The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 586: Right Time

As soon as Gao Yang teleported out of the restaurant to the alleyway, he created a double and had it rushed out along the main road, while he himself teleported again through the wall into a building next to the restaurant.

It was a recreational center. Gao Yang found himself in a dim room for feet washing. Luckily, there were no patrons inside. He closed the door and threw the bloodied Black Gold hairpin onto the massage bed, accessing Replicate.

—Activate level 3 Gamer.

“Time Reset,” he muttered, splaying his hands.

A second later, the bloodied hairpin radiated a white light, melting and dividing into countless soft tendrils, connected to Gao Yang’s ten fingers. He swiftly moved his fingers and manipulated the white tendrils at incredible speed, and like a 3D printer, he slowly created the rough shape of Hong Xiaoxiao’s body, then the details.

In less than thirty seconds, the Hong Xiaoxiao from three minutes ago appeared lying on the massage bed, unconscious.

Gao Yang let out a long breath, a bead of sweat streaking down his forehead. Time Reset took a lot of energy.

Half an hour ago, when Gao Yang and Hong Xiaoxiao left the Millennium Tower for lunch, and Gao Yang stopped her from getting into a car accident, he had seized the chance of their brief physical contact to replicate Gamer.

He had always been curious about her Talent, and by replicating it, he would be able to learn of its detailed mechanisms in case he ever had to face it.

Hong Xiaoxiao’s Gamer worked in two ways. First, she could mark a space less than 50 cubic meters big, and everything inside the space could be reset to their conditions three minutes ago.

Second, she could mark a higher life form specifically. Then she could revert the target back to a save forcibly, meaning the target could be reset to their condition from three minutes ago, and they would lose consciousness after that.

When Hong Xiaoxiao handed Gao Yang the marked hairpin and told him to carry it with him, it was to make saves on Gao Yang every three minutes. Then, if Gao Yang did anything dangerous or violated the rules when borrowing a Rune Circuit from the Twelve Zodiac Signs, Hong Xiaoxiao would be able to reset Gao Yang and knock him out by force, thus achieving the purpose of watching him and stopping him.

Nothing went wrong during the use of the Rune Circuit, though, and when Gao Yang returned the Black Gold hairpin to Hong Xiaoxiao, the mark had returned to her.

Then Gao Yang replicated her Talent, and they got assaulted by the suited man.

Gao Yang didn’t know how the man’s strange Talent worked, but he could guess that between him and Hong Xiaoxiao, one of them would be randomly judged and punished.

Luckily, Hong Xiaoxiao was the one who died.

Gao Yang came to two conclusions immediately: first, it was better not to go head-to-head with the enemy when he didn’t know how the enemy’s Talent worked, and second, the priority was saving Hong Xiaoxiao.

Thus, he pretended to fight back to buy himself precious time to kneel down and pick up the Black Gold hairpin, taking out the summoner at the same time. Then he teleported away and saved Hong Xiaoxiao a minute later.

As soon as Hong Xiaoxiao was saved from the mouth of hell, Gao Yang’s phone rang. It was Azure Dragon.

“Hello?” Gao Yang answered in a low voice.

“Did you just use your Talent?”

“Yes.”

“What happened?” Azure Dragon’s tone was a mix of worried and interrogative.

Gao Yang summarized briefly, “Hong Xiaoxiao and I got attacked. We ran.”

“Anyone hurt?”

“No.”

“Who’s the enemy?”

“I don’t know him. He’s middle-aged, likely an awakener. His Talent was a rule-type one that works in a strange way, and I was his target. He knows I’m the Divine Scion.”

There were a few seconds of silence. “Is Hong Xiaoxiao with you?”

“Yes,” Gao Yang said honestly. “But she’s unconscious and isn’t waking up just yet.”

“Don’t move. I’ll go to you at once.”

“Okay.” Gao Yang didn’t tell him the address. Azure Dragon could locate him through the tracking bracelet.

After ending the call, Gao Yang extended his six senses to the fullest to take in all the minute movements around him, making sure there was no threat.

Then he called Wang Zikai. He picked up quickly. “Bro, come back if you’re done with what you’re doing. I can’t babysit the young lady any longer...”

“Wang Zikai, I got attacked,” Gao Yang interrupted him.

“What?!” Wang Zikai exclaimed. “Who was it? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. He’s not my match.” Gao Yang paused. “But I need you to do something for me from now on. It can be a little difficult...”

Wang Zikai cut in impatiently, “Geez, just tell me! Stop wasting time!”

...

Gao Yang hung up after telling Wang Zikai what he had to say. Hong Xiaoxiao was still unconscious on the massage bed.

He walked up to her and pinched her philtrum.

“Hm...”

A few seconds later, Hong Xiaoxiao slowly opened her eyes. She was still a little disoriented. “Perhaps you like Ssime...”

“Hong Xiaoxiao,” Gao Yang called out to her.

“Our company, our company’s products...are super effective in repairing...”

Exasperated, Gao Yang patted her face twice. “Wake up, Hong Xiaoxiao!”

“Agh!” Hong Xiaoxiao recovered her mind and jerked up into a sitting position, breathing heavily and panickedly. “Where, where am I? What happened...agh! That man! He, he...”

You were just rendered into paste, and I reset you.

Gao Yang was going to say that, but it would be troublesome, and it was better for Hong Xiaoxiao to not remember the terrifying memory.

“You were knocked out. I took you and ran.”

“Oh, right...” Hong Xiaoxiao pressed a hand to her chest, her breathing slowing somewhat. “The world of awakeners is so dangerous. I got a bullet through my lungs last time, and now I got knocked out...”

She reached for the hairpin on her head reflexively, only to find it gone.

Her eyes widened. The memory right before her death rushed into her mind.

“Ah!” Hong Xiaoxiao shouted, covering her mouth with both hands and shuddering all over. “No, no! I...I died...”

Gao Yang stayed silent.

“You...you saved me, didn’t you? But how did you have my Talent... Ah, you have Replicate...”

Gao Yang was a little surprised. The girl was quick-minded.

“Elder Seven Shadow! Thank...thank you...” Hong Xiaoxiao’s eyes brimmed with tears, her voice breaking due to fear. “If not for you, I would have died... No, I have to resign! This isn’t a job for a regular person. I will die. I will die sooner or later...”

“Calm down, Hong Xiaoxiao.”

“No, I’ll surely die. I’m done. I don’t want the job anymore...”

Hong Xiaoxiao was having a mental breakdown.

“Breathe deeply, Hong Xiaoxiao. Calm down...” Gao Yang coaxed her gently.

Hong Xiaoxiao gradually stopped sobbing, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly. After repeating the motion for a few times, she finally got a hold of herself.

Gao Yang looked at her pale face and dejected expression. He realized that it was now the right time.