Chapter 43
“Ahhh!”
Screams broke out as the group scattered in panic.
With danger right before him, Wen Xin’s eyes widened as he yanked a frozen trainee out of harm’s way.
Just then, bam! The attacking mutant slammed into what seemed like an invisible wall, its green saliva splattering across an air-like barrier.
Everyone froze.
Looking closer, they realized it wasn’t an invisible barrier at all—it was bulletproof glass.
“What… what just happened?”
“The monster didn’t escape… So why didn’t we see it before?”
They stood dumbfounded until a couple of snickers broke out behind them. Turning, they saw that the instructor, who had looked terrified moments before, was now laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
Seeing everyone staring, he cleared his throat, suppressing his amusement, and tapped on the glass.
“You couldn’t see it because, before you arrived, this creature clung to the wall above, right in our blind spot from here,” he explained. “If it hadn’t been for this glass, at least ten of you who didn’t react fast enough would have been dead by now.”
“How about now? Understand how cunning these creatures can be?”
The group stood there, speechless.
It was clear now that the instructor had pretended to be scared just to give them a scare. Worse than the mutant, his tactics were sneaky!
He grinned. “Well, good job, everyone! You didn’t wet your pants like the other teams. Special praise to Wen Xin, who kept his cool and even pulled a teammate out of the way—excellent.”
Wen Xin steadied himself, calming his heartbeat.
The trainee he saved glanced at him with gratitude, and though they hadn’t faced a real attack, Wen Xin’s instinct to protect in that instant was genuine.
He nodded in reassurance, then turned back to the mutant in the cell.
The creature seemed rattled from the collision. Dizzy, it stumbled in place, shaking its head while its green saliva dripped onto the floor below.
Sizzle.
The ground hissed as though being eaten away by acid, giving off white smoke.
The trainees gasped. If that saliva had hit them, it would’ve stripped their skin right off!
The instructor continued, “There are many types of mutants. The one you’re seeing now is a lizard mutant, weighing 70 kilograms—about the size of a large Tibetan mastiff. It was originally a non-venomous species, but during the infection, its genes mutated, making its secretions highly corrosive.”
He emphasized, “Don’t assume you can judge a mutant’s abilities based on its species or appearance. And avoid direct contact with any bodily fluids.”
The group nodded in understanding.
One trainee raised a hand. “But, Instructor, if even a regular lizard can become so deadly, what about originally vicious animals? Wouldn’t they be even more terrifying?”
The instructor’s expression darkened. “Exactly. That brings us to the main point.”
“Follow me.”
He motioned, and an operator placed a hand on a palm scanner. With a click, metal barriers folded over the lizard’s cell, locking it back into silence.
The group followed the instructor into an adjacent room, arranged like a classroom for presentations.
Once seated, they watched as he started a projector, and an image of a tiger appeared on the screen.
Most trainees here had witnessed zombies firsthand and didn’t scare easily. If not for the suddenness of the earlier mutant attack, they wouldn’t have been so rattled.
Seeing the tiger, they stayed calm—until the camera zoomed out.
“What… what kind of monster is that?” someone blurted.
The tiger seemed normal until it stepped onto the street, dwarfing a nearby van.
It stood almost two meters tall—nearly as tall as a single-story building!
Stunned by the sheer size, everyone fell silent.
The footage came from a high-mounted camera, showing smoke and ash drifting in the distance as vehicles approached.
The tiger prowled slowly, almost leisurely.
The nearby combat unit spread out, preparing for action.
“Fire!” came the command.
Bullets rained down, followed by a hail of grenades, erupting in explosions that sent smoke billowing over the concrete ground.
Under this barrage, not even a god could survive intact.
But seconds later, as the smoke cleared, they saw the giant tiger standing unharmed.
“Is it… is it dead?”
Seeing the tiger unscathed, the trainees’ hearts sank, their eyes wide with disbelief.
“What the heck? Not a scratch?”
The tiger remained unbothered, casually licking the dust off its paw.
Then it moved.
No one saw how it moved. Even the camera feed glitched, flickering momentarily.
In a blink, the tiger swiped a massive paw, flipping over a military jeep as if it were a toy!
The air filled with gunfire, shouts of fear, and agonized screams as the tiger tore through everything in its path.
Limbs flew, vehicles flipped, and the tiger’s, muscles rippled, standing amid the chaos, with jaws stained red.
A one-sided massacre.
Wen Xin’s brow furrowed, his lips pressed into a tense line.
Because he had once owned a cat, he recognized the way the tiger toyed with its prey, knocking people down and letting them flee only to pounce again.
But it didn’t end there.
As they watched in horror, the tiger turned its gaze, locking onto the camera itself.
The feed shook as the tiger’s enormous frame loomed over the camera, peering directly into the lens, as if it were staring right at Wen Xin and the others.
Its amber, slit-pupil eyes filled the screen, gleaming with bloodlust.
Lazily, it licked blood from its lips, its gaze disturbingly human-like, full of twisted malice.
Then, as if taunting them, it spoke in a low, mocking tone.
“Humans… have you had your fill?”
The screen went black.
The last frame captured was the tiger’s open jaws, biting down on the camera.
Silence filled the room.
It was as though Death itself had swung its scythe at them, and everyone’s heart stopped.
Finally, someone whispered, voice shaking, “Is this… real? How can it talk?”
“Does this mean that animals can gain intelligence from mutation?”
The instructor broke the silence. “Yes, a mutant capable of resisting bullets, speaking—it’s practically a demon.”
He looked grim. “Most mutants, like the lizard you saw earlier, can still be contained with glass and cells. But monsters like this tiger… they’re beyond natural boundaries.”
He addressed the group, “On the 12th day of the infection, Base One shared surveillance and analysis data with all bases. They found that mutants are categorized by strength into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D.”
“The tiger you saw just now was at least an A-rank, but there’s also the S-rank above that. Their power is beyond measure.”
The trainees felt suffocated, remembering the devastation and the tiger that had withstood bullets.
“Can we even fight these monsters?” someone muttered.
“No, don’t panic yet. In the footage, they hadn’t used heavy artillery or missiles,” another tried to reassure.
But Wen Xin’s mind lingered on the tiger’s words.
An animal infected, mutated, and powerful—and it could speak.
Hei Tuan and the others… they weren’t mystical creatures; they were intelligent mutants.
Realizing this, Wen Xin instinctively touched the pouch of keepsakes in his pocket, his breathing unsteady.
He then heard a trainee ask, “If Base One could analyze S-rank creatures, does that mean they’ve encountered one? Any recordings?”
The instructor nodded gravely. “Yes.”
“The footage is grainy, but image analysis suggests… it’s a snake.”
A snake!
The word struck Wen Xin like lightning. He raised his voice, “What kind of snake?”
Luckily, the group’s shocked reactions masked his outburst, and the instructor didn’t notice.
The instructor played another video.
A shadow loomed within a foggy swamp, and a colossal serpent slid into view, as thick as a pair of adult men’s arms encircling it.
Wen Xin’s eyes were glued to the screen, pulse racing as he tried to stay composed.
The camera zoomed in, and the massive black head of the serpent came into view.
…Black?
Wen Xin’s heart fell. He double-checked, and as the instructor paused the video on the serpent’s head, he realized it wasn’t Ah Lü.
Disappointment washed over him as he absentmindedly rubbed the pouch.
The instructor resumed. “This is a mutated python. The exact species is unknown, but it’s confirmed highly dangerous.”
Wen Xin pulled himself together, listening intently.
A trainee asked, “Instructor, if its danger is unconfirmed, how are we certain it’s S-rank?”
The instructor pointed at the writhing mass of snakes surrounding the python.
Countless snakes of every color and type slithered toward the black serpent, eyes glazed, fangs bared, making everyone’s skin crawl.
He explained, “Data from Base One shows that S-rank mutants emit a specific biological scent.”
“All creatures that catch this scent become irresistibly drawn to it, flocking to its location and serving as its minions.”
He paused for effect. “If you ever encounter this… just run. Don’t look back, don’t think—run.”
“Forget the S-rank’s powers; even these swarming creatures would ensure you die a horrible death. Understood?”
Wen Xin and the others responded in unison, “Yes, sir!”
*
Elsewhere.
The massive black serpent hung from a dead tree, looking pleased as it surveyed the snakes covering the swamp.
This would surely impress the King.
It slithered deeper into the swamp, eager to share the news.
Approaching the King, the serpent bowed low, trembling.
In the mist, the King’s immense form shifted. It was as large as a mountain, dwarfing the swamp.
The tiger from Wen Xin’s video would be a mere bite for it.
As it moved, the green scales on its body glistened without a single scratch.
“What is it?”
A frigid voice cut through the air, full of impatience.
The black serpent shivered and relayed the news of the gathering snakes, expecting praise.
To its shock, the King frowned, then said coldly, “Humans are weak.”
“Get rid of all the venomous ones.”
Stunned, the serpent was about to ponder the meaning of this command when the King added with disdain,
“And those with flashy scales—get rid of them too.”
ah lü: no one can be prettier than me. its bad enough i have to compete with everyone else for wen xin’s attention
omg Ah Lü please… ? I see he hasn’t changed a bit hahaha