Chapter 203: Mutation (Part I)
The reason humans are called “advanced animals” is that they possess an intelligence that ordinary animals lack.
However, accompanying this intelligence are endless, derived desires.
With the rapid development of fields like technology and medicine, the small fraction of people controlling the world’s capital were no longer satisfied with the status quo. They began to crave infinite lifespans and god-like power, attempting to defy the laws of nature.
Three years ago, under the operation of global top-tier biopharmaceutical companies, a serum was developed that could strengthen human cells. Initially, the test subjects injected with the serum showed significant increases in physical stamina, speed, and strength, but they were still far from the results the elite investors desired.
Thus, after step-by-step “improvements,” a catastrophe finally occurred.
A new batch of experimental personnel began to exhibit signs of mutation.
After these mutated creatures broke through their cages and were eventually harvested, the perpetrators didn’t even have time to breathe a sigh of relief before they discovered that near the pharmaceutical company, humans who had never been injected were also beginning to mutate.
The drug had evaporated into the air, creating a form of pollution that began to ferment and spread relentlessly. From that point on, the drug was named “Heaven’s Punishment.”
Initially, because the concentration of the pollution was low, the government urgently established an organization specifically to “clean up” the “contaminants” created by Heaven’s Punishment. Simultaneously, high-intensity controls were implemented to prevent leaks that would cause chaos and panic.
However, as the number of contaminants grew, the concentration of pollution in the air increased accordingly.
While the majority of the population lost their sanity to the mutation, the pharmaceutical company finally developed another serum. When injected, it allowed a person to mutate while ensuring their reason was not eroded. Based on this serum, the government established a special armed force.
During this period, a very small number of individuals developed special antibodies on their own. They perfectly fit the pharmaceutical company’s original intention—becoming powerful and self-controlled, standing at the top of the food chain in this apocalyptic disaster.
The original host was one of those lucky few.
Under “Heaven’s Punishment,” the pollution eventually spread to areas beyond official control. Chaos broke out completely.
The original host was an orphan. For as long as he had been conscious, he had been missing a lower leg. A disabled child growing up in an orphanage was a natural target for exclusion, ridicule, and bullying. This led to extreme psychological distortion as he grew older.
Under the influence of Heaven’s Punishment, he initially discovered that the mutated monsters seemed unable to see him. Later, he gradually realized he could control those low-intelligence creatures. While everyone else hid at home, trembling in fear, he often went out at night to scavenge for food. He would weave through streets infested with monsters in his wheelchair as if entering an uninhabited realm.
Over time, he caught the attention of the authorities, and the armed forces were sent to recruit him.
It was then that he met Bai Yinnian, the strongest combatant in the military and the only official personnel who, like him, had mutated through natural antibodies. The two became acquainted, understood each other, and developed a sense of mutual respect and friendship due to their similar circumstances.
However, the thoughts and positions of people are often different.
Bai Yinnian saw it as his duty to clear the pollution and protect the country. The original host, on the other hand, had finally found his own value in this disaster, standing at the summit where people looked up to him with both reverence and fear. If the pollution were completely cleared, all his advantages would cease to exist.
Consequently, he refused to be recruited and stood on the opposing side of the government. He joined an organization of people like himself—those who mutated through natural antibodies and, out of self-interest, did not want the pollution to end. The leader of this group was a man named Qi Xu.
In the midst of repeated struggles and confrontations, Bai Yinnian tried his best to convince the host to return to the righteous path. Unfortunately, the original host could not resist the temptation of becoming a master of the new world. Using deception and feigned weakness, he set a “Hongmen Banquet” for Bai Yinnian.
In the end, however, he lost his life due to internal power struggles.
[Mission: Clear the pollution, restore world order, and obtain Bai Yinnian’s true heart on behalf of the original host.]
Xiao Ji touched his thigh again and found that he had sensation there.
037 noticed Xiao Ji’s expression and gave a light cough:
[The original host could actually walk normally, but he gave up on himself and refused to go out for a long time, leading to muscle atrophy. Once you are polluted, your internal cell enhancement and regeneration will fix it; it won’t be an issue.]
Xiao Ji said indifferently: [Being in a wheelchair is fine.]
He sat up and tapped the radio. It crackled for a long while before continuing its broadcast:
“…A large number of insect eggs were found within the body, and the legs show signs of turning into fish tails, covered in a large amount of mucus. Relevant personnel are currently conducting further investigations…”
At this point, the radio went on strike again.
Xiao Ji smelled the unpleasant odor on his body, grabbed the crutches by the sofa, and walked into the bathroom.
The original host had been in a state of low-spirited depression for a long time. He had a scruffy beard and was unkempt; though only in his early twenties, he looked as disheveled as a middle-aged beggar. Due to a lack of exercise, his entire body had a sagging quality that was simultaneously thin yet bloated.
037 continued to try and make amends: [Your appearance is definitely top-tier; you just need to wait two more days to be polluted.]
Xiao Ji didn’t bother arguing with 037. He blocked the system and used the host’s cheap 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash to scrub himself from head to toe countless times.
The original host used an old-fashioned safety razor. Xiao Ji, used to high-end goods from his previous life, left several tiny nicks on his chin.
His uneven hair was wet and pushed back, revealing his entire face. His eyes were narrow and long, with slender lashes holding a tiny drop of water. His nose was high and straight, and his facial contours were distinct yet not overly sharp—it was that unique softness characteristic of Eastern features, though perhaps a bit too exquisite.
Under the dim light, his reflection in the mirror didn’t look like a real person; he looked more like a refined painting appearing on a top-tier digital modeler’s screen.
After his shower, Xiao Ji changed into clean clothes and packed up all the trash and junk in the house to throw away. With a disabled body but a determined will, he spent the entire day cleaning. He even scrubbed the grime out of the bathroom tile grout.
Afterward, he went out, visited a barbershop to cut his hair short, spent all the money in the host’s card, and bought several sets of decent clothes and daily necessities.
Exiting the mall, Xiao Ji sat on a bus and overheard two girls in the row in front of him whispering.
“Did you see today’s news?”
“I did. Didn’t some mermaid-like creature appear a few years ago? It was called a hoax back then.”
“This time it’s different. Yesterday afternoon, my boyfriend had a photoshoot in Central Park. He saw it with his own eyes when the body was pulled out. He said the upper body still looked human with a bloated belly, but the lower half was fused together. It didn’t look like a mermaid tail.”
“Then what was it?”
“He said… it looked like a wriggling maggot.”
Translator’s Note: Welcome to a new arc! This one is a bit of a departure into post-apocalyptic horror. I hope you guys like the “Beast in a Suit” vibe we’re building for Xiao Ji even in this gritty setting. The term “Hongmen Banquet” (鴻門宴) refers to a famous historical trap/ambush disguised as a feast. Also, don’t worry about the leg—Xiao Ji’s mutation is going to be something else entirely!
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