Chapter 2: Evolution

The old residential building was quickly surrounded by police cars, and the street below was packed tight, but the residents on Xu Huo’s floor kept their doors bolted shut.

"I really don't know what kind of bad luck you've run into, kid. This is the third time this month." Zhao Biao, the veteran detective leading the team, took the cigarette Xu Huo offered, shook his head in pity, and pointed toward a black camper van parked behind the police cruisers. "There are other people here to ask questions today. Just tell them everything you know; you'll be fine."

Xu Huo looked over and saw a young man in a crisp suit step out of the van. His leather shoes were polished to a shine, making him look like an elite attending a formal event—completely out of place in this neighborhood.

The man caught his gaze and walked over in a few strides. "Are you Xu Huo? Let's talk in the van."

He looked at Zhao Biao, not bothering to ask for Xu Huo’s consent.

"Sure, I'm done with my end," Zhao Biao waved him off.

Xu Huo followed the young man into the van. They sat opposite each other, while a secretary-like figure opened a recording app on their phone.

"A change of personnel today?"

Xu Huo was the first to speak. The secretary instinctively looked at the young man beside them. The man, dressed like a gentleman, took over. "I have some questions for you. I hope you will answer them truthfully."

Xu Huo nodded. People had come the first two times as well, though the secretary had been accompanied by an experienced middle-aged man.

"Tell me what happened."

Xu Huo told the truth. After listening to his account, the young man began his interrogation

"Why did you buy a refrigerator?"

"The one at home broke."

"What kind of food do you usually like to eat?"

"I'm not picky. I eat anything."

"Have you noticed any changes in your appetite recently?"

"It's too hot, so I've been eating more vegetables."

"Did you experience any physiological changes when you came into contact with the deceased? For example, hunger, thirst, or increased strength?"

"No."

"Your records show you graduated from a top-tier university and come from a well-off family. Why are you working as an extra in Ting City?"

"I don't have a good relationship with my family. I don't want to rely on them."

"You worked as a stunt double for two years and an extra for four years in Ting City. Several directors offered you acting opportunities during that time. Why did you refuse?"

"Personal preference."

The young man’s gaze lingered on his face for two seconds before he continued

"Why do you think criminals have targeted you three times?"

Xu Huo’s flat tone shifted. "Victim-blaming theory?"

The secretary tried to smooth things over. "Mr. Xu, we ask these questions to determine the criteria the criminal group uses to select their victims..."

Xu Huo stared at the young man for a moment, thought it over, and said, "I'm not sure about the first two, but today's one said I smelled delicious. She was a woman; it’s probably because I’m handsome."

The young man gave a faint, unreadable smile. "Do you think that woman was any different from an ordinary person?"

"She was a bit of a pervert. She tried to seduce me when she walked in, and her strength was incredible. Maybe she worked as a stunt double."

"Did she say anything?"

"Not much. She just said she was an 'Evolver,' that she had a lot of money, and told me to save her."

"Do you know the person in the refrigerator?"

"I do. They deliver packages around here often."

...

The Q&A session lasted a long time. After nearly two hours in the van, Xu Huo was finally released. As he was getting off, the young man handed him a business card. "If you experience any physical changes, it would be best to contact me. That would be the wisest choice."

"Ting City First Research Institute, Nie Xuan." Xu Huo toyed with the card and joked, "You aren't going to catch Evolvers and slice them up for study, are you?"

"There are many rumors about Evolvers on the internet, but the result of not having proper management is exactly what happened to the woman who attacked you."

Nie Xuan didn't say anything more. He tucked the cigarette that had fallen into the van into Xu Huo’s shirt pocket, gave it a light pat, and walked away.

Watching the van drive off, Xu Huo put the card in his pocket, lit a cigarette, and turned back.

The police were still busy. Zhao Biao wanted to arrange a room for him at a nearby guesthouse, but Xu Huo refused, saying he would stay at a friend's place for a few days. He packed a few clothes and found a nearby hotel.

As soon as he entered the room, a suffocating sense of hunger surged over him. Xu Huo shivered, took a deep drag of his cigarette, and dumped the compressed biscuits from his bag into his mouth. But it did nothing to alleviate the craving. He covered his mouth and nose with both hands; his skin, though washed clean, still seemed to carry the scent of human blood—a fragrant, alluring aroma.

After a few minutes, he rubbed his pant legs hard and opened his tablet.

A month ago, strange phenomena began occurring frequently around the world. Along with these bizarre events, many people developed an insatiable desire to eat. Livestock and pets were the first to be attacked. Half a month ago, crime rates exploded, with assault, disappearances, and murder cases being the most common.

After the initial fermentation, someone suddenly proposed the "Evolver Theory," as the hunger was accompanied by increased physical strength and sensory evolution. For a time, public opinion regarding "Earth's Mutation" and "Human Survival of the Fittest" ran rampant. Some radical forums even called for Evolvers to follow their instincts!

The forums were, of course, shut down immediately, but the danger wasn't the rhetoric—it was the uncontrollable hunger of the "Evolvers."

Xu Huo had encountered his first Evolver half a month ago, the second ten days ago, and today’s woman was the third.

The first Evolver was clearly a novice, lacking in physical strength and reaction time, acting entirely on instinct like a beast.

The second Evolver already knew how to hide their hunger, even blending into the film set and acting like his brother for a day before making an excuse to "stay over" at his place that night.

The woman who came today knew how to disguise herself, but the disguise wasn't refined. It wasn't that she couldn't think of it, but more likely that she felt she had an advantage and didn't need to hide in front of an ordinary person.

In one month, Evolvers had already adapted to this state.

Xu Huo put out his cigarette and counted his heartbeat against his watch.

227 beats per minute. This heart rate was far beyond the normal range, but it wasn't his fastest. At his peak, it reached nearly three hundred.

Normally, such a rapid heart rate would cause dizziness, fatigue, difficulty breathing, or even fainting and shock. However, since his heart rate became abnormal a month ago, he had gradually adapted to it in just ten days. At its highest, it was nearly three hundred; at its lowest, it was under forty.

In addition to the heart rate changes and the hunger, his physical strength and sense of smell had also increased, and his mild nearsightedness had returned to normal.

But that was nothing compared to the woman he saw today.

That woman’s physical speed was clearly higher than his. She was petite and naturally weaker than an adult male, yet her progress was greater than his or the two previous Evolvers.

"Is it because she passed the initial screening?"

Xu Huo sat at the edge of the bed, repeatedly flicking his disposable lighter, staring at the flickering flame

"How can I get on that van?"

Just then, his vision suddenly went black, and a translucent projection screen lit up

"Player attributes detected. Providing the following three class options:"

"A: Gambler; B: Adventurer; C: Passerby."