Infinite Hunter

Because everyone was worried about Qiongqi's weight, they gave him almost half the dose of medicine as Cheng Yijiu. So when he collapsed to the ground, it was extremely disgraceful—he urinated and defecated. Cheng Yijiu only managed to watch until he was done before he fainted with a cackle.

The amount he took today was already more than he'd taken last time, so he fell into a blackout. Cheng Yijiu had experience with this. He'd had a kidney stone surgery under general anesthesia before. He'd been a bit nervous lying on the operating table, but then the mask came on and he lost consciousness. When he opened his eyes, the ceiling was all he could see, and he'd blacked out. He hadn't felt that way the last time he'd been anesthetized, and he'd even been able to dream.

This time it's a dark sweet blackout...

The two massive beasts collapsed to the ground, and the humans present felt relieved—it was a relief that no casualties had occurred. A group of people quickly rushed over to examine and take samples, focusing on the Qiongqi. First, they had to ensure that the Qiongqi was in good health, and if necessary, they would administer anesthesia-relieving drugs.

This creature's carapace is lighter than expected, but incredibly tough, resulting in a sharp, blade-like central axis. The facial carapace and horns are different species; they grow from bone, meaning they're unlikely to regenerate if broken—though they can, if broken by a powerful creature, the alien dragon's power can cause irreparable damage. This is how the "Sigh of Resentment" and "Sky-shaking Resentful Tiger Dragon" came about.

Its body length was comparable to Cheng Yijiu's, both measuring over seventeen meters, but Qiongqi was clearly a bit thicker. Of course, everyone was most interested in the scattering phosphorescent light and the jets of light it emitted. Because of the phosphorescent light, the people examining Qiongqi were all wearing protective clothing. There weren't as many people examining Cheng Yijiu; they'd taken enough samples last time to have a general idea of ​​his anatomy.

Examining Qiongqi proved a bit more challenging, as its carapace hindered ultrasound examination. A quick X-ray confirmed everyone's suspicions—just like Taowu, Qiongqi possessed air sacs. The two beasts' skeletal structures were remarkably similar, suggesting they could be from the same family. A closer look at Qiongqi revealed a face that resembled a combination of tiger and human, no wonder ancient texts described it as having a human face.

The Japanese simply call it Onimusha, a name already attached to the scientific name Qiongqi—yes, it's finally been finalized recently. Taowu and Qiongqi are the scientific names for these two creatures. The way the blade shell expands and unfolds, coupled with the phosphorescent fire emanating from it, truly resembles a pair of flaming wings. It's not unlike the Qiongqi from the Classic of Mountains and Seas—many people simply say it's one of the "Four Evils," a beast native to China, something our ancestors observed long ago.

As for why there are only two of the four remaining monsters, some people say, "How do you know they won't appear? Of course, they could be extinct, but it's just the poor environment." Since only one of the two monsters has been found, most people pretend to understand, saying, "There's some cloning technology out there."

Others simply claim that our ancestors were truly remarkable, likely possessing ultra-ancient technology that allowed them to travel the globe, observing and documenting many extinct creatures in our time. Surprisingly, many foreigners believe this claim, leaving little room for further comment. Many even go so far as to suggest that there are four great civilizations, but there is actually only one ultra-ancient civilization, Chinese civilization.

The "Yongle Encyclopedia" theory has once again gained momentum, leaving foreign historians somewhat speechless—after all, the two creatures are real, the Classic of Mountains and Seas is ancient, and many of the artifacts unearthed abroad are from last week. It's possible to argue that the Four Evils in the Classic of Mountains and Seas have no connection to these two beasts, but few people believe it anymore...

These two creatures prove that the phylum Chordata deserves a new class—or at least several new orders, if not a new class. Or perhaps they should be classified as archosaurs? That's another approach. These two creatures are the last remnants of the four-legged carnivorous dinosaurs. Dinosaurs didn't become extinct at all—not only do they have direct descendants, birds, but they themselves have relatives who survived the mass extinction 65 million years ago and survived in China.

This is indeed the case. Since ancient times, China has been considered one of the centers of biological evolution and biodiversity. It is the place where many organisms first appeared. If there is any place in the world where ancient organisms may remain, China is one of the most likely places, the other being the African rainforest.

Adding another class to the archosaurs is a concept that's starting to become mainstream—after this live video news broadcast... The pelvises of these two beasts are very similar to those of mammals, neither bird-hipped nor lizard-hipped...

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The two beasts were hoisted up—of course, first stuffed into a slender alloy cage. This design effectively restrained the animals' movements, preventing them from exerting force and injuring themselves or others. Releasing them was also simple: once placed on the ground and the latches released, the cages collapsed into a single sheet of porous alloy. The alloy cages were, of course, transported by large trucks—two heavy-duty all-terrain trucks, similar to those used to transport the "logs," were specially dispatched for this purpose...

A helicopter won't work. It would be dangerous to lift a Qiongqi weighing more than ten tons. If it were just a car, it would be fine. The problem is that it's an animal, so it won't work.

The blades on Qiongqi's body are incredibly sharp, even ordinary iron isn't strong enough, so they're made of thin yet sturdy alloy plates. The wrist blades on both arms are also incredibly tough, but fortunately, the high-performance alloy plates still hold up, and they're also coated with a disposable, corrosion-resistant coating. Indeed, the phosphorus fire erupting from Qiongqi has been tested and is actually a white phosphorus compound, which is quite toxic, corrosive, and flammable, making it very unfriendly to living things.

But it is a wonder that Qiongqi cannot be poisoned, corroded or burned to death.

Cheng Yijiu's condition was similar. His breath was a high-temperature, phosphorescent flame, and the fluid he excreted was flammable. It was also remarkable that his mouth, nose, and teeth weren't immune to the heat. Unfortunately, the anesthesia for both animals wouldn't last long. The truck would transport them hundreds of kilometers away, so perhaps they'd be safe once they were no longer able to meet.

Qiongqi's blood was extremely difficult to draw—the hard shell regenerated so rapidly that the needle struggled to penetrate it, and the surface was also slippery. They had to force their way in with a pneumatic hammer, extracting some blood. They tried to draw more, but the needle melted... A quick examination revealed similar results to Taowu's: the blood contained red blood cells, capable of carrying a large amount of oxygen and nutrients, as well as a special substance that promoted regeneration.

Even a substance found in both creatures can convert carbon dioxide into oxygen... This is quite exaggerated, proving that these two monsters theoretically do not need to breathe. Possessing the same enzyme that repairs telomeres, these two creatures would have an extremely long lifespan, likely the longest among land animals, definitely longer than humans. Experts estimate that the normal lifespan of these two beasts is over 300 years.

The anesthetic was effective. Even after they were transported to separate hilltops 300 kilometers apart, the two monsters still hadn't awakened. So, after the monitoring patches were applied, the electromagnetic switches shut off, and the cages automatically disintegrated into pieces of metal—of course, this was after the transport trucks had moved away. Experts were monitoring them via drones.

Both beasts awoke about ten minutes later, their first reaction being to be alert and ready to fight. But after a moment, they lazily lay down again, the aftereffects of the anesthesia still quite strong, and they needed to rest for a while. Cheng Yijiu didn't want to continue fighting, because if he continued, he would be defeated. The opponent had thick armor and tough flesh, and if he continued, he would become more and more familiar with the beast's fighting style. By the time he could unleash 70% or 80% of the Yuanhulong's abilities, Cheng Yijiu would no longer be able to fight.

This was a hardware disparity. The Carcharodontosaurus simply wasn't strong enough for the Raging Tiger Dragon, just as the Flathead wasn't strong enough for the Flower Arm Brother. If Cheng Yijiu wasn't a skilled fighter, he'd have been pinned down by the Raging Tiger Dragon long ago. Now, I could borrow the ladder to go downstairs, saying it wasn't my fault, it was simply humans meddling. So, Cheng Yijiu turned and ran—after resting sufficiently.

The opposite Yuan Hu Long was in a similar situation. His brain wasn't that of a pure-blooded Yuan Hu Long, so he certainly understood the risks involved. "What if? That guy on the other side looks quite good at fighting. If he turns the tables, there'll be nowhere to cry! Forget it, forget it. We've already fought a match as promised, and there's no requirement for us to decide the outcome." This was the reason Cheng Yijiu came up with for the other party...

The two beasts separated, but the Yuanhulong didn't return eastward, instead darting northwest, heading straight for Shennongjia. Cheng Yijiu, on the other hand, had gone ahead, heading south through the mountain range towards the Shiwan Mountains. Initially, their shared direction had everyone apprehensive, fearing another clash between the two beasts. Fortunately, the two soon moved to opposite sides of the triangle, averting the danger.

Another crisis loomed—these two monsters, like birds and archosaurs, were found to have completely separate tracheas and esophageal tubes. Even the nostrils within their mouths were completely sealed. Furthermore, a one-way valved tube connected the esophagus to expel the hot air from the air sacs and lungs. This didn't mean anything, except that these two animals, like dolphins and horses, wouldn't choke to death while eating.

Poor humans can, and easily.

The clash between the two beasts decimated the local vegetation, with some broken and much of it ignited by their breath. Situ Jiong discovered that he was barely able to communicate with the Qiongqi, who clearly disdained to interact with humans, unlike the more friendly Taowu. Situ Jiong believed the Qiongqi to be even more brutal and cruel—but Cheng Yijiu would have told him otherwise if he knew.

This was simply an occupational hazard, a deep-seated distrust of humanity, a cold indifference born from witnessing so much darkness. In contrast, Cheng Yijiu, dedicated to hunting man-eating beasts, was a pure child at heart. Only Qiongqi could understand the depth of the perverted and cruel killers he faced in his work, each one far more cunning, brutal, and perverted than the man-eating beasts Cheng Yijiu faced.

Cheng Yijiu understood this when he was in combat, "Fortunately, I have always been dealing with wild beasts, otherwise I would probably become a pervert." After killing so many perverts and serial killers, he must have become a perverted serial killer.

Efficiently search for the target's traces, track and formulate a hunting plan, execute the hunt and escape unscathed - Cheng Yijiu really wanted to communicate with this person. After all, the opponents he faced were also very dangerous. Although they were not so cunning, some of them were huge monsters, which were also worthy of discussion.

The two monsters were now one in the south and one in the north—Qiongqi's hunting skills were clearly worse, relying entirely on brute force, and the energy he expended was somewhat disproportionate to the food he took in. Cheng Yijiu, on the other hand, was a stronger predator, and he suspected that this opponent might be experiencing this kind of punishment mission for the first time.

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In short, Cheng Yijiu was faster and had greater endurance—this guy's heat dissipation was even better than the Yuanhulong. The unfortunate Yuanhulong was covered in heavy armor, so its only cooling power was likely to be by spewing phosphorus fire. Soon, Cheng Yijiu entered the Shiwan Mountains. If he stayed there, the authorities wouldn't have to worry about him eating pandas. Situ Jiong naturally submitted a report, hoping to continue researching this new species.

Qiongqi is too fierce, so let's leave the research to those with more courage. Taowu is easier to produce results with—this guy already has a paper in the works, which is based on some daily research on Taowu after several encounters. High-level research is out of the question, but at least studying its daily behavior is fine—that requires hard work and long-term close contact. Even if it's just watching a drone broadcast, it will at least take a lot of time.

Studying these two creatures inevitably involves some "supernatural" element—because there are things about these monsters that couldn't possibly have been formed naturally. Take, for example, Qiongqi's heat resistance—not just any animal with a shell could withstand the burning phosphorescent flames, nor could just any animal fire a flare. The same goes for Taowu; not just any animal could casually exhale a thousand-degree breath from its mouth.

There are indeed similar creatures in nature, but they are beetles. Moreover, they are two different liquids that are sprayed out from the tail end and then synthesized outside the body at a temperature of over 100 degrees. How can they be synthesized directly in the body and even sprayed out through the mouth or other places?

Research on these two creatures has also revealed a biological component isolated from their blood. This component is extremely active, significantly boosting the red blood cells' ability to carry nutrients and oxygen, and even providing a considerable amount of energy. It's like a biological battery, but a powerful power plant. Dragon power is inherently like this; it can display all its properties that can be utilized.

The only issue was the concentration. It was obvious that Qiongqi's concentration was higher than Taowu's, so he gained more and stronger power. This was also why Cheng Yijiu couldn't defeat him—even if he was a skilled fighter, he couldn't defeat the flower-armed man with his flat head, right? The difference in power was absolute.

Both Cheng Yijiu and Qiongqi were ecological killers. If they stayed in one place for too long, they would completely destroy the local food chain—not so bad in the Monster Hunter world, but a nightmare in reality. They were both too large and too powerful, requiring a lot of food. A truly ferocious beast would naturally drive out and kill other beasts at the top of the food chain.

Where they live, tigers, leopards, and other large cats will be driven out or killed, and the rate at which herbivores disappear may outstrip their growth, leading to ecological collapse. This is when humans typically intervene, placing meat in certain areas. For humans with modern animal husbandry, providing a pig or even a cow daily is no big deal.

One or two a day would only cost a few million dollars a year, enough for even the rich, let alone the government. Honestly, some Middle Eastern princes would be eager to donate some money, hoping to see one up close, or even better, to have one cloned for them. Tens of millions, even hundreds of millions, of dollars would be no problem. So, the question is—what animal would be used to breed such a beast?

Artificial womb technology is completely immature.

These are endangered species, with only one in the world. Some have indeed proposed cloning several, but the technology isn't yet feasible using blood and somatic cells, and artificial wombs are simply not feasible. The Shennongjia issue is pressing—we must prevent Qiongqi from devastating this natural database of flora and fauna. Therefore, identifying Qiongqi's range and providing them with food are essential.

Shennongjia has many mysteries. Not to mention the wild man myths—generally believed to be a misidentification of a bear—there's also the donkey-headed wolf. Some believe it might be a medium-sized beast, but a clawed beast is out of the question. Whether or not it's real, things might change after Qiongqi enters the mountains. Hence the 24/7 drone surveillance and targeted food supplies—wouldn't it be a good idea to discover something along the way?

Cheng Yijiu shared the same sentiment. Legends of human bears, mandrills, a strange ape, and even water monkeys have long circulated in the Shiwan Mountains. Generally speaking, these stories are also considered nonsense—perhaps some kind of ape did once inhabit the Shiwan Mountains, but they likely became extinct as recently as the Spring and Autumn Period. Of course, the more scientific explanation is that people, in their panic, mistook an upright black bear for a so-called human bear.

Cheng Yijiu had long been subjected to 24/7 drone tracking and the same targeted feeding. If there were any undiscovered rare animals like human bears, they would surely be no match for Taowu. After all, on land, this giant creature could probably only defeat Qiongqi, and the others would be easy prey. Situ Jiong also joined the team with his dog and big cat. This was a close-quarters scientific expedition, and it was now generally accepted that Taowu was easier to approach and had a relatively gentle personality.

That Qiongqi was too ferocious.

Cheng Yijiu's punishment mission was practically non-punishing—this thing had made one mistake. If there was a punishment, transforming into an ordinary animal would be the most appropriate. Transforming into a rare, one-of-a-kind creature like this was a form of protection. Who would kill such a precious creature, except in the movies? At most, he'd be taken to a zoo.

Cheng Yijiu disappeared first, his mind and body sitting in a chair in the small hall. As for whether the body of the Carcharodontosaurus would be taken over by the real Carcharodontosaurus? Ah, that's something I really don't know. All I can say is that if it is, I wish Situ Jiong good luck.

Cheng Yijiu let out a long sigh. This time, he noticed something: the backyard where he practiced with his spear had grown larger. For some reason, he saw Arudimuara, the scorpion lion, appear in the yard, now the size of a normal lion. "Does this mean I can take this guy and the statue dog with me on this mission?" Cheng Yijiu couldn't imagine how difficult a mission involving a supernatural creature like the scorpion lion would be.

I really don't want to try it at all.

"Wait, a projection?" Cheng Yijiu was relieved when he realized it was a projection after he passed by. At least he wouldn't have to face giant, powerful man-eating beasts directly anymore—like monsters the size of a hill, which were not something a normal person should face.

Volume: Dream Plot

Chapter One

This assignment was somewhat baffling. Cheng Yijiu looked at his work ID. "Special Handling Section"? He couldn't believe such a position existed in a zoo. He drove, following a digital map, to his work location. "Wow, what a miracle!" He saw a massive structure—a massive square box constructed of transparent material, encompassing an area of ​​approximately ten square kilometers below, including the mountains, lakes, and rivers.

This enclosure is nearly two kilometers tall. If this isn't a megastructure, then what is? Seeing the highway similarly encased, Cheng Yijiu felt certain something was amiss in this world. Further data was needed to determine the truth. The car entered this so-called "zoo" and drove along the road until it reached a conch-shaped structure over a kilometer away. This squat, 100-meter-tall conch served as the park's visitor center, entrance, and offices for several park agencies.

The first floor lobby is very large, with parking available. Many visitors exit the subway station on the second underground level. The underground level houses a large shopping mall. The first floor is a large visitor center, the second floor is a rest area for visitors, and the third floor and above are offices. Because the first and second floors are so high, the conch shell actually only has five floors above ground. The zoo does have a director, but he's also the chairman and rarely appears in public.

Cheng Yijiu spotted the offices on the staff elevator. His department was on the fourth floor. The fifth floor had no offices, being the smallest, and was used as a staff lounge and cafeteria. A director was in charge, and the departments under him included mobile game development and promotion, his own special department, and, of course, security.

"A zoo is actually promoting a game?" Cheng Yijiu hadn't quite figured out what was going on. But when he arrived, he saw someone who looked like the director yelling at the mobile game team in the main office. "Hey, isn't that Brother Feifan, Mai Changqing? Hey? It's not him, but there's someone who looks so similar?" Unfortunately, there wasn't Bajie or Lao Li on the other side, so he couldn't argue with him and ask him to eat shit. Cheng Yijiu went over and knocked on the door. The director turned around and looked at him, and his expression changed in a second.

"Minister Cheng, right?" Feifan said. Cheng Yijiu was indeed the minister, but it was just his first day. Feifan was quite enthusiastic. "My last name is Mai. Come on, I'll take you to your office." He gave the game developers a vicious look and said, "I'll come back later to pick you up!"

Cheng Yijiu's office was around the corner, in a corner of the conch. On one side was a wall and a window, and on the other two were separate, irregularly shaped rooms separated by perforated steel plates extending to the ceiling. It was a little under thirty square meters, containing only a desk and an engineering chair—no computer, either. There was also a filing cabinet and what was probably a clothes hanger. "Sorry, I didn't expect you to arrive so early. I haven't had time to set up everything yet—after all, your department is new," Director Mai said.

"You're the only one in this department right now. Once the computer is installed, check your schedule. I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving now. I'll treat you to dinner next time." Director Mai was running pretty fast, scurrying off as soon as the logistics staff arrived, pushing a computer and monitor on a cart. The computer was installed very quickly, and Cheng Yijiu stood by the large glass window, looking out—he could see the tourists walking along the designated trails, following a specific sequence to view the zoo's animals.

Cheng Yijiu was a little confused. Was there something wrong with the animals in this zoo? Surely all the creatures on display weren't aliens? After installing the computer, Cheng Yijiu used the account and password on the card to log into the management system. "Oh my god, so that's what's going on—a mutation of wild animals. No wonder they built this kind of protective shield."

The management system provided a lot of information. It turned out that some kind of mutation, the mechanism of which was still unknown, had occurred in the world, manifesting itself in animals—these mutated animals became extremely dangerous and could cause fatal harm to humans. Fortunately, no news of human mutations had been reported so far. "What is this?" He looked at the photos of chimpanzees and gorillas whose skin and hair had almost completely disappeared, revealing the red, muscular bodies beneath.

These creatures had become bipedal monsters, their legs significantly longer than before, allowing them to walk and run unsteadily like humans, though their arms were still proportionally much longer than humans, and their muscles were more developed. Encountering these monsters in groups in the wild essentially meant death.

Every animal mutates differently, but the consequences are all extremely dangerous to humans. Cheng Yijiu had reviewed his department's mission. "Clean up the randomly appearing mutants in the zoo? Is there such a thing? And rescue those tourists who stay at the zoo at inappropriate times and violate the rules..." Cheng Yijiu was somewhat speechless.

"I'm the only one responsible for this? I'm not even in charge of the zoo's security. All I can do is block off a certain area's pedestrian access, and they're not responsible for the consequences?" No wonder he holds a high position, and judging by the salary, he's doing this kind of messy work. "Where are the weapons? The hell do I have to get them myself? Okay, I need to go to the security office," Cheng Yijiu sighed.

He took the dedicated elevator to the second underground floor, which served as the subway station, the equipment area, and the security room. A third of the park's security guards took their shifts and rested here, as did some of the surveillance cameras. Most importantly, the gun vault was here. Cheng Yijiu took out his card and swiped it. After entering the gun vault, he discovered that his department had its own dedicated gun vault, electronically registered with a precise weight scale, making smuggling impossible.

"Are these weapons?" Cheng Yijiu saw the multi-rotor drones on the shelves, six in various sizes. Of course, there were also robot dogs, four in descending order, including a six-legged one, the largest the size of a motorcycle. As for proper weaponry—a CZ75 pistol and a double-barreled shotgun firing 12-gauge ammunition—nothing else. Of course, there were no cold weapons either. If Cheng Yijiu hadn't brought a hunting knife and a competitor, he'd have been in trouble.

There were plenty of bullets, over three hundred nine-millimeter rounds, and over a hundred 12-gauge rounds, ranging from single-shot to buckshot. But what good was all that? The only thing that would really work was the fourteen rounds of Magnum rifle ammunition Cheng Yijiu had brought. He didn't even know what kind of mutant beast he was facing.

Chapter two

The mutated beasts are so colorful—who would have thought that rabbits alone have at least three different mutations? "It's easy to encounter mutated beasts in the wild, so it's very dangerous. Transportation outside the city is almost entirely through dedicated passages and underground tunnels. And keeping pets in the city is now strictly regulated. If you still want to get close to animals, don't you have to go to the zoo?" Cheng Yijiu finally understood why such a huge zoo existed.

It turns out it's not just about relaxing by watching the animals, but also a popular spot for camping and enjoying the scenery. Going to the wild mountains nowadays is usually a dead end. That's why there are so many tourists. Cheng Yijiu stared at his computer screen—he had two: a 29-inch one on his desk and a 120-inch one mounted on the wall, which he could switch between at will.

And now Cheng Yijiu was watching the map of the entire zoo on this big screen. "The scope of a traditional zoo is not very large. It only includes a part of the mountainous area and the lake. It is mainly on the plains. The other places are actually protected areas and semi-open camping areas." There was also a long list of regulations next to it. Within the zoo, there are normal management regulations during the day, such as prohibiting feeding and climbing over fences.

But at night, things were different. Requiring all visitors to leave the park was just one small matter. For those stranded due to accidents or accidents, a whole set of rules required them to wait for rescue in the interior exhibition halls of venues like the aquarium and the Lion and Tiger Mountain. They were prohibited from wandering around the zoo after dark. As for the nighttime rescue staff—that was Cheng Yijiu. His uniform was also marked with a special color.

"A red emergency identification strip. It's also luminous, which is enough." Cheng Yijiu nodded. "I didn't expect this crappy shift to be a long night shift. No wonder there is a single dormitory reserved for me in the security dormitory on the second floor underground... Are they on duty 24 hours a day? Damn capitalists!" Cheng Yijiu cursed. Usually nothing happened during the day, but he had to stay in the dormitory to make peace. If there was any small matter, the security guards could handle it.

Of course, he also saw the so-called breeding manuals next. There seemed to be a lot of them, but that was none of his business. Cheng Yijiu carefully read his work manual. "So simple? Just rescuing tourists in trouble and cleaning up mutated animals? That's pretty straightforward." It was just an additional task of registering mutant animals.

Now that I'm here, I should take a look at my work area first. Cheng Yijiu put on his work watch and prepared to go out to the first floor to visit the zoo. This watch is more like a wristband than a watch, as it integrates many functions such as projected maps, physiological monitoring, communication calls, and scanning. Especially when combined with special goggles, these functions can be fully utilized.

The zoo itself is quite large, covering over 800 hectares. Most visitors rely on the park's free shuttle bus to travel between attractions, and those who rely on walking often have annual passes... You can stay at the visitor center and take your time. Cheng Yijiu, of course, wouldn't ride in the eight-seater driverless car with the other tourists. He chose a two-seater car from the staff area and prepared to explore along the way.

The four-wheeled vehicle was small, but with plenty of room for two, and it was fast. Cheng Yijiu was able to tour the park in a few hours. "At least the animals I see are normal," he said, standing outside the elephant enclosure, observing the African elephant and her calf. The calf hadn't been weaned yet, and was no more than two months old. Cheng Yijiu casually searched for information on his wristband. His goggles showed that no abnormalities had been discovered regarding the elephants.

"I hope nothing goes wrong." Cheng Yijiu knew that the semi-camping area had a dedicated line and was surrounded by special isolation lines. No mutated monsters would suddenly jump out there at night, and there were naturally no rules - just don't set fires everywhere, and take away your own garbage after camping.

The car returned to the staff area, and Cheng Yijiu went back to his single dormitory on the second underground floor to rest first - he still had to work the night shift, and he would probably have to live a reversed day and night like this in the future, which was not good for his health. If the zoo did not provide free medicines to care for the heart, remove liver toxins and protect brain nerves, this kind of crappy shift would be taken by anyone who fell in love.

"There should be shifts, right? Why am I the only one here? Oh, by the way, if there are no tourists staying tonight, I can rest—that's good news." Cheng Yijiu entered the dormitory—it wasn't big, with one bedroom, one living room, and one bathroom. There was no kitchen, so everyone ate in the cafeteria. If the cafeteria stopped serving food, they could still eat at some of the 24-hour restaurants in the commercial street on the basement floor.

The 40-square-meter dormitory consists of a small living room, a bathroom with a separate wet and dry shower, and a bedroom with a bed, a wardrobe, and a nightstand. The shared facilities are quite complete, and the laundry room, including a dryer, is free for employees to use with their employee ID. The dormitory is managed like a hotel, with cleaners regularly cleaning and tidying up the place.

Cheng Yijiu unloaded some personal belongings from the car. He locked his weapons and ammunition in a safe in the living room, showered, and went to bed. The intercom and wristband would remind him of the time and alert him if anything happened.

What would happen if tourists were stranded? If you think about it carefully, it feels very strange. Cheng Yijiu had also read the tourist brochure, and he felt very strange about several of the instructions in it, but it was hard to explain. In short, there seemed to be nothing unusual on the first day.

What Cheng Yijiu didn't know was that after nightfall, some of the animals on display at the zoo began to behave strangely. The elephant with its baby suddenly transformed into a strange creature with a large belly, shrunken limbs, and a trunk reduced to dry skin. Meanwhile, the baby elephant became so lithe and boneless that it could even squeeze through tiny gaps—and this guy did the same.

So the mother escaped the elephant ring and went after her child—if an unlucky tourist were to encounter these two monsters, no one knew what would happen. The surveillance cameras throughout the park sometimes worked, sometimes not. If they were found to be damaged, they had to be repaired during the day, and this was not Cheng Yijiu's responsibility.

third chapter

Nothing happened that night—security guards didn't patrol at night. Even if a tourist got stranded, they would simply cordon off a specific area. The nighttime security guards were solely responsible for monitoring the surveillance cameras, noting which cameras were broken and notifying the engineering department to repair them during the day. Besides the unfortunate Cheng Yijiu, the only other night watchers were the zookeepers responsible for the nocturnal animals.

Each nocturnal animal pen has a dedicated underground passageway leading to it—otherwise, the zookeepers' losses would be much greater. Cheng Yijiu now believes that the zoo at night is completely different from the daytime zoo, and it's somewhat dangerous at night. Even when the zookeepers go to the zoo, they still have to check the surveillance. If the surveillance is broken... they probably need Cheng Yijiu to accompany them...

Animals cannot be starved because, according to research results, this will make them more likely to mutate.

This would be a serious problem. Once a nocturnal animal mutates, it can be quite dangerous. A building that was once safe and could be safely closed could become a dangerous place. Therefore, it's crucial to check the surveillance first. The presence of mutated animals can easily disrupt surveillance—the mechanism is unclear.

At dawn, a throng of tourists took the subway to the zoo. Cheng Yijiu, rested, emerged from his dorm. He didn't want to continue wandering around the zoo, so he headed straight to his office to see what else he could do. For example, did the department have a budget? If so, could they procure weapons? Could they use a shotgun to eliminate the mutants? Cheng Yijiu finally understood why all his predecessors had disappeared.

The zoo was perfectly normal during the day, but Cheng Yijiu spotted a mutant creature outside the enclosure on the surveillance camera—a rat the size of a calf, with three heads and six or seven legs. His large screen could also switch surveillance cameras, and his authority was the same as the security monitoring department. "It doesn't look that impressive, it's a deadly beast." Cheng Yijiu saw through the rat's true form at a glance.

It looked terrifying, but its combat effectiveness was only so-so; a single shot from a gun would suffice—and thanks to its numerous heads, the mutant's movements were extremely chaotic. Cheng Yijiu even suspected that if he bleeded out one head, the others might become infected or die from the loss of one. After all, he had no idea which head controlled its daily physiological activities...

The good news was that his department had a budget. The bad news was that even as a public official, purchasing weapons was still severely restricted. "What's the point of these weapons?" Cheng Yijiu looked at the catalog, speechless for a moment. What's the point of things like explosion-proof forks and riot shields? Ah! What's the point? A mutant beast, apart from anything else, is definitely much stronger than an average human. What's the point of these things?

No wonder the previous ones bought shotguns; it was actually the most reliable option. "They're still restricting weapons even now—they're working on this kind of miraculous shield, covering hundreds of square kilometers without any support, and yet they're still restricting the outflow of ordinary gunpowder weapons? There are mutant beasts everywhere, don't you think? Will we die if we allow ordinary gunpowder weapons? Surely they've already popularized electromagnetic or particle beam weapons."

Forget it, don't think about it. Fortunately, there are no restrictions on stab-proof suits, and you can even buy a powered exoskeleton - although this thing is almost useless to Cheng Yijiu. "Isn't the powered armor for sale? I think mutant beasts shouldn't pose any threat to violent organizations - as long as they are still carbon-based creatures..." He has not seen any non-carbon-based creatures or mutant beasts with "rules" yet.

Cheng Yijiu finally drove over to check on the animals. The elephant and its calf were fine, a perfectly normal elephant. The giraffes were also walking leisurely and eating the feed placed high up. All the animals were fine, even the ones in the nocturnal animal enclosure, which was lit by low-visibility lights. They were probably the most normal animals, since the keepers hadn't died last night.

"Let's hope there aren't any anomalies." Cheng Yijiu's wish was dashed. After the park closed, the computer automatically counted the number of people. "Oh wow! Six tourists are stranded! We're screwed." One could only hope they had the park's instructions. If they had lost them and hadn't memorized them, things would be very difficult. Cheng Yijiu's business had arrived—tourists didn't have any beacons on them, so their locations couldn't be determined, but they could be identified through surveillance.

Cheng Yijiu grabbed his headset, grabbed a shotgun, holstered his pistol, and tucked his hunting knife before heading out. Security would confirm the tourists' locations through surveillance cameras, and he'd drive a silent electric car to rescue them. Cheng Yijiu wasn't afraid at all—what was there for a legendary hunter and a swordsman to fear? Driving to the first tourist, Cheng Yijiu asked, "You said we were closing the garden. Why aren't you staying home in the garden? Are you trying to commit suicide and become an internet celebrity?"

Cheng Yijiu couldn't understand it. Didn't these people even read the manual? Or at least research the zoo online? Staying in the zoo at night would kill you. And the most unscientific thing about mutant beasts is that communications would be severely disrupted wherever they went. This was also why detectors in this world could detect mutant beasts. They couldn't detect all of them, but once a beast mutated and started attacking people, they could.

The first unlucky person—no, the first and second—was a man and a woman. For some reason, they had secretly insisted on staying at the zoo at night. They were in the bird section, a large area dedicated to various bird species. "What a lunatic! Except for owls and the like, all the beautiful and soaring birds have gone back to their nests! Many of them are night blind! What are they doing there? Expecting to see a peacock spread its feathers at night?"

Cheng Yijiu only hoped that even if there were mutant species of birds, at least their lethality would not be so strong and so fast - after all, their size and weight were there, and a bird that looked normal during the day would not necessarily turn into a rodent at night.

The surveillance cameras were working properly. All the surveillance cameras in the bird area were functioning normally, so the location of the couple could be clearly confirmed. Cheng Yijiu drove quickly forward. "Fortunately, this place is quite close to the center. If it was some kind of amphibian and reptile house or insect house, it would be a big deal."

The surveillance footage from Cheng Yijiu's car also showed the couple looking quite relaxed, completely oblivious to the crisis. Sometimes, Cheng Yijiu felt that some people might as well just die, as this would effectively raise their average IQ.

Chapter Four

When Cheng Yijiu arrived, the two idiots were still flirting with each other. While breathing a sigh of relief, Cheng Yijiu clicked the spray gun in his hand to make a sound, ready to scare the two brainless people. Sure enough, the other party heard the sound and saw the aggressive Cheng Yijiu. Before they could say anything, Cheng Yijiu said in a very blunt tone, "Business is over. Follow me to see you out."

The two giant babies were actually cursing and arguing with Cheng Yijiu, even saying they were going to file a complaint against him. "You want to stay here? Fine, go ahead. If the mutant comes to play with you tonight, remember to say hello to it." Cheng Yijiu was also a bit of a hothead. Thinking carefully, the zoo had a casualty quota, so he simply got in the car and prepared to head to the next tourist - the idiot, judging by his equipment, must be a livestreamer, currently in the African area with the giraffes and other herbivores.