Volume One Mutation Chapter Thirty-One Black Light

As evening descended, the small county town took on a unique charm under the shroud of dusk, though the chaotic streets and scattered debris bore witness to a calamity that had swept through. The mutated large dog stood naked, its fur almost entirely shed, and its half-human height paled in comparison to the towering mutated creatures that frequented the area. Unyielding, it stared fixedly at a particular spot in the neighborhood, its throat issuing guttural, raspy howls—sounds utterly unlike its former barking.

Liu Cong landed lightly behind the mutated dog, his arrival utterly silent. The dog remained oblivious to the newcomer, still obsessively howling at the same spot as if drawn by an irresistible force. Following the animal’s gaze, Liu Cong saw that the towering building ahead had barely any intact windows left; the entire structure wore the scars of devastation, its white paint stripped away to reveal the gray cement beneath.

“What are you looking at?” Liu Cong murmured curiously, stroking his chin.

The mutated dog, startled by the sudden voice, finally realized someone was behind it. It spun around, crouched menacingly, baring its teeth at Liu Cong. Its gums, once a healthy red, now appeared black, and its sharp, elongated teeth gleamed dangerously.

Unlike the dog’s tense reaction, Liu Cong remained composed, leisurely observing the building before him. He was genuinely intrigued by the dog’s incessant howling—it seemed there might be something inside that piqued his own interest.

A guttural roar burst from the dog. Unable to restrain itself, the sight of fresh flesh turned its already red eyes a vivid, bloodthirsty scarlet. Overcome by an insatiable craving for flesh, it lost all sense of reason and became feral. With a roar, it lunged, limbs flailing, jaws open to bite, but as it was about to reach him, it was abruptly suspended mid-air, frozen in its attack posture, unable to move a muscle.

Liu Cong had witnessed the dog’s reaction from the moment it saw him. The sudden shift to rage was alarming. Before his appearance, the animal was merely a mutated dog, still retaining a semblance of thoughtfulness—its first reaction to discovering someone behind it was caution, not mindless aggression. Yet, after encountering Liu Cong, it became wildly violent and single-minded in its assault.

Now, suspended in mid-air, its eyes glowed crimson, locked in a snarling pose. Liu Cong took the opportunity to study it. White energy surged within him, flooding his eyes. The strange sensation made him instinctively squeeze his eyes shut; when he opened them again, the dog before him was transformed.

Tendrils of black energy coursed throughout the dog’s body, moving as if they possessed a life of their own. Oddly, new streams of black energy began altering their paths, converging toward the dog’s head. The concentration within its brain far exceeded that elsewhere.

Startled by the changes in his own vision, Liu Cong, relieved to find no side effects, turned his fascination to the study of the black energy within the dog. He was eager to see what would happen when all the black energy gathered in the head.

About half an hour later, under Liu Cong’s attentive gaze, the last wisp of black energy followed the veins into the dog’s skull. At the instant all the energy merged, it surged rapidly into the dog’s scarlet eyes. The eyes, already glowing red, shone even brighter, as if on the verge of bleeding.

Liu Cong stared intently, waiting for a change. Suddenly, the dog’s eyes shifted from deep red to jet black. A beam of black light, the width of a finger, shot directly at him.

The black light pierced through Liu Cong’s air barrier, reaching his chest in an instant. He barely had time to react, instinctively dodging left, but the beam struck his right shoulder, sending a wave of indescribable agony through him.

Clutching his shoulder, Liu Cong fought to suppress a cry of pain. He tore open his shirt, revealing a deep hole in his shoulder. Had it been a centimeter deeper, bone would have shown. Around the wound, black energy pooled, the source of his torment, as wisps of darkness spread, seeking to invade the surrounding flesh.

“Too careless!” Liu Cong muttered through gritted teeth, regret flooding him. He had never expected an ordinary mutated dog to possess such a deadly attack, nor that the black light could penetrate his defenses and wound him.

Sensing the invasion of foreign energy within, his heartbeat grew rapid. A surge of warmth flowed from his heart to the wound, and Liu Cong felt his own energy, like a starving wolf, devour the black energy. As the darkness dissipated, so did the bone-deep pain.

A tingling sensation replaced the agony. The energy from his heart lingered at the wound, steadily knitting it back together.

Noticing the rapid healing, Liu Cong finally relaxed, glaring at the dog. The mutated dog, now drained from emitting the black light, looked weary. The black energy in its brain had vanished, though smaller streams now circulated through its body. Liu Cong suspected that given time, the dog could unleash another lethal beam.

Summoning a sword of shadow and light, Liu Cong brought it down, severing the dog’s massive head. Only then did the humiliation from his earlier negligence fade.

Staring at the bisected corpse, Liu Cong was seized by a deep unease. He wondered whether this dog’s ability to emit black light was an anomaly, or if all mutated creatures could deliver such an attack. If it was the latter, their threat level would be greatly increased.

Determined, Liu Cong resolved to seek out and study more mutated creatures. Yet before that, he needed to uncover the reason for the dog’s incessant howling—this small clue might indicate the presence of surviving humans.

After another glance at his mostly healed wound, Liu Cong rose and approached the building.

Drawing near, a faint sound of sobbing caught his ear. He paused, fearing it was a trick of the mind, and quickly used energy to enhance his hearing. The soft crying came again, the owner clearly struggling to suppress it, desperate not to attract monsters.

Liu Qingqing was curled up in a wardrobe, her body pressed tightly into a ball, quietly sobbing. An overwhelming sense of loneliness and helplessness made tears stream down her cheeks. Afraid the sound would lure monsters, she dared not cry aloud, stifling her sobs as best she could.

Suddenly, the wardrobe was opened from outside. Frightened, Liu Qingqing squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling uncontrollably.

“Don’t cry. I’m not a monster,” Liu Cong said softly, looking at the figure huddled inside.

Liu Qingqing blinked in surprise, opening her eyes. Her large, tear-filled eyes, framed by trembling lashes, gazed in disbelief at the young man bathed in sunlight. She was momentarily struck by his striking features, and when she saw the compassion in his gaze, she could no longer contain her sorrow. With a cry, she threw herself into his arms, finally letting herself weep.

Warm, fragrant softness pressed against him, tears soaking his shoulder. Liu Cong felt no hint of romance—only deep pity for the trembling girl in his arms. Though he did not know her story, the sight of such a fragile soul surviving alone in the apocalypse was enough to stir anyone’s compassion.

When her tears finally subsided, Liu Cong patted her shoulder and asked gently, “Have you cried enough?”

Liu Qingqing, having spent so long weeping on a stranger, suddenly came to her senses. Embarrassed, a blush spread across her cheeks, and she hurriedly straightened, pulling away from Liu Cong’s embrace.