At the same time, everyone in New York received the same message. The message offered a choice: become a more powerful Lizard Man, capable of regenerating severed limbs and possessing stronger vitality, by following the mission instructions and arriving at the designated empty streets to receive the baptism of evolution and join the new human camp. Those who preferred to remain human were instructed to hide indoors until the rain of evolution ended and then join the human camp.
Beyond the black community, the message found significant response in various hospitals. The black community, often stigmatized in Eagle Country as synonymous with chaos and crime, saw many of its members opt to become Lizard Men without hesitation. For them, the chance to regenerate and become the new rulers of the world, free from discrimination, was too tempting to resist.
Hospitals, too, understood the appeal of this offer. Many patients, fed up with lying in bed and enduring the pain of chemotherapy, saw hope in the promise of evolution. Those with broken limbs, disabilities, or paralysis found the prospect of regeneration particularly appealing.
"Bim, take me to the rooftop," a middle-aged man with a pale face and an IV drip said decisively to the nurse by his side.
"But... sir..." The nurse attempted to dissuade him but was cut off.
"Send me to the rooftop. I don't want to die! I want to live! I want to evolve into a new human being!" The middle-aged man's voice was filled with determination. "If everyone becomes a Lizard Man, then the current humans will be the old humans!"
The man, a wealthy business owner, was facing an incurable terminal illness, with nothing but death to await him. But now, he had found new hope. Similar scenes were unfolding in other hospital wards.
"Malik, I'm going to take the evolutionary bath. What about you?" asked a man sitting in a wheelchair, his body ending at the waist, as he turned to a man without arms.
"No, I won't become a monster," the armless man replied, although his voice betrayed some hesitation. "I don't want my daughter to see her father as a giant lizard."
"Malik, wake up. We fought hard for this country, but what did we get in return? My wife's with someone else, and your daughter doesn't even recognize you as her father anymore. Let's accept the bath of evolution together. Even being a Lizard Man is better than the broken bodies we have now. As long as we are determined, whether it's true or false, we should at least try."
After hearing his companion's words, the armless man hesitated. The thought of his wife leaving him for his brother and his daughter's distant gaze made his resolve stronger.
"Alright," he finally agreed, his voice firm.
This evolution may be a disaster for the entire city, but it represents a ray of hope for some terminally ill patients with no other options. Students who suffer from oppression and bullying, as well as individuals trapped in the grind of society, also find themselves drawn to the Lizardman camp through the baptism of evolution. Some are motivated by their character and skin color, some seek redemption, and others crave revenge. Of course, there are those who are simply bored.
Players also received the same camp selection task, but most chose the human camp, fearing they might become brainless Lizardmen, unable to continue playing the game.
As the afterglow of the setting sun bathed New York in golden light, the fiery clouds began to merge in the sky. Merlin, sitting on the edge of a rooftop, faced the golden afterglow with a bottle of Coke in hand, his legs dangling casually.
On rooftops across the city, groups of people emerged, gazing at the sky as if waiting for something. The streets and squares were filled with groups of Black people and individuals in hospital uniforms, all quietly gathering in empty areas. Meanwhile, others, looking nervous, fled back to their homes or sought shelter in hotels. Even the once-noisy players found cover from the impending rain and waited quietly.
The chaotic New York City suddenly fell into silence. Except for the battlefield where the Transformers clashed, every street was eerily quiet.
"The night is coming..." Merlin took a sip of Coca-Cola, watching the battling Cybertronians and the pedestrians waiting quietly on the streets. His youthful, innocent face was illuminated by the fiery red glow, a look of pleasure evident.
"Boom!" As the last golden afterglow shining on New York disappeared, marking the moment when the gates of heaven seemed to close, a firework suddenly launched from the Statue of Liberty's torch, shooting straight into the sky.
"Boom!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Next came Osborne Industries in Manhattan, followed by Brooklyn, Queens... Groups of brilliant green fireworks exploded over the city one after another, draping the dark night in a sinister green glow.
"..."
"Is it raining?"
On the street, a pale woman in hospital clothes looked at the green droplets on her palm and murmured softly. Under the city's neon lights, green raindrops fell like thin swords, gradually forming a green rain curtain. The rain grew heavier and faster until it enveloped the entire city, covering those on the streets who had been waiting for this moment.
"God! Help me!"
"New humanity! I want to become new humanity! I want those idiots to go to hell!"
"Redemption..."
On the streets, whether Black people, patients, or those simply bored, they now resembled fanatical believers, raising their heads and embracing the baptism of the green rain. They could feel the power of transformation. Amidst the heavy downpour, disabled patients suddenly collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain. They felt an unbearable itch in their incomplete limbs, as if something new was about to grow.
"Uh...ahhhh!!!"
A disabled man who had lost his legs suddenly stood up. Green scales began to appear on his face, and his pupils transformed from human to cold, vertical slits. His body gradually expanded, and his newly grown legs developed sharp claws, transforming him into a Lizardman.
"It worked! It really worked! My legs have grown!" He exclaimed, not even noticing his changed appearance as he stared in awe at his new legs. The sensation of standing firmly on the ground again filled him with exhilaration.
"Rip!"
"Rip! Rip!"
The sound of leather tearing echoed through the green rain curtain as tall Lizardmen tore through their clothes and rose to their full height on the streets. Their cold, vertical pupils stared up at the sky, and the primal instincts surging through their bodies became overwhelming. Unable to contain themselves, they opened their mouths and unleashed a collective roar.
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