What made it worse was that nearly every civilian rescued onto the ship had been injured, including Lao Shi's girlfriend. The situation was already bad enough. But those civilians did not care about logistics or consequences. When they heard that the ships would return to the base, chaos erupted on the deck.
"Why go back. I won't go back. I finally escaped. I am not returning to that base."
"Let's leave. Let's get out of here. Wherever you are going, we'll come too. I never want to see J City base again."
"No, I won't go back. If you want to return, go alone. I will not step foot in that dangerous place."
"There is no one alive in that base. Why go back at all."
But—
The civilians who were loudly protesting would not even survive long enough for the explosion's heat to fade. Right as they were shouting, changes began. Their eyes flashed red, their lips curved in strange smiles. Before they knew it, their bodies twisted on the spot. Screams rose around them. One by one, they began mutating.
Their bodies shifted from standing upright to crawling on all fours. Large bulges grew on their backs. Soon, long legs stretched out, one after another, until each of them had four to eight legs. Wings burst out behind them, quivering open.
These new creatures rose from the deck, their wings beating hard, though they stayed in place. After all, why fly away when the deck was crowded with prey.
The monsters' gaze locked on every uninfected civilian. Fortunately, even though there were many civilians, mutation took time. The ships were docked side by side. Lan Jin reacted the moment the creatures prepared to attack. Bolts of lightning rained down. Before the creatures could fully extend their wings, they collapsed lifelessly on the deck.
But—
There was no shortage of bleeding hearts in the apocalypse. Lao Shi's girlfriend, still trembling from shock, suddenly turned on Lan Jin. "What are you doing? Why did you kill them?"
Every person on deck stared at her with disbelief.
Not kill them, and let them kill us?
Lan Jin voiced the question coldly. "If I don't kill them, they'll attack us. Do you want to be eaten alive."
"You… you can't… can't just…" The woman stammered, unable to form a coherent argument. She turned to Lan Jin's teammate. "Sister, don't you think she's wrong. We all escaped together. How can she kill them like that."
That "sister" made Ling Jiang's skin crawl. Even through the protective suit, Lan Jin could feel Ling Jiang rolling her eyes so hard they might flip over.
"Don't call me sister. I don't have a sister like you. If you want to die, do it yourself. Stop dragging others to die with you."
Ling Jiang could not help but wonder, do men really love saintly fools this much? Lao Shi actually liked this type.
"You…" The girlfriend flushed with indignation, pointing at Ling Jiang.
Before she could speak, Lan Jin cut in sharply. "Since you think I'm wrong, next time I won't save you."
Lan Jin meant it. Even as she spoke, a second wave of injured people started mutating.
The first wave had happened too suddenly. People froze, only screaming. Now, panic surged. Civilians instinctively ran toward those in protective suits, trying to hide behind them.
But who would let them? Letting them hide meant risking sudden attacks from behind once they changed. That would mean death.
So when the people in high-tech suits raised their guns, the civilians froze in shock. But the base's survivors were no fools. Soon, someone pieced it together.
"You know why they mutate, don't you. It's… because of injuries, right? They got hurt, then turned. So…"
The man never finished his sentence. His eyes flashed red, his body twisting. He too began to mutate. But his words lingered in the ears of every rescued civilian.
Almost instantly, people started checking themselves for wounds. The results crushed what little hope they had.
Then, from a corner of the deck, the sound of a baby's cry broke through the chaos.
"Isn't that the baby that woman from the first batch was holding," someone whispered.
Fear for their own safety was briefly forgotten. People rushed to the infant, checking her tiny body. Relief washed over them—she was unharmed.
"She's not hurt. Please, take her. If we change, she'll be in danger," one of them said urgently.
Afraid the rescuers would hesitate, the man holding her stepped forward. "I'll put her down and step back. Please, check her. Treat her well. She may be the only survivor from J City base. Protect her. Let her grow up safe."
But before he could place her down, another man snatched the baby and held her high. His voice turned sharp. "We know your base. Mutation or not, you must have suppressants. Give us the medicine, or I'll—"
His threat never finished. A plant-based ability user lashed out with vines, whisking the infant from his arms. A hail of bullets tore into the man's chest, dropping him instantly. The air filled with the smell of blood.
In all honesty, why did he think threatening ability users—on a deck full of them—was a good idea?