Then, Let Them Offer Their Loyalty!

Chapter 17: Cataclysm Awakening

Chapter 17 Cataclysm Awakening

Sitting on the sofa, Qiu Tu opened the cloth bag.

The first thing he saw was a thin document, only two pages long.

He set the document aside and checked the other contents of the bag: one Aurora Stone, three small goldfish, and twelve silver coins.

These were the assets Qiu Tu had handed over to Yan Chen the previous day, now returned to him.

Satisfied with reclaiming the assets his brothers had pooled together, Qiu Tu picked up the document and began to read.

Though the document was brief, it provided a glimpse into the supernatural powers of this world.

The more Qiu Tu read, the more his brow furrowed. By the time he finished, his face was grave.

"If this document is true, then I’ve encountered the worst possible scenario," Qiu Tu thought, recalling the content of the document.

According to the document, thirty years after the cataclysm, the world had changed drastically. A strange and mysterious force quietly awakened, reshaping the world's structure and the forms of life within it. The most unsettling changes were those in the natural world.

For instance, ivy inexplicably grew and twisted, becoming as thick as the water pipes of abandoned cities

Common roadside weeds remained normal by day but turned sharp as knives under the moonlight, emitting a cold, ghostly glow.

And ants, once barely noticeable, grew as large as nighttime beasts, roaming the ruins and emitting low growls like nightmares.

Humanity, struggling for survival, initially ignored these bizarre phenomena.

It wasn't until fifteen years ago, when the first shelter was established and human elites began exploring the outside world, that they discovered the world had become even stranger.

These mutated plants and animals not only had enhanced strength, speed, intelligence, and aggression but also exhibited extraordinary abilities.

Humans speculated that this was all due to the unprecedented cataclysm, calling these phenomena "Cataclysm Awakening."

The puzzling aspect was that while all other life forms had undergone "Cataclysm Awakening," humans remained unchanged.

This led to two hypotheses within the human community:

1. Humans were also awakening, but due to their long life cycles and weak reproductive abilities, it would take several generations to produce new humans with mysterious powers naturally.

2. Human life was already advanced, and the cataclysm couldn't fully awaken them. Thus, humans had to actively steal the mutated powers of other life forms to achieve their own awakening.

These debates continued until eight years ago, when an "pharmacist" inadvertently created a "Cataclysm Potion" that successfully endowed the test subject with a mysterious power, temporarily halting the arguments.

With the birth of the Cataclysm Potion, the value of mutated materials skyrocketed, and professions like pharmacists rapidly rose in status.

The latter part of the document, however, truly gave Qiu Tu a headache.

Using the Cataclysm Potion did not guarantee the acquisition of mysterious powers. On the contrary, there was an over 80% chance of failure.

Failure resulted in irreversible catastrophic mutations, turning the user into a mindless, destructive monster.

Even those lucky enough to succeed couldn't predict the direction of their awakening, as it varied from person to person.

This information left Qiu Tu frustrated: "Damn, I thought I could rely on supernatural powers to change my fate. But not only is the success rate low, the powers themselves are weird and unpredictable. Who knows if they come with side effects?"

Thinking this, Qiu Tu pulled out a match from his pocket.

"Whoosh!" The sound of the match lighting was followed by a weak flame that ignited the thin document. Watching the document burn to ashes, Qiu Tu pondered silently.

‘Relying on supernatural powers to solve this crisis is not feasible for now.’

‘Yan Chen might possess some eerie supernatural power, so escaping without a plan is suicidal.’

‘Therefore, it seems I must visit the Qin family.’

With these thoughts, Qiu Tu's gaze deepened.

‘Besides, I can interrogate that teenage pharmacist. Maybe I'll get some different information from her.’

After the document was completely burned, Qiu Tu stomped out the last ember, glanced at the treasure chest countdown with only eight hours left, and then set off to find Qin Shuman.

He didn’t have so much time.

[8:27:39(Chest)]

Accompanied by a servant, Qiu Tu climbed two winding staircases and walked through two deep corridors before arriving at the door of Qin Shuman's boudoir.

The servant stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

"Please come in," came Qin Shuman's melodious voice from inside.

Pushing the door open, the two entered to find Qin Shuman in a pink cheongsam with a slit, sitting by the window, sipping tea and gazing wistfully outside, like a caged bird yearning for freedom.

"Miss Qin, Agent Qiu is here to see you," the servant announced softly.

Hearing this, Qin Shuman quickly set down her teacup and turned around, her eyes filled with undisguised joy. "A-agent Qiu, you're here?"

In the presence of others, Qiu Tu maintained a professional demeanor. He smiled and nodded, "Yes, Miss Qin. I have important matters to discuss with you."

He gave Qin Shuman a meaningful look. Qin Shuman understood immediately. She gracefully stood up and politely dismissed the servant, "You may leave. I need to speak with Agent Qiu privately."

"Yes, Miss Qin," the servant replied, bowing slightly before leaving. She deliberately left the door slightly ajar.

Qiu Tu glanced back but didn't comment. He gestured to Qin Shuman, then walked over to her.

As he approached, he was enveloped by her light, cherry blossom-like fragrance.

Author's Note