Chapter 98: Aberrants
…
“We, people like us, are called Aberrants,” the scaled man explained.
Su Hao suddenly remembered the word “Aberrant” that had frightened those kids who mistook him for one.
Su Hao signaled for him to continue.
The scaled man realized that the young man in front of him didn’t know anything and hesitated about whether to speak. He thought, if he doesn’t know, there’s no reason to kill me…
Seeing the scaled man hesitating, Su Hao’s tone turned cold, “Tell the truth, or I’ll wake up the guy next to you. If your answers don’t match, neither of you will leave here alive.”
The scaled man gritted his teeth and said, “We Aberrants are the physical manifestations after successful evolution. As long as we can successfully evolve, we can gain unexpected strength.”
Su Hao asked, “Is the way you obtain evolution by consuming the flesh and blood of other Aberrants?”
The scaled man nodded, “That’s right. We Zhu Hua people are born with a certain talent. As long as we consume the flesh and blood of Aberrants, we have a chance to evolve and gain extraordinary strength.”
He continued, “In fact, it’s not just us Zhu Hua people; almost all creatures on this continent have this talent. As long as they consume the flesh and blood of Aberrants or Aberrant Beasts, they can gain corresponding evolutions.”
“Talent?” Su Hao suddenly thought of the difference in body structure, the fleshy lump-like organ next to the stomach. Perhaps it was related to that organ.
The scaled man continued, “Of course, there can be evolution failures. There are two possibilities for evolution failure: one is direct death, and the other is an increase in physical strength without gaining extraordinary power, but the probability of death is higher. However… as long as you understand the conditions for evolution and prepare properly, the chances of failure are not high.”
“What conditions?” Su Hao asked curiously.
The scaled man replied, “As long as you can ensure that your body has enough energy and ensure that the evolution can smoothly reach the final stage, there’s usually no danger to life. Most people who die do so because their bodies don’t have enough energy to support complete evolution. Many people don’t understand this and blindly consume flesh and blood, resulting in their deaths. Just like you… Ahem!”
The scaled man suddenly stopped talking, looking embarrassed.
Su Hao pursued, “Like me what?”
The scaled man hesitated, “Well, nothing…”
Su Hao turned to pick up a stone.
The scaled man immediately said, “Like you, for example, someone as small as you would definitely die if you started to evolve by consuming flesh and blood.”
The scaled man suddenly became curious and asked, “Little brother, are you really an Aberrant? Why can’t I tell which sequence you belong to?”
Su Hao immediately caught the key point and asked, “What sequence?”
The scaled man chuckled, “Speaking of that, I actually don’t know much. I only know some basic information.”
Su Hao raised his chin, saying, “Tell me everything you know, and don’t ask me any questions.”
The scaled man nodded obediently, “Aberrants have nine sequences, and many people know this. They are the ‘Muscle Man,’ ‘Swift Man,’ ‘Silk Spitter,’ ‘Scaled Man,’ ‘Mimic Man,’ ‘Nocturnal Man,’ ‘Graceful Man,’ ‘Prophet Man,’ and ‘Venom Man.’ As you can see, I am a ‘Scaled Man,’ and that guy over there is a ‘Muscle Man.’”
Su Hao asked, “What about the one that looks like a bat?”
The scaled man immediately replied, “That’s a ‘Nocturnal Man.’ They are one of the most troublesome guys among all the first-level Aberrants. Silent and elusive.”
Su Hao nodded in agreement and asked, “What does ‘first-level’ mean?”
The scaled man quickly shook his head, “I don’t know much about that. I only know a bit about the ‘Scaled Man’ sequence. I don’t know about the others. The first-level ability in our sequence is ‘Scaled Man,’ as you can see, we can cover our entire body with thick scales and generate corresponding cushioning structures inside our bodies. We’re resistant to cutting and heavy blows, even smashing with a hammer doesn’t work. Of course, now I’ve discovered a new weakness, which is being afraid of stones.”
Su Hao glared at him, saying, “Get to the point!”
The scaled man swallowed nervously, “Then there’s the second-level ‘Roamer,’ and the third-level seems to be called ‘Counterpierce Beast.’ Beyond that, I don’t know. Actually… I haven’t been an Aberrant for long, so I don’t know much.”
Su Hao looked at the scaled man and then at the muscleman, asking, “Really, you don’t know anything else?”
The scaled man immediately said, “Really, absolutely no lies. Oh… by the way, besides all this, there’s common knowledge that everyone knows. Each sequence has seven levels of evolution, but I’m not sure about the specifics. I only know that the first three levels are ‘Human,’ ‘Being,’ and ‘Beast.’ It’s said that above the seventh level, there’s a supreme realm called ‘God.’ It’s said that Gods are immortal and eternal, the ultimate goal of all Aberrants.”
After saying this, the scaled man’s eyes were filled with longing.
Su Hao chuckled. Gods? Does this world really have gods?
Su Hao had actually pondered this question.
In the end, it was a matter of probability in mathematics.
Could there be gods in this universe?
As long as there was even the slightest probability of the existence of gods, then in this vast and timeless universe, there would inevitably be gods.
Because the universe had no known boundaries, and time was endless, as long as there was a hint of possibility, no matter how small or infinitesimal, gods would certainly come into existence.
Were there gods now?
Su Hao didn’t know. Perhaps his existence was an attempt by this universe to create a god?
Returning to the previous topic, Su Hao voiced his questions, “So, as a ‘Scaled Man’ like you, if you want to evolve into a ‘Roamer,’ do you just need to consume the flesh and blood of this ‘Muscle Man’?”
To his surprise, the scaled man shook his head, “It’s not that simple. To evolve into a ‘Roamer,’ it’s not as straightforward as you imagine. First, I must store enough bodily energy during the first-level ‘Scaled Man’ stage to attempt the evolution into a ‘Roamer,’ or else it’s certain death. Second, to evolve into a ‘Roamer,’ I must consume the flesh and blood of a ‘Roamer.’ The reason I want to consume the flesh and blood of a ‘Muscle Man’ is that the ‘Scaled Man’ and ‘Muscle Man’ sequences are more compatible. By consuming the flesh and blood of a ‘Muscle Man,’ I can greatly increase my bodily energy.”
Su Hao furrowed his brow, “So, as a first-level ‘Scaled Man’ like you, can you defeat a second-level ‘Roamer’?”
The scaled man exaggeratedly said, “Impossible. ‘Roamers’ are incredibly powerful beings, far beyond what I can contend with.”
Su Hao asked, “So, you’ll never be able to promote to a ‘Roamer’?”
The scaled man awkwardly chuckled, “It’s not necessarily like that. I only need to consume a few pieces of flesh, and it doesn’t necessarily mean I have to defeat them! Maybe one day a ‘Roamer’ is suddenly killed by someone and I happen to come across it and take a few bites. Then, I can evolve smoothly. So, we Aberrants all want to increase our bodily energy to the limit as quickly as possible. Otherwise, even if the flesh of a ‘Roamer’ is right in front of us, we wouldn’t dare to eat it!”
Su Hao was momentarily speechless. So, evolution is all about luck?
Where can you find things that conveniently match your needs?
If you want some flesh, find a way to obtain it yourself. If you can’t beat them, find someone else to do it.
Su Hao looked at the scaled man in front of him and felt that he was unlikely to succeed. As for gods, he’d just leave that thought alone.
Su Hao picked up a stone and walked towards the scaled man, asking as he approached, “Is there anything else you want to say?”
The scaled man immediately cried out in fear, “Big brother, spare me, big brother! I’ve just started in this business!”
*Thud!*
Knocked out!
(End of this chapter)
