Hunter of Mysterious Creature-Chapter 567 - 132: Figurine (Part 2)

Hunter randomly grabbed a pair of shoes at the entrance and hurriedly pushed the door open, walking out.

...

Fifteen minutes later, at the Celestial City Mysterious Creature Research Institute, Examination Department.

"Yo? Isn’t this Mr. Ye! Wow, I thought the head suddenly came back for a surprise inspection!" The person on duty in the Examination Department frantically closed the dating game on the computer, breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Hunter walk in.

He wiped his hands on his white coat, came around from behind the workbench, and sized up Hunter: "Why do you look so disheveled? Did it rain outside?"

"No." Hunter glanced at the rooms on both sides of the corridor, "I have something that needs testing. Is there any available equipment here?"

"There is." The researcher on duty said, "All the people from the department have been transferred elsewhere. Nowadays, even if they find a mysterious object, it’s dealt with on the spot and never sent to the Examination Department... If my skills were better, the head wouldn’t have left me here idling. But I guess, given the current shortage of personnel, I’ll soon be transferred too, and the Examination Department can directly shut down."

"The closing of the department can be discussed later. Help me test some things." Hunter said, "Can you use those devices?"

"What do you need to test?"

"This one, and this one." Hunter took out an evidence bag containing broken pieces of a figurine and the training sword.

"What’s this? Are they object-type mysterious items? Is there any contamination risk? Any known characteristics? Are you sure you can handle them without any problem?" The researcher was startled by Hunter’s action.

"I’m not sure if these are mysterious items, that’s why I need you to test them," Hunter said, "Please."

"Where were these found? Did you report to the Field Operations Department... wait, that’s you." The researcher carefully took over the evidence bag and the training sword, "You mean to test if there’s any residual memetic of mysterious items inside, right?"

"Yes, as quickly as possible." Hunter urged.

"Follow me." The researcher led Hunter into the first room at the corridor entrance and placed the evidence bag and training sword into two differently sized metal boxes.

Then, he pushed the first metal box into a machine similar to a CT scanner.

Next was the second metal box.

Two minutes later, the researcher took out both metal boxes, opened the lid with a relaxed expression, and returned the items to Hunter.

"Tested. These things aren’t mysterious items at all," the researcher sighed with relief, "Phew, just a scare... I saw your urgent demeanor, Mr. Ye, and thought it was something extraordinary."

"Not mysterious items? No residual memetic at all?" Hunter reconfirmed.

"None, not a single trace of mysterious item memetic was detected." The researcher habitually wiped his hands on the coat, "You look a bit jumpy, Mr. Ye. Is the stress too high lately? Not sleeping well?"

"I’m fine." Hunter waved his hand.

"That said, if you really feel something’s off, you should start investigating from the source... The equipment testing problem-free doesn’t necessarily mean they have no relation to mysterious items." The researcher said, "Of course, I’m just giving a more meticulous suggestion; how you proceed is up to your Field Operations Department... oh right, may I ask about the origin of these things? If it’s inconvenient, then forget it."

"Not really convenient." Hunter shook his head.

He couldn’t just say that he was attacked in his dormitory by the figurine he bought himself, could he?

If he checked himself now... it might indeed reveal a problem, right?

If there is a problem, then what’s waiting for him?

Even without touching "Slaughter", he’d already experienced such severe hallucinations and engaged in extremely dangerous aggressive behavior... If this becomes public, he might be immediately imprisoned, right?

In severe cases, he might be "neutralized"...

Nearly half of the previous apt users of "Slaughter" were eventually "neutralized".

They were wholly immersed in murderous intent, completely losing their human rationality - Although their bodies did not contract any memetic, nor did they mutate, their cognition was thoroughly distorted.

For them, continuing to live was the harshest torture in the world... Death, on the contrary, became a form of liberation.

Hunter didn’t want to die yet.

He pulled out the training sword, and tested the blade with his thumb.

The unsharpened blade was smooth and rounded, if swung forcefully against a wooden stake, could leave deep marks but definitely wouldn’t slice it in half like a sharpened metal blade.

No matter how much force is used, in front of this training sword, a wooden stake would be "broken" rather than cut.

How did this headless Diao Chan figurine... get sliced into these neat fragments?

Hunter rubbed the blade, confused.

"Mr. Ye..." The researcher suddenly whispered, "Do you know any fun games recently, preferably those that run on PC, recommend some to me... While I can still slack off for a few more days, I want to truly enjoy the beauty of the ninth art... Otherwise, sitting here with these cold machines, I’m about to suffocate."

This researcher left on duty in the Examination Department was Mr. Huang, one of the earliest friends Hunter made when he came to Celestial City... Reason being, Mr. Huang was also a senior ACG enthusiast, commonly known as an otaku, and his favorite game genre bore the same character as his surname.

"You’ve played the few cartridges I have over there, nothing new." Hunter deflected casually, "When there’s a chance, I’ll take you to see my vault in Chunming City. All my good stuff is there." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Really, Mr. Ye?" Mr. Huang’s eyes shone brightly, and his address changed too, "Huang, having wandered for half of life, only regrets not encountering a wise lord. If you don’t mind, Huang wishes to become a sworn son!"

"Alright, don’t later say, ’A great man must not long stay under others’, then stab me."

"I wouldn’t dare; would never engage in such three-sided servitude..." Mr. Huang hurriedly replied, "To be honest, after Chimera 17 is done, I do plan to apply for training in Chunming City... Even if I learn nothing, it’ll be good to earn some recognition."

"Then you work hard... Oh, there’s something I want to ask you."

"Mr. Ye, no, father, ask away, Huang speaks without reserve!" Mr. Huang said passionately.

"Do you know ’Sword Qi’?"

"Vulgar Wife?"

"No no no, I meant ’Sword Qi’, like in martial arts novels, a master can use melee weapons to release a technique similar to a long-range attack." Hunter said.

"Oh, you mean Sword Qi! Of course, I know! A true master, given not just melee weapons, even a burning stick or a roadside branch, he can release Sword Qi." Mr. Huang mimicked swinging an arm, "Just like this, swish, the enemy was split instantly."

"Besides novels, movies, and games... are there such people in reality?" Hunter asked again, "Any Mysterious Creature Hunters or mutants with similar abilities?"

Just as he spoke, Mr. Huang suddenly looked at Hunter strangely, muttering, "Isn’t that you?"

"Me?" Hunter was stunned.

"I watched your battle recordings. When you wear those deceitful equipments, don’t you release attacks similar to Sword Qi? And with attributes too, one hand ice attribute, one hand fire attribute, combined it’s directly, ice and fire double heavens!"