Chapter 81: The Interconnection of All Things

Xu Bing’s eyes were fixed on an image on her phone, suddenly widening in shock.

“Aah!”
A shrill scream burst from her lips.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”
Lin Qiu was so startled, she tumbled off the sofa and landed right on top of Hei Ze.

Hei Ze’s eyes flew open, the bubble at his nose popping as he stuck out his tongue, his face the very picture of despair.

“What’s pressing down on me?”
Lin Qiu frowned, reaching out to grasp something.

Hei Ze’s eyes widened again, and a muffled whimper escaped his throat. His pupils dilated, and to Lin Qiu’s astonishment, there was even a hint of enjoyment in his expression.

“Damn it!”
Lin Qiu shuddered, springing away from him and furiously scrubbing her hand on the woolen carpet.

“You wretched creature!”
Her gaze grew chillingly murderous.

Hei Ze shivered, instantly shifting from his original form to that of a man, sitting cross-legged on the carpet, trying to laugh it off. “It’s a misunderstanding! All a big misunderstanding!”

“Xu Bing, what are you yelling about?”
Hei Ze’s face flushed as he turned to scold Xu Bing, eager to change the subject.

Lin Qiu felt something sticky in her hand, her face darkening. Flavors of various spices flashed through her mind, along with the image of the main ingredient—big black dog.

“Braised? Dog meat jelly? Or maybe scallion stir-fried?”
Lin Qiu rubbed her chin, pondering how she should deal with Hei Ze. But the next moment, a rotten stench assaulted her nose, making her nearly retch.

“I…”
Her face turned even darker as she quickly pulled her hand back, glaring daggers at Hei Ze.

Hei Ze felt a chill crawl up the back of his head and couldn’t suppress a shudder.

“Look at this!”
Unaware of the disgusting scene that had just transpired between Lin Qiu and Hei Ze, Xu Bing pointed at her phone.

“What is it?”
Curious, Lin Qiu walked over, peered at the screen, and immediately sucked in a cold breath.

“This…”
She quickly looked away, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

“I never thought that hateful woman would actually have something real to show.”
Her heart hammered in her chest.

“Aah!”
The sweet-faced girl who had turned away also gasped.

“What is that…”
Her eyes locked on Xu Bing’s phone, her mouth agape in shock at the photo on the screen.

Lin Qiu’s heart skipped a beat as she looked, her pupils constricting rapidly.

On the screen was a monstrous creature, half-human, half-snake, swallowing a person whole. Only a single leg protruded from its gaping mouth.

“A beast!”
Lin Qiu’s voice turned icy.

What you fear most always comes for you.

Humans, as the apex predators, consume other creatures. But in the eyes of these monstrous beasts, humans are just as much a delectable delicacy.

Before mutation, these creatures possessed keen senses, and would flee at the first sign of danger. But now, mutated, they were empowered.

The photo depicted a hotel in chaos, people fleeing in panic. The half-human, half-snake beast had burst through the roof, grinning coldly at the moon, a dangling leg at its lips making the scene all the more chilling.

Outside, the entire internet was in an uproar.

The video spread rapidly, and soon, footage of monsters rampaging across the globe flooded every platform, sending waves of panic through the populace.

One video showed a golden eagle soaring across the sky, leaving a golden arc in its wake. Mid-flight, it transformed into a man with a pair of golden wings sprouting from his back.

“These creatures…”
Lin Qiu’s face darkened, knowing the situation was dire.

In this world of interconnectedness, nothing could escape the net’s gaze.

The authorities had been working to suppress the news, urging the most advanced research institutes in the Nine Capitals to extract and disseminate the necessary genes as swiftly as possible. But such things take time; results could not be conjured out of nowhere.

Meanwhile, the Nine Capitals had established a Beast Management Bureau to handle these supernatural crises.

But only a few days had passed, and already such chaos had erupted.

The photo in question was from a restaurant.

Snakes had already been officially protected from hunting, but some people still risked everything for a taste of the exotic and the promise of profit.

That snake had mutated, and just as it was about to be killed, it finally exploded in rage, beginning its transformation. Perhaps its bloodline was not pure enough, so its form was incomplete—half-human, half-snake. That only made it more terrifying.

People always fear and resist the unknown.

Now, in this age of total connectivity, bizarre incidents were cropping up everywhere, all triggered by that half-snake. Each was swiftly uploaded online.

The masses panicked, reaching out to the authorities for answers.

They did not have to wait long.

As the crisis escalated, a live broadcast was launched.

On screen appeared a man in his early forties, dressed in military uniform with a general’s insignia glinting on his shoulder—the supreme commander of China’s armed forces.

He addressed the world, explaining what had happened, urging the people not to panic and to trust in the authorities. They had found a solution.

The camera panned, revealing Liu Changfeng.

With great flourish, Liu Changfeng waved at the audience. Under the gaze of the world, glowing rings of starlight appeared around him, and pieces of armor materialized, covering his body.

Liu Changfeng was transforming, becoming a silver-armored general ready for battle, a long spear in his hand.

The general from before provided commentary.

Before long, Liu Changfeng’s armor began to shift, morphing into a superhero suit, then a batsuit. Nearly every popular animated character’s costume appeared on him in turn.

“That guy…”
Lin Qiu shook her head, glancing at Xu Bing with a sigh. “The gap between people really is a chasm.”

“Shut up!”
Xu Bing’s cheeks flushed, realizing Lin Qiu was mocking her for her ignorance.

The group collected themselves and continued watching the broadcast.

“The world is mutating; a new era has arrived,” the general declared. “We have found a solution, so there is no need for fear. Wait for us to register you, and you’ll receive the gene serum.”

The people erupted in excitement.

On the screen, the live chat scrolled wildly:

“Amazing, my country!”
“No regrets being born Chinese; I’ll be Chinese in my next life too!”
“We’ll follow the authorities’ lead. Mutation? We were once the apex predators, and we’ll remain at the very top.”
…