Chapter 118: The Return Journey

When Warm Man found Qi Chen, he fell into silence at the sight of the carnage.

"Did you use 'Anomaly Integration' again?" Warm Man’s tone was filled with resignation, though he understood that the enemies they faced this time were no pushovers. In a battle against other Anomaly Walkers, failing to use one's full strength was a dereliction of duty toward one's own life.

"So, no survivors then?" Clutching the wound on his shoulder where a bullet had grazed him, Warm Man frowned as he walked toward the armored vehicle. All the armed personnel inside had already lost their signs of life. Any hope of extracting intelligence from them had vanished.

"There was no choice..." Qi Chen also looked helpless. He was prone to losing his head after using Anomaly Integration, and given the nature of the violet-colored anomaly, he dared not be careless. Had he left a survivor, the violet anomaly could have easily seized control of that person’s body to execute some unexpected, lethal maneuver.

But having no captives was acceptable; it was a common reality in the life of an Anomaly Walker. Unless one possessed absolute, crushing superiority, going all out was the safest approach. If certain Anomaly Walkers were pushed into a corner, they might choose to fully embrace their anomalies—not in the way Qi Chen did, but by descending into what was known as "Anomaly Out-of-Control." At that point, one would be facing a true anomaly rather than an Anomaly Walker. Therefore, it was necessary to nip such suicidal tactics in the bud before the enemy had the capacity to carry them out.

"It’s a pity Captain Fu isn't here. Otherwise, we might have been able to pry some information out of them while their bodies were still warm," Warm Man added with a heavy note of regret, completely failing to notice the sudden change in Qi Chen’s expression.

"You? What did you say? If they weren't cold yet, Captain Fu could still get information out of them?" Qi Chen stared at Warm Man as if he had seen a ghost. The implications were truly harrowing. While he had witnessed Fu Ying’s terrifying mental-control abilities, the idea that she could make the recently deceased speak was genuinely shocking.

As they pondered this, a series of rapid footsteps echoed from the distance. The guards of Yellow Rock Town had arrived.

...

In the mayor’s room, the Anomaly Walkers from City Three reconvened to exchange intelligence. After hearing the account of Qi Chen and Warm Man’s operation, Displacement and Blazing Flame both wore expressions of deep thought.

"It seems that, combined with the large-scale anomaly outbreaks in our city recently, someone really has set their sights on us," remarked Displacement, who was only slightly older than Qi Chen. He had spent a few years working in the Anomaly Processing Department, unlike Qi Chen, who had encountered so many major crises shortly after starting his job. Displacement’s work had mostly consisted of handling routine anomaly incidents.

"Judging by their equipment and the strength of their Anomaly Walkers, they aren't amateurs," Blazing Flame said, looking down at the photos of the armored vehicle’s wreckage in his hand. "However, if they really have targeted us, they had better start picking out their own graves." As the long-recognized pinnacle of combat strength within the Anomaly Processing Department, Blazing Flame radiated a strong, innate self-confidence.

"You two have worked hard. Go back and get some rest. Since the enemies targeting the mayor and the special task force have been eliminated, it’s time for us to head back as well."

Qi Chen and Warm Man had no objections to Blazing Flame’s decision. After acknowledging the order, they walked together toward the parking spot outside the town where their special task force was stationed. On the way, however, Warm Man could not help but continue to discuss the origins of the enemies they had encountered.

"Being able to dispatch two Anomaly Walkers to Yellow Rock Town so casually suggests the enemy has significant resources," Warm Man said with a serious expression. "Aside from the major cities of the Alliance, only some of the large factions hidden within the Mist could muster such strength."

Qi Chen understood what factions Warm Man was referring to. Having undergone intensive training at the Anomaly Processing Department, he knew that in the gaps between the Alliance’s nine cities, there were various factions hostile to the Alliance, in addition to the settlements that relied on it. The most famous of these was likely the Church of the God’s Messenger. But the Church’s activities were not focused around City Three—they were barely connected; they should have had no motive to strike at City Three.

"Don't forget the traitor in our midst," Qi Chen said softly. "Perhaps this was an arsenal he had hidden away?"

Both Qi Chen and Warm Man were inclined to believe that the mastermind behind the incident in Yellow Rock Town was the same group causing trouble in City Three. The objectives of their actions were highly overlapping. Old Li remained an unavoidable presence regarding the internal mole.

"But, based on the abilities they displayed, they could have launched a direct attack on Old Li," Warm Man furrowed his brows. "The enemy who could control biological consciousness, and the one capable of precise sniping from an extreme distance—both had the ability to harm Old Li without anyone noticing." The experienced Warm Man did not believe the enemy would have abandoned such a direct and efficient method just because of the presence of Blazing Flame and Displacement.

Yet, the fact remained that they had done exactly that, hiring a relatively weak Anomaly Walker to strike at the mayor of Yellow Rock Town instead. With the intelligence they currently possessed, this point remained inexplicable.

"Forget it," Warm Man sighed. "Let’s just get Old Li back to City Three quickly to avoid any further complications."

Qi Chen nodded. He had a premonition that once they returned to the city, the mastermind would finally bare their fangs. But... how many more people would have to sacrifice their lives as a result?

...

Alliance City Two.

Unlike the orderly nature of City Three, this was a city where the wealth gap was stretched to its absolute limit. A low wall divided two vastly different worlds: one side was a glamorous paradise of neon lights and vibrant colors, while the other was a dark, damp hell hiding all manner of filth.

In an unremarkable room within the slums, several men sat in a circle around a high-power, encrypted communication device placed on a table.

"Four, say that again? Five is dead?!" The man who had once appeared in City Three with a devil-may-care attitude now had an exceptionally cold expression, his deep voice suppressing an unimaginable fury and grief.

Facing his repeat inquiry, a low male voice came through the radio: "Five is truly dead. His anomaly... was completely annihilated by the Anomaly Walkers of City Three."

The total destruction of an anomaly bound to one’s spirit naturally meant the demise of the Anomaly Walker.

Instantly, the room fell into a deathly silence. After a long while, a red-headed man spoke: "Contact the side in City Three. It’s time for us to start the real work."