Chapter 331: Reverse Pollution

Lu Xin and Gecko immediately fell silent.

Lu Xin sensed that Chen Jing probably had a plan forming.

Gecko realized that if he kept talking his shoes might just shrink another size…

“Professor Bai once said that against pollution reason is our only advantage.”

Chen Jing reached up smoothing her short hair her voice devoid of fluctuation, “To create such a perfect illusion it’s either a Hallucination-type like Drunkard or a Dream Weaver-type Ability User. But what we’ve encountered can’t be a Dream Weaver-type because our consciousness and cognition haven’t blurred. Even while awake we haven’t spotted any flaws.”

Lu Xin nodded understanding Chen Jing’s point.

If they were under the influence of a Dream Weaver-type Ability User, the moment their consciousness began to clear and they realized they were in a dreamscape the surroundings would start to blur at the edges. The clearer their mind became the sharper those boundaries would appear.

“And if we encountered a Hallucination-type like Drunkard…”

Chen Jing glanced around then gently shook her head, “Even Drunkard would struggle to create an illusion this vast and realistic. After all the Hallucination-type merely distorts one’s five senses. If Drunkard wanted to create such an illusion she’d need to weave every single detail of this world herself. Any inconsistencies would be glaring flaws…”

“So Hallucination-types usually only have one or two small particularly familiar scenes they can render realistically.”

“That’s also why Drunkard usually makes her spaces look like comic books…”

…

After a slight pause she continued slowly, “Drunkard cooperated with us for very detailed assessments so I have most of the information on her ability. This scene has some differences from her abilities. Drunkard can distort the five senses so the illusions she creates are incredibly real whether it’s smell hearing or touch…”

“She can even make someone taste a delicacy they’ve never eaten before out of thin air.”

…

Lu Xin listened intently to Chen Jing’s detailed analysis not daring to interrupt.

Honestly if he had come in alone he probably would have just kept walking forward dealing with strange occurrences as they happened.

But now he wasn’t in a rush either.

Unlike Chen Jing and the others who were constantly worried about some experiment succeeding and felt pressed for time.

He was originally just here to visit family. What his relative was doing right now wasn’t crucial as long as he could confirm they were still in this city.

Gecko only dared to stand still blinking. Chen Jing was considering how to solve the problem and he didn’t dare interrupt. Meanwhile Lu Xin’s earlier act of talking to the empty air beside him had triggered Gecko’s old fears so he didn’t dare drag Lu Xin into idle chatter either. Standing there alone felt unbearably stifling. Suddenly he turned his head and started watching the young girls in short skirts on the street his mood gradually improving…

So what if it was fake?

Don’t plenty of otaku drool over 2D characters every day?

…

“Phew…”

After an unknown period of contemplation Chen Jing suddenly let out a long sigh and turned around.

“Comparing this to Drunkard’s ability reveals something strange about this world.”

She abruptly turned her head toward Lu Xin and Gecko, “Close your eyes first sense carefully. Do you notice anything?”

Gecko and Lu Xin glanced at each other then obediently closed their eyes.

Taking a deep breath a smile appeared on Gecko’s face, “The vibrant scent of young girls…”

Lu Xin slowly said, “The smell of mildew the scent of grass the tang of rust… and the stench of decay!”

They suddenly opened their eyes looking at each other baffled.

They both closed their eyes yet the things they smelled felt completely different.

“This is the world’s weakness and also the crucial point.”

Chen Jing’s expression turned serious, “It hasn’t actually distorted your five senses precisely. It’s just that what it shows you is so real your senses automatically adjusted to match it. Like seeing a piece of cake even if you only see it and don’t smell it you’ll feel as if you smell the fragrance of cream.”

“Gecko because he’s a brainless fellow was directly attracted by the lively girls in this city.”

“The moment he saw the girls on the street he filled in the scents colors details and so on himself…”

“Mr. Lone Soldier…”

She glanced at Lu Xin, “Mr. Lone Soldier’s performance is clearly better.”

Lu Xin paused slightly feeling a surge of pleasure. Praise from the leader how did it come so suddenly?

“So you mean these girls are actually conjured by my own brain?”

Gecko didn’t feel awkward at all. He closed his eyes briefly looked back at the street and muttered, “Then why are they wearing clothes?”

Chen Jing ignored him simply stating, “I have an inference. What we’re encountering now isn’t a distorting power but an influencing one. You can understand it as not someone creating an illusion for us but rather some power has…”

She seemed to ponder for a moment choosing an accurate description, “Pulled us into memories.”

“Only within memories does everything feel so reasonable.”

“Because in memories no matter how many illogical points there are you subconsciously fill them in…”

…

“Huh?”

Both Lu Xin and Gecko found this explanation somewhat novel.

But another doubt arose, “Then how do we leave this place?”

“I already told you. We walk out!”

Chen Jing having made up her mind spoke softly, “The most terrifying thing about memories isn’t the harm they might cause but that they trap you within them forever. Normally cleaning up pollution means finding the logic chain and then destroying its source. But now firstly we’re short on time and secondly staying in this environment for too long without understanding this pollution is probably unsafe.”

Saying this she let out a soft sigh, “Did you know?”

“There’s another way to deal with pollution a simpler way.”

After a pause she said, “Reverse pollution.”

…

…

“Reverse pollution?”

Hearing these two words Lu Xin paused and glanced towards his sister.

Although this was the first time he’d heard the term he remembered seeming to have witnessed this ability more than once. Sometimes when his sister got angry she could use her ability to pollute mental monsters or maybe something else…

“Captain that sounds like a high-level term. How exactly do we do it?”

Gecko now also asked this question with a serious expression.

“Pollution sources can pollute surrounding people or animals. We Ability Users can actually do the same.”

“An Ability User is inherently a type of pollution source just one that can be controlled.”

As she spoke she turned around again looking back at the diverse pedestrians on the street and said softly, “Whatever we’ve encountered now if we stay here trying to figure out its logic and destroy it we’ll waste a lot of time. Perhaps this was the enemy’s… the relative’s… initial intention to trap us in this street of memories.”

“We can’t let the opponent lead us by the nose. Leaving this street now is the most important thing.”

She spoke frowning slightly, “To some extent the opponent’s arrangement has pointed us in the right direction. Because the lab couldn’t possibly be established in an area covered by memories since the radiation from psychic power would affect the experiment data.”

“So as long as we can leave this scene we’ll be very close to the lab’s location.”

…

Speaking up to this point she paused, “But if we want to leave…”

“The only thing we can be sure of right now is the clue Mr. Lone Soldier just provided.”

…

Lu Xin was slightly surprised. What clue did he provide?

He clearly just said These seem like living people right?

“Didn’t you say you confirmed they are living truly existing things?”

Chen Jing looked back at Lu Xin speaking softly, “You didn’t use the words ‘living people’ because you were uncertain?”

“Huh?”

Lu Xin instinctively glanced at his sister.

His sister was pointedly pretending not to see him.

Lu Xin shot his sister a glare of disappointment meeting Chen Jing’s gaze he could only nod.

“That’s enough.”

Chen Jing spoke softly watching Lu Xin seemingly converse with an invisible sister.

Her expression showed no surprise as if she was already used to it.

She was handling it better than Gecko. The moment Gecko saw Lu Xin talking to his sister again he had already taken two steps back unnoticed his face full of alertness.

Chen Jing turned her head to look at the flow of people on the street her face very calm, “We are currently influenced what we see is a mix of truth and falsehood. Actually whether they are all real or all fake isn’t the scary part. What’s scary is that the opponent might launch an attack or a sneak attack under the cover of this illusion. To leave the most important thing is to protect ourselves.”

As she spoke she gently removed the black sunglasses she wore hanging them on her chest and rubbed her eyes, “So if the opponent intends to use these ‘living things’ to ambush us why can’t we use them to protect ourselves? As long as these things are alive and conscious I should be able to influence them with my ability.”

“Huh?”

Both Lu Xin and Gecko looked at her somewhat surprised.

Lu Xin looked at Chen Jing’s face Gecko looked at Chen Jing’s glasses.

“Influencing the whole or parts of the opponent’s pollution area to create favorable conditions that’s reverse pollution.”

Chen Jing said softly, “This is an advanced course that requires Level 4 training which neither of you has undergone yet.”

“During this process if the opponent is just an individual that’s one thing. But if the opponent also possesses a significant psychic power level then they will definitely engage me in a contest and drain my mental power. My mental power will be consumed relatively quickly…”

“So you two need to protect me on both sides.”

…

Lu Xin and Gecko looked at each other and nodded simultaneously, “Yes!”

Saying this like two bodyguards they eagerly ran to Chen Jing’s sides standing guard loyally.

Beside them Sister tilted her head observing the two of them.

Her small mouth curled into a disdainful expression.