Lan glanced at the sleeping Jian Ruofan, his silver-purple eyes filled with something between pity and mockery.

The birth and implementation of the [Divine Disappearance Plan] were things Jian Ruofan couldn’t oppose. After the plan was carried out, he was the only one left. Lan thought: He must have been kept as a ‘safety mechanism,’ which is why his pollution level soared to 98%.

Lan looked away and continued reading.

“An S-level mutant discovered by the Academy of Sciences… [Sacrifice]?”

In the early days of Year 7 of the Apocalypse Calendar, the Academy of Sciences refined the [Divine Disappearance Plan] and announced the discovery of a special mutant.

This mutant had awakened as an A-level and, with further cultivation, could quickly reach S-level. The Academy of Sciences claimed that this mutant’s ability was [Sacrifice], which allowed him to link pollutants and mutants of the same level, resulting in mutual destruction after the sacrifice.

Once this mutant reached S-level, the [Divine Disappearance Plan] could be executed immediately, eliminating all existing S-level pollutants at a 1:1 ratio.

In other words: they needed to sacrifice an equal number of S-level mutants.

At the beginning of the apocalypse, there were few S-level pollutants and few S-level mutants. This mutual destruction plan faced fierce opposition, with Jian Ruofan being the most vocal opponent.

Jian Ruofan wasn’t opposed because he was an S-level mutant who didn’t want to die. He believed the plan was too risky. If all S-level mutants disappeared, humanity’s already precarious situation would become even more dire. He wouldn’t agree to anything with less than an 80% success rate.

In July of the same year, an extreme S-level pollution outbreak occurred in the United States. The pollution caused massive casualties within one of their high walls. They lost one S-level mutant and several lower-level mutants before finally eliminating the invading S-level pollutant. The staggering death toll shocked the world.

The Pollution Control Center was forced to reconsider the Academy of Sciences’s plan.

In Year 8 of the Apocalypse Calendar, the Pollution Control Center agreed to the [Divine Disappearance Plan]. After months of planning and discussions with the global community, the plan was finalized.

The plan was to exchange S-level mutants for S-level pollutants, buying humanity time to stabilize. One S-level mutant would be left behind as insurance against unforeseen events. And so, the [Divine Disappearance Plan] was carried out.

“Year 8 of the Apocalypse Calendar became known as the [Year of Divine Disappearance], as all S-level mutants and S-level pollutants vanished. Without the threat of S-level pollutants, humanity quickly stabilized and successfully built high walls in various regions to protect against pollutants.”

“Jian Ruofan, as [Safe House], used his ability to establish the S-district and containment centers, providing treatment for victims.”

“However, during his busy work, Jian Ruofan discovered a truth.”

“The S-level mutant with [Sacrifice] wasn’t a naturally awakened mutant discovered by the Academy of Sciences. Instead, he was a semi-successful artificial mutant created and forcibly awakened by the Academy of Sciences. Far from reaching S-level standards, his [Sacrifice] wasn’t fully successful. The S-level pollutants weren’t truly destroyed—they were only suppressed for about twenty years. Humanity’s future remained precarious…”

“The [Divine Disappearance Plan] had failed.”

This truth dealt a devastating blow to Jian Ruofan. His negative emotions peaked, and his pollution level entered an uncontrollable phase of escalation, worsening to the point where he had to rely on cryogenic sleep to avoid death.

Reading this, Lan sighed.

“So, what’s the point of the Academy of Sciences? Always doing these annoying things.”

“But now we know what happened to Mom and Dad.”

Lan closed the book and took one last deep look at the sleeping Jian Ruofan.

“Goodbye, the last sane member of the Academy of Sciences.”

/

When Shen Wang returned home, he found a note left by Lan.

[Brother has found some clues about Mom. I need to verify them. Remember, little brother, don’t keep playing with that bad boy.]

Shen Wang: “…”

Was the “bad boy” he mentioned… Zhou Xiangzhe?

In any case, Lan must have gotten some information, which was why he left in such a hurry, leaving only this note behind. Shen Wang tore the note into pieces and threw it in the trash.

The next day was Lily’s funeral. Not many people attended—just the members of [Polaris] and an elderly woman with white hair.

She was Lily’s mother, her only surviving relative.

The middle-aged woman stood beside Lily’s portrait, her eyes vacant, staring at nothing in particular. She didn’t speak a word throughout the entire funeral. Only when it was time to push Lily’s body into the cremation furnace did she break into heart-wrenching sobs. She threw herself onto the coffin, refusing to let anyone move Lily’s remains.

What happened after that, Shen Wang didn’t know. He wasn’t close to Lily, having only met her twice. He knew even less about her family and friends.

Zhou Xiangzhe was still in the S-district and couldn’t attend. In the end, it was Ming Guang who handled everything. With the captain unable to come, Ming Guang, as the deputy captain, had to step in to comfort the family members.

On the third day, the Pollution Control Center updated Shen Wang’s ability threshold to B-level. Shen Wang became the fastest mutant to level up, going from C-level to B-level in less than half a month.

He visited Zhou Xiangzhe again. Zhou Xiangzhe seemed quite familiar with life in the S-district. It was unclear how many times he had been there.

When Shen Wang asked about it, Zhou Xiangzhe explained that he entered the S-district every time he used his ability.

But the work of the dispatch team was complex and dangerous. While lower-level pollutants were manageable, encountering high-level pollutants often forced him to use his ability. As the captain, he had to protect his team, ensuring they returned safely and preventing another tragedy like Lily’s.

This was what frustrated and worried Ming Guang.

In the past twenty years, China had only produced four S-level mutants, one of whom was the traitor Lan. Aside from Zhou Xiangzhe, the other two had pollution levels nearing 70%, and their mental instability affected their work efficiency. In the end, only Zhou Xiangzhe, despite having a pollution level of 80%, remained unaffected by mental abnormalities and could work normally.

Zhou Xiangzhe was irreplaceable.

“Is it worth it? Protecting others by hurting yourself?” Shen Wang asked him.

Zhou Xiangzhe looked at Shen Wang, pondering the question for a moment before answering, “If the person I’m saving is you, then I think it’s worth it.”

Shen Wang sighed. “You really are a perfectionist saint.”

This was the first time Zhou Xiangzhe had received such an evaluation. After devouring [Deer God], Zhou Xiangzhe exuded a faint aura of pollution. Ordinary people couldn’t get close to him, and the mutants who could were highly sensitive to it, instinctively avoiding him. Everyone respected him, but they also feared him.

Only Shen Wang called him a “saint.”

“I dislike people who sacrifice themselves without limits,” Shen Wang stated his opinion. “Because such people fall into a misconception—that by doing this, others will be better off. But they ignore whether the people who truly care about them would actually be happy about it.”

“So I don’t like people like that.”

Zhou Xiangzhe fell silent.

He thought: Shen Wang called me a saint, but Shen Wang said he doesn’t like people like that.

Conclusion: Shen Wang dislikes me.

Zhou Xiangzhe lowered his head, feeling a little dejected.

Seeing Zhou Xiangzhe’s almost imperceptible expression, Shen Wang propped his chin on one hand, his black eyes reflecting Zhou Xiangzhe’s figure. He wasn’t smiling, and the usual calmness in his peach-blossom eyes was gone, as if Shen Wang had released his hidden malice, wanting to see Zhou Xiangzhe upset because he was disliked.

Just a little bit of mischief.

“However, you’re the only one I don’t dislike,” Shen Wang finally added, his tone leisurely.

“I think you’re a good person. I like you.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xiangzhe looked up and met Shen Wang’s gaze for a moment. He fiddled with the ring on his wrist, a subconscious habit.

But Shen Wang could clearly sense his improved mood.

“Mm,” Zhou Xiangzhe said. “Whatever you say.”

He said “whatever,” but he was clearly happier than before. Why was it that as he grew older, he became less willing to show his emotions?

Shen Wang felt a bit regretful. If only he could still smile at me with those bright eyes like he did when we were kids.

In any case, this visit also came to an end. When Shen Wang left, Zhou Xiangzhe watched him go, not looking away even as Shen Wang turned the corner. When Shen Wang glanced back, their eyes met. Zhou Xiangzhe seemed surprised that Shen Wang had turned around, and after a moment of hesitation, he gave a small wave.

Finally, a hint of the past.

Shen Wang smiled at him and waved back.

This time, he didn’t look back again. His mood had finally improved.

/

When Shen Wang returned home, he planned to listen to the music collection Zhou Xiangzhe had given him. But before he could press play, his phone began to vibrate.

The screen automatically turned red, displaying black text: [Emergency Assistance Request].

[Emergency Assistance Request], an internal alert system for the security team.

All mutants were required to join the Pollution Control Center and choose between the dispatch team or the security team. However, the dispatch team only accepted higher-level mutants, while those ranked D and below were automatically assigned to the security team. Since they operated within the high walls, the security team also included many ordinary people without abilities.

This meant that if an emergency broke out, the security team members on duty might not be able to handle it.

Thus, the [Emergency Assistance Request] system was developed.

If they encountered a pollutant incident they couldn’t handle, they could use [Emergency Assistance Request]. This alert would be sent to all nearby high-level mutants who were off-duty, asking them to assist the security team in dealing with the pollution.

This was non-negotiable work, so Shen Wang had no choice but to head to the location of the emergency request.

The place wasn’t far from where Shen Wang lived, which was why the request had been assigned to him. This area was relatively remote, and Shen Wang was probably the only C-level or higher mutant nearby who wasn’t currently working.

When Shen Wang arrived, he saw several security team members in uniform, discussing the situation.

One of them was his neighbor, Song Chen.

“Huh? Aren’t you…” Song Chen was the first to notice him. He paused, then realized, “You’re the mutant here to assist?”

The others looked surprised. “Song Chen, you know him?”

“He’s my neighbor,” Song Chen replied.

“I’m the mutant here to assist,” Shen Wang answered Song Chen’s earlier question, then took out his [Polaris] badge and put it on. “[Polaris] Shen Wang. Let’s work well together.”

Everyone present gasped.

“[Polaris]?!”

To everyone in Central City, [Polaris] was a star team.

The only team with an S-level mutant, and the undisputed top special operations team in Central City. They could even handle A-level pollutants without breaking a sweat.

Their emergency request had actually brought in a member of [Polaris]. This was beyond reassuring.

The security team members quickly led Shen Wang to the scene of the incident.

Since Song Chen and Shen Wang were neighbors, the task of communication naturally fell to Song Chen, leaving him somewhat exasperated.

Today was supposed to be his last day off, but he had been dragged out of bed early in the morning to help with this case. After working on it all day, they realized it was beyond their capabilities and had to issue an [Emergency Assistance Request] to find someone who could handle it.

“The person who reported it was an ordinary man returning from working late,” Song Chen said, handing the case file to Shen Wang.

“He had been working overtime due to a mistake at the office and was heading home around 9 p.m. when he suddenly saw someone under a streetlight. The person looked strange, pacing back and forth on the road at a very slow speed. The man was bold and thought it might be a thief, so he immediately chased after them.”

“But as soon as he got close, the person disappeared. When he turned around, he found the figure was now pacing behind him on the road.”

“He was terrified, his mind went blank, and he ran home as fast as he could. But when he got there, he found the thing had followed him to his hallway, pacing back and forth in front of his door.”

Shen Wang looked at the blurry images in the photos.

Taken at night, with the photographer too frightened to hold the camera steady, the images were fragmented and unclear. Only the vague outline of a humanoid figure under the streetlight could be seen.

It was the size of a normal human, with black hair and likely dark-colored clothing, its head bowed, appearing utterly ordinary.

The next photo was slightly clearer, though the angle was odd.

“We have footage,” Song Chen said, showing Shen Wang the surveillance video they had retrieved that morning. “All residential buildings have surveillance cameras installed to prevent emergencies. The audio is a bit distorted, but it’s still watchable.”

The video began with a man screaming and frantically pounding on a door. But the door required a key to open, and it was hard to steady his hands in his panic.

He fumbled with the key, constantly glancing back at the stairs, and finally managed to open the door after a minute. He rushed inside, slamming the door shut behind him.

At the same time, the video began to distort, with static and snow-like interference appearing on the screen.

A figure with its head bowed suddenly appeared in the frame. No one could see it take a step, but it inched forward bit by bit until it reached the door.

In the surveillance footage, they could clearly see the figure’s distorted form. With every movement, its arms dangled and swayed, touching the floor. Yes, it was standing, but its arms hung so low they brushed the ground.

“This thing paced in front of his door all night, for a total of seven hours, only disappearing at dawn.”

The poor office worker, terrified out of his wits, hadn’t slept a wink. He had tried to call the police, but the calls never went through. It wasn’t until the thing disappeared at daybreak that he finally managed to get through. By the time the security team arrived, he was already on the verge of a mental breakdown, so they contacted the containment center for a deeper pollution assessment.

“It just followed him, with no obvious signs of pollution, and it didn’t affect other residents?” Shen Wang said. “The level should be quite low.”

“That’s what we thought at first, which is why they called me back from my vacation to help,” Song Chen said. “But after a more detailed investigation, we realized the situation wasn’t that simple.”

They had found additional information about this pollutant. It turned out the Pollution Control Center had already documented it.

A near-D-level pollutant, [The Night Wanderer], a semi-stereotypical pollutant that usually appears at night. Its defining characteristics are: pacing on the streets and following people.

Once observed, it will immediately follow the observer home and pace around them. It typically leaves at dawn the next day, but the stalking behavior doesn’t stop. It will follow the person for at least three days before disappearing completely.

Victims develop intense negative emotions because, let’s face it, having this thing pacing outside your door like a ghost would drive anyone to the brink of a nervous breakdown.

But once the pollutant disappears, the victims become excessively clingy to their loved ones.

They must stay by their loved ones’ side at all times. If they’re separated, they go insane—even going to the bathroom becomes impossible.

Through this pattern of mental pollution, they had identified the pollutant’s identity before its death.

An ordinary man who had lived a happy life before the apocalypse, with a good job, a loving wife, healthy parents, and a child in middle school. But when the apocalypse struck, he was displaced, separated from his family, and severely injured. In his final moments, all he wanted was to find his family.

In reality, all his family members had perished in the early days of the apocalypse. To keep him alive, they had told him his family was only missing.

Little did they know, this well-meaning lie had become a terrible shackle.

After his death, he mutated into a pollutant, endlessly wandering the streets at night in search of his family. Whenever someone observed him, he would mistake them for a family member and follow them home. But the person didn’t recognize him, and besides, he was a pollutant.

After three days, he would realize he had mistaken the person and leave to continue his search for his family.

“It will appear again tonight,” Song Chen said. “Our orders are clear: we must eliminate this pollutant.”

Shen Wang thought for a moment, then asked a strange question. “The residential hallway has surveillance, but do the rooms have cameras?”

Song Chen was taken aback before answering, “Of course… not. It’s private property, after all. Whether or not to install cameras is up to the homeowner.”

“So, no cameras?”

“No, we checked.”

Shen Wang nodded seriously. “Alright, I’ll handle it tonight.”

Song Chen: “?”

But you haven’t told us your plan at all. Can we just leave it to you? Is this the confidence of a high-level mutant?!

/

That night, the residential building was eerily quiet, with no lights on in any of the units.

Of course, to avoid collateral damage, the security team had evacuated all the residents.

The security team members were now closely monitoring the surveillance footage, waiting for [The Night Wanderer] to appear.

Around 9 p.m., they saw the lights flicker, and the next moment, the man appeared on the screen. As usual, it walked with its head bowed, pacing back and forth in the hallway.

The moment it appeared, the pollution alarm lit up red. However, due to the settings, it didn’t sound an alarm but instead transmitted the alert remotely to the security team.

The environmental pollution level had already reached 68%.

Song Chen swallowed hard and pressed the communicator in his ear.

“It’s here!”

“I see it,” Shen Wang said, standing at the door. He peered through the peephole.

The peephole distorted the outside light, so what he saw was a convex image of a strange man with his head bowed, pacing back and forth beside the door, moving from left to right and back again.

The scene was more terrifying than any horror movie—after all, horror movies didn’t happen in real life.

“What do we do now?” the security team members were discussing.

“He’s a member of [Polaris]. He must have the most advanced weapons.”

“What’s his ability? I heard he’s a B-level mutant. Maybe he can handle it with his ability.”

“Quiet,” Song Chen said, staring at the screen. “Everyone, wait for orders.”

The room fell silent as they continued to watch the monitor. Just then, they saw the door in front of them suddenly open.

Shen Wang stood at the doorway, looking at the pollutant pacing in the hallway.

“Would you like to come in?” he asked.

All the security team members: “……?!!”

The pollutant clearly hesitated, still following its repetitive behavior as it took a step forward. But the next moment, it was overcome with joy. It mistakenly believed it had finally found its family, and that the open door was an invitation from them. Ecstatic, it rushed into the room.

Shen Wang smiled as he watched it enter, then the door creaked shut behind it.

The security team members looked at each other in confusion.

“We can’t see anything now.”

“Yeah, there’s no surveillance inside the house. We can’t see.”

“What do we do now?”

“Should we go to the scene and check?”

They hesitated for a few seconds, then quickly grabbed their equipment and headed out. To prevent any accidents, they had been stationed in the building, just not on the same floor. They soon reached the location.

The hallway lights were still flickering, creating an eerie atmosphere as usual.

The security team members swallowed hard, positioning themselves on either side of the door and listening carefully.

Inside, it was dead silent, as if no one was there. But they clearly remembered that Shen Wang, a B-level mutant, was inside, along with the near-D-level pollutant that had just entered.

How could there be no sound at all?

They were anxious, unsure if they could contact Shen Wang. What if he was in the middle of a fight and a sudden communication put him in danger?

Crackle. They heard static from their communicators, but it quickly cleared up.

“Mission complete.”

It was Shen Wang’s voice.

Everyone froze, standing up and exchanging bewildered looks. Then, the door creaked open.

Shen Wang paused, surprised to see them. “What are you all doing here?”

“We just wanted to confirm the situation,” Song Chen finally replied. “Is it really over?”

“Yes, the pollutant has been eliminated.”

Song Chen took out his portable pollution detector and confirmed that the environmental pollution level was steadily dropping. At this rate, it would soon return to normal.

No one raised any objections. For them, this was a great outcome, and Shen Wang was a member of [Polaris]! They happily assured him that they would report the incident properly and make sure this [Emergency Assistance Request] was well compensated!

After thanking them, Shen Wang said his goodbyes. He was just an assistant, and the cleanup was the security team’s responsibility.

When Shen Wang returned home, he walked over to the couch and played the music he had been listening to earlier. Soft melodies filled the room.

Shen Wang hummed along for a bit, then pulled out a painting from his pocket.

He leaned back on the couch, admiring the artwork.

If the security team members had been there, they would have been shocked to discover that the painting depicted [The Night Wanderer], the very pollutant they had been so wary of moments ago. It was clearly captured on the canvas—its dark, indistinct face, its arms hanging down to the ground, the narrow hallway, and the flickering lights.

This was undoubtedly [The Night Wanderer].

Shen Wang had used the ability he had taken from Hundred Eyes to turn the pollutant that had entered with him into a painting. After all, [Portrait in Paint] was an abstract ability like that.

“Seems like I’ve found a new use for this,” Shen Wang muttered, tossing the painting onto the couch. “I can use it to stockpile pollutants.”

“Who wouldn’t like a portable snack?”

“I’ll stock up more. Next time, I won’t go hungry.”