Full-Time Public Enemy

The Insect Queen here controlled a group of iron threadworms. It's likely that these iron threadworms had devoured a "Telecommunications Clerk." This meant the Empress's command had caused the images from other stone platforms and statues to be transferred here. So, although the stone platform and statues were visible to the naked eye, they weren't actually present here.

Chen Gu believed in his "Radiation Field" and only after much contemplation did he arrive at this possibility.

Although the statues weren't truly here, even the images alone were highly contaminating—just like the holographic projection Deputy Director Xue had shown the students. The contamination from mere images was much less than from the actual objects, but it was enough to deal with these mercenaries.

Chen Gu had already rushed past the stone platform and statues. Looking ahead, he was startled: behind him was a towering stone wall with rectangular sarcophagi carved into it. The coffins inside had long since decayed, revealing skeletal remains.

But these skeletons seemed to be something between human and monster.

For instance, one skeleton clearly had the overall structure of a human frame. However, its rib cage had grown several times its normal length, the ends transformed into sharp bone spurs. Furthermore, behind its coccyx, three extremely long tailbones extended.

The skull had also mutated. Not only had three serrated bone ridges grown at the back of the head, but two serpentine, twisted horns also adorned its forehead.

Are these the remains of Mutants?

The changes on those bones were clearly the result of mutations! But could Mutants achieve a peaceful death in this former shrine?

It seemed too incredible; Chen Gu found it difficult to accept.

Mutants symbolized evil, disorder, chaos, aggression, and so on. They were the enemies of all intelligent life in the material world.

For instance, in human society, it was unknown how many Mutants were lurking. Or rather, that might be inaccurate. These hidden individuals were merely internally corrupted and fallen; in their latent state, they couldn't truly be considered "Mutants."

One of the Bureau of Mystic Security's primary tasks was to identify these latent individuals and eliminate them.

Once these latent individuals were exposed and, having lost all inhibitions, transformed into Mutants, they generally couldn't control themselves. According to Dr. Meng Ji's research data, less than thirty percent could revert from a Mutant state to a latent one.

Therefore, under no circumstances should so many Mutants have died peacefully and even received such elaborate burials!

But then Chen Gu realized something: this shrine originally worshiped an Evil God. Consequently, Mutants, as those infected by the Evil God, might have held positions in the shrine similar to "Angel Envoys" or "Ground Walkers." They shouldn't be viewed with the same attitude contemporary human society held towards Mutants.

But how did these Mutants coexist peacefully with ordinary believers?

Chen Gu felt there was surely some key issue he hadn't yet understood. This key issue was very likely why the Principal had chosen this site for the "Practical Course"—the Principal hoped he would find this key.

...

On Capital Star, the Principal watched Aviloya helplessly.

Aviloya had come today with a mission, and the words she spoke were not to the Principal's liking, effectively making her an unwelcome guest.

Yet Aviloya's expression was even more serious than the Principal's. "Do you regret it?"

The Principal raised an eyebrow, ready to reprimand his Ninth Power Level student. But under the gaze of Aviloya's clear yet profound eyes, he ultimately didn't have the thick-enough skin to pull rank on her in this matter.

"You are senior."

"You are powerful."

"You have students everywhere."

"You have worked tirelessly for the Confederation."

Aviloya ticked off each point, her voice even. Then, it sharpened. "But you really can't always rely on your Ninth Power Level status to use such shameless tactics."

"Those things on 'Remote View No. 10' were far beyond what those students could handle. Yet you insisted on sending them. In the end, your plan was seen through anyway.

"I know your plan. You were always following behind, ready to intervene the moment the students couldn't cope.

"You had it all figured out, thinking that even if those old fogeys discovered something, by the time you acted, it would be a done deal, and they couldn't touch you. But you didn't expect them to react so quickly this time..."

So, all the students had returned. Now, the only person representing Huai Shan Branch School on that planet was Chen Gu—all alone, isolated, and unsupported.

Even the Principal himself, for certain reasons, had felt too embarrassed to continue loitering outside that planet and had quietly returned.

The Principal curled his lip. "Those old ghosts are getting shrewder. Not as easy to fool as they used to be."

Aviloya glared. In the entire Star Sea, she was likely the only one who could speak to the Principal with such candor.

"You just dusted off your hands and left, but what about Chen Gu?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Chen Gu is one of ours from the Bureau of Mystic Security!"

The Principal looked at her in surprise, then scratched his head in feigned confusion. "Wasn't he the one who once..."

Aviloya clenched her teeth. "Don't bring up the past!"

"I'm talking about the matter at hand!"