The corpse was covered in dense, writhing spikes. The tips of these spikes had been cut off by demon hunters with scissors to prevent medical personnel from being pricked.
Inside the opened abdominal cavity were a large number of golden glandular tissues, which were the gonads of sea urchins.
In addition to these glands, there were some disgusting black-red liquids. As for the human's own internal organs, they had atrophied to become smaller than those of chickens or ducks.
A distinct sweet and fresh aroma, typical of seafood, emanated from the dissected body, making Wen Wen feel a little nauseous. He was immensely grateful that he hadn't eaten those sea urchins at the restaurant back then.
The doctors discussed intensely as they dissected. Even facing such a patient, they were helpless. With their internal organs having atrophied to that extent, there was no way to save them.
Therefore, their current discussion focused on how to rescue patients who were not yet too deeply infected.
After a brief observation, Wen Wen left the courtyard and began searching for the information he wanted.
Regardless of the Hunter Association's location, their camps were set up according to fixed specifications. So, Wen Wen infiltrated the assembled prefabricated houses and began to stealthily examine the data on this plague.
The doctors had named this plague "Sea Urchin Syndrome"!
The spikes on the patients carried a special virus. As long as this virus entered the bloodstream, it would cause this disease. This virus had not been found in wild sea urchins.
The doctors had already developed a vaccine for this disease, but there was no cure for those already infected.
Superpowered individuals had a very strong resistance to this virus, and there had been no cases of superpowered individuals being infected so far.
All the residents of Biyi Town had been contaminated with this virus…
Merely looking at the patient data made Wen Wen feel unwell, a sensation more uncomfortable than facing a life-or-death crisis.
He couldn't imagine the despair of those people gradually turning into sea urchins.
Previously, Wen Wen had avoided handling such cases because he was not accustomed to this scope. His cases were usually simple and brutal: beat down the troublemakers, and the problem was solved.
However, many supernatural cases were not so easily resolved. Hellish scenes like this ongoing plague were the norm when the hidden world invaded reality.
Incredibly cruel, yet incredibly real and terrifying!
Looking at the patient data, Wen Wen's mood became incredibly heavy, as if he had entered a strange state.
Suddenly, he felt his temples begin to throb, his heart pounding violently, and his skin slightly reddening, as if something was about to surge from the depths of his body, as if it were about to bloom!
Wen Wen became excited. This might be a sign of awakening superpowers!
But unfortunately, the signs seemed insufficient. The feeling quickly vanished without a trace, and looking at the data again did not rouse Wen Wen's impulse.
After a moment of hesitation, Wen Wen put down the materials he hadn't finished reading and rubbed his forehead.
"It seems I came to the right place. However, to awaken superpowers, this level of stimulation isn't enough. I should delve deeper into the town."
So, Wen Wen unhesitatingly left the Hunter Association's camp, no longer looking at the ready-made data the association had compiled.
Having prior knowledge of what was there would not provide Wen Wen with enough stimulation. The unknown was the most terrifying.
Next, Wen Wen found a black cloth to cover himself, preparing to head to the center of Biyi Town.
With a slight disguise, his normal human appearance would not attract the attention of the infected.
Around Biyi Town, armed personnel in protective suits and holding riot shields had completely surrounded the town center, preventing the infected residents from moving freely in or out.
"It seems these infected individuals are not very powerful; they can be suppressed by mere assistants..."
However, it was clear that their protection was not thorough. The old man Wen Wen had encountered earlier was likely from this town.
Finding a gap, Wen Wen easily slipped into the town. Upon entering, his mood inexplicably darkened. The people here were shrouded in immense despair.
This despair was so palpable that Wen Wen could clearly sense it even without relying on his physical senses.
All human emotions carried power. An individual might be insignificant, but when thousands of people shared the same emotion, that power would be quite pronounced.
There were no assistants in the town. Like the old man who wanted to attack Wen Wen, the people here likely had the urge to attack others.
Having transformed into this state themselves, they wanted others to share their fate.
Wen Wen couldn't tell if this was driven by the virus or by the dark side of human nature exposed by despair.
On the streets, both men and women sat in chairs by their doorways, basking greedily in the sun. They all bore the horrifying spikes to varying degrees.
Each person had a small bucket beside them. When the spikes dried out, they would pour water on them, indicating that these sea urchin-like bodies needed constant watering to maintain their vitality.
The sight of so many people sitting on the street waiting for death made Wen Wen's heart heavy. However, having already reviewed the data, such scenes no longer provided sufficient stimulation for him.
Even with the black cloth covering him, Wen Wen's presence on the street attracted the attention of the sunbathing infected.
Two townsfolk, whose transformation into sea urchins was even more severe than the patient dissected by the medical team, stood up from their chairs and walked towards Wen Wen.
Their limbs had begun to degenerate, and long, black spikes aided their movement. They left marks like those made by an awl wherever they passed.
It appeared that the marks Wen Wen had seen earlier were left by patients who had reached this stage.
Seeing the spikes coming at him, Wen Wen narrowed his eyes, tapped his toes, and leaped high into the air, dodging their lunge.
However, his evasion seemed to enrage these infected individuals. The townsfolk slowly approached, intending to stab Wen Wen with their spikes.
But their movements were very slow, and Wen Wen easily dodged them. Even with more of them, they couldn't catch Wen Wen.
After dodging for a while, Wen Wen's eyes flashed, and then he suddenly stopped, allowing a sea urchin-like girl to embrace him.
He gently patted her back, as if comforting the poor girl.
The girl showed no reaction to Wen Wen's actions. After embracing him for a while, she slowly moved away and returned to her doorway to continue sunbathing.
The other sea urchin-like individuals also calmed down.