Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The masked figure appeared in the game, casting a silence over the JiuZhou Command Unit. The Minister's cigarette ash fell, burning his fingertips red.

"A humanoid anomaly," he muttered, his calm and collected face revealing nothing of his true emotions, only the breaking ashes giving away his inner turmoil.

Cadet Ji Xinghai hadn't encountered Zhang Ziqing yet, but he did meet a humanoid anomaly.

Suddenly appearing in the forest was an anomaly in human form. From its appearance, it was dressed in black attire, wearing a hat characteristic of a minority group, with its face obscured by an eerie tree bark mask.

Its alien aura wasn't strong; if not for the fact that this person wasn't among the cadets, the audience would have a hard time deciding whether it was a cadet or an anomalous creature.

So far, there were four known types of anomalies: common biological anomalies like insects, fish, birds, and beasts; common household items turned anomalous; humanoid anomalies; and rule-based anomalies, often referred to as unsolvable nightmares.

Excluding rule-based anomalies, the other three types, while not human, resembled humans, and the closer they resembled humans, the more dangerous they became.

However, the anomalies that appeared in the test grounds had special significance and couldn't simply be labeled as antagonists.

Sometimes, the 'anomalies' served as guides or puzzle solvers, akin to exam supervisors or warning bells, enhancing the cadets' survival chances and their exploration of the scenario. Other times, they were hunters, randomly eliminating some of the cadets.

Moreover, the roles of anomalies weren't fixed; they were unpredictable, capable of switching identities at any moment. One second, they could be trustworthy mentors, and the next, ruthless hunters.

In the scenario world, no anomaly could be completely trusted, nor could they be completely disregarded.

"Are you looking for me?" Ji Xinghai warmly greeted the visitor in the scenario, his demeanor natural and courteous.

The Minister subconsciously checked Ji Xinghai's mental and fear values.

The audience, watching through screens, felt their heart rates spike due to the sudden turn of events, but Ji Xinghai's mental and fear values remained unchanged.

"If a cadet doesn't realize this is an anomalous creature, it could result in a zero fear value."

Ji Xinghai was a 'child' whose memories stopped nine years ago. He knew nothing of world contamination or anomalous disasters. The people at the Command Unit speculated that he lacked the concept of 'aliens.'

Unawareness of fear was precisely what enabled him to overcome it.

"This might actually be a good thing. The effectiveness of an anomaly's harm to a cadet is directly proportional to the fear value. A zero fear value means that even if it attacks now, the damage to Cadet Ji Xinghai would be extremely limited."

"But it's only the first time. Afterward, the fear value will definitely fluctuate. Given his mental state, it wouldn't be surprising if the fear value skyrocketed to fifty or higher after just one hit. He might scare himself to death without any action needed."

"Which country are you from?"

"I'm merely respecting objective facts."

The people in the command room started arguing about this. The Minister glanced at them but said nothing, focusing instead on the picturesque mountains and the figures within.

Due to the perspective, the camera focused more on the visitor, leaving only a side profile of the cadet with bangs obscuring his face.

After two unanswered greetings, Ji Xinghai stopped speaking, his expression serene.

The masked figure remained silent, neither speaking nor moving.

A subtle, inexplicable atmosphere hung between them.

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound came from another direction. This sound, blending with the wind, was easy to overlook, but both the visitor and Ji Xinghai looked quickly toward the source.

No, to be precise, Ji Xinghai reacted even faster, almost instantly turning his gaze when the sound appeared.

'What sharp reflexes,' the Minister thought, momentarily stunned.

The slight time difference created a subtle sense of 'abnormality,' but the audience didn't dwell on it, following the direction of the eyes of the man and the anomaly. They vaguely saw a shadow lingering behind a tree.

Who was this?

A humanoid anomaly...

Fine sweat crept onto Zhang Ziqing's face as he tightly gripped his blowgun.

From a hundred steps away, through overlapping shadows of trees, Zhang Ziqing immediately recognized the entity's true nature.

As an official cadet, his knowledge and skill reserves far surpassed those of ordinary people. Moreover, anomalies were relatively easy to identify when not in disguise, carrying an evil aura impossible for humans.

'Stay calm, this anomaly's target is someone else.'

He slowly adjusted his breathing.

Although encountering anomalous creatures was inevitable in the scenarios, being faced with a high-level humanoid anomaly right away caught Zhang Ziqing off guard.

The oppressive feeling brought by anomalous creatures didn't stem from their appearance; they embodied 'fear' itself.

Zhang Ziqing couldn't help but be affected. Just the mention of 'humanoid anomaly' caused his fear value to jump thrice before settling at the number seven.

He was well aware that, with his current foundation upon entering the scenario, even having awakened special talents early on, he had no chance of escaping from an attacking humanoid anomaly.

He absolutely couldn't provoke this anomaly, no, best not to be noticed at all.

He had to leave.

Go!

Zhang Ziqing, as the third party, made a decisive step back, attempting to leave this corner that was no longer peaceful with minimal disturbance. But he had already been noticed.

The visitor slightly turned, revealing the eerie tree bark mask to Zhang Ziqing, causing him to shudder.

No one knew what Zhang Ziqing saw, but they saw him freeze, his eyes wide, red blood vessels creeping toward his pupils. His breathing became rapid and audible, fine sweat appearing on his face, and a hint of fearful moisture in his eyes.

That single glance sent his fear value soaring to thirteen, still climbing.

Run!

Zhang Ziqing, disregarding his original purpose, played one of his trump cards - his special talent. In an instant, he retreated hundreds of meters, panting as he swiftly vanished into the forest.

The masked figure watched the direction in which he disappeared but made no move.

"The little bug has flown away."

"It won't fly far."

Zhang Ziqing was actually scared off?

The game between three people turned back into a duel between two, a development that disappointed many viewers who were hoping for a direct confrontation, leaving sarcastic comments filled with hidden meanings.

Most of these people were new Federation viewers, the upper class, from the 'Eden' built by the full might of the Federation. There, resources were abundant and defenses were tight; even abnormal natural disasters couldn't breach the high walls, allowing the people inside to continue living their luxurious lives before the great pollution.

So they watched the Hunger Games live stream purely for entertainment.

On the other hand, ordinary Federation citizens breathed a sigh of relief: Running away was good.

They would rather the students returned empty-handed than risk any harm. If something happened to the students, it meant the arrival of an 'abnormal natural disaster,' which would mean countless deaths in communities outside of 'Eden.'

And only after Zhang Ziqi left did the JiuZhou audience, watching from a third-person perspective, realize that the unexpected visitor was Zhang Ziqi. Despite a pile of questions in their minds, they now cared more about Ji Xinghai and the situation with the humanoid anomaly.

"Everything will be alright, it must be!" The JiuZhou audience prayed silently, their hearts almost leaping out of their chests.

Ji Xinghai stared at the masked figure. Evil aura emanated from the edges of the bark mask, its entire body like withered wood, devoid of vitality, its presence transcending the realm of 'human.'

His Adam's apple moved slightly. 'Smells delicious...'

Ji Xinghai licked his sharp canine teeth, suppressing an inappropriate impulse.

With his current fragile body, unable to muster a single thread of energy, facing such a monster was akin to hitting a rock with an egg. But this was a pain-stimulating sensation akin to the pleasure of spiciness for Ji Xinghai, a peculiar 'I want you to kill me, or I want to kill you' joy reserved for a select few.

Ji Xinghai, who had been crouching, stood up and turned around.

The gentle wind blew against his slightly long black bangs, and he held the newly unearthed bird whistle, smiling amiably. His simple black attire could not conceal his tall and slender figure, reminiscent of a young pine tree.

The masked figure caressed its rough bark mask.

The human before it was riddled with vulnerabilities, completely unguarded, yet all attempts at probing were like mud sinking into water - this person had no fear.

It seemed to sense the scent of a kindred spirit.

Was the being before it human, or an alien wrapped tightly in human skin, emitting no trace of a foreign scent?

In the silence, the masked figure contacted headquarters telepathically, its tone laced with the undulations of a spectator enjoying a show:

'Monitoring Officer, there's a fugitive who's infiltrated the simulation disguised as a student~~~'

'Not the case.'

'Alright then.'

Its fingertips traced the red patterns on the bark mask: Was it really human?

"Do you seek me?" Ji Xinghai slightly spread his arms in a welcoming gesture, his naturally affectionate peach blossom eyes gazing deeply.

After a brief silence, the masked figure removed its grayish-white bark mask, revealing a face that was once flawless but was now split into three segments by a sharp weapon.

Its outstanding features were grotesquely piled on its face, black threads haphazardly stitching together shattered flesh, a pair of gray eyes rolling independently.

!

A piercing scream echoed in everyone's mind, countless screens reflecting countless pale faces in shock.

Ji Xinghai froze, pushing his slightly long bangs aside. His light-colored eyes dilated slightly, becoming deeper and more profound.

But it wasn't fear, but...

Appetite.

"The stitches are too ugly," Ji Xinghai's lowered voice carried a siren-like allure, "If you need it, I can redo them for you, at a 30% discount."

He smiled, his peach blossom eyes forming shallow eye bags, shimmering beautifully, a sight to behold. The humanoid anomaly widened its eyes slightly, its gray irises turning pure white.

"..." The head of the JiuZhou Command Unit in front of the screen stubbed out his cigarette, his lips trembling twice, unable to utter a word. Sew what? Sew the face? Was there something wrong with this kid?

"I need to review Student Ji Xinghai's information again."

Live stream viewers felt a chill run down their spines, goosebumps covering their bodies. There seemed to be something wrong with the conversation just now... No, this was a big problem!

Who would say such things to an obviously non-human entity in this simulation?

Was he insane?

"…You've passed, looking forward to our next meeting, human." With a smile, the masked figure's lips split open, and after saying these words, it put its mask back on, turning around and disappearing into the thick white fog in the direction Zhang Ziqi had left.

'An unfathomable human, cannot eat for now, how unfortunate, how unfortunate... Ah, makes me want to destroy~'

The masked figure's desire, unfulfilled, turned into extreme irritability and murderous intent. The face behind the mask pulled into a large grin, twisted and hideous.

'Whoever comes next, kill them.'

'It's all that guy's fault, my craving has been aroused.'!