Chapter 148 Mutated humans

Chapter 148: Chapter 148 Mutated humans

They all cheered.

The sound of applause and excitement immediately filled the hall as everyone waited for the president to reveal what else he had to say. And he didn’t disappoint them.

Madison, however, couldn’t understand what they were celebrating. She remained among the few people who didn’t clap, keeping her hands firmly at her sides. Thankfully, she was standing toward the back of the crowd, where nobody could easily see what she was doing.

The president waited until the cheering died down before continuing.

"We received the tragic news that our own General—the man who was in charge of the well-being of this safe zone and the protection of everyone within it—is dead." His voice became heavier. "The news was devastating. I was enraged when I heard what had happened."

His eyes slowly swept through the crowd. There was something frightening in the way he looked at them, almost as if he were trying to identify the killer simply by staring hard enough.

Then he continued. "Someone had access to his room and murdered him."

The crowd immediately became quieter.

"I don’t know whether he was killed while sleeping, but he never got out of his bed. So I assume that was when it happened." He tightened his grip around the walking stick in his hand. "That means we have a serious traitor among us."

His expression hardened. "And I don’t deal well with traitors."

The president’s voice echoed through the hall. "So I am here to put an end to this mess." He paused. "I will not allow a single person to ruin my plans of saving humanity because of his or her stupidity."

Madison’s heart suddenly began pounding.

The president raised his hand. "So it ends now."

He turned toward the commander standing nearby. "We will destroy every suspect we have."

Then he pointed directly at the new commander. "Commander!"

The man immediately stepped forward. "Yes, sir."

"Bring all the suspects here." The president’s expression remained emotionless. "We will behead every single one of them immediately."

Madison’s legs nearly buckled. For a second, she thought she had heard him wrong.

Behead them?

Her face drained of color. That wasn’t what she had expected. She had thought there would be an investigation. Perhaps an interrogation. Maybe even a trial.

But this? They were going to execute everyone suspected of having something to do with the general’s death. And Thomas was one of them.

Her son was going to die.

No.

Madison clenched her fists. She had to do something. She couldn’t lose her son. Not after everything.

Her eyes immediately moved toward Ava. She stepped closer to her daughter and lowered her voice. "Stay here and listen carefully to everything that’s being said."

Ava looked at her in confusion.

"I’m going to sneak my way to wherever they’re holding Thomas." Her voice became urgent. "But you need to stay here. Listen to every single thing they say because when I return, you’re going to tell me everything I missed."

Ava’s eyes widened. "Mother..."

Madison didn’t stop. "I need you to do this."

Ava stared at her. Of course, she was still angry. How could she not be? Madison had lied to her about her birth. She had hidden the truth about her father. She had made decisions that had deeply wounded Ava.

But despite all of that, Ava couldn’t simply watch her mother walk into a place where she could easily be killed. That place was dangerous. Madison could be captured the moment she entered. She could be thrown into the same prison as Thomas. Or worse. She could be executed before she even reached him.

"Please don’t go, Mother." Ava’s voice trembled. "Reconsider."

Madison froze. There was something in Ava’s voice that she hadn’t expected. After everything she had told her, Madison hadn’t expected Ava to still speak to her with that kind of concern.

She turned toward her daughter. For a moment, their eyes met.

Madison was glad to see that Ava still cared. But that didn’t change her decision. Her son was in danger. She wasn’t leaving him behind.

"Trust your mother." Madison gave her a reassuring smile. "I’ll get everything sorted out."

Before Ava could respond, Madison turned away. Everyone’s attention was focused on the stage as they waited for the next announcement. Madison used that moment. She slipped into the crowd. Then another group of people moved between her and the stage. Within seconds, she had disappeared from view.

Ava remained where she was. Her chest was thumping painfully. She wanted to go after Madison. But she knew that if she caused a scene, she might make things worse.

So she stayed. She listened. Every word. Every announcement. Everything.

Then someone approached her from the side. Bonnie. She stopped beside Ava and gave her a knowing grin. "I saw what happened."

Ava’s eyes widened.

Bonnie tilted her head toward the direction Madison had disappeared. "I wonder what she’s looking for, following the commander and his comrades like that?"

Ava’s heart dropped. She stared at Bonnie. The girl had seen everything.

"Please." Ava lowered her voice. "Don’t tell anyone."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"She’s all I have left in this world."

Bonnie clicked her tongue. She looked forward toward the stage instead of answering immediately. Ava waited nervously.

Finally, Bonnie spoke. "Fine."

Ava released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

But Bonnie’s eyes remained sharp. "Just don’t make me regret it."

Ava nodded.

Her attention returned to the stage. The president was already speaking again.

"Now, before we proceed with exacting justice for the murder of my dear friend..." He paused. "...let me introduce someone."

He gestured toward Chris Walton. "This is Chris Walton." The white-haired man stepped forward. "And he is the son of the general you all knew."

Murmurs immediately spread throughout the hall. People exchanged confused looks. Chris remained silent.

The president continued. "Therefore, with immediate effect, he will take over the affairs of this safe zone."

The murmurs grew louder. People began whispering amongst themselves. Some were shocked. Others looked doubtful. A few openly frowned.

"He’s too young."

"Can someone like him really handle this place?"

"What does he even know about running a safe zone?"

Bonnie was just as stunned. She stared at Chris. Her mind was struggling to process everything. She had known him for so long. Yet he had never once told her who he really was.

Now it suddenly made sense. The moment they entered the safe zone, Chris had received special treatment. At the time, Bonnie had assumed it was because he was simply a privileged rich kid. A nepo baby. She had thought his family connections were the reason people treated him differently.

But this? His father had been the general. The man in charge of the entire safe zone.

Bonnie stared at him. How could I have known him for so long and never realized?

"This is insanity." A married couple whispered several steps away. "How can someone like that take control of everyone’s lives?"

"Does he even know what he’s doing?"

The president suddenly slammed his walking stick against the floor. Bang!

The echo thundered throughout the hall. Silence returned instantly.

The president’s eyes became cold. "No one questions my orders." His voice carried a dangerous authority. "You survive because you have access to my resources."

He scanned the crowd. "You should be grateful that I am here."

Nobody moved.

"I have extended my own money toward operations that are keeping this place alive. Operations designed to save your ungrateful lives when you should have already been left to perish." His expression darkened. "I did all of this to prevent humanity from becoming extinct."

He pointed toward Chris. "And I trained his son to become someone capable of taking control whenever I am unavailable."

The crowd remained silent.

"Yet you stand here questioning my decision?" He smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. "Say more things that I don’t like, and I will revoke your right to stay here."

A shiver went through the crowd.

"Imagine being cast out from the protection of this safe zone after enjoying it for weeks." His eyes narrowed. "Don’t make me go that far."

He tapped his stick against the ground again. "Because once you’re outside, you won’t survive." His voice dropped. "You will perish so hard that you’ll cry blood."

Nobody dared to speak. The president’s behavior had crossed into something far darker than simple authority. It was tyranny. And everyone in the hall could feel it. The atmosphere became suffocating.

The president turned toward the next subject. "Now, with Chris Walton as your new leader..." He paused. "He will oversee the new humans and take them to their new habitat."

Several people exchanged confused looks. "New humans?" "What does that mean?" "Habitat?"

The words made little sense.

But then Mr. Davis, the white-haired scientist, stepped forward. A strange grin appeared on his face. He walked backward toward the enormous curtains behind the stage. Then he grabbed them. With one sharp movement, he pulled them aside.

The entire hall went silent.

A massive glass chamber was revealed behind the stage. And inside it... Were two humans.

At least, they were supposed to be human.

Madison’s eyes widened. Bonnie’s hand immediately flew over her mouth.

The creatures inside the glass chamber barely resembled people anymore. Their bodies were covered in scales. Their fingers had transformed into long claws. Their teeth had become sharp fangs. Parts of their bodies had taken on an unmistakably animalistic appearance.

Yet beneath the mutations, there were still traces of human features.

They were human. And they were beasts.

The two creatures suddenly slammed themselves against the glass. A guttural growl escaped their throats. They twisted violently. Their movements were almost like fish struggling on dry land. Blood began oozing from their lower bodies.

The sight made several people recoil.

"Are those awakened?" Bonnie’s voice trembled. "Did they do that to them?"

She looked toward the stage. Then her eyes met Chris’s.

Bonnie froze. That wasn’t the Chris she knew. There was no warmth in his eyes. No friendliness. No trace of the man she had spoken to countless times. Only coldness. Something about that expression frightened her.

Mr. Davis stepped forward. "Don’t worry." He sounded almost pleased. "This is simply what happens in the water." He gestured toward the creatures. "With the water now covering most of the world, they have developed the ability to navigate through it."

He smiled. "But on land..."

He snapped his fingers. The glass chamber shifted. The creatures were moved into another enormous container. This one had no water.

The moment the water disappeared, their bodies began changing. The creatures screamed. It wasn’t a human scream. It was a horrible, agonizing sound that filled the entire hall.

Their fish-like tails began splitting apart. The flesh tore. Blood poured down their legs.

Several people covered their eyes. Others turned away.

Bonnie couldn’t look anymore. Ava covered her face with both hands.

The creatures continued screaming as their bodies slowly returned to their human forms. Their tails separated into legs. But the transformation was far from clean.

Blood covered the glass. Their bodies trembled violently. Their faces twisted in agony.

Finally, the process stopped. Two human beings remained inside the chamber. Barely conscious. Covered in blood.

The hall fell completely silent.

Then someone vomited. Another person retched and stumbled backward.

Bonnie lowered her hands from her face, staring at the creatures with tears gathering in her eyes. Her voice came out as a whisper.

"Oh God..."

She shook her head.

"Humans are done for."