Assistant Xiao Zhang handed the report transmitted from headquarters to Deng Yuqi. “Director, two hours ago… the headquarters’ supernatural containment facility was attacked by an unknown force. A large number of anomalies were released, including one Tier-3 anomaly and three Tier-2 anomalies… Casualties among headquarters’ personnel are severe, and reinforcements are being mobilized from nearby branches. According to the latest report, the area from Haicheng District to the Fifth Ring Road in the capital has been completely locked down, and evacuations are underway.”

Deng Yuqi frowned as she studied the report. Headquarters had the most advanced equipment and numerous veteran agents stationed there. Any force bold enough to strike at headquarters was clearly no ordinary threat.

Most importantly, just as the “Twelve Branches” had surfaced in Rong City, headquarters was immediately attacked. It was hard not to suspect this was part of the Twelve Branches’ scheme.

If each branch sent their elite agents to assist headquarters now, the Twelve Branches could seize the opportunity to attack the containment facilities across the country. The entire nation would descend into chaos.

“Xiao Zhang, find Director Chen and have him come to my office. Cheng Sheng, prepare the meeting materials from last night—I need to hold a video conference with the other branches,” Deng Yuqi ordered solemnly.

Cheng Shengnan and Xiao Zhang immediately carried out her instructions.

After last night’s emergency meeting, Director Chen had already begun coordinating with the other branches to investigate the Twelve Branches. But early this morning, headquarters’ mobilization order arrived, forcing them to convene an immediate video conference.

The meeting lasted until noon. Despite the dire situation at headquarters, several high-ranking officials still participated, both to relay updates on the capital’s crisis and to coordinate personnel deployment.

However, after reviewing the intelligence on the Twelve Branches compiled by the Rong City branch and Deng Yuqi’s concerns, they realized this could indeed be the Twelve Branches’ doing.

After deliberation, headquarters made a critical decision: branches with more than five contained anomalies or those housing Tier-3 anomalies or higher would not send reinforcements. Those below this threshold would follow the proximity principle, with branches closest to the capital providing support first.

The Rong City branch was one of the few in the country with a double-digit anomaly containment count. Already short-staffed, sending reinforcements now would leave the city vulnerable if the Twelve Branches struck.

The attack on headquarters had triggered a catastrophic supernatural outbreak in the capital. As the nation’s central city, every move was under global scrutiny.

This large-scale anomaly outbreak meant supernatural incidents could no longer be suppressed.

By the time Shen Ge and Lin Yin received the news and returned to the branch, reports about the supernatural disaster in the capital had already flooded the internet.

Despite the Special Response Department’s (SRD) efforts to censor information—even blocking countless keywords—young netizens proved creative, flooding social media with coded slang and memes, giving the SRD a massive headache.

But suppressing information was no longer the priority. The real challenge was resolving the supernatural crisis in the capital.

Nearby branches had already dispatched agents for support. For Rong City, the top priority was securing their own containment facility.

After careful analysis, Deng Yuqi decided that sitting idle wasn’t an option. The living anomalies in the underground containment facility were a ticking time bomb. She greenlit the tech department to go all out, using these anomalies to develop new supernatural energy-based equipment.

Additionally, for the next two days, at least one of them—Shen Ge or Lin Yin—had to remain stationed at headquarters to guard against a potential Twelve Branches ambush.

Three days passed. Rong City maintained its high frequency of supernatural incidents—one per day—but with Shen Ge and Lin Yin on duty, these Tier-1 anomalies or early-stage mutations posed little threat.

However, during these three days, reports emerged of containment facilities in other branches being attacked by mysterious assailants. Witnesses described the perpetrators as Twelve Branches members dressed in black hoodies. Thanks to their “teleportation” abilities, the SRD was powerless to stop them.

Yet, technicians from the Qianzhou branch discovered that this teleportation ability wasn’t as unrestricted as it seemed. It functioned more like “fixed-point teleportation” or “relocation.”

In simple terms, it was akin to setting up a teleportation device at one location and moving to a predetermined destination.

These devices were powered by supernatural energy and were single-use.

The Qianzhou branch sent the remnants of a “captured” teleportation device to Rong City. After disassembly, Li Xiang’s team found that the material was derived from the corpse of a Tier-3 anomaly.

The other branches hoped Li Xiang could fully decipher the teleportation technology. If the SRD could master teleportation, combating supernatural incidents would become far easier, and reinforcements could arrive much faster.

Meanwhile, the situation in the capital was worsening. Though fewer than ten anomalies had escaped from SRD headquarters, the Twelve Branches were using some method to accelerate their mutations.

Headquarters could only lock down the city block by block, clearing it systematically. But after three days, they had advanced less than 500 meters. Worse, one of the Tier-3 anomalies was feasting unchecked in the quarantine zone, showing signs of a fourth mutation.

Headquarters requested that the Rong, Qian, and Dian branches send agents who had previously resolved Tier-4 incidents to assist. But Deng Yuqi refused.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care about headquarters’ survival. Rather, she suspected the Twelve Branches’ true goal wasn’t the capital.

By creating such a massive diversion, they might be trying to lure Shen Ge away from Rong City. Without its strongest fighter, the branch would be vulnerable, allowing the Twelve Branches to attack and reclaim the remnants of “Xu.”

So Deng Yuqi made a bold decision: Shen Ge and Lin Yin would take shifts guarding Li Xiang while he immediately began researching the remnants of “Xu.”

On the afternoon of the third day, during Lin Yin’s shift, Shen Ge was arranging tasks at the operations department’s training ground when Li Yi from the logistics team brought two newcomers.

The man stood around 170 cm tall, lean with a buzz cut, sharp features, and an energetic demeanor. The woman was about the same height but carried herself with an imposing presence—short hair, flat-chested, and equally lean, radiating vigor.

Li Yi introduced them to Shen Ge and Feng Chengxiu. “This is Shen Ge, an elite anomaly investigator from our Rong City branch. He will be responsible for your combat training. And this is Feng Chengxiu, head instructor of the operations department and captain of Elite Team 1. He will oversee your physical training.”

The two newcomers were momentarily stunned. Before arriving, they’d heard rumors about Shen Ge. When Li Yi brought them over, they’d assumed the hulking man resembling Schwarzenegger was the legendary figure. But no…

To be fair, Shen Ge wasn’t short, and after four months of training, his physique had improved significantly.

But compared to these two, he could only be considered “fit.” Standing next to Feng Chengxiu, he looked like a regular soldier next to a bodybuilder.

The newcomers quickly snapped out of their daze, standing at attention and saluting.

“Recruit Tu Doubi reporting for duty!”

“Recruit Yang Yuxin reporting for duty!”

Shen Ge and Feng Chengxiu exchanged glances, with the former gesturing for the latter to speak first. Feng Chengxiu returned the salute and barked, “Good. Spirited. Welcome to the Rong City SRD. From now on, I’ll ensure your training molds you into elite operatives! Remember—we are the last line of defense against the supernatural. Once you join the SRD, you must be prepared for anything. Understood?”

“Understood!”

“Understood!”

Their responses were sharp and resounding.

Feng Chengxiu nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Shen Ge. “Investigator Shen, they’re all yours. When it’s time for training, just send them my way.”

“Got it.” Shen Ge nodded.

After Feng Chengxiu and Li Yi left, Shen Ge studied the two with an amused expression—like a child eyeing new toys. Their nerves frayed under his gaze.

“Do you know what the SRD is up against?” Shen Ge asked.

Tu Doubi answered loudly, “Sir! Anomalies—monsters mutated from animals that feed on living beings. Conventional weapons are ineffective. We must use equipment crafted from anomaly remains to fight them.”

Shen Ge nodded. “Not bad. Seems you paid attention during training. I’ve read your files. Both of you have encountered Tier-1 anomalies before, right?”

“Sir, yes!” Yang Yuxin replied.

Tu Doubi added, “Sir, in my encounter, the tank couldn’t finish off the anomaly. An investigator had to step in. Seeing that battle made me determined to become one.”

Shen Ge smirked. “In that case, I’ll give you two choices. One—turn around and return to your old unit. Two—follow me. But once you take this step, leaving the SRD means either being carried out or stripping off this uniform.”

“Sir!”

“Sir!”

Without hesitation, they followed Shen Ge out of the operations department. Though they didn’t know where he was taking them, backing down wasn’t an option.

After navigating the branch’s labyrinthine corridors, they arrived at the heavily guarded underground containment facility. A descending passage led them to the containment chambers, buried over a dozen meters underground.

Due to the heightened alert, every chamber housing a live anomaly now had two armed guards stationed outside.

Shen Ge led them to the innermost chamber, where a grotesque, meter-long “black wolf” shrouded in dark smoke crouched in the corner.

From the moment they entered the containment area, Tu Doubi and Yang Yuxin had been trembling uncontrollably at the sight of the horrors locked behind each door. But the previous chambers had held only dead anomalies. This one housed a live specimen.

As soon as they reached the door, the black wolf’s ears pricked up. A guttural growl rumbled from its throat as it stood.

Shen Ge addressed the guards. “Stand down and stay on standby.”

“Yes, sir!” The two guards stepped back.

Shen Ge entered the access code on the control panel. With a hiss of depressurization, the heavy door slid open.

The black wolf immediately coiled into an attack stance, its dark smoke thickening, obscuring most of its body.

“Care to step inside?” Shen Ge glanced back at the recruits.

They swallowed hard, eyes locked on the terrifying creature. Tu Doubi clenched his teeth and moved to enter—

The black wolf lunged at Shen Ge.

“Sir!”

“Look out!”

The recruits instinctively reached out to pull Shen Ge back. But with a snap of his fingers, a viscous, black substance—like molten lava—coated his leg. A graceful spin-kick sent the wolf crashing into the wall.

“Didn’t ask you. Back to your corner.”

THUD.

The wolf slumped in the corner, dazed.

Tu Doubi and Yang Yuxin gaped, arms still outstretched. The guards, however, remained unfazed—clearly accustomed to such displays.

Shen Ge often visited the containment facility to “spar” with anomalies, honing his combat skills while assisting Li Xiang in testing new equipment and refining his armored suit.

He turned to the recruits, who were now standing inside the chamber, frozen mid-rescue attempt.

“Good reflexes. And brave.” Another snap of his fingers summoned black gauntlets. He sidestepped the wolf’s next pounce, seized its throat, and slammed it to the ground. A black membrane enveloped its head.

“This is a juvenile husky. It mutated after dog thieves tried to sell it to a butcher. It ate the thieves, injured a few bystanders, and was captured by Elite Investigator Lin Yin. Don’t let its looks fool you—its strength and durability are barely above a normal husky’s.”

“The real threat is its supernatural energy—the dark smoke. Its most common ability is rapid regeneration, which grants resistance to bullets. Beyond that, it’s nothing special. Against low-tier anomalies, staying calm is key. Treat them like wild animals.”

Yang Yuxin asked, “Sir, what about high-tier anomalies?”

“Training mentioned that anomalies undergoing a second mutation may develop unique abilities,” Tu Doubi added.

Shen Ge nodded. “Correct. Post-second mutation, firearms become nearly useless. They gain special powers—some can even drag victims into subspace. In those cases, staying calm is even more critical. Find their weakness, decipher their patterns, and break their subspace.”

Tu Doubi said, “So we fight anomalies with supernatural equipment?”

“Sir, the black substance on your hands and feet, the armguard—are those all supernatural gear?” Yang Yuxin asked.

Shen Ge nodded, drawing the cleaver from his waist. “This too. Supernatural equipment varies wildly, tailored to the anomaly’s abilities. Initially, with fewer incidents, gear was scarce. But as anomalies proliferate, so do our resources.”

“Once we become investigators, can we get our own gear?” Tu Doubi asked eagerly.

Shen Ge lopped off the wolf’s head with a few swift strokes, wiped the blade, and sheathed it. “In theory, once you pass the elite agent exam, you can apply. Plus, you’ll have disposal rights over any anomalies you contain.”

The recruits weren’t fazed by the brutality—if anything, they seemed more intrigued. Tu Doubi, especially, was clearly in it for the cool gear.

Shen Ge had brought them here to test their composure and courage. Their performance met his standards.

As they left the containment area, he briefed them on an investigator’s duties and protocols before handing them off to Feng Chengxiu for hellish training.

After his shift, Shen Ge returned to his dorm, only to find Cheng Shengnan absent. A trip to the admin building revealed she’d been dragged into a meeting with headquarters by Deng Yuqi.

At 10 p.m., Cheng Shengnan returned with news—she’d been promoted to deputy director of logistics. Shen Ge was stunned.

“Your promotion speed is faster than a rocket,” he remarked.

Cheng Shengnan sipped her coffee, amused. “Elite Investigator Shen, you skipped probation entirely and became an elite agent straight out the gate. Half the branch doesn’t dare raise their voice at you. Compared to that, my climb is snail-paced.”

Shen Ge nodded sagely. “Fair point. Keep it up—maybe you’ll make director soon. Then you can have your way with me.”

“Get lost.” She nearly threw her cup at him.

…..

[System Notification: Congratulations on surviving another day in this anomaly-ridden world. Reward: 1% freely distributable attribute points, 10 system points.]

[April 9, 2028: After strategizing, the SRD director coordinated with you to capture several low-level spies planted in Rong City by “Sakura.” However, these operatives had little intel. Ultimately, you had to extract information from Xia Mei, Sakura’s Rong City handler.]

[April 10, 2028: The SRD’s operations forced Sakura to lay low. Since no one knew your system had “consumed” the Tier-6 anomaly “Nonexit,” both sides assumed the other had seized its corpse.]

[The SRD tasked you with recovering the corpse, while Sakura ordered you to uncover where the SRD had hidden it.]

[April 11, 2028: Playing both sides, you learned from Xia Mei that Sakura’s mole in the SRD had uncovered plans to target the Tier-7 anomaly “Formless.” Sakura intended to hijack the operation, steal “Formless,” and use it to barter for “Nonexit.”]

[April 12, 2028: Reinforcements from headquarters arrived at Quanlong Mountain Base. Among them was Luo Chenguang, a disciple of one of the original three elite investigators—Old He. Luo wore a black eyepatch over his left eye, and his right cheek bore severe burn scars.]

[Though taciturn, Luo occasionally offered sharp insights on anomaly combat, proving his expertise. His presence was a boon.]

“Luo Chenguang?” Shen Ge paused. The latest log had mentioned an unexpected “acquaintance.”

Though Luo’s final act during the Dongyu Village incident had earned Shen Ge’s respect, the seasoned veteran in the logs was a far cry from the man he’d known.

Still, it was ironic that the first familiar name in the logs belonged to Luo Chenguang, of all people.

Just as Shen Ge closed the logs and prepared to sleep, his phone rang—Deng Yuqi.

“Director?” he answered.

“Come to my office. We need to talk.”

“Did headquarters’ situation worsen?” he guessed.

Deng Yuqi sighed. “Yes. According to the latest report, the Twelve Branches used some supernatural drug to trigger mass animal mutations. During clashes with SRD agents, they lured anomalies to feed higher-tier ones.”

“Now, signs of a Tier-4 anomaly have emerged. But that’s not the worst of it. Hackers are attacking the SRD’s security systems. News about anomalies is spreading uncontrollably online. The world is watching, and foreign agents are mobilizing. Some are even attempting to smuggle investigators into the country to seize the Tier-4 anomaly. I’ll brief you in detail when you arrive.”

“On my way.” Shen Ge dressed hastily.

Cheng Shengnan, having overheard, suited up as well. “I’ll come too. I’ve been tracking the Twelve Branches’ reports.”

“I doubt the Twelve Branches are the main issue. The director probably wants to discuss sending me to headquarters.”

Worried, Cheng Shengnan said, “But… didn’t she suspect their real target was reclaiming ‘Xu’s’ remains? If you leave, won’t they strike?”

Shen Ge smirked. “What if I take ‘Xu’s’ corpse with me?”

“What?“