“This organization aims to respond to various ‘anomalies,’ ‘deviant objects,’ and ‘alien realms’ resulting from the natural overlap of two vastly different universes: the ‘Material World’ and the ‘Conscious World,’ in order to protect the stable existence of both.”
In the footage, blurry images of “anomalies,” abstract conceptual diagrams of “deviant objects,” and scenes of grotesque, warped “alien realm” entrances appeared.
Despite the heavy censorship, He Denghong could vaguely make out the silhouettes of the Xiaowa and the Heart-eating Ginseng Fruit.
“Some ‘anomalies’ are highly dangerous. If the public encounters events or creatures that are incomprehensible or defy common sense, please remain calm and follow the ‘no contact, no observation, and no dissemination’ principle.”
“Immediately distance yourself and call the emergency hotline to report it to Public Salvation.” As the voice faded, a phone number appeared at the bottom of the screen.
“National forces will work closely with Public Salvation to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property to the best of our ability.”
Then, the camera gave a close-up of the Scarlet Crow Rabbit.
It was lying on an expensive-looking office desk, with the bizarre environment of the Public Salvation Yulin City Branch—a mix of flesh and metal—as the background.
It faced the camera and spoke in its characteristic, slightly playful tone, but the content was unusually formal. Subtitles for simultaneous interpretation appeared beside it:
“Squeak-cluck~ Good evening to all my carbon-based friends in the Material World. I am the ‘Exploiter’ Scarlet Crow Rabbit, one of the representatives of Public Salvation stationed in this universe, this planet, and this civilization.”
“As just mentioned, our arrival is to deal with the imminent cosmic crisis. The merging of the two universes is no mere alarmism; the resulting ‘Uncanny’ infiltration is a fatal threat to both sides.”
“We ‘Exploiters’ are responsible for assisting local civilization members—whom we call ‘Eshers’—in identifying, stripping, sealing, or repatriating these ‘Oddities’.”
The news footage timely showed extremely blurry combat videos of He Jiulu and Sui Luowen, where only their silhouettes remained.
“Cooperation is the only way out. We will provide technical support and monitoring alerts, while the specific response work requires the deep participation of local forces. Please believe that we are allies, not invaders.”
Finally, the screen cut back to the studio.
The anchor emphasized once again: “In the face of this major change, the state will maintain a transparent and responsible attitude. We will gradually disclose more information while ensuring social stability.”
“We ask all citizens not to believe or spread rumors and to actively cooperate with the government and Public Salvation. Our nation’s branch of Public Salvation upholds the fundamental philosophy of ‘Seal, Understand, Utilize, and Benefit.'”
The news broadcast ended. He Denghong and He Jiulu sat in silence.
Just then, his phone vibrated again. It was a message from the Scarlet Crow Rabbit, this time with a news link. It was a report about a small country announcing the launch of a “de-urbanization” pilot program.
“Squeak-cluck~ See that? The quick little guys have already started ‘lightening the load.’ The higher the level of development, the more frequently ‘Oddities’ appear.”
“For those small countries with little self-defense capability, actively reducing the complexity of social development and decreasing population concentration is indeed an effective means to reduce the risk of national annihilation in the short term~”
“Though in the long run, it’s a bit like drinking poison to quench thirst. How about it? Don’t you feel lucky to be born in a major power? At least someone is holding the front line, squeak-cluck-cluck!”
He Denghong looked at the message and then at the panicked decisions of those small countries in the news, his heart filled with complex emotions.
‘Lucky?’ He only felt more burdened.
A major power holding the front meant that “Eshers” like him would only face more and more terrifying “Oddities” in the future.
He Denghong numbly scrolled through his phone, the shock brought by the news gradually being covered by a more realistic sense of fatigue.
He and He Jiulu, sitting in the corner, yawned at the same time, their movements perfectly synchronized.
Just as he was about to turn off his phone and force himself to rest, a push notification from a niche social media platform caught his attention.
The content was short, but it carried a strange fanaticism:
[Dedicated to the stars of the new era—Esher Archive (Beta) is now online! The first batch includes detailed profiles and combat footage of thirty-seven confirmed Eshers worldwide! Link: ██.████.██]
“Huh?” He Denghong and He Jiulu frowned at the same time. He reflexively clicked the link.
The loading speed was incredibly fast, as if it were connected to some dedicated network.
The web design that met his eyes was simple and modern, yet it exuded an extraordinary sense of professionalism.
The dark background was like deep space, with tiny starlight outlining the navigation bar. The layout was clear, the font was sharp, and the interaction was unbelievably smooth.
Every detail whispered “official” and “authoritative.” It didn’t look like a website built by a grassroots enthusiast at all.
The homepage featured a rotating three-dimensional global map marked with dozens of light points. A thumbnail avatar and code name of an Esher floated next to each point.
In the Asian region, two light points were particularly conspicuous over the location of Yulin City—one was a girl in a military uniform with a side ponytail and red highlights, and the other was a girl in a training suit with white highlights in double buns, holding a brush.
He Denghong’s heart skipped a beat. He controlled He Jiulu to lean closer to the phone screen, focusing through two perspectives simultaneously.
He clicked on the “He Jiulu” section, and the page unfolded with a smooth, gorgeous animation.
On the left was a standing portrait as precise as a three-dimensional model—it was He Jiulu’s image.
The black cross patterns in her red eyes, the capable side ponytail with red highlights, her world-weary yet delicate face, the military uniform that combined coolness with cuteness, and the red velvet lining of her black cloak…
The portrait was not static but featured extremely natural micro-movements.
Her hair fluttered gently, her cloak swayed slightly, and her gaze seemed to shift its focus subtly as the mouse moved. It was lifelike.
This had gone beyond the scope of “painting.” It was more like a high-precision game model or a screenshot of some holographic projection. The animation was disturbingly smooth.