Chapter Fourteen: Lined Up for Execution

When it came to decisiveness, Qi Chen was in no way inferior to Warm Man, but in terms of mastery over the uncanny powers, he was still leagues behind the senior who had worked for years in the Department of Anomaly Management. As he was momentarily trapped by the floor, which had gone as soft as mud beneath his feet, Warm Man had already dashed into the boundary of the guillotine’s uncanny domain.

In an instant, a grayish-white, eerie rope shot out from the ancient tiger-headed guillotine, slicing through the air with a long, shadowy streak, heading straight for Warm Man!

“Enthusiasm!”

With a thunderous shout, even Qi Chen, trailing behind, was startled—he would never have imagined that the man who seemed so much like a genial uncle could command such authority in his voice.

Smack!

The uncanny being summoned by Warm Man—“Enthusiasm”—appeared and instantly raised both fists high, slamming them down hard onto the ground. The hollow in its chest thudded with a fierce, echoing heartbeat, and in the blink of an eye, its fists struck the earth.

Under the assault of Enthusiasm’s fists, the solid ground rippled like water, losing its hardness and, under the force, surged forward like a wave of soft candy.

As the stone wave rose just high enough to shield Warm Man’s form, it rapidly solidified, forming a thick, sturdy shield!

At that moment, the uncanny rope from the tiger-headed guillotine crashed directly into the stone shield.

Swish—

But the eerie rope simply ignored the physical barrier, passing right through the shield and continuing to target Warm Man’s throat as if guided by some supernatural homing instinct.

“The rope can bypass physical matter!” Warm Man shouted, his voice echoing a warning to Qi Chen, urging him to remember this crucial information.

With his feet still trapped in the muddy floor, Qi Chen did his best to commit these observations to memory, all the while desperately calling out in his mind, trying to connect with Overlord.

But who knew why, after Overlord had acted so frenziedly during the previous encounter with the haunted building, he now showed no sign of response? Other than having helped Qi Chen move quickly earlier, now there was nothing—he was all but absent.

Qi Chen had no desire to just stand by, an idle bystander in a safe spot; he had a strong sense of professional duty. Yet without the help of uncanny powers, he couldn’t even break free from Warm Man’s restrictions.

“Is it because of last night’s dream?” Qi Chen recalled the dream that had lasted all through the night—a room lined with all manner of masks. Only Overlord’s mask was vividly clear; the rest were blurred, as if pixelated.

Did it mean... to use Overlord’s power, he had to fetch the mask from that place?

While these thoughts flashed through his mind, the confrontation on Warm Man’s end reached its conclusion. The uncanny rope suddenly accelerated, far outpacing Enthusiasm’s speed.

With a snap, the grayish-white rope looped tightly around Warm Man’s neck.

Rip!

A surge of force erupted from the rope. Warm Man had no time to react—within a heartbeat, he was yanked several meters toward the tiger-headed guillotine, though the pulling force soon slowed, settling into a steady, relentless drag.

“Are you alright, sir?” Qi Chen called out with concern, receiving only a reassuring wave in response.

At last, the full assault sequence of the guillotine’s uncanny ability was revealed to them.

“Remember what I say!” Warm Man’s face twisted in pain, his brows knotted tightly. “The rope it fires can track its target.

“Once ensnared, the victim experiences a powerful, instantaneous psychic shock—which causes brief unconsciousness and makes resistance impossible.

“After being dragged a certain distance, the pulling slows, but an overwhelming sense of guilt surges up, compelling you to confess every wrong you’ve ever done.”

Speaking calmly, Warm Man described his sensations, giving Qi Chen a clearer understanding of the guillotine’s powers.

This anomaly didn’t just claim lives; it also exerted significant psychological and spiritual threats!

As he spoke, Warm Man activated Enthusiasm’s power again, this time altering the hardness of the ground beneath him.

Enthusiasm pounded the earth all around, turning the solid ground into a mire, making it nearly impossible to move—an attempt to slow the rope’s drag.

But as resistance at his feet increased, Warm Man was startled to find that the force at his neck increased correspondingly. The result was a perfect balance: his dragging speed remained as steady as ever.

“Does the pulling speed remain constant after the initial phase, no matter what?” Gritting his teeth, Warm Man silently counted to estimate his movement speed.

At that moment, a chorus of engines roared down the street. Qi Chen turned toward the sound to see a fleet approaching.

A formidable convoy of seven heavy, black, armored vehicles—clearly a force to be reckoned with. Qi Chen, still largely untrained, couldn’t help but feel some apprehension in the face of such a team.

Clang!

Doors opened, and a stream of elite special agents poured out, all clad in black uniforms and balaclavas. These were the reinforcements from the Department of Anomaly Management.

“Seventh Squad, Special Operations Unit of the Department of Anomaly Management, reporting for duty!”

A burly soldier, rifle slung at his side, jogged up to Qi Chen, placed his left fist to his chest in a perfect salute, his eyes—one of the only features visible—radiating unwavering resolve.

Qi Chen hesitated, momentarily at a loss.

But perhaps his greatest strength was his ability to adapt swiftly to the unexpected. Glancing at Warm Man, who was still probing the guillotine's abilities, Qi Chen steeled himself and issued his first command.

“Seal off this street completely as per protocol. Set the cordon twenty meters beyond the point I indicate.

“And connect me with Officer Xu Ying.”

The soldier snapped to attention and swiftly began relaying orders to his teammates.

When facing the uncanny, the greatest contribution these highly trained professionals could offer was to maintain order in the area, preventing more innocents from being caught in the domain.

After all, they were not anomaly walkers and had no access to uncanny powers.

To ensure their safety, Qi Chen had even extended the safety perimeter by an extra twenty meters.

So, what next?

Qi Chen looked over at Warm Man. Their gazes met in the air, and the latter immediately assumed the role of a mentor.

“Now we’ve more or less figured out the guillotine’s chain of harm. It latches onto anyone who enters the uncanny domain, drags them toward the guillotine, and executes them.

“I’ve tried various methods, but my power has no effect on this anomaly. However, if you sincerely confess to the guilt that arises in your mind, you can somewhat slow the rope’s pull.

“Quick, get me a loudspeaker. That way, we can minimize casualties among the victims trapped in the domain!”

Taking the advice to heart, Qi Chen immediately fetched a standard-issue handheld loudspeaker from the special team’s vehicle and tossed it toward Warm Man, who wasn’t too far away.

Before the loudspeaker could hit the ground, the orange glow of “Enthusiasm” reached out in mid-air and caught it for Warm Man.

Its range far exceeded that of Overlord.

With the loudspeaker in hand, Warm Man shouted instructions, and the information he provided became a lifeline for the terrified bystanders. Those whose minds were still intact began to make the most sincere confessions of their lives in silent prayer.

No one wished to face the guillotine’s blade.

But confession could only slow their approach to the blade; it was no cure for the curse.

Seasoned as he was, Warm Man pondered bitterly and came up with two possible solutions.

Either utterly destroy the source of the anomaly by brute force, or uncover and resolve the trigger mechanism behind it!

Fixing his gaze on the tiger-headed guillotine, Warm Man’s heart twisted with anxiety.

Which of these... would be the easier path?

...