Frogman

#"This type of frogman has corrosive saliva. Its stomach acid is comparable to aqua regia in terms of corrosiveness."

"It reacts significantly to human flesh, aligning with the mutation patterns of contamination disease patients."

"Its epidermis is tough and waterproof. The weak point is in the abdomen."

"The majority of its muscle fibers are fast-twitch, suggesting strong explosive power but poor endurance."

Lu Yan wrote down the related data one by one in his work log.

After two days of recovery, his injuries no longer hindered his movements.

The doctor's house had everything one could need. Therefore, having a set of dissection scalpels wasn't particularly surprising.

These low-level contaminants had mostly lost human traits and had completely lost their sanity, retaining only a primal hunger. They were no longer considered human, especially since they wanted to kill him.

Thus, despite retaining respect for anatomical subjects, Lu Yan did not hold back while dissecting.

When Lu Yan tossed the frog meat into the meat grinder and flushed it down the drain, the system's voice sounded regretful: "[This frog meat... is really quite tasty.]"

Lu Yan replied, "I believe that as humans, we shouldn't, and cannot."

"[...Alright.]"

A day had passed since he dealt with the corpse, and Lu Yan hadn't slept for nearly thirty hours. He collapsed into bed, but was woken up at ten in the morning by a knock on the door.

He was always a light sleeper, unable to sleep deeply.

The property management guy was shouting at the door, "Mr. Lu, are you awake?"

The property manager, Shen Qingyang, had been working here for two years.

The door lock had been corroded. During this special period, Lu Yan couldn't find anyone to replace it, so he had to install a new one himself.

An electronic lock with fingerprint recognition, with no keyhole.

He checked the peephole camera and asked through the intercom, "What's the matter?"

"Do you know where the resident opposite you has gone?" Shen Qingyang asked, looking somewhat dazed, holding a bottle of mineral water and taking a sip every half minute. "He hasn't picked up his water for the past two days. We checked the surveillance but couldn't find him. We're curious."

Lu Yan calmly replied, "I don't know."

"Okay. If you hear anything, please contact me in the property management group. I'll go deliver water to the next household."

Whether Shen Qingyang noticed it or not, he hopped away in little jumps. If it were a child, it might have been cute.

Lu Yan remained silent for a moment, feeling that the number of infected people in this city might be higher than he had imagined.

The system also sighed: "[The evolution speed has accelerated. Under normal circumstances, it would take at least a month to go from the first stage to the third stage. K City will lose control faster than anticipated.]"

Lu Yan hesitated for a moment and asked, "Isn't there a contamination disease prevention center?"

"[The number of Enlighters is far fewer than the number of contaminants, and now they can't even keep up with the rate of evolution. The world is burning everywhere, and there is only one bottle of water to extinguish the fires, how can it save everyone?]"

Lu Yan felt that the system made sense.

He waited for a while, brought in the water and vegetables left outside the door, and as usual, turned on the TV.

Although he had stocked up on supplies, most were instant foods. Fresh ingredients still needed to be delivered by others.

At that moment, the TV station was broadcasting the news, the only program K City residents could receive nowadays. The TV station was severely understaffed, now only broadcasting at 10 AM, 2 PM, and 8 PM, each lasting an hour.

No longer sugarcoating the situation, the female news anchor solemnly introduced the contamination disease on the screen.

The anchor, perhaps seeing these materials for the first time, read the news with a trembling voice.

"This is the most severe challenge humanity has faced since the beginning of the new century.

"K City has now issued a contamination yellow alert.

"This contamination disease is spread through parasitic fish eggs. Infected individuals may be partially contagious. The parasitic fish eggs are mostly found in tap water, so citizens should be cautious with their drinking water."

"According to reports, infected individuals mutate through three stages. The first stage features... the mutation cycle ranges from 7 to 50 days. The final form of contaminants falls into three categories: frogmen, fishmen, and algae men, with increasing levels of danger. Mutated individuals are highly aggressive and are no longer considered human. If you encounter a mutated person, seek shelter immediately. If you find someone in your home starting to mutate, call the police immediately."

"Despite the enemy being exceptionally strong, we must not give up hope. Relevant departments in K City have never stopped aiding ordinary residents."

"In addition, if any citizen is contaminated but shows no mutation symptoms, they can call the prevention center. In this critical moment of life and death, we need everyone's strength!"

Accompanied by a series of censored photos on TV, the last veil over the contamination disease was lifted, and fear and anxiety enveloped everyone's hearts.

Many people, realizing the severity of the problem through the television, either voluntarily or involuntarily went to the shelters.

Some citizens chose to flee overnight, and gunfire continued until dawn. While social order hadn't completely collapsed, armed forces were still quite effective.

On the fifteenth day of the lockdown, someone reached the edge of the city for the first time.

It was a taxi driver, who had evaded pursuers thanks to his familiarity with the city. He drove on the highway out of the city, his face filled with post-survival relief.

The streets were empty, more desolate than ever. The driver took a small road, despite its poor condition, to avoid the toll station and get onto the highway towards another city...

Passing through the ancient Tea Horse Road would lead to M City next door.

Just as victory seemed within reach, the driver's smile froze on his face.

At the edge of K City, an unexpected several-meter-high wall had been erected.

This wall stretched endlessly, smooth and formidable, like a gigantic prison.

Reinforcements from headquarters had indeed arrived.

Bai Qiushi, the team leader of the second group of the Special Operations Department, with a spiritual power threshold of 8700.

He sat atop the high wall, listening to Lin Sinan's report, his brow furrowed in impatience.

"Fighting is impossible for me in this life. If it weren't for being afraid of dying, I wouldn't have awakened this ability. Besides, I'm not physically fit, unlike those combat lunatics... What? I didn't insult anyone. This earthen wall can last a week at most. In a week, control all the contaminants in the city. Otherwise, headquarters will consider using thermal weapons. You know, the kind that goes 'boom' and makes a mushroom cloud. Got it?"

On the sixteenth day of the lockdown.

Shen Qingyang's face showed obvious signs of mutation. His eyes bulged out.

Lu Yan had dissected Zhou Kaiwen, finding his brain severely atrophied, down to the size of a walnut, with all the sulci gone, looking like a smooth piece of foie gras. This brain mutation evidently deprived the contaminants of human rationality.

This also explained why some contaminants could still move after having their brains blown out. It was laughable; they didn't need brains at all.

Shen Qingyang stopped at Lu Yan's door.

He pressed the doorbell and asked, "Mr. Lu, are you there?"

A moment later, Lu Yan's slightly distorted voice came through the intercom, "Yes."

"It's good that you're here. This is my last time delivering water. The detection officers from the contamination center said I'm about to enter the second stage of mutation. Although I don't know where exactly I've mutated, I can tell that people are very afraid of me now," Shen Qingyang spoke slowly, "We're short of people. If no one comes to replace me, I should have gone to the shelter earlier... Do you know about the shelter? It's where mutated people are concentrated for treatment."

"They call it the concentration camp of the 22nd century. No one who goes there comes out alive. But it can't be helped. I watched the news; those mindless mutated people only have a primal hunger left. They say a person is made up of their memories, so by then, I won't be 'me' anymore. So, I don't mind dying in the shelter."

"Although I can't see my mutation, it's not without changes. Dr. Lu, I want to warn you... you smell different from normal people, very fragrant. You must stay safe. Although the area has started testing, it's very chaotic outside. It's best not to go out. I've deleted the surveillance from that night for you. It's good that you're okay."

Like someone making final arrangements, Shen Qingyang rambled on.

"Thank you, Dr. Lu."

Shen Qingyang came from the countryside and dropped out of school after junior high. Later, he worked on construction sites, where he broke a leg. Dr. Lu performed the surgery.

He survived but ended up with a limp and couldn't return to work. Dr. Lu happened to see a recruitment notice downstairs and recommended the job to him.

Shen Qingyang's stomach growled inappropriately, hungry.

He continued to eat normally, but food no longer satisfied him.

That morning, driven by hunger, he even secretly cut a piece of flesh from his body, finding it surprisingly not painful.

Shen Qingyang took one last look at Dr. Lu's door before turning to leave.

He would then be taken to the shelter under the supervision of the contamination disease prevention center staff.

In this neighborhood, a total of seven people were sent to the shelter.

The number of contaminated people in K City was higher than expected, making beds in the shelter particularly scarce.

The shelter provided single rooms, which were temporary modifications, exceptionally cramped, with iron sheets separating them, resembling train sleeper compartments.

Such places naturally lacked soundproofing. One could hear the sound of someone chewing an apple in the next room clearly.

Shen Qingyang, used to hardship, didn't find it unbearable, but he worried about Dr. Lu still in the neighborhood. He had trouble sleeping the first night because of this.

In the neighboring W City.

A person in a black robe stood in the suburbs, looking at the earthen wall outside K City from afar.

The wall not only blocked the land above but also cut off the river below.

Special agents to kill fish eggs had already been released into the water. In about two days, they would eradicate all contaminants in the river.

The black-robed figure's gender was indistinguishable, completely covered.

"The shelter is the best incubation ground. Only by devouring can we achieve better evolution. Sometimes, I really appreciate those noble parts of human nature. At least they built a shelter, right?"

The black-robed figure didn't move, and there was no one else around.

Surprisingly, the voice came from the back of its head.

"I wonder in whose hands the royal fish egg will end up… I deliberately caused chaos in H City to keep headquarters occupied, so they wouldn't have the energy to deal with this place."

"Yes, I know, your son is still in K City. But it doesn't matter, does it? And don't tell me you still have paternal feelings."

"There will naturally be many sacrifices in this process. But all sacrifices are for the great god's descent."

A gust of wind lifted the hood of the black robe, revealing its face.

Its front face had a single vertical eye with bloodshot whites. Its back face was constantly changing, shifting between male and female.

"K City is just the beginning. One day, this world will be covered with god's relics!" The human face's expression was fanatical, then it calmed down,

"And we are the creators of god."