The mutant white python paid no attention to their shouts. Its icy serpent eyes were locked hard on those two children. The massive body wanted to slither over, but the surrounding buildings annoyed it to no end.
"Hissss!"
With a sibilant roar, a sky-piercing column of water surged up from the surface of Xizi Lake and lanced toward the houses all around.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Rumble!"
Buildings that had seemed solid a moment ago proved as flimsy as thin paper before those water pillars, shattering all at once with thunderous crashes.
Just then, members of the Spiritual Energy Bureau on assignment near Xizi Lake spotted the mutant white python. They hurried to counter with their abilities, while others raced to report the situation back to headquarters.
"A mutant white python has appeared at Xizi Lake. Requesting backup."
"A mutant white python has appeared at Xizi Lake. Requesting backup."
"Requesting support."
After filing their reports, they each moved to their tasks—evacuating civilians, resisting the mutant white python, and rescuing the people trapped beneath the houses struck just now.
At this moment, the Spiritual Energy Bureau was already getting a headache over the news of the mutant white python.
One after another, members who were off-shift were dispatched again to provide support.
With the second Spiritual Energy Tide, the number of mutant beasts in the city had surged.
Although the previous beast tide had been largely wiped out by Firewing, there were still many of them spread throughout every district of the city. They didn't have the manpower to conduct a city-wide sweep, so they could only deploy to eliminate targets when tracks of mutant beasts were found, or when reports came in.
"Who would've thought Xizi Lake had a mutant white python hidden in it? That's not the outskirts. If we don't take it down in time, a lot of people will die."
"What can we do? In times like these, people die every day. Huaxia still counts as the lucky ones—at least there's peace on the surface."
"Those Western countries have already started zero-dollar 'shopping' for firearms."
"Mutant tigers and mutant lions are actually easier to handle in comparison—most of those are leftovers from zoos and are mostly still out in the wild. But the mutant rats and cockroaches are the biggest headache. They're weak, sure, but there are too many of them."
"We just do what we can. Once techniques for using spiritual energy and cultivation methods are developed, life will get a lot better. By then, civilians themselves will have decent combat power—at least enough to deal with mutant rats and the like."
"Sigh."
Many members of the Spiritual Energy Bureau couldn't help but heave a sigh. It had been a long time since they'd had a proper sleep.
The second Spiritual Energy Tide had hit too hard. Too many mutant beasts had awakened, and the worst part was that they weren't weak. To avoid casualties, the Bureau had to send people in small teams, two or three at a time, and it was painfully obvious that their numbers were insufficient.
Fortunately, there were still several powerful ability-users in their area sharing the burden of the heaviest fighting.
Take Firewing, for example—the previous beast tide was practically annihilated by her alone. That terrifying mastery of flame, combined with a large number of summoned beasts, was the only reason they had managed to eliminate the tide in the shortest possible time.
But that only covered the threats in plain sight. Who could guarantee there weren't other mutant beasts hidden in this city? Even if there hadn't been any that day, plenty of other creatures would mutate later under the influence of spiritual energy.
And then there were the pets—no one knew what to do about them.
Some pets recognized their owners; even after mutating, they wouldn't harm humans. But others didn't recognize anyone—once they mutated, it was over.
The percentage was small, but who would dare to gamble?
There had even been cases where people, worried their pets would mutate, abandoned them or where neighbors poisoned them.
Could you say those people were wrong?
They were only afraid of an accident. How could that be a crime?
But a pet that had been abandoned—once it mutated—would come to hate humans with a burning fury. It might even seek out the owner who had thrown it away and kill them.
What were the authorities supposed to do?
Eliminate the danger in advance?
If they discovered a stray pet, should they simply put it down on the spot?
If the Spiritual Energy Bureau didn't have ability-users capable of forming contracts with beasts or communicating with animals, they really would have chosen to do exactly that.
They had no choice. In their eyes, the safety of the people came first. All other creatures were a distant second.
It was just that unless it came to an absolute last resort, they truly didn't want to take that path.
Thankfully, their Bureau did have such ability-users.
As for this mutant white python—this wasn't going to be easy to resolve. They could only hope nothing unexpected would happen.
At Xizi Lake.
The mutant white python coiled over the lake's surface. Under its control, countless streams of lake water rushed toward the ability-users. Wherever the water passed, even the ground sank into deep craters.
"Hissssss!!!"
As a barrage of abilities rained down, the mutant white python let out a roar of pain. The pupils of its serpent eyes grew even colder.
Just then, it seemed to catch sight of something. It gave an enraged hiss and surged forward, charging straight through the ability-users' attacks toward a single point.
"The mutant white python is coming—run!"
"I don't want to die—no, no, I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
"Damn beast!"
"…"
Seeing the mutant white python rushing madly in their direction, the civilians who had been scattered across that area panicked and fled in chaos.
"Mom… Dad… Brother…"
In the tumult, a little girl became separated from her parents. Clutching a doll, she stood timidly where she was. All around her were people scrambling to escape. In a moment like this, no one had the time or spare attention to help her look for her family.
Even those who had the impulse to grab her hand and run found their bodies refusing to move.
They didn't want to die. They wanted to live. If they took on a burden, their odds of survival would shrink, and their chances of dying would grow.
Before anyone realized it, the streets around the little girl had emptied of pedestrians—and directly in front of her loomed an enormous mutant white python.
"Hissss~~~"
The mutant white python flicked its tongue and stared greedily at the girl at its feet. From her, it sensed a strange, irresistible pull. If it could swallow her, it would gain unimaginable benefits.
That premonition, as if whispered from on high, felt like revelation. It had no reason to doubt it.
"Bang!"
A sharp knock sounded. The python's massive head turned to the side. A little boy was standing there, throwing stones at it.
The force was tiny—so small that the serpent could scarcely feel it.
"Don't… you… hurt… my… sister!"
Startled by the snake's gaze, the boy flinched, but he still gritted his teeth and glared back without backing down. He kept hurling stones, forcing his voice into a gruff, threatening growl.
"Brother!"
The little girl, as if seeing hope at last, scampered to hide behind him. The boy immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her with his body.
"Hissss."
The mutant white python showed no reaction to the boy's bravado. In its eyes, both children were equally appetizing—prey that tugged at that same uncanny attraction. It opened its blood-red maw. Its cold fangs gleamed in the air, keen and merciless.
"Boom!"
Those razor fangs tore through the air, as if they meant to swallow both children whole.
The boy hugged his sister tight. Beneath that colossal form, the two children looked impossibly small.
(End of this chapter)