The System Arrived Four Years Early, but the Anomaly Is Still a Juvenile
Chapter 42

“There’s such a thing?” Shen Ge was shocked.

Deng Yuqi turned to look at him, her expression calm as she asked, “You didn’t know about this?”

Shen Ge shook his head. “Of course not. If I had, I would’ve bought a fresh white chrysanthemum to pay my respects. After all, they cured my illness—left me feelingextralively.”

“…”You seem a little too lively.

Deng Yuqi didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, she led Shen Ge to the training grounds, briefly explaining the structure of the Special Tactics Division along the way. Unlike other departments, the Tech Division here wasn’t just support—they often worked on the front lines alongside the Combat Division, handling tasks like detecting paranormal energy, disposing of corpses, and containing anomalies.

She also handed Shen Ge a classified file. The headquarters had categorized anomalies based on their evolutionary stages.

Newly transformed anomalies—those that hadn’t yet developed a “Paranormal Space”—were classified as Tier 1. However, since the strength of an anomaly depended on its pre-transformation state, there could be vast differences in combat ability even among Tier 1s. For instance, a mutated rat and a mutated cat might both be Tier 1, but their threat levels could be worlds apart.

That’s why, after an anomaly incident, the Tech Division’s analysts first assessed the threat level before the Combat Division formulated a response plan.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 anomalies, which had developed Paranormal Spaces, were far more troublesome to deal with and usually required specialized equipment.

Once a Paranormal Space formed, the anomaly would pull its targets into a separate dimension, isolating them from reality.

To enter, there were only three methods—the same ones Deng Yuqi had mentioned earlier.

The most straightforward way was to use paranormal equipment to forcibly collide with the space, creating a distortion that allowed external personnel to enter.

But this was only a stopgap measure. Collisions from the outside had a success rate of over 70% and could be attempted multiple times. However, once inside, triggering a collision had less than a 30% success rate—and only if the equipment’s energy level surpassed that of the anomaly controlling the space.

Worse, the duration and entry point of the distortion were unpredictable. What started as a rescue mission could end up trapping even more people inside. And against anomalies, numbers didn’t guarantee safety—more victims often meant higher casualties.

In one Tier 3 anomaly incident in Da’an City, the rescue team that breached the space never made it out.

After that disaster, the Special Tactics Division launched the “Paranormal Soldier Project”, creating specialized equipment to arm elite squads.

But mass-producing such gear was nearly impossible.

Paranormal Energy (PE) was a unique energy emitted by anomalies, manifesting as the black mist seen during transformations. The denser and more abundant the mist, the stronger the anomaly.

PE was a visible, mysterious gas. Even after death, an anomaly’s corpse would continue emitting it until fully depleted—only then would the anomaly truly die.

Since these corpses could “store” PE, the Tech Division repurposed them into various paranormal tools. They also developed PE extractors to harvest and store the energy.

The “freezing device” and “black gloves” Shen Ge encountered during the ghost car incident were both made from Tier 3 anomaly remains. The former, crafted from a corpse found in snowy terrain, released an icy mist—the original anomaly’s PE. The latter, made from the skin of Deng Yuqi’s first major kill, allowed direct contact with non-corporeal anomalies, like the ghostly driver of the phantom car.

In short, the number of PE tools depended on the number of anomalies. The division wanted more equipment—but that meant more incidents, a paradox in itself!

This was why Deng Yuqi had insisted on keeping Shen Ge, despite her suspicions. Better to have him as an asset than push him into enemy hands—or worse, another country’s.

Of course, there was another reason: Shen Ge had resolved three anomaly incidents (the ghost car, rat, and cat) without a single casualty, delivering three corpses to the Rong City branch. That meant three new PE tools—enough to double the branch’s “performance,” just as he’d boasted.

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*”This is the training ground. The Combat Division has about 200 personnel—excluding non-combatants. A hundred are assault specialists, plus Huo Yu’s sniper team, Huang He’s support team, and Li Xiang’s detection team…”*

The facility buzzed with activity: assault team members drilled combat techniques, while others trained in the shooting range. Observers scribbled notes, tracking progress.

“We have instructors for traditional martial arts, Muay Thai, judo, taekwondo—any combat style. Pick what suits you,” Deng Yuqi said.

“Really? Then I want to learnknife skills!” Shen Ge declared.

Deng Yuqi frowned. “Knife skills? Those are usually incorporated into tactical combat now… You don’t mean ancient broadsword techniques, do you?”

“No. I meankitchen knives.” His tone was dead serious.

Deng Yuqi: *-_-*

“I’ll find you a chef mentor later.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Just then, a towering, muscle-bound man—who looked like a cross between Schwarzenegger and Van Damme—approached. “Chief, new recruit?”

Deng Yuqi nodded. “This is Shen Ge. You saw him during the ghost cat incident on Min East Road. Shen Ge, meet Feng Chengxiu—our top combat instructor, nicknamed‘Devil’s Muscles.’He leads the assault team and will oversee your training.”

Shen Ge extended a hand. “Instructor Feng, looking forward to learning from you.”

Feng Chengxiu grinned, gripping his hand while clapping his shoulder—nearly dislocating it. “The man who solo’d three anomalies! You’re a legend here. A bit scrawny, though. Don’t worry—I’ve seen the chief’s training plan. I’llmoldyou into an elite!”

As Feng left to prep training gear, Shen Ge rubbed his aching shoulder. “Boss, training withthatguy won’tkillme, right?”

“Relax. At worst, you’ll wish you were dead.”

“…”

Next was the firearms range. A sharp-eyed man with a crew cut approached. “Shen Ge. We’ve crossed paths twice, but I’m Huo Yu, sniper team lead. Welcome.”

“Ah! You’re the one who saved me with thatslick headshot!Without you, the chief might’ve had to fish me out of a ghost cat’s stomach!” Shen Ge laughed, shaking his hand.

Deng Yuqi added, “Huo Yu will handle your firearms training. Once you’re proficient, you can request a sidearm from the armory.”

“Can I get aminigun?”

“…”This guy and his minigun. She ignored him.

“If not, a minigun permit works. I’ll grab one next time I visit the U.S.”

Most would joke about this—but Deng Yuqi knew Shen Ge might actually try it. She made a mental note to block any minigun procurement attempts.

Huo Yu gave a thumbs-up. “Only a real man would pick a minigun as his weapon of choice.”

“Honestly, I prefer tanks. But driving one downtown might betoo flashy.So I’ll settle for something morelow-key—like a minigun.”

“…”

Has anyone ever told you that miniguns aren’t exactly subtle either?