The scorching heat of November had barely faded when December ushered in winter almost instantly—a seamless transition.
This year had no autumn to speak of, and neither would the next. In fact, neither the Great Xia Nation nor any country in the northern hemisphere of Blue Star experienced autumn at all.
The reason? The super earthquakes and frequent seismic activity had triggered volcanic eruptions, which in turn induced more earthquakes. It was an endless, unsolvable cycle.
Throughout October and November, not only did numerous active volcanoes erupt, but countless dead volcanoes were also reawakened. The massive volcanic activity spewed vast amounts of ash and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere, blocking solar radiation and making this winter colder than ever before.
In Guangnan Province, the southernmost region of Great Xia, temperatures had already plummeted below 10 degrees Celsius. Many people had begun bundling up in down jackets, wool coats, and thermal pants. In some areas of Guangnan, frost had even appeared—a rare sight for December, when the province was usually still warm enough for people to wear shorts, T-shirts, and sandals. But not this year.
The northern regions of Great Xia fared far worse. Heavy snowstorms blanketed many areas, reducing visibility to near zero. In the northernmost provinces, temperatures had plunged to a terrifying -60 to -70 degrees Celsius. The ground froze harder than steel. Without stockpiled food, heating systems, fireplaces, or fuel, survival would be nearly impossible for the locals. In such extreme cold, the human body lost heat rapidly, making outdoor work perilous. Insufficient warmth meant certain death, so staying indoors was the only safe option.
"The weather is so unpredictable," murmured Li Dong, standing on his second-floor balcony in a long-sleeved shirt. Though the countryside remained lush with greenery and the nearby vegetable patches were still verdant, an air of desolation lingered. Withered leaves scattered across the ground, and pedestrians on the streets grew increasingly sparse. Only patrol vehicles and police cars roamed the roads now, their officers fully armed.
Recently, reports of Infected Madmen attacking people had surged across Great Xia. Videos of these incidents spread rapidly online, fueling panic. Some began to realize that these victims of Mutated Rabies were no longer human in any meaningful sense—they more closely resembled the zombies depicted in movies. Hospitals couldn't cure the Infected Madmen, many of whom exhibited grotesque mutations: swollen limbs, arms thicker than thighs, or skin riddled with tumors that burst open, spraying foul yellow-white pus everywhere.
The only silver lining was that the number of Infected Madmen remained relatively low—fewer than a thousand cases nationwide.
It hasn't disrupted social order, but it has significantly impacted the public.
Many people are living in constant fear, terrified that they might be bitten by an Infected Madman (Zombie) while commuting to work.
However, the situation in the Great Xia Nation is far from the scale of the Western Continent nations, where the number of Infected has reached millions.
Here, it's still within controllable limits.
Since the entire population has been vaccinated, the infection rate among those bitten remains quite low, so not many have been successfully infected.
Of course, those who are bitten can't be discharged immediately. After disinfection and receiving another vaccine dose, they still need to be hospitalized for observation for several weeks.
This virus has an incubation period, and it's quite lengthy.
According to Li Tiang, this virus can remain dormant for up to a year. If it doesn't manifest beyond that timeframe, it's likely that the human immune system has successfully eradicated it.
Never underestimate the human immune system—it's the product of millions of years of evolution.
Extremely effective.
Moreover, the viruses humans naturally carry are formidable opponents, not easily defeated.
Li Dong saw the public notice on the 7:30 news broadcast, advising citizens to stay indoors, stock up on food and water, and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary.
If an Infected or Infected Madman appears in any household, the authorities must be alerted immediately. Avoid being bitten, and it's best to seek help from neighbors to restrain and escort the individual to a hospital.
Naturally, this situation won't last forever.
Once the entire population receives another round of booster vaccines, restrictions will be lifted.
Beyond the borders of the Great Xia Nation, many countries have already seen their social order collapse due to this virus. This is especially true in the Western Continent nations, where the virus first emerged—some smaller nations have completely lost control.
The number of Infected is rising, and transmission vectors are multiplying.
For instance, infection can now occur through water sources, though airborne transmission remains unconfirmed.
Li Dong even suspects that the Europeans in the Western Continent deliberately released the Mutated virus into water supplies.
Otherwise, how could the situation have spiraled out of control so abruptly?
It was manageable before.
Compounding the issue, this Mutated virus continues to evolve unpredictably.
No one knows what form it will take next.
Meanwhile, research institutes controlled by the financial backers of the Western Continent and the Far Star Union are actively altering the virus's genetic sequence—inserting, replacing, or deleting segments.
Some are even stitching together different viruses to create grotesque hybrid strains.
These are then disseminated through various means.
This virus doesn't just cripple the human immune system, triggering multiple fatal diseases—it may also fuse with human DNA, corrupting or replacing fundamental genetic information. This leads to transcription errors during replication, causing mutations and deformities.
Some researchers have even confined Infected individuals in high-radiation laboratories.
They then increase radiation levels to force further mutations in the virus or induce genetic mutations in the hosts.
They're resorting to every conceivable method.
This reveals the utter, deranged desperation of the shadowy figures pulling the strings in the Western Continent and the Far Star Union.
"Damn annoying—can't even step outside," Li Dong muttered, casting one last glance at the view before heading back to the gym to lift weights.
Staying indoors wasn't much trouble for people in northern regions, where temperatures had already plunged dozens of degrees below zero. Who would go out to freeze in such cold anyway?
In some frigid areas, it was perfectly normal for people to stay home for months at a time.
But for southerners, the situation was rather miserable.
...
By December 20th, the entire population had basically completed their second round of vaccinations.
The authorities no longer prohibited going outside.
Restrictions were lifted.
Southern cities immediately sprang back to life, with crowds surging through the streets.
Reports of Infected still surfaced occasionally, though not as frantically as half a month prior.
What troubled Li Dong most was figuring out how to handle Lin Yu.
With outdoor activities restricted recently, Lin Yu had moved straight into his home. Over time, two energetic young people became like dry wood near flames—ready to ignite at the slightest spark.
Before he knew it, Li Dong found himself conquered by her advances.
"Damn, there's no escaping now. Whatever, it's not like I'm losing out," Li Dong would sigh internally each morning when he awoke to find the beauty still sleeping beside him.
"Sigh..."
"Wait, no—I'm definitely the one getting the short end here. Why should I tie myself to one tree? I'm still so young!"
"Fuck."