After receiving that shocking reply from Dr. Cyril, Ren Yi's mind, which had been slightly strained by his "triple-tasking," actually settled into a state of cold clarity.
He descended silently within the sealed pod, his perceptual feelers rapidly weaving together the fragments of information he had just acquired in his subconscious, stitching and reorganizing them.
The logical deduction of the cause and effect was not difficult for him; in fact, it was quite straightforward.
First, the organization he was currently in was a containment facility established by a high-tech group known as the People on the Lake.
One of its core assets, and simultaneously its greatest source of instability, was an Anomaly codenamed S-099.
But clearly, something had gone wrong with this S-rank Anomaly.
If it followed a numbering convention, perhaps the problem child should be called S-099-A or something similar.
Due to some unknown accident, a part of this monster had split off from its original True Form, broken free of its restraints, and fled into the lawless wilderness.
However, after it escaped to the wasteland, some of the tribes there—the so-called Tide-Followers—gave it a new name with distinct local characteristics:
The "Stomach of Glat."
But the containment organization would never allow its "assets" to remain lost.
When the Red Ring Tribe encountered the fragment and the secret was leaked by a traitor, Dr. Cyril personally led a team.
Like a scavenger, she uprooted the entire tribe from the wilderness, packed them all up, and transported them back to the base.
"So the logic of this matter isn't complicated," Ren Yi reviewed coldly in his mind.
"Dr. Cyril led a team to capture the Red Ring Tribe with the core objective of using these survivors to relocate that missing 'stomach bag.'"
As for himself, he just happened to descend at this sensitive moment—exactly when the doctor was returning with a full load and the base's defense mechanisms were gapped due to the internal riot of S-099.
Oh, and that wasn't all.
Now, there was a first-hand witness, a survivor of the Stomach of Glat, and a representative of the Tide-Follower tribe—the thin but determined Comrade Evans...
Who was currently swearing up and down that there was a mysterious, inexplicable connection between the Stomach of Glat and Ren Yi, this unknown Anomaly!
The timeline was straightened out, but two key pieces of information remained outside Ren Yi's analytical framework.
First, what exactly was S-099?
What was its physical form? Did it have vital signs?
It sounded like a flesh-and-blood creature, though.
Furthermore, what was the scale of its True Form? And why would it split off a fragment like the Stomach of Glat?
Second, Evans.
How did this youth manage to crawl out of an S-rank Anomaly, even if it was just a fragment?
One had to remember that during the S-099 riot in the base just now, the facility had sacrificed something numbered with an 'A'—it was unclear if that was an Anomaly or a staff member.
Perhaps... both?
More importantly, why was he so certain, upon encountering Ren Yi, that Ren Yi was related to that Stomach of Glat?
He couldn't just be going on a hunch, could he?
Speaking of hunches, Ren Yi suddenly felt that Evans gave him a certain sense of déjà vu.
Orphaned, alone, taken in by a kind Tribal Chief...
Then one day, disaster struck. He survived after experiencing a series of bizarre events.
But this also led to him being ostracized within the tribe. Lacking power, he could only endure it.
Then misfortune followed misfortune, and the tribe fell into a catastrophe...
He could only rely on his wits to navigate his way before absolute power.
Even though he only wanted to live an ordinary life, driven by fate, he could only step-by-step ascend to the peak of the world!
He was just missing a cheat!
Ren Yi even had a title ready: 《Rising to the Peak of Life, Starting from a Brutal Containment Facility》.
Sorry, he was straying from the script again.
The reason Ren Yi still had the mental capacity to think about these things was that after the doctor issued her instructions, the pace in the interrogation room had actually slowed down.
The errand boy, B406, had dutifully completed his report, which was tantamount to publicly admitting he was merely a mouthpiece in this game of wits.
After confirming that Dr. Cyril was about to intervene personally, Evans displayed excellent psychological resilience.
Not only did he put down the scalpel, but he also appeared exceptionally submissive when cooperating with B406 to put on a pair of handcuffs that shimmered with an eerie light.
B406 led him down one floor, eventually stopping in front of a heavy, silver-white metal door.
A large red sign was posted on the door: 【No Unauthorized Entry】.
B406 ignored the sign, used his clearance to open the door, and pushed Evans inside.
Unexpectedly, this room was not an interrogation room. Its decor was actually quite beautiful, even carrying a refreshing, natural atmosphere that was soothing to the soul.
There was no interrogation table, no harsh lights. The walls were covered in dark, sound-absorbing soft padding, and in the center stood only a comfortable armchair.
The armchair faced a massive wall of reinforced glass, which divided the room into two equal sections.
The other side of the glass was decorated like a small tropical botanical garden. The air was filled with a misty vapor, and the light from artificial sun lamps filtered through the fog, casting dappled shadows.
In the very center of that area lay several segments of rotten wood covered in dry, cracked patterns.
On this completely dead wood clustered a patch of translucent, pale pink mushrooms.
Under the shroud of Ren Yi's perception, these fungi revealed their hideous nature as Anomalies.
【Anomaly File: B-121】
【Alias: Honest Gift】
【Rank】: B-rank
【Physical Appearance Description】:
Large fungi that mostly appear pale purple or pale blue.
The mushroom caps have a translucent texture. Faint bioluminescence is visible inside, which alternates between light and dark in a regular rhythm following its biological cycle.
【Containment Behavior and Anomalous Properties】:
1. Although it can proliferate to a massive size, the entire patch is a single individual.
Parts detached from the core True Form can continue to grow on their own for a period, but signs of natural aging will appear after a maximum of about 15 days, followed by death.
2. In addition to absorbing water and nutrients, B-121 will proliferate exponentially upon sensing clear statements made with subjective intent to deceive.
This process seemingly requires no additional physical intake and can rely on the consumption of "lies"—an abstract energy—as a power source. The mechanism for this has not yet been determined.
3. The produced mushrooms are edible and taste extremely delicious. They also have absorption and detoxification effects on most harmful substances.
However, please take special note: all the aforementioned characteristics remain in effect after entering the human body until they are completely metabolized.
Please ensure silence for 24 hours after consumption, or at least do not make any statements containing subjective judgment.
【Containment Records】
This Anomaly was originally discovered and brought out of the abyss by an exploration team belonging to the People of the Abyss.
Due to the lack of food in the abyss, the exploration team used it as their primary food source.
During that period, the team experienced intermittent, wasting deaths, which the members mistakenly attributed to environmental factors.
The situation finally reached a mass outbreak after the team returned to the surface and participated in a local folk event, the "Liar's Festival."
Before the containment squad arrived, the Anomaly had already caused over 50 people to die of organ failure after their nutrients were drained dry.
【Containment Method】: Store in a sealed, temperature-controlled room.
Rate on N.U.
