While Loshu was studying the files of Site-CN-02's four Keter-Class anomalies, Barbie—who had just fallen asleep—was jolted awake by a phone call.
"What?! A Level-4 Hume spike at Site-CN-02?!"
The call was from Area-13. The Foundation's Kant Counter satellites had detected a reality distortion event in Beijing.
And in this region, Barbie was the only Level-4 reality bender.
If she wasn't the cause, then it had to be another uncontained reality bender!
Loshu.
Barbie's mind snapped to him instantly.
She slammed the commander summoning function on her tactical terminal.
Alarms blared across the hotel as Achilles' Heel members were roused from sleep.
Then, Barbie's furious voice crackled through their comms:
"Loshu's back! He's underground!"
Minutes later, the fully armed team assembled in the hallway.
"The Master" asked, "Boss, what's the situation?"
Barbie relayed Area-13's alert.
"The Master" turned to "White Eyes." "You sensed him earlier, didn't you?"
Caught, "White Eyes" admitted it—but quickly added excuses:
"I wasn't sure! I was half-asleep, and I couldn't see him. He was in that weird state again, like in Area-14."
Achilles' Heel had no concept of antimemetics, so his explanation made little sense.
To Barbie, Loshu was simply a Level-4+ reality bender with the ability to mask his Hume levels.
She glared at "White Eyes." "We'll deal with you later. 'Master,' what's the plan?"
"The Master" was afraid too, but Achilles' Heel's duty was clear: hunt reality benders.
Refusal meant containment in Area-13.
So they had to act.
After a moment's thought, "The Master" proposed:
"We notify Site-CN-02. Have them deploy their MTF Yi Chou-02 ('Flawed Beasts') to assist us."
Barbie's eyes lit up.
"Flawed Beasts" were humanoid anomalies—strong enough to challenge Loshu.
Using her Level-4 clearance, she woke the Site Director and Security Chief, demanding immediate action.
Minutes later, alarms wailed through Site-CN-02's underground sectors.
To the uninformed, it seemed like a Sarkic or Broken God cult invasion.
Loshu's Gambit
When the alarms sounded, Loshu was heading to B4—the Keter-Class containment zone.
He hesitated—retreat or proceed?
But it was only midnight.
His Unobservable Antimemetics had an hour left.
Giving up now would be wasteful.
Since gaining this ability, only Marion Wheeler (from the Antimemetics Division) had posed a real threat.
Even "God" (Anomaly-343) couldn't perceive him.
Not using this advantage would be stupid.
And crucially—he had an insider.
The "Bamboo Slip" AI, now his devoted believer, fed him real-time intel on Site-CN-02's movements.
If not for wanting to stay covert, he could've ordered the AI to shut down the alarms.
Stay low. Strike hard.
The flashy idiots were already in containment.
Loshu descended to B4.
At the stairwell landing, a crossroads branched toward four Keter-Class Units.
Guided by "Bamboo Slip," he took the right corridor, leading to the six male Child Laborers (Anomaly-CN-722).
The lockdown didn't stop him.
His AI disciple overrode the security, letting him waltz in unseen.
The Hunt Falters
Meanwhile, Achilles' Heel and "Flawed Beasts" scoured the site.
With "White Eyes" useless against Unobservable, they relied on handheld Kant Counters.
The devices led them to the server room.
"Here! Ambient Hume at 40! Loshu was here!"
"The Master" eyed "Bamboo Slip." "The supercomputer might be his target."
Site-CN-02's tech experts were summoned to inspect it.
But the results baffled them:
No signs of hacking. No tampering.
So what had Loshu done?
They'd never guess he'd converted the AI into a zealot.
With no further leads, the search stalled.
Loshu's individual Hume levels only spiked during active reality bending.
Otherwise, they hovered near baseline 100—undetectable remotely.
Unless they shoved a Kant Counter in his face, they'd never find him.
The Children's Wrath
As Achilles' Heel floundered, Loshu stepped into Anomaly-CN-722's Unit.
The moment he entered, six ghastly boys shrieked and lunged.
"He's an enemy of 'God'! Destroy him!"