Chapter 342 - 169: Mutant

Chapter 342: Chapter 169: Mutant

Late at night, Xu Mo was fast asleep.

The past few days of constant travel, combined with the wildfire and the late-night radio story, made Xu Mo feel like he desperately needed a good rest.

"Xu... Xu..."

In his sleep, Xu Mo heard someone calling his name.

At the sound, Xu Mo’s eyes shot open, and he was instantly awake. But he didn’t move. Instead, he perked up his ears, trying to catch the sounds from outside.

"Xu, it’s me, Zhao Dazhu! I have something urgent to tell you!"

Xu Mo’s gaze shifted slightly.

’Zhao Dazhu? The man who was hiding in the underground river with a woman and child? Why is he back?’

Crawling out of his tent, Xu Mo gripped his Triangular Spike, his gaze sweeping toward the direction of the voice.

In the moonlight, Xu Mo saw a figure standing in the distance. The person stood perfectly still, hands slightly spread in a gesture that said, ’I mean no harm.’

It was Zhao Dazhu.

Xu Mo relaxed slightly but didn’t lower the Triangular Spike in his hand. He picked up his flashlight and shone it on the figure. Zhao Dazhu squinted against the bright light but didn’t shy away, merely raising a hand to shield his eyes.

"It’s me, it’s me," he said hurriedly.

Xu Mo confirmed it was him and waved him over.

"Come on over."

After getting Xu Mo’s confirmation, Zhao Dazhu quickly walked over. When he got close, he seemed to hesitate, a grave expression on his face.

Xu Mo glanced at him.

"What is it?"

Zhao Dazhu took a deep breath and lowered his voice.

"Xu, the more I thought about it after I left, the more something felt wrong. There’s something I have to tell you."

"Oh?" Xu Mo raised an eyebrow, signaling for him to continue.

"Around here..." Zhao Dazhu paused. "Lately, some strange people have shown up. They’re not good people. You’re out here all alone, so you have to be extremely careful. If you ask me, you should leave tonight. Don’t wait for morning."

Xu Mo’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Strange people? What kind of strange people?"

Zhao Dazhu swallowed and began to recount what he had seen.

It had happened many days ago.

Zhao Dazhu had been wandering the mountains, looking for something to eat. The fish in the underground river were becoming scarcer, and his family hadn’t had a full meal in days. He had no choice but to risk venturing farther out, something he normally didn’t dare to do.

Following a ravine eastward, he came to an unfamiliar area. There were a few abandoned houses there, looking like a place where people once lived. Zhao Dazhu had intended to go inside to see if there was anything useful, but as he approached, he heard bloodcurdling screams from within.

Startled, Zhao Dazhu quickly hid behind a large rock and watched furtively.

Parked outside the houses were several vehicles. They weren’t the broken-down, abandoned cars common in the post-apocalypse, but running vehicles, their bodies caked with mud, clearly used often. Several people were standing by the cars, all holding guns. They didn’t seem to be standing guard; it was more like they were waiting for something.

The screams continued to pour out from the house, one after another. There were the voices of men, women, and the crying of a child.

A short while later, Zhao Dazhu saw several people emerge from the house. They were dragging two people covered in blood, hauling them out like dead dogs and throwing them on the ground. The two were still groaning but couldn’t get up, their bodies covered in wounds.

The men with guns surrounded them and started kicking and punching the two on the ground. They cursed as they beat them, their words vile. Zhao Dazhu couldn’t hear clearly, but he vaguely caught phrases like "monster," "go to hell," and "you normal people."

After a long beating, the two people finally stopped moving. Their bodies were unceremoniously tossed into a dry ditch.

Only after they had moved far away did Zhao Dazhu dare to come out from behind the rock. He crept over to the edge of the ditch and glanced at the two corpses. They were covered in wounds, a gruesome sight.

"I ran into them a few more times after that," Zhao Dazhu said, his voice trembling slightly. "It was never anything good. They’re always preying on other survivors, and their methods are especially cruel. Anyone who falls into their hands almost never makes it out alive."

He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

"Once, from a distance, I saw them tie a few survivors to trees, and then... and then..."

He couldn’t go on, just shaking his head.

Xu Mo didn’t speak, just watched him quietly. In the moonlight, Zhao Dazhu’s face was pale. The memories had clearly left a deep shadow on him.

"How many of them are there?" Xu Mo asked.

Zhao Dazhu took another deep breath, calming himself.

"From what I’ve seen, about a dozen, maybe more. They have guns and several vehicles."

Xu Mo nodded.

"What do they look like? Any distinguishing features?"

Zhao Dazhu thought for a moment, trying hard to recall their appearances.

"Their bodies are all... a bit strange. Some have thick arms, some have scales growing on their skin, some have legs of different lengths, and some have weird patterns on their faces... Anyway, they’re not normal. They look like... like..."

He searched for the right word.

"Like monsters."

Xu Mo was silent for a few seconds. He knew what they were.

They were normal people who had become Mutants. They had eaten too much flesh from mutated creatures, causing their bodies to undergo irreversible changes while also gaining strength far beyond that of an ordinary person.

"It’s a side effect of eating too much meat from mutated creatures," Xu Mo said.

Zhao Dazhu froze for a moment.

"Eating meat from mutated creatures?"

"Mhm," Xu Mo nodded. "Some people think eating that kind of meat can make them stronger, that they can gain Superpowers. But in reality, for most people, it just turns them into... that. Their bodies warp, and they gain some strength."