Wasteland Border Inspector

Chapter 214 The Cognitive Domain: A Powerful Source of Benign Infection!

A one-time reward of 50,000 contribution points.

Infrastructure investment with a long-term value of 400,000 contribution points.

In addition, there's the ownership of Dabo Town and the top-tier mission equipment.

If they choose to give up, can those ordinary people who risk their lives to get such an extravagant reward?
There is definitely no such thing.

For ordinary people, 10,000 contribution points per person is already an astronomical figure; any more would seem unrealistic.

The price offered by the elders to Cheng Ye, the prosecutor of Happiness City, was clearly very generous.

Cheng Ye did not hesitate at all.

Because these overt rewards are far less valuable than the covert ones. Putting aside how extravagant the temporary upgrade and demotion rewards the checkpoint might offer, the endorsement of the elders alone is enough to allow him to achieve a qualitative leap in power, just like the idealists who once led the checkpoint.

With power, why worry about not getting contribution points?
Clearly, Mr. Qian saw through his scheme and guessed what he really wanted, so he didn't give those empty monetary rewards.

The fact that he can break away from the checkpoint system and independently control the power of Dabo Town is worth millions of contribution points, and that's an underestimation.

"Elder, didn't you say that only business people talk about money?"

Cheng Ye smiled and said gently, "As far as the checkpoint is concerned, there are still my colleagues and nearly a thousand people trapped inside. As an inspector, I should go in to rescue them. As for Happiness City, I was born and raised here for nearly twenty years. Now that the fragments of the immortal artifact can bring huge benefits to Happiness City and contribute to the development of the city, it is also what I should do."

"what."

Although he had guessed that Cheng Ye would agree, Old Zeng was still amused by these words.

For once, he finally lifted his eyelids.

But the two dark eye sockets under his eyelids made Cheng Ye's heart skip a beat, and his scalp tingled instantly, giving him the illusion of being face to face with the source of infection.

Even more inexplicably, the image of the two immortals fighting that he had seen when he fused with the Heart-Protecting Flame flashed through his mind.

That powerful aura feels so familiar.

The aura before me bears a strange resemblance to the wisp of immortal pressure that leaked out back then.

Even if only a tiny fraction escapes, its terrifying nature remains the same.

Upon closer inspection, the eye sockets resembled two swirling black holes, constantly absorbing the surrounding darkness.

Even the darkness of the night itself cannot compare to the depth in the eyes, which are gradually crushed and swallowed up, leaving not a trace of light.

What alarmed Cheng Ye even more was that he could clearly feel a pair of eyes hidden deep within the black hole, watching him intently.

And what was being scrutinized wasn't him, but rather the flame within the spirit realm?!
Do you want to uninstall the Heart-Protecting Fire and hide the extraordinary truth?
The idea just came up.

To Cheng Ye's surprise, Old Zeng only opened his eyes for a moment before slowly closing them again, giving him no time to think.

The next second, the familiar traction returned, lifting him through the water-like barrier and landing steadily back on the ground.

Not detected?
Or.
"There are signs of supernatural activity in his body, which is a bit strange."

Old Zeng frowned in thought, "It's not the path of the extraordinary beings of the old era, nor is it the direction we're heading now. Rather, it seems like... he himself is an extraordinary being?"

"It is indeed a new road that I have never seen before."

Old Qian nodded slightly, his tone also carrying a hint of novelty, "It's too similar to the aura of Liu Kun's Fiery Eagle, but it's terrifyingly weak, like those half-step extraordinary beings who have only awakened a few scattered talents. But what he awakened seems to be not talent, but a change in 'essence'."

"nature."

Old Zeng pondered these two words repeatedly, then suddenly raised his hand and gestured towards the empty space in front of him.

The clouds and mist instantly condensed, gradually revealing a woman's face—it was Yu Erlan.

"Xiao Yu, have you found anything?"

“Elder Zeng, I just spoke with Zhang Ming of the Torch Relic.” Yu Erlan’s voice came from the clouds. “He offered to trade for the fragments of immortal artifacts we have.”

"Oh?" Old Zeng raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice. "So eager? What have they found out?"

"It's unclear at the moment, but we have already obtained the core information about the immortal artifact from the Canghai Shelter City."

Yu Erlan added, "Zhang Ming initially offered A-level technology, but judging from his attitude, I'm confident I can negotiate A-level technology."

"A-level?"

Old Zeng was truly stunned, a hint of disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Grade A technology is the core resource of Sanctuary City. Each technology can bring unimaginable competitiveness and trading potential to Sanctuary City. Why would Firewood be willing to pay such a high price for a single fragment?
But then a cloud of mist appeared beside them, displaying information from the trade that had been brought back from the Sea of ​​Despair.

He glanced at it, then exchanged a look with Old Qian. The surprise on his brow gradually faded, replaced by a sense of understanding.

Mount Xingui is not actually a complete immortal object, but only a fragment.

This fragment is just the right piece to repair the damaged runes on Mount Sumeru, no wonder Sumeru is willing to go to such great lengths.

“Find an opportunity to respond to their offer.” Old Zeng paused, his gaze sweeping down before settling on the White Water River beside Dabo Town, his tone becoming resolute, “We must obtain this fragment, no matter what.”

"Understood." Yu Erlan nodded in agreement.

"Also, get me the complete file on Cheng Ye, the trainee inspector at the checkpoint," Old Zeng added.

"Okay, I'll send it over right away."

Communication hang up.

Within ten seconds, a complete resident file was sent over and displayed in the water mist.

Cheng Ye (Indigenous resident; Prosecutor)

[Personal Strength]: C- (Dominant mutant ability user, ability preference: physique/strength. Due to the late activation time of the ability, the upper limit of its strength cannot be determined at present. It is only judged as an A-A+ level ability user based on the existing data.)
[Stability]: E- (Due to the repeated defection of relatives to Happiness City, the stability rating is extremely low. According to regulations, the whereabouts data is collected every three months. Last update: 35.06.01)

[Threat Level]: A (Due to repeated acts of harm to Happiness City after the defection of relatives, the threat level is fixed at A. Work data is collected monthly as required. Last update: 35.08.01)

[Abnormal Data]: None (Due to the prosecutor's status triggering Level 3 privileges, abnormal behaviors below this level will not be recorded)
[Personality Tags]: Cowardly, Ignorant, Blindly Obedient, Indecisive, Lazy, Selfish, Negative (Sorted by tag intensity, updated annually, last update: 35.01.01)

[Potential Rating]: C-
[Full Experience]:
Old Zeng's gaze swept down from the top, and before he even saw the "Complete Experience" section, he couldn't help but frown and exclaim in surprise:
"What kind of nonsense is this?"

Compared to the files of other prosecutors, this data is indeed outrageous.

The fluctuating upper limit of strength and the instability and threat level caused by being implicated by relatives are barely understandable.

But when you see the "personality tags," it doesn't make any sense at all.

Would a cowardly and ignorant person voluntarily participate in the satellite city contract assessment as a trainee inspector?

Can a blindly obedient and indecisive person remain calm when they hear about a devastating wave of infections?

As for laziness, selfishness, and negativity, if that were the case, why would he be willing to risk entering Dabo Town to save people?

After quickly skimming through the twenty-year record of his experiences, Zeng turned to Qian and asked with a hint of doubt, "Did you tamper with it?"

"It can't be that bad, he's just a little guy." Old Qian couldn't help but smile. "This data is outrageous, but there are many things that data can't explain. The files of Cheng Wu and Cheng Long back then were even more absurd than this, but what do they prove?"

A person's past can never define their future.

Especially in the ever-changing wasteland, even ordinary people are constantly changing.

The changes of the weak can be predicted by data, but if the growth of the prosecutors in Happy City can be bound by data, then they are too weak and do not deserve their current titles and status.

"He's a member of the Cheng family, what kind of little brat is he?" Old Zeng clicked his tongue, tapped his finger lightly in the air, and submitted the application for verification of the archive data without making a sound.

"Oh my, Old Zeng, so you finally remember he's Old Cheng's grandson?"

Old Qian laughed heartily, "Actually, I only noticed this child by chance. It can be said that Cheng Wu has a successor. He inherited many of Old Cheng's strengths, but did not learn those stubbornness and narrow-mindedness. If we can successfully capture the fragment of the immortal artifact this time, perhaps another outstanding genius will emerge from the younger generation of Happiness City in the future."

"genius."

As he pondered, Old Zeng's tone suddenly became tinged with regret. "What a pity. Judging from his behavior, it seems he's trying to find a new path to transcendence, just like those small sanctuaries, and break through the existing limitations."

"There are quite a few cities that choose to follow the path of this certificate to become a safe haven, but this path has long been proven to be a dead end. If we continue down this path, the future potential will only be locked in more and more, and at that time we may not even be able to step out of Happiness City."

The words fell.

Old Qian shook his head, his tone carrying a certainty: "Not necessarily. The city lord was the first to take the new extraordinary path back then, and we were all just passively following and learning. Now, it's rare for someone in Happiness City to be willing to explore a new path. Whether or not it succeeds in the end, it's a good thing for the entire Shelter City, at least it gives us another possibility."

"I hope so."

Old Zeng sighed, his tone turning somber. "Xinji is already thirty-five years old. He was born far too late. Alas, we do need A-level technology, but if this fragment were truly given to Xinhuo, their dual-source technology would definitely advance by leaps and bounds. Naturally, the biotechnology of the Sanctuary City is also eyeing the extraordinary realm and is about to reach the critical point of restoring the extraordinary."

"Once they get past that hurdle, the S5 virus that destroyed us superhumans will be released sooner or later. At that time, he probably won't even have the chance to enter the fourth state, seal himself off, and wait for the change to begin."

"Who can say for sure what will happen in the future?" Old Qian shook his head helplessly. "You're just too pessimistic. You always try to analyze all the risks that haven't even happened yet."

"It's not that I'm pessimistic, it's that you're too muddled, you old codger!" Old Zeng interrupted him directly, his tone laced with a hint of sneer. "You're always busy tinkering with your ideas, how many years has it been since you've touched anything technical? Five years? Ten years? I remember the last time you inspected the research institute was during the grand military parade for the 20th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, wasn't it?"

"Hehehe." Old Qian was hit where it hurt, so he could only laugh awkwardly and subconsciously touched his nose, looking rather embarrassed.

But the next second, he straightened up, his eyes showing a hint of stubbornness: "There's nothing wrong with this. You take care of your technology, I'll stick to my principles. You worry about the present, I'm preparing for the future. Cheng Wu is actually secretly preparing too, believe it or not? Once this world can return to an era where ordinary people are in charge, he will definitely come out and say that his principles back then were not wrong at all."

"Is that so?" The smile on Old Zeng's face vanished instantly, and the air around him seemed to turn colder, with a layer of frost spreading out. "If he dares to show up again, I will still stand in front of him personally and tell him one more time."

"This world should always be a world of extraordinary beings, a world only for the strong!"

"Even if it's destroyed ten thousand times, the new superhumans will still hold power in the future!"

The sky was already beginning to lighten. Although it was nearing autumn and the days were getting longer than in the height of summer, as long as it wasn't cloudy, the sun should be breaking through the clouds around 5:30.

Having decided to return to Dabo Town, Cheng Ye decided to stop hiding his intentions and adopt a "fight to the death" stance against the fragments of the immortal artifact and the source of infection.

Whether anyone believes him now is not important, as long as he can survive and be contained.

This resolute attitude will become an achievement on his resume, marking the beginning of his journey to becoming a "legendary prosecutor".

As soon as his decision was implemented, all relevant departments across the entire camp, the headquarters of Happiness City, and even the industrial zone sprang into action with astonishing speed.

Harlin had already led his team to coordinate the receipt of protective equipment and essential supplies. The remaining people were quickly divided into several groups and got busy with their own tasks.

The first to step forward were the people from the research institute. Several researchers who looked even more senior than Qin Feng walked over quickly. The middle-aged man in the lead was a typical researcher, thin with thick-rimmed glasses on his nose. His face was expressionless, but his eyes revealed a reassuring professionalism.

"Inspector Cheng, I am Shi Xu, the leader of the Immortal Creature Research Group at the Infection Source Research Institute, a Level 4 Researcher. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope I can assist you with your containment mission."

Shi Xu's tone was polite, but it couldn't hide the composure that came with his status.

A Level 4 researcher corresponds to the checkpoint system, which is equivalent to the level of a Level 4 inspector. In addition, with the authority and responsibilities of the team leader, and according to the internal and external coordination rules, their actual status is basically equivalent to that of a Level 5 inspector.

Cheng Ye immediately nodded in response: "Team Leader Shi, thank you for your help. I need to know all the rules, precautions, and specific containment methods related to this containment operation."

"Okay, Xiao Liu, deploy the silent space." Shi Xu turned to the researcher behind him and instructed.

The researcher nodded, raised his wrist, and wore a palm-sized silver-gray bracelet. After gently pressing the button at the top, an invisible wave spread out from the bracelet.

The surrounding noise vanished instantly, even the sound of the wind was shut out, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

This is good stuff!
Cheng Ye's eyes lit up, but Shi Xu had already spoken, "Regarding the fragment you wish to collect, we have already obtained relevant information from the Canghai Shelter City, a subordinate city of the Torch Alliance. The target is one-fifth of the 'Ten Thousand Orders Earth Conch,' whose core ability is to manipulate mountains and rivers to change their shape."

Is Happiness City really that efficient? They've already obtained the specific information about the Immortal Artifact Fragment?

Cheng Ye was stunned for a moment, inwardly amazed, but his gaze unconsciously fell on the semi-transparent panel that had suddenly popped up in front of him—

[Collectors have detected that relevant biological information has been collected; information is being completed.]

[Completed, new creature added to the bestiary: Wanling Ground Snail]

Information complete, illustrations appear.

With the collector's double verification, the origin of the Wanlingdi conch is beyond doubt.

"The organization that created it was called the 'Bipolar Society,' and in the old days it mainly operated in the remote Antarctic and Arctic regions."

Shi Xu adjusted his glasses and continued explaining, "In addition to the Wanling Earth Conch, they also created the corresponding Wanlu Heaven Conch. One heaven and one earth, one law and one command. The initial purpose was to transform the environment of the North and South Poles and turn them into a livable paradise isolated from the outside world."

"Unfortunately, the S4 virus broke out before the immortal artifacts were completed. After the destruction of the Bipolar World, these two immortal artifacts disappeared without a trace. They have now appeared around Happiness City. We still can't trace how they got here. It is currently speculated that they may have drifted over along the river, but the surrounding area is too far from the North and South Poles, so that is unlikely. It is more likely that some infection source carried the fragment here. In other words, this fragment of the immortal artifact may be hidden in the body of the Destruction-level infection source in the cave below Dabo Town."

"So it was the fragment of the immortal artifact that strengthened that destructive-level infection source?" Cheng Ye realized instantly.

This is exactly the same as the previous cases of vortex turtle shell fragments enhancing the black-striped kingfish and the growth factors of the ghost water cave crab altering the ecology, which is enough to prove that the fragments of the extraordinary can indeed affect organisms and the environment.

“That’s right.” Shi Xu nodded, his tone becoming more serious. “Currently, we don’t have any more information to pinpoint the source of this infection. If it’s a known source, you can analyze it by taking photos. But if it’s unknown… unfortunately, once you enter the influence range of the immortal artifact again, you will be completely ‘marked,’ and unless you die, there will be no way for you to leave.”

"Not even exchanging supplies?"

“No, any intentional act that crosses the boundary could trigger a full-scale outbreak of pollution. You might be able to withstand it once or twice, but the people trapped inside will definitely not survive. Moreover, the more times the pollution outbreaks occur, the higher the probability that you will be locked onto by the fragments of the immortal artifact and suffer targeted pollution.”

"Pollution, what exactly is pollution? Is it cognitive pollution?"

"We'll call it the Realm of Immortals for now, but a more accurate term would be the Realm of Cognitive Protection."

Shi Xu explained, "Fragments of immortal artifacts will spontaneously affect the entire surrounding area. Within this domain, affected creatures will subconsciously perceive threats as safety. This is a very crude form of cognitive distortion. For example, you might subconsciously feel that jumping off a tall building is dangerous and standing on a rooftop is safe, but once you enter this domain, you will be influenced to jump off directly."

"Just like the red-green signal you mentioned before: if you subconsciously equate 'green' with 'safety,' then even if you see a truly dangerous color, you'll only perceive it as green. Even if you see a fragment of a magical artifact right in front of you, you won't feel threatened by it, and naturally, it won't cause you any harm."

"But why was the green signal in previous radio communications interpreted as red?"

“This is the deeper impact on the cognitive realm.” Shi Xu’s tone became more solemn. “You can roughly understand it as follows: the first stage is the parasitic period of the infectious source, which will only make you slowly succumb. When you reach the second stage, the outbreak period, your cognition will begin to be distorted, and you will gradually go crazy. This is also the core reason why the immortal artifact will cause disasters.”

"Seeing the red signal is just the beginning. If you continue to be influenced, you might even start to see the people around you as infected, as your greatest fear."

As Shi Xu spoke, he changed the subject, “The pollution of the extraordinary will make everything tend to be the same and return to order, while the pollution of the immortal objects will break all the rules and amplify the fear and desire in people’s hearts. But you should know that this is only its means of self-preservation.”

That does sound terrifying.

However, having detailed intelligence support is much safer than groping around blindly.

Cheng Ye paused, his tone slightly somber, "So, I can't let the people inside who are already contaminated realize they've been contaminated? They have to continue operating under the constraints of order, right?"

"You really get it right away." Shi Xu nodded immediately, his tone becoming serious. "That's right. If the civilians participating in the assessment knew that they were in a dangerous environment, once the order collapsed, the level of pollution would instantly intensify and quickly enter the outbreak phase. At that time, everyone's perception would be completely distorted and could never be corrected."

"What about those affected by the pollution wave? Is there any chance they will survive?"

Shi Xu remained silent for two seconds, then gently shook his head, offering no further explanation, but the answer was already obvious.

"But if the pollution continues, it's impossible for ordinary people to break through the barrier and obtain the fragments, right?"

"Inspector Cheng, all energy follows the law of conservation, and the influence of immortal objects is no exception."

Shi Xu's voice grew increasingly low, "It can maintain its domain now, and the energy likely comes from that destructive source of infection. So as long as the energy of the source of infection is continuously consumed, the scale of the pollution wave will become smaller and smaller until it disappears completely."

"Destroying a level-one infection source, how many people would that require?" Cheng Ye's heart sank.

Shi Xu didn't dodge the question, directly presenting the cold, hard data: "According to the previous valid records, in order to consume the Destruction-level infection source parasitized by the immortal artifact, a total of 6.7 people were deployed to suppress the pollution wave to the level of a hundred people. Afterwards, another 5.2 people were added, including those with overt superpowers."

"Alright." Cheng Ye raised his hand to interrupt him, his throat tightening slightly.

For a single fragment of a magical artifact, more than 100,000 lives are at stake?

Is it possible to keep sacrificing human lives to deplete the energy of the immortal artifact fragments?
That's too cruel.

In contrast, a more reasonable option would be to simply seal off such a place for fifty years, making this land disappear from the map temporarily.

"So now I have to keep the assessment going, continue competing with Rokuk in the red and blue zones, and also search for the underwater source of infection? The underwater fragments of the divine artifact?"

“If you want to save people, this is how it has to be.” Shi Xu nodded gently. “Furthermore, based on the information we’ve gathered so far, it’s speculated that the Destroyer-level Infected Source only awakens at night, so Dabo Town is still safe during the day, and the threat from the White Water River should be manageable. You can conduct investigations during this time. Those anomalies will only appear at night, at which point you will need to go into the water at night to contain them.”

"Ok."

Cheng Ye took a deep breath. Since it was still safe during the day, maintaining order would be much simpler.

As for going into the water at night
Since we were already underwater, it was no different from daytime, except for the visibility.

Put aside your deepest fears; if you encounter danger, you'll have no choice but to transform into Starfish Superman and unleash your full power!
"Prosecutor Cheng, may I interrupt for a moment?"

The second group was from the emergency response team of Xingfu City. Bai Wei walked in and said, "Besides the planned equipment and supplies, if you have any other needs, tell me now and I will coordinate and prepare immediately. You must get back to Dabo Town before it is completely light, no later than eight o'clock. There is not much time left."

“Okay.” Cheng Ye said calmly without hesitation, “I need a large battery and a matching energy conversion device.”

“Okay!” Bai Wei nodded immediately without asking any further questions about its purpose. “Considering your loading capacity, we have already allocated a large truck with a battery pack with a total capacity of two thousand kilowatt-hours. Is that enough?”

"That's enough!" Cheng Ye nodded immediately, feeling completely at ease.

He had originally planned to come up with an excuse about "new energy fishing" to explain his needs, but Bai Wei simply skipped over the purpose, saving him a lot of trouble.

Two thousand kilowatt-hours of electricity is enough to recharge his collector five times, and even in the event of a sudden danger, there is enough energy reserve to cover it up.

"In addition, I also need a batch of infrastructure materials."

Cheng Ye seized the opportunity to add, rattling off a list at lightning speed.

Since the assessment is still going to take place, we must prepare in advance to prevent thousands of crab people from launching an attack on Dabo Town.

Among the more important items are two solar power generation facilities, a batch of high-power searchlights that can illuminate Dabo Town at night as if it were daytime, and two hundred bottles of highly effective sedatives.

If any residents go insane due to the pollution, administer sedatives to put them to sleep for a day or two to prevent a chain reaction that could lead to a pollution surge.

It's a pity he can't take care of nearly a thousand people by himself, otherwise it would be more convenient to let everyone sleep.

Bai Wei wrote down each item carefully without delay, and immediately turned around and led his men to make preparations.

These supplies will be loaded onto large trucks and driven directly into Dabo Town, so he doesn't need to worry about them.

4:50 a.m.

Just as Shi Xu finished explaining the key points and specific methods of containing the divine artifact, Harlin hurriedly returned carrying a silver safe that was half the height of a person.

He entered the silent space, sweat still beading on his forehead, pulled a folded piece of white paper from his pocket, and handed it over, panting:
"Choose one; these are the last remaining stock at the checkpoint after all these years."

The blank sheet of paper unfolds, listing only four pieces of information, each with detailed attributes:
【Water Healing Herb (A-): A benign infectious agent with the ability to recover upon contact with water. After parasitizing, it can gain the ability to "recover upon contact with water", and can maintain vital signs (not die) in water, regardless of the severity of the injury.

The cost of infection: Each recovery requires a reduction in lifespan; recovery from a single injury is estimated to take 3 years; recovery from a fatal injury is estimated to take 7 years.

【Giant Giant Ground Beetle (A-): A benign source of infection with the ability to parasitize. After parasitizing, it can freely change its size, growing up to 5 meters tall (acquiring physical qualities to match its size) and shrinking to as small as 60 centimeters (without changing physical qualities).

The cost of infection: After the parasitic infection ends, one must endure excruciating bone pain capable of destroying one's mind. After each physical transformation, the cost must be repaid with a "100-kilometer run," with a maximum single repayment of 2000 kilometers.

【Bone Armored Bull (A-): A benign infection source of strength. After parasitizing, it can gain 2-5 tons of strength, along with corresponding melee physical attributes.

Infection cost: After the parasitic infection ends, there is a 10%-25% chance of death, depending on the frequency and extent to which the host uses tremendous force.

【Firecracker (A-): Ability-type benign infection source. After parasitizing, it can give objects "explosive properties", with explosive power equivalent to a military 81mm mortar shell (kill radius of about 15 meters, capable of penetrating 10mm homogeneous steel armor); it can give properties to a maximum of 3 objects at a time, up to 10 times per hour, and the properties are effective for 3 hours.

Infection cost: If the parasitic time exceeds 24 hours, there is a small probability that the host will transform into an irreversible explosive.

(End of this chapter)