MCL CH122

Chapter 122: “Are you a human, or a contaminant…”
 

Deep within the special-grade contamination zone, a group of people looked alertly in the same direction.

“Do you feel it? The intensity of this contamination radiation…”

The one who spoke was Park Joon-ki, a ability user from Country H. As one of the world’s extremely rare dual X-rank ability users, he looked rather disheveled at this moment.

“I feel it.” The person next to him looked equally exhausted, and the expression on his face became even more solemn in that instant. “Weren’t the previous contaminants enough? Has a new rift opened again? The intensity of this contamination radiation… just how many more S-rank contaminants have come out? Damn it, the situation here is already tricky enough. If this continues, we really might not be able to hold them back!”

“Holding them back is one thing, but shouldn’t we solve the current problem first?” someone reminded slowly from the side. “Are we sure we should just let him be? If this continues, even for us, it might be difficult to clean up the mess.”

This short sentence drew agreement from the others present.

“Has there been no response from headquarters yet? Primo’s efficiency is really getting lower and lower.”

“If someone hadn’t insisted on rigidly following the regulations, it wouldn’t have developed to such a tricky point.”

“Actually, there was no need to wait for feedback in the first place. The ability user management regulations are very clear. It’s all about losing control of one’s ability. Are they going to show mercy just because he’s an X-rank?”

“Hah, X-rank? You should have all received the news from before. What was the result for the last X-rank ability user who lost control? Everyone knows it well.”

“No, we can’t wait any longer.”

“Indeed. We haven’t finished dealing with those S-rank contaminants yet. Yan Xingzhou’s existence will only interfere with us.”

Amidst the discussion, someone was heard to chuckle softly. “I say, everyone, you talk a good game, but how about someone actually goes up there?”

The playful words instantly quieted the surroundings.

Before them was a constantly changing, bizarre scene. They were clearly in the center of an open urban area, yet it was as if countless devices were projecting splendid, colorful holographic images, layer upon layer, creating a chaotic and disorderly space. Countless camera shots alternated at the edge of their vision, like hundreds of overlapping mirages. But everyone knew that these ever-changing images were all from Yan Xingzhou’s ability.

[X-Ability: Concretization], what is seen is what exists.

This was also the reason why they were all gathered together but could not get close—no one could confidently guarantee that after entering this surreal area created by the chaotic ability, they wouldn’t lose themselves.

This was a dream created by Yan Xingzhou using “Concretization” to envelop himself.

It was also the bizarre world deep in his heart that he most longed for, a world that belonged only to him.

The person who had just spoken teasingly was Samuel. Seeing that he had successfully shut the others up, he slowly glanced into the distance again, his falling golden hair covering his slightly furrowed brow.

Primo, I hope you don’t give any rash orders this time!

Although he knew the hope was slim, Samuel couldn’t help but hope for it in his heart.

A week had passed since Yan Xingzhou lost control in the contamination zone. And they, these X-rank ability users, had been here for a full month and a half.

Those who received this mission were all global elites, seasoned veterans who had long since realized the abnormal time flow in this area.

This was an extremely unfavorable condition for them, because this situation meant that no matter how hard they fought, the time they could buy for the human world was almost negligible. Thus, dealing with all the invading contaminants became the only way to resolve this crisis.

But the number of contaminants invading this time was a bit too much.

Looking at the ever-changing illusory scene before him again, Samuel’s heart grew even more uneasy.

Just dealing with the large number of invading contaminants had already consumed a huge amount of their energy, these X-rank ability users. Although Yan Xingzhou’s loss of control had not directly threatened them for the time being, if they continued to let it go on like this, they might… really never be able to go back.

Samuel could not rest easy. Thinking of Yan Xingzhou’s heroic deed of traveling far to Country A to save him, he thought it over and decided to go all out.

In any case, if he could bring the person back before the verdict from the General Bureau arrived, there might still be a chance to stop them from making a move on Yan Xingzhou.

After all, no matter how strong this brother of his was, he couldn’t withstand a joint siege by so many top X-rank ability users.

At this thought, Samuel couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

At such a critical time, where on earth did Lin Xi go? He had even specifically found a way to send a message to the Hua Country side. Was it because of the huge difference in time flow between the inside and outside that he hadn’t arrived yet, or was it suppressed by that group from the United Administration and never reached his ears?

“If it really doesn’t work, I can actually try to get close…” Samuel gritted his teeth. Before the last two words “and try” could come out, his attention was drawn by the sudden approach of a huge radiation pressure.

The others were equally sensitive and looked over almost in unison.

The source of this pressure was the direction where the contamination radiation had suddenly erupted just now. And at this moment, they could feel something rapidly rushing towards them.

Was it… a new tide of S-rank contaminants coming out of a rift?

This feeling made it seem that the approaching thing was far stronger than the ones they had dealt with before.

Silently, the surrounding atmospheric pressure also sank to its lowest point.

Finally, something flashed out from the street at the end of their vision. It neatly and beautifully completed a drift around a corner and came straight for them.

This scene, because of the overly solemn atmosphere, seemed even more bizarre.

The corner of Samuel’s mouth also twitched faintly. “Is that… a car? A car from the Global Ability General Administration?”

What he actually wanted to say was, what kind of damn contaminant stole a car from their headquarters and even drove it here? But this thought was somewhat too absurd, and the words that finally came out were much more tactful.

Looking at the expressions of the others, they were also somewhat subtle.

After all, no one could accept the reality that a contaminant could have such good driving skills. Before they were sure of the situation inside the car, no one made a rash move.

It wasn’t until the car sped up to them, and with a showy fishtail, kicked up a cloud of dust, that it stopped precisely in front of Samuel with a piercing screech of brakes.

Only the howling wind remained, mixed with some static sounds, which was the uncontrollable leakage of ability from the lightning-type users under the high-intensity contamination radiation.

The car door opened under the watchful eyes of all. The first thing that came into everyone’s view was a tall figure.

Not a contaminant, it’s a human?

Before an even stranger feeling could arise, the person had already arrived in front of Samuel. His gaze passed through the large sunglasses and landed squarely on Samuel’s handsome face. “How long has it been?”

“About a week.” As Samuel replied, his gaze subconsciously moved down, landing on the other party’s neck, which was almost shrouded in shadow. His expression also looked a bit complicated. “You’re…”

“I happened to be doing an experiment with Professor Shen at the Central Research Institute, so I came straight over.”

Lin Xi had found a pair of sunglasses in the car and put them on to cover his overly conspicuous different-colored eyes. At this moment, he clearly had no intention of chatting with Samuel. After scanning the crowd of old faces behind the lenses, he let out a light laugh. “You guys are quite patient, not having made a move yet.”

“It’s not that we didn’t want to, but we needed a chance to get close,” Samuel said, pointing behind him. If he was still putting on a bit of a front before, after seeing Lin Xi, he was completely relieved and poured out all his grievances. “If you hadn’t come, I was probably preparing to go in myself. You know Yan Xingzhou’s situation. If I really went in, I would be doing it with the determination to die. If I really didn’t come back, I could only stay in that ‘Concretization’ and die with him in a pact of love.”

Lin Xi: “…Don’t worry, it’s not your turn to die in a pact of love. Even if you really die in there, I’ll bring your corpse out, throw it back to Country A, and find a place to bury you.”

As he spoke, he patted Samuel’s shoulder. “Thanks for your hard work.”

The last three words were a stark contrast to the previous words. Samuel, of course, knew what Lin Xi was talking about and accepted it without ceremony. He asked, “Are you planning to go straight in just like that?”

Lin Xi replied as if it were the most natural thing. “Why else would I come?”

The others present had originally been prepared to face a tide of contaminants. They didn’t expect such a person to get out of the car, and for a moment, they couldn’t adjust to the state of facing a great enemy.

But the contamination radiation value on Lin Xi was too high. Since he approached, even these X-rank ability users could feel as if countless needles were densely piercing their skin, their whole bodies filled with an unignorable stinging pain. What’s more, the black thorns that had almost covered Lin Xi’s neck were too conspicuous. Like living things, they were already stirring and beginning to spread to the lower left side of his cheek. This was clearly not something a normal human could possess.

Is he a mutated one? But can a mutated one’s contamination value really be this exaggerated?

But if not… what kind of existence is this person?

Under the familiar conversation between the two, someone finally couldn’t help but ask, “Samuel, you two know each other?”

“Mhm, very well.”

Samuel also knew that Lin Xi’s current appearance was indeed a bit intimidating. Hearing this, he was also a little hesitant about how to introduce him. “He is…”

“No need for introductions. It’s not that necessary anyway.”

Before Samuel could choose his words, Lin Xi had already interrupted him. He calmly swept his gaze over the familiar faces at the scene. “My coming here has nothing to do with any of you. As long as it doesn’t affect me finding someone, I won’t add any trouble to your work. We’ll mind our own business and coexist peacefully. How about it?”

The words were transmitted to everyone’s ears through their respective country’s translators, and many of them frowned.

Although instinct told them that the man before them was definitely not someone to be provoked, as the top ability users of their respective countries, it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to them in such an arrogant tone.

Under the extreme dissatisfaction of the others, Park Joon-ki from Country H spoke up. “May I ask a question?”

He unabashedly swept his gaze over the exposed patterns at Lin Xi’s collar. Without waiting for Lin Xi to answer, he had already spoken bluntly, “Are you a human, or a contaminant?”

What responded to him was Lin Xi’s light laugh. “Is that important?”

After getting out of the car, Lin Xi’s attention had clearly not lingered on those ability users for a second longer.

His gaze rested for a long time on the void and distorted space behind them. The half-smile on his face never left any extra warmth in the depths of his eyes.

How nice, Yan Xingzhou. I let you rest at home, and you rested all the way here, didn’t you.

Having no intention of lingering here any longer, Lin Xi paid no more attention to Park Joon-ki and strode forward. “If you really want to know the answer, wait until I come back to answer you.”

Park Joon-ki noticed Lin Xi’s direction and was about to reach out to stop him, but Samuel blocked him with a quick hand.

Park Joon-ki frowned. “Samuel, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Samuel: “Of course I know. I can only tell you that if there is truly anyone who can bring Yan Xingzhou back, it can only be him.”

Layers of spatial cuts rose behind Samuel, perfectly blocking the path between the other ability users and Lin Xi.

Facing Park Joon-ki’s questioning, Samuel just smiled lightly. “And… for the sake of us being comrades who have fought side-by-side, I sincerely remind you that there is really no benefit in making an enemy of him.”

Park Joon-ki: “What do you know?”

From Park Joon-ki’s expression, Samuel could sense that the man had probably felt something.

He turned his head slightly, his peripheral vision sweeping over the figure that was gradually turning into a phantom in the back. “This matter, it’s better to let him explain it himself after he comes back. As for now, let’s not get hung up on these things. We haven’t even finished dealing with those damn contaminants. Let’s get to work, everyone!”

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