The Director burst in, his face stern, and loudly demanded, "Just for a promotion to the Second Energy Level, and there's already been a major blunder? Did you have to sound the war alarm because of this?"

The Chief helplessly pointed at the instrument. "We detected a Mutant invasion... He probably won't be able to hold on. We have no other choice!"

"A Mutant!" exclaimed the Director. The Chief's face turned pale as he said, "Director, Chen Gu prepared a large amount of resources for this promotion."

After the Chief explained what Chen Gu had prepared, even the Director took a sharp intake of breath. This kid is so rich...

The Chief shook his head. "He prepared so many good things. His level after promotion will far exceed those of his peers, but if he falls into mutation, the harm caused would also be very substantial. I suggest you immediately send out a distress signal and report to the General Bureau."

The Director was, of course, reluctant to do so, as it amounted to admitting the branch's incompetence. However, he was also very clear on the massive harm Chen Gu's mutation could cause. He felt extremely helpless. How could assisting with a simple promotion leave us in such a passive situation?

"Alright then," he sighed, sending out a distress signal to the other branches in the cities of Witch Star and also reporting the situation here to the General Bureau.

BEEP—

The phone rang. Qing Ruyan, seeing it was the Director-General, hastily answered, "Director-General."

Aviloya's voice had a stern and icy edge. "Chen Gu went to Witch Star for promotion to the Second Energy Level. Why didn't you report such an important matter to me?"

Qing Ruyan felt a jolt of anxiety and quickly defended herself, "Wuzhaoyin City sent Chen Gu's promotion application to the General Bureau. I thought you knew..."

Actually, she was well aware that applications of this level would never reach the Director-General. The departments below could handle them.

Aviloya snorted. Shortly after, a report came through, and Aviloya hung up the phone.

Qing Ruyan opened the report, and her complexion drastically changed. "This, this, this... It's just the Second Energy Level! Why would a Mutant come and interfere?"

Then her concern intensified. "That kid... It's highly unlikely he can withstand a Mutant's seductive core-corruption. He-he's in danger!"

In that mysterious space, Chen Gu faced the Mutant, an amalgamation of numerous evil entities. He felt every cell in his body being severely affected, undergoing uncontrollable transformations!

Damn it! he cursed silently. I'm just a minor character at the Second Energy Level, yet you, a formidable Mutant, a second-tier existence from the Endless Realm, personally come to mess with me. It's beneath you...

The Mutant floated closer, unhurriedly. Chen Gu wanted to dodge, but his body didn't respond; he was pinned in place by some mysterious force.

As the Mutant approached, the mutation on his body accelerated rapidly.

He watched his body being "assimilated" by the Mutant, grotesque and vile entities appearing on him.

Moreover, Chen Gu could feel that this Mutant could see through the fear in his heart, and it was using precisely this fear. The more intense his fear, the faster the mutation process!

The enemy emitted a special sort of radiation—not the nuclear kind that Chen Gu possessed, but an "energy radiation" filled with madness, evil, and mutagenic components.

Chen Gu continually resisted this fear, bolstering his own courage, but to little avail. His mutation continued unabated.

The Mutant had now approached to within tens of meters of him.

At this moment, Chen Gu could clearly see how immense the Mutant was: like a planet!

Next to it, Chen Gu seemed utterly insignificant, truly like a speck of dust.

The Mutant emitted a strange laugh that somehow burrowed into Chen Gu's mind, causing his brain to mutate rapidly as well.

This won't do, Chen Gu suddenly realized with clarity. Encouraging oneself and hoping to be brave cannot stop the Mutant. Bravery is bravery, fear is fear. It's not that bravery means the absence of fear; bravery simply enables you to confront fear.

On Witch Star, squads of special forces quickly arrived in Manjiangluo City; they were reinforcements from other cities.

The General Bureau was also troubled, temporarily reassigning a Third Energy Level professional from a nearby planet.

However, considering Chen Gu's past accomplishments, if he advanced to the Second Energy Level and then became corrupted and fell, a Third Energy Level professional might not be able to suppress him.

"No, we need at least a Fourth Energy Level professional!"

But Fourth Energy Level professionals weren't cabbages, to be simply plucked when needed.

In the end, they found a Fourth Energy Level professional capable of providing support two star systems away and ordered him to depart immediately, rushing to Witch Star at maximum speed!

Chen Gu stopped denying his fear. He faced the Mutant head-on and said, "I am very afraid."

"You come from the Endless Realm, the greatest threat to all professionals."

"The entire career of a professional is, in fact, a process of combating you."

"But I can face this fear—because my fear does not come from you, but from within myself."

"It stems from my fear of my own corruption and mutation."

"It is myself I fear, not you!"

"You've conflated these two fears. But now that I've distinguished them, I won't fear you. You can no longer draw strength from my fear!"

Chen Gu spoke these last words loudly, with resolute and powerful certainty. The Mutant in front of him quivered. Its approach towards Chen Gu halted, as if a colossal ship nearing the shore had suddenly stopped.

This created unique ripples and fluctuations in the surrounding space.

Chen Gu saw that the Mutant growths on his body were still developing; they seemed not to have improved. But he firmly believed, This is how it must be!

After a while, these mutations finally began to slow down and eventually stopped.

After halting, the mutated parts began to slowly revert to normal!

The Mutant seemed unwilling to give up the prize so nearly in its grasp. It stayed in place, reluctant to retreat, attempting to use its radiation to continue contaminating Chen Gu. However, Chen Gu remained unshaken. He was very knowledgeable about radiation and had many methods to resist or evade it.

The mutation did not continue, and Chen Gu steadily recovered. The Mutant let out a roar of frustration, causing the entire space to tremble as spatial ripples surged.

Despite being extremely reluctant and enraged, the Mutant knew it had failed this time. Its body, vast as a star, shrunk rapidly, eventually reverting to the appearance of an apple covered in long hair. Then it spun in place and disappeared.

After its departure, the Mutant growths on Chen Gu's body reverted even more swiftly.

Chen Gu quietly heaved a sigh of relief.

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