Chapter 18: Careful or I'll Cut Your Balls Off!

In the apocalypse, it is much harder for those who want to live than for those who want to die; which day goes by without a few people committing suicide?

Liu Gang fell silent. He actually knew that this strange woman before him had no reason to lie to him. As long as one left the factory area—no, there was no need to leave; just looking toward the distance from here was enough to know that what she said was the truth.

However, his strong psychological resilience kicked in, and he realized an opportunity. Was the situation with Niu Boyi before him also a kind of opportunity?

Because of an injury, he had been forced to retire. The unwillingness in his heart was like the sound of gunfire in his dreams; it had never disappeared. These past few months had been like years to him.

Although the two of them worked together, the Nutrient Solution was soon gone. Liu Mu's heart was bleeding; this was her stockpile from decades in the apocalypse, which she hadn't even been willing to drink while starving and freezing in the ice and snow, yet today she had let Gouzi finish it all in one go.

Thinking of this, Liu Mu angrily slapped Niu Boyi on the forehead, sending his head, which had grown nearly twice its size, flying back half a meter.

Staring at her own palm after that force, then glancing at Li Gang who was also staring at her, she suddenly pulled a sinister smile, "Brother, you really must keep today's events a secret."

Liu Gang believed that in his prime, he might have been able to trade blows with Liu Mu, but adding a dog that was still growing... He nodded, his lips pressed tight, "My life was saved by you two. Rest assured, even if someone points a gun at my head, I won't reveal a single word."

This appearance seemed sincere. Liu Mu didn't bother to dwell on whether the other party was reliable; since that kind of stone could trigger Mutation, it wouldn't be long before Mutations happened everywhere.

As for her own space, heh, now that Mutations had appeared, what else could people not accept? By then, everyone would only pursue becoming stronger.

Why did human Mutation come so late in her past life, and why did animals mutate first? According to Liu Mu's guess, it was very likely that someone discovered the situation first and then collected these black "Giant Sun" stones in advance. Thinking of this, she had another doubt: were Mutation and ability Awakening the same thing?

Previously, she had neither mutated, nor had the system brought any changes to her body, so she really couldn't figure out the key to it. But now, within a single day, she had first Awakened as a "Merchant," and then been stimulated by the Red Mist into something she didn't know was a Mutation, so... just wait and see.

The Nutrient Solution was gone, but she couldn't really just leave Niu Boyi alone, otherwise, the Mutation would surely digest him. Fortunately, this dog still had some sense; slapped awake by Liu Mu, he looked at his Master with longing, tears of grievance flowing from the corners of his mouth.

"You dog!" Liu Mu grinned, showing her teeth, "Just wait!"

With a bristly haircut and a face covered in gray, it was hard to even make out her features, yet such a girl, making such a crude smile, was actually somewhat good-looking, like a sunflower blooming amidst tragic ruins.

For a moment, Li Gang felt that there was still a glimmer of hope left in the world, and then he was patted by Liu Mu. This slap was definitely not as heavy as the one she gave the dog, but Li Gang still felt as if his shoulder had been struck by a hammer.

"Hurry up and help, what are you dazing off for!"

Lowering his head, he realized there were several more large boxes in front of him. The gray-faced girl handed him a can opener, signaling him to help.

"Oh, right, right, right," the boxes were indeed full of cans, the kind of Meat Canned Food the size of milk powder tins.

Liu Mu had already opened two and poured them into a stainless steel bathtub, urging Niu Boyi to eat quickly.

The aroma of the canned food diffused into the air, and both humans' stomachs rumbled like thunder simultaneously.

Li Gang was also holding an opened can, feeling a bit embarrassed, but he really wanted to eat a few bites.

"Don't eat that, it's not for humans," Liu Mu warned, "It's dog food, custom-made; humans will get diarrhea if they eat it."

As she spoke, she reached out, and in her hand—not large but very slender and sturdy—appeared a palm-sized beef can, "Eat this."

Li Gang hurriedly poured the dog food in his hand into the basin, wiped his hands on his clothes, and then took it, "Thank you. By the way, my name is Li Gang, a retired soldier, twenty-eight years old, one meter eighty."

Liu Mu's hand, which was opening a can, paused. She looked this person over suspiciously before finally spitting out two names, "Liu Mu, Niu Boyi."

"Woof woof, are we on a blind date? Introducing yourself so thoroughly," Niu Boyi barked for a while, then stared with wide eyes and shut his mouth in fear.

The two people nearby only felt their ears buzzing; although they were close at hand, it was just a dog barking, why was it so loud?

"You dog, don't you know what size you are now? No barking randomly from now on," Liu Mu wanted to slap him again, but seeing Niu Boyi's body, which had grown another half-circle, she didn't extend her evil claws, fearing her hand would hurt.

"Woo-roo, I didn't mean to," Niu Boyi felt aggrieved. Liu Mu's slap landed anyway, "Sissy, don't talk like that, or I'll cut your balls off!"

Niu Boyi and Li Gang both shuddered at the same time and moved away from Liu Mu to focus on eating their canned food.

Liu Mu was hungry too, but having just drunk a few bottles of Nutrient Solution, she could still endure it. She first pried open a bathtub full of meat for Niu Boyi before opening a can for herself to eat.

Half an hour later, both were full. The consumption of canned meat in the stainless steel bathtub slowed down. Niu Boyi ate one bite at a time, and his body's changes slowed down.

Liu Mu stretched, and seeing that it was already four o'clock in the afternoon, she thought of how it had suddenly turned dark yesterday and hurriedly stood up.

"You stay here and watch Niu Boyi; I'm going to get some more resources."

"Alright!"

Since things had already come to this, no one would likely come to collect public property, so what was wrong with letting the little girl take some?

She had to raise such a large dog, and he might have to rely on her in the future, so he would just turn a blind eye.

After seeing Liu Mu take out so many things, Li Gang still hadn't thought that perhaps the amount of steel she had taken was more than just a little.

Then again, his brain wasn't at the point of thinking about such things yet; he was too busy observing Niu Boyi before him. In just this short while, the dog was already the size of a half-year-old elephant calf. If he kept growing like this, he could swallow an adult in one bite.

Out of animal instinct, Li Gang was a little afraid, but his Master, Liu Mu, had no fear at all—partly because she had seen absurdly large animals in the apocalypse, and partly because she had confidence in Niu Boyi's loyalty.

Another half hour passed, and Liu Mu received a system notification that Niu Boyi had finished his Evolution. That's right, the system classified it as an Evolution upgrade.

She looked back at the collapsed factory area with reluctance. The previous warehouses and workshops had all been collected; what remained was the No. 3 factory building that had been hit in the center, and a row of burned-down houses behind it.

After checking the situation, she decided to return to the Scrap Station first, ask Li Gang to clarify the situation at the Steel Rolling Mill in the evening, and come back tomorrow.

Moreover, she needed to observe Niu Boyi and her own situation for the night, for fear that the Mutation might have some side effects.

Niu Boyi had drunk a full eight boxes of Nutrient Solution and eaten two large bathtubs of canned food. By the time he stopped growing, he was over two meters tall, and his build was even longer than an elephant of the same height. His muscles were powerful, his blue-gray fur was sleek and shiny, and seeing him suddenly would scare the timid to death.

Except for... "Get lost! Don't you know how much you weigh? You're rubbing your drool all over me!"

Liu Mu was annoyed to death by the lively Niu Boyi and raised her hand for a slap, "Stay away! How can the tricycle still carry you? Don't you have any self-awareness?"

In the cargo bed, Liu Gang, who looked very "petite" compared to the dog, curled up tremblingly, fearing that this "disaster" would spread to him.