Chapter 288: Shadowy Form
Chapter 288: Shadowy Form
After boarding the train car, Chen Chuan found a seat and sat down. During this time of day, the car was mostly empty, and those around him, after a few curious glances, kept their distance.
Despite his casual attire, the aura of oppression he exuded was unmistakable, marking him as a Fighter.
As the train doors closed and the train started moving, a news program began playing on the onboard screens.
"Hello everyone, this is the Luo Qi Show. Yesterday, another violent attack by a Fighter occurred on Catalog Street, the twelfth such incident this month.
Yes, according to official government statistics, there have been exactly twelve recorded incidents. There's no mistake about that!"
The screen displayed a scene of patrol vehicles racing towards a building, forcing cars on either side to swerve out of the way. One car, unable to avoid collision, crashed into a street barrier, and its driver stuck their head out, cursing loudly.
"Look, once again, our city's patrol team is rushing to the scene of the incident."
Behind him, the screens showed one scene after another of vehicles speeding through the city, countless images overlapping, too numerous to count, until a hand suddenly appeared and pressed down with a snap.
The screens quickly switched back to Luo Qi, with his distinctive hairstyle, but he looked surprisingly agreeable.
"Do you know what I suddenly thought of? The rats in the city sewers, who see a corpse as a feast, swarming towards it, and when it's gone, they just wait for the next one.
Of course, I'm not talking about our diligent and dedicated patrol team. Remember what our esteemed Director Bao said?"
His voice turned low and restrained, "The central city is vast, and there are many areas that need attention. Our patrol officers often have to rush from one incident to the next, and most of them can only manage two meals a day..."
The playful voice added, "Oh, you only lose your safety, but we lose a meal..."
Chen Chuan watched the screen, aware that Fighter crimes occurred daily, and the numbers on the fringe channels were sometimes more than twelve in a day, but these incidents didn't make it to the mainstream channels.
Of course, the security was tighter in the bustling districts, and such incidents were indeed less frequent there. The people in those areas were oblivious to the conflicts happening daily in the marginalized regions and unseen corners.
The city's patrol team could only handle minor security incidents. Gang conflicts, Fighter crimes, and patients with Functional Disorder Syndrome were beyond their capabilities. They were merely scapegoats for the public to vent their frustrations.
As he watched, the train arrived at the next station. After a while, he sensed something amiss; someone had boarded and sat beside him.
There were many empty seats, and most people avoided him, but this person chose to sit close by. Not only that, but they sat in a daze, muttering to themselves.
Wu Bei's anxious voice sounded in his ear, "Little Brother Chen, this person's Biome Field is very chaotic, and they have numerous implants. They might be suffering from Schizophrenia..."
Chen Chuan glanced at the man, who wasn't sitting upright but facing away from him.
Sensing his gaze, the man suddenly turned his head. His body remained still, but his head twisted all the way around, revealing skeletal modifications. His pupils were uneven in size and kept shifting from left to right repeatedly.
Chen Chuan observed calmly; although the man's pupils contracted and dilated, his gaze was empty and numb. His cheeks twitched, and his skin seemed to pulsate. He muttered incessantly, and Chen Chuan could barely make out, "Give it to me, give it back to me..."
After a while, the man's body began to convulse, his face contorted, and his mouth opened wide as if he wanted to bite.
A hand gently rested on his shoulder, and a force seeped in, rendering him immobile. Only his mouth kept moving, making a grinding sound from the friction of his jaw, and saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth.
In the noisy train car filled with news and advertisements, this commotion went unnoticed. Outside, the scenery passed by, and inside, passengers stared at their Interface Nexus.
It seemed like no one noticed what was happening.
Chen Chuan contacted the train's platform using his Interface Nexus and sent a message. When the train reached the next station and the doors opened, the station's patrol officers and the station master hurried aboard.
They were experienced in handling such situations. The patrol officer skillfully restrained the man with Restraining Straps, and the medical staff injected him with medications, causing him to go limp.
The station master couldn't help but curse, "Those damn maggots! They dare to do any surgery with second-hand implants. They should rot in the slums." He then expressed his gratitude to Chen Chuan, "Thank you, sir, for reporting this."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. He watched as the man was taken away, and after the train resumed its journey, he asked Wu Bei, "Little Brother Wu, has this person been reported before?
"
Wu Bei replied, "No, it hasn't appeared at all."
Chen Chuan contemplated for a moment. Could it be a coincidence?
It seemed like a mere accident until the electric train arrived at the station. He returned to Xuan Gong Mansion without encountering any mishaps along the way.
However, in a corner of the building across the street, someone was staring in his direction, watching as he entered the mansion. After observing for a while, they left.
The next day, Chen Chuan left early due to the scheduled Lumina Irradiation Day at the Horizon Field.
Perhaps due to his improved assessment score, the academy not only allocated him a quota for last month's irradiation but also didn't postpone this month's quota to the next month.
So this time, he decided to combine the quota from the Processing Bureau and the one given by Cao Guixi, aiming to prolong the exposure duration.
Remembering yesterday's incident, he maintained contact with Wu Bei throughout the journey.
There were no mishaps along the way. He disconnected the communication only after entering the alert zone of the Horizon Field, as it was impossible to use the Interface Nexus or track him using field technology.
He wondered if someone might be lying in ambush here.
Although the Horizon Field appeared desolate, security patrols were everywhere, and watchtowers dotted the landscape. Moreover, with the vast open space, there was nowhere to escape if something went wrong. He concluded that even if someone intended to harm him, they wouldn't choose this location.
His prediction proved accurate. After getting off the electric train, there were no accidents during the half-hour walk. He spent a total of seven hours at the Horizon Field that day, leaving at 7 p.m. The sky had darkened completely, and there were no streetlights around, only the flashing red lights from the distant watchtowers provided illumination. Occasionally, patrol cars passed by, stopping to inquire from a distance upon spotting him.
Chen Chuan reached the station without incident, waited for a while, and boarded the electric train. This time slot was still empty, and the carriage was very spacious. Occasionally, a few people boarded, only to disembark soon after.
After two stops, they exited the Horizon Field's area. At this moment, he intended to reestablish contact with Wu Bei, but for some reason, there was no response from the other end.
Suddenly, he noticed that the carriage lights began to flicker, and the electric train seemed to enter a shadowy tunnel. The outside scenery became blurry and dim, accompanied only by the sound of the moving train. Simultaneously, a faint shadow appeared on his second self.
A strange occurrence, or...
His eyes flickered slightly, and he reached out to turn off the Interface Nexus. However, the surrounding effect persisted, indicating it wasn't a field-created light and shadow effect.
He sensed something amiss, so he ignored the Interface Nexus and allowed his second self to withstand the field invasion.
In an instant, everything around him vanished.
Indeed, the Interface Nexus seemed to malfunction.
Yet, the faint sensation of invasion lingered.
He pondered for a moment. This tactic didn't resemble Wei Wusheng's style, suggesting someone else was targeting him. Moreover, the opponent wouldn't have prepared only this much; there should be more to come.
If this was a move against him, he was curious to see the opponent's capabilities.
After considering, he didn't continue to resist the field invasion but instead allowed it to proceed. In a moment, the surroundings returned to the scene he had witnessed earlier.
Suddenly, after a flicker, a person wearing a skull mask stood at the other end of the carriage, their empty eye sockets fixed on his direction. They took a step forward, walking towards him, gradually increasing their pace until the final steps became a sprint.
Chen Chuan observed that as the person approached, the virtualization of his second self intensified. So, instead of letting the opponent come closer, he calmly raised the Snow Lady Sword and gently pushed it forward. At the moment the sword made contact with the skull-masked person, they disappeared.
Everything returned to normal, and the electric train continued its forward motion. The night's neon lights illuminated the carriage.
Did the opponent retreat voluntarily?
Chen Chuan glanced at his second self, where the virtualization signs remained.
In a dimly lit room in the Dark Unexplored Zone, a hunched figure sat, surrounded by empty walls. Vines-like branches entangled his body.
At the moment Chen Chuan used the sword to push away the skull-masked person, he opened his eyes, bloodshot whites visible. He turned his eyes twice, emitting a hoarse sound, "Success."
Slowly, he stood up and approached a stone pedestal in front of him, upon which stood a peculiar statue resembling an upright raccoon. Its mouth and eyes were wide open, and its claws held a stone plate, creating a bizarre appearance.
He picked up a small knife, carefully slicing open his chest. When the incision was wide enough, he reached in and extracted a fragment of altered tissue, placing it on the stone plate before him. He took a few steps back and bowed deeply.
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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