Volume One Mutation Chapter Twenty-Nine The Return

A few minutes later, the warriors, once again seeing the daylight, felt as if they might burst into tears. Only after enduring certain ordeals does one truly know what it is they desire; to be alive is a blessing beyond measure.

“Don’t let your guard down, everyone. Keep your weapons ready!” Wu Feng, his joy subsiding, remembered the mutated rats that were still encircling them above ground, and reminded the group.

The warriors who had retrieved fallen firearms earlier raised their guns, scanning their surroundings with vigilance. Though they now had a formidable ally at their side, as soldiers, obedience to orders remained paramount.

“Hmm? Are there other mutated creatures here?” Liu Cong asked, puzzled. He had circled the area several times earlier and found nothing amiss.

Wu Feng was also a bit bewildered. Could it be that the Sword Immortal hadn’t noticed the mutated rats? They had been bound deep beneath the earth, but this lord had dug them out and set fire to the spiders that had tied them all up.

“Sword Immortal, we were chased below the subway station by a horde of mutated rats. They lurked in the corners, waiting for us. One of our teammates panicked and fled to the surface, only to be...” Zhao Lei recalled the horrific screams of the teammate who had run out of the station, his tone somber.

Wu Feng added, “There’s a zoo nearby. We saw, from a distance, some creatures that could be Tier-2 mutants, but now we have no idea where they’ve gone.”

Liu Cong swept his gaze over the surrounding buildings. There was no sign of mutated rats or other creatures, only shattered shop windows, disordered streets, and the wreckage of abandoned cars scattered across the roads.

“Maybe they’re scared of you and don’t dare show themselves,” Liu Di said suddenly.

The others nodded in agreement. They had witnessed the Sword Immortal’s feats these past days and revered him from the depths of their hearts, so they readily accepted this explanation.

“There’s no need to be so tense. Let’s gather supplies first,” Liu Cong considered, then spoke. Since he was here, it wouldn’t do to return empty-handed; it was only fitting to bring something back.

“Sword Immortal, we previously discovered a warehouse stacked with flour and rice, but it was occupied by the mutated rats. If we could retrieve those supplies, it would be enough to feed the entire base for half a year!” Wu Feng’s eyes lit up.

“Let’s head there, then. Lead the way—I’ll follow,” Liu Cong nodded.

The group set off toward the warehouse. With the addition of such a powerful ally, their steps felt noticeably lighter.

Turning corner after corner, they arrived at a food wholesale market. The most prominent sight was a tall, cylindrical building standing upright.

“This is the place. That cylinder stores rice, and the factory below holds packaged rice and flour.”

“So much, but do we have any tools to transport it?” Liu Cong frowned.

Wu Feng explained, “Our mission is to search for supplies. If there’s only a little, we bring it back directly. If there’s a large quantity, we take what we can and leave the rest for the main force to collect later.”

“Why not deploy enough personnel from the start?” Liu Cong asked, only to realize how naive the question was. The safe zone’s manpower was limited; if all defenders were sent out to scavenge, the safety of the base would be compromised.

Sure enough, Wu Feng gave him a strange look, surprised at such an amateurish question, but still replied, “We locate the supplies first, then the main force can quickly sweep in and depart, ensuring most people return quickly to the safe zone.”

Liu Cong asked no further and led the way to the factory beside them. Its doors were coated in dust; the once silvery metal now dulled gray. A massive lock sealed the entrance tightly. Liu Cong strode forward, his sword’s shadow manifesting in his hand; with a single strike, he cleaved the sturdy lock and the latch inside.

The now-unlocked door swung open, propelled by an invisible force. The warriors behind raised their weapons anxiously. Amid a screeching sound that could set one’s teeth on edge, the doors slowly opened. To their surprise, instead of a horde of mutated rats, they saw bundles wrapped in white sacks—rice, unmistakable and indispensable to daily life.

After a while, with still no sign of mutated rat activity, Wu Feng muttered, “Strange. Last time, just approaching the door was enough to draw the rats from every corner, in overwhelming numbers. Where have they gone?”

“Yes, it’s odd. Maybe they’re hiding?”

“It’s too bizarre—not normal at all.”

Once bitten, twice shy; faced with the unknown, the warriors’ apprehension was understandable.

After some careful sensing, Liu Cong concluded the mutated rats truly were gone. His keen hearing picked up no movement whatsoever, so he declared, “The rats have left. Let’s start moving the supplies.”

The warriors sprang into action, carrying sack after sack of grain to the open space before the door. The scene bustled with energy, reminiscent of the harvest season’s busy labor.

Soon, dozens of sacks were piled on the open ground. Wu Feng clapped his hands, “That’s enough! Any more and we won’t be able to carry it. You, go fetch the vehicles.”

A few warriors, upon receiving the order, headed to a shop across the street.

Liu Cong was curious about how they planned to transport the grain and was surprised to hear mention of vehicles. However, upon seeing Wu Feng’s so-called vehicles, he could not help but smile wryly. They had brought several tricycles—the kind with large cargo beds at the back.

Wu Feng scratched his nose, embarrassed. “We have no choice. The streets are choked with abandoned cars, blocking every route. Only cargo tricycles can still get through.”

Liu Cong waved his hand, indicating he understood, and helped load the grain onto the tricycles. He refrained from using his abilities, not wishing the warriors to become reliant on him.

Amid the hum of electric engines, the overloaded tricycles set off, packed with people and grain. If not for the apocalypse, the traffic police would surely have stopped such heavily loaded vehicles. Along the way, mutated rats and other creatures seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth, making no appearance.

Returning safely to the base, Zhao Meng and the others embraced their comrades, celebrating their return. They ran to Liu Cong, showering him with effusive words of gratitude.

Only after extricating himself from their heartfelt thanks did Liu Cong find a moment to return to his own little abode.

He drew back the curtains, letting sunlight flood the room. The post-apocalyptic sky appeared much purer now—a deep blue, no longer the perpetual haze of the past.

Liu Cong sat at his desk, pulled out his laptop, and recorded the experience of the spider’s lair. All his encounters needed to be documented, so others could learn from them. Some might face similar situations, but whether they survived and recorded their stories was uncertain.

He uploaded the account of the spider’s nest to his newly created blog. He had already posted several articles on mutated creatures, attracting many comments from people sharing their own experiences. Liu Cong glanced at the comment section, then began browsing domestic news.

After the apocalypse, ground communications worldwide suffered varying degrees of destruction. The arrival of black rain corroded towering signal towers and exposed network cables. To return to the age of the internet, people now relied on hastily constructed signal towers and satellites orbiting near Earth.

The nation built specially structured signal towers in every safe zone, their exteriors solidly protected, enabling the restoration of network communication. The grand age of the internet, having just arrived, was immediately subjected to its greatest ordeal. Fate’s irony was palpable—a lament for such tragedy.

Liu Cong was browsing the latest national news, which covered almost every update on mutated creatures across China. One of humanity’s greatest inventions is the transmission of information. However the future unfolds, it will always be indispensable. Only through shared news can the mystery of unknown mutated creatures be dispelled, enabling warnings and saving lives across the land.