Chapter Thirty-Two: This Is What Hunting Truly Means

“Yes, humans are a strange species—our brains are highly developed, yet our senses are remarkably dull. If you can ambush animals, killing a person would be even easier for you,” Li Qingshui did not refute Liu Chang’s words; instead, she continued the topic. “Now is an age of chaos. If you can master the art of stealth, it will serve you well. In troubled times, conflict with others is inevitable. This may become our very means of survival.”

“Mm.” Liu Chang nodded. He had already killed a few people and was well aware of just how slow human senses could be.

Among animals, human eyesight isn’t the worst, but our other senses are hundreds of times duller. In weather like this, when the fog is thick, eyesight is nearly useless. Liu Chang still remembered how, just a few days ago, when he killed those escaped convicts from the prison, it had been as easy as cutting grass thanks to the fog’s cover. They couldn’t hear his footsteps, nor could they smell his scent. Robbed of their sight—humans become as oblivious as wooden fish.

“Has your body changed as well?” As they walked, Li Qingshui abruptly changed the subject. “Like the little girl’s mutation, but hers affected her brain, while yours might have altered your senses?”

“Yes.” Liu Chang nodded. “How did you know? I don’t recall ever mentioning anything about my body.”

“I didn’t know for certain, but lately my mind has become clearer. I can recall memories from long ago, even things from infancy I’d never remembered before, and my ability to analyze things has grown much stronger.” Li Qingshui spoke slowly, “For instance, earlier as we walked, you suddenly shifted to the left. Four meters later, I saw a large tree in the path you would have taken. That’s strange. So I concluded your eyesight must be at least twice as good as mine.”

“In the past, I wouldn’t have noticed such details, but now they stand out to me as clearly as a fly on white flour. I also noticed your stride is a bit quicker, your breathing steadier than mine. All these details point to the fact that your body is stronger. When you put them together, it’s easy to conclude—you’ve undergone some sort of mutation.”

“I’m sorry I never told you about my condition.”

“It’s all right. After all, two days ago, we were just teacher and student. It would’ve been odd if you’d said anything. Now, though, our lives are bound together, and we’ll have to face the world as one. Humanity only managed to survive in this world before we developed imagination—true wisdom—by relying on unity.”

“Mm.” Liu Chang nodded, then asked, “Of the five of us, three have already mutated to different degrees. Does that mean humanity is about to enter a period of mass mutation?”

“Something like that. Humans are the most complex creatures on Earth, so logically, we should be the last to mutate. But in reality, we’re not much more advanced than cats or dogs. Over billions of years, we only developed ‘imagination’—the source of our intelligence—a few tens of thousands of years ago, maybe a hundred thousand at most. In essence, we’re not much more complex than cats or dogs. So, it’s only right that mass mutations should occur among us too!”

“Does that mean everyone will undergo evolutionary mutations?” Liu Chang asked.

“Yes, everyone will mutate to some degree, but the extent will vary greatly... then, as always, survival of the fittest. Darwin’s law begins anew.” After sighing, Li Qingshui suddenly looked down at his feet, almost as if he’d sensed something in advance. “Wait, here’s a pile of fresh droppings. Let me check.”

He crouched down, carefully examining the footprints and hairs left in the soil around the droppings. After a moment, he looked up. “Head southwest. It’s a dog, not a large one.”

“Another dog?” Liu Chang muttered under his breath.

“What else could it be? In the city, the most common animals are cats, dogs, and rats.” Li Qingshui picked up his pace slightly. “Little Jing, carefully scan the area within a hundred meters. If there’s any activity, report immediately.”

“Yes.” The little girl nodded.

Five minutes later—

“There are three life forms ahead. Two have a danger level of about 1, the other is 8.” The girl’s soft voice carried to the two men, who both stopped in their tracks.

“Damn it.”

“Shit.”

At the mention of a danger level of 8, both Liu Chang and Li Qingshui cursed under their breath.

“Wait, that one with danger level 8 seems to be leaving.” The girl closed her eyes, sensing, “It’s out of my range now.”

“Is it far?” Liu Chang asked, a hint of relief in his voice.

“I don’t know. I can’t sense it at all.”

“Let’s get closer and take a look.”

“Mm.” The girl and Li Qingshui nodded, and together they advanced another ten meters or so.

“It really seems to be gone,” the little girl said, shaking her head to indicate she still couldn’t detect the creature with the danger level of 8.

“We should wait a bit longer. It might just be lingering nearby and could return at any moment.” Li Qingshui circled the area with the girl’s detection as the center, walking in a wide arc.

“Still nothing.” After circling and waiting another ten minutes, the terrifying creature didn’t return.

“We can’t wait any longer.” Hearing this, Liu Chang crouched low in the grass, scooping up a handful of sand from the ground. “Stay about ninety meters back. Don’t alarm the prey. I’ll go in and check things out.”

With that, Liu Chang tossed the sand lightly into the air. As it swirled in the breeze, he found the downwind direction. He took off his shoes, pressing his feet into the ground, letting them adjust to the sharp stones beneath, and when the pain became manageable, he slipped into the grass like a shadow.

He moved soundlessly to the downwind side, slowing his pace as he went.

Thirty meters, twenty, ten...

Each step was cautious. He slipped through gaps in the grass, skirted rubble and stones, and before long, he located his prey.

There was a clearing among the grass, where two wolfdogs lay quietly. They were large, clearly stronger than before the Red Mist descended, but not unnaturally so. With his iron spear in hand, Liu Chang had no fear of them.

Still, he didn’t dare approach too closely—after learning about the terrifying hearing and sense of smell of canines, Liu Chang knew they were not easy prey.

Crouched in the grass, facing the wind, Liu Chang took several deep, steady breaths, thinking of the sea and sky, anything that could calm him, forcing his heart to slow its frantic rhythm, reining in the adrenaline-fueled tremor in his body.

One deep breath...

Another...

After a third long, silent breath, Liu Chang finally brought his emotions under control. His heartbeat slowed, and his body no longer trembled. At last, he entered a state of calm.