Mutant awakening: My evolution knows no bounds

Chapter 170 Troubled town

Charleston cleared his throat, the room falling into an expectant silence before he finally spoke.

"Speak," he commanded in a cracked voice, his tone heavy with authority despite the strain.

"Still no sign of the creatures that emerged from the eggs, sir," a young man seated in the room reported firmly. "I instructed the Rotors to search both the Cursed Rocks and Spring Island, but there's still no trace of them."

"Damn it," Charleston muttered, running a hand over his weary face. His brows furrowed deeply as worry etched itself onto his features. "Where could they have gone? The eggs hatched recently, which means whatever was inside is still a baby. They couldn't have gone far."

"I warned you, Leader!" came the sharp interjection from Pius, a middle-aged man seated at the corner of the table. His grizzled face was twisted in frustration, and his voice carried a biting edge. "We should have destroyed those eggs the moment we found them. They were unlike anything we've ever seen before, and now they're gone—and whatever hatched from them is loose out there. This could be catastrophic! The creatures might be dangerous!"

Charleston shot him a glare, his lips curling slightly as if to suppress his irritation. "Those eggs were found in our cave—an undiscovered type, unknown to anyone else. If we'd taken them to one of the Eternal Families, we could have earned enough tokens to develop this entire town!"

"Then why didn't you take them to the Eternal Families sooner?" Pius snapped, his fist slamming onto the wooden table with enough force to make the room reverberate. "Why did you wait?"

Charleston sat in silence for a moment, his fingers drumming on the table as tension thickened in the air.

"Mind your tone, Pius," he finally warned, his voice low and menacing. "I am still the leader here."

Pius let out a frustrated grumble but refrained from pushing further. Charleston shifted his attention back to the young man.

"Collins, did you find anything else? Any sign or clue that might indicate what the creatures are or where they've gone?"

"Nothing so far," Collins replied, his tone steady but tinged with unease. "The Rotors didn't find any footprints near the cave—or anywhere else in town, for that matter. It's as if they disappeared into thin air. Maybe they traveled through the air or something."

Gasps rippled through the room, and everyone exchanged shocked glances.

"A creature with wings?!" a woman blurted out, her voice rising in a mixture of disbelief and fear.

"Even if they're mutants with wings, wouldn't they be too young to have developed them?" Charleston asked, his voice lowering as though he were speaking to himself.

"That's what I thought at first," Collins replied thoughtfully. "But these eggs weren't normal. They were completely different from anything we've encountered before. That likely means their growth patterns are different as well. Their evolution might be instantaneous—either right after hatching or even while they were still inside the eggs."

"We shouldn't panic," interjected Annie, a woman seated to Charleston's left. Her voice was calm but carried an undertone of unease. "So far, there haven't been any deaths or complaints from the townsfolk. Maybe these creatures are peaceful and don't mean any harm."

Charleston nodded slowly, as though trying to convince himself. "You're right, Annie. We can't jump to conclusions or let fear take over. There's still so much we don't know. Perhaps these creatures really are peacefu—"

His words were cut off as the doors to the meeting room suddenly burst open with a loud crash. All heads turned sharply toward the source of the commotion.

A man stumbled inside, panting heavily and drenched in sweat. He was clad in a long black robe, and a red bandana was tied around his head, soaked through with moisture. His face was pale, his eyes wide with terror.

"What's the matter, Matt?" Charleston demanded, sitting up straighter. His sharp gaze locked onto the man who had just barged in.

Matt was a member of the Rotors, soldiers tasked with defending Willow Springs Town and hunting down mutants in distant realms. His presence, especially in such a state, sent a wave of unease rippling through the room.

"I followed your orders, sir," Matt began, his voice shaky and breathless. "I took ten Rotors with me to Spring Island to search it again."

Charleston's expression hardened, sensing the fear in Matt's voice. "And? Did you find anything this time?"

"They're all dead, sir." Matt's voice cracked, and the room erupted in a collective gasp. "Every single one of them. Not just the men—but the women and children, too! Their bodies were torn apart, their organs missing. The entire island... it was drenched in blood!"

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A heavy silence blanketed the room as the full weight of Matt's words settled in. Faces paled, breaths quickened, and eyes darted nervously.

"What... what the hell?" Charleston stammered, his voice trembling. "Do you speak the truth, Matt?"

"Yes, sir!" Matt replied with a trembling bow, his body shaking as he stood.

Charleston's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles white. "Did you see what did this? Any sign or clue? A description of the attackers?"

Matt shook his head, his terror plain on his face. "When we arrived, they were already dead. There wasn't a single survivor. And whatever killed them was gone long before we got there. But I'm certain—it was the creatures from those eggs. They're the ones who did it!"

Charleston's mind raced. Spring Island had some of the highest-graded mutant ability users in the entire region. If even they couldn't survive, what chance did we have if those creatures decided to come here?

Collins broke the heavy silence, his voice grim but resolute. "We need to prepare for war, sir. Gather all the Rotors and any citizen with at least a Grade 2 skill slot. We'll need every bit of help we can get." He hesitated, then added cautiously, "And I strongly suggest you contact your daughter, Kara."

Charleston exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. Collins was right—there was no time to waste.

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A/N: Vote with your Golden Tickets and Power Stones!