Chapter 018: Special Equipment - 2

Since ancient times, River City has borne the nickname "The Furnace." The searing summer heat persists even after nightfall, rarely dropping below thirty-five degrees Celsius. Equipment freshly cleaned and laid on the scorching, blistering ground dries in no time at all.

While waiting for his gear to air out, Bai Yuxi ignored the suffocating heat among the plum trees—an atmosphere akin to a steaming basket—and busied himself studying the arm-mounted soldier’s computer, which looked remarkably advanced. Such a device was indeed fitting for the mysterious, over-the-limit warriors like Axe Man and his ilk.

Despite being submerged in lake water for such a long time, the computer showed no signs of damage. Clearly, it was a military-grade item, waterproof, explosion-proof, and shielded against magnetism. Operating it was no more complicated than a smartphone; in fact, all the functions of a computer had been integrated. On the palm-sized touchscreen, only a handful of simple app icons appeared. Yet their names baffled Bai Yuxi:

Dimensional Spatial Force Field Wave Detection Radar, Multidimensional Zero-Point Energy Particle Concentration Meter, Multidimensional Energy Pheromone Sensor, Digitalized Personal Vital Signs Real-Time Monitoring Device, Multidimensional Ultra-Net Login Tool... The names were long-winded and incomprehensible!

He tapped experimentally on several apps. The "Dimensional Spatial Force Field Wave Detection Radar" was relatively easy to grasp. Upon opening, the interface displayed a high-definition live map, and a cursor, centered on the user, swept clockwise in a continuous scan of the surroundings.

The map showed tranquility, except for a faint, ripple-like disturbance about ten kilometers away, where the radar cursor brushed past. Zooming in, Bai Yuxi could easily identify the responding location—it was the very residential complex where he rented his apartment!

Understanding dawned. This device was meant to detect the so-called "spatial anomaly points," like those clusters of shattered-glass light. The anomaly near Bai Yuxi’s apartment had already vanished, so the radar map displayed a harmless green exclamation mark, indicating a former anomaly point.

Having deciphered the radar’s purpose, Bai Yuxi enlarged the map to cover the entire River City. The result stunned him: the radar map was crowded with hundreds of markers, densely packed and overwhelming!

Within River City, so many anomaly points existed? Did that mean hundreds of humanoid monsters had quietly infiltrated the city? Shock and fear mingled with confusion. If these creatures invaded so frequently, why was there not a whisper of news in the outside world—among ordinary people? Had all witnesses been silenced... or simply eliminated?

Cold sweat broke out across Bai Yuxi’s brow. He couldn’t believe he was the only accidental survivor! Even if mysterious agents like Axe Man and the blonde girl—those so-called "exceeding-limit warriors"—secretly contained and purged the anomaly points and invaders, it was impossible that no information ever leaked!

In this age, everyone carried portable recording devices, and the mobile network was omnipresent. Concealing the truth was not as easy as it had been decades ago. To achieve such secrecy, there must be not only these organized mysterious agents, but also a vast web of influence supporting them—perhaps even national powers involved!

The more he considered it, the more terrifying it became. If the state itself was entangled in this affair, then no matter how hard Bai Yuxi tried, he would never escape this mysterious event—whether it was science fiction or fantasy.

Nearly despairing, Bai Yuxi shook his head vigorously to rid himself of such dreadful thoughts, forcing his attention onto the other apps.

The "Multidimensional Zero-Point Energy Particle Concentration Meter" seemed designed to detect and measure the density of certain energy particles in the surrounding space. The "Multidimensional Energy Pheromone Sensor" apparently identified individuals carrying special energy—extraordinary agents. The "Digitalized Personal Vital Signs Real-Time Monitoring Device" functioned much like a heart rate monitor, instantly alerting the wearer to their physical condition.

Unfortunately, the arm-mounted computer was bound to Axe Man’s vital data. After temporarily switching to Bai Yuxi as the user, it lacked his baseline information and failed to display his status correctly. The "Multidimensional Ultra-Net Login Tool" was similar—bound to Axe Man’s account and password. Bai Yuxi could not use this spoils of war to infiltrate the mysterious "extraordinary realm’s" internal network to gather more useful information.

Even so, Bai Yuxi realized how invaluable this arm-mounted computer could be to him. The "Spatial Radar" could locate anomaly points; the "Particle Counter" could warn of energy-unstable regions; the "Pheromone Sensor" could detect the presence of extraordinary agents nearby and alert him in advance. With these tools, Bai Yuxi could entirely avoid dangerous places, anticipate the presence of over-the-limit warriors, and thus reduce his risk.

Browsing the computer’s built-in "auxiliary function guide," Bai Yuxi discovered several matching accessories among the miscellany—one being a smart multimedia digital eyeglass. About the size of two old-fashioned camera rolls stacked together, it could be folded and rolled into a compact scroll for easy carrying. When needed, it could be stretched and fitted onto the face, forming a mask that perfectly adhered to his features and skin.

Its functions encompassed all those of commercial digital glasses, and more: heat sensing, light adjustment, visual enhancement, distance calibration, virtual reality, augmented reality, and so on. When Bai Yuxi stretched it out and fitted it onto his face—like a Zorro mask—the environment immediately brightened, almost as if it were daytime. The clarity was as sharp as watching a high-definition film... No! Something was wrong!

Unwittingly, he looked across the lake, seven or eight kilometers away, and saw a mosquito flying by. The grotesque appearance of the mosquito startled him so much that he nearly jumped out of his skin.