The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile - Chapter 177

Shen Ge searched the entire rooftop but found no trace of the strange man. Meanwhile, the eerie black energy mist gathered in the sky continued to spread.

Strangely, the black mist didn’t spread throughout the entire block; it only enveloped the hotel building.

“Little Seven, have you located the target?” Shen Ge asked.

Little Seven replied, “Report, Master. I have only detected the diffusion of eerie energy, not the source. At the third pillar from the right corner of the rooftop, I have scanned a substance suspected to be the origin.”

Following Little Seven’s guidance, Shen Ge found the third pillar. On the outer side facing the street, he found a foot-long object resembling a firework tube.

“An Eerie Energy Canister?” Shen Ge observed the tube after covering his hands with the Corrupted Flesh Armor’s eerie gloves. It looked somewhat similar to an Eerie Energy Canister.

Subsequently, Little Seven scanned several more of these objects in different corners.

“Placing these things in advance… it seems this was premeditated.”

Shen Ge recalled the report he had seen in Deng Yuqi’s office recently. Over the past two months, high-level strange man incidents had been occurring sporadically around the world. Although the Great Celestial Dynasty was the least affected, considering the past actions of The Twelve Branches, he was ninety percent sure they were behind this.

“These guys are using the eerie energy mist to ‘seal off’ the hotel building. Are they targeting a specific person or object?” Shen Ge remembered Cheng Shengnan mentioning a couple of days ago that the proceeds from this charity auction would be used to aid areas affected by eerie disasters worldwide, helping resettle refugees and rescue children.

The auction included works by world-renowned artists and several priceless rare treasures. It was clear the “philanthropists” had invested heavily to earn a good reputation. But these “mundane worldly items” shouldn’t hold any value for an organization like The Twelve Branches.

Given The Twelve Branches’ infiltration capabilities, acquiring money shouldn’t be difficult, especially since they operated “12” establishments worldwide catering to the wealthy.

If not the auction items, then it must be a specific person.

“Who would warrant The Twelve Branches going to such lengths to kidnap someone?” Shen Ge first thought of himself, their number one enemy and most-wanted fugitive.

But dealing with him was impossible for The Twelve Branches; even if they sent everyone, they couldn’t handle him.

Their suspected leader, the “Four-Headed, Eight-Armed” one, had fallen to Shen Ge, not to mention several numbered captains and the twice-mutated “Yin Hu.”

Since they couldn’t touch Shen Ge, they might target those close to him.

But Shen Ge was alone in the world, with only his significant other, Cheng Shengnan. After the last incident at the Rong City branch where The Twelve Branches nearly succeeded in infiltrating, Shen Ge had left something with Cheng Shengnan.

Since Little Seven hadn’t issued any warnings, Cheng Shengnan was clearly not in trouble.

“Sigh. Could it be that The Twelve Branches have been scared off by the previous beatings? Why are they being so cautious and sneaky lately? The weaker they are, the more trouble they cause.” Shen Ge couldn’t help but mutter a complaint before instructing Little Seven to contact the branch and report the situation.

“Master, the signal here is being jammed,” Little Seven said.

Shen Ge wasn’t surprised at all. “That’s normal. It’s highly likely The Twelve Branches are testing something new again. If the signal were normal, it would take the Rong City branch at most ten minutes to get here. Once the area is sealed and personnel screened, The Twelve Branches would be left playing in the mud. No contact is fine; with the current Early Warning System of the Special Response Department, the Anti-Eerie teams have probably already set out.”

Shen Ge wasn’t wrong. When the eerie energy mist cluster appeared above the hotel building, the Eerie Energy Detectors placed throughout Rong City had reacted. As soon as Rong City received the information, the nearest Anti-Eriere Team 2, led by Yang Yuxin, was already heading to the scene.

Outside the hotel.

A short-haired woman in a black uniform was directing several Anti-Eriere agents and combat troops to seal off the entire block.

Now that the existence of the eerie was known worldwide, and citizens understood the dangers, they cooperated actively during eerie incidents.

After all, everyone knew that the sooner an eerie incident was resolved, the safer it was. If it rapidly deteriorated into an Eerie Disaster, it could turn into a situation like the tragedy in Sakura Island.

Sakura Island had become the prime example of what not to do, with news channels around the world almost constantly broadcasting the horrific scenes from there to serve as a warning to their own citizens.

Eerie incidents were now classified as the most dangerous disasters with the highest alert levels. Consequently, Anti-Eriere departments in various countries saw their status rise, gradually becoming the primary departments domestically.

Therefore, when pedestrians on the street saw the Special Response Department “handling a case,” they immediately kept their distance from the block, at most watching the excitement from outside the cordon.

Shops within the sealed area also closed voluntarily. After all, no matter how important making money was, life was more important.

“Report!”

A member of the detection team approached the short-haired woman, saluted, and said respectfully, “Captain Yang, civilians within the sealed area have been evacuated. The detection team is currently analyzing the eerie energy black mist enveloping the hotel. This hotel is the best in Rong City. A multinational charity auction is being held tonight, with many dignitaries and business leaders in attendance, as well as…”

As the captain of Anti-Eriere Team 2, Yang Yuxin was now a “veteran” of the Rong City branch, with extensive experience and a record spanning double digits, mostly involving Tier 2 eerie incidents.

“Who else?” Yang Yuxin frowned. The more VIPs involved in an eerie incident, the more troublesome it became.

Yang Yuxin disliked having her hands tied. Although specialists now educated citizens daily about eerie knowledge and prevention, people were prone to panic. “Rescue operations” involving people were far more challenging than simply containing an eerie.

After the Deer Lake Water City Eerie Disaster last time, there had been a major reshuffle of top officials in Rong City. The new appointees were highly capable, further boosting the city’s development.

It was normal for such a multinational charity event to invite important figures.

“…Also, Investigator Shen and Director Cheng.” Upon mentioning these two names, the detection member’s expression seemed to relax slightly.

Yang Yuxin’s expression also turned peculiar upon hearing the names. She recalled a joke Wang Han and others had made at lunch in the cafeteria, suggesting Shen Ge had been possessed – dressed like he was courting a wealthy lady, his aura completely different, and, most importantly, his usually “venomous” tongue had lost its sting.

Just then, an Anti-Eriere agent nearby tentatively asked, “Um, Captain Yang… does that mean we can clock out now?”

Yang Yuxin glared at the man. “Where’s your sense of duty as an Anti-Eriere agent? Even if we were to clock out, we should at least call Investigator Shen first and ask…” …We have to at least go through the motions, right?

As she spoke, Yang Yuxin took out the Special Response Department communicator and dialed Shen Ge’s dedicated line. A busy tone came through, clearly indicating signal interference.

“Tell the detection team to check if the eerie energy mist has signal-jamming properties. Recall the agents and soldiers preparing to enter. Everyone, stay on high alert and standby within the sealed area,” Yang Yuxin ordered the Anti-Eriere agent beside her.

“Yes, ma’am!”

There was an unwritten rule in the Rong City branch: whenever Shen Ge was handling or trapped in an eerie incident, as long as he didn’t order assistance, the surrounding Anti-Eriere agents and soldiers only needed to standby.

In contrast to the tense atmosphere outside the hotel, the interior remained orderly as preparations for the auction continued. The VIPs had already taken their seats.

However, people gradually noticed something strange: all electronic devices had lost signal. Initially thinking it was the organizer’s doing, they became suspicious upon seeing the staff on stage also fiddling confusedly with their equipment.

After Shen Ge left, Cheng Shengnan first tried to contact the operations department with her phone. Finding the signal jammed, she immediately went to the dressing room, retrieved her handbag containing the Special Response Department communicator.

Yet this communicator, supposedly able to maintain full signal even deep in the mountains, was now as useless as her phone.

Beep.

Just then, the communicator received a message. It wasn’t from the Special Response Department but from Shen Ge, telling Cheng Shengnan to return to the main hall and stay with her mother.

If there were no signs of an eerie incident in the hall, she should maintain the current situation. He was secretly searching for members of The Twelve Branches, trying to confirm if they had used “replacement” tactics to hide among the guests.

In Shen Ge’s view, if The Twelve Branches’ target was him or Cheng Shengnan, then “alerting the snake” wasn’t an issue. If they couldn’t find him, they would naturally go after Cheng Shengnan.

If their target wasn’t either of them, they were likely trying to use the auction for their own purposes. So Shen Ge decided to operate from the shadows instead, to see who had more patience.

Like Shen Ge, Cheng Shengnan first suspected The Twelve Branches. Without knowing their exact goal, she was also concerned about her adoptive mother’s safety.

Cheng Shengnan returned to the main hall. As soon as she entered, a man in a well-tailored suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, and holding a glass of red wine – practically screaming “refined beast” with his appearance – approached her.

“Miss Cheng, we meet again.” The bespectacled man smiled, thinking himself very gentlemanly and charming as he greeted her.

Cheng Shengnan’s gaze went past him to her mother on stage talking with an assistant. Confirming she was fine, she looked back at the man and asked, “Who are you?”

The hall had refreshments and drinks prepared on both sides like a cocktail party. Since the auction hadn’t officially started, many guests were gathered in small groups chatting – the real purpose for most attendees, to network with “like-minded” people.

However, pretentious “dandies” like this man, strolling around with wine, thinking themselves suave, were rare.

The bespectacled man was taken aback, clearly not expecting such a response. He smiled genteelly. “My father is Li Shang.”

“? “

Cheng Shengnan’s expression shifted from confusion to something akin to looking at a fool. Perhaps influenced by spending too much time with Shen Ge, she felt a strong urge to retort, ‘Are you here representing your father, or is your own name too embarrassing to say?’

But since her mother was one of the event’s organizers, she had to maintain decorum and not show her disdain too openly.

“…” Seeing Cheng Shengnan’s lack of reaction, the bespectacled man felt somewhat awkward.

Cheng Shengnan glanced at him and said politely, “I’m sorry, I have some matters to attend to.”

She made to leave, but the man didn’t seem inclined to move. He spoke again, “I am Li Lin. Four years ago, at the Australia auction for the ‘Star of the Century,’ it was jointly hosted by my father and your mother. At that time, your mother intended to introduce you to me, but there was an unfort—”

Before Li Lin could finish, Cheng Shengnan interrupted, “I’m sorry, I don’t know you, and my mother never mentioned introducing anyone to me. I think you might be mistaken. I have other things to do. Please excuse me.”

Li Lin’s brow furrowed slightly. He hadn’t expected Cheng Shengnan to be so dismissive. His eyes darkened. “That’s true… I heard from your mother that you aren’t particularly fond of charity work, so you chose to strike out on your own. I heard you work at a design company?”

Cheng Shengnan looked at him coolly, as if asking, “And your point is?”

Li Lin continued, “My father has always admired your mother’s work ethic. He thought if our families could be joined through marriage, combining our charitable foundations would create the most influential charity organization across Australia and Asia. So…”

Cheng Shengnan said flatly, “I’m sorry, I have no say in my mother’s personal life. If your father has any ideas, it would be better for him to approach her directly.”

Li Lin’s eye twitched involuntarily; he nearly lost his composure. “Ahem. I meant that you and I could give it a try. I am my father’s only son, and I will naturally inherit the Li Foundation. And although you are Mrs. Cheng’s adopted daughter, she treats you as her own. She will eventually hand her enterprises over to you. It’s fine if you don’t like charity work. After we’re together, you can pursue your interests in the future. I will manage the family business for you.”

“Are you ill?” Cheng Shengnan didn’t bother hiding the disdain in her eyes. Do rich second-generation heirs nowadays leave their brains at home?

Even if they had designs on her family’s assets, plotting behind the scenes was one thing, but to say it out loud?

In reality, Li Lin dared to speak so boldly because he had his father’s approval.

In Li Shang’s view, how many in the charity business were truly sincere? Most used charity as a front to make money; the truly charitable were few and far between.

Li Shang believed Mrs. Cheng was cut from the same cloth. Their respective foundations were substantial. If they joined forces, they could essentially dominate the charity scenes in Australia and Asia.

He was confident Mrs. Cheng would recognize the potential. And Cheng Shengnan was merely an “adopted daughter.” Not only would a marriage alliance be feasible, but even sacrificing her for such immense value would surely be tempting.

Li Lin was a somewhat prominent figure in the elite circles of the capital, and as the sole heir, many merchants were eager to offer their daughters. How could this woman show such clear disdain and impatience?

“Is what I said incorrect? Miss Cheng, you should recognize your position. You are merely an adopted daughter, not Mrs. Cheng’s biological child. Allying with me would not only secure your status within the Cheng family but also guarantee a worry-free life for your remaining years.”

As he spoke, Li Lin glanced at the exquisite necklace at Cheng Shengnan’s collar. Having often used such items to please women, he immediately recognized its exceptional quality.

“A Vanya limited edition necklace? Must have cost a fortune. Oh, wait, money alone often isn’t enough to acquire such pieces. Women are like cats, attracted to shiny things. Miss Cheng, do you think you’d still have access to such items without the Cheng family name?”

“Small companies like the one you work for – if you like them, I can buy them for you to play with. Whatever you desire, be it jewelry or companies, I can provide it.” Li Lin smiled faintly, his expression now carrying more confidence than before, as if Cheng Shengnan was already within his grasp.

However, Li Lin was somewhat surprised. Even for the upper echelons of the capital, booking Vanya jewelry was notoriously difficult, let alone a limited edition piece collaboratively released by dozens of masters. He certainly wouldn’t spend such an exorbitant amount just to please a woman.

The fact that Mrs. Cheng was willing to invest so much money and effort into Cheng Shengnan clearly exceeded the public perception of this “Cheng family adopted daughter.”

Cheng Shengnan looked at Li Lin, the disdain in her eyes replaced by a full smile, as if she had truly been won over by his “generous” sweet talk.

She smiled slightly. “Alright then. I’ve actually hit a bottleneck in my recent promotion. If you could buy the Rong City Special Response Department, you might actually be able to help me plan my career advancement.”

“Of course, if you like, buying some department is no… Wait, what did you say?” Li Lin froze, then realized something was amiss.

Before attending this auction, he had specifically investigated Cheng Shengnan and learned she worked at a design company.

Although this design company was quite large in Rong City and had some reputation nationally, it was still just a branch. With some effort, he believed he could manage it.

But from her mouth came “Special Response Department”?

Nowadays, with eerie disasters occurring worldwide, the words “Special Response Department” held authority akin to an imperial decree in ancient times – “Act first, report later, authorized by imperial power.” Countless people were breaking their necks trying to get into the Special Response Department, especially those “Capital Elites” who valued prestige.

“You work at the Special Response Department?” Li Lin frowned, seeming somewhat incredulous.

He knew many young elites in the capital who wanted to get a “Special Response Department” title, but they looked down on grassroots positions… while more significant positions weren’t something money alone could secure.

Mrs. Cheng was indeed wealthy and might have some influence, but getting Cheng Shengnan into the Special Response Department, unless it was a low-level position, seemed impossible.

Cheng Shengnan saw Li Lin’s doubt and suspicion. She had brought her Special Response Department ID card when she retrieved the communicator, originally intending to use it to control the situation if needed. Now, she directly presented it.

“… Director?” Li Lin was stunned seeing the director-level position. This wasn’t something one could attain with just money or even connections alone.

If not for saving face, he would have taken the ID to verify its authenticity.

“By the way, this necklace wasn’t bought by my mother either. It was a gift from my boyfriend,” Cheng Shengnan said with a smile.

Li Lin frowned. “Your boyfriend? Is he also from the Special Response Department? A grassroots worker or a regular frontline soldier?”

“You could say he’s a frontline soldier,” Cheng Shengnan replied.

Li Lin was surprised. Had the Special Response Department’s power grown so much? Could an ordinary frontline soldier acquire a “Vanya limited edition necklace”?

Just as Li Lin was about to ask more, a scream suddenly came from the right safety exit of the hall. A staff member ran in, panicked.

Cheng Shengnan immediately went over to question the staff member.

“Outside… the building is blocked by black fog! You can’t see anything! Phones and walkie-talkies don’t work! I think… I think we’re experiencing an eerie incident!” The staff member, having clearly kept up with recent news, quickly identified the problem based on these signs.

Less than ten minutes had passed since Shen Ge went to the rooftop. Cheng Shengnan had intended to wait for his return before taking action.

Seeing that concealment was no longer possible, she went on stage, communicated briefly with her mother, took the microphone, and first identified herself as from the Special Response Department. “The Special Response Department issued a new Eerie Response Protocol three months ago. The hotel where we are currently located is suspected to be experiencing an eerie incident. Please follow the protocol: gather in the hall, do not leave, and stay away from doors, windows, and other points of contact with the outside…”

Cheng Shengnan began directing the guests and staff according to the “Eerie Response Protocol,” instructing management to gather staff from other floors to this level via walkie-talkie.

Soon, people from other floors arrived as instructed and were directed to different areas of the hall.

Suddenly, a female guest who had come from another floor pointed at a wall and screamed, “Ah! Faces! On the wall! There are faces on the wall!”

Those nearby looked at the wall and indeed saw faces appearing on its surface.

The entire wall seemed like a “film,” with countless people trapped within, struggling to break free.

“Step back! Get away from that wall!” Cheng Shengnan noticed the commotion. Seeing the faces on the wall, she immediately shouted through the microphone.

Once the faces appeared, chaos erupted in the hall.

Although Cheng Shengnan lacked combat skills, she knew the items Shen Ge had left her were sufficient to handle ordinary eerie threats. Moreover, Shen Ge was likely watching from the shadows. Since he hadn’t appeared, these “faces” probably didn’t pose an immediate threat to her.

Crack.

Crack.

Suddenly, with strange sounds, the lights in the hall flickered and then went out completely, plunging the space into darkness.

Screams and cries filled the hall. Some used their phone flashlights to illuminate their surroundings. Cheng Shengnan tried to calm everyone while signaling them not to leave the hall.

Although dark, no eerie events had occurred yet. Even without Cheng Shengnan’s warning, most wouldn’t dare venture out.

Li Lin and a few acquaintances huddled together behind Cheng Shengnan. “Aren’t you from the Special Response Department? Why haven’t you called for backup? And since this is an eerie incident, why hasn’t anyone come to handle it?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly, betraying his fear.

“I’ve already reported to the Special Response Department. Agents and soldiers are investigating,” Cheng Shengnan said, naturally not mentioning the complete signal jamming and loss of contact.

With Shen Ge secretly investigating the strange man, her role was to maintain stability and prevent the survivors from causing trouble.

Just then, a woman beside Li Lin questioned, “But our phone signals are jammed. How did you contact them?”

“The Special Response Department has dedicated communicators unaffected by such interference.” Cheng Shengnan took out her communicator, which indeed showed a green light.

Mrs. Cheng glanced at the communicator, then at the faces on the wall, feeling increasingly worried.

She had spent the previous year in Australia, where the sparse population meant lower eerie incident rates compared to densely populated cities.

Additionally, Mrs. Cheng had been “lucky,” avoiding the few eerie incidents that occurred in Australia. Her understanding of the eerie was largely based on news reports.

But before the eerie were publicly acknowledged, natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, and man-made disasters like wars were common. Now, there was just another type of disaster.

The pitch-black hall, the shifting faces on the wall, phenomena completely defying scientific explanation… experiencing it firsthand made Mrs. Cheng realize this disaster was far more terrifying than others, affecting not just body and property but also the mind.

“Nannan… have you been dealing with things like this all year?” Mrs. Cheng asked hesitantly.

“I’m in the internal affairs department, not frontline combat personnel, so I don’t usually face the eerie directly,” Cheng Shengnan replied. She hadn’t told her mother about the two Twelve Branches infiltration incidents to avoid worrying her.

Mrs. Cheng asked again, “I remember you mentioned before that Xiao Shen also works at the Special Response Department? What does he do? Research? Or internal affairs?”

“Uh, he’s an investigator,” Cheng Shengnan said, figuring her mother would soon witness Shen Ge’s “methods.” It was best to prepare her slightly.

Mrs. Cheng worried, “Isn’t that very dangerous?”

“Don’t worry, he should be fine. Besides, if even he can’t handle an eerie incident, probably no one in the world can,” Cheng Shengnan whispered.

“…” Mrs. Cheng gave her daughter a strange look. As someone with more life experience, she wanted to advise her: It’s fine to be in love, but don’t become lovesick.

What kind of talk was that? It wasn’t just simple blind trust anymore.

Before Mrs. Cheng could speak, the lights near the auction display stage flickered. Two humanoid figures flickered in and out of existence in the dark corner.

Then, faces also appeared on that wall, bulging and twisting, trying to break free.

People nearby quickly moved away from the wall. Many were terrified – some fainted, others collapsed sobbing or screaming, while some covered their mouths tightly, afraid any sound might attract the monsters.

Crack.

Crack.

The strange noises from the wall grew louder. The protruding faces became more distinct, and cracks appeared on the wall.

The “faces” slowly squeezed out of the wall, coalescing into humanoid forms that moved towards the crowd with stiff, puppet-like motions.

These faceless “monsters” moved with jerky, unnatural gaits, accompanied by creaking sounds.

The two faceless “strange men” passed through the petrified crowd and slowly approached the auction stage.

Seeing this, Cheng Shengnan stepped in front of her mother. Mrs. Cheng instinctively tried to pull Cheng Shengnan behind her, but having never witnessed such a bizarre scene, her legs felt weak at the sight of the faceless beings.

Li Lin and his group had been standing behind the Cheng mother and daughter, but the display stage was behind them, placing them between the strange men and Cheng Shengnan.

Two women in the group were frozen in fear, unable to move. The two men immediately turned and ran.

Li Lin wanted to run, but his legs wouldn’t obey. In despair, he looked at Cheng Shengnan. “S-save me, p-please, save me.”

He was trembling so much he could barely speak, a far cry from his earlier confidence.

Meanwhile, “faceless strange men” continued to squeeze out from walls all around the hall, falling to the floor before twisting themselves upright.

“Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

“Help!”

“Someone save me!”

“…”

Chaos reigned. Most people were paralyzed with fear. Experiencing an eerie incident firsthand for the first time shattered their composure. Even business leaders who could cause tremors in the commercial world with a stomp now huddled in the crowd, barely breathing, afraid of attracting the faceless men’s attention.

However, some in the hall remained relatively calm and courageous, picking up objects to use as weapons and shielding their families.

Strangely, the faceless strange men emerging from the walls didn’t stop near the crowd. Instead, they headed straight for the main stage, surrounding it.

Ten.

Twenty.

Over a hundred faceless strange men, most stopping around the stage, encircling Cheng Shengnan and the others without immediate further action.

The two faceless men from behind the display case slowly advanced towards Cheng Shengnan. Passing by Li Lin on either side, they ignored him. Seeing the monsters disregard him, Li Lin’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees as if all strength had left him.

The two faceless men exuded an overwhelming pressure. With each step, the air on the stage seemed to grow colder. When they were less than three meters from Cheng Shengnan, suddenly—

BOOM!

A loud crash! A figure seemed to drop from the sky, landing with a foot on the back of each faceless man’s neck, slamming their heads into the stage floor with a heavy thud.

Snap!

Shen Ge snapped his fingers. Unnoticed by anyone, globs of red blood writhed across the ceiling, approaching the lights. The stage lights returned to normal, illuminating the area.

Shen Ge looked at Cheng Shengnan with a smile. “Sorry I’m late. Were you scared?”

Cheng Shengnan smiled back. “Having seen a three-headed tiger, these faceless monsters aren’t enough to scare me.”

She referred to the three-headed tiger, the former Twelve Branches captain “Yin Hu,” who had later become Shen Ge’s punching bag and one of the masterminds behind the Deer Lake Water City Eerie Disaster.

However, Shen Ge had “fed” him to the system in Tuokou City, so future encounters were unlikely.

“Good.”

Shen Ge scanned the walls where faces continued to emerge. “I’ve pinpointed his hiding spot. Give me two minutes.”

“Okay.” Cheng Shengnan nodded, not doubting for a second Shen Ge’s claim.

Mrs. Cheng started to speak but felt a blur before her eyes. The man who had just been chatting with her daughter vanished.

The next moment, a red streak flashed across her vision. Then, the heads of the hundred-plus faceless strange men surrounding the stage tumbled to the ground like rolling gourds.

Simultaneously, the hall lights went out again. Shen Ge had already leaped into the air in the center of the hall. His left hand shot out, a crimson blood tentacle smacking against the ceiling, its tip forming a hand that adhered to the ceiling using the “Unyielding” property of the eerie gloves, pulling him upward.

Then, Shen Ge’s right arm coated in crimson blood formed a massive fist, which he drove directly into the ceiling.

BOOM!

“Ah—”

“ARGHHH!!!”

A deafening crash! The ceiling dented under Shen Ge’s punch. The next instant, a massive, distorted face manifested, writhing and howling in agony.

Intangible Eerie Domain!

Collapse!

Shen Ge directly applied Collapse to the ceiling. As the domain’s power activated, the strange man hidden within felt an immense, irresistible force pulling him out from the wall.

The man wore black clothing similar to the faceless strange men. His head was completely bald – not just faceless, but hairless!

“A strange man?”

“The Twelve Branches?”

Shen Ge jumped down from the ceiling, landing beside the strange man. As the strange man was forcibly extracted, the hall lights returned to normal.

The strange man looked at the smiling man before him, who seemed to be asking if he was a “deity or monster,” and felt an inexplicable chill.

Suddenly, the strange man’s body shuddered, then melted like a candle, merging into the floor. Simultaneously, a puddle of white, melting wax appeared near Cheng Shengnan’s feet on the stage, reforming into the strange man, who reached for her neck!

Thump!

Just as the strange man’s hand was within a meter of Cheng Shengnan, a mass of crimson liquid rapidly coalesced from her wrist, forming an air-cushion-like barrier protecting her.

Then, two tentacles sprouted from the top of the “blood sphere,” wielding a giant hammer, and smashed it down on the strange man’s head, driving half his body into the stage floor.

“I say… maybe you should go back and discuss with your new leader about considering amnesty from our Special Response Department? Frankly, we’re very interested in your researchers. First, there was the long-distance teleportation device, and now your bizarre teleportation method. Anyone else might have let you escape!”

“I’ll be your recommender, help your researchers join up. We offer fourteen months’ salary a year and full social security benefits. How about it?”

“Think it over?”

Shen Ge crouched beside the strange man, half-buried in the stage, trying to persuade him.

The strange man reached out, his right hand instantly melting into a large net aimed at ensnaring Shen Ge. Shen Ge tilted his head, swiped his hand, and the Cleaver sliced through the strange man’s neck. The head flew off, and the net-forming hand was severed simultaneously.

The strange man’s head rolled away, but curiously, no blood flowed from the severed neck.

Shen Ge grabbed the back of the strange man’s black collar, yanked him out of the stage, and tossed him near his head.

The headless body and severed head lay together, motionless – a macabre and unsettling sight.

Shen Ge stepped forward, placed a foot on the strange man’s back, narrowed his eyes, and smiled. “Pick up your head. Let’s have a proper chat. Otherwise, I’ll make you experience a pain even a strange man can’t endure!”

After Shen Ge spoke, the strange man remained motionless, playing dead.

Having handled countless eerie incidents and witnessed various Twelve Branches tactics, Shen Ge highly doubted the man died from a single cut.

“Playing dead, huh?”

A blood-formed hand emerged from behind Shen Ge, holding the Cleaver, and began slicing the strange man’s fingers one by one, then the palm, arm, body… then gutting him, moving towards the beating heart.

Suddenly, the strange man moved! His melted hand shot forward, grabbing his head and pulling it towards his body. But Shen Ge flicked his wrist, produced a “sleeping bag,” bundled the body inside, and zipped it up.

Then, Shen Ge used his foot to hook and kick the head onto a nearby table. “Seems like a new variant. Our department’s Brother Xiang Zi will be very interested. So, talk. Did The Twelve Branches send you? What’s the purpose?”

After Shen Ge subdued the strange man, the hall lights normalized.

However, when visibility returned, the people witnessed an even more horrifying scene: headless bodies littered the stage perimeter, faceless heads scattered everywhere.

Most chillingly, a handsome young man stood by the auction table, a faceless head placed on it, and he was… conversing with the head.

This sight sent shivers down everyone’s spines, especially the Rong City dignitaries who knew Shen Ge’s identity, inwardly marveling that Special Response Department personnel were perhaps more terrifying than the eerie themselves!

After calming her mother, Cheng Shengnan checked her communicator. The internal signal light was green. She approached Shen Ge. “The communicator signal is restored. I’ve received orders from the Special Response Department. Captain Yang’s team is on standby nearby.”

Shen Ge said, “Contact them. Have them follow standard procedure to sweep the building for hazards. I suspect there are other eerie presences. But tell them not to approach the top three floors.”

“Okay!”

Initially, Shen Ge thought the strange man was targeting him, but after covert observation, he realized otherwise. The target wasn’t even Cheng Shengnan, but—

Mrs. Cheng.

Moreover, while sweeping the floors, Shen Ge detected a fluctuating eerie energy signature on the top three floors, suggesting an Eerie Space reaction.

Since returning from the “future,” Shen Ge had suspected issues with Eerie Spaces. He wanted to investigate but was concerned about Cheng Shengnan’s safety, so he decided to deal with the faceless strange man first.

Just then, the ever-vigilant Little Seven reported, “Master, I detect signs of the Eerie Space on the top-floor office area expanding!”

As Little Seven finished speaking, Shen Ge saw red liquid seeping from the hall’s ceiling and walls.

Drip.

Drip.

In less than half a minute, the entire hall seemed to be raining blood, the droplets growing denser. Even the area above the stage began oozing blood.

The faceless head on the table, its featureless skin, suddenly contorted into a ghastly smile. “I will cut off your head!”