Volume One Mutation Chapter Seven Broadcast

After their mutation, these Black Sea creatures not only gained enormous size, but also powerful defenses or vitality to match. Fortunately, the stronger these creatures became, the less likely they were to leave the boundaries of the Black Sea. At most, they ventured out for food when hungry, but would immediately return after feeding, as if the obsidian waters held some irresistible allure.

While the giant creatures never strayed far, the same could not be said for the smaller ones. Some Black Sea creatures inevitably followed rivers inland, first slaughtering and devouring the freshwater life that once inhabited the streams. Once those were gone, they turned their predatory instincts toward animals and humans along the banks. This led more and more people to keep their distance from rivers.

The fact that the giants stayed within the Black Sea brought relief to humanity worldwide. Yet, another problem remained—the Black Sea was still expanding.

Over the course of a year, the Black Sea proved that its expansion would not cease easily. Despite some claiming it could not grow forever, it quietly and relentlessly spread, as if its slow but determined advance signaled its ambition for the entire world’s oceans.

...

After listening to the three recount the story in fragments, Liu Cong finally understood the sequence of events, yet one question still puzzled him: Why had the ocean changed so dramatically—and why did the timing coincide so strangely with when he received the celestial sword?

Earth was a water planet, with oceans and rivers covering over seventy percent of its surface. Humanity depended on water as the source of life. As the old saying went: a man could go three days without food, but never three days without water. The importance of water was clear.

Liu Cong knew that if one day the Black Sea swallowed all oceans and rivers, humanity could face extinction. In fact, even before that point, people might turn on each other for food scarcity.

He had been delighted to see living people, but now the joy faded; he was no longer sure if humanity could survive this calamity. Still, he understood well: with great power comes great responsibility.

He was no longer an ordinary man; he had to act.

“I understand the situation with the Black Sea, but you haven’t explained that monster earlier. Sure, water is dangerous now, but how could it turn cities on land into this?” Liu Cong furrowed his brow and pressed them for answers.

After a while, Guo Fei, who had shed his initial reserve, answered with a mournful face, “Big brother, it’s water! When water is heated by the sun, it turns into vapor. Even Black Sea water evaporates.”

He paused, perhaps from nerves stretched too long or simply from exhaustion, and dropped heavily onto the coffee table, staring vacantly at the lamp as he continued.

“The vapor containing Black Sea water rises, gradually mixing with ordinary vapor to form dark, gray clouds. When it rains, Black Sea water mixes in and falls on land. If a person is caught in that rain, in as little as a day or as many as five, they’ll turn into a man-eating monster.”

“Who could have guessed? At first it was just a light drizzle—no need for umbrellas. Who knows how many people in Hangzhou were caught in it. The rain intensified, and finally became a torrential downpour. No one knows how many people turned into zombies during those three days and nights, nor how many died. It was only after the rain ceased that people realized what had happened.”

“What about the police? Didn’t anyone do anything? Hangzhou has a military district, doesn’t it?” Liu Cong pressed.

Zhang Han, recalling that dark period, wiped away tears. “What use are the police? Those monsters were as strong as oxen, fast, able to climb walls. Police barely had time to draw their guns, and even when they did, it didn’t matter. I saw an officer shoot one of those monsters several times, all hits, but the creature acted as if nothing happened, then pounced and took him down.”

Liu Cong fell silent. If bullets couldn’t kill these monsters, the police were merely decoration, unable to hold out even a round.

Guo Fei offered a bitter smile. “It’s not that guns are entirely useless, but only large-caliber rifles or artillery work. Ordinary police don’t have those—only the military does. But all the troops left Hangzhou before the rain started. Online rumors said most units in the country moved toward the coast, under the pretext of some joint military exercise. Looking back, something must have happened by the sea!”

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Though Liu Cong hadn’t witnessed these events firsthand, he could imagine the despair people in Hangzhou must have felt. The gap in power couldn’t be bridged by courage alone—resistance wasn’t even an option.

The most terrifying thing was that it rained everywhere people lived on Earth.

“Those who escaped—where did they go?” Liu Cong asked hoarsely.

Now he could only hope Jiang Hao and Gu Yan had survived, though the odds were slim.

“They ran wherever they could, of course! Who would stay in the city after all that? Since the surrounding areas hadn’t seen rain yet, those who escaped should still be alive—assuming they brought enough food,” Guo Fei replied sourly.

Before the disaster, living downtown was a mark of pride. After the calamity, downtown residents died fastest, with nowhere to flee. If not for that, the three would never have stayed here so long.

There was still something Liu Cong didn’t understand. Hangzhou had over nine million people. Even if only one in a thousand were caught in the rain, the number of monsters would be horrifying—several thousand. Yet, he’d only encountered one so far. Where were the rest?

He voiced his question.

“They probably went out in the rain,” Zhang Han, still wiping tears, answered.

“After the disaster, survivors hid indoors. Monsters, naturally, broke inside searching for prey. But I noticed that during rainy days, rooftops and streets were full of monsters. As the city’s population dwindled and food grew scarce, they left.”

“If that’s true, then Black Sea water must hold something those monsters crave. Wherever the rain falls, they’ll follow—which is terrifying. Mutants from the origin, joined by those rushing in from around, would make their numbers unimaginable.”

Liu Cong analyzed grimly. If that were so, a single round of rain across the planet would spell the end of humanity.

The room fell silent. All felt the sorrow of prey awaiting slaughter; none could muster joy.

After a long time, Guo Fei spoke up. “Actually, the authorities already have a response. Provincial capitals in central China have established many safety zones, all underground. There are just too many monsters—we can’t get there.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“I bought a car radio—a used one, actually. Good thing I hadn’t installed it yet,” Guo Fei said, suddenly animated.

“Just the important part!” Liu Cong interrupted, exasperated that he could joke at a time like this.

“Alright, four months ago the government announced via broadcast: almost all cell towers had been corroded by Black Rain, so anyone who heard the radio should inform others. People were told to monitor radio broadcasts, and that safe zones were established in central China, centered on Henan. The route was marked with stone signs, so survivors would know which way to go. They called for everyone alive to head there—easy to say, but how do you get past all those monsters?” Guo Fei rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“I’ve got the gist. Let’s rest for now,” Liu Cong said, feeling mentally exhausted. With his current body, unless he exerted himself too much, he hardly felt physically tired.

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The three stayed where they were, staring at Liu Cong.

Liu Cong was puzzled. “Aren’t you going to bed?”

“What about the door?” they asked in unison.

“If another monster comes, what do we do without a door?” Guo Fei added, his face bitter.

“It’s fine, go to sleep. Even if ten more monsters come, I can handle them,” Liu Cong replied, a bit embarrassed—it was he who had kicked in the door, after all.

At his words, the three each retreated to their rooms to rest. They had no idea how Liu Cong dealt with the monster, but after seeing the force he used to kick in the door and knowing the monster outside was gone, they felt reassured.

Liu Cong found a comfortable position on the sofa in the living room and began to think.

Given the current situation, humanity might not last much longer. Learning that society hadn’t fully collapsed was a relief, however.

He had only just awakened recently, and dealing with zombies was easy enough. But if he encountered unknown beasts or the boss-level creatures from the sea, things could get tricky.

He hoped time would buy him strength—perhaps, as he grew stronger, he could one day go to the Black Sea and find the optimal solution to end this crisis once and for all.

Closing his eyes, Liu Cong focused on the energy flowing within him, feeling secure. This was his foundation—perhaps even humanity’s hope.

He began considering other ways to rapidly increase his power, carefully tracing the energy’s flow.

After memorizing the energy’s circulation, he deliberately accelerated its movement.

It worked! Energy that once took ten minutes to circulate now completed its cycle in five under his control. This meant his strength could grow twice as fast during cultivation. Liu Cong was overjoyed—the stronger he became, the more people he could save!

...

The night passed uneventfully. The three inside the house enjoyed a rare peaceful sleep, while the one outside was absorbed in cultivation, sleepless till dawn.

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