Be careful of the violence in the content.
A chill suddenly swept in from the side.
The intern doctor rubbed his hands together.
Wasn’t the subway station’s air conditioning too strong?
He looked at the commotion at the staircase entrance and sighed.
How long has it been since such a big accident happened in the city?
The city defense team’s injured were being carried out of the mist one after another, and so far, several trucks transporting them to the isolation ward had already left.
Some nearby superpower users came to help, but most of the resident users in the city, except for those from the City Defense Bureau, had generally low levels. Many had hardly encountered aliens a few times before. They were just eager to show off their skills after watching heroic reports of superpower users in the wilderness on TV. The result was that they came in with high spirits but left with their eyes closed.
Sigh, what a mess.
He earnestly advised, “You’ve seen it too, haven’t you? The mist calamity is no joke. If you have family or partners at home who need care, you must carefully consider the consequences before taking action. Life only comes once, so cherish it…” He turned his head, but then paused in surprise.
Where is he?
—-
Inside subway car No. 14.
“…phone… help me…”
The Enigma Tree Fiend stiffly opened its mouth, emitting a hoarse voice.
System: [It still has language ability… Perhaps because it hasn’t been corrupted into an alien for long, its brain still retains some functionality; or perhaps, it’s a special ‘awakened’ individual.]
With that, the system’s voice became serious: [Host, listen to my advice, and kill it quickly! Every ‘awakened’ individual has powerful evolutionary abilities. In the blink of an eye, its ability level could increase again. It’s highly probable that it’s just stalling for time.]
[Aliens have no humanity; killing and devouring are their instincts. There can be no mercy or sympathy towards them, because they are fundamentally different from ‘humans’.]
Shen Jie said indifferently, “Is that so.”
There was no expression on his face as he raised the knife in his hand, aiming the blade at the Enigma Tree Fiend’s chest—where it was surrounded by roots, and inside, a faintly visible black heart was pulsating.
“Help me…”
“Make a call… to her…”
The Enigma Tree Fiend continued to hoarsely plead.
Right beside where it sat, a lone phone lay abandoned on the ground.
It was a model from many years ago, wrapped in a browned transparent soft shell, with many scratches on the screen, just as old and worn-out as this mist-eroded and rusty carriage.
Shen Jie glanced at it and said,
“There’s no signal in the mist. It won’t go through.”
The Enigma Tree Fiend froze for a moment, then murmured, “I can… disperse…”
As a low-level host carrying the mist, once the mist was dispersed, it couldn’t move or retract.
There was only one way for a low-level host to disperse the mist.
The Enigma Tree Fiend, fixed in place by roots, suddenly began to move.
Desperately, exerting all its strength to move forward.
Just like it did when it strained its neck just now.
Chunks of solidified, hardened bark fell off one by one, the roots protecting its heart shattered, and a humanoid skeleton, already eroded beyond recognition, slowly emerged from the Enigma Tree Fiend’s husk.
Its surface skin had already fallen off along with the bark, exposing crimson and mutilated muscles, its vocal cords struggling amidst the connection of flesh and bone, pleading with Shen Jie.
“Help me…”
[It… it’s undergoing self-dismemberment?] the system exclaimed in shock. [How is this possible? Even if it’s a rare ‘awakened’ individual capable of retaining some human-like cognitive abilities at a low level, it would never possess human-like thoughts. Moreover, it’s clearly been mentally warped after killing so many people on the subway… why?]
The abilities of humans and aliens could be forcibly stripped using external forces.
Of course, this required some special technological means or rather unique types of superpower.
But self-dismemberment was rare.
Because it was tantamount to asking someone to strangle themselves.
There were few people in the world who could do it. Because it went against physiological instincts and was very painful.
The Enigma Tree Fiend’s current act of self-dismemberment was as perplexing as opening a passage to its tree cavity within its own domain space.
The system could not understand it.
Shen Jie probably understood a little, but not much.
In his long and complicated memory, he had seen countless kinds of lives that actively degenerated or were forced to degenerate. Among them, human beings were the most complex and difficult to comprehend.
He had lived for seven years, but he couldn’t say he fully understood human.
He thought, perhaps the Enigma Tree Fiend was triggered by his earlier reminder — “Your wife is in the intensive care unit, not here.”
The illusion in the domain space shattered, and the Enigma Tree Fiend suddenly remembered where it was, and where the end of this subway ride should be.
Shen Jie’s blade touched the tree fiend’s heart.
— It wasn’t him who first thrust the blade in, but the Enigma Tree Fiend who actively met it.
The dark and murky blood belonging to the alien flowed down, dripping onto the withered branches.
“Help me…”
The hoarse voice became somewhat normal after leaving the tree shell, it was the voice of a weary, ordinary middle-aged man.
“Jiang Fan?”
Not far away, Ao Daye, supported by Chen Shushu, heard the familiar voice of his colleague, his expression somewhat complicated. “It’s really you…”
Shen Jie lowered his eyes, exerted force on his wrist, and the tip of the blade stabbed directly into the heart of the Enigma Tree Fiend.
The blade was very sharp, his movements were swift, and the wound he created was slender and narrow. Coupled with the tenacious vitality of the alien, the Enigma Tree Fiend’s heart did not immediately rupture due to blood pressure, but continued to beat laboriously.
With each beat, black blood dripped down along the blade.
At the same time, the green roots that had merged with the carriage turned into powder and fell.
The swirling powder turned into a light pink mist, beginning to dissipate and scatter.
The mist receded.
Shen Jie bent down to pick up the phone from the ground, opened it, navigated to the messaging app, and found the contact labeled “Xu Xiaolin.”
The signal recovered to half a bar, and several voice messages popped up, along with a missed video call. He returned the call.
The call wasn’t answered.
Shen Jie’s fingertips paused for a moment, then he chose to listen to those voice messages.
A gentle, weak female voice emanated from the old phone, somewhat distorted.
“I just went for a check-up. The doctor said there’s nothing wrong with the examination, and the surgery can start right away. The success rate is higher than previously estimated, about fifty percent.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“P xcbk sbeg mbwqjcs erejiis tjr j iba bo bnfgalwf, jcv lo atf ybrr kbc’a ifa sbe ub, vbc’a kbggs jybea gertlcu bnfg. Dea, ifa’r rff fjmt batfg bc nlvfb jujlc. P’w j yla rmjgfv…”
“Mjc, ktfgf jgf sbe? Qts mjc’a P gfjmt sbe bc sbeg qtbcf?”
“…”
“P’w jybea ab fcafg atf bqfgjalcu gbbw.”
“If I don’t make it out, Fan, you have to live well and take care of our child, okay?”
The Enigma Tree Fiend’s windpipe overflowed with a whimpering sound, like it was crying.
“Xiao Lin…”
Its heart gradually stopped beating.
[Congratulations, Host, for defeating the mist’s host, ‘Enigma Tree Fiend’ and successfully dispelling the low-level mist in the subway.]
The system’s voice sounded.
[Newbie task completed. You have received a reward, a ‘Newbie Starter Pack.’ Would you like to view it now?]
[Yes or No.]
Shen Jie didn’t immediately choose, but continued to browse through Jiang Fan’s phone.
There were many messages on Jiang Fan’s phone, with several work groups flashing incessantly.
Someone with the nickname “Supervisor Zhao” sent a message.
Supervisor Zhao: [Jiang Fan! There’s a problem with the proposal you submitted, and the boss is furious after reviewing it. Hurry back; if you’re not here within half an hour, don’t bother coming in tomorrow.]
Jiang Fan: [But, Supervisor, my wife is having surgery today…]
Supervisor Zhao: [No buts! My damn wife is giving birth today. Excuses are excuses; the company doesn’t need them!]
Supervisor Zhao: [It’s been half an hour already, Jiang Fan, where are you? Are you giving up your performance bonus for this month?]
Supervisor Zhao: [Fine, ignore my messages, huh? The boss said you’re fired!!!]
Ao Daye walked over, looking somewhat sympathetic at his colleague’s demise.
But remembering the hundreds of people who died horribly in the car, that sympathy quickly evaporated.
He leaned over to look at the messages on the phone.
“Supervisor Zhao’s wording… It’s exactly the same as what he said to me earlier, isn’t it?” Ao Daye realized belatedly, “Could it be because the boss saw me sneak away without working overtime, so he deliberately had Supervisor Zhao pick a fight?”
As if remembering something, he quickly pulled out his own phone and then said with a mournful expression, “I’ve been fired too.”
Chen Shushu sympathetically patted his shoulder. “With a stupid boss like that, if it were me, I would have fired him long ago.”
Ao Daye still looked troubled. “You’re still an intern, you don’t understand the hardships of life.”
Meanwhile, Shen Jie flipped through Jiang Fan’s phone and said, “Was the termination notice sent a month in advance? Have you kept evidence of overtime? If the company illegally terminates the labor contract, you’re entitled to compensation equivalent to 2n salaries, with overtime pay calculated at a minimum of 150%. Remember to calculate and multiply accordingly. Before leaving, go to the finance department to negotiate proper compensation.”
Ao Daye listened with a puzzled expression.
“You seem to be familiar with these things,” he said. “I thought researchers didn’t have to worry about these trivial matters at all.”
As was well-known, researchers had a secure job, and as long as their infection value didn’t exceed 90, they could stay in the research institute for life.
Shen Jie replied, “Not exactly. I just happen to enjoy studying the laws and regulations established by humans, striving to be a law-abiding citizen.”
Ao Daye found this statement a bit odd, but couldn’t quite put his finger on what was strange about it. He scratched his head, decided not to dwell on it, and went to calculate his own compensation by pinching his fingers.
Shen Jie continued scrolling down.
After Supervisor Zhao’s conversation thread, there was a notification from the public account “City’s First Resident Hospital.”
【Dear Mr. Jiang, your 36th installment bill for surgery installment has been delivered. The next repayment deadline is November 16th, repayment amount: 34510 Universal Points.】
“Wow,” Chen Shushu exclaimed, “My internship salary is only 3000, not even enough to cover the fraction of his installment surgery fee.”
Following that was a message from someone named 【Contact Person】.
Jiang Fan: 【This is the stock I’ve hoarded for two months. 60 pills. They’re all stored in the place you mentioned.】
Contact Person: 【Received. Payment has been transferred to your account. Remember to take the replacement medicine we gave you.】
Jiang Fan: 【Got it.】
The last message from the contact person was sent at 6:07 PM today, just two minutes after the Public Security Bureau filed the case, with the content:
【Transaction terminated. We’ve been discovered.】
“Your colleague is involved in drug smuggling?” Chen Shushu exclaimed in surprise.
Ao Daye was immersed in calculating the severance pay, and as he did, the worry between his eyebrows completely dissipated. He wished he could immediately rush back to the company, tear down the boss’s pants, and sniff them. Upon hearing this, he said in confusion, “I don’t know… but recently, Jiang Fan has been borrowing money everywhere for surgery and taking the wrong path… it’s also normal.”
Shen Jie looked at Jiang Fan’s phone, tapping the screen with his finger.
[Host, why have you been looking at Jiang Fan’s phone for so long?] the system asked in confusion.
Shen Jie replied, “Something seems off.”
The system clicked its tongue, [Indeed, something does seem off… the message from the smuggling contact was too quick; there might be a mole in the Public Security Bureau.]
It’s not just that.
Shen Jie thought.
Based on his experience, Jiang Fan’s process of being chosen by the mist for corruption seemed normal, but it didn’t follow the “rules.”
His fingertips paused on the first message sent by the contact person, contemplating.
What is this replacement medicine?
As the Enigma Tree Fiend died completely, the roots that had spread throughout the carriage slowly dissipated, and the original seats and doors quickly reappeared.
Ao Daye looked out the window, very excited. “Can we finally get out of here?” He was eager to settle the score with his boss.
Chen Shushu, with sharp eyes, noticed a charred figure in the corner that had been covered by roots.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ran over.
“Brother Luo!?”
Chen Shushu reached out to feel Luo Yunsen’s breath.
“No breathing—very weak heartbeat. He’s dying! We must quickly get him out for emergency treatment!”
Shen Jie closed Jiang Fan’s phone and placed it back in Jiang Fan’s palm.
The knife that was originally inserted into Jiang Fan’s heart had disappeared. After all, it was just a product of Chen Shushu’s ability. When the mist was dispelled and Chen Shushu relaxed, these products naturally lost their supply of power and ceased to exist.
He glanced around and quickly went to the side of the carriage to pick up the safety hammer hanging on the wall. Holding the hammer, with over 900 pounds of impact force, he banged twice and smashed the entire window of the subway carriage.
“Go ahead. Find the rescue team to save people,” he said, then decisively flipped out of the window with one hand.
Outside was the subway’s temporary maintenance passage.
It was pitch black. Very quiet.
Chen Shushu and Ao Daye also followed suit, crawling out, staring at the pitch-black passage, stunned.
“What’s going on? Where are the people from the City Defense Bureau?” Chen Shushu seemed a bit impatient because of the urgent situation of Luo Yunsen.
“The mist has been around for so long, and there’s not even a single rescue person here?” Ao Daye rubbed his eyes, incredulous.
Shen Jie looked at the pitch-black passage, squinting slightly.
A gust of damp, musty wind, carrying the smell of mud, blew from the end of the passage.
Shen Jie frowned.
He didn’t like this smell.
[Warning! Warning! There is a high-level alien lurking nearby.]
The system suddenly issued a warning.
[Energy threshold detection… C… B… A… A+…]
[How could there be an A+ level alien in the city? Host, quickly return to the carriage, find cover, and hide! With your current strength, you absolutely cannot let it detect you!!!]
High-level aliens of A rank and above possessed complete humanoid consciousness, full-form domain space, and could manipulate the release and retrieval of mist, continuously shifting locations, causing destruction and invasion, with destructive power thousands of times greater than that of low-level aliens.
Therefore, they had another name.
“Mobile Catastrophe.”
The high walls and defensive lines of the city were designed to prevent the invasion of high-level aliens.
Now it seemed that there might have been a breach.
Chen Shushu and Ao Daye were still unaware, discussing whether the two of them should go ahead to scout, while one person stayed in the subway to take care of the injured.
Shen Jie said, “The city’s defense forces haven’t arrived yet, perhaps there’s trouble outside. It would be very dangerous to go out recklessly.”
Chen Shushu actually had the same feeling, saying, “Then what should we do? We can’t just stand by and watch brother Luo die like this.”
Shen Jie took out disinfectant gel to clean his hands and put on a pair of rubber gloves. “I know a bit about emergency treatment for burns and suffocation. We can give it a try. However, I’ll need your help.”
“Let’s go. Let’s go back to the carriage first.”
He was still wearing his white lab coat, looking very much like a professional doctor.
Chen Shushu and Ao Daye looked at his calm and confident face, and unconsciously followed his lead.
“What method?” Chen Shushu asked.
Shen Jie thought about the human anatomy knowledge he had acquired over the years and said earnestly, “Emergency cricothyroidotomy. It can help restore the patient’s ability to breathe.”
“Oh, I see.” Chen Shushu didn’t understand medicine, but that didn’t stop him from showing admiration in his eyes towards Shen Jie.
[Do you really know how to perform a cricothyroidotomy?] The system was doubtful.
Shen Jie: “No.”
[*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* … Then are you deceiving them?]
Shen Jie: “And what about you, all-knowing system? Give us something useful.”
[Open the ‘Newbie Starter Pack’.]
—-
Less than five hundred meters from the last carriage of the subway.
Gu Nian’an’s hand, holding the “Blade of Judgment”, was bleeding.
Blood dripped from the blade onto the ground.
His voice was cold, echoing in the tunnel.
“Luo Yu , stop hiding, come out.”
“The C-level mist was an illusion created by you, and the data on the detector was also fake. You even evaded the surveillance of the observation center. This is not something you could do alone. Who exactly is assisting you?”
“You… no, what exactly are your intentions?”
In the darkness, another voice echoed.
“Intentions?” The creature chuckled. “What intentions could I possibly have?”
Its voice suddenly turned cold.
“Gu Nian’an, you should have died long ago. Nine years ago, your command error in the Nest Egg’s battle caused so many people to die for your mistake, yet you crawled out of the Nest Egg, stepping on the bodies of your comrades. Tell me, should you die?”
“Hehehe… Hahaha… Everyone should die… Everyone should die… Humans should all die…”
“Not just you, but this hypocritical city should have been destroyed long ago…!”
The domain space expanded, and the psychedelic blue mist rapidly expanded, filling this side of the world.
—-
As the surrounding scene changed, Shen Jie was kneeling on one knee, holding the pen he had taken from Xu Xiaolin’s hand and gesturing at Luo Yunsen’s throat.
Ao Daye widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Are you serious? Planning to puncture the trachea with a pen?”
Shen Jie nodded, “Yes. In emergency situations, when there’s no surgical knife available, a pen can also work. Although dust and impurities may enter along the trachea, at least it ensures smooth breathing.”
His tone was calm and composed.
In fact, the accurate surgical position and procedure were just searched by the system.
The technique was something he had learned recently.
This was his first time performing the procedure.
Shen Jie remained expressionless, and with a firm grip, he accurately pierced the pen into the designated position. His hand didn’t tremble, his eyes didn’t blink. Even the most experienced emergency doctor would have to praise his innate talent.
The penetration was spot on.
Fresh air flowed into the trachea, and Luo Yunsen’s previously motionless chest began to rise and fall.
“Oh oh oh, he’s alive! He’s alive!” Onlooker Ao Daye felt incredulous, shouting like a shocked monkey.
Then he turned his head and realized he was actually standing in a forest.
… Wait, a forest?
Wasn’t he in the subway car?
[Warning! Warning! Domain space has been entered.]
System: [This is the domain space unfolded by an A+ level alien, completely different from the mini version of the Enigma Tree Fiend just now. As long as you are within this space, it can clearly perceive all life. It’s too late to escape now. Host, restrain your breath, stop moving, don’t let it take any interest in you!]
This was a tropical rainforest, with towering trees and vines everywhere, and a dense miasma pervading the surroundings.
A silver-white giant snake, over ten stories high, emerged from the forest, its cold snake eyes staring at the humans below.
The system quickly confirmed the alien.
[“Space” category , Rank Four alien, “Void Serpent.”]
[Abilities of the Void Serpent: Concealment, Venom, Strangulation, Advanced spatial traversal, Advanced spatial folding. Weaknesses are its eyes and its seven-inch region .]
[No wonder the city defense team didn’t come. With a Void Serpent outside, how could they get in?]
[Let me see who the captain of the 2077 city defense team is. Can we still be saved in this situation… Gu Nian’an? Why is it still him???]
“Luo Yu, your opponent is me.”
Gu Nian’an held a knife, standing atop the nearest large tree to the giant snake.
His skin revealed numerous black patterns, including on his arms, neck, chest, and even below his eyes, where two narrow, black tear marks were imprinted.
This was the manifestation of his ability being pushed to its limit.
The silver-white giant snake’s gaze was cold as it swung its tail, covered in sharp scales. In the next moment, the tail disappeared from its original position and reappeared behind Gu Nian’an!
Gu Nian’an seemed to have anticipated this, leaping forcefully and swinging back, the Blade of Judgment colliding with the snake’s tail, emitting sparks and a piercing roar.
The giant snake kept flashing, and Gu Nian’an wielded his blade to block. With the “Rule” taking effect, he was able to maneuver effectively in the void.
Boom! Hiss! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The man and the snake were fiercely locked in combat.
The group of ordinary people who were pulled into the domain space, including Chen Shushu, watched the dazzling battle in the sky with astonishment.
This was their first time to watch a battle between high-level superpower user and alien at close range.
The attacks and evasions beyond common sense made the world seem surreal.
Although the world was already quite fantastical at present.
“Is this alien…?”
“Is this human…?”
They were dumbfounded.
Only Shen Jie quietly found a place with shade, standing there uninterested in the battle in the sky, taking out his phone from his pocket to check unread messages.
He felt his phone vibrate when the mist dispersed just now.
Among all his contacts, only Zong Lin’s messages were set to vibrate reminders.
He opened the conversation with the pinned “Capable Partner.” After appreciating the avatar as usual, he looked at the message.
Zong Lin sent a photo.
The photo showed the scenery outside the airplane window. The setting sun hung high, casting its reflection on the sea of clouds, creating a shimmering golden scene.
“Very beautiful,” he typed with his fingertips to reply.
But he keenly felt that he was being watched by something.
He looked up and saw a small white snake descending from a nearby treetop, its eyes staring at him.
Those eyes, emitting eerie red light, were even more terrifying than the Rank Four creature in the sky.
At the same time, the white giant snake in the sky received a message.
“Is that so? This time, the target is him.”
“Zong Lin’s partner.”
“The Enigma Tree Fiend, that useless fellow, actually let him escape from the subway… Yes, Master, I understand what to do now.”
The giant snake emitted wisps of snake signals towards Gu Nian’an, then suddenly disappeared from its original position.
Gu Nian’an remained vigilant, wary of the giant snake appearing from any possible corner.
Meanwhile, high above, Shen Jie saw the giant snake flash towards him, opening its mouth wide as it descended.
The vines hanging around suddenly transformed into countless silver-white snakes, encircling Shen Jie, blocking his path.
In the blink of an eye, the system detected the change.
[Damn it!!! It’s coming!!! The real target of the alien is you!!! Host!!!]
Shen Jie had already been on alert, so he sighed and, with the force of throwing a rugby ball, tossed the phone out.
Shen Jie had an advantage.
He was extremely precise in everything he did.
So the phone hit the giant snake’s mouth spot on.
The giant snake’s eyes widened in confusion, feeling a sudden heat in its mouth, then, it exploded—
Ordinary explosives wouldn’t harm a Rank Four alien at all, but this exploding phone contained the destructive mark of a Rank Two superpower!
Damn…
Boom—
The huge impact from the explosion sent Shen Jie flying backward, scraping past trees and vines in the forest, adding a few more bruises to his already injured soft tissues.
He didn’t care much about his injuries; what he cared about was—
The phone that Zong Lin bought for him.
Gone.
He felt a pang of heartache.
His hand was still itching. He felt like chopping something.
A snake would be perfect. Long enough to chop dozens of times without repetition.
“Chen Shushu…” He turned to Chen Shushu beside him, about to say something, but suddenly saw intense spatial fluctuations in the distance.
A white bone spear forcefully broke through the aberration’s domain, and someone was breaking in with unstoppable force.
Shen Jie’s tense body instantly relaxed.
Originally, he was still considering whether to borrow “1” from Chen Shushu again.
But now it seems unnecessary.
His “1” has arrived.
The serpent, injured by the cellphone bomb, emitted a piercing scream of rage, its snake head resembling a red popcorn, with eyeballs flowing out of its eye sockets due to the explosion.
Anger overwhelmed all its rationality. It once again used spatial traversal, its enormous body appearing in front of Shen Jie in an instant. The foul wind it exhaled became a storm, causing the tiny, fragile humans before it to stagger backward.
Shen Jie had no weapon in his hand, and his whole body felt like a piece of paper being blown away.
Yet his gaze passed over the ferocious snake head charging towards him and looked towards the distant orange-red sky, thinking,
“The sunset indeed… is very beautiful.”
He was forcefully embraced.
The man’s rapid breaths brushed against his ears, and the intense heartbeat pounded against his chest. One hand held a spear, while the other non-mutated arm tightly embraced him, whispering softly.
“Don’t be afraid.”
“I’m here.”
Thank you for the chapters! ❤
Ahhh finally in the same place
Thank you for the update ☺️
Woo ML is here
AHHHHHHH HE’S FINALLY HERE!!!! HERE TO SAVE HIS WIFE!!! FINALLY!!! cheering * *\ (>o<) /
Poor Jiang Fang he must’ve loved his wife a lot 😢
Awww too cute🥰
He’s finally here!! Thank you for the chapter ☺️
Yesssss!!!! He’s finally here!!! They’re finally together on screen!!! 😍😍😍 awww~ ML is so sweet towards the MC~ 🥰
This story is addictive!
Wow. So much new information. Thank you
Story is sooo addictive. Thanks for the chapter ❤️
Thank you for the chapters! Yay ML is finally here.
okay allmight i see you
Here. Heh. Thanks for the update ❤️
Fu fu fu~ Darling you should not be afraid, I don’t even think he’s human anymore!
Thanks for the chapter! This novel is so mysterious! So nice!!
i feel so single right now… i need a man like that😔
“His 1” — damn so exciting..
😭💖