Chapter 33: Deterioration

The space had the effect of purifying and refining Jiang Yan’s body, improving her overall physical abilities.

But that effect was gradual. It didn’t instantly turn her into a superhuman.

For example, she could easily lift that seven or eight-kilogram chainsaw with one hand for a long time, yet at this moment, she could still feel a slight soreness in her wrist.

Of course, her strength was already far beyond that of an ordinary person.

Still, Jiang Yan was fully aware that although she had now stocked up all supplies according to plan, there was still a long way to go if she wanted to survive smoothly in the apocalypse. There were still many things left to do.

Stockpiling sufficient supplies was only the beginning.

A very simple beginning.

The real challenges—the unknown dangers she would have to face alone, whether natural disasters, human threats, or other unforeseen events—were the true essence of this survival game.

It was imperative to improve her body’s comprehensive abilities, quickly learn various grappling and combat techniques, become familiar with all kinds of firearms and weapons, and so on.

After all, today she had only faced a few ordinary civilians, most of whom couldn’t lift or carry much.

To put it bluntly, it wasn’t yet the apocalypse.

Even unreasonable people still had basic limits and moral principles.

Their bluster was loud, but the impact was small.

But in the real apocalypse, when social order collapses and supplies run out, when it truly comes down to life or death, human nature will be revealed in its most honest form.

And it’s usually when the law of the jungle—the survival of the fittest—truly begins.

Most of the time, just because you don’t provoke others doesn’t mean others won’t come after you.

Her principle had always been not to stir trouble—but she wasn’t afraid of it either.

Sure, she had her space, but she couldn’t live there forever.

Otherwise, it would be no different from spending a lifetime in prison.

Only this prison happened to have incredibly comfortable conditions.

Survival of the fittest. Adapt or perish.

She didn’t want to become a greenhouse flower, fragile and defenseless, in her space.

Besides, this space had appeared mysteriously.

Who knew if it might vanish mysteriously one day?

She had to use it wisely—to gradually adapt to the harsh realities of the apocalypse, rather than rely on it entirely.

This was the first clear thought Jiang Yan had after gaining this miraculous space.

Only by becoming truly strong could she face everything effectively.

However, her plan to make herself stronger would begin tomorrow.

Today, she allowed herself a bit of slack.

Jiang Yan lay on the sofa for a while, slowly regaining some energy and spirit.

The temperature inside the apartment also gradually dropped.

She sat up and took a bottle of chilled coconut water from her space.

Looking at the thermometer, the outdoor temperature had already soared to 57°C.

Checking the weather forecast on her phone, the temperature was still rising and was likely to reach 60°C tonight.

On her phone were numerous warning messages sent by Anming City’s authorities to telecom providers a few hours ago.

Some were red alerts for extreme heat.

The messages warned that due to overheating and protective measures, the city would experience widespread water, power, and gas outages around 10 PM tonight. Citizens were urged to stock sufficient food and drinking water in advance.

If possible, people were advised to prepare basic medicines and ready-to-eat food.

In fact, several cities hotter than Anming had already been without water, electricity, or gas for a day.

But these warnings weren’t very meaningful.

Supermarkets and shopping centers had been emptied by early morning.

Once the power went out, the meat, dumplings, and other perishables in fridges would spoil quickly in such extreme heat.

Water could be stored to some extent.

But in the city, without electricity or gas, even raw rice couldn’t be cooked.

Not every household had forethought or camping equipment like alcohol stoves or charcoal grills.

Stockpiling biscuits, canned food, or sausages was a temporary solution.

Previously, if one city suffered, others could offer assistance—supplies, medical aid, all could arrive quickly.

But now, temperatures were rising too fast, far beyond what the authorities predicted. Every city—or rather, the whole world—could only rely on itself.

Another warning concerned giant blood mosquitoes.

Global scientists, after days of research, had still not found a method to completely exterminate them.

Regular insecticides and repellents could only drive them away temporarily, not kill them.

Moreover, the blood mosquitoes were constantly mutating and enhancing their capabilities, growing more resistant to chemicals.

Experts suggested that certain traditional Chinese medicinal herbs were far more effective at repelling them.

They recommended that, if possible, people make herbal sachets, hang them on their person or by windows and doors to significantly reduce mosquito attacks.

The advisory even listed specific herbs and suggested amounts.

Furthermore, when temperatures rose above 60°C, blood mosquitoes would enter peak reproduction.

Only after reaching 70°C would they begin to die naturally.

Jiang Yan paused at the words “70°C,” drawing in a sharp breath.

If temperatures really hit 70°C, many people probably wouldn’t survive.

After reading the messages, she opened the news app.

“How to cook at home during city lockdowns” had become a trending topic.

The news also covered the origin of the giant blood mosquitoes for the first time.

One cause was said to be nuclear-contaminated water discharged by an island nation.

Another was that global warming had released ancient viruses once trapped under thick polar ice.

The first wave of these viruses was carried out by a single mosquito.

Then, the butterfly effect caused sudden mutations in multiple mosquito species.

However, the authorities soon deleted this report.

Such news would obviously trigger public panic.

If viruses could now affect mosquitoes… what next?

The thought was terrifying.

After scanning the updates, Jiang Yan felt a sinking heaviness inside.

She got up and drew the curtains, glancing out the floor-to-ceiling window.

The scorching sunlight outside didn’t look like it was just around 7 AM.

It was far more glaring than at noon.

She even wondered if the distance between the sun and Earth had somehow changed.

Her apartment was a north-south facing layout.

The living room’s floor-to-ceiling window faced the community garden.

A large group of people had gathered in the garden.

Jiang Yan furrowed her brows.

At this hour, the temperature was already extremely high, and blood mosquitoes could strike at any moment.

Weren’t these people afraid of dying?

But on the 32nd floor, she couldn’t see or hear clearly what was happening.

With a thought, she pulled a high-powered telescope from her space.