The Creatures That We Are

The eleven symbols surrounded the hexagram. A few seconds later, the hexagram in the center started spinning at high speed, quickly forming a circular rim of light with energy rippling outward across the entire Gates of Closure.

Qilin held eleven Rune Circuits in his hands like he was holding a handful of chips.

The Rune Circuits soon lifted off and found their own corresponding symbols, fitting themselves into the gates.

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird watched with bated breath.

Perhaps the gates would open to a land of serene natural landscape that would make a perfect home to humans, or it could be a terrible purgatory hostile to lives, or a world from a different dimension that was beyond their comprehension.

Whatever it was, they wanted to see it. Their purest, rawest form of curiosity triumphed over all other emotions.

But they were met with disappointment.

Even after the twelve Rune Circuits each found its own place, the Gates of Closure remained unmoving.

Only then did Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird remember that none of what they saw was real, but vivid illusions created from Qilin’s memory and experience.

The objective truth was that Qilin hadn’t been able to collect all twelve Rune Circuits and opened the Gates of Closure, and thus he couldn’t reenact what had not happened.

For a moment, Gao Yang felt a pang of disappointment, but also relief.

Curiously, it felt as if he was finally opening the gift that he had been looking forward to unwrapping, hoping that it would surprise him while dreading that it would disappoint him.

“This is all I can show you.” Qilin turned around and smiled apologetically at them.

Still thinking about the experience, Vermilion Bird and Gao Yang didn’t say anything.

Qilin chuckled. “Close your eyes. Let’s head back.”

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird reluctantly took one final look at the spectacle before them. Then they closed their eyes.

Qilin made a clear snap with his fingers.

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird slowly opened their eyes. They found themselves standing in a small dimly-lit storage.

Qilin opened the door and went outside. Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird exchanged a look before quietly following.

Qilin sat back down on a sofa and put aside his cane, picking up his now cold coffee. “That’s it for today. Forgive me for not walking you out.”

Vermilion Bird brushed her hair back and smirked at Qilin. “Guildmaster, why don’t we try the contact lenses again...”

Qilin’s hand twitched, almost spilling the coffee. He shot her a look. “If you keep this up, I’m going to personally send you off.”

“Bye!”

Vermilion Bird grabbed her handbag and fled.

“See you later, Guildmaster.” Gao Yang immediately followed suit.

The two of them went downstairs. Vermilion Bird took out a pack of cigarettes and her car key from her bag, glancing at Gao Yang. “Need a ride?”

“Sure.” Gao Yang didn’t say no to the offer.

They got into her car and drove toward Li City University.

Vermilion Bird seemed to be in a good mood today, and she started a conversation. “A few days ago, I joined a random group to play escape room with strangers.”

“How did it go?”

“Thrilling!” Vermilion Bird’s eyes lit up with excitement. “I thought things would be awkward with strangers, but now I think differently.”

“We don’t know each other. Even if they all die in the game the next second, it has nothing to do with me. And my death isn’t going to break their hearts, which means I can scream and enjoy the game to my heart’s content.”

Gao Yang smiled in lieu of a response.

“You should stop dwelling on the past too.” Vermilion Bird narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice softening a little. “I think I prefer the slightly cowardly smartass you were before.”

Gao Yang huffed wryly. “That wasn’t what you said. You told me that I was undesirable like that.”

“Did I?” Vermilion Bird shrugged.

“There’s nothing I can do if you deny it.”

“Anyhow, I think you were cuter back then. Now, you’ve become a square through and through. While it does make you seem more respectable, you also seem less approachable.”

She stroked her chin with a hand and made an analogy. “Let’s put it this way. I thought you’d look good in a certain type of clothes, but only after you put them on did I realize that your original clothes fit you better.”

“A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets, indeed.” Gao Yang teased flippantly.

“Cut that out. You...” Vermilion Bird trailed off, quickly hitting the brake with a look of alert.

Gao Yang realized something was wrong from the passenger seat almost at the same time.

They weren’t in the downtown area of Li City, and it was three o’clock in the morning. The roads were empty of pedestrians and cars.

Yet not far from them, there was a dense crowd at the crossroad.

“What are they?” Vermilion Bird frowned.

Gao Yang enhanced his vision and took a closer look for two seconds. “People.”

“Wanderers, or elite monsters?”

Gao Yang shook his head. “I’m not sure.”

“Shall we check?”

Gao Yang thought for a moment. Worst-case scenario, they were all elite monsters. But as long as they weren’t all at the level of pride monsters, Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird would be able to deal with them.

Push came to shove, they could always run.

“Let’s check,” said Gao Yang.

“Alright, let’s get out of the car.”

“Huh?” Gao Yang was caught off guard. “Can’t we just drive over to them?”

“Are you out of your mind?” Vermilion Bird glared at him. “The car’s expensive, and it’s not insured. If it’s smashed, are you gonna pay for the repair?”

Gao Yang didn’t have a comeback for that.

They parked by the road and got out, quickly making their way to the crossroad ahead.

All the way, they kept themselves on high alert in case there was an ambush or a trap.

Soon, they got close to the crossroad and had a better look. There were more than a hundred people, varying in genders and ages. They were all dressed in pajamas or casual clothes, barefooted. It looked like a gathering of sleep-walking patients.

Standing at the crossroad, they looked up with widened eyes, unblinking.

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird followed their gazes. The moon was obscured by clouds in the dark night sky. There was nothing to look at.

The two of them exchanged a glance before getting closer.

“Hey.” Vermilion Bird called out to the crowd.

There was no response. They continued to look up with a dazed look on their faces, as if they were all statues.

Gao Yang hadn’t gotten any warning from his system, but he felt strange, ill at ease.

Was there a Rune Cave in the area, which influenced the wanderers?

That was a possibility. Given the last undiscovered Rune Circuit was the Guard Rune Circuit, perhaps the wanderers were gathered here to protect something.

But it didn’t seem like it. The hundred and more wanderers seemed to be waiting for something instead.

“Mother!”

Suddenly, a middle-aged man hollered.

His voice was brimming with strong emotions—pure awe and deference.

“Mother!”

Then a young girl followed suit, her face distorted with dramatic ecstasy.

“Mother! Mother! Mother...”

The others started screaming too, looking all pumped up with powerful emotions, their pupils dilated and their lips stretched into unnaturally wide smiles.

Vermilion Bird and Gao Yang felt their hackles raise.

“Mother!”

The middle-aged man who was the first to call out stretched his arms toward the sky. “Mother! Mother, I’m here! Mother, take me...”

He was increasingly worked up, his body trembling violently and quickly. His eyes were bloodshot with blood trickling down from his nostrils and ears.

“Mother!”

He slowly rose into the air.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel