The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 260: Secret Garden

“Now?” Gao Yang started. Qilin talked about leveling up Talents like it was as easy as eating.

The man was difficult to pin down.

Was he a typical guildmaster preoccupied with many responsibilities? But he ran a psychiatric clinic and spent much time dutifully treating wanderers with mental illnesses.

On the other hand, one would be remiss to say that he had been neglecting his duty. He was the embodiment of a man of action. He made decisions ridiculously quickly and carried them out without hesitation.

Last time, he agreed to show Gao Yang the Miracle Rune Circuit, and he conjured it in his hand without delay.

A few minutes ago, he decided to give Gao Yang the Knowledge Rune Circuit, and again, he took it out the next second.

Now, he said that he would help Gao Yang level up Teleportation, and he put it into action immediately. Judging by his confident tone, it seemed that he could do it this instant.

As expected of a leading awakener. He carried himself with such ease and grace, meeting difficulties like they were nothing.

Elegant! So elegant!

“Yes, now.” Qilin turned to Gao Yang. An unreadable glint flashed through his deep eyes. “Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” Gao Yang took a deep breath and nodded.

Qilin rose to his feet and walked to a corner of the room with his cane, opening an unassuming door. Based on the layout of the floor, the door should lead to a storage.

“Come on in,” said Qilin.

Gao Yang stood up and headed toward the door, peeking in. He only saw darkness.

Qilin entered first. Gao Yang followed right after him.

A few seconds later, Gao Yang’s eyes gradually adjusted to the dim light. He was surprised to see a long, narrow corridor.

Gao Yang didn’t dare ask about it. He followed behind Qilin for about a minute until they reached the end of the corridor, where a green stone door that had clearly been worn by the years stood.

Qilin placed his hand on the cold, rough stone, and three seconds later, the door opened inward, making a dull rumble that sounded like it originated from a distant past.

Gao Yang stood there, stunned speechless.

On the other side of the door was a large enclosed space. The magnificent dome was propped up by four circular stone pillars that were two meters in diameter, and on the four walls were murals depicting what seemed like mythologies. Countless bronze torches lined the walls, the fire wavering.

Gao Yang questioned if it was even possible to build a space like this inside a modern office building.

He quickly dismissed the doubt though. The Qilin Guild was known for extravagance. It didn’t surprise him that they could create a space like this.

The enclosed space resembled a palace hall from the ancient times. At the center was a tiered altar, at the top of which was a giant bronze cauldron. A stream of holy light came down from the dome, enveloping the cauldron directly.

“Guildmaster, this...” Gao Yang instinctively lowered his voice lest he disturb the sacred atmosphere.

“My secret garden.” Qilin smiled.

Gao Yang wasn’t sure what to say.

“Let’s move on.” Qilin took a few more steps forward with his cane and stood on the first step of the staircase leading up the stone altar.

He turned around to look at Gao Yang and repeated, “Are you ready?”

Gao Yang paused. “For leveling up?”

“Yes.”

Gao Yang’s heartbeat was thunderous. He didn’t know what Qilin was going to do, but he had no choice but to nod.

Qilin raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.

Startled, Gao Yang sensed a faint rustle behind him.

He whirled around and saw three figures in white robes and faceless masks. Judging by their physique, they should be adult men.

Gao Yang was caught off guard. When did they approach, and where had they been hiding?

And what was the deal with their outfits? Were they monsters kept here for the purpose of leveling up?

With that in mind, Gao Yang said without turning back to look at Qilin, his tone respectful but firm, “Guildmaster Qilin, thank you for your generous offer. However, there are things I won’t do even after leaving the Twelve Zodiac Signs. I don’t kill wanderers unless they have lost control.”

Qilin said from behind him, “Don’t worry, Seven Shadow. They are no wanderers. You may fight to your heart’s content.”

Gao Yang was just about to say something when the three monsters suddenly rushed toward him at impressive speed. Given no time to think, Gao Yang could only tap into the energy in his body and ready himself for the fight.

Swish, swish, swish!

The monster in the middle attacked, its hands morphing into slick tentacles and coming after Gao Yang.

Gao Yang was just about to dodge when his eyes darkened, catching the other two monsters coming towards him from the sides, their arms transforming into large sharp blades like those of a mantis.

A devourer and two slaughterers.

Gao Yang activated Teleportation, escaping the three monsters surrounding him.

As soon as he steadied himself, he sensed a violent wave of killing intent coming down on him from above.

A second later, Gao Yang teleported again without hesitation.

Bam!

A monster stabbed and shattered the floor where Gao Yang had been.

It appeared like a woman, similarly dressed in white robe and faceless mask.

The monster’s body was covered in hardy, grayish green scales. Attached to its legs were no feet, but two keen blades of mutated bones protruding from the flesh. Every time the monster lifted its legs out of the broken floor, the sharp blades dragged across the surfaces and made grating noises.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!

Gao Yang didn’t have the time to be surprised. Three familiar bone stings were already coming for him from the side.

He teleported again, turning around to see another monster.

It looked like a woman too, and it was also covered in scales. Its fingers could morph into bone stings that it could extend and retract at will, just like Yellow Butterfly.

Gao Yang scanned his surroundings in alert. One devourer, two slaughterers, one freerider, and two overtakers.

Why were there so many monsters in Qilin’s secret garden?!

Who was Qilin?

His train of thoughts was interrupted by a sharp sting from his left cheek. Then he felt fluid stream down his face.

Only then did he realize that he had only barely avoided the earlier attack, and the bone stings left a cut on his face.

“Stop hesitating, Seven Shadow. Fight.”

Holding his cane, Qilin watched from the altar, his tone as soothing as ever. “If you don’t make up your mind, you’ll die.”

Gao Yang took a deep breath. He knew he didn’t have a choice.

Swish, swish, swish.

Three bone stings shot at him. At the same time, the other monsters came up to circle him.

Gao Yang didn’t teleport away. Instead, he dodged the three bone stings with a sidestep and, seizing the right moment, grabbed one of the bone stings with his right hand.

“Fire!” Simultaneously, he shot fire with his left hand to keep the two slaughterers at bay.

Crack!

Exerting more power with his right hand, he broke the bone sting he had caught.

“Ahhh—”

The monster the bone sting belonged to cried out in pain.

Swoosh!

A second later, Gao Yang teleported to the overtaker’s front, wielding the broken bone sting like a small dagger and piercing through its scales, stabbing its heart.

This wasn’t enough. Gao Yang twisted his wrist and yanked the bone sting toward the center of the monster’s chest until he sensed that he had destroyed its heart completely, and the monster had died.

It took him two seconds to kill the overtaker.

When Gao Yang let go of the bloodied bone sting and was just about to teleport again, a tentacle crept up on him along the ground, wrapping around his left ankle.

With a sudden yank, it pulled Gao Yang off balance, making him fall.

Gao Yang grabbed the tentacle gripping his ankle without hesitation, but before he could activate Fire, a figure suddenly appeared above him.

The two bladed legs came down upon him, fiercely cutting through air with an audible swoosh.

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