“The Human Skin Anomaly Incident?”
Gu Lian frowned, reached out, and took down the file wrapped in the blood-red document bag. She had said that during the execution of a mission, she would not look, ask, or speak.
But that was regarding the mission target. She wouldn’t look at the target, but couldn’t she take a look at this anomaly’s file?
It just so happened she also needed to understand the true nature of anomalies. Yao Yao and herself were, after all, aberrations among anomalies.
Tearing open the seal, Gu Lian pulled the file from the bag. It was a somewhat old diary, its pages already yellowed. While exuding a sense of age, the dried bloodstains on them seemed to narrate the cruelty of that time. The contents were:
——
January 15, 1980: Damn that bitch, why won’t she let us out?! The food is gone, mother has already collapsed from hunger, all because of a rumor? Utterly ridiculous!
January 17, 1980: Mother is dead, starved to death, and that wretch is also starving. What is happening! Too afraid to go out and look for food because of a mere rumor? How absurd!
January 19, 1980: Almost died. What exactly was that thing? It looked like… a piece of human skin with the flesh and bones scooped out? My god, it was so terrifying.
January 24, 1980: Haven’t eaten for five days. Why do I feel not hungry at all? So itchy. Ever since encountering that horrible thing that day, my whole body has been itching. Damn it.
January 27, 1980: I went out again today. Luckily didn’t run into that dreadful thing. And I even found a small bag of potatoes in the woods. I think I saw a smile on my little brother’s face. No, no, I should give him a surprise.
February 1, 1980: My god, I’ve already shed dozens of layers of skin. Every time I shed, what’s left feels like my skin has been peeled off. It hurts so much! But why is my little brother now looking at me with fear in his eyes?
February 15, 1980: Damn it all. After shedding my skin, I actually feel the flesh on my body smells delicious. My little brother has run away. How laughable.
February 16, 1980: Father is gone. He starved to death just like mother. To the very end, he didn’t eat the potatoes I brought back. Damn it!
February 19, 1980: So fragrant, really so fragrant. Father’s corpse has already started to rot, but it smells unusually sweet. Really want to take a bite… No, how could I have such a terrible thought?
February 20, 1980: It was really delicious. After father died, he was just a pile of rotten meat. After eating it, the itching on my body stopped.
February 27, 1980: (Torn portion)
…
April 1, 1980: Hahaha, what have I done? Why do I look like this? Hahaha… Hunter… Hahaha, die, all of you die.
April 2, 1980: I ate my own torso and limbs. I don’t want to go on like this anymore… You must live well. Just pretend… you never knew me.
——
[Anomaly Archive]
Name: Flesh-Skin Parasite
Habits: Unknown
Transmission Vector: None
Description: This is a type of tiny insect. After burrowing into a human body, it rapidly consumes all the flesh and blood inside, but causes the host to believe they are still alive, gradually transforming the person into a monster in the process.
Prevention Method: Drink high-proof alcohol. Research indicates the Flesh-Skin Parasite is highly sensitive to alcohol. Once excessive alcohol is consumed, the parasite will actively separate from the human body.
——
Point of Doubt: According to records, the Flesh-Skin Parasite can only be born during anomaly outbreaks that take the form of a plague. The last anomaly plague outbreak was in 1250. There have been multiple other types of anomaly outbreak events in between.
Why did this thing appear in 1980? Damn it. It’s said dozens of Hunters died during the initial suppression of this thing. And it’s said this was only a C-grade? How is that possible? Dozens of Hunters dead means it was at least an A-grade.
——
Research Note: Stole a forgotten, undestroyed host body from the Hunters. Can this thing still be considered human?
——
The file ended there. It contained a fragmented diary, the archive on that anomaly, and a research note. It clearly documented what happens when a normal person is targeted by an anomaly.
“…”
Dropping the file in her hand, Gu Lian now had a clearer understanding of anomalies. Those monsters were simply… how to put it… utterly disgusting compared to the two anomalies she had encountered.
She, Yao Yao, and Yi Yi were practically the disgrace of the anomaly world, in every sense of the word.
No wonder the Hunters were so hostile toward anomalies. Dealing with these sinister things year after year, witnessing the deaths of their comrades, and the impact once an anomaly infiltrates a population…
This was worse than a fight to the death. There was simply no way for the two sides to coexist. If her and Yi Yi’s identities were exposed…
Gu Lian went to the right-side file rack and finally found her target on the bottom row, far right: File No. 051. This file was very thin, probably containing only a few sheets of paper at most.
Taking off her backpack and unzipping it, Gu Lian placed the target file inside, then strode towards the exit Weikede had used.
“Weikede confirmed dead. File No. 051 obtained. Mission accomplished.”
At that moment, the cuffs of Gu Lian’s windbreaker hung down, her arms extended. Magnetic Grenades dropped from both sleeves onto the floor.
As she advanced, the card packs originally holding the Magnetic Grenades were nearly empty. The detonator was now gripped in Gu Lian’s hand.
Exiting the underground base and looking at the still-chaotic Grand Camp, Gu Lian pulled her hood back on. Her steps grew faster and faster. The moment she left the Grand Camp, the thumb of the hand hidden in her sleeve pressed down on the detonator’s button.
BOOM!
A towering blaze lit up half the night sky. Sparks and thick, pitch-black smoke billowed upward. The noise behind her suddenly became much quieter, replaced only by the crackling sound of burning flames.
“That’s… the Sand Castle?”
“Not good! The enemy attacked the Sand Castle! Quick, quick, fall back!”
“The boss?! The boss is missing!”
“What?!”
After a brief moment of quiet, the Grand Camp descended into complete chaos. The scene of flames climbing over the town and beginning to rage became a blurry backdrop. With her back to the Grand Camp, Gu Lian raised her right hand, using her index finger and thumb to pull down the brim of her hood.
After this incident, having lost Weikede, the ruler, the Grand Camp would fall into chaos, and a thorough chaos at that.
But this chaos wouldn’t last long. Those secondary rulers suppressed by Weikede would jump out one after another, fighting only to seize the position that originally belonged to him.
As for the other warlords… they had their own hands full. Whether it was development or food issues, in the Mountain Kingdom these were top priorities. They couldn’t even claim stability in their own territories now and had no time to fight over this piece of the pie.
And regardless of which secondary ruler emerged victorious, Gu Lian couldn’t leave the files in the underground base for them. If she couldn’t have them, she would destroy them. Information like that absolutely could not be left for the enemy.
A cool breeze blew through the Huan Dou Street of midsummer, carrying a dry, thirsty scent amidst the desolate atmosphere.
Thugs in the alleys on both sides of the street were fighting each other. Emaciated children warily scanned their surroundings.
Walking through such a chaotic place, one must always remain vigilant. Gradually moving farther away, she unknowingly walked out of the Gold Coast’s boundaries.
The wind rustled through the leaves. The midnight moon faintly revealed a bloody hue. The crimson moonlight cast upon the forest was eerie and sinister.
How much longer do I have to do this kind of work… Gu Lian wiped her face with her sleeve, but the bloodstains on it had already dried. She walked straight into the depths of the forest. Ensuring the surroundings were safe, she pressed the brooch pinned to her chest. Not long after pressing the button, the distinctive sound of helicopter flight reached her ears.
Soon, the helicopter flew above Gu Lian, and a rope ladder rolled down from the air.
The moment her fingers grasped the handrail, the helicopter, sensing her, began to climb, and her feet left the ground.
A short while later, Gu Lian sat in the helicopter’s seat, holding a cup of coffee prepared by the support staff and taking a small sip.
“Tastes good.”