Chapter 86 Conscience prevails

Behind the telescope, Chi Zhengyang saw Zuo Shan's hurriedly fleeing figure and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness.

He himself rose from an orphan to where he is today through hard work, and he deeply understands the hardships and helplessness of people at the bottom of society.

For those of low status and limited abilities, let alone a mutated beast cub with such potential, even a piece of low-level beast meat with moderate radiation or a leaf of low-radiation wild vegetables that they accidentally obtained could be coveted by others.

For example, tonight, if it were another unscrupulous high-level superhuman, they would have rushed over and snatched the cub away in no time.

Even he was somewhat tempted, but the cub's adorable appearance and its affection and dependence on its owner made him reluctant to do so.

When he was still a first-level ability user, he also had a mutated lynx cub that depended on him for survival. He cut it out of the belly of a dead mother lynx.

At the time, his mercenary group was hunting this female lynx, and the entire group was wiped out. He was also swatted away by it and crashed into a tree trunk, which is how he was able to escape death.

When he woke up, he saw limbs scattered everywhere. All his teammates were dead, and the mother lynx had also died from excessive blood loss due to multiple injuries.

He was hoping to find the lynx's core by taking a chance, which is why he took a dagger and cut open its belly.

What he saw was a wet, still-closed little creature. The surroundings were deathly silent, but the little creature's wriggling body gave him hope for a new life.

As if guided by some strange force, he took it back with him.

Later, he and it advanced to the second tier together. He was a fire elemental and it was an ice elemental. It could instantly condense an ice cage to lock and freeze its prey. When they went out hunting together, they cooperated very well.

However, its Ice Cage ability was discovered by a passing third-tier ice-type ability user. He bribed his mercenary leader to drug him during a mission.

The leader left with his men, leaving him alone, with only the lynx cub staying by his side.

The man easily subdued the lynx cub and threatened it with its life, demanding that the man voluntarily terminate his contract with it.

Helpless, he had no choice but to break the contract. The man took his lynx cub away, but it fiercely resisted on the way, biting the man and being killed and dismembered.

This incident left a lasting pain in his heart. Later, he was noticed by the Lan Dun family, who invested effort in his training, and he quickly advanced to the third and fourth tiers.

He found an opportunity to kill the man, dismembering him into pieces as well, and then threw him into the wilderness to feed the wild animals.

Recalling the painful past, Chi Zhengyang stood by the window, unable to take another step.

He didn't actually discover Xiao Bao's spatial storage ability; his attention was focused on its incredible ability to manipulate and purify liquid metal.

As for when it later shrank into a ball due to stomach pain, he assumed it had overeaten and didn't notice its little claws slapping the corpse of the gold-eating ant. He was only worried that it might explode.

Then we saw its owner—that very unusual pregnant woman—rush into the isolation enclosure despite the stench, carry it on her back, and run home.

Chi Zhengyang was torn. Reason told him he should report this to the family. This woman wasn't a superhuman; he hadn't sensed any energy fluctuations within her. Therefore, reporting to the family would only result in two outcomes:

First, the woman was killed, and the cub was taken away. For a cub without a contract, killing its owner will not cause it any physical harm.

Second, the family could simply give her some money and then take the cub away. For an ordinary person, this wouldn't be a loss, and the family wouldn't care about such a small amount of money.

However, the former is more likely, because the cub has a very deep bond with its master. Even without a contract, once the cub recognizes its master, it will rather die than leave with someone else unless the master dies.

Some even committed suicide after their owners died.

This problem cannot be solved with money. Only if its owner actively abandons it and throws it away again and again will the cub leave its owner in helplessness and sadness.

This cub's ability to manipulate metal is truly extraordinary. Even for a fourth-tier ability user like him, keeping it by his side means he can only do so outside of District 30.

Once back in the 30th district, especially the inner 10th district, there is a high chance that fourth-level or higher ability users, or spoiled brats from powerful families, will jump out and seize our assets.

The only way to protect it is to report it to the family and have a high-ranking metal-type ability user in the family form a contract with it.

Should he report it, or pretend he didn't notice its existence? What should he choose?

However, if he discovers that it has awakened a second supernatural power in its infancy, he will report it no matter how tormented his conscience is.

In the end, his conscience prevailed, and he decided to pretend he didn't know. As for what risks that woman would face in the future, that was no longer his concern.

If she's lucky enough to raise this cub discreetly in a remote area like District 50, once it grows to level four or higher, no one will dare to snatch it away easily.

Unlike weak cubs, fourth-tier mutated beasts do not easily give in. If someone tries to take it by force, it will fight back desperately, and even fifth- or sixth-tier ability users may be injured by it.

The consequence of forcibly seizing it would only be mutual destruction, and no one would be willing to do something that harms others without benefiting oneself.

Chi Zhengyang finally returned to bed. He thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he slept soundly until dawn.

He was woken up by Pei Zhongguang: "Brother Chi, wake up! Something terrible has happened!"

"What's the big deal?" Chi Zhengyang asked, still half asleep.

"That mysterious big shot has reappeared. This time he absorbed the remaining third. I saw it clearly; the pile of corpses really did shrink by a third," Pei Chongguang said.

"If you've already taken it, so be it. It'll just reduce your workload," Chi Zhengyang said calmly.

"Huh? How can you treat this matter with such a nonchalant attitude? That's a hidden, mysterious big shot, and you're not interested at all?" Pei Zhongguang exclaimed excitedly.

“I’m only interested in my own mission. Today you’re in charge of separating the last few. I’m going to the wilderness to check if those high-level mutated beasts are making any unusual moves.” Chi Zhengyang pushed away the head that was leaning towards him, washed up, and set off.

"Hey! Aren't you going to stay here and deal with all that rotting flesh and scraps? Are you trying to suffocate me?" Pei Zhongguang jumped up and down behind him.

"No time. Besides, you're wearing a gas mask, you'll be suffocated by the fumes!" Chi Zhengyang waved his hand dismissively, then took a small motorboat from his spatial storage and left.