Hidden Crisis

Ordinarily speaking.

With strength increased fourfold, speed could generally only double at most.

But Yang Yu's speed increase was clearly far above average.

Perhaps that was also related to Yang Yu being a Xingyiquan master.

Xingyiquan had always excelled at explosive power and bursts of speed.

Given Yang Yu's current attainments in movement techniques, reaching that speed with a full-strength burst was only natural.

Satisfied with the test results, Yang Yu prepared to head home.

Along the way.

The number of people on the streets had visibly decreased.

Moreover, most people wore expressions of sorrow and grief.

Clearly, not every family had been as fortunate as Yang Yu and Jiang Fang, with all their loved ones surviving the Double R Virus.

Although nearly 30% of the population had died over those three months.

That figure was calculated based on the total population.

For some individual families, it might mean the entire household had been infected, or only one or two people had avoided infection.

Walking slowly down the street.

Yang Yu looked at the increasingly desolate streets and urban district on either side.

His heart was filled with emotions.

Because civilians had stayed home for so long, many of the Stray Cats and Stray Dogs from before had mostly died from lack of food and the virus.

Only a very small number had survived. Those stray animals that endured the virus had also undergone strange changes.

Yang Yu had just seen a Wild Cat flash past like a gray phantom.

When he looked closely.

It was a Stray Cat that had grown twice as large!

"Sure enough, the animals that survived have mutated more severely!" Yang Yu felt heavy-hearted. "Perhaps the higher-ups already know this. After all, the news this morning said that although martial law had been lifted, everyone was still advised to avoid remote areas as much as possible to prevent attacks from unknown creatures."

That Mutated Stray Cat from before was half a meter long.

If it had been hostile toward humans, ordinary people truly would not have been its Opponent.

Only Martial Way Experts like Yang Yu could handle it calmly.

Watching the Stray Cat vanish into the distance, Yang Yu's expression grew grave.

Since that mutated Wild Cat had not attacked Yang Yu, he would not simply step forward and kill it.

After all, this was still only the initial stage, and the conflict between animals and humans had not fully revealed itself.

Besides, Wild Cats did not actually like attacking humans. The real concern was those mutated large Fierce Dogs.

As well as the countless rats in the sewers, all kinds of flying insects in the sky, mosquitoes, and the like.

Those were the deadliest and most dangerous threats.

Yang Yu hurried home.

When he saw Grandfather cooking, Yang Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He quickly told Grandfather about the animal mutations he had seen on the way and urged him to avoid going out as much as possible for now.

If he absolutely had to go out, Yang Yu needed to be by his side.

Seeing how serious Yang Yu was, Grandpa Yang was briefly stunned before choosing to agree.

After all, this was his grandson's filial concern.

During the meal, the news happened to report that stray animals had begun attacking humans in some places.

That happened to confirm what Yang Yu had said earlier.

When Grandpa Yang saw that some people had even died because of it, he frowned. "Although we survived the Double R Virus, the situation seems to have become even worse."

The broadcast then switched to foreign countries, where there were even more cases of animals attacking humans.

Especially in some sparsely populated countries with vast territories, where animals were larger and more ferocious.

There had already been many cases of wild beasts attacking human settlements.

Fortunately, although wild beasts had also been optimized by the Double R Virus.

Most wild beasts had not yet undergone obvious mutations, and their individual strength was still limited.

Humans could still suppress them with modern firearms.

However, some people who thought further ahead felt a faint sense of unease.

After all, the Physical Fitness of humans who had survived the Double R Virus had indeed improved.

There was no doubt about that.

But judging from all the signs, animal mutations seemed more successful and more ferocious.

That made quite a few people begin to worry.

But such people were only a minority. Even if they posted views on social platforms warning that people should take precautions in advance, they were quickly drowned out by ridicule and insults from all kinds of netizens below.

Yang Yu was rather surprised when he happened to see this.

Sure enough, there were no shortage of intelligent people among humanity.

Beneath those drowned-out posts, one comment called on humanity to stop being arrogant and complacent. Instead, it urged people to pick up the Martial Way and weapons they had once discarded, take advantage of their improved Physical Fitness to train, further strengthen themselves, and prepare for all possible emergencies.

Without exception, many mocking remarks appeared below that post:

"No matter how high your martial arts are, you still fear a kitchen knife."

"Beyond seven steps, the gun is faster. Within seven steps, the gun is both accurate and fast."

"What era is this? You're still clinging to that outdated rubbish. Open your eyes and look at the world." And so on.

Yang Yu looked at those netizens who treated it all as entertainment.

Yet he could not laugh at all.

Perhaps they would not be laughing in half a year, either.

If any of them were still alive by then, they would surely regret why they had merely mocked others instead of seizing those golden six months to temper their bodies and practice the Martial Way.

But there had never been any medicine for regret in this world.

All Yang Yu could do was care for those around him and, once his strength improved further, protect the people worth protecting as best as he could.

After watching quite a few videos and reports of animals attacking humans.

Grandpa Yang became even more enthusiastic about learning martial arts.

After all, the elderly saw farther and had seen more.

And practicing martial arts could strengthen the body and promote longevity.

Of course he should do something that had benefits and no drawbacks.

Grandpa Yang watched Yang Yu demonstrate various Fist Techniques for him.

Deep down, he also knew that his grandson's changes might have been even greater.

Early the next morning.

Yang Yu arrived at the park, where Wang Lin had also come.

The previous night, Yang Yu had contacted him by phone and asked him to come practice boxing together.

Because his mother, younger brother, and younger sister had died, Wang Lin was in low spirits.

But upon seeing Yang Yu's message, he still forced himself to come.

"Brother Yu, do you think the Double R Virus will mutate into something even more severe?"

Wang Lin asked weakly as he practiced his punches.

"It probably won't. Didn't the experts say that although humanity paid a terrible price this time, we ultimately defeated the virus completely? The genes of the surviving humans were also optimized, and both Physical Fitness and intelligence improved to varying degrees."

Yang Yu looked at Wang Lin. "The dead cannot return, Xiao Linzi. My condolences. Your family in heaven would also want you to pull yourself together and live well in their place."

"I know, Brother Yu. It's just that whenever I close my eyes, I think of them. I think of how they struggled before they died."

By this point, Wang Lin could no longer remain standing. He collapsed to the ground, buried his head between his legs, and began to sob.

Seeing this, Yang Yu stopped practicing as well. He stretched out his right arm, drew Wang Lin close, and silently stayed with him.

After a long while.

Wang Lin finally finished crying. After wiping away his tears several times, he looked at Yang Yu awkwardly. "Thank you, Brother Yu. I've thought it through. The Double R Virus was a disaster that fell from the sky. In the end, it was a natural calamity beyond human power. From now on, I'll live well."

"Mm, that's the Xiao Linzi I know."

Yang Yu reached out and pulled Wang Lin to his feet. "May the dead rest in peace, and may the living strive forward!"

"Since we were fortunate enough to survive, we cannot let that fortune go to waste."

"Okay, Brother Yu!"