Chapter 12: Matters of Special Danger
With the humility and eagerness to learn of a newcomer, Xiao Xiao chatted with the soft-spoken young designer for an entire afternoon. After dinner, he finally returned to his own “home.”
He couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude in his heart—Yang Jia had truly introduced him to an excellent mentor.
Soft-spoken loved to talk, and her personality was also very considerate.
Although this was a tough, iron-blooded man who always drove his motorcycle over a hundred miles per hour and would casually pull out a spiked club to hit people, when he introduced Xiao Xiao to some situations and survival skills of this world, he was very patient. Moreover, he had a good habit of always insisting on paying the bill when eating.
This also made Xiao Xiao feel much closer to him.
In such a bizarre and grotesque world, whether it’s Yang Jia or Ruan Ruan, both being strangers in a foreign land, they could always bring each other a sense of security that was somehow different.
When he returned to the bedroom, he saw a dark red box placed beside his bed.
Although he had already mentally prepared himself on the way back, he still felt somewhat surprised when he saw this box.
Ruǎnruǎn had already demonstrated to herself how to purchase these special items, and after confirming, she simply “online shopped” according to the list on a tablet computer with her own dark red card attached.
But now mom hadn’t come home from work yet, and the house was locked, so this box mysteriously appeared in her bedroom.
How magical…
But thinking that this entire city is a giant, writhing living creature, it somehow doesn’t seem worth being surprised about.
Opening the box, he saw the low-level genetic enhancement serum that Ruanruan had mentioned.
It was stored in a semi-metallic container that still emitted a faint silvery glow even in the darkness, with the other half made of an unknown transparent material that didn’t appear to be glass.
Xiao Xiao observed it for a while, then twisted a rotating button at the top, and with a soft hiss, a sharp needle emerged.
Xiao Xiao understood that this type of syringe was something that combined storage and injection functions in one, making it very convenient to use.
Similarly, there was no sign of falsity; instead, it possessed a material quality of technological creation rarely seen in real life.
Even on the surface of the syringe, there was a logo for “Black Forest Biological Pharmaceuticals.”
This was also something Soft had explained to him before—Black Forest Biological Pharmaceuticals was a real biological genetics research laboratory that existed in this city.
The “violence factor” they had exchanged for with points from the city existed in the surface form of low-grade genetic enhancement drugs produced by this laboratory, making it convenient for him to use.
“Do I really have to inject this thing into my body?”
Recalling what Ruanruan had told him, the use of the injections required three steps. After the first injection, he needed to wait two days before administering the second one, and inject the third one three days later.
After all three doses of the medicine were used, his physical condition would improve in every way, and he would no longer be in this current state of sub-health.
However, after the three injections, if he wanted to continue strengthening his body, he would need to purchase higher-grade medicine.
However, having suddenly obtained this kind of medicine, Xiao Xiao felt somewhat shadowed in his heart and didn’t quite dare to continue using it like this. But after remaining silent for a long time in the dim bedroom, he suddenly let out a bitter laugh.
“The entire world has already gone mad, so what else is there to be careful about?”
He gripped the medicine vial, aimed it at his own thigh, closed his eyes, and gently jabbed it in.
The touch was ice-cold, accompanied by a faint stinging sensation. The serum advanced on its own, and pale blue light spots spread throughout his entire body along with his blood.
At that moment, in the bedroom where only the computer’s faint glow flickered, the exposed skin of Xiao Xiao showed vein patterns like root systems, all displaying a subtle blue hue.
Mysterious and bizarre.
In his ears, it seemed as though a vast and secretive low laughter echoed, as if something mad was cheering for him in this moment.
The world, in Xiao Xiao’s perception, seemed to become suddenly clearer in an instant.
At this moment, Xiao Xiao did not know what this action represented.
And at the other end of the distant city, in a room with densely packed circuits, within the glass tank where only a single brain existed, there seemed to be a faint sigh echoing.
……
……
Xiao Xiao held his breath and waited. After a long while, he discovered that there was no particularly strong discomfort.
As the deep blue light disappeared within his blood vessels, he only felt his body grow slightly warm, and his breathing carried a scorching sensation.
But upon careful examination, he found that his temperament had not become irritable, nor did he feel the urge to attack anything.
According to Soft Soft’s explanation: the violence factor is injected into the body in the form of gene-strengthening agents, which will give oneself a stronger physique and strength, but the side effect is a more violent tendency.
Or rather, the violent tendency is the main effect, and the physical enhancement is the side effect.
Of course, this is only in the early stages, and with three of the lowest-grade strengthening agents, the violent tendency is also extremely mild.
Perhaps precisely because of this, I haven’t experienced the side effects that Soft Soft mentioned, anyway I don’t feel like I’ve become more irritable or anything else.
He sat down silently and took careful inventory.
The gun from Yang Jia, the fruit knife bought on the road, the genetic enhancement serum purchased today……
Now, in this unknown and mysterious city, he had at least gained some ability to protect himself……
But Xiao Xiao was a person lacking in security.
Just thinking of Jiang Cheng’s malicious exposure and that twisted rat-like appearance made him feel uneasy, so he quietly took out a handheld monitoring device from the box.
Although Ruan Ruan had said that in this city, dangerous things with the potential for mutation were extremely abundant, compared to the scale of the entire city, they seemed quite rare, and it was difficult to easily encounter them in one’s surroundings.
But Xiao Xiao still couldn’t help himself and wanted to take it out for a test.
After all, over the past four years, he had always felt an endless sense of danger, as if every single thing was extraordinarily terrifying…
With a hint of nervousness, he turned on the monitoring device in his hand.
Perhaps only by scanning his surroundings and confirming everything was fine could he sleep soundly at night.
Then……
“Beep beep beep beep——”
The moment he pressed the instrument button, a piercing alarm suddenly began blaring incessantly, as if gone mad, unable to stop at all.
In that instant, cold sweat streamed down Xiao Xiao’s face.
My heart skipped a beat, and in an instant I found myself in a state of mental explosion, countless thoughts surging through my mind:
“This damn thing is broken?”
“That doesn’t make sense, it’s brand new…”
“……”
A row of numbers on the monitoring device appeared in his field of vision, intensifying the tension building inside him.
The detector could identify dangerous objects within a hundred meters of him, regardless of whether they had already undergone mutation.
In other words, either a mutated creature like the rat-man had appeared nearby, or something that was close to mutation had shown up.
However, according to Soft Soft’s account, although there were quite a few of these things, they weren’t so prevalent as to be everywhere on the streets. Normally, even if one carried this device around and wandered through half the city, one might not discover a single one.
So why did it start alarming so intensely just from opening it?
And when Xiao Xiao saw the distorted text appearing on the monitoring device, he was even more startled, his scalp tingling slightly.
【Ferocious Hunting Dog】
【Worn-out Gramophone】
【Solitary Butcher】
【……】
In a state of mental explosion, Xiao Xiao thought of many things, but in reality, after detecting these things, he immediately shut off the alarm on the monitoring device.
But his heart kept pounding, and cold sweat broke out on his skin.
How could it be these things?
The impression was too deep.
Because of the panic disorder that inexplicably started four years ago, he basically hadn’t left home for those four years.
My life circle was confined to this small bedroom, including the view I could see from the window upstairs, and the occasional times I mustered up courage to venture out for a walk, which at most only reached this street.
And every time I went out, or tried to look toward the outside world, the result was always an abnormal fear…
The most terrifying things were those three vicious dogs that would occasionally go mad, staring at me with dark red eyes, ready to rush over and bite me at any moment.
That old record player that was always playing unsettling songs that made my skin crawl from time to time.
And that butcher who always carries a chainsaw in his arms, cutting up the meat of some large animal.
Of course, more so that mother with an unpredictable temperament…
Simply put, when panic attacks occur, they are the things Xiao Xiao fears most, constantly making himself feel danger and panic.
But now, no matter how it’s detected, it’s always them?
After taking several deep breaths, Xiao Xiao forced himself to stay calm, confirming that there were no unusual sounds in the dark night outside the window, before he hurried over to the computer.
He placed his dark red card on the computer case.
It seemed as though some kind of faint, wavering twisted threads were spreading out from the card, gradually extending bit by bit into the case.
The computer screen began to flicker rapidly, dark red linear objects continuously breaking apart and reforming. Finally, a mysterious page with a certain dangerous aura was displayed.
【Type: Three Adorable Vicious Dogs】
【Status: Tradeable】
【Price: 30 Points】
【Introduction: When facing danger, this item will appear on the battlefield in a reasonable manner, loyally and bravely helping everyone defeat enemies.】
【Note: However, compared to fierce combat, they prefer demolishing houses and searching for beautiful female dogs.】
【……】
【Type: Vintage Record Player】
【Status: Tradeable】
【Price: 50 Points】
【Introduction: No matter how pleasant the music is, when played by this record player, it can emit a sorrowful feeling, which can cause opponents to experience mild psychological discomfort】
【Remarks: Many people possess this talent】
【……】
【Type: Reclusive Butcher】
【Status: Tradeable】
【Price: 100 Points】
【Description: Psychotic killer who enjoys wielding chainsaws to dismember all living things, possessing strong intimidation and lethal threat to ordinary people】
[Note One: The intimidation factor of this item mainly comes from the chainsaw. You can use it too.]
[Note Two: This item has violated the law and could be taken away by the Guard Bureau at any time, but before being caught, it might be able to help you in battle]
[……]
Xiao Xiao’s pupils contracted rapidly in that instant.
All of them can be traded..
In other words, has this city already proven the danger of these creatures for itself?