Chapter 104: A New Year
The date was now the 1st of January 2021, a new year!
Nine months had passed since the proliferation of the activated cells through New Zealand. Over this period of time, the changes in New Zealand were rapid and varied. In the first four months, the physical bodies of all lifeforms underwent massive changes and these lifeforms battled for food in this period. Nobody could resist the hunger of the Binging Phase. After the activated cells stabilized, the vegetation in New Zealand grew rapidly as well. The vegetation became the staple food for lifeforms and supported the food chain of New Zealand.
However, this period of stability didn’t even last for a month.
Starting from the fifth month, lifeforms gradually entered the LV1-2 Brutal Phase. The incongruence between the body and soul caused them to become possessed with abnormal brutality. Even if they weren’t lacking in food, they would still go around seeking death and destruction for no reason. These lifeforms that had already changed greatly became even more dangerous. Moreover, the Brutal Phase still had one more massive effect—the original evolved humans in New Zealand would completely lose their rationality if they couldn’t control themselves and fell to their brutality multiple times.
Because the activated cells all proliferated at the same time, all lifeforms were now in the LV1-2 Brutal Phase. This was the cruelest phase, while the mindless death and destruction left no safe place in New Zealand anymore. The saddest thing was to see their initial companions—the companions who had persevered through everything together with them fall into desperate battles to protect them. However, as a result of these desperate battles they fell into a berserk state and became mindless monsters in the end.
However, based on the information that Bai Yi and Yu Han had revealed, there were fortunately a few solutions to this stage.
Plants that can calm and relax the mind.The activated cells not only caused animals to evolve but plants as well. Although a large portion of the plants became very dangerous too through the evolution, many plants still evolved to become very useful. Some plants had the ability to calm and relax the mind. Additionally, from the very beginning, the human race’s research into medicine and drugs had begun from plants and animals. The New Zealand of now only returned to the very beginning, starting to understand and research these new plants from scratch.
Physical Arts that can calm their spirit and nourish the soul.
From the information that Bai Yi had released, the soul did indeed exist. Despite this, no one could sense it yet. When progressing into the LV1-3 Hypersomnia Stage, the lifeform would naturally sense the existence of the soul.
Humans couldn’t sense the soul and they didn’t know how to train the soul as well. However, through the use of some exercises that could calm the spirit and nourish the soul, the cultivation of the soul could be brought about. It would also speed up the rebalancing of the body and soul, cutting short the duration of the Brutal Phase. So far, due to the inability to sense the existence of the soul, nobody could confirm this. Nonetheless, anybody who knew of this information believed that it was true.
No matter what, that Bai Yi and Yu Han had revealed so much information, there was really no need to hide this bit of information or trick them. Nobody could think of any ulterior motives or plots that they might have by intentionally making people practice the Tai Ji Fist.
Treasures that can nourish the soul.
The natural world was a harmonious whole. Since there was a soul, then there must be something that can nourish it. However, even if an object could nourish the soul, nobody could detect it before anyway. Of course, they hadn’t discovered any so far, but Bai Yi and Yu Han hoped that everyone would consolidate and record all their findings. One day, humans would make a complete encyclopedia of their changes.
Lastly, it was to call for everyone still living courageously in New Zealand to search for a way to return to the normal world. So far, everyone understood that the outside world was still generally safe as the infection had not spread to other countries. However, nobody from the outside would be willing to accept them without them settling the problems of their mindless brutality and their currently monstrous appearances. Even if they headed to other countries now, they would only be treated as experimental subjects.
There were quite a few talented people in New Zealand; everyone already knew by now that the outside world had changed New Zealand’s name to—Devil Island!
This name was also accepted by the surviving humans in New Zealand. Nobody else could understand better than them just how suitable this name was.
Although so far, most lifeforms were in the LV1-2 Brutal Phase, some of the experimental subjects that escape from the research facilities confirmed the truth of the LV1-3 Hypersomnia Stage and the LV2 Metamorphose Stage that Bai Yi had talked about. Then, how can the humans in New Zealand now get past their greatest obstacle now—Metamorphosis!
Bai Yi!
Yu Han!
These were both Chinese names, and they were also the ones that circulated the information about the activated cells to everyone else during this period. So far, both of them had a certain amount of reputation and fame among the evolved humans in New Zealand. However, comparatively, most people wished to meet with Yu Han. This was because there was a rumour that Yu Han held the drug that could roughly let people regain their original human form – Prototy drug! Moreover, Yu Han had also called for all the learned people in New Zealand to come and work together, hoping to improve and mass produce the Prototy drug.
“Just what kind of people are they?”
A young lady closed her notebook and looked at her hands that were covered with scales. Then, she glanced at the Horror Bird flying across the sky outside. This giant Horror Bird was ferocious but she wasn’t afraid. It was actually easier to hide from because of its giant size. She was more worried about the colony of Giant Devil Mosquitos living close to her. This bunch of Giant Devil Mosquitos were around half a meter in size, with a long sucker in front of their heads. They were the natural enemies of many animals.
The rapid-dissolution fluid secreted from their suckers could very quickly dissolve the blood, flesh, and even the bones within a lifeform’s body. They would turn into a piece of skin in just a few minutes once the fluid got injected into their bodies.
This was precisely the origin of the name Giant Devil Mosquitos.
However, even if this place was so dangerous, she still kept on staying here. That was because there wasn’t any nearby place safer than here. If she were to say why, then it was because there was something that everybody had heard of but never seen before here—ghosts!
That’s right, ghosts!
This young girl had not seen them before, but she could be sure that there was something on that level of intangibility existing here. Every human and animal that came here could be sure of this. Moreover, the ghost or spectre here had protected her more than once. Otherwise, how could she manage to survive in this place?
This young girl walked out of her place. When taking the wide view into account, one would find that this place was once a gigantic flourishing city. The place that this young girl stayed was a skyscraper more than a 100 meters tall. However, this city was now completely covered in countless layers of emerald-green; even this tall skyscraper was covered with flesh-eating vines.
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At this time, Bai Yi’s group came to this exact place…Wellington, the previous capital of New Zealand!
There weren’t many changes to the members of the team; it was still those few people. Even the horse-headed man they met along the way had left the team as well, staying in a small human settlement.
Horse-head Austin was very grateful for their magnanimity and contribution to the people of New Zealand. Despite this, he did not wish to continue wandering around. Even if it was because Bai Yi’s group wanted to tell others of the information regarding the activated cells and the change in New Zealand. As for Austin choosing to stay at that settlement, they didn’t try to dissuade him either. They wouldn’t tell others of their promise to the Progenitor within the research facility. They would just do what they felt they were supposed to do.
However, the reason why they came here was not just for that.
“What is he doing at this place?” Woolf asked.
9 months had passed and the Prototy drug that Bai Yi’s group had injected had some effects. However, it was naturally only ‘some’ effect. It wasn’t possible to reverse the huge changes they had experienced before, such as Woolf. His doughty body that was taller than 4 meters showed no signs of shrinking at all. However, they still regained some part of their human appearance. Although they still had characteristics of other lifeforms on them, people could at least tell with a look that they were humans.
The rest of them weren’t too different. Although they still had some non-human characteristics, at least other people wouldn’t think that they were monsters with just a look.
“Who knows what he is doing here. He obtained many things from the research facility, and he seemed to have gained something during this period as well. Maybe he would know some other unique things,” Bai Yi said.
The ‘he’ that Bai Yi referred to was of course Yu Han. Ever since they left the research facility, Bai Yi’s group discovered that Yu Han had spread the information about activated cells to the remaining survivors even quicker than them. Perhaps, other people wouldn’t understand why Yu Han would do this kind of good deed. Only Bai Yi’s group would understand, Yu Han, this guy…changed!
Just by taking this step gave him a great reputation. Although they couldn’t see what the use of this reputation for now, they believed that it would show its usefulness for him sooner or later.
At this time, Yu Han was really at the other side of the city, looking at this city shrouded in darkness. Beside Yu Han was 9 other people, and none of them had the body shape of a human anymore. Other than Ning Xue who had followed Yu Han all along, the other 8 all seemed very unique and very powerful as well. The most important thing was that they all seemed to trust Yu Han a lot.
At this time, Yu Han also carried a warm and gentle smile with him. From the looks of it, he really did seem different.
At the same time when Bai Yi unreservedly circulated the information about activated cells to everyone, Yu Han also did the same. It could be said that among all the evolved humans in New Zealand, Yu Han had a really good reputation, even better than Bai Yi’s. If they didn’t know Yu Han’s past and just looked at him now, probably nobody could guess how despicable he was previously.
This was the change in Yu Han’s attitude from his previous experiences.
Of course, Yu Han knew that Bai Yi’s group was looking for him but he didn’t fear them at all. He was waiting!
Yu Han didn’t deny that he was a bad person, a despicable person. He wouldn’t even deny the things he did in the past but that was in the past. If they thought that he would be like those dumb antagonists in novels and get killed off dim-wittedly, then they would be gravely mistaken. He was a man that was also learning and growing continuously, desiring to ascend to the peak of this world.
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TN: Wow I was a bit surprised at the time skip as well (I only read up till the end of the research facility arc before deciding that this was the novel I wanted to translate, so I’m translating as I read now. Though I know I should read ahead oops). Maybe it wouldn’t sit well with some of you but interesting eh? Finally, a non-idiotic antagonist that actually knows how to use his brains and seems to be able to stand toe to toe with the protagonist, whether in potential or abilities. Well, the satisfaction of justice getting served just have to wait I guess (or not?). Anyway, new arc finally starts!