The Creatures that We Are

“Fuck,” War Tiger cursed and took a deep drag of his cigarette. “I knew it.”

Gao Yang looked at War Tiger. He knew the man had more to say.

“I thought about this for two days.” War Tiger put out the cigarette with his thumb and index finger before casting it at the dry trunk beside him. “I’ll go over it with you. See if you agree.”

“Go on.”

“Liu Qingying belonged to an organization. She was tasked with being a spy in the Ocean River Union, the target being Qilin—that much’s for certain. Perhaps she was supposed to assassinate him, or she was simply there to watch him. I think the latter is more like it. Liu Qingying couldn’t assassinate Qilin.”

“While keeping watch, Liu Qingying learned that Qilin was going to make a move on the Twelve Zodiac Signs and came to warn us, but then Qilin used her instead.”

“To wipe us all out, an awakener manipulated her discreetly with Puppeteer and only triggered the spatial weapon when Liu Qingying saw ‘us’. The one thing Qilin hadn’t foreseen was that we had all been replaced with substitutes outside of Songstress.”

“It makes logical sense.” Gao Yang nodded.

“So the million dollar question is…” War Tiger put another cigarette in his mouth. “Who comprehended Puppeteer?”

War Tiger didn’t say anything, seemingly conflicted.

“I think it’s Qilin,” Gao Yang spelled out for him.

“I wish that won’t be the case.” War Tiger smiled bitterly. “Eidos alone is bad enough. But Puppeteer too? What kind of hellmode is that?”

“The reason is twofold,” Gao Yang said. “Liu Qingying had level 7 Sweet Dream and Charisma, which gave her high mental power and resistance. And Songstress was using level 6 Requiem. The three Talents and their mental power combined were resisting the remote manipulation of Puppeteer. I don’t think level 3 Puppeteer could’ve overcome that.”

War Tiger nodded and continued, “So whoever manipulated Liu Qingying into triggering the bomb at least has level 4 Puppeteer.”

“Or higher.”

War Tiger blinked.

Gao Yang went on with his explanation. “No matter who acquired Puppeteer, it could only be recently, not for long. If they had comprehended it for a while, the Talent user wouldn’t have stayed out of the battlefield when the Nine Scions retaliated against the Ocean River Union last time.”

“Yes, makes sense.” War Tiger nodded. “After Azure Dragon’s death, there is one more top twelve Talents to be comprehended, pushing the odds up a little. I believe someone got Puppeteer after Azure Dragon’s death.”

“Following the logic.” Gao Yang’s eyes glinted. “It would be difficult for a member of the Ocean River Union to acquire Puppeteer and surpass level 4 during this period. Qilin has the Summon Rune Circuit, and the man wouldn’t just lend the Rune Circuit to those outside his inner circle for level-up.”

War Tiger nodded. “If Qilin was the one to comprehend Puppeteer, things would be different. He has the Rune Circuit, and his Eidos is level 7. Once his Puppeteer broke through to level 4, it could jump to level 7. Liu Qingying and Songstress together would be nothing to him. He could even deal with double the number.”

Gao Yang mused silently, his heart heavy. With level 7 Eidos and Puppeteer, the bonus to Willpower alone would be no lower than 5500.

“Fuck, how do we even do this?” War Tiger shrugged.

“On the bright side,” Gao Yang said, “At least it proves that multiple of the top twelve Talents could be owned by one person. We all have a chance.”

“Right.” War Tiger allowed his mind to wander a little. “If I get Limitless Evolution, I’ll be unstoppable.”

After a silent pause, Gao Yang said solemnly, “I have something to ask you, Uncle Tiger.”

“Ask away.”

“Is Dragon still hibernating?”

“Of course.” War Tiger barked out a laugh. “Were he awake, he would be leading us right into the Ocean River Union’s base.”

“True.” Gao Yang thought for a few more seconds. “When Dragon is hibernating, does he have some way of contacting others? Through a medium like a diary, perhaps?”

War Tiger shook his head. “Not that I know of. If he could give us orders while hibernating, I wouldn’t have to play strategist now.”

Gao Yang closed his mouth pensively.

War Tiger slowed his steps and turned to Gao Yang. “Little Yang Yang, Uncle has a question for you, too. I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”

“What is it?”

“That time you took out Zhuang Mei in Island Nation, what did Dragon say before losing consciousness?”

Gao Yang smiled after a pause. So this was what the man was curious about.

“Head and Tail are the keys.” Gao Yang didn’t keep it from War Tiger. There was no reason to.

“Huh?” War Tiger didn’t immediately catch on.

“Head and Tail are the keys,” Gao Yang repeated. “That’s it.”

War Tiger ruminated over it.

Gao Yang further explained, “Dragon once told me that he believed all Talents to be one entity, a circle. Overlord is the head, and Lucky the tail. I think Dragon was telling me that he and I have to be the ones to open the Gates of Closure and no one else.”

War Tiger paused. “You didn’t say that to Qilin and cause him to turn on you, did you?”

“Of course I wouldn’t just say that. I didn’t have a death wish.” Gao Yang gave him a resigned look.

War Tiger huffed out a laugh. “That is true. You’re a true lurker.”

Gao Yang thought back to it. “I suggested to Qilin that we ask a neutral third party to open the Gates, meaning I, Dragon, Qilin, and Surnamed Li wouldn’t be opening the Gates. However, Qilin insisted that he must be the one to do it. I couldn’t accept that. And he attacked me without hesitation.”

“I would’ve done the same,” War Tiger said like he could understand the decision. “Leaving someone with great potential like you would bite him in the rear. Look at where he is now. He’s suffering from failing to kill you then.”

Gao Yang didn’t say anything to that.

“What is Qilin trying to do?” War Tiger knew that Gao Yang didn’t have the answer. He was simply airing out his thoughts.

Gao Yang had relayed a message to War Tiger through Heavenly Dog, telling him Qilin didn’t want to open the Gates, and that Yan Liang was Sir Jiang. That was what made War Tiger more alert to the Ocean River Union and decide to put Operation: Substitutes into action earlier, thus allowing them to escape their doom.

Gao Yang’s intel could be said to have saved the Twelve Zodiac Signs indirectly.

Without them quite realizing it, they were already leaving the oak forest. Before them was the flat grazing ground. The moon cast a layer of quiet, dim silver light upon it.

They crossed the grazing ground and talked as they walked.

“War Tiger.” Gao Yang’s tone turned more serious. “The Nine Scions will continue to thwart Qilin and take revenge against him. What about the Twelve Zodiac Signs?”

War Tiger smacked his lips. “In my heart, I’d like nothing but to rush to the Ocean River Union this instant and kill that bastard, but my rational mind tells me that before Dragon wakes up, we aren’t Qilin’s match. The fact that he’s comprehended Puppeteer makes things worse for us.”

Gao Yang nodded. “I looked into it when I was still with the Qilin Guild. With level 3 Puppeteer, the former Black Tortoise had maintained an implicit control over 300 stable wanderers with energy brands and enchanted Black Gold bracelets.”

“Ha.” War Tiger frowned. “And with level 7 Puppeteer, he may be able to create an army of elite monsters given enough time. The sheer number alone can tire one to death like what almost happened in Aurora Town that night.”

“Oh.” War Tiger then thought of something. “I heard that to reach level 8 the first time with one of the top twelve Talents, we have to apply holy water to the corresponding Rune Circuit. Is that true?”

Houseau3's Thoughts

And now we finally know for certain what Dragon told Gao Yang waaaaaaay back in chapter 503🤣

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