The Creatures that We Are

After withdrawing from school, Gao Yang returned to his home. At three o’clock in the afternoon, Vermilion Bird came to take over Six Rime in preparation for the trip to the abyss at night.

Vermilion Bird bought Gao Yang milk tea and a pack of cigarettes, letting Gao Yang choose between the two.

Gao Yang picked the milk tea. Vermilion Bird smirked with some disappointment. “Ah, I shouldn’t have stopped you from smoking back then. It feels like I’ve lost my only chance.”

Gao Yang said, “Smoking is bad for health. You should quit too.”

“Sure.” Vermilion Bird took out a cigarette. “I’ll quit after this one.”

She crossed her legs and lit the cigarette, taking a graceful drag with her eyes fixed on Gao Yang. “The abyss is going to be dangerous, Seven Shadow. You don’t have to push yourself if you don’t wanna go. We’ll come up with another way.”

“I know, but I have to go. Not just for the Rune Circuit.”

“Then what for?”

“I have a feeling that something’s waiting for me,” Gao Yang said. “It’s a hunch.”

Gao Yang lowered his head to take a sip of his milk tea. “Perhaps.”

Vermilion Bird fell into thought.

In their shared moment of silence, Vermilion Bird finished her cigarette, and Gao Yang finished half of his milk tea.

Vermilion Bird dropped the cigarette butt into a disposable paper cup. “You may find this comment unwanted, Seven Shadow, but I still want to tell you that I like the old you better.”

Gao Yang put away his cup of milk tea and didn’t meet her eyes. “And I like you when you haven’t picked up smoking again.”

“Is there no going back?” Vermilion Bird asked ruefully.

“There’s no going back,” Gao Yang responded in an even tone. “Life pushes us along. The only things we have a say in are trivial choices like the one between drinking milk tea or smoking.”

“So be it then.” Vermilion Bird twisted her lips into a thin smile. Then she took out another cigarette and lit it, taking a deep inhale. “Good luck.”

Gao Yang stayed silent for ten seconds before looking up. “Xia Li…”

“Shut up,” Vermilion Bird cut him off coldly. “Don’t try to tempt someone much older than you, brat. I bite.”

“Alright.”

Gao Yang shut his mouth.

Eight o’clock at night, Gao Yang arrived at the Green Lotus Park on time, accompanied by Vermilion Bird. The area had been placed under lockdown by members of the Hundred Rivers Union. The Green Lotus Lake, which had been restored days ago—or made to seem like how it had been—was opened up again.

Six Rime had emptied the water, and Mischievous Monkey removed the cover he had personally placed above the abyss. The pit filled with eerie black smoke reemerged in view.

Qilin and War Tiger stood near the abyss, while Surnamed Li sat in her wheelchair. Behind them were Azure Dragon, Six Rime, Heavenly Dog, Mischievous Monkey, Goldthread, Colorless, and Chen Ying.

Heavenly Dog was holding a bundle of rope made of Black Gold fiber.

“Here they are.” Azure Dragon was the first to notice the newcomers.

The others turned around at that. Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird came over from not far away.

“How are you doing, Seven Shadow?” War Tiger grinned.

“Alright.” Gao Yang didn’t waste his breath on chit-chat. “Let’s get started.”

Qilin said, “Don’t push yourself, Seven Shadow. Call for help if anything happens.”

“Thank you for your concern, Guildmaster.” Gao Yang went up to Heavenly Dog as he spoke. Without missing a beat, Heavenly Dog tied the rope around his waist, and Gao Yang replicated Fly in case he needed it.

Once that was done, Heavenly Dog flew up above the abyss with the bundle of rope. A bell was tied to the other end.

Surnamed Li looked up at Heavenly Dog and activated Prophet; she would be able to see ten seconds ahead at any time.

Gao Yang walked to the edge of the abyss, looking down at the unknowable pit with swirling black smoke. After making sure that the system hadn’t sounded a warning, he took a deep breath and jumped in.

With controlled speed, Heavenly Dog slowly lowered the rope, and Gao Yang descended below ground level, his limbs touching the black smoke. The smoke converged toward Gao Yang quickly like it was alive, the gas-form tendrils curling around Gao Yang but quickly scattering in the wind.

Gao Yang made an OK sign to Heavenly Dog before pointing down.

Heavenly Dog got the message and lowered him further.

Soon, Gao Yang disappeared into the black fog, his figure obscured. War Tiger took a few involuntary steps forward to look down at the heart of the abyss. He even forgot about the cigarette in his mouth.

Vermilion Bird stared at the abyss with a serious expression, waiting with bated breath.

Chen Ying appeared composed, but her hands were clutching the back of Surnamed Li’s wheelchair, her palms covered in sweat.

They all stayed silent with their own complicated thoughts, save for Heavenly Dog and Six Rime. Heavenly Dog still seemed half awake, but he was dutifully lowering the rope, while Six Rime, having changed into her usual witch outfit, had an impassive look on her face like a robot awaiting new input.

At this time, Gao Yang could no longer see anything in the abyss. He didn’t know how far he had descended, only that the black fog around him had become thicker and thicker.

Suddenly, Gao Yang felt himself plunge. He was falling!

Outside the abyss, Surnamed Li started and shouted at Heavenly Dog. “Something’s wrong!”

Caught by surprise, Heavenly Dog quickly pulled the rope and soared into the sky. In the next two seconds, though, the rope in his grip fell uncontrollably, and despite Heavenly Dog’s best effort to hold onto it, the rope ended up cutting his palm and shooting down like a cold, vicious snake, compelled by an irresistible force.

Thud. War Tiger sprang into action, jumping toward the hovering Heavenly Dog, grabbing him with one hand and the rope with the other hand. He brought them to the other side of the abyss in two seconds.

There was a gust, and then Azure Dragon was already there, holding onto the rope along with War Tiger.

Ring.

The bell rang. Although the two of them had steadied the rope, the force pulling the rope down on the other end disappeared after a few seconds.

War Tiger quickly pulled the rope up in surprise, moving so quickly that his hands blurred like a rotating fan.

It only took him a few seconds to reel in the rope running over a hundred meters long. His face darkened when he saw the end of it.

The rope was cut.

Vermilion Bird was holding a tablet, and the screen showed that the signal was dead, too. She turned to Qilin with anxiety she couldn’t mask. “Guildmaster, the tracking device on Gao Yang was dead.”

Qilin didn’t seem surprised. He said calmly, “We wait.”

Vermilion Bird swallowed her words and let out a sigh.

Palms covered in red gashes, Heavenly Dog said in regret, “I’m sorry…”

“You’re not to blame. The abyss is hella strange.” War Tiger patted him on the back. “Don’t worry. Seven Shadow’s quite hard to kill, to the point of being unreasonable.”

Azure Dragon laughed wryly. “You’re right about that, Brother Tiger.”

Seven Shadow only awakened half a year ago, yet he had helped collect a large part of the Rune Circuits and discovered the existence of pride monsters, life monsters, the Divine Scion, and the Malediction. What he had learned about the Mist World almost surpassed their collective knowledge.

Azure Dragon had fancied his Talent as overpowered, but his ability paled in comparison to Seven Shadow’s. Limitless Evolution granted him an observable and tangible aura, in a manner of speaking, while Seven Shadow’s luck could be considered a special destiny, not to be explained with reasons.

The Divine Scion, the son of God.

So God played favorites, too.

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