Chapter 240: 8 AM

"What?! In front of the whole neighborhood?!"

Yang Yichen's voice couldn't help but rise a bit; in the few Aberrant Species incidents he had handled, he always tried to lure the Aberrant Species to a remote spot to resolve them.

The authorities' current strategy is also to limit information spread as much as possible, to avoid triggering massive panic and social unrest.

To act like this in full public view....

Either the situation is so urgent that concealment is impossible, or the higher‑up strategy is undergoing a shift.

Or perhaps the local response simply isn't standardized enough?

"Stay at home now, lock the doors and windows, try not to go out at night during these recent days, be careful during the day as well, and avoid sparsely populated remote places! Outside right now... it's very unsafe."

Yang Yichen spoke unusually fast; he knew the game's harm was still expanding, but hadn't expected it to have already endangered his own brother.

"Got it, I'll be careful."

Yang Yixie replied with a hum, but his mind was clearly elsewhere; he spoke up to interrupt Yang Yichen's endless admonition,

"Brother, how much do you know about the 'Wasteland Era'? And about the Aberrant Species?"

Yang Yichen just felt his head was about to split in two.

His own brother's thoughts jumped too fast, and the questions grew sharper one after another, all pointing straight at the Core.

These pieces of information are covered by the highest‑level confidentiality agreement signed with the authorities, strictly forbidding any disclosure to unrelated personnel.

"These matters involve state secrets; I signed a confidentiality agreement, so I really can't say more, and besides, what's inside is extremely dangerous—awakening special abilities isn't a good thing..."

"Just live your own life, don't pry into this; the less you know, the safer you are."

Yang Yichen could only think that his brother, after seeing those special abilities, had developed a 'thieving mind'.

He knew his brother's troublemaking methods, and at this moment could only say it's fortunate his brother can't become a player.

Players are all souls that have traversed into counterparts within the game world, and Yang Yixie's counterpart is already dead, just like his parents in the other world.

"Confidentiality agreement? Even if I'm a 'player', I still can't know?"

"You can't possibly be a player..."

Yang Yichen reflexively retorted, and this time he immediately caught on that Yang Yixie was still trying to deceive him.

He instantly straightened his expression, his tone taking on a bureaucratic edge.

"Anyway, let's do it this way for now; I'm still busy here, you should get some rest early..."

The next second, as if he suddenly remembered something, the stern face Yang Yichen had barely mustered relaxed again.

"Also, regarding Mom, I'll have to rely on you more; I might not have time lately..."

"Fine, when I visit Mom tomorrow at noon, I'll say you've been busy with overtime lately."

Yang Yixie readily agreed; regarding not wanting Mom to worry, the two brothers reached a consensus.

After hanging up, Yang Yixie sent Xi Ren Sheng a text with the meeting time and place, then tossed his phone onto the nightstand to charge.

His brother was just absolutely convinced he couldn't be a player—why?

Yang Yixie can now be certain that the pixel game he plays is linked to these games, but whether it's his brother's or Xi Ren Sheng's described method, it seems to involve the soul traversing in, then manifesting special abilities.

Oh, according to this game's terminology, it should be called 'Aberrant Arts'.

The problem is, his soul neither traversed in nor produced any Aberrant Arts.

Hmm... now that you mention it, he thinks he once saw a Blood Bar, but that probably doesn't count.

So what exactly is his game character's Aberrant Arts?

The game system?

Yang Yixie turned over, trying to sense whether any transcendent energy existed inside him, or perhaps to make his fingertips emit effects, or his whole gun do something.

He even tried various anime spells, gestures, and concentration techniques, but aside from making himself feel overly nerdy, he got nothing.

After fiddling for about ten minutes, Yang Yixie finally resigned himself and flopped back onto the bed.

Forget it, if you can't figure it out, don't think about it; if the sky falls, a tall person will hold it up. The authorities don't seem completely unprepared, and as long as Mom stays safe, everything's manageable.

Sleep first; tomorrow... no, in a few hours, he'll still have to deal with that Xi Ren Sheng guy.

————————————————

The massive circular screen wall was divided into countless panels, showing current public opinion hotspots on social platforms and the standby status of various levels of units.

Personnel in assorted uniforms or casual clothes hurried by, the air thick with a tension like an impending mountain rain.

"... In summary, because the number of players has increased, Aberrant Species appearances are far more frequent than before; at this point, completely suppressing the news is basically impossible."

"If we continue with a total lockdown strategy, not only will costs be high and results minimal, it will also cause the public to respond poorly to sudden crises, leading to greater casualties."

A silver‑haired elder gave the summary of the earlier meeting.

"Revealing part of the truth and establishing an Official Platform for guidance and support is the best way to ensure players survive in that world and this world resists Aberrant Species."

"The Public Opinion Department has prepared multiple plans," a middle‑aged woman in a suit said, "Starting tonight we will gradually disseminate filtered information snippets to steer public discussion, paving the way for the forthcoming official announcement."

"The Network Supervision Team is already in place, responsible for precisely curbing malicious rumors and panic‑inciting speech."

"The Medical Department is also following up; this player's return brought a portable Anomaly Value Detection Device. Though it's not yet widely available, it can at least verify the Isolation Suit's effectiveness and help us provide targeted treatment to the injured."

The meeting proceeded methodically item by item, and finally the elder seated at the head slowly spoke.

"It's decided: at eight in the morning we will formally clarify part of the truth to the entire nation."

"The enemy we face comes from beyond perception, but our foundation for survival has always been the people of this land. Trust them, arm them, lead them—that's what we must do."

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

The internet has already exploded; various "Monster Battle" videos of differing clarity are being wildly shared and discussed. Though some are throttled or deleted, many clips and textual descriptions have already spread like wildfire.

And the authorities didn't stay silent; they gave everyone a Calming Pill.

【National Emergency Notice: A Press Conference will be held today at 8:00 a. m.; the matter is of great importance, all citizens please pay attention!】