7 Mutated Ants

Huang Wen led Chen Fei and a dozen girls along the mountain path behind the academy. In half an hour, they arrived at the pond below Jade Cloud Mountain.

The pond spanned about ten acres and was a natural rainwater pool. Over time, rainwater flowing down from Jade Cloud Mountain had accumulated to form this sizable pond.

Jade Cloud Mountain had long been designated a scenic area in Dawn City, with no villagers living there.

When Huang Wen's group reached the pond, they found over a dozen others already there. All students from the Academy clustered in small groups. Some had prepared boiling equipment and were heating up water.

It seemed everyone had the same idea.

The pond was surrounded by gentle slopes, a popular picnic spot. Scattered remnants of old fire pits dotted the hills. Huang Wen instructed some to gather firewood from the woods while others started fires. They would haul water up from the pond to boil.

Gazing at the crystal-clear pond, everyone began to feel a glimmer of hope. At least they had water to drink!

Parts of the pond had shallows where some were catching fish. It seemed there was always a way!

As they waited for the water to boil, boredom set in. Some girls went to the pond's edge to try catching fish. Huang Wen, Chen Fei, and a few others sat chatting by the bank.

Chen Fei suddenly pointed to the middle of the pond in surprise, "Everyone, look! What's that?"

They saw a dark shadow several meters long materialize under the surface, motionless at first but gradually undulating. Ripples suddenly disturbed the still water.

"A fish?"

They all knew there were fish in the pond, just small wild carp. They'd caught them on past picnics.

"Impossible! How could a fish that big be in this pond? Judging by the length, it's at least two to three meters! It must be a snake, right?"

"But it's autumn now. Are snakes still swimming in this season?"

Not many had noticed the anomaly in the pond. A few were still catching fish among the reeds.

After the disaster, this rare moment of tranquility at the pond had relaxed everyone. Danger hadn't crossed their minds.

Seeing the shadow swim toward a girl by the bank, Chen Fei felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding.

Huang Wen and the others saw it too.

Suddenly the shadow accelerated forward at alarming speed, churning the surface.

Huang Wen jumped up shouting at those by the bank, "Run, danger!"

As soon as her voice fell, a gigantic mutant fish, three to four meters long, erupted from the water, gaping maw lined with sharp teeth. It dragged a screaming girl into the pond.

Horrified, everyone froze like statues.

The girl was directly dragged into the pool. She didn't even have time to scream. Within moments, the water bloomed red where she had vanished.

Shaking with fear, Huang Wen cried, "Run! There's a monster in the pond!"

They fled in panic down the mountain, even abandoning their boiling water.

Only when the academy was in sight did they stop, winded and still stunned.

Soon the news spread of a pond monster killing a girl at Jade Cloud Mountain.

Everyone began to believe Gu Bo's words about mutation were true.

Around 6 pm Yang Xiao awoke as usual. The setting sun still hung about a yard over the horizon.

After some sips of water, he got up to stretch before dinner.

Just two steps in, a crisp crack underfoot startled him, like stepping on an egg.

Confused, he lifted his foot to check underneath.

On the rock lay an unknown bug the size of a quail egg, squashed by his step.

The shape seemed both familiar and foreign. What was it?

Crouching down for a closer look, Yang Xiao's heart sank with recognition.

It was an ant, but a magnified version!

How could an ant grow so huge? Impossible!

Dread flooded Yang Xiao's heart. Glancing around, he saw dozens more quail-egg-sized ants crawling over the rock.

"Could this be the mutation they mentioned? Wasn't it supposed to be seven days?"

Recalling Gu Bo's words about genetic fragments, Yang Xiao stamped on over a dozen of the giant ants, crushing them underfoot. But other than turning them into pulpy messes, no "fragments" appeared.

He couldn't linger here any longer. Who knew when the ants might bite him to death?

After drinking half a bottle of water, eating half a bag of biscuits and two salted chicken wings., Yang Xiao packed up to head down the mountain.

But then that familiar electric current coursed through his body again, forcing him to sit back down.

Like before, it flowed for several minutes before dissipating.

What was happening? Why did this odd current always hit after meals?

Pondering this, Yang Xiao ate another salted drumstick, prompting the current to flow once more.

Could it be related to eating?

To test this, Yang Xiao devoured a pack of beef jerky, two packs of chicken wings, and a pack of biscuits.

He noticed two things: First, the current was indeed linked to eating. Second, the intensity varied by food type. Beef and chicken induced similar currents, far stronger than biscuits.

But why did food generate electricity in him? And what was its effect?

He also realized he never felt full no matter how much he ate. The current would flow, and then he could eat more, even without feeling hungry.

Thinking back, the current always put him in an excited state. He'd feel a surge of inexhaustible power and the urge to punch rocks.

Noticing a wooden root as thick as his arm, Yang Xiao hesitated, then grabbed and snapped it in two with ease.

Dumbfounded, he stared in shock for a long while.

What was happening? Was he mutating too?

With the sun setting, he had no time to ponder this. Slinging on his pack, iron rod, and melon knife in hand, he prepared to descend, but not before wrapping two crushed ant bodies in leaves and stuffing them in his pack's outer pouch.

Half an hour later under the cloak of night, Yang Xiao emerged from Jade Cloud Mountain onto the academy playground.

Thousands were scattered about, huddled in groups. Aside from Xiao Zhe's team, a few other large teams of over a hundred had formed. Even Huang Wen's female brigade had expanded with more helpless girls.

In the disorder, no one noticed Yang Xiao as he headed straight for the Gene Store.

Gu Bo seemed to recognize him, smiling warmly. "Little friend, haven't seen you in days!"

With a nod, Yang Xiao took out the dead ants from his bag. "Mr. Gu, look, are these the mutated creatures you mentioned?"

Gu Bo glanced indifferently. "It's only the third day. They're in the middle of mutation. These aren't fully mutated yet."

Hearing this, Yang Xiao sucked in a cold breath.

If ants not yet mutated could grow quail-egg-sized, how enormous might the fully mutated ones become?