Shrouded Seascape

Anna found it rather absurd to see a large congregation mourning her passing.

Apart from those believers of the Shattered God, Anna had never interacted with the members of other faiths. It had never occurred to her how well-known she was within their circles.

She took several steps forward, and her gaze swept across the messages scrawled in different languages under her portrait.

"May our hero, 315, find peace in the other world."

"My sister, your deeds will be sung for eternity."

"Rest in peace, Lady 315."

Of course, not everyone shared the same sentiments.

Standing next to Jackal, a portly man let out a dry laugh before muttering under his breath, "Fortunately she died or she wouldn't be able to get all these fake condolences.

"Where were all of you when she was still alive? No one lifted a damn finger to help her. A bunch of selfish bastards. And now you are learning from the IMF, holding some meaningless tribute. How disgusting."

Whatever happened to him after, Anna had no idea as she had already left the scene.

"I didn't expect this place to be sentimental. I kinda like it here," Anna said, her voice travelling through the earpiece to the others.

"It's just a posthumous portrait; that doesn't mean anything. Besides, that guy wasn't wrong," Jackal began.

"Compared to the IMF, these underground faiths have been around much longer. Their roots go way deeper. Be it myth, folklore, or urban legends, you could see shadows of their existence—for example, the witches of the past and even those modern ghost stories.

"If these groups really joined hands, they'd be an unstoppable force. Even the IMF wouldn't stand a chance. But then again, each faction has its own agenda, so they'll never work together.

"Without any force uniting them, they're nothing more than scattered grains of sand. And that's why the IMF has been able to suppress them and keep them in line," Jackal concluded.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Have they really never tried working together? Not even once? I'm pretty sure the IMF shadow agents have played a crucial role in keeping everyone divided."

Unless a group were completely impenetrable like the Moth, they would be infiltrated by the IMF's shadow agents. When that happened, it was only a matter of time before the IMF sent out a mobile task force to wipe them out.

Jackal didn't argue. Instead, he said, "I don't have high enough clearance to know the details. Perhaps apart from the shadows, the IMF has other divisions to help keep things in check.

"But you're right about one thing," Jackal added, "Because of the shadows dispatched by the IMF, everyone here is extremely wary of outsiders. Just like right now."

Jackal then lifted his gaze and scanned the silent crowd ahead.

Against the backdrop of the dimly lit, claustrophobic underground tunnel, the hooded figures moved in eerie silence, their presence more akin to ghosts than living beings.

Anna offered no response and simply continued walking ahead. The several-meter-wide underground tunnel had reached its end and veered sharply to the right.

As soon as Anna rounded the corner, she saw a shop by the side with a neon sign above its entrance. The sign read, "Buy and Sell Anomalies". Beneath it, there was a sign that seemed freshly made, "Free Anomlay Absorption Service."

"Let's go in and take a look," she instructed.

Gao Zhiming reached out his small hands and pushed the rickety wooden door, its surface covered in layers of old newspapers, open. The inside of the shop then came into view.

Despite the small shopfront, the shop stretched surprisingly deep. Evidently, the shop owner had carved out extra space into the tunnel walls.

There were no physical items on display. Rather, a series of Anomaly records were nailed to the walls for customers to select from. The shop was also eerily quiet, probably because of the lack of Anomalies. At a glance, there were less than ten pieces of paper on the wall.

With that little inventory, calling this place a shop felt like a bit of a stretch.

Jackal approached one of the records. He lowered his volume as he relayed the details on the paper to Anna through the communication mic.

"Anomaly 3401: Red Knife. Length: 12 inches. Weight: 491 grams. Distinct rust-red discoloration on the blade's surface. The handle is wrapped with woven leather.

"Direct skin contact with 3401 results in cognitive distortion.

"Upon holding the blade for more than five seconds, the user will experience a nightmare that same night. In their dream, they will use 3401 to attack one or more individuals—carving out and consuming their hearts.

"The dream always takes place at the exact location where the user first held 3401. The victims are typically people who could logically be present at that location, such as the user's spouse or children.

"Notably, a test subject has exhibited this behavior despite having no spouse or child in reality.

"Later, we discovered that his wife and child had actually existed, but their existence had been erased. Anyone killed by 3401 in the dream realm would also be erased from reality; that includes all memories and records of their existence. As such, IMF classifies this Anomaly as a unique retro-causal Anomaly.

"If the affected individual isn't separated from 3401, they will continue to have new nightmares, killing in their dreams over and over until there's no one left to eliminate. Once that happens, they will then take their own lives. This Anomaly is currently Uncontrollable and offers little practical use."

Anna narrowed her eyes upon hearing the report. She felt a strange sense of familiarity[1] as though she had seen something like this before in someone's memories.

She then took a look at the other Anomalies nailed to the wall. It didn't take her long to realize that the selection was rather underwhelming. They were either completely useless or dangerous and uncontrollable.

"Sir, I'm serious about making a purchase, but don't you think the price you quoted is outrageous? These are all trash no one wanted."

A hushed argument at the end of the shop reached Anna's ears. It seemed like someone had taken an interest in one of the anomalies and was haggling with the shopkeeper over its price.

A dry chuckle echoed before a voice continued. "If it's just trash, why are you still willing to buy it? I'm just a businessman. Business is about making money. So, let's get straight to the point.

"Now, the method of absorbing Anomalies into one's body is already widespread. It's just shy of making front-page news. Controllable or uncontrollable, the prices of Anomalies are skyrocketing all the same.

"Sure, they come with side effects, but they can also boost one's strength. In these chaotic times, everyone is lining up to fuse these things into their bodies despite the high risks.

"Furthermore, it's not just us and the IMF now. Even the wealthiest elites of the actual society are starting to enter the game, too.

"As long as one is willing to take the risk, an ordinary nobody can acquire superpower. Who wouldn't be tempted?

"If you think the price is too high now, come again tomorrow. It would be even higher then, my friend."

The shopkeeper's words seemed to have swayed the buyer. Just as he was still hesitant on the purchase, the wooden door creaked open. A figure towering over two meters entered the shop. He was dressed in a black robe and had three others following closely behind him.

Without speaking a word, he raised two fingers and tapped them against the diamond-shaped tattoo on his temple.

The shopkeeper immediately understood the gesture and stood up.

"Everyone, I'm really sorry, but we are closing early for the day."

1. Probably the same red knife on Chapter 961 ☜