When the six child laborers lunged at him, Loshu was genuinely startled.
Being ambushed by a Keter-class anomaly would unsettle anyone.
And Anomaly-CN-722 was particularly dangerous—so much so that Site-CN-02 had a nuclear warhead prepped for them.
Speaking of which, Loshu once again questioned the Chinese branch's judgment.
You're seriously keeping a nuke in Beijing?
Couldn't they contain something this hazardous in a remote mountain or the middle of the ocean instead of the nation's political and cultural heart?
But never mind that.
With the "Bamboo Slip" AI as his inside man, Loshu ensured no nukes would be launched.
Normally, Site-CN-02's monitoring team kept 24/7 surveillance on the children.
But thanks to his AI disciple, the feeds now showed peaceful slumber—no anomalies detected.
Loshu's original plan was to sneak close and negotiate—using persuasion, self-deception, mental enslavement, or charisma.
But the children's instant hostility ruined that.
Now, it wasn't about recruiting them—it was about survival.
He checked his status: still Unobservable.
So why could they sense him?
Even "God" (Anomaly-343), who resurrected them, couldn't perceive him in this state.
Loshu teleported behind the youngest child—a nine-year-old boy barely chest-high.
"God" really has no limits, using kids like this.
The sudden shift left the children confused, their unfocused eyes darting around.
Then Loshu realized:
Unobservable wasn't failing.
The children had another way to detect him.
Their first words proved it:
"He's an enemy of 'God'!"
Clearly, "God" had marked him—and the children could track that mark.
Official files hinted that Anomaly-CN-722 served as "God's" enforcers, eliminating hostile anomalies.
They'd already collected remains of 14 anomalies, which Anomaly-CN-722-5 called "food and toys for 'God.'"
But why didn't "God" act directly?
Two reasons:
His power is restrained.
As a self-suppressed Level 5, using full strength could collapse reality.
Loshu suspected the entire planet was under SRA (Scranton Reality Anchor) suppression, capping reality benders at one tier lower.
That's why Barbie (Level 4) felt like Vlam-tier, not Keneq.
Even Level 3s like "Cupid" were weaker than ACS definitions suggested.
"God" maintains a benevolent facade.
At Site-17, he plays the wise mentor, avoiding violence.
Dirty work is delegated—like sending SCP-053, SCP-096, SCP-165, or SCP-940 after Loshu.
The Experiment
Loshu confirmed: "God" had tagged him.
The children felt the mark, not saw him.
Now, with him teleporting unpredictably, they were blind.
Time for the next step.
Looking at the six children, Loshu decided to test a theory.
Could he sever their link to "God"?
He activated Martyr's Radiance, flooding the room with golden light.
The children shrieked, clutching their heads.
One whimpered, "'God'... can't hear us!"
Success.
The radiance disrupted their connection.
Now, Loshu could try conversion.
He knelt, meeting the youngest's eyes.
"Your 'God' abandoned you. But I won't."
The boy trembled.
Then—his pupils dilated.
A faint glow flickered in them.
Loshu smirked.
Got you.