"Those things aren't particularly dangerous—just a little filthy. They're formed from complex materials and chemical elements drawn in by the disruption of a shattered magnetic field. At their core, they belong to the physical world."
"These derivatives are non-toxic, non-contagious, and have no lasting harmful effects. They just look scary."
Dongfang Zhiyuan wasn't from a technological civilization, yet he clearly understood technology. He explained everything in terms Mike could grasp.
Mike frowned. "But… what if the real person never shows up?"
"Then can these things keep impersonating them indefinitely? Or worse—would they try to kill the original?"
"Kill the original?" Dongfang Zhiyuan chuckled. "Possible, but unlikely."
He took a slow drag of his cigarette and exhaled before continuing, "Kid, your comprehension skills could use some work. Think carefully about what I just said. A Mindstealer doesn't know it's fake. It isn't even aware of the original's existence—it believes it is the original."
"The planet's magnetic field records every event, and since Mindstealers manipulate that very field, they can access much of their host's memories."
"That's why their disguises are almost flawless. But it's also why they can't tell the difference themselves. As long as the person they're mimicking isn't a violent killer, they'll act exactly like the original—same habits, same speech, same mannerisms."
Mike felt a chill creep down his spine. "And if the real one never returns?"
"Then the Mindstealer's self-perception deepens over time. Eventually, even if the real one stands right in front of them, they won't recognize them as the original. Instead, they'll see them as an impostor."
Dongfang Zhiyuan's voice turned somber. "At that stage, if left unchecked, the Mindstealer enters the Heartsteal phase. It will manipulate the magnetic field to alter the original's very existence, forcing them into Self-Dissolution."
He tapped his cigarette, watching the ash fall. "To put it in simpler terms—when that happens, the real one's soul dies. And the Mindstealer achieves true replacement."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Jiang Xiaoci murmured, voice barely above a whisper, "What a terrifying creature..."
She turned to Dongfang Zhiyuan, her expression grim. "Sir, how long does this replacement process take?"
"Slowest? Two weeks. Fastest? Three or four days. There are rare cases where it happens within hours, but those are uncommon."
Dongfang Zhiyuan coughed and added, "In the end, these things are just byproducts of a planet-wide magnetic shift caused by the expansion of Ghost Fog. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things."
"To be precise, this is just the appetizer of the Third Doomsday."
His eyes flickered toward Mike, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "Getting nervous?"
Mike took a steadying breath. "A little."
But he didn't let the fear show. Instead, he straightened and asked, "Sir, is there a reliable way to identify a Mindstealer? Something ordinary people can use?"
Dongfang Zhiyuan nodded. "That's the real issue. If Mindstealers replace enough people, they'll shake the very foundation of human survival. Worse still, given time, they will figure out they're not actually human. And when that happens, things will get even messier."
He gave Mike a knowing glance. "Since you can't solve this alone, I'll help."
Mike's expression brightened. He quickly bowed his head, listening intently. "Thank you, sir!"
"You sure are polite when you need something."
Dongfang Zhiyuan smirked but seemed to approve.
An hour later, Mike had absorbed everything he needed to know about large-scale Mindstealer detection.
Now came the hard part—implementing it.
"Lin Yue, memorize what the old man said. Get out there and brief the soldiers. Then go door-to-door and spread the word."
"Three key points:"
"First, Mindstealers lack system interfaces or digital records, meaning survivors with perception-based abilities can spot them."
"Second, during early stages, Mindstealers cannot consume large amounts of human food. Overeating will trigger vomiting, facial distortions, and erratic speech."
"And third—and this is the most crucial—Mindstealers cannot process the original person's full name."
Dongfang Zhiyuan had emphasized this last point: hearing the original's full name too often in a short span would distort their self-awareness, leading to confusion and instability.
Mike intended to use this flaw against them—launching a community-wide campaign to encourage survivors to address each other by full names.
Meanwhile, he assigned Lin Yue to relay public handling measures for ordinary civilians.
"The most important thing for non-combatants is overcoming fear. Mindstealers have no physical advantages over humans—if you aren't scared, you can fight back."
"Just don't flinch. Stand your ground. And hit them first."
It was simple, brutal, and effective.
Mike admired how practical Dongfang Zhiyuan's solutions were. They were direct, easy to execute, and, most importantly, worked even for people without supernatural abilities.
As for those with special abilities?
Mike wasn't worried.
Mindstealers could copy a person's looks, voice, and habits—but they couldn't copy their unique skills or talents.
For example, if one tried to impersonate Chen Dapeng, it might mimic his aggressive attitude—but it wouldn't inherit his actual combat prowess.
Which meant…
It would die a humiliating death the moment it picked a fight.
"Mike… I understand. And… sorry. I was wrong."
Lin Yue hesitated before forcing herself to say, "Mike, I'll go inform the survivors now."
Mike had insisted: "From now on, everyone close to me must use my full name. I need to lead by example."
Lin Yue, having called him "Commander" for months, struggled with the shift. It felt oddly disrespectful to her.
Still, she obeyed and left to spread the message.
Mike then turned to Jiang Xiaoci. "As for communications beyond the district…"
Jiang Xiaoci shook her head. "It's unreliable. The Ghost Fog disrupts signals by interfering with magnetic fields. We can barely reach the next few streets, let alone another city."
"Then we'll send the mages."
Mike nodded. "Mindstealers can't use magic, making them easy to expose. And since magic has a suppressing effect on the Fog, they'll be our best bet for spreading orders."
"Assign the mages to deliver directives in Nanjing. Let them handle resource allocation. As for Xin Chang… send Chen Dapeng. His Defenders will handle the Mindstealer purge and resource distribution."
"And put together a research task force. Wang Shi will lead it—we need to study both the Fog and the Mindstealers ASAP."
Mike turned to Dongfang Zhiyuan. "Of course, if the research team hits a dead end, I know you'll have our backs, sir."
The old man smirked through a veil of smoke. "Mike, you don't have to remind me. I'll handle the real threats. But don't come running to me for every little problem."
"I wouldn't dream of it." Mike grinned. "You don't play your trump card at the start of the game."
"Good. You're learning."
As Dongfang Zhiyuan leaned back on the bed, Mike hesitated before asking—
"Sir… do you know where Wang Daniu is?"