Volume One: Mutation Chapter Fifty: Explosion
Upon reaching the seahorse’s head, Liu Cong finally saw what Zhang Chu and the others dared not touch, and a sense of unease immediately washed over him.
Much like how pearls are always found inside oysters, there was, within the pulp and ruin of the seahorse’s battered brain, a crystalline orb. Around it, networked nerve fibers and capillaries wove a web, shrouding a sphere the size of a basketball. Within its translucent core, black wisps twisted and flowed along the blood vessels—one could not tell if they were entering or leaving, nor where those vessels led.
But unlike pearls, which form in oysters as a defense against parasites or grains of sand—growing layer by luminous layer until a perfect gem is born—this thing in the seahorse’s skull had appeared suddenly. It was the size of a basketball, entirely black, emitting a faint, eerie glow. Liu Cong surmised this must be the unique energy crystal found in mutant creatures—what allowed them to manifest energy outside their bodies.
It was as if he himself possessed a sword within, endlessly releasing energy, granting him supernatural powers; so too, the mutant beasts could draw on the energy from the Blackwater because of this crystal within. While it was widely believed that the Blackwater held some dark energy capable of mutating living things, no one had ever proven its existence, let alone seen such a spherical energy core with their own eyes. There had never been any evidence.
But here it was—undeniable proof of dark energy. Zhang Chu hurriedly raised his camera and snapped several more photos.
Liu Cong could feel the massive quantity of dark energy contained within the sphere. If this energy were unleashed, it would bring about catastrophic consequences.
Noticing that Liu Cong’s face had grown ever more grave since he’d set eyes on the orb, Zhang Chu felt a chill settle over him. He stopped taking pictures and asked, “Brother Liu, what exactly is this thing?”
“Uncle Zhang, how did you discover it?” Liu Cong remembered clearly: when he’d slain this giant beast yesterday, there had been no such orb in its head—otherwise, his sword would have split it apart.
His tone was serious. Zhang Chu, sensing the gravity of the situation, replied, “An hour ago, after we cleared the area, the research team climbed up to study the creature’s anatomy. That’s when we found it. But when we first discovered it, it was only half its current size—it’s been growing rapidly ever since. We didn’t know what to do, so we called you in.”
Liu Cong fell silent, turning over the facts in his mind. When he’d killed the beast the day before, there had been no sign of such a thing. According to Zhang Chu, the sphere had only appeared recently—at most, two or three hours ago. But why would an energy core suddenly manifest after death? And why was it still growing? Liu Cong could not fathom it.
Yet he recalled the large dog that had died earlier—its internal dark energy had remained active after death. There must be a connection.
“Uncle Zhang, to be honest, I don’t know exactly what this is either. But I can tell you that the black sphere contains a form of energy—the same energy that permeates the Blackwater. There’s a tremendous amount of it, and I can feel the outer shell growing thinner by the minute. If we let it continue to expand, there’s a very real chance of a dark matter energy explosion here, with unimaginable consequences.”
Zhang Chu’s mouth fell open in shock, unable to form words for a long moment.
“Is that true? It could explode? The higher-ups wanted you to assess whether it was harmless, so we could try to transport it back for research if it was safe!”
Liu Cong gave a wry smile. “Uncle Zhang, I wouldn’t joke about something like this. The shell is already dangerously thin—within ten minutes or so, it’s very likely to blow.”
“Then we must evacuate immediately. I’ll order everyone out now!” Zhang Chu, not hesitating further, turned to leave.
“There’s no need,” Liu Cong stopped him. “This is just my intuition—I can’t guarantee it will explode. But for safety’s sake, I need to remove this thing from here myself.”
“Brother,” Zhang Chu said gravely, “given the missile delay, if there’s anyone I trust now, it’s you. Do what you must, but promise me you’ll keep yourself safe!”
Liu Cong knew Zhang Chu spoke from the heart. It was rare to find such genuine concern for him, and he was quietly moved. Feigning lightness, he replied, “Uncle Zhang, I understand. You know my strength. I’ll be fine. Besides, it’s not going to explode this instant—I’ll be back soon.”
He had thought these words would ease Zhang Chu’s worries, but instead Zhang Chu’s expression only grew more solemn. He drew a deep breath and said, “I’m not joking. In my eyes, all the lives here together aren’t as important as yours. You’re the fastest—we’ll evacuate right away. I suggest you take Miss Liu with you and leave immediately as well.”
Liu Cong was taken aback, his heart stirred. It was the first time he’d realized how much he meant to others.
“Uncle Zhang, you exaggerate. Wait for me below. I’ll take this thing far away and come right back.”
Zhang Chu wanted to protest, but before he could, his legs went numb and his body was lifted involuntarily to the ground.
Once Zhang Chu was gone, Liu Cong exhaled a long breath and summoned his energy once more, condensing the black-and-white divine sword in his palm.
Seeing the sword again, he felt a sudden urge—after sharing so much, he’d never given it a name.
“From now on, you’ll be called Tianzhao,” he whispered, gripping it tightly.
Since the day he’d learned to harness the airstream and unleash sword energy with Tianzhao, a faint blue current had always swirled about the blade when he summoned it, giving it an almost divine aura.
The Tianzhao Sword was pure energy and would not be stained with blood, so Liu Cong used it boldly to cut away the tissue around the black sphere, excavating it along with the flesh beneath. Controlling the blue airstream, he gently wrapped the orb and lifted it, making it float in the air.
But once the sphere was cut free from surrounding tissue, its energy, no longer contained, turned chaotic—a violent aura surged out.
Not good—it's going to blow! Liu Cong’s heart lurched. Without hesitation, he soared skyward, taking the energy sphere with him over the open sea.
Judging the distance sufficient, Liu Cong hurled it with all his might, launching it like a cannonball, then sped back the way he’d come. In the sky, the black sphere burst without warning, sending a terrifying jet of black light into the heavens, darkening the very sunlight.
A ring of energy rippled outward, expanding for hundreds of meters before dissipating. In its wake, the sea below was inexplicably vaporized, leaving a gaping void swiftly filled as waves rushed in to claim the empty space.
Liu Cong flew for his life, feeling the tremors in the air behind him. He sighed in relief—had he been at the center of the blast, he would have been lucky to escape with his life. He was grateful Zhang Chu had acted decisively, summoning him before things went awry. Had it detonated in place, the missile he’d intercepted the day before would have been for nothing, and he himself would have been caught in the disaster.
Indeed, everything had unfolded in the best possible way.
“Why hasn’t Brother Liu returned yet?” Liu Qingqing stood at the shoreline, anxiously scanning the horizon.
Zhang Chu waited beside her. Seeing the strange black glow and the distorted air in the distance, he too was filled with worry.
“Uncle Zhang, look! Brother Liu is back!” Liu Qingqing, with her keen eyesight, finally spotted his silhouette, her relief and joy beyond words.
“As long as he’s back!” Zhang Chu laughed aloud, his heart lightening.
-----
In the west of Huaxia, towering mountain ranges rose one after another, the peaks now covered in purple vegetation, no longer the green and blue landscape of old.
But no one could have guessed that the largest of these mountains had been hollowed out, and within, in utter secrecy, Huaxia’s greatest safe zone had been constructed—the Number One Safe Zone.