Chapter 124: Pendulum |
"Tampering... Anomalous Effect..." The Sheriff did not immediately press for details, nor did he display any exaggerated surprise. The Mini-Human sat on Shi Rang's ear, repeatedly chewing over the words Shi Rang had just spoken. "Give me a moment."
He did not let the silence make Shi Rang uneasy; instead, he hopped onto Shi Rang's earlobe, using a Mini-Human's high sensitivity to tiny objects to check if any other Mini-Humans had sneaked into the room.
Even though he did not fully understand what Shi Rang was talking about yet, he knew this secret was best permanently locked between the two of them.
After confirming it was safe, the Sheriff finally spoke. "Could you explain it to me?"
"I took you all to Green Island City earlier under the guise of scamming the Alliance for funding. But in reality... the New World Society does exist, and I am indeed a member. I went there because a piece of intel told me something had gone wrong, and I took the initiative to investigate exactly what happened. Even earlier than that, I accidentally tampered with a lowest-level distortion effect, and as a result, I turned it into... a horde of monsters."
Subsequently, Shi Rang detailed the information regarding the Midnight Visitor and the Divine Corpse, using the New World Society solely as a cover for his actual source of intelligence and his ability to access the Terminal Station.
He had become like an onion—peeling back one layer of lies only revealed another.
The guilt in his heart grew lighter and lighter. He was becoming increasingly skilled at lying.
At the end of his explanation, he brought up his Seesaw theory once again.
"...I try my best to tilt it toward a state of balance, making it easier for the Management Authority to suppress and contain it, but I still know very little about this ability. I only know it can easily manufacture disasters, or even the apocalypse."
Shi Rang looked down at his own hands, momentarily hallucinating that they were covered in blood.
He had never seen the N4 Squad or any of the other casualties from the Bureau, and he did not even know what Agent Kyle looked like, but he could feel them staring at him from not too far away.
"So, by applying force to push the slightly tilted Seesaw toward one end, you triggered the manifestation of the Divine Corpse... No wonder you figured out the situation just by wandering around the attic." The Sheriff caught on very quickly. "I have a hypothesis, Shi Rang. This ability of yours is more like a Pendulum."
"A Pendulum?"
"Yes, a Pendulum unaffected by air resistance. Initially, it swayed slightly, swinging eternally at a very low amplitude. But your Tampering pulled it to a height it was never meant to reach. Consequently, when you let go, its oscillation intensified. The force you imbued into it became permanently retained within the Pendulum, transforming it into the Divine Corpse and the Midnight Visitor. Your final attempt to salvage the situation was not to stop it, but simply to give it a gentle nudge from another angle so the Management Authority could reach it and capture it."
Shi Rang nodded in understanding, but immediately stopped his movement, afraid of making the Sheriff in his ear dizzy.
He picked up a pen and wrote down this theory, noting it on the back of his planning paper.
This was indeed a much better metaphor.
What immediately swelled in his heart was a wave of lingering fear.
This ability was not a simple matter of "whatever is written becomes reality." The way it fulfilled his requests was entirely uncontrollable.
If he had not employed a method of fine-tuning, but had instead forcefully defined the Divine Corpse as something "friendly to humans that will not harm humans," it would have been no different from violently striking the Pendulum in the opposite direction just as it reached its highest peak. That would certainly interrupt its current swing, but it would instantly swing even higher on the opposite side.
What would happen then?
A horde of Visitors wearing smiling faces bursting above ground, infecting ordinary people as a way of spreading their "friendliness"? Or would the Divine Corpse simply go berserk and begin establishing its Divine Kingdom?
If he rashly added nonexistent abilities to himself, applying excessive external force to the Pendulum that represented his own being, what would he turn into?
If he recklessly used Tampering to grant the pen in his hand an Anomalous Effect capable of "leading him to Fan Yingshang," would it instantly shoot out, continuously accelerating until finally...
Shi Rang threw the pen away as if he had been burned.
He did not know the upper limits of his ability, nor did he dare to test them.
He held a Button capable of destroying the world.
The Sheriff thoroughly swallowed the lie Shi Rang had fed him. "No wonder you are so wary of the Management Authority. If they ever found out about this kind of ability... I think they would kill you just to ensure absolute stability."
"I think so too."
The Bureau rarely issued execution orders for an Anomaly, but things with a high probability of endangering the survival of humanity were the exception. Even if they did not execute him, they had plenty of methods to guarantee an Anomaly was kept in "stable containment."
"How many people are in the New World Society?" the Sheriff asked next.
"I am not exactly sure about the true scale of the organization, but I do know the leader calls himself Dump Truck. The proposal to contact the Alliance was mine. They pass intelligence to me through a form of telepathic communication, and then I fabricate a reasonable source for it. But they do not know my true ability." Shi Rang pointed to his head. "They are closely aligned with the Alliance, but moving forward, I will definitely have to operate alongside the people from the Ascension Society..."
He stopped speaking right there. As for the rest, he would let the Sheriff fill in the blanks himself.
The most crucial clue had already been delivered. There was no need to say anymore.
"I understand. It is best to keep them in the dark about this as well." The Sheriff fell into deep thought over this lie. "So, you plan to use Tampering on me, giving me some abilities so I can masquerade as a normal person to transmit intelligence on your behalf, thereby creating an alibi for you?"
"Exactly. This will be very risky. I have never used Tampering on other lifeforms before."
"What skills are you going to give me?"
"Restore you to a normal size, allow you to form a Consciousness Connection with me, and grant you enhanced physical strength, observation skills, and movement speed." "No, do not turn me back. I will maintain my current state. Do it."
Shi Rang tilted his head to the left in surprise, as if the Sheriff was sitting right next to him. "...Have you run into trouble as well?"
"I can do a lot more at this scale. Besides... there are simply too many of the newcomers. They elected their own leader a long time ago, and the moment they weathered their period of grief, they began to cause a commotion. Before, I was the school principal in our town, and my later designation was C-888-
2577. After the Management Authority removed the original representative, 2576, I became the new representative. Outwardly compliant, I actually led them to escape during the most critical moment. Look at how ungrateful they are—the second they found safety, they started questioning my methods and doubting the decision to follow you. Right before you sent someone to pick us up, they were on the verge of overthrowing me and even wanted to put me on trial."
There was no resentment in the Sheriff's voice, only a chilling coldness—the ruthless detachment of a ruler firmly seated upon a throne, grasping authority.
"I will not let them do that. They have absolutely no idea what the future entails. So, make your move."
Shi Rang understood perfectly.
He executed operations within his mindscape at a staggering speed. First, he copied the original Record description for C-888, then asked the Sheriff for additional identity details.
[The Sheriff]
[Description: The Entity was originally designated C-888-2577, height two millimeters, true name... The Entity is indistinguishable from a normal human at the biological structural level... Currently located at...]
[Save]
[Locking Successful]
[Clue is precise, Analysis is unnecessary. The Record is already formed; it is recommended to merge it into the C-888 Record.]
"Hiss..." An unusual sound echoed in his ear.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Shi Rang quickly asked.
"I suddenly feel a bit creeped out, as if someone is watching me. If it is not my imagination, then your ability has taken effect."
"That should be a normal reaction. I am going to start the procedure."
Shi Rang gently scooped up the tiny lord in his hand and set him on the desk.
The Sheriff tipped his hat in respect, then stood at ease with his hands clasped behind his back, awaiting the descent of power and miracles.
[After escaping containment, C-888-2577 underwent a mutation, manifesting an Anomalous Effect that allows control over its own movement speed and sensory capabilities. The maximum level is equivalent to a normal adult male, and it can establish a Consciousness Connection with "Shi Rang" (Linked to private Record).]
Upon inputting that final sentence, the omen of alteration, which had previously remained within an acceptable margin, instantly spiked.
Shi Rang stared intently at that crucial communication ability and began to make revisions.
[Engage in telepathic communication], no.
[Exchange information through unknown means], no.
[Receive information transmitted on a conscious level from Shi Rang], yes. The amplitude dropped, falling roughly back into the safe zone.
'Is it because my Consciousness Connection is bound to the Terminal Station, making the level of communication too high?'
Harboring boundless anxiety, Shi Rang pressed [Save].
The Sheriff was still that little black speck, still standing with his legs apart on the desk. It required a Magnifying Glass just to clearly see his movements.
Shi Rang opened the Command Window and inputted an unprecedented directive.
[Send to the Sheriff: Can you receive this?]
The Sheriff abruptly widened his eyes.
The room, which had previously been a hazy blur to him, was now perfectly clear. Even the bloodshot veins in Shi Rang's eyes were distinctly discernible. From the ceiling to the floor, down to the fine fuzz on the curtains—nothing escaped his gaze. He leaped from his spot, a single bound shooting him over half a meter into the air before he slowly drifted back down. With his next step, he jumped all the way to the other end of the desk before lightly returning to his original spot.
Unable to conceal his joy, he raised his head to look at Shi Rang, his posture straightening even further. The moment he spoke, his volume was equal to that of an ordinary human.
"I can hear you, Shi Rang. It is incredibly clear, just as if you were right inside my head."
Relieved of a heavy burden, Shi Rang smiled.
He extended a single finger toward the Sheriff, performing a ceremonial high-five with that tiny, barely visible hand.
"From now on, you are also a 'Deer Hunter'."
Plan Three had officially commenced.