Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 3

He then hid it in his captain's cabin, guarding it like a dragon protecting its treasure, intending to appreciate and deal with it slowly after returning to port...

now think of it……

The treasure chest appeared without any warning!

Moreover, its floating posture is too stable, like a plank. How could it float on the sea with the weight of its treasure? It should sink to the bottom!

Moreover, the golden-red light emanating from the treasure chest... was eerily beautiful!

My state of mind at that time, so greedy that I lost my reason... was definitely not normal!

"It's that...that box!" Kurokawa's face turned deathly pale instantly, looking even worse than Zhang Su, the one who had fallen into the water.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through the lining of his dark indigo uniform. A chilling fear shot from his tailbone to the top of his head, almost making him lose his balance.

“That golden-red treasure chest! I fished it out… I hid it in the captain’s cabin… Damn it! Damn it! I actually… I actually…”

He slammed his fist into the wooden pillar next to him. With a "crack," the hard wood shattered, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

He was consumed by immense regret and fear.

That treasure chest wasn't filled with treasure at all; it was a trap exuding deadly allure! An "anomaly" possessing terrifying supernatural power!

And he himself had personally brought this source of pollution aboard the ship, and even hid it in the most crucial location!

"Tsk-!"

A louder sound of corrosion followed, accompanied by the cracking of wood breaking and the crew's even more shrill screams.

An indescribable, strange odor, a mixture of sweet floral scents and a strong smell of rust and decaying seaweed, like tangible smoke, began to seep in through the cracks in the cell and the passageway above, making one feel nauseous and dizzy.

at this point!

Kurokawa stood frozen in place, as if petrified.

A profound sense of despair overwhelmed him. He was a Sequence 9 "Abyssal Stalker," possessing superhuman strength and some water manipulation abilities, but faced with this source of pollution that could silently corrode the ship's hull, twist the crew, and emit such a terrifying aura... his power was as insignificant as a shrimp facing the deep sea abyss!

He didn't even have the courage to approach the treasure chest.

The so-called Sequence 9 extraordinary beings are only one level higher than the lowest Sequence 10. They are powerless against such a calamity!

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze fixed on Zhang Su in the cell.

In those eyes, all the previous arrogance, coldness, murderous intent, and suspicion had vanished, leaving only a desperate, almost humbly plea, like a drowning person grasping at the last piece of driftwood.

"Your Excellency!" Kurokawa's voice trembled like never before, and he even used honorifics.

He abruptly took a step back, straightened up, and then, facing the ragged but deep-eyed black-haired youth in the cell, bowed deeply, almost bending his upper body at a ninety-degree angle!

“It’s my fault…it’s my stupidity! It’s my greed that brought this disaster upon me!” He raised his head, his face filled with undisguised fear and pleading. “The contamination has spread! My ship…my crew…it seems they’ve all been contaminated, turned into terrifying monsters! I…I can’t do anything about it! There’s absolutely nothing I can do!”

His gaze was fixed on Zhang Su, his voice almost pleading:

"You...you can see through my sequence, you know the 'source of contamination'...you must have a way! Please! Save this ship! No matter the cost, as long as I can afford it! Please help me!"

At this moment, Kurokawa was absolutely certain that this mysterious "drowner," who could see right through his sequence, possessed a power level far exceeding his own! This was their only way out!

Zhang Su did not immediately respond to Kurokawa's plea, but instead closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.

In reality, Zhang Su's consciousness was sinking deep into his mind, urgently questioning the newly awakened mysterious power—his golden finger—:

"System... or some mysterious force... do you have a way to deal with the source of pollution on this ship? What can I do?"

The thought had barely formed when a cold, clear, and emotionless stream of information instantly returned to me:

Analysis confirms: The source of contamination is 'Anomaly - Greedy Treasure Chest (Incompletely Recovered)'.

Solution:

1. You possess an innate passive immunity to any 'extraordinary contamination,' and this ability strengthens as you become more powerful. Your current ability strength allows you to resist the Greed Chest's contamination for approximately 24 hours. After that, it will slowly erode.

2. Containment Protocol: This is equivalent to your active skill. It activates when you approach a contamination source to within two meters, forcibly containing 'any' item into an infinitely large 'void space,' suppressing all supernatural entities and their contamination, rendering them lifeless.

This response surprised Zhang Su once again! Not only could it be immune to pollution, but it could also directly "contain" that monstrous thing?! This cheat ability is too powerful!

He immediately pressed further:

"Both of these abilities were given to me by you?"

The cold voice was swift and decisive:

[No. 'Containment ability' is one of the core powers inherent in you, a 'cornerstone' of your existence. 'I' am only responsible for guiding you and assisting you in recognizing and utilizing your own power.]

Inherent power? Foundation? Zhang Su was puzzled again. He was in the body, not in the soul. How could this original body contain mysterious power? This was too strange.

He subconsciously pressed for an answer again:

"Then... what exactly are you? Can you tell me?"

This time, the cold response carried a subtle... perhaps "profound" meaning:

[Insufficient permissions. You will find out sooner or later. The immediate priority: address the 'hazard factor - Greedy Chest'. The contamination is spreading rapidly.]

The cold, impersonal tone carried an unquestionable authority.

Zhang Su instantly regained his senses.

That's right, now is not the time to dig deeper; let's deal with the danger first.

Outside the cell, Kurokawa's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst out of his throat.

He remained bowed, each second feeling like an eternity. Zhang Su's silence instilled in him a profound and ever-growing fear.

Could it be... that this mysterious powerhouse simply disdains to make a move? Or is he still holding a grudge against my earlier offense?

The shadow of despair, like a cold tide, was about to completely engulf him.

Just when Kurokawa was about to give up and his knees were about to buckle—

Zhang Su slowly opened his eyes.

Deep within those dark eyes, like the deep sea after a storm, the surface is calm, but inside lies an immeasurable power.

He looked at Kurokawa, who was still bowing and trembling slightly, and smiled, "Alright, Captain Kurokawa, I grant your request."

This short sentence sounded like heavenly music to Kurokawa's ears!

"Thank you for your help! I am extremely grateful!" He sat up abruptly, his face a mixture of ecstasy, disbelief, and deep awe.

The next second, Zhang Su changed the subject slightly: "But... as you can see, my injuries haven't healed yet, and my strength hasn't fully recovered." He slightly raised his hand, clenched his fist tightly, but his arm trembled, perfectly portraying a "powerful person whose strength is damaged".

"Right now, we can only use 10% of our strength."

Kurokawa's heart jumped again, and he looked at him nervously.

Zhang Su met his gaze, his tone carrying an undeniable confidence:

"However, it's more than enough to deal with this mere 'not fully recovered' source of pollution."

Then, his gaze fell on the upward staircase outside the cell:

"Now, open the cell door. Lead the way and escort me to the location of the 'source of pollution.' After that, all problems will be solved."

Without the slightest hesitation, Kurokawa's sharp claws, covered in deep blue scales, gripped the heavy wooden gate and yanked it open with a loud bang.

"Your Excellency, please!"

Kurokawa then stepped aside to make way, his posture so respectful it was almost humble. His previous killing intent and arrogance had vanished, leaving only awe and supplication in the face of an unknown powerful figure.

Zhang Su took a deep breath and tried his best to maintain the "calm and composed" indifference on his face as he stepped out of the cage. His steps were a little unsteady, but his back was straight, like a sword that had been forcibly drawn from its sheath, cracked but still sharp.

The sweet floral scent in the air was now mixed with a strong smell of rust and rotting seaweed, making people dizzy.

The distant, mournful screams of the crew and the hissing sound of the corroded hull acted as background noise, constantly pounding on their already taut nerves.

Kurokawa pointed to the narrow, steep, dimly lit wooden staircase above and said in a deep voice, "This way! The captain's cabin is up there!" Before he finished speaking, more fine, cold, dark blue scales with a shimmering, metallic luster appeared on his exposed skin—neck, cheeks, and hands!

These scales spread, covered, and overlapped rapidly as if they were alive, instantly enveloping most of his face and all his exposed limbs, making him appear as if he were wearing a layer of deep blue, savage dragon scale armor.

A powerful pressure from the deep sea spread out again, clearer and more oppressive than it had been in the cell! He was clearly ready to fight at any moment.

Zhang Su followed behind him, his gaze sweeping over the cold, scaled armor, a slight chill running through him.

The power of Sequence 9 can only be truly appreciated by experiencing it up close.

He remained outwardly calm, but his fingers, hidden beneath his tattered sleeves, clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, using the pain to forcefully dispel the tension brought on by the unknown environment and the eerie pollution. He had to keep up the act! It was his only hope!

“The…Captain?” A trembling, tearful voice rang out from the shadows in the corner of the cell.

It was that young crew member from before. He had been huddled there, witnessing the entire conversation between the two, but he couldn't understand what had happened at all.

He stared at the captain, who had suddenly transformed into a deep-sea monster, then at the black-haired youth who had emerged from the cell and whom the captain addressed as "Your Excellency." His mind was a complete blank. He followed only instinctively, asking, "Captain, what...what should I do?"

Kurokawa's scale-covered face turned towards him, his eyes peeking out from between the scales filled with coldness:

"You? Hiding here! Pray with all your might to the god you believe in! Don't come out and cause trouble! Otherwise, you'll end up like those people."

The words were like icicles, piercing the young sailor so much that he immediately covered his mouth tightly, curled up in the deepest shadow, and dared not make a sound again.

Kurokawa ignored him and slammed his heavy, scale-covered boots down the narrow steps.

The wooden steps groaned painfully beneath his feet, each step carrying a resolute force.

Zhang Su followed closely behind. The cloying, rotten smell almost solidified, filling his nostrils and making his stomach churn. He forcibly suppressed his discomfort and sharply scanned ahead.

The stairs weren't long, ending at a heavy wooden door covered in sheet metal. At that moment, that door was shaking violently! "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The dull thuds were like giant hammers striking drums; each impact caused a large chunk of the door to bulge inward, the sheet metal to twist and warp, and wood chips to fall in a shower. From the cracks in the door, wisps of eerie, sweet-smelling, golden-red mist were constantly seeping in!

Behind the door came countless beast-like roars, filled with madness and agony! The sounds had lost all humanity, leaving only pure destructive desire and greed!

"Here it comes!" Kurokawa roared, his right hand, covered in scales, clenched into a fist. The scales on his arm instantly became thicker and more angular, as if covered with a layer of deep blue, ferocious gauntlet armor!

The moment he finished speaking——

"boom!!!"

The battered wooden door finally gave way, smashed open from the outside by a violent force! Broken pieces of wood and twisted iron flew everywhere like cannonballs!

The doorway was wide open!

In the dim, flickering light, a group of distorted figures howled and shoved each other, surging in like a raging flood!

They wore tattered sailor uniforms, but their skin was covered with disgusting, moss-like dark red spots, and their eyes were bloodshot, completely devoid of whites and pupils, leaving only two burning, greedy flames!

Saliva mixed with dark red filth dripped from their wide-open mouths, from which they emitted inhuman roars.

They brandished sticks, daggers, and even broken planks they had picked up from who-knows-where, with only one target—the living creatures on the steps!

The first few polluters, their faces twisted with crazed grins, their bloodshot red eyes fixed on Kurokawa and Zhang Su, charged forward with a nauseatingly sweet and foul stench! Their speed and strength far surpassed that of ordinary people!

"Get out of my way!" Kurokawa roared like a giant sea monster!

Without dodging, the muscles of his right arm, covered in deep blue scales, instantly bulged, and with a muffled whooshing sound that tore through the air, it slammed forward like a heavy battering ram!

"Bang! Crack!"

The fist slammed into the chest of the leading polluter with perfect precision! The ear-piercing sound of bones shattering was clearly audible! The polluter couldn't even scream; he was instantly curled up like a shrimp as if struck by a charging bull, and sent flying backward at an even greater speed than when he had charged!

That wasn't all! His flying body, like a cannonball, crashed hard into the three or four polluters who were right behind him!

A terrifying force spread out, and the three or four crazed polluters, like bowling pins, screamed and rolled, swept away by this overwhelming force, flying out of the doorway that had just been smashed open!

The narrow doorway was instantly cleared out! Broken wood chips and filthy blood foam filled the air!

Book 1: Chapter 4: Two Sea Monsters

"Ha, get out of my way if you don't want to die—!"

Kurokawa roared at the crazed crew, with the force of a tsunami. Without any fancy techniques, his right arm, covered with ferocious gauntlets, was the purest and most primitive weapon!

"Bang!!!"

Another punch was thrown!

Two more polluters were hit head-on by a speeding carriage, their chests instantly collapsing and deforming, the sound of their bones shattering like popping beans!

The two bodies, like tattered sacks, sprayed with blood and bits of flesh, flew backward like cannonballs, crashing into the surging crowd behind them, knocking down many and triggering even more chaotic screams!

Zhang Su followed closely behind him, one step away, his pupils slightly contracted.

He witnessed the horrific sight of the two polluters' chests collapsing, and felt the stinging pain on his cheeks as the force of their fists tore through the air!