Chapter 65: Anomalous Awakening

Zhang Kaitai’s awakening was rapid, yet violent. Almost the moment his body began to tremble, he suddenly hunched over and collapsed to the ground, a low, guttural roar rumbling from his throat.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to his transformation. Zhang Kaitai’s status and personal charisma were extraordinary; had he awakened a high-level bloodline ability, his influence would have grown significantly, drawing more awakened individuals to his side. If he had awakened earlier, the "Awakened Alliance" would never have formed within this group, and Gu Chengfang would not have dared to set up his own faction. The situation would have been vastly different.

The onlookers watched with bated breath, hoping that once Zhang Kaitai successfully awakened, he would reorganize the troops and lead them away from this perilous place. Only Professor Liu and Yang Weiguo wore expressions of unease—the Professor’s eyes were filled with doubt and contemplation, while Yang Weiguo’s gaze held a mixture of anticipation and sheer panic.

The transformation continued. As Zhang Kaitai bent over, his body suddenly began to swell. His clothes shredded in an instant, revealing skin the color of burnished bronze. To the crowd’s horror, coarse white fur began to sprout from his flesh. It grew with alarming speed, becoming longer and denser as his frame expanded, until he was completely covered, resembling a savage beast.

Professor Liu and Yang Weiguo’s expressions grew increasingly grim. Yang Weiguo opened his mouth several times, but the words failed to emerge. Suddenly, Zhang Kaitai let out an inhuman screech. A protrusion erupted from the crown of his head, and two bloody fissures tore open across his back, presenting a terrifying sight.

There were few people left gathered around them. Although many survivors still held onto hope for Zhang Kaitai’s leadership, they had lost the patience to wait as the situation grew dire. The area was far too dangerous, with giant insects and spider monsters prowling nearby. Ironically, the fleeing crowds had drawn the initial wave of spiders away, and the two giant insects had overlooked this spot, turning it into a temporary sanctuary.

The protrusion on Zhang Kaitai’s head elongated into a sharp, bony horn. From the bloody slits on his back, with two audible thuds, a pair of massive wings burst forth.

By now, Zhang Kaitai had swelled to over three meters in height and a meter in width. He stopped growing there, but save for the faint traces of human features on his face, he had become a colossal beast. The sight left the crowd in a panic. A horn, wings, and white fur—such an extreme awakening was unheard of. They had seen nearly a hundred awakened individuals, but never anything this monstrous. Was he even human anymore?

"Ah! It’s... it’s a Danger-Class!" one of Yang Weiguo’s subordinates suddenly screamed. "Run! Everyone, run!"

The soldier had recalled the transformation of Huang Xiaoxue in Dongfeng Town. Having witnessed her consume a Phantom Mushroom and devolve into a horrific monster, they had dubbed these anomalous, failed awakenings "Danger-Class"—meaning extremely lethal. Although Professor Liu had coined the term, he had initially assumed it was an isolated case and had not linked it to Zhang Kaitai until this very moment.

The soldier’s cry stunned the crowd. While Professor Liu, Yang Weiguo, and another veteran of Dongfeng Town understood, the others remained bewildered, scanning the surroundings for some unseen monster.

Professor Liu knew he had to speak. Although he hadn't seen Huang Xiaoxue’s transformation firsthand, the reports confirmed that such awakened beings lost all reason, becoming mindless killing machines. If Zhang Kaitai was truly like her, everyone remaining here was in mortal danger.

Before the Professor could speak, Zhang Kaitai’s transformation concluded. He threw his head back in a low roar, flapped his wings, and launched himself into the air. Flight was a coveted ability among the awakened, yet no one felt envy; the abnormality of his state was plain to all.

Zhang Kaitai’s aura was one of pure, violent rage. His eyes were blood-red, and he hissed mindlessly, his massive eyeballs scanning the crowd below, searching for prey.

"Attention, everyone! Division Commander Zhang’s awakening has failed and resulted in a mutation," Professor Liu shouted while retreating, pulled back by Yang Weiguo. "He has lost his sanity and become incredibly powerful. Be careful and prepare to flee at any moment!"

Those still gathered around Zhang Kaitai were his most loyal subordinates, men with deep emotional bonds to him. Professor Liu’s words fell on deaf ears. Even knowing he had become a monster beyond their comprehension, not one of them raised a weapon. They stood rooted to the spot, watching in sorrow.

"Go... you... you must... leave!"

Zhang Kaitai’s willpower was clearly stronger than Huang Xiaoxue’s had been. After taking flight, he forced himself to regain a flicker of clarity. The red in his eyes faded to a pale shade, though it was evident he was struggling to maintain it—a fleeting reprieve.

"Commander, what’s happened to you?"
"Commander, please, wake up!"

"We won't leave! The city is gone, the army is gone, our families are gone. If you abandon us too, what is the point of living? We’ll stay here and escape this hellish world with you. We’d rather die by your hand than be eaten by those monsters!" The crowd sobbed, the awakened among them losing all hope in the world.

"Leave! All of you, leave! Go!"

Zhang Kaitai’s eyes began to glow red once more. With his final vestige of sanity, he let out a guttural, incoherent roar. He reached out with a clawed hand, snatched a satchel of explosives from a nearby soldier, and soared high into the sky.