Chapter Eighteen: Not by Chance

Qi Chen was momentarily stunned, his mind completely blanking out on all the materials the considerate man had prepared for him earlier. Facing Fu Ying’s naturally authoritative face, he could only offer a sheepish smile.

“My thoughts are the same as the considerate senior’s…”

Fu Ying let out a dry chuckle, her gaze lingering meaningfully on Qi Chen’s face, her inscrutable eyes roaming up and down, making him feel deeply uneasy.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Qi Chen’s mind, as if he’d found a blind spot that even the considerate man had overlooked.

“This probably isn’t just a random incident…” His expression grew serious as he carefully revisited all he knew about the uncanny.

His first encounter had been the strange event at Hongfeng Tower—the source of the red high heels traced back to the murderer and victims of a serial killing. That had puzzled him at the time: why would something called a ‘natural uncanny’ have any link to people?

It was only after a thorough briefing by the Department of Uncanny Affairs that he learned the truth: even natural uncanny events often involved human factors, not by intent, but as a minor component—essentially just one ingredient in the mix.

“There shouldn’t be any comparable malignant incidents near the Repentance Guillotine, and there’s a physical object involved as well.

“Now that I think about it, when we arrived at the scene, the guillotine didn’t appear out of thin air—it was positioned right behind the van that crashed, almost as if it had fallen out of the van as a result of the accident!”

The more Qi Chen spoke, the more animated he became, following this thread to its logical end—the Repentance Guillotine must have been deliberately transported into City No. 3!

“Not bad. You have a decent sense of the bigger picture,” Fu Ying nodded in approval. “After we received your firsthand report, the analysis department had already begun speculating along these lines.

“When the Special Operations Team arrived, we immediately obtained information about both vehicles involved in the accident. The van was indeed suspicious—fake plates, false information.”

That alone was enough to confirm that the Repentance Guillotine incident was anything but straightforward. Even if the evidence wasn't yet fully conclusive, what did it matter?

For the Department of Uncanny Affairs, solid proof wasn’t required—just suspicion was enough to justify swift action.

Any slip could result in losses no one could afford to bear.

“From what we’ve summarized about the Repentance Guillotine’s uncanny features, it could very well serve as an uncanny weapon.”

Qi Chen noticed Fu Ying’s face darken even further, a hint of anger in her tone.

Uncanny weapons were a new breed of tools that had emerged since the arrival of the uncanny in this mist-shrouded world—essentially, using controllable uncanny phenomena as weapons.

Such weapons had a marked advantage over conventional arms. The Repentance Guillotine, for instance, could not be neutralized even if you fired a cannon at it point-blank—the uncanny’s power simply ignored physical matter entirely.

Once deployed in a critical situation, its potential for control was extraordinary—it could pin down vital reinforcements or paralyze a strategic transportation hub.

“The outsiders are making moves again?” The considerate man’s face was uncharacteristically grave. “Or is it…another city?”

Fu Ying shook her head slowly. “We’ll wait for further intelligence from the analysis team. Once we trace the van’s route, we’ll be able to pinpoint the likely gathering place of our adversaries.

“When the time comes, you two will lead the Seventh Squad to investigate.

“If you encounter any enemies, make sure to capture them alive!”

Qi Chen’s spirits lifted. There was more work ahead—based on his earlier conversation with Fu Ying, the more he did, the greater his pay would be, right?

He looked eagerly at Fu Ying, ready to offer more of his ideas, but the capable commander immediately cut him off:

“Leave now and await further instructions.”

His smile froze on his face. Turning his head toward the considerate man, he found his senior simply staring down, ignoring his intentions entirely.

All right, a wise man knows when to retreat.

Qi Chen quickly left the command vehicle to wait nearby, but his thoughts didn’t stop. He believed that an outstanding operative should always remain alert during a mission.

Yet, at this moment, he was more concerned about his own situation—specifically, matters concerning the Overlord.

After surviving two uncanny encounters, even without systematic training from the Department, he’d already formed some basic understanding, as well as a few nagging questions.

“The first time the Overlord appeared, I had no idea about that room with the mask. I remember something in my mind shattering at the time.

“That must have been the moment I became an uncanny walker. The Overlord’s emergence was likely triggered by the life-threatening danger I was in.

“Now that things have stabilized, it seems I can only use the Overlord’s power if I truly master that room.”

This was Qi Chen’s preliminary conclusion. But his greatest confusion was this: judging by the considerate man’s situation, Enthusiasm was completely obedient to him, but the Overlord was nothing like that.

It felt as if he would have to coax and placate that hulking figure.

Clearly, he still needed to consult the considerate man for advice—a mentor’s guidance would surely be better than fumbling around on his own.

Bang!

The rear door of the command vehicle swung open suddenly. Fu Ying and the considerate man stepped out one after the other.

“Let’s go, kid, our mission’s here.” The considerate man got straight to the point, sighing as he joined Qi Chen. “The analysis department has already traced the van’s regular movements—the biggest lead is the East City Warehouse.”

Qi Chen nodded in understanding. Fu Ying swept her calm gaze over her two subordinates, one experienced and one new, and said:

“Operation codename—Eradicate!

“Investigate the domain-type uncanny—No. 364, the Repentance Guillotine.

“Target location: East City Warehouse.

“You are authorized to use any force necessary, and may employ lethal measures against any suspicious persons. However, if you can capture them alive, do so!”

“Understood!” Qi Chen and the considerate man replied in unison, immediately heading for the Seventh Squad of the Special Operations Team. They boarded an armored vehicle and set off at once!

The imposing convoy sped through the city at maximum speed, all obstacles and pedestrians cleared from their prearranged route by logistics, ensuring the team’s timely arrival at their objective.

Thanks to such efficient coordination, Qi Chen barely had time to collect his thoughts before they reached their destination—the East City Warehouse of City No. 3.

This was the second-largest warehouse in the entire city, though in reality it was more of a massive logistics hub. Almost a third of all returning exploration teams from outside the city would first stop here.

Many major businesses in the city sent agents here to liaise with exploration teams in advance.

In short, it was a place teeming with all sorts.

Naturally, the arrival of the fully-armed Special Operations Team drew plenty of attention.

“Don’t worry about the bystanders—head straight for the storage area! Locate the shop affiliated with that van!”

…