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Chapter 30: No Fault
Two hours earlier.
As the sun set and Shi Rang began his search at the seaside warehouse, the temporary Pancontinental Coalition office in Pingyuan City’s urban district was also conducting its own investigation.
Seventeen soldiers who had participated in last night's "Threat Entity Elimination Operation" gathered around the conference table to discuss their next steps.
"The Blue Signal organization has recently been involved in transporting threat entities, even if they haven’t directly utilized them yet," one soldier pointed out. "Their scale is too large for us to dismantle with our current manpower. Completely eradicating their network would amount to directly intervening in a major district’s public security, which requires authorization from the Archbishop."
"The District Ten officials might have realized we don’t have that permission—they’re pressing hard," another added.
"This bunch of spineless bureaucrats! They’re nothing but lobbyists for those criminals!" An angry soldier slammed his fist on the table.
"Our mission here was primarily focused on eliminating the threat entity, which brought us over from District Nine. Although the container fell into the sea, we did make some progress after landing. As for the rest… we’ll leave it to the Physical Department’s follow-up plans," stated the scarred officer seated at the head of the table. "We lack manpower, resources, and local intelligence support. Most importantly, the Coalition’s purpose isn’t fighting crime—you all know our true mission."
One by one, the soldiers voiced their agreement, their words converging into a single sentence: "For humanity’s future, purge all anomalies."
"Exactly."
Commander Peter nodded.
"Our objectives are twofold: eliminate the threat entities and assist District Ten in restoring order, as chaotic law enforcement can amplify the influence of such anomalies. Now, our primary task is nearly complete. All we need to do is finish our assigned duties—"
Suddenly, an alarm blared outside, its piercing sound cutting through the windowless meeting room.
The unusual noise immediately put these battle-hardened soldiers on high alert. Already dressed in combat uniforms, they straightened up and fixed their eyes on the door.
Peter was the first to shout toward the doorway, "Report the situation!"
"Sir!" A young sentry burst into the room and saluted. "Someone is robbing the bank across the street!"
"Robbing the bank?"
The unexpected answer stunned everyone in the room.
Then, laughter erupted—some chuckles were tinged with resignation, others with dark humor.
"Robbing a bank right in front of the Coalition office? Talk about business savvy—they must not have noticed our sign clearly enough," Peter quipped with a wry smile. "'Poisoned Dagger,' you go take care of those robbers. The rest of us will maintain order until the police arrive."
"Understood!"
The "Poisoned Dagger" combat team consisted of seven members. In seconds, they strapped on their Coalition-standard "black suit" helmets and dashed out of the office.
The cacophony of gunfire and explosions quickly drowned out the vehicle alarm.
By the time Commander Peter stepped outside wearing his helmet, more than a dozen robbers lay neatly stacked in front of the bank.
"These individuals refused to cease their criminal activities."
"There’s nothing more to say then. Let the police handle the aftermath. Not bad for a warm-up, eh?" Peter exchanged a fist bump with the leader of the "Poisoned Dagger" squad.
Removing his stifling helmet, Peter joined the others in securing the scene while waiting for the police. During this time, they also turned away curious civilians and escorted trapped employees out of the building. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.
"Hey, stop mopping the floor! Can’t you see there’s a bank robbery going on? Get out of here!"
"These passersby are surprisingly calm. Is robbing banks really so commonplace in District Ten?"
"Why isn’t anyone taking pictures? I think this angle would look great on camera."
Suddenly, Peter noticed something amiss in the surrounding scenery.
He wasn’t alone.
All the soldiers accompanying him on this operation were seasoned veterans, highly sensitive to anomalies. One by one, they began scrutinizing the streets nearby.
The pedestrians displayed no surprise at the gunfight or the corpses sprawled openly under the setting sun. No one stopped to gawk or snap photos—not even children being led past by their parents spared a second glance. Kids continued sucking on lollipops as they strolled past the line of bodies illuminated by the fading sunlight.
Peter stared intently at a family of three crossing the street against the red light. The father pointed at a doll displayed in a shop window and asked the child something. Then, the mother smiled tenderly, picked up a brick, and shattered the glass. The father helped kick away sharp shards, making it easier for the mother to reach inside and grab what she wanted.
"Something’s wrong! It’s an anomaly!" Peter realized.
The assessment team he’d brought along sprang into action immediately. Though designated as an "evaluation group," they were fully capable of handling ordinary missions.
Within half a minute, several members subdued the couple and escorted the child aside.
"What are you doing?" Peter approached the crouching couple, hands clasped behind their heads, and demanded sternly.
"Taking something," replied the father, nervous but seemingly innocent. "Our child really likes that toy."
"And you just decide to rob the store?"
"Yeah, we robbed it."
"Do you understand the consequences of robbery?"
"What consequences?" the mother countered.
The remnants of the sunset faded into the horizon, casting a chill over everyone present.
Peter grabbed a passerby abruptly. "We’re the Coalition force—tell me, what happens when someone commits robbery?"
"What happens? They earn money, obviously." The pedestrian blinked in confusion, completely unfazed by the heavily armed Coalition soldiers, treating them like cosplayers.
"And theft, assault, murder—aren’t these crimes punishable?"
"Crimes? Why should crimes be punished?" The pedestrian found the question absurd and even attempted to grab the grenade at Peter’s side before being stopped with a swift chop to the wrist.
Nearby soldiers quickly restrained the man with binding straps.
A car revved its engine loudly, speeding past the group and running a red light before crashing into something in the distance. A massive explosion and fireball lit up the sky. Yet, neither the pedestrians nor the family showed any reaction.
Peter watched the rising flames and sucked in a sharp breath.
A soldier approached, reporting grimly, "Sir, no one is answering the emergency hotline."
Another chimed in, "There’s no mention of this on the internet or in the news. We can’t determine when the anomaly began."
"I’ll call the police chief directly." Peter dialed the number immediately.
Thankfully, the private line connected.
"Chief, your police department—"
"Police? What police?" The highest-ranking official of Pingyuan City’s police force sounded thoroughly perplexed, as if hearing about some unsolved cosmic mystery.
"Do you remember who you are? You’re the police chief!"
"Police? What’s that? What’s it for?"
Peter ended the useless call.
"Sir, what do we do now?"
All eyes turned to him.
The Coalition’s combat personnel excelled at dealing with physical anomalies, but against a "conceptual" threat like this, their bullets were useless.
"Do any of you still retain the concept of crime?" Peter asked.
After a quick exchange, the soldiers confirmed unanimously—they hadn’t been affected.
"Perhaps outsiders are immune... I’ll report this situation to the Physical Department immediately." Peter secured his helmet. "Mobilize all squads in the surrounding areas. Conduct dispersed searches, prioritize locating the source of the anomaly, and eliminate it as soon as possible. If you encounter severe criminal acts along the way, intervene if possible. Lethal force is authorized."
"Understood!"
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