Chapter 125: The Entire Earth

Chapter 125: The Entire Earth

"An outcast driven out?" Liu Chang craned his neck to peer at the massive shadow in the water. "This thing isn't weak at all!"

"Not weak, indeed. Even if I jumped into the water, I might not easily subdue it," Liuxin said, standing by the Yellow River with a smile. "But the ocean is vast. Monsters existed even before this era, and you humans don't know much about the deep sea. So, in this new generation, it’s no surprise that the monsters in the sea have become powerful."

"But to be driven out just like that—are these freshwater monsters really at the bottom of the ocean's food chain?"

"Not necessarily the bottom. Maybe the middle or the lower-middle. It likely felt it could live better in freshwater, so it came here, but it definitely isn't at the top or the elite level," young Liuxin walked over to Liu Chang's side. "Top predators don't migrate from their habitats so easily. After all, the ocean's food resources are ten thousand times richer than the Yellow River's."

"I see. Can you give my gun back? I don't feel safe here. Without a firearm or a knife, any wild beast could take my life," Liu Chang asked. "After all, I’m your hostage; you have to ensure my safety, don't you?"

"Don't worry. With me here, no monster can hurt you. Besides, my father is nearby. If you're in danger, can't you just call him?" Liuxin remained unmoved.

"Right, I forgot to ask—what is your father's name?" Liu Chang inquired.

"Liu. The 'liu' from flowing water, just that one character," Liuxin replied. "He says he is the ancestor of the Amphibians, so he chose a single-character name; it serves as both his surname and his given name, and we have inherited it."

"Oh, a race with a strong sense of ancestry, I see."

"Of course! If, in a few tens of thousands of years, the Amphibian civilization rises, my father will be the undisputed equivalent of your human Adam and Eve. We must pay attention to these details. We Amphibians are strong and intelligent; why shouldn't we call ourselves that?" Liuxin chuckled. "Compared to you humans, we are actually the superior race on this planet. Survival of the fittest—we should be the ones ruling the world."

"Currently, your human advantage lies in the accumulation of knowledge, but that is something we can learn. As long as we have a sufficient population base, eliminating you won't be a difficult task."

"Haha, you've got quite the ambition," Liu Chang looked at Liuxin and smiled. "By the way, you're only a year old. How long until you grow to be as big and strong as your father?"

"I don't know. Four or five years, perhaps? Or maybe I'll never reach his level of strength. My father is constantly undergoing autonomous evolution. All his energy is currently focused on reproduction. If he gains the ability to reproduce, I think his physical functions will improve significantly, as reproduction is a major hurdle. Once that's solved, he can shift his energy to other aspects."

"I see. Have you ever gone into the water?" Liu Chang pointed at the Yellow River.

"Yes, every day," Liuxin said.

"Take me down to see, will you?"

"You want to go down?"

"Yes," Liu Chang nodded. "Are your wounds okay?"

"They're fine. We Amphibians aren't afraid of water after being injured. We grew up in the water, so it doesn't bother our wounds," Liuxin said. "But what about you? Can't you humans breathe underwater? You are an important bargaining chip for my father; don't go dying on me."

"I can hold my breath for a long time. Don't worry," Liu Chang smiled.

"Alright then, follow me down. I’ll ensure your safety." After saying this, the Amphibian jumped directly into the turbulent current, and Liu Chang followed, leaping into the Yellow River and swimming toward the center of the stream.

"Ready?" Liuxin asked, poking his head above the surface.

"Ready." Liu Chang took a deep breath, plunged into the water, and opened his eyes to gaze at the underwater world.

Since the apocalypse, the Yellow River had become far less turbid than before. The forests and vegetation that had been cleared upstream had regrown, preventing severe soil erosion. With the source of the silt cut off, the river had regained the clarity it possessed thousands of years ago. If not for the accumulation of sediment on the riverbed over the ages, the water would be crystal clear.

Even now, as Liu Chang opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful sight.

With no silt to obstruct his view and the red mist dissolved into the water, a reddish glow illuminated the depths, making his underwater vision even clearer than on the shore.

At a glance, he could see seventy meters out. Various aquatic beasts, water plants, and fish were all visible, allowing him to appreciate the beauty of the aquatic world for the first time.

"Are the Yellow River hairy crabs this big now?" Liu Chang gestured at a giant crab-beast on the riverbed, waving his hands at Liuxin, though the latter clearly didn't understand his intent.

Thinking Liu Chang wanted to eat the crab, Liuxin swam directly toward the giant beast.

Liuxin’s underwater speed was terrifying. With his sturdy tail and webbed limbs, he was just as fast in the water as on land. With just a few twists of his body, he shot toward the crab like an arrow released from a bow.

He landed directly on the crab's shell, snapped off its pincers and limbs, and then punched straight through its dorsal armor.

He then dragged the crab, which was larger than a human, back to Liu Chang.

He gestured with his hands and pointed to his mouth, signaling that this thing was delicious.

"Let's go up and have a taste?" Liu Chang motioned as well, and the two swam to the shore.

"On land, if you give me the right firearm, I might be able to take you down," Liu Chang said, dragging his soaked clothes and holding a large crab pincer. "But seeing how agile you were in the water, I think that if we were down there, ten of me wouldn't be a match for you."

"Do you not encounter resistance when you fight in the water?" Liu Chang asked. "When you hit that crab just now, your speed seemed no different from when you're on land."

"My skin is smooth, and my muscle and bone structure are different from yours. Amphibians are naturally as capable in the water as fish," Liuxin said, dragging the crab shell. "This tastes great; I eat it often. And about what you said—that you could defeat me with a gun—you meant if I were empty-handed."

"Actually..." Liuxin looked at Liu Chang. "As a human—well, as an Amphibian, but with human-like traits—I can use weapons." As he spoke, he displayed his webbed fingers. During the demonstration, the webbing between his fingers split apart and curled to the sides of his digits.

"My fingers are even more dexterous than yours." With the webbing tucked away, Liuxin wiggled his fingers as if playing the piano. "Father has stolen many weapons from you humans, and after some modifications, we can use them."

"Uh..." Liu Chang nodded blankly, staring at Liuxin's fingers.

He had always known Liuxin was an intelligent species, but deep-seated human biases had made him instinctively reject the fact that they could use firearms.

It wasn't that he couldn't imagine it; it was that he didn't want to, or perhaps dared not to. The synthetics of four years ago were terrifying enough, but the Amphibians of today were incomparable to those scientific products.

In terms of speed, even this year-old infant Amphibian was faster than the synthetics.

In terms of strength, Liuxin was already several, if not over a dozen, times stronger than a synthetic.

In terms of physical resilience, even modified modern firearms couldn't deal significant damage with a direct hit.

In these three basic combat metrics, the Amphibians had completely surpassed the synthetics.

And now, add to that a higher intelligence than humans and the ability to use weapons.

The synthetics of four years ago couldn't even use firearms; they could only understand simple commands. If they had been able to use weapons, Liu Chang wouldn't have survived until today.

As for the Amphibians, if they were equipped with suitable heavy weapons—powerful, recoil-ignoring armaments—Liu Chang dared not imagine how formidable they would be.

Beyond that, they possessed keen senses and excellent vision. Standing before young Liuxin, Liu Chang truly realized the terror of the Amphibians and recognized that they were, in every sense, a "super-species"—even in their infancy.

Four years. In just four years, the Earth had given birth to a species that, aside from reproductive capacity, completely surpassed humanity in every aspect. As he thought of this, a wave of sadness washed over him. Yet, amidst that sorrow, another powerful being suddenly sprang to mind.

"Do you think you Amphibians are the most powerful species on Earth?" Liu Chang looked at the two-meter-tall "little guy" who was still boasting about his race's advantages.

"Yes. You humans were the kings of Earth, but we are superior to you in every way. Isn't that which is superior to the king, the true power?" Liuxin looked at Liu Chang.

"Then do you know about the Great Willow Tree?" Liu Chang asked in return.

"No, what Great Willow Tree?" the Amphibian asked.

"A willow tree much larger than the city of Zhengzhou. It can destroy a city in an instant and then harvest the collective intelligence of millions of people for its own use," Liu Chang said, staring at Liuxin. "You gain knowledge through learning, and you'll never be as brilliant as Li Qingshui in your lifetime. But for it, gaining knowledge is as simple as cracking open your skull and swallowing your brain into its own body."

"That powerful?" the Amphibian exclaimed.

"It should be even more powerful than that. Li Qingshui told me that the Great Willow Tree has already rooted itself deep beneath Wuhan, and it seems to be using that as a base to spread its branches and leaves across the entire Earth."