Chapter 24

Chunan did not speak. Clearly, Yuan Tengfei and Su Yao, who had managed to return alive, had thought of using the green smoke to attract others, then gather everyone's strength to return to Jiangtian City together.

As for his claim that they had escaped by luck, Chunan did not quite believe it. Looking at these two, Chunan had a vague feeling that they were not ordinary.

"Can you be more specific about what kind of dangers you encountered?" Tang Sanli asked.

Yuan Tengfei's expression turned serious, and he smiled bitterly, "That area is incredibly strange, with a large number of zombie-like creatures and undead beings gathered there. It's very troublesome. Without gathering a considerable number of people, we can't get through."

"Undead beings?" Chunan and Tang Sanli, among others, were taken aback.

The term "zombie-like creatures" was easy to understand, referring to those mutated monsters. But what were "undead beings"?

Yuan Tengfei laughed a bit awkwardly and said, "It's like this. We came up with these names after discussing it. If a zombie-like creature evolves and gains a certain level of intelligence, we call it an 'undead being.' This name fits well with our 'awakened beings.'"

Chunan was stunned, immediately thinking of the special zombie-like creature he had encountered in the ruins of the health center yesterday, which had a partially destroyed face, possessed a certain level of intelligence, and had killed several people. If not for his adrenaline surge, he would not have been a match for it. Its pineal gland was also different, containing several times the genetic force of a regular zombie-like creature.

Could it be that this zombie-like creature evolved from a regular zombie-like creature, and according to Yuan Tengfei's naming, should be called an "undead being"?

"Zombie-like creatures, undead beings... awakened beings..." Chunan muttered to himself.

Su Yao glanced at him and said, "As for the 'awakened beings,' it refers to the humans who are still alive. If they activate their genetic center and gain the power to control adrenaline secretion, they are called 'awakened beings.' A first-level genetic center means a first-level awakened being."

"The name 'awakened being' is quite good," Chunan nodded, thinking that since he now had a second-level genetic center, according to this naming principle, he should be a second-level awakened being.

Su Yao looked somewhat proud and said, "Of course, I came up with these names. I've read a lot of fantasy, science fiction, and post-apocalyptic novels. These names are inspired by those novels. What do you think, do they fit?"

Chunan nodded, thinking that since Su Yao could mention terms like first-level genetic center and adrenaline control, she must have at least a first-level genetic center, and might even be a second-level like himself.

However, these things couldn't be seen from the outside, so he didn't know whether Yuan Tengfei and Su Yao were awakened or to what level. Of course, they couldn't see Chunan's level either.

Tang Sanli asked, "If a dog becomes very powerful and monstrous, should it be called an 'undead being' or an 'awakened being'?"

Chunan glanced at him, knowing he was referring to Can Ear.

Su Yao thought seriously for a moment and said, "That would be an animal mutation, which can be called a 'mutant' or 'mutated species.'"

Yuan Tengfei laughed and said, "Good, good, this name fits well. Everyone, come over and rest. We'll gather more people today and spend the night here. We'll set out tomorrow."

Yin Yiping was surprised, "More than twenty people are not enough? How many zombie-like creatures... zombie-like beings are there?"

Yuan Tengfei smiled bitterly and held up three fingers, "A three-digit number. Without thorough preparation, it would be a suicide mission."

The others drew in a sharp breath. A three-digit number meant at least a hundred such zombie-like creatures, possibly even several hundred.

Chunan's eyes sparkled. So many zombie-like creatures made him feel a surge of excitement. "On our way here, we saw many bodies with their backs split open, exposing the spine. Do you know how they died?"

"What?" Yuan Tengfei was taken aback, exchanging a glance with Su Yao, then both shook their heads.

"If not by zombie-like creatures, they must have been killed by some other kind of mutant," Yuan Tengfei finally said, voicing his guess.

Chunan nodded, which matched his own guess, but he didn't know what kind of mutant had killed these people.

The group rested on the spot. According to Yuan Tengfei's plan, they would gather more people here and then launch an attack the next day to clear the only route to Jiangtian City.

They cleared out the zombie-like creatures in the collapsed buildings, finding pots, pans, and some food.

Everyone divided the tasks. Some cut green branches, others started a fire and used the burning green branches to create thick smoke to attract more people. A few patrolled the area to prevent any unexpected situations. Others prepared food and boiled water. When Chunan and the others arrived, drinking the first hot water in days made them quite excited.

Qi Ling and Jin Qianqian, the two girls, helped with the cooking. They found many buried ingredients in the ruins, even rice, and used a pressure cooker to cook.

The only regret was that the power was out, so they could only cook over a fire.

It had been two days since the earthquake, and most phones had automatically shut down due to lack of power. Su Yao had a power bank, which could charge phones, but the phones could only be used as watches to check the time or date.

All phones had no signal.

Taking advantage of the time, Chunan did not idle. He searched through the pile of zombie-like creature bodies moved to one side and found that the originally withered pineal glands in their heads had mostly melted, leaving only traces.

"What are you looking for?" A voice suddenly came from behind.

Chunan turned around to see a middle-aged man with glasses, who looked like a scholar. The thick lenses suggested he had high myopia.

"Nothing," Chunan shook his head.

The middle-aged man said, "The pineal gland, also known as the pineal body, epiphysis cerebri, or the 'third eye' of humans, is responsible for producing melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythms. It is shaped like a small pine cone, hence its name, and is located near the center of the brain, between the two hemispheres, encased in the junction of the two round thalami."

The middle-aged man finished in one breath, using all professional terms, leaving Chunan somewhat surprised.

"However, the key point I want to make is not these," the middle-aged man smiled and continued, "The secretion activities of the pineal gland are only partially understood. Historically, its deep location in the brain has inspired philosophers to recognize its unique importance. This association has led to the pineal gland being surrounded by myths, superstitions, and mystical theories about its understood functions."

"Rene Descartes, who spent much time studying the pineal gland, called it the 'seat of the soul.' He believed it was the point of connection between the mind and the body."

"Descartes said, 'My view is that this gland is the principal seat of the soul and the place in which all our thoughts are formed. The reason I think this is that I cannot find any part of the brain that is not double. Since we use both eyes to see an object and both ears to hear a sound, and we never have more than one thought at a time, it must be that the impressions from both eyes or both ears, and from other places, are unified in the body before the soul considers them. Now, there is no other place in the entire head where this can happen except this gland, and it is in the most suitable position for this purpose, being in the center of all the concavities. It is also supported and surrounded by the small branches of the carotid arteries, which bring the soul into the brain.'"

"In some ancient sects, the pineal gland is believed to allow a person to communicate with the divine."

Chunan frowned and said, "You're telling me this... because..."

The middle-aged man said, "You must have your own views on the pineal gland, right?" A smile appeared on his face, as if waiting for Chunan's response.

Chunan smiled bitterly, clearly the middle-aged man had assumed he was searching for the pineal glands in the zombie-like creatures' heads, so he had given this long explanation.

"Research on the pineal gland has never stopped in various countries, but the current technology is limited, and much of it is based on speculation. In ancient prehistoric legends, there were humans with a third eye, who possessed unimaginable powers. Considering what we are experiencing now, perhaps the secrets of the pineal gland will be revealed in modern times."

Chunan paused and said, "Of course, this is just one perspective."

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "Very interesting, please continue."

Chunan nodded and continued, "What we call the 'third eye' of the pineal gland might be called a genetic center. Genes are the basic units of heredity. Since the pineal gland is possibly a degenerated organ inherited from ancient humans, it cannot be separated from genetics."

The middle-aged man said, "Indeed, over the past two days, I have also been thinking and researching in this area. Perhaps the so-called pineal gland, or the 'third eye,' is actually a lock or a gene bank, storing various genetic information from ancient times to the present. Of course, in the bodies of ordinary people, 95% to 98% of the DNA is considered 'junk DNA,' which does not encode any proteins or enzymes and is currently inactive in the human body. There is now a view that these 'junk DNA' regions, which occupy most of the genome, may not be a graveyard of genes but rather an unrecognized treasure, dormant in our bodies. Perhaps one day, when these dormant genes are awakened, humans will embark on a new path of evolution."