The Quick Checkpoint wasn't so well equipped that it could assign a Containment Team to every Quarantine Area.
More than ten minutes later, the isolation doors to Quarantine Zone A finally slid open.
A team of eight marched inside, all wearing Off-white Special Protective Suits. They looked much like modern bomb-disposal suits, with Honeycomb Buffer Layers covering the joints.
"So serious?"
He'd expected things to be as "simple" as at the Central Checkpoint: they'd casually stuff the Infection Source inside something and haul it away.
This whole setup took Cheng Ye by surprise.
At the same time, he noticed that the Isolation Box used for containment had changed too.
Instead of the usual tempered-glass Containment Box, they were using a special material that looked like ceramic. Fine, tightly packed patterns had been imprinted on its surface to prevent penetration.
"Duty Inspector?"
The Containment Captain stepped forward, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as his gaze landed on Cheng Ye.
The inspector was so young—he looked several years younger than even the youngest member of the Containment Team!
"That's me."
Cheng Ye nodded and pulled out his Inspector Badge.
The other man took it and swiped it through the slot on his Defense Communicator. He immediately exclaimed, "You're a Trainee Inspector?"
"Yes. Is there a problem?"
"No, I'm just a little surprised. Unknown Infected are usually hard for even Phase Two Inspectors to find. We often don't come to contain them until after they've already erupted."
The Containment Captain quickly shook his head. "Nice to meet you, Inspector Cheng. I'm Qin Feng, a Level Two Researcher at the Infection Source Research Institute."
"The Infection Source Research Institute?"
Cheng Ye paused, then immediately searched his host's memories for an explanation of the name.
Xingfu City had three research institutions.
[Xingfu Research Institute]: Responsible for developing technology related to people's livelihood, from Nutrient Paste formulas to water-circulation systems.
[United Arms Factory]: Specializes in weaponry and equipment, including the development of various armed vehicles.
[Infection Source Research Institute]: As the name suggested, it had a monopoly on Infected research.
Though all three held the same administrative rank, their treatment and resources were worlds apart.
The Infection Source Research Institute's work directly concerned humanity's survival. Its funding and resources were staggering, making it the undisputed "power behind the scenes" among the three institutions.
A Level Two Researcher there held a position equivalent to a Phase Two Inspector—two full ranks above Cheng Ye's Apprentice Status!
"Since this is an unknown Infection Source, I'd like to make a brief research record for future reference. Is that all right?"
"Go ahead."
"Please describe everything from when you discovered the Infected to when you killed it. You don't need to explain how you identified it. I know every inspector has their own methods. Just tell me what abilities the Infected displayed."
"Hmm..."
Qin Feng's sense of boundaries put Cheng Ye at ease.
Cheng Ye pondered for a moment. Aside from Rotten Vine's attack patterns, he made sure to mention its deceptive camouflage and fear of fire, as well as its ability to learn and evolve after being hit by bullets.
"Huh?"
At first, Qin Feng's mind seemed to be elsewhere. But when he heard that, he abruptly looked up, his eyes wide behind his protective mask. "You mean that after it was hit by a bullet, denser fibrous tissue grew around the bullet hole to resist further damage?"
"I saw it with my own eyes." Cheng Ye nodded, then added, "But I can't tell whether it was actively learning or just an instinctive response."
"Please wait, Inspector Cheng!"
Realizing this might be a major discovery, Qin Feng turned and immediately signaled to his team. "Get the Sample Box ready. We need to verify this Infected on-site!"
Camouflage and learning weren't new discoveries. Many Infection Sources displayed similar traits.
But this was the first time they'd encountered one that could learn immediately after being hit.
The eight rushed into the Isolation Pod. Cheng Ye instinctively wanted to warn the guards to stay alert, in case anything happened to the researchers.
But Raven spoke first, in a low voice. "Don't worry, sir. Researchers are treasures of the Inner City. Those 'Turtle Shells' they're wearing are so tough that even if they stood still and let an Infected chew on them, it might not be able to break through."
"That strong?"
Cheng Ye raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
The Collector could search for items. He just didn't know whether it could find this Protective Suit.
If he could wear one of these on a Field Mission, wouldn't his chances of survival go way up?
Unfortunately, his Charge Value had run out. He'd have to wait until tomorrow for it to recharge.
But there's no need to rush. I'll have plenty of chances later.
Cheng Ye mulled it over. Nearly half an hour later, Qin Feng finally came back with his team.
When they'd gone in, one person had been carrying the Containment Box. Now four of them were carrying it, so they must have succeeded in containing the Infected.
"Congratulations, Inspector Cheng. This Infection Source is excellent quality—one sample is worth three!"
As Qin Feng spoke, he removed his mask, revealing a mature, square face.
Seeing Cheng Ye's confusion, he suddenly smacked his forehead. "Look at me, forgetting you're still an intern and wouldn't know about this."
"What do you mean, Captain Qin?"
"Give me your Identity Badge. There are a lot of rules at the Checkpoint, but the Research Institute doesn't care about those. There's no restriction preventing Trainee Inspectors from learning about this."
Qin Feng's words were hard to follow. Cheng Ye didn't understand, so he handed over his Identity Badge.
Qin Feng swiped the badge over his Defense Communicator again, tapped the screen a few times, then handed it back.
"Try it. Just hold it against your Defense Communicator, and you'll be able to see."
"My Defense Communicator can read it too?"
Only devices with special permissions could read an Identity Badge. Cheng Ye had tried using his own inspector's Defense Communicator before, but nothing had happened.
Still, following Qin Feng's instructions, he pressed the badge against it.
The Defense Communicator's screen flashed, then automatically switched to an entirely new interface.
[Module: Xingfu City Infection Source Research Institute Task Board] [Assigned to: Cheng Ye (Trainee Inspector)] [Current Permission Status: Unlocked] [Currently Unlocked Task: Unknown Explorer (S)] [Unknown Explorer (S): Submit 100 new Infection Source samples to the Infection Source Research Institute Current Progress: 3/100 Stage Rewards: 25 (D-Rank Contribution Qualification); 50 (C-Rank Contribution Qualification); 75 (B-Rank Contribution Qualification) Completion Reward: 5 ml of "Transcendent" Inducer (basic formula, with a 20% chance of helping a human awaken)]
"What?"
"Transcendent Inducer?"
Staring at the words on his Defense Communicator's screen, Cheng Ye nearly cried out.
At that moment, the stage rewards and Contribution Qualifications became completely insignificant.
What had he just seen?
Transcendence?
Holy crap, was he seeing things?
He checked the two characters on his Defense Communicator again and again. They really did say "Transcendent."
Cheng Ye felt his blood rush to his head. His fingertips trembled uncontrollably with excitement.
But at the same time, realization, confusion, and a dozen other emotions mingled together, twisting into a tangled mess in his chest.
Because whether it was the books in the Survival Library, the stories ordinary people in the Buffer Zone passed around, or the Wasteland tales Liu Bi had told him from time to time, Transcendents had always belonged to the past.
Since the New Era began, there had never been any concrete record of a newly awakened Transcendent.
And yet...
"Don't look so surprised. You'll learn about it once you're through your internship. Keeping this closed off for now is also a form of protection. Some people don't know their limits and get blinded by the rewards, then go running into danger. Things like that happen all the time at your Checkpoint."
Qin Feng seemed to have guessed that Cheng Ye would be stunned. He wasn't surprised at all, and a faint smile crossed his face.
"The Checkpoint is on the same level as our Research Institute, and it has similar tasks."
"Otherwise, why do you think inspectors come to the Quick Checkpoint? This isn't a pleasant place. The death rate is always high, and that's not even counting Field Missions to dangerous areas."
"The Checkpoint has similar tasks too?"
Cheng Ye picked up on the key point and instinctively pressed him. "There are Transcendents in Xingfu City?"
"Of course. Every Sanctuary City has Transcendents. Otherwise, how could they deal with a large-scale Infected Tide?"
Perhaps because Cheng Ye was young and had shown abilities beyond those of a Trainee Inspector, Qin Feng took the time to explain. "There's no need for ordinary people to know too much about this. In their eyes, the S-4 outbreak still hasn't ended. Transcendents aren't heroes to them. They're more like a plague that could bring a curse."
"If you want to... Well, all missions ranked S or higher reward Inducers. The harder the mission, the greater the dose and the better the quality."
"Has anyone ever completed one?"
"Of course." Qin Feng chuckled. "Nine years ago, someone at your Checkpoint completed one. Unfortunately, he didn't successfully induce Transcendence."
Nine years ago?
That sounded like a long time ago. Cheng Ye didn't ask any more questions; the timespan alone made him realize how difficult it must be.
"What about these Contribution Qualifications?"
"They're used to buy things. A lot of strategically controlled goods require them. For example, if you want to buy an Energy Storage Battery for yourself or modify a Combat Vehicle, you'll need Contribution Qualifications."
"Any other questions?"
"No."
Cheng Ye shook his head lightly, still trying to process the flood of information he'd just received.
"That's it?"
Qin Feng raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "In the Wasteland, you need to keep your desires in check if you want to survive. Only then will you be qualified to complete these missions."
"The standard reward will be sent to your personal account in a couple of days, after verification. Remember to check."
"My Defense Communicator ID is 16571. If you find an unknown Infection Source in the future, or any new clues related to one, you can contact me. I'll settle the reward at the standard rate plus 10%."
"Thank you."
Cheng Ye took out his Defense Communicator and added Qin Feng's ID to his contacts.
But even as he watched the eight men disappear down the passageway, he remained lost in thought.
He'd assumed that the Transcendent transformation brought about by S-3 was far beyond humanity's reach. He hadn't expected it to be so close—or that it could even be offered as a public reward.
That Transcendence I'd thought was beyond reach... had it really been right beside me all along?
Ps: Dear readers, I got your requests for more updates! Ahh, I really want to post a big batch, but the rules for new books have me completely boxed in. A lot of authors only post 4,000 words, but San Jin posts at least 6,000+ every day!
Ps 2: Whatever, I've seen all your support. There has to be another chapter soon. Thanks for all the monthly votes~
Before you continue