After reading the file on Anomalous Item-196, Luo Shu was left deeply unsettled.
He didn't know whether the ability description in the Anomalous Item Catalog was just a joke or some kind of veiled hint.
After all, the Catalog had a playful tone, and its contents were always questionable in terms of reliability.
But if it was true… that would be terrifying.
Though he didn't want to believe it, his rational mind told him—it was real.
The Catalog might be cheeky, but it never lied about an anomaly's abilities.
This anomaly's power wasn't time travel or dimensional crossing—it was "Special Guest Appearance."
In contrast, Anomalous Item-CN-604 (The Frame-Dropped Man) he encountered at Site-CN-06 granted the ability "Dimensional Traveler (Incomplete)."
Though Luo Shu couldn't acquire either ability, the literal difference between them spoke volumes.
If Anomalous Item-196 was just a story character who had "guest-starred" in this world… then did that mean this world itself was just a story?
The thought that he might just be a fictional character nearly shattered Luo Shu's worldview.
He refused to accept that he was just a made-up persona!
He refused to believe that everything he'd experienced was just part of a narrative!
And he absolutely rejected the idea that his future was predetermined by someone else's writing!
What was the difference between that and being mentally enslaved by the Possession Mask?
At the core, both scenarios made him a puppet under someone else's control!
He'd rather live in blissful ignorance than endure this kind of existential torment.
But then again… if this really was just a story world, how could the author let a character inside become aware of it?
There had to be more to it.
To dispel the shadows in his mind, Luo Shu decided to have a proper conversation with Anomalous Item-196, hoping to uncover more of the truth.
He led Anomalous Item-196 toward the castle's main hall, making small talk along the way.
"Hey, man, I never got your name."
"I'm Jackson. You can call me Jack."
Another Jack.
Luo Shu felt a pang of nostalgia as he glanced toward the direction of the New World's capital.
He wondered how Big Beard Jack, the clone from Mobile Task Force Nu-7, was doing now.
Shaking off the sentimentality, he continued:
"I remember you said you volunteered to be a D-class? But how did you even know about the Anomalous Item Foundation?"
Setting aside Luo Shu's own memories, ordinary people in this world had no way of knowing about the Foundation.
Under those circumstances, D-class recruitment couldn't possibly be voluntary.
True volunteering meant knowing exactly what you were signing up for and the risks involved.
But in this world, the Foundation tricked or coerced death row inmates into becoming D-class. If someone like Luo Shu—who couldn't even be fooled—refused, they'd resort to force.
So based on Jack's earlier words, it was clear he knew about the Foundation. Otherwise, he would've said, "I was tricked into becoming D-class."
"Isn't the Foundation a public organization? Responsible for containing all anomalies in the world. D-class is a high-risk job, openly recruited worldwide."
"You mean 'recruited'—not 'conscripted'?" Luo Shu caught another key detail.
Recruitment implied paid employment.
Conscription implied compulsory service.
"Of course it's recruitment. Regular people who become D-class get high salaries. Prisoners who sign up get sentence reductions. I joined the Anomalous Item-052 experiment to shave five years off my sentence. Once the experiment ended, I was free."
As he spoke, Jack turned to Luo Shu with a curious expression.
"Actually, I wanted to ask you the same thing. The D-class in your world seem completely unaware of the dangers. Every one I've met seems… dazed."
That was the difference between their worlds.
Though the Foundation existed in both, their operating principles were completely opposite.
One sought to hide everything, while the other disclosed most information.
Luo Shu didn't care to judge which approach was better. He just wanted to know how much Jack knew.
"Do you know about the O5 Council and Level-6 Overseers?"
"Of course! They're the big shots! In my world, the O5 Council is like your world's United Nations. Level-6 Overseers are like the Security Council."
Now it made sense.
In Jack's world, the Anomalous Item Foundation had stepped into the open, replacing governments as the de facto rulers.
After clarifying the fundamental differences between the two worlds, Luo Shu asked the core question:
"Since you know all this, what about Anomalous Item-343—'Him'? In this world's Site-17, he's your neighbor. What's his status in your world?"
"Him? Is he special or something?" Jack looked baffled. "In my world, he's just an old fraud who calls himself 'God.'"
So it was different!
Not every anomalous world had "Him" as a Level-6 Overseer.
No—to be precise, only this world elevated "Him" to that status.
In Luo Shu's original memories, "Him" was exactly as Jack described—just a reality-bending show-off.
Maybe this was the secret "Him" wanted to hide.
The old man was ashamed that his counterparts in other worlds were losers, so he didn't want anyone to know.
But if that was all, "Him" could've just killed Jack outright.
After all, both the Anomalous Item Catalog and Jack's own words proved that the so-called "time paradox" was just a smokescreen.
Even if Anomalous Item-196 died in this world, it wouldn't collapse the future.
So why didn't "Him" kill him?
Was he afraid of retribution from a higher narrative?
Unlikely.
This Black Jack guy didn't seem like some key figure under divine protection—otherwise, there wouldn't be another version of him who died in the 1960s.
Just as Luo Shu was wrestling with this question, Jack spoke up again.
"If you're looking for special anomalies, my world has one. Anomalous Item-682, the Hard-to-Destroy Reptile. It S█Y█G█G█W█T█Y█."
Censored content again!
To be precise, it wasn't just censored—for a split second, Luo Shu couldn't even read Jack's lips.
This was an anti-memetic effect!
So Anomalous Item-682 really was something special!
Whether this world was just a lower narrative in some story or not, Luo Shu decided to keep digging until he uncovered the whole truth!
Even if this mission for answers was assigned to him by someone else, he would see it through—for his own sake!
With his resolve steeled, he decided to rescue Jack first, find him a safe place, and then head to Area-13 to visit Anomalous Item-682.