In the Countermeasures Research Office, the team responsible for identifying parasitized forms was reporting to Gao Liangwei.
The team leader looked ashamed and said, “Based on the results of our repeated experiments... regrettably, we still have not found an effective method to reliably identify parasitized forms.”
Gao Liangwei frowned.
“At first we tried various psychological inducements, keyword recognition, and so on, but only some parasitized forms took the bait—because a parasitized form’s intelligence level follows that of the original host. So if the original host wasn’t very bright, the parasitized form is also prone to mistakes.”
“I already knew that,” Gao Liangwei said.
From earlier reports received from various Quarantine Zones about parasitized behavior, parasitized forms varied widely: some were as cunning as foxes, others as stupid as pigs.
The dullest ones behaved like brainless brutes, incapable of thinking on their feet; after conversion they immediately attacked the guards. Those parasitized forms were naturally the first to be eliminated or captured.
The clever ones, however, carefully observed the Quarantine Zone’s management flaws, waited for chances to slip into the general population, and never exposed themselves easily.
These differences were linked to the original host’s intelligence, and even to personality and behavior patterns.
“Parasitized forms with lower intelligence and impulsive personalities are easy to ‘blow their cover.’ If we directly identify them as parasitized without any evidence, this type will immediately reveal themselves in a self-exposing panic.”
“Parasitized forms with higher intelligence will vehemently deny it and strongly demand proof that they are parasitized.”
“The first type is easier to detect; the troublesome ones are the second type,” the team leader paused, then said, “For the second type we tried using various Mind Power items and abilities to control consciousness, but all of those attempts failed.”
Gao Liangwei asked, “Why did they fail? If parasitized forms inherit the host’s intelligence, they should also inherit the host’s Mind Power to some degree. Besides, most parasitized forms come from ordinary people who don’t even have Mind Power anymore.”
“You’re right, Director. That’s what we thought at first. But experimental results indicate that the spores seem to provide a shielding protection to the parasitized form’s brain. Any Mind Power or thought-control items or abilities cannot perate that shield.”
Spore shielding had this effect?
Gao Liangwei’s brow tightened further.
“We then conducted dissection experiments to understand the parasitized brain’s condition and to develop targeted drugs... but those failed too. All we could find was that the parasitized brain exhibited massive neural work abnormalities, and we couldn’t intervene.”
The team leader sighed helplessly. “The neural works formed by human brain neurons are even more intricate than any supercomputer. With current medical methods, humanity simply cannot fully study them. We can only proceed slowly through AI-assisted experiments... which will undoubtedly take a long time and require crossing many regulatory hurdles.”
Gao Liangwei was silent for a moment, then asked, “Is there no good news at all?”
“Oh, there is one,” the team leader perked up slightly. “We discovered how the parasitized forms’ highest directive, ‘spread,’ actually operates.”
“What is it?”
“The ‘spread’ they talk about means turning more people into parasitized forms. The purpose of doing so is currently unknown. But in dissection experiments we observed that when many parasitized forms congregate, certain neurons in their brains become unusually active, as if producing some kind of ‘resonance.’ What this resonance does is still unknown; we’re continuing to observe and study it.”
“As for how parasitized forms spread, according to them it’s through ‘calling’—their behavior resembles proselytizing. A target must first accept it in their heart, and only then can the spread be completed by ‘ingesting parasitized-form blood.’”
Gao Liangwei found that strange. “The target must first accept it mentally?”
“Yes. If the target disagrees, parasitized forms will handle it differently based on personality.”
“Parasitized forms with violent temperaments may directly eliminate the target. Others may restrict the target’s personal freedom and use continuous brainwashing to induce psychological change.”
Gao Liangwei thought: if that’s the case, then we need not fear runaway exponential spread in a short time.
Under current circumstances, not many normal people would willingly become parasitized, and brainwashing takes time.
“It looks like we have to race against the parasitized forms.”
“Yes, Director. If we can minimize the number of parasitized forms before large-scale spread, they will never reach critical mass and will be forced to hide in the shadows until humanity develops reliable identification methods.”
“But if they move faster and achieve large-scale spread... humanity will face tremendous danger. Especially given almost no population growth...”
Tianshui Star’s population was now shrinking, not growing; the total population was being consumed, and the consequences were severe.
Although smart devices and robots could perform most labor, once population dropped below a certain threshold the whole situation could instantly collapse.
This was not a prediction but a reality already playing out in many countries.
Tianshui Star originally had hundreds of countries; by the time the Human Consortium formed there were only thirty to forty left.
After the Earthquake Rule ended, the Human Consortium was down to eleven member states.
Later, the Republic of Fahe was taken over by the Fire Thief Worship Cult and exited the Human Consortium. Now the Black Flag Country had been occupied by parasitized forms, leaving the Human Consortium with fewer than ten members.
These bloody tragedies were unfolding before their eyes, and any country that still maintained order treated population like treasure.
This was why, at a previous Human Consortium meeting, delegates from Suroma and other nations criticized Gao Liangwei so harshly—they envied Beixing’s population reserves.
After the report, Gao Liangwei returned to his office, informed the Top Levels, and then called in Zhang Minglu.
When Zhang Minglu learned the research department’s results, he was disappointed but began to form some ideas.
“Director, it seems parasitized forms, due to intelligence differences, will divide into leaders and followers with distinct roles—much like humans. However, since their objective is to spread, they probably won’t kill humans they capture; that’s somewhat fortunate.”
“That’s true, but it doesn’t mean humanity can relax,” Gao Liangwei said. “If we don’t rescue imprisoned humans promptly, they will eventually become new parasitized forms.”
“Yes. So regarding Black Flag Country—”
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A violent pounding at the door interrupted Zhang Minglu.
A staff member rushed into the office, looking utterly bewildered, as if he had just heard something unbelievable.
“Director! The Black Flag Country’s government has just issued a global statement declaring that from the moment of this announcement, the state will be renamed the ‘Seli Divine Nation,’ and will be the world’s first evolution nation, absorbing parasitized forms from across the globe!”
Zhang Minglu stood up immediately, and Gao Liangwei’s face showed alarm.
“The Seli Divine Nation? Those parasitized monsters actually dare to openly found a country on human soil?!”
Zhang Minglu had expected parasitized forms might organize and divide roles, but after seizing Black Flag Country’s territory and cities to declare a nation was beyond his imagination.
“This declaration will never be recognized by the Human Consortium,” Gao Liangwei rose and said sternly. “Humanity will never allow alien monsters to colonize us!”
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