The Creatures that We Are

“Alright, it’ll be hard for me to kill all of you.” X had a lopsided smile on his face like he was talking about the weather. “Still, I’m pretty sure I can kill half of you, at least. What do you say?”

Vermilion Bird’s expression darkened. It was an important decision to make.

“I have to bring this to Guild…”

“No, I’ll give you one minute. Past that, and the deal’s off.”

“What’s you fucking pro…”

Green Tea covered Wu Dahai’s mouth before he could finish his sentence, worried that X wouldn’t even give them the minute otherwise.

“55 seconds to go.” X shook his wet hair in the pouring rain.

Vermilion Bird turned to Gao Yang reflexively.

“Seven Shadow…”

“Don’t ask me. You’re the one in charge.” Gao Yang didn’t want to make any decision since he didn’t want the responsibility that would come with it.

However, Vermilion Bird hadn’t been in her place for so long for nothing. She demanded, “This is an order. Tell me what you think.”

“Another 50 seconds.” X continued to count down.

Gao Yang took a deep breath and clearly expressed his opinions at a faster pace. “I’ll say yes. The Crimson Tide is on the horizon. Our deaths are all foretold. If we are to fight fate, we must come together as one. Even if X’s request is going to be risky, we have to make the bet.”

“Ha, I agree.” Vermilion Bird turned to Chen Ying and White Rabbit. “And you?”

Chen Ying stayed silent. Losing the entire second team at the Cattle Farm Station had made her timid.

Without hesitation, White Rabbit said, “I say we take the gamble.”

She had come to Naldives for the mission Dragon entrusted to her, and she would not disappoint him.

Vermilion Bird turned to X. “Alright, we agree to your condition. Let’s hear it.”

“Good.” X’s smile was gone, and his eyes turned serious. “Tonight at midnight, bring another awakener here to meet up with me. Help me explore the Rune Cave.”

“A Rune Cave?” Chen Ying said in surprise, what had happened before flashing through her mind. “Is it going to be dangerous?”

“Who knows?” X didn’t mince words. “The only thing I can say for sure is that thirteen awakeners have to be gathered to enter the Rune Cave, and inside is the Poison Rune Circuit.”

“How can you be sure?” Qing Ling wasn’t convinced.

“Because I have the top Poison-type Talent and can sense its presence. It’s a faint resonation of sorts,” X said nonchalantly.

“So you’ve been staying here all these years for the Rune Circuit?” Gao Yang asked.

“That’s a big part of it.” X smiled. “Although my Talent is among the top, it’s only level 3. I want to get the Rune Circuit to level it up. I’ve tried many different ways, but I can never enter the Rune Cave on my own. It seems that it’s a requirement for thirteen awakeners to be present.”

“Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” Vermilion Bird asked.

“I can’t trust you.”

White Rabbit shot back, “And now you can?”

“No, but the Crimson Tide is coming. You don’t have a choice.”

The others exchanged a look.

While X appeared to be a foppish trust fund boy, he was actually shrewd and careful with a healthy distrust of others.

“Go to the Rune Cave with me, and I’ll give you the Poison Rune Circuit after I get my Talent to level 4. You may do with it as you want. With me getting stronger, I’ll be able to better help you and increase our chance of survival, no? It’s a win-win situation.”

“Makes sense.” Vermilion Bird nodded and turned to White Rabbit and Chen Ying. “If we acquire the Poison Rune Circuit, the three organizations will sign an agreement on its joint ownership.”

White Rabbit and Chen Ying nodded.

Still, Chen Ying was concerned. “Why don’t we get some better teammates? The current team is all over the place…”

“We don’t have time.” Vermilion Bird sighed softly. “White Tiger is arriving at Naldives for me tonight. That’ll make us thirteen. If anyone’s going to leave the Li City for Naldives, they’ll only arrive after midnight anyway.”

“I believe in destiny.” X turned to walk to the shoreline and hopped on a jet ski. “Remember, bring twelve awakeners here comes midnight. This is your only chance. I won’t wait for you.”

X started the jet ski and quickly vanished into the fog of rain above the ocean.

“Fuck, he’s the one asking for help, but he acts like he’s in charge.” Wu Dahai grumbled.

“It’s raining too hard. We’ll return after it relents a little.” Vermilion Bird’s hair was all drenched from the rain. She turned to take cover under a parasol, sitting down on a lounger.

Gao Yang followed her, hurriedly asking, “I’ve got to go, Sister Xia. My father is waiting for me. If I don’t go back, he’ll be worried.”

“Go ahead.” Vermilion Bird waved him away. “Come on your own this midnight. Don’t be late.”

“Alright.”

Gao Yang rushed into the rain and jumped onto a jet ski.

“Be careful, Captain!” Can waved at him in the rain, her small face covered in water droplets.

“Later.” Gao Yang nodded and started the jet ski, quickly disappearing.

The other ten took shelter under the parasols, some standing and others sitting.

Wu Dahai’s eyes shifted around. He said tentatively, “Joker, how long is the impression you left on us going to last?”

Joker said, “48 hours.”

Wu Dahai raised his voice. “Good. There’s still a long time until midnight. We are free to go around!”

“It’s better we return to the villa,” Vermilion Bird said. “We don’t want accidents.”

“That’s no fun. We didn’t always have the chance to go on a vacation. Better make it count.” Wu Dahai started fueling the spark of interest.

The young ones, Green Tea, Ronnie, Can, and Scarlet Fox, were swayed. They looked at each other, feeling the urge to speak up.

Who knew if they could survive the Crimson Tide and had fun again? Now that they had come to a famous vacation site, they should be experiencing it to the fullest. What were they waiting for?

Their reactions hadn’t escaped Vermilion Bird’s eyes. She could tell what they were thinking.

She sighed softly. “I don’t care about the others, but you are under my charge. You may leave and do what you want, but text me every half an hour, and you must return to the villa at eight o’clock in the evening.”

“Hooray!”

“Thank you!”

“Thank you, Elder Vermilion Bird!”

They were overjoyed.

Scarlet Fox looked at her with smile in his eyes, saying in a gentle voice, “May I have some of your time, Elder Vermilion Bird? I’d like to invite you to dinner.”

“Huh?” Vermillion Bird gave him a guarded look. “Attention without a clear reason must come with ulterior motives.”

“Oh, no. It’s a simple dinner invitation.”

“Give up, Scarlet Fox. You’re not my type.” Vermilion Bird joked.

“And you’re not mine!” Scarlet Fox blurted out, but then realized his reaction could be taken the wrong way. “I, I didn’t mean it that way. You’re attractive, Elder. It’s just that…”

Vermilion Bird interrupted him with a smile. “I know. Let’s have dinner together.”

She only remembered then that it was Scarlet Fox’s twenty-fourth birthday today.

He had a sudden awakening at 17. Unfortunately, his stepfather turned out to be a wrath monster, and he was forced to kill his family with his Talent that day, while he himself barely survived the experience.

He only lived because Vermilion Bird had found him and taken him back to the Qilin Guild.

For the next six months, Scarlet Fox never said a word to anyone. It was Vermilion Bird’s continuous effort to bring him along and treating him like a real brother that finally allowed him to open up to her.

To Scarlet Fox, Vermilion Bird was not only his leader and teacher, but also his sister, his only family in the world.

Therefore, he had spent every birthday with her, and Vermilion Bird always prepared a gift for him.

This time, she had forgotten about it because of the Crimson Tide.

Vermilion Bird felt bad about it. She knew that Scarlet Fox liked perfumes. She should get him one as his birthday gift before dinner.

While they talked, the rain relented a little.

Suddenly, Wu Dahai shouted, “Green Snake!”

It came out of nowhere and made everyone jump.

Qing Ling frowned in lieu of a response.

Wu Dahai continued to shout at the top of his lungs.

“Let’s have dinner together!”

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