Chapter 428: Activation
Chapter 428: Activation
The interior of the fortress was spacious, and a military off-road vehicle had been assigned to pick them up. Once inside, Commander Pei relaxed and sat back.
He explained, "There will be a brief orientation session here to inform you about the dangers and important matters in the Convergence Zone. After this orientation and some adjustments, your official assignment will be given."
"There are two more people, including the team member assigned to you, who will also attend the session," he added.
Chen Chuan asked, "Should we have dinner first or go straight to the session?"
"It's getting late now," Chen Chuan replied. "Let's head to the session first so we don't keep them waiting."
In a public lounge, two fighters, a man and a woman, were waiting. The man appeared to be in his early twenties, with a rugged and chiseled face. His eyes exuded confidence and nonchalance, and he wore his uniform casually, with unbuttoned collars and rolled-up sleeves, making it look more like leisurewear.
The woman was eighteen or nineteen, with an oval face, a delicate nose, and red lips. Her eyebrows were like willow branches, and although she had a face that fit classical beauty standards, her thick, dark hair peeking from under her hat brim gave her a serious and spirited air as she sat with a straight back.
At that moment, a message arrived through the Boundary Vessel, reminding them that the captain assigned by the higher-ups had arrived at the outpost. The man grumbled, "Our captain sure is taking his time. We've been waiting for ages."
They had arrived at 5 a.m., but without the captain, nothing could proceed, so they had no choice but to wait until now, unable to go anywhere.
Just then, the door opened, and an attendant outside saluted them, saying, "Commanders, Commander Chen has proceeded to the screening room. Please head over there."
"Finally," the man said, stretching his arms and legs to loosen up before slowly standing. In contrast, the woman stood without a word and followed the attendant's footsteps.
As they reached the entrance of the screening room, Chen Chuan arrived at about the same time. Both fighters were slightly surprised to see Chen Chuan.
They had expected a Level 1 Executor to be in his twenties or around thirty years old—someone mature and experienced.
However, Chen Chuan appeared to be barely twenty.
The man thought to himself, 'Is he here to gain experience? I really dislike people like him. As a teammate, it's fine, but leading a team like this is just setting us up for failure.'
Despite his displeasure, he was aware that the situation was unclear, and this person was still his superior. So, he slowly raised his hand in a salute, albeit reluctantly.
The woman, on the other hand, gave a standard salute to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan returned the salute and noticed the male fighter's scrutinizing gaze, suggesting a lack of trust. However, Chen Chuan didn't mind; fighters of the Third Limit were generally self-centered and wouldn't be expected to be overly friendly to someone they didn't know.
In fact, he preferred subordinates with straightforward temperaments, as they wouldn't play tricks on him, unlike those with slippery personalities who were friendly to everyone.
Of course, the best teammates were those he was familiar with.
But there was no way around this.
The fighters he encountered were often those cultivated by the system, and once they assumed a position, they tended to favor acquaintances and classmates. In Chen Chuan's case, there was no one at his level among his classmates, not even his seniors. His daily interactions were mostly with teachers, so he had to rely on the higher-ups' arrangements.
However, once he became an execution captain, he would have some authority to choose his team members.
After meeting at the entrance, the three of them entered the screening room, which could accommodate twenty to thirty people. In front was a large projection screen.
They casually found seats, and then footsteps approached. A young woman wearing black-framed glasses and a white lab coat entered, looking rather delicate.
Despite her small stature, she seemed to be taking things seriously, which made it hard for outsiders to take her seriously and even made them want to laugh.
The woman bowed and introduced herself, "Greetings, Executors. I'm Tian Yu, your instructor for this orientation."
After the introduction, she continued, "I must inform you that the field resources in the outpost are limited. We must prioritize communication, so other functions are restricted. Therefore, we can only use an old-fashioned projection method for this lecture."
She adjusted her glasses and said, "Let's begin."
The lights dimmed, leaving only the projection screen illuminated.
Tian Yu picked up a pointer and spoke solemnly, "All of you are here in the Convergence Zone for the first time. The first thing to be aware of is your own mind. Be cautious, as it can easily go wrong."
The male fighter spoke up from below, "Are we afraid of going insane?"
Tian Yu turned to him and said sternly, "Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, if you have any questions during my lecture, please raise your hand first." Despite her small stature and attempts to appear stern, she still didn't seem intimidating.
Seeing no response, she pointed with her pointer, and an image appeared on the screen. It showed several people with gruesome deaths, all missing the upper half of their heads, revealing an empty cavity.
Chen Chuan observed, feeling a sense of deja vu.
After this image, the screen changed again, and this time, it was different. From each person's seven orifices, something like limbs or tentacles protruded, and they were smiling.
Although they appeared human on the surface, it was clear they were no longer the same.
Yuan Qiuyuan raised his eyebrows slightly.
Tian Yu listed over ten images in a row before saying, "These people have transformed like this due to certain infections. Their brains have become active on their own, and they've emerged from within. So, when I said the mind can easily go wrong, it's not just a figure of speech; it's a real possibility."
She said seriously, "A person is a whole, but at the same time, not a whole. The human body is composed of multiple systems and organs, each with its own independent functions and structures. If you don't pay attention to them and ignore them for a long time, they will start to have their own ideas and intentions."
Yuan Qiuyuan muttered below, "This sounds so funny, is it a segment from some childish cartoon?"
Tian Yu tapped her pointer, "I am absolutely not joking!"
She reminded them, "Don't think that just because you are fighters, you are an exception. While fighters are more resistant to this, once a problem arises, it won't be a small one. All the cases shown in the pictures just now were fighters."
Yuan Qiuyuan raised his hand.
Tian Yu said, "Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, what is your question?"
Yuan Qiuyuan crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, saying, "I bet there's not a single Third Limit Fighter in those cases, right?"
"There isn't."
"Then that's settled." Yuan Qiuyuan spread his hands and tapped his head, "I can keep an eye on my own brain."
Tian Yu said seriously, "Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, although there are no Third Limit Fighters in those cases, it doesn't mean they can't be infected. It just means the symptoms are more hidden. If I put it more bluntly…" She looked at the three of them, "Perhaps someone among us here is already infected."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll explain that next. If Executor Yuan Qiuyuan would be patient and listen, you wouldn't have to ask this question."
Tian Yu pointed with her pointer, and a projection appeared on the screen showing a brain-like object with many tentacles.
"The brain of a Third Limit Fighter has a high degree of metamorphosis, and they often possess immense mental strength, which usually allows them to control themselves. However, this doesn't mean they can't lose control. When they do, the manifestations are different from the norm. Most of the time…"
She pointed to the strange brain in the picture with her pointer, "Even if they gain autonomy, they will remain in the same place, but the person is no longer the same person.
They are more cunning and intelligent, not just acting on pure instinct. They will observe everything around them, mimicking the original person's appearance, habits, and every move. Even those familiar with the person would find it hard to distinguish.
However, there is another case where they don't even realize they have changed," she pushed her glasses up and looked at the audience, "and they still believe they are a normal person."
Yuan Qiuyuan clicked his tongue.
At this moment, a female team member raised her hand.
Tian Yu looked over, "Executor Qin Qingque, do you have a question?"
Qin Qingque asked earnestly, "Instructor Tian, if there is such a person among us, how can we identify them?"
"Ah, we have a metric for judging these things, called the 'Activation Index.'
The Activation Index ranges from zero to one hundred. The initial stage is defined up to thirty, anything above thirty is in the warning stage, reaching sixty and above is in the danger stage, and ninety and above is in the transformation stage. When it reaches one hundred, it is in the full activation phase."
She paused and said seriously, "Then it becomes irreversible."
At this point, she walked to the side, turned on the lights, and used her Boundary Vessel to notify someone. Three attendants entered from outside and walked to their positions, handing each of them a metal box.
Tian Yu said, "This is the 'Activation Line.' Connect it to your Boundary Vessel, and you can see the Activation Index directly."
The three of them opened the boxes and saw a jade-colored, coiled strand inside, which looked quite beautiful. As soon as they touched it, the strand came to life, wrapping around their wrists at one end and connecting to their Boundary Vessels at the other.
Chen Chuan felt it; the strand was quite strong and resilient. After connecting, a line of green numbers appeared on his Boundary Vessel.
A "zero."
Tian Yu said, "The 'Activation Line' can continuously monitor the activation changes in your bodies. During the normal stage, the number is green. In the warning stage, the number turns yellow, and in the danger stage, it turns red.
You can choose to share this data with your team members. I suggest you do this, so even if you don't notice, your teammates can spot any issues in time.
Ah, I forgot to mention one thing. After the brain of a Third Limit Fighter is activated, the body is no longer the most important part. Under certain conditions, they might choose another individual.
The nearest teammate is the best choice. They will kill the teammate, enter their body, and consume their brain, then parasitize within it."
Yuan Qiuyuan said with disgust, "That's disgusting."
Tian Yu said, "So you need to pay attention to your and your teammates' activation indices. If it gets too high, you need to find a way to bring it down.
Third Limit Fighters can usually suppress this through mental control, but the effect is generally limited. We have specialists who will teach you specific breathing techniques that are more effective in restraining activation.
Considering that you might not have time to practice these techniques after intense battles in the field, we also have special medicaments that can temporarily suppress activation."
She emphasized, "But try not to rely too much on the medicamentsIf you get used to it, the activated parts might adapt as well."
Qin Qingque raised her hand again and, after being given permission, asked, "Instructor Tian, I have one more question. Is the brain the only part that can become activated?"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
