CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: CONTAINING THE LONG BLADE

"I have this idea." Sun Hang glanced at the unusual long knife and replied.

This thing was originally "created" by him, so the most suitable user is naturally Sun Hang himself.

"I’m afraid it’s not feasible. Artifact-type anomalies inherently possess a high degree of danger, and the costs of containment and management remain high. Hunters are rarely equipped with artifact-type anomalies except for essential situations, let alone allowed to carry them personally." Yang Qi replied.

The Mysterious Creature Research Institute’s efficiency was swift. In just ten minutes or so, a custom-made container for the unusual long knife was delivered to the scene.

This was a large metal box resembling a sheath, fixed on the top of two all-terrain transport vehicles using a frame. Underneath were several large metal barrels, and a whole set of equipment whose purpose Sun Hang couldn’t fathom.

A dozen staff in heavy protective suits carefully used a crane to extract the unusual long knife from the ground, then slowly pushed it inch by inch into the custom-made "sheath"—although Sun Hang was eager to help them complete the process directly, he chose to stand aside and be a spectator with the woman wearing a sour face to avoid any unnecessary trouble.

The liquid from the metal barrels was poured into the sheath’s interlayer. As soon as these liquids made contact with the air, white mist immediately rose, and the surrounding temperature suddenly dropped by several degrees.

"It’s liquid nitrogen." Yang Lian crossed her arms and said in a tone as cold as the liquid nitrogen.

"Can the low temperature restrict anomalies?" Sun Hang asked in confusion.

"Most anomalies, especially those with physical entities, still possess conventional material structures. Near absolute zero temperatures can significantly slow the motion of particles forming the substance, keeping their state stable," answered another female researcher without protective gear. She had the wheat-colored skin typical of a mixed-race individual and sculptural, angular features. Her long hair, dyed silver-white, was tied in a high ponytail at the back of her head, but somewhat regrettably, she had only one right eye; her left eye socket was empty, not even filled with a prosthetic eye.

"Although it may not necessarily be effective, it’s one of the standard procedures for containing anomalies," the one-eyed female researcher added.

"Oh, oh." Sun Hang nodded and pulled out his phone, sending another message to Yang Qi.

"How’s the situation at the southern cemetery now?"

"Not optimistic. The time within the anomalous zone does not seem to synchronize with the outside world, and it’s still nighttime there, with the blood moon yet to disappear. All personnel involved in the operation have currently returned to camp, and the search and rescue mission is temporarily on hold," Yang Qi replied.

"So, there’s nothing for me to do now?"

"Continue to stand by in the city. Also, be careful of the Celestial City Management Committee... They may pressure the institute or the Hunters, forcing you to enter the anomalous zone," Yang Qi said.

"Are you messaging my sister?" At this moment, Yang Lian suddenly leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"Looks pretty aloof. Why do you like snooping on screens, though?" Sun Hang put away his phone, showing a disdainful face.

"...I’m not interested in snooping on your screen," Yang Lian’s expression stiffened, "I just received her message. She asked me to look after you during this period so you don’t end up being dragged into labor—That’s my sister’s original words."

"I think she asked the wrong person." Sun Hang glanced at her, "The scene where you forced me to sign that slave contract is still vivid in my memory."

"I was just following procedures." Yang Lian said.

"So now your sister’s personal commission is also part of your work procedures?"

"It’s not, but she’s your immediate supervisor. Until she’s removed from her position or deceased, no one can bypass her to issue orders to you." Yang Lian said expressionlessly, "And what I hate most is people abusing their power for personal gain, doing things against the rules."

"...How many years have you been working in the Investigation Bureau?" Sun Hang suddenly asked a question that seemed unrelated to the current topic.

"Why are you asking about this?"

"Just randomly, if inconvenient, you don’t have to answer."

"Seven years." Yang Lian said, "I joined the Investigation Bureau after finishing university, acing the campus recruitment tests."

"Aced the campus recruitment tests, been here for seven years... still doing these jobs?" Sun Hang commented, "You must have offended a lot of people to be stuck like this?"

Yang Lian glared at him without responding.

"Alright, the issue’s settled. I need to find something to eat... Honestly, I still can’t forget that untouched bowl of wontons from the morning," Sun Hang said.

Although the kind old man packed a few pieces of caramelized rice cakes for him, Sun Hang only managed to eat one before the rest, along with his clothes, were shredded into pieces. The clothes draped over him now were ones he had salvaged from the ruins.

Consuming anomalies brought Sun Hang a peculiar sense of fulfillment, yet it couldn’t fill the void in his real stomach.

"Uh, please wait a moment." Suddenly, the one-eyed female researcher spoke up, quickly returning to the vehicle and grabbing a large bag of snacks to hand to Sun Hang, "If you haven’t had breakfast yet, use these to tide over your hunger. We still need you to make a record... It’s fine if you do it back at the institute, but..."

The female researcher suddenly flashed a somewhat flattering smile at Sun Hang, leaving him bewildered.

"She’s bribing you." Yang Lian’s voice interjected, "Researchers at the institute aim to advance their titles, the key metric being various anomaly research reports. Battle logs between Hunters and anomalies are crucial research materials—If you make the record here, she can place her name first on the resulting report. If you do it back at the institute, the report will have little association with her."

"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Looking at the newly opened bag of chips in his hand, Sun Hang couldn’t help but lament... his hands were a bit too fast.

Feeling indebted after eating, Sun Hang briefly recounted the recent battle—thus, the matter of the unusual long knife couldn’t be concealed.

An artifact-type anomaly couldn’t just appear out of thin air, and Sun Hang didn’t bother fabricating more lies for just one. Besides, given the institute’s capabilities, they would likely uncover the connection between the unusual long knife and him with enough time.

His choice to remain silent before was merely contemplating how to report this matter to minimize any unfavorable impacts on him.

Sun Hang’s abilities and the type of anomaly he was infected with were confidential, so he often spoke ambiguously, giving nothing away for scrutiny. According to Sun Hang’s account, the unusual long knife had turned from a temporary weapon forcibly pieced together using his "abilities" into an anomaly upon cutting "Taisui."

Everything he stated was true, yet these truths easily led others to believe the knife had anomalized due to Taisui’s "infection"...

As for capabilities like "creating anomalies," sane people wouldn’t likely speculate in that direction.

Suddenly, Sun Hang felt relieved that the institute had identified the infecting anomaly as "Taotie"—therefore, any abilities he displayed, as long as they weren’t too outlandish, wouldn’t raise suspicion.

After all, when queried, he could simply claim his abilities were gained by consuming other anomalies—the multifaceted nature of anomaly traits and abilities added credibility to his defense.

Yet all these things are how others perceive him, how he wants others to see him.

But then, the reality?

Sun Hang harbored doubts... Was the anomaly infecting him genuinely "Taotie"?