"Zhou Qiming felt that it was difficult for regular people to imagine the immense terror he had encountered. After bidding farewell to Lu Yan, he arrived at the edge of Dragon Maiden Lake. The sun was setting, casting golden reflections on the serene and beautiful lake.
People often say that those near water live off water, yet the folks in Dragon Maiden Village were notably different. Despite scanning the surroundings, there wasn’t a single fishing boat in sight. Fortunately, this wasn’t much of an issue for Zhou Qiming.
He chopped down a tree and hollowed out the middle. The buoyancy of the wood was enough to support him as he ventured into the lake. Tying a line to a testing device, he plopped it into the water.
Through his earpiece came reports of contamination levels: "Contamination level 70... 500... 1800... 4900..." Within a mere minute, the contamination levels skyrocketed to a staggering number that left him wide-eyed.
Zhou Qiming panicked. This was getting out of hand. When the contamination level reached 6300, he completely abandoned the idea of exploring Dragon Maiden Lake. He didn't even bother with the testing device and just wanted to row away.
Zhou Qiming had some knowledge of sailing and rowing. Despite his makeshift paddle, the lake held no hidden currents or rocks. The shore was merely a few dozen meters away from the center of the lake, so it seemed manageable.
However, to his surprise, as soon as he dipped his oar into the water, it felt like hitting a mass of underwater vegetation. He couldn’t move.
Lowering his gaze, he realized that the area under his boat had darkened considerably, not due to the water changing but because something was beneath.
In the next moment, his boat capsized.
A mass of black hair seized the stern and violently lifted! Mouthfuls of lake water rushed in, carrying a taste of bloody fishiness.
Zhou Qiming could swim and his physical strength was adequate. He could have made it to the shore, but the tangle of hair had snared his ankle, pulling him deeper.
Underwater was a chaotic realm. He saw infants with fangs and serpent tails, some larger, some smaller, all female infants with eyes devoid of pupils, only white-grey orbs. They circled him, giggling like piranhas, eager to feast upon him.
Above their heads were labels: 'Dragon Maidens,' titled 'Mutated Beings.' Contamination level 300.
Zhou Qiming also spotted a woman with a serpent tail, excessively large in size. Her tail stretched endlessly within the lake, sharp spines running along her spine, devoid of pupils, her expression chilling.
Baby serpents sat upon her back, as if daughters relying on their mother.
'Dragon Maiden - Perfect Evolution.' Contamination level???
Whether these infants or the colossal serpent woman in the center, they were all Dragon Maidens of Dragon Maiden Lake.
They were neither deities nor monsters, just women seeking retribution from this village.
Without hesitation, Zhou Qiming drew his knife from his waist and severed the hair of the Dragon Maiden. He exerted every ounce of strength to swim away from the lake. But how could a human contend with pollutants thriving in their natural habitat?
Soon, wounds inflicted by the little Dragon Maidens appeared on Zhou Qiming's body. The scent of blood permeated the lake, akin to a celebration.
He fled, she pursued, his efforts were futile.
The Dragon Maiden strolled leisurely, toying with her prey like a cat.
Zhou Qiming knew that to pollutants, humans dying in terror tasted the most delicious.
He wanted to remain composed, but his cowardly heart pounded, and adrenaline flooded his brain, urging him to flee.
Zhou Qiming was filled with despair. In the water, he was utterly powerless. He didn’t seem capable of defeating the Dragon Maiden.
The excessively long, hook-like hand of the Dragon Maiden reached for his head.
But perhaps due to prolonged contact, a question mark appeared above the Dragon Maiden in Zhou Qiming's sight.
This indicated he could now use his talent.
With a desperate mindset, Zhou Qiming added a setting, 'Zhou Qiming is my father.'
Yes, due to the urgency of the situation, Zhou Qiming didn't even have time to ponder. He naturally added this setting.
As a result, the hand that was about to grab him abruptly froze in place.
Contrarily, the nearby little Dragon Maidens, spectating, emitted resentful, piercing screams! Like a school of fish, they surged towards him.
Zhou Qiming had never swum faster in his life. His clothes tore, the little Dragon Maidens nibbled on his flesh, blood bloomed in the water.
He scrambled onto the shore, but one persistent little Dragon Maiden leaped like a carp, trying to bite him. He kicked her back.
...
...
"Wrapped in a blanket, Zhou Qiming shivered with cold sweat trickling down his body, his wounds throbbing. He huddled close to Lu Yan, recounting his harrowing ordeal to the others.
Detective, driving, succumbed to his nicotine craving, feeling anxious: 'We have to report this to the Disease Prevention and Control Center. Something wasn't right with the person who posted initially; it's best to investigate.'
Lu Yan's phone buzzed with a message from Chen Shier. 'Our boss overused their abilities, resulting in mental decline... Bear with it; I'm sorry.'
This was mentioned in the internal brochure of the Pollution Disease Prevention and Control Center. Many Harbingers experienced aftereffects after excessive ability use, some physical, some mental.
Lu Yan hadn't yet exceeded his limits, so he didn't know what aftereffects awaited him.
['Don't worry. Unless you directly ask me things you shouldn't even know about, you won't have to worry about aftereffects.']
['Look around the world; everyone's using talents all the time, but it's just you.']
['Oh, by the way. Though it's odd, Chen Shier didn't lie to you.']
Zhou Qiming nudged his waist, speaking softly, 'Doctor Lu, that woman was terrifying. Her claws were so long, so thick, so hard...'
Lu Yan, expressionless, patted his head, 'It's alright, you're back.'
They had arrived in daylight and barely spent six hours before heading back. Yet, the fog in the mountains seemed denser at night, visibility extremely low.
The detective dared not speed, the camper van crawling along the seemingly endless mountain road.
Furrowing his brow, Lu Yan recalled what he heard at Old Wang's place. Someone tried to leave the mountains for treatment but ended up circling for three days, returning to Dragon Maiden Lake.
Four hours passed, and the detective's forehead was drenched in sweat.
'This is bizarre! We didn't take this long coming here. Even if we're driving slower at night, it shouldn't be this long! It's been four hours.'
Zhou Qiming had dozed off, leaving the other two feeling inexplicably irritable and anxious. Chen Shier's temper flared as he failed to finish a game, tossing a Switch console.
Lu Yan suggested, 'Let's park for now. We'll resume when it's daylight. No one should step out tonight.'
His voice was calm, strangely compelling.
The detective exclaimed, 'Wait... isn't there an exit ahead?'
Excitedly, he pressed the accelerator, speeding forward.
Lu Yan glanced at the clock on the table—it struck midnight.
Navigating the mountain road, they reached a flat area where trees gradually thinned. However, Lu Yan's expression suddenly changed.
'Stop the car!'
Before them lay an enormous lake.
The tranquility of daytime contrasted sharply with the night. The lake water simmered as if in a boiling pot, bubbling ceaselessly. By the lake's edge stood a bright, illuminating lamp. Under its radiance, a group of men, bellies swollen, of varying ages, knelt in a circle along the lakeshore, repeatedly bowing to the Dragon Maiden Lake.
Their gazes hollow, under the intense light, their semi-transparent bellies revealed twisted male infants. Despite their awkward movements due to their bulging bellies, their heads reverently touched the ground.
From the lake echoed the eerie laughter of girls, chillingly pervasive in the dead of night. Chen Shier gasped, "What on earth are these... things?"
These men remained human yet not entirely so. They didn't require food or water, yet they couldn't die unless sacrificed into the lake, where they would perpetually exist alongside the Dragon Maiden Lake.
Lu Yan scanned the scene, estimating over seventy men, aged between twenty and seventy, all carrying unborn children within them.
After the bowing ritual, the eldest among them, the village chief, tremblingly rose and shouted, "May the Dragon Maiden choose!"
All the men still kneeling wore expressions of fear. Inside the car, the four companions held their breath, intensely focused. Suddenly, a middle-aged man in the crowd screamed in agony.
Clutching his abdomen, he writhed on the ground in torment. The child in his belly, with sharp nails, tore through his skin, emerging covered in translucent, pale yellow amniotic fluid.
Shortly after this infant emerged, it collapsed in the nearby bushes, ceasing to breathe. As if its existence solely revolved around causing suffering to these men.
Yet, the sacrifice didn't cease.
Other men with swollen bellies lifted the unconscious middle-aged man and threw him into the lake. He didn't even have time to scream before a group of ravenous, crazed "little dragon maidens" devoured him. Blood spread, tinting the water a pale pink hue.
The seething, enraged Dragon Maiden Lake finally subsided.
Trembling, the village chief uttered, "It's over. This month's sacrifice is done. Let's go back."
Chen Shier clenched his fists, "This pollutant is beyond comprehension."
Lu Yan remained silent for a moment, narrating what he had gleaned from the system, interlacing it with his own speculations and deductions, careful not to expose the system's source, merely hinting that he found some leads on their way back.
Chen Shier's fists clenched again, "Damn, they deserve what's coming."
A villager switched off the overhead lamp. The men with bulging bellies, looking pale and numb, shuffled back to the village, resembling lifeless zombies.
Throughout, the RV remained parked in the small grove, unmoved.
The detective cautiously attempted to reverse the vehicle, only to find the engine soaked and extinguished by water. The surrounding dampness seemed heavier.
Almost instinctively, the system lowered its voice, "[...the Dragon Maiden is coming ashore; she's noticed you long ago.]"
Amidst a vast expanse of white mist, the sound of splashing water emerged, as though something colossal was surfacing.
Lu Yan shook awake Xiao Ming, drooling on his leg. His patience had reached its limit.
Still groggy from sleep, Xiao Ming asked, "Are we there yet?"
The detective, frozen with fear, opened the car door, whispering urgently, "We run in different directions."
Lu Yan inquired, "Can you still use your talent? If not, force it out. Apply a setting for all four of us."
Xiao Ming sat up, "What setting?"
Lu Yan replied earnestly, "Change our genders to female."
Unlock exclusive early access to 100s of Chapters before anyone else by becoming a valued member of my Patreon community.
As a cherished member of our Patreon community, here is what you'll get:
For just $5, you'll receive:
- Early access to 100s of chapters before they go public. (You can find all the novels I'm translating HERE.)
- Your name will be prominently featured on the "Wall of Gratitude".
- The power to vote on which novel I translate next.
- You Get Ad-free Chapters.
If you decide to pledge $10, you'll get all the perks from the $5 tier, plus:
- You get to suggest a Novel for me to translate.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in gold).
And if you're feeling generous with a $20 pledge, you'll unlock all the perks above:
- You get to recommend an abandoned Novel and I will immediately start translating it.
- Your name featured on the "Wall of Gratitude" (in blue).
Plus, you can Cancel your membership at any time.
Don't let this amazing opportunity slip through your fingers!
