Since Lin Bai often followed behind Chi Xiaoyu to the Investigation Bureau, the staff inside had all come to regard them as a couple. Now when greeting Lin Bai, they had started saluting.

"Captain, hello! Comrade, hello!"

"Hello."

The elevator slowly descended to the third basement level.

Lin Bai entered inside. He remembered that the last time he came here, it was still messy, filled with various low-grade anomalous tools. But now, the room was neatly arranged with various anomalous tools, clean and tidy.

"WTF, did they hire cleaning staff?"

"No, this is a negative effect."

"What negative effect?"

"An A-grade anomalous tool's negative effect is that her room will always stay tidy."

"Wait, how is that a negative effect? So anomalous tools have negative effects?"

"Some do."

Chi Xiaoyu pulled Lin Bai's hand as they walked inside, passing room after room with various numbers and anomalous tool grades written on the doors, until they came to a door marked "B-grade Anomalous Tool."

"Anomalous Tool: Playing Cards."

"Effect: Each card brings surprises. What will the next card be?"

"Negative Effect: Guess!"

"Materials: From the last deck of cards used by a genius magician before his death."

Chi Xiaoyu pushed open the door and pulled Lin Bai inside. The room had a display stand with an exquisite deck of playing cards in the center.

"You, try it?"

Chi Xiaoyu said uncertainly. She wasn't sure about this anomalous tool's effects either - it was sent from headquarters.

Lin Bai took out the deck of cards, counted 54 cards total. Lin Bai flipped the first card, which showed a dove. The playing card created a lifelike dove out of thin air that flew around the room, flapping its wings.

"That's it?"

"You, try again?"

Lin Bai flipped another card showing three balloons. In an instant, those balloons appeared in his hands.

"..."

Lin Bai flipped another card showing a symbol. As that card glowed, Lin Bai suddenly disappeared from his spot.

"What did he draw?"

Chi Xiaoyu looked puzzledly at where Lin Bai had vanished. Disappearing act? Teleportation? As Chi Xiaoyu wondered, the dove in the room suddenly exploded, bursting into many small doves, and those balloons began continuously expanding without limit.

○

In some women's changing room locker, Lin Bai looked at the playing card in his hand with a blank expression.

"Where the hell did this take me?"

The playing card with a clown's smile in his hand slowly disappeared.

Outside came rustling sounds of changing clothes and girls' conversations.

"Hey, where are you going to play during summer vacation?"

"To the beach!"

"Ah, I'm so envious."

"What's to be envious about? You can come too."

"I, I don't have money."

"It's fine, just find a boyfriend to take you."

"Ah?"

Lin Bai didn't dare make a sound in the locker. He already understood where this was - this was his university club's changing room!

Lin Bai looked at his phone: 6:55. Fortunately time was almost up, otherwise wouldn't he be hung on the campus wall for severe criticism? What kind of anomalous tool was this, really harmful!

Just then, footsteps approached and slowly walked to Lin Bai's locker door.

【Not good】

"Ye Luo, where are you planning to play during summer vacation?"

"Play? Let me think."

Ye Luo thought about going to various places to play, but then realized she didn't seem to have summer vacation.

"I'll just stay home."

"Eh? Really not going out?"

Ye Luo shook her head and put her hand on the locker door, trying to open it.

"Strange, why is this locker so tight? Is the lock broken?"

Ye Luo pulled hard while Lin Bai inside desperately held the door. Time slowly passed.

【Just hold on a little longer】

【Being posted on the campus wall as a creep - I don't want that】

7:00

"Meow meow?"

"Eh? Eh eh eh?"

"What's wrong, Ye Luo?"

Bai Ling waved innocently, then suddenly disappeared from the spot.

"Nothing."

【Isn't this Chi Xiaoyu's contracted anomaly? How did it get here?】

○

"That was close."

Looking at the playing cards with only 51 cards left, Lin Bai frowned.

"One-time anomalous tool, and random too. Doesn't seem very useful."

"What if I draw something with strong negative effects? Wouldn't I be screwed?"

Lin Bai put it away but looking at the playing cards in his hand, couldn't help drawing another.

"Damn it, I want to draw cards!"

Flipping the card in his hand, it showed a purple crystal ball. As this card disappeared, a memory appeared in Bai Ling's mind.

In a towering white temple, a golden majestic figure slowly spoke.

"You who committed the sin of greed, I grant you endless wealth. Go enjoy it."

"You who committed the sin of pride, I grant you a powerful body. Go destroy everything."

"You who committed the sin of envy, I grant you nimble hands. Go change others."

"You who committed the sin of wrath, I grant you unquenchable fire. Go burn all things."

"You who committed the sin of sloth, I grant you beautiful dreams. Go indulge in them."

"You who committed the sin of gluttony, I grant you a hungry stomach. Go devour the world."

"Finally, my angel, after my death, you need no longer serve me. I grant you freedom."

Everyone knelt down. The deity began decomposing, slowly merging into everyone's bodies, crying out.

"For the new world."

○

"Whose memory is this? That angel looks familiar."

Bai Ling muttered to herself. She couldn't see the scene clearly but had heard the deity's words distinctly. It seemed this was the origin of Terminus Cult. Why would the deity decompose? Why would it hold endless malice toward the world?

"My head hurts, getting smarter."

Just then her phone rang. It was a message from Chi Xiaoyu with a document.

Bai Ling opened it and read carefully.

"According to intelligence from the Director, Terminus Cult will plant flowers called 'Tainted Objects' in various cities. People within range will be killed and sacrificed to the evil god. Now everyone's mission will change to eliminating these flowers."

Bai Ling saw someone @her in the anomaly chat group, so she opened that group chat and looked through the messages.

"This damn Terminus Cult is causing trouble again."

"They've been really active lately. Isn't the Investigation Bureau managing this?"

"Sigh, they're short-staffed. I was even asked to help last time."

"Right? Now they're doing something with tainted objects again. Even my dog mutated."

"@Group Investigation Bureau Informant, you there? What's the Bureau doing? Can they handle this?"

"..."

Bai Ling slowly put away her phone and walked through the dark city night, sighing softly. She really wanted to return to her carefree former self.