Contaminated Creatures

"No. I searched for a long time too, but there wasn't a trace of anyone."

Xiang Yang did not seem particularly affected by this, or perhaps she had simply grown used to it. Still, she said hopefully, "But I heard the Eastern Alliance established a human settlement within the Arctic Circle. That should be humanity's hope!"

It seemed the political structure of this world was quite different. Lu Ren fell into thought. This was, after all, another dimension—perhaps a parallel universe, perhaps...

He was intensely curious about the structure of this world. Although killing this girl would be as easy as killing a chicken, since she had not shown anything unusual for the time being, he let it go. After all, with so many people in the world, some would like you and some would not.

He could not exactly kill everyone who disliked him or showed hostility toward him.

Even so, Lu Ren kept at least a meter away from Xiang Yang, ensuring he would have time to react if she suddenly attacked.

"What are those monsters? The Contaminated Creatures you mentioned—how were they contaminated?"

Xiang Yang asked in surprise, "You don't know?"

Lu Ren nodded slightly and casually replied, "I came from a very distant place. I don't know anything about this place."

Xiang Yang could not help glancing at Lu Ren, a strange look in her eyes. But the fact that he was human was beyond doubt. After thinking for a moment and organizing her thoughts, she spoke.

"My father said the disaster happened thirty years ago. After the other dimension was opened, it released an energy that quickly spread across the globe. Ninety percent of the world's humans and animals were contaminated, and the genes within their bodies began to mutate.

"Their strength, speed, and physical resistance kept increasing, but the price was the loss of their reason. They became beasts that acted on instinct."

A trace of confusion appeared in Xiang Yang's eyes. "My dad said that period was humanity's darkest hour. We were nearly driven to extinction. Of the one billion people who survived worldwide, more than half quickly died under the hunting of Contaminated Creatures. Then everyone moved underground, using subway networks and various disaster-prevention facilities to establish defensive lines.

"But humans were not the only ones mutated by the contamination. Animals and insects were also altered to varying degrees. Humanity was in grave danger. Fortunately, the countless rats seemed to possess a natural resistance, giving us something to study in order to develop countermeasures.

"A few years ago, we could still use global wireless satellite broadcasts to confirm that traces of surviving humans remained. But in recent years, as the contamination has grown increasingly severe, responses have become sparse. Many people are hiding in shelters, surviving on their remaining supplies.

"Other than the Arctic human survivor base established by the Eastern Alliance, the surface has completely become a paradise for monsters."

Lu Ren asked, "What do those monsters rely on to survive?"

"Energy. The special energy emitted from the other dimension is spread through the air. Those Contaminated Creatures can absorb that energy to sustain themselves."

Xiang Yang shrugged slightly. "But my dad told me all this. I don't really know the details."

"Then where is the other dimension?"

Although he had seen it in the magazine, Lu Ren still wanted to confirm it again.

"Haimen City." Xiang Yang pointed beneath her feet. "This is Haimen City. It's also where the special energy is most concentrated and where there are the most monsters."

Lu Ren was full of confusion. "Then why did I encounter so few along the way?"

"Most of them hide in the Black Mist."

"The Black Mist?"

Xiang Yang explained, "At night, that gauzy Black Mist covers the land, and Contaminated Creatures emerge from it to move about. But some powerful Contaminated Creatures can leave the Black Mist and remain active during the day."

Lu Ren was speechless for a long while. The extinction mechanism of this world was simply too bizarre, far beyond imagination. Fortunately, he had not wandered around at night and had stayed inside buildings instead, avoiding contact with it.

To sum it up, the passage to the other dimension released a special energy that formed the Black Mist, and contaminated creatures entered the Black Mist to dwell within it.

"Then where does the Black Mist hide during the day?"

"I don't know," Xiang Yang said. "My dad said that because the other dimension has been connected to this world for so long, the Black Mist might retreat into the other dimension. Then, at night, when the special energy becomes active, it randomly releases vast swathes of Black Mist around the world, covering nearly an entire continent. Others say it's actually underground. But the cloud cover over Haizhou City has been pretty good these past few days, so the Black Mist hasn't spread this way."

Lu Ren nodded slightly. "So why did your father bring you here?"

Xiang Yang fell silent for a moment. "My father wanted to enter the Experimental Center and close the entrance to the other-dimensional passage."

It seemed Xiang Yang's father had no ordinary status in this world. He definitely could not have been just some regular person.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

Seeing that Xiang Yang did not want to talk about it, Lu Ren changed the subject. "All right, then what do you plan to do next?"

A trace of determination appeared on Xiang Yang's face. "I'm going to fulfill my father's last wish."

Lu Ren studied the girl in surprise. She looked somewhat petite, but her experiences over the past few years seemed to have given her excellent physical fitness. The contours of her muscles were faintly visible beneath her clothes.

She was someone with survival Skill Points maxed out. She was battle-hardened, efficient in her techniques, and completely free of the coy mannerisms of a young girl. Decisive and resolute.

No wonder she had survived here alone for so long.

Seeing Lu Ren's unmoved expression, Xiang Yang could not help saying, "We're both human. Don't you have anything to say?"

Lu Ren thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Mm, it's a good ideal. I wish you all the best."

"...Don't you want to be a hero who saves the world?"

"I think the word 'hero' is far too heavy. I'm not strong enough to carry that burden."

Xiang Yang looked angrily at his powerful build and the two Bone Swords hanging at his waist, their blades still stained with dried blood.

"Are you willing to spend your whole life hiding in some dark corner? Don't you want to bathe in sunlight? Stand openly on the surface and watch the sun rise and the moon set?"

Lu Ren said, "Although the scene you describe is beautiful, I don't find it particularly appealing."

To put it cruelly, he was not from this other-dimensional world. The system had clearly told him that in seven days, this other-dimensional world connected to the real world would drift away, and those who did not belong to this world would be stripped away with it.

And from a certain perspective, she seemed to be fishing for an answer!

How could Lu Ren willingly take such a risk?

Xiang Yang glared at Lu Ren indignantly. Although this guy was not one of those Contaminated Creatures, he was just as detestable in nature.

She sat in the corner, sulking and unwilling to speak to Lu Ren.

Lu Ren did not care. People like her, who did not understand the cruelty of reality and were blinded by innocence, often did unexpected things on the strength of their passion. If the Antarctic survivor base really had been established by a national organization, it would certainly have formulated strategic objectives concerning the other-dimensional passage.

But perhaps there was simply nothing they could do due to practical constraints.

That father and daughter had thought too beautifully. Sure enough, her father had died halfway through, leaving only Xiang Yang to survive alone in the perilous Haizhou City.

It had to be said that this underground waterway system was enormous. Many of its passages were two and a half meters high, enough to accommodate five people walking side by side.

It also extended in every direction, with a sewer reservoir purification facility even farther below.

If he stayed here, he could easily hold out until the seventh day and then return to the real world.

This was quite a good safehouse.