Chapter 033: The Truth of the World - 2

Biologists have named these mutated creatures—those with enormous size or dramatically enhanced traits—as Earth's Nativeland–Unidentified Mysterious Animals, abbreviated as "EN-UMA." Since the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains indecipherable, the so-called experts can only surmise that it is a "genetic adaptation induced by environmental stress leading to strong mutations." They speculate that, since the Cambrian Explosion half a billion years ago, Earth is now entering a second era of rapid biological evolution.

If things stopped there, perhaps it would amount to little more than idle talk—stories of dinosaur-like lake monsters or upright ape-men discovered in remote mountains—giving people novel anecdotes but little cause for alarm. The real issue, however, is that not only Earth's myriad lifeforms have been affected; a very small number of humans have also been infected by these so-called "X-particles."

Within the supernatural community, the process by which this unknown energy infiltrates is called "Awakening." Across various nations, those who have undergone this change are known by a host of bizarre names: Awakened, Espers, Superhumans, Mutants, Evolved, Meta-humans, New Humans, New Types, X-Warriors, the Unknown, Unidentified Species, and so on. In essence, they are individuals whose physical capabilities have surpassed the limits of normal human beings, or who have awakened supernatural abilities—in short, those who have gained enhancements "beyond the natural limits of ordinary humans."

Within the Empire’s Institute for Paranormal and Non-Natural Phenomena, these individuals are collectively referred to, following the vernacular of native scientists, as "Extraordinary Personnel." Some might argue that people with abilities beyond human limits, or with psychic powers, are hardly a recent phenomenon; after all, films and novels have been rehashing these themes for decades—so what is there to fuss about?

Yet, in recent years, with the increased number of "manifest dimensional convergence points" around the globe and the further stabilization of dimensional space, these convergence points—once fleeting phenomena that would vanish due to unstable spatial forcefields—have now become constant, forming fixed "multidimensional overlapping regions" on Earth. Within these regions, even rifts have appeared, connecting to other dimensions: the so-called "anomalies."

Some creatures, now referred to as Multidimensional-Space–Unidentified Mysterious Animals, or "MS-UMA," have traversed these rifts and appeared worldwide. The number of lifeforms affected by the "X-particles" they carry is on the rise, and the intensity of mutation and evolution among Earth's creatures has increased dramatically as a result.

The establishment of numerous "Specialized Research Institutes for Paranormal Phenomena" across nations has gradually unveiled the nature of these mysterious interdimensional beings. The clear foreignness of some creatures suggests that these "multidimensional rifts" actually lead to realms that not only harbor life but possibly entire civilizations. Though it may sound like science fiction or fantasy, given humanity’s current understanding of dimensional space, there seems no better explanation for the origins of these enigmatic MS-UMA.

The existence of a dimension home to life and civilization is the stuff of nightmares for Earth's perpetually paranoid inhabitants. The fear of the unknown has compelled nations to shift their attitudes toward these "multidimensional rifts": from secrecy and study to active prevention and response, and perhaps soon, to preparation and exploration.

Fortunately, the evolution observed in humans infected by "multidimensional zero-point energy particles"—the so-called X-particles—has largely been benign. Most changes involve enhanced constitutions or latent abilities, with no outward mutations too grotesque for society to accept; thus, these transformations are provisionally deemed harmless.

But as the numbers of extraordinary personnel and creatures swell, the fabric of society and civilization itself is being profoundly altered. What sort of impact? No need for elaborate explanations—just watch a few episodes of "X-Men" or "Heroes" and you’ll have the general idea. It is always the same: powerful factions seek to control these evolved "superhumans" for their own ends, while the newly awakened refuse to become tools and rise up in resistance. Sometimes, former losers from society’s underbelly are suddenly empowered, settling old scores and seeking revenge.

There are, of course, the more melodramatic scenarios—shadowy organizations bent on wielding this "new power" to challenge established authorities. Ultimately, the emergence of extraordinary personnel and creatures has brought immense upheaval to every nation's society and natural environment. Rising crime rates are the least of it; the true concern lies with those organizations that, at the slightest incident, proclaim, "We’ll take responsibility!"

As Willie put it, the countless mysterious incidents that have occurred unbeknownst to the public in recent years would provide film and television writers with enough material to spin tales for a lifetime. Meanwhile, the authorities and military, already stretched thin trying to quarantine all the "manifest dimensional convergence points" and "multidimensional rifts," and to mitigate the effects of both EN-UMA and MS-UMA, now find themselves increasingly powerless to deal with the endless stream of evolved extraordinary personnel.

Given the imperative to avoid public panic, official means alone have proven insufficient in dealing with the proliferation of extraordinary individuals. After all, the locations where "manifest dimensional convergence points" and "multidimensional rifts" appear are random and uncontrollable. The emergence of mutated and evolved extraordinary personnel, infected by X-particles, is even more unpredictable.

Some people awake one morning to discover, unwittingly, that they have become Awakened. Others may linger for extended periods at high-density X-particle convergence points and remain unaffected.