Chapter 246 - 140: Warning

Chapter 246: Chapter 140: Warning

Xu Mo didn’t know for sure, but he knew one thing: in this increasingly bizarre apocalypse, staying true to his principles and his path was more important than ever.

Deep in the night, Xu Mo tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. His thoughts were like a boulder thrown into the lake of his mind, and the ripples refused to subside.

At first, Xu Mo had thought the morning broadcast was just a routine warning about food safety and foolish rumors. But as night fell, deeper, more unsettling ideas began to creep in, like vines growing in the darkness, silently ensnaring his mind.

Xu Mo recalled the broadcast’s descriptions of "tissue deformities," "organ dysfunction," "nervous system damage"... and even "aggressive tendencies and loss of sanity."

Was this really a description of mere "food poisoning" or "physiological ailments"? It sounded exactly like the description of another kind of artificially induced, unstable zombie.

A terrifying conclusion began to take shape in Xu Mo’s mind:

In the apocalypse, the gap in individual strength was amplified immensely. The difference in survivability and status between a powerful Superpower User and an ordinary survivor was a world apart. This disparity would inevitably lead to shifts in power and social stratification.

Jiang City currently relied on its relatively complete system, powerful reserves of firearms, and efficient collective organization to maintain a semblance of order, suppressing any potential challenges from powerful individuals.

But did that mean everything was truly calm beneath the surface?

Wouldn’t those who desperately craved power and a change in their destiny take reckless risks to try any method possible? The very fact that the broadcast had to sternly refute the rumors proved just how widespread this craving—and the rumors themselves—truly was.

So, before the warning was issued, and perhaps even now, just how many people had secretly tried eating the flesh of mutated creatures?

Had these people already quietly formed a secretive community with its own shared identity?

More critically, for those who had eaten the flesh of mutated creatures and experienced changes in their bodies, however minor, how did they see themselves? And what would their relationship be with the normal, ordinary people who had never resorted to such extreme measures?

A chain of discrimination was an almost inevitable outcome.

Normal people would likely fear, ostracize, and despise these "freaks" who had eaten monster flesh, viewing them as potential dangers, symbols of depravity, or even as a different species altogether.

Meanwhile, those who tried it could undergo a complex psychological transformation: from fear and self-loathing to a twisted pride, eventually culminating in a hatred for "normal" people. They might band together for support, forming cliques. If their numbers grew large enough and the power disparity became significant enough, they might demand special status and resources—or simply turn to open confrontation.

’We’re different now. Why should we be treated the same as you ’mortals’?’

This schism, based on physical differences and sources of power, was far more primal and deadly than any division based on wealth or birthright, for it struck at the very concept of a shared "human" identity.

The moment a portion of the population began to deviate from the normal physiological scope of a human being—even if the changes were slight and hidden—the seeds of a societal fracture were already sown.

In the apocalyptic environment, with its scarce resources and immense external pressures, this seed could take root and sprout with terrifying speed.

Jiang City was now trying to extinguish this dangerous wildfire with radio warnings and by channeling people’s efforts into reconstruction projects. But could the fire truly be put out? For those who had already tasted the forbidden fruit, could their bodies and minds ever return to what they once were?

Would they go into hiding, continuing their experiments in the dark, perhaps even forming secret societies centered around this new, mutated evolution?

Xu Mo didn’t dare to let his thoughts go any further. He could almost see it: beneath the calm surface of Jiang City, a turbulent undercurrent surged, where countless twisted desires and mutated bodies squirmed and converged in the shadows.

At that moment, Xu Mo felt a cold dread wash over him. This was not a chill from the weather, but one that seeped from the depths of his heart and spread through his very bones.

Xu Mo suddenly felt as if summer had abruptly ended. Without the buffer of autumn, he had plunged directly into a bone-chilling winter.

His mind in turmoil, Xu Mo sat up and walked to the window. At the Iron Bone Realm, he could see almost perfectly in the dark, yet at this moment, he felt as if he couldn’t see anything at all.