Chapter Nineteen: Evolving Once More

He had thought the thick fog only affected humans. Yet on the eighth day of the mist, after Tiezhu squatted on the construction site next door and relieved himself, Ma Yi’s mind began to churn. Could it be that the fog worked on zombies as well? But then, why was he unaffected?

On the eleventh day, Ma Yi was up before dawn. He crouched on the same construction site, behind him a freshly excavated patch of earth, the sound of blasting echoing from somewhere behind. In his hand, he clutched a large roll of toilet paper.

At first, Ma Yi had believed the fog had no effect on him. But from four in the morning, he’d been plagued by stomach pain. His commotion woke Liu Wen and Liu Xue. Liu Xue pinched her nose in disgust, and Ma Yi was forced to flee outside. He’d already squatted there for three straight hours, legs tingling with numbness. Every hour, he picked a new spot—he had to admit, the smell was unbearable, even to himself.

Compared to the sisters’ subtle stirrings, Ma Yi’s racket was far louder. He lingered on the site for over ten hours before he dragged his weary legs home, the burning pain behind making even sitting down a trial, his expression twisted in misery.

Diarrhea, at first, was nothing. But then dark, sticky water began to pour from his body—a stench fouler than anything before. Yet as this tar-like liquid left him, Ma Yi felt lighter, more at ease. No wonder Tiezhu had seemed so invigorated after his own ordeal the next day.

“Go take a bath! Don’t come inside until you’re clean!” Liu Xue rushed out to stop him as he approached the house, pinching her nose with one hand and planting the other on her hip, glaring at Ma Yi with open disdain. Liu Wen and her parents watched the scene from the living room.

Having squatted so long, Ma Yi could no longer smell his own stench. Resigned, he went to the pool in the courtyard and plunged in. Liu Wen had only just changed the water days ago. Despite living atop a mountain, every villa owner here had their own well, a selling point from the developers—pure, natural groundwater, said to run two or three hundred meters deep.

“You’ve made my pool stink!” Liu Xue shouted from the doorway, rolling her eyes dramatically when he ignored her.

“Go inside,” Liu Wen said, appearing with a set of clothes and a basket of toiletries, knocking her sister gently on the head.

When her sister finally trudged inside, Liu Wen walked toward the pool. “Is the water cold? Hurry up and dry off when you’re done and change for dinner. Mom’s made your favorite braised beef.”

With Liu Wen watching, Ma Yi didn’t care about modesty—he’d already seen her, after all. He stripped, tossing his clothes to the poolside. “You know me, the water’s perfect—actually feels pretty nice.” Seeing Liu Wen blush, Ma Yi grinned and lathered himself with soap right there in the water.

Liu Wen stared at the man before her—he really was a monster. Not only had he grown taller, but every part of him seemed to have grown with him. Was this something a woman could withstand? With her petite frame, if the two of them were ever truly together, she feared she’d be in for a world of pain. The thought made her cheeks burn hotter.

From behind the curtains on the third floor, a small head appeared, only to stamp in frustration—the most crucial part was blocked by her sister’s crouched figure.

“Hey… you seem a lot paler.” The water in the pool had grown cloudy from Ma Yi’s scrubbing, and Liu Wen noticed his skin, once a bronze hue, had lightened considerably.

“It does seem that way,” Ma Yi replied, examining his arms and chest. The coppery color had faded, replaced by a silvery-white metallic sheen. He even lifted himself from the water, washing every part openly in front of Liu Wen. Her face grew redder, but she endured her embarrassment, waiting for Ma Yi to climb out so she could towel him dry. Though they were not yet husband and wife, she cared for him like a devoted young bride.

Dinner was lavish. Ma Yi, pleased with his paler complexion, devoured everything on the table, including a whole Spanish ham. Liu Xue ate in a huff, furiously biting her food as if each vegetable were her enemy. Liu Wen’s mother questioned her daughter’s mood several times, but, receiving no answer, let it go.

Liu Wen had stopped growing after reaching one meter eighty, but her figure had blossomed—her bust larger, waist slimmer, and hips rounder, like a regal queen bee. She even threw Ma Yi a rare, coquettish glance, nearly making him lose control. As for Liu Xue, still in her growth spurt, her development lagged only slightly behind her sister’s. Their mother, Chen Fang, wore loose clothing and Ma Yi dared not stare at her.

After dinner, Ma Yi grew curious about his changed skin and went to see Tiezhu. After a bath, Tiezhu’s skin was even whiter than his own—almost pure silver. In just a few days, Tiezhu had shot up nearly half a meter. His eyes glowed with a strange red light, and silver keratin now grew at his knuckles, elbows, and knees—hard as bone, nearly like armor. Tiezhu, Ma Yi had to admit, looked more impressive than ever.

Ma Yi boldly hypothesized that, after fully evolving, he too would have silver skin, like the alien from the Fantastic Four films, and the new keratin would become a sort of natural armor.

The fog lingered for twelve days. When it finally lifted, Ma Yi took Tiezhu into the city center. The J-zombie that had once replaced Tiezhu had grown to four meters tall—its copper skin now gleaming silver, thick conical armor at elbows and knees. When Ma Yi and Tiezhu arrived, the new J-zombie showed no sign of weakness and let out a threatening roar.

Ma Yi wasn’t bothered, but Tiezhu was furious. This had been his territory, and now this upstart dared to challenge him. Unable to stand it, Tiezhu charged. The J-zombie’s silver skin was even tougher than before, unmarked even after being slammed onto concrete. Its armored fists were formidable, but Tiezhu, though not yet fully silver, was nearly as resilient and faster too.

Tiezhu landed blow after blow, while the J-zombie struggled to hit him even once. Clearly, after following Ma Yi, Tiezhu had learned to use his head—he was toying with his opponent, but his punches left no marks. Ma Yi, amused, joined the fray.

The J-zombie eventually surrendered, lying on the ground as Ma Yi prodded and pinched him. Alone, Tiezhu might not have been a match, but with Ma Yi’s unpredictable moves, what should have been a duel became a two-on-one brawl. The pair quickly had him pinned, utterly outmatched.

So it was: one man, two zombies, sitting atop a car, chatting away. The J-zombie, subdued, now seemed eager to ingratiate himself with Ma Yi, obedient to his every word. As Ma Yi mused aloud, it grunted in response. The three “monsters” sat together for two hours. Not only had the J-zombie evolved, but the ordinary zombies’ skin had turned a bluish-gray, smooth and tough—nothing like their former pallor. Ma Yi surmised that the lowest level of zombies were the newly infected, pale and gray; then came the bronze phase, then silver-white. What came next remained to be seen.

On the way home, Ma Yi spotted a dog over two meters long—not a fierce breed, but an enormous poodle, the kind once seen everywhere. Now massive, standing a full meter tall at the shoulder, it was gnawing on a limbless zombie. Sensing Ma Yi’s approach, it growled, baring massive, sharpened fangs. Yet the aura Ma Yi emitted was overwhelming; tail between its legs, the beast slunk away.

“Even animals are evolving,” Ma Yi sighed. Thank goodness humans were evolving too—otherwise, extinction would be inevitable. Neither zombies nor these mutated beasts could be stopped by ordinary people. But humans remained human because of their minds—their ability to adapt, to use tools.

“Dog meat,” Ma Yi thought after walking some distance, suddenly recalling a culinary delight. When he turned back, the giant poodle was gone. There likely wasn’t much meat on it anyway. Maybe he should try his luck in the countryside—see if he could find a pig or a cow. How he longed for fresh meat.

Back home, Ma Yi recounted all he had seen to the sisters, urging them to train harder. Their bodies were stronger now, but if they couldn’t run when it mattered, it would spell disaster. Though Ma Yi promised to stay by their side, there was always a chance he might not be there. If an S-zombie or a beast attacked, they needed to be able to escape on their own.