Chapter 202: Mutant Frog

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Mutant Frog

Shane Shaw and Nancy Sullivan laughed so hard that tears sprang to their eyes upon seeing this commotion. In contrast, the military dogs sat obediently beside their handlers, remaining perfectly still.

Most of the private pets were equally cautious; without their owners’ commands, none dared to approach, afraid of angering the mutated frogs.

This sudden action plunged the scene into dead silence for a split second before the crowd erupted, a myriad of hushed whispers rippling through the air.

"Are they crazy? What’s wrong with that dog?"

"Can’t they keep their dog on a leash?!"

"If they agitate those frogs, our entire convoy is going to suffer!"

Complaints rose one after another. Several pet owners standing beside their mutated animals paled drastically, frowning as they glared in Luna Dawson’s direction.

The Omni Squad, which also happened to be at the front of the convoy, witnessed the scene. Though they obediently stayed inside their vehicles and didn’t dare to step out, seeing Luna’s dog provoke the frogs made them feel as if they had just been handed perfect ammunition against the Sunset Squad.

Sharon Sloan immediately poked her head out and complained, "You can’t even manage a beast! Can you take responsibility if you provoke the frogs into attacking the convoy?"

Several Superpower Users from other squads chimed in, their tones dripping with accusation. "Exactly! I heard this squad was a bunch of mavericks, but it turns out they’re just utterly undisciplined!"

"What if they delay our schedule? Who knows how many unknown dangers are waiting for us up ahead!"

"If we actually get hit by the frogs’ toxins, who’s going to answer for it?"

Others couldn’t help but curse under their breaths. Though they didn’t voice it loudly, the disgust and anger in their eyes could be felt from meters away.

Seeing that Rollo was already resorting to licking, Kevin Keane snatched the fat dog up and pinned it firmly against his chest to prevent it from acting recklessly.

Luna turned a deaf ear to the complaints. She simply observed the Fourth Rank creature before her; since she didn’t sense any hostility, it meant the situation was still under control.

Francis Grant swept a sharp, cold gaze over the complainers. He reprimanded them in a low, authoritative voice, "Shut up! Out of all of you standing here throwing blame, who can guarantee a safe solution to the current problem?"

His rebuke carried an unquestionable aura that instantly silenced the complaints, though quite a few people were still holding back their anger, their gazes as hostile as ever.

Meanwhile, the Big Pink Frog that had been licked suddenly regained focus in its previously vacant eyes. It hopped a few times and landed directly beside Kevin. Curiosity piqued, Luna quickly stepped forward to check on it.

Francis swiftly tapped his smart bracelet to pull up the data. "Most of them are low-tier mutated frogs," he read calmly. "Only the large ones have Crystal Cores, and all of them are venomous. When startled, they secrete a red allergenic mucus. Mild exposure causes rashes, while severe exposure leads to suffocation. The mucus remains active for 72 hours and is extremely adhesive. In other words, once it gets on you, you won’t be able to wash it off for three days."

Luna immediately pried Rollo’s mouth open for a thorough inspection. Only after confirming there was no mucus inside did she heave a sigh of relief.

Perched on Kevin’s shoulder, Little Sweet Potato extended its thin vines, bringing its plump leaves close to the Pink Frog as if sniffing it.

"CROAK!"

The Big Pink Frog let out a sudden cry. Rollo became instantly excited, whining eagerly as its little black nose twitched rapidly. Even its eyebrows quivered as it struggled to squirm out of Kevin’s arms.

"Let it down for now," Luna signaled to Kevin.

The moment Rollo hit the ground, it scampered over to the Pink Frog, whining incessantly as if they were communicating. Little Sweet Potato, meanwhile, looked back and forth between the two, remaining perfectly still like a lagging machine.

Just then, Little Sweet Potato’s mechanical voice rang out, "Fourth Rank Thunder Frog. Rollo is expressing friendliness toward it, and it is also interested in Rollo."

"Fourth Rank?!"

As soon as those words fell, the scene plunged into dead silence once more, immediately followed by overwhelming gasps of shock.

"Did I hear that right? Was that... a plant talking?"

"That’s a sweet potato, isn’t it? How can a sweet potato talk?"

"I’ve seen plenty of mutated plants and animals, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one that talks!"

Those who had been complaining just moments ago froze in their tracks. Sharon’s jaw dropped, her finger still pointing mid-air. The anger on her face was instantly replaced by utter astonishment, leaving her speechless for quite a while.

William Walsh’s expression grew noticeably solemn. He immediately grabbed his binoculars and carefully observed the Sunset Squad’s mutated flora and fauna. The few Superpower Users who had echoed the complaints earlier widened their eyes. They rubbed their ears vigorously, as if unable to believe their own hearing.

The surrounding pet owners completely forgot their original intent. They flocked closer, their gazes fixed intently on Little Sweet Potato atop Kevin’s shoulder.

"Oh my god, this level of mutation is simply absurd!"

"A talking plant... If cultivated properly, wouldn’t it allow direct communication with mutated creatures?"

"How come we’ve never heard of such a mutated plant before?" Exclamations and murmurs of discussion rose and fell in waves.

Francis’s adjutant, Jean Sterling, was so startled she took half a step back. Pointing at Little Sweet Potato, her voice trembled, "C-Colonel Grant, this sweet potato... can it really talk?"

After all, since the apocalypse began, mutated plants and animals were a dime a dozen, but one with autonomous consciousness and the ability to speak was practically unheard of.

Kevin, however, remained entirely nonchalant. Giving the dumbfounded Jean a passing glance, he said slowly, "What, is it that strange? In the mutated Blue Star of today, are there really so few plants and animals that have gained sentience?"

Major General Thomas Dalton rolled down his car window, his burning gaze locked onto the commotion ahead. Clearly, this bizarre spectacle had captured his full attention as well.

"CROAK—" the Big Pink Frog spoke first, its tone carrying a hint of tentative probing.

"Whine~" Rollo responded immediately, its voice soft and squishy.

"CROAK!" The Pink Frog raised its pitch as if arguing a point.

"Whine, whine!" Rollo refused to be outdone, dragging out the final note.

They had barely exchanged a few lines before the dynamic took a sudden, drastic turn. Rollo lifted its thickly padded paw and—SMACK!—slapped it right down on top of the Big Pink Frog’s head!

The force didn’t look light. The Big Pink Frog’s rotund body shuddered violently, and its plump, round head was instantly flattened by a fraction, looking much like a squashed glutinous rice ball.

In the next second, Little Sweet Potato abruptly expanded in size, its leaves stretching out ramrod straight.

Everyone present clearly felt two waves of Fourth Rank superpower fluctuations ripple outward. Even though the creatures weren’t physically fighting, an inexplicable tension of heavyweights sizing each other up permeated the air.

Luna complained frantically in her mind, "Is this what they call friendly socializing?"

"CROAK—"

The Big Pink Frog let out a convoluted, drawn-out cry, sounding as aggrieved as a child who had just been robbed of their candy. Its originally perfectly round, huge eyes instantly welled up with glittering moisture—it looked as though it were on the verge of bursting into tears.

Even though the onlookers were of a completely different species, they were thoroughly infected by its palpable sense of grievance. The same thought popped into everyone’s head: "This frog genuinely wants to cry!"

"WOOF!"

Rollo suddenly let out a vigorous, full-throated bark, completely abandoning its soft, cute whining facade.

The Big Pink Frog cowed instantly. It immediately raised one of its short, stubby front claws, obediently striking a posture of surrender. Its rotund body even shrank back slightly. The sight was as comical as it was hilarious.