Chapter 428: Activation
Chapter 428: Activation
The interior of the fortress was vast, so a military off-road vehicle was assigned to pick them up. Once inside, Pei Can Shi relaxed and leaned back.
He said, "There will be a brief instruction session here, mainly to inform you of some dangers and things to note in the Convergence Zone. After these briefings and adjustments, the mission will be officially assigned."
"There are two more people, that is, the team members assigned to you, Chen Executor, will also attend the lecture."
Chen Chuan asked, "Should we go for dinner first, or listen to the lecture?"
Chen Chuan replied, "It's getting late, let's go to the lecture first and not keep them waiting."
In a public lounge, two fighters, a man and a woman, were waiting. The man was in his early twenties, with a chiseled and three-dimensional face. His eyes exuded confidence and nonchalance, and he wore his uniform casually, with the top button undone and sleeves rolled up, making it look more like leisurewear.
The woman was eighteen or nineteen, with an oval face, a straight nose, and red lips. Her eyebrows were like willow leaves, and although she had a face that fit classical aesthetics, her thick, black hair was perfectly neat beneath her hat. She sat with a straight back and an air of vigor.
At that moment, a message came through the Boundary Token, informing them that the assigned captain had arrived at the base. The man complained, "Our captain sure takes his time. What a big shot he is, making us wait this long."
They had arrived at 5 a.m., but without the captain, nothing could proceed, so they had been waiting until now, unable to go anywhere.
Just then, the door opened, and the orderly outside saluted them, saying, "Two officers, Officer Chen has proceeded to the screening hall. Please head over there."
"Finally, we can get going," the man said.
He stretched his arms and legs, loosening his muscles, before slowly standing up. In contrast, the woman said nothing and followed the orderly's footsteps.
"Why be so serious?" he muttered, rolling his neck as he followed.
When they reached the screening hall, Chen Chuan was also arriving. Upon seeing him, both fighters were slightly surprised.
They had expected a first-level executor to be in their twenties or around thirty, a mature and experienced officer.
But Chen Chuan didn't even look twenty.
The man thought to himself, 'Is he here to show off? I really dislike people like him. As a teammate, he might be okay, but as a leader, he'd be a disaster.'
Despite his dislike, the situation was still unclear, and the other party was his superior, so he couldn't show any disrespect. He slowly raised his hand in a salute.
The female fighter, on the other hand, gave Chen Chuan a standard salute.
Chen Chuan returned the salute, noticing the male team member's scrutinizing gaze, as if he didn't fully trust him. But Chen Chuan didn't mind; Tier Three Combatants were a self-centered bunch, and it was natural not to expect warmth from strangers.
He actually preferred straightforward people as subordinates; at least they wouldn't play tricks on him.
Of course, the best would be to work with people he was familiar with.
But that wasn't an option. Those cultivated by the national system often favored using acquaintances and classmates when appointed to certain positions. However, Chen Chuan's rapid progress meant that even among his classmates, there were none at his level, let alone seniors. He mostly interacted with teachers, so he had to rely on the arrangements from above.
But once he became an executive captain, he would have some authority to choose his team members.
After meeting at the entrance, the three of them entered the screening hall, which could accommodate twenty to thirty people. In front was a large projection screen.
They casually found seats, and footsteps echoed as a young woman with black-rimmed glasses walked in, wearing a white lab coat and looking rather elegant.
She was short, and at first glance, she seemed like a child. Her serious demeanor made it hard for outsiders to take her seriously, and they felt like smiling instead.
She bowed slightly and introduced herself, "Greetings, Executors. I'm Tian Yu, the instructor for this session."
After the introduction, she continued, "I must inform you that the field resources in the base are limited, and priority is given to communications. Other functions will only be activated if necessary, so we can only use an old-fashioned projection method for this lecture."
She tapped her glasses, "Let's begin."
The lights around them dimmed, leaving only the projection screen illuminated.
Tian Yu picked up a pointer and said earnestly, "All of you are here in the Convergence Zone for the first time. The first thing to pay attention to is your own mind; be cautious of potential issues."
The male team member spoke up, "Are we afraid of going insane?"
Tian Yu looked at 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 attempt at seriousness, she still didn't seem intimidating.
Seeing no response from below, she pointed with her pointer, and an image appeared on the screen—a group of people with gruesome deaths. Without exception, the upper halves of their heads were missing, leaving an empty cavity.
Chen Chuan had a sense of deja vu as he looked at the image.
The image changed again, and this time, it was different. From a person's seven orifices, something like limbs or tentacles stretched out, and they were smiling.
On the surface, it looked human, but it was clear that it was no longer the same person.
Yuan Qiuyuan raised his eyebrows slightly.
Tian Yu listed over a dozen images before saying, "These people became like this due to certain infections. Their brains became active and crawled out of their heads, so when I said your minds could have problems, it's not a figure of speech; it's a real possibility."
"The human body is a complex system, an interconnected whole, yet each system and organ has its own unique functions and structural independence," she explained earnestly. "If you neglect them for too long, they may develop their own ideas and intentions."
Yuan Qiuyuan muttered from below, "This sounds like something out of a silly cartoon."
Tian Yu tapped her teaching cane, emphasizing, "I am not joking!"
She continued, "Don't assume that fighters are exempt from this. While they may have a higher resistance, any issues that arise won't be minor. Every example shown in the previous images involved fighters."
Yuan Qiuyuan raised his hand.
Tian Yu addressed him, "Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, do you have a question?"
With his arms crossed, leaning back in his chair, Yuan Qiuyuan asked, "I assume there aren't any Tier Three fighters here, right?"
"That's correct."
"Then it's settled." Yuan Qiuyuan spread his hands and tapped his head, "I can keep an eye on my own mind."
Tian Yu spoke to him earnestly, "Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, while there are no Tier Three fighters here, it doesn't mean they can't be infected. It's just more subtle. If I may be blunt..." She glanced at the three of them, "...one of us here might already be infected."
"What do you mean?"
"That's what I'm about to explain. If you listen patiently, Executor Yuan Qiuyuan, you won't need to ask that question again."
In a book bar, a 16-year-old boy was reading a flawless version of a book.
Tian Yu pointed her teaching cane, and a projection appeared on the screen—a brain-like object with numerous tentacles, yet still recognizable as a brain.
"Tier Three fighters often possess powerful mental abilities due to their high level of brain alteration. They can usually control themselves, but that doesn't mean they won't lose control. When they do, their manifestations are often different from the norm. In most cases..."
She pointed to the strange brain in the image with her cane, "...even if they gain autonomy, they remain in place. But the person is no longer who they used to be.
They're more cunning and intelligent, not relying solely on instincts. They observe their surroundings, mimic the original person's behavior, habits, and every move, making it difficult even for those close to them to recognize the change."
"But there's another scenario," she continued, pushing her glasses down as she looked at the students, "where they don't realize they've changed. They might even believe they're still normal."
Yuan Qiuyuan clicked his tongue.
At this moment, a female team member raised her hand.
Tian Yu turned to her, "Executor Qin Qingque, do you have a question?"
Qin Qingque asked sincerely, "Instructor Tian, if someone close to us is infected, how can we tell?"
"Well, we have a measurement for this, called the 'Vitality Index'.
The Vitality Index ranges from zero to one hundred. The initial stage is up to thirty, which is a warning. Above sixty is considered dangerous, and above ninety is the transformation stage. At one hundred, it's complete."
She paused, her expression turning solemn, "And then, it's irreversible."
Tian Yu walked to the side, turned on the light, and used the Boundary Token to notify someone. Three orderlies entered and approached each of the three, handing them metal boxes.
"This is the 'Activation Line'," Tian Yu explained, "a device that connects to the Boundary Token and provides a visual display of the Vitality Index."
The three opened the boxes, revealing what appeared to be a coiled, jade-colored tendril with a beautiful surface. As they reached out, the tendril moved, wrapping around one of their wrists, while the other end connected to the Boundary Token.
Chen Chuan felt its resilience; it didn't hinder his movements much. Upon connecting, a green number appeared on the token.
Zero.
"The Activation Line can sense changes in your body's vitality at all times," Tian Yu said. "The numbers are green during the normal stage, yellow in the warning stage, and red in the dangerous stage.
You can choose to share observations within your teams, and I recommend doing so. This way, even if you don't notice any changes, your teammates can spot issues promptly.
Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier that for Tier Three fighters, after brain alteration, the body is no longer the primary concern. Under certain conditions, they might seek out another individual.
The closest teammate is the preferred choice. They will kill the teammate, enter their body, consume their brain, and then parasitize within."
Yuan Qiuyuan couldn't help but express his disgust, "That's disgusting."
"That's why you need to monitor your own and your teammates' vitality indices," Tian Yu said. "If it gets too high, you must find a way to bring it down.
Tier Three fighters can usually achieve this through mental suppression, but the effect is limited. We will have specialized instructors to teach a breathing technique specifically designed to counteract vitality activation.
Considering you might be engaged in intense combat in the field without time for such practices, there's also a special potion for temporary suppression."
She emphasized, "But try not to rely too heavily on the potion. Once your body adapts, the activated parts might adapt as well."
At this point, Qin Qingque raised her hand again. After receiving permission, she asked, "Instructor Tian, do only brains undergo vitality activation?"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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