Chapter 38 - 37: The Ugly Duckling Phenomenon
Finding a single duck in a vast country is an incredibly difficult task.
But this strange duck was outrageously bold.
It began a killing spree on farms everywhere, targeting only ducks and the farm owners.
At first, whenever the strange duck saw a farm, it would charge right in. If there were ducks, it would kill them all, then kill any farm owners who resisted.
If there were neither, it would leave without looking back.
Later on, it grew more experienced, discovering that farm owners would always come out and interfere when it attacked the ducks.
So, it learned strategy.
Whenever it arrived at a farm, it started making noises behind the farmhouse door, ambushing the owner when they came out to investigate the strange sound.
Only after killing the farm owner would it brazenly attack the farm’s ducks.
It was learning.
Moreover, the Hunters discovered that it wouldn’t bother anyone who wasn’t a farm owner, unless that person tried to stop it.
On one farm, a Hunter had dressed in the owner’s clothes and stayed inside, lying in wait. But by morning, a whole flock of ducks was dead, yet the strange duck had ignored the Hunter.
At the same time, the Hunters also found that the strange duck didn’t harm the families living with the farm owners, and it ignored any witnesses who spotted it on the road.
After numerous tests, researchers discovered that this duck possessed a kind of absolute identification ability, allowing it to determine a person’s "farm owner" and "duck farmer" status.
Only individuals who possessed both of these attributes simultaneously were targeted by the duck.
After understanding the duck’s attack patterns, the Hunters finally managed to ambush the strange duck at a farm that met the criteria.
At the new crime scene, the Hunters discovered that the duck-like features of the strange duck’s appearance had undergone a wondrous transformation.
An elegant white plume had grown on its head. The feathers on its wings were firm and stiff, and its snow-white plumage reflected specks of light like a field of stars, resembling shimmering, fine gem sand.
Its downy feathers swayed gently in the breeze, so soft one could almost imagine their feel. Its musculature, framed by elegant curves, no longer seemed out of place.
Its eyes were dark and bright, and its gaze toward the Hunters held a sacred, noble air. Its features were simply too ostentatious.
Discovering the Hunters’ ambush, it didn’t press the attack. Instead, it dodged and weaved, evading their strikes before escaping the encirclement.
Utterly brilliant.
When the Hunters gave chase, they were led into a swamp and trapped. Meanwhile, the creature doubled back and slaughtered every last duck on the farm.
The Hunters, finally fed up, requested a slew of high-tech sniper rifles and traps from the research department. They found another farm and set a new trap.
At last, unable to stand alone against them, the strange duck was hunted down and killed by the Hunters. Its body was sent to the research department’s dissection table.
But the autopsy results and DNA analysis left all the researchers scratching their heads.
The strange duck was not one of the Abyssal Creatures.
It was a white swan...
Documenting it as an Abyssal Creature would at least give it a proper name. But if the truth were made public, neither the Hunters nor the families of the victimized farm owners would ever accept it.
’What? You’re telling me a white swan can strategize, use Magic attacks, and identify a person’s "attributes"?’
Thus, a relic phenomenon known as the "Ugly Duckling Phenomenon" was born.
As for which relic was responsible, the researchers had no idea.
The answer was always "unknown" or "undefined." It wasn’t as if this was the only such relic phenomenon from the Great Cataclysm.
The record didn’t end there.
Mo Ling continued to read.
A "mantis" that wiped out a village’s entire locust population.
A "bald eagle" that slaughtered an island’s entire seagull population.
And a "silverback gorilla" that caused the extinction of all the monkey troops on an entire mountain range.
...
All of these incidents were categorized under the "Ugly Duckling Phenomenon" collection due to their similar characteristics.
"Born from the offspring of a certain species, it harbors intense hostility toward its source species. It will transform into a similar creature, evolve various abilities, and slaughter the source species."
"The term ’source species’ has multiple definitions. It can refer to the parent species, or what the subject perceives as its parent."
This was the researchers’ definitive explanation of the "Ugly Duckling Phenomenon" in the record.
They also made a judgment on the ugly duckling’s slaughter of farm owners, theorizing that it may have also perceived the farm owners as its parents after its birth.
But as for why it was so fixated on the "farm owner" and "duck farmer" statuses, there were too few examples for the researchers to reach a definitive conclusion.
This phenomenon still appears frequently today, and research is ongoing.
The record ended here.
After reading the record, Mo Ling felt it perfectly matched the little lamb’s behavior.
Its special offensive abilities, and especially the way it had deliberately left and returned—it was probably preparing to search for other flocks of Broken Tree Sheep.
His eyes lit up, and he quickly had Li Luo inform Captain Su and the others about this.
After Li Luo told Captain Su about the "Ugly Duckling Phenomenon," Captain Su was at first incredulous, but after checking the file, he nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, it fits perfectly."
After reading the record, Captain Su also asked Li Luo, "Between the Red Rope Worm’s properties and the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon’s, which one takes precedence?"
Li Luo couldn’t answer that question; no one had ever seen a case like this.
But one thing was certain: the little lamb had gained both the immortal healing ability granted by the Red Rope Worm and the nonsensically powerful evolutionary ability from the Ugly Duckling Phenomenon.
"This is tough. For this kind of incident involving multiple relics and creatures, there’s basically no precedent. We can only take it one step at a time," Captain Su said in a heavy voice, realizing the severity of the situation.
"Besides, creatures like this are far too dangerous. We have to find a way to deal with it as soon as possible." Captain Su sighed. "We need to go down and take a look."
Captain Su was very experienced in handling matters and quickly arranged things on-site.
One group of people stayed behind to stand guard and clean up the scene, while a message was sent to the outpost requesting reinforcements.
With the riot suppressed, travel within the sealed-off area became much smoother. Before long, soldiers who had rushed over surrounded the cave entrance.
Several probes were sent down into the cave. Although the video feed from each one eventually blurred and disappeared, they managed to map a 3D image of the entire tunnel.
"Captain Su, the exit is at a depth of about 1,500 meters, still within the sealed-off zone."
"Understood. What’s the damage report on the probes?" Captain Su pressed.
"No damage. One hundred percent integrity."
"Have you finished analyzing the cave’s composition? Any hazardous materials?"
"Just ordinary fungi, similar to shiitake mushrooms. They’re even edible." A soldier walked to the cave entrance, sliced off a fleshy piece, and handed it to the captain.
Captain Su took it and sniffed. He then announced loudly to the surrounding soldiers, "Those who are willing to go down, get ready. In ten minutes, if the probes are still undamaged, we move out."
"I’ll take the lead myself." Captain Su’s voice was full of authority.
The soldiers, who had just witnessed their comrade being split in two, said nothing. They silently began to check their gear and packs.
Li Luo looked at the Block.
Mo Ling also controlled the Block, making it tremble in a semblance of a nod.
The two of them had reached a silent understanding.