Plague

Heihe Command Center.

The call abruptly ceased, plunging the room into an eerie silence. Eyes darted anxiously among the gathered personnel, seeking answers that remained elusive.

A member of the advisory group ventured a tentative question, "What just happened...?"

Liao Chengdong shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. Waving his hand dismissively, he replied, "Carry on, we need support from all quarters now."

His words resonated, galvanizing the perplexed individuals in the room. Though many harbored intense curiosity about the unfolding situation, they promptly resumed their duties.

Liao Chengdong meticulously briefed the soldiers in the communication unit, emphasizing the importance of monitoring incoming calls. Then, rising from his seat, he gathered the call records and data, intending to report the incident and hand them over to the team of experts.

Before he could proceed, a staff officer intercepted him, his voice hushed, "Do you truly believe it was an external call?"

Due to the urgency of the situation, Liao Chengdong had used the speakerphone when answering the call.

Pondering for a moment, Liao Chengdong responded, "I believe it was. Despite speaking only a few words, they managed to convey crucial information. The language proficiency of the other party seemed limited, suggesting they were likely young. They mentioned depleting energy, which aligns with the behavior of a child. Perhaps they unknowingly dialed our number while engrossed in some competitive game..."

A tinge of disappointment colored his words as he lamented the missed opportunity, "If it wasn't a child, then perhaps it was a fellow comrade...but even if it were an adult, alas..."

The staff officer placed a comforting hand on Liao Chengdong's shoulder and reassured him, "Alright, Lao Liao, let's stay positive. At least we know it was an external call, which indicates safety beyond our borders. If this call could be connected, it's possible that our space attack expert group has made progress. Where there's a first call, there may very well be a second... Our hopes are still alive."

Liao Chengdong cast a brief, skeptical glance at the staff officer before silently shaking his head.

...

Far from Lianhua Village, in Liao City.

Su Chen's efforts had faltered.

He had managed to utter a few words, but his energy had been drained, and his connection severed. The phone, compelled to retreat from his expanding perception and consciousness, obediently returned to its original purpose. In that fleeting moment, Su Chen had managed to convey only a fragment of his intended message.

This incident further underscored the realization that the dark energy signal he emitted served merely as a conduit. It was the dark energy in the space that resonated, not his physical presence. Through his perception and the energy coursing through his body, he could establish a connection spanning a hundred kilometers, akin to electromagnetic signals connecting an army.

The call abruptly ended, and Su Chen belatedly comprehended the situation. It seemed as though he had uttered an incoherent string of words, but in that moment, he had truly been taken aback. Despite having expended considerable dark energy during his journey, reconfiguring his mobile phone, he had responded in order to maintain his combat capabilities. Astonishingly, while he had been charging himself from a power bank, his body's energy levels had remained at around 13 units. However, in less than two minutes from dialing the phone number, his energy reserves had plummeted to a mere two units.

This outcome far exceeded Su Chen's expectations.

Indeed, there was no frugality in the realm of high-priced magical transformations.

But it was worth it. Though those two minutes were fleeting, Su Chen had gleaned invaluable information and expanded his consciousness, inching closer to the elusive second tier.

He had found the right approach.

Making a phone call to grow stronger! The greater the energy consumed during the magical transformation, the more conducive it was to honing his abilities and exploring his unique potential. And this particular phone was perfectly suited to his current state.

In truth, according to theory, the magical transformation armor relied on greater energy consumption, yet the perceptual effects had been nebulous in Su Chen's previous attempts. He realized that perhaps he hadn't truly reached the threshold for the second tier back then; it had merely been a tantalizing glimpse.

Through repeated absorption and utilization of energy, fortifying his body, he had genuinely attained the necessary conditions to enter the second tier, seamlessly and naturally.

However, caution was paramount in his future endeavors. The true significance lay not in whom he called but in deepening his perception through the process, striving to "speak" simultaneously. Su Chen sensed that this was not a conventional virtual reality game that severed perception from consciousness, resulting in a desolate "vegetative" state. Perception and speech were undoubtedly the keys to reaching the second tier.

Furthermore, Su Chen noticed that during that state, he couldn't accurately gauge the depletion of his body's energy nor halt it in time. Assessing his remaining energy, he resolved to limit it to around three units when employing the magical transformation during future phone calls; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

As Su Chen contemplated making another call to venture outside, a gentle knock resonated at his door, accompanied by Wang Li's voice from the other side, "Mr. Su, Yu Hualong is looking for you."

Su Chen hadn't intended to engage with the other party and responded, "What does he want?"

"He mentioned something about you abstaining from pork and came to apologize personally," Wang Li relayed.

Furrowing his brow, Su Chen inquired further, "Why?"

"I'm not entirely sure. He simply stated that the pigs aren't starving to death but succumbing to illness. He wishes to apologize to you in person," Wang Li explained.

This revelation triggered a train of thought in Su Chen's mind. He changed his plans, rose from his seat, and descended the stairs in determined strides.

At the doorstep stood Yu Hualong, visibly anxious, accompanied by a gentleman. Yu Hualong wore a crestfallen expression. He had initially hoped to foster a closer relationship with Su Chen by leveraging the two seemingly abandoned wild boars in Lianhua Village. However, much to his dismay, his investment had backfired as his valuable assets had inexplicably fallen ill, leaving him with a sense of futility.

Such misunderstandings should never have occurred. Yu Hualong had come to rectify the situation, bringing along a bottle of red wine, which he extended to Su Chen upon his arrival. "Mr. Su, take a look at this. I had contemplated treating you to a sumptuous braised pork feast this evening. Unfortunately, the pig fell gravely ill and is inedible. Here, have this wine instead..."

Su Chen wasted no time with pleasantries. His attention was drawn to the gentleman beside Yu Hualong, who seemed to fixate on him. Whenever Su Chen's gaze shifted in his direction, the man would hastily avert his eyes.

Although this peculiar behavior piqued Su Chen's curiosity, he chose not to dwell on it and simply stated, "I'll come take a look."

Yu Hualong appeared slightly surprised but acquiesced, saying, "Alright, right this way..."

Following Yu Hualong, Su Chen arrived at the rear of Lianhua Village where the two pigs were kept.

One of them lay in a moribund state, huddled in a corner, its feeble condition evident. However, the other pig had already met its demise, its head severed and its belly sliced open, yet curiously, there was no trace of blood. The wound, as a whole, had taken on a gray-black hue, and under the illumination, one could discern a dense growth of decaying mold festering within its body.

Su Chen had encountered such sights before, as the elongated specter he carried with him was often accompanied by similar grotesque phenomena.

Recalling the words of Liao Chengdong, the deputy mayor of the Seventeenth Division, during their recent phone conversation, Su Chen's realization dawned upon him. "[The terror-induced disease is rapidly evolving in a manner detrimental to our survival with each passing day.]"

Suddenly, it struck him that since the cataclysm had unfolded, he had rarely encountered small animals, birds, cats, dogs... Perhaps it was due to his initial stay at a high-end hotel, but later...

As Su Chen furrowed his brow in contemplation, Yu Hualong, observing his pensive state, couldn't help but caution, "Mr. Su, don't get too close. This thing is akin to a monstrous pathogen. You don't want to risk infection."

Nodding in agreement, Su Chen swiftly retraced his steps, maintaining a safe distance from the area. It was then that he noticed several survivors congregating near the pigsty, their expressions filled with disappointment as they witnessed the grim tableau.

A young boy approached, looking up at Yu Hualong with hopeful eyes. "Is there no pork?" he asked, his voice tinged with longing.

Yu Hualong let out a sigh, tenderly ruffled the boy's hair, and remained silent.