Infection

Sun Hang had been locked in this special room for seven days now—assuming they delivered meals three times a day.

It was a spacious room whose floor, four walls, and ceiling were all made of mirrors. Its only furnishings were a set of metal table and chairs welded to the floor, a single bed likewise welded down, and a flush toilet in the corner.

After Sun Hang watched the humanoid monster that descended from the sky tear Bloody Mary apart with his own eyes, he had been brought here.

At regular intervals, a corner of the ceiling would open, and a mechanical arm would emerge to place a tray of food on the table. Once Sun Hang finished eating, it would take the dishes away.

The daily "prison meals" were lavish. Four dishes and a soup were standard, with fish, meat, and fresh vegetables. There were desserts and fruit afterward, and occasionally even more luxurious fare like steak and shark fin.

Sun Hang had once loudly demanded to know why they had locked him up here, but received no response... Yet whenever he said he was thirsty, the mechanical arm immediately delivered bottled purified water before him.

From a certain perspective, this "prison life," where everything was handed to him, was actually not bad—except for those damned lights.

The lights in this room were never turned off, not even when he slept.

The lights concealed behind the mirrors shone through the glass and reflected repeatedly off the mirrored surfaces, bathing the entire room in glaring brightness. Sun Hang could only barely fall asleep by burying his head in his pillow, but the moment he turned his head even slightly, the light would slip through the gaps between his eyelids and strike his retinas.

Worst of all, with no change between day and night in the room, Sun Hang's sense of time had become exceedingly vague. His eyes were often bloodshot, yet he could never muster the slightest hint of sleepiness.

Long-term disruption of one's routine could easily drive a person into neurasthenia. Fatigue, tension, irritability... all kinds of negative emotions deepened continuously as time passed...

On the first day, Sun Hang could still remain calm. Every so often, he would try asking questions, even though he received no answers.

On the second day, he stopped asking questions and began pacing around the room again and again.

On the third day, he smashed his meal tray, but the mechanical arm soon delivered a new meal and cleaned up the debris on the floor.

On the fourth day, he tried to pull the chair up from the floor. He failed.

On the fifth day, Sun Hang made no more unnecessary movements. He simply sat in the chair, staring straight at the tabletop. Other than sleeping and relieving himself, he remained seated there the entire time.

On the sixth day, he still sat in the chair without making a sound.

On the seventh day, after Sun Hang finished the twentieth meal delivered by the mechanical arm, the wall directly in front of him finally changed.

The mirror became transparent glass. Two men and a woman stood behind it, watching him expressionlessly.

"Congratulations, Mr. Sun Hang." The woman among the three clapped softly. Her voice passed through the glass into the room. "You successfully held on to the human soul within you."

Sun Hang found the woman's face somewhat familiar. She resembled the civil servant who had come to the hospital and made him sign the "Contract of servitude," but Sun Hang was certain they were absolutely not the same person.

"What do you mean?" Sun Hang asked.

"You were infected with the Anomalization Virus, yet you did not lose your clear sense of self, nor did you undergo any physical mutation." This time, an old man sitting in an electric wheelchair spoke. "Although your infection level is only 0.17 percent, this is still an extremely rare case."

"I was infected with the Anomalization Virus? Then why didn't you inject me with the medicine?" Sun Hang narrowed his eyes.

A miracle drug capable of suppressing "anomalization" had been developed as early as a century ago. It was precisely thanks to this medicine that humanity had managed to scrape out an existence under the assaults of anomalies.

"Too late." The old man in the wheelchair sighed. "According to the test results, you were already infected with the Anomalization Virus during your last encounter with an anomaly—the incident in which you lost your memories. You have already missed the window for treatment."

"So?" Sun Hang continued.

"So, you have now become a special individual who possesses an anomaly's abilities while retaining human will." The old man in the wheelchair said, "I hereby formally invite you to join us as an Anomaly Hunter."

"Anomaly Hunter?" Sun Hang recalled the woman who had descended from the sky. "Someone who specializes in hunting anomalies?"

"Yes. The Investigation Bureaus in every city actually serve the Anomaly Hunters. Investigators gather information and clues about anomalies, then pass that intelligence to the hunters. Hunters with suitable abilities are then dispatched to eliminate the anomalies that invade human territory." The old man in the wheelchair said, "Only the power of anomalies can fight anomalies. It is ironic, but that is reality."

"And if I don't want to risk my life for you?" Sun Hang asked.

"We will not force any infected person to become a hunter." The old man in the wheelchair continued, "But if everyone who gained power only wanted to look after themselves, humanity would have disappeared from this land two hundred years ago. Besides, do you know what type of Anomalization Virus infected you?"

"What type?"

"The culprit behind that attack was Anomaly Serial Number Bing-9, 'Taotie.' More precisely, it was one of Taotie's avatars. The Anomalization Virus that infected you also came from Taotie. As for what effects it will have on you, you should have already experienced them firsthand."

"So my ability has something to do with 'eating'?" Sun Hang recalled that intense hunger, but it seemed that hunger only appeared when he faced anomalies.

"Taotie's greatest trait is its ability to alter its powers by devouring other anomalies." The old man in the wheelchair said, "You need to hunt anomalies regularly to satisfy your desire... Staying away from anomalies can temporarily suppress that desire, but when the accumulated desire finally erupts, the situation will completely spiral out of control."

"As long as you join us," the woman who had spoken first said again, "even if you cannot successfully hunt anomalies, we will find a way to help you deal with an outbreak of your 'appetite.'"

"Have other hunters capture anomalies and bring them back for me to eat?" Sun Hang tilted his head. "That makes me sound like a useless freeloader waiting to be fed."

"That is one option," the woman said. "Besides that, we have ways to make you stronger and give you the ability to hunt anomalies on your own."

"But first, you have to pass an assessment." Another middle-aged man took over. He wore a brownish-gray training uniform, and a murderous air hung between his brows. "Only after passing the assessment can you become a 'legal' hunter."