Chapter 81: The Worst-Case Scenario

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Relying on her own strength alone, Fu Ying managed to keep all the red-eyed citizens in the pit under control, and naturally, Qi Chen would not let her efforts go to waste.

Merged with the Overlord, he was nothing short of a human juggernaut. With a light push from his foot, he dashed across the ground, leaving a succession of craters in his wake as he sped to the side of the Minsheng Mall.

With his arrival, hope finally dawned for the previously helpless special operations officers. Each and every one of them was steadfastly prepared to lay down their lives for City No. 3, yet to turn their guns on former comrades remained a psychological barrier not easily overcome.

This was especially true for those newcomers who had only recently joined the squad. The act of pulling the trigger, endlessly rehearsed in training, suddenly became the most difficult thing in the world.

Fortunately, Qi Chen was here.

After an initial shock at his current, astonishing appearance, the members of the special operations team soon felt a deep sense of admiration for him.

Chaos in their hands became order in his. He weaved through the crowd, disarming the special ops officers who had emerged from the mall, one after another. Every standard-issue weapon was twisted by him into little more than a heap of scrap metal.

Once these people were disarmed, the rest was far simpler. In fact, Qi Chen barely needed to act; the remaining clear-minded special operations officers could handle the rest themselves.

Still, he saw the task through, helping the team bind all those who had been affected by the unknown, uncanny influence within the mall.

At last, it seemed things were going smoothly.

...

Those who had rushed out from inside the mall were only the previously missing officers and security guards, totaling just over a hundred. Now, under Qi Chen’s command, all were under control.

Once everything was confirmed, Qi Chen left over half the team to guard Minsheng Mall, while he led the rest at breakneck speed to Fu Ying’s location.

From a distance, he could sense that the uncanny aura belonging to Fu Ying had waned significantly compared to before.

To control so many minds at once was an immense burden for any uncanny practitioner. To subdue more than two hundred people at once would require a mental strength far beyond that of a typical D-rank.

“Captain Fu! I’m here to help you!”

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Shouting as he ran, Qi Chen led the special ops officers to the edge of the pit, but Fu Ying, hearing his voice, remained motionless, holding her position above the hole.

Her sharp eyes blazed with golden light, but the golden uncanny figure hovering behind her had grown dim, and the large circular white sigil spanning her back had faded as if bleached.

Fu Ying's mental exhaustion was far more severe than Qi Chen had imagined.

He could not say why, but a wave of panic rose in him—perhaps because Fu Ying had been, in the truest sense, the first to open the door of this world to him.

Had she not invited him to join the Uncanny Affairs Department back then, he could hardly imagine what his life would look like now.

Though their actual interactions had not been many, Qi Chen could feel that this highest authority in the department always placed the utmost trust and support in him and the other uncanny practitioners.

Once isolated and alone, he had learned in the department what it meant to have a solid foundation at his back.

His principle was simple: however others treated him, he would respond in kind.

Without a moment’s pause, he set to work. All the red-eyed citizens in the pit were quickly subdued by the special operations officers.

As the last person was bound, Qi Chen suddenly caught sight of Fu Ying swaying unsteadily. Instinctively, he rushed over, hand outstretched to support her.

But Fu Ying, head lowered, raised an arm to stop him. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

She proved her words with action. Though her face was pale, she stood firm.

“Can you revert?” she asked, gazing at Qi Chen, who was still in his uncanny-fused state. Though weak, her tone carried that familiar authority.

Qi Chen immediately sent his consciousness into the mask chamber in his mind, rehanging the Overlord's mask on the wall. Instantly, the tremendous force within him drained away, leaving him engulfed in a weakness he had never before experienced—a stark reminder that uncanny power was never a gift, but always came with a heavy price.

Even routine use of uncanny power subtly affected the mind of the practitioner. Fusion with the uncanny only deepened this impact, damaging the body as well.

Uncanny power, in the end, was never meant for humans.

“Eat more food to restore your energy and blood when we get back,” Fu Ying advised, her tone that of someone well-versed in recovery. She let her gaze linger on him a moment longer before asking, “Are you cold?”

Only then did he realize that his shirt had been reduced to tatters by the uncanny fusion.

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...

Draped in a jacket borrowed from the special ops squad, Qi Chen stood beside Fu Ying, both watching over Minsheng Mall.

“All the citizens in the city affected by the candy have been dealt with. No one else should be heading for Minsheng Mall now,” Fu Ying said, her face still pale—the aftereffects of overusing her abilities would not fade so quickly.

Qi Chen, unsure how to respond, hesitated before asking in a low voice, “How many were there in total?”

“A great many,” Fu Ying replied, offering no precise number. Whether she chose not to say or simply had not yet finished counting, the truth behind it was bound to be grim.

“When Warmheart arrives, he’ll take over handling the situation inside the mall.”

At this point, most of the uncanny incidents in City No. 3 had already been resolved. Minsheng Mall remained the last major threat, or more precisely, the uncanny candy incident was the greatest menace, and the mall was closely linked to it.

As they spoke, Warmheart arrived at the scene.

He was not in much better shape—his overcoat torn to shreds. Qi Chen recalled that this was Warmheart’s favorite coat; no doubt he’d be upset for some time.

Moreover, the state of his clothes suggested he had been in such dire straits that he hadn’t even found a moment to soften his coat with his warming ability.

“So long as you’re both alright!” Warmheart flashed a smile at Qi Chen and Fu Ying, but his expression quickly turned grave as he turned to stare at the mall, which still emanated a thick, uncanny aura.

“In there... do you think that could happen?”

...