Pinglu City Quarantine Zone No. 3.
As a key area of focus, every move of the spore addicts here was ticulously recorded and reported regularly.
Previously, Zhang Minglu had brought Dragon Soul here for an on-site observation and concluded that those who had not eaten for a long ti had already entered the third stage of spore parasitism.
Now, several days later, an urgent ssage reached the Counterasures Research Office.
Violent behavior had occurred in the quarantine zone.
Inside the quarantine zone, which had been converted from a stadium, chaos reigned.
A large number of exercise practitioners were all huddled in one corner, clearing out the central area, watching the people fighting wildly in the middle with faces full of fear.
Approximately several dozen exercise practitioners were attacking the staff of the quarantine zone.
Under the deep excavation of their potential by the spores, each of them had beco strong and fast, having knocked multiple staff mbers to the ground.
The person in charge imdiately requested external assistance. Soon, the ard unit pre-deployed nearby quickly ca to support, swiftly suppressing the situation with their superior firepower.
After receiving the news, Zhang Minglu rushed over with Dragon Soul at the first opportunity. By the ti they arrived, the suppression had already ended, and those several dozen troublemaking exercise practitioners had been tied up securely.
"What happened?" he imdiately found the person in charge of the quarantine zone to ask. "Why did they resort to violence?"
All along, those affected by the spores and obsessed with exercise, though fanatical, had shown no tendency to harm others.
On the contrary, due to the "cherishing life" characteristic, these exercise practitioners tried their best to avoid conflicts with others to avoid putting themselves in dangerous situations.
This could also be seen from the majority of people huddled in the corners of the stadium, far from the central battlefield.
"These people have gone crazy from exercising!" the person in charge said with a dark expression. "There were no signs at all. They suddenly started shouting and then attacked. Many of our staff were completely unprepared, and the casualties are not light!"
Zhang Minglu frowned. "What were they shouting?"
"Dr. Zhang, you can go ask them yourself. These bastards are still not behaving even after being tied up!"
Zhang Minglu imdiately went with Dragon Soul to the group of tied-up individuals.
They saw that each of them had wide-open eyes, gnashing their teeth. Even though they had never t before, the way they looked at Zhang Minglu and Dragon Soul was as if they were looking at sworn enemies who had killed their fathers.
This look, filled with pure hatred and even killing intent, made both of them feel incredulous, their moods becoming quite heavy for a mont.
Before Zhang Minglu could even speak, these people started shouting all at once.
Although their voices and volus differed, their content was shockingly consistent.
"Why won't you join our big family! You heretics!"
Join the big family...
Zhang Minglu and Dragon Soul exchanged a glance.
Spore addicts collectively receive information suspected to be from an alien intelligence, which includes "Join our big family." This intelligence had been explained by an analyst from the Counterasures Research Office at a eting long ago.
No one had thought, however, that these people wouldn't be satisfied with just joining themselves, but would also resort to violence because others wouldn't join.
Hearing this, Zhang Minglu attempted to ask a few questions.
"You resorted to violence for this reason? Don't you know your actions are already seriously illegal?"
"Have you forgotten? Initially, your purpose in advocating exercise was to strengthen yourselves with the help of the spores. Why are you now forcing others to follow your ideas?"
"Do you still have self-awareness? Can you realize your reasons don't support using violence at all?"
After Zhang Minglu asked his questions, all the answers he received were irrelevant replies like "Join the big family."
He shook his head at Dragon Soul. "It seems these 'pioneers' have already entered the fourth stage."
The manifestation of the fourth stage of spore parasitism: self-awareness appears to be strongly interfered with, showing extre aggression towards those not addicted to the spores.
Dragon Soul said, "Doctor, people who have entered the fourth stage are already a threat to others."
"Correct."
Zhang Minglu went to find the person in charge and instructed him to separately imprison all those who had shown aggression, closely observing their subsequent changes.
He faintly felt that the fourth stage was not the final stage. But after violence, what could develop next? Could there really be significant physiological changes, turning into sothing like a monster?
However, since this stage has already shown aggression, all quarantine zones everywhere must be strictly guarded.
The two left Quarantine Zone No. 3. On the way back to the base.
Zhang Minglu's mood was very heavy. He said to Dragon Soul, "Did you notice? The ones who entered the fourth stage of parasitism first were all ordinary people."
"Yes," Dragon Soul said. "Ascendants seem to possess a certain resistance, able to slow down the speed of being parasitized."
"Mind Power provides Ascendants with comprehensive physical enhancent. For the sa parasitism, although the deterioration speed is slower than in ordinary people, it still deteriorates... If in the future, Ascendant infected individuals commonly enter the fourth stage and show violent tendencies, then suppressing and controlling them won't be this simple."
"Do you have any ideas, Doctor?"
"I believe doing preventive work beforehand always results in smaller losses than redial efforts after the fact. After returning to the base, we must conduct a round of screening, at the very least to ensure no similar problems exist internally."
Zhang Minglu paused, then said, "When you return later, check the dietary records of every Ascendant in the base during this period. If anyone has suddenly started eating less or even stopped eating, tell
imdiately upon my return to the base."
"Yes. Doctor, aren't you returning to the base with ?"
"No. I need to go to the academy to talk with Shi Jingyi."
...
In a small eting room at the academy.
Shi Jingyi, after hearing from the Dean that Zhang Minglu from the Counterasures Research Office wanted to talk with her, agreed.
After the two t, Shi Jingyi asked, "Dr. Zhang, are you here to learn about Guan Tong's situation from ?"
She knew Zhang Minglu was the person in charge of official Ascendant matters.
Arrangents for the selection, training, team formation, and other matters for official Ascendants were all handled by him.
Therefore, she thought his visit this ti was still related to Guan Tong.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Minglu shook his head in denial. "No. I ca this ti because of this rule."
"The alien spores?"
"Yes. I know Lecturer Shi Jingyi is different from other lecturers. You haven't been strictly guarding against the spores, but rather naturally utilizing them, right?"
Shi Jingyi nodded. "You could say that."
During her own cultivation these past few days, she had indeed felt the assistance brought by the spores. But she was still worlds away from becoming addicted to that assistance.
"I wonder if Lecturer Shi Jingyi has received any information from the alien civilization?"
"So fragntary images have indeed appeared," Shi Jingyi said. "But every ti they just appeared, they imdiately dissipated because when I practice, I concentrate wholeheartedly. If my mind wanders, I imdiately pull my attention back."
Zhang Minglu thought to himself that Shi Jingyi could rely on her own focus to dispel the information brought by the spores. This wasn't sothing ordinary people could do... Ordinary people find it difficult to even enter a ditative state.
"Dr. Zhang, if you want to use my experience, I'm afraid it's not very suitable. Actually, I am also troubled by the situation of so students right now."
"Students?" Zhang Minglu showed surprise. "Students at the academy are also addicted to the spores?"
"Yes."
"That's very dangerous! When spore parasitism reaches an advanced stage, the host will show violent tendencies and might harm other students!"
"Violent tendencies?" Shi Jingyi's eyes sharpened. "Then we indeed need to be prepared. How does the official side plan to handle it?"
"At this stage, we can only separately imprison deeply parasitized individuals, but that treats the symptoms, not the root cause... I ca to find Lecturer Shi Jingyi this ti also hoping to hear if you have any suggestions. After all, the 'Mind Power Flow' you developed is extrely miraculous. Not only did it give Mind Power a higher-level application thod, it also helped official Ascendants break through the restrictions of the Mind Lock."
Shi Jingyi shook her head slightly. "Although I have been researching new forms of Mind Power usage recently, I'm afraid I am helpless against the influence of the spores. I regret that I cannot help you, Dr. Zhang."
"Is that so... Alright. Then, I wonder if your good friend Guan Tong might have so insights on this matter? After all, he is one of the Ascendants at the forefront of this era."
"......"
Shi Jingyi could see that Zhang Minglu ca to her not only to ask for her suggestions but also hoping to obtain so information from Guan Tong through her channel.
"We haven't been in contact recently. But if he really had a thod to deal with spore addiction that could be widely used by the public, I think, given his character, he wouldn't be secretive about it."
Zhang Minglu nodded, then curiously asked another question. "I wonder what new form of Mind Power usage Lecturer Shi Jingyi is researching? Is it a secret?"
"It's not much of a secret," Shi Jingyi said frankly. "It's a form of outputting Mind Power in a fixed model for combat. If I were to na it, it would probably be called 'Mind Power Martial Arts'."
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