Shen Ge chased the figure into the mall. Even on a weekday, the large downtown shopping center was packed with people, making it difficult to spot anyone in the crowd.

But this guy wasn’t just dressed in all black—he also wore a hood. Shen Ge immediately picked him out among the masses.

“Special police operation! Everyone, get down!” Shen Ge shouted at the crowd, preparing to draw his gun once people dropped to the ground.

To his surprise, the bystanders just stared at him blankly, some even looking annoyed.

“Damn, do people in Rong City have zero sense of danger?” Without wasting more words, Shen Ge leaped onto a large stuffed statue to his right, then used it as a springboard to launch himself toward the black-clad figure.

“Whoa!”

“He can jump that far? Special police are this strong now?”

“Is this really a police operation?”

“Who knows? I’ve never seen one before.”

“Whatever, I’m filming this for Douyin. This is gonna get me views!”

“Like Douyin even matters. Who cares about views?”

“…”

The move instantly drew cheers. Clearly, no one expected Shen Ge to be so agile—jumping two meters high was one thing, but clearing three to four meters in a single bound was another.

Some wary onlookers immediately backed away or fled the mall, but most just pulled out their phones, eager to capture the spectacle.

Seeing Shen Ge closing in, the black-clad figure dashed toward the escalator, vaulted over the railing with one hand, and dropped to the lower floor before sprinting for the emergency exit.

Shen Ge followed suit, jumping down after him, which prompted another round of gasps—”Whoa, is this a Jackie Chan movie?” “Jackie Chan vibes!” “Supermarket warrior!”

Shen Ge pursued the figure into the parking garage. The man suddenly stopped in an empty area, turned, and hurled the black cat in his arms at Shen Ge.

“Meow—!”

The cat let out a sharp cry as a thick black mist erupted from its body, signaling the onset of mutation. But before it could fully transform, Shen Ge raised his hand, and his Stomach of the Abyss morphed into a massive maw, swallowing the cat whole midair.

A lump of rotting flesh thudded to the ground, the cat writhing violently inside, struggling to break free.

The black-clad figure froze for a split second, clearly not expecting Shen Ge to dispatch a Tier-1 aberration so effortlessly. Seizing the opening, Shen Ge closed the distance with a boost from his Leather Boots of the Abyss and threw a punch straight at the man’s face.

The figure raised his arms—only for two more blood-red hands to emerge from his clothing, all four palms meeting Shen Ge’s fist and locking it in place.

Then, two more pitch-black arms, wreathed in dark mist, sprouted from his clothes, brandishing a dagger aimed straight for Shen Ge’s chest.

Shen Ge had been on high alert ever since the system warned him that this was a Tier-5 aberration—Three Heads, Six Arms. Every move he made was calculated to counter the enemy’s attacks.

As the dagger thrust forward, Shen Ge’s other hand, already armored in rotting flesh, chopped downward to deflect the strike before delivering a punch to the figure’s abdomen.

Boom!

The impact sent both of them stumbling back several steps, creating distance between them.

The black-clad figure swung the single-strap bag from his back to his front, unzipped it, and pulled out an arsenal of weapons—assault rifles, submachine guns, you name it.

Six arms, six guns, all trained on Shen Ge.

“Hey, where’d you get all these restricted firearms?” Shen Ge snapped his fingers, summoning full-body armor, and dove behind an SUV just as the figure opened fire.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The black-clad man didn’t bother with words. Bullets rained down, turning the SUV into Swiss cheese in seconds. Shen Ge took several hits, but his armor absorbed the damage.

The figure advanced while firing, attempting to suppress Shen Ge with sheer firepower. But when he rounded the vehicle, Shen Ge was gone.

Shen Ge had already crouch-walked to a pillar during the initial barrage, then activated Invisibility + Silence to sneak up behind the attacker.

Boom!

A punch landed square on the figure’s back, sending him stumbling forward—only for Shen Ge to yank him back by the arm, sweep his legs, and pin him to the ground in a swift takedown.

Shen Ge yanked off the hood, revealing not Old Wang, but a young woman with short hair.

She was stunning—the kind of beauty that could topple cities and outshine flowers, every glance and gesture seemingly designed to captivate.

Seeing Shen Ge’s momentary daze, the woman smirked, knowing her charm had taken effect. “If you’re willing to join—”

Before she could finish, Shen Ge shoved a gun barrel into her mouth and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Rat-tat-tat!

The bullets tore through her skull.

As her eyes widened in shock, Shen Ge stood up, planted a foot on her chest, and emptied the rest of the magazine into her head, reducing it to pulp before tossing the rifle aside.

Then he noticed a pulsating red tumor on her neck, throbbing like a heartbeat. He immediately drew his Cleaver of Slaughter and hacked at it.

Squelch!

Blood sprayed as the blade struck the tumor. The woman’s six arms, splayed on the ground, suddenly moved, grabbing Shen Ge’s ankles and flipping him into the air with terrifying force.

The red tumor split open, and a fist-sized head rapidly expanded into that of a normal-sized man.

“You don’t know how to treat a lady with care?” The young man stood up, glaring at Shen Ge.

“Trying to seduce me? Luckily, I’m sharp enough to see that face wasn’t natural. Pfft—didn’t expect you to be hermaphroditic.” Shen Ge wiped his hands disdainfully, as if he’d just touched something filthy.

The man, realizing Shen Ge was trying to provoke him, simply smiled. “I’m Xu, of the Twelve Branches. After the incident at Dongyu Village, our organization has been observing you. Following your trip to Korea, we conducted tests and deemed you suitable. Interested in joining us?”

“Do you offer insurance, housing, and meals? Will you clean up my messes if I cause trouble? Got any badass credentials I can slap on people’s faces when they piss me off?” Shen Ge fired back.

Xu frowned, clearly not expecting such a rapid-fire list of demands. After a pause, he chuckled. “As Si said, you’re quite the character. We can’t provide those things yet, but once our plan succeeds, you’ll have greater power and wealth than you can imagine.”

Shen Ge scoffed. “So just empty promises, huh? You think I’d give up my cushy government job for that? The ultimate life goal is a stable position—only an idiot would jump ship without solid benefits. If you want me, bring better offers next time.”

“Is that so?” Xu smiled. “Fine. Next time we meet, we’ll come prepared. As for that half-finished corpse you took, keep it. Just… be careful when studying it.”

He turned to leave, but Shen Ge called out, “Hey, if you’re recruiting, at least introduce your organization properly.”

“I already did. I’m Xu of the Twelve Branches,” Xu replied.

Shen Ge noticed a red character—“Xu”—embroidered on the hood of the man’s black sweatshirt.

Recalling the black-clad figures he’d encountered in Korea and Nanhu International, their hoods had similar markings.

Shen Ge spread his hands. “And? What’s your organization’s goal? World peace? Global domination? At least give me the elevator pitch.”

“That? Our leader hasn’t decided yet,” Xu said.

Shen Ge’s face beneath the helmet twisted into a weird expression. After a long pause, he muttered, “Your boss is… impressively casual.”

“Don’t call it ‘casual.’ It’s ‘free-spirited’ and ‘unconstrained.’ Life’s about comfort, and our goal is to live comfortably in the future,” Xu said with a grin.

Shen Ge pressed, “The ‘Si’ you mentioned—was that the guy who released aberrations in Korea and fought us at Nanhu International?”

“Correct,” Xu nodded.

“His real name is Wang Defa, the security guard from Happy Community?”

Xu smiled. “Since you’re asking about Si, I’ll tell you. His original body was Wang Defa, but he’s not the same person. During one of our operations, there was a minor mishap that dragged the guard into it. The original Wang Defa is dead. What’s alive now is Si.”

“Twelve Branches. You’re Xu, he’s Si.” Shen Ge checked his wristwatch—8:57 AM.

“Si appeared twice, both between 10 and 11 AM. Your timing’s pretty tight too—following the Twelve Earthly Branches schedule, huh? Does that mean you’ve got three minutes before you ‘clock out’?” Shen Ge asked.

Xu smiled without answering.

Shen Ge continued, “The experiment Wang got mixed up in—was it related to the Ghost Car incident? You’re using parasitic aberrations to create artificial aberrations like yourselves, right? The Ghost Car was a failed experiment that lost control?”

Xu’s smile widened. “Not bad. You pieced all that together from scattered clues? Yes, Wang accidentally wandered into the test zone and consumed the parasitic aberration we’d prepared for someone else. It took us days to track him down.”

“And you even know about parasitic aberrations? You’re more informed than we thought. That must be thanks to that capable researcher of yours—what’s his name? Li Xiang? Right, Li Xiang.”

“He’s on our recruitment list too, though ranked below you.”

Shen Ge had secretly activated his communicator to Director Deng Yuqi’s private line the moment the conversation started, ensuring she heard everything.

Upon learning Li Xiang was also a target, Deng immediately dispatched teams to secure the tech department, wary of a diversion—what if the enemy was stalling Shen Ge while ambushing the transport team or raiding HQ to kidnap Li Xiang?

“Honestly, I’m pretty interested in your group. Especially how you grew a new head after I blew the first one off. That red tumor reminded me of a report I read—about an experiment at HQ where the subject turned into a giant tumor monster. Is your ‘leader’ someone who escaped from our headquarters?”

Shen Ge tried fishing for intel, but Xu wasn’t biting. “Want to know? Join us, and I’ll tell you.”

“Fine, I’ll join,” Shen Ge said instantly.

Xu grinned. “Great. First, take off that aberration armor and hand it over. Then come with me to HQ. I’ll tell you everything—where aberrations come from, why they exist, even how to control them. Deal?”

“You know the origin of aberrations?” Shen Ge sounded skeptical.

Xu nodded seriously. “Of course. We have intel even your Special Response Division lacks. Join us, and the truth is yours.”

“Give me a teaser first. How else do I know you’re not bluffing?”

Xu countered, “Do you know why every living creature on Earth can mutate—except humans?”

The question gave Shen Ge pause.

Thinking back, every life form—animals, insects, marine life—could undergo aberration, yet humans alone were incompatible with aberration energy, unable to mutate.

Biologically, humans shared traits with other animals. There was no logical reason for humans to be the sole exception.

“Oh? Why’s that?” Shen Ge asked.

Xu smirked. “Want to know? Then consider my offer.”

“I’m a cautious guy. Won’t take off the armor unless I’m sure it’s safe.”

“Then we’re at an impasse. When you’re ready to join, show some sincerity first.” Xu turned and walked toward the exit.

“Hey, one last question—is your Twelve Branches roster full?”

Xu paused. “Why do you ask?”

“I don’t like starting at the bottom. If I join, I’m gunning for one of those twelve seats. If they’re all taken, I’ll have to… free up a spot.”

Xu was still processing the threat when Shen Ge suddenly raised his right arm.

Hidden within the rotting armor, the Gauntlet of the Abyss unleashed a torrent of black fire.

Having gotten all he could from the conversation, Shen Ge had no intention of letting Xu leave.

As the flames engulfed Xu, Shen Ge activated Domain of the Unyielding, trapping the man in a sealed space to roast alive.

“Ah—!”

“AHHH!!”

“Bastard! I’ll kill you!”

“I’ll kill you!”

Xu’s screams echoed within the domain as he burned. But Shen Ge’s mental energy wasn’t enough to reduce him to ash. The moment he confirmed Xu was fully alight, he dispelled the domain and emptied a magazine into the flaming figure.

Xu curled up on the ground, his body charring like any ordinary person’s would in a fire. But since the system hadn’t confirmed the kill, Shen Ge didn’t let up.

Then, he noticed something odd—Xu’s scorched body was shrinking, crumbling into black ash like sand through an hourglass.

Sensing danger, Shen Ge moved in for a closer look.

Boom!

A car suddenly flew at him from the right. Shen Ge blocked instinctively but was sent crashing into a pillar, which partially collapsed under the impact.

Rolling to the side, he took cover behind another vehicle.

From the shadows of the parking garage emerged another black-clad figure—taller and broader than Xu, his hood’s marking obscured in the dim light.

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[Tier-5 aberration detected (Trait: Three Heads, Six Arms). Host is outmatched. Recommend immediate retreat!]

“Great. One down, another shows up.” Shen Ge grimaced. If this kept up, he might have to fight all twelve.

Assuming the “Twelve Branches” were at full strength.

As Shen Ge prepared to engage, the trunk of the car that had hit him burst open, and out crawled a human-sized red aberration.

Its form was unmistakable—a lobster, wreathed in thick black mist, its body swelling rapidly.

So big, one pot won’t hold it!

“Damn it, I’ll never look at crayfish the same way again!” Shen Ge blocked the lobster’s pincers with his arm.

The creature had been human-sized when it emerged but had already doubled in height, its aberration energy intensifying at an alarming rate.

A secondary mutation

in such a short time was unheard of.

But Shen Ge had no time to dwell on it—the new black-clad figure was sprinting toward Xu’s remains.

Shen Ge used the Stomach of the Abyss to restrain the lobster’s head, then torched it with the gauntlet’s flames.

While the lobster burned, he drew his cleaver and hacked at its skull repeatedly.

Despite being only Tier-1, its shell was tougher than most Tier-2 aberrations. It took several strikes to crack it open.

[Host has slain a Tier-1 aberration. Reward: 50 system points.]

[Sell Tier-1 aberration corpse? Price: 200 system points.]

“Sell!”

After disposing of the corpse, Shen Ge vaulted over the car and charged at the black-clad figure.

The man rushed toward Xu’s ashes, a blood-red hand extending from his clothes to form a fleshy sack that scooped up the remains before he bolted.

Shen Ge gave chase, shouting, “Hey, since you’re here, why not chat for a bit?”

“You just ‘chatted’ one of our comrades to death. I think we’re done talking,” the figure retorted without turning back.

The voice belonged to a middle-aged woman, likely in her forties or fifties.

Using the Leather Boots of the Abyss to close the gap, Shen Ge lunged, his Stomach of the Abyss morphing into a gaping maw to bite down on the fleeing figure.

The woman clutched Xu’s remains with one blood-sack hand while her other arm transformed into a thick, whip-like tendril that lashed out, repelling the attack.

“Whoa, a Kagune?” Shen Ge retracted the stomach and leaped into the air, his Gauntlet of the Abyss—“Unrelenting”—reaching for the tendril.

But the woman anticipated the move, retracting the appendage before he could grab it.

“Mr. Shen, the Twelve Branches are very interested in you. We’ll talk another time. Farewell for now!”

“Trying to run? Not happening!” Shen Ge activated Domain of the Unyielding, though his dwindling mental energy meant it would last only a couple of seconds. He had to time it right to block her escape.

The woman pulled out a device from her clothes, but the domain’s barrier caused her to slam into an invisible wall.

“What is this…?” She frantically patted the obstruction.

“Your coffin!” Shen Ge closed in, raising his cleaver—then canceled the domain mid-swing.

The woman, panicked, fumbled with her device, unaware it had been jammed by the domain.

As Shen Ge’s blade came down, she raised a blood-red arm to block—but the strike was a feint.

The real target was the sack holding Xu’s remains.

Thunk!

The cleaver severed the fleshy appendage connecting the sack to her body.

“Ahh!” The woman screamed as if the blade had struck her own flesh—proof the “clothing” was more than it seemed.

In that split second, her device activated, and with a flash of white light, she vanished.

Shen Ge stared at the squirming blood-sack on the ground and the empty space where the woman had stood, his brow furrowing.

So teleportation was real. But that white light… why did it look so familiar?

He opened the sack, revealing Xu’s charred, shriveled remains and a heap of black ash.

Just then, a marked “Special Police” armored vehicle screeched to a halt in front of him.

“Investigator Shen!”

“Investigator Shen!”

Feng Chengxiu, Wang Han, and others jumped out.

“The Tier-2 aberration corpse has been delivered to HQ. Director Deng sent us as backup,” Feng Chengxiu reported.

Shen Ge immediately grabbed his secure comms device—HQ’s specialized line had no signal issues.

“Director, that humanoid aberration corpse might be dangerous. Don’t let the tech team examine it yet!” Remembering Xu’s “friendly warning,” Shen Ge had a bad feeling.

Deng Yuqi’s voice crackled through. “The body’s still in inspection. It won’t be sent to the tech department until—”

A deafening boom cut her off.