Chapter 9: The Natural Enemies of Living Things

Ouyang Xing frowned as he scrutinized the documents, and the others wore similarly troubled expressions.

The page before him detailed the measures taken by the chemical defense unit to treat these patients: the administration of the most potent broad-spectrum antibiotics, surgeries performed by the most skilled surgeons, and the most meticulous nursing care and vital sign monitoring. It was no exaggeration to say that they had reached the current limits of medical science.

Yet, it was all to no avail.

The reason lay in the fact that humanity had never encountered such a severe *Aspergillus* infection before—or rather, such a thing was thought to be impossible. Consequently, facing this unknown enemy, humanity was utterly helpless.

"The immediate priority should be to study the pathogenesis of this fungal infection—how it infects—and then develop targeted medication," a senior student suggested after a moment of deliberation.

The others reacted in turn: "That's right. Since there aren't many patients, we should spare no cost to develop some targeted special drugs..."

Academician Qi looked at them with approval and nodded. "Your reactions are quick, and that is exactly what the Chemical Defense Institute is thinking. However, that is also where the difficulty lies; its pathological mechanism is extremely bizarre..."

Academician Qi explained the situation in simple, clear terms, and even Xu Chen understood. This fungus seemed to ignore the human body's defense mechanisms—a disregard that included both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Most incomprehensible of all was that it possessed a unique mechanism to breach the skin's defenses.

In a sense, the skin serves as a physical barrier against the "magical attacks" of microorganisms; pathogens can only take advantage of a host when there is an injury. But now, the human body stood before this fungus as if it had been stripped of its skin.

Can you imagine being infected just by standing in the air? This *Aspergillus* could do exactly that because humans had no defenses against it whatsoever.

"That's not right, is it? How could any microorganism break through the skin's defense?" A senior female student furrowed her brow, her expression one of disbelief.

"You are puzzled, and so am I. I have brought my patient; he has developed severe sepsis due to the fungal infection and is currently relying on life support equipment. You can witness the progression of the disease for yourselves."

Xu Chen looked at Academician Qi in disbelief. This was like dragging in a bomb—no, a biological weapon. At least a bomb only goes off once. If this thing were to leak like the T-virus, this place would likely become a dead city.

Academician Qi sensed Xu Chen’s gaze and looked over. "Hmm? Young man, do you have any questions?"

Xu Chen studied the Academician and asked cautiously, "Is that patient... safe?"

Academician Qi realized what the others were thinking as he saw them all staring at him with interest. "Please rest assured. You will all operate from outside the isolation chamber. Any instructions will be carried out by specialists controlling robotic arms, so you will have no opportunity to come into contact with the patient."

Xu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, though he became curious about what an isolation chamber capable of operating via robotic arms would look like.

"Very well. Give me the specimens, and I will take you upstairs to see him. Time is running out; we must race against the clock."

Academician Qi collected all the specimens, counting them over several times. These things were still active, and no matter how securely they were packaged, it was only relative; he had to ensure there was no leakage.

The group then followed Academician Qi into a heavily guarded elevator and went up. According to the floor indicator, this entire building was dedicated to laboratories.

Upon arrival, they discovered a massive laboratory. In the center stood a single transparent isolation chamber, with numerous doctors and researchers in white coats bustling about in a lively scene.

Academician Qi pointed to the central isolation chamber, which had movable consoles managed by two technicians. "You may go and take a look now. Those two are from the company that manufactured this chamber and are highly skilled in operating it. If you have any needs, just let them know."

The group nodded and hurried over. Even though they had the documents, only by seeing it with their own eyes could they understand the true extent of this fungal infection.

Among the onlookers, the senior student who had wanted to vomit just from looking at the photos stopped in her tracks when she saw the patient lying in the isolation chamber from afar. Her face turned pale, and she refused to move any closer.

Xu Chen understood; even from a distance, the patient's exposed arm looked as if it were covered in a yellow membrane. Combined with the photos, it was easy to imagine the grotesque shapes one would see up close.

After leaving a senior student to comfort her, the rest of them curiously stepped forward.

The patient was a thin, emaciated man who appeared to have lost consciousness. His chest rose and fell slowly, his breathing clearly labored. He was already on oxygen, but he was visibly in extreme distress.

Large portions of his body were covered in flocculent fungal mats, looking as if he had molded over. A small portion was necrotic, oozing yellow tissue fluid. A robotic arm was busy cleaning the area with medical swabs and cotton, but it couldn't keep up, and much of the fluid leaked onto the bed.

"The skin covered by the mold seems to have lost all vitality. A light touch with that cotton is enough to peel away a layer of skin. Have they tested his skin?"

"We have. It is exactly as you said; the mold kills the skin, but it is not just the skin—the other tissues are the same," a doctor standing nearby explained.

Xu Chen looked over; this doctor seemed to have come specifically to answer their questions.

"Then, have you tried conducting pathological experiments on other animals?"

"We have. And not just other animals—we have even tested it on plants."

The group stared at the doctor with questioning looks, not understanding what plants had to do with it.

Ouyang Xing’s mind raced as he grasped the implication. He was suddenly shocked: "Could it be that this fungus can infect the entire Animal Kingdom?"

The Animal Kingdom is a biological classification that includes the kingdoms of Animalia, Plantae, Fungi, Protista, and Bacteria.

The doctor nodded solemnly.

"This is trouble," Ouyang Xing muttered, rubbing his chin.

Xu Chen was initially confused, but soon realized the conclusion Ouyang Xing had reached. If the entire Animal Kingdom could be infected by the fungus, then someone must have attempted to see if the Plant Kingdom could be infected as well.

The animal experiments likely covered a vast range of species—marine life, arthropods, and so on. They must have tested every phylum, class, and even order of the animal kingdom before even considering the plant kingdom. That was why Ouyang Xing was so shocked to ask if the fungus could infect all of the Animal Kingdom.

"According to our experiments, with the exception of fungi and bacteria, basically all living organisms can be infected by this fungus. Mammals are the most susceptible—that is the latest news from the central authorities."

"!!!"

"Also, look at the inner wall of the isolation chamber."

Xu Chen looked at the inner wall. At first, he didn't notice anything, but then he saw extremely fine, thread-like filaments. As the robotic arm moved again, Xu Chen noticed that the joints of the arm were also infested with yellow mold.

"The fungal mats seem to be spreading. If it weren't for the fact that acid, alkali, and high temperatures are effective against it—meaning it's not invincible—I would have suspected some kind of alien biological invasion."

"It is the natural enemy of all living things, come to destroy the Earth."