Chapter 240: Unconventional Emergency Defense Plan
Chapter 240: Unconventional Emergency Defense Plan
“So… it was solved just like that?”
Staring at the Quarantine Zone before him, Lu Xin felt a momentary flicker of surprise.
Facing the scores of Monsters emerging inside the Quarantine Zone, he had found the situation somewhat of a headache.
Because regardless of whether they were strong or not, the sheer number was staggering.
Even if Little Sister came to help him, resolving it would probably take considerable time.
Perhaps, forget Little Sister, even if Father came out and smashed these Monsters one by one, it would still require quite a bit of time…
Not only time, but it probably also couldn’t be guaranteed that none of these Monsters would escape.
As for how Mother might handle it, Lu Xin wasn’t sure; he understood her the least.
And now, Doll had dealt with these Psychic Entities just that simply?
She simply folded her umbrella, then unfolded it, and that was it?
…
…
While Lu Xin was pondering this with some perplexity, Doll descended from the air, giving him a bright and genuinely happy smile.
She immediately used the umbrella to hide her face again to avoid others seeing, only allowing Lu Xin to glimpse her smile.
“Though you’re smiling so sweetly and cutely now, I’ve already seen your ferocious side…”
“… You really are a formidable enforcer!”
Lu Xin observed Doll silently, his mind musing.
Simultaneously, he gained an impression of Doll’s ability.
Her method of cleansing those Psychic Entities was appallingly simple.
She essentially borrowed the ambient Psychic Energy, then released it all through the simple action of unfolding her umbrella.
Had Lu Xin not possessed some prior understanding of her, he might not even have been able to discern her true capability from that process.
“Doll handled that exceptionally well.”
After a pause, even Chen Jing offered praise, perhaps having been momentarily dumbfounded herself moments before.
“Lone Soldier, confirm there’s no Mutant residue inside the Quarantine Zone…”
“None.”
Lu Xin glanced towards the area and nodded with certainty.
It really was… incredibly clean…
Hearing this, Chen Jing immediately strode towards the Quarantine Zone to peer inside.
She saw that the majority of the people previously quarantined were now standing in a state of dazed confusion.
Confirming they hadn’t been pulverized along with the Psychic Entities, she felt a slight sense of relief.
She understood the principle behind Doll’s achievement.
According to Professor Bai’s hypothesis, these Psychic Entities were actually manifesting by harnessing the Mental Power of these Mutants.
In other words, they were merely hiding inside the bodies of these Mutants, making them undetectable until the mutation fully took hold.
Doll, however, borrowed a portion of their Mental Power to shatter these Psychic Entities.
In a way, this was using their own method against them.
With the Psychic Entities resolved and these people surviving, it was naturally a good outcome.
After all, there were currently over a thousand people in the Quarantine Zone.
While perhaps not a huge number against the overall population of Qing Harbor Main City, the sudden loss of so many lives would have caused immense repercussions.
Especially since it was Doll who personally performed this action; there was also the unknown factor of whether her own state would be adversely affected by connecting with so many people simultaneously.
Although they survived, aftereffects were unavoidable.
The loss of Mental Power was severe, particularly for those who had been more deeply affected during the wishing and Curse phases – their damage was worse.
One could surmise their prospects for recovery were slim, but it was an unavoidable consequence.
…
…
“Task Force, disengage visual interference.”
“Re-establish the Blockade Line and conduct tests on the remaining individuals.”
“Support Team enter the zone to confirm no lingering Psychic Entities within the Quarantine Zone!”
“…”
Chen Jing gave loud commands before speaking into the channel:
“Lone Soldier, the affair isn’t over yet.”
Lu Xin nodded. “I understand,” he said.
At the East Sea Grand Hotel, a massive Psychic Entity clad in a Red Cloak continued to loom over the city.
Elsewhere in the City Core, chaotic sounds occasionally erupted—signs of Mutants who hadn’t been exposed earlier.
They must have birthed Psychic Entities too, though the extent of their havoc remained unknown.
If the Maritime Nation’s threats to Qinggang came from Mutants and the “Red Apostle,”
then what Doll had eliminated was merely the bulk of the Mutant threat.
Two dangers still remained:
One was the Psychic Entities scattered across the city, undetected until now.
The other was the “Red Apostle” itself.
…
“Presently, numerous Psychic Entities have appeared in the Main City, especially near the City Core. But after the City Defense Department received our alert this afternoon, arrangements were made. Presumably, all Ability Users have already begun containment efforts.”
Chen Jing spoke as she approached Lu Xin, the comm channel chatter uninterrupted.
“What I need to tell you concerns the Maritime Nation’s S-Class Ability User.”
…
Hearing this, Lu Xin showed slight surprise and looked up at the Psychic Entity towering over thirty-three stories high.
Since its emergence, it hadn’t caused direct destruction—instead, it emitted intense Psychic Radiation roughly every minute. This radiation induced headaches, dizziness, and an instinctual sense of awe-based dread.
Moreover, Lu Xin sensed its Psychic Magnitude was alarmingly high.
Then Chen Jing posed the question: “Can you eliminate it?”
Lu Xin seemed taken aback before slowly shaking his head.
“Not easy to eliminate.”
His expression was troubled as he spoke slowly. “It’s too dangerous.”
Chen Jing’s heart sank faintly.
…
“Should we let Doll deal with that entity?”
Meanwhile, Minister Shen, Mr. Su, and Professor Bai had convened.
Reports about the Quarantine Zone had eased their tension slightly, but the silent, horrific Psychic Entity dominating Qinggang’s skyline kept them on edge, urgently debating solutions.
“I oppose deploying Doll. My reasoning mirrors why I stopped you from using the plasma cannon.”
Professor Bai flatly rejected Minister Shen’s suggestion. “Whether reviewing the Old Captain’s forcibly extracted testimony or the latest reports from the Special Dispatch Team risking proximity to the ‘Red Apostle’—designated a Source of Contamination—it’s clear this Psychic Entity differs fundamentally. Conventional methods won’t suffice.”
He paused deliberately. “Do you know its current Psychic Magnitude?”
Mr. Su and Minister Shen tensed, eyes locked on him.
Professor Bai raised his tablet: “It has exceeded twenty thousand and is approaching thirty thousand!”
“What?!”
Both men paled; even their strong Will wavered under the shock.
“Such Psychic Magnitude doesn’t manifest from nothing. Where’s it coming from?” Mr. Su blurted.
“The Information Analysis Team is cross-referencing aggregated data. Results should arrive soon.”
Professor Bai continued, “For now, all I have are theories…”
“Consider why the Old Captain was so certain this solitary S-Class Ability User could cripple Qinggang, paving the way for the Maritime Nation’s landing. Why did he believe Qinggang couldn’t handle this thing?”
…
After a beat, he elaborated, “Every S-class Ability User possesses what might be called an ‘unsolvable’ trait.”
“Though the Information Analysis Team’s full report is pending, partial data comparisons and its manifestation pattern suggest a hypothesis: this Psychic Entity draws other Psychic Entities toward it and emits unexplained Psychic Shock waves at fixed intervals.”
“The Special Dispatch Team observed nearby Psychic Entities being consumed by it, amplifying its own power.”
“Could we thus infer its ability involves devouring other Psychic Entities?”
“Extrapolating further—might it even absorb others’ Mental Power?”
…
Watching Mr. Su and Minister Shen grapple with the idea, Professor Bai softened his tone:
“Haven’t you noticed? We all perceive this entity with unusual clarity.”
“This rarity supports my theory:”
“When we look at it, portions of our Mental Power are siphoned away.”
“Which explains its exponential growth.”
“Simply gazing at it—or nearing it—feeds it your Psyhic Energy.”
“So that thirty-thousand magnitude? Partly absorbed from other Psychic Entities, but crucially, the rest comes from Qinggang. From us. From everyone who sees it…”
“This parallels Doll’s abilities, yet it isn’t borrowing power—it’s devouring it.”
“Initially subtle, this drain went unnoticed amid the city’s Chaos and pressure.”
“But attacking it via plasma cannon or unleashing a potent Ability User like Doll invites calamity. Plasma weaponry converts immense Psychic Magnitude into Telekinetic Power to strike such entities.”
“Shift the wave frequency, however, and you weaken the blow—or worse, empower it.”
“That’s why the Old Captain knew it could withstand, even neutralize, plasma attacks.”
“And if Doll’s borrowed Mental Power struck it? The entity would absorb it instead, growing stronger.”
He snapped his fingers softly. “That’s where the Maritime Nation’s true treachery lies.”
“Our attacks only nourish this Source of Contamination.”
…
As Professor Bai finished, Mr. Su’s expression darkened. “There’s another layer,” he added grimly. “Had we failed to detect this trait and somehow neutralized it afterward, countless Qinggang residents would’ve lost their Mental Power. The aftermath?”
He clenched his teeth. “Mass depression… potentially triggering mass suicides—civilians, even troops.”
“Those bastards, I’ll damn well—”
Minister Shen’s curse died mid-sentence; rage was useless now. He turned abruptly to Professor Bai. “Solutions?”
Beep!
Professor Bai’s tablet flashed with an incoming file. He scanned it briefly, then shut the screen. “The Information Analysis Team confirms my hypothesis.”
“Given our position…”
He met Mr. Su’s eyes. “…I formally propose activating the unconventional emergency defense protocol I submitted.”
Mr. Su hesitated. “Are we ready?”
Professor Bai stayed silent.
Mr. Su then added uncertainly, “More crucially… is the Lone Soldier ready?”