Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 2

Just as Kurokawa's scales and claws were about to strike his body, Zhang Su had a flash of inspiration. He tried his best to remain calm in his voice and expression, putting on an expression that suggested he had expected this, and said, "You... are the Sequence 9 'Abyss Stalker', right?"

For the first time, Kurokawa's movements truly and completely froze.

His fingers, covered in deep blue snake scales, were only a hair's breadth away from the cold iron lock. The calm, amusement, even ruthlessness that had always resided in his deep, still eyes were instantly replaced, like a lake tossed with a boulder, by an unprecedented surge of shock, vigilance, and intense killing intent!

He suddenly jumped back, creating a distance of more than three meters between himself and Zhang Su. His gaze, like two solid ice spikes, pierced fiercely at the young man in the cell who should have been harmless but now seemed incredibly strange.

"You... you actually figured out my sequence!?" Kurokawa's voice lost its usual calm depth for the first time, taking on a sharp, incredulous tone. "Who exactly are you?!"

---------------------------------

My new book is out, please support me!

Volume 1: Chapter 2: Prestige, Organization, Pollution

"Who exactly are you?! Are you a 'superhuman' of which sequence? Or a 'cleaner' sent by some church?!" he demanded sharply, every word laced with vigilance.

In this dangerous world, someone who can instantly identify another person's specific sequence name is either a superhuman with extensive combat experience or a scholar backed by a superhuman organization who has read a great deal of 'superhuman knowledge'!

The weak, strangely dressed young man in front of him didn't look like the former at all!

Zhang Su felt his heart pounding wildly in his chest, almost about to explode... but in reality, he controlled it very well, and it kept beating steadily, making him appear very calm.

Kurokawa couldn't see anything unusual about him at all.

Although he has made the right bet and has impressed his opponent, it is only temporary.

If he wants to get out of this predicament, he must keep acting and make it even more realistic and mysterious!

Zhang Su tried to straighten his back, even though it made his vision blur, and leaned against the cold wooden wall to try not to look so disheveled.

He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an extremely faint smile, tinged with mockery and exhaustion, as if Kurokawa's reaction was exactly what he expected, even somewhat...boring.

"Calling me a superhuman is correct, but the Church's cleaners...?" Zhang Su deliberately slowed his speech, his tone incredibly calm and confident as he said, "Captain Kurokawa, your imagination... is rather impoverished. Or rather, your level limits your understanding?"

"How could I possibly be a lackey of the church?"

He paused deliberately, watching the flicker of surprise and uncertainty in Kurokawa's eyes, the veins on the back of his scale-covered hand bulging slightly from clenching his fist.

"As for which 'path' I am to becoming an extraordinary being? You're not qualified to know." Zhang Su gently spread his empty hands and shrugged helplessly. "And right now, the reason I'm not attacking you... is because of some 'minor accidents' that temporarily prevent me from using my abilities. Otherwise, do you think your meager 'Abyss Sea Stalker' power could have made me so pathetic?"

He deliberately used the name of the other party's sequence, making him appear extremely confident.

Kurokawa's breath hitched noticeably. He thought, "The other party not only knows the sequence name, but also the concept of 'pathway'!!"

This was no ordinary drowning victim! The scales in his heart swung violently: Was it a bluff? Or had he really kicked a hornet's nest?

The other party's excessively calm attitude and confident tone exuded an indescribable eeriness.

"An accident?" Kurokawa's voice lowered, filled with probing and extreme distrust. "What kind of accident could make someone like you... be pulled out of the water by me like a real drowning person?"

“Heh,” Zhang Su let out a short, cold laugh, his eyes suddenly sharpening like tangible needles piercing Kurokawa, carrying an undeniable warning, “Captain Kurokawa, being too curious, especially when facing an existence you cannot understand, often leads to… annihilation.”

He deliberately emphasized the last four words, his gaze sweeping over Kurokawa's scale-covered hands.

“I suggest you don’t try to verify my condition. Forcing me to use my last resort will come at a price that you, or your little ‘Black Sea’ ship, cannot afford.”

He leaned forward slightly, his body weak, yet his eyes held a condescending and oppressive air: "The 'organization' behind me is not as forgiving as the ocean. Any attempt to harm its 'members' will be seen as... provocation."

As for what the organization is, it is undoubtedly something he just made up to enhance his deterrent power, make the other side more wary, and thus increase his own chances of survival.

"An organization?" Kurokawa's pupils contracted sharply.

This vague title is more unsettling than any specific name! As a superhuman, he knows all too well that 'the more unknown something is, the more terrifying it is!'

The certainty and threat in the other party's words, combined with the ability to instantly discern the sequence, had already convinced him to be 60% convinced.

He subconsciously took another half step back, his body tense, his right hand covered in scales drooping slightly. It was no longer an attacking stance pointing at Zhang Su, but rather more like a defensive posture, even... ready to break through the bulkhead and escape to the deck at any moment!

An entity that can see through sequences and claims to have a powerful background, even if temporarily weakened, is definitely a huge trouble and an unpredictable source of danger!

Seeing the almost overflowing wariness and retreat in Kurokawa's eyes, Zhang Su breathed a slight sigh of relief, but his expression remained cold and stern.

He knew the time was right; if he pressed any further, the other party might resort to desperate measures.

“Alright, Captain.” Zhang Su’s tone suddenly softened, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, as if his earlier threat had been casual and insignificant. He waved his hand slightly, the movement relaxed and natural. “Put away your scales, and put away those pointless thoughts. There’s no need to be so tense.”

He leaned against the wall, calmly looking at Kurokawa who seemed to be facing a formidable enemy, and slowly said, "At least for now, on this ship, I have no interest in you. Nor will I do anything to you."

He deliberately emphasized "temporary" and "interest" very lightly, but it was enough to make Kurokawa's heart tighten.

"As for what happens next..." Zhang Su's lips curled into a meaningful smile, "that will depend on your... 'performance'."

"Performance?" Kurokawa's voice was dry; he felt completely led by the nose. The initiative was in the other's hands, and he didn't even know what the other wanted! "What do you need me to do?"

He practically gritted his teeth as he asked the question. Regardless of whether the other party was telling the truth or not, he just wanted to get out of this bizarre situation as soon as possible, or at least keep the other party calm!

Zhang Su seemed quite satisfied with Kurokawa's "getting the hang of things," nodding slightly as if praising a subordinate who knew how to seize the moment.

Then, in a matter-of-fact and unquestionable tone, he said:

"It's simple. First, give me a clean, dry set of clothes to change out of these soaking wet rags. Second, prepare some food and water to replenish my energy, and make sure it's hot. Third..."

He glanced around the musty, damp, and cold cell, making no attempt to hide the disgust in his eyes. "...Give me a clean, well-ventilated room. The smell here is nauseating. I don't like being in a place like this."

Kurokawa frowned deeply. The request seemed simple, but the other party's arrogant attitude made it seem as if he were the owner of the ship!

Moreover, should we release him? Give him food and a room? What if he regains his strength or has accomplices to help him... Well, let's put that aside for now. He's not entirely convinced yet whether the other person is truly a superhuman with a powerful organization behind him.

We need to get more information out of them.

“I can prepare,” Kurokawa said in a deep voice, his sharp eyes fixed on Zhang Su. “But the prerequisite is that you must completely convince me! Just recognizing my sequence and these… without proof, is not enough!”

He needs to obtain more conclusive "evidence".

“Prove more evidence! Prove that you’re not bluffing, but that you’re a truly powerful person! Otherwise, I will still think you’re just using some extraordinary knowledge to deceive people.”

The atmosphere in the cell tensed up again. Zhang Su's high-class performance temporarily calmed Kurokawa, but the "convince" demanded by the other party was his biggest weakness at the moment.

How should he respond?

Zhang Su's eyes flickered slightly as he pondered how to continue the play.

He quickly came up with an idea.

He slowly raised his left hand, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his temples lightly. His gaze pierced through the wooden bars of the cell, seemingly landing in the deeper darkness behind Kurokawa, his eyes becoming distant and profound.

He said, “Convinced? Captain Kurokawa, do you... really want to see ‘proof’? You know, some knowledge, some existence, is a burden just to ‘know’. An inescapable ‘connection’.”

He withdrew his gaze, his bloodshot eyes, weakened by exhaustion, now sharp enough to pierce the heart, staring directly at Kurokawa with a hint of pity.

"Are you sure you want to bear the consequences of this 'knowing'? Just to satisfy your little bit of... curiosity?"

Captain Kurokawa's hands, covered in deep blue scales, had bulging veins on the back, and his knuckles were slightly white from the force he was exerting.

Far from being deterred by Zhang Su's mysterious words, he took a half step forward, his eyes flashing with scrutiny. The air, thick with the smell of the sea and mildew, seemed to solidify into a tangible pressure around him, even the creaking of the ship seemed to subside.

"Stop with your pretentious nonsense, 'The Drowning One... Zhang Su'!" Kurokawa said solemnly. "On the high seas, I only trust the compass in my hand and the blade that can cleave the waves. Your sequence analysis ability may be rare, but it's not enough for me to stake my life on your 'identity.' Produce something more concrete—for example, can you name the next tier of my path and the recipe for the necessary advancement potion? Otherwise, I will never believe you."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Su's heart sank again. This old bastard was trying to get something for nothing.

Kurokawa's interrogation was terrifyingly precise, probing the depth of his extraordinary knowledge while also bringing him informational benefits—a double win.

Moreover, he could sense that the other party was not bluffing. This Sequence 9 Abyss Stalker had been navigating the seas for many years and had long since developed the cautiousness of not acting until he saw a clear advantage. He could only quickly rack his brains to weave a new lie.

And then, another surprise arrived.

[WARNING! Abnormal energy pollution fluctuations detected]

[Source: Inside the Black Sea. Pollution type: corrosive, bioassociated. Current pollution level: Low risk (continuously spreading)]

[Warning: The source of pollution is slowly seeping outwards from the bottom of the ship's hold. The pollution energy has weak psychological interference properties, potentially causing biological hallucinations, emotional abnormalities, and mutations in organic and inorganic matter. Immediate location and removal are strongly recommended; otherwise, it may lead to structural abnormalities and mutations in everything.]

The chilling flow of information exploded in his mind like a thunderclap! Zhang Su's pupils contracted sharply, and he instantly "sensed" a cold, sticky energy spreading along the gaps in the ship's planks, like countless tiny tentacles, quietly wrapping around the lone boat floating on the dark sea.

He looked up sharply, towards the shadows behind Kurokawa that led deeper into the cabin. It seemed darker there than before, and in addition to the existing musty and sea smells, there seemed to be a faint, almost imperceptible, pungent, yet sweet odor in the air—!

"Just when I was about to fall asleep, someone brought me a pillow..." Zhang Su's panic was instantly replaced by elation. He took a deep breath and said to Kurokawa with absolute confidence, "Captain Kurokawa, you are indeed very persistent. But unfortunately, with your current 'rank' and 'vision', you are far from qualified to know the details about me and the 'organization' behind me."

The words “rank” and “vision” once again highlight his superior attitude.

Kurokawa frowned immediately, about to retort, but Zhang Su raised his hand to stop him.

“But since you are so eager for ‘proof’,” Zhang Su’s voice suddenly lowered and became solemn, “then I can tell you something more important and more urgent than my identity—important enough to make you temporarily put aside your doubts about me, and even…require you to immediately mobilize the entire crew to deal with it.”

Kurokawa asked, "Oh, what is it?"

Zhang Su slowly raised his hand, his fingertips pointing vaguely at the cabin floor, where the wooden planks seemed to be seeping out a more noticeable dampness than before.

"Why do you think I 'accidentally' fell into the water, and why your ship happened to encounter me?" His gaze pierced through the wooden fence, as if he could see the churning darkness deep within the ship's hull. "Because this 'Black Sea' has fallen into some kind of danger, and I am the one who is pursuing that danger."

"Pollution from the deep sea is spreading on this ship. If it's not dealt with soon, your ship and its treasures will likely turn into rotting wood sinking in the deep sea."

...Zhang Su's voice had not yet completely dissipated in the damp air when a series of hurried, almost staggering footsteps tumbled down the wooden stairs leading to the upper deck.

The sound, a mixture of creaking wooden planks and frantic breathing, struck like a heavy hammer against taut nerves.

A young man dressed in a coarse sailor uniform and wearing a tricorn hat scrambled into the narrow passageway outside the cell. His face under the brim of the hat was ashen, as if he had just encountered something terrifying.

"The ship... Captain!" The sailor's voice trembled with extreme terror. He didn't even bother to salute Kurokawa, rushing straight to him and exclaiming in horror, "Something terrible has happened! The lower decks and the middle deck cabins... have gone mad! Many of the men have gone mad!"

Kurokawa's brows, which had been furrowed by Zhang Su's words, suddenly tightened into a deep frown. The dark blue scales on the back of his hand rippled slightly, reflecting a blue light: "Calm down, are you saying someone has gone mad?!"

"It's...it's near the sailors' cabins below the forecastle and the storage rooms on the mid-deck!" The sailor gestured incoherently, his eyes darting towards the top of the stairs as if something terrifying was chasing him. "Charlie, Old Tom, and Jamie from the helmsman's crew...they suddenly changed! Their eyes are bloodshot, and they're shouting 'monster, monster' incoherently, biting and hitting anyone they see!"

"What!" Kurokawa took a step forward, his iron boots slamming heavily on the deck with a dull thud. "Didn't you guys do anything to stop it?"

"We tried it, Captain!" the sailor's voice trembled with tears. "We used sticks, ropes, even kitchen knives! But those crazy brothers... were incredibly strong! John, who could usually lift two barrels of rum, was thrown away by Charlie with one hand, his head hitting the mast and he died on the spot!"

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing violently. "A madman can take down six or seven normal brothers! Their skin becomes as smooth as a seal's, they don't feel pain when they're stabbed, and instead they fight even more fiercely!"

What was even more chilling was what the sailor said next. His voice was so low it was almost a whisper, as if he were afraid of disturbing the madmen: "And...and the madness seems to be contagious! Just now, three brothers who were carrying pepper bags on the middle deck were only scratched by Jamie's arm when he went mad, and within minutes their eyes turned red, and then they started howling and lunging at people! Now the hatch from the lower deck to the upper deck is blocked, and more and more people are going mad. They are banging their bodies against the hatch, making a thumping sound like thunder!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a dull and continuous "thump-thump" sound came faintly from above the stairs, becoming more and more frequent and heavier, as if countless imprisoned wild beasts were frantically pounding against their cages.

Along with the sound of impact came indistinct roars and screams, like a chorus from hell, seeping down the cracks in the stairs, filling the narrow cell area with an invisible panic.

Volume 1: Chapter 3: Containment, Abilities, Foundation

"Ughh ...

The sound didn't come from the deck, but from deep within the ship's hold, closer to the upper levels, filled with indescribable pain and... a kind of inhuman distortion! This was followed by more chaotic shouts, heavy impacts, and a teeth-grinding hissing sound, as if something was being rapidly corroded, spreading rapidly from afar!

The entire "Black Sea" ship suddenly shook violently, no longer with regular wave-like undulations, but with an uncontrolled, spasmodic convulsion.

Damp mold and debris dripped from the cracks in the wooden planks overhead.

Kurokawa's expression changed drastically in an instant! As the captain, he had an almost instinctive sense of the ship's condition.

This was no ordinary storm! The ship was groaning, and the sudden chaos and corrosive stench... it was pollution! An out-of-control supernatural force was eroding his ship!

He suddenly turned his head to look at Zhang Su, his eyes no longer filled with simple vigilance and murderous intent, but with an incredulous and suspicious look—could all of this be the work of this mysterious young man in front of him?

He deliberately provoked himself in order to buy time and allow this terrible pollution to erupt.

"Did you do this? It was all part of your plan!" Kurokawa's voice rose in shock and rage, his right hand, covered in scales, instinctively tightening its grip on the hilt of the curved sword at his waist, the scales scraping against each other with a faint metallic scraping sound. "This was all part of your scheme?! What are you?!"

Inside the cell, the flickering, dim light outlined Zhang Su's pale yet unusually calm face.

Faced with Kurokawa's stern questioning, the growing chaos outside the cabin, and the chilling sound of corrosion emanating from deep within the ship, he instead curled his lips into a mocking smile.

“Me?” Zhang Su laughed. “Captain Kurokawa, how could you think that? Before this, I was stuck in this cell, unable to use my abilities, barely able to stand. How could I possibly outmaneuver your ship?”

At this point, he paused, raised his hand, and pointed to the upper wooden plank.

"I'm afraid... your ship was carrying a 'source of pollution' all along, and the time just came for it to leak."

"Please think carefully about where the problem lies."

“The source of pollution, the problem…” Zhang Su’s words were like a handful of cold seawater, instantly washing him away, and he immediately began to think about the possible problems.

Then, an incredibly clear image suddenly crashed into my mind!

That was shortly before they pulled the black-haired youth out of the water...

On the calm sea, a treasure chest so magnificent it takes your breath away floats.

The chest was crafted from some unknown, strange metal that shimmered with a golden-red luster, its surface inlaid with dazzling gemstones that refracted a dreamlike glow in the sunlight. The lid was half-open, revealing a treasure trove of glittering gold coins, pearls, and gemstones of every color… the sheer brilliance and allure were enough to drive even the most composed sailor mad in an instant!

At that moment, he felt an irresistible surge of greed rushing to his head, ignoring the illogical fact that an open treasure chest was floating on the sea and no one was coming to salvage or search for it.

He had only one thought: "Mine! All of it is mine! This is simply a gift from the sea god!"

He didn't even let any sailors handle it; he personally hauled it onto the ship with a grappling hook. The heavy feel of it and the crisp sound of the jewels clinking together filled him with joy.