Chapter 33: Deterioration
The Magical Space had the effect of Marrow cleansing and meridian opening on Jiang Yan, enhancing her overall physical condition.
However, this effect was gradual—it didn't instantly transform her into some superhuman overnight.
For example, she could effortlessly hold the seven-to-eight-kilogram chainsaw in one hand for half a day, but even so, she could still feel a faint ache in her wrist.
Of course, her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person.
Still, this made Jiang Yan acutely aware that even though she had stockpiled all the supplies according to plan, she still had a long way to go—and many things left to do—if she wanted to survive smoothly in the Apocalypse.
Stocking up on ample and well-prepared supplies was just the beginning.
A very simple beginning.
The real challenge lay in all the unknown dangers she would have to face alone—whether natural disasters, human conflicts, or anything else. That was the true essence of this survival game in the Apocalypse.
Improving her overall physical condition, quickly mastering various combat techniques, and familiarizing herself with firearms and other weapons were absolutely necessary.
After all, the people she encountered today were just ordinary civilians—most of them couldn't even lift heavy objects or endure hardship.
To put it bluntly, the Apocalypse hadn't truly arrived yet.
People might be unreasonable, but at least they still had some basic moral principles and boundaries.
Their bluster was mostly just empty threats.
But once the Apocalypse truly arrived, social order would collapse, resources would become scarce, and it would be a life-or-death struggle—that was when human nature would reveal its truest form.
And that was often when the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—would truly come into play.
Most of the time, not provoking others didn't mean others wouldn't provoke you.
Of course, her principle had always been: she wouldn't stir up trouble, but she wasn't afraid of trouble either.
She did have the Magical Space, but she couldn't hide inside it forever.
Otherwise, what difference would there be between that and spending a lifetime in prison?
Except this "prison" was unimaginably comfortable.
Natural selection, survival of the fittest.
She didn't want to become a fragile greenhouse flower inside the dimension, completely defenseless against the outside world.
Besides, this dimension had appeared inexplicably.
Perhaps one day, it would disappear just as inexplicably.
Making the best use of it to gradually adapt to the harsh environment of the Apocalypse—rather than relying on it entirely—was the first thing Jiang Yan had thoroughly understood after obtaining this Magical Space.
So, only by making herself truly strong could she face everything with confidence.
However, she decided to start this self-improvement plan tomorrow.
Today, she would allow herself to slack off a little.
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Jiang Yan lay on the sofa for a long time before her energy and stamina finally recovered somewhat.
The temperature inside the room had also gradually dropped.
She sat up, took out a bottle of chilled coconut water from the dimension, and drank it.
Standing up, she glanced at the thermometer—the outdoor temperature had already soared to 57 degrees Celsius.
Checking the weather forecast on her phone, she saw that the temperature was still rising and might even reach 60 degrees tonight.
Her phone was filled with multiple warning messages sent hours earlier by An Ming City's authorities through telecom providers.
Some were red alerts for extreme heat.
The message roughly stated that due to overheating protection measures, the entire city would experience widespread water, electricity, and gas outages around 10 PM tonight. All citizens were urged to stock up on sufficient food and drinking water in advance.
Those with the means were also advised to prepare some common medications and ready-to-eat food.
In reality, several cities with temperatures higher than An Ming's had already been without water, electricity, or gas for a day.
But this warning was of little significance.
Supermarkets and shopping malls had long been emptied by early morning panic buying.
Once the power went out, meat, dumplings, and other perishables stored in refrigerators would quickly spoil in such extreme heat.
Water was easier to stockpile.
But in the city, without electricity or gas, raw rice couldn't be cooked into meals.
After all, not every household had the foresight or outdoor camping hobby to prepare alcohol stoves or charcoal fires.
Those who had stocked up on crackers, canned food, or sausages would fare better, at least temporarily.
Moreover, in the past, when one region faced disaster, aid would pour in from all sides.
If a city encountered problems, material and medical assistance from neighboring cities could quickly follow.
But now, temperatures were rising too rapidly, far exceeding official expectations. Every city—indeed, the entire world—was struggling to survive, left to fend for itself.
Another message concerned the giant blood mosquitoes.
It stated that after several days of intensive research, global scientists still hadn't discovered a drug capable of completely eradicating the blood mosquitoes.
Conventional insecticides and repellents could only drive them away, not kill them outright.
Moreover, the blood mosquitoes were continuously mutating, enhancing their physical capabilities and resistance to chemicals.
However, some "experts" pointed out that certain authentic Chinese medicinal herbs were far more effective at repelling these blood mosquitoes than conventional repellents.
They recommended that those with the means could prepare herbal sachets, placing them in cloth or mesh bags to hang on their bodies, windows, or doorways, significantly reducing blood mosquito attacks.
The message also listed some herbal names and suggested dosages.
Additionally, once temperatures exceeded 60°C, blood mosquitoes would enter a peak breeding period.
Only at 70°C would they begin showing signs of self-destruction.
Jiang Yan's gaze lingered on the words "70°C" for a moment, and she couldn't help but inhale sharply.
If temperatures really reached 70°C, many people probably wouldn't survive.
After reading the messages, she opened the news app.
"How to cook at home during a city-wide blackout" had become the top trending search during this period.
For the first time, the news also reported an analysis of the giant blood mosquitoes' origins.
One factor was the impact of nuclear-contaminated water discharged by a certain island nation.
The other was due to global warming, which had released ancient viruses previously frozen beneath thick ice layers at the South and North Poles.
The initial wave of these viruses was carried out by a single mosquito.
Then, like a butterfly effect, it triggered sudden mutations across various mosquito species.
However, this information was quickly deleted by authorities.
Such news would undoubtedly incite public panic.
If viruses could now affect mosquitoes, what would be next?
The thought was terrifying.
After skimming through the updates, Jiang Yan felt a weight in her chest.
She stood up, pulled back the curtains, and glanced outside through the floor-to-ceiling window.
The scorching sunlight outside didn't seem like it was around seven o'clock.
It was far more blinding than at noon.
She even wondered if there was something wrong with the distance between the sun and the Earth.
Jiang Yan's apartment had a north-south layout with good ventilation.
The floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room faced the central garden of the residential complex.
A large crowd had gathered in the garden at this moment.
Jiang Yan frowned.
At this hour, not only was the temperature unbearably high, but Blood Mosquitoes could appear at any time.
Were these people not afraid of death?
However, the 32nd floor was too high up for her to clearly see or hear what was happening.
With a thought, she retrieved a high-powered telescope from her dimension.
(End of chapter)