Following the usual routine, Lu Yan would undergo a physical examination at the Contamination Disease Prevention and Control Center.
System: [I suggest you avoid undergoing spiritual threshold tests; your spiritual threshold is rising too rapidly. Though it won't lead to anything, it may raise suspicions. However, contamination degree checks and psychological tests can be conducted.]
Lu Yan himself didn't want to attract too much attention. Ever since he discovered that his spiritual threshold increased far beyond ordinary people, he rarely used the mobile-bound detection device. After all, the app required an internet connection, making Lu Yan feel uneasy.
"Data?"
[Updating your information.]
[Host Lu Yan, codenamed Di Ting. Spiritual threshold 7500. Contamination degree 33.1.]
[You possess strong survival abilities, proficient in using long-range weapons such as guns and bows, skilled in close combat, heat-resistant. Remarkable self-healing ability, stable mental state, immune to the majority of mental attacks, slow contamination degree growth. Can breathe underwater, with both human and fish forms, highly distorted hands. A rare Harbinger in the human camp capable of killing higher-level monsters.]
[Talents: Omniscience, Mental Reshaping, Devour, Delirium, Regeneration.]
[Contamination direction: Unknown.]
Lu Yan was surprised: "It increased by so much?"
Previously, the increase was in tens or hundreds, but now it suddenly jumped by over two thousand, giving him the feeling of receiving a year-end bonus six months in advance.
[Two advanced pollutants. A mature kingfisher, worth your while.]
Lu Yan thought for a moment, took out his phone, and found Zhou Qiming's contact information.
Lu Yan: "What's your spiritual threshold?"
Zhou Qiming: "7300. What's up?"
Zhou Qiming hadn't joined the Special Operations Department, although he assisted in C City's contamination disease prevention. Overall, he was quite laid back. His spiritual threshold had only increased by a few hundred since Lu Yan first met him.
Lu Yan: [Smiles]
Zhou Qiming was ranked exactly 100 on the Harbinger forum before. Knowing roughly where he stood among humans now, Lu Yan was in a good mood.
On the other hand, Zhou Qiming was also excited. He censored Lu Yan's chat screenshots and posted them on his Moments: "The dream guy smiled at me—does he have feelings for me?!"
Though critical information was blurred, the avatar was vaguely visible – an orange stray cat in the garden of K City's First Hospital.
Chen Shier: Boss, self-awareness is crucial.
Detective: When did you become No.1 again?
...
Among many congratulatory or teasing comments, one stood out.
Tang Xunan: ?
*
One of the essential tasks this time at the prevention and control center was to write an action report. Although not as straightforward as confessing crimes like a prisoner, the detailed report would undoubtedly affect the annual assessment.
Of course, Lu Yan didn't care much about these things. Due to his low contamination degree, he didn't even need the center's provided special medicine. Therefore, he was quite carefree.
This time, the person listening to the report was Xiao Bing from the Third Research Institute.
"So, you passed out and don't know what happened. Is that right?"
Lu Yan nodded: "When I woke up, I was already back in the country."
He was brought back by Tang Xunan personally from the Third Zone.
After Michael fell into a coma, he also fell into a deep coma. He really didn't know what happened.
He didn't know what his "brother" had done, so technically, he wasn't lying.
Xiao Bing earnestly wrote down the key information on the record sheet: "Thank you for the information, sir."
As he left, the rabbit tail behind him swayed cutely.
The system sneered: [Just a trick from the prevention and control center.]
Originally, according to the task content, Lu Yan and the others could only receive 70,000 contribution points in total. However, due to unexpected difficulty upgrades, the Hunter's Guild and the prevention and control center decided to change the reward to 70,000 contribution points per person, plus a 30,000 limit energy weapon deduction voucher.
After receiving the salary, Lu Yan couldn't resist the temptation and, with the guidance of the staff, opened the latest item purchase interface.
Now, the weapon that ranked first in the list was the one Lu Yan had used.
A-grade spiritual weapon, Hellfire.
Introduction: It was once the personal dagger of Uliel, the head of the Third Zone Prevention and Control Center. Hellfire has a strong burning ability against bio-contaminants, greatly weakening the mobility of pollutants. Tested estimates show that it is effective against contaminants with a pollution value from 0 to 15,000. If the Third Zone Prevention and Control Center headquarters did not owe a high external debt and currently had no suitable user for this short blade, it probably wouldn't be auctioned off.
Starting bid: 200,000 contribution points.
Auction time next month.
Lu Yan looked at his balance and had to pretend to be uninterested again.
The system complained: [This price is clearly aimed at exploiting the Special Operations Department of other zones and some organizations. Ordinary Harbingers don't have that much money.]
In the staff's earphones, the data from the psychological analyst came through – "15 seconds on the first page, 7 seconds on the fourth page. About 2 seconds on other pages. Both weapons on these two pages are bladed. Lu Yan wants to buy a blade. The price of A-grade spiritual weapons fluctuates between 200,000 and 2 million. His account balance is only 142,000, not enough for a top-tier weapon but can apply for customization."
So, the understanding staff member smiled and said, "Mr. Lu, as a senior staff member of the Special Operations Department, you can apply for a custom weapon. For the first application, you get an 80% discount."
Customized weapons were a perk for members of the Special Operations Department – labor was free, and materials were at cost price.
Non-department members wanting one not only had to wait in line but also pay exorbitant fees.
Tang Xunan's Yellow Dust, Michael's Holy Sword, Uliel's Hellfire – all were custom-made.
After filling out the form with his requirements, Lu Yan selected a bow and arrow for the weapon form. This was purely out of personal interest.
The staff member explained that, after approval, a specific researcher would contact him.
Guided by the system, Lu Yan finally bought a weapon that could hold 1000 bullets – □□. The magazine had a space-folding property, making it slightly heavy but not taking up much space.
Armor prices were much higher than weapon prices in the market. As advanced pollutants for hunting were limited, many armors were still weaker than the fish scales Lu Yan naturally grew.
[Distortion is the best protection. Due to the limited number of high-level pollutants for hunting, weapons are generally prioritized over armor for materials of the same level. However, armor prices are still high. Many people trying to buy armor go to great lengths, and some aren't even Harbingers. The headquarters just turns a blind eye.]
After leaving the prevention and control center headquarters, it was already
afternoon. Lu Yan had a file in his hand.
As a senior employee, he had access to more detailed information than what he saw on the forum. Lu Yan specifically requested a global contamination disease case report.
Mainly to check on the Divine Realm.
Unfortunately, because the Divine Realm had been sealed for nearly forty years, the data left inside was outdated.
The system clicked its tongue: [If someone follows that information and enters the Divine Realm, they won't even know how they died.]
[The most challenging part to deal with by the True Master, you've already seen it – controlling the brain to enter the conscious space and wearing down individual consciousness in the cycle of reincarnation.]
[But if it's just that, the True Master's ruled Divine Realm wouldn't have become an S-level contamination case. There are over a dozen S-level pollutants worldwide, but so far, there are only three S-level contamination zones.]
[The Divine Realm is on a secluded island, sealed off. However, humans still live inside, divided into two categories – one called "God Clan," which is a contaminant, and the other called "Attached Clan," ordinary people and the food source raised by pollutants. Brainwashed for decades, the Divine Realm has formed a strict social system. Both the God Clan and the Attached Clan worship the True Master, considering it their only father.]
[The place where the True Master resides is called the "Central Shrine," surrounded by numerous God Clan protectors.]
[Contaminants have little intelligence, but the True Master implants his brain into theirs. It gives these pollutants reasoning ability, helping him rule the entire Divine Realm.]
[The True Master himself, due to a unique structure, doesn't consume people, but he needs a continuous supply of human souls as nourishment. This is also the reason for raising the God Clan. Pollutants don't produce white souls. He calls the souls of these human believers "Holy Spirits," kept in the temple as his reserve food.]
Lu Yan frowned: "Don't the people inside resist?"
[If a person is born and told that they are slaves, inferior beings. Having never seen what a normal human society is like, they don't understand how humans should live. Can such individuals, grown in such an environment, truly know how to resist?]
[Erase their words, imprison their thoughts, grind down their fighting spirit, distort their history. If the whole world falls, there won't be much difference between the human realm and the divine realm.]
[In fact, within the divine realm, there are still small, weak forces resisting stubbornly. The oldest of these Harbingers, nearing a hundred years old, was once on the same level as Tang Xunan, considered the hope for the future of humanity.]
[The reason the Almighty has not wiped them out yet is because such souls are exceptionally delicious. Recently, the quality of the souls of their descendants has been declining, and the Almighty is very displeased. To restore itself, it plans to end this half-century-long cat-and-mouse game.]
Lu Yan took out his phone, opened the Divine Awakening Forum app, and entered the Task Rewards section.
On the first page of the rewards section, the "Divine Realm Operation" task stood out prominently.
Task Name: Divine Realm Operation
Introduction: 45 years ago, the headquarters paid a tremendous price to seal the divine realm on the sea. However, the Lord of the divine realm did not give up. They have been wanting to return to the land and gain more followers. As the sea fog gradually dissipates, sooner or later, the Blissful Sect will rise again. We hope to strangle the danger in its cradle.
Task Information:
1. The sea fog trapping the divine realm originates from two A-level Harbingers, "Village Straight" and "Beichen Blade." They sacrificed their lives to create the mirage sea fog.
2. In the first Divine Realm Operation, a total of 21 Harbingers voluntarily assisted in sealing it. They failed to evacuate in time and are currently missing.
3. The Almighty is an S-level Pollutant, proficient in mental control. It is not advisable for mentally unstable Harbingers to take on the task.
(Additional information unlocked after accepting the task)
Objective: Eliminate the Almighty
Rewarding Party: Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center Headquarters
Task Reward: 20 million Contribution Points (exchangeable for equivalent items, negotiable)
Lu Yan glanced through it and chose to accept the task anonymously.
At this moment, the forum system popped up a reminder: [Detected that [Anonymous User] is a high-ranking Harbinger with the authority to receive tasks. However, this task is extremely dangerous. Do you accept? Yes/No]
During the previous acceptance of a B-level task, such a pop-up did not occur.
It indicated the difficulty of this task.
He glanced at it and chose "Yes."
As a result, below the Divine Realm Operation page, the number of volunteers suddenly jumped from the perennial 0 to 1.
The Divine Awakening Forum's spam section exploded.
[Which big shot took the Divine Realm Operation?! Damn??]
OP: Damn, it's in the afternoon, and I was thinking of finding an easy task to earn some medicine money. But accidentally clicked on the interface of □□ operation and found that the number of volunteers changed from 0 to 1!!!
1L: I checked it, and it's true?
2L: Guessing it's a tyrant.
3L: Impossible, the tyrant's mental state is famously unstable!
4L: Bai Ze?
5L: Bai Ze is trash in battles, can't handle it.
6L: Did someone click on it by mistake...?
7L: No way, this kind of high-level task has a reminder! And without the right permissions, it's impossible to accept. Plus, each Harbinger can only undertake one task at a time, unless he/she never does another task again...
8L: Big shot, hello, big shot, are you reading the forum? Big shot, need a leg accessory?
Lu Yan glanced through, closed his phone without much interest, and rested his eyes. He pondered on what dish to prepare for the evening and whether to talk to Tang Xunan.
Somehow, he felt that... this task might not be suitable for him.
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