New Omen

Had a good chat with Arno the Hunter. Zheng Yichen then went to look around other places and found that some of the items the hunters were selling weren't as expensive as he'd imagined. Although he had mentally prepared himself, he ended up spending money and buying some...

An Abnormal Creature's nail. According to the hunter, this nail could be used to forge weapons or be incorporated into metal to make bullets, which could deal extra damage to some Abnormal Creatures. In a game, it would be a solid enchantment material. Zheng Yichen immediately wanted to ask the hunter if he could conjure fireballs.

A single Abnormal Creature's nail cost over three thousand. It was this price, coupled with its effect, that tempted Zheng Yichen. He could tell it wasn't a fake because he could feel it after touching the Abnormal Creature's nail.

As night fell, some Ordinary People who had come to the Twilight Chapel began to leave one after another. Zheng Yichen saw some hunters skillfully take out blankets, clearly preparing to find a place to spend the night there.

Zheng Yichen felt his own preparations were insufficient. After leaving the Twilight Chapel, he saw a foggy environment. The fog was denser than in a normal night environment, making Zheng Yichen want to go back and stay the night.

"Strange phenomena are prone to appearing at times like these," Arno's voice came from behind Zheng Yichen.

Zheng Yichen looked at the hunter. The latter wasn't carrying a large bag. Noticing Zheng Yichen's confusion, he simply explained, "The chapel has a storage service."

"Alright." Zheng Yichen looked back at the sky, covered by fog, where not even a single star could be seen. "Does a foggy night often bring strange phenomena?"

"Of course." As he said this, Arno took an extra look at Zheng Yichen. "Do you have a regular sleep schedule?"

"Yes, for good health!" Zheng Yichen immediately nodded. This world had the internet and video games; its richness wasn't inferior to Earth's. However, at that time, he hadn't encountered any abnormalities, nor did he understand the abnormalities within himself. All he could do was maintain his condition with self-discipline.

For many years, he had basically never seen the sky at midnight.

Even now, including travel time home, he went to bed at eleven at the latest.

"A good habit, but after becoming a hunter, this habit will likely be hard to maintain. See you next time." With that, Hunter Arno walked into the fog-covered night, his figure quickly disappearing.

"So mysterious..." Zheng Yichen muttered. He knew about secrets, such as the 'worlds' connected to strange phenomena. He had confirmed with the bartender that this connection wasn't top-secret and that quite a few people should know about it.

But there weren't that many who knew. The reason was that some people couldn't withstand the pressure of the rifts of strange phenomena. When they approached the rifts, they would lose consciousness due to excessive pressure. Lewis and the others he had met before knew nothing about this information.

They had approached strange phenomena before, but their understanding of them was that getting too close would be life-threatening, and one was prone to losing consciousness near them. And abnormal creatures were prone to appearing there. Losing consciousness was equivalent to a life-threatening situation, which made sense.

Zheng Yichen also set off on his way home. He definitely wouldn't be able to find a taxi in this weather. The subway could still operate; otherwise, he would really have to make do with a night at the chapel.

On the subway, the few passengers looked at Zheng Yichen as he boarded, their gazes lingering on his Fishing Rod for a moment before retracting. To them, Zheng Yichen's strong physique was just that of a strong fishing enthusiast.

The two attributes didn't conflict, so passersby didn't pay much attention. At this hour, everyone was in a hurry to get home; who would care about trivial matters?

A heavy pressure descended. This familiar pressure made Zheng Yichen's eyes widen, and he immediately looked out the window. However, he couldn't see anything in the subway tunnel, but he was sure they were passing through a place with strange phenomena at that very moment.

A portion of the people on the train had fallen unconscious, but not all of them... The subway was automated, so even if everyone inside lost consciousness, it wouldn't affect the subway's operation. However, some people were destined to miss their stop.

There were quite a few cameras on the train, so he shouldn't have any other ideas. He would deal with it after getting off at his stop.

As for hiding? There was no need for that. Or rather, if he didn't 'faint' in sync with the unconscious people the first time, it was already too late. Besides, not everyone here was unconscious; one more person wouldn't make a difference.

Soon, an announcement sounded on the train, stating that passengers who were not awake should not panic. The train had merely passed the edge of a strange phenomenon. If anyone felt nauseous or unwell, they could find a vomit bag under their seat.

This strange phenomenon was an unexpected event. The subway's subsequent route remained safe. As for the unconscious personnel, relevant personnel would arrive at the next station to provide rescue.

Hmm... there are train police on the train, but how to put it, resisting the pressure of anomalies varies from person to person. It's not something that can be completely resisted by simply being physically strong. It depends on the "adaptability" that George the Dog-Head mentioned back then.

Zheng Yichen got off at the next stop and left. Besides him, other passengers who hadn't fainted did the same. The subway station staff didn't stop them. There were hotels nearby, and if they felt unsafe taking the subway tonight, they could wait until tomorrow.

After leaving the subway station, Zheng Yichen immediately rushed back. There was nothing else to say, it was purely out of curiosity and the pursuit of an abnormal person. Medicine was useless for the problems he had. If he didn't actively hunt monsters, how would he live well in the future?

He didn't want to wait until the abnormality on his body became severe and he became a dead stump for some research institute to study. If nothing unexpected happened, his schedule was definitely going to explode today.

The darkness concealed a lot. As Zheng Yichen, who was jogging back, approached, he finally saw the anomaly hidden by the night. The scene had already been cordoned off. Zheng Yichen also saw some hunters there, which made him pat his pocket. If he couldn't get in normally later, he would try using the license in his hand?

"What are you doing?" Before Zheng Yichen could act, a stern voice came from the side. Zheng Yichen looked and saw a law enforcement officer in a police uniform, shining a flashlight at him.

"I'm a hunter passing by," Zheng Yichen said as quickly as possible. The local customs in Longcheng were sometimes quite free. Normal places were more strict, but it was best to follow the rules in areas where accidents occurred.

He took out his license. The law enforcement officer glanced at it, and his stern expression softened slightly. "Hunters who have been in the profession for less than a month should not approach anomaly zones casually."

"I can still clear out those abnormal small animals," Zheng Yichen said. Even if he didn't have the chance to enter the anomaly to see the situation, it was still good to move around nearby.

Although some small abnormal creatures were no longer directly useful to him, killing them could also serve as an extra supplement.

It wasn't bad to increase the improvement rate during training.

"Alright then, you can patrol around with me. Don't hesitate to kill any abnormal creatures you encounter. The abnormal creatures in anomaly zones are very violent." The law enforcement officer, who was not too old, nodded.

A hunter who could obtain a license, no matter how bad, was better than an ordinary person who panicked when faced with an emergency. Zheng Yichen wanted to stay and help, and he didn't mind, as long as he didn't cause trouble. As for his identity, the law enforcement officer knew it when Zheng Yichen showed him his license earlier.

If there was a real problem, they could check his personal file when they got back.

Zheng Yichen asked knowingly, "I only became a hunter not long ago and have only taken on one commission. I have encountered an anomaly once. Besides the pressure that can cause people to faint near anomalies in Longcheng, are there any other special characteristics?"

"No comment," Roy said with a straight face. "In short, don't approach the center of the anomaly casually."

"What if something runs out of the anomaly?"

Roy looked at Zheng Yichen very seriously. Zheng Yichen wasn't guilty. Mainly, he had already sold the video of George the Dog-Head he had taken before. Longcheng's research institute had a relationship with the local authorities, and this was not a secret, so it was okay to ask.

"I've taken some videos before."

"Then you're lucky not to have been attacked by the 'things' that ran out," Roy said with a straight face. "If there's such a situation, there will naturally be professionals to deal with it. Don't think too much about it, novice hunters like you. Perhaps you'll have the opportunity to learn more things in the future, but not now."

Not long after Roy finished speaking, the sound of gunfire came from afar. The young law enforcement officer rushed towards it without hesitation. Seeing Zheng Yichen sensibly following, he gradually quickened his pace.

Zheng Yichen saw many Giant Rats.

The Giant Rats broke through the sewer covers and kept pouring out. There were a lot of them, and they were not slow. Some were killed as soon as they came out, but some ran to other places. With the presence of mist, it was difficult to find them once they ran far away.

"I felt the pressure when I was on the subway. Is the pressure near the anomaly the reason for the appearance of anomalies?" Zheng Yichen asked, already swinging his Fishing Rod, accurately poking the head of a fierce Giant Rat.

The Fishing Rod he used was one that exceeded three and a half meters in length when fully extended. In its retracted state, it was like a short stick. When fighting, as long as the last meter and a half of the Fishing Rod was not extended, it could be guaranteed that this thing was like a long stick. If a spearhead was inserted, it could even be used as a spear.

"You ask too many questions." Roy watched Zheng Yichen act with decisive efficiency, sparking some additional thoughts.

"I'm a novice and need to learn more."

"...Your skills are good. If you truly want to learn, why not join us? After passing an assessment, you can have your questions answered."

"Can I still be a Hunter then?"

"No."