The rapid inspection station wasn't luxurious enough to assign a containment team to every quarantine zone.

It took over ten minutes for the isolation gate of Quarantine Zone A to slide open on both sides.

A team of eight, all clad in off-white specialized protective suits, walked in. The suits resembled modern riot gear, with honeycomb-like cushioning layers covering the joints.

"So serious?"

Cheng Ye had assumed it would be as "simple" as the central checkpoint, where infection sources were casually stuffed into containment and whisked away.

This display caught him off guard.

He also noticed that the containment box had been upgraded to a new design.

It was no longer the usual tempered glass containment box but a special ceramic-like material, its surface etched with intricate anti-permeation patterns.

"Duty Inspector?"

The containment team leader stepped forward, a flicker of surprise crossing his face when his gaze landed on Cheng Ye.

Such a young inspector, looking even younger than the youngest member of the containment team!

"That's me."

Cheng Ye nodded, promptly pulling out his inspector badge.

The leader swiped it through the slot on his defense communicator, then exclaimed, "You're still a trainee inspector?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, just a bit surprising. Unknown infected entities are usually hard for even second-stage inspectors to detect. We often only come in for containment after an outbreak."

The team leader quickly shook his head. "Inspector Cheng, I'm Qin Feng, a second-level researcher from the Infection Source Research Institute."

"Infection Source Research Institute?"

Cheng Ye paused, immediately recalling the term from his predecessor's memories.

Happiness City had three research institutions.

[Happiness Research Institute]: Oversees civilian technology development, from nutrient paste formulas to water recycling systems.

[United Arsenal]: Specializes in weapons and equipment, including various armed vehicle research.

[Infection Source Research Institute]: As the name suggests, monopolizes infected entity research.

While all three held equal administrative rank, their treatment varied drastically.

The Infection Source Research Institute's projects directly impacted human survival, receiving exorbitant funding and resources, making it the unspoken "top dog" among the three.

A second-level researcher there held a status equivalent to a second-stage inspector, two full ranks above Cheng Ye's trainee status!

"Since this is an unknown infection source, I'll need to make a brief research record for our later reference. Any issues with that?"

"Ask away."

"Please describe the entire process from discovery to elimination of the infected entity. You don't need to explain how you identified it; I know every inspector has their own methods. Just focus on the infected entity's abilities."

"Hmm."

Qin Feng's sense of boundaries was quite comfortable.

Cheng Ye pondered for a moment, detailing the Corrupt Vine's attack patterns, specifically emphasizing its deceptive pretense of fearing fire and its ability to learn and evolve after being hit by bullets.

"What?"

Qin Feng's mind wandered initially, but his head snapped up at the latter part, his eyes wide behind the protective visor. "You're saying it generates denser fibrous tissue around bullet holes to resist after being hit?"

"I saw it with my own eyes," Cheng Ye nodded, then added, "Though I'm not sure if it was active learning or an instinctual response."

"Inspector Cheng, hold on!"

Realizing this could be a major discovery, Qin Feng immediately turned and signaled his team. "Prepare the sample box. We need to verify this infected entity on-site!"

Deception and learning weren't new; many infection sources exhibited similar traits.

But learning immediately after being hit was a first.

The eight team members hurriedly entered the isolation cell. Cheng Ye instinctively wanted to warn the guards to stay alert to prevent any accidents.

To his surprise, Raven whispered first, "Don't worry, sir. Researchers are the inner city's treasures. Those 'turtle shells' they wear? Even if they stood still and let an infected entity bite them, it might not break through."

"That strong?"

Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

The Civilization Collector could search items. He wondered if it could search for this protective suit.

If he could wear it on external missions, wouldn't his survival odds skyrocket?

Unfortunately, his charge points were depleted, and he'd have to wait until tomorrow to recharge.

"No rush, though. There'll be plenty of opportunities later."

Cheng Ye calculated silently. After nearly half an hour, Qin Feng and his team returned.

They had carried the containment box in with one person; now, four were needed to carry it, suggesting successful containment.

"Inspector Cheng, congratulations. This infection source is of high quality, worth three regular ones!"

Qin Feng said, removing his visor to reveal a mature, square-jawed face.

Seeing Cheng Ye's puzzled expression, he slapped his forehead. "My bad, you're still in your trainee period and don't know these things."

"What does Captain Qin mean?"

"Give me your badge. The checkpoint has a lot of internal rules, but the research institute doesn't care about those. There's no restriction on trainees not being allowed to know."

Qin Feng's words were vague, and Cheng Ye, not quite understanding, handed over his badge.

Qin Feng swiped it through his defense communicator, tapped the screen a few times, and handed it back.

"Try it. Sync it with your defense communicator, and you'll see."

"My defense communicator can do that?"

Only devices with special permissions could read identity badges. Cheng Ye had tried his inspector's defense communicator before, and it hadn't worked.

Following Qin Feng's instructions, he pressed it against the device.

The defense communicator's screen flickered, automatically jumping to a new interface.

[Module: Happiness City Infection Source Research Institute Task Board]

[Affiliation: Cheng Ye (Trainee Inspector)]

[Current Permission Status: Unlocked]

[Current Unlocked Task: Unknown Explorer (S)]

[Unknown Explorer (S): Submit 100 new infection source samples to the Infection Source Research Institute

Current Progress: 3/100

Stage Rewards: 25 (D-level Contribution Qualification); 50 (C-level Contribution Qualification); 75 (B-level Contribution Qualification)

Completion Reward: 5ml 'Transcendent' Inducement Agent (Basic Version, 20% chance to help humans awaken)]

"What?"

"Transcendent Inducement Agent?"

Seeing the text on the defense communicator's screen, Cheng Ye nearly shouted.

At that moment, stage rewards and contribution qualifications seemed trivial.

What did he see?

Transcendent?

Holy crap, he hadn't misread, had he?

After repeatedly confirming the two words on the screen, indeed "Transcendent," Cheng Ye felt a rush of blood to his head, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably with excitement.

But at the same time, a mix of realization and confusion swirled in his chest, tangling into a mess.

Whether from the books in the Survival Library, word-of-mouth among buffer zone residents, or the wasteland stories Liu Bi occasionally shared, transcendent beings were, without exception, figures of history.

Since the New Era began, there had never been any specific records of new transcendent beings.

But...

"Don't be so shocked. You'll learn about this after your trainee period. Keeping it restricted now is a form of protection. Some people, unaware of their limits, get blinded by greed and take risks. Your checkpoint has seen plenty of such cases," Qin Feng said, unsurprised, giving a subtle smile.

"The checkpoint, being on the same level as our institute, has similar tasks."

"Otherwise, why do you think inspectors come to the rapid inspection station? This isn't a nice place. The death rate is consistently high, not to mention the external missions to dangerous areas."

"The checkpoint has similar tasks?"

Cheng Ye caught the key detail and pressed, "Does Happiness City have transcendent beings?"

"Of course. Every sanctuary city has them. How else could we handle large-scale infected tides?"

Perhaps because Cheng Ye was young and displayed abilities beyond a trainee inspector, Qin Feng patiently explained, "These things don't need to be widely known by ordinary people. In their eyes, the S-4 virus's rampage isn't over. Transcendent beings aren't heroes; they're potential curses, like a plague."

"If you want... well, tasks above S-level all reward inducement agents. The higher the difficulty, the larger the dose and the better the quality."

"Has anyone completed them?"

"Of course," Qin Feng chuckled. "Nine years ago, someone from your checkpoint completed one, but unfortunately, he didn't succeed in inducing transcendence."

Nine years ago?

That sounded like an eternity. Cheng Ye didn't press further, realizing the difficulty from the timeline alone.

"And this contribution qualification?"

"It's for buying things. Many controlled strategic items require it, like if you want to buy a storage battery for personal use or modify a combat vehicle."

"Any more questions?"

"None."

Cheng Ye shook his head lightly, his mind still processing the flood of new information.

"None?"

Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "In the wasteland, only those who can suppress their desires survive long enough to complete these tasks."

"The standard reward will be credited to your personal account in a couple of days after verification. Check it."

"My defense communicator ID is 16571. If you discover unknown infection sources or new clues related to them, contact me. I'll settle with you at 10% above the standard reward."

"Thanks."

Cheng Ye took out his defense communicator and added the ID to his contacts.

But even as he watched the eight figures leave the corridor, he remained deep in thought.

He had thought the transcendent changes triggered by the S-3 virus were far removed from modern humans, yet they were so close, even offered openly as rewards.

The seemingly unattainable transcendence... was it right beside him?