Published: February 19, 2025
Life Selection, Deep Sea Monster
In the yard, Chen Hu was organizing fishing hooks when he noticed the smile on Chen Chu’s face as he returned. Curiously, he asked, “Bro, what are you smiling about?”
Chen Chu casually replied, “Nothing much, just had a bite to eat on the way back, feeling pretty good.”
“By the way, how was your catch today?” Chen Chu shifted the topic.
At the mention of this, Chen Hu, who had recently become obsessed with fishing, brightened up and excitedly said, “I caught a big fish today, it’s one meter three long and weighs thirty-eight kilograms.”
“Wow, that’s impressive,” Chen Chu said, somewhat surprised. “How much did you sell it for?”
Chen Hu grinned, “I didn’t sell this one; I’m keeping it for your birthday party in a couple of days. We’ll have a splendid fish feast then.”
“...Alright, we’ll eat it in a couple of days.” Chen Chu paused slightly.
Suddenly, Chen Chu said, “Ah Hu, do you want to eat mutated beast meat?”
The fish Chen Hu caught had some signs of mutation, but they weren't considered true mutated beasts; their meat could only be said to be slightly better than ordinary fish.
“Of course!”
Chen Hu’s eyes lit up at this, but he quickly added, “But bro, those mutated beast meats are really expensive, and I heard ordinary people shouldn’t eat them recklessly.”
“It’s okay. After the new year, the school will organize a major sweep to clear out the mutated beasts lurking in the surrounding mountains. I’ll bring back some mutated beasts with a moderate blood content.”
With Chen Chu’s current combat power, ordinary mutated beasts were almost a one-hit kill for him. The upcoming sweep would be an opportunity for him to harvest contribution points.
The next two days passed quickly without any major incidents.
As the new year approached, holidays began to be announced everywhere, and the festive atmosphere grew increasingly palpable, with local official TV stations starting to broadcast highlights of gala programs.
January 13th was Chen Chu’s birthday.
Today, Zhang Xiaolan took a day off specifically, getting up early to buy a lot of ingredients from the market. Along with the big fish that Chen Hu had raised, the whole family was busy.
Chen Chu didn’t slack off today either; he helped with the cooking.
Chen Chu's family was not large; his father only had one cousin, and the elders of the previous generation reportedly all died during the chaotic times years ago.
Later, after the federation was established, Chen Chu’s father and that cousin were raised by the only surviving aunt, who had passed away many years ago.
On Zhang Xiaolan’s side, there was only one uncle left in the countryside, and her parents had passed away several years ago due to illness.
Yes, illness.
Since the new era began, the global incidence of diseases has dramatically increased yearly. Sometimes, even a severe cold could lead to organ failure and quick death.
This was one of the reasons why, after fifty years, there was no significant population growth worldwide.
This situation caused a lot of panic in society when it first started two years ago. Later, through research and verification by scientists from various countries, some patterns were gradually discovered.
This illness generally occurs in people with weak constitutions, usually showing warning signs before onset. Once those symptoms appear, immediate hospital treatment to strengthen immunity is necessary.
Additionally, people who already had serious illnesses had a certain chance of developing complications leading to death.
The fundamental reason relates to the energy of heaven and earth. Although ordinary people cannot cultivate, they absorb it in trace amounts like air, which their bodies excrete.
Under specific circumstances, the human body can mutate under the influence of this energy, improving physique and enhancing the immune system, among other things.
However, there are also a few exceptional reverse mutations that can lead to death.