Volume One Mutation Chapter Forty Report

On a plot of land behind the purified water plant, two small mounds now rose where the earth had once been flat. These were graves that Liu Cong and Liu Qingqing had built with their own hands for Liu Zheng. Liu Qingqing knelt down, pressing a wooden plaque into the soil and covering it over to protect it from the corrosive black rain.

Standing not far off was Yang Guang, who had led them to the place where Liu Zheng’s body lay. From the corner of his eye, he stole glances at Liu Qingqing’s graceful figure, not daring to look too long, and found himself envying her fortune. Though he could not say why Liu Qingqing had changed so much in just one night, he could more or less guess it had something to do with Liu Cong. He even envied Liu Zheng, who was now gone, for he doubted that anyone would one day build him a grave or erect a monument after his own death.

Once Liu Qingqing had finished her bows before her father’s grave, her beautiful eyes brimmed with tears. Only days ago her father had been full of life, and now he lay buried beneath the earth—a chasm had opened between the living and the dead.

Liu Cong stepped forward, drew her into his arms, and gently comforted her before leading her away from this sorrowful place.

On the way, Liu Cong told Yang Guang to return to the water plant on his own, while he and Liu Qingqing walked along the country lanes. She wore a white trench coat and fitted capri pants that revealed a slender stretch of snowy calf. Though Liu Cong had found these clothes in an unknown shop, she looked as if she had stepped from a painting, her beauty almost unreal.

“Brother Liu, when will the military arrive?” Liu Qingqing asked with a gentle smile, breaking the silence between them.

“I got word this morning—they’ll be here before two o’clock. Why do you ask?”

She gazed up at the clouds and said, “I just want to leave this land. It feels unreal to me.”

Liu Cong understood. In only a few days, Liu Qingqing’s life had been upended. This place held nothing for her now but painful memories, so it was only natural she longed to leave and find some peace.

“Yes, when they arrive—”

Before he could finish, Liu Qingqing pointed upward and exclaimed, “Brother Liu, what’s that?”

Liu Cong focused his gaze. High overhead, a giant eagle was circling with outstretched wings. In an instant, he recognized it as the very creature he’d encountered while rescuing the helicopter team. In just ten days, the eagle had more than doubled in size, its wingspan now approaching eighty meters, its talons curled beneath it. With his keen eyesight, Liu Cong could see that its feathers gleamed like metal, majestic and forbidding.

He took Liu Qingqing’s hand, channeling energy into her and guiding her to focus it into her eyes.

“Heavens! It’s an eagle—and so huge!” Liu Qingqing gasped, unable to contain her astonishment. She had never seen such a creature. Since the catastrophe, before meeting Liu Cong, the largest mutant animal she and her father had seen was a mutated cat; after meeting Liu Cong, the biggest was the giant python that died in the supermarket. But this eagle shattered all her previous notions.

“I saw it once ten days ago, and it wasn’t nearly this big,” Liu Cong said gravely. Even then, the eagle had exuded a sense of menace, and now, despite his own newfound strength, he still felt a faint threat from it.

“These mutant creatures grow far too quickly. I need to inform them.”

“Them?” Liu Qingqing asked curiously.

“The authorities—the Second Chief.” Liu Cong took out his phone and dialed a number. Liu Qingqing’s eyes widened in surprise at how naturally Liu Cong spoke of such things.

“Chief, I have an urgent report,” Liu Cong said as soon as the call connected. The other end was silent for a moment; Liu Cong faintly heard the chief call for a meeting to adjourn, then his voice came through.

“Let’s hope it’s good news. Go ahead.”

Liu Cong gave a wry laugh. “I’m afraid it’s bad news. You’ll want to take notes.”

The chief immediately grew serious. “All right, I’m recording. What have you discovered now?” Liu Cong had no idea how high his standing was in the eyes of others, vastly underestimating the world’s attention. First, he had logically classified mutant creatures by rank, and his system had quickly replaced all others worldwide. Next, after his single-sword decapitation of the giant wolf and his heroic battle with the white serpent—the footage of which had spread across nations—everyone connected to the world’s networks knew of the sword immortal from China.

So even the chief himself dared not take his call lightly.

Liu Cong organized his thoughts and began by describing the incident with the suspected T2-class mutant dog and the black light. He detailed his observations and his theory: that mutant creatures capable of emitting black light might, after sufficient rest or absorbing enough energy from black water, be able to release a second or third blast. He made it clear to the chief that the black light was powerful enough to pierce any concrete structure, though he couldn’t speak for steel armor, as he’d never tested it.

The Second Chief was silent for a long time, digesting the news. At last he sighed. “This is important. With the black rain falling more and more often, T2-class creatures are becoming more numerous. Our previous strategy was always to defend against them, but now it seems we have to take the initiative and never let them get the chance to strike first.”

Liu Cong forced another smile. “Chief, the black light is just one way higher-level mutants may wield energy attacks. The real news is yet to come.”

“There’s more?” The chief could not hide his unease.

“Yes. What I want to discuss now is the speed of their evolution. Ten days ago, when I was escorting the helicopter team to G15, I encountered a giant eagle. Its wingspan was twenty meters, but it did not attack us—I suspect it was wary of my black fire.”

“Now, ten days later, it’s circling above me. Its wingspan is nearly eighty meters,” Liu Cong said, enunciating each word.

“Ten days?!”

“That’s right. In ten days, it’s more than doubled in size. Maybe it’s because it can fly and absorb the energy of black water in the upper atmosphere. But if other creatures, say in a pond or river, absorb enough black water, they might also evolve rapidly.” He paused, his voice bitter. “And these are just land creatures. I have no idea what’s happening in the oceans, but I doubt it’s any better.”

The Second Chief was startled by this news. As Liu Cong mentioned the sea, he said gravely, “I just received word: northern Mexico was hit by a tsunami, a hundred meters high, the entire wall of water composed of black water. Could this be the work of a mutant sea creature?”

A hundred-meter-high black water tsunami!

Liu Cong drew a sharp breath, suddenly grasping the gravity of the situation. Although the chief hadn’t mentioned the consequences, Liu Cong could well imagine the devastation wrought in its wake.

“I wouldn’t dare speculate—I’ve not seen it with my own eyes,” Liu Cong replied.

“Anything else to add? If not, let’s leave it here for today. I’ll call a meeting at once and make these matters public,” the chief said.

After hanging up, Liu Cong saw Liu Qingqing watching him with concern, her delicate brows furrowed. He reassured her, “It’s nothing serious. You know what I’m capable of. I’ll wipe out these monsters sooner or later.”

Liu Qingqing murmured her assent, trying not to dwell on those dangers, and clung to Liu Cong’s arm as they continued their quiet stroll down the tranquil country road.