Chapter 380: The Night Watch
Chapter 380: The Night Watch
Barrow opened his eyes to find himself in a white-walled room, surrounded by various medical monitoring devices. The distinct smell of disinfectant filled the air.
A hospital, he realized.
He was alive. A sense of relief washed over him, having survived the recent ordeal.
"You're awake."
A burly man approached, his large frame filling the space. He glanced at Barrow and placed a cup of water on the nearby table.
"How are you feeling?"
"It's you!" Barrow recognized the man who had been pierced through the heart by the black tendrils yet remained unharmed.
"Allow me to introduce myself." The burly man extended his hand, "I'm Chris, a Night Watchman."
Night Watchman? Barrow's eyes widened in confusion, then suddenly, as if remembering something, he sat up in bed, his eyes round with surprise.
"What about the laboratory?"
"There was a fire in the lab, and everything inside was destroyed." Chris shrugged, "But don't worry, the investigation concluded it was an accident. PetroCorp's insurance will cover the loss."
"Hmm..."
Barrow rubbed his stubble-covered chin, "But isn't the insurance company also owned by PetroCorp?"
"An accident?" Barrow's eyes widened in surprise, "Not that monster...?"
Chris chuckled, "There are no monsters in this world, at least not in the eyes of ordinary people."
"No monsters?" For a moment, Barrow almost believed that the events of the past few days had been a dream, but he quickly realized it wasn't a dream; it had truly happened. He asked, "What about the thing on my body?"
"It's a Parasite Beast, allegedly an alien life form. Who knows where they come from?" Chris took out a cigar, cut the end, and placed it in his mouth.
Parasite Beast? Alien life form?
Confusion clouded Barrow's eyes.
"Here."
Chris handed him a cup of water, and Barrow instinctively took it, feeling its weight before gripping it tightly.
This action caught Chris's attention, and his eyes flickered.
"You've already glimpsed the other side of the world, so I might as well tell you."
"Beyond the 'world' as ordinary people perceive it, there exist numerous 'things' that defy explanation by common sense."
Chris lit the cigar, and as the smoke curled upwards, his voice carried a sense of calm.
"This world is intricate, filled with monsters of all sorts, bizarre artifacts, and mysterious, uncanny beings..."
"They persist in the shadows of humanity."
"The Parasite Beast attached to you is one such creature. It's controlled by a distant host, possessing strength, speed, and regenerative abilities far beyond human limits."
"A Parasite Beast?" Barrow instinctively touched his neck, relieved to find no wounds. He asked, "If the monsters you speak of are as powerful as that thing, why do they hide?"
"Because of us." Chris smiled, "The Night Watch."
"We are the guardians of order, the bane of monsters, the protectors of humanity, and the defenders of history..."
"Hehe..."
He chuckled, the cigar clenched between his teeth, "Does that sound like a strong sense of purpose?"
Barrow was at a loss for words.
"Parasite Beasts are the lowest of monsters, and even ordinary people have a chance against them." Chris sighed, "But the truly terrifying ones..."
"They can twist time, rewrite history, and defy common sense. Perhaps this world is a creation of some monster."
"What?!" Barrow's eyes widened in shock.
"Let's not get sidetracked." Chris waved away the smoke, "Young man, with your graduation approaching, have you found a job that meets your expectations?"
"Professor Carl offered to keep me on at the lab or write a referral letter to a PetroCorp subsidiary."
"Barrow spoke up, "I should probably stick to work in the security field."
"That's good," Chris nodded.
"How much is the monthly salary?"
"It can reach two thousand pounds."
"Are you interested in becoming a Night Watchman? The basic salary is four thousand pounds, with bonuses for mission assignments and housing allowances. On average, you'll earn six thousand pounds per month, and that's after taxes."
Six thousand pounds after taxes!
In Fast City, that undoubtedly placed him in the high-income bracket.
Barrow's breath caught at the prospect, but the thought of what he might encounter made his heart skip a beat.
"Never mind!"
"I'm just an ordinary person."
"Ordinary?"
Chris took the water cup from Barrow's hand and gently tossed it to the ground.
"Bang!"
The cup, as if it weighed over a hundred pounds, created a dent in the sturdy floor.
"This... an ordinary person couldn't hold it."
This place wasn't a hospital but an underground base of the Night Watch, according to Chris.
Stepping out of the room, they found themselves in a long corridor.
The entire passage was made of an unknown metallic material, giving off a sense of solidity and impenetrability.
"Extraordinary abilities are usually inherited through bloodlines or acquired by coming into contact with certain special items."
Chris continued as he walked, "A very small number of people can obtain them through learning and cultivation."
"Can you learn to develop extraordinary abilities?" Barrow asked, astonished.
"Of course."
Chris nodded, "Extraordinary powers aren't a recent phenomenon. Some ancient beings like saints and mages did exist."
"However, not everyone can acquire extraordinary abilities through learning. In fact, very few can."
"The Night Watch has a heritage passed down from the Church hundreds of years ago, but only a select few can successfully cultivate it."
"And you?" Barrow asked, nodding, "Where did you get your ability from?"
"A certain artifact," Chris shrugged, "When I was young, I accidentally ingested something and gained the ability to control flesh and blood."
Control flesh and blood? Barrow glanced at Chris's body and nodded thoughtfully.
Chris's strength, speed, and recovery were exceptionally formidable; even a pierced heart couldn't kill him.
This was likely due to his special ability.
"That guy over there!"
Chris pointed to a handsome blond man playing with a pen nearby. "His ability is 'Weapon Link,' which he inherited from his grandfather."
"Some abilities can be bestowed upon others."
Weapon Link?
Barrow turned, and the blond man, nicknamed 'Blondie,' nodded. The pen in his hand floated in mid-air and spun around him.
Barrow's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Diana has 'Mind Reading.' You can think of it as telepathy. She can discern a person's thoughts just by looking into their eyes."
Barrow instinctively lowered his head, prompting a burst of laughter.
"Your ability is quite unique. It's the result of genetic modification and is the current research direction of the Night Watch."
"Some people want to create an army of extraordinary beings, but..."
"Let's test your ability first."
"Mr. Chris," Barrow hurriedly said, "I'm just cooperating to test my ability; I don't plan to join the Night Watch."
"Of course," Chris chuckled lightly.
But his heart remained unconvinced.
Those who have encountered the other side of the world find it difficult to return to the lives of ordinary people. It's an unspoken rule.
Can one pretend to be ordinary and still be considered ordinary?
Impossible!
Chris believed that Barrow would eventually return and become a member of the Night Watch.
(End of Chapter)
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