Over a decade ago, after the outbreak of the S-level pollution source, Central City underwent a major reform.

The Galaxy Orphanage was located within Central City, not even in the outskirts. This gave the Pollution Control Center a massive headache. In the end, they had no choice but to abandon half of the newly built Central City walls and construct a new Central City on the other side, erecting even higher walls.

Thus, the Central City became the most unique among the five major walled cities. This new city housed the proper residents of the Central City, with the Pollution Control Center providing protection for the entire Central City.

The old city, also known as the outer wall, offered the same protective effects. Countless refugees flocked to it. They didn’t care whether there was really an S-level pollution source nearby; all they knew was that this place could keep them safe and didn’t require any conditions to settle in—first come, first served!

As a result, the outer wall became a chaotic and highly risky place. The Pollution Control Center had no choice but to send specialized personnel to manage it.

In the end, apart from the S-level pollution source, which strictly prohibited anyone from approaching, the rest of the outer wall was filled with people. Some even said: stepping into the outer wall of the Central City was like being halfway into the Central City itself. All you needed to do was endure a little longer, and one day you’d enter the real Central City.

This wasn’t Shen Wang’s first time here, but it was his first time coming as an enforcer.

Qiang Li’an, with his towering physique, drew attention throughout the entire street. Everyone looked at the group with a mix of confusion and fear.

After they passed, people began whispering among themselves.

“What’s going on? Are those people from the Pollution Control Center?”

“Scared me to death. I thought the Pollution Control Center was here to kick us out.”

“You guys don’t know? I heard there’s been a problem with the pollution source over there. The Pollution Control Center has been sending people.”

“What?! There’s really a pollution source in the outer wall?!”

“Of course there is, and it’s an S-level one. Otherwise, why would the Central City abandon a fully built wall and spend so much effort building a new one? It’s because S-level pollution sources are hard to deal with!”

“Then what should we do?!”

“Deal with it, I guess. We’re not Central City residents. The Pollution Control Center won’t care about us.”

“They can’t do that! We’re in danger too!”

Qiang Li’an ignored the whispers. He knew these people only dared to whisper and wouldn’t dare to do anything in front of the Pollution Control Center.

When he first arrived here, Qiang Li’an would argue with people. His mere presence would scare them into silence, given his imposing stature.

But later, he stopped doing that because they would still talk behind his back.

When he intimidated them, they would later claim that the Pollution Control Center was restricting their freedom of speech.

“Pollution incidents in the outer wall are ten times more frequent than in the Central City because of the massive population flow and high risk,” Qiang Li’an explained to Shen Wang.

“Actually, all walled cities have smaller cities built around them. That’s normal. The Pollution Control Center also sets rules to protect people outside the walls. But Central City is an exception.”

“Here, there’s a second complete wall, which is tempting for people desperate to avoid pollutants. So they all rush here, but there’s also an S-level pollution source here.”

The big man sighed, “It’s such a headache!”

This also meant that when the S-level pollution source began to expand, it caused a massive impact. Almost all the residents around the pollution source were affected, numbering in the tens of thousands.

“So, this isn’t our mission location, right?” Shen Wang asked.

After leaving the Central City, he and Zhou Xiangzhe split up. Zhou Xiangzhe headed into the S-level pollution source, while Shen Wang was brought here by Qiang Li’an.

The people in the outer wall had more dangerous eyes, warily watching everyone, a sign of their difficult lives.

But there were no obvious signs of pollution here.

“Of course not. We’re here to pick someone up,” Qiang Li’an said.

“The Pollution Control Center can’t just let this place fend for itself. If a terrible pollution incident really broke out, what would happen? So they sent someone to manage this place. This pollution expansion incident is too large and terrifying, so the Pollution Control Center assigned him to help.”

Shen Wang didn’t know about the existence of an overseer in the outer wall. To him, the outer wall was a chaotic, mixed-up place. Compared to the order of the Central City, this place seemed like a post-apocalyptic scene straight out of a novel. What kind of overseer would emerge from such a place? Someone like a local gang leader?

With this thought in mind, Shen Wang followed Qiang Li’an to their destination.

It was a simple little house, no different from the surrounding buildings, except for a worn-out sign at the door that read “Pollution Control Center.”

“Zhou Qing!” Qiang Li’an shouted, “Big shot! I’m here to pick you up!”

Zhou Qing? The name didn’t seem to fit the image of a local gang leader at all.

The door creaked open, and Shen Wang saw a monk in a robe, holding prayer beads, with a shaved head, step out…

“Amitabha,” the monk first chanted, then started scolding, “Can you keep your voice down? Your shouting is going to collapse my house!”

Shen Wang: …

The monk seemed to finally notice there was someone else beside Qiang Li’an, so he quickly coughed and said, “Greetings, benefactor.”

“Stop wasting time with this, big shot. You’re not even a real monk, no need to act so convincingly,” Qiang Li’an hurriedly said. “We’re in a crisis! Let’s go!”

Zhou Qing glared at him, “This humble monk is still an S-level mutant. Can you show some respect?”

An S-level mutant, no less.

Despite his words, Zhou Qing understood the urgency of the situation and quickly followed them, heading toward the real mission location.

On the way, Shen Wang finally learned a bit about Zhou Qing.

Zhou Qing, an S-level mutant, claimed his talent was [Scissors] with a pollution level of 62%.

According to Qiang Li’an, when Zhou Qing’s pollution level reached 50, he began to exhibit abnormal behavior. A once extremely violent person suddenly put down his weapons and became a monk, claiming to be the reincarnation of one of the Eighteen Arhats. Without anyone noticing, he shaved his head and donned monk’s robes.

At that time, Zhou Xiangzhe happened to pass by with his team and, curious, asked him: Aren’t monks supposed to be compassionate?

Zhou Qing replied: The Bodhisattva said that sending these harmful pollutants to the afterlife is also a form of compassion.

So, he was still the same violent S-level mutant, just wearing monk’s robes and spouting mystical nonsense.

After being assigned to the outer wall, everyone thought he was as soft as a cotton ball. Mess with him, and it’s like messing with cotton. But when someone actually provoked him, Zhou Qing threw them into the containment center, insisting they were polluted. How could you doubt the judgment of an S-level mutant?

Even if they weren’t polluted, they were still suspects and needed thorough inspection!

After dealing with a few troublemakers this way, no one dared to cause trouble in the outer wall anymore.

“This humble monk wanted to find a quiet place to live in seclusion, but the world needs me,” Zhou Qing sighed, shaking his head. “By the way, who is this benefactor? I don’t recognize him.”

“Of course you don’t. He’s a new member of our North Star team, a mutant with the talent ‘Pollution Immunity.’”

Zhou Qing’s eyes lit up, “Pollution Immunity?”

“That’s a great talent. Really great.”

After getting to know each other a bit on the way, they arrived at the headquarters of the second team as quickly as possible. The headquarters was nearly empty, and Qiang Li’an explained that everyone had gone to try to stop the pollution source’s expansion.

The Pollution Control Center had sent others to evacuate the surrounding residents, but there were still three polluted areas that needed their attention.

“We can’t identify the specific pollutants in these three areas yet. Each of us will take one area, and after dealing with it, we’ll regroup and help the others,” Qiang Li’an said.

“Area 1: The first report came from a young woman who claimed her boyfriend had suddenly died in his sleep. He was fine when they went to bed.”

“At first, we thought it was just a case of sudden death. But soon, countless calls came in, all from family members of people who had died in their sleep at night. When we investigated, we found that every family member who reported the deaths had also died in the same way.”

“This pollution incident has been confirmed through testing to have a danger level of B or higher.”

“Area 2: An observer reported seeing a dancing doll outside their window at night. The doll was about one meter tall, mechanically rotating. However, the observer lived on the 7th floor. Terrified, they closed the curtains, only to turn around and find the doll spinning behind them.”

“After that, the pollution spread instantly. Countless people began seeing this doll, and upon observing it, they would cry uncontrollably, overwhelmed with grief, eventually taking their own lives out of sheer despair.”

“Area 3: A victim sought medical attention for abdominal pain. When medication proved ineffective, further examination revealed that the victim’s body was teeming with countless tadpoles. The tadpoles had devoured the person’s internal organs. A city-wide check was conducted, and the results showed that nearly everyone in the city had tadpoles and frog eggs inside their bodies.”

tadpole, aquatic larval stage of frogs and toads

“The day after the eggs were discovered, the victims began to mutate, increasingly taking on frog-like characteristics.”

After explaining the three areas and their issues, Qiang Li’an let out a long sigh.

“In short, I’ll handle Area 1, the big shot will take Area 2, and Xiao Shen, you’re responsible for Area 3.”

“Stay in touch at all times. We must find the source of the pollution!”

…

Shen Wang stood on the empty street, looking to his left where a pile of rotting vegetables lay, emitting a strong, pungent odor. He had no idea how long they had been there.

He pressed the communicator on his ear. “I’ve arrived at Area 3.”

No one answered. It was unclear whether they hadn’t heard him or if the signal was being blocked here.

Shen Wang lowered his hand and walked forward.

Area 3 was the only place around the pollution source where large-scale mutation pollution had occurred. It was also the only area where the method of pollution couldn’t be determined. Without knowing how the pollution spread, it was impossible to devise an appropriate response. In the end, the area had to be sealed off along with the other two regions.

The Pollution Control Center had previously sent others to investigate, but even mutants who entered this area quickly began to mutate.

After multiple attempts, the Pollution Control Center stopped sending people here. However, this area couldn’t be left unaddressed. It wasn’t until Qiang Li’an discovered Shen Wang, a mutant with “Pollution Immunity,” that they saw a glimmer of hope.

Even if they couldn’t resolve the issue, they hoped Shen Wang could at least locate the source of the pollution.

After walking down another street, Shen Wang finally encountered a person—a little girl, about seven or eight years old, sitting on the ground playing with a dirty toy. Her hair was disheveled, and her cheeks and hands had a greenish tint, as if colored by a marker. However, Shen Wang, having reviewed the data, knew this was an external manifestation of the physical mutations affecting the victims in Area 3.

Shen Wang approached her. “Hello.”

The little girl, clutching her toy, looked up. Her large eyes seemed to bulge unnaturally.

She seemed to have trouble seeing clearly, so Shen Wang waved his hand in front of her face, and she finally focused on his hand.

“Hello,” the little girl said in a childish voice. “Who are you?”

“Pollution Control Center. Do you know where everyone here has gone?”

The little girl replied, “Everyone left.”

“Where did they go?”

“They said the city was being sealed off, so they all went to the high wall, thinking they could escape.”

“They won’t be able to leave,” Shen Wang said calmly. “So they must have come back.”

“Right! You’re so smart, big brother!” The little girl shook her toy. “Everyone came back really quickly. Mom and Dad said there were men with guns telling them to return, so they got scared and came back. But everyone became so thirsty, like they were dying of thirst, so they all went to look for water.”

Shen Wang nodded. “So, where did they go to find water?”

“That way,” the little girl pointed in a direction. “There’s a river over there, a really big river!”

Shen Wang raised an eyebrow slightly.

Before coming here, Qiang Li’an had given him a lot of information, including a detailed map of Area 3. He had studied the map repeatedly and was certain there was no river here. If there really was a river, the Pollution Control Center would never have built a high wall in this location.

After the apocalypse, rivers became unstable factors. No one knew what might be lurking in the water. There had been multiple incidents of people drinking untreated water and becoming polluted.

Therefore, when constructing high walls, the Pollution Control Center had a strict rule: high walls must never be built near rivers.

After thanking the little girl, Shen Wang headed in the direction she had pointed.

As he walked, Shen Wang continued to report his findings to headquarters as per protocol.

“Area 3: Suspected appearance of an unidentified river. Mutants are collectively moving toward the unidentified river.”

As usual, there was no response. Shen Wang clicked his tongue in annoyance. “What kind of quality is this? The Pollution Control Center sends people in to take risks but doesn’t bother upgrading the equipment. The Science Academy has been working for so many years and still can’t make a communicator that doesn’t drop signals. All that funding is such a waste.”

After venting, Shen Wang continued forward. The area ahead remained empty, with only the occasional partially mutated mutant crossing his path.

When Shen Wang tried to talk to them, those who still had some semblance of reason told him similar things to what the little girl had said. Others, however, had completely lost their minds. They cried, asking if there was still hope for them, and screamed hysterically, demanding to know why the Pollution Control Center wasn’t coming to save them.

To this, Shen Wang replied, “Isn’t that why I’m here?”

But the distorted people had lost too much of their rationality. They couldn’t understand Shen Wang’s words and simply continued to cry and accuse him of not saving them.

Shen Wang pressed on. After walking about 500 meters, he finally saw the river the little girl had mentioned.

It was indeed a river, and a rather long one at that.

The river was about 10 meters wide, its water a murky green. It cut straight through the center of the residential buildings, collapsing half of the structures on either side. Reinforced concrete hung precariously over the riverbanks, and the dampness had caused moss to grow on the remaining steel ruins, giving the area a strangely lush appearance.

“Confirmed: A river approximately 10 meters wide with greenish water has appeared 500 meters west of the entrance. Water quality is unknown.”

“However, something that didn’t exist before suddenly appearing is definitely suspicious.”

“What kind of strange pollutant can alter the terrain out of thin air?”

Following protocol, Shen Wang marked the location on his communicator and took a couple of photos of the river. If the data couldn’t be transmitted, it wasn’t his fault—he had done his part.

After completing the task, Shen Wang followed the river upstream, hoping to find its source. Perhaps that was where the pollution originated.

Maybe he could stock up on some snacks. Two wouldn’t be enough for him.

Navigating around two partially collapsed residential buildings, Shen Wang walked along the riverbank, taking notes as he went. The river’s flow was incredibly slow, almost like a lake. Occasionally, large frogs would surface from the water, their unblinking eyes fixed on Shen Wang as he moved.

They watched him until he passed, then slipped back into the water.

Finding the source of the river took Shen Wang a considerable amount of time. He estimated he had walked at least three miles. The further he went, the darker the sky became, as if he had entered some strange, otherworldly place.

It was then that Shen Wang came across a bridge.

He didn’t step onto it immediately because standing on the bridge was a strange woman.

She didn’t look like a real person but rather like a doll. She wore a red dress and small, delicate shoes, with golden curly hair cascading down her back. She was dancing on the bridge, spinning wildly, her mouth stretched into a wide, unnatural grin.

[The Dancing Doll]?

“Why is she here? Isn’t this Area 3?” Shen Wang glanced down at the map he carried.

“Areas 1, 2, and 3 are located in three different directions around the pollution source. Pollutants are territorial, which is why the pollution in these areas differs. They’ve divided the territory among themselves.”

As he spoke, Shen Wang looked up and noticed that the doll spinning on the bridge had disappeared.

Something cold wrapped around his waist, the chill seeping through his combat suit. Shen Wang looked down to see the one-meter-tall doll clinging to him with its plastic arms. When Shen Wang met its gaze, it let out an eerie laugh.

“Come dance with me!”

“Get lost,” Shen Wang said coldly, glaring at it. “Don’t touch me. You’re disgusting.”

The doll laughed even louder. “Come dance with me!!”

Vines instantly shot out, dragging the doll away and slamming it into the stone bridge. The fragile doll shattered into pieces, its head rolling to the edge of the bridge.

Yet, it continued to laugh, its glass eyes fixed on Shen Wang. “Come dance with me!”

Shen Wang completely ignored it and pressed his communicator again.

“Additional intel: [The Dancing Doll] has appeared in Area 3. Confirmed it has not entered Area 2.”

After reporting, Shen Wang stepped onto the bridge.

“So, what’s on the other side?”

As he crossed the bridge, Shen Wang was surprised to find that the river behind him had disappeared. Behind him was an empty wasteland, dark and devoid of any features. In front of him, however, was a cluster of dilapidated playground equipment. A small child sat on a swing, laughing as they rocked back and forth.

Seeing this, Shen Wang fell silent. He didn’t move forward, nor did he leave immediately.

Because he remembered that he, too, had once sat on that swing.

Back then, the swing wasn’t so worn out. It, like the orphanage, was still new and clean—a rare haven for the children.

Dozens of children from the orphanage would line up here, just to have a few minutes on the swing.

/

“What did you say?!” Qiang Li’an shouted. “The captain’s gone missing?!”

“Yes, we were able to contact him at first, but now he hasn’t checked in at the scheduled time. We’re trying to reach him, but…”

Qiang Li’an let out a string of curses before forcing himself to calm down. “Wait a bit longer. We have to believe the captain can work miracles!”

“Maybe he’s just in a complicated situation and can’t contact us right now.”

“That must be it!”

At that moment, a familiar voice came through the communicator. It was Zhou Qing. “Big Qiang, try contacting Shen.”

“Stop calling me Big Qiang! How am I supposed to find a partner with a nickname like that?!”

“Got it, Big Qiang,” Zhou Qing’s voice was calmer than before. “Did you notice? After we split up, Shen hasn’t contacted us at all. I haven’t heard a single word from him.”

Qiang Li’an’s eyes widened. “…You’re right. Why hasn’t he said anything?”

Someone from headquarters chimed in, “But we’ve been receiving reports from Shen Wang this whole time.”

“Really?” Qiang Li’an was puzzled. “He’s not telling us, but he’s uploading to the system?”

“Another one just came in!” the staff member said. “I’ll play it for everyone.”

The staff member opened Shen Wang’s latest message and played it aloud for everyone to hear.

What they heard was Shen Wang’s voice, cold and dismissive.

“Get lost. Don’t touch me. You’re disgusting.”

“Additional intel: [The Dancing Doll] has appeared in Area 3. Confirmed it has not entered Area 2.”

Qiang Li’an gasped. “Holy crap!”

“Contact Shen Wang immediately! Tell him to retreat at once!”

“Pollutants are territorial and avoid crossing into each other’s areas. But this isn’t just any polluted zone. There’s an S-level pollution source at the center of the three areas. All three pollutants are converging there. Why did he walk into the pollution source?!”

“Oh my god! The captain’s going to kill me if he finds out!”

“Shen Wang, get back here now!”

Qiang Li’an stammered nervously, his voice trembling as he muttered a prayer under his breath. Meanwhile, a colleague from headquarters whispered softly, almost inaudibly, “Um… we can’t reach him.”

Qiang Li’an choked back a sob.

Zhou Qing sighed, “Are you… crying?”

“You don’t understand, big shot,” Qiang Li’an said mournfully. “Just yesterday, I wished him and the captain happiness. And then he told me that if they didn’t make it back because of my stupid jinx, it would all be my fault.”

“What jinx? He was just messing with you,” Zhou Qing replied calmly. “Zhou Xiangzhe is a force to be reckoned with—he’s taken down S-level pollutants before. He’s not going to die that easily. And Shen Wang’s talent is ‘Pollution Immunity.’ The chances of something happening to him are slim. What we need to do now is sort through the information he left behind and figure out the situation.”

Qiang Li’an let out another choked sob.