The portable Scranton Reality Anchor was powered by electricity and featured a dual-power mode.
Mobile Mode: When carried around, it relied on its built-in battery, providing 4 hours of low-power operation—reducing its effective radius to 3 meters for easier transport by a single reality bender.
Vehicle Mode: When placed in the pickup-turned-Transformer, it could draw power from the vehicle's generator, enabling full-power operation with a 10-meter radius.
Though it wasn't quite "pocket-sized", it was enough to ensure Luo Shu wouldn't be detected by the Foundation's satellites while traveling.
So instead of returning to Anomalous Item-100, Luo Shu headed straight for Site-17.
He needed to reach Anomalous Item-196 (Time Paradox) before the Foundation could react.
Site-17 was located in Florida, the southernmost part of the New World, not too far from South Carolina.
A few hours later, Luo Shu arrived at his destination.
But he didn't immediately head to Site-17—instead, he checked into a motel to rest.
He wanted to be in peak condition before infiltrating a site personally overseen by "Him".
According to tracking data, "Him" had been stationed at Site-17 this whole time, not joining Barbie's pursuit.
Clearly, the rescue of IR1705 had made "Him" realize that Anomalous Item-196's secret was at risk of exposure—hence his prolonged stay.
Luo Shu decided to enter Site-17 at exactly 11 PM, ensuring all his abilities had double usage for the night.
After resting, Luo Shu set off at 10:30 PM, driving his Transformer pickup near Site-17.
At 11:00 sharp, the truck stopped at a crosswalk in front of Site-17, waiting for the red light.
Luo Shu instructed the Transformer:
"Wait for me in the underground parking lot nearby. Come pick me up when I'm about to leave."
Then he activated Unobservability and Anti-Distortion, stepping out and entering Site-17.
The portable Scranton Reality Anchor stayed in the truck—as long as Luo Shu returned within two hours, he wouldn't need it.
This was his second visit to Site-17, and he couldn't quite remember the layout.
No problem—Enhanced Memory activated, and the facility's structure instantly became clear in his mind.
First order of business: take control of the mainframe.
Last time, Luo Shu hadn't yet mastered Mechanical Animation or unlocked Prophet Mode.
Now that he had both, Site-17's AI system was ripe for the taking.
So far, the Foundation remained largely unaware of Luo Shu's abilities, mainly because "Him" himself didn't fully recall the "Revealer of Truth".
As a result, the Foundation had no defenses against Luo Shu's system intrusions—unless they were willing to abandon networked, AI-driven management and regress to pre-digital-era methods.
But that was impossible.
Even the Foundation, with its massive data needs, couldn't function without networks and AI—let alone modern people, who'd go crazy after one day offline.
Abandoning technology would hurt the Foundation more than Luo Shu.
In fact, the Foundation had gone all-in on AI, with every site's mainframe now fully autonomous.
After converting another AI into his believer, Luo Shu received bad news:
"My Lord, the anomaly you seek—Anomalous Item-196—is no longer in its containment chamber. 'Him' has relocated it."
So "Him" had prepared for this—moving the anomaly outright.
This only confirmed how important Anomalous Item-196 was.
But Luo Shu wasn't discouraged.
He remembered a line from Anomalous Item-196's file:
"Anomalous Item-196 has agreed to wear a satellite-tracked ankle bracelet. It has been informed that attempts to remove the bracelet will result in its death."
If "Him" hadn't removed the bracelet, Luo Shu could still track it.
If he had, it would destroy Anomalous Item-196's trust in the Foundation, leading to disastrous consequences.
Given what Luo Shu knew of "Him", he wouldn't risk it.
So he asked the AI:
"Can you still locate Anomalous Item-196's bracelet?"
"Yes, my Lord. Satellite data places it approximately 2,000 kilometers north of here."
That distance—
Luo Shu's mind flashed to a certain English-style castle by Lake Erie.
So "Him" had hidden Anomalous Item-196 there.
But "Him" had underestimated Luo Shu—that location wasn't a secret to him.
"Then tell me—where is 'Him's' Unit?"
As Anomalous Item-343, "Him" had a designated containment chamber in Site-17.
According to Foundation staff who'd visited it, the chamber seemed to lead to another space.
Undoubtedly, "Him" had connected it to the castle via a spatial tunnel for easy travel.
After getting the location from the AI, Luo Shu headed straight for Anomalous Item-343's Unit.
The truth was within reach!
But when he arrived, he froze.
The containment chambers for Anomalous Item-343, Anomalous Item-196, and Anomalous Item-073 were side by side—like three apartments sharing a hallway.
More precisely, "Him" and Cain (Anomalous Item-073) were flanking Time Paradox's Unit, each sitting on a chair outside its door, chatting casually.
Seeing this, Luo Shu felt a sudden impulse.
Should he try to kill "Him" now?
Anomalous Item-073 (Cain) was one of Luo Shu's earliest Anomalous Allies, second only to Anomalous Item-100.
A wild thought crossed his mind—
If he revealed himself and attacked "Him", would Cain help him?