[Item Number: C-220.
Item Name: Bloodthirsty Chainsaw.
Item Level: C-Level.
Description: The original form of C-220 was an EV3000 model chainsaw produced by the American Steel Manufacturing Company. This chainsaw features a classic orange-and-yellow color scheme, fine craftsmanship, and a sturdy, durable design. It is powerfully built, capable of sawing through wood and bone as if they were tofu, and was once a bestseller worldwide.
In the year 178 of the New Calendar, the once-infamous chainsaw-wielding serial killer, Thompson, appeared. In the days that followed, he used this chainsaw to murder one hundred and thirty-three people.
Two years later, Thompson had become an Ascender. At 23:47 on July 26, 180 NC, he was caught attempting to commit a crime in Sedley by a patrol team. He fled hastily amidst a hail of gunfire. By the time Operators tracked him to his hideout, they found Thompson had already died from his grievous injuries. The Extraordinary Essence within his body overflowed and merged with the chainsaw, causing it to transform into a Forbidden Object.
Testing has revealed C-220 to be extremely durable, remaining completely undamaged after being subjected to rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and the destructive power of Forbidden Object █-███.
C-220's cutting power has been greatly enhanced, allowing it to easily slice through special alloys as well as the skin, muscle, and bone of Tier Two Abyssal Creatures.
Additionally, wounds inflicted by the chainsaw cause a tearing and bleeding effect. It does not require maintenance to maintain its sharpness.
C-220 is no longer powered by fuel but by Essence. When activated, it forces the user into a cold, bloodthirsty state. The user must remain vigilant to avoid having their mind affected.
C-220 will attack anyone other than the user who holds its handle. Its method of attack is to latch onto the hand and drain blood until none is left. Therefore, without the ability to break free, gripping the chainsaw's handle means certain death.
Containment Procedure: To complete containment, one must remain conscious after C-220 has drained 3500ml of blood from their body. If consciousness is lost, C-220 will drain the individual completely dry.
Side Effects: The bloodthirsty state will affect the user's mind to a certain degree. It is recommended to undergo psychological therapy periodically. Those with strong mental fortitude need not be concerned.
Last Sighting: August 7, 234 NC, as the weapon of the vice president of the American Chainsaw Murder Association.
Latest Revision: September 20, 234 NC. C-220 appeared in Jinzhu City and is now contained by intern Operator ██ of the Golden Bamboo Star Association's Special Operations Team.
Revised by: ██
Revision Time: 03:05, September 20, 234 NC.]
After reading the document, Zhou Chen stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment, his eyes falling on the chainsaw by his bed.
'This thing really is vicious!'
The blood in an average adult human body accounts for about 7-8% of their total body weight. The heavier a person is, the more blood they have, and conversely, a lighter person will have a correspondingly smaller total blood volume.
An adult weighing around 70kg has about 5000ml of blood. Containing the chainsaw requires "feeding" it around 3500ml of blood, which is 70% of the body's total supply...
Under normal circumstances, blood loss of 20-30% will induce hypovolemic shock in an average adult. Without immediate medical treatment, their life would be in danger.
Blood loss exceeding 50% will almost certainly result in death.
Losing 70% of one's blood... Not even an Ascender's constitution could withstand being drained like that.
And this chainsaw didn't drink blood delicately like it was savoring a fine wine; it gulped it down like a ravenous gluttonous demon, capable of draining nearly a thousand milliliters in an instant.
Even preparing blood bags in advance would be useless. The chainsaw would drain a person dry long before enough blood could be transfused into their body.
Therefore, the fact that he'd managed to contain C-220 was undoubtedly mind-boggling and destined to attract a lot of attention—
—'Xi Feng lost so many people, including two Ascenders, and still failed to contain it. They eventually had to sell it off. So how did you manage to contain it so easily? You got some secrets on you, little buddy? Stand still and let me take a look...'
In reality, Zhou Chen had already prepared a response and an excuse for any investigation—his Extraordinary Ability.
Since his ability could temporarily stop the chainsaw from draining blood, he figured he could spin some bullshit about how his flames scared the chainsaw, and it just sort of... let him contain it. It seemed plausible enough. After all, he was the only one there.
Plus, with his special ability and the fact that he was Jiang Che's subordinate, the matter would probably be brushed aside after some routine paperwork.
But he never expected that, thanks to Jiang Che's maneuvering, the matter was concluded without even going through the motions. Jiang Che herself hadn't asked a single question and had simply handed C-220 over to him.
'So this is how awesome it is to have a good boss!'
After singing praises to his convenient new boss in his head, Zhou Chen looked at the chainsaw and felt a headache coming on.
Although this thing possessed immense destructive power and was an item countless Ascenders dreamed of, a serious problem now lay before him—
—How was he supposed to carry it around?
Unlike the Wish Bottle, C-220 couldn't dissolve into pure Essence and merge with his Soul. This thing had a physical form, meaning he had to carry it with him wherever he went.
But it was a chainsaw!
If he walked around with a chainsaw all day, he'd definitely be mistaken for a member of that American Chainsaw Murder Association. It would also seriously interfere with his daily life. Most importantly, it was a hassle. A huge hassle.
'Aren't there any Storage Rings like in the novels?' Zhou Chen wondered wistfully.
Just then, a knock sounded on the hospital room door.
"Who is it?"
The person outside turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Yang walked in carrying a fruit basket, chewing bubble gum with a listless look on his face. He placed the basket on the nightstand, casually pulled over a chair, and sat down. "Came to see you. How are you resting?"
"Drained my Essence. Got a headache."
"That's normal. You should systematically learn Meditation later; it helps with the aftereffects of overexertion. In our line of work, we're always draining our Essence." Yang noticed the special tablet on the bed and looked a little surprised. "Jiang Che was here?"
"What about it?" Zhou Chen didn't understand.
"She's swamped right now, but she still found time to drop by. Looks like she really values you." Yang clicked his tongue in amazement, spat his bubble gum into the trash can, and grabbed an orange from the fruit basket. He continued speaking as he peeled it, "Half an hour after we left, she sent people to arrest everyone involved. They spent four or five hours interrogating them.
A few of the bosses and company heads in there must have gotten instructions from some big shots behind the scenes to cause trouble for Jiang Che. They refused to cooperate with the investigation, making all sorts of excuses to shirk responsibility. In the end, she issued a judgment against them directly for smuggling and colluding with the Abyss Church.
—The death penalty."
Yang broke off a piece of the orange and popped it in his mouth, sighing. "You should have seen it. After those blind fools were dragged away, the remaining bigwigs—all top dogs in Jinzhu—were so scared their faces turned white. They were like meek little grandsons in front of her, agreeing to whatever she said. She could have cut them to the bone and they wouldn't have dared say 'no.' In the end, they tearfully handed over a trove of priceless information."
"Uh... the death penalty, just like that?" Zhou Chen was a little frightened. "Won't that make her enemies?"
"Those people's hands weren't clean to begin with. They naively thought their backers could protect them, not realizing they were just disposable pawns sent to test the waters. Once they're dead, they're dead. Few people will care.
As for making enemies... you have to understand, there's no high-level position where you don't make enemies, especially not the Head of the Special Operations Team."
Yang finished the orange, plucked a banana from the basket, and started peeling it nonchalantly. "Besides, you think she's just killing them? Wrong. It's kill one group, intimidate another, and win over a third.
After this, she'll probably be able to establish a firm foothold in Jinzhu."
Zhou Chen grew thoughtful. 'If my boss is about to make it big, doesn't that mean I can at least get a few scraps?'
Seeing his expression, Yang knew exactly what he was thinking and mercilessly crushed his fantasy. "What are you dreaming about? What does her success have to do with you? As a veteran tool, let me remind you—
—remember that you're just a tool. You take the blame, you do the dirty work, and the credit all goes to the boss. That's the life of a tool.
She's nice to you only because she wants you to work your ass off for her. She'll probably only let you have a taste when she's in a good mood."
It wasn't that Zhou Chen didn't understand all this. He sighed helplessly. "I don't have a choice..."
'Where else am I supposed to find a way to repair my Soul?'
'If I rely solely on the Wish Bottle, it'll take forever and a day to save up enough wish value.'
Yang shrugged. He could roughly guess why Zhou Chen was working for Jiang Che.
'Everyone's out here trying to get by. Who doesn't have their own hardships these days?'
"Speaking of which, she just gave that thing to you?" Yang pointed at the chainsaw.
"Yeah." Zhou Chen nodded.
"Tsk, she's pretty good to her subordinates. Makes me want to switch teams. I've worked under that old bastard for so long and haven't even gotten my hands on a single Forbidden Object. I haven't even finished paying off my loan." Yang took a vicious bite of an apple.
Zhou Chen looked at the fruit basket, which was now half-empty, and was speechless.
'Dude, if you didn't want to bring a gift, you didn't have to.'
"Oh, right. Remember to list that Fire Slave Crystal of yours on the trading platform. The Alchemy Association recently developed a new kind of energy potion, and Fire Slave Crystals are one of the required ingredients. You could make a killing off it," Yang reminded him.
Zhou Chen froze. "The what now?"
"How are you so clueless? You don't know about the Alchemy Association?" Yang raised an eyebrow.
"No... a potion? That thing can be used to make potions?" Zhou Chen was utterly shocked.
Fire Slaves are Abyssal Creatures. Using the Crystal Core of an Abyssal Creature to brew a potion... aren't you afraid of being poisoned or infected on the spot?
"Alchemy. It's a marvelous thing, isn't it?"
Speaking of this, Yang's listlessness vanished, replaced by an animated expression. "Actually, it's not just potions. Those Alchemists have cooked up a lot of other interesting things..."
"Stop, stop, hold on! I'm still a kid. I don't want to hear about that filthy stuff."
Zhou Chen quickly cut Yang off, then fell into contemplation.
Just as Yang thought he was pondering some important issue, Zhou Chen spoke, his voice ringing out as he asked:
"What's Alchemy?"