw mental power from the Yith through their mental connection to weave another Ancient Seal web!

    Suddenly, near one of the cleansing stones, a flying polypus hydroid flickered by. The tentacles on the creature that was 2 storey tallshed rapidly on the ground. Helen ire was hit multiple times on her body. The female agent from FBM had her body sliced into different parts before she could even emit a scream. Like sliced meat, the agent¡¯s body copsed to the ground in pieces. Light faded from her widened eyes.

    ¡®It¡¯s pointless...¡¯ The Yith¡¯s words echoed in their minds like a curse. ¡®You will not survive this. Humanity is meant to fall.¡¯ The countdown was over. Death appeared everywhere, at both Phecda World and Mysterium World.

    It was shown all over the scrolls.

    ¡°Chang Hong!¡± Yu Chi suddenly screamed in rage and pain. That was Yu Chi¡¯s buddy, his friend from the Icebreakers. At that moment, Chang Hong experienced the same fate Helen ire did. As the team leader of Icebreakers, there was nothing Yu Chi could do but yell aimlessly inside this abnormal space. Gu Jun¡¯s heart also wrenched with anger and pain. Even though he did not know Helen ire and Chang Hong well, their deaths were rendered so meaningless... And simr death would also soon descend on those he cared most about... As the world came to an end...

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, how do you feel?¡± Gu Jun asked urgently. He hoped she had an idea to destroy this altar.

    ¡°The power in the cat¡¯s body is almost gone...¡± Wu Siyu said weakly, ¡°Unless I choose to ept its offering but...¡±

    The chanting in the altar was clear enough that they could hear it clearly now. It was the prophecy made by the Flying Locust, ¡°The storm is imminent, insects and worms shall ride the wind; The flood is imminent, mayflies shall ride the waves!¡± It was repeated again and again. Blurry figures appeared around them. They were all kneeling in different space and time, waiting for their God to arrive.

    Gu Jun¡¯s head pounded with such pain that it felt like his skull was about to shatter. Next to him, Yu Chi gripped his head tightly as well...

    The Oracle Bone Script that they encountered along the way came alive and danced around before their eyes. They could see the character for Worm floating in the brightness around them. Gu Jun gathered his remnants of mental and physical power until the veins popped on his forehead but he found moving even a single muscle as hard as moving a mountain. On the scrolls, at the two frontlines, more people died...

    The Yith, as they said, merely kept on watching while they prepared to detach themselves to escape to another time. ¡°Doctor Wang, emotionally speaking, the fact that you refuse to go with us is quite saddening. Yes. Saddening indeed.¡± Once Teacher Fan said that, he suddenly slumped back onto the bed. The spirit in his eyes seeped away. The man became nothing more than a shell. The Yith inside his body was gone.

    At the same time, the Worm characters at the altar ovepped together and they glowed even brighter. It floated before the gathered group and eventually a shadowy figure emerged from it. It looked like a human-insect amalgamation. Its body transmuted constantly in the light. The cultists were overjoyed. Their chanting grew in volume. They were in the presence of their God, their Locust God.

    The shadow gradually coalesced from a skeletal frame to a human with flesh. Finally, the clothes appeared. This was a faceless person with indeterminate sex.

    ¡°He is faceless because he has a thousand faces...¡± Keziah Mason mumbled, ¡°He can have a thousand faces because he is faceless...¡±

    As if answering her, some faces shed across the head. The one that eventually froze there caused the Flying Locust to halt in their excitement. These cultists were confused, why would their Locust God take on a human form... and that particr face?

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu noticed something from the Locust God¡¯s clothes. It was the tattered outfit of the skeleton inside the cage at the wastnd. This figure... was the dead person which was left to die inside the iron cage. The person who had given the resistance scientific knowledge and thus was given the death punishment by the Flying Locust. The foreigner who had given the resistance arge atomic bomb to vaporize Angel City, the haven for the servants of Locust God. The person who forcibly summoned Wu Siyu here to stop the ritual to summon the Locust God.

    This tall and imposing figure materialized before them.

    ¡°You... are the Locust God?¡± The question was not asked by Gu Jun¡¯s group but one of the cultists who had snapped out from his reverie. The cultists believed they were about to ascend to Godhood. The great sacrifice was sessful... humanity from both worlds was doomed... The Locust God had descended but what now?

    Furthermore, why did the Locust God help the resistance destroy the Angel City? Why...

    Wu Siyu scratched her head. Yu Chi looked on numbly. Gu Jun also wanted to know why. The reason they were there in the first ce was due to the Locust God¡¯s intervention. Why? Indeed, that was how limited a human being¡¯s mind was. Everything has to have a cause and effect, right?

    A horrid cackle echoed through the space. It came from the Locust God. The deity looked at everything, at everyone gathered around him and answered. ¡°Because I want, because I can, because I am Nyathotep, the Crawling Chaos.¡±

 Chapter 459: Faceless God with a Thousand Faces

    <h4>Chapter 459: Faceless God with a Thousand Faces</h4>

    So the Locust God was a disguise all along. A disguise of Nyathotep or perhaps this Nyathotep was also another disguise. After all, this was an existence with a thousand faces. Silence nketed over the altar. Then some of the kneeling disciples raised their heads to demand, ¡°Locust God, Our God! We are merely mayflies in the stream, following your order is our destiny...¡± With this, more cultists joined in with renewed passion. But suddenly, the thin figure above the altar waved his hand and an invisible force surged through. Before the impassionate cultists could make any noise, they disintegrated into nothingness after immense torture. These people, both humans and Flying Locust, still had many things that eluded their mind at their moment of destruction. But at the very least, they had seen their Locust God.

    The remaining cultists cowered even lower and remained silent. The 3 people and 1 cat continued to level their gaze at the descended God. Gu Jun had no idea whether this was a demon or one of the Old Ones. He felt a strange unfamiliarity from it, one he had not experienced before. Whenever human beings came into contact with an Old One, even a statue carved in their image, their brains would be assaulted by madness. But when he was in the presence of this Nyathotep, he felt nothing. Was it part of the being¡¯s mind trick?

    ¡°Look at you.¡± The tall figure announced, ¡°You are still anticipating an answer, an answer that can solve all the questions.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not.¡± Wu Siyu shrugged her paws. ¡°If you want to trick us, toy with us, so be it. After you¡¯ve had your fun, can you just disappear and leave us be?¡±

    The figure turned to the multi-colored cat. ¡°Wu Siyu, you¡¯re very interesting.¡± ¡®Interesting?¡¯ This was a praise but Gu Jun heard the threat in it. Was it simply because he found Wu Siyu interesting?

    ¡°This tragedy, the mysterious signal, our appearance here.¡± He asked, ¡°Are those all of your doing? Because you find it interesting?¡± The source of the mysterious signal was most likely not the Yith because the Yith already said that they did not want to venture too close to the four of them. It was therefore a mimicry, a merciless prank yed on both the Yith and the humans... The Yith, the so-called great race. ¡°We are innocent¡±, good and great. The Yith a great race? Now Gu Jun could hear the mockery in it.

    There would be traces of madness, or it could be detected by the Ancient Seal technology whenever a dark force or an Old One was in proximity. However, now he knew how wrong he was, the dark forces were not as simple as he thought. The mysterious connection, the summon to ept the power, they were all masterminded by this thing. The witch and the cat form that Wu Siyu was forced into, they pointed towards the same source...

    Nyathotep could easily gain ess to the Yith¡¯s technology, hell, the thing could ess technology the Yith did not possess. Pnakotus, the library, Nyathotep could visit it whenever he wanted. This was a trap that wasid across multiple time and space. Even though they knew it was a trap, they still obediently walked into it.

    ¡°Questions, questions, why do you have so many questions, Gu Jun?¡± The figure answered, ¡°That is your innate weakness, Gu Jun, you have to understand everything. Have you ever considered that there are some truths that are beyond theprehension of amon human like yourself? Unless... of course you are no longer amon human, unless you possess greater power. Yes, the four of you will have this opportunity.¡± The figure appeared to smile. ¡°Because I Nyathotep will present you with a choice, be my disciple and serve me.¡±

    This statement was heard not only by Gu Jun¡¯s group but also the kneeling cultists. These cultists were mostly Flying Locusts from Angel City as well as some students and staff from Gao Ji High School. They were the Locust God¡¯s most loyal followers, they expended their life to spread the Locust God¡¯s sermon and consume the infidels. But now the Locust God presented the gift that they were yearning for to four infidels. This was a blessing that they worked their whole lives towards. They were envious and they were mad. Some of them couldn¡¯t help themselves but scream, ¡°Locust God, my God! I am willing to sacrifice more to you, to help spread the name of your thousand faces...¡±

    ¡°Hmm, do you guys hear that?¡± This time the figure did not even wave his arm but several cultists disappeared into temporal distortions. There were about 10 cultists who remained and they cowered in silence. Under their skin, glowing parasites wiggled. The tall figure¡¯s empty eyes scanned the 3 people and 1 cat.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you are powerful enough to force us to be your disciple.¡± Gu Jun observed. ¡°So why didn¡¯t you do that?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s far less interesting.¡± The figure answered. Gu Jun frowned. ¡®So this thing only wants those who are willing to bow to him.¡¯

    He has been trying them, luring them, breaking them down and now recruiting them... he came up with such an borate n to break humanity¡¯s freedom of mind because he finds it interesting?¡¯

    ¡°Are you the most powerful existence in this universe?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Are there other forces who can defeat you?¡±

    ¡°Join me and find out.¡± The figure said with some impatience. ¡°But you sure have a lot of questions. To prevent more time wastage, I will give you 3 minutes toe to a decision.¡±

    At that moment, Keziah Mason posed a question. ¡°How do you expect us to believe you? Especially from the way you just treated your worshipers.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t believe me, I am not a trustworthy person anyway.¡± The figure said, ¡°Tik tok, you have 2 minutes left.¡±

    The scrolls were still there. The battle was heating up with more deaths. Phecda World, Mysterium World were heading into the abyss. Seeing the expression on Keziah Mason¡¯s face, Yu Chi said hurriedly, ¡°Miss Mason, there¡¯s no good toe from believing in the devil. You¡¯ll be his next victim! We know you are not a witch...¡±

    Wu Siyu used her paw to push Gu Jun. ¡®Be careful! Something¡¯s not right.¡¯

    Gu Jun was reminded of the Keziah Mason he encountered... When he asked her about the reason behind her action, the creation of abnormal Tourette Syndrome, the corruption of young girls, the casual killing... she said she found them interesting... She was a manifestation of pure evil, like this Nyathotep.

    ¡°None of you really know me. And he is not the devil, but a presence even the devil is afraid of.¡± Suddenly Keziah Mason knelt down towards the figure, ¡°I am willing to serve you, God of A Thousand Faces. I wish to gain greater power.¡±

 Chapter 460: To Be Humans or Not

    <h4>Chapter 460: To Be Humans or Not</h4>

    ¡°As you wish.¡± Just as Keziah Mason knelt down, the tall figure waved and instantly a red light gushed towards her. The light shot at Gu Jun¡¯s group but strangely enough, it stopped right before Keziah Mason. Wu Siyu jumped onto Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders. Yu Chi wanted to reach out to push Keziah Mason out of the way but he was toote. Mason ballooned up and then quickly shrivelled. Her skin cracked like old tree bark and her hair grew wild like grass. Mason did not even have time to say anything and the transformation was alreadyplete. She turned from a beautiful youngdy to an old hag. She aged about several hundred years in a second. Smell of dposition radiated from her and the green in her eyes was different. Gu Jun had seen this new sharp gaze before, it was that oak witch.

    Suddenly, the witch disappeared beside them and reappeared right under the tall figure.

    ¡°My dear brother, we meet again.¡± The witch looked at Gu Jun and chuckled. Her face pleated in wrinkles and her nose curved in an ugly hook. Her white teeth fell out and turned yellow. She looked just like the evil witch from fairy tales. ¡°I wanted to consume all of you earlier so that I could have the god¡¯s blessing all to myself.¡± She said, ¡°But I¡¯m sure my God has his reason to keep all of you until now.¡±

    Nyathotep did notment anything but continued his countdown. There was a smallmotion among the kneeling cultists. How could this thing be the Locust God... the blessing was unlike anything they had received in the past... Locust God should only be interested in destruction, nothingness was everything. Why would the God who had the truth of the universe in his hands be interested in the souls of a few infidels? He should have sent the locusts upon them and be done with it...

    ¡°You are not the Locust God.¡± A middle-aged cultist couldn¡¯t resist raising his head to say, ¡°You are a false God!¡± This time, Nyathotep did not even deign to react. However, Keziah Mason reached out her right hand. She closed her gnarly fingers and yanked the cultist into her grasp. Her ws gripped around the man¡¯s head like a mp.

    ¡°Ha ha ha...¡± The cultist showed no fear, only fanaticism, ¡°The Locust God will eventually descend!¡±

    Keziah Mason closed her hand and the man¡¯s head cracked like an egg. The sttered mess was filled with wiggling parasites. Some of the parasites stuck to the witch¡¯s palm. They twisted and turned. She lifted her palm to her lips. The long ck tongue slurped the parasites up. The witch chewed on them and swallowed with satisfaction.

    ¡°Master, can you bequeath me the face of this ¡®Locust God¡¯? It is so fun.¡±

    ¡°Witch, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. You still have otherpetition.¡± Nyathotep said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Keziah Mason moved her eyes towards Gu Jun, Yu Chi and Wu Siyu.

    ¡°Consciousness transfer?¡± Yu Chi mumbled, ¡°Mind consumption? The witch from the future consumed Miss Mason from the past?¡± But it was far more advanced than the Yith¡¯s technology, the process took less than a second.

    ¡°Or this is what it is meant to be all along?¡± The witch¡¯s gaze filled with contempt. ¡°You think that I¡¯ve changed but the fact is I¡¯ve merely opened my eyes to witness more. Temporal shackles do not exist. The past, present and future are merely how humanity understands the rule of the universe. These concepts are entirely pliable within the hands of God, God is the rule itself.¡± Her eyes then softened with pity, ¡°Of course, I do not expectmon humans like yourself to really understand it.¡±

    ¡°So this is really what you want?¡± Yu Chi still had not given up on his persuasion. ¡°Miss Mason, don¡¯t you despise sin and sinners?¡±

    Gu Jun knew Keziah Mason was a lost cause. Despite what she said, the shadows from her past made her the witch that she was today.

    He was more concerned about the two worlds. In the scrolls, the two mutated areas continued to expand and corrupt thend of Mo Bei. He saw the failure of the One. The ancient seal web failed to form. He saw Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan depart for the frontline... He heard Wang Ruoxiang say that she would summon Byakee to fight the flying polypus hydroids. There were not many members who had trained to the 5th chapter of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. The Byakee summoned by Peacock and Mchite was merely a weak, mental projection of the real thing; to summon the real Byakee, one had to surrender one¡¯s mind to the dark corruption of the book. This was ast resort...

    ¡°No, what I hate is weakness, and weakness is sin.¡± Keziah Mason exined with a smile. ¡°Weakness, like what you are now. You are powerless when the people you care about die, you are powerless when you are going to die. Weakness, because a random illness can destroy your life so easily, even the richest man can die just like that. Doctor Gu, you should know this feeling very well. Weakness is human and human is weakness.¡±

    Legione pneumonia, the mutated skin disease, the thousand-eyed worm, the Conqueror Worm... The images shed before his eyes. Gu Jun¡¯s head cracked with pain. The ball of chaos in his mind slowly churned.

    ¡°Weakness is the inability to do anything.¡± The witch continued, ¡°I am unlike you, I do not want to be weak anymore.¡±

    ¡°So you do not wish to be human anymore?¡± Wu Siyu asked.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Keziah Mason had no love for human life and humanity, ¡°What is so good about being human?¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Wu Siyu titled her cat¡¯s head. ¡°Well, I do think I have a say in that since I¡¯ve been both cat and human. Well for one, humans have gluteus maximus and mine is quite big if I do say so myself. It is morefortable to sit on. And when lying down, the human body is morefortable than a cat¡¯s body.¡±

    The witch¡¯s wrinkled face scoffed with derision.

    ¡°Wu Siyu, as long as you serve me.¡± Nyathotep offered, ¡°You can take any shape you want.¡±

    ¡°Just the sound of that is so troublesome.¡± Wu Siyu curled back her ears. ¡°Humans have spent decades evolving to its current state. You want me to start from scratch? No, thank you. Too much trouble for myfort.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?!¡± Keziah Mason opened her hands. She wanted to crush this annoying cat.

    ¡°Halt. Their time is not up yet.¡± Nyathotep warned. ¡°Tik tok. You have 30 seconds left.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, there is one more benefit to be human.¡± Wu Siyu added, ¡°Humans are considered to have lived a long life if he lives past 100 years old. By then, one would have gotten fed up with life already. I cannot imagine living up to 1000 years old. That would mean I have to eat 1000 cakes, my stomach won¡¯t have space for that.¡± She then nodded confidently, ¡°Furthermore, if one unfortunately dies at 20 years old, that¡¯s like only one-fifth of a full life, when you think of it that way, those who die young only lost 4/5th of their life. That¡¯s already a lot but if one¡¯s life expectancy is more than 1000 years, then it¡¯s far too easy to die before one has even reached one¡¯s prime. The potential lost will be 20/1000! In terms of probability, being human is much more worth it.¡±

 Chapter 461: Battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 461: Battlefield</h4>

    The sky was so dark that it was impossible to tell the time of day. Under the nket fire, various missiles exploded on the mutated ground, creating one after another mushroom cloud. The border between the multiworlds blurred. Some of the flying polypus hydroids broke out from the borders and appeared at uncorrupted locales.

    When the retreating citizens at Mo Bei City saw these strange creatures, the city-wide rm rang again. The evacuation agents ushered the citizens into nearby buildings to hide. Panic and fear permeated the crowd. The Adults prayed and the children cried. However, their voices were swallowed by the strange wails. Some of the citizens fainted. The next second a hydroid hovered closer to the ground and its tentaclesshed out. Its speed was so fast that even the anti-air defense system was unable to do anything...

    Blood and guts sttered the street. The stray dog which hid inside the trash can trembled. The rm also rang at the Phecda base located at Chi Lin City and quarantine base. The anti-air artillery fired and the tanks rolled down the street. Soldiers departed for this one-way war.

    ¡°Come with me!¡± Prof Shen shouted at the students. ¡°This is the time to show what you can do after months of special training.¡± Prof Shen was one of the 50000 people selected by the Yith but he chose to stay.

    Next to the education building at the base, Chen Jiahwa looked at the strange creatures that soared through the sky in a daze. Deng Ruotong, Liu Ziyun and the other students were equally stunned. Just as their special training was about to end, this tragedy befell humanity. Prof Shen hurried for them to get into the armored cars. It had reached a state where every capable member at Mo Bei was required to be part of the battle. These students had very high spirituality. A few days ago, just as the situation was worsening, they were given an intensive lesson on Ancient Seal. Now they would be apanying their teachers to head towards Chi Lin City to provide support. As a shrill siren cried out, the students¡¯ attention was pulled towards it. At that moment, a fighter jet crashed right into a flying polypus hydroid. The explosion sparked and med. Two pilots died on the spot.

    The flying polypus hydroid had part of its body engulfed in mes. It was about to go invisible to mend its wound when it was hit by a missile and it died in an explosion too. This hydroid flew from Mo Bei City, it caused a trail of destruction in its wake.

    The flying polypus hydroid was not invincible, they were creatures of flesh and blood but to take one down, a heavy price had to be paid.

    The crashnding was quite a distance from the base but sparks of fire dropped down from the sky. Chen Jiahwa gritted his teeth and hurried towards the armoured trucks. Eastern State was faraway, home was faraway, but if they failed to put up a defense here, home would soon be part of the battlefield...

    Most of the students were teens barely over 20. They admired the One, Phecda Hero, they worked hard during their training so that they could join Phecda, the Special Mobile Force after their graduation. However, their wish came earlier than expected. The fight found them before they could find it. Suddenly some of them started to shake uncontrobly, others wept in silence. Perhaps they were not as intrepid as they thought. Perhaps they were still too young for this.

    Chen Jiahwa¡¯s eyes welled with tears as well but he put up a brave front... People like Gu Jun would not cry at a moment like this!

    Prof Shen did not me these students, they were too inexperienced and still needed more training, s their first actual battle was one that was unfairly cruel. ¡°There are Phecda members among the pilots.¡± Prof Shen told his students, ¡°They know how to wield the Ancient Seal and the jets¡¯ weapons. These are the people who have sacrificed themselves...¡± Prof Shen aimed to inspire but he found himself welling up with tears instead. This was because he understood much clearer than his students how dire the situation was for humanity this time. ¡°While we¡¯re still on the vehicles, you should call home.¡±

    What Prof Shen revealed a lot. ¡°This time, things are very serious, it might be even more serious than the legione pneumonia... You have to be prepared to sacrifice yourself on the battlefield. There is nowhere to run, no choice for surrender. We can only fight...¡±

    At themand central, the number for estimated and confirmed death was climbing every second. The expected injury number had passed 30000. Even though the students had already noticed the severity of the students, hearing that from Prof Shen, some of them wept harder. However, they were ultimately elites selected by Phecda, and their training was not for nothing. Soon with encouragement from each other, they firmed up as they took out their phones to make onest call home.

    Chen Jiahwa did the same. The signal was not too good but he could still hear the thrill in his mother¡¯s voice, ¡°Hello, Jiahwa, is that you?¡± The special training forbademunication with the outside world. Other than knowing that her son was safe, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s family had no idea what kind of training he was going through. This was the first time he managed to chat with his mother after his training started.

    ¡°Mom, yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Chen Jiahwa tried to not let his emotion show. Deng Ruotong next to him chuckled lightly on her phone but her eyes were red. The truck had started to move. Barren desert was all they could see outside the window. Of course, there was also the constant bombing and gunshots.

    ¡°Are you on holiday?¡± When Mother Chen heard her son¡¯s voice, her voice rose in several decibels out of pure joy. ¡°How are things at Mo Bei? Is the training too hard? The news said there is a huge sandstorming towards Mo Bei, you guys are not affected right?¡±

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re still as naggy as ever....¡± Chen Jiahwa joked before his voice caught in his throat. Whenever he called home, his mother would dominate the conversation to regale him with small things that happened around the house.

    ¡°Alright, I hear you. I¡¯ll stop nagging.¡± Mother Chenughed,

    ¡°Mom, I...¡± Chen Jiahwa was unable to finish the sentence, ¡®might not be able to return anymore. You were right, attending Phecda University is like going to war camp. One might not return alive.¡¯ Instead Chen Jiahwa said, ¡°I miss your Go Ji braised ribs, the food here is never as good as you make it...¡±

    ¡°Then when are youing home?¡± Mother Chen asked, ¡°I¡¯ll cook them for you. By the way, why is your ce so noisy?¡± The students looked out the window. A different kind of flying abnormal creature soared through the sky and the students gasped in shock. Things... were getting worse?

    ¡°That... was a big nightgaunt.¡± Prof Shen recognized it and he exined it to the students, ¡°Also known as Byakee, it should be on our side...¡± The outside world did not really understand the true meaning of supernatural energy but these students knew some of it.

    There were quite a few Byakees in the sky. That inspired them and they leaned closer to the small window to get a better view of this unusual creature. However, Prof Shen knew behind every single Byakee, there was a Spell Department member sacrificing themselves

 Chapter 462: Byakee

    <h4>Chapter 462: Byakee</h4>

    The opaline bracelet around her wrist glowed red. It turned from pink to crimson, the dark energy was corrupting her mind... At the field outside the quarantine base, Wang Ruoxiang raised both of her arms as she chanted the spell from the 5th chapter of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. Her face turned white and then red. The power of earth pooled around her. Another giant shadow burst out from the ground and soared into the sky. It coalesced into a strange flying creature. It had arge bat¡¯s wings, long arms and decaying body. It was dark yellow in color.

    If a normal person was in its presence, their mind would be affected; even for a well-trained Phecda member, they would feel oppressed in its presence. The creature¡¯s wails collided with the flying polypus hydroids¡¯ cries. Byakee rose into the sky and opened its wing. It followed its summoner¡¯s order and dove at its target. It moved even faster than the flying polypus hydroids. In fact, Wang Ruoxiang believed that if she could provide it with enough power, this creature could easily break through the ozoneyer and travel through space.

    She focused her eyes. Since medical knowledge couldn¡¯t save the world, then she would have to resort to spells! ¡®Go, tear those disgusting worms into pieces!¡¯

    ¡®Is that so, is that so... So you need to rely on Byakee¡¯s power after all...¡¯ Wang Ruoxiang heard a barely discernible voice. It sounded familiar... It was the voice of Mr. Wang Erde who died a long time ago. ¡®Death, only those with souls can die, only death can provide the biggest catharsis, death... So you like death, is that so...¡¯

    ¡°Then let death rain on our enemies!¡± Wang Ruoxiang shouted. She allowed the strange power to pour through her and more shadows burst out from the ground. Cai Zixuan, Si Kouxian and the rest were next to her. They saw cracks forming on the opaline bracelet. Even though the Yith had chosen to bow out from this war, their technology had not failed humanity before. This meant that Wang Ruoxiang was edging towards a very dangerous state.

    ¡°Monitor!¡± Cai Zixuan called after her. Her corruption was at around 30 percent then. The others were nervous. If this continued, unountable mental corruption would descend upon Wang Ruoxiang and going crazy was the least worrying result.

    ¡°I can¡¯t stop now, I can still continue...¡± Wang Ruoxiang assured them. She would not allow herself to be turned into the enemy. She could feel that the Yellow Brotherhood also disliked the Locust God and the flying polypus hydroids. They did not wish for the world to be turned into a ruin dominated by these forces. ¡°We have the same enemy, the invasion of the wastnd must be stopped.¡± Her eyes were bloodshot. ¡°If I show signs of madness, pull a gun to my head...¡±

    Her friends heard the chaos in her voice. After all, she had already summoned five actual Byakees. ording tond travelers, 2 Byakees were a maximum for a powerful caster. 5 was an astronomical number. It was true that Wang Ruoxiang was talented but she also had a unique bond with the Yellow Brotherhood. But even so, 5 was quite an extreme for her.

    Inparison, the One saw with their own eyes, 500 flying polypus hydroids crawl out from the ground. There should be several thousands now... the actual number couldn¡¯t be ounted for because the signal at the mutated areas was already disconnected and the satellites captured nothing. Furthermore, the borders were now blurred. They were no longer able to keep these abnormal creatures in bay. The hydroids could cross into the Phecda and Mysterium Worlds freely so no one knew their exact number.

    However, in terms of Byakee, they could be counted easily. There were 5 from Wang Ruoxiang and then another 12 summoned by people like Peacock and Mchite. There were 17 in total. 17 versus several thousands, the number was not adding up for humanity¡¯s side.

    ¡°The monitor is right, we can¡¯t stop now.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°Superior Si, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Si Kouxian nodded. There was no need for more words. They surrounded Wang Ruoxiang and channeled their mental power to her. It did not matter whether they had studied the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan or not. Wang Ruoxiang would be the centre of this small ritual so that she could summon out more Byakees. This was a ritualmonly used by Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. The Spell Department had been studying it, specifically on how to channel one¡¯s mental power into another. However, this was not Dreands, to reach the level ofpatibility simr to the one between Gu Jun and Wu Siyu required plenty of training and natural bond, therefore the Spell Department had failed to replicate it sessfully. However, with the flimsy bond that the Yith had formed between them, they managed to aplish with surprising ease the task that was normally so impossible. However, this bond was also like a whirlpool that would suck everyone down with Wang Ruoxiang.

    ¡°Command central,mand central, we¡¯rebining our forces to summon more Byakees. We will be corrupted by darkness. If this tragedy can be solved, if we are still alive then... do not trust us, before cleansing ritual is performed on us, do not trust a single word we say.¡± Si Kouxian made hisst report to themand central. Then he closed his eyes to focus just like Cai Zixuan and Zhang Huohuo next to him.

    ¡®Is that so, is that so... you are willing to trade your own deaths for more power? So that is your choice? Is that so...¡¯

    Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s determined chanting began again. She turned towards the dark sky and yelled out in rage!

    Around the ritualistic ground, more Byakees surged out. They pped their wings and flew into the battlefield. The opaline stones on their wrists glowed red. Their nose, mouth, ears oozed with blood. Everyone¡¯s eyes opened and they saw about at least 100 Byakees in the sky. So it was useful to send their mental power to Wang Ruoxiang after all...

    Their heads pounded but they couldn¡¯t help but smile. Veins popped in their eyes. Cai Zixuan sighed and this reminded him of a quote from Shakespeare¡¯s Tempest, ¡°Hell is empty and all the devils are here.¡±

    Blood leaked out from Cai Zixuan¡¯s eyes as he watched the shadows that carried theirst hope flew into the battlefield.

    ¡°Hell is empty and all the devils are here.¡±

 Chapter 463: Abyss

    <h4>Chapter 463: Abyss</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    In the sky of Mo Bei City, the dark clouds paused and so did the fighter jets. However, more abnormal creatures appeared in the sky. The flying polypus hydroid flickered past before it was rammed into by several dark shadows. They were the Byakees. In that collision, the hydroid¡¯s tentacles were snipped and its elongated body was torn apart. With its harrowing wails, the hydroid was shredded by the group of Byakees. With a rain of blood, the Byakees pounced at their next victim. This situation urred at Chi Lin City, the desert wastnd and the borders...

    Themand central had already notified the frontline to leave the fight to the abnormal creatures. They would use poison to fight poison. Even though there were less Byakees, they were extremely ferocious in battle. They were faster and crueller than the hydroids. They were the manifestation of their summoners and their summoners had already decided to fight to their death.

    The citizens hiding inside the buildings, running on the streets, driving away in their cars, they were confused by what they saw. There were baffled seniors, panicked parents and crying children. Some of them would die in this tragedy, others would live for another few decades. However, the scene that they saw would fix in their minds forever.

    ¡°Mommy, those are our fighting monsters!¡± A child told his mother excitedly, ¡°The police uncle told me that they are on our side.¡± Indeed, that was what the Phecda members tasked to protect the citizens were told to say. It was meant to inspire the citizens. They finally saw a trace of hope. There were a lot more flying polypus hydroids but this kind ofrge bird with decaying body was more powerful!

    Reports from various locales arrived at themand central but the reports from Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s group were conspicuously missing. Ever since they started the summoning ritual, themand central lost contact with them but they maintained a single-waymunication. ¡°The Byakees have joined the battlefield and they perform greatly! If you hear this, please reply!¡± Of course, there was no reply.

    Elder Tong appeared to have grown 10 years overnight. His face showed no trace of joy despite having the powerful reinforcement. He was worried about Wang Ruoxiang and Cai Zixuan, furthermore, he believed that the reinforcement would not help that much. Or else the Yith would not have said the things they did...

    The two mutated areas were still expanding. The locusts inside them bounced against the borders. However, the appearance of the Byakees did provide a slight reprieve for the One. They instantly tried to reform the Ancient Seal Web. They would expand the web and mobilize more people. Everyone knew these two mutated areas had to be shut down or else the war would not end. The death toll at the frontline was climbing, even the One had lost 5 members. On the other hand, more people were arriving at the frontline. Due to the Yith¡¯s n, all the countries knew that this tragedy would spell the world¡¯s doom so they showed unparalleled unity at this moment. If they had known this beforehand, they would have sent aid earlier.

    At the same time, Lou Xiaoning, Ma Feng, Uncle Dan repositioned the cleansing stones at the wastnd. Their mental power was almost drained during thest session but with that experience, they could be the perfect guides to help others channel their power to form the. They knew the Ancient Seal technology belonged to the Yith and the Yith had given them the death sentence... but they had no other choice, giving up was not an option.

    When Deng Ximei put down the cleansing stone she carried, she looked up at the intense fight between the Byakees and flying polypus hydroids in the sky. A dposing smell lingered in the air. The situation was turning for the better but the bad feeling in her heart grew. An illusion of the earth breaking flickered before her eyes... There were already plenty of flying polypus hydroids in the sky but for an insectoid race, several thousands were not really a big number. At that moment, Deng Ximei¡¯s heart squeezed. She felt the earth shake, and it was not an illusion.

    The rm sounded immediately. ¡°Earthquake warning!¡± ¡°The ground is copsing...¡±

    The earthquake came so suddenly and it intensified quickly. The quake could be heard several 100 km away. The ground within 50 cubic km cracked and sank. Soil, dust, and sand all disappeared into the ground like they were being swallowed by some giant monster. A natural abyss appeared at the desert wastnd. It was incredibly deep, andpletely devoid of light, it was like a door to hell. Deep inside the abyss, waves of flying polypus hydroids suddenly rushed forward. There were so many of them, their number could not be counted. They easily vanquished the small hope that was reignited earlier. Locust, they were a swarm of locust. The people at the border were stunned. Is this the end predicted by the Yith...

    The missiles continued to fire. Heavy weaponry joined in. The flying polypus hydroids covered a range of about 50 cubic metres and they were such obvious targets, an atomic bomb was clearly the best choice. But Elder Tong insisted against it. His reasoning was simple, the reality collision between the multiworlds was still happening. If they caused an atomic explosion at Mo Bei, the entire Mo Bei would be consumed by the Wastnd World. So they could not use atomic bombs. However, during this small argument, the flying polypus hydroids had already covered the sky. The Byakees were easily swept away in their waves. The hydroids also changed their target, they aimed right at the One.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Lou Xiaoning had to stop moving the stones. She grabbed the auto rifles and shot at the giant shadows that rushed at her. ¡°Go to hell!¡± The people around her did the same. However, the gunshots did notnd on any of their targets. The tentaclesshed against the ground. There was a loud whish and the One¡¯s members felt themselves being pulled apart by a powerful force...

    They were swept into the air beforending heavily on the ground. Lou Xiaoning¡¯s consciousness wavered. Her face was warm with blood. Her right hand reached towards the rifle that dropped near her. She gripped around the handle and felt the softness of the ¡®gun¡¯. Only then she realized she was holding a dismembered leg. She had no idea whether it was hers or someone else¡¯s...

    The hydroids attacked Uncle Dan, Ma Feng and the rest as well. They all copsed to the ground with heavy injury. They had already exhausted their mental power and now they were drained of their physical power. Their world was dyed red.

    Only Deng Ximei was spared by the hydroids. However, she was lost watching her partners fall one after another. She was overwhelmed by the chaos around her. Deng Ximei looked into the sky and a Byakee was being garrotted by a group of hydroids...

    However, all of a sudden, she heard something else as she turned her gaze to the abyss that had consumed the entire desert wastnd. After this area mutated, the connection between the multiworlds appeared to have strengthened. And now something else wasing out from the dimensional tears around the abyss...

    Out of nowhere, innumerable Byakees arrived. They rushed in from the border which connected to the other world. There were so many of them, they blocked out the sky. There were humans riding on the back of some of the Byakees. They were in protective suits that had the Mysterium¡¯s logo on them.

 Chapter 464: The Sky

    <h4>Chapter 464: The Sky</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    ¡°Friends of Phecda, we¡¯re spell members from Mysterium, here for reinforcement!¡± As the Byakees swarmed through the desert wastnd, themunication between Phecda and Mysterium was reforged. That inspired the people atmand central. This was a historical moment. Two human civilizations from different worlds fought side by side. But it was unknown whether any human civilization would remain after this war.

    The Mysterium members belonged to a temporarily formed Transboundary Unit. It was about 1000 people in size and had 3000 Byakees with them. Flying polypus hydroids also created havoc at the Mysterium World but Mysterium could still manage them, in fact, they had leftover manpower to send over. This was because Mysterium had over ten thousand spell members and that was not counting the experts from other countries¡¯ supernatural organization. Most of them were hurrying towards Mo Bei on their Byakees. The situation at Mysterium¡¯s Mo Bei was under control but they understood that they could not allow Phecda World to be destroyed, if it did, the Mysterium World would not survive either. To defeat the Yith¡¯s prophecy, to find the opening in the sea of time, they had to unite.

    Now, with the reinforcement from another world, the situation changed again. The hydroids groaned as their numbers were cut down again. The 3000 Byakees were working together to clean up the borders. These Byakees were stronger than the ones summoned by Phecda because Mysterium members had far more experience utilizing them. Compared to the flying polypus hydroids which acted purely on instinct, the Byakees were like an actual army. They steamrolled over their opponents. Endless hydroids were torn apart and blood rained from the sky. The Phecda members on the ground were inspired at this turnaround.

    ¡°This is not yet over...¡± Lou Xiaoning shook her head and struggled to stand up. The broken leg was not hers but she did injure her right calf. A piece of her meat was missing, she could feel the phantom pain. Despite that, she teetered towards the rifle that hadnded not far away from her. She aimed the barrel at the hydroids that were still flying out from the abyss and pulled on the trigger...

    At the same time, Uncle Dan also struggled up and mumbled, ¡°Emergency... emergency...¡± The wounded are everywhere, we mustn¡¯t lose prime time for first aid...

    Deng Ximei snapped out of it. Even though she was not a doctor, she had received simple medical training. She hurried to apply bandages on her colleagues. No matter how this tragedy would end, she would save those that she could for now. With the support from Mysterium, some of the Byakees managed tond to defend the surviving members so they had the time to apply first aid.

    At this moment, more Byakees came from the border. This time there were 2000 of them! This was the difference between the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan and 9 Mysterium Arts. Amon Mysterium member could summon 3 Byakees easily while someone as talented as Feng Peiqian could summon 10 of them alone. Therefore, the 5000 Byakees that arrived at Phecda World were forces that Mysterium could spare.

    Byakeesshed through the sky as they consumed the hydroids. The dposing smell turned the wastnd into a swamp. Even for a Yellow Brotherhood worshipper, this scene would have appeared confusing to them. Back at themand central, this was the first time Elder Tong saw a glimmer of hope! These Mysterium friends sure were impressive! Although it also caused Elder Tong toment, ¡°If Phecda has listened to my advice and studied spells back then, we might be as strong as they are now...¡±

    However, the atmosphere at themand central did not lift up by that much. They were still worried about Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s group. It was because of their contribution that they managed to survive until reinforcement arrived. There was still no reply from Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s group. Phecda sent out members to the quarantine base. ording to their reports, the medical team was already applying emergency rescue.

    ¡°Tik tok, tik tok...¡± At the altar, the unconcerned voice continued the countdown.

    Yu Chi saw the war between the transboundary team and the flying polypus hydroids from the scrolls, and he cheered. He hoped that he was there on the battlefield. Gu Jun though was more focused on the quarantine base. His heart was wrenched. Wang Ruoxiang still did not need any medical attention but no one knew about her mental state. She was still conscious, with one knee on the ground; however Cai Zixuan, Si Kouxian and the others were already unconscious. Gu Jun saw a doctor pump a needle into Cai Zixuan¡¯s heart and applied the defibritor... As Cai Zixuan was ced on the stretcher and carried back to the base, the nurses applied a constant heart resuscitation exercise.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun groaned helplessly. This was only necessary when the patient¡¯s heart was not working on its own. ¡®Zixuan, hang in there... We still need you to cook delicious soups for us, no one can make them like you do...¡¯ That was Gu Jun¡¯s desperate hope and Wu Siyu¡¯s thoughts. Her eyes burned with fire.

    ¡°Tik tok, ting.¡± The tall figure above them said, ¡°Time¡¯s up, so what¡¯s your choice?¡±

    Before they could answer, Keziah Mason sighed, ¡°So many hydroids have died but these worms are not even the disciples of our master, they merely came out to vent their frustration due to their hatred towards the Yith.¡± The witch shook their head. ¡°Do you think the situation has changed because some of these worms have been killed?¡±

    Gu Jun indeed did not expect that. He assumed the Flying Locust and flying polypus hydroids served the Locust God or Nyathotep but it appeared like that was not the case. They merely emerged from the ground to cause death among humanity because humanity had a brief interaction with the Yith that they hated?

    Gu Jun was confused. Locust God had destroyed many different civilizations before. Other than Locust Sickness, he would borrow other forces, in fact he might even wipe out the independent race like the flying polypus hydroids after their work was done. If these hydroids did not belong to the Locust God, then... Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wandered towards the mutated area at the tree farm. The area had grown so big, it had consumed the previous life circle. The locust consumed everything. Their wings pped noisily as they rammed against the border.

    ¡°Since you have such difficulty making a choice.¡± The tall figure said, ¡°Then witness this.¡±

    Suddenly Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed and Yu Chi gasped. The border disappeared. The swarm of locust burst through the borders and infiltrated into the Phecda World. Bei Mian Vige at Mo Bei was instantly descended upon by the swarm. When they were done, the swarm spread and expanded.

 Chapter 465: Scream (3in1)

    <h4>Chapter 465: Scream (3in1)</h4>

    Like rapids, the locust swarms burst through the border and spread everywhere. ¡°The locusts have broken out from the mutated areas!¡± Anxiety reimed themand central. Everyone at themand central watched on helplessly as the locust swarm made quick work of everything they touched. The trees, nts were sucked dry. The telephone poles, tarred road, the cars were all consumed. The tents, brick houses, all gone.

    ¡°Ah!¡± The frontline members fired the methrowers. Large number of locusts were fried but there was always more locust. They burst through the me and shot towards the weapons and humans. Instantly there was nothing but locusts. This was like a nket attack by the locust swarm. These locusts were able to consume anything material. The monitor from the frontline darkened one after another. In themand central, the hope in people¡¯s hearts extinguished one after another as well. The soul left their eyes. The mutated area at the tree farm had fallen...

    In the early hurriedmunication, Mysterium knew about the other mutated area but they had no idea how dangerous it was. The locust swarms moved so quickly that it vited thew of physics. They soon crossed the distance between the 2 mutated areas. The people at the desert wastnd soon encountered these unusual locust swarms. Both Byakees and the flying polypus hydroids fell victim to the swarm. Shock colored the Mysterium members¡¯ faces.

    ¡°Put up the of defence!¡± Lee Xiaoguang, the leader of the Transboundary Team shouted, to stabilize his teammates. However, it was toote for it now. The locust swarms rushed into the desert wastnd and crossed the border to reach the Mysterium World. Amidst horrible screams, many Byakees were eaten alive. Byakees summoned by both parties were powerless against the locust swarm.

    Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan and Deng Ximei were stunned as they saw the locust swarms that covered the sky. So this was the apocalypse prophesied by the Yith...

    Some of the fighting members were overwhelmed by helplessness and they put down their guns... Even though the locust swarms had not reached this ce in their full size, and thus not everything was yet consumed but that was only a matter of time. Soon everything would be turned into locust food. The decision to drop an atomic bomb at Mo Bei returned to the table and Elder Tong couldn¡¯t stop it this time.

    ¡°Hell, I might as well kill as many as I can before I die!¡± Lou Xiaoning picked up her rifle and continued to fire. She inspired some of the others. After all, they were already prepared for a one-way journey.

    A locust the size of one¡¯s thumb bit through the suit and tore a hole through Uncle Dan¡¯s cheek. Uncle Dan squashed it with a p. ¡°I only want a kiss from thedies! So leave me alone!¡±

    Inside the altar, Gu Jun chuckled even though Uncle Dan could not hear him. ¡°Uncle Dan, your skin is too supple, they can¡¯t help themselves from taking a bite.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made my choice.¡± Gu Jun then turned towards the tall figure. ¡°Fuck you.¡± Gu Jun then allowed the fury in his heart to explode. He chanted the first chapter of the seven cryptical book of Hsan to summon small nightgaunts. ¡®Like Wang Rouxiang, Cai Zixuan, they still had not given up, so I can¡¯t give up either.¡¯ In different time line, different worlds, different Gu Jun said the same thing at the same moment, Fuck You.

    Yu Chi also chanted the spells from the 9 Mysterium Arts in sadness and anger. He believed that some day people would unearth his story to study him. At the same time, Wu Siyu leaped into the air. She had made her choice a long time ago. When she utilized the power inside the cat¡¯s body to draw out the scrolls, she made sure to imbue them with her own brand of spiritual energy. The power might be yours but the paintings are mine. Every single one of them are alive. They possess the painter¡¯s spirit and power. Her fur coat bristled and her eyes were like a deep abyss. She waved her ws and the power from the scrolls shot at the tall figure.

    Nightgaunts appeared from the ground around Yu Chi and Gu Jun. They charged towards their target. Both the nightgaunts and the painting¡¯s power hit their target but they appeared to have been absorbed before they could do anything damage. The figure with a thousand faces was unfazed.

    ¡°It¡¯s pointless,¡± Keziah Mason said, ¡°This level of power is no threat to our master.¡±

    ¡°So this is your choice?¡± The figure appeared to have said that.

    Gu Jun felt an intense pain in his head. The Peek polymer protruded from his scalp. And so did his eyes. His face burst with veins. His brain pressure was enormous and his heart stopped. Blood rushed towards his brain and every region was suffused with blood. Gu Jun could feel the capiries in his brain bursting. Blood soaked his brain, slowly covering every gap inside his cranium. The veins inside his body exploded as well. His eyes turned from ck and white to fully red. The same was happening to Yu Chi. His bearded face turned purple. Wu Siyu was consumed by pain as well. She seemed to be returning to her human form but something held her back in the cat form. She was stuck between the two and her consciousness wavered. It felt like this was the end... But there were so many regrets...

    ¡°I wish to see our baby.¡± She told Gu Jun, ¡°She will be as cute as Little Kedou.¡±

    Gu Junughed, bitterly, loudly, happily.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite relieved...¡±

    ¡°To be honest, me too.¡± She concurred. Theyughed in joy and regret. Perhaps that was the kind of creature human beings were. They lived with regret and died with regret. They carried their own regret and would be other¡¯s regret...

    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you choose to serve our master?¡± The witch asked. ¡°Do you not know you are not his match?¡± Everything was twisting into chaos. But Gu Jun still managed glimpses from the Phecda World and Mysterium World. He saw Lou Xiaoning, Deng Ximei, Uncle Dan and the rest still fighting. He saw the Byakee fall one after another. The Mysterium members changed to fight with firearms. He saw the locust swarm spread into Mo Bei City and Chi Lin City. He saw the students from Phecda University, people like Chen Jiahwa join the battle at Chi Lin City under the leadership of Prof Shen. The locust injured some of them, Chen Jiahwa was applying bandages...

    He saw at the quarantine base, people were saving Cai Zixuan. They needed to use ECMO but there was no staff. He saw Wang Ruoxiang stand up again. Her hair fluttered in the wind and her body swayed as she summoned another Byakee. He saw the infected patients resisted the desire for soil with pain. They struggled at the edge of death. He saw himself, Dirty-minded Yu and Yu Chi. Their bodies shattered and their minds broke.

    Yes, why, why did they make that choice? Why didn¡¯t they escape with the Yith, why didn¡¯t they kneel under this overwhelming power...

    ¡°Perhaps because...¡± Gu Jun mumbled, ¡°We are humans...¡± Humans might be a creature of logic but sometimes they¡¯d do some crazy things. Even if they knew it was predestined, they would still fight it. Even though they knew it was foolish, they would attempt it. Some called it courage, others irrationality. Gu Jun dragged his body towards the tall figure. If he could not win him through spells, at least he wanted to bite a piece off him...

    ¡°Humanity isplicated.¡± Keziah Mason said with a tone in her voice, it sounded like the young version of herself. ¡°Mr. Gu, you said that perhaps in this incident, all four of us have our own responsibility. You have yours and I have mine. Sometimes, to know the enemy¡¯s weakness, the only way is to join your enemy...

    ¡°Nyathotep is powerful, far more powerful than you can imagine, but he is not the only power in this universe.

    ¡°Nyathotep is very simr to humanity but he is not human. It is interested in humans but only when it is of no inconvenience to him.

    ¡°Nyathotep is a ball of chaos, it has different names. Even if you have seen him, you cannot say that you have met him.

    ¡°The Yith lost because they always chose to escape. But... there might not be zero chance of survival...¡±

    At that moment, Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and Yu Chi saw a smile appear on Keziah Mason¡¯s old and rotten face. It looked surprisingly sincere.

    ¡°Do not trust Nyathotep.¡± The witch continued, ¡°The reason I did what I did was because I trusted myself. It was a very human choice. Of course, Nyathotep knew about all that but it didn¡¯t care. It only cares about one thing, whether it was interesting or not. What was interesting to it?¡± She paused, ¡°An existence that it can infuse with chaos and consequently can draw despair and disappointment out of. That is interesting to it. So that is why it has chosen us. Because we feed on its chaos and we can bring it tons of despair.¡± While the witch spoke, the figure did not react in any way. ¡°Time is a very interesting thing. While you think you are only here for a moment but for me, decades have passed.¡± Keziah Mason chuckled, ¡°In these times, I¡¯ve crossed paths with many enemies and friends. I knew of a prayer that can resist the power of chaos because I¡¯ve experienced it myself, I know it is effective... It represents a different source of power... A power that is not of interest to Nyathotep.¡±

    The witch¡¯s eyes shifted and she turned to the tall figure in disgust as she shouted out the prayer. Following her shout, the altar shook. The Locust God disciples dispersed in shock. In the scrolls, the locust swarms dwindled in number. The expansion of the mutated areas stopped. The locusts fell like rain...

    The altar shook and a sh of both joy and sadness flickered on Nyathotep¡¯s face. Gu Jun¡¯s eyes bled. He finally understood, Keziah Mason was telling the truth, she was still human. Because humans have the face of kindness and the face of evil. Humans have the face of sincerity and the face of trickery. Humans are aplicated race.

    Wu Siyu and Yu Chi caught up to the situation as well. The altar turned white. The ce was disintegrating but it still needed a nudge topletely shatter... They only had one opportunity, if they missed it, then it was over.

    ¡°This is the time...¡± Wu Siyu forced herself to jump onto Gu Jun¡¯s shoulders. She pressed her paws against his head to transfer to him her mental power. Just like the past, all their energy was collected to one spot, a spot of hope. The vibration around them started to weaken. The image before them blurred, everything was returning to chaos.

    Keziah Mason copsed as the prayer left her lips. Yu Chi was also exhausted...

    The figure still floated tall above them. Gu Jun could feel the chaotic energy in his brain boiling, flickering, coagting. It was an amber lighting up the field... His resuscitated memories told him that this prayer also existed in the foreign world. At that moment, he epted that power and shouted vehemently. ¡°I?! Shub-Niggurath! The ck Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!¡±

    The vibration picked up its intensity. In that moment, blinding light swallowed them.

    Everything was floating and dissolving.

 Chapter 466: Room

    <h4>Chapter 466: Room</h4>

    Like a drowned man breaking through the surface of water; like a burning man having the fire doused; like a strangled man tasting fresh air again.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Gu Jun took in a deep breath and started to gasp. His vision changed from blinding light to taking on clearer shape. He blinked with difficulty before his eyes focused again. Everything was still white. It was white walls, he was inside a small white room. ¡®Where am I... What happened?¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s head pulsed. He shook his head. He was physically present. Heid in a simple bed, he was still alive. Hisst memory was the blinding light that consumed him. The altar was disintegrating and then... His memory blurred. It was as if his consciousness was given a firm yank. He woke up from a seeming nightmare and here he was. After the dizziness passed and he felt better, Gu Jun studied his surroundings. It was a room about 10 cubic metres. Other than the bed, there was a sink with a mirror and a toilet. There was a camera at the corner. The door was made from stainless steel and it had a small window.

    ¡®This ce looks like a quarantine room...¡¯ The thought shocked Gu Jun. Was it possible that humanity survived the apocalypse? He survived and he was now treated at Phecda or Mysterium¡¯s quarantine sickroom? After all that would be the standard protocol considering no one knew about his mental state and whether he was contagious or not. ¡®Did the prayer work? A different source of power came to disturb Nyathotep... an unknown source of power...¡¯

    Gu Jun forced himself to sit up. He saw that he was wearing a robe with blue and white stripes. This was not the colorsmon to Phecda. ¡®Where is Dirty-minded Yu, Yu Chi and everyone else? What about Mo Bei?¡¯

    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± Gu Jun called at the camera and then waved. ¡°I¡¯m up, is anyone there?¡± At that moment, he noticed there was a bell beside his bed. He pressed it and waited for service. He shook his head again. He was sure his brain was hemorrhaging back then. But somehow he survived and not in a surgery... Gu Jun then worried about Dirty-minded Yu and their baby, as well as Cai Zixuan and the rest.

    ¡®Why are these people so slow?¡¯ Gu Jun pressed the bell again. Then he stood up and slowly moved to the sink. His reflection inside the mirror was still himself but his hair had been shaved. Was it because they had to conduct a cranial surgery? Gu Jun was confused to realize that some of the original wounds on his head had disappeared. Due to his craniotomy, there were supposed to be several long wounds on his right scalp but they were gone now... As he extended his hands to touch his head, Gu Jun noticed new discrepancies. ¡°Wait, my fingers...¡± Gu Jun frowned as he studied his left pinkie. He turned it back and forth. He confirmed the pinkie was perfect, without missing any segment. That was strange because in the Nightmare House, he knew he had to chop off thest segment of his left pinkie to stay conscious. Gu Jun squeezed on his left pinkie and it felt real. Then he touched his right forehead and tapped at it. It felt... different.

    PEEK polymer was ultimately not made from bones so it would feel a little different from a normal human skull. But now that feeling has disappeared. These discrepancies caused his heart to boil with anxiety, the surroundings turned dangerous with unfamiliarity. The quarantine room now looked more like a prison cell.

    Tat tat tat. Footsteps came from outside. Soon the door opened and a woman in white came in. She was Caucasian, blond and looked about 30. She had light grey hair and she spoke through her mask. She asked in English, ¡°Mr. Gu, how do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Hello.¡± Gu Jun answered in English, ¡°Where am I? Who are you?¡± ¡®Am I at FBM¡¯s base?¡¯ But he could only see helplessness on the female nurse¡¯s half-revealed face and not a bit of excitement from his recovery. Even if he was at FBM, there should be more than a nurse toe check on him when he woke up... It was not that Gu Jun was being proud but with his name, he assumed he¡¯d be considered a person of importance even at FBM.

    ¡°Mr. Gu, did you forget your medication again?¡± The blond nurse walked to the toilet and saw several pills floating on the surface. She sighed. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll have to stay to ensure that you have swallowed all your pills. These medicines are good for you, you have to cooperate with our treatment to get better.¡±

    ¡°What medicine?¡± Gu Jun was confused. He nced over and did spot several pills inside the toilet. ¡°What kind of illness do I suffer from?¡±

    ¡°Schizophrenia.¡± The nurse answered in a gentle voice, ¡°You have an acute form of schizophrenia and you need medication to control it.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute...¡± Gu Jun¡¯s head pounded. ¡®Schizophrenia?¡¯ His eyes widened. In that case, the pills in the toilet should be medication like actargil, Haldol and so on... ¡®Is it possible that my mental strain has umted to cause psychological trauma... but the nurse said I am suffering from acute schizophrenia... Furthermore, no matter how long it has passed, it¡¯s impossible for a finger to grow back, right... Or Phecda has mastered that kind of reconstruction technology?¡¯ Thoughts bounced about in his mind. He took a deep breath and then asked evenly. ¡°I wish to ask you some questions, please answer them honestly.¡±

    ¡°Okay, shoot.¡± The nurse yed along. Patients with schizophrenia needed to be handled carefully and they shouldn¡¯t be given too much pressure.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°The year, month and date.¡±

    ¡°2022, April 5th, 4 days after April¡¯s Fool.¡±

    ¡®Then not long has passed since the apocalypse...¡¯ Gu Jun frowned, ¡®That was less than half a month ago...¡¯

    ¡°Where am I?¡± He asked again, ¡°The, country and location.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re on Earth.¡± The nurseplied. She was not surprised by these questions due to her experience working in the mental ward. ¡°You¡¯re in America, Massachusetts State, Arkham City, Arkham Sanitarium.¡±

    Gu Jun was stunned. He was not at the Phecda World, Mysterium World, Wastnd World but the Massachusetts World?!

    ¡°How long have I been admitted?¡±

    ¡°4 days.¡± The nurse replied softly, ¡°Mr. Gu, your schizophrenia acted up on April¡¯s Fool... It was your family who checked you in.¡±

    Well that was not an answer Gu Jun was expecting. Family?! Now who¡¯s crazy?

    He looked around and thought, ¡®Is this a dream or an illusion or a trap...¡¯

    ¡°Where is Wu Siyu?¡± He asked tentatively, ¡°Yu Chi? Keziah Mason?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Gu,¡± The nurse shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve answered that question many times already, they don¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Gu Jun was unfazed. This answer was better than ¡®they¡¯re dead¡¯. They might not exist in this world but they might in another.

    ¡°When who am I?¡± He asked again, ¡°My name, age, identity. Please tell me everything you know about me.¡±

 Chapter 467: Arkham Asylum

    <h4>Chapter 467: Arkham Asylum</h4>

    Jim Ku, aka Gu Jun, aka Jim Mazurewicz. 22 years old, an orphan from the East. When he was 6, he was adopted by a Caucasian couple living at Arkham. That was how he ended up at Essex, Massachusetts. The Mazurewicz had a biological daughter. She was Gu Jun¡¯s sister, who was 2 years older, Hannah Mazurewicz. Gu Jun grew up at Arkham. He only left the ce several years ago to attend New York University to study anthropobiology. Last year, his request to be a clinical student at Arkham¡¯s Miskatonic University was approved and that was why Gu Jun returned to Arkham. He became a medical student at Miskatonic University and was currently in the second term of his first year.

    Those who knew Jim only had praise for him. Jim was a precocious child. He not only excelled at studies, he showed enormous talent in music and sports. The Mazurewiczs decided to foster the talent in their adopted son. The child did not disappoint. He worked hard. After he graduated from Miskatonic University, he¡¯d be a doctor. In America, doctor was a very impressive career, especially considering the background Jim came from. With a bright future, loving family and a sunny outlook on life... no one expected Jim to fall under the spell of madness.

    His sudden fit of schizophrenia shocked everyone that knew him. The doctors could not find any reason, they supposed it might be rted to his childhood trauma. Jim would be aggressive when he acted up so his family had no choice but to send him to Arkham Sanitarium. Over the past few days, the Mazurewiczs woulde to visit their adopted son, they worried deeply about him.

    Gu Jun listened to these tales quietly. They were so detached from his real life that he could not bring himself to feel any emotion.

    Inside the prison-like room, he encountered his adopted parents. This pair of honest looking couples was happy to see him. They showed him many pictures, they captured Jim from when he was young to his most recent. There were everyday shots, graduation photos,petition photos and so on... The pair was featured heavily in Jim¡¯s life. They smiled brightly towards the camera, proud of everything their adopted son did.

    In these pictures, other than these 3, there was another individual, Jim¡¯s sister, Hannah Mazurewicz...

    Gu Jun realized the woman in the picture looked exactly like Keziah Mason if a little older. He searched for pictures of Hannah when she was younger and Gu Jun felt like he was staring at Keziah whom he encountered at Arkham prison. When asked about her location, Jim¡¯s parents exined that Hannah was busy working at the press office. Other than that, Hannah couldn¡¯t bear to see the state Jim was in. At least that was what the Mazurewiczs said.

    ¡°I need mywyer.¡± Gu Jun told the couple and the hospital admin, ¡°I request a new mental check, I am not crazy.¡± In America, a mad person could be admitted against his will but that was only applicable to those who could not take care of themselves or pose a threat to others. In other cases, if the patients could take care of themselves and pose no threat to others, they could not be forced into admission. Gu Jun did not really understand the USw but he knew he could not continue to use drugs like actargil and Haldol. They would muddle a person¡¯s mind and cause people with no mental problem to develop mental problems.

    To his surprise, his request was approved by the hospital admin and he met hiswyer sessfully. This was something even his direct family could not intervene. Gu Jun was sane enough when he made this decision. If this was a trick, Gu Jun wanted to see what it was.

    ¡°I am not crazy.¡± Inside a simple meeting room, with no camera and no witness other than Gu Jun and hiswyer, Perry Sanders, that was what Gu Jun said. Perhaps this was a parallel world, or a trick by Nyathotep or that unknown source of power but one thing¡¯s for sure, Gu Jun was not crazy.

    ¡°Jim...¡± Sanders was close friends with Jim. Sanders worried about Jim¡¯s health. ¡°It¡¯s fine for you to rest here for a few more days, your study at the university won¡¯t be affected and you¡¯ll have your absolute privacy here.¡±

    ¡°Do I look crazy to you?¡± Gu Jun asked in an even tone, ¡°Memory, emotion, self-control, consciousness... which faculty do you think is wrong with me?¡±

    ¡°Then answer me this, are you Gu Jun or Jim Mazurewicz?¡± Sanders asked.

    Gu Jun could detect the bizarreness in his tone. ¡°Gu Jun¡± was him... or the version of himself from the Phecda World... How much did these people know?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He yed dumb.

    ¡°Jim, the doctors warned me from triggering you further. It¡¯s not good for your current state.¡± Sanders sighed, pain was evident in his eyes. ¡°You are clearly sentient but at the same time, you live inside a great illusion... Your parents, sister and myself wish to help you exit that illusory bubble, we want our Jim Mazurewicz back.¡±

    ¡°Illusion?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°What illusion? How much do you know?¡±

    ¡°Everything.¡± Sanders answered sincerely. ¡°Jim, you were sucked into this book that you read... There was a chapter in this book, the main character has the same Chinese name as you do, Jim Ku, Gu Jun. He¡¯s also a medical student and an orphan. You identify with him a little bit too much...¡±

    Gu Jun frowned. A book? ¡°What kind of book?¡± He demanded, ¡°Do you have it with you? Let me see.¡±

    Sanders was unwilling because this was the trigger that caused Jim his schizophrenia and the doctors advised them from allowing the patient toe into contact with the book any further. However, with Gu Jun¡¯s relentless insistence, Sanders relented. Sanders did carry the book with him. He took a book out from his ck briefcase and ced it on the table.

    It was arge book. The brown leather cover was ssically designed with gilded letters and some strange symbols. Gu Jun reached to turn it around so that the title of the book faced him. It read The King of Yellow. The author was Robert W. Chambers.

    A strange feeling curled around Gu Jun¡¯s heart. He tentatively opened the cover. He saw the lists of content...

    ¡°The Repairer of Reputation¡±, ¡°The Mask¡±, ¡°In the Court of the Dragon¡±, ¡°The Yellow Sign¡±, ¡°The Demoiselle D¡¯Ys¡±, ¡°The Prophet¡¯s Paradise¡±, ¡°The Street of Four Winds¡±, ¡°The Street of the First Shell¡±, ¡°The Street of Ourdy of the Fields¡±, ¡°Rue Barree¡±.

    Thest chapter of the book was called, ¡°gue Doctor¡±.

 Chapter 468: The King in Yellow

    <h4>Chapter 468: The King in Yellow</h4>

    Cami: You, sir, should unmask.

    Stranger: Indeed?

    Cassilda: Indeed, it¡¯s time. We all haveid aside disguise but you.

    Stranger: I wear no mask.

    Cami: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda) No mask? No mask!

    ¨CThe King in Yellow, Act 1, Scene 2

    Inside the quiet conference room, Gu Jun read through the book quietly. He did not jump to thest chapter immediately but started from the first, The Repairer of Reputation. He encountered a Mr. Wang Erde in this chapter, a wicked gnome who cooperated with the main character to bring down America, to build a King of Yellow¡¯s kingdom in its ce. Hastur¡¯s direct descendent would be made king... These narrations, the King of Yellow, The Yellow Sign, Hastur, they reminded Gu Jun heavily of the Yellow Brotherhood...

    The second chapter The Mask, started with the snippet quoted above. Even though this was an English novel, Gu Jun read at a speed that his English level should not have allowed. Strangely enough, he found the meaning essible despite the words being mostly unintelligible. The mask had different main characters but there was one simrity with the first chapter. All the main characters lost their mind due to their pursuit of a cursed tome, the King in Yellow. Reading through the pages, for some reason, Gu Jun could not help but take a deep breath as his head pounded.

    ¡°Jim...¡± Noting how stressed out his friend was, Sanders advised, ¡°That¡¯s enough for now. You better rest for a few more days first...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun said firmly. His brain pulsed with pain butpared to when he was inside the altar and his many experiences in the past, this pain was nothing, it was like mosquito bite. Messy thoughts bounced in his mind, some kind of force must be behind this. When he was still inside the sickroom, he noticed a situation, the ball of chaos in his mind had disappeared. And now... this book had such close rtion to the King in Yellow. But of course, this could be another trickery by Nyathotep. Just like how it had mocked the Yith, it was now mocking him. During the final war, Phecda and Mysterium summoned Byakee while he and Yu Chi summoned nightgaunt. The Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan and the Nine Mysterium Arts sourced their power from the King in Yellow... And now he was stuck in this state, reading a book entitled the King in Yellow, Gu Jun refused to believe this was a coincidence.

    ¡®So did we win or lose thatst battle... Dirty-minded Yu, Yu Chi, Zixuan, Monitor, Ah Mei, Uncle Dan, Elder Tong, everyone, are they still alive?¡¯

    Gu Jun flipped through the other chapters before he finally arrived at thest chapter, gue Doctor. This chapter dominated most of the book, ratio-wise it was incredibly imbnced, it was about ? of the whole book. He noticed this chapter was the only one which had sub-chapters: Mutated Banyan, Mutated Dream, Mutated Cough, Mutated Scale, Mutated Locust.

    Reading these, memories rushed through Gu Jun¡¯s mind. He knew what these nouns represent. His finger caressed the paper, they felt rough under his touch. He studied the names of the sub-chapters but could not bring himself to continue. Inside his heart, a strange unknown prevented him from moving forward.

    ¡°Who is this Robert W. Chambers?¡± Gu Jun asked. That was the book¡¯s author.

    ¡°An unknown writer.¡± Sanders answered. ¡°This book has been published for years already but only about 1000 copies of it were sold. You borrowed a copy from Miskatonic University¡¯s library. You were surprised how close this chapter mirrors your life. You shared that discovery with your family and friends but they thought this was just another reading interest of yours, no one thought you¡¯d be stuck so deep inside it... Jim, you have to understand that this is just a work of fiction. It is not real. The things that are described inside are not real but you are real.¡±

    Gu Jun stared at the name Robert W. Chambers, he couldn¡¯t find the author¡¯s picture printed on the book jacket but he hoped that if there was a chance, he would like to meet this man in person... Then again perhaps this was another one of Nyathotep¡¯s disguises.

    After a pause, finally, Gu Jun opened the Mutated Banyan chapter and started to read.

    How important is money in a human¡¯s life? Whenever this topic came up, Gu Jun would wield the same opinion, money, well, it is very, very important. ¡°Let me tell you something. There¡¯s only one true illness in this world, and that¡¯s poverty.¡±....

    Gu Jun¡¯s breathing becamebored. His furrowed brows did not rx. Reading through the lines, the past surged at him. The book did not record every single detail but the ¡®Gu Jun¡¯ definitely lived his life and his experience... He read through 10 pages and the pounding in his head turned heavier. His heart numbed with pain, his energy was slipping away.

    The author of this book could be Nyathotep or it could be the Yith. As long as the observer had the ability to travel through time, they could easily record down everything in narrative form and came up with this book, it was not impossible...

    So did Gu Jun get pulled out from the book?

    Or this was Gu Jun from one parallel world reading the adventure of another Gu Jun in another parallel world?

    Or the other Gu Jun did not really exist and this was all just a story...

    ¡°Jim, it¡¯s time to stop!¡± Sanders urged nervously, ¡°Your face is too pale. You shouldn¡¯t force yourself like this. It¡¯s not good for you.¡±

    ¡°Shush...¡± Gu Jun growled at the man. He mumbled, ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m not crazy.¡±

    He turned to thest page of the Mutated Banyan chapter, it ended with, ¡°I know what I have done.¡± Gu Jun straightened up in his seat. He told him in the sincerest tone he could muster, ¡°I am a doctor, and I acted to save people. I am not crazy.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s head was gripped by pain. He remembered this scene clearly. His S Value at the time was only a mere 51. He was interrogated by the reviewers. They wanted to ascertain whether he had lost his mind by blowing up the channel to the banyan space...

    He shook his head to clear his mind. He continued to flip the page until he reached the end of the Mutated Dream chapter, ¡°Wish everyone have a sweet dream.¡±

    The statements from the past mmed heavily at Gu Jun¡¯s heart. His mind started to wave...

    He flipped through the book crazily. He tried to make himself calm down and slow down but he soon reached the end of the book. At thest few pages, a line of prayer jumped out at him. ¡°I?! Shub-Niggurath! The ck Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!¡±

    And then, and then what happened?!

    Gu Jun breathed heavily. His fingers rubbed the pages of the book. There were only a few pages left. He had no idea what they would say and he couldn¡¯t even tell if they were real or not. But at least the book would offer an ending to this chapter.

    Gu Jun slowly turned the page over and continued to read.

 Chapter 469: Black Fleshy Forest

    <h4>Chapter 469: ck Fleshy Forest</h4>

    In that moment, the colors of the Mo Bei sky changed. Swath of red smeared the sky. The people of Mo Bei could lift their head to see a ck full moon suspended in the bloody sky. Is that a moon or a dark whirlpool?

    Suddenly the moon expanded. All the mist was sted away by the ck moon. It dropped from the sky, to descend upon Mo Bei. The people¡¯s eyes filled with shock. That was neither a moon nor a whirlpool, it was not a cloud either. It was a giant ball of flesh. The surface was covered in many strange tentacles as well as skulls, and organs of varying shapes... They were contorted together to form this nasty ball.

    They came from different lifeforms as they possessed different appearance. Human-shaped, animal-shaped and nt-shaped... The spinning ball was perhaps the eyes or the heart, the waving limbs were either tentacles or intestines. Blood rained and goo sttered. It was a forest, a ck living woods made from the amalgamation of flesh. The thousand young were nurtured at this ce.

    Mo Bei¡¯s sky was dominated by this ball of meat. The locust swarm and the flying polypus hydroids all stopped. Moments ago, these hydroids were howling, thrashing the streets of Mo Bei and fighting the Byakee. But suddenly, there was a great boom and everyone at Mo Bei appeared to have lost their hearing temporarily. Lou Xiaoning could no longer hear the howls of the enemies, the gunfire from her rifle or the explosion of the missiles...

    Everything appeared to have stopped. Even her heart froze. But her eyes could still see. The locusts that swarmed at her, the locusts that were already biting on her, the locusts that covered the flying jets, the locusts that swamped the Mo Bei city, they all suddenly imploded. They exploded in a shower of viscous liquid. Gravity suddenly lost its power. The liquid gushed towards the sky, no, towards the giant meatball. Perhaps it had be part of the forest.

    The locust swarms at the mutated areas underwent the same fate. So did the flying polypus hydroids at the desert wastnd. The strange creatures that easily overpowered humanity, now were vanquished without much resistance. Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan felt a sense of dejavu... During the end of the fight at Dagon Ind, Gu Jun used a foreign spell, to gather the flesh of all the Dagon worshippers to form a humanoid banyan tree and now the flesh of all the mutated locusts and hydroids gathered towards that dark forest... ¡°Creature of worm and maggot breaking through the barrier, reshaping and reforming/ On the starlight they feast, spreading the darkness into the world, /The name of the Old Ones will never fall!¡±

    Many citizens who saw this scene were gripped by an intense headache. They pressed their hands against their head and they fainted... Even Mysterium members with familiarity with spells could see themselves tripping towards madness, the endless abyss. Inside the quarantine base, and other bases, the students and staff from Gao Ji High School, the 10000 plus confirmed patients in Phecda World and 100000 plus confirmed patients in Mysterium World, suddenly had their torso and heads explode. Enormous amount of parasites burst forth. All those who suffered fromte stage Locust Illness morphed into a pool of parasites. Then they dissolved into fleshy goo and were pulled into the sky.

    On the street, some of the undiscovered carriers went through the same fate. St, st, st.

    Not all individuals who were exposed to the mutated radiation had their bodies imploded. Those with early symptoms only had their extremities detonated.

    ¡°Ah...¡± At the frontline, Peacock was overwhelmed by pain. Her upper arm shattered and then exploded in a shower of parasites.

    The abyss at the desert wastnd sttered with the endless rupture of flying polypus hydroids. They streamed towards the sky. Then no more hydroids appeared. Ake of sticky ck water gathered at the bottom of the abyss.

    By then, the ball of ck flesh in the sky had grown to an unountable size.

    ¡°Pull your eyes away...¡± The broadcasters ryed themand central¡¯s order with difficulty, they warned the citizens of Mo Bei to pull their gaze away from the sky. Perhaps their voices could enter the ears of some citizens but most citizens were dumbfounded. They couldn¡¯t move, speak or even think. The pain that started from their temple crawled through their bodies, they lost their consciousness and sank into darkness. Mo Bei was turning into a ce of death and madness.

    At Phecda¡¯smand central, no one knew what was happening. Was this the apocalypse predicted by the Yith...

    On the other hand, inside a quarantine room at Phecda base, Wu Siyu who had been soulless for days suddenly had her eyes flew open. Spirit returned to her dull eyes but they spoke of grief. She groaned in agony. That shocked the few nurses on duty. Lucky cowered in the corner and refused to move. Wu Siyu on the bed arched her waist upward like a bow.

    The nurses could see that her previously t stomach had started to swell. Something was wiggling inside it. Suddenly, there was the wail of a baby. A blurry, bloody shadow was yanked out from Wu Siyu¡¯s stomach. Blood dyed her scrub.

    What the nurses did not know was all over the world, numerous pregnant women were groaning in pain as well. Some of them just got pregnant, some were close to the end of their trimester, bloody shadows flew out from their bodies. The mothers¡¯ groans contorted to be a dark and eerie moan. There was augh and then they all said the same thing, ¡°So this is the god you have chosen... Things have gotten interesting... Indeed the god can temporarily stop your destruction but you¡¯ll experience one tragedy after another. You¡¯ll lose more than you gain. Your children are just the beginning.

    ¡°Gu Jun, you have protected your home, but you¡¯ll never find your way back to it.

    ¡°You have to pray, pray to everything you know that you won¡¯t run into one of my thousand faces.

    ¡°Farewell Gu Jun, be careful, because I am Nyathotep, the Crawling Chaos.¡±

 Chapter 470: Price

    <h4>Chapter 470: Price</h4>

    After finishing this one page from The King in Yellow, Gu Jun stopped. His fingers trembled and he did not flip to the next page for a long time. He was afraid that he might see something like ¡®Wu Siyu had died from miscarriage¡¯. Based on the book, the child he had with Dirty-minded Yu identally, the child which had not even been born was already gone. After some time, Gu Jun gave out a long sigh. His heart throbbed with pain.

    These pages of the book were soaked in blood. They not only came from the unborn children but also their mothers as well as the victims of Locust Sickness. Gu Jun did suspect that this Shub-Niggurath would not be some kind of loving existence, even though his fragmented memories told him that the foreign people believed this prayer could resist chaos. ¡®I wonder what is the rtionship between this ck Goat and the Goddess of Life...¡¯

    Using the Goddess of Life¡¯s power would require sacrifice, that was the first lesson taught to Carlot Doctors. Therefore, Gu Jun knew summoning The ck Goat would require sacrifices as well. ¡®Me and Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s child... the children all over the world... The millions of unborn lives...¡¯ Gu Jun thought to himself. The ¡®bloody shadows¡¯ should refer to the soul and livelihood of these babies. Were they the sacrifice harvested by Shub-Niggurath?

    Sacrifice, a wicked term, caused Gu Jun to shiver. Or was this revenge taken by Nyathotep? Gu Jun read the page again but he could not make an affirmative call, all he knew was that he and Dirty-minded Jun had paid heavily. 100000 plus patients of Locust Sickness from Mysterium and Phecda Worlds had lost their lives... Peacock and Kathlyn lost an arm...

    ¡®Can this be considered a victory?¡¯ Gu Jun did not know. gue doctors like himself and Wang Ruoxiang failed to save even a single patient of the Locust Illness. At the end of the day they still knew nothing about the pathology behind this gic-modifying disease. So how could this be called a victory...

    ¡°Have we really protected our home?¡± Gu Jun read over the words left behind by Nyathotep. ¡°I¡¯m here so that I won¡¯t be able to find my way home?¡±

    ¡®So Nyathotep is responsible for this after all... but things do not appear that simple...¡¯ His mind was convoluted. Like Lou Xiaoning and Uncle Dan, he too realized the spell used by the Son of Misfortune to create the humanoid banyan tree was simr to the spell used by the ck Goat. Even the spells shared simr terms. ¡®But why? Is Shub-Niggurath the Goddess of Life? After the Son of Steel became the Son of Misfortune, he corrupted her spell using R¡¯yleh¡¯s power to mock her?¡¯

    Gu Jun resisted the pounding in his head to try to recover all the memories he had of the time he spent inside the altar. The broken chaos in his mind did react strangely to that prayer. Gu Jun was not expecting that.

    ¡°Jim, our time of conference is almost over.¡± Sanders¡¯ voice cut into Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡°The book...¡±

    ¡°There are only a few pages left, let me finish.¡± Gu Jun¡¯s throat was hoarse. He cleared his mind of the doubts and flipped to another page. His heart gripped. The first paragraph stated that themand central had ceased all orders to send reinforcements into Mo Bei. The expansion of the two mutated areas had stopped. The locust swarms and flying polypus hydroids had disappeared. The radiograph detected no trace of radiation in the air anymore. A barrennd with yellow sand instead of scorched soil returned to Tian Fuhou¡¯s tree farm. It was about 10 cubic km wide. It had nothing growing on it.

    Phecda sent out scouts to investigate. They did not discover any border. The ovepping of the tree farm with the wastnd world ceased. Only old pictures showed that the ce was once a hub of human activities with families, farms and houses.

    At the desert wastnd, the endless abyss remained. It was like an entrance to hell. Perhaps more flying polypus hydroids were sleeping down there. The abyss was temporarily surrounded. Phecda World formed a brief alliance with the Mysterium World as they came up with solutions to deal with this.

    The border at the desert wastnd was still present. There was about 10 cubic km of area that was the ovepping region between the two worlds. It formed a type of junction. People with high spirituality from either world could enter the region and switch over to the other world through sensing the ¡®edge of the border¡¯. Because of that the structure of both worlds changed enormously, the politics of the worlds became moreplicated. Both worlds knew they had toe to a consensus quickly to strengthen human civilization to deal with the ¡®imminent string of tragedies¡¯. If they could, they would want to snuff out the tragedies when they were still in their cradle to suppress the dark forces. However, things were easier said than done, humanity was not that rational.

    At this point, Gu Jun felt inspired. He was unwilling to believe in what he read when the pages described the injury and the death but he hoped that the part about the two worlds connecting were true. Even though there were pros and cons for the two worlds to still be ovepping, but at least, they came from the same race and same culture, it would be easier for these two worlds to understand and assimte with each other.

    Furthermore, Mysterium had ess to Nine Mysterium Arts, which could bring Phecda to a higher level. Phecda could share the resource from the Dreands with Mysterium. If the two worldsbined their forces to find that Pnakotic Library and to continue their alliance with the Zoog tribes, the human civilization would only get stronger...

    Of course, Gu Jun backed his optimism with caution. There was also a possibility of war between the two worlds as well. He hoped that the leaders of both worlds were intelligent enough to see that cooperation was more helpful thanpetition. If he and Yu Chi were still present, as ambassadors from both worlds, the issue of alliance should go much smoother...

    Gu Jun finished another page of the book. It was more of a summary, there was no particr mention of any character. There was no mention of Zixuan, Dirty-minded Yu, Yu Chi or the monitor... He had no idea how they fared. There was not even the mention of the giant meatball above Mo Bei, the ck Goat of the Woods. What happened to it?

    He turned to the next page and the first sentence was,

    ¡°After Wu Siyu woke up, the first thing she asked was, ¡®Where¡¯s Gu Jun?¡¯ The poor girl had no idea she had lost her baby.¡±

 Chapter 471: Still There

    <h4>Chapter 471: Still There</h4>

    After Wu Siyu woke up, the first thing she asked was, ¡°Where¡¯s Gu Jun?¡± The poor girl had no idea she had lost her baby. No one answered her question, instead they waited for her to answer their questions. After she was clued into the devastating news, she was silent and then concluded, ¡°I knew it¡¯s not that easy to be an unmarried mother.¡± Like usual no one really understood what was going through her mind. She demanded for a feast and did not look that sad. But when she saw Lucky, shemented, ¡°We were thinking about calling the child Gu Lucky...¡± and that was all she ever said on this subject.

    Wu Siyu was always optimistic and determined, or perhaps, she was that unaffected with life. She brought back a lot of information. Compared to Mysterium, Phecda was able to witness more angles of this incident, thus giving them more leverage on the bargaining table. Each piece of the information was worth more than gold.

    Wu Siyu still had to go through the isted interrogation, to find out whether she was the real Wu Siyu and whether she had mental problems. ¡°I¡¯ve always had mental problems.¡± The girl answered. The interrogation process was long andplicated but in a way, she was lucky to be able to survive to be interrogated.

    In this tragedy, many people passed away, they morphed into a pool of blood or had their final slumber. Si Kouxian was one of thetter. The neurosurgeon from the Spell Department had been fighting at the frontline. This time, due to brain haemorrhage, he was not able to be saved. Cai Zixuan did wake up. Perhaps because he was still young, his body recovered faster. After 2 hours of ECMO, he recovered the next day. He was still weak but he was thankful that he was still alive. He sighed on behalf of those who did not. Wang Ruoxiang did not even lose her consciousness but it was as if life had been drained away from her. She became drawn, silent like a walking dead. Phecda could not tell her actual corruption value, they just knew it was very serious. When her hands pressed on the cleansing stone, she would groan in extreme pain.

    Mysterium said that they could provide a treatment method to cleanse the corruption, and both parties were negotiating the exchange of technology. Both parties cared about their surviving members like Wang Ruoxiang and the rest and both worlds needed them to recover. They needed these experienced soldiers to return to their optimum form before the next tragedy.

    For the One, members of Phecda suffered the least. Lou Xiaoning, Deng Ximei, Peacock, Uncle Dan survived. However, Ma Feng whom Gu Jun managed to save at the House of Worms died. Members from FBM and the Russian Safety Bureau sacrificed a lot. This time, not counting the civilians and patients, the world had lost 31427 elite agents. If adding the civilians and patients, the death toll surpassed 10000 and the injured was around 50000. The number of missing people was still in calction. Most of the deaths came from the attack of the locust swarm, followed by the assault of the flying polypus hydroids and finally the Locust Sickness. However at the Mysterium World, theirrgest death toll came from the patients of Locust Sickness. Around 100000 patients died from it. Combining the two worlds, about 250000 died in this tragedy.

    Based on early estimation, the list of missing people was about asrge as well. Two particr names were also on that list: Gu Jun, Yu Chi. These two elites among the elites were still unfound. Theirst known location was the Australian desert. Wu Siyu also couldn¡¯t tell what happened to them. At the time, she was swallowed by white light. She had given her mental power to Gu Jun. She believed she heard Nyathotep im that Gu Jun would not find his way home. It warned him to be careful, it warned her to be careful because it was Nyathotep, the Crawling Chaos.

    ¡°I suspect it told all 4 of us the same things.¡± Wu Siyumented, ¡°But only have the names changed.¡± Simrly she had no idea what happened to Keziah Mason, the witch of unknown loyalty.

    10 days after the apocalypse, humanity still survived. The various countries came to the consensus and decided to announce part of the events to the world, instantly it caused the inte to go crazy. The public did not know about the multiworlds or the Yith, Locust God and Nyathotep but they did know that in less than a year after the legione pneumonia¡¯s tragedy, the world had been rocked again. To prevent public panic, the information was carefully guarded. Even low ess members in Phecda did not know that much. Only thosemanders, clinical workers, frontline fighters understood how dire the situation was.

    However, the tragedy appeared not to be global. The danger was contained to Mo Bei before it had a chance to spread. However, those in the know realized how close humanity was to the brink of extinction. Furthermore, this time there were many aftermaths to deal with. One of them was the Zoog, Lucky. When he was ced at the frontline, he practically vomited out the luxury that he had experienced so far on Earth. He wished that he had never been to this. The poor thing lost about 10 jins overnight.

    Therefore, representing the Zoogs, Lucky had made the decision to bow out from this alliance! Zoogs already had the Ulthar Cats to deal with, they did not need to attract the attention of other dark forces. However, he was forced to stay. He patted himself unsatisfactorily, ¡°Let me go, how can you treat your supposed friend like this?¡±

    It was Wu Siyu who calmed him down. She told him, ¡°Have you considered the possibility that Nyathotep would turn towards the Zoogs because it failed to destroy us humans?¡±

    ¡°What, how, why.¡± Lucky shivered from the thought. ¡°Then that is all the more reason for me to distance myself from you, I merely had a few of your chicken legs...¡±

    ¡°You mean several thousands of them,¡± Wu Siyu patted her leg heavily to remind him. ¡°Whether you like it or not, the Zoogs and humanity are now in the same boat. If you insist on jumping the ship, we won¡¯t hesitate to let you drown.¡±

    Lucky took in all that but he still felt uncertain.

    In any case, peace returned to Mo Bei. Despite the destruction thend had been through, it was no longer a wastnd, not and of the dead. And the people of Mo Bei returned to rebuild their home.

 Chapter 472: Life Moves on

    <h4>Chapter 472: Life Moves on</h4>

    The barrennd had no building, no road, no tree, not even a shred of grass. It had nothing but brown soil and yellow sand.

    ¡°Hmm, honey, this ce¡¯s condition is much better than what we started with. Thend is even, that will be conducive for irrigation, and ploughing. And look at how soft this soil is, it¡¯s perfect for agriculture.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it is not bad, but you have to take care of yourself. Remember how old you are and with just one arm left, can¡¯t you just take it easy this day?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, how many years have we left, really? Furthermore, what else can we do? Since the government is sponsoring us, then I¡¯ll work until I can¡¯t anymore.¡±

    A motorcade stopped at the eastern side of the barrennd. Arge batch of members were working, there were Phecda members and also members from other departments. Some of them were transporting young tree seedlings from the trucks. They were within the mutated area. Phecda sent in Special Mobile Forces to inspect the area after the final battle. They conducted multiple soil analysis. They did not contain any radioactive material. Even though theposition of the soil had changed slightly, the change was still within theprehension of human scientific knowledge.

    This ce was habitable and it could be home for some hardy nts. A few days ago, the government had passed the ¡®Life Forest Project¡¯ for this area. The government would pour in resources to greenify this area. The ce would be turned into a tree gst,, to bring life back into it. This would not only improve the environment but also resist against the barrenness from the Wastnd World. Based on the Competing Reality Hypothesis that Elder Tong got from either Gu Jun or the Yith, the more unlike the Wastnd World this ce was, the more secure Earth would be.

    Arbor Day had once returned to Mo Bei so the Life Forest Project was initiated immediately. Currently, among the tree-nting army, there were a batch of normal citizens. Tian Fuhou and Mai Dong were among them. When Elder Tian heard that the government were renting trees at his old home, he couldn¡¯t wait to be a part of the project. The two seniors chatted with each other while they loosened thend with shovels. Cai Zixuan who followed beside them said, ¡°Elder Tian, you still need to take care of your own health first. You should rest when you can.¡±

    Cai Zixuan came as a medical member. His mental corruption had been cleansed and his body had fully recovered. Tian Fuyou was 79 already. He almost died due to the acute radiation exposure. He had to amputate his right arm. Despite his age though, the old man was tough. His condition ameliorated and the only negative effect he got from the radiation was he tired easily.

    ¡°Too much resting will make the body go rust.¡± Tian Fuhou countered.

    ¡°Doctor Cai, just leave him be.¡± Mai Dong also suffered from residual symptoms from radiation exposure. She said in a mockint, ¡°The man is born for hardwork, he¡¯ll feel so ufortable when he¡¯s not working! You¡¯d better cut off his other hand if you want him to stay at home and rest.¡± Tian Fuhou chuckled. He held the shovel with his remaining left hand and started to dig. He was clearly slower than the Forestry agents and he needed to rest after a while. Tian Fuhou was right-handed but now he had to get used to working with his left hand.

    ¡°We know our bodies are not as good as before.¡± The old man sighed, ¡°We know when to stop so that we won¡¯t cause you guys anymore trouble.¡±

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s alright, you can take it slow.¡± Cai Zixuan truly admired these two seniors. Even with their illness, they worked at a pace faster than those who did not have any experience in tree-nting.

    ¡°We can¡¯t take it too slow. There are so many things to do. nting the seeds, hoeing the ground, damming the irrigation, all these have their own seasons...¡± Tian Fuhou looked down the horizon. Everywhere he could see, there was nothing but wastnd. ¡°Doctor Cai, if possible, I wish to live for a few more years and nt more trees. Return my tree farm to its glory. That was my life goal but now I might not live to see that day again.¡± Cai Zixuan hesitated, he scratched his head, he didn¡¯t know what to say. He also wished that Elder Tian could live for a few more years, but the chance of that was slim due to the slow radiation poisoning...

    ¡°But while we might not see it, you will.¡± Tian Fuhou said with a renewed passion. ¡°I know thisnd very well. I can already see trees covering all of it. With the seeds that we¡¯re nting today, in a few more decades, when your children and grandchildrene to visit, they¡¯ll see trees that reach into the sky.¡±

    At that moment, another group came over and overheard Tian Fuhou. They were new recruits like Chen Jiahwa, Deng Ruotong and the rest. The special trainees lost 26 members, the surviving members were all conscripted into Phecda and were preparing to join the Spell Department. They participated in the Life Forest Project to train. Hearing what Elder Tian had to say, their hearts burned with passion. Yes, this ce would not remain like this forever.

    The group walked forward to greet their senior, Cai Zixuan. Everyone knew that Zixuan was Gu Jun¡¯s best friend. Therefore, at the beginning, they were quite nervous around him. But after knowing how easy-going Zixuan was, they interacted with him more casually now. Chen Jiahwa still had many of his idols whom he had not met, like Gu Jun, Wu Siyu and the members of the One. He noticed that none of them were here, they probably had other missions.

    The youngsters fought to help the old couple. Seeing their young faces, Tian Fuhou¡¯s smile brightened. He then brought up something else, ¡°I heard on the news that there were many miscarriages recently, it might have to do with all these.¡±

    With this, Chen Jiahwa¡¯s group silenced immediately. For one, they did not know too much about it and for two, Phecda¡¯s rule forbad them from saying too much. Cai Zixuan nodded with a sigh. Since this incident happened globally, Phecda did not try to suppress the news. They came up with a statement but did not exin all the truths. Many countries were stillpiling data but based on the initial numbers, the number of miscarriages on that day was over 1000000, that was a very weighty number.

    Unfortunately, that was not all. The patients who suffered from Locust Sickness, the agents who participated in the death mission, the patients who were sent to delineate the border... the moralplications of these choices came back to haunt many decision makers at the time. Elder Tong drank himself into a stupor. He rejected Phecda¡¯s praise and refused anymendation. Cai Zixuan understood that many of his colleagues felt the same way. No one felt like they were heroes. They only wished for a memorial for the dead, to bring them some peace.

    ¡°If you ask me,¡± Tian Fuhou blurted, ¡°You youngsters should start having children and everything will be back to normal in a few years.¡±

    ¡°Aiz, what nonsense you¡¯re babbling about now?¡± Mai Dong pped her partner lightly to make him stop talking. Tian Fuhou looked at his wife and then at the kids, he wondered if he had touched on a sensitive subject. These were after all people several generations younger than he was. Chen Jiahwa¡¯s group was stunned. They were surprised by how blunt the old man was.

    ¡°Sir, actually you have a point.¡± Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°You mean we shouldn¡¯t be too focused on our loss, after all, life goes on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Tian Fuhou nodded immediately. ¡®University graduates are cleverer with their words. Life goes on indeed.¡¯

    The youngsters nodded in agreement.

    Honestly, Cai Zixuan did have the urge to hurry back to propose to Jiang Banxia! He also hoped that Tycoon Jun would return soon. He believed his friend would not disappear just like that. When he did return, they could raise their children together.

    While they chatted, the group finished making a hole. Then a tree seedling was carried over and transnted into the hole. They tamped down the soil around it and watered it. The bark-like, wrinkled face of Tian Fuhou broke out in a sunny smile. This tree would be the new Fu Hou Tree.

    The sky was blue and the wind blew soothingly. The two elders and the rest of the group nted one after another seedlings. Gradually, more greenery returned to this barrennd. They wiped at their sweat and smiles decorated everyone¡¯s faces.

    Yes, life moves on...

    This is only the beginning.

 Chapter 473: Two Clues

    <h4>Chapter 473: Two Clues</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    Gu Jun was silent after he finished thest passage of The King in Yellow. Dirty-minded Yu, Zixuan, monitor survived, but Si Kouxian, Ma Feng and many more... He ultimately gave a long sigh. Life moves on. But in the end, he still had no idea what happened to the giant meatball that looked like a dark forest. The book did not mention it again. It exploded? Disappeared? Or was it still there?

    Shub-Niggurath... A force not weaker than Nyathotep?! Many thoughts and emotions bounced in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. Before Sanders, he was careful not to stress that he was Gu Jun inside the book. If this was a trick, then he¡¯d y along for now. He was sure he would find his way home. Since Nyathotep had failed once, it could fail again. Based on what Keziah Mason said, defeating Nyathotep was exactly the thing that interested it.

    Sanders advised Gu Jun many times to stay at the sanitorium to rest but Gu Jun insisted on leaving. Sanders finally agreed that he¡¯d help. Then Gu Jun was led away from the room and sent back to his cramped prison. When the nurse came with his pills, Gu Jun refused to take them. That ced a lot of pressure on the nurse. But other than that, Gu Jun appeared very normal. He cooperated fully when the staff came to survey his situation. However, in his heart, there was an unshakeable conviction.

    The Stanford Prison files prove that the environment can slowly change a person¡¯s personality and a situation can influence a person¡¯s behavior. Once he assimted into this character of a mental patient, and allowed himself to be told of his conditions by others, he might really go insane after a few days. Therefore, no matter how cooperative Gu Jun was, he refused to take the drugs and believed inherently that he was mentally sound. He told himself repeatedly, ¡®I am not crazy, I am really Gu Jun.¡¯

    While the staff was not watching, Gu Jun tried to use spells and the Ancient Seal. To Gu Jun¡¯s consternation, he was unable to do so. Gu Jun gave it some thought and believed this was another trap to toy with his mind. Since his body could be reinvented with no PEEK polymer, a reconstructed finger and healed scars, it wouldn¡¯t be too hard for them to strip him off of his spell casting ability. That was a way to deepen Gu Jun¡¯s self-doubt but the man swore to not fall for it.

    For the next 3 days, Gu Jun either slept, or exercised while waiting for hiswyer to finish the procedure. On the 4th day Gu Jun arrived at this world, or the 8th day Jim Mazurewicz was admitted into Arkham Sanatorium, he was released. He had nothing when he was admitted, so he left with nothing. Gu Jun merely changed out of his patient¡¯s garb into casual clothes, the clothes Jim wore when he was admitted, red jacket, jeans and sport shoes.

    Then, he walked down the halls of the forced admission rooms with Sanders. This was not the first time he walked down this corridor but every time, the ce was eerily quiet, like there was no patients being kept here. But beyond the steel doors, Gu Jun could sense many dangerous presences. Arkham was aplicated ce much less its sanitorium. At the waiting area, Gu Jun encountered the Mazurewiczs, his reincarnated body¡¯s adopted parents.

    Bob Mazurewicz, a rotund middle-aged man. He had an honest face and ran a small convenience store at Arkham. From what Sanders told him, Gu Jun knew Bob was a kind person who had no enemy at Arkham. He supported local charities and viewed Jim as his own child. Jennifer Mazurewicz, a middle-aged woman, the actual boss at the convenience store. Famed for her kindness too but she was more tactful than her husband and she was the decision maker around the house.

    ¡°Jun.¡± Once the couple saw their adopted son, they called his nickname and hurried towards him. Even though Gu Jun had requested for discharge through legal means, they still worried about his condition and they bombarded him with their concerned questions.

    ¡°I have amnesia.¡± Gu Jun exined, ¡°That¡¯s the only problem but the doctors said I will slowly recover.¡± Regarding his ¡®parents¡¯, no matter how kind they seemed, Gu Jun kept his guard around them. He did not know the Mazurewicz at all but he believed there was a reason why he was reincarnated into this family. Gu Jun looked around, ¡°Where¡¯s my big sister?¡±

    Now Gu Jun had two clues to understand this new world, one was the King in Yellow, the other was Hannah Mazurewicz, could she be Keziah Mason?

    ¡°Hannah is busy at work.¡± Jennifer answered, ¡°But we¡¯ll have dinner together.¡± Gu Jun nodded silently. No matter how busy she was, she should have cleared time to celebrate her younger brother¡¯s discharge from the hospital, that showed how ¡®well¡¯ this sibling¡¯s rtionship was.

    Hannah Mazurewicz, 24, a graduate of Miskatonic University¡¯s journalism degree. She was now a reporter at Arkham Honest Daily. He heard from Sanders that Hannah was extremely clever. After her high school graduation, she was offered the schrship to join Harvard and Stanford but she chose Miskatonic University because she wanted to stay close to home. But in this world, Miskatonic University was not that far behind the other famous academic faculties. Miskatonic University, was one of the Ivy Leagues, it had a long history and was famed across the world.

    At Massachusetts, Miskatonic and Harvard were the two frontrunners for old money to send their children. The first time Jim Mazurewicz encountered the King in Yellow was at Miskatonic University¡¯s library. Gu Jun also realized something else. The King in Yellow Sanders brought him at the sanitorium was not the one from Miskatonic University but a copy he bought online. Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the book at Miskatonic University had the same content.

    After leaving the Arkham Sanitorium¡¯s gates, Gu Jun turned back to look. Now, he saw that this sanitorium was built in the 19th century and it still maintained the Victorian architectural style. When it was first built, to separate the mentally unstable from the normal patients, it adopted the prison-likeyout. It spread out from the centre into many different wings. There were exercise fields inside but it looked oppressive on the outside.

    When he was on the way out, he did not see any patients walking around, only the doctors and guards. They wore thick white masks and had bored gazes. Gu Jun had a feeling that one day he would return to this ce. But now, he, Sanders, Bob, and Jennifer got into a ck car. Bob drove and they left this sanitorium.

 Chapter 474: Arkham

    <h4>Chapter 474: Arkham</h4>

    It was the year 2022, August 4th in this world. Phones,puters, inte, it had all the modern technology. Gu Jun sat on the backseat of the Buick. He looked through the window and saw a historical town with New Ennd style. Arkham was built along the northern and southern sides of the Miskatonic River. The two sides were connected by threerge bridges. The banks were lined with picturesque buildings with mossy walls and country-style eaves. This was a town of a small size but it had all the necessary amenities. It had a world-famous university, church, prison, theatre and several hospitals. It had several noted publication houses, like Arkham Public, Arkham Advertisers. Arkham Honest Daily, where Hannah worked at, was the third biggest publication. However, all these traditional media were under the threat by the new online media. So technically Hannah should be able to take a break toe fetch her sick brother.

    Arkham¡¯s history, like the towns around it, was deeply intertwined with the Salem Witch Trials. When Gu Jun got back ¡®his¡¯, well, Jim¡¯s phone, he did not find anything too special but he did obtain more understanding about his new identity due the picture albums and notes. Then he went online. This Arkham did have the legendary Witch House, Keziah Mason¡¯s former home. However at this ce, Keziah Mason was no longer a character inside the King in Yellow. She was a real historical character. She was from the 17th century. She came from a line of proud heritage but she was ultimately captured due to suspicion of witchcraft. While in imprisonment, she managed to open a dimensional door with the aid of her familiar cat and two ghosts. The prison guards were shocked beyond disbelief. The first time Gu Jun heard about this witch was from the old man living at Chickasaw, at the Massachusetts World in the early 20th century. The story that he heard then did not include the cat and two ghosts. But now, in the modern Massachusetts world, the details of the legend had changed, a change that they initiated.

    Now the Witch House was a tourist spot at Arkham. Many years ago, the ancient house was bought by a merchant. He remodelled it into a b&b with a witchery theme. The guests could study the relics left behind while staying in the witch¡¯s former room. However, Gu Jun found on the inte an articlembasting the authenticity of the relics. These ¡®relics¡¯ were apparently just a marketing ploy by the hotelier. On the travel website, the Witch House had a very low score, 3.1 over 5. Comments included bad service, hot water issue, dirty rooms but the biggestint was theck of supernatural activity. Even so, the Witch House was full every night, attracting young thrill seekers.

    Reading these reviews, Gu Jun couldn¡¯t help but be consumed by a sense of absurdity. He had been to the Arkham Prison in the 1690s, he was familiar with how brutish the people were then. And he was a witness to the supernatural event that happened around this ce. But now, it appeared like the darkness had dissipated and the Witch House became nothing more than a ce of interest.

    Arhkam Sanitorium was situated at the town¡¯s northern countryside, while the Mazurewicz stayed at a neighbourhood on the southern side. The store that they ran was around the neighbourhood as well. Therefore, the car crossed the Miskatonic River on the way home. Gu Jun saw passing ships on the wide river, pedestrians jogging by the banks and doves flying in the sky. It was peaceful but for some reason, he felt like the faces of these tourists looked so fake.

    After crossing the river, they soon reached High Streets. The ce was lined with houses with green gardens. Finally, the car stopped before a 2 storeys tall building. Sanders was the first to exit. Bob and Jennifer waited for Gu Jun.

    ¡°Jim, wee home.¡± Bob said with a kind smile. Gu Jun observed everything. He exited the car, went up the porch and entered the house. He saw some pictures near the front door. Each of them was a verification of Jim¡¯s existence. Using amnesia as an excuse, he requested more background on each picture.

    ¡°This was you during your high school piano recital.¡± Bob pointed at a picture of Jim ying piano on stage, he was visibly proud. Gu Jun did not know how to y the piano, he had not studied it before. But he would not be the first to be suddenly gifted with musical talents. He was reminded of the girls like Huili...

    ¡°When will Hannah be back?¡± he asked, it was almost dusk.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably still at work.¡± Bob groused with some pride, ¡°If you ask me, they are taking advantage of her because she¡¯s their best worker.¡± Gu Jun just listened quietly and then he said he wanted to be alone. Bob and Jennifer retreated to the kitchen to make dinner. Gu Jun made himself at home. He walked around and then went upstairs. He entered Jim¡¯s room. It was clearly a man¡¯s room. Ignoring the possibility of a hidden camera, he turned over everything.

    Jim was also a medical student. A bone model and suture-training kit sat on the table. Gu Jun missed these things. He was also reminded of his Carlot instruments, he wondered where they were now. He looked through Jim¡¯s objects but he found nothing remotely rted to the King in Yellow.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Gu Jun frowned. Even acute schizophrenia would not trigger overnight. ording to Sanders, Jim was already talking to him about the King in Yellow in mid-march so he would have read it much earlier. A medical student would have the habit of making many notes... Mind maps, lines, pictures to help with the studies.

    He did see revision notes on the table and they were well-made, but they were all on his medical studies. For someone like Jim, if he was so interested in Gu Jun, no, if he thought he was Gu Jun, then he would have the need to rify things, right? Especially in the Mutated Locust Chapter, there were so manyplicated themes like over-riding realities and temporal inversion, at the very least, there should be a mind map to make sense of things. Hell, Gu Jun himself had a stack of it but Jim had none?!

    Was it possible that he left it at school? But Jim was at home when acted up and his backpack was in the room. Then the more usible thought came to Gu Jun. Jim probably did his research but... his notes had all been confiscated. With that thought in mind, he exited the room. He looked down the corridor at the other room, Hannah¡¯s room. Perhaps that was the real Witch House.

    ¡®Since I¡¯m Jim, it¡¯s normal for me to visit my sister¡¯s room, right?¡¯ Gu Jun sauntered towards it casually. He gripped the door handle and gave it a try, it was not locked.

 Chapter 475: Edge of the City

    <h4>Chapter 475: Edge of the City</h4>

    Gu Jun slowly pushed open the wooden door. The room looked grey as if covered in ayer of shadow. He frowned as he reached for the light switch. It snapped on with a flick. However, the light did note on, perhaps they were broken. Gu Jun focused and he realized everything in the room was fading in color. The vintage bed, the closet flickered out of corporeality. They seemed to edge against the border of existence. With the blink of an eye, they could disappear. ¡®Is it my mental problem or vision problem? Or is it a problem of the room itself?¡¯

    Gu Jun had a suspicion. ¡®So this is the witch house...¡¯ Once again he was reminded of Keziah Mason, she was definitely not a good person but she was not exactly a bad person either. She did not believe in Nyathotep, she only believed in herself. If she did not chant the prayer of Shub-Niggurath at the altar, things might have ended uppletely different.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Suddenly a voice came from behind him. Gu Jun jumped. Due to his high spirituality and military training, he could pick up even the smallest sound, but earlier he was certain there were no approaching footsteps. Gu Jun turned back and saw a woman materialize behind him. She had red hair and faded green eyes. Her face was pretty and she looked around 25. She wore a jean jacket and cks. This was of course Hannah Mazurewicz but she had the same appearance as Keziah Mason, the witch.

    Her face was devoid of expression so Gu Jun could not tell her thoughts.

    ¡°Do you walk with no sounds?¡± He questioned.

    ¡°I do and I don¡¯t.¡± Hannah smiled. ¡°So how are you doing now? Are you faring better?¡±

    Gu Jun trained his eyes on her. Her question had manyyers, ¡°Keziah Mason, that is what I should ask you. What is going on here?¡±

    ¡°Keziah Mason? Me?¡± Hannah shrugged, ¡°Since April¡¯s Fool, you¡¯ve been saying that. Jim, you are a clever person. You do not have a religious faith, you do not believe in god or demon. You aren¡¯t the type to go insane so why did you?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you know the answer.¡± Gu Jun nced into the room that had gotten blurrier. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that this is supposed to be normal.¡±

    ¡°What is not normal about my room?¡± Hannah shrugged again. ¡°Get mom and dad, see if there¡¯s anything abnormal here.¡± Before Gu Jun could speak, Hannah hollered. Soon Bob and Jennifer ran up the stairs. They asked with concern what was happening. Hannah said, ¡°Mom, dad, can you look inside my room, what do you think?¡± The Mazurewiczs did what they were told but their eyes spoke of confusion. They nced into the girl¡¯s room and nothing seemed out of ce.

    ¡°Is the light on?¡± Hannah asked.

    ¡°Of course, honey.¡± Jennifer answered with tant concern. She then turned her gaze anxiously towards Jim. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Gu Jun also looked inside the room, it had almost faded into nothingness in his eyes. He did not answer. He looked on wordlessly as Hannah chased the couple away. And then she strode into the room, she opened her arms to say, ¡°Would I stand in here so freely if there¡¯s a problem with this room?¡±

    ¡°You mean to say, I am the one with the problem?¡± Gu Jun hedged.

    ¡°Clearly.¡± Hannah nodded but as her eyes chilled, she added, ¡°If your mind has no problem, how could you see the problems?¡±

    Gu Jun narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Can we ever really see our real faces?¡± Hannah walked towards an antique mirror. ¡°From the mirror? My dear brother, our eyes are not meant to turn their gazes on our own faces, so how can we tell that everything that we see is real?¡±

    The woman¡¯s attitude was unlike Sanders and the Mazurewiczs, she did not insist that he was insane. When he imed that there was abnormality with her room, she did not deny it, she merely used other people to prove that in their eyes, there was no problem.

    ¡°Come, follow me, I¡¯ll bring you to an interesting ce.¡± Hannah exited the room and walked down the stairs. Her voice echoed, ¡°Mom, dad, Jim and I are going out for a trip. We¡¯ll be having dinner outside. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of Jim.¡± Just like that, Gu Jun left the ¡®home¡¯ that he had just returned to less than 1 hour ago. He hopped into a white Chevrolet. The engine purred and zipped down the road. The car moved so fast, it was not the horsepower a Chevloret should have.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t run into any car ident.¡± Hannah said, ¡°No matter how fast we drive.¡±

    Under the night sky, the car flew down the road. Gu Jun, who was in the passenger seat, noticed that there were no cars on the road. Even though they were in a small town, this ce was too deserted. The blocks of houses that they passed, even though the windows were all lit up, there was no human activity, like they were all empty. Hannah drove the car all the way east. ording to the GPS, they would exit Arkham in another 3 km, then 2 km, 1 km... Gu Jun saw something strange. The road which would lead them out of Arkham was flickering, blurry and phasing out of existence like Hannah¡¯s room. If he focused, he¡¯d see a strange nothingness.

    The car stopped beside a sign that said Arkham. Hannah looked at him and then looked back ahead.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about my life. Can you believe it that I have not left Arkham? I was born here, grew up here, studied here, and now worked here. But what about travels, summer camps or a quick visit to the neighbouring towns? In my mind, I never did those things. The pictures at home proved that, I¡¯ve always been trapped at Arkham. A week ago, I read the King in Yellow that made you go crazy and then it hit me. I too could see the truth.

    ¡°Little brother, this whole town is a big sanitorium.¡± She said, ¡°But the question is are we the ones who are crazy or we¡¯re the ones who are not crazy?¡±

    Gu Jun was silent before he said, ¡°You have no memory of Keziah Mason? But you look just like her.¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Hannah shook her head. ¡°But who knows, perhaps I¡¯m the one who has amnesia.¡±

    ¡°Have you tried driving out of the town before?¡± Gu Jun asked.

 Chapter 476: King in Yellow

    <h4>Chapter 476: King in Yellow</h4>

    ¡°You can try.¡± Hannah said with a shrug. Based on her reaction, Gu Jun believed that she had attempted it many times herself but she kept getting strange results.

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Both of them got down from the car. While the engine was still running, Gu Jun grabbed a stone from the roadside and leaned it against the gas pedal. The Chevrolet drove forward on its own, and made its way out of Arkham into the blurry future. After the car drove for about 20 metres, suddenly it disappeared into thin air. Gu Jun had no idea what happened to the car. He did not blink but the car just dissolved before his eyes. ¡°What was that? A dimensional rift?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue.¡± Hannah said coldly. ¡°Just keep on waiting. Something even more interesting will happen.¡± Thus Gu Jun stood there silently, paying attention to his surroundings. His focus was on the red-haired woman who looked like the witch. The night was cold. Slowly the buildings, road, trees, everything around them started to ripple.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time.¡± Hannah uttered softly. Less than half a minute after that, suddenly, a buzzing sound entered Gu Jun¡¯s ears. It sounded like many people chatting in the background. Then he found himself seated and not standing. He was sitting at a dining table and Hannah was sitting across from him. There were other diners around them. This was a high ss restaurant. The well-dressed waiters served the customers. Looking through the restaurant¡¯s floor length window, Gu Jun could see the car park and the white Chevrolet was one of the vehicles parked there.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be shy, dig in.¡± Hannah was cutting through a rare steak. She picked a small chunk and sent it into her mouth, ¡°We¡¯re out for dinner, aren¡¯t we?¡± Gu Jun then realized he was holding the utensils in his arms and there was a te of steak before him as well. His heart sunk. He didn¡¯t feel any anomaly during the transformation. The shift urred practically in a snap of a finger. There was no chance for him to stop it.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Gu Jun asked dumbly. ¡®This does not feel like an illusion or a dream... but this kind of spatial shift... Was it the doing of the witch? But she did not even require spells, rituals or preparation? She¡¯s that powerful? Or it¡¯s a trick by Nyathotep?¡¯

    ¡°I was hoping you could tell me.¡± Hannah chuckled. ¡°That day, after you went insane, I went to study the King in Yellow. After I realized I¡¯ve not left Arkham in my life, I tried to drive out of it immediately. But after 100 miles of driving, suddenly I found myself at the office. My colleagues told me I have been working overtime.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Am I going crazy as well? I gave it a second, third, endless tries... But it always ends up the same. In fact, I¡¯ve attempted other things than just leaving Arkham. Take a look at this.¡±

    Hannah suddenly stood up. Before Gu Jun¡¯s confused gaze, she raised her steak knife and plunged it into the neck of the passing waiter. Instantly blood sttered. The waiter screamed and the tray ttered noisily to the ground. The nearby diners shouted from shock.

    ¡®What the hell...¡¯ This stunned Gu Jun as well. His doctor¡¯s instinct kicked in, ¡°Call the ambnce now! Apprehend her! Is there a first-aid kit here? I¡¯m a doctor!¡± He rushed towards the wounded waiter. Anger rose within him. He wanted to detain Hannah but also apply first aid on the waiter. Thetter took precedence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hannah chuckled self-deprecatingly. ¡°When I first discovered this, the first thing I did was to go and stab my boss several times. It was honestly quite stress-relieving.¡± Gu Jun red at her when suddenly something flickered...

    He was no longer kneeling beside the wounded waiter, instead he was back at the table and Hannah was seated before him. The waiter walked past with the tray and everything was back to normal. Temporal maniption?

    ¡°You see?¡± Hannah sent another cut steak into her mouth. ¡°Jim, why do you think you¡¯ve gone insane? You¡¯ve tried many forms but you¡¯ve failed. You should give this a try, or how about you go andnd a big pecker on that beauty over there?¡± She nudged her head at a blond beauty not far away. ¡°That one¡¯s not bad.¡± Naturally Gu Jun did not heed her advice. He studied the peaceful restaurant. The clock on the wall kept moving, the steak on Hannah¡¯s te dwindled in size. This was different from what he experienced at Pnakotus. Back then, it was more like a rewind. But now, it was like they were on a fixed timeline, even if they strayed from it, they¡¯d be eventually forced back into the predestined timeline. Even if they left Arkham,mitted murder, refused to move, eventually... everything would be as it should be.

    Suddenly, he realized he was chewing on a piece of steak. He had no idea when he cut it and fed it into his mouth.

    ¡°Do you know what the King in Yellow really is?¡± Hannah suddenly asked. ¡°I mean, the King in Yellow mentioned inside the King in Yellow.¡± Gu Jun was silent. Actually it was stated quite clearly inside the book. The King in Yellow was a banned y in book-form, and this y was the thread that strung all the chapters together. Regarding the actual content of the y¡¯s script, the book only gave a glimpse of it through Cassilda¡¯s Song and the few conversation snippets between the in-y characters at the start of The Mask:

    Cami: You, sir, should unmask.

    Stranger: Indeed?

    Cassilda: Indeed, it¡¯s time. We all haveid aside disguise but you.

    Stranger: I wear no mask.

    Cami: (Terrified, aside to Cassilda) No mask? No mask!

    ¡°Jim, you¡¯ve studied this short paragraph many times but actually I¡¯ve reached my own understanding of it as well.¡± Hannah offered as she chewed the steak. ¡°What if the stranger is really not wearing a mask? He has long since removed the mask but since the script says that he has not, what will happen then?¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart chilled. If a character inside a y realized they were inside a y, and they wished to do something against the pre-written script, what would happen to the character? Would they aplish what they set out to do? Or would everything proceed as written...

    ording to the script, Jim and Hannah went out for dinner, they did not exit Arkham andmit any murder. Or would the script have written that they have tried these things but they failed?

    ¡°You mean...¡± Gu Jun understood what Hannah meant, ¡°We are characters inside the King in Yellow?¡±

    ¡®Jim Mazurewicz went insane because he read from the King in Yellow and assumed he was the main character from the chapter, gue Doctor.¡¯ This story was a chapter from the King in Yellow. Gu Jun had read that King in Yellow at Arkham Sanitorium, but that might be the King in Yellow inside the real King in Yellow. If they were inside a script, Gu Jun could not read the actual King in Yellow that had Jim¡¯s tales written inside it. Just like the characters inside The Repairer of Reputations, The Mask and The Yellow Sign could not ess the King in Yellow that detailed their lives.

    So who was reading the actual King in Yellow?

 Chapter 477: The Nameless Ones

    <h4>Chapter 477: The Nameless Ones</h4>

    Gu Jun finally identified the strange feeling he had at the sanitorium, it was emptiness and falsehood. Be it the guards, the doctors at the sanitorium or the pedestrians on the street, they seemed to becking a soul. The houses in the town, despite their open lights, felt empty. Now he understood why, everything was just a shell. Gu Jun stood up and headed towards the blond woman. She was 20 plus and an admirable figure. She wore a fashionable dress and was happily chatting with her girlfriend. He approached their table. ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± The blond turned around with confusion.

    ¡°My name is Jun.¡± Gu Jun began, ¡°Can I get to know you, what¡¯s your name?¡± The girlfriend giggled. The blond smiled from the attention, ¡°Of course, my... name... Erm... It¡¯s...¡± She hesitated, she tried to give her name but every time, it disappeared whenever it reached her throat... Eventually, the blond frowned as the problem dawned on her. ¡®What is my name? Who am I?¡¯

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Why don¡¯t you just share with this handsome man your name?¡± The girlfriend opened her mouth to help her friend but she too was flummoxed. ¡°Wait, what is her name again? What¡¯s mine?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t tell me.¡± Gu Jun mumbled, ¡°Because you have no names.¡± Just as the twodies were shocked, everything flickered.

    Gu Jun was back at the table with Hannah. The conversation did not happen. The blond was still happily conversing with her friend. Then they picked up the tab and left. Gu Jun tried to focus to tune into their conversation but what he got was a blur. He saw Hannah shrug. Of the whole restaurant, only he and Hannah still remembered what happened. Everyone else, including the two females, they were not the main characters in this y, they had no name and no lines. They were just the backdrop, simr with everyone else at the restaurant.

    ¡°Brother, tell me.¡± Hannah asked, ¡°Are we crazy or are we merely awake?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps a little bit of both.¡± Gu Jun slumped weakly in the chair. He looked around him. ¡®So these are all backgrounds, other people are my background and I am the background to others.¡¯ But honestly though, in a person¡¯s life, how can one be sure that one does not really exist in a y? One can encounter more than 1000 people in a day, see their faces, hear their voices but one might not know even a single one of them. When they leave one¡¯s field of sight, how can one be sure they still exist outside of their need to be seen?

    Gu Jun lived in a life of certainty before but now everything was as flimsy as ever.

    ¡°I understand what you mean now.¡± Gu Jun told Hannah, ¡°What more do you know about this? What do you think we should do now?¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything more than you do.¡± Hannah put down the knife and used the napkin to wipe her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve tried many methods, killing people, arson, destroying buildings, nothing changes in the end. Only those we know have names. In fact, if you suddenly decide to venture into a random stranger¡¯s house, you¡¯d see people idling there, even more dead than a carcass.¡± Gu Jun was reminded of the scripted NPCs in GTA. They were lifeless caricatures as well. You couldmit genocide in broad daylight but they¡¯d forget about it after the stars dropped down to 0.

    ¡°What about suicide?¡± He did not hear Hannah mention that, ¡°Have you tried that?¡±

    ¡°Are you not familiar with the ending of the characters in the King of Yellow?¡± Hannah put down the napkin and gged the waiter for the bill. She added, ¡°Suicide is one of the most typical endings. I¡¯ve not personally tried it but I did attempt to cut my wrist. The wound suddenly healed, and left no scars.¡± She raised her right hand, it was wless. Gu Jun frowned as thoughts muddled his mind. If the background characters were all unreal... so the only solution could only be discovered from the real self? Was suicide the ultimate solution?

    But then again, there were other named main characters as well... Maybe they possessed the answer. That was how Jim¡¯s story ended in the King of Yellow. Jim Mazurewicz became insane, grabbed an axe and chopped his big sister into pieces.

    ¡°What about the real King in Yellow?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°The one that made us awake and insane?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still at Miskatonic University.¡± Hannah exined, ¡°The school heard about your mental problem so they have sealed up the book and banned students from reading it. Furthermore, our school has always been a little mysterious. I was able to ess it because I am your big sister, a reporter and an alumnus.¡±

    ¡°Let us go to the University.¡± Gu Jun stood up. ¡°Is the library still open?¡±

    ¡°Even if it is, if the story does not write this part into our plot, we won¡¯t get there regardless.¡± She said calmly. Gu Jun took a deep breath, he never felt so shackled at the sanitorium. Even though most of the time, he was inside that cramped room, inparison, he felt freer then. ¡®Why did Jim get admitted? Did he really go insane? Or he was just ying a character?¡¯

    ¡°What about my notes?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Did you take them?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Hannah answered, ¡°You burned all of them. You shouted, ¡®burn all the words, ruin them! Do not let them control us, no!¡¯ while you did.¡± The waiter came and she paid. ¡°Come on, the dinner scene is over. Let us see what the words will control us to do next.¡±

    Were they controlled by words or fate? Gu Jun wondered. After a person found out about their destiny, they did everything to change it but the tragedy kept repeating itself and death was inevitable.

    This problem was simr to the one Gu Jun faced at the altar. He still decided to challenge the unchallengeable. Every drowning human would struggle before they drown. Therefore, was this all an extension of Nyathotep¡¯s ploy to mock him? To show him that fate was irreversible no matter how hard he tried?

    Suddenly, Gu Jun believed he heard a strange voice saying, ¡®Is that so, is that so... How can you be sure it¡¯s not The King in Yellow who has descended upon thee...¡¯

    It was Mr. Wang Erde.

 Chapter 478: Miskatonic University

    <h4>Chapter 478: Miskatonic University</h4>

    This was not the real Arkham, at least Gu Jun could confirm that, this was merely a world inside a book. While he was at the restaurant, he tried to summon nightgaunt, Shub-Niggurath and channel the Ancient Seal, they were all to no avail. In this world, he could not gain contact with any supernatural power, he was bound by the power of words. His strange behaviors were only remembered by Hannah. She looked at him like he had really lost his mind.

    But now there was another question, where was Yu Chi, was he here too? Since Gu Jun, Dirty-minded Yu and the witch survived, Yu Chi probably did too. Even though Arkham had a small popce, it was not that small. On the way to Miskatonic University, Gu Jun saw more blocks and citizens. Hannah had no idea how many characters in this world were named, so far, she only knew 7. However, she should recognize more people than that, after all she grew up here. Hannah handed Gu Jun her phone, there was a long list of names in her contact list but when Gu Jun wanted to take a closer look, most of them faded away into a blur. Clearly these people were not assigned a role in the y.

    Of the 7 people, one of them was the head librarian at Miskatonic University, Professor George Armitage. He was a kind, amicable schr over 60. He was well-read and well-loved, a popr character at the university. At Massachusetts, the Armitage family was one of the Old Gentries. George¡¯s grandfather, Henry Armitage was also a former head librarian, and his father one of the university¡¯s board of directors. Therefore, the Armitage family was closely rted to the Miskatonic University¡¯s library. The contribution this family had made to the library was unrivalled. Normally, whenever he was at Arkham, Professor Arkham could be found at the library.

    When Hannah visited the library to check out the King in Yellow, Professor Armitage was there as well. Apparently, he also picked the book up to read after Hannah left. Gu Jun was cautious about this character, not only because George Armitage came with a name and a detailed background, he was also the head librarian at the curious library. He was not to be trifled with. Eerie darkness shrouded the campus. Miskatonic University sat on both sides of the river that cut through town. The two campuses were connected by a stone bridge. The architectural style was very Early Victorian. Grey spires stood in the campus and it looked more like an ancient castle. The University was said to have grown alongside Arkham.

    The car drove down the campus road. There were not that many students around. Even if there were, they shuffled around like zombies. This chilled Gu Jun. Ever since they left the restaurant, there was no ¡®correction¡¯, it was as if they were supposed toe here ording to the script. Cutting through a small forest, the car stopped at a carpark not far from the library. The old-fashioned oilmps gave off weak light. It casted a sense of graceful yet insidious atmosphere to the night.

    Gu Jun looked up at the library. It was not asrge as Pnakotus but it had its own unique vor. The church-like building was 3 storeys tall. Its dome reached into the sky. The library was incredibly well-lit. It was only 9 pm so there were quite a number of students inside doing revision. Furthermore, the library was open overnight on weekends. The library was a quiet ce, it was ruled by silence. But strangely enough, while Gu Jun could not hear any sound from inside the library, the world outside was overflowing with auditory stimuli.

    Gu Jun could hear the sound of rivers and dog barking that appeared toe from everywhere.

    ¡°Can you hear the barks?¡± Gu Jun asked Hannah who got down from the car, to make sure he wasn¡¯t imagining things.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Hannah nodded casually, ¡°There¡¯re dogs everywhere. The university keeps them, they¡¯re strays and quite ferocious.¡±

    Gu Jun looked around. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re at the right ce.¡± Hannah walked towards the library entrance. Gu Jun followed behind her. They walked up a long stone staircase. Before entry, they had to show that they were the university¡¯s students and alumni. The guard allowed them to go through without saying anything. At the first floor lobby, there were many antiquerge tables. The students sat around them. Some read, others worked on theirptops... these were all hardworking students. The bookshelves lined the four walls, some of them even reached the ceiling. They were stocked full with books, treasure troves of knowledge. However, as Gu Jun walked past the tables, he nced at the books and notes that opened before the students.

    The students were all rapt in studies but the pages were all empty. The pages turned from one empty page to another. These were just props...

    Gu Jun was overwhelmed by annoyance. ¡®Even if they¡¯re just props, shouldn¡¯t they at least contain some literature to appear more believable?!¡¯ The moment he thought that, the pages started to surface with blurry characters. They wiggled like worms. Whenever Gu Jun tried to focus on them, they unfocused into an intelligible blur.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see what you want to see but only to a certain limit.¡± Hannah said in passing.

    Was the professor at the library? Even though he was the head librarian, he did not live at the library. Regardless, Hannah led Gu Jun past the lobby and up the second floor. The ce had lesser tables but more shelves. The books at the library were arranged ording to their value. The higher you climbed up the library, the rarer the books you would encounter. The rarest and collector¡¯s books were kept on the 3rd floor which was guarded. Previously the King in Yellow was stored on the 2nd floor.

    Gu Jun was on alert as he moved along his sister. He had never fully trusted Hannah and he did not n to allow himself to be guided by her forever.

    Ever since they left the restaurant, they had not challenged the script. With a sudden desire, Gu Jun leaped towards a shelf that lined the wall. His hands reached madly for the books and pulled them all to the ground. The books tumbled noisily. Some of them opened from the fall and the pages were also startlingly empty.

    At the same time, Gu Jun could hear the barksing closer. It sounded more ravenous than before...

 Chapter 479: The Dunwich Horror

    <h4>Chapter 479: The Dunwich Horror</h4>

    The books fell to the ground and the shelf was empty. Technically there should be a wall behind the shelf but when Gu Jun looked through the gap, he saw a different dimension. It was made up from twisted, bizarre materials, some of which he could identify. While he was spaced out, a voice asked, ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±

    And suddenly, everything was corrected. Gu Jun was standing beside the shelf and all the books had been returned to their ces.

    ¡°Professor Armitage.¡± Hannah showed no surprise at Gu Jun¡¯s action. Instead she turned to address a person who was walking over. That was the head librarian, Professor George Armitage, he was a professor of history at Miskatonic University, a professor of literature at Cambridge and a Professor ofnguages at Princeton. His normally peaceful demeanour was rather flustered at that moment. Gu Jun studied the old man. His hair was half white, his face was wrinkled and he wore a pair of ck rimmed sses.

    ¡°Jim.¡± To his surprise, Professor Armitage knew him. ¡°Please do not do what you did again.¡±

    ¡°Professor, you¡¯ve read the King in Yellow as well?¡± Gu Jun immediately asked, ¡°You¡¯re awake and crazy like us.¡±

    Prof Armitage sighed, ¡°Come with me.¡± Gu Jun and Hannah followed the prof to the 3rd floor. The students around them were still absorbed in their studies. It did not matter if these people overheard their conversation because they literally did not matter. However, Prof Armitage still remained quiet. As he guided them to the 3rd floor, he moved lightly and quietly. He ensured the other two did the same as well. Soon they reached the 3rd floor without any corrections.

    Both Gu Jun and Hannah had experienced the corrections before. If they were at a ce or did things that did not align with the script, they would be corrected. However, they had free reign over their lines and their corrected actions would be remembered.

    Clearly the script included the part where they followed Prof Armitage to the 3rd floor or else it would have corrected already. When they reached the 3rd floor, the ce was even quieter. Not many students could be seen here. Prof Armitage led the two to his office. The ce was ssically decorated. If not for theputer and air-cond, one could easily believe one was in the 19th century. The prof poured each of them a cup of tea, and then one for himself.

    ¡°Jim, Hannah, I can¡¯t even tell whether I am real or a projection or something elsepletely.¡± Prof Armitage sipped at his tea. ¡°Before this, I assume these things were just rumours.¡±

    ¡°Prof, since you know the situation,¡± Gu Jun began, ¡°Can I take a look at the King in Yellow? Perhaps I can find a clue in there.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to hurry, because I don¡¯t think the King in Yellow is the key.¡± Prof Armitage said, ¡°A few days ago, everything was fine but now when I try to think back to something specific, all I could get is blurriness and emptiness. I can confirm that we¡¯re in a different dimension, we¡¯re characters in a y, manipted by a greater power. But I still remember one thing, it is rted to all the dimensions and everything else.¡± Gu Jun listened patiently as he tried to determine the authenticity of the professor¡¯s ims. Hannah beside him was much calmer. She even picked up the cookies to eat.

    ¡°My grandfather, Henry Armitage.¡± The prof continued as his wrinkles deepened, ¡°Before he became the head librarian and just a regr staff here, he encountered a strange young man who came to visit the library. He wore tattered clothes and was very tall. He had a goat-like face and came from the nearby Dunwich District, his name was Wilbur Whateley. You have to understand this happened several hundred years ago.¡± The prof¡¯s tone was even but underneath it was a trace of anxiety. ¡°Wilber Whateley had an ancient book with him. It was the Necronomicon written by the Mad Arab, Abdul Alhazred. Wilbur said it was a book his grandfather left for him, it was an English-tranted version. The reason he came to the library was because he wanted to check out the Latin version of the Necronomicon the University library carried. Apparently, his version was missing a page and he wanted to see what the content of that page was.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Necronomicon? The first time he heard of this book was from Xue Ba during the Malformed Banyan tree mission. At the Phecda World, Necronomicon was also an ancient tome but it was merely a legend, no one had seen it before. Snippets from the book though were said to have spread among the world. Later with enough confidential essibility, Gu Jun had read through all these sentences at Phecda¡¯s archives. They did not contain any mysterious power, most of them sounded like crazed mumblings. Research of the Spell Department into them came up with nothing either.

    Only now Gu Jun realized Necronomicon had many variations and the real one existed in the Massachusetts World...

    Prof Armitage said that out of his grandfather¡¯s wariness of Wilber Whately, he did not loan him the Necronomicon but Wilbur stillpleted his goal at Britain¡¯s Cambridge University Library. Even though there were many trantions of Necronomicon in this world, the original copy in Arabic had never been found. Be it Miskatonic University, or Cambridge University, what they had were the tranted copies. In the trantion process, some content would be lost and the trantors might have purposely omitted some details as well. Because of that, Wilber Whateley had been going around borrowing different versions, toplete the one that he had.

    ¡°My grandfather at the time did not know about Wilber Whateley¡¯s real identity.¡± Prof Armitage¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°But when he heard the page that Wilbur was missing, he knew the young man was going to conduct some kind of ritual to gain conduct with some forces. The force might pull the whole world into the abyss. I heard from my father that something scary did happenter.¡± The old prof paused to take a sip of the tea. His throat was getting hoarse. ¡°Wilbur Whateley became something half-human or perhaps that was his real identity all along. He returned to attempt to steal the Necronomicon from this library but he eventually died here, dissolving into a pool of horrid flesh and guts. However, he still had a twin brother, one that was even more monstrous than he was. The brother roamed around Dunwich, terrorizing the ce. They were preparing for some kind of ritual. My grandfather and 2 other professors from the University went down to Dunwich to end the other brother¡¯s life and stop the ritual. But when they were there, they saw things that could not be described... My grandfather almost lost his mind because of it. Thankfully, he managed to recover and he spent the rest of his life searching for ways to stop that force...¡±

    At this point, the prof¡¯s face pinched with bitterness, perhaps it was the tea or something else. Hearing all that, Gu Jun¡¯s mind boiled with emotions. ¡°Professor, sorry, but how is that rted to what we¡¯re experiencing?¡±

    ¡°That force!¡± The prof suddenly raised his voice as his eyes widened, ¡°The force that the Whateley brothers tried to approach, it was their father. The entity has the ability to break through any dimensional limits.¡±

    ¡®Father?¡¯ Gu Jun was stunned, ¡°Wait, you mean the Whateley brothers are the products between humans and dark forces?¡± Hannah¡¯s face paled as well. This was the first time Gu Jun heard something like this. He knew humans could be transmuted into Deep Ones and zombies but to give birth to a half monster? That was definitely unheard of.

    ¡°They¡¯re half human, half divine.¡± The prof said darkly, ¡°The Whateley Brothers were still too young, it was the only reason my grandfather¡¯s group was able to defeat them.¡±

    Right then, the prof reached into a drawer and pulled out a piece of page. It was filled with words. The prof handed the paper to Gu Jun. It was a long paragraph written in English and Latin. With increased entricity to his tone, the prof added, ¡°This was the page Wilbur Whateley was looking for. I managed to find it from the Necronomicon based on the clues left behind by my grandfather.¡±

    ¡®That means Necronomicon is not an empty book at this library.¡¯ Gu Jun frowned as he looked at the paper. Technically he shouldn¡¯t be able to understandplicated English or Latin but for some reason, the meaning came naturally to him. The more he read, the harder his heart quivered.

    ¡®Nor is it to be thought...that man is either the oldest or thest of earth¡¯s masters, or that themon bulk of life and substance walks alone. The Old Ones were, the Old Ones are, and the Old Ones shall be. Not in the spaces we know, but between them, they walk serene and primal, undimensioned and to us unseen. Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth. He knows where the Old Ones broke through of old, and where They shall break through again. He knows where They had trod earth¡¯s fields, and where They still tread them, and why no one can behold Them as They tread. By Their smell can men sometimes know Them near, but of Their semnce can no man know, saving only in the features of those They have begotten on mankind; and of those are there many sorts, differing in likeness from man¡¯s truest eidolon to that shape without sight or substance which is Them. They walk unseen and foul in lonely ces where the Words have been spoken and the Rites howled through at their Seasons. The wind gibbers with Their voices, and the earth mutters with Their consciousness. They bend the forest and crush the city, yet may not forest or city behold the hand that smites. Kadath in the cold waste hath known Them, and what man knows Kadath? The ice desert of the South and the sunken isles of Ocean hold stones whereon Their seal is engraven, but who hath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed tower long ganded with seaweed and barnacles? Great Cthulhu is Their cousin, yet can he spy Them only dimly. I?! Shub-Niggurath! As a foulness shall ye know Them. Their hand is at your throats, yet ye see Them not; and Their habitation is even one with your guarded threshold. Yog-Sothoth is the key to the gate, whereby the spheres meet. Man rules now where They ruled once; They shall soon rule where man rules now. After summer is winter, after winter summer. They wait patient and potent, for here shall They reign again.¡¯

 Chapter 480: Gate, Key, Guardian

    <h4>Chapter 480: Gate, Key, Guardian</h4>

    ¡°Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. Past, present, future, all are one in Yog-Sothoth.¡±

    Reading these sentences, Gu Jun¡¯s heart filled with apprehension. Yog-Sothoth... this was the first time Gu Jun heard this name. Names were powerful, certain names could impact its listeners. And it was definitely the case here. Is Yog-Sothoth an Old One? No, not ording to the paragraph. There were many Great Old Ones and among them was the Great Cthulhu, who could only be spied at dimly... Beyond that were other existences.

    Shub-Niggurath was a foulness; Yog-Sothoth was the key to the gate. These rtionships were hard to understand but Gu Jun was certain that there were at least two different kinds of cosmic presences here. Suddenly a question entered Gu Jun¡¯s mind, ¡®Is Nyathotep one of the Great Old Ones? Probably not, it has already answered that question, it is the Crawling Chaos. Like Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, it belongs to the other category.¡¯

    His forehead was covered in cold sweat. The fact that he was trapped inside this space, his exposure to Yog-Sothoth and interaction with its power... could this all be Nyarlothotep¡¯s n?

    Gu Jun and humanity did summon the ck Goat and paid a heavy price for it but until now he had no idea what happened to that ball of flesh. And now what kind of price would he pay for interacting with the key and guard of the gate? What kind of tragedy awaited them? One thing was for sure, Earth would be even more chaotic. The King in Yellow really might not be the key, but Yog-Sothoth was...

    ¡°Yog-Sothoth, the master of time.¡± Suddenly Prof Armitage whispered, ¡°Past, present, future are all one in Yog-Sothoth. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate. It can draw the boundaries, it can eliminate the boundaries, it is the boundaries. The great father, Yog-Sothoth.¡±

    Gu Jun immediately picked up the problem. There was a fanaticism in the old professor¡¯s voice. He lifted his head and saw the muscles in the wrinkled face twitching. Gu Jun was not unfamiliar with this, he had seen this in many cultists. The strangeness that the professor radiated was now confirmed.

    ¡°Professor, how much have you found out?¡± Gu Jun asked casually. He had no weapon, he did try to bring one but it had been corrected.

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Hannah groaned as she pressed against her head. Her face nched, ¡°My head is spinning...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Prof Armitage exined, ¡°That¡¯s the effect of the drugs in the tea kicking in.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s vision shed. There was another correction. He did not touch the tea for fear of exactly something like this. But now, he felt his world spinning as well. His breathing became difficult and his consciousness blurred... ¡®Is this part of the script? No matter what we do, Prof Armitage will be able to drug the both of us. This old man... has already gone off the edge from reading the King in Yellow?¡¯

    ¡°Jim, Hannah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m helping you break out from this trap. I¡¯ve found the solution, the only solution.¡± The professor¡¯s voice faded away. Gu Jun tried his best to stay conscious but it was to no avail. Suddenly, his world ckened like he was a machine and his power had just been pulled. Everything halted. After who knew how long, as the power returned, his consciousness roused again. Gu Jun¡¯s breathing slowly recovered. He saw Hannah sitting across from him. And she was bound to a wooden chair. Her hands were tied at the back and her legs were tied to the front of the chair.

    Gu Jun tried to move and he realized he too was trussed up in the same manner as the witch. Gu Jun looked around, they were inside a dim room. The space was not small nor was it too big. The floor was wooden like the corridor of the library¡¯s third floor. There were some shelves against the wall so clearly they were still inside the library, perhaps one of the reading rooms. He noticed there were some strange white imprints underneath him and Hannah, they looked like some kind of rituals. The imprints ovepped over each other. There were circles, pentagons, hexagons and so on.

    He and Hannah were ced 3 metres from each other and were set at the northern and southern sides of the room. Prof Armitage was standing near one of the bookshelves. He was flipping through a thick brown book, his ck rimmed sses covered most of his face.

    ¡°Before you try it.¡± Hannah sighed, ¡°I¡¯d advise you to save your breath. No one can hear us, we are supposed to be captured.¡±

    Prof Armitage couldn¡¯t be trusted and neither could this Hannah. Therefore, Gu Jun still raised his voice to shout, to try to attract the attention of any passing guard or students. But as Hannah said, it was pointless; he then tried to wiggle loose, it too was pointless; he tried to use spells, still pointless. That only made him even more tired. The drug was inside his body. Even though he had woken up, the anaesthetic effect still had not fully worn off.

    Gu Jun nced at the old prof and he could guess what the man was nning, ¡°Professor, are you going to gain contact with Yog-Sothoth? That is part of the script?¡±

    ¡°Yes and no.¡± The prof answered without lifting up his head. ¡°I will perform a ritual but not the one described in the book.¡±

    ¡°How would you know that?¡± Gu Jun¡¯s heart sank. ¡°The King in Yellow I read did not have this part at all.¡±

    ¡°We read the same book in the library but you read the King in Yellow that Jim read, and I read the King in Yellow where Jim Mazurewicz read the King in Yellow. I saw the chapter about you. And this was the only scenario where I have the freedom to make my move.¡± Prof Armitage exined slowly. The script would allow him to initiate the ritual because it was what he was supposed to do.

    ¡®Saw the chapter about Jim?¡¯ Gu Jun narrowed his eyes at Hannah. ¡°Then what about you? Which version did you read?¡±

    ¡°Same like yours.¡± Hannah answered, not caring whether Gu Jun believed her or not. ¡°But I¡¯m not surprised that Prof Armitage would do something like this.¡±

    The prof was in his 60s, he came from a proud lineage, well-read and was handsome when he was young. He radiated personal charm and it should be no problem for him to settle down but George Armitage never got married, he had no partner and no family. Because for George Armitage, the sea of knowledge was more attractive. He had missed many opportunities when he was young but the old professor did not feel any regret at all. These were just transient nature of the world, but there were certain things that the old man did fixate on, he was obsessed with them.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± Prof Armitage closed the book and finally Gu Jun saw the title Necronomicon written on the cover of the brown book. As the prof walked over, he said, ¡°My friends, don¡¯t worry, we will not only break through this barrier, we will ascend to another state.¡±

 Chapter 481: Professor Armitage

    <h4>Chapter 481: Professor Armitage</h4>

    ¡°Professor Armitage, you said your family has been fighting dark forces like Yog-Sothoth since your grandfather¡¯s times, why do you think that is?¡± Gu Jun asked loudly. Honestly, he did not think that would change the old man¡¯s mind, he just wanted to buy more time.

    ¡°A force is not naturally good or bad, a force is a force.¡± Prof Armitage approached them with Necronomicon. His wrinkled face lined with fervour. ¡°Now that I am in a different state than my father and grandfather, naturally I¡¯ll have to make a different choice.¡± The old man spread the white dust around the ritualistic circle and exined, ¡°These are abination of Dunwich soil and some alchemical product. They will help us connect to that iplete ritual, to help us reach out to father¡¯s power.¡±

    Gu Jun tossed Hannah a questioning look. ¡°Brother, actually I have no idea what is really happening here.¡± Hannah shrugged with difficulty. ¡°But from the looks of it, we¡¯re going to die.¡±

    Die? Gu Jun nced at Necronomicon. If the old manpleted the ritual, dying would probably be the luckiest oue. The two of them were sacrifices. If someone was going to walk away alive from this ritual, it would be George Armitage. Gu Jun looked around before his eyesnded on the ritualistic symbols again. Suddenly something jumped out at him, it was a split cross. It was mixed among theyers of symbols, if one did not scan through the imprints carefully, one would easily miss it. Split cross, mysterious signal...

    Gu Jun¡¯s feelings wereplicated as he thought about that, the real transmitter behind the mysterious signal was still an unknown entity. It could be the Yith or Nyathotep. Gu Jun tried to not get overwhelmed by hatred and forced himself to calm down. When his eyesnded on the cross, his brain appeared to react to it. Ever since he woke up at the sanitorium, Gu Jun felt nothing even when he encountered supernatural events, it was as if such energy did not exist in this universe, but now...

    Contact, ept. The split cross.

    By then, Prof Armitage had finished scattering the dust. He walked to the centre of the ritual circle. He gave a long breath to rx himself.

    ¡°Jim, Hannah, I know a thing or two about history,nguages, literature, philosophy, medicine...¡± The prof began, but Gu Jun knew the old man was just being humble. He was acknowledged as the pioneer in these fields in this world. ¡°But I still cannot understand the Whateley brothers. They are the creation of the divine as my grandfather said.¡±

    And then Prof Armitage started to chant, the dark gospel that was already imprinted in his mind. The lights in the room flickered. The prof¡¯s voice morphed from his usual baritone to a shrill caw that was harsher than that of a vulture. The professor¡¯s Adam¡¯s Apple trembled violently. An inhuman voice escaped from his throat. ¡°OGTHROD AI¡¯F GEB¡¯L-EE¡¯H YOG-SOTHOTH ¡®NGAH¡¯NG AI¡¯Y ZHRO¡±

    The voice sounded both clear and blurry. The ritualistic imprint on the ground gradually glowed. The light reached out from the ground and began to consume the reading room. The dome was shaking. Suddenly, a horrible stench filled the air. Prof Armitage¡¯s face expanded and his facial tissue morphed into something that looked like rotten jelly. It looked like wiggling ropes tangled together. His two eyes bulged and two more eyes appeared behind his ¡®head¡¯. Gu Jun had no idea whether this transformation was within the old man¡¯s expectation or not. However, the ritual was effective, the old man had finally gained contact with the force that he yearned for. Madness and joy colored his face. It was also mixed with innate pain and terror. His whole head, neck and upper body was rapidly changing.

    The filth and transformation were just the beginning. With a snap, the professor¡¯s fitted suit exploded. Several grey tendrilsshed out from his chest. They dripped with blood. They were arranged in a symmetry that was inexplicable to the human mind. These tendrils appeared to be a mutation of the prof¡¯s intestines. They extended in length as they waved about. If a student walked into the room now, they would not have believed this thing was their respected Professor Armitage.

    ¡°Y¡¯AI¡¯NG¡¯NGAH, YOG-SOTHOTH H¡¯EE-L¡¯GEB F¡¯AI THRODOG UAAAH...¡±

    The greater the pain, the happier Armitage became. 10 more eyeballs dropped out from his eye sockets, enabling him to look into other dimensions that normal humans could not. Gu Jun and Hannah witnessed this horrid transformation. The space around them contorted. A cacophony of voices sted against their eardrums. The ropes around their bodies appeared to dig into their skin, turning them into simr monsters. The prof¡¯s chanting was now louder than thunder. It boomed, causing the duo¡¯s hearts to shake. Blood, pus pooled on the ground, sticking to the ritualistic imprints.

    Even for someone as experienced as Gu Jun, he was stunned by what he saw. He looked at Prof Armitage and saw the shadow of Wilber Whateley. The old man had clearly lost his mind, but did it happen when he read the King in Yellow or when he was researching the Dunwich horror. In that moment, the old professor¡¯s thoughts injected fiercely into Gu Jun¡¯s mind. The professor wanted to be a half-human, half-divine. He wanted that bloodline, the bloodline of the Great Yog-Sothoth. The more he studied Wilber Whateley, the more envious of Whateley twins he became....

    Prof Armitage envied their lineage but despised their failure. They had the blood of God but died in the hands of humans. Why should he not be given simr chances? Why should the chance be wasted on those who do not deserve it?

    The old professor wanted to be deified. He would bring the light of Yog-Sothoth into this world and all the other worlds. Gu Jun gritted his teeth. He could feel his mind turning chaotic, as he was dragged by Prof Armitage¡¯s thoughts into the abyss.

    ¡®This is a chapter in King in Yellow... where Prof Armitage is the main character... Now is the time to disrupt the ritual, if not now, then we¡¯ll never have another chance.¡¯

    With no regard for Hannah, Gu Jun focused his full attention on the split cross to gain contact with the transmitter. No matter who was behind the transmission, Gu Jun was going to drag it down into this ck hole with him.

    ¡°Come and have a taste of Yog-Sothoth¡¯s power...¡±

 Chapter 482: Guard Dogs

    <h4>Chapter 482: Guard Dogs</h4>

    Suddenly, the split cross on the ground emitted a different golden hue. A different power was cutting in. The chanting of the transmogrified Prof Armitage got interrupted. He said in a voice filled with pain, ¡°No, ah, do not stop me...¡± His two strings of eyes were bleeding, ¡°Father!¡± This was a temporary tug of war. The world around them trembled. The bookshelves disappeared and the empty books scattered to the ground. Necronomicon fell from the prof¡¯s grasp. It dropped open to a page. This was undeniably a giant seduction for Gu Jun. His eyes almost wandered over to see what was inside the book...

    But he knew that once he did, he¡¯d be sucked into the dark energy and permanently lost his way home. The ritual was ongoing. Time and space were twisting. Yog-Sothoth was approaching. At that moment, Hannah who sat across from him suddenly revealed a familiar smile. She uttered in a familiar tone, ¡°My dear brother, it¡¯s time, the dimensional crack has appeared. It is time for big sister to leave.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s Keziah Mason!¡¯ Gu Jun had no idea Hannah had always been the witch or the ritual had awakened her. Regardless, at that moment Hannah Maruzewicz was indeed Keziah Mason. The ropes around her untangled themselves. The next second, she was already standing by one of the walls. Surprisingly Prof Armitage did not stop her. She waved her hands at the wall and an indescribable dimension appeared on the wall. Gu Jun then understood the prison guard¡¯s statement from the Salem prison. Keziah Mason would still escape through a dimension portal if Dirty-minded Ju did not appear to intervene...

    ¡°Goodbye, my dear brother.¡± Keziah Mason chuckled, ¡°The hold Nyathotep has on me is over. I¡¯m free to find my own fun. I hope you¡¯ll survive and leave this ce too. That will be more interesting.¡± Then she walked into the wall and disappeared into the strange dimension. Keziah Mason left this world, this script and headed towards an unknown dimension. Therefore, only Prof Armitage and Gu Jun were left in that contorted reading room.

    ¡°Ah...¡± Prof Armitage roared in anger. The tendrils from his chestshed forward to bind around Gu Jun. They raised the man along with the chair up into the air. ¡°Yog-Sothoth knows the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the gate. Yog-Sothoth is the key and guardian of the gate...¡±

    A tentacle twined around Gu Jun¡¯s neck, cutting off his breathing. Gu Jun¡¯s face turned red and purple. The smell of blood and stench suffocated his nostrils. He could not breathe or speak... The other tendrils bound themselves around his extremities, trying to pull him apart. Resisting the pain, Gu Jun continued to focus to channel the split cross. In his mind, even though he still had not confirmed the source of the split cross, it did not feel like a dark energy to him, if anything, it warmed his heart like a sun... ¡®Is it really Nyathotep behind the symbols or it merely took over them to y with my mind...¡¯

    Gu Jun¡¯s consciousness started to waver. Everything faded away. His body was stretched to their limits by the tentacles. Blood oozed. ¡®Is this how I¡¯m going to die...¡¯

    Strangely enough, Gu Jun could hear dogs barking again. As his consciousness faded, the stronger the barking became. Suddenly, Gu Jun saw from the corner of his eyes, the wooden door of the reading room being rammed down. Severalrge shadows lunged into the room and made Prof Armitage their target. It was 3rge ck dogs! The barking was not his illusion. They were real. As they growled, they pounced at the half man half monster. They tore apart the tendrils and gnawed at the monster¡¯s bloated throat, eyes, face...

    ¡°Ah!!¡± Prof Armitage cried for mercy. ¡°No... Go away... Help, father, father... Yog-Sothoth!¡± These were the library¡¯s guard dogs and they were normally so kind to the old professor but at that moment, they were tearing into his throat and tendrils. Perhaps they knew the actual Prof Armitage was already long dead.

    Initially Gu Jun was stunned. Animals like lions and even humans would be frozen in fear facing supernatural creatures, but these 3 guard dogs at Miskatonic University, normal pets by all means, were so ferocious. Theytched onto the monster and forced the power of the ritual back. Using this opening, Gu Jun channeled all of his power to peel off the bloody tentacles. The power of the ritual weakened while the split cross glowed harder. After so long, Gu Jun finally heard the mysterious voice again, ¡°If you can hear us, we are... innocent....¡± Gu Jun¡¯s brows creased. He answered, ¡°I can hear you. I¡¯m here, I¡¯m Gu Jun. I¡¯ve been trapped by Nyathotep!¡±

    Prof Armitage emitted an echo of dying wail. It was filled with regret... At that moment, fear returned to the three beasts. After a fearful howl, they scurried away. Gu Jun¡¯s mind was still under the ritual¡¯s and the old prof¡¯s influence. Because of that, he could see a simr event happening at this library in the past. This was a repetition of history. The victim in the past slowly cleared, it was Wilbur Whateley. That was how the half man half god creature died back then, being bitten to death by the library¡¯s guard dogs. Ultimately, Prof Armitage became Wilber Whateley and shared the man¡¯s fate.

    At that moment, the old man still had a breath in him. He crawled on the ground, making blood ssh everywhere. Gu Jun looked around, this was his chance to leave but he didn¡¯t know how to open a dimensional rift like the witch. Suddenly the golden glow from the split cross washed away all the colors. It was like a cleansing. The stench and gore disappeared. The glow was so bright that Gu Jun had to narrow his eyes. Blurry images floated before him like he was watching a mirage. ¡®Is that an illusion?¡¯ He saw an ancient city bathed under the golden sun... A clean river flowed through the city. There were trees and well-constructed buildings. There were people standing on the streets. Gu Jun felt weed andforted. He saw that those people were humans, there were so many of them.

    ¡°Gu Jun!¡± Someone standing on the paved street called his name. It was the voice from the mysterious signal, ¡°This is the City of Dusk. We are members of the Randolph Carter Foundation. We came from different worlds but we are the good guys! We fight against Nyathotep, Yog-Sothoth... And the Great Old Ones... We will bring you back to your world... The connection is cutting off so listen carefully, every single word is important...¡±

 Chapter 483: Rudolph Carter Foundation

    <h4>Chapter 483: Rudolph Carter Foundation</h4>

    The golden light painted a cityscape on the mirage. Ityered it with a soft sheen of glory. Gu Jun¡¯s heart warmed like a drowning man being given a breath of air. The miraculous city hadrge pavilions and gardens in bloom. Everything was clean and perfect. It made him excited but also fearful from disbelief. City of Dusk, Rudolph Carter Foundation, can they be real? The organization that Gu Jun and Yu Chi had been searching for which could save their worlds? Was this not an illusion? Or any trick by the enemies...

    ¡°Our foundation¡¯s goal is to help and unite all kinds of human worlds to prevent the spread of darkness...¡± The powerful male voice continued. They were standing on the marble-paved street. Verdant trees lined and vibrant flowers bloomed down the streets. There were also ivory statues and great architecture with red-colored tiles. Pebbled alleys snaked between the houses and opened up into emerald-coloredwns. This City of Dusk was like a paradise.

    ¡°But, we have many limitations... We cannot conduct livemunication and ess to various worlds... We need the other party to receive and ept our transmission first... Gu Jun, after you and Yu Chi gained contact with us, we have been making our moves... I know you are still suspicious but remember, the Great Old Ones and Nyathothep are not the only power in this universe... There are other powers and existence...

    ¡°Common humans can be strong too without losing themselves... Rudolph Carter is the perfect example...¡±

    These statements inspired Gu Jun, it caused his heart to beat stronger. Human beings could gain immense strength by requesting it from the Great Old Ones but that would require paying a hefty price. However, Gu Jun was told now there were other methods.... ¡®Who is this Rudolph Carter?¡¯ Names possessed power and this name radiated a light and glory but at the same time, a kinship that was unique between human beings. ¡®What kind of person is this...¡¯

    ¡°This City of Dusk was created by Rudolph Carter...¡± The man continued with adoration, ¡°We are following in his path... He experienced adventures that are far more dangerous than we can imagine, we only know parts of them. He has seen through Nyathothep¡¯s tricks and looked into Yog-Sothoth... Currently he is missing, but his legacy remains. This city is one of them... We... too can...¡± Gu Jun believed he saw a tall figure standing at the tallest building looking out over the city. But the vision swam and his consciousness was pulled away. ¡°Your world will face greater danger because it has been targeted by these dark forces... When you return, try to make contact with us but there is no need to rush... Due to temporal limitation and the weakness of your physique and mind, we cannot channel power directly into you... Instead we will send aid in a manner that you can understand. You need to wait for it to recover, digest and ept it. Then you¡¯ll understand how to contact us....

    ¡°Remember, do not lose hope, we still have a chance...¡±

    Then Gu Jun could hear not only the man¡¯s voice but also the others on the street calling him, cheering for him. ¡°Turn towards light, never despair!¡± For some reason, Gu Jun¡¯s eyes wetted. Perhaps it was the realization that the fighters from Mysterium World and Phecda World were never alone...

    ¡°Go back home! Your friends are waiting for you, bon voyage!¡± Suddenly, the glow from the setting sun intensified. A powerful and warm energy enveloped him.

    Prof Armitage on the ground already perished, a pool of bloody pus was what was left of it. The reading room was cracking, the script was disintegrating too. Gu Jun could feel himself rising. He did not do anything and he was dropped inside a rainbow-like space. However, none of the colorful light was blinding to the eyes. If anything, they made him feel rejuvenated. He felt like he was getting reacquainted with his body. The familiar broken pinkie, the familiar scars, the familiar PEEK polymer... Gu Jun never expected he¡¯d one day miss these wounds and deformities.

    Not only that, another sense of awareness returned. His hands became dexterous and his heart beat stronger. His previous two abilities had returned. They had all returned. In his sea of mind, the ball of chaos glowed in gold. The power from City of Dusk was streaming into it. Soon among the blur, he believed he saw the chaos reform into a menu, the system¡¯s interface...

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Jun gasped in shock. This had to be the ¡®aid¡¯ that the foundation spoke of. This was indeed a wee aid. The transformation urred fast in the space channel. Gu Jun felt like he was an asteroid flying through space. Then, he saw a familiar blue. His consciousness suddenly snapped into ce. His body filled with strength.

    With a bang, Gu Junnded heavily onto the ground. There were minor pains. He took a deep breath and raised his eyes to look around. It was a paddy field. The paddy stalks were golden in ripeness. zing sun hung in the sky and cicadas called from the shadows. Not far from the paddy field was a stretch of road. There were electric poles and lines, cars zoomed down the street. This did not look like a secluded vige but probably a metropolis¡¯ countryside outskirts.

    ¡°My backpack...¡± Gu Jun then discovered his backpacknding beside him. He picked it up to inspect. All his Carlot instruments were still there. He stood up and touched his left hand, forehead and his crotch. Yes, it was his old body. The statements by the people from the foundation echoed in his mind again. He looked to his sea of consciousness, an interface was there. But different from the previous system, this interface had a gilded edge. This power appeared to present itself in the form of a system, to guide him to improve himself, and lead him to the City of Dusk.

    Gu Jun tried to open it but as the man said, it was still uploading. Gu Jun had to wait for it toe fully online. Gu Jun had to remind himself to be cautious, he mustn¡¯t ce his trust too easily on unknown people; but on the other hand, he couldn¡¯t help but be excited, he seemed to have found the correct ally this time. There were many thoughts that he needed to sift through.

    ¡°I¡¯ve left the world of King in Yellow, the shackles Nyathothep has on me is broken.¡± Gu Jun looked around, yes it did feel different. There was no feeling of suspension. The ce felt real. Gu Jun felt sorry that he did not have the chance to read Necronomicon or even say farewell to Bob and Jennifer. Even though their contact was brief, he was indeed well taken care of by his fictional family... he hoped that they had a happy ending...

    With caution regarding his surroundings, Gu Jun picked up his backpack. Many faces crossed his mind, some of them were his enemies. ¡®I¡¯m back, Phecda World...¡¯

    As the cicadas sang, Gu Jun walked out from the paddy field, towards the street, towards home.

 Chapter 484: Home (3in1)

    <h4>Chapter 484: Home (3in1)</h4>

    The cicadas called. Gu Jun walked through the fields and the streets. He saw the tenancy buildings not far away. Soon, he found himself walking on an old mud road. This was a gentrifying vige. Most of the buildings were of varying heights, results of the vigers building them themselves. As he walked down the alley, the dogs barked and the chickens clucked at him.

    Gu Jun walked as he took in the scenery around him. The ce was iparable to the City of Dusk. But he felt his heart growing warmer and his breathing bing evener. Everything from before felt like a dream. And now, he finally had woken up from that dream and walked on firm ground. Of course, part of him feared that he was still inside that dream like the plot of Inception, this being a part of the King in Yellow inside another King in Yellow.

    Soon he arrived at a road that was adjacent to the river. The vigers padded down the streets while some rode on bikes. There were old men sitting on the stone benches by the river, ying chess. When Gu Jun walked past them, they barely took their focus off the chessboard. A cluster of giggling came from nearby, there were several young children looking at him. Seeing the tattered clothes he was in, a few of the little girls took longer peeks before they turned away with a blush.

    The more Gu Jun took in the surroundings, the moreforted he felt. He couldn¡¯t stop the smile on his face. The vige was a different extreme from the City of Dusk. How majestic the City of Dusk was, was how dpidated and normal this vige was but he really liked this ce. Then Gu Jun found his way into a small convenience store. A yellow-furred ancient dog leaned on the ground. Its response to Gu Jun¡¯s arrival was a weak wheeze. A middle-aged man was watching tv on the wall. Hearing the customer, he grunted, ¡°How can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Boss, where am I?¡± Gu Jun asked, ¡°Can you tell me?¡±

    The boss was too enraptured in the show to consider how strange the question was. He answered, ¡°Eastern State.¡± Gu Jun instantly sighed. After so many turns, he had returned to Eastern State. Only then he noticed the calendar on the wall, it was 2022 July 9th. 3 months had passed since the incident at Mo Bei. The news soon got his attention. The newscaster announced in a booming voice. ¡°Over the past 100 days, various government units and the public have been working together and working hard to turn Ma Er Wan into an emerald ocean.¡± The news then showed footage taken from a drone. On the barrennd, rows of new tree seedlings were nted. There were anti-sand nts like holly and sgine, in about a few years, the ce would live up to its name of the emerald sea.

    The normal citizens might not understand its implications but it lit up Gu Jun¡¯s heart. The former wastnd too could have life breathed back into it. In the show, the reporter grabbed a nearby Phecda member to get his opinion. Gu Jun chuckled, it was his good friend, Zixuan!

    ¡°Elder Yu moved the mountains, Jing Wei filled the sea.¡± Cai Zixuan used an ancient poem to conclude his feelings. His skin was darker, hair lesser, body more muscr. Even though Gu Jun knew this was a recording, it still felt like Zixuan was right beside him. Good poem. He smiled as he looked at the tv. He asked the boss about it, wanting to find out how much the normal citizen knew of the overall incident.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a huge sandstorm at Mo Bei earlier?¡± The boss started to exin. He went through all the news and articles that he had taken intely, ¡°It¡¯s apparently rted to supernatural energy. It caused a huge devastation, Ma Er Wan was levelled. Thankfully, all the citizens had already been evacuated.¡± Gu Jun nodded silently. The boss knew just the right amount of information. The thing must have caused a global impact. He asked to borrow the boss¡¯ phone. He picked up the phone and a strong sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu overwhelmed Gu Jun. He pressed the numbers to dial Wu Siyu¡¯s numbers. His heart squeezed and his breath held.

    The phone was not answered for more than 10 seconds. Every dial tone was a pound against Gu Jun¡¯s heart. Horrible images appeared in his mind. Click, suddenly the call was picked up. Azy female voice said, ¡°Hello?¡±

    The voice rxed Gu Jun immediately. His lips curled into a smile, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, it¡¯s me, I¡¯m back.¡±

    ¡°!!¡± On the other end of the phone, Wu Siyu¡¯s breathing caught and then she sighed, ¡°You always pop up like this... Can¡¯t you give people a warning or something...¡±

    Gu Junughed as he looked up at the sky outside the store. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you a minute to digest the news. I¡¯m really home. I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m currently at a small vige at Eastern State. Dirty-minded Yu, I found out about our baby...¡± He paused as his heart wrenched, ¡°From another world, I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. We¡¯re too young and inexperienced.¡± Wu Siyu said softly, ¡°If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll apply immediately for a year-long holiday and I¡¯ll refuse to go on the frontline no matter what.¡± The regret bonded the two but neither submitted to it. They decided to face it with smiles. Actually, if there was a next time, they too would answer the call to the frontline if necessary.

    ¡°Which vige are you exactly at now?¡± Wu Siyu asked, ¡°We¡¯ll go fetch you.¡± Gu Jun asked the boss for the location and then ryed it to her. After finishing the call, following protocol, Gu Jun called Phecda¡¯s internal hotline and then Elder Tong. His sudden return was a wee surprise to Phecda. The headquarters immediately sent a group of Special Mobile Force to Eastern State to escort him. Gu Jun was currently at a vige called An Fu Vige. Of course, he¡¯d be quarantined first as part of the protocol.

    After everything was done, Gu Jun waited at the convenience store. He chatted with the boss, to get to know more about thetest news regarding Phecda World. It was almost dusk, the vigers just came back from work. They stopped at the store to have their daily gossip with the boss. With the unfamiliar outsider young man in the shop, Gu Jun naturally attracted a lot of attention. More eyes settled on him. Some of the more politically sensitive vigers casted a few more gazes at him. Also they were at Eastern State, the ce of birth for one of the more recent legends. The more they looked at the kid, the more familiar they felt....

    ¡°Brother, you look so much like Gu Jun.¡± A balding uncle finallymented, ¡°The Gu Jun from Phecda.¡± Once that was said, the boss and the other customers made the recognition as well. The resemnce was uncanny. This couldn¡¯t be the real Gu Jun, right? But ording to the news, Gu Jun was dead... An auntie suddenly chimed in, ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not him. Gu Jun is fairer...¡± Gu Jun smiled and said nothing.

    At that moment, the sound of helicopters came from the distance. In the past year, there were asional helicopters that flew past the vige but there was never once that it came by so close. In fact, the cabin door even opened to toss down twodder ropes. Several members slid down the ropes andnded firmly not far from the convenience store. This scene was enough to make the uncles and aunties¡¯ jaws drop.

    At the same time, the kids ran over excitedly, eximing, ¡°It¡¯s a helicopter!¡± ¡°Look, that¡¯s the Phecda Logo!¡±

    The news spread fast. Some came to witness the scene while others stayed away in fear of being dragged into it. The helicopter was merely the scout, soon the police arrived to seal up the scene and the motorcade followed. The younger vigers understood the severity of the situation. There were Phecda logos. They only came when there was a big issue.

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes widened. Among the people that dropped from the helicopter, there was one whom he missed the most. Special Mobile Forces members received this kind of training before so dropping down from the helicopter was not hard for her but Gu Jun really did not expect to see her so soon. Wu Siyu, medium-length ck hair, beautiful face, her casual-bordering onzy demeanour hadn¡¯t changed.

    She walked at the front. Gu Jun looked at her and repeated the words she said on the phone back to her, ¡°You always pop up like this... Can¡¯t you give people a warning or something...¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say we¡¯re going toe fetch you?¡± Wu Siyu sniffed at him and then poked at his arm. ¡°It¡¯s salty and cuts like a surgical knife... It¡¯s the real deal!¡±

 Chapter 485: Recent Update (3in1)

    <h4>Chapter 485: Recent Update (3in1)</h4>

    Gu Jun was back. He brought with him much important information but most importantly, himself. He was the real deal. ording to Wu Siyu, he was even better than before. She felt more connected to him. The people at Phecda couldn¡¯t be happier, Elder Tong opened a 82 Laffite to celebrate. After the initial interrogation and quarantine, Gu Jun reconnected with his old friends. Cai Zixuan, Deng Ximei, Lou Xiaoning, Uncle Dan and the rest were overjoyed to see him. However, there was one thing that worried Gu Jun, Wang Ruoxiang was not in a good state.

    Then Gu Jun was clued in on sometest update. He finally knew what happened to the giant flesh ball that arrived with the summoning of Shub-Niggorath. He looked at the recording that was taken back then. The meatball expanded until it covered the sky. Mo Bei darkened like there was an eclipse. Then suddenly, the fleshy forest disintegrated into dust. A sudden st of wind carried the dust all over the world¡ªit was confirmed by surveince in different countries.

    Phecda and other countries tried to sample and monitor their airposition to look for that dust particle, to investigate its influence on the human body and the ecosystem. However, at Mo Bei and all around the world, there was no trace of said dust to be found. The dust appeared to not be corporeal, it was some kind of energy. It might be visible at times but it had a property that was beyond current humanprehension. In any case, that was the state of things now. Humanity survived an apocalyptic tragedy but had paid a price, one that they did not know the extent of. If the dust was a pollutant, then the whole world was now polluted.

    Gu Jun had predicted that. Even the foundation had said that the world would be in greater danger after being exposed to existence like Shub-Niggurath and Nyathotep. But for now, humanity could still save itself. In the past 100 days, there was peace at Phecda World. Perhaps it was the tragedy at Mo Bei that had silenced the other cultists. Based on information from Mysterium, even the cultists at their worlds had gone into inactivity...

    However, that did not mean that they were safe. The cultists would not disappear just like that, they were probably nning something dangerous. The matter of alliance between Phecda World and Mysterium World had improved a lot but it was still not enough. Both parties could now cross into each other¡¯s dimensions at the original desert wastnd, which was now dubbed, ¡®The Gate of In-Between¡¯. Perhaps one day they could even have a tourism program where normal citizens could travel between worlds. In any case, for now, there was ack of push on both sides that prevented them froming to a consensus on bigger issues. Hell, even smaller issues, there were plenty of problems. For example, the naming of the area of ovep had taken way too long to decide. Phecda world wanted to name it Gate of Phecda, and the Mysterium World wanted to name it Gate of Mysterium, in the end, they sought apromise. There were so many arguments because neither world had someone who truly understood the severity of the situation. The sudden requirement to make an alliance with another world, that was too shocking for most.

    Thankfully, things were finally looking up. 3 days after Gu Jun returned, Yu Chi had reappeared at the Mysterium World as well!

    Gu Jun couldn¡¯t stop hisughter when he heard that news. Then he received a video recording. It was Yu Chi who sent it to him through Mysterium and Yu Chi told him to look at it immediately. In the recording, Yu Chi looked disheveled. He had not cleaned up himself before he took this recording. Yu Chi began by exining how he managed to escape from the danger. He too was sealed by Nyarlothep inside a King in Yellow world. He managed to escape because he insisted on his sanity and continued his research into the split cross.

    In the study of symbols, Yu Chi was much more experienced than Gu Jun. Therefore, he managed to gain contact with the City of Dusk and the Rudolph Carter Foundation through that. With their aid, he returned home. The difference was the foundation did not provide Yu Chi with any new power because his body could not sustain their gifts. The people from the foundation told him that he had to gain contact with Gu Jun as soon as possible once he returned. Gu Jun was invested with their power and he¡¯d slowly digest it. It was only a matter of time before he could find his way back to the City of Dusk. Therefore Yu Chi and the Mysterium World offered sincere cooperation for the sake of safety of both worlds.

    ¡°Captain Gu, you have great responsibilities on your shoulders!¡± Yu Chi scratched at his hair with excitement. His thick head of hair had signs of receding hairline but his beard was still as bushy as ever. ¡°Our goal is to reach the City of Dusk, we mustn¡¯t let more innocent people die anymore...¡± In this tragedy, like Gu Jun, Yu Chi had lost many good friends.

    ¡°Captain Yu, like what the man said, haste makes waste.¡± Gu Jun said in the reply video. ¡°I am still waiting for the power to coagte into a form that I can interact with. For now, what we need to do is to unite our worlds to form a strong alliance.¡± The news of the City of Dusk and the Foundation shocked both Phecda and Mysterium. It also helped push forward the desire to form an alliance. Both parties had the intention to form a new organization, one that would be flexible enough to deal with the new changes.

    10 days after Gu Jun¡¯s return, he could finally move freely. He decided to participate in some aftermath medical activities. Peacock and Kathlyn lost an arm but they were fitted with thetest mechanical arm. They had already mastered it. The desire to eat soil was still there but it was very negligible now. Many people were exposed to radiation, they needed to take care of themselves but even so the chance of them having cancer had increased exponentially, Deng Ximei was one of them. Even so, Deng Ximei had not rested. She had been participating in many frontline works.

    However, Wang Ruoxiang was in apletely different state. On that day, she was the one who summoned the first batch of Byakee. Then she was the medium that channeled everyone¡¯s power. She exhausted her mental power. But unlike Cai Zixuan and the rest who had moments of cardiac arrest, Wang Ruoxiang did not lose her consciousness but instead she dropped into a somnambnt state. She was pretty much like Wu Siyu when she lost her soul. After 100 days of resting, her corruption had been fully cleansed, the cleansing stone no longer reacted around her. However, Wang Ruoxiang still did not show any sign of recovery. Due to ack of food ingestion, she had lost a lot of weight. She looked frail and weak. Her bones were showing. Everyone was worried about this. The medical team had been trying their best but they could not do anything to stop Wang Ruoxiang from wilting before their eyes.

    That morning, when Gu Jun saw Wang Ruoxiang in the sickroom, his heart wrenched with sadness too. In his mind, Wang Ruoxiang was always ready to face the day. She woke up the earliest, studied the hardest. She worked hard at everything, however, she did not lose empathy due to her intellect or beauty. She would be a good doctor, no, she was already a good doctor. But now she was like a living zombie. The light in her eyes had disappeared. Apanying Gu Jun that day were Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan and Uncle Dan. The four¡¯s presence had no effect on Wang Ruoxiang. Her mind appeared to be elsewhere.

    Gu Jun picked up her patient¡¯s records. The medical team conducted many stimulus treatment, psychotherapy but it was to no avail. To be honest, before he arrived, Gu Jun already had a supposition in his heart and when he saw Wang Ruoxiang in person, he could confirm it. The monitor was not there, she was mentally somewhere... The Wang Ruoxiang they saw was merely a shell and a lingering trace of her consciousness.

    ¡°I suspect she is trapped inside a King in Yellow world.¡± Gu Jun offered. The King in Yellow was rted to The Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan and the Nine Mysterium Arts. In fact, to prevent this kind of mental entrapment, the Spell Department had already started training for its members just in case they found themselves trapped inside a script in the future. ¡°Just like what happened to me and Captain Yu, the monitor is possibly pulled into a scripted world by Nyarlothep. The script keeps on moving and she cannot stay off the track as it moves towards the ending.¡±

    Gu Jun did not know how yet but he knew they were running out of time to save Wang Ruoxiang.

    Cai Zixuan sighed, ¡°Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming that I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming that I am a man.¡±

    ¡°Well, there is still something we have not tried.¡± Wu Siyu said, ¡°The snow white kind. Dirty-minded Jun, go ahead, I¡¯ll give you a pass this time.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, there¡¯s nothing between me and the monitor...¡± Gu Jun sighed. But he could not tell whether this was a trap by Wu Siyu or she was sincerely offering that suggestion.

    ¡°Give it a try, Ah Jun.¡± Uncle Dan added, ¡°As a doctor, you¡¯ll have to suck many things. In fact, Uncle Dan is so envious of you.¡±

    Cai Zixuan recited the rest of the poem, ¡°Between a man and a butterfly, there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things.¡±

    ¡®Do kisses have magical power now?¡¯ Gu Jun ignored them. In any case, he had other ideas in mind. The first idea was to have Wang Ruoxiang interact with the split cross. Gu Jun used a marker to draw the split cross out on a piece of paper. He then had Wang Ruoxiang sense it. It was unclear whether it helped or not, Wang Ruoxiang merely looked on nkly. Nothing happened. Then Gu Jun tried to make contact with the split cross and then tried to bridge his mind with Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s.

    Then something unexpected happened. Over the past few days, he had been paying attention to the new system interface in his mind. It was close to forming. In that moment, the golden light suffused his mind. The whole system interface was bathed in light as if exposed to the light in that heavenly city. Gu Jun felt rejuvenated. Positive emotions surged through his soul. It was like the first ray of sun hadnded on his body. He felt warmed. The first spring roused life all around him. The young shoots of the trees and nts were so gorgeous. In his mind, he heard a tingle and a new interface arrived.

    ¡°Turn Towards Light, Never Despair. Rudolph Carter Foundation wishes you good luck. Please ept your newbie pack. Do not miss out on this one and only chance. Great prizes await you!¡±

 Chapter 486: New Help

    <h4>Chapter 486: New Help</h4>

    ¡°Please ept your newbie pack. Do not miss out on this one and only chance. Great prizes await you!¡± This was the second time Gu Jun encountered that statement in his mind. Looks like the foundation borrowed the format of the system in his mind and used it to channel the new power into Gu Jun. The statement was very video-game esque. It went against the whole mysterious, glorious impression of the City of Dusk. He anticipated something more subtle and graceful from the foundation but then he realized, the format was thus because his subconscious made it so. The ¡®newbie pack¡¯ was Gu Jun¡¯s way to ept and digest this new power.

    Based on his past experience, Gu Jun worried that he¡¯d get a new power, called Strong Lips, that would improve his CPR or so on... His eyes nced at Cai Zixuan who was still reciting a poem. Gu Jun could not remember where the poem came from. In any case, putting these rambling thoughts aside, there was finally hope that Monitor could be saved!

    ¡°Wait a minute, there¡¯s a new update.¡± Gu Jun told the rest. ¡°I¡¯ve just received the power from the foundation.¡± He told them to wait as he hurried out from the room. He left the building and came to an empty field. He even told the guards to stay a distance away before he clicked to ept the newbie pack. That way even if he exploded, no one was in his proximity. Even though he trusted the foundation, there was no telling if this was a prank by Nyathotep or not.

    Once he clicked to ept, his brain suffused in gold and several new notifications pinged.

    ¡°You¡¯ve obtained 1 Inverse Yellow Sign.

    ¡°You¡¯ve obtained, ¡®Mental Pir Training Manual¡¯.

    ¡°You¡¯ve activated the training module for a new investigative ability, Autopsy.¡±

    Gu Jun calmed himself and looked at this new system closer. It was simr to the old system with some changes. As he studied it, this thought popped into his mind, ¡®No, this is not the foundation¡¯s creation. It merely has edited and improved the existing system. The foundation fixed some of the broken functions and added new ones.¡¯ The host profile had returned, he could check his vitals; the ability tab had returned as well, with Hands of Dexterity and Strong Heart; the surgical job list made its return too. These were not created by the foundation, they were part of the original system made by Son of Steel. However, the investigative ability list was something new. It appeared to be something to help Gu Jun investigate the truth behind the tragedies, to get closer to the truth of the universe. He clicked on the list, and this popped up.

    ¡°Autopsy

    Level: 1/9

    EXP: 0/5000

    Introduction: By performing autopsy on different mutated creatures, you¡¯ll improve your mental power and gain a deeper understanding on the secret of life.

    Note: Repeated autopsy on the same creature inside the morgue will only provide you with limited EXP. You need to walk around and see the world. Gain contact with different life forms, both dead and alive. Gain more understanding of their nature. Of course, dissection is the most effective way to improve your EXP, but sometimes using a ruler to gauge another person¡¯s skull also can increase your EXP.

    Triggered Mission: None.¡±

    ¡®A ss in autopsy? This is quite suitable for me.¡¯ Gu Jun thought perhaps it was specifically tailored for him. To be honest though, it had been quite some time since he¡¯d been to the autopsy table. The Carlot Instrument in his backpack had almost rusted. The thought of starting another autopsy did excite Gu Jun. During the final battle, most of the living flying polypus hydroids had exploded and been absorbed by Shub-Niggorath. Both worlds only managed to collect some pieces. There were a few intact tentacles and that was that. The situation was the same with the Byakees. There was not even a single mutated locust left. Gu Jun decided to start the autopsy soon. However,pared to before, the way to gain EXP was slightly different, there was now a ¡®triggered mission¡¯ tab. ¡®This thing requires more investigation.¡¯

    Gu Jun exited the investigative ability list and turned to the system mission list. He noticed it had changed quite a lot. There was no longer the delineation of normal, difficulty and abyssal. Instead there was a greyed out tab, dubbed ¡°New Mission¡±. A window of exnation appeared when he hovered over it. ¡°The mission system will asionallye up with new missions, this ispletely up to the host¡¯s luck and environment. The missions will be of varying difficulties. Completing the mission will help digest the system¡¯s power and reward the host with power to break through the spatial limitation to get to the City of Dusk. The host needs to fight and grab for the chance.¡±

    Gu Jun dissected the exnation further. It sounded like the system would one day help him gain ess to the City of Dusk but he¡¯d to work hard for it. Other than that, there was no more new function. In the newbie pack, there were 2 more things. Gu Jun now turned towards them with his heart pumping. From the name themselves, it sounded like the things that he needed at that exact moment.

    Mental Pir Training Manual floated up in his mind, it was a scroll in faded gold. He unfurled the scroll and scanned through it. Joy overwhelmed him. The new technique was priceless, it was going to be valuable to the frontline as well as help bond the two worlds together. However, it was no help to the monitor. Next to the scroll, there was a yellow talisman. He clicked on it. It had on the spiral triangle used by the Yellow Brotherhood but it was upside down.

    Gu Jun took a deep breath, a y was supposed to go ording to its chronological order, arc 1, arc 2, arc 3. On stage, act 1 would always be followed by act 2 and so on... Just like life. Even though the time was more like a circle and not like a line, humanity could onlyprehend it by seeing it as a linear line.

    For the monitor, it appeared like she had gone to the 3rd arc, almost to the end. If things were to be inversed now...

    Gu Jun thought about it and then decided to retrieve it. Soon a yellow talisman materialized in his right hand. The power of the foundation was indescribable. ¡®How do these people still retain their humanity while having ess to so much power?¡¯ He tightened his grip on the talisman and read its instructions that popped up in his mind. Then he strode back into the building. He walked very fast because through the talisman, he could feel the monitor¡¯s scene ending. It made him panic. When he entered the room, Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan and Uncle Dan looked over. Gu Jun raised the talisman and said, ¡°The foundation just broke through and gave me some help. I don¡¯t think the monitor willst any longer if we don¡¯t do something. Try this, it should work. Uncle Dan, I need you to report this to themand central.¡± The 3 moved to oblige.

    ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, if I show any sign of mental exhaustion, I need you to lend me your mental power.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Wu Siyu rolled up her sleeves as she stared at the talisman. ¡°Sad that you won¡¯t get to kiss her now.¡±

    ¡°I never wanted to do that in the first ce, plus it would have been useless...¡± Gu Jun chuckled, ¡°Am I sensing some jealousy?¡±

    ¡°But, it worked for mest time.¡±

    ¡°Our situation was different. I remembered it as quite a fond kiss.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, perhaps you¡¯re right.¡± Wu Siyu said to herself.

    ¡°A fond kiss...¡± Cai Zixuan nodded and recited, ¡°A fond kiss, and then we sever; A farewell, and then forever!¡±

    Uncle Dan rolled his eyes. It was one thing for the couple to flirt with each other, why did you have to join in, Cai Zixuan?!

    Gu Jun turned back to the mission. Holding the talisman, he walked to Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s bedside. He focused and reached his right hand to draw on an inverse yellow sign on Ruoxiang¡¯s forehead. One would easily think he was some kind of shaman.

    But sometimes supernatural diseases required supernatural cures. At least Wu Siyu, Cai Zixuan and Uncle Dan wished that was the case here.

 Chapter 487: Inverse Yellow Triangle

    <h4>Chapter 487: Inverse Yellow Triangle</h4>

    Trantor: Lonelytree

    When Gu Jun finished drawing the inverse spiral triangle, the yellow talisman in his left hand gathered with a yellow light. Suddenly, Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s pale face took on an expression that was different from usual. She grimaced from pain and groaned loudly. Uncle Dan instantly reported this update to the headquarters. Cai Zixuan called for the medical team from the base. Wu Siyu watched Gu Jun closely. However, only Gu Jun knew how it felt. His mind felt like it had been sucked into a whirlpool, no, a maze. It was moreplicated than the mostplicated neuralwork human beings had evere up with. Gu Jun felt the responsibility to find Wang Ruoxiang and get her out. The endless neural pathways criss-crossed and each path led down a different direction, just like the endless possibilities of life...

    He calmed down and tried to remember how to use the talisman. This was a y and not life. At this ce, things had a predestined plot, working towards a conclusion. No matter how chaotic the stage was, there was always a main character, one who had gone insane from reading the King in Yellow... Suddenly, the ugly face of Mr. Wang Erde shed before him. He had scratch marks on his face and a faded pair of pink artificial ears. ¡°Mr. Gu... Can you not see the imminent arrival of Hastur¡¯s kingdom? Do you not understand that the world would soon kneel before the night of Carcosa? Is that why you¡¯re here? To partake in its glory? ...Wait, you wish to ask, aren¡¯t I dead? Hue hue, Mr. Gu, you¡¯ve been through so much and you¡¯re still hung up on minor concepts like life and death? You like movies, don¡¯t you? As long as the movie is still ying, the characters inside it will be alive... Hue hue, ept death for death can give you the greatest release. Every new beginning will make your eyes wet, is that true?¡±

    ¡®Demon, shove off, I¡¯m not here to philosophize with you!¡¯ Gu Jun gathered his strength, his mental condition was much stronger than before. A gush of energy burst forth. It carried with it the energy from the City of Dusk and the secret of the inverse spiral triangle.

    ¡°Tsk...¡± Mr. Wang Erde hissed. His whole body scorched like some kind of dark creature would after being exposed to bright light. Blood oozed out from its scarred face. The artificial ears dangled loose. His voice dripped with hatred, ¡°Mr. Gu, do you have to do that? You¡¯ve made a dumb choice, Hastur knows everything... Be careful, be careful... You¡¯re moving towards destruction...¡±

    Gu Jun was not threatened. There were so many cosmic threats on his tail, he didn¡¯t mind one more. ¡°Every human is moving towards ultimate destruction, I¡¯m no different. We¡¯re all beings towards death.¡±

    Finally, the stage cleared. He reached out to grab at the figure that resembled Wang Ruoxiang. ¡°Monitor, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Gu Jun?¡± Wang Ruoxiang said blurrily as if waking from a deep slumber. However, she retained consciousness of things that happened around her. ¡°You¡¯ve saved me again.¡±

    ¡°Like Uncle Dan said...¡± Gu Jun pulled her up to the elevated stage and burst through the curtain, ¡°It¡¯s our responsibility as doctors to save people!¡±

    At the same time, the inverse spiral triangle talisman dissolved into dust after glowing the brightest it ever had. Gu Jun¡¯s heart squeezed. The image before his eyes condensed. He gasped for air. His mental power was half-drained...

    ¡°Tycoon Jun, how do you feel?¡± Cai Zixuan asked worriedly. The medical team was waiting outside, heart resuscitation, ECMO, they were ready for any contingency.

    ¡°Uncle Dan, give him heartpressions.¡± Wu Siyu stood beside Uncle Dan, ¡°I¡¯ll give him CPR.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡± Gu Jun took another deep breath, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s eyelids fluttered, life returned to her eyes. She blinked and then blinked again. Her breath came more evenly and color returned to her cheeks. She was looking more like herself. Wang Ruoxiang shook her head and looked at the 4 around her. Then she opened her lips to mumble, ¡°The Yith was wrong, the Yith was wrong...¡± Her eyes wetted. It was not until now that she tasted the joy of victory. Wu Siyu went forward to touch her shoulder. Her nose scrunched up and her brow raised, ¡°The smell of Formalin... Yup, it¡¯s the real deal!¡±

    With the confirmation from Wu Siyu, the sound of celebration erupted in the room. Uncle Dan cheered and Cai Zixuan recited, ¡°One who has never tasted what is bitter does not know what is sweet.¡±

    Gu Jun was feeling excited too. ¡®City of Dusk, Rudolph Carter Foundation, thank you.¡¯

    The news of Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s awakening soon reached the headquarters. Elder Tong, Yao Sinian were joyous. A cloud above their head finally cleared. This was huge. The City of Dusk, the organization of humanity from multiverse had proven themselves an ally. That was like a ray of light in the dark. It was not the ray of dawn but the ray of dusk. It might disappear soon but it stayed on stubbornly even against the encroaching night.

    Following protocol, after Wang Ruoxiang woke up, she was brought to examination and investigation. Indeed, she was brought to another King in Yellow world but different from Gu Jun and Yu Chi, she had experienced the same plot inside it for at least 1003 times already. No matter what she did or struggled, she could not stop the script from righting itself. The plot repeated itself again and again, from the end to the beginning, from the beginning to the end.

    Going through one such tragedy was mind-breaking enough, much less thousands of them. Before Gu Jun arrived, she was already at the edge of madness. She even suspected her own identity. Even now she needed time to get used to the fact that she had really returned. The feeling of being a character and uncontroble of one¡¯s life would need time to process. She¡¯d probably still wake up in the middle of the night covered in cold sweat.

    The second day after Wang Ruoxiang¡¯s awakening, Gu Junmunicated another issue with Elder Tong, ¡°Mental Pir Training Manual¡±. That would change the format of the Special Mobile Force, their membership construct and ensure more unity and bond between the members.

 Chapter 488: Mental Pillar

    <h4>Chapter 488: Mental Pir</h4>

    Mental Pir Training Manual, Gu Jun materialized the scroll from his mind. The gilded skin was made from an unknown material. It felt like a fabric. The scientists did not dare to perform too much analysis on it lest it ruined the scroll¡¯s magic. The scroll opened up to 1 metres long and 35 cm wide. It was filled with ancient Chinese characters and some mysterious symbols. Among the symbols, the most conspicuous was the hexagram. The straight lines formed 6 sharp angles. The centre was covered with smaller symbols. Different from the dark ritualistic symbols and ancient seal technology, when Gu Jun focused on the hexagram, he felt warmth like being blessed by the sun. This hexagram was the foundation of the mental pir.

    Gu Jun grasped from the scroll that this was a kind of mental technique created by the City of Dusk through thebination of various techniques. It was most suitable for human beings. The technique was very simr to the spirit barrier Deng Ximei drew from the foreign world but it had its differences too. Spirit barrier was a false barrier constructed through self-deception. It could be an experience or even a second persona. When one was exposed to dark corruption, one could direct the corruption onto the barrier to protect the real self from being impacted. Despite its effectiveness, the technique was not that easily mastered because constructing the barrier required a long time and a second persona would have a direct impact on the stability of the main persona. If this waspared to a drug, then it was an effective one that came with severe side effects.

    The Mental Pir was different. Through psychological and mental technique,bining with the hexagram foundation, it solidified a person¡¯s memory or belief and used that as the spiritual pir. There were different kinds of mental pirs but which was more effective, that was dependent on the users. This was because everyone had their own unique memory and belief and that appreciation and protectiveness was the foundation for the power of the mental pir. For example, a family-orientated person could form a mental pir through familial bond. It could be anything else. For example, if a person¡¯s strongest desire in the world was to witness the national football team win the World Cup, then that wish too could be a mental pir, of course, it¡¯d be a weak one. Family, love, friendship, dream, wish, desire, belief, religion... These could all form a mental pir.

    But the question was, ¡®are you sure your dream of your national team¡¯s World Cup win was stronger than your love of your family? Are you sure your love of the team would not change after their membership shifted? Are you sure this mental pir will not be shaken when it is ndered, confused, deconstructed by the dark forces?¡¯ Once there was a crack, the pir could crumble easily. This differed for every individual, some beliefs were strong, others weak.

    For Juliet, her love for Romeo was her belief in life; for Romeo, Juliet was the thing that kept him going. For Wu Siyu, afortable couch, a television, an endless buffet were strong bases for mental pirs. A strong pir could help one resist against darkness but the copse of the mental pir would break one¡¯s mind as well.

    However, not everyone could build a mental pir. Depending on the strength of one¡¯s mind, the possible number of pirs ranged from 0 to 6. One could gauge quite clearly how many pirs an individual could support by interacting with the hexagram in the middle of the scroll. With the average mental quality of the Spell Department¡¯s members, it was believed that the average member would construct 3 pirs. Gu Jun tested the theory on himself. All 6 corners of the hexagram lit up so he could sustain six pirs.

    For those who could support multiple pirs, the pir must be based on different foundations. Only then they could enhance and support each other. For 3 pirs, one could be based on love, another on belief and thest on desire. These pirs represented humanity as well. Gu Jun also believed these pirs were the reasons why the members of Rudolph Carter Foundation could retain their humanity.

    When facing against darkness, as long as there was one pir remaining standing, then the person could be rescued. They wouldn¡¯t lose themselves in madness. After recovery, the fallen pirs could be reconstructed or repaired. But these were merely how the technology could be used individually.

    The other strong point about the mental pir was it could connect people¡¯s hearts. Members of a close unit could share a simr pir, for example, all the members of a Special Mobile Force could build a pir on the basis of their group bond. The team pir could help enhance the existing bond within the members and rejuvenate them with energy. Other than that it could also tell if and when an individual had strayed from the group. It would provide warning when a team member¡¯s mind was corrupted. If The One had mastered this technique when they tried to build the Cleansing Web, they would have seeded.

    There was another method that was moreplicated but more secure. It was using each other as pirs. Gu Jun and Wu Siyu would form one from love; Gu Jun and Cai Zixuan could share one via their friendship. Through these interconnecting rtionships, the pirs would form a hexagram within the team. The bond would be stronger than a team pir. Naturally, to form this kind of interlocking pir, the bond between the two users had to be very strong.

    When Elder Tong and Yao Sinian finally understood this new technology, they realized how valuable it was. It could not only provide the frontline members with a greater defence against darkness, it also allowed a breakthrough for the issue of alliance between Phecda World and Mysterium World which had halted. If one of Gu Jun¡¯s pirs was Yu Chi and vice versa, then it would be much more trustworthy than any verbal promises. Since the foundation of the pirs was mutual trust, the moment the pirs cracked, the other party would notice it immediately. Therefore, this technology could push both worlds forward, even the formation of a cooperative unit was made possible.

    Like everything else, the first step was always the hardest, after the first step was made, the rest woulde a lot easier. To be honest, both human worlds were on the same ship, it would behoove both parties to keep the boat upright. This was also the solution provided by Gu Jun. After the meeting was over, the proposal was handed to the higher up and actions were made.

    However, all of these ns were built on the premise that this mental pir technology worked. Even though Elder Tong and the rest wished for another person to be theb rat, Gu Jun volunteered to be the trial. The main reason was the real scroll existed within his mind and he was the only person who had interacted with the foundation. He was the one who contained the power of the City of Dusk within him. So if this was a trap, he¡¯d be the first one to know.

    When a person could sustain multiple pirs, the order they were formed did not corrte to their individual height and strength but normally the earlier the pir was formed, the stronger it¡¯d be because the important ones conventionally came first. The first pir was thus often the hardest to copse, it was equal to one¡¯s lifeline. Based on statistics, the first pir was normally based on family, it could be anyone, father, mother, son, daughter. However, Gu Jun had no parents, his first kid was dead and his big sister was a vicious witch. The family unit did not work for him but he had a girlfriend, one that he shared the most stable mental bond with.

    Therefore, Wu Siyu was naturally Gu Jun¡¯s first pir. ¡°With me at your back, I guarantee you that you¡¯ll be steady as a roly-poly.¡±

    ¡°Then your first pir has to be me as well.¡± Gu Junined, ¡°You better not make the sofa your first pir.¡± Wu Siyu¡¯s test result showed that she could support 6 pirs too. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± She agreed.

    This technology excited Gu Jun and the higher ups. ording to the scroll, the pirs would not take long to construct, and it was not a fake barrier. This was based on actual emotions, something that already existed within oneself, this technology merely provided people with the utility to further expand one¡¯s innate ability.

    The sun set and that day, inside a quiet room at Mo Bei base, Gu Junid evenly on a soft bed. There was a camera at the corner. Gu Jun loosened every muscle and bone in his body. Based on the scroll¡¯s instructions, he used his mental power to draw out a golden hexagonal foundation in his mind. There was no need for spell or mantra but he had to draw out each of the lines, angles and details carefully. It was like he was doing a mental painting.

    The hexagonal foundation only needed to be drawn for the first time but it was extremely important. Without the foundation, the pirs would have no ground to stand on. Gu Jun had no idea how long he spent on this exercise, it could be an hour or a whole night. Time became irrelevant. When all the details were done, the hexagram appeared to connect with his neuralwork. There was no resistance from his cells and receptors. His mental power melted with the warmth of the sun. The hexagram started to slowly turn.

    Then, he focused his attention at one of the corners. That corner would be his first pir. He dug up his most precious memory of Wu Siyu, her appearance, her voice and his feelings towards her. He chewed over them carefully before projecting it onto the corner...

    Gradually a pir of light rose on that corner. It was a magnificent and resplendent marble pir, it radiated a smell of saltiness.

 Chapter 489: Spiritual Dialogue

    <h4>Chapter 489: Spiritual Dialogue</h4>

    The first mental pir formed in the Phecda World was standing inside Gu Jun¡¯s mind. From start topletion, Gu Jun actually only used 2 hours. That was so much faster than building a spirit barrier, the result overjoyed Elder Tong and the rest. However, since Gu Jun was already familiar with these things, the average member would probably take 2 or 3 times longer than him. But even so, that was only half a day. The second individual to attempt the technique was Wu Siyu. She curledfortably in bed and her first pir would be based on Gu Jun.

    3 hourster, her breathing sounded more like snoring. Gu Jun and the others suspected she had really fallen asleep. At that moment, Wu Siyu stretchedzily and announced that she hadpleted. But she hid the fact that she indeed did take a quick nap. With each other as their pirs, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu tried to sense each other. The channelling of mental power and using the Ancient Seal did be smoother.

    ¡°Can you hear me? Please answer if you can, beep beep.¡± Fuzzily, Gu Jun could hear Wu Siyu¡¯s voice. His heart leaped, spiritual dialogue? This function was not mentioned on the scroll. However, it would prove immensely useful if it was true.

    ¡°I can hear you!¡± Gu Jun answered in his mind. He used Wu Siyu¡¯s pir to connect to her, ¡°Dirty-minded Yu, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yes, I can...¡± The pair attempted this for a day and confirmed that it was true. Spiritual conversation was possible but after about 10 exchanges, the connection would sever like the phone bill was up. Then they confirmed that the conversation limit would be rejuvenated after a sound sleep. They tried to continue the conversation right after the clock struck midnight. No connection was made until after they woke up the next morning. For now, their max limit was 10 exchanges. Constantmunication was impossible. This function was like an added bonus from having purchased the mental pir training manual.

    However, these 10 exchanges mighte in handy at crucial moments. In their next adventures, this spiritual connection would be an extrayer ofmunication between them. Furthermore, it allowed them to gossip about others right before their faces. This ability should be able to be upgraded.

    However, Phecda soon proved through experiment that not every partner could activate this spiritual conversation effect. It failed between good friends or even couples like Mchite and Peacock. So far, it was only possible between Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. The mechanism behind it required further study. Perhaps it required strong bonds, talent, and emotions between both parties. In any case, all members who had built the pir had a noticeable increase in their mental power and that proved that the technology was effective.

    Even so, everyone only built the first pir. The assignment of the other pirs and how they were going to be paired had to depend on their negotiation of alliance with Mysterium. They might be fighting side by side in the future. Over the past few days, both worlds had a lot more meetings. During the first video conference, when Elder Tong showed the Mental Pir Training Manual¡¯s scroll, and exined its uses to the representatives from the Mysterium World. The people from the other side of the screen had their eyes lit up. They couldn¡¯t wait to crawl through the screen to snatch the scroll away from Elder Tong.

    The leader of the Mysterium Group was ady over 40, Zeng Chanjun. She was tough and cutthroat. She was a veritable iron maiden. Zheng Chanjun was highly-respected within Mysterium, she was the head of the Spell Department and a hot candidate for the next Mysterium Leader. Over the past month, both parties fought endlessly to gain arger benefit for their own world. This meant that Zeng Chanjun and Elder Tong crossed swords quite often. Elder Tong was not one to submit easily to others. This annoyed Zheng Chanjun greatly.

    Elder Tong had a bright smile on his face as he savored the widened expression of the representatives from Mysterium. Especially Zeng Chanjun, the desire was clear in her eyes but she had to control herself.

    This was human nature. They could bond in tragedy but never in peace. Those who fought beside each other in battle would easily turn on each other after the war was over. For example, during the final battle, the Transboundary Team sent over by Mysterium was a great help to Phecda and they treated Phecda World as their own family. But 100 days after the battle, both parties had not advanced on their promises of sharing Nine Mysterium arts and Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan. It was Mysterium who was holding out. After all, the Nine Mysterium Arts were their biggest trump card. Inparison, the 7 Cryptical Book of Hsan was a weak copy of it. But now the situation had a drastic change.

    ¡°Ambassador Zeng, you should already know this.¡± Elder Tong began. ¡°Ah Jun must have told Captain Yu about this. There is now a power given to him by the City of Dusk inside his body. He¡¯s going to slowly digest it. Through this process, Ah Jun will gain more technologies and power from the Foundation.¡± Yu Chi indeed heard that from the foundation members and reported it to Mysterium. Gu Jun did not hide this from anymore. Phecda, in response, provided Gu Jun with every resource he needed so that he could digest the power as soon as possible. ¡°I will not beat around the bushes.¡± Elder Tong huffed andid down his offer, ¡°The Mental Pir Technology to trade for Nine Mysterium Arts, not one chapter missing.¡±

    Mysterium did not think Phecda would swindle them but there was protocol to follow. This was followed by plenty of negotiation. The conclusion was Mysterium would first provide Phecda with the first 3 chapters of the Nine Mysterium arts while Phecda provided them with the hexagram inside the scroll. The hexagram could build the foundation but without the rest of the scroll, they wouldn¡¯t know how to construct the pirs. The people from Mysterium could easily tell the authenticity of the Mental Pir Technology. Once they came into contact with the hexagram, they could feel the warm energy from the City of Dusk. However, that was the extent they could reach. They were eager to proceed but there were other things to negotiate.

    This hugely agitated Yu Chi. He almost lost his mind. He visited Ambassador Zeng and the other officials to lobby for the unification. What time was it, they were still so busy with the politicking, these people must be crazy!

    While Yu Chi did his part, Gu Jun did his as well. They were after all hero figures and were at the forefront against the dark forces. They also had the warning from the City of Dusk so their persuasion was heeded. Therefore 10 days after the meeting, in early August, the two worlds finally reached a consensus. Yu Chi would lead a group of elites as an envoy and arrive at the Phecda World.

 Chapter 490: Team Building

    <h4>Chapter 490: Team Building</h4>

    ¡°Captain Gu!¡±

    ¡°Captain Yu!¡±

    The sky appeared especially blue that day. Even the darkness at the abyss near the Gate of In-between seemed to lighten. At a spot not far from this boundary world, there were a lot of new buildings. They came with defensive and self-destructive systems. This was a base shared by both worlds and could be considered the port of entry between the two worlds. The envoy led by Yu Chi had toe register here with their Mysterium World Password before they could enter the Phecda World. The envoy had 56 members, the main members were Special Mobile Forces elites from Mysterium, the others were country leaders from the Mysterium World. They went into the limo prepared by Phecda and went down the newly-tarred road. They passed the sign that said, ¡°you¡¯re now entering Phecda World¡±.

    Feng Peiqian and Chen Ziyuan were part of the envoy. During the final battle, they were still in Australia, therefore, they missed it but also thanks to that, managed to survive. This was the first time they encountered Gu Jun after they saw Gu Jun and Yu Chi disappear in the Australian desert. Things had changed so much since then. Gu Jun came to wee them with people like Wu Siyu and Cai Zixuan. He was very much unlike the drifter that Yu Chi picked up on the street.

    Once he saw Gu Jun, Yu Chi ran over excitedly and pulled him into a bear hug. ¡°We¡¯ve both survived!¡± Gu Jun was touched as well. Even though they had chatted many times through video calls, they had both been through a lot after their departure from the Locust God altar. It was a precious reunion.

    ¡®Who is this guy being so buddy-buddy with Gu Jun?¡¯ Uncle Dan thought concernedly. ¡®I need to be careful of my spot being reced.¡¯ On the other side, Feng Peiqian looked on withplicated emotions. After separating from Gu Jun, Yu Chi greeted everyone politely. They had all anticipation for the future. They were not concerned with politics. They were the fighters, this meeting was team building, it was to build a rapport, to form the foundation for the sharing of the mental pir technology.

    ¡°Captain Gu.¡± Feng Peiqian shook hands with Gu Jun and said with a smile, ¡°You were such a good actor back then.¡±

    ¡°But I never fooled you, did I?¡± Gu Jun said self-deprecatingly.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Wu Siyu peeked in from the side. She knew about the events but not the details. ¡°Sounds like spy talk.¡±

    ¡°At the time, Captain Gu pretended to be a drifter.¡± Feng Peiqian exined. ¡°He had such an earnest smile, if not for his natural presence, I would have bought it. Then again, he¡¯s so good-looking, he¡¯d be swept up by rich females if he stayed on the street.¡±

    ¡°Good-looking? He?¡± Wu Siyu openly studied Gu Jun, ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    Amidst theughter, they continued on their journey. The surrounding area of the Gate of In-between, nts like trees were grown and it was filled with life. When the motorcade passed, they decided to make a detour to the life circle before heading to Mo Bei City. From morning to dusk, the envoy had a lot of sight-seeing. Just from environmental destruction, Phecda World suffered greater than Mysterium World because the main battles happened here. After 3 months of reconstruction, the evacuated citizens had been led back to their home. Life returned to Mo Bei City. Parents were out with their children and young students were in groups since it was summer holiday. When Yu Chi¡¯s group saw this through the car window, they feltforted, at least their partners¡¯ sacrifice was not pointless. Gu Jun watched along with them. This city had witnessed a lot, its name would be remembered always.

    In the early evening, they arrived at arge hotel in the city. A ballroom had been set up by the Recreational Department. The dinner was buffet style and many foods were served. After the dinner started, the members from both worlds bustled around the venue, mingling with each other. Inside one of the private booths, a table was filled with various kinds of chicken thighs. Lucky was busy stuffing himself, his paws waved noisily. It had grown several sizes bigger. It could barely walk anymore but since he had just witnessed the end of the world, this would be what one¡¯d call food therapy.

    ¡°This is...¡± Yu Chi¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at the creature, ¡°a Zoog.¡± Only a few Mysterium members were invited, Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian were one of the few. Phecda did share news about the Zoog, and the Dreands with Mysterium. This was one of the chips for Phecda too.

    ¡°Yea, that¡¯s me.¡± Lucky patted its round belly. He levelled a condescending gaze at the neers. The Mysterium members were stunned.

    ¡°The Zoog tribes are very powerful.¡± Gu Jun told them. ¡°We humans still owe them an Extremely Luxurious Gift.¡±

    Speaking of the Extremely Luxurious Gift, humanity had to pay up soon. Since Lucky had witnessed the almost end of the human world, he reported it back to his kin. The tribe leader demanded that humanity acted on the promise immediately. They were afraid that humanity might disappear before they could get their rewards. Humanity needed all kinds of help, and the Zoogs who loved chicken thighs more than their lives were an important ally. With the Zoog¡¯s help, the exploration mission back to the Dreands would be a lot more sessful.

    The Mysterium World¡¯s study of Pnakotus went nowhere. They had tried many methods but it was to no avail. The underground was too hard to detect. From the earth crust to the earth centre, it was about 6370 km. Even though they knew the library was underground, Mysterium did not have the technology to locate or even reach it. Therefore, in terms of future expansion, Phecda had more direct aid in the Dreands. So if the Mysterium World wished to be a part of that expansion, then they had to participate in the Extremely Luxurious Gift presented to the Zoog tribes as well.

    After visiting Lucky, they moved to the booth next door and started the real dinner. After some eating, they started to discuss the mental pir technology. Most Phecda members had already built the first pir but the Mysterium members had only seen the foundation. When Yu Chi heard that Gu Jun and Wu Siyu could even manage spiritual conversation, he was shocked and confused. This was because Mysterium had been exploring the same thing for decades, the number of experiments they had done was innumerable. However, there was no presentable result. Like how it was for Gu Jun and Wu Siyu previously, the best of them could only transfer visual images. Everyone present at the dinner table had participated in the exercise but they were clueless about it.

    ¡°Captain Gu, if we have that kind of power...¡± Yu Chi pulled on his beard. ¡°It¡¯ll change a lot.¡±

    Wu Siyu and Gu Jun shared a look. They decided to put on a show to stun these people. The dinner paused. Wu Siyu and Gu Jun stood up from their seats and walked to the opposite corners of the booth. They turned away from each other. Yu Chi came up with a string of random numbers, letters and symbols. He showed it to Feng Peiqian before walking to hand the note over to Gu Jun. This prevented the possibility of cheating. Then it was showtime.

    Gu Jun focused on Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s pir. Then he sent out the message, ¡°[emailprotected]</a>+6*32djl2lkx=Q1497¡±

    Feng Peiqian observed this very carefully. It required time to memorize the message. They had no particr meaning. Soon Wu Siyu wrote down something on a piece of paper. Then both Gu Jun and Wu Siyu handed their notes to Yu Chi. With everyone watching, Yu Chi set down both notes on the table. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened. The message on the two notes were simr down to the order and capitalization.

    ¡°This is impressive...¡± Yu Chi mumbled. The faces of the Mysterium members were filled with surprise, excitement and eagerness. The Special Mobile Forces especially understood the value of this technique. It would prove instrumental to battlefieldmunication.

    For Wu Siyu though, there was a bigger value. She wanted to apply to join a trivia show with Gu Jun. When one of them was on the show, the other would stay backstage to research all the quiz answers. They¡¯d win the jackpot easily.

    ¡°Captain Gu, this is wonderful!¡± Yu Chi turned back with his eyes zing with jealousy. He wished that he¡¯d be the one who was bound to Gu Jun. ¡°After we¡¯ve built each other¡¯s mental pir, things will be a lot simpler with this technique.¡±

    The more he thought about it, the more excited he became. Yu Chi was ready to make Gu Jun his first pir. Gu Jun was the special one, he had the City of Dusk¡¯s power within him. Would having Gu Jun as the first pir benefit him? He didn¡¯t know but he¡¯d try.

    ¡°Captain Yu, not every bond will have this effect.¡± Gu Jun hated to rain on his parade. Yu Chi paced anxiously around. ¡°There has to be a way. We simply do not understand it yet... Why, why...¡±

    At the same time, everyone saw how drawn Feng Peiqian¡¯s expression was.

    Cai Zixuan sighed under his breath. I cast my gaze toward the moon, yet the moon shines on the gutter...

 Chapter 491: Very Luxurious Gift

    <h4>Chapter 491: Very Luxurious Gift</h4>

    ¡°Hmm, not bad¡­ delicious, delicious¡­¡± Inside the quiet booth, Lucky sat on the table and picked up another big thigh. The oil dribbled down his lips. There were guards outside the booth so no one woulde disturb him and steal away his food. Wu Siyu who¡¯d normally do that was not there. Lucky was quite full so he slowed down his speed. He chewed slowly and savored the vor. Lucky closed his eyes to let the taste dance on his tongue, he rxed fully. Even though this world was incredibly dangerous, he¡¯d rather stay here than to be thrown back to Dreands to face the Ultar cats. This ce was better, he¡¯d eat chicken thigh every day until he felt like vomiting. They were cooked differently, like how the humans said it, he was living an emperor¡¯s life.

    Pat! Suddenly Lucky felt a heavy m on the back of his head. His heart squeezed and his fur curled. This familiar whack¡­

    ¡°Stupid Zoog, fat Zoog, greedy Zoog!¡± Brusque and intense tapping came from behind him. Lucky naturally recognized this as his kin. He opened his eyes and turned back to look. As he expected, arge Zoog was already standing behind him, staring at him unkindly. ¡°The tribe sent you here to observe the humans and what have you done, all you know is eat!¡± The evil Zoog tapped Lucky¡¯s head while scolding him. Then he grabbed the chicken thigh from Lucky and stuffed it inside his mouth. In the same motion, he kicked Lucky down the table, iming his rights to the rest of the chicken thighs on the table.

    ¡°You, you, you¡­¡± Lucky rolled on the ground several times. He instinctively wanted to leap back onto the table to fight but he was too heavy, he bounced against the ground but could not leap into the air¡­

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Lucky finally asked defeatedly. He did not ask how the Zoog managed to slip past the heavy security. Then again, if the Zoogs could not break through the humans¡¯ defenses, then they¡¯d be long dead already. This was one of the reasons why the humans needed to form this alliance with them.

    ¡°The tribe leader sent me here!¡± The Zoog munched on the chicken thigh and tapped the table to say, ¡°The information you gavest time has been transmitted to the elders. They have had a long discussion and came to the decision, it¡¯s about time¡­¡± The Zoog bit on the thigh viciously. He choked slightly before swallowing, ¡°It¡¯s time for humans to pay us what they promised us! Also¡­¡± The tapping softened, this was the most confidential information among the Zoogs, there mustn¡¯t be any leak in the news. When Lucky heard the news, his expression changed. His beady eyes narrowed with panic and fear¡­

    ¡°For real?¡± He tapped on his stomach with trembling paws. ¡°The leader has decided that? The elders all agreed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± The Zoog bit on the chicken, ¡°Our tribes are all ready, this time it¡¯ll be different¡­ You! After I¡¯m gone, you¡¯ll find the humans and tell them this. They will depart from this world in 3 days, bring them to the Enchanted Forest and then¡­¡± The evil Zoog¡¯s eyes burned with fire. His stuffed cheeks moved with each chew. The harshness in its eyes caused Lucky to cower silently. Soon, the evil Zoog swept up everything left on the table. He even consumed the bones. Not even a drop of sauce was left on the te. He mmed on the table and dragged hisrge stomach to slither away from the vent. Lucky was frozen at his spot for quite some time before he shuffled hisrge body towards the door. The good times are finally over¡­ If I had known, I would have eaten everything first.

    Lucky poked his head out and was instantly discovered by the 2 guards. They asked him what he wanted. Lucky requested to be brought to where Gu Jun and Wu Siyu were. He had something important to tell them. Of course, he did not tap these out, instead he used a set of simple signnguages to share his thoughts. Lucky really did not understand why humans would think these gestures were more understandable than tapping. Soon, Lucky wrapped in a plushie costume was led by the guards down the corridor into another booth. Gu Jun and the other humans were still happily enjoying their food, they had no idea tragedy and death wereing their way.

    When they saw hime in, they immediately stopped. Gu Jun asked and Wu Siyu tranted, ¡°Lucky, is anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°Our tribe leader has spoken.¡± Lucky tried to make himself look as imposing as possible. ¡°The very luxurious gift that we need from humans is a favor. Once youplete this favor, then we¡¯ll be the best allies.¡± After Gu Jun got the trantion from Wu Siyu, his heart rose. Finally the chance was here?!

    Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian listened attentively. Uncle Dan immediately contacted the headquarters. Elder Tong said it didn¡¯t matter that the envoy was present. Because this favor might need their help toplete. Since the channels to Dreands only appeared in Phecda World, the Mysterium World was not going to be able to do anything regarding Dreands without passing through Phecda.

    Honestly, the fear Phecda had was that the Zoogs ultimately refused the alliance so this chance was quite exciting. Human civilization had been through many challenges, what was one more? Even though the favor might be hard, they would do their best toplete it. But as someone who knew Lucky the best, Wu Siyu could sense how fearful Lucky was. There were a few times where he failed to finish his sentences. He was clearly anxious.

    ¡°The favor that we need is¡­¡± Lucky gathered his courage and with everyone watching, he patted his round stomach, ¡°For the humans to help us defeat the cats from Ulthar. Let them taste defeat so that we Zoogs will never need to send them tributes anymore!¡± Then Lucky shivered as if he could not believe he had said something so sphemous.

    This stunned Gu Jun. ¡®Defeat the Cats at Ulthar?¡¯

    Inside the booth, Gu Jun was the only person who had been to Ulthar and met those cats. Ulthar was covered in cats, of various breeds. They were not normal cats, the Great Atal had confirmed that. He had no idea what kind of power those cats had, perhaps they were more powerful than the multi-colored cat Dirty-minded Yu had once morphed into. The Zoogs wanted to start a war and¡­ wanted to sacrifice humans at the frontline? If the humans could hold down the cats, then the Zoogs would follow up; if the humans failed, then the Zoogs would retreat, leaving the mess for humans to clean up.

    ¡°Lucky, this is not just an extremely luxurious gift¡­¡± Gu Jun said darkly, ¡°This is a very, extremely luxurious gift.¡±

    Yu Chi, Feng Peiqian and the rest were confused. Even Uncle Dan and Cai Zixuan did not quite get it.

    ¡°Captain Gu, it¡¯s just some cats, isn¡¯t it?¡± But just as Yu Chi said that, something came to the man. ¡°Cats¡­ in ancient Egypt, cats are divine, they are closer to gods than humans¡­ Cats, cats!¡± Yu Chi turned to Wu Siyu, ¡°That¡¯s right, Nyathotep wanted you to serve him in cat form. Could Nyathotep be a part of the Egyptian pantheon? Apep?!¡± Once Yu Chi got in this state, only the man could understand himself.

    Apep, in Ancient Egypt was the manifestation of darkness, chaos and destruction. He appeared in the form of a cobra, he was the twin brother and nemesis of the Sun God, Amun Ra. Religion could change over time, could Apep be how the Egyptians understood and depicted Nyathotep? Yu Chi used some time before he could get everyone to understand him.

    ¡°Erm, the Ulthar cats¡­¡± Lucky stammered, ¡°Are indeed powerful, it is why we Zoogs are bullied¡­ But, in any case, this is what the tribes want. Humans have to help us defeat those cats or there is no alliance.¡± He had Wu Siyu hug him onto the table so that he could consume the food he had lost to that evil Zoog. ¡°Also if you agree, you¡¯ll depart in 3 days. There is now a new channel at Mo Bei that will lead to the forest near Ulthar. The channel is still new, it¡¯ll be there for some time. You might even be able to use the same channel to return here.¡±

    Gu Jun sunk into silence. This was too huge for him to decide, even if he could make the decision, he wouldn¡¯t dare to give his promise so easily.

    The cats at Ulthar were not easy opponents¡­ The Great Atal had said that if you offended the cats at Ulthar, the whole town would rise against you. In fact, they might even face the wrath of the Great Atal.

    ¡°Erm¡­¡± Seeing how deep the frown on Gu Jun¡¯s face was and how much Lucky was shivering, Wu Siyu knew this wasplicated. But she did have a thought. After all, she had once been a cat. Compared to others, she knew cats better.

    ¡°Actually cats do not like violence.¡± She said, ¡°With sunbathes and food, cats are toozy to even go after rats. So why the need for violence? Can¡¯t we just go and talk with them? Perhaps we can reach some kind ofpromise?¡±

    ¡°Talk?¡± Lucky tapped himself sadly, ¡°They will not sit down to talk, never! They will only toss you into the sky into some unknown space, so you¡¯ll starve there¡­ They¡¯ll not talk with you¡­¡±

    Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian were too clueless to give any ideas. Gu Jun though was moved by Wu Siyu¡¯sment. The cats would not talk to the Zoogs or himself but they might talk to Wu Siyu¡­ He turned to Wu Siyu who was still eating. Because Dirty-minded Yu was unique.

 Chapter 492: Dissection

    <h4>Chapter 492: Dissection</h4>

    Thanks to the news brought over by Lucky, the higher ups from Phecda had a deep discussion into the night. They knew less about the Ulthar¡¯s catpared to Gu Jun so what Gu Jun knew was the basis of their discussion, these cats had supernatural power so this favor carried with it many unknown risks. For one, the safety of the team that was sent to the Dreands was uncertain, would they be thrown into the air like Lucky imed; for another, would this earn humanity another enemy? Furthermore, how would they assign the aid given by Mysterium?

    Gu Jun participated in the meeting and he gave his thoughts, ¡°We should send a small scout unit to Ulthar and like Siyu said, try to have a talk with the cats and even the Great Atal, to see if the conflict between the cats and the Zoogs can be solved peacefully. If the cats can be persuaded from harming the Zoogs, it¡¯ll be a win-win for all of us.¡± This solution would provide an alliance for humanity with not only the Zoogs but also the Ulthar¡¯s cats. Furthermore, Ulthar was not a dangerous ce like the House of Worm, it was an idyllic vige, if ced on Earth, it could easily be turned into a tourist spot, a picturesque countryside to help the cityfolk unwind.

    The Ulthar cats were powerful so Ulthar was very safe, they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about enemy ambushes. A trip to Ulthar could be seen as a holiday break, they could even reunite with the Great Atal¡­

    There were many reasons to undertake this risk, after all, if they scored a result, it would bring a great breakthrough. Even though the higher ups leaned towards the agreement, the discussion continued. The next day, even people from Mysterium like Zeng Chanjun had joined in. Gu Jun did not attend the meeting on the second day. In the morning, he joined the envoy to visit Chi Lin City. At night, he returned to the Mo Bei base and hurried towards the morgue. Over the recent months, ever since the new system came online, Gu Jun would find time to train his new ability ¡®autopsy¡¯ whenever he had the chance to digest the power from City of Dusk. Through the dissection of flying polypus hydroids, his autopsy Exp had reached 1500/5000 (Level 1/9).

    Even though he had only broken parts, due to the overwhelming size of the hydroids, even one of its tentacles wasrger than a normal human. Before Gu Jun joined the autopsy, the team faced both breakthroughs and conundrums. Neither autopsy expert like Xiao Huiwen nor spell department members like Cai Zixuan could exin the biological mechanism behind its powerful wails, its ability of flight and invisibility. Simrly, they could not tell how the Deep Ones manage to submerge so deep underwater. The only conclusion they could make was¡­ supernatural energy.

    Flying polypus hydroid was the correct name because this thing was not a mammal, it had no internal structures like spine or veins. It was temporarily categorized under the kingdom ofidaria¡ªa pre-evolution to multicellr organisms. Likeidaria, its basic structure consisted of perist, endost, and circtory digestive cavity. The tissues like epidermis, muscle and nerves were a blob of gtin or fibre. They would not help with flight at all.

    Gu Jun believed the answer lies in the nervous system. The flying polypus hydroids were filled with small synapses both inside and outside its body, far more numerous than a normalidaria. These synapses, receptors and neurons contributed to the magical abilities of this creature. Other than that, the flying polypus hydroids¡¯ anatomy might include subjects that the human eye could not perceive. Deng Ximei was the first to sense this; after Wang Ruoxiang recovered and joined the autopsy, she came to the same conclusion as well. However, this was just a hypothesis because they had no way of proving it.

    The mental pressure dissecting the flying polypus hydroids was much higher than working on Deep Ones and zombies, therefore, the challenge on the autopsy team was harder. They needed to change shifts often and rely on the cleansing stone a lot. With great pressures on his shoulders, Xiao Huiwen fought for months and finally managed to help name many organs of the flying polypus hydroids. Many tissue organs were named ording to currently avable terms like perist and endost. Since the hydroid had simple anatomy, thebelling had already been settled for months and wouldn¡¯t be changed anymore. Therefore, when Gu Jun stepped into the morgue, Xiao Huiwen smiled without pressure. There would no longer be unprofessional naming like scaly muscle. It was scaly veins, not scaly muscles.

    But things that Ol¡¯ Xiao had been trying hard to prevent still happened. Gu Jun always managed to find something new using abnormal senses, observation or even luck. Under the microscope, he noticed a unique kind of axon inside the nervous system at the hydroid¡¯s stomach cavity. After analysis, it was confirmed that this axon was different from othermon axons. Due to the already known variations of the axon, it was hard to identify them. Furthermore, there were so many mysteries about the hydroid¡¯s nervous system, the autopsy members were still sifting through them.

    However, Gu Jun noticed that the axon inside the stomach cavity was the same across all the hydroids. It even triggered illusory feelings in him. He saw that when the stomach contracted, the axon would be able to twist all the nearby nerve ending together, sending pulses to the adjacent cells, causing them to activate. He seemed to hear a wail and thus came up with the hypothesis, ¡°Could this be the flying polypus hydroid¡¯s vocal tissue?¡±

    Cnidaria did not have specialized breathing and vocal organs, they were connected to the stomach cavity. It was the same case with the flying polypus hydroids. If the wails emitted from the mouth, they could theoretically originate from the stomach cavity. The other members and Gu Jun did not find a simr discovery at other cavities. Due to this discovery and hypothesis, Gu Jun named this axon as ¡®Strong Wail Axon¡¯.

    Xiao Huiwen¡¯s smile froze. He had the urge to roar, at the sky, at the ground, at Gu Jun¡­ Could you¡­ note up with a more conventional name¡­ Strong Wail Axon?

    Gu Jun participated in the autopsy for 3 hours that day. He raised his exp from 1500 to 1800 but still no mission was triggered. He believed he could still get more exp from the flying polypus hydroids. If possible he wanted to stay there for days. But on the 3rd day after Lucky came with news, the 2 worlds came to a joint decision. Time given by the Zoog tribes was running out. The two human civilizations would send out a joint unit to enter Dreands to travel to Ulthar to hash it out with the cats.

 Chapter 493: MP Unit

    <h4>Chapter 493: MP Unit</h4>

    This was a hastily formed joint team called Mysterium-Phecda Unit or MP Unit. The membership consisted of the elites from both organizations. Even though the goal was a peace talk, they were ready to face the most dangerous situation. Everyone was on full alert. From Phecda, there were Gu Jun, Peacock, Mchite and Wu Siyu, who had been to the Dreands. Peacock and Mchite were even Dreand native. Other members like Lou Xiaoning and Deng Ximei guarded Phecda World. Mysterium sent out Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian. The others included Bell Grant from FBM, Stelvana Linapova from Russia, Ryan Nathan from Ennd; as well as their Mysterium counterparts, Wayne Fenton, Burchet Ivanovic, and Roddy Mikey.

    There were 12 people in total, 7 males and 5 females. Phecda and Mysterium had alsopleted the exchange of 9 Mysterium Arts and Mental Pir Training Mental. Therefore in the MP Unit, 3 members had 6 pirs, Wu Siyu, Gu Jun, Yu Chi while the rest had 5 pirs. Their first pir was based on family, love or someone important; the second pir was the joint unit, even though it was a hastily formed unit, this was a big step towards the unity of both human civilization; the third pir was about personal emotion, desire and wish. For example, Yu Chi¡¯s third pir was his wish to see in person the excavation of the Ding Dynasty Tomb; Feng Peiqian¡¯s was a wedding with her dream lover; Wu Siyu was a couch. The other pirs were left empty for the moment. The 3 existing pirs already required plenty of reinforcement because they were still quite weak.

    Gu Jun¡¯s third pir was that moment of relief when he managed to cure his patient. Even though he had not been inside the clinical clinic for some time already, he had not forgotten he was a clinical doctor. Each surgical sess was something that kept him going.

    Currently, both Wu Siyu and Yu Chi had him as their first pir. Yu Chi discovered with regret that he did not share a spiritual conversation channel with Gu Jun and he did not seem to get any benefit from this bond either. However, the man did not give up. He investigated the uniqueness between Gu Jun and Wu Siyu, other than the lover¡¯s bond, what else was there? Was there anything he could copy? Was that the only thing he and Gu Juncked? Was it because Gu Jun did not make him his first pir?

    ¡°Captain, how can you rival Wu Siyu?¡± Feng Peiqian sighed, ¡°They¡¯re in that kind of rtionship.¡±

    ¡°But Captain Gu and I have been through death together¡­¡± Yu Chi countered. In any case, the pirs did help greatly in team unity. Even though the unit was just formed, when they were together, there was a sense of familiarity. The natural distance, suspicion lowered. They also attempted to cast an Ancient Seal, it went very smoothly. Things were already going so smooth at the start, it would only get better. Since time was short, after they built the pirs, they rested for one night and the next morning, Lucky dragged its fat body and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s about time to depart. If we miss the timing, I¡¯m not responsible.¡±

    Since material things couldn¡¯t be brought to Dreands, the PM Unit departed with nothing much. They still brought some weapons as an experiment but they carried mostly medicine. Wu Siyu though brought a lot of catnip and cat toys. After all, this was going to be a negotiation with cats.

    The channel to Dreands was inside a small por grove at Mo Bei City. It was a mudhole next to a tree. If not for the Zoog, no one would have discovered it. The entrance was heavily guarded by Phecda. Every mission came with its own risk. So before they departed, everyone said goodbye to friends and family. Elder Tong told them to be careful and Cai Zixuan sent them off with a poem, ¡°Bidding you farewell, I¡¯d like to offer you one more toast,

    For west of the Sun Gate you won¡¯te across any old friend.¡±

    That was technically not correct because the Great Atal was an old friend who might turn against them. If there was a chance, Cai Zixuan, Lou Xiaoning and the rest wanted to meet this Atal who managed to prophesize so many things. When they crossed the channel, Yu Chi, Feng Peiqian and the rest were impressed and stunned by the dancing lights. They stuck close to Gu Jun who followed Lucky. Lucky did not lead the wrong way. They soon exited the lights and fresh air hit them. Apanying it was the sound of the forest. Gu Jun looked at the nearby trees. He recognized the ce as the Enchanted Woods. Wu Siyu already noticed that there were small shadows darting among the trees, they were all Zoogs.

    ¡°The weapons have all dissolved.¡± Yu Chi reported. The guns that they carried as experiments disappeared.

    ¡°This way.¡± Lucky said, ¡°We¡¯ve prepared clothes for you.¡± Their current clothes would disappear in a few hours. They split ording to gender and each group followed one Zoog. If there was any problem, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu would contact each other spiritually. But this time the Zoogs did not y any trick. MP Unit put on Ulthar-style cotton clothing. Gu Jun also noticed the little embellishment done by the Zoog. Around the chest area, there was a w symbol made from Zoog fur, it was quite conspicuous. The group reunited after they changed. A grumpy Zoog said with annoyance, ¡°There are only so many of you? How is this enough¡­¡±

    Gu Jun shared their thoughts of trying to have a peace talk with the cats first. The Zoog answered angrily, ¡°No way! That will expose our n! What we need you to do is to destroy the Ulthar temple and distract all the cats and then we¡­ hue hue hue¡­¡± The Zoog chuckled wickedly and it was picked up by the other Zoogs. Only Lucky shivered silently. Gu Jun quickly picked out how they were supposed to be bait in the Zoog¡¯s n¡­

    But before the humans could say anything, suddenly azy meow rang clearly inside the forest. Everyone¡¯s eyes slowly turned towards it. All the Zoogs, including the wicked one, were stunned. Arge ck cat was sunningzily on a tree branch. The disinterested gaze stared at them. It was unclear how much it had heard.

    At Dreands,nguage was possible via intention so they heard the ck cat say, ¡°What is it that you have that is so fragrant?¡±

    ¡°Erm.¡± Wu Siyu waved a sprig of green in her grasp. ¡°You mean this?¡± It was the catnip.

 Chapter 494: Zoog and Cats

    <h4>Chapter 494: Zoog and Cats</h4>

    No one knew how long the catnip Wu Siyu brought wouldst but at least for now, they were still there. Other than that, the cat toys, yarn balls, and salmon sticks were still present as well.

    ¡°Meow.¡± The ck cat leaped down from the tree andnded firmly beside Wu Siyu. It showed great interest in the nt Wu Siyu was holding, ¡°It smells wonderful¡­¡±

    ¡°If you like it that much, here.¡± Wu Siyu ced the catnip before the ck cat. The cat took a deep sniff and its expression loosened with satisfaction. Then it yawned as if it was going to fall asleep¡­

    At that moment, the evil Zoog tapped furiously. The humans had no idea what he meant but the other Zoogs hurried into action. They gushed forward to surround Wu Siyu and the ck cat. Zoogs were not rats, they were more like the size of racoons. Some of them were evenrger like the evil Zoog. The Zoogs blocked off any exit. Then the evil Zoogmunicated with the humans, ¡°Grab the cat! Humans, help us!¡± Just as the Zoogs were about to pounce on the ck cat who was hypnotized by the catnip, Wu Siyu raised it high out of harm¡¯s way.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Gu Jun shouted. Yu Chi, Peacock and the rest understood him. They quickly formed a protective circle around Wu Siyu to prevent further conflict. Lucky had already slipped away. His mission was to lead the humans to Enchanted Woods, what happened next had nothing to do with him anymore¡­

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± The evil Zoog stomped angrily, ¡°If this cat escapes, our n to ambush the Cat¡¯s Temple will be impacted!¡± He quickly mped up when he realized he had revealed too much. He tapped his head to say, ¡°Grab the cat! Grab the cat!¡±

    ¡°But I am grabbing the cat.¡± Wu Siyu said with the cat raised above her head. The tension was palpable. While maintaining this pose, she told Gu Jun, ¡°Get this over with quick. My arms are getting tired.¡±

    The ck cat suddenly growled. It had awakened up from the allure of the catnip. It nced at the surrounding Zoogs. ¡°Are you Zoogs going to start a war?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± The Evil Zoog answered, ¡°Everything is ready, he he he¡­¡±

    ¡°Let me.¡± Gu Jun cut the Zoog off before he caused more damage. He greeted the ck cat politely, ¡°Hello, we are ambassadors from the human world. We¡¯re here to help negotiate the conflict between the Zoogs and the Ulthar Cats, we hope that it can be solved peacefully.¡±

    The Evil Zoog added in rage. ¡°What? Peacefully? Who said anything about that?!¡± Gu Jun turned to re at him. This was Dreands, his eyes carried the power of the Eye of the Abyss. Therefore, the Evil Zoog choked on his words. His ws stopped in mid air¡­ The other Zoogs looked at each other and curled up in waiting.

    ¡°Cat friend.¡± Gu Jun continued, ¡°The Zoog do not wish to continue their tribute to the cats anymore but we humans can offer the tribute on their behalf.¡±

    The ck cat shook its head. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve heard from the Zoogs but our history with the Zoogs went further than the tributes. They often ambushed our straggling tribes, killing some while selling the others to ck Merchants. The Zoogs have caused great damage to our race.¡± Gu Jun knew that the Zoogs were not kind creatures, after all, he was their victim as well. These small creatures were cunning and despicable. He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the ck cat was telling the truth.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The evil Zoog did not deny it. The other Zoogs countered, ¡°You cats started the ambush first!¡± Some wailed, ¡°You raped and plundered us and then ate us alive. You forced us to give yearly tribute and now it¡¯s our fault?!¡±

    ¡°Rape and plunder?¡± The ck cat hacked. ¡°That is some grand illusion of self-grandeur.¡± The Zoogs tapped in argument and noises erupted all over the woods. Gu Jun¡¯s group had no idea who was telling the truth, perhaps there was truth on both sides. Yu Chi requested them to refer back to evidence but was told that the original conflict happened several centuries ago. The tension between the cats and the Zoogs had been in existence for a long time, so long in fact that most details had been forgotten. The way they were remembered was through verbal retelling¡­ Evidence? There was none.

    In any case, the ck cat¡¯s tales were more detailed and clearer. Curled up in Wu Siyu¡¯s embrace, it sucked on the catnip and said, ¡°The peace treaty from our biggest war had human participation too. It was someone by the name of Rudolph Carter.¡±

    The mention of the name startled both Gu Jun and Yu Chi. This lost owner of City of Dusk had been to the Dreands to settle the war between the cats and the Zoogs?

    ¡°What happened to him after that?¡± Gu Jun asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The ck cat answered. ¡°Our cat elders said that it was this man who helped us stop the endless war, he was also one of the parties who helped draft the treaty that requires the Zoogs to provide us with yearly tributes. In any case, since humans have participated in the previous treaty, the cat tribes wouldn¡¯t mind if the humans want to represent the Zoogs toe up with a new draft. More than enough time has passed since the original treaty after all.¡±

    What the ck cat said inspired the PM Unit. Before they departed, peace talk was just the best oue possible for them but now it was well within reach!

    ¡°But if the Zoogs raise another war.¡± The cat¡¯s voice dipped. ¡°All the cats at Dreands will join the war.¡±

    ¡°Lucky, where are you?!¡± Gu Jun shouted but Lucky was nowhere to be seen. He turned to the hesitating Zoogs and persuaded, ¡°Zoog friends, if there¡¯s a war, there will be casualties on both sides. If we can solve this peacefully, why not? How about we try to discuss this with the cats first?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him!¡± The evil Zoog tapped his body while he closed his eyes to Gu Jun¡¯s influence, ¡°Just like what the cat said, the humans participated in our pain, they are also our enemy! They wish to eliminate us with the cats. This is a conspiracy, a human conspiracy! Move, move out now!¡± The evil Zoog was ultimately the leader. His strength instilled faith in the other Zoogs. His shout instantly mobilized the other Zoogs. The humans tried to stop the Zoogs but there were so many of them. Furthermore, they could not harm any of the Zoog for that would defeat the purpose of a peace talk. More Zoogs disappeared into the forest and headed towards their destination.

    The evil Zoog¡¯s eyes were closed so he could not find his way. Just as he tried to escape, Mchite jumped to grab him.

    ¡°He he he¡­¡± The Zoog patted Mchite¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s toote now. Everything is ready and in ce.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is your n?¡± Wu Siyu asked. Feng Peiqian and Bell Grant did not think the creature would answer¡­ But just like any good viin, the evil Zoog had to run his mouth. He giggled wickedly, ¡°Our initial n is to have you humans lead all the cats into that broken temple and then we¡¯ll light it up! We¡¯ve made purchases of powerful explosives from the ck merchants and ced them strategically inside the temple. But never mind, since there¡¯s a change of ns now, our older Zoogs will sacrifice themselves to lure the cats into the temple and then Boom!¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Wu Siyu tried to imagine what the Zoog described, ¡°What is supposed to happen to us humans after we¡¯ve lured the cats into the temple in your initial n?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you¡¯re supposed to burn with the rest of them.¡± The evil Zoog guffawed.

    The ck cat leaped out from Wu Siyu¡¯s arms and headed towards Ulthar.

    ¡°Keep up!¡± Gu Jun ordered the others to follow the ck cat as he weaved through the trees. Lucky finally showed up. He volunteered to guide the way. After some thoughts, he decided he did not want a war. That would cause Zoogs unnecessary sacrifices too. The fire would ruin everything.

    The evil Zoog in Mchite¡¯s grip kept tapping himself, grinning and howling insidiously.

 Chapter 495: Fight

    <h4>Chapter 495: Fight</h4>

    The Enchanted Forest opened to Ulthar¡¯s countryside. It was an idyllic ce. There was a mud road far away and scattered alongside it were simple houses. The 12 members of MP Unit followed the ck cat and Lucky down the in. The sight of Ulthar still did not appear down the horizon. They knew it was already toote. The Zoogs knew how to transmit information using sound, which was much faster than actual travelling. Therefore, Yu Chi suggested that they summon Byakee and utilize its power of flight. The use of spells was risky, even more so since they were at Dreands. Furthermore, their destination was Ulthar, a ce that banned the use of magic. But the situation was unique. With the ck cat as their vouch, Gu Jun agreed to it.

    Even though the Phecda members had read the Nine Mysterium Arts, they did not master it as much as Yu Chi¡¯s group. People like Bell Grant who did not participate in the frontline war finally witnessed the actual power of their friends from Mysterium World. Soon 6rge Byakees appeared and the smell of decay overwhelmed them.

    ¡°This is impressive.¡± Peacock sighed. Thend¡¯s nomads required several warriors like Mchite and herself just to summon a projection of Byakee and that would drain them greatly¡­ In contrast, Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian were unaffected by the summoning, they could have even summoned a few more.

    ¡°Captain Gu, get up!¡± Yu Chi extended his hands towards Gu Jun. Feng Peiqian initially wanted to give her own ride to Gu Jun and Wu Siyu so that she could share her captain¡¯s Byakee¡­ But the Byakee pped its wings and Yu Chi and Gu Jun already flew into the sky. They had with them the ck cat. Yu Chi¡¯s voice came from above. ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    ¡°I get you, sister.¡± Wu Siyu patted Feng Peiqian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°One¡¯s Byakee, the other¡¯s a Nokia.¡± But Feng Peiqian did not get her. In the end, both girls took a Byakee with Lucky while the other 8 shared the remaining 4. The view was clearer from the sky. Those who had not been to otherndmarks at Dreands could easily mistake this ce as paradise. Thend was more peaceful and quieter than Earth¡¯s Shangri. After they crossed the in, a small town finally appeared in their sight.

    The buildings at the townyered over each other. From the second floor onwards, the buildings were connected via some kind of unique channel. That made it hard for them to see down into the streets clearly but they managed to notice shadows of cats moving towards the same location, the Ulthar Temple. Initially, the cats were cautious of the strangers from the sky but once they heard a familiar meow, they turned their attention away. Since the cats did not pay the flying creatures much attention, the stunned citizens also calmed down. They returned to their work. At this ce, the cats were the guardians. Since the cats had no problem with them, then they had to be on their sides.

    Chaos though was happening around the temple premises at the top of the hill. Cat¡¯s growls echoed everywhere as cats jumped out from rooftops and trees. There were many different species of cats, like the tabby cats, Persian cats and some other species that were unique to Dreands. They were all moving with extreme grace.

    Gu Jun sighed in relief, at least they did not arrive at a sea of fire. In fact strangely enough, there was not even a trace of spark at the temple. There were several pirs of smoke but they came from the kitchen. They smelt delicious and not at all like explosives. Outside the hill where the main temple tower was situated, there were crowds of cats and Zoogs. The army of Zoogs was surrounded in the middle. They hissed and waved their ws but none of them dared to jump at the cats. The cats did notunch any attack either. They merely surrounded the Zoogs,yer uponyer. The Zoogs had no way of escaping. Among them, the elderly Zoogs were already panicking.

    ¡°What is going on?!¡± When the evil Zoog saw this from the sky, he patted anxiously on the Byakee¡¯s back. ¡°Where¡¯s the fire? Burn them all! What are we waiting for¡­¡±

    The 6 Byakees hovered low. When they were about 1 metre from the ground, they jumped from the air and almost trampled on some of the Zoogs and cats. The Byakees who hadpleted their mission returned to the sky. They circted the temple as per their summoners¡¯ instruction.

    For humans, every Zoog looked about the same but Gu Jun could recognize one of the Zoogs huddled in the crowd. The fur, the beard, the expression and size, he was the Elder Zoog, the leader of the Zoogs.

    ¡°Fight, why aren¡¯t we fighting?¡± The evil Zoog groused. This was far from what he imagined would have happened by now. In any case, he got what he wished because several cats did pounce on him and give him a fight. The Zoog¡¯s ears were torn apart and his ws cracked. His fur coat lost a few patches. His screams turned from instigation to pleas. ¡°Please help me¡­ Pull them away¡­ Help, help¡­ I don¡¯t want to fight anymore¡­¡±

    Lucky had once again disappeared. His mission was done. He had brought the humans here so what happened next was none of his business. Seeing the Zoog had learned his lesson, Gu Jun stepped forth to say, ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    At the same time, many cats surrounded Wu Siyu. Some looked up at her, others leaped onto her shoulders. What smells so nice?

    Wu Siyu waved the catnip and the cats all stopped. The dying evil Zoog crawled to the side and did not dare to make a sound again¡­

    ¡°Aiz.¡± The Elder Zoog sighed. ¡°Surrender, we surrender.¡±

    Actually the humans were confused. Why did the Zoog¡¯s n fail? What happened to their explosives?

    Then they found out the Zoogs had been scammed by the ck Merchant. During the first trade, the ck Merchant did bring along the real powerful explosive for goods inspection but the actual stock that they sold to the Zoogs were the expired goods. The Zoogs were too cowardly to inspect the goods again, afraid that they might burn in the fire due to idents. They wouldn¡¯t want to die when good days were ahead of them. After all the cats were burned in the fire, they wouldn¡¯t need to pay tribute anymore. How many hens and chickens awaited them¡­

    Just thinking about that, the Zoogs couldn¡¯t care less about the authenticity of the explosives¡­

    They did ce all the explosives around the temple, and after the humans exposed their ns, some of the older Zoogs volunteered as bait to lure the cats into the temple, but when they lit up the explosives, all they did was to fizzle and then puff out. The ¡®explosives¡¯ were less impressive than fireworks. It could not even burn down a single paper much less a stone tower like the Ulthar Temple.

 Chapter 496: Three-Sided Negotiation

    <h4>Chapter 496: Three-Sided Negotiation</h4>

    The fragrance of the catnip circted inside the main tower. The Great Atal was seated on arge stone chair. Many cats surrounded him. They yawnedzily, their nose twitching asionally. The smell of catnip was not observable to man but they were a great rxing stimnt for cats. Many cats sat orid on the two sides of the lobby. The amount of species would have startled any biologist. There were white cats, ck cats, grey cats, mixed color cats, leopard cats, angora cats¡­ Because there were so many cats, the Zoogs which were surrounded like criminals in the middle of the lobby shivered nonstop. Lucky was also captured and naturally the Evil Zoog was there as well.

    The humans stayed at the door at the back of the lobby.

    ¡°Meow, the Zoogs have raised a war for no reason.¡± An old leopard cat said, ¡°Shattering the peace between us two races. They attempted to burn down our temple, the whole Ulthar. This is such a vicious intention! They should be punished!¡±

    ¡°What vicious intentions¡­¡± The Elder Zoog argued, ¡°There was no harm done, was there? There was no injury between the cats and the Zoogs¡­¡± The evil Zoog quickly tapped against the ground, ¡°No, leader, I¡¯m injured. See¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no injury.¡± The Elder Zoog countered, ¡°That¡¯s just mere scratch marks when you were ying with our feline friends. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡± The evil Zoog¡¯s beady eyes widened. His body was bloody and one of his ears was missing¡­ The Elder Zoog continued calmly as he exined. ¡°Lucky learned from the humans a holiday called April¡¯s Fool and that is what we intended to do today. This was just a joke! Do you really think our whole tribe wouldn¡¯t have checked the explosives if this was not a joke? Ha ha ha¡­ We intended to buy the secondary product from the ck Merchants to try to scare our feline friends. It¡¯s all in good jest.¡± But the Elder Zoog¡¯s voice slowly dwindled from ack of confidence and he eventually shut up. This was because the nearby cats started to look at him with warning. Even some of the cats who were enjoying the catnips opened their eyes at him.

    ¡°Smokes and mirrors, what is real?¡± The Great Atalmented slowly. The senior did fit Gu Jun¡¯s description of a wise schr.

    ¡°I admit¡­ our joke has gone a bit too far¡­¡± The Elder Zoog patted his stomach. ¡°And caused some negative impact. It has frightened the citizens and cats of Ulthar, for that we apologize. As apology, we Zoogs will provide 1000 hens, 1000 chickens and 1000 quails aspensation.¡± The cats in the lobby were unmoved, if anything, their gaze turned more vicious.

    ¡°Do you think we are Zoogs?¡± The leopard cat asked.

    The Elder Zoog stumbled, ¡°Then for our yearly tribute, we¡¯ll¡­ double¡­ no triple.¡± Be it the Evil Zoog, Lucky or the other Zoogs, they groaned audibly. This n had backfired horribly. Their life was already hard, if the tribute tripled, what else were they supposed to eat in the future? Seeing the Elder Zoog was about to raise the number again, Lucky turned to look at Gu Jun who stood by quietly. Lucky only had his own tribe¡¯s interest at heart. He hugged Gu Jun¡¯s leg and wept as he patted Gu Jun¡¯s thigh, ¡°Doctor Gu, please help us¡­ We¡¯ve been to the house of Worm and fought at Mo Bei together¡­ You won¡¯t want this tragedy to befall us Zoogs do you? Many young Zoogs will die of hunger if this tribute goes through¡­¡± Lucky appealed to their history together. He knew humans were sentimental creatures and the Nightmare Man had a softer side.

    ¡°But you nned to burn us alive earlier.¡± Gu Jun countered. Lucky turned to Wu Siyu with his big eyes. Wi Siyu turned away. Well, the man was not wrong.

    ¡°But I had nothing to do with that n, my task was merely to bring you here¡­¡± Lucky cried. ¡°My kin have been yearning for the good life so much because we were raised in poverty. We thought only violence can solve the problem. Doctor Gu, I¡¯ve always been on your side, please say something.¡±

    Realizing that the point had been made, while everyone inside the lobby watched, Gu Jun stepped forward to mediate. ¡°The Zoogs will continue to provide tribute but we humans will offer the tribute on their behalf. The numbers will be several hundred thousand poultry¡­¡± He was only beginning when he was cut off by the leopard cat. ¡°We¡¯ve gotten tired of the poultry, plus we could have captured them ourselves. If the humans wish to offer the tribute on the Zoog¡¯s behalf, then give us these catnips. These things haven¡¯t disappeared. They are the perfect tribute.¡±

    The cat was right. Most of the items the human brought over had disappeared. Even the medical items had dissolved into nothing. The same went for the cat toys, only the catnips remained, not one sprig was gone. Gu Jun looked at his teammates and they all caught the meaning in his gaze. Catnips were cheaper and easier to transport than poultry.

    Yu Chi thought about it and he paced anxiously. These catnips were treasures! Just like tea leaves and silks in antiquity, they were invaluable for the Dreands cats but the premise was humanity had to be the only party who had ess to them. Yu Chi almost jumped forward to swallow all the catnips that carried roots and stems. If the cats or Zoogs started nting this nt, then it would lose its value. The nts¡¯ stem, roots and seeds had to be destroyed and future tributes would only provide the cats with the leaves¡­

    ¡°Okay, we humans will offer the catnips as tribute.¡± Gu Jun agreed first but his eyes kept wandering over to the Elder Zoog who clearly was up to something. ¡°In exchange, the Zoogs have to provide us with information and send out their tribe members to Earth to work for us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± The Great Atal said. ¡°But that will strengthen the bond between Earth and Dreands, there might be consequences.¡± This problem had been considered by the higher ups of both worlds before they departed. At this junction, this was inevitable.

    At the same time, the elder Zoogs grumbled among themselves. They too thought the trade was worth it. They would be spared from giving up their food. While they were supposed to work for humans, they could have easily cheated out of their responsibility¡­ After all, the humans wouldn¡¯t be able to find them¡­ With this in mind, the Elder Zoog tapped his head seriously and agreed to the new contract!

    From that moment on, the Zoogs would be the human¡¯s allies.

    ¡°Meow¡­¡± The leopard cat warned Gu Jun. ¡°These Zoogs are very cunning, they might not live up to their promise.¡±

    ¡°That is possible.¡± Gu Jun raised his voice for everyone to hear. ¡°We treat our friends with kindness but not so much our enemies. If the Zoogs do not live up to their responsibility, we will not provide even a single leaf of catnip to the cats in Dreands. And that will be all on the Zoogs.¡±

    The previouslyying cats instantly bristled. The disgruntled meows crashed like waves. What does the agreement between humans and the Zoogs have to do with us cats?

    ¡°You¡¯re not even going to sell us the nts?¡± The leopard cat asked. They would even ept that the Zoogs continue with their usual tribute while the cats started a new trade with the humans.

    ¡°No.¡± Gu Jun shook his head. ¡°If there¡¯s any problem, me the Zoogs.¡±

    Was it a better option to have an alliance with the cats? Gu Jun and the others had considered this already. The cats had unknown power and their divinity might be even more powerful but they were not as easily controlled as the Zoogs. Furthermore, in Gu Jun¡¯s previous probing, the cats showed no interest in any alliance at all.

    ¡°We¡¯ll give you wines in exchange for the catnips.¡± The leopard cat offered.

    ¡°No,¡± Gu Jun shook his head firmly. ¡°The catnips are the Zoogs¡¯ tribute, not us human¡¯s.¡±

    Now, the Elder Zoog¡¯s expression shifted again.

 Chapter 497: Some Legends

    <h4>Chapter 497: Some Legends</h4>

    The 3-sided contract between humans, Zoogs and cats was thusmitted. Elder Zoog was escorted out from the temple by Lucky and a few other young Zoogs. He might end up the biggest sinner or hero in Zoog history, time would tell but for now, he only wanted to take a breath and rest. The small creatures, including the evil Zoog left the temple with their head hanging. They left Ulthar and returned to Enchanted Forest. They had toe up with a team of Zoog to follow the PM Team back to Earth to work.

    Some of the cats sauntered out from the temple as well. They carried a few leaves of catnip with them. Before they got far, they were surrounded by their kin, fighting over the leaves.

    Back in the lobby, Gu Jun tried to get as much info from the leopard cat as well as the Great Atal. Was Nyathotep the divinity worshipped by the Ulthar cats?

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Hearing that name, the leopard cat and ck cat growled in disgust. The leopard cat exined, Nyathotep was worshipped by their rival cats, another feline tribe at Dreands. ¡°We do not know what exactly Nyathotep is, because it has many faces.¡± The leopard cat continued, ¡°It will sometimes appear at Dreands. Many smaller divines here will bow towards it. Those who follow it, be it man or cats, they find joy in destroying and toying with others. They are the forces of chaos.¡±

    Gu Jun and Yu Chi knew about these but it was news that there was another tribe of cats at Dreands.

    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter for us to tell you about the divinity that we worship.¡± The leopard cat yawnedzily, ¡°It¡¯s the Goddess of Cats, Bastet.¡±

    Yu Chi instantly shivered. Bastet! That was the cat goddess in the Ancient Egyptian pantheon! The goddess of war among the lower Egypt. With a cat¡¯s head and human body, she was also the protector of human, warmth and joy. In the legends, Bastet also was the rival of Apep the Great Serpent.

    ¡°Captain Gu, Captain Gu¡­¡± Yu Chi hurriedly revealed the info to Gu Jun. Ryan Nathan from Ennd who studied Ancient Egypt also shared his knowledge. Gu Jun listened quietly and atst one of his hypothesis was proven. Nyathotep had been in human history for a long time. The name Nyathotep sounds very Egyptian in the first ce, in fact the affix, ¡®-hotep¡¯ means ¡®make¡­ satisfied¡¯ or ¡®make¡­ calm¡¯. For example, the four pharaoh Amenhotep 1, 2, 3, and 4. Their names can be tranted as ¡®the one that makes Amon satisfied.¡¯ The Amon in question is Amon-ra, the sun god, the twin of Apep and its nemesis.

    So if Nyathotep was read simrly, it would mean ¡®the one who makes Nyat satisfied,¡¯ in that case, who is this Nyat? This Nyathotep serves someone beyond it?

    Gu Jun posed the question to the cat and Great Atal.

    ¡°Is there a higher presence above Bastet and Nyathotep?¡± The leopard cat mused. ¡°The answer is yes but we do not know much about them and it is not something you humans should be involved in. But in the legends rted to Rudolph Carter¡­ There is one where he was tricked by Nyathotep and sent to meet the higher existence. But the man realized it was a dream and he used lucid dreaming to dream his way out.¡± With regards to Rudolph Carter, the leopard cat could only provide little information. This was because this was from a long time ago, even a senior cat like it had not met the man.

    In the legend, Carter got to the summit of the tallest mountain, Kadath and managed to get back the City of Dusk from Earth¡¯s Gods. The ¡®Earth¡¯s Gods¡¯ were different from Bastet and Nyathotep, these were divinities thatmon humans could approach. Inparison, they were much weaker than the Old Ones. But these were mere legends. There were lost details and no one knew how it ended. One could have easily found out about these tales from the citizens of Ulthar, they were like fairy tales at Dreands.

    On one hand, the PM Team was excited to listen to the story because Rudolph Carter was so powerful and he represented the upper limit of human strength; on the other hand, due to the same reason, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his strength was exaggerated¡­

    ¡°This Rudolph Carter, I remember him.¡± The Great Atal who had been silent suddenly said something that surprised all the humans and cats. The man¡¯s wrinkled face looked lost in memory. ¡°At the time, he had me drunk on the Zoog¡¯s moon wine and got me to expose many things that I shouldn¡¯t. He is a very special human, indeed, he exudes a special kind of power.¡±

    So Carter¡¯s time of activity wasn¡¯t several thousands years ago. This Atal who had been alive for several hundred years had served Carter at the temple. Gu Jun was inspired knowing that. The Great Atal had lent great validity to Carter¡¯s existence. As well as the City of Dusk and the foundation¡­

    Also did this mean City of Dusk might be located at Dreands?

    ¡°Turn Towards Light, Never Despair!¡± Like usual, Yu Chi was much more excited than Gu Jun. He too understood the hidden meaning behind Atal¡¯s words. Their worlds needed too much help, the help that could be trusted. This news was a great reward for their journey. But no matter how they tried to get the Great Atal to speak, the old man refused to provide any more information about Carter. As if to prevent the repetition of his past mistake, he refused drinks and food but sat there stonily. All he was willing to say was, he didn¡¯t know that much about Carter, he too didn¡¯t know what happened to the man.

    ¡°Nyathotep is a huge trouble.¡± It was instead the leopard cat who said, ¡°But it has a short attention span. Time is not a thing for them. If you do not pique its interest, it might be several hundred years before it appears before you again.¡±

    The cat¡¯s whisker pulled taut. ¡°I also heard that you have summoned Shub-Niggurath to resist its chaos, but it has disintegrated into dust and floated away. Shub-Niggurath has immensely powerful tenacity and life. It is a cradle of life but its power is not all-sustaining. Just like a moth cannot sustain a dog¡¯s life, a human also cannot sustain a life force stronger than its mortal body can support. Thanks to your help today, we will give you some advice. A great change to humanity is about toe.¡±

    The leopard cat said seriously and the expression of the other cats turned stern. Gu Jun¡¯s brows furrowed. To be honest, before this warning, their worlds were already prepared for tragedy. ¡°Or rather this change is different from the tragedies that you have faced recently¡­¡± The leopard cat continued, ¡°Disease and gue are to im lives but Shub-Niggurath doesn¡¯t do that, it produces and evolves life. But that kind of over-abundance can crush a civilization too.¡±

    After that, the cat and Great Atal stopped talking. For one, their knowledge was limited, for two, it did not benefit them. The cloud over the future collected over the humans¡¯ heart. Humanity just overcame a tragedy but they were still floating in the dark ocean. Everyone was feeling down.

    The only exception was Wu Siyu. Her mission was to y with the cats, to build a bond with the cat tribes. That was perfect for her. She only needed to lie around, sunbath and be surrounded by fluffy creatures.

 Chapter 498: Things at Ulthar

    <h4>Chapter 498: Things at Ulthar</h4>

    Lucky was given an official post. His title was Zoog Department¡¯s Vice Leader. Speaking of the Zoog Department, this was in the works for a long time already. Once Phecda World managed to form the alliance with the Zoogs, the department woulde into action with Lucky as the vice leader and a human as the leader. Therefore, even though the PM team was still at Ulthar, Lucky was already the vice leader and was enjoying the privilege that came with it. Officially, based on the Phecda¡¯s hierarchy, his position was taller than all the members of the PM Unit. But Lucky did not put on any air around them, he cared about them and helped them with the menial jobs. He¡¯d give Gu Jun a massage and then Wu Siyu a back rub, he was such a good leader. But when he was around his Zoog underlings, Lucky was totally different¡­

    After some selection, the Elder selected 10000 Zoogs from the troops who were supposed to attack Ulthar to form the scout unit to send to Earth. During their first gathering, they sat within the woods, listening to the lecture from the Elder Zoog. ¡°Children, you¡¯ll be leaving for Earth soon.¡± The Elder Zoog tapped on a rotten trunk and sighed, ¡°You¡¯ll leave home carrying the future of the Zoog race. Your responsibility is great, remember¡­¡± He paused before suddenly tapping his stomach hurriedly, ¡°to loosen your throat and eat everything human beings have to offer!¡±

    The woods instantly echoed with cheers. Whether they were assigned to Earth or not, all the Zoogs were pping. Since Gu Jun said humanity would take care of their amodation and food, these working Zoogs would take his word on it. Therefore, among the elite scouts, most of them were famed big eaters. They¡¯d eat 2 chicken thighs when others only needed 1. As these 10000 Zoogs were moved to earth and brought under the human¡¯s responsibility, it would greatly lower the pressure on the Zoogs tribe. Furthermore, they did not need to give tribute to the cats anymore. The price of chicken dropped like crazy. Therefore, there was no Zoog that was not happy. The day before they could not even afford chicken but soon, they would have so much food that wastage was inevitable. If that was not victory, then what was?

    Hooray, Elder Zoog! Hooray, Lucky! With regards to the evil Zoog who was still trying to instigate a counter attack, no one cared about him anymore. The Elder Zog was teaching his sessor the importance of adaptability. There were many ways to lead to victory, one shouldn¡¯t be too hung up over the process as long as the result was victorious. In their original n, therge eaters assigned at the frontline would die and that would lower the burden on the tribute. But now that they were going to be sent to Earth, their goal was still aplished.

    10000 Zoogs sounded like a lot but for Earth, they were like sand in arge river. There were so many countries and now there was even another Mysterium World. Therefore, MP Team epted the 10000 Zoogs, in fact they would have taken double that number. But since they had not worked together in the past before, they would take this slow. How to arrange these Zoogs was another matter of concern. When the fatty Zoogs gathered together, it was quite a scene. Not all of them were excited. Some were feeling down. They were going to go work for the humans soon. These cunning humans, how kind could they be? These kind Zoogs were going to be tortured and then possibly die in another world. Poor things. But some of the brighter Zoogs were already discussing among themselves. They would go and work in the human worlds for several years, get permanent residency and then bring over their whole family. They would all apply to enjoy a better life there, where big chicken thighs would be served daily.

    However, before they departed, their wonderful idea was already challenged. ¡°The human worlds are very big on hierarchy!¡± Inside the forest, Lucky stood on a tree stump. He had his hands behind his back. He paced slowly about. A ne made from chicken bone strung from his neck to show his official status. His beady eyes scanned the fat Zoogs before him and said seriously, ¡°When we leave Enchanted Woods, we will be representing the Zoogs. How we appear to others is how the Zoogs appear to the worlds. If we do not follow the rules, then the Zoogs will be seen as idiotic, barbaric and primitive.¡± While he was giving his speech, some of the fat Zoogs were scratching their ears, others scratched their grumbling stomachs, not many were listening.

    ¡°Therefore, there has to be rules!¡± Lucky said loudly, ¡°The rules we¡¯ll have are simr to what the humans already have. To ensure that everyone can aplish that paradigm shift in their thoughts, we will start now. You, you, and you,e and massage my back.¡± The selected Zoogs looked at each other, they did not even understand what the meaning of massage was. Lucky had to give a more detailed exnation. Seeing their hesitation, Lucky huffed. ¡°I am the vice leader! If I am not satisfied, I can kick you out of the troop! Do you not want to go to Earth to enjoy chicken thighs and drink coke?¡± Then the Zoogs hurried toe massage their vice leader¡¯s back and legs. Lucky groaned with satisfaction. You have not really enjoyed the joy of life until you have held a ce of power¡­

    ¡°Being an official is great, being a vice leader is great¡­¡± Lucky¡¯s w rubbed his tummy and hummed a song that he made. Ever since it was announced that the Zoog¡¯s working army had to follow the human rules, Lucky decided he didn¡¯t need to walk anymore. He stayed lying in afortable rattan basket and was carried by other Zoogs. He was fed by other Zoogs too, this was all he had learned from Wu Siyu. At that moment, a studious Zoog asked, ¡°Vice leader, Captain Gu is also an official, right? Why didn¡¯t he need people to carry me?¡±

    ¡°Hmmph, he¡¯s not an official!¡± Lucky instantly sat up inside the basket and huffed with dissatisfaction, ¡°Listen carefully, none of those humans are actual officials. They are all fighters. No, Captain Gu he¡­¡± He was still talking when Lucky narrowed his eyes. He saw Gu Jun lead Peacock and Mchite out from the trees. They walked through the sea of Zoogs and strode over. Lucky rolled out from the basket. He dragged hisrge body and said politely, ¡°Doctor Gu, you¡¯re so early today!¡±

    Lucky cursed internally at his dumb kin. The Zoogs would know once the Nightmare Man entered the forest so why no one told him anything? If he was showering, then wouldn¡¯t they have seen everything?

    ¡°We¡¯ve alreadypleted the things we need to do at Ulthar.¡± Gu Jun told Lucky, ¡°We need to go back before the channel disappears. Are you guys ready?¡± No other Zoogs understood the danger of the human world better than Lucky, it was even more dangerous than Dreands. He had just enjoyed 2 days in paradise, naturally he wouldn¡¯t want it to end so soon. So Lucky stammered, ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to stay for a few more days? The channel is still quite stable. Ulthar is such a pretty ce, you should stay for a while longer.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll depart before dusk.¡± Gu Jun saw through his n. ¡°Be ready.¡± After Gu Jun and his friends left, Lucky turned back to his underlings nervously¡­ he just showed how meek he was before the humans¡­ ¡°So Captain Gu is really not an official.¡± The studious Zoog suddenly sighed, ¡°No official woulde deliver the news in person.¡± The other Zoogs nodded. They thought Captain Gu was a high ranking official but now they realized he was just a delivery man. Just like that Lucky¡¯s authority remained unchallenged. He rolled back into the basket and enjoyed his chicken while ordering his underlings to prepare for the departure.

    Since there was still half a day left until the departure, the PM Team wandered about Ulthar. Thanks to the protection of the cats, Ulthar had always been a peaceful town. As long as they did not challenge the local taboo, the humans were treated like VIP at the town. The vigers were very kind to them. Bell Grant, Ryan Nathan and Linapova entered a tavern. They weren¡¯t there for drinks but for information. Even though most of the Ulthar citizens had not wandered away from town, there were often merchants from Dth-Leen that stopped here. The Drunken Cat Tavern was the town¡¯s biggest watering hole so the boss should know a lot of things.

    ¡°Is there a nightmare man among your group?¡± The boss asked in a whisper as if the name would bring misfortune. Before that the boss brought the group to a private room, saying that he had something confidential to tell them. Turns out the boss heard from the Evil Zoog who came to drown his sorrow that the legendary nightmare man was in their midst. The rank of the Evil Zoog in the tribe had fallen so low that he did not even have the right to the moon wine anymore. On the other hand, the stupid Zoog that he used to bully and mock now had a new name given by the human called Lucky and was on his way up. Lucky did not even acknowledge the evil Zoog¡¯s presence anymore and that hurt the most. He had contributed so much for the tribe, blood, sweat and tears. The n was wless and he was the mastermind behind it. It should have made him a historical figure, was it his fault that the ck Merchants scammed them?!

    When the evil zoog was drunk, he rambled everything to the boss, including his revenge n. He knew that the ck Merchants were still looking for the Nightmare Man. They wanted to capture the Nightmare Man to finish his show at the Sunset Theatre and then had him sold to the cannibals at Leng teau. He knew that the PM Team would have to pass through the Enchanted Wood to return to Earth. The woods were beyond the cat¡¯s protection so if he sold this news to the ck Merchants and had themy down an ambush there¡­ The nightmare man was powerful but the ck Merchants were cunning. After the nightmare man was captured, the alliance between the humans and the Zoogs would definitely be ruined. Wars would happen and he would be needed again. The dream was so beautiful that the evil Zoog mmed on the table happily. He even imed that he would not be called Evil Zoog anymore but Dark Zoog.

    Now this drunk Zoog was locked up by the boss inside an iron cage. Bell Grant shivered hearing the story. Another tragedy almost happened. Danger always came at the most unexpected time. They only sighed in relief when they saw the evil zoog snoring peacefully inside the cage. Even though most of the Zoogs looked the same, this dark zoog was unique because he had exposed teeth and his wounds still hadn¡¯t healed. He chuckled viciously as he lived out his dream.

    ¡°Nightmare man? Boss, what is that?¡± They did not know much about that, they did hear the Zoogs refer to Gu Jun by that name. Apparently it was due to his experience at Dreands. ¡°Nightmare man, he¡¯s the madman who murdered his way out of Dth-Leen with his abyssal eyes!¡± The boss said excitedly. His beer belly extended proudly as he started his tale, ¡°No ve has ever managed to escape from the ck Merchants before¡­¡±

    The group listened quietly. When they heard how the nightmare man managed to cut his way through the sunset theatre, they gasped in shock. They had no idea Captain Gu had gone through such a harrowing journey. His experience at Dreands was like a visit to hell. Their difference in power to Gu Jun was muchrger than they thought.

    The team members then left the tavern to report the Dark Zoog¡¯s n to Gu Jun. The Zoog had to be punished and an exnation was demanded of the Elder Zoog. Cracks were already forming in their alliance so early in its formation.

    Gu Jun and Wu Siyu went for a walk. They hadn¡¯t had a couple time in a long time already. This was a rare moment for them to rx. They wandered down the pretty vige, taking in the sights and rubbed the cats that wandered past. Their feeling was as warm as the afternoon son. But after some walking, Wu Siyu suddenly said, ¡°Dirty-minded Jun, you once said that human evolution is not perfect and I think I agree with you now. How I wish humans had four legs¡­ Two for normal use and two for spare, we can switch them at ease.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s good¡­¡± The image of it caused Gu Jun some horror. ¡°But if you don¡¯t feel like walking, I can carry you.¡± He was just saying that as a couple¡¯s joke. But Dirty-minded Yu did jump on his back. As they trotted down the road in this fashion, they were osted by Bell Grant¡¯s group. The 12 of them were connected by the MP Team¡¯s mental pir, they could sense each other¡¯s presence, it was like they carried a GPS within them. When Gu Jun heard about the Dark Zoog, he adjusted his expression immediately. He had Bell grab the tavern boss and the Dark Zoog, and Polinova get the Elder Zoog and leopard cat. They would hash this out at the temple where Peacock and Mchite were still harassing The Great Atal about this and that.

    Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian though, they had their own activities. ¡°Peiqian, why did you drag me here?¡± Yu Chi asked as he stood beside a round fountain made from cobbles at the fringe of the town. ¡°Captain, this is a wishing pond.¡± Feng Peiqian looked at the clear water inside the pond and her voice softened, ¡°ording to legend, it has been blessed by Bastet. The couples at Ulthar wille here to get the goddess¡¯ blessing. It is the reason why the families here are so happy.¡±

    Yu Chi frowned. ¡°Bastet and a wishing pond? But there is no such record in her legends¡­ Is it left out of the legends or is this unique to Ulthar?¡± Yu Chi thought to himself as he knelt down to study the cobble on the fountain. ¡°Does it contain the power of Bastet? But how? Is it the structure of the pond or the water source?¡± Yu Chi tapped at the stone and stared closely at the water, looking for inscriptions or symbols.

    Feng Peiqing sighed. She looked into the sky, as she expected, a stone was not going to be cracked so easily.

    ¡°Wait, found it!¡± Yu Chi suddenly eximed in glee. He did find a cat¡¯s head carving on one of the undersides of a stone. This carving was not simple.

    ¡°Peiqian, get me some paper and ink.¡± Yu Chi urged. ¡°I wish to copy down this symbol. Is that doable? Is that a taboo? Peiqian, I need to go ask the Great Atal about this, ask him about this wishing pond¡­ No wait, you guard here, I will go ask¡­¡± Feng Peiqian felt like drowning herself inside the pool.

    ¡°Captain, stay here. I just made that all up.¡± She sighed. ¡°This is just a normal pool.¡±

    Yu Chi, who was already running, stopped. He scratched his head and groaned, ¡°You¡¯re joking right? But that does not exin that symbol, it does not look like a story¡­ right.¡± It hit him. ¡°This is an example of your sensory ability kicking in! You ¡®made up this story¡¯ not knowing you were influenced by a mysterious power. This might be an important clue¡­ Could it be Bastet who is behind this¡­? I need to go and ask.¡± Yu Chi¡¯s jaws set and he flew away. ¡°Peiqian, you shoulde with me. The pool is not going to disappear. There¡¯s no need to guard it. We need to go and find out why you¡¯de up with that story.¡±

    Pei Feiqian studied Yu Chi who rushed away and took another deep breath. The man¡¯s brain was working perfectly fine. But what exactly was going through his mind?!

 Chapter 499: Power of the Cat

    <h4>Chapter 499: Power of the Cat</h4>

    Strange rustling, dried leaves, shadows fluttered inside Enchanted Woods. Between the foliage, shiny eyes blinked for seconds before they disappeared. Footfalls suddenly appeared. They belonged to a team of 6 individuals. They were adorned in full ck outfit and a turban that covered the protuberance on their head. They had strange facial features, among them arge mouth. They looked around cautiously. They were supposed to meet up with a Zoog in the forest, to discuss something important.

    Without warning, shadows darted out from the trees. The ck merchants were overwhelmed, and things were chaotic. Cats hissed and growled. The ws swiped the merchants¡¯ faces, mouths, and bodies. The skin tore and blood sttered. The ck merchants groaned in pain. They wanted to pull out their scabbards and use their spells but were interrupted by the cats every time. During the struggle, one of the merchants managed to pull out his whistle. It was used to inform their partners that they had been ambushed by the cats! The others quickly hurried over to help.

    The MP unit hidden inside the forest finally had the chance to see the Ulthar cats in action. Several hours ago, the 3 parties met up inside the temple. The Elder Zoog said confidently that he was not privy to the evil Zoog¡¯s n. They were about to send theirrgest eaters to Earth, that was such a huge benefit, why would they ruin that?

    The tavern boss verified that. The evil zoog said in his drunken stupor that this was all his n, it had nothing to do with the Zoog. The evil Zoog who had awakened by then, refused to admit anything but he had overestimated himself. One gaze from the Eye of Abyss and he revealed everything. The Evil Zoog would be permanently locked up at the Ulthar temple and tasked to handle all the menial work. The Great Atal would lecture him daily to help him turn over a new leaf.

    With regards to the ck Merchants, the cats were already quite annoyed by these people who would sneakily appear around Ulthar tomit illegal business. The leopard cat realized this was the perfect chance to use their own n against them. After some discussion, they decided to help the humans settle this problem and hence it led to this moment.

    A tabby cat used itsrge stomach to m into the merchant¡¯s head. Another cat used its tail to swipe at a different merchant and flung him into the air. The cats leaped about like they were ying. Infused by supernatural energy, the darting shadows swept through the hapless group of ck merchants like a tornado. The battle, if it could be called that,sted for only a while with a full victory for the cats. The cats won at all the locations. Themotion soon died down. In this battle, the cats threw about 100 plus ck merchants to god knows where. The merchants docked at the river instantly raised their sails and retreated once they noticed the problem. After this lesson, the ck merchants would stay away for some time. The cats were not afraid of revenge, there was a reason why Ulthar could be peaceful for so long.

    However, the Elder Zoog, evil zoog, Lucky and the other Zoogs who were invited to witness this battle finally got the message. The Evil Zoog obediently returned to the temple toplete his daily task. He changed his name to Kind Zoog and he said seriously. ¡°Evil Zoog, Dark Zoog, that was a mistake because I was too young! From today onwards, I will change, Dreands will only have Kind Zoog from now on.¡±

    ¡°My dear friends.¡± The Elder Zoog told the leopard cat. ¡°Catnips alone will be too boring, right? We will provide additional chicken thighs on all big holidays!¡± No matter what the leopard cat said, the Elder Zoog insisted on the offering. In the future, every holiday to celebrate Bastet, the Zoogs would offer a luxurious gift. Even though the gift was less than the yearly tribute they had to give in the past, the intention was the thing that was important. Due to Elder Zoog¡¯s insistence, the leopard cat epted it. As Wu Siyu would say, o well.

    Following the original schedule, the MP team was about to return the next dusk. The channel was still stable. The leopard cat suspected that it would copse after the team passed through with the Zoog army. If there was a chance, the ck cat wanted to travel to Earth to look around but this time, it and the other cats walked the 12 to the channel and bid them farewell. Lucky led the 10000 fat Zoogs. They stood far away from the cats and mumbled to themselves.

    ¡°This is it, thank you for everything.¡± Gu Jun told the ck cat. ¡°Thank you for everything.¡± Actually, the cats, including the ck cat, were not interested in him. They were unwilling to part with Wu Siyu and they trailed behind her. For some reason, she was the best at giving belly rubs. She knew the correct amount of force to use every time. This time the PM teampleted their mission without problem. Their mental pirs were untested. However, Feng Peiqian¡¯s third pir was shaken several times¡­

    Before they left, Yu Chi asked the Great Atal again and again about the ¡®wishing pond¡¯. Atal repeated that it was just a normal decoration. The cat symbol was amon symbol used at Ulthar to show respect to the cats. In any case, Yu Chi still returned to the fountain to copy the symbol down. When Feng Peiqian heard Captain Yu asked, ¡°Why would Peiqian be struck by that inspiration? Would that bring any danger to her?¡±, her heart was touched. Captain Yu still cared about her¡­ in his own way¡­

    At that moment Yu Chi, Feng Peiqian, Bell Grant and the rest followed behind Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. They stepped on the loose soil and walked into the glowing tunnel. They left Dreands and returned home.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Lucky pped his thigh. Carried by his underlings, they followed beside the PM Team. There were about 10000 Fat Zoogs behind him. They were like arge wave surging through the tunnel into the human world.

    Back at the forest, the Elder Zoog wiped away his silent tears, finally these big eaters were gone¡­ When thest fat zoog disappeared into the tunnel, the Zoogs inside the enchanted wood cheered. Finally they would have leftovers that night!

    #

 Chapter 500: Zoog Army

    <h4>Chapter 500: Zoog Army</h4>

    The breeze at the end of the summer blew across the desert and lifted up the sand and dust. It also rustled the leaves of this por forest. The Phecda members who guarded this ce looked around with alert, their focus was mainly on the path beside a por tree that connected the two worlds. It had been 3 days since the PM Unit entered Dreands. For the past 3 days, nothing happened on Earth but everyone was worried about the situation at Ulthar.

    The situation at the por forest was shared via livefeed at the mainmand central. Compared to the other tragedies, this time, the work was much lighter. They even had time to sit down for tea and biscuits. But this peace was suddenly shattered by a big change. ¡°Update, there¡¯s something happening!¡±

    The lights of the path shimmered like something wasing. Lou Xiaoning, Gold and the guards who were at the frontline and people at themand central tensed. Someone hurried to report this to Elder Tong. Suddenly they saw one figure walk out, followed by another. They were Gu Jun and Wu Siyu. Everyone sighed in relief, looks like everything was fine. One after another, all 12 members of the MP unit returned to Phecda World. Other than the change of clothes, they didn¡¯t change much in terms of appearance, if anything, they looked rested. Then Gu Jun announced, ¡°Missionpleted with no injury!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Lou Xiaoningughed. The guards didn¡¯t let their guard down because the protocol like questioning and istion still needed to be done. But they couldn¡¯t help but be happy, they too could tell what was real and what was fake. Joy suffused themand central. Elder Tong hurried online to check up on the frontline.

    Suddenly, more changes happened. The guards all widened their eyes, the chattering sound gushed forward like a wave. More shadows surged out from the tunnel. They were small but muscr. They had grey fur and looked like giant rats. They were the Zoogs. Soon they filled up the path and then the whole por forest. They hung on the branches, hid behind bushes. Each tree was bearing an impossible number of Zoogs.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just Lucky bringing over the first batch of Zoogs.¡± Gu Jun quickly exined.

    ¡°How many Zoogs areing in total?¡± Lou Xiaoning asked.

    ¡°100000 of them.¡±

    Everyone was shocked by this number but Gu Jun was not kidding and what happened next verified that. The Zoog spread through the por forest, it was like an invasion. Their beady eyes looked around with greed. They tapped themselves and the ground, it felt like the earth was shaking. ¡°Where¡¯s the chicken thigh? Where¡¯s the chicken thigh?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, only sand!¡± ¡°Have we been cheated?¡±

    Lucky looked at the rowdy crowd and he felt a headache. His kin were still fine at the Enchanted Woods but once they were here, they were a mess. He pped loudly, ¡°We will have the chicken thighs and chicken eggs. But now I need all of you to stand quietly!¡± That was something easier than done. Simrly difficult was the effort to move all of the Zoogs to a quarantine base.

    Phecda actually had set up a barracks near the por forest for the MP unit and the Zoog¡¯s quarantine but they didn¡¯t expect there would be so many of them. The engineers immediately jumped into work. To reward these Zoog friends, a team even transported trucks of the best quality chicken from the nearby farms. Mo Bei desert was filled with the delicious smell of cooking that night. Under the desert sky, a party was well under way. The fat Zoogs all jumped right into it, their paws grabbing at the delicious meat. As they munched, they sighed. As they thought about their lives back at the Enchanted Woods, they¡¯d cry. They had been berated for having an extra portion of chicken. And a cup of wine needed to be shared? They were big boned and definitely not fat! Was it their fault for having a big stomach? These prejudices didn¡¯t follow them to earth! The Zoogs had a very satisfactory first night on Earth.

    At the same time, Gu Jun and Lucky looked down at the celebration from a hill at the side. He was telling Lucky theter arrangement for the Zoogs. The Zoogs would first undergo half a month of training, which included signnguage, earth geography and so on. Then they would officially start working. Some of them would join the various branches of Phecda, others would be sent to the Mysterium World. A small part would be assigned to do extremely sensitive scouting work where they would be responsible to scout the dangerous locales. Deep forest, isted mountains, barren desert, ces where there could be cultist activities.

    They would also visit theirs taken down by Phecda to see if the members had missed any clues. For example, Guang Ting City¡¯s Xiong Lin Mountain was one of them. It was the ce where Fire Phoenix and Elder Tong¡¯s team was ambushed. It was a former base for the Ry¡¯leh Cult. Even though the cult had been heavily injured recently, they didn¡¯t disappear. Gu Jun¡¯s parent¡¯s family, the shaman, they were still in hiding.

    When Lucky heard that, he paced around in panic, ¡°You mean you¡¯re going to send us Zoogs into the frontline?!¡±

    ¡°How do you expect to scout ahead otherwise?¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°After you get the info, you can retreat and we¡¯ll take over.¡±

    ¡°What if we¡¯re captured by the cultists during the scouting?¡±

    ¡°Then tell them you were just passing by.¡± Lucky didn¡¯t believe that himself.

    Gu Jun didn¡¯t wish death on the Zoogs but there was danger with every frontline job, it was the same for both humans and the Zoogs. Therefore, all Phecda could do was topensate the Zoogs better for their possible sacrifice. They would be given more chicken thighs each meal.

    Actually Lucky expected this. Humans were not charitable creatures, how much the Zoogs had eaten equaled how much they needed to work. Lucky turned to look at his kin who were still gorging themselves on the food. They had no idea about the tragedy awaiting them. These cultists were perfectly heartless, if they were captured, they¡¯d be cooked like those chickens¡­

    Gu Jun also looked at those Zoogs, only then he realized he had not dissected a Zoog before. A Zoog could be considered an abnormal creature and technically could increase his autopsy experience. Plus they were so small so it wouldn¡¯t take long to finish the autopsy on one. Suddenly Lucky shivered. He nced at the human beside him, wondering what kind of sinister n was he cooking up this time. He decided to leave before the Nightmare man made his life more difficult.

    ¡°Lucky.¡± Gu Jun said, ¡°The Zoogs have another mission, which is to look for abnormal creatures. Be it flying ones, swimming ones, living or dead. Find anything that you can. They can be dead bodies or even fossils. As you must know, my scalpel can¡¯t ever stop.¡±

    Hearing that, Lucky finally understood where the shiver came from.

    #

 Chapter 501: The Zoogâ€™s Anatomy

    <h4>Chapter 501: The Zoog¡¯s Anatomy</h4>

    The half a month flew by quickly. Summer was reaching its end. After muchmotion, the 100000 Zoogspleted their training at Mo Bei. The most difficult thing for them was signnguage, it was a new system ofnguage designed specifically for the Zoogs bynguage experts all over the world. The Zoog¡¯s front paws were like ws but they were ambidextrous. They could use their paws dexterously to perform multiple actions, this gave plenty of room for the signnguage experts toe up with the system. This signnguage was learnable by humans as well, in fact members all over the world were attending sses alongside the Zoogs, so that they could fulfil the role of trantors in the future.

    However, this training was extremely exhausting for the Zoogs. These signscked rhythm and had no grace at all. Clearly they were designed by a race whomonlymunicated with their mouths. They knew nothing about signnguage but decided to teach these masters at signnguage a newnguage system¡­ This was like the cats teaching people how to sing. However, to ensure the continued supply of chicken thighs, the Zoogs studied hard. Furthermore, Phecda promised that the 2000 Zoogs who mastered thenguage the best would be promoted to Official Trantors. They would be assigned a sub unit of 50 Zoogs. Basically they would be the team leaders. The sound of it was prestigious.

    ¡°That is not an official, it just carries the term in its name!¡± Lucky hurried to correct. ¡°I am the only official here, do not get that mixed up.¡± However, Lucky still could not stop the wheels of history from rolling forward and crushing his fatty body. At the oath-taking rally after theypleted their training, the fat Zoogs had a new perspective regarding Lucky, their vice leader. At the rally, there were leaders of the Spell Department, Elder Tong as well as leader of the Zoog Department, Han Mingwei, they did not need other humans to carry them or feed them food. From then on, Lucky¡¯s special treatment disappeared.

    Han Mingwei was a man in his 40s. He was an experienced agent in managerial post and information collection. This Zoog army was undeniably a huge power but how to manipte them, that was on Han Mingwei¡¯s shoulders. Lucky, as the vice leader, Phecda did not have much hope for him. Mascot, friendship ambassador, that were Lucky¡¯s roles. However, Lucky still had his unique position because he was the only Zoog who couldmunicate with Gu Jun and Wu Siyu directly. He knew what was most important.

    ¡°If you can find the cultists, then great, if not, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡± Lucky grumbled to his kin. ¡°But abnormal creatures, flying ones, underground ones, swimming ones, dead ones, live ones, find as many as you can. The bigger the better. Or else¡­ we¡¯ll be in serious danger¡­¡±

    Initially the fat Zoogs did not believe him. They thought Lucky was just trying to scare them. Lucky wanted to continue to fool them like how he did before. It was not until a monthter when several fat Zoogs were invited by Gu Jun to join him inside ab that they realized how wrong they were. The nightmare man wore a white coat, gloves and mask. He had items like a ruler and scale. He weighed, pinched, touched and measured them. He even cruelly cut off a patch of fur on their back¡­ ¡°I want to find out how many bones a Zoog has.¡± Gu Jun exined. ¡°I am drawing the Zoog anatomy.¡± He showed them his half-finished product. On the paper, there was a monster formed from a pile of white bones, it had no skin and flesh!

    ¡°How many¡­ bones we Zoogs have, what does that have to do with you?¡± A studious Zoog asked. Gu Jun began an impromptu ss. He lectured them about autopsy science, there were systematic anatomy and regional anatomy, which one would they be interested to learn more about? The Zoogs quickly waved their hands no. They had no interest in anatomy! They had never had any interest in that¡­

    When they left the scaryb that day, their legs were shaking. The horrible picture of the bony Zoog refused to leave their minds. When they returned to base, they instantly shared the news with all their friends as if the more Zoogs were drawn into this abyss, the safer they¡¯d be. The other Zoogs did the same thing so the news spread quickly and every Zoog knew about it. This time Lucky was not lying to them. If they did not find any abnormal creatures soon, they¡¯d be the one on the autopsy table.

    ¡°No way?¡± A fat Zoog said, ¡°As long as we are alive, the Nightmare Man will have no reason to dissect us¡­¡±

    ¡°Dumb Zoog! Do you think you can live if the nightmare man wants you to die? Choking on chicken bones, scared by cats¡­ death is the nightmare man¡¯s weapon! I¡¯m still so young, am I going to die here and have my bones toyed by the nightmare man?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so scary, you¡¯re making me nervous!¡±

    ¡°At least, if you die, you¡¯ll know why¡­¡±

    So their only solution was to find abnormal creatures for Gu Jun to dissect. But that was more dangerous than locating cultists. Abnormal creatures knew how to hide and had a more sensitive nose than human beings.

    A pall of sadness spread among the Zoogs. A rumour even spread that the humans gave them so many chicken thighs because they wanted to fatten them up before they were cut open. They were so scared. Therefore, when Yu Chi and Feng Peiqian appeared to request 30000 Zoogs to join them at Mysterium World, the Zoogs volunteered actively. This was their Noah¡¯s Ark. This surprised Han Mingwei, 90 percent of the Zoogs wanted to go to the Mysterium World.

    This was because the Zoog Department had done a quick survey when the Zoogs first arrived at Earth. How many of them wanted to go to the Mysterium World? Since Mysterium World had no channels that led to Dreands, hence no chance of returning, even though Mysterium provided better privileges, none of the Zoogs wanted to go. So what changed? From thetest survey, the reason was¡­ they wanted to stay away from Gu Jun.

    In the end, 30000 Zoogs followed Yu Chi¡¯s team and crossed the Gate of In-between. 60000 plus Zoogs were spread all over the world and started their search for abnormal creatures and cultists. They worked hard because the knife was dangling over their necks.

    During the oath-taking rally in August, 100000 Zoogs gathered at the pavilion. They tapped their round bellies at the same time, it was quite a scene but in early September, there were only 1000 Zoogs left at Mo Bei. They were the unfortunate ones who had to stick around Gu Jun but the Zoog closest to the Nightmare Man was still Lucky.

    #

 Chapter 502: Dark Undercurrent

    <h4>Chapter 502: Dark Undercurrent</h4>

    From dissecting the flying polypus hydroids, Gu Jun¡¯s Autopsy experience rose to 2500/5000 (level 1/9). From the Byakees, the experience went up to 4000/5000, from the Zoogs, 4500/5000. During this period, Gu Jun spent less time in admin but more time in the morgue. The broken pieces of the hydroids were unable to provide him with more experience and he was unable to dissect living Byakees and Zoogs, so his study of them was limited to observation and records. If he could open up one of the Zoogs, the experience would skyrocket but so far he was not given that chance.

    Gu Jun revisited his old friends, the zombies, Deep Ones and Necroskins and he barely managed to edge his experience to 4600. He already knew them too well, and thus could not draw any more knowledge from them. Experience, experience, Gu Jun tried his best to increase his Autopsy Science experience so that he could digest that power of dusk as soon as possible. For both worlds, this was the most important thing so Mysterium had been cooperating by sending over their mutated creatures. Unfortunately, how one differentiated between abnormal and mutated creatures was out of human control. Many strange creatures were just mutated species and not abnormal creatures. The perfect example was the Jinmenken, it would not influence the human mind.

    The warehouse of both worlds contained mostly mutated creatures, therefore while Gu Jun could increase his skill dissecting them, it did not help with his new system. Gu Jun¡¯s only hope was that the fat Zoogs could sniff out more abnormal creatures. By the end of September, the Zoogs had been working for a month already. They had not encountered any abnormal creatures and that burnt a fire under their asses. However, the Phecda divisions and Special Mobile Forces improved greatly in efficiency with the Zoogs¡¯ help. Even though they found zero abnormal creatures, the fat Zoogs had been aplishing many great deeds.

    Phecda¡¯s enemy was not limited to existence like the Lai Sheng Company, they also needed to deal with smaller fries. Normally these people were corrupted after they got too exposed to dark energy. These kinds of people mushroomed everywhere especially within these 2 years. It was an effect from the multiple tragedies as well as the appearance of units like Phecda and FBM. Supernatural energy was a hot topic. No matter how hard the PR Department tried to warn people of its danger, the public had their own minds.

    Some of the normal citizens got interested in ultism. Using the US as an example, ording to statistics, the amount of atheists which had been rising for the past decades suddenly plummeted. Some turned back to God while others to Satan. Such changes were observable all over the world. Thus, many small fries emerged silently into this world. Of course, some of them were juvenile dark practitioners. Theymunicated through social media as they spread their twisted gospel. Even without the fat Zoogs¡¯ help, these people were quickly marked out by the system and apprehended by the rted departments instantly.

    However, there were some who treated this seriously. They would be an actual threat if given the time to grow. They were far more cautious and had indeed reached out to supernatural forces. Phecda had to demolish them while they were still in their cradle. And this was how the Zoogs managed to contribute.

    These novice cultists assumed they would not be discovered once they hid inside the jungle with no modern equipment. Indeed, they were not discovered by other humans but they were followed by the silent Zoogs. After their membership and base locations were confirmed, the was closed. Over the past month, with the Zoogs¡¯ help, various Phecda divisions had improved their performance greatly. They demolished many such burgeoning cults and captured more than thousands of people. There were the homeless as well as the world¡¯s brilliant minds among them.

    Some of them were even rted to Phecda¡¯s prominent enemies. The suspects from port cities mentioned that they heard the call of the sea, this had to be rted to Dagon and Lord of R¡¯yleh. There was another group of five scriptwriters who imed they heard whispers from one Mr. Wang Erde. This was a direct influence of the Yellow Brotherhood. Basically Phecda could confirm that Wang Erde was still alive. This demon was still living on. This positive result was worth celebrating but it also signified that the undercurrent of darkness was roaring. This caused higher ups like Elder Tong, Han Mingwei and Yao Sinian to frown deeply.

    When Phecda captured so many cultists, they could not help but wonder if there were other cultists out there that had not been captured? Cultists who were more evil, more professional and more in touch with the power of darkness?

    There was also another problem, the 50000 people selected by the Yith. Even though there was a temporary bond built between them, there was no organization who had the full list of the 50000 people. With the cooperation of all nations, they could only confirm 35213 people, among them 17261 chose to depart for the future with the Yith. The Yith who were swapped into their original bodies only stayed for a while before disappearing. These 17261 people becameatose and most died on the spot. The others managed to be rescued via immediate medical attention but they had been dying off through organ failures.

    Of the 17952 people that remained, most were already in secret organizations and some were taken in by the government. However, there were still 14787 individuals who were unounted for. It was anyone¡¯s guess whether they departed for the future or stayed but chose to let themselves remain unknown.

    The Yith had a different moralpass than humanity. They did not mention whether there were cultists among the 50000 people or not. However, based on the Yith¡¯s desire for knowledge, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the 50000 included these professors of ultism and mysticism.

    So among the 14787 people, some might be Phecda¡¯s enemies or could grow to be Phecda¡¯s enemies. These people were handpicked by the Yith so they were naturally going to be a threat. Among the people captured within the past month, there was no telling if any of them was part of the Yith¡¯s list or not.

    The world appeared peaceful on the surface but the foundation for that peace was rocky. Because of that, Gu Jun found himself unable to take the foundation¡¯s advice of taking it slow. He wanted to improve himself as fast as possible.

    At the same time, coboration between the global countries and the two worlds continued to improve. There were more joint projects. In early October, finally the new Department which had been in discussion by both parties was finally officialised.

    #

 Chapter 503: Welcome to this world

    <h4>Chapter 503: Wee to this world</h4>

    The pregnant women¡¯s cries echoed inside the antepartum ward room, there were also voices offort from their families. This was a room for 3, it was a ward for the women whose contractions weren¡¯t constant yet. Their families could stay here with them. Currently all 3 beds were upied. The 30 plus woman in the middle bed got it worst. She groaned endlessly. She even bit on her husband¡¯s arm to share the pain; the woman on the left was also in her 30s, she also felt the pain but she did not shout out loud, in fact she barely made a noise at all; the woman on the right was in her 20s, she only groaned weakly. The pain ofbor was dependent on the individual mothers.

    Since this hospital did not support painless delivery, none of them were here for caesarean birth. Natural birth did not allow the use of drugs because that would influence the contraction of the uterus, thus affecting the sess of the birth. Therefore, the women would have to use their determination to suffer through this challenge. Screaming was a normal thing inside this ward but for these women and their husbands, this was their first time experiencing this. The longer they waited, the more nervous they became.

    One of them was Xu Jianxun. His wife, Wei Ru, was in the ward for 3 days already. She was not even 3 fingers wide yet. However, his wife was very strong-minded. No matter how loud the woman next to them shouted, she gave not a peep. However, the deep frown and twitching face proved that she was in pain. If not for his mother and mother-inw, Xu Jianxun wouldn¡¯t have known what to do.

    ¡°Honey, here¡¯s some water.¡± He once again handed his wife a ss of water, the doctor said drinking water would help a smooth delivery.

    ¡°I feel the paining more insistent now¡­¡± Wei Ru took a difficult sip of the water. ¡°I think I¡¯m inbor¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the nurse.¡± Xu Jianxun jumped up from her bedside. His two mothers took over his ce by the bed while he rushed out the ward. He moved towards the nurse station and told one of the nurses urgently. ¡°Nurse Lee, my wife said she is in deeper pain. Pleasee and take a look at her.¡± Nurse Lee immediately put down her work and moved to follow. Lee Jianxun returned to the ward with the nurse. Nurse Lee made some inspection and announced, ¡°She¡¯s ready. We¡¯ll move her into thebor room now.¡±

    Lee Jianxun¡¯s brain buzzed. He bustled around as the nurses went about their work. In less than half an hour, his wife was wheeled into thebor room. By then she was openly screaming. In this hospital, the husband could apany their wives inbor but they had to sign the relevant contracts and went through aseptic cleansing. Xu Jianxun opted to join his wife. He told his mothers not to worry. Then he was led by the nurse to the changing room to put on sterile clothes, gloves and mask before he was allowed into thebor room. The delivery doctor, Doctor Chen and the nurses were already ready by the bedside. Wei Ru was in ce. Doctor Chen was a middle-aged female doctor. She was a senior doctor at the obstetrics department. She had a good reputation and there had never been any idents in her presence. However before Xu Jianxun even got to his wife¡¯s side, he was already sweating. The glow from the shadeless light amplified the darkness in his heart.

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m here.¡± He walked to his wife¡¯s side and gripped her right hand. He said encouragingly.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Wei Ru listened to Doctor Chen¡¯s advice and did some breathing exercises. The couple was married 2 years ago after 3 years of dating. They met each other at the workce. At the time, both of them had just graduated from university. They had an ease around each other and the rest was history. Their 2 years of marriage were very smooth. Even during Wei Ru¡¯s pregnancy, the hormones did not cause much tension. Xu Jianxun loved children and so did Wei Ru.

    They nned to have a second child soon because they felt a single child would be quite lonely without apanion. It would be best if they had one of each gender. Due to the connections Xu Jianxun¡¯s family had at this hospital, they already knew about the gender of their firstborn. It was a girl. Wei Ru¡¯s monthly check up during her pregnancy went smoothly. So the whole family was waiting for the little angel to arrive. Xu Jianxun and Wei Ru had alreadye up with the name for their daughter, it was Xu Qiuyue. This was mainly Xu Jianxun¡¯s idea.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Wei Ru wailed in pain and that pulled Xu Jianxun¡¯s attention back into thebor room. Even though he did not quite understand it, he kept ncing at the graph on the monitors. ¡®It should be fine, right¡­¡¯

    ¡°Push, I need you to breathe and push.¡± Doctor Chen encouraged. Her powerful voice calmed people¡¯s hearts. ¡°I can already see the baby¡¯s head. It¡¯s going well.¡±

    Xu Jianxun did not go to look. He merely held his wife¡¯s hand, hoping to channel his energy to her. ¡°Hang in there, honey, it¡¯s almost over¡­¡± During the earlier inspection, the baby¡¯s head was facing down, which was perfect for delivery. Wei Ru also had a wide hip, she was not too old to have a baby. Theoretically speaking, delivery was not going to be difficult, it was why they chose a natural birth. Even so, watching his wife¡¯s sweaty face and pinched expression, Xu Jianxun¡¯s heart wrenched with pain. He promised that he would be better to his wife, after seeing through what she had to go through for their family¡­

    ¡°Come on, push!¡± Doctor Chen urged. These few minutes were torture for Xu Jianxun. He had no idea how he and his wife survived it. Suddenly Doctor Chen was holding a small baby. The baby was still covered in blood and her skin was wrinkled. The umbilical cord was still attached to the centa.

    ¡°Honey, our baby is here!¡± The words just came out of his lips but then another scary thought entered his mind, why isn¡¯t the baby crying?

    The baby in Doctor Chen¡¯s arms was so quiet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the alveolus pulmonis is still inactive.¡± Doctor Chen exined as she patted the baby on her butt. Normally, a baby, who would not cry naturally, would start to cry after receiving this external stimulus. They¡¯d open their mouths and start to wail. If the baby did not cry or the crying was weak, then there would be a problem. So Doctor Chen and the nurses were not that worried. After the pat from Doctor Chen, the baby moved her lips. One of her wrinkled eyes was still closed. Her throat moved and her vocal cord brushed against each other. The baby made a throaty voice as if saying, ¡°¡­Negative selection¡­¡±

    Xun Jianxun and Doctor Chen were stunned. The nurses frowned. Wei Ru was confused and nervous. Then as if that never happened, the baby started to wail.

    Hearing this loud crying, the old mothers outside thebor room shed happy tears. They had a healthy granddaughter!

    #

 Chapter 504: The Cry of the Newborn

    <h4>Chapter 504: The Cry of the Newborn</h4>

    ¡°Honey, my stomach¡­¡± Inside the maternity ward, Liu Yiqi bit on the arm of her husband, Du Hongwen who sat beside her. She used this method to vent her pain. Du Honghen gritted his teeth in pain as well but he said calmly, ¡°Honey, go ahead. If it makes you feel better, you can bite my hand off¡­¡± His wife¡¯s water broke yesterday afternoon, it had been almost a day, but the opening was still not yetrge enough. The hours were a torment for Du Hongwen. His wife¡¯s bitemarks covered every part of his arms. However, he had noints, as long as his wife and their baby were safe¡­

    This was difficult for the couple¡¯s mothers to watch. While Du Hongwen left to fetch some water, Liu Yiqi¡¯s mother came to say, ¡°My dear daughter, you gotta try to stomach the pain. You¡¯ll end up injuring Hongwen if you keep biting him.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡± Liu Yiqi moaned. ¡°But if I don¡¯t do that, I¡¯ll die from the pain.¡±

    ¡°Pfft, touch wood!¡± Her mother hushed. How could she say something so inauspicious at such a moment?! Du Hongwen¡¯s mother immediately steepled her hands together to pray to all the Gods in the world to help protect this couple¡­ Perhaps her prayer was heard because not long after Du Hongwen returned with the water, Liu Yiqi was finally ready forbor. Her breathing became more difficult. Soon she was pushed into thebor room by the nurse. Du Hongwen followed to provide support for his wife. This time Liu Yiqi did not bite but instead she pinched her husband¡¯s underarm. Du Hongwen had no idea how muchbor pain was but he was in extreme pain at that moment¡­

    ¡°Hurry, we¡¯re almost there.¡± Doctor He encouraged, ¡°Just onest push!¡± With the mother¡¯s wail and the staff¡¯s cheers, a newborn entered this world. She was connected by the umbilical cord. However, she did not present the world with her cries. Doctor He pped the girl on her butt. The nurses and Du Hongwen were anticipating the baby¡¯s cries. Liu Yiqi, who was all drained out that her vision was blurring, asked in concern, ¡°My baby¡­ my baby¡­ What¡¯s wrong¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the girl¡¯s throat moved and she emitted a clear and strange announcement, ¡°Positive selection.¡± Then while everyone was shocked, the baby¡¯s crisp wails could be heard.

    ¡­

    ¡°Wifey, hang in there, it¡¯ll be over soon!¡± Zhang Xingjun hurried to the stretcher that pushed his crying wife, Wang Sihan, to thebor room. They were college sweethearts who got married right after graduation. One yearter, they were ready to be parents. They were both young, just 23 but they were happy to be parents, they had hope and dreams for their future. They loved each other and the child was nned. Since yesterday, seeing how much pain his wife was in, Zhang Xingjun regretted not opting for Cesarean. However, Huang Sihan had given it much consideration and thought. Caesarian came with its own downside and she would take longer to recover. She was still young and she learned that natural birth was better for the baby so she insisted on it.

    ¡°Hubby, don¡¯t worry about me, I can do it¡­¡± Even though Huang Sihan was already in tears and honestly, she did regret not going for the Caesarian but she knew that these thoughts were only temporary, they would be reced by other thoughts soon¡­ Natural birth was better for the baby, as long as it was better for the baby, everything was worth it. When one reached a certain threshold of pain, their consciousness would g. Huang Sihan was experiencing that out of body feeling in thebor room. She could see herself lying in bed, her husband by her side and Doctor Wang encouraging her.

    ¡°Push, push, I can see the baby¡¯s head already! The rest of his body¡­ Okay, it¡¯s a boy!¡± That statement by Doctor Wang loosened something within Huang Sihan. Her energy left her. She already used everything she had. It was a miracle that she did not faint. But she hung in there, she was waiting, waiting for that sound¡­ Howe the baby wasn¡¯t crying?

    ¡°Doctor Wang?¡± Zhang Xingjun also asked nervously. He looked at his wife and his newborn son whose umbilical cord was still not yet cut. He was such a small thing, he probably weighed less than 5 kg. During the pregnancy, the young couple and their parents had done everything right. Doctor Wang did not say anything, his wealth of experience ensured that he did not panic. Not every newborn was able to cry at their first moment of birth. Despite the boy being slightly lighter than average, he looked fine. Doctor Wang cradled the boy and pped his butt. The boy¡¯s eyes slowly opened and his throat moved. Instead of a cry, the boy said in a young, hoarse but clear voice, ¡°Negative selection.¡±

    Then the boy started to cry. It was quite loud. However, Doctor Wang, the nurses and Zhang Xingjun were lost. Their joy was dampened.

    ¡­

    ¡°Push, push, the baby¡¯s head ising already.¡± Inside thebor room, Doctor Yang cheered. Guo Xuerui gripped his wife Xu Shanshan¡¯s hands. He hoped he could channel his strength to her. Xu Shanshan was already pushing with all her might. She really had no idea how she managed to survive this far. She used to faint when she had to take injections butpared to now, those needles were like mosquito bites¡­

    She howled and gave it another push. Suddenly, she believed she heard Doctor Yang say, ¡°Okay! The baby is here!¡±

    But Doctor Yang, the nurses and Guo Xuerui soon noticed the problem. The boy¡¯s eyes were closed and did not make any noise like he was asleep. Guo Xuerui¡¯s heart gripped but Doctor Yang told them not to panic as he tapped the boy on his butt. The baby who was about 6 kg exercised his throat. His small limbs waved about. His lips opened but what happened next froze Guo Xuerui and Xu Shanshan¡¯s hearts. It also stumped Doctor Yang. Her hands that held the baby almost retracted. In her many years in thebor room, she had not encountered something like this before.

    The boy did not cry or grumble, instead he said clearly, ¡°Stabilizing selection.¡±

    Then the baby¡¯s lips folded together and he started to cry, announcing his arrival on Earth.

    #

 Chapter 505: Survival of the Fittest

    <h4>Chapter 505: Survival of the Fittest</h4>

    It had been half a year since the battle at Mo Bei. It was the official opening day for the MP Agency, which was responsible to handle the issues rted to supernatural energy in both worlds. The Agency had 2 leaders, one from each world and they shared the power equally. However, the MP Agency did not hold much clout when it came to big decisions. Instead, the many responsibilities of the two leaders were to negotiate the conflicts andmunications between both worlds. On Phecda¡¯s side it was Elder Tong who was the leader; on Mysterium¡¯s side, it was Zeng Chanjun.

    Phecda, GOA and MP Agency were 3 different organizations with different constitutions but there were many areas where they would have to work together. Intre and intra-world cooperation needed to be improved, it was a goal for the future. MP Team, the first Special Mobile Unit between both worlds would remain as a resident unit. In the future, Special Mobile Forces with members from both worlds would be moremon. With the birth of a new organization came new hope.

    At the beginning of October, Gu Jun finally had a chance to go on a small break like a normal person. On one hand, there were no more abnormal creatures for Gu Jun to dissect. He couldn¡¯t hurry his EXP even if he wanted to. On the other hand, Wu Siyu had been meaning to go on a break. Honestly, Gu Jun himself had not had a serious holiday in a long time already.

    This holiday had a special meaning for Wu Siyu, then again every holiday would be special for her. She had 10000 reasons to give to Phecda on why she needed a holiday but before she said anything, the organization already approved her request. Phecda really knew her well, the personality tests that she did in the past were useful after all. If she really needed to list out 10000 reasons, she¡¯d rather give up on the holiday.

    With the permission from Phecda, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu went on a holiday to Saipan. The sea, sun and beach, they had a good time. Gu Jun had always felt a kinship with the sea, even before the incident at Long Kan sea belt. The sea was beautiful yet it could hide the most dangerous thing under its surface. But during this holiday, nothing happened and they were not summoned.

    On theter half of the holiday, Phecda even approved for Cai Zixuan, Jiang Banxia, Peacock, Mchite and the others to join them. Even Lucky was there. He was there with good news. He said that the Zoogs from all over the worlds wereing back with endless discoveries, it was only a matter of time until they found an abnormal creature.

    After the holiday, Gu Jun and Wu Siyu returned to Da Hwa City where Phecda¡¯s headquarters was and returned to their posts. Not a few days passed, on 15th October, something happened. And this something caused everyone¡¯s hearts to grip with worry.

    ¡­

    At Da Hwa City¡¯s First People Hospital, the obstetrician Doctor Chen Miaojuan could not stop thinking about the event that happened less than 2 hours ago. Until now she could not find a valid exnation. The more she thought about it, the more unsettled she felt. Chen Miaojuan was now in her 40s, she held her post for decades already. She was the expert in her fields and she had weed more than thousands of newborns into this world. She had faced many different trials and difficulties in her lifetime but she had never encountered the thing that happened to her today with Xu Jianxun and Wei Ru¡¯s baby.

    Someone knocked on her door. Then three members in Phecda logo walked into the room. After the birth, Xu Qiuyue did not show any other strange behavior. She was 2800 gram heavy, her breathing and vitals were all normal. She was a healthy baby. But Chen Miaojuan could not silence the anxiety in her heart. So she reported this to her superior and they must have reported it to Phecda. However, this did not appear to be contagious. From midnight until 4 pm, the hospital had weed 23 new babies, and that strange event only happened with that baby girl.

    ¡°Doctor Chen, do you mind telling us again what happened?¡±

    The three members were stationed at Da Hwa City. They were Liu Ze and Jiang Yuwei from the Investigation Department and Zhang Haolin from the Medical Department. Ever since the Phecda hotline was introduced, the workload at all Phecda Divisions doubled. False rms weremon and not every report was treated seriously. An example was this event, it could be just a misunderstanding or an isted incident. In any case, they hoped that they could resolve this problem before it had to be passed up the chain ofmand.

    Chen Miaojuan did what she was told and repeated everything that she said on the phone.

    ¡°Does the voice sound like a baby or some kind of demon?¡± Liu Ze asked.

    ¡°It does sound like¡­¡± Chen Miaojuan frowned as a chill ran down her spine. ¡°a human, a baby¡¯s voice to be exact. The voice itself is not strange, the strange part is why would a newborn say something like that¡­¡±

    Liu Ze, Zhang Haolin and Jiang Yuwei looked at each other. Normally this was improbable. Once they arrived at the hospital, they visited the baby who was quarantined. She was soundly asleep. They did the Ancient Seal check and found nothing unusual. The baby¡¯s father, Xu Jianxun was also in thebor room. When he was interviewed, he insisted that his baby was fine. ¡°At the time, something was probably stuck in my baby¡¯s throat. She was trying to cry through it and thus made a sound that mimicked talking. But it was just that, it just sounded like she said a word¡­¡±

    The child¡¯s mother, Wei Ru was confused, ¡°I wasn¡¯t really there as you can understand, but it sounded like she was just grumbling.¡±

    However, the other nurses present all verified that the baby stated very clearly, ¡°Negative selection.¡±

    Negative selection, what did that mean? Was that part of a phrase? Or was that the whole statement?

    Zhang Haolin was a doctor. The first thing that came into his mind when he heard negative selection was natural science, the theory of molecr evolution.

    ¡°Negative selection, positive selection, stabilizing selection.¡± Based on this theory, every newborn could be categorized into one of these three types. It was an extension of Darwinian theory. But just like what Doctor Chen imed, why would a newborn say something like that¡­

    At that moment, hurried footsteps came from outside the office. Then came a middle-aged doctor. He was also a doctor at the same department as Doctor Chen. When he found out that people from Phecda were here, Doctor Liang rushed over. He just came out from thebor room. With a wrinkled face, he said, ¡°I just finished with thebor of a baby boy. Just like what Director Chen said, the boy did not cry at first. But after I patted his butt, before he cried, he said ¡®Positive Selection¡¯, everyone in thebor room heard it clearly¡­¡±

    Zhang Haolin, Liu Ze and Jiang Yuwei¡¯s expressions dropped. Chen Miaojuan was stunned.

    ¡°We need to update our superiors.¡± Zhang Haolin said numbly. This was not a false rm. They needed the Spell Department.

    #

 Chapter 506: Negative selection, Positive selection, Stabilizing selection

    <h4>Chapter 506: Negative selection, Positive selection, Stabilizing selection</h4>

    ¡°Negative selection¡­ Positive selection¡­ stabilizing selection¡­¡± Every day, the world weed about 390000 new lives, or a baby was born at an average of 0.24 seconds. In other words, a blink and 5 babies would have been born. If one collected the first cry of each baby in one day, it would be a powerful supersonic attack; It basically had the same effect in Gu Jun¡¯s mind now. Negative selection, positive selection, stabilizing selection¡­ Innumerable young voices twisted together to smash against his nerves and mind.

    From the moment Gu Jun followed Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan and the rest to First People Hospital, he could hear the waves of sound already. When he reached the isted baby nursery, the veins in his body popped. But even so he could not be sure if the voices were real or he was just imagining them.

    Suddenly a baby cried and it came from inside the nursery. The nursery was quiterge. Incubators and other medical devices lined against the wall. At that moment, most of the incubators were empty, only 5 were taken. There were 2 boys and 3 girls. 1 positive selection, 2 negative selection and 2 stabilizing selection.

    There was a piercing jolt through his head that caused Gu Jun to take a deep breath. The oxygen tank inside the protective suit filled up his lungs. Gu Jun gave a long gasp but it did not help rx his heart.

    ¡°Tycoon Jun?¡± Cai Zixuan who walked beside him asked with concern. Wang Ruoxiang also turned around During the Locust gue, she showed extreme sensitivity towards DNA radiation poisoning. She was ordered to the hospital to assist.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Gu Jun answered, ¡°It¡¯s just my heart.¡±

    The protective suit was just the protocol. He actually knew this day woulde, the Ulthar cats and the Great Atal had warned him about it. Summoning Shub-Niggurath to fight against the Crawling Chaos woulde with its price. The price was more than the losses several hundred thousand pregnant women felt during the war¡­ It appeared like Shub-Niggurath caused not only stillborn but had taken hold of future human generations as well.

    What the leopard cat said echoed in Gu Jun¡¯s mind. ¡°This change is different from the tragedies that you have faced recently¡­ Disease and gue are to im lives but Shub-Niggurath doesn¡¯t do that, it produces and evolves life. But that kind of over-abundance can crush a civilization too.¡±

    Once they returned from Dreands, Gu Jun quoted the whole warning to Phecda. Therefore, once this incident reached the Spell Department, it caused a massive ripple immediately. It hade.

    ¡°I believe those are not part of a sentence butplete statements.¡± When Gu Jun was briefed about what the babies said, he came to this conclusion immediately. Soon, emergency reports from other countries confirmed that. Be it America, Russia, Ennd, all over the world, this strange phenomenon was happening, the difference was the babies spoke in their nativenguage. However not all newborns showed this tendency. There was nothing too conspicuous about the chosen babies either. Some of the abnormal babies had both parents, some had a single mother, some were even fostered babies. The mothers ranged from age 18 to 40 plus. They came from different walks of life and careers.

    Just from statistics, the selection of babies waspletely random. Even in the same ward, with 5 waiting mothers, there might be 1, 2 or even no babies with the strange reaction. The same was happening over at Mysterium World. This was not a coincidence.

    The baby who cried was Xu Qiuyue. It was the first abnormal baby who was born in this hospital, a negative selection. Gu Jun stood before the incubator and stared at the swaddled baby. She was even smaller than a Zoog. She cried until her face was red. Her wrinkly eyes were not yet open.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the nurse.¡± Cai Zixuan hurried away. Gu Jun took another deep breath. He was reminded of the child¡¯s father kneeling before them, begging them to save his daughter. The child¡¯s mother was still recovering. She had no idea how serious the situation had gotten.

    Positive selection, this was a concept from natural selection. To put it simply, when there was a mutation within an organism¡¯s DNA that allows it a greater chance at survival and reproduction, thus benefiting its future generation, this mutated DNA would be spread within its group.

    The contrast to it would be negative selection. If an organism¡¯s DNA mutated in such a way that it caused its chance of survival and reproduction to lower, it would naturally be eliminated. In the long history of human evolution, there had to have been many different gene mutations. Despite the name, negative mutation was a positive thing for evolution because it meant that the weakest link within the group would have an early death, thus lowering its possibility of inheriting its weak gic materials to its future generation.

    However, whether a gic mutation was a positive or negative selection was totally dependent on the situation. For example, EDAR370A is a unique gene code for most Asians. One of its coding is to make sure that the human bodies have 15 percent morepact sweat nds than other races; the other function is that the organism has straighter and fuller hair, instead of curly hair. This was a positive selection in ancient easternnd. However if EDAR370A is ced within an environment with extended hot weather, it would be a negative selection. This is because more sweat nds mean greater loss of water from the body. At a location where water source is scarce, having less sweat nds is the positive selection.

    During the Little Ice Age, diabetic gene was a positive selection because diabetes helps with ice-resistance. Thus those with diabetes would have a higher chance to survive. In other words, during the Little Ice Age, those with diabetes average a longer lifespan than those without. But in today¡¯s age, the diabetic gene is a negative selection. Therefore, a gic mutation itself has no absolute positive or negative selection. It has to correspond to the environment. Those who adapt survive. Therefore as the environmental factors continue to change, a race¡¯s gic pool has to diversify to survive.

    Some of the gic materials, that might appear useless or even harmless, are in the human DNA because they were once the best survival tactic or perhaps one day they would be the necessary gene for survival. If an organism did not get the wrong or right gene from its forebear, then it would be a stabilizing selection.

    Positive selection, negative selection, stabilizing selection.

    But what were the environmental factors in this case? Was it a new era where dark forces¡¯ activity had reached its peak?

    Gu Jun noticed that inside the nursery, of the 5 babies, the two babies with stabilizing selection were soundly asleep. The 1 baby with positive selection had already opened his eyes. His dark pupils darted about as if taking in the new, unfamiliar world. The two negative selection babies could not stop crying like they were extremely ufortable.

    At that moment, Wang Ruoxiang said, ¡°I believe Xu Qiuyue is opening her eyes¡­¡±

    Gu Jun noticed it as well. The negative selection baby, Xu Qiuyue¡¯s eyes were fluttering. The time needed for a newborn to open their eyes was different ording to the individual, it ranged from directly from birth to as long as a week.

    For some reason, as Gu Jun stared at the fluttering eyelids, his heart wrenched.

    Suddenly, the girl¡¯s eyes flew open while she continued the cry.

    In the baby¡¯s eyes, there was no pupil, there was only eye white. In other words, her eyes had no crystalline lens, instead there were only vitreous bodies¡­

    Negative selection.

    #

 Chapter 507: Not Everyone is Born Equal

    <h4>Chapter 507: Not Everyone is Born Equal</h4>

    Xu Qiuyue¡¯s eyes did not possess crystalline bodies, irises or pupils. It looked perfectly white. It was unclear which part of her gene that had mutated which caused this change. It was unclear whether there were other mutations on this baby girl or not. The girl did not show any clear dark corruption but her gene result was so. She was a negative selection.

    Her eyes would not possess a normal power of sight. An ocr check showed that she had optic nerves and retina. Theoretically speaking, she could still see blurry lights. She would never see anything clearly. Her eyes would never aplish that. Without a normal sight, if she was born in ancient times, she would not live until adulthood. Even in the modern world, her life would be so much harder than a normal person.

    There was another negative selection newborn in this hospital so they would soon know if this was supposed to be an expected result.

    ¡°This kind of gic mutation would not have happened during birth. It probably happened during pregnancy¡­¡± Gu Jun walked down the corridor. The wails of the waiting mothers in the maternity ward muddled his mind. The passing families looked at him with open curiosity, they had no idea this tragedy had happened and they might be the next victim.

    At that moment, another mother was ready for birth. This mother shared the same ward with Xu Qiuyue¡¯s mother. Mother Lee had been waiting for 2 days already. She had been screaming non-stop. Currently she was being wheeled into thebor room, apanied by her husband and parents. Gu Jun, Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang followed. Certain abnormal influences could only be detected in person. They had to be there for this birth. Not only that, if possible, they needed to attend at least one of each negative selection, positive selection and stabilizing selection births¡­ It was the only way to find clues to resolve this conundrum¡­

    To prevent panic, they already changed into normal scrubs that did not possess the Phecda logo. This mutation needed more epidemiological study and sampling to determine whether it was contagious. But again nothing might havee of it. More than ten thousand babies were born globally each day. Some of the babies were not born in China. Furthermore, there was no telling if the mutation result would be visible at birth. Perhaps they would only show yearster¡­

    If one of the babies arrived in this world carrying the locust illness gene¡­ the thought of that possibility brought headache to the decision makers at Phecda.

    The thick scent of blood seemed to permeate through the protective scrub and suffocated the breathing of Gu Jun¡¯s group who stood not far from the bed. A medical team was sent over by Phecda to help this woman bring her child into this world. The woman¡¯s cries became more and more maddening. But it carried a determination in it. Her baby soon arrived¡­ soundlessly.

    Gu Jun¡¯s heart rose as he stared at the baby in Doctor Zhou¡¯s hands. Between the splitting headache, he could hear someone say, ¡°Negative Selection.¡± And then the baby said, ¡°Negative selection.¡± Gu Jun whipped his head around to a corner but it was empty.

    Both the mother and his husband were confused. No one showed joy. However, the births continued. Average 50 babies were born at Da Hwa¡¯s First People Hospital daily. This was only the 40th one. Gu Jun¡¯s group stayed in thebor room. After 3 normal babies, amidst screams, another young motherpleted her birth. ¡°Stabilizing selection.¡±

    Then the next abnormal baby was the second child by a high risk mother. ¡°Negative selection.¡± Gu Jun scanned around the room, he could sense some other presence there. Was it a person, or a dark force looking in? He was triggering some kind of vision or hearing.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gu Jun asked the air around him. There was nothing but he swore he saw a shadow. Cai Zixuan and Wang Ruoxiang turned to look at him. But the cleansing stones did not react.

    You look sad.

    Gu Jun blinked and then widened his eyes to look around. The feeling of seeing amplified and the voices became clearer.

    Hasn¡¯t it always been like this? Positive selection, negative selection, stabilizing selection, it has always been like this, this is not new. Natural selection, not everyone is born at the same starting line. Competition starts before birth, isn¡¯t that something you should already understand? These parents, they already know the risk, don¡¯t they? Autism, Down Syndrome, haemophilia, Tourette Syndrome, brittle bone disease, cooley¡¯s anemia¡­ I can go on and on. Negative selection, isn¡¯t that part of nature?

    Look on the bright side, be more optimistic. Don¡¯t just focus on the negative. Let nature do its work and eliminate these negative selections.

    See, humanity gains many positive choices too, they are treasures. Their genes will improve the human race, they will push human evolution forward. This is evolution, you will get some positive results and negative results. Maybe you¡¯ll understand it better in different terms. Exhaustible products? Cost of development? Stepping stones? Negative Selection, are they any different?

    Positive selection, dear chosen one, the world is theirs. They are the main characters. The world never favors negative selection or stabilizing selection. Gu Jun, aren¡¯t you a positive selection yourself?

    In fact, you are an extremely positive selection. No one has your level of spirituality, no one.

    So why are you so sad? Your sadness is illogical, it isughable, cheap and pointless. Do you wish to stop human evolution? Over the millions of years, this race has not stopped evolving. Homo sapiens are homo sapiens as the result of evolution. An organism has to keep on evolving, evolving, evolving.

    It is how we reach today¡¯s state. But now, maybe today¡¯s evolution wille faster and be more interesting¡­

    These negative selections, let them perish in the trash bins. Throw them into the sea, into the wilds or just let them be and they¡¯ll exhaust themselves out.

    Negative selections, they will onlypete for resources meant for positive selections. They are trash. These things deprive the race from achieving their true greatness. So don¡¯t be sad. They have already contributed their part for this race. They have failed and their failure is their contribution. If you allow them to survive longer than they should, then their contribution will be neutralized by their demands and needs. Do not let these negative selections slow down human progress.

    Yes? Do you feel better knowing these?

    You¡¯re wondering who I am. Then let me tell you, I am too a negative selection.

    Oh, now you¡¯re thinking, it¡¯s because I¡¯m a negative selection that I¡¯m doing this to take revenge on the world. It¡¯s because I¡¯m a negative selection that my mind is twisted and I bear resentment.

    You, positive selections sure are greedy. You have already won but you still wish to derive pity from us. You still need to stand on the moral highpoint.

    Fine, you win. I¡¯ll surrender my guilt. You are a better person than I am. You are kind and I am not.

    Revel in that joy. Because it might notst for much longer¡­

    #

 Chapter 508: The Voice

    <h4>Chapter 508: The Voice</h4>

    ¡®What or who is this negative selection?¡¯ Gu Jun was sure that it was the voice of a young male. After that, he witnessed the birth of 3 more abnormal babies, they were 2 stabilizing selections and 1 negative selection. However, he could not feel that presence again. There were no voices, no nothing. The number of abnormal babies globally increased, the traceable statistics put it over 30000 already. That was one-tenth of all newborns. There were the most stabilizing selections, over 20000 of them; followed by negative selection at 6000 plus and finally positive selections at 3000. The only simrity between all the babies was that their prenatal period was within 24 weeks after the war at Mo Bei. No one knew if the number was going to continue to rise or not. But if this speed was maintained, every single day, the world would have 3 to 40000 abnormal babies and thus over 1,000,000 of them in a month.

    So far, there was no telling what was different about these babiespared to normal ones. The female baby called Xu Qiuyue, her eyes... were they just normal ocr birth defects?

    The next morning, after returning to the Spell Department base, Gu Jun reported everything he saw and heard in detail to his superior. He did bring up the existence of the voices and wrote down everything he could remember for the Investigation Department to research. If there was really a person behind that voice, that person was a negative choice and was born with some kind natural defect. Those ims sounded like they came from someone who was hostile against the ¡®non-negative¡¯ homo sapiens...

    A twisted mind? An act of vengeance? It felt more than that. Gu Jun could feel that this was a perfectly sound man, he had a perfect and unique perspective and understanding of humanity and human civilization. That same morning, Wu Siyu came back with new updates. Yesterday, she did not go to the hospital because Phecda feared that it might trigger her trauma but now she had no choice.

    ¡°I believe I heard a voice.¡± Inside an interview room, Wu Siyu told Gu Jun, Prof Jiang and the camera. She did not hear it clearly, it was like someone speaking to her through dreams even though she was not sleeping. It did not sound like a summon from R¡¯yleh either. ¡°They were not actual words.¡± Wu Siyu pinched her lips. ¡°It was like a luby that made me sleepy. It evoked some of my childhood memories, sad memories because I suffer from synaesthesia. It reminded me that I was not normal, I was different from others.¡± She said and tapped her head. ¡°I¡¯m a negative selection.¡±

    Gu Jun¡¯s eyes narrowed. Dirty-minded Yu, negative selection? She was born with synaesthesia, the trigger mechanism for this rare sickness was still unknown but it was probably hereditary since it was often inherited. If this was ancient times, synaesthesia was not a good thing. Unable to tell the difference between foods would easily cause food poisoning. A beast¡¯s growl could be mistaken for singing... Low chance of survival, negative selection. In the modern world, she could not be considered normal either. Dirty-minded Yu rarely drove because she might mistake green light for red light. The negative selection might point to herziness too, that was not good for survival either...

    ¡°Many memories that I thought I have forgotten surfaced.¡± Wu Siyu sighed as she gave an example. She was called a big liar in kindergarten and primary school. She got into many fights because of it. Actually she was not lying, she really did see many delicious foods, elves, Santa us and so on. ¡°Everyone said I¡¯m a liar, they branded me a basket case, no one wished to y with me.¡± Wu Siyu thought she had already gotten over these childhood traumas but now bringing it all back up, her expression was still pressed. ¡°And then... I thought, o well.¡±

    She experienced school bullying, Gu Jun heard her talk about it at broad. He understood how sad she was. But these experiences built up Wu Siyu¡¯s character, it made her into who she was today.

    ¡°The voice triggered these memories in me.¡± She continued, ¡°And then reinforcing this idea that I am a negative choice, I am a different species from the positive and stabilizing choices...¡± Wu Siyu shrugged. ¡°Then I got really sleepy. I decided to ignore the voices and went to sleep. Everyone is born different, so what if I¡¯m a negative selection. Yes, I¡¯ve encountered many malicious people but I¡¯ve met many kind people as well.¡±

    Then the voice faded away.

    After hearing what Dirty-minded Yu had to say, Gu Jun felt nervous and angered on her behalf. But it confused him as well. Was it the same voice or it was meant only for Dirty-minded Yu¡¯s ears?

    However, another discovery showed that this was more of a broadcast. The other member of Problematic Team, Xiao Xu who suffered from Aspergers, was a negative selection. Xiao Xu was not at Da Hwa City but at Mo Bei City but he too heard that voice in the morning. His situation was simr to Wu Siyu, the voice depressed and tried to instigate him.

    Then more members in Phecda who were born with defects reported that they heard the voices too. It was a broadcast.

    But they were still unsure if the voice only could be heard by the negative selections in Phecda or the negative selection in the public heard it as well. Be it Wu Siyu or Xiao Xu, they both had high spirituality but they could not block out the voice. This proved that the power behind the voice was strong. Gu Jun tried to arrange his thoughts. Was it Shub-Niggurath? It did not sound like it. Be it positive or negative selections, they were both growths. Before the ck Goat, they would be a unified part of the flesh forest, and not distinct from each other...

    But the voices were more powerful than humanly possible. Think about Nightmare Illness, the R¡¯yleh Cult went through so much before they could use voices to influence people¡¯s minds.

    To broadcast to all negative selections? Was it a demon like the witch and Son of Misfortune? Or was it a normal human like Rudolph Carter? The Foundation was capable of something like this too.

    Was this ¡®negative selection¡¯ a single person or an organization?

    #

 Chapter 509: The Shadow in the Forest

    <h4>Chapter 509: The Shadow in the Forest</h4>

    The night was dark and a strange rustling wasing out from the forest at the southern side of Eastern State. The birds quieted as an unknown creature slipped between the trees. A wild hen immediately scurried from her nest and made her escape. The shadow locked onto its target and pounced. Its ws grabbed the hen''s tail feather. The hen clucked. She allowed her feathers to be torn. Then she pped her wings and disappeared into the bush. The shadow was about to follow when it tripped on a rotten branch on the ground. It lost its pursuit.

    "It''s hard to hunt when you''re hungry¡­ The food is getting fewer and less but they im this is the best diet they havee up for us Zoogs. Do humans really understand our needs? We''ve been tricked here for unpaidbor, o woe is my name!" The shadow was a fat Zoog, it had been assigned to the Eastern State for a month already and it lost so much weight. That aside, the workload was also heavy, it felt like a fatty was sitting on its neck. Beingzy was difficult as well because each Zoog had a GPS tracker strapped to them as well as a mini camera. In other words, they had lost their freedom. As long as there was a signal, the moment they cked off, it would be seen by the Phecda surveince centre. If there was no signal¡­ then it was cue for them to hurry away because those ces were extremely dangerous. No one woulde save them if they were in danger.

    There were of course missions that required the Zoogs to not wear the track to keep their presence unknown but the camera was still recording. The video would be scrutinized so they still could not ck off. Humans, cunning humans, humans who were experts at making other people work.

    The Zoogs even had to worry that someone was watching when they used the toilet. If they took too long in the toilet, their pay would be deducted and they had to write a report about it. Due to the mini cameras, the fat Zoogs had shed many tears. But on the other hand, for their own safety, they gritted their teeth and worked hard.

    ''Abnormal creature, abnormal creature¡­ where are you¡­''

    The fat Zoog dragged its thinning body into a spot that had no signal and decided to sit down for a rest. Then it picked itself up and continued to wander about. The Zoogs had a natural talent of running into gossip and idents. They depended not only on their nose but their feet as well. They had a kind of sensory talent that they could not describe. They would often walk into strange events, they were walking information radar. Therefore, when the Zoogs had no attending mission, they would wander around uninhabited ces like forests and deserts like scouts.

    The reason the fat Zoog was there that day, other than to capture the hen, was because it sensed something strange here. It might just be the wind.

    The fat Zoog stepped on the yellowed leaves and walked further. The darkness did not hinder its beady eyes. Fall had arrived at this forest. A wind picked up and it carried a light scent of blood with it. The fat Zoog twitched its nose. Its fatty body shivered, this was not a good smell¡­

    Even though it had not run across any abnormal creatures since its postage on Earth, it had crossed some in Dreands. It could thus differentiate the stink unique to creatures that fed on darkness from other smells, that was the scent in the air now. But with another draft, the smell disappeared.

    "It''s nothing, you can''t scare me." The fat Zoog patted its chest to calm its beating heart. "Cowardly Zoog, that is just a beast munching into another beast. They are so barbaric. Blood pours everywhere when they feed. Unlike us Zoogs who at least cook the meal first." But what kind of beast was feasting?

    The fat Zoog was curious, it wanted to take a better look. This was Zoog nature. Stepping on the cushiony soil, the fat Zoog crossed a river when it heard a strange howl in the wind. It sounded the mixed howls of many beasts. There was fear and it was also spreading fear. The fat Zoog shivered but his curiosity won out. "It''s fine. It''s just the rats, yes, has to be the rats. They are fighting for food. These humans have such horrible eyes, they say we look like rats. So preposterous¡­"

    The fat Zoog grumbled as it moved forward, it wanted to see what kind of rats were causing it so much noise. It turned a corner and looked up into the branches. It finally saw it, and its fur bristled. ''What, what is that thing?''

    The fat Zoog saw 4 goat hooves, each of them the size of a small tree. They were ck in color and red capiries were exposed on the bark-like skin. These 4 giant hooves supported a strange giant body. It was a meatball. Numerous ck tentacles grew on the surface and some were still dripping blood. Other than the tentacles, there were so many mouths. They were sticky with green liquid. Each of the mouths was munching on a dead body, there were rats, hens and other animals like boars, wolves¡­ They were being eaten and joined together.

    The strange smell the Zoog discovered in the wind came from this thing. The strange sound it heard came from the mouths.

    The bodies strung on the mouths, they were not yet dead. The animals were still groaning. And this thing had discovered it. In the strange meatball, a single eye opened. Blood flowed through it.

    The fat Zoog took a deep swallow of saliva.

    "I''m just passing through¡­" Before the thing reacted, the fat Zoog screamed and turned to escape from the way it came from.

 Chapter 510: Black Billy Goat

    <h4>Chapter 510: ck Billy Goat</h4>

    "Found it, found it, abnormal creature! Doctor Gu, that thing has to be an abnormal creature, 100 percent the kind you''re looking for! Many hands and many mouths. Very big, very smelly and very noisy. If that is not an abnormal creature, you can dissect me! Actually, never mind¡­ forget what I said¡­ that was just a figure of speech, I didn''t really think that and I wasn''t making a bet, just pretend like you didn''t hear that. But that thing has to be an abnormal creature. It was so big, you''ll take so long to cut through it." Along the way, Lucky kept gesturing wildly.

    This was in the middle of the night at Da Hwa City''s Phecda Spell Department base. Gu Jun had been busy for the whole day. Before he was able to drift off, with the negative selection''s voice in his head, he was woken up by this news. He instantly sprung up and hurried to themunication room. Lucky stood up straighter, the Zoog Department had scored a big one this time! They very perfectlypleted the mission given by the nightmare man. He had already seen through the video taken by the fat Zoog''s camera. It was going to give him nightmares for days.

    "What about the Zoog that found the creature? Is he alright?" Gu Jun asked. He knew how difficult it was to escape from an abnormal creature. Lucky shivered when he heard that. In his ears, he heard the nightmare man''s voice saying, ''If he is in too much pain, how about we¡­''

    "Of course, he''s fine!" Lucky patted hastily to exin, "If there''s one thing going for us Zoogs, it''s that we have really thick skin from decades of tapping against ourselves! That Zoog only suffered a few scratches as he scrambled through the woods, he did not even suffer any serious wounds. There''s no need for treatment. Don''t worry about him, Doctor Gu, you better focus on that abnormal creature."

    "That''s good." Gu Jun nodded. To be able to escape from an abnormal creature, that Zoog had to be an elite. If that was the case, the Zoog should be transferred to the MP Unit. The team was looking for a batch of elite Zoogs to go along with them on the most dangerous missions.

    When Gu Jun arrived at themunication room, the news had already reached the MP Agency. Mysterium was sending Yu Chi''s group over because this was more than a simple discovery of an abnormal creature.

    "Ah Jun, take a look at this first." Elder Tong in one of the monitors said. Elder Tong was still currently at Mo Bei. When Gu Jun sat down, Wu Siyu, Lou Xiaoning, Cai Zixuan, Prof Jiang and the rest had arrived as well. They looked at therge monitor ying a night vision video. It recorded a weak hissing soon and a blurry forest. Soon Gu Jun saw the giant, distorted abnormal creature. Its bloodshot eye was looking right at the camera. Instantly an unsettling feeling rose within him¡­ It reminded him of the situation when he had to channel Son of Misfortune''s dark energy¡­

    "That''s an abnormal creature." Gu Jun announced darkly, "And it should be rted to The ck Goat of the Woods." Everyone could see that because the abnormal creature had a clear identifier, 2 pairs of ck goat hooves. This twisted knot of flesh and meat reminded Gu Jun of the humanoid banyan tree as well as the fleshy forest that once hung high above the Mo Bei sky.

    The ck Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Youngs. So¡­ this was it? But it was a smaller version, a billy goat to be precise¡­

    It appeared in the forest north of the Eastern State, this could not be a coincidence. From the avable data, the first abnormal baby to be born at Phecda World was not Da Hwa City''s Xu Qiuyue but a baby boy at the hospital attached to Eastern State''s University. He was born 10 minutes earlier than Xu Qiuyue, he too was a negative selection. Phecda had looked deep into the boy''s background. The boy''s parents were normal office workers, they had nothing to do with dark forces and ultism. Like many other parents, they were confused, nervous and insisted that everything was fine with their boy.

    More checks were still being conducted, like why the boy was defined as a negative selection.

    Gu Jun watched the tentacles wiggle on the screen, the bloody mouths opening and closing. There was another buzz in his mind¡­

    It was the new system. Golden light was surging like a power assimting. With a sudden ping, several new notifications popped up.

    "You have been exposed to the existence of ck Billy Goat.

    "You have triggered a new Autopsy Quest.

    "Autopsy Quest: Complete the dissection of 1 ck Billy Goat within 15 days. Remaining time: 359:59:47, Completion Rate: 0 percent

    "Quest reward: 1 chance ofmunication with City of Dusk; 1 Medical Skill; Unknown!"

    Gu Jun scanned the messages and he was inspired. It was finally here, the quest!

    The system, and mission were just symbolic, in actuality it was Earth''s connection with the City of Dusk and Gu Jun was the bridge. So far, he appeared to be the only bridge too.

    ''Medical skill?'' Gu Jun''s heart was burning up, he couldn''t wait to get his hands on it. ''What kind of skill will it be? Will it help in what way?''

    ''ck Billy Goat?'' He studied the creature''s name. It appeared like City of Dusk already knew about ck Billy Goat but could not transfer the information directly to him. Either they did not have the method to do so or the transmission of information might copse Gu Jun''s brain. Or perhaps it might cause the return of his PTSD.

    "We need to depart for Eastern State now." Gu Jun stood up and told everyone. "I just triggered a message from City of Dusk."

    Elder Tong and the rest were pleasantly surprised. Even Wu Siyu who was previously blurrily eyed, widened her gaze. Themand central immediately had it arranged. The members of the PM unit were going to gather at Eastern State, all the other departments would provide the necessary support. Gu Jun knew how little time they had. 15 days was not a long time.

    Different from the old system, the timer did not start after he made contact with the creature but it had automatically started on its own.

    To dissect the ck billy goat, they had to first capture it without injuring it because they needed aplete body. Even if they managed to do that, it would take days toplete the dissection of such arge mess with a big team. Gu Jun was still not sure whether the autopsypletion rate was calcted the same way as the old system or not. But he knew that even if he had to spend all 15 days inside the morgue, he would do that.

    Other than that, there were still other questions to answer.

    Why would the ck Billy Goat appear at this spot? Was it summoned? Were there other ck Billy Goats? Was it hostile? Would normal weapons cause it harm? How did the fat Zoog survive? It might not fall down to the Zoog''s running speed but perhaps the ck Billy Goat never wanted to harm it in the first ce.

    After 15 days, there would be more than 500000 abnormal babies in the world¡­

    If the mutation happened during pregnancy, then their breakthrough would help future newborns from suffering from simr fate. If not, their breakthrough would at least gain information that could help more babies and their families stay away from tragedy.

 Chapter 511: Familiarity of the Other World

    <h4>Chapter 511: Familiarity of the Other World</h4>

    How did the Fat Zoog survive? Even though it had been almost a day since then, the Zoog who was named Babyfat was still shivering when he was asked to repeat the encounter. He did not even show much appetite at the chicken thighs offered him. "It was because of my speed and intelligence. I used words to confuse the monster and while it was confounded, I whipped around and leaped over the river. When I looked back, there was nothing there."

    Gu Jun took Babyfat''s words to mean that the ck Billy Goat did not give chase at all. The video recorded by Babyfat verified that. The Zoog was not attacked during his escape.

    They took a private jet to hurry to Eastern State. When they arrived at a temporary camp near the forest in question, it was already noon the next day. So why was Babyfat spared? Wu Siyu had an idea, "Was it possible that since all of the ck Billy Goat''s mouths were full so it did not go after a new prey?" That was possible¡­ In the camera, each of the mouths was already munching on a dead body. But Gu Jun thought the chance of that wasn''t big. Even though the Zoog was sizable, it could still fit quite easily into the ck Billy Goat''s giant mouths.

    Then could this ck Billy Goat be a trap? Gu Jun did not think that was the case either. Unlike Byakee or nightgaunts, this abnormal creature did not feel like it could be controlled by others¡­

    When Babyfat came back with the news, Eastern State Phecda, instantly worked with many government bodies to lock down the forest. They also sent out drones to circte the skies. When the drones arrived at the scene, other than some sticky liquid and blood on the ground, nothing was out of ce. No live member had entered the forest yet. The thing did not know how to fly or dig underground, there was no channel that led to Dreands or other worlds, so it was still inside the forest, waiting to be found. However, the forest was quiterge. 15 days might not be enough to locate and capture it. The Action Department tried to use hunting hounds to track the scent from Babyfat. However, the hounds refused to budge once they were 100 metres from Babyfat. When they were dragged to Babyfat''s side, they shivered in fear and shut down. This was the same for wolves and even tigers. The lingering presence of the ck Billy Goat was horrifying for normal beasts.

    "Babyfat." Inside the camp, Gu Jun gestured at the Fat Zoog. "Now, you are the one who is the most familiar with the ck Billy Goat''s smell. We need you to find it again. When you do that, you''ll be awarded another great merit."

    Babyfat''s chicken thigh dropped to the ground. He nced at Lucky and then at the humans. "What about my previous reward?" Babyfat mmed to table to demand, "I want to have it now¡­" Lucky silently praised the Zoog. In a few more days, Babyfat might not be alive to enjoy his rewards anymore.

    "Based on what I know, the rewards are all given at the end of the mission." Gu Jun answered, "As long as this incident is not over, Phecda will not give out any reward."

    "If it is me¡­" Wu Siyu grumbled, "I will ask for the longest holiday possible."

    Babyfat was stunned. He wished to cry but there were no tears. He confirmed once more that the Zoogs were tricked by the humans. Even though Babyfat was very unwilling, he was dragged on the journey. He led the Zoogs around Eastern State to help the Phecda members narrow down the siege circle. Gu Jun''s group headed towards Eastern State University to check up on the first abnormal baby.

    That afternoon, Yu Chi, Feng Peiqian, Chen Ziyuan and the others came from Mysterium World to Eastern State. Even afterparing the timelines of both worlds, the first abnormal baby was still the one at Eastern State. Things were equally pessimistic at Mysterium World. Mysterium World averaged 380000 newborns each day, the ratio of abnormal babies was about 1 to 10. The ratio of positive, negative and stabilizing selection was simr to Phecda World. In other words, the scale of tragedy was simr for both worlds. This agitated Yu Chi greatly. Every second a new baby was born and every second, a new abnormal baby could be born. The same worry tightened itself around Gu Jun''s heart as well.

    Ever since the news broke, at least Gu Jun and Wu Siyu had a small respite on the ne but Yu Chi had not had a moment''s rest. He was carrying dark eye shadows and his beard was unkempt. His specialty was archaeology, even if he tore open his mind, he was not going to understand this creature.

    "Siyu, how is everything?" When Yu Chi''s group arrived at the base''s first floor, Yu Chi caught Wu Siyu at the lobby and asked hurriedly. Temporarily all the abnormal babies at Eastern State had been transferred here. Their parents were temporarily quarantined. They were given several hours a day to check on their babies.

    "Dirty-minded Jun has been inside for a long time already." Wu Siyu exined, "He seems to discover something but can''t put his fingers on it. He chased us out so he could be more focused." Other than that, as per Gu Jun''s request, Deng Ximei was being transferred over from Da Hwa City. This whole incident appeared to be rted to the foreign world.

    Through the nursery window, Yu Chi saw that Gu Jun was standing quietly before an incubator.

    Gu Jun indeed sensed the presence from the foreign world at this ce, he did the moment he entered the nursery¡­.

    He studied Baby Liu. He was only alive for one day. He was swaddled inside the nket. His eyes were still closed and he was sleeping peacefully.

    ''This baby¡­'' Gu Jun frowned, why does he feel so familiar? It was like what he felt when he firstid eyes on Deng Ximei. There were 23 abnormal babies inside this nursery but only this one gave him that feeling.

    Eastern State, Afterlife Cult, foreign world, the Goddess of Life, Shub-Niggurath¡­

    Gu Jun opened the incubator and slowly reached his hands forward. His fingers touched the baby''s soft skin. At that moment, a powerful torrent ravaged his mind.

 Chapter 512: Cleansing

    <h4>Chapter 512: Cleansing</h4>

    The birth of life cannot be separated from pain¡­

    Gu Jun''s head was spinning, he heard a song in foreignnguage, one that he was familiar with¡­ An illusion flickered before his eyes. He walked through the mind''s fog and the illusion embraced him. There was an imposing fountain, gushing with red water. It was unclear whether it was blood or just dyed water. The water had an unknown ck sticky substance floating in them. The water squirted into the air before falling onto the statue in the middle of the fountain. The white marble of the statue was slowly dyed red and ck. The statue was that of a beautiful female. The ce looked so familiar and yet so foreign¡­

    And then it dawned on Gu Jun, this was the fountain for the Goddess of Life. But in his previous vision, the water was still clear, the statue pure, radiating with life and peace. This was¡­ Carlot Academy. When that truth dawned, Gu Jun''s headache intensified. The song became louder. However, it was unlike the voices of the youth fromst time, instead it was a chaotic mix of strange, fanatic, dark voices. Suddenly his vision widened. There were many people in dark robes surrounding the fountain.

    mes erupted from the building in the background. The buildings, where Carlot students once studied and did their research, were being consumed by fire. The Carlot Academy had fallen, there were no more Carlot doctors. The foreign people around the fountain were all wearing a ck goat''s mask. Two twisted and thick ram''s horns extended out from the mask. Eyes blinked from behind the mask. They spoke of fanaticism and awe. They were the ones singing, it was them who destroyed Carlot Academy. They¡­ were summoning the real Goddess of Life.

    Gu Jun''s wandering consciousness saw the dirty fountain water boiling. Horrible smelling bubbles broke on the surface. Dark malice permeated the air. He could hear the crying of babies,ing ever closer. A group of ck-robed individuals approached from all sides. Each of them carried a crying young baby in their hands.

    The babies looked like newborns. They were naked and their bodies were dirty. They were still covered in the blood and filth from their mothers'' bodies. Some were still wet, others had the dried blood stuck to their bodies. The ck-robed individuals surrounded the fountain. As the people at the back chanted, the ck-robed individuals bent over to lower the babies into the pool of the fountain. The disgusting waste immediately covered the babies'' bodies. The babies cried harder. Their young souls understood the innate feeling of fear. The corrupted water soaked the babies but did not drown them. The water infused into their skin and blood.

    The filth seeped into the babies'' blood stream. Their blood was no longer red but slowly turned ck. These babies were being cleansed. They were mutating, changing and epting new life.

    "The nightmare grows stronger day after day, waiting the day it is birth into the world.

    Mother, great mother is thinking day after day, whether her womb is housing a young creation of life or the dead seed of a zombie.

    Mother''s thoughts of mncholy,

    The birth of life cannot be separated from pain;

    Mother''s thoughts of serenity,

    The birth of life cannot be separated from pain."

    The song split Gu Jun''s head. He could feel the mothers'' pain and the babies'' torment¡­

    There was mutation happening to his body as well, as if he was one of the babies soaked in the fountain. He looked up and expected to see the giant statue. But the statue was no longer that of a beautiful female but a ball of ck and red flesh that was shaped like a womb as well as a goat''s head. Womb and goat''s head, their images ovepped with each other. The fallopian tubes and ovaries formed the horns, the uterine canal was the goat''s oral cavity, the cervix represented the goat''s mouth¡­ On its skin, there were many tentacles. This statue was a giant ck goat''s head but also a giant womb. Endless life burst forth from the fountain. A life of darkness? But didn''t all life start from the dark?

    ''It was not the Goddess of Life who had abandoned us, but they, the arrogant Carlot Doctors, have fooled us by covering up the true appearance of the goddess. The false god, they have presented us with a false god. That was not the image of the real Goddess of Life.''

    The babies cried harder. The ck-robed individuals pushed the babies under the water. The newborns struggled with their small limbs. They choked on the polluted water. ''Children, this is how you will be spared from haemoptysis''.

    After about 10 seconds under the water, the babies were hauled out. The water had turned their faces ck, the small lives already looked different. They had received blessings from the real Goddess of Life. The ck-robed individuals raised the babies high while they knelt down. They shouted in unison at the bloody statue, "I?! Shub-Niggurath! The ck Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young!"

    The summon mmed into Gu Jun''s head. Gu Jun groaned in pain and the illusion shattered instantly. The ruined Carlot Academy, the people in bad, the babies¡­ they twisted together and faded away. However, the statue that looked like a goat''s head and a womb stared at him in his mind. The thousand young focused their eyes on him¡­ The young who were sacrificed, the young who were waiting to arrive in this world, the young who died in the womb¡­

    Suddenly Gu Jun''s heart wrenched and he copsed to the ground. He convulsed involuntarily.

    "Captain Gu!" There was a gasp of emergency. The nursery door was pushed open. Yu Chi burst in and shouted, "I need help stat!"

    Wu Siyu jumped up from the chair, Feng Peiqian rushed into the nursery and pushed Yu Chi aside. She knelt before Gu Jun, "Does he need mouth-mouth breathing? Let me!" Just as Feng Peiqian''s lips were about to fall, Gu Jun suddenly sucked in a deep breath and mumbled, "It''s okay¡­ I''m fine¡­"

    Yu Chi broke into a smile and helped Gu Jun off the ground with Feng Peiqian. Feng Peiqian sighed silently in relief.

 Chapter 513: The Return of the Shadow

    <h4>Chapter 513: The Return of the Shadow</h4>

    This tragedy had to do with the foreign civilization but what was the connection? Gu Jun sat on the chair in the corridor as he tried back to think back to that illusion. Many emotions wrestled in his mind. One thing was certain though, the foreign civilization had chosen a different path than the R''yleh cultists. They did not abandon their faith, nor did they join the Son of Misfortune, instead, they instilled greater faith into the real Goddess of Life, the Lord of the Woods.

    The Goddess of Life is Shub-Niggurath and Shub-Niggurath is the Goddess of Life. Is that really the case?

    Gu Jun was silent. He knew that the Carlot Doctor had to make ''sacrifices'' to gain power from the Goddess of Life. Carlot Doctors sacrificed themselves to save others, it was why they were so respected. Did the doctors know from the beginning that the Goddess of Life was not a force of light but¡­ a purified version of the ck Goat of the Woods?

    From the illusion, Gu Jun believed that was the case. The ck-robed individual implied that it was the Carlot Doctor who ced a false image over the actual Goddess of Life so that the faith of themon people would not empower the power of darkness to bear horrible fruits. The Carlot Academy''s actual research was how to cleanse and control the power given by the Goddess of Life. This secret perhaps was known to all members of Carlot Academy or perhaps it was only knowledgeable to a few selected ones. Haemoptysis, Necroskins¡­

    Gu Jun closed his eyes and gave out a breath. The two threats that he had not considered for a long time now returned again. The earliest appearance of Necroskin at Phecda World was at the forest north of Eastern State; there was a suspected banyan tree channel there. When it was discovered, it had already copsed. At the time, they believed that it was the Afterlife Cult who summoned the Necroskin from the foreign world. However, the Afterlife Cult was too weak so the Necroskin they summoned wascking in intelligence, a pale facsimile of the real thing. After that, no more was heard of the Necroskin again. And now a ck Billy Goat had appeared at the same spot. ''The Necroskin¡­ are they a race that worships the ck Goat of the Woods?'' Gu Jun had no idea.

    With regards to Necroskin''s history at the foreign world, he only had a glimpse of it at the House of Nightmare through Mr. Chandler''s dreams. He seemed to witness Mr. Chandler participate in an organization rted to the zombies to create Necroskins¡­ Create Necroskins¡­ How?

    Zombies were mutated from humans.

    Deep Ones were mutated from humans.

    Could the Necroskins be mutated from foreign humans?

    Mutation, evolution, DNA coding¡­ Coding the DNA of newborns to create¡­ The thoughts bounced in his mind. Gu Jun stood up with his eyes wide open. He stared at the abnormal babies through the ss window. Wu Siyu, Yu Chi, Feng Pengqian beside him turned to look the same way.

    "Captain Gu, do you have any idea about what''s happening?" Even though Yu Chi knew he shouldn''t interrupt, he couldn''t help himself.

    "Captain Yu, that split cross, you mentioned that it might be symbolic." Gu Jun gave his thoughts. "There are more than 4 worlds, there are more variations of Earth. The Foundation and the City of Dusk have basically confirmed that. I''m now wondering if the foreign world is another version of Earth as well¡­"

    Mysterium did not know about the foreign world but after the formation of the PM Agency, they read about it in files.

    "Another version of Earth?" Yu Chi''s interest was piqued. To be honest, this spection had been circting. What dimension did the foreign world inhabit and what kind of was it? Phecda had done many analyses on it. The data they collected in the abnormal space surrounded by tall walls showed that the gravity and airposition were all simr to Earth. Due to these simrities, the organisms appeared to have undergone the same evolutionary route. Gu Jun knew the foreign people survived on oxygen, were mammals and could use medicine invented by homo sapiens. In fact, the biological structures of these two species weren''t that different. They just had different facial features but the difference between them was even less than the difference between homo sapiens and chimps. In fact, the difference might be smaller than the DNA difference between Caucasian and Asians.

    "The difference is decided by thepetition in prehistoric time?" Yu Chi suggested, from an archaeological perspective. "What if it was not the homo sapiens but the Neanderthal who won? Or what if it''s another race altogether? History has endless possibilities. If the first batch of homo sapiens that left Africa ran into a pack of beasts and all died¡­"

    Hearing that, Gu Jun was reminded of the information from his old system. There was a host information that stated, Human: Homo sapiens. Does that mean there are other versions of humans? Like the foreign humans? If the foreign world was another Earth, one whose evolutionary tract was different since prehistoric times¡­ Gu Jun''s heart sank. ''Are both Phecda World and Mysterium World both under the control of the ck Goat of the Woods? They had chosen Shub-Niggurath to resist the chaos of Nyathothep¡­''

    In the foreign world, be it the false Goddess of Life, or the real Goddess of Life, the Necroskins, the ck goat worshippers, they were all rted to Shub-Nigguraths. They were all children of the ck Goat of the Woods. There was already a connection between Phecda World and the Foreign World thanks to Afterlife Cult and Son of Misfortune. And now due to the choice that they made¡­ the connection was stronger.

    Could that be the reason why the lives from foreign worlds had projected their way into Phecda and Mysterium Worlds through these newborns? Was this happening naturally or something was instigating it? Gu Jun frowned as he studied the baby boy of negative selection¡­

    With each abnormal baby, would the connection between two worlds be stronger? That world was a ruined world, a world dominated by the ck Goat of the Woods.

    A series of crying shattered Gu Jun''s thoughts. Another batch of abnormal babies was transferred over. There were 18 babies transferred from hospitals all over Eastern State. Each of them upied an incubator. To help identification and management, each incubator wasbelled differently. 3 positive selection, 5 negative selection, 10 stabilizing selection. Gu Jun and Yu Chi walked towards the new arrivals. Before he even reached them, the familiarity returned to Gu Jun. His eyes focused on the 5 negative selection incubators. Two of the babies evoked familiarity in him. And so far, all those that he felt familiar with were negative selections¡­

 Chapter 514: The Defective Baby

    <h4>Chapter 514: The Defective Baby</h4>

    When Deng Ximei arrived that afternoon and encountered the 3 negative selection babies, she shared the same feeling as Gu Jun. These abnormal babies appeared to carry the presence of the foreign civilization. In other words, the more numerous these babies, the closer the ties between both worlds and the greater the influence the ck Goat of the Woods would have on Earth.

    Weirdly enough, Deng Ximei had looked at more than a handful of abnormal babies before she departed for Eastern State, and this familiarity never arose. Why was it limited to Eastern State''s babies? This was rified when Gu Jun and Deng Ximei travelled to nearby cities and did not trigger that familiarity again. After some research, it showed that the mothers of these 3 babies spent their pregnancy at Eastern State as well. Based on that, an evacuation specifically meant for pregnant women was initiated. For a city asrge as Eastern State, there were about 10000 pregnant women. To have an evacuation without inciting public terror was hard. However, it had to bepleted. The longer they stayed at Eastern City, the greater the chance their children might be corrupted by negative forces from the foreign world.

    Eastern State was no longer a ce suitable for pregnant women and for birth. However, those too close to their birth week could not be moved. They stayed and were looked after by medical workers. However, there were still too many uncertainties. If this was contagious, would it cause another outbreak when they gave birth in other cities?

    On the 3rd day of the tragedy, the number of global abnormal babies broke through 100000. Not all of them managed to survive that long though. Unfortunately, even under normal circumstances, there would be early deaths among babies but the mortality rate among abnormal babies was triple the normal rate. Among the deaths, there was no positive selection, 20 percent was from stabilizing selection, and the rest was all negative selections. Their cause of death was all different, heart problems, lung problems, blood problems¡­ Some of the babies were allergic to air. They suffered from horrible rashes 10 minutes after birth. They could not stop crying and had difficulty breathing. Their lungs failed within an hour of birth.

    Other than that, more and more disfigurement appeared among the negative selections. Pupilless eyes in Xu Qiuyue''s case were considered light. When Gu Jun went through the images and reports of the abnormal babies, an anger rose within him. There was a baby whose arms were shaped like hooves. Instead of hands, his wrists were extended into hooves; another baby had flimsy limbs. X-ray showed that all his limbs had no bones and only cartge. On the surface, it looked like he had limbs simr to the tentacles surrounding the ck Billy Goat. These two babies'' disfigurements had clear influence by the ck Goat of the Woods but there were other disfigurements as well.

    The issue was that most of the mothers went for obstetric examinations, and the result showed that their foetuses were fine but they still gave birth to disfigured babies. This revealed another problem in this tragedy, obstetric examination was unreliable in deterring and spotting this tragedy. The mother of the baby who had tentacles as limbs had 4D ultrasound inspection, and it showed that she was going to have a healthy baby. The father grabbed the stack of heavy x-ray and demanded the doctor for exnation in choking voices. No one could answer him. In the images, the fetus was yawning, stretching his fingers, gumming his palm¡­ The images showed that the baby was developing just fine, he had perfect arms and legs. Not one obstetric examination suggested there would be a problem. Thest obstetric examination the mother had was one week prior to the birth so what happened in that one week?

    During birth, both of the parents saw clearly their child was not swapped. He was born like that, as a monster. The appearance of simr cases suggested that either the mutation urred right before birth or the X-ray imaging had been rendered unreliable by supernatural energy.

    The more Gu Jun looked at the X-ray reports, the more unsettled he felt. He was turning into Yu Chi, he felt like a noose was tightening around his neck. With each baby''s cries, the noose closed further until his breathing got cut off. Just the thought of the pain of the family, the babies¡­ He could not sit, could not stand, could not meditate.

    Yes, the voice was correct. Without this tragedy, there would be babies born with natural handicaps, negative selection would always exist but¡­ the number would not be so high and the disfigurement would not be that serious. This was an unmitigated disaster.

    Gu Jun tried to make himself go to sleep, telling himself, "I need to sleep, I need to rest so that I have the stamina and focus needed for the uing dissection surgery." Since the news broke, he had very little sleep and it was taking a toll on his body. If this continued, even if a ck Billy Goat was hauled into the morgue, he wouldn''t stand up right without fainting.

    "Remaining time: 309:26:47, Dissection Completion rate: 0 Percent."

    Time was running out. This was another noose that clenched further and further. Gu Jun was unable to sleep no matter what and he decided to find Wu Siyu to chat with. Wu Siyu never had the problem of insomnia, no matter how bad the situation, she would be able to digest it.

    "How about I sing you a luby? It might help ease your tension." She suggested. Gu Jun nodded and she sang. "Meow, meow, meow¡­" Surprisingly enough, it did work. Later, Wu Siyu said that she learned the song from the Ulthar cats. Cats normally would not have insomnia so when that happened, it would be a very serious case so their lubies were extremely effective.

    At the same time, the headquarter''s Medical Department conducted many researches. The abnormal babies were the study group, normal babies were the control group. They came from the same hospital. The research targets were the mothers. They were investigated and interviewed; specifically on how did they spend their pregnancy? Were they exposed to particr factors during pregnancy, like the ingestion of certain food or drugs, travels, what had they done that might have caused this issue? The Medical Department hoped to get some simr factors from their stories that would yield statistical meaning. The moment they found the connection between the abnormal babies and proved that they were notpletely random, steps could be taken to avoid it.

    This was also to prevent simr information from reaching individuals, who might use this to create more abnormal babies.

    It was worthnoting that within Phecda, some of the members were weing new members into their families as well. They were not spared. There were abnormal babies among them as well.

    So far, they still could not tell how different the growing experience abnormal babies would be among themselves andpared to normal babies.

    300 hours were left for the mission and it was the morning of a new day. Lucky rushed into the room where Gu Jun was resting. "Found it, found it! Babyfat''s group has found the monster! The location is about several hundred metres wide, it''s inside a cave!"

 Chapter 515: The Dark Cave

    <h4>Chapter 515: The Dark Cave</h4>

    Dawn had already broken but the woods were oppressively quiet like it was still midnight. Or rather, the night''s trace had not fully faded away yet. A low chirp echoed between the trees as if birds were searching for missing families. But they did not dare to be too loud for fear of attracting danger in the darkness.

    The mouth of the cave was small. Autumn did not take away the life that covered the outer walls of the cave. There was a thickyer of lichen that grew from the ceiling to the ground. It reached into the cave, creating a habitat for wild grasses and vines to grow. It would appear like only these small nts were the ones able to flourish in this dangerous environment. The cave was not a named one, it was well-hidden inside a deep forest. The forester responsible for the area did not really know much about it. He said that the cave was not deep, it was a straight line into the end. The senior forester added that the cave sometimes would act as a temporary home for bats and wild boars to birth their young. He normally stayed away from it because pregnant wild pigs could be very territorial.

    He had no idea what was happening inside the cave now, the thing hiding inside it was far more dangerous than any boar in the world.

    The caterpir tracks rolled on the ground and they crunched the leaves noisily. That and the sound of engines shattered the silence. The multi-purpose drone tank which had rocketunchers, bombs, 360 degree camera and cleansing stone slowly moved into the cave. Initially, the n was to have the Zoog scout out the ce first. No matter how advanced the tank was, it did not possess spirituality unique to life; furthermore, the tank would create so much sound. Once it was employed, the enemy would know their presence. A dark ce like the cave and a mission for infiltration, it was perfect for the Zoogs. However, not one Zoog was willing to ept the mission. They''d rather die on the autopsy table, at least that would be a quicker death. Even after much persuading, their stance did not change.

    "No, no¡­" Babyfat was already shaking when Gu Jun approached him.

    At the moment of twilight, the Zoogs followed the horrible smell and stopped 100 metres away from the cave. They saw with their own eyes the ck Billy Goat enter the cave. It appeared to be a nocturnal creature. Each of its mouths was holding a dead carcass. Different fromst time, Babyfat noticed that the creature''s prey had gottenrger. This time there were even a few dead deer.

    Did the ck Billy Goat realize it was being tailed? The Zoogs could not tell. But the thing did not open its eye again. However, after the ck Billy Goat entered the cave, the moment before dawn, the Zoogs heard a horrible wailing from inside the cave. It sounded like all the dead animals hade alive. They were looking at their bodies being consumed by the unknown creature. After the spine-tingling scream, the cave was silent. And the silence spread throughout the forest. The Zoogs did not dare to make any noise either. They lifted their ws to close their mouth and made themselves as silent as possible. Babyfat was very afraid. Every rustling of the wind and crunching of the leaves was a hit at his weak heart. The fact that they managed to stay there until the team arrived was already very impressive.

    Now the humans wanted them to enter the cave? Wasn''t that no different from telling them to go die? No, they refused to. Since the Zoogs were so adamant, Gu Jun did not force them. Hemunicated with the Action Department and decided to send in the drone tank first. He also did not want the Zoogs to die for no reason. Furthermore, he knew that if one of the Zoogs died, it would heavily impact their morale. They would groan about their fate and maybe start an opposition. News travelled fast within the Zoogs.

    Now, the area had been heavily surrounded by Phecda members. The drones circted in the sky and there were devices to monitor the situation underground. They would be rmed if anything tried to break through the ground. About 100 metres away from the cave, there were members from Eastern State Action Department, Ancient Seal Department and Medical Department. However, the leaders were still the MP unit as well as the One.

    Everyone watched as the tank drove into the cave. The camera on the tank ryed the signal back into the monitors. The signal was stable. The best result was for the tank to discover the ck Billy Goat asleep. The tank would slowly ease in until it was close enough to the target to allow the bombs to explode. It would hopefully kill the monster without injuring too much of its body. A battle could be avoided that way.

    But for Wu Siyu, there was a better result. The tank rolled in to find the ck Billy Goat already dead. The scream the Zoogs heard was not the animalsing back to life but the ck Billy Goat wailing before death. That way, they''d save the bombs and would have a well-preserved body. However, neither Gu Jun nor Yu Chi were that optimistic. Thetter scratched his cheeks anxiously as he checked the cave and then the screen. The technological level of Mysterium World and Phecda World was not that different. The tank was the most advanced military grade drone they had. After the tank entered the cave, it continued to move slowly. The darkness did nothing to hinder the night vision camera. The cave was deeper than the forester suggested. The stone wall showed signs of corrosion. The lichen that grew into the cave started to wilt to be an ashy wall.

    The camera did not pick up any bats, not even a dead one. Soon Gu Jun frowned. The people around him all felt chills. The cave walls were thered with white sticky liquid. The liquid kept dripping onto the ground as well as onto the tank. It blurred the camera. But for now, they could still see that there was a soft tissue behind the sticky liquid. It looked like flesh or membrane, it shrunk and tightened like it was alive. On the surface of the soft tissue, there were tube-like objects. They were pulsing red, it was unclear whether they were vines or some kind of blood capiries. This whole cave appeared to have been transformed into a womb.

    The tank continued to roll deeper into the dark cave.

 Chapter 516: Explode

    <h4>Chapter 516: Explode</h4>

    When the tank was 64 metres into the cave, it suddenly lost signal. Even though the camera was blurred out by the white liquid, the signal was stable. But suddenly, the monitor died. It was as if the tank had crossed the line to enter a no-signal zone. The technicians tried everything but could not rebuild the signal. The cave was still as quiet as before. Facing this situation, the frontline did not have much choice. Considering the drone might have coincidentally broken down, the frontline sent the second tank into the cave but simrly it lost signal at 64 metres. Thus they could confirm that the signal would be lost after that mark.

    A third tank was sent in to collect samples of the tissue and liquid on the wall. It was ced into bottles and then immediately into isted chambers once it was brought out from the cave. The tank did not cross the line so it was fine. Then it was time for the Mysterium Team to do something. Yu Chi volunteered. He summoned 3 nightgaunts. Thanks to his 3 mental pirs, mental corruption had little effect on him. And due to their connection, Gu Jun could see the mental state of all PM members. Yu Chi''s face reddened as he summoned his mental energy. Hemanded the 3 nightgaunts to fly into the cave in a formation where they were 3 metres from each other.

    "Be ready," Gu Jun said. Wu Siyu and Feng Peiqian readied to sign the ancient seal, no one knew what would happen next. There was a mental connection between nightgaunts and their summoner, they could influence each other.

    "Be careful, captain¡­" Feng Peiqian was worried. Sometimes the damage caused by summoned creatures could be very serious. As Yu Chi controlled the nightgaunts, he gave them updates about his feeling, "Life force is abundant inside the cave. It is like a big firece, many things are boiling. Am I a spore, or an animal? The life source, it is so fresh here¡­" No one understood him, Yu Chi barely understood himself. Soon Yu Chi''s first nightgaunt reached the mark and then flew past it. Suddenly, Gu Jun saw Yu Chi''s eyes reddened. Blood streams snapped. Yu Chi grabbed his head and screamed. Babyfat and the other Zoogs retreated further, yes, this scream, it was what they heard¡­.

    "Use the Ancient Seal now!" Gu Jun ordered. He signed the ancient seal with the rest of the PM Unit. The light glowed and the blood in Yu Chi''s eyes slowly dimmed.

    "It''s¡­ no good. All 3 nightgaunts are dead¡­" Yu Chi said with difficulty. Gu Jun and the other Medical members rushed forward to inspect him. Yu Chi''s heart rate was too high at 195 times per minute. His lips were purple. He was suffering from ack of oxygen. Yu Chi was given the respirator and after a long time, he finally managed to speak again, "My third pir has cracked¡­" The group was stunned. Yu Chi''s third pir was to witness the relic in the Qin Dynasty tomb, which was a very firm desire.

    "The twisted energy inside there¡­ Captain Gu, it''s even more dangerous than the one inside the maze¡­" Yu Chi croaked. Gu Jun knew the maze in question was the underground altar at City of Angels. It was where Nyathotep appeared to them. He frowned. Looks like this ck Billy Goat was not a simple abnormal creature¡­ it might carry some divinity with it.

    "I believe it''s unwise to send anymore people in there." Gu Jun shared his thoughts with everyone present as well as themand central. The autopsy mission was a bond between Gu Jun and the City of Dusk, sky would not fall if he missed it. As long as the foundation was willing, Gu Jun would have other chances. Of course, the earlier he gained their help, the better. It would stop the dark forces from spreading. But¡­ sending people into the cave would cause instant death. After Gu Jun shared his thoughts, he listened to others.

    Wu Siyu nodded with agreement, "Dirty-minded Jun''s thoughts told me that one shouldn''t ever go into ces like this in a horror movie, blow it up."

    ''Wait a minute¡­ Dirty-minded Jun''s thoughts?'' A question mark rose in Gu Jun''s mind because he was indeed thinking that very thing.

    "Blow it up, we need to blow it up!" Feng Peiqian agreed too. She was afraid that Captain Yu might volunteer to enter the cave in person if they did not. Humans were braver than Zoogs. To blow such a precious thing up was wasteful to some. Lou Xiaoning volunteered to enter the cave, she was not afraid. But her offer was rejected. Everyone''s life was important, especially since they were all elites. Back at themand central, Elder Tong left the decision to them, "The frontline knows this better than we do, we''ll leave the decision to Ah Jun."

    Gu Jun stared at the dark cave and narrowed his eyes. "Blow it up!"

    With the decision made, the frontline moved into action. Every human and Zoog retreated. The many cameras posted around the forest continued to record, the cave was still silent.

    "Run, quick!" Lucky summoned Babyfat and the other Zoogs. Lucky had seen many military documentaries, he knew how dangerous human explosives were. They would not want to be caught in the fray. When the frontline had retreated a safe distance away, they were already out of the woods. They had to look at the cave through the surveince shots. The technician tried to trigger the explosives that were already in the previous 2 tanks. As expected, there was no response.

    Before they dropped the bombs, the frontline was ready for a possible counter attack by the ck Billy Goat. They were prepared with rocketunchers, missileunchers, and heavy artillery. The tanks, ancient seal stones, cleansing stones, everything was set.

    "Drop em bombs." Gu Jun gave the order. The bomber craft took off from the base carrying prating bombs. Its target was the location after the mark inside the cave. The giant prating bomb could drill for 60 metres underground before it exploded. It was used to destroy bunkers and underground bases.

    Soon, following a loud explosion, all the surveince monitors turned ck. The birds flew away in panic. The mountain as well as people''s hearts shook. The satellite sent in live pictures. The first missile hit the target. The woods became a sea of fire. Arge crater was made out of the cave. At that moment, everyone heard the sound that the Zoogs described. It was horrifying, pitiable but also carried a trace of anger with it.

    "Keep on going! Keep the bombsing!" Gu Jun shouted.

    ''Even if there are only broken bones left, I can still dissect them. If there is nothing that remains, then,'' Gu Jun turned to study the shivering Zoogs¡­ ''I''ll have them look for more.''

 Chapter 517: Blanket Attack

    <h4>Chapter 517: nket Attack</h4>

    The bomber crafts buzzed through the air. Another giant prating bomb dropped, creating a falling arc. The bomb hit the cave squarely. The trees around were ttened, the grass dried, and rocks pummelled into dust. The unknown tissue on the wall started to crack and bleed out green liquid. The bomb did not explode immediately upon contact. Instead, it drilled several feet into the ground before it burst into mes. The explosive energy was immense and it created one mushroom cloud after another. The whole mountain shook. More fleshy tissue snapped, ck-green liquid sshed around in the fire.

    The fire crackled inside the womb-like cave. It burned away the dark forces of life, the womb that carried thousands young. Suddenly a bloody shadow stood up in the mes. It perched on top of the broken mountain and was captured by the satellite. It was about 5 to 6 metres tall and its twisted body was shaped like a house. Tentacle around its body iled and it had 4 ck goat hooves. It was the thing captured by Babyfat''s camera, the ck Billy Goat. However,pared to its image in Babyfat''s video, currently it was heavily wounded. A part of its tentacles was blown off its body and green liquid scattered all over it; one of its 4 hooves was injured, causing it to limp; the single eye inside the meatball-like body was clearly angry. There was still condescension in its anger like a prince who was sshed with a pail of guts by his citizens.

    When Gu Jun saw the giant eye from the satellite image, he immediately understood why the ck Billy Goat had let Babyfat go. He understood why it had not done anything even though it knew the Zoogs were sneakily following its trail. It was because of arrogance. The ck Billy Goat was like a child. Since it possessed great power, it looked down on everything. It would not waste time on weak Zoogs or humans. Because for it, these were just future sacrifices. It would get whatever it wanted. It would digest, consume and reshape for its mother, its great mother.

    "Ready all the rocket and missileunchers!" Gu Jun ordered again, "Fire at that mutated creature now!"

    This caused Yu Chi to be nervous, even the Zoogs who were dancing and cheering earlier became nervous. How much ammo Phecda had prepared to take down this creature? The Zoogs could not tell, but there had to be a lot. After everything was fired, not even a single bone would remain! Then who would take its ce on the autopsy table¡­

    Feng Peiqian was happy. Lou Xiaoning sighed in satisfaction. Wu Siyu, with her synesthesia, was holding up a bucket of 4 kl of water single-handedly. She poured it down her throat and it was refreshing. Seeing the green slime, she sensed sweet minerals from them. She thought she''d drink from the water and not let it go to waste.

    "Captain Gu, shouldn''t we start with a smaller firepower?" Yu Chi suggested, "Perhaps we can try to capture it alive?"

    "If this nket bombardment can kill it, we''ll return to celebrate with a party." Gu Jun said, "I have a feeling¡­ this thing is not that weak. The ck Billy Goat is extremely powerful but it does not know how to wield its power yet due to its youth. It ran because it was the simplest thing to do." At the front line, other than Gu Jun, Deng Ximei would understand the ck Billy Goat the best. "I have the same feeling¡­" Deng Ximei added, "It is not like the other abnormal creatures we''ve faced in the past." The girl had a kind of innate and unusual sensory affinity towards danger, especially the kind where it was senseless and unpredictable, that was her Spirit Child talent. As she studied the woods around him, she saw not the trembling trees but many shadows. Her head was pulsing. There were some illusions but it was not strong enough to trigger a vision.

    It was a feeling between illusion and normalcy, it was fluttering and hard to pinpoint. This feeling did not originate from the cave¡­ but definitely somewhere close to the ck Billy Goat. It smelt of the people who worshipped Shub-Niggurath and served the ck Billy Goat. They knelt before it, they provided it with sacrifices. The ck Billy Goat¡­ appeared here because it was called. This city, this area, was a spot for recent ck Goat of the Woods Cult activity.

    "Fire away, we shall not take any risk. Fry it until it''s dead!" Gu Jun repeated the order. To be honest, Yu Chi only made thatment because he had to. If he was in Gu Jun''s shoes, he would have made the same decision, after all the loss of any colleagues would be a devastating blow. Furthermore, the ck Billy Goat was showing clear signs of going berserk. Its tentacles were shing at the rocks aimlessly around it. The power of one p was strong enough to split arge boulder into smithereens. Its empty mouths were moving, preparing to consume all lives that refused to surrender to Shub-Niggurath. The giant eye moved trying to locate the enemies that were attacking it.

    At least one thing wasforting because this creature was unlike the flying polypus hydroid. It did not know how to go invisible and due to its young age, did not know tactical moves. Its anger was pure. It radiated horrible smell and polluted the air. At least that was the report given by the Zoogs because the humans were wearing the highest grade protective gear.

    With the order, the missiles fired. The mountain shook harder and explosions came continuously from the cave. Even a military expert like Lou Xiaoning could not tell which of the mes came from the missiles and which from the bombs. However the fireworks were extremely enjoyable for her to watch. It would be a treasured memory for her.

    The ck Billy Goat groaned louder. It rammed and trampled angrily in the sea of fire. It charged down the mountain but was stopped by the nket fire of missiles. It did not move fast enough to evade the missiles. The firstnded beside it, the second just soared over it, but eventually some were going to hit. This nket fire caused blood and flesh to fly off from the giant creature. There was not much tentacles left on its body. Another missilended on its target. The injured goat''s leg was blown off into the air, itnded among mud and rocks.

    The ck Billy Goat moaned in fury. It could not even stand straight with just 3 legs. It hobbled before copsing to the ground. It wanted to break through the frontline to feast on the humans and Zoogs, to suck all of its adversaries into its stomach. It would turn them into nutrients to fuel itself. But the endless missile fires made it so that it had to consider survival first.

 Chapter 518: Goats Leg

    <h4>Chapter 518: Goat''s Leg</h4>

    Neither Gu Jun nor Deng Ximei could tell whether the ck Billy Goat had died in the explosions or it had escaped. After the series of nket fires, the satellite showed that the ck Billy Goat dispersed into a cloud of ck dust. It was exactly the same when the flesh forest disappeared from the sky of Mo Bei. It dissipated along with the dust and wind. After the explosions stopped, drones were sent into the cratered forest to check but they found no trace of ck powder on the ground. However, they did find broken body parts that had been blown apart from the ck Billy Goat''s body before it disintegrated.

    The most well-preserved was definitely the goat''s leg. It was 2 metres long with the calf and hooves. Even the smallest part had a diameter of 95 cm. There was a chance that the ck Billy Goat had escaped in a method that they were not privy to.

    On the other hand, when the tanks rolled into the copsed cave, the original flesh tissue on the wall had already wilted. They turned into something like a keratinized cuticle, they lost their previous color, sticity and life. However, the headquarters was still d about this result. Zero death! They only lost 2 tanks and had won over this abnormal creature that they had encountered for the first time. Different from flying polypus hydroid and the locust swarm, the physical defense of ck Billy Goat appeared to be no different from zombies; they could be taken down by heat weapons. If that was the case, humanity could put up quite a fight against this creature.

    After the tanks ensured the safety of the cave, Gu Jun led a PM unit into the ruined cave. They did not trigger any new illusion but did express some lingering mental disturbance. The border inside the cave already disappeared. The cave was about 100 metres deep. The drones noticed that the cuticleyer at the end of the cave was particrly thick and they still had some dark energy left in them because it was their of the ck Billy Goat. The cuticle was still pulsing but when the tanks attempted to take a sample, they soon wilted. Gu Jun spected that the space inside the cave represented the uterus, it was where life was sustained.

    The 2 tanks were found among the rubble. They were not spared from the explosions. The technicians managed to identify them and even managed to salvage the video card from the first tank''s camera. Even though the card was heavily damaged, there was a chance for recovery. The card was handed to the world''s bestputer technicians to see if they could restore the video files. They might be able to see what happened to the drone after it crossed the border. The scanning of the whole cave required time and analysis of the unknown sample needed time too. But there were only 290 hours left for Gu Jun''s autopsy quest.

    Speaking of which, Gu Jun had already left the frontline, he was inside the cabin of an armored car heading back to Eastern State base. It would take an hour to reach the base but Gu Jun wasted no time. Despite the bumpy ride, he already started the autopsy quest. The cabin was quiterge but after cing the giant goat''s leg inside it, it appeared quite cramped. ck-greenish liquid dripped onto the deck. The small space was smelling up horribly. Thankfully Gu Jun, Uncle Dan, Wang Ruoxiang were all in respirators or they''d faint from theck of oxygen. Even Wu Siyu, who normally was not affected by these things, had to put on a heavy mask.

    How to describe that smell¡­ Rotten eggs, durians, dead rats, slippers, unclean toilets, multiply that by 100 times and it would be the smell of dposition, multiply that smell by another 100 times and it''d be this smell inside the cabin now. Wu Siyu was hazed until she questioned her life, she took a deep breath and then another¡­

    The sound of Zoogs tapping started inside the cabin as well. Lucky, Babyfat and a few other Zoogs cowered at the corner, talking among themselves. They were in extreme pain and regretted epting the invitation to get in this car. Stupid Zoog, dumb Zoog, how were they going to survive this journey?!

    Lucky was ultimately the vice leader, he was an official. Sometimes, he needed to take up the responsibility. He mmed heavily on the ground and gestured at Gu Jun who turned over, "Erm¡­" he wanted to say, could you please stop the car, it''ll take less than a few minutes for us to get down. Or can we jump? But the car was moving too fast for that. This was not a movie, they''d die if they jumped while the car was moving. Even though the Zoogs were used to most smells from their adventures, this one was pushing their limits¡­

    "What''s wrong?" Gu Jun pulled out a scalpel from his pocket, its sleek de was still sharp. He tried to make a cut at a rotten spot of the goat''s leg. The location was suitable for experiment, there was no worry of ruining the tissue because it was already rotten. The knife met very firm skin. He had to apply force before the knife cut into the flesh. Liquid oozed out from the wound. At the same time, Wang Ruoxiang, Uncle Dan and the rest took out their tools as well. Gu Jun alone would take more than 10 days to dissect such arge goat''s leg.

    "Erm¡­" Lucky was stumped. His long speech was somewhat tranted into a gesture. He mped his ws into a fist. "Good luck!"

    Wu Siyu, who had been paying attention, nodded silently. That was a good choice. Lucky turned around to face his people, he was thinking about how to exin himself. Babyfat patted him, "Vice leader, you don''t need to say anything, we understand."

    Zoogs were not the only ones who were nervous. Shadelessmps covered the cabin and many cameras were installed. The video was ryed to many bases. Many experts were watching. They''d provide analysis and opinions during the autopsy process. Before the autopsy even started, Xiao Huiwen''s face was wrinkled together. ck Billy Goat was a new type of abnormal creature, just the leg alone would take days to dissect and that leg alone would provide so many new tissues and parts tobel¡­.

 Chapter 519: Dissecting the Black Billy Goat

    <h4>Chapter 519: Dissecting the ck Billy Goat</h4>

    The basic structure of the ck Billy Goat made it impossible to tell whether this goat''s leg was the front leg or hind leg. There was a possibility that the creature did not even have that distinction, just like how the tentacles, mouths formed a meatball. The centre of the meatball was the giant eye that could not be determined as left or right eye. Therefore, the leg was temporarily defined as lower limbs, maybe the 4 lower limbs were distinct but for now they wouldn''t know. Its surface structure was simr to amon goat''s leg. Gu Jun categorized them into thigh, knee, calf and foot. The biggest difference between human and goat was that thetter did not have the buttocks region. Human thigh anatomically speaking included the buttocks.

    Based on the previous videos, it showed that the ck Billy Goat did not possess buttocks. To put it simply, it only had the body and 4 legs. It had no head, no tail. The tentacles, mouths and eyes were part of its body. The lower limb that they had was blown apart with part of the meatball still stuck to it. How to differentiate them in terms of anatomy would have to be done after a whole ck Billy Goat was captured. However, the lower leg wasplete enough to prove that ck Billy Goat did not have a butt. To borrow an analogy, it was more like a meatball standing on 4 sticks. Therefore, Gu Jun named the part above the knee and below the meatball as the thigh part. The noun was like a needle that pierced into Xiao Huiwen''s thigh, it made his face twitch¡­ it did not feel good. Why? They were both graduates from Eastern State Medical University, howe the taste of one was so amateurish?

    Not only Xiao Huiwen, for the other experts, if they had to choose between the thigh and buttocks, they would choose thetter. It was more professional and had already confirmed concepts like anterior buttocks and posterior buttocks. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, the thigh meat was slightly rounder than the rest, perhaps that was the conventional ass¡­

    Regardless, it was the person holding the knife that had the naming rights. Thigh part was easy to understand anyway. After initial categorization, before the official autopsy, Gu Jun wondered how to start the incision. Uncle Dan, Zhang Huohuo took out some rulers to measure the lower limb. It was 206 cm long and the thickest part at the thigh was 198 cm in diameter, the thinnest was 163 cm; the thickest part at the calf was 141 cm in diameter and the thinnest 95 cm. The foot was shaped like hooves. It was the part the ck Billy Goat used to trample against the ground. It was 102 cmrge, the size of a normal child. If a person was stomped by this thing, undeniably they''d be dead.

    "We should start with the most injured thigh part." Gu Jun said. The decision was agreed by everyone inside the car and the experts watching. Xiao Huiwen sighed in relief. He was afraid that Gu Jun would go for the prime cuts. The limb was more damaged at the thigh followed by the calf. The foot was almost unscathed. This might be a weakness they could use against the ck Billy Goat. Why would the explosions cause the biggest damage to the ck Billy Goat''s thigh? Was it rted to its body structure? These questions needed more evidence to answer but at least now they knew that should they run into the same creature, they should focus on the lower limbs'' thighs first.

    The thigh part was ruined. The surface was charred and there was not much fur. Gu Jun nned to cut out a piece of its skin and checked under the microscope to see if it had pores. Then he''d dig under the skin to see if the epidermal structure was simr to earth''s organism or normal goat. He held the Carlot Scalpel in his right hand and edged the tip along the charred wound. He sawed with twice his usual strength. Even through the protective suit, everyone could see the set of Gu Jun''s jaw. Uncle Dan sighed, "This thing''s skin sure is thick."

    "Yea." Gu Jun hissed through his teeth and applied more force. "The skinyer is very tough¡­ I''m afraid autopsy tools won''te in useful¡­" After much pushing and sawing, Gu Jun finally cut open a surface skin that was 8cm times 6 cm in size. When the cut wasplete, the scalpel almost flew out from his hand. Thankfully it was caught by his hands of dexterity. The Zoogs at the corner shivered, they were afraid that they might die from a flying knife¡­

    At that moment, Gu Jun noticed that the questpletion rate in his mind had moved from 0 to 0.01 percent.

    "This is it, it''s working!" He told everyone the great news but he did not borate. In the past autopsy mission, Gu Jun would have greater quest progress at the start of the dissection and the progress gain would gradually slow down. If that was still the same, then he might really spend the next 289 hours working non-stop since he only got a 0.01 percent increase from his first cut.

    However, 289 hours were almost 12 days and a normal person could not work 12 days without rest. The toll would be too much on the mind and body. That worried Gu Jun, he might not have enough time toplete the mission.

    "Gu Jun, let me try with normal tools." Wang Ruoxiang suggested, "I''m the weakest here physically, if I can cut through it, then everyone else can." Uncle Dan and Zhang Huohou were males, they had naturally greater strength. Gu Jun nodded. Wang Ruoxiang grabbed a normal scalpel and cut at the thigh''s skin. It was not a technical cut. She was merely making shes. Her face was red but the knife barely made a nick in the skin, this thing had thicker skin than a crocodile. Uncle Dan and the rest should be able to saw through it with some applied pressure but this presented a new problem. Just to deskin the leg would exhaust a lot more time than anticipated.

    "It is probably because of this skin that¡­" Gu Jun spected, "The leg can still be so well-preserved after that constant bombardment." Staring at the skin, he was reminded of the cuticle inside the cave as well as the epidermis of Necroskins¡­ Gu Jun''s mind agitated, some visions swam before him.

    Skin, its importance was often ignored by humans and its tensile strength underestimated. This is because human skin scars and breaks easily. They can break out in rashes. But the skin is always exposed to the air andes into contact with various bacteria, it is the firstyer of the human immune system''s defence. The skin is important and very tough.

    Gu Jun noticed that ck Billy Goat and the Necroskins that were suspected worshippers of Shub-Niggurath had extremely tough skin. They were not scales, they were better than scales. It was also a way to differentiate them from R''yleh followers.

    "Carry on." Gu Jun refocused. "We should clean around these cuts first." The thigh part that lost its skin started to leak out with green liquid. It blurred the sight under the skin, it made it hard to tell whether there was fascia superficialis, vena superficialis, cutaneous nerve and the like. The green liquid kept on pouring out. It was hard to clean it up while preserving the sub-cutaneal tissue. Using cotton balls was not helping the problem. Once Wang Ruoxiang cleaned the leakage, the liquid kept on pouring. Gu Jun could not make the cut at all. The experts provided a solution. A catheter could be inputted into the subdermal area to use it to suck away the liquid inside the skin. Eventually the leakage would stop.

    "It''ll stop." Xiao Huiwen was confident. "The mass conserves after all."

    Indeed, there was thew of conservation of mass. But as Gu Jun stared at the goat''s leg, he felt uneasy.

    With a sudden pop, arge area of the thigh area suddenly deted and sunk.

    "Huh?" Uncle Dan gasped. "This thing is transmuting!" Wang Ruoxiang''s heart squeezed. The goat''s leg inner tissues appeared to be liquifying, which was why the green liquid leakage wouldn''t stop. On the screen, Xiao Huiwen''s face was stunned. The other experts argued frantically.

    Inside Gu Jun''s heart, another timer began. And it was ticking by rapidly. It numbed his skin. There was plenty of tissue and flesh under the skin. There were blood veins, lymph nodes, nerves, muscles¡­ if all of them melted into liquid¡­ Then how were they going to continue the autopsy?

    Wu Siyu who was squatting at the corner suddenly stood up and said urgently, "My synaesthesia tells me that it is trying to run away, the goat''s leg is still alive!"

 Chapter 520: Liquid

    <h4>Chapter 520: Liquid</h4>

    After a worm was cut into two, it could grow into two worms. First, the cut tissue would contract and part of the muscle would dissolve to form a new cluster of cells. The white blood cell would collect at the cut surface to form a clog to heal up the worm to prevent blood loss, and infiltration of micro-organism. After that, the worm could survive and enter regeneration status. Currently, there is still mystery about the worm''s regeneration mechanism but mainly there are two theories about it.

    One is after the body cavity closes, the original cells within the body cavity would move to the cut surface and form a clog with dissolved muscr cells. At the same time, rapid mitosis would ur within the body to regrow back the cells in the digestive system, nervous system and capiry system.

    The second theory is that the cells at the cut section would differentiate to recover to its undifferentiated status. Then, these cells would differentiate, grow and regrow. Both hypotheses reach the same result. The part without the head would regrow a new head; and the part without the tail would regrow a new tail. A worm thus became two worms. Worm, a unique kind of life.

    ''This goat''s leg is still alive?''

    When Gu Jun heard Wu Siyu say that, the first thought in his mind was the worm. He stared at the broken giant goat''s leg and he could see the hypodermal tissue dissolving. It was different from the worms, it was much moreplicated than the worms. After these liquids escaped, they could coalesce to begin a new regeneration process to form yet another ck Billy Goat. As these thoughts shed in his mind, Gu Jun''s brain jolted with pain and the visions swam. But at the same time, he saw in his new system, his experience in autopsy grew. "Through observation of ck Billy Goat, you''ve increased your knowledge of life. +200 EXP, 4700/5000 (Level 1/9)."

    Gu Jun was rather surprised that this would increase his experience but as the introduction to autopsy science said, the study was meant to have him learn about the truth of life through autopsy. It did not limit the autopsy to actually using knives or measuring, observation and making conclusions worked too.

    "I sense a stick insect." Wu Siyu hurried over. "It''s pretending to be dead." Stick insect had the ability to break off its leg to fool its predator.

    "Worm." Gu Jun gave his thoughts. "I suspect it is dissolving as preparation for regrowth." Hearing that, it dawned on everyone else in the cabin. Self-dissolution? Regeneration? Wang Ruoxiang said hurriedly, "Gu Jun, how about we leave the cabin now, put on the freezer to st them into ice?"

    There were now two possible dangers, one was the liquid might leak away but that was not the most urgent because the cabin was airtight. Every drop from the goat''s leg would be contained within the isted cabin. The urgent issue was the other problem, if this continued, they would have nothing of the goat''s leg to dissect. Wang Ruoxiang''s suggestion was an idea, but could freezing really stop this process?

    Water froze at 0 celsius but an insect''s liquid tissue would not freeze at 0 degree Celsius, this is called the supercooling effect. Freezing would notpletely halt a life''s cellr process if there was still cellr activity, plus this was abnormal life¡­

    "Try freezing some of the liquid! See if they show supercooling!" Gu Jun ordered as he turned to look at the "4700/5000£¨Level 1/9£©" in his mind, he was so close to the next level and reaching it mighte with a new reward¡­

    He still needed 300 experience. Facing a new unexplored abnormal creature, he had the chance to nab that experience without taking a deep dive into the autopsy. While Wang Ruoxiang and Uncle Dan moved about, Gu Jun studied the dark green liquid in the cannted tubes, they were still flowing. Human body had a lot of water inside it as well. In fact 60 percent of human weight is water. They can be separated into two types, the 2/3 was inner cellr liquid and the remaining 1/3 is outer cellr liquid. The outer cellr liquid takes up around 16 percent of human weight. This was basic biological knowledge. But autopsy science is to understand theyering structure of the biological form. So what if the ck Billy Goat had a different physical form?

    "These are not its effluence¡­" Gu Jun mumbled as he reached out to touch the dark green liquid. Even through the suit, he could feel their life and stickiness. "These are the liquid cells of the ck Billy Goat, they might be covering its whole body¡­"

    Xiao Huiwen gasped through the speaker. "You mean it can freely dissolve itself into liquid for the sake of regeneration?"

    "It''s just a hypothesis." Gu Jun picked up the Carlot scalpel and pierced through the skin that had deted. "This liquid can help it grow and heal its wound. But they can transmute and regenerate¡­" Only a species like that could have the strongest fertility. An insectoid fertility. They would not easily be killed, death was just a new beginning. One young could lead to thousands young.

    Gu Jun cut open the skin and flipped it over. The inside was rotten and blurry. But he saw that the green liquid was dissolving out from flesh and tissue. They first dissolved into red liquid before turning dark green¡­

    "It can transmute." He concluded, "It can transmute its structural form."

    On the other hand, Wang Ruoxiang had collected a small cup of sample and ced it inside a -20 degree Celsius ice box. Gu Jun''s guess was right. The strange liquid inside it did not show any sign of freezing! The green liquid was slowly swirling on its own like it was alive.

    The experts were stunned. Xiao Huiwen asked, "Then how should we stop this? We also need to study this state it''s in¡­"

    "Yes, yes!" Lucky pped his thigh and gestured. "We have to stop."

    Gu Jun stared at the cup of abnormal liquid inside the ice box. He was surprised that he was right¡­ Suddenly, an inspiration came into his mind. Thepletion rate for the autopsy mission rose and a few other notifications followed it.

    "By observing ck Billy Goat, your understanding of life increased. You gained 300 EXP, 5000/5000 (Level 1/9).

    "Your investigative ability, autopsy science has increased in level! Currently you are at 0/15000 (Level 2/9).

    "You have a new active skill from autopsy science!

    "You have gained 1 autopsy science level up reward, please click to ept it."

 Chapter 521: Saw

    <h4>Chapter 521: Saw</h4>

    Reading the notifications, Gu Jun was rejuvenated, the rewards were finally here! He immediately clicked on the investigative ability tab and noticed there was a new skill tab under it. The tab was glowing a radiant gold. The symbol was that of a small figurine holding dissecting knives on both hands. "Burning the Midnight Grave Wax."

    What¡­ was that name? When Gu Jun saw that name, he could feel his subconscious influence. Everyone else was still waiting for him to make the decision. The time was ticking. He suppressed his curiosity and checked out the skill description.

    "Burning the Midnight Grave Wax: A high quality dissection requires high focus. It not only exhausts great mental and physical power, one also has to resist against the sting of Formalin. Prolonged working at the morgue will knock down the strongest man. But you burn away your life to study autopsy. It unleashes the potential in you. Even after a 24 hour of work, you''ll be able to push on for another 24 hours after a 15 minutes rest. Warning, this ability will only work on autopsy-rted activity. The maximum limit is 10 consecutive days."

    Gu Jun was overjoyed, this was something that he desperately needed at the moment! It would helpplete his mission without much toll to his body. Before this, his highest work record was 1 week and he had to take 3 hours rest between each day. It affected his efficiency a lot. If Burning the Midnight Grave Wax could help him work 24 hours and then regain his energy after 15 minutes rest¡­ It would be over the human body limit¡­ Gu Jun processed it quickly, the brain, the lungs, and every human system needed to rest.

    So what kind of mechanism did this skill operate on? He could only use it for autopsy and nothing else. Probably the foundation could build some kind of connection with him through autopsy work so that he could digest the power from the City of Dusk. This involved science that he did not understand, perhaps it was rted to his cellr activity or it was something else entirely. He had no idea what 10 days of endless working would feel like, he would try it out this time, hopefully he won''t end up dead.

    Then Gu Jun turned his mind over to the level up reward. Instantly a golden light suffused his brain. An instrument that looked like a magnifying ss appeared. Upon closer inspection, there was exquisite inscription around the handle, it reminded him of the graceful architecture at City of Dusk. Attached to the handle was a circr lens, it looked like a crystal or gem.

    "Appraisal ss x1: Can identify a creature''s species and their current status through a study of their fur, blood, bones or other tissue sample." Gu Jun looked around and realized he could not take this thing out and he could only use it once. However, this was a powerful object. If they were at an investigative scene or an adventure, and they came across an unknown species, this woulde in good use. When facing the unknown, information was the most important. But for now, they confirmed that this was ck Billy Goat, so the effect was more on thetter half. What about the goat''s leg current status, was there anything they could do about it? Gu Jun had no idea how much information the appraisal ss could give, but this was a reward provided by the City of Dusk, so it should be able to help.

    "Ah Jun? Ah Jun?" Uncle Dan called.

    "He''s not ready yet¡­ Hmm¡­" Wu Siyu sensed something. She reached out to touch Gu Jun''s shoulders and frowned. "Big boon to the liver? What''s up with that?"

    ''Big boon to the liver?'' The medical staff looked at each other, what did that mean? An increase in liver size? Hepatitis? Why would the liver suddenly grow big? It was just her synaesthesia talking, right?

    "¡­It''s a good thing." Gu Jun finally recovered. He exined to the confused people around him and used his left palm to press on the skin of the giant goat''s leg. "I just obtained a new power from City of Dusk. I can work longer without exhaustion to the liver and¡­ wait a moment." He focused his attention on the appraisal ss. It felt like he was holding the scalpel in his right hand and the magnifying ss in his left as he examined the leg. The green liquid appeared to channel into his mind.

    Suddenly Gu Jun''s eyes widened. His many organs like heart, spleen were hit. Information sted at him from an unknown source. He could see the x-ray of this goat''s leg, the skin, the muscle, the bone¡­

    Several notifications arrived, "This creature is ck Billy Goat, the sample is one of its broken limbs. The broken limb can regenerate into another ck Billy Goat! The sample is liquefying. One must note into direct contact with the liquid or else it''ll cause mutation. The regenerative organ is inside the ck Billy Goat''s bones!"

    Gu Jun staggered back a few steps until he knocked into the wall of the cabin like he was shot into by a cannon. The scalpel fell from his unsteady hands.

    "Ah Jun?!" Uncle Dan was worried but seeing how calm Wu Siyu was, he knew this was not a big deal. Wang Ruoxiang, Zhang Huohuo understood this as well. So no one went over to help Gu Jun. But the Zoogs were scared witless. Seeing this, their anxiety grew. This was definitely some kind of conspiracy¡­

    "The bones¡­" Gu Jun picked up the scalpel, leaped up from the ground and pounced at the liquifying leg. ''The regenerative organ is the bones?'' This statement sounded weird but he was reminded of the x-ray that he saw. The bone inside the goat''s leg had not turned into liquid!

    For a cut worm to regenerate into 2 worms, it had to fit many environment factors. For one, the cut had to be made vertically and not horizontally. In the ck Billy Goat''s case, since it has a regenerative organ, theoretically if they destroy that, then the creature wouldn''t be able to regenerate anymore.

    "We need to split open its bone." Gu Jun said hurriedly. He studied the goat''s leg and everyone else turned to it as well. From the cut surface of the leg, it could be discerned that the bone was deeply embedded into the tissue. If the surface skin and flesh did not dissolve, then they had to go through a lot before they could hit bone. Experts like Xiao Huiwen knew Gu Jun had his reason to give such an order, but they couldn''t help themselves frommenting on how difficult that surgery was going to be. They would have to saw through the skin and then remove the tissue from around the bone.

    "Where''s the electrical saw? Give me the saw!" Gu Jun looked at Uncle Dan, Wang Ruoxiang and the rest.

    "Hmm." Wu Siyu pointed at the corner where all the equipment was ced, "It''s over there."

 Chapter 522: Hard Bone

    <h4>Chapter 522: Hard Bone</h4>

    The armoured medical car tumbled its way forward on the mountain road. The whir of the saw echoed inside the cabin. Gu Jun grabbed a high-efficiency electric saw from the corner. The sharp teeth glinted dangerously as he walked back to the table. Seeing this, the Zoogs and experts broke out in cold sweat. Xiao Huiwen''s face turned from red to ck. But they were not there and did not have ess to Gu Jun''s unique talent so what could they say?

    But it was truly a shame. Such a perfectly preserved limb and it was going to be destroyed soon¡­ But then their eyes colored with new confusion as they saw Gu Jun headed not towards the thigh but the feet. The saw aimed at the hoof.

    Hoof, refers to the keratinized protectionyer at the end of the toes for animals like horses, cows, sheeps. The hoof for the ck Billy Goat was simr. It wasrge and tough. The creature had 3 toes and one hoof was the size of the human arm.

    "There is something strange about the ck Billy Goat''s bones." Gu Jun told the rest. "But the strangest bone is around its hoof."

    "The regenerative organ is inside the ck Billy Goat''s bones!" Gu Jun had a feeling that this statement was notplete. It could be a problem with transmission. After all, his connection with the City of Dusk was not that strong, or at least not strong enough to send a lot ofplete information. Snippets of information could find their way into his brain through the dimensions. So he would have to parse and analyze them on his own.

    Keratin and bone are two different things, they have their own distinct growth process. But the hoof on the ck Billy Goat might not necessarily be keratin. Thinking back to the x-ray, Gu Jun remembered seeing a strange shadow around the hoof¡­

    "Now that you mention it." Even though Wu Siyu did not understand autopsy, she had talent that could not be ignored. "Hmm, if you were to make a stew out of this hoof, you''ll get a stomachache because of the worms." Actually without any synesthesia, people knew consuming this thing would lead to stomach problems. But worms? What kind of worms?

    "Well, we''ll see in a few minutes." Gu Jun gripped the saw. "Move away, guys and be ready for abnormal reactions."

    Uncle Dan and the rest immediately walked back just in case they were hit by shrapnel from the saw. The most afraid was definitely the Zoogs, this was a murder!

    Lucky knew Gu Jun the best so he quickly patted his body to order his people to follow him. They shouldn''t hide at the corner anymore, it was useless. Instead, they all hid behind Wu Siyu. They hugged her legs like kos, this was the safest ce inside the cabin. Just as they draped themselves over Wu Siyu, Gu Jun moved the saw between the creature''s toes.

    The sharp teeth sawed away the ck surfaceyer of the hoof. Gu Jun instantly felt a halt in his arm muscle. The saw appeared to have knocked into stones. Both the teeth and the chain had stopped. The sound of it being stuck was shrill. There was no bone chip but there were sparks.

    "This is so tough¡­" Gu Jun groaned as he held onto the saw. He could feel the veins on the back of his arms bulging like they were going to pop. Even though the rest were warned, they were still surprised by this.

    "There''s no way this can be cooked¡­" Wu Siyu scratched her brain, "No wonder it''ll cause stomachache."

    "Uncle Dan has seen many stiff things in my life." Uncle Dan shook his head. "But this is one tough cookie!"

    The bone strength influenced tensile strength, while bone mass affected weights, clearly, this hoof possessed both.

    "This does not look like normal calcified bones." Wang Ruoxiang frowned. A normal calcium-based bone would not be able to resist against a bone saw or else they wouldn''t be able to perform any amputation surgery. Before this, they already noted how unscathed the hooves and feet were. The ck Billy Goat was hit several times but its hooves were undamaged. This also went to show the strangeness about its feet.

    "If it''s not based on calcium, can it still be called bones?" Xiao Huiwen mumbled to himself. "What other matter can it be made of?"

    As the wielder, Gu Jun was more familiar with how sturdy the bone was. He tried to inch it further but the saw refused to budge¡­ And thepletion rate of the autopsy quest had not increased, not even by 0.001 percent.

    ''Matter? What kind of biological matter can be so tough? If it is not a normal matter¡­''

    Some thoughts crossed his mind like lightning cutting through darks. Dark matter? In the myriad worlds, there would be myriad matters. Dark matter might exist. The ck Billy Goat might not be made out of hundred percent known matters.

    The shadow inside the x-ray might not be something inside the bone, it might be the bone itself, formed from a matter different from usual matter. It was that matter that lent the hoof such tensile strength and indestructibility.

    The whirring of the saw stopped. Gu Jun took a deep breath and shared his thoughts with the rest. He leaned close to the ck hoof. He saw clearly that there was no cut on the hoof. Despite his earlier effort, the hoof was unaffected.

    "This bone will get stuck in your teeth." Wu Siyu said and the Zoogs behind her instantly felt the danger.

    Uncle Dan and Wang Ruoxiang joined Gu Jun. They grabbed the microscope. Their naked eyes did not lie. Even under the microscope, the veins on the hoof had not changed. It was like the sawing did not happen earlier.

    "This is the work of abnormal energy¡­" Xiao Huiwen was silent. They were all stumped.

    Suddenly, there was another pop. An area near the thigh and calf about the size of a palm had shrunken. They were transmuting into the dark green liquid. The stench inside the closed cabin intensified. And they became even more desperate.

    They did not have much time left. Gu Jun''s heart was burning but he forced himself to calm down. If the system followed the old system''s mechanism, then the quest could bepleted. That meant that there was a solution to solve this conundrum.

    Gu Jun looked around to scan everything inside the cabin, including the shivering Zoogs. In the end, his eyes fell on the Carlot Scalpel that he used earlier. With an inspiration, he grabbed the scalpel and turned back to the hoof.

    That confused both experts like Xiao Huiwen as well as other people in the cabin. If the hoof did not yield to the electric saw, what could a scalpel do to it?

 Chapter 523: Knife Skill

    <h4>Chapter 523: Knife Skill</h4>

    The Carlot Scalpel was only slightly longer than themon dissecting scalpel no. 23. Other than the carving on the hilt and the name Carlot, it was no different from a normal scalpel. Its material was still a mystery, current scientific knowledge was unable to identify it. So far, Gu Jun and Phecda had conducted plenty of experiments on it. Other than a handful of people, who had high spirituality, and Gu Jun who could perform a smoother autopsy with it, there was nothing too special about the scalpel.

    Everyone including Uncle Dan in the cabin and Xiao Huiwen back at the headquarters knew that. So when Xiao Huiwen saw Gu Jun pick up the scalpel to pick at the hoof, he assumed this young man had lost his mind and was only venting his anger¡­ "Try freezing it again!" Xiao Huiwen said urgently, he really did not want such a precious sample to go to waste. "Even if its liquid form shows a supercooling effect, freezing might still slow down its cellr activity so we''d have more time¡­" It was worth trying. The other experts gave their opinions as well. If -20 did not work, then try -50 degrees.

    The most important thing was to preserve the sample. Even though they might not be able to dissect it for now, they could still use X-ray to study it. From that, they could get a better understanding of it.

    Gu Jun was like a child who refused to leave the toy store after he spotted a toy that he wanted but his parents refused to buy. He held the scalpel and lightly scraped against the surface of the ck hoof. He did not move back as ordered but he did not make an incision either. Wang Ruoxiang who first suggested the freezing idea was given a look by others. She asked, "Gu Jun?" She had a feeling this was not that simple, Gu Jun was not just throwing a tantrum. This was no longer the Tycoon Jun that she knew.

    "Wait, let him be." Wu Siyu stopped them. Compared to others, she was more in tune with Gu Jun''s highly focused mental state. Wu Siyu shrugged when everyone turned towards her, "Even though I have no idea what he''s doing, I know he''s up to something."

    Uncle Dan was after all a Spell Department member with years of experience. He too noticed how focused Gu Jun was. This kind of focus definitely warranted their respect.

    "I''m afraid if we do not stop him, the whole leg will dissolve." Xiao Huiwen could not help himself. What could a scalpel do when an electric saw could not even cut through the hoof?

    Just as Xiao Huiwen finished, Gu Jun''s right hand that held the scalpel shot outwards, the knife plunged into the bone surface of the toe!

    With a strange voice, everyone saw with shock how the de of the scalpel submerged into the hoof''s phnx. It had pierced through both skin and bone, managing a feat that even a high-efficiency saw could not.

    "This¡­" Xiao Huiwen''s jaw dropped. He could not even finish his sentence. Did Gu Jun''s saw not touch the hoof earlier? Was this a prank on him? But what about those sparks¡­

    The cabin was silent. Many people were shocked. Wang Ruoxiang''s eyes widened. Wu Siyu was right. Then without much hoo, Gu Jun slowly eased his wrist. The de carved through arger portion of the bone surface. The de still looked graceful despite the firm cut. It felt like Gu Jun was cutting through tofu.

    "Okay, you guys are safe now." Wu Siyu wanted to turn around to tell the Zoogs but the heavy suit made it hard for her to move. When she did turn around, she noticed the Zoogs had already disentangled from her to move closer to Gu Jun.

    A 5 cm crack appeared on the hoof. There was another ckyer underneath the bone, there was something unique about it. Gu Jun made a sudden twist and carved out a 5cm times 5cm square on the bone surface. Looking at this, Xiao Huiwen''s heart was strung up. He unwittingly held his breath, worried that his voice might interrupt Gu Jun¡­ What kind of spell was this?

    Wang Ruoxiang and the other Spell Department members did not sense any energy in the air. Gu Jun did not chant any spell either.

    "It''s the scalpel¡­" Wang Ruoxiang stared at the de that was still inside the bone. The Carlot Scalpel!

    Inside the cabin, only 2 people knew how to use the scalpel, one was Gu Jun and the other was Wang Ruoxiang. Wang Ruoxiang''s mastery of it was definitely lesser than Gu Jun but she was better at it than Uncle Dan and the rest. She had a high spirituality and had been through many abnormal experiences, it aided her to wield the scalpel. It was not too long ago when she used the scalpel. As a member of the team to help Gu Jun increase his autopsy study, she was part of many autopsies. When Gu Jun rested, he''d lend her the knife to practice with it. So Wang Ruoxiang was able to quickly grasp the concept now.

    It was not a spell but skills and techniques.

    Wang Ruoxiang knew that Gu Jun was not that familiar with the secret of the Carlot instruments. He applied the scalpel, dissecting scissors and so on like normal tools. In fact, he could have used them for other purposes and it''d make no difference. And thus everyone thought that was all there were to the Carlot instruments¡­

    But now Gu Jun had found a new usage and proved them wrong!

    Wang Ruoxiang was inspired. She had heard of Carlot Academy, and what she was seeing now proved one of her hypotheses. Carlot Doctors were more than doctors who knew spells, they knew how to utilize amazing technique and medical power. Despite the fact that the foreign world was ultimately destroyed, for the current Earth, this was such a treasure. However, not everyone could share in Wang Ruoxiang''s excitement when they saw that Gu Jun had finished the cutting of the bone p. A scalpel that showed greater proficiency at cutting bones than skin? Why?

    These questions were held off for now. The Zoogs were afraid but they could not pull their eyes away. Gu Jun grabbed the Carlot tweezers from his bag and used it to grab an edge of the bone p. He then slowly pulled the bone p back to reveal what was within¡­

 Chapter 524: Tubes in the Foot Cavity

    <h4>Chapter 524: Tubes in the Foot Cavity</h4>

    The moving car tumbled but Gu Jun''s hands were firm as he picked up the 5 cm times 5 cm ck bone p. His mind was in an unusual state, it was a state he had not encountered before. He could feel the Carlot instrumentsing alive. Perhaps no one on Earth was more familiar with these instruments than he was. They were magical instruments, he already knew about that; but he did not know how to utilize them. If the knowledge of utilizing these tools was a room, Gu Jun had been locked from entry.

    But then his investigative ability, autopsy science increased to level 2. That brought with it many changes. Gu Jun could feel the change to his mental state. When he faced autopsied samples, he felt different. He finally gained entry to arrive at an indescribable state. When he held the scalpel again, for ack of better term, he could find the on and off switch on it. He could use it to better dissect abnormal creatures. Even if the creature was shielded by unknown material or abnormal energy, Carlot scalpel could slice through them.

    When the de pierced into the hoof, his mind was exploding. Other than the mental exhaustion, he did not feel any corruption. This was a different kind of technique, the Carlot Technique. Gu Jun was reminded of the reward he got from the autopsy mission, one of them was 1 Medical Technique. He wondered if this was it. He also wondered if there were foreign people among the members of the Rudolph Carter Foundation¡­

    After the doors opened, Gu Jun''s understanding of scalpel and the tweezers blew wide open. Gu Jun used the small tweezers and it felt like he was holding a ball of darkness. The small piece of square bone p was incredibly heavy and tough. Even though it had been sheared away, it was still attached to the hoof via unknown soft tissue, a normal tweezer would not be able to pull it out. This was the source of Wang Ruoxiang and the other''s confusion. Was it hollow under the hoof? Like one''s skull?

    If it was an entire solid bone, then cutting the surface would not have formed a bone p. The tweezers picked up the bone p and slowly eased it out. It was pulled off with ayer of ck membrane. This caught everyone''s attention. The bone was hollow and there was soft tissue underneath the bone. This was indeed a new understanding of the foot structure.

    "Wow, now that''s smelly¡­" Lucky immediately closed his ws over his nose. The other Zoogs did not look so well either. After the bone p was taken off, the smell was even worse than before. Compared to now, the smell earlier could be considered fragrant. Synaesthesia made Wu Siyu extremely sensitive to senses. At that moment, she wanted to grow more hands to cover her nose.

    "Foot cavity." Gu Jun announced softly, giving the sample their names. "Foot dura." This was clearly modelled after cerebral cavity and cerebral dura. The experts had no opinion but it felt so weird to have Gu June up with such professional names¡­

    What the others did not know was the visions that suddenly poured into Gu Jun''s mind. He saw the brain cavity. Could the ck Billy Goat''s brain be inside the hoof but not a part of the meat ball? He used the scalpel to cut off the connection between the bone p and the foot dura. He studied the bone p on his tweezers. The underside was sticky with ck liquid and nothing jumped out at him. So Gu Jun put it aside to focus on the hoof. The visions became more numerous. He also noticed the changes in his mind. The autopsypletion rate had jumped from 0.51 percent to 1.51 percent, and his autopsy experience had grown by 500. The hoof was definitely an important body part for the ck Billy Goat. Once the foot dura was spliced open, Wang Ruoxiang, Uncle Dan and the rest noticed the strangeness within it as well.

    Strings of unknown substance were hidden under the membrane. They looked like tentacles or eels. They swam about and radiated a strange light. Since the opening created by the bone p was not big, they could not have a full view of the object. They had no idea what those tubes were, were their blood capiries, nerves or intestines? Were they unique to the hooves or connected to the other organs like the calf, knee or thigh?

    "Give me the dissecting scissors stat!" Gu Jun said. Perhaps these were the regenerative organ inside the bone. Snipping them off might stop the leg''s liquefaction. Uncle Dan took up the post of assistant. He handed Gu Jun the Carlot scissors. Uncle Dan did not feel anything special about them. It was a different story for Gu Jun though. After he held them tight, he snipped through the tubes inside the foot cavity. The tubes were soft and not particrly sturdy. They were cut through easily and once they were cut, the two ends shrivelled.

    Gu Jun felt like he was cutting through a child''s umbilical cords, he could even hear babies crying. Deng Ximei attested that the ck Billy Goat would only appear when there was worshipping activity for Shub-Niggurath. The appearance of this ck Billy Goat most likely matched the birth of the first abnormal baby on Earth.

    Gu Jun cut through another tube when the visions surged at him and an unexpected scene appeared. In some unknown time and space, tubes like tentacles or umbilical cords joined the giant meatball and many babies togethers. The dark green liquid flowed through the tubes into the babies'' bodies, circting in their hearts¡­ This was not the umbilical cord between the babies and their biological mothers but their other mother, the ck Goat of the Woods!

    They were nourished, corrupted and mutated.

    "The ck Billy Goat and the abnormal babies¡­" Gu Jun croaked, "The more abnormal babies there are, the more powerful the ck Billy Goat will be¡­ The more powerful ck Billy Goat bes, the more abnormal babies there will be¡­ The mother of thousands young¡­"

    The experts like Xiao Huiwen gasped and Wang Ruoxiang narrowed her eyes.

    Dark green liquid oozed out from the feet cavity to soak through the snipped and un-snipped tubes. It also covered the damaged foot dura and bone opening. Threads like veins rapidly regrow over these damaged areas to heal them. Gu Jun was covered in cold sweat as a supposition entered his mind.

    If these regenerative organs were not fully destroyed within a certain time limit, they would continuously regenerate and repair themselves!

 Chapter 525: Breakthrough in Autopsy

    <h4>Chapter 525: Breakthrough in Autopsy</h4>

    To kill the ck Billy Goat, they had to destroy this broken limb!

    Not only toplete this autopsy quest, this was also the way to go. The tubes regenerated very quickly. Gu Jun paused only for a moment before he swapped the scissors back for the scalpel. He sliced through the tubes. With each tube severed, it disconnected the connection between the unborn babies and ''mother''. Each tube severed quietened the sound of the baby crying in his mind.

    However, the tubes were regenerating like crazy, they gathered together like fiber optics. Gu Jun shed through them and exhausted another big chunk of his mental power. If this continued, he would end up mentally drained but the thing would still be regenerating. The tubes grew and the leg dissolved. The hoof wasrge, it was uncertain how deep the foot cavity was. From surface observation, it was about 30 cm deep and so far they had only reached about 10 cm. Below that, there would be even more tube-like organs. Everyone noticed this problem. Uncle Dan looked around nervously to find tools suitable for a 5cm times 5cm opening. There were a few crowbars lying around. Uncle Dan asked, "Ah Jun, can we use these crowbars to poke through the hole and mess up the tubes that way?"

    "No, it''ll only work with Carlot instruments¡­" Gu Jun answered, "And it has to exhaust the user''s mental power or else the organs will be too tough to cut. However, there is another method."

    While the rest looked on with confusion, Gu Jun tightened his jaw and reached his right arm holding the scalpel right into the foot cavity. Uncle Dan, Wang Ruoxiang and the rest were shocked. Earlier, when Gu Jun was conducting the autopsy, he tried to prevent direct contact with the green liquid, because the City of Dusk already gave the warning. Even though they were in protective gear, it would be safer to stay away. But now, the dark green liquid soaked Gu Jun''s right arm. No one knew whether the protective gear was effective or not¡­

    The moment he reached into the foot cavity, Gu Jun felt his hand reach into the abyss. Endless shadows tried to corrupt him and the babies'' crying became louder. He confirmed instantly that there were even more umbilical cords in here, connected to more abnormal babies. Before he could decide what to do next, his arm was bound together by the threads. His arm muscle tensed, he could feel the muscle tearing, the veins popping and pain shot through him.

    "Dirty-minded Jun?" Wu Siyu sensed the danger and hurried towards Gu Jun. The Zoogs immediately scattered.

    "I''m still fine¡­" Gu Jun gritted his teeth. With everyone watching, he applied force on his right arm. While some of the muscle fibers snapped, the de in his hand sliced madly inside the foot cavity. The illusions danced, the umbilical cords were severed, green liquid spattered and the mist surrounding the babies dissipated. Suddenly it dawned on Gu Jun why the maternal examination failed. It was because every abnormal baby was nurtured inside 2 wombs. The typical maternal examinations could not detect the other womb, the ck Goat''s womb. It existed in an indescribable space, it gathered, descended during birth.

    To destroy that womb''s connection to earth, that perhaps was the true solution¡­ but now he had to hack through these umbilical cords first¡­

    Gu Jun reached further down until he believed he had arrived at the deepest part of the foot cavity. There was even more green liquid and it almost corroded the glove. In his mind, the babies cried harder and the panic within the cries assaulted his every nerve.

    "Ah!" Gu Jun shouted. A searing pain came from his arm and he almost dropped the scalpel. With determination, he held on. The fingers were in standard position. The thumb, middle, ring and pinkie held the hilt while the index finger guided the back of the scalpel. Among the chaos, he focused and activated the magic inside the scalpel. He brought up the image of the bright Carlot Academy, the clear fountain, the clean marble floor, the beautiful buildings¡­ The Goddess of Life was not the evil, disgusting ball of ck flesh. The Goddess of Life was light, the smiles of happy parents seeing their child for the first time and the cooing of the child being weed by their parents¡­

    With a quick swipe of the scalpel, Gu Jun cut through all the tubes at the lowest part of the foot cavity. He could see them being severed, the green liquid flowing through the tubes squirting everywhere.

    The people around him though could see the threads that curled around Gu Jun''s arm snapping at incredible speed. They wilted quickly. The flow of green liquid stopped.

    "This¡­" Uncle Dan looked here and there. There was something different about the goat''s leg. Wang Ruoxiang''s feeling was more acute. If it was a waterfall earlier, now it was like a pool of dead water. The liquifying area halted. The skins stopped sinking in.

    "Oh?" Wu Siyu studied the giant goat''s leg. She could taste the difference. The meat would no longer produce worms but it would make a delicious pot of stew. But consuming it would still cause stomachache. "The goat''s leg is now really dead," She said.

    Dead? Finally? The Zoogs looked on furtively. Does that mean they were no longer in danger?

    Gu Jun gasped. He was covered in sweat as he slowly pulled his right arm out from the foot cavity, carrying with it green liquid and some shredded soft tissue. Everyone asked whether he was alright. He nodded his head. "I''m fine, the liquefaction stopped. The tube-like organs are the leg''s regenerative organ as well as the umbilical cords that connect to the abnormal babies¡­ I feel like we should call them Abnormal Cords."

    Wonderful! When they heard that new term, they confirmed that it was the right Gu Jun. Xiao Huiwen nodded, yes, this kind of strange naming feels appropriate¡­ Wait, what am I saying?

    At the same time, Gu Jun turned to the new notifications in his mind.

    "You''ve gained a breakthrough in the autopsy of ck Billy Goat, autopsy progress increases by 3 percent, current progress is 4.51 percent. Remaining quest time: 289:21:46.

    "You''ve gained a breakthrough in your autopsy ability. Autopsy science experience plus 1000. Currently 1500/15000 (Level 2/9)."

    Gu Jun took a deep breath after seeing these 2 messages. He confirmed the regenerative organ in the bone was destroyed, and the goat''s leg was really dead. It was indeed a great breakthrough. He gripped the carlot scalpel lightly and turned to study the goat''s leg. There was less than 290 hours left to his quest. But his attitude was different for there was now hope! He would work hard for a better future.

 Chapter 526: Autopsy

    <h4>Chapter 526: Autopsy</h4>

    After they took down the ck Billy Goat, for the next 3 days, the number of global abnormal baby growth dropped tremendously. Be it at Phecda World or Mysterium World, the number of abnormal baby births was maintained at 3 to 40000 each day but for the past 3 days, it had dropped down to 20000, or a decrease of 1/4. The ck Billy Goat had 4 legs and now one was dead, this appeared to be the connection. And at Eastern State, the number of abnormal baby births had directly halved. There was not even one newborn who carried the presence of the foreign world with them.

    After the ck Billy Goat was attacked and lost one of its legs, it went into hiding. The giant creature was not dead, it merely escaped. There was a consensus between Gu Jun, Wu Siyu, Yu Chi and Deng Ximei that it would not perish so easily. Phecda expanded their exploration and Zoogs everywhere searched through the night for the creature and suspicious members. Whether the world had Shub-Niggurath worshippers, that was still unknown. While all these were happening, Gu Jun locked himself up inside arge morgue at Eastern State Phecda base. 3 days, 72 hours, there was autopsy after autopsy.

    Taking away the time needed for daily functions, Gu Jun rested once every 24 hours. Heid down on the couch inside the morgue, closed his eyes for 15 minutes and then he''d wake up and walk back to the autopsy table. The man was like a machine. The distance between the giant autopsy table and the couch was less than 10 metres. The horrible smell could permeate through the suit and the lights were on as other members continued to work on the autopsy. It was quite noisy.

    A normal person wouldn''t have been able to sleep in this environment. Even with high spirituality, before this, Gu Jun could not turn himself on and off like a switch. He always thought if someone coulde up with that technology, they would win the Nobel prize. But now with the ability, Burning the Midnight Grave Wax, that was something he could aplish easily. Heid down and went out like a light. He only needed 15 minutes to recover. Even though his body was still running on sleep debt, it did not affect his performance. This skill naturally improved his efficiency.

    For the past 3 days, Gu Jun had worked non-stop, moving from the hoof to the knee. The questpletion rate also rose to 30 percent. If he could maintain this efficiency for the next 9 days, he''dplete this difficult mission. Of course, not only the quest rate had increased, his autopsy science experience climbed as well, moving from 1500 to 3800. Both suggested that he had digested more energy provided by City of Dusk and he felt his mental state bing sturdier.

    A normal individual would be influenced when facing a dark creature, in serious cases, their S value would drop. ck Billy Goat was a darker creation than zombie and Deep One. Even experienced Special Mobile Force members would show signs of difiture after staring at it for too long. Therefore, those who participated in the autopsy, be it those in the morgue, or watching through the monitors had to take shifts. They had to take care of their mental states just in case someone suddenly went insane and stabbed their partners with knives. However, Gu Jun was the exception, the chaos within him would be digested by the power from the City of Dusk. He could maintain serenity, not only that he appeared to have entered a psychological ''flow''.

    During the autopsy, he did not want to be disturbed, he had thrown himself fully into the work, that was his whole world and his life was validated because of it. Gu Jun felt immense joy when he discovered a new organ. He would gain a sense of aplishment when he named his new discovery. He had created something. The joy and aplishment came from the autopsy.

    After his autopsy science skill rose to level 2, the world opened up to him. ording to autopsy textbook, "Topographic anatomy is a section of human anatomy, which studiesyering structure of anatomical regions, their interposition (syntopy), projection on the skin (golotopy), rtion to the skeleton (skeletopy), blood supply, innervation and lymph flow in normal and pathological conditions, taking into ount the age, sex and constitutional peculiarities of the organism." Gu Jun achieved a new understanding of that statement and could feel the greatness of the science itself. Perhaps that was why he was able to work nonstop, a real passion would always make the time go by so fast.

    However, that was only limited to Gu Jun. Others could not survive on passion alone. Wang Ruoxiang, Cai Zixuan, Uncle Dan, they could only stay inside the morgue for at most 8 hours a day. Wu Siyu, Yu Chi and the others would drop in to visit but they would not stay longer than a few hours. The Zoogs did not even ask for the rewards. They simply wanted to stay away from the nightmare man. They would rather face another ck Billy Goat than stay near the midnight man and his dissecting knife.

    4th, 5th, 6th, 7th day. Another 4 days passed. The whole week, the rhythm inside the morgue was kept even. Gu Jun was always there. The other members rotated but Gu Jun was the permanent fixture. Even though he did feel refreshed after each rest, the dark circles still appeared. They deepened with each passing day and he looked more exhausted by the day. Even though everyone knew Gu Jun had the aid from City of Dusk, they still worried about him. Elder Tong watched through the screen and asked whether Gu Jun would consider taking a longer rest.

    "Why? Every second is precious." Gu Jun rejected any idea that told him to rest. He was fine. His hands weren''t shaking, his legs weren''t numb. He was still eating and stuff. Things were not serious so why rest¡­

    The questpletion rate broke 65 percent and Gu Jun had 121 hours left. He had not one minute to waste, who knew what kind of ident could happen. Another 24 hours passed, Gu Jun was slicing through the calf when a wave of drowsiness imed him. His bones felt like breaking and he had to stop to take a breath. He quickly put down the scalpel, walked towards the couch,id down and closed his eyes. 15 minutester, Gu Jun jumped up like a spring and walked back to the autopsy table. Once again, his colleagues looked at him like he was crazy.

 Chapter 527: The Black Fog

    <h4>Chapter 527: The ck Fog</h4>

    The sense of autumn deepened following the arrival of November. The Stone Cave Mountain north of the Eastern State was all orange and yellow. Sycamore trees shed their leaves turning the hiking trail into a golden carpet. It was particrly mesmerizing with the mountain fog. It was like a scene out of nirvana. This was not a famous tourist spot but it attracted many mountaineers and young backpackers. Currently it was still early morning, the air was damp and cold. Dark clouds moved through the sky, ording to the weather report, it would be a cloudy day.

    Due to its geographical uniqueness, Stone Cave Mountain was often foggy. Strangely enough, the fog was normally white but a billow of dark fog was now snaking along a mountain stream. The mountain stream curved from the mountain top to the foot. The water in the stream was clear and it burbled beautifully. It sshed against the rocks and nurtured the millions of lives living on the mountain. The water was the source of all life. As time moved to noon, the cloud of ck fog did not dissipate, instead it gathered even thicker. The color darkened.

    When the first ray of sunlight shot through the clouds and onto the stream, the fog finally disappeared. However, a rock that protruded out of the stream now had an extra greenish or ckish blotch on it, it looked like lichen or a stain. Other than the rushing water, everything was quiet, so quiet that it felt unnatural. It was not untilughter came from the hiking trails that the silence was broken.

    "The air up here is always better!"

    "Right so. Sitting all day at the office can drive a person mad. Coming out to be with nature once in a while is good for our body and soul."

    "Fatty Ming? Keep up. We''ve only just started and you''re already panting so hard?"

    "The fact that he is willing toe along is already a miracle in itself."

    This was a group of 5 youngsters, there were males and females. They looked like they just graduated from university. Two pairs walked in the front, chatting andughing while a fatty trailed behind. Tan Jinming, he was not particrly fat per se. He wore a pair of sses and had an honest face. He was an otaku, the kind with a big heart. He was from the same university with one of the four, he had a good rtionship with him. Through him, he got to know the others. Tan Jinming was not offended that they used him as the butt of the joke. Fatty Ming was his nickname since he was small, so he was already used to it. Plus, he would mock them right back as that was what friends do, right?

    But Tan Jinming''s mind wavered this time. He pushed on his sses and an annoyance rose in his mind. It brought with it an unsavory thought, ''Who are these people to mock you? They aren''t gym rats by any means. They spend their time reading novels and ying games. They are just showing off. Who gives them the right to mock you?''

    However, it was true that Tan Jingming was short of breath. He stopped to take a breath while his friends moved on. Being disturbed by the voices, the counter jabs that he had were swallowed back into his stomach.

    "Ha ha." Tan Jinming faked a smile as he took in another fresh breath of the mountain air. He focused and resumed the hike. For some reason, the need forparison appeared in his mind. He was 163 cm tall; he was fat, ugly and suffered from myopia¡­ Then he turned to examine his four friends. Even though they were not celebrities, at least the men were tall and the girls pleasing to the eyes. His university friend, Wang Zibo could be considered good-looking. He was 178 cm tall, a born model. He was a reader and thus always had a story or lesson to share. He was understandably quite popr among the girls.

    Wang Zibo had a pretty girlfriend, Zhu Lin. She knew how to dress and always presented herself as a modern beauty. With a little photoshop, she''d easily be crowned an online goddess.

    The other pair, Fang Haixiang and Lee Huitong, was also a couple. Zhu Lin and Lee Huitong were best friends, it was how they formed this group. This was a double-date and Tan Jinming was the extra luggage. With that in mind, his shoulders slumped. ''Why did I agree toe, I could have spent this time sleeping or ying games at home. But that would make me the otaku fatty they im that I am¡­'' The annoyance grew bigger.

    "Look, this stream is so clear, do you think we can drink directly from it?"

    "Of course not, there might be parasites lurking in it."

    "There won''t be parasites, the water is so clear."

    It was Zhu Lin who first showed interest in the mountain stream. She wandered off the trail and headed towards the stream. The rest followed her. Lee Huitong took several pictures, she''d post them on social mediater. Zhu Lin and Wang Zibo discussed the possibility of parasites in the water. Wang Zibo''s lecturing need kicked in, he said, "This has nothing to do with the rity of the water. ces like this would have many aquatic organisms and dposers, then they could haveid their eggs in the water. One drink and you''ll be infected. That will cause serious trouble. Look, there are molds everywhere."

    The others turned to look. Indeed, they did notice batches of moss sticking on the rock in the middle of the stream.

    "Stop boasting¡­" Tan Jinming arrived then, "Read a little and you''re already showing off? Just admit that you''re a coward." This should be taken as jabs between friends, it was something they''d do often. But after the words left his lips, the voice in Tan Jinming''s mind grew louder. ''Well said. Pompous pricks like him should be exposed¡­''

    "Then why don''t you drink it then?" For some reason, Wang Zibo could not control the anger in his voice. "Don''t me me for not warning you if you die from it."

    That lit up the anger within Tan Jinming, "What are you talking about, are you cursing me now?!" The mountain wind chilled. Without anyone noticing, the water buffeted against the rocks and washed the stains off the stone and into the water.

    "Hah, is that indignation I hear?" Wang Zibo did not back down. Normally he was an easy-going person but now he was like a firecracker. "You really think the water''s drinkable because it''s clear? Then will you eat any mushroom because it appears fresh? Such an uncultured swine." At the same time, Zhu Lin, Fang Haixiang, Lee Huitong noticed that Fatty Ming got really angry, his face was red.

    "Shush." Zhu Lin pulled on her boyfriend. "We know the stream is not drinkable, that''s enough. Stop gloating."

    "I''m gloating?" Wang Zibo''s heart dulled with suppressed rage. He seemed to hear a voice say, ''This is all Fatty Ming''s fault for challenging you. No one here is cleverer than you, no one knows more than you. These people have never touched a book in their lives, they should all listen to you¡­''

    "There''s no need for argument." Fang Haixiang came over to mediate. "The scenery here is gorgeous, if we have the time for argument, why not spend it on taking more pictures."

    "He''s right." Lee Huitong nodded as she raised the camera. "We should practice sanitary habits when in the wilds, that ismon sense. What is there to argue about?"

    "Fine¡­" Wang Yibo took a deep breath and pushed the anger down.

    These words travelled into Tan Jinming''s ears and activated that chaos within him even further. ''They are mocking you, Fatty Ming, they are all mocking you. Do you hear that? This is supposed to bemon sense. They not only think you''re fat and ugly, they also think you''re stupid and hard to be with. You are nothing more than a receable clown in this group. You''re aughing stock for them. For shame¡­'' Tan Jinming felt a sudden splitting headache like something was entering his mind. Something that lit up the fire within him further.

    The two couples went on with the photography sessions like nothing was wrong. Zhu Lin stood beside a cave with a pose while Wang Zibo took her picture on his phone, "Give me a bigger smile, lift your chin¡­ Not your head. Right, that''s it¡­" The other couple was doing the same thing. ''No one even pretends to care about you. They all said the water cannot be drunk¡­ These arrogant pricks, they have not once really taken a good look at you¡­''

    The fresh air did nothing to silence the chaos in Tan Jinming''s mind. He stared at the rushing water and a thirst rose within him. ''Go take a sip, show them that the water is drinkable and it is good for you¡­'' His throat trembled. ''Go ahead, drink it.'' Tan Jinming took a slow step towards the water. The voice encouraged him, ''That''s right. Go ahead.''

    "Fatty Ming,e help us take some pictures." Wang Zibo called. He passed over the phone with his right hand, waiting for Tan Jinming to take it. Seeing thetter standing there with hesitation, Wang Zibo sighed, "Don''t tell me, you''re still angry?" Despite the voices, Wang Zibo still cared about their friendship. They had been friends since university¡­ But they were dudes, there was no need for actual apologies, right? Wang Zibo half-sighed, "Let''s forget what happened earlier, okay? You''re still hung up on it? That''s so unlike you."

    Tan Jinming hesitated. He knew he was not a narrow-minded person, so howe¡­ How would he ce it, everything seemed to annoy him¡­ But that was not the case in the morning, when they started the hike, everything was still normal¡­ It was only when they reached this spot¡­ that the annoyance came. Was he sick, was it a heatstroke? But the ray was not strong enough for a heatstroke. In fact there was barely any sun due to the thick clouds.

    "Can we leave this ce, now?" As a chill shot through his body, Tan Jinming said, "Something doesn''t feel right about this ce. The winds are too chilly." Hearing Fatty Ming say that, both Fang Haixiang and Lee Huitong shivered. Indeed something did not feel right. The concept of supernatural energy was amon one. Every day they would see news on it. Have they encountered something like that?

    Zhu Lin looked around and the more she did, the more ufortable she felt. She could not tell where that feeling came from but it urged her to say, "We better go."

    Wang Zibo was about to say something when something took over him. It unleashed the anger he had been suppressing and he roared, "What''s your problem? We just want you to help us take a few pictures!" Zhu Lin and the rest were stunned. Wang Zibo had never acted like this before. "Why are you being so touchy over something so miniscule? Is it your period of the month?"

    A bombnded on Tan Jinming''s mind. He instantly lost his mind. ''Wang Zibo, you motherfucker¡­ For so many years, I''ve always allowed you to shine, is this how you treat your friend? You''ve been seeing me as a clown after all¡­''

    Compelled by anger, Tan Jinming charged forward andunched a punch at Wang Zibo''s face but thetter evaded it with ease. While the other 3 gasped in shock, Wang Zibo rammed into Tan Jinming. "Fuck you!"

    The conflict happened beside the stream. With the push, Tan Jinming staggered, slipped on the moss and before he could react, his heart squeezed and he was sliding backwards. Ssh! The water sttered everywhere. Tan Jinming fell facedown into the water. His head almost knocked against a rock. His whole face was submerged under the water. The water rushed into his eyes, ears, nose and mouth¡­

    In his panic, Tan Jinming gobbled several mouthfuls of water. No one saw it but the seemingly clear water actually had dark green sediments. They followed the water into Tan Jinming''s mouth, down his throat and then his stomach¡­ They immediately attached themselves to the stomach lining. In just an instant, the color of the lining changed from red to dark green¡­

    "Fatty Ming!"

    "Pull him up please!"

    The others gasped. Even though the stream was not deep and the water slow, the trip could be very dangerous. Wang Zibo shivered like he woke up from a bad dream. ''What happened to me? Why did I get into a fight with Fatty Ming¡­?''

    He hurried to help Fang Haixiang to pull Tan Jinming out from the stream.

 Chapter 528: Right Hand

    <h4>Chapter 528: Right Hand</h4>

    As the day moved to noon, the clouds in the sky lightened and more and more hikers appeared. Among them were Peng Hui, and Zhang Guorui, they were a group of high-schoolers. They had hiking activities during the weekend. But only halfway through the climb, several of the girls started to jokinglyin, "I''m so tired." "How much longer?" "We''re not even halfway through yet."

    Their hiking trail was just beginning, no one was going toe down so soon. That was the thought when they saw a fat man running down the steps in heavy breaths. The weather was cold but the man was covered in sweat. His grey tracksuit was soaked and stuck with dirt. It looked like he had slipped into a river and seemed to have injured his forehead. Blood dried on his tracksuit as well. When the man squeezed past them, the smell of blood thickened.

    Peng Hui had an allergic nose. Being hit by the smell, he sneezed immediately. "What kind of smell is that¡­" he grumbled. It was worse than when he visited the meat market with his mother. With the thought of the meat stalls in his mind, Peng Hui turned to study the man bouncing down the steps. Some memory fragments appeared in his mind. The butcher raised the cleaver high and chopped away the pork. With heavy thuds, the pork was sliced into pieces. Blood slid down the de and sttered onto the butcher¡­

    "Did he fall into the river?"

    "There''s no river on this mountain, it''s probably just some ditch."

    "Is he here to fish? Such bad luck then¡­" The group discussed as they continued on the trail. Therefore, the school warned them to be careful when they went hiking. That was how idents happened. The luckier ones were rescued, the others, well¡­. Such incidents did happen in the past. Thankfully, the fat man''s injury did not appear to be serious, after all, he could still run down the steps. The group gossiped and tossed this behind them. Only Peng Fei felt difited by this encounter. He turned back several times until the tracksuit disappeared from his sight.

    The footfalls that fell on the step were heavy. Fresh blood dripped on the dark yellow leaves. Tan Jinming moved very fast and the speed originated from his fear. His nk mind buzzed. ''What have I done, what have I done¡­ Zibo and the gang¡­''

    ''No, do not me yourself, you did not do anything wrong, not even a little. You are only doing what everyone else is doing. It is the survival of the fittest, that is truth, the truth of this world¡­''

    "Ah!" Tan Jinming gripped his mind. "Go away, go away!" He wanted to chase the voice away, it was the voice who made him do all those things. It was the voice who pushed him towards it¡­

    ''Really? But I did not push you, I merely showed you what you were really thinking. You have been concealing yourself for years. Honestly, I know you hate that nickname Fatty Ming, you''ve hated it since you were young. You are not happy whenever your friends call you that. You wanted for them to shut up. You have gotten used to it but that was a lie just to make yourself feel better¡­ You care about it, you merely have given up the fight, you surrendered. Was I wrong? Did you not savor the taste of victory earlier? You know you want more¡­''

    "Go away¡­" Tan Jinming pressed harder on his mind. He wanted to reach his hands into his mind to yank the voice out. His face was green. He almost tripped and fell down the steps. Tan Jinming stopped and he wanted to cry, wail like he had never done better. The things that he did shed before his eyes. The panic, gory screams echoed in his ears.

    "Fatty Ming! Fatty Ming¡­ Don''t!" He had no idea where he got his strength. The two strong men could barely resist him. He lifted them up like ragdolls. He mmed them against the rocks in the stream. Their brain buzzed and they couldn''t even get up anymore. They moaned and pleaded for mercy. They were like helpless children. They lost, that was their fault for losing¡­

    Bang, bang, bang! That was the sound of their skulls smashing against the rocks. Again and again. Blood sttered and eventually the flesh mushed. The water still flowed freely but the clear water was now stained by blood. Leaves fluttered into the stream. Suddenly something dropped heavily into the air. It was an eyeball.

    "No, no¡­" Tan Jinming choked. He looked aimlessly into the cloudy sky. The ray lit up his suppressed memory. He remembered his history with Wang Zibo, how they bonded at university and graduated together¡­ They made a promise that at Wang Zibo''s wedding, Fatty Ming would be his bestman. During Fatty Ming''s wedding, Wang Zibo would be his bestman too. After they entered society, many university friends drifted away, but Wang Zibo was different. They were real friends that would call ande out for meals every so often. They were real friends¡­

    "Ah, go away!" Tan Jinming gripped his brain. He wanted to yank his head off. He regretted what he had done and feared the consequences. ''I didn''t mean to do that. I never wanted that, I would never do that to Zibo and the rest of the gang¡­'' More memory fragments shed before his eyes. The girls cried and then were stunned into silence. They tried to run but neither of them escaped.

    Tan Jinming could not exin his speed, he normally wouldn''t run so fast. He''d be low on breath after a few quick steps. He''d lose his breaths after climbing a few flights of steps, he would never move so fast¡­

    ''Why? Why do you insist on looking down on yourself? Does it make you feel better? When you put yourself at the lowest position and have nothing left, there is nothing for you to lose, thus there is no pressure ofpetition. You have given up onpetition, you''ve given up on yourself. But that was before, Fatty Ming can be better. You are different now, you can be different.''

    "Go away!" Tan Jinming knelt to the ground. Snots and tears covered his face. He rammed his forehead against the ground. He couldn''t stand the voice anymore, that was not his real thought¡­ His actions confused the passing hikers. They grumbled among themselves. They thought they ran into a drunkard or a madman. A kind big sister stopped to ask, "Hello, what''s wrong? Do you need us to call for help?"

    "I¡­" Tan Jinming paused and then flew down the steps. Panic, fear crawled all over his body. ''So many people have seen me¡­ There is a surveince camera at the start of the hiking trail, it has captured everything. I came with Zibo and the gang¡­ And I took Zibo''s car toe here. The dashcam would show that.'' Tan Jinming gradually slowed down with defeat. Where could he go, there was no ce for him to hide.

    ''Hide? Why hide? Haven''t you hidden yourself long enough? Try something else, you are capable of more than that.''

    Tan Jinming looked around. The chilly wind crawled through his clothes and skin. He felt emptied of everything. He hadmitted an irreversible mistake. He deserved to die¡­ but¡­ Tears slid down his cheeks. Tan Jinming''s shaking hands took out his phone, dyeing it with blood. He pressed on the screen and in a choking breath send a message for his mother, "Mom, I''m sorry, I didn''t want to do it." Then he sent the same message to his father.

    After that, Tan Jinming turned to walk towards the edge of the steps. The hiking trail was protected by stone rail. The rail was not tall, it could be crossed over easily by an adult. Beyond the rail was a valley surrounded by fog. There was an incident where a tourist was taking a picture while sitting on the rail. He was careless and tumbled backwards to his death.

    Tan Jinming stood beside the rail. He pressed his hands against it and wanted to flip over. Suddenly his right hand gripped the rail tight. His expression colored with fear¡­ This¡­

    While Tan Jinming was shocked, his right hand let go and went to pull at his hair. It pulled hard and Tan Jinming screamed from the pain. He wanted to let go but his right hand was no longer under his control. It yanked even harder. The right hand used a strange angle to pull at Tan Jinming, moving further away from the rail.

    "Ah¡­" Tan Jinming hissed through the pain. His eyes were pulsing with red. His right hand was no longer his. It hade alive, it was that voice¡­

    The voice which had be clearer. It spoke to him, "Hello, negative selection."

 Chapter 529: Honest Man

    <h4>Chapter 529: Honest Man</h4>

    It was on the 9th day of the autopsy that Gu Jun got the bad news. Yesterday, there were 5 murder cases that were suspected to be rted to supernatural forces. All 5 cases happened within a group of friends, colleagues and students. Based on the autopsy report and crime scene investigation, the victims died from heavy bashing to the heads. The mo was extremely brutal. The victims'' heads were all caved in and their faces made unrecognizable. The case with thergest number of victims urred at Stone Cave Mountain, the suspect was Tan Jinming. All the 5 suspects were on the run.

    Before Tan Jinming disappeared, he messaged his parents. The investigators found his phone on the hiking trail. Since there were a pair of bloody handprint left on the rails, the investigators suspected Tan Jinmingmitted suicide. But his body was not found in the valley and there was no sign of anything falling down the hill either. Even the Zoogs found nothing, or perhaps they were too afraid to actually find anything. The Zoogsmented that there was a thick lingering dark energy presence at the scene.

    The murder scene was not far from a mountain stream. The MP Team and the One sent some members over there to check. The two male bodies were soaked under the water. Their skulls were misshapen. One of the rocks was dyed red with blood and brain matter. The two female victims were found slightly further away from the stream. They died from a smash to the back of their heads with a rock. The bloody murder weapon was left beside the two bodies. The back of their heads was cracked but their faces were unharmed. The fear and pain they experienced were fresh on their faces. Their lifeless eyes nced down the stream.

    The hikers who found them all suffered from trauma. The symptoms of trauma were numerous and could manifest in different ways. Most patients would suffer from dissociation, where they shut down and were unable to respond to outside stimulus. In some cases, they might mumble incoherently to themselves. Some of the hikers were found in this state. They did not respond to the questions. They stood there dumbly, in a serious stuporous state. They did not answer to calling or nudging. Theycked expression and refused food and water.

    It was wise to not expose them with the incident that caused their trauma. Interaction with it would cause further exacerbation of their conditions like heart palpitation, shaking, rashes and so on. If this continued for 4 weeks, they would be diagnosed as having PTSD. There were middle-aged people, young kids and students among the hikers. There was no simrity between them.

    The cause of the trauma was not only because they had been spooked by what they saw, it was suspected that they were corrupted by dark energy as well. Among them, there was a high-schooler named Peng Hui that did not enter a stuporous state. It was Peng Hui who called the police. Even though he too was scared and had symptoms like racing heartbeat, he still had autonomy as well as a clear mind. He told the investigators. "It has to be that fatman¡­ We ran into him when we came up the trails. His body was soaked and he had blood on him, it has to be him¡­"

    Based on the Spell Department''s assessment, Peng Hui had high spirituality. If he was willing, he could enrol in Phecda University. In a few years, he could be a Spell Department member, but for now, he was just a frightened student.

    Yu Chi, Feng Peiqian and Deng Ximei all recorded traces of dark activity at the crime scene. The energy was thickest on the stone that was sttered with blood. It was like a strange object that jutted out from the abyss. Clearly, Tan Jinming was corrupted by darkness¡­ It was why the honest man wouldmit such an atrocious crime and confess to his parents.

    "These people¡­" Gu Jun looked through the investigation report inside the morgue. He scanned the pictures of the suspects. Tan Jinming turned his head away from the camera, he did not like to be photographed. "They are all negative selections." None of them were handsome or pretty, they would not be able topete for mates. Every suspect had a negative trait that would make them less attractive to potential partners. In Tan Jinming''s case, it was his body size. These people were not even stabilizing selection, they were negative selections.

    This was not a good discovery for the Investigation Department. It meant that Shub-Niggurath influence was not limited to newborns but also normal adults. The youngest suspect was 20 and the oldest 35. 4 males and 1 female. None of them had criminal records, they left good impressions on their friends. They were honest people. Even their online history was clean. They were not antisocial, they were the kind of people who would never turn to violence ording to criminological study. But reality proved otherwise.

    When theymitted the crimes, they were clearly under some kind of outside influence. This was most prevalent with the girl. She was a 21 year old student, she killed a male student who was literally twice her size. Based on the crime scene, there was no struggle. The suspect neutralized the victims almost instantly. So were they conscious of their crimes then?

    "Why these people and not others? Why not positive selection or stabilizing selection¡­" The more Gu Jun studied Tan Jinming''s photo, the more agitated he became. The voice of the Negative Selection returned, asking him what he was feeling at that moment. "These suspects¡­ were chosen. The enemy wanted negative selections. He wants them¡­ to awaken."

    Awaken? After Gu Jun said that, he could sense something even greater. The Negative Selection would not go after those already at the edge of darkness, they would fall in eventually. Instead he would give these ''honest people'' a chance for them to awaken to their true selves¡­ If they failed¡­

    Gu Jun''s heart chilled as a picture of Tan Jinming''s horrible death appeared in his mind.

 Chapter 530: Can A Person Strangle Themselves?

    <h4>Chapter 530: Can A Person Strangle Themselves?</h4>

    On the 8th day, the questpletion rate was 73.2 percent.

    On the 9th day, the questpletion rate was 81.6 percent.

    On the 10th day, the questpletion rate was 90.1 percent.

    There were only 49 hours left to the quest. If he could maintain this speed, he wouldn''t need the entire 15 days. Gu Jun wouldplete the autopsy quest on the 12th day but when the clock struck midnight at the end of the 10th day, the effect of Burning the Midnight Grave Wax ended. The effect could onlyst for 10 consecutive days before the human body limit was reached. Staying up for a whole month with only half an hour of sleep each day? That was only possible if one was not human.

    Gu Jun still wanted to stay by the autopsy table even after the effect was over but the drowsiness imed him. He teetered over to the couch and told the others weakly, "Wake me up after another 12 hours¡­" He already had the n in mind. If he slept for 12 hours, he would still have 37 hours left. Then it would be the final rush to the finish line. Considering his body condition and speed, he''d rest 1 hour after every 10 hour of work. Mathematically speaking, he should have enough time.

    When he reached the couch, Gu Jun''s eyes could barely open. His head spun and his scalp numbed. It took effort even just to formte a thought¡­. When Gu Jun hit the cushion, he slept easily. This was the first time he was able to fall asleep so quickly. There was no dream and everything went dark. Gu Jun had no idea how long he had slept before life returned to his mind. Shadows danced in the light, he was stuck between dream and reality. ''Is this an illusion?'' Gu Jun believed he saw a hand choking the neck on the same body. The hand gripped tightly. The man whom the neck belonged to struggled and moaned in pain. He couldn''t struggle loose no matter how hard he tried. The choking closed off the oxygen. The man lost energy and consciousness¡­

    Suddenly, there was a piercing chill and then a sudden warmth before Gu Jun was pulled back to reality. He sucked in a deep breath and opened his eyes. The old ceiling of the morgue looked down at him.

    "Ah Jun?" Uncle Dan''s voice came. Uncle Dan instantly walked over. Wu Siyu, Wang Ruoxiang, Yu Chi and the rest were also there. Yu Chi asked anxiously, "Captain Gu, you''re finally awake?" Hearing that, Gu Jun knew he had overslept. "How long have I been asleep?" He asked.

    "Almost 17 hours." Yu Chi said hurriedly as he came forth to help Gu Jun up from the couch. "After the 12 hour limit, we''d call you every one hour but you wouldn''t respond no matter what. You got us all nervous, we don''t have much time left."

    Everyone was nervous but Yu Chi was the most desperate one. He was also the one who shouted Gu Jun''s name the loudest every time. He even suggested using a defibritor but was denied because Gu Jun''s vitals were just fine. Yu Chi heard from the Zoogs that it was Wu Siyu''s kiss that woke up Gu Jun from hisast time. Therefore, he requested Wu Siyu to do it again. Wu Siyu refused. Yu Chi thus decided to do it himself but he was held back by Feng Peiqian. "Captain Yu, if you do that, you''ll put Captain Gu in a nightmare, that''ll make things worse!" But Yu Chi was still eager to try. If it was a nightmare, wouldn''t that wake the man up sooner?

    Wu Siyu''s unwillingness was not out of shyness. She would see it as eating salt in front of a crowd, there was nothing shameful about that. She did not want to do it because she believed Dirty-minded Jun needed this sleep. As a professional sleeper, she believed 12 hours was not enough to recover. If he was forcibly woken up when he needed a longer resting period, he would spend the waking hours blurrily. Without enough sleep, one wouldn''t be energetic. Therefore, she was not in a hurry to wake Dirty-minded Jun up. A good sleep would provide better efficiency. Wu Siyu''s words were convincing and thus the others waited until Gu Jun woke up on his own.

    "I''m feeling quite rested now¡­ There''s still time." Gu Jun stood up and tried his limbs. His body hadn''t yet fully recovered, he was only 60 percent back to his usual form. Dirty-minded Yu''s tactic was right. If he had woken up sooner, he''d be unable to focus. But even so, they only had 30 hours left, it was time for thest burst of progress. This was a test of stamina, determination and spirit.

    Before he returned to the autopsy table, Gu Jun had to use the bathroom. Along the way, he pondered the dream that he had, could a person strangle themselves? The answer had to be no. Just like how a drowning person would struggle for air, that was the body''s mechanical response. Humans did not need to manually control breathing, it was a constant progress. When the oxygen was cut off, the hand would naturally let go. During university, they had attended a ss on this. The lecturer urged them to try if they did not believe it. With much coaxing, Cai Zixuan volunteered. In the end, when his face was red, he had to let go of his hands.

    But in that dream, the hand strangled himself. The hand was short and stubby, it looked very familiar. When he reached the autopsy table, Gu Jun stared at the dissected ck Billy Goat''s leg but he thought about those pictures. They were all from Tan Jinming. Considering the tragedy that might have happened, Gu Jun took a deep breath.

    The hand was strange, that hand¡­ did not show normal dark corruption.

    For 2 days, the number of abnormal babies continued to climb. Yesterday, another 10 strange murder cases happened around Eastern State. The victims all died from the same cause and the suspects were all negative selections and they all disappeared after their crimes. The investigators and the Zoogs looked for clues but not one suspect was captured. With surveince and satellite, looking for someone should be easy, much less a group of killers. No matter where they were hiding, they should not be able to disappear without leaving behind any trail.

    "Let''s begin, it''s thest 30 hours." Gu Jun epted the Carlot Scalpel handed to him by Uncle Dan. He focused on the leg and continued the dissection on the back of the calf that he had not finished. Thest 30 hours, they had no time to lose.

 Chapter 531: Foot Cavity

    <h4>Chapter 531: Foot Cavity</h4>

    After the abnormal cords in the feet cavity had been severed, the goat''s leg stopped liquifying. However, its abnormal state remained. Its skin was still incredibly hard and a normal instrument could not cut through it. Other than the Carlot Instruments, none of the normal instruments came in useful. What was the exnation behind this? Even the top scientists from the field of physics, biology and chemistry from both worlds could note up with an answer. There were still matters in this world which human machines could not identify.

    In any case, these were not Gu Jun''s concerns anymore. Understanding theyer construct of the goat''s leg was his primary goal. Even though his body had only recovered for 50 percent, Gu Jun entered the flow easily once he returned to the autopsy table. Over the past few days, as the autopsy went further, the more the team realized how different the ck Billy Goat was from a normal creature. There were many organs that should not be found in the lower limbs were discovered, the reason behind their presence was unknown. One of the clearest examples was the foot cavity, it had the structure of a brain cavity. There were 3 whorls near the end of the toes. The abnormal cords extended through the holes in the middle of the whorls to connect to the nervous system of the entire leg. Perhaps the abnormal cords used thiswork to send out signals for the leg to dissolve.

    They also discovered a nd that was spread all over the goat''s leg. It was unclear the purpose of these nds, temporarily Gu Jun named them abnormal nds because he felt they had something to do with the dissolution process. Of course, this was just a hypothesis. Further experiments were needed to prove or disprove it.

    By now, only 10 hours were left for the mission. Gu Jun cut off another abnormal nd along the calf. The missionpletion rate rose to 96.2 percent. The ending was near but so was Gu Jun''s limit. In the past 20 hours, he only took 1 rest and itsted only for an hour. When he just woke up, his energy was at 50 percent, now he was at around 10 percent.

    Thest 3.8 percent might not look like much but at the start of the autopsy, Gu Jun spent the whole day working endlessly and the progress only increased by 8 percent. Back then, there were still many things to be discovered about the goat''s leg. Now, finding a new breakthrough was like finding a needle in a haystack.

    Incidentally, Gu Jun felt that the abnormal nd that he was dissecting was different from the rest. A nd is a group of cells in an animal''s body that synthesizes substances (such as hormones) for release into the bloodstream (endocrine nd) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine nd). Exocrine nds secrete their products through a duct onto an outer or inner surface of the body, such as the skin or the gastrointestinal tract. Endocrine nds secrete substances that circte through the bloodstream. Examples include the pineal nd, thymus nd, pituitary nd, and thyroid nd.

    Theoretically, the abnormal nd was an endocrine nd because they could not find any duct. The abnormal nd was shaped like a goat''s horn, tapered at the top. It had a leathery surface and contained modr substances. The nd was connected to many surrounding tissues via blood vessels. Other than the strange greyish color and shape, the abnormal nd was simr in structure to adrenal nd. Thus came the hypothesis that this was the ck Billy Goat''s adrenal nd. The unknown power wielded by the goat''s leg, could it havee from the chemical substance secreted by the abnormal nds? For now, no one could tell because the team had not discovered the nd secretion, just the regenerative liquid.

    "Come, take a look at this¡­" Gu Jun called over Uncle Dan and Wang Ruoxiang. On the screen, experts like Xiao Huiwen also widened their eyes to look. Gu Jun asked, "Does that look like a duct to you?"

    Wang Ruoxiang focused to look. The nd was about the size of an adult palm. It was ck and shaped like a goat''s horn. It was covered in blood vessels. At first nce, it was no different from the abnormal nds found at the thigh and calf. But where Gu Jun was pointing, there was something different. Gu Jun pulled out a dark-red tube from the nd. It had the same reddish color as the other vessels, just slightly thicker.

    However, Wang Ruoxiang noticed the difference immediately. She noted, "This tube is not connected to the other blood vessels." Gu Jun nodded and everyone else saw it immediately. The thicker the blood oxygen, the more often they would form a-like structure. It was such with the human veins. It was so that the blood could be circted throughout the blood swiftly. The surface of these abnormal nds wasted with blood vessels but this thick nd was an exception. Gu Jun used the tweezer to pull out a few other simr nds. They were not connected to any blood vessel but instead were directly connected to the foot cavity.

    "I don''t think these are blood vessels but ducts." There was no telling if Gu Jun was right with this hypothesis or not. After some observation, the group agreed with him. This was a different nd, an exocrine nd, it was confirmed that it was rted to the regenerative function. With a new discovery, there was a need for a new name. Xiao Huiwen was instinctually worried.

    "We''ll call it Foot Adrenal." Gu Jun decided quickly like he was naming the child of his neighbour but not his own. "Let us try to find its secretion."

    At the same time, he could see the flimsywork of a flowing liquid. It moved from the abnormal cord, to the adrenal nd and then the entire nervouswork and the blood stream¡­

    His tired body teetered. Before he put down the scalpel, a new system message arrived, "You''ve gained a new breakthrough in the autopsy of the ck Billy Goat. Autopsy questpletion rate plus 8 percent, current progress 99.2 percent. Remaining time: 9:35:17."

    This rejuvenated Gu Jun like he had just chugged down 3 red bulls. There was 0.8 percent left. He shared the good news with the rest, to inspire them and himself. "Just a little bit more!"

    But the next 5 hours proved that he was overly optimistic. Originally they could manage a 0.8 percent increase every 24 hours but since Gu Jun''s body was overly tired, the progress became cially slow. The hours passed by and it finally reached 99.9 percent. But the 0.1 percent refused toe. Gu Jun''s vision was swimming, his brain felt like it was exploding. He could not think anymore. He was working mechanically. He separated the blood vessels on the back of the calf. One strand after another, he was slowly crawling towards the end.

    "Autopsy questpletion rate increases by 0.1 percent. Your autopsy quest has beenpleted! Quest remaining time: 4:07:53, Rating: 9/ 10.

    "Quest reward: 1 instance ofmunication with the City of Dusk; 1 medical skill; unknown.

    "Your autopsy experience has increased! Currently it is 7500/15000 (Level 2/9)"

    ''Is it finally over¡­'' Gu Jun''s mind paused. He could not tell the notification was real or just his imagination. At that moment, the final string snapped. His eyes closed and his body tumbled forward.

    "Ah Jun!" "Gu Jun!" The gasps of the people around him followed him into the darkness.

 Chapter 532: The Baptism of Light

    <h4>Chapter 532: The Baptism of Light</h4>

    Gu Jun had no idea how long he slept and whether he had been given emergency rescue. When he woke up, he was still blurry. He opened the new system and checked whether the autopsy quest had really beenpleted. After he read through all the messages, he calmed down. It was reallypleted. ''That was 15 days of non-stop working, it''s a new record.'' Even though Gu Jun was desperate to get the well-earned reward, he wanted to get to know the situation first. He wanted to open his eyes but realized he could not. Then he noticed he felt disconnected to the rest of his body, his presence was weak. His heart sank. This reminded him¡­ of his experience as the Nightmare Man but even worse. He could not even move his eyes. Furthermore, he could not hear any sound around him. He was conscious but not aware.

    ''Am I in aa?'' That worried Gu Jun. He tried to struggle or scream but the darkness wasplete. ''This is bad¡­ Is it from overworking?'' As a medical student, Gu Jun knew how deep the damage 15 days of nonstop working would have on his body. It was a miracle that he did not die beside the autopsy table. Even if he turned into a vegetable, he wouldn''t be surprised but now, it was not yet the time for him to fall.

    Every day, 50000 abnormal babies entered the two worlds. Even though it was already less than the number during the peak, the negative selection babies also showed clearer signs of innate defect, most of them had clear physical disfigurement. Furthermore, there were about 10 new murder cases happening daily at Eastern State and it was on the rise. The missing negative selection suspect was already over 100 people. Neither Phecda nor the Zoogs could find them. Therefore, the Investigation Department came up with a hypothesis. Was it possible that the suspects had exploded and blown into the wind as ck dust like the ck Billy Goat? Or they had liquified? That was the only exnation why they could not be found until now.

    Ever since the shadow with Shub-Niggurath''s energy appeared, more than several ten thousand families had been affected in less than a month and the situation was worsening by the day. How could he fall at a moment like this¡­

    Gu Jun cleared his thoughts and focused on thetest system message, "Click to ept your rewards: 1 instance ofmunication with the City of Dusk; 1 medical skill; unknown." Just reading the words excited Gu Jun. The harder the mission, the greater the reward. He was eager to grab the two first rewards and he also anticipated the unknown reward. ''Hopefully this reward can resolve my current state¡­'' He thought to himself. He wished that he wouldn''t be turned into a cat. Different from Dirty-minded Yu, he wouldn''t feel safe being a cat, after all in horror movies, cats were signs of bad luck¡­

    With his mind made, Gu Jun focused his mind to ''click''. There was instantly a buzz and a golden light washed away the darkness like dawning after a long night. Gu Jun was bathed in a warm light. The sun caressed his body, entering his pore, bringing life to his every cell.

    "Ah¡­" Gu Jun could feel himself being reactivated. The extreme lethargy from the endless workload was washed away like spring bringing life back. He was reminded of the Goddess of Life fountain at Carlot Academy, pure, clear and bright. The power of the City of Dusk was very simr, probably perhaps they were both forces that came from the lightness in humanity. Gu Jun was like a baby baptized in light and was reborn. He could feel the power of the Son of Misfortune which lingered within him fading away. It felt like some kind of shackles had fallen away, it made him feel more autonomous and transparent. ''Is this the system reward, or is it just the state I''ll be in whenever I receive the reward?''

    Gu Jun somewhat got it now. He was not in aa but a dream. He was in the state he needed to be to ept the reward. This way, his body would be able to absorb the energy st from the City of Dusk quicker and better. This was a cleansing brought by the autopsy quest¡­ Gu Jun wondered. To have a better digestive effect, then I should make use of the breakthroughs I made in my quest. With that in mind, he unloaded the memories from the recent ck Billy Goat autopsies¡­ The skin, the bone, the regenerative fluid, the abnormal nd, the adrenal nd¡­ The various organs,yers and structure of the goat''s leg rushed around him like waves. There was no savage mming of waves, instead the water submerged like a healing pool.

    He would gain strength from the autopsy and reach into the truth of life from the autopsy. Gu Jun felt that when he was inside the underground tunnel at the banyan tree space. That was the way of the Carlot Doctors. Before his autopsy science skill reached level 2, before this baptism, Gu Jun''s progress halted. But now some new understanding entered his mind. They were hard to exin but he understood them better.

    This baptism¡­ was it not simr to the baptism at the Goddess of Life fountain?

    The confirmation entered Gu Jun''s mind and his surroundings changed. In the blurry light, the memory of the Goddess of Life fountain appeared. It was much realer than the one in his vision. He realized it was not Carlot Academy around the fountain. However, the buildings were equally imposing, familiar and graceful¡­ This was the City of Dusk. The Goddess of Life fountain at Carlot Academy was remade at the City of Dusk?

    The previous question Gu Jun had returned, ''were there foreign world citizens among the Rudolph Carter Foundation? Or Spirit Children who were connected to the foreign world?''

    Gu Jun knew that the world who had summoned the Son of Misfortune and was destroyed by the malformed banyan disease still existed. As his mind fluttered, the scene around him solidified. Gu Jun''s senses of his body returned, but something about it still felt unreal. Then it dawned on him. He was dreaming, he was floating in essence¡­

    ''I''m dreaming¡­ lucid dreaming.'' To be fair, Gu Jun had not arrived at Dreands through lucid dreaming before. Every time, he ventured there physically through the channels. But now he was clearly lucid dreaming as he headed towards the City of Dusk.

    Does this mean the City of Dusk was situated at the Dreands?

 Chapter 533: Abnormal Baby Illness

    <h4>Chapter 533: Abnormal Baby Illness</h4>

    The dream solidified. Gu Jun saw himselfnding on a spacious marble tform, the grand City of Dusk expanding before him. The tform had an intricately carved balustrade. They were adorned by beautiful urns which contained perhaps water or wine. On the other side of the tform, there was a marble staircase that led seemingly endlessly down into the city street. The streets were paved. Green trees lined the sides. There were also flower beds as well as ivory statues. Some of the buildings Gu Jun saw included temples, towers, bridges, arches, pavilions and fountains¡­ Every building in the city was glowing like the sun. The sight of them warmed one''s heart. Walking through it would be like walking through heaven. ''Am I in the City of Dusk?''

    Gu Jun tried to move his arms and could feel the presence of his limbs somewhat. It was much better than a dream but less connected than when he entered the Dreands physically. It gave him the impression that should he jump, he could leap into the air. But when he tried to walk towards the staircase and down towards the street, he realized the small distance was something that he could cross. He tried running, flying, jumping and got no closer to the staircase. He could not leave this tform. After many trials, he could feel his connection to this ce getting weaker, soon he''d wake up.

    Gu Jun then immediately understood he was not really at City of Dusk yet. Perhaps he was merely given a clearer projection. ''Could this be the 1munication instance with City of Dusk from the mission reward? This is it?'' This thought made Gu Jun anxious and the anxiety made him feel even less concrete. He hurriedly took a deep breath to calm down¡­

    If a person''s heart rate started to race when they were dreaming, the frantic breathing and increased blood pressure would disrupt the sleeping process. It was why people would wake up at the most crucial moments in wet dreams. So to extend the dream, one had to be calm. As expected, when he calmed down, the sense of corporeality returned. Gu Jun studied his surroundings. Even though he needed to calm down, he still needed to be fast. It was not easy to gain this chance ofmunication. Did the foundation know about his arrival? Should he try to summon them? But how would he do that?

    He tried to focus his attention on the city. The ce was pulsing with life but there was no one on the streets.

    "Hello, is anyone there?" In the end, he had to shout. His voice echoed down the street. "I''ve arrived, I''m here!" Even though the action did not match the overall serenity of the location, it aplished its intended effect. Gu Jun noticed the street that was connected to the staircase start to ripple. A few figures flickered into existence. He could not look at them clearly, like they upied a different dimension. However, that was simr to when he encountered the foundationst time. Gu Jun was overjoyed, he knew the connection was made.

    "Hello?" He shouted.

    "Gu Jun¡­ Nice to meet you¡­" The figures were unable to get on the tform. They stopped on the street. The long staircase separated the two parties. The voice was still the mature male voice that Gu Jun heardst time and it sounded like it came out from an old radio as well. The voice was intermittent and rather throaty. "I''m d that you can manage thismunication¡­ Your world is being corrupted by darkness¡­ We do not understand it fully, we merely have visions of it¡­."

    "How can we stop the birth of new abnormal babies? How can we save them?" Gu Jun asked, "Is this contagious?"

    "It can be defined as contagious¡­ Your world¡­ Shub-Niggurath''s energy, evolution¡­" Even just those few phrases took a toll on the connection. The figures flickered. The voice became even harder to read. Clearly it was not easy sending these messages. Gu Jun''s head buzzed, taking them in. "¡­Positive, negative, stabilizing selection¡­ Abnormal predictions¡­"

    A big stone fell on Gu Jun''s heart, this was contagious. The medical team from both worlds had analysed more than 1000000 samples, but they could not find the transmission method. The mothers were all over the globes and thus Abnormal Baby Illness was still a hypothesis and there was nothing that could be done to prevent or control it. Now he was given the answer, however, he still had no clue regarding the pathogen, the transmission method, and the pathogenesis.

    "Even the sun¡­ cannot chase away the darkness, but¡­ It can stop the abnormal baby¡­" The male voice continued, "This is not new¡­ It has happened in other worlds before¡­ Destroy¡­. Shub-Ni¡­ power¡­"

    Gu Jun was inspired. The City of Dusk appeared to have experience dealing with this disease. However, the voice was getting harder to follow. Large part of the information went missing. The voice was even buzzing now. Gu Jun asked desperately. "How do I stop it? Who is the voice behind the negative selection? What does this have to do with Carlot Academy?"

    "The Carlot World¡­ A source of Shub-Niggurath, the power you summoned¡­ gushed from there¡­ Connected the two worlds, already¡­ open¡­ The origin of the ck Billy Goat¡­ Other¡­ Negative selection is¡­ powerful enemy. Be careful, you have to be careful¡­" Gu Jun could grasp the gist of it. The ck Billy Goat came from the foreign world to earth. There was a channel and it should be located at Eastern State, it was why the abnormal activity there was so constant. It also exined the ck Billy Goat and the murder suspects'' disappearance. Could there be a newpeting reality ovepping at Eastern State?

    Regardless, the Eastern State would be the frontline. If this thing was not controlled, it would spread to other ces. It would not only bring abnormal babies but also¡­

    Gu Jun''s heart chilled. A powerful enemy, even for the City of Dusk¡­

    "It has the power to open the door¡­ It is not only¡­ It is always a negative selection¡­" Gu Jun did not understand this but he could not ask for rification for the dream was already trembling. The buildings and streets were dissolving. The dissolution was spreading to the tform. The figures near the steps melted away like water.

    "Use¡­ medical skill¡­ to slow¡­ Do not let the women witness Shub-Niggurath and her image¡­ Hard to avoid¡­ No Time¡­ Kill the ck Billy Goat, to sever connection¡­"

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