The Creatures that We Are

“Now?”

Gao Yang was surprised, but upon reflection, it made sense.

Something as important as the Miracle Rune Circuit would be safer with the man himself than anywhere else.

“Yes.” Qilin nodded. “I’ll give you one minute. Is that enough?”

“It is.”

“Here.” A Rune Circuit suddenly appeared in Qilin’s right hand.

Gao Yang almost jumped. When did he get it out, and from where? Why didn’t I see him do it?

The Rune Circuit had appeared out of nowhere like a mysterious magic trick.

He wouldn’t have fooled me with a fake, would he?

The absurd thought came to Gao Yang’s mind, but he soon dismissed it. The Miracle Rune Circuit, which Qilin was holding between his long fingers, was a circular tablet just like the other Rune Circuits, only it was a little bigger, and its color a little darker than regular Black Gold. There was a hint of gold to its silverish white color.

The surface was etched with complicated, intricate circuits along which curious faint light flowed. At the center was the pattern of a hexagram.

It was similar to the hexagram that had appeared in his vision the first time Gao Yang activated the system.

He had seen the symbol in the Talent Pantheon and guessed that it signified the Miracle-type, and he was right.

“Doesn’t look like much, does it?” Qilin asked with a smile.

“Yeah, it doesn’t look that different from the other Rune Circuits.” Gao Yang hesitated and mustered the courage to ask, “May I…touch it?”

He quickly added, “Don’t worry. I’m not going to make a run with it.”

Qilin chuckled, amused. “Now I believe you’re eighteen years old.”

He handed the Rune Circuit to Gao Yang with a relaxed expression. “Take it. No one has ever managed to steal it from me. I’m confident in at least that much.”

Gao Yang took a deep breath, and with almost religious awe, he took the Miracle Rune Circuit with both hands.

It was hard and cold, the texture no different from the other Rune Circuits.

If I carry this with me, my Lucky will have a chance of reaching level 4.

It’s a shame that Qilin will never allow it. That’s for certain.

He also had a feeling that there was more to the Rune Circuit only Qilin was privy to.

Gao Yang’s thoughts were cut short when an energy—like a weak electric current—shot into his fingertip. He let go reflexively, and Qilin caught the Rune Circuit as soon as it dropped.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Gao Yang quickly hid his discomfort and came up with an appropriate excuse. “Looking at it, I couldn’t help but think about all the possible explanations for the Mist World, and I got distracted.”

Qilin smiled at him. “Do you need another look?”

“That won’t be necessary. Thank you.”

The Rune Circuit vanished from Qilin’s hand.

Gao Yang gaped. What did Qilin do? Was it his Talent?

“Then let’s end the conversation here.” Qilin put his hands back on his cane. “I have business to attend to—not for the clinic, but the Guild.”

“Okay.” Gao Yang stood up and smiled awkwardly. “I’m going back to school. I shouldn’t skip too many classes.”

“It’s good to be young.” Qilin rose to his feet with what sounded like envy. Then he walked Gao Yang out of the room.

The receptionist put away her phone and turned to Gao Yang and Qilin with some surprise. “Done already?”

“His study has piled up too much pressure on him, but it’s not pathological.” Qilin patted Gao Yang on the shoulder. “Remember, the entrance exam doesn’t define your life. You only have to do your best.”

Gao Yang nodded politely. “Thank you, Doctor Su. I feel much better now. Goodbye.”

…

Gao Yang went to school in the afternoon. Since his mother had asked for a sick leave for him, the homeroom teacher didn’t call him to the office.

In fact, his teacher had been preoccupied with something else: Niu Xuan had disappeared from the hospital and was nowhere to be found. His parents were panicking, and the police had come to the school to investigate, but found nothing.

Gao Yang pitied his homeroom teacher. In only a semester, two students had been killed, and one went missing. It would be stranger if he wasn’t having a mental breakdown.

Recently, Qing Ling had stopped coming to school altogether.

Gao Yang dutifully did test papers and spent his evening self-study on reviewing study materials. When school ended, and he walked out of the school gate, he saw a familiar black sedan parked under the streetlamp on the other side of the street.

Gao Yang looked around before striding toward the car, his head lowered.

The window rolled down. As expected, it was Gray Bear.

His head was still wrapped in white bandages, and his expression had lost its usual vigor. Instead, he looked a little depressed. “Captain.”

Gao Yang was a little irritated. “I have a phone. Why did you come to my school?”

Gray Bear smiled bitterly. “The Guild is going to send people to clean up Xiran’s place. Before that, we want to go through his belongings and take some to remember him by. Are you coming with us, Captain?”

Gao Yang was quiet for a moment. He lowered his head slightly and saw Lithe Snake in the passenger seat, and sitting in the back were Can and Ronnie.

“I’ll go with you.”

Gao Yang opened the door to the backseat and went in. The car started.

Can brooded, and for the first time since he knew her, she wasn’t playing a game. She dragged herself to the center of the seat to make room for Gao Yang, her eyes unfocused.

Gao Yang sat down, feeling a pang in his chest when he saw Can like this.

He initiated a conversation, “I remember someone saying that once she got out of the Rune Cave, she was gonna play games for three days straight and buy all the skins.”

“Captain.” Can smiled weakly. “I quit.”

“You quit?” Gao Yang was surprised. It didn’t seem likely.

“Yeah.” Can nodded gravely. “I want to get stronger. I don’t want to drag people down anymore!”

Gao Yang sighed softly.

There were many things that were out of their control. It was a good thing that Can wanted to get stronger, but Gao Yang didn’t want her to be driven by such heavy guilt. It would make life exhausting for her, make life dreadful.

He took out his phone. “Show me how the game works, Can.”

Can paused. She had begged him to play the game so many times, and Captain always said no. Yet he was volunteering to join her now.

She was both surprised and moved, her eyes reddening and her voice trembling. “No, no. I quit…”

“It’s an order.”

“...Alright.”

Five minutes later, Can cursed up a storm in the car.

“You pig head! I told you to cultivate your power under the tower! I told you not to go to the enemy just to die…”

“Support! Do you know what the word means? Stop wandering around. Do you think you’re shopping…”

“Flashing into a wall and going invisible only to die afterward. Can you be worse at the game, Captain?”

Gao Yang suppressed an eyeroll. Aren’t you being too harsh on a mobile gaming newbie?

Fine, I’m not gonna retaliate now, or it’d be petty of me. I’m just gonna make your future training hell.

Hm, have I been thinking like Teacher War Tiger more and more?

……

Late at night, there wasn’t much traffic, and Gray Bear was able to drive fast. They arrived at a residential community in the Anliang District half an hour later. Xiran had started to work at a company in the publishing industry after graduating college, and after his mother’s death, he had been living on his own.

After awakening, he hadn’t made real friends, and since joining the Qilin Guild, the fifth team had been his friends and family.

He sometimes invited the team members to his home for a gathering. He was quite a good cook and had made a variety of dishes for them. After getting their stomachs filled, they would play a board game and chat.

Ronnie was Xiran’s closest friend, and he had a backup key to Xiran’s place.

He opened the door and turned on the light.

The flat had two bedrooms and one living room. The interior design was somewhat outdated, and the furniture and appliances were quite old.

Ronnie was the first to enter. He said ruefully, “I once told Xiran to renovate the place, but he refused to. He said that by keeping things as they were, he would be able to remember his mother as when she was alive.”

Gao Yang was surprised once more that Ronnie was able to speak normally when he was talking about Xiran. Gao Yang had thought it was a one-time thing, but perhaps it was Xiran’s parting gift to Ronnie. He would always be able to speak without strange pauses when it came to his friend.

Death didn’t erase one from the world. Those who had passed away stayed with those left behind and became part of them.

Gray Bear sighed heavily and walked up to the dining table. “Two weeks ago, we were having hot pot here to reminisce about our former captain. Who would’ve thought that today, we would be here to mourn Xiran?”

Can’s eyes reddened, but she bit her lips to stop herself from crying.

Gray Bear clapped. “Each of you should take something as a memento. Just one.”

They split up wordlessly and walked around the flat.

Gray Bear was the first to decide on something. He tapped the fishtank on the TV stand with his finger. There were two goldfish inside. “I’ll have this. I wonder how much longer the fish will live.”

Lithe Snake went up to the window and picked up a potted green succulent. “I’ll have this.”

Gao Yang, Ronnie, and Can entered Xiran’s bedroom. It was clean and tidy. The curtains and the beddings were both light in color, and the bay window was set up with a tatami and a small table, on which was a closed laptop.

“I’ll take the laptop,” said Ronnie.

“Did you just pick the most expensive thing, Ronnie?” Can asked.

Ronnie shook his head. “He often came to me for computer problems. I’ll think of him whenever I see the laptop.”

“Oh, that so.” Can was getting morose again. She walked up to the bookshelf with her gaze downcast, and suddenly, something caught her eyes.

She stood on tiptoe and reached up for the thick leather journal.

After a look, she turned to call out, “Captain, come here for a sec.”

Houseau3's Thoughts

Hm wonder what the current is🤔

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