Chapter 105
(Part 1)
Throughout history, Anomaly Fields have always been the most troublesome presence across the world.
The ability to pull up a field has little to do with the Anomaly’s rank; it primarily depends on the specific characteristics of the Anomaly.
It might not be skilled in combat, or it might possess almost no fighting power at all.
Just like a spider weaving a web, it might not be large or strong, but as long as it weaves a web, it can slowly trap and kill any prey that blunders into it.
Because an Anomaly Field is essentially a different dimension, it slowly leaks pollution, filling every inch of its domain.
Even if Guardians capable of fighting Anomalies are pulled inside, they might be eroded by the pollution before they even locate the domain’s master.
Therefore, an Anomaly Field being pulled up in the East District would have been incredibly tricky in the past. These experienced Guardian squads wouldn’t be trapped inside forever and die.
But before they could locate the hidden Anomaly and break the field, many Guardians would inevitably be polluted.
But now, the situation was different.
Luo Shizhen was also in this field.
He had just gone through the transition from Rank 4 to Rank 5. To rank up, he had consumed all of his previously stored “nutrition.”
Now, his Qi was itching for action, eager to feast.
Perhaps this young man, who had only just stepped into the high-rank level, lacked the combat experience of the older Guardian squads.
But as long as he was there, he could guarantee a safe zone, allowing these Guardian squads to engage in combat completely unaffected.
“Shizhen, can you do this?”
Chen He’an hadn’t seen Luo Shizhen in a long time and wasn’t entirely sure how efficient and fast his pollution-clearing was now, so he looked at his student with some concern.
“I can!”
Luo Shizhen gave his answer without a single trace of hesitation.
In reality, his entire body was screaming to rush out and eat, eat, eat. His Qi felt like it was flying and swirling around, urging him on.
However, Luo Shizhen had gained some experience now. He could even quickly enter the planning phase:
“We can clear out a safe zone first. It doesn’t need to be huge, just big enough to hold everyone. As for the rest, I can clear it bit by bit.”
Chen He’an paused for a moment, then gave a smile tinged with admiration. He patted the young man’s shoulder:
“That’s a great idea. Go do it.”
Luo Shizhen gave a goofy grin and immediately started walking out. As he walked, he tapped his earpiece, calling out to his teammates:
“Chu Xiao, where are you guys?”
This was the standard posture of a Guardian.
Before engaging in combat, gathering one’s teammates to face the impending hardships together.
Watching him walk away, Chen He’an suddenly smiled with relief:
“He has grown very quickly.”
Sui An also watched Luo Shizhen’s retreating back. “Right now, in Squad One, he is practically acting as the captain.”
“His potential has indeed exceeded my previous estimations.”
Luo Shizhen might not be the strongest combatant among all the Awakeners in his batch, nor the smartest, but he was the fastest to improve and the most capable of uniting everyone else.
His teammates all had their own flaws—some defects would even be fatal in battle. But at times like this, Luo Shizhen would transform into a tinkerer, slowly patching up his teammates’ shortcomings, giving them a pat, and pulling them along to fight side-by-side.
The qualities a captain of a Guardian squad should possess were vividly displayed in him.
Sui An slowly added, “I think it would be better for him to stay. He has an earnest, truth-seeking nature. He looks docile, but he is more stubborn than anyone else.”
Chen He’an sighed, checked the time on his watch, and then looked toward the East District, where the sky was blotted out by pollution:
“Let’s fight first.”
——Luo Shizhen had already regrouped with his teammates.
In fact, the moment they realized the entire East District had been pulled into an Anomaly Field, Chu Xiao and the others had already started heading this way.
It was the first time these young Awakeners had encountered a true Anomaly Field.
Being surrounded by pollution was an incredibly unpleasant feeling. Their Qi, inherently sensitive to pollution, was stimulated into a much angrier state than before, baring its fangs and claws, eager to rush out and fight.
But with pollution everywhere, it was impossible to sense where the Anomaly was hiding.
“This feels like a non-smoker being locked in a smoking room.”
Lu Qiujin frowned: “No wonder every time an Anomaly Field appears, at least nine-tenths of the people die. With this concentration of pollution, even Awakeners would find it hard to endure.”
Cheng Yunshao checked the pollution levels: “There is still good news. Anomalies like fresh food, so it won’t wait until we’re dead to come out and harvest. Instead, it will hide and only appear when its prey is in a half-dead state.”
He was relatively calm this time.
After all, they had witnessed Luo Shizhen’s purification ability with their own eyes.
Moreover, this entire area that had been pulled in was filled with experienced, veteran Guardian squads. Even without Luo Shizhen, they would definitely be able to break this field.
The only difference lay in how many people would have to be sacrificed.
Without Luo Shizhen, a group of people might have to die. But with him here now, there was nothing to fear.
Luo Shizhen was currently looking at a map of the East District, trying to find a safe zone large enough to accommodate everyone.
Ideally, it should be in the center, so that other Awakeners would have enough time to rush over.
“How about here?”
He tapped a specific spot.
Chu Xiao wasn’t surprised to see that the spot was indeed very central and marked with the label:
[Cafeteria]
Luo Shizhen: “This place doesn’t just have room to stay, but also food and water. Even if it turns into a protracted battle, we won’t have to worry about going hungry. What do you guys think?”
Chu Xiao: “This location works. It’s convenient for everyone to rush over.”
In reality, Guardian squads usually carried military-grade compressed biscuits. Furthermore, their enhanced physiques were highly resistant to starvation; even if they truly went without food for a week or two, they wouldn’t die.
Only Luo Shizhen would be worrying about whether everyone had food and water at a time like this.
With the decision made, Luo Shizhen immediately entered combat mode: “Let’s move out then!”
Even with the sky filled with pollution slowly eroding them, and even the relatively calm Cheng Yunshao showing faint signs of agitation from the influence, Luo Shizhen remained in his original state.
Decide to do something, determine how to do it, and do it.
It was that simple.
He took the lead and walked out, instructing his teammates to follow behind him.
Chu Xiao pursed his lips slightly, clenched his fists, and called out behind them: “Teacher Sui, please come with us.”
Even though Sui An’s presence was usually ghost-like, this Inspector still exerted a hidden pressure on the other members of Squad One, aside from Luo Shizhen.
This pressure came from the faint aura Sui An carried, and from his identity as an Inspector who executed mutated Awakeners.
Yet at this moment, Chu Xiao was incredibly thankful that Sui An was Luo Shizhen’s Watchman.
Although an Anomaly Field most likely relied on pollution attacks—which wouldn’t greatly affect a Purifier like Luo Shizhen—having a high-rank veteran present provided a sense of security.
The tall man slowly emerged from the mist, his steps lazy. Even without saying a word, he exuded a powerful, reassuring presence.
Chu Xiao lowered his eyes slightly, feeling a twinge of frustration. While the power within his own body was growing, it was still somewhat immature compared to the veterans.
If possible, he wished he were the one protecting Luo Shizhen, not someone else.
But there were no ‘ifs’. The reality was that he needed more time to grow, and what this world lacked most right now was time.
The group headed toward the cafeteria, driving directly. Any other Anomalies in the East District that attacked along the way were killed by the members of Squad One.
For the ones they truly couldn’t handle, Sui An’s mental power would effortlessly finish them off from behind.
The safe perimeter that young Awakeners struggled to maintain was effortlessly upheld by the veteran while simply driving the car.
At this, not only did Chu Xiao feel complex emotions, but Xiao Shan and the others also had varying expressions.
Only Luo Shizhen remained unaffected.
He sat in the passenger seat, earnestly devouring the pollution along the way.
To conserve his “appetite,” he only swallowed the pollution immediately surrounding the vehicle to ensure everyone’s safety inside.
Upon arriving at the cafeteria, the chef in charge of the large woks was currently wielding a giant ladle to fight off several Anomalies taking advantage of the chaos.
Seeing a car actually drive in through the pollution, he thought he was hallucinating.
His eyes were bloodshot, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he was clearly struggling to hold on.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t handle fighting the Anomalies, but that fighting them outside the buildings caused him to absorb the pollution much faster.
This head chef was a Rank 4 Awakener. For the newly Rank 5 Luo Shizhen, purifying him was as easy as plucking a small cabbage from the roadside and stir-frying it.
The white mist flew over, unceremoniously swallowing the pollution seeping from him, wrapping around the chef’s wrists—which were capable of making all sorts of delicacies—and quickly purified him.
“A Purifier?”
Because his combat power wasn’t very high, even as an Awakener, his position was only that of a chef. He never dreamed that he would actually be purified by a Purifier.
Moreover, he could sense the intimacy of this Purifier’s Qi, along with a faintly conveyed sense of affection.
Wait, could this be an illusion? How could a Purifier like him?
He was already fifty years old!
The chef looked at the young Purifier stepping out of the car, wreathed in white mist, doubting if this was a hallucination created by the Anomalies.
It wasn’t until Luo Shizhen walked right up to him, first checked to make sure he wasn’t injured, and then visibly swallowed his saliva.
“Hello, Chef. Do you have any ready-made meals right now?”
Chef: “…”
Seeing the chef staring blankly without speaking, Luo Shizhen thought for a moment and added:
“If there aren’t any ready-made meals, potatoes are fine too. We can steam some potatoes to eat.”
He had wanted to eat the moment he woke up. Swallowing pollution along the way was indeed satisfying, but while his spirit was full, his physical body was still hungry.
Chef: “…Yes, I’ll prepare some for you.”
Suddenly, he understood exactly what the affection conveyed by that white Qi meant.
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