Doomsday Wonderland

'Does evolution really not change a person's mind and spirit?'

She thought it wouldn't. But when this question surfaced in Xie Feng's mind, she found herself unsure.

Xie Feng felt she hadn't changed. She wasn't like Qiu Chantian, talking about eating people, nor did she have any urge to destroy the world. She was willing to do anything to protect and repay Dong Luorong. Yet, as she silently emerged from the wardrobe, a new, almost detached state seemed to settle over her, and she felt no stir of emotion about what she was about to do.

These were two living, breathing people.

The stockier one looked to be in his thirties, wearing a gold wedding ring on his left hand—probably with a wife, maybe even a few kids at home calling him "honey" or "dad." The thinner one was younger, likely at the age when his mother would still call to remind him to dress warmly, and he might spend his days off going to movies with his girlfriend, debating between a comedy or an action film.

They had lived this long because someone had poured in a lot of care, effort, and money. They had probably worked hard themselves to pass the tests and enter the security department. Did they have dreams or plans for the future?

As these thoughts ran through her mind, Xie Feng raised the straightened coat hanger hook high and plunged it into the right eye socket of the thin man.

Until the sharp metal rod pierced him, he hadn't even realized someone had stepped out from the wardrobe behind him. Both he and the stocky man had fallen in the hallway, stunned by the gruesome scene in the bathroom—after all, this wasn't wartime. Even security guards rarely saw corpses in their day-to-day work.

Xie Feng suspected these "spoiled darlings," coddled by equipment, salaries, and benefits, were probably just good at intimidation and beating people up. When it came to real suffering and horror, they might even be less prepared than she was.

In the sudden, piercing scream that shot up to the ceiling, Xie Feng grabbed the back of his collar and threw him into the bathroom. Whether he'd end up crashing into the corpse or hitting the floor with the hook embedding even deeper in his skull, she didn't concern herself with for the moment.

She had too much of an advantage right now.

Everything happened so quickly that no one had time to react. As she took the thin man's place standing by the wardrobe, the stocky man was just to her left, still scrambling to his feet. Realizing something was wrong, he fixed his gaze on her, backing away as he reached for the weapon at his waist, his face pale, his legs wide apart.

"How unsightly," Xie Feng said softly. It was something she had heard countless times growing up, a deeply ingrained habit. "A girl shouldn't sit with her legs open."

By the third word, her voice was drowned out by his agonized scream, a sound so raw it seemed to rip at his throat. No one else heard her words. Her newly enhanced strength was remarkable; with just a single kick, she could feel something shatter beneath her foot.

"Blame yourself," Xie Feng whispered, bending down to grab his ankle and pulling him back into the hallway before he could see Dong Luorong lying on the bed. "Sitting there with your legs open—you were inviting me to kick you, weren't you?"

In the bathroom, the thin man had managed to pull the hanger hook out of his eye socket. Though he continued to wail and sob in pain, he had managed to pull out a gun. Clutching his bloody half-face with one hand, he raised the weapon toward the door—just as his gun barely leveled, and before he could pull the trigger, Xie Feng sprang back, disappearing behind the wall.

A second later, the wardrobe door was riddled with bullet holes, the wood cracking into a spiderweb pattern from the impact.

Despite everything, the security guards were still different from ordinary people. Even with his eye ruptured and his testicles crushed, the stocky man on the floor had somehow managed to draw his gun.

Facing two armed men with no weapon herself, Xie Feng suddenly felt grateful that Dong Luorong hadn't seen this one-sided massacre—she didn't want Dong Luorong to be afraid of her.

'Have I gotten faster at reacting?'

Xie Feng had already moved further into the wardrobe when the stocky man was still just releasing his gun's safety. His split-second delay meant that Xie Feng had already taken two steps, crouched within the wardrobe. By the time she reopened the wardrobe door, she was right next to the stocky man's shoulder.

The white light spilling from the bathroom door illuminated the center of the stocky man's body, making it look as though he'd already been split into three pieces even before he was dead. She could hear the sound of the thin man crawling toward the doorway—a wet squelching noise as he dragged himself through the puddle of blood and flesh.

The thunderous gunfire first struck the back of the door, then swerved to fire into the wardrobe where Xie Feng had just stepped. By normal standards, the stocky man's reaction would have been considered impressive; even another newly evolved posthuman might have struggled to avoid injury in such close quarters.

It seemed she had a real knack for killing.

"Hi," Xie Feng greeted softly, crouching down.

The stocky man's eyes widened as he turned his head, his movements appearing in slow motion, as if in a film. Xie Feng raised her fist, her knuckles protruding sharply as she twisted her waist back slightly. Throwing a punch wasn't just about moving the shoulder or arm—you had to engage your core to drive the body forward, maximizing force in the strike. She didn't even remember when she'd learned this.

Her fist connected with his ear, sending his head snapping diagonally backward, his neck stretched out, yet his eyes remained open.

So far, Xie Feng's three attacks had all targeted areas with a high chance of lethality. Still, whether due to luck or misfortune, neither of the men had been knocked unconscious.

She was beginning to lose her patience.

Xie Feng immediately followed up with another punch to his temple. As his upper body slumped to the floor, she pressed her knee against his carotid artery. Her hand darted forward, grabbing the gun that was slipping from his grip, and aimed it at the bathroom door.

The stocky man was now on the verge of death, unable to make a sound. Inside the bathroom, the other man suddenly stopped moving, as if he'd realized what awaited him outside.

"Come on out," Xie Feng urged softly after a few seconds. "Pulling the trigger isn't much of a thrill for me, but for you, it'd mean a quick death. Your partner would probably trade places with you in a heartbeat."

There was silence for a long while, and then a faint sobbing echoed from within.

"Pl... please..." the thin man stammered, his words barely intelligible. "I... I didn't even see what you look like... please, spare me... I swear I won't say anything... I don't want to die..."

Xie Feng had no personal reason to kill this stranger, a man she held no grudge against. But practically speaking, a dead man would be more convenient.

"Maybe... maybe just let him go?" Dong Luorong's voice sounded from inside the room, slightly trembling as if deeply shaken, fragile like glass that might shatter with a single touch. "If you... if you think it's safe, maybe just tie him up so he can't alert anyone... and we can hurry and leave."

"Miss Dong!" The man's spirits seemed to lift immediately, his voice laced with desperate pleading. "Please, Miss Dong, you know me. I've always respected you... please, spare me... I'm the only son my parents have; they're back in the countryside. It's been so hard..."

Xie Feng stayed silent. The man beneath her knee was undoubtedly dead; he wasn't an issue anymore. But should she really let this one live?

"Guns, phone, car keys, wallet... throw everything you have over here," she finally ordered calmly after a moment's thought.

"Okay, okay," the thin man said, catching a glimpse of hope. Amidst some rustling sounds, he tossed out his gun, wallet, phone, and other belongings. "The car keys aren't on me—they're with the other guy."

Xie Feng sighed inwardly.

Killing was quicker and easier than tying someone up. She knew exactly how to end his life but found subduing and binding him troublesome. Yet Dong Luorong was different from her. She was a regular person, used to a sheltered life—probably hadn't seen much more than a dead bug. She would need time to adjust, and it wouldn't be right to overwhelm her.

Before letting the man out, Xie Feng searched the dead man's body and took the car keys. As for his wallet, she left it as a keepsake for his wife.

"Come out," Xie Feng instructed, positioning herself. "Crawl out."

The moment the thin man's head appeared, she delivered a sharp kick to his temple. His head hit the doorframe with a dull thud, and he slid down limply.

Xie Feng exhaled in relief. Knocking him out saved her a lot of trouble.

Despite her shock and fear, Dong Luorong felt a bit guilty. She knew her moment of softness had caused Xie Feng extra hassle, though she didn't seem to regret it.

"The lamp's run out," Xie Feng said, tearing the bedsheet into strips and binding the man tightly. She looked at the lamp before tossing it aside. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than usual," Dong Luorong replied with a pale smile, beads of cold sweat still on her forehead.

Xie Feng returned her smile, but she wasn't sure how to soothe her, seeing how the recent events had left her shaken. "This hotel may be soundproof, but someone probably heard the gunshots... maybe even called the police. We need to leave fast. Will your body hold up?"

"I'm fine," Dong Luorong said, taking Xie Feng's arm for support as she forced herself to stand. "You were quick... it's only been a few minutes since they came in. We should have time."

Following her directions, Xie Feng hurried back to Dong Luorong's room to grab a few essentials—they'd need cash, cards, and valuable jewelry for the journey ahead. She also found a few clothes so Dong Luorong wouldn't have to go out in a nightgown.

Given that their exposure was inevitable, they took the fastest route, taking the elevator directly to the parking garage. They found the stocky man's car, and thankfully, Dong Luorong knew how to drive. With her poised demeanor and attire, she easily looked like someone who belonged, and they smoothly exited the garage and got onto the road.

"Where are we going now?" Dong Luorong asked, turning to Xie Feng.

This car would soon be a target for tracking, so they couldn't keep it long. They'd need to ditch it as soon as possible. Luckily, Xie Feng already had a destination in mind.

"Do you remember the place where you first rescued me?" Xie Feng smiled softly. "Back then, I was being chased by a man pretending to be a smuggler. I think it's time to pay him another visit."

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