Celestial Human Diagram

The squad soldiers on site exchanged glances. ’Forty-eight hours ago? That was the day before yesterday, wasn’t it? Then who were the three people who greeted us before?’

Chen Chuan said to the orderly behind him, "Wake everyone up, then re-examine this entire place."

The orderly saluted, slung his rifle over his back, and jogged toward the barracks.

Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque arrived immediately. Yuan Qiuyuan looked at the three corpses and let out a soft whistle. He looked up and asked, "Captain, is this an anomaly?"

"It’s hard to say right now."

Chen Chuan didn’t rush to judgment. He hadn’t sensed any sign of his Second Self fading, which meant either there was another cause, or the anomaly wasn’t severe.

Once everyone was awake, they searched the rest stop from top to bottom one more time, confirming there was no one else present besides the three bodies.

But after learning of the situation, everyone thought back carefully, and it seemed none of them had made direct physical contact with the three.

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then said to Yuan Qiuyuan, "Executioner Yuan, you’ll stand guard here tonight."

Yuan Qiuyuan didn’t hesitate. "Don’t worry, Captain."

Chen Chuan took two steps forward, faced everyone, and said, "Our mission is to investigate an unknown situation. We will encounter more incidents like this, so you must be mentally prepared."

"However, the two Executioners and I will do our best to handle everything. Now, everyone, those on duty, resume your posts. The rest of you, go get some sleep. But remember to stay vigilant."

"Sir!" the squad members replied, saluting respectfully before dispersing.

The night passed, and the guards on duty encountered no further anomalies. When dawn broke the next day, the team prepared to depart rather than linger.

The convoy pulled out of the rest stop. After driving for about ten minutes, Chen Chuan told the lead driver, "Turn around. We’re going back."

The driver asked no questions, immediately turning the vehicle around.

The other off-road vehicles received his directive via their Realm Tokens. Though they didn’t understand the situation, they knew to obey orders and turned back as well.

Upon returning to the rest stop, they were shocked to see that the gate, which they had specifically closed before leaving, was now open. A voice crackled from the internal loudspeaker, demanding they confirm their identities.

Everyone was taken aback.

Yuan Qiuyuan looked back. "Captain?"

Chen Chuan spoke into his Realm Token. "Follow procedure." Then he turned to Qin Qingque. "Executioner Qin, you go with them."

"Yes, Captain!" Qin Qingque immediately disembarked and walked forward with two squad members.

The process went without a hitch. After they exchanged signals according to standard procedure, the rest stop’s main gate opened a few moments later. The three station soldiers—the same ones they had confirmed were dead—walked out. They began meticulously checking the team’s documents, acting exactly as they had the day before.

But they had clearly seen them dead just yesterday. The bizarre sight sent a chill down everyone’s spines.

Chen Chuan stepped out of his vehicle. He glanced at his Second Self—still no sign of it fading. He walked up to the three soldiers, who saluted upon seeing his uniform. Their expressions and mannerisms were indistinguishable from those of normal people.

Then, he reached out and tapped the center of each soldier’s forehead. The three of them froze for a second before collapsing, stiff as boards.

A moment later, something white began to crawl out of each of their ears, wriggling its way into the open.

Yuan Qiuyuan, who had followed him over, stomped on one of them. The thing beneath his boot immediately curled up. He stared at it for a few seconds, then said in shock, "Activated brain tissue?"

Chen Chuan nodded.

Yuan Qiuyuan looked at the three bodies in confusion. "But they’re just regular people."

"Generally, only Fighters with Mutated Organizations have to worry about Activation. It’s rare in ordinary people. If it weren’t, these regular soldiers wouldn’t be the main force at the garrisons."

Chen Chuan said slowly, "They are regular people. But this activated brain tissue... it might not be their own."

Yuan Qiuyuan froze, but his mind raced. He quickly made a connection, glanced into the distance, and then lowered his voice. "Captain... from the fortress garrison?"

There were no Fighters here, but Fortress 285, their destination, had several.

"That’s most likely it," Chen Chuan said.

When a Fighter’s brain tissue undergoes Activation, it sometimes continues to use its original body. But if that body is compromised, it might seek a new host, devour the new host’s brain, and absorb its memories to become an entirely new person.

This was why the garrisons were so vigilant against Activation—it was sometimes impossible to tell if the person standing right in front of you had been compromised.

He recalled the files he’d reviewed. Garrison 285’s original complement included one Third-Limit Fighter in command and three Second-Limit Fighters. These three pieces of activated brain tissue most likely belonged to those three Second-Limit Fighters.

"Captain, a signal is coming through from Fortress 285," a communications soldier reported, handing him a telegram.

Chen Chuan took it and glanced at it. It was the same incomprehensible jumble of characters as before. He handed it to Qin Qingque. She studied it for a moment, then looked up. "Captain, there’s no decipherable content."

Yuan Qiuyuan said, "You think one of those things sent it?"

"We’ll find out for ourselves when we get there," Chen Chuan said. "No more delays. Pack up, report the situation to the main garrison, and let’s move out. We need to get there quickly."

Once the order was given, squad members came forward, placed the three soldiers’ corpses in body bags, and moved them to a refrigerated unit. The convoy then got back on the road.

Fortress 285 was a frontier garrison. Such posts were typically established in critical terrain to serve as a forward screen, protecting the main forces to the rear.

This allowed the forces in the rear to consolidate the newly demarcated territory at a safer pace. The method had its pros and cons. Initially, with Airships providing transport and combat support, many difficulties could be overcome. Once the position was stabilized, however, the lack of Airship support made things considerably more difficult.

If a problem arose in such a vital location, it would jeopardize all subsequent operations. That’s why they had to get to the bottom of it.

The convoy proceeded at full speed, arriving at Garrison 285 shortly before five in the afternoon. The exterior was completely unguarded. Venturing inside cautiously, they found the place utterly deserted.

There was no one inside—not the original garrison personnel, nor the relief squad that had been dispatched later.

Vehicles were parked neatly in the garrison’s open areas and garages. The armory was fully stocked, with all weapons in their racks. Everything indoors was clean and organized, showing no signs of a struggle or an attack.

The garrison was built to standard specifications, large enough to house a force of one hundred. As a result, when their small group walked in, the surroundings felt vast and silent. Their footsteps echoed with unnerving clarity, making most of the squad members’ skin crawl.

Chen Chuan said, "Send a transmission to the main garrison. Inform them we’ve reached Fortress 285 and relay our findings. Also, tell them to monitor for any transmissions sent from this location tonight."

Hearing the order, the communications soldier immediately moved aside to send the transmission.

Chen Chuan continued, "We have a little over an hour until sundown. The teams have thirty minutes to sweep their designated areas. Remember, every member of every team maintains constant communication, no exceptions."

"Sir!"

Following his orders, the squad members immediately broke into three-person teams and fanned out.

Chen Chuan turned to Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque. "The two of you will check the perimeter defenses and the fortifications outside the fortress. Keep an eye on the Activity Index, but trust your gut. Don’t rely completely on the readings from the Realm Token."

A chill went through Yuan and Qin, but they both acknowledged the order.

Chen Chuan had them keep an eye on the other squad members while he went alone to the garrison’s command office.

He should be able to find the activity logs there. All garrisons were required to keep them, and they might contain some useful clues.

The office, like everywhere else, was impeccably organized. He found the logs easily. Flipping through them, he saw the entries stopped on December tenth—the day before the bizarre transmissions began.

The previous entries were all routine: patrols, duty rosters, maintenance, reports, and so on. There was no mention of anything unusual. It seemed the anomaly had struck suddenly, catching everyone completely off guard.

However, while looking through the garrison commander’s private memo book, he discovered several pages had been torn out. After a brief search, he found the shredded pieces in a nearby wastebasket.

He managed to piece some of them together. The reassembled page was covered in chaotic scribbles, large splotches of color, and some illegible words. Looking at it, he could almost picture someone descending into madness, muttering deliriously while scrawling on the paper.

He stared at the page for a few moments, lost in thought. Just then, Qin Qingque’s voice came over the Realm Token.

"Captain, I’ve completed my inspection. There are no breaches or weak points in any of the walls. I broke open a section to check, and the internal shielding and protective materials are perfectly intact. Water tanks are full and food stores are secure. By standard count, there are enough supplies here for a hundred-person unit for a month."

Yuan Qiuyuan reported in as well. "Captain, I’ve completed a sweep of the exterior. No signs of climbing or assault. No creatures from the Merging Land have approached.

"The surrounding vegetation has been thoroughly cleared. Though there’s been some regrowth in the last couple of days, the growth is still a good distance from the garrison walls. The trenches and barbed wire, all dug according to the tactical manual, are also undamaged."

"Understood," Chen Chuan said. "Since there are no issues, head back."

He walked out of the office and looked down at the fortress grounds. ’No problems on the outside means the issue is internal.’ It was still daylight, so there was little to fear for now. But night would fall in less than an hour, and things might be very different then.

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