Chapter 412: Unbreakable Bonds and Shattered Fields

“Why do you say I’m alright?”

Lu Xin was a bit taken aback by Chen Jing’s hug.

He thought to himself, though—my clothes are tattered and I’m still nursing countless wounds.

…Wait, they’ve already healed?

Despite these thoughts, a strange feeling stirred within him.

Chen Jing’s hug carried no personal warmth; it wasn’t intimate at all.

It was merely two hands resting on his shoulders.

Yet that simple gesture made Lu Xin realize one important truth.

They hadn’t come for the mission—they were genuinely concerned about him.

Unsure what to say, he managed a small smile in her direction.

…

“What are they doing?”

From a view unseen by others, a slightly flushed Lu Xin saw his Father, Mom, and Sister standing not far away among a pile of corpses, silently watching the scene before the helicopter. His Sister’s eyes held a touch of puzzlement.

“Just some sappy stuff,”

His Father sneered, “Human relationships are inherently brutal.”

“When you’re full, you lean on each other; when you’re warm, you flirt.”

“In reality, no matter who you are to each other, there’s really nothing between you.”

“That woman overestimates herself by treating him like a subordinate. Seriously, is she even qualified?”

“They know full well it’s a man-eating lion, yet they pretend they’re not afraid to embrace it. They know animals are gentle by nature, yet they fool themselves into believing in real affection. People just grow more hypocritical with time…”

“…”

His Sister listened intently, nodding in agreement.

Mom shot her Father a quick glance, “If you truly understand this, why do you still appear so fearful?”

His Sister looked confused, her gaze flitting between them.

Seeing that Father had fallen silent, Mom let out a soft sigh and laughed, “He really does like it…”

“If something is lovable, it can’t be worthless.”

…

“Alright, it’s time to update our info.”

After giving Lu Xin a gentle hug, Chen Jing returned to the helicopter cabin. Her expression turned steely and her tone grew serious.

Still reeling from the moment, Lu Xin quickly swallowed his words of gratitude and reported, “When we reached the Observation Post, we found our colleagues severely polluted. After verification—and even paid assistance from someone in the Advanced Talent Club at Moon Eclipse Research Institute—we confirmed a Death Field is behind the contamination.”

“That field is linked to the Queen of the S-level Forbidden Zone, but it’s merely a field—devoid of any will of its own.”

“Our colleagues in Qinggang are… holding up well.”

“Researcher Wang Song and Captain Li Jian helped me disrupt this Death Field.”

“I just conducted a cleanup of the field—taking out the forty-eighth stabilizer group, which accounts for half its supports. The field should have been destroyed and dissipating by now, but I was attacked by enemies.”

“The attackers came in two forms: one, an old man who seemed unafraid of pain—now writhing on the ground in agony; and two, a woman who appears to sing—she’s hopping on one leg, circling as she sings non-stop. And then, the corpses.”

“I suspect there might be others; I’m not sure if they’re capable of restoring the field.”

“…”

After delivering all that in one breath, he paused to consider if there was anything else.

Chen Jing listened intently and quickly responded, “So you only destroyed half the stabilizers?”

Lu Xin nodded, “According to Researcher Wang Song, taking out half the stabilizers should resolve the field…”

“But the enemy can just as easily rebuild the field.”

Chen Jing stated flatly, “So we have to destroy even more.”

Lu Xin was taken aback for a moment and replied, “Oh, then I’ll go right away.”

Chen Jing shook her head, “No need.”

Picking up the walkie-talkie, she said, “You can move now.”

Immediately, Lu Xin fell silent and looked up sharply.

The drizzle had stopped, but dawn hadn’t yet arrived—the darkest moments before sunrise.

In the distance, the sky was pitch black, revealing nothing.

But as his curiosity grew, he noticed many bright hues suddenly emerging in the dark sky.

It looked like fireworks—slow, gentle yellow arcs rising from the depths of the night, descending gradually, followed by bursts of beautiful explosions along the horizon.

Boom!

After several seconds, a dull rumble finally reached him.

The earth trembled subtly—minimal, yet enough to send shivers through his body.

“Ah, what is this…”

The shock visibly altered Lu Xin’s expression.

Watching red dots on the left display vanish over a large area, he was both astonished and relieved.

“The City Defense Department has taken over this issue.”

Chen Jing smiled at Lu Xin and said, “Before you and Researcher Wang Song began clearing the field, his final report confirmed that he had sent his program back to Headquarters. They’ve verified and revised it, so now we can track those stabilizer positions within Qinggang City—and remotely eliminate them.”

She sighed softly, “The main force isn’t deploying yet, and most of the remote attack weapons at the outer gathering points have lost control. Right now, Qinggang can only assist us with this much.”

“…”

“Isn’t this enough?”

It took Lu Xin a while to conceal the surprise that had nearly betrayed him.

With an expression that feigned indifference, he solemnly nodded.

“The field has been confirmed destroyed.”

Holding the walkie-talkie, Chen Jing continued, “Dispatch the Support Team now.”

Lu Xin, who assumed there would be more to do, was surprised at how effortlessly Chen Jing managed everything.

He opened his mouth but found no words, so he simply relished the rare moment of calm.

Only after finishing everything did Chen Jing say to Lu Xin:

“Because the status of this field was uncertain, only our team was sent initially.”

“Now, anomalies aren’t limited to this area. Around Qinggang and at major gathering points, armed forces have been deployed—attacking any anomalous factions indiscriminately. Even on our way here, we experienced some attacks.”

“The Godly Woman and the Bear Child landed midway to investigate the situation.”

“There’s still much work to be done.”

“Investigate the true motives of the Technology Church and the armed riots erupting at the gathering points.”

“…”

Listening to her, Lu Xin’s expression grew more serious as he nodded.

He felt a sense of relief.

Chen Jing sighed and asked, “Where are those two Ability Users you mentioned earlier?”

Lu Xin raised his hand and pointed, “Over there. I’m not sure if they’re dead.”

“I’ll interrogate them.”

Chen Jing replied, “Once it starts, even if they die, this won’t end.”

Recalling rumors within the Special Cleaning Department that Chen Jing could even interrogate the dead, Lu Xin couldn’t help but feel curious.

…

Half an hour later, the sound of additional helicopters filled the air as five appeared mid-air.

After every mission, Lu Xin longed for the Support Team’s arrival—it signaled the mission’s completion and a chance to relax.

But this was the first time he saw so few personnel from the Support Team.

He had already heard from Chen Jing that this Support Team wasn’t here to carry out missions, only to lend assistance.

Most of Qinggang’s main forces were still in the city, with no orders to leave.

The white-haired old man and the red-haired woman had been moved into the factory cell.

They were carried by Gecko himself.

When Gecko saw these two, his glance toward Lu Xin grew strangely peculiar.

After all, they looked absolutely miserable.

When moving the old man, they found his body had shrunk like a walnut. His entire frame was riddled with holes—his soles pierced, his chest and abdomen burned by unknown liquids, one arm charred and reeking, and a calf sawed off, connected only by a sliver of flesh. Gecko even had to wrap him in cloth to keep his remains together.

Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Lu Xin explained, “It wasn’t me.”

“Yes, yes, yes…”

Gecko repeatedly assured him, “It definitely wasn’t you—I know that.”

After a while, while moving the red-haired woman, they found her entire calf had burrowed into the ground. Her leg’s flesh was completely eroded, leaving only blood-red bone embedded in the soil. Most shockingly, when they pulled her out, she was still alive, with clear consciousness, murmuring and softly singing a strange tune.

But her song was nearly inaudible—her mental power spent, rendering her influence gone.

Growing uneasy, Lu Xin said, “I didn’t do this either…”

“Yes, yes, yes, I know…”

Gecko kept nodding while carrying her toward the factory, not daring to look up at Lu Xin.

When Chen Jing and the Drunkard saw these two, they were equally startled. Chen Jing exclaimed, “What happened to them?”

Lu Xin felt awkward, but fortunately, Gecko answered on his behalf, “It wasn’t the Captain.”

Instantly, both Chen Jing’s and the Drunkard’s gazes toward Lu Xin turned odd.

Lu Xin felt somewhat wronged.

After moving the two into the factory, Lu Xin witnessed how Chen Jing interrogated the dead.

Although they appeared barely alive, they were nearly as good as dead.

One had been so ravaged by intense pain that his consciousness was obliterated, his head reduced to an empty shell. Chen Jing’s power had been so forcefully exerted that it barely stirred any reaction—save for twitching limbs.

However, the red-haired woman managed a faint response when Chen Jing looked deep into her eyes and asked questions.

Chen Jing let out a long sigh and hastily asked several crucial questions.

“Who are you?”

“Follower of the Calamity Archbishop, Rose Knight.”

“What are you here for…”

“Spreading the gospel…”

“…”

Chen Jing’s interrogation was tedious; she needed to ask as many questions as possible while the woman could still speak, cross-checking to ensure no outside forces had influenced her answers.

It wasn’t until then that Lu Xin had a moment to step outside the factory and have a cigarette.

Not far away, Doll sat quietly in a helicopter, completely alone.

She stayed outside the city, as no one dared to approach her unnecessarily to avoid mishaps.

Lu Xin felt he should go over.

Not knowing what to say, he pondered during his cigarette break.

Then he walked over.

When his footsteps were heard, Doll—bowing her little head and wearing a fox mask—lifted her gaze toward him.

Her eyes revealed deep black pupils.

Strangely, despite the mask, Lu Xin could tell she was smiling.

“What are you thinking about?”

Lu Xin searched for words slowly.

He had already overheard from Gecko—who never held back—that Doll ignored all advice and stubbornly pursued her own matters. Deep down, he felt conflicted—after all, he prided himself on being a rule-abiding employee.

She was a walking cautionary tale!

But honestly, when she bows her head and leaves the city, everyone rushes, worries, and yet she simply cannot be held back.

…And admittedly, it’s quite thrilling!

…The top enforcer is the top enforcer; when her temper flares, the whole city takes notice.

…

Doll had kept her head down, wary of Lu Xin’s approach, as if fearing a scolding. But when she heard his calm tone, she looked up, smiled at him, and then, as if remembering something, turned around to rummage behind her seat without a word.

After a moment, she pulled out a small box and showed it to Lu Xin.

Inside were six sticky rice balls in blue, red, and yellow—some resembling a cat’s head, others a pig.

Lu Xin couldn’t help but pause, then laughed, “Perfect, I’m starving.”

Taking the box, he leaned against the helicopter and began sharing the rice balls with Doll.

…

The drizzle had stopped, and the sky lightened to a dim glow.

Sunlight broke through the eastern clouds, falling upon the freshly drenched wasteland.