Chapter 4: Now, We Are Comrades

When Li Yelu saw the eerie light and shadow and the thick fog, he knew he had arrived in the Shadow's dream once again.

It seemed he was still alive? But this time, it was different.

He was no longer bound and could move freely within the dream.

At the same time, he did not see that dark shadow.

Instead, he saw the Skinner whose skull he had pried open.

The Skinner, who had been resurrected in Li Yelu's dream, was now letting out terrified screams as he was dragged into the thick fog by pitch-black tentacles.

Then came the sounds of flesh being torn and bones breaking, echoing from deep within the fog.

A few seconds later, a pitch-black tentacle reached out from the depths of the fog and slowly unfurled in front of Li Yelu.

It revealed the object it held: a snow-white mask.

Li Yelu was bewildered, not quite understanding what was happening.

An offering?

The word inexplicably popped into Li Yelu's mind.

Did he kill the Skinner, thereby turning the Skinner into an offering, and in doing so, receive a gift from the Shadow? Did he receive a blank mask? Or perhaps a facial mold?

Li Yelu did not reach out to take the mask.

As if, take the mask and pay what price?

Having survived the danger, Li Yelu had no desire to touch the Shadow, that bizarre entity, ever again.

Seeming to sense Li Yelu's thoughts, a soft hum emanated from deep within the fog.

In an instant, Li Yelu left the dream.

When he opened his eyes, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling; he was lying in an unfamiliar hospital room.

"Yo, you're awake?" someone said beside the hospital bed.

It was a young girl wearing a hoodie, large-framed glasses, and a short haircut that made her look very capable.

At this moment, she was looking at Li Yelu with a smile: "The surgery was a success; you are now a girl."

Li Yelu was horrified upon hearing this; the price was surely too high.

Standing beside the girl was a square-faced young man in his late twenties, wearing a black trench coat with a calm demeanor. He sighed at the girl: "Don't scare him; he just encountered a Skinner."

The young man then turned to Li Yelu and said: "Don't worry, your body is very healthy right now."

"Who are you?" Li Yelu sat up from the hospital bed and looked at the young man: "The Security Bureau? Or the City Defense Army?"

He vaguely remembered hearing sirens after he killed the Skinner. It must have been them who rescued him.

The young man and the girl exchanged glances, then slowly shook their heads: "No, but our duty is the same as the Security Bureau and the City Defense Army: to protect the citizens of the Great City. You can think of us as an agency specifically tasked with handling incidents like the Skinner."

'An agency?' Li Yelu recalled what the Skinner had said to him before dying and tried asking: "The Great City official authorities?"

"You could say that; we are indeed official Psions." The young man extended his hand and smiled: "The full name of the agency is the Calamity Handling Department. I am a Calamity Handler, Yang Chen."

The girl added: "Calamity Handler, codename Cheese."

Li Yelu got out of bed, shook hands with Yang Chen and the girl, and introduced himself: "My name is Li Yelu."

"Nice to meet you." Yang Chen nodded and continued: "And thank you for eliminating the Skinner. He was the culprit behind several recent murders. But due to his unique abilities, he was very good at hiding, and we had never been able to catch him. Thank you."

Li Yelu felt a bit embarrassed and replied: "I was just trying to survive; I didn't have any intention of being a hero. Is Dr. Wang still alive?"

"Regrettably, Dr. Wang has been murdered," Yang Chen shook his head.

Li Yelu sighed inwardly; he and Dr. Wang had been quite close.

But at least he had avenged him.

Li Yelu pondered, then suddenly thought of something and hesitated.

"You can ask me any questions you have," Yang Chen said.

"Uh, during the previous fight, I think I broke some things."

"No matter, we will take full responsibility for the losses this time." Yang Chen was slightly stunned but still smiled: "Not only that, but you can also collect a reward. Although it's not much."

There's a reward? Li Yelu's eyes lit up: "Then my backpack and the antiques inside were also lost in the fight. Those were worth quite a bit."

Antiques? Those inferior crafts, the production dates were likely within the last ten years. How were they antiques?

Yang Chen's expression was a bit strange, while Cheese had an expression that said, 'You really don't know when to stop taking advantage, do you?'

They had expected Li Yelu to ask about Psions, not this.

"Can I get reimbursed for those?" Li Yelu asked.

"Yes, yes," Yang Chen gave a wry smile.

"Listen to me, I know you have many questions; you can ask us anything," Cheese said. For some reason, the girl's words gave Li Yelu an inexplicable sense of trust.

So, suppressing his other questions, he asked: "The Skinner... what exactly is it? Why did it call me 'one of its own'? Can I ask that?"

Yang Chen seemed to have anticipated this question. He nodded and said: "Of course, you are qualified to know these things now. But first, do you know how the Great City was established?"

Li Yelu nodded; this was common knowledge, history that every citizen of the Great City knew.

Seventy-one years ago, eerie mists appeared in mountainous regions all over the world.

They had no physical form and looked no different from ordinary mist, but no building or terrain could stop their advance.

They were called the Mists of Calamity by the people of that time, or Calamity Mist for short.

In areas covered by the Calamity Mist, humans would mysteriously disappear. Other animals were completely unaffected.

Even fully armed, organized military legions would leave no trace behind after the mist passed.

Faced with this sudden danger targeting humanity, various countries conducted research, but to no avail.

Neither explosive air currents nor thermal reactions could disperse the Calamity Mist.

Then, seventy years ago, the Calamity officially descended.

Large amounts of Calamity Mist appeared all over the world: in the wilderness, villages, and cities.

Wherever the mist went, it became a ghost realm, leaving behind a deathly silence and desolation.

That year, it is said that 70% of the human population vanished into the Calamity Mist.

Perhaps it was the strong survival instinct of the human race, but at the most critical moment, humanity finally mastered the means to defend against the Calamity Mist.

At the same time, various countries used their remaining strength to build Great Cities to defend against the mist and preserve the seeds of humanity.

In the beginning, the world was very chaotic as people fought for resources or to guard against the mist.

That period was also known as the Era of Chaos.

It wasn't until sixty years ago, when all the Great Cities were established, that the world finally stabilized.

This is the origin of the major Great Cities, and the Third Frontier City is no exception.

Humanity hunkered down within the Great Cities, carefully guarding against the Calamity Mist.

Fortunately, the various mists that had swallowed countless humans all stabilized one after another, and with the protection of the Great Cities, there were no more cases of humans being swallowed by the mist.

"That's right, for ordinary people, this is well-known history."

Yang Chen responded: "But in reality, the world had already undergone a massive change at that moment. The Calamity Mist did stop moving and stayed in certain areas, but that doesn't mean humanity is safe. The existences within those mists have always threatened humanity."

Existences in the Calamity Mist? There are actually living things in the mist?

Li Yelu was stunned; he had never known this.

"Nearly six billion humans were swallowed by the Calamity Mist, but it's not as if no one escaped.

It was those humans who returned from the mist who brought back the means to defend against it, which spurred the establishment of the Great Cities.

But within the Calamity Mist, there are also so-called indigenous creatures. They are powerful and bizarre, some even possessing high intelligence. And they can leave the Calamity zones at any time to directly threaten human survival.

The Great Cities are less about defending against the approach of the mist and more about defending against these Calamity creatures. Our Calamity Handling Department is the defense agency for this." Yang Chen softly revealed the secrets of this world.

Li Yelu was shocked, then asked: "And that Skinner... is it actually a creature that walked out of the Calamity Mist?"

"No," Yang Chen shook his head and explained: "Starting from that period, humanity also gained the power to resist the Calamity. That is power originating from the same source as the Calamity: Psions."

"Same source?"

"Correct. This power originates from a non-physical universe we call the Aether or the Void. The various Calamity Mists came to the physical world from the Aether. And it was from that period that the probability of Psions being born among humans greatly increased. Certain talented individuals, after receiving certain stimuli, could awaken as Psions. Like you, like the Skinner." Yang Chen's gaze toward Li Yelu was complex: "You aren't ready for what comes next, so I won't elaborate."

Li Yelu nodded, digesting this information.

He figured he didn't count as a conventionally awakened Psion.

He became a so-called Psion entirely because of his deal with the 'Shadow'.

What kind of existence is the Shadow? What does it have to do with the Calamity Mist? Is it also an existence from the 'Aether'?

If the authorities knew about the 'Shadow', would he be in trouble?

Li Yelu thought to himself, and he also understood the purpose of Yang Chen and the others.

In their eyes, he was now a Psion and had entered their field of vision.

For the sake of insurance or regulation, the authorities would inevitably come to contact him, the 'wild Psion' mentioned by the Skinner.

He just didn't know what they thought of him.

So, Li Yelu asked: "You said the probability of Psions being born among humans increased, so why hide their existence? Isn't it a good thing for humanity to have more Psions?"

As it stood, with the Calamity outside, wouldn't it be better to have as many Psions as possible?

"That is what I was about to say. Becoming a Psion is both a gift and a curse." Yang Chen shook his head: "After years of exploration and research, humanity has roughly grasped the information and power of Psions. A Psion must open their own Well of Souls, connecting to the Aether; while gaining power, they also gain a curse!"

"A curse?" Li Yelu was taken aback.

"Correct. Every Psion, while possessing abilities beyond the understanding of ordinary people, also has a curse," Yang Chen said. "The types of curses vary. Like you, aren't you troubled by your own curse?"

A curse? Li Yelu pondered for a moment and replied: "You mean my bad luck?"

At this point, Cheese, who was standing to the side, said: "It's not clear yet, but to get you to the hospital, three ambulances in a row broke down mysteriously after you got in. In the end, our colleagues had to carry you into the hospital. Anyway, your curse makes it hard for you to ride in cars."

That happened too? Li Yelu was surprised: "Do I need to pay for damages?"

"...No!" Cheese said, holding her forehead.

Was bad luck actually his curse?

But why did it appear before he became a Psion?

"Because you get a curse, that's why you hide the existence of Psions?"

Yang Chen continued: "The curse is only one part. More importantly, every Psion faces the risk of distortion."

"Distortion?"

"Correct. A Psion's power comes from the Aether connected by the Well of Souls. And the Aether is not a stable place.

Humanity gains power from it, but the price is not just a curse. Many Psions are influenced by the Aether and become distorted. Some have their personalities change drastically, becoming increasingly cruel and murderous. Others pursue desire and pleasure, stopping at nothing to achieve them. And others simply have their physical bodies distorted into monsters." Yang Chen paused and said: "And the Skinner was a wild Psion whose body distorted upon his first awakening. We call distorted Psions 'Sufferers'."

Li Yelu digested this knowledge and said in surprise: "Then becoming a Psion isn't entirely a good thing. Although you gain some wonderful powers, you have to be affected by a curse in your daily life, and there's the risk of being distorted into a Sufferer!"

At the same time, he understood why the authorities hid the existence of Psions.

If they weren't regulated and Psions appeared in large numbers in society, they would be walking, moving bombs!

One Skinner caused several murders; if there were ten, twenty, a hundred, or more! The entire Frontier City would likely be destroyed!

No wonder the Skinner said wild Psions were natural allies. They were all Psions who didn't want to be regulated or discovered by the authorities.

And in the eyes of the authorities, those Psions were potential dangers. The two sides were naturally opposed.

This made Li Yelu's expression somewhat gloomy. Now that he had become a Psion, he also faced the risk of potential distortion.

Shadow, oh Shadow, you've really ruined me. Couldn't you have just punched the Skinner to death without making me a Psion?

Li Yelu complained about the Shadow in his heart.

Seeming to see Li Yelu's worries, Yang Chen said: "But you don't need to worry; the authorities have safety measures for this. Although distortion cannot be completely avoided, the probability is greatly reduced. And under normal circumstances, Psions will not distort without reason. Unless you attempt to awaken again."

Li Yelu nodded: "Then I understand. Whether I want to or not, I am a Psion now. In the days to come, I will need to be under your supervision."

"Yes, we will try our best not to disturb your life. But if you show signs of distortion, you will be killed by us immediately," Yang Chen said flatly, his tone firm and hard as rock.

"If that really happens, you must be fast and make sure to save my sister. She's the only family I have left," Li Yelu said solemnly.

Yang Chen looked at Li Yelu and finally nodded with a serious expression: "I will!"

Li Yelu didn't want to cause danger to others because of his distortion, especially Li Yunyan.

Thinking of his sister, Li Yelu suddenly felt his scalp tingle.

If his bad luck was a curse, could his sister's strange fear of strangers also be a curse?

Li Yunyan might also be a Psion!

At this moment, Yang Chen took a document from behind him: "Of course, you have a second choice."

"Join us and protect the Great City!"

Li Yelu took the document in front of him, somewhat dazed: "Join you?"

"Correct. In many cases, only Psions can fight Psions. Therefore, official Psions are the first line of defense against the Calamity and Sufferers."

Yang Chen looked at Li Yelu and said: "You can think it over carefully. The benefits and treatment for official Psions are quite good. And when executing missions, you will receive support from the Security Bureau and the City Defense Army. But at the same time, once you become an official Psion, you will face dangerous anomalies and Sufferers. You might even face the Calamity itself!"

Li Yelu looked at the document titled 'Application Form for Handlers of the Third Frontier City Calamity Handling Department' for a while.

The salary and benefits were indeed very good, even for a newly awakened Psion.

Over five thousand Great City coins a month, and it would increase with the number of awakenings. If one handled certain anomalies or Sufferers, there were also bonuses.

One had to know that Li Yelu only made one thousand Great City coins a month working at the antique shop.

Occasionally selling some antiques, plus commissions, didn't exceed fifteen hundred.

This was a direct entry into the Great City's system.

As for the rest, Psionic skill training, Psionic equipment supply...

Li Yelu didn't care much about those; the salary alone was enough to tempt him.

But he still hesitated.

He wasn't a brave person; he just wanted to live a good life. Becoming a Psion was an accident, and risking his life for it...

But thinking of his sister's possible curse, Li Yelu asked after hesitating: "If I join the authorities, can I get a way to suppress the curse?"

"Of course," Yang Chen nodded: "We will provide help as much as possible. But not all curses have a solution."

"That's enough." Li Yelu extended his right hand and shook Yang Chen's hand again.

Yang Chen chuckled: "Then, we are comrades!"