In Manhattan, inside an advertising design company brimming with creativity and anxiety, it was almost midnight. Most workstations were long empty, with only one cubicle in the corner still illuminated by a stark, white light.
Alan, a senior designer whose eyes once sparkled with passion but now only showed bloodshot weariness and numbness, was staring intently at his computer screen. The design draft displayed was so heavily marked up it was almost unrecognizable. His hair was greasy and disheveled, his face pale, and the hand holding the mouse trembled slightly.
Next to the computer lay a dozen empty coffee cups and energy drink cans, along with a crumpled and smoothed-out-countless-times document—the 47th version of revision comments.
"The overall feel isn't right; it lacks Impact."
"Can the colors be more sophisticated? Like… a vibrant black?"
"Can the Logo be enlarged and reduced at the same time?"
"What we want is a look that's immediately stylish, yet approachable; both trendy and classic; both niche and mainstream."
"Optimize it again. I want to see the final version tomorrow morning."
The demonic voice of "Manager Zhang," the client liaison, seemed to echo endlessly in his ears, intertwining with the contradictory, almost mystical revision requests on the screen, creating an indescribable form of mental pollution.
He had been working overtime for almost a month straight, sleeping less than four hours a day. All his creativity and energy had been sucked dry by these endless, meaningless revisions. He felt like a printer on the verge of breaking down, constantly spitting out rejected drafts.
The last thread of his sanity snapped completely when a chat window popped up with the message: "I think the first version was actually better, but can we incorporate the essence of the subsequent forty-six versions into the first one?"
"Hoh… hoh…" Alan's throat emitted a sound like a broken bellows. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes no longer just bloodshot, but completely transformed into a murky vortex, churning with chaotic colors and symbols! His body began to twitch and swell unnaturally, and dense, bizarre patterns, like typographic errors, appeared on his skin.
"The feel isn't right… it lacks Impact…"
"Optimize it again…"
"I want the final version!!!"
The sounds he emitted were no longer human language, but a cacophony of mental noise, a mix of countless revision comments, critical condemnations, and mystical demands! This noise, like a tangible Impact, violently spread outwards from him!
"Ohm—!!!"
The entire office area bore the brunt of it.
A programmer dozing at his desk suddenly jolted awake, his eyes instantly wild, clutching his head and screaming, "This bug can't be fixed! It'll never be fixed! The requirements changed again!!"
A female planner, who was packing up to leave, suddenly slammed the documents in her hand onto the floor and roared at an empty seat, "Your KPI! My KPI! His KPI! It's all bullshit!!"
Even the resilient pothos plant in the corner saw its leaves curl and yellow at a visible rate!
The chaos was not physical destruction, but a far more terrifying mental breakdown and cognitive pollution!
Alan, or rather, the "Client" monster he had become, slowly rose from his workstation. His body had swelled to nearly three meters tall, enveloped by a halo of irritating, thought-stifling mental noise. His twisted face bore a pathological, obsessive pursuit of "perfection." With each step, invisible mental ripples spread, plunging all living beings within range into a vortex of logical confusion and self-doubt.
[Midtown Manhattan, XX Advertising Company, detected ultra-high intensity mental pollution and cognitive distortion energy reaction! Threat level assessment: ghost-level!]
[Event type: Emotion/Cognitive Aberrant (Client), ability to release "Infinite Revision Comments" mental field, causing targets within range to experience logical collapse, mental agitation, and fall into an infinite self-negation loop. Possesses extremely strong mental contamination and domain characteristics.]
[Mission issued: Immediately proceed to subdue the "Client" monster, disrupt its mental pollution domain, and rescue trapped civilians. Mission level: ghost-level. Reward points: 500. Warning: Target threat level is high, team collaboration is recommended.]
Piercing alarms and a crimson ghost-level indicator instantly appeared on the Association Command Center's main screen and on all registered heroes' apps.
"ghost-level!" Wesley's expression changed. This was the first time since the Association's founding that a threat had been explicitly classified as ghost-level by the system! "Immediately contact Sandman Flint! Notify all heroes in Manhattan with mental resistance above C-rank to prepare for coordinated action!"
As the command was issued, Sandman Flint had already received the highest priority mission directly pushed by the system. He was testing a can of "High-Efficiency Sand Particle Interface Activator" given to him by Dr. Leo. Feeling the urgency of the mission, he immediately put down the spray can and said in a deep voice, "I'll depart immediately!"
A few minutes later, Sandman, transformed into a sandstorm, was the first to arrive at the office building where the advertising company was located. A police cordon had already been set up downstairs. Police officers attempted to enter, but those approaching the building showed clear signs of irritation, lack of concentration, and logical confusion, making effective action impossible.
"The situation inside is very bad!" Sheriff Anderson, in charge of the scene, looked at Sandman as if he had seen a savior. He suppressed the discomfort in his brain, saying, "That monster… his voice, or something, can turn people's minds into a tangled mess!"
Sandman nodded. He could feel the extremely uncomfortable mental pressure emanating from inside the building. He did not rush in rashly but waited for the coordinated personnel assigned by the Association.
Soon, two more figures arrived.
One was The Silent Heart Master, wearing a light gray uniform and a silver mask. His ability was an excellent choice for dealing with mental pollution.
The other was a newcomer, codenamed Iron Wall, whose ability was to create small-scale energy barriers, rated D+.
"Sandman, The Silent Heart Master." Iron Wall was a young man who looked a bit nervous, but he tried to maintain his composure. "My barrier should be able to somewhat isolate that mental interference."
"The plan is as follows." Sandman, as the highest-ranking hero on site, quickly issued instructions, "The Silent Heart Master, you are responsible for neutralizing and purifying the primary mental pollution. Iron Wall, you maintain the barrier around us to reduce the Impact. I will be responsible for the main attack and suppression. The goal is to subdue the core target as quickly as possible and disrupt the domain."
"Understood." The Silent Heart Master's reply was concise.
Iron Wall took a deep breath, pushed his hands forward, and a light blue, translucent energy barrier enveloped the three of them. The moment they entered the barrier, the dizzying mental noise indeed significantly weakened.
The three quickly rushed into the building.
The scene inside was even more bizarre. In the office area, the former elite White-collar workers were now like headless chickens; some frantically typed on computer screens then deleted everything, some muttered work procedures to the walls, others lay slumped on the floor with vacant eyes… everyone was trapped in a hell of "revision comments" and "deadlines."
And in the center of the area, the "Client" monster Alan stood with arms outstretched, intoxicatedly "admiring" the chaos he had created. The mental noise around him, like tangible tentacles, continuously drilled into the minds of the victims.
"Not perfect enough… never perfect enough…" he murmured in a dreamlike whisper.
Seeing Sandman and his two companions burst in, his murky eyes immediately locked onto them. The mental noise suddenly intensified, impacting Iron Wall's barrier like a tsunami!
"Are there new… drafts for review?" The monster let out a twisted laugh. "The feel isn't right! It lacks Impact! Needs major revisions!"
The powerful mental Impact caused Iron Wall's barrier to fluctuate violently. His face paled, but he gritted his teeth and held on. The Silent Heart Master immediately stepped forward, pressing his hands outward, and an invisible field of silence expanded, acting as a bulwark, stubbornly neutralizing and purifying the foul mental noise. The two invisible forces collided in the air, emitting a grating, teeth-grinding screech.
Sandman did not hesitate. In the brief opening created by The Silent Heart Master, he lunged forward! His arms instantly turned to sand, forming two giant sand fists that whistled through the air as they smashed towards the monster!
"The form is too singular! Lacks variation!" The monster shrieked, and the mental noise condensed into an invisible shield, actually blocking Sandman's heavy punches! At the same time, more mental tentacles bypassed The Silent Heart Master's force field, attempting to drill into Sandman's mind.
Sandman immediately felt a surge of intense irritation and self-doubt. The structure of his sand fists even began to destabilize. "Is my attack… really not creative enough?" A ridiculous thought flashed through his mind.
"Silence!" The Silent Heart Master let out a low cry, and a stronger silent force swept through, dispelling the distracting thoughts in Sandman's mind.
Sandman's spirits lifted, realizing he couldn't rely solely on brute force. He changed his strategy, his body suddenly exploding into countless grains of sand, enveloping the monster like smoke. At the same time, he controlled the sand particles to adhere to the monster, attempting to physically isolate him from the outside world and interfere with his energy release.
"Too much interference! Affects the main expression! Clean it up!" The monster twisted its body violently, and the mental noise erupted outwards like an Impact, shaking off many of the adhering sand particles.
Just then, Iron Wall seized the opportunity, contracting his barrier to focus protection on The Silent Heart Master, allowing him to concentrate more on combating the core mental pollution.
The Silent Heart Master closed his eyes, his entire mind immersed in controlling the silent force field. His force field was no longer passively defensive but began to actively penetrate and disintegrate the monster's chaotic mental domain, like mercury flowing across the ground. He poured his intention of pursuing "absolute stillness" back into it!
"Quiet."
"Stop."
"This is the end."
The silent intention was more powerful than any roar.
The mental noise emitted by the monster began to falter, and the fanaticism and madness on his face momentarily froze. The chaotic halo around him also began to flicker.
"No… can't stop… not the final version yet…" He struggled, but The Silent Heart Master's pure intention of "stillness" and "cessation," like a divine needle stabilizing the sea, began to stabilize this chaotic domain.
Sandman seized this fleeting opportunity! All the sand particles instantly retracted, highly compressed, and in his hand, they condensed into an unprecedented giant sand blade, shimmering with metallic luster and incredibly sharp edges! He utilized the effect of Dr. Leo's spray can, which significantly enhanced the sand particles' cohesion and energy conductivity!
"There is no final version!"
"This is it—the final draft!"
Sandman roared, his figure merging with the giant sand blade, transforming into a yellow-brown streak of light that tore through the air. In the instant the monster was distracted by The Silent Heart Master's intention and a crack appeared in his mental domain, Sandman slashed down fiercely!
"Shhh—!"
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a soft sound as if countless chaotic thoughts had been severed.
The mental noise abruptly ceased.
The chaotic halo completely dissipated.
The "Client" monster Alan's swollen body rapidly deflated like a leaky balloon, reverting to the exhausted designer, who collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Domain, dissolved.
In the office area, the employees who had been trapped in chaos awoke as if from a dream, looking around blankly. Some even began to sob softly, a sign of relaxation after extreme mental tension.
The Silent Heart Master slowly withdrew his force field, breathing lightly, his face beneath the mask somewhat pale. Iron Wall also sighed in relief, dropping the energy barrier.
Sandman looked at the giant sand blade slowly dissipating in his hand, then at the unconscious Alan and the recovering civilians, a sense of relief washing over him.
[Mission "Subdue Client Monster" completed! Reward points 500 distributed according to contribution.]
[Hero "Sandman" performed excellently; his on-site command and tactical execution were honed.]
[Hero "The Silent Heart Master" showed significant restraint against mental pollution targets, playing a huge role.]
[Hero "Iron Wall" demonstrated good teamwork, successfully fulfilling his support duties.]
[The Association's first team collaboration to tackle a ghost-level threat was successful! Teamwork experience +50.]
In the Command Center, Wesley smiled as he looked at the final report that came back. A ghost-level threat, overcome by a team! This was undoubtedly an excellent demonstration of the Association's capabilities and model!
And the discussion surrounding the appearance of the "Client" monster and its implications began to ferment online, sparking deep resonance (and fear) among countless workers.
The Association's name once again entered the public eye with a strong presence. This time, they proved that they could not only defeat physical monsters but also tackle the tough nut of mental pollution!