"So it's like this, as long as they're recognized as the same kind, they won't attack..."
"Looking at it this way, their behavior pattern is somewhat similar to zombies. If it were to spread, it would be a very terrifying plague. However, more than ten days have passed, and this island hasn't been sealed off, and the plague remains confined to the island."
After being embraced by the girl, Wen Wen was already considered one of them by the infected, so Wen Wen moved around here without any hindrance.
However, the spikes on their bodies couldn't even pierce Wen Wen's containment uniform.
Not to mention that Wen Wen had scratched his entire body with a back scratcher, so even without the containment uniform, these spikes couldn't break through Wen Wen's skin.
The scene of a bunch of sea urchin people lunging at Wen Wen earlier would have scared most people into fainting, but Wen Wen was not most people. Such a scene was less stimulating to him than watching those infected individuals who could only wait for death.
After being recognized as companions by these sea urchin people, Wen Wen's movements became much easier.
He spent an afternoon exploring every corner of the town, gaining a better understanding of it.
The entire town had a population of several thousand people, and everyone was infected with Sea Urchin Syndrome. Those who were not infected had likely been rescued by the Hunter Association.
The smell in the town was even more intense and nauseating than that of a seafood market.
Besides the sea urchin people, there were no other domestic animals in the town. Only occasionally could one see pale bones and animal skins stained with dried blood.
These domestic animals were probably completely wiped out. It was unclear whether they were eaten by the infected in the town or dealt with by something else.
If it were the infected, it would be understandable. But if it were something else, it would mean that the town was even more dangerous than it appeared.
However, those corpses also indirectly indicated that only humans contracted Sea Urchin Syndrome. Otherwise, there would definitely be some strange creatures like sea urchin chickens, ducks, and geese in the town.
The infected generally did not engage in much activity. They just stood there blankly and did not react to any stimuli unless an uninfected person appeared.
Therefore, the Hunter Association did not rate the danger posed by these infected individuals very highly, which was why they dispatched a medical team to observe them slowly. Otherwise, they would have leveled the area with heavy firepower long ago.
But Wen Wen had a feeling that the problem in this town was definitely not just these infected with Sea Urchin Syndrome!
As the sun gradually set, Wen Wen sat on a chimney, feeling somewhat melancholic.
As his investigation progressed, the stimulation from these sea urchin infected people became weaker and weaker, and he did not find any other abnormalities in the town.
"It seems that this plague will only stimulate me to this extent. Even if I stay here longer, I won't awaken my abilities. I remember there's a strange plague in the southeast that needs a wayfarer to deal with..."
Just as he was about to leave, Wen Wen suddenly noticed that the assistants surrounding the town were withdrawing in an orderly manner, returning to the camp Wen Wen had visited during the day.
"They're not managing this place at night? Aren't they afraid that some infected might escape under the cover of darkness?"
"No, perhaps something will happen here at night..."
Then, Wen Wen found that not only were the assistants outside withdrawing, but the behavior patterns of the infected in the town had also changed to some extent.
Those townsfolk whose sea urchin transformation was too severe to discern their human form still sat on the streets, their eyes vacant as if waiting to die.
But those whose sea urchin transformation was less severe had more spirited eyes and hurried back to their rooms, locking their doors and windows, as if something would appear in the dead of night, and locking their doors and windows would be enough to keep it out.
Then, smoke rose from the chimneys, and those infected were cooking!
Wen Wen stood up from the chimney, a peculiar light flashing in his eyes: "Indeed, the state of this plague is different during the day and at night..."
"And these townsfolk seem to have regained their sanity at night and need to eat normally. Should I find a family to inquire about the situation?"
Before he could proceed, an anomaly occurred by the sea. The sound of the waves hitting the sea urchins seemed to grow louder, and dark shadows appeared along the coast.
Beneath the dark sea surface, there seemed to be an incredibly vast black shadow, subtly writhing, making the atmosphere somewhat oppressive.
When this oppression reached its peak, the calm sea surface instantly boiled, and white mist rose from the sea, covering the entire town.
The entire town was now shrouded in mist!
"This mist is just ordinary water vapor, but it signifies that something is about to emerge from the sea."
The mist obscured his vision, making it difficult for Wen Wen to see the situation at sea from such a distance. He could only hear some messy sounds, as if many small creatures were crawling!
After a while, Wen Wen finally saw what those things were. They were a dense mass of sea urchins!
The mist provided a humid environment for the sea urchins, allowing them to crawl freely even in the dry conditions on land.
These sea urchins were large, black, and shiny, with very vibrant spikes, just like the sea urchins Wen Wen had seen in restaurants!
The ground of the entire town was covered by these dense sea urchins. With such a massive number of sea urchins, it was no wonder that the sea urchins in Gaozhou City had recently dropped to the price of cabbage.
However, since the Hunter Association could tolerate these sea urchins appearing on dining tables, it could basically be proven that these sea urchins did not carry the virus.
Now Wen Wen understood why the Hunter Association's camp was built on a hilltop and why the townsfolk hid in their houses.
Because once night fell, this town became the domain of sea urchins!
Although the Hunter Association and the townsfolk had made preparations, some infected people still sat on the streets without any defense. The sea urchin swarm crawled onto the bodies of the infected, seemingly getting close to them.
Then, Wen Wen witnessed a horrifying scene.
A plump townsfolk, after being covered by the sea urchins, suddenly exploded. From his body's yellow sea urchin gonads, small sea urchins began to emerge!
These miniature sea urchins were each only the size of a fingernail, and one infected person could produce tens of thousands of them!
The miniature sea urchins attached themselves to the surrounding larger sea urchins and would retreat to the water surface during the day to grow naturally...
Wen Wen felt that he had found the reason for the recent abundant sea urchin harvest. All those sea urchins were produced by these patients infected with Sea Urchin Syndrome!
Wen Wen felt a bit nauseous now. Fortunately, the sea urchins he ordered back then were all eaten by San Zai'er, and from now on, Wen Wen would probably never eat sea urchins again.
The scene of the infected person transforming into countless small sea urchins gave Wen Wen a huge jolt. The impulse he had felt before reappeared!
And this time, the intensity was several times greater than before, almost bursting Wen Wen apart!