One week later

All schools were now on vacation. In the seemingly peaceful city, tainted flowers quietly bloomed. Special action teams responsible for protecting the city and clearing tainted objects had been rushing around the city.

Night

"5-29, this is headquarters, please respond."

"5-29 received, what are headquarters' instructions?"

"Proceed immediately to support 5-15."

"Received."

The fully armed officer with a gun quickly ran to his motorcycle and rode to the area near 5-15 on the radar.

This was an abandoned construction site. The officer continuously called for 5-15 on the radio.

"5-15 please respond, this is 5-29, I'm near your location."

Unfortunately, there was no response. They were probably in grave danger.

Just then, a gray-skinned man slowly walked over - a corpse anomaly infected by tainted objects. Seeing the officer, he let out a roar and slowly approached.

5-29 raised his gun and accurately shot the corpse anomaly in the head.

"Target eliminated."

But with his gunshot, groups of corpse anomalies suddenly appeared around him, surrounding him. Seeing this, he cursed.

"Damn, should have brought a silencer."

5-29 didn't hesitate and began running while continuously shooting behind him. He alone couldn't eliminate so many corpse anomalies. He could only retreat from this area first.

He elbowed away blocking corpse anomalies and shot the heads of pursuing ones. Just as he was about to leave the abandoned construction site, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance with his back to him.

"5-15? Why didn't you respond earlier?"

The man slowly turned around. His eyes were empty, his skin covered with gray spots. He slowly raised the gun in his hands.

"What, what?"

With that bullet fired, it flew past 5-29's head and hit a corpse anomaly behind him. 5-15 said with difficulty.

"Run!"

Even though he was about to become a corpse anomaly, he hoped his comrade could leave rather than die here because of him.

5-29 didn't hesitate. This was his comrade's last moment of reason. He stepped past 5-15 and shot him - this was the last thing he could do for his comrade. Then he rushed out and got on his motorcycle.

"Calling headquarters, this is 5-29."

"This is headquarters, go ahead."

"5-15, deceased. Abandoned construction site elimination failed."

"Sigh."

A slight sigh.

"Understood."

○

A red light streaked across and crashed into the ground of the abandoned construction site. Ripples spread out, and with the girl's arrival, surrounding anomalies were instantly killed.

She slowly came to the center where a gray flower was planted in the ground, lying there quietly, looking harmless, but in reality, all the corpse anomalies in this area were thanks to it.

"Today's 10th..."

"Do you desire power?"

The flower's seductive words rang in Bai Ling's ears.

"Can't you change your line?"

Bai Ling didn't hesitate and swung out a blood light toward the flower. With the flower's withering, everything around slowly returned to normal, no longer deathly.

This week, she had eliminated hundreds of tainted objects. Under these flowers' influence, most people could only become ordinary anomalies, and corpses only became the lowest-grade corpse anomalies. But if they affected special populations, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Work's done, going home to wash and sleep."

"Ding dong."

"Welcome home, Onii-chan~"

"Welcome home meow~"

"When I'm in this state, just call me Sister Bai Ling. If Chi Xiaoyu discovers you calling me brother, that would be bad."

"Relax, relax, she won't find out."

"How are you so certain?"

【How could I not know if Chi Xiaoyu is nearby?】

Lin Xinyao smiled. Unfortunately, these were secrets that couldn't be spoken.

"Sister Chi is very busy now, how could she have time to come to our house?"

"True."

"Brother, after becoming a girl, have you ever, you know?"

"Which what?"

"Just, you know."

"I refuse to answer."

"Eh?"

○

City Center

In a luxuriously decorated hotel, a piano was placed in the center. A boy in a tuxedo continuously moved his nimble hands, playing the piano. Praise came from below the stage.

"Whose child is this? So talented!"

"Right, plays so well."

A middle-aged mother watched this scene with a satisfied smile.

After the boy finished performing, he slowly walked to her side. She patted his head, but he was clearly unhappy.

"You did very well. Tomorrow I'll reward you with 20 minutes of rest time. Continue practicing well the rest of the time."

"Didn't you say I could rest for a whole day?"

"Hm? Are you questioning me?"

"No, no."

The boy clenched his hands and followed his mother slowly off stage, coming home.

"Kneel down."

With this scolding, the boy immediately knelt on the ground, trembling as he looked at his mother's legs, not daring to raise his head.

"Growing up and getting bold? Dare to talk back to me?"

"No, that's not it."

"Still talking back."

His mother fiercely slapped the boy twice, angrily saying.

"Tomorrow stay home, don't go anywhere, continue practicing piano. What can you learn from going out to play? This is for your own good."

"Okay, okay."

The boy prepared to get up.

"Did I tell you to get up? Kneel down!"

The boy knelt on the ground again.

"Kneel like this for 2 hours. If I catch you secretly getting up, you know the consequences."

The strict mother looked at the child on the ground and nodded with satisfaction. This was the only place where she could feel the taste of having "power," and it indeed provided her with satisfaction.

After his mother left, the boy still knelt on the ground, not daring to raise his head, silently counting time while his heart filled with anger and dissatisfaction.

With his emotions rising, a gray flower quietly bloomed and came to his side.

"Do you desire power?"

"Do you hate this place?"

"Do you want to indulge yourself, even if just for a brief moment?"

"Yes, I want to leave here!" the boy cried out in his heart.

"Swallow me, and I will grant you rebirth!"

The boy grabbed the gray flower and swallowed it. An indescribable feeling of power began filling his body. From now on, he was no longer himself. He was a newly born anomaly, the incarnation of filth - the Mad Pianist.

"Who told you to get up?"

"What are you trying to do? Kneel down!"

The boy lowered his head and slowly walked toward his mother. The boy raised his hand toward his mother's heart.

"What are you doing? You're rebelling?"

His mother raised her right hand to slap her rebellious child, but just as she raised it, severe pain came from her chest. She looked down at her chest in disbelief. Blood began flowing from the corner of her mouth. Her chest had been pierced by the boy. The boy raised his head, his mouth showing a smile, teeth extending to his ears, grinning eerily.

"Farewell, cage."