Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The "Water Baby" was not only enormous but also alive.

"It doesn't seem very convenient to go into the water," Lin Juan glanced around. "I'm not a strong swimmer. Is there any way to get it out?"

This time, their objective in seeking the anomaly was different—they primarily aimed to use it as bait to lure out the undetectable anomalies within Su Min and the others. For optimal effect, capturing it alive was preferable.

At the very least, it needed to be barely alive, not completely dead.

"According to the pollution value fluctuations on the detector, we're facing a Class D Anomaly, the [Water Tower]," Zhuang Yufeng mused. "Its pollution value is very high, and while its attack and defense aren't particularly strong, it has a natural advantage in water."

"Let me try." Su Xingchen stepped forward and activated his ability, [Freeze a Thousand Miles].

Instantly, the churning river was frozen solid. Guided by Su Xingchen's will, the ice parted, revealing the exact location of the [Water Tower] anomaly.

The [Water Tower] was not one to be easily subdued. The moment it sensed danger, it attempted to hide. Unfortunately, Su Xingchen's superpower was far more potent and happened to be its natural counter.

Realizing this, the [Water Tower], trapped within a massive ice sphere, ceased its struggles. Spike-like protrusions erupted from its smooth body, extending outward and shattering the icy prison.

The huge, soft, thick spines moved with unusual agility, racing toward the ability users on the riverbed and the people on the shore.

Su Xingchen arched an eyebrow and amplified his ability.

The thick spines were briefly ensnared by an ice wall but quickly broke free, continuing their advance.

The [Water Tower] was enraged.

A fierce wind whipped up, and the river outside the ice wall, now under the [Water Tower]'s control, began to gather and rise, forming a colossal wave that surged toward them like a giant tsunami.

No one could directly confront a water wall hundreds of meters high.

The mayor glanced at the rapidly approaching water wall and urgently shouted, "Get back here now! It's dangerous!"

Even for ability users, once caught in such a massive tidal wave, even the strongest superpower would be insignificant against the forces of nature.

And for ordinary people like them, it was even worse.

They needed to retreat to a safe location as quickly as possible.

"This is bad," Zhuang Yufeng looked up at the towering water wall, his expression grim. "We can't let that water wall crash down. With such a massive volume of water, this entire region will be submerged!"

"We need to contact Director Liu and get everyone nearby to evacuate immediately." Zhuang Yufeng finished, grabbed his communicator, and quickly reported the situation.

"Can you disperse the water wall and prevent it from crashing down?" Lin Juan asked.

"I'm trying to wrest control of the water wall from the [Water Tower], but I also have to maintain the ice wall over a large area," Su Xingchen said, veins bulging at his temples. "My ability isn't sufficient."

"We were too careless," Zhuang Yufeng put down his communicator. "The situation has been reported. We need to buy time for the civilians to evacuate."

Since Su Xingchen's ice had extended over a long distance, the water wall was surging from farther away. Lin Juan roughly estimated the distance and asked, "Su Xingchen, how long can you last?"

The vast area covered by the ice was straining Su Xingchen. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he clenched his teeth. "If it's just about preventing the water wall from crashing down, at most fifteen minutes!"

"After fifteen minutes, my superpower will be completely drained, and I'll lose the ability to contend with the [Water Tower] for control of the water wall. The moment my superpower cuts off, the frozen water will melt back into liquid in an extremely short time. At that point, the situation will become even more dire for us."

Su Xingchen hadn't expected a Class D Anomaly to catch him off guard like this.

On the riverbed, all the ability users wore grave expressions.

Everyone sprang into action, desperately activating their abilities, hoping to hold on a little longer and find a glimmer of hope.

"Fifteen minutes? That's enough." The moment Lin Juan finished speaking, he charged toward the ice wall.

He moved with extreme speed, reaching the [Water Tower] almost before anyone could react.

As soon as he got close, the thick, flexible spikes extended by the [Water Tower] slithered toward him like agile snakes from all directions.

They vied to entangle the young man who had ventured alone into the dangerous zone.

"Be careful!!" Zhuang Yufeng's heart leaped into his throat.

Lin Juan casually grabbed one of the thick spikes thrust toward him and snapped it in two with a sharp twist.

As if sensing pain, the other thick spikes thrashed violently, shattering the ice wall around the "Water Baby."

Inadvertently, this cleared the way for Lin Juan to approach.

Lin Juan had a clear goal: break every spike in his path. After snapping over a dozen, the [Water Tower] became wary, its spikes hesitating around Lin Juan, not daring to get closer.

From a distance, it almost looked as if the spikes were acting as Lin Juan's guards.

Superpower holders who had never witnessed such a scene widened their eyes in disbelief: "Dr. Zhuang, is Mr. Lin planning to confront the [Water Tower] directly?"

Clearly, yes.

Unimpeded, Lin Juan soon reached the giant "Water Baby."

The more powerful the creature, the stronger its territorial instinct. Lin Juan's brazen intrusion enraged the [Water Tower] further. Sharp spikes bristled all over its body, and a strange, viscous green liquid oozed from their tips. The thick spikes surrounding Lin Juan, now under the [Water Tower]'s control, surged toward him all at once.

Unnoticed, the thick spikes had already encircled Lin Juan, completely enveloping him. If he failed to dodge even once, he would be riddled with holes.

This time, Lin Juan ignored the spikes threatening him from all sides and charged straight at the giant "Water Baby."

"WHAM—"

With one kick, the giant "Water Baby" was sent flying dozens of meters away.

Lin Juan didn’t stop. He advanced again, stomping onto the "Water Baby" in a few strides, pinning it down with one hand while clenching his other fist. One punch, two punches…

Every punch landed with brutal force.

The [Water Tower] squealed and howled in pain.

The eerie screams snapped the stunned onlookers back to reality.

Apart from Zhuang Yufeng, who had already witnessed Lin Juan pummeling anomalies and managed to keep his composure, everyone else looked dazed.

So, anomalies could also scream when pummeled?

Superpower holders, who had only ever heard human screams during battles with anomalies, felt a mix of complex emotions.

It had to be said, the sound was deeply satisfying.

If it weren’t for the dire situation, they’d have cheered Lin Juan on.

They hadn't understood before why Director Liu and other high-ranking officials of the Paranormal Special Affairs Office held Lin Juan, an ordinary person without superpowers, in such high regard.

Now they understood—what do superpowers even matter in the face of Lin Juan's overwhelming strength?

The people on the shore were even more stunned. First, someone froze the river in an instant, then a massive, unfamiliar monster appeared in the center of the river. Every subsequent event was beyond their comprehension.

The scene of Lin Juan brutally beating the monster was particularly terrifying to them.

Under Lin Juan's relentless assault, the [Water Tower] was too preoccupied to focus on anything else, reducing its control over the water wall. Sensing this, Su Xingchen quickly took over control of the water wall without needing any prompting.

The water wall gradually lowered.

Director Liu and the others, who were closely monitoring the situation, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. With the water wall crisis resolved, they could relax for the most part.

After Lin Juan had been beating it for a while, the "Water Baby's" whimpers grew quieter, and its size shrank from half a story high to just the height of a person.

Lin Juan stood up, picked it up, and shook it. "Why'd it shrink?"

The [Water Tower], beaten into submission, allowed Lin Juan to manhandle it back and forth like a lifeless object, showing no reaction no matter how he messed with it.

Unable to tell if it was still alive, Lin Juan dragged the [Water Tower] out.

As soon as he emerged, he was met with the intense gazes of over a dozen people.

Lin Juan paused. "What are you all looking at?"

Their stares were unsettling.

"Mr. Lin!" one superpower holder stepped forward. "You're incredible! Can I have your autograph?"

"Ah?" Lin Juan was confused.

"I want one too! I want one too!"

Once one person started, others followed. Most of those on this mission were young, and the more spirited they were, the more they idolized the strong.

No matter how much others talked, witnessing Lin Juan beat up an anomaly firsthand had a much bigger impact on them.

After this, they would genuinely recognize Lin Juan's status as a powerhouse.

With the crisis resolved, the atmosphere relaxed. Zhuang Yufeng ignored the young superpower holders' antics and watched as Lin Juan grew flustered under their enthusiasm; he couldn't help but smile.

It was a relief that no one was hurt.

After finally managing to fend off the enthusiastic superpower holders, Lin Juan held out the "Water Baby" to Zhuang Yufeng. "Is it still alive? Why isn't it reacting?"

Lin Juan had held back during the fight, worried that using too much force might kill the [Water Tower], forcing them to find another anomaly. After all, Su Min and the others were still waiting.

Zhuang Yufeng used a detector and checked. "There are signs of life."

"That's good," Lin Juan sighed in relief. "I was afraid I might have used too much force and killed it."

Zhuang Yufeng's feelings instantly grew complicated. While others exerted all their efforts just to kill anomalies, Lin Juan was worried about killing one by using too much force.

There's just no comparing people.

Su Xingchen stayed behind to resolve the river issue, while Lin Juan and a few superpower holders went to Lao Zhang's house, led by the town mayor.

Lao Zhang had been contaminated by the [Water Tower], and they needed to address this before leaving.

As the only Purification Superpower Holder in the team, Zhuang Yufeng naturally joined them.

Lao Zhang's house was a two-story Western-style building. Hearing that they were experts sent from the city, Lao Zhang's wife warmly invited them in.

"Please sit. The house is a bit messy. Let me tidy up."

"Don't worry about that for now," the mayor interrupted her. "The experts heard about Lao Zhang's condition and came to see him."

"He's in the bedroom. He just vomited again," Lao Zhang's wife said, her eyes reddening at the mention of her husband. "He's been vomiting more frequently these past two days. The anti-nausea medicine the doctor prescribed hasn't helped at all."

Lao Zhang's wife led them into the bedroom, where a man with withered limbs but a severely swollen abdomen lay against the headboard, his face pale.

"Ugh—"

A gush of round pellets mixed with pale green, translucent mucus spewed from his mouth.

One by one, transparent and colorful little balls scattered across the floor beside the bed.

Zhuang Yufeng stepped forward to examine Lao Zhang, his expression grave. "His stomach is full of the [Water Tower]'s eggs. The pollution can be purified, but the challenge is removing the eggs from his body."

"What can we do?" Lao Zhang's wife asked in despair. "Is there really no solution?"

Lin Juan watched the man on the bed for a moment, then his gaze slowly shifted to the [Water Tower], which was bound with specialized restraints designed to suppress anomalous energy.

Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone felt as though the [Water Tower] shuddered.

Lin Juan nudged the motionless [Water Tower] with his foot. "Stop pretending to be dead. Clean up your eggs, or else..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone present, including the anomaly under his foot, easily grasped the threat in his words.

You don't see that every day—the first time anyone had seen someone threaten an anomaly.

Author's note: