During this period, William Carter had been out in the wild, completely cut off from the outside world. Now, entering the giant city, he felt as if a lifetime had passed.

He had been on the plateau, in deserts, and among mountains, with all his communication devices turned off. When he finally switched them back on, a flood of messages came through at once.

His parents reminded him to be careful and stay safe while he was out alone. Some classmates and friends asked when he would return, along with other messages.

William Carter replied to each one, right up until he boarded the train.

Other than a pile of snacks, he carried very little with him; most of his belongings had been dealt with on the way back.

After finding his seat and putting down his things, he picked up his communicator and started reading the news from recent days, immediately feeling astonished.

In the past few days, thick fog had appeared all over the country, and even abroad. Some of it was light blue, some deep red, and some purple, falling over large areas.

Some people said this might be a mutation caused by nuclear radiation left over from the war years ago.

But experts quickly refuted the rumors, telling the public that everything was safe, that it was just natural mist, and that there was no need to panic once it dissipated.

Public opinion polls revealed another voice, saying this was a sign of upheaval, just like several times in history, affecting all regions.

No one dared to completely deny this, because in this post-civilization era, it was not the first time, and the situation was very complicated.

“What’s going on? There are plants appearing in midair—this is really strange.”

After the train started, a chubby guy came over and sat down nearby. Judging by his age, he was about the same as William Carter, of average height, with a sizable belly, chubby cheeks, and big ears. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed into two slits, looking just like the Laughing Buddha.

He had a naturally cheerful vibe. Even when he wasn’t talking, he looked kind and benevolent, always smiling—he really did resemble the Laughing Buddha the more you looked at him.

William Carter couldn’t help but laugh. This guy was definitely not someone you could dislike.

“Hey brother, where are you headed?” The chubby guy greeted him in a friendly way.

“To the foot of the Taihang Mountains,” William Carter replied with a smile.

“Could we be from the same hometown? Tell me the exact place.” The chubby guy grinned.

After a quick exchange, they realized they were indeed headed to the same destination, and immediately felt much closer, being from the same place.

The chubby guy’s name was Henry Clark—a very “safe” name. He had studied in the west before, and this trip was a return to his old stomping grounds to have a look around.

William Carter also noticed the news Henry Clark mentioned: recently, reports had said that some strange floating plants had appeared in the sky, which was rather eerie.

“I just don’t get it—why don’t they fall down?” Fat Henry muttered.

William Carter had seen that news too, and was equally puzzled.

“Could something big be about to happen?” Henry Clark clicked his tongue.

“Let’s hope for peace and safety. The world is getting harder and harder to understand,” someone nearby said.

“Yeah, peace and quiet is best. It really is a bit unsettling.”

This seemed to strike a chord, and several people chimed in.

“I bet something will happen sooner or later. There have already been plenty of inexplicable mysterious phenomena in recent years, and all sorts of rumors are going around,” someone whispered.

The place immediately became lively, with all kinds of talk.

Two hours later, Henry Clark and William Carter had become quite familiar, since they were from the same place and naturally felt close.

He leaned over, acting mysterious, and said to William Carter, “A few days ago, I heard from a relative who knows an extraordinary person. He said the world is about to change in a big way.”

“What kind of change?” William Carter asked.

“Some really weird things are going to happen,” Fat Henry whispered.

“I think you’re the one acting weird,” William Carter laughed.

“I’m serious! Don’t doubt it. My relative isn’t the type to talk nonsense—he’s always very careful and reliable, and he moves in unusual circles,” the chubby guy said, widening his eyes.

William Carter shook his head with a smile.

The chubby guy looked a bit deflated and said, “Actually, I don’t really believe it either. That extraordinary person was talking nonsense, dropping hints that some mythological figures in the West were actually grown, and that it’s about the same here.”

“Pfft!”

Someone nearby was drinking water and happened to overhear, spraying water everywhere and laughing nonstop.

“Come on, what’s so funny? Forget it, I won’t say any more!” The chubby guy felt embarrassed too.

Chapter 0007: Mutation

The chubby guy was quite the talker—he hadn’t stopped chatting the whole way, telling stories of strange events and oddities he’d heard about while studying in the west, all with a distinctly mysterious flavor.

There were many legends in Tibet, and some stories were widely circulated locally. Some even had traceable origins in records, which was truly fascinating. The people in the neighboring seats were all captivated.

“Don’t just take these as myths—some of them really happened,” the chubby guy said seriously.

With everyone’s curiosity piqued, someone urged him to hurry up and tell more.

“I once saw a little Tibetan mastiff in a ruined temple, guarding a dying old dog and whimpering. That puppy’s eyes actually shed golden tears,” said Henry Clark.

“Hush!”

A group of people shushed him, not believing it at all. That was just too far-fetched—completely unrealistic.

“It’s absolutely true! I experienced it myself,” Fat Henry insisted, patting his chest and swearing he wasn’t lying.

“Looking back, I think maybe its golden pupils were just so bright that they made its tears look golden,” the chubby guy explained.