Infinite Nightmares

On the way back, Zhang Wenda was escorted to headquarters by a squad from the Third Line. It was clear that even though he looked normal again, they weren’t willing to take any chances.

Zhang Wenda was no longer in his monstrous form. He had changed back into his adult self, still wearing his leather jacket and the familiar digital watch on his wrist.

He had discovered this unintentionally when he caught his reflection in a pane of glass.

He didn’t know if he had changed back because he’d regained the Blue, or if it had happened when they embraced him.

Zhang Wenda had never expected to obtain the Blue in such a manner.

On the way back, he was constantly experimenting with the Blue he had just mastered.

The Three Colors clearly didn’t represent just one simple thing; they were more of a collection of concepts. The way each color’s power was triggered seemed to differ from its inherent attributes.

He could use the ability to control the Red within others’ bodies right away, but the Blue’s power was clearly different. It seemed to require exploration, or in other words, learning.

So far, other than discovering that he could freely switch forms, Zhang Wenda hadn’t figured out any other uses for the Blue.

However, more important than the return of the Blue, Zhang Wenda found the change in his own mental state to be a true transformation.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

He no longer felt his heart race or his breath quicken. With the return of the Blue, all of the Red’s influence over him had vanished without a trace.

His body even felt a little lighter.

Zhang Wenda now realized that the so-called path of advancement was more of a process of tempering the mind. With each color he reclaimed, his inner self grew stronger.

That alone was of tremendous help to him.

’I’ve found Red and Blue. All that’s left is Yellow. So how am I supposed to find Yellow? Yellow... Yellow...’

As Zhang Wenda mulled this over, his thoughts couldn’t help but drift toward the opposite sex, and all sorts of explicit images flashed through his mind.

But then, Zhang Wenda shook his head forcefully. ’No, it can’t be that. Based on Red and Blue, Yellow can’t be purely about... well, yellow stuff. It has to be something much more peculiar.’

’How did I increase Yellow before? By satisfying myself?’

Just as his mind was wandering through all this nonsense, the door to the Head of the Security Department’s office was thrown open, snapping him back to reality.

Even though Ouyang Shuangdian had no head, Zhang Wenda could tell she was extremely pissed off.

Clearly, while his own episode might be over, the fallout from the whole incident was not.

The Third Line had mobilized such a large force to deal with him; an explanation was definitely in order.

It was also the first time Zhang Wenda understood that every Xinhua Bookstore was a spawn point for the Third Line’s combat units. Whenever an incident involving the mainstream consciousness occurred, the Third Line could provide immediate support.

Glancing at the others behind him, Zhang Wenda first pulled Wang Xiaohua over and gently pressed on her injured eye.

The next moment, her blind eye was instantly healed, while a hideous scar now covered Zhang Wenda’s left eye.

Next was Song Jianguo. As Zhang Wenda’s left arm vanished completely, her own arm grew back.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaohua’s face filled with worry. "Wenda, you didn’t have to do that..."

Zhang Wenda shot her a look telling her not to worry, then tilted his head toward the office door and whispered, "I’m playing the part of the long-suffering hero. Otherwise, we’re going to have a hard time getting past the boss."

After telling the others to wait outside, Zhang Wenda shuffled into Ouyang Shuangdian’s office with his injuries.

As the office door slammed shut, the atmosphere inside grew heavy.

Before Ouyang Shuangdian could start reprimanding him, Zhang Wenda spoke first. "Let me explain. There’s a reason for all this. You know I’m undergoing the so-called Trial 2, right? It seems I hit a snag. My Red got a bit too..."

Zhang Wenda briefly explained the entire incident to her. However, Ouyang Shuangdian didn’t uncross her arms, merely leaning there and listening like a statue.

Just as Zhang Wenda was considering whether he should drink an Inspiration Potion to see if Ouyang Shuangdian’s head was in the room, she finally spoke.

"Attacking pedestrians in a public place... Did you stop for even one second to consider that you are a member of the Third Line before you acted?"

"I told you, I was under the influence of the Red. What was I supposed to do? Besides, it’s not like I got off easy. Look at the state I’m in," Zhang Wenda said, clutching his missing arm.

"No. It wasn’t the Red. It’s that you don’t even think of the Third Line as your own organization, do you?" Ouyang Shuangdian uncrossed her arms. "Bureau 507’s code of conduct... Forget memorizing it, you’ve probably never even read it, have you?"

"Our mission is to protect the lives of all civilians in the mainstream consciousness, not to become a new threat. If I hadn’t intervened, you would have become the combat teams’ next B+ mission!"

Hearing this, Zhang Wenda looked at her in surprise. "I’m that weak? Not even an A-rank?"

"Wipe that smirk off your face!" Ouyang Shuangdian’s tone was incredibly stern when she got serious, reminding Zhang Wenda of his childhood homeroom teacher.

"Don’t forget, Biaozi gave his life to get you into the Third Line! If you don’t cherish this opportunity, you can leave at any time!"

Hearing her mention his uncle, the smile on Zhang Wenda’s face slowly faded. He was no longer in the mood for banter. "Don’t worry. I have the Blue now. Something like this won’t happen again."

At that, Ouyang Shuangdian’s tone softened somewhat. "The Bureau has taken care of things for you. I just hope you remember one thing: Biaozi didn’t get you into the Third Line so you could have a stable job. He wanted you to avoid making the same mistakes he did."

She then stood up, walked over to Zhang Wenda, and pressed the crooked 507 badge she was holding into his hand. "I know you’ve never cared about any of this. You have no real convictions. You joined the Third Line purely for revenge."

"But you need to understand that the most fundamental difference between the Third Line and organizations like the Big Circle is that we are the defenders of the rules. We are fighting for all of humanity. Since you joined us, you are one of us, and I don’t want to see you standing on the opposite side ever again."

Zhang Wenda looked at the badge in his hand and listened to her words, an indescribable feeling stirring within him.

After mulling it over, Zhang Wenda finally figured out where that strange feeling was coming from. He seemed to be able to sense the emotion and intent behind Ouyang Shuangdian’s words.

’Is she trying to use this method to build up my sense of collective honor for the Third Line?’