After Lu Yan signed the order, the butcher's smile became even more friendly.
"Butcher: "Respected guest, you can rest assured. In a week, you will definitely be able to enjoy the pork you desire."
If it weren't for the fact that the butcher's mouth kept watering as Lu Yan left, this scene should have been quite harmonious.
The system didn't deceive him.
Although there was a pig meat stamp seared onto the back of Lu Yan's hand, he walked out of the Pork Alley unscathed. Because there was a layer of fish scales between the branding iron and his hand, Lu Yan didn't feel much pain and completed the signing ceremony.
He put on gloves to conceal the marks on the back of his hand.
As he walked out of the alley, it was still raining. Lu Yan glanced back, the alley was still run-down but no longer eerie. At a glance, he could see the other side of the road, and even a shabby trash bin at the alley's entrance.
Lu Yan declined the offer of accommodation, but the personnel from the X City were considerate enough to provide him with a set near the hospital where he would be working. Whether it was the decoration or the layout, it resembled his home in K City.
Lu Yan didn't quite understand the bold style of the Disease Prevention and Control Center, which liked to arrange housing for its employees. He thought it might be a form of staff welfare.
[System: "To increase the Harbingers' sense of belonging to human society. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, the highest level of psychological needs is self-actualization. The headquarters hopes to direct this self-actualization need towards positive, constructive, and beneficial directions for society."
"However, due to prolonged exposure to pollutants, the mental state of Harbingers rarely remains stable and healthy. After several accidents, the headquarters has lowered its expectations..."]
Lu Yan cleaned his hands, took out the disinfectant he bought from the pharmacy, and pulled out a fruit knife.
The fruit knife was not as sharp as a surgical knife, but it would do.
He cut off the piece of human skin stuck to the back of his hand.
The tattoo on the human skin had become blurry, and the newly stamped pig meat insignia had ruined its original aesthetics.
[After a week when the order is complete, this piece of human skin will turn into waste paper. That person probably has a high chance of waking up.]
[Although I think there shouldn't be a problem, I still recommend that you go to Yanjing to avoid attention during this time.] The system said thoughtfully. [The butcher is quite easy to deal with, but the boss might not be.]
...
One week later.
X City, Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center.
Lu Yan waited for the scales on his arm to slowly close and glanced at the data on the detection sheet.
Degree of Mutation: 837.
He said to Zong Yan, "This is the last treatment. I've already booked a flight back to K City."
After saying that, Lu Yan signed his name on the treatment record for 07.
07 leaned over curiously.
This file was his medical record, lasting from decades ago to the present. Originally, the name written was Zong Yan, but later, for convenience, it had been uniformly changed to 07.
However, Lu Yan wrote his own name.
"Doctor," 07 smiled gently at him, "Thank you. From now on, just call me 07. The name Zong Yan is too unfamiliar to me."
Due to the nature of his profession, Lu Yan felt that meeting him was probably not a good omen. But he still nodded, "I hope the next time we meet, we can be teammates."
Lu Yan returned to the staff dormitory and began packing his bags.
Director Ma knew he had booked a night flight and hurried over, "Mr. Lu, are you leaving today? How about taking a rest for two more days? At least let us prepare a farewell feast for you."
Lu Yan shook his head, "No need." Mainly because he disliked the mediocre cooking here.
Director Ma, knowing he was straightforward, didn't insist. He arranged for the staff to take Lu Yan to the airport.
He left X City at 10 pm. After a short nap on the plane, he arrived in K City at 1 am.
As soon as he got off the plane, his phone showed several missed calls.
Lu Yan checked the call records, opened Tang Xunan's number, and called back.
The call was answered quickly.
"Lu Yan," Tang Xunan paused, "I heard 07 has completed the treatment. Is he okay?"
Tang Xunan was much luckier than 07. He had only stayed at the research institute for three years before joining the special operations department and then started firefighting worldwide.
Their first formal meeting was at Luochuan Botanical Garden. It was actually his first formal contact with 07. At that time, 07 seemed a bit abnormal. Later, he inquired with the institute, and they said 07 had a slight tendency towards autism and was resistant to communicating with the outside world.
"We are professionals, we understand 07 better than you do."
At that time, the researchers repeatedly assured him that 07 was fine.
Lu Yan replied, "The degree of mutation has decreased. He hasn't shown any signs of aggression, so he should be fine."
"Good. And how about you?"
Lu Yan took several seconds to react. He wasn't fond of talking, or rather, he wasn't good at communicating for the purpose of expressing emotions. During his vacations, Lu Yan liked to stay at home, reading, archery, cooking, and cleaning. Spending an entire day without saying a word was quite normal for him. He didn't even browse the internet on his phone.
Remembering the system's advice, he said, "I'm fine. I'll be heading to Yanjing in a few days."
Tang Xunan hesitated for a moment, lowered his head where Lu Yan couldn't see, and replied, "Okay."
Dog dragon lay beside him, using its paws to tightly cover its dog mouth.
It was afraid it couldn't help but bark, causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
Tang Xunan, when nervous, tended to unconsciously grab things. The fur on its back was almost plucked bare.
[Tsk, the dog dragon might think you're going to see him.]
Lu Yan put away his phone and asked, "Isn't that the case?"
System: [???]
X City. Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center.
The researcher, 07, yawned and sat in the front seat of the truck, complaining to the driver, "Finally, we can go back. I've been in X City for over half a month, and it feels like I'm starting to mold."
As he was still thinking about his experiments in Yanjing, upon learning that 07 had completed treatment, the researcher immediately chose to return to the institute.
The armored transport truck disguised itself as an ordinary cargo truck. 07 was confined in a life pod, then loaded into the cargo hold. This was how these test subjects were usually transported.
The experimental subjects produced by the First Research Institute had high psychic power thresholds. They were essentially human weapons, and the transport team didn't need to worry about safety.
As the truck passed through the toll station on the highway, it was late, and the researcher was feeling a bit drowsy.
Not being a Harbinger himself, with limited energy, he quickly fell asleep.
But the next moment, the researcher was abruptly awakened by a violent shake from his sleep.
The large cargo truck, currently on the highway, suddenly slammed on the brakes. His head hit the windshield, and there was a burst of white light before his eyes.
"What's going on?" the researcher asked.
The driver's expression became particularly grim. "There are pollutants."
The butcher's triangular hook deeply pierced the rear wheel of the truck, forcing it to stop.
Grinning, it, a man with a pig's head, single-handedly lifted the several-ton truck and walked towards the side of the road.
The researcher glanced at the pollution level on the detector, and it was unexpectedly as high as 7000!
The cargo hold opened, and several well-trained special operations personnel, armed with guns, started shooting. However, these bullets could barely penetrate the surface.
The pain angered the butcher.
It swung the wolf-toothed club in its hand fiercely towards the nearest Harbinger. The reinforced rear compartment was instantly smashed to pieces, emitting billowing black smoke.
Harbingers with psychic thresholds of one or two thousand had no ability to fight back.
The butcher couldn't help muttering, "So easy?"
It felt that even if Snake-tail Butcher was sent, it wouldn't take more than two minutes.
The driver stepped on the accelerator, urging, "Quickly, open the life pod and let 07 out!"
The researcher's forehead was covered in cold sweat. With the cover of firepower, he reached the rear compartment, and when he touched the life pod's password lock, his hands were shaking. He entered the dynamic password wrong several times in a row.
The butcher approached with heavy steps, stepping on the ground, causing it to lightly tremble.
"Is it done?" Stopping the butcher was too much pressure for them.
In fact, if the butcher didn't consider the boss's orders and didn't want to harm these employees, they wouldn't even have time to unseal 07.
Entering the last digit of the password, the researcher hurriedly answered, "Done! Done!"
The pod door slowly opened. Inside the life pod, 07's eyelashes were coated with a layer of frost. He had closed his eyes, with heavy chains hanging from his hands, as if he were asleep.
The butcher was also waiting for this moment.
It squeezed into the rear compartment, and several Harbingers were no match for it, let alone a normal researcher.
The researcher looked terrified and shouted, "07! 07!"
But 07 showed no response.
The butcher's hand grabbed the researcher's head, lifted him up, and threw him aside as if tossing garbage.
The ordinary person immediately bled profusely, and the broken bones pierced through the knees, protruding out.
"Not bad, this is the pig for this time."
The butcher pulled a dirty sack from its apron and stuffed 07 into it, hoisting him up, swaggering away with him. Luochuan Botanical Garden was in P City, at least 700 kilometers away from X City. The butcher, carrying the "meat pig," walked briskly on the mountain road, filled with doubt: "Is the reward so high this time because the delivery distance is far?"
Just then, it felt the cargo on its shoulder seemed to have awakened, moving a bit. "Live pigs are indeed troublesome," the butcher grumbled. The butcher walked for a long time, all the way until dawn. From X City to Luochuan Botanical Garden.
The largest pollutants here had already been cleared, but many pollutants still gathered, just in a smaller territory. The employer only said to deliver the goods to Luochuan Botanical Garden, but the garden was vast. The butcher walked to the deepest part and saw no trace of Lu Yan.
The surrounding temperature kept rising, and the butcher couldn't help but stop and wipe off sweat. "Is it because I haven't exercised in a long time? Why is it so hot?"
Being a pollutant with a high contamination value, it had long surpassed the stage of feeling heat due to temperature. Delivering takeout in the peak of summer, encountering customers who cancel orders, it's really frustrating.
The butcher stopped and found the source of the high temperature—it was the sack on its shoulder. It felt something was not right because as the temperature kept rising, the butcher's thick layer of fat had emitted a greasy, scorched smell.
It dropped the snake-skin sack. The next second, flames soared, and a slender arm, resembling white jade, emerged from it. The surrounding grass quickly turned yellow and withered. Flames soared, burning the mountains and forests. Amidst the blazing fire, 07 stretched his body, like a bird reborn in the fire.
Clearly still nighttime, but half the sky was illuminated by flames. The headquarters of P City's Prevention and Control Center sounded a sharp alarm at 6 a.m.
07 opened his eyes, and all he saw was a bright red blood color. Intense pressure swept over him. This kind of oppression, the butcher had only felt it from its boss. "You, you..." The butcher couldn't help but step back a few paces. The scorching air made it difficult to breathe. "You're not human?"
"I was before," 07 replied. "But for Harbingers with a high degree of mutation, becoming a pollutant only requires a simple catalyst." Getting close to pollution sources or excessive use of talents. That's what 07 had been doing all along, and it was the decision he made after much contemplation. Becoming a pollutant to gain the power to destroy and burn everything.
A red bird landed on 07's shoulder. Like 07, its entire body emitted a blazing fire. The butcher cursed silently and wanted to leave. "I've delivered the goods. I'll be on my way."
07 looked at it calmly. "Stay."
Of course, the butcher didn't think 07 was asking it to stay for a meal. "I won't charge for this order," the butcher tightened the butcher knife in its hand, trying to negotiate with 07. "I can also help you find out who the customer is."
In the butcher's impression, people who ordered meat pigs either wanted to eat or had a grudge. After a moment of thought, 07 said, "Sorry." The only person who used this method to rescue him was one.
He couldn't leave the danger to Lu Yan. The red bird on 07's shoulder let out a long cry. The next moment, the butcher was surrounded by flames. [Talent 42 - Fire Karma]. Evil deeds harm the body like fire, that is Fire Karma.
The butcher screamed in the flames. It swung the wolf-toothed club, smashing towards 07 with a determination to kill. 07 stood still, and the club pierced through his body, but it only hit a mass of flames. The flames decomposed and recombined, eventually turning back into 07's appearance.
A hint of mockery appeared in 07's eyes. The helpless butcher, in a fit of rage, was soon overwhelmed by the suppression of Fire Karma, falling in place, lifeless.
In extremely rare cases, some pollutants would undergo a second evolution. Because of this, the talent returned to his hands. If the original talent hadn't been transplanted away, perhaps 07 could have evolved even stronger talents.
07 looked at the distance, towards the direction of K City. The first 20 years of his life belonged to Zong Yan. At the age of 20, he accidentally awakened as a Harbinger. After receiving detailed education, he voluntarily became a volunteer at the research institute. At that time, the institute was not completely closed, and volunteers didn't have to stay in small rooms. Clearing a path to pave the way through the woods. Everyone has the determination to burn themselves and fight for a way out.
The deep red flames, like swallows entering the forest, leaped from the burning things, then entered 07's body. The flames no longer spread, and dawn gained the peace it deserved. In the dim morning light, 07 self-mockingly lifted the corners of his mouth. "Sorry, Doctor. I have extinguished."
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
