Chapter 55: Looking for Someone, Another Photo

Mutant bugs.

Of course, Bian Changxi wasn’t like those rookies who had powers but didn’t know how to use them, flailing around in a panic. Her eyes stayed locked on the things darting through the air, their tiny fangs bared. Gripping her blade in both hands, she struck with speed and precision. The bugs flew fast, but she was faster. In no time, a pile of mangled insect corpses littered the ground at her feet.

But this kind of fighting drained her stamina quickly. Soon she was panting for breath, and the number of flying insects didn’t seem to have decreased much. While swinging her blade, she freed her left hand, channeling the wood-element energy inside her to her fingertips. The energy split into thin strands, and with a flick of her five fingers, five vine-like tendrils shot out, wrapping around the five bugs at the front of the swarm.

Two of the vines managed to ensnare their targets, sending the bugs crashing to the ground with shrill cries. The other three missed, but she didn’t get discouraged. She spread and closed her fingers again, sending out five more vines. The bugs that terrified everyone else had become her practice targets.

Gu Xu was the same.

When the bugs first appeared, he didn’t panic or attack immediately. Instead, he narrowed his eyes, defending himself while observing the others—Qu Nan and his group’s reactions were all noted. Only then did he launch a fireball. Instantly, a clean path appeared in the air, with nothing left but ashes drifting down.

Sensing something, he fired two more fireballs. This time, they morphed in midair, spreading into a sheet of flame. Where the fire passed, there was a crackling sound and the stench of burning filled the air. Cockroaches and flies dropped in swathes.

Bian Changxi happened to see this and couldn’t help twitching her lips. Did it have to be so easy for him? So unfair!

Gu Xu glanced up at her, his expression shifting as he reached out and pulled her behind him. “Watch out!”

Bian Changxi looked down and saw a black tide surging across the ground—ants. Who knew how so many ants and bugs had been hidden in a few tricycles? In seconds, several people near the vehicles were knocked down, their bodies swarmed by ants as they screamed in agony.

Gu Xu pulled her back, tossing two fireballs into the ant swarm. The ants were blasted into the air, but they didn’t burn as expected. Bian Changxi said, “Fire doesn’t work on them.”

Gu Xu nodded, then sent two fireballs to help Qu Nan’s group deal with the flying insects. He shouted, “Ice users, freeze the ants!”

Qu Nan was about to thank him when he heard this and saw the ants almost at his feet. He shouted, “Back up! A’Gang, do what the captain says!”

The ice user quickly crouched down, pressing his palms to the ground. With a low shout, a thin layer of ice visibly spread across the floor. Unfortunately, his power was limited—the ice was thin and short, nowhere near enough to freeze the ant army.

A’Gang looked embarrassed, straining with all his might until his face turned red, but the ants were about to reach his hands. Gu Xu was surprised—when he and his group awakened their powers, they were already strong. He hadn’t expected the ice user to be so weak and frowned.

Bian Changxi had anticipated this. She broke free from Gu Xu, grabbed a bottle of mineral water from her backpack, sliced off the top, and tossed it into the ant swarm. Water splashed over the ants, and that area instantly froze.

Qu Nan’s spirits lifted. He called to the water user, “A’Yue, help out!”

A’Yue responded, stretching out her hands as clear water sprayed onto the ants. A’Gang shouted again, his palms turning icy white as cold air billowed out. The water on the ground froze inch by inch, trapping many ants in place.

Some still slipped through, but the man with the hammer rushed out, smashing them one by one, shaking the ground with each blow.

Soon, most of the nearby flying insects and ants were dealt with, though many chased after other survivors, causing chaos throughout the first floor. Fortunately, the station’s migrant worker security team soon arrived, followed by the police.

Seeing the situation under control, Gu Xu said to Qu Nan, “I’m afraid my companions were attacked too. I need to go back.”

Qu Nan nodded quickly. “Go ahead, Captain Gu. Thank you so much for today.”

Gu Xu waved it off and strode out of the station with Bian Changxi. By now, the cold wind was blowing and dusk was falling, the street outside chaotic and filled with aimless wanderers—a bleak scene. In this powerless world, night brought only danger, lurking everywhere—not just from the hideous zombies, but also from other survivors.

And now, there were mutant bugs as well.

Like a fuse being lit, the appearance of bugs in the station was echoed by occasional glimpses of crawling creatures or animals on the street. Some people fleeing the station were chased by flying cockroaches, eventually stripping off their clothes and beating at them, managing to kill two.

Gu Xu pressed his earpiece, contacting Qiu Feng’s group. At the same time, he asked, “What’s with those ants?”

“They look mutated,” Bian Changxi replied. They walked quickly as a few clueless black beetles crawled out from somewhere, too clumsy to fly. She killed them one by one, tying one up with a vine to examine it. “It’s definitely the same species as before.”

Except now it was covered in slime and many times bigger—this beetle was the size of a duck egg, with blood-red eyes. Any normal person would get goosebumps just looking at it.

Gu Xu said, “Its teeth are pretty sharp.”

He remembered the people in the station rolling on the ground after being bitten by ants, and felt a chill. If these things could infect people and turn them into zombies, how could anyone defend against them? What’s more, after mutating, the bugs weren’t just bigger—they were faster and more aggressive. If it happened to already fierce animals like dogs or wolves…

“The people pushing the carts probably didn’t know those things were there, or they would’ve run. That means the boxes really did have supplies. But where did so many bugs come from?” he mused, pointing out a flaw.

Bian Changxi glanced at him—he always thought fast. She actually had a good guess: there was probably an ant nest and some cockroaches, flies, or eggs hidden in the supplies, and they mutated just as they entered the station, rapidly consuming the energy in the cargo and growing. That was why she and Gu Xu had sensed the energy fluctuation in the carts at the same time.

In a way, it was a relief. She’d been wondering how to warn Gu Xu’s group to watch out for rats and such. Now, there was no need.

As they spoke, they quickly crossed a street. Gu Xu’s earpiece finally crackled to life. After listening, he said, “Qiu Feng’s group was attacked too—two rats as big as washbasins and a nest of cockroaches.”

“That’s bad. Let’s hurry!” Bian Changxi was about to speed up when a black shadow suddenly leapt from a corner, howling as it pounced. She startled, stopping short and stumbling back two steps, lashing out with her vine.

Gu Xu was faster. He lunged diagonally, a small knife flashing as it shot into the shadow. The creature tumbled backward, bouncing along the ground for two meters.

Whack! Bian Changxi’s vine landed squarely on Gu Xu’s shoulder.

She’d struck with full force in the heat of the moment, tearing both his clothes and skin—blood welled up instantly.

She was shocked. “Are you okay? Why did you jump in like that?”

Gu Xu frowned, his face pale for a moment. He forced a wry smile. “That was pretty powerful.”

Bian Changxi glared at him. “Why didn’t you look where you were going…” But since he’d done it for her, she bit back the rest, examining the wound carefully. She could almost see the bone—she hadn’t held back at all. Muttering under her breath, she pressed her hand to the wound. “Don’t move.”

******

Just now, I saw someone left a review vote, and I was stunned—it was a perfect ten! I actually got a vote like that! Three cheers to Chun Zhi Global Travel, thank you so much, big hugs~~

Now for something less happy. Starting yesterday, my reader count has been dropping. As both a reader and a writer, I get it—if you don’t like a story, you just drop it. But it’s the reasons for dropping that get me. Quite a few readers told me the early chapters dragged. I thought so too, so I went back and pored over my drafts—there were only twenty-something chapters, and I ended up cutting more than half and am now desperately revising, not even caring about the upcoming launch. But when I checked again, everyone had already dropped the story. My heart just sank.

So impatient! Even if I’m revising, can’t you give me a little time? I only posted one chapter, and you’re already dropping it?

Okay, I know I’m being whiny. I just needed to vent. If you want to drop it, go ahead—I’ve always gotten by like this. I’ve taken all your feedback to heart. It’s my shortcoming, and I’ll go back and work on it. If fate allows, we’ll meet again someday."