The Unremarkable Anomaly and the Void Realm’s Shadow

The man, clad in a protective suit, stepped over the cordon and re-entered the teaching building.

He ascended to the second floor, turned left, and proceeded directly to an office nestled in the furthest corner of the corridor.

Pushing the door open, he stepped inside.

The notebooks, lesson plans, computers, and personal effects of the teachers, which had once occupied the desk, were now neatly packed into a cardboard box resting beside it.

In their stead sat a bulky computer, crowned with an antenna, alongside a tangle of inscrutable instruments connected to it.

Another man, also clad in a protective suit, was hunched over the computer, his fingers rapidly tapping the keyboard.

“Boss, what’s your assessment of Huang Xiu?” the man at the computer inquired, without bothering to lift his gaze from the screen.

The man, addressed as Captain, casually drew out a chair, then swung around to straddle it. “He’s a remarkably perceptive child,” he stated, “and has most likely already surmised our purpose.”

“Moreover, I observed signs of a peculiar transformation within him; he should have already entered the larval stage,” Su Ming appended.

He abruptly pivoted to gaze out the window, and a subtle blue luminescence began to emanate from his deep, dark eyes.

As the faint glow intensified, Su Ming’s vision appeared to transcend the boundaries of physical matter, allowing him to perceive everything on both the floors above and below.

“There remains no discernible trace of the Void Realm’s manifestation,” he murmured. “Not even a vestige of Void Energy lingers within these walls.”

He withdrew his gaze, and with a swift blink of his eyelids, the blue light receded, disappearing as though it had been nothing more than a fleeting illusion.

“Xiao Bei, has the compass revealed anything?” Su Ming inquired.

Xiao Bei snapped to a crisp salute, a broad grin spreading across his face. “Reporting, Boss!” he chirped. “No significant findings, save for a collection of comic books illicitly stashed away by students!”

“Care to take a look? It’s the latest edition of Zhiyin magazine, you know?”

“Always so irreverent,” Su Ming chided with a light laugh. “This compass represents the latest breakthrough from Tiandu University. It boasts an astonishing 89% success rate in detecting the Void Realm, a truly monumental leap forward.”

“Nevertheless, this marks its inaugural deployment for practical field use by our team. We cannot afford to place blind faith in it; our tried-and-true methods must still be thoroughly employed.”

“What progress have you made on the intelligence I tasked you with gathering earlier?” he inquired.

Xiao Bei tapped a few keys on the keyboard. “I’ve utilized the intelligent AI to collect and analyze nearly a week’s worth of chat logs from every individual within No. 1 Middle School,” he reported. “There has been no mention whatsoever of any ‘Pig-Headed Teacher.'”

“Furthermore, surrounding surveillance footage has captured no suspicious individuals.”

“Hm, it would appear, then, that student Huang Xiu is indeed the sole eyewitness,” Su Ming mused, pulling out his phone to review Huang Xiu’s profile once more.

Xiao Bei raised a hand. “Boss,” he began, “I have a hypothesis. I believe this ‘Pig-Headed Teacher’ is, in all likelihood, not a creature from the Void Realm, but rather a delusion Huang Xiu manifested during his awakening.”

These delusions, or ‘Xuwang’ (TL Note: A term referring to a type of illusion or hallucination experienced by awakened individuals, often tied to their personal experiences.), are phantasms that invariably accompany the awakening of all peculiar individuals. While unique to each person, they typically bear a strong connection to one’s life experiences.

“That was my initial thought as well, however…”

Su Ming, recalling Huang Xiu’s dossier, mused aloud, “Huang Xiu’s documented history contains absolutely nothing related to pigs, beyond the occasional consumption of pork. He has never even witnessed a pig being slaughtered firsthand. Moreover, he has never endured bullying at school, nor have his parents ever been summoned. His life experiences are remarkably unremarkable, thus a delusion concerning the school should not manifest.”

He rhythmically tapped the tabletop, a profound sense of bewilderment clouding his eyes.

“In truth, what most perplexes me is Huang Xiu himself; he appears almost unnaturally normal.”

While ‘normal’ was the polite euphemism, Xiao Bei understood the true implication perfectly well.

“Indeed, he is excessively normal,” Xiao Bei agreed. “His grades are merely average, he boasts no extensive circle of close friends, nor does he possess any particularly noteworthy talents.

Even his personality borders on the utterly mundane. He enjoys video games, curses when provoked, and if he were to encounter an elderly woman fallen on the ground, he would likely deliberate for a considerable period before deciding whether or not to offer assistance—neither excessively benevolent nor profoundly apathetic.”

It is not that normalcy itself is undesirable; rather, the very descriptor ‘normal’ should, by definition, be antithetical to an ‘anomalous individual’.

An anomalous individual, by its very definition, is one who is distinctly divergent from the ordinary populace.

Whether in terms of innate talent, acquired skill, psychological makeup, or mental state, an anomalous individual will possess at least one facet that deviates from the common person.

This very divergence, in fact, serves as the pivotal factor enabling their mental metamorphosis and facilitating their communion with the Void Realm to harness Void Energy.

Such distinctions frequently manifest themselves during early childhood.

To put it another way:

As an anomalous individual, even in the absence of exceptional innate talents, one’s personality should, at the very least, exhibit a distinctive characteristic.

Irrespective of whether this characteristic is deemed favorable or detrimental, whether it inspires awe or evokes apprehension.

In essence, the Void Realm harbors no place for the idle!

Yet, judging by the dossier compiled by the intelligent AI system, Huang Xiu presents as extraordinarily unremarkable.

He is so profoundly unremarkable that he bears no resemblance to the anomalous individuals they are accustomed to; rather, he seems indistinguishable from any commonplace pedestrian one might encounter on the street.

While Huang Xiu’s file does note his proficiency in gaming, his paltry Diamond rank is, frankly, beneath mention.

Indeed, Xiao Bei himself could effortlessly ascend to the King rank, were it not for the sheer lack of necessity.

“The Void Realm’s manifestations are not confined to either day or night, yet Huang Xiu explicitly stated that he encountered the Pig-Headed Teacher in the dead of night. Thus, for absolute certainty, we must await the late hours once more to conduct a secondary confirmation.”

Su Ming unfastened and removed his protective helmet, taking a deep, uninhibited breath.

In truth, given the persistent absence of any anomalies at the scene, the mission could already be concluded and reported as a delusion stemming from an anomalous individual’s awakening.

However, Su Ming, ever prudent, resolved to postpone the mission’s summary and report until the following day.

Any matter, regardless of its apparent triviality, ceases to be insignificant once it involves anomalous individuals or the Void Realm.

One can never exercise too much caution.

Were it not for the alarming frequency of Void Realm manifestations in recent months, coupled with a severe dearth of anomalous individuals,

which has necessitated the deployment of the remainder of his squad to a different location, where they are currently contending with another Void Realm incursion,

then it would not have fallen to merely the two of them to investigate the present circumstances.

“Understood, I’ll defer to your judgment, Su Ge (TL Note: A respectful address for an older brother or superior, often used informally among colleagues.),” Xiao Bei assented cheerfully, his eyes remaining glued to the screen—despite the fact that the compass was programmed to auto-alert at the slightest hint of Void Realm fluctuation.

“By the way, what course of action should we take regarding Huang Xiu?” Xiao Bei then inquired. “He has already undergone preliminary awakening, entering the larval stage. It is highly probable he will swiftly progress through the pupal and adult stages, achieving full awakening.”

Anomalous individuals in the awakening phase constitute an inherent destabilizing factor—a sentiment Xiao Bei left unspoken, yet one Su Ming understood perfectly.

In accordance with the Regulations for Manifested Entities, Su Ming was obligated to immediately report Huang Xiu’s status and subsequently transfer him to the Agency for Anomalous Individuals.

This protocol serves a dual purpose: to ensure the seamless awakening of anomalous individuals, and to preclude any unforeseen incidents during their awakening phase—such as a mental rampage that could endanger ordinary citizens.

However, the current juncture presented a rather awkward predicament: the day after tomorrow marked Tiandu University’s highly anticipated enrollment period.

Should he be consigned to the management agency at this moment, Huang Xiu would undeniably forfeit his opportunity to enroll at Tiandu University.

Such a missed opportunity would translate to a year’s delay, or potentially, a lifetime’s.

Su Ming was not one to be swayed by rigid dogma.

Thus, after a moment’s contemplation, he responded, “The day after tomorrow is Tiandu University’s enrollment period. Let them manage the situation; after all, the recruitment of exceptional anomalous individuals falls squarely within Tiandu University’s purview.”

Remaining within the school premises for two days, it is highly improbable that any untoward incident would occur.

“Understood!” Xiao Bei affirmed with a shrug, his unwavering support for his superior’s decisions an unspoken given.