The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 174

The survivors, originally rescued by Fang Mingyue and her team, ultimately fell victim to the suspicion and schemes of their own country’s soldiers, buried beneath the rubble.

Watanabe Natsumi watched in a daze as three terrifying giant Anomalies wrestled with each other, crashing into the complex building. Faintly, she seemed to hear the survivors’ screams and wails.

Regret, self-blame, remorse… a multitude of complex emotions merged, assaulting Watanabe’s mind. So much so that even as the Anomalies’ battle threatened the building she was in, with her subordinates panicking and fleeing, their terrified cries failed to snap her out of her stupor, fixated on the collapsing structure ahead.

“Fang Mingyue!”

“Luo Jing!”

Shen Ge, in his Intangible state, leaped from the rooftop, using the tentacles of his Rotten Flesh Armor to swing towards the collapsed building opposite, simultaneously calling for Fang Mingyue and Luo Jing via his communicator.

The rescue team had assumed Japan would dispatch armed helicopters to assist in evacuating their own civilians, never expecting the other side to disregard the matter entirely.

By the time they realized they’d been duped, the rescue team and over a hundred Japanese survivors were trapped in the complex’s main hall. The Parasitized and Aberrants blocked the entrance, while not far away, several giant Anomalies fought to the death.

Shen Ge had considered drawing the giant Anomalies’ attention to buy Fang Mingyue and the others time to evacuate. But “Misfortune” was hiding somewhere nearby in this area. Under the influence of its peculiar Anomalous Energy, the entire block was in a state of sheer “metaphysical” chaos.

A gentle breeze could trigger flower pots from balconies above to fall like rain; a giant Anomaly stomping hundreds of meters away could cause a sinkhole collapse in this area; or short-circuited wires exploding, gas leaks igniting… all sorts of bizarre accidents kept occurring.

“Investigator Shen, we’re okay.” Fang Mingyue replied to Shen Ge’s message. She had activated an air cushion for buffer when the building collapsed, managing to escape with Luo Jing to the basement.

The upper floors collapsed, trapping them in the underground parking garage, but they were temporarily safe.

Since Fang Mingyue and the others were fine, Shen Ge didn’t need to provide support and could focus on dealing with the battling Anomalies, seizing the chance to find “Misfortune’s” trail.

The system was still offline after devouring “Traceless,” rendering Scanning and the [Map] unusable. Shen Ge thought of the simplest method: eliminate these Anomalies.

If “Misfortune” wanted to grow stronger amidst the chaos, it would have to target these Anomaly corpses.

Even though the system was offline and couldn’t communicate or use its functions, the basic “Devour” ability was still available. He didn’t need to worry about “Misfortune” snatching Anomaly corpses right under his nose.

There were originally four giant Anomalies in the Tokyo Tower area, now only three remained. Shen Ge estimated their Anomalous Energy levels were still high, approaching the fourth stage of mutation. Meaning, if the remaining three Anomalies could produce a victor, it would “feed” a 4th-tier Anomaly into existence.

Among the three remaining giant Anomalies, one was the at-least-twenty-meter-tall creature with spindly spider-like legs. Its limbs were over ten meters long, but their length and thickness relative to its body made it look like a skinny stick figure.

Countless tentacles extended from its massive torso, entangling with the other two giant Anomalies while simultaneously grabbing Parasitized from the streets and stuffing them into its mouth.

The second Anomaly was also one Shen Ge had seen before—the over-five-meter-tall “Hand.” But bizarrely, in just a few days, this hand had grown to nearly ten meters tall.

Seeing this hand reminded Shen Ge of the “Eyeball” that had appeared in the sky over Kawashina Ward, which later disappeared, followed by a downpour of starfish-like parasitic Anomalies.

Shen Ge slapped his forehead. He’d forgotten to ask the green-robed figure earlier if that “Eyeball” and this “Hand” were related to her, and whether they were Anomalies or Aberrants.

The third Anomaly was the giant mammoth-like one that had previously fought the “Matchstick Octopus Monster.” Although it was the most robust among the original seven Anomalies, its body was now riddled with bite marks, wounds oozing black Anomalous Energy and blood, clearly on its last legs.

Once either the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” or the Anomalous Hand devoured the Anomalous Elephant, the tide of battle would immediately turn in the devourer’s favor!

Just as Shen Ge was pondering how to deal with these three giant Anomalies, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield. The ground beneath the Anomalous Elephant collapsed, forming a massive sinkhole.

With half its body stuck in the sinkhole, the Anomalous Elephant lost the ability to resist both Anomalies simultaneously. The “Matchstick Octopus Monster” seized the opportunity, wrapping its tentacles around the elephant’s head and pulling it towards its mouth.

The Anomalous Hand wasn’t about to fall behind. It used three fingers to grab one of the elephant’s legs, pulling it towards the bloody maw in its palm. The two Anomalies pulled the elephant’s body from left and right, ironically yanking it out of the sinkhole.

However, the extracted Anomalous Elephant only had half its body left; internal organs and black blood continuously dripped from the severed section into the deep pit.

Seeing this, Shen Ge immediately realized “Misfortune” was hiding in that deep pit!

You had to admit this guy was “clever,” playing the role of the oriole stalking the mantis with practiced ease, creating chaos during the three giant Anomalies’ melee to profit from their conflict.

The “Matchstick Octopus Monster,” capable of creating fog, seemed to also sense the danger in the sinkhole. While devouring the Anomalous Elephant’s corpse, it intensified its output of Anomalous Energy fog.

The essence of this thick fog was Anomalous Energy. Shen Ge noticed that compared to “Traceless’s” fog, the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” version lacked a blocking effect but had a greater impact on visibility.

“Luo Jing, tell the Japanese to immediately use Anomalous Energy Fog Dispersal Shells on this area! Any later, and they can wait for the complete fall of the Tokyo Tower district!” Shen Ge picked up his communicator and said to Luo Jing.

Luo Jing and Fang Mingyue were searching for an exit in the underground parking garage. The signal was somewhat affected but reluctantly receivable. Upon hearing this, Luo Jing immediately contacted Watanabe Natsumi.

Luo Jing pressured Watanabe using the previous survivor incident as leverage, falsely claiming that some survivors were trapped with them in the underground parking. They had found an exit but couldn’t leave due to the thick fog outside, demanding Japan immediately launch Anomalous Energy Fog Dispersal Shells for support.

The appearance of the Anomalous Energy fog significantly hampered Japanese operations as well. Even without Luo Jing’s request, they were considering deploying the dispersal shells again.

But under Luo Jing’s pressure, releasing the shells became the top priority.

Compared to Luo Jing and Fang Mingyue, Xiao Cheng and Brother Li weren’t as fortunate. When the giant Anomalies’ battle reached them, they were defending the main entrance against the Parasitized. Consequently, when the complex collapsed, they were also “stranded” on the streets.

They not only had to face wave after wave of Parasitized but also survive amidst the Anomalies’ brawl and within “Misfortune’s” domain of amplified bad luck.

To make matters worse, the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” was still generating Anomalous Energy fog, causing them to lose all sense of direction during their retreat and become separated from their fellow investigator, Zhao Dezhu.

Xiao Cheng and Brother Li avoided dangerous areas by following the sounds of battle coming through the fog, fighting their way through Parasitized until they reached the vicinity of a building. However, due to the giant Anomalies fighting nearby, they dared not enter the building immediately, fearing they’d end up like the survivors if caught in the crossfire.

Just then, Xiao Cheng vaguely noticed hunched figures moving through the nearby fog,seem wandering around the streets and gradually closing in on their position.

“Be careful, there are Aberrants in the fog.” Xiao Cheng’s judgment was clearly superior to Brother Li’s; he immediately identified the figures not as Parasitized but as the more advanced Aberrants.

During their earlier actions in the building, Fang Mingyue had briefed them on Aberrants. Later, during rest, Xiao Cheng had also accessed the latest “Aberrant” files, so he had some understanding of them.

Their combat power far exceeded that of the Parasitized. Combined with the Anomalies’ unique reproductive abilities, they were essentially superior replacements for the Parasitized.

Brother Li glanced down at the Anomalous Energy detector in his hand and said gravely, “The Anomalous Energy reading is very high. Should we retreat into the building?”

“No. Listen to the commotion not far away. Who knows when those big guys might fight their way over? Hiding now would be suicide,” Xiao Cheng said.

Their vision was severely impaired in the thick fog; they couldn’t see each other clearly, only sensing a human figure flickering in and out of view.

This eerie sense of oppression was suffocating.

Even though Xiao Cheng and Brother Li had handled numerous Anomaly incidents, they found the environment unsettling. Even their breathing felt labored, as if they were inhaling not ordinary air but the chilling cold of a freezer.

Xiao Cheng took a G4 grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, and threw it towards the ground on their right. After a series of “clattering” sounds, it exploded with a “boom,” sending a wave of fire through the fog.

“Gulp.”

“Gulp.”

With several swallowing sounds, the nearest dark figures near the explosion site rushed towards the blast. Xiao Cheng immediately followed up with a flashbang and a Molotov cocktail.

Xiao Cheng had intended to use this method to draw the nearby Aberrants to one location, allowing him and Brother Li to escape in another direction.

But he overlooked the fact that there was more than just one or two Aberrants in the fog. The moment they rounded the corner, they ran straight into a three-meter-tall Aberrant covered in black, barbed chitinous armor.

Its crimson eyes sent chills down their spines. Half its face was a mouth, appearing ferocious and terrifying. Upon seeing the two, it immediately attacked.

“Brother Li!”

At Xiao Cheng’s shout, the stunned Brother Li snapped back to attention, immediately raising his Anomalous Energy flamethrower and unleashing a torrent of fire at the Aberrant.

While Brother Li drew its attention, Xiao Cheng pushed off the ground. Black smoke billowed from the soles of his Anomalous Leather Shoes, propelling him forward like an arrow from a bow, “whooshing” behind the Aberrant in an instant.

He thrust his two-meter-long White Bone Spear towards the Aberrant’s back, aiming for the heart. He knew the Aberrant’s weakness was its heart; damaging it meant certain death or severe injury!

He expected the spear to easily pierce the Aberrant’s heart. However, the tip only penetrated about an inch before he found himself unable to push it further, no matter how hard he tried.

The black chitin that Shen Ge’s Pig-Slaughtering Knife could easily slice through proved incredibly tough against Xiao Cheng’s White Bone Spear, making it difficult even to break the defense, let alone deliver a killing blow.

“Gulp!”

“Gulp!”

The Aberrant reached back and firmly grabbed Xiao Cheng’s White Bone Spear, then pulled him towards itself. Xiao Cheng instinctively let go of the spear, thinking he had escaped, only to feel a sharp pain in his wrist. Two black, blood-vessel-like objects extended from the Aberrant’s chest, wrapping around his wrist and dragging him closer.

Seeing Xiao Cheng captured, Brother Li quickly turned off the flamethrower to avoid friendly fire, drew his Cleaver, and charged forward, attempting to sever the Aberrant’s vessels.

However, not only did the Cleaver fail to cut through the vessels, but the Aberrant also reached out and grabbed Brother Li by the throat.

The Aberrant’s two heads opened mouths large enough to swallow a human head, lunging towards Xiao Cheng and Brother Li respectively. Just as they were about to meet their end, a loud “thud” echoed as a figure descended from the sky.

Shen Ge, clad in his “Crimson Mist Armor,” descended like a divine warrior, “smacking” the Aberrant to the ground with his landing. His Pig-Slaughtering Knife came down on one of its heads, splitting it open along the gap of its half-mouth face, cleaving the head in two.

Xiao Cheng and Brother Li immediately broke free from their restraints. The former eyed the crimson Rotten Flesh Armor warily, while the latter exclaimed joyfully, “Investigator Shen!”

After decapitating one of the Aberrant’s heads, Shen Ge immediately shot out several Rotten Flesh tentacles, wrapping them around the Aberrant and slamming it repeatedly into the ground.

Thud!
Thud!
Thud!

The Aberrant’s six arms simultaneously grabbed Shen Ge’s tentacles, but Shen Ge had already activated his “Non-Ignition Domain” and employed Ignition Point Control. The Aberrant, which could have bathed in the flames of Brother Li’s flamethrower unharmed, was now ignited by a mere flicker of crimson Anomalous flame from Shen Ge.

Then, Shen Ge delivered a powerful kick, sending the Aberrant flying into a building within the fog. The sound of collapsing rubble suggested it had crashed through a wall.

“Leave this to me, you two get out of here now!” Shen Ge didn’t waste words with them, charging directly towards the buried Aberrant.

“Investigator Shen!” Xiao Cheng wanted to follow and help, but Brother Li grabbed his arm.

“Fang Mingyue said when cooperating with Investigator Shen, if he doesn’t ask for help, it’s best not to follow. Otherwise, you’ll just hold him back.”

“…”

Xiao Cheng wasn’t an ungrateful person. They had been selected for this mission to assist Shen Ge. Although he felt somewhat dissatisfied due to his seniority over Shen Ge, he had to admit the gap in their abilities was several levels wide.

However, Shen Ge gave the impression of “I’ll hold the enemy off, you run,” but in reality, he was just chasing after the Aberrant to secure the kill.

The Aberrant was already on its last legs after his successive attacks. He just wanted to claim the kill, as this was a future 5th-tier Anomaly.

[Host has slain a 5th-tier Anomaly. Rewards: System Points x1000, F-grade Supplies x3. The Anomaly corpse can be sold for System Points to draw various equipment and items.]

[Sell 5th-tier Anomaly – Value 3000 System Points.]

After dealing with the Aberrant, Shen Ge continued following the sounds of battle.

Just then, several loud booms echoed in the sky. This time, Japan’s response was swift; within half an hour, they had dispatched armed helicopters delivering Anomalous Energy Fog Dispersal Shells.

However, shortly after the dispersal shells exploded, an anomaly occurred in the sky.

Thick clouds gathered, carrying a storm, as if the entire sky was lowering, pressing down suffocatingly. Then, from within the heavy black clouds, surges of black smoke, like giant pythons, emerged, swiftly engulfing the entire city.

No sooner had the Anomalous Energy fog dispersed than an eerie black mist suddenly arrived!

The Japanese side was momentarily baffled. Was this an anomaly caused by the interaction between the dispersal shells and the Anomalous Energy fog, or was it the ability of some Anomaly?

As Shen Ge approached the sinkhole where the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand were devouring the Anomalous Elephant, these python-like black mist tendrils surged towards him.

Was there something inside the mist?
Shen Ge noticed something was wrong with the Anomalous Energy black mist. One tendril was already less than ten meters away from him, morphing into the head of a beast and lunging to bite him!

“A tiger’s head?”

Shen Ge vaguely recognized it as a tiger, seem trying to prevent him from approaching the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” location.

Was “Misfortune” aware of his presence, trying to hinder his approach to buy more time to devour the Anomaly corpses, or was there another hidden enemy?
Shen Ge had no time to ponder. Since the other party wanted to stop him, he couldn’t afford to waste time here. Activating the triple traits “Intangible + Silent + Traceless,” he used his Rotten Flesh tentacles to pass beneath the black mist tiger head, charging directly towards the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” battlefield.

The “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand were still fighting over the Anomalous Elephant’s corpse. The former had devoured the elephant’s head, savoring the putrid stench as if it were a delicacy, the crimson glow in its eyes intensifying. Countless octopus tentacles wrapped around the elephant’s corpse, constantly pulling it closer.

After devouring one of the elephant’s legs, the Anomalous Hand not only grew a sixth finger but also developed a thick layer of elephant-like skin over the entire hand.

The “Matchstick Octopus Monster,” the Anomalous Hand, and the hidden “Misfortune” underground were all trying their best to consume the Anomalous Elephant’s corpse.

The uneven distribution led to a fierce fight between the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand. The former’s slender matchstick spider legs stepped on the Hand’s thick elephant skin, its head splitting in two, its mouth full of sharp teeth biting towards the Hand’s “wrist.”

The Anomalous Hand sensed the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” on its back. Although its bloody maw was in its palm, its thumb and the newly grown sixth finger now twisted like snakes towards the back of its hand. Then, the fingertips split into upper and lower halves, transforming into a large mouth that bit reverse towards the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” head.

The two Anomalies instantly became entangled, rolling through the buildings, instantly flattening large sections and turning the bustling Tokyo Tower district into ruins resembling the aftermath of a magnitude ten earthquake.

After evading the attacks of the anomalous black mist, Shen Ge, empowered by the triple traits and using the mobility of his Rotten Flesh tentacles and Anomalous Leather Boots, leaped onto the body of the “Matchstick Octopus Monster.”

Compared to the Anomalous Hand, which seemed more like an Aberrant with an uncertain internal structure (like organs), Shen Ge found the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” easier to deal with.

After all, he had ample experience being swallowed by giant Anomalies.

Shen Ge climbed up the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” body structure, reaching the back of its neck. He expanded his Intangible Domain and used “Collapse.”

Both were at the 3rd tier, and even though Shen Ge’s supernatural abilities weren’t as powerful as the opponent’s, during the clash of mental power and supernatural energy, he didn’t feel his body instantly drained as he would in a cross-tier battle. Instead, after a brief resistance between their mental power and supernatural energy, he easily broke through the “matchstick octopus monster’s” supernatural defense, using “Collapse” to open an entrance and successfully entered the opponent’s body.

Shen Ge didn’t choose to enter from the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” back primarily because its body was too massive, and the structure of an Anomaly’s body was highly complex. There was no guarantee that entering randomly from the back would lead directly to the stomach or the heart.

But entering through the mouth or neck allowed him to “go straight to the stomach.” Once inside the stomach, there were many options for action, as demonstrated by the 4th-tier Anomalous Lizard.

After Shen Ge entered the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” body, it clearly hadn’t anticipated its impending fate, following in the footsteps of Little Sweetie’s sister-in-law, and was still locked in mortal combat with the Anomalous Hand.

The Anomalous Hand’s fingers transformed into large mouths, biting into the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” tentacles, each devouring parts of the other’s body.

Just then, the ground collapse worsened, even affecting the surrounding buildings. Both the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand fell into the sinkhole, only to find a little “cutie,” nearly five meters long and enveloped in a cloud of black mist, waiting for them inside.

Now, the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand bit each other, while “Misfortune,” hidden by the Anomalous Energy black mist, continued playing the oriole, nibbling on the two giant Anomalies.

Meanwhile, Shen Ge was sliding down the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” esophagus. Although the internal environment was complex, the structure was similar to the previous Anomalous Lizard’s.

A few minutes later, Shen Ge, along with several chunks of rotten flesh swallowed by the “Matchstick Octopus Monster,” fell into its stomach, filled with gastric acid.

The “Matchstick Octopus Monster” was only 3rd-tier, so the corrosive power of its gastric acid couldn’t compare to the 4th-tier Anomalous Lizard’s. Even without the “Crimson Mist Form,” the Rotten Flesh Armor alone could withstand the corrosion.

This saved Shen Ge several Mental Apples.

However, the stench inside the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” stomach was just as bad as the Anomalous Lizard’s. Even with Shen Ge’s mental fortitude, he couldn’t claim to have “gotten used” to it.

He just wanted to finish off the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” quickly and get out. So, he took out his Anti-Anomaly Revolver and fired several shots “Bang! Bang! Bang!” in different directions. The Anomalous Energy bullets easily penetrated the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” stomach wall, leaving bullet holes.

Then, just like with the Anomalous Lizard, he placed high-explosives and Molotov cocktails in multiple locations. Using the perforated stomach walls, he detonated the explosives, causing the gastric acid to corrode the Anomaly’s body from the inside.

While the gastric acid corroded the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” internal organs, Shen Ge wreaked havoc inside its body, masterfully executing the “Monkey King stirring up the sister-in-law’s stomach” technique.

Finally, Shen Ge reached the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” heart—a fleshy, tumor-like heart connected by countless thick and thin, worm-like black blood vessels, suspended in a narrow space.

Anomalies usually protected their hearts well, but Shen Ge was experienced. He used the “Crimson Mist Armor” to continuously absorb the Anomalous Energy around the heart while expanding his Intangible Domain, constantly using “Collapse” to deplete the opponent’s Anomalous Energy.

A 3rd-tier Anomaly couldn’t withstand Shen Ge’s toss. In the blink of an eye, the Anomalous Energy around the heart was depleted. Then, Shen Ge raised his Pig-Slaughtering Knife, transforming into a butcher, and chopped the heart to pieces.

Originally, the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” and the Anomalous Hand were fiercely fighting, their massive bodies entangled and tearing at each other even within the sinkhole.

The “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” body was already half-devoured by the Anomalous Hand, but it had successfully bitten off three of the Hand’s fingers. Both were digesting the other’s Anomalous Energy.

Neither had gained the upper hand, while “Misfortune” below them successfully stole several bites, consuming a small portion of the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” body.

However, just as both the Anomalous Hand and “Misfortune” were enjoying the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” delicious body, it suddenly transformed into a beam of white light—

And vanished.

[Host has slain a 5th-tier Anomaly. Rewards: System Points x1000, F-grade Supplies x3. The Anomaly corpse can be sold for System Points to draw various equipment and items.]

[Sell 5th-tier Anomaly – Value 3000 System Points.]

Shen Ge successfully killed the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” from within its body and without hesitation chose to sell the corpse to the system.

Just like that, the duck that was almost in the mouths of the Anomalous Hand and “Misfortune” flew away!

The Anomalous Hand and “Misfortune,” unaware of what happened, both assumed the other had monopolized the feast. Enraged, they roared and began fighting each other.

Consequently, when Shen Ge emerged from the spot where the “Matchstick Octopus Monster’s” body was consumed by the system, he saw the Anomalous Hand—now with only three fingers in their normal positions but two new fingers growing from the back of its hand—grabbing and tearing at a black mist cluster about seven to eight meters in size.

Shen Ge then noticed the black mist seemed to be coalescing into several “tiger heads,” biting at the Anomalous Hand’s rotten flesh body.

These black mist tiger heads were the same anomalous black mist that had attacked him earlier. Clearly, they were “Misfortune’s” appendages; it had fully awakened its Trait!

Shen Ge looked closely. “Misfortune’s” Anomalous Energy had indeed broken through to the 4th tier and was now showing signs of a fifth mutation!

In other words, if it successfully devoured the Anomalous Hand, it would undoubtedly complete its 5th-tier mutation!
“Misfortune,” on the verge of a breakthrough, was determined to obtain the Anomalous Hand. It now fully unleashed its power, and the Anomalous Energy black mist filling the sky converged towards the sinkhole.

Suddenly, various bizarre natural disasters and accidents erupted in Tuokou City. Shen Ge, who was about to venture into the black mist where the “misfortune” originated to investigate, was unfortunately blasted into the air by a burst of water from a broken underground pipe.

No sooner had Shen Ge been flushed out of the sinkhole than he was smashed back to the ground by collapsing buildings.

During his fall, Shen Ge realized that from the time he entered the “Matchstick Octopus Monster” to cause havoc until now, less than ten minutes had passed, yet the entire Takiguchi City had been turned into ruins by the Anomalous Energy black mist.

Shen Ge was caught in a continuous stream of accidents and disasters, reminiscent of the helplessness he felt four years in the future when caught in the crossfire between “Misfortune” and the deep-sea giant Anomaly.

Fortunately, “Misfortune” was on the brink of reaching the 5th tier, and the Anomalous Hand was no pushover either, showing signs of approaching the 4th tier.

Moreover, it wasn’t an ordinary Anomaly; it seemed to be something more bizarre, like a mutant hybrid of an Anomaly and an Aberrant.

Facing the biting attacks of “Misfortune’s” Anomalous Energy black mist, the Anomalous Hand directly “shed” its newly grown elephant skin, performing a “golden cicada shedding its shell” maneuver. It transformed into countless small hands scattering in all directions.

Although a portion was swallowed by “Misfortune’s” Anomalous Energy black mist during the escape, many more successfully fled to various parts of the city.

These “small hands,” like the starfish Anomaly, seemed to be some form of parasitic Anomaly. Upon encountering Japanese troops and survivors, they immediately pounced, their five fingers gripping the victims’ faces, implanting Anomalous eggs.

After It’s not easy freeing himself from the various accidents caused by “Misfortune,” Shen Ge saw Japanese soldiers all over the streets, each with a hand gripping their face.

“Good grief, so it’s really ‘Aberrants,’ huh?” Shen Ge’s mental strength was nearly depleted, and the triple traits had automatically deactivated. Facing “Misfortune” next, and to avoid constantly replenishing mental strength during the fight, he decided to use the “Mental Worm” that provided ten minutes of unlimited mental strength.

Shen Ge took out the thumb-sized, plump “Silkworm Worm” from his blood-leather pouch. Watching it wriggle on his fingertip, he mentally recited “Hakuna Matata” ten times, then swallowed the worm.

The next second, his depleted “1111%” not only instantly refilled but also gained a special status in brackets: “Mentally Refreshed.”

Just as Shen Ge prepared to reactivate the triple traits “Intangible + Silent + Traceless” and charge towards the Anomalous Energy black mist where “Misfortune” resided, a black figure suddenly rushed at him, knocking him off the building and slamming him into the ground.

As Shen Ge got up from the ground, he saw a figure descending from above. The newcomer licked the bloodstain on his face, revealing a ferocious grin. Then, he cracked his neck; fist-sized red pustules bulged on both sides of his neck, slowly growing, bursting open, and sprouting two new heads.

Three heads. The left and right ones were Caucasian faces Shen Ge hadn’t seen before, but the middle one he recognized—

Twelve Branches, Yin Hu!

The foreheads of all three of Yin Hu’s heads had protruding parts, like bulging bones, forming the character “王” (king).

With a series of bone-cracking sounds, four new arms, thick as thighs, sprouted from his body. His entire form slowly swelled up like the Hulk transforming, resembling a muscular monster.

“Hey.”

“Long time no see.”

Yin Hu glared ferociously at Shen Ge, his smile radiating danger.

Shen Ge wasn’t actually injured. His attention had been entirely on “Misfortune,” and he hadn’t expected someone to suddenly drop from the sky. Caught off guard, he was knocked to the ground.

Now, seeing Yin Hu, Shen Ge examined him with interest, smiling as he asked, “Not bad. You’ve changed quite a bit each time we meet. I remember when you first transformed, you seemed to have lost all human consciousness, more like an Anomalous monster. And… the heads seem different too. What, can you guys from the Seventy-Two Transformations change however you want, even random altering the head positions?”

Yin Hu ignored Shen Ge’s teasing, snorting coldly, “I have no interest in banter with you. I’m here because you owe me two lives!”

Yin Hu had died twice at Shen Ge’s hands. He dreamed of dismembering Shen Ge. Although the Twelve Branches’ target in the Takiguchi disaster was the Anomaly beneath Hokuei City, Yin Hu, to seek revenge, willingly defied orders to first target the Joint Force’s Anti-Anomaly investigators.

Many Joint Force investigators had died by Yin Hu’s hand; those taking the sea route were almost completely wiped out. He had been about to attack Xiao Cheng and the others when he noticed a familiar figure appearing on a rooftop not far away—the man who had killed him twice—

Shen Ge!

Shen Ge paid no mind to Yin Hu’s rage, observing him with amusement. “I heard you Twelve Branches members transplant the crimson fleshy growths from the Ancestral Anomaly onto yourselves, gaining rapid regeneration and control over Anomalous Energy.”

“But once these growths are separated from the Ancestral Anomaly’s body, they need to absorb large amounts of Anomalous Energy to maintain cellular activity. Otherwise, they quickly die. However, absorbing large amounts of Anomalous Energy is highly damaging to the human body, causing pathological changes and turning the person into a fleshy monster.”

“Instead of finding a way to extend your life now, you come looking for trouble with me? Do you have a death wish?”

Yin Hu said coldly, “Seems you know quite a bit… Correct, our lifespans are short. Moreover, with each mutation, while gaining powerful combat abilities, cellular activity decreases to some extent, accelerating death. But so what? Even if I die, I’ll drag you down with me!”

“Uh-huh. Well, good luck with that.” Shen Ge said.

Yin Hu was complete infuriated by Shen Ge. Transforming into his three-headed, six-armed form, he lunged at Shen Ge. His six arms stretched infinitely like rubber, their tips sharp tiger claws.

Just as they were about to grab Shen Ge, Yin Hu suddenly felt his vision blur. When he regained focus, his six arms were分别 entangled by six Rotten Flesh tentacles, then coiled together.

The next moment, under a tremendous force, Yin Hu was slammed repeatedly into the ground.

Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
“Sneak attack, huh?”

“Sneak attack, huh?”

“Sneak attack, huh?”

Shen Ge was not one to hold grudges, because he settled them on the spot. Ever since gaining his Traits and the Rotten Flesh Armor, he hadn’t been injured in a long time.

To think that a rare occasion, due to “Misfortune’s” bizarre ability depleting his mental strength, he got sneak-attacked by Yin Hu while replenishing it!
Shen Ge grabbed Yin Hu, slamming him left and right on the ground, handling him more deftly than the Hulk handled Loki, giving Yin Hu the melancholy of Asgard.

Yin Hu had considered Shen Ge powerful. That’s why, during his second mutation within the organization, even knowing it would drastically shorten his already limited lifespan, he joined the experiment without hesitation for the sake of revenge.

But he never expected that while he could easily eliminate other countries’ Anti-Anomaly investigators, he still stood no chance against Shen Ge.

His six arms and tiger claws were completely countered by the Rotten Flesh tentacles.

His Anomalous heads could elongate like the Soul Heads of the Anomalous Bus Driver, opening large bloody mouths, but they were no match for Shen Ge’s Anomalous Stomach.

Before his other head could even mutate, Shen Ge swung his Anomalous Bone Hammer, smashing it over a dozen times, beating Yin Hu to the verge of tears.

Yin Hu was complete defeated, completely defenseless. Even with unwillingness in his heart, he had to face reality after the 173rd slam.

By the time Yin Hu accepted reality, Shen Ge had finally vented his frustration. Just as he was about to deliver the final blow to Yin Hu’s last head, the latter seem remembered “where there’s life, there’s hope,” and took out that familiar teleportation button to escape.

Then, Yin Hu found himself seemingly blocked within an absolutely sealed space; the teleporter had lost signal with the transmission device.

Not only that, he didn’t even see Shen Ge move before the hand holding the teleporter was severed by Shen Ge. The next moment, the teleporter appeared in Shen Ge’s hand.

“Hey.”

“Sorry about that. After you guys kept escaping time and again, I developed a combo move specifically for dealing with fellows like you who like to run when they can’t win!”

His words were dripping with disdain and contempt for the Twelve Branches, yet he had secretly practiced a combo move!

How could you have the nerve?

Yin Hu’s answer came in the form of the glint of the Pig-Slaughtering Knife, which decapitated him, pierced his heart, and incidentally used “Ignition Point Control” to burn Yin Hu’s corpse to ashes. Only after receiving the system’s “Death Verification” prompt did Shen Ge stop.

[Host has slain a 5th-tier Aberrant. Rewards: System Points x1000, F-grade Supplies x3. The Anomaly corpse can be sold for System Points to draw various equipment and items.]

[Sell 5th-tier Anomaly – Value 3000 System Points.]

“Oh ho? The rewards increased?” Shen Ge remembered the first time he killed a Twelve Branches Zodiac Captain in the underground parking lot; the rewards were even less than those for a typical 3rd-tier Anomaly.

He hadn’t expected that after Yin Hu underwent a second mutation, becoming a true Aberrant, the system, based on his future growth standards from four years later, provided rewards for a 5th-tier Aberrant.

“Tsk, tsk. Seems like in the future, when I encounter Twelve Branches Zodiac Captains, I should first max out their hatred, let them go back to mutate, and then kill them. More cost-effective that way.”

This method is commonly known as “fattening the pig.”

After dealing with the “Cheng Yaojin” who appeared out of nowhere, Shen Ge still had over seven minutes left on his unlimited mental strength timer. In other words, dealing with Yin Hu only took two and a half minutes, including the time spent venting by slamming him around.

With seven minutes left and an “infinite mana” cheat active, Shen Ge decided not to conserve energy. He directly activated the triple traits “Intangible + Silent + Traceless,” maintaining the Static Domain continuously, causing his surroundings to fall into perpetual “time stop,” and charged towards the center of the Anomalous Energy black mist in the distance.

Shen Ge’s first task was to locate “Misfortune’s” main body. Secondly, find a way to kill it. If it was a giant Anomaly, the “Stomach Perforation Tactic” was most suitable; if it was just a