Chen Fei gained the power of the Electric Element, while Chen Lu manifested the Ice Element power, and Feifei got a head of Magic Hair. The other girls, too, saw an increase in their strength after their mutations. But Huang Wen's hands grew full of feathers and seemed good for nothing.
Yang Xiao was also at a loss and could only offer comfort, saying,
"Your mutation process is not yet complete. Once you've gone through the entire mutation, you'll know the specific results. Maybe you could turn into a Phoenix, soaring through the heavens?"
With that, Huang Wen burst into laughter.
"The Phoenix only exists in mythology, doesn't it? There are no real Phoenixes."
Chen Lu, Chen Fei, Feifei, and the other girls also consoled Huang Wen, asking her to wait patiently.
Among the mutants, not many exhibited signs of animal traits or possessed Elemental Magic. Most of the people just felt an increase in their strength and their senses became sharper.
"Huang Wen, to accelerate everyone's genetic mutation, we'll eat dog meat again tonight. Everyone should eat more; maybe it'll speed up the completion of the genetic transformation."
So, come evening, everyone feasted on dog meat again.
Indeed, the pace of everyone's evolution accelerated significantly.
Huang Wen's feathers had now spread to her forearms, turning her whole forearm into something wing-like.
Yang Xiao believed that Huang Wen's mutation would likely trend towards a bird.
Huang Wen herself began to gain confidence, excited at the thought of someday flying through the sky as a bird.
The night passed without incident, and in the blink of an eye, they entered the sixth day after the great disaster.
Yang Xiao had gotten used to early nights these past few days, since he had Huang Wen and the other girls to keep watch. However, this morning, he was woken up by Huang Wen and the others.
"Boss, are you awake?"
Yang Xiao grunted in response.
"Boss, if you're awake, come out and have a look. Something seems off outside."
Startled, Yang Xiao flipped over and sat up from the bed, habitually shouldered his backpack, and walked out with the Black Long Sword in hand.
"What's the matter? What seems off?"
Outside, Huang Wen, Chen Lu, Chen Fei, Feifei, and about a dozen other girls stood, while some were asleep in the tents because they were on the night shift.
Yang Xiao's first instinct was to notice that each girl looked somewhat panicked and he quickly asked,
"What happened?"
"Look!"
Huang Wen pointed outside.
Yang Xiao looked out. It was dawn, and everywhere was shrouded in a faint blue mist. Though the fog wasn't thick, it was somewhat eerie.
"Cough, this, it seems like smog, right?"
"This is nothing like smog. If you look at the fog from a distance, it's pale blue. Touch it with your hand, there's nothing there, colorless and odorless. Smog is suffocating."
Yang Xiao vaguely remembered that on the first day of the great disaster, when he crawled out from the ruins, he also saw this layer of pale blue fog, but it seemed to have disappeared in the subsequent days.
Although he also felt it was very strange, in order to comfort everyone, he chuckled and said:
"It's fine, it's just fog. It will disperse quickly once the sun comes out. Hmm, today is the sixth day since the great disaster began. Everyone's activity range should not exceed 50 meters to the left and right of the Genetic Store. Anyway, we still have some food. How about this, Huang Wen, you lead everyone to roast all the remaining dog meat over fire. Divide it evenly per person for everyone to keep their own share of food. Tomorrow will be the seventh day, and no one knows what will happen."
Huang Wen nodded, and the other girls agreed. So, the girls began to get busy—starting fires, cutting meat, and fashioning a grill from steel bars and iron wire found in the ruins, then slowly roasting the dog meat on it.
The taro dug the day before yesterday was buried in the fire to roast with its skin on.
Huang Wen also instructed several girls to boil water, then set the boiled water aside to cool before pouring it into mineral water bottles, which were evenly distributed among the thirty-some people.
The pale blue fog that enveloped the earth was noticed not only by Yang Xiao and the others but also by the other students. Everyone was discussing it, but since the fog hadn't caused any harm, it was set aside after some discussion.
Yang Xiao always felt uneasy inside. He came to the Genetic Store and sat opposite Gu Bo.
"Old Gu, this fog seems strange, do you have any insights?"
Gu Bo smiled slightly and said:
"Just be patient, you'll soon know the answer."
"You know about this fog?"
"Heh heh, kiddo, don't try to fish for information from me. In fact, you've long acknowledged the prophecies I talked about regarding Earth's disasters, and you've also been preparing for the apocalypse. What you and your companions need to do now, is to patiently wait for the world to change and enhance your abilities for survival."
Gu Bo said this, looking seriously at Yang Xiao.
Yang Xiao had always been puzzled by Gu Bo's identity and background. Even though he guessed that Earth's sudden crisis must be related to the forces behind Gu Bo, he now had no power to challenge Gu Bo, let alone the mysterious force behind him—is a power capable of destroying Earth overnight.
To survive, humanity must rely on the survivors to enhance their survival abilities, or else they will disappear along with the end of the world.
Yang Xiao nodded, and with complex feelings, walked out of the Genetic Store. As he passed by the two Iron Tower Warriors at the entrance, he took a careful look at them. The powerful aura emanating from the warriors made him feel palpitations.
"It seems that humanity has indeed entered the era of the survival of the fittest, regressing overnight from modern civilization to the Stone Age!"
Yang Xiao walked to the tent and saw Huang Wen and the others busy roasting meat and boiling water. He said to Huang Wen:
"Huang Wen, go tell everyone on the field to retreat to within fifty meters of the Genetic Store."
Huang Wen was startled, not understanding Yang Xiao's intention.
"Ah, the most I can do for everyone is just this much. Tomorrow is the day when Earth's creatures complete their gene mutations. The area within fifty meters of the Genetic Store is considered safe, while areas beyond might be dangerous. There are more than a thousand people gathered on this field, and I see that most of them are outside the fifty-meter range. Should something happen, the consequences could be severe."
"Alright, boss. Just for this kindness of yours, I'll give you a thumbs up."
Huang Wen said with a smile and then stepped out of the tent.
Huang Wen ran from camp to camp, advising everyone to retreat their tents to within fifty meters of the Genetic Store.
Because Yang Xiao had killed a few people from Xiao Zhe's team the day before yesterday, and yesterday killed the mutated Black Dog, most people already knew that Yang Xiao was the boss of Huang Wen's team and thus showed respect to Huang Wen.
"Sister Huang Wen, why do we need to retreat near the Genetic Store? We're pretty good here."
"Sister Huang Wen, it's uncomfortable for so many people to squeeze together; we don't want to move."
"Sister Huang Wen, do you have any dog meat left? Some soup would do, I'm starving."
...
Huang Wen could only reply with:
"I'm just relaying our boss's message, whether you listen or not is up to you."