Chapter 17: The Convert

Page 1/3

Chen Jian’s heart tightened as he looked at the shattered, blood-soaked remains of the host body. Could this thing actually be eaten?

Well, it made sense. He himself was from the Liangguang region, where flying creatures with wings were off-limits, and four-legged stools were not eaten; everything else was fair game. And once he joined the military, during field training exercises, he had long since developed a steel jaw and iron stomach capable of chewing even leeches that had been gutted, crunching them up without hesitation. So eating some monster meat now wasn’t out of the question.

But the problem was, the mutation mechanism of these creatures was still unknown. Who could say whether their flesh and blood carried viruses? What if eating this bite caused ulcers in his mouth that led to infection through capillaries? That would be disastrous.

Even if it didn’t cause immediate mutation, it would surely cost him a lot of sanity points.

Chen Jian glanced suspiciously at Xu Lie, who laughed heartily and said, “Just kidding. Only the ‘converted’ eat monster meat, and only when absolutely necessary.”

“We have rations ready. We’ll leave the city now and eat together when we reach the camp.”

Hearing this, Chen Jian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But in an instant, he caught a crucial phrase in Xu Lie’s words: “Only when absolutely necessary.”

So that meant, in dire situations, it was still possible to eat it?

He immediately asked Xu Lie, who nodded and explained:

“All monster meat is poisonous—some mildly, some severely.”

“The mild poison just causes diarrhea and vomiting for a few days.”

“The severe kind kills instantly.”

“But whether mild or severe, once you eat it, the monster’s ‘spirit’ latches onto you for life.”

“What do you mean by ‘spirit’?” Chen Jian pressed.

“Something like… a concept?”

“In any case, it’s a kind of curse. Once ingested, all your future offspring will inevitably be monsters.”

“That’s about all I know. If you want details, you can come back with us to the Holy Blood Cathedral and ask the High Priest.”

“Oh, by the way, those in the Mechanical God’s Cult call it the ‘proto-genome,’ though I doubt they truly understand what that means.”

Wow, proto-genome.

So what, do these monsters even have a ‘holy father’?

Chen Jian clicked his tongue, roughly grasping the logic behind this.

There was a very high probability that monsters were caused by a virus and born from mutations.

However, in a logically consistent physical world, nothing could cause a fully grown adult to undergo functional mutations or structural changes to their body.

Therefore, the virus must lie dormant until the host begins reproducing, at which point it attacks the genetic material, alters the genome, and ultimately achieves the goal of “birthing monsters.”

Perhaps humanity’s extinction was connected to this sort of covert assault?

Chen Jian wasn’t certain.

Page 2/3

But he at least understood why those so-called “converted” were so obsessed with “reproduction.”

No wonder they said you “can’t leave.”

In this post-apocalyptic world, using the most basic logic, Chen Jian knew that reproduction was paramount.

And as for them?

If they didn’t reproduce, they would be treated as outcasts and inevitably exposed in their lifetime.

If you stubbornly refused to reproduce, you would eventually be suspected and could not escape death.

Thus, those already parasitized by the virus could only remain in the monsters’ domain...

Tch.

This world hadn’t gone mad; he simply hadn’t seen enough yet.

He quickly uploaded his findings to his PDA, and the other team members, after reading his deductions, nodded in agreement.

Xu Lie noticed their expressions and grew curious about how they communicated.

Chen Jian didn’t reveal the secret of his ocular device, instead sharing only his speculation with Xu Lie, diverting his attention.

After hearing Chen Jian’s words, not only Xu Lie but the entire Holy Blood squad showed unmasked astonishment.

They had already accepted Chen Jian’s team as “chosen ones” descended from some unknown place, powerful yet ignorant of the wasteland.

And in such a short time, they had already seen through such a complex reality.

Bear in mind, even the Holy Blood Cathedral only became aware of the converted after a small settlement fell.

And now...

He had only shared a few fragments of information.

Xu Lie’s gaze toward Chen Jian grew even more curious, tinged with respect.

The group pressed on, bypassing the collapsed scaffolding blown up by Chen Jian’s team, and headed out of the city, following nearly the same route Chen Jian and his companions had used to enter.

But as they proceeded, Chen Jian sensed something was off.

When they entered a narrow street, rustling sounds emerged from the surroundings.

The four members of the Holy Blood squad drew their weapons, and Chen Jian racked his rifle.

“Get ready, we might have enemies.”

No sooner had he spoken than several rock-like objects soared out from windows along the street.

“Contact!” Shen Yue shouted, instinctively dropping and setting up a machine gun.

The objects exploded violently.

Boom!

The prepared squad was barely affected; the Holy Blood members’ superior physique kept them steady.

This ambush failed, and the enemies lurking in the shadows began stepping onto the street.

A dense crowd surrounded the eight of them—at least a hundred strong, as Chen Jian quickly counted.

Page 3/3

“The converted,” Xu Lie’s voice was steady.

“We killed their master; now they have nowhere to go.”

“We have to retreat quickly. There are too many of them; we can’t wipe them all out—they’re persistent.”

Retreat?

Damn, I wish we could!

Chen Jian’s gaze hardened as his mind raced.

The eight-person squad was surrounded. The Holy Blooders could leap three or four meters high, so breaking through with bloodshed wasn’t difficult.

But the four of them bore heavy gear—they couldn’t run fast. Where could they retreat to?

Ammo was running low.

If not now, there might never be another chance to use it.

With that thought, Chen Jian decisively spoke:

“We’re too slow. We can’t get out.”

“You can’t leave either.”

“Fall back with us to the alley on the left. Watch for enemies flanking from the sides.”

“Shen Yue, get ready. Inflict as many casualties as possible.”

“Got it!”

The moment orders were given, the four on the squad sprang into action.

Seconds later, Shen Yue had set up the machine gun on the ground, while the other three crouched beside him, weapons at the ready.

In the next moment, dozens of converted charged out of the alley, recklessly sprinting toward them.

The scene was terrifying, even making the four Holy Blooders nervous.

They instinctively thought this tactic was a death trap.

Yet Chen Jian’s unshakable tone made them suspect the others might possess some other “abilities.”

—but there were none.

They simply crouched there, letting their weapons spew fire.

One by one, the charging converted fell in layers until none remained standing.

At that moment, the four Holy Blooders felt a prickling chill down their spines.

It was their first time so intimately witnessing the terrifying power of these four “chosen ones.”

And they knew clearly—their strength was far beyond the mightiest in the Mechanical God’s Cult...