Activation

The interior of the fortress was vast, so a military off-road vehicle had been dispatched to transport them. Once the three of them were seated inside, Counselor Pei leaned back comfortably. "Once we arrive, there will be a brief orientation session," he said. "It's mainly to inform you about the dangers of the Confluence zone and key precautions to keep in mind. Formal missions won't be assigned until that is finished and everyone has had time to get settled. "Ah, there are two others attending the session as well—namely, the team members assigned to you, Officer Chen. "Would you prefer to eat first, or head straight to the briefing?" Chen Chuan said, "It's getting late. Let's go to the briefing first so we don't keep them waiting." *** Meanwhile, in a common lounge, a male and a female fighter were waiting. The man was in his early twenties, with sharp, chiseled features and eyes that radiated confidence and nonchalance. The collar button of his uniform was undone and his sleeves were rolled up, effectively turning the crisp uniform into casualwear. The woman appeared eighteen or nineteen, with an oval face, a delicate nose, vermilion lips, and willow-leaf eyebrows. Yet despite features that fit a traditional standard of classical beauty, her thick black hair was tucked impeccably beneath the brim of her cap without a single stray strand. She sat with her back straight, radiating a crisp, heroic poise. Just then, an alert arrived on their boundary credentials, notifying them that the squad leader assigned by high command had entered the garrison. The man grumbled, "Our new squad leader sure puts on airs, keeping us waiting all this time." They had arrived at five in the morning, but without their squad leader present, nothing could proceed. So they had been stuck waiting around ever since, unable to go anywhere. At that moment, the door was pushed open. An orderly outside saluted them and said, "Officers, Officer Chen has already headed to the screening room. Please follow me." "Finally." The man stretched his arms and legs to shake off the stiffness before lazily standing up. In contrast, the woman stood without a word and immediately fell in behind the orderly. He muttered under his breath, "Why so serious?" Twisting his neck to loosen it up, he caught up with them. *** When they arrived at the entrance of the screening room, Chen Chuan arrived at almost the exact same time. Upon seeing him, both of them were slightly surprised. They had assumed that anyone who could make first-class enforcement officer would be in their late twenties or around thirty—a mature officer with seasoned experience. Yet Chen Chuan looked like he was not even twenty. *Don't tell me this bastard is just here to pad his resume?* the man thought. He despised such people most of all. Having someone like that as a teammate was one thing, but having them lead a squad was asking to get killed. Annoyed as he was, the situation remained unclear, and the person before him was still his superior. He couldn't openly show attitude, so he lazily raised a hand in a salute. The woman, on the other hand, snapped a textbook salute toward Chen Chuan. Chen Chuan returned the gesture. He noticed the scrutinizing, slightly distrustful look the male subordinate gave him, but he paid it no mind. Third-limit fighters were an assertive, self-centered bunch. Unfamiliar as they were with him, he hardly expected them to welcome him with open arms right off the bat. On the contrary, people who were overly warm upon first meeting tended to be slick and untrustworthy, making them far harder to manage. He preferred subordinates who were blunt and straightforward; at least they wouldn't play tricks behind his back. Of course, familiar hands were always best. Yet there was no helping it. Those groomed within the state system loved relying on acquaintances and classmates once they attained a certain rank. But Chen Chuan had advanced too quickly. Let alone his peers, none of whom had reached this tier, not even the upperclassmen could match his level. His daily interactions were almost entirely with instructors, so he had to rely on high command's assignments. However, once he became an enforcement captain in the future, he would have a certain degree of authority to handpick his own personnel. After greeting each other at the door, the three entered the screening room. The space looked capable of seating twenty to thirty people, with a wide projection screen at the front. Once they found seats at random, footsteps echoed from the hall. A young woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and a white lab coat walked in, her features quite delicate and refined. The only thing was her height—she was so petite that at first glance she looked like a child walking in. Seeing her solemn, earnest expression made it hard for an outsider to take her seriously; if anything, it provoked a chuckle. The woman gave a bow and introduced herself: "Greetings, Officers. My name is Tian Yu, and I am the instructor for this orientation session." After introducing herself, she added, "A quick note beforehand: field resources in the garrison are limited. We must prioritize communications above all else, and other functions are restricted unless strictly necessary. Therefore, we must rely on this old-fashioned projection method to conduct our briefing." She tapped her glasses. "Let us begin." The surrounding lights dimmed, leaving only the projection screen illuminated. Tian Yu picked up a pointer and said solemnly, "All three of you are visiting the Confluence for the first time. The very first thing you must monitor after arriving here is your own brain. Watch out for malfunctions." The male officer chimed in from below: "Are you worried we'll lose our minds?" Tian Yu looked at him and said sternly, "Officer Yuan Qiuyuan, during my lecture, if you have a question, please raise your hand first." Yet her diminutive stature and strained attempts at severity still failed to inspire any intimidation. Seeing that the room had quieted down, she gestured with the pointer. An image appeared on the screen showing numerous people who had suffered gruesome deaths. Without exception, the upper halves of their heads were gone, leaving behind hollow cavities. Looking at it, Chen Chuan felt an odd sense of déjà vu. After that slide, the image shifted to something entirely different: limbs or tentacle-like appendages protruding from a person's facial orifices, while the face wore a grotesque, grinning sneer. On the surface it resembled a human, but it was clear that it was no longer the original person. Yuan Qiuyuan's brow twitched. Only after cycling through over a dozen such images did Tian Yu speak: "The reason these individuals ended up like this is that they contracted a certain infection. Their brains gained a life of their own and crawled out from within. So when I said your brains could experience problems, I wasn't speaking metaphorically. It is a very real threat." She continued earnestly, "A human being is a single integrated whole, yet simultaneously not a single whole. The human body is composed of multiple systems and organs, each possessing functional and structural independence. If you fail to remain mindful of them over time and neglect them for too long, they will develop their own ideas and intentions." Yuan Qiuyuan muttered under his breath, "That sounds ridiculous. What childish cartoon did you pull that from?" Tian Yu tapped her pointer sharply against the podium. "I am not joking in the slightest!" She cautioned, "Do not assume that being fighters makes you an exception. While fighters possess relatively higher resistance, once an issue arises, it is never minor. Every single individual shown in those images was a fighter." Yuan Qiuyuan raised his hand. Tian Yu acknowledged him. "Officer Yuan Qiuyuan, what is your question?" With his arms crossed, leaning back in his chair, Yuan Qiuyuan said, "I'm guessing none of them were third-limit fighters, right?" "Indeed, none were." "Well, there you go." Yuan Qiuyuan spread his hands and tapped his temple. "I can keep my own head on straight." Tian Yu looked at him intently. "Officer Yuan Qiuyuan, just because none of them were third-limit fighters does not mean third-limit fighters are immune to infection. Rather, the condition is far more insidious. In an extreme case..." She glanced over the three of them. "...someone sitting right here among us might already be infected." "What's that supposed to mean?" "That is precisely what I am about to explain. If you listen with a little patience, Officer Yuan, you won't need to ask." Tian Yu tapped the screen with her pointer. An image appeared depicting an entity bristling with numerous tentacles, yet still clearly resembling a brain. "Third-limit fighters have a high degree of cerebral mutation. They typically possess immense spiritual power, allowing them to keep themselves in check. However, this does not mean they cannot lose control. It only means that when they do, the manifestation differs from ordinary cases. In most instances..." She pointed at the grotesque brain on the screen. "Even if they gain autonomy, they will remain in place. But the person is no longer who they once were. "They become far more cunning and intelligent, rather than acting purely on instinct like lower-level infections. They observe their surroundings and mimic the host's original demeanor, habits, and every movement. Even those closest to them find it exceedingly difficult to tell the difference. "And then there is another case: where the host does not even realize they have changed." At this, she pushed up her glasses and looked down at them. "They might even continue to believe they are completely normal." Yuan Qiuyuan clicked his tongue. At that moment, the female officer raised her hand. Tian Yu looked over. "Officer Qin Qingque, do you have a question?" Qin Qingque asked earnestly, "Instructor Tian, if someone like that is near us, how are we supposed to identify them?" "We have a metric used to evaluate these conditions: the 'activation index.' "The activation index is graded from zero to one hundred. The initial phase is demarcated at thirty. Anything above thirty enters the warning phase. Reaching sixty or above enters the danger phase. Ninety and above is the metamorphosis phase, and reaching one hundred is the complete phase." She paused, her tone grave. "At that point, it is irreversible." She stepped aside to switch on the lights and sent a notification via her boundary credential. Three orderlies entered the room, walked up to their seats, and handed each of them a metallic case. Tian Yu said, "This is an 'activation thread.' Connecting it to your boundary credential allows you to directly monitor your activation index." The three opened their cases. Inside lay what looked like a coiled, jade-colored filament, pleasing to the eye. The moment their hands reached in, the object stirred. One end coiled itself around the wrist, while the other linked directly to the boundary credential. Chen Chuan tested the feel of it. The thread was remarkably tough yet barely impeded his movements. Once connected, a string of green digits materialized across his boundary credential display. A single "0." Tian Yu explained, "The activation thread continuously senses changes in your body's activation levels. In the normal phase, the reading displays in green; in the warning phase, it shifts to yellow; and in the danger phase, it turns red. "Teammates can choose to share their telemetry. I strongly advise you to do so. That way, even if you fail to notice a change in yourself, your teammates can catch the problem in time. "Ah, there was one more detail I forgot to mention. Once the brain of a third-limit fighter undergoes activation, the physical vessel is no longer essential. Under certain conditions, it may seek to switch hosts. "The nearest teammate becomes the prime target. It will kill the teammate, burrow into their body, devour their brain, and take up residence inside." Yuan Qiuyuan grimaced in disgust. "That's revolting." Tian Yu said, "That is why you must monitor both your own activation index and those of your teammates. If it rises too high, you must find a way to bring it down. "Third-limit fighters can generally manage this through spiritual suppression, but the results are mediocre. We have specialists here who will instruct you in specialized breathing techniques designed specifically to curb activation, which yield far superior results. "Considering that you will be engaged in field operations where high-intensity combat might leave no time for such practices, there are also specialized pharmaceuticals capable of temporarily suppressing it." Here, she gave a pointed warning: "However, try not to rely excessively on medication. Once your body adapts to the drug, the activated tissue may adapt to it as well." Qin Qingque raised her hand again. Upon receiving permission, she asked, "Instructor Tian, may I ask... is the brain the only part of the body that undergoes activation?" ***