“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow. “Has someone dug into Qi Xia’s brain? Could it be rats?”
“Rats…? Are there any other living creatures here besides us?”
“Then who do you think dug into Qi Xia’s brain?” Chu Tianqiu slowly approached Dr. Zhao. “Who, exactly… cut open Qi Xia’s brain, dug out a piece, fried it in a pan, and then swallowed it?”
His words sent a chill down Dr. Zhao’s spine.
“And you can see it too, can’t you?” Chu Tianqiu stepped forward, forcing Dr. Zhao to retreat. “He’s missing more than just a piece of brain. I’ve tried every possible way to swallow it—even gouged out his eyes.”
“So what exactly are you doing…?” Dr. Zhao furrowed his brow. “Your cellar is full of food… Surely you’re not desperate enough to resort to cannibalism?”
“Exactly.” Chu Tianqiu nodded, a deep smile spreading across his face. “Here… some people eat others to survive, to remain human. But others devour people so they can stop being human.”
“Stop being human…” Dr. Zhao stared into Chu Tianqiu’s eyes, slowly taking a deep breath. He suddenly felt that joining “Paradise Gate” might have been a miscalculation.
“Dr. Zhao, I told you—if you help me with this, I’ll make you deputy leader.” Chu Tianqiu patted Dr. Zhao’s shoulder. “Now you and Zhang Shan are my right-hand men. It’s an honor. Treasure it.”
Dr. Zhao showed no expression upon hearing this. He simply nodded blankly and turned to leave.
“Wait…” Chu Tianqiu called out to him. “Dr. Zhao, don’t go back to your room later. Gather Zhang Shan—the three of us will meet on the field.”
“What?”
…
When the black threads neared the game area of Earth Serpent, Li Xiangling was the first to notice something amiss.
An unusual sound came from the sky outside—like a flock of birds sweeping through the air, or a light drizzle of rain.
“Sisters…” Li Xiangling called out to the others who were clearing the rubble, urging them to pause and listen. “Is it… raining outside?”
Lin Qin, who was resting nearby, frowned noticeably at the words “raining.”
The sky in the “Land of Finality” had always been eerily silent. If anything fell from above, it was invariably deadly.
“Noon…?” Lin Qin calculated the time and realized something terrible was about to happen. “Get out now!!”
“What?” Zhang Chenze froze.
If it was raining outside, would anyone in their right mind run into the streets?
“I’m not sure exactly what’s coming…” Lin Qin said, “but whatever happens at ‘Noon’ means you *must* flee! Staying inside will get you killed!”
Zhang Chenze glanced at Lin Qin’s broken right leg, which had just been stabilized with a wooden splint by Li Xiangling. If they had to run, what would she do?
“Don’t worry about me.” Lin Qin shook her head, knowing what they were thinking. “Whatever disaster is coming, I won’t be able to escape.”
“But—”
“Don’t hesitate!! Go!!” Lin Qin shouted. “Live another day if you can! Remember your plan—if you’re lucky enough to see Qi Xia, tell him about Wen Qiaoyun!”
Yun Yao, Tian Tian, Li Xiangling, and Zhang Chenze exchanged grave looks before nodding.
Yun Yao knew Lin Qin retained memories longer than she did. If Lin Qin was this alarmed, something catastrophic was coming.
Besides, they were now united. Lin Qin had no reason to deceive them. Grabbing a few essentials, Yun Yao pulled Tian Tian toward the exit.
Before they could flee, a faint rustling sound filled the air.
Tiny holes punctured the building’s windows, and eerie black threads slithered through, hovering before them.
Luckily, the threads moved slowly, drifting like floating wisps.
“Don’t touch them…” Lin Qin warned. “Run while you still can.”
The group carefully avoided the threads and reached the door, then turned back to look at Lin Qin.
She sat deep inside the building, already surrounded by the encroaching black tendrils.
“Everyone, ‘Noon’ likely belongs to ‘Pegasus.'” Lin Qin said calmly. “This will be a two-hour fight for survival. Speed alone won’t be enough—you’ll need endurance too.”
“We understand…” Yun Yao nodded, her expression darkening. “Take care. Until next time.”
Lin Qin leaned back, settling into a comfortable position to embrace death.
“Goodbye,” she said.
Yun Yao nodded, adding before leaving, “Lin Qin, you’ve changed my view of the ‘Extremists.'”
“Views don’t matter.” Lin Qin replied. “The ‘Extremists’ have always been this way.”
Just then, a black thread drifted toward Lin Qin’s forehead, gently pressing against it.
She didn’t flinch. The thread pierced her brow like a toothpick through tofu, and her eyes went lifeless.
Yun Yao’s pupils shrank. Before she could react, the thread sliced downward—neatly splitting Lin Qin’s body in two from the forehead. A flood of blood poured out like a broken dam.
Her corpse now lay like a discarded, rotting banana peel—her skull still connected, but her body cleaved into two halves.
The horrifying sight made the group freeze before they bolted outside.
Fortunately, the threads moved slowly enough that a light jog would suffice. But once outside, they saw the threads diverging, pursuing from all directions. After a quick glance, the four split up, each running a different way.
“If we survive… we’ll meet back here,” Yun Yao said.
The others nodded.
“Tian Tian, stay safe,” Yun Yao added.
Tian Tian nodded expressionlessly, but Yun Yao saw the unspoken fear in her eyes.
“Try to survive, just once.” Yun Yao pressed her lips together. “Someone *will* be waiting for you at the end.”
“Yes.” Zhang Chenze, tears in her eyes, nodded. “We’ve endured more than most. We deserve a better future.”
With directions set, the four fled in separate paths, chased by the sinister black threads.
Yun Yao glanced up at the sun as she ran. Behind it, countless black threads unfurled, dancing across the city’s sky.
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