The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 561: Only a Fool

War Tiger picked his curl-covered ear with his pinky. “You’re Xing Kong, aren’t you? What’s your Talent? I think it corresponds to mine, right?”

Xing Kong took two steps back to keep a safe distance, on high alert. War Tiger was not an enemy to be trifled with. With his top Damage-type Talent, Killing Expert, he had put Madam Wu down with a simple move.

He’s a melee fighter, though, Xing Kong thought. My Talent will allow me to match his power, and it’ll work better if I anger him.

“What the hell.” Xing Kong taunted with a derisive glance. “I was wondering who would be sent to take me, but it turns out to be a skinny monkey suffering from malnutrition.”

War Tiger laughed carelessly. “If you’re trying to rile me up, it’s not going to work.”

Xing Kong started. He’s onto me! Right, the boy called Seven Shadow has figured my power out before. Of course he’ll tell this man.

“Don’t waste your effort. When I fight, I only feel one emotion...” War Tiger drew the Green Dog Demon Blade from his back. “...And that is excitement.”

A great pressure swept toward Xing Kong.

Calm down. I must calm down. Even if he doesn’t get riled up by me, I can still absorb his energy. It’ll just take longer. And if I can buy enough time, I’ll be able to match him.

War Tiger wasn’t in a hurry to make a move. “I know you vermin living in the sewer always want to face off the awakeners with the top twelve Talents, thinking we are beneath you.”

“Isn’t that the case?” Xing Kong curled his lips and scoffed. “Our Talents are only level 3, yet we manage to face you off. If our Talents reach level 7, you’ll be nothing to us.”

“Hahaha!” War Tiger drew the shortsword by his waist with his left hand. “You’re ambitious, man. I like it!”

“How about I give you a chance to prove yourself?” War Tiger raised his right hand to hand his Green Dog Demon Sword to Xing Kong.

“Take this. I’ll only fight you with my left hand wielding this shortsword. If I can’t kill you in 10 seconds, I lose, and I’ll surrender myself to you. Fair, isn’t it?”

“Ha, you make the offer yourself.” Xing Kong hid his smile. This stupid dog. I’ll make you regret it. You’ll pay the greatest price for underestimating your enemy!

“Of course. An honorable man keeps his word!” War Tiger threw his Green Dog Demon Blade toward Xing Kong with his right hand. “Catch.”

Xing Kong reached out to catch it.

Then War Tiger’s shortsword pierced through Xing Kong’s throat.

Xing Kong was distracted for only a split second while trying to catch the weapon, but then he felt a pain in his neck, and War Tiger was already right before him like a phantom, holding the shortsword by its hilt to make a backhanded swing.

An arc of blood splattered on War Tiger’s face.

Xing Kong’s head fell off, and the world became upside down in his eyes before shaking twice. His head had fallen to the ground.

“You...” He stared at the towering figure of War Tiger with confusion and grievance, unable to say another word.

War Tiger picked up his Green Dog Demon Blade and sheathed it.

He didn’t even spare Xing Kong a glance before turning and leaving, saying carelessly, “Only a fool gets stuck up on honor.”

...

“It’s raining. It’s raining...” Cockroach shouted in disappointment. “The fire’s out, out...”

Not long after Xing Kong left, the downpour of hails started. Madam Wu looked up and spotted the grayish blue clouds.

With the fire put out, there was no chaos to mask their escape, and they would have a harder time getting out of here.

“Cockroach! Don’t just stand there. Let’s go!” Madam Wu shouted. As soon as she turned around, though, she froze. Three figures had shown up at the start of the path leading down the mountain.

Two men and one woman. They were all strangers to Madam Wu.

The man in the middle was taking the lead. Holding a cane with his right hand, he was tall and slim, dressed in a black sweater with dark patterns, a pair of black pants, and black dress shoes, covered by a brown woolen coat. On his left chest was a Black Gold brooch in the shape of a qilin.

The lines of his face were on the soft side, but his facial features were pronounced, his chestnut hair parted on one side. A pair of black-rimmed glasses perched on his tall nose. He looked like a proper gentleman with a bookish and artistic temperament.

The woman walking on the left looked young, around twenty-six or twenty-seven. She had brown curls and a delicate face with a cynical look.

She was wearing a lab coat that reached below her knees, buttoned, under which were a pair of well-shaped calves. Her red heels matched the red scarf around her neck.

On her left chest was a diamond qilin brooch.

The man on the right looked older, in his forties. He was tall and strongly-built, dressed in a black leather jacket and dark-colored jeans, paired with military boots.

His face was sculpted, and his eyes as sharp as those of an eagle, his beard trimmed neatly into an O. His expression was serious, radiating the cool authority of an older person.

Based on what Madam Wu knew, she could guess that they were Qilin, Vermilion Bird, and Azure Dragon from the Qilin Guild.

Haha, what an honor. The biggest of bigshots of the world of awakeners have come personally. It seems that our plan to draw them away works very well.

When the thought flashed through her mind, though, the three of them were suddenly only ten meters from her.

Wait, what? They were thirty meters away, but then they were suddenly much closer.

It felt like she had jumped ten seconds ahead, like a film skipping due to a stutter.

Madam Wu wouldn’t know that it was Qilin who had twisted her perception of time through psychic influence, making her feel like her time had been stolen.

Adjusting his glasses with his left hand, Qilin said, “Are you the leader of Tails?”

“What if I am?” Madam Wu said with less confidence than she would like, suddenly feeling a fear she didn’t understand.

“You’re afraid.” Qilin could sense her change, and a smile that didn’t reach his eyes tugged at his lips. “I’ll give you an ultimatum. Be honest, and we’ll be merciful. Resist, and we won’t pull back.”

Madam Wu didn’t say anything, still weighing her options.

“Forget it.” Qilin sighed, obviously feeling impatient. “I don’t mind questioning your body.”

As soon as he said that, Vermilion Bird walked up to Cockroach.

She curled her lips. “Are you No.10, Cockroach from Tails?”

“I’m Cockroach, with Talent: Cockroach...” Disgusting brown drool leaked from a corner of his mouth. “I’m an unkillable bug. Haha, you’re so pretty, Young Miss. Be my toy. I have many pretty skirts... But you may not be able to put them on...”

Then he took another step forward. “Haha, I can make them smaller for you. Hahaha...”

Vermilion Bird felt repulsion rise in her chest. She didn’t expect the awakener with a corresponding Talent to hers to be such a disgusting, braindead man.

Thanks to Seven Shadow’s report, she knew the way Cockroach worked very well.

Putting on a sweet smile, she took a step toward him and pulled her right hand from her coat pocket, which was covered in a red glove. “Sure. I’ll be your toy and play with you.”