"—Intruders! Protect company property!"

On the street, the manager-like Corrupter screamed at the top of his lungs.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. The sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from the adjacent company building. A squad of security guard Corrupters trotted out, every one of them menacing. They wielded police batons or machetes, and their bodies were disfigured to varying degrees. The most mutated among them already possessed Extraordinary Abilities; high-voltage electricity coiled around his body, and the electric baton in his hand crackled loudly.

POP!

Suddenly, there was a soft pop, as insignificant as a bursting bubble.

The electric baton Corrupter’s head exploded like a watermelon, splattering viscous, yellowish-green liquid everywhere. Its headless corpse fell backward, crashing into the Corrupter behind it. Caught off guard, that Corrupter was knocked over, who in turn fell back and struck the one behind him. It created a domino effect, toppling a line of seven or eight security guard Corrupters.

The powerful high-voltage current instantly arced between them. ZZZT! With a brilliant flash of light, the security guard Corrupters went rigid. They fell to the ground in a disorderly heap, their bodies bursting into flames. Half the squad was dead before they could even act.

Zhou Chen raised his pistol, which was fitted with an Alchemy Matrix, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. Specially crafted Alchemy Bullets flew out, and every single shot found its mark, wiping out the entire security team.

’Since I’ve been discovered, I might as well strike first!’

"How dare you destroy company property!"

The manager scrambled behind cover. Staring at the headless security guards on the ground, he ground his teeth and screamed, "Legal! Where’s the legal department? Get out here and sue him into the ground! I’ll make sure he’s bankrupted!"

’What in the world?’ Zhou Chen froze for a second. He then saw a plume of black smoke rise from the ground, from which several pale, expressionless lawyers emerged. They were both male and female, and their mutations didn’t seem particularly severe, as they still retained most of their human features.

But they exuded a chilling indifference and ruthlessness, like machines built for litigation.

’Whether it was the employees, the security guards, or the manager, despite being fallen and corrupted, you could still see a shadow of their former humanity. But there was nothing like that in these lawyers. It just proved the old saying: study too much law, and you lose your humanity.’

’They didn’t have much humanity to begin with; getting corrupted just naturally turned them into cold, ruthless litigation machines.’

"For illegal trespassing on company property, the sentence is ten years’ imprisonment."

"For the intentional injury of company employees, the sentence is ten years’ imprisonment."

"For the intentional murder of company employees, the sentence is twenty years’ imprisonment."

"For the willful destruction of company property, the sentence is fifty years’ imprisonment."

"For interfering with normal business operations and causing immeasurable damages, the sentence is one hundred years’ imprisonment, with Deprivation of all assets to compensate for the company’s losses."

The lawyers pronounced their sentences one by one. Their attitudes were cold, unyielding, and haughty, making them seem less like lawyers and more like judges.

A judgment, densely inscribed with his crimes, materialized out of thin air before Zhou Chen. Without a second thought, he summoned the Sword of Law and slashed at it, shattering the document into a thousand pieces.

"They’re all yours." Zhou Chen glanced at the Plague Doctor. ’Best to let a professional handle this.’

The Plague Doctor nodded and stepped forward, holding aloft the Sin Judgment Scale.

As the Rule took effect, he began to list the crimes the lawyers had committed: "Assault, murder, tax evasion, wrongful convictions, bribery, obstruction of justice, fabricating evidence, perjury..."

As he finished speaking, phantoms of the lawyer Corrupters appeared on the Sin Judgment Scale. The weight of their sins pressed one side of the scale all the way down. Thus, the Judgment was passed.

—The guilty shall die.

POP! POP! POP! The bodies of the lawyer Corrupters burst like balloons, sending a spray of blood into the air.

In a battle within the same Realm, the side that controls the Rule holds an overwhelming advantage.

The Plague Doctor didn’t spare the manager Corrupter, either. He used the Sin Judgment Scale to pass judgment, and the final verdict was immediate death.

"No, my project isn’t finished!" the manager Corrupter screamed in terror. Then his expression froze, his head lolled to one side, and he died.

The employee Corrupters from earlier had already fled into the building. The street was now empty, not a soul in sight, but the annoying alarm continued to blare. Zhou Chen sent Brady to find and destroy the alarm, and a few seconds later, the wailing stopped.

With the sudden threat dealt with, the group of six prepared to move on. But just then, a powerful presence emerged, and they all instantly went on high alert.

"How dare you kill my employees!"

A man in a suit emerged from a swirling blood mist, his eyes sinister. "They were my assets, my money-making tools! By killing them, you have violated my rights and stolen my wealth!

Salvation Army, how are your actions any different from a common robber’s?"

The CEO of Shengqiang Group roared in fury, "Since you destroyed my money-making tools, you can take their place as my slaves for life! I’ll have you work overtime for all eternity, working every single minute of every single day, with no rest and no pay! I will squeeze every last drop of value out of you!"

A terrifying Dark Essence Fluctuation spread out, and the contamination level displayed on their wristwatches skyrocketed. A sudden, frantic desire to work surged through Ah Man and Ted, whose Spiritual Power was weaker. They couldn’t stop themselves from lifting their feet and walking toward the company’s main gate.

"Come, come! Become permanent employees of Shengqiang Group!" The CEO spread his arms, threw his head back, and laughed. "You’re all Ascenders! You’ll surely generate dozens of times more value than my original team!"

Ah Man and Ted, gradually succumbing to the mental contamination, began to slowly walk toward the company, muttering a stream of words that made Zhou Chen, a civil servant, shudder: "Work... project... business... synergy... wolf culture... voluntary overtime..."

’Eva, brainwash this guy for me!’

[Wish Value -1000]

The CEO froze. His fierce, sinister eyes immediately turned clear and resolute. He executed a perfect ninety-degree bow toward Zhou Chen. "Boss, I was wrong just now. My sincerest apologies. From now on, I am your money-making machine!"

’Brainwashed...’ The Plague Doctor glanced at Ah Man and Ted, who were gradually shaking off the effects of the mental contamination.

"We’re heading to the city center. Do you have any advice?" Zhou Chen asked.

"The city center..." The Shengqiang Group CEO turned to face the city’s core, a flicker of fear crossing his face. "Shortly after the Capital fell to corruption, I tried to flee to the city center for protection. But the government activated a protective Barrier and deployed a secret weapon. They began a massive slaughter of their own citizens to stop anyone else from getting in. I was lucky enough to escape the massacre, but I was corrupted not long after. After my corruption... I feel fantastic. I’m several times stronger than I was as a human. I can make even more money now."

’So the government activated a protective Barrier in the city center...’ A thought struck Zhou Chen. ’If they have enough power, the government could hold out in the Abyss for a very long time. But that makes it even more difficult for us to get into the city center.’

"This whole place has turned into the Abyss," Ted asked curiously. "What’s the point of earning more money?"

"Meaning?" the CEO said. "Does making money need a meaning? I just like the feeling of making money."

"Most Corrupters are like this," Zhou Chen explained. "They’re driven by a single, unshakable obsession. You can’t judge them by human standards."

He then turned to the Plague Doctor, his voice growing serious. "If the government’s Barrier is still up, our path forward is going to be extremely difficult."

The Abyss is the embodiment of death, decay, Darkness, and depravity. Any light that appears within it becomes an undeniable beacon, drawing the monsters that lurk in the shadows. It’s like leaving a piece of savory, succulent, fragrant roasted meat out in the open—countless starving beasts will swarm it.

It went without saying that the Barrier must be under constant assault by an army of Corrupters.

To reach the city center, they would have to cross a veritable ocean of Corrupters, and then somehow get through the Barrier. And even if they managed to get inside after a Herculean effort, they might just end up being attacked by the government.

’But then again, the mission is already Hell Level difficulty,’ he thought. ’What’s a little more on top of that?’

Zhou Chen stroked his chin as a bold idea began to form.

"Maybe... we can disguise ourselves as Corrupters, blend in with their army, and use the opportunity to get close to the Barrier."

"Disguise ourselves as Corrupters?" the Plague Doctor asked. "How? We’re not carrying a simulation Matrix."

"Have you ever heard of controlled corruption?"

"That’s far too dangerous," the Plague Doctor said, shaking his head. "Mastering a skill like that requires an immense resistance to Abyssal Contamination. The slightest mistake would lead to permanent corruption, and we don’t have that kind of resistance. It’s a dangerously self-destructive act that shouldn’t even be considered."

"I can do it,"

Zhou Chen said. "My Ability is special, so I’ve mastered controlled corruption. What if I infiltrate them by myself?"

"It’s too dangerous for you to go alone."

"It’s fine. I can pull off a perfect disguise."

Zhou Chen glanced at his wristwatch, noting the pressing time. "Besides, time waits for no one."