Chapter 21: Shocking! Is Liu Mu Lifting a Dog?

Three full minutes passed: 【System provides canine kill-skill training; animal combat ability requires extensive real-world practice.】

Real-world practice—there will be no shortage of opportunities for that in the future.

"Let me see Niu Boyi's status. This kid has changed so drastically today, it gave me a fright."

【System-protected creature No. 001,

Species: Giantized German Shepherd;

Name: Niu Boyi;

Age: 4 years and 11 days;

Weight: 2888kg; (continuously growing)

Height: 238.8cm; (continuously growing)

Body length: 418.6cm (from nose tip to tail tip); (continuously growing)

Health status: Good; suggest supplementing with large amounts of trace elements;

Taming level: 100%;

Loyalty: 100%;

Resistance to toxins: 76% (can consume most mutated creatures);

Wildness: 30% (insufficient; difficult to survive if separated from the host. Suggest strengthening kill training and urging it to hunt on its own. After mutation upgrades, overprotection is not recommended. Creatures need to actively adapt to the environment to stimulate the organism's self-regulation functions. The system has already generated a training plan and detailed suggestions; click to view.)】

It would be no exaggeration to call Niu Boyi a behemoth now, and it is still growing; I'm afraid this Gouzi might grow larger than an elephant.

Not worried about her own situation, Liu Mu first carefully studied Niu Boyi's training and rearing plan, and after reading it, she was even happier. This Da Gouzi really gets more delightful the more it grows.

However, she was still a bit hesitant about the point regarding not overprotecting it, mainly because the air quality outside is truly too poor right now; if they don't use a Filter Mask, what if it develops a chronic respiratory disease?

After hesitating for a long time, she still consulted the system for knowledge on this aspect. The analysis provided by the latter can be summarized in one sentence: mutated species have powerful resistance and can adapt to new environments; the environment in the future won't be much better than it is now, so just tell me whether you two are going to adapt or not.

What else is there to say? Natural selection, survival of the fittest—adapt by force it is!

Liu Mu thought about how she and Niu Boyi shouldn't wear masks tomorrow; how could that not count as a form of training? After all, they are already new species in the system.

The impact of the Ten-Day Burning was not enough to change the trajectory of Earth. After entering July, the sky still brightened very early. The sky was full of leaden clouds, too gloomy, and the sun was still hard to see clearly, but the dust in the air had decreased by more than half, with visibility of about a hundred meters.

Liu Mu went out early in the morning with Niu Boyi. This time, they really didn't go far, just doing physical training in the yard outside.

Li Gang couldn't sleep in the first half of the night, but in the second half, his strong psychological resilience overcame his negative emotions, and he slept soundly for six hours. By the time he was woken up by the dog barking and shouting outside, the sky was already very bright.

He leaned on a Steel Pipe and went to the window, vaguely seeing a person lifting a large-volume heavy object for morning exercise through the dust-covered glass.

Thinking it must be Liu Mu, his body, which was just about to turn, froze. That girl... what is she lifting?

Clatter...

The window slid open, and Li Gang was stunned, dumbfounded. Liu Mu is lifting a dog?!

And it's the giant dog Niu Boyi!

Does this world have to turn into something he doesn't recognize every single day?

"Good morning, Old Liu. The air quality is poor today, but it's much better than yesterday."

Liu Mu was practicing squats while carrying Niu Boyi. Her flushed face—it was hard to tell if it was washed clean or rinsed clean by sweat—looked quite pretty.

"You, are you lifting a dog?" Li Gang really didn't know how to greet her, so he could only wave at her.

"No equipment, just making do with the practice." Liu Mu had already done three hundred 'weighted' squats. She put Niu Boyi down and pointed at the empty yard, "Run another hundred laps, and I'll fix you meat for breakfast!"

"Woof woof, eat meat!" Niu Boyi hadn't wanted to be carried by her in the first place; once it gained its freedom, it took off running in a cloud of dust.

Liu Mu let it count the laps itself and strode toward the small building. "Old Liu, are you feeling better? We'll head into the city after we eat breakfast in a while. By the way, I have some things I'd like to ask your advice on..."

She hadn't seen wrong; Li Gang really did have a deep background in martial arts. He analyzed all ten or so types of boxing techniques and finally said, "Literary Tai Chi, Martial Baji. I used to think it was good for girls to practice Tai Chi, but in times like these, why don't you start practicing Baji Quan? If you encounter enemies outside..."

Without using boxing techniques, an ordinary person would likely be lifted up and slammed to death by Liu Mu directly.

However, Li Gang still had to finish his sentence, "Especially when surrounded, two fists are no match for four hands. The greatest characteristic of Baji Quan is that it exerts force in all eight directions. Once mastered, even if you are surrounded, you can at least protect yourself."

Liu Mu immediately adopted his suggestion and asked about his family situation—don't overthink it, she just wanted to know his plans for the future.

"My family... there was originally a grandmother. Half a month after I retired from the military, the old lady passed away." Speaking of his grandmother, Li Gang's expression turned dejected. "When I joined the army back then, I was thinking the benefits were good, the family would have grain and oil subsidies, and local cadres would often show concern, so she could live well even without farming. I retired due to injury. This arm, right here, took a burst of gunfire; it was barely reattached, but it has no strength left."

He pulled up his sleeve. After several days of hunger, his muscles had atrophied and his skin was loose. There were four bullet holes on his arm, along with numerous surgical scars.

"There are still steel pins inside now. I thought I could take good care of the old lady after retiring... Forget it, the world is in this state anyway. My home is likely gone too. If you think I'm trustworthy, I'll stay and help. If you don't need me, I'll stay at the Base; I can always do something to help everyone."

Liu Mu was speechless for a moment. She hadn't expected this guy to be from such a specialized military branch. Just looking at those wounds, without needing to ask in detail, he must have been on a battlefield with live ammunition. Since it was clearly a peaceful era before, with over eighty-eight percent of people never having touched a real gun in their lives, he could already be considered one of those badass soldiers.

Just as she was pondering whether the Scrap Station really needed a retired soldier, Niu Boyi, who was running crazily in the distance, barked toward them, meaning it wanted to keep Liu Gang to guard the gate.

"Got it, shut up and run, or you'll be eating a mouthful of dirt in a minute!" Liu Mu roared at the dog, then rubbed her chin and acted profound, "Let's wait until we go to the city to see a doctor before deciding on your stay. You can also see what the rescue Base is like, and then we'll discuss it."

Li Gang actually wanted to stay at the Scrap Station, but since Liu Mu didn't agree directly, he couldn't be thick-skinned about it.

The air was indeed much better today than yesterday, but there was still dust everywhere, and the air still smelled very rich and varied. Staying in it for too long would make either your trachea ache or your lungs feel pricked.

When Xu Xiaofeng came up to deliver breakfast, she took the opportunity to call Liu Mu and Niu Boyi down, "Brother Li, eat first. This backpack has a week's worth of food and water, as well as some anti-inflammatory medicine. Take it first."

The situation at the rescue Base was unclear. Xu Xiaofeng had thought about it for a long time last night and still helped him prepare some things. To tell the truth, she didn't hope for another person at the Scrap Station, especially a strange man. Once Liu Mu and Niu Boyi went out to get busy, it would just be her and Zhang Xiaoyong at home, which really wasn't safe.

After breakfast, Liu Mu brought up a new set of protective gear for Li Gang to change into, "They are getting ready too. I'm going out to get the vehicle; I'll come to pick you all up in a bit."

"You have a vehicle?" Li Gang asked it out of habit, mainly worried that his leg wouldn't be able to handle it, "Is it a tricycle?"

"Who are you looking down on?" Liu Mu snorted coldly and turned to leave the Scrap Station.