Chapter 171

[Foundation]

I. The World

A world reshaped. Under the influence of an anomalous energy, flora and fauna began to twist and change—some call it aberration, others evolution.

Some believe it is nature’s own cleansing protocol. Others see it as an evolutionary leap, one that inevitably leaves old species behind.

"This time, the species being left behind is humanity. Are you ready?"

**************

II. The Factions

[The Awakened: Humans contaminated, yet retaining their sanity.]

- They exhibit physical aberrations and possess supernatural Talents. Should their Corruption Level exceed 100, they devolve into "Pollutants."

- Most Awakened choose to live among humanity, even fighting alongside them. Many with useful Talents join organizations like the Special Operations Division. A rare few exist on society's fringes, kept under discreet surveillance.

- "We know it’s hard. Agonizing, even. But please… for humanity’s sake—no, for your families, your comrades, your loved ones—hold on a little longer."

- An Awakened's strength is measured by their Spiritual Power Threshold, graded as follows:

0-500: F-Class

500-1500: E-Class

1500-2500: D-Class

2500-5000: C-Class

5000-8000: B-Class

8000-10000: A-Class

10000+: S-Class

- Talents fall into three categories: Combat, Support, and Special.

*

[Pollutants: Organisms corrupted by the anomalous energy.]

- WARNING: They are widely regarded as mindless monsters driven solely by consumption. Civilians encountering a Pollutant must seek immediate aid and evacuate.

- Lower-tier Pollutants can be neutralized with conventional firearms.

- NOTE: A rare few beings, human or otherwise, retain—or evolve—their sentience post-contamination. These are classified as Perfect Evolved.

- "What's the difference between a Perfect Evolved and an Awakened? Good question. Perhaps, aside from that damned Corruption Level, it boils down to one thing: what they choose to see themselves as."

- Direct contact raises a civilian's Corruption Level. Awakened possess a degree of resistance.

- Pollutants also possess Talents, identical in nature to those of the Awakened.

- Pollutant threat levels are gauged by Contamination Value via specialized detectors. At equal Spiritual Power Thresholds, a Pollutant—unburdened by the risk of corruption—typically exhibits superior combat capability.

*

[Appendix: Periodic Table of Talents]

1- Apocalypse (Healing)

2- Life & Death

3- Time

4- World

5- Judgment

6- Omniscience

7- Nirvana

8- Fission

9- Dragon Bone

10- Soul Contract

11- Prophecy

12- Revival (Healing)

13- Genetic Recombination

14- Psychic Reformation

16- Nature Manipulation

17- Life Siphon

23- Berserker

25- Devour (Healing)

29- Phoenix

30- Holy Light

33- Fusion (Healing)

37- Macrophage

38- Acceleration

39- Virtual World

42- Karmic Flame

47- Frost

53- Thunder

66- Precognition

70- Boon (Temporarily lends Talent to another)

74- Bloodlust Gene

89- Bastion

99- Dreamwalk

104- Gene Editing

111- Delirium

123- Thalassophobia

119- Plague

129- Combat Mastery

138- Mirage

144- Life Extraction

145- Hallucination

159- Severance

162- Telepathy

167- Regeneration

168- Proliferation

170- Longevity

172- Neurotoxin

175- Levitation

178- Adamantine

197- Hypnosis

198- Truth-Seer

201- Masochism

206- (Fungal) Infection

211- Therianthropy

216- Celestial Eye

219- Bone Blades

221- Electrolysis

238- Mimicry

250- Information Cocoon

271- Teleportation

273- Herculean Strength

288- Soul Detection

309- Tracking Shot

310- Suppressive Fire

311- Lone Wolf

319- Stealth

322- Empathy

346- Clue Perception

371- Tracking

378- Affinity

392- Gravity Press

432- Cell Division

444- Psychotherapy

501- Early Warning

519- Signal Jamming

679- Swiftstride

914- Cross-Species Communication

***********

III. Organizations

[Special Operations Division]

An organization primarily composed of, yet not dominated by, the Awakened—they make up less than five percent of its personnel.

"Hey, we're babysitting a bunch of walking nukes over here."

"Keep your voice down. They're far more dangerous than nukes now…"

- Operations Department: Handles combat and Pollutant eradication. The core of the Division. All members are Awakened. Current department head: Tang Xian'an.

The Department maintains branches in major cities to handle local contamination incidents.

- Logistics Department**: Provides unconditional, any-means-necessary support to field operatives.

"Any support. Understand? Any. Including our lives—if the moment ever comes that our sacrifice is required."

[The Research Institute]

- A scientific body dedicated to studying the anomalous energy (contamination). Consumes vast funding and resources annually.

"We're not madmen! We're not—please… believe me."

"Guides? Pioneers? Puppet masters? Call us what you will. One of the Institute's mandates is to eliminate wrong answers for those who come after. Curse us if you must. Time will judge who was right."

- [Project Prometheus (Institute Directive)]

"Our sole purpose is the continuation of the human species. If we cannot ensure survival, we must at least preserve a spark of hope. Hence, the codename 'Prometheus.'"

"We are the thieves who will steal the divine fire from the 'gods.'"

Objective: Create "Weapons" (Experimental Subjects). Control contamination. Eliminate pollution sources.

[Appendix: Experimental Subject Roster]

---- First Batch ---- (* denotes devolution into Pollutant)

No. 0: Yu Zhizhi (Apocalypse). Talent: Apocalypse.

No. 1: Gu Zheng* (Hound). Talents: Berserker, Phoenix.

No. 2: Deceased. Talent: Mountain Shield.

No. 3: Qin Guoyu (The Pontiff). Talents: Life & Death, Revival.

No. 4: Zhan Yihan* (Blizzard). Talent: Frost.

No. 5: Yuan Chen (Monarch Worm). Talent: Proliferation.

No. 6: Yan Bei (Canopy). Talents: Regeneration, Masochism.

No. 7: Zong Yan* (Firebird). Talent: Karmic Flame.

No. 8: Deceased.

No. 9: Ye Liangshan (Leviathan). Talent: Macrophage.

No. 10: Tang Xian'an (Tyrant). Talents: Time, Dragon Bone.

---- Others ----

No. 18: Lu Cheng (Seer). Talents: Precognition, Hypnosis.

**

[Appendix: The Thirteen Institutes]**

1- Biological Genetics / Modification Surgery — City A

2- Botanical Pollutant Research / Pharmaceutical Extraction — City P

3- Biological Genetics / Pollutant Evolution Trajectory / Fusion Surgery — City M

4- Pollution Disease Case Studies / Special Operation Protocols / Weakness Analysis — City A

5- Mechanics, Arms Manufacturing / Mecha Modification — City C

6- Advanced Pollutant Case Studies (Sentient, Social) — City X

7- Botany / Agriculture / Pollutant Edibility Modification — City K

8- Pollutant Husbandry / Livestock / Pollutant Edibility Modification — City M

9- Marine Pollutant Containment / Management — City S

10- Psychic Pollutant Research / Containment / Non-Corporeal Entity Studies ("Paranormal Events Institute") — City H

11- Cataclysmic / Mobile Pollution Source Research — City D

12- Awakened Rehabilitation Center (Specialized Prison, Euthanasia Hospital) — City A

13- Awakened Talent Research Center — City A