452: Anomaly, stemming from a fake human terrorist attack.

The voice came to an abrupt halt at this point.

Once again, the scene fell into a brief silence.

However, this silence was less confused than before and more eerie—so eerie that it caused an inexplicable panic in one's heart.

Below the stage, reporters from all over the world found their hair standing on end for some reason upon hearing those words.

Previously, the topic of Pseudo-humans had sparked countless speculations and doubts internationally; now, Russia was the first to provide specific characteristics in an official state capacity.

The credibility of a national statement was naturally beyond doubt.

If things were truly as the Russian Spokesperson said, then there was indeed some hope for everyone to distinguish the movements of the Pseudo-humans from within a crowd.

Several figures in the audience subconsciously lowered their heads the moment they heard Mikhail's words.

Just as Mikhail had described on stage, vertical pupils flashed across their eyes for a fleeting moment!

Had 40035's mission failed?

He hadn't completed the identity replacement of the target within the allotted time?!

The same thought flashed through the minds of several Pseudo-humans hidden in the crowd, their palms involuntarily clenching.

According to the orders issued to them by the organization.

40035 was supposed to control that human's identity at today's global press conference and provide a direct response to humanity.

But looking at his performance just now, he had actually exposed the Pseudo-humans' secrets without reservation.

While this secret wasn't the most fatal for the Pseudo-humans, it still had an impact that couldn't be underestimated. At the very least, it gave humans another way to find them besides Gene Testing.

40035 clearly hadn't been replaced!

If this guy's identity replacement plan failed, it meant those hidden among the reporters needed to take action.

Otherwise, if they allowed humanity to declare war without resisting, what awaited them would be an even more aggressive encirclement and purge.

By then, it wouldn't just be a few or a dozen people being dragged out.

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken.

The Impostor race hidden among humans would likely be uprooted then. The consequences would be unimaginable!

They couldn't passively wait to be captured; striking first was their only chance.

However, before these hidden figures could act...

Mikhail, standing at the press conference podium, suddenly began to twitch without warning.

The magnitude of the twitching was so great that he looked like a Xenomorph possessed by an alien.

Bones, muscles, and even joints throughout his body were cracking. Within just a dozen seconds, his expression and state underwent a world-shaking transformation.

!!!!

The sudden transformation startled everyone present.

The female reporters in the front row widened their eyes even further, each covering their mouths and letting out terrified screams!

Ah—

The quiet press conference venue was like gunpowder with a lit fuse; screams pierced the air, and the scene instantly shifted from solemn and majestic to chaotic.

Countless camera flashes burst "click-click-click" at this moment, with ultra-high-definition lenses clearly recording every frame of Mikhail's transformation.

The leaders of Russia saw this, and their expressions instantly changed as well.

Oh no, a transformation!!

This was the scene recorded when a human was being replaced by an Impostor!

When had Mikhail, their chief Spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, been targeted by the Pseudo-humans?

The scene unfolding before their eyes was clearly a plan these guys had prepared long ago, just waiting for this critical moment to strike!

Such behavior could truly be called a direct response from these fellows to humanity across the globe!

This performance of visual horror was both their counterattack and their deterrent against humanity.

In the center of the podium, Mikhail's twitching suddenly stopped.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly split open, visibly tearing almost to the back of his ears.

That incredibly chilling smile made everyone who saw it feel their skin crawl.

His originally normal human pupils had already turned into eerie vertical slits. The vertical pupils narrowed slightly, like a crack opening to hell.

Although the voice was still Mikhail's...

...the tone had changed from normal to a chillingly eerie indifference.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I just woke up and caused some trouble by talking in my sleep. My sincerest apologies."

"Oh, right, what did this guy say just now? That an Impostor's eyes turn into vertical slits when they experience intense emotional fluctuations?"

"Please don't misunderstand! We Pseudo-humans don't experience such things. If you don't believe me, look at my eyes; they haven't turned into vertical slits."

As the words fell, Mikhail's vertical pupils actually began to dilate slowly, and within a few breaths, they returned to the appearance of a normal human's!

But the more it was like this, the more boundless the fear felt by the people on the scene.

"Wh-what did he just say? He said they, the Pseudo-humans, don't experience such things?"

"I think I heard it too! This guy said he was talking in his sleep."

"He also said Pseudo-humans' eyes turn into vertical slits during intense emotional fluctuations! But his eyes clearly just changed from vertical slits back to a human appearance..."

"This guy... this guy is an Impostor!!!"

"What's going on? An Impostor exposed their identity? Are they trying to declare war on us directly?"

The audience was beyond shocked.

This was the first time everyone had seen such a terrifying and eerie scene. Especially that horrific smile—it was practically a childhood nightmare, a lifelong shadow.

While discussing, even the hands typing began to tremble uncontrollably.

Whether from fear or overwhelming excitement, it was hard to say.

"That idiot 40035! What is he doing??!"

"Damn it, move!"

"We can't let him keep talking. Finish him!"

"But he seems to have regained his sanity now."

"We still can't let him stay alive to speak. Who knows when the human consciousness might regain control of the body. We can't take that risk."

As several voices rang out, five figures from five different directions in the press crowd stood up from their seats simultaneously.

Their movements were incredibly fast; in almost a blink of an eye, they all rushed toward the podium.

In the already chaotic scene, their actions weren't noticed by those around them until a dozen seconds had passed.

However, by the time everyone noticed the transformation happening right beside them, it was already too late.

Three figures successfully broke through the first-row security line and onto the stage.

The three of them lunged at Mikhail like starving wolves, yet Mikhail seemed paralyzed by fear, offering no reaction and simply standing there dazed.

The emotion in his eyes was hard to decipher—either fear or excitement.