The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 162

Two minutes ago, Luo Jing didn’t understand why Fang Mingyue trusted Shen Ge so much, nor where that unwavering confidence came from. But as that singing voice, which could rival a certain elementary school detective’s vocal skills, rang out…

The parasitized individuals and anomalies in the corridor and experimental zone surged towards the source of the sound. And the singing was steadily getting closer…

Luo Jing finally understood that absolute trust is built upon absolute strength.

Fang Mingyue had collaborated with Shen Ge more than once. Presumably, this wasn’t the first time they’d faced such a desperate situation. And each time, Shen Ge had never let Fang Mingyue “down,” which built the trust she had now.

Luo Jing couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. No wonder her best friend and old comrade, Deng Yuqi, had told her before departure, “When in doubt, just find Shen Ge.”

Brother Li and Zhao Dezhu, who had been trying desperately to hold back the parasitized individuals at the corridor, had killed over a dozen with great effort. But when they saw these parasitized beings drawn back into the corridor by the audacious singing, their expressions became somewhat complicated.

“This…” Zhao Dezhu wasn’t sure if he should chase out to “help.” If the newcomer was Shen Ge, his own strength probably wouldn’t be much use.

To use Fang Mingyue’s words, in front of Agent Shen, don’t even talk about helping; not holding him back is an achievement.

Shen Ge drawing away most of the parasitized individuals and anomalies drastically reduced the pressure on the group in the experimental zone. But Fang Mingyue wasn’t idle either, as many Anomaly Centipedes were still pouring out of the ventilation duct.

“Yo, good evening, everyone. Had dinner yet?” Shen Ge wasn’t clad in full-body armor, only covering key areas like his chest and joints for ease of movement.

With Xiao Qi’s defense system ready to activate emergency protection when needed, maintaining full armor wasn’t necessary.

Of course, the most important reason was that the armor’s design was too distinctive. After the incident in the downtown area of Korea, he was still on their blacklist.

Having fought his way to the entrance of the experimental zone, Xiao Qi was controlling the rot armor’s tentacles to brush off bits of flesh stuck to Shen Ge.

The scene was rather gruesome!
As soon as he entered the experimental zone, a Freak over two meters tall charged at him. Shen Ge was still in the middle of waving a greeting, which startled Luo Jing and the others.

Luo Jing had been using her anomaly energy equipment to control the numerous parasitized individuals in the zone, including this Freak, but she hadn’t expected its strength to be so great, easily breaking free of the restraint.

Just as it seemed Shen Ge hadn’t noticed the charging Freak and was still greeting them, several tentacles extended from his body, wrapping around the Freak and lifting it into the air.

Squelch—

Then, a bone spear extended from the rot armor on Shen Ge’s arm, piercing straight through the Freak’s heart.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Seeing that the monster that everyone had worked together to barely tie with was easily solved by Shen Ge, everyone’s expressions were a little subtle for a moment.

“Agent Shen!” Fang Mingyue was the first to snap out of it, greeting Shen Ge excitedly.

Compared to Fang Mingyue’s excitement and enthusiasm, Luo Jing and the others were somewhat stunned. To be precise, it wasn’t “indifference” but rather they hadn’t yet recovered from Shen Ge’s “slaughtering a wide path” singing.

Brother Li, who had “cooperated” with Shen Ge during the Yuzhou incident, was the first to regain his composure and stepped forward to exchange pleasantries. But before he could speak, a loud BOOM echoed as the Anomaly Centipedes that had chased Fang Mingyue collapsed part of the ceiling, and a large swarm dropped down.

Even as an elite anomaly agent who had seen many disgusting anomalies, Luo Jing broke out in goosebumps at the sight of these revolting insects swarming densely together, instinctively taking a few steps back.

Even Shen Ge couldn’t help but frown, though it wasn’t fear but rather the dense mass of centipedes triggering unpleasant memories.

“Step back!” Shen Ge raised his arm, and black anomaly fire sprayed from the Anomaly Bracer on his left arm, sizzling as it burned the centipedes.

“Are these the centipedes from the underground warehouse you mentioned?” Shen Ge asked Fang Mingyue while torching the insects.

Fang Mingyue nodded. “I originally thought there was only one big centipede in those containers, but I didn’t expect so many small ones.”

Then, Luo Jing stepped forward. “Speaking of centipedes… on our way here, we saw a natural cave in the control room filled with eggshells.”

“I see. But from what I know, this underground research facility was primarily built to cultivate these Anomaly Centipedes for pharmaceutical use.”

Shen Ge briefly mentioned the reports he found in the laboratory. Luo Jing was about to ask if he had recorded them; if not, they could go back to document them, as these reports would be valuable for future Special Countermeasures Department research or for dealing with the Sakura Blossoms.

But she glanced at Glotz, who was crouched by the door examining his companion’s injuries, and signaled Shen Ge with her eyes to be careful about the other party overhearing intelligence.

Shen Ge rolled up his sleeves. “Silence him? Do it now?”

“…” Luo Jing’s expression froze. Sir, are you a bandit who got a government job?
Glotz, crouched by the door, used his body to block the view and swiftly retrieved the anomaly energy equipment from Hendley’s body.

With his back to Shen Ge and the others, Glotz thought their attention was on the experimental zone and the topic of the underground base. He didn’t know Shen Ge and Luo Jing were watching him, having a minor dispute about “silencing” him.

Although Shen Ge’s words were mostly in jest, his reputation in the Special Countermeasures Department for not following conventions made Luo Jing genuinely think for a second he intended to kill Glotz.

Shen Ge might not care about international relations, but Luo Jing, as deputy commander of this operation, couldn’t joke about such things.

Glotz stood up and looked at Luo Jing, feeling their gazes were somewhat strange but bravely said, “Miss Luo, this underground research base is more dangerous than we imagined. But from what I know, the anti-anomaly missile researched here might be key to resolving this anomaly incident in Takiguchi City. We must hurry to the depths of the base to find that missile!”

Anti-anomaly missile?

Hearing this term, Shen Ge recalled the instances in the [Log] where newly developed anti-anomaly missiles were used against anomalies.

Back then, the Americans successfully used one against a high-tier anomaly and even obtained its corpse, creating the strongest anomaly energy equipment at the time.

When the Sakura Blossoms wanted to “borrow” this high-level equipment from the Americans to deal with the Tier 8 anomaly destroying Takiguchi, they were refused, which led them to target “Misfortune,” contained at the Rong City branch.

In contrast, when the Special Countermeasures Department used an anti-anomaly missile against the Tier 7 anomaly “Formless” in Rong City, it not only failed but also caused Formless to complete its mutation.

Hearing “anti-anomaly missile” now gave Shen Ge a sense of “déjà vu from a past life,” as his future self had spent months dealing with Formless without success, only making the situation worse.

If not for this, Shen Ge would not have been so determined to nip the strange characteristics in the bud. Even though it was the cherry blossoms that were affected this time, he would have chosen to go there as soon as possible without hesitation.

Although the Great Celestial Dynasty and the Sakura Blossoms had deep-seated hatred, when it came to anomaly incidents, they were like lips and teeth—if the lips are gone, the teeth feel the cold. If “Misfortune” successfully mutated to Tier 8 and devoured Takiguchi City, it would be like a nuclear bomb constantly hanging over the Great Celestial Dynasty’s head, and no one knew when it would “explode”!
So the question was, did the Sakura Blossoms use an anti-anomaly missile against “Misfortune” back then?
Was it “ineffective,” or did using the missile cause “Misfortune” to grow into a Tier 8 anomaly?
According to the [Log] intel, anomalies above Tier 6 could feed on nuclear energy, which could accelerate their mutation.

If the anti-anomaly missiles at this time weren’t as advanced as those three years later, it was indeed possible that “Misfortune” treated them as food, accelerating its mutation.

“Sigh.”

Thinking of this, Shen Ge sighed inwardly. A problem that could originally be solved with “world peace” had become extremely troublesome because Tier 6 anomalies could consume nuclear energy.

Shen Ge suddenly felt that anomaly organizations worldwide were becoming like a certain organization with a grand name—seemingly impressive but ultimately could only stand by and watch monsters fight.

If anomalies grew to Tier 7 or 8, reaching a point where anti-anomaly missiles and other methods were ineffective, they might truly end up like the Monarch organization, just watching from the sidelines.

However, Glotz claimed this underground research base was for studying anti-anomaly missiles. That might fool Luo Jing and the others, but Shen Ge and Fang Mingyue had entered from another entrance and passed through the lower research area to rendezvous with them.

If, as Glotz said, an anti-anomaly missile was hidden here, Shen Ge and Fang Mingyue should have found some clues.

But unfortunately, the lower levels were full of human experimentation labs. It was more likely they researched parasitized individuals and “Freaks.” An anti-anomaly missile?
Maybe only Brother Kun could drop a “beat” for you!
Shen Ge glanced at Glotz and said flatly, “Are you sure the base below is a missile research facility, and not for human experimentation?”

Glotz, seeing Shen Ge address him, paused for a second before replying in English, “Sorry, I don’t speak Chinese.”

“Stop pretending. Your ears were perked up like a rabbit’s when we discussed the underground base earlier. Think we’re blind?” Shen Ge said coldly.

Glotz clearly had no intention of admitting it, now seemingly possessed by the spirit of an Oscar-winning actor, perfectly portraying confusion, bewilderment, and panic.

“Really don’t understand? Even better… no one will know if we silence you.” As Shen Ge spoke, he flicked his right hand, and the Pig-Slaughtering Knife slid from the rot armor on his arm into his palm.

In the next second, Glotz felt a blur before his eyes. Shen Ge’s knife was already at his throat, making him blurt out in Chinese: “Wait, don’t kill me!”

“I thought you didn’t speak Chinese?” Shen Ge smiled.

Glotz awkwardly said, “Agent, we have no grudge. We’re both here to support the Sakura Blossoms. There’s no need for mutual harm, right?”

“Mutual harm? No, this is just one-sided bullying.” Shen Ge said.

“…”

Dammit, buddy, you can’t have a conversation like this!
With a knife at his throat, Glotz had to yield. “Sir, that’s not important. What matters is we need to get the anti-anomaly missile from below to deal with the Takiguchi anomaly disaster.”

Shen Ge said, “Do you think I’m stupid, Baldy? If the Sakura Blossoms really had anti-anomaly missiles, with Takiguchi City in this state, wouldn’t they have used them already? Waiting for them to hatch? Besides, do you know where I came from? It was the underground area you mentioned with the missile… The place below is for human experimentation, researching those monsters in the corridor.”

“Th-that’s impossible…” A flash of panic crossed Glotz’s face.

Shen Ge continued, “Baldy, you weren’t planning to lure us down, then find a chance to wake up those anomalies and parasitized individuals to trap us while you went for the research reports, were you?”

“…” Glotz’s face stiffened; clearly, Shen Ge had hit the nail on the head.

Glotz forced an awkward laugh, trying to stay calm. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. If your goal is this…”

Before Glotz could finish, Shen Ge impatiently interrupted, raising his left arm. A small screen projected above it showed research photos and experimental files from the underground base. “I’m short on time. So, do you want these research reports or not?”

“You!” Glotz was shocked. He hadn’t expected Shen Ge to actually have the underground base’s reports. Although he’d only been shown a small part during his briefing, the photos and report content Shen Ge displayed matched them.

Luo Jing, seeing Shen Ge directly show the reports, was about to stop him, but the next second, she felt a bit sorry for Glotz.

Shen Ge asked, “So now can we talk about why this underground research base was really built, who the Sakura Blossoms built it with, and why the human experimentation is related to the abilities shown by the ‘Twelve Branches’? Of course, you don’t have to talk. I can make this plan public, and someone will be willing to investigate. Or, you can satisfy my curiosity, and we can continue cooperating?”

Glotz frowned, seemingly weighing his options. After a moment of silence, he finally said, “Mr. Shen, to be honest… this underground base was indeed jointly built by the Sakura Blossoms and our United States. But it’s not some conspiracy; it’s genuinely conducting research beneficial to humanity.”

“Oh? Beneficial? How so?” Shen Ge asked with a faint smile.

Glotz said gravely, “Over a decade ago, when the first anomaly incident occurred, we realized anomalies would be humanity’s greatest future enemy. We tried many methods to solve the anomaly energy problem at its root. But you know what? The anomaly energy problem can never be solved!”

“Why?” Luo Jing, standing nearby, asked.

Glotz looked at her and countered, “Miss Luo, can you make air completely disappear from Earth?”

Luo Jing frowned. “But anomaly energy is produced by anomalies. If we find the source of anomaly mutation, can’t we solve the problem at its root?”

Glotz shook his head. “No, it seems your security level isn’t high enough to access those secrets… But it’s fine to tell you now. Over a decade ago, your Great Celestial Dynasty already had an anomaly research organization, though it wasn’t called the Special Countermeasures Department then. It was at a place called the Haiya Research Institute.”

Compared to the surprise of Luo Jing, Fang Mingyue, and the others, Shen Ge, who had already encountered information about the Haiya Institute, remained much calmer.

No one interrupted, all waiting for Glotz to continue.

“To this day, we still don’t know how your Great Celestial Dynasty obtained the first anomaly corpse. But through research on the ‘Primordial Anomaly,’ we opened Pandora’s box and released the terrifying ‘anomalies’… That’s right. Before research on the Primordial Anomaly, there were no anomalies in this world.”

“Only after we used the Primordial Anomaly’s power to reach the depths of the earth, found the ‘first living anomaly,’ and captured it, did we completely release the ‘anomaly energy’ hidden underground. Non-human organisms that absorb this energy undergo mutation and become anomalies.”

“Anomaly energy has two forms: one is visible black energy, the other is diluted in the air, formless and odorless. That’s why anomaly ‘mutation’ occurs worldwide.”

Brother Li instinctively asked, “What’s the difference between the two?”

“Black anomaly energy is a readily available energy. Once extracted, even we humans can utilize it. The formless energy can only be sensed by non-human organisms. After absorption, their non-human bodies change and then emit black anomaly energy.”

“Since the underground anomaly energy was released, the air has been filled with this formless energy. Once non-human organisms inhale it, their bodies slowly begin to mutate. If abused or facing death, secreted hormones fuse with the anomaly energy, accelerating mutation.”

“Anomaly energy is like air. With current technology, it’s impossible to completely remove it. The only solution is to allow humans to utilize this energy as well, evolving into a new humanity.”

Hearing this, Luo Jing and the others looked grave, but Shen Ge remarked, “If you can’t beat them, join them. A timeless human truth.”

“…”

Glotz’s welling words were stuck by Shen Ge’s comment. After a moment, he continued, “Mr. Shen, that’s not the right way to put it. You have an old saying, ‘The wise adapt to circumstances.’ Anomalies are too dangerous for humanity. If we can obtain their mysterious and versatile abilities and ‘coexist’ with them, wouldn’t that be better?”

“Heh, brother, you’re quite the flavor enhancer,” Shen Ge couldn’t help but tease.

Glotz clearly didn’t get the sarcasm and kept preaching the heroism trope worn out in American movies.

Shen Ge had no interest and cut him off. “Even if it’s as you say, research for ‘saving the world,’ why has it now become the power the Twelve Branches use to destroy the world?”

Glotz sighed. “Actually, I don’t know much about that. I only know the experiments required a large number of live subjects, and eventually, higher-ups had a disagreement and went their separate ways. However, they did develop a type of ‘anomaly energy’ that the human body could successfully absorb—a third type of anomaly energy, red anomaly energy.”

“Oh?” Mention of red anomaly energy instantly piqued Shen Ge’s interest.

The “Li Xiang II Type Crimson Mist Armor” was developed based on the “heart” seized from the leader of the Twelve Branches.

Although Li Xiang successfully applied this ability to the armor, the research on the “heart” wasn’t thorough.

“…That’s why I wanted to go to the lower levels. The underground base researches this ‘new anomaly energy.'” Glotz clearly hid some information, but Shen Ge wasn’t worried; he already had all the underground base data.

Down below, he had deliberately blown up the machines, destroyed the reports, and even set a fire before leaving to ensure nothing was left intact.

Whether Glotz could find any reports down there was questionable, but he’d definitely find plenty of roasted parasitized individuals and anomalies.

Glotz looked at Shen Ge. “I’ve told you everything I know, as you requested. If you’re willing to give me the reports from the underground base, I promise to recommend you to our most advanced anomaly research department. You can choose several pieces of the latest anomaly energy equipment. How about it?”

“Please, your own anomaly gear is so shabby, and you’re offering me a choice?” Shen Ge’s tone was full of disdain.

Glotz choked, defending, “The equipment we agents choose is suited to our combat style. More are stored in the research institutes. If you hand over the reports, we’ll let you choose. If you don’t believe me, I can contact the person in charge now.”

Saying this, Glotz took a communicator from his combat pack. But in the blink of an eye, it vanished from his hand.

“Is this your latest communicator? Xiao Qi, check if it’s in communication mode,” Shen Ge said, playing with the device.

“Received, Master!” Xiao Qi extended a tentacle, wrapped around the communicator, and began analyzing its data while blocking signals.

Glotz’s eyes widened. He had no idea when Shen Ge took it. Was it an effect of anomaly equipment?
If such equipment existed, wouldn’t it be as terrifying as Quicksilver or The Flash in the movies?
“Sir, what is the meaning of this?” Glotz demanded.

Shen Ge smiled. “No particular meaning… Since you lack sincerity in cooperating, I don’t want to waste time on you.”

“You’re slandering me! I’ve shared the intel I have, and you’re breaking your promise, unwilling to hand over the reports!” Glotz said angrily.

Shen Ge raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Then why did you know during the fight with the parasitized individuals that their weakness wasn’t the head but the ‘heart’? And even knew to avoid the higher-level Freaks, targeting the lower-level parasitized ones? Is this your so-called honest cooperation?”

Glotz’s face changed color. He hadn’t expected Shen Ge to observe so carefully, catching such “details.”

Shen Ge continued, “According to the underground base reports, the researchers classified parasitized individuals into two levels. One is the parasitic anomaly that just entered the human body, not yet fully assimilated for the first mutation. If mutation fails, the parasitic anomaly bursts out, replacing the human’s head.”

“The reports define these as Level 0, the most basic parasitized individuals. Usually, they have little combat power; a standard assault rifle to the head can kill them.”

“The second type is when the parasitic anomaly successfully assimilates with the human. The human body undergoes various changes, and the parasitic anomaly can’t devour the head to replace it. Instead, it becomes their ‘heart.’ The reports define these as Level 1, with anomaly energy content equivalent to Tier 1 anomalies. And… they have another name: ‘Freaks.'”

“Your teammate, the one torn to pieces at the door, the Hulk—when I appeared at the other end of the corridor, he was struggling. But I observed he knew the abilities of both types of Freaks very well. And in combat, even when facing parasitized individuals and Freaks that looked similar, he knew whether to blow their heads or hearts.”

“At first, I found it strange. But when I entered the lab and saw you easily deal with two Freaks, I understood.”

“So now, do you still say you’ve told me everything you know?”

Shen Ge looked at Glotz with a smile, which seemed very dangerous to Glotz, sending a chill down his spine.

Glotz swallowed, still holding on. “I don’t know any Freaks. I just received similar combat training in previous drills.”

“Oh? Freaks are equivalent to Tier 1 anomalies. Above them are Level 2 Freaks, equivalent to Tier 2 anomalies. They’re nearly three meters tall, initially looking like they’re wearing black leather armor, covered in barbs, with crimson eyes. Below the nose isn’t a normal face but an anomaly-like gaping maw.”

As Shen Ge described the Level 2 Freak, not only Luo Jing and Fang Mingyue but also Brother Li and Zhao Dezhu realized the problem, as there had been one in the experimental zone during the earlier fight.

When facing this Level 2 Freak, Glotz acted as if he knew it was very dangerous, deliberately letting Brother Li and Zhao Dezhu take the front.

Luckily, Luo Jing used her anomaly equipment to restrain the Freak, allowing them to hold on until Shen Ge arrived.

“Th-this…” Glotz’s face changed. He slowly stepped back, then suddenly accelerated, trying to run out of the experimental zone.

Brother Li shouted, “He’s trying to escape!” But the next second, Glotz’s head went rolling to the ground.

Luo Jing, Brother Li, and Zhao Dezhu were all speechless with astonishment. They weren’t just shocked by how Shen Ge had accomplished this; they were even more shocked by how he had managed to behead a spy without anyone noticing!

Shen Ge crouched by Glotz’s body, having Xiao Qi scan his anomaly equipment and removing it piece by piece.

At the same time, Shen Ge glanced at Brother Li, who shuddered, instinctively thinking of his own epitaph.

“Uh, uh, Agent Shen, I’m one of us! We cooperated in Yuzhou, remember? I, uh, even drank your celebration drink?” Brother Li stammered.

Shen Ge said calmly, “Brother Li, I meant to say, don’t you find this equipment on Glotz familiar?”

“Huh?” Brother Li was taken aback, instinctively looking at the gear Shen Ge took from Glotz.

Shen Ge picked out two pieces and placed them on the ground, then picked up Glotz’s sidearm. “If I recall correctly, the mercenary ‘Scorpion’ who entered the Dongyu Village anomaly space used this standard equipment. And these two anomaly equipment pieces are the same type as the ones Old He damaged back then.”

Fang Mingyue was the first to recognize them after Shen Ge’s reminder. “Right, it’s this kind of bracer and armor. I saw my teacher break them with my own eyes. Why… are they with him?”

Shen Ge said, “The two broken pieces were taken back to the branch. These two… I think they, like our anomaly gloves and black bone daggers, are their standard issue. As for why Glotz has them, it’s simple… Scorpion was always from the United States.”

“Ah?” Everyone was shocked.

Scorpion was the world’s most capable anomaly mercenary organization. Everyone thought they worked for the “Twelve Branches,” but now Shen Ge claimed the US was their real employer. How could they not be shocked!
Brother Li asked gravely, “Agent Shen, where did you get this intel? Is it reliable? If true… this is explosive!”

“I guessed,” Shen Ge said.

“…”

“…”

Everyone was momentarily speechless.

Shen Ge also kept the secret, and said directly: “It’s very simple. Putting aside the Twelve Zodiac Signs, the two countries in the world that are currently developing the fastest research and development of strange devices are my country and the United States. At first, I also thought that ‘Scorpion’ was a member of the Twelve Zodiac Signs, until I recently confirmed that the ‘Twelve Zodiac Signs’ do not exist. So, if Scorpion is always the first to know about major strange disasters in various countries and acts so quickly, if he is not the one who caused the trouble, then the real boss behind the scenes can only be one of my country or the United States.”

“The Twelve Branches don’t exist? What do you mean?” Luo Jing asked, puzzled.

Shen Ge said, “Now’s not the time. I’ll submit the latest report on the ‘Twelve Branches’ later, and you can check it yourselves. There’s no anti-anomaly missile here. The underground is full of human experimentation labs, with tens of thousands of parasitized individuals and Freaks.”

“What! So many live test subjects?” Luo Jing said angrily.

Brother Li’s face darkened. “The Sakura Blossoms really can’t change their stripes. They loved these experiments before and still do.”

Shen Ge said, “That’s why I set a fire before leaving. Xiao Qi has detected rapidly rising temperatures nearby; it’ll probably reach this level soon. We should get out quickly.”

“Right!” Everyone agreed.

Shen Ge didn’t forget his “medicinal ingredients” before leaving. He had Luo Jing take him to the control room overlooking the natural cave. Then he told Fang Mingyue, Luo Jing, and the others to leave first.

Shen Ge claimed he was going to plant bombs to destroy the place, but in reality, after the others left, he used the “collapse” feature of his Formless Anomaly Domain to pass through the control room into the natural cave.

The cave floor was covered densely with eggshells, most already hatched. Shen Ge searched for a long time before finding one or two unhatched eggs.

He had Xiao Qi check the life activity of the Anomaly Centipede eggs. Finally, he chose the smallest one, about the size of a basketball, and placed it in his twisted space backpack, instructing Xiao Qi to monitor it to prevent hatching and turning his ammo stash into a bug nest.

Meanwhile, as Shen Ge searched the cave for eggs, Fang Mingyue and the other three retraced their route back to the sealed blast door.

The collapsed area outside was packed with parasitized individuals. Fighting their way out with just the four of them was unlikely, so they chose to take the emergency exit according to the map Fang Mingyue found.

But this underground base had been closed for a long time; power was only restored when Fang Mingyue arrived. It was uncertain if the passage still led to the surface.

With the main entrance blocked and the fire spreading upwards, the emergency exit was their only option. Treating it as a last resort, they followed the passage upward until stopped by a bulkhead door.

Fang Mingyue had found the map and an access card in an office, but swiping it on the door’s reader several times only resulted in beeping red lights.

“Why won’t it work!” Fang Mingyue had used this card to open many lab doors along the way but couldn’t get through the final door.

“Try this one!” Luo Jing had taken Glotz’s card when they left the experimental zone.

She swiped it, and this time the reader beeped and lit green. The bulkhead door hissed open.

The four emerged from the emergency passage into what looked like an underground parking garage. Luo Jing was about to head for the exit when Fang Mingyue grabbed her.

“Be careful, there is a strange energy reaction ahead!” Fang Mingyue held the strange energy detector in her hand and looked towards the exit vigilantly.

“Gulp.”

“Gulp.”

Then, with the distinctive swallowing sounds of anomalies, a humanoid anomaly at least three to four meters tall, with thin, long limbs, walked down from the exit.

“Freak! Everyone, be careful!” Having been trapped in multiple anomaly spaces and fought Freaks more than once, Fang Mingyue immediately recognized it as the Level 2 Freak Shen Ge mentioned.

“Tch, looks like a stick figure,” Brother Li couldn’t help but complain.

Despite all the complaints, everyone immediately took up a fighting stance. Fang Mingyue and Luo Jing, who were good at using control-type energy equipment, stepped forward at the same time and tried to tie him up with bone cages and flesh belts.

The Freak was tall and thin but surprisingly fast, dodging the women’s control equipment. Its long arm swept out; luckily, Fang Mingyue reacted quickly, deploying an inflatable pad to block it. Otherwise, being hit by that stick-like arm would have sent her flying.

“Brother Li!” Luo Jing shouted.

With two thuds from stepping on cars, Brother Li jumped onto a vehicle, rushed towards the Freak, and leaped from behind, tackling it.

Then, with his anomaly gauntlets emitting black energy, Brother Li clasped his hands together and slammed them down on the back of the Freak’s head. A bone-cracking sound was heard as the Freak’s head hit the ground with a thud.

Fang Mingyue, Luo Jing, and Zhao Dezhu swarmed in. The Anomaly Bone Staff transformed into a bone prison, trapping it. Luo Jing’s rot restraints bound it, and Zhao Dezhu’s mincer blade severed its arms.

In under two minutes, the four合力 killed the Level 2 Freak.

“Whew.” Brother Li just relaxed when his peripheral vision caught movement on the exit ramp. The next second, his hair stood on end. He grabbed Luo Jing and ran.

“Dammit, there are dozens more up there! Run!”

These Freaks, attracted by the fight, were crowded in the narrow parking garage exit. Besides the stick-figure type, there were also the armored Freaks Fang Mingyue had seen before.

Going back wasn’t an option. Not only were there as many Freaks in the underground base, but also the fire set by a certain arsonist meant going back would turn them into roast suckling pigs.

“There’s a safety exit over there!” Brother Li pointed at a distant green exit sign.

The four rushed over and went up the safety stairs, unexpectedly emerging in a large shopping mall.

If Shen Ge were here, he would definitely complain that this underground research institute was built by the same group of people. Was it built under the shopping mall just to make it easier for them to slack off at work?

“A mall?” Brother Li, having run up from the underground parking, was also surprised to see a mall.

Luo Jing said, “What’s strange? Research institutes are the last line of defense for anomaly work. If the world heads towards apocalypse, researchers and agents would retreat underground. Being under a mall makes resource gathering post-apocalypse much easier.”

Hearing this, Brother Li and the others realized many countries’ anomaly departments were located in resource-rich areas.

“…That’s some long-term planning,” Brother Li said with a weird expression.

Luo Jing urged, “Enough talk. Let’s get out of here. Xiao Cheng sent a message; he and Xia Mei are already near Tokyo Tower.”

“Aren’t we waiting for Agent Shen?” Brother Li asked.

Fang Mingyue answered, “Based on my past experience cooperating with Agent Shen, he definitely wouldn’t want us waiting here for him.”

“Why?” Brother Li asked instinctively.

Fang Mingyue said, “Because he might just visit other areas while walking, or maybe take out a few high-level monsters.”

Brother Li’s eye twitched…

Casually?
Solve a few high-tier anomalies?
Brother Li wanted to complain, but recalling the control room footage of Shen Ge riding the “peevee” monster through the streets, he suddenly felt it wasn’t impossible!

Meanwhile, the agent of “all possibilities” was indeed, as Fang Mingyue said, not choosing to go straight up to leave the underground base. Instead, he followed the only passage from the natural cave downward, wanting to see where it led.

Shen Ge walked down the passage for nearly twenty minutes, arriving at a broader underground cavern. The walls were covered with uniquely shaped stalactites, and the plants in the cave were peculiar, looking like withered trees but upon closer inspection, they weren’t withered—that was just their natural appearance.

Passing through the wide cavern, at the end was a strange “entrance.”

The “entrance” looked like an anomaly’s mouth, a gaping maw. The upper and lower jaws resembled human hands.

Shen Ge moved closer. These hands felt like the surrounding withered trees—not flesh and blood but plant-like in texture.

Eerily, the “abyssal mouth,” leading to who knows where, had a very dense anomaly energy reaction!