The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 114

Shen Ge was certain the enemy had come prepared. Given what had happened during the Asian Anomaly Research Conference, this person had the ability to rapidly mutate animals and make himself “disappear” at will. Sending ordinary operatives like Old He after him would be nothing short of a death sentence.

Since Shen Ge outranked Feng Chengxiu, his order immediately halted Old He and the others in their tracks.

Feng Chengxiu, having worked with Shen Ge before, didn’t question his judgment.

Besides, he had watched Shen Ge grow from a complete rookie into a seasoned operative in just a few months—a feat he deeply admired.

“Report!”

After the sniper at Position 4 was shot, the sniper at Position 3 quickly took over. But when he checked his scope, the assailant was already gone.

“Target has vanished!”

“The bullet that hit Position 4 went straight through the scope—into his eye… He’s… gone.” Position 3’s voice was grim.

“Damn it!” Huo Yu cursed. “All snipers, take cover. Secure your positions, observe the surroundings, and fire at any suspicious targets!”

“Copy!”

“Copy!”

Huo Yu repositioned himself somewhere safer but still within sight of Shen Ge, ready to provide support if needed.

Meanwhile, Feng Chengxiu and the rest of Team 1 withdrew from Building 3, taking cover in the courtyard, poised to assist Shen Ge at a moment’s notice.

Their positions were strategic, covering every possible angle of approach. Unless the enemy dropped from the sky, he wouldn’t slip past them unnoticed.

…..

Up in the air, the battle was fierce.

While the saying goes, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” that didn’t apply to anomalies. The Black Hound’s tendrils lashed out at the giant eagle while also harassing Shen Ge.

The real problem was the black flames on the hound’s back—they were growing stronger, and even the eagle wasn’t immune. The clash of two different anomaly energies was beginning to warp space, hinting at the formation of a dimensional rift.

BANG!

A shot rang out from beyond the block, aimed straight for Shen Ge’s eye.

But Xiao Qi’s alert system reacted instantly, forming a mass of decayed flesh that intercepted the bullet.

BANG!

Huo Yu immediately returned fire, pinpointing the shooter’s location.

“Between Buildings 3 and 4—outer wall, near the hedges. Open fire!”

BANG! BANG! BANG!

“Report! Direct hit to the head—target showed anomaly reaction, bullet was expelled!”

“Same here!”

“Confirmed—identical results!”

One after another, the snipers reported the same bizarre phenomenon.

How could a human exhibit an anomaly’s bulletproof traits?

This wasn’t just small-arms fire—these were high-caliber sniper rounds.

Midair Showdown

The battle in the sky reached its climax.

Shen Ge hacked off the eagle’s head, while the Black Hound tore off half its body. Both man and beast—along with the mutilated corpse—plummeted toward the ground.

[Host assisted in killing a Tier 2 anomaly. Reward: 50 System Points.]

The system’s message confirmed that Shen Ge hadn’t dealt the final blow—the Black Hound had.

But right now, survival took priority. A thirty-story drop would turn even his armored body into paste.

Using his Anomaly Stomach, Shen Ge formed a giant maw that clamped onto a balcony railing, slowing his descent before slamming into the wall. His Anomaly Glove then gripped the railing, stabilizing him.

He repeated the process, descending floor by floor until he was just a few meters above the ground. Then, he let go—landing directly on the Black Hound.

The beast, having devoured the eagle’s remains, was showing signs of further mutation.

Shen Ge couldn’t let that happen. A Tier 2 was already a handful—if it evolved again or awakened a dimensional rift…

WHOOSH!

Before he could land more than two slashes, the Black Hound erupted in black flames, engulfing the area in an inferno.

“This is anomaly fire! Everyone near the garden—evacuate NOW!”

Even with his full-body armor, Shen Ge could feel the searing heat. His anomaly energy was draining rapidly.

Feng Chengxiu and the others fell back, laying down suppressing fire and tossing grenades to keep the hound at bay.

Once they were clear, only Shen Ge and the Black Hound remained in the burning garden. Meanwhile, Huo Yu and the snipers focused on the shooter outside the compound.

The hound let out a guttural growl, ignoring Shen Ge and lunging for the remaining half of the eagle’s corpse.

But Shen Ge still had the eagle’s head in his grip—he wasn’t about to let the hound have its way.

[Sell Tier 2 anomaly corpse? Reward: 500 System Points.]

“Sell.”

In a flash of white light, both the head and the remains vanished.

The Black Hound pounced—only to hit empty ground. It roared in fury.

“Collapse.”

Shen Ge activated Collapse, sinking half the hound’s body into the earth. But ordinary dirt wouldn’t hold it for long.

Seizing the moment, he leapt over the flames, landing on the beast’s head. Gripping his cleaver with both hands, he hacked at its burning back.

Chop! Chop! Chop!

Black blood sprayed. Even with his armor, the heat was unbearable, his anomaly energy plummeting.

After a dozen brutal strikes—

THUD.

The hound’s head rolled free.

[Host has valiantly slain a Tier 2 anomaly alone! Reward: 100 System Points, Random F-Grade Supply x1.]

[Withdraw reward?]

“No.”

[Sell Tier 2 anomaly corpse? Reward: 500 System Points.]

“Sell.”

Originally, Shen Ge had planned to contain the hound’s body for SRD’s tech team—specifically Li Xiang, who could turn it into anomaly gear.

But with a Tier 5 anomaly lurking outside, he couldn’t risk the enemy swooping in and stealing it.

Better to cash in now.

With the corpse gone, Shen Ge sprinted toward the outer wall between Buildings 3 and 4. Using his Anomaly Boots, he vaulted over it in a single bound.

“Huo Yu—target’s location!”

“Straight ahead, hidden in the hedges. My line of sight is obstructed—can’t pinpoint him.”

“Shen, target’s behind the sixth tree to your left!” Sniper 2 reported.

“Keep tracking him!” Shen Ge dashed toward the trees.

BANG! BANG!

The shooter emerged from behind the sixth tree, firing at Shen Ge. The snipers instantly returned fire.

Shen Ge wasn’t fast enough to dodge bullets—the shot struck his chest, but his armor absorbed the impact.

The shooter’s aim was deadly—always going for the head or heart. But by exposing himself, he gave Huo Yu and the others a clear shot.

BANG BANG BANG!

Bullets riddled the tree, but the shooter had already relocated.

As he moved, Shen Ge caught a glimpse of his face—a black hoodie, the lower half of his face eerily resembling Old Wang’s.

“Damn, Old Wang’s playing the villain now?” Shen Ge charged, grabbing for his shoulder.

But just as he made contact—

Two extra arms burst from the shooter’s back, slamming into Shen Ge’s chest and sending him stumbling.

The force was staggering.

These arms weren’t human—their elbows bent at impossible angles, their skin blood-red, veined with black tattoos.

Shen Ge lunged again, aiming a knee strike while locking onto the shooter’s neck.

But four arms countered—two fists to Shen Ge’s chest, two palms blocking the knee.

“Well, damn. Actual three heads and six arms?”

Shen Ge wasn’t fazed. At least he’d confirmed these extra limbs weren’t human—they seemed more like anomaly gear.

But if they were gear, why did the system classify the shooter as a Tier 5 anomaly?

The system had never been wrong before.

No time to dwell. In under thirty seconds, they’d exchanged over a dozen blows—all while the shooter kept running, his back turned, relying on his four extra limbs to fight.

Suddenly, the shooter spun, sweeping his rifle like a staff, forcing Shen Ge back.

For a split second, their eyes met.

Under the hood, the shooter’s forehead was a mess of burn scars. The lower half of his face was nearly identical to Old Wang’s.

But the most disturbing feature was the pulsing red cyst on his neck—the size of a fist, throbbing like a second heart.

The shooter grinned, his lips forming a silent word:

“Goodbye.”

Oh no—he’s running again!

Shen Ge realized the shooter had been leading him away from Nanhu International, trying to lure the only real threat far enough so he could double back and steal the anomaly corpses.

But while the shooter was thinking five steps ahead, Shen Ge was already in the stratosphere.

He’d sold both corpses—no leftovers to steal.

Whether he turned them into gear or cashed them in for points, he wasn’t losing out.

Just as Shen Ge braced to stop him—

The shooter pulled out a beating heart from his pocket.

Then—vanished.

A ripple of anomaly energy flickered—a dimensional rift.

“Report—target’s gone!”

“Confirmed—target disappeared!”

Shen Ge immediately turned and sprinted back toward Nanhu International.

“Scan the garden inside the compound!”

Huo Yu was the first to spot him. “Near Building 3’s outer hedges—where the black fire burned!”

“Keep eyes on him—do NOT engage.”

But just as Shen Ge reached the outer wall—

“Report—target’s gone again!”

Shen Ge searched the entire garden, snipers assisting, but the shooter had truly vanished.

At least the incident report would be easy—blame the missing corpses on the mysterious intruder.

Still, letting the enemy slip away twice in one day left a bitter taste in Shen Ge’s mouth.

Sure, the guy had delivered a free Tier 2 anomaly to his doorstep, but Shen Ge would’ve much preferred bagging the “three heads” instead.

…..

Post-mission cleanup was Feng Chengxiu’s job. Reports would be filed, details smoothed over. Shen Ge, for once, had nothing to do.

Or so he thought.

He’d barely sat down in his dorm when the tech team dragged him to the lab.

The research area was packed—every scientist, technician, even the logistics staff had gathered. Familiar faces like Li Xiang stood alongside senior researchers Shen Ge had never met.

The moment he walked in, the questions began.

“Investigator Shen, the report mentions a humanoid anomaly—is that accurate?”

“But the snipers described effects consistent with anomaly gear. Why conclude it was an anomaly?”

“According to SRD’s archives, human bodies reject anomaly tissue. Hybrids shouldn’t exist—”

“Forget whether it’s human—what about the controlled anomalies? Anomalies lack higher intelligence. They can’t be tamed!”

“Exactly. The mutation serum was shocking enough, but taming anomalies? That would put their tech decades ahead of the world.”

“Wait—how do we know they’re not from another country? The U.S.? Japan? This reeks of their usual tactics.”

“I think—”

“In my opinion—”

Before long, what was supposed to be a debriefing devolved into a full-blown academic brawl, the lab echoing with heated arguments.