Chapter 152: Dust Citizen ID: 12581

Good grief.

As soon as Zhou Shu made his statement, everyone present felt a chill run down their spine.

Although many people on the Lighthouse didn't actually believe in the Lord of Light and Shadow, viewing the whole thing as mere deception, the Lord of Light and Shadow was the ultimate political correctness on the Lighthouse. Therefore, no one dared to voice their skepticism openly.

Even if members of the Light and Shadow Church inquired, they would casually mutter something like "Blessed by the morning light" to signal their devotion.

Yet for Zhou Shu to utter such words right in front of so many people truly left them stunned.

For Charles, however, this presented a golden opportunity.

After the City Lord had used political correctness to shut him down earlier, Charles had been kicking himself for missing his chance. He never expected this newcomer to hand him a weakness on a silver platter.

Overjoyed, Charles began to clap, though he refrained from acting recklessly and instead followed a carefully laid plan.

"Well, well, survivor from the surface," Charles said, his voice dripping with false warmth. "Since you've just arrived at the Lighthouse, you probably don't understand what the Lord of Light and Shadow means to us. It is He who granted us safety and food, and He who brought you here from the dangerous surface. Are you certain you do not believe in Him?"

He asked this because he had already detected the utter lack of reverence in Zhou Shu's tone and demeanor; he was deliberately setting a trap for him.

Everyone else naturally caught on to his intentions, prompting Mark to quickly interject, "Zhou Shu, the Lord of Light and Shadow indeed..."

Before he could finish, Charles cut him off. "Captain Mark, since when did you become a survivor from the surface? Was I speaking to you?"

"You..."

This time, it was Mark's turn to be struck with anger and astonishment.

Ignoring Mark entirely, Charles turned his gaze back to Zhou Shu, awaiting his response.

Zhou Shu, however, remained utterly fearless. As for gods, he didn't believe in them at all; they were nothing more than slightly more powerful biological entities or civilizations.

Even regarding his transmigration, he refused to attribute it to the hand of a "god." In his view, it was either the result of some cosmic glitch or the masterwork of a super-civilization—perhaps unconscious, but certainly playing a pivotal role.

Just like right now—although this world felt remarkably real, and the plot had even begun to deviate on its own, radiating outward from his actions—this wasn't some genuine reality. It was a virtual world.

In a virtual world, what kind of damn god could possibly exist? If there was one, it was merely the "Hunter System."

Thus, Zhou Shu spoke up once again, "I am an atheist. This Lord of Light and Shadow you speak of has nothing to do with me, nor does he have any jurisdiction over me, Grand Instructor."

With that, Zhou Shu even reached out and patted Charles on the shoulder.

In truth, this Grand Instructor hadn't conjured the Lord of Light and Shadow purely from his imagination; he had genuinely "witnessed" the entity firsthand. Having been saved by it in a miraculous, superhuman fashion, he had become the very first devotee of the Lord of Light and Shadow.

As to whether that entity was human, divine, or some sort of monster, however, remains entirely unknown.

When Zhou Shu had watched the animation back then, he had been utterly bewildered as well. The entity possessed a generally humanoid form, yet its body was wrapped in mummy-like cloth strips, all concealed beneath a massive burlap robe.

Even more absurdly, it completely lacked a face, with a vast expanse of starry night sky swirling beneath its cowl.

At least from young Charles's perspective, the entity's head was nothing more than a starry cosmos—though whether that was related to Charles being terrified out of his wits and hallucinating at the time was anyone's guess.

Perhaps to the young Charles, the entity was virtually indistinguishable from a god, seeing as a mere wave of its hand had forced the monsters to retreat. Consequently, Charles had instinctively romanticized and sanctified its visage.

In Zhou Shu's eyes, however, the entity was likely nothing more than a higher-dimensional lifeform—perhaps viewable as a "god-like entity," but certainly not a "god" in the true sense of the word.

In fact, given his current state, if he were to wrap himself in cloth strips, don a large robe, and activate his life magnetic field to violently friction against Earth's magnetic field, he would similarly radiate a brilliant aura of light.

"Hahahahaha~"

Charles finally let go completely, looking around at the crowd with a booming laugh. "You all heard him! According to our laws, how should we deal with someone who blasphemes the Lord of Light and Shadow?"

"By law, they shall be sentenced to burning," the Lord of Light said solemnly.

"Hh~"

Zhou Shu suddenly let out a chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?"

That single laugh felt like a direct insult to Charles.

Of course Zhou Shu was going to laugh. This Grand Instructor had probably spent far too long cooped up on the Lighthouse, completely losing touch with what the outside world had become.

Or perhaps, having been rescued by the Lord of Light and Shadow, he genuinely fancied himself a savior.

Yet for a sheep to pronounce a wild wolf guilty sounded utterly ridiculous.

And he certainly wasn't the kind of sheep found in Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf.

For some inexplicable reason, the people standing close to Zhou Shu began to feel a creeping sense of physical discomfort. They felt the hairs on their bodies stand on end, and when they looked at Charles's golden locks, they noticed a few strands were already beginning to float slightly into the air.

Even more sensitive than them were the ornamental fish in the two large water tanks; no longer swimming around leisurely, they huddled together on the side farthest from Zhou Shu.

Before any of them could figure out what was happening, the elderly Morgan stood up once again—this time without even needing Victor to lend him a hand.

"Alright. This survivor has just arrived at the Lighthouse and hasn't adapted to its rules yet. That is entirely normal. I remember when I first led a team to the surface to scavenge supplies, I was also terrified by what I saw out there. He'll get used to it in a couple of days."

"I am old, and my body is failing me. Let us conclude today's council session here. Assign this young man according to standard reception procedures; perhaps a good night's sleep is all it will take for him to see things clearly. That is all."

Morgan delivered the final verdict. Without waiting for the others, he departed the central command hall accompanied by Victor and the guards, leaving everyone else exchanging bewildered glances.

Encountering a surface survivor again after more than twenty years should have been a momentous occasion, but after such a disruption, many plans could no longer proceed smoothly and had to revert to standard reception protocols.

In truth, Morgan had another important announcement to make today, but given the chaotic turn of events, he had chosen to drop it.

He would bring it up at the next council session instead.

Moreover, Zhou Shu's appearance might impact the matter he intended to announce—most likely in a favorable way—making it well worth the wait.

"Hmph~"

Charles flicked his sleeve and stormed off, while the Lord of Light gave Zhou Shu a single glance before following suit.

Among those who remained, anyone with no interest in Zhou Shu gradually dispersed, leaving only seven people, including Zhou Shu himself.

Mark, Ran Bing, Mo Cheng, and Jeff naturally stayed behind, while Instructor Elon remained to express his gratitude to Zhou Shu.

Based on Mark's earlier debriefing, he was well aware of the surface's deadly perils; Zhou Shu had undeniably saved Mark and his team.

Carri lingered behind, eyeing Zhou Shu up and down with glowing eyes, radiating the unmistakable aura of a mad scientist.

According to routine, Zhou Shu had to visit her laboratory for genetic testing, after which his classification—either Upper-bounder or Dust-lander—would be determined based on the computed results, along with a corresponding job assignment.

The Lighthouse did not support idlers; survival demanded labor.

"You guys chat slowly. Young man, remember to come over for your physical examination on time~"

With that parting remark, Carri gave Zhou Shu one last look before departing. That look seemed to say, "My testing table is already parched with anticipation."

That very gaze caused the formidable Zhou Shu to shudder involuntarily.

Good grief, mad scientists were truly forces to be reckoned with.

If Zhou Shu remembered correctly, this was the very woman who had preserved both her husband and daughter in specimen jars.

"I'm sorry, Zhou Shu. I didn't expect things to turn out like this," Mark said, lowering his head in genuine apology.

"It's fine. This wasn't something you could control. Disgusting people crawl out of the woodwork everywhere."

Zhou Shu made no effort to conceal his disdain for Charles—or rather, his profound contempt for anyone who casually declared others guilty.

"Come on, let's go eat! Supplies were limited on the surface, and the food wasn't great. We need to treat ourselves to a proper feast now that we're back," Mo Cheng said, clapping Zhou Shu on the shoulder.

He and Jeff had practically "shown their true colors" to Zhou Shu, and coupled with Mo Cheng's glib and sociable nature, their relationship with Zhou Shu was currently quite solid.

Under the circumstances, he was naturally the best person to liven up the atmosphere.

Indifferent to the drama, Zhou Shu cheerfully followed along to get some food.

After all, the box of compressed rations he'd eaten on the surface truly left much to be desired.

Upon arriving at the Hunters' exclusive cafeteria, every hunter who had just returned from the surface nodded in greeting to Zhou Shu, as if he weren't a newcomer, but a veteran of many years who held immense prestige.

In reality, he had only been there for half a day.

"Oh, it's nothing, no need to stand up, everyone! Eat well and drink up, Captain Mark is treating!"

Zhou Shu greeted them warmly.

The hunters who hadn't participated in the surface scavenging mission asked their comrades who had, "Is that the Zhou Shu you were talking about?"

"Yep, that's him! He's the one who saved us."

"Really? He doesn't look all that muscular to me—not even as built as I am, let alone Captain Mark. Can he really solo Dust Serpents just like you said?"

"Of course! Deputy Commander Ran Bing isn't as built as you either; could you beat her in a fight?"

"Uh, probably not."

"See? There you go. Combat prowess has no direct correlation with muscle mass."

At that moment, another hunter who had taken part in the mission chimed in, "You've got it wrong. You probably didn't see it happen, but I watched the whole thing. Zhou Shu took down three Dust Serpents simultaneously. That's a far cry from the vague description of 'solo a Dust Serpent.'"

"Whoa, seriously?"

"Of course! Would I lie to you?"

Ever since Zhou Shu stepped into the cafeteria, the ambient buzzing of voices had grown noticeably louder. Captain Mark was indeed treating Zhou Shu to a meal, eager as he was to make amends for the earlier incident.

As the commander of the Hunters, his contribution points were substantial, granting him access to a wide culinary menu. Consequently, he had ordered a lavish table full of delicious food for Zhou Shu.

Mark had intended for Zhou Shu to eat his fill, planning to pack up whatever was left for himself. Instead, Zhou Shu polished off the entire spread with ease, patted his belly, and remarked, "Not bad, the taste is decent. I'd say I'm about seventy percent full."

Mark: "..."

*Clatter~*

Ran Bing was so startled she dropped her fork.

Was that even a human appetite?

Yet upon second thought, such an appetite actually made perfect sense.

Mark ate more than anyone else and frequently drank milk, which explained why his combat strength surpassed everyone else's.

If combat prowess could be converted directly from food consumption, then Zhou Shu was undoubtedly a powerhouse capable of single-handedly decimating a pack of Dust Serpents!

After the meal, Mark and the others escorted Zhou Shu to the medical center.

They weren't merely accompanying him out of courtesy; they also required treatment for various minor injuries. Mark, for instance, despite his nimble acrobatics amidst the beast swarm, had sustained a few bumps and bruises.

Some of his more extreme tactical maneuvers had even resulted in minor sprains and compression injuries.

The others were similarly nursing various scrapes and strains.

After all, they had just emerged from a fierce battle, not a leisurely vacation.

Upon reaching the medical center, the chief administrator, Carri, greeted them in person—though her attention was squarely fixed on Zhou Shu.

She had initially intended to dispatch a regular nurse to patch up Mark and his team so she could conduct Zhou Shu's genetic test in private, but they were well aware of Carri's notorious reputation and refused to leave Zhou Shu alone with her.

Carri served as the dual head of both the medical and ecological research departments. While the medical department was self-explanatory and visible to everyone, the ecological research institute remained shrouded in mystery.

The institute studied the terrestrial environment and the Mana ecology utilizing surface samples retrieved by the Hunters. Although the institute's equipment was reasonably sophisticated, the rate at which the Mana ecology mutated far outpaced their sample collection speed.

Compounded by the fact that the Hunters' primary objective always centered on gathering supplies, the acquisition of samples remained painstakingly slow, leaving the ecological research institute perpetually starved of breakthrough progress.

Coupled with the fact that the area was strictly off-limits to ordinary personnel, it naturally fostered an air of profound mystery, leading some to suspect that Dr. Carri—overseeing both medicine and ecology—would covertly repurpose individuals deemed medically useless as subjects for various experiments and studies.

As events proved, these suspicions were hardly baseless rumors, especially since Zhou Shu had already witnessed them in the animation.

Though he guessed the underlying motives of Mark and the others for tagging along, he kept his thoughts to himself, knowing their intentions were good.

In truth, he was also curious about how his status would be classified in this world. Unlike reality, undergoing a detailed genetic scan here wouldn't expose his true secrets; any data generated would essentially be a facade, while the Hunter System remained in absolute control of his true parameters.

His test revealed that the technology of the *Ling Cage* world was indeed extraordinary. Genetic testing proved far simpler than the methods employed by the Zhenmo Division; it merely required a full-body scan followed by the extraction of a single droplet of blood.

Dr. Carri pressed a few buttons, and the remainder of the process executed automatically.

As for Zhou Shu's blood, a portion was funneled into testing equipment, while a single drop was placed under a microscope for her to inspect repeatedly.

"This blood... it defies all logic," Carri murmured, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Every single parameter exceeds normal thresholds by orders of magnitude. By all known laws of nature, you should already be dead—poisoned to death by your own blood, no less. Yet here you are, perfectly alive and well."

"Is this what an evolved human looks like? Completely irrational in every aspect, yet somehow coming together to form a coherent whole!"

"Astounding! Simply astounding! The concentration of the source of life is... it's practically boundless. With a constitution like yours, perhaps the Abyssal—never mind."

"If we could fully decode the genes within this blood, I wonder if we could manufacture more evolved humans. If that were possible, humanity's return to the surface would no longer remain a distant pipe dream."

Mark and the others stood silently amidst the dizzying array of instruments, listening to Dr. Carri's frantic soliloquy. Her speech was so rapid it sounded like the ramblings of a madwoman.

Abruptly, Carri whipped her head around toward them with a fierce intensity and demanded, "You said Zhou Shu single-handedly wiped out dozens of Dust Serpents. Is that true?"

"Of course! Zhou Shu is definitely the most formidable human we've ever seen!" Mo Cheng answered first.

Nodding in agreement, Mark added, "Indeed. Zhou Shu is the strongest individual I have ever encountered. I honestly believe he could tear apart a Heavy-Duty Mecha with his bare hands; no mecha in the world could ever stop him."

At this, Dr. Carri flashed a look of undisguised contempt. "Don't be ridiculous. The mechas you use nowadays are absolute garbage compared to—"

Mid-sentence, Dr. Carri abruptly froze as she realized the laboratory had gone dead silent. Glancing at Mark and the others, she found them all staring intently at her, waiting for her to finish her sentence.

Damn it, keeping secrets was truly exhausting.

"Ahem, never mind," she muttered, standing up to smooth out her white coat. "The scan for Zhou Shu should be finished. Once he comes out, the calculation results for his Life Formula will be ready as well."

The group responded with a collective, disdainful look.

They had caught a fragment of an unfamiliar keyword while she was muttering to herself earlier, only for her to trail off mid-sentence. Now that another opportunity had presented itself, she had once again cut herself off.

After a brief wait, Zhou Shu stepped out of the scanning chamber while straightening his clothes. Noticing everyone staring at him, he chuckled and asked, "Well? Did I make the cut for the Hunters?"

"Not yet, but we're almost there. During our mission a week from now, we'll be fighting side by side. With you joining us, Dr. Carri's ecological research can finally resume," Mark said.

"That's fantastic! I don't have a single Mana ecological sample left in my lab right now, and these old bones of mine were starting to rust," Dr. Carri declared, spinning around in her chair and crossing her arms as she gazed confidently at Zhou Shu.

"Based on my experience, your genetic strength is more than sufficient to qualify you as an Upper-bounder. Furthermore, your cellular resistance to anomalous psychological environments is exceptionally high—a mandatory trait for any Hunter. You could practically enter an ecological dense zone without wearing any protective gear whatsoever."

As she spoke, Dr. Carri grew increasingly excited, rubbing her hands together. "If we can procure samples from an ecological dense zone, our understanding of the Mana ecology will take a massive leap forward. I can hardly wait!"

"Alright, alright..."

Hearing Dr. Carri ramble on, the group crowded around the computer screen, watching a loading icon spin in circles.

After a few revolutions, Zhou Shu's profile materialized on the display.

[Basic Information]

[Rank: Dust-lander]

[Gender: Male]

[ID: 12581]

[Contribution Points: 0]

[Bone Age: 18]

[Occupation: Cleaner]

[Fingerprint]

[Appearance Data (Image)]

[QR Code]

Upon reading the profile, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. Before Zhou Shu could even utter a word, Dr. Carri shrieked in outrage, "This is impossible! How could he possibly be a Dust-lander?!"

Refusing to accept the result, she switched to a different interface and hammered away furiously at the keyboard, prompting the system to re-enter a calculation phase that climbed upward from 1%.

With that done, she retrieved a lollipop from a small iron tin, unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and frowned darkly as she stared at the creeping progress bar.

When it finally hit 100%, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles popped—only for the resulting profile to emerge identical to the last.

*Crack~*

She bit the lollipop clean in half, feeling as though the information panel was launching a direct assault on her intelligence!