Contaminated Beast

When class ended and they returned, Su Ren still had things to do, so he was not the one escorting them. It was Uncle Xiong and another Awakened Rank escort instead.

Normally, an escort was unnecessary anyway. With two extra Awakened Rank guards as insurance, nothing could possibly go wrong.

It was a bit like elementary school letting out, with teachers leading students across the road.

When Su Shijie returned home and pushed open the door, he saw an ordinary-looking man with a cold expression maintaining a handgun. It was his second brother, Li Wei.

There were three people named Li Wei in Residential District No. 2 alone, but his second brother was the most famous one. People usually added the word "Captain" after his name to distinguish him.

"Second Brother? You're back? Where's Sis?"

After hearing Su Shijie's greeting, the cold-faced Li Wei nodded at the three of them before replying in an indifferent voice.

"She's taking a shower."

Sure enough, if he listened carefully, he could hear the sound of running water and his sister humming from her room. There were bathhouses in the shelter too, but people generally did not go there unless they had a reason.

Although Li Wei always looked cold and spoke indifferently to them, he was still a good older brother.

What Su Shijie remembered most was how he liked Brown Iron Fruit that grew at the tops of trees. Every time Li Wei came back, he would bring some for him.

For example, several bunches were sitting in the fruit basket on the table today.

And before Bai Congcong completed his apprenticeship, all the sewing and cleaning at home had been done by his second brother as well.

Just then, apparently having heard the voices outside, his older sister Li Meier walked out happily, wrapped in a bath towel.

"Haha, Congcong, you came back at just the right time. Hurry over here and attend to me."

Compared with Li Wei's plain appearance, Li Meier seemed to have inherited their parents' best traits in reverse.

Beneath her healthy, wheat-colored, elastic skin, her charming features carried an added touch of heroic vigor.

She was the complete opposite of Bai Xinxin's flat chest, to the point that it often made moving around inconvenient for her.

Her personality was also carefree and boisterous.

But Su Shijie respected her greatly.

Beneath the bath towel wrapped around her was a conspicuous scar on her lower abdomen, one that even an Awakened Rank had been unable to remove. It dated back to before Su Shijie had begun recovering memories of his past life.

When he had been a naughty little kid who snuck out to play, he encountered a Spirit Beast. Li Meier had stood in front of him to protect him and had nearly been disemboweled. She had almost not made it.

That shock was what gradually triggered the recovery of his past-life memories, and it also made him become more of a homebody.

When there was no danger, his sister was the greatest danger. But when danger came, she was the most dependable support he had.

"Sis, I'm already sixteen!"

Meanwhile, Bai Congcong's little face had turned completely red. Helping Su Shijie was fine, but he had not helped Li Meier in a long time. Bai Congcong was pretty, but he was still a boy.

"Ah, my little brother's grown up and doesn't want his sister anymore. How heartbreaking."

At his words, Li Meier's expression immediately fell. She then dug out a can of beer, popped it open with a pfft, and chugged it down.

"Sis, has the route for the Deer Herd Migration been confirmed?"

While secretly pushing Bai Congcong toward the kitchen to prepare dinner, Su Shijie helped change the subject.

"Burp~"

After letting out a beer burp, Li Meier sat backward on a chair, resting both arms on its backrest as she spoke.

"It's confirmed. This year's predicted migration route for the deer herd is a little farther off than last year's. When the time comes, we'll see if we can use some Spirit Grass along the way to lure them closer.

"If not, we'll probably have to travel farther, which may increase the risks for ordinary residents.

"Ugh, in a couple of days, we'll have to take shifts standing watch too. What a miserable life..."

Although Li Wei was a good person, he spoke too little. It was more reliable to ask Li Meier.

For Shelter P-314, the Deer Herd Migration was one of the more important events of the year. Ordinary residents also hoped to earn some extra money from the opportunity.

Although plenty of predators would emerge at that time as well, with the deer herd serving as a target, the danger could still be kept under control as long as they hunted in groups.

The Advanced Class would be given time off during those days.

Among deer herds undertaking such long-distance migrations, the proportion of Spirit Deer was not low.

With traps, even ordinary people could obtain quite respectable gains relatively easily.

People from Prosperous Sky City, as well as nearby shelters, would even come over to hunt together.

Merchants would also come to purchase supplies on the spot.

Of course, if they were willing to carry the goods to the Floating City themselves, they could definitely sell them for much more.

"When?"

"Probably another ten to fifteen days. It depends on how long they stop along the way."

Hearing that answer, Su Shijie began calculating as well.

That should be enough time to find the Contamination Source.

And after overcoming his fear of pain, with his father helping him level up, his talent should allow him to reach Mortal Tier Level 9, perhaps even attempt to break through to the Awakened Rank.

After all, the Mortal Tier was merely a stage humans had defined for themselves after first coming into contact with spiritual energy. As long as one had sufficient talent, a solid foundation, could endure hardship, and had enough nutrition, the progression from Mortal Tier to Awakened Rank was actually quite fast—especially with his father helping him level up.

It was like a dry sponge absorbing water. The higher its water content, the slower it absorbed; when it had little water, it absorbed much faster.

During the conversation that followed, Li Meier and Li Wei, who had just returned, learned that Su Shijie had begun cultivating and breaking through on his own.

Even Li Wei, who usually had a poker face, was startled.

Li Meier even felt Su Shijie's forehead, her face full of shock and disbelief.

It left Su Shijie feeling a little hurt. My mind is perfectly fine, you don't have to react like that!

Am I really that untrustworthy?

Are we not beloved family and friends?

For five days, Su Shijie followed Su Ren and leveled up continuously at night for five days.

On the fourth day, after luckily encountering an Awakened Rank Spirit Beast, Su Shijie completed his accumulation and broke through to Mortal Tier Level 9.

The pain of this Gene Evolution grew more intense each time, but likewise, the pleasure after the pain also increased.

It was pain mixed with happiness.

"Hmm?"

Following behind Su Ren as they raced through the forest at night, Su Shijie heard his father make another quiet sound of surprise ahead of him.

Then, he suddenly caught a sweet scent.

A wild boar was tossed in front of him.

But it was different from the Spirit Beasts they had encountered before.

This wild boar had undergone obvious mutations.

It had five crooked eyes of varying sizes. Its three tusks were also different lengths, asymmetrical in both direction and placement.

It had only three uneven legs beneath its belly, while a small mouth full of sharp teeth had grown from its tail.

Just looking at it gave one an intense sense of disgust at its discordant appearance.

Anyone with obsessive-compulsive disorder would probably explode on the spot.

A Contaminated Beast—a wild beast or Spirit Beast contaminated by a Contamination Source formed from the aura of an evil god.

Its entire body would mutate toward irregularity, distortion, and chaos.

Moreover, this mutation would in turn make it stronger. Having its strength doubled was nothing unusual.

Although Su Shijie had no idea how those three uneven pig legs made it stronger, every piece of information on Contaminated Beasts described them this way.

As for contaminated humans, there were all sorts of possible outcomes.

Some would lose their sanity and become completely mutated like Contaminated Beasts, turning into madmen. Others would gradually have their perceptions altered.

For example, if someone suddenly began to slowly like discordant things, that would be cause for concern.

This time, without waiting for Su Ren to speak, Su Shijie directly extended his Soul Tendrils and thrust them into the contaminated wild boar's body.

A richer, sweeter flavor than that of yesterday's Awakened Rank Spirit Beast poured in, making Su Shijie shudder in pleasure.

Using that evil spirit as the benchmark, the Mortal Tier Level 4 Spirit Leopard from the first time had been one percent, yesterday's Awakened Rank Level 2 lizard had been four percent, while today's contaminated wild boar was worth ten percent!

Although Su Ren had not specifically said what level this wild boar had been before it was contaminated, Su Shijie judged that it had probably been about the same as that Spirit Leopard. In other words, contamination had increased its yield tenfold.

Although it could not compare to an evil spirit with purely mutated Soul Power, it was still far superior to ordinary Spirit Beasts.

Including this contaminated wild boar, he had accumulated Soul Power equivalent to nearly half an evil spirit over these five days.

Although that was only one-tenth of what he needed for the next Bloodline Transformation, now that he had discovered a Contaminated Beast, finding the Contamination Source was not far off.

His next Bloodline Transformation was within reach!

Besides, even at his current pace, being able to improve his bloodline again in fifty days was already terrifying enough.

"Try to find it today. Looks like your instincts really weren't wrong.

"Come on, solve a Rubik's Cube for me."

After hearing Su Shijie's account and repeatedly examining his body, Su Ren tossed a Rubik's Cube to him.

Su Shijie was left completely dumbfounded...