Chapter 115: Closing Shop and Lockdown (Part One)

It was nearly one in the morning when Ji Yu sat up in bed once again.

The moment he rose, his first instinct was to check his gaming status panel.

【Player Status】
【Good】
【Life Level: 2】
【Constitution: 24.99 (Cap 5)】 ×5
【Height: 1.82 meters (Cap 2.5 meters)】 ×2
【Age: 26 years (Cap 150 years)】 ×2
【Trait ①: Consciousness Enhancement (Low)】
【Trait ②: Nature Affinity (Medium)】
【Trait ③: Vigorous Vitality (Medium)】
【Trait ④: Power Burst (Medium)】
【Trait ⑤: Mimic Water Form (Medium)】
【Trait ⑥: Life Grafting (High)】
【Trait ⑦: Cellular Memory (High)】
【New Trait Acquired: Airflow Manipulation (Medium)】 (Sensing and controlling airflow to circulate around the body for both offense and defense, or utilizing airflow to achieve flight.)

On the digital panel, Ji Yu remained stuck at the limit of a Level 2 lifeform. However, thanks to the evolution of the olm, he had successfully gained the Airflow Manipulation trait. Moreover, this medium-level trait, when applied to Ji Yu, was sufficient to lift him off the ground—at least, that is what the notes indicated.

"I can fly?"

A flash of surprise crossed Ji Yu's face, though he quickly suppressed his excitement. After all, he was in a bustling city; if he were to dash out and test his flight right now, he would surely cause quite a stir. This was no joke. The Wuyang International Airport was located only ten kilometers away. The area where Ji Yu lived had strict height restrictions for all residential buildings, and drones were completely prohibited. If a full-grown human were to fly through the sky, he would likely be detected by radar in no time.

"I've been playing this game for over two months now, yet I still lack patience."

Ji Yu felt helpless regarding his own excitement. Such was his temperament—lacking composure—but the less composed one is, the more self-control is required. When it came to self-control, Ji Yu considered himself fairly decent. After reviewing his data panel, he rose and headed toward the bathroom to wash up.

However, as he passed his computer desk, he noticed the notification light on his phone blinking. Picking it up, he unlocked the screen. The messages were all from Ma Hongyu.

"Brother Ji, it looks like our pet shop won't be able to open."

"We received a notice from the neighborhood office this afternoon. All commercial shops within a five-kilometer radius of the Food Street must close. According to the officials, this decision was made just this morning."

"Of course, the reason they gave is quite intriguing."

"They claim a new type of acute infectious disease has been discovered on the Food Street. Now, all surrounding areas must be disinfected, and everyone is required to evacuate and be placed in centralized quarantine."

"Seeing this, Brother Ji, can you smell something fishy? Haha, an infectious disease? Give me a break, it's so frustrating!"

"But the authorities are putting on a convincing act. The two shop assistants and I are currently quarantined in the southern suburbs of Wuyang. What a nightmare."

"It's fortunate you weren't at the shop today, Brother Ji; otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to escape either. Sigh, what bad luck."

"..."

There were many messages from Ma Hongyu, mostly complaints. Ji Yu frowned deeply. The shop closing was a minor issue, but he could read between the lines of the official response. The influence of the "Realms" was growing, and the authorities were beginning to adopt more aggressive containment measures. Since a new Realm had formed at the Food Street, the official reaction was perhaps understandable.

Lost in thought, Ji Yu opened the news app on his phone. He suspected that if such measures were being taken at the Food Street, other cities might not be spared.

"As I thought!" Ji Yu murmured.

The moment he opened the app, news of the "new infectious disease" dominated the entire trending list.

"New infectious disease discovered at Wuyang City Food Street; area under emergency lockdown!"

"New infectious disease carrier found in Xinyang City; area under emergency lockdown!"

"New infectious disease carrier found in Qiubao Village, Northern Province; area under emergency lockdown!"

"..."

"What is this new virus? Professor Fang Yongyan explains it live—must watch!"

"The new virus is aggressive. Please, anyone who has been to the affected areas must report to the local epidemic prevention departments and undergo quarantine!"

"Do not hide or omit information; cherish your health and care for your family!"

"..."

The trending list was completely flooded with similar reports. This level of activity was comparable to the scene two years ago when the authorities announced the dangers of the Purple Moon radiation. In a single day, the entirety of Ryan seemed to have changed, and anxious discourse began to spread across the internet.

Ji Yu clicked on a post with the most comments. Almost without exception, the tone was pessimistic, filled with conspiracy theories.

WaldenLake52hd: "My god, how did I wake up feeling like the apocalypse is here? This reminds me of when they announced the Purple Moon pollution—it’s too similar. I highly suspect this disease is related to the Purple Moon."

DreamSpiritStar: "I can't help but agree. This disease appeared way too suddenly, didn't it? And the scale is so large. It's hard to believe it's not related to the Purple Moon. I think the virus has just become more vicious due to the pollution."

FlyingWingSkySea: "You lot know nothing. There is no such thing as an infectious disease. This show is just to fool ignorant people like you. The real reason is *******."

ReincarnationHeart: "Wait, what? Why is the text above all asterisks? Is that person okay? Anyone there?"

LeisurelyShow: "Stop asking. The person above is already on their way to 'have tea' with the authorities. I’m an insider, but I can't say anything. Although it seems like speech has loosened up a bit lately, there are still things you just can't talk about."

TomatoFriedRice: "??? What are you playing at? Riddlers? Can you riddlers just drop dead? If you've already said this much, what are you afraid of? Keep talking!"

LittleBugPack: "Spreading rumors is illegal, youngsters. I advise you to behave yourselves."

CureForContrarians: "Exactly. Ever since the Purple Moon appeared, the internet has been full of rumors. Years ago, people were saying the apocalypse was here, and look what happened? It’s been two years, and I don't see any apocalypse. 'Insider'? They’re just marketing accounts looking for attention."

"..."