CR CH42

Chapter 42: The Special Division

The Special Division was located near the Research Institute, bordering the sea in a relatively remote area.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, waves crashed against the reefs. The dim evening sky blended with the cold interior lighting to create a somber atmosphere. Perhaps because it hadn’t been opened for some time, the power grid flickered unsteadily inside, adding a touch of the grotesque to the silence.

The assembly and registration for the Special Division were complete. It drew members from both the Ability Division and the Regular Division who held a comprehensive score of 9.5 or above, tasking them with lower-risk special missions. Whether they would operate in squads or solo depended on the nature of the mission.

As numerous glances swept over, intentionally or otherwise, Jiang Tianji kept his head down and let out a soft yawn.

“First row, third from the right.”

A lowered voice came from his side as Jia Yun nudged him with his elbow.

Jiang Tianji looked up and glanced in the direction he pointed. Quite a few people nearby had their eyes fixed on that person.

As time went on, more and more members of the Ability Division were awakening their beast forms.

During the “weakness phase”—the early stages of awakening—some individuals experienced unstable energy, leaving them unable to retract certain beast-form characteristics. This was a normal phenomenon, and everyone had grown accustomed to seeing it.

In the Special Division, people only focused on powerful opponents. After all, at its core, this was a competitive trial meant just for them.

“It’s him?”

Jiang Tianji asked, though there wasn’t much surprise in his tone. He stared at the rock-like textures forming on the skin along the side of Liang Chong’s neck.

“Pretty cool.”

A uniquely shaped tail swayed from side to side, coalescing from stones of various sizes. Faint, dark energy pulsed through the gaps, and points of light levitated at the tip of the tail, forming a dark vortex of corrosive energy that looked immensely threatening.

“Yeah, A-rank combat type, corrosive ability, large-scale phantom beast class,” Jia Yun evaluated objectively, rubbing his chin.

“He’s got capability and ideals, but man, he really knows how to put on a show. The academy and the military both love doing that time capsule and ‘initial goals’ crap. This guy’s ideal is posted right under the outstanding member column. Just two words: Rescue.”

The moment his words fell, a stifled laugh slipped out beside him.

The sound was abrupt in the quiet environment, drawing the attention of quite a few people, including the subject of their conversation.

Jiang Tianji coughed, using the motion of rubbing his eyes to hide his expression.

Jia Yun looked askance at him. “What are you laughing at?”

Jiang Tianji lamented sincerely, “Why didn’t you tell me a joke like that sooner?”

“To be completely honest,” Jia Yun stared at his face, trying to detect any cracks in his expression, “are you really not feeling unbalanced about this?”

“No.”

Without much hesitation, Jiang Tianji caught sight of a group of people disembarking from a warship outside out of the corner of his eye, and he stood up straight.

“I knew a long time ago that he would go to places much further away.”

Seeing the instructors from the Special Division arrive, Jia Yun dropped his line of questioning.

An “Evil Source” belonged to a rather unique category of spiritual entities. Its energy core formed in hidden corners, and it possessed no physical form of its own, acting like an invisible shadow that gradually eroded the land and the mental strength of living beings.

As the mutated energy accumulated within the core grew day by day, it would form an anomaly space similar to a domain in the affected area.

This space existed by feeding on energy; it was volatile and subject to unknown changes at any moment, mostly reflecting the negative psychological world of those it had consumed, making it fraught with danger.

The higher the rank of the “Evil Source,” the stronger the mental interference it generated and the more powerful the variants spawned within it would be.

The instructors for the Special Division had been transferred from the Lixin Special Warfare Unit and were highly experienced.

An “Evil Source” typically manifested in densely populated areas, making cities and tribal settlements particularly prone to outbreaks. The initial mental interference would generally cause widespread negative energy among the populace.

Once the “Domain” was fully formed, all individuals in the area whose mental strength had been thoroughly “invaded” would lose consciousness. Those with stronger mental fortitude could maintain clarity while hiding in safe zones to await rescue.

Personnel participating in an “Evil Source” mission would enter the “Domain,” locate the source core, and destroy it. A C-rank “Evil Source” possessed a lower danger rating; such missions were usually assigned to regional Federal Special Warfare squads. Those with a high danger coefficient that crossed regional boundaries fell under the jurisdiction of the Special Assistance Team.

After collectively briefing them on the precautionary measures, the instructors led them toward the warships parked by the shore.

Two men stood beside a completely pitch-black warship. One of them leaned casually against the hull, reaching out a hand in an attempt to tug at the silver hair whipping around in the wind.

Blue energy condensed into a blade-like edge, ruthlessly thrusting toward the offending hand. The man snapped his hand back, letting out a soft “tsk.”

Sun Fei, the current Commander of the Lixin Capital District Special Warfare Brigade, looked at the energy that hadn’t fully dissipated and spoke flatly.

“Is that really necessary?”

Ling Kongmiao ignored him. Long accustomed to this, Sun Fei twirled the dagger in his hand. “Are you guys really not going back? Can you truly set your minds at ease?”

“The Special Assistance Team runs the same no matter who is missing. There’s nothing to worry about.”

Ling Kongmiao’s gaze pierced through the glass, landing on a specific spot.

“It makes no difference whether I go back or not… Others might not know, but don’t you?”

“Here.” Sun Fei pulled a cigarette from his jacket and offered it to Ling Kongmiao, lowering his voice. “To be honest, I don’t quite get it. Any of the others who are currently rising in power are more troublesome than you. Why do they always keep their eyes locked on you and refuse to let go?”

“You really don’t get it?”

“Talking to you is a real drag.”

Getting shut down twice in a row, Sun Fei laughed out of sheer exasperation. “If you had entered the Star Pavilion back then, even if you ended up deep in some tangled relationships, it still would’ve been better than your current situation. It’s not too late to turn back.”

“Is that so?” Ling Kongmiao turned the cigarette over in his fingers. “Personally, I think matters that require a brain are better left to Senior Brother and the others.”

“Your Senior Brother can barely protect himself right now.”

Noticing that his gaze had been fixed on the interior the entire time, Sun Fei teased, “Though, you being willing to cooperate with the Star Overseer Office did catch me by surprise. Having you train rookies is a bit of a waste of talent.”

“Even though their overly protective management style makes me feel like I’m working part-time as a confinement nanny, you should also know what an S-rank combat type represents. Even during the weakness phase, they’re equivalent to an entire Z01 Regular Division. So, even if it’s just a possibility, they will do everything they can to nurture it.”

Ling Kongmiao watched the figure who stood out quite prominently even among a crowd of elite Alphas. “Besides, right now I am merely the Chief of Z01, and what I am doing is what any ordinary basic-level commander would do.”

“An ordinary commander hasn’t experienced being penalized with a garrison deployment to a remote interstellar fortress. Your life is still entirely too thrilling.”

Sun Fei looked at Jiang Tianji, whose posture was a bit relaxed, and tilted his head. “How do you know he’ll live up to expectations? He doesn’t look like he has much fighting spirit.”

Ling Kongmiao replied, “I can feel it.”

Hearing this, Sun Fei fell into a momentary daze, as if he had been transported back to an arena match many years ago. The person who had beaten him so badly that his martial confidence shattered had walked up to him, looking so arrogant with that downward gaze that it practically begged for a punch.

Ling Kongmiao hadn’t made another move, just quietly watching him.

There was no need to continue; Sun Fei had decisively chosen to forfeit. Just as he was about to exit the simulated combat—

“You’re unreconciled,” Ling Kongmiao had said in a calm tone. “I can feel it.”

“But cursing at me won’t do you much good.”

For a very long time, Sun Fei had believed that was a sentence of pure mockery. Only later did he gradually realize that it was simply the other man’s ability.

Thinking of this, Sun Fei cursed under his breath, “Freakish psychic type.”

“Likewise.”

Inside, the lines of squads began making their way toward the shore one after another. Nothing but the sound of the ocean waves remained between the two men.

“Brother.” Watching the approaching crowd, Sun Fei crushed his cigarette butt under his boot, his words scattering into the wind.

“Occasionally, I come up with some pretty wild theories. Like… are you really a member of the Federation?”

He timed it perfectly, not expecting an answer, but the man beside him let out a soft laugh.

“Why stop there? Why not make it a bit wilder?”

Ling Kongmiao smiled faintly, casually slipping the cigarette back into Sun Fei’s front chest pocket—a silent rejection.

“Who’s to say I’m even human?”