Chapter 6: Pollution and Alteration
by xennovel“Mental illnesses… they can be contagious?”
Lu Xin listened to Chen Jing, his thoughts drifting to his own condition, a sudden unease stirring within him.
“Exactly. That’s where the definition of ‘Pollution’ comes from!”
“Depending on the Pollution Source, the symptoms vary, but each one is terrifying and difficult to handle. On the surface, they might seem no different from ordinary people, but internally, irreversible changes have already occurred. More importantly, unlike the madmen outside the walls, they live among us. You never know when they might snap, infecting those around them!”
Chen Jing nodded, explaining slowly, “Just like those people you saw in the coffee shop earlier!”
“We couldn’t determine when the mental monster in the Corner Cafe first mutated. By the time we found him, fifteen people had already developed extreme depression due to his infection and chosen suicide. It was actually these suicides that alerted us to the monster’s existence. But when we located him, thirty-seven people were already deeply infected!”
“These thirty-seven are severely polluted individuals. If you gave them a physical check-up, all their vital signs would appear normal. But a psychological evaluation would reveal severe, irreversible damage. They’re still alive, but practically speaking, they’re completely different from normal people. That’s why we had no choice but to seal off this neighborhood, to prevent them from polluting others!”
Hearing this, Lu Xin felt a chill. “So, what happens to these people…?”
“Death!”
Chen Jing said softly, “If it’s only shallow-level infection, they’ll fall into depression. Sometimes, they can even sense something’s wrong themselves. Although the mortality rate for such infections is still high, there’s at least a chance of recovery. But those people earlier… they had too much contact with the monster, completely losing their self-awareness. So there’s absolutely no possibility or need for treatment…”
“According to the plan, they are all targets for cleanup!”
…
Reaching this point, Lu Xin couldn’t help but ask in shock, “Isn’t killing the monster enough?”
“Eliminating the Pollution Source doesn’t mean the polluted are instantly cured.”
Chen Jing paused slightly, looking at Lu Xin. “The mental monster is just the origin of the pollution. Anyone or anything else that’s been polluted also carries the risk of contamination. The one you killed in the subway station earlier was the original body of that Pollution Source. After its death, the deeply infected individuals scatter. If even one escapes, they could still potentially develop into a new Pollution Source!”
“At that point, the pollution still exists, which means the mental monster is effectively still alive!”
Chen Jing added with a small smile, “But don’t worry. The surrounding residents were evacuated long ago, and we’ve deployed numerous armed forces guarding every key route. None of the deeply infected escaped. Compared to the mental monster’s main body, their power is much weaker. They can still be killed by conventional firearms and aren’t as easily infectious.”
…
Lu Xin finally understood why the other “Customers” only thought of escaping after the coffee shop employee died.
Could it be that the mental monster, realizing its inevitable death, ordered the other infected to escape to prepare for its rebirth?
If so, why didn’t it just leave one infected person outside to help it revive at any time?
“A Rank 1 mental monster’s intelligence isn’t that high!”
Chen Jing seemed to know what he was thinking, explaining with a smile, “They only instinctively infect others. Those who are heavily infected also instinctively gather around it, like a single entity controlled by its consciousness. Only when the main body is killed do they regain some independent awareness due to losing the primary influence, but by then, it’s usually too late.”
“So that’s how it is!”
Lu Xin nodded. He slowly calmed himself but couldn’t resist asking the question that had been bothering him:
“Since it’s so dangerous… when you… when you arranged for me to go in, weren’t you afraid I’d also be… polluted?”
…
Chen Jing wasn’t surprised by the question at all; she was almost surprised Lu Xin hadn’t asked sooner.
“You won’t be polluted!”
She stubbed out her cigarette and looked at Lu Xin. “Or rather… you’ve already been polluted!”
Lu Xin’s eyes instantly clouded with confusion. “Huh?”
“Our assessment wasn’t meant to send you to your death. It had two purposes!”
Chen Jing answered carefully, “One, to determine your abilities. Two, to see if you would lose control!”
“The Red Moon incident brought about mental alterations!”
“And mental alterations led to two consequences. One is the appearance of mental monsters. They can’t control their mental power and affect those around them, posing a huge threat to the high-walled cities and the currently surviving human population.”
“The second consequence is the emergence of Altered individuals who have mastered mental power, gaining mental abilities!”
…
As she spoke, she picked up the file again, turned a page, and pushed it in front of Lu Xin.
Lu Xin saw it was filled with complex data, various assessment items, and so on. Overwhelmed, he could only skim it, noticing his photo, address, age information, and the large words “Spider-type”.
…
…
Chen Jing lit another cigarette, waving away the smoke that drifted in front of her. “You are a mentally Altered individual!”
“In the analysis of your abilities, the first is precise mental control over your body!”
“After the Red Moon incident, some people’s minds grew stronger and stronger. With strong mental power, they could better control their bodies, even down to every single muscle, every single bone. This is a terrifying ability!”
“Before the Red Moon incident, the world’s best athletes only had about ten percent control over their bodies!”
“But now, more and more people can control their bodies better!”
“In our action team, there’s one person codenamed ‘Gecko’. His control over his body has reached eighty percent. This gives him strength unimaginable to ordinary people. He can dodge bullets, perfectly control various firearms, squeeze through openings as small as a teacup, and climb walls as if defying gravity!”
…
“Based on observation, you also possess similar abilities!”
Chen Jing explained, pointing to a section. “We call this ability Spider-type. It means they can control their muscles with spider-like precision, enhancing speed and reflexes, allowing them to do things ordinary people can’t!”
“With this ability, your capacity to handle crises and strange phenomena is greatly enhanced!”
“And as fellow mentally abnormal individuals, you often find it easier to detect the presence of mental monsters and escape danger!”
Saying this, she looked seriously at Lu Xin. “Therefore, you are very suitable for pollution cleanup work!”