Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

65: The impact of the black fog and the upper limit of superpowers.

Seeing that Lin Zhiwei was quite capable at research and very smart, Shen Yi finally asked the question that had puzzled him for a long time:

“Since the apocalypse broke out, I’ve been curious about something, and since you’re a professional, answer it for me.”

“When the black fog appeared, animals and plants mutated to various degrees, so why didn’t we humans mutate?”

“We breathed in the same black fog, yet humans only feel hunger and thirst; apart from that there seem to be no other symptoms, and at least of the humans I’ve seen, not a single one has mutated.”

Lin Zhiwei heard the question and, almost without hesitation, replied, “Because human genes differ from animal genes, the black fog was probably engineered to affect only animal genes, so it has very little effect on human genes.”

“Of course, low effect doesn’t mean no effect.”

“What we can confirm is that the black fog does affect the human body, but the effect is tiny and can be eased simply by drinking more water.”

“I see.”

The question that had lingered in Shen Yi’s mind for so long finally got an answer.

He then went on curiously, “Why do animals attack humans after mutating? Even loyal pets end up eating their owners.”

“That’s the second question.”

Lin Zhiwei first reminded him, then continued, “First, mutated animals don’t attack only humans; they attack each other as well, which is why we seldom see many mutated animals living in groups.”

“Of course, it’s possible that gregarious animals or insects mutate collectively without cannibalizing each other, but I haven’t studied that yet, so I can’t assess it.”

“As for why mutated animals lose their reason, it’s because they’re hungry.”

“Hungry?”

Shen Yi froze for a moment.

He really hadn’t thought of that answer…

It was too simple.

So simple that Shen Yi dismissed it without thinking.

“Yes, simply because they’re hungry,” Lin Zhiwei nodded and added, “After animals mutate, their bodies grow larger, cell division accelerates, and they burn more energy.”

“Most food and water are now polluted and inedible, so when they are starving, mutated animals attack their owners and their own kind.”

“If a mutated animal wants to stay alive, it has to replenish the energy it burns so quickly; otherwise, when the energy is gone, it will literally starve to death.”

“And the way to replenish it is to eat.”

“Besides hunger, mutation also changes an animal’s mind, so it may fail to recognize its owner or refuse to acknowledge one.”

“Take my pet dog, for example; sometimes it recognizes me, sometimes it doesn’t.”

“So that’s it…” Shen Yi finally understood again.

Having an expert around was indeed convenient.

Although Shen Yi had thought about these questions before, he had never found a clue.

Now he had an idea.

What Lin Zhiwei said might not be the ultimate truth, but at least it sounded plausible.

If that was so, the faster an animal mutated, the better.

Once the food ran out, they would sooner or later kill each other or starve.

Who would have thought that humanity could win in such a simple way!

Just hole up somewhere and wait for the mutated animals to die off on their own…

After all, animals can’t farm or grow vegetables, let alone produce grain, and the food will eventually be gone.

As for mutated plants, based on what Shen Yi had seen so far, most of them didn’t attack humans proactively except for a few.

Of course, it’s easier said than done; waiting for every mutated animal to die off won’t be that easy.

If the animals mutated a second time and adapted to hunger or to the environment, humanity would be in even bigger trouble.

“Can you answer my question now? Exactly how many superpowers do you have, and how did you obtain so many?” Lin Zhiwei stared at Shen Yi, her eyes full of thirst for knowledge.

If Captain Zhao had seen this scene, he would have been dumbfounded.

When she was with them, Dr. Lin hadn’t wanted to say a single word.

Yet now she answered a whole pile of Shen Yi’s questions and kept pestering him like a chatterbox.

In fact, there was a reason for that.

It was mainly because the questions Shen Yi asked were all about scientific research.

Coincidentally, that was exactly what interested Lin Zhiwei.

On topics she cared about, she could talk nonstop.

But on topics she didn’t care about, she was brief and barely talked.

Anyone who didn’t know might think she was a high-IQ introvert.

In reality, she simply couldn’t be bothered to talk to you…

“Right now I have 5 superpowers,” Shen Yi said.

That was both a lie and not a lie.

He possessed 4 ordinary superpowers, but if the System counted as a superpower, then it made 5.

“Five!?”

“Impossible, absolutely impossible!!”

Lin Zhiwei instantly showed an expression of disbelief.

“How could a normal human body hold 5 superpowers…”

“What do you mean? Are you saying I’m not normal?”

Shen Yi frowned.

He couldn’t figure out why Lin Zhiwei looked and sounded so incredulous.

What’s wrong with me having 5 superpowers?

“First let me confirm, you also gained your superpowers by eating a multicolored fruit, correct?” Lin Zhiwei asked, ignoring his question.

“That’s right.”

Shen Yi nodded.

He thought to himself that this woman did know about the superpower fruit.

After all, being a researcher in a genetic research facility that housed mutated animals proved she understood the apocalypse better than most people, so naturally she knew of the superpower fruit.

“So how many of those fruits did you eat in total?”

Lin Zhiwei fixed her eyes on him and asked.

“About 6 or 7, and some were duplicate superpower fruits, so I only gained 5 superpowers,” Shen Yi lied smoothly.

He and Lin Zhiwei weren’t close, so he could make up whatever he wanted.

“Impossible… Based on my own experiments, a normal human gene can hold at most 3 different superpowers; any more and the body can’t take it and collapses.”

“In other words, when you eat the 4th fruit, your body starts rejecting it and instinctively makes you not want to eat it…”

Lin Zhiwei muttered as her beautiful eyes kept sizing up Shen Yi.

She began to wonder whether her research direction was wrong.

Or was there something wrong with her own genes…?

No, it definitely wasn’t my fault.

All my experiments had been verified many times.

The problem lay with the man in front of me!

His body and genes were the issue!!

“What did you just say!?”

Shen Yi was slightly shocked.

A normal person could only obtain 3 superpowers at most?

Eating a 4th would make the body collapse?

He had thought that as long as you kept eating fruit, superpowers could be stacked indefinitely.

At worst, it would just cost more stamina.

“Maybe everyone’s genes are different; some may have already mutated because of the black fog and can therefore hold more superpowers… for example, you,” Lin Zhiwei said, staring hotly at Shen Yi.

That burning gaze clearly said she wanted to dissect him for research!

This woman was indeed a dangerous element.

“You promised earlier to let me study your genes! Relax, I only need your blood, hair, and a tiny bit of tissue…” Sensing Shen Yi’s resistance, Lin Zhiwei immediately stressed.

Shen Yi raised an eyebrow but didn’t refuse.

A vague guess formed in his mind.

Maybe the reason he could hold so many superpowers wasn’t a black-fog mutation but that Physical Evolution fruit.

The Physical Evolution superpower might have changed even his genes, so he could wield 4 superpowers with ease and without discomfort.

If his guess was right, then Physical Evolution was the superpower humans absolutely had to get!

The two of them chatted as they walked home.

As for robbing the soldiers of their weapons, that could wait.

There were several caches of supplies still locked, and Shen Yi planned to go back first and unlock them… maybe one would contain a useful weapon.

The first one would start with the intellectual beauty Lin Zhiwei, who was interested in his body!

He would see what kind of supplies this smart female researcher could unlock for him.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie