The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 98: Line 7

Now that they had gotten this far, Chen Ying stopped holding back about the actual situation. “We sent our people in two days ago, but we lost contact with them very soon, and none of them has returned since then. They might have run into trouble.”

War Tiger nodded in understanding. “Something as precious as a Rune Circuit is to be hidden and enjoyed on your own. Unfortunately, a snake cannot swallow an elephant.”

Chen Ying awkwardly cleared her throat. “Well, please do save our people once you enter the Rune Cave.”

“No offense, but they may be dead already.”

“Then please bring their bodies back if possible, or even just some of their belongings.” Chen Ying did her best to maintain her composure, but there was an imploring quality to her voice.

Gao Yang found her a little pitiful. Perhaps that was what ‘weak countries have no diplomacy[1]’ meant.

More often than not, being weak was an original sin one must live with.

“Alright,” War Tiger agreed easily. “Give us two minutes for a short meeting.”

Chen Ying nodded and checked her watch. “Please be quick.”

After Chen Ying left to give them some room, War Tiger turned to face his four companions.

“The Rune Cave may or may not be the real deal, and there’s no telling how dangerous it’ll be. It’s always a gamble. Take the Gu Family’s Village as an example, different people would have different experiences inside.”

White Rabbit added, “Teacher War Tiger meant that we couldn’t tell if there is a Rune Circuit to be found, but we can be certain that it’s going to be dangerous. Some of us may die, or all of us for that matter. It’s up to you whether you’re going in or not.”

“I’m going.” Rune Circuit was necessary for leveling up Talents, and Qing Ling never said no to that.

After some hesitation, Gao Yang said, “I’m in too.”

“I’ll excuse myself.” Officer Huang smiled apologetically. “My wife’s pregnant. I can’t just go around risking my life. I don’t want her to become a widow.”

“Alright. You have my permission.” War Tiger didn’t even hesitate. But then he smirked and said, “Still, that’s a shortsighted decision to make, Yellow Ox.”

Officer Huang wasn’t fazed. “Please don’t try to change my mind, Teacher. I acknowledge my cowardice.”

“You’ve got to understand that our organization values individual contribution. There’s a great difference between trainees, official members, outstanding members, and core members, be it in treatment, welfare, rights, or priorities.”

“To make a comparison between Wu Dahai and you, if both of you get into danger, we will save Wu Dahai first. After all, he’s an outstanding member, while you’re only an official member.”

“Of course,” Officer Huang said.

War Tiger looked around, and the corner of his lips curled up. “There’s more to your wife’s pregnancy. How much resources the organization puts in to help you figure out her condition depends on your status as well. Now’s the perfect opportunity for you to go up a rank. Are you really going to let it slip?”

Officer Huang fell silent, his expression tight.

White Rabbit raised her phone and turned to Officer Huang. “Dead Pig, Lovely Lamb, and Heavenly Dog are on their way here. You can stay with them as backup. Chen Ying wants us to move out immediately. You need to make the decision now.”

Officer Huang looked at them with a wry smile. “Do none of you fear death?”

“I do,” Gao Yang said honestly. “But you’ll gain nothing if you risk nothing.”

And with War Tiger here, he felt a little more secure.

Officer Huang made up his mind and put aside his reservation. “Alright, I’m in.”

He turned to War Tiger and added, “Once this is done, Teacher, I hope that the organization will provide support for matters regarding my wife.”

“Of course.” War Tiger turned around and waved a hand. “Let’s go, comrades!”

The five of them followed Chen Ying into the subway station. The utility had been suspended long ago, and it was pitch black inside.

Chen Ying took out a flashlight and walked in the front, while the five of them used their phones to light up the path as well.

The interior of the station was dark and humid with thriving weeds claiming it as home, and the walls and cement floors were all covered in deep cracks and moss. They quickly made it to the ticket gates. There were more cave-ins, and they could see piles of rubbles and trash all around the area.

“Watch your feet and be careful,” Chen Ying reminded them from the front.

After some hesitation, Gao Yang raised his right hand, and with a crackle, his hand burst into flame like a torch, illuminating the environment.

White Rabbit said in an approving tone, “Oh, I forgot you had Fire. You should’ve used it earlier. This is much better.”

“Are you afraid of the dark?” Gao Yang asked without actually looking for an answer.

“What? Isn’t an eighteen-year-old pixie girl afraid of the dark a classic?” White Rabbit said with a grin.

War Tiger didn’t get it at all. “Didn’t you say you were eighteen last year?”

“Shut it. A pixie dream girl is always eighteen.”

With their banters filling the space, they quickly made it through the ticket gates and walked down the unmoving escalator, reaching the heart of the station.

At the end of the platform was a strong light source. Gao Yang could faintly make out a large mining lamp.

Illuminated by the strong light were roughly ten people. Some men, some women, and there was even a little boy. They were all wearing masks.

“Sister Chen.” The one who greeted Chen Ying first was a purple-haired man dressed in street style clothes with a phone in his hand.

“Updates?” Chen Ying asked.

“Still no contact.”

Chen Ying then turned to the little boy standing beside the purple-haired man. “Can you sense anything, Little Tian?”

The meek-looking boy was dressed in a suit for kids, the collars decorated with a ribbon. His eyes looked like glinting obsidians. And he shook his head in disappointment, his lips pursed.

“Are they from the Twelve Zodiac Signs, Sister Chen?” The purple-haired man looked over Chen Ying’s shoulders at the five people in mostly animal masks.

“That’s right.” Chen Ying turned to introduce them. “This man with a cat...a tiger mask is the vice-captain of the Twelve Zodiac Signs, War Tiger.”

“War Tiger!” The purple-haired man took two big strides toward War Tiger in excitement, his eyes widened. “You’re War Tiger, the ninth-ranking wakener with Talent: Killing Expert and had a fifty percent chance of winning even against a Spectre?”

“That’s me.” War Tiger was taken aback. Since when had he been this famous?

The purple-haired man quickly took out a marker from his pocket. “Mr. War Tiger, I, I’m your fan! Would you sign for me?”

He turned his back to War Tiger. “Sign it on my clothes! Make it big! Wait, would you write a sentence for me as well? Let me think... Nothing is impossible! No, no, it should be something cooler. Death comes to everyone equally...”

“Zhang Wei!” Chen Ying growled in a low voice.

“Oh, right. I’m sorry, really sorry...” Realizing that he had made a fool of himself, Zhang Wei quickly took two steps back and scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. “I won’t stop you from talking business.”

“We don’t have time. I’ll make it brief.” Chen Ying checked her watch again and spoke at a more urgent pace. “Little Tian was the one who found the Rune Cave. His Talent is Sensory.”

Sensory, serial number 74. He’s essentially a human radar that can sense any living beings in a certain range.

“When Little Tian walked past the Cattle Farm Station, he sensed powerful living beings inside, and he reported it immediately. We sent our people to investigate, but found nothing.”

Chen Ying’s chest heaved slightly. “Just when we were going to leave—that was two days ago, twelve o’clock at noon—something strange happened.”

War Tiger nodded for her to continue.

“The Line 7 train showed up.”

War Tiger scowled, and White Rabbit asked the question on everyone’s mind. “The station was decommissioned three years ago. No train would stop here.”

Chen Ying turned to White Rabbit. “In fact, the cave-ins in the tunnel in this area resulted in Line 7 changing course entirely. No train should even go past this station, let alone make a stop.”

“So you sent someone to get onto the train and investigate?” Gao Yang could guess what happened next.

“I was against it.” Chen Ying sounded regretful. “Boss sent the third team to investigate, and the second team was close by. They came to help with the investigation after learning about it...”

“We were all shocked that the Line 7 train showed up. When the door opened, there was no one inside, yet Little Tian sensed signs of life on the train.”

“The second team leader concluded that this might be a Rune Cave and took his men onto the train. I was against the idea, but the second team consists of combatants, and they were formidable awakeners in their own right. Their confidence in themselves prevented them from taking my advice.”

Chen Ying stepped to the side and looked at the empty tunnel. “The train set out as soon as they got on. We tried calling them, but the calls didn’t go through. And Little Tian sensed no other signs of life.”

“We waited until twelve o’clock at noon yesterday, and the train showed up on time again. However, the train was empty. We dared not get on again. After reporting to our boss, he decided to ask you for help.”

War Tiger stroked his chin as he concluded, “So, the Line 7 train will show up again later, and you want us to get on and investigate.”

“Yes.” Chen Ying sounded a little unsure.

“May I go back now, Teacher War Tiger,” Officer Huang said half-jokingly. “It sounds like a one-way ride no matter how I think about it.”

War Tiger shrugged. “Too late, I’m afraid.”

The moment he said that, light came from the depth of the tunnel, and they could hear the sound of air compressed into wind when the subway train squeezed through the tight space.

Twelve o’clock at noon, the Line 7 train arrived on time.

1. A quote from Zhuge Liang from the Three Kingdoms era. It means that having power is a necessary precondition to conducting diplomacy. ?

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