The Creatures that We Are

Before Gao Yang could say anything, Nine Frost spoke up.

“For this, I lost three brothers.”

His icy voice was filled with fury and hatred. He threw the Rune Circuit to Gao Yang. Gao Yang caught it and examined it thoroughly.

Just like the other Rune Circuit, this one was also a 1-centimeter thick artifact made of Black Gold the size of a compact mirror. It was covered in intricate circuits with the top side etched with an archaic-looking pattern: a blooming flower with identical petals.

Gao Yang’s heart sank as he confirmed his ominous feeling.

“Lithe Snake,” he said. “Can you regenerate your arm now?”

Lithe Snake shook his head weakly. “My Talent hasn’t come back to me.”

Gao Yang turned to the others. “And yours?”

They all shook their heads.

“Is it that we will only get our Talent back once we leave the Rune Cave?” Gray Bear suggested.

“That’s one possibility.” Gao Yang took a deep breath, his tone taking a downturn. “But I don’t think that’s the case.”

“What do you mean?”

Gao Yang raised the Rune Circuit in his hand. “This isn’t the Support Rune Circuit.”

Nine Frost stared at him without a word.

The others were befuddled as well.

Gao Yang could be somewhat certain that the Rune Circuit wasn’t of the Support-type. He had visited the Talent Pantheon and saw the symbols of the twelve Rune types on the altars at the foot of the Pillars of Creation. One of them was the blooming flower.

“Don’t you find it strange?” Gao Yang said. “Li Zhuanghu was able to turn anyone he bit into his puppets and control them. Do you think that’s an ability of the Support-type?”

“It’s Summon-type!” Yellow Butterfly’s eyes glinted with realization.

“Correct.” Gao Yang turned to her. “You have a Summon-type Talent. You should know that Li Zhuanghu’s ability doesn’t fit the Support-type.”

“But our Talents are sealed.” Gray Bear still hadn’t caught on. “Can the Summon Rune Circuit do that?”

“No,” Gao Yang said.

“Then isn’t there an inconsistency?”

“Who tells you that one Rune Cave…”

Nine Frost finished Gao Yang’s speculation for him, “Can only have one Rune Circuit?”

What little relief they had felt froze over.

There was another Rune Circuit at the Eleventh High School, the Support Rune Circuit that had sealed their Talents.

That was great news to the Qilin Guild. Acquiring it would bump the number of Rune Circuits the Qilin Guild had to five, which would further cement the Guild’s dominance in the world of awakeners, and they would be one step closer to opening the Gates of Closure.

However, it was a nightmare to the fourth and fifth teams.

How were they going to deal with another monster mutated under the influence of a Rune Circuit?

Gao Yang had to ask himself if he had put too many points into his Luck. He was so ‘lucky’ that he could barely survive it.

He was reminded of what his grandmother had told him: having a name that was too auspicious could end up doing harm since their destiny might not be grand enough to bear the weight.

“Captain,” Ronnie said tiredly, “What, do we, do?”

Gao Yang pulled out of his thoughts but didn’t say anything.

He looked over everyone, evaluating their current combat power. Lithe Snake had lost an arm and was in a terrible state. Before his Talent returned, he wouldn’t be of much help and might actually be a burden.

Can wasn’t much of a combatant to start with, and the hit to her head might have given her concussion.

As for the rest of them, while they had gotten some rest, they could at most do simple actions. Fighting another difficult battle was more or less impossible.

And they had just about used up their equipment and supplies.

After some deliberation, Gao Yang came to a decision, “We try to escape the Rune Cave first. If it doesn’t work, we have to look for the second Rune Circuit.”

“Help Lithe Snake walk, Gray Bear.”

Gray Bear nodded and pulled Lithe Snake’s remaining arm around his shoulders.

With the adrenaline shot he injected himself with, Gao Yang could still hold on for a little longer. He went up to Can and picked her up. “Let’s go to the flagpole platform.”

Nine Frost, Black Sparrow, and Yellow Butterfly had to leave the killed fourth team members behind for now. They helped each other as they approached the platform. It didn’t take them long.

Gao Yang thought back to his experience in the Gu Family’s Village and what Niu Xuan had done on this spot. He was certain that this would be the portal between the Rune Cave and the real world, like the abandoned well in the Gu Family’s Village.

Tightening his grip around the Rune Circuit, he waved it over the platform tentatively.

Unfortunately, no portal emerged.

The platform was small. Gao Yang held the Rune Circuit over every part of it, but nothing happened.

He put the Rune Circuit away and sighed. “It seems that the Rune Cave was constructed with the power of the Heavenly Way and both Rune Circuits.”

“So we have to get both keys before we can open the door,” Yellow Butterfly tried to wrap her head around the situation.

“Most likely so.”

Nine Frost opened his mouth to say something, but then he frowned and narrowed his eyes at the teaching building. “Someone’s there.”

The others looked up as well. And indeed, there was a figure standing behind the metal railing at the edge of the rooftop, their face too far to make out.

“They seem to be looking at, us,” Ronnie said uncertainly.

Nine Frost turned to Gao Yang without a word. Then Gray Bear, Yellow Butterfly, and Black Sparrow did the same.

They were all waiting for him to make the call. Gao Yang suddenly felt weighed down by the responsibility.

His decision would determine the fate of his team, no, of everyone.

Who was that?

A survivor who had somehow escaped the rune corpses intact? A monster mutated due to the Rune Circuit? Or something entirely different?

There was no knowing the answers.

However, they couldn’t get out of here now and had to face whoever it was sooner or later. Sitting around here wouldn’t solve the problem. Without getting proper treatment and rest, they would only get more exhausted if they waited.

There was no other way. Gao Yang couldn’t bet small in this instance. He had to make a risky gamble.

“What do we have now?” Gao Yang asked Yellow Butterfly.

She was holding a supply bag. “Two syringes of Medicine C, two syringes of adrenaline, two sleep gas grenades, some water, and some dry rations.”

“Give the adrenaline shots to me and Gray Bear,” Nine Frost said. “Seven Shadow has used it once and can’t use it again.”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang agreed. If things got dangerous, Nine Frost and Gray Bear would be able to administer the shot and put up a fight a little longer.

Of course, they would only be able to fight to the limit of a regular human. At least it was some comfort that total silence applied to both humans and monsters.

Yellow Butterfly gave the syringes to Nine Frost and Gray Bear.

Gao Yang turned to Ronnie. “Stay here and look after Lithe Snake and Can, Ronnie.”

“Understood.”

Ronnie had exhausted himself and twisted his ankle in the earlier fight, and he walked with a limp. If a fight broke out, he would only drag them down.

Ronnie gave Yellow Butterfly the dagger in his hand. “Please be, careful.”

Yellow Butterfly took the dagger. “You too.”

“Let’s go,” said Gao Yang.

“Go! Let’s see what it’s got!” Gray Bear tried his best to pump everyone up. “Be it fortune or misfortune, we have to face it head on!”

Gao Yang, Nine Frost, Gray Bear, Black Sparrow, and Yellow Butterfly entered the shaded path and soon reached the teaching building. When they set foot into the main hall, there were still some dead rune corpses on the floor, the aftermath of their earlier fight here.

They went up the stairs, and their advance speed noticeably slowed down when they got to the fourth floor. Although none of them had said anything, it was clear that they were all reluctant to face what awaited them.

Finally, Gray Bear broke the silence with a bitter smile. “Captain, what are our odds in your opinion?”

It was a meaningless question.

Gao Yang didn’t know what was waiting for them on the rooftop.

But morale was crucial, so he said confidently without looking at Gray Bear, “A hundred percent.”

“Haha!” Gray Bear laughed dryly. “I think so too!”

“Get ready.”

The five of them reached the top of the stairs.

Creak.

Gao Yang opened the metal door leading to the rooftop.

Houseau3's Thoughts

Man is this Rune Cave harsh.

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