Doomsday Wonderland

The next few hours were tense, rushed, yet strangely seamless.

That smuggler must have escorted countless women and children along this route. Even though he was temporarily forced by threat, he managed to arrange everything with meticulous precision.

Of course, he'd tried to resist—taking advantage of an opportunity to lunge at Xie Feng from behind, or intentionally leading them off course toward the coastal guard's office building. Thankfully, none of his attempts succeeded, and after Xie Feng produced a second item, the smuggler finally surrendered completely.

It had been about ten hours since she'd made the healing lamp; exactly when she could create the next item seemed unpredictable, so Xie Feng resigned herself to waiting.

"Are we sure he's... safe now?" Dong Luorong asked softly as they finally arrived at the dock, cloaked in night and heavy rain.

The rain was so loud that even with Xie Feng's heightened hearing, she almost didn't catch the question.

The smuggler, who had previously been tied up like a dog, was now untethered and leading the way without trying to escape. He held an umbrella in one hand and a flashlight in the other, trudging through the muddy path, his steps splashing in countless puddles.

Every so often, he'd turn back and urge them to move faster. "Miss Dong, can you hold up? We need to hurry; the sooner we set off, the safer we'll be."

His change in attitude, of course, was entirely due to that strange item.

"It'll be fine," Xie Feng said, handing a heart-shaped pendant to Dong Luorong. "Its effect lasts for 24 hours, so after that, it'll just turn back into your necklace."

The pendant had originally been part of Dong Luorong's diamond necklace, a piece so finely crafted that its elegance and expense were apparent. But after Xie Feng transformed it into a Special Item, it took on a dark, silvery tone and a plain heart shape—looking cheap and ordinary.

"Will it... make him feel what we feel?" Dong Luorong murmured, almost dreamily, as she looked at it.

[Empathy Pendant]

If everyone could truly put themselves in others' shoes—feel their emotions, experiences, and suffering—empathy would ripple across the human race, making the world a better place.

This item allows the wielder to make its target feel their strongest, most pressing emotions and desires. This creates shared understanding, pushing the target to support the user's goals.

This description had surfaced in Xie Feng's mind as she touched the item—Dong Luorong seemed to have experienced the same thing.

The description sounded idealistic, but Xie Feng hadn't been thinking in those terms when she made it. At the time, she'd simply thought that a willing person would be far more useful than one motivated only by fear.

"It's incredible," Dong Luorong murmured, her thin shoulders and bony arms pressing clearly against Xie Feng's arm through her soaked clothing. "Do you know what caused your evolution?"

That question had circled endlessly in Xie Feng's mind, yet she still had no answer. What were the requirements for evolution? Could anyone meet them? Could Dong Luorong evolve too?

"There," the smuggler called softly from ahead, drawing their attention. About ten meters away, the dark forest came to an end, and through the trees, the darkness lightened slightly, as if the relentless rain had finally begun to break apart the dense clouds. He pointed to an opening in the trees and called out, "Watch your step; the path slopes down here. It's slippery in the dark, so don't fall."

It was ironic—now that the smuggler felt empathy for them, Xie Feng felt no inclination to return the sentiment. She didn't even bother to ask his name; it would make things easier when she dealt with him later.

"The boat's just down this slope?" Xie Feng called.

The smuggler explained patiently. "Yes, the water level's risen so much that the dock is completely submerged. There's no way we could reach it. But we hid a boat here before the flooding started. In this line of work, we always have to prepare in advance..."

Xie Feng scanned the area with her flashlight.

Tear City had five sea ports, one of which was near a cliff that was part of Mount Taishi. The elevation was low, and a path led directly from the cliff down to the harbor. With the port submerged, the cliff now formed a natural access point to the sea, a small strip of land remaining above water.

"Be careful, Miss Dong," the smuggler said, tossing aside his umbrella. He held up the flashlight for Dong Luorong and steadied her arm, his voice filled with concern. "Take it slow on the way down. If you feel like you're going to fall, just step on my foot. I'm stable; treat me as a cushion... I'll be fine."

Dong Luorong turned back to look at Xie Feng with a strange expression.

Xie Feng scratched her head awkwardly.

"What are you looking at me for?" she muttered. "He's the one saying it."

Dong Luorong couldn't hold back a laugh. In the dark rain, lit by the dim flashlight, with the misty gray atmosphere and her damp, flushed lips, she suddenly seemed so vivid that Xie Feng's thoughts froze in place.

This moment would stay with Xie Feng for a long time.

The descending path was not man-made but seemed worn down by countless footsteps, muddy and strewn with loose stones. Midway down, there was a small rocky platform just big enough to fit two or three people.

On clear days, this platform would serve no purpose, but with the water levels so high, it became a natural dock—a small white boat bobbed a short distance away, rising and falling with the waves. Occasionally, it would sway as if to drift off with the waves, only to be pulled back by a rope tied to a small tree growing from the cliff's edge.

Without the smuggler's help, they would have never figured out how to get to sea. Being posthuman might have enhanced her physical abilities, but Xie Feng still needed others' resources, skills, and connections—they had no idea how to operate a boat themselves.

Once all three of them were finally aboard and out of the rain, Xie Feng could breathe a sigh of relief. If she felt that way, Dong Luorong must have felt even more drained.

Dong Luorong didn't complain; she simply wiped away the rain and asked the smuggler, "How long will it take? The rain's so heavy—will the boat be all right?"

"It's strange; it's raining hard, but the wind and waves aren't too rough... so some fishing boats have even resumed going out. They say the catch has been better than before." The smuggler smiled. "We stocked this boat with enough supplies and fuel to reach the fishing vessel, so we should be fine. As for how long... I'll need to contact them to confirm their location."

"Well, go on then," Xie Feng urged.

But he wasn't so easily dismissed.

Under the effects of the [Empathy Pendant], the smuggler became overly attentive to Dong Luorong's needs, so much so that Xie Feng found herself flushing with embarrassment. He somehow managed to find the only towel on board and offered it solely to Dong Luorong. When he boiled water, her cup was the first to receive tea—it was less like he was trying to woo her and more like he'd become a fussy mother hen.

Finally, Xie Feng, on the verge of losing her patience, cursed him out of the cabin and into the cockpit. Even then, he couldn't resist reminding them, "Miss Dong, staying in wet clothes is bad for you; you might catch a cold. There are blankets in the cabin. Don't worry, I won't come back..."

"Just go!" Xie Feng shouted.

Once he finally left, the sound of the engine hummed through the boat as it turned toward the open sea.

Xie Feng hadn't expected to find herself back in the lower cabin of a boat so soon. Locking the door carefully, she opened the bag she had brought from the hotel.

"He does have a point," she said, not looking up. "I'll find something drier for you to change into. You're still healing and can't stay in wet clothes..."

Dong Luorong's soft laugh made Xie Feng blush.

"I'm not putting on a comedy act..." she muttered, "What's so funny..."

"Changing can wait." Dong Luorong slowly stepped closer, her bare feet pale from the damp, delicate blue veins faintly visible, like the patterns in jade. "Look what I found."

Xie Feng looked up and saw her pointing at a record player. It must have been a particular passion of the boat owner's, as she hadn't seen one of these old players in ages. Dong Luorong rummaged through a cabinet, pulled out a few records, and chose one at random. As the music began, a cool melody threaded with metallic tones filled the cabin, the soft, smoky voice of a woman blending seamlessly into the rainy night.

"I've thought about it a lot," Dong Luorong murmured. "If anything on this planet could cause either doomsday or evolution, it would have to be this rain."

With the music playing, it felt like a different world. Dong Luorong opened the door and glanced back at Xie Feng. The latter, almost in a trance, rose to her feet and took the hand held out to her.

"I've always wanted to stand on the deck, feel the sea breeze, and watch the ocean open up before me," Dong Luorong said with a little tilt of her head, like a girl pleading for a favor. "Even if it's pouring out... come with me."

If... if it really was this rain that had caused her evolution, could it possibly help Dong Luorong evolve too?

Xie Feng followed her onto the deck.

The pounding rain drowned out the music, but fragments of melody scattered into notes, weaving through the sound of rain and crashing waves like a mist. They couldn't tell where the sky ended or the sea began. The vast darkness of the ocean stretched around them, like the world itself had drawn away, hidden behind some unseen curtain.

The rain had soaked them entirely, but by now, they could hardly feel it.

Holding her hand, Dong Luorong leaned close to her, and as faint, wavering notes rose and fell, the two of them gently swayed to the rhythm, side by side.

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