Mental Mutant

"Mental illnesses can be contagious too?"

As Lu Xin listened to Chen Jing, he thought of his own condition, and his emotions suddenly stirred.

"That's right. That's where the definition of 'pollution' comes from."

"Depending on the Pollution Source, the symptoms of contamination vary, but every case is terrifying and troublesome. On the surface, they may look no different from ordinary people, but irreversible changes have already taken place inside them. More importantly, unlike the lunatics outside the walls, they live among us. At any moment, they may erupt and infect the people around them."

Chen Jing nodded and explained slowly. "Like the people you saw in that cafe just now."

"The Mental Monster at the Corner Cafe began mutating at an unknown time. By the time we discovered it, fifteen people had already developed extreme depression after being infected by it and chosen suicide. It was those suicides that alerted us to the monster's existence. But by the time we found it, thirty-seven people had been deeply infected."

"Those thirty-seven were severely contaminated. A physical examination would show that all their vital signs were normal, but a psychological evaluation would reveal severe, irreversible damage. They're still alive, but in truth, they're completely different from normal people. So all we could do was lock down this block to prevent them from contaminating others."

Lu Xin listened, inwardly startled. "Then what will happen to those people...?"

"Death!"

Chen Jing said softly, "If the contamination is only superficial, they'll fall into depression and may sometimes even realize something is wrong themselves. Although the mortality rate is still high at that level, there is at least a chance of recovery. But those people from before had been in contact with the monster too deeply. They had completely lost their sense of self, so there was neither the possibility nor the need for treatment..."

"In the plan, they are all targets for elimination!"

"..."

Even after hearing that, Lu Xin could not help asking in surprise, "Killing that monster isn't enough?"

"Eliminating the Pollution Source doesn't mean the contaminated are immediately cured."

Chen Jing paused slightly and looked at Lu Xin. "Mental Monsters are merely the source of contamination. Every other contaminated person or object also carries the danger of spreading it. What you killed in the subway station was the original body of that Pollution Source. After it died, those deeply infected people scattered in all directions. If even one escaped, it could still develop into a new Pollution Source."

"At that point, the contamination would still exist, which means that Mental Monster wouldn't truly be dead!"

Chen Jing smiled. "But don't worry. The nearby residents were evacuated long ago, and we deployed a large number of armed troops to guard every major route. Not one of those deeply infected people escaped. Compared with the Mental Monster itself, they are much weaker. Ordinary firearms can still kill them, and they aren't as capable of infecting others."

"..."

Only then did Lu Xin understand why, after the cafe employee died, the other "customers" had suddenly remembered to run.

Had that Mental Monster realized it was bound to die and let the other infected escape so it could prepare to be reborn?

If so, why hadn't it simply left one infected person outside to help it revive at any time?

"Level 1 Mental Monsters aren't that intelligent."

As though she knew what he wanted to ask, Chen Jing smiled and explained, "They only infect others instinctively. The severely infected people, meanwhile, instinctively gather around them like parts of a single whole, controlled by its consciousness. Only after the original body is killed do they gain a degree of independent awareness due to losing the influence of the main body. But by then, it is usually too late."

"So that's how it is!"

Lu Xin nodded. His emotions gradually settled, but he still could not help asking the question he had wanted to ask all along:

"Since it's so dangerous, then you... you sent me in there. Weren't you afraid I'd be... contaminated too?"

"..."

Chen Jing was not surprised by the question in the slightest. If anything, she seemed surprised that Lu Xin had only asked it now.

"You won't be contaminated!"

She stubbed out her cigarette and looked at Lu Xin. "Or rather, you've already been contaminated!"

Lu Xin's gaze instantly turned blank. "What?"

"Our assessment wasn't meant to send you to your death. It had two purposes."

Chen Jing answered carefully. "First, to determine your abilities. Second, to see whether you would lose control!"

"The Crimson Moon incident brought about mental mutations."

"And those mental mutations led to two outcomes. The first was the emergence of Mental Monsters. Unable to control their mental power, they affect the people around them and pose an enormous threat to the high-walled cities and the surviving humans of this world;"

"The second outcome was the emergence of mutants who had mastered mental power and gained psychic abilities!"

"..."

As she spoke, she picked up the file, turned a page, and pushed it in front of Lu Xin.

Lu Xin saw a mass of complicated data and various assessments. With his head already spinning, he gave it only a quick glance. He could make out his photograph, address, age, and the large words "Spider-type."

Chen Jing lit another cigarette and waved away the smoke drifting in front of her. "You are a Mental Mutant."

"According to the analysis of your abilities, your first ability is precise mental control over your body!"

"After the Crimson Moon incident, some people's minds became increasingly powerful. With strong mental power, they could better control their bodies, even every muscle and every bone. This is an extremely terrifying ability!"

"Before the Crimson Moon incident, even the world's best athletes could only control around ten percent of their bodies."

"But now, there are more and more people who can control their bodies to a greater extent."

"Our action team has someone codenamed Gecko. His control over his body has reached eighty percent, giving him strength beyond what ordinary people can imagine. He can dodge bullets and control all kinds of firearms almost perfectly. He can pass through gaps no larger than a teacup, and he can climb walls as though gravity did not exist!"

"..."

"After observation, we found that you possess a similar ability as well!"

As Chen Jing explained, she pointed at part of the document and said to Lu Xin, "We call this ability Spider-type. It refers to the ability to precisely control one's muscles, even one's bones, like a spider, increasing speed and reaction time to accomplish things ordinary people cannot."

"With this ability, your capacity to deal with crises and strange phenomena is greatly enhanced."

"And as people with mental abnormalities yourselves, you can often easily detect the existence of Mental Monsters and escape danger."

Then she looked seriously at Lu Xin. "So you're very suited for pollution cleanup work!"