The Creatures That We Are

Edmond looked at Gao Yang.

Gao Yang asked, “Why did you serve the Godbearer’s Cult?”

Gao Yang knew he couldn’t keep Edmond here. While Edmond was an enemy, though, he didn’t seem like a villain per se. Perhaps it would be possible to start a conversation and get some information out of the man.

It wouldn’t hurt to try.

Edmond thought for a few seconds and said honestly, “Put it this way. The end of the world is coming, and the Godbearer Cult has a boat ticket. That’s what we need.”

Gao Yang started. That was similar to Black Tortoise’s reasoning.

“How can you be so sure that the Cult hasn’t lied to you?” asked Vermilion Bird. “Perhaps you’re all being used.”

“Haha.” Edmond didn’t waver, but instead asked calmly, “and how do you know that you aren’t being used?”

Vermilion Bird paused before saying quickly, “At least our organization has been doing the right thing and walking the righteous path.”

“Yeah.” Edmond nodded. “It’s true that most things the Godbearer Cult does are considered evil by the common standard.”

So you know, Gao Yang grumbled inwardly.

“But soon, everything is going to cease to exist. Good and bad, kind and cruel, what bearing would the worldly standards have then?”

Vermilion Bird’s expression darkened. She wasn’t in the mood for a philosophical debate.

Gao Yang almost got dragged into a different conversation, but he quickly found his way back to the matter at hand.

“Although we’re all fighting for survival,” he argued, “We can still choose between good and bad...”

“Kid,” Edmond cut him off and sighed. “I know people are an end rather than a means, but the fact is that there are a limited number of tickets, and there is someone I must protect.”

Edmond glanced at Ke Yo, his gaze loving—not in a romantic way, but in a way a father would look at his daughter.

Gao Yang paused. For a moment, he saw Edmond as somewhat of a kindred spirit.

Calm down and sort out what I learned.

Edmond meant that the Mist World was facing destruction, and the Godbearer Cult claimed to be able to help them escape, only there was a limit to the number of people they could take. Those who worked for the Cult worked for the tickets.

“Is the way to escape doomsday entering the Gates of Closure?” Vermilion Bird asked after a brief pause. It was the question Gao Yang and all other awakeners cared about the most.

Edmond curled his lips and didn’t answer. Instead, he bowed politely at Gao Yang, Vermilion Bird, and Can. “It’s late. I’m afraid we must depart now.”

Edmond turned to leave, and Ke Yo quietly followed. Like ghosts, they easily went through the wall and disappeared.

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird didn’t give chase. While Unreachable was in effect, Edmond and Ke Yo seemed able to go through any walls and obstacles, perhaps even go underground. It would be all too easy for them to shake any pursuers.

There must be a time limit to Unreachable.

Judging by Edmond’s calm, composed mannerism, though, the Talent was likely to last a long time.

“Whew.” Once their enemies were gone, Can, who had been tense from the beginning, finally let out a sigh of relief. “Elder Vermilion Bird, Elder Seven Shadow, what do we do?”

Gao Yang looked down at his roommates and Zhou Jing, who were lying unconscious on the floor, and sighed. “Let’s wait for them to wake up.”

Vermilion Bird nodded. “The staff of the escape room are likely wanderers too, and they would’ve lost consciousness after seeing the surveillance footage. Can, go wipe the surveillance footage and clean up the mess.”

“Will do.”

Can left the room at once and started cleaning up the mess.

Gao Yang and Vermilion Bird phoned Qilin and told him about their encounter with Tails.

Two o’clock in the morning, Qiu Qiu, Lin Dajian, Mi Shi, and Zhou Jing woke up one after another, as did the employees of the escape room. They had all forgotten about the surreal sights they had witnessed.

Although it was a little far-fetched that they would all be so terrified that they blacked out while playing escape room, wanderers naturally justified everything that happened to them, and they didn’t pay it much mind.

The group went to a tabletop game cafe afterwards, starting a PVP game and going after each other until early morning the next day.

Before leaving, Lin Dajian mustered the courage to ask for Vermilion Bird’s number.

Came morning, Lin Dajian and Qiu Qiu went back to their dorm room and slept, while Gao Yang and Mi Shi dragged their sleepy bodies to class. Their batteries ran out in the afternoon, and they returned to their room to catch some sleep.

Gao Yang didn’t wake up until evening came.

He looked at the date. It was Saturday tomorrow.

Gao Yang jumped and was suddenly wide awake. Time sure flew by. He almost forgot something important.

He called Gao Xinxin immediately. She picked up after only a few rings.

“Remember what we’re doing tonight, sis?”

“Of course I do. I just got off school...” There were quite a lot of background noises on Gao Xinxin’s end. Gao Yang thought he heard someone calling out to her.

“Okay,” said Gao Yang. “Let’s meet at the Dawan Square in an hour.”

“I know.” She hung up.

Gao Yang lay back down.

Hm, I still have time. I should take a shower and wash my hair before catching a subway train there.

And before that, he would spend two minutes sorting things out in the system.

[Access granted.]

[You have acquired 597 Luck points.]

—Status Screen.

[Constitution: 461 Endurance: 418]

[Strength: 948 Agility: 1502]

[Willpower: 1547 Charisma: 426]

[Luck: 813]

—I’ve used Willful Power twice after waking up, which cost me 10% of my stats, about 500 points.

—Double leveling up from level 1 to 4 earned me about 250 stat points.

—Then level 6 Fire grants me about 300 Willpower and 60 Charisma.

—Willful Power was quite harsh. The cost was calculated by percentage. The higher my stats, the more points I would lose.

—While it’s a powerful move, the cost is too high. I should refrain from using it unless it’s a life-and-death situation.

[Access ends.]

Gao Yang opened his eyes and continued with his musing.

His path forward would be comprehending new Talents. With enough of them, the level-ups would grant substantial stats, complimenting the Luck points he put directly into his stats.

It would take 960 Luck points to pull for another Talent now, though.

Gao Yang had two options.

First, save up enough Luck points and continue to pull for House.

Second, pull for a new Talent from the Life or Psych-type.

His reasoning was that his six stats were quite unbalanced. His Constitution, Endurance, and Charisma were too low. If he could comprehend a Talent of the Life or Psyche-type, the stats bonuses granted from level-ups should make up for his shortcomings.

It would take some time for him to save up enough Luck points, though. It wouldn’t be too late to make the decision then.

Gao Yang rolled off the bed. Shower, then I’m off.

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