Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chen Bingzhong sat in the shadows, holding a steaming thermos in his hand.

The aroma of tea from the cup spread throughout the cold, damp room, but it couldn't dispel the faint, pungent odor.

He couldn't help but recall the arduous scene of Chief Li Guizhen leading the entire special search team, working tirelessly day and night to guard the sacrificial pit.

Initially, this sealed artifact was truly elusive.

Let alone using its power, even getting slightly close will cause one to go insane or even mad.

Until Chief Li accidentally discovered a way to project consciousness, becoming the first person to venture into another world.

It was a bizarre and indescribable experience.

According to Chief Li's own account, when he first entered that world, he seemed to have lost his memory and could not remember his original identity at all.

Moreover, that world seemed to possess some kind of "immune consciousness".

As an outsider, Chief Li quickly encountered resistance.

The surrounding walls, floors, and even the air always seemed to emanate a malice whose source was impossible to discern.

Twisted, terrifying shadows kept flashing at the edge of his vision.

Even more bizarrely, from the very first day he entered that world, black rain began to fall.

The rain wasn't transparent; it was like pitch-black ink, carrying a strong, foul stench.

If it accidentally touches the skin and causes an infection, there is a high chance of developing physical tissue mutations.

Prolonged exposure to the black rain could even turn you into a monster.

Chief of Staff Li had personally witnessed how familiar faces were corrupted into bloodthirsty monsters.

He wanted to save the other person, but because he was outnumbered and outmatched, he was almost killed by the monster.

As time went on in that world, similar things happened again and again, more and more frequently.

Several times he was on the verge of despair, but he was still unable to use the extraordinary power he once possessed.

Under the suppression of this bizarre world law, he even found it extremely difficult to defeat an ordinary person.

He could only rely on his extraordinary willpower to struggle for survival for more than ten days.

Ultimately, after the parasitic body died, its consciousness was forcibly rejected by the laws of the world, and it returned to reality.

Upon waking up, the first thing Chief Li did was to order the sacrificial pit to be sealed off and named it "Black Rain World".

The intention behind this is not merely to prevent the spread of pollution hazards.

Rather, he had already realized that this passage linking to another world had an immeasurable impact on the special search team and the country.

However, in the following thirty years, the contamination of the sealed artifacts became too severe and uncontrollable.

Apart from Chief of Staff Li, no one else was allowed to easily step into that forbidden area.

Until recently, the massive sealed object suppressed underground seemed to be affected by some higher-dimensional law, and the frequency of the pollution it emitted dropped significantly.

This gave the special search team the opportunity to get close to it again and restart their research.

However, despite sending multiple groups of personnel in succession, there has been no substantial progress.

Because in that independent world, there exists an extremely domineering set of underlying laws.

It completely strips away all of the outsider's memories in the real world.

To be precise, the laws of the world will randomly project the transmigrator into the body of the most suitable native based on similarities in name, gender, and appearance.

This fusion is at the soul level; the outsider's consciousness will completely accept the original owner's social relationships, and almost no abnormalities will arise.

Whether they are physically powerful martial artists or S-class superhumans at the top of the pyramid, once they enter it, they will completely lose their true selves.

All supernatural powers will be completely suppressed, turning them into ordinary people who are powerless to even kill a chicken.

Even General Li, back then, was no exception.

The Special Search Team's test of candidates is based on this principle.

Only when a person is completely stripped of their power and faces a life-or-death situation will their true nature be fully revealed.

In that absolute sense of powerlessness, even those cunning and mentally powerful individuals from the outside world could no longer pretend.

Their deepest, most hidden dark side will be fully revealed the moment the monster pounces.

Chen Bingzhong slowly placed the thermos back on the table.

The stainless steel cup bottom struck the wooden tabletop with a soft, muffled sound.

He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the thick radiation-proof wall.

At the very center of this circular building is the monitoring center for the sealed artifact.

Chen Bingzhong knew very well that Ling Shaofeng and other high-ranking members of the special search team must be sitting in front of the huge surround screen right now, watching all the examinees, including Fang Cheng, struggle in the world of black rain.

The fact that such a huge amount of sealing energy had to be consumed for a mere exam is itself sinister.

It's like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

Chen Bingzhong sighed inwardly.

He had questioned Ling Shaofeng about this matter, but was firmly rejected by the other party on the grounds of "tempering willpower and selecting the best from the best".

Ling Shaofeng always plans carefully before acting, and pursues the maximization of value in everything he does.

During his more than ten years in charge of the special investigation team, there was never any extravagance or waste.

Therefore, he must be hiding something.

Chen Bingzhong narrowed his eyes slightly.

Thinking about it now, Ling Shaofeng didn't care about the students' scores at all.

Perhaps he simply wanted to use the consciousness of a large number of test takers to enter the Black Rain World, to trigger certain specific logics of that world, and thus achieve the goal of finding "something".

Thinking of this, Chen Bingzhong shook his head, deliberately cutting off these dangerous speculations.

His gaze shifted from the wall back to the ancient bell covered in bluish-green patina.

This derivative artifact still carries a slight degree of contamination.

To ensure the safety of the examinees, these chief examiners had to stay in the interrogation room at all times and could not enter the monitoring center to see what was happening in that world.

The only thing I can do now is stare at the brainwaves and emotional thresholds on the computer screen.

Once a candidate's fear level spikes and approaches the red line, showing signs of irreversible mental breakdown, or if they are unable to regain consciousness...

Chen Bingzhong had to immediately strike the Soul-Suppressing Bell to transmit information to that world using a special sound wave frequency, forcibly drawing the other party's consciousness back.

Of course, if it comes to this point, it means that the candidate's test has completely failed.

"The flow of time inside is different from that in the real world."

Chen Bingzhong stared at the gradually flattening green curve on the screen and muttered to himself:
"Only seven minutes have passed outside, which means that less than a day has passed since candidate number 263 entered the Black Rain World."

"Let's see how many days he can hold out in this increasingly out-of-control nightmare..."

....................................

The hospital entrance in the early morning.

Fang Cheng walked out of the emergency building, looking at the scene outside with a depressed expression.

The sky was overcast, like a lead-gray curtain soaked in water.

The fine drizzle was still falling, and the chaos of last night was still vivid in my mind.

When the paramedics lifted Grandpa onto the stretcher, the dark brown blood that had flowed from his nostrils was etched onto Fang Cheng's retina like a brand.

His parents' accusations echoed in his ears:

How could you lay a hand on your grandfather?!

"Are you crazy?!"

Fang Cheng was unable to explain.

Could it be that he saw a monster wearing his grandfather's skin?

Did the monster grab his throat with its cold hands, trying to kill him? Or was the rain last night black, smelling like dead fish and rotten shrimp, similar to the smell emanating from Grandpa?

Who would believe that?
These words will only make his parents think he's mentally ill.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, a bitter taste rising in his throat.

He looked down at his hands.

The knuckles were somewhat numb from the excessive force used during the beating.

The red, swollen lump on the back of my hand has not completely subsided and is still faintly bluish-purple.

He felt a mix of relief and lingering fear.

I'm glad I'm not very strong, so I didn't accidentally kill my grandfather...

What's frightening is that if he had to do it again, he might still choose to do it without hesitation.

Sometimes, Fang Cheng really wondered if he had gone crazy and had violent tendencies.

Last night, that rotting, swollen face, that pungent stench, that icy touch of fingertips... it all felt so real.

It was so real that even when he was in a familiar scene of life, he always felt that everything around him was shrouded in a thin layer of gray.

The breakfast stalls on the street had just set up, and steaming baskets were emitting white smoke.

The passersby all seemed to be in a hurry, rushing to work or school.

Everything in Pingjiang County seemed so normal and peaceful.

Fang Cheng walked aimlessly, his gaze fixed on the wet floor tiles.

Just as he rounded a corner, preparing to turn into another street.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a fleeting glimpse of a dark shadow.

That shadow was extremely fleeting, so fast it was like an illusion.

But those blurry, distorted outlines instantly triggered Fang Cheng's nightmare from the previous night.

His heart sank suddenly, and a chill ran deep into his bones.

Fang Cheng immediately turned his head to look.

However, apart from the occasional passing vehicle, there was no one behind him.

He stopped in his tracks, his heart pounding.

"As expected, I wasn't crazy..."

Fang Cheng took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and almost started jogging.

Instead of letting your imagination run wild, you should go to the school and find Zhou Ming.

Although that guy always exaggerates, he can always come up with some explanations about "supernatural phenomena".

....................................

Ring ring—

The school bell rang throughout the campus, and the classrooms immediately became noisy.

The students seemed to have been put on a start, and they all sprang up from their seats.

The sounds of conversation and the rustling of tables and chairs instantly filled the entire space.

Fang Cheng weaved through the crowd and found the boy with the bowl cut who wore thick-rimmed black glasses.

He was lying on the table, engrossed in reading a comic book with an unidentified creature on the cover.

He seemed to block out even the noise around him.

"Zhou Ming."

Fang Cheng walked to his desk and called out softly.

Zhou Ming suddenly raised his head:
"Fang Cheng? You want to see me?"

He put down the comic book, a look of curiosity on his face.

Fang Cheng pulled up a chair and sat down next to Zhou Ming, leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice:

"I have a question for you. Don't you usually research supernatural phenomena and strange tales?"

Zhou Ming's eyes lit up, and he immediately straightened his back and adjusted his glasses perched on his nose.
"Of course, I am the president of the 'Super Research Society' and I am not just a name without substance."

"What do you want to ask? Aliens? Ghosts? Or some kind of bizarre disappearance case?"

Fang Cheng's gaze fell on Zhou Ming's gleaming glasses, his tone hesitant:
"Have you ever heard of a person suddenly turning into... well, not human, but looking very human, that kind of monster?"

Zhou Ming's mouth opened slightly, then he revealed a slightly excited smile:

"Of course I know, you've hit the nail on the head. This is called a 'mimicry memory,' and there are many different kinds."

"Some are parasitic by alien creatures, some are local evil spirits in disguise, and there is another one called flesh and blood mutation, in which the body is affected by unknown substances and gradually becomes distorted."

"These monsters can initially maintain their human form and even mimic the memories and habits of the dead, continuing to live in human society. But gradually, they will reveal their true form and become ferocious and brutal."

He became more and more animated as he spoke, his eyebrows gesturing as he said:

"What you're talking about is most likely a 'mimicry evil spirit.' These are the most difficult to deal with because they can perfectly mimic your relatives and friends, making it impossible for you to tell the difference between the real and the fake."

"Once you get entangled with it, unless you have the ability to see through the disguise at a glance, it will be very difficult to deal with."

Zhou Ming paused deliberately at this point, a hint of mystery in his eyes.

Fang Cheng's heart sank suddenly, he clenched his fists, and pressed for an answer:
"Then... is there any way to deal with this kind of thing?"

Zhou Ming's playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious one:

"Conventional weapons are useless. To deal with this kind of evil, we need 'psychic abilities,' or rather, 'psychic abilities.'"

“Our ‘Super Research Society’ specializes in these kinds of researches, and every member is an excellent investigator who has mastered various detective techniques.”

"So, how about joining? I saw your amazing performance in the last math class. You have a real talent for learning and you're definitely qualified to be the best investigator."

Fang Cheng's heart skipped a beat.

He wasn't thinking about his performance in math class, but rather about the courage and strength he had displayed in the face of adversity last night, a courage and strength that surpassed his usual self.

This also filled him with doubt.

Just as I was about to refuse, Zhou Ming continued:

"By the way, our 'Super Research Club' has an adventure activity after school today. It's said that there have been shadowy figures appearing at that abandoned old water plant on the outskirts of the city lately, and there's also a strange, rotten smell coming out, which is very similar to the descriptions of those 'evil things' circulating outside."

"We're planning to go and investigate in person; maybe we can find some clues."

Fang Cheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

A dark shadow? A stench of decay?

He recalled the various "hallucinations" he had recently experienced, as well as the foul stench emanating from his grandfather.

The house is empty today; my parents and younger brother are all at the hospital.

I was the only one who was forced to come to school.

This is the perfect opportunity for him to find the truth.

"Okay, I'll join."

Fang Cheng agreed almost without hesitation.

Zhou Ming pushed up his glasses in surprise:

"Great! You've finally figured it out! Let me tell you..."

Fang Cheng didn't hear Zhou Ming's excited follow-up.

Only two words came to mind: shadowy figure, stench of decay.

Perhaps some answers will be found tonight. (End of Chapter)